cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract B82: Predictors of intention to obtain colorectal cancer screening among African American men in a state fair setting

Racial disparities in health among African American men in the United States are appalling: African American men have the highest mortality and incidence rates from colorectal cancer (CRC) compared to all other ethnic, racial, and gender groups. Juxtaposed to their white counterparts, African American men have CRC incidence and mortality rates 25% and 50% higher, respectively. CRC is a treatable and preventable condition when detected early, yet the intricate factors influencing African American men9s intention to screen remain understudied. Employing a non-experimental, on-line survey research design at the Minnesota State Fair, the purpose of this study was to explore whether male role norms affect knowledge, attitudes, and intention to screen for CRC directly, or mediated by perceived barriers, among 297 African American men. As hypothesized, these Minnesota men (ages 18-65) lacked appropriate CRC knowledge: only 33% of the sample received a “passing” knowledge score (85% or better). In a logistic regression model, the three factors significantly associated with a higher probability of obtaining CRC screening were age, perceived barriers, and perceived subjective norms. Findings from this study provide a solid basis for informing health policy and designing health promotion and early-intervention CRC prevention programs that are responsive to the needs of African American men in Minnesota and beyond. Citation Format: Charles R. Rogers, Patricia Goodson, Lindsey R. Dietz, Kola S. Okuyemi. Predictors of intention to obtain colorectal cancer screening among African American men in a state fair setting. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eighth AACR Conference on The Science of Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; Nov 13-16, 2015; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2016;25(3 Suppl):Abstract nr B82.
Impact of Electrocatalyst Activity and Ion Permeability on Water-Splitting Photoanodes

Electrocatalyst (EC)-modified semiconductor (SC) photoelectrodes are key elements of solar water-splitting systems. The SC|EC interface affects the composite photoelectrode behavior but is poorly understood. We uncover the role of EC activity and SC|EC interface properties using a range of metal (Ni, Fe, Ni-Fe, Co, Ir) oxide or (oxy)hydroxide ECs deposited on model single-crystal n-TiO2 photoanodes. The impedance and photoelectrochemical response of the system was nearly independent of EC oxygen evolution activity if the catalyst was deposited electrochemically as an ion-permeable (oxy)hydroxide or hydrous oxide. When dense oxides (e.g., ion-impermeable) ECs were used, the response depended strongly on the EC. These data demonstrate that the EC and SC interface structures are more important than the EC activity in determining the composite photoanode response, confirming recent SC|EC interface simulations for ion-permeable ECs. These results thus inform the design of high-performance water-oxidizing photoanodes with direct SC|EC interfaces.
Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms: Tablets.

Abstract The three volumes of this series comprehensively cover tableting technology. This second edition of Volume II, like the first, is a multiauthored book and contains a blend of information on mixing, drying, size reduction, compression, granulation technology, bioavailability, and tablet compression tooling. Each topic is presented as a separate chapter.
Semantic model of CSL

Dijkstra presented semaphore-based mutual exclusion as an extension to a sequential language [37]. Posix threads present Dijkstra-Hoare concurrency as an extension to a sequential language [55]. O'Hearn presented concurrent separation logic (CSL) as an extension to separation logic, in which all the rules of sequential separation logic still hold [71]. Can we really model concurrency as an extension to sequentiality? Boehm explains why it is very tricky to explain shared-memory concurrency as an extension to a sequential language [24]. But we have taken great care to specify our language's external-interaction model (Chapter 33), in order to do this soundly. Therefore we do something ambitious: we present the semantic model of CSL, for the C language, in the presence of an optimizing compiler and weak cache coherency, as a modular extension to our semantic model for sequential separation logic. This chapter is based on Aquinas Hobor's PhD thesis [49, 51] and on current work by Gordon Stewart. C oncurrent separation logic with first-class locks . O'Hearn's presentation of CSL had several limitations, most importantly a lack of first-class locks (locks that can be created/destroyed dynamically, and in particular can be used to control access to other locks). Hobor et al. [51] and Gotsman et al . [44] independently extended CSL to handle first-class locks as well as a number of other features. Chapter 30 explains our CSL with first-class locks.
Full 4π emission data collection and reconstruction for small animal PET imaging

Most of the current animal PET detector systems are cylindrical or similar multi-sided polygonal geometries with limited axial field of view. The object is placed near the center of the detector ring during the emission data collection. The signal that can be detected has a limited angular range; the paraxial signal cannot be detected. Moreover, the sensitivity for the objects positioned at different locations inside the FOV is different. The central part of the FOV has higher sensitivity than that near the end along the axis. The lack of paraxial detectability which means non-uniform sampling, along with the non-uniform sensitivity of a PET system, will affect the uniformity of the overall image quality. Also, currently widely used PET data processing and reconstruction algorithms are sinogram based, which usually uses different sizes for the voxel in axial and transaxial directions. Because of these non-uniformities, the resolution and quality of current PET image are anisotropic. In order to achieve isotropic results, the emissions from the object must be collected in full 4π space and reconstructed accordingly. Here we propose a full 4π emission data collection method, which involving the rotation of the object during the emission collection in a plane parallel to the detector ring axis. The full 4π emission data are then reconstructed and processed to generate the 3D image set with cubic voxel, uniform resolution and signal-to-noise ratio in all directions and locations. Both Monte Carlo simulations and experiments are carried out with simulated and real mouse phantoms. Emission data in both 4π and conventional modes are collected and then processed. Point source is used in the experiment as the fiducial mark. Our results show that with full 4π collection method, the image qualities are substantially improved in several aspects such as the axial distortions and the uniformity of the SNR. Moreover, the axial strip-like artifacts in the conventional mode are canceled in the full 4π mode, therefore less smooth window is needed during the reconstruction which led to higher resolution.
The effectiveness of virtual reality distraction for reducing pain: A meta-analysis.

Virtual reality uses computer technology to immerse the individual in a multisensory, 3-dimensional environment. This meta-analysis is the first to quantify the effect of virtual reality distraction on pain. To be included in the meta-analysis, studies were required to use a between-subjects or mixe
Geometry of density matrix states

We reconsider the geometry of pure and mixed states in a finite quantum system. The ranges of eigenvalues of the density matrices delimit a regular symplex (hypertetrahedron ${T}_{N}$) in any dimension $N$; the polytope isometry group is the symmetric group ${S}_{N+1}$, and splits ${T}_{N}$ in chambers, the orbits of the states under the projective group $\mathrm{PU}(N+1)$. The type of states correlates with the vertices, edges, faces, etc., of the polytope, with the vertices making up a base of orthogonal pure states. The entropy function as a measure of the purity of these states is also easily calculable; we draw and consider some isentropic surfaces. The Casimir invariants acquire then also a more transparent interpretation.
Autologous Blood and Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections for Treatment of Lateral Epicondylitis

Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) is a frequent cause of elbow pain; most patients (80%-90%) are successfully treated with standard nonoperative methods (rest, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, bracing, and physical therapy). Autologous blood injections and platelet-rich plasma injections are the two most frequently used orthobiologic techniques in the treatment of lateral epicondylitis. Studies of the effectiveness of autologous blood injections and platelet-rich plasma report varying outcomes, some citing significant clinical relief and others reporting no beneficial effect. More research is needed to determine how to best use orthobiologics in the treatment of lateral epicondylitis.
The impact of information integration on financial performance: A knowledge-based view

Abstract It has been reported that integrated internal and external information systems among supply chain partners can strengthen their relationship and improve their operational performance. However, the manufacturers may be more interested to know how and how much such information integrations will affect their financial performance. This study surveys 220 demand-driven manufacturers who adopted mass customization strategy to explore the joint effects of internal and external information integration on their financial performance. The data collected are analyzed by using structural equation modeling method. The findings suggest that strengthened relationship with suppliers will only improve suppliers' operational performance which will positively influence manufacturers' operational performance directly and financial performance indirectly. This study provides theoretical and empirical supports to explore the effects of supplier integration on a demand-driven manufacturer's financial performance from a knowledge-based view.
A preliminary exploration of uppercase letter-name knowledge among students with significant cognitive disabilities

There are several factors known to impact the alphabet knowledge of young children without disabilities. The impact of these factors on the alphabet knowledge of students with significant cognitive disabilities is unknown. The purpose of this preliminary investigation was to explore the impact of three factors that might influence uppercase alphabet knowledge among students with significant cognitive disabilities: own name, letter order in the alphabet string, and letter frequency. Archival data documenting identification of each of the 26 uppercase letters of the alphabet for 131 8- to 21-year-old students were analyzed using a multilevel logistic regression model. While the use of extant data has limitations, results indicated that own-name advantage gave students a 10% greater likelihood of knowing the first letter of their own first name/nickname than any other alphabet letter. Letter-order analysis showed there were differences between letters found earlier in the alphabet string versus those that were found later in the alphabet string; however, the results were not statistically significant. Letter-frequency analysis did not reveal a significant impact of frequency on letter name knowledge in this sample. The findings provide preliminary evidence that at least some of the factors that influence alphabet knowledge in young children without disabilities also impact students with significant cognitive disabilities and point to the need for more research in this area.
Use of Topotactic Phase Transformations To Obtain Solutions of the Crystal Structures of Highly Disordered Materials

A straightforward procedure is outlined for prediction of the complete three-dimensional coordinate set for a highly disordered phase. For a mother and daughter phase, where one of the pair has an “unsolvable” structure, one needs only to (a) establish the topotaxy using previously published techniques, (b) obtain the topotactic transformation matrix, φ, between the ordered and highly disordered phase, and (c) apply the transpose of φ–1 to obtain a trial set of coordinates for refinement using the reflection data set of the highly disordered phase. For the inclusion compound [Fe(η-C5H5)]·3(NH2)2CS (1), which contains highly disordered ferrocene molecules above 160 K (polymorph 1_I), we found a more ordered structure at low temperature. At 135 K (polymorph 1_II), two ferrocene moieties are present in the thiourea channel in an approximately 1:1 ratio. One is nearly orthogonal (87.0°) to the channel axis, while the other is tipped 16.2° from that direction. Using steps (a–c) outlined above, a trial structur...
Laboratory assessment of oxidative stress in semen.

Abstract Objectives To evaluate different laboratory assessments of oxidative stress (OS) in semen and identify a cost-efficient and highly sensitive instrument capable of providing a comprehensive measure of OS in a clinical setting, as early intervention and an accurate diagnostic test are important because they help maintain a balance of free radicals and antioxidants; otherwise, excessive OS could lead to sperm damage and result in male infertility. Materials and methods A systematic literature search was performed through a MedLine database search using the keywords ‘semen’ AND ‘oxygen reduction potential’. We also reviewed the references of retrieved articles to search for other potentially relevant research articles and additional book chapters discussing laboratory assessments for OS, ranging from 1994 to 2017. A total of 29 articles and book chapters involving OS-related laboratory assays were included. We excluded animal studies and articles written in languages other than English. Results Direct laboratory techniques include: chemiluminescence, nitro blue tetrazolium, cytochrome C reduction test, fluorescein probe, electron spin resonance and oxidation–reduction potential (ORP). Indirect laboratory techniques include: measurement of Endtz test, lipid peroxidation, chemokines, antioxidants/micronutrients/vitamins, ascorbate, total antioxidant capacity, or DNA damage. Each of these laboratory techniques has its advantages and disadvantages. Conclusion Traditional OS laboratory assessments have their limitations. Amongst the prevalent laboratory techniques, ORP is novel and better option as it can be easily used in a clinical setting to provide a comprehensive review of OS. However, more studies are needed to evaluate its reproducibility across various laboratory centres.
Human Experimentation in Public Schools: How Schools Served as Sites of Vaccine Trials in the 20th Century.

Schools have long been critical partners for public health authorities in achieving widespread vaccination. In the mid-20th century, however, public schools also served as sites of large-scale expe...
Expanding and Validating a Typology of Intimate Partner Violence: Intersections of Violence and Control Within Relationships

This research explored an expanded typology of intimate partner violence (IPV), intersecting violent and controlling behaviors of partners. Secondary data were analyzed ( n = 714). Cluster analyses indicated that elements of IPV (control perpetration, control victimization, violence victimization, and violence perpetration) all clustered in high/low patterns, which intersected to form 10 unique categories of IPV. Support for all of Johnson's categories of IPV was found, but there was also evidence for the three control-related categories: Unidirectional Control, Bidirectional Control, and Control Resistance. This expanded typology can move research, practice, and policies beyond the gender symmetry debate.
Epilepsy surgery at its best: randomised prospective controlled trials in neurosurgery are no magic

Three fields of neurosurgery have truly lived up to the aspirations of evidence-based medicine with multiple randomised controlled trials published in top impact journals: epilepsy surgery and movement disorder surgery and to a lesser degree stereotactic radiosurgery.1–3 The JNNP paper of Vogt et al 4adds another layer of granularity to the epilepsy surgery literature and shows quite clearly that randomised prospective trials in neurosurgery—so badly needed in many areas—are feasible and very useful. Comparing two different approaches and hence techniques of performing selective amygdala-hippocampectomies (SAH) in a randomised prospective fashion is not an esoteric enterprise. First, the field naturally is moving towards more tailored minimally invasive surgical procedures in epilepsy surgery, relegating gross volumetric techniques like anterior temporal lobectomy hopefully to …
Importance of Age-Specific Insurer Perspective on Lifetime Cost Effectiveness of Colorectal Cancer Screening

In “Contrasting Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Screening under Commercial Insurance vs. Medicare”, Ladabaum et al. model different CRC screening scenarios that vary the combination of payer, perspective, screening ages, and time horizons. Fecal occult blood testing (FOBT), fecal immunochemical testing (FIT), colonoscopy and flexible sigmoidoscopy were all cost effective compared to no screening, even if initiating or stopping at age 65 years. Assuming perfect adherence, FIT and FOBT were cost saving and dominated colonoscopy. Screening between ages 50 and 64 years appeared relatively costly if only a limited time horizon was considered since the benefits accrue after age 65 years under Medicare.
Comparison of spatiotemporal gait characteristics between vertical climbing and horizontal walking in primates.

ABSTRACT During quadrupedal walking, most primates utilize diagonal-sequence diagonal-couplet gaits, large limb excursions and hindlimb-biased limb loading. These gait characteristics are thought to be basal to primates, but the selective pressure underlying these gait changes remains unknown. Some researchers have examined these characteristics during vertical climbing and propose that primate quadrupedal gait characteristics may have arisen due to the mechanical challenges of moving on vertical supports. Unfortunately, these studies are usually limited in scope and do not account for varying strategies based on body size or phylogeny. Here, we test the hypothesis that the spatiotemporal gait characteristics that are used during horizontal walking in primates are also present during vertical climbing irrespective of body size and phylogeny. We examined footfall patterns, diagonality, speed and stride length in eight species of primates across a range of body masses. We found that, during vertical climbing, primates slow down, keep more limbs in contact with the substrate at any one time, and increase the frequency of lateral-sequence gaits compared with horizontal walking. Taken together, these characteristics are assumed to increase stability during locomotion. Phylogenetic relatedness and body size differences have little influence on locomotor patterns observed across species. These data reject the idea that the suite of spatiotemporal gait features observed in primates during horizontal walking are in some way evolutionarily linked to selective pressures associated with mechanical requirements of vertical climbing. These results also highlight the importance of behavioral flexibility for negotiating the challenges of locomotion in an arboreal environment.
PreliminaryData From an Evidence-Based Nutrition Education and Cooking Family Meals Program for Moderately Low-Income Families with Children Aged 4–10 Years Old

Background & ObjectiveFamily meals have become a growing area of research due to the potential positive impact on child diet and weight status. Despite this, relatively few efforts have been made t...
GLASS CEILING AND ITS IMPACT ON CORPORATE SECTOR IN CHENNAI CITY

“Glass ceiling" is a metaphor for the hard-to-see informal barriers that keep women from getting promotions, pay raises and further opportunities. The "glass ceiling" metaphor has also been used to describe the restrictions and barriers experienced by minority racial groups. Only few studies have been carried out so far about Glass Ceiling in India. Those studies though have tried to understand the reasons behind it yet they do not provide a comprehensive understanding of the organizational barriers that hinder their growth. Hence the study was conducted with the aim of obtaining the following objectives.That is to find out the presence of glass ceiling and its impact in corporate sector. At the same time, hypothesis is framed to find out whether there is a significant effect of organizational barrier and Glass Ceiling. Merely this study has been completed with an empirical survey which was systematically conducted using a self-structured questionnaire and the sample consisted of 100 women employees of various corporate sectors in Chennai city. For presenting and analyzing the data both descriptive and inferential statistics were used. The finding of the study reveals that irrespective of cadre to which respondents belongs, emphasizing strongly the existence of Glass Ceiling and the organizational barriers prevent them to rise the corporate ladder. By taking all these facts into consideration better suggestions have been made in t,his study. Finally, the most valuable recommendations for further studies and limitations havebeen outlined.
Leukemia in Children

1. Joel A. Kaplan, DO, MPH 1. Department of Pediatrics, Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital, Charlotte, NC * Abbreviations: ALL: : acute lymphoblastic leukemia AML: : acute myelogenous leukemia BMT: : bone marrow transplant CBC: : complete blood cell CML: : chronic myelogenous leukemia CNS: : central nervous system DIC: : disseminated intravascular coagulation EFS: : event-free survival HLA: : human leukocyte antigen MRD: : minimal residual disease Ph: : Philadelphia chromosome TKI: : tyrosine kinase inhibitor WBC: : white blood cell Persistent bone pain, limp, back pain, fever, headache, and symptoms of anemia and thrombocytopenia are common ways that pediatric leukemia presents. Many of these symptoms can be seen in common childhood illnesses, so a high index of suspicion in patients with persistent symptoms is required to make the diagnosis. The prognosis for these children is excellent, especially in acute lymphoblastic leukemia, but survivors of childhood leukemia need to be followed closely for long-term toxicities. After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Understand the incidence and general epidemiology of childhood leukemia, including syndromes that increase the risk of leukemia in children. 2. Recognize the clinical presentation of childhood leukemia and how this relates to proper interpretation of a complete blood cell count. 3. Understand the potential oncologic emergencies in childhood leukemia. 4. Describe the prognostic factors associated with precursor B-lymphoblastic leukemia, including an understanding of the importance of minimal residual disease. 5. Understand the importance of supportive care in the treatment of childhood acute myelogenous leukemia. 6. Describe the long-term complications of childhood leukemia treatment in the modern era. Leukemia is the most common malignancy of childhood, accounting for 30% of cases of childhood cancer. Although there are some associations between environmental or host factors, most leukemia diagnoses in children are sporadic. There are 3 main subtypes of leukemia: acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), and chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). ALL is the most common subtype, accounting for approximately 80% of cases. CML is the least common, and this review touches on this subtype only briefly. There are many subgroups within ALL and AML. These subgroups have variable biological features, prognoses, and treatment regimens. Children …
The Ghalib Translations of Daud Kamal: ‘The Nightingale of a Garden Which is Yet to Come Into Existence’:

Daud Kamal (1935–87), the preeminent English language poet of Pakistan, left behind many unpublished translations of poems by the classical Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib (1797–1869). This article presents...
The stability and reliability of attentional bias measures in the dot-probe task: Evidence from both traditional mean bias scores and trial-level bias scores

A new method of calculating attentional bias from the dot-probe task measures fluctuations in bias towards and away from emotional stimuli over time using trial level bias score metrics. We assessed the stability and reliability of traditional attentional bias scores and trial level bias score measures of attentional bias across time in two five-block dot-probe task experiments in non-clinical samples. In experiments 1 and 2, both traditional attentional bias scores and trial level bias score measures of attentional bias did not habituate/decrease across time. In general, trial level bias score metrics (i.e., attention bias variability as well as the mean biases toward and away from threat) were more reliable than the traditional attention bias measure. This pattern was observed across both experiments. The traditional bias score, however, did improve in reliability in the later blocks of the fearful face dot-probe task. Although trial level bias score measures did not habituate and were more reliable across blocks, these measures did not correlate with state or trait anxiety. On the other hand, trial level bias score measures were strongly correlated with general reaction time variability—and after controlling for this effect no longer superior in reliability in comparison to the traditional attention bias measure. We conclude that general response variability should be removed from trial level bias score measures to ensure that they truly reflect attention bias variability.
Occupational exposure and health risks of volatile organic compounds of hotel housekeepers: Field measurements of exposure and health risks

Hotel housekeepers represent a large, low-income, predominantly minority, and high-risk workforce. Little is known about their exposure to chemicals, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This study evaluates VOC exposures of housekeepers, sources and factors affecting VOC levels, and provides preliminary estimates of VOC-related health risks. We utilized indoor and personal sampling at two hotels, assessed ventilation, and characterized the VOC composition of cleaning agents. Personal sampling of hotel staff showed a total target VOC concentration of 57 ± 36 µg/m3 (mean ± SD), about twice that of indoor samples. VOCs of greatest health significance included chloroform and formaldehyde. Several workers had exposure to alkanes that could cause non-cancer effects. VOC levels were negatively correlated with estimated air change rates. The composition and concentrations of the tested products and air samples helped identify possible emission sources, which included building sources (for formaldehyde), disinfection by-products in the laundry room, and cleaning products. VOC levels and the derived health risks in this study were at the lower range found in the US buildings. The excess lifetime cancer risk (average of 4.1 × 10-5 ) still indicates a need to lower exposure by reducing or removing toxic constituents, especially formaldehyde, or by increasing ventilation rates.
Sensory Evaluation of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon Wines: Effects of Harvest Maturity and Prefermentation Soluble Solids

Adjusting the soluble solids of the prefermentation must is a tool by which winemakers can manipulate the flavor profile of a wine. Brix, a measure of soluble solids, is often modified prior to fermentation by chaptalization or the addition of water, but also can be modified in the vineyard by allowing the fruit to further mature on the vine. This work presents the effects of harvest maturity and prefermentation Brix on the flavor profile of Cabernet Sauvignon (CS) and Syrah (SY) wines. Fruit from each cultivar were harvested at three approximate maturity targets: 20 Brix – unripe, 24 Brix – ripe, and 28 Brix – overripe. Must from each harvest was first divided, and then the Brix was adjusted to match each of the target maturities, e.g. portions of the 24 Brix harvest were adjusted to 20 and 28 Brix. Descriptive analysis found 10 attributes which significantly varied among the CS wines and 14 attributes which significantly varied among the SY wines. Harvest maturity primarily impacted the CS aroma profile, as wines produced from unripe fruit showed increased green aroma, but wines produced from ripe/overripe fruit showed increased jammy berries aroma. Increasing the prefermentation Brix of the CS must increased the intensity of bitterness, hotness, and viscosity, but decreased the sourness. The SY wine flavor profile was heavily impacted by increasing the prefermentation Brix, which showed higher intensities of astringency, ethanol aroma, hot mouthfeel, jammy fruit aroma, rose aroma, solvent aroma, ethanol aroma, and viscous mouthfeel. The SY Fruit maturity showed a significant on the astringent intensity and earthy aroma, but an interactive effect between harvest maturity and Brix was found for sulfur, cabbage aroma, and bitterness.
A Hardware Accelerator for Language Guided Reinforcement Learning

Reinforcement learning (RL) has shown great performance in solving sequential decision-making problems. This paper proposes a framework to train RL agents conditioned on constraints that are in the form of structured language to improve training efficiency. We implemented an energy-efficient hardware accelerator to receive both images and text inputs that allows RL agents understand human language and act in real-world environments. A scalable and parallel hardware with different number of processing elements is implemented on both FPGA and ASIC that provides a balance between power consumption and performance. The post-layout ASIC design consumes 9.2 mW while providing 361 fps throughput.
Current insights into neural crest cell development and pathologies

Abstract Neural crest is a multipotent embryonic population unique to vertebrates which arises early in development and migrates extensively throughout the body. Exhibiting remarkable differentiation capacity, neural crest cells give rise to neurons and glia of the peripheral nervous system, in addition to pigment cells and craniofacial bone and cartilage. Improper neural crest formation and differentiation results in numerous human pathologies. In this chapter, we discuss the early formation of neural crest cells, highlight neurocristopathies revealing defects in the peripheral nervous system, and remark on pluripotent stem cell models used to address human disease.
Evaluation of an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocol (ERAS) for Same-Day Discharge and Reduction of Opioid Use Following Bimaxillary Orthognathic Surgery.

Purpose This study sought to evaluate the impact of implementation of a comprehensive enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol upon patients undergoing maxillary and mandibular osteotomy (MMO). Methods This study was a retrospective, observational study of patients undergoing MMO. The study intervention group consisted of patients who underwent MMO with utilization of ERAS protocol compared to control group without ERAS. The primary outcome measure was same-day discharge. Secondary outcome measures included hospital length-of-stay (LOS), overall dose of opioids administered, total operating room time, estimated blood loss, need for hospital admission, and complications. Descriptive statistics and multivariable analysis were computed and the P value was set at .05. Results We compared 189 patients who underwent MMO with and without genioplasty and received a comprehensive surgical and multimodal analgesic regimen to 170 control patients who underwent MMO with or without genioplasty without receiving the above protocol. There was a statistically significant decrease in hospital admission post-surgery (83.5% - control vs 22.2% - intervention) and in overall hospital length-of-stay in the intervention group. There was no change in the overall operating room time, but there was a decrease in blood loss in the intervention group. Conclusion The results suggest that use of a comprehensive ERAS protocol for patients undergoing MMO will decrease hospital length-of-stay without an increase in readmissions or complications. Future studies are needed to evaluate if pain scores, postoperative nausea and vomiting, and other complications differed when using a ERAS protocol.
Creating RF Scenarios for Large-scale, Real-time Wireless Channel Emulators

Recent years have seen the introduction of large-scale platforms for experimental wireless research. These platforms, which include testbeds like those of the PAWR program and emulators like Colosseum, allow researchers to prototype and test their solutions in a sound yet realistic wireless environment before actual deployment. Emulators, in particular, enable wireless experiments that are not site-specific as those on real testbeds. Researchers can choose among different radio frequency (RF) scenarios for real-time emulation of a vast variety of different situations, with different number of users, RF bandwidth, antenna counts, hardware requirements, etc. Although very powerful, in that they can emulate virtually any real-world deployment, emulated scenarios are only as useful as how accurately they can reproduce the targeted wireless channel and environment. Achieving emulation accuracy is particularly challenging, especially for experiments at scale for which emulators require considerable amounts of computational resources. In this paper, we propose a framework to create RF scenarios for emulators like Colosseum starting from rich forms of input, like those obtained by measurements through radio equipment or via software (e.g., ray-tracers and electromagnetic field solvers). Our framework optimally scales down the large set of RF data in input to the fewer parameters allowed by the emulator by using efficient clustering techniques and channel impulse response re-sampling. We showcase our method by generating wireless scenarios for the Colosseum network emulator by using Remcom's Wireless InSite, a commercial-grade ray-tracer that produces key characteristics of the wireless channel. Examples are provided for line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight scenarios on portions of the Northeastern University main campus
C-Peptide and Insulin: A Happy Marriage

One of the most important outgrowths of the ­discovery of proinsulin was the finding that the 31-residue connecting segment, or C-peptide, that joins the insulin chains in the prohormone is excised intact and secreted in equal amounts along with insulin. This finding allowed the development of the human C-peptide radioimmunoassay which has become indispensable as an accurate measure of insulin production in vivo in various forms of diabetes [1].
PKCζ Promotes Breast Cancer Invasion by Regulating Expression of E-cadherin and Zonula Occludens-1 (ZO-1) via NFκB-p65.

Atypical Protein Kinase C zeta (PKCζ) forms Partitioning-defective (PAR) polarity complex for apico-basal distribution of membrane proteins essential to maintain normal cellular junctional complexes and tissue homeostasis. Consistently, tumor suppressive role of PKCζ has been established for multiple human cancers. However, recent studies also indicate pro-oncogenic function of PKCζ without firm understanding of detailed molecular mechanism. Here we report a possible mechanism of oncogenic PKCζ signaling in the context of breast cancer. We observed that depletion of PKCζ promotes epithelial morphology in mesenchymal-like MDA-MB-231 cells. The induction of epithelial morphology is associated with significant upregulation of adherens junction (AJ) protein E-cadherin and tight junction (TJ) protein Zonula Occludens-1 (ZO-1). Functionally, depletion of PKCζ significantly inhibits invasion and metastatic progression. Consistently, we observed higher expression and activation of PKCζ signaling in invasive and metastatic breast cancers compared to non-invasive diseases. Mechanistically, an oncogenic PKCζ– NFκB-p65 signaling node might be involved to suppress E-cadherin and ZO-1 expression and ectopic expression of a constitutively active form of NFκB-p65 (S536E-NFκB-p65) significantly rescues invasive potential of PKCζ-depleted breast cancer cells. Thus, our study discovered a PKCζ - NFκB-p65 signaling pathway might be involved to alter cellular junctional dynamics for breast cancer invasive progression.
Endotoxin and the liver: III. Modification of acute carbon tetrachloride injury by polymyxin B—an antiendotoxin

Abstract Previous work suggests that endotoxin of enteric origin may contribute to both acute and chronic liver injury by other agents. In particular, evidence exists that endotoxin tolerance modifies biochemical and histological evidence of carbon tetrachloride hepatotoxicity. The present study was undertaken to ascertain whether another method of modifying endotoxicity would protect against carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ) damage as well. The antibiotic polymyxin B (PB) has unique antiendotoxin properties not shared by gentamicin sulfate, an antibiotic with a similar antibacterial spectrum. In groups of rats pretreated with either PB, gentamicin, or diluent, the ld 100 of an oral dose of CCl 4 was reduced by PB to an ld 50 , but the gentamicin pretreatment was without effect. When a sublethal dose of CCl 4 was administered, both the SGOT and SGPT values were significantly lower in the PB group of rats. This biochemical protection was mirrored in the striking lack of histological liver necrosis in these animals, protection not shared by the gentamicin group or controls. The incidence of endotoxemia 24 hr after CCl 4 as detected by lead acetate enhancement was also reduced by PB pretreatment. These findings further support the contention that endotoxins from the gut may be major contributors to the extent of liver injury induced by an unrelated toxin.
If We Show Them Will They Come? Attitudes of Native American Youth Towards Higher Education

Indigenous health research should reflect the needs and benefits of the participants and their community as well as academic and practitioner interests. The research relationship can be viewed as co-constructed by researchers, participants, and communities, but this nature often goes unrecognized because it is confined by the limits of Western epistemology. Dominant Western knowledge systems assume an objective reality or truth that does not support multiple or subjective realities, especially knowledge in which culture or context is important, such as in Indigenous ways of knowing. Alternatives and critiques of the current academic system of research could come from Native conceptualizations and philosophies, such as Indigenous ways of knowing and Indigenous protocols, which are increasingly becoming more prominent both Native and non-Native societies. This paper contains a narrative account by an Indigenous researcher of her personal experience of the significant events of her doctoral research, which examined the narratives of Native Canadian counselors’ understanding of traditional and contemporary mental health and healing. As a result of this narrative, it is understood that research with Indigenous communities requires a different paradigm than has been historically offered by academic researchers. Research methodologies employed in Native contexts must come from Indigenous values and philosophies for a number of important reasons and with consequences that impact both the practice of research itself and the general validity of research results. In conclusion, Indigenous ways of knowing can form a new basis for understanding contemporary health research with Indigenous peoples and contribute to the evolution of Indigenous academics and research methodologies in both Western academic and Native community contexts.
Eddy Formation behind Circular Cylinders

Explanations of how and why eddies form in the wake of a cylinder in cross-flow are offered. Potential flow theory is used to demonstrate basic tendencies resulting from the behavior of shear layers and vortices under a variety of conditions prevailing in actual flows. Eddies shed alternately behind a cylinder and form Karman vortex streets, as a combination of vorticity emanating from the boundary layers and the instability of these layers due to the vorticity which they contain. Potential flow theory modeling gives useful predictions of flow about bluff cylinders. Shear layers are readily disintegrated by flow disturbances. The effects of vorticity in boundary layers on other regions apparently can be approximated by the effects of distributed finite vortices in the potential theory modeling of flow about cylinders.
Sorting growing-finishing pigs by weight fails to improve growth performance or weight variation

A trial was conducted to determine the effects of sorting pigs by body weight at placement on growth performance and weight variation at finishing. Unsorted pigs and heavy sorted pigs had higher ADG than medium or light sorted pigs. By the end of the trial, final body weights ranked in the following descending order: heavy sorted, unsorted, medium sorted, and light sorted. Final weights of unsorted pigs were heavier than the average final weight of all sorted pigs. Additionally, differences in body weight variation were not detectable by the end of the study. These data suggest that sorting pigs uniformly by weight to pens has little effect on final variability in individual body weights and placing pigs into pens regardless of weight may increase the amount of pork produced from a system and reduce turnaround time in barns.
On watermarking numeric sets

We consider the potential implications of recent developments in subfields of image analysis and image representation for watermarking and steganography. We consider three rapidly developing subfields: 1. Natural Scene Statistics; 2. Level Set Image Processing and Geometric Diffusion; and 3. Computational Harmonic Analysis. Each of these subfields has recently claimed progress either in characterizing or processing images. We interpret all such progress as implicitly or explicitly identifying invariants of real images. Such invariants are potential tools for studying the effects of watermarking or steganography in an image. We briefly survey these three subfields, give several examples of such invariants, and explore the effects of model watermarking schemes on such invariants.
Experimental and Transgenic Models of Pulmonary Hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension in human patients can result from increased pulmonary vascular tone, pressure transferred from the systemic circulation, dropout of small pulmonary vessels, occlusion of vessels with thrombi or intimal lesions, or some combination of all of these. Different animal models have been designed to reflect these different mechanistic origins of disease. Pulmonary hypertension models may be roughly grouped into tone-related models, inflammation-related models, and genetic models with unusual or mixed mechanism. Models of tone generally use hypoxia as a base, and then modify this with either genetic modifications (SOD, NOS, and caveolin) or with drugs (Sugen), although some genetic modifications of tone-related pathways can result in spontaneous pulmonary hypertension (Hph-1). Inflammation-related models can use either toxic chemicals (monocrotaline, bleomycin), live pathogens (stachybotrys, schistosomiasis), or genetic modifications (IL-6, VIP). Additional genetic models rely on alterations in metabolism (adiponectin), cell migration (S100A4), the serotonin pathway, or the BMP pathway. While each of these shares molecular and pathologic symptoms with different classes of human pulmonary hypertension, in most cases the molecular etiology of human pulmonary hypertension is unknown, and so the relationship between any model and human disease is unclear. There is thus no best animal model of pulmonary hypertension; instead, investigators must select the model most related to the specific pathology they are studying.
ESP: An Executable Specification Language for Mixed Timing Control Circuits

Abstract The specification, design and verification of interface circuits with mixed timing (synchronous and asynchronous) represent an important aspect of VLSI ASIC design, where a complex IC device needs to communicate with other components such as memory, disk drive, graphic display, etc. This paper proposes a formal notation and methodology for the specification and simulation of mixed timing circuits. It can serve as a basis for future work in synthesis and verification. The new salient features of this framework include: a formal semantics for the specification language in terms of a fundamental state transition structure called state graphs; a two-level specification methodology which permits the separation of choice and concurrency; and finally the use of Boolean guards as a general mechanism for abstraction, for specifying state-dependent behavior, and for describing non-determinism.
Neonatal resuscitation capacity in Nepal.

Aim: Perinatal asphyxia is a major contributor to the nearly 4 million neonatal deaths worldwide each year in resource-limited settings. Neonatal resuscitation, a proven method for preventing newborn deaths, is effective only when local caregivers have proper training and access to essential supplies. There are few published data describing neonatal resuscitation capacity in Nepal, where neonatal mortality rates are high. The goal of this study was to quantify neonatal resuscitation capacity at birthing sites in urban and rural Nepal. Methods: Seventeen birth centres ranging from tertiary care hospitals to rural health posts were evaluated. Assessments included standardised interviews of health-care workers and evaluation of newborn resuscitation areas. The availability of essential resuscitation tools was recorded. Results: Eleven of the 17 health centres conducted deliveries on-site. Of those, 45% had posted and visible resuscitation algorithms; 72% had infant warmers; 91% had mechanical suction machines; 36% had bulb suctions and 82% had bag-mask ventilation devices available. Tertiary hospitals were much better equipped compared with smaller health centres. None of the health-care workers who attended home deliveries had access to algorithms, warming devices, suction or bag-mask ventilation devices. Conclusions: Availability of appropriate resuscitation supplies was variable in health centres providing delivery services on-site and was severely deficient among health staff attending to home deliveries. Limited availability of resuscitation equipment may contribute to the high neonatal mortality rates seen in Nepal. Sustainable training programmes and distribution of neonatal resuscitation equipment are critical priorities in this region.
Using Stationary Points on Potential Energy Surfaces to Model Intermolecular Interactions and Retention in Gas Chromatography

The utility of electronic structure methods for studying and predicting interactions in gas chromatography is explored using a simplified model of polyethylene glycol with a homologous series of normal alcohols. Relative interaction energies were determined using stabilization energies taken at stationary points on the analyte/stationary phase potential energy surfaces using semi-empirical, ab initio, and density functional theory. Second order Mo oller-Plesset electronic structure method produced good qualitative agreement with experiment, clearly indicating the need for a model that includes weak dispersion forces.
Discontinuation of treatment of schizophrenic patients is driven by poor symptom response: a pooled post-hoc analysis of four atypical antipsychotic drugs

Background Stopping antipsychotic treatment can interrupt improvement and exacerbate the illness. The reasons for discontinuing treatment during controlled clinical trials were analyzed to explore this phenomenon.