cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Daniel Craig Horne, 1948–2003

Daniel Craig Horne, consumer health librarian at the New Hanover County Public Library in Wilmington, North Carolina, died on August 19, 2003, after a courageous battle with liver cancer and a liver transplant. Born September 23, 1948, in Aiea, Hawaii, Dan was the third of the four sons of Philip and Doris Horne. As part of a Navy family, Dan lived in many places (two favorites were Japan and Guam) until his family settled in Palo Alto, California, where Dan completed high school. He attended the University of California at Davis (where he met and married Mima Trojak) and earned his bachelor's degree (English literature) in 1973. He completed his master's degree at San Jose State University in 1977. In 1984, he became life sciences librarian at the NASA/Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California. He moved to North Carolina in 1988 and became the head of reference and adult services at the New Hanover County Public Library. Because of his patience and personality and his concern for all, Dan quickly built a devoted library clientele. Wilmington lacked a consumer health information service, so Dan and this writer began a grassroots group in the mid 1990s, which eventually secured funding to create the first such service in North Carolina, one of the first in the Southeast. Dan was hired by the New Hanover Regional Medical Center to do this, a labor of love that he began with a passion. He added special touches, including a saltwater fish aquarium, artwork from the Southwestern desert, and mission-style furniture. Dan loved the facility and happily showed it to visiting librarians. He published an article on the subject in 1999 [1]. In 2000, the medical center gave the collection to the New Hanover County Public Library and a room near the entrance was custom-built to house it. Dan moved with it and became consumer health librarian. He joined the Medical Library Association (MLA) and became an active member of the Consumer and Patient Health Information Section (CAPHIS), where he served on numerous committees. He was also very active in the North Carolina Library Association and published two articles in the association's journal [2, 3]. Dan loved classical music and yoga and was an excellent speller (oftentimes the winner in the local charity spelling bee). But most of all, he loved his family. As a library colleague confided to his wife after his death, “Dan's face never lit up as brightly as it did when asked about his family.” He leaves behind his wife of thirty-one years and two sons, Spencer (20) and Robin (24).
Implications of Cellular Senescence on Aging and Disease in the Brain

Senescence is an irreversible mitotic arrest of the cell that can result from replicative aging or stressors. It can be beneficial by conferring resistance to apoptosis, or detrimental by inducing pro-inflammatory signaling in the microenvironment. Senescent cells have been observed in both aged and diseased tissue, including the brain. The aging brain undergoes changes such as cortical atrophy and increases in inflammatory and oxidative factors, with decreases in synaptic plasticity and mitochondrial function. Significant neuronal loss is observed and thought to drive the atrophy in the corresponding areas of the brain in neurodegenerative diseases (ND). Despite being terminally differentiated, a senescence-like phenotype is observed in neurons upon stress in vitro and also in neurocognitive disorders like HIV-associated dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in vivo. Aging is also associated with lower regenerative capacity of neural stem and progenitor cells (NSPC). In vivo, their neurogenerative capacity is modulated by a variety of external factors, including growth factors, diet, and inflammation. NSPC have been observed to undergo stress-induced senescence in vitro. Deregulation of other CNS cell types, including oligodendrocytes and microglia occur in aging and ND. Microglia, which are not post-mitotic, senesce in culture in response to replicative or inflammatory stress. Astrocytes, which make up half of all cells in the CNS, maintain and protect neurons. In response to insult or injury however, astrocytes undergo phenotypic changes collectively termed reactive astrogliosis. This response can be both detrimental and beneficial to the neurons, and its downregulation improves disease parameters in a mouse model of AD. We have observed astrocyte senescence in vitro in response to replicative and oxidative stress and Aβ peptides, along with accumulation of senescent astrocytes in aged and AD brain. Given that astrocytes perform a myriad of complex functions in the CNS in order to maintain homeostasis, the loss of astrocyte function or the gain of neuroinflammatory function as a result of senescence could have profound implications for aging brain and neurodegenerative disorders.
Orally Delivered Nanoparticle Drug Delivery Systems for Dental Applications and Their Toxicity on Systemic Organs

For many decades, the prominent thrust of pharmaceutical research has been to deliver the drug in the form of suitable drug delivery systems or dosage forms to achieve efficient therapeutic effects. In recent years, there has been unparalleled development in pharmacotherapeutics, especially in characterizing materials at nanoscale level and introduction of polymers that can be used to control the delivery of the drug to a specific organ. The new areas of targeting drugs using the antibodies are gaining momentum in drug delivery research. Nanotechnology and nanosciences are widely seen as having great potential to deliver benefits to many areas of science and applications. Concurrently, the application of nanotechnology in health care is posing new challenges of safety in the human body. The regulatory bodies worldwide are critically thinking about creating regulatory pathways for the nanoparticulate drug delivery systems. The present chapter addresses various aspects of orally delivered nanoparticulate drug delivery systems and their toxicity on systemic organs.
Trends in 1029 trauma deaths at a level 1 trauma center: Impact of a bleeding control bundle of care

Background Over the last decade the age of trauma patients and injury mortality has increased. At the same time, many centers have implemented multiple interventions focused on improved hemorrhage control, effectively resulting in a bleeding control bundle of care. The objective of our study was to analyze the temporal distribution of trauma-related deaths, the factors that characterize that distribution and how those factors have changed over time at our urban level 1 trauma center.
A Consequential Eight Years for Health Care and Public Health

The author reflects on various aspects of American health care and public health during the eight-year-long tenure of U.S. President Barack Obama, and it mentions Obama's legacy and the passage of the nation's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. According to the article, more than 20 million formerly uninsured Americans obtained health insurance coverage during Obama's presidency. Population health management and electronic health records are assessed.
The Transcriptional Program of Polycythemia Vera Revelas Altered Expression of Multiple Putative Tumor Suppressor Genes.

Polycythemia vera (PV) is a myeloproliferative disease characterized by accumulation of erythrocytes and cells of the myeloid and megakaryocyte lineages. Although genes like PRV-1 and PTP-MEG2 have been implicated in the pathology of PV, there is no consensus on their importance in the disease process. Progenitor cells from PV patients can grow in the absence of erythropoietin, and are hypersensitive to a variety of other growth factors. This suggests that polycythemic hematopoietic progenitor cells possess a significantly different genetic program. We tested this idea by molecular profiling hematopoietic progenitor cells (CD34+) from PV specimens and normal donors. We purified CD34+ cells from the marrow of 10 PV patients and harvested total RNA. Biotinylated cRNA was made through two rounds of linear amplification, and hybridized to Affymetrix HGU133A genechips. CD34+ cells from marrow mononuclear cells of 5 normal controls were processed similarly. The resulting datasets were normalized to the median across chips and across genes. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering showed that PV samples had a distinct gene expression profile from the controls. We then performed supervised clustering using a non-parametric t-test (Wilcoxon rank sum test) using the Benjamini and Hochberg multiple testing correction held to a p-value of 0.01 to determine genes that were significantly different between disease and normal samples. Using these stringent criteria, there were 331 genes that reached significance. Strikingly most of these were decreased in expression compared with control CD34+ cells and only 34 genes were upregulated in PV. A 35 gene predictor set was discovered through the use of a k-nearest neighbor metric. This set was 100% accurate for the prediction of PV in a leave one out cross-validation approach. Among these genes are EVI1, a known oncogene and one of only two genes upregulated in PV on this list, and the putative tumor suppressor genes TUSC4 (NPR2), NDRG1 and KLF4. Also among the predictor genes is BAALC, a gene expressed in normal CD34+ cells and known to be a prognostic indicator gene for acute myeloid leukemia.
Drug Interaction Database Sensitivity With Oral Antineoplastics: An Exploratory Analysis

Purpose:Drug interactions are a concern in oncology with the shift toward oral antineoplastics (OAs). Using electronic databases to screen for drug interactions with OAs is a common practice. There is little literature to guide clinicians on the reliability of these systems with OAs. The primary objective of this study was to explore the sensitivity of commonly available drug interaction databases in detecting drug interactions with OAs.Methods:A list of 20 drug interactions with OAs was developed by two Board-certified oncology pharmacists. The list included multiple types of drug interactions. The sensitivity in detecting these interactions by MicroMedex, Facts & Comparisons, Lexi-Interact, and Epocrates were evaluated. These databases were chosen based on their local availability and widespread use in practice. Drugs.com was evaluated as a surrogate for a patient-accessible drug interaction database. The Cochran Q test was used to assess the sensitivity distribution across the five groups.Results:Lexi-...
Chapter 12 – Riboflavin

Riboflavin, sometimes called vitamin B2, is essential for the intermediary metabolism of carbohydrates, amino acids, and lipids. It is widely distributed in many foods, including green, leafy vegetables, and meat and dairy products. It is water soluble and its enteric absorption is facilitated by specific transporters after the vitamin is hydrolyzed in the gut to the nonphosphorylated form. The primary function of riboflavin is to serve as the essential component of the coenzymes, flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), which act as intermediates in transfers of electrons in biological oxidation–reduction reactions. More than 100 enzymes in animal and microbial systems use FAD or FMN as essential cofactors. Riboflavin deficiency is rare in humans; it manifests as dermal lesions, anemia, and neurological signs including peripheral neuropathy in the late stages.
Crystal structure of aqua-(perchlorato)bis-[μ-(E)-2-({[2-(pyridin-2-yl)eth-yl]imino}-meth-yl)phenolato-κ4N,N',O:O]dicopper(II) perchlorate.

The title compound, [Cu2(ClO4)(C14H13N2O)2(H2O)]ClO4, crystallizes as an unsymmetrical dinuclear cation bridged by the phen­oxy O atoms with one CuII atom coordinated by a water mol­ecule and the other by a perchlorate anion, thus making both CuII atoms five-coordinate, and with a further perchlorate anion present for charge balance. A long inter­action [2.9893 (5) A] between one of the two CuII atoms and an O atom of the perchlorate counter-ion links the cations and anions into linear chains along the a-axis direction. In addition, the water H atoms link with the perchlorate counter-ion. These inter­actions, along with numerous C—H⋯O inter­actions between the tetra­hedral perchlorate anions, link the ions into a complex three-dimensional array. One of the perchlorate anions is disordered over two conformations with occupancies of 0.586 (4) and 0.414 (4).
Pseudo-convex Domains in Linear Topological Spaces*

In [2] it was shown that the notion “pseudo-convex domain” may be extended to infinite dimensional Banach spaces. In this paper we will extend it to linear topological spaces. We show that many basic results that hold for finite dimension remain true.
NUTRIENTS, DIGESTION AND ABSORPTION | Fermentation in the Rumen

Dietary nutrients (carbohydrates, nitrogenous compounds, minerals, and lipids) are subject to anaerobic fermentation by microbes upon entry into the reticulorumen. This microbial ecosystem is both open and complex, composed of bacteria, archaea, protozoa, and fungi. Fermentation in the reticulorumen affects the dynamics of digestion and absorption in subsequent segments of the digestive tract and, ultimately, the amount and pattern of nutrients available for metabolism by the host animal. Symbiotic and other interactions of the microbes with each other and with the host animal are also nutritionally relevant. Anaerobic fermentation partially metabolizes nutrients consumed by the host, providing energy and nutrients needed by the microbes. Some end products of microbial metabolism and the microorganisms themselves then provide nutrients for the host. Fifty to seventy-five percent of the ingested organic matter is fermented in the reticulorumen; therefore, ruminal fermentation has a large impact on the efficiency with which dietary nutrients are utilized.
A review of turbomachinery tip gap effects

Abstract This two part review covers experiments examining the effects of blade tip gaps encountered in turbomachines and the methods by which the synthesised data are currently used in turbomachine design and analysis. Data gained since the 1930's are subdivided for convenience into cascade (Part 1) and rotating machinery1 (Part 2) data, with a further subdivision into diffusing, or compressor type flows and accelerating, or turbine type flows. The overall trend is that an increasing tip gap, whose effect can reach over most or all of the blade height, reduces turbomachine performance. There is some evidence among the compressor and compressor cascade data that an optimum gap exists when the opposing effects of secondary flows and tip leakage with rotor/wall relative movement tend to balance. Turbine data are, in general, more regular than the body of compressor data, possibly because of the enhanced effect of, usually, undefined boundary layers in diffusing flow in the latter. Comment is made in Part 2 on the predictive and design models reported in the literature
Abstracts from the May 2018 Cleveland Immunopathogenesis Consortium Meeting

Below are selected abstracts from presentations at the annual Cleveland Immunopathogenesis Consortium meeting that was held on the campus of Case Western Reserve University in May 2018. The presentations covered a range of topics from HIV persistence/eradication to coinfection, inflammation and its determinants and immunologic failure. These abstracts are provided by Pathogens and Immunity to inform interested readers about these findings. You are encouraged to contact the lead authors of these works to learn more. Their email addresses are at the end of each abstract.
Epidemiology and Outcomes of Ischemic Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack in the Adult and Geriatric Population.

Abstract Background: Rate of ischemic strokes and transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) increases with age. There is lack of evidence on how age affects treatment strategies and outcomes. Our aim is to compare epidemiology of ischemic strokes and TIAs in adult and geriatric populations including risk factors, treatment delivered, and outcomes. Design: We designed a retrospective cross-sectional review of patients admitted to neurology with diagnosis of stroke or TIA from 2010 to 2015. Obtained variables were: age, sex, risk factors, acute therapy, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale on admission and discharge, and disposition. Means, confidence intervals, or percentages were calculated as appropriate. Results: Around 1,457 patients were divided into two groups: younger than 80 (n = 968) and 80 and older (n = 487). Rates of stroke and TIA were similar across younger and older groups (11% versus 12% TIA and 89% versus 88% stroke, respectively). Younger patients had lower admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (mean 4.64 versus 7.84 in older group) and greater improvement on discharge (mean change −1.51 versus −1.29 accordingly). Older patients received tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) more often than younger patients, but no difference in rates of thrombectomy between groups. Older patients were more likely to have hypertension, atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, and less likely to be a smoker. On discharge, younger patients with stroke were discharged home or to acute rehab more frequently, regardless of tPA administration. Conclusions: Older patients had more comorbidities, received tPA more often, and had worse outcomes regardless of use of intravenous tPA or thrombectomy, and were more frequently institutionalized after discharge.
Predicted glycosyltransferases promote development and prevent spurious cell clumping in the choanoflagellate S. rosetta

In a previous study we established forward genetics in the choanoflagellate Salpingoeca rosetta and found that a C-type lectin gene is required for rosette development (Levin et al., 2014). Here we report on critical improvements to genetic screens in S. rosetta while also investigating the genetic basis for rosette defect mutants in which single cells fail to develop into orderly rosettes and instead aggregate promiscuously into amorphous clumps of cells. Two of the mutants, Jumble and Couscous, mapped to lesions in genes encoding two different predicted glycosyltransferases and displayed aberrant glycosylation patterns in the basal extracellular matrix (ECM). In animals, glycosyltransferases sculpt the polysaccharide-rich ECM, regulate integrin and cadherin activity, and, when disrupted, contribute to tumorigenesis. The finding that predicted glycosyltransferases promote proper rosette development and prevent cell aggregation in S. rosetta suggests a pre-metazoan role for glycosyltransferases in regulating development and preventing abnormal tumor-like multicellularity.
CHAPTER 20 – Physiology of Testicular Steroidogenesis

Testosterone represents the major circulating androgen in the male and is synthesized by a sequence of enzymatic reactions that converts the substrate for all steroid biosynthesis, cholesterol, initially to the first steroid produced, pregnenolone, and then through a number of steroid intermediates to testosterone. This chapter discusses the specific enzymatic reactions and the products so formed. Cholesterol synthesis involves the formation of mevalonic acid, squalene, lanosterol, and finally cholesterol. The uptake of cholesterol from the serum requires the interaction of circulating lipoproteins with specific cell surface receptors designed to interact with these lipoproteins and internalize them either in whole or in part. The initial enzymatic reaction in the biosynthesis of all steroids in all steroidogenic tissues is the conversion of cholesterol to pregnenolone. This reaction occurs through the activity of the cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage enzyme. In the testis, testosterone is the major androgen produced by the Leydig cells and is responsible for the normal maintenance of spermatogenesis. However, testosterone can also be converted to the more potent androgen, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), through the action of the enzyme 5α-reductase.
End of the line for fetal lung maturity testing.

Abstract Objective During the last decade, guidelines published by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine (SMFM) have emphasized an increasingly limited role for fetal lung maturity (FLM) testing. As a reference laboratory for FLM testing, we were therefore interested in determining the impact of changing guidelines on our test volumes. Methods We retrospectively reviewed FLM test volume data from 2006 to 2016 for the following FLM assays: lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio, phosphatidylglycerol , disaturated lecithin , and lamellar body count. Results We found that there was a precipitous decline in test volumes from 2006 to 2016; our analysis led us to discontinue providing reference laboratory FLM testing in 2016 given the very low volumes. Conclusions The 2019 ACOG guidelines now state that FLM testing no longer has clinical utility. Therefore, clinical laboratory directors should meet with obstetrics providers to discuss discontinuation of FLM testing at their institutions.
Enhance Learning in Athletic Training Education with Audience Response Systems.

5it is most important to consider various facets of this interactive technology prior to implementing it into your athletic training courses. This column will outline strategies to incorporate this learning tool into your classroom.
Reactivity of N3-Methyl-2'-Deoxyadenosine in Nucleosome Core Particles.

N3-Methyl-2′-deoxyadenosine (MdA) is the major dA methylation product in duplex DNA. MdA blocks DNA replication and undergoes depurination at significantly higher rates than the native nucleotide f...
Alcohol and Sleep

Systematic analysis of sleep as a fundamental biological process is a new scientific enterprise. Yet, since the mid-1950s, the rate of scientific publication on its neural and behavioral correlates, its alteration by drugs, and the effects of its deprivation has risen from a few articles a year to something like sixty articles a month, and there is no hint that we are approaching asymptote. Several factors are responsible for the astounding growth of this field of study. Along with advances in electrophysiological, pharmacological, and behavioral technology which occurred during the past two decades, there emerged a conviction that sleep was not simply a passive, resting state, somewhere near the lower pole of a continuum of vigilance. Instead, sleep was seen as a complex, constantly changing but cyclic succession of active psychophysiological phenomena, qualitatively, not quantitatively, different from those of waking. Furthermore, it was realized that the phenomenology and perhaps the neural mechanisms of sleep were similar if not identical among humans, the other mammals, and birds. Neurobiologists were challenged by the remarkably long-term processes implicated by research on its deprivation or its alteration by drugs, and behavioral scientists were challenged by the realization that the transition from waking to sleep was not a natural boundary for behavioral investigation, that sleep was not an empty state, psychologically. The demonstration by Aserinsky and Kleitman (1955) that the periodic occurrence of vigorous ocular activity in the presence of EEG desynchrony was associated with vivid visual dreams, and the confirmation by Dement (1958) of similar periodic bioelectric patterns in the cat stimulated the interest of investigators from nearly every discipline of the behavioral and biological sciences.
Checking Rights: An IR Manager’s Guide to Checking Copyright

Institutional repository (IR) managers often find themselves providing copyright guidance to faculty who wish to self-archive their published scholarship or to students depositing theses and dissertations. As IR managers may not be copyright experts themselves, making determinations and checking rights can be difficult and time-consuming. This article is intended as a practical guide to describe common types of material that can be placed in an IR as well as potential copyright issues and other considerations for each type. Material types covered include book chapters, journal articles, conference proceedings, student papers, electronic theses and dissertations, research data sets, historical and archival materials, and oral histories. Underlying issues such as copyright ownership, work made for hire, and the legal definition of publication are also discussed. For easier reference, the appendix contains a chart with brief descriptions of issues and resources.
Synthesis, photochemical decomposition and DFT studies of 2,2,3,3-tetramethyl-1,1-bis(dimethylphenylsilyl)silacyclopropane

Abstract The compound, 2,2,3,3-tetramethyl-1,1-bis(dimethylphenylsilyl)silacyclopropane (1), is a potential photochemical source of silylenes either through a 2 + 1 fragmentation of the silacyclopropane ring core or through α-elimination from the aryltrisilane chain. Upon 254 nm photolysis, the silacyclopropane (1) exclusively undergoes 2 + 1 ring fragmentation with the formation of bis(dimethylphenylsilyl)silylene and tetramethylethylene. This clearly shows the heightened photoreactivity of the silacyclopropane ring compared with the aryltrisilane chain. The extruded bis(dimethyphenyl)silylene is intercepted with trapping agents such as triethylsilane, methoxytrimethylsilane and bis(trimethylsilyl)acetylene to form thermally stable adducts. Time Dependent-Density Functional Theory (TD-DFT) calculations at the B3LYP/6-31G* level reveal that an electron is excited from a Si–C σ orbital of the silacyclopropane ring (HOMO) to empty π* orbitals of phenyl group (LUMO). This weakens the Si–C bonds of the silacyclopropane ring which is believed to result in the observed 2 + 1 photofragmentation.
Self-Concept Change at Work: Characteristics and Consequences of Workplace Self-Expansion

Self-expansion is generally studied in the context of romantic relationships; however, self-expansion can also occur in a variety of non-relational settings. This chapter explores the opportunities for workplaces to promote self-expansion. People may experience self-expansion at work when their jobs provide them with novel experiences, challenges, resources, new skills, and new identities as organizational contributors. Recent evidence confirms that individuals experience workplace self-expansion and that workplace self-expansion is associated with a variety of beneficial outcomes for employees and organizations such as higher job satisfaction, commitment, engagement, and lower burnout and turnover intentions. Overall, this research suggests that workplace self-expansion may be an important component of employees’ experiences and leaders’ effectiveness.
Using trauma-informed medical care as a way to teach providers to empathetically approach patient care and themselves

Purpose: In medical settings, the majority of patients and families enter medical care with pre-existing exposure to emotional trauma; in addition, they often experience new emotional trauma in context of their medical condition and / or medical treatment. The presence of emotional trauma reactions has the capacity to greatly impact the way in which patients and families experience subsequent medical care. Further, many healthcare providers are exposed to potentially traumatizing medical events in their patients on a daily basis, which may contribute to secondary trauma reactions, burnout and turnover. Strategies …
Religion, Phenomenology of

This article is a revision of the previous edition article by H. Knoblauch, volume 19, pp. 13093–13096, © 2001, Elsevier Ltd.
Mastitis in the Beef Cow and Its Effects on Calf Weight Gain

Quarter samples for culture were collected from 120 beef cows in early, mid, and late lactation to assess prevalence of mastitis pathogens and effects of mastitis on calf weight gain. In early, mid and late lactation respectively, 25.8, 29.2, and 54.4% of cows and 13.1, 14.9, and 27.5% of quarters were infected.
Effects of Body Mass Index on Perioperative Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion Surgery.

Objective Obesity has become a public health crisis and continues to be on the rise. An elevated BMI has been linked to higher rates of spinal degenerative disease requiring surgical intervention. Limited studies exist that evaluate the effects of obesity on peri-operative complications in patients undergoing anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). Our study aims to determine the incidence of obesity in the ACDF population and the effects it may have on postoperative in-patient complications. Methods The National Inpatient Sample was evaluated from 2004 to 2014 and discharges with International Classification of Diseases procedure codes indicating ACDF were identified. This cohort was stratified into patients with diagnosis codes indicating obesity. Separate univariable followed by multivariable logistic regression analysis were performed for the likelihood of peri-operative inpatient outcomes among the patients with obesity. Results From 2004 to 2014 an estimated 1,212,475 ACDFs were identified in which 9.2% of the patients were obese. The incidence of obesity amongst ACDF patients has risen dramatically during those years from 5.8% to 13.4%. Obese ACDF patients had higher inpatient likelihood of dysphagia, neurological, respiratory, and hematologic complications as well as pulmonary emboli, and intraoperative durotomy. Conclusion Obesity is a well-established modifiable comorbidity that leads to increased perioperative complications in various surgical specialties. We present one of the largest retrospective analyses evaluating the effects of obesity on inpatient complications following ACDF. Our data suggests that the number of obese patients undergoing ACDF is steadily increasing and had a higher inpatient likelihood of developing peri-operative complications.
China Moving the Belt and Road Initiative into Latin American Countries: Chinese Free Trade Agreements and Labor Implications

In May 2017, Xi Jinping called the Latin American countries natural extension of the Maritime Silk Road. . . .”1 The region, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), was also called an “important participant” in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) by Foreign Minister Wang Yi during the 2018 China-CELAC Ministerial Forum. Recent years of China’s increasing trade and investment have affected industries and jobs, and thus, have also given rise to labor issues as Chinese firms tend to hire Chinese nationals rather than local workers, especially in management and highly-skilled roles. “Rules of the Road” governing trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) between China and the Latin American and Caribbean region (LAC), though being negotiated, are not formalized in a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) with labor protection provisions, and currently, there are only FTAs with several LAC countries.
Beyond air pollution at home: Assessment of personal exposure to PM2.5 using activity-based travel demand model and low-cost air sensor network data

Abstract Assessing personal exposure to air pollution is challenging due to the limited availability of human movement data and the complexity of modeling air pollution at high spatiotemporal resolution. Most health studies rely on residential estimates of outdoor air pollution instead which introduces exposure measurement error. Personal exposure for 100,784 individuals in Los Angeles County was estimated by integrating human movement data simulated from the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) activity-based travel demand model with hourly PM2.5 predictions from my 500 m gridded model incorporating low-cost sensor monitoring data. Individual exposures were assigned considering PM2.5 levels at homes, workplaces, and other activity locations. These dynamic exposures were compared to the residence-based exposures, which do not consider human movement, to examine the degree of exposure estimation bias. The results suggest that exposures were underestimated by 13% (range 5–22%) on average when human movement was not considered, and much of the error was eliminated by accounting for work location. Exposure estimation bias increased for people who exhibited higher mobility levels, especially for workers with long commute distances. Overall, the personal exposures of workers were underestimated by 22% (5–61%) relative to their residence-based exposures. For workers who commute >20 miles, their exposure levels can be at most underestimated by 61%. Omitting mobility resulted in underestimating exposures for people who reside in areas with cleaner air but work in more polluted areas. Similarly, exposures were overestimated for people living in areas with poorer air quality and working in cleaner areas. These could lead to differential estimation biases across racial, ethnic and socioeconomic lines that typically correlate with where people live and work and lead to important exposure and health disparities. This study demonstrates that ignoring human movement and spatiotemporal variability of air pollution could lead to differential exposure misclassification potentially biasing health risk assessments. These improved dynamic approaches can help planners and policymakers identify disadvantaged populations for which exposures are typically misrepresented and might lead to targeted policy and planning implications.
Disorders of Pubertal Development: Precocious Puberty

Precocious puberty is defined as the onset of secondary sexual characteristics before 9 years in boys, at a chronological age 2–2.5 SD before the mean age of pubertal onset for Caucasian population. Upon the underlying pathologic process, precocious puberty can be classified as follows: (1) central precocious puberty (also known as gonadotropin-dependent precocious puberty) due to early maturation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis; (2) peripheral precocious puberty (also known as gonadotropin-independent precocious puberty), caused by excess secretion of sex hormones from the gonads or adrenal glands, exogenous sources of sex steroids, or ectopic production of gonadotropin from a germ cell tumor; and (3) benign pubertal variants, including nonprogressive or intermittently progressive central precocious puberty or isolated androgen-mediated sexual characteristics (such as pubic and/or axillary hair, acne, and apocrine odor) in boys that result from early activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (premature adrenarche). Both of these disorders can be a variant of normal puberty.
GMOs, Herbicides, and Public Health.

The landscape for genetically modified organisms is changing, thanks to sharp increases in the amounts and numbers of chemical herbicides applied to GM crops and the classification of two of the most commonly used herbicides as probably or possibly carcinogenic to humans.
Molecular Genetics of Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder (BPD) is a disease of unknown etiology, which is a major cause of disability. The disease is characterised by oscillation between a manic state and a depressed state, and has a significant genetic component. To try to improve understanding of the disease, linkage studies and association studies have been conducted on bipolar subjects. To date these studies have yielded equivocal results. A very small number of genomic regions and genes have been identified which are associated with the bipolar disease. This small number of genes does not explain the high heritability of the disease. Using the results of these screens as starting points it should prove possible to develop a model for the underlying molecular components of BPD. Key Concepts: Bipolar disorder is a highly heritable psychiatric disorder where genetics are proving to be complex. Psychiatric linkage studies have been less successful than genome wide association studies at showing involvement of genes in psychiatric disease. Genome wide association studies can provide information about genes that are involved in a disorder. Not all of the heritability of bipolar disorder has been explained by genetic association studies. The nature of this ‘missing heritability’ remains unclear. Genetic modifiers are genes that can alter the phenotype caused by a mutation. These genetic modifiers may account for some of the missing heritability seen in bipolar disorder. Keywords: genome wide association study; missing heritability; bipolar disorder; schizophrenia
Electron interactions with excited atoms and molecules

Abstract Elastic, inelastic, and superelastic scattering of electrons by an electron-impact ionization of excited atoms are reviewed and discussed and the role of the electric dipole polarizability in the interaction of slow electrons with excited atoms is indicated. The meager knowledge on the scattering of slow electrons from vibrationally and electronically excited molecules is also summarized and discussed, as well as the available information on excitation and ionization by electron impact of electronically excited molecules. The available data on the processes of electron attachment to vibrationally/rotationally and electronically excited molecules and the processes of electron detachment from energy-rich transient anions are also summarized and discussed.
A novel biofouling control technology for capillary flow cells

Prevention of biological fouling is critical to maintenance of optimal function and extended life for equipment and materials deployed in aquatic and marine settings. We established the efficacy of copper plus a proprietary antifouling treatment to prevent biofouling in glass capillary tubes using in situ epifluorescent microscopy and single-photon confocal microscopy to visualize biofilm formation in capillary flow cells exposed to filtered ambient seawater. The capillary cells were subjected to a series of biofouling control treatments with filtered seawater flowing at a rate of approximately 1 mL per minute. A screening study addressed three potential biofouling control concepts for application to development of the Submersible FlowCAM®, a new in situ instrument that can identify and enumerate both phytoplankton and small zooplankton species. The second addressed the effective exposure under a similar flow system using single-photon confocal microscopy as an end-point analysis. Control cells appropriate to each test were included. The first study demonstrated that biofouling in the control cells (no protection) was sufficient to stop flow after 60 days. Flow cells tested with only copper showed bacterial accumulation at 28 and 49 days. In contrast, very little (and in some cases, no) bacterial biofilm accumulation was observed in any of the proprietary or proprietary plus copper treatments throughout the entire 63 day test period. The second test demonstrated that the Cu plus proprietary treatment was highly effective at preventing biofilm formation in capillary flow cells across a range of treatment exposures under a constant copper concentration in the seawater. Copper treatment alone was not sufficient to prevent biofilm formation.
Lymphatic Tissue Engineering

In the last 5 years major advances have been made in the field of tissue engineering. However, while engineering of tissues from nearly every major system in the body have been studied and improved, little has been done with the engineering of viable lymphatic tissues. Recent advances in understanding of lymphatic biology have allowed the easy isolation of pure lymphatic cell cultures, increasing, in turn, the ability to study lymphatic biology in greater detail. This has allowed the elucidation of lymphatic properties on the structural, cellular, and molecular levels, making possible the successful development of the first lymphatic engineered tissues. Among such advances are the engineering of lymphatic capillaries, the development of a functioning bioreactor designed to culture lymph nodes in vitro, and in vivo growth of lymphatic organoids. However, there has been no research on the engineering of functional lymphangions. While the advances made in the study of lymphatic biology are encouraging, the complexities of the system make the engineering of certain functional lymphatic tissues somewhat more difficult.
Strength Assessment in Adhesive Bonds Using Nonlinear Ultrasonic Measurements

There have been many applications of adhesively bonded structures in the aerospace industry and a need for nondestructive evaluation of bond strength is evident. Standard strength measurement of a lap joint requires loading until the weakest link fails. That weak link may be an adhesive interface failure, as shown by the fracture surface of an AF-191 specimen (Fig. 1), or a cohesive failure of the adhesive layer itself, as shown in the delamination of a two layer FM-300 adhesive containing carrier cloth (Fig. 2). In recent years there were several attempts to use ultrasonic measurements (e.g., velocity, attenuation, or reflection coefficients) to evaluate bond strength. The weak link that affects strength, however, may not significantly affect these linear parameters.
Alternative approaches for mitral valve repair

Unique situations arise in which alternative exposures for mitral valve surgery offer distinct advantages over traditional approaches. Each exposure facilitates both mitral valve repair and replacement, although the standard repair procedures must be modified to accommodate these non-traditional exposures. Here, we detail the technical considerations required to perform transventricular and transaortic mitral valve repair as well as discuss the advantages for employing these less conventional approaches.
"Bedside" balloon septostomy in infants with transposition of the great arteries: new concepts using two-dimensional echocardiographic techniques.

We performed balloon atrial septostomies in six successive infants with transposition of the great arteries, using echocardiographic guidance at the bedside in the neonatal intensive care unit. In all cases adequate septostomy was obtained and instantaneously assessable. PaO2 values increased as expected (mean before septostomy 28 mm Hg; after, 42 mm Hg). In cases of transposition clearly diagnosed echocardiographically, this intervention need not be done in the catheterization laboratory. The need for a full hemodynamic study in the neonatal period is arguable.
Reduction of surgical site infections in low transverse cesarean section at a university hospital

Background We implemented evidence-based interventions to reduce risk of surgical site infection (SSI) following low transverse cesarean section (LTCS). Methods An observational study was conducted to determine LTCS SSI rates and the impact of infection control interventions at an academic teaching hospital during the period October 2005 to December 2008, including the use of 2% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) for surgical skin preparation before LTCS and no-rinse CHG cloths for preoperative skin cleansing. We compared overall and risk strata specific SSI rates and standardized incidence ratios during 4 study periods and estimated cost savings. Results Of 1,844 LTCSs performed, 99 patients were identified with SSI. SSI rates per 100 LTCS declined from 6.27 at baseline and 10.84 during the outbreak period to 5.92 in intervention 1 period and 2.29 in intervention 2 period. Overall, a 63.5% reduction in SSI rate from baseline was achieved by ensuring compliance with SSI prevention guidelines and improving skin antisepsis (P = .003). In intervention 2 period, the standardized incidence ratio was 0.99 compared with 2.64 at baseline and 4.50 during the outbreak period. Conclusion A multidisciplinary approach including evidence-based SSI prevention practices, effective infection prevention products, and staff and patient engagement substantially reduced infection risk and improved patient safety following LTCS.
Spin polarization in CrO 2 : Competition between quasiparticle and local-moment behavior

We show that inclusion of the competition between quasiparticle and local-moment behavior in ${\mathrm{CrO}}_{2}$ is necessary to obtain good agreement between the calculated and experimentally observed spin polarization. By going beyond a single Slater determinant description, we find a spin polarization of close to $100%$ near the Fermi level reflecting quasi-particle behavior. At energies higher than $0.1\char21{}0.2\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{eV}$ above the Fermi level, the local moment character dominates and the spin polarization is reduced to approximately $50%$.
Forage Quality of Plant Parts of Perennial Grasses and Relationship to Phenology

Limited information exists regarding forage quality variation among plant parts of divergent genetic lines within perennial grass species and its relationship to phenology. This investigation was conducted to determine these relationships in ‘Napier’ and ‘Orion’ orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), ‘Barton’ and ‘Rebound’ smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.), germplasm of reed canarygrass (Phalarls arundinacea L.) selected for either high or low specific leaf weight, and germplasm of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) selected for either high or low rate of leaf-area expansion. These grasses were seeded on a Webster silty clay loam (fine-loamy, mixed, mesic Typic Haplaquoll). Morphological stage determined by the Simon and Park method during spring growth was closely related to accumulated growing degree days (GDD) by using a 5°C base (r² = 0.97). Within each year, decline in herbage in vitro digestible dry matter (IVDDM) and crude protein (CP) concentration was closely related to calendar day, GDD, and morphological stage, although least to morphological stage. Thus, for morphological staging systems to more accurately predict forage quality, the proportion of reproductive and vegetative tillers in swards will need to be considered as well as their development. Larger cultivar differences in IVDDM occurred within stems of orchardgrass (24%) than within leaves (7%). In smooth bromegrass, Rebound stems were 12% more digestible than those of Barton, but Barton leaves were 6% more digestible than Rebound leaves. There were few genetic differences in CP concentration within any species and no consistent differences in IVDDM within the reed canarygrass or tall fescue germplasms. Thus, cultivar variation for IVDDM was not uniform among plant parts, and selecting grass plants on the basis of specific leaf weight or leaf-area expansion rate seems to have little effect on forage quality. Contribution of the USDA-ARS, Iowa Cluster Program of the U.S. Dairy Forage Res. Ctr., Iowa State Univ., and Univ. of Minnesota. Journal Paper no. J-13085 of the Iowa Agric. and Home Economics Exp. Stn., Project 2709; and Minnesota Agric. Exp. Stn. Scientific Series Paper no. 16072.