cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Psychology and Foreign Policy Decision-Making

Political psychology occupies an uncertain space in the study of international relations and foreign policy. Longstanding but gradually receding conceptions of the international relations field as a series of paradigmatic clashes among realist, liberal, Marxist, and constructivist approaches, or even between rationalism and constructivism, leave little if any room for the beliefs, personalities, emotions, perceptions, and decision-making processes of individual political leaders. 1 Many of the leading research programs in the international relations field today – including realist balance of power and transition theories, the bargaining model of war, democratic peace and capitalist peace theories, and a variety of institutionalist theories – give little or no causal weight to the role of individual political leaders. Debates in international political economy are commonly centered around system, state, and society-centered approaches while neglecting the individual level altogether (Ikenberry, Lake, & Mastanduno, 1988). Constructivist approaches, which should in principle be open to the inclusion of psychological variables, have until recently given little attention to individual agency (Shannon and Kowert, 2012). 2
Examining How Perception of External Threat Influences the Popularity of Government Leaders

This paper seeks to explore the conditions where leaders from open democracies to authoritarian states become more or less popular in response to perceived economic and social threats to society, along with increases in societal (economic and social) hardship and group polarization effects. To further explore these conditions, we used a psycho-social approach to develop a preliminary conceptual model of how the perception of threats, changes in societal conditions, and the polarization of society can concurrently influence the popularity of a government leader.
A study on pharmacokinetics of bosentan with systems modeling, Part 1: translating systemic plasma concentration to liver exposure in healthy subjects

Understanding liver exposure of hepatic transporter substrates in clinical studies is often critical, as it typically governs pharmacodynamics, drug-drug interactions, and toxicity for certain drugs. However, this is a challenging task since there is currently no easy method to directly measure drug concentration in the human liver. Using bosentan as an example, we demonstrate a new approach to estimate liver exposure based on observed systemic pharmacokinetics from clinical studies using physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling. The prediction was verified to be both accurate and precise using sensitivity analysis. For bosentan, the predicted pseudo steady-state unbound liver-to-unbound systemic plasma concentration ratio was 34.9 (95% confidence interval: 4.2, 50). Drug-drug interaction (i.e., CYP3A and CYP2B6 induction) and inhibition of hepatic transporters (i.e., bile salt export pump, multidrug resistance-associated proteins, and sodium-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide) were predicted based on the estimated unbound liver tissue or plasma concentrations. With further validation and refinement, we conclude that this approach may serve to predict human liver exposure and complement other methods involving tissue biopsy and imaging.
Evaluating the Role of Vision and Force Feedback in Minimally Invasive Surgery: New Automated Laparoscopic Grasper and A Case Study

Conventional laparoscopic tools do not have the ability of providing force feedback to a surgeon during surgical procedures. Loss of haptic feedback in MIS procedures is a disadvantage to surgeons since they are conventionally used to palpating tissues to diagnose whether the tissue is normal or abnormal. Therefore, a need exists to incorporate force feedback into laparoscopic tools. We have developed a laparoscopic grasper with force feedback capability to help surgeons characterize tissues. Through our interface, the surgeon can feel the tissue grasping forces while interacting with the PHANToM (haptic interface device). Our laparoscopic tool has a modular design for easy conversion between a grasper, cutter, and dissector. We have done several experiments to test two hypotheses with human subjects (20 subjects; 10 surgeons and 10 non-surgeons) to characterize tissues of varying hardness using only vision, only force, and simultaneous vision and force feedback.
Population-level intervention to promote chlamydia screening. Moving toward implementation of chlamydia hedis 2000 measure

Abstract Background: HEDIS 2000 measure includes chlamydia screening in women which is designed to assess the percentage of sexually active women 15 to 25 years who have received at least one screening test for chlamydia during the reporting year. This study is being undertaken to determine feasibility of implementing a population-level intervention within HMOs to promote chlamydia screening. This abstract presents preliminary findings from the Birmingham project of this multicenter study. Methods: In partnerships with two HMOs, series of outreach methods were used in a stepwise fashion to determine potential barriers and enabling factors for the implementation of chlamydia HEDIS measure in a conservative social environment. Mail outreach was sequentially combined with newspaper, TV, radio advertisements and poster displays. Both qualitative and quantitative impact of the outreach efforts were measured across the timeline. The measures included reporting for chlamydia screening (urine LCR) and infection rate, monitoring chlamydia hotline and staffed phoneline use, and assessment of untoward effects and cost-analysis of the chlamydia outreach campaign. Results: The key findings are: the benefit of chlamydia screening is not understood by general public, letters send by Health Plans to their members are not read by many subscribers, and there are wide gaps between adolescents and their parents, in knowledge, attitudes, beliefs in regard to obtaining information and accessing the screening services (teens prefer hotline, brochure in an envelop addressed to teens, incentives for reporting to the clinic for screening, vs. parents prefer staffed phone consults, “exposed” brochure addressed to parents, and no incentives). A month of sustained and repeat multi-media campaign resulted in 330 hotline calls, 83 phone calls and only 17 subjects being tested (3 were positive) though many more intended to come. Cumulative effects and cost of various outreach efforts are being monitored. Informational chlamydia brochures and free test cards mailed to the homes generated no negative response from the subscribers, contrary to the concerns of the HMOs. Conclusion: To be effective, investment in public education campaign and social marketing strategies must be integrated in population-level intervention for the implementation of the chlamydia HEDIS 2000 measure.
Actuators and the performance of work

In Chapter 1 we described the general concepts of open and closed loop electromechanical systems for performing work. The muscle for performing the work is provided by an actuator, which is typically a motor or other device that converts electrical input into mechanical action. This chapter will describe the operation and use of typical actuators, which include DC motors and servomotors, stepping motors, relays and solenoids, and pneumatic power systems. Specifying an actuator for a specific operation requires measuring the work to be performed in order to specify the power and torque/speed requirements of the actuator that will perform the work. Thus, the description of actuators will be preceded by a review of some basic concepts of physics as they apply to electromechanical systems.
Analyzing multiple-item measures of crime and deviance II: Tobit regression analysis of transformed scores.

The purpose of this article is to inform criminological researchers about tobit regression, an alternative regression model that deserves more attention in this field. Tobit regression is intended for continuous data that are censored, or bounded at a limiting value. The tobit model may be a particularly good match to measures of self-reported offending, provided they have been transformed to reduce skewness. We present empirical analyses that evaluate the match of self-report measures to the assumptions of ordinary least square (OLS) and tobit regression models and that assess the consequences of any violations of assumptions. The analyses use a fourteen-item, self-report measure of delinquency from the Monitoring the Future study, a national survey of high school seniors. These analyses provide clear evidence that (1) transformations to reduce skewness improve the match of OLS to the data but still leave considerable discrepancies, and (2) the tobit model is well suited to the transformed measure. We conclude by assessing the purposes for which tobit offers greater and smaller advantages over OLS regression.
MOUNTAIN METEOROLOGY | Downslope Winds

This article is reproduced from the previous edition, volume 2, pp 644–650, © 2003, Elsevier Ltd.
An egocentric augmented reality interface for spatial information management in crisis response situations

In emergency operations centers, operators are challenged with managing and analyzing massive amounts of information in a timely manner. With the advent of motion tracking systems and low-cost, high-performance graphics workstations, novel spatial augmented reality (AR) interfaces are becoming technologically feasible. AR interfaces have very unique characteristics as compared to other media and computer interfaces: users interact with the computer system through body motion in a volumetric space, instead of via a two-dimensional surface. We have created three prototype immersive AR computing interfaces for emergency operation center. User interacts with the information using a pair of motion tracked pinch gloves, and information is displayed through a head-tracked optical see-though head mounted display. The emergency operator uses intuitive grab and release gesture to move and manipulate the digital information in the environment analogous to interaction of everyday life objects.
Tunable mechanical properties through texture control of polycrystalline additively manufactured materials using adjoint-based gradient optimization

Polycrystalline materials can be characterized by the preferred orientation of grains within a material, otherwise known as texture. It has been shown that texture can affect a wide range of mechanical properties in metallic materials, including elastic moduli, yield stress, strain hardening, and fracture toughness. Recent advances in additive manufacturing of metallic materials allow for controlling the spatial variation of texture and thus provide a path forward for controlling material properties through additive manufacturing. This paper investigates the benefits, in terms of mechanical performance, of varying texture spatially. We examine the material properties of a hole in a plate under load and use an adjoint-based gradient optimization algorithm coupled with a finite element solver. The method of adjoints allows for efficient calculation of design problems in a large variable space, reducing overall computational cost. As a first step to general texture optimization, we consider the idealized case of a pure fiber texture where the homogenized properties are transversely isotropic. In this special case, the only spatially varying design variables are the angles that describe the orientation of the homogenized material at each point within the structure. Material angles for both a spatially homogeneous and a spatially heterogeneous material are optimized for quantities of interest, such as compliance and von Mises stress. Additionally, the combined effects of elasticity tensor and material orientation on optimized structures are explored, as the additive manufacturing processes can potentially vary both. This work paves a way forward to design metallic materials with tunable mechanical properties at the microstructure level and is readily adapted to other materials.
Genetic dissection of clonal lineage relationships with hydroxytamoxifen liposomes

Targeted genetic dissection of tissues to identify precise cell populations has vast biological and therapeutic applications. Here we develop an approach, through the packaging and delivery of 4-hydroxytamoxifen liposomes (LiTMX), that enables localized induction of CreERT2 recombinase in mice. Our method permits precise, in vivo, tissue-specific clonal analysis with both spatial and temporal control. This technology is effective using mice with both specific and ubiquitous Cre drivers in a variety of tissue types, under conditions of homeostasis and post-injury repair, and is highly efficient for lineage tracing and genetic analysis. This methodology is directly and immediately applicable to the developmental biology, stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, and cancer biology fields.
Abstract B054: Impairing the reseeding of circulating tumor cells decelerates metastatic progression

This study aims to understand the mechanisms and dynamics by which cancer cells, departing from existing metastases as circulating cancer cells (CTCs), further seed and colonize skeleton and soft tissues, expanding metastatic spreading and precipitating the clinical progression to terminal disease. We have previously shown that the chemokine receptor CX3CR1 is implicated in the metastatic seeding of breast cancer cells and that FX-68, a novel small-molecule antagonist for this receptor, effectively contains both number of lesions and total tumor burden in animal models of metastatic disease. Here we established that FX-68 impairs the reseeding of skeleton and soft-tissue and that the CTCs unable to reseed and forced to remain in the blood eventually succumb to apoptotic death. The metastatic potential of CTCs was confirmed by reinoculation experiments as well as by forcefully mobilizing cancer cells from metastases back in the blood and assessing the number of additional lesions generated, in the presence and absence of FX-68. Finally, we hypothesized that prolonging the permanence of CTCs in the blood could improve their exposure to chemotherapy drugs. This paradigm was tested by combining FX-68 with doxorubicin or docetaxel and assessing drug bioavailability and antimetastatic effects. In summary, our results strongly support developing CX3CR1 antagonists and promoting their clinical use, as this approach will provide novel and effective tools to contain the progression of metastatic disease in patients. Citation Format: Chen Qian, Asurayya Worrede-Mahdi, Fei Shen, Joseph Salvino, Olimpia Meucci, Alessandro Fatatis. Impairing the reseeding of circulating tumor cells decelerates metastatic progression [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2017 Oct 26-30; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2018;17(1 Suppl):Abstract nr B054.
Dendrimer-Based Lipid Nanoparticles Deliver Therapeutic FAH mRNA to Normalize Liver Function and Extend Survival in a Mouse Model of Hepatorenal Tyrosinemia Type I

mRNA-mediated protein replacement represents a promising concept for the treatment of liver disorders. Children born with fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (FAH) mutations suffer from Hepatorenal Tyrosinemia Type 1 (HT-1) resulting in renal dysfunction, liver failure, neurological impairments, and cancer. Protein replacement therapy using FAH mRNA offers tremendous potential to cure HT-1, but is currently hindered by the development of effective mRNA carriers that can function in diseased livers. Structure-guided, rational optimization of 5A2-SC8 mRNA-loaded dendrimer lipid nanoparticles (mDLNPs) increases delivery potency of FAH mRNA, resulting in functional FAH protein and sustained normalization of body weight and liver function in FAH-/- knockout mice. Optimization using luciferase mRNA produces DLNP carriers that are efficacious at mRNA doses as low as 0.05 mg kg-1 in vivo. mDLNPs transfect > 44% of all hepatocytes in the liver, yield high FAH protein levels (0.5 mg kg-1 mRNA), and are well tolerated in a knockout mouse model with compromised liver function. Genetically engineered FAH-/- mice treated with FAH mRNA mDLNPs have statistically equivalent levels of TBIL, ALT, and AST compared to wild type C57BL/6 mice and maintain normal weight throughout the month-long course of treatment. This study provides a framework for the rational optimization of LNPs to improve delivery of mRNA broadly and introduces a specific and viable DLNP carrier with translational potential to treat genetic diseases of the liver.
Optimizing Oncology Nurses Knowledge on Neutropenic Diet and Food Safety Standards through Evaluation and Education

Topic Significance & Study Purpose/Background/Rationale Inconsistencies on the nurses’ interpretation of neutropenic diet can lead to patients obtaining misinformation on food safety standards and foods permitted on the diet. The purpose of this quality improvement project (QIP) is to identify University of Miami Hospital and Clinic's (UMHC) nurses’ understanding of the neutropenic diet, safe food handling, and to provide cohesive education to the nurses. Methods, Intervention, & Analysis Identical, 17-question pre and post surveys were created to ascertain nurse's knowledge on foods allowed on the facility's neutropenic diet and USDA's food safety standards. The pre-survey was administered to 46 UMHC oncology nurses from inpatient stem cell transplant and hematology/oncology. Subsequent education was provided by the nurse practitioner and dieticians on both topics, followed by a post-survey. Findings & Interpretation Among the UMHC's oncology nurses the averaged overall pre-survey's score revealed that 56.3% of questions were answered correctly based on the facility's neutropenic diet and national standards of food safety, compared to the post survey's 85.2% (Figure 1). Nurses had more difficulty correctly answering which foods are allowed on neutropenic diet, general food safety and temperature control questions versus cross contamination and preparation/wash questions (Table 1). Discussion & Implications Inconsistencies of UMHC nurse's knowledge regarding foods allowed on neutropenic diets and food safety standards were identified. Providing education improved nurses’ knowledge which could decrease patient misinformation and potentially minimize patient's risk. It is important to implement routine education to nurses to decrease risk of food borne illnesses to this vulnerable population.
Field Evaluation of a Binary Sex Pheromone for Sweetpotato Vine Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in Hawaii.

The sweetpotato vine borer, Omphisa anastomosalis (Guenee), is a primarily Asian pest of sweetpotato, Ipomoea batatas L. Damage by O. anastomosalis infestation can cause root yield losses of 30%-50%. A binary sex pheromone for O. anastomosalis, consisting of Type I [(10E,14E)-10,14-hexadecadienal (E10,E14-16:Ald)] and Type II [(3Z,6Z,9Z)-3,6,9-tricosatriene (Z3,Z6,Z9-23:H)] components, was identified in Vietnam from extracts of female pheromone glands. A structurally similar Type II compound [(3Z,6Z,9Z)-3,6,9-docosatriene (Z3,Z6,Z9-22:H)], not recovered from female pheromone glands, was also found to synergize the attractiveness of the Type I component. Additional field work has been needed to determine whether these synergistic enhancements of attractiveness also occur in other parts of the geographical distribution of this moth species. Herein, results of studies are reported which document that both Z3,Z6,Z9-23:H and Z3,Z6,Z9-22:H also synergistically enhance male response to E10,E14-16:Ald in Hawaii sweetpotato field populations. Trap catch tends to be enhanced with increase of dose and lower Type I:Type II ratios. Among the compound doses and ratios tested, trap catch increased with the addition of the Type II component by over 13 times relative to traps baited with the Type I component alone, which significantly enhanced sweetpotato vine borer detection. Using a 2.0 mg: 4.0 mg Type I: Type II loading, there was continued catch over 12 wk, during which time the Type I component weathered at a faster rate than the Type II component. This binary sex pheromone seems to have promise for both monitoring and suppression of field populations of O. anastomosalis throughout its geographical range.
VERY LATE STENT THROMBOSIS OF A CORRECTLY REENDOTHELIALIZED STENT OF MESENTERIC ARTERY IN SETTING OF ANTIPLATELET THERAPY INTERRUPTION

Stent thrombosis (ST) is typically seen within 6 months of discontinuing antiplatelet therapy. We describe a case of a very late ST in the superior mesenteric artery (SMA). A 92 year old woman with atrial fibrillation (AF) on apixaban and stent in SMA for mesenteric ischemia on dual antiplatelet
The Utility of CardioMEMS Implantable Hemodynamic Monitoring Device in Heartware HVAD Patient with Recurrent Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Introduction CardioMEMS heart sensor is a wireless implantable hemodynamic monitoring system that can guide the management of heart failure (HF). Its role in HF patients with left-ventricular assist device (LVAD) is undetermined. Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is a common complication in the LVAD population. Severe GI bleeding can lead to a hypovolemic state which results in decreased pulmonary artery pressure (PAP). In this case, we report the changes in PAP recorded by CardioMEMS in an LVAD patient with recurrent GI bleeding. Case Report A 66 year-old man with Heartware HVAD implantation for ischemic cardiomyopathy, atrial fibrillation, diabetes and CardioMEMS device implantation presented to the emergency department (ED) on 6/8 due to black stools for 4 days. He was hospitalized 3 times in the preceding 2 months for GI bleeding of unclear etiology requiring blood transfusions and monthly octreotide. In the ED, he was stable and LVAD interrogation did not show any events. However, he had a drop in hemoglobin (Hb) from a baseline of 8.9 g/dL to 6.9 g/dL. He underwent push enteroscopy during this hospital stay which demonstrated bleeding jejunal angioplastic lesions. The PAP readings during the episodes of GI bleeding were reviewed. There was a significant reduction in PAP at the date of symptom onset from one day prior; from 57/26 mmHg (mPAP 38 mmHg) on 6/3 to 48/24 mmHg (mPAP 34 mmHg) on 6/4 corresponding with 2 g/dL drop in Hb level (See figure). This phenomenon was seen in a prior episode of GI bleeding 2 months prior. The PAP numbers dropped considerably to 39/18 mmHg (mPAP 27 mmHg) at the onset of symptoms compared with 49/22 mmHg (mPAP 33 mmHg) 1 day prior associated with 2.9 g/dL decline in Hb level. During the time PAP changes were observed, diuretic therapy was not modified. Summary In patients implanted with CardioMEMS device, a sudden drop in PAP can herald a GI bleeding episode. Monitoring PAP trends can be helpful in LVAD patients who are at higher risk for GI bleeding.
Hydrocarbon Recovery from Williston Basin Shale and Mudrock Cores with Supercritical CO2: 2. Mechanisms That Control Oil Recovery Rates and CO2 Permeation

In part 1 (10.1021/acs.energyfuels.9b01177), CO2 was used to recover oil from 51 source shale and reservoir mudrock cores collected from the Bakken Petroleum System in the Williston Basin. Oil hydr...
MRI monitoring of function, perfusion and viability in microembolized moderately ischemic myocardium.

Assessment of microembolization after coronary interventions is clinically challenging, thus we longitudinally investigated microemboli effects on moderately ischemic myocardium using MRI and histopathology. Twenty-four pigs (8/group) were divided into: group I (no intervention), group II (45 min LAD occlusion) and group III (45 min LAD occlusion with microembolization). Cine, perfusion and delayed contrast enhanced MRI (DE-MRI), using 1.5T MRI, were used for assessment at 3 days and 5 weeks. Triphenyltetrazolium-chloride (TTC) and Masson-trichrome were used as gold standard references for macro and microscopic quantification of myocardial infarction (MI). Cine MRI showed differential increase in end systolic volume (1.3 ± 0.08 ml/kg group II and 1.6 ± 0.1 ml/kg group III) and decrease in ejection fraction (45 ± 2 and 36 ± 2 %, respectively) compared with controls at 3 days (2.1 ± 0.1 ml ESV and 50 ± 1 % EF, P < 0.05). At 5 weeks group III, but not II, showed persistent perfusion deficits, wall thinning in the LAD territory and compensatory hypertrophy in remote myocardium. DE-MRI MI at 3 days was significantly smaller in group II (3.3 ± 2.2 g) than III (9.8 ± 0.6 g), at 5 weeks, MI were smaller by 60 % (1.3 ± 0.9 g) and 22 % (7.7 ± 0.5 g), respectively. TTC MI was similar to DE-MRI in group II (1.6 ± 1.0 g) and III (9.2 ± 1.6 g), but not microscopy (2.8 ± 0.4 and 10.5 ± 1.5 g, respectively). The effects of moderate ischemia with and without microembolization on myocardium could be differentiated using multiple MRI sequences. MRI demonstrated that microemboli in moderately ischemic myocardium, but not solely ischemia, prolonged ventricular dysfunction, created perfusion deficits, poor infarct resorption and enhanced compensatory hypertrophy, while moderate ischemia alone caused minor LV changes.
The alchemy of confirmation bias transmutes expectations into bilingual advantages: A tale of two new meta-analyses.

Five recent meta-analyses of the bilingual advantage in executive functioning hypothesis have converged on the outcome that the mean effect size is very small and that the incidence of statisticall...
Quality of Meals Consumed by US Adults at Full-Service and Fast-Food Restaurants, 2003–2016: Persistent Low Quality and Widening Disparities

BACKGROUND Meals from full-service restaurants (FS) and fast-food restaurants (FF) are an integral part of US diets, but current levels and trends in consumption, healthfulness, and related sociodemographic disparities are not well characterized. OBJECTIVES We aimed to assess patterns and nutritional quality (using validated American Heart Association [AHA] diet scores) of FS and FF meals consumed by US adults. METHODS Serial cross-sectional investigation utilizing 24-h dietary recalls in survey-weighted, nationally representative samples of 35,015 adults aged ≥20 y from 7 NHANES cycles, 2003-2016. RESULTS Between 2003 and 2016, American adults consumed ∼21 percent of energyfrom restaurants (FS: 8.5% in 2003-2004, 9.5% in 2015-2016, P-trend = 0.38; FF: 10.5%; 13.4%, P-trend = 0.31). Over this period, more FF meals were eaten for breakfast (from 4.4% to 7.6% of all breakfasts, P-trend <0.001), with no changes for lunch (15.2% to 15.3%) or dinner (14.6% to 14.4%). In 2015-2016, diet quality of both FS and FF were low, with mean AHA diet scores of 31.6 and 27.6 (out of 80). Between 2003 and 2016, diet quality of FF meals improved slightly, (the percentage with poor quality went from 74.6% to 69.8%; and with intermediate quality, from 25.4% to 30.2%; P-trend <0.001 each). Proportions of FS meals of poor (∼50%) and intermediate (∼50%) quality were stable over time, with <0.1% of consumed FS or FF meals meeting ideal quality. Disparities in FS meal quality persisted by race/ethnicity, obesity status, and education and worsened by income; whereas disparities in FF meal quality persisted by age, sex, and obesity status and worsened by race/ethnicity, education, and income. CONCLUSIONS Between 2003 and 2016, FF and FS meals provided 1 in 5 calories for US adults. Modest improvements occurred in nutritional quality of FF, but not FS, meals consumed, and the average quality for both remained low with persistent or widening disparities. These findings highlight the need for strategies to improve the nutritional quality of US restaurant meals.
Prescribing and Safety of Direct-Acting Oral Anticoagulants Compared to Warfarin in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation on Chronic Hemodialysis

ESRD patients receiving hemodialysis (HD) were excluded from landmark trials evaluating direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in atrial fibrillation (AF). The objective was to evaluate prescribing and bleeding with DOACs compared to warfarin in AF patients with chronic HD. A retrospective, observational study of patients receiving warfarin or DOAC from April 2010-April 2016 from area health system hospitals and Dialysis Clinics, Inc. records. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and chi-square. Ninety-one patients were included with warfarin as the initial OAC in most patients (n = 76) at average dose of 29 mg/week. Fifteen patients were initially prescribed apixaban (n = 12) or dabigatran (n = 3). Most switches in OAC therapy were to apixaban. When the initial OAC was a DOAC, it was not dosed appropriately in five with one bleed, two dosed appropriately had bleeds. When initial warfarin was switched to a DOAC, it was not dosed appropriately in seven with five bleeds. More bleeds occurred with warfarin alone (n = 18) vs. those on warfarin switched to DOAC (n = 5) vs. DOAC alone (n = 3), p = 0.022. All but four patients that bled had HAS-BLED scores three or higher. Warfarin was most often prescribed and associated with a higher incidence of bleeding compared to DOACs in this population of patients at high risk for bleeding. Larger studies should be conducted to analyze the impact of DOAC dose appropriateness on safety and clinical outcomes.
Characteristics of Early Newborn Care: A Descriptive Analysis of Recent Births in Nigeria.

Background or Objectives: The neonatal period, the first 28 days of life, is the most critical period for child survival. In 2017, 214,000 children in Nigeria died during the neonatal period. Newborn care practices play a key role in preventing these deaths. The aim of this study was to examine the association between delivery location and early newborn care in Nigeria. Methods: Data from the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey were analyzed. The main exposure variable was delivery location (home, public hospital, public health center/clinic and private hospital/clinic). The outcomes were early initiation of breastfeeding, breastfeeding support, and cord examination. We used multivariate logistic regression to estimate the odds of newborn care. Results: We observed that the prevalence of all three outcome indicators was low. After adjusting for confounders, birth in public health facilities, compared to home birth, was associated with early initiation of breastfeeding (public hospitals: OR 1.62, 95% CI: 1.29-2.03; public health centers/clinics OR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.02-1.61). Breastfeeding support and cord examination were each associated with birth in public hospitals only compared to home birth (OR 1.41, 95% CI: 1.09-1.81 and OR 1.41, 95% CI: 1.11-1.79, respectively). Conclusion and Global Health Implications: Early newborn care in Nigeria was suboptimal and the quality of this care varied across delivery locations and birth attendants. Public hospitals had the most favorable newborn care outcomes. Policies and programs to enhance the quality of facility-based early newborn care and promote community-based newborn care could improve neonatal outcomes and reduce overall child mortality in resource-challenged settings. Key words: • Newborn care • Neonatal mortality • Breastfeeding • Cord care • Nigeria © 2020 Olorunsaiye et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Com - mons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited
Differentiation of a rapidly growing, scotochromogenic, polycyclic-aromatic-hydrocarbon-metabolizing strain of Mycobacterium sp. from other known Mycobacterium species

A rapidly-growing, acid-alcohol fast, scotochromogenic, polycyclic-aromatic-hydrocarbon-degrading Mycobacterium sp. isolate, Pyr-1, which was different from known Mycobacterium species based on biochemical tests, was further analyzed to compare its mycolic acids, cellular proteins, and nucleic acids with those of known species. Mass spectral analysis of the mycolic acids of Mycobacterium sp. Pyr-1 indicated that its mycolic acids were C60H120O3 and C62H124O3. The mycolic acid pattern from this bacterium was compared to those of 29 rapidly-growing, scotochromogenic species and 31 other species of Mycobacterium by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The mycolic acid pattern was unique, most closely resembling M. austroafricanum but also resembling M. parafortuitum and M. gilvum. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of soluble cellular proteins also readily differentiated this isolate from other species. The polypeptide pattern of Mycobacterium sp. Pyr-1 most closely resembled that of M. austroafricanum. Restriction enzyme analysis and Southern blot hybridization, however, revealed differences between the chromosomal DNA of our isolate and that of M. austroafricanum. The unique biochemical characteristics, mycolic acid pattern, polypeptide fingerprints, DNA restriction digest patterns, and DNA homology indicate that this strain is different from previously known species of mycobacteria. Since this bacterium is efficient in the metabolism of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, its characteristics and relationships to other Mycobacterium species are reported here.
Willingness to Use Home Collection Methods to Provide Specimens for SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 Research: Survey Study.

Background: Innovative laboratory testing approaches for SARS-CoV-2 infection and immune response are needed to conduct research to establish estimates of prevalence and incidence. Self-specimen collection methods have been successfully used in HIV and sexually transmitted infection research and can provide a feasible opportunity to scale up SARS-CoV-2 testing for research purposes. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the willingness of adults to use different specimen collection modalities for themselves and children as part of a COVID-19 research study. Methods: Between March 27 and April 1, 2020, we recruited 1435 adults aged 18 years or older though social media advertisements. Participants completed a survey that included 5-point Likert scale items stating how willing they were to use the following specimen collection testing modalities as part of a research study: home collection of a saliva sample, home collection of a throat swab, home finger-prick blood collection, drive-through site throat swab, clinic throat swab, and clinic blood collection. Additionally, participants indicated how the availability of home-based collection methods would impact their willingness to participate compared to drive-through and clinic-based specimen collection. We used Kruskal-Wallis tests and Spearman rank correlations to assess if willingness to use each testing modality differed by demographic variables and characteristics of interest. We compared the overall willingness to use each testing modality and estimated effect sizes with Cohen d. Results: We analyzed responses from 1435 participants with a median age of 40.0 (SD=18.2) years and over half of which were female (761/1435, 53.0%). Most participants agreed or strongly agreed that they would be willing to use specimens self-collected at home to participate in research, including willingness to collect a saliva sample (1259/1435, 87.7%) or a throat swab (1191/1435, 83.1%). Willingness to collect a throat swab sample was lower in both a drive-through setting (64%) and clinic setting (53%). Overall, 69.0% (990/1435) of participants said they would be more likely to participate in a research study if they could provide a saliva sample or throat swab at home compared to going to a drive-through site; only 4.4% (63/1435) of participants said they would be less likely to participate using self-collected samples. For each specimen collection modality, willingness to collect specimens from children for research was lower than willingness to use on oneself, but the ranked order of modalities was similar. Conclusions: Most participants were willing to participate in a COVID-19 research study that involves laboratory testing; however, there was a strong preference for home specimen collection procedures over drive-through or clinic-based testing. To increase participation and minimize bias, epidemiologic research studies of SARS-CoV-2 infection and immune response should consider home specimen collection methods.
Congenital chloride diarrhea in patient with SLC26A2 mutation - analysis of the clinical phenotype and differential diagnosis.

Introduction To analyze the clinical features and SLC26A3 mutation of one patient in our hospital who had congenital loss of chlorine diarrhea (CLD), and to investigate the treatment of the disease and the prognosis. Material and methods By reviewing the literature, analyzing the clinical features and differential diagnosis and investigating the treatment and prognosis, the patient was diagnosed as CLD. Results Excessive accumulation of amniotic fluid was observed during pregnancy. The patient was born prematurely with normal body weight. The patient was a 4-month old boy admitted for anorexia, watery diarrhea, electrolyte disorders (hyponatremia, hypokalemia and hypochloremia) and metabolic alkalosis. The patient was also considered to be affected by Batter syndrome. After treating with spironolactone, indomethacin and potassium chloride sustained release tablet, the symptom of watery diarrhea was alleviated, the ingested amount of milk increased gradually and the amount of urine became normal; however, electrolyte imbalance persisted and the frequency of bowel movements remained high. Genetic analysis demonstrated that the patient had a SLC26A3 c.269_270dupAA homozygous mutation in exon 3, leading to a frameshift from 91st amino acid Gly and alteration of the SLC26A3 transmembrane protein sequence, thus resulting in a Cl-/HCO3- exchange barrier. The parents of the patient had normal phenotypes and were all heterozygous carriers of the mutation. Moreover, the patient was diagnosed as CLD. Sodium chloride and potassium chloride rather than spironolactone and indomenthacin were given to the patient to correct the dehydration, so the symptom of watery diarrhea alleviated and the blood gas and electrolyte levels returned to the normal range. In addition, the patients morale was good and the ingested amount of milk was moderate. Conclusions Persistent diarrhea and electrolyte disorder in pediatrics are easy to misdiagnose as CLD. Furthermore, it is difficult to identify Batter syndrome, Gitelman syndrome, renal tubular acidosis and CLD. Blood and stool electrolyte detection and SLC26A3 genetic tests are helpful for diagnosis, and sodium chloride and potassium chloride replacement therapy are critical for the patient prognosis.
Infectious Disease Testing to Optimize Safety of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Products

Abstract Over 1 million hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCTs) have been performed during the last 50 years, with the number of transplants and clinical indications expected to continue to increase. Although advances in the field have improved outcomes of HSCT, it still carries a high risk due to the immunocompromised state of HSCT recipients. Multiple steps are involved from the initial collection of donor hematopoietic progenitor cells to the final infusion of the cellular product in a recipient. This review focuses on the infectious risk associated with each of these steps, as well as infectious disease testing strategies that can be used to mitigate these risks and to ensure a safe HSCT procedure.
Neighborhood-level Social Determinants of Health Improve Prediction of Preventable Hospitalization and Emergency Department Visits Beyond Claims History

This study was conducted to assess if neighborhood-level social determinants of health improve model performance of predicting preventable hospitalization. Using medical and pharmacy claims and neighborhood-level social determinants and the split sample method (67% training with balanced sample and 33% validation), the authors developed prospective modeling for preventable hospital use, defined as hospitalization for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Prevention Quality Indicators 90 and 92) and preventable emergency department (ED) use (based on Billing's algorithm). Performance of age-gender only or age-gender with administrative claims models were compared to models with the addition of social determinants. Adding social determinants to age-gender only models and claim history models improves model performance as measured by Brier score, C statistics, and area under the precision-recall curve for preventable ED use measures while it leads to similar performance for predicting preventable hospital use compared to models without social determinants. Adding neighborhood-level social determinants improved prediction for preventable ED use in the absence of individual-level social determinants, regardless of the availability of full administrative claims history.
The effects of combination levodopa-ropinirole on cognitive improvement and treatment outcome in individuals with cocaine use disorder: A bayesian mediation analysis.

Abstract Background Chronic cocaine users show impairments in cognitive processes associated with dopamine (DA) circuitry. Medications aimed at bolstering cognitive functions via DA modulation might enhance treatment outcome. Methods The trial used a double-blind, double-dummy, parallel-group design with four treatment arms comparing placebo (PLC) to levodopa/carbidopa 800 mg/200 mg alone (LR0), levodopa plus extended release (XR) ropinirole 2 mg (LR2) or XR ropinirole 4 mg (LR4). Adults (n = 110) with cocaine use disorder attended thrice weekly clinic visits for 10 weeks. Potential cognitive mediators assessed at week 5 consisted of measures of decision-making (Iowa Gambling Task, Risky Decision-Making Task), attention/impulsivity (Immediate Memory Task), motivation (Progressive Ratio task), and cognitive control (Cocaine Stoop task). The primary outcome measure was the treatment effectiveness score (TES) calculated as the number of cocaine-negative urines collected from weeks 6–10. Results Bayesian mediation examined indirect and total effects of the relationships between each active treatment (compared to PLC) and TES. Total (direct) effects were supported for LR0 and LR2, but not for LR4. Indirect effects were tested for each mediator. Notably, 22.3 % and 35.4 % of the total effects of LR0 and LR2 on TES were mediated by changes in attention/impulsivity. Conclusions The hypothesized mediation effect was strongest for levodopa plus 2 mg ropinirole, indicating that this DA medication combination predicted change (improvement) in attention/impulsivity, which in turn predicted change (reduction) in cocaine use. This finding provides modest support for cognitive enhancement as a target for medications to treat cocaine use disorder.
Seeing Beyond Courts: The Political Context of the Nationwide Injunction

The literature on nationwide injunctions by legal scholars remains quite young. Nevertheless there has developed rather sturdy consensus in the academic account. It is a "court-centered" account. This should not come as a surprise in light of the fact that the dominant treatments of the nationwide injunction have come through civil procedure, remedies, and federal courts law, each of which take courts as their primary focus. However, this account risks isolating federal courts with respect to a phenomenon that clearly extends beyond these institutions. To be sure, commentators on the nationwide injunction have noted the partisan dimension of the litigation strategies, but their response has been a call for a more “principled” — understood as legal — solution to the problem of nationwide injunctions. At nearly every turn in the scholarly discussion of the nationwide injunction, courts appear as the only significant institution playing a meaningful role, and the only site for our contemplation of a satisfactory resolution of the challenge they present. This Essay challenges the court-centered account of the nationwide injunction by shifting the lens from the specific litigation from which the nationwide injunction issues to the political and policy circumstances that give rise to the litigation in the first instance. This Essay contends that the nationwide injunction is the product of unilateral presidential action that often results from, or seek to take advantage of, increased congressional inaction brought by partisan polarization. It seeks to expand the institutional and structural threat posed by unilateral presidential action and, as a result, the potential legitimacy that the nationwide injunction serves as a mechanism for checking such action. By broadening the framework within which we understand the nationwide injunction, this Essay challenges the constitutional arguments against its issuance by federal courts.
Compression of binary sources with side information using low-density parity-check codes

It is shown how low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes can be used as an application of the Slepian-Wolf (1973) theorem for correlated binary sources. We focus on the asymmetric case of compression with side information. The approach is based on viewing the correlation as a channel and applying the syndrome concept. The encoding and decoding procedures, i.e. the compression and decompression, are explained in detail. The simulated performance results are better than most of the existing turbo code results available in the literature and very close to the Slepian-Wolf limit.
The MHC-E locus is the most well conserved of all known primate class I histocompatibility genes.

The HLA-E locus is characterized by limited polymorphism and low levels of cell surface expression. However, the function of the products of this nonclassical MHC class I gene remains unknown. To evaluate the conservation of the MHC-E locus throughout anthropoid primate evolution, we identified the homologue of the HLA-E locus in six different New World monkey species. Full-length sequencing of MHC-E cDNAs in four unrelated cotton-top tamarins ( Saguinus oedipus ) revealed no evidence for polymorphism. Using the PCR, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, and direct sequencing, we also identified MHC-E alleles in five other New World monkey species, representing all extant platyrrhine families. In contrast to all other classical and nonclassical MHC class I genes in primates, the rate of synonymous nucleotide substitution is much greater than the rate of nonsynonymous nucleotide substitution within exons 2 and 3 encoding the peptide binding region (PBR) in MHC-E genes. The PBR of the MHC-E molecule, therefore, has evolved under purifying selective pressures, and the very unusual evolutionary history of this ancient gene provides further evidence that the products of the HLA-E locus serve a critical immunological function. Given the remarkable conservation of the PBR during primate evolution, this critical immunological function is probably related to the peptide binding ability of the MHC-E protein.
POLYMER ATTACHED CATALYSTS

Abstract : Monomers containing two ligand groups separated by either flat aromatic groups or long alkyl chains were prepared. These materials were use to make polymers in with nickel(II) or phi-rhodium(I) halides were used to link the monomer units. The major part of the study used 1,12-bis(diphenylphosphino)-dodecane as the monomer unit. Polymethylmethacrylate-Pt composites were evaluated as oxidation catalysts and as electrode coatings. (Author)