cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Motivational Signs, Artwork, and Stair Use in a University Building

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of two interventions, motivational signs and artwork, on stair use in a campus building. Methods: A longitudinal intervention study with no control group was designed to evaluate the effects of motivational signs and art murals on stair use in a six-story building. Sensors were installed in stairwells to monitor stair use. After a three week baseline period, two intervention periods (motivational signs and art murals, both three weeks in length) were utilized to encourage stair use. Weekly values for stair trips/day were calculated and expressed relative to estimated campus student enrollment and faculty and staff with offices in the building (means+SEM). Values were compared using ANOVA and post-hoc tests (p<0.05). Results: Stair use significantly increased relative to baseline after motivational signs were posted (0.08+0.01 vs. 0.11+0.01 stair trips/day/students, faculty and staff (SFS), p<0.05). Stair use had decreased to levels similar to baseline after creation of art murals (0.07+0.00 stair trips/day/SFS). Conclusions: These results suggest that motivational signs may be an inexpensive and effective way to increase stair use and daily physical activity, while artwork may not affect stair use. Additional studies are needed to determine the most effective intervention to increase stair use in different populations.
New Approaches to the Future

In restating the Jeffersonian ideal, Lincoln cast his eye and his logic toward the future and its pressures. His suggestions incorporated a concern both for longer-term practicality and for social justice. Indeed, he argued that the one could not be achieved without the other.1 The criticisms of the green revolution and the analysis of the momentum of current policies have suggested the need for an analogous but new look to the future that will consider the need for social justice as well as longer-term practicalities. This task is unfortunately much more difficult than it was in Lincoln’s day. To try to understand fully how the present has evolved out of the past, a new approach—contextual analysis—has been developed and applied in outline form. To try to understand the various future limitations, options, and alternatives in agriculture, this same new approach will be applied, again in outline form.
Implementation and testing of the on-the-fly thermal scattering Monte Carlo sampling method for graphite and light water in MCNP6

Abstract A proper treatment of thermal neutron scattering requires accounting for chemical binding through a scattering law S ( α , β , T ) . Monte Carlo codes sample the secondary neutron energy and angle after a thermal scattering event from probability tables generated from S ( α , β , T ) tables at discrete temperatures, requiring a large amount of data for multiscale and multiphysics problems with detailed temperature gradients. We have previously developed a method to handle this temperature dependence on-the-fly during the Monte Carlo random walk using polynomial expansions in 1 / T to directly sample the secondary energy and angle. In this paper, the on-the-fly method is implemented into MCNP6 and tested in both graphite-moderated and light water-moderated systems. The on-the-fly method is compared with the thermal ACE libraries that come standard with MCNP6, yielding good agreement with integral reactor quantities like k -eigenvalue and differential quantities like single-scatter secondary energy and angle distributions. The simulation runtimes are comparable between the two methods (on the order of 5–15% difference for the problems tested) and the on-the-fly fit coefficients only require 5–15 MB of total data storage.
A democracy of fellow creatures

How might we retell the story of our civilization in the face of its ecological self-destructiveness? How in this climate-challenged century might we carry forward the hope of Christian ecotheology and ecofeminism for efficacious planetary alliances across multiple religious and secular publics? Provoked by an ancient image of Gaia and her doomed children, this essay considers theological and scientific sources for a political theology of the earth.1
Simultaneous input and state filtering: An ensemble approach

This paper presents a study of simultaneous input and state estimation for nonlinear dynamic systems. The problem considers both unknown input and state variables, where the inputs represent unknown signals driving or existing in a system, e.g., disturbances, system uncertainties or unmodeled dynamics. To deal with the problem, we will develop a set of ensemble-based filtering approaches in a Bayesian statistical framework. The fundamental notion is to approximate the probability distributions of the unknown input and state variables by ensembles of samples, propagate the ensembles to track the evolving probability distributions, and then translate the ensembles into input and state estimates. The proposed methods is an extension of the ensemble Kalman filtering and applicable to high-dimensional systems. Simulation results will be presented to verify their effectiveness.
Refusing to know a woman’s place: the causes and consequences of rejecting stereotypes of women politicians in the Americas

ABSTRACTWhat are the sources and effects of gendered leadership stereotypes for women’s representation? We explore the role of stereotypes in shaping public attitudes toward women’s representation using AmericasBarometer survey data from 25 countries. We report three key results. First, the modal respondent in almost every country rejects gendered leadership stereotypes, affirming that women and men leaders are equally qualified on corruption and the economy. This holds even after we attempt to account for social desirability bias. Second, there are significant individual- and country-level determinants of stereotyping. In countries with higher women’s representation and labor force participation but without gender quotas, citizens are more likely to choose pro-female and neutral responses over pro-male stereotypes. At the individual level, those rejecting stereotypes are less authoritarian, more supportive of labor market equality, and more leftist than those reporting pro-female stereotypes. Third, the ...
Aberrant Staining with Grocott’s Methenamine Silver: Utility beyond Fungal Organisms

Abstract Introduction Historically, Grocott's methenamine silver (GMS) stain has been used in cytopathology to highlight Pneumocystis jiroveci and other fungal organisms. However, several non-fungal organisms can show distinct GMS staining patterns that are important to recognize. Materials and Methods We prospectively and retrospectively identified non-fungal pathogenic organisms on GMS-stained liquid-based and cytospin preparations of respiratory cytologic specimens. The organisms included parasitic worms, viruses, and assorted bacteria. Nine cases were identified, including two cases each of Strongyloides stercoralis , Cytomegalovirus , Mycobacterium tuberculosis , Nocardia species, as well as one case of anthrax-like Bacillus cereus . Results The non-fungal organisms had silver deposition in varying locations including the internal organs and/or cuticle of Strongyloides stercoralis larvae, the intranuclear inclusions of Cytomegalovirus infected cells, the surfaces of partially acid-fast Nocardia species and acid-fast Mycobacterium tuberculosis , and the cell walls and central endospores of Bacillus cereus . In three of the nine cases, organisms were not clinically suspected. It was the aberrant GMS staining which pointed to the diagnosis and lead to the performance of the definitive stain, culture, or other test. Conclusions GMS is a chromic acid, sodium bisulfate stain which precipitates silver ions in fungal polysaccharide walls, producing the characteristic black stain on light microscopy. It is helpful to recognize aberrant GMS staining to avoid misdiagnosis of fungal elements. GMS stains several non-fungal human pathogens which may be a particularly useful diagnostic aid when the infectious condition is not clinically suspected or the number of organisms is sparse and otherwise difficult to visualize by routine staining methods.
Measuring the Concentration of Spermatozoa from Honey Bees with Spectrophotometry

technique was derived for measuring the concentration of sperm in honey bees, Apis melifera L., by spectrophotometric absorbance. A positive linear correlation (r = 0.957) existed between absorbance at 230 nm and sperm concentration in 0.5 M NaCl. With our spectrophotometer, the formula correlating milions of sperm per 5 ml (x) to absorbance (y) was y = -0.0096 + 0.1224x.
The Human Element: Sociology at Chicago

A distinction is made between the core faculty and the peripheral faculty in the Chicago School. The School's uniqueness lay in the adherence of its core faculty to an approach to sociology rooted in pragmatism, particularly in the writings of Dewey, James, and Mead. In contrast to the diversity of intellectual commitments in other major departments, the Chicago core was unified in its utilization of concepts pertaining to experience as a guide to developing theory and research methodology. A tension existed between the core and the peripheral faculty, whose theoretical commitments lay outside pragmatism. Throughout the half-century of its existence, the department maintained the core by hiring its own graduates. However, changes in the discipline that occurred in the 1930s and 1940s seem to have made that strategy ineffective. Despite the fact that the department continued to recruit its own Ph.D.s after World War II, the boundary between core and periphery faded.
Multicomponent and single-component fuel droplet evaporation under high pressure conditions

The current spray models used for predicting two-phase flows in gas' turbine combustors are based on a single-component droplet vaporization submodel, although it is well known that gas turbine fuels are mixtures of many compounds with a broad distillation curve. Consequently, it is important to identify conditions under which the vaporization behavior of a multicomponent fuel droplet can be represented by a surrogate single-component droplet. In this study, a quasi-steady droplet vaporization model is employed to examine the vaporization behavior of a bicomponent fuel droplet and an equivalent single-component droplet at different pressures. The infinite-diffusion and diffusion-limit models are used to represent the transient liquid-phase transport in the droplet interior. In addition, a high-pressure, quasi-steady, droplet vaporization model is developed. The model includes the nonideal gas behavior, liquid-phase solubility of gases, and dependence of thermotransport properties on pressure. The Peng-Robinson equation of state is employed to represent the gas nonidealities, and to compute the liquid-phase equilibrium at the droplet surface. Results concerning the comparison of bicomponent and singlecomponent droplets indicate that the representation of a bicomponent fuel droplet by an equivalent single-component becomes increasingly better as the pressure is increased. In fact, the predicted vaporization behavior is much more sensitive to the droplet heating model rather than to the liquid fuel composition. This can be attributed to a significant increase in droplet heatup time, and a reduction in the relative volatility differential between the constituent fuels at higher pressures. Predictions of the high-pressure droplet model show good agreement with the available experimental data over a wide range of pressures. * Copyright @ 1998 by S. K. Aggarwal. Published by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc.
Children's environmental health indicators as tools to measure progress toward sustainability

This research analyzes the intersections between children’s environmental health and sustainability and explores children’s environmental health indicators as quantitative metrics to evaluate existing sustainability initiatives in the United States.
Analog Monte Carlo Methods for Simulating Isotopic Inventories in Complex Systems

A new Monte Carlo (MC) method for calculating the isotopic inventory of material subjected to a neutron flux is developed and demonstrated. The method is particularly suited to modeling materials that flow through a system in a nondeterministic path. The method has strong analogies to MC neutral particle transport. The analog methodology is fully developed, including considerations for simple, complex, and loop flows, and enabling concepts such as sources and tallies. A wide variety of test problems is employed to demonstrate the validity of the analog method under various flow conditions. The method reproduced the results of the as-low-as-reasonably-achievable deterministic inventory code for comparable problems and is self-consistent when comparing complex flow scenarios to mathematically identical simple flow scenarios. A demonstration of highly scalable parallelization does not eliminate the need to develop variance reduction techniques.
‘The Trees Are Yours’: Nature, Toponymy and Politics in the Interpretation of Cultural Landscapes in Lusaka and Zanzibar

This chapter argues for taking African cultural practice seriously in developing urban environmental ideas about toponymy in Africa’s cities, with a focus on Lusaka and Zanzibar. I dig into the contrast, or apparent contrast, between the two cities in urban toponymy related to trees and neighbourhood names, and test it against the realities of the actually lived and produced socio-environments of these two cities in the contemporary context. Conceptually, I build from a ‘new’ cultural geography framework developed by Denis Cosgrove and interpretive methods developed by James Duncan to extend the analysis of intersections between cultures and environments in urban place-names and cultural practices-in-place. If we are to fully read urban environments on the continent, and their toponyms, we need to have a more nuanced framework than one which poses power versus counter-power as a mere duality in urban politics. Everyday cultural conceptions of urban environments and place-names are crucial, often hidden dimensions of the ‘produced ecosystems’ in Africa, and they offer a valuable lens on why a diversified and nuanced form of urban political ecology is needed for approaching the continent’s cities.
Balloons on the Moon: Visions of Space Travel in Francophone Comic Strips

Reflecting on the 1969 Apollo 11 lunar landing, French astronaut Patrick Baudry (1946–), then a fighter-pilot candidate, admitted years later that he and his classmates had felt a sense of deja-vu. After all, Tintin, a world-famous comic strip character, had been there 15 years earlier.1 Though anecdotal, the comment nonetheless points to an important element of European astroculture — the comic book — where ‘bubbles’ or ‘balloons’ filled with text intertwine with pictures to move the story forward. The two volumes that cover Tintin’s lunar odyssey, along with other episodes from francophone comic strips, became a classic of the genre, reprinted and discussed years later. Because of the combined importance of the Francophone comic strip in twentieth-century European popular culture, and the fact that its golden age coincides with the beginnings of the Space Age and the associated Cold War Space Race, it is fascinating to consider the factors that account for the public interest in space-themed comics. To do so, an examination of the space episodes that were published in the Tintin, Buck Danny and Dan Cooper series will show not only the commonality of themes, but the seemingly contradictory aspirations the theme of ‘space’ elicited.
Value of HCV antigen-antibody combined HCV assay in hepatitis C diagnosis

Reduction of the window period of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection represents an important goal in the transfusional and diagnostic settings. Currently, the detection of HCV infection relies on the use of immunoassays to detect viral antibodies. A new enzyme immunoassay (Monolisa HCV Ag-Ab ULTRA) designed to simultaneously detect circulating HCV antigen and anti-HCV antibodies has been developed by Bio-Rad and registered by the European Authorities. Several evaluations have been conducted in Europe to determine whether this new assay can improve early detection of HCV infection. Sensitivity studies included 130 HCV RNA positive/anti-HCV negative samples, 21 well documented seroconversion panels and 430 anti-HCV genotyped samples from France and Italy Specificity has also been assessed in 15,302 non-selected blood donations and hospital samples. Studies have shown that Monolisa HCV Ag-Ab ULTRA assay has been able to detect 40-90 % of HCV RNA positive/anti-HCV negative samples collected in the window period, improving early detection of HCV when antibodies may be undetectable. The mean delay in detecting HCV infection between HCV-RNA and this new test was found to be 5 days, reducing the window period by an average of 37 days. All samples collected after seroconversion were detected with the HCV Ag-Ab ULTRA assay. The specificity analyzed in 15,302 random blood donations and hospital samples was estimated at 99.86 %. Although less sensitive than NAT (71 % of HCV RNA positive/anti-HCV negative in window period), this assay could be a reasonable alternative when NAT cannot be used for reasons such as cost, organization, emergency or logistic difficulties.
Solvent‐Specific C―N Bond Formation: Synthesis of Novel Ninhydrin–Creatinine Heterocyclic Condensation Products

Novel ninhydrin–creatinine heterocyclic condensation products (3–5) were synthesized under different solvent conditions. The compound 2-(2-amino-1-methyl-4-oxo-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-5-yl)-2-hydroxy-1H-ind-ene-1,3(2H)-dione (3) was formed by reacting ninhydrin (1) with creatinine (2) in the presence of sodium acetate in acetic acid. The same reactants afforded the zwitterionic compound 4 when the reaction was carried out in water, and a novel oxadiazine ring system (product 5) was generated when benzene was used as solvent.
Evaluation of a Screening Program to Detect Critical Congenital Heart Defects in Newborns

OBJECTIVES: To report the results of and to identify problems with implementing a screening program to detect critical congenital heart defects (CCHDs) in newborns by using differential pulse oximetry (POx). METHODS: Charts of all live-born infants from 4 Yale–New Haven health system hospitals in Connecticut between January 1 and December 31, 2014, were reviewed. RESULTS: Of 10 589 newborns, 171 (1.6%) underwent an echocardiogram before screening, 10 320 (97.5%) were screened by POx, and 98 (0.9%) were not screened. Thirteen newborns (0.1%) were diagnosed with a CCHD. No infants with CCHDs were identified through POx screening (POxS) alone. Eleven (85%) were already suspected of having a CCHD lesion on the basis of prenatal ultrasound, 1 (8%) was diagnosed because of clinical concern before undergoing screening, and 1 (8%) had a false-negative screening result, but a CCHD was identified after an echocardiogram was performed because a murmur was heard. Four infants with a positive POx screen showed noncritical cardiac lesions by echocardiogram. The majority of infants were screened within the recommended 24 to 72 hours of age interval and had POx screens that were interpreted and documented correctly. Of 10 316 infants with negative POx screens, 52.1% were still in the Yale–New Haven Hospital health system at 1 year of age and no CCHD lesions were listed in their charts. CONCLUSIONS: Although a CCHD screening program was effectively implemented, perhaps because most children with a CCHD (85%) were detected antenatally by ultrasound, in our hospital system POxS did not lead to a substantial increase in the early identification of CCHDs.
Chapter Four - Evolved Social Motives: When Knowing About the Past Provides a Window Onto the Present

Abstract Evolutionary psychology provides a powerful meta-theoretical perspective useful for understanding motivated social processes in humans and other species. People possess fundamental motivational systems designed to navigate many of the challenges regularly faced by human ancestors. Combining an evolutionary perspective with theories and methods from social psychology provides an integrative conceptual framework for understanding the proximate operation of human motivational systems. The activation of those systems prompts a host of adaptively motivated cognitive and behavioral processes. This article describes recent research on adaptively motivated processes in two key domains of social life: mating and social hierarchy. The activation of evolved mating goals leads people to display processes designed to help them procure and (in some cases) maintain relationships with desirable partners. The activation of social status goals leads people to display processes designed to help them attain and maintain positions of elevated social status within their group. Ultimately, both motivational systems have been designed through evolution to increase a person's level of reproductive success. The article concludes by discussing the value of integrating proximate social psychological and ultimate evolutionary approaches to motivation science.
Amalgamating evidence of dynamics

Many approaches to evidence amalgamation focus on relatively static information or evidence: the data to be amalgamated involve different variables, contexts, or experiments, but not measurements over extended periods of time. However, much of scientific inquiry focuses on dynamical systems; the system’s behavior over time is critical. Moreover, novel problems of evidence amalgamation arise in these contexts. First, data can be collected at different measurement timescales, where potentially none of them correspond to the underlying system’s causal timescale. Second, missing variables have a significantly different impact on time series measurements than they do in the traditional static setting; in particular, they make causal and structural inference much more difficult. In this paper, we argue that amalgamation should proceed by integrating causal knowledge, rather than at the level of “raw” evidence. We defend this claim by first outlining both of these problems, and then showing that they can be solved only if we operate on causal structures. We therefore must use causal discovery methods that are reliable given these problems. Such methods do exist, but their successful application requires careful consideration of the problems that we highlight.
Persistification of Robotic Tasks Using Control Barrier Functions

In this letter, we consider the problem of rendering robotic tasks persistent by ensuring that the robots' energy levels are never depleted, which means that the tasks can be executed over long time horizons. This process is referred to as the persistification of the task. In particular, the state of each robot is augmented with its battery level so that the desired persistent behavior can be encoded as the forward invariance of a set such that the robots never deplete their batteries. Control barrier functions are employed to synthesize controllers that ensure that this set is forward invariant and, therefore, that the robotic task is persistent. As an application, this letter considers the persistification of a robotic sensor coverage task in which a group of robots has to cover an area of interest. The successful persistification of the coverage task is shown in simulation and on a team of mobile robots.
SIRT3 activator Honokiol attenuates β-Amyloid by modulating amyloidogenic pathway.

Honokiol (poly-phenolic lignan from Magnolia grandiflora) is a Sirtuin-3 (SIRT3) activator which exhibit antioxidant activity and augment mitochondrial functions in several experimental models. Modern evidence suggests the critical role of SIRT3 in the progression of several metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. Amyloid beta (Aβ), the precursor to extracellular senile plaques, accumulates in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and is related to the development of cognitive impairment and neuronal cell death. Aβ is generated from amyloid-β precursor protein (APP) through sequential cleavages, first by β-secretase and then by γ-secretase. Drugs modulating this pathway are believed to be one of the most promising strategies for AD treatment. In the present study, we found that Honokiol significantly enhanced SIRT3 expression, reduced reactive oxygen species generation and lipid peroxidation, enhanced antioxidant activities, and mitochondrial function thereby reducing Aβ and sAPPβ levels in Chinese Hamster Ovarian (CHO) cells (carrying the amyloid precursor protein-APP and Presenilin PS1 mutation). Mechanistic studies revealed that Honokiol affects neither protein levels of APP nor α-secretase activity. In contrast, Honokiol increased the expression of AMPK, CREB, and PGC-1α, thereby inhibiting β-secretase activity leading to reduced Aβ levels. These results suggest that Honokiol is an activator of SIRT3 capable of improving antioxidant activity, mitochondrial energy regulation, while decreasing Aβ, thereby indicating it to be a lead compound for AD drug development.
CRISPR-based methods for high-throughput annotation of regulatory DNA

Developments in CRISPR/Cas9-based technologies provide a new paradigm in functional screening of the genome. Conventional screening methods have focused on high-throughput perturbations of the protein-coding genome with technologies such as RNAi. However, equivalent methods for perturbing the non-coding genome have not existed until recently. CRISPR-based screening of genomic DNA has enabled the study of both genes and non-coding gene regulatory elements. Here we review recent progress in assigning function to the non-coding genome using CRISPR-based genomic and epigenomic screens, and discuss the prospects of these technologies to transforming our understanding of genome structure and regulation.
A pilot program featuring formative peer review of faculty teaching at a college of pharmacy.

Abstract Background and purpose Although student ratings are the most common method for evaluating faculty performance in the classroom in schools of pharmacy, this should not be the sole approach to provide feedback to faculty regarding teaching. Educational activity and setting This initiative targeted individuals at the ranks of Clinical Assistant or Assistant Professor who taught during the 2016-2017 academic year. As part of the process, the peer reviewer(s) attended a class taught by the faculty member under review. During the observation, the peer reviewer(s) completed rubrics and noted strengths and areas for improvement. Participating faculty members were asked to complete a post-evaluation survey to evaluate the pilot program and offer suggestions for enhancement Findings Based on a 64.3% response rate (9/14) from reviewers and 92.9% (13/14) from faculty members under review, 100% (9/9) of reviewers and 92.3% (12/13) of faculty members under review would recommend the peer review program to their colleagues. However, 77.8% (7/9) of the reviewers and only 46.2% (6/13) of faculty members under review supported the use of the peer review method as part of the annual faculty evaluation and development process. Discussion/summary Ultimately, this process of peer review will be implemented across the college, benefiting faculty evaluation and development, as part of the promotion and tenure process. With our positive feedback and suggestions for improvement, the authors hope this will serve as a guide for institutions to develop peer review programs that will positively supplement student ratings and provide an additional, meaningful form of evaluation for self- improvement and promotion/tenure.
Recombinant AAV vectors for gene transfer to the lung: a compartmental approach

Publisher Summary The potential success of any gene therapy strategy is dependent upon the state of scientific knowledge as to the necessary site of action of the transgene product and on its ability to be transported between compartments. For the purposes of this discussion, the lung is viewed as consisting of alveoli, airways, and vascular structures and pleura. This consideration is meant to be functional with regard to potential gene transfer targets, rather than comprehensive in the context of pulmonary anatomy. Alveoli represent the primary site for gas exchange within the lung, and thus, their health is vital for survival. Alveolar conditions with a primary genetic cause, such as surfactant protein-B (SP-B) deficiency and SP-C deficiency, are prime candidates for a recombinant AAV gene therapy approach. Diseases in which alveoli are damaged secondary to other defects might also be treated with gene transfer. Theoretically, a number of other diseases affecting the pulmonary interstitium might be treated with gene therapy. The chapter lists examples of diseases of the conducting airways that might be approached via gene therapy. The list includes purely genetic disorders like primary ciliary dyskinesias (PCD) and CF, multifactorial diseases, like asthma, and a variety of infectious diseases, such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus.
A practical Bayesian adaptive design incorporating data from historical controls.

In this paper, we develop the fixed-borrowing adaptive design, a Bayesian adaptive design which facilitates information borrowing from a historical trial using subject-level control data while assuring a reasonable upper bound on the maximum type I error rate and lower bound on the minimum power. First, one constructs an informative power prior from the historical data to be used for design and analysis of the new trial. At an interim analysis opportunity, one evaluates the degree of prior-data conflict. If there is too much conflict between the new trial data and the historical control data, the prior information is discarded and the study proceeds to the final analysis opportunity at which time a noninformative prior is used for analysis. Otherwise, the trial is stopped early and the informative power prior is used for analysis. Simulation studies are used to calibrate the early stopping rule. The proposed design methodology seam-lessly accommodates covariates in the statistical model, which the authors argue is necessary to justify borrowing information from historical controls. Implementation of the proposed methodology is straightforward for many common data models, including linear regression models, generalized linear regression models, and proportional hazards models. We demonstrate the methodology to design a cardiovascular outcomes trial for a hypothetical new therapy for treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus and borrow information from the SAVOR trial, one of the earliest cardiovascular outcomes trials designed to assess cardiovascular risk in antidiabetic therapies.
Structures and charging of alpha-alumina (0001)/water interfaces studies by sum-frequency vibrational spectroscopy

Page 1 of 32 Structures and Charging of -Alumina (0001)/Water Interfaces Studied by Sum-Frequency Vibrational Spectroscopy Luning Zhang, † Chuanshan Tian, † Glenn A. Waychunas, ‡ and Y. Ron Shen,* ,† Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, and Earth Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 Abstract: Sum-frequency vibrational spectroscopy in the OH stretch region was employed to study structures of water/ -Al 2 O 3 (0001) interfaces at different pH values. Observed spectra indicate that protonation and deprotonation of the alumina surface dominate at low and high pH, respectively, with the interface positively and negatively charged accordingly. The point of zero charge (p.z.c.) appears at pH ~6.3, which is close to the values obtained from streaming potential and second harmonic generation studies. It is significantly lower than the p.z.c. of alumina powder. The result can be understood from the pK values of protonation and deprotonation at the water/ -Al 2 O 3 (0001) interface. The p.z.c. of amorphous alumina was found to be similar to that of powder alumina. * Corresponding author. E-mail: yrshen@berkeley.edu. Fax (510) 643 8923. † University of California. ‡ Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. ACS Paragon Plus Environment
Playing it safe: Dispositional mindfulness partially accounts for age differences in health and safety risk-taking propensity

Older adults consistently report a lower likelihood of engaging in health and safety risks (e.g., substance use, not wearing seatbelts) than younger adults. However, the mechanisms that explain this age difference are not clear. Greater dispositional mindfulness is associated with lower engagement in health risk behaviors, and older adults tend to score higher in dispositional mindfulness than younger adults. Thus, we tested whether older adults’ greater dispositional mindfulness helped to explain their lesser health and safety risk-taking propensity. Two community-dwelling samples of younger (25–36 years) and older (60+ years) adults completed self-report measures of dispositional mindfulness and health and safety risk-taking propensity. In Study 1, older adults reported greater dispositional mindfulness and a lower likelihood to engage in health and safety risk behaviors than younger adults. Greater dispositional mindfulness was associated with lesser health and safety risk-taking propensity. Importantly, older adults’ greater dispositional mindfulness partially accounted for their lesser health and safety risk-taking propensity. These findings were replicated in Study 2, and an alternative mechanism (i.e., perceived health) was ruled out. The results suggest that age-related decreases in health and safety risk behaviors may be statistically explained, in part, by dispositional mindfulness. The current research has implications for behavioral interventions intended to increase preventative health behaviors and decrease health risk behaviors.
Psychological and cognitive evaluation of autism in a patient with MOMO syndrome: a case report and literature review

MOMO is an acronym for macrosomia, obesity, macrocephaly and ocular abnormalities. The syndrome was first described in 1993, with a total of nine patients published thus far. All the cases presented intellectual disability and in one case autism was described. We present a new case of a patient with MOMO syndrome, who consulted for hallucinatory phenomena. He completed a neuropsychological, clinical and cognitive evaluation, showing a borderline intelligence quotient and fulfilled the criteria for autism spectrum disorder. This is the first neurocognitive evaluation of a patient with MOMO, supporting the use of standardized scales in order to assess the autism and other psychiatric comorbidities in patients with genetics syndromes.
Low dose wall motion score predicts the short and long-term benefit of surgical revascularization in patients with ischemic left ventricular dysfunction.

We investigated the influence of the extent of viability using low dose dobutamine wall motion score index (WMS) on the survival benefit of surgical revascularization (CABG) versus medical therapy. In the STICH trial, viability assessment was not helpful in determining the benefit of CABG. However, the extent of viable myocardium with contractile function was not assessed in the trial. Dobutamine echocardiography was performed in 250 patients with ischemic left ventricular dysfunction (125-medically treated, 125-CABG). The mean ejection fraction (EF) was 32% in both groups. WMS during low dose dobutamine infusion was used to classify patients into groups with extensive (WMS < 2.00), intermediate (WMS 2.00–2.49), and limited (WMS ≥ 2.50) viability. Survival free of cardiac death was assessed at 2 years and for the complete duration of follow-up. There were 44 (35.2%) and 67 (53.6%) cardiac deaths in the revascularized and medically treated patients respectively (follow-up of 5.7 ± 5.8 years). Revascularized and medically treated patients with extensive viability had similar 2-year survival (p = 0.567) but revascularized patients had improved long-term survival (p = 0.0001). In those with intermediate viability, revascularization improved both 2 year (p = 0.014) and long-term survival (p = 0.0001). In patients with limited viability, 2-year survival was worse in revascularized patients (p = 0.04) and long-term survival was similar (p = 0 .25) in revascularized and medically treated groups. Patients with extensive and intermediate amounts of viability have improved survival with CABG but those with limited viability have poorer short-term outcome and no long-term benefit.
Propofol-Associated Priapism in a Prepubescent Pediatric Patient.

Introduction. Propofol is a commonly used sedative medication for procedural sedation with a limited side effect profile. Although well tolerated with minimal adverse reactions, uncommon side effec...
Access to Genetic Counselors in the Southern United States.

The expansion of genetic and genomic testing across medical specialties and the changing workforce demographics of certified genetic counselors (CGCs) have led to concerns of a workforce shortage. We assessed the number of genetic counselors working in the Southern United States—a rural and medically underserved region—using various online and professional resources. We identified 683 practicing genetic counselors across the Southern U.S. and 160 specializing in prenatal genetics. CGCs were concentrated in urban areas; counties with a CGC had a significantly higher proportion of minority residents and median household income than counties without a CGC. There is an average of 2.97 prenatal CGCs per 5000 high-risk births in the South. Alternative delivery models are needed to increase access to counseling services in the Southern U.S., particularly for low income households and those of high risk pregnancies. Increased provider education and patient educational materials can help facilitate informed decision-making in prenatal settings as genetic technologies gain a stronger foothold and bring value to medical practice.
Extract of Ginkgo biloba (EGb 761) improves behavioral performance and reduces histopathology after cortical contusion in the rat

Male rats received bilateral frontal cortex contusions and were injected with 100 mg/kg of EGb 761 or an equal volume of vehicle beginning 5 min after injury and then with 1 injection/day for 7 days. The rats were tested for spontaneous motor behavior on days 1, 5, 10, and 15 postinjury and then for 10 days of spatial navigation performance in the Morris Water Maze (MWM), beginning on the day 8 after the contusion. Brain tissue was removed for examination on the 18th day after injury. Contused rats given EGb 761 performed more like intact rats on measures of spontaneous motor activity while vehicle-treated counterparts remained more active than either shams or EGb 761-treated animals by the conclusion of testing. Contusion-only rats were worse than shams on spatial performance, while those given EGb 761 were less impaired. Histological analyses indicated that EGb 761 failed to prevent loss of tissue at the primary site of impact. However, the extract reduced retrograde degeneration of neurons, gliosis in the thalamus, and ex vacuo hydrocephalus. EGb 761 treatment also decreased the loss of ChAT-positive neurons in the dorsomedial caudate-putamen and in the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM). The results of this study indicate that EGb 761 could be a possible treatment for traumatic brain injury.
Conceptual History: Begriffsgeschichte

Conceptual history is a mode of historical inquiry concerned with the problem of the change in the semantics of particular concepts. The article outlines its historical formation in both the disciplines of history (R. Koebner, O. Brunner, C. Schmitt, R. Koselleck) and of philosophy (R. Eucken, R. Eisler, E. Rothacker), its further institutional and intellectual development, as well as an overview of the major methodological issues. This article also puts conceptual history in the context of other fields with similar methodological concerns such as the history of ideas and mentalities, intellectual history, historical epistemology as well as Luhmann's sociology.
Blood Pressure Control and the Association With Diabetes Mellitus Incidence: Results From SPRINT Randomized Trial.

The SPRINT (Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial) demonstrated reduced cardiovascular outcomes. We evaluated diabetes mellitus incidence in this randomized trial that compared intensive blood pressure strategy (systolic blood pressure 1 g/d, heart failure, dementia, or stroke. Postrandomization exclusions included participants missing blood glucose or ≥126 mg/dL (6.99 mmol/L) or on hypoglycemics. The outcome was incident diabetes mellitus: fasting blood glucose ≥126 mg/dL (6.99 mmol/L), diabetes mellitus self-report, or new use of hypoglycemics. The secondary outcome was impaired fasting glucose (100-125 mg/dL [5.55-6.94 mmol/L]) among those with normoglycemia (<100 mg/dL [5.55 mmol/L]). There were 9361 participants randomized and 981 excluded, yielding 4187 and 4193 participants assigned to intensive and standard strategies. There were 299 incident diabetes mellitus events (2.3% per year) for intensive and 251 events (1.9% per year) for standard, rates of 22.6 (20.2-25.3) versus 19.0 (16.8-21.5) events per 1000 person-years of treatment, respectively (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.19 [95% CI, 0.95-1.49]). Impaired fasting glucose rates were 26.4 (24.9-28.0) and 22.5 (21.1-24.1) per 100 person-years for intensive and standard strategies (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.17 [1.06-1.30]). Intensive treatment strategy was not associated with increased diabetes mellitus but was associated with more impaired fasting glucose. The risks and benefits of intensive blood pressure targets should be factored into individualized patient treatment goals. Clinical Trial Registration- URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01206062.
Assessing county-level determinants of diabetes in the United States (2003-2012).

Abstract Using data from the United States Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (2003–2012; N = 3,397,124 adults), we estimated associations between prevalent diabetes and four county-level exposures (fast food restaurant density, convenience store density, unemployment, active commuting). All associations confirmed our a priori hypotheses in conventional multilevel analyses that pooled across years. In contrast, using a random-effects within-between model, we found weak, ambiguous evidence that within-county changes in exposures were associated with within-county change in odds of diabetes. Decomposition revealed that the pooled associations were largely driven by time-invariant, between-county factors that may be more susceptible to confounding versus within-county associations.
Chapter 16 – Gardner's Equation for Water Movement to Plant Roots

Wilford R. Gardner in 1960 was the first to provide an analytical solution for the movement of water to a plant root. This chapter presents his equation, which is a basis for simulation models that have followed. The equation determines the difference in matric potential at the soil–root boundary and the bulk soil required to maintain a constant rate of water uptake by a plant. Assumptions used in developing the equation are presented. Conclusions resulting from use of the equation are cited. One shows that root radius is not extremely important in determining the difference in matric potential between the soil–root boundary and the bulk soil. Another conclusion is that over short distances there is little difference in the matric potential between the root and the soil in the vicinity of the root until the soil becomes very dry. A biography of Gardner is given in the appendix.
The Application of Positive Psychology and Self-Determination to Research in Intellectual Disability: A Content Analysis of 30 Years of Literature.

In recent decades, there have been shifts in the conceptualization of intellectual disability and increased attention has been directed toward the importance of identifying and capitalizing on the strengths and capabilities of people with intellectual disabilities as a means to promote meaningful participation, community inclusion, and quality of life outcomes. However, there are little data on the extent to which research in the field of intellectual disability has been influenced by these new conceptualizations. This paper reports the results of a content analysis of 30 years of literature that examines the degree to which research in the field has emphasized the strengths and capabilities of people with intellectual disabilities, as well as the degree to which this literature base has included constructs associated with positive psychology and self-determination. Our review found that there has been a shift toward research focusing on the capacities of people with intellectual disabilities. Additionall...
Dual-Modality X-Ray-Induced Radiation Acoustic and Ultrasound Imaging for Real-Time Monitoring of Radiotherapy

Objective. The goal is to increase the precision of radiation delivery during radiotherapy by tracking the movements of the tumor and other surrounding normal tissues due to respiratory and other body motions. Introduction. This work presents the recent advancement of X-ray-induced radiation acoustic imaging (xRAI) technology and the evaluation of its feasibility for real-time monitoring of geometric and morphological misalignments of the X-ray field with respect to the target tissue by combining xRAI with established ultrasound (US) imaging, thereby improving radiotherapy tumor eradication and limiting treatment side effects. Methods. An integrated xRAI and B-mode US dual-modality system was established based on a clinic-ready research US platform. The performance of this dual-modality imaging system was evaluated via experiments on phantoms and ex vivo and in vivo rabbit liver models. Results. This system can alternatively switch between the xRAI and the US modes, with spatial resolutions of 1.1 mm and 0.37 mm, respectively. 300 times signal averaging was required for xRAI to reach a satisfactory signal-to-noise ratio, and a frame rate of 1.1 Hz was achieved with a clinical linear accelerator. The US imaging frame rate was 22 Hz, which is sufficient for real-time monitoring of the displacement of the target due to internal body motion. Conclusion. Our developed xRAI, in combination with US imaging, allows for mapping of the dose deposition in biological samples in vivo, in real-time, during radiotherapy. Impact Statement. The US-based image-guided radiotherapy system presented in this work holds great potential for personalized cancer treatment and better outcomes.