cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Surveillance of smokeless tobacco nicotine, pH, moisture, and unprotonated nicotine content

Smokeless tobacco is a complex chemical mixture, including not only the components of the tobacco leaf but also chemicals added during the manufacturing process. Smokeless tobacco contains the addictive chemical nicotine and more than 20 cancer-causing chemicals, including the potent tobacco-specific nitrosamines. The National Toxicology Program of the National Institutes of Health has concluded that oral use of smokeless tobacco is a human carcinogen. Therefore, smokeless tobacco is not a safe alternative to cigarettes. In fact, smokeless tobacco use begins primarily during early adolescence and can lead to nicotine dependence and increased risk of becoming a cigarette smoker. Under the Comprehensive Smokeless Tobacco Health Education Act of 1986 (15 U.S.C. 4401 et seq., Pub. L. 99-252), tobacco manufacturers report annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the total nicotine, unprotonated nicotine, pH, and moisture content of their smokeless tobacco products. This information is considered "trade secret," or confidential, in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4) and 18 U.S.C. 1905 and cannot be released to the public. In an effort to provide consumers and researchers with information on the nicotine content of smokeless tobacco, CDC arranged for the analysis of popular brands of smokeless tobacco. The results of this CDC study show that pH is a primary factor in the amount of nicotine that is in the most readily absorbable, unprotonated form. Furthermore, this study found that the brands of moist snuff smokeless tobacco with the largest amount of unprotonated nicotine also are the most frequently sold brands.
Universal real-time navigational assistance (URNA): an urban bluetooth beacon for the blind

We describe a complete hardware/software system, dubbed Universal Real-Time Navigational Assistance (URNA), which enables communication of relevant location-aware information to a blind person carrying a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone. Although URNA can be used for a number of different applications (e.g., an information kiosk at a shopping mall or public transit information at a bus stop), we concentrate on the challenging case of an urban intersection. Information provided to the user as he or she approaches the intersection includes a description of the intersection topology and real-time notification of the state of the traffic lights. The main FPGA-based control board (NavCon) interfaces with a traffic controller and with the Bluetooth modules, which are each mounted atop the intersection's pedestrian heads (pedheads) - the lights signaling a pedestrian when to "WALK" or "DON'T WALK". The cell phone software (PedNav), written in Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME), uses Text-To-Speech (TTS) for presenting the information transmitted by NavCon to the blind user.
Neurofeedback as a Treatment for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review of Evidence for Practice.

Neurofeedback training is being offered with increasing frequency as a treatment for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). School psychologists are in a unique position to educate teachers, parents, students, and others about a variety of disorders including ADHD, and it is important for them to be properly informed about the validity of various treatment approaches. The authors provide a description of neurofeedback as a treatment for ADHD and systematically examine evidence for practice concerning this topic. They identify 14 empirical reports, published between 2004 and 2010, that they retrieved and critically reviewed. Commonly used guidelines regarding empirically supported treatment approaches show that, at present, neurofeedback is not well supported as a treatment for ADHD. The authors discuss suggestions for professional practice aligned with current evidence.
Characteristics of parents receiving counseling from child's doctor to limit child's sugar drink consumption

Background Due to limited information on sugar drink counseling, characteristics of parents who reported ever receiving counseling from a child’s doctor to limit a child’s sugar drink intake were examined. Methods This cross-sectional analysis was conducted on a convenient sample of 1570 US parents (aged 18 years) using the 2009 HealthStyles Survey. The outcome measure was parents with children aged 18 years who reported being told by a child’s doctor to limit a child’s sugar drink intake. Data were weighted to provide national estimates. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine factors associated with ever receiving sugar-drink counseling from a child’s doctor. Results Only 23% of parents reported receiving counseling from a child’s doctor to limit a child’s sugar drink intake. Parental factors significantly associated with receiving this counseling were: being male (adjusted odds ratio (OR) ¼ 1.38; 95% confidence interval (CI) ¼ 1.02, 1.86), having an annual household income of ,$25 000 (versus $60 000, OR ¼ 2.12; 95% CI ¼ 1.33, 3.38) and parents who agreed with ‘enjoying learning about health issues’ (versus disagree, OR ¼ 2.43; 95% CI ¼ 1.36, 4.36). Age, race/ethnicity, education and marital status were not significantly associated with receiving counseling. Conclusions Few parents reported ever receiving counseling from a child’s doctor, and we found a few differences among those reporting
Nutrition Support After Neonatal Cardiac Surgery

Congenital heart disease is the most common birth defect in the United States, with an estimated frequency of approximately 12–14 of 1000 live births per year. Neonates with congenital heart disease often need palliative or corrective surgery requiring cardiopulmonary bypass during the first weeks of life. The neonate undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery experiences a more profound metabolic response to stress than that seen in older children and adults undergoing surgery. However, compared with older children and adults, the neonate has less metabolic reserves and is extremely vulnerable to the negative metabolic impact induced by stress, which can lead to suboptimal wound healing and growth failure. There are complications associated with the metabolic derangements of neonatal surgery requiring cardiopulmonary bypass, including but not limited to acute renal failure, chylothorax, and neurological dysfunction. This article discusses the importance of nutrition and metabolic support for the neonate u...
Mechanism of Nerve Conduction Block Induced by High-Frequency Biphasic Electrical Currents

The mechanisms of nerve conduction block induced by high-frequency biphasic electrical currents were investigated using a lumped circuit model of the myelinated axon based on Frankenhaeuser-Huxley (FH) model or Chiu-Ritchie-Rogart-Stagg-Sweeney (CRRSS) model. The FH model revealed that the constant activation of potassium channels at the node under the block electrode, rather than inactivation of sodium channels, is the likely mechanism underlying conduction block of myelinated axons induced by high-frequency biphasic stimulation. However, the CRRSS model revealed a different blocking mechanism where the complete inactivation of sodium channels at the nodes next to the block electrode caused the nerve conduction block. The stimulation frequencies to observe conduction block in FH model agree with the observations from animal experiments (greater than 6 kHz), but much higher frequencies are required in CRRSS model (greater than 15 kHz). This frequency difference indicated that the constant activation of potassium channels might be the underlying mechanism of conduction block observed in animal experiments. Using the FH model, this study also showed that the axons could recover from conduction block within 1 ms after termination of the blocking stimulation, which also agrees very well with the animal experiments where nerve block could be reversed immediately once the blocking stimulation was removed. This simulation study, which revealed two possible mechanisms of nerve conduction block in myelinated axons induced by high-frequency biphasic stimulation, can guide future animal experiments as well as optimize stimulation waveforms for electrical nerve block in clinical applications
Extracellular Matrix Remodeling and Organization in Developing and Diseased Aortic Valves

Heart valve disease is an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Little is known about valve disease pathogenesis, but increasing evidence implicates a genetic basis for valve disease, suggesting a developmental origin. Although the cellular and molecular processes involved in early valvulogenesis have been well described, less is known about the regulation of valve extracellular matrix (ECM) organization and valvular interstitial cell (VIC) distribution that characterize the mature valve structure. Histochemistry, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopy were used to examine ECM organization, VIC distribution, and cell proliferation during late valvulogenesis in chicken and mouse. In mature valves, ECM organization is conserved across species, and developmental studies demonstrate that ECM stratification begins during late embryonic cusp remodeling and continues into postnatal life. Cell proliferation decreases concomitant with ECM stratification and VIC compartmentalization. Explanted, stenotic bicuspid aortic valves (BAVs) from pediatric patients were also examined. The diseased valves exhibited disruption of the highly organized ECM and VIC distribution seen in normal valves. Cusps from diseased valves were thickened with increased and disorganized collagens and proteoglycans, decreased and fragmented elastic fibers, and cellular disarray without calcification or cell proliferation. Taken together, these studies show that normal valve development is characterized by spatiotemporal coordination of ECM organization and VIC compartmentalization and that these developmental processes are disrupted in pediatric patients with diseased BAVs.
What We Know and Don't Know About Corporate Social Responsibility: A Review and Research Agenda

The authors review the corporate social responsibility (CSR) literature based on 588 journal articles and 102 books and book chapters. They offer a multilevel and multidisciplinary theoretical framework that synthesizes and integrates the literature at the institutional, organizational, and individual levels of analysis. The framework includes reactive and proactive predictors of CSR actions and policies and the outcomes of such actions and policies, which they classify as primarily affecting internal (i.e., internal outcomes) or external (i.e., external outcomes) stakeholders. The framework includes variables that explain underlying mechanisms (i.e., relationship- and value-based mediator variables) of CSR–outcomes relationships and contingency effects (i.e., people-, place-, price-, and profile-based moderator variables) that explain conditions under which the relationship between CSR and its outcomes change. The authors’ review reveals important knowledge gaps related to the adoption of different theor...
All-Digital Circuit-Level Dynamic Variation Monitor for Silicon Debug and Adaptive Clock Control

A 45 nm microprocessor integrates an all-digital dynamic variation monitor (DVM) to continuously measure the impact of dynamic parameter variations on circuit-level performance to enhance silicon debug and adaptive clock control. The DVM consists of a tunable replica circuit, a time-to-digital converter, and multiplexers to measure circuit delay or frequency changes with less than a 1% measured resolution error while capturing clock-to-data correlations. In validating the DVM with microprocessor maximum clock frequency (FMAX) measurements, an on-die noise injector circuit induces a supply voltage (VCC) droop at a particular cycle in the test program. The FMAX measurement is then repeated for over a thousand iterations while shifting the droop placement to a different cycle per iteration. Silicon measurements demonstrate the DVM capability of tracking the worst case FMAX reduction to within 1% for a wide range of VCC droop profiles. Furthermore, silicon measurements reveal that FMAX is highly sensitive to the placement and magnitude of a high-frequency VCC droop during program execution, thus highlighting the value of the DVM for silicon debug. In addition, the DVM interfaces with an adaptive clock control circuit to dynamically adjust the clock frequency by changing the divide ratio in the phase-locked loop in response to persistent variations, enabling the microprocessor to adapt to the operating environment for maximum efficiency.
High root concentration and uneven ectomycorrhizal diversity near Sarcodes sanguinea (Ericaceae): a cheater that stimulates its victims?

Sarcodes sanguinea is a nonphotosynthetic mycoheterotrophic plant that obtains all of its fixed carbon from neighboring trees through a shared ectomycorrhizal fungus. We studied the spatial structuring of this tripartite symbiosis in a forest where Sarcodes is abundant, and its only fungal and photosynthetic plant associates are Rhizopogon ellenae and Abies magnifica,respectively. We found disproportionately high concentrations of Abies roots adjacent to Sarcodes roots compared to the surrounding soil. Rhizopogon ellenae colonizes the vast majority of those Abies roots (86‐98%), and its abundance tends to decrease with increasing distance from Sarcodes plants. At 500 cm from Sarcodes plants we did not detect R. ellenae, and the ectomycorrhizal community instead was dominated by members of the Russulaceae and Thelephoraceae, which are commonly dominant in other California pinaceous forests. The highly clumped distribution of Abies‐R. ellenae ectomycorrhizas indicates that Sarcodes plants either establish within pre-existing clumps, or they stimulate clump formation. Several lines of evidence favor the latter interpretation, suggesting an unexpected mutualistic aspect to the symbiosis. However, the mechanism involved remains unknown.
Application of Statistical Process Control for Structural Health Monitoring of a Historic Building

AbstractThe authors apply a statistical process control framework to support structural health monitoring of the Grace Church building in Charleston, South Carolina. Specifically, they conduct a post-hoc analysis of displacement data acquired via remote monitoring of delamination between two wythes of brick in a clerestory wall. The framework consists of formulation and estimation of statistical models to explain the progression of the measurements under ordinary conditions and use of control charts to detect unusual events. One such event was excessive displacement in September 2011 that led the engineer of record to close the building to public access and order immediate repairs. The analysis also reveals a few unusual events that were not apparent from visual interpretation of the data, including a possible precursor to the aforementioned event.
The law of Indies as a foundation of urban design in the Americas

This study analyzes the establishment and functional structure of the population centres during the colonization process of the new provinces in the Americas. It is therefore a valuable attempt at recollecting and understanding information on the phenomena which marked the beginning of these settlements. When the Spanish Empire enacted a series of norms to guide the process of the founding of future populations in the discovered territories, thereby establishing the first territorial codes carried out that could be considered the first record of urban design and planning in the Americas. This paper analyses the criteria used by the Law of Indies in the settlements of frontier towns in Latin America using as a case study the city of Barcelona (Venezuela). This research relies on urban historiography of early cities in Venezuela and the morphology structure of the historic centre of Barcelona (Venezuela) from its foundation in the XVII century (circa 1671) to the turn of the XX century. Barcelona constitutes one of the clearest examples of the implementation of the regulations to direct the foundational process of the new settlements in the Americas. These regulations were based on a number of urban planning and sanitary principles that in turn, fostered order and organization over the colonization process in Hispanic America. On the other hand, the morphological principles derived from the Law of the Indies were already used in the layout of the Pre-Columbian American cities (Cuzco, Peru; Tenochtitlan, Mexico) as timeless ‘Universal' principles in city design. These principles, conceived more than 400 years ago, are still prevalent as ordering concepts in modern urban planning. The relevance of this work lies in the fact that for the first time the city of Barcelona has gone under scholarly scrutiny of its physical structure and urban form.
Osmolyte channel regulation by ionic strength in skate RBC

The aim of this study was to determine whether the opening of the osmolyte channel in skate red blood cells (RBC) is regulated by intracellular electrolyte concentration and conductivity. Consistent with previous studies, experiments with hyperosmotic preincubation before cell swelling or swelling with an isosmotic electrolyte (e.g., ammonium chloride) showed that an increase in ionic strength inhibits the opening of the taurine channel. However, a decrease in intracellular ionic strength did not always stimulate taurine efflux to the same degree. Whereas hyposmotic swelling caused a large increase in taurine efflux, swelling induced by treatment with isosmotic nonelectrolytes produced much smaller stimulation. Results with assays for band 3 phosphorylating enzymes were consistent with those from the taurine efflux studies; stimulation of enzyme activity was lower in cells that were swollen with isosmotic nonelectrolyte media than in cells swollen in hyposmotic media. These results indicate that a decrease in ionic strength is not the only signal for the opening of the taurine channel in skate RBC. Ionic strength does affect channel activity, but there must also be some other regulator.
The Effects of Ignition Location in a Swirl Field on Homogeneous-Charge Combustion

Influence de la position du point d'allumage dans un champ tourbillonnaire sur la combustion d'un melange homogene
Oil and International Cooperation

The more that states depend on oil exports, the less cooperative they become: they grow less likely to join intergovernmental organizations, to accept the compulsory jurisdiction of international judicial bodies, and to agree to binding arbitration for investment disputes. This pattern is robust to the use of country and year fixed effects, to alternative measures of the key variables, and to the exclusion of all countries in the Middle East. To explain this pattern, we consider the economic incentives that foster participation in international institutions: the desire to attract foreign investment and to gain access to foreign markets. Oil-exporting states, we argue, find it relatively easy to achieve these aims without making costly commitments to international institutions. In other words, natural resource wealth liberates states from the economic pressures that would otherwise drive them toward cooperation.
Approximate Model for Turbulent Stagnation Point Flow.

Here we derive an approximate turbulent self-similar model for a class of favorable pressure gradient wedge-like flows, focusing on the stagnation point limit. While the self-similar model provides a useful gross flow field estimate this approach must be combined with a near wall model is to determine skin friction and by Reynolds analogy the heat transfer coefficient. The combined approach is developed in detail for the stagnation point flow problem where turbulent skin friction and Nusselt number results are obtained. Comparison to the classical Van Driest (1958) result suggests overall reasonable agreement. Though the model is only valid near the stagnation region of cylinders and spheres it nonetheless provides a reasonable model for overall cylinder and sphere heat transfer. The enhancement effect of free stream turbulence upon the laminar flow is used to derive a similar expression which is valid for turbulent flow. Examination of free stream enhanced laminar flow suggests that the rather than enhancement of a laminar flow behavior free stream disturbance results in early transition to turbulent stagnation point behavior. Excellent agreement is shown between enhanced laminar flow and turbulent flow behavior for high levels, e.g. 5% of free stream turbulence. Finally the blunt body turbulent stagnationmore » results are shown to provide realistic heat transfer results for turbulent jet impingement problems.« less
Innovation as Discipline, Not Fad

New disciplined techniques are being deployed for testing potentially value-producing ideas faster, less expensively, and more reliably. Vapor tests, fake front ends, fake back ends, and mini-pilots can all help health care organizations meet patients' needs.
Catheter-measured Hemodynamics of Adult Fontan Circulation: Associations with Adverse Event and End-organ Dysfunctions.

Background In heart failure, a high systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI), high central venous pressure (CVP), and low cardiac index (CI) predict poor outcomes. Conversely, late hemodynamic manifestations of failing Fontan circulation and associations with end-organ dysfunction are not well understood. Methods A retrospective review of right-heart catheterization data of adult Fontan patients between 2002 and 2014 was conducted. Relationships between hemodynamic variables and serious adverse events (death or heart transplant) were examined using the Cox proportional hazard analysis. Correlations between the hemodynamic measurements and signs of end-organ dysfunction (MELD-XI, Child-Pugh, VAST score, estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR]) were analyzed. Results Sixty post-Fontan patients (85% systemic left ventricle, 40% atriopulmonary Fontan, mean age of 28 years, and mean time since Fontan operation of 21.9 years) were included. At baseline, those with an event were statistically younger, had lower transcutaneous oxygen saturations, were more likely to have an atriopulmonary Fontan, and were more likely to have a pacemaker. Eighteen experienced a cardiovascularly significant event. Using univariate analysis to compare the event and nonevent groups, mean CI was 2.8 ± 0.9 vs. 2.4 ± 0.5 L/min/m2 (P = .004), and CVP was 18.6 ± 6.5 vs. 16.1 ± 4.3 mmHg (P = .03). However, the statistical significances did not persist in the multivariate model. Higher CVP and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) were associated with higher MELD-XI and Child-Pugh scores, and the VAST score was only associated with PCWP. Conclusions Symptomatic adult Fontan patients who experienced an event manifested with a higher CI and CVP, although the multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis did not yield any significant associations. The presences of hepatic dysfunction and portal venous outflow obstruction were associated with a higher CVP and PCWP. Renal dysfunction was prevalent but no statistically significant association between the hemodynamic measurements was identified, although trends toward a higher CVP and transpulmonary gradient were identified.
Structure and Correlation Functions of an Asymmetric Model Membrane of Five Components Display No Rafts but Rather the Propensity to Create them

We consider a model of an asymmetric lipid bilayer, one that consists of phosphatidylcholine (PC), sphingomyelin (SM), and cholesterol (Co) in the outer leaf and phosphatidyletanolamine (PE), phosphatidylserine (PS), and cholesterol (Ci) in the inner leaf. As cholesterol can interchange between leaves, its chemical potential is the same in each leaf.The spontaneous curvature of the PE depends upon the cholesterol concentration and decreases with sufficient cholesterol concentration. Height fluctuations couple to the local concentration of PE which has the largest magnitude of spontaneous curvature. At physiological temperatures, the membrane is in a disordered phase with somewhat more than half of the total cholesterol in the inner leaf. We calculate all independent structure functions. Many, but not all of them, display a peak at a non-zero value of the wavenumber, a characteristic of a microemulsion. These include the intraleaf PE-PE, PE-PS, Ci-Ci, and SM-SM, PC-PC, Co-Co, and SM-Co structure functions. The interleaf Ci-Co and SM-Ci structure functions have the same behavior. The peak occurs at a wavenumber corresponding to a wavelength on the order of 80 nm indicating that the system is most susceptible to disturbances of this size. However the correlation functions corresponding to these structure functions, modeled as exponentially damped oscillations, display a correlation length which is only a few nanometers, and shorter than the wavelength. Taken together, these results indicate that the bilayer evidences no “rafts”, but is primed to create them in response to an external perturbation.
Mechanisms of orientation disruption by sex pheromone components in the redbacked cutworm, Euxoa ochrogaster (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Disruption of orientation of Euxoa ochrogaster (Guenee) males to synthetic bait was studied in a flight tunnel and in small field plots, using synthetic pheromone components as disruptants. Field tests showed that increasing the dose from 0 to 100 μg per dispenser of the blend of all four components (Z5-12:Ac + Z7-12:Ac + Z5-10:Ac + Z9-12:Ac) or that of Z5-12:Ac and Z7-12:Ac, individually, resulted in a sharp increase in disruption up to a maximum of 75%; a further increase in the dose to 1,000 μg per dispenser resulted in only a small and gradual increase in disruption, reaching a maximum of 88%. Z5-10:Ac caused approximately 78% disruption at levels of 100 μg and 1,000 μg per dispenser, and Z9-12:Ac was least effective at these doses. Flight tunnel and field observations showed that with blends, the mechanisms of disruption varied in relation to the concentrations used. The primary cause of disruption was competitive attraction at low dose levels and reduction in searching effort at high dose levels. With single components, irrespective of concentrations used, the cause of disruption was primarily reduction in searching effort. Based on these studies and those on Euxoa messoria (Harris) and Malacosoma disstria (Hubner), it is suggested that in moths, depending upon the species, functional nature of the pheromone components, concentrations used, and the method of disruptant dispenser placements, individual or blends of components can cause orientation disruption by competitive attraction and by modulating the behavior of males, particularly by reducing the searching effort.
Abstract 2359: Modeling the kinetics of metastatic progression

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Background: Metastasis has previously been described as an inefficient process - that is, many tumor cells do not survive the process of early metastasis. Metastatic cells must survive exposure to a foreign microenvironment, which can induce cell death, and to the circulation, which provides mechanical sheer stress and immune cells. By observing the kinetics of tumor growth in both ex vivo and in vivo models of metastasis, we hope to determine the relative contributions of circulatory flow and a foreign microenvironment to metastatic inefficiency. Methods: We have developed a novel Pulmonary Metastasis Assay (PuMA), in which we observe the progression of fluorescence-tagged tumor cells in an ex vivo whole organ lung culture. The PuMA model exposes metastatic cells to a foreign microenvironment, but not to the circulation. The intravital videomicroscopy (IVVM) model exposes tumor cells to both the circulation and a foreign microenvironment. We performed serial assessments of tumor burden for the first seven days after arrival of metastatic cells to the lungs, to compare kinetics of tumor growth in both circulation-dependent and circulation-independent models of metastasis. Results: Both the PuMA and IVVM models displayed metastatic inefficiency. The kinetics of metastatic inefficiency and recovery in the PuMA is similar to that seen in IVVM, with periods of 1) decline in tumor burden, 2) a plateau of several days, and 3) an escape, in which tumor burden grows beyond its baseline value. The magnitude of the initial decline in tumor burden, however, is greater in the IVVM model (85% decrease from baseline, at 24 hours after metastasis), than in the PuMA model (43% decrease at 24 hours). Conclusions: These data indicate that there is a significant circulation-independent contribution to metastatic inefficiency (as seen in the decrease in tumor burden in our PuMA model), as well a circulation-dependent contribution (as seen in the greater decrease in our IVVM model). We believe that the PuMA model will be a valuable tool in studying signaling pathways that affect survival in foreign environment. Studies are now underway to use the PuMA, in combination with pharmaceutical and genetic targeting, to study the effect of individual signaling pathways on survival during early metastasis. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2359.
Hexanoic acid and polyethylene glycol double grafted amphiphilic chitosan for enhanced gene delivery: influence of hydrophobic and hydrophilic substitution degree.

Gene therapy holds immense potential as a future therapeutic strategy for the treatment of numerous genetic diseases which are incurable to date. Nevertheless, safe and efficient gene delivery remains the most challenging aspects of gene therapy. To overcome this difficulty a series of hexanoic acid (HA) and monomethoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG) double grafted chitosan-based (HPC) nanomicelles were developed as nonviral gene carrier. HPC polymers with various HA and mPEG substitution degrees were synthesized, and their chemical structures were confirmed by 1H NMR spectroscopy. HPC nanomicelles exhibited excellent blood compatibility and cell viability, as demonstrated by in vitro hemolysis and MTT assay, respectively. The cationic HPC nanomicelles retained the plasmid DNA (pDNA) binding capacity of chitosan and formed stable HPC/pDNA polyplexes with diameters below 200 nm. Both hydrophobic and hydrophilic substitution resulted in suppressed nonspecific protein adsorption on HPC/pDNA polyplexes and incr...
Unexpected Behavior of Copper in Modified Ferrites during High Temperature WGS Reaction—Aspects of Fe3+ ↔ Fe2+ Redox Chemistry from Mössbauer and XPS Studies

We report dynamic alternation of the redox chemistry of the Fe3+/ Fe2+ couple in magnetite during high temperature water–gas shift reaction in Cu codoped M-modified ferrite catalysts. Various hemat...
Respiratory disability and impairment: what is new?

Purpose of reviewThis review summarizes recent advances concerning respiratory impairment and disability.Recent findingsThe traditional impairment assessment approach, depending heavily on clinical pulmonary function testing to estimate the match between the patient's sustainable oxygen consumption
Quarantine Procedure for Hawaii Papaya, Using a Hot-water Treatment and High-temperature, Low-dose Ethylene Dibromide Fumigation

A proposed modification of the standard ethylene dibromide (EDB) fumigation quarantine system for Hawaii-grown papayas omits hydrocooling the fruit after hot-water treatment and permits fumigation at a fruit temperature of 33°C or above. The effective dose of EDB is reduced from 8 g/m3 to 4 g/m3, with concomitant reductions of EDB residue in the fruit.
Sosiologi i dag er 40

I ar er det 40 ar siden Sosiologi i Dag ble etablert pa en studenthybel pa Sogn studentby i Oslo med nyanskaffet offsetmaskin, naermest som et undergrunnstiltak mot opplosningstendensene som da truet sosiologifaget. I internasjonal sosiologi hadde A¢â¬Âthe orthodox consensusA¢â¬Â rundt det strukturAÂ­funksjonalistiske paradigmet nettopp gatt i opplosning (Giddens 1984: xv). Et spekter av alternative tilnaerminger i faget oppsto fra innsiden og la grunnlaget for disiplinens streben etter a forsta og fortolke individuelle handlinger, snarere enn a forklare menneskelig atferd. Faget utviklet seg til et monstereksempel pa en akademisk disiplin med en divergent fagkultur (Becher 1989) som en folge av et teoretisk, metodisk og politisk oppror. Eller som Stein Rokkan formulerer det: Sociology had aspired to the status of the widest ranging, the most general of the social sciences, but ended up as the most fragmented of them all: the discipline wanted to pose as the queen, it ended up as the clown of the sciences of man. (Crawford & Rokkan 1976: 9)
Impacts of Owner Race and Geographic Context on Access to Small-Business Financing

Multiple studies document both the scarcity of small-business financing in inner-city minority communities and the higher loan application rejection rates among minority business enterprises (MBEs)...
Accessory channel on penis: a case report.

A case of an accessory channel in relation to the penis and bladder is presented. A theory of its formation is proposed.
Medicare: The Gift that Keeps on Giving

For America’s health care professionals, August has also become synonymous with the release of the final rule from the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”), which covers the Medicare Program’s Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals (“IPPS”), and sets the rules of the game for those in the field, at least for another year.
Knowledge of blood loss at delivery among postpartum patients

BACKGROUND Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is a leading cause of obstetric morbidity. There is limited understanding of patients' knowledge about blood loss at delivery, PPH, and PPH-related morbidities, including transfusion and anemia. METHODS We surveyed 100 healthy postpartum patients who underwent vaginal or cesarean delivery about blood loss, and whether they received information about transfusion and peripartum hemoglobin (Hb) testing. Responses were compared between women undergoing vaginal delivery vs. cesarean delivery; P < 0.05 considered as statistically significant. RESULTS In our cohort, 49 women underwent vaginal delivery and 51 women underwent cesarean delivery. Only 29 (29%) of women provided blood loss estimates for their delivery. Women who underwent cesarean delivery were more likely to receive clear information about transfusion therapy than those undergoing vaginal delivery (43.1% vs. 20.4% respectively; P = 0.04). Women who underwent vaginal delivery were more likely to receive results of postpartum Hb tests compared to those undergoing cesarean delivery (49% vs. 29.4%; P = 0.02). CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that women are poorly informed about the magnitude of blood loss at delivery. Hematologic information given to patients varies according to mode of delivery. Further research is needed to better understand the clinical implications of patients' knowledge gaps about PPH, transfusion and postpartum anemia.
New diagnostic modalities in the evaluation of lymphedema.

Abstract Objective Currently, lymphedema (LED) is typically diagnosed clinically on the basis of a patient's history and characteristic physical findings. Whereas the diagnosis of LED is sometimes confirmed by lymphoscintigraphy (LSG), the technique is limited in both its ability to identify disease and to guide therapy. Recent advancements provide opportunities for new imaging techniques not only to assist in the diagnosis of LED, based on anatomic changes, but also to assess contractile function and to guide therapeutic intervention. The purpose of this contribution was to review these imaging techniques. Methods Literature for each technique is reviewed and discussed, and the evidence for each of these new diagnostic techniques was assessed on several criteria to determine if each could (1) establish whether disease is present, (2) determine the severity of the disease process, (3) define the pathophysiologic mechanism of the disease process, (4) demonstrate whether intervention is possible as well as what type, and (5) objectively grade the response to therapy. Results LSG is currently the standard test to confirm LED. Duplex ultrasound (DUS) is a simple, readily available noninvasive test that can identify LED by specific tissue characteristics as well as the response to therapy. Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scans similarly demonstrate the alterations in epidermal and subcutaneous tissue, but the latter can also detect obstructing neoplasms as a cause of secondary LED. Moreover, magnetic resonance lymphangiography details lymphatic vessels and nodes and their function. Newer fluorescence imaging techniques provide opportunities to image lymphatic anatomy and function. Visible microlymphangiography by fluorescein sodium is limited by tissue light absorption to imaging depths of 200 μm. Near-infrared fluorescence lymphatic imaging, a newer test using intradermal injection of indocyanine green, can penetrate several centimeters of tissue and can visualize the initial and conducting lymphatics, the lymph node basins, and the active function of lymphangions (the key module) in exquisite detail. Conclusions The availability and the noninvasive nature of DUS should make this modality the first choice for establishing the diagnosis of LED based on tissue changes. Further studies comparing DUS with LSG, however, are needed. The costs of magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography limit their adoption as a means to regularly assess the lymphatics. Whereas lymphatic truncal anatomy and transit times can be delineated by the older technique of LSG, near-infrared fluorescence lymphatic imaging is rapid, highly sensitive, and repeatable and provides exquisite detail for lymphatic vessel anatomy and function of the lymphangions as well as the response to therapy.
The Complex and Multifaceted Aspects of Conflicts of Interest

Judgment and integrity are 2 hallmarks of professionalism. Conflict of interest (COI), bias, and dishonesty represent a spectrum of threats to judgment and integrity. COI, a conflict between a professional responsibility and a personal interest, is at one end of this threat spectrum. COI creates a risk of bias. Bias, a prejudice for or against something, is in the middle of this spectrum. If a COI results in bias, the bias may affect a professional judgment. Dishonesty is deceit or fraud. Dishonesty is at the opposite end of this spectrum from COI. Each of these threats exists on a continuum. COI may be present or perceived. Bias may be conscious or unconscious. Dishonesty may be intentional or unintentional.
High spectral resolution of overlapping molecular transitions of CH 4 and N 2 O in the mid-infrared region

We show novel detection techniques and quantitative metrics of instrument performance of a mid-IR quantum cascade laser-based system using higher harmonic (2f and 4f) detection to resolve overlapping line transitions of methane, nitrous-oxide and water-vapor.
Thomas Jefferson, Steroids, and Sepsis.

Changing clinical practice is not easy. It takes, on average, about 17 years for knowledge gained from even the most rigorously designed clinical trials to find its way into routine clinical care at the bedside (1). Although there are a number of potential explanations for this knowledge translation
Occupational Race Segregation, Globalization, and White Advantage: White-Black Earnings Inequality in U.S. Metropolitan Areas

Addressing the need to systematically assess the materialist foundations of color-blind racism, we use insights from critical race theory to investigate the metropolitan-level racial inequality at the turn of the century. Namely, we examine the association between occupational race segregation and white advantage (i.e., white-black earnings inequality) for men and women in 202 U.S. metropolitan statistical areas in the year 2000. We find that occupational race segregation exacerbates white advantage for both male and female workers, supporting the tenets of the materialist conception of color-blind racism. We also consider how processes of globalization and labor market transformation impact white advantage. Our findings indicate that global capital increases white advantage for males, whereas foreign direct investment and casualization serve to decrease it. They also indicate that exports decrease white advantage for females, whereas percent foreign born increases it.
Using Reinforcement Learning to Model Incrementality in a Fast-Paced Dialogue Game

We apply Reinforcement Learning (RL) to the problem of incremental dialogue policy learning in the context of a fast-paced dialogue game. We compare the policy learned by RL with a high-performance baseline policy which has been shown to perform very efficiently (nearly as well as humans) in this dialogue game. The RL policy outperforms the baseline policy in offline simulations (based on real user data). We provide a detailed comparison of the RL policy and the baseline policy, including information about how much effort and time it took to develop each one of them. We also highlight the cases where the RL policy performs better, and show that understanding the RL policy can provide valuable insights which can inform the creation of an even better rule-based policy.
Safety and pharmacokinetics of the Fc-modified HIV-1 human monoclonal antibody VRC01LS: A Phase 1 open-label clinical trial in healthy adults.

Background VRC01 is a human broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibody (bnMAb) against the CD4-binding site of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) that is currently being evaluated in a Phase IIb adult HIV-1 prevention efficacy trial. VRC01LS is a modified version of VRC01, designed for extended serum half-life by increased binding affinity to the neonatal Fc receptor. Methods and findings This Phase I dose-escalation study of VRC01LS in HIV-negative healthy adults was conducted by the Vaccine Research Center (VRC) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center (Bethesda, MD). The age range of the study volunteers was 21–50 years; 51% of study volunteers were male and 49% were female. Primary objectives were safety and tolerability of VRC01LS intravenous (IV) infusions at 5, 20, and 40 mg/kg infused once, 20 mg/kg given three times at 12-week intervals, and subcutaneous (SC) delivery at 5 mg/kg delivered once, or three times at 12-week intervals. Secondary objectives were pharmacokinetics (PK), serum neutralization activity, and development of antidrug antibodies. Enrollment began on November 16, 2015, and concluded on August 23, 2017. This report describes the safety data for the first 37 volunteers who received administrations of VRC01LS. There were no serious adverse events (SAEs) or dose-limiting toxicities. Mild malaise and myalgia were the most common adverse events (AEs). There were six AEs assessed as possibly related to VRC01LS administration, and all were mild in severity and resolved during the study. PK data were modeled based on the first dose of VRC01LS in the first 25 volunteers to complete their schedule of evaluations. The mean (±SD) serum concentration 12 weeks after one IV administration of 20 mg/kg or 40 mg/kg were 180 ± 43 μg/mL (n = 7) and 326 ± 35 μg/mL (n = 5), respectively. The mean (±SD) serum concentration 12 weeks after one IV and SC administration of 5 mg/kg were 40 ± 3 μg/mL (n = 2) and 25 ± 5 μg/mL (n = 9), respectively. Over the 5–40 mg/kg IV dose range (n = 16), the clearance was 36 ± 8 mL/d with an elimination half-life of 71 ± 18 days. VRC01LS retained its expected neutralizing activity in serum, and anti-VRC01 antibody responses were not detected. Potential limitations of this study include the small sample size typical of Phase I trials and the need to further describe the PK properties of VRC01LS administered on multiple occasions. Conclusions The human bnMAb VRC01LS was safe and well tolerated when delivered intravenously or subcutaneously. The half-life was more than 4-fold greater when compared to wild-type VRC01 historical data. The reduced clearance and extended half-life may make it possible to achieve therapeutic levels with less frequent and lower-dose administrations. This would potentially lower the costs of manufacturing and improve the practicality of using passively administered monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for the prevention of HIV-1 infection. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02599896
Hidden Undernutrition: How universal cutoffs can fail to capture stunting in low and middle income countries

Stunting, or impaired child growth due to undernutrition, has multiple negative health effects, making it a top global health priority. The current benchmark for classifying stunting assumes a universal model of growth with height-for-age z-score (HAZ) cutoffs set by the WHO. However, this universal model may hide hotspots of stunting if populations differ in HAZ in ways that are independent of undernutrition. We assess the potential magnitude of this bias by decomposing variation in HAZ from 1,406,609 children from 63 low- and middle-income countries into two components; 1) a component shaped by environmental inputs, poverty, infectious disease, inadequate sanitation, and healthcare access, and 2) a country-specific basal starting point that is independent of such inputs. After removing the effects of numerous environmental inputs, we find that different countries have reliably and substantially different basal starting points in average HAZ scores (a range of 1.7 SD). These country-specific starting points, which we define as basal HAZ, are not associated with key indicators of undernutrition (e.g., infant mortality and average calorie deficit). By contrast, average increases in HAZ above a country's starting point, which we define as accrued HAZ, show strong correlations with these same variables, suggesting that low accrued HAZ captures standard definitions of stunting as impaired growth due to undernutrition. Using these two components, we show how universal cutoffs can underestimate stunting in specific world regions (e.g., sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean), where children in even very deprived situations start off taller. As stunting is a high priority global health problem, standards that are sensitive to such population variation in healthy growth should improve efforts to target those most vulnerable to childhood undernutrition.
Contrasting Governance Learning Processes of Climate-leading and -lagging Cities: Portland, Oregon, and Phoenix, Arizona, USA

The contrasting histories and political ecologies of two U.S. cities—Portland Oregon and Phoenix Arizona—shed light on their ability to learn from and influence the climate governance of their peer...
Simulation for passage times in non-Markovian networks of queues

An appropriate state vector for simulation of closed networks of queues with priorities among job classes is a linear “job stack”, an enumeration of service center and job class of all the jobs. Simulation for passage times can be based on observation of an augmented job stack process which maintains the position of an arbitrarily chosen “marked job”. Using a representation of the augmented job stack process as a generalized semi-Markov process, we develop an estimation procedure for passage times in networks with general service times. We also describe an estimation procedure for passage times which correspond to the passage through a subnetwork of a given network of queues. With this “labelled jobs method”, observed passage times for all the jobs are used to construct point and interval estimates. Our results apply to networks with “single states” for passage times. Based on a single simulation run, the procedures provide point estimates and confidence intervals for characteristics of limiting passage times.