cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microcomputer analysis of indicator dilution curves to determine Qp/Qs.

We developed and tested, in an animal model, a method for collecting and analyzing indicator dilution curves to determine the pulmonary-to-systemic flow ratio (Qp/Qs) using a programmable microcomputer. Curves were digitized in real time by an analog to digital converter. A gamma variate curve fitting algorithm, similar to that used in nuclear cardiology, was used to determine the area under primary and recirculation portions of a single cardiogreen dye curve. A ratio of these areas was used as a measure of Qp/Qs. In an animal model simulating patent ductus arteriosus, there was close correlation of Qp/Qs measured by the Fick method and by the microcomputer method (computer Qp/Qs = 0.95 × Fick Qp/Qs + 0.22, R = 0.97, N = 14, SEE = 0.14). The computer method of measuring Qp/Qs is rapid, easily repeatable, and does not require catheter manipulation. Therefore, it may be particularly useful in the clinical cardiac catheterization laboratory for studying the effects of interventions on Qp/Qs.
GABA-related transcripts in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in mood disorders

Reduced cortical c-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels and altered markers for subpopulations of GABA interneurons have been reported in major depressive disorder (MDD) by in-vivo brain imaging and post-mortem histological studies. Subgroups of GABA interneurons exert differential inhibitory control on principal pyramidal neurons and can be identified based on the non-overlapping expression of the calcium-binding proteins parvalbumin (PV) or calretinin (CR) or the neuropeptide somatostatin (SST). As altered markers of GABAergic functions may also be present in bipolar disorder (BPD), the specificity of particular GABA-related molecular deficits in mood disorders is not known. We used real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to assess expression levels of two GABA synthesizing enzymes (glutamate decarboxylase ; GAD65 and GAD67) and of three markers of GABA neuron subpopulations (PV, CR, SST) in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC ; Brodmann area 9) in triads (n=19) of control subjects and matched subjects with BPD or MDD. BPD subjects demonstrated significantly reduced PV mRNA, trend level reduction in SST mRNA and no alterations in GAD67, GAD65, or CR mRNA levels ; MDD subjects demonstrated reduced SST mRNA expression without alterations in the other transcripts. The characteristic age-related decline in SST expression was not observed in MDD, as low expression was detected across age in MDD subjects. After controlling for age, MDD subjects demonstrated significantly reduced SST mRNA expression. Decreased SST levels in MDD were confirmed at the protein precursor level. Results were not explained by other clinical, demographic or technical parameters. In summary, MDD was characterized by low DLPFC SST, whereas decreased PV mRNA appears to distinguish BPD from MDD.
A regenerative biosensing surface in microfluidics using electrochemical desorption of short-chain self-assembled monolayer

We report a novel method to regenerate a biosensor surface in microfluidics. By applying a low DC voltage (0.9 V) between two electrodes submerged in phosphate buffered saline, the sensing surface resets to be reusable and reconfigurable; streptavidin-bound COOH–SAM completely desorbs and CH3-terminated self-assembled monolayer (SAM) forms on the sensing surface to capture the subsequent target molecule, fibrinogen, in a microfluidic device. The biomolecular interactions are monitored by surface plasmon resonance in real time, and ellipsometry and linear sweep voltammetry are used to evaluate the results. Despite much study on the theoretical mechanism of electrochemical SAM desorption, relatively little research has been carried out on its full integration into a microfluidic system. This is because of electrode peeling-off and electrolysis occurring at a similar potential to the potential of the SAM desorption. In this paper, we report that the potential for the reductive desorption of thiol SAMs depends on the length of the alkyl chin, the type of terminal groups and the binding of proteins and that our approach using short-chain SAMs (n 10) needs more than 1.0 V between two electrodes to be completely regenerated, the protein-bound surface on the short-chain SAMs (n < 3) does around 0.9-DC voltage. Linear sweep voltammetry demonstrates that hydrogen evolution (approx. −1.2 V) does not overlap the short-chain SAM desorption and the electrode does not peel off during the desorption process as well. It is shown that the modified proteins in the same microfluidic device are still stable even after 10 cycles showing a relative standard deviation lower than 1.86%.
GaAs nonlinear transmission lines for picosecond pulse generation and millimeter-wave sampling

The GaAs nonlinear transmission line (NLTL) is a monolithic millimeter-wave integrated circuit consisting of a high-impedance transmission line loaded by reverse-biased Schottky contacts. The engineering of functional monolithic NLTLs is considered. Through generation of shock waves on the NLTL, the authors have generated electrical step functions with approximately 5 V magnitude and less than 1.4 ps fall time. Diode sampling bridges strobed by NLTL shock-wave generators have attained bandwidths approaching 300 GHz and have applications in instruments for millimeter-wave waveform and network measurements. The authors discuss the circuit design and diode design requirements for picosecond NLTL shock-wave generators and NLTL-driven sampling circuits. >
Improvements in 1-Year Cardiovascular Clinical Outcomes Associated with a Hospital-Based Discharge Medication Program

The authors introduced a program to increase prescribing of appropriate discharge medications to patients with cardiovascular disease in an integrated multihospital system. In this nonrandomized be...
Antitrust, the Rule of Reason, and Democracy: A Letter from Justice William O. Douglas

This article is a fictional letter from Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas about the relationship between democratic values and antitrust law. It responds to William Curran's fictional dialogue between Senator John Sherman and philosopher John Rawls. It discusses the importance of the anarcho-socialist movement of the late nineteenth century to the adoption of the Sherman Act, the historical and logical inevitability of adoption of a rule of reason in antitrust law, the relevance of economic efficiency to the rule of reason, and the relationship between competition and the promotion of democratic ideals.
Wavefront Sensing by Phase and Modal Amplitude Retrieval

A model for pupil amplitude using a weighted sum of basis functions is applied to wavefront sensing through two-plane focus-diverse phase retrieval. Simulations and a laboratory experiment are shown.
The Impact of Genetics and Training on Deception Detection Performance

This study seeks to examine the genetic basis of deception detection performance using the classic twin study design. A synthesis of current literature on twin studies and deception detection suggests a genetic basis for deception detection performance may exist. An experiment was conducted to examine the genetic basis for deception detection, and the moderating effect of training on improvement in deception detection performance. One hundred and ninety two twins participated in the experiment, with 65 pairs of monozygotic (MZ; identical) twins and 31 pairs of dizygotic (DZ; fraternal) twins. Performance on a series of deception detection tasks revealed that variability in deception detection performance was largely determined by shared and non-shared environmental influences. Moreover, declarative training significantly moderated change in deception detection performance. Implications of these findings are discussed with respect to both academic research and fraud prevention practices.
Relation of the Phospholipins to the Reactivity of Antipneumococcus Sera

Hardy and Gardiner's method1 for the removal of lipoids from sera is based upon the fact that extraction of protein solutions by alcohol or alcohol-ether at low temperatures does not cause denaturation. Using this method, Hartley2 has shown that the removal of lipoids from certain antisera apparently abolishes their in vitro reactivity. Felton3 has extracted antipneumococcus horse serum in a similar manner, and has demonstrated that the removal of lipoids does not diminish protective action.These findings have been confirmed for Type I antipneumococcus horse serum. Extracted sera fail to agglutinate homologous type pneumococci and to give a precipitate with the specific capsular polysaccharide. In vivo, however, they show the presence of protective antibody in unaltered concentration.Lipoid extraction was carried out in the following manner: The antiserum was introduced, with stirring, into 10 volumes of absolute alcohol at —10°C. After 6 hours′ extraction the precipitate was collected by centrifugation a...
Solubilization of Therapeutic Agents in Micellar Nanomedicines

We use atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to reveal the binding mechanisms of therapeutic agents in PEG-ylated micellar nanocarriers (SSM). In our experiments, SSM in buffer solutions can solubilize either ≈11 small bexarotene molecules or ≈6 (2 in low ionic strength buffer) human vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) molecules. Free energy calculations reveal that molecules of the poorly water-soluble drug bexarotene can reside at the micellar ionic interface of the PEG corona, with their polar ends pointing out. Alternatively, they can reside in the alkane core center, where several bexarotene molecules can self-stabilize by forming a cluster held together by a network of hydrogen bonds. We also show that highly charged molecules, such as VIP, can be stabilized at the SSM ionic interface by Coulombic coupling between their positively charged residues and the negatively charged phosphate headgroups of the lipids. The obtained results illustrate that atomistic simulations can reveal drug solubilizatio...
High-Energy Behavior of Chiral Lagrangians and the Process π a +α-->π b +π c +β

Weinberg's approach to the high-energy behavior of chiral Lagrangians is applied to the process $\ensuremath{\pi}+\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}2\ensuremath{\pi}+\ensuremath{\beta}$, and it is shown that the algebraic relations required to give good asymptotic behavior in this process are the same as those which give good behavior in the reaction $\ensuremath{\pi}+\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\pi}+\ensuremath{\beta}$.
Converse seeking under pressure test used for improving man-machine effects of hand-holding tools

For the sake of reducing the peak value of the pressure borne by the user of hand-holding tools and raising the overall comfort degree,a kind of experimental method for the converse seeking under pressure was designed.The exterior curved surface of tool handle was obtained according to the camber of human body under pressure.The comfort degree description words were given out in the questionnaire,by analyzing the weight of description words and carrying out statistical analysis the quantitative relationship between the joint degrees of the exterior curved surface of handle and the comfort degrees was obtained.The analytical result on the evaluation of the questionnaire showed that this curved surface could improve the pressure distribution status of human body surface and reduce the peak-value of the intensity of pressure borne by human-body surface.
Mortality from neurodegenerative diseases in a cohort of US flight attendants.

Background Concern exists about the potential chronic neurological effects among aircrew of exposure to chemical contaminants from engine oil in aircraft cabin air. We evaluated mortality from neurodegenerative diseases among 11,311 former US flight attendants. Methods Vital status was ascertained through 2007, and life table analyses were conducted to obtain standardized mortality ratios (SMRs). Results Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) mortality was over twice as high in the cohort as in the US general population, based on nine observed ALS deaths. There was no clear pattern in risk when SMRs for ALS were stratified by exposure duration. Mortality from other neurodegenerative diseases was not elevated. Conclusions Our findings are limited due to small numbers of observed deaths and reliance on mortality data, but suggest that flight attendants may have an increased risk of ALS. Additional research is needed. Am. J. Ind. Med. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Inhibition of angiotensin conversion and prevention of renal hypertension

Renal artery constriction in the unilaterally nephrectomized, trained dog, with maintained renal arterial hypotension, produces a prompt increase in systemic renin activity and blood pressure. The hypertension normally induced by renal artery stenosis is prevented by prior treatment with the nonapeptide Pyr-Trp-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gln-Ile-Pro-Pro (SQ 20, 881), which blocks conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II. Constant intravenous infusion of the inhibitor over several days of renal artery constriction prevents the development of chronic renovascular hypertension. Furthermore, a single injection of the nonapeptide restores blood pressure to normal in the early phase of renovascular hypertension, but becomes progressively less effective as salt and water retention occurs in the chronic stage when plasma renin activity returns to control levels. These data provide strong evidence that the renin-angiotensin system is responsible for the initiation of renovascular hypertension in the one-kidney Goldblatt dog, but that other factors become increasingly important in chronic renovascular hypertension.
Abstract 4437: DNA methylation analysis in cisplatin resistant ovarian cancer cells and recurrent ovarian cancer patient samples

Acquisition of platinum resistance following first line platinum therapy is commonly observed in ovarian cancer patients and is a major obstacle to clinical effectiveness. Currently there are no options available to prevent platinum resistance; however, studies show that demethylating agents may resensitize patients to platinum therapy thereby demonstrating DNA methylation as a critical contributor to the development of platinum resistance. Using a cellular model of platinum resistance we have previously shown that resistant cells have increased DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) activity as well as increased global DNA methylation. These observations were dependent on cisplatin induced activation of the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) which we previously identified as a novel a regulator of DNMT activity and DNA methylation. Inhibition of the EGFR conferred during a platinum resistance paradigm decreased DNMT activity, decreased global methylation and attenuated resistance in our platinum resistant model. We hypothesized that further genome wide analysis of DNA methylation in resistant, parental and EGFR inhibited cell lines at specific CG sites would reveal targets of methylation important for the development of platinum resistance. Using the Illumina 450K methylation array, we found few significant alterations in DNA methylation for given genes between control and cisplatin resistant (CPR) cells. However, additional DNA methylation analysis with the 450K methylation array of patient tumor samples at initial diagnosis as well as after relapse, while not significant, showed similar trends in the data for certain genes namely CSRNP3, LOC400904, LYPD6, MTMR9L, NIPAL4 and RBP7. We are still evaluating the effects of EGFR inhibition in vitro on DNA methylation patterns. We suggest that while the in vitro model of platinum resistance corresponds to patient samples in some aspects, ovarian cancer cells display a great deal of heterogeneity in DNA methylation as described by others and a much larger sample size is necessary to draw concrete conclusions. Current studies are evaluating gene expression in control and resistant cells to validate whether alterations in DNA methylation coincide with changes in expression. Citation Format: Michaela L. Granados, Laurie G. Hudson, Li Luo, Sabrina L. Samudio-Ruiz. DNA methylation analysis in cisplatin resistant ovarian cancer cells and recurrent ovarian cancer patient samples. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4437.
Technical Innovation: The Answer to Resource Depletion

The world has always known resource limits — the predominant historical limits have been food and water. These limits have been overcome in two ways —geographic expansion and technical innovation. The possibility of geographic expansion has been largely exploited, but a wide range of technical solutions to resource pressures remains. Technical development represents the only truly unlimited resource. The concerns associated with projected resource shortfalls have always been a result of a failure to recognize the important contribution of technical development. The global problems that we now face should not be viewed from a “doomsday” perspective, but rather as challenges and opportunities for stimulating technical innovation.
Advising Doctoral Students in Education Programs

Because almost one half of students enrolled in American doctoral programs do not complete their degrees, the factors that lead to doctoral student attrition need to be identified. Research suggests that the nature of the advisor–advisee relationship contributes to the persistence levels of doctoral students. In this study, we conducted a content analysis of institutional documents related to advising in two types of doctoral programs in education. Using data collected from a purposeful sample from universities, we analyzed policies, procedures, and expectations related to doctoral student advising. The findings lead to important implications for clarifying roles of advisors and expectations for graduate student advising.
Real-time posture and activity recognition

We propose an algorithm for human posture and activity recognition for uncompressed and compressed (MPEG) video inputs. A real-time compression domain technique is developed to recognize different postures such as standing, pointing left/right, opening arms, etc. by using an eigenspace representation of human silhouettes obtained from AC-DCT coefficients. The system stores frames with specific postures and finds the global activity of the human body in the compressed domain. In the uncompressed domain, this information is used as an input for the activity/gesture recognition algorithm. The first part of our approach is invariant to changes in intensity, color and textures and has the advantage of using the available data in the standard compression algorithms. The second part of the system can recognize activities in a set of frames starting with a recognized posture that is classified as a reference movement by the system. A prototype system has been developed with two camera nodes; each consists of a standard camera and a video processing board.
Creating Healthier, More Equitable Communities By Improving Governance And Policy

How can healthier, more equitable communities be created? This is a key question for public health. Even though progress has been made in understanding the impact of social, physical, and policy fa...
Hypersonic entry vehicle state estimation using nonlinearity-based adaptive cubature Kalman filters

Abstract Guidance, navigation, and control of a hypersonic vehicle landing on the Mars rely on precise state feedback information, which is obtained from state estimation. The high uncertainty and nonlinearity of the entry dynamics make the estimation a very challenging problem. In this paper, a new adaptive cubature Kalman filter is proposed for state trajectory estimation of a hypersonic entry vehicle. This new adaptive estimation strategy is based on the measure of nonlinearity of the stochastic system. According to the severity of nonlinearity along the trajectory, the high degree cubature rule or the conventional third degree cubature rule is adaptively used in the cubature Kalman filter. This strategy has the benefit of attaining higher estimation accuracy only when necessary without causing excessive computation load. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed adaptive filter exhibits better performance than the conventional third-degree cubature Kalman filter while maintaining the same performance as the uniform high degree cubature Kalman filter but with lower computation complexity.
Introduction to the Special Double Issue on Reverse Engineering

A central activity in software engineering is comprehending existing software artifacts. Whether the task is to maintain, test, migrate, or upgrade a legacy system or reuse software components in the development of new systems, the software engineer must be able to recover information about existing software. Relevant information includes: What are its components and how do they interact and compose? What is their functionality? How are certain requirements met? What design decisions were made in the construction of the software? How do features of the software relate to concepts in the application domain? Reverse engineering involves examining and analyzing software systems to help answer questions like these. Research in this field focuses on developing tools for assisting and automating portions of this process and representations for capturing and managing the information extracted.
Thirty years of land use/cover change in the Caribbean: Assessing the relationship between urbanization and mangrove loss in Roatán, Honduras

Abstract Despite increasing biophysical and anthropogenic threats to Caribbean island ecosystems, relatively few studies have used remote sensing to estimate rates of land use/cover change (LUCC) for Caribbean Islands. Mangroves provide vital protection to Caribbean island coastline, substantial economic benefit, and crucial habitat for surrounding reef ecosystems. However, Caribbean island mangroves are shrinking as urban areas expand. Such deforestation is of considerable global environmental concern. This study applies a random forest classifier to thirteen Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Operational Land Imager (OLI) scenes from 1985 to 2015 covering Roatan, Honduras, the largest of the Bay Islands. Results indicate that urban area increased by 982.8 ha (227.7%), with 224.1 ha (−19.1%) of mangroves converted to urban areas. Island-wide and outside of protected areas, a significant relationship was found between urban expansion and mangrove loss. Designated protected reserves have stemmed cutting of mangroves and allowed mangroves to fully recover following Hurricane Mitch in 1998. However, despite being illegal under national and international laws, mangrove loss is accelerating outside of protected areas to accommodate growing urban area and tourism infrastructure. This research suggests that rapid urbanization and tourism development in the Caribbean may decrease island ecosystem resiliency to environmental stressors and impair the sustainability of tourism development.
Focal Flow: Velocity and Depth from Differential Defocus Through Motion

We present the focal flow sensor. It is an unactuated, monocular camera that simultaneously exploits defocus and differential motion to measure a depth map and a 3D scene velocity field. It does this using an optical-flow-like, per-pixel linear constraint that relates image derivatives to depth and velocity. We derive this constraint, prove its invariance to scene texture, and prove that it is exactly satisfied only when the sensor’s blur kernels are Gaussian. We analyze the inherent sensitivity of the focal flow cue, and we build and test a prototype. Experiments produce useful depth and velocity information for a broader set of aperture configurations, including a simple lens with a pillbox aperture.
Good Governance: Measuring the Performance of Governments

Precise measurements of governance as a whole, and of governance separated into its component parts, permit researchers and policy-makers to separate good performers from bad performers, regionally and globally. Carefully and painstakingly measuring governance by the outcome method can show whether regimes are delivering necessary and desirable governmentally provided performance results to their citizens. This concept of governance enables an existing government, civil society, or donors to appreciate which parts of an overall system are working well and which poorly. Critical decisions can thus be made that can, in the best of circumstances, improve living conditions for the inhabitants of the developing world.
Single-fluorophore orientation determination with multiview polarized illumination: modeling and microscope design.

We investigate the use of polarized illumination in multiview microscopes for determining the orientation of single-molecule fluorescence transition dipoles. First, we relate the orientation of single dipoles to measurable intensities in multiview microscopes and develop an information-theoretic metric—the solid-angle uncertainty—to compare the ability of multiview microscopes to estimate the orientation of single dipoles. Next, we compare a broad class of microscopes using this metric—single- and dual-view microscopes with varying illumination polarization, illumination numerical aperture (NA), detection NA, obliquity, asymmetry, and exposure. We find that multi-view microscopes can measure all dipole orientations, while the orientations measurable with single-view microscopes is halved because of symmetries in the detection process. We also find that choosing a small illumination NA and a large detection NA are good design choices, that multiview microscopes can benefit from oblique illumination and detection, and that asymmetric NA microscopes can benefit from exposure asymmetry.
Utility of superposition-based finite element approach for part-scale thermal simulation in additive manufacturing

Abstract The utility of a superposition-based finite element approach is explored for part-scale thermal simulation in additive manufacturing. The approach consists of summing a nearly analytic solution for a moving source in a semi-infinite medium with a correcting finite domain field computed with finite element analysis. The accuracy and computational expense of the approach are tested against a fully converged traditional finite element approach. Through efficient implementation of the nearly analytic solution and the use of a coarse finite element mesh away from surfaces, part-scale thermal modeling appears possible without sacrifices in accuracy, at least in the context of the linear heat equation.
A diverse group of echogenic particles observed with a broadband, high frequency echosounder

Author(s): Briseno-Avena, C; Franks, PJS; Roberts, PLD; Jaffe, JS | Abstract: In 1980, Holliday and Pieper stated: "Most sound scattering in the ocean volume can be traced to a biotic origin." However, most of the bioacoustics research in the past three decades has focused on only a few groups of organisms. Targets such as small gelatinous organisms, marine snow, and phytoplankton, e.g. have been generally to be considered relatively transparent to acoustic waves due to their sizes and relatively low sound speed and density contrasts relative to seawater. However, using a broadband system (ZOOPS-O 2) we found that these targets contributed significantly to acoustic returns in the 1.5-2.5 MHz frequency range. Given that phytoplankton and marine snow layers are ubiquitous features of coastal regions; this works suggests that they should be considered as potential sources of backscatter in biological acoustic surveys.
Wealth Tax Add-Ons: An Alternative to Comprehensive Wealth Taxes

Comprehensive wealth taxes offer the possibility of reducing inequality while raising revenue. However, implementing comprehensive wealth taxes can be difficult, especially in emerging economies where administrative and political limitations are often substantial. This Article offers an alternative set of instruments – wealth tax add-ons – that countries can use to achieve many of the goals of a comprehensive wealth tax. Rather than trying to tax all wealth with a new tax instrument, add-ons would target and tax particular forms of wealth and be attached to existing tax systems. This Article focuses on three different types of add-ons: (1) a surtax on real property for the property tax system, (2) a minimum tax for closely-held businesses for the corporate tax system, and (3) a Netherlands-style presumptive tax for financial assets for the personal income tax system. Add-ons can improve the taxation of disparate forms of wealth in ways that are difficult to incorporate into a single instrument. For example, we argue that wealth in the form of closely-held businesses is best taxed at the entity level to avoid the problems of attribution and valuing minority interests – challenges that would face any comprehensive wealth tax applied at the individual level. This Article presents an analytical framework for how particular countries might pick and tailor these wealth tax add-ons. The starting point is to collect data to understand the distribution of wealth in the country, the composition of wealth (the relative importance of different types of assets), and how the composition of wealth changes across the wealth distribution. This information will influence the design of the add-ons (especially the threshold for taxation and the rate) and the relative attractiveness of these instruments. Because taxing only certain forms of wealth entails some costs, the add-ons together should cover a substantial portion of the wealth tax base. Countries should make these determinations in the context of existing tax systems, and, in particular, how well a country’s existing systems tax income from capital.
Social Networks in Early Aviation History

We describe a network of over 80 individuals and institutions covering the period of 1810–1910 from the time of George Cayley to the Wright brothers. This case study will provide examples of the importance of ’weak links’ and the role of what Gladwell calls ’Connectors’ such as Octave Chanute. We also describe in this chapter the use of an influence matrix and statistics of a Link-Node distribution curve.
World Holdings of Avian Tissues from Panama

The avifauna of Panama may be better documented than that of any other country in Central America. Museum expeditions over the past 100 years have yielded a wealth of traditional specimens and an excellent understanding of bird distribution and occurrence across the country. Unfortunately, most of these expeditions were mounted in the first half of the century well before the importance of preserving tissue samples had been realised. Consequently, the world holdings of avian tissue from Panama are grossly inadequate. A compilation of the world holdings of avian tissue from Panama is presented which illustrates the need for continued general collecting throughout Panama. Recent contributions made during a recent field visit to the upper Rio Chagres basin in 2002 are listed and guidance provided about where future collecting is needed.
Heat Flow Through Walls

In Chapter 1 the principles of heat transmission were developed on the basis of heat conduction through homogeneous materials and heat transfer from surfaces by radiation and convection. In actual construction the walls, ceiling, and roof enclosing a building space rarely are homogeneous. Usually each consists of a combination of different materials. Consequently, the practical problem is one of determining the heat transfer through such building components taking into consideration air spaces and surface conductances.
Structural equation modeling of food craving across the menstrual cycle using behavioral, neuroendocrine, and metabolic factors

Abstract Objective To identify associations between circulating endocannabinoids and craving during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. This report is a secondary analysis of a trial registered in clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01407692 . Methods Seventeen premenopausal women were studied during the follicular and luteal phases of their menstrual cycle. Previously we had reported fasting plasma estradiol, progesterone, leptin associations with luteal phase cravings for carbohydrate, fat, sweet-rich foods, and eating behavior. Here, we measured fasting plasma endocannabinoids (ECs) endocannabinoid-like substances (ECLs), and postprandial metabolic responses to a mixed meal challenge. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate relationships between measured variables and cravings. Results Oleoylethanolamide (OEA) and postprandial lipids were inversely associated with craving sweet-rich foods, while progesterone was positively associated (RMSEA = 0.041, χ2 p: 0.416 i.e. hypothetical and physiological models not different). OEA, progesterone and disinhibition were positively associated with craving carbohydrates (RMSEA: Conclusions Our theoretical model suggests that ECs and ECLs influence craving. Since these metabolites can be modulated via dietary fat intake, they could be potential targets to alter menstrual cycle cravings. Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT01407692
Catatonia After Liver Transplantation

BACKGROUND Central nervous system complications after transplantation occur in up to 40% of recipients and these complications are associated with increased length of hospital stay and mortality. Catatonia is a neuropsychiatric clinical syndrome which has been described in case reports and in a small case series as occurring in the immediate post-solid organ transplantation (SOT) period, and it has been attributed to calcineurin inhibitor neurotoxicity, psychological vulnerability, and depression. Among transplant recipients, the incidence of catatonia is unknown; it may be under diagnosed in part due to a broad differential diagnosis in the post-transplantation setting, which includes hypoactive delirium, non-convulsive status epilepticus, drug toxicity, conversion disorder, and volitional uncooperativeness. CASE REPORT We present 2 cases of catatonia diagnosed in liver allograft recipients. We also reviewed current literature for cases of catatonia among SOT recipients. We provide provisional evaluation and management strategies of recipients with clinical concern for catatonia. Catatonia generally occurs within the few first days after liver transplantation, and presents with staring, immobility, or mutism, but is also associated with other neurological and psychiatric symptoms. Catatonia can be successfully treated with intravenous lorazepam, and thus, modifying immunosuppressive regimens may be avoidable. Medications to treat catatonia are generally tapered over weeks to months, and psychiatric follow-up is indicated. The early post-liver transplantation period may be a state of relative deficiency in GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) signaling, predisposing liver transplant recipients in particular to post-transplantation catatonia. CONCLUSIONS Despite difficulties in establishing the diagnosis, catatonia after liver transplantation was rapidly responsive to intravenous lorazepam, indicating that changing immunosuppressants may be avoidable.
Use of non-face-to-face modalities for emergency department screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (ED-SBIRT) for high-risk alcohol use: A scoping review.

Background: The purpose of this review was to examine and chart the "scope" of strategies reported in ED-SBIRT (emergency department-based screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment) studies that employ non-face-to-face (nFtF) modalities for high-risk alcohol use (i.e., risk for alcohol-related injury, medical condition, use disorder) and to identify research gaps in the scientific literature. Methods: The scoping review population included study participants with high-risk alcohol use patterns as well as study participants targeted for primary public health prevention (e.g., adolescent ED patients). Core concepts included SBIRT components among intervention studies that incorporated some form of nFtF modality (e.g., computer-assisted brief intervention). The context encompassed ED-based studies or trauma center studies, regardless of geographic location. After screening a total of 1526 unique references, reviewers independently assessed 58 full-text articles for eligibility. Results: A total of 30 full-text articles were included. Articles covered a period of 14 years (2003-2016) and 19 journal titles. Authors reported the use of a wide range of nFtF modalities across all 3 ED-SBIRT components: "screening" (e.g., computer tablet screening), "brief intervention" (e.g., text message-based brief interventions), and "referral to treatment" (e.g., computer-generated feedback with information about alcohol treatment services). The most frequently used nFtF modality was computerized screening and/or baseline assessment. The main results were mixed with respect to showing evidence of ED-SBIRT intervention effects. Conclusions: There is an opportunity for substance use disorder researchers to explore the specific needs of several populations (e.g., ED patients with co-occurring problems such as substance use disorder and violence victimization) and on several methodological issues (e.g., ED-SBIRT theory of change). Substance use disorder researchers should take the lead on establishing guidelines for the reporting of ED-SBIRT studies-including categorization schemes for various nFtF modalities. This would facilitate both secondary research (e.g., meta-analyses) and primary research design.
Selling tobacco: A comprehensive analysis of the U.S. tobacco advertising landscape.

Abstract Objectives To describe advertising tactics of cigarette, e-cigarette, little cigar/cigarillo and smokeless tobacco manufacturers. Methods We conducted a content analysis of tobacco 827 ads run in the US in 2016. Ads were double coded by trained coders across ten domains: promotions, web/social media presence, use cues, warnings and disclaimers, descriptors, claims, activities, setting, imagery, and themes. Results Cigarette ads relied on promotional tactics like discounts and sweepstakes and featured links to websites and mobile apps, all of which can increase brand loyalty and customer engagement. E-cigarette ads used tactics that appear to target new consumers, such as highlighting the product's qualities and modeling product use. Little cigar/cigarillo ads often positioned the product as social and featured music, urban and nightlife settings. Smokeless tobacco ads frequently featured themes, activities and settings stereotypically thought of as masculine. Conclusions The tactics used to advertise tobacco products can help generate new consumers, encourage product/brand switching, and escalate use among current users. Understanding how different products are advertised can inform the Food and Drug Administration's regulatory efforts, and tobacco counter-marketing campaigns.
The Paleo paradox: Re-wilding as a health strategy across scales in the anthropocene

Abstract In an era of environmental anxiety, “re-wilding” has emerged as an ecological health and resiliency strategy across scales in the Anthropocene, from the human body to the planet. At the scale of the body, this has meant a reevaluation of dietary, consumption, and lifestyle behaviors among concerned consumers seeking to create healthy, resilient bodily ecosystems. Recent health trends including the Paleo Diet and Ancestral Health movements call upon an evolutionary perspective for insight as to how to re-wild one’s bodily ecosystem in the face of ecological crisis across scales, using the Paleolithic era as a benchmark for dietary and behavioral re-wilding. This paper draws upon interviews with individuals adhering to a Paleo Diet to better understand whether and how the evolutionary discourse of Paleo influences their beliefs about healthy diet and lifestyles, and how they grapple with re-wilding in an urban context. This paper elucidates the paradoxical “ancestral futurism” of the Paleo movement, where re-wilding bodies and lifestyles in the name of health and sustainability is predicated upon the same technologies, spaces, political-economic structure, and human agency that created the messy ecological uncertainty of the Anthropocene.
Implementation of a Two-tiered Asthma Protocol Improves Management of Acute Asthma Exacerbations in a Pediatric Urgent Care Center

Introduction Shorter times between presentation to care and appropriate medical therapy reduce admission rates in pediatric asthma exacerbations [1]. Unfortunately, delays in medication administration are common in urgent care and emergency room settings. Nursing-driven asthma protocols are used reliably in these settings and can shorten time to treatment and reduce admissions [1]. Our goal was to decrease time to medication administration for patients presenting to our pediatric urgent care with asthma exacerbations. Methods A team of nurses and physicians met to identify barriers and solutions to improving asthma care. Discussions revealed a need for standardized communication and management. Changes were introduced using two …
Effort and wages: Evidence from the payroll tax

This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced PDF file of an article accepted for publication Canadian Journal of Economics following peer review. This accepted manuscript is being archived under the conditions specified in the BU Open Access policy.
Chapter 12 – Photorefractive semiconductor nanostructures

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an introduction to photorefractive semiconductor nanostructures. They are nonlinear optical devices that alter their optical properties in response to time- and space-varying light intensity patterns. They are used to perform dynamic holography under ultra low-light intensities much smaller than those used for traditional nonlinear optical materials. These devices contain nanometer-scale features that enhance their optical properties and alter their electronic transport relative to bulk behavior. They also contain high densities of deep level defects that make the devices semi-insulating. These defects trap and store photogenerated carriers that accumulate into space-charge densities that match the intensity patterns. The trapped charge produces electric fields that modify the optical properties of the nanostructure. The translation of temporally and spatially varying light intensity patterns into physical changes in the optical properties of the material, matching the intensity patterns, is called the photorefractive process. There are several ways that electric fields can be applied to quantum-well structures, and several ways that optical beams can be incident on the devices to write holograms. The various configurations can be summarized by three basic fields and grating geometries. Two of the structures are transmission structures with the optical beams incident on the same face, and one is reflection geometry with the beams incident from opposite faces.
Assurance for Endurance? Introducing a Novel Ergonomics Curriculum to Reduce Pain and Enhance Physical Well-Being Among GI Fellows.

Musculoskeletal pain and injuries (MSKPI) are common among gastroenterologists (GI) and GI fellows. Common areas of pain include the back, neck, hands/fingers, shoulders, and elbows. Although the prevalence of career-related pain and injuries among GIs is high, few endoscopists receive training in how to prevent MSKPI. We developed an ergonomics curriculum for our GI fellows that consisted of two modules that were led by physical therapists. Twelve out of 15 GI fellows, and one out of two hepatology fellows, participated in Module 1. Prior to the first module, 77% of participants reported pain in one or more body parts. Of those who reported pain, 100% of the fellows stated that this pain occurred during procedures, and 50% indicated this pain was performance-limiting. After completing Module 1, 100% of fellows reported that this was a valuable topic and 100% of the participants felt that this information would both help them feel and perform better. All fellows stated they had an immediate decrease in physical discomfort after engaging in the exercises that were included in Module 1. Eight fellows participated in Module 2. At the end of this module, 100% of fellows reported that this ergonomics training would likely help them to “physically perform better during procedures” and 100% of fellows indicated a reduction of physical discomfort (pain, aching) immediately after completing these exercises. Preliminary data indicated that this novel curriculum was perceived as valuable by GI fellows and that practicing these exercises reduced pain, particularly in the neck and the lower back.
Regulatory considerations for diagnostics and biomarkers of traumatic brain injury

Abstract This chapter discusses the system of laws and regulations that govern the development and marketing of medical devices and diagnostics before they are accessible to the patient. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a risk-based system that ensures the safety and efficacy of healthcare products based on a robust demonstration of clinical and technological validation. This regulatory framework is not static and is continually evolving by gaining input from industry based on technological innovation, patient experience, and learnings from academic research. The chapter describes the approval and clearance pathways available to manufacturers prior to placing a product in the market, both in the United States and in Europe and how they differ from each other. Knowledge of these pathways will inform regulatory strategy that is key to the successful launch of a medical product. Also discussed are case studies of two diagnostic devices for traumatic brain injury that have successfully undergone FDA review and descriptions of what was required of each of them before approval.
Structural deformation and host‒guest properties of doubly-reduced cycloparaphenylenes, [n]CPPs2− (n = 6, 8, 10, and 12)

Chemical reduction of several cycloparaphenylenes (CPPs) ranging in size from [8]CPP to [12]CPP has been investigated with potassium metal in THF. The X-ray diffraction characterization of the resulting doubly-reduced [n]CPPs provided a unique series of carbon nanohoops with increasing dimensions and core flexibility for the first comprehensive structural analysis. The consequences of electron acquisition by a [n]CPP core have been analyzed in comparison with the neutral parents. The addition of two electrons to the cyclic carbon framework of [n]CPPs leads to the characteristic elliptic core distortion and facilitates the internal encapsulation of sizable cationic guests. Molecular and solid-state structure changes, alkali metal binding and unique size-dependent host abilities of the [n]CPP2- series with n = 6-12 are discussed. This in-depth analysis opens new perspectives in supramolecular chemistry of [n]CPPs and promotes their applications in size-selective guest encapsulation and chemical separation.
Rothstein: The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America

I finished reading Richard Rothstein’s The Color of Law just as the nationwide protests over the latest in a multi-centuries-long list of senseless murders and deaths of Black Americans were taking...