cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
True Confessions: WikiLeaks, Contested Truths, and Narrative Containment

In the dog days of summer 2012, the British newspaper The Guardian published a collection of statements entitled “Who Is Julian Assange? By the People Who Know Him Best.” And, indeed, people ranging from his mother and school chums to editors and activist-colleagues weighed in, recalling their interactions with him and providing anecdotes and insights. The Guardian’s editors, like the reporters in Citizen Kane, presumably hoped that the parts would add up to a whole. Interest in Assange has been unrelenting and has largely overshadowed the documents that WikiLeaks released. In a spiral of synechdocal reference, WikiLeaks had become Assange, and Assange had become the story. Although one might chalk this up to the mass news organizations’ predilection for personality, or to the tabloidization of culture, or to Assange’s own attempts at self-promotion, the question of “Who is Julian Assange?” in light of WikiLeaks’ controversial work and, in particular, its 2010 and 2011 release of confidential U.S. military and diplomatic documents, seems a very odd one. The shocking nature of some of the released documents together with the systematic transgressions and duplicity they revealed on the part of the U.S. government seemed to offer far more compelling stories—and for a while, they competed with Assange’s narrative for media attention. Indisputable evidence documented the sordid side of ongoing affairs of state, from diplomacy to espionage to war. Whether inscribed as realpolitik, incompetence, or malfeasance, the leaks offered a historically unparalleled look at (among other things) the behind-thescenes operations of the U.S. government. But somehow, through it all, Assange’s name kept reemerging in the headlines.
Examining electronic resource access policies for unaffiliated patrons at ARL libraries

This study investigates the posted policies of publicly funded Association of Research Libraries (ARL) to determine if and how they moderate unaffiliated users’ access to their digital collections. It uses the lens of print collections to illustrate how unaffiliated users access has evolved in reaction to electronic resources. The majority of policies examined allow unaffiliated users’ to access electronic resources but use a variety of methods to moderate and control how unaffiliated patrons can access these resources. The four most common methods of moderating access are: content, affiliation, time limits, and authentication. This research has significance for other libraries attempting to craft their own policies.
The Theory of Esoteric Law

This is the penultimate draft of a review (to appear in the JOURNAL OF LEGAL EDUCATION) of Ronald Dworkin's latest collection of essays, JUSTICE IN ROBES (Harvard University Press, 2006), and Scott Hershovitz (ed.), EXPLORING LAW'S EMPIRE (Oxford University Press, 2006).
The Future of Global Security Studies

If the field of Global Security Studies is approaching a rather messy and yet stratified crossroads, the Journal of Global Security Studies (JoGSS) aims to direct traffic flows at that intersection toward more meaningful destinations. Doing so effectively will mean thinking broadly about the field and our conduct of inquiry, even as we establish new ways of bounding our topic and mobilizing a community of scholars to follow suit. In reflecting on the journal theme, I’ll develop this argument by unpacking and reflecting on each of the terminologies in its title and suggesting some propositions about how they might be repackaged. The “future of global security studies,” I argue, will be determined by whether and how we instantiate a renaissance in thinking about studies, security, globality, and the future. Study is scholarship: it is scholars who constitute this field. Who are we? How do we identify ourselves and against whom? How do we cluster, where do we network, and whom do we cite? The answers to these questions tell us something about which ideas about “security studies” anchor us as a community of practice and why. In the past, security studies was a community of somewhat disparate sub-communities, fractured by substantive emphases on (say) great power politics or human security or arms control. As Ashley Leeds notes in her Research Innovation in this issue, these sub-communities exist not only in the International Security Studies section’s contributions to the ISA’s Compendium project, but stretch into many parts of the ISA. We see this in themes used by different sections, in new books and who reviews them, in forums and points of debate. Part of the journal’s mission is to bring them under a big tent and get them talking to one another. I suspect security studies scholars will need to begin …
234 Characterisation of Work Tasks and Exposures to Cleaning and Disinfecting Chemicals in Healthcare Occupations

Objectives Cleaning and disinfecting products have been identified as important risk factors for asthma, and are used extensively in healthcare; however, quantitative measurements of these etiologic agents are not well characterized. The objective of this study was to characterize personal exposure to cleaning and disinfecting compounds and quantify the frequency and duration of cleaning tasks performed in healthcare occupations. Methods Exposure assessments were conducted for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at 5 hospitals targeting 13 healthcare occupations. A wide range of specific VOCs (n = 15) were quantified and an additional 97 VOCs were identified but not quantified. Results The geometric mean (GM) concentrations for total VOCs were highest among nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses and medical equipment preparers (GM range: 4367–3809 ppb), followed by respiratory therapists, pharmacy technicians, registered nurses, floor strippers/waxers, dental assistants and housekeepers (GM range: 2119–1501 ppb); the geometric standard deviations (GSD) varied from 1.8 to 7.5 across occupations. The GM and GSD of specific VOCs were also variable across occupations. The average amount of time per day spent on cleaning tasks using cleaning and disinfecting products also varied by occupation with medical equipment preparers, housekeepers, floor strippers/waxers and licensed practical nurses spending the most time (range: 165–110 minutes/day), followed by endoscopy technicians and dental assistants (range: 70–60 minutes/day); the remaining occupations spent on average Conclusions The chemical agents, levels of total and specific VOCs, and cleaning-task durations varied between- and within-occupations indicating that task may be an important exposure determinant.
A Pilot Study of Adaptive Brain Gaming in Cognitively Impaired Older Adults (P6.215)

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of an adaptive, mobile gaming engine on cognition in patients with mild cognitive impairment due to cerebrovascular disease (Vascular-MCI) and Parkinson’s disease (PD-MCI), plus age-matched controls. BACKGROUND: Cognitive training programs are widely available, yet there is little empirical evidence supporting their efficacy. We evaluated an adaptive gaming engine designed to reduce cognitive interference, a core problem underlying decline in multiple top-level cognitive skills. Since deficits in interference processing and working memory are widely reported in Vascular-MCI and PD-MCI patients, we hypothesized that this training approach would be appropriate for these clinical populations. METHODS: Participants were 10 patients with Vascular-MCI (mean age=77.2) with documented lacunes or extensive white matter lesions on MRI, 12 patients with PD-MCI (mean age=68.0) meeting Litvan (2012) criteria, and 5 controls (mean age=73.2). Over 4 weeks, participants engaged with an adaptive, mobile gaming engine for 5 days/week for 30 minutes/day. Outcome measures were NIH EXAMINER: Processing Speed, Working Memory, Cognitive Control, and Executive Composite, and delayed recall of the California Verbal Learning Test-II-SF. RESULTS: Paired-samples t-tests for the entire sample showed significant post-training improvements in Processing Speed (p<0.01), Working Memory (p<0.05), and Executive Composite (p<0.05) scores. No significant improvements were found for Cognitive Control or delayed recall. Sub-analyses within each study population showed significant improvements in Working Memory (p<0.01) and the Executive Composite (p<0.05) scores for PD-MCI, but not Vascular-MCI or controls. CONCLUSIONS: Enhancement of processing speed and working memory but not episodic memory was associated with 4 weeks of cognitive training with a mobile gaming device. Improvements were most prominent in the PD-MCI group. While these pilot data cannot rule out the possible contribution of practice effects, the fact that improvement was seen in only one of three groups suggests otherwise. These results support further research using a double-blind, placebo-control paradigm. Disclosure: Dr. Stiver has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wynn has nothing to disclose. Dr. Pressman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Dutt has nothing to disclose. Dr. Dutt has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kramer has nothing to disclose.
Selenium and Glutathione Peroxidase in Mothers Experiencing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

The relationship of selenium to the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has been evaluated only summarily. Findings in the animal studies done by Money1 led him to suggest that selenium deficiency could be a causative factor in reported human cases. A study by Rhead et al.2 failed to support this contention when whole blood selenium levels were evaluated in 12 SIDS cases and compared to 4 control infants. Rhead’s report has been cited as evidence refuting selenium’s role in SIDS. We feel, nonetheless, that this small number of observations weakens the rebuttal of Money’s hypothesis.
The Primary Educational Value of MOOCs

The New York Times declared 2012 ‘The Year of the MOOC’; 2013 was the year of the rebound – when criticisms mounted and the MOOC hype balloon burst. Critics claimed that MOOCs were worthless both in narrowly educational terms and as credentials for the job market. This chapter examines four educational criticisms of MOOCs: that (1) MOOCs have low completion rates, (2) MOOCs cannot replace essential teaching functions, (3) MOOCs are isolating while good learning situations are social and (4) at their best, MOOCs merely reproduce the widely rejected top-down methods of conventional college courses. Selected examples of cutting-edge MOOCs are then examined to show how, and why, these early critiques can no longer in general be sustained.
Association of a rare NOTCH4 coding variant with systemic sclerosis: a family-based whole exome sequencing study

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rheumatologic disease with a multifactorial etiology. Genome-wide association studies imply a polygenic, complex mode of inheritance with contributions from variation at the human leukocyte antigen locus and non-coding variation at a locus on chromosome 6p21, among other modestly impactful loci. Here we describe an 8-year-old female proband presenting with diffuse cutaneous SSc/scleroderma and a family history of SSc in a grandfather and maternal aunt. We employed whole exome sequencing (WES) of three members of this family. We examined rare missense, nonsense, splice-altering, and coding indels matching an autosomal dominant inheritance model. We selected one missense variant for Sanger sequencing confirmation based on its predicted impact on gene function and location in a known SSc genetic locus. Bioinformatic analysis found eight candidate variants meeting our criteria. We identified a very rare missense variant in the regulatory NODP domain of NOTCH4 located at the 6p21 locus, c.4245G > A:p.Met1415Ile, segregating with the phenotype. This allele has a frequency of 1.83 × 10−5 by the data of the Exome Aggregation Consortium. This family suggests a novel mechanism of SSc pathogenesis in which a rare and penetrant coding variation can substantially elevate disease risk in contrast to the more modest non-coding variation typically found at this locus. These results suggest that modulation of the NOTCH4 gene might be responsible for the association signal at chromosome 6p21 in SSc.
Multilaboratory Survey To Evaluate Salmonella Prevalence in Diarrheic and Nondiarrheic Dogs and Cats in the United States between 2012 and 2014

Eleven laboratories collaborated to determine the periodic prevalence of Salmonella in a population of dogs and cats in the United States visiting veterinary clinics. Fecal samples (2,965) solicited from 11 geographically dispersed veterinary testing laboratories were collected in 36 states between January 2012 and April 2014 and tested using a harmonized method. The overall study prevalence of Salmonella in cats (3 of 542) was <1%. The prevalence in dogs (60 of 2,422) was 2.5%. Diarrhea was present in only 55% of positive dogs; however, 3.8% of the all diarrheic dogs were positive, compared with 1.8% of the nondiarrheic dogs. Salmonella-positive dogs were significantly more likely to have consumed raw food (P = 0.01), to have consumed probiotics (P = 0.002), or to have been given antibiotics (P = 0.01). Rural dogs were also more likely to be Salmonella positive than urban (P = 0.002) or suburban (P = 0.001) dogs. In the 67 isolates, 27 unique serovars were identified, with three dogs having two serovars present. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of 66 isolates revealed that only four of the isolates were resistant to one or more antibiotics. Additional characterization of the 66 isolates was done using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Sequence data compared well to resistance phenotypic data and were submitted to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). This study suggests an overall decline in prevalence of Salmonella-positive dogs and cats over the last decades and identifies consumption of raw food as a major risk factor for Salmonella infection. Of note is that almost half of the Salmonella-positive animals were clinically nondiarrheic.
Systems approach to uncover signaling networks in primary immunodeficiency diseases.

This broad, unbiased approach of studying signaling across all circulating immune cells in healthy subjects allowed identification of disrupted signaling networks in patients with primary immunodeficiencies.
DLP1-dependent mitochondrial fragmentation mediates heat shock-induced injury in mouse C2C12 skeletal muscle cells

Mitochondria regulate cell survival and coordinate cell-wide stress responses by constantly changing their shapes to alterations in energy demands and/or environmental stimuli. In this study, we in...
A Mediterranean-type diet reduced mortality in patients with a first MI

Source Citation de Lorgeril M, Salen P, Martin JL, et al. Mediterranean dietary pattern in a randomized trial: prolonged survival and possible reduced cancer rate. Arch Intern Med. 1998 Jun 8;158:1...
Intrathecal Morphine and Oral Analgesics Provide Safe and Effective Pain Control After Posterior Spinal Fusion for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

Study Design.Retrospective comparative study.Objective.The aim of this study was to demonstrate that intrathecal morphine (ITM) and oral analgesics provide effective pain control after posterior spinal fusion (PSF) for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), and this protocol has a low complication r
Role of TGF-β in Immune Suppression and Inflammation

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) a family of cytokines ubiquitously produced and responded to by almost all cells, plays critical roles in the regulation of immune responses in the physiological as well as pathological settings. While traditionally considered an immunologically “non-specific” regulatory cytokine influencing the phenotype and function of innate and adaptive immune cells, TGF-β has been recently uncovered to “specifically” reprogram naive CD4+ T cells to certain T cell lineages. In this regard, TGF-β is found to serve as a “master switch” in programming naive CD4+ T lymphocytes into either Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Treg cells) or Th17 pro-inflammatory effector cells in the context of T cell receptor engagement and respective cytokine milieu. With continuous expansion of our knowledge of TGF-β regulation of immune responses, it is imperative to understand the common and individual molecular mechanisms by which TGF-β signals in immune cells. It is also important to explore the pathways to apply the basic concept to the development of immunotherapy in experimental, and ultimately clinical, settings. In this chapter, we will highlight key findings on how TGF-β influences the innate and adaptive immune systems, with focus on recent progress concerning TGF-β regulation of T cell differentiation/function, and discuss the link between TGF-β regulation of immune responses and pathogenesis of autoimmunity, chronic inflammation and cancer.
Beyond Fear and Ambition: Adventures with Peter Augustine Lawler

Just after Peter Lawler published Modern and American Dignity, I assigned it to the students in my senior seminar at Pomona College. I thought it would be the perfect way to start a semester of the...
Glycoside hydrolase gene transcription by Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius during growth on wheat arabinoxylan and monosaccharides: a proposed xylan hydrolysis mechanism

Metabolism of carbon bound in wheat arabinoxylan (WAX) polysaccharides by bacteria requires a number of glycoside hydrolases active toward different bonds between sugars and other molecules. Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius is a Gram-positive thermoacidophilic bacterium capable of growth on a variety of mono-, di-, oligo-, and polysaccharides. Nineteen proposed glycoside hydrolases have been annotated in the A. acidocaldarius Type Strain ATCC27009/DSM 446 genome. Experiments were performed to understand the effect of monosaccharides on gene expression during growth on the polysaccharide, WAX. Molecular analysis using high-density oligonucleotide microarrays was performed on A. acidocaldarius strain ATCC27009 when growing on WAX. When a culture growing exponentially at the expense of arabinoxylan saccharides was challenged with glucose or xylose, most glycoside hydrolases were downregulated. Interestingly, regulation was more intense when xylose was added to the culture than when glucose was added, showing a clear departure from classical carbon catabolite repression demonstrated by many Gram-positive bacteria. In silico analyses of the regulated glycoside hydrolases, along with the results from the microarray analyses, yielded a potential mechanism for arabinoxylan metabolism by A. acidocaldarius. Glycoside hydrolases expressed by this strain may have broad substrate specificity, and initial hydrolysis is catalyzed by an extracellular xylanase, while subsequent steps are likely performed inside the growing cell. Glycoside hydrolases, for the most part, appear to be found in clusters, throughout the A. acidocaldarius genome. Not all of the glycoside hydrolase genes found at loci within these clusters were regulated during the experiment, indicating that a specific subset of the 19 glycoside hydrolase genes found in A. acidocaldarius were used during metabolism of WAX. While specific functions of the glycoside hydrolases were not tested as part of the research discussed, many of the glycoside hydrolases found in the A. acidocaldarius Type Strain appear to have a broader substrate range than that represented by the glycoside hydrolase family in which the enzymes were categorized.
Cohesin interacts with a panoply of splicing factors required for cell cycle progression and genomic organization

The cohesin complex regulates sister chromatid cohesion, chromosome organization, gene expression, and DNA repair. Here we report that endogenous human cohesin interacts with a panoply of splicing factors and RNA binding proteins, including diverse components of the U4/U6.U5 tri-snRNP complex and several splicing factors that are commonly mutated in cancer. The interactions are enhanced during mitosis, and the interacting splicing factors and RNA binding proteins follow the cohesin cycle and prophase pathway of regulated interactions with chromatin. Depletion of cohesin-interacting splicing factors results in stereotyped cell cycle arrests and alterations in genomic organization. These data support the hypothesis that splicing factors and RNA binding proteins control cell cycle progression and genomic organization via regulated interactions with cohesin and chromatin.
When to Discontinue Home Care: The Caregiving Family’s Dilemma

The majority of persons with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) live at home and receive care from a relative or friend. There are little epidemiological data about these caregivers, but certain conclusions can be drawn from general data on the elderly population. For example, the literature shows: Families care for at least as many disabled elderly as are being cared for in institutions (Brody et al., 1978). Families provide emotional support---the form of family help most cherished by the elderly (Shanas, 1979). Families provide more than 80% of needed financial and other help for community based elderly (Comptroller General, 1977). Families use formal support resources, such as home care aides and day care, to extend home care, thus delaying nursing home placement (Horowitz, 1985). Families do not dump their elderly into nursing homes. Most often, institutional placement is preceded by prolonged, exhausting efforts to keep members in the community (Brody, 1969).
Potash Sales and Marketing

The estimated world’s potash production between the period 1970–1991 is listed in Table 9–1. Many of the individual country estimates must be considered as quite uncertain because of the lack of detailed reporting data, or perhaps due to being inflated for political reasons. However, the general trends are probably quite valid. Figure 9–1 shows a plot of this production from 1962–1991, indicating a rapid increase through the 1960’s to the mid-1970’s, and then very slow continued growth. With the break-up of the Iron Curtain countries the Eastern Block consumption and production has dropped dramatically, and a simultaneous general worldwide recession has caused a reduction in production from 1988–1993. The annual growth rate had been 5.7% from 1962–1978, and 2% from 1978–1988. For the entire period 1962–1991 the average increase in production was 3.1%/yr. Prior to the first period most of the world’s potash came from Germany, France, or United States plants, and there was not a large export movement. However, during the 1960’s and early 1970’s the very large Canadian and Russian mines opened, and they developed extensive new markets. Russia and the Eastern Block became essentially the total consumers of the greatly increased supply of USSR and East German potash. The new Canadian mines largely developed the Asian and (with others) the Brazilian markets, thus utilizing much of their capacity.
Limitations of Electrophysiologic Techniques in Defining Myocardial Infarct Size

Electrophysiologists are usually more concerned with the heart’s ability to generate action potentials than its ability to be an efficient pump. Of course, even electrophysiologists have to admit that the primary function of the heart is to be an efficient dependable blood pump. It has been known for many years that electrical activity of the heart can appear reasonably normal at a time when the contractability of the art is rapidly deteriorating. In order for the heart to be an efficient pump, it is necessary that the cardiac cells be activated in their normal, orderly sequence of activation during each cardiac cycle and that each cardiac cell is capable of delivering its share towards mechanical contractility. At the time of a myocardial infarction, determining the size of the myocardial infarct, as well as being able to measure any subsequent changes in size of the infarct is necessary both to permit optimal treatment of the patient as well as to determine whether various treatments are actually increasing the number and improving the function of cardiac cells that are saved from cell death.
Interplay of Surface Recombination and Diode Geometry for the Performance of Axial p–i–n Nanowire Solar Cells

Nanowires (NWs) with axial p–i–n junctions have been widely explored as microscopic diodes for optoelectronic and solar energy applications, and their performance is strongly influenced by charge recombination at the surface. We delineate how the photovoltaic performance of these diodes is dictated not only by the surface but also by the complex and seemingly counterintuitive interplay of diode geometry, that is, radius (R) and intrinsic length (Li), with the surface recombination velocity (S). An analytical model to describe these relationships is developed and compared to finite-element simulations, which verify the accuracy and limitations of the model. The dependence of the dark saturation current (I0), internal quantum efficiency (IQE), short-circuit current (ISC), and open-circuit voltage (VOC) on both geometric and recombination parameters demonstrates that no single set of parameters produces optimal performance; instead, various trade-offs in performance are observed. For instance, longer Li migh...
Enhancing contrast to noise ratio of hippocampi affected with mesial temporal sclerosis: A case-control study in children undergoing epilepsy surgeries.

Abstract Objective Detection of mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS) in children with epilepsy is important. We assessed whether an image-processing algorithm (Correlative Image Enhancement, CIE) could facilitate recognition of hippocampal signal abnormality in the presence of MTS by increasing contrast to noise ratio between affected hippocampus and normal gray matter. Patients and Methods: Baseline coronal FLAIR images from brain MRIs of 27 children with epilepsy who underwent hippocampal resection were processed using CIE. These included 19 hippocampi with biopsy proven MTS and 8 biopsy proven normal hippocampi resected in conjunction with hemispherotomy. We assessed the effect of processing on contrast to noise ratio (CNR) between hippocampus and normal insular gray matter, and on assessment of hippocampal signal abnormality by two masked neuroradiologists. Results Processing resulted in a significant increase in mean CNR (from 3.9 ± 5.3 to 25.3 ± 25.8; P 100%) increase from baseline seen in 15/19 (78.9%) cases. Baseline CNR of 1.7 ± 5.3 for normal hippocampi did not change significantly after processing (1.8 ± 5.3; P = 1.00). For one reader, baseline sensitivity (14/19; 73.6%) was unaffected but the specificity improved from 62.5% (5/8) to 100%. An increase in both sensitivity (from 73.6% to 78.9%) and specificity (from 62.5% to 75%) was seen for the second reader. Conclusion By enhancing CNR for diseased hippocampi while leaving normal hippocampi relatively unaffected, CIE may improve the diagnostic accuracies of radiologists in detecting MTS-related signal alteration within the affected hippocampus.
Genetic characterization of medullary thyroid cancer in childhood survivors of the Chernobyl accident.

Abstract Background Radiation-associated fusion oncogenes play a direct role in papillary thyroid cancer development and pathogenic fusions have recently been reported in medullary thyroid cancer. To date, no studies have evaluated oncogenic events in medullary thyroid cancer in a radiation-exposed population. Methods Somatic and germline alterations, including RET fusions, were evaluated in paired medullary thyroid cancer tumor and normal samples from the Chernobyl Tissue Bank, a heavily screened population affected by the Chernobyl disaster. Results Tissue was available for 49 individuals. The median age of diagnosis was 26 years (range 9 to 43 years); 16 were radiation-exposed at a median age of 6 (range 2 days to 17 years). A total of 21 patients harbored germline RET mutations (codons 634[13], 918[5], 790[1], 609[1], and 620[1]); 4 had family history. Sporadic medullary thyroid cancer was identified in 27 patients (RET[18], KRAS[1], RET+KRAS[1], TP53[1], wild type [6]), with 1 RET fusion (1/49;2%). The age at operation for patients with hereditary medullary thyroid cancer was not different than sporadic medullary thyroid cancer (23.5 vs 28 years, P = .063). In sporadic medullary thyroid cancer, radiation was not associated with a difference in age at operation, tumor size, or tumor stage (P > .05). Conclusion In a heavily screened cohort, genetic analysis revealed germline RET mutations in previously unrecognized probands and a remarkable number of sporadic medullary thyroid cancer cases with a young age at presentation.
Gender, household food security, and dietary diversity in western Honduras

Abstract There is a growing body of evidence on the correlation between women’s empowerment and nutritional and other development goals. To date, little of this research has focused on Latin America, where women’s disempowerment, poverty and food insecurity are generally less severe. In western Honduras, however, more than two-thirds of women are disempowered and lack adequate dietary diversity, and nearly half of children are stunted. We surveyed 953 individuals in 562 households to identify association between aspects of women’s empowerment and food security and dietary diversity. Those who live in households where women have access to credit or control over income have a somewhat more diverse diet, and those with women’s access to credit are also less likely to experience moderate to severe food insecurity.
Reasons for non-medical use of prescription opioids among young adults: Role of educational status.

Abstract Non-medical use of prescription opioids (NMUPO) and related overdoses are disproportionately elevated among young adults. Efforts to understand the underlying reasons for NMUPO are critical for developing more effective prevention and intervention strategies for this group. Given the robust literature on the association between educational status and substance abuse risk, we examined the reasons for NMUPO through the lens of educational attainment among young adults. Data from the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health came from an unweighted sample of 941 young adults aged 18–25 years who reported past-year NMUPO. Self-reported reasons for most recent NMUPO were compared by educational status. The most commonly-endorsed reasons for past-year NMUPO was physical pain relief (47.6%), followed by feel good/get high (19.8%), relax/relieve tension (13.2%) and experiment/see what it feels like (6.8%). Reasons for NMUPO did not differ as a function educational status (p = 0.17). These findings suggest that efforts to prevent and address opioid misuse among young adults should focus on understanding and improving pain management in this vulnerable population.
Changes in Brain Accumulation of Amino Acids and Adenine Associated with Changes in the Physiologic State

Publisher Summary The observation that certain aniline dyes stained all tissues rapidly when injected into the blood stream, except the brain, was undoubtedly the first step in the creation of a concept of a blood–brain barrier. Experiments on the uptake of triiodothyronine in brain compared with muscle, effect of exercise on the accumulation of leucine by neurons, effect of neuron regeneration, amino acid uptake into grey matter and neurons as influenced by thyroid state are mentioned in this chapter. As a conclusion, chapter puts forward that some mechanism exists in the brain which appears to restrict entry of many compounds, as compared with other tissues. A variety of anatomical, physiological and biochemical explanations have been introduced to describe this phenomenon in this chapter.
Associations between driving under the influence or riding with an impaired driver and future substance use among adolescents

AbstractObjective: Risky driving behaviors among adolescents, such as riding with a drinking or impaired driver (RWID) or driving while under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs, are significan...
Platelet alloantibody detection: moving ahead.

In this issue of Blood, Zhang et al expand on a previous study that described the detection of antibodies against human platelet alloantigens by using gene-edited stem cell–derived target cells.
IGBT Applications: Consumer

Insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) are used in many household appliances. The IGBT-based circuits for large applications such as air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, microwave ovens, induction cooktops, and dishwashers are described. The control of small appliances such as rice cookers, blenders, juice makers, mixers, food processors, and vacuum cleaners using IGBTs is discussed. The use of IGBTs in television sets with cathode ray tubes and plasma panels is described.
Microbial Contribution to Iodine Speciation in Hanford's Central Plateau Groundwater: Iodide Oxidation

A waste product from plutonium production at Hanford, the radioisotope iodine-129 (129I), is an environmental concern due to its long half-life, mobility, and hazardous potential to humans through bioaccumulation in the thyroid gland. Consequently, understanding the biological mechanisms and contributors to iodine speciation is important in order to increase our knowledge of iodine mobility and the overall risk to human health and the environment, and to evaluate remediation strategies for contaminated areas, as current remediation methods are insufficient and unsustainable. Although iodide (I-) is thermodynamically favored in the geological support material based on existing pH and Eh ranges at the Hanford Site, the dominant species of iodine found in groundwater and the vadose zone is iodate (IO3-). While microbial activity has been shown to catalyze the oxidation of I- to IO3-, this process has not been demonstrated by naturally occurring microbes found in the subsurface at the Hanford Site. Four microbial isolates enriched from Hanford groundwater were shown to oxidize I- to molecular iodine (I2) when grown on sugars and organic acids. Glucose proved to be the best substrate for growth, enzyme production, and I- oxidation. Multi-copper oxidases, such as laccase, have been shown to oxidize I-, and were produced during growth on glucose, xylose, and lactate. These results indicate that bacteria may play a significant role in groundwater iodine speciation (dominated by IO3-), as this form is not thermodynamically favorable and would not exist without transformation.
Virtual Reality Platform for Systematic Investigation of Multisensory Integration and Training of Closed-Loop Prosthetic Control

Multisensory integration is the process by which information from different sensory modalities is integrated by the nervous system. Understanding this process is important not only from a basic science perspective but also for translational reasons, e.g. for the development of closed-loop neural prosthetic systems. Here we describe a versatile virtual reality platform which can be used to study the neural mechanisms of multisensory integration for the upper limb and could potentially be incorporated into systems for training of robust neural prosthetic control. The platform involves the interaction of multiple computers and programs and allows for selection of different avatar arms and for modification of a selected arm’s visual properties. The system was tested with two non-human primates (NHP) that were trained to reach to multiple targets on a tabletop. Reliability of arm visual feedback was altered by applying different levels of blurring to the arm. In addition, tactile feedback was altered by adding or removing physical targets from the environment. We observed differences in movement endpoint distributions that varied between animals and visual feedback conditions, as well as across targets. The results indicate that the system can be used to study multisensory integration in a well-controlled manner.
Laryngotracheal injuries after intubation in pediatric seizure patients: A case series and a review of the literature.

Abstract Acute management of seizures may require intubation with an endotracheal tube (ETT) in addition to benzodiazepine administration. Although necessary for management at times, intubation can lead to laryngotracheal injury as has been reported at length in both the adult and pediatric populations. A review of the literature shows no prior reports of laryngotracheal injuries following intubation in actively seizing pediatric patients. We share our experience with two pediatric patients who had laryngotracheal injuries after being emergently intubated with large ETT's during management of their seizures. We describe two unique cases in the pediatric seizure population associated with laryngotracheal injuries with the goal of emphasizing appropriate ETT sizing for intubation.
Quincy Lake Clinic

Olga Zimmerman was the clinical operations director of the Quincy Lake Clinic (QLC), a provider-based primary and specialty care clinic. For the past four months, Zimmerman had been learning her new role and trying to change the organization using Lean concepts. She had many process-improvement opportunities and had been recording her observations during her frequent gemba walks. She had created a pile of sticky notes of various issues she thought she should address and had some possible solutions in mind. Zimmerman wanted QLC to double its throughput rate while improving delivery, safety, and quality at the same time. Students must identify and prioritize the key issues for Zimmerman to address. Excerpt UVA-OM-1699 Oct. 16, 2020 Quincy Lake Clinic Friday evening, 6:00 p.m. Frustrated, Olga Zimmerman leaned back in her chair and let a frustrated laugh escape into the silence. Her partner was out of town, her day had been full of “firefighting” as usual, and she decided to finally tackle the task she had only been able to dream about getting to all day—developing an operational plan for the Quincy Lake Primary and Specialty Care Clinic (QLC). She had been the clinical operations director since earning her degree from the Darden School of Business, and she laughed again at the thought that she was a prime candidate for the role of protagonist in one of the many cases she'd read that had started with a similar scene: a frustrated manager thinking about a problem—and leaning back in a chair. QLC was a provider-based primary and specialty care clinic established in 2016 in order to serve outpatient needs at Northeast Regional Hospital (NRH), west of Athens, Georgia, in Linden County. The state-of-the-art clinic offered access to primary care and specialists for varying levels of ambulatory care, and diagnostic services for post-procedure follow-up and prevention that included approximately 20 specialties. . . .
Right to Education: Challenges and Issues Under the Justice and Development Party Era

The right to education has been recognized as a human right by several international conventions. The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey also protects the right to education. However, the government ruled by the AKP since 2002, has failed to protect and fulfill this right for all. Education in one’s mother tongue, compulsory religious education, and a teaching recruitment system have been among the most debated education rights. However, the date of July 15, 2016, was a turning point in the history of violation of human rights in the Republic of Turkey, after a failed coup attempt. The controversies and violations of human rights became exacerbated after the failed coup attempt with a massive purge of dissidents. Thousands of teachers were dismissed, and thousands of public and private schools, dormitories, and unions were closed as part of the crackdown. This chapter examines the violations of education rights in Turkey under the AKP era, especially after the July 15 failed coup attempt, in the light of international agreements on rights to education.
Treatment of Nonreplantable Total Thumb Amputation at the CMC Level Using Index Finger Pollicization.

BackgroundPollicization of the index finger is a rarely performed reconstructive option for patients with total thumb amputations with nonsalvageable carpometacarpal (CMC) joint and thenar muscles....
Associations between subjective social status and psychological well-being among college students.

Background:Higher subjective social status (SSS) is associated with better mental health among youth; however, few studies have examined youth's perceptions of past (childhood) or future (adulthood) SSS. Methods:Utilizing latent profile analysis, we examined unique profiles of past, present, and future SSS among 401 college students in the United States and tested associations between these profiles and psychological well-being (ie, depressive symptoms, negative affect, positive affect, and flourishing), controlling for family socioeconomic status (SES). Results:Results revealed four profiles: Low SSS (8%), Upward SSS (18%), Moderate SSS (43%), and High SSS (31%). Youth in the High SSS profile had the best psychological well-being, and those in the Low SSS profile had the worst. While the Upward SSS profile was associated with depressive symptoms and negative affect, it was protective in terms of positive affect. Discussion: Findings highlight unique effects of upward SSS mobility.Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2021.1954010.
The good, the bad, and the ugly: terrorism as part of European identity

Terrorism is one of the most highly publicised forms of political violence, and at the same time, it is one of the least-understood political problems in recent years. I claim terrorism is, ironica...
Video education to facilitate patient outreach about living kidney donation: A proof of concept.

BACKGROUND: Increasing living-donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) requires education of transplant candidates and their social network. This pre-post study tested the feasibility and acceptability of KidneyTIME, an intervention which leverages LDKT video-based educational content designed for sharing. METHODS: Adult kidney candidates undergoing transplant evaluation/re-evaluation and their caregivers at a single transplant center viewed different sets of KidneyTIME videos prior to evaluation. Change in LDKT knowledge, self-efficacy, and concerns was assessed before and immediately after exposure and 3 weeks later. Also assessed were post-exposure program feedback, online use, and living donor (LD) inquiry. RESULTS: A total of 82 candidates and 79 caregivers participated. Viewers of KidneyTIME demonstrated increases in mean LDKT knowledge by +71% and communication self-efficacy by +48%, and reductions in concerns by -21%. The intervention was received positively, with over 95% of participants agreeing that the videos were understandable, credible, and engaging. By 3 weeks follow-up, 58% had viewed it again, 63% of family clusters had shared it, and 100% would recommend the program to a friend. Time to LD inquiry was similar to historic controls. CONCLUSION: KidneyTime improved facilitators of LDKT, was rated as highly acceptable, and was highly shared, but did not impact LD inquiry during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lapses in breast cancer screening for highly penetrant mutation carriers during pregnancy and lactation.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Screening for breast cancer in highly penetrant mutation carriers during pregnancy and lactation is challenging and consensus guidelines are lacking. This study evaluates the lapse in screening and the interval pregnancy-associated breast cancer rate. METHODS A single-institution retrospective cohort study of pregnant and lactating patients with known pathogenic germline mutations was performed. Lapse in screening was defined as the interval between the last screening imaging exam obtained before last menstrual period and the subsequent screening imaging. RESULTS Out of 685 patients, 42 had 1-3 evaluable pregnancies (54 total - 28 managed in High Risk Breast Clinic and 26 by OB/GYN). Mutations were observed in patients in BRCA1 (49%), BRCA2 (36%), CDH1 (5%), CHEK2 (2%), ATM (2%), NF1 (3%), and MSH2 (3%). The average screening lapse was 25 [19, 30] months for patients followed in the High Risk Clinic versus 32.5 [21, 65.75] months for patients followed with Routine Care (p = 0.035). We identified three cases of pregnancy-associated breast cancer (interval cancer rate 6%). CONCLUSIONS Patients with highly penetrant mutations are at risk for the development of interval pregnancy-associated breast cancer. Development of consistent screening guidelines and adherence to those guidelines is needed for this patient population.
The fitness consequences of honesty: Under-signalers have a survival advantage in song sparrows

How honest or reliable signaling can evolve and be maintained has been a major question in evolutionary biology. The question is especially puzzling for a particular class of signals used in aggressive interactions: threat signals. Here, we report a study on song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) in which we assayed males with playbacks on their territories to quantify their aggressiveness (flights and close proximity) and aggressive signaling levels (rates of soft song, a close-range signal reliably predicting attack) and asked whether these traits affect individuals' survival on territory. We found that the effect of aggressive signaling via soft song interacted with aggressive behaviors such that there was a negative correlational selection: among males with low aggression, those males that signaled at higher levels (over-signalers) had higher survival whereas among males with high aggression those that signaled at low levels (under-signalers) survived longer. In other words, males that deviate from reliable signaling have a survival advantage. These results, along with previous research that suggested most of the deviation from reliable signaling in this system is in the form of under-signaling (high-aggression males signaling at low levels) pose a puzzle for future research on how this reliable signaling system is maintained.
Interferon α therapy for patients with essential thrombocythemia: Final results of a Phase II study initiated in 1986

BACKGROUND In 1986, a Phase II trial of recombinant interferon-α (IFN-α) was initiated as therapy for patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET). METHODS Patients were treated with subcutaneous IFN-α at a dose of 5 × 106 units/m2 daily. In responding patients, the therapy lasted at least 3 years. RESULTS Twenty-three patients (14 females and 9 males; median age, 41 years; age range, 20–63 years) with a median platelet count of 1350 × 109/L were treated. After a median follow-up of 174 months (14.5 years), 15 of 20 evaluable patients (75%) responded, including 14 patients who achieved a complete hematologic response (CHR) (6 of them with bone marrow remission) and 1 patient who demonstrated a partial response. The median time to response was 6 months (range, 0.5–36 months), and the median response duration was 48 months (range, 5–114 months). Seven patients who achieved a CHR and were taken off therapy after they completed 3 years of maintenance therapy sustained their response for a median of 28 months. No symptoms or signs of thrombosis or hemorrhage were observed in responding patients. Eleven of 14 patients (78%) who achieved a CHR developed a recurrence, and 2 of 5 patients with recurrences who were rechallenged with IFN-α achieved a second response. The treatment was tolerated relatively well. CONCLUSIONS IFN-α was safe and effective therapy for patients with ET, and the ability of IFN-α to reverse disease pathology and possibly modify the clinical course of patients with ET warrants its investigation in larger, prospective trials. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.