cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Novel Methods to Collect Meaningful Data From Adolescents for the Development of Health Interventions

Health interventions are increasingly focused on young adolescents, and as a result, discussions with this population have become a popular method in qualitative research. Traditional methods used to engage adults in discussions do not translate well to this population, who may have difficulty conceptualizing abstract thoughts and opinions and communicating them to others. As part of a larger project to develop and evaluate a video game for risk reduction and HIV prevention in young adolescents, we were seeking information and ideas from the priority audience that would help us create authentic story lines and character development in the video game. To accomplish this authenticity, we conducted in-depth interviews and focus groups with young adolescents aged 10 to 15 years and employed three novel methods: Storytelling Using Graphic Illustration, My Life, and Photo Feedback Project. These methods helped provide a thorough understanding of the adolescents’ experiences and perspectives regarding their envi...
Nighttime removal of NOx in the summer marine boundary layer

[1] The nitrate radical, NO3, and dinitrogen pentoxide, N2O5, are two important components of nitrogen oxides that occur predominantly at night in the lower troposphere. Because a large fraction of NO2 reacts to form NO3 and N2O5 during the course of a night, their fate is an important determining factor to the overall fate of NOx (=NO and NO2). As a comprehensive test of nocturnal nitrogen oxide chemistry, concentrations of O3, NO, NO2, NO3, N2O5, HNO3 and a host of other relevant compounds, aerosol abundance and composition, and meteorological conditions were measured in the marine boundary layer from the NOAA research vessel Ronald H. Brown off the East Coast of the United States as part of the New England Air Quality Study (NEAQS) during the summer of 2002. The results confirm the prominent role of NO3 and N2O5 in converting NOx to HNO3 at night with an efficiency on par with daytime photochemical conversion. The findings demonstrate the large role of nighttime chemistry in determining the NOx budget and consequent production of ozone.
Monocyte emigration from bone marrow during bacterial infection requires signals mediated by chemokine receptor CCR2

Monocytes recruited to tissues mediate defense against microbes or contribute to inflammatory diseases. Regulation of the number of circulating monocytes thus has implications for disease pathogenesis. However, the mechanisms controlling monocyte emigration from the bone marrow niche where they are generated remain undefined. We demonstrate here that the chemokine receptor CCR2 was required for emigration of Ly6C(hi) monocytes from bone marrow. Ccr2(-/-) mice had fewer circulating Ly6C(hi) monocytes and, after infection with Listeria monocytogenes, accumulated activated monocytes in bone marrow. In blood, Ccr2(-/-) monocytes could traffic to sites of infection, demonstrating that CCR2 is not required for migration from the circulation into tissues. Thus, CCR2-mediated signals in bone marrow determine the frequency of Ly6C(hi) monocytes in the circulation.
NIH initiative to balance sex of animals in preclinical studies: generative questions to guide policy, implementation, and metrics.

In May of 2014, the NIH Director together with the Director of the Office of Research on Women’s Health announced plans to take a multi-dimensional approach to address the over reliance on male cells and animals in preclinical research. The NIH is engaging the scientific community in the development of policies to improve the sex balance in research. The present, past, and future presidents of the Organization for the Study of Sex Differences, in order to encourage thoughtful discussion among scientists, pose a series of questions to generate ideas in three areas: 1. research strategies, 2. educational strategies, and 3. strategies to monitor effectiveness of policies to improve the sex balance in research. By promoting discussion within the scientific community, a consensus will evolve that will move science forward in a productive and effective manner.
Computing Stochastic Completion Fields in Linear-Time Using a Resolution Pyramid

We describe a linear-time algorithm for computing the likelihood that a completion joining two contour fragments passes through any given position and orientation in the image plane. Our algorithm is a resolution-pyramid-based method for solving a partial differential equation (PDE) characterizing a distribution of short, smooth completion shapes. The PDE consists of a set of independent advection equations in (x, y) coupled in the ? dimension by the diffusion equation. A previously described algorithm used a first-order, explicit finite difference scheme implemented on a rectangular grid. This algorithm required O(n3m) time for a grid of size n×n with m discrete orientations. Unfortunately, systematic error in solving the advection equations produced unwanted anisotropic smoothing in the (x, y) dimension. This resulted in visible artifacts in the completion fields. The amount of error and its dependence on ? have been previously characterized. We observe that by careful addition of extra spatial smoothing, the error can be made totally isotropic. The combined effect of this error and of intrinsic smoothness due to diffusion in the ? dimension is that the solution becomes smoother with increasing time, i.e., the high spatial frequencies drop out. By increasing ?x and ?t on a regular schedule, and using a second-order, implicit scheme for the diffusion term, it is possible to solve the modified PDE in O(n2m) time, i.e., time linear in the problem size. Using current hardware and for problems of typical size, this means that a solution which previously took 1 h to compute can now be computed in about 2 min.
Structural and functional properties of human lambda-light-chain variable-region subgroups.

The two types of human light chains, k and l, are found among all classes of immunoglobulin (Ig) molecules and are characterized by a common structure consisting of ;107 amino-terminal amino acid residues, which is the variable (V) region, and ;107 carboxyl-terminal residues, which is the constant (C) region. The light-chain V region (VL) is specified by two gene segments, V and J, that encode the first 95 to 98 amino acids and the following 12 (k) or 13 (l) joining (J)region residues, respectively. The light-chain C region (CL) is encoded by a third gene, C. Despite their structural similarity, k and l light chains are the products of genes that differ profoundly in location, number, and organization. The human k-light-chain locus, found on chromosome 2, contains multiple Vk genes, five tandemly arranged J-gene segments, and one Ck gene. The human l-light-chain locus, situated on chromosome 22, also contains multiple Vl genes but differs from k in the number of Cl genes (at least seven, of which four are functional) and by the association of each with a particular Jlencoding segment. Notably, l-light-chain-gene recombination occurs only after failure of either k allele to rearrange productively. The extensive diversity in human light-chain V-region sequences reflects primarily the number of functional Vk or Vl genes (;40 each), as well as substitutions caused by somatic mutation. Additional diversity results from the combinatorial joining of Vand J-gene segments and the variation introduced at the site of V-J recombination, including the insertion of extra bases (P or N nucleotides). The elucidation of human light-chain-related genes and their regulatory factors is fundamentally important to understanding B-cell development as well as antibody structure and function. Especially relevant is the pathogenic relationship between light-chain-gene expression and neoplastic and autoimmune disease. Compared with k, considerably less information is available on l, particularly in regard to the structural features of Vl genes. However, l light chains are biologically important, as evidenced by the fact that they are found on ;30 to 40% of human Ig molecules in the normal state and to an even greater extent in individuals with certain malignant and inflammatory disorders. The purpose of this minireview is to summarize the existing knowledge on the human Vl locus and to elucidate the biologic, chemical, and functional properties of its protein products as well as their clinical relevance.
Determining severity subtypes of depression with a self-report questionnaire

The American Psychiatric Association's recently revised guidelines for the treatment of major depressive disorder indicated that it is important to consider symptom severity in initial treatment selection. In the present report from the Rhode Island Methods to Improve Diagnostic Assessment and Services (MIDAS) project, we conducted two studies of psychiatric outpatients examining the correlates of severity classification based on a self-report depression scale. The first sample consisted of 470 depressed outpatients who completed the Clinically Useful Depression Outcome Scale (CUDOS) and measures of psychosocial morbidity at the time of presentation. The second sample consisted of 112 depressed outpatients who completed the CUDOS and were evaluated with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale at baseline and after 3 months of treatment. Compared to mildly depressed patients, moderately depressed patients reported significantly more psychosocial morbidity across all functional domains. The same differences were found between moderately and severely depressed patients. Greater severity of depression was associated with lower rates of response and remission. The results of the present studies suggest that a self-report depression questionnaire can validly subtype depressed patients according to gradations of severity.
Humanitarian Logistics: A New Field of Research and Action

1. Introduction. 2. Humanitarian Logistics. 3. Design of Humanitarian Logistics. 4. Supply Chain Issues in Humanitarian Logistics. 5. Organizational Issues in Humanitarian Logistics. 6. Conclusions and Potential for Future Research. References.
Traumatic hand amputations among children in Greece: epidemiology and prevention potential.

Background Traumatic hand and finger amputations frequently lead to permanent disability. Objective To investigate their epidemiological characteristics and estimate the prevention potential among children 0–14 years old, through a cross-sectional survey. Methods Nationwide extrapolations were produced based on data recorded between 1996 and 2004 in the Greek Emergency Department Injury Surveillance System and existing sample weights. Incident and injury related characteristics were analysed to identify preventable causes. Results Among 197 417 paediatric injuries, 28 225(14%) involved the hand and fingers resulting in 236 amputations (∼1% of hand injuries). The annual probability to seek emergency department care for a hand injury was 3%. The estimated incidence rate (IR) of hand amputations was 19.7/100 000 person-years. Over 50% concerned children 0–4 years old (male:female=2:1), peaking at 12–24 months. Male preschoolers suffered the highest IR (38.7/100 000). Migrant children were overrepresented among amputees. Of all amputations, 64% occurred in the house/garden and 14% in day-care/school/sports activities, usually between 08:00 and 16:00 (61%). Doors were the product most commonly involved (55% overall; 72% in day-care/school/gym) followed by furniture/appliances (15%) and machinery/tools (7%). Crushing was the commonest mechanism. Inadequate supervision and preventive measures were also frequently reported. 5% of the amputees were referred to specialised units for replantation/reconstructive surgery. Conclusions The majority of paediatric hand and finger amputations could be prevented in Greece, particularly among preschoolers, by a single product modification, namely door closure systems, coupled with improved supervision. Paediatricians should incorporate this advice into their routine child-safety counselling. This country-specific profile supports the need for maintaining similar databases as an indispensable tool for assisting decision-making and preventing disabling and costly injuries.
Effects of the Blue Egg Shell Allele (O) on Egg Quality and Other Economic Traits in the Chicken

Abstract Araucana females homozygous dominant for the blue egg shell allele (O) were mated to homozygous recessive (oo) Shaver Starcross “288” males to produce F1 hybrids heterozygous at the blue egg-shell locus. The F1 females were backcrossed to Shaver males producing full-sib sisters; half were blue egg layers and half white egg layers. The white egg layers had a significantly higher percent egg production than the blue egg layers (82 versus 79%). No significant differences between white and blue egg layers were found for shell quality, shell thickness, albumen weight, yolk weight, or yolk cholesterol.
A small skirmish in the battle of the sexes: T. B. Welch and women in dentistry.

In the late 1900s, Thomas B. Welch, editor of Items of Interest , used the pages of his journal to oppose the posit ion of W. R. Spencer on the place of women in dentistry. Considering the furor aroused when women attempted to open the denial profession 10 those who were commonly called young ladies in the latter part of the 19th century, one might suppose that the death of the first woman dental graduate would have occasioned extended note. Such, however, was not the case; when Lucy Hobbs Taylor died in Lawrence. Kan. on Oct 3, 1910, only the November issue of Denial Cosmos seems to have marked the event. This oversight on the part of the professional journals may be explained by the fact that even when the struggle for women’s acceptance was at its height in the late 1860s, many in the profession—certainly its more imposing members—were on the ladies’ side. The rhetorical cannonades were formidable at times, but women’s place in dentistry seemed assured. The major outlines of the story have been told by Bremncr. 1 However. 20 years after the initial conflict, a small skirmish in that battle of the sexes was fought in the pages controlled by Thomas B. Welch.
Sperm-Egg Interaction

A crucial step of fertilization is the sperm-egg interaction that allows the two gametes to fuse and create the zygote. In the mouse, CD9 on the egg and IZUMO1 on the sperm stand out as critical players, as Cd9(-/-) and Izumo1(-/-) mice are healthy but infertile or severely subfertile due to defective sperm-egg interaction. Moreover, work on several nonmammalian organisms has identified some of the most intriguing candidates implicated in sperm-egg interaction. Understanding of gamete membrane interactions is advancing through characterization of in vivo and in vitro fertilization phenotypes, including insights from less robust phenotypes that highlight potential supporting (albeit not absolutely essential) players. An emerging theme is that there are varied roles for gamete molecules that participate in sperm-egg interactions. Such roles include not only functioning as fusogens, or as adhesion molecules for the opposite gamete, but also functioning through interactions in cis with other proteins to regulate membrane order and functionality.
Organizational Routines as a Source of Continuous Change

In this paper I claim that organizational routines have a great potential for change even though they are often perceived, even defined, as unchanging. I present descriptions of routines that change as participants respond to outcomes of previous iterations of a routine. Based on the changes in these routines I propose a performative model of organizational routines. This model suggests that there is an internal dynamic to routines that can promote continuous change. The internal dynamic is based on the inclusion of routine participants as agents. When we do not separate the people who are doing the routines from the routine, we can see routines as a richer phenomenon. Change occurs as a result of participants' reflections on and reactions to various outcomes of previous iterations of the routine. This perspective introduces agency into the notion of routine. Agency is important for understanding the role of organizational routines in learning and in processes of institutionalization.
Ultra -small cubic folded strip antenna for handset devices

A ultra-small 3 dimensional folded strip antenna is proposed for handset devices. The volume of the antenna is very small compared to traditional PIFA design. The wrapping or bending of the wire (or strip) controls the radiation patterns and enhances the antenna bandwidth. The performance of the three dimensional strip antennas is much better than that of a PIFA with the same maximum size. Because of the small size, the proposed three dimensional monopole antennas may be deployed in a handset as antenna elements to form a multiple antenna system, such as a smart antenna array or a multi-input and multi-output (MIMO) system.
Preferred Modes of Variability and Their Relationship with Climate Change

Spatial structure of annular modes shows a remarkable resemblance to that of the recent trend in the observed circulation (Thompson et al.). This study performs a series of multilevel primitive equation model simulations to examine the extent to which the annular mode is capable of predicting changes in the zonal-mean flow response to external heat perturbations. Each of these simulations represents a statistically steady state and differs from each other in the values of the imposed tropical heating (H ) and high-latitude cooling (C ). Defining the annular mode as the first empirical orthogonal function (EOF1) of zonal-mean tropospheric zonal wind, it is found that the “climate predictability” is generally high in the small C–large H region of the parameter space, but is markedly low in the large C–small H region. In the former region, EOF1 represents meridional meandering of the midlatitude jet, while in the latter region, EOF1 and EOF2 combine to represent coherent poleward propagation of zonal-mean flow anomalies. It is also found that the climate predictability tends to be higher with respect to changes in C than to changes in H . The implications of these findings for the Southern Hemisphere climate predictability are also presented.
Use of mobile health (mHealth) tools by primary care patients in the WWAMI region practice and research network (WPRN)

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of mobile health (mHealth) use among primary care patients and examine demographic and clinical correlates. Methods: Adult patients who presented to 1 of 6 primary care clinics in a practice-based research network in the northwest United States during a 2-week period received a survey that assessed smartphone ownership; mHealth use; sociodemographic characteristics (age, sex, race/ethnicity, health literacy); chronic conditions; and depressive symptoms (2-item Patient Health Questionnaire). Data analysis used descriptive statistics and mixed logistic regression. Results: Of 918 respondents (estimated response rate, 67.4%), 55% owned a smartphone, among whom 70% were mHealth users. In multivariate analyses, smartphone ownership and mHealth use were not associated with health literacy, chronic conditions, or depression but were less common among adults >45 years old (adjusted odds ratio, 0.07–0.39; P Conclusions: Use of mHealth technologies is lower among older adults but otherwise is common among primary care patients, including those with limited health literacy and those with chronic conditions. Findings support the potential role of mHealth in improving disease management among certain groups in need; however, greater involvement of health care providers may be important for realizing this potential.
Another Piece of the Puzzle: Psychometric Properties of the J-SOAP-II

The authors reviewed nine studies examining psychometric properties of the Juvenile Sex Offender Assessment Protocol–II (J-SOAP-II) and examined the psychometric properties of the J-SOAP-II when it...
Sutured securement of peripherally inserted central catheters yields fewer complications in pediatric patients.

Background: Pediatric peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) can be secured with tape, sutures, or sutureless securement devices. Despite widespread catheter use, no standardized method of securement has been proven superior. Methods: A prospective randomized trial of catheter securement with either tape or suture was undertaken in pediatric patients hospitalized at a tertiary children's hospital. Patient demographics, catheter dwell time, and all catheter complications were collected. All patients were followed for the entire dwell time of the catheter, including those discharged with lines still in place. Results: Sixty-six patients completed the study, with 34 children in the suture group and 32 children in the tape group. Patients' ages ranged from 9 months to 19 years. Overall complication rate in our sutured group was 5.8%, and 32.4% in the tape group. Conclusions: In this study of children of varying ages, sutured PICCs were associated with significantly fewer complications than those cath...
A Service-Oriented Blueprint for COTS Integration: the Hidden Part of the Iceberg

The use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software can greatly reduce the development cost and effort for complex software systems. Reusing software can also improve the general quality of a system by leveraging already proven implementations. One of the limiting factors in the adoption of COTS software is the complexity of integrating it with the rest of the system under development. Often, requirements do not entirely match the functionalities available in COTS components, increasing the complexity of the glue software that needs to be written. In this paper, we present the blueprint of a Service- Oriented Architecture that can guide the engineer both in specifying the functionalities of a complex software system and as a deployment architecture to seamlessly integrate COTS components implementing such functionalities. The COTS integration concern, typically a deployment issue, is addressed in the service architecture, and is treated as first-class citizen of the development process.
Low-Rank Modeling of Local $k$ -Space Neighborhoods (LORAKS) for Constrained MRI

Recent theoretical results on low-rank matrix reconstruction have inspired significant interest in low-rank modeling of MRI images. Existing approaches have focused on higher-dimensional scenarios with data available from multiple channels, timepoints, or image contrasts. The present work demonstrates that single-channel, single-contrast, single-timepoint k-space data can also be mapped to low-rank matrices when the image has limited spatial support or slowly varying phase. Based on this, we develop a novel and flexible framework for constrained image reconstruction that uses low-rank matrix modeling of local k-space neighborhoods (LORAKS). A new regularization penalty and corresponding algorithm for promoting low-rank are also introduced. The potential of LORAKS is demonstrated with simulated and experimental data for a range of denoising and sparse-sampling applications. LORAKS is also compared against state-of-the-art methods like homodyne reconstruction, l1-norm minimization, and total variation minimization, and is demonstrated to have distinct features and advantages. In addition, while calibration-based support and phase constraints are commonly used in existing methods, the LORAKS framework enables calibrationless use of these constraints.
Traumatic brain injury and posttraumatic stress disorder: a preliminary investigation of neuropsychological test results in PTSD secondary to motor vehicle accidents

This study investigated the effect of traumatic brain injury on the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Subjects were 107 motor vehicle accident survivors including 38% individuals...
Sunlight-Induced Skin Cancer in Companion Animals

Exposure to sunlight is associated with the appearance of skin cancer. In this book chapter, we will review the pathogenesis of the dermal injury in the two most prevalent neoplastic lesions induced by ultraviolet irradiation in companion animals: cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (cSCC) and cutaneous hemangiosarcomas (cHSA). The incidence and risk factors, biologic behavior, diagnosis, and treatment options applicable to these skin tumors are described with special emphasis on the practical application of therapy guidelines.
Design and Construction of an Inexpensive Multispecimen Slow Strain-Rate Machine

The general considerations required in the design and construction of a slow strain-rate machine are discussed. A multispecimen machine built at the Ohio State University is illustrated, and the principal components used in this machine are listed. A four-specimen machine with a crosshead speed adjustable between 10 - 4 and 10 - 8 cm/s can be built for about S5000.00.
Collective Compositions: From Spaces of Silence to Empowerment

Feminist studies have demonstrated that co-education can be disempowering for young women. From the onset of puberty, male voices gain ascendency in classrooms, clubs, and co-curricular activities (Bell and Golombisky, 2004). This paper explores the techniques of discursive empowerment created by Speak Out: Exploring Womanhood, a student organization at Rutgers University created to help university women develop voice and agency. The group meets weekly to discuss events that affect the lives of college-aged women. Each meeting features a writing workshop through which members individually and collectively create poetry and prose, fiction and nonfiction. Emphasizing cultural production as a means to engage male/body/race privileges, Speak Out publishes a newsletter both in print and online. By analyzing a selection of these texts, I will examine how writing contributes to an “empowered” or “vocal” self, one which addresses race and gender-based restrictions and injustices, while reimagining and articulating her rightful place in the world. [1] [1] Speak Out publications feature fiction, nonfiction, and visual arts submissions, however in order to provide a structured, critical analysis of the extent to which self-generated writing contributes to the emergence of a women’s “vocal” or “empowered” self, I focus only on fiction, specifically poetry, in this essay.
Cutting Edge: CTLA-4Ig Inhibits Memory B Cell Responses and Promotes Allograft Survival in Sensitized Recipients

Sensitized recipients with pretransplant donor-specific Abs are at higher risk for Ab-mediated rejection than nonsensitized recipients, yet little is known about the properties of memory B cells that are central to the recall alloantibody responses. Using cell enrichment and MHC class I tetramers, C57BL/6 mice sensitized with BALB/c splenocytes were shown to harbor H-2K(d)-specific IgG(+) memory B cells with a post-germinal center phenotype (CD73(+)CD273(+)CD38(hi)CD138(-)GL7(-)). These memory B cells adoptively transferred into naive mice without memory T cells recapitulated class-switched recall alloantibody responses. During recall, memory H-2K(d)-specific B cells preferentially differentiated into Ab-secreting cells, whereas in the primary response, H-2K(d)-specific B cells differentiated into germinal center cells. Finally, our studies revealed that, despite fundamental differences in alloreactive B cell fates in sensitized versus naive recipients, CTLA-4Ig was unexpectedly effective at constraining B cell responses and heart allograft rejection in sensitized recipients.
Reproducibility of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness measurements using scanning laser polarimetry in pseudophakic eyes.

■ OBJECTIVE: To assess the reproducibility of retinal nerve fiber layer measurements in pseudophakic normal and glaucomatous eyes using scanning laser polarimetry (GDx, Laser Diagnostic Technologies, Inc., San Diego, CA). ■ PATIENTS AND METHODS: Normal and glaucomatous patients with polymethylmethacrylate posterior chamber intraocular lenses that satisfied entry criteria underwent imaging by two experienced operators. Eyes with posterior capsule opacification or vision less than 20/30 were excluded. Baseline images (mean pixel SD less than 8 mm) were obtained on 3 separate days within a 7-week period. Reproducibility, defined as the pooled within eye variance of these 3 measurements and the coefficient of variation for 12 retardation parameters generated by GDx software were calculated. ■ RESULTS: Eighteen eyes (11 glaucoma, 7 normal) of 15 patients (7 female, 8 male) were enrolled (mean age 78 ± 6 years). Among glaucomatous eyes, the average mean deviation and corrected pattern standard deviation using achromatic automated perimetry (Zeiss-Humphrey, Dublin, CA) was -3.8 ± 1.5 dB (range, -1.89 to -5.04 dB) and 4.9 ± 3.3 dB (range 0 to 11.05 dB), respectively. Coefficient of variation was 10% or less for all retardation parameters except ellipse modulation (20.2%) and neural network number (12.4%). Glaucomatous and normal eyes had similar variability for 8 of 12 (66.7%) retardation parameters. Inferior ratio, ellipse modulation, and superior ratio were significantly less variable in glaucomatous eyes (P = 0.007, 0.02, and 0.04 respectively) than normal eyes. Superior integral was more variable in glaucomatous eyes (P = 0.03). ■ CONCLUSION: Retardation measurements may be obtained in pseudophakic eyes with acceptable reproducibility. Normal eyes and eyes with mild glaucomatous damage have similar variability for most retardation parameters.
Credit Use of U.S. households After the Great Recession: The Role of Credit Constraints

Using the 2010 and 2013 Survey of Consumer Finances (N=12,497), this study investigates the relationship between credit constraint and credit use of U.S. households after the Great Recession. Credit use is identified for two major categories of household debt, (1) installment loan debt and (2) credit card debt. Results of a Heckman selection model indicate that households experiencing credit constraint are more likely to hold installment loan debt and have higher loan amounts than those not experiencing credit constraint. Constrained households are also more likely to hold outstanding credit card balances, but have with lower balance totals than households not experiencing credit constraint. This research provides important insights into consumer credit research as well as related consumer policy.
Impact of thyroidectomy on cardiac manifestations of Graves' disease.

Objectives/Hypothesis Graves' disease (GD) has multiple adverse effects on the cardiovascular system. We aimed to examine the outcome of thyroidectomy in patients with cardiac manifestations of GD and evaluate their associated postoperative complications. Study Design Retrospective analysis using a prospectively collected database. Methods A retrospective analysis of our prospectively collected thyroid surgery database was performed. Forty patients with hyperthyroidism due to GD were identified, and each was appropriately age matched to a euthyroid patient with multinodular goiter (MNG). All patients underwent total thyroidectomy. Data relating to cardiac comorbidities were collected from preoperative and postoperative clinic notes, hospital admissions, electrocardiograms, echocardiograms, and blood work. Perioperative biochemical, cardiovascular, and postoperative outcomes were analyzed. Results Twenty-four (60%) GD patients and 14 (35.0%) MNG patients had cardiac manifestations (P = .001). Hypertension resolved in 41.7% of GD patients and 7.7% of MNG patients (P = .00002). Two of the three GD patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) had resolution of CHF with significant improvement in ejection fraction, whereas the one MNG patient with CHF saw no change. Additionally, the majority of GD patients saw a resolution of their tachycardia (68.8%) and atrial fibrillation (100%). Four postoperative complications occurred in both the GD and MNG groups (4/40, 10%). Conclusions Surgical treatment of GD in patients with cardiac manifestations offers rapid clinical improvement of hypertension, impaired left ventricular systolic function, and arrhythmias. When performed by a high-volume surgeon, the complication rate is similar to thyroidectomy for other benign disease. Level of Evidence 4. Laryngoscope, 126:1256–1259, 2016
Structure of H of Hydrogen

THE structure of the lines of the Balmer spectrum of hydrogen was investigated in this laboratory some years ago. Recently we have attacked the problem again, using two Lummer plates, not crossed as in the investigations of Kent, Taylor and Pearson1, but dispersing in the same plane. With this arrangement, the microphotometer curves of the resultant pattern reveal clearly four distinct components of Hα with intensities and positions roughly as given by theory. There are no ghosts in the Lummer plates and the interference of lines of the secondary spectrum of hydrogen has been eliminated.
Regional Brain Activity in Abstinent Methamphetamine Dependent Males Following Cue Exposure

Background: Neuroimaging of drug-associated cue presentations has aided in understanding the neurobiological substrates of craving and relapse for cocaine, alcohol, and nicotine. However, imaging of cue-reactivity in methamphetamine addiction has been much less studied. Method: Nine caucasian male methamphetamine-dependent subjects and nine healthy controls were scanned in a Phillips 3.0T MRI scan when they viewed a randomized presentation of visual cues of methamphetamine, neutral objects, and rest conditions. Functional Imaging data were analyzed with Statistical Parametric Mapping software 5 (SPM 5) Results: Methamphetamine subjects had significant brain activation in the ventral striatum and medial frontal cortex in comparison to meth pictures and neutral pictures in healthy controls (p<0.005, threshold 15 voxels). Interestingly the ventral striatum activation significantly correlated with the days since the last use of meth (r=-0.76, p=0.017). No significant activity was found in healthy control group. Conclusion: The preliminary data suggest that methamphetamine dependent subjects, when exposed to methamphetamine-associated visual cues, have increased brain activity in ventral striatum, caudate nucleus and medial frontal cortex which subserve craving, drug-seeking, and drug use.
Review on dengue prevention and control and integrated mosquito management in China

Dengue found in tropical and sub-tropical climates worldwide is a mosquito-borne viral infection. The infection causes flu-like illness, and occasionally develops into a potentially lethal complication called severe dengue. Severe dengue is a leading cause of serious illness and death among children today, severe dengue affects most Asian and Latin American countries and has become a leading cause of hospitalization and death among children in these regions. Its prevention and control solely depends on effective vector control measures. In China, the characteristics of dengue is rapid spread, high prevalence as well as the massive susceptibility. Due to the ubiquitous distribution of vector Aedes mosquitoes, economic boost, frequent migration of people and movement of freights global warming and the prevalent dengue infection in neighboring countries, this infection has gone to its peak in Guangdong province in 2014. Local governments and agencies had gained lots of experiences and ideas in dealing with the disease outbreak. In this paper, with the domestic and foreign experiences in mosquito management we have culled and gathered, combined with our opinions formulated in the dispose of dengue outbreak, we present a review on the character of dengue epidemic, the technology applied on Aedes control, the insecticides used, the insecticides resistance, the integrated methods used in mosquito control in China and other countries.Thus, the review will provide a useful reference on dengue outbreak management and Aedes mosquito control in China.
Effect of Behavior Intervention in Men Who Have Sex With Men in Luzhou

Objective To evaluate the effect of behavior intervention and health education of HIV / AIDS in men who have sex with men(MSM) in Luzhou,and to ascertain the key working directions.Methods Snowball sampling was adopted to recruit MSM for questionnaire survey in Luzhou.Results The percentages of those who received health education and behavior intervention were respectively 89.5%,97.75% and 98.75% from 2009 to 20011.Accordingly,the awareness rates of HIV / AIDS related knowledge were respectively 94.25%,92.75% and 92.50%;use rates of condom in the latest anal sex were respectively 58.00%,84.46% and 73.76;use rates of condom in the latest commercial sex behavior were respectively 50.00%,64.00% and 92.86%;use rates of condom in the latest heterosexual sex were respectively 80.85%,47.54% and 75.00%.Conclusion The awareness rates of HIV / AIDS related knowledge among MSM in Luzhou during 2009-2011 are relatively high,while the use rate of condom in sexual behavior is low,showing a evident disparity between the HIV / AIDS prevention knowledge and behavior.
Non-isocyanate poly(amide-hydroxyurethane)s from sustainable resources

A two-step synthesis of epoxidation and carbonation afforded a hetero-functional AB monomer with cyclic carbonate and methyl ester (CC-ME) using plant oil-based methyl 9-decenoate and CO2. A unprecedented one-pot synthetic platform of CC-ME with 1,12-diaminododecane and poly(tetramethylene oxide) (PTMO)-based polyether diamine allowed synthesis of both nonsegmented poly(amide-hydroxyurethane) (PA12HU) and segmented PA12HU-PTMOs with varying polyether contents. 1H NMR spectroscopy confirmed complete conversion of cyclic carbonates and methyl esters to hydroxyurethanes and amides, respectively. Thermal analysis revealed distinctive thermal stability and transitions of PA12HU and PA12HU-PTMOs compared to their precursors and model oligomers. PA12HU and PA12HU-PTMOs were melt compression molded into semicrystalline, free-standing films, except for PA12HU-PTMO100 with 100% polyether diamine. PA12HU-PTMO100 was a viscous liquid with a glass transition temperature (Tg) of −64 °C and zero-shear melt viscosity of 449 Pa s. PA12HU formed a semicrystalline, rigid film with Tg of 11 °C. Polyether incorporation afforded creasable PA12HU-PTMO films with broad glass transitions near −50 °C. Thermal and thermomechanical analysis revealed significant phase-mixing of the hard and soft segments from annealed PA12HU-PTMO films. Polyether soft segments mixed with the amorphous hard segments, forming a miscible soft phase; crystallizable hard segments with ordered hydrogen bonding formed a hard phase. Surface morphological analysis of each PA12HU-PTMO film displayed ribbon-like, hard domains with composition-dependent aspect ratios. PA12HU-PTMOs exhibited higher moisture uptake than traditional thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) due to resultant hydroxyls. Variable temperature FTIR spectroscopy demonstrated that ordered hydrogen bonding in the crystalline domains was disrupted or dissociated as the crystallites melted. Although tensile strength of segmented PA12HU-PTMOs proved lower than traditional polyurethanes due to phase-mixing, these compositions represent the first examples of film-forming, linear isocyanate-free polyurethanes with mechanical integrity and processability.
Mass spectrometric identification of in vivo nitrotyrosine sites in the human pituitary tumor proteome

The chemically stable tyrosine nitration of a protein involves the addition of a nitro group (-NO(2)) to the phenolic ring of a tyrosine residue, which may be associated with nervous system physiological and pathological processes. Identification of nitrotyrosine sites on a protein could clarify the functional significance of the modification. Due to the rarity of nitrotyrosine sites in a proteome, tandem mass spectrometry, coupled with different techniques that isolate and enrich nitrotyrosine-containing proteins from a pituitary proteome, is currently the most effective method for site identification. Commercially available nitrotyrosine polyclonal/monoclonal antibodies enable one to detect nitrotyrosine-containing proteins in a two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DGE) map, and to preferentially enrich nitrotyrosine-containing proteins with immunoprecipitation. Our present protocols have integrated different isolation/enrichment techniques (2DGE; Western blots; nitrotyrosine immunoaffinity precipitation) and two different tandem mass spectrometry methods (MALDI-MS/MS; ESI-MS/MS) to determine the amino acid sequence of nitrotyrosine-containing peptides that derive from nitrated proteins. Bioinformatics tools are then used to correlate nitrotyrosine sites with a functional domain/motif in order to understand the relationship between tyrosine nitration and the structural/functions of proteins.
Colonoscopy. A review.

Summary The technique of colonoscopy has introduced an exciting new modality for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the colon. It is not a panacea, for, as with any technique, limitations are always present; but it offers the single most far reaching advance for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the colon that has been offered in the last decade. The next 10 years should indeed prove exciting.
Determinants of Home Discharge Among Survivors of Necrotizing Fasciitis: A Population-Level Analysis

Background: The majority of patients with necrotizing fasciitis (NF) in the United Sates survive their illness, and there is increasing interest in addressing the ability of survivors to return to their community following hospitalization. However, there are no data on the factors affecting home discharge among survivors of NF. Methods: We used the Texas Inpatient Public Use Data File to conduct a retrospective population-based examination of hospitalizations with NF aged 15 years or older between 2001 and 2010. Multivariate logistic regression modeling was used to explore predictors of home discharge among hospital survivors. Results: There were 10,724 NF hospitalizations surviving to discharge during study period, of which 62.5% were discharged home. The following key predictors have adversely affected odds of home discharge (odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals): age ≥ 75 years (0.349 (0.292 - 0.417)), Medicare insurance (0.582 (0.510 - 0.663)), congestive heart failure (0.836 (0.719 - 0.972)), chronic liver disease (0.684 (0.522 - 0.895)), respiratory failure (0.464 (0.386 - 0.558)), neurological failure (0.573 (0.418 - 0.787)), and need for mechanical ventilation (0.339 (0.199 - 0.578)). Increased odds of home discharge were found among males (1.116 (1.058 - 1.285)), Hispanics (1.193 (1.056 - 1.349)), those lacking health insurance (2.161 (1.183 - 2.521)) or managed at a teaching hospital (1.264 (1.127 - 1.418)). Conclusions: In this first population-level examination of the determinants of home discharge among survivors of NF, older age, Medicare insurance, selected comorbidities, and development of organ failure decreased patients’ odds of home discharge. Unexpectedly, male gender, Hispanic ethnicity, lack of health insurance, and being managed at a teaching hospital were associated with favorable impact on patients’ discharge disposition. Further studies are warranted in other populations and healthcare environments to corroborate the present findings and to refine our understanding of the factors affecting short-term outcomes among NF survivors. J Clin Med Res. 2016;8(7):537-543 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jocmr2573w
SMT-based Constraint Answer Set Solver EZSMT (System Description)

Constraint answer set programming is a promising research direction that integrates answer set programming with constraint processing. Recently, the formal link between this research area and satisfiability modulo theories (or SMT) was established. This link allows the cross-fertilization between traditionally different solving technologies. The paper presents the system ezsmt, one of the first SMT-based solvers for constraint answer set programming. It also presents the comparative analysis of the performance of ezsmt in relation to its peers including solvers EZCSP, CLINGCON, and MINGO. Experimental results demonstrate that SMT is a viable technology for constraint answer set programming.
Let People Be People: Everyday Substance Use in a Public Work Site

This article complicates the prevailing portrait of substance use as being incompatible with work. Drawing on in-depth ethnographic data of one informal economic zone collected over a four-year period between January 2010 and January 2014, I expose the daily interactions through which substance use becomes compatible with work and the mechanisms by which drug and alcohol use become embedded in the local ecology of a public work site. To capture the ways in which people link their substance use to their experience of work, I utilize three concepts—taking a break, maintaining a cycle, and tipping the balance—each of which is suggestive of different patterned relationships between substance use and work in public. Data indicate that people link their substance use to their work in different ways and with different consequences and that each of these patterned relationships becomes an interrelated part of a single social system. These findings add necessary nuance and complexity to substance use literature, which is more frequently focused on abject abuse and disorder, and provide a more complete understanding of the ways in which substance use practices become linked to urban economies. Furthermore, they illuminate how participation in informal economic activity can play a variety of roles in the lives of people engaged in substance use practices.
A Critique of Admirable Imperfection

Dans le cadre du debat contemporain sur la suprematie de la morale represente par B. Williams, S. Wolf, M. Slote et O. Flanagan, l'A. critique la these de l'admirable imperfection defendue par ce dernier contre l'idee d'une admirable immoralite soutenue par Slote. A la doctrine kantienne fondee sur l'ideal inaccessible de la perfection morale et l'atrophie de la personnalite, Flanagan prefere l'imperfection definie par S. Wolf dans son article intitule «Moral saints» (in «Journal of philosophy», 79, 1982). Alors que Wolf defend la perfection et l'excellence individuelles des artistes, l'A. montre que la valeur non-morale et intrinseque qu'elle leur reconnait rejoint la conception kantienne du devoir envers soi.
Punishing Abused Women: A Retrospective on a Ms. Magazine Blog

This chapter explores the social problem of child protection in disputed custody cases, examining the plight of women facing biased courts favoring males in child custody decisions. I focus on cases disputed by fathers with histories of family violence and child abuse. The methodology used is unique both in terms of data and analyses. The data used are from reader commentary on the Ms. Magazine Blog article focusing on the punishment of abused women in family courts and child custody loss. I participated in the Ms. Magazine blog and there were 59 bloggers who responded. The analysis examines the discourses of responding bloggers using the Cultural Studies approach to reading and interpreting the “texts.” Findings are blog responses that point to mothers who have experienced a family court system that often ignores evidence of domestic violence when making child custody decisions. These blog responses provide a means to explore the tools used by family courts including Parental Alienation Syndrome and its derivatives, gag orders, use of inept experts, and an embrace of androcentric thinking, all supported by mainstream media’s ignoring these biased procedures. The Cultural Studies approach to reading and interpreting the “text” of the Ms. Magazine blog responses on the abuse of mothers and children by family courts provides a window into how Ms. Magazine readers view the issue of child custody and the involvement of bloggers in the custody battles.