cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sural Flap Use for the Treatment of Wounds With Underlying Osteomyelitis: Graft Size a Predictor in Outcome, a Systematic Review.

The sural flap procedure is a versatile technique that can be used to cover many types of defects about the lower extremity. The management of soft tissue defects of the lower extremity with underl...
Analysis of pediatric adverse reactions to transfusions.

BACKGROUND Children are known to be physiologically and biochemically different from adults. However, there are no multi-institutional studies examining the differences in the frequency, type, and severity of transfusion reactions in pediatric versus adult patients. This study aims to characterize differences between pediatric and adult patients regarding adverse responses to transfusions. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS This is a retrospective data analysis of nine children's hospitals and 35 adult hospitals from January 2009 through December 2015. Included were pediatric and adult patients who had a reported reaction to transfusion of any blood component. Rates are reported as per 100,000 transfusions for comparison between pediatric and adult patients. RESULTS Pediatric patients had an overall higher reaction rate compared to adults: 538 versus 252 per 100,000 transfusions, notably higher for red blood cell (577 vs. 278 per 100,000; p < 0.001) and platelet (833 vs. 358 per 100,000; p < 0.001) transfusions. Statistically higher rates of allergic reactions, febrile nonhemolytic reactions, and acute hemolytic reactions were observed in pediatric patients. Adults had a higher rate of delayed serologic transfusion reactions, delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions, and transfusion-associated circulatory overload. CONCLUSION Pediatric patients had double the rate of transfusion reactions compared to adults. The nationally reported data on reaction rates are consistent with this study's findings in adults but much lower than the observed rates for pediatric patients. Future studies are needed to address the differences in reaction rates, particularly in allergic and febrile reactions, and to further address blood transfusion practices in the pediatric patient population.
Language, Gender, and School-Leadership Labor Markets.

This study examines the extent to which male and female principal candidates use language to signal their perceived values specific to open positions in the field. We analyzed Wisconsin school-lead...
Smooth sliding and superlubricity in the nanofriction of collapsed carbon nanotubes

Abstract We present the characteristics of the sliding friction in large-diameter collapsed carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as emerged from molecular dynamics simulations. The friction force is found to depend strongly on the CNT sliding velocity, the interface contact area, interface commensuration, and temperature. The non-classical smooth sliding and superlubric behaviors identified at the molecular level give a useful starting reference to the ongoing efforts aimed at engineering the mechanical load transfer in material systems comprising collapsed CNTs.
Blockchain-based Identity Management with Mobile Device

Blockchain is a powerful and distributed platform for transactions which require a unified, resilient, transparent and consensus-based record keeping system. It has been applied to scenarios like smart city, supply chain, medical data storing and sharing, and etc. Many works have been done on improving the performance and security of such systems. However, there is a lack of the mechanism of identity binding when a human being is involved in corresponding physical world, i.e., if one is involved in an activity, his/her identity in the real world should be correctly reflected in the blockchain system. To mitigate this gap, we propose BlockID, a novel framework for people identity management that leverages biometric authentication and trusted computing technology. We also develop a prototype to demonstrate its feasibility in practice.
Light-mediated one-pot synthesis of an ABC triblock copolymer in aqueous solution via RAFT and the effect of pH on copolymer self-assembly

A diblock copolymer showing pH-dependent water solubility is chain extended with a hydrophobic third block to obtain an ABC type amphiphilic triblock copolymer of poly(ethylene oxide-b-(2-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate-b-(2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate)). The block copolymer synthesis was carried out by utilizing visible light-mediated RAFT aqueous dispersion polymerization. The block copolymer showed PISA-based self-assembly under acidic conditions when the hydrophobic end block is sufficiently chain extended. The morphology of the self-assembled nanostructures depended on the chain length of the hydrophobic block and the concentration of the reaction solution. As this block copolymer consisted of a pH-sensitive middle unit, the re-assembly of the nanostructures leading to the change in the morphology can be brought about by a simple change in the pH of the solution. The change in pH not only triggered the change in the morphology but also caused the change in the surface roughness of the self-assembled structures.
Injectable depot medroxyprogesterone acetate contraception: an update for U.S. clinicians.

Injectable contraceptions appeal to women who value the efficacy, convenience, and safety provided by this reversible birth control option. Since FDA approval for contraceptive use in 1992, depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA)-already used by millions of women worldwide-has been used by several million U.S. women. Although women using this 3-month progestin-only injectable often experience irregular bleeding and spotting (initially), long-term DMPA use typically results in amenorrhea. Many users, including adolescents, choose DMPA because of its convenience-nearly 100% contraceptive effectiveness is achieved with 4 injections per year. Because DMPA does not contain estrogen, it represents an appropriate contraceptive choice for postpartum or lactating women, as well as those whose medical status precludes use of contraceptive doses of estrogen. Some examples include: women over age 35 who smoke, those with increased thromboembolism risk, women with cardiovascular or liver disease, as well as women with complex migraines. Although fertility resumes on the average 10 months following the last injection, suppression of ovulation occasionally persists for as long as 22 months. Consequently, DMPA is not an appropriate choice for women who may wish to conceive within the next two years. Since the use of DMPA lowers ovarian estradiol production, reversible loss of bone mineral density (BMD) may occur. Studies currently in progress may clarify DMPA's long-term impact, if any, on BMD. Therapeutic uses of DMPA include treatment of: dysmenorrhea, menorrhagia (including that associated with fibroid uterine tumors), endometriosis, endometrial hyperplasia, ovulatory pain, pain associated with ovarian adhesive disease, premenstrual dysphoria and perimenopausal symptoms.
Denver ED Trauma Organ Failure Score predicts healthcare resource utilization in adult trauma patients.

Abstract Background Early identification of trauma patients who need specialized healthcare resources may facilitate goal-directed resuscitation and effective secondary triage. Objective To estimate associations between Denver Emergency Department (ED) Trauma Organ Failure (TOF) Score and healthcare resource utilization. Methods Retrospective study of adult trauma patients at Denver Health Medical Center. The outcome was resource utilization including: intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS), hospital LOS, procedures, and costs. Multivariable regression analyses were used to estimate associations between moderate- or high-risk patients, as determined by the Denver ED TOF Score, and healthcare resource utilization. Results We included 3000 patients with a median age of 42 (IQR 27–56) years, 71% male, median injury severity score 9 (IQR 5–16), and 83% blunt mechanism. Among the cohort, 1379 patients (46%) were admitted to the ICU and 122 (4%) died. The adjusted relative risk for high- and moderate-risk as compared to low risk for number of procedures performed was 2.31 (95% CI 2.07–2.57) and 1.80 (95% CI 1.59–2.03) respectively; ICU LOS was 2.87 (95% CI 2.70–3.05) and 1.71 (95% CI 1.60–1.83) respectively; hospital LOS was 3.33 (95% CI 3.21–3.45) and 1.97 (95% CI 1.90–2.05) respectively. The adjusted geometric mean for high-, moderate-, and low-risk for costs was $48,881 (95% CI $43,799–$54,552), $27,890 (95% CI $25,460–$30,551), and $12,983 (95% CI $12,493–$13,492), respectively. Conclusions The Denver ED TOF Score predicts healthcare resource utilization, and is a useful bedside tool to identify patients early after injury that are likely to require significant healthcare resources and specialized trauma care.
Controversies among Cancer Registry Participants, Genomic Researchers, and Institutional Review Boards about Returning Participants' Genomic Results.

Objectives: Genomic information will increasingly be used to aid in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease. Several national initiatives are paving the way for this new reality, while also promoting new models of participant-engaged research. We compare the opinions of research participants in a cancer registry, human genetic researchers, and institutional review board (IRB) professionals about the return of individual-level genetic results (ROR). Methods: Online surveys were administered to participants in a cancer registry (n = 450) and overlapping questions were compared to our previous online national surveys of human genetic researchers (n = 351) and IRB professionals (n = 208). Results: The majority of respondents agreed that researchers have an obligation to return individual results when they would affect a participant’s health. While 77% of registry participants favored ROR if the researcher feels the participant might be interested in the results, only 30% of the IRB professionals and 25% of the genetic researchers agreed with this statement. Conclusions: Significant differences emerged between the stakeholder groups in several ROR scenarios. Policies that are acceptable to participants, researchers and IRBs, and that ensure human subject protections and facilitate research are needed.
Anticancer and cardio-protective effects of liposomal doxorubicin in the treatment of breast cancer

Breast cancer (BC) is a highly prevalent disease, accounting for the second highest number of cancer-related mortalities worldwide. The anthracycline doxorubicin (DOX), isolated from Streptomyces peucetius var. caesius, is a potent chemotherapeutic drug that is successfully used to treat various forms of liquid and solid tumors and is currently approved to treat BC. DOX exerts its effects by intercalation into DNA and inhibition of topoisomerases I and II, causing damage to DNA and the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), resulting in the activation of caspases, which ultimately leads to apoptosis. Unfortunately, DOX also can cause cardiotoxicity, with patients only allowed a cumulative lifetime dose of 550 mg/m2. Efforts to decrease cardiotoxicity and to increase the blood circulation time of DOX led to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of a PEGylated liposomal formulation (L-DOX), Doxil® (known internationally as Caelyx®). Both exhibit better cardiovascular safety profiles; however, they are not currently FDA approved for the treatment of metastatic BC. Here, we provide detailed insights into the mechanism of action of L-DOX and its most common side effects and highlight results of its use in clinical trials for the treatment of BC as single agent and in combination with other commonly used chemotherapeutics.
Comparison of routine and automated office blood pressure measurement

ObjectivesFrom April to October 2018, we implemented a blood pressure measurement quality improvement project at our Hypertension Center. We aimed to compare blood pressure measured using routine, non-standardized office blood pressure and Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial-like automated of
Infants' emotional security: The confluence of parental depression, Interparental conflict, and parenting

Abstract Utilizing the Emotional Security Theory (EST; Davies & Cummings, 1994) the current study examined links between parent depression, interparental conflict, parenting behavior, and infant emotional security. Seventy-four families with infants 6-14 months old participated. Behavioral observations examined mothers' and fathers' parenting during a triadic task, interparental conflict (i.e., destructive, depressive, and constructive), and infants' emotional insecurity. Parent depression was assessed via the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Path analyses revealed that fathers' depression was significantly associated with each type of interparental conflict; maternal depression symptoms were only associated with depressive conflict. In turn, constructive parenting was associated with more sensitive parenting and less detachment for both parents. Destructive conflict was negatively associated with paternal sensitive parenting. Maternal and paternal detachment were associated with infant emotional insecurity, as was paternal sensitivity. Fewer significant links were found for mothers. Suggestions for future research and implications for family practitioners are discussed.
Not All Technological Change Is Equal: Disentangling Labor Demand Effects of Simultaneous Changes

We separate and directly measure the labor-demand effects of two simultaneous forms of technological change–automation and parts consolidation. We collect detailed shop-floor data from four semicon...
Clonidine Overdose: A Review of Pharmacology and Medication Error

Abstract Medication error is the most common medical error and disproportionately affects pediatric patients. Physicians have a responsibility to understand root causes for medication error and common prevention strategies. Further research in this field is imperative to prevent medication errors resulting in adverse patient events. This article uses a case of potential clonidine toxicity that presented to the emergency department to illustrate and review these concepts. Given that clonidine is being prescribed to both pediatric and adult patients for expanding clinical indications, children are at higher risk for potential overdose. Therefore, a brief review of clonidine toxicity and its management is also provided.
Lynched: The Evolution of Systematic Restraints and Their Use Against People of Color

Different than any other kind of slavery, many history books like to paint the journey of the African Slave as one comparable to others who traveled to America for a new life in the land of milk and honey. Similarly today, the plight and struggle of people of color is seen to be one that has not been influenced by narratives including the systematic burden of a history of oppression. Beginning with American slavery and journeying into the present day, there is obviously an aspect of suppression that is constantly found in every single situation related to people of color. In evaluating the transition between the past and the present it is clear that much of the acts that took place in our American history still take place today, although they are almost unrecognizable because they have morphed into a different life-form. This paper offers a look at systematic restraints that consistently plague people of color in America through the historical lens of Lynching. The terroristic act of lynching occurs when a mob kills someone, typically by hanging for an alleged offense. The problem with the literal definition of lynching is that it does not encompass the terror that people of color faced during and post-slavery in America. In fact, as the United States continuously developed, lynching has developed along with it taking a form that most would not think of when encompassing the nation’s societal growth. Enslavement has evolved to now include neo-systematic methods of restraint such as mass incarceration, prison labor, voter disenfranchisement, and police brutality. By juxtaposing the historical aspect of lynching and the present day suppression that so many Americans face it is clear that a past that so many think the world has left behind, is still very much present, very much active, and very much intentional.
Why "accidents" are not accidental: using psychological science to understand and prevent unintentional child injuries

Injuries are the leading cause of death for American children, killing over 11,000 children in 2017. They are also a rapidly increasing public health challenge globally: The World Health Organization ranks injury as the leading cause of death globally for children Ages 5 to 18 years, and the Global Burden of Diseases project estimates over 2 million children Ages 0 to 19 years died from injuries worldwide in 2017. Unintentional injuries, sometimes referred to as "accidents" by the lay public, are generally preventable, and psychological science has much to offer in societal efforts to develop, evaluate, implement, and disseminate effective prevention strategies. I first discuss the multifaceted causes of child injuries, which can be conceptualized using classic psychological theory, such as Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory, or classic injury prevention theory, such as the Haddon Matrix. In either case, behavioral risks stem from the child's developmentally influenced decisions and behaviors; the child's family, social, and physical contexts; and the child's broader cultural environments. Risks can also be conceptualized temporally, through behavioral analysis such as antecedents, behaviors, and consequences of the injury. I then present examples of behaviorally focused interventions that target the child, the adult supervisor, and the environment. In each case, I consider psychological risk factors present and the theory-based strategies that might interrupt or alter risk pathways to prevent injury events. I close with comments on the scope of injury as a global public health challenge and the central role psychologists can and should play to reduce the burden of child injury on the world's population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Review of the evidence for interventions to reduce perinatal mortality in low- and middle-income countries.

Abstract Low- and middle-income countries contribute to the overwhelming majority of the global perinatal and neonatal mortality. There is a growing amount of literature focused on interventions aimed at reducing the healthcare gaps and thereby reducing perinatal and neonatal mortality in low- and middle-income countries. The current review synthesizes available evidence for interventions that have shown to improve perinatal and neonatal outcomes. Reduction in important gaps in the availability and utilization of perinatal care practices is needed to end preventable deaths of newborns.
The Role of Critical Narratives in Broadening Teacher Candidates’ Literacy Beliefs Around ELA Teaching Practice

Teacher candidates are asked to often reflect on their own direct instruction, without adequate opportunity to engage in thinking about critical pedagogy and teacher beliefs, or to connect to issues of context or equity. Bartow Jacobs followed three cohorts of English language arts (ELA) teacher candidates as they wrote narratives around a critical moment of practice from their practice teaching. Narratives were shared as a central text for class discussion and then teacher candidates reflected on the experience. Findings point to the ways that engaging in critical storytelling and narrative writing pushed the focus—both individually and programmatically—of teacher preparation teaching to involve the complex sociocultural and sociopolitical aspects of practice that is often left out of discussion of field experiences.
Continuous EEG findings in patients with COVID-19 infection admitted to a New York academic hospital system.

Objective There is evidence for central nervous system complications of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection, including encephalopathy. Encephalopathy caused by or arising from seizures, especially nonconvulsive seizures (NCS), often requires electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring for diagnosis. The prevalence of seizures and other EEG abnormalities among COVID-19-infected patients is unknown. Methods Medical records and EEG studies of patients hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 infections over a 2-month period at a single US academic health system (four hospitals) were reviewed to describe the distribution of EEG findings including epileptiform abnormalities (seizures, periodic discharges, or nonperiodic epileptiform discharges). Factors including demographics, remote and acute brain injury, prior history of epilepsy, preceding seizures, critical illness severity scores, and interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels were compared to EEG findings to identify predictors of epileptiform EEG abnormalities. Results Of 111 patients monitored, most were male (71%), middle-aged or older (median age 64 years), admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU; 77%), and comatose (70%). Excluding 11 patients monitored after cardiac arrest, the most frequent EEG finding was moderate generalized slowing (57%), but epileptiform findings were observed in 30% and seizures in 7% (4% with NCS). Three patients with EEG seizures did not have epilepsy or evidence of acute or remote brain injury, although all had clinical seizures prior to EEG. Only having epilepsy (odds ratio [OR] 5.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4-21) or seizure(s) prior to EEG (OR 4.8, 95% CI 1.7-13) was independently associated with epileptiform EEG findings. Significance Our study supports growing evidence that COVID-19 can affect the central nervous system, although seizures are unlikely a common cause of encephalopathy. Seizures and epileptiform activity on EEG occurred infrequently, and having a history of epilepsy or seizure(s) prior to EEG testing was predictive of epileptiform findings. This has important implications for triaging EEG testing in this population.
Politically Contested Terminology

This chapter introduces case studies centered on misuses of the words “racist” and “woman.” It argues that assertions involving misuses of politically contested terminology should be understood as false, as spreading misinformation about racism and gender respectively. These judgments are seen to depend on politically contentious background views about racism and gender, which are nevertheless true. I argue that interpreting subversive misuses of “racist” and “woman” as false statements requires denying that such statements are analytically true, which in turn requires us to postulate some kind of metasemantics for politically contested terminology on which political opponents use words with shared meanings despite bitterly disagreeing about their correct applications.
Connection between Heart Failure, Diabetes, and Overall Mortality in Individuals with Suicidal Ideation: Findings from a Nationally Representative Study

Abstract Heart Failure hospitalizations and readmissions continue to rise due to many factors, including increased prevalence of the disease, lack of guideline directed therapy, and lack of patient adherence. The precise contributory relationship of diabetes and congestive heart failure (CHF) is poorly understood. Adult respondents of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey NHANES survey aged 20 or older with a self-reported positive history of suicidal ideation between the years 2005-2010 were included in the analysis, with follow-up through 2015. Analysis was performed using complex samples Cox regression to determine the relationship of CHF on all-cause mortality and the influence, if any, of diabetes status. Percent mortality among individuals with CHF was 12.6% among males and 11.2% among females, with mean follow-up of 7.4 years. For all-cause mortality, the overall unadjusted hazard ratio (HR) for CHF to no CHF was 8.90 (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.84-20.65, p Analysis of the data suggests that adults with suicidal ideation and a combination of positive diabetes and CHF status experience 24 times higher mortality rates than those adults with CHF alone. Conclusions include the need to develop and administer diabetes education programs and health promotion that address CHF risk factors to improve diabetes prognosis while also recognizing early warning mental health signs.
Honeycomb-structure RuI3 , a new quantum material related to α-RuCl3.

The layered honeycomb lattice material α-RuCl3 has emerged as a prime candidate for displaying the Kitaev quantum spin liquid state and as such has attracted much research interest. Here we describe a new layered honeycomb lattice polymorph of RuI3 , a material that is strongly chemically and structurally related to α-RuCl3. The material is synthesized at moderately elevated pressures and is stable under ambient conditions. Preliminary characterization reveals that it is a metallic conductor, with the absence of long-range magnetic order down to 0.35 K and an unusually large T-linear contribution to the heat capacity. We propose that this phase, with a layered honeycomb lattice and strong spin-orbit coupling, provides a new route for the characterization of quantum materials. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
The Influence of Problem Solving Software on Student Attitudes about Mathematics

AbstractThis paper reports on a study of the influence of problem-solving computer software on the attitudes of secondary school mathematics students toward mathematics. Students were involved in computer-augmented instruction during their second or third year of high school mathematics. An analysis of the results of an attitude assessment suggests that students involved in such instruction develop more positive attitudes about themselves as learners of mathematics and about mathematics as a discipline. In addition, a statistical analysis of student performance on a test of problem-solving ability and on standardized tests of mathematics content demonstrated significant gains in problem-solving ability and knowledge of mathematics content. Implications of results for mathematics instruction are discussed.
Congenital Pure Red Cell Hypoplasia in Identical Twins

Congenital aregenerative anemia is a relatively uncommon disease first described by Blackfan and Diamond in the late 1930s.1 The condition usually begins in early infancy as a normochromic, normocytic anemia with decreased red cell precursors in the bone marrow and normal numbers of thrombocytes and leukocytes. With the exception of a few patients undergoing spontaneous remission, patients required repeated transfusions until steroids became available. Over the past forty years several hundred cases of this disease have been reported with speculation regarding the etiology. Occasional families have been described with two or three involved members, suggesting genetic transmission. We have recently observed a set of twins with the uncommon disease.
High voltage electron microscopy of wet whole cells. Effect of different wet cell preparation methods on visibility of structures

SUMMARY Factors affecting the visibility of cell cytoplasmic structures and cell surface projections have been evaluated for examination of whole wet, unstained and unfixed cell preparations in the hydration chamber of a high voltage microscope. It was found that the thickness of the cells and that of the surrounding water layer were the most important factors affecting contrast and resolution of structures. One technique (surface spreading) flattened nuclei enough to see internal nuclear structure. Some washing and fixing (glutaraldehyde) methods caused regions of the grid of cultured cells to become hydrophobic with consequent improvement in contrast and resolution in these areas. Optimization of these factors appears feasible. The effects of cell freshness, blurring due to cell structure, vibration and Brownian movement, electron radiation and heat damage, microscope image mode, and photographic emulsion resolution are also discussed. Cell movements (e.g. cytoplasmic streaming) have not been observed to date, the possible reasons being radiation damage, cell bursting at lowered pressure, oxygen lack and concentration of metabolites on the grid surface.
principles for hypersurfaces with prescribed principle curvatures and directions

We prove that any compact orientable hypersurface with boundary immersed (resp. embedded) in Euclidean space is regularly homotopic (resp. isotopic) to a hypersurface with principal directions which may have any prescribed homotopy type, and principal curvatures each of which may be prescribed to within an arbitrary small error of any constant. Further we construct regular homotopies (resp. isotopies) which control the principal curvatures and directions of hypersurfaces in a variety of ways. These results, which we prove by holonomic approximation, establish some h-principles in the sense of Gromov, and generalize theorems of Gluck and Pan on embedding and knotting of positively curved surfaces in 3-space.
Query Automata for Nested Words

We study visibly pushdown automata (VPA) models for expressing and evaluating queries on words with a nesting structure. We define a query VPA model, which is a 2-way deterministic VPA that can mark in one run all positions in a document that satisfy a query, and show that it is equi-expressive as unary monadic queries. This surprising result parallels a classic result by Hopcroft and Ullman for queries on regular word languages. We also compare our model to query models on unranked trees, and show that our result is fundamentally different from those known for automata on trees.
Sensitivity of some human cognitive functions to effects of methamphetamine and secobarbital

Sternberg's memory scanning task, Buschke's selective reminding task, and a time production task were given to 18 male subjects after they had received 10 mg of methamphetamine, 100 mg of secobarbital and placebo on separate days. Time production and learning that involved storage and retrieval of information in long-term memory were most sensitive to drug effects. Other measures of learning and memory scanning performance were not affected by either drug.
Lateral exchange interactions in sub-monolayer films of co-adsorbed species

Abstract The reversible electrochemical co-adsorption of cations (or anions) on the active sites of different kinds on the electrode surface has been studied. The reversible LSV characteristics for several situations have been computed. The effect of the lateral exchange interaction forces between different surface dipoles in conjunction with the influence of the other parameters has been examined in detail. The single-peak or double-peak behavior of the co-adsorption system has been found, depending upon the values of the characteristic parameters. A simple graphical “triangle rule” is proposed for the prediction of the behavior of the co-adsorption systems. The diagnostic criterion for the peak splitting conditions is presented and explained on the triangle-rule plot.
Impact of ionic strength of growth on the physiochemical properties, structure, and adhesion of Listeria monocytogenes polyelectrolyte brushes to a silicon nitride surface in water.

Abstract The adhesion energies between pathogenic Listeria monocytogenes EGDe to a model surface of silicon nitride were quantified using atomic force microscopy (AFM) in water for cells grown in pure media (as the control) and in media of four different ionic strengths of added NaCl (IS of 0.05 M, 0.1 M, 0.3 M and 0.5 M NaCl). The physiochemical properties of L. monocytogenes EGDe surface brushes were shown to have a strong influence on the adhesion of the microbe to the silicon nitride surface. The transitions in the adhesion energies, physiochemical properties, and the structure of bacterial surface polyelectrolyte brushes were observed for the cells grown in the media of 0.1 M added NaCl. Our results suggested that the highest long-range electrostatic repulsion which was partially balanced by the Liftshitz–van der Waals attraction for the cells grown at 0.1 M was responsible for the highest energy barrier to adhesion for these cells as predicted by the soft-particle analysis of DLVO theory and the lower adhesion measured by AFM.
State Tax Credits and “Making Work Pay” in Post‐Welfare Reform Era

This article outlines the work incentives and income support provided by the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and illustrates how state earned income and dependent care credits assist working poor families. State earned income and dependent care tax credits serve as critical complements to the EITC, the federal government's largest antipoverty program. By attending to specific components of each tax credit, state policymakers can maximize state funds that qualify for federal maintenance of effort requirements under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PROWRA), and they can reinforce positive effects and offset work disincentives stemming from current federal tax parameters.
Monitoring attentional state with fNIRS.

The ability to distinguish between high and low levels of task engagement in the real world is important for detecting and preventing performance decrements during safety-critical operational tasks. We therefore investigated whether functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS), a portable brain neuroimaging technique, can be used to distinguish between high and low levels of task engagement during the performance of a selective attention task. A group of participants performed the multi-source interference task (MSIT) while we recorded brain activity with fNIRS from two brain regions. One was a key region of the “task-positive” network, which is associated with relatively high levels of task engagement. The second was a key region of the “task-negative” network, which is associated with relatively low levels of task engagement (e.g., resting and not performing a task). Using activity in these regions as inputs to a multivariate pattern classifier, we were able to predict above chance levels whether participants were engaged in performing the MSIT or resting. We were also able to replicate prior findings from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) indicating that activity in task-positive and task-negative regions is negatively correlated during task performance. Finally, data from a companion fMRI study verified our assumptions about the sources of brain activity in the fNIRS experiment and established an upper bound on classification accuracy in our task. Together, our findings suggest that fNIRS could prove quite useful for monitoring cognitive state in real-world settings.
Optimized design and synthesis of chemical dimerizer substrates for detection of glycosynthase activity via chemical complementation.

Glycosynthases catalyze the formation of a glycosidic bond between a glycosyl fluoride donor substrate and a glycosyl acceptor substrate with high yield, thus providing a valuable approach for the synthesis of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates. Chemical complementation can be used to link glycosynthase activity to the transcription of a reporter gene in vivo, providing a selection for the directed evolution of glycosynthase enzymes with improved properties. In this approach, glycosynthase activity is detected as covalent coupling between a small molecule disaccharide acceptor substrate and a small molecule disaccharide α-fluoro donor substrate. Here we report the optimized design and synthesis of these small molecule substrates. These optimized substrates are shown to give a robust, glycosynthase-dependent transcriptional read-out in the chemical complementation assay. The full synthesis and characterization of these substrates are reported for the first time. These optimized chemical dimerizer substrates should allow the potential of chemical complementation for the directed evolution of glycosynthases with diverse substrate specificities and improved properties to be fully realized.
Environmental stakeholder management as business strategy: the case of the corporate wildlife habitat enhancement programme

A new management approach and conservation process is the corporate wildlife habitat programme. This programme, co-ordinated by the non-profit-making Wildlife Habitat Council, encourages corporations to voluntarily manage lands for wildlife and biodiversity protection. This case study examines the benefits to corporations from participating in this programme in terms of the programme's influence on relationships with key corporate stakeholders including employees, host communities, environmental groups and regulators. The method of the study was a survey of individuals responsible for wildlife habitat enhancement programmes at 164 sites in the United States. Ninety-five percent of respondents indicated that wildlife habitat programmes led to improved employee morale. Seventy-two percent indicated improved relationships with environmental groups. Sixty percent of respondents noted a positive effect of the programme on community relations. Forty-nine percent of respondents reported an improved relationship with regulators. These benefits were in addition to the 50% of programmes that reported annual cost savings. The study also identifies specific benefits to the wildlife programme as a result of outside group involvement. Relationships with community, Government, and environmental groups led to better wildlife programmes due to increased expertise. Furthermore, 24% of the wildlife monitoring was done by outside groups. These results are useful, both for aiding managers to identify the range of benefits the wildlife habitat enhancement programme can provide to their companies, as well as to improve their organization's wildlife and biodiversity protection. Furthermore, this case provides a tangible example of where business and the environment can be mutually compatible.1998 Academic Press Limited
NMR detection and characterization of sialylated glycoproteins and cell surface polysaccharides

Few solution NMR pulse sequences exist that are explicitly designed to characterize carbohydrates (glycans). This is despite the essential role carbohydrate motifs play in cell-cell communication, microbial pathogenesis, autoimmune disease progression and cancer metastasis, and despite that fact that glycans, often shed to extra-cellular fluids, can be diagnostic of disease. Here we present a suite of two dimensional coherence experiments to measure three different correlations (H3-C2, H3-C1, and C1-C2) on sialic acids, a group of nine-carbon carbohydrates found on eukaryotic cell surfaces that often play a key role in disease processes. The chemical shifts of the H3, C2, and C1 nuclei of sialic acids are sensitive to carbohydrate linkage, linkage conformation, and ionization state of the C1 carboxylate. The experiments reported include rigorous filter elements to enable detection and characterization of isotopically labeled sialic acids with high sensitivity in living cells and crude isolates with minimal interference from unwanted signals arising from the ~1% (13)C-natural abundance of cellular metabolites. Application is illustrated with detection of sialic acids on living cells, in unpurified mixtures, and at the terminus of the N-glycan on the 55 kDa immunoglobulin G Fc.
Strength of mind: Prospects and problems for a Humean account

References to strength of mind, a character trait implying “the prevalence of the calm passions above the violent”, occur in a number of important discussions of motivation in the Treatise and the Enquiry concerning the Principles of Morals. Nevertheless, Hume says surprisingly little about what strength of mind is, or how it is achieved. This paper argues that Hume’s theory of the passions can provide an interesting and defensible account of strength of mind. The paper concludes with a brief comparison of Humean strength of mind with autonomy.
Transient response of dam reservoir systems to random earthquake excitation

Abstract A simple gravity dam-reservoir system is selected for studying the response of the system under nonstationary random excitation. For random excitations with a zero start and a wide range of Kanai-Tajimi power spectra, the transient response for the structural displacement is obtained. The random response includes the mean square, the nonstationary power spectra, the upcrossing probabilities and the system reliabilities. This study is important because of its practical applicability in the system design to resist earthquake motion.
Precursor Protein Is Readily Degraded in Mitochondrial Matrix Space if the Leader Is Not Processed by Mitochondrial Processing Peptidase

It is not known why leader peptides are removed by the mitochondrial processing peptidase after import into the matrix space. The leaders of yeast aldehyde dehydrogenase (pALDH) and malate dehydrogenase were mutated so that they would not be processed after import. The recombinant nonprocessed precursor of yeast pALDH possessed a similar specific activity as the corresponding mature form but was much less stable. The nonprocessed pALDH was transformed into a yeast strain missing ALDHs. The transformed yeast grew slowly on ethanol as the sole carbon source showing that the nonprocessed precursor was functional in vivo. Western blot analysis showed that the amount of precursor was 15-20% of that found in cells transformed with the native enzyme. Pulse-chase experiments revealed that the turnover rate for the nonprocessed precursor was greater than that of the mature protein indicating that the nonprocessed precursor could have been degraded. By using carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone, we showed that the nonprocessed precursor was degraded in the matrix space. The nonprocessed precursor forms of precursor yeast malate dehydrogenase and rat liver pALDH also were degraded in the matrix space of HeLa cell mitochondria faster than their corresponding mature forms. In the presence of o-phenanthroline, an inhibitor of mitochondrial processing peptidase, the wild type precursor was readily degraded in the matrix space. Collectively, this study showed that the precursor form is less stable in the matrix space than is the mature form and provides an explanation for why the leader peptide is removed from the precursors.
Dynamics of Thermal Energy Storage in Integrated Energy Systems With On-Site Power Generation

Integrated energy systems (IES) incorporating on-site power generation provide opportunities for improving reliability in energy supply, maximizing fuel efficiency, and enhancing environmental quality. To fully realize these attributes, optimum design and dynamic performance of integrated systems for a given application have to be pursued. Whether referred to as cogeneration, combined heat and power (CHP) or building cooling, heating, and power (BCHP), integrated energy systems manifest effective energy management aimed at closing spatial and temporal gaps between demand and supply of electrical and thermal energy. This is accomplished by on-site power production and utilization of the resulting thermal energy availability for thermally-driven technologies including desiccant dehumidification, absorption cooling, and space heating. The notion that the demands for thermal and electrical energy are not always congruent and in phase signifies the importance of considering thermal energy storage (TES) for integration. This paper explores the potential impact of implementing TES technology on the overall performance of integrated energy systems from the first- and second-law perspectives. In doing so, the dynamics of packed bed thermal energy storage systems for potential energy recovery from the exhaust gas of microturbines are investigated. Using a validated simulation model, the transient thermal response of these TES systems is examined via parametric analyses that allow variation in the thermal energy availability and physical characteristics of the packed beds. The parasitic electrical energy requirement associated with the pressure losses in the packed beds is included in the performance assessment. The results of this study are indicative of the promising role of TES in integrated energy systems.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Reflective Action—Strategies for Solving Client‐Nurse Partnerships in Primary Care

In this grounded theory study, which addressed the research question. 'What strategies do nurses use to form client-nurse partnerships,' a variety of data sources were used. The first data set consisted of participant observation, and reports of focus groups formed as part of the 'First International Conference on Nursing Theory and Primary Health Care' at Massey University, New Zealand which was attended by an international group of 80 nurses in 1990. As an adjunct to the formal presentations, members of the focus groups addressed four questions: a) Is a nurse-client partnership viable in primary care? b) What do you plan to do to promote this partnership? c) What do you think others should do? and d) What is the next step? Reports from these focus groups, pooled with questionnaires (n = 17) and informal interviews completed this data set. The central process that described participants' perceptions of the viability of nurse-client partnerships was named reflective action. Ethical questions arose and were placed along a continuum of viability. A second data set consisted of interviews with, and selected literature by, Canadian nurses on partnerships in primary care. The perceptions of this international study group are seen as adding to our knowledge of barriers to nurse-client partnerships in primary care, and strategies for transcending these barriers.
Slow DNA transport through nanopores in hafnium oxide membranes.

We present a study of double- and single-stranded DNA transport through nanopores fabricated in ultrathin (2–7 nm thick) freestanding hafnium oxide (HfO2) membranes. The high chemical stability of ultrathin HfO2 enables long-lived experiments with 50 000 DNA translocations with no detectable pore expansion. Mean DNA velocities are slower than velocities through comparable silicon nitride pores, providing evidence that HfO2 nanopores have favorable physicochemical interactions with nucleic acids that can be leveraged to slow down DNA in a nanopore.
Two-Phase Internal Flow: Toward a Theory of Everything

Two-phase flow and heat transfer is still an area of intense research and great uncertainty. Even severely restricting ourselves to just annular, internal two-phase flow does not significantly improve our chances of accurately predicting either pressure gradients or heat transfer coefficients for an arbitrary tube geometry or fluid. This article summarizes a series of investigations that aim to identify the fundamental governing physics of internal two-phase flow: a Theory of Everything. The techniques developed to do so have been varied, and novel approaches are presented here. At the macro scale, simultaneous visualization and measurement of pressure gradient have led to interesting observations about the relationship between flow regimes and these fundamental macroscale behaviors. Since the macroscale behaviors are governed, for the most part, by behaviors at the micro scale, a number of techniques have been developed to study this near-wall behavior in quantitative detail. In particular, dye-assisted ...