cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electrical characterization by sub-micron probing technique on 90 nm CMOS technology for failure analysis

As the failure mechanisms become more complex with IC technology progression, the failure analysis (FA) needs electrical characterization of die internal transistors to fault identification and discrimination of various defect types. The sub-micron probing (SMP) with 4 needles allows all electrical characteristics measurements of a single transistor and leads to accurate results in FA with a best root cause understanding. This paper presents the effectiveness of the 4 needles-SMP technique and reports experimental results during the threshold voltage/BVDSS measurements of the 6 transistors of RAM cell on a 90 nm CMOS technology in the Nice Device Analysis Laboratory (NDAL) of Texas Instruments France.
Three Dimensional Integration with Benzocyclobutene as the Wafer-Bonding Medium

A successful wafer-scale device layering process for fabricating three-dimensional integrated circuits (3D ICs) using Benzocyclobutene (BCB) is described. In the reported embodiment of the method, a sub-micron thick “donor” device layer is transplanted onto a fully fabricated “host” wafer with BCB as the intervening medium. Experimental results, including RIE study and planarization of BCB processed through the 3D fabrication procedure are reported. We conclude with an approach to alleviate BCB and fabrication induced wafer bowing, which leads to poor wafer to wafer alignment in 3D integration.
Current status of clinical high-intensity focused ultrasound

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is being promoted as a noninvasive method to treat certain primary solid tumors, metastatic disease, and enhance drug delivery. The field of medicine is evolving towards increasing use of noninvasive and minimally invasive therapies such as HIFU. This article provides an overview of current clinical applications of HIFU and future requirements to expand the clinical applications of this technique.
Multiview: improving trust in group video conferencing through spatial faithfulness

Video conferencing is still considered a poor alternative to face-to-face meetings. In the business setting, where these systems are most prevalent, the misuse of video conferencing systems can have detrimental results, especially in high-stakes communications. Prior work suggests that spatial distortions of nonverbal cues, particularly gaze and deixis, negatively impact many aspects of effective communication in dyadic communications. However, video conferencing systems are often used for group-to-group meetings where spatial distortions are exacerbated. Meanwhile, its effects on the group dynamic are not well understood. In this study, we examine the effects that spatial distortions of nonverbal cues have on inter-group trust formation. We conducted a large (169 participant) study of group conferencing under various conditions. We found that the use of systems that introduce spatial distortions negatively affect trust formation patterns. On the other hand, these effects are essentially eliminated by using a spatially faithful video conferencing system.
Aspirin, NSAID, and Acetaminophen Use and the Risk of Endometrial Cancer

To date, no prospective studies have explored the relationship between the use of aspirin, other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAID), and acetaminophen and endometrial adenocarcinoma. Of the 82,971 women enrolled in a prospective cohort study, 747 developed medical record-confirmed invasive endometrial cancer over a 24-year period. Use of aspirin was ascertained from 1980 to 2004, and for other NSAIDs and acetaminophen, from 1990 to 2004. Cox regression models calculated multivariate relative risks (MV RR), controlling for body mass index (BMI), postmenopausal hormone (PMH) use, and other endometrial cancer risk factors. Currency, duration, and quantity of aspirin were not associated with endometrial cancer risk overall [current use: MV RR, 1.03; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.83-1.27; >10 years of use: MV RR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.78-1.30; and cumulative average >7 tablets per week: (MV RR, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.84-1.44)]. However, stratified analyses showed that a lower risk of endometrial cancer among obese (BMI, >or=30 kg/m(2)) women was seen with current aspirin use (MV RR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.46-0.95). The greatest risk reduction for current aspirin users was seen in postmenopausal obese women who had never used PMH (MV RR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.26-0.73). The use of other NSAIDs or acetaminophen was not associated with endometrial cancer. Our data suggest that use of aspirin or other NSAIDs does not play an important role in endometrial cancer risk overall. However, risk was significantly lower for current aspirin users who were obese or who were postmenopausal and had never used PMHs; these subgroup findings require further confirmation.
Studies of tissue response to injections of enzymes. V. Development of subcutaneous nodular masses, and plasma and tissue hexosamine changes following subcutaneous injection of streptokinase.

Thepresenceofproteolytic enzymesinblood hasbeenknownfor a long time. Avariety ofmethods andagents havebeenemployed toactivate these enzymes.Amongthese, isstreptokinase, a bacterial kinase obtained fromthehemolytic streptococcus. Thesubcutaneous "nodules" andsignificanthexosamine alterations whichoccurred following thesingle subcutaneous inoculation ofcrude streptokinase, resembled thoseobtained withpartially purified streptokinase andwithtrypsin(crude andcrystalline). Although itispossible thattheresults obtained withstreptokinase were duetothedirect conversion oftheproteolytic enzyme toitsactive form, andthatchanges noted withtrypsin were duetothenullification oftheinhibitor withtheconcomitant liberation ofthe free andactive enzyme, itisalso verypossible thatbothtrypsin andstreptokinase giverise tothe liberation ofa tissue activator, whichinturncatalyzes thetransformation oftheproteolytic enzvimetoitsactiv e form. EN 1893Dastrel noted thatserumpossesses proteolytic activity. Theobservation of Delezenne and IPozerski2 thatserum treated withchloroform exhibited proteolytic activity hasbeenrepeatedly confirmed.'-6 A variety ofagentsandmethodshavebeen employed toactivate theserumproteolytic enzymes.7-'0 Christensen andMacLeod,' Christensenll andRatnoff'2' 13havedemonstrated theconversion ofplasminogen toplasmin, by meansofthebacterial enzyme, streptokinase. AstrupandPermin14 demonstrated theactivation oftheserumproteolytic enzymesby meansofatissue kinase, "cytofibrinokinase,"
Impact of Small-Scale Spatial Variability upon the Transport of Sorbing Pollutants

It is now widely recognized that groundwater aquifers exhibit significant three-dimensional, small-scale variability in their hydraulic properties and that this variability controls the migration and dispersion of contaminants at the field scale. Quantitative study of the impact of small-scale variability upon field-scale transport has been a central theme of groundwater research in recent years; this research has been motivated by a host of important questions. How can properties measured on small samples in the laboratory be extrapolated to larger scales? Are fundamental constitutive relations derived from studies at the laboratory scale valid at field scales? How can we quantify the inherent uncertainty in our information on spatially varying soil properties? What is the effect of this uncertainty upon the reliability of model predictions?
Sucralfate reduces the gastrointestinal absorption of norfloxacin.

The effect of sucralfate on the bioavailability of norfloxacin after single 400-mg doses of norfloxacin was evaluated in eight healthy males. Subjects received each of the following treatments in random sequence: (i), norfloxacin, 400 mg alone; (ii) sucralfate, 1 g, concurrently with norfloxacin, 400 mg; and (iii) sucralfate, 1 g, followed by norfloxacin, 400 mg, 2 h later. One day before administration of treatments 2 and 3, 1 g of sucralfate was given at 7 a.m., 11 a.m., 5 p.m., and 10 p.m. Blood samples were collected immediately before the norfloxacin dose and at 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 24 h postdose. Urine was collected in divided intervals: from 0 to 12, from 12 to 24, and from 24 to 48 h. Norfloxacin concentrations in plasma and urine were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Mean area under the plasma concentration-versus-time curve extrapolated to infinity decreased significantly (P less than 0.001) after norfloxacin was given with and 2 h after sucralfate. The relative bioavailabilities were 1.8% when norfloxacin was taken with sucralfate and 56.6% when it was taken 2 h after sucralfate. After norfloxacin was given alone, the mean norfloxacin concentrations in urine collected during intervals of 0 to 12, 12 to 24, and 24 to 28 h were 118.9 +/- 72.3, 18.8 +/- 12.5, and 2.4 +/- 2.2 micrograms/ml, respectively. After norfloxacin was given with sucralfate, however, the mean norfloxacin concentrations in urine collected during the same time intervals were 6.8 +/- 4.7, 1.8 +/- 1.4, and 0 +/- 0 microgram/ml, respectively. Because of low pH and relatively high magnesium concentration in urine, susceptibilities of bacteria in urine are 8- to 32-fold lower than in broth. This fact, in combination with the reduced bioavailability of norfloxacin in the presence of sucralfate or antacids, is likely to result in treatment failure. The effect of sucralfate given after norfloxacin was not examined, nor was the effect of sucralfate given more than 2 h before norfloxacin. Administration or norfloxacin with sucralfate should therefore by avoided.
Physics-based planning for planetary exploration

Recently a planetary rover returned important scientific information from Mars. More ambitious missions are planned. New planning methods are required that allow rovers to explore challenging areas with a high level of autonomy. This paper presents a planning methodology based on a physics-based model of the rover and environment. Plans are developed that allow a rover to perform a mission while explicitly considering constraints such as power, actuator, wheel slip, and vehicle stability limits. Results obtained from detailed rover simulations are presented.
MT1-matrix metalloproteinase directs arterial wall invasion and neointima formation by vascular smooth muscle cells

During pathologic vessel remodeling, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) embedded within the collagen-rich matrix of the artery wall mobilize uncharacterized proteolytic systems to infiltrate the subendothelial space and generate neointimal lesions. Although the VSMC-derived serine proteinases, plasminogen activator and plasminogen, the cysteine proteinases, cathepsins L, S, and K, and the matrix metalloproteinases MMP-2 and MMP-9 have each been linked to pathologic matrix-remodeling states in vitro and in vivo , the role that these or other proteinases play in allowing VSMCs to negotiate the three-dimensional (3-D) cross-linked extracellular matrix of the arterial wall remains undefined. Herein, we demonstrate that VSMCs proteolytically remodel and invade collagenous barriers independently of plasmin, cathepsins L, S, or K, MMP-2, or MMP-9. Instead, we identify the membrane-anchored matrix metalloproteinase, MT1-MMP, as the key pericellular collagenolysin that controls the ability of VSMCs to degrade and infiltrate 3-D barriers of interstitial collagen, including the arterial wall. Furthermore, genetic deletion of the proteinase affords mice with a protected status against neointimal hyperplasia and lumen narrowing in vivo. These studies suggest that therapeutic interventions designed to target MT1-MMP could prove beneficial in a range of human vascular disease states associated with the destructive remodeling of the vessel wall extracellular matrix.
Snyder v. Phelps: A Prediction Based on Oral Arguments and the Supreme Court's Established Speech-Tort Jurisprudence

Snyder v. Phelps presents the Supreme Court with the issue of whether tort liability for invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress violates the First Amendment. This essay analyzes the facts of Snyder v. Phelps and the Court's questions and comments during oral arguments in the larger context of the Court's established speech-tort jurisprudence. The essay concludes that the Court appears poised to reverse the Fourth Circuit and to allow Mr. Snyder a "constitutionalized" tort remedy consistent with established speech-tort precedent concerning tort liability arising from speech where the plaintiff is a private individual, the speech is not of public concern, or both.
Interdependence and Cooperation in Industrial Buyer-Supplier Relationships

Buyer-supplier levels of cooperation within industrial markets is examined. Degree of interdependence has long been assumed to be a predictor of cooperation in these relationships. Results from this study show mixed results.
XI.—The Anatomy of the Northern Beluga (Beluga catodon, Gray; Delphinapterus leucas, Pallas) compared with that of other Whales

These openings, which are also present in numbers on the region of the cheek, indicate the ducts of numerous mucous glands which lie immediately underneath the mucous membrane. The tongue of Beluga does not appear to differ much from that of other toothed whales. In Globiocephalus intermedius , according to Macalister, not only the tip, but also the margins of the organ are free, whereas in Beluga the latter are attached along nearly their whole length. Dr Murie refers to the presence of a distinct froenum in Globiocephalus melas , but this structure is not recognisable in Beluga.
Implementation of Clinical Decision Support Rules to Reduce Repeat Measurement of Serum Ionized Calcium, Serum Magnesium, and N-Terminal Pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide in Intensive Care Unit Inpatients.

BACKGROUND: We assessed the impact of clinical decision support (CDS) rules within the electronic health record for ionized calcium (iCa), serum magnesium (Mg), and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in intensive care unit (ICU) inpatients at a large academic center. METHODS: A repeat order for measurement of iCa or Mg placed within 24 (iCa) or 48 (Mg) h of a previously nonactionable result, or additional orders for NT-proBNP beyond 1 within a single hospitalization, triggered a CDS pop-up alert showing the prior result and offering the opportunity to cancel the order or to place the order after entering an indication for repeat testing. The number of tests performed for each of these analytes and incidence of adverse clinical outcomes potentially associated with hypocalcemia or hypomagnesemia were compared between the 90-day period before CDS implementation and two 90-day periods immediately following. RESULTS: iCa test volumes decreased by 48%, Mg by 39%, and NT-proBNP by 28% in the 90-day period immediately following implementation and remained decreased by 54%, 49%, and 22%, respectively, during the following 90-day period (all P values 0.17). CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of CDS dramatically decreased repeat testing of iCa, Mg, and NT-proBNP without adversely impacting clinical outcomes in the ICU. Expansion of the rules from the ICU units to include the entire hospitalized patient population and expansion to additional analytes is expected to lead to further reductions in testing.
Collaboration between the library and Office of Student Disability Services: Document accessibility in higher education

Purpose The paper aims to discuss the relationship between interdepartmental stakeholders in higher education and the information identified as a result of collaborations. It proposes that collaborations can help clarify issues to then advocate for them. Design/methodology/approach The paper opted for a naturalistic case study design, gathering direct and participant observation of interdepartmental collaborations including 1 Student Share, 12 one-hour collaborative sessions and 1 Accessibility Conference. Findings The paper provides observed insight about student needs to have documents that are accessible for assistive technologies to recognize and read how change is brought about during internal brand building. It suggests that successful accessibility implementation in higher education calls for collaboration with stakeholders. Originality/value This paper shows how a collaboration between the library and Student Disability Services can work to understand document accessibility issues. It also reveals that students with disabilities are adept with current mobile trends and technology, and need to be, for productivity in college. It will be valuable to librarians, faculty, staff and other technology stakeholders that work with students with disabilities.
Detecting meteoroid streams with an in-situ dust detector above an airless body

Abstract The Lunar Dust Experiment (LDEX), aboard NASA’s Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) successfully mapped the dust density distribution over the lunar surface up to an altitude of ∼ 250 km. LDEX detected dust grains launched off the surface in ejecta plumes generated by impacts of cometary and asteroidal micrometeoroids striking the Moon. While on average LDEX detected particles at a rate of 1 min − 1 , periodically it measured bursts of particles at a rate exceeding the average value by up to two orders of magnitude. The timing and location of the most intense period of bursts is used here to independently determine the radiant for the Geminids meteoroid stream. The method is proposed to be of general interest to characterize meteoroid streams bombarding any of the airless bodies in the solar system using in-situ dust detectors.
Talking on Comparative Rhetoric between Russian and Chinese from the Point of Figures of Speech

From the point of figures of speech,this article focuses on some problems of the comparative rhetoric.General contrasts are made among some figures of speech,such as metaphor,metonymy,exaggeration and comparison.The generality and differences are also indicated from the angel of both intension and denotation.Also,by combining the theory of translation with the differences of figures of speech,the article discusses the keys to the problems caused by the differences of figures of speech in translation and teaching practice.
An elicitation study of critical care nurses' salient hand hygiene beliefs.

Abstract Aim To describe critical care nurses’ hand hygiene attitudinal, normative referent, and control beliefs. Background Hand hygiene is the primary strategy to prevent healthcare-associated infections. Social influence is an underdeveloped hand hygiene strategy. Methods This qualitative descriptive study was conducted with 25 ICU nurses in the southeastern United States. Data were collected using the Nurses’ Salient Belief Instrument. Results Thematic analysis generated four themes: Hand Hygiene is Protective ; Nurses look to Nurses ; Time-related Concerns; and Convenience is Essential. Conclusion Nurses look to nurses as hand hygiene referents and believe hand hygiene is a protective behaviour that requires time and functional equipment.
A Multifactorial Approach to Predicting Death Anxiety: Assessing the Role of Religiosity, Susceptibility to Mortality Cues, and Individual Differences

Death anxiety is not only experienced by individuals receiving end-of-life care, but also by family members, social workers, and other service providers who support these individuals. Thus, identifying predictors of individual differences in experienced death anxiety levels may have both theoretical and clinical ramifications. The present study assessed the relative influence of religiosity, susceptibility to mortality cues, state and trait anxiety, and demographic factors in the experience of death anxiety through an online survey distributed to members of two online communities related to end-of-life care. Results indicated that cognitive and emotional susceptibility to mortality cues, as well as gender, predicted differences in death anxiety. Conversely, religiosity and age did not increase the predictive power of the model. Thus, death anxiety may be a function of emotional, cognitive, and sociocultural factors that interact in complex, but predictable, ways to modulate the response to mortality cues that occur in one's life.
Stent choice in cardiogenic shock complicating acute myocardial infarction likely does not affect mortality or reinfarction

Commentary on: Ledwoch J, Fuernau G, Desch S, et al . Drug-eluting stents versus bare-metal stents in acute myocardial infarction with cardiogenic shock. Heart 2017;103:1177–84. Early revascularisation improves acute and long-term outcomes of patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated by cardiogenic shock (CS). However, which type of stent to use for revascularisation remains controversial. Earlier small single-centre non-randomised study and registry data concluded that a drug-eluting stent (DES) is superior to a bare metal stent (BMS) as it improved clinical outcomes in these patients.1 2 Current European Society Guidelines recommend the use of DES, while American Society guidelines do not. This study examined the impact of BMS versus DES use on clinical outcomes in patients who had participated in the previously reported the Intra-aortic Balloon Pump (IABP) in Cardiogenic Shock II Trial (IABP-SHOCK II) which showed …
Omnicode: A Novice-Oriented Live Programming Environment with Always-On Run-Time Value Visualizations

Visualizations of run-time program state help novices form proper mental models and debug their code. We push this technique to the extreme by posing the following question: What if a live programming environment for an imperative language always displays the entire history of all run-time values for all program variables all the time? To explore this question, we built a prototype live IDE called Omnicode ("Omniscient Code") that continually runs the user's Python code and uses a scatterplot matrix to visualize the entire history of all of its numerical values, along with meaningful numbers derived from other data types. To filter the visualizations and hone in on specific points of interest, the user can brush and link over the scatterplots or select portions of code. They can also zoom in to view detailed stack and heap visualizations at each execution step. An exploratory study on 10 novice programmers discovered that they found Omnicode to be useful for debugging, forming mental models, explaining their code to others, and discovering moments of serendipity that would not have been likely within an ordinary IDE.
The Ephemeral-Reward Task: Optimal Performance Depends on Reducing Impulsive Choice:

The ephemeral-reward task involves providing subjects a choice between two distinctive stimuli, A and B, each containing an identical reward. If A is chosen, the food associated with A is obtained ...
Extremist propaganda and Qur’anic scripture: A ‘radical’ corpus-based study of the Dabiq:

Since the establishment of the Islamic State, Da’esh has been extremely successful in producing English-language propaganda for the purposes of recruiting extremists and radicalizing the disenfranc...
Phase II study of Ra-223 combined with hormonal therapy and denosumab for treatment of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer with bone-dominant metastasis.

1065Background: Radium-223 dichloride (Ra-223) is a targeted alpha therapy that induces a localized cytotoxic effect on bone metastases. We evaluated the efficacy of combined Ra-223, hormonal thera...
Interacting Droplets: Collective Dynamics

Interacting self propelled particles (SPPs) have implications in a broad range of systems. Living matter exhibits pattern formation due to interacting self propelled units at various scales, from human crowds, herds, bird flocks, and fish schools [1–3] to bacterial swarms [4], and even down to a molecular level in the dynamics of actin and tubulin filaments [5].
CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MEAT | Protein Functionality

Muscle proteins play an essential role in the physical stability and sensory perception of processed meat products. The specific functional behavior of proteins is influenced by their physicochemical properties (intrinsic) as well as processing parameters (extrinsic). Of all muscle constituents, myofibrillar proteins, especially myosin or actomyosin, are the most important functional components that contribute to the gelling, emulsifying, and water-binding characteristics of cooked products. A clear understanding of the protein structure–functionality relationship is crucial for the optimization of product formulation, process operations, and quality control.
Coupled Mode Formalism for Guided Wave Interactions

Consider two electromagnetic modes with, in general, different frequencies whose complex amplitudes are A and B. These are taken as the eigenmodes of the unperturbed medium so that they represent propagating disturbances $$ \begin{gathered} a\left( {z,t} \right) = A{e^{i\left( {{\omega _a}t - {\beta _a}z} \right)}} \hfill \\ b\left( {z,t} \right) = B{e^{i\left( {{\omega _b}t \pm {\beta _b}z} \right)}} \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ (1) with A and B constant.
Hegel, Analogy, and Extraterrestrial Life

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel rejected the possibility of life outside of the Earth, according to several scholars of extraterrestrial life. Their position is that the solar system and specifically the planet Earth is the unique place in the cosmos where life, intelligence, and rationality can be. The present study offers a very different interpretation of Hegel’s statements about the place of life on Earth by suggesting that, although Hegel did not believe that there were other solar systems where rationality is present, he did in fact suggest that planets in general, not the Earth exclusively, have life and possibly also intelligent inhabitants. Analogical syllogisms are superficial, according to Hegel, insofar as they try to conclude that there is life on the Moon even though there is no evidence of water or air on that body. Similar analogical arguments for life on the Sun made by Johann Elert Bode and William Herschel were considered by Hegel to be equally superficial. Analogical arguments were also used by astronomers and philosophers to suggest that life could be found on other planets in our solar system. Hegel offers no critique of analogical arguments for life on other planets, and in fact Hegel believed that life would be found on other planets. Planets, after all, have meteorological processes and therefore are “living” according to his philosophical account, unlike the Moon, Sun, and comets. Whereas William Herschel was already finding great similarities between the Sun and the stars and had extended these similarities to the property of having planets or being themselves inhabitable worlds, Hegel rejected this analogy. The Sun and stars have some properties in common, but for Hegel one cannot conclude from these similarities to the necessity that stars have planets. Hegel’s arguments against the presence of life in the solar system were not directed against other planets, but rather against the Sun and Moon, both of which he said have a different nature from Earth and planets. Although he did not explicitly discuss the possibility of life on comets, the fourth type of body in his theory of the solar system, it is clear that he rejected the views of Bode and Johann Heinrich Lambert, who did defend this possibility. Again, Hegel’s critique of the use of analogical argument is important here. The Sun, comets, and moons are not analogous to the Earth or to the planets; these are four different bodies with different forms of motion and different physical constitutions. Only planets have completeness according to Hegel because only they have water, air, earth, and light, and completeness in this sense is necessary for life. Hegel discerned a need to make distinctions in nature rather than to consider superficially different realities as fundamentally similar. Celestial bodies should not be considered, according to Hegel, as all of one type or nature, as one kind.
2.22 Selected Diastereoselective Reactions: Heck Type Cyclizations

The Mizoroki–Heck reaction is the arylation or olefination of an alkene using an aryl or alkenyl halide or sulfonate and a transition metal catalyst. The intramolecular version of this reaction is a powerful transformation for the formation of complex cyclic molecules. Substrate-induced diastereoselection is reviewed and models for understating stereoselectivity are discussed. The classes of reactions that have appeared in the literature and their applications to the synthesis of natural products and other complex targets will be highlighted.
CONSTRUCTION AND PRACTICE OF MEDICAL RESPONSIBILITY: DILEMMAS AND NARRATIVES FROM GERIATRICS

A narrative approach is employed in this article about dilemmasand physician reasoning in geriatric medicine in order toexplore the moral-medical worlds of urban American physicians.Reconstructed dilemmas, in the form of stories told by 51doctors, are analyzed as cultural documents of both clinical-moralknowledge and practice and the physician as moral actor. Discussionfocuses on ways in which responsibility is constituted and enactedthrough a particular language of clinical action. This analysisopens the subject of bioethics to a range of infrequently discussedissues that physicians cite as deeply troubling and contributesto a broadening of anthropological approaches useful in the studyof bioethics.
Resolution of isomeric monosubstituted dimethyldiphenylmethanes

A high resolution open tubular column, 180 m×0.25 mm ID, using Emulphor 0 as the stationary phase was found necessary to resolve all six isomers of dimethyldiphenylmethane. For complete separation, two isothermal runs are required since one of the isomeric pairs loses resolution by a decrease in temperature.
Extending the Yellow Brick Road: More Books and a Technicolor Rainbow

This chapter begins by examining the ways in which Baum’s publishers and heirs sought to continue Oz after his death. By hiring Ruth Plumly Thompson to continue the series, they provided consumers with new Oz products and then assiduously marketed Oz through contests, clubs, and promotional plays and radio productions. We then move to discuss the legal battle between Baum’s oldest son, Frank Joslyn Baum, and his publishers, Reilly & Lee, over the ownership (and the future) of Oz. Finally, we offer an in-depth examination of the production, promotion, and consumption of MGM’s 1939 technicolor musical spectacle, The Wizard of Oz.
Late-onset uveitis-glaucoma-hyphema syndrome caused by Soemmering ring cataract.

ABSTRACT Objective To propose a late-onset mechanism for uveitis-glaucoma-hyphema (UGH) syndrome caused by Soemmering ring cataract (SRC) and describe surgical outcomes. Design Retrospective interventional case series. Participants Patients developing UGH from anterior displacement of a haptic from a SRC. Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted of all patients referred to an anterior segment surgeon (J.C.H.) for intraocular lens (IOL) reposition/exchange between January 2003 and June 2017. Inclusion criteria consisted of all eyes with (i) a diagnosis of UGH syndrome, and (ii) SRC causing anterior displacement of a sulcus-fixated haptic with iris-haptic touch. Outcome measures were change in best corrected visual acuities (BCVA) and resolution of UGH findings. Results Seven eyes of 7 patients developed UGH secondary to a SRC causing contact between the IOL optic/haptic and the iris/uvea. Diagnosis of UGH was made at a mean 9.1 years after IOL implantation; this was statistically different compared with UGH eyes with other mechanisms from our full UGH cohort (mean 5.4 years; p = 0.0367). The mean preoperative LogMAR BCVA of 0.45 improved to 0.37 after surgical intervention (p = 0.27). Resolution (or nearly full resolution) of UGH findings was achieved in all cases after SRC extraction and lens repositioning/exchange. Conclusions Late-onset UGH syndrome can be caused by SRC. Surgical removal of the SRC with IOL repositioning within the capsular bag resolves most if not all components of UGH. Anterior segment ultrasound biomicroscopy is a helpful modality for determining if a SRC is present by demonstrating anatomic relationships commonly obscured by a miotic pupil.
Is Patient-Provider Racial Concordance Associated with Hispanics' Satisfaction with Health Care?

This study adds a gender approach to determine how patient provider racial concordance and acculturation affect Hispanics’ satisfaction with care and inform more nuanced approaches to improving the quality of care for this population. Using the Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys (MEPS) from 2009–2011, four binary satisfaction outcome measures were created from the MEPS: “doctor showed respect”, “spent enough time”, “explained things in a way you could understand”, and “listened carefully”. Next, a Probit model was employed to estimate the impact of racial concordance and acculturation on the probability of being satisfied with provider care for both male and female Hispanics. For Hispanic women, no significant association was found for the relationship between patient-provider concordance and the overall satisfaction with their care. Hispanic men were found to be less likely to be satisfied with some aspects of their medical care when they were racially concordant with their provider. Overcoming assumptions about shared identity is a crucial step in providing culturally competent care for all patients. There is a need for additional considerations in medical training to help physicians connect with patients, regardless of any type of observable concordance.
The effect of manual therapy on gastrocnemius muscle stiffness in healthy individuals.

Abstract Study Design Randomized clinical trial. Background Muscle stiffness is a potential complication after injury and has been shown to be a risk factor for injury in healthy individuals. Objectives The primary purpose of this study was to assess the short-term effects of manual therapy (MT) on muscle stiffness of the gastrocnemius in both a relaxed and contracted state. The secondary purpose was to assess the reliability of a novel clinical tool (MyotonPRO) to measure muscle stiffness in the gastrocnemius in both a passive and contracted state. Methods Eighty-four consecutive healthy individuals were randomized to receive Manual Therapy (MT group) directed at the right-side ankle and foot or no treatment (CONTROL group). Muscle stiffness of the gastrocnemius was assessed bilaterally in all participants at baseline and then immediately after intervention in a relaxed and contracted state. Group (MT vs. CONTROL) by side (ipsilateral vs. contralateral) by time (pre vs. post) effects were compared through a 3-way interaction utilizing mixed model ANOVA. Reliability of the MyotonPRO was assessed with two-way mixed model intraclass correlation coefficients. Results There was a significant 3-way interaction for muscle stiffness of the gastrocnemius in a relaxed state (p Conclusion The change in muscle stiffness of the gastrocnemius in a relaxed state depended upon whether individuals received MT. Muscle stiffness measures were highly reliable based on single measurements. Level of evidence Therapy, level 2.
Square Peg in a Round Hole: Parenting Policies and Liberal Theory

This article reconsiders the way in which conflicts between parenting responsibilities and work are treated within the United States. It argues that the two different legal models applied to this conflict – Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Family and Medical Leave Act – too narrowly define the interests at stake in parenting. Under Title Vii, parenting protections arise only insofar as their absence can be linked to sex discrimination, while under the FMLA, parenting protections arise only in response to medical needs or crisis situations. Neither framework considers the needs of the employee, as a parent and as a person, the needs of children, and the interests of communities. The article seeks to explain the divergence between the current legal framework and the widespread public support for strong parenting protections. It argues that prevailing tenets of liberalism – exaltation of independence, a firm demarcation between public and private, and a neutral state – preclude more robust parenting protections. It further contends that even feminist theory, from which extensive critiques of existing parenting protections have issued, has failed to contest many of these liberal tenets. Feminist theory, while rightly arguing that parenting supports are needed for women to achieve equality, has generally failed to support parenting for the other goods realized through it, as well. This article then urges a broader, community-oriented treatment of parenting, one that actively promotes the welfare of parents, children, and the relationships between them as collective societal goals.
Influence of educator’s emotional support behaviors on environmental education student outcomes

Environmental education (EE) aims to create environmentally literate individuals that have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to solve important environmental issues. However, little research ...
Environmental decomposition of cuticular hydrocarbons generates a volatile pheromone that guides insect social behavior

Abstract Once emitted, semiochemicals are exposed to reactive environmental factors that may alter them, thus disrupting chemical communication. Some species, however, might have adapted to detect environmentally mediated breakdown products of their natural chemicals as semiochemicals. We demonstrate that air, water vapor, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation break down unsaturated cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) of Periplaneta americana (American cockroach), resulting in the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In behavioral assays, nymphs strongly avoided aggregating in shelters exposed to the breakdown VOCs from cuticular alkenes. The three treatments (air, water vapor, UV) produced the same VOCs, but at different time-courses and ratios. Fourteen VOCs from UV-exposed CHCs elicited electrophysiological responses in nymph antennae; 10 were identified as 1-pentanol, 1-octanol, 1-nonanol, tetradecanal, acetic acid, propanoic acid, butanoic acid, pentanoic acid and hexanoic acid. When short-chain fatty acids were tested as a mix and a blend of the alcohols and aldehyde was tested as a second mix, nymphs exhibited no preference for control or treated shelters. However, nymphs avoided shelters that were exposed to VOCs from the complete 10-compound mix. Conditioned shelters (occupied by cockroaches with feces and CHCs deposited on the shelters), which are normally highly attractive to nymphs, were also avoided after UV-exposure, confirming that breakdown products from deposited metabolites, including CHCs, mediate this behavior. Our results demonstrate that common environmental and anthropogenic agents degrade CHCs into volatile semiochemicals that may serve as necromones or epideictic pheromones, mediating group formation and dissolution. Significance Statement Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) cover the outer surface of insects, where they prevent water loss and serve as sex pheromones and in nest-mate recognition in social insects. Although CHCs are not volatile, they can be broken into volatile fragments by reacting with environmental agents. We demonstrate that volatile breakdown products of CHCs affect the social behavior of the American cockroach. A synthetic mix of volatiles dispersed cockroaches away from shelters, signaling an unsuitable shelter. These results highlight that some insect species have evolved communication strategies that exploit environmental and anthropogenic agents to produce bioactive compounds that mediate ecological interactions.
2897 Sleep, Fatigue, and Life Satisfaction After Hysterectomy in Women with Preoperative Pain and Depression

Study Objective To examine differences in life satisfaction, sleep, and fatigue after hysterectomy among women with preoperative pelvic pain and/or depression. Design Secondary data analysis of a prospective, observational cohort study of women undergoing hysterectomy for benign conditions. Setting Academic tertiary care center. Patients or Participants 336 patients undergoing hysterectomy for benign indications. Interventions Patients completed validated assessments of life satisfaction, sleep, and fatigue preoperatively and 6-months after hysterectomy. Patients were divided into four groups based on preoperative characteristics: pelvic pain only, depression only, pain + depression, and no pain or depression. Presence of pelvic pain was defined as average pelvic pain score of ≥ 4 (on numerical rating scale 0-10) at baseline survey. Measurements and Main Results Preoperatively, women with pelvic pain only reported worse sleep (p=0.01) and fatigue (p At 6-month follow-up, women with pelvic pain only reported significant improvements in life satisfaction (p=0.04), sleep (p Conclusion Women with pre-existing pelvic pain only demonstrate improvements in life satisfaction, sleep disturbance, and fatigue following hysterectomy and achieve similar levels to those with no pain or depression. Women with coexisting depression fare significantly worse in these domains than those without.
Women and cartography in the progressive era

A white woman wearing a white (perhaps straw) hat stands on a raised platform outside a factory, facing an audience of men. She holds up a hand-drawn choropleth map of the United States; the states...
Bolstering Surrogate Decision Making for Marginally Represented and Unrepresented Patients: One System's Approach and Experience.

In his article “Marginally Represented Patients and the Moral Authority of Surrogates,” Dr. Jeffrey Berger identifies two neglected concerns around surrogate decision-making, i.e. the moral connect...
The effects of immunostimulatory herbal supplements on autoimmune skin diseases.

The use of herbal supplements that promise to improve immune health has gained popularity among dermatology patients. However, there is little to no evidence that herbal supplements improve dermatologic conditions. Several in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that Spirulina platensis, Aphanizomenon flos-aqua, Chlorella, Echinacea, and alfalfa activate immune cells via certain cytokines and chemokines. Case reports suggest the association of ingesting immunostimulatory herbs and the clinical onset or flares of diseases characterized by an exaggerated immune response such as lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis, and autoimmune blistering disorders. Therefore, it is imperative to investigate the prevalence of herbal supplement use in this patient population. In addition, in vitro studies should examine the underlying mechanisms by which herbs stimulate immune pathways that are already overactive in autoimmune patients.
Determinants of survival of the bovine blastocyst to cryopreservation stress: treatment with colony stimulating factor 2 during the morula-to-blastocyst transition and embryo sex

Colony-stimulating factor 2 (CSF2) is an important maternal regulator of embryonic development. Earlier research indicates that CSF2 can regulate genes involved in cellular stress responses and block apoptosis. Here, we tested whether addition of 10 ng/mL CSF2 at day 5 of development would increase the survival of blastocysts harvested at day 7 and subjected to vitrification. Additional objectives were to determine whether embryo sex affected survival or whether effects of CSF2 interacted with sex. Survival after vitrification was measured as the percent of warmed blastocysts that re-established a blastocoele after culture and that underwent hatching from the zona pellucida. In the first experiment, blastocysts were vitrified, warmed, cultured for 24 h, and DNA embryo sexing performed by PCR. There was no effect of CSF2, sex, or the interaction on the percent of blastocysts that re-expanded or that were hatching or hatched. In the second experiment, vitrified blastocysts were warmed and cultured for 24, 48, and 72 h. Treatment with CSF2 increased (P = 0.021) the percent of blastocysts that re-expanded as compared to the vehicle group (overall, 77.8 ± 4.7% vs 73.3 ± 4.7%). Percent re-expansion was highest at 24 h and declined slightly thereafter (P = 0.024). Although the interaction was not significant, the effect of CSF2 was greater at 48 and 72 h than at 24 h because CSF2 reduced the incidence of embryos collapsing after re-expansion. Furthermore, the proportion of re-expanded blastocysts at 24 h that experienced blastocoel collapse by 72 h was lower (P = 0.053) for CSF2 (3.6%; 7/195) than for vehicle (8.2%; 16/195). The percent of warmed blastocysts that were hatching or hatched increased with time (P < 0.0001) but there was no effect of CSF2 or the interaction with time on hatching. Treatment with CSF2 from day 5 to 7 of development did not cause a significant effect on the percent of blastocysts that re-established the blastocoele after 24 h of culture but CSF2 reduced the collapse of the blastocoele that occurred for a portion of the embryos that had experienced re-expansion at 24 h. Thus, CSF2 can provide protection to a proportion of blastocysts from cryodamage caused by vitrification. Further work is needed to evaluate whether CSF2 increases survival of vitrified blastocysts after embryo transfer.
An Investigation of Biometric Authentication in the Healthcare Environment

Abstract A vast amount of growth has taken place in the field of biometrics and in the healthcare industry. Biometrics provides the ability to identify individuals based on their physical and behavioral characteristics. The fusion of biometrics and information systems in the healthcare environment has provided a new approach to determine the identity of patients. In this paper, we investigate the biometric system and the authentication process using periocular biometrics specifically. We integrate this approach with the healthcare system to provide an advanced method to identify the patients securely. We propose a new technique that fuses the use of periocular biometrics and the electronic master patient index in healthcare information systems to identify humans in the healthcare environment. A comparative analysis of different periocular biometric recognition methods is conducted and assessed against various traditional and deep learning-based methods in our research study.
Differential Clinical Characteristics and Mortality Outcomes in Persons With NAFLD and/or MAFLD.

Background & aims Metabolic dysfunction–associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) establishes new criteria for diagnosing fatty liver disease independent of alcohol intake and concomitant viral hepatitis infection. However, the long-term outcomes of patients with MAFLD are sparse. We aimed to describe the characteristics and long-term survival of persons meeting criteria for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) only (non-MAFLD NAFLD), for both NAFLD and MAFLD (NAFLD-MAFLD), and for MAFLD only (non-NAFLD MAFLD). Methods Using data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) 1988–1994, 2997 participants with fatty liver identified via ultrasound were categorized into 3 distinct groups: non-MAFLD NAFLD, NAFLD-MAFLD, and non-NAFLD MAFLD. Results Participants in the NAFLD-MAFLD and non-NAFLD MAFLD groups were older, had more metabolic traits and higher mean liver enzymes. Nearly 8% of participants in the non-NAFLD MAFLD group had advanced fibrosis (Fibrosis-4 index >2.67), while only 1.3% and 1.9% in the NAFLD-MAFLD and non-MAFLD NAFLD groups did, respectively (P Conclusions MAFLD criteria identified a significant group of people with more comorbidities and worse prognosis compared with those with NAFLD only. These criteria should be considered in the general population to identify high-risk groups for early interventions.