cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Proximal Femoral Replacement in the Management of Acute Periprosthetic Fractures of the Hip: A Competing Risks Survival Analysis

Objectives To examine patient mortality, implant survivorship, and complication profiles of proximal femoral replacement (PFR) as compared to revision total hip arthroplasty (REV) or open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) in the treatment of acute periprosthetic fractures of the proximal femur. Methods We performed a retrospective controlled chart review at our tertiary center from from 2000–2010, identifying 97 consecutive acute periprosthetic proximal femoral fractures. Patients were stratified into three treatment groups: PFR (n=21), REV (n=19), and ORIF (n=57). Primary outcome measures included death, implant failure, and reoperation. We also recorded patient demographics, medical comorbidities, fracture type, treatment duration, time to treatment, and complication profiles. Statistical analyis included competing risks survival, which allows independent survival analysis of competing failure mechanisms such as death and implant failure. Results Competing Risks survival analysis of overall mortality during the mean 35-month follow-up showed no difference between the three groups (p=0.65; 12 and 60 month mortality for PFR: 37%, 45%; REV: 16%, 46%; ORIF: 14%, 100%). Implant survival was worse for the PFR group (p=0.03, 12 and 60-month implant failure rate for PFR: 5%, 39%; REV: 93%, 93%; ORIF 98%, 98%). Comparing PFR to REV and ORIF, PFR had a trend towards higher dislocation (19% vs. 5% vs. 4%, p=0.06). There was no difference between groups with regard to summary non-death complications including DVT, infection, dislocation, and other measures (30% vs. 40% vs. 34%, p=0.80). Operative times were not different between groups (172 min. vs. 162 min. vs. 168 min, p=0.92). Conclusions In treating difficult periprosthetic fractures, PFR as compared with REV or ORIF has worse medium-term implant survival, primarily due to instability and dislocation. The groups had similar perioperative complication rates, similar short and long term mortality, and similar operative times.
Captured Runoff Prediction Model by Permeable Pavements Using Artificial Neural Networks

AbstractIndustrialization has degraded water resources over the last century due to increasing stormwater runoff. Increased impervious area utilization has substantially reduced infiltration into the ground, raised flood risk, and transferred contaminant materials into water bodies. Sustainable stormwater management is needed in order to manage runoff in urban areas and prevent pollution from water resources. Low-impact development (LID) practices, such as permeable pavement, manage a large volume of surface runoff during rain events and prevent combined sewer systems from overflowing. Predicting the captured runoff volume from watershed area by permeable pavements provides useful resources to achieve more efficient designs. Artificial neural network (ANN) models have been developed to predict the captured runoff with higher accuracy. The ANN models relate rainfall parameters and site characteristics to the stored runoff volume. A comprehensive database is obtained from the recorded data of the monitored ...
The Euros Future: A Ten-Year Projection

The euro is now more than ten years old. It has not quite lived up to the early expectations but has performed well since its introduction. This paper seeks to review the currencys history and evaluate its potential over the next ten years given a list of currency strength factors. This evaluation was based on a thorough review of available research regarding the topic. This paper finds that, despite some significant weaknesses, both the currency and its underlying economy are relatively strong and poised to grow in the long-term. As such, it makes the case for an appreciated currency in the next ten years.
The impact of media on how positive, negative, and neutral communicated affect influence unilateral concessions during negotiations

In the online environment, audio and instant messaging (IM) media are quite commonly used by people to communicate with each other and make offers as they negotiate. While we know much about how IM and audio differ, we know very little about how offers that are favorable to the recipient (termed unilateral concessions) are affected by what and how people communicate over these media. The purpose of this study is twofold – (1) to examine how such concessions are influenced by communication that is either neutral, or positive, or negative in affect; and (2) to determine how the use of IM, relative to the use of audio, influences the effects of these types of communication on unilateral concessions. We develop a research model based on prosocial theory, which suggests that negotiators using audio are predisposed to interpret their partners’ motivations and behaviors in a positive (prosocial) light while negotiators using IM are predisposed to interpret their partners’ motivations and behaviors in a negative (competitive) light. We manipulate the use of IM and audio in anexperiment designed to test predictions based on this theory. Our work provides theoretical and empirical support for the idea that communications other than concessions (such as positive, neutral, and negative affect) can lead to more or less self-sacrifice depending on the medium employed, and thereby motivate negotiators to make greater or fewer unilateral concessions. Specifically, we found that (1) positive affect comments can increase unilateral concession independent of the medium used by negotiators; (2) neutral affect comments can increase unilateral concession when negotiators use audio, but have little impact when they use IM; and (3) negative affect comments can decrease unilateral concession when negotiators use audio, but can increase unilateral concession when they use IM. These results provide insights to researchers and practical guidance for negotiators.
Influence of Growth Temperature on Ordering in InGaAs Grown on (001) InP USING Tertiarybutylarsine Source MOCVD

In0 53Ga0 47As layers were grown on (001 ) InP substrates by MOCVD. Growth conditions were chosen to optimize CuPt type LI1 ordering on the group III sublattice. The surface morphology is shown to be strongly dependent on substrate degradation prior to growth. This degradation is highly dependent on temperature and initial gas flows. A survey of conditions leading to degradation as well as a safe method of initiating growth are given. Films showing atomic ordering, as ascertained by cross sectional TEM, were examined by x-ray diffraction. A method of evaluating the structure factor for superlattice reflections is given. X-ray analysis was performed using a variation of the classical method of order parameter determination1. The order parameter is shown to vary with growth temperature and to have a maximum value of-0.21 at 550 C.
How does a silar cdse film grow? Tuning the deposition steps to suppress interfacial charge recombination in solar cells

Successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) is a popular method of depositing the metal chalcogenide semiconductor layer on the mesoscopic metal oxide films for designing quantum-dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) or extremely thin absorber (ETA) solar cells. While this deposition method exhibits higher loading of the light-absorbing semiconductor layer than direct adsorption of presynthesized colloidal quantum dots, the chemical identity of these nanostructures and the evolution of interfacial structure are poorly understood. We have now analyzed step-by-step SILAR deposition of CdSe films on mesoscopic TiO2 nanoparticle films using X-ray absorption near-edge structure analysis and probed the interfacial structure of these films. The film characteristics interestingly show dependence on the order in which the Cd and Se are deposited, and the CdSe–TiO2 interface is affected only during the first few cycles of deposition. Development of a SeO2 passivation layer in the SILAR-prepared films to fo...
Optical absorption anisotropy of high-density, wide-gap, high-hardness SiO2 polymorphs seifertite, stishovite, and coesite

Dense, high-refractive index, ultra-hard, wide-gap polymorphs of SiO2, recently discovered orthorhombic seifertite (space group 60 Pbcn ), and earlier characterized tetragonal stishovite (space group 136 P 42/ mnm ) and monoclinic coesite (space group 15 C 2/ c ) were studied using advanced methods of electronic structure calculations involving full-potential linearized augmented plane wave density functional theoretical method (FP-LAPW-DFT) with spin polarization, orbital-dependent potentials, and modified Becke-Johnson potential (mBJ) for accurate account of the band gaps. Although these calculations yield an excellent account of many properties, we here focus on quantitative aspects of optical absorption and selection rules therein. Specifically, the valence-to-conduction band transition in seifertite is symmetry-allowed, and is symmetry-forbidden in stishovite and coesite. Theory is compared with published experimental data, and explanation is provided for weak pre-edge optical absorption in stishovite. Electronic structure and calculated properties of stishovite are also compared with those of the isostructural rutile TiO2. Effective masses are calculated from the energy dispersion curves E ( k ) at the valence band maximum for holes and conduction band minimum for electrons. In addition, we propose that splitting of the O2p valence-band in coesite and also observed in α-quartz is a general feature of polymorphs with tetrahedrally coordinated Si, in contrast with continuous valence bands in those with octahedral SiO6 units such as seifertite and stishovite. Based on quantitative results obtained from the BVA theory, this difference originates from a high degree of covalence in the tetrahedral polymorphs as opposed to high iconicity in octahedral polymorphs.
Peptic ulcer surgery.

Peptic ulcer will affect approximately 10 per cent of the population at one time or another. At times, the complications following peptic ulcer surgery are more distressing to the patient than the original ulcer diathesis. The authors review the diagnosis and management of these postoperative problems.
Programming social behavior by the maternal fragile X protein

The developing fetus and neonate are highly sensitive to maternal environment. Besides the well-documented effects of maternal stress, nutrition and infections, maternal mutations, by altering the fetal, perinatal and/or early postnatal environment, can impact the behavior of genetically normal offspring. Mutation/premutation in the X-linked FMR1 (encoding the translational regulator FMRP) in females, although primarily responsible for causing fragile X syndrome (FXS) in their children, may also elicit such maternal effects. We showed that a deficit in maternal FMRP in mice results in hyperactivity in the genetically normal offspring. To test if maternal FMRP has a broader intergenerational effect, we measured social behavior, a core dimension of neurodevelopmental disorders, in offspring of FMRP-deficient dams. We found that male offspring of Fmr1(+/-) mothers, independent of their own Fmr1 genotype, exhibit increased approach and reduced avoidance toward conspecific strangers, reminiscent of 'indiscriminate friendliness' or the lack of stranger anxiety, diagnosed in neglected children and in patients with Asperger's and Williams syndrome. Furthermore, social interaction failed to activate mesolimbic/amygdala regions, encoding social aversion, in these mice, providing a neurobiological basis for the behavioral abnormality. This work identifies a novel role for FMRP that extends its function beyond the well-established genetic function into intergenerational non-genetic inheritance/programming of social behavior and the corresponding neuronal circuit. As FXS premutation and some psychiatric conditions that can be associated with reduced FMRP expression are more prevalent in mothers than full FMR1 mutation, our findings potentially broaden the significance of FMRP-dependent programming of social behavior beyond the FXS population.
The case of the machinists' mutiny.

"You can't be serious!" Mike Trail, the president and fourth-generation owner of Trail Manufacturing, stared at five older men standing in his office. "I'm afraid we are, Mike." Sandy, the most senior of the five, was polite but firm. "We won't switch over to the new equipment." Trail Manufacturing was a small Midwestern company trying to define itself in a new world of competition. Working with engineering chief Marco Duncan, Mike Trail, its young CEO, developed a program to revolutionize the company's manufacturing capability by installing six computerized machining centers. The $4 million automation program was proceeding smoothly, or at least it seemed to be, until the sixth of eight production teams, whose members included the company's most respected machinist, refused to continue participating. Mike canvased his colleagues for suggestions. "We can't let any screw machines remain in operation," Marco insisted. "The problem wasn't just old machines. The problem was--and is--the whole company. We need a clean break with the past." Shop manager Darrell Montgomery didn't necessarily disagree, but he worried about alienating Sandy. "You know what Sandy means to this place," he said. "If it wasn't for him, we never would have survived the startup." Bob Block, the company's CFO, went a step further. He questioned Marco's all-or-nothing vision and counseled compromise. "With half the new cells up, the screw machines are running a lot fewer jobs," he noted. "But they still account for over half our sales and even more of our profits. Maybe these guys are right." Four experts on change examine the crisis at Trail Manufacturing and debate Mike Trail's next step.
Global/Local Optimization of Aircraft Wing Using Parallel Processing

The structural optimization of a cantilever aircraft wing with stiffeners and curvilinear spars and ribs is described. The decomposition technique for the wing structure is widely used for the optimization of a complex wing. The optimization procedure is divided into two subsystems: the global wing optimization, which determines the geometry and location of spars and ribs, and local panel optimization to further reduce wing weight. Because the design variables that are changed in the global step have an impact on those changed in the local step and vice versa, an iterative process that iterates between the global and local optimizations is employed. Particle swarm optimization and gradient-based optimization are used to perform integrated global/local optimization. Parallel computing is used, implemented using Python, to reduce the central processing unit time. The license cycle-check method and memory self-adjustment method are developed and applied in the parallel processing framework to optimize the us...
Influences of Barriers to Cessation and Reasons for Quitting on Substance Use among Treatment-Seeking Smokers Who Report Heavy Drinking

Objective: We examined behavioral and cognitively-based quit processes among concurrent alcohol and tobacco users and assessed whether smoking and drinking were differentially influenced. Method: Participants were 200 treatment-seeking smokers (37.50% female; Mage=30.72; SD=12.68) who reported smoking an average of 10 or more cigarettes daily for at least one year. Results: Barriers to cessation (BCS) and reasons for quitting (RFQ) were generally correlated with substance use. BCS moderated the relationship between quit methods and cigarette use such that quit methods were negatively associated with smoking, particularly among those with more BCS. RFQ moderated the association between quit methods and cigarette use such that quit methods were negatively linked with smoking among those with fewer RFQ, but positively linked with smoking among those with more RFQ. Two 3-way interactions emerged. The first 3-way indicated that among individuals with fewer RFQ, quit methods was negatively associated with smoking, and this was strongest among those with more BCS. However, among those with more RFQ, smoking and quit methods were positively associated, particularly among those with more BCS. The second 3-way showed that among those with fewer RFQ, quit methods was negatively linked with drinking frequency, and this was strongest among those with more BCS. However, among those with fewer BCS, drinking and quit methods were positively linked. Conclusion: The relationship between behavioral and cognitively-based quit processes and substance use is not straightforward. There may be concurrent substance-using individuals for whom these processes might be associated with increased substance use.
Tetraspecific scFv construct provides NK cell mediated ADCC and self-sustaining stimuli via insertion of IL-15 as a cross-linker

// Joerg U. Schmohl 1, 2 , Martin Felices 3 , Deborah Todhunter 1 , Elizabeth Taras 1 , Jeffrey S. Miller 3 , Daniel A. Vallera 1 1 University of Minnesota, Masonic Cancer Center, Section of Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, Therapeutic Radiology-Radiation Oncology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA 2 University of Tuebingen, Department for Hematology and Oncology, Medicine Department 2, University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany 3 University of Minnesota, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation, Minneapolis, MN, USA Correspondence to: Daniel A. Vallera, email: valle001@umn.edu Keywords: TetraKE, EpCAM, CD133, carcinoma, cancer stem cells Received: June 08, 2016 Accepted: September 05, 2016 Published: September 16, 2016 ABSTRACT Background: The design of a highly effective anti-cancer immune-engager would include targeting of highly drug refractory cancer stem cells (CSC). The design would promote effective antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and simultaneously promote costimulation to expand and self-sustain the effector NK cell population. Based on our bispecific NK cell engager platform we constructed a tetraspecific killer engager (TetraKE) comprising single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) binding FcγRIII (CD16) on NK cells, EpCAM on carcinoma cells and CD133 on cancer stem cells in order to promote ADCC. Furthermore, an Interleukin (IL)-15-crosslinker enhanced NK cell related proliferation resulting in a highly active drug termed 1615EpCAM133. Results: Proliferation assays showed TetraKE promoted proliferation and enhanced NK cell survival. Drug-target binding, NK cell related degranulation, and IFN-γ production was specific for both tumor related antigens in EpCAM and CD133 bearing cancer cell lines. The TetraKE showed higher killing activity and superior dose dependent degranulation. Cytokine profiling showed a moderately enhanced IFN-γ production, enhanced GM-CSF production, but no evidence of induction of excessive cytokine release. Methods: Assembly and synthesis of hybrid genes encoding the TetraKE were performed using DNA shuffling and ligation. The TetraKE was tested for efficacy, specificity, proliferation, survival, and cytokine production using carcinoma cell lines and functional assays measuring NK cell activity. Conclusion: 1615EpCAM133 combines improved induction of ADCC with enhanced proliferation, limited cytokine response, and prolonged survival and proliferation of NK cells. By linking scFv-related targeting of carcinoma and CSCs with a sustaining IL-15 signal, our new construct shows great promise to target cancer and CSCs.
Defining recovery neurobiology of injured spinal cord by synthetic matrix-assisted hMSC implantation.

Abstract Mesenchymal stromal stem cells (MSCs) isolated from adult tissues offer tangible potential for regenerative medicine, given their feasibility for autologous transplantation. MSC research shows encouraging results in experimental stroke, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and neurotrauma models. However, further translational progress has been hampered by poor MSC graft survival, jeopardizing cellular and molecular bases for neural repair in vivo. We have devised an adult human bone marrow MSC (hMSC) delivery formula by investigating molecular events involving hMSCs incorporated in a uniquely designed poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid scaffold, a clinically safe polymer, following inflammatory exposures in a dorsal root ganglion organotypic coculture system. Also, in rat T9–T10 hemisection spinal cord injury (SCI), we demonstrated that the tailored scaffolding maintained hMSC stemness, engraftment, and led to robust motosensory improvement, neuropathic pain and tissue damage mitigation, and myelin preservation. The scaffolded nontransdifferentiated hMSCs exerted multimodal effects of neurotrophism, angiogenesis, neurogenesis, antiautoimmunity, and antiinflammation. Hindlimb locomotion was restored by reestablished integrity of submidbrain circuits of serotonergic reticulospinal innervation at lumbar levels, the propriospinal projection network, neuromuscular junction, and central pattern generator, providing a platform for investigating molecular events underlying the repair impact of nondifferentiated hMSCs. Our approach enabled investigation of recovery neurobiology components for injured adult mammalian spinal cord that are different from those involved in normal neural function. The uncovered neural circuits and their molecular and cellular targets offer a biological underpinning for development of clinical rehabilitation therapies to treat disabilities and complications of SCI.
Nonlinear A.C. Susceptibility Response Near the Irreversibility Line

The analysis of the response to a.c. magnetic fields has been one of the most popular techniques to study the magnetic properties of conventional type II superconductors. The essence of the method is to immerse the sample in an a.c. magnetic field generated by a coil, and to monitor its response either by the change in the impedance of the same coil, or by the signal induced in a second coil magnetically coupled to the sample. The a.c. field is characterized by its frequency and amplitude. The response of the superconductor can be studied as a function of temperature and the value of a d.c. magnetic field superimposed on the a.c. excitation. Very often, a harmonic a.c. field is used, and both the out of phase and in phase components of the response signal are detected. These components are related to the real and imaginary parts of the samples ac magnetic susceptibility, χ′ and χ″ respectively. (Note: the phase is with respect to the phase of the a.c. field, χ′ measures the amount of shielding and χ″ the amount of energy loss due to the induced current.) If the sample is a type II superconductor, then depending upon the amount of vortex pinning, the sample geometry, the frequency and the sensitivity of measurement, information related to the lower and upper critical fields, the reversible magnetization, the flux flow resistivity and the flux pinning can be obtained. These properties can also be studied by transport and d.c. magnetization, however, a.c. magnetic measurements do not require the attachment of leads to the sample, and the experimental setup, based on phase detection, is simpler than the magnetometers required for d.c. magnetic studies. The price paid for these experimental advantages is a more complex interpretation of the results, which are function of a considerable number of variables.
The Effect of Environmental Stresses on Human Fatigue

This Investigation evaluated the relative effects of a moderate or suboptimal level of environmental heat and noise stress on human stress and fatigue by utilizing performance and nonperformance pa...
A 2.33-GHz, −133-dBc/Hz, and Eight-Phase Oscillator With Dual Tanks and Adaptive Feedback

This paper presents a multiphase clock generation technique, which employs coupled oscillators and the capacitive-coupling mechanism to achieve both low-power and low-noise characteristics. An oscillator core equipped with both dual tanks and the adaptive feedback technique is proposed. To verify the concept, a four-core coupled oscillator is implemented, and an analytical model on its phase noise performance is presented using the generalized Adler’s equation. The proposed four-core coupled oscillator is fabricated in a 130-nm CMOS RF SOI process. It achieves measured phase noise of −133 dBc/Hz at 1-MHz offset from 2.33 GHz. The current consumption for each oscillator core is 10 mA from a 1–V supply voltage. The figure of merit (FoM) of the eight-phase oscillator is 184.3 dBc/Hz; resulting in a per-phase FoM of 193.3 dBc/Hz.
Oleocanthal-rich extra-virgin olive oil enhances donepezil effect by reducing amyloid-β load and related toxicity in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease

Previous evidence suggested that extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) is linked to attenuating amyloid-β (Aβ) pathology and improving cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease (AD) mouse models. In addition, we recently reported the beneficial effect of oleocanthal, a phenolic compound in EVOO, against AD pathology. Currently, medications available to target AD pathology are limited. Donepezil is an acetylcholine esterase inhibitor approved for use for all AD stages. Donepezil has been reported to have limited Aβ-targeting mechanisms beside its acetylcholine esterase inhibition. The aim of this study was to investigate the consumption of EVOO rich with oleocanthal (hereafter EVOO) as a medical food on enhancing the effect of donepezil on attenuating Aβ load and related toxicity in 5xFAD mouse model of AD. Our results showed that EVOO consumption in combination with donepezil significantly reduced Aβ load and related pathological changes. Reduced Aβ load could be explained, at least in part, by enhancing Aβ clearance pathways including blood-brain barrier (BBB) clearance and enzymatic degradation, and shifting amyloid precursor protein processing toward the nonamyloidogenic pathway. Furthermore, EVOO combination with donepezil up-regulated synaptic proteins, enhanced BBB tightness and reduced neuroinflammation associated with Aβ pathology. In conclusion, EVOO consumption as a medical food combined with donepezil offers an effective therapeutic approach by enhancing the noncholinergic mechanisms of donepezil and by providing additional mechanisms to attenuate Aβ-related pathology in AD patients.
ADVANCED PRACTICE PROVIDERS UTILIZE A PRE-CATHETERIZATION SCREENING TOOL TO DECREASE CONTRAST INDUCED NEPHROPATHY

A collaborative approach to help decrease contrast induced nephropathy in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization reveals favorable outcomes. Our Invasive Cardiology Advanced Practice Providers were utilized to implement a screening tool to decrease contrast induced nephropathy (CIN) on all
Regulation of threat in post-traumatic stress disorder: Associations between inhibitory control and dissociative symptoms

Abstract The current study investigated links between trauma exposure, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and inhibitory control assessed using a modified version of the visual flanker task. The study had three aims: (1) specifically confirm general non-affective deficits in sustained attention in PTSD; (2) probe the influence of threatening and trauma-related stimuli on inhibitory control; and (3) explore neural correlates connecting PTSD, facets of dissociation, and inhibitory control. Participants with PTSD (n = 16), trauma-exposed individuals without PTSD (TE; n = 14), and healthy controls (n = 15) discriminated line orientations while ignoring temporally flanking lines and images depicting threatening or non-threatening scenes or faces. Electrophysiological recordings were made during task performance. Relative to TE participants, PTSD participants had poor sustained non-affective attention, but nevertheless exhibited greater inhibition of distractors (i.e., high event-related potential [ERP] Rejection Positivity [RP]) to threatening (versus non-threatening) stimuli. RP was associated with greater self-reported depersonalization in PTSD participants, but with less depersonalization in TE participants. Dipole source analysis localized RP to the posterior cingulate cortex in both PTSD and TE (and healthy controls), but with an additional source in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex in TE, components of the default mode network. Results suggest a paradox in the executive control of distraction in PTSD: Whereas individuals with PTSD experience a general impairment in non-affective inhibitory control, their enhanced control of threat is associated with more severe symptoms of dissociation.
Biotic resistance and the spatiotemporal distribution of an invading woodwasp, Sirex noctilio

Quantifying the strength of interactions among introduced and native species across space and time is critical in understanding biological invasions as they can attenuate or amplify the magnitude of impact. The European woodwasp, Sirex noctilio F., a global threat to pines, is a recent invader to North America. It attacks and kills primarily Pinus resinosa and Pinus sylvestris, and encounters a diverse assemblage of potential competitors for this resource. We quantified spatial colonization patterns of this woodwasp and resident competitors including scolytine bark beetles, woodboring cerambycid and buprestid beetles, and the fungal root rot diseases Armillaria and Heterobasidion across an 80 year old pine plantation over 4 years. All xylophages were spatially aggregated, but only on a localized scale of 15–20 m. Colonizers occurred non-randomly within trees, with S. noctilio negatively or neutrally associated with all other colonizing agents, whereas all other insect and root rot colonizers were mostly positively co-associated. An autologistic regression with spatially-weighted variables indicated the probability of a dead tree exhibiting symptoms of S. noctilio attack was positively associated with tree density, host species (P. sylvestris), and density of S. noctilio-attacked trees from the current and previous year. Interspecific stand patterns were weaker; probability of attack was negatively associated only with root rot pathogens. Across spatial scales, there were mixed (woodborers) and neutral (bark beetles) associations between S. noctilio and other co-colonizing insects. Our results suggest that competitive interactions with resident species may be contributing to the limited success of S. noctilio in North America, but are unlikely to be driving it by themselves.
Oil Dependency and Cold War Politics

Ahmed Zaki Yamani, the one-time oil minister, famously quipped that the Stone Age didn’t end because of a shortage of stone, meaning that the oil age, and certainly Saudi’s privileged position because of oil, will not end because of a shortage of oil but because of other factors (Quoted in Lippman, Saudi Arabia on the edge: the uncertain future of an American ally. Potomac Books, Dulles, 2012, p. 38). Concerns about 2030, and if not the end of the oil age at least a more competitive economic environment, are creating a dynamic of economic tension that will increasingly pervade government and society. To change requires a more international outlook, but does it mean Saudi needs to become more Western? Less Islamic? Saudi Arabia is attempting to establish a modern business culture while grappling with globalization’s challenges to Islamic teaching and social welfare values. Saudi political and business leaders are acutely aware that the Saudi economy needs, on the one hand, to diversify, while on the other needs to become more self-reliant, in terms of skills and resources. As a wealth creation resource, oil was found and extracted by foreigners. My reason for emphasizing this is that the Saudis basically had oil-based wealth handed to them on a platter. Compared to America, the nation that collaborated with the kingdom to create this oil-based economy, Saudis never developed a sense of pioneering for wealth or belief in the manifest destiny of national growth, and there was no Protestant work ethic. They have long relied on expat expertise and management, and it is only comparatively recently they have sought increased self-reliance. It is this conundrum of oil and the wealth curse, with the manner of welfare provision in Saudi, that goes to the heart of the needed change, and is responsible for the economic behaviors which go back to the first days of oil. The history of oil is inextricably bound with a political history of Saudi dominated by the relationship between America and Saudi to create the kind of economy Saudi has grown up with and still exists today.
Prevalence of Prescription Medications With Depression as a Potential Adverse Effect Among Adults in the United States.

Importance Prescription medications are increasingly used among adults in the United States and many have a potential for causing depression. Objectives To characterize use of prescription medications with depression as a potential adverse effect and to assess associations between their use and concurrent depression. Design, Setting, and Participants Five 2-year cycles (2005-2006 through 2013-2014) of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, representative cross-sectional surveys of US adults aged 18 years or older, were analyzed for use of medications with depression as a potential adverse effect. Multivariable logistic regression examined associations between use of these medications and concurrent depression. Analyses were performed among adults overall, excluding antidepressant users, and among adults treated with antidepressants and with hypertension. Exposures Prescription medications with depression as a potential adverse effect (listed in Micromedex). Main Outcomes and Measures Prevalence of any use and concurrent use of medications with a potential to cause depression and prevalence of depression (PHQ-9 score ≥10). Results The study included 26 192 adults (mean age, 46.2 years [95% CI, 45.6-46.7]; women, 51.1%) and 7.6% (95% CI, 7.1%-8.2%) reported depression. The overall estimated prevalence of use of medications with depression as an adverse effect was 37.2%, increasing from 35.0% (95% CI, 32.2%-37.9%) in the cycle years 2005 and 2006 to 38.4% (95% CI, 36.5%-40.3%) in 2013 and 2014 (Pfor trend = .03). An estimated 6.9% (95% CI, 6.2%-7.6%) reported use of 3 or more concurrent medications with a potential for depression as an adverse effect in 2005 and 2006 and 9.5% (95% CI, 8.4%-10.7%) reported such use in 2013 and 2014 (Pfor trend = .001). In adjusted analyses excluding users of antidepressants, the number of medications used with depression as possible adverse effects was associated with increased prevalence of concurrent depression. The estimated prevalence of depression was 15% for those reporting use of 3 or more medications with depression as an adverse effect vs 4.7% for those not using such medications (difference, 10.7% [95% CI, 7.2%-14.1%]). These patterns persisted in analyses restricted to adults treated with antidepressants, among hypertensive adults, and after excluding users of any psychotropic medication. Conclusions and Relevance In this cross-sectional survey study, use of prescription medications that have depression as a potential adverse effect was common. Use of multiple medications was associated with greater likelihood of concurrent depression.
Isolation and characterization of camelid single-domain antibodies against HER2

To isolate and characterize novel high-affinity llama single-domain antibodies against human HER2. We immunized a llama with human HER2, constructed a phage-displayed VHH library from the lymphocytes of the animal, and isolated six unique HER2-specific VHHs by panning. All six VHHs were unique at the amino acid level and were clonally unrelated, as reflected by their distinct CDR3 lengths. All six VHHs recognized recombinant human HER2 ectodomain with monovalent affinities ranging from 1 to 51 nM, had comparable affinities for cynomolgus monkey HER2, and bound HER2+ SKOV3 cells by flow cytometry. Three of the VHHs recognized recombinant murine HER2 with no loss of affinity compared with human and cynomolgus monkey HER2. The VHHs recognized three major epitopes on HER2 (including one conserved across the human, simian and murine orthologues), all of which were distinct from that of trastuzumab. These VHHs may be useful in the design of modular cancer immunotherapeutics.
Comparative effectiveness of neuroablation and deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder: a meta-analytic study

Background The safety and efficacy of neuroablation (ABL) and deep brain stimulation (DBS) for treatment refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has not been examined. This study sought to generate a definitive comparative effectiveness model of these therapies. Methods A EMBASE/PubMed search of English-language, peer-reviewed articles reporting ABL and DBS for OCD was performed in January 2018. Change in quality of life (QOL) was quantified based on the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and the impact of complications on QOL was assessed. Mean response of Y-BOCS was determined using random-effects, inverse-variance weighted meta-analysis of observational data. Findings Across 56 studies, totalling 681 cases (367 ABL; 314 DBS), ABL exhibited greater overall utility than DBS. Pooled ability to reduce Y-BOCS scores was 50.4% (±22.7%) for ABL and was 40.9% (±13.7%) for DBS. Meta-regression revealed no significant change in per cent improvement in Y-BOCS scores over the length of follow-up for either ABL or DBS. Adverse events occurred in 43.6% (±4.2%) of ABL cases and 64.6% (±4.1%) of DBS cases (p Interpretation Overall, ABL utility was greater than DBS, with ABL showing a greater per cent improvement in Y-BOCS than DBS. These findings help guide success thresholds in future clinical trials for treatment refractory OCD.
Evaluation of syncope.

Syncope is a transient and abrupt loss of consciousness with complete return to preexisting neurologic function. It is classified as neurally mediated (i.e., carotid sinus hypersensitivity, situational, or vasovagal), cardiac, orthostatic, or neurogenic. Older adults are more likely to have orthostatic, carotid sinus hypersensitivity, or cardiac syn- cope, whereas younger adults are more likely to have vasovagal syncope. Common nonsyncopal syndromes with similar presentations include seizures, metabolic and psychogenic disorders, and acute intoxication. Patients presenting with syncope (other than neurally mediated and orthostatic syncope) are at increased risk of death from any cause. Useful clinical rules to assess the short-term risk of death and the need for immediate hospitalization include the San Francisco Syncope Rule and the Risk Stratification of Syncope in the Emergency Department rule. Guidelines suggest an algorithmic approach to the evaluation of syncope that begins with the history and physical examination. All patients presenting with syncope require electrocardiography, orthostatic vital signs, and QT interval monitoring. Patients with cardiovascular disease, abnormal electrocardiography, or family history of sudden death, and those presenting with unexplained syncope should be hospitalized for further diagnostic evaluation. Patients with neurally mediated or orthostatic syncope usually require no additional testing. In cases of unexplained syncope, further testing such as echocardiography, grade exercise testing, electrocardiographic monitoring, and electrophysiologic studies may be required. Although a subset of patients will have unexplained syncope despite undergoing a comprehensive evaluation, those with multiple episodes compared with an isolated event are more likely to have a serious underlying disorder.
The Effect of Perceived Level of Social Support on the Fear of Falling

Background: Perhaps the most prevalent cause of anxiety among the elderly is the fear of falling, considering that a fall can lead to serious complications and decline of health. The purpose of thi...
Geography: Why It Matters

Alexander B. Murphy. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press, 2018. xii and 162 pp., maps, diagrams, illustrations, notes, bibliography, index. $45.00 cloth (ISBN 9781509523009); $12.95 paper (ISBN 97815095230...
Analysis of IVS8 CFTR gene polymorphism in asthmatic children in a Tunisian population

Abstract Objective Asthma is a multifactorial disease of genetic origin; its clinical expression depends largely on acquired factors, often related to the environment. It is defined as a chronic inflammatory condition of the airways with mucus obstruction, a feature it shares with cystic fibrosis (CF). Material and methods The present work concerns a study, for the first time in Tunisia, of the genotypic and allelic distribution of IVS8 TGmTn repeat motifs in intron 8 of the CFTR gene in an asthmatic population. TGmTn repeat analysis was performed for 100 asthmatic subjects and 103 controls using a sequencing technique. Results The results showed the predominance of the T7 allele in both patients and controls, as for the TG11 allele, which represents the major allele of the two groups studied. Our results also showed a significant difference in distribution of the TG12 allele. In addition, a haplotype study showed predominance of the TG11T7 haplotype in both groups, which is in agreement with the data in the literature. Conclusion Our study is one of the first to be carried out in the Tunisian asthmatic population. The results obtained will provide a better understanding of the molecular basis of this multifactorial disease.
The Gut Microbiota composition of Feral and Tamworth Pigs determined using High-Throughput Culturomics and Metagenomics Reveals Compositional Variations When Compared to the Commercial Breeds

Bacterial communities in the hindguts of pigs have a profound impact on health and disease. Yet very limited studies have been performed outside intensive swine farms to determine pig gut microbiome composition in natural populations. Feral pigs represent a unique situation where the microbiome structure can be observed outside the realm of modern agriculture. Additionally, Tamworth pigs that freely forage were included to characterize the microbiome structure of this rare breed. In this study, gut microbiome of feral and Tamworth pigs were determined using metagenomics and culturomics. Tamworth pigs are highly dominated by Bacteroidetes primarily composed of the genus Prevotella whereas feral samples were more diverse with almost equal proportions of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. In total, 46 distinct species were successfully isolated from 1000 colonies selected. The combination of metagenomics and culture techniques facilitated a greater retrieval of annotated genes than either method alone. Furthermore, the naturally raised Tamworth pig microbiome contained more number of antibiotic resistance genes when compared to feral pig microbiome. The single medium based pig microbiota library we report is a resource to better understand pig gut microbial ecology and function by assembling simple to complex microbiota communities in bioreactors or germfree animal models.
Longitudinal study of externalizing behaviors in Latino/a adolescents: An examination of parenting and educational factors

Abstract As the Latino/a population increases externalizing behaviors among adolescents continue to concern researchers and clinicians. National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) data were used to analyze direct and indirect effects of parenting and academic factors on externalizing behavior among Latino/a adolescents over time, using latent growth curves and structural equation modeling (SEM). Results indicated that higher levels of maternal warmth, the adolescent-teacher relationship, and academic achievement were all negatively associated with initial levels of externalizing behavior and in some cases negatively predicted the rate of change of externalizing behavior. Some predictors were also all found to be positively associated with academic achievement. Academic achievement acted as a mediator between most of the predictors and externalizing behavior. Implications are discussed.
Hematologic Toxicities of CAR T-Cell Therapy in Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell (CART) therapy remains a novel approach for the treatment of relapsed, refractory B-cell Lymphoma. Complications of CAR T-cell therapy including cytopenias, infections, cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurotoxicity require aggressive supportive care. The objective of this study was to characterize the incidence of cytopenias and the utilization of growth factor and transfusion support following CAR T-cell therapy. This retrospective, single center study included 38 patients with relapsed, refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), who received CD19 directed CAR T-cell therapy, axicabtagene ciloleucel, as standard of care for the treatment relapsed NHL between January, 2018 and October, 2019. Cytopenias included 34% grade 4 thrombocytopenia (13/38), 76% grade ≥3 anemia (29/38), and 92% grade 4 neutropenia (35/38). Thirty-four percent (13/38) of patients required platelet transfusion support, 76% of patients (29/38) required RBC transfusions, 92% (35/38) of patients became neutropenic and 81.6% (31/38) received growth factor support. Twenty-nine percent of patients were found to have recurrent neutropenia status post recovery of their initial onset. The median initial onset occurred on day +8 (0-+14) and lasted a median of 5 days (0-85 days) with a median ANC nadir of too few cells to count (0-490). The median onset for a 2nd occurrence of neutropenia occurred on day +21 (D+12- D+28) which lasted 1 day (1-11 days) with a nadir of 430 cells/mm3 (0-480). Sixteen percent of patients experienced a 3rd occurrence on day +35 (D+25-+52), lasting a median of 3.5 days (1-19 days) with a median nadir of 335 cells/mm3 (270-440). One patient had a 4th occurrence on day +28 with a nadir of 220 cells/mm3. The etiology of recurrent neutropenia described is unclear. Multiple factors may contribute including bridging therapy, infection, steroids, CRS, and growth factor support. More is data is needed to identify risk factors for recurrent neutropenia.
Stability Enhancement Method for DC Microgrids with Constant Power Loads using Variable Inductor

DC microgrid systems are often prone to stability issues due to the negative incremental resistance exhibited by constant power loads (CPLs). In order to estimate the overall stability of the system with CPLs, a simplified small-signal model is derived and solved using Lyapunov's stability criterion. Considering the impact of converter inductance on system stability, a variable inductor-based stabilizer is proposed in order to enhance the stability margin of DC microgrids and guarantee stable operation. The proposed method is validated by a laboratory-scale experimental setup, and the results verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Drug Release Kinetics from Nondegradable Hydrophobic Polymers Can Be Modulated and Predicted by the Glass Transition Temperature

Controlling drug release kinetics within a desired therapeutic window is the central task when designing polymeric drug delivery systems. Complex polymer chemistries have often been explored to control water penetration, polymer degradation rate, or the mesh network size of delivery systems. Here, a simple parameter for controlling the release rate and duration of nondegradable hydrophobic polymers is discovered. A systematic study involving 59 polymers and multiple drugs demonstrates that the glass transition temperature, Tg , is a critical factor that dictates drug release kinetics from nondegradable hydrophobic polymers. Drug release rate exhibits a unique and simple linear correlation of (T - Tg )0.5 despite variability of polymer structure and type. An empirical model established based on the special correlation can accurately simulate and predict drug release kinetics from polymers saving substantial time typically required to test long-acting drug delivery systems.