cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prevalence and correlates of street-obtained buprenorphine use among current and former injectors in Baltimore, Maryland.

Objectives There are few systematic assessments of street-obtained buprenorphine use from community-based samples in the United States. The objective of this study was to characterize the prevalence, correlates, and reasons for street-obtained buprenorphine use among current and former injection drug users (IDUs) in Baltimore, Maryland.
Efficacy of Prophylactic Mastectomy in Women With Unilateral Breast Cancer: A Cancer Research Network Project

Purpose We investigated the efficacy of contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) in reducing contralateral breast cancer incidence and breast cancer mortality among women who have already been diagnosed with breast cancer. Methods This retrospective cohort study comprised approximately 50,000 women who were diagnosed with unilateral breast cancer during 1979 to 1999. Using computerized data confirmed by chart review, we identified 1,072 women (1.9%) who had CPM. We obtained covariate information for these women and for a sample of 317 women who did not undergo CPM. Results The median time from initial breast cancer diagnosis to the end of follow-up was 5.7 years. Contralateral breast cancer developed in 0.5% of women with CPM, metastatic disease developed in 10.5%, and subsequent breast cancer developed in 12.4%; 8.1% died from breast cancer. Contralateral breast cancer developed in 2.7% of women without CPM, and 11.7% died of breast cancer. After adjustment for initial breast cancer characteristics, t...
Linking visual appearance of skin to the underlying optical properties using multispectral imaging

Underlying optical properties linked to the visual appearance of skin was studied by obtaining reflectance images using a multispectral imaging system. The analysis of the resulting reflectance spectra yields the melanin content M (volume fraction of melanosome in the pigmented epi-dermis), the blood content B (average volume fraction of whole blood in skin), oxygen saturation level S, water content W (average volume fraction of water in tissue) and the reduced scattering μ's500 at 500 nm. The spatial map of the optical properties can now be linked to the visual appearance of the skin.
Adaptive Signal Processing, Hierarchy, and Budgetary Control in Federal Regulation

Control over agency budgets is a critical tool of political influence in regulatory decision making, yet the causal mechanism of budgetary control is unclear. Do budgetary manipulations influence agencies by imposing resource constraints or by transmitting powerful signals to the agency? I advance and test a stochastic process model of adaptive signal processing by a hierarchical agency to address this question. The principal findings of the paper are two. First, presidents and congressional committees achieve budgetary control over agencies not by manipulating aggregate resource constraints but by transmitting powerful signals through budget shifts. Second, bureaucratic hierarchy increases the agency's response time in processing budgetary signals, limiting the efficacy of the budget as a device of political control. I also show that the magnitude of agency response to budgetary signals increased for executive-branch agencies after 1970 due to executive oversight reforms. I conclude by discussing the limits of budgetary manipulations as a device of political control and the response of elected authorities to adaptive signal processing by agencies.
The possible influence of criticism on network radio programming for children

It is true that much (but not all, by any means) criticism of broadcasting is complaint rather than criticism, when we define criticism as the comparison of something with an appropriate standard. The problem is, of course, that we have few agreed‐upon standards. Yet, there is a wide‐spread belief that published critics have an influence on broadcast programming in the United States. The following article considers this belief, examining the relationship (or, actually, the lack of relationship) between published criticism and the salient topic of children's programming on network radio throughout the decade and a half during which network radio was a major national medium. Dr. Maurice E. Shelby was associate professor and director of radio‐TV‐film in the Department of Speech and Dramatic Art of the University of Missouri when this article was prepared; he since has joined the faculty of the University of Massachusetts
Toward a Post-Kyoto Climate Change Architecture: A Political Analysis

Any international regime aimed at the mitigation of global climate change must solve three problems: 1) secure sufficient participation; 2) achieve agreement on meaningful rules; and 3) ensure compliance with those rules. That is, it must solve problems of participation, effectiveness, and compliance. In this paper, prepared for the Harvard Project on International Climate Agreements, we focus on the compliance problem, but with careful consideration of the first two issues. We propose a post-Kyoto Protocol compliance system that is based upon emissions trading coupled to buyer liability. Section I addresses the trade-off between participation and strictness of rules by proposing what we call an 'economy of esteem for climate change.' Section II discusses participation. We suggest that only a cap-and-trade architecture is likely to make it politically possible to secure sufficient participation to get a climate change mitigation regime up and running. Section III analyzes the problem of compliance and argues that, contrary to the current provisions in the Kyoto Protocol, a system of buyer liability is essential. Section IV considers how institutions to assess compliance with emissions reductions could be constructed. Finally, Section V addresses potential weaknesses of our buyer liability system and provides responses to these criticisms. Throughout, we write from the standpoint of the politics of international cooperation; our policy recommendations take into account the more technocratic literatures on compliance, liability, and so forth but flow directly and primarily from our political analysis.
On fairness in decision-making under uncertainty: definitions, computation, and comparison

The utilitarian solution criterion, which has been extensively studied in multi-agent decision making under uncertainty, aims to maximize the sum of individual utilities. However, as the utilitarian solution often discriminates against some agents, it is not desirable for many practical applications where agents have their own interests and fairness is expected. To address this issue, this paper introduces egalitarian solution criteria for sequential decision-making under uncertainty, which are based on the maximin principle. Motivated by different application domains, we propose four maximin fairness criteria and develop corresponding algorithms for computing their optimal policies. Furthermore, we analyze the connections between these criteria and discuss and compare their characteristics.
Optimization of protocol design: a path to efficient, lower cost clinical trial execution.

Managing clinical trials requires strategic planning and efficient execution. In order to achieve a timely delivery of important clinical trials’ outcomes, it is useful to establish standardized trial management guidelines and develop robust scoring methodology for evaluation of study protocol complexity. This review will explore the challenges clinical teams face in developing protocols to ensure that the right patients are enrolled and the right data are collected to demonstrate that a drug is safe and efficacious, while managing study costs and study complexity based on proposed comprehensive scoring model. Key factors to consider when developing protocols and techniques to minimize complexity will be discussed. A methodology to identify processes at planning phase, approaches to increase fiscal return and mitigate fiscal compliance risk for clinical trials will be addressed.
A Model for Lg Propagation in the Gulf Coastal Plain of the Southern United States

The southern United States experienced extensional tectonics during the early Mesozoic development of the Gulf of Mexico and subsequent accumulation of up to 12 km of marine sediment. Few seismic stations have operated in the Gulf Coastal Plain for extended periods of time, and data for constraining ground‐motion prediction models are sparse. Previous studies found that the region differs from other parts of eastern North America in terms of Lg attenuation. The Earthscope Transportable Array was in the south‐central United States in 2010–2012, during a time of increased seismicity. That circumstance provided data for investigating Lg propagation. Sixteen earthquakes with magnitudes in the 3.2–5.6 range occurred in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas and were recorded to distances of 1000 km. Stations in the coastal plain of Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi exhibit strong attenuation of the Lg phase, compared with stations located to the north in the Ouachita orogenic belt and cratonic platform. Q associated with the crustal waveguide underlying the Gulf Coastal Plain was estimated as Q =365 f 0.62. However, Lg blockage due to crustal thinning and anelastic attenuation due to the presence of several kilometers of sedimentary deposits occurs near the Gulf Coast. The average κ value south of latitude 33° N is 96±10 ms. A remarkable linear correlation exists between the attenuation parameter κ and the thickness of post‐Jurassic sediments in the study region, such that stations near the coast of Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, which overlie ∼12 km of sediments, exhibit values of κ ∼160 ms. This strong spatial dependence of attenuation has important implications and should be incorporated in the development of ground‐motion prediction models using the approach suggested here. Online Material: Figures showing maps of regression residuals and receiver terms for 12 frequency bands.
Axioms forS-pregroups

AnS-pregroup is a subset of a group such that no nontrivial reduced word (a string of length ⩾2 of elements of the set such that the product of no adjacent pair is in the set) represents the identity when placed in the group. To complete the definition we also require anS-pregroup to contain the identity, be closed under inverses and generate the parent group. In [1] John Stallings, coining the term “S-pregroups”, asked for an “internal axiomatic characterization ofS-pregroups”. In this paper we describe such a system by modifying the axioms for a pregroup.
Localization of anti-rat kidney antibodies in new-born rats.

SummaryRabbit antibodies against adult rat kidney were found to be fixed in the kidneys of new-born rats. Since new-born rats do not develop clinical disease when injected with anti-rat kidney antibodies, this suggests either that the antigens giving rise to cytotoxic antibodies are not present at this early date or the new-born rats are deficient in complement. Six weeks after new-born rats are so injected they still have the rabbit globulin (antibody) in the glomeruli. However, rabbit globulin was demonstrated in the glomeruli on the medullary side of the cortex and not in those of the periphery indicating that new glomeruli in the peripheral region become functional as the animal matures. The increase in functional glomeruli may be the reason for the observation that new-born rats injected with anti-rat kidney serum do not develop clinical disease.
PESTO: Data integration for visualization and device control in the SmartCare project

The SmartCare project is to design, develop, and evaluate an intelligent sensor-driven living environment for the elderly. The core objectives are to provide emergency detection, improve quality of life, extend independence for the elderly, and detect patterns of behavior that could suggest early signs of a physical or cognitive issue, all in an unobtrusiveness manner. This paper specifically focuses on the development of the infrastructure integration component: PESTO and two of its sub components: a 3D visualization of the resident's smart apartment (VISMA) and a system to provide everyday task assistance through the Z-Wave home automation technology (ZAPS).
Views of the United States healthcare system: Findings from documentary analysis of an interprofessional education course

As the healthcare system of the United States becomes more complex, collaboration among health professionals is becoming an essential aspect in improving the health of individuals and populations. An interprofessional education course entitled "Health Care System and Health Promotion" was developed to allow health profession students to work and learn together about issues related to healthcare delivery, health promotion, and the effect of policy issues on key stakeholders in the system. A qualitative document analysis research design was used to evaluate the effect of this interprofessional course on students' views of the current healthcare system of the United States. Fifty-nine student articles were analysed using document analysis. Health professions represented in the sample included occupational therapy, physical therapy, athletic training, nursing, and radiation therapy, nuclear medicine technology, and magnetic resonance imaging. Eight themes were identified including: increased personal awareness, the need for a system change, concern for access, affordability of healthcare, vision for future practice role, need for quality care, the value of interprofessional collaboration (IPC), and the importance of disease prevention. The results of the study suggest that healthcare education can benefit from the integration of Interprofessional Education (IPE) courses into their curriculum especially when teaching content common to all healthcare professions such as healthcare systems and health promotion.
Lymphopenia after adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) to predict poor survival in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

1069 Background: The immune system is increasingly recognized as critical in cancer development, progression, and treatment response. Intense lymphocytic infiltration in pre-treatment biopsies predicts improved survival in TNBC; lymphopenia after RT correlates with poor prognosis in other solid tumors. We investigated the prognostic impact of RT-associated lymphopenia in early-stage TNBC. Methods: Diagnostic and treatment data from electronic medical records of Stanford University Hospital (SU) and Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF), a nearby community practice, were linked at an individual patient level with demographic, staging and survival data from the California Cancer Registry. A Cox proportional hazards model (adjusted for patient age, race, insurance, marital and neighborhood socioeconomic status, and for tumor stage, grade, and chemotherapy receipt) was used to analyze the relationship between immunologic measures obtainable from complete blood counts (CBC) treated as continuous variables (minim...
The Adipocyte Anatomy, Physiology, and Metabolism/Nutrition

The surgeon should have an understanding of the subcutaneous fat anatomy, physiology, and metabolism/nutrition and familiarity with the interrelationship between these three aspects of subcutaneous fat as they relate to adipocyte mass, appearance, and liposculpture. With this knowledge, the surgeon should gain a deeper understanding of the impact of the surgical procedure that may lead to improved results following fat transfer. The histology, physiology, and gross anatomy of fat as well as the nutrition and metabolism of the fat cell are discussed. Fat is an exocrine, endocrine, and apocrine organ and plays a role in immunity.
Eliminating the surface location from soft matter contact mechanics measurements

The material properties of soft materials can be measured with rheometers and tensile testing instruments whenever there exist few limitations on sample volume, fixturing and general sample prepara...
Phase Stability and Electronic Structure of Prospective Sb-Based Mixed Sulfide and Iodide 3D Perovskite (CH3NH3)SbSI2

Lead-free antimony-based mixed sulfide and iodide perovskite phases have recently been reported to be synthesized experimentally and to exhibit reasonable photovoltaic performance. Through a combination of experimental validation and computational analysis, we show no evidence of the formation of the mixed sulfide and iodide perovskite phase, MASbSI2 (MA = CH3NH3+), and instead that the main products are a mixture of the binary and ternary compounds (Sb2S3 and MA3Sb2I9). Density functional theory calculations also indicate that such a mixed sulfide and iodide perovskite phase should be thermodynamically less stable compared with binary/ternary anion-segregated secondary phases and less likely to be synthesized under equilibrium conditions. Additionally, band structure calculations show that this mixed sulfide and iodide phase, if possible to synthesize (e.g., under nonequilibrium conditions), should have a suitable direct band gap for photovoltaic application.
The Role of Histocompatibility in Bone Allografting

Clinical and experimental studies of large nonvascular osteochondral allografts and autografts suggest that they ultimately fail because of incomplete and inadequate revascularization and mineralization [4, 10, 15, 20]. It has been shown that bone allografts elicit an immune response by the host [2, 7, 12, 19] Immune responses to fresh cancellous allografts are greater than to cortical bone and greater than to frozen or freeze-dried bone [7]. However, there still is controversy concerning the role of the immune system and the ultimate clinical outcome of bone allografts [10]. Since bone conforms to transplantation biology it would appear logical that transplantation antigens (histocompatibility) are important determinants of the success or failure of bone allografting.
New Acidophilic Thermophilic Microbes

We have examined samples from low pH high temperature habitats and found an unusual variety of new microbes within both mixing pools and flowing springs. These new microbes were all discovered in the acid hot springs of Yellowstone National Park, WY, USA (YNP). The mixing pools are turbid habitats with free floating microorganisms. In contrast, the organisms discovered in the channels of flowing hot springs were attached to sulfur crystals like Sulfolobus-type cells in nearby springs, but they are rod shaped rather than coccoid like Sulfolobus (Brock et al., 1972). In the sections that follow we present information on the variety of new rod shaped microbes growing below pH 3 and at 70°C or higher.
Water Quality in Pacific Northwest Urban and Urbanizing Aquatic Ecosystems

Water quality in streams, lakes, reservoirs, wetlands, and estuaries affects salmonids at all life stages. Degraded water quality reduces habitat quality and depresses or even eliminates salmonid populations. The purpose of this chapter is to review important aspects of water quality and how those aspects are affected by urbanization, with a focus on North America’s Pacific Northwest, with an emphasis on Oregon. Water quality aspects discussed in this chapter center on physical aspects such as turbidity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen and on chemical aspects primarily the nutrients phosphorous and nitrogen. Toxic contaminants and the effects of waste water on water quality are treated in Chaps. 9 and 10.
Elusive Promise of Interpretive Democratic Theory

Democratic theory is a theory about popular rule, and, prima facie, such theory cannot be distanced from questions about how people themselves define their interests and their problems. The fact that ﾓrule by the peopleﾔ historically has been and still is a subject to contestation via new modes of thought and struggles by ordinary people themselves adds weight to the view that democratic theory should not distance itself from the way lay people think about democracy. Due to certain social ontological commitments in empirical political science and political theory, democratic scholarship is generally unprepared to engage critically with lay thinking about the nature and scope of democracy, particularly when such thinking differs from leading scholarly conceptions. I highlight how interpretive social ontology allows renewing democratic theory by elevating lay thinking about democracy to the center of inquiry. However, I suggest that there may be a tension between adopting some assumptions of interpretive ontology and an attempt to take some critical distance from lay beliefs. On the example of interpretive work of Schaffer, Wedeen, and Dryzek I explore whether some assumptions of interpretive philosophy might lead to excluding important problems from consideration in democratic theory. I suggest what additional social ontological commitments might allow interpretive democratic theory to deliver on its promise.
Comparison of Artificial Saliva vs Saline Solution on Rate of Suture Degradation in Oropharyngeal Surgery.

Importance Absorbable sutures are designed to degrade and lose strength over time. Manufacturers warn that exposure to various body fluids can change the estimated degradation rate of these sutures, but few studies have been conducted to quantify the degree of change associated with saliva. Objective To quantify the association of increased loss of strength of sutures over time after exposure to artificial saliva (hereinafter referred to as “saliva”). Design, Setting, and Participants This experimental in vitro study was conducted at Bucknell University (Lewisburg, Pennsylvania) from June 19, 2015, to July 4, 2015. No participants were involved. The loss of strength over time of sutures submerged in physiological saline and artificial saliva solutions was compared. Three types of absorbable sutures commonly used in oral surgery were tested: chromic, poliglecaprone 25, and polyglactin 910. Data analysis was conducted from July 15, 2016, to August 16, 2016. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome measure was 50% strength reduction. To measure breaking strength, 6 knotted sutures of each type were pulled to failure at regular time intervals after immersion in either saline or synthetic saliva at 37°C. Regression analysis was used to interpret strength degradation profiles and to estimate the time to reach 50% of the original breaking strength. Results Of the 3 suture types submerged in the 2 solutions, all 3 degraded to 50% strength faster (by 2 to 13 days) in saliva than in saline. The differences in the degradation profiles varied by suture type. Poliglecaprone 25 sutures demonstrated a sudden decrease in failure strength between day 5 and day 8 in both solutions, but the decrease was greater in saliva (–10.2 N; 95% CI, –15.5 to –4.9 N) than in saline (–6.1 N; 95% CI, –11.2 to –0.9 N). The polyglactin 910 and chromic sutures share a similar degradation profile when implanted in tissue, but saliva was associated with more degradation of chromic sutures. Differences in degradation rate were seen in polyglactin 910 sutures after day 6 (saline: –0.9 N/d; 95% CI, –1.0 to –0.7 vs saliva: –1.2 N/d; 95% CI, –1.4 to –1.1). After day 2, chromic sutures had a degradation rate of –0.3 N/d (95% CI, –0.5 to –0.2) in saline and –0.5 N/d (95% CI, –0.6 to –0.3) in saliva. Conclusions and Relevance Knowing the association of saliva with suture degradation rates of various suture types may enable oropharyngeal surgeons to select sutures that retain their strength and degrade at an appropriate rate to allow for the effective healing of the wound.
Rapid quantification of mitochondrial fractal dimension in individual cells.

An improved technique for fractal characterization called the modified blanket method is introduced that can quantify surrounding fractal structures on a pixel by pixel basis without artifacts associated with scale-dependent image features such as object size. The method interprets images as topographical maps, obtaining information regarding the local surface area as a function of image resolution. Local fractal dimension (FD) can be quantified from the power law exponent derived from the surface area and image resolution relationship. We apply this technique on simulated cell images of known FD and compared the obtained values to power spectral density (PSD) analysis. Our method is sensitive to a wider FD range (2.0–4.5), having a mean error of 1.4% compared to 6% for PSD analysis. This increased sensitivity and an ability to compute regional FD properties enabled the discrimination of the differences in radiation resistant cancer cell responses that could not be detected using PSD analysis.
Why sets

Sets play a key role in foundations of mathematics. Why? To what extent is it an accident of history? Imagine that you have a chance to talk to mathematicians from a far-away planet. Would their mathematics be set-based? What are the alternatives to the set-theoretic foundation of mathematics? Besides, set theory seems to play a significant role in computer science; is there a good justification for that? We discuss these and some related issues.
Assessing Postconcussive Reaction Time Using Transport-Based Morphometry of Diffusion Tensor Images.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Cognitive deficits are among the most commonly reported post-concussive symptoms, yet the underlying microstructural injury is poorly understood. Our aim was to discover white matter injury underlying reaction time in mild traumatic brain injury DTI by applying transport-based morphometry. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective study, we performed DTI on 64 postconcussive patients (10–28 years of age; 69% male, 31% female) between January 2006 and March 2013. We measured the reaction time percentile by using Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing. Using the 3D transport-based morphometry technique we developed, we mined fractional anisotropy maps to extract the common microstructural injury associated with reaction time percentile in an automated manner. Permutation testing established statistical significance of the extracted injuries. We visualized the physical substrate responsible for reaction time through inverse transport-based morphometry transformation. RESULTS: The direction in the transport space most correlated with reaction time was significant after correcting for covariates of age, sex, and time from injury (Pearson r = 0.44, P CONCLUSIONS: Transport-based morphometry discovers complex white matter injury underlying postconcussive reaction time in an automated manner. The potential influences of edema and axonal loss are visualized in the visual-spatial interpretation and response-selection pathways. Transport-based morphometry can bridge the gap between brain microstructure and function in diseases in which the structural basis is unknown.
Sex-Specific Markers for Waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus) and Palmer Amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri)

Waterhemp [Amaranthus tuberculatus (Moq.) J. D. Sauer] and Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson) are troublesome weeds of row-crop production in the United States. Their dioecious reproductive systems ensure outcrossing, facilitating rapid evolution and distribution of resistances to multiple herbicides. Little is known, however, about the genetic basis of dioecy in Amaranthus species. In this work, we use restriction site–associated DNA sequencing (RAD-Seq) to investigate the genetic basis of sex determination in A. tuberculatus and A. palmeri. For each species, approximately 200 plants of each sex were sampled and used to create RAD-Seq libraries. The resulting libraries were separately bar-coded and then pooled for sequencing with the Illumina platform, yielding millions of 64-bp reads. These reads were analyzed to identify sex-specific and sex-biased sequences. We identified 345 male-specific sequences from the A. palmeri data set and 2,754 male-specific sequences in A. tuberculatus. An unexpected 723 female-specific sequences were identified in a subset of the A. tuberculatus females; subsequent research, however, indicated female specificity of these markers was limited to the population from which they were identified. Primer sets designed to specifically amplify male-specific sequences were tested for accuracy on multiple, geographically distinct populations of A. tuberculatus and A. palmeri, as well as other Amaranthus species. Two primer sets for A. palmeri and four primer sets for A. tuberculatus were each able to distinguish between male and female plants with at least 95% accuracy. In the near term, sex-specific markers will be useful to the A. tuberculatus and A. palmeri research communities (e.g., to predict sex for crossing experiments). In the long-term, this research will provide the foundational tools for detailed investigations into the molecular biology and evolution of dioecy in weedy Amaranthus species.
Decaying Two-Dimensional Turbulence

Decaying two-dimensional turbulence refers to the solution of the two-dimensional, incompressible Navier-Stokes equation as an unforced initial value problem. This is an instructive counterpoint to the complementary problem of forced two-dimensional turbulence. In both cases one is concerned with high Reynolds number flows in which inertia dominates the other processes (viscosity and forcing) over many decades of length scales.
Extramedullary Guide Alignment Is not Affected by Obesity in Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Coronal alignment of the tibial implant correlates with survivorship of total knee arthroplasty (TKA), especially in obese patients. The purpose of this study was to determine if obesity affects coronal plane alignment of the tibial component when utilizing standard extramedullary tibial guide instrumentation during primary TKA. A retrospective review from June 2017 to February 2018 identified 142 patients (162 primary TKAs). There were 88 patients (100 knees) with body mass index (BMI) < 35 kg/m2 and 54 patients (62 knees) with BMI ≥ 35.0 kg/m2. The cohorts did not differ in age (p = 0.37), gender (p = 0.61), or Charlson's comorbidity index (p = 0.54). Four independent reviewers measured the angle between the base of the tibial component and the mechanical axis of the tibia on the anteroposterior view of long-leg film at first postoperative clinic visit. Outliers were defined as patients with greater than 5 degrees of varus or valgus alignment (n = 0). Reoperations and complications were recorded to 90 days postoperatively. There was no significant difference in mean tibial coronal alignment between the two groups (control alignment 90.8 ± 1.2 degree versus obese alignment 90.8 ± 1.2 degree, p = 0.91). There was no difference in varus versus valgus alignment (p = 0.19). There was no difference in the number of outliers (two in each group, p = 0.73). There was no difference in rate of reoperation (p = 1.0) or complication (p = 0.51). Obesity did not affect coronal plane alignment of the tibial component when using an extramedullary guide during primary TKA in our population.
The Impact of Sickle Cell Anemia and Mental Health Diagnoses on Healthcare Use and Preventive Care among Children Enrolled in Medicaid, 2005-2012.

Objective To examine mental health diagnoses, healthcare use, and receipt of age-appropriate preventive care, including antibiotic prophylaxis, hydroxyurea therapy, and transcranial Doppler screenings, among children with sickle cell anemia (SCA). Study design Children aged 1-17 years with SCA from 6 states having 3 or more Medicaid claims with a SCA diagnosis within a year (2005-2012) were included. Children with mental health diagnoses were identified with 1 or more mental health encounters. Poisson and logistic regression models with general estimating equations assessed the relationship between mental health diagnoses, healthcare use, and receipt of age-appropriate preventive care. Results In total, 7963 children with SCA were identified (22 424 person-years); 1593 person-years (7.1%) included 1 or more mental health diagnoses. Children with a mental health diagnosis were more likely to have inpatient admissions (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 1.46, 95% CI 1.36-1.56) and outpatient (IRR 1.27, 95% CI 1.21-1.34), emergency department (IRR 1.39, 95% CI 1.30-1.48), and well-child visits (IRR 1.19, 95% CI 1.11-1.29). Those with a mental health diagnosis were more likely to receive hydroxyurea therapy (odds ration [OR] 1.17, 95% CI 1.03-1.33) and less likely to receive transcranial Doppler screenings (OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.68-0.93). Conclusions Children with SCA do not receive adequate age-appropriate preventive care. Further research is necessary to identify key points of coordination between mental health and SCA services throughout the life course. This approach may help to increase receipt of age-appropriate preventive care and decrease reliance on acute care.
Outcomes of rectal cancer patients treated using Polish II neoadjuvant short course radiation therapy and chemotherapy approach in comprehensive cancer center.

e16088Background: Neoadjuvant short-course (SC) radiation (RT) followed by fluoropyrimidine based chemotherapy prior to surgery (Polish II approach) is a less utilized treatment in the United State...
Understanding the role of local knowledge in the spatial dynamics of social values expressed by stakeholders

Abstract Understanding the myriad reasons why people value protected areas provides insight on how to align the decisions made by public land management agencies with diverse stakeholder interests. This study drew on survey data collected within the context of Denali National Park and Preserve to better understand the spatial dynamics of social values reported by frontcountry and backcountry recreationists that held differing degrees of local knowledge. Using a Public Participation in Geographic Information Systems (PPGIS) exercise and Social Values for Ecosystem Services (SolVES) mapping application, we observed differences in the point allocation and spatial distribution of social values associated with a protected area landscape. Wilderness, aesthetics and ecological integrity were the primary social values embodied by places within Denali. Backcountry recreationists engaged with a broader range of values and derived deeper benefits from recreation and therapeutic qualities of the landscape, whereas frontcountry recreationists expressed multiple, concentrated values for places in Denali that were accessible and symbolically important. We also observed that local knowledge provided a useful basis for better understanding social values, yet variation in knowledge was not spatially manifested. Our findings therefore advance the spatial prioritization of conservation initiatives that aim to represent and legitimize the voices of stakeholders in protected areas.
Childhood trauma and Effective Empirically Based Interventions

Trauma affects many children in various ways globally. According to SAMHSA (2017), the “occurrence of child trauma is very prevalent, and 75% of children reported experiencing at least one traumatic event by age 16”. Traumatic events consist of “psychological, physical, or sexual abuse; community or school violence; witnessing or experiencing domestic violence; national disasters or terrorism; commercial sexual exploitation; sudden or violent loss of a loved one; refugee or war experiences; military family-related stressors; physical or sexual assault; neglect; and serious accidents or life-threatening illness” (SAMHSA, 2017). This literature review evaluates three different attachment-based, trauma-informed interventions for young children 0 - 7 years of age which are: Attachment and BioBehavioural Catchup (ABC), Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). Throughout this review, childhood trauma will be defined, and the current occurrence rates will be discussed. Furthermore, the descriptions of the above therapies, clinical trials, and research findings will be examined, and a discussion of the literature review findings will follow.
Healing the Index Tibial Nonunion: Risk Factors for Development of a Recalcitrant Nonunion in 222 Patients.

OBJECTIVES To compare and stratify the healing rates after our index nonunion surgery using contemporary methods of fixation, report the prevalence of recalcitrant non-union, and identify specific demographic, injury, and treatment-related risk factors for the development of a recalcitrant nonunion. DESIGN Retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database. SETTING Academic Level 1 Trauma Center. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS Two hundred twenty-two tibial nonunions treated with internal fixation by a single surgeon. INTERVENTION Bivariate and multivariate regression analysis were performed to compare healing rates by the type of fixation and graft augmentation and to identify specific demographic, injury, and treatment-related risk factors for the development of a recalcitrant nonunion. RESULTS Of the 222 patients, 162 (73%) healed as intended and 51 (23%) required 1 or more subsequent interventions to achieve union (96%). Nine fractures (4%) failed to unite. The 60 fractures (27%) that required a subsequent intervention(s) or failed to consolidate were defined as recalcitrant nonunions. There were no statistically significant differences in the recalcitrant rate when we compared plates versus nails or types of bone graft. Risk factors for developing a recalcitrant nonunion were multifactorial and included grade III open fractures, compartment syndrome, deep infection, and 2 or more prior surgical procedures. CONCLUSIONS Internal fixation remains a successful method of treatment for most tibial nonunions. However, 27% of patients required a subsequent intervention because of failure to heal our index nonunion procedure. Factors that are associated with recalcitrant nonunions were a grade III open fracture, compartment syndrome, deep infection, and 2 or more or more prior surgical procedures. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Age modifies the effect of ethanol on behavior: Investigations in adolescent, adult and aged rats.

Abstract The number of older people is increasing in most if not all countries in the world. In addition, the amount of alcohol consumption in the aged population is increasing and the consumption pattern is often in a binge fashion. However, little is known if the effects of alcohol, either acute or chronic exposure, vary in the older population compared to younger populations. The current mini-review will provide an overview of the effects of acute and chronic ethanol exposure at three different periods of development: adolescent, adult and aged on multiple different commonly studied behaviors. The overall conclusion is that biological age of the subject is a critical factor in understanding the effects of ethanol across the lifespan.
Identification of FDA-approved drugs that computationally bind to MDM2

The integrity of the p53 tumor suppressor pathway is compromised in the majority of cancers. In 7% of cancers p53 is inactivated by abnormally high levels of MDM2--an E3 ubiquitin ligase that polyubiquitinates p53, marking it for degradation. MDM2 engages p53 through its hydrophobic cleft, and blockage of that cleft by small molecules can re-establish p53 activity. Small molecule MDM2 inhibitors have been developed, but there is likely to be a high cost and long time period before effective drugs reach the market. An alternative is to repurpose FDA-approved drugs. This report describes a new approach, called Computational Conformer Selection, to screen for compounds that potentially inhibit MDM2. This screen was used to computationally generate up to 600 conformers of 3244 FDA-approved drugs. Drug conformer similarities to 41 computationally-generated conformers of MDM2 inhibitor nutlin 3a were ranked by shape and charge distribution. Quantification of similarities by Tanimoto combo scoring resulted in scores that ranged from 0.142 to 0.802. In silico docking of drugs to MDM2 was used to calculate binding energies and to visualize contacts between the top-ranking drugs and the MDM2 hydrophobic cleft. We present 15 FDA-approved drugs predicted to inhibit p53/MDM2 interaction.
Form and Standards for Research Proposal Outlines

(1972). Form and Standards for Research Proposal Outlines. Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation: Vol. 43, No. 2, pp. 55-56.
Perceptual Variability as A Fundamental Axiom of Perceptual Science

Abstract Theories in perception frequently have a short life because they try to account for the results of one particular experimental paradigm instead of trying to model some fundamental truth about perception. This essay proposes one such truth, namely that there is trial-by-trial variability in all perceptual representations. First, the evidence is reviewed that suggests one must take variability into account when building a model of perceptual processing. Next, the implications and constraints that this axiom imposes on perceptual theories are examined. These include: (1) the decision problem that must be solved in any task that requires an organism to emit a response is functionally equivalent to classification, (2) perceived similarity is a secondary, rather than a fundamental construct, and (3) lateral interactions between neural channels evolved specifically to improve classification performance in the face of inherent perceptual variability.
Automatic titration with direct read-out of chloride concentration.

Direct read-out of chloride concentration is provided by an auxiliary designed for use with the automatic coulometric-amperometric titrator of Cotlove et al. (1). The circuitry, construction, and operation of the auxiliary are described. Automatic titration of samples of biologic fluids such as serum, cerebrospinal fluid, urine, sweat, and gastrointestinal fluids requires no prior preparation and the usual titration is completed within 1 min. The chloride concentration of the sample appears on a digital register directly in milliequivalents per liter. In routine use by various technologists in a clinical chemistry laboratory, the auxiliary-titrator combination has proved to be simple to operate and consistently accurate. The procedure requires only 0.1 ml. of solutions containing 10-400 mEq./L. of chloride (or 1 ml. of solutions with lower concentrations down to 1 mEq./L.). Optimal accuracy with a 0.1-ml. sample was in the concentration range above 40 mEq./L., in which the coefficient of variation was about ± 0.5 per cent.
Brain and odor: I. Alteration of human EEG by odor administration

Two experiments examined the relationship between time domain patterns of EEG activity and self-reports for individuals exposed to different odorants. In the first experiment, spiced apple, eucalyptus, and lavender odors were evaluated. The three odorants produced consistently different patterns of EEG theta activity and self-reports. These results suggest that odor administration is a reliable variable in manipulating neurophysiological response systems and may be influential in affecting human performance and mood. In order to assess the sensitivity of EEG in the delineation of odor effects, a second experiment was conducted. EEG activity was recorded while subjects smelled five similar commercial odorous chemicals and an unscented base. Subjects completed questionnaires on odor character and mood following each presentation. Results of the experiment indicated little perceptual or mood difference produced by the odors. EEG alpha and theta activity in the left and right hemispheres, however, differed widely depending upon the odor presented and was dissociated from self-report. These results suggest the sensitivity of EEG techniques in odor experiments and indicate that the perceptual component of olfaction accounts for only a limited part of the central nervous system changes produced by smelling an odor.
Toward an Empirically Robust Science of Human Development

Replications and robustness checks are key elements of the scientific method and a staple in many disciplines. My wish is for prioritizing both explicit replications and, especially, the lowest of low-hanging fruit: within-study robustness checks. I provide recommendations for editorial policies that encourage these practices and describe ways of promoting these practices in graduate training. While some of my recommendations might affect the form and substance of developmental research articles, I argue that their scientific benefits are key for advancing the field.
Nonequilibrium distribution in reactive systems.

We introduce a coarse-grained molecular dynamics method. This approach is suitable for the numerical simulation of the evolution of large ensembles of interacting particles over macroscopic time scales. We report an application of the method to nonequilibrium chemically reactive systems. We obtain the nonequilibrium distributions of the reactants during the reaction which exhibits nonlinear behavior.
Conditionally reprogrammed cells represent a stem-like state of adult epithelial cells

The combination of irradiated fibroblast feeder cells and Rho kinase inhibitor, Y-27632, conditionally induces an indefinite proliferative state in primary mammalian epithelial cells. These conditionally reprogrammed cells (CRCs) are karyotype-stable and nontumorigenic. Because self-renewal is a recognized property of stem cells, we investigated whether Y-27632 and feeder cells induced a stem-like phenotype. We found that CRCs share characteristics of adult stem cells and exhibit up-regulated expression of α6 and β1 integrins, ΔNp63α, CD44, and telomerase reverse transcriptase, as well as decreased Notch signaling and an increased level of nuclear β-catenin. The induction of CRCs is rapid (occurs within 2 d) and results from reprogramming of the entire cell population rather than the selection of a minor subpopulation. CRCs do not overexpress the transcription factor sets characteristic of embryonic or induced pluripotent stem cells (e.g., Sox2, Oct4, Nanog, or Klf4). The induction of CRCs is also reversible, and removal of Y-27632 and feeders allows the cells to differentiate normally. Thus, when CRCs from ectocervical epithelium or tracheal epithelium are placed in an air–liquid interface culture system, the cervical cells form a well differentiated stratified squamous epithelium, whereas the tracheal cells form a ciliated airway epithelium. We discuss the diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities afforded by a method that can generate adult stem-like cells in vitro without genetic manipulation.
Study of mechanisms of electric field-induced DNA transfection. IV. Effects of DNA topology on cell uptake and transfection efficiency.

Electric parameters and solvent conditions are known to influence the efficiency of DNA transfection of cells by a pulsed electric field (PEF). A previous study (Neumann, E., M. Schaefer-Ridder, Y. Wang, and P. H. Hofschneider. 1982. EMBO (Eur. Mol. Biol. Organ.) J. 1:841–845) has indicated that DNA topology is also an important determinant. We report an investigation of the PEF induced uptake, stability, and expression of three different topological isomers, circular supercoiled (scDNA), circular relaxed (crDNA), and linearized (lnDNA) forms of the plasmid pBR322, by Escherichia coli strain JM105. Monomeric pBR322 prepared by the electroelution from an agarose gel was in the supercoiled form. Treatment of the scDNA with wheat germ topoisomerase I removed the superhelicity and the DNA assumed the relaxed circular form. Treatment of scDNA by a restriction endonuclease, EcoRI or Hind III, linearized the DNA. The MgCl2-dependent bindings of all three forms of DNA to the cell surface were indistinguishable. So was the PEF induced cell uptake. In contrast, the transfection efficiency (TE) for the scDNA and the crDNA were high (approximately 2 x 10(8) micrograms-1 DNA at neutral pH), whereas that for the lnDNA was approximately five orders of magnitude lower (less than 1 x 10(3) micrograms-1 DNA). Analysis by agarose gel electrophoresis indicated that the PEF loaded lnDNA was degraded by the host cell within 3 h. However, the loaded scDNA and the crDNA were stable and expressed in the cytoplasm. We conclude that first, the PEF induced DNA entry into E. coli did not depend on the topology of the DNA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)