cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characteristics and Patterns of Marijuana Use in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

Objectives To understand patterns of marijuana use in community‐dwelling older adults in Colorado. Design Anonymous survey. Setting Two academic geriatric primary care clinics. Participants English‐speaking individuals. Measurements We assessed self‐reported characteristics and patterns of marijuana use and effect on targeted symptoms. Survey analysis focused on current users, defined as individuals who had used marijuana in the past 3 years. Results Three hundred forty‐five individuals completed the survey (55% response rate); 113 (32%) had used marijuana in the past, of whom 55 (16%) had used since legalization. More than half of current users were aged 75 and older, and one‐quarter were aged 85 and older. Most current users were white women. Of current users, 44% used marijuana products at least weekly for common conditions including chronic pain, depression, anxiety, and insomnia, and most found marijuana helpful for these conditions. Most respondents reported obtaining marijuana recreationally (67%) without a prescription. Nine respondents reported negative side effects attributable to marijuana use. Conclusion To our knowledge, this is the first study to characterize marijuana use of older adults in a state in which it is legal for medical and recreational use. Marijuana was used for several common geriatric conditions, and respondents reported few side effects. The small number of survey respondents, the lack of generalizability in states where marijuana sales are illegal, and participation bias were the main study limitations. Further research is needed to better understand useful or harmful effects in this population. J Am Geriatr Soc 66:2167–2171, 2018.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: From Neurobiology to Cycles of Violence

Trauma and stress-related disorders, such as posttraumatic stress (PTSD), are remarkably common and debilitating, and are often characterized by dysregulated threat responses. This chapter will review the neurobiological pathways mediating dysregulated threat and fear responses that underlie PTSD, providing examples of how the biological underpinnings may lead to pathological symptoms. Although PTSD is most often associated with military trauma, it is extremely common in civilian populations with high levels of violence exposure. Through examples and case studies of civilian PTSD, we will show how pervasive childhood and adult trauma increase risk for PTSD and associated substance abuse, depression, and aggression symptoms, contributing to cycles of violence and trauma-related disorders in at-risk communities. Through advances in understanding mechanisms underlying trauma sequelae and intergenerational transmission of risk, new research hopes to lead to novel approaches to treatment and prevention of fear-related disorders such as PTSD.
Atlantoaxial Instability: Evolving Understanding.

The atlantoaxial joint is the most mobile joint in the body. The physical architecture of the joint is characterized by a uniformly round and approximately flat surface, which allows a wide range of unobstructed movements. The standing human posture and lifelong heartbeat like uninterrupted activity of the atlantoaxial joint, and its ability to facilitate saying both ‘yes’ and ‘no’ necessarily requires smooth and ‘fluid’ movements that are supported by strong yet supple ligaments. The magnificent architectural structure that is ‘magically’ designed and carved by nature to provide both stability and mobility and to allow a smooth and safe transit passage for the most critical neural and vascular structures can only be admired in awe and appreciated.
REIN: a robust training method for enhancing generalization ability of neural networks in autonomous driving systems

In recent years, neural network has shown its great potential in autonomous driving systems. However, the theoretically well-train neural networks usually fail their performance when facing real-world examples with unexpected physical variations. As the current neural networks still suffer from limited generalization ability, those unexpected variations would cause considerable accuracy degradation and critical safety issues. Therefore, the generalization ability of neural networks becomes one of the most critical challenges for autonomous driving system design. In this work, we propose a robust training method to enhance neural network's generalization ability in various practical autonomous driving scenarios. Based on detailed practical variation modeling and neural network generation ability analysis, the proposed training method could consistently improve model classification accuracy by at most 25% in various scenarios (e.g. raining/fogy, dark lighting, and camera discrepancy). Even with adversarial corner cases, our model could still achieve at most 40% accuracy improvement over natural model.
GENETIC ASSOCIATION BETWEEN HYPOPLASTIC LEFT HEART SYNDROME AND CARDIOMYOPATHIES VIA THE MYBPC3 GENE

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) has been shown to exhibit familial clustering with other congenital heart lesions, such as bicuspid aortic valve and other left-sided lesions. This study demonstrates inheritance of cardiomyopathies in family members of patients with HLHS, a previously
Not Your Ordinary Rash.

A 17-year-old, 6-week pregnant female presented to the emergency department with symptoms of abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting for 2 days. Although she initially complained of only low right abdominal pain, by the next day, she complained of a generalized abdominal ache. Laboratory values upon admission included a plasma sodium concentration of 118 mmol/L, potassium of 3.0 mmol/L, and chloride of 80 mmol/L. On the third day of admission, she experienced 2 seizures. She denied previous history of seizures or other neurological diseases, but she did have a long history of “eczema-like” rashes on her face, neck, and hands that had been unresponsive to prednisone. A urine drug screen was negative, and physical examination was unremarkable. On review of her chart, it was noted that 6 months before her hospital admission, the patient had consulted a dermatologist who described numerous small eroded papules and scarring on the back of the patient's hands, neck, and upper chest. Urine and plasma specimens collected during this dermatology appointment had been sent to a reference laboratory for porphyrin fractionation and porphobilinogen (PBG)3 measurement. Results are presented in Table 1. Because of the patient's symptoms upon presentation to the emergency department and previously increased urine PBG concentration, she was treated with daily hemin infusions for 4 days and her symptoms resolved. Over the consequent 2 days, her plasma sodium concentration increased to 135 mmol/L and she was discharged. View this table: Table 1. Plasma porphyrin fractionation, urine PBG, and urine porphyrin fractionation results. ### DEFECTIVE HEME SYNTHESIS The porphyrias are a group of metabolic disorders caused by functional alterations in the enzymes responsible for heme synthesis, resulting in the accumulation of heme precursors. Porphyrias are categorized as either acute or cutaneous, and presenting symptoms are defined by the enzymatic defect and the properties of the accumulated heme intermediate (1). (Fig. 1) These …
Muscle alterations in the development and progression of cancer-induced muscle atrophy: a review

Cancer cachexia—cancer-associated body weight and muscle loss—is a significant predictor of mortality and morbidity in cancer patients across a variety of cancer types. However, despite the negativ...
Digital image forensics.

The article discusses the field of digital image forensics, which involves the detection of photographic fraud, which has become increasingly problematic given the widespread availability of digital image manipulation software. Simple tests such as looking for incompatible shadows are discussed, as are more advanced mathematical methods involving the encoding algorithms used in the compression of images. INSETS: IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT;EYES AND POSITION;TELLTALE TWINKLES;SEND IN THE CLONES
Splenectomy and the incidence of venous thromboembolism and sepsis in patients with autoimmune hemolytic anemia.

Abstract Introduction The impact of splenectomy on venous thrombosis (VTE), abdominal thrombosis (abVTE) and sepsis in autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is unclear. Methods Using the California Discharge Dataset 1991–2014, 4756 AIHA patients were identified. Cumulative incidences (CI) of VTE, abVTE, and sepsis were determined in patients with and without splenectomy. Using propensity score matching adjusted for competing risk of death, the association between VTE, abVTE and sepsis with splenectomy was determined. Results In those without splenectomy, the CIs of VTE, abVTE, and sepsis were 1.4%, 0.2%, and 4.3% respectively, compared to 4.4%, 3.0% and 6.7% with splenectomy. Splenectomy was associated with increased risk for VTE in immediate (HR 2.66, CI 1.36–5.23) and late (HR 3.29, CI 2.10–5.16) post-operative periods. AbVTE was increased in immediate post-operative period (HR 34.11, CI 4.93–236.11). Sepsis was only increased in late post-operative period (HR 2.20, CI 1.75–2.77). In multivariate models, older age, having >1 comorbidity and having VTE, abVTE, and sepsis were associated with increased mortality. Splenectomy was not associated with increased mortality. Discussion Splenectomy in AIHA was associated with significant early thrombotic risk and long-term morbidity. Future research should evaluate the role of splenectomy in AIHA patients, and potential long-term thrombotic and antibiotic prophylaxis.
The Role of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Colorectal Adenocarcinoma

Over the past decade, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have proven to be promising agents in a number of solid tumor malignancies. Pembrolizumab and nivolumab are ICIs that target programmed cell death protein 1 and both have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of microsatellite instability-high/DNA mismatch repair deficient (MSI-H/dMMR) colorectal cancer (CRC). In MSI-H/dMMR CRC, these agents were found to have considerable antitumor activity and are now used in the treatment of this disease. However, MSI-H/dMMR tumors account for only 5% of metastatic CRC and the remaining patients are identified as being microsatellite stable/DNA mismatch repair proficient (MSS/pMMR). In MSS/pMMR CRC, ICIs were found to have no antitumor activity and they are not currently used in the treatment of the disease. However, ongoing research is expanding our knowledge of how the human immune system interacts with cancer cells. Identifying mechanisms to improve our immune response to MSS/pMMR CRC is of utmost importance. In this review, we discuss available clinical data and the emerging role of immune-based strategies to overcome the resistance to ICI therapy in the treatment of MSS/pMMR CRC.
Escalating Legitimacy Crises: Dwindling Political Authority and the Pursuit of Justice in Islamic, National and Global Arenas

Western and Islamic societies suffer from a common ailment—their citizens are losing trust in the basic integrity of their political institutions. There is a growing sense that systematic injustice...
Parent and Youth Preferences in the Treatment of Youth Depression

Patient-centered care requires providing care that is responsive to patient preferences, needs, and values, yet data on parent and youth treatment preferences remains sparse. The present study (1) identifies variations in parent and youth preferences for depression treatment, and (2) explores relationships between parent and youth demographics and psychosocial functioning, and the preferences that parents and youth endorse. Participants were 64 youth and 63 parents awaiting randomization in a clinical trial evaluating psychosocial youth depression treatments. Parents preferred treatments that emphasize learning skills and strategies (82.5%) and include the parent in treatment at least some of the time (96.8%). Youth preferred that the therapist meet mostly with the youth alone (67.2%) but share at least some information with parents (78.1%). Youth (43.8%) tended to respond "don't know" to questions about their preferred therapeutic approach. Understanding parent and youth preferences, especially psychosocial treatment preferences, is needed to provide high-quality, patient-centered care.
Cisplatin-associated neuropathy characteristics compared with those associated with other neurotoxic chemotherapy agents (Alliance A151724)

The current project was developed to obtain natural history information regarding cisplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy in males with testicular/germ cell cancers and to compare such neuropathy data with similarly obtained data in patients receiving other chemotherapy drugs in similarly conducted clinical trials. Patients without baseline neuropathy symptoms, who were initiating cisplatin-based chemotherapy, completed the EORTC CIPN 20 patient-reported instrument to evaluate chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). Results were compared with EORTC CIPN 20 data obtained from independent study sets regarding patients receiving (1) paclitaxel, (2) combined paclitaxel and carboplatin, (3) oxaliplatin, or (4) a combination of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (AC). The last study set of patients on AC was selected to evaluate the use of EORTC CIPN 20 data in patients receiving chemotherapy not known to cause CIPN. Cisplatin-induced neuropathy was more similar to neuropathy in patients receiving oxaliplatin than in those receiving paclitaxel. The cisplatin and oxaliplatin groups exhibited the coasting phenomenon and more prominent upper extremity symptoms than lower extremity symptoms during chemotherapy administration weeks. In contrast, paclitaxel-treated patients did not, on average, exhibit the coasting phenomenon; additionally, lower extremity symptoms were more prominent during the weeks when paclitaxel was administered. Cisplatin-induced neuropathy was less severe than was seen in patients in the other two groups, potentially because the cisplatin-receiving patients were younger. Patients receiving AC did not report substantial EORTC CIPN 20 changes. Understanding neuropathy similarities and differences with various chemotherapy agents may help elucidate CIPN processes and facilitate means to prevent and/or treat established CIPN. NCT02677727
Perspectives on the Effectiveness of a Medical Futility Policy.

BACKGROUND The principal aim of this study was to investigate the function and effectiveness of an institutional policy that outlines a procedure to limit medically futile interventions. We were interested in the attitudes and opinions of careproviders and the members of the Yale New Haven Hospital Ethics Committee that use this policy, the Conscientious Practice Policy (CPP), to address questions on appropriate interventions in the setting of medical futility. METHODS In 2019, we conducted three focus groups of members of the Yale New Haven Hospital Ethics Committee and critical care physicians, asking participants questions concerning their use of the Yale New Haven Hospital's policy on limiting futile interventions. Focus group transcript results were coded into common themes using a conventional analysis approach. RESULTS The overarching finding was that the CPP had various levels of interpretation that prevented its effective and consistent use. This was supported by the four main themes from the focus groups: (1) Mixed perceptions regarding communication between careproviders and family members and surrogates before the CPP was invoked contributed to complexity in decision making. (2) It was ineffective to use an ethics consultation to decide whether or not to invoke the CPP. (3) It was necessary to address moral distress in the absence of a policy. (4) The use of the CPP was inconsistent for different patients, based on the degree to which family members and surrogates persisted in their resistance to limiting medically futile interventions, careproviders' comfort with directly making decisions, and bias towards members of certain groups. CONCLUSION The CPP, as it has been used at the Yale New Haven Hospital, has been ineffective in rationally, fairly, and consistently resolving conflicts regarding the appropriateness of ending medically futile interventions. The CPP, as well as similar policies at other institutions, may benefit from restructuring the policy to more closely align with policies at other institutions where outcomes have been more successful.
Update on the treatment of steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome

Steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS) is a rare condition that develops primarily in preadolescent children after the age of 1 year. Since the 1950s, oral corticosteroids have been the mainstay of treatment of all children presenting with nephrotic syndrome, with most patients responding within 4 weeks to an oral course of prednisone (PDN). However, corticosteroids have important side effects and 60-80 % of patients relapse, developing frequently relapsing or steroid-dependent forms. For these reasons, many patients require second-line steroid-sparing immunosuppressive medications that have considerably improved relapse-free survival, while avoiding many PDN-related toxicities. Since most patients will eventually heal from their disease with a normal kidney function, the morbidity of SSNS is primarily related to side effects of drugs that are used to maintain prolonged remission. Therefore, treatment is essentially based on balancing the use of different drugs to achieve permanent remission with the lowest cumulative number of side effects. Treatment choice is based on the severity of SSNS, on patient age, and on drug tolerability. This review provides an update of currently available therapeutic strategies for SSNS.
Decreasing waste brine volume from anion exchange with nanofiltration: implications for multiple treatment cycles

Ion exchange (IX) is a technology for removing hexavalent chromium from water, but waste brine disposal makes implementation cost prohibitive in many communities. Nanofiltration (NF) can be integrated to decrease the waste brine volume by 70% and reuse the permeate (NF-reuse) as brine in the next IX regeneration. However, the accumulation of impurities and resulting impact on IX regeneration and loading efficiency have not been evaluated through comparative mass balances or post-regeneration batch tests. Combining pilot-scale experiments with response surface modeling, impurities in waste brine are predicted to reach a pseudo steady state over 10 loading–regeneration–NF-reuse cycles, simulating long-term operation at full-scale facilities. Side-by-side regenerations show that NF-reuse brine does not impact the IX regeneration efficiency of chromium, sulfate or inorganic carbon. Regeneration efficiency increases for vanadium and uranium by 30–60% using the NF-reuse brine, which may decrease long-term fouling and reduce the frequency for strong acid regenerations. With NF-reuse, additional nitrate loads onto the IX resin during regeneration, which may impact the timing and magnitude of chromatographic peaking. During loading, arsenic exhibited chromatographic peaking at concentrations 220% higher than the influent concentration, exceeding regulatory thresholds under all regeneration scenarios. Arsenic leakage also occurred during the first 500 bed volumes with NF-reuse. Vanadium and chromium both exhibited faster breakthrough in the second loading cycle, demonstrating the importance of evaluating pilot-scale processes over multiple loading and regeneration cycles. Bench-scale studies need to be guided by full-scale IX operating constraints and evaluate factors beyond the contaminant of concern to fully identify potential impacts of implementing NF brine management. A supplemental spreadsheet is included for utilities to screen NF for system-specific testing.
Factors Associated With Retained Foreign Bodies Following Major Operations.

BACKGROUND: Retained surgical foreign bodies (RFB) are associated with inferior clinical and financial outcomes. The present work examined a nationally representative sample of all major operations to identify factors associated with RFB. STUDY DESIGN: The 2005-2017 National Inpatient Sample was used to identify adults undergoing cardiac, neurosurgical, orthopedic, genitourinary, gastrointestinal, vascular, and thoracic operations. International Classifications of Diseases 9th-10th Revisions diagnosis codes were used to identify instances of RFB. RESULTS: Of an estimated 71,445,042 hospitalizations, .02% had a diagnosis of RFB, with decreasing incidence from .03 to .02% over the study period (NPtrend < .001). Relative to vascular operations, gastrointestinal (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 2.12), thoracic (AOR 1.80), and multi-cavity (AOR 2.17) were associated with greater odds of RFB. Laparoscopic approach (AOR .33) and trauma-associated admission (AOR .52, all P < .001) were associated with reduced odds of RFB. Despite similar mortality, RFB was associated with increased odds of pulmonary infection (AOR 1.62), sepsis (AOR 1.26), and wound infection (AOR 5.15), as well as a 2.3-day increment in length of stay and $7700 in hospitalization costs (all P < .001). CONCLUSION: The development of novel mitigation strategies may reduce the incidence of RFB in high-risk populations, such as those undergoing gastrointestinal, thoracic, and multi-cavity operations.
Neural mechanisms and predictors of SSRI and CBT treatment of anxiety: A randomized trial focused on emotion and cognitive processing

Anxiety disorders (ADs) are common and difficult to treat. While research suggests ADs are characterized by an imbalance between bottom-up and top-down attention processes and that effective treatments work by correcting this dysfunction, there is insufficient data to explain how and for whom treatments work. The late positive potential (LPP), an event-related potential reflecting elaborative processing of motivationally salient stimuli, is sensitive to both bottom-up and top-down processes. The present study examines the LPP in healthy controls (HC) and patients with ADs under low and high working memory (WM) load to assess its utility as a predictor and index of symptom reduction in patients who underwent cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment. The LPP when viewing negative and neutral distractor images and WM performance were assessed in 96 participants (40 HC, 32 CBT, 24 SSRI) during a letter recall task at Week 0 and in a subset of the study sample (23 CBT, 16 SSRI) at Week 12. Patients were randomly assigned to twelve weeks of CBT or SSRI treatment. Participants completed self-reported symptom measures at each time point. Greater Week 0 LPP to negative images under low WM load predicted greater symptom reduction in the SSRI, but not the CBT, group. Regression analyses examining the LPP to negative images as an index of symptom reduction revealed a smaller decrease in the LPP to negative images under low WM load was associated with less anxiety reduction across treatment modalities. Findings suggest the LPP during low WM load may serve as a cost-effective predictor and index of treatment outcome in ADs. Clinical Trials Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT01903447).
Audiogenic Seizures in Relation to Genetically and Experimentally Produced Cochlear Pathology

Audiogenic seizures have captured the imagination of scores of investigators for the past 60 years. Donaldson’s 1924 description of sound-produced convulsions in rats has led to over a thousand articles on this topic, describing experiments conducted throughout the globe. Immediately following the onset of a loud sound, the susceptible animal typically ceases ongoing behaviors. It may freeze, display emotional reactions, or begin to walk or jump. Susceptibility to both audiogenic and electroconvulsive seizures appears to develop at the same rate in the mouse. In the rat, direct electrical stimulation of subcortical auditory structures, especially the inferior colliculus, will produce a seizure. Some of the earlier studies doubted the essential nature of sound in precipitating what is now termed the audiogenic seizure; Morgan and Morgan challenged the view that this behavior was a “neurotic response to conflict.” Aluminum hydroxide gel applied to the cerebral cortex can produce susceptibility to audiogenic seizures in rats.
Paid Parental Leave Policies Among U.S. News 2020-2021 Best Hospitals and Best Hospitals for Cancer.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S) The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) endorses 12-weeks of paid parental leave based on studies showing health benefits to parents and children. Parental leave policies can impact the distribution of child-rearing duties, which may influence gender equity and retention of women in medicine. However, there is a paucity of data describing paid parental leave for faculty/staff physicians. We sought to evaluate paid parental leave policies for physicians at top U.S. hospitals and cancer centers. MATERIALS/METHODS Parental leave policies for the 2020-2021 U.S. News Top 20 Best Hospitals and Best Hospitals for Cancer were reviewed from publicly accessible websites, yielding 27 unique institutions. Human resources offices were contacted to verify policies. Duration of paid child-bearing and parental leave, salary support, and related provisions were obtained. Parental leave included leave available post-childbirth/disability for birthing mothers and for non-birthing mothers, partners, and adoptive parents. Paid leave was defined as receiving ≥50% of base salary and excluded regular accrued paid time off (e.g., vacation). If unpaid parental leave was available (< 50% base salary), paid parental leave duration was considered to be zero. RESULTS Of 27 institutions, six (22%) offer longer leave and/or greater pay based on the extent of caregiving responsibility (e.g., primary vs. secondary; n = 2) or employment position (e.g., academic faculty vs. non-faculty staff physician; n = 4). The mean duration of paid leave for birthing mothers (childbirth plus parental leave) is 7.8 weeks (range, 0-14 weeks) and for parental leave is 3.6 weeks (range, 0-12 weeks), using benefits from primary caregiver and academic faculty status where institutional benefits differ. Conversely, using benefits from secondary caregiver or non-faculty status where benefits differ, the mean paid leave for birthing mothers is 6.8 weeks (range, 0-12 weeks) and for parental leave is 2.3 weeks (range, 0-8 weeks). While the majority of hospitals (n = 23, 85%) offer short-term disability for childbirth, pay varies markedly (range, 0%-100%). Four institutions (15%) do not provide paid leave for childbirth and more than half (n = 15, 56%) do not provide paid parental leave beyond childbirth (based on secondary caregiver or non-faculty status where benefits differ). CONCLUSION Despite AAP endorsement of 12-weeks paid parental leave given improved outcomes for parents and children, the mean duration of paid maternity and parental leave at 27 leading U.S. hospitals and cancer centers is only 7.8 weeks and 3.6 weeks, respectively, at maximal benefits estimates. Nearly one-fourth of institutions offer different leave benefits based on faculty status and/or extent of caregiving responsibility. Future longitudinal studies are needed to assess the effect of paid parental leave on career satisfaction, work-life integration, and gender equity.
Knowledge Management as Complex Adaptive Systems.

A knowledge management system is a complex system with an infrastructure comprising of strategies, technologies, structure, leadership and culture. On top of the infrastructure, knowledge is managed through a set of processes that deals with the acquisition, assimilation, dissemination and protection of knowledge The complexity of the system comes from the difficulty of attributing success or failure to any one part. It is the interaction of the parts that determines the success or failure of the whole. In this study, I propose complexity theory as a new theoretical lens to examine the interaction between parts of the knowledge management system and the effect of the interaction on the success or failure of these programs. The emerging theory of complex systems focuses principally on the micro-domain to explain emergent behavior and overall outcome at the macro level. One distinguishing feature of a complex system is the ability of the parts to self-organize rather than being subdued by a central control. The parts are constantly seeking to improve performance driving the system away from equilibrium to the edge of chaos. What is of significance is how the parts co-adapt to improve their fitness and that of the system as a whole. Most of the earlier studies on knowledge management were able to deduce that failure to adopt knowledge management is a result of the inability of some organizations to realize the effect of the interaction between elements of the infrastructure but none, that I am aware of, have studied the interplay between elements of the knowledge management infrastructure and how they coevolve to renovate lessons learned into new marketing opportunities. The main objectives of the research project are to identify the nature and characteristic of the interrelationships that exist between elements of the knowledge management system and the effect of these relationships on the performance of the whole system. In this study I only focus on the strategies that govern knowledge management programs and their effect on the processes for capturing and disseminating knowledge, technologies in place to manage knowledge, roles that support the development and reuse of knowledge assets, and the cultural beliefs that sustain the whole effort. In particular the research attempts to answer the question of how knowledge management strategies affect processes, technologies, structure, and culture and how they collectively evolve to improve the performance of the whole knowledge management system.
Viscous coupling effects for two-phase flow in porous media

Recent studies have revealed that viscous coupling effects in immiscible two-phase flow, caused by momentum transfer between the two fluid phases, are important for a range of cases of porous medium flow. Generalized governing equations for coupled immiscible two-phase flow in porous media have been suggested through a formulation that includes two viscous coupling coefficients, in addition to the two conventional relative permeabilities. However, a quantitative understanding of the coupling effects and their dependence on factors including capillary number, viscosity ratio, and wettability still remains as an open issue. In this work, we use a three-dimensional parallel processing version of a two-fluid-phase lattice Boltzmann (LB) model to investigate this phenomenon. A multiple-relaxation-time (MRT) approximation of the LB equations is used in the simulator, which leads to stable results. We validate our model by verifying the velocity profile for flow through a channel with a square cross-section. We then simulate co-current flow through a sphere-pack porous medium and determine the relative permeabilities. Correlations of the relative permeabilities as a function of the fluid viscosities and wettability are investigated. The results are qualitatively consistent with experimental observations by Avraam and Payatakes [1] and the numerical simulations of Langaas and Papatzacos [12].
The Developmental Biochemistry of Cotton Seed Embryogenesis and Germination IV. LEVELS OF CYTOPLASMIC AND CHLOROPLASTIC TRANSFER RIBONUCLEIC ACID SPECIES

Abstract We have measured the amount of tRNA in cotton cotyledons that can be charged with each of the 20 amino acids at four developmental stages in cotyledon embryogenesis and germination. We have examined the number and relative levels of isoaccepting tRNA species for 15 amino acids at the same developmental stages by RPC-2 (Freon) chromatography and by the chromatography of RNAse T1 digests of aminoacyl-tRNA. We have made the same measurements with tRNA from cotton root tissue and from partially purified cotton chloroplasts. The results suggest that there are no differences in the levels of cytoplasmic tRNA species between cotyledons of various developmental stages nor between cotyledons and roots. There is, however, a large increase in the amount of chloroplastic tRNA per cell that occurs during early germination, and this increase is not induced by a light stimulus. Chloroplast tRNA exists in young embryogenic cotyledons and roots, and the amounts of the individual chloroplastic isoaccepting tRNA species do not change relative to each other as they increase in the cotyledon cells during germination. It is concluded from these data that developmental changes in cotton seedlings are not accompanied by changes in the capacity for translating individual code words.
A Model of Unethical Usage of Information Technology

The widespread adoption of the Computers and Information Technology in every field has opened up immense possibilities for using Information Technology in an unethical manner. Cases of hacking, software piracy etc. have become major concerns. However the IS literature is somewhat limited on this. Specifically, the factors leading to such behavior have not been generically studied in detail. The paper aims to fill this gap and tries to develop a model of unethical IT usage based on the underlying framework of the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA). Drawing from research in IS, psychology, ethics and a little of Transaction Cost Economics, it adapts the TRA to the IS context and posits individual, social and technological factors as important in understanding unethical IT usage. This paper, currently research in progress, develops the model and includes propositions that can be developed into testable hypotheses for empirical work.
Girls Make Media. By Mary Celeste Kearney

Girls Make Media highlights exciting new developments in media content created by girls and young women (ages 12–20), with analysis grounded in the contexts of history, culture, social and artistic...
Differential secretion of enkephalin-like peptides from bovine adrenal chromaffin cells.

Abstract Stimulation of chromaffin cells in culture with 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazinium (DMPP) or depolarizing concentrations of K + resulted in a significant secretion of high and low molecular weight enkephalin-like peptides (ELPs) into the culture medium. BioGel P-10 column chromatography was used to characterize the ELPs in chromaffin cell extracts and in culture media before and after stimulation with either DMPP or K + . DMPP (50 μM) stimulation produced a significant secretion of primarily low molecular weight ( + caused a secretion of both high and low molecular weights ELPs. The expected decrease in cellular content of low molecular weight peptides was not observed regardless of stimulation type. Our results support the hypothesis that the precursor/product ratio of secreted ELPs is dependent upon the nature of the chromaffin cell stimulus. Moreover the cellular content of low molecular weight ELPs is not depleted with either type of stimulation.
Development and evaluation of a multiplex real-time PCR (qPCR) assay targeting ttrRSBCA locus and invA gene for accurate detection of Salmonella spp. in fresh produce and eggs

Abstract Contamination of foods, especially produce and eggs, with Salmonella spp. is a major concern for public health. Therefore the development of a rapid method for Salmonella detection in those two important food commodities is urgently needed. The main objective of our study was to develop and evaluate a multiplex TaqMan-based real time PCR assay for detection of Salmonella spp. targeting invA gene and ttrRSBCA locus. The detection limit of this assay, 13 copies of genomic invA gene and ttrRSBCA locus, was determined by 10-fold dilutions of DNA from S. Typhimurium (strain SARA9). Inclusivity and exclusivity of the assay were assessed using 101 Salmonella spp. (including all Salmonella species and subspecies) and 48 non- S . enterica strains, respectively. Samples of cilantro (coriander leaves), lettuce, parsley, spinach, tomatoes and jalapeno peppers were seeded with four different Salmonella serovars at levels of 1–20 (low level) and 10 5 (high level) CFU/25 g. The inoculated samples were assayed according to the FDA Salmonella culture method in the Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM). Eggs were seeded with two different S. Enteritidis strains at the level used for the produce samples and were assayed according to the USDA Laboratory Guidebook Salmonella culture method. The contaminated samples were analyzed with the multiplex TaqMan-based assay developed in this study. Comparable results were obtained by the qPCR and the two bacteriological methods. Levels as low as 2 CFU/25 g for produce were detected with the qPCR method according to the BAM and 5 CFU/100 g for eggs were detected with the qPCR method according to the USDA Laboratory Guidebook. False negatives (inhibition of PCR reaction) were ruled out through the use of a DNA internal amplification control (IAC). The qPCR multiplex assay developed in this study allows rapid and accurate detection of Salmonella spp. in six high-risk produce commodities and eggs, and has the potential to be used with other food matrices.
Signal transduction mechanisms involved in hormonal Ca2+ fluxes.

This article reviews literature up to mid-1988 covering recent developments pertaining to agonist-induced Ca2+ signaling in various cell types. A large amount of experimental evidence supports a me...
Insulin-responsive Nuclear Proteins Facilitate Sp1 Interactions with the Insulin-like Growth Factor-I Gene *

The diabetes-induced decrease in insulin-like growth factor-I transcription appears to be mediated by footprint region V in exon 1. Since region V contains both an Sp1 site and an AT-rich element that recognizes an insulin-responsive binding protein (IRBP), we tested the hypothesis that Sp1 interactions are facilitated by an IRBP. Binding of nuclear extracts to region V probes was reduced by mutational or chemical interference with the AT-rich element. Blocking the AT site also reduced interactions of Sp1 with region Vin vitro and blunted transactivation of region V reporter constructs by Sp1 in vivo. Sp1 binding was enhanced by small quantities of hepatic nuclear extracts, but enhancement was reduced by the AT mutation and abolished by a 5-base pair insertion between the AT-rich and GC-rich sites, and transactivation by Sp1in vivo was diminished by inserting bases between the AT-rich and GC-rich elements. However, treating cells with insulin increased the ability of nuclear extracts to enhance Sp1 binding. These findings indicate that the presence of the AT-rich element is essential for the actions of Sp1 in vitro and in vivo, and the combination of both spacing requirements and insulin responsiveness suggests that IRBP may interact directly with Sp1.
Histopathologic and histochemic changes in the small intestine of calves infected with Trichostrongylus colubriformis

Abstract The pathologic effects of Trichostrongylus colubriformis on the small intestine of 8-week-old calves were studied. Morphologic and enzymic alterations were confined to the proximal third of the small intestine, which was shown to be the principal habitat of the nematode. Changes in the mucosa varied according to the acuteness of the infection rather than the duration. Villous atrophy, infiltrations of the lamina propria with plasma cells and lymphocytes, infiltrations of glandular tissue with eosinophils, and necrosis and erosions of the surface epithelial cells were present. Enzymic changes were related to the extent of cellular injury. Alkaline phosphatase and leucine aminopeptidase were more severely reduced, while nonspecific esterase and succinic dehydrogenase were less affected. Enzymic activities in the distal areas were nor influenced by the lesions in the proximal region.
Incorporation of Mo and W into nanostructured BiVO4 films for efficient photoelectrochemical water oxidation

Porous, nanostructured BiVO4 films are incorporated with Mo and W by simultaneous evaporation of Bi, V, Mo, and W in vacuum followed by oxidation in air. Synthesis parameters such as the Bi : V : Mo : W atomic ratio and deposition angle are adjusted to optimize the films for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation. Films synthesized with a Bi : V : Mo : W atomic ratio of 46 : 46 : 6 : 2 (6% Mo, 2% W) demonstrate the best PEC performance with photocurrent densities 10 times higher than for pure BiVO4 and greater than previously reported for Mo and W containing BiVO4. The films consist of a directional, nanocolumnar layer beneath an irregular surface structure. Backside illumination utilizes light scattering off the irregular surface structure resulting in 30–45% higher photocurrent densities than for frontside illumination. To improve the kinetics for water oxidation Pt is photo-deposited onto the surface of the 6% Mo, 2% W BiVO4 films as an electrocatalyst. These films achieve quantum efficiencies of 37% at 1.1 V vs. RHE and 50% at 1.6 V vs. RHE for 450 nm light.
Nonlinear theory of slow-wave ubitrons/free electron lasers

Abstract A three-dimensional nonlinear formulation of a slow-wave ubitron/free electron laser is presented. The configuration is that of an electron beam propagating through a dielectric-lined rectangular waveguide in the presence of a planar wiggler field. The wiggler field model describes parabolic pole faces for enhanced beam focussing. The electromagnetic field is described in terms of a multimode ensemble of the normal modes of the vacuum waveguide. In this case, the dielectric liner is imposed along the y -axis of the guide (which is also the principal orientation of the wiggler) and there are no orthogonal TE or TM modes. Instead, we deal with modes which are transverse electric (LSE) or magnetic (LSM) to the y -axis. Equations are derived which describe the evolution of the amplitude and phase of these modes in terms of the microscopic particle currents. These equations are solved in conjunction with the complete Lorentz force equations for the electron trajectories. The essential purpose of employing a slow-wave structure is to reach shorter wavelengths at relatively low beam energies, and numerical results will be presented to demonstrate the potentialities of this concept.
Photoreactivation of bacteriophages after UV disinfection: role of genome structure and impacts of UV source

Abstract The UV inactivation kinetics of bacteriophages MS2, PhiX174, T1 and PRD1 and the potential of bacterial UV repair mechanisms to reactivate these bacteriophages is described here. The selected bacteriophages represent a range of genome size, single and double stranded genomes, circular and linear organization and RNA and DNA. Bacteriophages were exposed to UV irradiation from two different collimated beam UV irradiation sources (medium-pressure (MP) mercury lamps and low-pressure (LP) mercury lamps) and assayed during which host-phage cultures were exposed to photoreactivating light for 6 h, then incubated overnight at 37 °C in the dark. Dark controls following UV exposure were performed in parallel. UV inactivation kinetics (using dark controls) showed that circular ssDNA phage (PhiX174) was the most sensitive and linear ssRNA phage (MS2) was the more resistant phage. No photoreactivation was observed for MS2 (RNA phage) and the highest photoreactivation was observed for PRD1. In the case of PRD1, the dose required for 4-log reduction (dark control) was around 35 mJ/cm 2 , with a similar dose observed for both UV sources (MP and LP). When the photoreactivation step was added, the dose required for 4-log reduction using LP lamps was 103 mJ/cm 2 and for MP lamps was 60 mJ/cm 2 . Genome organization differences between bacteriophages play an important role in resistance to UV inactivation and potential photoreactivation mediated by bacterial host mechanisms. The use of photoreactivation during the assay of PRD1 creates a more conservative surrogate for potential use in UV challenge testing.
Revisiting regional traditions : An emerging Sociology of the Great Plains

Meliorism, empiricism, ethnography, locality, and reform characterized Midwestern American Sociology at the turn of the twentieth century. Almost a century later, the mini-regional Great Plains Sociological Association, through its refereed publication, The Great Plains Sociologist (TGPS), maintains a variant of this tradition. We examine the first decade (1988-1997) of published articles (N=52) in TGPS with a focus on authorship, affiliations, editorship, and components of the earliest Chicago sociology and its diffusion to the University of North Dakota and the region through the work of John Morris Gillette. The results show that TGPS is uniquely a publication representing empirical studies, of homespun social issues, involving local samples, by sociologists and criminologists affiliated with a range of colleges and universities in and around the Dakotas and that a sociology of the Great Plains is emerging. Implications for the journal, state and mini-regional associations, and the discipline are discussed.
The relationship between school-aged bullying and trust, shyness and quality of friendships in young adulthood: A preliminary research note

We collected data on 170 college students to assess retrospective perception of school-aged bullying experiences, hardiness and aspects of friendships and romantic relationships on the dimensions of trust, relationship quality and shyness. We found that rates of reported victimization were positively correlated with contemporaneous shyness levels. We also noted a statistically significant, inverse relationship between retrospective victimization levels and both friendship quality and trust.
Magnesium effects on CdSe self-assembled quantum dot formation on ZnxCdyMg1−x−ySe layers

Abstract Optical and morphological studies are used to investigate the effects of chemical composition and, in particular, the magnesium content of the Zn x Cd y Mg 1− x − y Se barrier layers on the size, density and uniformity of CdSe self-assembled quantum dots (QDs). A reduction of the uncapped QD size, as well as a blue shift of the capped QD photoluminescence peak position by increasing Mg concentration in the Zn x Cd y Mg 1− x − y Se barrier has been demonstrated by changing the Mg cell temperature during growth. In addition, a more uniform and more densely packed QD layer has been observed with an increase of the MgSe fraction in the Zn x Cd y Mg 1− x − y Se barrier layer using three-dimensional topographic atomic force microscopy images of the surface of uncapped QDs. Results point to Mg as a chemical factor that induces QD formation, either by increasing the density of atomic steps or/and by changing the energy of the Zn x Cd y Mg 1− x − y Se surface.
Nd 3+ to Er 3+ and Nd 3+ to Ho 3+ energy transfer in laser crystals

The fluorescence decay of the 4F3/2 state of the Nd3+ ions was studied in Nd3+, Er3+ and Nd3+, Ho3+ doped crystals of garnets and perovskites. Fast initial decays were observed in this system for the first time to our knowledge and are attributed to an energy transfer from the Nd3+ ion to the nearest codopant ions that can accept the energy. Mathematical models of the decay processes were tested, and agreement with the experimental data was obtained by including a short-range interaction responsible for the fast initial decay and a dipole–dipole interaction for the subsequent decay.