cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identity of the elusive mitochondrial permeability transition pore: what it might be, what it was, and what it still could be

Mitochondria play an especially critical role in providing energy to the heart given the extreme functional requirements of this organ. Not surprisingly, the heart is thus particular sensitive to ischemic injury and loss of mitochondrial ATP generation, which rapidly leads to the irreversible necrosis of cardiomyocytes. More specifically, ischemia promotes mitochondrial calcium overload and formation of a physical structure known as the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP), which causes the swelling and rupture of this organelle. The MPTP forms within the inner mitochondrial membrane and is permeable to molecules less than 1.5 kDa in size, although its exact molecular composition is a longstanding topic of debate. Here, we will discuss the evidence for and against the past, present, and future candidates of the MPTP.
Law without Justice: Why Criminal Law Doesn't Give People What They Deserve

If an innocent person is sent to prison or if a killer walks free, we are outraged. The legal system assures us, and we expect and demand, that it will seek to "do justice" in criminal cases. So why, for some cases, does the criminal law deliberately and routinely sacrifice justice? In this unflinching look at American criminal law, Paul Robinson and Michael Cahill demonstrate that cases with unjust outcomes are not always irregular or unpredictable. Rather, the criminal law sometimes chooses not to give defendants what they deserve: that is, unsatisfying results occur even when the system works as it is designed to work. The authors find that while some justice-sacrificing doctrines serve their intended purpose, many others do not, or could be replaced by other, better rules that would serve the purpose without abandoning a just result. With a panoramic view of the overlapping and often competing goals that our legal institutions must balance on a daily basis, Law without Justice challenges us to restore justice to the criminal justice system.
Chaos in Symplectic Discretizations of the Pendulum and Sine-Gordon Equations

Homoclinic orbits play a crucial role in the dynamics of perturbations of the pendulum and sine-Gordon equations. In this paper we examine how well the homoclinic structures are preserved by symplectic discretizations. We discuss the property of exponentially small splitting distances between the stable and unstable manifolds for symplectic discretizations of the pendulum equation. A description of the sine-Gordon phase space in terms of the associated nonlinear spectral theory is provided. We examine how preservation of the homoclinic structures (i.e. the nonlinear spectrum) depends on the order of the accuracy and the symplectic property of the numerical scheme.
INTERACTION OF SODIUM (Na+) AND CATECHOLAMINES (CA) ON THE CONTROL OF BLOOD PRESSURE

Reduction of sodium intake affects both the renin-angiotensin and sympathetic nervous systems; the effects on the latter are less well understood. Three weeks of Na+ depletion in dogs caused a 15-fold increase in plasma renin activity (PRA), blunting of pressor responses to carotid occlusion, and significant increases in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) norepinephrine (NE). The elevated CSF NE may reflect an increase in the inhibitory activity of noradrenergic neurons involved in baroreceptor reflexes, while the concurrent increase in plasma NE is probably due to the elevated PRA activity found with Na+ depletion or by a Na+-mediated effect on central and peripheral catecholamines.
Atomistic vs. Continuous Representations in Molecular Biology

Representations used in science may be separated into two classes: atomistic representations, which model discrete entities interacting through pair-wise forces, and continuous representations, which model derived properties that vary continuously through space. The choice of an atomistic or a continuous model is governed primarily by the complexity of the system: atomistic models are useful in systems with several thousand interacting entities, whereas continuous models are necessary in larger systems. In molecular biology, atomistic models are used at two levels: at the atomic level, where the atomic structure of molecules is studied, and at the molecular level, where the molecular structure of cells is studied. Continuous models are also useful at both levels, for simplifying the atomic details of large, complex molecules, and for simplifying the molecular details of entire cells.
Translation-based factorization machines for sequential recommendation

Sequential recommendation algorithms aim to predict users' future behavior given their historical interactions. A recent line of work has achieved state-of-the-art performance on sequential recommendation tasks by adapting ideas from metric learning and knowledge-graph completion. These algorithms replace inner products with low-dimensional embeddings and distance functions, employing a simple translation dynamic to model user behavior over time. In this paper, we propose TransFM, a model that combines translation and metric-based approaches for sequential recommendation with Factorization Machines (FMs). Doing so allows us to reap the benefits of FMs (in particular, the ability to straightforwardly incorporate content-based features), while enhancing the state-of-the-art performance of translation-based models in sequential settings. Specifically, we learn an embedding and translation space for each feature dimension, replacing the inner product with the squared Euclidean distance to measure the interaction strength between features. Like FMs, we show that the model equation for TransFM can be computed in linear time and optimized using classical techniques. As TransFM operates on arbitrary feature vectors, additional content information can be easily incorporated without significant changes to the model itself. Empirically, the performance of TransFM significantly increases when taking content features into account, outperforming state-of-the-art models on sequential recommendation tasks for a wide variety of datasets.
A consistent multi-level subgrid scale closure for large eddy simulation of compressible flow using adaptive mesh refinement

Abstract A novel subgrid closure model is proposed for performing Large Eddy Simulation (LES) of turbulent compressible flows with block structured Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR) strategy. The new approach, henceforth called as AMRLES, is an improvement over the well-established one-equation based subgrid turbulent kinetic energy model with corrections proposed to consistently handle the total resolved turbulent kinetic energy across a multi-level AMR grid hierarchy. The proposed correction for the subgrid kinetic energy is based on an explicit on-the-fly filtering operation from finer grids to underlying coarser grids. The effect of the inter-grid correction is demonstrated by investigating advection of decaying isotropic turbulence across a coarse/fine and fine/coarse AMR grid interface. In the case of fine-to-coarse transition, the multi-level model is shown to correctly recover the subgrid turbulent kinetic energy. AMRLES is then applied to study the canonical problem of shock turbulent interaction. Two different Reynolds numbers are considered and the behavior of the inter-grid corrections on the subgrid turbulent kinetic energy and the subgrid turbulent stresses are analyzed for both the cases. Comparison with filtered DNS results indicates that AMRLES is able to predict the behavior of turbulent statistics across the shock in a satisfactory manner.
HIV Integrase Inhibitor Pharmacogenetics: An Exploratory Study

Integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs), dolutegravir, elvitegravir, and raltegravir, have become integral in the treatment of HIV, with close monitoring of continued efficacy and tolerability. As side effect occurrence varies among subjects receiving these drugs, we sought to perform an exploratory analysis examining the role of several single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on drug concentration changes, selected clinical outcomes, and the occurrence of subject-reported adverse events. Adults (aged ≥ 18 years) receiving INSTI-based regimens for treatment of HIV were recruited and genotyped with an iPLEX ADME PGx Pro v1.0 Panel. Multiple linear or logistic regression with covariates [age, sex, BMI, regimen (in the across-regimen group), regimen duration, and baseline variables (for continuous parameters)] was used to detect significant (p < 0.05) association of selected clinical data with genetic variants within the study population. In a sample (n = 88) with a median age of 52.5 years (IQR 45.7–57.2) being predominately Caucasian (88.6%) and male (86.4%), this exploratory study discovered several associations between variables and SNPs, when using INSTIs. Abnormal dream occurrence was statistically different (p = 0.028) between regimens. Additionally, several SNPs were found to be associated with adverse event profiles primarily when all regimens were grouped together. The associations found in this study point to a need for further assessment, within the population living with HIV, of factors contributing to unfavorable subject outcomes. These exploratory findings require confirmation in larger studies, which then may investigate pharmacogenetic mechanisms.
Scale dependency of dispersal limitation, environmental filtering and biotic interactions determine the diversity and composition of oribatid mite communities

Abstract It has long been established that the spatial scale of inquiry affects the ecological patterns that are revealed. However, studies of the ecological drivers underlying the assembly of soil animal communities rarely adopt a multi-scale perspective. Here, we quantified the distribution of oribatid richness along a chronosequence of temperate hardwood forests in a deglaciated region of eastern North America and analyzed variation in oribatid community structure at two grain sizes: 0.1 m2 and 900 m2, and two spatial extents: 20–150 m and 80–420 km. At the largest spatial scale, oribatid richness was similar among sites in the chronosequence. This suggests that oribatid mites faced minimal dispersal limitation during recolonization of deglaciated regions, likely due to long-distance passive dispersal events enabled by their small body size. However, dispersal limitation affected the community assembly at the spatial scale of 80–420 km, whereby the magnitude of dispersal limitation varied with body size and habitat type. Specifically, large-bodied mites in the litter layer experienced a stronger dispersal limitation than did small-bodied ones; and small-bodied mites were limited by dispersal in the mineral soil but not in the litter layer. Environmental filtering, particularly water content in litter and soil, played an important role in shaping oribatid mite communities at both spatial scales. In contrast, competition among oribatid species and biotic interactions with other soil microarthropods appeared to have little influence on oribatid mite community assembly, even within the smallest spatial scale. A majority of the local oribatid assemblages exhibited random coexistence patterns, with a small fraction (14%) of the assemblages exhibiting patterns of segregation consistent with competition among oribatid species. Overall, our study highlights the scale dependency of dispersal limitation during oribatid community assembly, and calls for future comparative studies to encompass a wider range of body size and habitat types.
A Hybrid Framework for Spectrum Sharing in Cognitive Radio Systems With Dynamic Users

In this letter, we present a hybrid spectrum sharing approach in cognitive radio (CR) systems with dynamic users in which the secondary users (SU) may not accurately detect the presence of primary users (PU). As a consequence, there is an increased probability of collision between PU and SU transmissions, resulting in interference at the PU receiver. The proposed hybrid framework combines the interweave and underlay spectrum sharing paradigms, and limits interference to the PU through a mathematical expression that provides bounds on the SU power based on its sensing performance. The framework requires that the PU only share this expression and does not require that the PU reveal its waveform or other operating parameters to the SU. An example illustrating the proposed approach is also presented.
Oxygen fugacity at the base of the Talkeetna arc, Alaska

The origin of the more oxidized nature of arc magmas as compared to that of mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) is debated, considered to be either a feature of their mantle source, or produced during crustal transit and eruption. Fe3+/FeT ratios (Fe3+/[Fe3+ + Fe2+]) in arc volcanic rocks and glasses and thermodynamic oxybarometry on mantle xenoliths from arc lavas indicate elevated magmatic oxygen fugacity ( $$f_{{{\text{O}}_{ 2} }}$$ ), whereas, redox-sensitive trace elements ratios and abundances in arc volcanic rocks have been used to suggest that arcs have source regions with $$f_{{{\text{O}}_{ 2} }}$$ similar to the MORB source. Here, we take an alternative approach by calculating the $$f_{{{\text{O}}_{ 2} }}$$ of the uppermost mantle and lowermost ultramafic cumulates from the accreted Jurassic Talkeetna arc (Alaska). This approach allows us to quantify the $$f_{{{\text{O}}_{ 2} }}$$ of the sub-arc mantle and of primary arc magmas crystallizing at the base of an island arc, which have not been affected by processes during crustal transit and eruption which could affect their $$f_{{{\text{O}}_{ 2} }}$$ . Implementing olivine–spinel oxybarometry, we find that the upper mantle (harzburgites and lherzolites) and ultramafic cumulates (clinopyroxenites and dunites) crystallized between + 0.4 and + 2.3 log units above the fayalite-magnetite-quartz buffer, consistent with previous studies suggesting that the sub-arc mantle is oxidized relative to that of MORB. In addition, the Talkeetna paleo-arc allows us to examine coeval lavas and their redox-sensitive trace element ratios (e.g., V/Sc). The average V/Sc ratios of high MgO (> 6 wt%) lavas are 6.7 ± 1.6 (2σ), similar to that of MORB. However, V/Sc ratios must be interpretted in terms the degree of partial melting, as well as, the initial V/Sc ratio of the mantle source in order to derive information about $$f_{{{\text{O}}_{ 2} }}$$ of their mantle source. The V/Sc ratios of Talkeetna lavas are consistent with the elevated $$f_{{{\text{O}}_{ 2} }}$$ recorded in the sub-arc mantle and primitive cumulates (olivine Mg# [Mg/(Mg + Fe)] × 100 > 82) if a depleted mantle source underwent 15–20% melting. Our results suggest that the arc mantle is, on average, more oxidized than the MORB source and that V/Sc ratios must be interpreted in the context of a partial melting model where all model parameters are appropriate for arc magma genesis. This study reconciles V/Sc ratios in arc volcanic rocks with $$f_{{{\text{O}}_{ 2} }}$$ of primary arc basalts and the sub-arc mantle from the same locality.
Utilization and Perceived Effectiveness of a Web-Based Faculty Development Seminar for International Medical Science Educators

The goal of this study was to examine the utilization and perceived effectiveness of the International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE) Webcast Audio Seminar Series (WAS) by participants at the individual and institutional levels. The Webcast Audio Seminar Series User Survey (WASUS) included multiple quantitative and qualitative measures of user perceptions of their experiences and overall quality. Data was collected using a 42-item survey that examined user identification, utilization, and perceived effectiveness of the IAMSE WAS as a faculty development tool. Quantitative measures were summarized using descriptive statistics, including frequencies, means, and standard deviations. Qualitative data was investigated using an iterative, inductive thematic coding method. Qualitative themes were summarized and applied to quantitative trends as explanatory mechanisms with the intent to provide a more nuanced narrative of the data. The survey was sent to all 2012–2017 WAS participants which provided a cross-sectional snapshot of WAS user perceptions over a substantial period of time. Fifty-two participants responded. Survey participants were asked to rate WAS sessions on twelve different quality components. Quality ratings were explored by user subscription types and user experiences with other web-based conferences. Users rated the WAS program very highly on all components from 2012 to 2017. The high level of perceived quality by users is likely an important reason why WAS participation has continued to grow since its implementation. Since the quality ratings were consistently high over a 5-year period in which the number of users also grew and organizers continue to add new interactive features for users, it is expected that this growth is sustainable.
Becoming flexible: Increase in parent psychological flexibility uniquely predicts better well-being following participation in a pediatric interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation program

Abstract Parents of youth with chronic pain are at risk for depression, anxiety, and poor health-related quality of life. Research indicates Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is effective at reducing symptoms of depression and stress for parents of youth with chronic concerns such as asthma and cerebral palsy. However, it is unclear whether these interventions are effective in improving the mental health and adjustment of parents of youth with chronic pain. Objective The current study took place in a three-week interdisciplinary pediatric pain rehabilitation program. The primary aim of the study was to examine whether the change in parent psychological flexibility and pain catastrophizing from admission to follow-up uniquely predicted parent depressive symptoms and health-related quality of life at follow-up. Methods Participants in this single-arm pre-posttest clinical study included 268 adolescents and young adults and their parents, who completed measures assessing depressive symptoms, health-related quality of life, pain catastrophizing, and psychological flexibility. Results Paired t-tests with Bonferroni correction found significant improvements in parents' mental health, functioning, and psychological flexibility, as well as lower levels of parents’ pain catastrophizing from admission to follow-up, with most effect sizes in the small to medium range. Findings from multiple regression analyses suggest that when controlling for depressive symptoms, quality of life, physical symptoms, catastrophizing, and psychological flexibility at admission, change in parent psychological flexibility uniquely predicted improved parent mental health and quality of life at follow-up. Specifically, change in emotional acceptance was the strongest unique predictor of the psychological flexibility subscales when controlling for admission scores. Conclusions Interventions that help parents of youth with chronic pain learn to accept uncomfortable emotions and engage in valued action may help support better parent mental health.
Tobacco Advertisements: What Messages Are They Sending in African American Communities?

Racial disparities in tobacco-related death and disease persist. Despite evidence of disparities in exposure to tobacco retailers and point-of-sale advertising, little is known about the extent to ...
The College Student’s Religious Tattoo: Respect, Reverence, Remembrance

Tattoos are now a generally socially accepted means of expressing one’s thoughts, beliefs, and affiliations. Using two types of data – interviews (N = 11) and survey responses to an open-ended prom...
Copper accumulation and the effect of chelation treatment on cerebral amyloid angiopathy compared to parenchymal amyloid plaques

Accumulation of fibrillar amyloid β-protein (Aβ) in parenchymal plaques and in blood vessels of the brain, the latter condition known as cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), are hallmark pathologies of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related disorders. Cerebral amyloid deposits have been reported to accumulate various metals, most notably copper and zinc. Here we show that, in human AD, copper is preferentially accumulated in amyloid-containing brain blood vessels compared to parenchymal amyloid plaques. In light of this observation, we evaluated the effects of reducing copper levels in Tg2576 mice, a transgenic model of AD amyloid pathologies. The copper chelator, tetrathiomolybdate (TTM), was administered to twelve month old Tg2576 mice for a period of five months. Copper chelation treatment significantly reduced both CAA and parenchymal plaque load in Tg2576 mice. Further, copper chelation reduced parenchymal plaque copper content but had no effect on CAA copper levels in this model. These findings indicate that copper is associated with both CAA deposits and parenchymal amyloid plaques in humans, but less in Tg2576 mice. TTM only reduces copper levels in plaques in Tg2576 mice. Reducing copper levels in the brain may beneficially lower amyloid pathologies associated with AD.
Low Frequency Stable and Accurate Potential-based Time Domain Integral Equations for Dielectric Regions

Potential-based formulations are new approaches gaining interest for deriving computational electromagnetics methods that perform markedly better for low frequencies and complicated structures (e.g., subwavelength and multiscale geometries) compared to traditional field-based formulations. Further, these methods are also more directly applicable to coupling into quantum physics problems that are becoming more prevalent in engineering applications. These methods derive their improved performance by developing systems to be discretized directly in terms of the magnetic vector potential and electric scalar potential, which are deemed more fundamental quantities for quantum applications than the electric and magnetic fields. Performing derivations in this way has resulted in equations that can accurately capture both wave physics (where the electric and magnetic fields are tightly coupled) and quasistatic phenomena (where the electric and magnetic fields become increasingly uncoupled) at the same time. This work focuses on continuing the development of time domain integral equations (TDIEs) based on the potential-based formulation to meet the demanding bandwidth requirements needed to efficiently analyze a wide range of quantum electromagnetic physics. Past work on potential-based TDIEs were applicable to perfect electrically conducting objects, and were shown to be stable and accurate over broad frequency ranges. More recently, initial efforts at developing potential-based TDIEs for dielectric regions were introduced. However, these initial equations did not exhibit the low frequency accuracy and stability properties desired from this formulation. This work demonstrates a new set of TDIEs that overcome the limitations of the original formulation, achieving high accuracy and good stability at analyzing dielectric objects at very low frequencies. These properties of the improved formulation are demonstrated through numerical results.
Outcomes of rotational atherectomy in complex lesions of the superficial femoral artery.

Abstract Background The effectiveness of rotational atherectomy in the treatment of complex superficial femoral artery (SFA) lesions remains poorly defined. Outcomes of SFA lesions treated with rotational atherectomy were analyzed. Methods This retrospective review assessed all patients who underwent rotational atherectomy of the SFA at a single institution between 2015 and 2018. The data of all patients were deidentified, and the study was approved by the Institutional Review Board. Informed consent was not obtained for this retrospective analysis. Main outcomes were Kaplan-Meier primary patency rate, freedom from major amputation, and 2-year survival rate. The effect of drug-coated balloon angioplasty (DCBA) on patency and time to death was investigated with univariate regression. The safety profile for atherectomy and DCBA was assessed by the 30-day incidence of major amputation and all-cause mortality. Results Fifty-three patients (mean age, 70.2 ± 9.8 years; 73% male; 65% critical limb-threatening ischemia; 47 [90%] current or former smokers; seven [13%] with prior failed ipsilateral endovascular intervention) underwent rotational atherectomy (Jetstream; Boston Scientific, Marlborough, Mass) with mean follow-up of 543 days. Forty-six (87%) patients underwent DCBA (Lutonix; BD Bard, Covington, Ga) after atherectomy. Mean lesion length was 13.2 ± 9.0 cm. Thirty-one (58%) lesions were TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus C or D class. At 1-month follow-up, 39 of 45 (87%) patients experienced improvement in symptoms and Rutherford class. An improvement in ankle-brachial index was also noted in 13% of patients without improvement of symptoms, with no patients progressing to surgical bypass or major amputation. Mean ankle-brachial index increased from 0.54 ± 0.035 to 0.90 ± 0.031 at 1 month after intervention (P Conclusions Rotational atherectomy with adjunctive DCBA of long SFA lesions has excellent long-term patency. Two-year major amputation and mortality rates are low, and the technique has an exceptional safety profile.
Species-level evaluation of the human respiratory microbiome.

Background Changes to human respiratory tract microbiome may contribute significantly to the progression of respiratory diseases. However, there are few studies examining the relative abundance of microbial communities at the species level along the human respiratory tract. Findings Bronchoalveolar lavage, throat swab, mouth rinse, and nasal swab samples were collected from 5 participants. Bacterial ribosomal operons were sequenced using the Oxford Nanopore MinION to determine the relative abundance of bacterial species in 4 compartments along the respiratory tract. More than 1.8 million raw operon reads were obtained from the participants with ∼600,000 rRNA reads passing quality assurance/quality control (70-95% identify; >1,200 bp alignment) by Discontiguous MegaBLAST against the EZ BioCloud 16S rRNA gene database. Nearly 3,600 bacterial species were detected overall (>750 bacterial species within the 5 dominant phyla: Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Fusobacteria. The relative abundance of bacterial species along the respiratory tract indicated that most microbes (95%) were being passively transported from outside into the lung. However, a small percentage ( Conclusions Most bacteria detected in lower respiratory samples do not seem to colonize the lung. However, >100 bacterial species were found to be enriched in bronchoalveolar lavage samples (compared to mouth/nose) and may play a substantial role in lung health.
Early Days of Phased Array Radars for Ballistic Missile Detection and Tracking

In the early 1960s, the United States initiated development of an anti-ballistic missile (ABM) system that could counter the threat of intercontinental ballistic missiles. ABM quickly focused on planar phased arrays because the challenges of active missile defense would demand radar beam agility, power aperture, and wide-angle sensing capability. Lincoln Laboratory formed a team to push the development of phased arrays for a variety of missions, with ABM as the mission where the technology requirements were most stressing. At the time the nation did not yet have the capacity to produce reliable lowcost components that would be needed for active arrays. The country did however, have high power tubes and parametric amplifiers that could be incorporated into a phased array radar. Using this technology, Bell Telephone Laboratory and its industry partners developed several ABM radar designs that culminated in the SAFEGUARD system. A SAFEGUARD research and development prototype was installed at the Kwajalein missile test site in the Pacific. Lincoln Laboratory supported the ABM radar measurements program at Kwajalein with a number of dish radars that shared technology and components with the SAFEGUARD phased arrays. This historical paper summarizes the development of the initial ABM phased array radars, discusses the technical challenges that were faced and overcome, and illustrates how these early efforts laid the foundation for the long-range radars we have today.
Cefepime-Induced Seizures: The Overlooked Outpatient Adverse Reaction

Cefepime is a 4th generation cephalosporin often used for its ability to cover gram-positives, gram negatives, anaerobic bacteria, and, most importantly, pseudomonas. Prior to initiation of cefepime, the medication is dosed based on the renal function to avoid a multitude of its toxicity profiles, including encephalopathy, aphasia, myoclonus, seizures, and nonconvulsive status epilepticus. These risks are increased in the presence of renal impairment. We present a case of a 65-year-old woman who had presented to the emergency department (ED) two weeks after initiation of outpatient IV cefepime therapy with concerns of altered mentation and decreased oral intake. In the ED, the patient was noted to have a creatinine: 5.77 (baseline of 0.76) and urea: 94. During evaluation by the ED provider, the patient was noted to have transient slurring of speech, speech arrest, and tonic-clonic movements on the right. CT of the head, followed by CT angiography of the head and neck, demonstrated no acute intracranial pathology. Spot EEG revealed generalized slowing with unclear left-sided epileptiform discharges. There was a concern for complex partial seizures. Neurology and nephrology were consulted. The patient was given 1 g of levetiracetam, and emergent dialysis was performed. After dialysis, no other epileptiform activity was noted with the improvement of her encephalopathy. The patient returned to her baseline mentation. Here we emphasize the importance of recognizing cefepime's toxicity profile while triaging patients. In the rare event of toxicity, immediate treatment is discontinuing the offending agent and initiation of emergent hemodialysis.
Stakeholder perspectives regarding pragmatic clinical trial collateral findings.

Context Pragmatic clinical trials (PCTs), which are becoming widespread since they are relatively inexpensive and offer important benefits for healthcare decision-making, can also present practical, ethical, and legal challenges. One such challenge involves managing "pragmatic clinical trial collateral findings" (PCT-CFs), or information emerging in a PCT that is unrelated to the primary research question(s), yet may have implications for individual patients, clinicians, or health care systems from whom or within which data were collected. The expansion of PCTs makes it likely healthcare systems will increasingly encounter PCT-CFs, yet little guidance exists regarding their appropriate management. Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders experienced in the conduct or oversight of PCTs and those in health system leadership. Interviews explored respondents' experience with PCTs and PCT-CFs, and actual or hypothetical reactions to PCT-CF management. We used standard methods of qualitative analysis to identify key themes. Findings Forty-one stakeholders participated. Four key themes emerged. First, discussions of PCT-CFs are complicated by layers of ambiguity related to both the nature of PCTs themselves, and unanticipated results that emanate from them. Second, management of PCT-CFs is context-specific, and not amenable to a "one-size-fits-all" approach. Third, there was a wide diversity of attitudes regarding the scope of researcher responsibilities in PCTs. Fourth, PCT-CFs had generally not been previously considered by respondents, but there was widespread belief in the importance of prospective planning to anticipate such issues in future PCTs. Conclusions PCT-CFs are likely to increase, yet those charged with PCT-CF decision-making and their disclosure are unlikely to have experience with these issues. Further deliberation about the ethical obligations and implementation processes regarding PCT-CFs is needed. To enhance the likelihood of developing sound policies and practices, such deliberations should include the input and perspectives of key stakeholders in PCTs, including professionals, policy makers, and patients.
Succession planning in nursing education.

Abstract Background Succession planning in nursing is a new concept with limited evidence found in nursing education. Purpose The purpose of this study was to provide a comprehensive summary of the descriptions of succession planning, as self-reported by administrators over an academic nursing division. Methods A qualitative descriptive methodology was utilized to obtain descriptions of succession planning from participants having personal experience with succession planning. Findings The categories discovered in the data included strategies for succession planning implementation, advantages of succession planning, and obstacles to succession planning. Discussion Succession planning can provide growth plans, leadership development, and mentoring programs allowing for positive relationships that cultivate, inspire, and assist faculty to develop the necessary skills to be successful in a leadership role. Succession planning requires adequate financial and human resources to develop potential leaders to meet the future needs of an organization, and ultimately, nursing education.
The anatomy of a phenological mismatch: interacting consumer demand and resource characteristics determine the consequences of mismatching

Abstract Climate change has caused shifts in seasonally recurring biological events and the temporal decoupling of consumer-resource pairs – i.e., phenological mismatching. Despite the hypothetical risk mismatching poses to consumers, they do not invariably lead to individual- or population-level effects. This may stem from how mismatches are typically defined, e.g., an individual or population is ‘matched’ or ‘mismatched’ based on the degree of asynchrony with a resource pulse. However, because both resource availability and consumer demands change over time, this categorical definition can obscure within- or among-individual fitness effects. We therefore developed models to identify the effects of resource characteristics on individual- and population-level processes and determine how the strength of these effects change throughout a consumer’s life. We then measured the effects of resource characteristics on the growth, daily survival, and fledging rates of Hudsonian godwit (Limosa haemastica) chicks hatched near Beluga River, Alaska. At the individual-level, chick growth and survival improved following periods of higher invertebrate abundance but were increasingly dependent on the availability of larger prey as chicks aged. At the population level, seasonal fledging rates were best explained by a model including age-structured consumer demand. Our study suggests that modelling the effects of mismatching as a disrupted interaction between consumers and their resources provides a biological mechanism for how mismatching occurs and clarifies when it matters to individuals and populations. Given the variable responses to mismatching across consumer populations, such tools for predicting how populations may respond under future climatic conditions will be invaluable.
Driving Native-like Zonal Enthesis Formation in Engineered Ligaments Using Mechanical Boundary Conditions and β-Tricalcium Phosphate

Fibrocartilaginous entheses are structurally complex tissues that translate load from elastic ligaments to stiff bone via complex zonal organization with gradients in organization, mineralization, and cell phenotype. Currently, these gradients, necessary for long-term mechanical function, are not recreated in soft tissue-to-bone healing or engineered replacements, leading to high failure rates. Previously, we developed a culture system which guides ligament fibroblasts to develop aligned native-sized collagen fibers using high density collagen gels and mechanical boundary conditions. These constructs hold great promise as ligament replacements, however functional ligament-to-bone attachments, or entheses, are required for long-term function in vivo. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of compressive mechanical boundary conditions and the addition of beta tricalcium phosphate ({beta}TCP), a known osteoconductive agent, on the development of zonal ligament-to-bone entheses. We found that compressive boundary clamps, that restrict cellular contraction and produce a zonal tensile-compressive environment, guide ligament fibroblasts to produce 3 unique zones of collagen organization, and zonal accumulation of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), type II and type X collagen by 6 weeks of culture, ultimately resulting in similar organization and composition as immature bovine entheses. Further, {beta}TCP under the clamp enhanced the maturation of these entheses, leading to increased GAG accumulation, sheet-like mineralization, and significantly improved tensile moduli, suggesting the initiation of endochondral ossification. This culture system produced some of the most organized entheses to date, closely mirroring early postnatal enthesis development, and provides an in vitro platform to better understand the cues that drive enthesis maturation in vivo.
Is Iowa Code §657A.10A A Regulatory Step Too Far Under Federal Takings Law?

This paper was prepared for publication in 104 Iowa L. Rev. ___ (2019). The paper analyzes a 2017 Iowa Supreme Court decision, Eagle Grove v. Cahalan Investments, LLC. In this case the Iowa Court unanimously upheld the City’s confiscation of the title to two city lots owned by Cahalans on which there were run down houses the City claimed were public nuisances. Under Iowa Code Section 657A.10A the City was authorized to go to court to have Cahalans’ lots declared “abandoned public nuisances.” If the court so ruled, the City was then entitled to have the court transfer ownership of the two lots from the Cahalans to the City, without the City having to pay any compensation, just or otherwise. To justify approving this harsh result, the Iowa Court cited the 1972 U.S. Supreme Court case, Lucas v. the South Carolina Coastal Commission. The Lucas case created new federal “takings” law in two respects. First, it held that a regulation that totally removed all economic or productive value from a private owner’s land without compensation was a per se taking. Second, it created an exception to this new “categorical” taking rule in the case where background principles of a state’s property or nuisance law already prevented the land owner from using the land in the way the new regulation forbid. In such a case, the Court reasoned there was no taking because the new regulation just duplicated the existing state law and the land owner had lost nothing. The Iowa Supreme Court seized upon what I dub this “Lucas Exception” to rule that this new Iowa statute as applied to Cahalans’ lots did not result in a taking because the public nuisances on the lots were already subject to abatement by neighbors or public officials. My paper argues that the Iowa Court seriously misunderstood the strict limits of the Lucas Exception, which was expressly restricted to background common law principles. The Iowa Court therefore totally misapplied the Lucas Exception to find no taking on the facts of the case. I argue that the reading the Iowa Court gave the Lucas Exception eviscerates the first holding of the Lucas case regarding per se takings, contrary to the clear directions provided in the majority opinion for applying the exception. A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision applying the 8th amendment ban on excessive fines to the states further erodes the legitimacy of the Eagle Grove ruling. I claim that if the case had reached the U.S. Supreme Court it would have been quickly reversed, and therefore either the Iowa Supreme Court should reconsider its ruling or the Iowa General Assembly should weigh in with an amendment limiting the force of 657A.10A.
Political Homophily and Collaboration in Regional Planning Networks

We study the extent of political homophily—the tendency to form connections with others who are politically similar—in local governments’ decisions to participate in an important form of intergovernmental collaboration: regional planning networks. Using data from a recent survey of California planners and government officials, we develop and test hypotheses about the factors that lead local governments to collaborate within regional planning networks. We find that local governments whose constituents are similar politically, in terms of partisanship and voting behavior, are more likely to collaborate with one another in regional planning efforts than those whose constituents are politically diverse. We conclude that political homophily reduces the transaction costs associated with institutional collective action, even in settings where we expect political considerations to be minimal.
Glucose and oxygen metabolism in normally oxygenated and spontaneously hypoxemic fetal lambs.

Abstract Whole blood glucose and oxygen concentration were measured in chronically catheterized fetal lambs, some of whom had implanted common umbilical artery flow transducers. Ten of the fetuses were well oxygenated (femoral arterial Pa O 2 ≥ 18 torr) and 13 fetuses had evidence of chronic hypoxemia (femoral arterial Pa O 2
War and Social Movements

In his scientific production, Charles Tilly broke new ground in two major areas: the study of war and state-building and the study of contentious politics and social movements. Many scholars followed him and elaborated on each of these strands, but few—including Tilly—attempted to link them together. Both in the historical war and state-building and in recent “new wars,” social movements—and contentious politics in general—play a vigorous but a poorly understood role. Drawing on Tilly's insights, this essay sets out five general hypotheses relating contention to war making and illustrates them with evidence from three historical episodes from French, American, and Italian history, and from the recent experience of the “global war on terror.” Keywords: war; state-building; social movements; contentious politics; Charles Tilly
Impact of Information Systems on Acute Care Hospitals: Results from a Survey in the United States

These results are from a survey of acute care hospitals in the United States. A random sample of 813 hospitals was selected with 115 responding and 33 incorrect addresses resulting in a 15% response rate. The purpose of the study was to measure the impact and future potential of information systems integration in the financial, medical, and administrative systems of the hospitals. Impact of Information Systems is measured in many ways. Questions about employee moral, reductions in employees, goals being met and overall satisfaction with the systems are asked and results analyzed. This information will provide a benchmark for hospitals to determine their information systems position and technology transfer planning. These analyses will lead to setting goals.
3-D Modeling of Diesel Engine Intake Flow, Combustion and Emissions.

Manufacturers of heavy-duty diesel engines are facing increasingly stringent emission standards. These standards have motivated new research efforts towards improving the performance of diesel engines. The objective of the present program is to develop a comprehensive analytical model of the diesel combustion process that can be used to explore the influence of design changes. This will enable industry to predict the effect of these changes on engine performance and emissions. A major benefit of the successful implementation of such models is that engine development time and costs would be reduced through their use. The computer model is based on the three- dimensional KIVA- II code, with state-of-the-art submodels for spray atomization, drop breakup/coalescence, multi-component fuel vaporization, spray/wall interaction, ignition and combustion, wall heat transfer, unburned HC and NOx formation, and soot and radiation. For the covering abstract of the proceedings see IRRD 853538.
Effects of colchicine on spermiogenesis in the mouse.

The effects of colchicine on spermiogenesis in the mouse were examined. Mice were injected intratesticularly with colchicine in concentrations of 10−4m to 10−6m for various periods of time. The ultrastructure of the testes was examined and abnormal sperm in the epididymis were scored. Colchicine degraded microtubules in the testis and the treatment caused abnormalities of the head and acrosome of testicular spermatids and also resulted in an increase on the number of epididymal sperm showing abnormal head structure by 5 days after treatment of the testes. These results suggest that structurally intact microtubules are essential for the normal morphogenetic processes of spermiogenesis.
Statistical prediction of the type of gastric aspiration lung injury based on early cytokine/chemokine profiles.

Background:Unwitnessed gastric aspiration can be a diagnostic dilemma, and early discrimination of different forms may help to identify individuals with increased risk of development of severe clinical acute lung injury or acute respiratory distress syndrome. The authors hypothesized that inflammato
Evaluation of the maternal–fetal transfer of granisetron in an ex vivo placenta perfusion model

The objective of this study was to estimate maternal-fetal transplacental passage of granisetron in an ex vivo placental perfusion model. Term human placentas (N=8) were collected immediately after delivery. A single cotyledon from each placenta was perfused granisetron concentration to mimic systemic maternal peak plasma concentrations following either IV (50ng/mL) or transdermal administration (5ng/mL). To assess drug transfer and accumulation, samples were collected from maternal and fetal compartments. In the 50ng/mL open model, the mean transport fraction was 0.21±0.08 with clearance index of 0.53±0.66. Fetal peak concentrations achieved was 5.6±6.6ng/mL with mean accumulation of 5.35±6.4ng/mL. No drug was detected in the fetal compartment with the 5ng/mL models. Transplacental passage of granisetron was inconsistent at the 50ng/mL concentration that achieved with IV dosing. However, there consistently was no detectable passage in all the placentas evaluated of the granisetron at 5ng/mL concentration that would be achieved after transdermal patch administration.
Size-biased distributions in the generalized beta distribution family, with applications to forestry

Size-biased distributions arise in many forestry applications, as well as other environmental, econometric, and biomedical sampling problems. We examine the size-biased versions of the generalized beta of the first kind, generalized beta of the second kind and generalized gamma distributions. These distributions include, as special cases, the Dagum (Burr Type III), Singh-Maddala (Burr Type XII) and Fisk distributions as well as better-studied distributions such as the Weibull, lognormal, beta (of the first and second kind), gamma and exponential. Our results indicate that specification and estimation of the size-biased forms of these distributions can be viewed within a unified framework. This should facilitate broader application of size-biased distributions in forestry sampling, modeling and analysis.
The preparation of animal samples incurred with residues: CRMs for veterinary drugs and the BCR programme

The BCR Programme of the Commission of the European Communities has undertaken an extensive series of projects designed to support the implementation of Community policy concerning the use of veterinary drugs in farm animals and the monitoring of their residues. This paper summarizes the materials under preparation and the general approach to preparation and the testing of homogeneity and stability of reference materials.