cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Myths as barriers to health care reform in the United States.

The U.S. health care system is deteriorating in terms of decreasing access, increased costs, unacceptable quality, and poor system performance compared with health care systems in many other industrialized Western countries. Reform efforts to establish universal insurance coverage have been defeated on five occasions over the last century, largely through successful opposition by pro-market stakeholders in the status quo. Reform attempts have repeatedly been thwarted by myths perpetuated by stakeholders without regard for the public interest. Six myths are identified here and defused by evidence: (1) “Everyone gets care anyhow;” (2) “We don’t ration care in the United States”; (3) “The free market can resolve our problems in health care”; (4) “The U.S. health care system is basically healthy, so incremental change will address its problems;” (5) “The United States has the best health care system in the world”; and (6) “National health insurance is so unfeasible for political reasons that it should not be given serious consideration as a policy alternative.” Incremental changes of the existing health care system have failed to resolve its underlying problems. Pressure is building again for system reform, which may become more feasible if a national debate can be focused on the public interest without distortion by myths and disinformation fueled by defending stakeholders.
Acute Abdominal Pain

1. Albert Ross, MD* 2. Neal S. LeLeiko, MD, PhD* 1. *Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Nutrition and Liver Diseases, Hasbro Children's Hospital/Rhode Island Hospital, Providence RI. After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Understand the principal causes of acute abdominal pain in children. 2. Describe the characteristics of visceral versus somatic abdominal pain. 3. Be familiar with the differential diagnosis of abdominal pain based on symptoms and location of pain. 4. Discuss the evaluation of acute abdominal pain. 5. Distinguish surgical from medical abdominal pain. “ Hello, Doctor Jones, Billy has an awful tummy ache!” For such a simple statement, so many possible outcomes exist. Is this an emergency? Does he have appendicitis? Does he need a surgeon? Is this something trivial? Has Billy eaten something harmful? Is he constipated? Acute abdominal pain can be caused by myriad conditions whose outcomes vary from rapid improvement to surgery, posing a diagnostic Gordian Knot. However, through evaluation of the patient's history and symptoms and the use of technology, a pediatrician usually can arrive at a reasonable conclusion about the care of the patient, even if the diagnosis still is undetermined. Acute abdominal pain can be classified according to its location and nature, history, or associated signs (Table 1). View this table: Table 1. Differential Diagnosis Mapped to Location of Abdominal Pain Some conditions can cause pain in different regions, and it may be difficult to associate the disease with the location of the pain. Localization of the source of abdominal pain is confounded by the nature of the pain receptors involved. Further, the type of pain associated with a particular disease may change as the disease process progresses, as in appendicitis. Abdominal pain may be classified as visceral, somatoparietal, and referred pain. Most abdominal pain is associated with visceral pain receptors. Visceral pain receptors …
Muscle redundancy does not imply robustness to muscle dysfunction

It is well-known that muscle redundancy grants the CNS numerous options to perform a task. Does muscle redundancy, however, allow sufficient robustness to compensate for loss or dysfunction of even a single muscle? Are all muscles equally redundant? We combined experimental and computational approaches to establish the limits of motor robustness for static force production. In computer-controlled cadaveric index fingers, we find that only a small subset (<5%) of feasible forces is robust to loss of any one muscle. Importantly, the loss of certain muscles compromises force production significantly more than others. Further computational modeling of a multi-joint, multi-muscle leg demonstrates that this severe lack of robustness generalizes to whole limbs. These results provide a biomechanical basis to begin to explain why redundant motor systems can be vulnerable to even mild neuromuscular pathology.
A range-wide model of landscape connectivity and conservation for the jaguar, Panthera onca

Abstract Large, wide-ranging carnivores face greater threats and more persistent declines than most other mammal species. An important conservation tool for these carnivores has been range-wide priority-setting exercises that have helped identify critical threats and key populations. However, such exercises often fail to identify functional movement corridors or account for genetic connectivity. We present a new model for jaguar ( Panthera onca ) conservation that uses a geographic information system (GIS) and expert input to create a dispersal cost surface and identify least-cost corridors connecting the 90 known populations across the jaguar’s range. Results indicate 78% of historic jaguar range, an area of approximately 14.9 million km 2 , still holds potential for jaguar movement and dispersal. We identified 182 potential corridors between populations, ranging from 3 to 1607 km in length; 44 of these corridors are characterized as being of immediate concern due to their limited width, and thus their high potential for being severed. Resultant maps, displaying priority populations and corridors, are used to direct field-based research and conservation efforts. Field assessment and refinement of the corridors is ongoing. This is the first attempt to create and implement such a holistic model of range-wide conservation for a large carnivore species.
Unique monocyte subset in patients with AIDS dementia.

Summary Background 15–30% of patients infected with HIV will develop a debilitating dementia. Whilst HIV enters the brain soon after infection, presumably within monocyte-derived macrophages, not all patients with HIV become demented. Blood monocytes probably cross the blood-brain barrier and give rise ultimately to parenchyma macrophages. We looked for a specific monocyte subset in AIDS patients with dementia. Methods Peripheral blood monocytes from three groups were compared: AIDS patients with (n= 12) and without (n= 11) dementia, and ten HIV seronegative healthy controls. We used flow cytometry to analyse monocytes, and cell lysis and apoptosis assays to examine monocyte effects on human brain cells in vitro. Findings We found a unique subset of monocytes in patients with AIDS dementia. These monocytes were more dense and granular and expressed CD14/CD16 and CD14/CD69. Means (SD) for CD14/CD16 in HIV-negative controls and in AIDS non-dementia and AIDS dementia patients were 6·5% (4), 16% (13), and 37% (21), respectively (p=0·008 between the two groups of patients). The corresponding means for CD14/CD69 were 7% (6), 8% (10), and 69% (18) (p Interpretation CD69 is a member of the natural-killer-cell gene complex that is expressed after activation. Supernatants from cultures containing these dense cells can trigger apoptosis of human brain cells in vitro. The monocyte subset we found in patients with AIDS dementia might enter the brain and expose neural cells to toxic factors.
Recognition performance and perceived quality of video enhanced for the visually impaired

Subjects with central field loss (CFL) individually selected enhancement parameters to improve visibility of static video images. The effect of enhancement on performance and on perceived quality of motion video was assessed. Performance, e.g. recognition of visual details, was assessed by having subjects answer questions regarding visual information contained in the video motion segments that were enhanced using the individually-selected parameters. Enhancement did not improve subject performance on questions about video content. This result might be due to a ceiling effect limitation of the performance assessment method. In a second procedure, subjects' continuous perceptions of quality (using an adjective-based rating scale) were made while the enhancement parameters were abruptly switched among multiple values; these included the individually-selected enhancements, as well as unenhanced, over-enhanced, and degraded segments. The results indicate that adaptive enhancement (individually-tuned using a static image) adds significantly to perceived image quality when viewing motion video. Subjects who selected stronger contrast enhancement also perceived the enhancement to provide a larger benefit in image quality.
Joint effects of biotic and abiotic stressors on winter wheat suppression of Bromus tectorum

Summary In winter wheat systems in the Northern Great Plains of the United States, Bromus tectorum and wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) commonly co-occur. While independent effects of these pests on wheat yields have been well documented, to our knowledge, no study has investigated whether WSMV modifies interactions between wheat and B. tectorum. Furthermore, the impact that environmental stressors such as nutrient availability have on these interactions has not been addressed. We conducted a randomised split-plot field study over 2 years to investigate the effects of WSMV and nitrate (N) availability on winter wheat suppression of Bromus tectorum. The study included four N treatments (10–19, 20–31, 31–84, and 85– 207 kg ha 1 ) and two WSMV treatments (mechanically inoculated or control). Increasing soil N increased the susceptibility of wheat to WSMV infection. In 2009, wheat in the lowest and highest N levels had 24% and 65% of plants infected respectively. However, regression analysis indicated that interactive effects of wheat competition, N and WSMV did not play a consistent role in B. tectorum growth. Specifically, the effect of both wheat density and distance from row on B. tectorum biomass remained constant across inoculation treatments, suggesting that wheat inoculated with WSMV suppressed B. tectorum as effectively as healthy wheat. Furthermore, wheat had a greater impact on B. tectorum growth in higher N environments, even though incidence of WSMV infection in wheat was highest. Overall, our results suggest that WSMV infection may not change the ability of wheat to suppress B. tectorum.
Convex Third Ventricle: A Possible Sign for Dementia Using MRI

The shape and thickness of the third ventricles were studied with magnetic resonance imaging in 46 patients under evaluation for memory impairment. We compared this population with 23 subjects imaged for other reasons. The study group consisted of patients with diagnoses of probable dementia of the Alzheimer's type (DAT; 35.6%), multi-infarct dementia (MID; 22.2%), depression (8.9%), alcoholic dementia (6.7%), other dementias (OD; 13.2%) and no dementia (6.7%). Within the study group, there were no significant differences across diagnostic categories for duration of symptoms or level of education. Patients with DAT were, however, more impaired than others (Mini-Mental State Examination scores: DAT 14.6 [+/- 8.2] versus MID 17.4 [+/- 6.2] versus OD 21.2 [+/- 6.4]). Demented subjects were more likely than nondemented individuals to have a convex third ventricle and greater wall separation. The results suggest that the shape of the third ventricle may correlate with dementia. Possibly, the dorsal medial nucleus of the thalamus is involved in the dementia.
Asymptotic Power Spectrum Analysis of Chaotic Behavior in Fluidized Beds

The nonlinear behavior of fluidized beds is analyzed quantitatively using an asymptotic power spectrum method. A model based on kinetic theory is used to compute the voidage signals in a two-dimensional bubbling fluidized bed with a fluidization condition of U/Umf=4, where U is the fluidizing velocity and Umf is the minimum fluidizing velocity. The data for power versus frequency in the asymptotic frequency regime are shown to obey a power-law falloff. This means that the bubbling fluidization under such a fluidization condition cannot be a low-dimensional strange attractor. Pressure fluctuation data, obtained from a three-dimensional bubbling fluidized bed, are also analyzed and clearly show the power-law falloff. This is consistent with previous findings in that the correlation dimension for these data cannot be small (i.e., 2 or 3). The differences between our findings and others are discussed.
ParkNet: a mobile sensor network for harvesting real time vehicular parking information

This paper describes the architecture and design of ParkNet, a mobile sensor network consisting of vehicles, which collects and disseminates real-time information about the availability of parking spaces in urban areas. We outline the broad challenges in real-time data collection and consumption by a mobile sensor network, as well as the design issues specific to ParkNet. Sensor nodes in ParkNet are a combination of privately owned and city owned vehicles and employ low cost ultrasonic sensors to detect the presence of vacant parking spots as they drive by. We present early results on the performance of our sensor platform.
Abstract A068: Targeting Akt reactivation following mTOR inhibition in breast cancer treatment

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer related deaths in women and up to 60% of diagnosed cases are estrogen receptor (ER)-positive. ER-positive status is associated with a poor prognosis. While ER-positive cancers could be targeted with endocrine therapy, such as aromatase inhibitors, resistance often develops. Therefore, there is a need to better understand molecular contributions of other signaling pathways with the goal of treating patients with personalized combination therapies. The mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) regulates cell cycle progression and proliferation and is a target of a naturally occurring inhibitor rapamycin. The 40S ribosomal S6 Kinase 1 (S6K1) is one of the best characterized downstream targets of mTORC1. The mTORC1/S6K1 pathway is often hyperactivated in breast cancer, promoting cell growth and proliferation. S6K1 is encoded by the RPS6KB1 gene, located on the 17q23 chromosomal region. While this region is amplified in several types of cancer, multi-copy amplicons are found specifically in breast cancer, underscoring the importance of S6K1 in this disease. Importantly, there is a direct link between the mTORC1/S6K1 and ER signaling pathways. S6K1 directly phosphorylates and activates ER, promoting ligand-independent ER activation and endocrine resistance. Based on this data, current FDA approved treatment of advaced ER-positive breast cancer combines mTORC1 inhibitors with endocrine therapy. Some of the concerns that arise with the use of mTORC1 inhibitors (rapamycin analogs or rapalogs) is that they promote induction of autophagy and relieve the negative feedback signaling to Akt effected by S6K1, which promotes oncogenic Akt signaling, survival, and further stimulates mTORC1/S6K1 signaling, which may contribute to acquired drug resistance and patient relapse. Our research focuses on identifying agents that could be combined with mTORC1 inhibitors to block S6K1 while maintaining negative feedback signaling to Akt. Our results show that such combination treatment does in fact prevent rapamycin-induced upregulation of Akt while maintaining inhibition of the S6K1 signaling pathway, as assayed by analysis of S6K1 targets PDCD4, eIF4B and S6. Moreover, the combination treatment inhibits autophagy and promotes apoptosis. Thus, the combined inhibition of S6K1 and Akt may prevent or reverse drug resistance in breast cancer. Citation Format: Anya Alayev, Rose B. Snyder, Marina K. Holz. Targeting Akt reactivation following mTOR inhibition in breast cancer treatment. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Breast Cancer Research: Genetics, Biology, and Clinical Applications; Oct 3-6, 2013; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2013;11(10 Suppl):Abstract nr A068.
Geostatistics for Context-Aware Image Classification

Context information is fundamental for image understanding. Many algorithms add context information by including semantic relations among objects such as neighboring tendencies, relative sizes and positions. To achieve context inclusion, popular context-aware classification methods rely on probabilistic graphical models such as Markov Random Fields MRF or Conditional Random Fields CRF. However, recent studies showed that MRF/CRF approaches do not perform better than a simple smoothing on the labeling results. The need for more context awareness has motivated the use of different methods where the semantic relations between objects are further enforced. With this, we found that on particular application scenarios where some specific assumptions can be made, the use of context relationships is greatly more effective. We propose a new method, called GeoSim, to compute the labels of mosaic images with context label agreement. Our method trains a transition probability model to enforce properties such as class size and proportions. The method draws inspiration from Geostatistics, usually used to model spatial uncertainties. We tested the proposed method in two different ocean seabed classification context, obtaining state-of-art results.
Formal synthesis of dependable configurations for advanced metering infrastructures

The Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) in a smart grid comprises of a large number of smart meters along with heterogeneous cyber-physical components. These components communicate with each other through different communication media, protocols, and delivery modes for transmitting usage reports and control commands to and from the utility. There is potential for dependability threats especially due to misconfigurations, which can easily disrupt the operations in AMI. Therefore, an AMI must be configured correctly. In this paper, we present an automated configuration synthesis framework that mitigates potential threats by eliminating mis-configurations. We have manifold contributions in this research: (i) formal modeling of AMI configurations including AMI device configurations, topology and communication properties, and data flows among the devices; (ii) formal modeling of AMI operational integrity properties considering the interdependencies among AMI devices' configurations; and (iii) implementing the model using Satisfiability Modulo Theories (SMT), execution of which synthesizes necessary AMI configurations. We demonstrate the proposed framework on an example case study and evaluate the scalability of the framework on various synthetic AMI networks.
Obraz, przestrzeń, rewolucja. Wszystkie sztuki okupacji

Polish translation of the essay "Image, Space, Revolution: The Arts of Occupation", which appeared in Critical Inquiry (Autumn 2012).
Predicting Behavioral Health Outcomes Among Low-Income Families: Testing a Socioecological Model of Family Resilience Determinants

Over the past decade, the concept of family resilience among impoverished families has increased as a main focus area for family scholars. Similarly, individual, family, and community-level factors that promote family resilience and their impact on behavioral health outcomes have particularly received increased amounts of attention. To date, however, few empirical studies have simultaneously validated the socioecological determinants of family resilience within multi-dimensional conceptual frameworks. In the current study, we test such a model using a cross-sectional design among 380 women and men with an average age of 35 experiencing poverty as a chronic stressor, the majority of whom are ethnic minorities. Individual, family and community determinants of family resilience are examined for their differential effect on outcomes of physical and mental health, as well as risks for substance abuse. Results from structural equation modeling provide support for the model. Findings suggest that community-level determinants impact health through indirect pathways. In this case, community factors predict family and individual-level determinants, and individual factors then directly predict health. Similarly, the relationship between family-level determinants and health was indirect through individual-level factors. Although, a strong positive relationship was found between individual-level determinants and health, the relationship between individual-level factors and substance abuse was also found to be indirect through health. Methodological limitations and implications for family life education, clinical interventions, policy, and future research that are socioecologically-informed are discussed.
Assessment in Higher Education: A Case of Central University of South Bihar

Basic principles of educational assessment and evaluation say that they are an integral part of teaching-learning process and enhance instruction. In principle, the conducive environment for examinations assures absence of anxiety and fear from the minds of the students. Also, it is based on testing of all the three domains – Cognitive, Affective, and Psychomotor. But, in the present examination system in India all these principles are absent. For decades, the country has witnessed an examination system, particularly in higher education, that is totally summative in nature, emphasizes lower levels of cognitive domain only through paper-pencil tests and does not provide scope for improvement in learning. In this situation, the Central University of South Bihar (CUSB) claims adoption of CCE in its true sense. Present paper describes the examination system of CUSB – a university without a conventional examination section and examines its functioning informally.
IT in Transition

Financial markets are currently going through a substantial period of transition, probably the most significant in living memory. This is leading to a fundamental review of the historical business models of all participants from exchanges, sell- and buy-side firms along with vendors (both data aggregators and application providers), suppliers of base technology and value-added services. No participant is left unaffected. To refer to it as a transition could be a major understatement, revolution maybe a more appropriate metaphor. These changes are ongoing and, when the transformational journey is complete, the markets will without doubt look very different than they do today.
T-Cell Growth Factor, a Lymphocytotrophic Hormone

Despite an intensive effort over the past twenty years, our understanding of the process by which the immune response is regulated remains rudimentary. In part, our difficulties in this area have related to the morphological homogeneity but functional heterogeneity of the cells responsible for the immune reaction. The dissection of the mechanisms that underlie the regulatory control of the immune response has been facilitated, however, by the development of cell culture systems that can be made to generate measurable immune reactions, and thus mimic immune responses as they are thought to occur in vivo. As a result, it has become apparent that the differentiation of lymphocytes to become functionally competent immunocytes, is dependent upon a complex intercellular communication system that involves not only different classes and subclasses of lymphocytes, but macrophages as well. Consequently, considerable attention has focused on the roles played by each cell type, and the mechanisms operative.
Nomad Military Power in Iran and Adjacent Areas in the Islamic Period

Military history remains an underdeveloped topic in Middle Eastern and especially Iranian history for reasons that have little to do with a lack of material—after all war takes up the bulk of atten...
Effects of hydrodynamic properties on asphaltene deposition in wellbore

Abstract In this study, order-of-one scaling analysis was employed to evaluate the effects of hydrodynamic parameters on asphaltene deposition in wellbore. Through this method, four independent dimensionless groups were determined from the corresponding momentum and mass balance equations. The dimensionless group π4 was of particular interest because of its inherent relationship to the deposition rate and sticking probability. Using π4 the existing several sets of experimental data were compared with empirical correlations and results were integrated into single plot from which trend of deposition rate was inferred. Results suggest that the rate of asphaltene deposition is a strong function of Reynolds number (Re) and fluid velocity. Moreover, there are two distinctive deposition regimes; Regime I where rate of asphaltene deposition decreases with increasing Reynolds numbers and Regime II at which the rate increases with increasing Re. The transition between these two regimes is a function of particle size. For particles smaller than 2 μm, the transition occurs when Re is greater than 160,000 and for particles larger than 100 μm, the transition occurs for Re lower than 2000. Furthermore, the outcome of the sensitivity analyses on fluid and particle properties indicate that deposition rate is strongly related to fluid viscosity and particle size.
More than the Useful Field: Considering peripheral vision in driving

Applied research on driving and basic vision research have held similar views on central, fovea-based vision as the core of visual perception. In applied work, the concept of the Useful Field, as determined by the Useful Field of View (UFOV) test, divides vision between a "useful" region towards the center of the visual field, and the rest of the visual field. While compelling, this dichotomization is at odds with findings in vision science which demonstrate the capabilities of peripheral vision. In this paper, we examine driving research from this new perspective, and argue for the need for an updated understanding of how drivers acquire information about their operating environment using peripheral vision. The concept of the Useful Field and the UFOV test are not discarded; instead we discuss their strengths, limitations, and future directions. We discuss key findings from vision science on peripheral vision, and a theory that provides insights into its capabilities and limitations. This more complete basic science understanding of peripheral vision informs appropriate use of the UFOV and the Useful Field in driving research going forward.
mHealth Regulation, Legislation, and Cybersecurity

The pervasiveness of regulation in the health-care industry generally presumes an inevitability of extension into the mHealth sector. Although following the money cannot be discounted, the key drivers for mHealth regulation are protecting the privacy and security of personal health information and protecting consumers from mHealth applications that do not perform as marketed or, worse, cause harm as a result of use. The two dominant pieces of legislation that will affect the security parameters of mHealth apps are the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, commonly referred to as the HITECH Act. Both laws have far-reaching requirements that must be considered by organizations that include mHealth products and services in their business portfolio. In particular, the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services standards for meaningful use deserve close attention. Cybersecurity, protection of electronic information transmitted across wireless networks, is an increasingly important component of an organization’s information resource management program. The security challenges inherent in mobile computing may be intensified for organizations that choose a cloud strategy, a maximal version of distributed network architecture. With an increasing volume of security breaches and financial losses averaging more than US$ 2 million per incident, many organizations are investing in cybersecurity insurance. In the final assessment, regulation of mHealth may provide more benefits than restrictions.
Shared and distinct lipid-lipid interactions in plasma and affected tissues in a diabetic mouse model

Lipids are ubiquitous metabolites with diverse functions; abnormalities in lipid metabolism appear to be related to complications from multiple diseases, including type 2 diabetes. Through technological advances, the entire lipidome has been characterized and researchers now need computational approaches to better understand lipid network perturbations in different diseases. Using a mouse model of type 2 diabetes with microvascular complications, we examined lipid levels in plasma and in renal, neural, and retinal tissues to identify shared and distinct lipid abnormalities. We used correlation analysis to construct interaction networks in each tissue, to associate changes in lipids with changes in enzymes of lipid metabolism, and to identify overlap of coregulated lipid subclasses between plasma and each tissue to define subclasses of plasma lipids to use as surrogates of tissue lipid metabolism. Lipid metabolism alterations were mostly tissue specific in the kidney, nerve, and retina; no lipid changes correlated between the plasma and all three tissue types. However, alterations in diacylglycerol and in lipids containing arachidonic acid, an inflammatory mediator, were shared among the tissue types, and the highly saturated cholesterol esters were similarly coregulated between plasma and each tissue type in the diabetic mouse. Our results identified several patterns of altered lipid metabolism that may help to identify pathogenic alterations in different tissues and could be used as biomarkers in future research into diabetic microvascular tissue damage.
Radical prostatectomy in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: Feasibility, safety, and quality of life outcomes.

244Background: Ongoing studies are evaluating the role of definitive treatment of the primary tumor in men with de novo metastatic prostate cancer. If proven beneficial, the optimal timing of the intervention will need to be considered. Little is known regarding the safety and quality of life outcomes of RP in metastatic castration resistant PCa (mCRPC). Methods: 14 pts undergoing RP on clinical trials and in the setting of mCRPC from 2008-2016 were analyzed. Intra-op and post-op complications were assigned Clavien-Dindo grade. Post-op expanded prostate cancer index composite (EPIC) urinary domains quality of life (QOL) outcomes were reviewed. Results: Patient characteristics were summarized (Table). 5 (36%) pts received platinum based chemo prior to RP. 4 pts had a decrease in PSA post RP (range: 0.2-57.3 ng/ml); 7 pts had an increase in PSA post RP (range: 0.1-24.5 ng/ml); and 3 pts’ PSA was unchanged. Positive surgical margin rate was 57%. 3 of 6 cN0 pts were pN1. 1 of 8 cN1 pts were pN0. 12/14 pts und...
Orthodox and Unorthodox Uses of Electronic Cigarettes: A Surveillance of YouTube Video Content

Introduction Open electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) systems are customizable by consumers and often allow for potential "unorthodox" use of the product; that is, use not as intended by the manufacturer. Little is known about the types and prevalence of unorthodox uses and how these practices are transmitted via popular social media. Methods Monthly searches of YouTube were conducted from June through November 2016 using the following search terms: "e-cigarettes," "vaping," and "e-juice." After collecting static and dynamic data on the 150 videos identified, two coders independently coded videos for general information, unorthodox use behaviors, health claims, and production quality and characteristics for orthodox and unorthodox use. Intercoder reliability was high (Cohen's κ 0.81, p Results One hundred fifty videos were included in the study with a total of 115 551 563 views. We identified nine categories of unorthodox uses of e-cigarettes. Unorthodox use was three times as prevalent as orthodox use. Seventy-seven percent of the unorthodox use videos included recreational e-cigarette use, 57% included modification of mechanical parts and components, and 44.6% included unorthodox substance application (dripping). There were more than twice as many social media links in videos depicting unorthodox compared to orthodox use, but the level of engagement was lower for unorthodox use. Conclusions E-cigarette unorthodox use on YouTube is more prevalent than orthodox use, suggesting the need to further investigate the prevalence of unorthodox use among e-cigarette users and the influence of social media on consumer uptake of unorthodox and orthodox uses of e-cigarettes. Implications The US Food and Drug Administration has regulatory authority over e-cigarettes, parts and components. Many e-cigarettes currently marketed are open systems. Closed systems may allow less manipulation and may influence the safety of these products. This study provides valuable information on ways that open system e-cigarettes are used and it can inform safety tests that can be conducted by the US Food and Drug Administration to determine whether or not these products should remain on the market. In addition, our definitions of unorthodox use can be incorporated into the Population Assessment of Tobacco on Health Study to better understand the prevalence of these behaviors.
On Precipitate Morphology in ZrO2, α-Al2O3 and FeTiO3 Matrices

Precipitate morphology in ceramic matrices depends on minimization of strain and interfacial energies between precipitates and matrix. The strain energy is determined by the mismatch in both lattice parameters and elastic constants, and can readily be calculated using an elegant theory due to Khachaturyan. We have applied this theory to precipitation of tetragonal zirconia (t-ZrO2) in Mg, Ca and Y partially-stabilized ZrO2’s (PSZ’s), to precipitation of TiO2 and Fe2−xTixO3 (x=0;l/2;l) in α-Al2O3 and to precipitation of Fe2O3 in FeTiO3. Calculated precipitate morphologies are compared with experimental observations.
Intraperitoneal Spread of Infections and Seeded Metastases

A remarkable change in the epidemiology of subphrenic and subhepatic abscesses has occurred over the past several decades. In the past, the most common causes included perforations of anterior gastric or duodenal ulcers and rupture of a gangrenous appendix. Today, 60–71% of such abscesses are postoperative and are particularly frequent following gastric and biliary tract operations and colonic surgery.
Acute Reaction to Red Cells: What Lies Beneath?

Two units of red cells were issued for a 79-year-old man with myelodysplastic syndrome. Transfusion of the first unit was uneventful; 40 min into the transfusion of the second unit, the patient developed rigors, breathlessness and confusion. Blood pressure decreased from 120/75 to 60/35 mmHg, while pulse rate increased from 80 to 112 min−1. Transfusion was stopped and oxygen 5 l/min was administered by mask. Body temperature taken sublingually was 38.4°C, having been 37.0°C at the start of transfusion. Methylprednisolone 250 mg and Chlorpheniramine 10 mg were given intravenously; infusion of 4% Gelofusine was begun.
Defective JAK-STAT Pathway Signaling Contributes to Autoimmune Diseases

Here, we systematically review the published literature indicating that aberrant regulation of Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK-STAT) signaling was associated with the autoimmune disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel diseases, and ankylosing spondylitis. The autoimmune disorders discussed in this review are characterized by several alterations resulting in abnormal JAK-STAT signaling. These abnormalities in JAK-STAT signaling include (1) constitutive activation of both the interleukin-6(IL-6)/interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R) canonical and IL-6 trans-signaling pathway, the latter involving soluble IL-6R; (2) the hyperactivation of JAK/STAT signaling as a response to the significantly elevated levels of pro-inflammatory “immunocytokines”, exemplified by IL-6, IL-15, IL-17, IL-23, interferon-γ; and (3) the reduced activity of the negative regulators of JAK-STAT signaling, including suppressor of cytokine signaling and protein inhibitor of activated STATs as well as protein tyrosine phosphatases-1, -2, which was shown to inhibit STAT-signaling. The involvement of abnormal JAK-STAT signaling in autoimmune disorders has led to the development of JAK small molecule inhibitors (SMIs), such as tofacitinib, ruxolitinib, and baricitinib for the therapy of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis, and Crohn’s disease. However, the extent to which treatment of these diseases with JAK SMIs will result in blunting the “cross-talk” between the JAK-STAT signaling pathway and the other signaling pathways known to participate in autoimmune disorders remains to be determined, involving the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway and the phosphatidylinositide/Akt/mechanistic target of rapamycin signaling pathway.
Assessing the nature of the charge-transfer electronic states in organic solar cells.

The charge-transfer electronic states appearing at the donor-acceptor interfaces in organic solar cells mediate exciton dissociation, charge generation, and charge recombination. To date, the characterization of their nature has been carried out on the basis of models that only involve the charge-transfer state and the ground state. Here, we demonstrate that it is essential to go beyond such a two-state model and to consider explicitly as well the electronic and vibrational couplings with the local absorbing state on the donor and/or acceptor. We have thus developed a three-state vibronic model that allows us: to provide a reliable description of the optical absorption features related to the charge-transfer states; to underline the erroneous interpretations stemming from the application of the semi-classical two-state model; and to rationalize how the hybridization between the local-excitation state and charge-transfer state can lead to lower non-radiative voltage losses and higher power conversion efficiencies. Previous descriptions of the charge-transfer absorptions in organic solar cells only involve the charge transfer state and the ground state. Here Chen et al. underline that a third state, i.e., the local absorbing state on the donor and/or acceptor, needs to be considered.
The Influence of Sex and Gender on Health: How Much Is Being Taught in Medical School Curricula?

Background: Sex is a biological variable linked to our chromosomal complement, while gender refers to one's personal identification as influenced by social, cultural, and personal experience. Both sex and gender and their interactions influence health outcomes. Although this is increasingly clear, we have not yet ensured that the next generation of physicians and physician-scientists is being taught the empirical findings necessary to understand these relationships. We assert that medical schools must incorporate these data into didactics throughout an integrated curriculum. Materials and Methods: This study evaluates a medical curriculum for sex- and gender-based content and provides recommendations for establishing and integrating pertinent sex and gender medicine didactics. Trained first-and second-year medical students audited 548 lectures and workshops to determine sex- and gender-based content. Results: Less than 25% of all sessions raised the topic of sex or gender influences on physiology and pathophysiology or the experience of the patient in the health care environment. Only 8.1% of all sessions included an in-depth discussion of sex or gender differences, and these discussions predominantly focused on basic physiology and prevalence and/or incidence of disease, and not on available data on sex- and gender-specific influences on diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and drug effects. The didactics that included data on sex or gender influences were largely in lectures rather than small group sessions, which are important for the development of critical clinical reasoning skills. Conclusions: A survey-based audit of medical school curricula can inform recommendations for improving the inclusion of data on sex- and gender-based content.
A faster parathyroidectomy: Techniques to shorten non-surgical operating room time.

Abstract Objective To assess the capacity of different techniques to reduce non-operative times during parathyroid surgery. The impact of monitored anesthesia care (MAC) instead of general anesthesia, and the pre-operative placement of a second peripheral intravenous catheter (PIV) were analyzed. Methods A retrospective case series at an academic medical center was performed to study patients undergoing parathyroidectomy by a single surgeon between November 2013 and October 2016. Three operating room (OR) time measurements were compared: pre-incision time, post-closure time, and total OR time. Results Surgeries performed under MAC (n = 21) had statistically shorter pre-incision (33.2 min vs. 39.7 min, p Conclusions In patients undergoing parathyroid surgery in which ioPTH levels will be used, the placement of a second PIV in the pre-operative holding area and performance of surgery under MAC can significantly shorten non-operative and total OR time.
Investigation and research on ticks carrying spotted fever group rickettsia in the border area of Tumen River Basin

Objective: To understand the situation and genotype distribution of spotted fever group rickettsia (SFGR) in the border area of Tumen River Basin in free ticks in Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture (Yanbian Prefecture), Jilin Province. Methods: From April to September, 2017, ticks were collected using flagging method from Hunchun, Tumen, Helong and Longjing cities in the Tumen River basin of Yanbian Prefecture. Outer membrane protein A (ompA) was detected by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), then, the species were identified by gene sequencing and analyzed systematically. The positive rate of pools and MIR(minimum infection rate per 100 ticks,MIR) of SFGR were calculated, and the difference of positive rate of pools among ticks with different characteristics was compared by Chi-square test. Results: A total of 3 079 ticks were collected and divided into 536 pools. The positive rate of pools of SFGR nucleic acid was 39.7% (213 pools). The MIR of SFGR was 6.9%.The positive rate of pools of SFGR in Dermacentor silvarum, Haemaphysalis concinna, Haemaphysalis japonica, Haemaphysalis longicornis and Ixodes persulcatus were 80.4% (41/51), 14.0% (25/179), 20.2% (18/89), 78.9% (101/128) and 25.9% (21/81), and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). There was statistical difference in the positive rate of pools of SFGR in developmental stages of ticks (P<0.001); the positive rate of pools of female adults, male adults, nymph and larvae were 36.4% (95/261), 34.2% (67/196), 56.3% (40/71) and 7/8, and the MIR was 7.9%, 7.7%, 4.9% and 3.5%. The five genotype was detected which was Candidatus Rickettsia longicornii, Rickettsia raoultii, Rickettsia heilongjiangensis, Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae,Rickettsia monacensis and have 98%-100% homology with known gene sequences. Candidatus Rickettsia longicornii, Rickettsia raoultii, Rickettsia heilongjiangensis and Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae showed close evolutionary relationship with known specie (have 98%-100% homology with known gene sequences); Rickettsia monacensis showed Far from evolutionary relationship with known species (have 98% homology with known gene sequences). Conclusion: SFGR infection of ticks is common in the border areas of the Tumen River Basin. There was high diversity in SFGR species and tick species in the areas surveyed.
Resilient Autonomous Exploration and Mapping of Underground Mines using Aerial Robots

This paper presents a comprehensive solution to enable resilient autonomous exploration and mapping of underground mines using aerial robots. The described methods and systems address critical challenges related to autonomy, perception and localization in conditions of sensor degradation, exploratory path planning in geometrically complex, large and multi-branching environments, alongside reliable robot operation in communications-denied settings. To facilitate resilient autonomy in such conditions, a set of novel contributions in multi-modal sensor fusion, graph-based path planning, and robot design have been proposed and integrated in micro aerial vehicles which are not subject to the challenging terrain found in such subterranean settings. The capabilities and performance of the proposed solution is field-verified through a set of real-life autonomous deployments in underground metal mines.
The immunomodulatory capacity of aggregated MSCs is enhanced through synergy with glucocorticoid steroids

Background & Aim Upon local delivery, MSCs aggregate into spheroids leading to alterations in phenotype. While MSCs immunomodulatory potential in 2D cultures has been extensively studied, the effect of aggregation on this potential is less understood. Using a series of in vitro potency assays, we sought to evaluate changes to human MSCs ability to suppress activated human T cells and explore the interactions of these cells with locally delivered steroids. Methods, Results & Conclusion We used a T-cell suppression assay to compare the ability of MSCs, either in 2D or aggregated into spheroids, to suppress T-cell proliferation. 6 human MSC donors, 3 from bone marrow and 3 from umbilical cord, were co-cultured with PBMCs from 3 independent donors creating 18 distinct MSC:PBMC donor pairings. After 6 days of co-culture, PBMCs were analyzed by flow cytometry and the percent PBMC proliferation was calculated for each donor pairing. For adherent MSCs, all 18 pairings resulted in strong suppression of PBMC proliferation, while none of the spheroid MSCs showed any suppression (A). The addition of budesonide, a glucocorticoid steroid, to the co-culture resulted in a significant improvement in spheroid MSC suppression (A). This observation led us to examine the interaction between budesonide and spheroid MSCs mechanistically. While neither budesonide nor aggregated MSCs alone were capable of affecting PBMC proliferation, when combined they displayed an apparent synergy and suppressed a significant degree of PBMC proliferation. Profiling activity of COX-2 and IDO revealed distinct changes in PGE2 (B) and kynurenine (C) production by MSC spheroids with PGE2 over a 100-fold higher in MSC spheroid cultures compared to adherent MSC controls. To determine if the interaction between budesonide and MSC spheroids was mediated by elevated PGE2 levels, a series of inhibition and add-back experiments were performed using PBMC co-culture assays as a read-out. Blockade of EP2/EP4 receptors with small molecule inhibitors completely blocked the synergy between spheroid MSCs and budesonide (D) while replacing spheroid MSCs with synthetic PGE2 replicated the observed synergy (E). Conclusion We report a novel mechanism by which PGE2 from spheroid MSCs works in synergy with the glucocorticoid steroid, budesonide, to inhibit T cells. These findings shed light both on a distinct immunomodulatory phenotype of aggregated MSCs as well as their unique interactions with immunosuppressive drugs they may encounter in clinical settings.
Desorber and rectifier geometries for ammonia-water absorption systems; Part I: Experimental approach and heat transfer

Abstract An experimental study of ammonia-water desorption in compact counter-flow geometries was conducted. Two novel vapor generation units, comprising integrated desorber, analyzer, and rectifier segments that use microchannel geometries, were conceptualized. The branched-tray concept features a desorber that uses pool-boiling mechanisms, while the vertical column desorber relies on falling-film evaporation mechanisms. Both concepts rely on falling-film mechanisms in the analyzer and rectifier sections. The vapor generation unit test sections were evaluated across a range of concentrated solution mass fractions (0.400 – 0.550), desorber coupling-fluid inlet temperatures (170 – 190°C), and concentrated solution flow rates (0.70 – 1.3 g s−1). This paper, Part I, reports the experimental methodology and results while in Part II, flooding limits of these geometries and heat and mass transfer models that accurately predict component-level performance are presented.