cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Older adults' self-management of daily symptoms: complementary therapies, self-care, and medical care.

Objectives: To describe older adults’ use of complementary therapies, self-care practices, and medical care to treat daily symptoms and to delineate gender, ethnic, age, and education differences. Method: A total of 200 African American and White participants (age 65+) selected using a site-based procedure complete a baseline interview and up to six sets of three daily follow-up interviews at monthly intervals. The percent of older adults using a therapy and the frequency with which therapies are used are considered. Results: The use of complementary therapies to treat daily symptoms, though important, is substantially less than the use of self-care practices and medical care. Participants differed by age, ethnicity, and education in the use of therapies. Discussion: In considering the percentage of individuals who use a therapy and the frequency with which therapies are used, this analysis adds a new dimension to understanding how older adults manage daily symptoms. Older adults are selective in their us...
Technical Journal Editors and Writing Style

Le style des publications scientifiques et techniques reflete la priorite accordee a la valeur scientifique sur la capacite de communication. Une enquete a ete realisee aupres de redacteurs en chef de periodiques techniques en agriculture et sciences biologiques pour analyser leurs demarches d'edition et leurs suggestions pour l'amelioration du style. Puis une analyse stylistiques des periodiques a ete effectuee
Sodium Salicylate Inhibits Cyclo-Oxygenase-2 Activity Independently of Transcription Factor (Nuclear Factor κB) Activation: Role of Arachidonic Acid

Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) is the drug most commonly self-administered to reduce inflammation, swelling, and pain. The established mechanism of action of aspirin is inhibition of the enzyme cyclo-oxygenase (COX). Once taken, aspirin is rapidly deacetylated to form salicylic acid, which may account, at least in part, for the therapeutic actions of aspirin. However, where tested, salicylic acid has been found to be a relatively inactive inhibitor of COX activity in vitro, despite being an effective inhibitor of prostanoids formed at the site of inflammation in vivo. Recently, the identification of a cytokine-inducible isoform of COX, COX-2, has led to the suggestion that salicylate produces its anti-inflammatory actions by inhibiting COX-2 induction through actions on nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB). We have used interleukin 1beta-induced COX-2 in human A549 cells to investigate the mechanism of action of salicylate on COX-2 activity. Sodium salicylate inhibited prostaglandin E2 release when added together with interleukin 1beta for 24 hr with an IC50 value of 5 microg/ml, an effect that was independent of NF-kappaB activation or COX-2 transcription or translation. Sodium salicylate acutely (30 min) also caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of COX-2 activity measured in the presence of 0, 1, or 10 microM exogenous arachidonic acid. In contrast, when exogenous arachidonic acid was increased to 30 microM, sodium salicylate was a very weak inhibitor of COX-2 activity with an IC50 of >100 microg/ml. Thus, sodium salicylate is an effective inhibitor of COX-2 activity at concentrations far below those required to inhibit NF-kappaB (20 mg/ml) activation and is easily displaced by arachidonic acid.
“A Black Sister to Massachusetts”: Latin America and the Fugitive Democratic Ethos of Frederick Douglass

The aim of this article is to read Frederick Douglass as a theorist of democracy. It explores the hemispheric dimensions of Douglass' political thought, especially in relation to multiracial democracy. Douglass is generally viewed as an African-American thinker primarily concerned with U.S. politics, and the transnational scope of his ideas is rarely acknowledged. Instead, this article traces the connections between Douglass’ Caribbean interventions and his arguments about racial politics in the United States. It argues that Douglass not only found exemplars of black self-government and multiracial democracy in the Caribbean and Central America, he also sought to incorporate black and mixed-race Latin Americans in order to reshape the contours of the U.S. polity and challenge white supremacy. Viewed though a hemispheric lens Douglass is revealed as a radically democratic thinker whose ideas can be utilized to sketch a fugitive democratic ethos that contains important resources for contemporary democratic theory and comparative political theory.
Incremental cost of a department-wide PACS/CR implementation

Incremental costs are determined for a department-wide implementation of picture archiving and communication systems and computed radiography (PACS/CR). This analysis involves determination of all capital and operational costs associated with PACS implementation over an eight-year time horizon. Economic effects are identified, adjusted for time value, and used to calculate Net Present Values (NPV) for each section of the Department of Radiology and for the department as a whole. NPV indicates the full economic impact of a project. Results indicate that a full PACS/CR implementation would not be cost-saving for a large, subspecialized department.However, the cost-savings produced when CR is removed from the analysis indicates that PACS implementation will produce a positive economic impact for departments which have CR already implemented or are committed to CR implementation. Departments that predominantly produce digital images should experience a greater economic savings from using PACS. Furthermore, lossy long-term archive compression rates of 10:1 or greater also produce cost-savings versus conventional imaging equipment.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Direct numerical simulations of non-helical and helical stratified turbulent flows

ABSTRACTDirect numerical simulations of weakly and strongly stratified decaying homogenous turbulence are conducted for two transition-to-turbulence cases with different initial conditions: the non-helical Taylor–Green vortex (TGV) and the helical Arnold–Beltrami–Childress (ABC) configurations. These simulations are carried out using a pseudo-spectral formulation with a 5123 grid resolution at varying Froude numbers, . First, an effort is made to classify the various regimes represented by and 0.08, or alternatively, buoyancy Reynolds number () values from to for non-helical and helical stably stratified turbulence. Second, various quantities including enstrophy, dissipation, vertical shearing, coherent vortical structures, density fields, energy spectra and fluxes in the different directions, and helicity are analysed to understand the effects of stratification on the development of turbulence and the turbulent structure in these different regimes. Consistent with previous studies by Riley and deBruynKop...
Antibacterial Diamines Targeting Bacterial Membranes

Antibiotic resistance is a growing threat to human health exacerbated by a lack of new antibiotics. We now describe a series of substituted diamines that produce rapid bactericidal activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and stationary-phase bacteria. These compounds reduce biofilm formation and promote biofilm dispersal in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The most potent analogue, 3 (1,13-bis{[(2,2-diphenyl)-1-ethyl]thioureido}-4,10-diazatridecane), primarily acts by depolarization of the cytoplasmic membrane and permeabilization of the bacterial outer membrane. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed that 3 disrupts membrane integrity rapidly. Compound 3 is also synergistic with kanamycin, demonstrated by the checkerboard method and by time-kill kinetic experiments. In human cell toxicity assays, 3 showed limited adverse effects against the HEK293T human kidney embryonic cells and A549 human adenocarcinoma cells. In addition, 3 produced no adverse effects on Caenorhabditis elegans development, survival, and reproduction. Collectively, diamines related to 3 represent a new class of broad-spectrum antibacterials against drug-resistant pathogens.
Effects of Adult Diet on Longevity of Urophora affinis and U. quadrifasciata (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Adult diet significantly affected the longevity of Urophora affinis Frauenfeld and Urophora quadrifasciata Meigen. A diet of undiluted honey supplemented with free water was the most favorable, with both species living for ≈30 d. Flies lived from 12 to 14 d on a honey + yeast hydrolysate (1:1) solution and ≈8 to 10 d on distilled water alone. Flies provided with a yeast hydrolysate + water solution lived 6.2 d, which was not significantly different from longevity of flies provided with neither food nor water (5.6 d). When the yeast hydrolysate concentration was reduced, fly longevity increased. In diet choice preference tests, a significant preference for honey was demonstrated for both fly species when compared with a water + yeast hydrolysate (1:1) solution and a water + honey + yeast solution (1:1:1). Similar results were obtained with diets containing more dilute concentrations of yeast.
Discovery of a Coregulatory Interaction between Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus ORF45 and the Viral Protein Kinase ORF36

ABSTRACT Kaposi9s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the causative agent of three human malignancies. KSHV ORF36 encodes a serine/threonine viral protein kinase, which is conserved throughout all herpesviruses. Although several studies have identified the viral and cellular substrates of conserved herpesvirus protein kinases (CHPKs), the precise functions of KSHV ORF36 during lytic replication remain elusive. Here, we report that ORF36 interacts with another lytic protein, ORF45, in a manner dependent on ORF36 kinase activity. We mapped the regions of ORF36 and ORF45 involved in the binding. Their association appears to be mediated by electrostatic interactions, since deletion of either the highly basic N terminus of ORF36 or an acidic patch of ORF45 abolished the binding. In addition, the dephosphorylation of ORF45 protein dramatically reduced its association with ORF36. Importantly, ORF45 enhances both the stability and kinase activity of ORF36. Consistent with previous studies of CHPK homologs, we detected ORF36 protein in extracellular virions. To investigate the roles of ORF36 in the context of KSHV lytic replication, we used bacterial artificial chromosome mutagenesis to engineer both ORF36-null and kinase-dead mutants. We found that ORF36-null/mutant virions are moderately defective in viral particle production and are further deficient in primary infection. In summary, our results uncover a functionally important interaction between ORF36 and ORF45 and indicate a significant role of ORF36 in the production of infectious progeny virions. IMPORTANCE Kaposi9s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is a human tumor virus with a significant public health burden. KSHV ORF36 encodes a serine/threonine viral protein kinase, whose functions throughout the viral life cycle have not been elucidated. Here, we report that ORF36 interacts with another KSHV protein, ORF45. We mapped the regions of ORF36 and ORF45 involved in their association and further characterized the consequences of this interaction. We engineered ORF36 mutant viruses in order to investigate the functional roles of ORF36 in the context of KSHV lytic replication, and we confirmed that ORF36 is a component of KSHV virions. Moreover, we found that ORF36 mutants are defective in virion production and primary infection. In summary, we discovered and characterized a functionally important interaction between KSHV ORF36 and ORF45, and our results suggest a significant role of ORF36 in the production of infectious progeny virions, a process critical for KSHV pathogenesis.
CONSERVATIVE TREATMENT OF RHEUMATIC DISORDERS IN THE ELDERLY

Rheumatic syndromes are the most common cause of limited activity and disability in elderly patients. Those over age 65 are particularly susceptible to adverse reactions to antirheumatic therapy, especially to nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). A therapeutic approach that emphasizes safety by fully utilizing nondrug therapy, employing conservative prescribing techniques, and monitoring high-risk patients for adverse reactions is the focus of this article.
The Extended Fisher-Hartwig Conjecture for Symbols with Multiple Jump Discontinuities

The asymptotic expansions of Toeplitz determinants of certain symbols with multiple jump discontinuities are shown to satisfy a revised version of the conjecture of Fisher and Hartwig.
Coupled wave equations theory of surface-enhanced femtosecond stimulated Raman scattering

We present a coupled wave semiclassical theory to describe plasmonic enhancement effects in surface-enhanced femtosecond stimulated Raman scattering (SE-FSRS). A key result is that the plasmon enhanced fields which drive the vibrational equation of motion for each normal mode results in dispersive lineshapes in the SE-FSRS spectrum. This result, which reproduces experimental lineshapes, demonstrates that plasmon-enhanced stimulated Raman methods provide unique sensitivity to a plasmonic response. Our derived SE-FSRS theory shows a plasmonic enhancement of |gpu|2ImχR(ω)gst2/ImχR(ω), where |gpu|2 is the absolute square of the plasmonic enhancement from the Raman pump, χR(ω) is the Raman susceptibility, and gst is the plasmonic enhancement of the Stokes field in SE-FSRS. We conclude with a discussion on potential future experimental and theoretical directions for the field of plasmonically enhanced coherent Raman scattering.
Glycan OH Exchange Rate Determination in Aqueous Solution: Seeking Evidence for Transient Hydrogen Bonds

Hydrogen bonds (Hbonds) are important stabilizing forces in biomolecules. However, for glycans in aqueous solution, direct NMR detection of Hbonds is elusive because of their transient nature. Here, we present Isotope-based Natural-abundance TOtal correlation eXchange SpectroscopY (INTOXSY), a new 1H–13C heteronuclear single quantum coherence–total correlation spectroscopy based method, to extract OH groups’ exchange rate constants (kex) for molecules in natural 13C abundance and show that OH Hbonds can be inferred from “slower” H/D kex. We evaluate kex measured with INTOXSY in light of those extracted with line-shape analysis. Subsequently, we use a set of common glycans to establish a kex reference basis set and to infer the existence of transient Hbonds involving OH donor groups. Then, we report kex values for a series of mono- and disaccharides, as well as for oligosaccharides sialyl Lewis X and β-cyclodextrin, and compare the results with those from the reference set to extract Hbond information. Fin...
Testosterone Plus Finasteride Prevents Bone Loss without Prostate Growth in a Rodent Spinal Cord Injury Model

Abstract We have reported that testosterone-enanthate (TE) prevents the musculoskeletal decline occurring acutely after spinal cord injury (SCI), but results in a near doubling of prostate mass. Our purpose was to test the hypothesis that administration of TE plus finasteride (FIN; type II 5α-reductase inhibitor) would prevent the chronic musculoskeletal deficits in our rodent severe contusion SCI model, without inducing prostate enlargement. Forty-three 16-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats received: 1) SHAM surgery (T9 laminectomy); 2) severe (250 kdyne) contusion SCI; 3) SCI+TE (7.0 mg/week, intramuscular); or 4) SCI+TE+FIN (5 mg/kg/day, subcutaneous). At 8 weeks post-surgery, SCI animals exhibited reduced serum testosterone and levator ani/bulbocavernosus (LABC) muscle mass, effects that were prevented by TE. Cancellous and cortical (periosteal) bone turnover (assessed by histomorphometry) were elevated post-SCI, resulting in reduced distal femur cancellous and cortical bone mass (assessed by microcomp...
Examining academic ranking and inequality in library and information science through faculty hiring networks

Abstract In this study, we examine academic ranking and inequality in library and information science (LIS) using a faculty hiring network of 643 faculty members from 44 LIS schools in the United States. We employ four groups of measures to study academic ranking, including adjacency, placement and hiring, distance-based measures, and hubs and authorities. Among these measures, closeness and hub measures have the highest correlation with the U.S. News ranking (r = 0.78). We study academic inequality using four distinct methods that include downward/upward placement, Lorenz curve, cliques, and egocentric networks of LIS schools and find that academic inequality exists in the LIS community. We show that the percentage of downward placement (68%) is much higher than that of upward placement (22%); meanwhile, 20% of the 30 LIS schools that have doctoral programs produced nearly 60% of all LIS faculty, with a Gini coefficient of 0.53. We also find cliques of highly ranked schools and a core/periphery structure that distinguishes LIS schools of different ranks. Overall, LIS faculty hiring networks have considerable value in deriving credible academic ranking and revealing faculty exchange within the field.
Where Are the Children? Extent and Determinants of Preschoolers' Child Care Time

According to the 1988 National Health Interview Child Health Supplement, half of all children under age six attended nonparental child care on a regular basis. Close to a quarter of all children spent 40 or more hours per week in care. Average time in care was 30.5 hours for children in care. Statistical tests indicate that (a) the predictors of whether parents use any child care differ from the predictors of the number of hours care is used, and (b) estimates for children under three years of age differ from estimates for children from three to five years of age. The probability of attending care is related to a child's age, mother's education, race, family type, number and age of siblings, type of adults living in the household, income, poverty status, and region and size of the community in which a family resides. For children from three to five years of age, hours in care are associated with child's age, mother's education, race, family type, siblings, income, poverty status, and region. For children under three years of age, relatively few factors (mother's education, race, siblings, and region) predict the number of hours spent in child care.
Steps Toward a Robust High-Order Simulation Tool for Aerospace Applications

The discontinuous Galerkin method is seemingly immune to many of the problems that commonly plague high-order finite-difference methods, and as such, has the potential to bring the robustness of low-order methods and the efficiency of high-order methods to bear on a broad class of engineering problems. However the dependence of the method on numerical quadrature has significantly increased the cost of the method and limited the use of the method to element shapes for which quadrature formulas are readily available. A quadrature-free formulation has been proposed that allows the discontinuous Galerkin method to be implemented for any element shape and for polynomial basis functions of any degree.
Controls on Calcium Influx in Corn Root Cells

Our laboratory has been investigating why injury or shock to corn roots causes the plasmamembrane to become “leaky”, inhibits H+-pumping and active ion influx, and depolarizes the cell (Gronewald et al 1979, Cheeseman and Hanson 1980, Gronewald and Hanson 1980, 1982, Chastain et al 1981, Chastain and Hanson 1982). In recent years this investigation has come to focus on a role for Ca2+ as the agent for signaling injury (Zocchi and Hanson 1982, Zocchi et al 1983, Hanson 1984). Our working hypothesis has been that schematically illustrated in Fig. 1.
First Principles Calculation of Model Hamiltonian Parameters for Hybridizing Cerium Systems

The cerium monopnictides and monochalcogenides show unusual magnetic behavior associated with the hybridization of f-states with band states of non-f atomic parentage. Previously we have developed understanding of the resulting orbitally-driven magnetic phenomena on the basis of a model (Anderson lattice) hamiltonian with the parameters taken as phenomenological input. We now present a first principles calculation of the parameters in the model Hamiltonian.
Tuberculosis of the pleura.

Background Tuberculosis is a leading cause of mortality worldwide, with a growing death rate. Pleuritis remains the most common extrapulmonary site of involvement. Epidemiologic trends have altered the presentation of disease. The advent of molecular biology has allowed new insights into disease mechanisms. In this paper, I review the salient features of pleural tuberculosis, highlighting recent epidemiologic trends and advances in diagnosis. Methods Literature concerning pleural tuberculosis was identified by a MEDLINE search; additional sources were identified by review of the bibliographies from these papers. Results Tuberculous pleuritis is uncommon in the United States and now more commonly reflects reactivation of old infections. Patients with coexistent tuberculosis and HIV infection have a higher rate of pleural reaction than non-HIV-infected persons. Conclusions Closed pleural biopsy remains the diagnostic procedure of choice; newer diagnostic methods do not have favorable operating characteristics in areas of low tuberculosis incidence. Recommended anti-tuberculous therapy is identical to active pulmonary disease; corticosteroids should not be routinely given.
Classroom Discourse: A Key to Literacy

Across the nation, anxiety about education runs deep, none more powerful than the issue of literacy. Schools are the institution set up to teach reading and writing and the subjects rooted in these activities, including science, social studies, literature, and mathematics. Despite intense effort, schools are seen as failing to meet these obligations. Witness front page headlines such as the following:• It’s Official: OUR KIDS CAN’T READ (New York Post, 1999, story on the failure of the majority of New York State fourth graders on a new achievement test) and• Students Taking Test Crucial to Schools “We’ve been gearing (up) to this for the entire year.” (San Diego Union-Tribune, 1999, story on the massive effort in California’s schools to raise achievement scores.)Although the difficulties may have been overblown by the media, the statistics are dismaying. A comprehensive U.S. government report conducted by the National Institute for Literacy (State of Literacy Report, 1992) found that on a scale of I to V, over 45% of adults in our country fall into categories I and II-categories that reflect a “quite limited repertoire” of literacy skills, which render them unable to deal with many tasks considered essential for daily life.
Molecular Interactions in Electrospinning: From Polymer Mixtures to Supramolecular Assemblies

Electrospinning is growing as a production technology for many applications, particularly in membranes and tissue engineering. One challenge in electrospinning is the need for high molecular weight...
A Moving Target: The Megaplasmid pMPPla107 Sensitizes Cells to an Inhibitory Agent Conserved Across Pseudomonas spp.

The widespread use of antibiotics across clinical and agricultural settings results in strong selection pressures and contributes to the fixation of antibiotic resistance genes, the presence of which lowers the efficacy of proven treatments for infection. Furthermore, plasmids are often key vectors that facilitate the rapid dispersal of antibiotic resistance genes across bacterial strains via horizontal gene transfer. In contrast to previous widespread correlations between plasmid acquisition and resistance to antimicrobial compounds, we demonstrate that acquisition of the P. syringae megaplasmid pMPPla107 sensitizes strains to a conserved, bacteriostatic small molecule produced by many Pseudomonas spp. Moreover, we find the acquisition of pMPPla107 reduces production of the inhibitory agent. Our results provide insights and suggest new directions to investigate collateral sensitivity to antimicrobials due to plasmid acquisition as well as highlight costs associated to horizontal gene transfer in the form of sensitivity to antagonistic microbial interactions.
Neonatal general anesthesia causes lasting alterations in excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission in the ventrobasal thalamus of adolescent female rats.

Abstract Ample evidence has surfaced documenting the neurotoxic effects of various general anesthetic (GA) agents in the mammalian brain when administered at critical periods of synaptogenesis. However, little is known about how this neurotoxic insult affects persisting neuronal excitability after the initial exposure. Here we investigated synaptic activity and intrinsic excitability of the ventrobasal nucleus (VB) of the thalamus caused by neonatal GA administration. We used patch-clamp recordings from acute thalamic slices in young rats up to two weeks after neurotoxic GA exposure of isoflurane and nitrous oxide for 6 h at postnatal age of 7 (P7) days. We found that GA exposure at P7 increases evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (eEPSCs) two fold by means through AMPA mediated mechanisms, while NMDA component was spared. In addition, miniature EPSCs showed a faster decay rate in neurons from GA treated animals when compared to sham controls. Likewise, we discovered that the amplitudes of evoked inhibitory postsynaptic currents (eIPSCs) were increased in VB neurons from GA animals about two-fold. Interestingly, these results were observed in female but not male rats. In contrast, intrinsic excitability and properties of T-type voltage gated calcium currents were minimally affected by GA exposure. Together, these data further the idea that GAs cause lasting alterations in synaptic transmission and neuronal excitability depending upon the placing and connectivity of neurons in the thalamus. Given that function of thalamocortical circuits critically depends on the delicate balance between excitation and inhibition, future development of therapies aimed at addressing consequences of altered excitability in the developing brain by GAs may be an attractive possibility.
Adverse detection : The promise and peril of body-worn cameras

The possibility that body-worn camera use by the police can address issues of police violence and racial bias is intoxicating for anyone who has longed for social justice and a more equitable culture. Yet body-worn cameras are also invasive surveillance devices that cast a panoptic eye on our communities and enable the production of a particularly rich source of data that is valuable to anyone who can gain access to it. Legal traditions in the United States provide only limited barriers to prevent body-worn camera data from flowing to commercial actors who transform human data trails into quantified judgements and consumer scores. The term “adverse detection” is introduced to describe the process of documenting and analyzing a data subject’s interactions with the world in a manner that can lead to negative outcomes for the subject, such as the decision not to hire her or rent her a home. Given the expansive reach and controversial choices of the police, the potential addition of body-worn camera video as an input to the so-called “reputation economy” potentially renders public spaces into forums of opportunity risk, especially for people struggling with legacies of discrimination and the forces of social marginalization.
The Influence of Dietary Selenium on Colon, Pancreas, and Skin Tumorigenesis

The influence of dietary selenium on experimental carcinogenesis has been extensively investigated in the mammary glands of mice and rats (reviewed by Medina 1986). Most studies on cancer at this site have consistently reported inhibition of mammary carcinogenesis by a number of agents. Recent investigations of dietary selenium’s effects on mammary tumorigenesis were described in the preceding chapter by C. Ip.
Mindfulness-based stress reduction improves irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms via specific aspects of mindfulness

Background Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common and often debilitating chronic gastrointestinal disorder characterized by abdominal pain and altered bowel habits. Pharmacological treatments are often ineffective, leading to the development of a variety of behavioral interventions. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is one such program that has shown efficacy in reducing gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and improving quality of life (QOL). This single-arm intervention study examines the association of clinical outcomes with changes in specific aspects of mindfulness. Methods Adults with IBS (53 women, 15 men) participated in an 8-week MBSR class. Primary outcomes of GI symptom severity, quality of life, and GI-specific anxiety, as well as specific aspects of mindfulness using the Five Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), were assessed at baseline, post-treatment, and 6-month follow-up. Key results Gastrointestinal symptom responder rate was 71%, and there was a significant pre-post treatment change for three of the five FFMQ scales. Regression analysis indicated that change in the Act with Awareness (P = .02) facet of mindfulness was the strongest predictor of GI symptom and QOL improvement. Conclusions & inferences Mindfulness-based stress reduction training was associated with robust improvements in GI symptoms and associated problems in participants with IBS. Although significant increases in 3 of the 5 measured facets of mindfulness were found, regression analyses suggest that increases in the ability to retain present moment focus and act with awareness may be particularly important for improving outcomes in individuals with IBS. These results may inform the refinement of mindfulness-based protocols specifically for treatment of IBS.
Selected aspects of health literacy among seniors.

Objectives This study aimed to map the selected indicators of health literacy in the senior population via a qualitative survey that focused specifically on its relationship with autonomy in the context of health literacy among seniors. Methods A qualitative survey focused on the selected indicators of health literacy of seniors living in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic (R1-19). The snowball sampling method was intentionally selected. Completed interviews were transcribed and data was reduced, analyzed, and categorized. The identified categories were 1) information comprehension, 2) decision-making in healthcare, and 3) compliance with nonpharmacologic treatment. Results The 'information comprehension' category clearly shows that the seniors involved in this study rated the comprehensibility of information provided by medical professionals as being good. An especially positive finding was that seniors do seek information through the internet, print sources, or other media, even though, as one senior (80-year-old woman) said, comprehension of medical information is becoming "more and more complex". The 'decision-making in healthcare' category touched upon opinions regarding informed consent and opinions regarding seniors' own involvement in healthcare. Results from this category suggest that seniors accept informed consent as a routine necessity. Inhibition regarding personal involvement in healthcare was also apparent: "... I come from a family accustomed to not bothering the doctor unnecessarily, so I just stick out my arm..." The last category of 'compliance with nonpharmacologic treatment' clearly shows that respondents are informed regarding lifestyle modifications that would benefit their treatment, although, few respondents had achieved the desired lifestyle changes. Conclusion Results of this qualitative research show clear health literacy limits among seniors. As shown in this study, age itself could also be a limiting factor of health literacy.
Survival and renal function after liver transplantation alone in patients meeting the new United Network for Organ Sharing simultaneous liver-kidney criteria.

In 2017 United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) implemented a simultaneous liver kidney transplant (SLK) allocation policy. Our institution uses a more restrictive criteria for SLK; thus, we have a group of patients that would have qualified for SLK under the new allocation policy but received liver transplantation alone (LTA). We compared survival and post-operative renal function in patients that received LTA stratified by whether they met the new UNOS SLK criteria. There was no difference in graft and patient survival. The majority (95%) of LTA patients meeting the UNOS SLK criteria did not need dialysis at one year, with a mean eGFR increase from 23mL/min preoperatively to 48mL/min at one year. Of those with eGFR ≤ 20mL/min at one month after surgery, the majority did regain adequate renal function. The implementation of the UNOS SLK allocation policy was appropriate in the previously unregulated area. This policy provides an excellent framework for those that may benefit from SLK. Our data suggests that a more restrictive policy may be possible in order to promote the best use of donated organs. The current safety net is appropriately positioned to capture patients in need of subsequent kidney transplant.
Gas-water relative permeability of unconventional reservoir rocks: Hysteresis and influence on production after shut-in

Abstract Relative permeability is one of the most important parameters in reservoir modeling. However, measurements of relative permeability in unconventional reservoir rocks are rare, and the influence of relative permeability hysteresis on reservoir studies has not previously been addressed. This paper presents a systematic investigation of gas-water relative permeability and hysteresis based on a laboratory technique developed through our previous work. Gas relative permeability was measured using the modified gas expansion method under the scenario of drainage and subsequent imbibition. Water relative permeability was estimated based on Brooks-Corey (1956) equations. Results of gas-water relative permeability that cover a broader range of saturation than that in our previous work were obtained. Causes of relative permeability hysteresis are discussed in detail. The laboratory-based gas-water relative permeability of one of the samples is compared to history-matched results from the literature, and upscaling of the laboratory result is discussed on the basis of this comparison. Finally, the potential influence of relative permeability hysteresis on water and gas production after hydraulic fracturing and shut-in is illustrated through a conceptual model and quantitative analysis. Gas production rates can be overestimated after hydraulic fracturing when hysteresis is ignored. Shut-in can enhance gas production rates significantly. Enhancement of production rate is greater at the initial phase, but it diminishes later, after continuous expansion of the imbibition zone. This work presents the first known study of gas-water relative permeability hysteresis in unconventional reservoir rocks.
MC 2 RAM: Markov Chain Monte Carlo Sampling in SRAM for Fast Bayesian Inference

This work discusses the implementation of Marko Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling from an arbitrary Gaussian mixture model (GMM) within SRAM. We show a novel architecture of SRAM by embedding it with random number generators (RNGs), digital-to-analog converters (DACs), and analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) so that SRAM arrays can be used for high performance Metropolis-Hastings (MH) algorithm-based MCMC sampling. Most of the expensive computations are performed within the SRAM and can be parallelized for high speed sampling. Our iterative compute flow minimizes data movement during sampling. We characterize power-performance trade-off of our design by simulating on 45 nm CMOS technology. For a two-dimensional, two mixture GMM, the implementation consumes ∼ 91μW power per sampling iteration and produces 500 samples in 2000 clock cycles on an average at 1 GHz clock frequency. Our study highlights interesting insights on how low-level hardware non-idealities can affect high-level sampling characteristics, and recommends ways to optimally operate SRAM within area/power constraints for high performance sampling.
A New Approach to Marriage Preparation: The Attachment-Differentiation Premarital Model

This article outlines a new approach to premarital intervention—the Attachment-Differentiation Premarital Model (ADPM). The ADPM was developed by drawing on existing research, clinical experience, ...
Increased Algal Symbiont Density Reduces Host Immunity in a Threatened Caribbean Coral Species, Orbicella faveolata

Scleractinian corals are the principal builders of coral reefs. These megadiverse ecosystems are declining due to coral mortality from a variety of stressors, including disease. Corals are dependent upon symbiotic dinoflagellates in the family Symbiodiniaceae for phototrophic contributions to their energy budgets. However, suppression of host immunity may be necessary to maintain these intracellular symbioses. To explore the consequences of symbiosis on host immunity, we manipulated symbiont density by increasing nitrogen availability. Replicate cores from four colonies of the Caribbean coral, Orbicella faveolata, were reared in seawater treated with ammonium for one month to increase symbiont density. Corals were then immune-stimulated using lipopolysaccharide and poly I:C. Gene expression was analyzed using RNAseq and symbiont density was quantified (as symbiont:host cell ratio) using quantitative PCR (qPCR). Ammonium treatment had limited positive effects on host immunity. In contrast, increases in symbiont density had large negative effects on host expression of immune-related transcripts. These results suggest links between nutrient enrichment and coral disease may be the result of the effect of increased symbiont density on host immunity, rather than the direct effect of the nutrients. Further study of the trade-offs between symbiont density and immunity may help understand how decreasing water quality and increasing disease will shape future reef communities.
Quantitative analysis of the synergistic effect of Au nanoparticles on SnO2–rGO nanocomposites for room temperature hydrogen sensing

Hydrogen detection devices based on gold-tin oxide/reduced graphene oxide (Au–SnO2/rGO) nanohybrids were fabricated by combining a hydrothermal method with sputter coating. The gas sensing performance of the Au–SnO2/rGO sensor was investigated under different concentrations of hydrogen from 0.04% to 1% at room temperature, which indicated a notable sensitive response even for 0.04% hydrogen. The activation energies of hydrogen adsorption/desorption were extracted via Arrhenius analysis which revealed the acceleration effect of gold dopants. This acceleration led to a faster response and recovery during hydrogen sensing. The activation energy analysis provided a more comprehensive understanding on the gas sensing mechanism. A hydrogen detection handheld device is demonstrated by integrating the sensor chip with a portable digital meter for direct readout of test results.
High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin, Natriuretic Peptide, and Long-Term Risk of Acute Kidney Injury: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.

BACKGROUND Cardiac markers such as high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) and N-terminal pro-B natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) are predictors of developing acute kidney injury (AKI) during hospitalization for surgery or revascularization. However, their associations with the long-term risk of AKI in the general population are uncharacterized. METHODS We conducted a prospective cohort study in 10 669 participants of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (visit 4, 1996-1998, mean age, 63 years, 56% female, 22% black race) to examine the association of plasma concentrations of hs-cTnT and NTproBNP with the incident hospitalization with AKI. We used multivariable Cox regression analysis to estimate hazard ratios (HRs). RESULTS During follow-up, 1907 participants had an incident hospitalization with AKI. Participants with higher concentrations of hs-cTnT had a higher risk of hospitalization with AKI in a graded fashion (adjusted HR, 1.88 [95%CI , 1.59-2.21] for ≥14 ng/L, 1.36 [1.18-1.57] for 9-13 ng/L, and 1.16 [1.03-1.30] for 5-8 ng/L compared to <5 ng/L). The graded association was also observed for NTproBNP (HR, 2.27 [1.93-2.68] for ≥272.7 pg/mL, 1.67 [1.45-1.93] for 142.4-272.6 pg/mL, and 1.31 [1.17-1.47] for 64.0-142.3 pg/mL compared to <64.0 pg/mL). The addition of hs-cTnT and NTproBNP to a model with established predictors significantly improved 10-year risk prediction for hospitalization with AKI (Δc-statistic, 0.015 [95%CI, 0.006-0.024]). CONCLUSIONS In middle-aged to older black and white adults in the community, higher concentrations of hs-cTnT and NTproBNP were robustly associated with an increased risk of hospitalization with AKI. These results suggest the usefulness of hs-cTnT and NT-proBNP to identify people at risk of AKI in the general population.
Research Note---Improving the Efficiency of Course Bidding at Business Schools: Field and Laboratory Studies

Registrars' offices at most universities face the daunting task of allocating course seats to students. Because demand exceeds supply for many courses, course allocation needs to be done equitably and efficiently. Many schools use bidding systems in which student bids are used both to infer preferences over courses and to determine student priorities for courses. However, this dual role of bids can result in course allocations not being market outcomes, and in unnecessary efficiency loss, which can potentially be avoided with the use of an appropriate market mechanism. We report the result of field and laboratory studies that compare a typical course-bidding mechanism with the alternate Gale-Shapley Pareto-dominant market mechanism. Results from the field study (conducted at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan) suggest that using the latter could vastly improve efficiency of course allocation systems while facilitating market outcomes. Laboratory experiments with greater design control confirm the superior efficiency of the Gale-Shapley mechanism. The paper tests theory that has important practical implications because it has the potential to affect the learning experience of very large numbers of students enrolled in educational institutions.
An integrated microfluidic bubble pocket for long-term perfused three-dimensional intestine-on-a-chip model

Perfused three-dimensional (3D) cultures enable long-term in situ growth and monitoring of 3D organoids making them well-suited for investigating organoid development, growth, and function. One of the limitations of this long-term on-chip perfused 3D culture is unintended and disruptive air bubbles. To overcome this obstacle, we invented an imaging platform that integrates an innovative microfluidic bubble pocket for long-term perfused 3D culture of gastrointestinal (GI) organoids. We successfully applied 3D printing technology to create polymer molds that cast polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) culture chambers in addition to bubble pockets. Our developed platform traps unintended, or induced, air bubbles in an integrated PDMS pocket chamber, where the bubbles diffuse out across the gas permeable PDMS or an outlet tube. We demonstrated that our robust platform integrated with the novel bubble pocket effectively circumvents the development of bubbles into human and mouse GI organoid cultures during long-term perfused time-course imaging. Our platform with the innovative integrated bubble pocket is ideally suited for studies requiring long-term perfusion monitoring of organ growth and morphogenesis as well as function.
Engagement in Non-Medical End-of-Life Planning by Older Adults.

Abstract Context While medical end-of-life planning has been well characterized, less is known about non-medical planning to prepare for the end of life. Objectives To determine the prevalence of engagement in non-medical end-of-life (EOL) planning and its relationship to medical EOL planning. Methods Three hundred and four persons age 65 and older recruited from physician offices and a senior center were administered an in-person interview asking about participation in the following non-medical EOL planning behaviors: moving to a location with more help, teaching someone to do things around the house, purchasing long-term care insurance, telling someone the location of important documents, preparing a financial will, conveying wishes for funeral arrangements, purchasing a cemetery plot, and prepaying for a funeral. Results Prevalence of participation in the different non-medical EOL planning activities varied widely, from 8% for prepaying for a funeral to 84% for telling someone the location of important documents. There was little overlap in the factors associated with participation in each activity. Conveying wishes for funeral arrangements and completing a financial will were associated with completing a living will (OR 2.69, 95% CI 1.51, 4.78; OR 6.70, 95% CI 3.18, 14.15) and communication about quality versus quantity of life (OR 4.52, 95% CI 2.54, 8.04; OR 2.47, 95% CI 1.25, 4.86). Conclusion There is variability in both the prevalence of and factors associated with engagement in non-medical EOL planning activities. The association of non-medical with medical planning activities supports the utility of programs assisting individuals with broad engagement in EOL planning.
Enhancing the Responsiveness of Family-Based CBT Through Culturally Informed Case Conceptualization and Treatment Planning

Abstract Family-based CBT has been shown to be effective in controlled settings for an array of youth mental health difficulties, yet disparities in treatment engagement and outcomes across culturally diverse groups remain. In practice, cultural minority families are less likely to reap the demonstrated benefits of supported programs. Although there have been tremendous advances in case conceptualization, leading models have largely ignored cultural factors, contributing to observed disparities. The present paper reviews recent advances in science-informed case conceptualization and highlights how such advances nonetheless have failed to provide guidance on systematically incorporating cultural formulation into assessment and treatment planning. We then build upon Christon et al. (2015) useful 5-stage model of science-based case conceptualization in an effort to move the field toward culturally informed case conceptualization. We highlight how leveraging cultural assessment—such as with the use of the Cultural Formulation Interview (CFI)—can facilitate the incorporation of cultural factors into each of the five stages of science-based case conceptualization. A case example is utilized to illustrate key opportunities for strategically incorporating relevant information gleaned from the CFI into culturally responsive care with youth and families.