cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Survey of Consumers’ and Independent Store Owners’ Reactions to Recent Price Legislation

EDITOR'S NOTE: Without doubt the results of Professor Bader's survey of consumers' and dealers' reactions to recent price legislation will arouse wide interest. One aspect of the returns, perhaps, should be commented upon, viz., the large percentage of druggists indicated in Table III as being unfamiliar with the Fair Trade Laws, in view of the fact that such a large proportion of wellknown drug products are under contract. Professor Bader writes that his figure may contain a margin of error because of "the confusion over the terms Feld-Crawford and MillerTydings; the term Feld-Crawford was not used and store owners were asked only as to the Miller-Tydings and State Fair Trade Acts.... In areas inhabited by large numbers of people offoreign extraction, there was probably a large number of such dealers who might be confused over the terms.
A Computationally Efficient Treatment of Polarizable Electrochemical Cells Held at a Constant Potential

A computationally efficient method is presented for the treatment of electrostatic interactions between polarizable metallic electrodes held at a constant potential and separated by an electrolyte. The method combines a fluctuating uniform electrode charge with explicit image charges to account for the polarization of the electrode by the electrolyte, and a constant uniform charge added to the fluctuating uniform electrode charge to account for the constant potential condition. The method is then used to calculate electron transport rates using Marcus theory and these rates are incorporated in a Kinetic Monte Carlo - Molecular Dynamics simulation scheme to efficiently model oxidation/reduction reactions in an electrochemical cell.
Medical Education in the United States A New Frontier for Social Marketing

Social marketing has a long and robust history in health education and public health. Social marketing strategies are designed to promote desired behaviors in high-priority health-related areas. Mo...
Geochemistry: How rain affects rock and rivers

An analysis of the evolution of river channels on Hawaii's Big Island shows that a key factor is the effect of local rainfall on bedrock strength — rather than its effect on river discharge, as is often assumed. See Letter p.223 It is widely assumed that there is a feedback between climate, erosion and tectonics over geological timescales, but the influence of local climate on landscape erosion rates remains poorly understood. Using new field constraints on geochemistry, rock mechanics, and erosion rates along rivers spanning an extreme climate gradient on the Big Island of Hawai'i, this study demonstrates that climate-dependent chemical weathering controls the erodibility of bedrock-floored rivers. Although the strength of this mechanism may vary with tectonic, lithologic and climatic conditions, the quantified relationship between local rainfall and rock erodibility can help with the assessment of climatic controls from topographic data and the incorporation of climatic feedbacks into landscape evolution models.
Cultural education and improving humanistic quality through mathematics

According to the character of mathematics,this paper reveals the cultural essence of mathematics,then analyzes the effect of the essence on college students' humanistic quality such as moral character,individuality,intelligence,habits,attitude,will,spirit and so on.The author emphasizes the significance of cultural essence of mathematics education.
Expression of human atrial natriuretic peptide gene and the effective for the blood pressure and the histomorphology of the kidney in the spontaneously hypertensive rats

Objective:To investigation the expression,the long term and the effective for the blood pressure and the histomorphology of the kidney in the spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHR)after the human atrial natriuretic peptide(h ANP)gene delivery. Methods:Twelve eight-week-old male SHR were divided into two groups randomly. The skeletal muscle of the SHR in infected group(n=6)were injection of pc DNA3.1-CMV-h ANP plasmid. Control group(n=6)were injection of pc DNA3.1-CMV plasmid into the same locus. After the gene delivery,the systolic pressure and the level of h ANP in the plasm of the SHR were both measured every week by measuring the caudal artery and utilization of radio-immunity technique. After ten weeks the Animals were put to death,the station of the expression of h ANP gene were measured by utilizating RT-PCR and Western blot;the effective of histomorphology of the Kidney were evaluated by Hematoxylin-Eosin(HE)and Masson. Results:From the first week after the injection of pc DNA3.1-CMV-h ANP plasmid into SHR,the blood pressure of the infected group began to reduce compared with the control group.A significant blood pressure difference(up to 12.0+3.1mm Hg,P0.05)continued for 10 weeks.The high level of h ANP in the infected group was detected by the Method of radio-immunity. The result of reverse ranscriptionpolymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)and Western blot showed that h ANP gene can be expressed efficiently in the muscles,but the control group had no expresstion. Tissue morphology analysis shows that renal injury were attenuated in the infected group. Conclusion:h ANP gene were delivered into SHR through muscle injections,it can be expressed efficiently in the muscles and its expresstion protein can be released into blood circulation in SHR. it can not only stably deduce blood pressure,but also prevent the injury of the renal of target organ of hypertension.That result suggests the feasibility of h ANP gene therapy in human hypertension.
Steric and Electronic Substituent Effects Influencing Regioselectivity of Tetracene Endoperoxidation.

This paper describes the influence of steric and electronic factors in the regioselectivity of endoperoxide formation of tetracene derivatives using 1O2. A combination of kinetics experiments and product distributions resulting from these photosensitized oxidations demonstrates that, while the steric effect of o-alkyl groups on aryl substituents is highly localized to the substituted ring, the resistance to oxidation based on phenylethynyl substituents is more evenly distributed between the two reactive rings. These results are important for the rational design of highly persistent acenes.
Multimodal imaging for nonmelanoma skin cancer margin delineation.

Background and Objective Nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most common form of cancer worldwide. The most effective form of treating this cancer is its surgical removal. As NMSC rarely metastasize, its complete excision is often curative. We investigated the potential of combining Terahertz Pulsed Imaging (TPI) with polarization enhanced reflectance optical imaging for the accurate intraoperative delineation of NMSC. Materials and Methods Fresh thick samples with residual cancer were obtained from surgeries. The samples were imaged within two hours using polarization optical and TPI systems without remounting. Analysis of the TPI results was performed in the frequency domain. Co- and cross-polarized optical images were acquired at 410 nm. Superficial optical images were obtained by subtracting cross-polarized from the respective co-polarized images. Terahertz, optical, and histological images were overlaid and compared. Results and Conclusions Our results show that the frequency powers of diseased and normal skin tissues differ significantly at 0.47 THz. While TPI has demonstrated contrast between diseased and normal tissue, it can also highlight normal structures. As TPI alone lacks the resolution necessary to distinguish between tissue types morphologically, polarization optical imaging was used for the inspection of the suspicious areas highlighted by TPI. Combined TPI and optical imaging has the potential for quick intraoperative delineation of cancers. Lasers Surg. Med. 49:319–326, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A brief chronology of medical device security

With the implantation of software-driven devices comes unique privacy and security threats to the human body.
Numerical investigation of the influence of pattern topology on the mechanical behavior of PEGDA hydrogels.

Abstract Poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogels can be potentially used as scaffold material for tissue engineered heart valves (TEHVs) due to their good biocompatibility and biomechanical tunability. The photolithographic patterning technique is an effective approach to pattern PEGDA hydrogels to mimic the mechanical behavior of native biological tissues that are intrinsically anisotropic. The material properties of patterned PEGDA hydrogels largely depend on the pattern topology. In this paper, we adopt a newly proposed computational framework for fibrous biomaterials to numerically investigate the influence of pattern topology, including pattern ratio, orientation and waviness, on the mechanical behavior of patterned PEGDA hydrogels. The material parameters for the base hydrogel and the pattern stripes are directly calibrated from published experimental data. Several experimental observations reported in the literature are captured in the simulation, including the nonlinear relationship between pattern ratio and material linear modulus, and the decrease of material anisotropy when pattern ratio increases. We further numerically demonstrate that a three-region (toe-heel-linear) stress–strain relationship typically exhibited by biological tissues can be obtained by tuning the pattern waviness and the relative stiffness between the base hydrogel and pattern stripes. The numerical strategy and simulation results presented here can provide helpful guidance to optimize pattern design of PEGDA hydrogels toward the targeted material mechanical properties, therefore advance the development of TEHVs. Statement of Significance Poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogels can be used as scaffold material for tissue engineered heart values (TEHVs) providing a promising alternative to generate suitable heart valve replacement method. The patterning of PEGDA hydrogels using photolithographic techniques creates materials that mimic the mechanical behavior of native heart valve tissues. However, targeted material properties are obtained via a trial-and-error process. Depending on experiments alone to explore the influence of pattern topology is expensive and time-consuming. We combine a newly proposed computational framework with published experimental data to numerically investigate the influence of pattern geometry on the mechanical behavior of patterned PEGDA hydrogels. The numerical strategy and simulation results presented here can provide guidance to optimize the design of PEGDA hydrogels with targeted material properties, therefore advance the development of TEHVs.
Fidelity of the Sr/Ca proxy in recording ocean temperature in the western Atlantic coral Siderastrea siderea

Massive corals provide a useful archive of environmental variability, but careful testing of geochemical proxies in corals is necessary to validate the relationship between each proxy and environmental parameter throughout the full range of conditions experienced by the recording organisms. Here we use samples from a coral-growth study to test the hypothesis that Sr/Ca in the coral Siderastrea siderea accurately records sea-surface temperature (SST) in the subtropics (Florida, USA) along 350 km of reef tract. We test calcification rate, measured via buoyant weight, and linear extension (LE) rate, estimated with Alizarin Red-S staining, as predictors of variance in the Sr/Ca records of 39 individual S. siderea corals grown at four outer-reef locations next to in-situ temperature loggers during two, year-long periods. We found that corals with calcification rates < 1.7 mg cm−2 d−1 or < 1.7 mm yr−1 LE returned spuriously high Sr/Ca values, leading to a cold-bias in Sr/Ca-based SST estimates. The threshold-type response curves suggest that extension rate can be used as a quality-control indicator during sample and drill-path selection when using long cores for SST paleoreconstruction. For our corals that passed this quality control step, the Sr/Ca-SST proxy performed well in estimating mean annual temperature across three sites spanning 350 km of the Florida reef tract. However, there was some evidence that extreme temperature stress in 2010 (cold snap) and 2011 (SST above coral-bleaching threshold) may have caused the corals not to record the temperature extremes. Known stress events could be avoided during modern calibrations of paleoproxies.
Prevalence and molecular characterization of Staphylococcus aureus in commercially available meat over a one-year period in Iowa, USA

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a leading cause of infectious disease morbidity and mortality. Previous studies have confirmed the presence of S. aureus, including MRSA, on raw meat products. We investigated the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of S. aureus and MRSA in commercially-distributed antibiotic-free and conventional raw meat products (n = 3290) purchased in 8 Iowa retail stores weekly for a period of one year. Isolates were characterized using spa typing, and PCR was used to detect the presence of the Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) and mecA genes. Quantitation of S. aureus on meat products was carried out one week per month. The prevalence of S. aureus on meat samples was 27.8% (913/3290). Compared to antibiotic-free meat samples, higher prevalence of both MRSA and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) were found in conventional meat samples. Among the S. aureus isolates, 18 were PVL-positive (1.9%) and 41 (4.5%) carried mecA. Phenotypic oxacillin resistance was observed for 17.1% (41/239) of the isolates tested, while 23% (55/239) were multi-drug resistant. A total of 132 spa types were detected from 913 contaminated meat samples. Overall, t002 was the most common spa type identified (137; 15.0%). The number of colony-forming units (CFU) per 10 g meat ranged from 2 to 517 (median: 8 CFU per 10 g of meat; mean: 28) with the highest bacterial load observed on turkey samples. These data reinforce the need to consider meat products as potential vehicles of S. aureus transmission from farm into human households, and the potential need for public health intervention programs pre and post-slaughter in meat processing facilities.
Automated location detection of injection site for preclinical stereotactic neurosurgery procedure

Currently, during stereotactic neurosurgery procedures, the manual task of locating the proper area for needle insertion or implantation of electrode/cannula/optic fiber can be time consuming. The requirement of the task is to quickly and accurately find the location for insertion. In this study we investigate an automated method to locate the entry point of region of interest. This method leverages a digital image capture system, pattern recognition, and motorized stages. Template matching of known anatomical identifiable regions is used to find regions of interest (e.g. Bregma) in rodents. For our initial study, we tackle the problem of automatically detecting the entry point.
Epithelia: Understanding the Cell Biology of Intestinal Barrier Dysfunction

Barrier dysfunction in the intestine is a common characteristic of aging organisms. A recent study provides new insight into the cell biology of this phenomenon.
Socioeconomic Factors Affecting Food Consumption and Nutrition in China: Empirical Evidence During the 1989–2009 Period

This article examines the socioeconomic determinants of food and macronutrient consumption, in light of the Chinese experience in the past two decades. A panel regression using data during the 1989–2009 period provides a long-term trajectory of dietary characteristics. Quantile regressions characterize factors associated with excessive or inadequate consumption levels. The empirical results suggest that first, the consumptions of animal foods, fresh fruit, and dairy products increase and that of cereals decreases in response to income growth. People with low consumption levels are more responsive to changes in income. Second, the better educated favor lower-calorie diets with more animal foods, fruit, and dairy but less cereals. Third, the rural-urban divide is large. While urban dwellers consume more animal foods, fresh fruit, and dairy products, their intakes of energy and carbohydrates are well below those of their rural counterparts. In addition, the article provides some insight into how China’s food...
Unpacking the inequality paradox: The psychological roots of inequality and social class.

Abstract Why does economic inequality continue to rise despite being disfavored and harmful to individuals and society? To better understand this inequality paradox, we advance an inequality maintenance model of social class. We detail a set of five propositions to encapsulate the psychological processes that perpetuate class division in society—disparities between the rich and the poor—and we review recent supporting data. With respect to the structural processes that define social class, we show that class-differentiated experiences of threat, scarcity, and access to valued networks enhance economic inequality by compounding (dis)advantage in education, work, and relationships. With respect to social perceptual processes, we outline how social class is signaled and perceived during social interactions, triggering class-based stereotypes and patterns of distancing that reinforce inequality. With respect to ideological processes, we discuss how ideologies of merit legitimize economic inequality and bolster class division. With respect to moral–relational processes, we examine how class-based patterns of compassion, helping, and power seeking exacerbate economic inequality by concentrating resources among the upper class and constraining advancement among the lower class. Finally, with respect to intergroup processes, we posit that social class group identities catalyze difficulties in cross-class affiliation, asymmetric resource sharing, and class conflict, strengthening class division in society. We conclude with a discussion of new research and future directions that can address class disparities and, ultimately, help foster a more equal society.
Immune challenges decrease biliverdin concentration in the spleen of northern Bobwhite quail, Colinus virginianus

Most antioxidants have multiple functions; in addition to minimizing oxidative damage, many antioxidants have immune-modulating properties. For example, biliverdin is produced in the liver and spleen from the breakdown of heme, and has putative immune-suppressing and antioxidant properties. However, the majority of these properties have been investigated in vitro or in mammalian models, in which biliverdin reductase converts virtually all biliverdin to bilirubin. Thus, biliverdin's physiological roles remain largely untested. Here, we investigated whether biliverdin has immunomodulating roles by injecting Northern Bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) with either a vehicle control, lysed and rinsed pig red blood cells (pRBC) that contain erythrocyte antigens but no heme, or intact pRBC that contain both erythrocyte antigens and hemoglobin, thus increasing the amount of heme that can be converted to biliverdin. We then quantified hemagglutination and hemolysis ability, and biliverdin concentration in the liver and spleen, on 3, 6, and 9 days post-injection. We found that hemagglutination was greater in individuals that received intact pRBC, but not in those injected with heme-removed pRBC, demonstrating that biliverdin does not suppress immune function at this dosage. Biliverdin levels of liver and spleen were correlated within individuals, suggesting organism-level variation in biliverdin production. Lastly, individuals injected with intact pRBC had a reduced biliverdin concentration in the spleen, suggesting that immune challenges may reduce biliverdin production or accumulation. This initial investigation demonstrated that biliverdin may have more nuanced physiological roles than previously reported, supporting the value of further investigations into the physiology of biliverdin.
Musical Experience, Sensorineural Auditory Processing, and Reading Subskills in Adults

Developmental research suggests that sensorineural auditory processing, reading subskills (e.g., phonological awareness and rapid naming), and musical experience are related during early periods of reading development. Interestingly, recent work suggests that these relations may extend into adulthood, with indices of sensorineural auditory processing relating to global reading ability. However, it is largely unknown whether sensorineural auditory processing relates to specific reading subskills, such as phonological awareness and rapid naming, as well as musical experience in mature readers. To address this question, we recorded electrophysiological responses to a repeating click (auditory stimulus) in a sample of adult readers. We then investigated relations between electrophysiological responses to sound, reading subskills, and musical experience in this same set of adult readers. Analyses suggest that sensorineural auditory processing, reading subskills, and musical experience are related in adulthood, with faster neural conduction times and greater musical experience associated with stronger rapid-naming skills. These results are similar to the developmental findings that suggest reading subskills are related to sensorineural auditory processing and musical experience in children.
Grazing angle experimental analysis of modification to microfacet BRDF model for improved accuracy

The BRDF describes optical scatter off realistic surfaces. The microfacet BRDF model assumes geometric optics but is computationally simple compared to wave optics models. Previously, densely-sampled MERL BRDF data for several materials was analyzed using a novel variation of a microfacet BRDF that used a polarization factor in place of the cross section conversion and geometric attenuation terms, demonstrating improved accuracy. This paper extends that analysis to examine high-fidelity grazing angle BRDF data measured in-plane with the novel BRDF modification. Results indicate that for many materials the novel BRDF modification is more accurate than the Traditional Cook-Torrance BRDF at near grazing angles. We show as much as an order of magnitude improvement in the fit error using this novel BRDF modification. These results are expected to lead to more accurate BRDF modeling for remote sensing, computer graphics, and scene generation.
Chocolate and Skin Health

Chocolate is a sweet dessert that brings satisfaction. Nonetheless, chocolate is a complex food that has many benefits for the body. Certain types are known to provide advantages in terms of blood pressure and flow, total and LDL cholesterol, insulin sensitivity, and may have anticancer properties [1]. Recently, the components of chocolate that is most beneficial to the body, flavanols, have received considerable research attention from nutritionists, scientists, and the media [1]. Flavanols are secondary plant constituents found in blueberries, cranberries, grapes, apples, red wine, tea, and cocoa [2]. While chocolate contributes a large amount of kilocalories and sugars to the body, the flavanols provide essential nutrients that should improve the health of the body. In addition, there has been some controversy in the general population about the effect that chocolate provides on the onset or inflammation of acne in adolescents [3]. Nonetheless, research has shown that antioxidants are a necessary part of one’s diet, and this information has boosted consumption of chocolate [2]. In fact, the popularity of chocolate and its potential ability to provide health benefits has caused a substantial amount of research because it has a high palatability [4]. Palatability is how acceptable or agreeable to the taste a food is. The use of chocolate in order to benefit human health ushers in a new idea that foods enjoyed by much of the population may provide health advantages, and therefore, the role of chocolate in dermal health is reviewed.
The Effect of Prenatal Exposure to Alcohol and Other Drugs

Epidemiological evidence gathered in recent years has confirmed earlier case reports of a relationship between alcoholism, alcohol use during pregnancy, and poorer pregnancy outcome. Findings, reported originally by Lemoine, Harrousseau, and Borteyru1 have been corroborated in several different clinical settings, and a cluster of infant characteristics related to maternal alcoholism has been termed the fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Cardinal features of the syndrome include (1) growth deficiency in both the prenatal and postnatal periods, (2) central nervous system anomalies such as microcephaly, mental retardation, and irritability, and (3) craniofacial anomalies including short palpebral fissures, frontonasal alterations, thin upper vermillion border, flat midface, and hypoplastic maxilla and/or mandible.2 The presence of only some of these features is denoted as fetal alcohol effects or FAE.
Die .NET- Stategie

Das Internet wandelt sich zu einer wirklich ubergreifenden Plattform — die totale Interaktivitat ist Kern der Microsoft-Initiative. NET (sprich: „DOT-NET“). Diese Strategie umschreibt ein neues Architekturmodell und eine neue Plattform fur die nachste Generation des Internet.
Ultrasound Assessment of Brachial Artery Reactivity

Conventional cardiovascular risk factors do not always provide sufficiently accurate estimates of cardiovascular risk. Detection of arterial abnormalities that antedate clinical cardiovascular disease could potentially help refine cardiovascular risk assessment. Brachial artery reactivity testing (BART) is a noninvasive modality to detect endothelial dysfunction, an early feature of atherogenesis. An increase in brachial artery blood flow is brought about through transient forearm occlusion, and high-resolution ultrasonography is used to measure the resulting flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery, a vascular response that is believed to result at least in part from the hyperemia-induced release of nitric oxide from the endothelium in the upstream conduit artery. FMD is impaired in asymptomatic subjects with cardiovascular risk factors as well as in subjects with known cardiovascular disease. Several studies have shown impaired FMD to be associated with increased incidence of adverse cardiovascular events in select high-risk populations. Recent studies have also shown FMD to be predictive of future cardiovascular events in asymptomatic individuals. Furthermore, because endothelial dysfunction is involved in the development of atherosclerosis and its sequelae, FMD could be used as an intermediate endpoint to monitor risk-reduction therapy. BART may also be used to assess forearm microcirculatory function that has been recently shown to provide insights into pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease and to correlate with cardiovascular risk factor burden. Thus, BART appears to be a promising adjunct in cardiovascular risk assessment. However, there is need to have more data about the incremental prognostic value of FMD in asymptomatic individuals and to establish its usefulness in treatment monitoring. There is also a need to establish consensus risk-defining cut-off values of FMD.
Nuevas aportaciones a los estudios sobe el uso de cavidades naturales durante la Edad Media en la provincia de León. New contributions to the studies on the use of natural caves during Middle Ages in the province of Leon

El presente articulo recoge un amplio numero de cavidades naturales leonesas que fueron ocupadas durante la Edad Media. Con el, pretendemos completar y mejorar los trabajos anteriores sobre las mismas mediante la aportacion de dibujos planimetricos, hasta ahora inexistentes, la manifestacion de nuevos hallazgos de distinto caracter en torno a ellas y la inclusion de nuevas cuevas a la nomina ya conocida.A diferencia de la mayor parte de los estudios publicados sobre este tema, los cuales tratan el tema desde la perspectiva esencialmente descriptiva de la arqueologia, nos encontramos ante una investigacion multidisciplinar que aborda diferentes ambitos de conocimiento en la linea de las actuales investigaciones, proporcionando asi una vision mucho mas completa.The present paper includes up to wide number of caves of the province of Leon occupied during Middle Ages. With it, we intend to complete and improve previous studies about them with planimetric drawings, previously unavailable, the exposure of new different findings about them and the addition of new caves to the already known range.In contrast to the vast majority of recent studies of this subject, which treat the issues from an essentially descriptive perspective of archaeologist, we are facing a multidisciplinary research covering a variety of fields of knowledge in the line of present investigations, in order to provide a much more complete vision.
Preliminary Hawai‘i Public Health Workforce Supply and Demand Assessment

Ensuring the adequacy of the public health workforce requires an understanding of its size and composition, as well as the population's demand for services. The current article describes research undertaken as a first step toward developing an estimate of the supply of and demand for Hawai'i's public health workforce. Using an organizational-level survey, data was obtained from a subset of 34 organizations considered to be major providers of population-based public health services in Hawai'i. The results indicate that estimates of the existing public health workforce range from 3,429 to 3,846 workers. Calculations of functional demand reveal that an additional 317 to 502 employees will be required to compensate for vacancies and projected retirements over the next five years; though, the discussion points to the fact that this number may be closer to 1,005 to 1,664. While, an additional 594 to 848 employees would be needed to meet the current missions of organizations in this sample and to best meet community need. While these findings are neither exhaustive nor definitive, they raise issues concerning the state's supply of public health workers in terms of their ability to adequately meet demand for services. More research is needed to confirm these findings and track Hawai'i's public health workforce to assure a strong local public health system.
Abstract P170: Etiologies and Characteristics of Heart Failure for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-Infected Persons and Uninfected Controls

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is associated with elevated risks for heart failure (HF). No studies to our knowledge have evaluated physician-adjudicated etiologies of HF (e.g., isc...
IMPACT OF THORACIC ENDOVASCULAR AORTIC REPAIR TIMING ON AORTIC REMODELING IN ACUTE TYPE B AORTIC INTRAMURAL HEMATOMA.

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is increasingly utilized in the management of acute type B aortic intramural hematoma (TBIMH). Optimal timing for intervention has not been described. The aim of this study was to evaluate TEVAR timing on post-operative aortic remodeling. METHODS A retrospective chart review was performed on patients who underwent TEVAR for TBIMH from January 2008 to September 2018. Imaging was reviewed pre- and postoperatively. Primary data points included true lumen diameter (TLD) and total aortic diameter (TAD) at the site of maximal pathology. Primary endpoint was aortic remodeling evidenced by a TAD/TLD ratio closest to 1.0. Secondary outcome was occurrence of aortic-related adverse events and mortality (AREM): aortic rupture, aortic-related death, progression to dissection or need for aortic re-intervention within 12 months. Patients undergoing emergent TEVAR (within 24 hours, ‘eTEVAR’) were compared to the remainder – delayed TEVAR (‘dTEVAR’). RESULTS We analyzed 71 patients that underwent TEVAR FOR TBIMH; 25 underwent emergent TEVAR and 46 patients underwent dTEVAR (median: 5.5 days, range: 2–120 days). There were no differences in demographics and comorbidities and patients did not differ in presenting IMH thickness (12.6±3.1 mm vs. 11.3±4.1 mm, p=0.186) nor presenting TAD/TLD ratio (1.535±0.471 vs. 1.525±0.397, p=0.928) for eTEVAR and dTEVAR groups, respectively. eTEVAR patients had larger average presenting maximal descending aortic (DTA) diameter (45.8±14.3 mm vs. 38.2±7.5 mm, p=0.018) and higher incidence of penetrating aortic ulcer (PAU) on presenting CT angiography (52.0% vs 21.7%, p=0.033). Thirty day mortality was 2/25 (8.0%) for eTEVAR and 2/45 (4.4%) for dTEVAR (p=0.602). Postoperative aortic remodeling was more complete in the dTEVAR group (1.23±0.12 vs. 1.33±0.15, p=0.004). Case-control matching (controlling for presenting DTA diameter and PAU) on 30 patients still showed better aortic remodeling in the dTEVAR group (1.125±0.100 vs 1.348±0.42, p CONCLUSION TEVAR for acute type B IMH within 24 hours of admission is associated with lower aortic remodeling and higher occurrence of late aortic related adverse events and mortality. Delaying TEVAR when clinically possible could improve aortic remodeling and aortic-related outcomes.
Functional Outcomes and Return To Sport With Extraarticular Plating Of Lisfranc Injuries In Athletes

Objectives:Lisfranc injuries are increasingly common among athletes. Tarsometatarsal joint injuries often damage the articular cartilage and increase predisposition for post-traumatic arthritis and...
Chapter 17 - Taxation, Risk-Taking, and Household Portfolio Behavior**

This chapter summarizes the current state of research on how taxation affects household decisions with respect to portfolio structure and asset trading. It discusses long-standing issues, such as the impact of differential taxation of income flows from stocks and bonds on the incentives for households to invest in these assets, and the effect of capital gains taxation on asset sales. It also addresses a range of emerging issues, such as the impact of taxation on the behavior of mutual funds and their investors, and the effect of tax changes and tax uncertainty on investor behavior. It concludes that taxation exerts a systematic influence on the nature of risk-taking and the structure of household portfolios. Research on the effects of taxation on portfolio structure is more advanced than work on the welfare costs of portfolio distortions.
REPLACING INSULIN WITH ANTI-VIRALS: A CLINICAL VIGNETTE ON DIABETES AND HCV TREATMENT

ABSTRACT Objective: There is growing evidence to support a connection between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV). Patients with hepatitis C have a substantially hig...
The Real Estate Academic Leadership (Real) Rankings for 2015–2019

Abstract This is the fifth release of the Real Estate Academic Leadership (REAL) rankings for authors and institutions. These rankings only account for articles published in the top three real esta...
Upper bounds on Kronecker coefficients with few rows.

We present three different upper bounds for Kronecker coefficients $g(\lambda,\mu,\nu)$ in terms of Kostka numbers, contingency tables and Littlewood--Richardson coefficients. We then give various examples, asymptotic applications, and compare them with existing lower bounds.
The Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Focal Adhesion Dynamics

We consider a focal adhesion to be made up of molecular complexes, each consisting of a ligand such as fibronectin, an integrin molecule, and associated plaque proteins. Free energy changes drive the binding and unbinding of these complexes and thereby control the focal adhesion's dynamic modes of growth, treadmilling and resorption. The free energy changes include mechanical and chemical contributions. We have identified a competition among four thermodynamic driving forces for focal adhesion dynamics: (1) the work done during the addition of a single molecular complex of a certain size, (2) the chemical free energy change associated with the addition of a molecular complex, (3) the elastic free energy change associated with deformation of focal adhesions and the cell membrane, and (4) the work done on a molecular conformational change. We have developed a theoretical treatment of focal adhesion dynamics as a nonlinear rate process governed by a classical kinetic model, and demonstrate the limitations of the associated linear response theory. We also express the rates as being driven by out-of-equilibrium thermodynamic driving forces, and modulated by kinetics. In the resulting model, the mechanisms governed by the four effects described above allow focal adhesions to exhibit a rich variety of behavior without the need to introduce special constitutive assumptions for their response. The reaction-limited case is considered. Our central findings are that growth, treadmilling and resorption are all predicted by a very simple chemo-mechanical model. Treadmilling requires symmetry breaking between the ends of the focal adhesion, and is achieved by driving force (1) above. In contrast, depending on its numerical value (2) causes symmetric growth, resorption or is neutral, (3) causes symmetric resorption, and (4) causes symmetric growth.
Endovascular Management of Complex Fenestration-Associated Aneurysms: A Single-Institution Retrospective Study and Review of Existing Techniques.

Background Aneurysms associated with fenestrations of intracranial arteries are exceptionally rare findings. Management strategies for these aneurysms are not well-defined, especially regarding endovascular treatment. We sought to investigate the strategies and feasibility of endovascular treatment approaches for various fenestration-associated intracranial aneurysms. Methods We performed a retrospective chart review of 2000 aneurysms treated endovascularly, identifying 8 aneurysms located at arterial fenestrations. The technical details and procedural outcomes were reviewed to identify common management approaches, technical nuances, and treatment outcomes. Results There were 3 (37.5%) aneurysms associated with fenestrations of the basilar artery or vertebrobasilar junction. All 3 were successfully treated with a previously undescribed coil-assisted flow-diversion technique, resulting in complete obliteration. Three (37.5%) aneurysms were associated with fenestrations of the anterior communicating artery. Of those, 2 were successfully treated with stent-assisted coil embolization and 1 with coil embolization alone. One (12.5%) aneurysm was associated with a fenestration of the paraclinoid internal carotid artery and 1 (12.5%) aneurysm found was at the takeoff of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery at a fenestration of the vertebral artery. Both were successfully treated with coil-assisted flow diversion. There were no permanent procedural complications. Major considerations for endovascular management of these aneurysms were the dominance of fenestration trunks, aneurysms arising from the fenestration apex or a fenestration limb, amenability to flow diversion, and anticipation of vascular remodeling. Conclusions Fenestration-associated aneurysms are very rare. We have identified common factors to help guide decision-making for endovascular approaches and demonstrate successful aneurysm treatment using these methods.
Experts vs. Non-Experts in Online Crowdfunding Markets

The growth of crowdfunding markets will soon accelerate due to recent changes in Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) regulations. Although it is well-recognized that these markets benefit from the participation of both expert and non-expert investors, theory suggests that experts will garner larger returns at the expense of non-experts and, as a result, the relative importance of non-experts in the market will decline over time until they become unimportant. We demonstrate, via simulations, that the extent to which non-experts are worse off when experts are introduced to a crowdfunding market varies dramatically as a function of project success (e.g., default rates on a debt crowdfunding platform), expert investors’ relative participation in the market, the quality of information signal, and expert investors’ diversification strategy. Exploiting a unique period in one crowdfunding market that allows us to directly measure the costs, we find that the negative effects of expert participation are small. The findings contribute to both theory and practice as they reveal that crowdfunding markets can be structured such that experts and non-experts peacefully coexist.
Dynamic nuclear lamina-chromatin interactions during G1 progression

Abstract A large fraction of heterochromatin in the metazoan genome is associated with the nuclear lamina (NL) in interphase nuclei. This heterochromatin is often referred to as Lamina-Associated Domains (LADs) and are often mapped from cell populations asynchronously progressing through the cell cycle. We and others have recently reported that LADs are largely stable during G1, S, or G2 phases of the cell cycle, and appear similar to LADs mapped from bulk cell populations. LADs in senescent cells, however, are reported to be quite different from proliferating cells, and it remains unclear how senescent cell LADs are established. As cells finish mitosis and re-enter G1, reassembly of the nuclear envelope and NL appears to precede mitotic chromosome decondensation. Therefore, the initial NL interactions with the decondensing chromatin may be quite different from those reported in asynchronous or FACS isolated G1, S, or G2 populations. By developing a modified version of the Tyramide-Signal Amplification sequencing (TSA-seq), which we call chromatin pull down-based Tyramide Signal Amplification-sequencing (cTSA-seq), we uncover a dynamic NL-chromatin interaction as cells progress through G1. The appearance of stable LADs coincides with sufficient chromatin decondensation and active gene expression in G1. Interestingly, early G1 NL-chromatin interactions, which are found toward the telomeric ends of human chromosomes, are similar to those found in oncogene-induced senescent cells. We find that the assembly of LADs during the formation of the G1 nucleus is gradual and that the arrest of NL-chromatin interactions in early G1 may contribute to genome disorganization of senescence cells.
The Difficulty Accommodating Health Care Workers

After the Americans with Disabilities Act was amended in 2008 to dramatically expand the definition of disability, courts have been more frequently grappling with the difficult issues of determining who is entitled to a reasonable accommodation under the Act and whether a particular accommodation is reasonable. This difficulty is exacerbated for health care workers. In this symposium paper, I argue that health care jobs are particularly difficult to accommodate because: (1) most health care jobs are physically rigorous; (2) most health care jobs involve long hours and/or shift work; and (3) the majority of jobs in the health care industry are safety-sensitive positions, with life and death often hanging in the balance. After identifying the most frequently requested accommodations by health care workers, I turn to exploring three over-arching issues that I have identified in prior work and analyze how these issues are often magnified in the health care context. These issues include: (1) employers' reluctance to provide modifications to the "structural norms" of the workplace (the policies regarding when and where work is performed); (2) "special treatment stigma" in the workplace—the reluctance of employers to provide accommodations that place burdens on other employees or that are seen as preferential treatment; and (3) "withdrawn accommodations"—the situation where employers take away accommodations previously provided. Although I do not provide any solutions to the difficulty accommodating health care workers, I hope this paper furthers future discussions regarding these difficult issues.
From Silicon to Simulation: A Full Decomposition of a Fabricated 130 nm Serial Peripheral Interface for Establishing an Assurance Baseline Root-of-Trust

This paper reviews the decomposition of a fabricated Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) that was manufactured in a 130 nm process node technology to establish a verification and validation methodology for baselining microelectronics assurance. The fabricated SPI goes through a delayering process where each target layer is captured and imaged using a Raith 150 Chipscanner. The features for each layer are extracted allowing a GDSII layout file to be generated and subsequent design netlist to be recovered. The extracted GDSII was compared to the original reference GDSII, exposing additional fill cells that were added to the design at the foundry. The recovered netlist was validated as logically equivalent to the original golden design netlist and was simulated in the original verification testbench, passing 100% of the original model checks. By passing the GDSII comparison, functional model checks, and logical equivalence checks, the fabricated SPI was determined to be trusted. A methodology for establishing an assurance baseline root-of-trust has been proven.
The Molecular Biology of Expectation

I have listened to but never given an after-dinner talk. I can remember, however, being grateful when the speaker was witty and as far as possible, not controversial. This combination plus the food and drink means that nobody feels threatened and the audience is relaxed and receptive. In this mood, I intend to speculate about our world which took only six days to fashion. While this is a tour de force, it is even more of a miracle that after 6000 years of civilization we can still live in it. This is a tribute to the extraordinary variety of learned and adaptive responses which we are capable of performing. In fact, man, throughout history, has so marvelled at his own prowess to learn and adapt that he created God in his own image. There is no question that animals behave as though there were a point to their actions; they are machines with the ability to show adaptive behavior. The vitalists, therefore, asked the right questions but gave the wrong answers.
Factors impacting treatment outcomes in the endoscopic management of walled-off pancreatic necrosis.

Background Treatment outcomes are suboptimal for patients undergoing endoscopic treatment of walled-off pancreatic necrosis (WOPN). The objective of this study is to identify factors that impact treatment outcomes in this patient subset. Methods This is a retrospective study of patients with WOPN treated endoscopically over 10 years. Patients underwent placement of stents and nasocystic catheters within the necrotic cavity. In select patients, the multiple transluminal gateway technique (MTGT) was adopted to create several openings in the stomach or duodenum to facilitate drainage of necrosis. In patients with disconnected pancreatic duct syndrome (DPDS), the transmural stents were left in place indefinitely to decrease pancreatic fluid collection (PFC) recurrence. Results Endoscopic treatment was successful in 53 of 76 (69.7%) patients. Treatment success was higher in patients undergoing MTGT than in those in whom conventional drainage was used (94.4% vs 62.1%, P = 0.009). On multivariate logistic regression analysis, only MTGT (OR 15.8, 95% CI 1.77–140.8; P = 0.01) and fewer endoscopic sessions being needed (OR 4.0, 95% CI 1.16–14.0; P = 0.03) predicted treatment success. PFC recurrence was significantly lower in patients with indwelling transmural stents than in patients in whom the stents were removed (0 vs 20.8%; P = 0.02). Conclusions Creating multiple gateways for drainage of necrotic debris improves treatment success, and not removing the transmural stents decreases PFC recurrence in patients undergoing endoscopic drainage of WOPN.