cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A phenotypic analysis shows that eosinophilic esophagitis is a progressive fibrostenotic disease

Background Phenotypes of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) are not well-characterized. Objective To describe clinical features of patients with EoE with predefined phenotypes, determine predictors of these phenotypes, and make inferences about the natural history of EoE. Design Retrospective study. Setting Tertiary-care center. Patients Incident EoE cases from 2001 to 2011 that met consensus diagnostic guidelines. Intervention Review of records. Main Outcome Measurements Endoscopic phenotypes, including fibrostenotic, inflammatory, or mixed. Other groups of clinical characteristics examined included atopy, level of esophageal eosinophilia, and age of symptom onset. Multinomial logistic regression assessed predictors of phenotype status. Results Of 379 cases of EoE identified, there were no significant phenotypic differences by atopic status or level of eosinophilia. Those with the inflammatory phenotype were more likely to be younger than those with mixed or fibrostenotic (13 vs 29 vs 39 years, respectively; P P P = .02). After multivariate analysis, age and dysphagia independently predicted phenotype. The odds ratio (OR) for fibrostenosis for each 10-year increase in age was 2.1 (95% CI, 1.7-2.7). The OR for dysphagia was 7.0 (95% CI, 2.6-18.6). Limitations Retrospective, single-center study. Conclusion In this large EoE cohort, the likelihood of fibrostenotic disease increased markedly with age. For every 10-year increase in age, the odds of having a fibrostenotic EoE phenotype more than doubled. This association suggests that the natural history of EoE is a progression from an inflammatory to a fibrostenotic disease.
Illuminating the Unexpected Benzylic Carbon−Carbon Bond Cleavage of Arylated Ethanes with Di-n-Butylzirconium Diethoxide by Illumination: Transfer Epizirconation as Exclusively a Photochemical Process1

The interaction between 1,1,2,2-tetraphenylethane and di-n-butylzirconium diethoxide (1:2 ratio) in THF at 25 °C does not occur in the dark but does proceed under ambient light (>300 nm). Supplemental illumination, especially in the presence of catalytic amounts of iron salts (e.g., Fe(acac) 3 or FeCl 3 ), can lead quantitatively to Ph 2 CH-Zr(OEt) 2 -CHPh 2 , which with H 2 O (D 2 O) provides Ph 2 CH 2 (Ph 2 CHD), and to 1,8-octanediol with some 1-butanol from cleavage of THF.
Scattering tensors for "forbidden" resonance Raman scattering in cubic crystals

Scattering matrices are given for first-order forbidden resonance Raman phonon scattering in cubic crystals. In particular, the matrices appropriate for multipole-dipole Raman scattering in ${\mathrm{Cu}}_{2}$O are presented for all possible phonon species which may occur, including polar phonons for which LO-TO splitting should exist but not "Poulet anomaly." The relation between the multipole-dipole matrices and those needed for scattering via the intraband Frohlich mechanism is presented.
E2F4/5 and p107 as Smad Cofactors Linking the TGFβ Receptor to c-myc Repression

Smad3 is a direct mediator of transcriptional activation by the TGFβ receptor. Its target genes in epithelial cells include cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors that generate a cytostatic reponse. We defined how, in the same context, Smad3 can also mediate transcriptional repression of the growth-promoting gene c-myc. A complex containing Smad3, the transcription factors E2F4/5 and DP1, and the corepressor p107 preexists in the cytoplasm. In response to TGFβ, this complex moves into the nucleus and associates with Smad4, recognizing a composite Smad-E2F site on c-myc for repression. Previously known as the ultimate recipients of cdk regulatory signals, E2F4/5 and p107 act here as transducers of TGFβ receptor signals upstream of cdk. Smad proteins therefore mediate transcriptional activation or repression depending on their associated partners.
Generalization of Turbulent Swirl Flame Transfer Functions in Gas Turbine Combustors

Experimental investigations of the forced response of swirl-stabilized turbulent flames to upstream flow disturbances were performed in an industrial scale gas turbine combustor operating with natural gas fuel and CO2/air. We measured flame transfer functions (FTFs) for a wide range of forcing frequency over a broad range of operating conditions with 50–120 kW thermal power. A sensitivity analysis was then performed in order to identify the key dimensionless parameters controlling the forced swirl flame dynamics. Two different dimensionless parameters, S t 1 = (fδ sw )/U and S t 2 = (f L f )/U, are used as dimensionless frequencies, while the dependence of the FTF gain on the turbulent flame speed is taken into account using a dimensionless flame length, ξ = L f /D c . The implementation of the nondimensionalization strategy using several time and length scales reveals that all FTFs are well characterized by either S t 1 or S t 2, but the best result is obtained from a combination of S t 1 and S t 2, whic...
High concern chemicals in top layer sediments of the northern Adriatic seabed as markers of old waste dumpings

Abstract The results are presented of a survey planned to assess the presence of high concern chemicals in sediments collected in a northern sector of the Adriatic sea neighboring the Venice lagoon. For the assessment, persistent marker chemicals were selected from the families of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorobiphenyls, polychlorodibenzo- p -dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorodibenzofurans (PCDFs), and chlorinated pesticides. Based on the chemical-specific concentrations and PCDD + PCDF profiles determined in the sediments analyzed, dumping zones appear to have existed approximately 5–6 km away from lagoon shoreline. Contamination levels exceed the quality criteria established by the pertinent Italian national regulation at many sampling sites, eventually reflecting (“fingerprinting”) industrial activities once performed in the industrial settlement of Porto Marghera within the Venice lagoon. In coastal samples, concentration levels appear to be lower than those determined at offshore sampling sites.
QUADRATIC CORESTRICTION, -EMBEDDING PROBLEMS, AND EXPLICIT CONSTRUCTION

ABSTRACT Let be a quadratic extension of fields of characteristic not 2. We give a natural correspondence between cup-products of square classes of and certain Galois embedding problems over . Under this correspondence, the obstruction to the embedding problem associated to is the corestriction from to of the quaternion algebra over given by . We reduce the explicit construction problem for such embedding problems to the construction of an -algebra isomorphism from an algebra expressed as a tensor product of quaternion algebras to a matrix ring. We apply these results to determine the obstructions to, and a method for explicit construction for, all -embedding problems extending or , where the subdirect products are taken over a common factor group .
The perceptual computer: an architecture for computing with words

Our thesis is that computing with words needs to account for the uncertainties associated with the meanings of words, and that these uncertainties require using type-2 fuzzy sets. Doing this leads to a proposed architecture for making judgments by means of computing with words - a perceptual computer Per-C. The Per-C includes an encoder, a type-2 rule-based fuzzy logic system, and a decoder. It lets all human-computer interactions be performed using words. In this paper, a quantitative language is established for the Per-C, and many open issues about the perceptual computer are described.
Decomposition methods for structural reliability analysis

A new class of computational methods, referred to as decomposition methods, has been developed for predicting failure probability of structural and mechanical systems subject to random loads, material properties, and geometry. The methods involve a novel function decomposition that facilitates univariate and bivariate approximations of a general multivariate function, response surface generation of univariate and bivariate functions, and Monte Carlo simulation. Due to a small number of original function evaluations, the proposed methods are very effective, particularly when a response evaluation entails costly finite-element, mesh-free, or other numerical analysis. Seven numerical examples involving elementary mathematical functions and solid-mechanics problems illustrate the methods developed. Results indicate that the proposed methods provide accurate and computationally efficient estimates of probability of failure.
USAID's Democratic Pluralism Initiative: Pragmatism or Altruism?

This program is evaluated in order to analyze the ethical and practical issues likely to influence its success. Among those critical issues discussed are the U.S.'s definition of “democracy,” the relationship between culture and democracy, and the ability, or desirability, of the United States to export its own form of government as historical and cultural goals. Substantial attention is given to the ethical dimension of whether the United States is, or should be, concerned with democracy as a generic form of political organization or be more committed to the expansion of American influence irrespective of a country's political or ideological character. Noting that foreign aid is pragmatic rather than altruistic in origin, the essay questions the likely effectiveness of the Democratic Pluralism Initiative.
Human viruses and viral indicators in marine water at two recreational beaches in Southern California, USA

Waterborne enteric viruses may pose disease risks to bather health but occurrence of these viruses has been difficult to characterize at recreational beaches. The aim of this study was to evaluate water for human virus occurrence at two Southern California recreational beaches with a history of beach closures. Human enteric viruses (adenovirus and norovirus) and viral indicators (F+ and somatic coliphages) were measured in water samples over a 4-month period from Avalon Beach, Catalina Island (n = 324) and Doheny Beach, Orange County (n = 112). Human viruses were concentrated from 40 L samples and detected by nested reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Detection frequencies at Doheny Beach were 25.5% (adenovirus) and 22.3% (norovirus), and at Avalon Beach were 9.3% (adenovirus) and 0.7% (norovirus). Positive associations between adenoviruses and fecal coliforms were observed at Doheny (p = 0.02) and Avalon (p = 0.01) Beaches. Human viruses were present at both beaches at higher frequencies than previously detected in the region, suggesting that the virus detection methods presented here may better measure potential health risks to bathers. These virus recovery, concentration, and molecular detection methods are advancing practices so that analysis of enteric viruses can become more effective and routine for recreational water quality monitoring.
Altered mitochondrial energy metabolism may play a role in vascular aging

Epidemiological studies demonstrated that even in the absence of other risk factors (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia), vascular aging significantly increases cardiovascular morbidity. Previous studies revealed that vascular aging is characterized by an age-dependent decline in endothelial function due to a decreased bioavailability of NO and increased production of reactive oxygen species. Yet, the mechanisms underlying the process of vascular aging are still poorly understood. Many authors consider that aging is a mitochondrial disease. Indeed, there is evidence that aging is associated with an increase in mtDNA damage and a decline in expression/activity of mitochondrial enzymes in various organs. On the basis of recent observations we predict that similar changes in mitochondrial gene expression profile are present in the aged cardiovascular system as well. It is significant, that components of the electron transport chain (including cytochrome c oxidase) seem to be similarly down-regulated with age in many species. Because pharmacological inhibition of mitochondrial energy metabolism significantly impairs endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation and may increase the production of reactive oxygen species, we propose that alterations of mitochondrial energetic phenotype may contribute to endothelial dysfunction in aging.
Charge-discharge characteristics of lithium-aluminum/lithiated transition metal oxide cells at high temperatures

The charge-discharge characteristics of Li-Al/LiCl-KCl/LiCoO/sub 2/ and Li-Al/LiCl-KCl/LiFeO/sub 2/ cells are reported at current densities of 2 to 10 mA/cm/sup 2/ at 400 degrees C. The cycled cells exhibited multiple voltage plateaus in the charge and discharge curves, which were interpreted to be due to the formation of other lithiated transition metal oxides and/or higher transition metal oxides in addition to LiCoO/sub 2/ and LiFeO/sub 2/. It was also found that it was necessary to charge both cells to potentials of about 1.75 to 1.85 V to obtain maximum deliverable capacities. The polarization curves for both cells at current densities of 1 to 100 mA/cm/sup 2/ are also presented. >
Distributed representation of limb motor programs in arrays of adjustable pattern generators

This paper describes the current state of our exploration of how motor program concepts may be related to neural mechanisms. We have proposed a model of sensorimotor networks with architectures inspired by the anatomy and physiology of the cerebellum and its interconnections with the red nucleus and the motor cortex. We proposed the concept of rubrocerebellar and corticocerebellar information processing modules that function as adjustable pattern generators (APGs) capable of the storage, recall, and execution of motor programs. The APG array model described in this paper extends the single APG model of Houk et al. (1990) to an array of APGs whose collective activity controls movement of a simple two degree-of-freedom simulated limb. Our objective was to examine the APG array theory in a simple computational framework with a plausible relationship to anatomy and physiology. Results of simulation experiments show that the APG array model is capable of learning how to control movement of the simulated limb by adjusting distributed motor programs. Although the model is based on many simplifying assumptions, and the simulated motor control task is much simpler than an actual reaching task, these results suggest that the APG array model may provide a useful step toward a more comprehensive understanding of how neural mechanisms may generate motor programs.
Genetic Evidence That Recognition of cosQ the Signal for Termination of Phage λ DNA Packaging, Depends on the Extent of Head Filling

Packaging a phage lambda chromosome involves cutting the chromosome from a concatemer and translocating the DNA into a prohead. The cutting site, cos, consists of three subsites: cosN, the nicking site; cosB, a site required for packaging initiation; and cosQ a site required for termination of packaging. cosB contains three binding sites (R sequences) for gpNu1, the small subunit of terminase. Because cosQ has sequence identity to the R sequences, it has been proposed that cosQ is also recognized by gpNu1. Suppressors of cosB mutations were unable to suppress a cosQ point mutation. Suppressors of a cosQ mutation (cosQ1) were isolated and found to be of three sorts, the first affecting a base pair in cosQ. The second type of cosQ suppression involved increasing the length of the phage chromosome to a length near to the maximum capacity of the head shell. A third class of suppressors were missense mutations in gene B, which encodes the portal protein of the virion. It is speculated that increasing DNA length and altering the portal protein may reduce the rate of translocation, thereby increasing the efficiency of recognition of the mutant cosQ. None of the cosQ suppressors was able to suppress cosB mutations. Because cosQ and cosB mutations are suppressed by very different types of suppressors, it is concluded that cosQ and the R sequences of cosB are recognized by different DNA-binding determinants.
Urban Politics and the Los Angeles School of Urbanism

This polemical article uses Los Angeles as a template to challenge existing theoretical and empirical research traditions in the study of urban politics. The precepts of the “Los Angeles School” exemplify the shift from a modernist to a postmodern urbanism in which altered geographies are redefining the meaning and practice of urban politics. Los Angeles challenges an urban political scholarship that is overly focused on empirical analysis at the expense of theory, too constrained by conventional categories, and divorced from adjacent disciplines with much to contribute to the understanding of contemporary politics, including urban political economy.
The sensory processes of Japanese-American and Caucasian-American students.

Summary The study examined the hypothesis that an individual's cultural environment influences the sensory mediation of information processing. Nine sensory tasks associated with either visual, auditory, or kinesthetic-tactile receptor systems were performed by 114 Japanese-American (J-A) and 57 Caucasian-American (C-A) males. The results were factor analyzed and differences were found in the respective factor patterns and factor structures for the two groups suggesting that, in fact, they do integrate sensory information in different ways. The J-A males relied most heavily upon spatial-kinesthetic information, while the C-A males were more visually oriented. The Caucasian-Americans also tended to show aggregate factors of several interacting sensory modalities, while the Japanese-Americans generally produced factors involving predominately one isolated sensory modality. These factor structures indicated that Caucasian-Americans tended to process information from several senses at the same time, while the...
An exploration of counterfeit medicine surveillance strategies guided by geospatial analysis: lessons learned from counterfeit Avastin detection in the US drug supply chain

To cite: Cuomo RE, Mackey TK. An exploration of counterfeit medicine surveillance strategies guided by geospatial analysis: lessons learned from counterfeit Avastin detection in the US drug supply chain. BMJ Open 2014;4:e006657. ABSTRACT Objective: To explore healthcare policy and system improvements that would more proactively respond to future penetration of counterfeit cancer medications in the USA drug supply chain using geospatial analysis. Design: A statistical and geospatial analysis of areas that received notices from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about the possibility of counterfeit Avastin penetrating the US drug supply chain. Data from FDAwarning notices were compared to data from 44 demographic variables available from the US Census Bureau via correlation, means testing and geospatial visualisation. Results were interpreted in light of existing literature in order to recommend improvements to surveillance of counterfeit medicines. Setting/participants: This study analysed 791 distinct healthcare provider addresses that received FDAwarning notices across 30 431 zip codes in the USA. Outcomes: Statistical outputs were Pearson's correlation coefficients and t values. Geospatial outputs were cartographic visualisations. These data were used to generate the overarching study outcome, which was a recommendation for a strategy for drug safety surveillance congruent with existing literature on counterfeit medication. Results: Zip codes with greater numbers of individuals age 65+ and greater numbers of ethnic white individuals were most correlated with receipt of a counterfeit Avastin notice. Geospatial visualisations designed in conjunction with statistical analysis of demographic variables appeared more capable of suggesting areas and populations that may be at risk for undetected counterfeit Avastin penetration. Conclusions: This study suggests that dual incorporation of statistical and geospatial analysis in surveillance of counterfeit medicine may be helpful in guiding efforts to prevent, detect and visualise counterfeit medicines penetrations in the US drug supply chain and other settings. Importantly, the information generated by these analyses could be utilised to identify at-risk populations associated with demographic characteristics. Stakeholders should explore these results as another tool to improve on counterfeit medicine surveillance.
A simulation study of demand responsive transit system design

In this paper we study the impact on productivity of specific operating practices currently used by demand responsive transit (DRT) providers. We investigate the effect of using a zoning vs. a no-zoning strategy and time-window settings on performance measures such as total trip miles, deadhead miles and fleet size. It is difficult to establish closed-form expressions to assess the impact on the performance measures of a specific zoning practice or time-window setting for a real transportation network. Thus, we conduct this study through a simulation model of the operations of DRT providers on a network based on data for DRT service in Los Angeles County. However, the methodology is quite general and applicable to any other service area. Our results suggest the existence of linear relationships between operating practices and performance measures. In particular we observe that for each minute increase in time-window size the service saves approximately 2 vehicles and 260 miles driven and that a no-zoning strategy is able to satisfy the same demand by employing 60 less vehicles and driving 10,000 less total miles with respect to the current zoning strategy.
Investigating the Relationship between Visual Spatial Abilities and Robot Operation during Direct Line of Sight and Teleoperation

Objective: To determine how scores on standard spatial measures correlate with the ability to operate a robot under different teleoperation conditions. Background: Past work has demonstrated that there is a relationship between visual spatial ability and teleoperation performance. Method: In this experiment participants completed a spatial visualization (VZ-2) and spatial relation (S-2) measure, and teleoperated a robot through both low and high difficulty courses under direct line of sight (DLS) and teleoperation (TO) conditions. Performance was determined by course completion time and the total number of collisions made during navigation. Results and Conclusion: Aggregate visual spatial ability was inversely correlated with operator performance under each of the experimental conditions. Analyzed independently, only spatial relations ability correlated with TO performance, while both measures correlated with DLS operation. Application: Better understanding of the relationship between spatial abilities an...
Combustion Instability Additive Investigation

Combustion stability additives like zirconium carbide (ZrC), aluminum oxide (AO o is the angular frequency, ro is the particle relaxation time:
Solidary Groups, Informal Accountability, and Local Public Goods Provision in Rural China

Why would government officials in authoritarian and transitional systems where formal democratic and bureaucratic institutions of accountability are often weak ever provide more than the minimum level of public goods needed to maintain social stability? Findings from a unique combination of in-depth case study research and an original survey of 316 villages in rural China indicate that even when formal accountability is weak, local officials can be subject to unofficial rules and norms that establish and enforce their public obligations. These informal institutions of accountability can be provided by encompassing and embedding solidary groups. Villages where these types of groups exist are more likely to have better local governmental public goods provision than villages without these solidary groups, all other things being equal.
Acoustic Bragg reflectors for Q-enhancement of unreleased MEMS resonators

This work presents the design of acoustic Bragg reflectors (ABRs) for unreleased MEMS resonators through analysis and simulation. Two of the greatest challenges to the successful implementation of MEMS are those of packaging and integration with integrated circuits. Development of unreleased RF MEMS resonators at the transistor level of the CMOS stack will enable direct integration into front-end-of-line (FEOL) processing, making these devices an attractive choice for on-chip signal generation and signal processing. The use of ABRs in unreleased resonators reduces spurious modes while maintaining high quality factors. Analysis on unreleased resonators using ABRs covers design principles, effects of fabrication variation, and comparison to released devices. Additionally, ABR-based unreleased resonators are compared with unreleased resonators enhanced using phononic crystals, showing order of magnitude higher quality factor (Q) for the ABR-based devices.
Recipes for collaborative practice improvement and community development for health

Experienced cooks often work without a recipe – creating charming culinary concoctions from their experience and intuition. Success requires repeated tastings – it is an active process with multiple feedback loops. Less experienced cooks try to copy the masters' creations by using recipes. In time, these novices gain enough experience and skill to trust their own abilities to taste the food and adapt these recipes to ‘make them their own’. Four papers in this issue of London Journal of Primary Care provide recipes for integrated models of working together that can be locally adapted. They provide us with models to: uncover the strengths (assets) within communities for sustainable development,1 use routinely collected data to reveal the effect of locally led health improvement,2 stimulate collaborative working between general practices and others to solve complex health and social needs,3 and engage diverse organisations to move care from hospital to community.4 Together, these papers present a cookbook of recipes for integrated care – showing how generalist and specialist healthcare practitioners, social care and public health can enhance each other's abilities to produce healthy people and healthy populations. The papers show how even novices can facilitate complex inter-organisational collaborations by using established recipes, and who will in time become experts at creating their own. We describe the (dry and liquid) ingredients that the authors use – the large number alone shows how deceptively complex integrated care can be. Then, we continue the cooking metaphor to compare integrated care with baking bread – melding multiple ingredients from different sources to create beautifully tasting meals that are more than the sum of the parts.
Constraint identification techniques for lean manufacturing systems

The first step in the Theory of Constraints (TOC) methodology is to identify the constraint. Several methods have been recommended in literature, such as looking for a backup of inventory (i.e., the operation that the inventory is waiting for is the constraint), or using linear programming or other analytical models. Yet, these methods may not be useful in a matured lean environment, which may have moving assembly lines where constraints are not obvious. This paper proposes three new methods for this purpose. The first method, Flow Constraint Analysis, takes a holistic view and evaluates whether the customer's demand is being satisfied. This evaluation is made by comparing the takt times and the cycle times of resources in the manufacturing system in order to identify the constraint(s). The second method, Effective Utilization Analysis, can be employed to pinpoint the location of the system constraint to a specific process or station. The actual production throughput is compared against the ideal capacity of the system to locate the bottleneck. This method is based on the relationship between WIP, bottleneck rate and lead time for a constant work in process (CONWIP) system. The third method, Quick Effective Utilization Analysis, can be used when there is little or no historical line performance data available. A case study of these methods applied to an actual production facility is presented.
The Affordable Care Act Insurance Reforms: Where Are We Now, and What’s Next?

The Affordable Care Act (ACA), signed into law by President Obama in March 2010, provides for comprehensive health reform in the United States. A major part of the ACA includes insurance reforms designed to make adequate and affordable health insurance accessible to nearly everyone. Five years after the ACA became law, and 1 year after major insurance reforms took effect, we discuss in this article the gains that have been made and the road ahead, with a focus on individuals with diabetes. This article is focused solely on changes in insurance plans and does not address the many other provisions in the massive ACA that affect people with diabetes, including the establishment of the National Diabetes Prevention Program, the Prevention and Public Health Fund, or menu labeling requirements. Under the old health care system, it was legal in most states to deny health insurance to people with diabetes or require them to pay more for insurance coverage simply because they had diabetes. Even for people who had insurance coverage, their plans did not necessarily cover the most basic diabetes needs, leaving them with large out-of-pocket expenses in addition to the cost of insurance. Without access to affordable care, some people with diabetes went without the care they needed by cutting back on—or even forgoing—the doctor visits, medicines, education, and testing supplies necessary to adequately manage diabetes. As a result, many people developed complications of diabetes that could have been prevented had affordable care been available to them. People with diabetes who had affordable coverage through their employer feared (and rightfully so) there would be few insurance options available to them if they left their job and did not start immediately at another job that offered good health coverage benefits. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) fought hard to ensure that health …
The Big Data Hierarchy: A Multi-Stage Perspective on Implementing Big Data

Firms increasingly have access to a variety of data from sources such as customers, transactions, social media, and other stakeholders. Marketers use the term Big Data to describe this avalanche of information which they view as critical to providing a better understanding of customers and markets. This research uses a qualitative approach, through interviews with marketing managers, to evaluate the scope of Big Data, develop a hierarchy of how firms use data to make marketing decisions, describe the external and internal factors that influence where a firm falls within the hierarchy, and identify four specific transition factors that allow firms to develop Big Data capabilities. We find that the key factors that determine the level of Big Data decision making are the firm environment, competition, organizational structure, interdepartmental dynamics, and executive commitment. To transition to a higher level of data driven decision making, firms must consider their current and future capabilities in terms of data, analytics, people, and organization.
Barriers and Facilitators to Scaling Up Outpatient Palliative Care

Abstract Background: The Institute of Medicine recommends people with serious advanced illness have access to skilled palliative care. However, the predominant delivery model of nonhospice palliative care is inpatient, consultative care focused on the end of life, with a small specialist palliative care workforce. Objective: The study objective was to understand organizational factors that could influence the adoption and scale-up of outpatient palliative care in chronic advanced illness, using the example of heart failure. Methods: This was a cross-sectional qualitative study. Participants were 17 health care providers and local, regional, and national health system leaders from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) who were considering whether and how to adopt and sustain outpatient palliative care. Individual interviews using semistructured questions assessed domains of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Science. Results: Most providers and leaders perceived outpatient palliative care as ...
Reflection Mode Tabletop Coherent Diffraction Imaging of Buried Nanostructures

We image a nanostructured sample through a visibly-opaque 100nm layer of aluminum using lensless Fresnel Ptychography and a tabletop high harmonic source. The reconstructed amplitude-contrast image uncovered the presence of interfacial diffusion non-destructively.
Elucidating Self-Assembly Mechanisms of Uranyl–Peroxide Capsules from Monomers

Self-assembly of uranyl peroxide polyoxometalates (POMs) in alkaline peroxide solutions has been known for almost a decade, but in these dynamic solutions that contain high concentrations of base and peroxide the reaction pathway could never be discerned, mixed species are obtained, and reproducibility is sometimes a challenge. Here we elucidate the reaction mechanisms utilizing self-assembly of the U24 cluster, [UO2(O2)(OH)]2424-, from monomers as a model system. Using Raman as our main spectroscopic probe, we learned that the monomeric species is persistent in water at room temperature indefinitely. However, if a redox-active transition metal catalyst (copper (Cu2+) or cobalt (Co2+)) is added, self-assembly is accelerated in a significant manner, forming U24 peroxide clusters in several hours, which is a good time scale for studying reaction mechanisms. From semiquantitative treatment of the spectroscopic data, we elucidate reaction mechanisms that are consistent with prior structural and computational ...
Vanishing Coup: The Pattern of World History since 1310. By Ivan Perkins. (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2013. Pp. xxx, 342. $75.00.)

In a well‐reasoned analysis, the author of this book describes and explains a decline in military coups over the past eight centuries in certain nations. He describes at length what transpired in “...
Methyl Bromide, Sulfuryl Fluoride, and Other Fumigants Against Quarantinable Cochlicella and Theba Snails

In tests conducted during 1958–63, estivated snails proved very resistant to fumigation. Cochlicella barbara (L.) and related species required 8 lb methyl bromide/ 1000 ft3 for 72 hr at 55°F or above in tight chambers or under plastic tarpaulins. Very long exposure appeared especially important for complete kill. Estivated Theba pisana (Muller) were much less resistant than C. barbara , with 6 lb for 10 hr being sufficient. Vacuum fumigation was much more effective against both snails. Methyl bromide at 40° to 55°F also appeared promising. Sulfuryl fluoride at 3 lb for 72 hr was effective at warm temperatures, but some Cochlicella survived 6 lb near 55°F. Hydrogen cyanide showed much promise at 2–3 lb for 72 hr, as did chloropicrin in preliminary tests at 1.5 lb for 48 hr. Survivors occurred with 5 lb acrylonitrilc-carbon tetrachloride (34 to 66% by vol) for 72 hr. Results with carbon disulphide, carbon tetrachloride, ethylene dibromide, methallyl chloride, hydrogen phosphide, and other chemicals are discussed. Resistance of estivated snails varied from year to year and was greatest the first 3 months after field collection. Some snails survived 18 months under warm, dry conditions, without food or water, when resistance was at a minimum.
Visual recognition: Facilitation of seeing by saying

The vocalization of three-letter and three-syllable words was used to trigger during vocalization the visual exposure of words which were the same as the words spoken, or different. When a presented word matched the vocalized word, visual recognition was enhanced.
Substrate-blind Photonic Integration

Using high-index glasses as the backbone optical material, photonic devices with record performance were successfully integrated on a wide variety of substrates including semiconductors, glasses, infrared crystals, polymers, and graphene.
Fluorene Derivative Doped Organic Modified Silica Nanoparticles as Biological Imaging Contrast Agents

A synthetic methodology was developed to entrap a highly efficient two-photon fluorescent dye 1 into organic modified silica nanoparticles. The nanoparticles synthesized exhibit uniform size contribution of about 20 nm in diameter.
Preclinical Comparative Study of 68Ga-Labeled DOTA, NOTA, and HBED-CC Chelated Radiotracers for Targeting PSMA

(68)Ga-labeled, low-molecular-weight imaging agents that target the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) are increasingly used clinically to detect prostate and other cancers with positron emission tomography (PET). The goal of this study was to compare the pharmacokinetics of three PSMA-targeted radiotracers: (68)Ga-1, using DOTA-monoamide as the chelating agent; (68)Ga-2, containing the macrocyclic chelating agent p-SCN-Bn-NOTA; and (68)Ga-DKFZ-PSMA-11, currently in clinical trials, which uses the acyclic chelating agent, HBED-CC. The PSMA-targeting scaffold for all three agents utilized a similar Glu-urea-Lys-linker construct. Each radiotracer enabled visualization of PSMA+ PC3 PIP tumor, kidney, and urinary bladder as early as 15 min post-injection using small animal PET/computed tomography (PET/CT). (68)Ga-2 demonstrated the fastest rate of clearance from all tissues in this series and displayed higher uptake in PSMA+ PC3 PIP tumor compared to (68)Ga-1 at 1 h post-injection. There was no significant difference in PSMA+ PC3 PIP tumor uptake for the three agents at 2 and 3 h post-injection. (68)Ga-DKFZ-PSMA-11 demonstrated the highest uptake and retention in normal tissues, including kidney, blood, spleen, and salivary glands and PSMA-negative PC3 flu tumors up to 3 h post-injection. In this preclinical evaluation (68)Ga-2 had the most advantageous characteristics for PSMA-targeted PET imaging.
Genetic privacy, discrimination, and the U.S. Congress:

Advances in genetics research have fueled public debate over the use of genetic information about individuals and families by health insurers. Fears of discrimination based on one's genetic inheritance have prompted various private and public sector groups to press for restrictions on access to and use of genetic information in health insurance decisions. As a result, the U.S. Congress has considered several pieces of legislation that would impose such restrictions. This paper discusses the merging of several factors that are responsible for placing and maintaining this issue on the congressional policy agenda.
Time from Diagnosis to Surgical Treatment of Breast Cancer: Factors Influencing Delays in Initiating Treatment:

No clear guidelines exist defining the appropriate time frame from diagnosis to definitive surgical treatment of breast cancer. Studies have suggested that treatment delays greater than 90 days may be associated with stage migration. We sought to evaluate demographic factors that influence 30-day and 90-day benchmarks for time from diagnosis to definitive surgical treatment of breast cancer. Between 2004 and 2007, 19,896 women with stage I to III invasive breast cancer were treated with primary surgical therapy and did not receive preoperative systemic therapy in the California Cancer Registry. Overall, 75.7 per cent of patients were treated within 30 days of diagnosis, and 95.5 per cent of patients were treated within 90 days of diagnosis. Multivariate analyses revealed that treatment delays were associated with smaller tumor size, use of total mastectomy, lower socioeconomic status, and Hispanic and nonHispanic black race/ethnicity. Furthermore, disparities in those that did not meet 30-day benchmark timeframes were exaggerated with 90-day treatment delays. These benchmarks can be used to measure disparities in health care delivery.
Inhibition of both BRAF and MEK in BRAF V600E mutant melanoma restores compromised dendritic cell (DC) function while having differential direct effects on DC properties

Dendritic cells (DCs) can induce strong tumor-specific T-cell immune responses. Constitutive upregulation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway by a BRAFV600 mutation, which is present in about 50 % of metastatic melanomas, may be linked to compromised function of DCs in the tumor microenvironment. Targeting both MEK and BRAF has shown efficacy in BRAFV600 mutant melanoma. We co-cultured monocyte-derived human DCs with melanoma cell lines pretreated with the MEK inhibitor U0126 or the BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib. Cytokine production (IL-12 and TNF-α) and surface marker expression (CD80, CD83, and CD86) in DCs matured with the Toll-like receptor 3/Melanoma Differentiation-Associated protein 5 agonist polyI:C was examined. Additionally, DC function, viability, and T-cell priming capacity were assessed upon direct exposure to U0126 and vemurafenib. Cytokine production and co-stimulation marker expression were suppressed in polyI:C-matured DCs exposed to melanoma cells in co-cultures. This suppression was reversed by MAPK blockade with U0126 and/or vemurafenib only in melanoma cell lines carrying a BRAFV600E mutation. Furthermore, when testing the effect of U0126 directly on DCs, marked inhibition of function, viability, and DC priming capacity was observed. In contrast, vemurafenib had no effect on DC function across a wide range of dose concentrations. BRAFV600E mutant melanoma cells modulate DC through the MAPK pathway as its blockade can reverse suppression of DC function. MEK inhibition negatively impacts DC function and viability if applied directly. In contrast, vemurafenib does not have detrimental effects on important functions of DCs and may therefore be a superior candidate for combination immunotherapy approaches in melanoma patients.
High speed photography and pump-probe measurements of Er:YAG laser ablation in fluid

The Er:YAG laser is an emerging medical tool because its emission at 2.94 μm is near the water absorption maximum. With an absorption length of only 1 μm in water, precise cutting of biological materials is in principle possible.
Weight of evidence evaluation of a network of adverse outcome pathways linking activation of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor in honey bees to colony death

Ongoing honey bee (Apis mellifera) colony losses are of significant international concern because of the essential role these insects play in pollinating crops. Both chemical and non-chemical stressors have been implicated as possible contributors to colony failure; however, the potential role(s) of commonly-used neonicotinoid insecticides has emerged as particularly concerning. Neonicotinoids act on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the central nervous system to eliminate pest insects. However, mounting evidence indicates that neonicotinoids also may adversely affect beneficial pollinators, such as the honey bee, via impairments on learning and memory, and ultimately foraging success. The specific mechanisms linking activation of the nAChR to adverse effects on learning and memory are uncertain. Additionally, clear connections between observed impacts on individual bees and colony level effects are lacking. The objective of this review was to develop adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) as a means to evaluate the biological plausibility and empirical evidence supporting (or refuting) the linkage between activation of the physiological target site, the nAChR, and colony level consequences. Potential for exposure was not a consideration in AOP development and therefore this effort should not be considered a risk assessment. Nonetheless, development of the AOPs described herein has led to the identification of research gaps which, for example, may be of high priority in understanding how perturbation of pathways involved in neurotransmission can adversely affect normal colony functions, causing colony instability and subsequent bee population failure. A putative AOP network was developed, laying the foundation for further insights as to the role of combined chemical and non-chemical stressors in impacting bee populations. Insights gained from the AOP network assembly, which more realistically represents multi-stressor impacts on honey bee colonies, are promising toward understanding common sensitive nodes in key biological pathways and identifying where mitigation strategies may be focused to reduce colony losses.
Synthesis and Photophysical and Photocatalytic Properties of a Highly Fluorinated and Durable Phthalocyanine–Peptide Bioconjugate for Potential Theranostic Applications

The functionalized, asymmetric fluoro–fluoroalkyl scaffold F48H7COOHPcZn (3) was used to prepare F48H7COOPcZn-6-amino-hexanoate-CTVALPGGYVRVC (5), a Pep42 peptide bioconjugate envisioned for photodynamic therapy, which can specifically target the GRP78 chaperone protein overexpressed and exclusively localized on some cancer cell surfaces. The analogous F48H7COOHPcCu (4) has also been prepared, and its single-crystal X-ray structure was elucidated. Despite reduced steric hindrance relative to the nonfunctionalized, single-site complexes of the F64Pc scaffold, no aggregation was detected in solution via UV–vis spectroscopy, for either 3, 4, or 5, consistent with the lack of π stacking observed for the crystalline 4. The 6-aminohexanoic acid-Pep42 moiety diminishes the fluorescence efficiency of 5, relative to 3, but for singlet oxygen (1O2) generation, photochemical hydroperoxidation of β-(−)-citronellol using 5 and 3 occurs with comparable substrate turnover efficiency, albeit at a slower initial triplet o...
Mixed metaphors: Electrophysiological brain responses to (un)expected concrete and abstract prepositional phrases.

Abstract Languages around the world use spatial terminology, like prepositions, to describe non-spatial, abstract concepts, including time (e.g., in the moment). The Metaphoric Mapping Theory explains this pattern by positing that a universal human cognitive process underlies it, whereby abstract concepts are conceptualized via the application of concrete, three-dimensional space onto abstract domains. The alternative view is that the use of spatial propositions in abstract phrases is idiomatic, and thus does not trigger metaphoric mapping. In the current study, event-related potentials (ERPs) were used to examine the time-course of neural processing of concrete and abstract phrases consisting of the prepositions in or on followed by congruent and incongruent nouns (e.g., in the bowl/plate and in the moment/mend). ERPs were recorded from the onset of reference nouns in 28 adult participants using a 128-channel electrode net. Results show that congruency has differential effects on neural measures, depending on whether the noun is concrete or abstract. Incongruent reference nouns in concrete phrases (e.g., on the bowl) elicited a significant central negativity (an N400 effect), while incongruent reference nouns in abstract phrases (e.g., on the moment) did not. These results suggest that spatially incongruent concrete nouns are semantically unexpected (N400 effect). A P600 effect, which might indicate rechecking, reanalysis and/or reconstruction, was predicted for incongruent abstract nouns, but was not observed, possibly due to the variability in abstract stimuli. Findings cast doubt on accounts claiming that abstract uses of prepositions are cognitively and metaphorically linked to their spatial sense during natural, on-line processing.