cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biomimetic microlens array with antireflective “moth-eye” surface

We report a replication route to non-planar, three dimensional microlens arrays with an antireflective surface nanopattern. Our methodology uses the surface topography of the Attacus atlas moth's compound eye and a soft lithographic technique to fabricate topographically faithful moulds that, in turn, are used to reproducibly replicate the original eye surface with nanoscale fidelity. In addition to antireflection, the resulting poly(urethane) replica with its “moth-eye” nanopattern also exhibits increased hydrophobicity relative to the unpatterned polymer. The materials flexibility of the perfluoropolyether mould fabricated viareplica moulding enables, for example, the embossing of antireflective nanopatterns in the photoactive materials of organic solar cells.
A Checkpointing Strategy for Scalable Recovery on Distributed Parallel Systems

In this paper, we describe a new scheme for checkpointing parallel applications on message-passing scalable distributed memory systems. The novelty of our scheme is that a checkpointed application can be restored, from its checkpointed state, in a reconfigured form. Thus, a parallel application may be checkpointed while executing with t1 tasks on p1 processors, and then restarted from the checkpointed state with t2 tasks on p2 processors. As a result, applications can recover from partial failures in the underlying system. Also, the reconfigurable checkpointed states can be migrated from one parallel system to another even if they do not have the same number of processors. We describe a new programming model for implementing a reconfigurable checkpointing scheme for parallel programs. This new model is derived from the DRMS programming model, developed in the context of run-time reconfiguration of parallel applications. A key component of our implementation is the distribution-independent representation of application array data structures in persistent storage. For further optimizing the performance of checkpoint/restart operations, we provide parallel array section streaming operations for such distributed arrays. We present performance data for the reconfigurable checkpointing and restarting of parallel applications and compare that with the performance of conventional forms of checkpointing. Our results demonstrate the advantages of the new scheme we describe.
Neurocardiac interaction during stress-induced myocardial ischemia: how does the brain cope?

“My life is in the hands of any rascal who chooses to put me in a passion.” — —Sir John Hunter This quote from one of the major medical figures of the 18th century describes the association of his expression of anger to his experience of angina.1 In 1793, Dr Hunter was engaged in rancorous argument during the course of a faculty meeting and died suddenly. Narrative reports of angina pectoris in association with an individual’s experience of provocative, stressful circumstances, although not as dramatic as that made by Hunter, date from the time of Celsus to the dawn of modern medicine. These observations gave rise to the pioneering work of Rosenman et al2 on what they came to call “behavior pattern A.” Their work in turn encouraged others to pursue constitutional factors—the personality—that might give rise to risk for stress-related effects on the heart. The resulting literature on emotion, personality, and coronary artery disease (CAD) has, however, very often dealt with narrow concerns, without sufficient integration of biological and social variables that reflect the contextual nature of psychosocial stress. In addition, methodological drift in the conduct of studies on Type A and associated personality factors, combined with the failure in studies to account for concurrent progress in the care of the cardiac patient, produced results that conflicted with the earlier, promising findings.2 These issues have been discussed elsewhere.3 Hence, although we intuitively continue to link emotional factors and coronary syndromes, the nature of the link remains unclear. One consequence of the conflicting research findings on stress, emotion, and coronary syndromes is the absence of a conceptual framework, which is necessary if an effect on clinical awareness and practice is to be realized. In our pursuit of this framework, few discriminators are available to guide our …
SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION IN ENVIRONMENTAL NEUROTOXICITY

Signal transduction is the process by which specific information is transferred from the cell surface to the cytosol and ultimately to the nucleus, leading to changes in gene expression. Since these chains of biochemical and molecular steps control the normal function of each cell, disruption of these processes would have a significant impact on cell physiology. Some of the major signal transduction pathways are briefly reviewed. The interactions of four chemicals (lead, ethanol, polychlorinated biphenyls, and trimethyltin) with different cell signaling systems, particularly the phospholipid hydrolysis/protein kinase C pathway, are discussed. The possible causal relationship of such cellular and molecular interactions with known signs and symptoms of neurotoxicity are highlighted.
A contiuum of time-sharing scheduling algorithms

The study of time-sharing scheduling algorithms has now reached a certain maturity. One need merely look at a recent survey by McKinney in which he traces the field from the first published paper in 1964 to a succession of many papers during these past six years. Research which is currently taking place within the field is of the nature whereby many of the important theoretical questions will be sufficiently well answered in the very near future so as to question the justification for continuing extensive research much longer without first studying the overall system behavior.
The Influence of Ionic Strength on Potassium Contractures and Calcium Movements in Frog Muscle

Frog toe muscles were bathed in isotonic, sodium-free Tris chloride, methanesulfonate, or sulfate solutions containing sucrose or mannitol and varying in ionic strength from 0.006 to 0.291. By decreasing the ionic strength the curve relating the peak tension of the K contractures to the log [K] was reversibly shifted to lower [K]. Increasing the [Ca] from 1 to 4 mM almost abolished this effect. The resting uptake of 45Ca was increased more than two times by decreasing the ionic strength from 0.125 to 0.039. It was not increased significantly by raising [Ca] from 1 to 4 mM at low or normal ionic strength. The additional uptake of 45Ca during contractures provoked by 120 mM K was not significantly different at the two levels of ionic strength. The rate of emergence of 45Ca from muscles loaded with 45Ca at reduced ionic strength, was decreased. The effects of low ionic strength are discussed in terms of changes in the potential difference across a membrane with fixed negative charges on the outer surface.
Individual–Targeted Tolerance and Timing of Group Membership Disclosure

Willingness to allow political outgroups to exercise First Amendment freedoms (group-targeted tolerance) is not always predictive of attitudes toward individual group members (individual-targeted tolerance). Taking research on individual-targeted tolerance as a point of departure, I test the general applicability of the distinction between group- and individual-targeted tolerance and examine the influence of information irrelevant to group-related beliefs and timing of group membership disclosure on judgments of individual group members. I find that individual members of unpopular groups are tolerated more than the group when individuated with a large amount of information and when their group membership precedes rather than follows individuating information.
Human Rights Rogues in Interstate Disputes, 1980-2001*

Rogue states have typically been characterized as those states that consistently violate accepted international norms of behavior. While US foreign policymakers and policy analysts have identified rogue states as those violating a narrow set of international norms of external conduct, specifically terrorism sponsorship and illicit pursuit of banned weapons, this article proposes an alternative understanding of rogue state status that harks back to earlier notions of international pariah states, isolated from the rest of international society, owing to their egregious treatment of their own citizens. Building on Galtung's concept of structural violence and feminist insights concerning the interconnectedness of violence at all levels of human society, the authors develop a rogue state index to identify human rights rogues, based on ethnic and gender discrimination and the violation of personal integrity rights. An important part of the rogue state formula developed by policymakers over the recent decades is the expectation that such states represent dangers to international peace and stability. Focusing on the recognized international human rights norms of non-discrimination and security of person, and informed by the causal mechanisms inherent in the normative explanation for the democratic peace, this article tests whether human rights rogues are more likely to become involved in militarized interstate conflicts and violent interstate conflicts. The results of the analysis show that human rights rogues are more likely to become involved in militarized interstate disputes in general, and violent interstate disputes specifically, than other states during the period 1980-2001, suggesting that policymakers must keep a close watch on serial human rights abusers, while seeking to identify future threats to international security.
Drug induced liver injury secondary to interferon-beta (IFN-β) in multiple sclerosis

Post marketing studies of Interferon-beta (IFN beta) therapy in multiple sclerosis (MS) have demonstrated surprisingly high rates of hepatotoxicity. Grade 3 hepatotoxicity (AST and ALT > 5 to 20 upper limit normal) or higher has been observed in as many as 1.4% of MS patients on IFN beta. We report three cases of IFN beta induced hepatitis in MS and discuss the pathology findings and possible mechanisms of drug-induced liver injury.
The 60th Symposium of the Society of General Physiologists Chemotaxis, Invasion, and Phagocytosis: From Bacteria to Humans

The 60th meeting of the Society of General Physiologists took place in Woods Hole, MA on September 6–10, 2006. The theme of the featured symposium was “Chemotaxis, Invasion, and Phagocytosis: From Bacteria to Humans.” The symposium was organized by Sergio Grinstein from the Hospital for Sick
Extending autocompletion to tolerate errors

Autocompletion is a useful feature when a user is doing a look up from a table of records. With every letter being typed, autocompletion displays strings that are present in the table containing as their prefix the search string typed so far. Just as there is a need for making the lookup operation tolerant to typing errors, we argue that autocompletion also needs to be error-tolerant. In this paper, we take a first step towards addressing this problem. We capture input typing errors via edit distance. We show that a naive approach of invoking an offline edit distance matching algorithm at each step performs poorly and present more efficient algorithms. Our empirical evaluation demonstrates the effectiveness of our algorithms.
A comparison of kodak ektaspeed plus film and the siemens sidexis digital imaging system for caries detection using receiver operating characteristic analysis

Abstract Objective. To evaluate the accuracy of proximal caries detection comparing enhanced and unenhanced Siemens Sidexis CCD-based digital images with Ektaspeed Plus films utilizing receiver operating characteristic analysis. Study Design. Sixty extracted teeth (24 posterior and 36 anterior) were imaged under identical standardized geometric and exposure conditions. Six observers, using a 5-point confidence scale, rated 120 proximal surfaces for the presence or absence of carious lesions by means of three image modalities: (1) observer enhanced and (2) unenhanced Sidexis displays, and (3) Ektaspeed Plus films. The ground truth was determined by microscopic analysis of ground sections. Receiver operating characteristic curves were generated with calculated areas (A z ) analyzed with analysis of variance for effect of reader, reading, and modality. Results. Analysis of variance demonstrated significant differences among readers, readings and modalities (mean square values of 0.012, 0.005, 0.004, F ratios of 13.604, 5.329, 5.100; p = values of 0.001, 0.043, and 0.030, respectively). Post-hoc paired comparisons of modalities using Tukey's statistic demonstrated that only film and enhanced Sidexis images were different from each other ( p = 0.024). A z scores were 0.7650, 0.7499, and 0.8008 respectively, for unenhanced Sidexis, enhanced Sidexis, and Ektaspeed Plus film. Conclusion. Unenhanced digital Sidexis images were equivalent to film for the detection of proximal caries in this in vitro study. Observer enhanced Sidexis images exhibited a statistically significant lower diagnostic accuracy than the unenhanced digital and film images.
Platelets and plasminogen activation.

Platelets serve as a site for assembly of the proteins of the plasminogen activator system. Once bound to the platelet surface, tissue-type plasminogen activator manifests enhanced catalytic activity. Plasmin, once formed, also binds to the platelets surface and, at low concentrations, renders the platelet dysfunctional by cleaving glycoprotein IIIa selectively in the presence of bound fibrinogen. At higher concentrations (approximately 1 caseinolytic unit/ml), plasmin activates the platelet directly. Activated platelets also bind plasminogen and tissue-type plasminogen activator, and manifestenhanced catalytic efficiency of plasminogen activation. These observations suggest that plasminogen activation by tissue-type plasminogen activator is an autocatalytic process on the platelet surface, and that unique reciprocating mechanisms govern the interaction between platelets and the components of the plasminogen activator system.
Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Thickness Is Related to Alexithymia in Childhood Trauma-Related PTSD.

Alexithymia, or “no words for feelings”, is highly prevalent in samples with childhood maltreatment and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) has been identified as a key region involved in alexithymia, early life trauma, and PTSD. Functional alterations in the dACC also have been associated with alexithymia in PTSD. This study examined whether dACC morphology is a neural correlate of alexithymia in child maltreatment-related PTSD. Sixteen adults with PTSD and a history of childhood sexual abuse, physical abuse, or exposure to domestic violence, and 24 healthy controls (HC) completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale 20 (TAS–20) and underwent magnetic resonance imaging. Cortical thickness of the dACC was measured using FreeSurfer, and values were correlated with TAS–20 scores, controlling for sex and age, in both groups. Average TAS–20 score was significantly higher in the PTSD than the HC group. TAS–20 scores were significantly positively associated with dACC thickness only in the PTSD group. This association was strongest in the left hemisphere and for TAS–20 subscales that assess difficulty identifying and describing feelings. We found that increasing dACC gray matter thickness is a neural correlate of greater alexithymia in the context of PTSD with childhood maltreatment. While findings are correlational, they motivate further inquiry into the relationships between childhood adversity, emotional awareness and expression, and dACC morphologic development in trauma-related psychopathology.
Survival of actively cooled microvascular polymer matrix composites under sustained thermomechanical loading

Abstract Exposure to high heat can cause polymer matrix composites (PMC) to fail under mechanical loads easily sustained at room temperature. However, heat is removed and temperature reduced in PMCs by active cooling through an internal vascular network. Here we compare structural survival of PMCs under thermomechanical loading with and without active cooling. Microchannels are incorporated into autoclave-cured carbon fiber/epoxy composites using sacrificial fibers. Time-to-failure, material temperature, and heat removal rates are measured during simultaneous heating on one face (5–75 kW/m2) and compressive loading (100–250 MPa). The effects of applied compressive load, heat flux, channel spacing, coolant flow rate, and channel distance from the heated surface are examined. Actively cooled composites containing 0.33% channel volume fraction survive without structural failure for longer than 30 min under 200 MPa compressive loading and 60 kW/m2 heat flux. In dramatic comparison, non-cooled composites fail in less than a minute under the same loading conditions.
The microarchitecture of the intracavernosal smooth muscle and the cavernosal fibrous skeleton

AbstractThe bulk of the parenchyma of the corpora cavernosa consists of bundles of smooth muscle fibers. These bundles are oriented in all directions and establish at least 2 insertions upon elements of the fibrous skeleton of the corpora. The fibrous skeleton includes the tunica albuginea and its fibrous columns, the intracavernous fibrous framework, and the periarterial and perineural fibrous sheaths. The cavernous vascular spaces (sinusoids) form an intercommunicating network embedded within the mass of smooth muscle. Thus, the smooth muscle does not form a muscular wall proper for each sinusoid. (J. Urol., 144: 1144–1146, 1990)
ICAR ATRP with ppm Cu Catalyst in Water

Initiators for continuous activator regeneration atom transfer radical polymerization (ICAR ATRP) with ppm amount of Cu catalyst was successfully developed in water. For the first time, Cu catalyst concentrations of 100 ppm and lower were used in aqueous media to prepare well-defined macromolecules. Polymers of oligo(ethylene oxide) methyl ether acrylate were synthesized with low dispersity (Mw/Mn = 1.15–1.28) using 20–100 ppm of an active CuBr/tris(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)amine-based catalyst in the presence of excess bromide anions. This technique was used to synthesize a thermoresponsive block copolymer of poly(oligo(ethylene oxide) methyl ether methacrylate)-b-poly(oligo(ethylene oxide) methyl ether acrylate). The methacrylic block had a lower critical solution temperature (LCST = 77 ± 2 °C) below that of the acrylic block. The hydrodynamic diameter of ca. 10 nm at temperatures below the LCST is consistent with free polymer chains in solution, and the diameter of ca. 30 nm above the LCST is consistent with...
Performance-Based Impairment Measures as Predictors of Early-Stage Activity Limitations in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the current investigation was to explore performance-based predictors of decline in the performance quality of everyday tasks as a first step for early identification, screening, and referral to minimize disability in community-dwelling older adults. METHOD: This was a secondary analysis of data from 256 community-based older women. Mobility, activities of daily living (ADLs), and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) were measured using the Performance Assessment of Self-Care Skills (PASS). Logistic regression models explored cognitive and motor predictors of performance quality while controlling for demographics and diagnoses. RESULTS: Functional reach (p =.049) and cognition (p =.012) were predictive of mobility quality, whereas balance (p =.007) and the Keitel Function (p =.005) were predictive of ADL quality. Manipulation and cognitive measures were predictive of cognitive and physical IADL quality. DISCUSSION: Cognitive and physical screens are both important to identify older adults at risk for disability.© The Author(s) 2016. Language: en
A Bridge Not Too Far: Reflections on the Politico-Economic Thought of Kym Thorne

In the assessment and critique of ontology and epistemology, few have ventured into the often esoteric realm of economics. One of those few brave souls is Kym Thorne. The focus of his critique is centered on the policies and perspectives of neoliberal expression in economics, as well as its corollaries in public administration. His critical perspective provides a bridge from practice to theory. However, that bridge is not as long as it might have been. Thorne’s analysis provides only an entry into an even deeper critique of neoliberal monetarism, as well as its competing perspectives. This reflection will assess, with brevity, Thorne’s contribution to economic thought, describe its limitations, and extend the bridge.
Microchemical systems for discovery and development.

Applications of silicon-based microreactors are summarized starting with systems for single-phase organic transformations and progressing through multiphase catalytic systems to microsystems for multistep chemical synthesis. The latter systems involve extraction and gas–liquid separation processes designed to take advantage of the dominance of surface tension effects in microfluidic devices. Integration of physical sensors (e.g., for pressure, temperature, and flow) and measurements of chemical species further enhances the utility of microreactors by enabling chemical kinetic studies and optimization of optimal operating conditions. A brief description of synthesis and handling of solid particulates is included, with particular emphasis on multistep processing of colloidal nanoparticles. Finally, scale-up issues and challenges to the adoption of microreaction technology are discussed.
Anterior Approach to Robotic Radical Prostatectomy

The anterior approach to robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (ARARP) is the most common technique employed by many robotic surgeons. This chapter discusses the finer points of patient selection, preparation, positioning, surgical steps, and postoperative care. The key step differentiating the ARARP from other approaches is the timing of the dissection of the seminal vesicles and vasa deferentia. In contrast to the posterior approach, this step occurs after bladder neck dissection, thus allowing early retraction and improved exposure of the posterior plane. In addition, this chapter discusses the particular steps that are associated with the most controversy and contention, especially nerve dissection, apical dissection, and bladder neck reconstruction. This chapter is intended to provide a step-by-step description of this procedure, with examples from the literature and from our own experience.
Performance evaluation of in vitro diagnostic medical devices: Methodology and differences compared to studies on other medical devices

Abstract The aim of this article is to summarize the rules governing Performance Evaluation on In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices (IVDs) and to outline the main differences compared to studies on other Medical Devices (MDs) in the European Union (EU). In fact, the term “Performance Evaluation” is exclusive to IVDs. For other MDs, the term “Clinical Evaluation” is used. However, the aim of both terms is the same: to demonstrate that a device meets the “Essential Requirements” of safety and performance. On the contrary, the methodology through performance evaluation for IVDs and clinical evaluation for other MDs are performed, is different: UNI EN ISO 14155:2011 only for MDs and EN 13612:2002 only for IVDs. This difference is due to the fact that IVDs, unlike other MDs, do not generally come into contact with patients. Therefore, it can be difficult to demonstrate direct harm to patients, unless the device itself causes deterioration in the state of health. Harm to patients is more likely to be indirect. However, in May 2017 two new regulations on MDs have been published, the first one concerning IVDs and the second one concerning other MDs. These new regulations may represent a real revolution. There will be very important changes to the requirements required to demonstrate clinical evidence. With regard to IVDs, clinical performance studies shall be carried out in the absence of clinical performance data. Moreover, performance studies should be in line with international standards, such as ISO 14155:2011, and the Declaration of Helsinki, and many others are the changes on the horizon.
Drug-Induced Acute Interstitial Nephritis

Drug-induced acute interstitial nephritis (DI-AIN) is a common cause of AKI, affecting about 20% of patients with unexplained AKI, and leads to CKD and ESRD ([1][1]). Although any drug can potentially cause DI-AIN, antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and proton pump inhibitors, are
37 Safety in seconds 2.0: a smartphone app to improve child passenger safety behaviours

Purpose Although child safety seats are known to reduce the risk of death from motor vehicle crashes, use among children 4–7 years old remains low and misuse is widespread. The aim of this prospective randomised trial was to test the efficacy of a smartphone app, Safety In Seconds 2.0, which delivered theory-based tailored education about child safety seats to parents in Little Rock, Arkansas and Baltimore, Maryland Methods Parents of children aged 4–7 visiting the paediatric emergency room in the two participating sites (regardless of the reason for the visit) were recruited. Study participants downloaded the Safety In Seconds app onto their smartphone and were randomised to the intervention (car seat) or control (fire safety) group. Both groups completed a 10 min assessment about their safety knowledge and behaviours and received tailored feedback relevant to their study group. The app contained a portal with educational links and sent monthly push notification reminders for parents to interact with the app. Parents completed follow-up assessments at 3 months and 6 months. Results A total of n=1129 parents were enrolled, and 742 (66%) completed the 6 month follow-up survey. At follow-up relative to the CG, IG parents were more likely to report using the correct child safety seat for their child’s age and size (OR=1.8; p Conclusions/Significance Smartphone applications hold potential for changing behaviours that are known to improve child passenger safety.
Detecting and Analyzing Small Social Movements in Repressive Countries: Contemporary Human Rights Activism in Liberia and Kenya

Field research in both Kenya and Liberia shows that the people who engaged in resistance to advance human rights and democracy came from different parts of civil society; their actions, tactics, goals, etc. were very much a social movement. But the usual signposts suggested by the social movement literature -- of organization, mass demonstrations, unity, numbers, and political opportunity – were not there in the forms typically seen in democratic, developed countries. In-depth interviews with activists, however, detected an informal, dynamic resistance movement which quantitative studies would not discover. Detecting small social movements in repressive settings requires interpretive, qualitative research methods. The findings are based on a total of approximately six months of extensive interviews by the author in Kenya in 2002 and Liberia in 2006 with human rights and democracy activists, plus archival materials. [Article copies available for a fee from The Transformative Studies Institute. E-mail address: journal@transformativestudies.org Website: http://www.transformativestudies.org ©2008 by The Transformative Studies Institute. All rights reserved.]
Palenquero vs. Spanish negation: Separate but equal?

The Afro-Colombian creole language Palenquero is characterized by predominantly clause-final negation, a typologically rare configuration. Contemporary Palenquero speakers—all of whom also speak Spanish—occasionally exhibit Spanish-like pre-verbal negation, raising the question of whether pre-verbal negation has always been a pragmatically available alternative or is a more recent accretion. The present study offers an indirect probe into the development of Palenquero by examining the relative processing efficiency of (Spanish) immediately pre-verbal NEG vs. (Palenquero) unbounded clause-final NEG. The results of a series of experiments conducted with Palenquero-Spanish bilinguals suggest that pre-verbal negation is quite efficiently processed, while processing of clause-final negation is degraded under increased cognitive demands. Contextual and pragmatic cues ameliorate the processing of clause-final negation in likely negative utterances, while in ambiguous utterances clause-final negation is more vulnerable. These results, while not excluding the possibility that Palenquero has always allowed for pre-verbal negation, provide an alternative scenario, in which contact with Spanish facilitated the development of multiple configurations of negation.
Can quantitative computed tomography detect bone morphological changes associated with catastrophic proximal sesamoid bone fracture in Thoroughbred racehorses

BACKGROUND Fracture of the proximal sesamoid bones continues to be the most common fatal musculoskeletal injury in US racehorses. Identifying factors that influence fracture risk could lead to screening techniques to reduce catastrophic injury rates and improve animal welfare. OBJECTIVES To identify morphological differences between proximal sesamoid bones of the contralateral limb of fracture and control horses and assess the feasibility of computed tomography (CT) to detect traits associated with proximal sesamoid bone fracture. We hypothesised that horses with proximal sesamoid bone fracture would have greater bone density. STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional cadaver morphological study. METHODS Proximal sesamoid bone morphology was measured using high-resolution micro-CT images from 16 Thoroughbred racehorses (eight fracture, eight control) euthanised on New York racetracks. Nominal logistic regression models and receiver operating characteristic curves were created to assess the ability of CT-derived morphological traits to accurately classify fracture horses vs. controls. RESULTS Bone volume fraction was greater in the fracture group (90.39 ± 1.76%) as compared to controls (87.20 ± 2.79%, P<0.0001). Bone volume fraction, bone width, trabecular thickness and degree of anisotropy were significantly different between fracture and control horses. Receiver operating characteristic curves showed that a combined model that incorporates bone volume fraction and width can identify fracture from control horses with an area under the curve of 0.938, indicating high accuracy at classifying fracture horses from controls. MAIN LIMITATIONS The number of horses per group is small, although the total number of sesamoids imaged is reasonable (n = 62). In vivo CT at the resolution performed in this study is currently unattainable; however, density and width could be measured with quantitative CT. CONCLUSIONS Differences in proximal sesamoid bone morphology were identified between fracture and control horses. As improved technology becomes accessible, quantitative CT could potentially be used as a clinical imaging technique to estimate proximal sesamoid bone fracture risk in Thoroughbred racehorses.
How Does Race Affect Perceptions of Police Trustworthiness

While race is often discussed in relation to police, there is still little empirical evidence on the role of race in shaping citizens’ evaluations of government performance. Using an experimental d...
Changing physicians' attitudes, knowledge, and self-efficacy regarding cholesterol screening and management.

The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) has identified a need to convey practical approaches for the management of high blood cholesterol (BC) to physicians. Our study was a joint effort between the Pawtucket Heart Health Program and the Brown University Department of Family Medicine to improve family medicine residents’ attitudes, knowledge, selfefficacy, and practices regarding cholesterol screening and management. Thirty-six resident physicians received a BC screening and management training program. This program included training in BC screening using the fingerstick method and a desktop analyzer, diet assessment and counseling, and a management protocol for evaluation and treatment of high BC based on NCEP guidelines. The training program also includedevaluation of residents’ BC screening activity, incentives, chart audits, and biweekly articles in the departmental newsletter. We administered a survey to residents before and one year after the training program began to assess self-reported knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, and practices for BC management. Survey results indicated that the residents significantly improved their reported knowledge and attitudes about BC management. In addition, they significantly increased their reported self-efficacy and practices in dietary counseling and patient education. Residents also indicated that the training program was worthwhile, necessary, and practical and that many would use the materials and protocols in their future practices.
On Quasi-mean value principles

A new premium principle, the quasi-mean value principle, and a special case thereof, the endogeneous quasi-mean value principle, is introduced. It includes a number of well-known premium principles like the Swiss premium principle, the absolute deviation principle, the Dutch principle, the percentile principle, the Karlsruhe principle, the mean value principle, and many other ones. Actuarial results concern the uniqueness of premiums, equality and comparison of premiums, properties of homogeneity, translation invariance, iterativity and their characterizations, as well as the properties of stop-loss order preservation and wealth independence.
Rereading Priestley: Science at the Intersection of Theology and Politics

La philosophie de Priestley (J.) ainsi que sa position scientifique et metaphysique et ses opinions politiques et theologiques sont decrites. L'A. analyse egalement le developpement de son materialisme lie a ses motivations politiques
WAVE PROPAGATION IN LAMINATED AND FIBER-REINFORCED COMPOSITES

ABSTRACT A discussion is presented of several dynamic theories for laminated and fiber-reinforced composites advanced recently by the authors. These theories all employ the concept of “effective stiffnesses” and thus include a description of essential properties of dynamic behavior which the commonly used “effective moduli” theories do not contain. The features of the newly developed theories are exhibited by the study of propagation of plane free harmonic waves in an unbounded composite solid. Dispersion curves are displayed for both transverse and longitudinal motions, and for a laminated medium, comparisons are made with curves obtained by using the equations of the theory of elasticity for all layers.
GK dimension of some connected Hopf algebras

AbstractWhile it was identified that the growth of any connected Hopf algebras is either a positive integer or infinite, we have yet to determine the Gelfand–Kirillov (GK) dimension of a given conn...
Red Blood Cell Metabolic Responses to Torpor and Arousal in the Hibernator Arctic Ground Squirrel.

Arctic ground squirrels provide a unique model to investigate metabolic responses to hibernation in mammals. During winter months these rodents are exposed to severe hypothermia, prolonged fasting, and hypoxemia. In the light of their role in oxygen transport/off-loading and owing to the absence of nuclei and organelles (and thus de novo protein synthesis capacity), mature red blood cells have evolved metabolic programs to counteract physiological or pathological hypoxemia. However, red blood cell metabolism in hibernation has not yet been investigated. Here we employed targeted and untargeted metabolomics approaches to investigate erythrocyte metabolism during entrance to torpor to arousal, with a high resolution of the intermediate time points. We report that torpor and arousal promote metabolism through glycolysis and pentose phosphate pathway, respectively, consistent with previous models of oxygen-dependent metabolic modulation in mature erythrocytes. Erythrocytes from hibernating squirrels showed up...
Localization of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin in Lysosomes of Ovine Luteal Cells

The first event in most current models regarding the hypothetical mechanism of gonadotropic hormone action is believed to involve binding to specific receptors located on the plasma membrane of target cells (Catt and Dufau, 1976; Cuatrecasas et al, 1975; Helmreich, 1976; Roth, 1973; Ryan and Lee, 1976). This binding initiates a series of acute biochemical responses, including activation of adenylate cyclase (Jungmann and Russell, 1977; Marsh, 1976), calcium-exchange mechanisms (Rasmussen and Goodman, 1975), and steroid secretion, probably as a consequence of the activation or synthesis of certain enzymes or functional proteins or both (Hermier et al, 1971; Abel et al, 1976). The interaction of hormone with receptors can also result in a number of sustained intracellular responses such as induction of synthesis of RNA and protein (Jungmann and Russell, 1977; Marsh, 1976). The signals that initiate all these regulatory events are believed to originate at the plasma membrane; however, evidence has been provided recently that protein hormones may also be capable of entering target cells and stimulating directly a variety of intracellular components (Braendle et al, 1973; Danzo et al, 1972; De Krester et al, 1971; Midgley and Beals, 1971; Petrusz and Uhlarik, 1973; Rajaniemi and Vanha-Perttula, 1972; Rao, Ch. V., et al.=, 1971; Sterling et al, 1977; Szego, 1975).
School Violence and Adolescent Mental Health in South Africa: Implications for School Health Programs

This study examines the perceptions of high-school adolescents about gang violence in a periurban community near Cape Town and the implications for school health in South Africa. Using the qualitative focus group discussion (FGD) guide, data were collected from 60 high-school adolescents, between 10 and 20 years of age. Trained moderators conducted nine FGDs with small groups of six to eight students. The constant comparative ethnographic method was used to analyze the data. Results indicate that gang violence is very common among high-school adolescents living on the Cape Flat. Gangs, perceived by many as part of the “rite of passage” among adolescents, are a major threat to the public health, mental well-being, general welfare, happiness, and development of high-school populations on the Cape Flat. Gang activity interlock with many other social problems, including drug and alcohol abuse, school unrest and violence, and the increasing prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases, especially HIV and AIDS. These findings suggest an urgent need for concerted efforts to develop mechanism to protect school pupils from gangs and develop healthier social alternatives to gang-related activites. Ties among government, school, parents, and community education and participation are urgently necessary to implement a school-based approach to adolescent health promotion.
Cognitive Development and Clinical Interviews with Children

Unlike adults, children do not refer themselves for psychological assessment or treatment. Parents or teachers usually voice the first concern when a child’s behavior becomes troublesome or when the child acts in ways that do not match adult expectations. A psychologist may talk with the referring adults, observe the child, and use standardized behavior checklists and tests of cognitive functioning to evaluate the nature and extent of the problem (cf. Craighead, Meyers, Craighead, & McHale, 1982). He or she will then determine the validity of parent and teacher concerns and decide what treatment, if any, is indicated for the child (Ross, 1980). At the end of the psychological evaluation, the clinician may provide the child with an explanation of the purpose and conclusions of the assessment. Typically, however, children’s own descriptions of their problems are not considered a necessary or particularly useful part of the assessment procedure.
Sleep Health as Measured by RU SATED: A Psychometric Evaluation.

Objective/Background: Sleep health is a multidimensional construct of sleep and wakefulness that operationalizes optimal sleep as more than the absence disease. Despite its importance to public hea...
Olfactory dysfunction from acute upper respiratory infections: relationship to season of onset

Background Acute viral upper respiratory tract infections are the most common cause of chronic olfactory dysfunction. In light of the seasonality of numerous viruses, the question arises as to whether the frequency and magnitude of postviral olfactory disorders (PVODs) are similarly seasonal. We sought to determine whether olfactory deficits due to influenza and non-influenza-related viruses (I-PVODs and NI-PVODs) vary in frequency or magnitude across seasons in a North American population and whether they are more prevalent or produce more severe olfactory dysfunction during colder months when host susceptibility may be increased. Methods This was a retrospective study of 587 patients presenting to an academic smell and taste center with either I-PVOD-related or NI-PVOD-related olfactory deficits. Chi-square and analysis of covariance (age = covariate) compared dysfunction prevalence frequencies and scores on the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) across calendar months and between months with the coldest and warmest air temperatures. Results For I-PVOD-related cases, both the prevalence and magnitude of smell dysfunction were highest in the colder months. However, for NI-PVOD-related cases, prevalence was higher in warmer months but, paradoxically, the magnitude of dysfunction was higher in colder months. Conclusion This study shows that seasonal variations occur in both the prevalence and magnitude of PVOD-related olfactory deficits in a North American population, and that such variations differ between NI-PVOD and I-PVOD cases. The findings suggest multiple viruses are involved in producing PVOD-related olfactory deficits.
Deleterious Musculoskeletal Conditions Secondary to Lower Limb Loss: Considerations for Prosthesis-Related Factors.

Significance: The intent of this work was to summarize the existing evidence of, and highlight knowledge gaps specific to, prosthetic devices/componentry and training regimes, particularly in the c...
Clinical practice. Chronic daily headache.

A 36-year-old woman with a long history of catamenial migraines had had a headache almost every day for a year. The background headache was mild, but it became severe and incapacitating at least twice a week, interfering with work and sleep. She took six to eight tablets containing a combination of aspirin, acetaminophen, and caffeine per day, with minimal relief. She did not have fever, weight loss, diplopia, or tinnitus. Her headaches were not exacerbated by a Valsalva maneuver or positional change. Her physical examination was normal. How should she be evaluated and treated?
Communication missteps during COVID‐19 hurt those already most at risk

Emergency risk communication is a crucial part responding to crises Right now, vulnerable groups are experiencing disproportionately negative outcomes from communication missteps surrounding COVID‐19 In this commentary, we describe the missteps and outline strategies that response organizations can take to improve communication for vulnerable groups
An update on the immune landscape in lung and head and neck cancers

Immunotherapy has dramatically changed the treatment landscape for patients with cancer. Programmed death-ligand 1/programmed death-1 checkpoint inhibitors have been in the forefront of this clinical revolution. Currently, there are 6 US Food and Drug Administration-approved checkpoint inhibitors for approximately 18 different histologic types of cancer. Lung cancer and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are 2 diseases that have led the way in the development of immunotherapy. Atezolizumab, durvalumab, nivolumab, and pembrolizumab are all currently used as part of standard-of-care treatment for different stages of lung cancer. Similarly, nivolumab and pembrolizumab have US regulatory approval as treatment for advanced metastatic HNSCC. This is significant because lung cancer represents the most common and most fatal cancer globally, and HNSCC is the sixth most common. Currently, most of the approvals for the use of immunotherapy agents are for patients diagnosed in the metastatic setting. However, research is ongoing to evaluate these drugs in earlier stage disease. There is plausible biological rationale to expect that pharmacologic activation of the immune system will be effective for early-stage and smaller tumors. In addition, selecting patients who are more likely to respond to immunotherapy and understanding why resistance develops are crucial areas of ongoing research. The objective of this review was to provide an overview of the current immune landscape and future directions in lung cancer and HNSCC.
"You put yourself at risk to keep the relationship:" African American women's perspectives on womanhood, relationships, sex and HIV

Recent trends indicate that HIV and STI infection rates are rising among adults over the age of 50, and African American women have the highest rates of HIV infection across racial and ethnic group...
Characterization of morphological changes to an epoxy-based polymer used as a corrosion-preventative lining in retorted canned tomatoes

Abstract This study investigated how heat-induced changes to compounds in tomatoes initiated morphological changes to the lining in metal cans. X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform near-infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy characterized these morphological changes and we investigated the elemental composition of the lining in the cans before and after heat processing. All tomato-filled cans were sealed, retorted (121 °C, 30 min), then stored at 49 °C for 50 days. Selected-ion flow-tube mass spectrometry then measured the concentrations of volatile compounds in the polymeric linings of unprocessed and processed cans. Results showed that thermal degradation of amino acids in the tomatoes gave rise to volatile methyl sulfides that were subsequently sorbed by the can linings. This process caused breaches in the lining, moisture uptake by the polymer, delamination, and exposure of the base-metal in the cans. These effects allowed electrolytes in the tomatoes to initiate corrosion in the wall of the cans.
Chapter 19 Resolving a mystery: progress in understanding the function of adrenal steroid receptors in hippocampus

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the significance of adrenal steroid action on the hippocampus. The first effects of adrenal steroids concerned destruction of neural tissue, but later findings pointed to the additional effects that protect neurons and enhance plasticity. The role of the hippocampus in learning and memory processes may be subject to regulation by circulating adrenal steroids over both short and long time periods. The adult hippocampus is the site of hormonally directed plasticity. Estradiol and progesterone regulate the cyclic formation and breakdown of excitatory synapses on CA1 pyramidal neurons. Excess thyroid hormone promotes a reduction in dendritic spines on CA1 pyramidal neurons, whereas the transient elevation of thyroid hormone neonatally produces a long-term increase of dendritic branching and spine density in the CA3 region of the hippocampal formation. The chapter discusses the interactive roles that are played by thyroid hormone balance, sex hormones, and gender, together with the actions of adrenal steroids, in determining the ability of the hippocampus to change its structure and function in response to the external environment.
Social Media Ethics Missteps for Lawyers (and Others)

This short paper walks the reader through some of the legal ethics rules that intersect with the use of social media.