cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Functionally rigid and degenerate molecular shuttles.

The preparation and dynamic behavior of two functionally rigid and degenerate [2]rotaxanes (1•4 PF_6 and 2•4 PF_6) in which a π-electron deficient tetracationic cyclophane, cyclobis(paraquat-p-phenylene) (CBPQT4+) ring, shuttles back and forth between two π-electron-rich naphthalene (NP) stations by making the passage along an ethynyl-phenylene-(PH)-ethynyl or butadiyne rod, are described. The [2]rotaxanes were synthesized by using the clipping approach to template-directed synthesis, and were characterized by NMR spectroscopic and mass spectrometric analyses. ^1H NMR spectra of both [2]rotaxanes show evidence for the formation of mechanically interlocked structures, resulting in the upfield shifts of the resonances for key protons on the dumbbell-shaped components. In particular, the signals for the peri protons on the NP units in the dumbbell-shaped components experienced significant upfield shifts at low temperatures, just as has been observed in the flexible [2]rotaxanes. Interestingly, the resonances for the same protons did not exhibit a significant upfield shift at 298 K, but rather only a modest shift. This phenomenon arises from the much reduced binding of the ethynyl-NP unit compared to the 1,5-dioxy-NP unit. This effect, in turn, increases the shuttling rate when compared to the 1,5-dioxy-NP-based rotaxane systems investigated previously. The kinetic and thermodynamic data of the shuttling behavior of the CBPQT^(4+) ring between the NP units were obtained by variable-temperature NMR spectroscopy and using the coalescence method to calculate the free energies of activation (ΔG_c≠) of 9.6 and 10.3 kcal mol^(-1) for 1•4 PF_6 and 2•4 PF_6, respectively, probed by using the rotaxane's α-bipyridinium protons. The solid-state structure of the free dumbbell-shaped compound (3) shows the fully rigid ethynyl-PH-ethynyl linker with a length (8.1 A) twice as long as that (3.8 A) of the butadiyne linker. Full-atomistic simulations were carried out with the DREIDING force field (FF) to probe the degenerate molecular shuttling processes, and afforded shuttling energy barriers (ΔG_c=10.4 kcal mol^(-1) for 1•4 PF_6 and 2•4 PF_6) that are in good agreement with the experimental values (ΔG_c=9.6 and 10.3 kcal mol^(-1) for 1•4 PF_6 and 2•4 PF_6, respectively, probed by using their α-bipyridinium protons).
Reducing Infant Mortality Rates Using the Perinatal Periods of Risk Model

Despite decreases in the last 50 years, infant mortality rates in the United States remain higher than in other industrialized countries. Using overall infant mortality rates to determine the effectiveness of interventions does not help communities focus on particular underlying factors contributing to static, and sometimes increasing, community rates. This study was designed to determine and rank contributing factors to fetal-infant mortality in a specific community using the Perinatal Periods of Risk (PPOR) model. The PPOR model was used to map fetal-infant mortality for 1995 to 1998 in the Tulsa, Oklahoma, Healthy Start Program as compared to traditional calculation methods. The overall fetal-infant mortality rate using the PPOR model was 12.7 compared to 7.11 calculated using the traditional method. The maternal health cell rate was 5.4, maternal care cell rate was 2.9, newborn care cell was 1.9 compared to a 4.1 neonatal death rate calculated using the traditional method, and the infant health cell was 2.4 compared to a 2.9 postneonatal rate calculated using the traditional method. Because the highest infant mortality was in the maternal health cell, intervention strategies were designed to promote the health of women prior to and between pregnancies. The PPOR model was helpful in targeting interventions to reduce fetal-infant mortality based on the prioritization of contributing factors.
The UCSD/Keck Damped Lyα Abundance Database: A Decade of High-Resolution Spectroscopy

We publish the Keck/HIRES and Keck/ESI spectra that we have obtained during the first 10 years of Keck observatory operations. Our full sample includes 42 HIRES spectra and 39 ESI spectra along 65 unique sight lines providing abundance measurements on ≈85 DLA systems. The normalized data can be downloaded from the journal or from our supporting Web site. The database includes all of the sight lines that have been included in our papers on the chemical abundances, kinematics, and metallicities of the damped Lyα systems. This data has also been used to argue for variations in the fine-structure constant. We present new chemical abundance measurements for 10 damped Lyα systems and a summary table of high-resolution metallicity measurements (including values from the literature) for 153 damped Lyα systems at z > 1.6. We caution, however, that this metallicity sample (and all previous ones) is biased to higher N values than a random sample.
Stereoselective Isoprenoid Chain Extension with Acetoacetate Dianion: (E, E, E)‐Geranylgeraniol From (E, E)‐Farnesol

(E, E)- Farnesol Methanesulfonyl chloride Ethylacetoacetate Diethylchlorophosphate Diisobutylaluminum hydride Keywords: isoprenoid chain extension; stereoselective; acetoacetate dianion; universal substrate; E-selectivity; geranylgeranilol; organocopper reagents; vinylic couplings; suzuki reaction; waste disposal
Activation of a peptidergic synapse locally modulates postsynaptic calcium influx.

Summary We examined the synaptic connection between Phe-Met-Arg-Phe-NH2 (FMRFamide)-immunoreactive neurone VD4 and its target neurone PI, both found in the central nervous system of the pond snail Helisoma trivolvis. The major FMRFamide-like peak in neurone VD4 appears to be FMRFamide itself, based on its high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) elution time and immunoreactivity before and after oxidation, but small peaks are also present at the elution times of Phe-Leu-Arg-Phe-NH2 (FLRFamide) and Gly-Asp-Pro-PheLeu-Arg-Phe-NH2 (GDPFLRFamide). The modulatory actions of the neuropeptides found in neurone VD4 were tested on the postsynaptic target cell PI. Bath application of both the tetrapeptides FMRFamide and FLRFamide at a concentration of 10~ 5 mol I" 1 reduced the macroscopic voltage-sensitive calcium current of neurone PI in culture; FMRFamide by 45 % and FLRFamide by 51 %. Bath application of the heptapeptide GDPFLRFamide (10~ 5 mol \~ l ) reduced the calcium current by only 8 %. We reconstructed the synaptic connection between VD4 and PI in culture. Action-potential-evoked calcium transients in neurites growing from PI cells in culture were monitored using Fura-2. Addition of FMRFamide, FLRFamide or GDPFLRFamide reduced the magnitude of the calcium transient in PI. Stimulation of VD4 mimicked the effects of peptide application and caused localized reductions in the action-potential-evoked calcium transients in PI at the points of contact between the neurites of neurones VD4 and PI. These results suggest that neurone VD4 modulates the calcium influx of neurone PI through the release of endogenous FMRFamide-related peptides and that this modulatory action is restricted to sites of synaptic interaction.
Personality, Socioeconomic Status, and All-Cause Mortality in the United States

The authors assessed the extent to which socioeconomic status (SES) and the personality factors termed the "big 5" (neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, conscientiousness) represented confounded or independent risks for all-cause mortality over a 10-year follow-up in the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) cohort between 1995 and 2004. Adjusted for demographics, the 25th versus 75th percentile of SES was associated with an odds ratio of 1.43 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.11, 1.83). Demographic-adjusted odds ratios for the 75th versus 25th percentile of neuroticism were 1.38 (95% CI: 1.10, 1.73) and 0.63 (95% CI: 0.47, 0.84) for conscientiousness, the latter evaluated at high levels of agreeableness. Modest associations were observed between SES and the big 5. Adjusting each for the other revealed that personality explained roughly 20% of the SES gradient in mortality, while SES explained 8% of personality risk. Portions of SES and personality risk were explained by health behaviors, although some residual risk remained unexplained. Personality appears to explain some between-SES strata differences in mortality risk, as well as some individual risk heterogeneity within SES strata. Findings suggest that both sociostructural inequalities and individual disposition hold public health implications. Future research and prevention aimed at ameliorating SES health disparities may benefit from considering the risk clustering of social disadvantage and dispositional factors.
Development, Longevity, and Fecundity of Sipha flava (Homoptera: Aphididae) Feeding on Sorghum bicolor

Abstract Sipha flava is a serious pest in sugarcane in southern Florida, so efforts in better understanding its biology were initiated. Development, longevity, and fecundity of alate and apterous S. flava (Forbes) feeding on Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench., cultivar ‘Kow Chow,’ were examined under near-ambient temperature and lighting conditions within a glasshouse. After examining several body dimensions during apterous aphid development (antennal length, head width, body length, and abdominal width), antennal length was found to be the best indicator of an instar. Apterous aphids completed development from nymph to adult in ≈8 d and passed through four instars. A comparison between the sizes of apterous and alate morphs indicated that apterous females were larger and weighed more than the alates. Both morphs survived equally as long during reproduction (21 d) but produced slightly different numbers of nymphs over their life (apterous = 54.3, alate = 48.2). During the first 8 d of reproduction, apterous adu...
The 2000 Fire Season: Lightning-Caused Fires

Abstract A large number of lightning-caused fires burned across the western United States during the summer of 2000. In a previous study, the authors determined that a simple index of low-level moisture (85-kPa dewpoint depression) and instability (85–50-kPa temperature difference) from the Spokane, Washington, upper-air soundings was very useful for indicating the likelihood of “dry” lightning (occurring without significant concurrent rainfall) in the Pacific Northwest. This same method was applied to the summer-2000 fire season in the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies. The mean 85-kPa dewpoint depression at Spokane from 1 May through 20 September was 17.7°C on days when lightning-caused fires occurred and was 12.3°C on days with no lightning-caused fires. Likewise, the mean temperature difference between 85 and 50 kPa was 31.3°C on lightning-fire days, as compared with 28.9°C on non-lightning-fire days. The number of lightning-caused fires corresponded more closely to high instability and high dewp...
Fan Size and Energy Efficiency

AbstractThe use of ceiling mounted circulating fans to provide air movement for cooling in industrial premises and animal houses is particularly essential in warm, humid climates. Methods to substantially improve the efficiency of this approach are demonstrated in this paper. Fan laws are identified as one source of strategies for increasing energy-efficiency of fans. Industrial ceiling fans are used to demonstrate that using larger, slower, fans will not only improve energy efficiency but also reduce fan noise. By using large diameter fans (7.3m diameter) in place of conventional fans, energy savings of over 40% are demonstrated. Field studies of air flow characteristics from ceiling fans are shown to provide further opportunities to increase air flow efficiency in industrial buildings. Utilising lower friction losses associated with the Coanda effect in air flow adjacent to the floor is shown to increase air flow toward the outer limits of the radial outflow. Lower fan mounting heights are also shown to...
Jihadist Highway to Jihadist Haven: Turkey's Jihadi Policies and Western Security

ABSTRACTTurkish support to jihadists is not merely a tactic aimed at removing Assad from power. It stems from a strategic decision on the part of Turkish authorities to influence Middle East affairs through non-state actors, much as Iran has been doing for some time. Turkey's support of jihadists transiting into Syria and its establishment of close ties with Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood are joint aspects of this strategy. Turkish authorities have permitted Al Qaeda sympathizers to use pro-government media to promote their beliefs. The authorities have adopted a new political language that fuels anti-American and anti-Western sentiments. Prosecutors who have attempted to prevent shipments of weapons to Al Qaeda–affiliated groups in Syria have been fired and in some cases incarcerated. Indeed, by now Turkish prosecutors and the Turkish National Police are thoroughly intimidated. Not a single counterterror operation has been launched to disrupt Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)’s networks or recruit...
Public Reaction to Energy, Overview

This article describes U.S. public opinion on major energy issues. It discusses the influence of public opinion on public policy, the public’s knowledge about energy issues, and the public’s sometimes contradictory support of energy efficiency and renewable energy, on the one hand, and offshore oil drilling and conventional energy on the other hand. The article also examines the demographic, partisan, and ideological correlates of opinion on energy issues. It concludes with a discussion of how energy disasters influence both public opinion and public policy.
Translanguaging and the multilingual turn: epistemological reconceptualization in the fields of language and implications for reframing language in curriculum studies

New challenges in education, stemming from the forces of globalization and the continued diversification of the student body, illuminate the need for a reexamination of the role of language in curriculum studies. Through a discussion of the issues around multilingualism and translanguaging and the shift in perspective that these topics have provoked in the fields of SLA, TESOL, BE, I present the relevance and implications of this critical language approach for the field of curriculum studies. My commentary is guided by three questions. Initially, I investigate, how do the purposes and audiences of the May and Garcia and Wei compare? I continue on to discuss, what are common key themes or issues raised by the books? And lastly, I consider, how do the concepts discussed in each book inform each other and the field of curriculum studies at large? I provide concluding thoughts on ways for language as critical pedagogy to be taken up in the broader domains of curriculum studies.
Spectroscopic and energetic properties of thorium(IV) molecular clusters with a hexanuclear core.

The spectral and energetic properties of three polynuclear thorium(IV) molecular complexes Th6(OH)4O4(H2O)6(HCOO)12·nH2O (1), Th6(OH)4O4(H2O)6(CH3COO)12·nH2O (2), and Th6(OH)4O4(H2O)6(ClCH2COO)12·4H2O (3) have been studied. Each complex has a hexanuclear core with six 9-coordinate Th(IV) cations bridged by four μ3-hydroxo and four μ3-oxo groups. The +12 core is stabilized by twelve bridging carboxylate functionalized organic acid (formate, acetate, and chloroacetate) units. The calculated 1H NMR chemical shifts for the four μ3-hydroxo, water, and formate protons are reported and compared to the experimental values. The vibrational frequencies were calculated to aid in the assignment of the observed Raman bands. The Mulliken and NBO (natural bond orbital) charges are calculated for the Th clusters. The Th atoms are positive and the bridging O and O(H) are negative. The analysis of the calculated highest-occupied and lowest-unoccupied molecular orbitals (HOMO and LUMO) is reported. The average water complex...
Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering Detection of Cancer Biomarkers with Bifunctional Nanocomposite Probes.

This report describes new findings of an investigation of a bifunctional nanocomposite probe for the detection of cancer biomarkers, demonstrating the viability of magnetic focusing and SERS detection in a microfluidic platform. The nanocomposite probe consists of a magnetic nickel–iron core and a gold shell. Upon bioconjugation, the nanoprobes are magnetically focused on a specific spot in a microfluidic channel, enabling an enrichment of “hot spots” for surface enhanced Raman scattering detection of the targeted carcinoembryonic antigen. The detection sensitivity, with a limit of detection of ∼0.1 pM, is shown to scale with the magnetic focusing time and the nanoparticle size. The latter is also shown to exhibit an excellent agreement between the experimental data and the theoretical simulation. Implications of the findings to the development of rapid and sensitive microfluidic detection of cancer biomarkers are also discussed.
Encapsulated Objects for Neural Network Simulation

We consider aspects of program design relevant to the creation of object-oriented software tools for research in neural network algorithms, and discuss these in the context of EONNS, a set of C++ classes for neural networks which is currently under development.
Application of the Smokeless Tobacco Expectancies Questionnaire to Snus

Objective Measures of consumer perceptions of emerging tobacco products are needed for understanding the potential for product adoption and use. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the applicability of the Smokeless Tobacco Expectancies Questionnaire to snus, and examine its association with interest in using snus. Methods We recruited 116 adolescents (14-17 years of age), 463 young adults (18-34 years of age), and 596 older adults (35-65 years of age) from a Web-based opt-in panel. Participants completed a 10-item Snus Expectancies Questionnaire and questions about their interest in trying snus in the next month. Results Confirmatory factor analysis supported a latent factor structure representing Positive Reinforcement (PR) and Negative Health Consequences (NHC) within each age group. The scales differentiate smokers and smokeless tobacco users and nonusers. Each scale was associated with interest in purchasing snus for younger (PR: OR 1.90; NHC: OR 0.66) and older (PR: OR 1.36; NHC: OR 0.69) adults controlling for tobacco use status. Conclusions The modified Smokeless Tobacco Expectancies Questionnaire is a valid measure of snus-related outcome expectancies, which are in turn, associated with self-reported tobacco use, and may help to identify groups who are susceptible to snus initiation and use.
Successful outcomes of older adolescents and adults with profound biotinidase deficiency identified by newborn screening.

We began screening newborns for biotinidase deficiency disorder in 1984, and now all states in the United States and many countries perform this screening. The purpose of this study was to determine the outcomes of older adolescent and adult individuals with the disorder identified by newborn screening. We located and surveyed, by questionnaire and telephone interviews, 44 individuals with profound biotinidase deficiency identified by newborn screening with a mean age of 23.1 years. All individuals had successfully completed high school, and many were attending or had completed college or graduate school. Compliance in using biotin has been excellent. Several individuals developed a variety of symptoms when they discontinued biotin for days or weeks. These features readily resolved when biotin was resumed. In addition, five treated women had nine uneventful pregnancies and deliveries. Newborn screening for profound biotinidase deficiency and early treatment with biotin result in excellent outcomes for older adolescents and adults with the disorder. In addition, mothers with profound biotinidase deficiency who were treated with biotin had pregnancies with good outcomes. These outcome results indicate that newborn screening for biotinidase deficiency is one of the most successful newborn screening programs. Genet Med 19 4, 396–402.
Effects of Chain–Chain Associations on Hybridization in DNA Brushes

Hybridization of solution nucleic acids to DNA brushes is widely encountered in diagnostic and materials science applications. Typically, brush chain lengths of ten or more nucleotides are used to provide the needed sequence specificity and binding affinity. At these lengths, coincidental occurrence of complementary regions is expected to lead to associations between the nominally single-stranded brush chains due to intra- or interchain base pairing. This report investigates how these associations impact the brushes’ hybridization activity toward complementary “target” sequences. Brushes were prepared from 20-mer chains with four-nucleotide-long “adhesive regions” through which neighboring chains could interact. The affinity and position of the adhesive region along the chain backbone were varied. DNA brushes were exposed to complementary solution targets, and the corresponding melting transitions were measured to estimate free energies of the brush-target hybridization. These results revealed that higher...
Ring-shaped confocal photoacoustic computed tomography for small-animal whole-body imaging

We report herein a novel three-dimensional photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) system for small-animal whole-body imaging. The PACT system, based on a 512-element full-ring ultrasonic transducer array, was cylindrically focused and capable of forming a two-dimensional image in 1.6 seconds. The pulsed laser could either illuminate directly from the top or be reshaped to illuminate the sample from the side. Top illumination was mainly used for mouse brain and mouse embryo imaging. Side illumination provided in vivo anatomical images of an adult mouse. By translating the mouse along the elevational direction, the system provided serial cross-sectional images.
Impact of Design on Patient Participation in Healthcare in a Rural Health Clinic in Appalachia: A Qualitative Pilot Study.

Objectives:A pilot study exploring how elderly patients of a rural outpatient health clinic in Appalachia perceive design elements of the facility as imposing barriers to healthcare participation.Background:Outpatient clinics play a critical role in the delivery of healthcare in rural settings in Appalachia. While the concept of patient participation in healthcare does not enjoy a widely adopted, standardized definition, it is believed that patients who are more actively engaged in their healthcare will potentially realize improved health outcomes. This study examines the role facility design could play in participation.Methods:A pilot qualitative study was conducted involving focus groups with a targeted elderly population of a rural outpatient clinic in southern West Virginia. The goal was to assess the perceptions of impacts of clinical design elements on participation.Results:Patients identified and characterized 10 design-related elements they felt impacted participation.Conclusions:The design of the...
Paleocene echinoid faunas of the eastern United States

Twenty-one species of echinoid are reported from Paleocene rocks of the eastern United States along the outcrop belt from Texas to New Jersey. Six of these are strictly early Paleocene age (Danian), nine strictly late Paleocene age (Thanetian), five range throughout the Paleocene, and one previously reported Paleocene species (Diplodetus moscovensis) is most likely a Cretaceous species. Two new species are described, Salenia palmyra n. sp., from the Danian Clayton Formation in Alabama and Georgia, and Ova rancoca n. sp., from the Thanetian Vincentown Formation in New Jersey. One new species from the Clayton Formation in Mississippi, Arbaciella? sp., is left in open nomenclature.
Locally linear embedded sparse coding for image representation

Recently, sparse coding has been widely and successfully used in image classification, noise reduction, texture synthesis and audio processing. Although traditional sparse coding method with fixed dictionaries like wavelet and curvelet can produce promising results, unsupervised sparse coding has shown its advantage by optimizing the dictionary adaptively. However, existing unsupervised sparse coding failed to consider the high dimensional manifold information within data. Recently, a graph regularized sparse coding method has shown outstanding performance by incorporating graph laplacian manifold information. In this paper, we proposed a sparse coding method called locally linear embedded sparse coding, to consider the local manifold structure as well as learning the sparse representation. We also provided a novel modified online dictionary learning method which iteratively utilizes modified least angle regression and block coordinate descent method to solve the problem. Instead of getting entire coefficient matrix then update dictionary matrix, our method updates coefficient vector and dictionary matrix in each inner iteration. Extensive experimental results have demonstrated the efficiency and accuracy of our method in image clustering.
Lower-order anxiety sensitivity and intolerance of uncertainty dimensions operate as specific vulnerabilities for social anxiety and depression within a hierarchical model

Within a hierarchical framework for depressive and anxiety disorders, negative affect (NA) is posited to be indirectly related to social anxiety and depression through cognitive vulnerabilities, including intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and anxiety sensitivity (AS). However, few prior studies have considered whether the lower-order dimensions of IU (i.e., prospective and inhibitory IU) and AS (i.e., physical, cognitive, and social concerns) better explain the indirect relation between NA and social anxiety and depression. The indirect relations between NA and social anxiety and depression through these cognitive vulnerabilities were examined using structural equation modeling in a clinical sample (N=298). NA and social anxiety symptoms were indirectly related through AS social concerns and inhibitory IU, although a direct effect of NA was also found. Only AS social concerns explained the relation between NA and a social anxiety disorder diagnosis. AS cognitive concerns was the only cognitive vulnerability factor to indirectly explain the relation between NA and depressive symptoms, although a direct effect of NA was also found. These findings suggest that the lower-order dimensions of AS and IU demonstrate more specific and less transdiagnostic associations with social anxiety and depression.
Impact of five years of rotavirus vaccination in Finland - And the associated cost savings in secondary healthcare

Abstract Introduction This study aimed to estimate the impact of the national rotavirus (RV) vaccination programme, starting 2009, on the total hospital-treated acute gastroenteritis (AGE) and severe RV disease burden in Finland during the first five years of the programme. This study also evaluated the costs saved in secondary healthcare by the RV vaccination programme. Methods The RV related outcome definitions were based on ICD10 diagnostic codes recorded in the Care Register for Health Care. Incidences of hospitalised and hospital outpatient cases of AGE (A00-A09, R11) and RVGE (A08.0) were compared prior (1999–2005) and after (2010–2014) the start of the programme among children less than five years of age. Results The reduction in disease burden in 2014, when all children under five years of age have been eligible for RV vaccination, was 92.9% (95%CI: 91.0%–94.5%) in hospitalised RVGE and 68.5% (66.6%–70.3%) in the total hospitalised AGE among children less than five years of age. For the corresponding hospital outpatient cases, there was a reduction of 91.4% (82.4%–96.6%) in the RVGE incidence, but an increase of 6.3% (2.7%–9.9%) in the AGE incidence. The RV vaccination programme prevented 2206 secondary healthcare AGE cases costing €4.5 million annually. As the RV immunisation costs were €2.3 million, the total net savings just in secondary healthcare costs were €2.2 million, i.e. €33 per vaccinated child. Discussion The RV vaccination programme clearly controlled the severe, hospital-treated forms of RVGE. The total disease burden is a more valuable end point than mere specifically diagnosed cases as laboratory confirmation practises usually change after vaccine introduction. The RV vaccination programme annually pays for itself at least two times over.
An Analysis of Identifier Use in SHARE

SHARE, an open metadata aggregator for scholarly content launched in 2013, provides access to dispersed scholarly content through a powerful application programming interface and set of tools for r...
Farmer Perceptions of Conflict Related to Water in Zambia

The relationship between climate change, water scarcity, and conflict is still debated. Much of the existing work relating resource scarcity to conflict has involved regional-scale analysis linking instances of violent outbreaks to environmental conditions. But how do individual farmers in Africa define conflict? Do they perceive that conflict will change as a function of water scarcity, and, if so, how? Here, we address these questions by surveying farmers in southern Zambia in 2015, where we asked respondents to define conflict, assessed their perceptions of past and future conflict, as well as perceptions of rainfall and water availability. We find that the majority of our respondents (75%) think of conflict as misunderstandings or disagreements between people and that 91% of our sample has experienced past conflict, 70% expect to experience future conflict, and 58% expect to experience future physical violent conflict. When asked about the sources of conflict, respondents mainly mention land grabbing, crop damage by animals, and politics rather than water related issues. However, we find a significant relationship between perceptions of future rainfall decreasing and future physical violent conflict. These results imply that even though respondents do not think water scarcity is a direct source of conflict, the perception of decreased rain in the future is significantly related to the perception that future conflict and future physical violent conflict will occur.
The Effect of Arch Drop on Tibial Rotation and Tibiofemoral Contact Stress in Postpartum Women.

Abstract Background Women are at greater risk for knee osteoarthritis and numerous other lower limb musculoskeletal disorders. Arch drop during pregnancy and the resultant excessive pronation of the feet may alter loading patterns and contribute to the greater prevalence of knee osteoarthritis in women. Objective To determine the effect of arch drop on tibial rotation and tibiofemoral contact stress. Design Interventional study with internal control. Setting Biomechanics laboratory. Participants Eleven postpartum women (age 33.4 ± 5.3 years, body mass 76.1 ± 13.5 kg) who had lost arch height with pregnancy in a previous study. Methods Subjects underwent standing computed tomography (SCT) with their knees in a 20° fixed-flexed position with and without semirigid arch supports to reconstitute prepregnancy arch height. Magnetic resonance imaging of the knee was acquired at a flexion angle equivalent to that of SCT. Bone and cartilage were manually segmented on the magnetic resonance images and segmented surfaces were registered to the 3-dimensional SCT image sets for the arch-supported and -unsupported conditions. These models were used to measure changes in tibial rotation, as well as to estimate contact stress in the medial and lateral tibiofemoral compartments, using computational methods. Main Outcome Measures Change in tibial rotation and tibiofemoral contact stress with arch drop. Results Arch drop resulted in a mean tibial internal rotation of 0.75 ± 1.33° (P = .02). Changes in mean or peak contact stress were not detected. Conclusions Arch drop causes internal tibial rotation, resulting in a shift in the tibiofemoral articulation. An associated increase in contact stress was not detected. Internal rotation of the tibia increases stress on the anterior cruciate ligament and menisci, potentially explaining the greater prevalence of knee disorders in postpartum women. Level of Evidence NA
Sleep Issues in Neuromuscular Junction Disorders

Disorders of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) typically cause weakness. However, as a part of their full clinical presentation, patients with disorders of NMJ have a variety of sleep problems. Of them, Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders (SRBD) like sleep apnea and hypoventilation are the most common ones. Sometimes, the associated sleep disorder may be the presenting symptoms of the NMJ disorder. The associated sleep disorder can contribute to the fatigue that already exists due to the NMJ disorder. Identification of the associated sleep disorder and selection of appropriate treatment is critical to better patient outcomes. In this chapter, we go over the neuromuscular junction, the most common NMJ disorders, the associated sleep issues and discuss the therapeutic options.
Radio-gas-chromatographische Analyse von Fettsäuremethylestern und Steroiden

Es werden vergleichende Untersuchungen zur Radio-Gas-Chromatographie mit einem Durchflus-Proportionalzahlrohr sowohl nach dem hydrierenden als auch nach dem oxydierenden Abbau gas-chromatographisch getrennter 14C- und 3H-Verbindungen beschrieben. Beim hydrierenden Abbau wurden sowohl bei 14C-als auch bei 3H-markierten Verbindungen Zahlausbeuten von 100% gefunden. Die Bestimmung von spezifischen Aktivitaten bei 14C-markierten Fettsauremethylestern ergab eine gute Ubereinstimmung der Ergebnisse beim hydrierenden und oxydierenden Abbau. Es werden Beispiele fur die Analyse von 3H-markierten Steroiden nach dem hydrierenden Abbau und von 14C-markierten Steroiden nach dem oxydierenden Abbau gezeigt. Weiter wird uber die Anwendungsmoglichkeit von Dunnschicht-Capillaren in der Radio-Gas-Chromatographie berichtet.
Predictors of high chlamydia and gonorrhea positivity rates among men in the southern United States.

Background Routine screening for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in men in the United States is not recommended. However, untreated men remain a potential reservoir for chlamydial and gonococcal infections and reinfection among women. Chlamydia and gonorrhea positivities and associated epidemiology were evaluated among males in the southern United States Methods Data were analyzed from 603 320 males, aged 15 to 60 years, who were undergoing chlamydia and gonorrhea testing in sexually transmitted disease, family planning, correctional, college, and other facilities between 2001 and 2005. Results Males screened were primarily non-Hispanic black (63%) or non-Hispanic white (37%). Overall, chlamydia and gonorrhea positivities were both 13%. From 2001 to 2005, the chlamydia positivity increased 32% and the gonorrhea positivity decreased 28%. With increasing age, chlamydia positivity decreased, while gonorrhea positivity remained relatively stable. However, in men aged less than 30 years, both chlamydia and gonorrhea positivities were significantly higher than in men aged 30 years or greater (P Conclusions Chlamydia and gonorrhea positivity rates were high in males in the southern United States relative to the rates among men in the United States and were influenced by demographic and geographic factors.
Pharmacological manipulation of the ghrelin system and alcohol hangover symptoms in heavy drinking individuals: Is there a link?

Abstract Ghrelin, an orexigenic peptide synthesized in the stomach, is a key player in the gut-brain axis. In addition to its role in regulating food intake and energy homeostasis, ghrelin has been shown to modulate alcohol-related behaviors. Alcohol consumption frequently results in hangover, an underexplored phenomenon with considerable medical, psychological, and socioeconomic consequences. While the pathophysiology of hangover is not clear, contributions of mechanisms such as alcohol-induced metabolic/endocrine changes, inflammatory/immune response, oxidative stress, and gut dysbiosis have been reported. Interestingly, these mechanisms considerably overlap with ghrelin's physiological functions. Here, we investigated whether pharmacological manipulation of the ghrelin system may affect alcohol hangover symptoms. Data were obtained from two placebo-controlled laboratory studies. The first study tested the effects of intravenous (IV) ghrelin and consisted of two experiments: a progressive-ratio IV alcohol self-administration (IV-ASA) and a fixed-dose IV alcohol clamp. The second study tested the effects of an oral ghrelin receptor inverse agonist (PF-5190457) and included a fixed-dose oral alcohol administration experiment. Alcohol hangover data were collected the morning after each alcohol administration experiment using the Acute Hangover Scale (AHS). IV ghrelin, compared to placebo, significantly reduced alcohol hangover after IV-ASA (p = 0.04) and alcohol clamp (p = 0.04); PF-5190457 had no significant effect on AHS scores. Females reported significantly higher hangover symptoms than males following the IV-ASA experiment (p = 0.04), but no gender × drug condition (ghrelin vs. placebo) effect was found. AHS total scores were positively correlated with peak subjective responses, including ‘stimulation’ (p = 0.08), ‘sedation’ (p = 0.009), ‘feel high’ (p = 0.05), and ‘feel intoxicated’ (p = 0.03) during the IV-ASA. IV ghrelin blunted the positive association between alcohol sedation and hangover as shown by trend-level drug × sedation effect (p = 0.08). This is the first study showing that exogenous ghrelin administration, but not ghrelin receptor inverse agonism, affects hangover symptoms. Future research should investigate the potential mechanism(s) underlying this effect.
American Ebola Story: frames in U.S. National Newspapers

ABSTRACTThe 2014 Ebola epidemic saw the first symptomatic and fatal cases of Ebola in the United States. Concurrently, news coverage in U.S. media about Ebola increased. Research has shown that med...
Telephone reminders reduce no-shows: A quality initiative at a breast imaging center.

Abstract Purpose To improve the workflow and productivity at a Breast Imaging Center, primarily by decreasing the no-show rate. Materials and methods Mammography clinic data were recorded and analyzed for a 6-month period prior to our intervention. Personal pre-appointment phone calls were then instituted for all patients, following which data was recorded and analyzed for a 2-month period. Analyses compared pre- and post-intervention data. Results No-shows were significantly reduced (p Conclusions Through systematic pre-appointment phone calls and documentation, we were able to achieve a very significant decrease in the no-show rate at our Breast Imaging Center. We believe that our intervention can be useful for other radiology groups to implement in their practices to reduce no-show rates.
The churchman and the fox: Traces of renardie in the Archbishop’s Renart

Abstract Known to Roman de Renart scholars as MS I, the manuscript BnF, f. fr. 12584 has received surprisingly little critical attention. The codex was discounted in early but influential appraisals by philologists like Ernest Martin, who characterised its late Renart text as absurdly abridged and useless in the reconstitution of an archetypal original. More favourable assessments of both the Renart text of MS I and its remarkably copious system of illustration have since appeared, especially thanks to the forensic attention of Ettina Nieboer, who proposed an intriguing solution to the many riddles of the copy: it seems to have been commissioned by Guy de Roye, Archbishop of Tours. Over two decades later, however, Nieboer’s analyses remain the most detailed treatments of the codex. My aim in this article is to call for renewed attention to MS I by exploring the neglected obverse of the abridging and suppressing patterns that Nieboer discovered. I argue that a certain tendency to police the Renart, or render it manageable, can indeed be detected in MS I in the plenitude of its present state: the book opens with a devotional painting of the Virgin Mary and contains extensive maniculae highlighting proverbial material. However, to stop here would be to leave the tale incomplete: the book also stages a pronounced resistance to these systems of control, illustrating across its many folios the sheer impossibility of imposing order upon the Roman de Renart.
Recent progress on GaSb-based electrically-pumped VCSELs for wavelengths above 4 µm

This paper reports the recent progress on the development of GaSb-based vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) with a record-long emission wavelength of above 4 μm using type-II quantum wells. Mid-wave infrared (MWIR) spectral region, covering the 3-6 μm wavelength range, is technologically very interesting for enabling two major application areas such as sensing and defense/security. Among several types of diode lasers, electricallypumped continuous-wave operating VCSELs seem to be the most attractive choice owing to their low-power consumption, inherent longitudinal single-mode emission, and simple electro-thermal wavelength tunability. The applicability of MWIR VCSELs for these two major areas are also discussed in this paper. Single-mode low-power (a few mWs) VCSEL operating at room-temperature with reasonable tunability is essential for the sensing application. For the advanced military application, high optical power (with at least a few watts), high-efficiency and high-brightness (>1 W/mm2) MWIR lasers are important. Given that the MWIR wavelength regime is eye-safe and has a low-loss atmospheric window, the development of next-generation MWIR laser sources is currently in high demand.
Structure of Aggregates of trans-4-Alkoxy-4‘-carboxystilbenes in the Solid State and in Microheterogeneous Media. A Link between the “Unit Aggregate” and Extended Arrays

Crystals of three 4-alkoxy-4‘-carboxy trans-stilbene (ACS) derivatives and a crystal of 4-methoxy-4‘-methanoate trans-stilbene have been shown to have structures in which the amphiphilic aromatics are arranged in layers remarkably similar to deposited Langmuir−Blodgett multilayer assemblies. Within each layer there is either a glide or pseudoglide (or herringbone) arrangement of the chromophores very similar to that deduced from physical properties and simulations for structurally related stilbene, azobenzene, and tolan amphiphiles in microheterogeneous media, solution, and Langmuir−Blodgett (LB) films. The fluorescence of the crystals is very similar to that associated with LB films of a water-insoluble amphiphilic ACS that is associated with the aggregate. An analysis of the crystal structure indicates that energetically favorable aromatic−aromatic (edge−face) interaction determines the packing within a layer.
Longitudinal brain atrophy patterns and neuropsychological performance in older adults with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder compared with early Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract Older HIV-infected patients are at risk for both HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) and Alzheimer's disease. We investigated neuroimaging and neuropsychological performance of 61 virally suppressed older adults with HAND (mean (SD) age 64.3 (3.9) years), 53 demographically matched individuals with mild cognitive impairment of the Alzheimer's type (MCI-AD; 65.0 [4.8]), and 89 healthy controls (65.0 [4.3]) cross-sectionally and over 20 months. At the baseline, both disease groups exhibited lower volumes in multiple cortical and subcortical regions compared with controls. Hippocampal volume differentiated MCI-AD from HAND. Cognitively, MCI-AD performed worse on memory and language compared with HAND. Adjusted longitudinal models revealed greater diffuse brain atrophy in MCI-AD compared with controls, whereas HAND showed greater atrophy in frontal gray matter and cerebellum compared with controls. Comparing HAND with MCI-AD showed similar atrophy rates in all brain regions explored, with no significant findings. MCI-AD exhibited more pronounced language decline compared with HAND. These findings reveal the need for further work on unique cognitive phenotypes and neuroimaging signatures of HAND compared with early AD, providing preliminary clinical insight for differential diagnosis of age-related brain dysfunction in geriatric neuroHIV.
Surgical management of Eagle syndrome: A 17-year experience with open and transoral robotic styloidectomy.

Abstract Eagle Syndrome (ES) is a rare disorder that can present with symptoms ranging from globus sensation to otalgia that is attributed to an elongated styloid process and/or calcified stylohyoid ligament. No standardized treatment algorithm exists, and although various surgical approaches have been described, data on the use of transoral robotic surgery (TORS) in this population is limited. To investigate the utility of TORS in the treatment of ES, a retrospective review in 19 ES patients was carried out at a single academic, tertiary medical center between 2000 and 2017. Nineteen patients underwent twenty-one styloid resections: 6 performed via TORS and 15 via transcervical approach. Across all patients, 90% reported some degree of lasting improvement in symptoms while 55% reported significant improvement. When TORS was compared to transcervical resection, there was no difference in the subjective rate of “meaningful” (83 vs. 57%) versus rate of “non-meaningful” symptom improvement (17 vs. 43%) (p = 0.35). There was a trend towards less estimated blood loss (EBL), operative time, and post-operative length of stay (LOS) with TORS versus transcervical cases (9.2 mL vs. 30.0 mL, 98 vs. 156 min, and 0.7 vs. 1.2 days); however, these did not reach statistical significance (p = .11, 0.13, and 0.42, respectively). Three patients experienced complications associated with an open approach, as compared to none with TORS. In select patients, TORS styloidectomy is a reasonable surgical alternative to traditional transoral and transcervical techniques as it provides similar symptom improvement, and reduced length of stay, blood loss, and operative time.
Generalized multiple contrast tests in dose-response studies

In the process of developing drugs, proof-of-concept studies can be helpful in determining whether there is any evidence of a dose-response relationship. A global test for this purpose that has gained popularity is a component of the multiple comparisons procedure with modeling techniques (MCP-Mod), which involves the specification of a candidate set of several plausible dose-response models. For each model, a test is performed for significance of an optimally chosen contrast among the sample means. An overall P-value is obtained from the distribution of the maximum of the contrast statistics. This is equivalent to basing the test on the minimum of the P-values arising from these contrast statistics and, hence, can be viewed as a method for combining dependent P-values. We generalize this idea to the use of different statistics for combining the dependent P-values, such as Fisher's combination method or the inverse normal combination method. Simulation studies show that the generalized multiple contrast tests (GMCTs) based on the Fisher and inverse normal methods are generally more powerful than the MCP-Mod procedure based on the minimum of the P-values except for cases where the true dose-response model is, in a sense, near the extremes of the candidate set of dose-response models. The proposed GMCTs can also be used for model selection and dosage selection by employing a closed testing procedure.
THE COMBINATION OF HEMATOPOIETIC AND ENDOTHELIAL PROGENITOR CELLS IMPROVES PREDICTION OF OUTCOMES IN PATIENTS WITH CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE

Low circulating progenitor cell (PC) number, specifically low CD34+ subpopulations may reflect impaired intrinsic regenerative/reparative potential which may translate to worse prognosis among patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Patients undergoing coronary angiography were recruited into