cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Republican Brands, Democrat Brands…

ABSTRACT Might an advertised brand intentionally or unintentionally evoke association with one or the other of the major United States political parties? If so, what would prompt such an association? Those are the questions explored here. To test the idea that certain characteristics of brands may be disproportionately associated with one political party or the other, exploratory research was conducted in a large southwestern city.
Comparative effects of valine-5 angiotensin II amide and pitressin on renal excretory function in diabetes insipidus.

SummaryAngiotensin II (valine-5 angiotensin II amide) and pitressin were administered intravenously during mannitol and water diuresis to subjects with diabetes insipidus. Angiotensin II in doses of 0.0025 to 0.0050 μg per kg per minute caused a small but definite increase in blood pressure in 5 of 7 experiments, a decrease in endogenous creatinine clearance of about 11%, and a decrease in urine flow and water clearance of about 40%. The rate of sodium excretion was depressed by nearly 50%, while that of potassium decreased much less. Pitressin produced changes of water excretion qualitatively similar to those caused by angiotensin II. However, this effect was achieved without alteration in blood pressure, although filtration rate decreased. Further, pitressin did not consistently affect excretion of sodium and potassium. The results suggest that angiotensin II at the dose-ranges examined inhibits water and salt excretion by direct tubular action.
0383 Use of an O*NET based job exposure matrix to predict prevalence of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in a large pooled cohort

Objectives To determine if job title based physical exposure measures predicted prevalent carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in a large pooled cohort of workers. Method We pooled baseline examination data from six prospective cohort studies, restricting analyses to those employed at least 1 year. CTS was defined as median neuropathy plus typical symptoms. Physical exposure estimates for static strength, dynamic strength, time spent making repetitive motions, and time handling objects were extracted from the Occupational Network (O*NET) database using Standard Occupational Classification codes based on reported job title. Three exposure categories of high force/ high repetition, low force/ low repetition, and mixed high and low exposures were entered into logistic regression models adjusting for age, gender, body mass index (BMI), diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, employed time and study site. Results Of 3562 in the pooled cohort, 7.6% met a prevalent CTS definition with mean employed time of 7.9 years (SD 8.2). Compared to subjects with low job requirements for dynamic strength and repetitive motion, those with mixed exposures or high exposures showed increased prevalence of CTS (OR 1.46; 95% CI: 1.01–2.11 and OR 2.32; 95% CI: 1.15–4.67, respectively). Similar dose dependent associations of combined exposures were shown for all exposure combinations tested, with high/high combinations having the largest effect sizes (OR range 2.32–3.17) relative to the low force/low repetition exposure combinations. Conclusions Use of job-title based exposures was useful for demonstrating associations with prevalent CTS. Jobs with combined high exposures of force and repetition showed consistently greater risk of CTS compared to jobs with lower exposure levels.
Punitive Damages: New Twists in Torts

While jurisprudence in the United States has been cast in the general mode of the English common law, modifications over time have produced enough significant variations that American law has a distinctive quality. To illustrate: The exclusionary rule in criminal cases prohibiting the use of evidence (even from reliable witnesses) acquired through illegal search, is not followed in Britain—or, for that matter, in Canada, Germany, and Israel. The punitive-damage concept (PD) in tort law is also a jurisprudential novelty. Punitive damages are imposed in addition to compensatory awards given to tort victims to warn manufacturers and sellers to be careful in their safety and marketing practices. PDs are society's warning signals: Seller beware! Because they are one of society's ways to protect itself, PDs have recently been considered as fines which, to prevent excesses, should be under the rubric of the Eighth Amendment. This essay introduces new elements into the discussion on torts by hypothesizing (1) PDs are fines which belong to the public purse; (2) that expenditures from the public purse should be given to local organizations (like orphanages and inner-city hospitals) which provide vital services for those unable to pay; and (3) that the victim (or the victim's survivor) has a right to designate what local organizations should benefit from his or her punitive-damage awards. The hypotheses require reexamination of the concepts of citizenship, community, and work, respectively. Tort law is an integral part of the American law of injuries, a body of judicial doctrine and legislation and a set of legal arrangements that also include compensation systems and safety legislation. It would have been unthinkable as recently as twenty-five years ago that the tort system would become a source of bitter contention. Today, however, it generates sharp rhetoric and dramatic proposals for change to address its contested problems, as well as strong views in favor of continuing the system essentially intact so as not to disturb its contended benefits .
Lessons from vascular access procedures for hemodialysis.

Although specific requirements for vascular access in chronic hemodialysis differ from those of the oncology patient, many of the problems encountered are common to the two groups. This article reviews the current state-of-the-art of vascular access for hemodialysis. Particular emphasis is placed on the expanding use of duallumen silicone central venous dialysis catheters and their use in vascular access for the oncology patient.
Athletic training students with disabilities: a survey of entry-level education programs.

CONTEXT The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 created and expanded protection for people with disabilities. OBJECTIVE To identify the proportion of students with disabilities enrolled in entry-level athletic training education programs (ATEPs), to examine the nature of the disabilities reported by these students, and to assess the number of ATEPs with policies (beyond technical standards) for admitting students with disabilities. DESIGN I distributed a survey via e-mail and the US Postal Service. The survey instrument was adapted from a tool used in similar research on medical education programs. SETTING Entry-level ATEPs. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS The survey was distributed to program directors at 292 Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Program-accredited entry-level ATEPs. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Using frequency analysis, I determined the rate at which students with disabilities enrolled in entry-level ATEPs and the types of disabilities represented. Disabilities represented in the study were related to learning, auditory, visual, emotional, orthopaedic, mobility, and motor skill impairments. RESULTS Of the 283 surveys delivered, 105 (37%) were completed and returned. A total of 70% of respondents reported enrollment of students with disabilities in their ATEPs. The number of students with disabilities in entry-level ATEPs increased during the 4-year period of this study, and the proportion of students with disabilities has also increased annually (from 1.8% to 2.6%). The most common type of impairment was a learning disability, accounting for more than 80% of all disabilities reported. Fewer than 10% of the ATEPs had a specific enrollment policy for students with disabilities. CONCLUSIONS The number of students with disabilities in entry-level ATEPs is increasing, yet this figure is well below the 9% reported for the general student population. Most institutions rely on technical standards or student disability officers to determine if a student with a disability is otherwise qualified for selection into the ATEP.
α-interferon and 5-fluorouracil : possible mechanisms of antitumor action

We have treated 17 patients with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU, 300 mg/m2/d by continuous ambulatory infusion for 8 weeks) and interferon alfa-2b (escalating doses to cohorts of three to five patients, given subcutaneously on a daily schedule at 2.0, 3.5, 5.0, and 10.0 x 10(6) IU/m2). The two major toxicities observed were mucositis, which occurred in 10 patients at 2 weeks and required interruption of therapy and 5-FU dose reduction, and chronic fatigue syndrome, which required reduction of the dose of interferon alfa-2b. Other toxicities seen included elevation in BUN/creatinine, elevation in liver function tests, alopecia, diarrhea, confusion, and myelosuppression. No toxic deaths occurred. Five responses were observed: two complete responses, two partial responses, and one minor response, all in patients with gastrointestinal malignancy; three of the responding patients had previously failed 5-FU-containing regimens. When we measured 5-FU plasma levels in nine of our patients, they were at or below 1 ng/mL in most patients; however, within 1 hour of administration of interferon alfa-2b, plasma levels rose 16-fold. This elevation of 5-FU levels persisted for at least 24 hours, and could not be accounted for on the basis of altered interleukin-6 levels. When the regimen was tested in eight patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma as part of a pilot study, three partial responses were observed, and no patient developed disease progression while on treatment. The combination of 5-FU, given by continuous infusion, and interferon alfa-2b, given daily, appears worthy of advancement to phase II trials.
An efficient decomposition of the expectation of the maximum for the multivariate normal and related distributions

Abstract In structural dynamic discrete choice models, Monte Carlo integration has been the only way to evaluate the expectation of the maximum when errors are normally distributed. In this paper, however, I show that the expectation of the maximum can be decomposed as a linear combination of multivariate normal CDFs. For related distributions, such as the multivariate t -distribution, this expectation has a similar decomposition. My computational results show speed benefits of my proposed method for models with a low number of choices, although the speed gains are contingent on the use of analytical derivatives as opposed to numerical derivatives.
Comparison of the Automated with the Semi-Automatic Coulter Counter Method and the Direct Microscopic Somatic Cell Count (DMSCC) on Raw Milk Samples1

The automatic Milk Cell Counter (MCC) and semi-automatic electronic cell counter (ESCC) of Coulter Electronics were compared with each other and with the direct microscopic cell count (DMSCC) on raw milk samples with various cell counts. The average DMSCC count on 241 samples of milk with Wisconsin Mastitis Test (WMT) results of 22 mm and higher was 55,000 cells/ml above the average MCC count when calibrated to a 4.4-μm minimum particle diameter. This difference is statistically significant at the 1% level. On 24 different raw milk samples of widely varying somatic cell count analyzed in replicate six times per sample, the standard deviations for replicate samples were 34,300, 34,900 and 136,000 for the MCC, ESCC and DMSCC, respectively. For these tests, the MCC had been calibrated to a 4.3-μm minimum particle diameter. The average difference between counts by the MCC and ESCC methods was only 6080/ml, but this was statistically significant at the 5% level. The average MCC count with the equipment set at 4.3-μm minimum particle diameter was 58,000 above the average DMSCC count.
Probability Weighting and Analyst Bias: Theory and Evidence

Analyst forecasting bias is frequently attributed to opportunism. We argue that opportunism is not a necessary condition for bias and propose a simple model, based on research in behavioral economics and psychology, of belief-based probability weighting. The model is used to develop benchmarks which we test empirically. Our model explains the change in the magnitude of forecast bias over the forecast horizon, the percentage of optimistic and pessimistic forecast errors at long horizons, and seemingly counter-intuitive findings around the implementation of Regulation Fair Disclosure. Our results may inform regulators as they attempt to reduce or eliminate analyst forecast bias; eliminating incentives to bias may not lead to statistically unbiased forecasts.
Optimizing Excitation Polarization to Probe Fusion Pore Dynamics using TIRF Microscopy

During hormone or neurotransmitter release via exocytosis, fusion pores may open and close (flicker) repeatedly before resealing (“kiss & run” fusion) or dilating (full fusion) irreversibly. Pore dynamics regulate the amount and kinetics of cargo release, and determine the mode of recycling, but mechanisms that govern pore dynamics are not understood. This is in large part due to a lack of reconstituted assays with single-pore sensitivity and millisecond time resolution. We recently described a polarized total internal reflection (pTIRF) microscopy assay to monitor fusion of proteoliposomes to planar lipid bilayers supported on a soft polymer cushion with single molecule sensitivity and ∼15 ms temporal resolution. Fluorescently labeled small unilamellar vesicles, reconstituted with exocytotic/neuronal v-SNAREs (v-SUVs), fuse with a supported bilayer containing the cognate t-SNAREs (t-SBL). Each fusion event is accompanied by changes in the total fluorescence intensity surrounding the fusion site, as the lipid-linked labels diffuse from the liposome into the supported bilayer through the fusion pore. Analysis of the intensity changes, combined with a mathematical model, provides information on pore dynamics (Stratton et al. Biophys. J. 2016). In principle, three factors can contribute to intensity changes upon fusion: 1) dequenching of fluorophores, 2) evanescent field decay and 3) a change in the average orientation of the fluorophore dipole moments with respect to the excitation polarization field, as the fluorophores move from the round liposome into the flat bilayer. Here, we systematically varied the polarization of the excitation field and quantified its contribution to intensity changes for different lipid-linked fluorophores. Large increases facilitate detection of fusion events and quantification of lipid release kinetics.
Hot flash placebo responses: Related to baseline hot flash frequency?

9628 Background: As multiple treatments have been studied for the management of hot flashes in randomized, controlled trials, hot flash placebo responses have been quite variable across trials. Based on observations of trial reports, it was hypothesized that the magnitude of placebo effect might correlate with the number of baseline hot flashes in different studies. The current project examines the effect of the baseline hot flash frequency required for study participation and also the actual number of baseline hot flashes observed as these individually relate to the eventual reductions of hot flash frequency observed in patients receiving placebos. Methods: Data were collected from placebo-controlled, double-blinded, randomized trials, identified by a PubMed search, which reported hot flash frequency at baseline, 4–6 weeks and 12 weeks. Trials were excluded if they had less than 20 participants completing the placebo arm. Data gathered, in each study, included the number of hot flashes required to enroll...
Full scale thermal simulator development for the solar probe plus thermal protection system

Solar Probe Plus (SPP) is a NASA mission that will go within ten Solar Radii of the sun. One of the crucial technologies in this system is the Thermal Protection System (TPS), which shields the spacecraft from the sun. The TPS is made up of carbon-foam sandwiched between two carbon-carbon panels, and is approximately eight feet in diameter and 4.5 inches thick. At its closest approach, the front surface of the TPS is expected to reach 1200°C, but the foam will dissipate the heat so the back surface will only be about 300°C. Solar Probe Plus is scheduled to launch in 2018, and the program is in the beginning stages of integration and testing. As part of the testing process, SPP's cooling system and the full spacecraft will undergo thermal tests. Radiation from the back of the TPS plays a large part in both of these systems thermal environment. To get the back surface of the TPS to 300°C, large amounts of energy needs to be put into the top of the TPS. However, there are not many thermal chambers that can accommodate the amount of energy required at the vacuum environment required to simulate space. It is also extremely risky to expose the flight hardware to that much energy. Instead, a Thermal Simulator will be used that mimics the thermal and geometric footprint of the bottom of the TPS. The Thermal Simulator is designed as an oven box, similar in size and shape to the flight TPS, which uses tubular heaters to heat a 32 mil thick aluminum bottom sheet. The heaters and bottom sheet are supported by a large stainless steel structure. The sides and top of the structure are blanketed using stainless steel sheets. To verify the concept, a miniature simulator was built and tested. Despite a successful trial simulator, there were difficulties extrapolating the design into a larger size. This paper will focus on the construction and testing of the full-sized simulator. After extensive structural and thermal analysis, the full simulator was fabricated and assembled. A thermal vacuum test was done at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in chamber 238. At high vacuum, the bottom sheet was successfully brought to 250°C, 300°C, and 350°C with gradients of +/−30°C. Each temperature point was held for at least three hours after steady state was achieved. This simulator will be used in winter 2017 for the Integrated Thermal Vacuum Test, and again in the future for the full spacecraft test. By successfully executing the thermal system testing using GSE, we will prove that a full system can be validated using piecemeal testing.
Increasing Prescription Opioid and Heroin Overdose Mortality in the United States, 1999-2014: An Age-Period-Cohort Analysis.

Objectives. To assess cohort effects in prescription opioid and heroin overdose mortality in the United States.Methods. Using the National Center for Health Statistics’ multiple-cause-of-death file for 1999 to 2014, we performed an age–period–cohort analysis of drug overdose mortality in the United States.Results. Compared with those born in 1977 and 1978, individuals born between 1947 and 1964 experienced excess risks of prescription opioid overdose death (e.g., for the 1955–1956 birth cohort, rate ratio [RR] = 1.27; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09, 1.48) and of heroin overdose death (e.g., for the 1953–1954 birth cohort, RR = 1.32; 95% CI = 1.11, 1.57). Those born between 1979 and 1992 also experienced an increased risk of heroin overdose death (e.g., for the 1989–1990 birth cohort, RR = 1.23; 95% CI = 1.01, 1.50). The cohort effects were consistent between sexes.Conclusions. Individuals born between 1947 and 1964 and between 1979 and 1992 are particularly afflicted by the opioid epidemic. Intervent...
A 0.28mΩ-sensitivity 105dB-dynamic-range electrochemical impedance spectroscopy soc for electrochemical gas detection

An electrochemical (EC) gas sensor is a 3+ terminal electrochemical device which, when biased correctly with a potentiostat circuit, behaves as a current source whose output is proportional to the target gas concentration. The short lifetime of these sensors has become a key functional safety issue for hazardous gas detection modules. In order to predict the failure of EC gas sensors, a high precision and wide bandwidth EC impedance measurement is required [1]. For example, an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) instrument is often used in the laboratory for failure rate analysis and there is a trend towards integration of the EIS at the chip level. However, it is extremely challenging to integrate the precision high-speed/high-power EIS with the precision low-power EC potentiostat system. For instance, [2] demonstrated a very low-power integration of the EIS and bio-potentiostat; however the EIS bandwidth is only 80Hz and the EIS dynamic range (DR) is limited at 77dB. [3] and [4] presented good EIS performance because there were no trade-off limitations between the low-power module and the high speed EIS. Furthermore, two additional challenges, not met by [2, 3, 4], are to apply an AC stimulus without disturbing the large DC potentiostat and to improve the DR for stimulus-sensitive sensors. This paper demonstrates a highly integrated SoC to support EIS applications for diverse sensors. Figure 17.4.1 shows the implemented architecture. The analog front end (AFE) and digital back end (DBE) are implemented on a 0.18μσι die and a 90nm die respectively and stacked in a 5×6×1mm3 LGA package. A Cortex-M3, featuring UART/SPI/I2C interfaces, is integrated in the top DBE die. The bottom AFE die has two EC potentiostat channels, with sensor readout, as well as a chip scale 0.1Hz∼200kHz EIS solution, which is realized by a transmitter (Tx), receiver (Rx) and DSP. A sequencer can flexibly control all these modules through a programmable 6KB SRAM, which is shared by command memory and data FIFO.
Chemotherapy Acute Infusion Reactions: A Qualitative Report of the Perspectives of Patients With Cancer.

Objective:A growing number of cancer antineoplastic agents can cause life-threatening acute infusion reactions. Because previous studies have not studied these reactions from the perspective of pat...
Everyday ontologies and Islam for childless women in northwestern Turkey

ABSTRACTThis article discusses the significance of everyday Islam as a gendered locus for socialisation. Religious practices and conversations about religion comprise a major part of quotidian activities in the two villages in northwestern Turkey where the research took place. Men and women's everyday interaction with Islam dominated their ways of thinking, acting and especially socialising. Exploring the ways in which the Qur’an and the Hadith as discursive resources of Islam influence power relations and everyday practices, the article argues that Islamic morality co-exists with everyday Islam.
Implicit Mental Motor Imagery Task Demonstrates a Distortion of the Body Schema in Patients With Eating Disorders.

Objectives: A rich body of literature has established the role of body image distortion and dissatisfaction in the development and maintenance of eating disorders. However, many of the currently used techniques require explicit comparison of the person’s body to an external stimulus. As the body schema is a largely unconscious construct, explicit comparison tasks may reflect a proxy, rather than the body schema itself. Methods: Here we use an implicit mental motor imagery (MMI) task to interrogate the body schema in healthy control participants (N=40) and participants at a residential eating disorder treatment center (N=42). By comparing the time it takes to imagine making a movement along a part of the body to the time it takes to actually make the same movement, we were able to assess participants’ mental image of their body (i.e., body schema). Results: We found that participants with eating disorders, but not healthy controls, exhibited distortions of the body schema such that they believed their abdomen, buttocks, and thighs to be larger than they really are. Additionally, the MMI task used here provided information above and beyond traditional self-report measures (i.e., Body Shape Questionnaire). Together the MMI task and traditional measures provide the most information. Conclusions: Findings using the novel MMI task are in line with the literature; participants with eating disorders consider themselves to be larger than they truly are. Taken together, results of this study suggest that MMI tasks provide complementary information to traditional self-report measures. (JINS, 2018, 22, 000–000)
Using Evolutionary Psychology to Extend Our Understanding of Fit and Human Drives in Information Systems (IS) Utilization Decisions and Performance

This chapter theorizes about the use of evolutionary psychology-based tenets to examine individual characteristics in the context of the innate human drives that compel behaviors oriented toward technology. We examine the phenomenon of mobile information communication technology (MICT) in the context of health care . This chapter reports on a study examining nurses’ decisions to utilize MICTs that use the lens of evolutionary psychology to more fully understand individual characteristics, which is an area needing illumination in IS research. A mixed-method approach is used, consisting of both qualitative and quantitative elements, that reveals and empirically tests the significance of novel constellations of fit (i.e., identification, information, patient interaction, physical, time criticality, user comfort, and workflow fit) and individual characteristics, presented as basic human drives (i.e., drive to acquire, bond, defend, and learn). Findings indicate that fit is a multi-faceted construct and that archetypical human drives have an influence on these various notions, which, in turn, impact technology adoption in the health-care context.
Magnetothermal study of the hybrid frustrated magnet Dy 2 − x Tb x Ti 2 O 7

The two pyrochlore titanates ${\text{Dy}}_{2}{\text{Ti}}_{2}{\text{O}}_{7}$ and ${\text{Tb}}_{2}{\text{Ti}}_{2}{\text{O}}_{7}$ have low temperature magnetic states that result from geometrical frustration of the spin-spin interactions between neighboring rare-earth ions. ${\text{Dy}}_{2}{\text{Ti}}_{2}{\text{O}}_{7}$ is a canonical spin ice material, while the Tb moments in ${\text{Tb}}_{2}{\text{Ti}}_{2}{\text{O}}_{7}$ have a liquidlike cooperative paramagnetic state at low temperatures. We report magnetic and thermal properties of the hybrid rare-earth titanates, ${\text{Dy}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}{\text{Tb}}_{x}{\text{Ti}}_{2}{\text{O}}_{7}$, with $0\ensuremath{\le}x\ensuremath{\le}2$. We find that both the magnetic and thermal properties of the materials are strongly affected by the mixture of the ions on the sites, and that the ground state of ${\text{Dy}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}{\text{Tb}}_{x}{\text{Ti}}_{2}{\text{O}}_{7}$ is different from both spin ice and spin liquid, i.e., ${\text{Dy}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}{\text{Tb}}_{x}{\text{Ti}}_{2}{\text{O}}_{7}$ is not a simple mixture of spin ice and spin liquid components or the corresponding nonmagnetic diluted species. The strongly altered low temperature behavior is presumably associated with the Dy-Tb spin interactions and the altered crystalline electric field, suggesting that such hybrid frustrated materials offer an alternative avenue through which to explore geometrical magnetic frustration.
Cognitive performance of youth with primary generalized anxiety disorder versus primary obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Background Despite gains made in the study of childhood anxiety, differential diagnosis remains challenging because of indistinct boundaries between disorders and high comorbidity. This is certainly true for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) as they share multiple cognitive processes (e.g., rumination, intolerance of uncertainty, and increased attention to threat). Disentangling such cognitive characteristics and, subsequently, underlying mechanisms could serve to inform assessment and treatment practices, and improve prognoses. Methods The current study sought to compare the cognitive performance (working memory, visuospatial memory, planning ability/efficiency, and cognitive flexibility), indexed by the Cambridge Neuropsychological Automated Battery (CANTAB) among three nonoverlapping groups of youth: (1) those diagnosed with OCD (n = 28), (2) those diagnosed with GAD, not OCD (n = 34), and (3) typically-developing controls (TDC) (n = 65). Results Results showed that OCD and GAD youth demonstrated neurocognitive deficits in planning ability/efficiency, cognitive flexibility, and visual processing when compared to TDC, with potential diagnostic specificity such that youth with GAD or OCD had unique deficits compared to TDC and to one another. Specifically, youth with OCD demonstrated significantly impaired planning ability compared to youth in the GAD and TDS groups, whereas youth with GAD demonstrated greater cognitive inflexibility and delayed visual processing compared to youth in the OCD and TDC groups. Conclusions Future studies should expand upon these findings with more comprehensive assessment of cognitive functioning by including self- and parent-report forms, and neuroimaging to link behavioral findings with subjective ratings and neurocircuitry. Altogether, data can then inform future assessment and treatment targets.
Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment in Children: Clinical Factors Predictive of Successful Surgical Repair.

Purpose To describe presenting clinical features and surgical techniques that are associated with successful surgical repair of pediatric rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). Design Retrospective interventional case series. Participants Two hundred twelve eyes of 191 patients 0 to 18 years of age undergoing surgical repair for RRD between 2001 and 2015 with a minimum follow-up of 3 months. Methods Patients were divided into 3 age groups (0–6 years, 7–12 years, and 13–18 years) and comparisons were made using bivariate and multivariate generalized estimating equation models. A mixed means model was used to examine visual acuity in each age group over time. Main Outcome Measures Complete reattachment of the retina at final follow-up. Results Of 212 eyes, 166 (78%) achieved total reattachment at final follow-up. Mean follow-up was 36.3 months. Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment associated with Stickler syndrome was more likely to occur in the younger cohorts (odds ratio [OR], 0.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.22–0.91), whereas RRD associated with blunt trauma was more likely to occur in the oldest cohort (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.2–4.4). Subtotal RRD was more likely to be repaired successfully than total RRD (OR, 3.6; 95% CI, 1.5–8.4; P = 0.0100), and eyes with previous vitreoretinal surgery were less likely to undergo successful repair (OR, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.12–0.78; P = 0.0258). There was no significant difference between age groups in the rate of surgical success (P = 0.55). There was a significantly higher success rate with primary scleral buckle (SB; 63%; OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.1–4.5) and combined SB plus pars plana vitrectomy (PPV; 68%; OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.1–5.1) compared with PPV alone (51%). Conclusions Most pediatric patients with RRD achieved complete reattachment with surgery. Success was more common in patients with a subtotal RRD at presentation. Previous vitreoretinal surgery was a risk factor for failure. Younger patients were more likely to demonstrate RRD involving the macula, but there was no difference between age groups in successful reattachment at final follow-up. Primary PPV showed a lower rate of success than SB or combined SB plus PPV.
Compact lidar polarimetry via time-varying transmit polarization and an elliptical polarization analyzer

In a recently developed compact LiDAR polarimeter, the transmit beam cycles through multiple polarization states within each laser pulse and the receiver splits the received signal into multiple polarization state analyzers (PSAs), with the PSA outputs temporally multiplexed into a single detector. This enables measurement of up to 12 of the 16 Mueller matrix elements of a target using limited hardware. However, due to numerical issues, one entire column of the matrix is not accessible, including the M22 element (counting from zero) on the matrix diagonal. Experimental data show that for most surfaces of interest in a defense/security setting, the off-diagonal elements tend to be negligibly small and the diagonal elements vary between targets, so access to the diagonal elements is of high interest. In this paper, we show that if an elliptical PSA is used at the receiver and if most of the off-diagonal Mueller matrix elements are assumed to be zero a priori, then the otherwise inaccessible M22 element can be estimated. We explore the linear algebra of the problem to determine the full list of which subsets of Mueller matrix elements can be estimated with this hardware configuration. We also theoretically and empirically investigate the effects of the rotations of the electro-optic transmitter plate and receiver elliptical PSA on the overall system performance.
Adenylyl cyclase 5-generated cAMP controls cerebral vascular reactivity during diabetic hyperglycemia

Elevated blood glucose (hyperglycemia) is a hallmark metabolic abnormality in diabetes. Hyperglycemia is associated with protein kinase A (PKA)-mediated stimulation of L-type Ca2+ channels in arterial myocytes resulting in increased vasoconstriction. However, the mechanisms by which glucose activates PKA remain unclear. Here, we showed that elevating extracellular glucose stimulates cAMP production in arterial myocytes, and that this was specifically dependent on adenylyl cyclase 5 (AC5) activity. Super-resolution imaging suggested nanometer proximity between subpopulations of AC5 and the L-type Ca2+ channel pore-forming subunit CaV1.2. In vitro, in silico, ex vivo and in vivo experiments revealed that this close association is critical for stimulation of L-type Ca2+ channels in arterial myocytes and increased myogenic tone upon acute hyperglycemia. This pathway supported the increase in L-type Ca2+ channel activity and myogenic tone in two animal models of diabetes. Our collective findings demonstrate a unique role for AC5 in PKA-dependent modulation of L-type Ca2+ channel activity and vascular reactivity during acute hyperglycemia and diabetes.
Cooperative Learning Effects on Peer Relations and Alcohol Use in Middle School.

Abstract We tested a prevention approach aimed at reducing growth in alcohol use in middle school using four waves (2 years) of data from a cluster randomized trial (N = 15 middle schools, 1890 students, 47.1% female, 75.2% White). Our approach exposed students to a broad cross-section of peers through collaborative, group-based learning activities in school (i.e., cooperative learning). We hypothesized that the increased social contact created by cooperative learning would promote greater peer relatedness, interrupting the process of deviant peer clustering and, in turn, reducing escalations in alcohol use. Our results supported these hypotheses, suggesting that the social nature of cooperative learning, and the emphasis on group work and collaboration, can provide social and behavioral as well as academic benefits for students.
Assessing Spatial Characteristics of Soil Lead Contamination in the Residential Neighborhoods Near the Exide Battery Smelter

The presence of hazardous chemicals such as lead (Pb) or other heavy metals in the environment poses significant threats to human health. Industrial activities can increase the concentrations of these toxic metals in the soil, water and air where people live, work and play. When exposed to lead, residents face a higher risk of neurological damage, anemia or developmental delays. Urban soil lead levels, for example, are usually higher than the natural background lead levels due to the historical usage of lead paint, leaded gasoline and proximity to industrial activities. We explored a case in southeastern Los Angeles County, where lead contamination in the soil has been a particular concern near a lead-acid battery smelter. In this case study, we investigated soil lead levels across the neighborhoods surrounding the smelter as a mean to support this clean-up decision making. We used a hot spot analysis to identify clusters of high soil lead levels at a neighborhood scale. This case study can be used to teach higher-division undergraduate and graduate students to incorporate spatial thinking and exploratory spatial analysis approaches into the decision-making process for remediation of environmental contamination. Through this case study, the students will develop the knowledge about soil lead contamination and associated health risks, learn how exploratory spatial data analysis can assist examining the distribution of soil lead contamination and discuss potential strategies to improve the environmental remediation process in the urban environment.
Informatics for Healthcare Epidemiology

A major effort in healthcare epidemiology is the surveillance of healthcare associated infections (HAIs). Increasingly, HAIs are viewed as preventable and as a marker of healthcare quality. The automation of the surveillance of HAIs could have several benefits: for institutions, it could allow infection control programs to focus on the prevention, not simply the measurement, of infection. For policy makers, automation could provide better and more timely information on the epidemiology of infections within institutions and permit comparisons between institutions. For clinicians, automated surveillance could permit better understanding of and feedback on processes of care within institutions, and allow for decision support systems to prevent processes that promote HAIs. However, significant barriers exist in the development of an information technology infrastructure that supports automated infection surveillance. Technical barriers include semantic heterogeneity between local data stores as well as the lack of consensus and adoption of standards of data transmission. Non-technical barriers are the incomplete diffusion of the electronic medical record to all sites as well as a shortage of true “success” stories in which the use of information technology enhanced the quality of care. Once built, an infrastructure that supports electronic laboratory reporting or health information exchange can provide epidemiologic information on emerging problems or healthcare epidemiology with little excess marginal cost.
Active vs. Passive Social Media Engagement with Critical Information: Protest Behavior in Two Asian Countries:

Passive online media use refers to the act of merely reading and observing political information on a users’ feed. Alternatively, active use refers to the conscious decision to share information, c...
Chromatin architecture in addiction circuitry elucidates biological mechanisms underlying cigarette smoking and alcohol use traits.

Abstract Cigarette smoking and alcohol use are among the most prevalent substances used worldwide and account for a substantial proportion of preventable morbidity and mortality, underscoring the public health significance of understanding their etiology. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have successfully identified genetic variants associated with cigarette smoking and alcohol use traits. However, the vast majority of risk variants reside in non-coding regions of the genome, and their target genes and neurobiological mechanisms are unknown. Chromosomal conformation mappings can address this knowledge gap by charting the interaction profiles of risk-associated regulatory variants with target genes. To investigate the functional impact of common variants associated with cigarette smoking and alcohol use traits, we applied Hi-C coupled MAGMA (H-MAGMA) built upon cortical and midbrain dopaminergic neuronal Hi-C datasets to GWAS summary statistics of nicotine dependence, cigarettes per day, problematic alcohol use, and drinks per week. The identified risk genes mapped to key pathways associated with cigarette smoking and alcohol use traits, including drug metabolic processes and neuronal apoptosis. Risk genes were highly expressed in cortical glutamatergic, midbrain dopaminergic, GABAergic, and serotonergic neurons, suggesting them as relevant cell types in understanding the mechanisms by which genetic risk factors influence cigarette smoking and alcohol use. Lastly, we identified pleiotropic genes between cigarette smoking and alcohol use traits under the assumption that they may reveal substance-agnostic, shared neurobiological mechanisms of addiction. The number of pleiotropic genes was ∼26-fold higher in dopaminergic neurons than in cortical neurons, emphasizing the critical role of ascending dopaminergic pathways in mediating general addiction phenotypes. Collectively, brain region- and neuronal subtype-specific 3D genome architecture refines neurobiological hypotheses for smoking, alcohol, and general addiction phenotypes by linking genetic risk factors to their target genes.
Needs assessment in unmet healthcare and family support services: A survey of caregivers of children and youth with autism spectrum disorder in Delaware.

The study aimed to collect data from families of children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the state of Delaware, USA to understand their ongoing needs and challenges in accessing child healthcare and family support services. We analyzed responses from 263 caregivers of children and youth with ASD from 3 to 24 years using a statewide needs assessment survey. Over 50% caregivers indicated having unmet needs relative to both child/youth healthcare services and family support services. Between 24 and 38% caregivers expressed unmet needs for healthcare services such as social skills training, speech-language therapy, behavioral intervention, and occupational therapy for their child and 20-24% expressed needs for family support services such as respite care, parent/sibling support groups, counseling, and babysitting support. Additionally, number of prior early interventions received, limitations in accessing healthcare services, and unmet needs for family support services significantly predicted child/youth unmet healthcare needs. Greater ASD severity and difficulties accessing child/youth healthcare services predicted participant's functional dependence on caregivers for activities of daily living. Together, these findings call for designing holistic, family-centered interventions that address needs of both children and youth with ASD and their families. LAY SUMMARY: A statewide needs assessment survey of caregivers of children and youth with ASD revealed that 50% responders had unmet needs relative to both child/youth healthcare services and family support services. Number of prior services received, limitations in accessing healthcare, and unmet needs for family support are linked to child/youth unmet healthcare needs. Severity of autism and difficulties accessing child/youth healthcare are associated with participant's functional dependence. Together, these findings call for placing the family at the heart of the service system in ASD.
Extracellular Matrix Stiffness Alters TRPV4 Regulation in Chondrocytes

Abstract During the progression of osteoarthritis (OA), degradation of the extracellular matrix alters the biomechanical properties of cartilage, especially the compressive modulus. The mechanosensitive ion channel transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) is required for chondrocyte mechanotransduction However, how OA-mediated cartilage degradation influences TRPV4 signaling remains unknown. To determine if ATDC5 cells alter TRPV4-mediated calcium signaling and cell phenotype in response to softer substrates, we created PEGDA-RGDS hydrogels with Young’s moduli that simulated healthy (~350 kPa), OA (~175 kPa) and severe OA (~35 kPa) tissue. We found that softer substrates reduced the influx of calcium through TRPV4 when challenging chondrocytes with hypotonic swelling (HTS). Chondrocyte apoptosis also increased on the OA and severe OA gels due to elevated basal [Ca2+]i, which is attenuated with pharmacological agonism of TRPV4. Pharmacological agonism of TRPV4 rescued the expression of aggrecan and TRPV4 in chondrocytes cultured on OA gels and enhanced the type II collagen (col2) expression in cells on the normal and OA gels. These data suggest that the biomechanical properties of degraded cartilage alter TRPV4-mediated mechanotransduction in chondrocytes. Given that TRPV4 reduced apoptosis and improved the chondrogenic capacity of cells, TRPV4 stimulation could provide a potential therapeutic target in patients with early to moderate OA.
Salicylic acid inducible nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of NPR1 fusion proteins in human cells.

Ligand inducible proteins that enable precise and reversible control of nuclear translocation of passenger proteins have broad applications ranging from genetic studies in mammals to therapeutics that target diseases such as cancer and diabetes. One of the drawbacks of the current translocation systems is that the ligands used to control nuclear localization are either toxic or prone to crosstalk with endogenous protein cascades within live animals. We sought to take advantage of salicylic acid (SA), a small molecule that has been extensively used in humans. In plants, SA functions as a hormone that can mediate immunity and is sensed by the non-expressor of pathogenesis-related (NPR) proteins. Although it is well recognized that nuclear translocation of NPR1 is essential to promoting immunity in plants, the exact subdomain of Arabidopsis thaliana NPR1 (AtNPR1) essential for SA mediated nuclear translocation is controversial. Here, we utilized the fluorescent protein mCherry as the reporter to investigate the ability of SA to induce nuclear translocation of the full-length NPR1 protein or its C-terminal transactivation (TAD) domain using HEK293 cells as a heterologous system. HEK293 cells lack accessory plant proteins including NPR3/NPR4 and are thus ideally suited for studying the impact of SA-induced changes in NPR1. Our results obtained using a stable expression system show that the TAD of AtNPR1 is sufficient to enable the reversible SA mediated nuclear translocation of mCherry. Our studies advance a basic understanding of nuclear translocation mediated by the TAD of AtNPR1 and uncover a biotechnological tool for SA mediated nuclear localization. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Scalars and Pseudoscalars in Non-linear Chiral Dynamics Based on QCD

The 1/N expansion of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) has recently been advocated as a guide to the construction of the effective, hadronic chiral-Lagrangian, including the consequences of the U (1) axial anomaly [1– 4]. We extend the standard non-linear chiral Lagrangian approach and include non-linearly transforming scalar fields In addition to the usuπal pseudoscalars. We thereby obtain a low-energy effective Lagrangian which incorporates both the usual PCAC and U (1) anomaly constraints and the new (for non-linear lagrangians) SU(3) breaking effects due to the scalar field vacuum expectation values. FK/Fπ ≠ 1 follows naturally in our approach, for example.
Monolithic integration of GaAs devices with completely fabricated Si CMOS

The paper reports on monolithic integration of poly-GaAs switches with a completely fabricated CMOS amplifier. A functional optical receiver is obtained without modifying the Si circuit performance. This approach is simple, with minimum fabrication disturbance limited entirely to the Si processing and greater applicability into much broader areas.
Pregnancy and its complications following cardiac valve prostheses.

Abstract Approximately 100 cases of pregnancy in women with cardiac valve prostheses have been reported in the world's medical literature. In most instances, the need for continuous anticoagulation therapy constituted a major concern in the obstetric management of these high-risk pregnancies, particularly since coumarin has been implicated as causing an increased frequency of fetal wastage or birth defects (or both). Of all women who received cardiac valve prostheses at the Mayo Clinic between 1965 and 1975, 23 conceived 40 times after the procedure. Fetal wastage was more than doubled in women receiving coumarin therapy at conception and during the first trimester, as compared with that in women not receiving coumarin therapy. Fetal wastage exceeded 80 per cent in women with multiple-valve prostheses who received coumarin therapy throughout early pregnancy. There were no serious maternal sequelae in any of the women. One infant of a mother receiving anticoagulation therapy had mild nasal hypoplasia, but there were no other congenital anomalies in which coumarin had been previously implicated.