cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lead Zirconate Titanate Films Produced By 'Facing Targets' RF-Sputtering

The growth of ferroelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) films by rf-sputtering using facing targets is described. This study has focused on producing thin (<500 nm) PZT films on a wide range of substrates including magnesium oxide, spinel, alumina, silicon oxide, and the respective substrates coated with platinum. Deposition was from two opposed targets separated by 10–15 cm, with the substrate plane normal to the targets and outside the cylinder defined by the two targets. This geometry was chosen to obtain compositional uniformity and avoid ion bombardment effects. The deposition temperatures ranged from RT to 700°C and the process gas was a mixture of argon and oxygen. Effects of deposition conditions and post- deposition annealing on film composition, microstructure, and properties were evaluated using Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS), x-ray diffraction, optical and electron microscopy, and various electrical meas- urements. Optimization of process conditions is discussed in terms of phase purity, preferred orientation, and minimization of electrode interaction.
Book Review: Neonatal Respiratory Care Handbook. Elgloria A Harrison MSc RRT-NPS. Sudbury, Massachusetts: Jones & Bartlett. 2011. Soft cover, spiral bound, 272 pages, $32.95.

The neonatal and pediatric intensive care units (ICUs) are important areas dedicated to the treatment of acute and chronic illness of neonatal and pediatric patients. Respiratory therapists must have unique skills to meet the challenges created by these patients. The vast array of procedures,
Consuming 0.5 Servings of Red Meat per Day Does Not Have a Negative Impact on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors; A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Epidemiological data historically link higher red meat intake and its nutritional components (i.e. saturated fats) to cardiovascular disease (CVD) end points but there are limited comprehensive ana...
Effect of Glucocorticoid on Osteoblasts Associated Factors of Children with Acute Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

[Objective]To study the effect of glucocorticoid on osteoblasts associated factors of children with acute idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura(ITP).[Methods]The levels of osteoblasts associated factors,including procollagen type I carboxy-terminal propeptide(PICP),bone gla-protein(BGP) and alkaline phosphatase(KP) AKP,of 20 ITP children before and after 3 weeks of prednisone treatment were detected.20 normal healthy children were selected as the control and detected at the same time,and their results were compared to the results of ITP children.[Results]There was no significant difference in the levels of PICP,BGP and AKP between ITP children before treatment and normal healthy children(P0.05).The differences in levels of PICP,BGP and AKP of ITP children between pre-treatment and 3 weeks post-treatment was significant(P0.05).[Conclusion]Glucocorticoid can inhibit osteoblasts function of children with acute idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.
Interactions Between Threat and Executive Control in a Virtual Reality Stroop Task

Understanding the ways in which persons rapidly transfer attention between tasks while still retaining ability to perform these tasks is an important area of study. Everyday activities commonly come in the form of emotional distractors. A recently developed Virtual Reality Stroop Task (VRST) allows for assessing neurocognitive and psychophysiological responding while traveling through simulated safe and ambush desert environments as Stroop stimuli appear on the windshield. We evaluated differences in psychophysiological response patterns associated with completion of an affective task alone versus completion of an affective task that also included a Stroop task. The VRST elicited increased heart rate, respiration rate, skin conductance level, and number of spontaneous fluctuations in electrodermal activity. Increased cognitive workload was found to be associated with the more cognitively challenging Stroop conditions which led to an increase in response level. This expands on previous findings and indicates that allocating attention away from the environment and toward Stroop stimuli likely requires greater inhibitory control. This is corroborated by behavioral findings from previous investigations with the VRST. The VRST revealed that the increased difficulty found in tasks like the Stroop interference task directly evoke autonomic changes in psychophysiological arousal beyond the threatening stimuli themselves.
Interplay between service era, PTSD symptom expression, and treatment completion among veterans.

The current veteran population has grown significantly as a result of 3 recent major conflicts: Vietnam, Persian Gulf War, and Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF). Despite ...
A Decade of FTC Action Against Advertising Deception by Selected Service Industries: Cases and Consequences

This paper provides an analysis of recent deceptive advertising practices of selected services industries based on Federal Trade Commission case proceedings during the past decade. Its findings are that the unique characteristics of services (intangibility, non-standardization, simultaneous production and consumption, greater buyer participation and great importance of the reputation of the seller) may substantially contribute to the public problems of deception in such cases.
Kinetics of rod outer segment phagocytosis by cultured retinal pigment epithelial cells. Relationship to cell morphology.

Purpose. To study phenotypic variation in primary cultures of rat retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and to correlate cell morphology with rates of binding and ingestion of rod outer segments (ROS). Method. Replicate cultures were prepared using RPE cell sheets isolated with Dispase from Royal College of Surgeons normal (RCS rdy + p + ) and dystrophic (RCS p + ) rats. Retinal pigment epithelial morphology was analyzed, and phagocytosis was assessed by fluorescence microscopy in cultures fixed at 2-hour intervals from 3 to 19 hours after continuous incubations with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-stained ROS. Results. A wide range of RPE cell size, shape, and pigmentation was present at confluence ; however, distinct morphologic subtypes were recognized, defined as types 1 to 3, and studied separately. In both normal and dystrophic cultures, the extent and rate of ROS binding varied with RPE phenotype. In normal cultures, highly spread pigmented binucleate cells (type 3) bound and rapidly ingested multiple ROS per cell starting at 3 hours and reached a peak at 9 hours. Lightly pigmented daughter cells (type 2) bound and ingested far fewer ROS per cell than did type 3 RPE, which had not divided. Patches of hexagonally packed cells with in vivo morphology (type 1) bound large numbers of ROS per cell only after prolonged (9- to 11-hour) incubations and ingested them synchronously. Comparison of normal versus dystrophic RPE subtypes 1 to 3 revealed the known ingestion defect in all three mutant phenotypes but indicated delayed ROS binding in type 2 and type 3 cells as well. Conclusions. Kinetics of ROS binding and ingestion differ markedly among phenotypic variants of RPE cells typically found in primary cultures at confluence. Thus, accurate quantitation requires comparison of equivalent microscopic fields or like RPE subtypes, and the heterogeneous responses of various RPE subtypes should be considered when interpreting phagocytic data obtained from entire cultures at a particular time.
Applying the Gateway Belief Model to Genetically Modified Food Perceptions: New Insights and Additional Questions

The Gateway Belief Model (GBM) suggests that highlighting a scientific consensus is the key to improving beliefs about important scientific issues. However, questions have been raised on how one's perception of a scientific consensus affects his or her personal scientific beliefs. Reporting on 2 online experiments, findings suggest that consensus messages designed to impact beliefs on a controversial scientific issue—genetically modified (GM) foods—affect audience segments in different ways. People with low prior support for GM foods are less affected by a message emphasizing a scientific consensus about GM food safety. Including visual exemplars of a scientific consensus in these messages might make them more salient. However, questions remain on how best to apply the GBM to persuasive science communication.
Ge nanowire photodetector with high photoconductive gain epitaxially integrated on Si substrate

Efficient nanoscale photodetectors are desirable for future applications such as on-chip optical interconnect systems. High density integration, ideally at the transistor level, requires nanoscale photodetectors integrated on Si using a CMOS compatible process. In this study, we demonstrate 20 nm diameter Ge photodetectors based on individual Ge nanowires epitaxially grown on a Si substrate, with a photoconductive gain of 2000 and responsivity of 22.6 A/W operating at 1.55 μm wavelength. The abrupt heterojunction between the Ge nanowire and the Si substrate minimizes the leakage current including generation/recombination and tunneling. The photocurrent amplification can be attributed to the long lifetime of surface state trapped electrons in the Ge nanowires and Ge/Si core/shell nanowires. By increasing the number of active nanowires connected in parallel in a single detector, the photocurrent can be further increased.
A SISO Test Function for Evaluating the Effect of Steady-State and Dynamic Nonlinearity on Controller Performance

Abstract A simple test function has been developed to compare the effects of steadystate and dynamic nonlinearity on PI control, generic model control, and model predictive control. The test function has two independent adjustable parameters to control the degree of steady-state nonlinearity and dynamic nonlinearity. A variety of cases comparing differing degrees of steady-state nonlinearity and dynamic nonlinearity are studied. In addition, the effect of analyzer deadtime and inverse dynamic behavior were evaluated for each controller.
Evaluation of an open-access CBT-based Internet program for social anxiety: Patterns of use, retention, and outcomes.

Objective Internet-delivered cognitive-behavioral therapy (ICBT) has been established as both efficacious and effective in reducing symptoms of social anxiety. However, most research has been conducted in controlled settings, and little is known regarding the utility of such programs in an open-access format. The present study examined the use, adherence, and effectiveness of Joyable, an open-access, Internet-delivered, coach-supported CBT-based intervention for social anxiety. Method Participants were 3,384 registered users (Mage [SD] = 29.82 [7.89]; 54% male) that created an account between 2014 and 2016. Characteristics of use, factors related to attrition and adherence, and within-group outcomes were examined. The primary outcome measure was the Social Phobia Inventory. Results On average, participants remained in the program for 81.02 days (SD = 60.50), during which they completed 12.14 activities (SD = 11.09) and 1.53 exposures (SD = 3.18). About half (57%) had contact with a coach. Full adherence to the program was achieved by 16% of participants, a rate higher than previously published open-access studies of ICBT. Social anxiety symptoms were significantly reduced for participants that engaged in the program, with medium within-group effects from baseline through the cognitive restructuring module (d = 0.63-0.76) and large effects from baseline through the exposure module (d = 1.40-1.83). Response rates were high (72%). Exposures and coach contact were significant predictors of retention and outcome. Conclusions This open-access online CBT-based program is effective in reducing social anxiety symptoms and has the potential to extend Internet-based mental health services to socially anxious individuals unwilling or unable to seek face-to-face evidence-based therapy. (PsycINFO Database Record
Abstract P296: Intralipid Protects the Heart Against Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury More Efficiently than Cyclosporine-A

It has been shown that intralipid protects the heart against ischemia reperfusion (I/R) injury. Here we compared the cardioprotective effect of Intralipid (ILP) with cyclosporine-A (CsA), a potent inhibitor of the mitochondria permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening. Isolated hearts (Langendorff) from male mice were subjected to 20 minutes of global ischemia followed by reperfusion with Krebs Henseleit buffer (CTRL), additional 1% ILP (ILP group) or 1.5µM CsA (CsA group). The reperfusion duration was 40 min for measurement of cardiac function and infarct size, 10 min for measurement of mitochondrial calcium retention capacity and 5 min for superoxide production measurements using electron spin resonance. Post-ischemic administration of ILP improved the heart functional recovery even better than CsA as Rate pressure product (RPP) at the end of 40 min was significantly higher in ILP group compared to CsA group (13676±611 mmHg*beats/min (n=6) in ILP group vs. 7426±1158 mmHg*beats/min (n=3) in CsA, P<0.01...
Variable Response to Naltrexone in Patients With Hailey-Hailey Disease.

This case series presents 3 cases of patients with Hailey-Hailey disease demonstrating varying responses to naltrexone.
Simultaneous blockade of IL-6 and CCL5 signaling for synergistic inhibition of triple-negative breast cancer growth and metastasis

Metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a heterogeneous and incurable disease. Numerous studies have been conducted to seek molecular targets to treat TNBC effectively, but chemotherapy is still the main choice for patients with TNBC. We have previously presented evidence of the important roles of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 5 (CCL5) in TNBC tumor growth and metastasis. These experiments highlighted the importance of the crosstalk between cancer cells and stromal lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) in tumor growth and metastasis. We examined the viability and migration of MDA-MB-231-LN, SUM149, and SUM159 cells co-cultured with LECs when treated with maraviroc (CCR5 inhibitor) and tocilizumab (anti-IL-6 receptor antibody). To assess the anti-tumor effects of the combination of these two drugs in an athymic nude mouse model, MDA-MB-231-LN cells were implanted in the mammary fat pad and maraviroc (8 mg/kg, orally daily) and cMR16-1 (murine surrogate of the anti-IL-6R antibody, 10 mg/kg, IP, 3 days a week) were administrated for 5 weeks and effects on tumor growth and thoracic metastasis were measured. In this study, we used maraviroc and tocilizumab to confirm that IL-6 and CCL5 signaling are key pathways promoting TNBC cell proliferation and migration. Further, in a xenograft mouse model, we showed that tumor growth was dramatically inhibited by cMR16-1, the mouse version of the anti-IL6R antibody. The combination of maraviroc and cMR16-1 caused significant reduction of TNBC tumor growth compared to the single agents. Significantly, the combination of maraviroc and cMR16-1 abrogated thoracic metastasis. Taken together, these findings show that IL-6 and CCL5 signaling, which promote crosstalk between TNBC and lymphatic vessels, are key enhancers of TNBC tumor growth and metastasis. Furthermore, these results demonstrate that a drug combination inhibiting these pathways may be a promising therapy for TNBC patients.
Urban Design and The Future of Public Space in the Brazilian City

Invited to participate in a research workshop organized by the Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies at the University of Texas - Austin, the author responded to its provocative title “The E nd of Public Space in the Latin American City?” with this discussion paper. The w orkshop was an interdisciplinary exploration of the controversies around the erosion of public space in Latin American Cities, and of the paradox between democratization processes and the expansion of physical divides and spatial segregation.
Vectors for Glioblastoma Gene Therapy: Viral & Non-Viral Delivery Strategies

Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common and aggressive primary brain tumor. Even with aggressive treatment including surgical resection, radiation, and chemotherapy, patient outcomes remain poor, with five-year survival rates at only 10%. Barriers to treatment include inefficient drug delivery across the blood brain barrier and development of drug resistance. Because gliomas occur due to sequential acquisition of genetic alterations, gene therapy represents a promising alternative to overcome limitations of conventional therapy. Gene or nucleic acid carriers must be used to deliver these therapies successfully into tumor tissue and have been extensively studied. Viral vectors have been evaluated in clinical trials for glioblastoma gene therapy but have not achieved FDA approval due to issues with viral delivery, inefficient tumor penetration, and limited efficacy. Non-viral vectors have been explored for delivery of glioma gene therapy and have shown promise as gene vectors for glioma treatment in preclinical studies and a few non-polymeric vectors have entered clinical trials. In this review, delivery systems including viral, non-polymeric, and polymeric vectors that have been used in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) gene therapy are discussed. Additionally, advances in glioblastoma gene therapy using viral and non-polymeric vectors in clinical trials and emerging polymeric vectors for glioma gene therapy are discussed.
CHAPTER 21 – Estrogen Therapy and the Brain

Estrogen exerts both discrete and pervasive effects on brain function. Available evidence implies that estrogen therapy has the potential to benefit mood and certain cognitive skills, but the magnitude of these effects and their clinical import for healthy older women remain controversial. Estrogen actions on physiological and biochemical processes relevant to neurological disease suggest also that this sex steroid could be an important modulator of various pathological states. Progesterone, like estrogen, influences brain function, and initial observations in several clinical conditions raise the possibility that some apparent estrogen benefits could be offset by the administration of a progestogen. Because women with a uterus cannot receive prolonged unopposed estrogen therapy, future investigations should be directed toward understanding the specificity and magnitude of progestogen effects. The spectra of both receptor- and nonreceptor-mediated actions differ for different estrogens, and the selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) are active only in certain tissues.
Review of inguinal hernia repair techniques within the Americas Hernia Society Quality Collaborative

As the ultimate procedure which each surgeon decides to perform for a unilateral uncomplicated inguinal hernia remains controversial, we queried the Americas Hernia Society Quality Collaborative (AHSQC) database to report the collective experience of surgeons in the United States whom contribute to AHSQC to provide a view of the surgical approaches performed. The AHSQC data registry was queried for all adult patients who underwent a primary, unilateral, elective, inguinal hernia repair. A retrospective review was conducted to analyze patient demographics, hernia characteristics, operative details, and post-operative outcomes. Our main outcomes of interest were 30-day surgical site infections (SSI), surgical site occurrences (SSO), 30-day patient-reported outcomes, and 1-year recurrence rates. 4613 patients met inclusion criteria. 1925 were repaired using an open technique (42%), 1841 were repaired using a laparoscopic technique (40%), and 847 were repaired using a robotic technique (18%). The Shouldice technique remains the most common tissue-based repair performed in the AHSQC. The Lichtenstein repair is the most common open mesh-based repair. Minimally invasive approaches to unilateral inguinal hernia repairs remained very common in our series. The robotic approach accounted for nearly one-third of the minimally invasive inguinal hernia repairs. In general, all of the repair techniques reported similar and low rates of 30-day complications. The AHSQC continues on-going efforts to improve long-term follow-up and looks forward to addressing long-term outcomes such as recurrence and chronic pain with increasing data acquisition.
Balloon assisted translocation of the mitral anterior leaflet to prevent left ventricular outflow obstruction (BATMAN): A novel technique for patients undergoing transcatheter mitral valve replacement

Introduction Transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) is an option for patients at high risk for mitral valve replacement or repair via sternotomy or left thoracotomy approach. TMVR carries up to 22% risk of left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction. Severe LVOT obstruction can have devastating hemodynamic and clinical consequences. Hypothesis We previously presented a novel technique to prevent LVOT obstruction during transapical retrograde mitral valve replacement, by penetrating and ballooning the anterior mitral leaflet (AML), resulting in creation of a "hole" and posterior translocation of AML, then deploying the valve. Methods Three patients underwent TMVR at Saint Louis University for severe mitral regurgitation after being deemed too high risk for surgery, and not candidates for a Mitra-clip procedure. These patients were deemed to be at risk for LVOT obstruction based on the preprocedural evaluation. Via transapical approach, a needle was advanced "through," perforating the AML and wire was placed in the left atrium. Over the wire, an 20-mm valvuloplasty balloon was positioned "within" the anterior leaflet and inflated leading to translocation of the AMVL. Then the valve was deployed. Results This novel technique has been performed on three patients at our institution. Sapien S3 transcatheter valves were used in all three patients, with 100% procedural success rate. Intraoperative TEE demonstrated no significant LVOT obstruction, cardiopulmonary bypass time was 42-44 min. Conclusion The balloon assisted translocation of the mitral anterior leaflet to prevent left ventricular outflow obstruction technique described here may offer the option of transcatheter mitral valve implantation in patients at high risk of LVOT obstruction. A variation of this technique to allow application in cases with transseptal approach is under investigation.
Practice variability in pediatric heart transplantation: Opportunities for collaboration

The pediatric heart transplant population continues to grow and more centers are now providing advanced heart failure and transplant services. Though more patients are surviving after transplant, pediatric center protocols have remained relatively unchanged with limited research to guide protocol optimization. The authors explore recent literature reviewing the impact of the different approaches to pre and post-transplant care and as well as the impact these variations have on the field and future directions.
Multi-sensory integration in the mouse cortical connectome using a network diffusion model

Abstract Having a structural network representation of connectivity in the brain is instrumental in analyzing communication dynamics and information processing in the brain. In this work, we make steps towards understanding multi-sensory information flow and integration using a network diffusion approach. In particular, we model the flow of evoked activity, initiated by stimuli at primary sensory regions, using the Asynchronous Linear Threshold (ALT) diffusion model. The ALT model captures how evoked activity that originates at a given region of the cortex “ripples through” other brain regions (referred to as an activation cascade). By comparing the model results to functional datasets based on Voltage Sensitive Dye (VSD) imaging, we find that in most cases the ALT model predicts the temporal ordering of an activation cascade correctly. Our results on the Mouse Connectivity Atlas from the Allen Institute for Brain Science show that a small number of brain regions are involved in many primary sensory streams – the claustrum and the parietal temporal cortex being at the top of the list. This suggests that the cortex relies on an hourglass architecture to first integrate and compress multi-sensory information from multiple sensory regions, before utilizing that lower-dimensionality representation in higher-level association regions and more complex cognitive tasks.
The Nature of Clinical Hypnosis

It has been understood for millennia that nature can foster healing. Therein resides an irony of modern life. Living in a city offers an array of social and technological affordances, but it also p...
Legacy Effects of Hydrologic Alteration in Playa Wetland Responses to Droughts

Wetland conservation increasingly must account for climate change and legacies of previous land-use practices. Playa wetlands provide critical wildlife habitat, but may be impacted by intensifying droughts and previous hydrologic modifications. To inform playa restoration planning, we asked: (1) what are the trends in playa inundation? (2) what are the factors influencing inundation? (3) how is playa inundation affected by increasingly severe drought? (4) do certain playas provide hydrologic refugia during droughts, and (5) if so, how are refugia patterns related to historical modifications? Using remotely sensed surface-water data, we evaluated a 30-year time series (1985–2015) of inundation for 153 playas of the Great Basin, USA. Inundation likelihood and duration increased with wetter weather conditions and were greater in modified playas. Inundation probability was projected to decrease from 22% under average conditions to 11% under extreme drought, with respective annual inundation decreasing from 1.7 to 0.9 months. Only 4% of playas were inundated for at least 2 months in each of the 5 driest years, suggesting their potential as drought refugia. Refugial playas were larger and more likely to have been modified, possibly because previous land managers selected refugial playas for modification. These inundation patterns can inform efforts to restore wetland functions and to conserve playa habitats as climate conditions change.
“The Origin of the Work of Art”: Truth in Existence and the Scholastic Tradition

Sometimes around 1887, Van Gogh painted a riotously colored picture of fruit. It almost vibrates with life and light. It is all in tones of yellow and gold with minor touches of white and green. It almost captures the light of the sun within it, a golden light which is missing from the muted tones of the Dutch landscape, in which pale greys, toned down greens, mauves, and watered browns appear to blend with the blue-grey of the North Sea and the canals. The fruit is painted with what appears to be almost a love of its color and light, and the picture is less reflection of delectable fruit one might want to consume, than a triumph of summer life and light in itself.
Roadmap for gain-bandwidth-product enhanced photodetectors: opinion

Photodetectors are key optoelectronic building blocks performing the essential optical-to-electrical signal conversion, and unlike solar cells, operate at a specific wavelength and at high signal or sensory speeds. Towards achieving high detector performance, device physics, however, places a fundamental limit of the achievable detector sensitivity, such as responsivity and gain, when simultaneously aimed to increasing the detector’s temporal response (speed) known as the gain-bandwidth product (GBP). While detector’s GBP has been increasing in recent years, the average GBP is still relatively modest (∼106-109 Hz-A/W). Here we discuss photoconductor-based detector performance limits and opportunities based on arguments from scaling length theory relating photocarrier channel length, mobility, electrical resistance with optical waveguide mode constrains. We show that short-channel detectors are synergistic with slot-waveguide approaches, and when combined, offer a high-degree of detector design synergy especially for the class of nanometer-thin materials. Indeed, we find that two-dimensional material-based detectors are neither limited by their low mobility nor by associated carrier velocity saturation limitations and can, in principle, allow for 100 GHz fast response rates, which is unlike traditional detector designs that are based on wide channel lengths. However, the contact resistance is still a challenge for such thin photo absorbing materials – a research topic that is still not addressed yet. An interim solution is to utilize heterojunction approaches for functionality separation. Nonetheless, atomistic and nanometer-thin materials used in such next-generation scaling length theory based detectors also demand high material quality and monolithic integration strategies into photonic circuits including foundry-near processes. As it stands, this letter aims to guide the community if achieving the next generation photodetectors aiming for a performance target of GBP ∼ 1012 Hz-A/W.
Radiographic alignment of short stem humeral components in shoulder arthroplasty: a multicenter study

Abstract Introduction Short stem humeral stem components represent an area of potential advancement that may decrease the risk of complications associated with traditional length stems, but early data has demonstrated a high rate of malalignment with certain designs. The utilization of a short stem specifically designed to self-align in the proximal portion of the diaphysis has the potential to provide more consistent adequate alignment. Methods A multicenter retrospective review was performed on 269 shoulders that had undergone an anatomic Total shoulder arthroplasty or a reverse shoulder arthroplasty with implantation of a self-aligning short stem humeral component. Radiographic outcomes included stem alignment and fill-fit ratios. Results Radiographs showed adequate stem alignment in 94% of the shoulders. The differences in the superior region canal-fill ratio between the neutral and malaligned group were statistically significant (P Conclusion The self-aligning short stem analyzed in this study provided a very high rate of adequate stem radiographic alignment. Higher fill ratios were correlated with improved stem alignment. Further studies are needed to understand if improved initial alignment rates correlate with improved patient outcomes or a decreased rate of mechanical failure or other complications. Level of evidence IV
Latino Fathers and Their Preschool Children

This chapter utilizes Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological systems approach to explore the role of the Latino father during pregnancy through early childhood. In addition, this chapter uses a strengths-based approach to detail the influence Latino fathers have on childhood development and focuses on the role the Latino culture plays in parenting, the effects of father presence, his impact on gender role differentiation, and father involvement in psychotherapeutic family interventions. Finally, this chapter draws attention to the critical questions that need to be answered in the coming decade.
Multimodal Treatment Plans in Prostate Cancer

There are a variety of options that can be utilized in the detection, prevention, and treatment of prostate cancer. This chapter focuses specifically on postoperative radiotherapy and its use in both the adjuvant and salvage setting following radical prostatectomy. Indications for the utilization of prostate cancer genomic biomarkers are also reviewed. The utility of genomic biomarkers in prostate cancer early diagnosis and long-term outcomes are discussed. Finally, the ability of biomarkers to influence management decisions and assist in the prevention of overtreatment is explored.
Personal Network Bridging Potential Across Geographic Context.

OBJECTIVE Personal networks play a fundamental role in the daily lives of older adults. Although many studies examine how life course factors and personal preferences shape network formation, fewer consider how the places in which older adults live present opportunities and obstacles to cultivate social relationships. In the present study, we explore how geographic context is associated with the ability to bridge social ties within one's personal network. METHOD We use data from the Person-to-Person Health Interview Survey (N=709), a representative sample of Indiana residents. Personal network data were collected using four name generating prompts. Logistic regression models and linear regression models were used to assess two measures of network bridging. RESULTS A minority of respondents reported the ability to bridge ties within their networks. Respondents residing in rural and mixed counties were less likely than urban respondents to have at least one member of their network who was completely disconnected from all other members. DISCUSSION These findings suggest that the communities in which older adults live condition opportunities for accessing unique network resources. Additional research adopting a network perspective is needed to provide insight into geographic disparities occurring among the older population.
Crime and the Corporation: Making the Punishment Fit the Corporation

The debate over corporate criminal liability has long involved a fight between proponents who argue that corporate liability is necessary for effective deterrence and opponents who claim that it “punishes the innocent.” This article agrees and disagrees with both sides. Corporate criminal liability could play a critical role in establishing an effective deterrent to organizational misconduct, but today it largely fails. Currently, we have a system that combines Deferred Prosecution Agreements, Non-Prosecution Agreements, and extraordinarily generous sentencing credits for compliance plans that have failed, and the result is a system that is more carrots than sticks. The evidence seems clear that corporate fines seldom affect the company’s stock price (even when they are record penalties), that companies rarely self-report their misconduct (despite legal incentives to do so), and that courts impose penalties that can be easily absorbed as a cost of doing business. This analysis leads many to favor a system that focuses only on corporate executives and dispenses with the corporation as a target of the criminal law. That would be an unmitigated mistake. Although executives are deterrable, corporate executives are much harder to identify and prosecute for a variety of reasons. In this light, the critical role of corporate criminal liability is that it can give the corporation a stronger incentive to self-report, monitor its employees, and turn in those responsible. But this requires that we extend leniency only for objective conduct that generates deterrence. A principal goal of this article is to provide a roadmap for how we can make the punishment fit the corporation. Leniency can be used as a tool, but should not be extended gratuitously. Ultimately, to curb corporate misconduct, society must choose between either vicarious liability for executives (which is contrary to our tradition and should shock civil libertarians) or vicarious liability for shareholders (which they have had for a century and is always bounded by the ceiling of limited liability). Either choice will have its costs, but the latter is clearly preferable to the former.
On Straddle Crimes and the Ex Post Facto Clauses

Straddle crimes – those in which one or more conduct elements of a newly created crime occur prior to the effective date of the law, yet the crime is not complete until afterward – pose a unique problem in American criminal and constitutional law. Yet this problem has escaped scholarly attention. This Article fills that void in the literature by examining the ex post facto implications of straddle offenses and by exploring the possibilities for a new ex post facto approach to true straddle crimes which involve conduct elements that are separated in time and space. Courts have typically approached straddle crimes in this context by holding that no ex post facto problem exists where the crime was completed after enactment (what I call the “completion approach,” for which courts have offered little explanation); or that the underlying crime was a continuing offense; or that the relevant statute applied only prospectively. Finding that the latter two approaches avoid the constitutional problem because they essentially transform a straddling scenario into a non-straddling one, this Article focuses on the completion approach and goes beyond the cases to explain its distinct strengths in the ex post facto context. Still, that approach is subject to question when we consider the virtues of a new, elemental approach, which would consider whether the defendant committed any conduct element of a non-continuing offense prior to the date of enactment. This kind of approach is consistent with the underlying purposes of the ex post facto prohibition and with its historical understanding, recognizing that criminal legislation should commence in the future and not reach backward in time to make prior actions a basis for criminal punishment. Finally, as applied to federal criminal legislation, this new approach could serve as a useful (albeit narrow) auxiliary limit on congressional commerce power.
A nonhuman primate model of vertical sleeve gastrectomy facilitates mechanistic and translational research in human obesity

Summary The obesity epidemic significantly contributes to overall morbidity and mortality. Bariatric surgery is the gold standard treatment for obesity and metabolic dysfunction, yet the mechanisms by which it exerts metabolic benefit remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate a model of vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) in nonhuman primates (NHP) that mimics the complexity and outcomes in humans. We also show VSG confers weight loss and durable metabolic benefit where equivalent caloric intake in shams resulted in significant weight gain following surgery. Further, we show that VSG is associated with early, weight-independent increases in bile acids, short chain fatty acids, and reduced visceral adipose tissue (VAT) inflammation with a polarization of VAT-resident immunocytes towards highly regulatory myeloid cells and Tregs. These data demonstrate this strongly translational NHP model can be used to interrogate factors driving successful intervention to unravel the interplay between physiologic systems and improve therapies for obesity and metabolic syndrome.
Skin-Friction and Heat-Transfer Characteristics of a Laminar Boundary Layer on a Cylinder in Axial Incompressible Flow

A solution is given for the case of the laminar boundary layer of an incompressible fluid of constant properties on the exterior of a cylinder with flow parallel to the cylinder axis. This case differs from the Blasius solution for flow along a flat plate by considering the effect of the curvature in a plane transverse to the flow direction. The local skin-friction and heat-transfer coefficients for a Prandtl Number of 0.715 are evaluated and compared to the similar magnitudes for flat plate flow, and the effect of the curvature is shown to be significant in some practical cases. Recovery factors are evaluated, and this quantity is found to be insensitive to the effect of curvature of the boundary.
Prevalence of the enteric parasites in a selected community in los angeles county

ABSTRACT: Microscopic examination of stool samples obtained from 128 residents of South-East Los Angeles showed protozoa in 38 [29.7 percent] and helminths in 44 [34 percent], but this population were asymptomatic. Their ethnic composition included, Hispanics 52.3 percent, African-American, 45.3 percent and 2.3 percent others. The mean prevalence of infections among these populations were: Ascaris lumbricoides 38 [27.5 percent], Giardia lamblia 30 [21.7 percent], Entamoeba histolytica 8 [6.2 percent] and Trichostrongylus 6 [4.7 percent]. Parasitic examination of the stool is recommended seriously in clinical practice of city and community hospitals that cater to the health needs of indigent population.
Transcripts for Law Enforcement: Special Requirements

Problems for law enforcement, both in the examination of taped evidence and in the presentation of evidential transcripts in the courtroom, have arisen as a direct result of misconceptions of what constitutes a transcript of a voice recording. This paper introduces a variety of transcript types, pointing out that transcripts for use by the law enforcement community have special requirements that need to be recognized, that are not being met by transcript types presently in use, and that would distinguish this type of transcript from other types. To assist the law enforcement community in meeting these special requirements, a unique format for transcribing voice recordings is presented, with accompanying guidelines.
On Wavefront Propagation in Random Nonlinear Media

Determination of the effects of material microscale randomness on the wavefront propagation is the focus of this paper. The study is set in the context of one-dimensional microstructures with material randomness, of high signal-to-noise ratio, being present in constitutive moduli and grain lengths. Two different, but related, categories of problems — transient waves in granular microstructures, and acceleration wavefronts in nonlinear elastic/dissipative continua — are discussed. While particular attention is given to a random phenomenon of shock formation in the second case, the common thread of these both problem categories is the use of Markov diffusion processes in description of wave evolutions.
Magnetic resonance imaging as a predictor of pathologic response in patients treated with neoadjuvant systemic treatment for operable breast cancer: Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium trial 017

BACKGROUND: Increased pathologic complete response (pCR) rates observed with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) for some subsets of patients with invasive breast cancer have prompted interest in whether patients who achieved a pCR can be identified preoperatively and potentially spared the morbidity of surgery. The objective of this multicenter, retrospective study was to estimate the accuracy of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in predicting a pCR in the breast. METHODS: MRI studies at baseline and after the completion of NCT plus data regarding pathologic response were collected retrospectively from 746 women who received treatment at 8 institutions between 2002 and 2011. Tumors were characterized by immunohistochemical phenotype into 4 categories based on receptor expression: hormone (estrogen and progesterone) receptor (HR)-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative (n = 327), HR-positive/HER2-positive, (n = 148), HR-negative/HER2-positive, (n = 101), and triple-negative (HR-negative/HER2 negative; n = 155). In all, 194 of 249 patients (78%) with HER2-positive tumors received trastuzumab. Univariate and multivariate analyses of factors associated with radiographic complete response (rCR) and pCR were performed. RESULT: For the total group, the rCR and pCR rates were 182 of 746 patients (24%) and 179 of 746 patients (24%), respectively, and the highest pCR rate was observed for the triple-negative subtype (57 of 155 patients; 37%) and the HER2-positive subtype (38 of 101 patients; 38%). The overall accuracy of MRI for predicting pCR was 74%. The variables sensitivity, negative predictive value, positive predictive value, and accuracy differed significantly among tumor subtypes, and the greatest negative predictive value was observed in the triple-negative (60%) and HER2-positive (62%) subtypes. CONCLUSIONS: The overall accuracy of MRI for predicting pCR in invasive breast cancer patients who were receiving NCT was 74%. The performance of MRI differed between subtypes, possibly influenced by differences in pCR rates between groups. Future studies will determine whether MRI in combination with directed core biopsy improves the predictive value of MRI for pathologic response. Cancer 2013. © 2013 American Cancer Society.
Priming: a nonantiviral function of interferon.

No interferon is made by L cells when they are infected with MM virus. However, several thousand units of interferon are produced when interferon-treated L cells are infected with MM virus. We call the conversion of cells, from nonproducers to producers, priming. The time required for cells to become fully primed is dependent on the interferon concentration with which they are incubated. Primed cells produced interferon earlier than normal cells stimulated by other inducers. Cells which were exposed to interferon in the presence of inhibitors of protein synthesis became fully primed yet developed no virus resistance. Also, primed cells produced interferon in response to low concentrations of polyriboinosinic acid · polyribocytidylic acid that did not induce interferon in normal cells. Therefore, priming appears to be a function of interferon separable from its antiviral activity. Several other picornaviruses that failed to induce interferon in L cells, human embryonic lung cells, or monkey kidney cells did induce interferon when these cells had been primed by homologous interferons.
Streptolysin S Promotes Programmed Cell Death and Enhances Inflammatory Signaling in Epithelial Keratinocytes during Group A Streptococcus Infection

Streptococcus pyogenes, or group A Streptococcus (GAS), is a pathogen that causes a multitude of human diseases from pharyngitis to severe infections such as toxic shock syndrome and necrotizing fasciitis. One of the primary virulence factors produced by GAS is the peptide toxin streptolysin S (SLS). In addition to its well-recognized role as a cytolysin, recent evidence has indicated that SLS may influence host cell signaling pathways at sublytic concentrations during infection. We employed an antibody array-based approach to comprehensively identify global host cell changes in human epithelial keratinocytes in response to the SLS toxin. We identified key SLS-dependent host responses, including the initiation of specific programmed cell death and inflammatory cascades with concomitant downregulation of Akt-mediated cytoprotection. Significant signaling responses identified by our array analysis were confirmed using biochemical and protein identification methods. To further demonstrate that the observed SLS-dependent host signaling changes were mediated primarily by the secreted toxin, we designed a Transwell infection system in which direct bacterial attachment to host cells was prevented, while secreted factors were allowed access to host cells. The results using this approach were consistent with our direct infection studies and reveal that SLS is a bacterial toxin that does not require bacterial attachment to host cells for activity. In light of these findings, we propose that the production of SLS by GAS during skin infection promotes invasive outcomes by triggering programmed cell death and inflammatory cascades in host cells to breach the keratinocyte barrier for dissemination into deeper tissues.
Sunday Driver/JIP3 binds kinesin heavy chain directly and enhances its motility

Neuronal development, function and repair critically depend on axonal transport of vesicles and protein complexes, which is mediated in part by the molecular motor kinesin-1. Adaptor proteins recruit kinesin-1 to vesicles via direct association with kinesin heavy chain (KHC), the force-generating component, or via the accessory light chain (KLC). Binding of adaptors to the motor is believed to engage the motor for microtubule-based transport. We report that the adaptor protein Sunday Driver (syd, also known as JIP3 or JSAP1) interacts directly with KHC, in addition to and independently of its known interaction with KLC. Using an in vitro motility assay, we show that syd activates KHC for transport and enhances its motility, increasing both KHC velocity and run length. syd binding to KHC is functional in neurons, as syd mutants that bind KHC but not KLC are transported to axons and dendrites similarly to wild-type syd. This transport does not rely on syd oligomerization with itself or other JIP family members. These results establish syd as a positive regulator of kinesin activity and motility.