cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Proliferative activity in non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. A comparison of the bromodeoxyuridine labeling index with PCNA immunostaining and quantitative image analysis.

Cellular proliferation is being evaluated as an independent prognostic indicator in a variety of tumors, including non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHL). Although the labeling index (LI), using cither tritiated thymidine or monoclonal antibodies to bromodeoxyuridine, is considered to be the gold standard of cell kinetic measurements, recent advances in the use of antibodies specific to cellular proliferating antigens and computer-based image analysis have potentially established a new technology for evaluating the growth fraction of NHL. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), a protein associated with DNA polymerase that is expressed only in the nuclei of cells actively synthesizing DNA, was quantitated in 46 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples of various types of NHL using the Cell Analysis Systems 200 image analyzer. The results were expressed as the percentage of nuclear area (%NA) positive for PCNA. These results were compared with the bromodeoxyuridine LI, and a correlation coefficient of 0.78 was calculated using first-order linear regression. An average positive NA of 8.2% for low-grade NHL, 32% for intermediate-grade, and 43% for high-grade NHL was observed. The potential advantages PCNA quantitation by image analysis may offer over LI are discussed.
Implementation of an elective course to introduce pharmaceutical sciences research

Abstract Objective To describe the design, implementation, and student perceptions of a pharmaceutical sciences research elective course in a three calendar-year modified block curriculum. Design A two-credit elective course was offered to second year (P2) students in an accelerated doctor of pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree program to provide research experience while focusing on problem solving and critical thinking skills. This 30-hour, 1-week long course with five different tracks was delivered using interactive lectures, group discussion, conducting laboratory experiments, and literature review. A survey was administered anonymously to collect student perceptions about the course. Assessment Formative and summative assessments, as well as student perceptions were used to assess the student satisfaction and knowledge. A midpoint evaluation was given at the end of day 3, and a summative assessment was administered in form of a written report at the end of day 5. Students reported a high degree of satisfaction with the course, indicating that the course was well-designed and implemented. Conclusion A structured and organized introduction to the research laboratory will provide pharmacy students with meaningful experience in the pharmaceutical sciences and help them interpret the scientific literature better. The course is a successful way of introducing students to laboratory research in pharmaceutical sciences.
Sensitivity design on reliability of mechanical components with abnormal random parameters

Let the reliability designing theory be combined with the sensibility analytical method and using the fourth ordered moment technique,the calculation method of sensitivity design of reliability based on the fourth ordered moment was put forward.The sensitivity designing problems of reliability of mechanical components that possesses non-normal random parameters was discussed.The variation rule of reliability sensitivity was presented.The influence of variation of designing parameters on the reliability of mechanical components has been studied,thus provided theoretical basis for the reliability design of mechanical components.
Surgery following response to interferon-α-based therapy for residual renal cell carcinoma

AbstractThe role of aggressive surgery for metastatic renal cancer in the era of biological therapy is not clear. Therefore, we reviewed 17 patients who, between February 1987 and August 1990, underwent surgical resection of residual masses following initial response to interferon-α-based therapy. Viable tumor persisted in 15 patients (88%), whereas only inflammatory response was detected in 2. Of the patients 11 (65%) remained disease-free at a median of 12 months postoperatively (range 5 to 29), with an overall median survival of 26 months (range 6 to 34) from treatment initiation. These data suggest that surgery may be of therapeutic benefit in select patients with renal cell carcinoma who do not meet traditional criteria for surgical resection. Prospective trials are being performed to determine whether there is a role for aggressive surgical resection of persistent disease in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma who have previously responded to interferon-α-based therapy.
Younger Dryas-Aged Fluting, Cold, and Time Budgeting in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains

We argue that variation in Younger Dryas-aged fluting in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains was primarily conditioned by cold-mediated time budgeting concerns. Foragers that lived in cold environments had more time to flute projectile points during prolonged periods of downtime relative to those in warmer, southerly environments. We show that fluting meets the expectations of a time budgeting model because (a) its frequency is negatively correlated with temperature and (b) it was most often executed in interior spaces, presumably during prolonged periods of downtime. Aided by a channel flake use wear study, we conclude that fluting was not functional in a purely economic sense. Rather, it was a form of practice, enacted by those for whom wasting time was of little concern.
Duration of left ventricular assist device support affects transplant survival.

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular assist devices have become an important tool in the successful treatment of heart failure as bridges to transplantation. The optimal duration of device support before heart transplantation is debated. We report the effect of left ventricular device support duration on survival after heart transplantation. METHODS: All patients bridged to heart transplantation with the ThermoCardiosystems Heartmate 1,000 IP left ventricular assist device between January 1, 1986, and October 15, 1994, were included in our study. Parameters studied included duration of support, measures of end-organ function, and complications while supported with the device. Patients supported 30 days before undergoing transplantation. RESULTS: Patients supported for 30 days (p = 0.031). Laboratory values of end-organ function were similar before left ventricular device insertion in both groups, although at the time of transplantation patients supported 30 days (p 30 days had significantly more infections than the 30 days with left ventricular assist devices have improved post-transplant perioperative survival because of normalization of end-organ function and improved physiologic status secondary to aggressive physical rehabilitation. Patients should be supported for > 30 days in combination with physical rehabilitation, to improve early survival after heart transplantation.
Criterion-referenced Language Testing: Validity of criterion-referenced tests

Introduction Traditionally, validity has been defined as “the degree to which a test measures what it claims, or purports, to be measuring” (Brown, 1996, p. 231). For example, if a criterion-referenced test is designed to measure the objectives of a specific course, the validity of the test could be defended by showing that the test is indeed measuring those objectives. Naturally, making such arguments from a number of perspectives will be more convincing to you and other users of the tests. The perspectives that have traditionally been most useful for studying the validity of criterion-referenced tests are content validity and construct validity. Each of these validity strategies will be defined and discussed in turn in the sections that follow. In addition, ample examples will be provided to help illustrate how these concepts are applied in practice and how they can be combined. Recently, expanded views of what validity ought to include have begun to surface in the educational measurement literature. Chief among the proponents of such expanded views are Messick and Cronbach. Messick (1988) discusses the evidential and consequential bases of test interpretation and use, and Cronbach (1988) covers the functional, political, economic, and explanatory perspectives on test validity. We feel that the considerations suggested by Messick and Cronbach may be especially important for criterion-referenced tests. This is particularly true to the extent that validity is viewed as being concerned with the inferences that are made on the basis of test scores, rather than being any intrinsic quality of the particular test form itself.
Perceptions of Mobile Instant Messaging Apps Are Comparable to Texting for Young Adults in the United States

In recent years, text messaging (“texting”) has become the dominant method of communication for young adults. This prevalence of texting has led to research exploring the beneficial and detrimental...
THE CARBON MONOXIDE OXIDATION ON A PLATINUM CATALYST

Oxidation of carbon monoxide on a silica-supported platinum catalyst was studied from 438° to 483°K, from 0.7 to 2.1 Torr carbon monoxide, and from 0.1 to 0.6 Torr oxygen in a differential flow reactor. The amount of chemisorbed CO was monitored during reaction by infrared transmission spectroscopy. Transitions were observed between two kinetic regimes — one characterized by moderate rates and nearly full CO surface coverage; the other, by higher rates and low surface coverage.
Paleoecology and Taphonomy of Fossil Localities in the Manonga Valley, Tanzania

One of the major objectives of paleontological fieldwork in the Manonga Valley has been to obtain data that would be relevant for reconstructing the paleoecology and depositional setting of the fossil localities in the region (see Harrison & Mbago, this volume, Chapter 1). It is has become evident in recent years that a sound appreciation of the environmental context is of paramount importance in understanding observed changes in the adaptive strategies of individual mammalian lineages or in the structure of the faunal community in general. Information of this kind might contribute significantly, for example, to the proposal and testing of hypotheses or models that seek to understand the critical environmental factors that underlie the divergence and differentiation of the earliest hominids (see Harrison, this volume, Chapter 14). Traditionally, paleoanthropologists have viewed the unique specializations of hominids as adaptations to open country habitats, and this has led to the development of various scenarios in which human ancestors diverged from the forest-dwelling last common ancestor of the African hominoids by exploiting an entirely new set of resources that were available on the grasslands (see Brain, 1981; Vrba, 1985; Hill and Ward, 1988; Hill, 1994).
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with aortic dilation: a novel observation.

Aims Our goal was to identify the prevalence of aortic dilation in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), the most prevalent (0.2%) heritable, genetic cardiovascular disease. Aortic dilation also represents a spectrum of familial inheritance. However, data regarding the prevalence of aortic dilation in HCM patients is lacking. Methods and results This is an observational retrospective study of all patients referred to our HCM centre. Aortic dilation was defined based on recent American Society of Echocardiography and European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging published guidelines. Of the 201 HCM patients seen between Jan. 1, 2011 and March 31, 2014, 18 (9.0%) met the definition of aortic dilation. Mean age was 56.3 ± 9.3 years, 77.8% were male, mean ascending aorta diameter was 4.0 ± 0.4 cm in males and 3.8 ± 0.2 cm in females, mean sinuses of Valsalva diameter was 4.2 ± 0.2 cm in males and 3.8 ± 0.4 cm in females, and 13 (72.2%) had left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. HCM patients with dilated aorta were more likely males, less likely hypertensive and had larger left ventricle diameter and more aortic valve regurgitation; remaining characteristics were similar. Conclusion We report a novel observation with 9.0% prevalance of dilated aorta in HCM patients. Further studies are needed to help define the genetic and pathophysiologic basis as well as the clinical implications of this association in a larger group of HCM patients.
Compatibility Study of Nanofiltration and Reverse Osmosis Membranes with 1 Cyclohexylpiperidenium Bicarbonate Solutions

Abstract Any forward osmosis (FO) based water treatment process using a thermolytic draw solute requires a method to remove/recycle low concentrations of residual draw solute contained in the product water. For switchable polarity solvent forward osmosis (SPS FO) this means the removal of residual tertiary amines from the product water. This study explores membrane filtration of 1-cyclohexylpiperidenium bicarbonate (CHP-H2CO3) draw solute under conditions relevant to the SPS FO process. Fourteen commercially available nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) membranes were screened. Several NF membranes displayed good chemical compatibility at CHP-H2CO3 concentrations of 2.5 wt% or higher while maintaining fair selectivity, with flux normalized rejection of ~80–99% and flux normalized net driving pressure of 80–400 psi for the normalized flux of 20 LMH. Most sea water and brackish water RO membranes tested showed flux normalized rejection of above 98% and flux normalized net driving pressure of 300–900 psi. A two-pass NF/tap water (TW) RO system is proposed as an effective low-pressure method to remove residual CHP-H2CO3 from water.
Parent-Offspring Resemblance for Drinking Behaviors in a Longitudinal Twin Sample.

Objective:The purpose of the current study was to evaluate parent–offspring resemblance for alcohol consumption and dependence symptoms, including sex-specific effects, and how these patterns change across adolescence and early adulthood.Method:Three cohorts of twins were assessed longitudinally at five time points between ages 14 and 29 years, with parents directly assessed at intake, using structured interviews. Twin offspring and parents from the population-based Minnesota Twin Family Study were included for a total sample size of 3,762 offspring (52% female) and their parents. Alcohol use was measured using an index based on drinking quantity, frequency, maximum drinks, and number of intoxications. Alcohol dependence symptom counts were also used.Results:Parent–offspring correlations for alcohol consumption increased from age 14 (r = .12) to age 17 (r = .25), remained stable from ages 17 through 24, and then decreased slightly by age 29 (r = .19). Familial resemblance for symptoms of alcohol dependenc...
A review of rapid and field-portable analytical techniques for the diagnosis of cyanide exposure

Although commonly known as a highly toxic chemical, cyanide is also an essential reagent for many industrial processes in areas such as mining, electroplating and synthetic fiber production. The "heavy" use of cyanide in these industries, along with its necessary transportation, increases the possibility of human exposure. Another relatively common, but consistently overlooked, mode of cyanide exposure is inhalation of fire smoke. Both civilians and fire rescue personnel risk exposure during the unfortunate event of a structure fire. Additionally, fire rescue personnel risk long-term effects of habitual exposure throughout their careers in fire rescue. The relatively rapid onset of cyanide toxicity and the fact that cyanide exposure symptoms mimic other medical conditions necessitate a rapid, sensitive, portable, and accurate method for the diagnosis of cyanide exposure. This review focuses on the important issues concerning accurate point-of-care diagnosis of cyanide exposure and cyanide detection technologies that may allow a commercial cyanide exposure diagnostic to become a reality.
Frequency-dependent attenuation in eastern Kazakhstan and implications for seismic detection thresholds in the Soviet Union

Abstract The frequency-dependent attenuation of regional seismic phases recorded by three stations near the nuclear explosion test site in eastern Kazakhstan is estimated by inverting spectra from 21 events with magnitudes between 2.3 and 4.6 at distances between 200 and 1300 km. The Pn spectra are inverted between 1 and 10 Hz, and the Lg spectra are inverted between 0.5 and 2.5 Hz. The motivation for this study is that previous estimates of detection capability in the Soviet Union are based on data recorded in other regions (eastern North America and Scandinavia) and therefore have large uncertainty. The data recently recorded in eastern Kazakhstan provide an excellent opportunity to compare regional wave propagation and noise characteristics at these sites to conditions assumed in previous detection capability simulations. It is found that attenuation in eastern Kazakhstan is not much different from attenuation in Scandinavia, but it is greater than attenuation in eastern North America. This implies that estimates of detection thresholds that assume attenuation like that observed in eastern North America will be lower than estimates of detection thresholds that assume attenuation like that observed in eastern Kazakhstan or Scandinavia. However, it is not known how well data recorded in eastern Kazakhstan represent conditions in other areas of the Soviet Union.
CARBON COLONIALISM OR CLIMATE JUSTICE? INTERROGATING THE INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE REGIME FROM A TWAIL PERSPECTIVE

This article provides a TWAIL critique of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change [UNFCCC] in the aftermath of the 21st Conference of the Parties in Paris in December 2015. It engages with criticisms from the social and climate justice movement that the UNFCCC is promoting forms of “carbon colonialism” or “CO2lonialism” through its support for and establishment of international carbon trading and offsetting strategies. It proposes that using a jurisdictional approach to examine how the authority of the UNFCCC is authorized can provide key analytical tools to understand the regime. The article examines the way in which the regime is authorized by an invocation of “common concern” even as it promotes policies that marginalize the interests of those already most vulnerable to climate change. It concludes by suggesting that climate justice movements already are building different forms of commonality and that these alternative commonalties represent important new ways of thinking about global action on climate change.
Web Text-based Network Industry Classifications: Preliminary Results

Studies of market structure and product market competition are important in many disciplines, such as economics, finance, accounting and management. Reliable data for such studies is easily available for public firms (e.g., 10-K filings), but no reliable data exists for private firms. In this work we propose to mine the Internet Archive Wayback Machine, a digital archive of the World Wide Web, to build a database of 300,000 companies to support analyses of market structure, product market competition, and innovation. The goal of the WTNIC project is to download pages from the archive to build a profile for each company, and to use machine learning techniques to define similarity between companies based on similarity of their product and service offerings. This paper describes the challenges that must be overcome, our approach to overcome these challenges, and some preliminary results.
Predictors of Mental Health and Developmental Service Utilization Among Children Age Birth to 5 Years in Child Welfare: A Systematic Review

ABSTRACTChildren from age birth to 5 years in the child welfare system who experience trauma are at risk for mental health problems and developmental delays but often do not receive the service they need. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify research studies examining the prevalence of mental health and developmental needs among these children and the factors predicting mental health and developmental service use. Of the 1,147 studies screened, 38 were retained for full review with eight selected for systematic review. The results suggest that mental health need, developmental need, and child welfare placement are significant predictors of mental health and developmental service use. This study will contribute to developing implications for child welfare practice and research for early childhood development.
The temporal expression of adipokines during spinal fusion

Abstract Background Context Adipokines are secreted by white adipose tissue and have been associated with fracture healing. Our goal was to report the temporal expression of adipokines during spinal fusion in an established rabbit model. Purpose Our goal was to report the temporal expression of adipokines during spinal fusion in an established rabbit model. Study Design The study design included a laboratory animal model. Methods New Zealand white rabbits were assigned to either sham surgery (n=2), unilateral posterior spinal fusion (n=14), or bilateral posterior spinal fusion (n=14). Rabbits were euthanized 1–6 and 10 weeks out from surgery. Fusion was evaluated by radiographs, manual palpation, and histology. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction on the bone fusion mass catalogued the gene expression of leptin, adiponectin, resistin, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) at each time point. Results were normalized to the internal control gene, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase ( GAPDH ) (2^ΔCt), and control bone sites (2^ΔΔCt). Quantitative data were analyzed by two-factor analysis of variance (p Results Manual palpation scores, radiograph scores, and histologic findings showed progression of boney fusion over time (p Conclusions Leptin expression is likely associated with the maturation phase of bone fusion. Adiponectin and resistin may play a role early on during the fusion process. Our results suggest that leptin expression may be upstream of VEGF expression during spinal fusion, and both appear to play an important role in bone spinal fusion.
Oxidative Weathering Decreases Bioaccessibility of Toxic Metal(loid)s in PM10 Emissions From Sulfide Mine Tailings

Environmental contamination from legacy mine-waste deposits is a persistent problem due to the long history of hard-rock mining. Sulfide ore deposits can contain elevated levels of toxic metal(loid)s that, when mobilized by weathering upon O2 and H2O infusion, can result in groundwater contamination. Dry-climate and lack of vegetative cover result in near-surface pedogenic processes that produce fine-particulate secondary minerals that can be translocated as geo-dusts leading to ingestion or inhalation exposure in nearby communities. In this study, in vitro bioassays were combined with synchrotron-based x-ray spectroscopy and diffraction to determine the potential risk for toxic element release from dust (PM10) samples into biofluid simulants. PM10 were isolated from across the oxidative reaction front in the top meter of tailings subjected to 50 years of weathering under semi-arid climate, and introduced to synthetic gastric- and alveolar-fluids. Aqueous concentrations were measured as a function of reaction time to determine release kinetics. X-ray diffraction and absorption spectroscopy analyses were performed to assess associated changes in mineralogy and elemental speciation. In vitro bioaccessibility of arsenic and lead was highest in less-weathered tailings samples (80-110 cm) and lowest in samples from the sub-oxic transition zone (40-52 cm). Conversely, zinc release to biofluids was greatest in the highly-weathered near-surface tailings. Results indicate that bioaccessibility of As and Pb was controlled by (i) the solubility of Fe2+-bearing solids, (ii) the prevalence of soluble SO4 2-, and (iii) the presence of poorly-crystalline Fe(III) oxide sorbents, whereas Zn bioaccessibility was controlled by the pH-dependent solubility of the stable solid phase.
Human Capital and Intergenerational Mobility in U.S. Counties

With inequality returning to historically high levels, intergenerational mobility has attracted growing attention from policy makers and academics. The authors use recently published county-level data to study the determinants of intergenerational mobility, measured by income levels and teen birth rates. Following Solon’s mobility model, the authors study the impacts of public investment in human capital, returns to human capital, and taxation. The results show that better school quality and higher returns to education increase adult incomes and reduce teen birth rates for children from low-income families. By comparing counties within or adjacent to metropolitan areas to other counties, the authors find that urban upward mobility is sensitive to parents’ education, while nonurban upward mobility is sensitive to migration opportunities.
Design and Implementation of a Low-Cost, Portable OCT System

We present a low-cost (under $7,200), portable OCT system to improve ease of access outside of large eye centers. We demonstrate comparable imaging performance to current commercial OCT systems in ex vivo tissue samples.
Incidence and prevalence of antibody to hepatitis C virus in FDNY first responders before and after work at the World Trade Center disaster site.

BACKGROUND The goals of this study were to assess the impact of work at the World Trade Center (WTC) site in relation to new, post-9/11/2001 (9/11) antibody to hepatitis C Virus (anti-HCV); and, evaluate secular trends in WTC-exposed male Fire Department of New York City (FDNY) Firefighters and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) responders. METHODS FDNY monitors responder health through physical exams and routine blood work. We used descriptive statistics to compare trans-9/11 and post-9/11 incidence and to assess trends in prevalence from 2000 to 2012. RESULTS Trans-9/11 incidence of new anti-HCV was 0.42 per 100 persons compared with post-9/11 incidence of 0.34 (P = 0.68). Overall seroprevalence was 1.3%; rates declined from 1.79 per 100 to 0.49 per 100 over time (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Work at the WTC was not associated with new infection. Biennial seroprevalence in responders declined over time, supporting the FDNY decision to discontinue routine annual testing in this cohort.
Cyclic AMP Activated Protein Kinase Activity in the Thyroid

Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) increases adenyl cyclase activity in the thyroid that in turn leads to increased production of cyclic AMP. Protein kinase activity has been demonstrated in the thyroid as part of a broad survey, which found cyclic AMP-dependent kinase activity in a variety of mammalian tissues as well as in eight different invertebrate phyla. When a preparation of inactivated kinase from reticulocytes or muscle is ultracentrifuged on a continuous sucrose density gradient, the peaks of kinase and cyclic AMP binding are found superimposed. A technique used to study the differences between the two cyclic AMP-stimulated peaks of kinase activity is partial heat inactivation. The results on peak A show a progressive decrease in kinase activity with and without cyclic AMP. The studies on the protein kinase activity in thyroid supernate by DEAE chromatography show three peaks of activity with different pH optima.
Parent-To-Parent Interactive Transition Information Session: Sharing Information on Transition Services From High School to Post-Secondary Experiences

Parents of high school aged children with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities sometimes experience fear and anxiety associated with transition of children to post-­‐secondary programs. Most information is disseminated to these parents from local education agency staff, including: special education teachers, transition specialists and administrators. This project examined the effects of a parent-­‐to-­‐parent interactive session on knowledge and perspectives of parents in transition. Parents of youth (ages 14-­‐20) who are diagnosed as having moderate to severe intellectual disabilities who live in the school boundaries of the high school within which the researcher teaches were part of this study. A group of four parents who have recently experienced the transition process (post-­‐transition group) shared information on transition and post-­‐secondary programs to a group of 16 parents who will soon be going through the transition process (pre-­‐transition group). The pre-­‐transition parent group served as the participants in this study. The knowledge of the participants was measured using a survey given before and after the parent-­‐to-­‐parent interactive transition information session. Results showed that all of the participants recorded an increase in knowledge gained on transition items and a clearer understanding of specific programs and transition information based on analysis of post-­‐test responses. The results of this study showcased a potentially effective way to share post-­‐secondary transition information from the parent perspective.
Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria; a classic description by Paul Strübling in 1882, and a bibliography of the disease.

1. The history of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria is reviewed, and attention is called to four case reports published in the 19th century. A bibliography of the disease is appended. 2. The outstanding work of Paul Strubing is reviewed. Strubing identified paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria as a disease entity in 1882 but failed to give it a distinctive name. He described the disease with great accuracy, calling particular attention to the part played by sleep in precipitating the paroxysms. He cited earlier reports of nocturnal hemoglobinuria and by provocative tests differentiated the disease from the other paroxysmal hemoglobinurias. On the basis of his observations he proposed theories regarding the pathogenesis of the disease which have now been shown to be remarkably accurate.
Clinical pharmacology of proton pump inhibitors: what the practising physician needs to know.

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) [omeprazole, lansoprazole, pantoprazole, rabeprazole and esomeprazole] are widely utilised for the treatment of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, as well as other acid-related disorders. All PPIs suppress gastric acid secretion by blocking the gastric acid pump, H+/K+-adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), but the physicochemical properties of these drugs result in variations in the degree of acid suppression, as well as the speed of onset of acid inhibition. Such differences may impact on the clinical performance of PPIs, and this manuscript discusses data that may help clinicians choose between the available PPIs for specific clinical situations and indications. The characteristics of PPIs that have been developed subsequent to omeprazole offer several advantages over this prototype PPI, particularly with respect to the onset of acid suppression and reduced potential for inter-individual pharmacokinetic variation and drug interactions. Newer agents inhibit H+/K+-ATPase more rapidly than omeprazole and emerging clinical data support potential clinical benefits resulting from this pharmacological property. Although key pharmacokinetic parameters (time to maximum plasma concentration and elimination half-life) do not differ significantly among PPIs, differences in the hepatic metabolism of these drugs can produce inter-patient variability in acid suppression, in the potential for pharmacokinetic drug interactions and, quite possibly, in clinical efficacy. All PPIs undergo significant hepatic metabolism. Because there is no direct toxicity from PPIs, there is minimal risk from the administration of any of them — even to patients with significant renal or hepatic impairment. However, there are significant genetic polymorphisms for one of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoenzymes involved in PPI metabolism (CYP2C19), and this polymorphism has been shown to substantially increase plasma levels of omeprazole, lansoprazole and pantoprazole, but not those of rabeprazole. Hepatic metabolism is also a key determinant of the potential for a given drug to be involved in clinically significant pharmacokinetic drug interactions. Omeprazole has the highest risk for such interactions among PPIs, and rabeprazole and pantoprazole appear to have the lowest risk. Thus, whereas all PPIs have been shown to be generally effective and safely used for the treatment of acid-mediated disorders, there are chemical, pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic differences among these drugs that may make certain ones more, or less, suitable for treating different patient subgroups. Of course, the absolute magnitude of risk from any PPI in terms of drug-drug interactions is probably low — excepting interactions occurring as class effects related to acid suppression (e.g. increased digoxin absorption or inability to absorb ketoconazole).
Infant motor skill predicts later expressive language and autism spectrum disorder diagnosis.

Abstract Motor difficulties may be an early Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) risk indicator and may predict subsequent expressive language skills. Further understanding of motor functioning in the first year of life in children with ASD is needed. We examined motor skills in 6-month-olds (n = 140) at high and low familial risk for ASD using the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales (Grasping, Visual-Motor Integration, and Stationary subscales). In Study 1, motor skill at 6 months predicted ASD status at 24–36 months; ASD was associated with poorer infant motor skills. In Study 2, motor skill at 6 months predicted expressive language at 30 and 36 months. Findings provide evidence that vulnerability in motor function early in development is present in ASD. Findings highlight the importance of developmental monitoring in high-risk infants and possible cascading effects of early disruption in motor development.
HPV-driven oropharyngeal cancer: current knowledge of molecular biology and mechanisms of carcinogenesis

Understanding of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma has significantly progressed over the last decades, and the concept that this disease can be subdivided into two distinct entities based on human papilloma virus (HPV) status has gained acceptance. To combat the constantly growing epidemic of HPV+ oropharyngeal cancer, further investigation and characterization the unique features of the disease, along with the development and implementation of new, targeted therapies, is crucial. In this review, we summarize the etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and molecular characteristics of HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.
Off-label versus on-label prescribing of oral oncology agents on time to receipt of medication in patients with soft tissue sarcoma.

PurposeOff-label prescribing of oral oncology agents has been explored in the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma. The time for a prior authorization approval or rejection for an off-label use can be ...
Behind the bookcase: Houdini the collector

According to one legend, it all started with a squabble over a bookcase. In the early 1920s, a large antique breakfront bookcase went up for auction and caught the eye of New York lawyer and theatr...
Ultrastrong coupling of vibrationally dressed organic Frenkel excitons with Bloch surface waves in a one-sided all-dielectric structure

We demonstrate a transition from weak, to strong, to ultrastrong coupling of Frenkel molecular excitons and Bloch surface wave photons at room temperature using a one-sided, all-dielectric optical structure. The all-dielectric structure comprises an organic semiconductor thin film on the surface of a distributed Bragg reflector. We investigate the evolution of multiple vibronic polariton branches and their dominant absorption peaks as a function of coupling and in-plane momentum, which is absent in previous ultrastrong coupling systems. Measurements are interpreted using both the transfer matrix method and a coupled-oscillator model without the rotating wave approximation. The dependence of Rabi splitting on the number of excitons and electrical field amplitude is also modeled showing a transition to ultrastrong coupling at film thicknesses $\ensuremath{\ge}50$ nm. This low-loss polaritonic structure enables us to study phenomena such as organic exciton-polariton dynamics, ultralong range polariton propagation, and high efficiency energy transport in the ultrastrong coupling regime at room temperature.
Solvent-efficient thin-layer chromatographic method for the determination of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2 in corn and peanut products : collaborative study

An interlaboratory study of a solvent-efficient thin-layer chromatographic (TLC) method for the determination of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2 was conducted in laboratories located in the United States, France, Tunisia, and Denmark. Eighteen artificially contaminated samples plus blanks of raw peanuts and peanut butter and corn containing varying amounts of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2 were distributed to participating laboratories. The method consists of elements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Contaminants Branch (CB) (AOAC Method 968.22) and FDA, Best Foods (BF) (AOAC Method 970.45) methods with reduced requirements for solvents. Participating laboratories used either visual or densitometric techniques during the final determinative step. Statistical analysis of the data was performed to determine or confirm outliers and to compute repeatability and reproducibility of the method using either visual or densitometric techniques for the determinative step. Reported results from laboratories using a densitometer showed that, for corn, the relative standard deviation for repeatability (RSDr) for aflatoxin B1 ranged from 56.6 to 41.7% for contamination levels ranging from 5 to 50 ng/g. For raw peanuts and peanut butter, the RSDr values for aflatoxin B1 ranged from 21.3 to 37.3% and 65.9 to 42.1%, respectively, for the contamination levels ranging from 5 to 25 ng/g. RSDr ranges for aflatoxins B2, G1, and G2 were similar. For reproducibility (R), the RSDR ranges for aflatoxin B1 were 41.7-56.6%, 56.6-84.8%, and 26.4-37.3% for corn, peanut butter, and raw peanuts, respectively. Average recoveries for all aflatoxins at all levels were 95.3, 139.0, and 95.6% for corn, peanut butter, and raw peanuts, respectively. When analysts determined aflatoxin concentrations in corn by visual comparison to standards, the RSDr values for aflatoxin B1 were 47.8-11.4% for contamination levels ranging from 5 to 50 ng/g. For raw peanuts and peanut butter, the RSDr values for aflatoxin B1 were 76.3-12.6% and 33.4-8.8%, respectively, for the contamination levels ranging from 5 to 25 ng/g. RSDr values for aflatoxins B2, G1, and G2 were similar. The RSDR values for aflatoxin B1 were 34.6-90.2%, 45.5-59.3%, and 31.8-78.3% for corn, peanut butter, and raw peanuts, respectively. Average recoveries for all aflatoxins at all levels were 111.0, 157.6, and 92.3% for corn, peanut butter, and raw peanuts, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
A Retrospective Study of Hospital Recidivism Among Patients with Alcohol Use Disorders Treated with Intramuscular Naltrexone.

Introduction Alcohol use disorder is a chronic, relapsing condition that is associated with compulsive alcohol use and loss of control of alcohol intake. It is a common problem in the hospital setting. It has also become a public health dilemma. This study seeks to analyze the benefit of long-acting naltrexone. This well-studied agent is indicated for alcohol use disorder. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study between July 1, 2016, and October 31, 2017, using Meditech's Pharmacy Admission Report (MPAR), which is the community hospital's network's electronic medical record (EMR) system as the data source "alcohol use disorders" covers a broad spectrum of sub-diagnoses. The patients were selected after they were admitted with a primary diagnosis of alcohol abuse dependence (APDRG v34code). Results The readmission rate in the study population (intramuscular naltrexone) was 2.86% and readmission in the control population (standard of care) was 25.70%. Patients diagnosed with alcohol abuse dependence are at a significantly decreased risk for readmission if treated with intramuscular naltrexone (odds ratio (OR) 8.5%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.0115, 0.6300; p=0.0159). Conclusion This study showed that treating patients admitted under the diagnosis of alcohol abuse dependence with intramuscular naltrexone may be an effective intervention in reducing hospital readmission. Additional studies are warranted to clarify and establish optimal treatment strategies.
Design of a Fully Actuated Robotic Hand With Multiple Gelsight Tactile Sensors.

This work details the design of a novel two finger robot gripper with multiple Gelsight based optical-tactile sensors covering the inner surface of the hand. The multiple Gelsight sensors can gather the surface topology of the object from multiple views simultaneously as well as can track the shear and tensile stress. In addition, other sensing modalities enable the hand to gather the thermal, acoustic and vibration information from the object being grasped. The force controlled gripper is fully actuated so that it can be used for various grasp configurations and can also be used for in-hand manipulation tasks. Here we present the design of such a gripper.
A materialist conception of the lifeworld: Enzo Paci's social phenomenology of technology and the environment

Abstract Enzo Paci offers a critical phenomenology of the human-technology-environment interface. Revisiting Paci makes two contributions: (1) a critical social phenomenology of technology and (2) a conception of the lifeworld as environment-dependent. Birthed from a conversation between Husserl and Marx, his theory of the lifeworld as need and the satisfaction of need directs attention to humanity's necessary interaction with the environment as well as an understanding of techniques as means to satisfy needs in historically specific social contexts. “Technistic alienation” occurs when these techniques dominate their authors, from the atomic bomb to industrial labor, and their consciousness - for instance, when misplaced science is used to justify unjust social conditions. “Intentional technology” refers to the potential of “returning” technology to its authors to formulate a rational society.
Bourdon, Jeffrey Normand, From Garfield to Harding: The Success of Midwestern Front Porch Campaigns: Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 200 pp., $29.95, ISBN 978-1-60635-380-6, Publication Date: November 2019

The frenetic pace of modern presidential campaigns, with candidates making frequent visits to key states over a lengthy campaign season, is such a fixture of modern American politics that it can be...
Black phosphorus photoconductive terahertz antenna: 3D modeling and experimental reference comparison

This paper presents a 3D model of a terahertz photoconductive antenna (PCA) using black phosphorus, an emerging 2D anisotropic material, as the semiconductor layer. This work aims at understanding the potential of black phosphorus (BP) to advance the signal generation and bandwidth of conventional terahertz (THz) PCAs. The COMSOL Multiphysics package, based on the finite element method, is utilized to model the 3D BP PCA emitter using four modules: the frequency domain RF module to solve Maxwell’s equations, the semiconductor module to calculate the photocurrent, the heat transfer in solids module to calculate the temperature variations, and the transient RF module to calculate the THz radiated electric field pulse. The proposed 3D model is computationally intensive where the PCA device includes thin layers of thicknesses ranging from nano- to microscale. The symmetry of the configuration was exploited by applying the perfect electric and magnetic boundary conditions to reduce the computational domain to only one quarter of the device in the RF module. The results showed that the temperature variation due to the conduction of current induced by the bias voltage increased by only 0.162 K. In addition, the electromagnetic power dissipation in the semiconductor due to the femtosecond laser source showed an increase in temperature by 0.441 K. The results show that the temperature variations caused the peak of the photocurrent to increase by ∼3.4% and ∼10%, respectively, under a maximum bias voltage of 1 V and average laser power of 1 mW. While simulating the active area of the antenna provided accurate results for the optical and semiconductor responses, simulating the thermal effect on the photocurrent requires a larger computational domain to avoid false rise in temperature. Finally, the simulated THz signal generation electric field pulse exhibits a trend in increasing the bandwidth of the proposed BP PCA compared with the measured pulse of a reference commercial LT-GaAs PCA. Enhancing signal generation and bandwidth will improve THz imaging and spectroscopy for biomedical and material characterization applications.
State-level Google search volumes for neck and shoulder pain correlate with psychosocial and behavioral health indicators.

Abstract Background There is growing interest in passively-generated online search data for health sciences research, but limited use to address musculoskeletal illness. Questions/purposes (1) To determine geographic and seasonal patterns in Google queries for shoulder, knee, hip, and neck pain across the United States, and (2) to quantify the state-level correlation of the volume of online symptom searches with rates of various population health indicators. Methods Using Google trends, we identified queries for shoulder, knee, hip, and neck pain in every state of the United States during 2018. We assessed the correlation of state-level Google search volumes with 9 population health indicators extracted from the 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey: tobacco use, obesity, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, depression, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, participation in physical activities, and college education. Results Neck and shoulder pain were the most common queries in most Southern states, while knee pain was generally the top query elsewhere. Queries for neck and shoulder pain peaked during the late fall and winter, while searches for knee and hip pain peaked in the spring. State-level search volumes for shoulder and neck pain correlated closely with all health indicators––particularly with tobacco use, obesity, cardiovascular disease, hyperlipidemia, participation in physical activities and college education. The only strong correlation of hip pain queries was with self-reported prevalence of arthritis. Knee pain queries were not associated with any of the studied health indicators. Conclusion This study highlights the potential of search engine data to be utilized as population-level health indicators. The state-level correlation of psychosocial and behavioral health indicators with online search volumes for neck and shoulder pain may reflect the influence of mental and social health on the experience of pain.
Protein-based condensation mechanisms drive the assembly of RNA-rich P granules

Germ granules are protein-RNA condensates that segregate with the embryonic germline. In Caenorhabditis elegans embryos, germ (P) granule assembly requires MEG-3, an intrinsically disordered protein that forms RNA-rich condensates on the surface of PGL condensates at the core of P granules. MEG-3 is related to the GCNA family and contains an N-terminal disordered region (IDR) and a predicted ordered C-terminus featuring an HMG-like motif (HMGL). We find that MEG-3 is a modular protein that uses its IDR to bind RNA and its C-terminus to drive condensation. The HMGL motif mediates binding to PGL-3 and is required for co-assembly of MEG-3 and PGL-3 condensates in vivo. Mutations in HMGL cause MEG-3 and PGL-3 to form separate condensates that no longer co-segregate to the germline or recruit RNA. Our findings highlight the importance of protein-based condensation mechanisms and condensate-condensate interactions in the assembly of RNA-rich germ granules.