cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is Magnesium Metabolism Related to Calcium Urolithiasis

Some investigators have demonstrated that the urinary ratio of magnesium (Mg) to calcium (Ca) (usually expressed Mg/Ca × 100) is significantly less in many stone formers than in normals. Based on this observation physicians have administered magnesium as a means of preventing new calcium stone formation, but success has been inconclusive1. Other reports indicate that Mg/Ca ratios are not relevant in stone former urines because urinary Ca is usually elevated; Mg independently has minimal importance2. Furthermore, there are no differences in the cellular metabolism of Mg between stone formers and normals. Most such studies have relied on longterm observations (days or months) of serum and urinary (or even cellular) Mg. These observations tend to average acute changes which may occur when Ca and Mg are ingested and excreted simultaneously4. If low urinary Mg is involved in the genesis of calcium stone formation, then Mg administration should prevent calcium stone formation. This is so1.
Preliminary clinical results of a transcutaneous reflectance spectrophotometer for the detection of bilirubin in neonates

A reflectance spectrophotometer has been developed for the determination of the bilirubin level in neonates from the transcutaneous, diffuse reflectance in the 380-820 nm wavelength range. It is comprised of a diode-array spectrophotometer (Hewlett Packard 8452A) with the light source and diode-array input modified by a fiber bundle (optical patch). A laptop computer (Toshiba T1200) is used to control the spectrophotometer and collect and store data.
MULTIPLE-WAVE EFFECTS ON EXPLOSIVES DECOMPOSITION RATES

We are studying the changes in decomposition rates that occur when following-shock or rarefaction waves are imposed on shocked, reacting explosives. The requisite data are acquired with an electromagnetic-gauge technique providing both stress and particle velocity measurements at several points in the reactive flow. Global decomposition rates are calculated with a revised Lagrange analysis that allows the treatment of multiple waves by the fitting of computational path lines to wave-front features. Another analytic improvement eliminates some differentiating of data. The results of two multi-wave experiments on a plastic-bonded HMX explosive are examined to assess the relative dependence of reaction rates on the first-shock state and on current-state changes caused by subsequent waves.
Population Policies Framework

Most governments and public authorities have addressed population issues at national (or state) level. First, they collected the demographic data they needed, in the form of censuses, civil registration systems, and more recently, surveys. Then, they designed specific public health and population policies, with respect to mortality, fertility, and migration, and attempted to implement them.
Grove Farm: Promoting Useful Knowledge

(1996). Grove Farm: Promoting Useful Knowledge. Journal of Museum Education: Vol. 21, Getting to Goals 25, pp. 15-16.
Development of a lecithotrophic pilidium larva illustrates convergent evolution of trochophore-like morphology

The pilidium larva is an idiosyncrasy defining one clade of marine invertebrates, the Pilidiophora (Nemertea, Spiralia). Uniquely, in pilidial development, the juvenile worm forms from a series of isolated rudiments called imaginal discs, then erupts through and devours the larval body during catastrophic metamorphosis. A typical pilidium is planktotrophic and looks like a hat with earflaps, but pilidial diversity is much broader and includes several types of non-feeding pilidia. One of the most intriguing recently discovered types is the lecithotrophic pilidium nielseni of an undescribed species, Micrura sp. “dark” (Lineidae, Heteronemertea, Pilidiophora). The egg-shaped pilidium nielseni bears two transverse circumferential ciliary bands evoking the prototroch and telotroch of the trochophore larva found in some other spiralian phyla (e.g. annelids), but undergoes catastrophic metamorphosis similar to that of other pilidia. While it is clear that the resemblance to the trochophore is convergent, it is not clear how pilidium nielseni acquired this striking morphological similarity. Here, using light and confocal microscopy, we describe the development of pilidium nielseni from fertilization to metamorphosis, and demonstrate that fundamental aspects of pilidial development are conserved. The juvenile forms via three pairs of imaginal discs and two unpaired rudiments inside a distinct larval epidermis, which is devoured by the juvenile during rapid metamorphosis. Pilidium nielseni even develops transient, reduced lobes and lappets in early stages, re-creating the hat-like appearance of a typical pilidium. Notably, its two transverse ciliary bands can be ontogenetically linked to the primary ciliary band spanning the larval lobes and lappets of the typical planktotrophic pilidium. Our data shows that the development of pilidium nielseni differs remarkably from that of the trochophore, even though their larval morphology is superficially similar. Pilidium nielseni’s morphological and developmental features are best explained by transition from planktotrophy to lecithotrophy in the context of pilidial development, rather than by retention of or reversal to what is often assumed to be the spiralian ancestral larval type — the trochophore. Development of pilidium nielseni is a compelling example of convergent evolution of a trochophore-like body plan within Spiralia.
Impaired Hydrogen Sulfide–Mediated Vasodilation Contributes to Microvascular Endothelial Dysfunction in Hypertensive Adults

Reductions in hydrogen sulfide (H2S) production have been implicated in the pathogenesis of vascular dysfunction in animal models of hypertension; however, no studies have examined a functional rol...
Emotional Abuse: Correlates to Abuse Among College Students

ABSTRACTEmotional abuse, also known as psychological maltreatment, is a significant health problem. Long-term outcomes of emotional abuse are quite negative and include physical and mental health disorders. The present study examined emotional abuse and correlates to such abuse among college students. The American College Health Association–National College Health Assessment II was completed by study participants at one urban, Midwestern university. A total of 777 students participated in the survey. Greater than one in 10 (10.7%) students reported being emotionally abused in the past year. The final logistic regression model found being female, being an older student, recent marijuana use, and being so depressed it was difficult to function were significant predictors of emotional abuse. Study findings suggest it may be important to screen high-risk students for emotional abuse as part of mental health treatment or other medical screenings. Given that one in 10 students experienced past year emotional ab...
Kidney Disorders in the PICU: Thrombotic Microangiopathies and Glomerulonephritis

Renal diseases presenting in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit are diverse. Amongst the most severe lesions are the thrombotic microangiopathies (TMA) and the glomerulonephritides. Both clinical scenarios necessitate nephrology consultation to facilitate diagnosis and timely treatment initiation in order to limit renal mobidity.
A practical data-driven optimization strategy for Gaussian beam migration

ABSTRACTGaussian beam migration (GBM) is an efficient and accurate depth imaging technique, which allows us to resolve steep-dip structures and image multiple arrivals. Similar to Kirchhoff migrati...
Estimating and Partitioning the Flux of ATP in Cells in Culture using mol cell-1 s-1 and the Stoichiometries of Metabolism

We have demonstrated the advantages of using moles of a substance per cell as a metric for dose/exposure in cell culture. This dosing metric greatly increases the information content of data and enhances the repeatability and quality of experimental results compared to traditional dosing metrics, such as initial extracellular concentration. However, the use mol cell-1 or mol cell-1 s-1 for cell culture work can be applied beyond the expression of dose of a xenobiotic. We have applied the use of mol cell-1 s-1 to generate new knowledge on the flux of ATP in cells. Using data generated on the rates of oxygen consumption (OCR), proton efflux rate (PER) and proton production rate (PPR) by cells, as quantitated by extracellular flux analyzers (e.g. Agilent/Seahorse Bioscience instrumentation), the flux of ATP can be estimated. The use of moles as a base unit meshes directly with the chemistry and biochemistry of the system; allows stoichiometric relationships to be revealed; and provides a universal approach for direct comparison of experimental results from different cells. This work is an advance our 2015 presentation as several unknown unknowns were identified. Examples of each of these will be presented demonstrating how using the units of mol cell-1 s-1 leads to: data that have greater information content; absolute results that can be compared directly between laboratories around the world; and advancements pushing the frontiers of Quantitative Redox Biology.
Pathways to Treatment: How Orthodox Jews Enter Therapy:

Orthodox Jewish clients usually enter treatment after they have tried to solve their problems by talking with friends and rabbis. Concerned with confidentiality because of the stigma attached to me...
Spherical Transform and Lévy-Khinchin Formula

The Fourier transform on Euclidean spaces is a powerful tool for probability analysis and the celebrated Levy-Khinchin formula is the Fourier transform of a convolution semigroup, or the distribution of a Levy process. On a symmetric space, a special type of homogeneous spaces, the spherical transform plays a similar role, and leads naturally to a Levy-Khinchin type formula. The purpose of this chapter is to obtain a spherical Levy-Khinchin formula, and use this formula together with the inverse spherical transform to prove the existence of a smooth density for a convolution semigroup on a symmetric space, and to obtain a representation for this density in terms of spherical functions. As an application, the exponential convergence to the uniform distribution is obtained in the compact case. The results will be stated in terms of convolution semigroups, and established under a nondegenerate diffusion part or an asymptotic condition on the Levy measure.
Institutional Capacity for Compliance: Domestic Compliance with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights

When the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights was established in 1959, few people anticipated that the Inter-American human rights system, consisting of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and, after 1979, also the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR), would actually have any noticeable effects on the widespread human rights violations in the hemisphere. To the surprise of many, over the years, these institutions have managed to uncover and adjudicate previously unidentified human rights violations, led states to recognize their crimes against their own people, caused them to change their practices, and even contributed to the resignation of individual dictators. Recent scholarship, however, has shown that there is significant variation in compliance with judgments and decisions by the IACHR and “states rarely do all they are ordered to do (but) […] by the same token, states rarely do nothing at all” (Hawkins and Jacoby 2010: 56). Compliance with court orders varies across countries and depending on the type of judgment ordered. While Hawkins and Jacoby (2010) have presented a first description of the patterns of compliance with IACHR decisions, no one has proposed a systematic explanation of these patterns yet. This raises the question of why states comply with decision by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in some cases and not in others. I argue that in order to understand compliance, it is important to not only understand the incentives for compliance, which has been the orientation of much of the literature on treaty and norm compliance, but one also has to understand the domestic institutional capacity for compliance. More specifically with regards to the conditions for compliance with the IACHR, I argue that the strength of domestic judiciaries and bureaucratic capacity shapes the degree of compliance with decisions by the IACHR. Inadequate expertise and efficiency within the bureaucratic public apparatus can lead to non-compliance with those aspects of judgments that require extensive bureaucratic capacity. Likewise, a deficiency of integrity in the legal system, e.g. lacking independence from the military or widespread risk faced by prosecutors and judges, can cause noncompliance with those orders that require actions of the judiciary. I test this argument as well as possible alternative explanations through a combination of large-N statistical analysis of reparation decisions reached by the IACHR between its inception in 1979 and June 2010 and case studies of specific court decisions. Even when controlling for economic and military power, level of democracy, and possible effects of previous cases, and involvement in armed conflict, and the type of order, domestic bureaucratic capacity and strength of domestic judiciaries have a clearly significant, positive effect on domestic compliance. Looking at the results of the cases studies of Chile, Guatemala, and Paraguay, this correlational association could be further substantiated.
3.12 – Visual Priming

Visual priming is the behavioral phenomenon of improved processing of a visual stimulus following prior experience and is thought to reflect an implicit form of memory. Interest for understanding priming and its neural correlates has been heightened as an increasing number of scientists use priming methods to characterize representations in the human brain. Here we review the behavioral and neural correlates of visual priming and describe three models for the underlying neural mechanisms. Understanding the neural bases of visual priming is critical for a fundamental understanding of the characteristics of visual representations and for the interpretation of neuroimaging data and linking it to behavior.
Anesthesia for Patients With Asthma

Anesthesia poses unique risks for the patient with asthma. A preoperative assessment of patients with asthma is essential in order to establish baseline conditions and identify correctable points. The patient’s own subjective assessment of his or her asthma is unreliable. Endotrachial tube intubation frequently promotes brochospasm. Although the pharmacology of anesthetic agents is similar in all patients, there are very few clinical studies in patients with hyperreactive airways. Fortunately, bronchoconstriction is not a common occurrence during surgery. The use of inhaled anesthetics during status asthmaticus remains a controversial issue.
Ultrafast Surface State Spin-Carrier Dynamics in the Topological Insulator Bi 2 Te 2 Se

Topological insulators are promising candidates for optically driven spintronic devices, because photoexcitation of spin polarized surface states is governed by angular momentum selection rules. We carry out femtosecond midinfrared spectroscopy on thin films of the topological insulator ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Te}}_{2}\mathrm{Se}$, which has a higher surface state conductivity compared to conventionally studied ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{3}$ and ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Te}}_{3}$. Both charge and spin dynamics are probed utilizing circularly polarized light. With a sub-band-gap excitation, clear helicity-dependent dynamics is observed only in thin ($l20\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{nm}$) flakes. On the other hand, such dependence is observed for both thin and thick flakes with above-band-gap excitation. The helicity dependence is attributed to asymmetric excitation of the Dirac-like surface states. The observed long-lasting asymmetry over 10 ps even at room temperature indicates low backscattering of surface state carriers which can be exploited for spintronic devices.
Closed Range Composition Operators on BMOA

We employ a new reverse Carleson type condition and define a new sampling condition to study closed range composition operators on BMOA. We provide necessary and also sufficient conditions for a composition operator to be closed range on BMOA. We show that a composition operator is closed range as an operator from the Bloch space to BMOA if and only if it is bounded below on all Mobius transformations.
The Figure of Merit of a Semiconductor Power Electronics Switch

The figure of merit (FOM) of a semiconductor device represents an important quality as it pertains to its performance limits and is often used to drive the technology development in a specific direction. Comparing the performances of switching power MOSFETs using their FOMs has become ubiquitous practice in power semiconductor and power electronics industries. In this paper, a critical review of the proposed power MOSFET FOMs is presented, and key limitations are discussed. It is shown that the quality factor ${Q}_{F2}={(}{\lambda {E}_{c}}/{R_{ \mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle ON},\textsf {sp}}}{)}$ along with ${Q}_{G}$ and ${T}_{j\textsf {max}}$ may be used to guide the development of future generations of power semiconductor device technologies for power electronics switching applications, where $\lambda $ and ${E}_{c}$ are the thermal conductivity and critical electric field strength for the avalanche breakdown of the semiconductor material, respectively, ${R}_{ \mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle ON},\textsf {sp}}$ is the specific on-state electrical resistance, ${Q}_{G}$ is the gate charge, and ${T}_{j\textsf {max}}$ is the maximum junction temperature of the semiconductor power device, respectively.
Children in the Opioid Epidemic: Addressing the Next Generation’s Public Health Crisis

* Abbreviation: MAT — : medication-assisted treatment The United States is experiencing unprecedented rates of drug overdose deaths and drug-related problems. This epidemic is driven primarily by opioids. Although most responses to this opioid epidemic are focused on preventing harm to adults, there are at least 5 pathways by which opioid-related problems can spill over and affect child health and safety: 1. child or adolescent poisoning and overdose: this could happen because of intentional misuse or accidental ingestion of prescription drugs by young children; 2. opioid misuse in pregnancy: opioid misuse in pregnancy is associated with inadequate prenatal care, preterm birth, low birth weight, respiratory depression, and neonatal abstinence syndrome1; 3. impaired parenting and attachment: parents’ opioid misuse may impair their ability to adequately supervise, bond with, and care for their children; 4. material deprivation: money spent on drugs may come out of family finances needed to care for children; and 5. extended separation from parents: children may be separated from a parent with an opioid-related problem because of a parent’s incarceration, residential psychiatric or drug treatment, or death or because of a child’s placement in foster care. Indeed, quantitative and qualitative studies suggest that increases in parental opioid misuse and overdose death have resulted in concomitant increases in these adverse childhood experiences and that many children are ending up in … Address correspondence to Kenneth A. Feder, Department of Mental Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Hampton House Room 782, 624 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205. E-mail: kfeder1{at}jhu.edu
Design of a Wideband Resistively Loaded Vee Dipole Fed by an Even-Mode Matched Marchand Balun

A design of a resistively loaded vee dipole (RLVD)fed by an integrated even-mode matched Marchand balun is proposed. The RLVD is designed for use in a pulsed radar application with a bandpass characteristic from 0.5–1.5 GHz. The Marchand balun creates the bandpass response when cascaded with the typical high-pass response of the RLVD. To achieve good matching between the balun and the RLVD, an even-mode matching circuit is developed and incorporated at the balanced ports of the balun. Experimental results show prototype return loss better than −10 dB from 400 MHz to 1.9 GHz and a significant decrease in low-frequency monostatic coupling.
Hong Kong's Postcolonial Education Reform: Liberal Studies as a Lens

The Hong Kong education system is at a crucial point in its trajectory, and changes to public education also reflect broader social, economic and political changes within Hong Kong and globally. Si...
Galectin-3: A possible complementary marker to the PSA blood test.

e22168 Background: The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a test widely used to detect, monitor, and predict the biology of prostate cancer (PCa). Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a carbohydrate-binding prote...
Multi-dimensional stability analysis for Analytic Network Process models

The decision-making process involves, most of the time, working with limited and/or incomplete information to obtain a one-time synthesis of one’s preferences. However, additional information might be acquired by the decision-maker at a later time. To identify the impact that the additional information could have on the initial result, we developed a new multi-dimensional stability analysis that provides a comprehensive image of how preferences change or evolve, as perturbations are applied to the criteria weights, without reiterating the preference elicitation process. The insights provided by the new method helped define a set of stability measures useful in a practical setting. To show the direct implementation of the findings of the multi-dimensional stability analysis, we applied the method developed to a randomly generated ANP model.
Mental Health Clinicians’ Screening and Intervention Practices to Reduce Suicide Risk in Autistic Adolescents and Adults

Autistic individuals experience elevated risk for suicide ideation, attempts, and deaths. Little is known about how clinicians assess risk or intervene with suicidal autistic individuals. We surveyed 121 clinicians about use of suicide prevention practices with autistic and non-autistic clients. Clinicians reported greater self-efficacy in screening for suicide risk among non-autistic clients (p = 0.01). There were no statistically significant differences in whether they used standardized screening measures or in their reported normative pressure or attitudes towards screening. Clinicians reported similar rates of use of Safety Planning, an evidence-based suicide-prevention strategy, across groups, but greater acceptability for non-autistic clients (p < 0.001). These findings have implications for strategies to increase clinicians’ adoption of these tools for autistic individuals.
Prevalence and Utility of Low Mean Corpuscular Volume in Infants Admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Objective To determine the prevalence of low mean corpuscular volume (MCV) in newborn infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit and to assess low MCV as a diagnostic test for alpha thalassemia. Study design Retrospective analysis of all infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit between January 2010 and October 2018 for which a complete blood count was performed during the first 3 postnatal days. Infants with a low MCV were compared with those with a normal MCV. Infants with positive hemoglobin Bart (Hb Bart) were compared with those withnegative Hb Bart. Low MCV was also evaluated as a diagnostic test for alpha thalassemia. Results A total of 3851 infants (1386 preterm, 2465 term) met the inclusion criteria and 853 (22.2%) had a low MCV. A low MCV was more common in term (25%) compared with preterm infants (17.1%, P Conclusions As Hb Bart positive newborn screens were seen in only 11.1% of infants with microcytosis, further diagnostic investigation may be warranted in individual infants. Further research to correlate microcytosis with iron status in infants and mothers is needed as well as studies using DNA analysis for the evaluation of alpha thalassemia variants.
The Potential Role of Extracellular Vesicles in COVID-19 Associated Endothelial injury and Pro-inflammation

COVID-19 infection caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in a global pandemic with the number of deaths growing exponentially. Early evidence points to significant endothelial dysfunction, micro-thromboses, pro-inflammation as well as a dysregulated immune response in the pathogenesis of this disease. In this study, we analyzed the cargo of EVs isolated from the plasma of patients with COVID-19 for the identification of potential biomarkers of disease severity and to explore their role in disease pathogenesis. Plasma-derived EVs were isolated from 53 hospitalized patients with COVID infection and compared according to the severity of the disease. Analysis of inflammatory and cardiovascular protein cargo of large EVs revealed significantly differentially expressed proteins for each disease sub-group. Notably, members of the TNF superfamily and IL-6 family were up-regulated in patients on oxygen support with severe and moderate disease. EVs from the severe group were also enhanced with pro-thrombotic/endothelial injury factors (TF, t-PA, vWF) and proteins associated with cardiovascular pathology (MB, PRSS8, REN, HGF). Significantly higher levels of TF, CD163, and EN-RAGE were observed in EVs from severe patients when compared to patients with a moderate disease requiring supplemental O2. Importantly, we also observed increased caspase 3/7 activity and decreased cell survival in human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells exposed to EVs from the plasma of patients with severe disease compared to healthy controls. In conclusion, our findings indicate alterations in pro-inflammatory, coagulopathy, and endothelial injury protein cargo in large EVs in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection that may be a causative agent in severe illness.
Adherence to Hypertension Medications and Lifestyle Recommendations among Underserved African American Middle-Aged and Older Adults

Background: For African American middle-aged and older adults with hypertension, poor adherence to medication and lifestyle recommendations is a source of disparity in hypertension outcomes including higher rates of stroke in this population relative to whites. Aims: To study demographic, social, behavioral, cognitive, and medical predictors of adherence to medication and lifestyle recommendations among underserved African American middle-aged and older adults with hypertension. Methods: This was a community-based cross-sectional survey in South Los Angeles with 338 African American middle-aged and older adults with hypertension who were 55 years or older. Age, gender, continuity of care, comorbidity, financial difficulty, self-rated health, depression, educational attainment, adherence knowledge, and adherence worries were the independent variables. Data was analyzed using linear regression with two outcomes, namely, adherence to medication (measured by the first 9 items of the Blood Pressure Self-Care Scale) and adherence to lifestyle recommendations (measured by the second 9 items of the Blood Pressure Self-Care Scale). Results: There were about twice more females than males, with a total mean age of 70 years (range 55–90 years). Various demographic, social, behavioral, and medical factors predicted adherence to medication but not adherence to lifestyle recommendations. Females with hypertension with higher continuity of care, less financial strain, higher knowledge, less negative general beliefs, and concerns about antihypertensive medications had higher adherence to antihypertensive medications. The presence of depressive symptoms, reduced knowledge, and disease management worries were associated with a reduced adherence to lifestyle recommendations. Conclusions: There seem to be fewer demographic, social, behavioral, cognitive, and medical factors that explain adherence to lifestyle recommendations than adherence to medication in economically disadvantaged underserved African American middle-aged and older adults with hypertension. More research is needed on factors that impact adherence to lifestyle recommendations of African American middle-aged and older adults with hypertension.
Student Hotline Improves Remote Clinical Skills and Access to Rural Care

Introduction During the COVID-19 pandemic, medical schools needed to redirect students to alternative educational opportunities. The University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine addressed this issue by forming a partnership with rural counties in northern Nevada to create a multicounty COVID-19 hotline clinical experience. Medical students staffed the hotline and assisted the underserved rural populations of northern Nevada by providing counseling and education via telehealth. With the support of preceptors, students completed screening forms with patients, utilized audio-only physical exam skills and clinical decision making to triage potential patients to the appropriate level of care. Methods We utilized retrospective pre- and postassessments to assess medical students' comfort level with several hotline tasks before and after their experience as a hotline volunteer. Results Results indicate significant improvements after hotline training and experience in students' comfort level with answering questions about SARS-CoV-2 (P=.006); screening patients for SARS-CoV-2 (P=.0446); assessing exam findings using audio only format ( P=.0429); triaging patients (P=.0103); and addressing financial access to care barriers ( P=.0127). Conclusion Participation in the multicounty COVID-19 hotline improved students' comfort levels in all areas, with significant improvement in answering questions about SARS-CoV-2, conducting audio-only exams, screening and triaging patients, and addressing financial barriers to care. Participation allowed students to further hone their clinical skills during a pandemic. This experience can serve as a model for similar projects for other academic institutions to train their medical students while providing outreach, particularly to underserved populations such as rural communities.
Sleep Duration, Bedtime Consistency, and School Readiness: Findings from the 2016 to 2018 National Survey of Children's Health.

OBJECTIVE The focus of this study is to assess the link between sleep duration, bedtime consistency, and school readiness among a nationally representative sample of preschool-age children in the United States. METHODS A sample of 15,402 preschool-age children (3 to 5 years old) from the 3 most recent cohorts (2016-2018) of the National Survey of Children's Health was used. Information about sleep duration, bedtime consistency, and school readiness was obtained from surveys administered to primary caregivers. Four distinct domains of school readiness were examined: early learning skills, self-regulation, social-emotional development, and physical health and motor development. RESULTS The findings reveal that children who obtain 7 or fewer hours of sleep per night exhibit significant reductions in school readiness both within and across all 4 domains. Similar but more modest patterns emerge among children with inconsistent bedtimes. CONCLUSION Given the potential implications of young children's sleep for school readiness, pediatricians should be prepared and trained to effectively counsel parents about children's sleep patterns during routine well-child visits. Future research should examine whether improvements in sleep hygiene education for parents, behavioral sleep interventions, and/or later school start times once children enter preschool might enhance school readiness by improving children's health and well-being as they enter school.
Fertility Preservation and Breast Cancer

Breast cancer in young women presents many special challenges in both the treatment and survivorship settings. Considering premenopausal state at diagnosis and the trend to delay motherhood, many young women have questions about options to preserve fertility. The goal of this review is to provide background on how treatment of young women with breast cancer can affect fertility and to describe available fertility preservation techniques as well as the role of healthcare providers in addressing these issues. Cancer therapies have various gonadal toxicity risks that should be discussed prior to initiation of systemic therapy. The development and advances of various fertility preservation techniques provide choices for patients to consider, and a multidisciplinary approach is key to the informed decision-making process. BRCA mutation carriers may face unique circumstances including loss of fertility due to risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy which is frequently recommended as well as concerns about passing on deleterious genetic mutations to their offspring. Pregnancy after breast cancer does not appear to increase risk of breast cancer recurrence; however, timing pregnancy can be challenging particularly for women on long-term endocrine treatment for their cancer. Oncofertility care represents a vital component of the management of young women diagnosed with breast cancer. A variety of approaches are available to improve fertility prospects for these women, and strategies to further advance this field are strongly desired by both patients and providers.
Referral rate for obstructive sleep apnea in a pre-doctoral dental clinic using the STOP-Bang Questionnaire.

OBJECTIVES Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common condition that can result in significant illness when untreated. Only 10%-20% of individuals with OSA are believed to be properly diagnosed. Consequently, dentists are encouraged to identify patients at high risk for OSA. The aim of this study was to determine whether patients in a dental school student clinic were referred for evaluation of OSA when appropriate. MATERIALS AND METHODS All patients 18 or older admitted to the College of Dentistry between July 2017 and March 2020 completed a medical history form. Data were extracted from their responses to determine a STOP-Bang score, as well as data regarding a previous diagnosis of OSA and a list of referrals. Students are expected to refer patients appropriately where there are indications of a high risk of undiagnosed disease. In the case of a sleep apnea evaluation, this would include any patient whose STOP-Bang score was 5 or greater, per the lecture on sleep disorders. For patients identified as high risk, notes and referral forms were reviewed to determine if the appropriate referral occurred. RESULTS Of the 21,312 new patients, 1098 (5.2%) were identified as high-risk for OSA. Of those, 398 (36%) had not been previously diagnosed with OSA. None of these 398 patients received a referral for further evaluation of OSA. CONCLUSION The rate of referral for further evaluation for patients deemed at high risk for OSA was inadequate. Continued education and changes to the electronic health record are needed to ensure those at high-risk for OSA are appropriately managed.
Relaxation spectrometry of biological systems.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses relaxation spectrometry of biological systems. The introduction of relaxation techniques as methods for studying chemical kinetics in liquid solutions took place in early times. Since then the use of relaxation methods has produced exciting new results in many different areas of chemistry. This chapter illustrates that the underlying principle of all relaxation techniques is similar—namely, by rapidly changing some external parameter (e.g., temperature or pressure) the thermodynamic state of the system is changed— kinetic studies are made by measurement of the rate of change of concentrations as they approach the new thermodynamic state. Moreover many reactions of biological interest (e.g., enzymatic reactions) are quite rapid; therefore, this feature of relaxation methods is of importance in the study of mechanisms of biological reactions. This chapter discusses the principles and experimental techniques involved in relaxation spectrometry. The chapter also addresses experimental techniques. This chapter concludes by discussing specific studies of the relaxation spectra of biochemical or closely related systems.
EU Balance-of-Payments Assistance for Latvia: Foundations of Success

This paper provides an analytical approach to the negotiation process for financial assistance in Latvia. We believe that auditing the negotiation process may help us gain a better understanding of financial assistance programmes’ outcomes. More specifically, we assume that decision-makers engaged in a financial assistance negotiation might need to place a high priority on determining the difference that the process makes, net of other influences, to the outcome.
The Privatization of Nicaragua's Energy Sector: Market Imperfections and Popular Discontent

Neoliberal economic policy makers place a strong emphasis on the privatization of state-run enterprises. The private sector, advocates argue, is much more efficacious at developing and distributing vital resources. However, do all Third World countries reap the benefits of privatization? Using the privatization of Nicaragua's public energy companies (2000–2008) as a case study, I have found that, without adequate conditions, including the proper institutional framework, transparency, enforceable laws, and policies that compensate for market failures, privatization has not only failed to deliver benefits, but according to my survey data, has also caused dissatisfaction with the population. I conclude by advancing policy suggestions. Los creadores de la politica economica neoliberal enfatizan con fuerza la privatizacion de empresas dirigidas por el estado. Ellos argumentan que el sector privado es mucho mas eficaz para desarrollar y distribuir recursos vitales. Sin embargo, ?se benefician todos los paises tercermundistas de la privatizacion? Al analizar la privatizacion de las empresas publicas de energia en Nicaragua (2000–2008) como estudio de caso, he descubierto que, sin las condiciones adecuadas, entre estas un marco institucional apropiado, transparencia, leyes que se apliquen, y politicas que compensen las fallas del mercado, la privatizacion no solamente ha fallado en sus beneficios, sino, segun mis datos de encuestas, tambien ha provocado la insatisfaccion en la poblacion. Concluyo al proponer sugerencias de politica.
Biological Sciences: Sex Difference in Acetaldehyde Exhalation following Ethanol Administration in C57BL Mice

ACETALDEHYDE (AcH) is the intermediary compound in the metabolic conversion of ethanol to acetate. Because AcH is a potent pharmacological agent in its own right, it has been the object of much recent investigational interest1,2. Many of the unpleasant symptoms observed in the alcohol-antabuse reaction have been attributed to acute increase of blood AcH3. It was suggested that barbiturate-induced increases in liver AcH dehydrogenase activity might contribute to the ethanol tolerance seen in persons who use barbiturates regularly4. Other properties of AcH, such as the release of catecholamines1 or the condensation with catecholamines to form tetrahydro-isoquinoline alkaloids5,6, may contribute to either the subjectively pleasant or unpleasant effects of alcoholic beverages.
Microstructured media for nonlinear optics: materials, devices, and applications

Summary form only given. This tutorial will review basic ideas of quasi phase matching (QPM) nonlinear optics, characteristics of available microstructured media, and recent device results in QPM bulk materials; and waveguide SHG, DFG, and OPOs. Opportunities in novel microstructured materials and in applications beyond sources of coherent radiation will also be discussed.
Risk for prolonged QT interval and associated outcomes in children with early restrictive eating patterns.

Aim This study aimed to describe the frequency of QTc prolongation in children with restrictive eating disorders early in the course of disease admitted for inpatient therapy, to determine the frequency of associated ventricular arrhythmia, and to evaluate the relationship between QTc interval and concomitant electrolyte abnormalities and rate of weight loss. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of patients aged 11–25 years with early restrictive eating disorders. Results In all, 82 patients met the inclusion criteria (84% female). In total, 9.8% had prolonged QTc interval during hospitalisation. Patients with prolonged QTc had significantly higher resting heart rates (p=0.006), but there was no association with hypokalaemia (p=0.31), hypomagnesaemia (p=0.43), hypophosphataemia (p=1), or rate of weight loss (p=1). Conclusion Mild QTc prolongation in patients with restrictive eating disorders is not related to electrolyte abnormalities or rate of weight loss in this population, suggesting that investigation about other potential risk factors of prolonged QTc interval may be warranted.
Eosinophilic Esophagitis in Children and Its Relationship with Parental Allergies: Texas Children’s Hospital Experience

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an allergen-mediated, clinicopathological condition affecting all ages. The characteristics of children with EoE in the southwestern USA have not been fully described. Furthermore, very little is known about the relationship between parental allergies and risk of EoE in their offspring in this patient population. To characterize children with EoE and to examine the relationship between prevalence of parental allergies and occurrence of EoE in their offspring at a single referral pediatric center in the southwestern USA. Demographic and clinical information of 126 children (≤18 years of age) with EoE was abstracted in a pre-determined data extraction form and analyzed. The allergy history was collected from biological parents of 61 children (parent–child cluster) with EoE in a standardized questionnaire and analyzed. The median age at presentation was 8 years (interquartile range 4–13). The majority of our patients were male (71 %) and Caucasian (59 %). Overall, 84 % of children reported allergies. Prevalence of food allergy was significantly higher compared to environmental allergies (P = 0.001). At least 46 % of parents reported allergies. A significantly higher proportion of fathers had developed allergies during their childhood compared to adulthood (P = 0.03). The characteristics of EoE in our patients were similar to those reported from other parts of the country. Childhood onset of paternal allergies appears to be a risk factor for occurrence of EoE in their offspring. Additional research to elucidate the relationship between parental allergies and occurrence of EoE in their offspring is warranted.
Minor element distribution in iron disulfides in coal: A geochemical review

Electron beam microanalysis of coal samples in U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) labs confirms that As is the most abundant minor constituent in Fe disulfides in coal and that Se, Ni, and other minor constituents are present less commonly and at lower concentrations than those for As. In nearly all cases, Hg occurs in Fe disulfides in coal at concentrations below detection by electron beam instruments. Its presence is shown by laser ablation ICP-MS, by selective leaching studies of bulk coal, and by correlation with Fe disulfide proxies such as total Fe and pyritic sulfur. Multiple generations of Fe disulfides are present in coal. These commonly show grain-to-grain and within-grain minor- or trace element compositional variation that is a function of the early diagenetic, coalification, and post-coalification history of the coal. Framboidal pyrite is almost always the earliest Fe disulfide generation, as shown by overgrowths of later Fe disulfides which may include pyrite or marcasite. Cleat- (or vein) pyrite (or marcasite) is typically the latest Fe disulfide generation, as shown by cross-cutting relations. Cleat pyrite forms by fluid migration within a coal basin and consequently may be enriched in elements such as As by deposition from compaction-driven fluids, metal enriched basinal brines or hydrothermal fluids. In some cases, framboidal pyrite shows preferential Ni enrichment with respect to co-occurring pyrite forms. This is consistent with bacterial complexing of metals in anoxic sediments and derivation of framboidal pyrite from greigite (Fe3S4), an Fe monosulfide precursor to framboidal pyrite having the thio-spinel structure which accommodates transition metals. Elements such as As, Se, and Sb substitute for S in the pyrite structure whereas metals, including transition metals, Hg and Pb, are thought to substitute for Fe. Understanding the distribution of minor and trace elements in Fe disulfides in coal has important implications for their availability to the environment through coal mining and use, as well as for potential reduction by coal preparation, and for delineating diagenetic compositional changes throughout and after coal formation.
The pain, depression, and fatigue symptom cluster in advanced breast cancer: covariation with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympathetic nervous system.

Pain, depression and fatigue (PDF) are among the most common and distressing symptoms in advanced breast cancer, and they often occur concurrently (Cleeland, et al., 2003; Miller, Ancoli-Israel, Bower, Capuron, & Irwin, 2008). Their co-occurrence may indicate a common etiological mechanism, and neuroendocrine-immune models have been proposed (Cleeland, et al., 2003; Dantzer, O'Connor, Johnson, & Kelley, 2008; Miller, et al., 2008). The models differ slightly, but all propose that the clustering of symptoms results from an inflammatory reaction: Proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, trigger a complex neurochemical pathway in the brain, activating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathetic nervous system (SNS), among other effects (e.g., altered neurotransmitter metabolism, disrupted circadian rhythms; see Cleeland, et al., 2003; Dantzer, et al., 2008; Elenkov, Wilder, Chrousos, & Vizi, 2000; Miller, et al., 2008). Elevated sympathetic activity, in turn, could promote further inflammation, for example by promoting secretion of IL-6 (Charmandari, Tsigos, & Chrousos, 2005). Thus, according to proposed models, patients experiencing the symptoms would also exhibit observable endocrine changes in the periphery: elevations in HPA and SNS hormones. To date, no study has examined multiple symptoms comprising a cluster in relation to biological markers, and theorists argue that such data are needed (Cleeland, et al., 2003). Published data have shown correlations between some symptoms individually and some of the HPA/SNS hormones: Depression has been linked to overall elevations of plasma cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine, as well as dysregulation of cortisol (nonsuppression of cortisol in response to dexamethasone, lack of diurnal variability) (Cohen, de Moor, Devine, Baum, & Amato, 2001; Lechin, van der Dijs, & Benaim, 1996; Miller, et al., 2008). Fatigue correlates with a loss of diurnal variation in cortisol (Miller, et al., 2008). Although not studied among those with cancer, pain correlates with elevated cortisol in humans and animals (Vierck, 2006). The present study extends these findings by examining the relationships between the three symptoms and hormones of the HPA and SNS. Whereas prior studies have correlated individual symptoms with individual hormones, the goal of the present study is to test whether the hormone systems predict the symptom cluster. We do so using structural equation modeling, which allows us to test their shared variance.