cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The role of platelets in malarial acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome: A world of possibilities

In recent decades our understanding of platelets' role in immune response has increased. Traditionally platelets were considered as bleeding-stopping and thrombosis-causing cells. In recent years the platelets' role in malarial innate and adaptive immune responses is being recognized. Platelets play critical role in pathogenesis of malaria infection leading to variety of outcomes. It is being realized that platelets play dual role in case of malaria (i) by preventing early stage exponential growth of parasitemia (ii) promoting exaggerated immune responses later. Platelets role in pathogenesis of severe and cerebral malaria has been widely studied. However their role in malaria related acute lung injury and respiratory distress has gained less attention. Recently the presence of active megakaryocytes and proplatelets have been explained in human lungs. Simultaneously, the platelets role in pathogenesis of acute lung injury and respiratory distress (ALI/ARDS) was also recognized. This gives a hint that there is a possible association of platelets with malaria related respiratory diseases as well. ALI/ARDS are characterized by lung edema due to increased permeability of the alveolar-capillary barrier and subsequent impairment of arterial oxygenation. In this review we have attempted to establish the importance of role of platelets in malaria related acute lungs injury and malaria acute respiratory distress syndrome and try to explain the underlying mechanism of this process. In ALI/ARDS, including those caused by malaria, platelets participate sequestration to the vascular bundle facilitating the recruitment of immune cells viz. neutrophils. Additionally, they secrete or induce the secretion of chemokines that result into vascular damage.
Congenital Zika syndrome: an epidemic of neurologic disability.

Dear Editors, The paper by van der Linden et al., “Discordant clinical outcomes of congenital Zika virus infection in twin pregnancies” provides additional information in a story that has placed Zika firmly in the company of other infections such as cytomegalovirus and toxoplasmosis that can cause birth defects in the central nervous system. Unlike these other congenital infections, however, Zika virus regularly causes a particularly severe brain phenotype, rarely seen even by specialists in brain malformations. While microcephaly, central nervous [...]
Lupus T and B cell cross-reactivity between the human Ro60 autoantigen and Ro60 orthologs from the human microbiota

Human Ro60 is an RNA binding protein that is commonly targeted in systemic autoimmunity. We identified Ro60 orthologs that are conserved in a subset of skin, oral, and gut commensal species. Since anti-Ro60 antibodies are the earliest autoantibodies detected in lupus patients, we hypothesized that commensal Ro60 orthologs may trigger autoimmunity via autoepitope cross-reactivity in genetically susceptible individuals. While Ro60-producing gut commensals were common among both healthy controls and lupus patients, only antibodies from 4 Ro60-positive lupus patients, but not Ro60-negative subjects, co-immunoprecipitated Ro60 and its bound Y RNA from the Ro60-containing skin commensal P. propionicum . This suggests antibody cross-reactivity between human Ro60 antibodies and commensal Ro60. Next, Ro60-specific CCR6+ and CCR6- CD4 memory T cells clones from lupus patients were generated using a T cell library assay. Ro60 CCR6+ T cell clones proliferated in response to P. propionicum , demonstrating T cell cross-reactivity with commensal Ro60. Finally, germ-free mice monocolonized with B. thetaiotaomicron , a Ro60 ortholog-containing gut commensal, produced fecal anti-human Ro60 IgA antibodies (n=4, p=0.04), linking anti-Ro60 commensal responses in vivo with the generation of human Ro60 autoantibodies. In summary, Ro60 autoimmune T and B cells from human lupus patients cross-reacted with commensal Ro60 in vitro and commensal Ro60 triggered anti-Ro60 antibodies in vivo . Taken together, these data suggest that colonization with autoantigen ortholog-carrying species may sustain chronic autoimmunity in patients. This concept could lead to development of novel therapeutic approaches targeted at the human microbiota.
Implementation of Long Gauge Fiber Optic Sensor Arrays in Civil Structures

Civil structures have large dimensions, composed of diverse materials, and the construction environment is generally hostile. These issues, in turn, pose challenges to design and deployment of sensors for structural health monitoring. While optical fiber sensors provide superior sensing capabilities, their attributes remain ineffective if they are not properly designed considering the civil engineering applications. Design of proper sensors require considerations to measurements of interest, i.e. cracks, strains, displacements, coverage of all critical sensing locations, survivability during installation, and reliability of measurements. To address some of these issues, this article focuses on the applications of long gauge interferometric sensors, multiplexing strategies, and installation issues during construction of civil structures.
Fast Detection of Stable and Count Predicates in Parallel Computations

Enumerating all consistent states of a parallel computation that satisfy a given predicate is an important problem in debugging and verification of parallel programs. We give a fast algorithm to enumerate all consistent states of a parallel computation that satisfy a stable predicate. In addi- tion, we define a new category of global predicates called count predicates and give an algorithm to enumerate all consistent states (of the computation) that satisfy it. All existing predicate detection algorithms, such as BFS, DFS and Lex algorithms, do not exploit the knowledge about the nature of the predicates, and thus may visit all global states of the computation in the worst case. In comparison, our algorithms only visit the states that satisfy the given predicate, and thus take time and space that is a polynomial function of the number of states of interest. In doing so, they provide a significant reduction — exponential in many cases — in time complexities in comparison to existing algorithms.
Literacy, Cognitive Psychology of

Cognitive psychology of literacy studies how the cognitive processes underlying (de-)coding oral language function in reading, spelling, and writing, and how humans learn to become skilled literates. A variety of cognitive models (e.g., boxological, mathematical, and computational) and methods (e.g., psychophysics, mental chronometry, brain imaging) is used to answer the currently central question in this field: how do humans learn and apply the alphabetic principle in perception and action, that is, the fact that in many languages letters (or letter groups) symbolize elementary speech sounds. Other major issues concern the functional units of learning/processing spoken and written language (e.g., letters vs. words; phonemes vs. syllables), or the role of phonological awareness in the acquisition of literacy. A major determinant of learning the alphabetic principle is the consistency of the sound-spelling and spelling-sound mappings of a language: identical visual units can represent different sounds and identical sounds can represent different visual units. Learners of a language adapt to this fact: experimental evidence suggests that German (in which approximately 90 percent of words are spelling-to-sound consistent) or Italian children detect the alphabetic principle earlier and exhibit better decoding skills than English children who use bigger processing units (e.g., rimes) than learners of German or Italian, for which phonemes are the basic processing units. Computational evidence suggests that the mental lexicon, that is, a central memory structure for skilled literacy, is organized like a highly interactive, nonlinear, dynamic network of grapheme/phoneme and orthographic/phonological word representations.
On Migratory Lymphocyte Models

Linear time-delay models are developed and compared to other models for the circulation of lymphocytes throughout the immune system. A building-block synthesis of the lymphatic system is presented. The models mimick experimental tracer data for rats, but more extensive data is needed to do a good job of parameter estimation.
Mass Loss and the Formation of Multiple Shell Planetary Nebulae

The physical structures of a PN are determined by the stellar mass loss and the nebular dynamical processes. Observations of single shell PNe usually do not provide enough information to separate unambiguously these two effects. However, in a multiple shell PN (MSPN) the relative motion of the shells sets constraint on the dynamical processes, and sometimes the mass loss can be quantitatively derived for the past 2×103 to 5×104 yrs. Since more than 45% of all PNe may go through the multiple shell phase (Chu, Arendt, and Jacoby 1986), the mass loss derived for the MSPNe may be applicable to the majority of PNe.
Natural History of Biological Soil Crusts in Prairie Ecosystems of the Great Plains: Organismal Composition and Photosynthetic Traits

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are soil-surface microecosystems composed of a close association of algae, cyanobacteria, fungi, lichens, and nonvascular plants with soil particles. BSCs have several ecological functions including carbon fixation, nitrogen fixation, nutrient relations, soil stabilization, water relations, and floral community development, which make them extremely important in many of the ecosystems where they occur. While BSCs have been studied throughout the American West, little work has been done in the Great Plains region where they are less prominent among the dominant vascular plant communities. This study examined organismal composition and photosynthetic traits of BSCs in four ecosystems within the Great Plains—shortgrass, sandsage, southern mixed grass, and tallgrass prairies. To document the BSCs, seasonal photosynthesis measurements were performed in the field and samples were collected for lab analysis. Prairie BSCs primarily consisted of lichens, bryophytes, and cyanobacteria with lichens being dominant in all ecosystems and varying proportions of bryophytes and cyanobacteria. Bryophyte proportion tended to increase with wetter, cooler climates. Heterocystic (nitrogen-fixing) cyanobacteria, which contribute to soil nitrogen content, and non-heterocystic cyanobacteria were present in lichens at all sites. Photosynthesis rates varied between sites and seasons, ranging from 0.26 to 3.31 µmol CO2 m-2 s-1, and were generally correlated with precipitation and temperature. Results indicate that BSCs of these prairie ecosystems possess diverse communities and perform several important ecological functions.
The Role of Crosslinked Polyethylene in Reducing Aggregated Costs of Total Hip Arthroplasty in the United States

Abstract Background Widespread adoption of crosslinked polyethylene for the acetabular articular surface for total hip arthroplasty has substantially reduced revision rates and dislocation rates. We aim to provide estimates of the resulting magnitude of the annual reduction in aggregated costs of total hip arthroplasty surgery in the United States. Methods After we obtained, from the literature, the contrasting mid-term rates of revisions and dislocations of total hip arthroplasty using conventional polyethylene vs those using crosslinked polyethylene, specifically from only registry studies and prospective, randomized controlled studies, we multiplied these incidence figures by the cost estimates of these failures to generate approximations of the cost savings in the United States from the use of crosslinked polyethylene. Results The estimates suggest that in the United States these savings might be one billion dollars per annual cohort over a 15-year duration. Conclusion The use of crosslinked polyethylene has reduced substantially the overall costs of total hip arthroplasty surgery in the United States.
Lipid nanoparticles for delivery of messenger RNA to the back of the eye.

Abstract Retinal gene therapy has had unprecedented success in generating treatments that can halt vision loss. However, immunogenic response and long-term toxicity with the use of viral vectors remain a concern. Non-viral vectors are relatively non-immunogenic, scalable platforms that have had limited success with DNA delivery to the eye. Messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics has expanded the ability to achieve high gene expression while eliminating unintended genomic integration or the need to cross the restrictive nuclear barrier. Lipid-based nanoparticles (LNPs) remain at the forefront of potent delivery vectors for nucleic acids. Herein, we tested eleven different LNP variants for their ability to deliver mRNA to the back of the eye. LNPs that contained ionizable lipids with low pKa and unsaturated hydrocarbon chains showed the highest amount of reporter gene transfection in the retina. The kinetics of gene expression showed a rapid onset (within 4 h) that persisted for 96 h. The gene delivery was cell-type specific with majority of the expression in the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) and limited expression in the Muller glia. LNP-delivered mRNA can be used to treat monogenic retinal degenerative disorders of the RPE. The transient nature of mRNA-based therapeutics makes it desirable for applications that are directed towards retinal reprogramming or genome editing. Overall, non-viral delivery of RNA therapeutics to diverse cell types within the retina can provide transformative new approaches to prevent blindness.
Deep learning and radiomics in precision medicine.

Introduction: The radiological reading room is undergoing a paradigm shift to a symbiosis of computer science and radiology using artificial intelligence integrated with machine and deep learning w...
General-relativistic constraints on the equation of state of dense matter implied by kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillations in neutron-star X-ray binaries

If the observed millisecond variability in the X-ray flux of several neutron-star low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) is interpreted within a general-relativistic framework (Kluzniak, Michelson \& Wagoner 1990) extant at the time of discovery, severe constraints can be placed on the equation of state (e.o.s.) of matter at supranuclear densities. The reported maximum frequency (1.14 +- 0.01 kHz) of quasiperiodic oscillations observed in sources as diverse as Sco X-1 and 4U 1728-34 would imply that the neutron star masses in these LMXBs are M > 1.9 M_solar, and hence many equations of state would be excluded. Among the very few still viable equations of state are the e.o.s. of Phandaripande and Smith (1975), and e.o.s. AV14 + UVII of Wiringa, Fiks \& Fabrocini (1988).
Utility of bronchoscopy combined with surgery in the treatment and outcomes of dogs with intrathoracic disease secondary to plant awn migration.

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic and therapeutic utility of bronchoscopy in dogs undergoing computed tomography (CT) and surgery for intrathoracic disease (pyothorax and pneumothorax) secondary to migrating plant awns (MPA) and to report outcomes in dogs that did and did not undergo bronchoscopy in addition to CT and surgery. Study design Retrospective case series. Animals Thirty-seven client-owned dogs. Methods Medical records from 2008 to 2017 were reviewed for dogs with documented MPA in the thoracic cavity treated with CT and surgery with or without bronchoscopy. Information regarding diagnostics, treatments, complications, and outcomes relating to hospitalization was evaluated. Results At least one abnormal lung lobe was identified by CT in all dogs. Bronchial abnormalities were identified with bronchoscopy in 21 of 22 dogs (95.4%) with available reports. Agreement between CT and bronchoscopy findings ranged from 50% to 81.8%, depending on lung lobe. Thirty-six dogs had one or more lung lobes surgically removed. Thirty-seven MPA were retrieved via bronchoscopy in 10 of 27 (37%) dogs, and 39 MPA were retrieved at surgery in 26 of 37 (70.3%) dogs. Actinomyces spp. were cultured from surgical samples in 7 of 33 (21.2%) dogs. Thirty-five of 37 (94.6%) dogs survived to discharge. Conclusion Migrating plant awns were successfully retrieved via bronchoscopy. Agreement between CT findings and bronchoscopy was inconsistent, so there may be roles for both modalities. Short- and long-term survival was excellent in this cohort. Clinical significance Bronchoscopy may allow for diagnostic and therapeutic advantages compared with CT in dogs with endobronchial MPA. Actinomyces spp appear to be variably present in surgically acquired bacterial cultures in dogs with MPA.
Genetic Ablation and Guanylyl Cyclase/Natriuretic Peptide Receptor-A: Impact on the Pathophysiology of Cardiovascular Dysfunction

Mice bearing targeted gene mutations that affect the functions of natriuretic peptides (NPs) and natriuretic peptide receptors (NPRs) have contributed important information on the pathogenesis of hypertension, kidney disease, and cardiovascular dysfunction. Studies of mice having both complete gene disruption and tissue-specific gene ablation have contributed to our understanding of hypertension and cardiovascular disorders. These phenomena are consistent with an oligogenic inheritance in which interactions among a few alleles may account for genetic susceptibility to hypertension, renal insufficiency, and congestive heart failure. In addition to gene knockouts conferring increased risks of hypertension, kidney disorders, and cardiovascular dysfunction, studies of gene duplications have identified mutations that protect against high blood pressure and cardiovascular events, thus generating the notion that certain alleles can confer resistance to hypertension and heart disease. This review focuses on the intriguing phenotypes of Npr1 gene disruption and gene duplication in mice, with emphasis on hypertension and cardiovascular events using mouse models carrying Npr1 gene knockout and/or gene duplication. It also describes how Npr1 gene targeting in mice has contributed to our knowledge of the roles of NPs and NPRs in dose-dependently regulating hypertension and cardiovascular events.
Borderline: How Municipal Annexation, Consolidation, and Merger Maintained Racial Hierarchy in Hampton Roads, Virginia

Research on race and racism in the United States increasingly has emphasized the need for examination of structural racism – the myriad path-dependent legacy effects of which have been ignored by the Supreme Court. This paper takes a new approach to understanding how structural racism has affected generations of Southern black communities by looking at the physical transformations of municipal governments in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Virginia, unlike other states, has a unique form of municipal jurisdiction, the independent city. Separate from their surrounding counties, Virginia’s independent cities encompass both traditional county-level governmental functions as well as routine city services in one. These cities have existed since the early 1900s, but experienced a vast proliferation from the 1950s through the 1970s amid significant legal reforms and the faltering “massive resistance” to desegregation across the South. Thus, this paper examines the ways in which race and racism were linked inextricably to these changes, focusing on the independent cities and outlying counties of the Hampton Roads metropolitan region of Southeast Virginia. There, several of the largest cities in the region and the Commonwealth overall – including Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and Suffolk – emerged during the desegregation era, with lasting effects upon the socioeconomic conditions of different racial groups preventing wholesale progress. In more-recent times, moreover, these and other independent cities have subtly reinforced racial hierarchies through numerous specific policies, long after the end of “massive resistance.” The paper concludes with suggestions for remedying the built-in disparities of Virginia’s independent cities across multiple dimensions of socioeconomic concern.
Measuring dysfunction of cone photoreceptors in retinitis pigmentosa with phase-sensitive AO-OCT

Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), the most common group of inherited retinal degenerative diseases, is characterized by progressive loss of peripheral vision that surrounds an island of healthy central vision and a transition zone of reduced vision. The most debilitating phase of the disease is cone photoreceptor death whose biological mechanisms remain unknown. Traditional clinical methods such as perimetry and electroretinography are gold standards for diagnosing and monitoring RP and indirectly assessing cone function. Both methods, however, lack the spatial resolution and sensitivity to assess disease progression at the level of individual photoreceptor cells, where it begins. To address this need, we developed an imaging method based on phase-sensitive adaptive optics optical coherence tomography (PS-AO-OCT) that characterizes cone dysfunction in RP subjects by stimulating cone cells with flashes of light and measuring their resulting nanometer-scale changes in optical path length. We introduce new biomarkers to quantify cone dysfunction. We find cone function decreases with increasing RP severity and even in the healthy central area where cone structure appears normal, cones respond differently than cones in the healthy controls.
GraphiteRouting: Name-Based Hierarchical Routing for Internet-of-Things in Enterprise Environments

Internet of Things in enterprise environments features large numbers of devices deployed in rooms, floors of possibly multiple buildings. Delivering user commands to control devices nearby and multiple hops away requires efficient and scalable routing in such environments. Existing work in ad-hoc, sensor or IoT network routing lacks good human accessibility and scalability. In this paper, we propose a peer-based protocol GraphiteRouting. All devices carry human-readable hierarchical string names for easy reference. It leverages devices' installation hierarchy for scalable hierarchical routing: most devices maintain only a few to dozens of routing entries for same-room devices, and a fraction of devices act as gateways for traffic from/to other rooms, floors or buildings. Also, it leverages users' operation patterns to less optimize infrequently used routes. Extensive analysis and performance evaluation on a 20-node testbed prove that GraphiteRouting is scalable: it has routing tables 10x- -1000x smaller than those in peer-based flat routing; also, upon device joining/leaving, its routing entries converge in less than 5 s, and forwarding a user command over 8 hops costs less than 0.3 s.
Echinochloa colona with Reported Resistance to Glyphosate Conferred by Aldo-Keto Reductase Also Contains a Pro-106-Thr EPSPS Target Site Mutation.

Echinochloa with resistance to glyphosate also contains an unreported Pro-106-Thr EPSPS target-site mutation.
Varieties of Moral Encroachment

Several authors have recently suggested that moral factors and norms ‘encroach’ on the epistemic, and because of salient parallels to pragmatic encroachment views in epistemology, these suggestions have been dubbed ‘moral encroachment views’. This paper distinguishes between variants of the moral encroachment thesis, pointing out how they address different problems, are motivated by different considerations, and are not all subject to the same objections. It also explores how the family of moral encroachment views compare to classical pragmatic encroachment accounts.
Duration of the Third Stage of Labor and Estimated Blood Loss in Twin Vaginal Deliveries.

Objective The main aim of this study was to characterize the duration of the third stage of labor and estimated blood loss in twin vaginal deliveries. Study Design This was a retrospective case-control study. The data was collected from deliveries at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, Arkansas, from January 2013 to June 2017. Women were identified who had twin gestation, were delivered vaginally, and whose maternal age was greater than 18 years old. Women were excluded if they had an intrauterine fetal demise, delivered either/both fetuses via cesarean, history of a previous cesarean or a fetus with a congenital anomaly. If a subject met criteria to be included in the study, the next normal singleton vaginal delivery was used as the control subject. Results There were 132 singleton vaginal deliveries and 133 twin vaginal deliveries analyzed. There was no significant difference in the length of the third stage of labor between twin and singleton vaginal deliveries except in the 95th percentile of the distribution. Mothers delivering twins had an increase in third-stage duration by 7.618 minutes (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.73, 14.50; p = 0.03) compared with those who delivered singletons. The twin group had a higher estimated blood loss than singleton deliveries. The increase in blood loss in the twin group was 149.02 mL (95% CI: 100.2, 197.8), 257.01 mL (95% CI: 117.9, 396.1), and 381.53 mL (95% CI: 201.1, 562.1) at the 50th, 90th, and 95th percentiles, respectively. When the third stage of labor was at the 90th percentile or less in twin pregnancy (14 minutes), estimated blood loss was less than 1000 mL. Conclusion Twin pregnancy is a known risk factor for postpartum hemorrhage. As the duration of the third stage prolongs, the risk for hemorrhage also increases. We recommend delivery of the placenta in twin pregnancies by 15 minutes to reduce this risk. Key Points The third stage is longer in twin pregnancy at extremes.Twin placentas should be delivered by 15 minutes.Manually extract the placenta when third stage is prolonged.
Slavery and Sacred Texts: The Bible, the Constitution, and Historical Consciousness in Antebellum America

In the decades before the Civil War, Americans appealed to the nation's sacred religious and legal texts - the Bible and the Constitution - to address the slavery crisis. The ensuing political debates over slavery deepened interpreters' emphasis on historical readings of the sacred texts, and in turn, these readings began to highlight the unbridgeable historical distances that separated nineteenth-century Americans from biblical and founding pasts. While many Americans continued to adhere to a belief in the Bible's timeless teachings and the Constitution's enduring principles, some antislavery readers, including Theodore Parker, Frederick Douglass, and Abraham Lincoln, used historical distance to reinterpret and use the sacred texts as antislavery documents. By using the debate over American slavery as a case study, Jordan T. Watkins traces the development of American historical consciousness in antebellum America, showing how a growing emphasis on historical readings of the Bible and the Constitution gave rise to a sense of historical distance.
There Are No Second Class Citizens in America

My reflections on the landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court Brown v. The Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas and its legacy have been quite nostalgic, troubling and introspective. The difficulty of reflection is that it requires one to reach down within the recesses of the subconscious and relive events that were joyous yet painful, a period of triumph yet a period of fear and trepidation. It is with these same feelings in 2004 that I comment on the legacy of a coup d’etat that moved civil rights in the United States to the forefront of the world.
A Cross-Section Study of Adverse Drug Event of Antibacterials Drugs for Patients With Preoperative Gynecological and Obstetric Surgery From a Second-Grade Class-A Hospital

Objective To study the adverse drug event of antibacterial drugs for patients with preoperative gynecological and obstetrical surgery in a second-grade class-A hospital.Methods A random sampling study was conducted on the use of antibacterial drugs in patients with preoperative gynecological and obstetrical surgery between June 2010and June 2011.Their clinical data were retrospectively analyzed in the aspects of usage and adverse drug event of antibacterial drugs.The study protocol was approved by the Ethical Review Board of Investigation in Human Being of Shenyang Women′s and Children′s Hospital.Informed consent was obtained from all participates.Results Out of 300 patients with preoperative gynecological and obstetrical surgery,103(34.33%)had adverse drug event report.The cases that caused by cephalosporins were accounted for the most(53.32%,201/377),and damage to the digest system(28.12%,106/377)was the commonest type.Adverse event rate of rational use of antibacterial drugs was significantly lower than that of the irrational use of antibacterial.Conclusions Rational use of antibacterial for gynecologic and obstetric patients with surgical operation could significantly reduce the incidence of adverse drug event in this second-grade class-A hospital in Shenyang.
Field hockey coaches’ feelings of competence, autonomy and relatedness, and their perceived ability to meet these same needs in athletes

According to Self-determination Theory (SDT), self-determined athletes are more apt to put forth effort and have high levels of self-esteem and well-being (Ryan & Deci, 2002). Studies have identifi...
The epidemiology of social isolation and loneliness among older adults during the last years of life

BACKGROUND Social isolation and loneliness are critical to the health of older adults, but they have not been well-described at the end of life. OBJECTIVES To determine the prevalence and correlates of social isolation and loneliness among older adults in the last years of life. DESIGN Nationally representative, cross-sectional survey. SETTING Health and Retirement Study, 2006-2016 data. PARTICIPANTS Adults age > 50 interviewed once in the last 4 years of life (n = 3613). MEASUREMENTS We defined social isolation using a 15-item scale measuring household contacts, social network interaction, and community engagement, and frequent loneliness using the 3-item UCLA Loneliness Scale. We used multivariable logistic regression to determine their adjusted prevalence by time prior-to-death and by subgroups of interest. RESULTS Approximately 19% experienced social isolation, 18% loneliness, and 5% both in the last 4 years of life (correlation = 0.11). The adjusted prevalence of social isolation was higher for individuals nearer to death (4 years: 18% vs 0-3 months: 27%, p = 0.05) and there was no significant change in loneliness (4 years: 19% vs 0-3 months: 23%, p = 0.13). Risk factors for both isolation and loneliness included (p < 0.01): low net-worth (Isolation: 34% vs 14%; Loneliness: 29% vs 13%), hearing impairment (Isolation: 26% vs 20%; Loneliness: 26% vs 17%), and difficulty preparing meals (Isolation: 27% vs 19%; Loneliness: 29% vs 15%). Factors associated with loneliness, but not social isolation, included being female, pain, incontinence, and cognitive impairment. CONCLUSIONS Social isolation and loneliness are common at the end of life, affecting 1 in 4 older adults, but few experience both. Rates were higher for older adults who were poor and experienced functional or sensory impairments. Results can inform clinical efforts to identify and address end-of-life psychosocial suffering and health policies which prioritize social needs at the end of life.
Associations between systemic health and retinal nerve fibre layer thickness in preterm infants at 36 weeks postmenstrual age.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Neonatal insults from systemic diseases have been implicated in the pathway of impaired neurodevelopment in preterm infants. We aimed to investigate the associations between systemic health factors and retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness in preterm infants. METHODS We prospectively enrolled infants and imaged both eyes at 36±1 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA) using a hand-held optical coherence tomography system at the bedside in the Duke intensive care nurseries. We evaluated associations between RNFL thickness and 29 systemic health factors using univariable and multivariable regression models. RESULTS 83 infants with RNFL thickness measures were included in this study. Based on the multivariable model, RNFL thickness was positively associated with infant weight at imaging and was negatively associated with sepsis/necrotising enterocolitis (NEC). RNFL thickness was 10.4 µm (95% CI -15.9 to -4.9) lower in infants with than without sepsis/NEC in the univariable analysis (p<0.001). This difference remained statistically significant after adjustment for confounding variables in various combinations (birth weight, birthweight percentile, gestational age, infant weight at imaging and growth velocity). A 250 g increase in infant weight at imaging was associated with a 3.1 µm (95% CI 2.1 to 4.2) increase in RNFL thickness in the univariable analysis (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Low infant weight and sepsis/NEC were independently associated with thinner RNFL in preterm infants at 36 weeks PMA. To our knowledge, this study is the first to suggest that sepsis/NEC may affect retinal neurodevelopment. Future longitudinal studies are needed to investigate this relationship further.
Elementary preservice teachers׳ navigation of racism and whiteness through inquiry with historical documentary film

Abstract This descriptive case study explores how on cohort of 17 White elementary preservice teachers examined counter-narratives of racism and Whiteness in selected documentary films using a historical inquiry approach. Findings indicate that by joining documentary film and historical inquiry in elementary social studies education, teacher educators can foster preservice teachers׳ engagement with perspective recognition while developing historical content knowledge. This study also documents White preservice teachers׳ acceptance of racism and resistance towards unpacking their White privilege and racism as status quo. Implications for using this approach with preservice teachers and the dilemma of White avoidance in social studies education are discussed.
Lithium isotope fractionation during uptake by gibbsite

Abstract The intercalation of lithium from solution into the six-membered μ2-oxo rings on the basal planes of gibbsite is well-constrained chemically. The product is a lithiated layered-double hydroxide solid that forms via in situ phase change. The reaction has well established kinetics and is associated with a distinct swelling of the gibbsite as counter ions enter the interlayer to balance the charge of lithiation. Lithium reacts to fill a fixed and well identifiable crystallographic site and has no solvation waters. Our lithium-isotope data shows that 6Li is favored during this intercalation and that the solid-solution fractionation depends on temperature, electrolyte concentration and counter ion identity (whether Cl−, NO3− or ClO4−). We find that the amount of isotopic fractionation between solid and solution (ΔLisolid-solution) varies with the amount of lithium taken up into the gibbsite structure, which itself depends upon the extent of conversion and also varies with electrolyte concentration and in the counter ion in the order: ClO4−
Scrupulosity and contamination OCD are not associated with deficits in response inhibition.

Abstract Background and objectives Prior research has indicated a number of neuropsychological deficits in patients with OCD consistent with the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical model of the disorder. Response inhibition (RI), defined as the inability to inhibit a prepotent response, has been identified as a possible candidate endophenotype for OCD. However, the results from previous studies of RI in OCD patients have been mixed, suggesting the possibility that some OCD dimensions may be associated with deficits in RI while others may not. The present study aimed to examine RI using a Go/No-Go (GNG) task in two OCD symptom dimensions, one of which, scrupulosity, has never been subject to neuropsychological investigation. Methods A total of 63 individuals, consisting of scrupulous OCD (n = 26), contamination OCD (n = 18) and non-psychiatric controls (n = 19) completed study measures. Controlling for depression symptoms, no significant performance differences were found between the groups on the GNG test, indicating no deficits in RI among contamination or scrupulous OCD. Results Results are consistent with several prior studies of RI in OCD that found no differences as compared to non-psychiatric controls, especially on GNG tests, and with more recent suggestions that RI may not constitute a clinical significant impaired domain in OCD. Limitations Limitations included a primarily highly educated and Causasian sample. Conclusions Additional conclusions include careful consideration of the RI measures selected for future studies, as well as the need for further investigation into the neuropsychological and neurobiological nature of scrupulous OCD.
Rent-Seeking, Rent-Creation and Rent-Protection in Social-Goal Objective Formations

In Chapter 1, we discussed the hermeneutic aspects of rent-seeking in a democratic collective decision-choice system. The discussions allowed us to examine social information structure and the possible abstractions of the knowledge structure where the knowledge structure is seen as an input into the decision-choice actions in the political economy. The system was related to fuzzy or fuzzy-stochastic rationality, cost-benefit rationality, and expenditure-revenue duality. Let us now amplify the analytical works in the rent-seeking space.
Fault interaction in Alaska: Static Coulomb stress transfer

Between 1938 and 2002, most ofthe known major active fault segments in southern Alaska with estimated recurrence intervals of less than 700 years have ruptured. Static (coseismic) Coulomb stress transfer has been modeled from the nine largest (M ≥ 7.5) of these earthquakes. Stresses transferred from these sources, ranging from less than 0.001 MPa (0.01 bar) to 1 MPa (10 bars) locally, were computed on 30 target fault segments, including 16 segments associated with the above major earthquake sources. Post-1938 cumulative static Coulomb stress transfer in excess of 0.1 MPa preceded failure of the Denali―Totschunda, Sitka, Kodiak, and southern Gulf of Alaska segments. Stress transfer since 1938 indicates the presence of transferred stresses in excess of 0.1 MPa, locally approaching 1 MPa, at seismogenic depths on target fault segments that have not ruptured since 1938, including the Denali Park segments ofthe western Denali fault, the Castle Mountain fault, the Cross Creek fault, the southern part of the Totschunda-Fairweather gap, and the west Yakataga gap. Some segments that have ruptured during or since 1938 have received static Coulomb stress reloading locally in excess of 0.1 MPa. These include the Alaska Peninsula, offshore Fairweather, and northern Queen Charlotte fault segments. Stresses transferred to the slowly slipping Denali-Totschunda fault system can result in significant earthquake probability changes, whereas high slip rates on the Fairweather-Queen Charlotte transform fault system limit the advance toward (or retreat from) time of failure due to transferred stresses.
Are wages equal across sectors of production

The assumption that national labour markets are homogeneous across tradable and non-tradable goods is common in multisector (open-economy) macro models and crucial for the prominent Balassa–Samuelson hypothesis. To test it, this study introduces a novel, theory-based method of distinguishing the tradable and non-tradable sectors to the Balassa–Samuelson literature and employs modern empirical methods and a large and detailed macro dataset. It finds that both the internal relationship between productivity and wages in the tradable and non-tradable sectors postulated by the Balassa–Samuelson hypothesis and its external transmission mechanism are rejected.
Health beliefs and alternative medicine: A qualitative study of breast cancer patients

Abstract Background and Methods. To explore beliefs among patients who use alternative medicine, the authors interviewed 20 female breast cancer patients for their perceptions of health, illness, and medical care. The participants had used either conventional therapies alone (conventional group, n = 11) or conventional with alternative therapies (unconventional group, n = 9). Results. Beliefs about the cause of illness were similar between groups, whereas beliefs about recovery showed greater variation. In addition, the patients in the unconventional group perceived their beliefs to be recently formed and chiefly influenced by their cancer experiences, while the patients in the conventional group felt that their beliefs were “lifelong” and influenced primarily by upbringing. Conclusions. Beliefs about health and illness represent an evolving process related to changes in the way patients understand their illnesses over time. Discussing patients’ beliefs in the clinical setting may help physicians better u...
Observation of Kilohertz Quasiperiodic Oscillations from the Atoll Source 4U 1702-429

We present results of Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer (XTE) observations of the atoll source 4U 1702-429 in the middle of its luminosity range. Kilohertz-range quasiperiodic oscillations (QPOs) were observed first as a narrow (FWHM ~7 Hz) peak near 900 Hz, and later as a pair consisting of a narrow peak in the range 625--825 Hz and a faint broad (FWHM 91 Hz) peak. When the two peaks appeared simultaneously the separation was 333 +/- 5 Hz. Six type I thermonuclear bursts were detected, of which five exhibited almost coherent oscillations near 330 Hz, which makes 4U 1702-429 only the second source to show burst oscillations very close to the kilohertz QPO separation frequency. The energy spectrum and color-color diagram indicate that the source executed variations in the range between the ``island'' and ``lower banana'' atoll states. In addition to the kilohertz variability, oscillations at ~10, ~35, and 80 Hz were also detected at various times, superimposed on a red noise continuum. The centroid of the \~35 Hz QPO tracks the frequency of the kilohertz oscillation when they were both present. A Lense-Thirring gravitomagnetic precession interpretation appears more plausible in this case, compared to other atoll sources with low frequency QPOs.
A Systems Approach to Improving Tdap Immunization Within 5 Community-Based Family Practice Settings: Working Differently (and Better) by Transforming the Structure and Process of Care.

Objectives. We examined how family medicine clinic physicians and staff worked in collaborative teams to implement an automated clinical reminder to improve tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) booster vaccine administration and documentation.Methods. A clinical reminder was developed at 5 University of Michigan family medicine clinics to identify patients 11 to 64 years old who were in need of the Tdap booster vaccine. Quality improvement cycles were used to improve clinic care processes. Immunization rates from 2008 to 2011 were compared with rates at 4 primary care control clinics.Results. Vaccination rates among eligible patients increased from 15.5% to 47.3% within the family medicine clinics and from 14.1% to 30.2% within the control clinics. After adjustment for covariates, family medicine patients had a higher probability of vaccination than control patients during each measurement period (0.17 vs 0.15 at baseline, 0.53 vs 0.22 during year 1, and 0.50 vs 0.30 during year 2).Conclusi...
Interpreting snowpack radiometry using currently existing microwave radiative transfer models

A radiative transfer model (RTM) to calculate the snow brightness temperatures (Tb) is a critical element in terrestrial snow parameter retrieval from microwave remote sensing observations. The RTM simulates the Tb based on a layered snow by solving a set of microwave radiative transfer equations. Even with the same snow physical inputs to drive the RTM, currently existing models such as Microwave Emission Model of Layered Snowpacks (MEMLS), Dense Media Radiative Transfer (DMRT-QMS), and Helsinki University of Technology (HUT) models produce different Tb responses. To backwardly invert snow physical properties from the Tb, differences from RTMs are first to be quantitatively explained. To this end, this initial investigation evaluates the sources of perturbations in these RTMs, and reveals the equations where the variations are made among the three models. Modelling experiments are conducted by providing the same but gradual changes in snow physical inputs such as snow grain size, and snow density to the 3 RTMs. Simulations are conducted with the frequencies consistent with the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer- E (AMSR-E) at 6.9, 10.7, 18.7, 23.8, 36.5, and 89.0 GHz. For realistic simulations, the 3 RTMs are simultaneously driven by the same snow physics model with the meteorological forcing datasets and are validated against the snow insitu samplings from the CLPX (Cold Land Processes Field Experiment) 2002-2003, and NoSREx (Nordic Snow Radar Experiment) 2009-2010.
Creating a Common Data Model for Comparative Effectiveness with the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership

Background: Adoption of a common data model across health systems is a key infrastructure requirement to allow large scale distributed comparative effectiveness analyses. There are a growing number of common data models (CDM), such as Mini-Sentinel, and the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP) CDMs. Objective: In this case study, we describe the challenges and opportunities of a study specific use of the OMOP CDM by two health systems and describe three comparative effectiveness use cases developed from the CDM. Methods: The project transformed two health system databases (using crosswalks provided) into the OMOP CDM. Cohorts were developed from the transformed CDMs for three comparative effectiveness use case examples. Administrative/billing, demographic, order history, medication, and laboratory were included in the CDM transformation and cohort development rules. Results: Record counts per person month are presented for the eligible cohorts, highlighting differences between the civilian and federal datasets, e.g. the federal data set had more outpatient visits per person month (6.44 vs. 2.05 per person month). The count of medications per person month reflected the fact that one system's medications were extracted from orders while the other system had pharmacy fills and medication administration records. The federal system also had a higher prevalence of the conditions in all three use cases. Both systems required manual coding of some types of data to convert to the CDM. Conclusion: The data transformation to the CDM was time consuming and resources required were substantial, beyond requirements for collecting native source data. The need to manually code subsets of data limited the conversion. However, once the native data was converted to the CDM, both systems were then able to use the same queries to identify cohorts. Thus, the CDM minimized the effort to develop cohorts and analyze the results across the sites.
Analysis of MCMs using asymptotic waveform evaluation (AWE)

Asymptotic waveform evaluation (AWE) is a new method of efficiently analyzing linear circuits. The authors illustrate the applicability of AWE to the analysis of multichip module (MCM) interconnect structures from chip level through packaging, through thick or thin film interconnect and back again. The algorithm is described. Many extensions have been made to the AWE algorithm to render it more suitable for solving large interconnect problems. The use of partitioned solution techniques, a technique for efficiently determining the moments of distributed elements, and the combination of the AWE and SPICE algorithms to handle interconnect problems with general nonlinearities is described. Examples of AWE analysis are included. >