cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of aromatic trifluoromethylation, fluorination, and methylation on intermolecular π-π interactions.

Marcus theory states that the rate of charge transfer is directly proportional to the amount of intermolecular orbital overlap. Theoretically optimizing the electronic coupling through the orientation and distance which both can increase the frontier orbital overlap between molecules is an attractive route to potentially provide theoretical insight for discovering new high performance semiconductor materials. To investigate how these parameters qualitatively affect charge transfer of model systems, unconstrained dimer optimizations with MP2 and dispersion-corrected DFT methods were used to probe the π–π interactions of methylated, fluorinated, and trifluoromethylated benzene, pyridine, and bipyridine dimers. These systems can serve as simplified models representing weak noncovalent interactions in organic semiconductor materials. Enhanced intermolecular interaction energies, reduced π–π distances, and more favorable cofacial orientations were found with the trifluoromethylated dimers compared to fluorinat...
Pulsed Laser Deposition of Biocompatible Thin Films: Calcium Hydroxylapatrte and Other Calcium Phosphates

Calcium phosphate-based ceramics were deposited on Ti, Ti-6Al-4V and Si substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The calcium phosphate phase (amorphous, α- or β-tricalciumn phosphate, tetracalcium phosphate, or hydroxylapatite), Ca/P ratio and surface morphology of the films were related to deposition conditions. At substrate temperatures <400°C, films were amorphous. Above 400°C, the gaseous environment during deposition determined the crystalline phase of the films. In O2, deposition of α-tricalcium phosphate was favored between 400 and 7°C and β-tricalcium phosphate was favored above 700°C. Films deposited in low pressures of O2 (<0.05 Torr) were P-deficient. The correct stoichiometry was approached as the pressure of O2 in the chamber during deposition increased. In water vapor-enriched inert gas environments, deposition of hydroxylapatite was observed at temperatures between 400 and 700°C and tetracalcium phosphate was observed at temperatures above 700°C. The surface morphology of hydroxylapatite films depended on the temperature of deposition. Surfaces deposited at higher substrate temperatures showed more recrystallization than those deposited at lower substrate temperatures.
Prevalence of depressive symptoms in the older population

Abstract Objectives Depression is a major health risk factor among the older population, related to significant increases in total per person health care expenditures. Prior studies have shown significant regional variations in some clinical conditions. However, there has not been any study examining depressive symptoms across regions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of the older population experiencing depressive symptoms across different regions in the United States. Methods Public data were obtained from the 2011–2014 National Health and Aging Trends Study, a longitudinal study that included a nationally representative sample of individuals aged 65 or older. Participants’ regions of residence were categorized by Northeast, Midwest, South and West census regions. A composite score of 3 or greater from the Personal Health Questionnaire-2 was used to indicate the presence of depressive symptoms. The comparison of proportion having depression across census regions were analyzed using chi-square tests. Results A total of 3863 participants over the age of 65 were included in this study. Of those, 1583 (41.0%) were male and 2757 (71.4%) were White. A majority of the participants (22.1%, n=852) were between 70 and 74 years old at the baseline year. Disparities in the prevalence of depressive symptoms were observed across different regions in the United States. From 2011 to 2014, depressive symptoms among this population significantly declined in the South (p Conclusion Understanding regional variations of depressive symptoms in older adults can inform the public regarding resource allocation and treatment models. By showing which areas of the US are more prone to depressive symptoms, local, state, and federal funding can be appropriated to the areas with the greatest need.
The blue rubber bleb [corrected] nevus syndrome.

Abstract The blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome, a rare condition characterized by lesions of the skin, gastrointestinal tract, and other parts of the body, can result in serious gastrointestinal bleeding and other adverse results and be challenging to manage. The clinical features and treatment of this rare disorder are reviewed here.
An immunostimulatory dual-functional nanocarrier that improves cancer immunochemotherapy

Immunochemotherapy combines a chemotherapeutic agent with an immune-modulating agent and represents an attractive approach to improve cancer therapy. However, the success of immunochemotherapy is hampered by the lack of a strategy to effectively co-deliver the two therapeutics to the tumours. Here we report the development of a dual-functional, immunostimulatory nanomicellar carrier that is based on a prodrug conjugate of PEG with NLG919, an indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) inhibitor currently used for reversing tumour immune suppression. An Fmoc group, an effective drug-interactive motif, is also introduced into the carrier to improve the drug loading capacity and formulation stability. We show that PEG2k-Fmoc-NLG alone is effective in enhancing T-cell immune responses and exhibits significant antitumour activity in vivo. More importantly, systemic delivery of paclitaxel (PTX) using the PEG2k-Fmoc-NLG nanocarrier leads to a significantly improved antitumour response in both breast cancer and melanoma mouse models.
In vitro Comparison of Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Green Tea Catechins

Background/PurposeGreen tea contains considerable amounts of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), epigallocatechin (EGC), and epicatechin (EC). EGCG has already been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory activity. Pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β (IL-1β) produced by monocytes and macrophages plays an important role in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this study, we compared the efficacy of different catechins in reducing the inflammatory response to IL-1β in human RA synovial fibroblasts (RA-FLS). MethodsThe effect of EGCG, EGC, and EC on RA-FLS viability was tested using MTT assay. RA-FLS were pre-treated with different concentration EGCG, EGC, and EC (5–20 μM) overnight then stimulated with IL-1β (10 ng/ml) for 24 hours. Condition media was used to quantify IL-6 and IL-8 production by ELISA, and MMP-2 activity by gelatin zymography. The cellular expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) and Cox-1 was evaluated using Western blotting method. ResultsEGCG, EGC, and EC exhibit no toxicity in human RA-FLS (n=3)...
Just how "wicked" is Beijing's waste problem? A response to "The rise and fall of a "waste city" in the construction of an "urban circular economic system": The changing landscape of waste in Beijing" by Xin Tong and Dongyan Tao

Abstract Tong and Tao’s recent article makes the crucial argument that Beijing’s informal rural migrants must be included as citizens and stakeholders if the city intends to successfully upgrade its waste management system. This article aims to deepen their critique, and challenge and clarify several points in their analysis of the system’s development. It concludes that, while urban waste management is always a “wicked” problem, there are some fundamental issues of government mismanagement in China (namely systematic discrimination against rural migrants and municipal and sub-municipal government interests in maximizing land rents) that are by far the dominant reasons for the failure of government waste management policies.
ASYMPTOTIC LIMIT AND BLOWING-UP BEHAVIOR OF SOLUTIONS FOR A REACTION-DIFFUSION SYSTEM

This chapter discusses the asymptotic limit and blowing-up behavior of solutions for a reaction–diffusion system. In the chemical reactor and combustion theory where the temporal and spatial effect are taken into consideration, the equations governing the mass concentration (or combustible material) u = u ( t , x ) and temperature v = v ( t , x ) are presented in the chapter by coupled reaction–diffusion equations. The chapter describes the asymptotic behavior of the solution for the given system of equations for all nontrivial values of λ 1 , λ 2 and for various types of boundary conditions. It discusses the way in which the role is played by the various values of λ 1 , λ 2 and the type of boundary conditions.
Data mining the underlying trust in the US Congress

In this paper, we mine the US congress voting records to extract the latent information about the trust among congress members. In particular, we model the Senate as a social network and the voting process as a set of outcomes of the underlying opinion dynamics which we assume follow a corrupted DeGroot model. The transition matrix in the opinion dynamics model is the trust matrix among Senators that we estimate. Our methodology is to first cluster the voting bills into different groups, and then obtain the Senators' opinions about the theme of each cluster, by performing a weighted Bernoulli sampling on the binary voting results. A key characteristic of the US congress is that most of the Senators stick with their own ideology. In view of this, we assign the role of stubborn nodes to some Senators, since their existence can facilitate estimating the trust matrix. In fact, we find the trust matrix by solving a linear regression problem, and then analyze the underlying latent information. Interestingly, our numerical results are quite consistent with the common intuition. More importantly, the trust information extracted can help understand the underlying relationship in the Senate and offer insights for devising political strategies.
"I'm so glad I met you": Designing Dynamic Collaborative Support for Young Adult Cancer Survivors

Young adult cancer survivors-individuals in their 20's and 30's-must cope with complicated informational and emotional needs that differ from those of other age groups. Although young adult cancer survivors are resourceful in finding information and support to help meet those needs, they face three distinct, ongoing challenges during and after the cancer experience: (1) feeling isolated; (2) confronting a sense of mortality; and (3) struggling with changing body image and identity. We present empirical findings from qualitative interviews with young adult cancer survivors that demonstrate how these challenges change throughout the illness experience, complicating a survivor's search for information and support. We also characterize the adaptive behaviors survivors employ to overcome these challenges. Given these findings, we suggest design implications for online spaces young adult survivors use to collaborate, as well as resources about privacy and self-presentation that can best support survivors in making decisions about shar-ing information.
Frequency of invasive plant occurrence is not a suitable proxy for abundance in the Northeast United States

Measuring and predicting invasive plant abundance is critical for understanding impacts on ecosystems and economies. Although spatial abundance datasets remain rare, occurrence datasets are increasingly available across broad regional scales. We asked whether the frequency of these point occurrences can be used as a proxy for abundance of invasive plants. We compiled both occurrence and abundance data for 13 regionally important invasive plants in the northeast United States from herbarium records and several contributed distribution datasets. We integrated all available abundance information based on infested area, stem count, percent cover, or qualitative descriptions into abundance rankings ranging from 0 (absent) to 4 (highly abundant). Within equal-area grid cells of 800 m, we counted numbers of occurrence points and used ordinal regression to test whether higher densities of occurrence points increased the odds of a higher abundance ranking. We compiled a total of 86,854 occurrence points in 34,596 grid cells, of which 26,114 points (30%) within 11,976 cells (35%) had some form of abundance information. Eleven of the 13 species had a slight but significantly positive odds ratio; that is, more occurrence points of a species increased the odds that the species was abundant within the grid cell. However, the predictive ability of the models was poor (κ < 0.2) for the majority of species. Additionally, most grid cells contained only one or two occurrence points, making it impossible to infer abundance in all but a few locations. These results suggest that currently available occurrence datasets do not effectively represent abundance, which could explain why many distribution models based on occurrence data are poor predictors of abundance. Increased efforts to consistently collect and report invasive species abundance, ideally estimating both infested area and average cover, are strongly needed for regional-scale assessments of potential abundance and associated impact.
The value of space‐for‐time substitution for studying fine‐scale microevolutionary processes

When the drivers of biological turnover in space are the same as those that drive turnover through time, space can be substituted for time to model how patterns of variation are predicted to change into the future. These space-for-time substitutions are widely used in ecological modeling but have only recently been applied to the study of microevolutionary processes, particularly over relatively fine spatial and temporal scales. Here, we review recent examples that have employed space-for-time substitution to study genetic patterns on stationary and non-stationary landscapes and examine whether space can reliably substitute for time in studies of population divergence, genetic structure, and adaptive evolution. Although there are only a relatively few examples, several recent studies were excellently crafted to provide valuable insights into the conditions governing the validity of space-for-time substitutions applied to population genetic data. We found that, although caution should be taken, space-for-time substitutions appear valid for studying microevolutionary processes on both stationary and non-stationary landscapes. Further studies can help to evaluate the conditions under which space-for-time substitutions are reliable. When these methods are reliable, they will play an important role in modeling genetic responses to environmental change, population viability on non-stationary landscapes, and patterns of divergence and adaptation.
An Approach to Improve Aviation Quality Management Using Total Quality Management Principles

In today’s competitive economic environment, aviation industry realizes more and more the importance of ensuring a positive customer experience. Airline owners and stakeholders have over the years shifted their focus from “larger and faster” equipment to awareness in addressing customer wants and needs. Airports too, have come to realize the quality of the passenger experience correlates directly, along with aerodrome security and emergency response capabilities, in garnering new airlines and expanding revenue. For any aviation organization, the primary goal is to improve financially, physically, and organizationally at the least possible cost. This paper proposes the concept of Total Quality Management (TQM) for both airports and airlines as a “systems approach” to manage the aviation quality. The ultimate focus of this paper is to enhance the overall departmental effectiveness and overall employee efficiency in providing quality customer-oriented aviation. To prepare for aviation quality management, the paper presents an overview study of elements, function, and methodologies of TQM. An attempt is made to show how TQM can be taken from theory and operationalized at aviation processes. Exclusive attention is paid on aircraft maintenance and safety management in which the influence of TQM principles is reported in this paper. The possible limitations for this attempt and further research avenues are addressed at the end.
Life Course Patterns of Concurrent Trajectories of BMI and Affective Symptoms of Rural Mothers: Socioeconomic Antecedents and Disease Outcomes in Later Life

Objectives The current study, using prospective data over 25 years (1991-2015), concurrently investigates patterns of body mass index (BMI) and affective symptom trajectories in middle-aged mothers and the socioeconomic antecedents and disease outcomes of these patterns. Method Growth mixture modeling was used to identify latent classes of conjoint health risk trajectories (BMI, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms) from 1991 to 2001. For each latent class, we identified mean trajectories of each health risk. Then, analyses were conducted identifying how these conjoint health risk classes were associated with respondents' socioeconomic background profiles in 1991 and subsequent chronic health problems in 2015. Results Socioeconomic background profiles were significantly associated with initially high-risk trajectories. There was a statistically significant association between membership in certain classes of conjoint trajectories and physical health outcomes in later years. Consistent patterns of association with changes in different health outcomes including onset of diseases were observed when classes of conjoint risk trajectories are examined. Discussion The identification of members of various conjoint risk trajectory groups provides a potentially useful prognostic tool for early preventive intervention efforts, treatment, and policy formation. Such interventions should promote and develop resiliency factors, thereby aiding in the redirection of middle-aged women's adverse risk trajectories.
Special Dispositional Alternatives for Abnormal Offenders

Other chapters of this book deal with what might usefully be regarded as “indirect” methods of diverting criminal offenders into the mental health system. None of the procedures discussed in the other chapters permit a convicting court to determine that a particular defendant, although criminally responsible, is most appropriately dealt with by the mental health system and to implement that determination by committing the offender to a mental health program. Incompetency to stand trial, covered in Chapter 1, comes into play before the defendant’s guilt or innocence is considered. Commitment following acquittal by reason of insanity, addressed in Chapter 3, assumes the absence of criminal responsibility and thus “guilt.” Transferring imprisoned offenders from correctional to mental health placements, considered in Chapter 7, does not involve the convicting court. But a number of jurisdictions traditionally have provided a “direct” means of accomplishing diversion by authorizing convicting courts, in lieu of standard sentencing, to commit certain convicted defendants to mental health programs. These programs for direct diversion during the dispositional stage of the criminal trial are the subject of the present chapter.
In-Flight Off-Surface Flow Visualization Using Infrared Imaging

A light test investigation was conducted to evaluate an infrared (IR) imaging technique to visualize off-surface flow phenomena. A single-engine, general-aviation airplane was equipped with an IR imaging system that viewed the region around the left wingtip. Vortical flow at the wingtip was seeded with surfur hexafluoride, a gas with strong infrared absorbing and emitting characteristics. Different terrain and sky backgrounds were evaluated for their effect on IR images of vortical flow. The best IR images were obtained with a clear background. The results of the investigation indicate that IR flow visualization compliments existing smoke generator methods for off-surface flow visualization.
‘What if We Could?’: An Essay on Productive Ecumenism

Ecumenists believe that the recent convergence text The Church: Toward a Common Vision (tcv) rides on the success of Baptism, Eucharist, and Ministry (bem) and offers churches a way forward in the quest for Christian unity. This article productively imagines the future of a reconciled unity on the basis of tcv. I will use the notion of ‘productive recognition’ as a springboard to launch this image of ‘productive ecumenism’. Churches need to reframe what they have historically understood as fundamental challenges to unity. Only then can they envision ‘what if we could?’ and replace ‘but we can’t!’. This invitation expresses ecumenism in terms of confessions, sacramentalities, and the witness of the gospel.
El conservadurismo de David Hume

Frente a una larga tradicion de interpretacion de Hume que toma como eje sus tesis epistemologicas, Donald W. Livingston plantea que la clave de su pensamiento esta en sus escritos politicos e historicos. Desde esta perspectiva, sostiene tambien que fue Hume el primero en desarrollar a fondo las premisas filosoficas del conservadurismo al denunciar las devastadoras consecuencias politicas que tendria la metafisica especulativa moderna. Esta ultima, ya sea como sistema filosofico o como movimiento religioso, habiendose emancipado conceptualmente de los marcos de racionalidad basados en el orden imaginario y narrativo de la vida cotidiana, inspira movimientos politicos que no buscan solo un cambio de regimen o la promocion de intereses particulares, sino la transformacion total de la vida social y moral. La historia politica de la era moderna, desde la "gloriosa" revolucion inglesa de 1688 en adelante, atestiguaria este fenomeno. De ahi que para Hume ?sostiene D. Livingston en este articulo? la tarea de la "verdadera filosofia" sea, antes bien, restringir o moderar esta tendencia anclando metodologicamente la reflexion filosofica y sus efectos reformistas en el tejido de juicios y maximas historicamente establecidas que orientan la interaccion cotidiana.
Predicting Perceived Harmful Intent from the Dark Tetrad: A Novel Cognitive Account of Interpersonal Harm

Abstract The Dark Tetrad (DT) is a constellation of four personality constructs (Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy, sadism) that share tendencies toward harming others. Many theoretical accounts have attempted to explain this tendency, but only few have emphasized subjective judgments of behavior. The present research proposed and tested a novel cognitive account which argues that subjectively perceiving one's behavioral intent as less harmful to others may partially explain DT's higher proclivity for interpersonally-harmful behavior. Participants read scenarios in which a friend vs. non-friend target experienced failure (Study 1) and success (Study 2). Participants then rated the likelihood of verbalizing various feedback to the target and the perceived helpful intent of expressing that feedback. DT constructs, particularly psychopathy and sadism, predicted a greater likelihood of expressing covert (ironic) and overt (direct) criticism to a target after failure and success. However, these effects generally corresponded with and were partially explained by greater perceived helpful intent in criticism-based responses. Findings contribute preliminary support for a perceived-helpful-intent account and highlight the possibility that dark-personality verbal behavior may not be purely a manifestation of malevolent intentions, socially-aversive emotional states, or moral deficits.
Identification and Parametric Modeling of Transient Waves

The subject of parametric modeling is reviewed as a subclass of system identification. The popular linear models are discussed. The case of transient waves is treated and difficulties involving parameter convergence are pointed out. An example is given from ultrasonics in non-destructive testing. The present state of affairs in transient parametric identification is discussed. Open issues in this subject are examined and suggestions made for future research.
Large scale selection of aluminum-resistant mutants from plant cell culture: expression and inheritance in seedlings.

A large number of aluminum-resistant variants, selected from non-mutagenized homozygous diploid cell cultures of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia Viv., are characterized. Of 115 variants cloned and reselected from single cells, 67 retained Al resistance in callus cultures after 6–9 months of growth in the absence of Al. There was no association between Al resistance and callus growth in the absence of Al, suggesting that the Al-resistant phenotype is not detrimental in the absence of Al challenge and that Al resistance is not the result of increased vigor. Plants regenerated from initially resistant callus lines that subsequently lost their resistance failed, with one exception, to transmit resistance to their seedling progeny. Fertile plants were regenerated from 40 of the 67 variants that retained stable Al resistance in callus culture. All 40 transmitted Al resistance to their seedling progeny (selfed and backcrossed) in segregation ratios expected for a single dominant mutation. The selfed progeny of many variants also segregated for recessive lethal mutations which were attributed to independent mutations that occurred during cell culture.
Electron Backscatter Diffraction In The Sem: Is Electron Diffraction In The Tem Obsolete?

The technique of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) in the scanning electron microscope is currently finding a large number of important applications in materials science. The patterns formed through EBSD were first studied over 40 years ago. It has only been in the last 10 years that the technique has really begun to have an impact on the study of materials. The introduction of automatic pattern indexing software has enabled the technique to be used for mapping the orientation of a polycrystalline sample. The more exciting and universally interesting application of the technique has been the identification of micron and sub-micron sized crystalline phases based on their chemistry and crystallography determined by EBSD.EBSD is obtained by illuminating a highly tilted sample (>45° from horizontal) with a stationary electron beam. Electrons backscattered from the sample may satisfy the condition for channeling and will produce images that contain bands of increased and decreased intensity that are equivalent to electron channeling patterns.
Conundrums in Entity Coreference Resolution: Making Sense of the State of the Art

Despite the significant progress on entity coreference resolution observed in recent years, there is a general lack of understanding of what has been improved. We present an empirical analysis of state-of-the-art resolvers with the goal of providing the general NLP audience with a better understanding of the state of the art and coreference researchers with directions for future research.
Learning to think long-term

Before we were worried about fossil fuels and plastic pollution, nuclear waste stretched our minds to think about our place in geological time. In Deep Time Reckoning, cultural anthropologist Vincent Ialenti would have us look to the experts charged with finding a final resting place for this waste for inspiration. Rather than allowing ourselves to be overwhelmed by the magnitude of humanity9s effects on the planet, he proposes that we see nuclear waste storage as he does, as a case study for how to extend our intellects and acquire habits associated with extremely long-term thinking.
Solving hybrid Boolean constraints in continuous space via multilinear Fourier expansions

Abstract The Boolean SATisfiability problem (SAT) is of central importance in computer science. Although SAT is known to be NP-complete, progress on the engineering side—especially that of Conflict-Driven Clause Learning (CDCL) and Local Search SAT solvers—has been remarkable. Yet, while SAT solvers, aimed at solving industrial-scale benchmarks in Conjunctive Normal Form ( CNF ), have become quite mature, SAT solvers that are effective on other types of constraints (e.g., cardinality constraints and XOR s) are less well-studied; a general approach to handling non- CNF constraints is still lacking. To address the issue above, we design FourierSAT , 1 an incomplete SAT solver based on Fourier Analysis (also known as Walsh-Fourier Transform) of Boolean functions, a technique to represent Boolean functions by multilinear polynomials. By such a reduction to continuous optimization, we propose an algebraic framework for solving systems consisting of different types of constraints. The idea is to leverage gradient information to guide the search process in the direction of local improvements. We show this reduction enjoys interesting theoretical properties. Empirical results demonstrate that FourierSAT can be a useful complement to other solvers on certain classes of benchmarks.
Generation of guided space-time wave packets using multilevel indirect photonic transitions in integrated photonics

We propose an integrated photonic approach to generating guided space-time wave packets in a conventional multimode waveguide using multilevel interband photonic transitions. It can generate broadband propagation-invariant space-time wave packets with arbitrary group velocity and tailored field profiles. Our work reveals an important connection between the study of time-varying media and space-time optics.
Viral Enteritis in Solid-Organ Transplantation

Solid organ transplant recipients are at increased risk for infections due to chronic immunosuppression. Diarrhea is a commonly encountered problem post transplantation, with infectious causes of diarrhea being a frequent complication. Viral infections/enteritides in solid organ transplant recipients often result from frequently encountered pathogens in this population such as cytomegalovirus, adenovirus, and norovirus. However, several emerging viral pathogens are increasingly being recognized as more sensitive diagnostic techniques become available. Treatment is often limited to supportive care and reduction in immunosuppression, though antiviral therapies mayplay a role in the treatment in certain diseases. Viral enteritis is an important entity that contributes to morbidity and mortality in transplant recipients.
Efficacy of an Intranasal Tear Neurostimulator in Sjögren Syndrome Patients

Purpose To assess the efficacy and safety of an intranasal tear neurostimulator (ITN) device in Sjogren syndrome (SS) patients. Methods This was a two-visit prospective, randomized, controlled, same-day crossover study in participants with SS. Inclusion criteria were assessed at a baseline screening visit and included an Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) score ≥13, and a Schirmer with anesthesia ≤10 mm/5 min (in at least one eye), with a cotton swab stimulation induced increase of ≥4 mm in the same eye. Participants returned for the application visit, where they received intranasal and extranasal applications of the ITN in random sequence, separated by at least 60 min. Schirmer scores were measured in both eyes after each application and compared to baseline values. Generalized linear models were performed to compare the change in Schirmer scores from baseline, and generalized estimating equations were used to account for correlations from repeated measurements in the same eye and measurements from two eyes of the same patient. Results Fifty-five participants were screened and 35 were enrolled (all female), ranging in age from 31 to 72 years (mean, 57 years). The baseline OSDI score ranged from 14 to 91 (mean, 50.5), and the baseline Schirmer score had a mean (SD) of 6.4 (3.5) ranging from 0 to 20 (mm/5min). Improvement in Schirmer scores was significantly greater for intranasal device application (13.5 mm/5min, 95% CI: 10.4, 16.5) compared to extranasal device application (0.8mm/5min, 95% CI: -0.9, 2.4) (p<0.0001). The effects of the intranasal device application were significant regardless of the participant's baseline Schirmer score and systemic SS medication usage (p<0.05). Conclusion Intranasal application of the ITN device significantly increased tear production in a subset of SS patients compared to baseline and was more effective than extranasal application. While production of the ITN device was recently discontinued, our findings suggest that other therapies that neurostimulate the lacrimal function unit may be effective in a subset of SS patients.
The Divided Self of William James

This book offers a powerful interpretation of the philosophy of William James. It focuses on the multiple directions in which James's philosophy moves and the inevitable contradictions that arise as a result. The first part of the book explores a range of James's doctrines in which he refuses to privilege any particular perspective: ethics, belief, free will, truth and meaning. The second part of the book turns to those doctrines where James privileges the perspective of mystical experience. Richard Gale then shows how the relativistic tendencies can be reconciled with James's account of mystical experience. An appendix considers the distorted picture of James's philosophy that has been refracted down to us through the interpretations of his work by John Dewey.
Association between cumulative social risk and ideal cardiovascular health in US adults: NHANES 1999–2006

Abstract Background The American Heart Association developed the Life's Simple 7 metric for defining cardiovascular health. Little is known about the association of co-occurring social risk factors on ideal cardiovascular health. Methods Using data on 11,467 adults aged ≥25years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2006, we examined the association between cumulative social risk and ideal cardiovascular health in US adults. A cumulative risk score (range 0 to 3 or 4) was created by summing four social risk factors (low family income, low education level, minority race, and single-living status). Ideal levels for each component in Life's Simple 7 (blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, BMI, smoking, physical activity, and diet) were used to create an ideal Life's Simple 7 score [0–1 (low), 2, 3, 4, and 5–7 (high)]. Results Adults with low income (odds ratio [OR]=0.30 [95% CI 0.23–0.39]), low education [0.22 (0.16–0.28)], who are non-white (0.44 [0.36–0.54]) and single-living [0.79 (0.67–0.95)] were less likely to have 5–7 versus 0 ideal Life's Simple 7 scores after adjustment for age and sex. Adults were less likely to attain 5–7 versus 0 ideal Life's Simple 7 scores as exposure to the number of social risk factors increased [OR (95% CI) of 0.58 (0.49–0.68); 0.27 (0.21–0.35); and 0.19 (0.14–0.27) for cumulative social risk scores of 1, 2, and 3 or 4, respectively, each versus 0]. Conclusions US adults with an increasing number of socially risk factors, were progressively less likely to attain ideal levels of cardiovascular health factors.
Isolation and characterization of a CO2-tolerant Lactobacillus strain from Crystal Geyser, Utah, U.S.A.

When CO2 is sequestered into the deep subsurface, changes to the subsurface microbial community will occur. Capnophiles, microorganisms that grow in CO2-rich environments, are some organisms that may be selected for under the new environmental conditions. To determine whether capnophiles comprise an important part of CO2-rich environments, an isolate from Crystal Geyser, Utah, U.S.A., a CO2- rich spring considered a carbon sequestration analogue, was characterized. The isolate was cultured under varying CO2, pH, salinity, and temperature, as well as different carbon substrates and terminal electron acceptors (TEAs) to elucidate growth conditions and metabolic activity. Designated CG-1, the isolate is related (99%) to Lactobacillus casei in 16S rRNA gene identity, growing at PCO2 between 0 to 1.0 MPa. Growth is inhibited at 2.5 MPa, but stationary phase cultures exposed to this pressure survive beyond 5 days. At 5.0 MPa, survival is at least 24 hours. CG-1 grows in neutral pH, 0.25 M NaCl, and between 25° to 45°C andconsumes glucose, lactose, sucrose, or crude oil, likely performing lactic acid fermentation. Fatty acid profiles between 0.1 MPa to 1.0 MPa suggests decreases in cell size and increases in membrane rigidity. Transmission electron microscopy reveals rod shaped bacteria at 0.1 MPa. At 1.0 MPa, cells are smaller, amorphous, and produce abundant capsular material. Its ability to grow in environments regardless of the presence of CO2 suggests we have isolated an organism that is more capnotolerant than capnophilic. Results also show that microorganisms are capable of surviving the stressful conditions created by the introduction of CO2 for sequestration. Furthermore, our ability to culture an environmental isolate indicates that organisms found in CO2 environments from previous genomic and metagenomics studies are viable, metabolizing, and potentially affecting the surrounding environment.
Ideological Dissonance, Disability Backlash, and the ADA Amendments Act

Congress' recent amendments to the Americans with Disabilities Act disappointed many disability advocates who sought to have "disability" determined solely upon a showing that an individual has a physical or mental impairment. They argued this open-ended definition was necessary to equate disability with other protected classifications such as race and sex, where complainants need not defend their status in order to have the merits of their claims considered. Without this equivalence, courts would continue to view disability rights as special rights. Although the first version of the legislation that became the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 would have adopted this approach, a compromise was passed that retained the original definition of disability but articulated several findings and rules of construction explicitly directing courts to give the definition a broad interpretation. This article argues that adopting an open-ended protected class would have exacerbated rather than eliminated judicial backlash against the ADA. This argument has its roots in social science cognitive dissonance theory. The excessively narrow protected class adopted by the judiciary resolved the ideological dissonance between judges' belief that the right of reasonable accommodation is a special right and their desire to avoid granting "windfall protection" where there has been no systemic disadvantage. An open-ended protected class would lead courts to narrow the right of accommodation in the same excessive manner as they did the protected class. The compromise definition allows courts to filter at least some marginal cases, thus creating less dissonance between the scope of the protected class and the breadth of reasonable accommodation law. This is less likely to induce the same effects that lead to the original backlash against the statute. At the same time, it is broad enough to promote the goals of the ADA and ultimately gain better acceptance of reasonable accommodation as an anti-discrimination principle.
Spinal and paraspinal giant cervical cavernous malformation with postpartum presentation

Cavernous malformations (CMs) are found throughout the CNS but are relatively uncommon in the spine. In this report, the authors describe a giant CM with the imaging appearance of an aggressive, invasive, expansive tumor in the cervical spine. The intradural extramedullary portion of the tumor originated from a cervical nerve root; histologically, the lesion was identified as an intraneural CM. Most of the tumor extended into the paraspinal tissues. The tumor was also epidural, intraosseous, and osteolytic and had completely encased cervical nerve roots, peripheral nerves, branches of the brachial plexus, and the vertebral artery on the right side. It became symptomatic during the puerperal period. Gross-total resection was achieved using staged operative procedures, complex dural reconstruction, spinal fixation, and fusion. Clinical, radiographic, and histological details, as well as a discussion of the relevant literature, are provided.
In vivo confocal microscopy for the detection of canine fungal keratitis and monitoring of therapeutic response.

Objective To describe in vivo corneal confocal microscopy of dogs during the clinical course of fungal keratitis and correlate findings with clinical evaluations and an ex vivo experimental canine fungal keratitis model. Animals Studied Seven dogs with naturally acquired fungal keratitis and ex vivo canine corneas experimentally infected with clinical fungal isolates. Procedures Dogs with naturally acquired fungal keratitis were examined by in vivo laser scanning confocal microscopy. Initial confocal microscopic examinations were performed to assist in establishing the diagnosis of fungal keratitis. Serial confocal microscopic examinations were performed to guide antifungal chemotherapy. Confocal microscopy images of canine corneal fungal isolates were obtained by examination of experimentally infected ex vivo canine corneas to corroborate in vivo findings. Results Fungi cultured and detected by PCR from canine corneal samples included Candida albicans, Fusarium incarnatum-equiseti, Malassezia pachydermatis, and a Rhodotorula sp. Linear, branching, interlocking, hyperreflective structures were detected by confocal microscopy in dogs with filamentous fungal keratitis and round to oval hyperreflective structures were detected in dogs with yeast fungal keratitis. Antifungal chemotherapy was associated with a progressive reduction in the distribution and density of corneal fungal elements, alterations to fungal morphology, decreased leukocyte numbers, restoration of epithelial layers, and an increased number of visible keratocyte nuclei. No dogs had a recurrence of fungal keratitis following medication discontinuation. Confocal microscopic fungal morphologies were similar between in vivo and ex vivo examinations. Conclusions In vivo corneal confocal microscopy is a rapid method of diagnosing fungal keratitis in dogs and provides a noninvasive mechanism for monitoring therapeutic response.
A higher frequency of anti-EBNA-1 antibodies that cross-react with dsDNA are elicited in BAFF mice than wild type mice (BA4P.224)

One environmental factor strongly linked to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is the Epstein Barr Virus (EBV). Injecting mice with the major nuclear protein of EBV, EBNA-1, causes some to develop anti-EBNA-1 antibodies that cross-react with double stranded DNA (dsDNA). We hypothesized that autoimmune mice would regulate the development of cross-reactive autoantibodies more poorly than healthy mice. The goal of our study was to examine the potential of using biotin-labeled-EBNA-1 bound to streptavidin-linked magnetic beads (B-EBNA-s-A Dynabeads) to isolate anti-EBNA-1 antibody from sera and to use this method to examine if autoimmune BAFF transgenic mice are more likely to develop antibodies to EBNA-1 that cross-react with dsDNA than wild-type mice. We successfully isolated anti-EBNA-1 antibodies from polyspecific sera obtained from BALB/c, C57BL/6, and BAFF mice injected with EBNA-1, using B-EBNA-s-A-Dynabeads. Eluted antibody was tested by ELISA for binding to EBNA-1 and dsDNA. Anti-EBNA-1 antibody obtained from mice from all three strains was observed to cross-react with dsDNA. However, the frequency of mice producing cross-reactive antibody was greater and the amount of cross-reactive antibody was higher in BAFF than wild type mice. This suggests that a viral protein such as EBNA-1 may trigger the development of antibodies that cross-react with dsDNA and that genetic susceptibility to lupus may enhance the development of cross-reactive antibodies upon viral exposure.
Effective use of interpreters by family nurse practitioner students: Is didactic curriculum enough?

Purpose: Nurse practitioners (NPs) care for patients with limited English proficiency (LEP). However, NP education for improving communication in interpreted encounters is not well reported. We report a single school study using standardized encounters within a clinical practice examination (CPX) to assess the adequacy of current curriculum. Data sources: Entering family NP (FNP) students (n= 26) participated in a baseline CPX case. They were assessed by standardized patients using the validated Interpreter Impact Rating Scale (IIRS) and Physician-Patient Interaction (PPI) scale, and by interpreters using the Interpreter Scale (IS).The case was re-administered to 31 graduating students following completion of existing curriculum. Primary outcome was aggregate change in skills comprising global IIRS, PPI and IS scores. Pre- and post-performance data were available for one class of 10 students. Secondary outcome was change in skill scores for this class. Conclusions: Mean aggregate global scores showed no significant improvement between scores at entry and graduation. For 10 students with pre- and post-performance data, there was no improvement in skill scores for any measure. Skill assessed on one measure worsened. Implications for practice: FNP students show no improvement in skills in working with interpreters with the current curriculum. An enhanced curriculum is needed.
Morphology characterization of high‐impact resistant polypropylene using AFM and SALS

Atomic force microscopy and small angle light scattering have been used to characterize the morphology of high-impact polypropylene. Because of sample preparation requirements, both techniques are relatively simple compared with conventional electron microscopy approaches. Using atomic force microscopy the spatial distribution of the impact-modifying ethylene-propylene rubber (EPR) domains could be readily identified whereas small angle light scattering was used to quantify overall domain size distribution. EPR domains from a few hundred nanometers to a few microns in size were observed with average sizes that vary from the edge to the center of the polypropylene particle. In addition, it has been observed that the morphology shifts from discrete domains to bicontinuous as the EPR content is increased.
Deoxycorticosterone secretion rates before and during metyrapone administration in normal subjects.

ABSTRACT Deoxycorticosterone (DOC) secretion rate and tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone (THDOC) excretion rate determinations were made under basal conditions and during the second day of metyrapone administration in a group of normal subjects using DOC-4-14C. Bile was collected from a T-tube from a patient given DOC-4-14C following a cholecystectomy and complete external biliary drainage for cholelithiasis. Three consecutive 24-hr urine and stool samples were collected from the normal subjects and the patient with biliary drainage following the administration of DOC-4-14C. In 5 subjects the mean radioactivity excreted in the urine in the first 24 hr was 25% of the administered dose, and an additional 4.7 % was excreted in the subsequent 48 hr. A significant amount of the radioactivity was excreted in the stool. The 72-hr urine and stool together contained an average of 62.9 % of the administered dose of DOC-4-14C on the base line days and 56.8% on the second day of metyrapone. In the patient with complete ex...
Unsafe Hunting of Freight Rail Cars

Hunting of rail vehicles refers to self-excited oscillation of truck and carbody. This dynamic instability is due to the conicity of the wheels, the wheel/rail creep forces and the action of the suspensions. Hunting increases wheel/rail wear, causes damage to sensitive lading and in extreme cases can throw the track out of geometry. Furthermore, severe hunting can create unsafe operating conditions that lead to derailments. Although it is widely recognized that truck hunting is not a good thing, it is a fact that many thousands of trucks do hunt on any given day but the number of derailments from hunting are few. So when is the hunting unsafe? Database and parametric studies of unsafe hunting are presented in this paper. The FRA database was used to study the hunting derailments by year, car type, track, speed, load condition, weather and temperature. Parametric studies of hunting and unsafe hunting of three-piece freight cars were conducted based on a large number of measured wheel profiles in combination with worn and new rail profiles. The vehicle, track and operational factors that have the major influence on unsafe hunting are analyzed and the conditions of unsafe hunting presented.Copyright © 2009 by National Research Council of Canada