cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Second harmonic light scattering from the surface of colloidal objects: theory and applications.

Because properties of colloids containing micro- and nano-particles are much influenced by the structure of, and interactions occurring at, the particle surface, it is important to be able to characterize the particle surface in situ and nondestructively. Nonlinear light scattering from colloidal particles has been developed into a powerful and versatile technique for characterizing particle surfaces since the first demonstration of the detection of second harmonic generation from molecules adsorbed on micrometer-sized colloidal particles by Eisenthal and co-workers (Wang, H.; Yan, E. C. Y.; Borguet, E.; Eisenthal, K. B. Second Harmonic Generation from the Surface of Centrosymmetric Particles in Bulk Solution. Chem. Phys. Lett. 1996, 259, 15–20). At present, second harmonic light scattering from the particle surface can be quantitatively described by theoretical models and used to measure the adsorption kinetics, molecular structure, and reaction rates at the surfaces of a variety of micrometer- to nanome...
Viral Inactivation of Blood Components

Viral inactivation of labile blood components is an important step in the development of a risk-free transfusion. This article reviews the current risk of viral transmission of blood components and outlines the methods of virus inactivation currently being developed for plasma, red cells, and platelets.
PROCEDURE FOR DETERMINING DREDGING REQUIREMENTS IN COASTAL INLET CHANNELS

In order to assess the technical feasibility of a long term maintenance dredging plan at Oregon Inlet, a simple procedure was devised to evaluate the capabilities of existing ocean going hopper dredges to maintain an ocean entrance channel in an inlet environment characterized by wave climate and resulting influx of littoral material as severe as any Atlantic coast location. The dredging analysis procedure described in this paper was used to evaluate dredge plant capabilities under the operational constraints imposed by depth limitations resulting from the continuous influx of sediment into the project channel, the wave climate, and dredging production capacity in terms of actual hopper capacity and cycle times for different disposal schemes. The shoaling and dredging simulation procedure is described in terms of its application to the proposed navigation project at Oregon Inlet, NC.
Green aqueous surface modification of polypropylene for novel polymer nanocomposites.

Polypropylene is one of the most widely used commercial commodity polymers; among many other applications, it is used for electronic and structural applications. Despite its commercial importance, the hydrophobic nature of polypropylene limits its successful application in some fields, in particular for the preparation of polymer nanocomposites. Here, a facile, plasma-assisted, biomimetic, environmentally friendly method was developed to enhance the interfacial interactions in polymer nanocomposites by modifying the surface of polypropylene. Plasma treated polypropylene was surface-modified with polydopamine (PDA) in an aqueous medium without employing other chemicals. The surface modification strategy used here was based on the easy self-polymerization and strong adhesion characteristics of dopamine (DA) under ambient laboratory conditions. The changes in surface characteristics of polypropylene were investigated using FTIR, TGA, and Raman spectroscopy. Subsequently, the surface modified polypropylene wa...
Effect of Integrated Rice-Duck Farming System on Yield Components in Organic Rice Production Environment

The experiment was carried out to study the relationship between the rice yield components and the yield in the organic rice production environment of integrated rice-duck farming,adopted no-tillage and light harrow technology.The results revealed that the yield of organic cultivation rice was mainly determined by the following four Characters:panicles per hill,grains per panicle,protein level of the whole plant and plant height.In the integrated rice-duck farming system,grains per panicle was significantly increased,as panicles per hill increased and duck population increased.The increase of whole plant protein level also physiologically demonstrated that nitrogen utilization efficiency was raised.In the system,the duck excrement could improve soil fertility,meanwhile,the fertilizer use efficiency was increased by the duck activities in the paddy,thus biomass and economic yield of rice improved.
Renal Pathology in children with Isolated Hematuria in Jiangxi Province

Objective To investigate the pathological types of isolated hematuria in children in Jiangxi province.Methods Renal biopsy was performed in 159 children diagnosed with isolated hematuria.All biopsies were examined by light microscope,electron microscope and immunofluoresence.Results The most common pathological types were mesangial proliferation glomerulonephritis(69 cases,43.4%),IgA nephropathy(36 cases,22.6%) and focal segmental glomerulonephritis(24 cases,15.1%),followed by minor glomerular abnormalities(17 cases,10.7%),focal segmental glomerulosclerosis(4 cases,2.5%),minimal change nephrotic syndrome(1 case,0.6%),membranous glomerulopathy(1 case,0.6%),crescentic glomerulonephritis(1 case,0.6%),membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis(1 case,0.6%),and IgM nephropathy(1 case,0.6%).Conclusion Mesangial proliferation glomerulonephritis is the most common pathplogical changes in isolated hematuria,followed by IgA nephropathy and focal segmental glomerulonephritis.
Developmental Aspects of the Human Lung

The current understanding of lung development, from early intrauterine development through postnatal changes, is summarized in order to provide a basis for a more precise understanding of congenital disorders of the lung and lung physiology.
Immune-related intestinal Cl- secretion. I. Effect of histamine on the T84 cell line

The mast cell mediator, histamine, induces a rapid and transient increase in chloride secretion across monolayers of the human colonic epithelial cell line, T84. Threshold stimulation occurred at 3...
Geographic information and school facility planning

Recent advances in microprocessor technology have made it possible to find mathematically optimal solutions for school facility planning. Beginning with accurate forecasts based on historical data (such as those available through gradient search, cohort survival methodologies), and supplemented by future-oriented methodologies (such as traditional land use studies), it is possible to gauge expected future growth in a school system and to allocate that growth to specific regions. By disaggregating growth to the building attendance-area level and comparing that disaggregation to building capacities, the out-ofcapacity (OOC) status for each building for each future year can be determined. By color coding the OOC status for each building for any one year, a computer generated map can be used to examine geographic relationships of OOC problems.
Methemoglobinemia resulting from exposure in a confined space: Exothermic self-polymerization of 4,4′-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) material

ABSTRACTA worker attempting to remove solidified material inside a confined space (storage tank) suffered severe methemoglobinemia and almost died. The tank contained liquid 4,4′-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate monomer that had solidified after an equipment power failure caused excessive heating. Wearing a full-face elastomeric air-purifying respirator and Tyvek® coveralls, the worker used pneumatic air hammers to break up the solid material. After two tank entries totaling slightly less than one hour, the worker complained of headache and dizziness and within two hours of exiting the tank, he was admitted to the hospital in severe respiratory distress. During his eight-week hospital course, he suffered a cardiac arrest among other complications. An investigation into the cause of the worker's illness used onsite gas chromatography-mass spectrometry which identified aniline and p-toluidine vapor within the tank, attributable to overheating that led to formation of the solid material. Both are well-known c...
The Design and Clinical Development of Inhibitors of Glycosphingolipid Synthesis: Will Invention Be the Mother of Necessity?

The treatment of glycosphingolipid storage diseases by synthesis inhibition was first proposed 40 years ago as an alternative approach to enzyme replacement therapy. We have pursued this strategy through the rational design of potent and selective inhibitors of glucosylceramide synthase, the first step in glycosphingolipid synthesis. Eliglustat tartrate was the result of these efforts and is currently the focus of phase 3 trials for type 1 Gaucher disease. Phase 2 studies showed a reduction in splenomegaly and hepatomegaly and improvements of anemia and thrombocytopenia at levels equivalent to or exceeding the historic response to imiglucerase. Structural analogues of eliglustat have also been designed that lack pgp-1 recognition and cross the blood brain barrier. These may have utility for central nervous system– based sphingolipidoses. Because glycosphingolipids are important regulators of receptor tyrosine kinases, glucosylceramide synthase inhibitors may also be beneficial for disorders such as type 2 diabetes mellitus and polycystic kidney disease.
Laser-illuminated nano-second microscope

In high magnification systems, laser speckle limits the resolution of laser illuminated targets. The authors developed a broad bandwidth laser illuminator that substantially reduces the speckle. This laser has been incorporated with intensified camera technology and suitable lensing to provide a microscope system with good resolution over a 75 mm diameter image. The microscope currently has a 2-ns exposure onto film with magnification adjustable between 5X and 50X. 6 references, 10 figures.
Superconductors surrounded by normal materials

We consider a generalized Ginzburg–Landau energy functional modelling a superconductor surrounded by a material in the normal state. In this model, the order parameter is defined in the whole space. We derive existence of a global minimizer in weighted Sobolev spaces for both square-integrable and constant-applied magnetic fields. We then prove boundedness and classical elliptic estimates for the order parameter, in order to study the loss of superconductivity for high applied magnetic fields. In two dimensions for the general case and in three dimensions for the case of constant permeability, we show the existence of an upper critical field above which the only finite-energy weak solutions are the normal states. For the three-dimensional case, we show that as the applied field tends to infinity, finite-energy weak solutions tend to the normal state.
The role of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling in SARS coronavirus-induced pulmonary fibrosis

Many survivors of the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) developed residual pulmonary fibrosis with increased severity seen in older patients. Autopsies of patients that died from SARS also showed fibrosis to varying extents. Pulmonary fibrosis can be occasionally seen as a consequence to several respiratory viral infections but is much more common after a SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) infection. Given the threat of future outbreaks of severe coronavirus disease, including Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), it is important to understand the mechanisms responsible for pulmonary fibrosis, so as to support the development of therapeutic countermeasures and mitigate sequelae of infection. In this article, we summarize pulmonary fibrotic changes observed after a SARS-CoV infection, discuss the extent to which other respiratory viruses induce fibrosis, describe available animal models to study the development of SARS-CoV induced fibrosis and review evidence that pulmonary fibrosis is caused by a hyperactive host response to lung injury mediated by epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling. We summarize work from our group and others indicating that inhibiting EGFR signaling may prevent an excessive fibrotic response to SARS-CoV and other respiratory viral infections and propose directions for future research.
Pemetrexed in combination with cisplatin versus carboplatin as first-line therapy in patients with advanced-stage malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM): A systematic review and meta-analysis.

8554Background: Pemtrexed/cisplatin (PCisp) remains the standard frontline treatment for advanced-stage MPM. However, a majority of patients are older and too fragile to tolerate PCisp. Because of ...
Future tense: Capital, labor, and technology in a service industry: The 2017 Lewis Henry Morgan Lecture

Since its beginning in 2000, the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry has grown to employ 700,000 young people in India. These workers spend their nights interacting by phone and online with...
Interleukin-22 levels are increased in gastrointestinal graft-versus-host disease in children

Interleukin-22 (IL-22) is a member of the IL-10 cytokine family, is induced by many different environmental and endogenous signals,[1][1] and is produced by adaptive and innate immune cells, including innate lymphoid cells (ILCs).[2][2] IL-22 binds to receptors on the epithelial cells of the
Control of Posture and Motion

While my interest in the functional organization of the nervous system for the control of posture and movement sprang from the study of its diseases in neurological patients, my experiments and those of my numerous collaborators were performed just on cats and monkeys.
Intermittent Turbulent Flow

Corrsin [1], [2] established several decades ago the existence of a sharp interface between turbulent and nonturbulent fluid for a variety of shear flows. Since then a large number of papers appeared reporting experimental results on conditioned variables. For the flat plate boundary layer measurements of the intermittency factor and conditional mean velocity components [2]—[11], including flows with non-zero pressure gradients [3] and normal stress components, point statistical expectations [4]–[11] are now available. The turbulent zone shear stress was reported in [6], and fundamental questions concerning discrimination and the dependence of conditional moments on threshold levels received attention [7], [8]. Measurements in plane jets including the initial region with potential core and point statistical moments were reported by several authors [12]–[16]. For round jets measured intermittency factor and some conditional moments are available [2], [17]–[21]. The comparison of free and ducted round jets [17] shows that the radial intermittency factor profiles deviates significantly from the common Gaussian shape due to the presence of ducts. For mixing layers and wakes less data for conditional quantities are available [22]–[24], Complex flows such as interacting mixing layers [25]–[28] wall jets [29],. transitional flows [30] and reacting flows [31]–[33] are receiving increasing attention. The existence of large scale structures lead to new views on entrainment [34]–[35] and averaging [38], [39].
Extending social constructivism with institutional theory: A broadband civic networking case

A longitudinal study of broadband civic network design is analyzed using social construction of technology (SCOT) approach and then through the lens of institutional theory. SCOT is useful to show how artifacts take on the forms they do; institutional theory, by locating (design) action in a cultural, historical and structural context can complement SCOT by explaining why they tend to assume certain forms. Broadband civic networking initiatives often have mixed goals: ensuring financial viability and realizing normative social aims. In the present case, this tension was resolved by fitting the network's technological and social form to a criterion of legitimacy prevailing among power centers in the broader field; this succeeded in eliciting necessary financial resources to sustain the network, but at the expense of the project's normative aims. Institutional approaches theorize the relation of cultural ideas and social structure, and that of structure and social action, to interrogate micro-politics of social constructions and the (intended/unintended) forms they assume. To engage the Why question, constructivists need to theorize action. Sociological institutional theory offers pointers.
7 Regulation of the yeast general amino acid control pathway in response to nutrient stress

In response to starvation for amino acids, yeast cells induce the expression of a collection of genes involved in amino acid metabolism. This pathway referred to as the general amino acid control is a true cross-pathway response that induces expression of genes contributing to the synthesis of all amino acids independent of which amino acid is limiting. In this review, we discuss the three basic parts of the general control pathway: 1) sensing of amino acid starvation by the protein kinase Gcn2p; 2) induction of the “master regulator” Gcn4p that involves a classic mechanism of translation control elicited by Gcn2p phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor -2 (eIF2); and 3) the coordinate expression of stress remedy genes through Gcn4p-directed regulation of transcription. Recent studies suggest that Gcn4p can also interface with other stress response pathways, allowing the cell to direct the timing and content of stress gene expression in response to multiple stress inputs.
Characterization of a putative hemagglutinin gene in the caprine model for brucellosis

With the completion of the genomic sequences of Brucella melitensis 16M and B. abortus 2308 and the vaccine strain RB51, a putative hemagglutinin gene was identified that is present in 16M and absent in B. abortus. The possibility of this hemagglutinin being a potential host specificity factor was evaluated via expression in trans in B. abortus 2308-QAE and RB51-QAE. Using the caprine brucellosis model, colonization and pathogenesis studies were performed to evaluate the strains.
Amicus Curiae Brief of Tax Law Professors in Support of Appellees

Section 107 allows “ministers of the gospel” to exclude the value of housing benefits from income, whether provided in-kind or as a cash allowance, at a cost of approximately $9.3 billion in forgone taxes over a ten-year window. The trial court dismissed the challenge to Section 107(1), which excludes in-kind housing, on standing grounds, but that section remains relevant to the analysis of Section 107(2). Supporters argue that Section 107(2), which excludes cash allowances, comports with the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause because (1) it is part of a broad policy expressed in a number of provisions that exempts housing provided for the convenience of the employer and (2) tax exemptions do not subsidize religious actors. Alternately, they argue that Section 107(2) is permitted as an accommodation for religion because it equalizes treatment of different religious groups and avoids church/state entanglement. Finally, they claim that eliminating Section 107(2) would imperil other exemptions. Section 107 is a tax provision, and understanding how it functions within the Tax Code and differs from other facially similar provisions is critical to the constitutional analysis. Amici make four points. First, Section 107(2) differs significantly from other tax provisions that exempt housing from income and is not part of a broad housing policy that naturally includes ministers. Second, Section 107(2) subsidizes ministers, as reflected in both court decisions and the government’s own admissions. Third, Section 107(2) is not an appropriate accommodation for religion because it (1) disregards important differences in ministerial income that warrant different tax treatment, and (2) creates significantly more church/state entanglement than would the generally applicable rule. Finally, finding Section 107(2) unconstitutional would not imperil other exemptions.
Staging Masculinity in Iran–Iraq War Movies

This chapter focuses on post-Iran–Iraq War films as a spectacle and masculinity and as an emphasized signifier of war movies. Most war movies are made with state funding and in the context of the state’s promotion of “sacred defense.” These movies have to do with war, national memory, and gender identities. The emphasized meanings and characters of these films stage masculinity more often, but they also produce femininity, easing the changing significance of gender in post-revolutionary Iran. In this chapter, I show how post-Iran–Iraq war movies use mediatic technologies and the melodramatic staging of family and gender to depict war, to defend it, or to interrogate it. I argue that while war movies are sites of reproduction for gender identities and ideologies, they also open up space for rupture, performativity, and discontinuity in normative notions of masculinity and femininity. In other words, filmic intervention is not arbitrary since Iranian war movies also create space for the interrogation of gender identities as well as the meaning of war.
Psychiatric disorders and gun carrying among adolescents in the United States

Objectives To estimate associations between psychiatric disorders and gun carrying among adolescents and to estimate the total number of adolescents in the US who have psychiatric disorders and report carrying guns. Study design We used cross-sectional data from the National Comorbidity Survey – Adolescent Supplement, a nationally representative sample of adolescents age 13-18 years (N = 10 123; response rate = 75.6%). Psychiatric disorders were assessed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Gun carrying in the 30 days prior to the interview was assessed by self-report. We used multivariable Poisson regression to test for associations. Results The analytic sample included 10 112 adolescents, 2.4% of whom reported carrying a gun in the prior 30 days. The prevalence of gun carrying was greater among adolescents with conduct disorder (adjusted prevalence ratio [APR] = 1.88, 95% CI 1.38, 2.57), drug use disorders (APR = 1.91, 95% CI 1.05, 3.45), and specific phobias (APR = 1.54, 95% CI 1.07, 2.22) compared with adolescents without these disorders. We estimated that 1.1% (95% CI 0.77, 1.48) of adolescents with a disorder associated with self- or other-directed violence also carry guns. Nationally, that is approximately 272 000 adolescents with both risk factors. Conclusions Specific psychiatric disorders are associated with an increased risk of gun carrying among adolescents, but the vast majority of adolescents with psychiatric disorders did not report gun carrying. Targeted efforts to assess access to and use of firearms in mental healthcare and other clinical settings are important, as are efforts to identify population approaches to prevention.
Right to Health: A Buzzword in Health Policy in Indonesia

The "right to health" operates as a buzzword in Indonesia to frame health policies as beneficial to citizens. Right to health is equated with access to Western biomedical services. Within the policy on partnership between biomedical and traditional midwives, only the biomedical midwife can fulfill the right to health. The "traditional" midwife is reframed as her assistant. Right to health language hides underlying tensions in relationships between these two categories of midwives by presenting the policy as mutually beneficial. Right to health language is effective in the post-Suharto era as it aligns with other incontestable values, including democracy and modernity.
Hybrid approach to mean-variance and photon transfer measurement

This paper presents a hybrid technique for measuring conversion gain that blends spatial and temporal information, allowing users to calculate an accurate conversion gain with little knowledge of sensor defects. It blends a single pixel method with multiple pixel methods. We present measured data from a visible CMOS image sensor using two multiple pixel methods and the hybrid method. Additionally, we provide arguments for validity of the hybrid method. To our knowledge, this is the first report of this technique. Conversion gain (e-/DN) directly relates measured digital numbers (DN) to input-referred electrons (e-) for an image sensor. Conversion gain can be directly measured by considering the sensor under varying illumination states in coordination with Poisson statistics. Typically, there are two approaches: measure a single pixel over time or measure a group of pixels at one point in time after correcting for gain non-uniformity. The plotted statistics from these measurements are called either mean-variance or photon-transfer curves. The measurement of a single pixel is relatively straightforward and requires collection of many consecutive frames to get meaningful statistics not dominated by thermal noise. The data volume for an accurate single-pixel measurement can become unwieldy in terms of number of frames required. This is especially true for large format image sensors. In contrast, the measurement of a group of pixels requires fewer consecutive frames, but needs non-uniformity adjustments to correctly calculate statistics.
Wintertime decoupling of urban valley and rural ridge hydrological processes revealed through stable water isotopes

Abstract Water from fossil fuel combustion can represent >10% of urban specific humidity, but this fraction is difficult to constrain from meteorological measurements alone. Stable water vapor isotopes can be used to estimate the fraction of combustion-derived vapor (CDV) and characterize the contrast between anthropogenically-altered and natural systems due to CDV's distinctive isotope composition. However, accurate estimates of the CDV fraction of urban humidity requires information on vapor isotope ratios in the absence of anthropogenic emissions. We present data from an urban site in Salt Lake City, UT and from a high-elevation site in the adjacent Wasatch Mountains. Urban vapor d-excess values (d-excess = δ2H–8δ18O) closely track CO2 concentrations on diurnal to weekly timescales, but high-elevation vapor values do not. Instead, the high-elevation site captures large-scale atmospheric variability, with d-excess changes largely following changes in δ18O and humidity. Isotope ratios at the two sites remain distinct throughout most of the winter, indicating that these sites are regularly decoupled from each other and that high-elevation winter measurements may rarely be representative of valley conditions in the absence of urban emissions. Furthermore, high-elevation d-excess may be higher than emissions-free values at the same elevation as the urban area, as vapor d-excess changes non-linearly during condensation at low specific humidity, and would result in an overestimate of urban humidity amounts. Therefore, the high-elevation site may not help place additional constraints on the amount of CDV in urban systems, yet the paired sites show changes in vapor isotope ratios, particularly in d-excess, that capture differences in urban and natural impacts on water vapor cycling.
Estimated electricity bill savings for residential solar photovoltaic system owners: Are they accurate enough?

Abstract Techno-economic models are widely used to estimate electricity bill savings attributable to residential solar photovoltaic systems. However, there are not many studies that examine whether estimated savings are actually realized or not. The objective of the study is to compare estimated savings with actual savings using statistical and econometric approaches of data analysis. Based on a sample of solar adopters located in the United States of America, this study finds that actual savings are on average 20% higher than estimated savings, but they are also relatively more spread out than estimated savings. One possible explanation for a lower estimated savings is the inability of models to fully capture favorable changes in household habits, the electric rate structure, and weather. Factors that are correlated with higher estimated savings are more technical (photovoltaic size-to-load ratio, floor area, and age of house) and do not necessarily matter for actual savings. Higher initial electricity bills are positively correlated with higher actual savings on average, but not with estimated savings. There is some room for making solar estimate models more customizable, indicating best and worst case scenarios depending on changes in household habits and exogenous factors. Finally, for the sample of solar adopters in this study, customers’ perception on savings is fairly correct in reflecting the deviation between actual and estimated savings.
TMEM2 Modulates ER Stress in a Non-canonical Manner.

Cells utilize multiple mechanisms to support endoplasmic reticulum (ER) function. The unfolded protein response, UPRER, is engaged during proteotoxic challenges to either mitigate ER stress or promote apoptosis. In a CRISPR-based genetic screen, Schinzel et al. (2019) identified TMEM2 as a mediator of ER stress tolerance independent of the individual branches of the canonical UPRER and linked this path to nematode longevity.
Interleukin-27 Enforces Regulatory T Cell Functions to Prevent Graft-versus-Host Disease.

Graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) remains a significant complication of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), associated with significant morbidity and mortality. GVHD is characterized by a dysregulated immune response with resulting tissue damage of target organs. Recent investigations have focused on Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) as a therapeutic tool, based on its regulatory functions in GvHD pathogenesis and their instrumental role in mitigating GvHD severity while preserving graft-versus leukemia (GvL) activity. There are several challenges to its clinical application, including their paucity, impaired suppressive activity, and instability in vivo. Herein, we report that IL-27 pre-stimulation enhances suppressive functions to both mouse and human Tregs. In a complete MHC mismatched murine bone marrow transplant model, IL-27 pre-stimulated polyclonal iTregs diminish acute (a)GvHD lethality, while preserving the GvL effect. Allo-antigen specificity further improves suppressive functions when combined with IL-27 pre-stimulation. In a xenogeneic (human to mouse) GvHD model, IL-27 pre-stimulated human iTregs are superior in protecting recipients from GvHD. Lastly, we compared gene expression profiles of circulating Tregs isolated from HCT recipients with and without aGvHD and found that Tregs from aGvHD patients express distinct gene signatures enriched in immune activation and inflammation. Therefore, these results highlight a novel function of IL-27 in enforcing Treg functions to prevent aGvHD mediated lethality, proposing the hypothesis that dysregulated Treg functions may account for the potential mechanisms underlying GvHD development.
Going the Distance for International Students: Academic Integrity Support Online

Targeted instruction that teaches international students about plagiarism is an important service that academic libraries can offer. Offering such instruction as an asynchronous, online workshop ha...
Safety and Efficacy of Percutaneous Cholecystostomy for Emphysematous Cholecystitis.

Objective The objective of the study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) in treating critically ill patients with emphysematous cholecystitis who were deemed poor surgical candidates. Materials and methods The Institutional Review Board exemption was obtained for this retrospective study. Patients with emphysematous cholecystitis who were deemed to be poor operative candidates by the treating surgeon and underwent PC placement between May 2008 and April 2017 at a single institution were identified through a medical records search. Demographics, laboratory values, imaging data, procedural technique, complications, hospitalization course, clinical outcome, and survival data were obtained. Results Ten consecutive patients were included, with a mean age of 75.0 ± 12.2 years, including six men and four women. The most common comorbidity was diabetes (60%, 6/10) followed by hypertension (40%, 4/10). Intraluminal or intramural gas as well as gallbladder wall thickening were noted in all patients. Procedure technical success rate was 100%. There was a complete resolution of symptoms in 90% (9/10) of patients at a mean of 2.9 ± 1.4 days post-procedure. Thirty-day survival rate was 90% (9/10); one patient died on the 6th post- procedure day from sepsis. Two more deaths occurred within a year after PC from unrelated causes. About 50% (5/10) of patients underwent elective cholecystectomy at a median interval of 69 days post-procedure. In 40% (4/10) of patients, cholecystostomy was the definitive treatment, with tube removal at a median of 140 days post- procedure. Conclusion PC appears to be a safe and generally effective alternative management option in patients with emphysematous cholecystitis that is considered very high risk for surgery.
An open-source model of the Western Climate Initiative cap-and-trade programme with supply-demand scenarios to 2030

The Western Climate Initiative (WCI) cap-and-trade programme consists of two linked carbon markets in California and Quebec. It is intended to play a central role in reducing greenhouse gas emissio...
Development and Testing of a Question Prompt List for Common Hand Conditions: An Exploratory Sequential Mixed-Methods Study

Purpose A question prompt list (QPL) is a tool that lists possible questions a patient may want to ask their surgeon. Its purpose is to improve patient-physician communication and increase patient engagement. Although QPLs have been developed in other specialties, one does not exist for hand conditions. We sought to develop a QPL for use in the hand surgery clinic using a mixed-methods design. Methods We drafted a QPL based on prior work outside of hand surgery and then used an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design (both qualitative and quantitative methods) to finalize the QPL. Qualitative evaluation included both a written questionnaire completed by a patient advisory board, hand therapists, and hand surgeons, as well as cognitive interviews conducted with clinic patients using the tool. Revisions to the QPL were made after each phase of qualitative analysis. The final QPL was then evaluated quantitatively using the system usability score (SUS) questionnaire to assess its usability. Results A patient advisory board consisting of 6 patients, 5 hand therapists, and 6 hand surgeons completed the written questionnaire. Thirteen patients completed a cognitive interview of the QPL. We completed a content analysis of the qualitative data and incorporated the findings into the QPL. Twenty patients then reviewed the final QPL pamphlet and completed the SUS questionnaire. The resulting SUS score of 78.8 indicated above-average usability of the QPL tool. Conclusions The QPL developed in this study, from the perspective of multiple stakeholders, provides a usable tool to engage and prompt patients in asking questions during their visit with their hand surgeon with the potential to improve communication and patient-centered care. Clinical relevance This study provides clinicians with a QPL developed for use in the hand surgery clinic setting, aimed at facilitating more thorough patient-provider discussion.
Abstract PO-004: A double-edged sword: Prolonged detection of SARS-COV-2 in patients receiving cancer-directed therapy

Introduction: SARS-CoV2 (S-2) infection duration (S-2-D) and its impact on patients with cancer and mild to moderate COVID-19 undergoing cancer-directed therapy (CDT), especially in the underserved population, is not well described. We conducted a retrospective study to analyze S-2 positive (+) patients on CDT to describe the S-2-D and its impact on CDT. Methods: 299 patients with cancer were tested with nasopharyngeal (NP) S-2 PCR assay at Columbia University Medical Irving Center (CUIMC), a Minority-NCI Community Oncology site, of whom 77(26%) tested positive. We retrospectively analyzed 25 S-2 (+) patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 receiving CDT. NP PCR were repeated every one to two weeks until two successive negative (-) PCRs were obtained prior to restarting CDT. Time to two (-) PCR and serology results were recorded. Cycling thresholds (Ct) were obtained for S-2 specific targets and represented an indirect measure of viral load. Results: Demographics of N=25 patients included Hispanic (N=17, 68%), Black (N=1, 4%), White (N=6, 24%), and undeclared (N=1, 4%). Among the tumor histologies represented, gastrointestinal (N = 9, 36%), breast (N = 4, 16%), sarcoma (N = 3, 12%), and myeloma (N=2, 8%) were most common. Median time in days (d) to two (-) PCR was 24 (6-69). Nine (36%) patients were persistently (+) for more than six weeks. 20 patients had CDT interruption with a median time of 55 days off CDT. Two (10%) patients experienced disease progression during CDT interruption. 13 patients had >1 sequential (+) PCR. The mean time between 1st and 2nd NP S-2 PCR was 16d. There was a non-statistically significant trend towards a higher S-2 specific Ct on the 2nd NP S-2 PCR as compared to the 1st (31.21 vs 22.31, p=0.10). One patient was noted to be PCR (+) despite having developed S-2-specific IgG. Conclusion: Patients with cancer receiving CDT appear to have prolonged detectable S-2 by PCR, which can lead to interruption of CDT and POD in patients. Patients from underserved communities may be at greater risk given health care disparities. Further data are needed to help select patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 who can safely continue CDT while balancing the risk of worsening infection and risk of spread. The increased Ct over time in our patients suggest a decrease in viral load and infectious probability. Our lack of statistical significance is likely due to small sample size. Ct along with serology can be tools to help guide when and which patients can restart CDT. However, these tests need further investigation for applicability and validity. Citation Format: Winston Wong, Claire Brevia, Michael May, Susan Whittier, Eldad Hod, Ilenia Pellicciotta, Gary K. Schwartz, Maura Abbott, Gulam A. Manji. A double-edged sword: Prolonged detection of SARS-COV-2 in patients receiving cancer-directed therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Meeting: COVID-19 and Cancer; 2020 Jul 20-22. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2020;26(18_Suppl):Abstract nr PO-004.
Nanomedicines to counter microbial barriers and antimicrobial resistance

Antibiotics are critically important for treating microbial infections. Conventional antibiotics are intrinsically compromised by risk of cultivating antimicrobial resistance, poor bioavailability, toxicity, frequent dosing regimens, and poor patient compliance. Physiological barriers are an important driver of many of these shortcomings. Nanoscale carriers delivering antibiotics, termed nanomedicines, could equip next-generation antimicrobial therapies with enhanced potency, improved patient compliance, and circumvent physiological barriers and antimicrobial resistance. This review describes critical barriers for antimicrobial performance and elucidates design principles for efficacious antimicrobial nanomedicines. Examples of this approach in respiratory, central nervous system, and hepatic infections are provided.
Establishing a NICU-integrated Palliative Care Service

Introduction: Our level IV NICU lacked a comprehensive palliative care service for our most complex patients and their families. In 2013, the AAP section on SOHPM recommended that all large health care organizations serving children with life-threatening conditions have a dedicated inter-disciplinary palliative care team. In our institution, a small percentage of our patients received a comprehensive palliative consult (CPC) from the pediatric palliative care team, mostly at end of life (EOL). In 2018, out of 40 patients who died post NICU admission, 29 …
Second Victim Experience among OBGYN Trainees: What Is Their Desired Form of Support?

Objectives Physician trainees in obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) experience unexpected outcomes similar to those of supervising physicians. A relative lack of experience and perspective may make them more vulnerable to second victim experience (SVE), however. The objectives of our study were to contrast the prevalence of SVE between supervising physicians and trainees and to identify their preferred methods of support. Methods In 2019, the Second Victim Experience and Support Tool, a validated survey with supplemental questions, was administered to healthcare workers caring for OBGYN patients at a large academic center in the midwestern United States. Results The survey was sent to 571 healthcare workers working in OBGYN. A total of 205 healthcare workers completed the survey, including 18 (43.9% of 41) supervising physicians and 12 (48.0% of 25) resident/fellow physicians. The mean scores for the Second Victim Experience and Support Tool dimensions and outcomes were similar between the two groups. Seven (58.3%) trainees reported feeling like a second victim after an adverse patient safety event at some point in their work experience compared with 10 (55.6%) of the supervising physicians. Five (41.7%) trainees identified as a second victim in the previous 12 months compared with 3 (16.7%) supervising physicians (P = 0.21). The most common form of desired support for both groups was conversations with their peers. Conclusions Trainees and supervising physicians are both at risk of SVE after an unexpected medical event and prefer conversations with peers as a desired form of support. Because trainees commonly encounter SVEs early in their careers, program directors should consider implementing a program for peer support after an unexpected event.
Discordant regulation of eIF2 kinase GCN2 and mTORC1 during nutrient stress

Appropriate regulation of the Integrated stress response (ISR) and mTORC1 signaling are central for cell adaptation to starvation for amino acids. Halofuginone (HF) is a potent inhibitor of aminoacylation of tRNAPro with broad biomedical applications. Here, we show that in addition to translational control directed by activation of the ISR by general control nonderepressible 2 (GCN2), HF increased free amino acids and directed translation of genes involved in protein biogenesis via sustained mTORC1 signaling. Deletion of GCN2 reduced cell survival to HF whereas pharmacological inhibition of mTORC1 afforded protection. HF treatment of mice synchronously activated the GCN2-mediated ISR and mTORC1 in liver whereas Gcn2-null mice allowed greater mTORC1 activation to HF, resulting in liver steatosis and cell death. We conclude that HF causes an amino acid imbalance that uniquely activates both GCN2 and mTORC1. Loss of GCN2 during HF creates a disconnect between metabolic state and need, triggering proteostasis collapse.
An introduction to ethics

This book examines the central questions of ethics through a study of theories of right and wrong that are found in the great ethical works of Western philosophy. It focuses on theories that continue to have a significant presence in the field. The core chapters cover egoism, the eudaimonism of Plato and Aristotle, act and rule utilitarianism, modern natural law theory, Kant's moral theory, and existentialist ethics. Readers will be introduced not only to the main ideas of each theory but to contemporary developments and defenses of those ideas. A final chapter takes up topics in meta-ethics and moral psychology. The discussions throughout draw the reader into philosophical inquiry through argument and criticism that illuminate the profundity of the questions under examination. Students will find this book to be a very helpful guide to how philosophical inquiry is undertaken as well as to what the major theories in ethics hold.
U.S. National Academy panel reviews climate change science

Could the administration of George W. Bush, which has rejected the Kyoto Protocol to reduce worldwide emissions of greenhouse gases—and which has reneged on a campaign pledge to regulate U.S. carbon dioxide emissions—sincerely be seeking the facts about climate change in time for the resumption of international negotiations on the issue in July? That is the hope of an 11-member committee of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) that is working on an incredibly fast-tracked report “The Science of Climate Change,” at the request of the administration. The project largely will review and synthesize findings from a number of earlier studies.
Functional tests for scan chain latches

New digital designs often include scan chains; high quality economical test is the reason. While many techniques exist for testing combinational circuitry, little attention has been paid to testing the sequential elements (latches and flip-flops). This paper presents techniques for testing latches included in either shift registers or scan chains. We show that a test that applies all transitions to a latch-based shift register is an exhaustive functional test of all of the latches in the register. A more complex test is required for a scan chain. We present a procedure for deriving an exhaustive functional test of the latches in a scan chain. The shift register and scan chain tests presented do not depend on the latch implementation; they detect all detectable combinational defects (those that do not introduce additional states into a latch). We assume that only one latch is defective.
Origin of the vaccinia virus hemagglutinin.

Abstract The relationship between the vaccinia virus hemagglutinin and hemadsorption was examined. Hemagglutinin synthesis was temporally related to the appearance of the hemadsorption reaction. Only chicken erythrocytes, which reacted with hemagglutinin, hemadsorbed to infected cells, and both of these reactions were inhibited by Ca2+. The distribution of the vaccinia hemagglutinin and 5′-adenosine monophosphatase, a plasma membrane marker enzyme, in sucrose gradients was similar. Plasma membrane ghosts derived from infected cells hemadsorbed erythrocytes and yielded hemagglutinin upon sonic disruption. These data suggest that the majority of vaccinia hemagglutinin is derived from the plasma-membrane of the infected cell.
Interactive systems - patterns and prospects

Presently, the bulk of interactive systems are, besides of transactional systems, educational and commercial time sharing systems. With the advent of inexpensive stand-alone CRT terminals with computing power as, for example, the IBM 5100, programmable in APL, the emphasis of interactive compting will shift to computer aided design systems, computer aided training systems, interactive systems for the delivery of health care, interactive data management systems, etc. On the hardware side, microprocessors will provide an inexpensive way of equipping terminals with "local intelligence", and novel "non-von Neumann" computer architectures will provide improved hardware support for interactive languages that will feature syntactic simplicity, transparency, and data independence. As an answer to the question who the designers and implementors of interactive systems will be and how the end user is to be portrayed, a division of labor between the system programmer, the application expert, and the end user is postulated. The language requirements for these three groups are discussed and trends are recognized.