cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mindfulness meditation improves emotion regulation and reduces drug abuse.

Abstract Background The core clinical symptoms of addiction include an enhanced incentive for drug taking (craving), impaired self-control (impulsivity and compulsivity), emotional dysregulation (negative mood) and increased stress reactivity. Symptoms related to impaired self-control involve reduced activity in anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), adjacent prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and other brain areas. Behavioral training such as mindfulness meditation can increase the function of control networks including those leading to improved emotion regulation and thus may be a promising approach for the treatment of addiction. Methods In a series of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), we tested whether increased ACC/mPFC activity is related to better self-control abilities in executive functions, emotion regulation and stress response in healthy and addicted populations. After a brief mindfulness training (Integrative Body-Mind Training, IBMT), we used the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and Profile of Mood States (POMS) to measure emotion regulation, salivary cortisol for the stress response and fMRI for brain functional and DTI structural changes. Relaxation training was used to serve as an active control. Results In both smokers and nonsmokers, improved self-control abilities in emotion regulation and stress reduction were found after training and these changes were related to increased ACC/mPFC activity following training. Compared with nonsmokers, smokers showed reduced ACC/mPFC activity in the self-control network before training, and these deficits were ameliorated after training. Conclusions These results indicate that promoting emotion regulation and improving ACC/mPFC brain activity can help for addiction prevention and treatment.
A Documentary History of Naples: Ancient Naples, Chapter One - The Physical Setting

As prelude to subsequent chapters, this chapter offers a brief introduction to the principal geographic and geological features of the ancient Bay of Naples.
Pilot Point-of-Care Ultrasound Curriculum at Harvard Medical School: Early Experience

ABSTRACT Introduction: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is expanding across all medical specialties. As the benefits of US technology are becoming apparent, efforts to integrate US into pre-clinical medical education are growing. We report our efforts of integrating POCUS into the medical curriculum through a multi-disciplinary effort. Our objective is to describe our process of integrating POCUS as an educational tool into the medical school curriculum and how such efforts are perceived by students. Methods: This was a pilot study to introduce ultrasonography into the “blinded for peer review” curriculum to first and second year medical students. Didactic and hands-on sessions were introduced to first year students during gross anatomy and to second year students in the physical exam course. Student-perceived attitudes, understanding, and knowledge of US, and its applications to learning the physical exam were measured by a post-assessment survey. RESULTS: All 1st year anatomy students (n=176) participated in small group hands-on US sessions. In the 2nd year physical diagnosis course, 38 students participated in 4 sessions. All students (91%) agreed or strongly agreed that additional US teaching should be incorporated throughout the 4 year medical school curriculum. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: POCUS can effectively be integrated into the existing medical school curriculum by utilizing didactic and small group hands-on sessions. Medical students perceived US training as valuable in understanding human anatomy and in learning physical exam skills. This innovative program demonstrates US as an additional learning modality. Future goals include expanding on this work to incorporate US education into all 4 years of medical school.
Feasibility study on thermal drawing of polymer fibers containing micro/nano metal wires

Thermal drawing process has emerged as a promising manufacturing process to generate high-throughput, well aligned, and indefinitely long micro/nano structures. Here we experimentally show that polymer fibers containing micro/nano metal wires were produced via thermal drawing process. Indefinitely long polymer fibers containing continuous, wellaligned Sn microwires were produced. Further drawing results in Sn wires with a size in micro and nanoscale (less than 400nm) and a length of over 100 μm. This thermal drawing approach provides new route to the fabrication of polymer fibers containing micro/nano elements for widespread applications.
Bring Back the Bureaucrats by John J. DiIulio, Jr.

DiIulio, J. J. (2014). Bring Back the Bureaucrats . West Conshohocken, PA: Templeton Press. $12.95 (paperback), ISBN: 978-59947-467-0.
Racial/Ethnic Differences in Limited English Proficiency (LEP) and Associations with Regular Seat Belt Use

Background Young drivers who are racial/ethnic minorities are at higher risk for being unrestrained and dying in a motor vehicle crash. Racial/ethnic disparities are also present in outcomes and efficacy of health communication, particularly for those with limited English proficiency (LEP). Little is known about the role of LEP in traffic safety behavior. This study explores the association between LEP and regular seat belt use among a nationally representative sample of US high school students. Methods Data came from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2015 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). The YRBS assessed seat belt use as a passenger during the 30 days before the survey, which included 9,895 students ages 16 or older. Seat belt use (regular/always v. irregular) and English proficiency were dichotomized. Chi-square tests examined associations between English proficiency and seat belt use. Logistic regressions assessed the association between English proficiency and seat belt use, controlling for demographic variables and examining race as a possible moderator. Results The prevalence of LEP among students 16 or older was 1.9%. Those with LEP were more likely to have irregular seat belt use compared with their peers with English proficiency (adjusted odds ratio: 3.31; 95% confidence interval: 2.28–4.80; p Conclusions English proficiency is a significant predictor of seat belt use. Although the moderating effect of race on this association needs further study, it is clear that LEP has a disproportionately adverse effect on APIs, who are not traditionally targeted in traffic safety messaging. This study suggests a need for linguistically- and culturally-sensitive traffic safety programming for young drivers at risk for LEP and irregular seat belt use.
In vitro induction of tetraploid Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa plants from leaf explants

Tetraploid Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa plants were induced by combining the adventitious shoot organogenesis from leaf explants and polyploidization with colchicine. Leaf explants were cultured on WPM containing1.0 mg L−1 thidiazuron and 0.3 mg L−1 3-indolyl-butyric acid for 10 or 20 days. They were then transferred to the same liquid medium supplemented with 40, 60, or 80 mg L−1 colchicine and incubated for 24, 48, or 72 h. The highest tetraploid induction rate (6.67%) resulted from a 10-day pre-culture treatment followed by an incubation in 60 mg L−1 colchicine for 72 h. The ploidy levels of the regenerated shootlets were determined based on flow cytometry analysis and chromosome numbers. Additionally, there were significant morphological differences between the tetraploid and diploid plants regarding stomatal size and density as well as leaf and shoot characteristics. This variability represents an early screening to distinguish the shoot with a ploidy level alternation from the diploid ones. The initial field performance results showed a faster growth in tetraploids than in the diploids, as suggested by the basal diameter and plant height increases.
Role of the Perioperative Surgical Home in Optimizing the Perioperative Use of Opioids

Several federal agencies have recently noted that the United States is in the midst of an unprecedented "opioid epidemic," with an increasing number of opioid-related overdoses and deaths. Providers currently face 3 population-level, public health challenges in providing optimal perioperative pain care: (1) the continued lack of overall improvement in the excessive incidence of inadequately treated postoperative pain, (2) minimizing or preventing postoperative opioid-related side effects, and (3) addressing current opioid prescribing patterns, and the accompanying problematic surge in prescription opioid diversion, misuse, abuse, addiction, and overdose. In the Perioperative Surgical Home model, anesthesiologists and other pain medicine specialists are uniquely qualified and positioned to develop, implement, and coordinate a comprehensive perioperative analgesic plan, which begins with the formal preoperative patient assessment and continues throughout the postdischarge, convalescence period. The scope and practice of pain management within the Perioperative Surgical Home should thus (a) expand to include routine preoperative patient-level pain-risk stratification (including the chronic use of opioid and nonopioid analgesics), (b) address the multitude of biopsychosocial factors that contribute to interpatient pain variability, and (c) extend and be well coordinated across all 4 phases of the surgical pain experience (preoperative, intraoperative, postoperative, and postdischarge). Specifically, safe and effective perioperative pain management should include a plan of care that is tailored to the individual patient's underlying disease(s), presence of a chronic pain condition and preoperative use of opioids, and the specific surgical procedure-with evidence-based, multimodal analgesic regimens being applied in the vast majority of cases. An iteratively evolutionary component of an existing institutional Perioperative Surgical Home program can be an integrated Transitional Pain Service, which is modeled directly after the well-established prototype at the Toronto General Hospital in Ontario, Canada. This multidisciplinary, perioperative Transitional Pain Service seeks to modify the pain trajectories of patients who are at increased risk of (a) long-term, increasing, excessive opioid consumption and/or (b) developing chronic postsurgical pain. Like the Perioperative Surgical Home program in which it can be logically integrated, such a Transitional Pain Service can serve as the needed but missing linkage to improve the continuum of care and perioperative pain management for elective, urgent, and emergent surgery. Even if successfully and cost-efficiently embedded within an existing Perioperative Surgical Home, a new perioperative Transitional Pain Service will require additional resources.
Interactions between strike-slip earthquakes and the subduction interface near the Mendocino Triple Junction

Abstract The interactions between the North American, Pacific, and Gorda plates at the Mendocino Triple Junction (MTJ) create one of the most seismically active regions in North America. The earthquakes rupture all three plate boundaries but also include considerable intraplate seismicity reflecting the strong internal deformation of the Gorda plate. Understanding the stress levels that drive these ruptures and estimating the locking state of the subduction interface are especially important topics for regional earthquake hazard assessment. However owing to the lack of offshore seismic and geodetic instruments, the rupture process of only a few large earthquakes near the MTJ have been studied in detail and the locking state of the subduction interface is not well constrained. In this paper, first, we use the second moments inversion method to study the rupture process of the January 28, 2015 M w 5.7 earthquake on the Mendocino transform fault that was unusually well recorded by both onshore and offshore strong motion instruments. We estimate the rupture dimension to be approximately 6 km by 3 km corresponding to a stress drop of ∼4 MPa for a crack model. Next we investigate the frictional state of the subduction interface by simulating the afterslip that would be expected there as a result of the stress changes from the 2015 earthquake and a 2010 M w 6.5 intraplate earthquake within the subducted Gorda plate. We simulate afterslip scenarios for a range of depths of the downdip end of the locked zone defined as the transition to velocity strengthening friction and calculate the corresponding surface deformation expected at onshore GPS monuments. We can rule out a very shallow downdip limit owing to the lack of a detectable signal at onshore GPS stations following the 2010 earthquake. Our simulations indicate that the locking depth on the slab surface is at least 14 km, which suggests that the next M8 earthquake rupture will likely reach the coastline and strong shaking should be expected there.
A child with nail changes.

An otherwise healthy 3 year old boy presented with a 3 week history of painless nail alterations, which were noticed by his mother, with incidental findings of nail discoloration and brittle nails with cracks. All the nail changes moved distally with nail growth. Physical examination found proximal nail plate separation from the nail matrix on the right thumbnail and left index fingernail, one white transverse furrow in the right third fingernail, and one transverse whitish, non-palpable, non-blanching line on the right fourth fingernail (fig 1). No toenails were involved. The child was usually well, however had seen a doctor for hand, foot, and mouth disease five weeks before the nail presentations. Fig 1 Changes on the thumb and fingernails What are the nail changes shown in figure 1, and what are the possible causes in this child? The nail changes are consistent …
Proportion of patients who disclose their sexual orientation to healthcare providers and its relationship to patient outcomes: A meta-analysis and review.

Abstract Objective Patient-centered care emphasizes the need to form a therapeutic and trusting relationship between patients and providers in which patients feel comfortable disclosing health-relevant and personal information. It is still unknown how many patients disclose their sexual orientation to providers, under what circumstances and what it is related to in terms of outcomes. Method The present meta-analysis and review sought to identify the overall proportion of sexual orientation disclosure to healthcare providers, facilitators and barriers of disclosure, patient populations less likely to disclose, and the relationship between disclosure and outcomes. Thirty-five studies met the inclusion criteria yielding 38 independent proportions. Characteristics of patients, providers, location, and disclosure were extracted. Results Sexual orientation disclosure proportions to healthcare providers ranged from .29 to .98. The random-effects pooled estimate was .63 (95% CI: .58, .68). Disclosure compared to nondisclosure was related to more positive direct and indirect health outcomes including higher satisfaction, more healthcare seeking and screenings and better self-reported health and psychological wellbeing. Conclusion The overall proportion of disclosure to healthcare providers varied by patient, provider, location, and disclosure characteristics. Practice implications These findings emphasize the need for future interventions directed at facilitating disclosure among populations identified as less likely to disclose.
Missing Data as a Causal Inference Problem

We address the problem of deciding whether there exists an unbiased estimator of a given relation Q, when data are missing not at random. We employ a formal representation called "Missingness Graphs" to explicitly portray the causal mechanisms responsible for missingness and to encode dependencies between these mechanisms and the variables being measured. Using this representation, we define the notion of recoverability which ensures that, for a given missingness-graph G and a given query Q an algorithm exists that produces an unbiased estimate of Q. That is, in the limit of large samples, the algorithm should produce an estimate of Q as if no data were missing. We further present conditions that the graph should satisfy in order for recoverability to hold and devise algorithms to detect the presence of these conditions.
Principles and Rules

Before Chomsky, rules of language were regularly prescriptive in nature. After Chomsky, rules became syntactic and generative because language is rule governed and predictable. But such rules fail to rein in meaning, which defies predictability and testability. Language philosophers and pragmatists, therefore, turned their attention to extralinguistic conditions, to how language users use language as determined by societal conditions. Their work has resulted in the formulation of pragmatic principles, including the cooperative principle, politeness principles, and the principle of relevance. However, pragmatic principles are not self-reflective, whereas metapragmatic principles are: they cultivate metadiscursive awareness and account for those underlying forces that, be they local or crosscultural, motivate or constitute particular pragmatic principles.
Regulation of Iron Accumulation In Food Crops: Studies Using Single Gene Pea Mutants

Principal plant foods (including legume seeds and cereal grains) are poor sources of dietary iron because they don't contain adequate quantities of available iron. Also, they can contain compounds that inhibit iron bioavailability. Supplying more iron to seed and grain crops during growth does not dramatically increase the iron concentration in these plant foods, because homeostatic mechanisms highly regulate and control iron absorption, translocation, redistribution, and deposition in plant organs. We have been using single gene pea mutants to characterize the regulation of iron uptake and translocation in plants. Once the control mechanisms are understood, it may be possible to develop new varieties of seed and grain crops which accumulate adequate available quantities of dietary iron in their edible parts.
Geologic Displays as Science and Art

Intriguing and innovative displays presenting geology as both science and art have profound power to teach, inspire, and engage students and visitors. In an academic geoscience building, example novel designs include an overall river theme relevant to the local physiography, museum-like displays of rock slabs and fossils, and eco-friendly installations that encourage sustainable practices. Positive outcomes include increased visitation, raised department visibility, more energized and enthusiastic faculty and students, a sense of pride and community, and donations to the educational mission. A changing focus from traditional architecture to integrated design elements can capitalize on visual materials to inspire the next generations of earth scientists. Geologic displays as science and art have a rejuvenating effect on the academic endeavors of teaching and research and leave a legacy that extends beyond traditional walls.
Identifying Protein-Protein Interactions and Protein Complexes

Propinquity is a seldom-used noun meaning contact, closeness, or kinship. The previous quote is a political truism testifying to the importance of close personal contact in achieving political success. Proteins are a lot like politicians in that respect, because in most cellular biochemistry, as in legislative politics, teamwork is required.
Stochastic Resonance Can Drive Adaptive Physiological Processes

Stochastic resonance (SR) is a concept from the physics and engineering communities that has applicability to both systems physiology and other living systems. In this paper, it will be argued that stochastic resonance plays a role in driving behavior in neuromechanical systems. The theory of stochastic resonance will be discussed, followed by a series of expected outcomes, and two tests of stochastic resonance in an experimental setting. These tests are exploratory in nature, and provide a means to parameterize systems that couple biological and mechanical components. Finally, the potential role of stochastic resonance in adaptive physiological systems will be discussed.
Connectivity of two species with contrasting dispersal abilities: a test of the isolated tributary hypothesis

AbstractThe isolated tributary hypothesis (ITH) states that headwater tributaries are insular habitats, and therefore, populations in tributaries will have low genetic connectivity. We compared gen...
A Pre-Coding Technique to Mitigate PAPR in MIMO-OFDM Systems

Typically, broadband wireless communication systems employ Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) with Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) systems to yield MIMO-OFDM systems. OFDM serves to convert frequency-selective MIMO channels into equivalent or parallel flat MIMO channels, thus decreasing the complexity at the receiver, while simultaneously helping to attain robust high data rate transmission. One of the key challenges faced by researchers in designing a MIMO-OFDM system is how to mitigate Peak-to-Average-Power Ratio (PAPR). The MIMO-OFDM signal can be displayed as the summation of independent complex variables with adjustable phases. When all the variables become in phase a peak of the summation of amplitudes is formed. This leads to amplification difficulties at the transmitter and to high out-of-band radiation in case of non-linear power amplifiers. The nonlinearity arises mainly because of the large input power range into the nonlinear region of the power amplifier. The literature abounds with methods for mitigating PAPR. This paper suggests a useful model for the relation between the input data and output PAPR, and proposes a pre-coding technique model to redistribute the input data. The results shows that the PAPR reduction capability of the pre-coding technique facilitates the MIMO-OFDM system to perform better with a reduced PAPR. Simulation results with BPSK and QPSK modulations exhibit a reduction in PAPR of around 4 $\mathbf{dB}$ .
Self-Assembled Functionally Graded Graphene Films with Tunable Compositions and Their Applications in Transient Electronics and Actuation.

The facile fabrication of functionally graded all-graphene films using a single-step casting process is reported. The films consist of a self-assembled graphene oxide (GO) precursor that can be red...
Generic and psychological patient-reported deficits in those with chronic ankle instability: A cross sectional study

Abstract Objectives To quantify differences in generic and psychological patient-reported outcomes (PROs) between those with CAI and uninjured controls. To determine associations between generic and psychological PROs, in those with CAI, to regional PROs and injury history characteristics. Design Cross-sectional, descriptive. Setting Sport Medicine Research Laboratory. Participants Included 45 individuals with CAI and 45 uninjured controls. CAI was defined based on the recommendations of the International Ankle Consortium. Main outcome measures Two regional PROs (e.g. Foot and Ankle Ability Measure), and several generic and psychological PROs (e.g. SF-36, select PROMIS short forms, Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire). Results Those with CAI had worse scores, relative to controls, in PROs related to regional function, generic physical function, pain, ability to participate in social roles and activities, and injury related fear. The number of giving way episodes, CAI severity, and regional PROs associated with generic physical function scales as well as a pain scale. Conclusions Select generic physical function and psychological scales can detect differences between those with and without CAI. Specific injury history characteristics and regional PROs associate with generic and psychological PROs.
The Benefits of Criminal Justice Internships at a Historically Black University: An Analysis of Site Supervisors’ Evaluations of Interns’ Professional Development

There are numerous studies on the benefits of internships in the extant literature, although many of these studies focused on the views of students and professors/instructors. These studies were al...
Extraocular muscle enlargement in retinoencephalofacial angiomatosis

A 22-year-old female presented for evaluation of five years of progressive left exophthalmos and intermittent blurred vision. She had previously received laser treatment for peripheral retinal neov...
The mPOWERED Electronic Learning System for Intimate Partner Violence Education: Mixed Methods Usability Study.

Background: Nurse practitioners are a common resource for victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) presenting to health care settings. However, they often have inadequate knowledge about IPV and lack self-efficacy and confidence to be able to screen for IPV and communicate effectively with patients. Objective: The aim of this study was to develop and test the usability of a blended learning system aimed at educating nurse practitioner students on topics related to IPV (ie, the mPOWERED system [Health Equity Institute]). Methods: Development of the mPOWERED system involved usability testing with 7 nurse educators (NEs) and 18 nurse practitioner students. Users were asked to complete usability testing using a speak-aloud procedure and then complete a satisfaction and usability questionnaire. Results: Overall, the mPOWERED system was deemed to have high usability and was positively evaluated by both NEs and nurse practitioner students. Respondents provided critical feedback that will be used to improve the system. Conclusions: By including target end users in the design and evaluation of the mPOWERED system, we have developed a blended IPV learning system that can easily be integrated into health care education. Larger-scale evaluation of the pedagogical impact of this system is underway.
Cost-effectiveness of a national immunization program with the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine compared with the 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in South Korea

Globally, pneumococcal disease represents a significant burden. South Korea implemented the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) in 2003, replaced with the 10-valent (PCV10) and 13-valent...
Ready for the robot? A cross-sectional survey of OB/GYN fellowship directors’ experience and expectations of their incoming fellow’s robotic surgical skills

To describe OB/GYN fellowship directors’ (FDs) observations, expectations, and preferences of incoming fellow’s robotic surgery preparedness. Cross-sectional study. OB/GYN FDs in gynecologic oncology, minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery, and reproductive endocrinology and infertility in the United States. 60 FDs answered the questionnaire. Participants completed an online questionnaire about their preferences and expectations of robotic surgery experience for incoming fellows. FDs observed that many incoming first-year fellows had a baseline understanding of robotic technology (60%) and robotic bedside assist experience (53%). However, few could perform more advanced robotic tasks; with FDs indicating fellows could infrequently robotically suture (18%), or perform the entire hysterectomy (15%). FDs reported higher composite observation than expectation scores (34.3 versus 22.2, p < 0.0001), and higher preference than expectation scores (34.0 versus 22.2, p < 0.0001). The composite expectation score of high-volume divisions was greater than of low-volume divisions (23.7 versus 14.0, p = 0.04). Among the domains identified, FDs most strongly preferred their fellows be able to bedside assist, have a basic understanding of robotic technology, and have basic robotic operative skills. While incoming fellows have more robotic skill than their FDs expect, few are deemed competent to independently operate the robot. Higher volume robotic surgery divisions have higher expectations of the robotic skills of their incoming fellows compared to low-volume divisions; however, FDs neither expected nor preferred their incoming fellows to be fully competent in all aspects of robotic surgery.
Effects of Temperature on Development and Survival of Nymphal Lycorma delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae)

Lycorma delicatula (White), an invasive planthopper originally from Asia, is an emerging pest in North America. It is important to understand its phenology in order to determine its potential range in the United States. Lycorma delicatula nymphs were reared on Ailanthus altissima (Miller) (Sapindales: Simaroubaceae) at each of the following constant temperatures: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40°C. The time spent in each instar and survival was recorded. Developmental rate increased with temperature from 15 to 30°C for all instars, then declined again at higher temperatures. Nymphal survival was lower at 35°C than between 15 and 30°C for all instars, and first instars placed at 5, 10, and 40°C all died without molting. This suggests that L. delicatula survival and development may be affected in the Southern United States by high temperatures and developmental delays will occur under cool spring conditions. The lower developmental threshold was found to be 13.00 ± 0.42°C for first instars, 12.43 ± 2.09°C for second instars, 8.48 ± 2.99°C for third instars, and 6.29 ± 2.12°C for fourth instars. The degree-day (DD) requirement for nymphs in the previous instar to complete development to reach the second instar, third instar, fourth instar, and adult was 166.61, 208.75, 410.49, and 620.07 DD (base varied), respectively. These results provide key data to support the development of phenology models and help identify the potential range of L. delicatula in North America.
Streamwise and lateral maneuvers of a fish-inspired hydrofoil.

Fish are highly maneuverable compared to human-made underwater vehicles. Maneuvers are inherently transient, so they are often studied via observations of fish and fish-like robots, where their dynamics cannot be recorded directly. To study maneuvers in isolation, we designed a new kind of wireless carriage whose air bushings allow a hydrofoil to maneuver semi-autonomously in a water channel. We show that modulating the hydrofoil's frequency, amplitude, pitch bias, and stroke speed ratio (pitching speed of left vs right stroke) produces streamwise and lateral maneuvers with mixed effectiveness. Modulating pitch bias, for example, produces quasi-steady lateral maneuvers with classic reverse von Karman wakes, whereas modulating the stroke speed ratio produces sudden yaw torques and vortex pairs like those observed behind turning zebrafish. Our findings provide a new framework for considering in-plane maneuvers and streamwise/lateral trajectory corrections in fish and fish-inspired robots.
Prediction of primary venous thromboembolism based on clinical and genetic factors within the U.K. Biobank.

Both clinical and genetic factors drive the risk of venous thromboembolism. However, whether clinically recorded risk factors and genetic variants can be combined into a clinically applicable predictive score remains unknown. Using Cox proportional-hazard models, we analyzed the association of risk factors with the likelihood of venous thromboembolism in U.K. Biobank, a large prospective cohort. We then created a polygenic risk score of 36 single nucleotide polymorphisms and a clinical score determined by age, sex, body mass index, previous cancer diagnosis, smoking status, and fracture in the last 5 years. Participants were at significantly increased risk of venous thromboembolism if they were at high clinical risk (subhazard ratio, 4.37 [95% CI, 3.85-4.97]) or high genetic risk (subhazard ratio, 3.02 [95% CI, 2.63-3.47]) relative to participants at low clinical or genetic risk, respectively. The combined model, consisting of clinical and genetic components, was significantly better than either the clinical or the genetic model alone (P < 0.001). Participants at high risk in the combined score had nearly an eightfold increased risk of venous thromboembolism relative to participants at low risk (subhazard ratio, 7.51 [95% CI, 6.28-8.98]). This risk score can be used to guide decisions regarding venous thromboembolism prophylaxis, although external validation is needed.
Steady Supercritical Flow Past Ellipses

Within the past 5 years, numerical methods applicable to transsonic flow past an airfoil have been extensively investigated. Approaches for calculating a steady, two-dimensional, inviscid transsonic flow field may be roughly divided into three classes: finite difference techniques, hodograph methods, and semi-analytical techniques.
Urease, Urolithiasis, and Colonization of the Urinary Tract

In urinary tracts with functional or anatomical abnormalities in which the normal flow of urine is disrupted or in which residual urine cannot be expressed from the bladder, a distinct group of bacterial species may cause infection. These infections are most frequently polymicrobial. The placement of a long-term indwelling catheter ensures that a urinary tract infection (UTI) will develop. Proteus mirabilis, a dimorphic gram-negative bacterium, commonly causes UTI in individuals with structural abnormalities or long term catheterization, i.e., complicated UTI. Flagella and the mannose-resistant, Proteus-like (MR/P) fimbriae and P. mirabilis fimbriae (PMF) have been identified as virulence factors of P. mirabilis that contribute to its colonization of the urinary tract in a murine model. Urease inhibitors have been used to treat patients with urolithiasis. The level of bladder colonization by the urease-negative mutant was >200-fold higher in the catheterized mice than in the uncatheterized mice. Despite the successful colonization of the bladders of the catheterized mice by the urease-negative mutant, urolithiasis or death was never observed. The low-level urease activity detected in the uninduced culture of the wild type is consistent with a previous finding that the expression of UreD is not as tightly regulated in P. mirabilis as it is in Escherichia coli expressing cloned urease genes.
Dielectric properties of thin-film SrTiO3 grown on LaAlO3 with YBa2Cu3O7-x electrodes

ABSTRACT We have fabricated and characterized YBCO (YBa2Cu3O7) microstrip resonators on LAO (L.aAlO3)substrates that include thin film STO (SrTiO3) coplanar capacitors to study the dielectric properties ofthin film STO. The low frequency capacitance of the STO/LAO capacitor is measured as a function oftemperature and dc bias. We use the observed resonant frequencies to extract the microwave frequency capacitance of the structure and the Q's to determine the microwave losses. A conformal map is developed and used to transform the observed capacitances into dielectric constant values for the thinfilm STO. 1. INTRODUCTION Ferroelectric materials may provide a large enough dielectric tunability (versus dc bias) and low enough dielectric loss to be useful in some microwave 1 ,2 These materials, however, are temperature sensitive and must be used in a controlled temperature environment. High temperaturesuperconducting YBCO has also been proposed for use in some microwave systems.3 In such systemswhere one has already committed to temperature control, the use of thin film perovskite ferroelectrics
Behavior of Granular Materials Under High Stresses

Triaxial tests at mean normal stresses up to 1,200 kg per sq cm on a medium-grained, uniform quartz sand show that the nature of sand deformation varies with pressure. As mean normal stress increases, crushing becomes more pronounced and dilatancy effects gradually disappear. Beyond breakdown pressure, at which all effects of initial void ratio disappear, sand behaves essentially as a linearly deformable solid with modulus of deformation E proportional to mean normal stress q. In the same range, sand strength is characterized by a constant angle of internal friction, φ, equal to the angle of interparticle friction from the low pressure tests. Below breakdown pressure, E increases as a power function of q; however the exponent of this function varies with pressure and, to a certain degree, with the initial void ratio of sand. The strength envelopes in this range are all curved and depend on the initial void ratio of sand. Relative compressibility of granular materials generally increases with pressure and may be responsible for scale effects in a number of passive pressure phenomena.
Design of a multi-processor system using TMS320C25 for real time advantage processing

The design of a system using several TMS320C25 processors for real-time implementation of image processing algorithms is proposed. Different approaches for hardware implementation are examined, and a system based on subframe buffers for each processor is presented. The feasibility of the design is verified by studying an image compression algorithm using two-dimensional cosine transform coding. The algorithm decides the speed of operation and consequently determines the number of processing elements required for real-time implementations. Speeding up of the existing algorithms as well as developing new faster algorithms can simplify the hardware to a large extent. >
GaN betavoltaic energy converters

Semiconductor betavoltaic converters use energy from radioisotope sources to generate electricity for remote applications requiring power for 5-50 years. To be competitive with thermoelectric devices, they must achieve an efficiency above 20%. This paper presents the design rules and efficiency calculations for such high efficiency GaN betavoltaic converters, and experimentally demonstrates the radiation tolerance of GaN.
Atopic Dermatitis in African American Children: Addressing Unmet Needs of a Common Disease

Recent published data suggest that the prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) in African American children is significantly higher than in Caucasians. There are certain characteristics in the presentation of AD in African Americans that seem to differ from those in other racial groups, but there is a paucity of information on this topic. In this review, we highlight the differences in pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and treatment of AD between African Americans and Caucasians. It is important for dermatologists to understand these differences in order to provide better care for African American children with AD.
Showdomycin and its reactive moiety, maleimide: A comparison in selective toxicity and mechanism of action in vitro☆

Abstract Showdomycin, a C-nucleoside antibiotic, was twice as toxic to L1210 murine leukemia cells as to murine bone narrow progenitor cells of the granulocyte-macrophage series. Its aglycone, maleimide, was equally toxic to both cell lines. Cysteine, adenosine and the potent nucleoside transport inhibitor 6-[(2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl)thio]-9-β- d -ribofuranosylpurine (HNBMPR) reversed the early stages of toxicity of showdomycin to L1210 cells, but did not reduce the toxicity of maleimide. At cytotoxic concentrations, showdomycin progressively inactivated the nucleoside uptake system to completion. This inhibition of nucleoside uptake was reversed by cysteine under conditions where it reversed cytotoxicity. The binding of 6-[(4-nitrobenzyl)thio]-9-β- d -ribofuranosylpurine (NBMPR) by L1210 cells was also inhibited by showdomycin, indicating that the antibiotic inactivated the nucleoside transport site. The data suggest that the C-nucleoside structure confers some selectivity to the cytotoxic action of maleimide, directing it toward the nucleoside transport system of the tumor cell.
Diabetic Ketoacidosis: Pathophysiology, Management and Complications

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a common and potentially life-threatening complication of diabetes mellitus, the second most common chronic childhood disease [1]. Prior to the introduction of insulin to clinical medicine by Banting and Best in 1922, DKA had a mortality rate greater than 60% [2]. As insulin was introduced into clinical practice, there was a gradual decrease in mortality associated with DKA over the subsequent 30 years. Recent epidemiological data reveal current mortality varies from 0 to 19% [3,4]. DKA continues to be the most common cause of death in patients younger than 24 years of age; it accounts for as many as 50% of deaths of young diabetic patients [5–7]. In elderly diabetics who have coexisting diseases, DKA carries a high mortality [8]. Despite many advances in the care of diabetic patients, the prevalence of DKA is not declining; it accounts for 14% of all diabetes-related hospital admissions [3, 4, 9].The incidence of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus continues to increase wor...
A unified model approach for solder joint life prediction

In real world applications, the inherent resilience associated with as manufactured solder joints does not lead the solder joints to exhibit spontaneous degradation behavior as explained in various studies using Coffin-Manson and other models [1] [2]. On the contrary, solder joints spend substantial period of lifetime free of degradation or in which the rate of degradation is negligible and insignificant [3]. Therefore, any efforts that do not capture the initial degradation free life time result in underestimation of overall useful product life. This study presents an integrated approach that combines the crack initiation and crack propagation phases to provide a unified model for solder joint life prediction. Underlying thermo-mechanical physics of failure mechanisms responsible for degradation are used to develop the constitutive models separately for initiation and propagation phases. These models are then combined to come up with a unified life prediction model for solder joints. Owing to complex nature of degradation in initiation and propagation phases, non-linear regression methods have been utilized to estimate the model parameters. The resulting models are used to predict the total estimated life time of solder joints using crack initiation and crack propagation models on the dataset from a given study [3].
LEED investigation of the Si (112) surface structure

Abstract The structure of bare, and of hydrogen and gallium covered Si (112) surfaces has been investigated by LEED. The study was prompted by interest in Si (112) as a favorable substrate for heteroepitaxial growth of compound semiconductors. Several cleaning procedures, including exposure of a heated sample to a Ga atomic beam, gave equivalent results. Hydrogen-covered surfaces were found to be periodically stepped, with (111) terraces and a step height of one interplanar distance in a single sublattice of the diamond structure. Bare surfaces displayed complex long-range reconstructions which removed the stepped configuration. Highly ordered, thin Ga overlayers were easily produced, which revealed the underlying periodicity of the steps, but formed a coincidence lattice along the terraces. It was not possible to determine whether the bare surface was primitive (all surface atoms belonging to a single sublattice) or non-primitive. Thus, the results are consistent with, but do not establish a premise regarding the (112) surface structure that makes this orientation seem attractive for elemental substrates in heteroepitaxial growth of compound semiconductors.
Evaluation of phosphorus-containing inhibitors of γ-glutamyl hydrolase

Abstract Several putative, phosphorus-containing inhibitors of γ-glutamyl hydrolase were synthesized and evaluated for inhibitory activity. The phosphonamidoic acids were shown to be weak competitive inhibitors while both a phosphoramidate diester and a phosphonamidate ester were shown to be potent time-dependent inactivators, presumably through irreversible phosphorylation of an active site nucleophile.
Plant stanol ester: review of cholesterol-lowering efficacy and implications for coronary heart disease risk reduction.

Plant stanol ester has been shown in over 20 studies to be an effective and safe cholesterol-lowering substance. Randomized, placebo-controlled studies indicate that 2–3 g/day of plant stanol ester significantly reduces low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels by about 10%–20%. These results have been consistently found in various groups, including young adult and elderly men, pre- and postmenopausal women, children with and without familial hypercholesterolemia, type II diabetics, and patients with coronary heart disease. Plant stanol ester has also been shown to significantly augment the cholesterol-lowering effect of statins. No clinically significant adverse effects have been detected in studies or in general use in Finland, where foods fortified with plant stanol ester have been available since 1995. Results of studies with plant stanol ester have important implications for both the clinical and public health approaches to coronary heart disease risk reduction.
Tympanometry of a diverse group of preschool aged children.

Summary Objective Ethnicity has been previously described as a risk factor for middle ear disease. Little data exist on the presence of middle ear disease based on tympanometry screening comparing Asian children and children of other races. Methods Two hundred and seventy children aged 3–5 were screened with tympanometry at six Head Start sites in St. Paul, Minnesota during the months of September and October of 2004. Gender, age, and race/ethnicity was recorded and entered into a database, along with values for canal volume, static admittance, peak pressure, and tympanometric width. Results Criteria for abnormal tympanometry were based on American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) recommendations for a failed tympanogram for 1–5 year olds (admittance 200 daPa). There were no statistically significant differences in failure rates between males and females. There were, however, more failures for Asian (predominantly Hmong) children compared to children of other races/ethnicities after adjusting for age and gender differences (OR = 6.39, CI 3.65–11.2, p p Conclusions Asian children were more than six times as likely to fail tympanometry as children of other races/ethnicities. The explanation for this difference is likely to be multifactorial, and further research is needed to characterize this difference.
Bronchodilating effect of oral theophylline-ephedrine combination

Abstract Ten adults with mild but continuously symptomatic asthma were compared with 10 nonsmoking normal persons. In Phase I after 2 wk without oral bronchodilators and 8 hr without aerosols, each subject received on five different days and in a randomized sequence either placebo, ephedrine 24 mg, theophylline 130 mg, theophylline + ephedrine, or theophylline + ephedrine +phenobarbital 8 mg. During Phase II, the 20 subjects took the theophylline-ephedrine-phenobarbital compound 4 times a day for 2 wk and continued this schedule for an additional 10 to 14 days while the five drug administrations of Phase I were repeated. The drug effects were evaluated by spirometry and flow volume loops and correlated and blood levels of theophylline. A single dose of the combination produced therapeutically useful bronchodilation of central and peripheral airways without producing much more frequent or severe side effects than either drug alone. The greater improvement that occurred by combining a low dose of theophylline with a low dose of ephedrine does not preclude a conclusion that similar improvement could have been achieved with a larger dose of theophylline. Addition of phenobarbital did not reduce symptoms of nervousness, tremor, or nausea. After 2 wk or longer of repeated doses, the combination produced about as much bronchodilation as after a single dose. Before the second set of measurements, theophylline levels had reached steady state after regular administration of 130 mg four times a day. Eight hours after the single dose, the mean serum level was 2.3 μg/ml; after 2 wk of repeated doses, 8 hr after a dose the mean was 5.3 μg/ml. Each drug, and the combination more than either, had a bronchodilating effect on small airways of normal subjects.