cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pseudomonas fluorescens strains selectively suppress annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.)

Abstract Annual bluegrass ( Poa annua L., ABG) is a cool-season annual grass that is a major weed species in turf, turfgrass-seed and sod production, and golf courses of the western United States. The life cycles of ABG and TG are very similar, but ABG is typically more competitive. Because these plants are so similar, selective control using conventional methods is limited. Pseudomonas fluorescens biovar B strain XJ3, biovar B strain XS18, and biovar A strain LRS12 are naturally-occurring soil bacteria that suppress ABG growth. These bacterial strains do not inhibit the growth of desirable turf species, other crops, or native plants. When applied to the soil and/or seeds in the fall, the bacteria establish in the soil community and increase in numbers during the cool temperatures of fall and spring, coinciding with the early root growth of ABG. These bacteria grow along roots and deliver a compound that inhibits root formation, root growth, and tiller initiation of ABG. The bacteria can also be used in combination with herbicides to inhibit the growth and seed production of standing ABG. Bacteria that selectively suppress ABG can be used to reduce the weed-seed bank in golf courses, lawns, turf, and turf-seed production. These bacteria add a formidable tool in the toolbox to fight invasive grass weeds, while limiting the need for tillage and herbicides for weed control.
Mobilising a global response to hepatitis: Lessons learned from the HIV movement

Hepatitis caused by hepatitis B and C virus is increasingly becoming a significant global health threat, with widespread prevalence that may have severe disease and economic impacts in the future. Yet, preventative measures are not implemented universally and high costs of medicines limits treatment efforts. The global response to HIV/AIDS faced similar issues, but overcame them through a global movement that brought attention to the crisis and ultimately resulted in the creation and implementation of and access to better tools for HIV prevention and treatment. This also included effective policies and programmes behind and supporting the movement. Such could be done for hepatitis, specifically using lessons from the HIV response. Here, we will discuss the current and potentially severe future burden of hepatitis globally, the challenges in addressing this epidemic, and how principles applied from the global HIV response can facilitate a successful and similar hepatitis movement.
640Gb/s all-optical regeneration in a PPLN waveguide

All-optical regeneration based on pump depletion in a PPLN waveguide is demonstrated at 640Gb/s. BER measurements confirm the effectiveness of the scheme.
The Sparta Game: Violence, Proportionality, Austerity, Collapse

This paper suggests that contemporary versions of Adam Smith’s informal equilibrium theory in Book III of the Wealth of Nations (Smith, 1776) can explain Sparta’s regime stability, along with distinctive features of the social system of ancient Sparta, namely the coordinated social uses of systematic violence, the public facade of material equality among the citizen population, the maintenance of a self-enforcing regime of austerity by an extensive body of citizens. In addition, it uses a dynamic element to explain the severe demographic decline that led to Sparta’s eventual loss of standing in the Greek world.
The engineering of speed and delivery

It has been my good fortune and great privilege to lead major projects in the semiconductor industry to automate production planning, delivery quotation and factory execution. Looking back, successful development and implementation of systems for managing on-time delivery and efficient factory operation always entailed empathy for the professionals in terms of understanding and appreciating the challenges they face, garnering thorough domain knowledge, designing an excellent manufacturing systems architecture, reaching consensus on more structured business rules for factory operation and operations planning, careful and complete data maintenance - automated as much as possible - and practical algorithms and logic fully addressing the challenges. It also required equipping professionals with new skills, information and perspective plus changes in job descriptions and performance evaluations to better align professional efforts with company value and with new manufacturing systems. Analytical approaches will be described for the entire production cycle: capacity planning, production planning and delivery quotation, and factory floor execution.
Media faces accountability surgery in BRICS countries : regulation, ethics, accountability

The past few years have been dramatic for the media in BRICS countries. This explosive growth brings up thorny questions of media freedom, accountability, and independence.
A Fundamental Unit of Cell Size in Bacteria

A new study clarifies a relationship between growth, gene expression, and cell size in cyanobacteria. Quite unexpectedly, cyanobacteria and Escherichia coli appear to share an invariance principle to coordinate growth and chromosome replication. This principle allows quantitative predictions of cell size across a range of growth conditions in both organisms.
Rationally designed peptide nanosponges for cell-based cancer therapy

Abstract A novel type of supramolecular aggregate, named a “nanosponge” was synthesized through the interaction of novel supramolecular building blocks with trigonal geometry. The cholesterol-(K/D) n DEVDGC) 3 -trimaleimide unit consists of a trigonal maleimide linker to which homopeptides (either K or D) of variable lengths (n = 5, 10, 15, 20) and a consensus sequence for executioner caspases (DEVDGC) are added via Michael addition. Upon mixing in aqueous buffer cholesterol-(K) n DEVDGC) 3 -trimaleimides and a 1:1 mixture of cholesterol-(K/D) n DEVDGC) 3 -trimaleimides form stable nanosponges, whereas cholesterol-(D) n DEVDGC) 3 -trimaleimide is unable to form supramolecular aggregates with itself. The structure of the novel nanosponges was investigated through explicit solvent and then coarse-grained molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The nanosponges are between 80 nm and several micrometers in diameters and virtually non-toxic to monocyte/macrophage-like cells.
Military Families Research: Department of Defense Funding and the Elements of a Fundable Proposal

This chapter focuses on describing the basics of DOD’s research funding process, including a review of the Psychological Health Research Continuum (Castro, Eur J Psychotraumatol, 5:1–12, 2014), as it pertains to military families research. We discuss important elements of a fundable research proposal from the perspective of the DOD, including a review of relevant family theories with the goal of providing a useful framework for future proposals aimed at addressing gaps in the military families knowledge base. Lastly, we discuss challenges in military families research including ethical issues and the time and costs associated with conducting research with military families.
Radiation dose management for pediatric cardiac computed tomography: a report from the Image Gently ‘Have-A-Heart’ campaign

Children with congenital or acquired heart disease can be exposed to relatively high lifetime cumulative doses of ionizing radiation from necessary medical imaging procedures including radiography, fluoroscopic procedures including diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterizations, electrophysiology examinations, cardiac computed tomography (CT) studies, and nuclear cardiology examinations. Despite the clinical necessity of these imaging studies, the related ionizing radiation exposure could pose an increased lifetime attributable cancer risk. The Image Gently "Have-A-Heart" campaign is promoting the appropriate use of medical imaging studies in children with congenital or acquired heart disease while minimizing radiation exposure. The focus of this manuscript is to provide a comprehensive review of radiation dose management and CT performance in children with congenital or acquired heart disease.
Public Administration in the Middle East and North Africa

This Special Issue of IJPA includes an Introduction to the Special Issue by the editors, Dixon, Bhuiyan, and Űstůner, that identifies the dimensions each country-specific article is to address. The...
Biliary Atresia: Clinical and Research Challenges for the Twenty‐First Century

Biliary atresia (BA) is a fibroinflammatory disease of the intrahepatic and extrahepatic biliary tree. Surgical hepatic portoenterostomy (HPE) may restore bile drainage, but progression of the intrahepatic disease results in complications of portal hypertension and advanced cirrhosis in most children. Recognizing that further progress in the field is unlikely without a better understanding of the underlying cause(s) and pathogenesis of the disease, the National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) sponsored a research workshop focused on innovative and promising approaches and on identifying future areas of research. Investigators discussed recent advances using gestational ultrasound and results of newborn BA screening with serum direct (conjugated) bilirubin that support a prenatal onset of biliary injury. Experimental and human studies implicate the toxic properties of environmental toxins (e.g., biliatresone) and of viruses (e.g., cytomegalovirus) to the biliary system. Among host factors, sequence variants in genes related to biliary development and ciliopathies, a notable lack of a cholangiocyte glycocalyx and of submucosal collagen bundles in the neonatal extrahepatic bile ducts, and an innate proinflammatory bias of the neonatal immune system contribute to an increased susceptibility to damage and obstruction following epithelial injury. These advances form the foundation for a future research agenda focused on identifying the environmental and host factor(s) that cause BA, the potential use of population screening, studies of the mechanisms of prominent fibrosis in young infants, determinations of clinical surrogates of disease progression, and the design of clinical trials that target subgroups of patients with initial drainage following HPE. (Hepatology 2018; 00:000-000).
Understanding Gendered Negotiations in the Academic Dual-career Hiring Process:

The current literature on gender and negotiations consists primarily of experimental studies, finding that women are less likely to initiate negotiations than men. Although these studies have been ...
Stress, Strain, and Stability of Organs

In this chapter we discuss the stress and strain in organs. The significance of the subject is established, the methods of approach are summarized, highlights on a few organs are surveyed, and then we focus on some topics which are important from the point of view of mechanics, such as the zero-stress state, the connection between micro- and macromechanics, the effect of surface tension, the incremental laws, the interaction between neighboring organs, the stability of some structures, and the behavior of some structures that become unstable and collapsed.
Far Ultraviolet Observations of Dwarf Novae made with the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope

Observations with the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope on the Astro-1 and Astro-2 space shuttle missions have provided the first set of moderate (3 A) resolution far ultraviolet (FUV) spectra of dwarf novae to include the wavelength range between Lyα and the Lyman limit. Important lines which are detected in the HUT spectra of dwarf novae in this wavelength range include S vi λλ933, 945, C iii λ977, O vi λλ1032, 1038, P v λλ1118, 1128 and C iii λ1176, as well as the higher order Lyman lines. The observations confirm earlier IUE observations that two dwarf novae — U Gem and VW Hyi — have quiescent FUV spectra dominated by the white dwarf, but suggest that the quiescent FUV emission from three other dwarf novae — SS Cyg, WX Hyi and YZ Cnc — are dominated by emission from a hot portion of the disk or a disk corona. The spectra obtained of the dwarf novae Z Cam and EM Cyg in outburst and also of the nova-like variable IX Vel can be modeled reasonably successfully in terms of steady stated disks constructed by adding appropriatly-weighted stellar model spectra.
Personal Rights and the American Way

On both sides of the issue, smokers and nonsmokers alike believe that they have inviolable rights and many invoke the rhetoric of the Civil Rights Movement and American Independence in their narratives.
Using Video Direct Observation to Assess Children's Physical Activity During Recess.

Purpose: Traditional direct observation cannot provide continuous, individual-level physical activity (PA) data throughout recess. This study piloted video direct observation to characterize children’s recess PA overall and by sex and weight status. Methods: Children (N = 23; 11 boys; 6 overweight; third to fifth grade) were recorded during 2 recess periods, coding for PA duration, intensity, location, and type. Duration of PA type and intensity across sex and weight status overall and between/within locations were assessed using 1- and 2-way analysis of variances. Results: The field elicited more sedentary behavior (39% of time) and light PA (17%) and less moderate to vigorous PA (41%) compared with the fixed equipment (13%, 7%, and 71%, respectively) or the court (21%, 7%, and 68%, respectively). Boys engaged in significantly more vigorous-intensity activity on the court (35%) than girls (14%), whereas girls engaged in more moderate to vigorous PA on the fixed equipment (77% vs 61%) and field (46% vs 35...
Molecular Neuroprotection Induced by Zinc-Dependent Expression of Hepatitis C-Derived Protein NS5A Targeting Kv2.1 Potassium Channels.

We present the design of an innovative molecular neuroprotective strategy and provide proof-of-concept for its implementation, relying on the injury-mediated activation of an ectopic gene construct. As oxidative injury leads to the intracellular liberation of zinc, we hypothesize that tapping onto the zinc-activated metal regulatory element (MRE) transcription factor 1 system to drive expression of the Kv2.1-targeted hepatitis C protein NS5A (hepatitis C nonstructural protein 5A) will provide neuroprotection by preventing cell death–enabling cellular potassium loss in rat cortical neurons in vitro. Indeed, using biochemical and morphologic assays, we demonstrate rapid expression of MRE-driven products in neurons. Further, we report that MRE-driven NS5A expression, induced by a slowly evolving excitotoxic stimulus, functionally blocks injurious, enhanced Kv2.1 potassium whole-cell currents and improves neuronal viability. We suggest this form of “on-demand” neuroprotection could provide the basis for a tenable therapeutic strategy to prevent neuronal cell death in neurodegeneration.
Observation of magnetic field sweep direction dependent dynamic nuclear polarization under periodic optical electron spin pumping

Optical pump-probe techniques are used to generate and measure electron spin polarization in a gallium arsenide epilayer in which the electron spin coherence time exceeds the mode-locked laser repetition period. Resonant spin amplification occurs at magnetic fields at which the electron spin polarization excited by successive laser pulses adds constructively. Measurements of Kerr rotation as a function of applied magnetic field and pump-probe time delay reveal nuclear spin polarization that aligns either with or against the external magnetic field depending on whether the applied magnetic field is being decreased or increased. Furthermore, the nuclear spin polarization magnitude varies in proportion to the perpendicular net electron spin polarization as the latter changes due to resonant spin amplification and other causes. We also report an experimental technique that reveals a minutes-long memory of precise field history in the electron-nuclear spin system.
Culture and Communication

A defining feature of culture is similarity in the manner in which information about the world is interpreted. This makes it easier to extract information from the beliefs of those within one's own group. But this information may be of low quality if better informed sources lie elsewhere. Furthermore, observing individuals outside one's group deepens our understanding not only of those individuals, but also of their culture. We model this process, using unobservable, heterogeneous priors to represent fundamental belief differences across individuals; these priors are correlated within but not across groups. We characterize long run communication patterns as follows. When uncertainty about the priors is low, there is a merging of cultures and individuals seek information wherever it is most precise. Otherwise, extreme homophily arises with positive probability, and with certainty when priors are highly correlated within groups. At moderate levels of correlation, individuals in each group can be partitioned into two categories: some individuals exhibit extreme homophily, rarely if ever stepping outside group boundaries, while others exhibit baseline homophily and seek information wherever it is most precise. The degree of homophily can vary non-monotonically with the level of correlation in priors, and small groups can exhibit heterophily at intermediate levels of correlation.
Upsloping lateral sourcil: a radiographic finding of hip instability.

While radiographic findings of frank hip dysplasia are well defined, there is a lack of diagnostic criteria for patients with radiographically ‘normal’ hips who have borderline morphologic deficits and clinical instability. In this study, we aim to define and validate a new radiographic finding associated with hip instability known as the upsloping lateral sourcil (ULS). Patients (316) were reviewed for lateral center edge angles, generalized joint laxity assessed with the Beighton Hypermobility Score and the presence of the ULS. The ULS was defined as a caudal-to-cranial inclination of the middle-to-far lateral aspect of the acetabular sourcil with loss of the normal lateral acetabular concavity. The prevalence of the ULS correspondingly increased with the degree of under-coverage as defined by LCEA. Within the normal coverage group, hips with a ULS had smaller LCEAs than those without ULS (29° versus 32°, P < 0.001). Among hips with a ULS, 59.00% had generalized joint laxity. The association between the ULS finding and generalized joint laxity was statistically significant (P < 0.01). The ULS is seen with higher prevalence in patients with clinical hip laxity and radiographically decreasing LCEA and may serve as an adjunctive finding in patients presenting with hip pain and instability. The ULS may help to characterize patients with borderline hip dysplasia and laxity that fall outside conventional imaging criteria for dysplasia.
A review of the ICT-enabled development literature: Towards a power parity theory of ICT4D

Abstract ICT projects are considered an important means of achieving development goals in developing countries. Although voluminous, the research to date is inconsistent in theorizing how, or why, development outcomes do or do not occur following the introduction of ICT4D. To better understand how and why ICT projects succeed, and even what success means in the ICT4D context, we conducted a literature review of ICT4D studies published during the period 2000–2016. We find that the very meaning of development varies, with four meanings of development emerging from the literature: (1) development as increased freedom, (2) development as expanded inclusion, (3) development as increased economic productivity, and (4) development as improved well-being. An ICT might succeed according to one meaning of development while simultaneously hindering achievement according to another meaning. As revealed by our analysis of the literature, these four perspectives suffer from some limitations, not least among them being the imposition of colonialist views of development on the recipients of the ICT4D. To address the limitations, we employ postcolonial theory to derive a new theory of ICT4D in which development is defined as an increase in power parity between dominant stakeholders and intended beneficiaries.
Diabetes and Employment Productivity: The Effect of Duration and Management Among Mexican Americans*

Diabetes has been shown to affect productivity. Most of the work to this point has been based on binary indicator measures for diabetes, other than Kahn, who considered the duration of diabetes. However, diabetes is a chronic disease with increasing likelihood of complications and co-morbidities as the disease develops over time. All of these complications are potentially detrimental to work propensity and productivity. However, productivity may also depend on the degree to which a person manages his or her diabetes over the duration of the disease. This study utilizes data from a recently completed survey of households in Brownsville, Texas, a largely Mexican-American community located on the Texas-Mexico border with a high prevalence of diabetes. Diabetes management, or control, is measured by blood sugar levels, glycosylated hemoglobin levels (HbA1c), and interaction terms. Results show that the duration of diabetes is negatively associated with male productivity, but management mitigates the harmful effects only slightly. Results imply that resources should be concentrated on preventing diabetes onset rather than on managing pre-existing cases of diabetes among Mexican-Americans, so that this group does not experience the negative consequences of having to work additional years while in poor health, if recent Deficit Commission proposals to increase the retirement age to 69 are put into effect.
Diminishing Clinical Returns of Multilevel Minimally Invasive Lumbar Interbody Fusion.

STUDY DESIGN Single institution retrospective clinical review. OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship between levels fused and clinical outcomes in patients undergoing open and minimally invasive surgical (MIS) lumbar fusion. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Minimally invasive spinal fusion aims to reduce the morbidity associated with conventional open surgery. As multilevel arthrodesis procedures are increasingly performed using MIS techniques, it is necessary to weigh the risks and benefits of multilevel MIS lumbar fusion as a function of fusion length. METHODS Patients undergoing <4 level lumbar interbody fusion were stratified by surgical technique (MIS or open), and grouped by fusion length: 1-level, 2-levels, 3+ levels. Demographics, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), surgical factors, and perioperative complication rates were compared between technique groups at different fusion lengths using means comparison tests. RESULTS Included: 361 patients undergoing lumbar interbody fusion (88% transforaminal, 14% lateral; 41% MIS). Breakdown by fusion length: 63% 1-level, 22% 2-level, 15% 3+ level. Op-time did not differ between groups at 1-level (MIS: 233 min vs. Open: 227, P = 0.554), though MIS at 2-levels (332 min vs. 281) and 3+ levels (373 min vs. 323) were longer (P = 0.033 and P = 0.231, respectively). While complication rates were lower for MIS at 1-level (15% vs. 30%, P = 0.006) and 2-levels (13% vs. 27%, P = 0.147), at 3+ levels, complication rates were comparable (38% vs. 35%, P = 0.870). 3+ level MIS fusions had higher rates of ileus (13% vs. 0%, P = 0.008) and a trend of increased adverse pulmonary events (25% vs. 7%, P = 0.110). MIS was associated with less EBL at all lengths (all P < 0.01) and lower rates of anemia at 1-level (5% vs. 18%, P < 0.001) and 2-levels (7% vs. 16%, P = 0.193). At 3+ levels, however, anemia rates were similar between groups (13% vs. 15%, P = 0.877). CONCLUSION MIS lumbar interbody fusions provided diminishing clinical returns for multilevel procedures. While MIS patients had lower rates of perioperative complications for 1- and 2-level fusions, 3+ level MIS fusions had comparable complication rates to open cases, and higher rates of adverse pulmonary and ileus events. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 3.
Estimating the Growth Rate and Doubling Time for Short-Term Prediction and Monitoring Trend During the COVID-19 Pandemic with a SAS Macro

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has spread around the world and it causes tremendous stress to the US health care system. Knowing the trend of the COVID-19 pandemic is critical for the federal and local governments and health care system to prepare plans. Our aim was to develop an approach and create a SAS macro to estimate the growth rate and doubling time in days. We fit a series of growth curves using a rolling approach to estimate the growth rates and the doubling times. This approach was applied to the death data of New York State during March 14th and 31st. The growth rate was 0.48 (95% CI, 0.39-0.57) and the doubling time was 2.77 days (95% CI, 2.49-3.04) for the period of March 14th-March 20th; the growth rate decreased to 0.25 (95% CI, 0.22-0.28) and the doubling time increased to 4.09 days (95% CI, 3.73-4.44) for the period of March 25th-March 31st. This approach can be used for short-term prediction and monitoring the trend of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Quantitative Assessment of Alkali-Activated Materials: Environmental Impact and Property Assessments

AbstractThis study compares greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, embodied energy, and air pollutant emissions of alkali-activated mortars and conventional portland cement (PC)-based mortars. Alkali-acti...
Promise and Paradox: Art Education in the Postmodern Arena

Postmodernism's many subcurrents have profoundly influenced the direction of visual art in our time. These nascent modes of knowing, manifested so clearly within the art community, thus far have had little impact on the art education field. Writing from the standpoint of critical theory, the author suggests that the failure of art educators to tap the potential of postmodernism is a loss to the field. This paper begins by briefly summarizing several components of postmodernism as a force in art and culture, and ends by defining connections between these components and the art education field. This paper does not contain classroom applications such as lesson plans or curricular models, but rather proposes a base from which such applications can be formulated.
QT Prolongation in Cancer Patients

Background: QT prolongation and torsades de pointes pose a major concern for cardiologists and oncologists. Although cancer patients are suspected to have prolonged QT intervals, this has not been investigated in a large population. The purpose of this study was to analyze the QT interval distribution in a cancer population and compare it to a non-cancer population in the same institution. Methods: The study was a retrospective review of 82,410 ECGs performed in cancer patients (51.8% women and 48.2% men) and 775 ECGs performed in normal stem cell donors (47.9% women and 52.1% men) from January 2009 to December 2013 at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Pharmacy prescription data was also collected and analyzed during the same time period. Correction of the QT interval for the heart rate was performed using the Bazett and Fridericia formulas. Results: After QT correction for heart rate by the Fridericia formula (QTcF), the mean and 99% percentile QTc for cancer patients were 414 and 473 ms, respectively. These were significantly longer than the normal stem cell donors, 407 and 458 ms, p < 0.001, respectively. Among the cancer patients, the QTc was longer in the inpatient setting when compared to both outpatient and emergency center areas. The most commonly prescribed QT prolonging medications identified were ondansetron and methadone. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates significantly longer QTc intervals in cancer patients, especially in the inpatient setting. Frequently prescribed QT prolonging medications such as antiemetics and analgesics may have a causative role in QT prolongation seen in our cancer hospital.
Effects of coloured lighting on pleasure and arousal in relation to cultural differences

This study examined the effects of lighting colour on emotional states and the effects of ethnicity on the impact of lighting colours on emotional states, based on the Mehrabian and Russell’s emoti...
Paclitaxel-coated peripheral arterial devices are associated with improved overall survival and limb salvage in patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia

Abstract Objective Paclitaxel (PTX)-coated peripheral arterial devices have been shown to decrease femoropopliteal artery restenosis and the need for reintervention compared with non-PTX-coated devices. The data regarding PTX efficacy and safety come from randomized controlled trials that almost exclusively enrolled patients with claudication. The outcomes of PTX treatment in patients who present with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) are unknown. This study compares long-term outcomes in patients with CLTI treated with and without PTX. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 983 patients with CLTI treated with femoropopliteal artery angioplasty, atherectomy, stent, or combination between 2011 and 2019. Procedures were performed with additional proximal or distal tibial interventions as needed. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and multivariable Cox-regression analysis compared overall survival (OS), amputation-free survival (AFS), freedom from major amputation (ff-MA), and freedom from target vessel revascularization (ff-TVR) between patients treated with and without PTX. Results Demographics, comorbidities, and Rutherford class were similar between 574 PTX (58.5%) and 409 non-PTX (41.6%) patients except that non-PTX patients were more likely to be male (56.2% vs 49.7%), dialysis dependent (19.6% vs 14.3%), and have higher average creatinine (2.3 vs 1.8 mg/dL). Through 4-year follow-up, the PTX group demonstrated a significant increase in OS (56.2% vs 43.9%, P = .013), AFS (52.6% vs 36.1%, P Conclusions In patients with CLTI, treatment with a PTX-coated device is associated with improved OS, AFS, ff-MA, and ff-TVR through 4-year follow-up. PTX-coated devices may be especially beneficial in patients who present with CLTI.
Substance Use: A Social Emergency Medicine Perspective

While substance use and substance use disorders (SUDs) are increasing in prevalence and severity throughout the United States, a minority of people with SUDs are in formal treatment. The ED is a key site of medical care for patients with SUDs and presents an important opportunity for SUD treatment initiation and linkage to care. Even in a brief clinical encounter, emergency clinicians can have a meaningful impact on patients’ lives through SUD screening and identification, provision of harm reduction services, initiation of and linkage to SUD treatment, and linkage to services to address unmet health-related social needs. SUDs have complex biopsychosocial components and a bidirectional relationship with social determinants of health. Therefore, a comprehensive approach to SUDs must include addressing health-related social needs. Partnering with community organizations, specialty societies, and policy makers, EDs and hospitals can work to address social determinants of health which are related to harmful substance use and present barriers to treatment initiation and retention. In this chapter, we describe a social emergency medicine approach to caring for people with SUDs in the ED, highlight model ED and health system initiatives to address SUD and social determinants of substance use, and outline key structural and social determinants of SUDs.
Celebrating 100 Years of the High-Temperature Energy, Materials, & Processes (H-TEMP) Division

The Electrochemical Society was formed in 1902, three years before Einstein published his Nobel-winning paper on the photoelectric effect, his paper on Brownian motion, and his earth-shaking paper on special relativity. The early years of the society did not include Technical Divisions, and only Technical Committees were established in 1915 to address very and only Technical Committees were established in 1915 to address very specif ic topics associated with electrochemical processes and materials. As the number of committees grew, ECS leaders decided to consolidate several the number of committees grew, ECS leaders decided to consolidate several into the Society's first Technical Division, the Electrothermics Division (which is today's High-Temperature Energy Materials & Processes or H-TEMP Division).
Using Wi-Fi Infrastructure to Predict Contacts During Pandemics

Wi-Fi log data can be used as an alternative to Bluetooth and other protocols to detect possible exposure to an infected person without requiring installation of specialized apps or changes to infrastructure. This paper summarizes examination of five increasingly complex approaches to predict individuals’ locations indoors and consequently predict exposure to infections: (N1) Common Wi-Fi access point; (N2) In the building at the same time; (PI) Location predicted from Wi-Fi coverage; (P2) Location predicted from Wi-Fi coverage and previous location; and (P3) Movement predicted from floorplan graph. Data for 12 study participants completing 158 simulated scenarios were collected. The data were further used to create synthetic exposure datasets with up to 1000 people in a building over an 8-hour period. Accuracy of five algorithms applied to predicting locations and contacts was examined. The best results were obtained from method P3 that achieved: recall 0.898 and confidence 0.24 in predicting locations, and AUC 0.86 in predicting contacts. These results indicated that for environments with enterprise Wi-Fi infrastructure through a building, predicting movement using Wi-Fi log data along with known floorplans can accurately predict exposures.
Pilot Program “Eating Healthy Living Healthy” in School Based Health Centers (SBHCs) - Combined Conventional and Integrative Approach

Background and Objectives: Adolescent obesity is widespread around the country. Among the behavioral factors responsible for high obesity rates are unhealthy eating patterns, high levels of stress, insufficient exercise, and poor sleep hygiene. “Eating Healthy Living Healthy” (EHLH) is a collaboration program between a health educator, a physical education teacher, and a nurse practitioner, developed as a pilot program in a School Based Health Center (SBHC) to address these factors. The motto “Small Steps to Big Change” reflects the main objective of this bilingual (Spanish/English), interdisciplinary program: helping teens transform …
Update in Exercise Testing

Clinical exercise testing expands from field tests such as six-minute walk testing, time up and go testing, and shuttle walk testing, to lab tests such as cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). Although these tests have been utilized in the clinical setting for nearly half a decade, the populations and uses for these tests are continually expanding. All of the exercise tests discussed have increased utilization in predicting postoperative outcomes; however, the six-minute walk test, timed up and go test, and shuttle walk test appear to have increased utility in populations with neurological and cognitive limitations; whereas the primary utility of CPET is in populations with cardiac and pulmonary disease.
The demand for and supply of accounting theories : the market for excuses

This paper addresses the questions of why accounting theories are predominantly normative and why no single theory is generally accepted. Accounting theories are analyzed as economic goods, produced in response to the demand for theories. The nature of the demand is examined, first in an unregulated, then in a regulated economy. Government regulation creates incentives for individuals to lobby on proposed accounting procedures, and accounting theories are useful justifications in the political lobbying. Further, government intervention produces a demand for a variety of theories, because each group affected by an accounting change demands a theory that supports its position. The diversity of positions prevents general agreement on a theory of accounting, and accounting theories are normative because they are used as excuses for political action (i.e., the political process creates demand for theories that prescribe, rather than describe, the world). The implications of the authors' theory for the changes in the accounting literature as a result of major changes in the institutional environment are compared with observed phenomena.
Spectral Stability of Deep Two‐Dimensional Gravity‐Capillary Water Waves

In this contribution we study the spectral stability problem for periodic traveling gravity-capillary waves on a two-dimensional fluid of infinite depth. We use a perturbative approach that computes the spectrum of the linearized water wave operator as an analytic function of the wave amplitude/slope. We extend the highly accurate method of Transformed Field Expansions to address surface tension in the presence of both simple and repeated eigenvalues, then numerically simulate the evolution of the spectrum as the wave amplitude is increased. We also calculate explicitly the first nonzero correction to the flat-water spectrum, which we observe to accurately predict the stability (or instability) for all amplitudes within the disk of analyticity of the spectrum. With this observation in mind, the disk of analyticity of the flat state spectrum is numerically estimated as a function of the Bond number and the Bloch parameter, and compared to the value of the wave slope at the first finite amplitude eigenvalue collision.
An improved optically imageable metastatic model of human colon cancer orthotopically implanted on the cecum

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 46, 2005 5670 We report here an improved colon cancer mouse model developed with surgical orthotopic implantation (SOI) of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing HCT-116 human colon cancer. Tumor fragments derived from subcutaneous growth of HCT116- GFP were implanted onto the cecum near the ascending colon. This procedure avoided tumor invasion to the abdominal wall of the implanted animals often seen when the tumor tissue was implanted on the ascending colon. The implantation site on the cecum near the ascending colon also eliminated intestinal obstruction that often occurred when the tumor was implanted on the ascending colon. The average lifespan of HCT116-tumor bearing mice was extended by this new transplantation site by approximately 2 weeks. Tumor growth, progression, and carcinomatosis could be readily visualized in real time in the live animal by use of GFP whole-body fluorescence imaging. The new model had a 100% take rate. The tumors metastasized to the mesentery lymph nodes (32%), liver (26%), and lung (11%). The micrometastatic lesions in the lymph nodes, liver, and lungs could be visualized by fluorescence microscopy. This imageable patient-like model should facilitate discovery and evaluation of novel therapeutics for colon cancer.
Managing Student Loan Default Risk: Evidence from a Privately Guaranteed Portfolio

This research models default development for a large proprietary dataset of private (nonfederally guaranteed) education loans extended to law school students in the early 1990s. Employing the statistical techniques of survival analysis and credit scoring, the study documents a pronounced seasoning effect for such loans and demonstrates the robust predictive power of credit bureau scoring of student borrowers. Other constructs found to be statistically predictive of default include school-of-attendance (or, alternatively, a measure of perceived school reputation), geographic location of attended school, and new attorney unemployment rate within certain regions. Although statistically predictive, these last constructs are of far less substantive importance in assessing credit risk than are the effects of portfolio seasoning and scoring (an ordinal measure of the risk of extending credit to an individual based upon their past credit behavior). The article challenges the prevailing approach to modeling student loan default (one that searches for “institutional” as well as “borrower” explanations) and suggests a return to the older, simpler banking paradigm of borrower willingness and borrower ability to repay.
Homosexuality, birth order, and evolution: toward an equilibrium reproductive economics of homosexuality.

The survival of a human predisposition for homosexuality can be explained by sexual orientation being a polygenetic trait that is influenced by a number of genes. During development these shift male brain development in the female direction. Inheritance of several such alleles produces homosexuality. Single alleles make for greater sensitivity, empathy, tendermindedness, and kindness. These traits make heterosexual carriers of the genes better fathers and more attractive mates. There is a balanced polymorphism in which the feminizing effect of these alleles in heterosexuals offsets the adverse effects. (on reproductive success) of these alleles' contribution to homosexuality. A similar effect probably occurs for genes that can produce lesbianism in females. The whole system survives because it serves to provide a high degree of variability among the personalities of offspring, providing the genotype with diversification and reducing competition among offspring for the same niches. An allele with a large effect can survive in these circumstances in males, but it is less likely to survive in females. The birth order effect on homosexuality is probably a by-product of a biological mechanism that shifts personalities more in the feminine direction in the later born sons, reducing the probability of these sons engaging in unproductive competition with each other.
A Spectral Analysis of the Energetics of the Stratospheric Sudden Warming of Early 1957

Abstract The spectral forms of tile energy equations for zonal and eddy kinetic energies and zonal and eddy available-potential energies are used to measure energy changes and energy conversions at 50 mb during the period 25 January–9 February 1957. The warming, which was of the bipolar type, could he divided into two phases, a first phase in which the meridional temperature gradient had its usual poleward direction at high latitudes and a second phase in which the gradient was reversed. During the first, or amplifying phase, the eddy energy increased and the energy of the zonal flow decreased, the decrease in zonal kinetic energy outweighing that of zonal available potential energy. The energy flow corresponded to that of a baroclinic instability. Zonal available-potential energy was transformed to eddy available-potential energy, eddy available-potential energy to eddy kinetic energy, and eddy kinetic energy to zonal kinetic energy. Indirect meridional circulations with descending motion in the middle l...
Isoflavones in Soy-Based Infant Formulas

Six of the major soy-based infant formulas marketed in the United States were assayed for their isoflavone levels. Samples were taken from the east coast, midwestern, and west coast regions of the ...
Coffee roasting acoustics

Cracking sounds emitted by coffee beans during the roasting process were recorded and analyzed to investigate the potential of using the sounds as the basis for an automated roast monitoring technique. Three parameters were found that could be exploited. Near the end of the roasting process, sounds known as “first crack” exhibit a higher acoustic amplitude than sounds emitted later, known as “second crack.” First crack emits more low frequency energy than second crack. Finally, the rate of cracks appearing in the second crack chorus is higher than the rate in the first crack chorus.
Lipid-Soluble Inhibitors of Dihydrofolate Reductase III: Quantitative Thin-Layer and High-Performance Liquid Chromatographic Methods for Measuring Plasma Concentrations of the Antifolate, 2,4-Diamino-6-(2,5- dimethoxybenzyl)-5-methylpyrido-[2,3-d]pyrimidine

Abstract Specific methods using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and thin-layer chromatography (TLC) for the analysis of the potent antifolate, 2,4-diamino-6-(2,5-dimethoxybenzyl)-5- methylpyrido-[2,3-dJpyrimidine (I) in plasma were developed. The HPLC system employed paired-ion chromatography using a mobile phase of water-acetonitrile (65:35, v/v) in conjunction with a reversed-phase C-l column and detection by UV absorbance measurement. The TLC system utilized a scanning densitometer operating in the reflectance mode with detection of I by fluorescence measurement. The lower limits of detection for the HPLC and TLC methods were ~ 0.005 μg/ml. The coefficients of variation for the measurement of drug concentrations over the range of 0.04-1.0 μg/ml of plasma were 5 and 6%, respectively.
Future Research Directions in Deep SubInergence Science

Deep ocean science is poised to enter a new millennium characterized by cooperation among scientists of many different disciplines who are seeking to gain an understanding of the complex linkages between physical, chemical, biological, and geological processes occurring at and beneath the ocean floor in the world oceans. This multidisciplinary imperative has been spurred by unprecedented advances in understanding the complexities and interdependence of these phenomena made possible through research that used deep submergence vehicles over the past two decades. Marine scientists of all disciplines are forecasting that the next decade will see even greater linkage between oceanographic disciplines. The need to understand the temporal dimension of the processes being studied will sustain continued use of deep ocean submersibles and utilization of newly developed, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) for conducting time-series and observatory-based research in the deep ocean and at the seafloor. These approaches will enable marine scientists to achieve a greater understanding of global processes and of climate change and geochemical mass balance. These same approaches will enable them to grapple with intriguing problems concerning the interrelated processes of crustal generation, evolution and transport of geochemical fluids in the crust and into the oceans, and origins and proliferation of life both on Earth and beyond.
Survival of Oriental Fruit Fly and Melon Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) Eggs Obi posited in Morphologically Defective Blossom End of Papaya Following Two-Stage Hot-Water Immersion Treatment

A survey was conducted to determine the survival rate (to adult stage) of eggs of oriental fruit fly ( Dacus dorsalis Hendel) and melon fly ( Dacus cucurbttae Coquillet) that were Obi posited in pinhole and navel blossom ends of defective papaya fruits and that survived the two-stage hot-water immersion (double-dip) quarantine treatment. Only eggs Obi posited in defective blossom end with holes extending all the way to the seed cavity reached the adult stage after the double-dip quarantine treatment. All eggs that were laid in incomplete holes and that survived the double-dip treatment died before becoming adults. I discuss several hypotheses that may explain the mechanism by which eggs oviposited in defective blossom ends were able to escape the lethal effect of the double-dip treatment. Relevance of these results to quarantine security provided by double-dip treatment and other treatments using heat (lethal high temperature) are discussed.
The Microclimates of the Arctic Tundra

Abstract The microclimates of the arctic tundra at Barrow, Alaska, are described for the near-surface terrestrial layers in which most biological activities take place. Temperature profiles are constructed from detailed measurements in the air, vegetation and soil, from 16 m above to 6 m below the tundra surface. Wind and radiation measurements supplement these data. Considering the tundra as a two-dimensional heat exchange surface, daily components of the heat balance are computed and summarized for a number of periods throughout the year, which are characterized by changes of the physical nature of the tundra surface such as appearance and disappearance of snow, meltwater and precipitation, and growth and decay of vegetation. Through changes in surface terrain parameters such as albedo and roughness length, and availability of water for phase changes, the thermal and moisture regimes of the near-surface layer change markedly during these periods as reflected by the heat balance.