cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Grand-canonical simulation of DNA condensation with two salts, effect of divalent counterion size

The problem of DNA- DNA interaction mediated by divalent counterions is studied using a generalized grand-canonical Monte-Carlo simulation for a system of two salts. The effect of the divalent counterion size on the condensation behavior of the DNA bundle is investigated. Experimentally, it is known that multivalent counterions have strong effect on the DNA condensation phenomenon. While tri- and tetra-valent counterions are shown to easily condense free DNA molecules in solution into toroidal bundles, the situation with divalent counterions is not as clear cut. Some divalent counterions like Mg(+2) are not able to condense free DNA molecules in solution, while some like Mn(+2) can condense them into disorder bundles. In restricted environment such as in two dimensional system or inside viral capsid, Mg(+2) can have strong effect and able to condense them, but the condensation varies qualitatively with different system, different coions. It has been suggested that divalent counterions can induce attraction between DNA molecules but the strength of the attraction is not strong enough to condense free DNA in solution. However, if the configuration entropy of DNA is restricted, these attractions are enough to cause appreciable effects. The variations among different divalent salts might be due to the hydration effect of the divalent counterions. In this paper, we try to understand this variation using a very simple parameter, the size of the divalent counterions. We investigate how divalent counterions with different sizes can lead to varying qualitative behavior of DNA condensation in restricted environments. Additionally, a grand canonical Monte-Carlo method for simulation of systems with two different salts is presented in detail.
Magnetic bearing control using fuzzy logic

Presented in this paper is a fuzzy logic approach to improve the performance of a magnetic bearing control system. Classical, linear design techniques are most often used to control the natural instability of these bearings, but magnetic nonlinearities limit control effectiveness and the region of stable performance. Therefore, the idea here is to adjust the linear controller signal in such a way that nonlinear effects are better compensated. The relationships of attractive force to the electromagnet currents and air gap are described and compensated using fuzzy principles, rather than a precise model-based control approach. Computer simulations are used to confirm that a fuzzy description of nonlinear compensation does indeed improve system performance, without requiring an exact model of the bearing nonlinearities.
The Insanity Defense: Nine Myths That Will Not Go Away

Writing about the insanity defense over a quarter of a century ago, the author of this chapter stated: "Until we 'unpack' the empirical and social myths that underlie our misconceptions about the insane and the insanity defense and hold us in a paralytic thrall, we cannot begin to move forward." Some five years later, he began a full-length book on the insanity defense by alleging, "Our insanity defense jurisprudence is incoherent." Five years after that, he concluded that "we as a society remain fixated on the insanity defense as a symbol of all that is wrong with the criminal justice system and as a source of social and political anger." Returning to this issue two years ago, he concluded that "nothing has happened in the intervening decade to lead me to change my mind." The myths have stayed with us, and we willfully blind ourselves to the empirical and behavioral realities.At the roots of this incoherence and fixation is our nation's irrational belief system in a series of myths about the defense, each of which has been discredited, yet each of which continues to dominate political and social discourse. Multiple scholars have identified these "epic myths", but their power still controls the debate. Simply put, the valid and reliable research on the insanity defense contradicts most of the "commonly-held beliefs" about the defense's usage.There are multiple reasons for this disconnect between myth and reality. We cannot understand the insanity defense unless we look at it through the cognitive psychology construct of "heuristics," that is, the way that we seek to simplify information-processing tasks by privileging the vivid, negative, accessible anecdote, and by subordinating the factual, the logical, the statistical, the rational. One single vivid, memorable case overwhelms mountains of abstract, colorless data upon which rational choices should be made. Empirical studies reveal jurors' susceptibility to the use of these devices. Furthermore, we cannot understand the insanity defense unless we come to grips with the meretricious allure of a false "ordinary common sense" (OCS) that has long pervaded, and poisoned, our jurisprudence in this area. OCS is self-referential and non-reflective: "I see it that way, therefore everyone sees it that way; I see it that way, therefore that's the way it is."This chapter will consider the political/social myths that continue to dominate the insanity defense conversation, will present the empirical realities that refute each and every one of these myths, will briefly consider these issues through the lens of therapeutic jurisprudence, and will offer some conclusions as to why these myths continue to so hold us in thrall.
Explanatory Models and Illness Experience of People Living with HIV.

Research into explanatory models of disease and illness typically explores people’s conceptual understanding, and emphasizes differences between patient and provider models. However, the explanatory models framework of etiology, time and mode of onset of symptoms, pathophysiology, course of sickness, and treatment is built on categories characteristic of biomedical understanding. It is unclear how well these map onto people’s lived experience of illness, and to the extent they do, how they translate. Scholars have previously studied the experience of people living with HIV through the lenses of stigma and identity theory. Here, through in-depth qualitative interviews with 32 people living with HIV in the northeast United States, we explored the experience and meanings of living with HIV more broadly using the explanatory models framework. We found that identity reformation is a major challenge for most people following the HIV diagnosis, and can be understood as a central component of the concept of course of illness. Salient etiological explanations are not biological, but rather social, such as betrayal, or living in a specific cultural milieu, and often self-evaluative. Given that symptoms can now largely be avoided through adherence to treatment, they are most frequently described in terms of observation of others who have not been adherent, or the resolution of symptoms following treatment. The category of pathophysiology is not ordinarily very relevant to the illness experience, as few respondents have any understanding of the mechanism of pathogenesis in HIV, nor much interest in it. Treatment has various personal meanings, both positive and negative, often profound. For people to engage successfully in treatment and live successfully with HIV, mechanistic explanation is of little significance. Rather, positive psychological integration of health promoting behaviors is of central importance.
Bevacizumab for retinopathy of prematurity: An update

R remains a major cause of childhood blindness worldwide. The smallest, sickest infants develop the most severe cases of ROP that may not be successfully treated by near confluent laser to the avascular retina (current standard of care). There is increased survival of very small preterm infants in hospitals with few neonatologists not optimally equipped to monitor oxygen or inadequate numbers of ophthalmologists to screen and treat ROP. An understanding of ROP pathogenesis with emphasis on proper timing of administration, knowledge of systemic pharmacokinetics of available vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors, evidence of lack of local ocular toxicity utilizing human histopathology following intravitreal bevacizumab injection, and awareness of possible systemic toxicity related to vascular thrombosis especially during development in vulnerable preterm infants are essential. Efficacy was reported for a single dose of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) compared to conventional laser therapy (CLT) in zone I and posterior zone II in the N Engl. J Med 2011;364(7):603-27. Refractive outcomes at age 2 years are available comparing IVB and CLT in 82% of surviving infants who have not had recurrence or complications requiring intraocular surgery. Characteristics of recurrence, especially in zone I cases, are predictable, recognizable, and treatable by one additional dose of IVB. Local complications are largely preventable in the NICU by employing topical anesthesia, restraining the infant appropriately, attending carefully to sterile technique, fixating the eye securely, and utilizing a needle of appropriate length and gauge. Systemic complications have not been reported, but long term safety has not been established. Helen A. Mintz-Hittner, Clinic Pharmacol Biopharmaceut 2013, 2:3 http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2167-065X.S1.002
Large polyoxotitanate clusters: well-defined models for pure-phase TiO2 structures and surfaces.

Careful control of the temperature and duration of the reaction between titanium tert-butoxide and acetic acid leads to the formation of new polyoxotitanate clusters with 14, 18, and 28 Ti atoms. They are considered intermediates in the growth of Ti/O nanoclusters of increasing size. The Ti28 cluster is the largest crystallized to date. UV/vis spectroscopy on this cluster reveals that the optical band gap is blue-shifted with respect to a cluster containing only 17 titanium atoms indicating that the optical properties are more heavily influenced by the internal structure of the particle than its size.
EXPERIENCE WITH WEARABLE CARDIOVERTER-DEFIBRILLATOR IN NON-ISCHEMIC CARDIOMYOPATHY: A NATIONAL DATABASE ANALYSIS

The implantable Cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is an effective treatment for patients with persistent, drug-refractory non-ischemic cardiomyopathies (NI-CM) at risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) due to sustained ventricular arrhythmias (VAs). The wearable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (WCD) is often
Global Airline Networks: Comparative Nodal Access Measures

AbstractOne strategy for making sense of airline network complexity is to assess the empirical network against an appropriate benchmark. The purpose of this paper is to develop and use well known measurements of betweenness and to deploy them in the context of airline transportation nets. The paper demonstrates some structural differences that emerge in larger networks. Selected extreme values are computed, as benchmarks, from a hypothetical ideal hub network. Actual values are shown to largely comport with these expectations, but there are numerous and interesting exceptions.
Improving the robustness of the smart grid using a multi-objective key player identification approach

The smart grid interconnects a power grid (network) and a communication network, and enables bi-directional flow of electricity and information. To prevent the cascading failures which occur when the disruptions in one network cause disruptions in the other network, robustness should be enhanced by increasing the number of links (edges) between the power grid and the information flow network. Given a budget which constrains the number of new links that can be added to ‘strengthen’ the network, the best strategy to determine where to add those new links remains an open research problem. This paper presents a multi-objective approach to identify the best locations in the power network where new links can be added, to improve the overall robustness of the smart grid when constrained by resource limitations. Simulation results show that substantially greater robustness is obtained by using this approach, when compared to other link addition algorithms.
Why Personalistic Parties?: The Choice of Candidate-Centered Electoral Rules in New Democracies

Why do personalistic parties, which are undisciplined and focused on delivering individual/local benefits, flourish in some developing democracies? Many scholars argue that these parties thrive because of candidate-centered electoral rules, which encourage candidates to cultivate personal reputations with constituents instead of party policy reputations. Yet it is seldom obvious why such rules were adopted in the first place. To explain this puzzle, I examine two new democracies in Southeast Asia—the Philippines and Indonesia—and find that politicians sometimes choose candidate-centered electoral rules in order to increase their electoral chances in the first democratic election and to control the new government thereafter. Voter demands, pre-existing electoral rules, and party resources affect which institutional choice is likely to help win the first election. I then test the general applicability of findings drawn from these cases to other emerging democracies. I discover that voter demands for pork, pre-existing candidatecentered electoral rules, and access to government resources lead politicians to choose more permissive electoral rules (favoring candidates who rely on personalistic campaign strategies).
Pharmacogenomics of the National Cancer Institute’s 60-Tumor Cell Panel

One of the important goals of cancer research is to understand the nature of gene expression regulation and biological pathways and to apply this knowledge to find the mechanism by which small drug molecules interfere with the biological system through interactions with gene products and pathways. We have utilized the gene expression and small molecule screening data available at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for 60 immortalized cell lines representing a range of major cancers. This extensive data set potentially contains the complete information necessary to understand and target cancer cells. In our experience it is most fruitful to adopt systems biology and pharmacogenomic approaches to deconvolute the necessary chemistry and biology in order to conduct a rational anti-cancer drug design effort. In this undertaking, existing biological pathway and gene expression information is merged with drug chemosensitivity data to both elucidate a drug’s mechanism of action and to find cancer-specific targets. This framework offers a rational design strategy to mine novel anti-cancer candidates that are both potent and show specificity to targets in cancer pathways.
Mental health of heroin users with differing injection drug use histories: A non-treatment sample of Mexican American young adult men.

Abstract Background While the comorbidity of mental health and injecting heroin has been documented, current research is limited by describing the mental health of people who inject drugs without a comparison group and by the lack of research on nontreatment samples in the United States, particularly among Hispanics. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of injecting history (never, former, occasional, and daily) and multiple outcomes of global and mental health using a sample of U.S.-based Latinos not currently in treatment. Methods Data are from a sample of street-recruited Mexican American young adult men (n = 275) in San Antonio, TX. Multiple logistic regression and structural equation modeling were used. Results Overall 54% of men reported lifetime injecting drug use (20.7% former users, 11.1% occasional users, and 21.9% daily users). We found varying prevalence rates of global and mental health status among different histories of injecting. After covariate adjustment, daily injecting remained strongly associated with all four outcomes: perceived poor health status (AOR = 4.39; p ≤ 0.001), psychological distress (AOR = 2.78; p ≤ 0.05), depression (AOR = 4.37; p ≤ 0.001), and suicidal ideation (OR = 4.75; p ≤ 0.001). Acculturation, gang membership, and incarceration history also emerged as important factors. Conclusion This study provides new information about the relationship between mental health and injecting heroin use. Findings Support the need to consider mental health states among people who inject drugs, and to examine varying histories of injecting with socially and culturally relevant factors.
Use of Non-invasive Ventilation in Neuromuscular Disease

The purpose of this review is to add to the growing body of literature on non-invasive ventilation (NIV) for patients with neuromuscular disease (NMD). We synthesize information on screening for respiratory failure, describe protocols for initiating and troubleshooting NIV in NMD patients, discuss the use of advanced modes of ventilation such as volume-assured pressure support (VAPS), and provide recommendations for long-term follow-up and management. Screening of respiratory insufficiency increases by testing supine FVC, MIP, nocturnal oximetry, and a higher threshold for FVC. PSG may not be needed in all patients starting NIV. VAPS mode can increase patient comfort and compliance. Sialorrhea management is essential to successful NIV, and myriad options exist. Utilization of NIV will increase as the NMD population increases. Clinicians must be comfortable with screening and diagnosing chronic respiratory failure, initiating NIV, and the long-term follow-up of these patients.
Dietary Supplements for Health, Adaptation, and Recovery in Athletes

Some dietary supplements are recommended to athletes based on data that supports improved exercise performance. Other dietary supplements are not ergogenic per se, but may improve health, adaptation to exercise, or recovery from injury, and so could help athletes to train and/or compete more effectively. In this review, we describe several dietary supplements that may improve health, exercise adaptation, or recovery. Creatine monohydrate may improve recovery from and adaptation to intense training, recovery from periods of injury with extreme inactivity, cognitive processing, and reduce severity of or enhance recovery from mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Omega 3-fatty acid supplementation may also reduce severity of or enhance recovery from mTBI. Replenishment of vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency will likely improve some aspects of immune, bone, and muscle health. Probiotic supplementation can reduce the incidence, duration, and severity of upper respiratory tract infection, which may indirectly improve training or competitive performance. Preliminary data show that gelatin and/or collagen may improve connective tissue health. Some anti-inflammatory supplements, such as curcumin or tart cherry juice, may reduce inflammation and possibly delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) does not consistently increase strength and/or lean mass or reduce markers of muscle damage, but more research on recovery from injury that includes periods of extreme inactivity is needed. Several dietary supplements, including creatine monohydrate, omega 3-fatty acids, vitamin D, probiotics, gelatin, and curcumin/tart cherry juice could help athletes train and/or compete more effectively.
Two activities of the immunosuppressive metabolite of leflunomide, A77 1726: Inhibition of pyrimidine nucleotide synthesis and protein tyrosine phosphorylation☆

Previous studies have demonstrated that the active metabolite of leflunomide, A77 1726 [N-(4-trifluoromethylphenyl-2-cyano-3-hydroxycrotoamide)], is capable of inhibiting the activities of tyrosine kinases and dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHO-DHase). In the present study, we define the relative contribution of these activities to the ability of A77 1726 to inhibit proliferation of the murine leukemia cell line LSTRA. A77 1726 inhibited LSTRA cell growth and proliferation (IC50 = 10-30 microM); this inhibition, however, could be reversed by the addition of exogenous uridine, suggesting that the anti-proliferative activity of A77 1726 may be due to inhibition of de novo pyrimidine nucleotide synthesis. Quantitation of nucleotide levels revealed that A77 1726, at an IC50 of about 10 microM, selectively inhibited pyrimidine nucleotide but not purine nucleotide synthesis. In vitro enzyme assays confirmed that A77 1726 directly inhibited the activity of DHO-DHase, the fourth enzyme in the de novo pathway of pyrimidine nucleotide synthesis (IC50 = 220 nM). LSTRA cells overexpress p56lck and have elevated levels of tyrosine phosphorylated intracellular proteins. A77 1726 reduced the intracellular levels of tyrosine phosphorylated proteins with relatively high IC50 values ranging from 50 to 100 microM. A77 1726 also inhibited p56lck activity in LSTRA membrane preparation and immunoprecipitates; the IC50 values for inhibition of immunoprecipitated p56lck autophosphorylation and exogenous substrate histone 2B were 80 and 40 microM, respectively. The anti-tyrosine phosphorylation activity of A77 1726 was not affected by uridine. These studies therefore demonstrate the two activities of A77 1726: inhibition of pyrimidine nucleotide synthesis and interference with tyrosine phosphorylation.
Choosing Ecological Indicators: Effects of Taxonomic Aggregation on Sensitivity to Stress and Natural Variability

In order to assess overall ecosystem condition, it is necessary to choose indicators of environmental stress that incorporate two basic, and potentially contradictory, properties. Ecological indicators should be sensitive to the variety of anthropogenic stresses that could occur. At the same time, such indicators must be reasonably predictable in unperturbed ecosystems: some natural benchmark is necessary against which to assess a deviation due to stress. If sensitive parameters of ecosystem condition also exhibit greater levels of unpredictable variability, the choice of ecological indicators will involve a compromise between two conflicting factors.
Interstitial Lung Abnormality is Prevalent and Associated with Worse Outcome in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Abstract Background Interstitial lung abnormality (ILA) is found in 5–10% of the general population and is associated with increased mortality risk. Risk factors for ILA, including advanced age and smoking history also increase the risk for aortic stenosis (AS). Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has become an increasingly utilized intervention for patients with severe AS, and requires a high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the chest to assess aortic valve dimensions. Objectives To determine the prevalence and clinical significance of ILA on HRCT performed in patients referred for TAVR. Methods Consecutive pre-TAVR HRCTs performed over a 5-year period were reviewed. ILA was defined as bilateral, nondependent reticular opacities. All-cause mortality among TAVR recipients was compared between ILA cases and non-ILA controls matched 2:1 by age and gender using Cox proportional hazards regression and the Kaplan Meier estimator. Results Of 623 HRCTs screened, ILA was detected in 92 (14.7%), including 62 patients that underwent TAVR. Among ILA cases, 17 (27.4%) had a typical or probable usual interstitial pneumonia pattern, suggesting a diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Survival was worse in ILA cases compared to non-ILA controls (p = 0.008) and ILA was an independent predictor of mortality after multivariable adjustment (HR 3.29, 95% CI 1.34–8.08; p = 0.009). Conclusions ILA is a common finding among patients with severe AS and is associated with increased mortality in those undergoing TAVR. Further research is needed to elucidate the biology underpinning this observation and determine whether ILA evaluation and risk stratification modulates this mortality risk.
Revisiting Declines in Social Capital: Evidence from a New Measure

In the late twentieth century, researchers began calling attention to declining social capital in America and the potential consequences of this trend for a healthy society. While researchers empirically assessed the decline in social capital from the mid-1900s onward, this line of research diminished when the major source of data, the General Social Survey, stopped fielding critical questions in 2004. We do not know, therefore, whether social capital, especially associational social capital, has declined, stabilized, or even increased in a twentyfirst century America. In this paper, we develop a new measure of associational social capital using a confirmatory factor analysis of six indicators from the Civic Engagement Supplement to the Current Population Survey for 2008–2011 and 2013. Our findings support previous research suggesting that associational social capital does not seem to be declining over time. However, we do find evidence of a nonlinear decrease in associating during the Great Recession years. Across the entire time period, though, membership in groups has not declined and there has been little practical change in the amount of time that individuals spend with neighbors. Our analysis of the variance of social capital also shows no general change in the national dispersion of social capital from 2008 to 2013. The paper advances the measurement of social capital and updates our understanding of its possible decline.
Can “Letting in Sunlight” Lead to Accidental Sunburn? The Unintended Consequences of Campaign Finance Reform on the Financing of U.S. Presidential Candidates

Abstract Changes in campaign finance or other electoral laws often have unintended consequences. We demonstrate this effect by examining how the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act helped alter the...
Phase ib trial of dose-escalating AZD1775 in combination with concurrent radiation and cisplatin for intermediate and high risk head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

TPS6106Background: Patients with significant tobacco histories (intermediate risk) and those who are HPV negative (high risk) have modest to poor outcomes and have been shown to have more disruptiv...
Abstract WP417: Novel Animal Model for Cerebral Small Vessel Disease

Introduction: Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is a common finding in patients with stroke. It can manifest as white matter hyperintensities (WMH), microbleeds or lacunar strokes. Presence of SV...
Adaptive Multi-task Elastic Net based feature selection from Pharmacogenomics Databases

Integrating multiple databases of similar tasks is a significant problem in biological data analysis. In this paper, we consider whether feature selection in a single database can benefit from incorporating similar databases. We report that by using adaptive multi-task elastic net for feature selection and Random Forest for prediction, the prediction performance can be improved for pharmacogenomics databases. We also present a simulation study to explain the robust feature selection benefit of adaptive multi task elastic net while dealing with noisy features.
Complexation of Iron and Copper in Ambient Particulate Matter and Its Effect on the Oxidative Potential Measured in a Surrogate Lung Fluid

We investigated the complexation state of atmospheric iron and copper and its impact on the oxidative potential (OP) of ambient PM2.5 (PM, particulate matter). A novel fractionation scheme was developed to segregate three different fractions of Fe and Cu present in ambient PM2.5: (i) complexed with hydrophobic organic compounds, (ii) complexed with hydrophilic organic compounds, and (iii) free or inorganic metal fraction. A solid phase extraction (C-18) column was used to separate these fractions. The fractionation scheme applied to the ambient PM2.5 samples collected from an urban site showed that up to 70–90% of water-soluble Fe and Cu were complexed with the organic compounds. The capability of the complexes of Fe(II) and Cu(II) with Suwanee river fulvic acid (SRFA), a proxy for the atmospheric organic compounds, to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) (·OH and H2O2) in a surrogate lung fluid (SLF) was measured. The complex of Fe–SRFA showed a strong synergistic effect in the generation of ·OH in SLF...
Convolutional neural networks for grazing incidence x-ray scattering patterns: thin film structure identification

Nano-structured thin films have a variety of applications from waveguides, gaseous sensors to piezoelectric devices. Grazing Incidence Small Angle x-ray Scattering images enable classification of such materials. One challenge is to determine structure information from scattering patterns alone. This paper highlights the design of multiple Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) to classify nanoparticle orientation in a thin film by learning scattering patterns. The network was trained on several thin films with a success rate of 94%. We demonstrate CNN robustness under different noises as well as demonstrate the potential of our proposed approach as a strategy to decrease scattering pattern analysis time.
Design and Characterization of Nucleopeptides for Hydrogel Self-Assembly

Self-assembling peptides can be used in a bottom-up approach to build hydrogels that are similar to the extracellular matrix at both structural and functional levels. In this study, a nucleo-tripep...
There's a Problem With Buybacks, But It's Not What Senators Think

In a deeply divided Washington, one of the few issues on which leading lawmakers on both sides of the aisle appear to agree is that corporations should be discouraged from buying back their stock from shareholders. This short article argues that, while this anti-buyback sentiment is misguided, there nevertheless are good tax policy arguments for reforming the tax treatment of buybacks. The article recommends adoption of a 1969 proposal made by Professor Marvin Chirelstein that would recharacterize (for tax purposes) buybacks as a pro rata cash dividend, followed by sales of shares from the shareholders who participate in the buyback to the shareholders who do not.
An Electrochemically Promoted, Nickel-Catalyzed Mizoroki–Heck Reaction

Despite significant efforts to replace Pd-based catalysts with those of Ni, the Ni-catalyzed Mizoroki–Heck coupling of aryl halides and alkenes remains challenging. This work details the development of a Mizoroki–Heck reaction of aryl halides and a broad range of alkenes that utilizes electrochemistry as a means to promote Ni-catalyzed coupling under mild conditions. Stoichiometric studies implicate low-valent Ni complexes as key intermediates in route to rapid reactions with even unactivated alkenes. As such, electrochemistry is employed to readily provide the reducing potentials necessary to access these reactive intermediates and render the transformation catalytic. Cyclohexenone was found to be an unreactive substrate but a crucial additive that promotes facile electroreduction of the Ni catalyst and functionalization of other alkenes in high yields. Finally, preliminary mechanistic studies suggest that reactions proceed via an electron-chain transfer process that rapidly terminates but is reinitiated...
Methodological Considerations Which Could Improve Spinal Cord Injury Research

Advances in spinal cord injury-based research in the last 50 years have resulted in significant improvements to therapy options. However, the efficacy of such research could be further enhanced if threats to internal and external validity were addressed. To provide perspective, a sample topic was identified: the effects of acute and chronic exercise on clinical and sub-clinical markers of cardiovascular health. The intention was not a systematic review, nor a critique of exercise-based research, but rather a means to generate further discussion. Thirty-one articles were identified, and four common issues were found relating to: (1) sampling; (2) study design; (3) control group; and (4) clinical inference. These concerns were largely attributed to insufficient resources, and challenges associated with recruiting individuals with spinal cord injury. Overcoming these challenges will be difficult, but some opportunities include: (1) implementing multi-center trials; (2) sampling from subject groups appropriate to the research question; (3) including an appropriate control group; and (4) clearly defining clinical inference. These opportunities are not always feasible, and some easier to implement than others. However, addressing these concerns may assist in progressing spinal cord injury-based research, thereby helping to ensure steady advancement of therapy options for persons with spinal cord injury.
New Model for Ecosystem Management Interpretation: Target Audiences on Military Lands:

New interpretation models are necessary to address the human dimensions of ecosystem management goals. A model focusing on audience characteristics guided the development of an ecosystem management...
Depressive symptoms moderate cannabis use for young adults in a Text-Delivered randomized clinical trial for cannabis use disorder.

Abstract Background The importance and complexity of addressing both substance use and mood disorders such as depression within traditional treatment settings is well established. However, little is known about this issue within the context of mHealth treatment. Research is needed to determine if depression interacts with mHealth delivered cannabis use disorder treatment similarly compared traditional treatments. Objective We examined the moderating effect of depressive symptoms on cannabis use with 96 young adults (ages 18 to 25) enrolled in a text-delivered randomized clinical trial for cannabis use disorder. Participants were followed for three months. Method We used a repeated measures general linear model to test if depressive symptoms moderated the treatment’s effect on cannabis use. Self-report of past 30-day use and urinalysis of THC metabolites were the outcome measures. Depressive symptoms were measured using the PHQ-2, with scores >3 serving as the clinical cut-point, indicating likely depression disorder. Results Participants with sub-threshold depression scores significantly reduced the number of days they used cannabis across all three months of the study. For participants with scores above the clinical cut-point, treatment had no effect on cannabis use. Similarly, participants with sub-threshold depression scores reduced the number of positive urinalysis results at three months. Effect sizes ranged from small to medium. Conclusion Results support the importance of simultaneously addressing depressive symptoms and cannabis use when treating young adults using text-delivered counseling. As mHealth interventions continue to demonstrate efficacy in addressing substance use disorders, the integration of mood disorder treatments appears warranted.
Biogenic Palladium Nanoparticles for Improving Bioelectricity Generation in Microbial Fuel Cells

Electroactive bacteria with in-situ biogenic palladium nanoparticles increased power density of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) by 75%. The palladium nanoparticles were biosynthesized through bioelectrochemical reduction by the bacteria and remained bound to the cell membrane, facilitating bacterial extracellular electron transfer at the cell-electrode interface. This work revolutionizes knowledge of how bacteria biosynthesize metallic nanoparticles during microbial metabolism and introduces a novel bottom-up approach to fabricate a microbial electrochemical device for renewable energy production in a more eco-friendly and cost-effective way.
An Overview of the Treatment of Less Common Non–Lactose-Fermenting Gram-Negative Bacteria

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Burkholderia cepacia complex, Elizabethkingia spp., Chryseobacterium spp., Achromobacter spp., and Alcaligenes spp. are less-common non-lactose-fermenting bacteria that have emerged as important opportunistic pathogens. Patients at the highest risk for these infections include the immunocompromised, those with cystic fibrosis, and the critically ill. These opportunistic pathogens are frequently drug resistant through the expression of β-lactamases, multidrug efflux pumps, aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes, and target site alterations discussed in detail throughout this review. As a result, treatment is extremely challenging. For each pathogen, this review will examine the epidemiology, mechanisms of resistance, and in vitro and in vivo data including that for novel β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitors and cefiderocol. Treatment recommendations are provided based on the available literature.
Imaging Volume Trends and Recovery During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparative Analysis Between a Large Urban Academic Hospital and Its Affiliated Imaging Centers.

Rationale and Objectives While affiliated imaging centers play an important role in healthcare systems, little is known of how their operations are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our goal was to investigate imaging volume trends during the pandemic at our large academic hospital compared to the affiliated imaging centers. Materials and Methods This was a descriptive retrospective study of imaging volume from an academic hospital (main hospital campus) and its affiliated imaging centers from January 1 through May 21, 2020. Imaging volume assessment was separated into prestate of emergency (SOE) period (before SOE in Massachusetts on March 10, 2020), “post-SOE” period (time after “nonessential” services closure on March 24, 2020), and “transition” period (between pre-SOE and post-SOE). Results Imaging volume began to decrease on March 11, 2020, after hospital policy to delay nonessential studies. The average weekly imaging volume during the post-SOE period declined by 54% at the main hospital campus and 64% at the affiliated imaging centers. The rate of imaging volume recovery was slower for affiliated imaging centers (slope = 6.95 for weekdays) compared to main hospital campus (slope = 7.18 for weekdays). CT, radiography, and ultrasound exhibited the lowest volume loss, with weekly volume decrease of 41%, 49%, and 53%, respectively, at the main hospital campus, and 43%, 61%, and 60%, respectively, at affiliated imaging centers. Mammography had the greatest volume loss of 92% at both the main hospital campus and affiliated imaging centers. Conclusion Affiliated imaging center volume decreased to a greater degree than the main hospital campus and showed a slower rate of recovery. Furthermore, the trend in imaging volume and recovery were temporally related to public health announcements and COVID-19 cases.
Biological effects of inhaled hydraulic fracturing sand dust. V. Pulmonary inflammatory, cytotoxic and oxidant effects.

Abstract The pulmonary inflammatory response to inhalation exposure to a fracking sand dust (FSD 8) was investigated in a rat model. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed by whole-body inhalation to air or an aerosol of a FSD, i.e., FSD 8, at concentrations of 10 or 30 mg/m3, 6 h/d for 4 d. The control and FSD 8-exposed rats were euthanized at post-exposure time intervals of 1, 7 or 27 d and pulmonary inflammatory, cytotoxic and oxidant responses were determined. Deposition of FSD 8 particles was detected in the lungs of all the FSD 8-exposed rats. Analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage parameters of toxicity, oxidant generation, and inflammation did not reveal any significant persistent pulmonary toxicity in the FSD 8-exposed rats. Similarly, the lung histology of the FSD 8-exposed rats showed only minimal changes in influx of macrophages following the exposure. Determination of global gene expression profiles detected statistically significant differential expressions of only six and five genes in the 10 mg/m3, 1-d post-exposure, and the 30 mg/m3, 7-d post-exposure FSD 8 groups, respectively. Taken together, data obtained from the present study demonstrated that FSD 8 inhalation exposure resulted in no statistically significant toxicity or gene expression changes in the lungs of the rats. In the absence of any information about its potential toxicity, a comprehensive rat animal model study (see Fedan, J.S., Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 000, 000–000, 2020) has been designed to investigate the bioactivities of several FSDs in comparison to MIN-U-SIL® 5, a respirable α-quartz reference dust used in previous animal models of silicosis, in several organ systems.
Radiologic-pathologic analysis of increased ethanol localization and ablative extent achieved by ethyl cellulose.

Ethanol provides a rapid, low-cost ablative solution for liver tumors with a small technological footprint but suffers from uncontrolled diffusion in target tissue, limiting treatment precision and accuracy. Incorporating the gel-forming polymer ethyl cellulose to ethanol localizes the distribution. The purpose of this study was to establish a non-invasive methodology based on CT imaging to quantitatively determine the relationship between the delivery parameters of the EC-ethanol formulation, its distribution, and the corresponding necrotic volume. The relationship of radiodensity to ethanol concentration was characterized with water–ethanol surrogates. Ex vivo EC-ethanol ablations were performed to optimize the formulation (n = 6). In vivo ablations were performed to compare the optimal EC-ethanol formulation to pure ethanol (n = 6). Ablations were monitored with CT and ethanol distribution volume was quantified. Livers were removed, sectioned and stained with NADH-diaphorase to determine the ablative extent, and a detailed time-course histological study was performed to assess the wound healing process. CT imaging of ethanol–water surrogates demonstrated the ethanol concentration-radiodensity relationship is approximately linear. A concentration of 12% EC in ethanol created the largest distribution volume, more than eight-fold that of pure ethanol, ex vivo. In vivo, 12% EC-ethanol was superior to pure ethanol, yielding a distribution volume three-fold greater and an ablation zone six-fold greater than pure ethanol. Finally, a time course histological evaluation of the liver post-ablation with 12% EC-ethanol and pure ethanol revealed that while both induce coagulative necrosis and similar tissue responses at 1–4 weeks post-ablation, 12% EC-ethanol yielded a larger ablation zone. The current study demonstrates the suitability of CT imaging to determine distribution volume and concentration of ethanol in tissue. The distribution volume of EC-ethanol is nearly equivalent to the resultant necrotic volume and increases distribution and necrosis compared to pure ethanol.
Digitizing Disclosure: The Case of Restaurant Hygiene Scores

Collaborating with Yelp and the City of San Francisco, we revisit a canonical example of quality disclosure by evaluating and helping to redesign the posting of restaurant hygiene scores on Yelp.com. We implement a two-stage intervention that separately identifies consumer response to information disclosure and a disclosure design with improved salience—a consumer alert. We find score posting is effective, but improving salience further increases consumer response.
Student Engagement among High School English Learners with Reading Comprehension Difficulties

Adolescents’ school engagement is associated with high school completion; yet, few studies have examined interventions to improve school engagement for English Learners (ELs). In this mixed-methods...
Galectin-3 binding protein in human preterm infant umbilical cord plasma.

BACKGROUND: Galectin-3 binding protein (Gal3BP) is a glycoprotein isolated in colostrum that may be an immunologically active component with effects on the neonatal immune system. This compound has been found in the blood of term newborn infants, but has not been studied in preterm infants. OBJECTIVE: Compare umbilical cord plasma Gal3BP concentration between preterm and term infants. STUDY DESIGN: Observational study of mother-infant pairs consented at UCSD Medical Center comparing umbilical cord plasma Gal3BP concentration in preterm and term infants. Umbilical cord plasma was collected at birth and stored at −80 ◦ C before Gal3BP analysis by ELISA. This study was powered to evaluate differences in preterm and term infant Gal3BP concentration. The secondary aim was to determine the effect of maternal and infant clinical factors on Gal3BP concentration. RESULTS: A total of 64 preterm and 30 term umbilical cord plasma samples were analyzed. By univariate analysis, Gal3BP concentration was elevated in the setting of prematurity, maternal diabetes, antenatal steroid exposure, and increasing maternal parity (p < 0.05); and decreased in chorioamnionitis (p = 0.03). Using a multiple linear regression model prematurity, chorioamnionitis and maternal diabetes remained significant. CONCLUSIONS: Umbilical cord plasma Gal3BP concentration is elevated in prematurity. This may reflect inflammatory states in infant and mother, but further study is warranted.
Prevalence rates of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella at different sampling sites on cattle hides at a feedlot and processing plant.

The prevalence rates of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella at different sampling sites on cattle hides were determined at a feedlot and a processing plant. Sponge samples were collected from six hide surface sites at the feedlot (left and right shoulders, left and right ribs, back, and belly) and four sites at the processing plant (left and right shoulders, back, and belly). The prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 was approximately 80% for left and right shoulder and rib samples, 68% for back samples, and 92% for belly samples collected at the feedlot. At the processing plant, the prevalences of E. coli O157:H7 at all four sites were between 76 and 79%. Salmonella prevalence in feedlot samples was too low to allow for accurate analysis. The prevalence of Salmonella at processing was 49% for left shoulder samples, 48% for right shoulder samples, 40% for back samples, and 68% for belly samples. The results of this study indicate that the site most likely to be naturally contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 and ...
Political science and public choice: 1950–70

The early contributors to Public Choice did not find a sympathetic reception among political scientists. During the years 1950-70, political scientists were either indifferent to or hostile to the emerging field of rational choice in which the approach and tools of economics are applied to politics. In the essay that follows I attempt to explain this situation and why another revolution – the behavioral – dominated political science for more than twenty years. Despite the prominence of rational choice in some political science journals, that dominance continues, a matter I hope to address in a subsequent article.
On the road to the solution of the solar neutrino problem.

The present status of solar neutrino experiments is reviewed. The discrepancy between the experimental results and the theoretical expectations has come to be known as the Solar Neutrino Problem. Possible solutions to this problem are discussed. The next generation of solar neutrino experiments are described.