cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
DSP-based control for reliable fuel cell power systems with input ripple current compensation

Fuel cell power systems have increasingly become popular because of their inherent advantages over conventional energy systems. A fuel cell system typically requires some kind of power conditioning that usually includes a DC-DC converter and a DC-AC inverter. In a single phase system, the operation of a single phase inverter introduces a second harmonic (120 Hz) current ripple into the system. This ripple has been found to be detrimental to the performance, life and efficiency of the fuel cell if it is not adequately controlled. This paper proposes an active filtering method to cancel the second harmonic current ripple drawn from the fuel cell source in a single phase fuel cell system. This approach provides an alternate path for the 120 Hz current preventing it from flowing through the fuel cell. The conventional and the proposed systems have been simulated using PSpice and the results have been presented. Experimental results from a laboratory prototype are also included to validate the proposed approach. A major feature of this implementation is the use of a DSP TMS 320F2808 for the overall control and monitoring of the system.
Load Estimation for distribution feeder monitoring and management

This paper explores a new technique of load modeling and estimation on distribution systems. With the emerging AMI technology real-time data about customer loads will be available and hence an estimate of loads on the distribution feeder can be made for system monitoring and control. With this data, a load model predicting the real-time load variations can be made. This paper elaborates the statistical approach used to build such a harmonics-based model with auto-correlated errors (a time series model).
Long-term survival and patterns of care in women with ovarian tumors of low malignant potential.

Abstract Objectives. The objectives of this study were to ascertain long-term survival and patterns of care among women diagnosed with ovarian tumors of low malignant potential (LMP) in a population-based data set. Methods. Using the NCI's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, we identified 2818 women diagnosed with ovarian tumors of low malignant potential between 1988 and 1997. Results. By FIGO stage, 10-year relative survival was as follows: stage I, 99%; stage II, 98%; stage III, 96%; and stage IV 77%. One-quarter of women with stage I disease underwent partial or unilateral oophorectomy only, while women with more advanced disease commonly underwent omentectomy, unilateral or bilateral oophorectomy, and hysterectomy. Adjuvant chemotherapy was given to about 30% of women with stage III and IV disease. Radiation therapy was rarely used. We observed no significant changes in primary surgery or adjuvant treatment over time. Conclusions. The diagnosis of an ovarian tumor of LMP conveys a relatively benign prognosis. Conservative surgery should be considered in younger women with early-stage disease. There are insufficient data to support a role for adjuvant chemotherapy for women with advanced disease.
The discourse of engagement: An approach to analyzing conceptual understanding in an inquiry-based learning environment

Engineering educators are increasingly being encouraged to adopt instructional methods that engage students in authentic activities to foster inquiry and deeper conceptual understanding. However, a significant challenge facing professors who would like to incorporate such methods into their teaching is a lack of understanding of its basic principles, mechanisms, and features. This paper reports results of an innovative means of investigating promising approaches to inquiry-based teaching/learning in undergraduate engineering courses at an urban research university on the U.S.-Mexico border. The research design incorporates analysis of natural language data from classroom interaction to shed light on teaching and learning practices that show promise for fostering enduring conceptual understanding. Highlighted are the classroom practices of one professor who designed and implemented a problem-based case in an undergraduate industrial engineering course, which the researcher video-taped and transcribed. Linguistic analysis of this transcript provided descriptions of instructional practices that encourage learnerspsila engagement with key concepts. Implications of the analytical approach are drawn for the investigation of conceptual understanding and the design and refinement of inquiry-oriented classroom practices.
Youth homicide deaths in Rhode Island, 2004-2012.

Youth homicide is a substantial public health problem in the United States, and has had a devastating effect on individuals, families, and communities.1-3 In 2008, homicide was the second leading cause of death for persons aged 15–24 years based on data from 16 states that participate in the CDC National Violent Death Reporting System.3 During 2004-2012, homicide was the leading cause of violent deaths including homicides, suicides, legal intervention deaths, unintentional firearm deaths, and deaths of undetermined intent among those <25 years of age in Rhode Island. Over one-third (39%) of the 284 homicides during that time period were among children and youth aged 0-24 years. Youth homicide can be prevented through a strategic public health based approach.1 It is critical to increase awareness among the general public, public health officials, health care professionals, social service providers, and policy makers. This study provides the best available data on youth homicide from the Rhode Island Violent Death Reporting System to help better understand the pattern of youth homicide and, ultimately, reduce these untimely deaths. The Rhode Island Violence Death Reporting System (RIVDRS) is a statewide, active surveillance system that links multiple source documents and collects detailed information concerning all violence-related deaths (homicides, suicides, legal intervention deaths, unintentional firearm deaths, and deaths of undetermined intent).3,4 Rhode Island is one of 18 states currently funded by the CDC National Violence Death Reporting System (NVDRS). Prior to 2004, Rhode Island violent death data were collected and described independently by several organizations across the state. Although these data were of high quality, single data sources (e.g., death certificates) were not integrated and provided only limited information in efforts to understand patterns of violent death in Rhode Island.
Fine-needle aspiration of spinal osteoblastoma in a patient with lymphangiomatosis.

Diagnosis of osteoblastoma by fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is rare, as in most patients, excisional biopsy is performed. We report a case of FNA diagnosis of a spinal osteoblastoma in a lymphangiomatosis patient. The patient had a history of lymphangiomatosis since birth with lymphangiomas removed from various locations, and had radiograph evidence of multifocal vertebral involvement. He presented with an enlarging C3 posterior element vertebral lesion. Clinically and radiologically, it was suspicious for lymphangiomatosis involvement. A computed tomography (CT)-guided FNA yielded a moderately cellular specimen. Lesional cells exhibited plasmacytoid features, fine chromatin, smooth nuclear membranes, and binucleation, in a background of occasional osteoclastic cells, spindle cells, and osteoid matrix. A cytological diagnosis of osteoblastoma was favored and confirmed with follow-up surgical biopsy. We believe that this is the first case reporting an osteoblastoma diagnosed by FNA in a lymphangiomatosis patient. We describe the clinical and cytological findings of osteoblastoma and its differential diagnosis. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2006;34:295–297. ' 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Clinical utility of the band count

Enumeration of band neutrophils has a long clinical tradition as a diagnostic test for bacterial infection. Yet, the band count is a nonspecific, inaccurate, and imprecise laboratory test. Review of the literature provides little support for the clinical utility of the band count in patients greater than 3 months of age. The white blood cell count and the automated absolute neutrophil count are better diagnostic tests for adults and most children. Absolute numbers of bands are required for the Rochester criteria, a diagnostic algorithm for acutely ill, febrile children less than 3 months of age. No studies, however, assess the independent contribution of bands to the performance of the algorithm, or the use of the automated total neutrophil count as a replacement for the band count. Band counts also are required to calculate an immature to total neutrophil ratio (I:T ratio), an index widely used to aid in the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis. Studies, however, show a wide range of sensitivity and specificity for the I:T ratio, indicating variable performance. In the near future, rapid analysis of inflammatory factors, adhesion molecules, cytokines, neutrophil surface antigens, or even bacterial DNA may be superior alternative tests for the early diagnosis of sepsis.
Temporal UAS: Supporting Efficient RBAC Authorization in Presence of the Temporal Role Hierarchy

Role Based Access Control (RBAC) has been shown to be a promising approach to ensure secure access in pervasive environment. In an RBAC system, users acquire permissions by activating roles authorized to them in user sessions. Hence, determining role sets that can be activated in a single user session is an important issue. In particular, systems employing an RBAC model extended with hybrid hierarchy pose a significant challenge in maintaining such a set of role sets, known as uniquely activable set (UAS), for each user. Moreover, RBAC models extended with temporal role hierarchy make the issue further challenging as the UAS computation needs to be continuously performed to support the authorization decision process. In this paper, we analyze formally how the temporal role hierarchy affects the user-activation process, define the Temporal UAS (TUAS) that captures the temporal characteristics of UAS, and propose efficient algorithms to generate TUAS at different time instants. We compare our approach with a brute force approach that computes UAS at every time instant and show that it is more efficient and hence practically more useful for time-based RBAC systems.
Carbon Fiber Biocompatibility for Implants

Carbon fibers have multiple potential advantages in developing high-strength biomaterials with a density close to bone for better stress transfer and electrical properties that enhance tissue formation. As a breakthrough example in biomaterials, a 1.5 mm diameter bisphenol-epoxy/carbon-fiber-reinforced composite rod was compared for two weeks in a rat tibia model with a similar 1.5 mm diameter titanium-6-4 alloy screw manufactured to retain bone implants. Results showed that carbon-fiber-reinforced composite stimulated osseointegration inside the tibia bone marrow measured as percent bone area (PBA) to a great extent when compared to the titanium-6-4 alloy at statistically significant levels. PBA increased significantly with the carbon-fiber composite over the titanium-6-4 alloy for distances from the implant surfaces of 0.1 mm at 77.7% vs. 19.3% (p < 10−8) and 0.8 mm at 41.6% vs. 19.5% (p < 10−4), respectively. The review focuses on carbon fiber properties that increased PBA for enhanced implant osseointegration. Carbon fibers acting as polymer coated electrically conducting micro-biocircuits appear to provide a biocompatible semi-antioxidant property to remove damaging electron free radicals from the surrounding implant surface. Further, carbon fibers by removing excess electrons produced from the cellular mitochondrial electron transport chain during periods of hypoxia perhaps stimulate bone cell recruitment by free-radical chemotactic influences. In addition, well-studied bioorganic cell actin carbon fiber growth would appear to interface in close contact with the carbon-fiber-reinforced composite implant. Resulting subsequent actin carbon fiber/implant carbon fiber contacts then could help in discharging the electron biological overloads through electrochemical gradients to lower negative charges and lower concentration.
Chemical Carcinogenesis and Immunity: Immunologic Status of Rats Treated With Methylnitrosourea

During the treatment of outbred Sprague-Dawley rats with methylnitrosourea (MNU) or the noncarcinogenic analog diphenylnitrosamine, antibody levels to teichoic acid as well as several parameters of lymphocyte and macrophage function were assessed in animals not overtly stimulated with antigen. Treatment with MNU did not appear to alter most immunologic parameters studied. Some alterations occurred in natural antibody levels, in spleen weight, and in peripheral blood differentials of rats that had received the highest carcinogen dose (4.5 mg/kg). These alterations, however, appeared to coincide with the development of tumors and were not observed in animals with premalignant lesions. Levels of chemical carcinogens that were capable of inducing tumors did not necessarily suppress the immune response.
Second-Order Participation in Administrative Law

Administrative law has long been fixated on public participation. Countless procedures and doctrines, along with their underlying normative theories, embrace participation as a crucial part of what makes the administrative state legitimate. It is well-recognized that interest groups dominate this participation. Yet the implications of interest-group dominance have been largely overlooked. Administrative law takes virtually no notice of how the dependence on interest groups affects the claimed value of participation.This Article argues that a close study of interest groups is essential to understanding, and ultimately reforming, administrative participation. It introduces the concept of second-order participation to describe the internal operation of interest groups. It then shows that second-order participation complicates every leading justification of administrative participation and the many practices built atop those justifications. These traditional conceptions of participation cohere only if groups actually speak for a membership, or at least provide information about how and for whom they work. Yet interest groups are seldom transparent, and, as this Article shows, they fall along a spectrum of internal governance with varying degrees of principal-agent slack — with the most effective lobbyists tending to have the greatest slack or no members at all. Attending to second-order participation thus provides a new framework for understanding participation, and it illuminates a path for reform.
Cornea As a Model for Testing CTGF-Based Antiscarring Drugs

Scarring remains a serious complication of the wound healing process that can lead to the formation of excessive fibrous connective tissue in an organ or tissue leading to pain and loss of function. This process is mainly regulated by Transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), which binds to receptors and induces its downstream mediator, Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF). The number of drugs targeting CTGF for treating scars has been on the rise in the past few years. The purpose of this article is to suggest the possibility of using cornea as a model for testing anti-CTGF therapies for scarring.
Characterization and evaluation of 2.5 MV electronic portal imaging for accurate localization of intra- and extracranial stereotactic radiosurgery

2.5 MV electronic portal imaging, available on Varian TrueBeam machines, was characterized using various phantoms in this study. Its low-contrast detectability, spatial resolution, and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were compared with those of conventional 6 MV and kV planar imaging. Scatter effect in large patient body was simulated by adding solid water slabs along the beam path. The 2.5 MV imaging mode was also evaluated using clinically acquired images from 24 patients for the sites of brain, head and neck, lung, and abdomen. With respect to 6 MV, the 2.5 MV achieved higher contrast and preserved sharpness on bony structures with only half of the imaging dose. The quality of 2.5 MV imaging was comparable to that of kV imaging when the lateral separation of patient was greater than 38 cm, while the kV image quality degraded rapidly as patient separation increased. Based on the results of patient images, 2.5 MV imaging was better for cranial and extracranial SRS than the 6 MV imaging.
Constrained control for soft landing on an asteroid with gravity model uncertainty

An autonomous control strategy is developed that enables soft landing of a spacecraft on a small rotating asteroid while exploiting a constant density ellipsoid gravity model. A disturbance canceling input observer is used to compensate for the error between the estimated and actual gravity force. An extended command governor is used to enforce constraints on control and landing speed while performing collision avoidance. The spacecraft landing mission is divided into two phases. In the first, circumnavigating phase an ellipsoidal constraint is placed around the asteroid that guarantees collision avoidance while bounding control. In the second, landing phase, the spacecraft trajectory is maintained within a pyramid that tapers near the landing point while spacecraft speed is reduced as it approaches the surface. Simulations performed on the full nonlinear model with actual gravity parameters demonstrate successful landing using the proposed controller scheme.
Effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles derived from consumer products on the marine diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana

Increased manufacture of TiO2 nanoproducts has caused concern about the potential toxicity of these products to the environment and in public health. Identification and confirmation of the presence of TiO2 nanoparticles derived from consumer products as opposed to industrial TiO2 NPs warrant examination in exploring the significance of their release and resultant impacts on the environment. To this end, we examined the significance of the release of these particles and their toxic effect on the marine diatom algae Thalassiosira pseudonana. Our results indicate that nano-TiO2 sunscreen and toothpaste exhibit more toxicity in comparison to industrial TiO2 and inhibited the growth of the marine diatom T. pseudonana. This inhibition was proportional to the exposure time and concentrations of nano-TiO2. Our findings indicate a significant effect, and therefore, further research is warranted in evaluation and assessment of the toxicity of modified nano-TiO2 derived from consumer products and their physicochemical properties.
Drivers of bacterial genomes plasticity and roles they play in pathogen virulence, persistence and drug resistance

Despite the advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, sophisticated data analysis and drug development efforts, bacterial drug resistance persists and is escalating in magnitude. To better control the pathogens, a thorough understanding of their genomic architecture and dynamics is vital. Bacterial genome is extremely complex, a mosaic of numerous co-operating and antagonizing components, altruistic and self-interested entities, behavior of which are predictable and conserved to some extent, yet largely dictated by an array of variables. In this regard, mobile genetic elements (MGE), DNA repair systems, post-segregation killing systems, toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems, restriction-modification (RM) systems etc. are dominant agents and horizontal gene transfer (HGT), gene redundancy, epigenetics, phase and antigenic variation etc. processes shape the genome. By illegitimate recombinations, deletions, insertions, duplications, amplifications, inversions, conversions, translocations, modification of intergenic regions and other alterations, bacterial genome is modified to tackle stressors like drugs, and host immune effectors. Over the years, thousands of studies have investigated this aspect and mammoth amount of insights have been accumulated. This review strives to distillate the existing information, formulate hypotheses and to suggest directions, that might contribute towards improved mitigation of the vicious pathogens.
Isokinetic Torque in Boys and Girls Ages 7 to 13: Effect of Age, Height, and Weight

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate torque differences between 28 boys and 28 girls, ages 7 to 13 years, for the knee and elbow flexor and extensors at 30°/second and 120°/second using an isokinetic procedure (Cybex II). In addition, the relationships of these torque levels to size and age were determined. The results revealed significant (p < .05) sex differences for the knee flexor and extensor torque values at 120°/second independent of body weight. That is, the boys generated 29.2 and 39.5 foot pounds vs. the girl's 26.2 and 35.4 foot pounds for knee flexion and extension, respectively. Similarly, torque differences (p < .05) between boys and girls were present for elbow extension at 120°/second when adjusting for differences in height. When examining the flexion/extension ratios, it is apparent that increases in body size (height, weight) and age had a significant effect on the ratio at 120°/second but not at 30°/second.
Methodological development of topographic correction in 2D/3D ToF-SIMS images using AFM images

Abstract Time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) is an emerging technique that provides chemical information directly from the surface of electronic materials, e.g. OLED and solar cell. It is very versatile and highly sensitive mass spectrometric technique that provides surface molecular information with their lateral distribution as a two-dimensional (2D) molecular image. Extending the usefulness of ToF-SIMS, a 3D molecular image can be generated by acquiring multiple 2D images in a stack. These imaging techniques by ToF-SIMS provide an insight into understanding the complex structures of unknown composition in electronic material. However, one drawback in ToF-SIMS is not able to represent topographical information in 2D and 3D mapping images. To overcome this technical limitation, topographic information by ex-situ technique such as atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been combined with chemical information from SIMS that provides both chemical and physical information in one image. The key to combine two different images obtained from ToF-SIMS and AFM techniques is to develop the image processing algorithm, which performs resize and alignment by comparing the specific pixel information of each image. In this work, we present methodological development of the semiautomatic alignment and the 3D structure interpolation system for the combination of 2D/3D images obtained by ToF-SIMS and AFM measurements, which allows providing useful analytical information in a single representation.
The influence of divided attention on walking turns: Effects on gait control in young adults with and without a history of low back pain

The cognitive control of gait is altered in individuals with low back pain, but it is unclear if this alteration persists between painful episodes. Locomotor perturbations such as walking turns may provide a sensitive measure of gait adaptation during divided attention in young adults. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in gait during turns performed with divided attention, and to compare healthy young adults with asymptomatic individuals who have a history of recurrent low back pain (rLBP). Twenty-eight participants performed 90° ipsilateral walking turns at a controlled speed of 1.5m/s. During the divided attention condition they concurrently performed a verbal 2-back task. Step length and width, trunk-pelvis and hip excursion, inter-segmental coordination and stride-to-stride variability were quantified using motion capture. Mixed-model ANOVA were used to examine the effect of divided attention and group, and interaction effects on the selected variables. Step length variability decreased significantly with divided attention in the healthy group but not in the rLBP group (post-hoc p=0.024). Inter-segmental coordination variability was significantly decreased during divided attention (main effect of condition p <0.000). There were small but significant reductions in hip axial and sagittal motion across groups (main effect of condition p=0.044 and p=0.040 respectively), and a trend toward increased frontal motion in the rLBP group only (post-hoc p=0.048). These findings suggest that the ability to switch attentional resources during gait is altered in young adults with a history of rLBP, even between symptomatic episodes.
The influence of stereoscopic image display on pedestrian road crossing in a large-screen virtual environment

This paper investigates the influence of stereoscopic vs. non-stereoscopic display in large-screen virtual environments on an everyday perception-action task - crossing traffic-filled roadways as a pedestrian. The task for participants was to physically cross a virtual road with continuous traffic without getting hit by a car in a CAVE-like virtual environment. Half of the participants performed the task with stereoscopic display and half performed the task with non-stereoscopic display. We found that stereoscopic display had little impact on the size of the gaps participants crossed or the timing of their crossing motion relative to the gap with the exception of a small difference in crossing speed. The results are important for validating the use of non-stereoscopic image displays in ground vehicle simulation and supporting the use of non-stereoscopic displays for multi-viewpoint rendering in co-occupied virtual environments.
Muscle metaboreflex-induced vasoconstriction in the ischemic active muscle is exaggerated in heart failure

We found that muscle metaboreflex-induced vasoconstriction of the ischemic active skeletal muscle from which the reflex originates is exaggerated in heart failure. This results in heightened metabo...
WHAT ARE OUR PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC OPTIONS

Over the past two decades, behavioral treatment programs have become increasingly more effective in producing initial weight loss. The best programs now yield average weight losses of approximately 10 kg at the end of treatment (usually 20–24 weeks). However, long term results are still modest, averaging about 5 kg (Wadden, & Vanltallie, 1992). Therefore,the key problem facing us today is how to improve long-term results.
Examining tumor hypoxia using MRI (BOLD/TOLD) in correlation with [18F]FMISO PET

1138 Objectives Hypoxia is an important biomarker for tumor progression and response to therapy. [18F]-fluoromisonidazole ([18F]FMISO) is the most widely used PET radiotracer for imaging tumor hypoxia. Various imaging techniques are developed to assess tumor hypoxia, but many are invasive, inconvenient, or impractical in the clinical settings. Oxygen sensitive MRI is an attractive alternative option. Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) and Tissue Oxygen Level Dependent (TOLD) MRI offer potential insight into tumor hypoxia. Here, we compared oxygen sensitive MRI in prostate tumor bearing rats with [18F]FMISO. Methods Five rats bearing subcutaneous Dunning prostate R3327-AT1 tumors (1.4 to 2 cm3) were examined with respect to oxygen breathing challenge using interleaved BOLD (T2*-weighted) and TOLD (T1-weighted) sequence, which is sensitive to paramagnetic deoxyhemoglobin and tumor tissue oxygenation (pO2) respectively. Immediately following the administration of the tracer (570-600 μCi), dynamic PET imaging was performed up to 90 mins using a Siemens Inveon® PET/CT system. Imaging data (0-90 min) were reconstructed into eighteen frames (5 min intervals), and the time activity curve was generated. Results BOLD and TOLD responses averaged 6.7%ΔSI and 5.3%ΔSI respectively. The average tumor to muscle ratio by PET was greater than 1.8 at 90 min indicating hypoxia. Each technique showed heterogeneity. PET imaging showed maximum [18F]FMISO uptake in the peripheral regions and MRI showed lower BOLD response in the same region consistent with hypoxia. The results were further verified by performing immunohistochemistry on the tumor tissue. Pimonidazole accumulating in hypoxic regions and Hoechst stain in well perfused regions were observed. Conclusions PET imaging showed highest [18F]FMISO uptake in the tumor periphery suggesting a strong influence of perfusion. However, the regions also corresponded to generally lower BOLD signal responses consistent with hypoxia. Immunohistochemistry confirmed the presence of hypoxic regions. Research Support Supported in part by NCI R01 CA13904 and U24CA126608.
Metallogeny at Precambrian and Mesozoic continental margins

Modelling of Precambrian continental margin tectonic settings involves plate-tectonic-metallogenic analyses, back-projection of modern lithotectonic settings and ore deposit classifications, and consideration of changes in ore deposit genesis and characteristics through geologic time. In this paper, two approaches are developed — namely, the judicious projection back to the Precambrian of Mesozoic-Cenozoic metallogenic characteristics and interpretations, and the direct analysis of Archean-Proterozoic ore deposit settings and their implications with respect to plate reconstructions and dynamics.
Conventional Energy Supply

This chapter discusses the identification and screening of mitigation options in conventional energy supplies, resource assessment and technology characterization, and the policies that might be used to implement options considered desirable. Comparative analysis of mitigation options affecting the conventional energy supply system and development of energy supply scenarios may be conducted with one of the bottom-up models discussed in Chapter 3, and not described in this chapter.
Defining and Measuring Nursing Home Placement.

This editorial comments on the articles by James S. Goodwin et al, Amy L. Byers et al, and Jennifer L. Wolff et al.
Fairness Perceptions of Group versus Individual Decision Makers

How do fairness perceptions of decision outcomes differ when decisions are made by a group versus an individual? We argue that in the absence of procedural information, given the exact same decisio...
Impact of a Municipal Policy Restricting Trans Fatty Acid Use in New York City Restaurants on Serum Trans Fatty Acid Levels in Adults.

Objectives. To estimate the impact of the 2006 policy restricting use of trans fatty acids (TFAs) in New York City restaurants on change in serum TFA concentrations in New York City adults.Methods....
Repair of O6-methylguanine damage in normal human tissues.

Humans are exposed to a variety of natural and man-made environmental agents. It has been estimated by Hemminiki and Vainio (1984) that humans ingest approximately 1 μg dimethylnitrosamine (DMNA) per day. Lawley (1989) estimates that the fraction of DNA guanine methylated at the O6 position by DMNA is about 3 × 10-9 or 10 O6-methylguanine (MeGua) molecules per genome containing 1.2 × 1010 DNA nucleotides. A study by Umbenhauer et al., (1985) directly measured the amounts of O6-MeGua in the DNA of a non-exposed population and one exposed to DMNA in their diet. The level of O6-MeGua in the tissue samples obtained from half of the non-exposed and the majority of exposed individuals assayed were below the detection limit (100 O6-MeGua in molecules per genome) of the assay. The remaining non-exposed individuals exhibited 116 to 176 molecules per genome, while the exposed population exhibited significantly higher values between 236 and 664 O6-MeGuae molecules per genome. Although it is very difficult to relate the actual daily ingestion of the DMNA with daily adduct formation, these and other (Poirier, 1984; Perera et al., 1987; Manchester et al., 1988) data demonstrate that human exposure to chemical agents can cause the formation of detectable levels of DNA damage. One characteristic of all of these studies is the large inter-individual variation in the levels of DNA adduct detected.
Supramolecular Loading of a Broad Spectrum of Molecular Guests In Hyperbranched Polytriazole Nanoparticles with Cores Containing Multiple Functional Groups

This study evaluated the supramolecular properties of a new family of water-soluble hyperbranched polytriazoles that have a unimolecular micelle structure. Two new, structurally related hyperbranched polymers (HBPa and HBPn), with the same size (Dh = 11 nm) and core-shell architecture, were prepared and found to act as nanoscale hosts for a broad spectrum of molecular guests. The globular-shaped hyperbranched polymers were synthesized by a straightforward one-pot polymerization method that permits easy synthetic control of the multiple functional groups within the core. Surrounding the core is a shell of polyethylene glycol chains that promotes solubility in pH 7.4 buffer solution and inhibits self-aggregation of the nanoparticles. The core of HBPa, containing a mixture of anionic carboxylate groups and 1,2,3-triazole rings, could be loaded with cationic hydrophilic (i.e., propidium iodide) or partially hydrophobic (i.e., Hoechst 33342) dyes or drugs, including a binary dye/drug pair (i.e., indocyanine green/mitoxantrone). The core of HBPn, containing a mixture of uncharged 2-pentanone chains and 1,2,3-triazole rings, could be loaded with uncharged and very hydrophobic dyes (i.e., Nile Red) or drugs. Improved aqueous solubility of camptothecin was achieved 10-fold from 8.4 to 75 ng/mL. Additionally, cell toxicity studies showed that HBPn was able to release the camptothecin drug inside A549 cancer cells resulting in increased cell death. Taken together, the results suggest that this new family of water-soluble hyperbranched polytriazoles could be broadly useful as nanocarriers for various applications in therapy, imaging, or a combination of the two (theranostics).
Other Food Borne Infections

This article presents an update of several emerging or reemerging pathogens: Yersinia, Cryptosporidia, Cyclospora, Brucella, and Mycobacterium. All of these zoonotic pathogens show evidence of food borne transmission. Yersiniosis is presented as an emerging pathogen that has as its major route of transmission preparation and consumption of pork products. New evidence is presented that supports the transmission of brucellosis via the food chain, especially through contaminated raw milk and cheese. While TB has limited transmission via raw milk, it is highlighted as a reemerging infection due to the development of multiple drug resistance. Public health veterinarians stand in an excellent position to recognize these emerging diseases and apply intervention strategies to prevent and control these infections in the future. This article is intended to raise their consciousness as to the management and medical practices that can diminish food borne transmission.
158 Physical and cognitive activity in youth post-concussion: relationship between objective and self-reported measures

Statement of Purpose Current clinical guidelines call for a brief period of rest post-concussion, followed by a gradual return to activities. However, studies to date have relied primarily on self-reported measures to identify levels of rest needed to promote concussion recovery.This study assessed the relationship between objectively measured and self-reported physical and cognitive activities (the inverse of rest) in concussed youth for a period of 7 days post-injury. Methods Youth ages 11 to 17 were enrolled within 72 hours following a physician-diagnosed concussion. We monitored participants’ physical and cognitive activities, including activity duration and intensity, for a 7-day period using an Actigraph (to measure physical activity) and a Narrative Clip (to measure cognitive activity). Participants also completed a daily survey that captured data on their physicial and cognitive activities as well as their post-concussive symptoms from enrollment until symptom resolution. Results A total of 83 concussed youth (Mean age=14.2 years ± 1.9 years) were included, with most being males (65.1%), white (72.3%), and injured in a sporting activity (84.3%). The average symptom score at injury was 39.5. Over half (54.2%) of youth experienced symptoms for >2 weeks. We found no significant correlations between objectively measured and self-reported level of physical activity (duration X intensity). There were only weak correlations between objectively measured and self-reported cognitive activities by level of activity (low: r=0.16, p=0.0022; medium: r=0.16, p=0.0111; high: r=0.31, Conclusions Our findings suggest that Actigraphy is a better tool for measuring physical activity post-concussion than self-reported measures. Additional research is needed to validate tools that measure physical and cognitive activity post-concussion. Significance and Contributions This study furthers our knowledge of objective tools for monitoring physical and cognitive activity post-concussion. Findings of this study provide insight on how best to measure physical and cognitive activity post-concussion.
The Domestic Politics of Coercive Terrorism

Despite a growing interest in terrorism’s effectiveness in shaping government policy, four obstacles have hindered empirical research from arriving at satisfactory conclusions: definitional ambiguity of the dependent variable, collinearity, strategic selection effects, and neglect of the causal mechanism, public opinion. I overcome these challenges by conducting two randomized survey experiments in Lebanon and the United States. The findings support several assumptions in the literature, including the high domestic cost of appeasement and escalating violence to leaders. They also demonstrate that population exposure to terrorism and party dynamics are extremely important in shaping public approval in terrorist crises. There are no conditions, however, that provide a strong incentive to Lebanese or U.S. leaders to make a concession to an aggrieved group even in the face of increasing violence. As the specter of terrorism looms in the post-9/11 world, its consequences on government policy might not be as large as commonly thought.
Toxic and Metabolic Diseases

CT and structural MRI of patients with toxic and metabolic disease is generally nonspecific, showing decreased attenuation and T2 hyperintensity of brain lesions, respectively. A key imaging feature of metabolic disease is symmetric involvement, with exceptions like non-ketotic hyperglycemia, MELAS, and SMART syndrome. Diffusion-weighted (DW) imaging can add to the diagnostic information and improve the understanding of the pathophysiology of cerebral edema in toxic and metabolic diseases. Furthermore, DWI is the most sensitive technique to detect early hypoxic-ischemic brain damage. Apart from acquired conditions, genetic mitochondrial diseases are discussed, given the role of DWI in their diagnosis.
Oligo-Mediated Recombineering and its Use for Making SNPs, Knockouts, Insertions, and Fusions in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Phage recombination systems have been instrumental in the development of gene modification technologies for bacterial pathogens. In particular, the Che9 phage RecET system has been used successfully for over 10 years for making gene knockouts and fusions in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This "recombineering" technology typically uses linear dsDNA substrates that contain a drug-resistance marker flanked by (up to) 500 base pairs of DNA homologous to the target site. Less often employed in mycobacterial recombineering is the use of oligonucleotides, which require only the action of the RecT annealase to align oligos to ssDNA regions of the replication fork, for subsequent incorporation into the chromosome. Despite the higher frequency of such events relative to dsDNA-promoted recombineering, oligo-mediated changes generally suffer from the disadvantage of not being selectable, thus making them harder to isolate. This chapter discusses steps and methodologies that increase the frequencies of finding oligo-mediated events, including the transfer of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to mycobacterial chromosomes, and the use of oligos in conjunction with the mycobacterial phage Bxb1 site-specific recombination system for the easy generation of knockouts, insertion, and fusions, in a protocol known as ORBIT.
Outcomes of pericardiectomy for constrictive pericarditis following mediastinal irradiation.

BACKGROUND Pericardiectomy for postradiation constrictive pericarditis has been reported to generally have unfavorable outcomes. This study sought to evaluate surgical outcomes in a large cohort of patients undergoing pericardiectomy for radiation-associated pericardial constriction. METHODS A retrospective analysis of all patients (≥18 years) who underwent pericardiectomy for a diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis with a prior history of mediastinal irradiation from June 2002 to June 2019 was conducted. There were 100 patients (mean age 57.2 ± 10.1 years, 49% females) who met the inclusion criteria. Records were reviewed to look at the surgical approach, the extent of resection, early mortality, and late survival. RESULTS The overall operative mortality was 10.1% (n = 10). The rate of operative mortality decreased over the study period; however, the test of the trend was not statistically significant (p = .062). Hodgkin's disease was the most common malignancy (64%) for which mediastinal radiation had been received. Only 27% of patients had an isolated pericardiectomy, and concomitant pericardiectomy and valve surgery were performed in 46% of patients. Radical resection was performed in 50% of patients, whereas 47% of patients underwent subtotal resection. Prolonged ventilation (26%), atrial fibrillation (21%), and pleural effusion (16%) were the most common postoperative complications. The overall 1, 5-, and 10-years survival was 73.6%, 53.4%, and 32.1%, respectively. Increasing age (hazard ratio, 1.044, 95% confidence interval 1.017-1.073) appeared to have a significant negative effect on overall survival in the univariate model. CONCLUSION Pericardiectomy performed for radiation-associated constrictive pericarditis has poor long-term outcomes. The early mortality, though high (~10%), has been showing a decreasing trend in the test of time.
Estrogen and Progesterone Receptor Proteins in Patients with Breast Cancer

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the estrogen and progesterone receptor proteins in patients with breast cancer. Experiments are conducted in many laboratories throughout the world to recognize that steroid hormones generally affect biologic responses in target tissues through the mediation of high-affinity, specific-binding proteins called “receptors” that are present in unique amounts in such responsive tissues. The hormone dependency of breast cancer and the beneficial effect of oophorectomy in two premenopausal women with advanced breast cancer are described in the chapter. There is little doubt that the presence of estrogen and progesterone receptors in breast cancer tissue correlates very well with the response of the patient to endocrine therapy. Estrogen receptor protein (ERP) and progesterone receptor protein (PRP) measurements are established as standard practice in the management of patients with breast cancer. Hormone receptors may also be useful as prognostic indicators—particularly in node positive patients. The prognostic role in node negative patients is minimal. The role of ERP/PRP in the management of other hormone-dependent cancers has been well established. Patients with melanomas are currently treated with hormonal therapy.
Health Care Delivery System: United States

The structure of the health care system in the United States has evolved in response to shifts in concern about one of several competing issues. From the early years of the twentieth century, quality of care was the main concern until the onset of the Great Depression, which brought access to care to the top of the list. With the emergence of health insurance during the middle decades of the twentieth century more people gained access to care. Increased utilization of health care services plus the sudden increase in development of highly sophisticated diagnostic equipment meant that the cost of care started to rise at an unprecedented rate. By the later decades of the twentieth century the health care system was finding it difficult to balance three basic objectives, namely: quality, access, and cost containment. Keywords: access; Affordable Care Act; cost containment; health insurance; public health insurance programs
A Repressible Alkaline Phosphatase in Neurospora crassa III. ENZYMATIC PROPERTIES

The repressible alkaline phosphatase in Neurospora crassa was investigated with respect to a number of its enzymatic properties. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and its structural analogue, N-hydroxyethylethylenediaminetriacetic acid, stimulate the activity of this enzyme. This stimulation by EDTA is not associated with a measurable change in the pK of a protein functional group that is essential for enzymatic activity, as evidenced by kinetic data obtained over a pH range between 5.6 and 10.6. A number of other chelating agents that were tested did not stimulate the activity of this phosphatase, although several caused inactivation in the absence of substrate. The enzyme is more stable toward denaturation in the presence of certain divalent cations such as Mg2+ or Zn2+. Under a variety of experimental conditions, these metal ions can also facilitate the recovery of phosphatase activity after exposure to various denaturing agents. Although metal-binding sites on the alkaline phosphatase seem to be involved in the maintenance and restoration of its active structure, an absolute metal requirement for phosphatase activity remains in doubt.
Persistent allergic contact dermatitis to plastic toilet seats.

Abstract: Allergic contact dermatitis to various components of toilet seats is being recognized and reported with increasing frequency. This report details the case of an young girl who was found to be allergic to plastic found in both a toilet seat and a school chair. It highlights particular problems with patch testing young children and the difficulty in confirming allergy to plastics.
Impact of communication patterns, network positions and social dynamics factors on learning among students in a CSCL environment

At present, it is difficult to assess the quality of learning in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) environments, because standard pretest and posttest measures do not capture the differences in the learner’s ability to engage in the material, pose interesting new questions, engage others in learning and work collaboratively. This research investigates the impact of communication patterns, network positions and social dynamics factors on students’ self-perception of learning in a CSCL environment. The study involved a combination of methodologies combining questionnaires, and archiving of communication logs for data collection. Social network analysis tools were used to analyze relational data, map emergent student communication patterns and calculate centrality scores based on the electronic and face-to-face communication patterns among class members in the CSCL environment. Structural equation modeling was then performed on the hypotheses model to determine the impact of these centrality measures and the social factors on students’ perceptions of knowledge gained and their satisfaction with their performance in the course.
Fecal transplant to mitigate hyperammonemia and hepatic encephalopathy in animal models

After treatment of mice with oral antibioticsand PEG to deplete indigenous bacteria, mice wereinoculated with a consortium of 8 bacteria with lowurease gene content. This new gut microbiota wasrelatively stable for up to 120 days. The establishedof a new gut microbiota with less urease activitywas associated with decreased morbidity and mor-tality of a liver injury mouse model. Interestingly,no adverse effects on the mice body weight or mor-tality for over 1 year after fecal microbiota trans-plant (FMT) was noted. However, perturbations ofthe microbiome by antibiotics can select for bacteri-al resistance. Nevertheless, FMT, which introducesa healthy bacterial community into selected pa-tients, has great promise to treat diseases related tothe microbiome that are otherwise difficult to treat.This has been used for