cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bifactor Models of Religious and Spiritual Struggles: Distinct from Religiousness and Distress

The Religious and Spiritual Struggles Scale (RSS) measures important psychological constructs in an underemphasized section of the overlap between religion and well-being. Are religious/spiritual struggles distinct from religiousness, distress, and each other? To test the RSS’ internal discriminant validity, we replicated the original six-factor measurement model across five large samples (N = 5705) and tested the fit of a restricted bifactor model, which supported the mutual viability of multidimensional and unidimensional scoring systems for the RSS. Additionally, we explored a bifactor model with correlated group factors that exhibited optimal fit statistics. This model maintained the correlations among the original factors while extracting a general factor from the RSS. This general factor’s strong correlations with religious participation and belief salience suggested that this factor resembles religiousness itself. Estimating this general factor seemed to improve Demonic and Moral struggles’ independence from religiousness, but did not change any factor’s correlations with neuroticism, depression, anxiety, and stress. These distress factors correlated with most of the independent group factors corresponding to the original dimensions of the RSS, especially Ultimate Meaning and Divine struggles. These analyses demonstrate the discriminant validity of religious/spiritual struggles and the complexity of their relationships with religiousness and distress.
Hydrogels based on schiff base formation between an amino‐containing polyphosphazene and aldehyde functionalized‐dextrans

Hydrogels generated by the interaction of two different water-soluble polymers offer access to a new group of soft materials. A prototype amino-functionalized polyphosphazene with both tyramine and ferulic acid-based side groups was coupled to aldehyde functionalized-dextrans to form hydrogels crosslinked via Schiff base chemistry. Synthesis of the polyphosphazene was accomplished by macromolecular substitution and protection-deprotection chemistry, with characterization by 1H NMR, 31P NMR, solid state 13C NMR, and DSC techniques. Combination of the aqueous polyphosphazene and aldehyde functionalized-dextran solutions at room temperature caused gelation with different gelation times and crosslink densities dependent on the aldehyde content of the dextran. The hydrogel properties were evaluated using rheology, thermal characterization, and cryo-microscopy. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016
CSDP in the EU Foreign Policy System and Beyond

At the start of this volume, we constructed an analytic foundation built on theory, method, and evaluative criteria to explain the causes and effects of CSDP operations. The more scholars and practitioners know what the drivers and effects of CSDP actions are, the better they are able to evaluate EU foreign policy, of which CSDP is one, relatively new, instrument.
Mechanical strength vs. degradation of a biologically-derived surgical mesh over time in a rodent full thickness abdominal wall defect

The use of synthetic surgical mesh materials has been shown to decrease the incidence of hernia recurrence, but can be associated with undesirable effects such as infection, chronic discomfort, and adhesion to viscera. Surgical meshes composed of extracellular matrix (i.e., biologically-derived mesh) are an alternative to synthetic meshes and can reduce some of these undesirable effects but are less frequently used due to greater cost and perceived inadequate strength as the mesh material degrades and is replaced by host tissue. The present study assessed the temporal association between mechanical properties and degradation of biologic mesh composed of urinary bladder matrix (UBM) in a rodent model of full thickness abdominal wall defect. Mesh degradation was evaluated for non-chemically crosslinked scaffolds with the use of (14)C-radiolabeled UBM. UBM biologic mesh was 50% degraded by 26 days and was completely degraded by 90 days. The mechanical properties of the UBM biologic mesh showed a rapid initial decrease in strength and modulus that was not proportionately associated with its degradation as measured by (14)C. The loss of strength and modulus was followed by a gradual increase in these values that was associated with the deposition of new, host derived connective tissue. The strength and modulus values were comparable to or greater than those of the native abdominal wall at all time points.
Comparative Study of a Novel Tool for Follicular Unit Extraction for Individuals with Afro-textured Hair.

Hair transplantation involving patients with tightly curled Afro-textured hair using follicular unit extraction (FUE) employing conventional rotary punches frequently leads to unacceptably high transection rates. These patients are unsuitable candidates for FUE hair transplantation. Transection rates were observed during FUE in a case series of 18 patients with tightly curled Afro-textured hair using different punches. METHODS Three different punches were sequentially used in patients to extract follicular units with several needle gauges until satisfactory transection rates occurred: conventional sharp and dull rotary punches, followed by a 2-pronged curved nonrotary punch. RESULTS In all instances, the curved nonrotary punch had the best transection rate of <5%. Sharp and dull rotary punches completely failed or had excessive transection rates in 8 patients. The dull rotary punch performed better than the sharp rotary punch in 9 patients in whom it was used with few restrictions compared to 5 patients in whom there were more restrictions. CONCLUSIONS A curved nonrotary punch configured to accommodate the curliness of tightly curled Afro-textured hair can overcome high transection rates experienced using conventional sharp or dull rotary punches. Limitations of this study include it being a small, retrospective case series, and that the new technique that could require additional training by current FUE hair transplant practitioners.
Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, and Results: An Emerging Approach to Organization Development.

Organization development (OD) interventions have typically relied on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) framework for strategic planning. The strengths, opportunities, aspirations, and results (SOAR) framework is a relatively new innovation in OD that may serve as a viable alternative to SWOT for those who wish to apply an appreciative inquiry approach. This paper presents the results of a scoping study in which the limited but varied literature support for SOAR is reviewed. An extensive search uncovered 27 publications pertaining to SOAR, which were then analyzed chronologically and thematically. Although findings include an overwhelmingly positive appraisal of SOAR, many gaps were uncovered in the literature and research regarding empirical support for the framework.
Conclusion - Servant Leadership Symposium

Implications of servant leadership for public administration in general and for teaching public administration in particular are discussed.
Negative dysphotopsia: Causes and rationale for prevention and treatment.

Purpose To determine the cause of negative dysphotopsia using standard ray-tracing techniques and identify the primary and secondary causative factors. Setting Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA. Design Experimental study. Methods Zemax ray-tracing software was used to evaluate pseudophakic and phakic eye models to show the location of retinal field images from various visual field objects. Phakic retinal field angles (RFAs) were used as a reference for the perceived field locations for retinal images in pseudophakic eyes. Results In a nominal acrylic pseudophakic eye model with a 2.5 mm diameter pupil, the maximum RFA from rays refracted by the intraocular lens (IOL) was 85.7 degrees and the minimum RFA for rays missing the optic of the IOL was 88.3 degrees, leaving a dark gap (shadow) of 2.6 degrees in the extreme temporal field. The width of the shadow was more prominent for a smaller pupil, a larger angle kappa, an equi-biconvex or plano-convex IOL shape, and a smaller axial distance from iris to IOL and with the anterior capsule overlying the nasal IOL. Secondary factors included IOL edge design, material, diameter, decentration, tilt, and aspheric surfaces. Conclusions Standard ray-tracing techniques showed that a shadow is present when there is a gap between the retinal images formed by rays missing the optic of the IOL and rays refracted by the IOL. Primary and secondary factors independently affected the width and location of the gap (or overlap). The ray tracing also showed a constriction and double retinal imaging in the extreme temporal visual field.
Reactivation of TWIST1 contributes to Ewing sarcoma metastasis

Background Ewing sarcoma is a cancer of bone and soft tissue. Despite aggressive treatment, survival remains poor, particularly in patients with metastatic disease. Failure to treat Ewing sarcoma is due to the lack of understanding of the molecular pathways that regulate metastasis. In addition, no molecular prognostic markers have been identified for Ewing sarcoma to risk stratify patients. Procedure Ewing sarcoma patients were divided into high or low Twist1 gene expression and survival curves were generated using the R2 microarray-based Genomic Analysis platform (http://r2.amc.nl). Tumors from Ewing sarcoma patients were also evaluated for TWIST1 expression by immunohistochemistry. Ewing sarcoma xenografts were established to evaluate the role of TWIST1 in metastasis. The effects of Twist1 on migration and invasion were evaluated using migration and invasion assays in A673 and RDES cells. Results Twist1 expression was a negative prognostic marker for overall survival in a public Ewing sarcoma patient data set based on Twist1 mRNA levels and in patient tumor samples based on Twist1 immunohistochemistry. TWIST1 is detected in significantly higher percentage of patients with metastatic diseases than localized disease. Using Ewing sarcoma tumor xenografts in mice, we found that suppressing TWIST1 levels suppressed metastasis without affecting primary tumor development. Knockdown of Twist1 inhibited the migration and invasion capability, while overexpression of Twist1 promoted migration and invasion in Ewing sarcoma cells. Conclusion These results suggest that TWIST1 promotes metastasis in Ewing sarcoma and could be used as a prognostic marker for treatment stratification; however, further validation is required in a larger cohort of patients.
Kidney Stone Protocols to Reduce Emergency Department Overcrowding

Background: As emergency department (ED) overcrowding affects timely patient care, strategies such as standardize protocols are required.Objective: The purpose of this study was to 1) investigate impact of utilizing various Computed Tomography (CT) scans modalities namely CT without contrast (WO), with contrast (W), and with and without contrast (WWO) in diagnosing kidney stones on ED operational metrics (i.e., CT order to report time, room to discharge, and ED length of stay), and 2) develop, implement, and test kidney stone protocols.Methods: The study included both retrospective, cross-sectional and pre/post analyses of patients presenting to the ED of a large, academic medical center with suspicion of kidney stone who received CT scans from December 2010 to December 2011. ANOVA, t-test, Chi-Square test, and linear regression were used for statistical analyses.Results: During pre implementation, statistically significant difference of at least 41.7 minutes were observed between CT WO and CT WWO for all operational metrics After implementation of the kidney stone protocol (i.e., switching to CT WO contrast) the order compliance rate improved from 35.9% to 72.8%, with similar savings for CT order to report times.Conclusions: With 37% additional patients evaluated using CT WO and ¾ to 1 hour savings in CT order to report time, the estimated net capacity gain is 32 to 43 routine ED patients for a 50,000 volume ED. Thus, standardization of protocol using the developed framework for other common diseases (e.g., abdominal pain) may add ED capacity and revenue while reducing ED overcrowding issues.
Public Health Spending and Medicare Resource Use: A Longitudinal Analysis of U.S. Communities.

Objective To examine whether local expenditures for public health activities influence area-level medical spending for Medicare beneficiaries. Data Sources and Setting Six census surveys of the nation's 2,900 local public health agencies were conducted between 1993 and 2013, linked with contemporaneous information on population demographics, socioeconomic characteristics, and area-level Medicare spending estimates from the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care. Data Collection/Extraction Measures derive from agency survey data and aggregated Medicare claims. Study Design A longitudinal cohort design follows the geographic areas served by local public health agencies. Multivariate, fixed-effects, and instrumental-variables regression models estimate how area-level Medicare spending changes in response to shifts in local public health spending, controlling for observed and unmeasured confounders. Principal Findings A 10 percent increase in local public health spending per capita was associated with 0.8 percent reduction in adjusted Medicare expenditures per person after 1 year (p < .01) and a 1.1 percent reduction after 5 years (p < .05). Estimated Medicare spending offsets were larger in communities with higher rates of poverty, lower health insurance coverage, and health professional shortages. Conclusions Expanded financing for public health activities may provide an effective way of constraining Medicare spending, particularly in low-resource communities.
Complete Genomic Sequences of Two Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Serogroup C2 (O:6,8) Strains from Central California.

ABSTRACT Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica strains RM11060, serotype 6,8:d:−, and RM11065, serotype 6,8:−:e,n,z15, were isolated from environmental samples collected in central California in 2009. We report the complete genome sequences of these two strains. These genomic sequences are distinct and will provide additional data to our understanding of S. enterica genomics.
Mitigating flood risk and enhancing community resilience to natural disasters: plan quality matters

In response to increasingly frequent and severe flooding events, tracking the explanatory elements of integrative planning effort can provide useful assessment of initiatives that foster improved c...
Proton beam therapy and immunotherapy: an emerging partnership for immune activation in non-small cell lung cancer

Proton beam therapy (PBT) is becoming an increasingly common option for patients undergoing radiation therapy (RT). With the concurrent emergence of immunotherapy as an effective systemic treatment for historically treatment-resistant disease such as advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the combination of RT’s immunoadjuvant effects with immunotherapy is gaining widespread attention. However, pre-clinical and clinical studies have shown potential immunosuppressive mechanisms associated with conventional RT that may restrict its immunogenic potential. Protons, as charged particles, exhibit both dosimetric and biological differences in normal and cancer cells that may be able to not only enhance the immunoadjuvant effects of RT, but also reduce immunosuppressive mechanisms. Here, we review the rationale, preclinical and clinical evidence, and ongoing efforts in combining PBT with immunotherapy in cancer treatment with a focus on NSCLC.
Measurement of Recessive Lethal Damage Over the Entire Genome and at Two Specific Loci in the ad-3 Region of a Two-Component Heterokaryon of Neurospora crassa

Neurospora is a haploid organism, but with the use of a two-component heterokaryon, it can be used to study many of the same genetic effects that occur in diploid organisms (Atwood, 1949; Atwood and Mukai, 1953, 1954). Forced heterokaryons between two different haploid strains with different biochemical requirements produce three types of conidia; two different homokaryotic types that will grow only on supplemented media, and a heterokaryotic type that will grow on minimal medium. The heterokaryotic conidia of a two-component heterokaryon have at least one haploid set of chromosomes of each genotype together in the same cytoplasm rather than in the same nucleus, as in a diploid cell. The experiments of Atwood and Mukai (1953,1954) have shown that the heterokaryotic fraction of cells can be used to measure the dominant lethal damage that inactivates the cell as well as the recessive lethal damage that imposes new biochemical requirements upon the individual nuclei. The recessive lethal damage results from mutation of genes over the entire genome, de Serres and Osterbind (1962) have shown that this technique can be used to measure the recessive lethal damage occurring at specific loci and that this damage results both from point mutation and chromosome deletion. Thus, recessive lethal mutations at specific loci induced in a heterokaryotic cell result from the same spectrum of genetic alterations that is induced in a diploid cell.
Spin-1 XXZ model on the square lattice.

We compute the ground-state energy and spin-spin correlations on various finite square lattices exactly for the spin-1 /ital XXZ/ model. Estimates of the ground-state energy and order parameters are obtained by extrapolation to infinite lattice. Our results are consistent with the existence of long-range order for all values of anisotropy /Delta/.
The importance of fluid absorption, traction, intraocular currents, and chorioretinal scars in the therapy of rhegmatogenous retinal detachments. XLI Edward Jackson memorial lecture.

The combination of traction on the retina and of intraocular currents in the presence of a retinal hole is the cause of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. The strong suction forces of the pigment epithelium and choroid counteract such a development. Chorioretinal scars serve as a seal against currents. Eliminating the effects of traction and of intraocular currents and making use of the absorption forces of the pigment epithelium and choroid are the primary aims in sucessfully treating rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Direct closure of the retinal hole is not always necessary.
Use and usefulness of the “know yourself” tool in outpatient cancer care.

e21558Background: Patient-physician communication is important to cancer care. The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship developed the Know Yourself Tool, a 2-page form, to improve patients’ u...
Manipulation and Degrees of Blameworthiness

We propose an original response to Derk Pereboom’s four-case manipulation argument. This response combines a hard-line and a soft-line. Like hard-liners, we insist that the manipulated agent is blameworthy for his wrongdoing. However, like soft-liners, we maintain that there is a difference in blameworthiness between the manipulated agent and the non-manipulated one. The former is less blameworthy than the latter. This difference is due to the fact that it is more difficult for the manipulated agent to do the right thing. We explain how we can make sense of this notion of difficulty in terms of Fischer and Ravizza’s notion of reasons-responsiveness.
Gauss Sums, Quadratic Reciprocity, and the Jacobi Symbol

Our first goal in this chapter is to present Gauss’s sixth proof of his Law of Quadratic Reciprocity. The presentation here follows [32, §3.3] fairly closely, except that our Gauss sums are over the complex numbers, as opposed to ibid. where Gauss sums are considered over a finite field. Later in the chapter we introduce the Jacobi symbol and study its basic properties. The Jacobi symbol will make an appearance in Chapter when we give a proof of the Three Squares Theorem.
PTSD and Attitudes Toward Guns Following Interpersonal Trauma.

Gun violence is a serious public health concern that is currently grossly understudied. Gun attitudes are a potential risk factor for gun violence; however, factors related to gun attitudes have no...
Optimization of cell culture conditions for exosome isolation using mini-size exclusion chromatography (mini-SEC).

Abstract Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are emerging as a major intercellular communication system engaged in a variety of physiological and pathophysiological processes. Tumor-derived exosomes (TEX) are a subset of EVs of special interest as potential cancer biomarkers. Supernatants of tumor cell lines are widely used as the source of pure TEX for molecular/genetic studies. To optimize TEX isolation and characterization for these studies, we evaluated culture conditions for different tumor cell lines and used mini size exclusion chromatography (mini-SEC) for TEX isolation. Each tumor cell line showed unique culture requirements that determined the recovery, purity and total yield of TEX. Culture conditions for optimal TEX purity and recovery by mini-SEC could be modified by altering the media composition and numbers of seeded cells. TEX recovered from mini-SEC fraction #4 under optimized conditions were biologically active, were sized from 30 to 150 nm in diameter, had a typical vesicular morphology and carried endocytic markers. The most critical requirement for reproducible exosome recovery was re-seeding of tumor cells in numbers adjusted to reflect the optimized culture conditions for each tumor cell line. This study provides insights into a cell culture technique, which can be optimized for exosome production by various human or mouse tumor cell lines for isolation by mini-SEC.
Mechanisms for Profiling

So how is profiling actually done? Most of this book has been dedicated to developing the basic understanding needed for it. We have seen that the knowledge of how a parameter affects the vocal production mechanism can help us identify the most relevant representations from which we may extract the information needed for profiling. We have also seen how such knowledge can help us reason out why certain parameters may exert confusable influences on the voice signal. All of this knowledge can then help us design more targeted methods to discover features that are highly effective for profiling.
Schools, Poverty, and Communities:

While some members of the critical education community(ies) may disagree, I think that it is imperative to read and learn from those groups of educators who may not have exactly the same politics a...
Women in Christian Substance Abuse Treatment; Forgiveness, Attachment Styles, and Improvements in Co-occurring Mental Health Symptoms

The purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy of The Recovery Center at Shalom House Ministries and examine the relationship(s) between forgiveness, attachment styles, drug and alcohol abuse, self-reported mental health symptoms, and cognitive functioning. Participants (N = 118 women) attended Shalom Recovery (2016–2018). Statistically significant improvement was found between entrance and the 3-month mark on all measures, with 67.9% completing the program. Findings indicated that the revenge motivations correlated with depression, self-esteem, anxiety, and avoidance of intimacy with God, but only this latter scale contributed to a multiple regression model on revenge motivations at program entry.
Apigenin-mediated modulations of PI3K-Akt and MAPK signaling pathways causes growth Inhibition and cell cycle arrest in human prostate cancer cells

3350 Protein kinases play a critical role in signal transduction pathways regulating cellular proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Inhibition of these growth-related kinases might be significant in providing therapeutic modalities against cancer. Development of small molecules protein kinase inhibitors provide a new rational to combat cancer, however, highly selective or specific blocking of only one of the kinases has been associated with limited or sporadic responses during clinical trials. Therefore, agents which could regulate cellular growth by modulating kinases may be developed as effective anticancer agent. Apigenin, a dietary plant flavonoid has shown anti-proliferative and anticancer properties. Potential targets for apigenin include PI3K, Akt, MAPK, CDKs, and CK2. We therefore studied the molecular events of apigenin action in human prostate cancer cells. Treatment of asynchronized androgen-responsive LNCaP and androgen-refractory PC-3 cell lines with apigenin (1-40 μM) causes increase arrest of cells in G0-G1 phase of the cell cycle. Treatment of cells with apigenin decreased both retinoblastoma (Rb) protein phosphorylation at Ser780 and Ser807/811 and total Rb protein in dose- and time- dependent fashion. Apigenin treatment caused an increased phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and JNK1/2. This sustained activation of ERK1/2 and JNK1/2 resulted in decrease in ELK-1 phosphorylation and c-FOS expression thereby inhibiting cell survival. Use of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors and MEK1/2 inhibitor induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation albeit at different levels and did not contribute to cell cycle arrest in comparison to apigenin treatment. Despite activation of MAPK pathway, apigenin caused a significant decrease in cyclin D1 protein expression, an effect that occurred simultaneously with the loss of Rb phosphorylation and inhibition of cell cycle progression. The reduced expression of cyclin D1 protein correlated with decrease in protein expression and phosphorylation of p38 and PI3K-Akt, which are regulators of cyclin D1 protein. Interestingly, apigenin caused a marked reduction in cyclin D1, D2 and E and their regulatory partners CDK 2, 4 and 6 which are operative in G0-G1 phase of the cell cycle. This was accompanied by a loss of RNA polymerase II phosphorylation, suggesting the effectiveness of apigenin in inhibiting transcription of these proteins. This provides a possible mechanism by which apigenin can cause modulation in MAPK pathways and inhibition in Akt and Rb protein phosphorylation at multiple sites along with decrease in cyclin D1 causing arrest of cells in the G1→S phase transition. Taken together, this study provides an insight into the molecular mechanism of apigenin in modulating various tyrosine kinases and perturbs cell cycle progression, suggesting its future development and use as anticancer agent in humans.
MLD (Musculocutaneous Latissimus Dorsi) Phalloplasty

Total phalloplasty in transgender individuals is the only option to create a penis large enough for successful intercourse. There are multiple techniques described, but each has certain disadvantages which may limit some of the goals of penile reconstruction. For this reason, our preferred technique is the musculocutaneous latissimus dorsi (MLD) flap.
Reference intervals and echocardiographic findings in Leonberger dogs.

Abstract Introduction Leonbergers are large-breed dogs believed to be predisposed to dilated cardiomyopathy, yet the normal echocardiographic measurements of these dogs are unknown. The aim of this study was to describe echocardiographic findings and propose breed-specific reference intervals (RIs) for Leonbergers. Animals A total of 42 clinically healthy dogs were involved in this study. Materials and methods This study was designed as a cross-sectional study of 42 Leonberger dogs undergoing complete transthoracic echocardiographic studies at a national show. Reference intervals were determined using robust method with bootstrapping. The effects of age, sex, and body weight (BW) on linear and volumetric dimensions were evaluated by regression analysis. Intra- and interobserver variability were evaluated by coefficient of variation from 10 of the studies. Results There were significant linear correlations with BW for many of the cardiac variables evaluated. However, despite the statistical significance, most regression equations had small slopes, necessitating large changes in BW for small changes in two-dimensional echocardiographic variables. As such, this study resulted in breed-specific RIs irrespective of BW. Trace mitral insufficiency (n = 18), trace aortic insufficiency (n = 15), or both (n = 1) was identified in 81% of dogs in this population. Coefficients of variation were Conclusions This study describes echocardiographic findings and provides RIs, which may be useful in echocardiographic evaluations of Leonbergers and may aid in early identification of heart disease within the breed.
Repression of tick microRNA-133 induces organic anion transporting polypeptide expression critical for Anaplasma phagocytophilum survival in the vector and transmission to the vertebrate host

The microRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators of gene expression. In this study, we provide evidence for the first time to show that rickettsial pathogen Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection results in the down-regulation of tick microRNA-133 (miR-133), to induce Ixodes scapularis organic anion transporting polypeptide (isoatp4056) gene expression critical for this bacterial survival in the vector and for its transmission to the vertebrate host. Transfection studies with recombinant constructs containing transcriptional fusions confirmed binding of miR-133 to isoatp4056 mRNA. Treatment with miR-133 inhibitor resulted in increased bacterial burden and isoatp4056 expression in ticks and tick cells. In contrast, treatment with miR-133 mimic or pre-mir-133 resulted in dramatic reduction in isoatp4056 expression and bacterial burden in ticks and tick cells. Moreover, treatment of ticks with pre-mir-133 affected vector-mediated A. phagocytophilum infection of murine host. These results provide novel insights to understand impact of modulation of tick miRNAs on pathogen colonization in the vector and their transmission to infect the vertebrate host.
Analysis of FDA's IQOS marketing authorisation and its policy impacts.

Background Philip Morris Products SA (PMPSA) submitted a premarket tobacco application (PMTA) to US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking an order permitting it to market IQOS in the USA. US law requires FDA to deny marketing authorisation if applicants fail to demonstrate that their product is ‘appropriate for the protection of the public health’. FDA issued a marketing order for IQOS in April 2019, which Philip Morris is using to promote IQOS outside the USA. Methods We analysed FDA’s Technical Project Lead Review and marketing order for IQOS, relevant law and guidance on PMTAs and independent research on the health impacts of IQOS. Results FDA found that the evidence PMPSA submitted did not demonstrate reduction in long-term disease risks and that IQOS aerosol emits toxins with carcinogenic and genotoxic potential, some at higher levels than conventional cigarettes. PMPSA did not appropriately consider the health impacts of dual use, the product’s attractiveness to youth or data showing that consumers do not accurately perceive the addiction risks of IQOS. Despite FDA’s own scientists’ recommendations and independent research showing that IQOS presents serious risks to users including cytotoxic, genotoxic, hepatotoxic, cardiovascular and pulmonary risks, FDA concluded that IQOS is ‘appropriate for the protection of the public health’. Conclusion FDA’s decision allowing IQOS to be marketed in the USA disregarded valid scientific evidence and misapplied the public health standard mandated by law. This decision may have important health impacts, influence marketing IQOS outside the USA and erode public confidence in FDA’s future PMTA decisions.
Connecting curves in higher dimensions

Connecting curves have been shown to organize the rotational structure of strange attractors in three-dimensional dynamical systems. We extend the description of connecting curves and their properties to higher dimensions within a special class of differential dynamical systems. The general properties of connecting curves are derived and selection rules stated. Examples are presented to illustrate these properties for dynamical systems of dimension n = 3, 4, 5.
Examining the Impacts of Airbnb’s Review Policy Change on Listing Reviews

In July 2014, Airbnb, one of the biggest firms in the sharing economy, decided to change the way the guests and the hosts review each other on the platform. Before this change, the guests and hosts were able to post reviews about their experiences asynchronously - the host/guest would be able to see the other party’s review whenever it was posted. The new review policy though, rolled out a simultaneous review system in which reviews are viewable only after both the host and the guest posting their own reviews. Our aim in this study was to examine the impacts of this new review policy on guest reviews. Using Regression Discontinuity Design, Panel Data Analysis and a variety of techniques in the text analytics domain, we discovered that the new review policy made the reviews more diverse in terms of topics discussed in the reviews, lengthier, more objective, less positive, and more diverse in terms of their sentiment. Interestingly, we also discovered that the review policy had a long-lasting impact on the constructs related to personal opinions (i.e., sentiment and the diversity of sentiment in the reviews). However, the impact of review policy on informational content (i.e., diversity of topics, depth, and objectivity of the reviews) was short-lived.
Characterization of partially deuterated KDP crystals using two-wavelength phase-matching angles

Partially deuterated potassium dihydrogen phosphate (DKDP) allows for the optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification of high-energy broadband optical pulses to generate ultrashort, high-peak-power pulses. Modeling and experimental optimization of the noncollinear interaction geometry require the combination of a model for the deuteration-dependent optical indices and knowledge of the deuteration level of the DKDP crystal being used. We study and demonstrate a novel experimental technique that determines the deuteration level of a DKDP crystal consistent with a specific index model, based on the phase-matching angles measured at two wavelengths. Simulations and experiments show that the simple two-wavelength technique allows for consistent results with three different index models, and in particular, for the characterization of four crystals with deuteration levels ranging from 70% to 98%.
Do Economic Conditions Influence Environmental Policy?Evidence from the U.S. Senate

This paper investigates whether economic conditions influence environmental policy by examining how policymakers voting on environmental legislation respond to changes in their state's unemployment rate. The outcome of interest is a U.S. Senator's League of Conservation Voters score, which reflects how often a senator voted for the environmentally-favorable outcome on bills related to the environment in a given year. I find evidence that a higher unemployment rate is associated with reduced support for environmentally-favorable policies, and that the estimated response is largest for Republicans. Counterfactual estimates indicate that if each state had experienced its lowest observed unemployment rate throughout the sample, then the proportion of votes taking the environmentally-favorable outcome would have increased from 36% to 41%.
Towards Robotic Metal Scrap Cutting: A Novel Workflow and Pipeline for Cutting Path Generation

We propose a novel framework for robotic metal scrap cutting in unstructured scrap yards. In this framework the robots and workers collaborate: the worker marks the cutting locations on the scrap metal with spray paint and the robot then generates the cutting trajectories. This leverages worker expertise, while deferring the dull, dirty, dangerous aspects to the robot. For the robot, this requires a 3-D exploration and curve reconstruction stage for path generation. We use a non-uniform rational basis spline (NURBS) model and a topological skeletonization method for path generation, and implement and compare these methods via simulations. These simulations employ a realistic sensor noise model and highly-detailed 3-D scans of complex, real-life scrap pieces. Real-robot experiments with three different shapes are also provided.
Industrial Waste Monitoring: A Statistical Approach

Computation of correct user charges for large industrial customers requires a monitoring program to establish and detect significant changes in each industry’s waste characteristics. The approach incorporates a model for selecting reasonable sampling intervals and a statistical control chart for detecting shifts in an industry’s waste characteristics from prescribed mean values. The sampling interval model accounts quantitatively for a number of pertinent variables that affect the cost and utility of the monitoring program, including the costs of sampling and analysis, the probability of drawing erroneous conclusions from the data, and the time required to detect a significant shift in wastewater characteristics. The statistical control procedure adopted to detect shifts in waste characteristics is the cusum control chart.
Repetitive Sequence and Noncoding DNA Evolution in Eukaryotes

The amount of haploid nuclear DNA (or C-value) among eukaryotes varies more than 4 orders of magnitude, with brewer's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (1.2 × 107 bp) or the parasitic microsporidium Encephalitozoon intestinalis (3 × 106 bp) as prototypical examples of the smallest genomes and several amoebae mentioned as the eukaryotes with largest genomes with > 6 × 1011 bp (e.g. Amoeba dubia and Chaos chaos ). Differences in the amount of noncoding DNA are also observed within a given taxonomic group, with algae varying more than 5000-fold, more than 1000-fold among flowering plants or invertebrates, more than 300-fold among vertebrates, and 100-fold among amphibians and insects. An apparent “paradox” arises when the size of the nuclear genome is compared to organismal complexity (morphological or developmental) if we assume that the amount of genetic material (genome size) should somehow correspond to the amount of genetic information. The so-called C-value paradox or enigma was coined to describe this lack of correspondence. Later findings revealed that coding sequences account for only a small proportion of the genomic DNA in most eukaryotes. This observation does not solve the C-value paradox, but shifts the debate from the number of genes responsible for a given degree of complexity (the G-value paradox) to the amount of noncoding DNA and the causes for its tremendous variation. In fact, recent studies based on fully sequenced genomes and expression data in model eukaryotes, including humans, have shown that complex gene regulation and the number of different transcripts—with a high fraction of genes having multiple transcripts—and not the number of genes, would better represent biological “complexity,” hence explaining the G-value paradox. Keywords: Deletion Bias; Effective Population Size (Ne)
Understanding (dis)abilities through children’s literature

The authors of this article examined how pre-service teachers can use children’s and young adult literature about disabilities to enhance understanding of individual differences through a bibliotherapeutic approach. An introduction to bibliotherapy is provided along with related literature from the field. Strategies for using children’s and young adult literature to enhance the understanding of issues associated with disabilities are presented along with one teacher candidate’s application of the literature in her classroom. The authors have also included a selected bibliography of children’s literature on disabilities as well as relevant websites.
Long-term safety and efficacy of second-generation everolimus-eluting stents compared to other limus-eluting stents and bare metal stents in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Objectives This study aimed to investigate the long-term safety and efficacy of everolimus-eluting stents (EES) compared with other limus-eluting stents and bare metal stents (BMS) in ACS patients. Background There have been concerns about the long-term safety of drug-eluting stents in the setting of acute coronary syndrome. Methods The study cohort included 1,612 patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome who underwent BMS, SES, E-ZES, or EES implantation. End points included probable or definite stent thrombosis and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as a composite of all-cause death, Q-wave myocardial infarction, and target lesion revascularization up to 3 years. Results The overall MACE rates were significantly higher for both BMS and SES, but not E-ZES, when compared with EES (EES vs. BMS: HR 2.68, 95% CI 1.91–3.78, P <0.001; EES vs. SES: HR 1.75, 95% CI 1.24–2.47, P = 0.001 and EES vs. E-ZES: HR 1.08, 95% CI 0.65–1.77, P = 0.72). Stent thrombosis rates were similar for EES, E-ZES, and BMS but higher for SES throughout the 3-year follow-up (EES vs. BMS: HR 1.02, 95% CI: 0.31–3.35, P = 0.973; EES vs. SES: HR 4.90, 95% CI: 1.75–13.69, P = 0.002 and EES vs. E-ZES: HR 1.63, 95% CI 0.37–7.31, P = 0.449). Conclusions There was an improvement in the long-term outcome for MACE with EES when compared to earlier-generation stents, but this was comparable with the 2nd-generation E-ZES. There was no additional risk of early or late stent thrombosis in EES when compared with BMS. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Disparities in arteriovenous fistula placement in older hemodialysis patients

The benefits of an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) as the preferred vascular access for hemodialysis have been clearly demonstrated. However, only about 20% of patients in the United States initiate hemodialysis with an AVF. In this study, we assessed whether disparities exist in the type of first hemodialysis access placed prior to dialysis start (rather than that used at dialysis initiation), to detect whether certain disadvantaged groups might have lower likelihood of AVF placement. Study cohort of 118,767 incident hemodialysis patients ≥67 years of age (1/2005–12/2008) derived from the United States Renal Data System was linked with Medicare claims data to identify the type of initial access placed predialysis. We used logistic regression model with outcome being the initial predialysis placement of an AVF as opposed to an arteriovenous graft or a central venous catheter. Increasing age, female sex, black race, lower body mass index, urban location, certain comorbidities, and shorter pre–end-stage renal disease nephrology care are all associated with a significantly lower likelihood of AVF placement as initial access predialysis. Our study suggests the presence of significant disparities in the placement of an AVF as initial hemodialysis vascular access. We suggest that additional attention should be paid to these patient groups to improve disparities by patient education, earlier referral, and close follow-up.
Effects of exposure to physique slides on the emotional responses of men and women.

The purpose of this study was to examine high and low body dissatisfied (BD) men's and women's in-task emotional responses to the acute exposure of sex-specific physique slides of the aesthetic ideal (i.e., ideal slides) and themselves (i.e., self-slides). Participants were 35 male and 30 female university students who reported their immediate in-task emotional responses (i.e., pleasure and arousal) to viewing the self- and ideal slides. It was found that the (a) high BD women reported the least amount of pleasure while viewing the self- and ideal slides; (b) women reported less pleasure while viewing the self-slides than did the men; (c) The high BD group reported less pleasure while viewing the self- vs. the ideal slides than did the low BD group, and (d) the high BD men reported the most arousal of any of the groups while viewing the self- and ideal slides. The differing emotional responses of the men and women and the high and low BD groups to viewing the self- vs. ideal slides are discussed, and future research directions are suggested.
Multipolar analysis of linear and nonlinear unidirectional response from plasmonic dimers

We develop the retrieval procedure for linear and nonlinear polarizabilities of plasmonic nanodimers and present examples of unidirectional scattering and nonlinear unidirectional generation from such geometries. Related effective parameters of periodic dimer arrangements are discussed.
Output Costs of Currency and Balance of Payments Crises in Emerging Markets

We investigate the output effects of severe currency crises in emerging markets. Using a panel data set over the 1975-97 period and covering 24 emerging-market economies, we find that currency and balance of payments crises—even after controlling for other factors—reduce output by about 5-8 percent over a two-three year period. This adverse effect is two- to four times larger than the average output loss in a developing economy. Typically, growth tends to return to trend by the third year following the crisis. The large output costs are likely related to their dependence on private capital markets and abrupt reversals in capital inflows that in turn force substantial real-side adjustment.
Design Analysis and Performance Evaluation: Methodologies for Database Computers

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the need of methodologies for the design analysis and performance evaluation of database computers. The application of these methodologies to database computers is different from the application of similar methodologies to general-purpose computers, so the differences and uniqueness of applications are presented. Studies mainly of two database computers(the prototyped multibackend database system and the proposed database machine) are concentrated upon, although a number of other database computers are also included for consideration. The chapter discusses the application of five different methodologies that can be read separately and independently from each other, cross-references on important points and issues of these applications, the mathematical and analytical methodologies and their applications—namely, the queueing network models and the time complexities of database computers, and the empirical and experimental methodologies and their applications—namely, the simulation, benchmarking, and checkpointing of database computers. The strong and weak points of the methodologies are presented. These views have been developed during a decade of application of the methodologies to the design analysis and performance evaluation of database computers.
Biochemical systems analysis. II. The steady-state solutions for an n-pool system using a power-law approximation.

The linearization of the dynamic equations governing biochemical systems is an inadequate approximation procedure, since the dynamic range of the variables is known to produce highly non-linear operation. A power-law approximation technique based on the non-linear nature of these reactions is presented in this paper. The range of validity is considerably greater than in the linear case, while the effort necessary to obtain steady-state solutions is about the same. The approximation procedure is applied to a general n-pool system; the nature and number of the steady-state solutions are derived. An example is also given to illustrate the different types of solutions and their physical interpretation.