cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aborted sternotomy due to unexpected porcelain aorta: does transcatheter aortic valve replacement offer an alternative choice?

Objectives Surgical aortic valve replacement is challenging in patients with severe aortic calcification. Some patients undergo sternotomy and have the operation aborted because of intraoperative discovery of severe calcification. Hypothermic circulatory arrest and transcatheter aortic valve replacement offer clampless treatment options for aortic stenosis. The study objectives are to characterize patients who are referred after sternotomy was aborted for porcelain aorta and to describe the treatment outcomes. Methods From 2001 to 2013, 19 patients presented after attempt at surgical aortic valve replacement was aborted because of porcelain aorta. Patients presented with aortic stenosis (n = 16), regurgitation (n = 1), or both (n = 2). Off-pump coronary bypass was performed in 10 patients. At the Cleveland Clinic, patients underwent surgical aortic valve replacement (n = 7) or transcatheter aortic valvve replacement (n = 12). The median interval between aborted aortic valve replacement and definitive treatment was 9.6 months. The mean age was 74 ± 11 years. The mean transvalvular gradient was 51 ± 18 mm Hg, and area was 0.6 cm 2 . Axillary cannulation was used in all patients undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement, but only 4 required circulatory arrest. The transcatheter aortic valve replacement approach was transfemoral (n = 5), transapical (n = 6), or transaortic (n = 1). Results The mean postoperative gradient was 13 ± 4 mm Hg. There was no mortality, stroke, renal failure, or reoperation for bleeding. One patient required a second valve implantation for paravalvular leak. The median hospital length of stay was 8 days. Five late noncardiac deaths occurred at a median follow-up of 16 months. Conclusions Both surgical aortic valve replacement and transcatheter aortic valve replacement are safe and effective options after aborted sternotomy in patients with porcelain aorta who are referred to a high-risk valve center. Procedure selection may be tailored to individual patients on the basis of aortic morphology and comorbidities. Patients with aortic stenosis at risk for calcific aortic disease should be screened with cross-sectional imaging preoperatively.
Effects of ionic strength on calcium binding to rabbit skeletal myofibrils, thin filaments and myosin

Abstract Calcium binding by rabbit skeletal myosin, thin filaments and myofibrils was measured in solutions with and without 2 mM MgATP and with ionic strengths adjusted with KCl to 0.05, 0.10 and 0.14 M. Free Mg2+ was held constant at 1 mM, pH at 7.0 and temperature at 25 °C. In the presence of MgATP, the relation between free Ca2+ and myofibrillar bound calcium shifted to the left as ionic strength was decreased from 0.14 to 0.05 M. In the absence of MgATP, myofibrillar calcium binding was enhanced over a wide range of free Ca2+ concentration, but calcium binding was no longer a function of ionic strength. Similarly, calcium binding by thin filaments and myosin was unaffected by changes in ionic strength from 0.05 to 0.14 M. In view of evidence that cross-bridge connections between thick and thin filaments increase as ionic strength decreases, our results suggest that these connections enhance myofibrillar calcium binding. These results thus confirm previous data of Bremel and Weber (Bremel, R. D. and Weber, A. (1972) Nature New Biol. 238, 97–101) who first showed that nucleotide-free cross-bridge connections enhance thin filament calcium binding.
Part 6: The P blood group system: Genetic adaptation to helminthic zoonoses.

Abstract This paper suggests that the P2 allele of the P blood group system serves as an adaptation to a hypothesized Generalized Helminthic Antigenic Complex shared by many helminthic zoonoses. Since helminthic zoonoses are largely dependent on subsistence practices requiring animal contact, higher P2 frequencies should be observed where there is heavy dependence on such practices. Subsistence data and P2 gene frequencies for 187 groups are analyzed. Significant correlations between degree of dependence on animal‐oriented subsistence practices and P2 frequencies support the hypothesis. Studies of this type may demonstrate the links between culture, infectious diseases, and genetic traits.
ATRAS: A database-independent, computer-based retrieval and analysis system for functional adrenal hormone testing. 409

Many endocrinologic diagnoses rest on results of functional tests. Such tests yield large and complex data sets, whose normal values depend on gender, age, developmental stage, and the laboratory in which the tests are performed. The ratios of hormonal values are also computed and compared to accepted normal ratios, which may also vary among institutions. In addition to the intrinsic complexity of this analysis task, automated interpretation of these tests is made substantially more difficult because of the heterogeneity of the databases in which these tests are stored. Functional adrenal hormone testing serves as an archetypal illustration of these points. To facilitate the retrieval and analysis of these data from an institution's electronic medical record system (EMRS), we have developed a computer-based decision-support system called ATRAS (Adrenal Test Retrieval and Analysis System).
Secondary Flows and Losses Downstream of a Turbine Cascade

The loss mechanisms and the behavior of secondary flows downstream of a large scale, linear turbine cascade have been investigated experimentally. A five-blade replica of the cascade used by Langston et al. at United Technologies Research Center was used for the present tests. Detailed flow measurements, using five-hole and three-hole probes, were made at four different planes, one just upstream of the trailing edge and the rest downstream. The secondary flow field at each measurement plane was found to be dominated by a single large passage vortex, which decayed in strength because of the mixing occurring in the flow. More than one-third of the losses were found to occur downstream of the trailing edge. This rise in total pressure loss in the present tests was almost entirely explained by a corresponding dissipation of the secondary kinetic energy of the flow. A mixing analysis of the flow was done to predict the additional losses due to ''mixing'' until the flow became completely uniform.
Missed opportunities: family history and behavioral risk factors in breast cancer risk assessment among a multiethnic group of women

Clinician’s knowledge of a woman’s cancer family history (CFH) and counseling about health-related behaviors (HRB) is necessary for appropriate breast cancer care. To evaluate whether clinicians solicit CFH and counsel women on HRB; to assess relationship of well visits and patient risk perception or worry with clinician’s behavior. Cross-sectional population-based telephone survey. Multiethnic sample; 1,700 women from San Francisco Mammography Registry with a screening mammogram in 2001–2002. Predictors: well visit in prior year, self-perception of 10-year breast cancer risk, worry scale. Outcomes: Patient report of clinician asking about CFH in prior year, or ever counseling about HRB in relation to breast cancer risk. Multivariate models included age, ethnicity, education, language of interview, insurance/mammography facility, well visit, ever having a breast biopsy/follow-up mammography, Gail-Model risk, Jewish heritage, and body mass index. 58% reported clinicians asked about CFH; 33% reported clinicians ever discussed HRB. In multivariate analysis, regardless of actual risk, perceived risk, or level of worry, having had a well visit in prior year was associated with increased odds (OR = 2.3; 95% CI 1.6, 3.3) that a clinician asked about CFH. Regardless of actual risk of breast cancer, a higher level of worry (OR = 1.9; 95% CI 1.4, 2.6) was associated with increased odds that a clinician ever discussed HRB. Clinicians are missing opportunities to elicit family cancer histories and counsel about health-related behaviors and breast cancer risk. Preventive health visits offer opportunities for clinicians to address family history, risk behaviors, and patients’ worries about breast cancer.
Choctaw Eco-Industrial Park: an ecological approach to industrial land-use planning and design

This project investigates the concepts of industrial ecology and eco-industrial parks and applies those concepts to the redesign of an existing industrial park in Choctaw, OK. The opportunity for developing an eco-industrial park on this site comes from the availability of waste water for non-potable water needs, and the abundance of waste tires as raw materials for products to drive a new set of industrial partnerships. These industrial partnerships include the City of Choctaw Waste Water Treatment Plant, a tire shredding company, a tire pyrolysis company, a hydroponics industry, a hard rubber tire manufacturer, a screen printer, a plastics manufacturer, a toner manufacturer, and a toner cartridge manufacturer. The nature of this relationship and the design of the eco-industrial park is contained within this report. The result of this investigation is a new, common sense, approach to industrial land use that combines economic growth and environmental protection.
Obtaining initially rigid cohesive finite element models that are temporally convergent

Based on a time continuity condition proposed in our earlier work, we develop a fairly general framework, free of regularization issues, for producing initially rigid cohesive finite element models that are temporally convergent in an explicit dynamics setting. These models are adaptive in the sense that an interface is inactive until the traction across it reaches a critical level. We require that the traction across the interface be a continuous function of displacement, and therefore of time, i.e., the traction before and after activation should be the same. We demonstrate with examples that failure to satisfy this condition leads to non-optimal convergence or failure of convergence as the time step tends to zero. We also investigate the predicted crack path produced by a time continuous model versus a discontinuous model in a simulation of a laboratory experiment. The time-continuous model produces crack paths that are stable with variations of the time step and are close to laboratory measurements.
Efficacy of Rice Insecticide Seed Treatments at Selected Nitrogen Rates for Control of the Rice Water Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Seed-applied insecticides are the standard control method used in the United States to minimize rice water weevil (Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel) injury to rice (Oryza sativa L.) roots, and often results in greater yields than rice that receives no seed-applied insecticide. Yield increases from seed-applied insecticides often occur even when insect pressure is low and should not cause yield loss. The research objective was to evaluate the effect of urea-nitrogen rate and seed-applied insecticide on number of rice water weevil larvae, nitrogen uptake, and rice grain yield. Six trials were conducted at the Pine Tree Research Station (PTRS) and the Rice Research Extension Center (RREC) to examine the response of rice plants receiving different insecticide-seed treatments and urea-nitrogen rate combinations. Insecticide-seed treatments included label rates of clothianidin, thiamethoxam, and a no-insecticide (fungicide only) control, in combination with season-total nitrogen rates of 0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 kg urea-nitrogen/ha. Rice seed that was treated with clothianidin or thiamethoxam generally had equal numbers of rice water weevil larvae, which were significantly fewer compared with rice that received no insecticide with an equivalent urea-nitrogen rate. Nitrogen uptake at panicle differentiation was not affected by insecticide-seed treatments at four of six sites and usually increased positively and linearly as urea-nitrogen rate increased. As urea-nitrogen rate increased, grain yield increased either linearly or nonlinearly. Averaged across urea-nitrogen rates, both insecticide seed treatments had similar yields that were 4 to 7% greater than the grain yields of rice that received no insecticide at four of the five harvested sites.
A Path to Sleep is Through the Eye

Light has long been known to modulate sleep, but recent discoveries support its use as an effective nocturnal stimulus for eliciting sleep in certain rodents. "Photosomnolence" is mediated by classical and ganglion cell photoreceptors and occurs despite the ongoing high levels of locomotion at the time of stimulus onset. Brief photic stimuli trigger rapid locomotor suppression, sleep, and a large drop in core body temperature (Tc; Phase 1), followed by a relatively fixed duration interval of sleep (Phase 2) and recovery (Phase 3) to pre-sleep activity levels. Additional light can lengthen Phase 2. Potential retinal pathways through which the sleep system might be light-activated are described and the potential roles of orexin (hypocretin) and melanin-concentrating hormone are discussed. The visual input route is a practical avenue to follow in pursuit of the neural circuitry and mechanisms governing sleep and arousal in small nocturnal mammals and the organizational principles may be similar in diurnal humans. Photosomnolence studies are likely to be particularly advantageous because the timing of sleep is largely under experimenter control. Sleep can now be effectively studied using uncomplicated, nonintrusive methods with behavior evaluation software tools; surgery for EEG electrode placement is avoidable. The research protocol for light-induced sleep is easily implemented and useful for assessing the effects of experimental manipulations on the sleep induction pathway. Moreover, the experimental designs and associated results benefit from a substantial amount of existing neuroanatomical and pharmacological literature that provides a solid framework guiding the conduct and interpretation of future investigations.
Muscle Tone and the Speech-Language Pathologist: Definitions, Neurophysiology, Assessment, and Interventions

Abnormal muscle tone is presumed to underlie certain types of dysarthria and dysphagia. However, the speech-language pathologist rarely assesses orofacial muscle tone, presumably because of a lack ...
Physics of Solar Cells

In this chapter solar cell physics is reviewed. The discussion starts with classification of solar cells. Solar cell operation is introduced in the context of the two essential processes in any solar cell, i.e. light absorption and charge separation. Various loss mechanisms including optical, recombination, and resistive losses in solar cells are discussed and their remedies are outlined. Parameters quantifying solar cell performance beyond cost and efficiency are introduced. The reader is assumed to have college-level solid-state physics or device physics knowledge.
Predictions of Low-Frequency and Impulsive Sound Radiation From Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbines

This paper develops theoretical models to predict the radiation of low-frequency and impulsive sound from horizontal-axis wind turbines due to three sources: (i) steady blade loads, (ii) unsteady blade loads due to operation in a ground shear, (iii) unsteady loads felt by the blades as they cross the tower wake. These models are then used to predict the acoustic output of MOD-I, the large wind turbine operated near Boone, N. C. Predicted acoustic time signals are compared to those actually measured near MOD-I; good agreement is obtained.
Geochemical evolution of the central Pacific Ocean over the past 56 Myr

[1] We measured the elemental concentrations of 69 sediment samples collected at Ocean Drilling Program Site 1215 and employed a suite of statistical methods and elemental ratios to quantify the lithogenic, biogenic, and authigenic/hydrogenous/hydrothermal (AHH) components. We show that the changes in their abundance record (1) northwestward migration of the Pacific Plate, (2) changes in climatic and oceanographic processes associated with the transition from the Eocene “greenhouse” into the Oligocene “icehouse,” and (3) changes in Pacific spreading rates and plate reorganization. The distributions of three separate lithogenic end-members depend on the latitudinal positioning of the site underneath the different wind belts. Locations north of 22°N received material from Asia, which was transported to the central Pacific via the westerlies. Locations between 20° and 22°N display a silicic volcanic composition and may reflect the boundary between westerlies and northeast trade winds. Locations south of 20°N are geochemically (e.g., Cr/Ta, Sc/Th, etc.) distinct from locations north of 22°N and suggest a North American origin. Rb/Sc significantly increases from values of 2.8 g g−1 at ∼20–22 Ma to 5.7 g g−1 in the modern, recording the development of the east Asian monsoon and formation of Asian loess. During the early to mid-Eocene (53–54 Ma), when Site 1215 was located at ∼11°–13°N and was above the carbonate compensation depth, export production increased by 40–55% and was ∼25% greater than the modern value at 9°N. The AHH component dominated from late Eocene to the late Miocene and during the late Eocene may have been driven by elevated hydrothermal activity during increased seafloor spreading.
Immune regulatory activity of liver-derived dendritic cells generated in vivo.

Hepatic tolerance is demonstrated by spontaneous acceptance of liver allografts in mice. Hepatic dendritic cells (DC) play a crucial role in determining immunity or tolerance. In this study, we adopted an approach to transfect gene(s) into the mouse liver by tail-vein injection of plasmid-carrying genes. Transfection with GM-CSF expanded liver CD11c + myeloid DC (LMDC), while liver B220 + CD11c - lymphoid DC (LLDC) were expanded after transfection of IL-3 and CD40L. Flow analysis revealed that these liver DC subsets were phenotypically mature following overnight culture. However, in contrast to LMDC, LLDC induced hyporesponsiveness in allogeneic T-cells, with suppressed secretion of both IL-2 and IFN-y, and prolonged cardiac allograft survival. This immune regulatory DC population in the liver may play a role in modulating T-cell immunity in the liver.
Measurement and modelling of surface micromachined, electrostatically actuated microswitches

Electrostatically actuated micromechanical switches have been reported in earlier work by the authors. In the present work, a simple contact resistance model of the microswitch is discussed. Preliminary contact resistance measurements are presented, and compared with the modeled contact resistance characteristics.
The effects of six weeks of supplementation with multi-ingredient performance supplements and resistance training on anabolic hormones, body composition, strength, and power in resistance-trained men

Background Resistance training (RT) enhances muscle protein synthesis and hypertrophy while increasing strength and power. Some multi-ingredient performance supplements (MIPS) have been shown to augment the physiological improvements associated with RT. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of specific pre- and post-workout MIPS on anabolic hormones, body composition, muscle strength, and power in resistance-trained men participating in a periodized RT program.
‘Willing Is Not Choosing’: Some Anthropological Implications of Dyothelite Christology

Abstract: The dyothelite Christology of Maximus the Confessor provides a basis for countering modern worry that an Augustinian doctrine of the bondage of the will undermines human integrity. Modern discomfort with Augustine presupposes an anthropology that equates genuine agency with freedom of choice. In defending the principle that Christ has a fully human will, Maximus challenges this presupposition by denying that a human agent's willing is to be identified with choosing. Thus, while Maximus does not share Augustine's doctrine of original sin, he offers a framework within which to explore possible convergence between Eastern and Western understandings of the will.
Development of molecular markers and a diagnostic tool for investigation of coinfections by and interactions between potato purple top and potato witches'‐broom phytoplasmas in tomato

Columbia Basin potato purple top (PPT) phytoplasma and Alaska potato witches'-broom (PWB) phytoplasma are two closely related but mutually distinct pathogenic bacteria that infect potato and other vegetable crops. Inhabiting phloem sieve elements and being transmitted by phloem-feeding insect vectors, both pathogens are affiliated with ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma trifolii’ and are members of the clover proliferation phytoplasma group (16SrVI). The polyphagous nature and wide geographic distribution of their insect vectors make mixed infection inevitable. In this study, we experimentally constituted a simultaneous PPT and PWB phytoplasma infection in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and developed a sensitive diagnostic tool to investigate mixed infections by and in planta interactions of the two phytoplasmas. The distribution and relative abundance of the two co-infecting phytoplasmas were monitored over a 45-day post-infection time course and for three serial passages in planta. Our results revealed that dual infections of the two phytoplasmas induce a new symptom unseen in infection by either phytoplasma alone. Our results also raised an interesting question as to whether the two phytoplasmas differ in ability of competitive dominance under co-infection conditions. The molecular markers and the diagnostic tool devised in this study should be useful for further investigations of the interactions between the two closely related phytoplasmas in their hosts.
EVALUATION OF OVIPOSITION SUBSTRATES AND ORGANIC INFUSIONS ON COLLECTION OF CULEX IN FLORIDA

Gravid mosquito traps are commonly used for both arbovirus surveillance and population surveillance of mosquitoes of the genus Culex. Oviposition substrates, used as baits in these traps, were tested against Culex under laboratory and field conditions. In the laboratory all substrates tested as 1% and 10% dilutions in 2-choice bioassays against female Cx. quinquefasciatus were significantly more effective than well water controls in eliciting oviposition. Strongest responses were to dilutions of dairy effluent, followed by larval water and infusions of alfalfa hay, alfalfa pellets, Bermuda hay, oak leaves, and Typha leaves, with lowest responses to cow manure infusion. In the field, few significant differences in collections were obtained between traps baited with different infusions. Significantly more Cx. quinquefasciatus and Cx. nigripalpus were collected in traps baited with cow manure infusion (highest) compared to alfalfa hay infusion (lowest). Responses of Cx. quinquefasciatus to dairy effluent and infusions of Bermuda hay, oak leaves, and Typha leaves were not significantly different from either cow manure infusion or alfalfa hay infusion. Responses of Cx. nigripalpus were highest to cow manure infusion and equally low to infusions of alfalfa hay and Typha leaves; moderate responses were observed to dairy effluent and infusions of Bermuda hay and oak leaves. Gravid females comprised 66.7-81.9% of the collections for each infusion type, with no significant difference among infusions in the proportion of gravid females collected.
TALEN-Based Mutagenesis of Lipoxygenase LOX3 Enhances the Storage Tolerance of Rice (Oryza sativa) Seeds

The deterioration of rice grain reduces the quality of rice, resulting in serious economic losses for farmers. Lipoxygenases (LOXs) catalyze the dioxygenation of polyunsaturated fatty acids with at least one cis,cis-1,4-pentadiene to form hydroperoxide, which is a major factor influencing seed longevity and viability. Recently, genome editing, an essential tool employed in reverse genetics, has been used experimentally to investigate basic plant biology or to modify crop plants for the improvement of important agricultural traits. In this study, we performed targeted mutagenesis in rice using transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) to improve seed storability. A modified ligation-independent cloning method (LIC) was employed to allow for the quick and efficient directional insertion of TALEN monomer modules into destination vectors used in plants. We demonstrated the feasibility and flexibility of the technology by developing a set of modular vectors for genome editing. After construction and validation, the TALEN pairs were used to create stable transgenic rice lines via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. One heterozygous mutant (4%) was recovered from 25 transgenic NPTII-resistant lines, and the mutation was transmitted to the next generation. Further molecular and protein level experiments verified LOX3 deficiency and demonstrated the improvement of seed storability. Our work provides a flexible genome editing tool for improving important agronomic traits, as well as direct evidence that Lox3 has only a limited impact on seed longevity.
The carbon balance pivot point of southwestern U.S. semiarid ecosystems: Insights from the 21st century drought

Global-scale studies indicate that semiarid regions strongly regulate the terrestrial carbon sink. However, we lack understanding of how climatic shifts, such as decadal drought, impact carbon sequestration across the wide range of structural diversity in semiarid ecosystems. Therefore, we used eddy covariance measurements to quantify how net ecosystem production of carbon dioxide (NEP) differed with relative grass and woody plant abundance over the last decade of drought in four Southwest U.S. ecosystems. We identified a precipitation “pivot point” in the carbon balance for each ecosystem where annual NEP switched from negative to positive. Ecosystems with grass had pivot points closer to the drought period precipitation than the predrought average, making them more likely to be carbon sinks (and a grass-free shrubland, a carbon source) during the current drought. One reason for this is that the grassland located closest to the shrubland supported higher leaf area and photosynthesis at the same water availability. Higher leaf area was associated with a greater proportion of evapotranspiration being transpiration (T/ET), and therefore with higher ecosystem water use efficiency (gross ecosystem photosynthesis/ET). Our findings strongly show that water availability is a primary driver of both gross and net semiarid productivity and illustrate that structural differences may contribute to the speed at which ecosystem carbon cycling adjusts to climatic shifts.
International Springboard by Emerging Market Enterprises: A Contextual Perspective

The springboard view toward emerging market multinationals (EM MNEs) has elucidated why and how EM MNEs use international expansion as a strategic springboard to acquire critical capabilities in or...
Optical Visualization of Wideband Ultrasound Fields

Acoustooptic interaction has been extensively studied for use in visualization and mensuration of ultrasound fields. Typical methods model narrow band ultrasound fields as optical phase gratings and produce cross-sectional estimates of power, amplitude, or squared amplitude in the beam. In this paper the authors model interaction of a coherent optical (scalar) field with a wideband ultrasound pulse as weak scattering by an arbitrary refractive index perturbation.
P177 Developing the sexual health workforce: designing and delivering training for healthcare assistants

Background Increasingly ‘simple’ sexual health services (e.g. asymptomatic screening) are provided by Healthcare Assistants (HCA’s). There is no nationally accredited training for this staff group and clinical services usually provide in house training to develop their theoretical knowledge and skills. Aim To develop and evaluate a course for HCA’s working in sexual health. Methods We designed a 2-day course covering 14 topics based on the structure of the STIF course. Content and learning objectives were devised using existing competencies and in consultation with the multi-disciplinary team. Nurses deliver the course using a mixed teaching methodology (lectures, role play and interactive workshops). Learning outcomes include: Knowledge: Understand the principles of asymptomatic STI testing Understand issues relating to confidentiality, vulnerable patients and partner notification Skills: Feeling comfortable and competent taking a sexual history Optimise care pathways with local relevant support services Attitudes: Understand the range of human sexualities, lifestyles and culture and their impact on transmission, prevention and counselling Results The course has run on 2 occasions with a total of 18 attendees: both sexual health HCAs and practitioners from other specialities (e.g. A+E and gynaecology). All topics were well evaluated with a mean overall score of 4.55/5 (range 3.8–5). Free text comments were positive with specific reference to how “valuable”, “useful” and “relevant” the course was. Discussion We have designed, delivered and evaluated a successful sexual health course for HCAs that could easily be nationally accredited and delivered in other services and settings.
Anatomy of the Female Genitourinary Tract

Successful pelvic surgery requires a knowledge of the anatomy and embryology of the female pelvis. Urinary, defecatory, and obstretrical functions require a healthy pelvis. Knowledge of the embryology of these structures helps to understand how they are related. Compromise of the blood supply, nerves, muscles, and organs results in the conditions discussed in this book. The following chapter reviews the embryology, anatomic landmarks, vascularity, and innervation of the bones, muscles, and organs of the pelvis.
Psychological Distress among Latina/o College Students: the Roles of Self-Concealment and Psychological Inflexibility

There is a dire need to understand behavioral health outcomes in U.S. Latina/o individuals. Following the psychological flexibility model of behavior change, the present cross-sectional study investigated the role of self-concealment in a range of distress variables in a U.S. Latina/o college sample. Participants (N = 83, 76 % female, range = 17–50 years old) completed self-report measures online. Results revealed a direct effect of self-concealment on depression and large indirect effects of self-concealment on general distress, somatization, and anxiety through psychological inflexibility. These findings suggest that maladaptive cognitive and emotion regulation processes in general, and psychological inflexibility in particular, contribute to distress in the present Latina/o sample. Future research should examine whether psychological inflexibility and self-concealment predict onset, recurrence, and/or maintenance of psychological distress among Latina/o individuals over time.
Input impedance model of planar dipole antenna for Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN)

In a Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) system, the antenna is located very close to the body surface and the operation causes the antenna characteristic strongly influenced by the electrical properties of body/tissue/skin. Theoretical model of the planar dipole antenna above the human body surface is proposed in this paper. The proposed model is developed based on the transmission line concept on biconical antenna theory. Experimental and laboratory measurement have been performed to validate the model. The result shows that the model accurately described the antenna input impedance characteristic above human body surface and it would be useful for a quick design of the planar dipole antenna for WBAN system.
Chapter 3 – Detection of Methane and Amelioration

This chapter reviews available and experimental methods by which fugitive methane can be detected at the minimum concentrations mandated by the US Environmental Protection Agency, and it discusses methods by which the gases can be captured and turned to commercial use. Seven of the 11 projects funded under the ARPA-E MONITOR (US Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy Methane Observation Networks with Innovative Technology to Obtain Reductions) program for detection methods are characterized. Some of the systems are improved or more economical versions, some are mobile, and all are novel in some respects. Methods for handling by-product gas from oil wells are applicable at wells designed to produce gas, where “green completion” is the objective. The chapter concludes with a detailed discussion of synthesis gas as a way of turning a disposal problem into viable commercial opportunity.
Phase I trial of daily triapine in combination with cisplatin chemotherapy for advanced-stage malignancies.

Advanced-stage malignancies have increased deoxyribonucleotide demands in DNA replication and repair, making deoxyribonucleotide supply a potential exploitable target for therapy based on ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) inhibition. A dose-finding phase I trial was conducted of intravenous (i.v.) triapine, a small-molecule RNR inhibitor, and cisplatin chemotherapy in patients with advanced-stage solid tumor malignancies. Patients received dose-finding levels of i.v. triapine (48–96 mg/m2) and i.v. cisplatin (20–75 mg/m2) on 1 of 3 different schedules. The primary endpoint was to identify the maximum tolerated dose of a triapine–cisplatin combination. Secondary endpoints included the rate of triapine–cisplatin objective response and the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of a single oral triapine dose. (Clinicaltrials.gov number, NCT00024323). The MTD was 96 mg/m2 triapine daily days 1–4 and 75 mg/m2 cisplatin split over day 2 and day 3. Frequent grade 3 or 4 adverse events included fatigue, dyspnea, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, and electrolyte abnormalities. No objective responses were observed; 5 (50%) of 10 patients treated at the MTD had stable disease. Pharmacokinetics indicated an oral triapine bioavailability of 88%. The triapine–cisplatin combination may be given safely in patients with advanced-stage solid tumor malignancies. On the basis of these results, a phase I trial adequately powered to evaluate oral triapine bioavailability in women with advanced-stage uterine cervix or vulvar cancers is underway.
La problematica inmigrante en Canadá en perspectiva

The proposal of this work is to analyze the historical evolution of Canada in its migratory aspects focusing on the policies that the Canadian State elaborated in this respect throughout its 150 years of history. The flows received, their qualitative/quantitative characteristics and the internal and external economic context in which they took place will be taken into account. The theme is highly relevant given the renewed intensity and variety of its flows, its effects on labor markets, the cultural effects and its interrelation with the evolution of capital at national and international level. We will take the first period of analysis when the expansion of the capitalist system took place (1867-1930) The Industrial Revolution allowed Canada to enter the international market as a supplier of raw materials, the opening policies of the State, focused on the need for workers. In particular, Europeans who arrived to occupy empty spaces and fertile prairies. Canada, from the second postwar period, second period (1945-2001), in a privileged situation, shared the industrial development of the northern hemisphere and also benefited from a large volume of US investments. We will see how its immigration policy focused on ethnic diversity, generating the so-called multiculturalism, A third stage would begin in 2001 (11-S) and comes to our day, when the western paradigm immigration changed from the need for workers towards security and control issues where we established what could be called the “discomfort of diversity” since the other, the different persons became someone to must be controlled because they generate rejection and suspicion.
Bi-directional input/output circuits with integrated level shifters for near-threshold computing

Interfacing techniques for near-threshold computing are described in this paper. A bi-directional input/output circuit with integrated level shifters is proposed for multiple near-threshold power domains. The circuit provides conversion ranges of 0.38 V to 1.2 V and 0.45 V to 3.3 V depending on the targeted output voltage. Eight different configurations of I/O circuits are evaluated with level shifters implemented with a standard current mirror, cross coupled, and the proposed single ended topology. The use of a single ended level shifter provides the optimum power-delay point. The I/O circuit, at a core voltage of 0.45 V, consumes 4.87 mW with a fan out of four (FO4) delay of 0.46 for a V DOUT and V PAD voltage of, respectively, 0.45 V and 3.3 V. For a V DD, L of 0.625 V and V DD, H of 1.5 V, the delay and total power consumption of the single ended level shifter are, respectively, 0.74x and 0.4x that of a current mirror level shifter.
Prediction Markets: From Politics to Business (and Back)

Prediction markets are the subject of a growing body of scholarly literature, and growing attention from the business community. These recent trends are often discussed without reference to the long history of these markets. Prediction markets started as simple wagers on political contests and have expanded through laboratory and field experiments. We survey this history, detailing the past and current uses of prediction markets. We conclude by examining some potential challenges that will need to be addressed as the uses of prediction markets expand.
Gender Typicality, Felt Pressure for Gender Conformity, Racial Centrality, and Self-Esteem in African American Adolescents

Using a sample of 203 African American late adolescents aged 16 to 19 years (Mage = 17.77 years), we examined whether two aspects of gender identity—gender typicality and felt pressure for gender c...
Dermatologic Manifestations of Diabetes Mellitus. A Review.

Diabetes mellitus affects every organ of the body including the skin. Certain skin manifestations of diabetes are considered cutaneous markers of the disease, whereas others are nonspecific conditions that occur more frequently among individuals with diabetes compared with the general population. Diabetic patients have an increased susceptibility to some bacterial and fungal skin infections, which account, in part, for poor healing. Skin complications of diabetes provide clues to current and past metabolic status. Recognition of cutaneous markers may slow disease progression and ultimately improve the overall prognosis by enabling earlier diagnosis and treatment.
Immune Surveillance – Cancer, Effects of Stress on

Cancer is a stressor that triggers a variety of reactions in the body that can, in turn, complicate the course of cancer. Typical hormonal reactions to stress, especially the secretion of cortisol, which mobilizes glucose into the blood, can affect the body's response to the growth of tumors by shifting metabolic activity, altering protein production, and suppressing aspects of the immune system. The immune system plays a role in tumor control and is sensitive to stress.
Regional Environmental Changes: Databases And Information

The investigation of regional environmental changes is necessary to forecast global environmental changes. On the basis of long-term measurements of thermodynamic parameters of the lower atmosphere the background fluctuations are determined, and the estimations of low-frequency trends are carried out. The study has allowed the identification of climatic trends for temperature. It is shown that the method of maximum entropy is one of the effective techniques to identify periodic components in long-term environmental data.
On Demand Switching of Polymerization Mechanism and Monomer Selectivity with Orthogonal Stimuli.

The development of next-generation materials is coupled with the ability to predictably and precisely synthesize polymers with well-defined structures and architectures. In this regard, the discovery of synthetic strategies that allow on demand control over monomer connectivity during polymerization would provide access to complex structures in a modular fashion and remains a grand challenge in polymer chemistry. In this Article, we report a method where monomer selectivity is controlled during the polymerization by the application of two orthogonal stimuli. Specifically, we developed a cationic polymerization where polymer chain growth is controlled by a chemical stimulus and paired it with a compatible photocontrolled radical polymerization. By alternating the application of the chemical and photochemical stimuli the incorporation of vinyl ethers and acrylates could be dictated by switching between cationic and radical polymerization mechanisms, respectively. This enables the synthesis of multiblock cop...
Leveed boulder flows on volcanic slopes of the Sonoran Desert, Arizona

A type of mass movement on volcanic slopes in the south-west is described and named leveed boulder flow. Leveed boulder flows consist of parallel levee pairs streaming down coarse debris-mantled slopes and a flow lobe commonly extending out onto the surrounding pediment. These are landforms quite distinct from debris flows of current literature as they contain no fine material which is generally believed to impart in most debris flows the ability to flow. Leveed boulder flows are found in a distinct geologic-morphoclimatic environment characterized by sparsely vegetated basalt-capped silicic volcanic slopes with a pervasive debris mantle, developed in arid regions. They are thought to result from the combined effects of rock fall off the cliff face and torrential desert rain storms.
Mutisieae (Asteraceae) Pollen Ultrastructure Atlas

Abstract: The tribe Mutisieae (excluding Barnadesieae) traditionally comprises 84 genera and approximately 900 species in three subtribes: Gochnatiinae, Mutisiinae, and Nassauviinae. We examined whole and fractured pollen grains of 51 genera from these subtribes by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and light microscopy (LM). Additionally, we also examined 11 genera (Adenocaulon, Berardia, Brachylaeana, Cratystylis, Dipterocome, Eriachaenium, Gymnarrhena, Hesperomannia, Hoplophyllum, Tarchonanthus, and Warionia) whose tribal positions have been controversial. We present detailed tables of pollen characters for each taxon and 13 plates of SEM photos ofrepresentative taxa. We also provide limited discussion of pollen variation in the subbribes Gochnatiinae, Mutisiinae, and Nassauviinae and the tribal and subfamilial placement of the 11 problematic genera.
Gaps in health insurance coverage and emergency department use among children with asthma.

Background: Gaps in health insurance coverage may complicate asthma management and increase emergency department (ED) use. Using two nationally-representative surveys, we characterize the prevalenc...
Nutrition Trends in Kidney Transplant Recipients: the Importance of Dietary Monitoring and Need for Evidence-Based Recommendations

Many physiological properties of the renal system influence nutrient metabolism, elimination, and homeostasis. Kidney failure poses significant challenges to maintaining adequate nutrition, most of which transplantation ameliorates. Comprehensive recommendations for managing nutritional derangements for patients with chronic kidney disease and end stage renal disease exist; however, there are only sparse guidelines for post-transplant malnutrition and adverse outcomes. Not only are guidelines limited, but little is known about dietary trends of post-kidney transplant recipients. This review describes guidelines for prevalent metabolic and nutritional complications post-kidney transplantation and also evaluates changes in caloric intake and diet composition after transplantation. This topic is important because nutrition influences allograft function and a number of cardiovascular risk factors including blood pressure, dyslipidemia, weight, and diabetes. In addition, many dietary recommendations and modifiable lifestyle changes should be tailored for specific complications of transplant patients, namely immunosuppression side effects, dietary restrictions, and electrolyte imbalances.
Increased tongue use enhances 5-HT2C receptor immunostaining in hypoglossal motor nucleus.

Abstract Hypoglossal (XII) motoneurons are activated by type 2 receptors for serotonin (5-HT). This activation is especially strong during wakefulness which facilitates diverse motor functions of the tongue, including the maintenance of upper airway patency in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients. We tested whether 5-HT2 receptor levels in the XII nucleus vary with intensity of tongue use. Three groups of rats were housed overnight under conditions of increasing oromotor activity: W-water available ad lib; S-sweetened water to stimulate drinking; S + O-sweetened water + oil applied on fur to increase grooming. After the exposures, immunostaining for 5-HT2C, but not 5-HT2A, receptors was higher in the XII nucleus in S + O than in W rats (65 ± 1.8 (SE) vs. 60 ± 2.0 arbitrary units; p = 0.008). In the medullary raphe obscurus region, the percentage of c-Fos-positive 5-HT cells was 13% higher (p = 0.03) in S + O than in W rats. The positive feedback between tongue use and 5-HT2C receptor immunostaining reveals a novel mechanism potentially relevant for OSA and neuromuscular disorders.
Assessment of the utility of X-ray Fluorescence for the chemical characterization and comparison of black electrical tape backings

Abstract Elemental analysis of electrical tapes is typically conducted by Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), although Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma – Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) recently showed to enhance the sensitivity of the determinations. In this study, the utility of X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) is compared to previously published SEM-EDS and LA-ICP-MS data. Three XRF systems were used to evaluate a range of configurations commonly available at crime laboratories. A set of 40 electrical tape backings known to originate from difference sources was used to assess the inter-roll variability, discrimination and classification capabilities of the method. The discrimination for this tape set increased from 78.8% achieved by SEM-EDS to 81.5–91.0% by XRF, depending on the instrumental configuration. In comparison, LA-ICP-MS achieved 84.6% discrimination on these tapes. The overall characterization, classification, and discrimination capabilities for this set improved as follows: SEM-EDS