cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CT Utilization in Transferred Trauma Patients

Background Trauma systems were designed to optimize care of critically injured patients. CT scanning and its duplication demonstrate waste, inefficiency, and harm to the patient. We define the frequency at which this occurs and identify areas of inefficiency within our system that may be present in other systems. Materials and Methods Patients transferred to a level I trauma center were prospectively identified at the time of transfer. All imaging completed at either the referring center or the level I center was recorded. The reason for CT scanning at the level I center was captured at the time of decision and recorded in one of four categories. Results A total of 207 transferred trauma patients with CT imaging were reviewed. Of these, 127 patients (61%) had CT scans obtained at both the referring and accepting facilities; 99 patients (48%) had one or more of the same body regions imaged at both centers; 28 (13%) patients did not have repeated body region scans, but received additional imaging at the Trauma Center. CT scans of the head (34%) and c-spine (35%) were most commonly obtained at both the referring center and the trauma center. The most common reason for repeat or additional imaging at the trauma center was improper image selection or poor image quality. Conclusion Repeat and additional imaging of transferred trauma patients is a common practice. The reasons for this include image quality and selection. This provides necessary information for improvement in the quality of the trauma transfer process.
The Earth, Source of Health and Hazards: An Introduction to Medical Geology

Insidious hazards that affect humans and other living creatures are addressed in this review. Debilitation and disease that may arise from naturally occurring gases, minerals, and elements create problems with characteristics that inhibit progress toward adequate and immediate solutions: (a) Human or animal reactions are delayed, not detected until long after the original exposure; (b) sporadic or continual low-level exposures to the minor or trace amounts of offending materials via the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere are difficult to evaluate; (c) the air, water, and food consumed may contain hazardous substances that go unnoticed; and (d ) health reactions depend on bioavailability of the hazard and susceptibility of the individual. The etiology of many chronic diseases from exposure to earth materials—asbestos disease, As- and Se-induced cancers, and other disabilities—are suspected, but precise mechanisms of induction are presently unknown. Stipulation of disease from Earth-based hazardous materials requires collaboration of Earth and biomedical scientists to avert, or at least ameliorate, future disease and debilitation.
Algorithms in FastStokes and Its Application to Micromachined Device Simulation

For a wide variety of micromachined devices, designers need accurate analysis of fluid drag forces for complicated three-dimensional (3-D) problems. This paper describes FastStokes, a recently developed 3-D fluid analysis program. FastStokes rapidly computes drag forces on complicated structures by solving an integral formulation of the Stokes equation using a precorrected fast Fourier transform (PFFT)-accelerated boundary element method (BEM). The specializations of the PFFT algorithm to the Stokes flow problem are described, and computational results are presented. Timing results are used to demonstrate that FastStokes scales almost linearly with problem complexity, can easily analyze structures as complicated as an entire comb drive in under an hour, and can produce results that accurately match measured data.
PT-symmetric oligomers: Analytical solutions, linear stability, and nonlinear dynamics

In the present work we focus on the case of (few-site) configurations respecting the parity-time ($\mathcal{PT}$) symmetry, i.e., with a spatially odd gain-loss profile. We examine the case of such ``oligomers'' with not only two sites, as in earlier works, but also the cases of three and four sites. While in the former case of recent experimental interest the picture of existing stationary solutions and their stability is fairly straightforward, the latter cases reveal a considerable additional complexity of solutions, including ones that exist past the linear $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetry breaking point in the case of the trimer, and symmetry-breaking bifurcations, as well as more complex, even asymmetric solutions in the case of the quadrimer with nontrivial properties in their linear stability and in their nonlinear dynamics. The linearization around the obtained solutions and their dynamical evolution, when unstable, are discussed.
Pre-silicon Characterization of NIST SHA-3 Final Round Candidates

The NIST SHA-3 competition aims to select a new secure hash standard. Hardware implementation quality is an important factor in evaluating the SHA-3 finalists. However, a comprehensive methodology to benchmark five final round SHA-3 candidates in ASIC is challenging. Many factors need to be considered, including application scenarios, target technologies and optimization goals. This work describes detailed steps in the silicon implementation of a SHA-3 ASIC. The plan of ASIC prototyping with all the SHA-3 finalists, as an integral part of our SHA-3 ASIC evaluation project, is motivated by our previously proposed methodology, which defines a consistent and systematic approach to move a SHA-3 hardware benchmark process from FPGA prototyping to ASIC implementation. We have designed the remaining five SHA-3 candidates in 0.13 $\mu m$ IBM process using standard-cell CMOS technology. In this paper, we discuss our proposed methodology for SHA-3 ASIC evaluation and report the latest results based on post-layout simulation of the five SHA-3 finalists with Round 3 tweaks.
Mutational Analysis of the Putative Fusion Domain of Ebola Virus Glycoprotein

Ebola viruses contain a single glycoprotein (GP) spike, which functions as a receptor binding and membrane fusion protein. It contains a highly conserved hydrophobic region (amino acids 524 to 539) located 24 amino acids downstream of the N terminus of the Ebola virus GP2 subunit. Comparison of this region with the structural features of the transmembrane subunit of avian retroviral GPs suggests that the conserved Ebola virus hydrophobic region may, in fact, serve as the fusion peptide. To test this hypothesis directly, we introduced conservative (alanine) and nonconservative (arginine) amino acid substitutions at eight positions in this region of the GP2 molecule. The effects of these mutations were deduced from the ability of the Ebola virus GP to complement the infectivity of a vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) lacking the receptor-binding G protein. Some mutations, such as Ile-to-Arg substitutions at positions 532 (I532R), F535R, G536A, and P537R, almost completely abolished the ability of the GP to support VSV infectivity without affecting the transport of GP to the cell surface and its incorporation into virions or the production of virus particles. Other mutations, such as G528R, L529A, L529R, I532A, and F535A, reduced the infectivity of the VSV-Ebola virus pseudotypes by at least one-half. These findings, together with previous reports of liposome association with a peptide corresponding to positions 524 to 539 in the GP molecule, offer compelling support for a fusion peptide role for the conserved hydrophobic region in the Ebola virus GP.
Dimensionality, internal consistency and interrater reliability of clinical performance ratings

Summary. A total of 6444 ratings of the financial performance of 424 third- and fourthyear medical students were made by house officers and attending teachers during 12 separate internal medicine rotations. Ratings were based on I 3 behaviourally anchored rating scales. One rating was randomly selected per student per evaluator type (house officer and attending teacher) during each of the 12 rotation periods. Ratings were factor analysed separately within each rotation period. Two factors emerged consistently, and congruence coefficients across the 12 occasions were high (0.88 or greater). The factors were labelled ‘problem-solving (10 items) and ‘interpersonal skills’ (three items) on the basis of their content. Internal consistency coefficients of the indices constructed from items in the two factors and the total of the 13 items were high (0.9 or greater) and did not differ substantially when computed separately on the ratings from house officers and attending teachers. Interrater reliabilities on the individual items ranged from 0.14 to 0.33.
Rewards and Costs in Adolescent Other‐sex Friendships: Comparisons to Same‐sex Friendships and Romantic Relationships

This study used a social exchange framework to examine the features of non-romantic other-sex (OS) friendships compared with same-sex (SS) friendships and romantic relationships. High school seniors (N = 141) completed open-ended interviews about the benefits and costs of having OS friendships, SS friendships, and romantic relationships in general. As expected, perspective taking, learning about the other sex, and meeting the other sex were seen as rewards of OS friendships more often than for SS friendships and romantic relationships. Confusion about the nature of the relationship was seen as a cost of OS friendships more often than of SS friendships and romantic relationships. Intimacy, support, and companionship were mentioned less often as rewards of OS friendships than romantic relationships. Adolescents also completed questionnaires about their own specific relationships of each type. Their OS friendships were perceived as less supportive than their other two relationships; OS friendships were also seen as having fewer negative interactions than romantic relationships. Our findings expand the application of social exchange theory and lend empirical support to prior speculations about OS friendships and their importance in adolescents' social worlds.
An integrated placement and routing approach

topology Figure 4.6 Abstract topology Steiner nodes) on Hanan grid and the connections between nodes. The only difference between equivalent topologies is the embedding for the connections. To eliminate these two types of redundancy, we introduce the concept of Abstract Topology. An Abstract Topology for a net is the topology on the Hanan grid that fixes the positions for all the nodes (pins and Steiner nodes) and the connections between these nodes. The difference between an Abstract Topology and a normal topology on the Hanan grid is that the Abstract Topology does not specify how the connection is embedded on Hanan grid. If two compacting sequences generate the same topology or equivalent topologies, their corresponding Abstract topology are the same. Therefore, we only need to store the different Abstract topologies for POWVs. Figure 4.6 illustrates the concept of Abstract Topology for a 6-pin net. Although the concept of Abstract Topology is very simple, it can save huge amount of table space. For example, consider a 9-pin Abstract Topology with 7 steiner nodes, 15 two-pin connections. If there are 2 different routing on Hanan grid for 10 two-pin connections in 15, # embedded topologies = 210 = 1024. If we just directly save the different topologies, we may need thousands of times space than just storing Abstract
Sinuous meander patterns: a family of multi-frequency spatial rhythms

This paper presents a family of two-dimensional parametric curves that produce frieze patterns with a range of symmetries, organic variations and spatial rhythms. The curves are described by Whewell equations that relate the tangential angle of the curve to its arc length through a series of sine terms. When the low-order harmonics of two sine components are comparable, the pattern develops rhythmic variations (i.e., beats) that may be thought of as a spatial analogue of combination tones in music theory. Inclusion of multiple sine components creates complex, polyphonic patterns with looping forms on a range of spatial scales. The family of curves is based on a historical description of meander bends and rivers, and extends that model to include multiple frequency components.
Hippogate: a break-in from entorhinal cortex.

Discrimination of neutral from harmful environments is important for survival. But how do salient contextual signals yield persisting memories? A study uncovers a circuit that increases the specificity of hippocampus-based memories.
Broadcast media: live and in-person

Radio broadcasts brought fans into the drama of the football match in real time for the first time. The indelible impact of radio shaped the development of football fandom in the early to middle 20th century. While television is now the biggest financial supporter of top-level football, owners used to worry that TV would diminish gate receipts. Mass media are often suspected of contributing to social alienation, this chapter shows how fans use television broadcasts to create social events. This essay discusses various viewing contexts such as pubs and fan clubhouses in order to illustrate how media is used by fans to create social bonds.
The Benzylidenecarbene–Phenylacetylene Rearrangement: An Experimental and Computational Study

Benzylidenecarbene was generated from a new photochemical source, 1-benzylidene-1a,9b-dihydro-1H-cyclopropa[l]phenanthrene, in deuterated benzene at ambient temperature. The carbene undergoes a facile rearrangement to phenylacetylene and could not be trapped by olefins. Generation of the carbene bearing a (13)C label at the β-carbon produced phenylacetylene in which the label was found exclusively at the carbon adjacent to the phenyl ring. This overwhelming preference for H shift is consistent with B3LYP and CCSD(T) calculations. The label distribution observed in this work, however, contrasts previously reported high-temperature flash vacuum pyrolysis results where the interconversion of carbene and alkyne leads to the scrambling of labels over both alkynyl (sp) carbons.
The Influence of Damage and Dopant on the Blister Formation in Hydrogen Implanted Silicon

We have studied the formation of surface blisters in n-type silicon following coimplantation with boron and hydrogen. In this work we study the effect of having the boron depth larger than the hydrogen depth. The silicon substrates had four different dopant levels, ranging from 1014 cm−3 to 1019 cm−3. The Si substrates were first implanted with B ions at 240 keV (Rp = 705nm) to a dose of 1015cm−2. Some of the B implanted samples were left in their as-implanted state, others were given a rapid thermal anneal (RTA) at 900°C. Boron implanted and virgin n-type Si samples were then implanted at cryogenic temperatures with 40 keV H+ (Rp= 475nm) to a dose of 5 x 1016 cm−2. Following H+ implantation, all the samples were vacuum annealed at 390°C for 10 minutes and examined for hydrogen blister formation. No blistering was observed in samples implanted with H only. In all cases, the blister depth was consistently found to be strongly correlated with H damage profile rather than the H or B concentration profiles. These results will be discussed in terms of defect-dopant interactions and the influence of doping on H kinetics and H-bubble nucleation.
Passive seismic investigation of Harrat Rahat

Ambient noise correlation was applied to 18 months of continuous seismic data from 14 stations. The procedure of Bensen et al [2007] was followed with some changes to optimize signal-to-noise of the results. The 18 months of correlations (representing about 1 week of CPU time on a 12 core machine) were stacked and manually inspected to yield about 40 cross-correlations. These cross-correlations represent the Green’s function between the station pairs and will be analyzed in part two of this project to yield velocity structure.
Up-Regulation of Claudin-6 in the Distal Lung Impacts Secondhand Smoke-Induced Inflammation.

It has long been understood that increased epithelial permeability contributes to inflammation observed in many respiratory diseases. Recently, evidence has revealed that environmental exposure to noxious material such as cigarette smoke reduces tight junction barrier integrity, thus enhancing inflammatory conditions. Claudin-6 (Cldn6) is a tetraspanin transmembrane protein found within the tight junctional complex and is implicated in maintaining lung epithelial barriers. To test the hypothesis that increased Cldn6 ameliorates inflammation at the respiratory barrier, we utilized the Tet-On inducible transgenic system to conditionally over-express Clnd6 in the distal lung. Cldn6 transgenic (TG) and control mice were continuously provided doxycycline from postnatal day (PN) 30 until euthanasia date at PN90. A subset of Cldn6 TG and control mice were also subjected to daily secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) via a nose only inhalation system from PN30-90 and compared to room air (RA) controls. Animals were euthanized on PN90 and lungs were harvested for histological and molecular characterization. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was procured for the assessment of inflammatory cells and molecules. Quantitative RT-PCR and immunoblotting revealed increased Cldn6 expression in TG vs. control animals and SHS decreased Cldn6 expression regardless of genetic up-regulation. Histological evaluations revealed no adverse pulmonary remodeling via Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) staining or any qualitative alterations in the abundance of type II pneumocytes or proximal non-ciliated epithelial cells via staining for cell specific propeptide of Surfactant Protein-C (proSP-C) or Club Cell Secretory Protein (CCSP), respectively. Immunoblotting and qRT-PCR confirmed the differential expression of Cldn6 and the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β. As a general theme, inflammation induced by SHS exposure was influenced by the availability of Cldn6. These data reveal captivating information suggesting a role for Cldn6 in lungs exposed to tobacco smoke. Further research is critically necessary in order to fully explain roles for tight junctional components such as Cldn6 and other related molecules in lungs coping with exposure.
“Encajadas las formas”: Avant-garde Material Poetics in Manuel Altolaguirre’s “Poema del agua”

Este ensayo analiza el “Poema del agua” de Manuel Altolaguirre con especial interes en las posibilidades metaforicas que implican la labor tipografica del poeta y el legado poetico y material de los movimientos de vanguardia que le precedieron. Teniendo en cuenta la importancia de los parametros materiales e historicos que definen el momento de produccion de cualquier texto literario y especialmente el enfasis de todas las vanguardias en lo material, una lectura tipografica del “Poema del agua” ofrece una nueva y muy fructuosa aproximacion a la poesia de Altolaguirre y de otros poetas de la Generacion del 27. A traves de esta lectura tipografica, que descubrira nuevas coordenadas exegeticas para la poesia de Altolaguirre, se hara manifiesta la presencia de las innovaciones metaforicas de escritores vanguardistas como Ramon Gomez de la Serna y Gerardo Diego en la poesia espanola posterior al tumulto artistico que fue la primera vanguardia.
Les instants parisiens de Jacques Réda

(2001). Les instants parisiens de Jacques Reda. Sites: The Journal of Twentieth-Century/Contemporary French Studies revue d'etudes francais: Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 189-196.
In situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction study of hydrides in Zircaloy-4 during thermomechanical cycling

Abstract The d-spacing evolution of both in-plane and out-of-plane hydrides has been studied using in situ synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction during thermo-mechanical cycling of cold-worked stress-relieved Zircaloy-4. The structure of the hydride precipitates is such that the δ{111} d-spacing of the planes aligned with the hydride platelet face is greater than the d-spacing of the 111 planes aligned with the platelet edges. Upon heating from room temperature, the δ{111} planes aligned with hydride plate edges exhibit bi-linear thermally-induced expansion. In contrast, the d-spacing of the (111) plane aligned with the hydride plate face initially contracts upon heating. These experimental results can be understood in terms of a reversal of stress state associated with precipitating or dissolving hydride platelets within the α-zirconium matrix.
Daily supplementation of dietary protein improves the metabolic effects of GLP-1-based pharmacotherapy in lean and obese rats

Abstract Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is an incretin hormone released from intestinal L-cells in response to food entering into the gastrointestinal tract. GLP-1-based pharmaceuticals improve blood glucose regulation and reduce feeding. Specific macronutrients, when ingested, may trigger GLP-1 secretion and enhance the effects of systemic sitagliptin, a pharmacological inhibitor of DPP-IV (an enzyme that rapidly degrades GLP-1). In particular, macronutrient constituents found in dairy foods may act as potent secretagogues for GLP-1, and acute preclinical trials show that ingestion of dairy protein may represent a promising adjunct behavioral therapy in combination with sitagliptin. To test this hypothesis further, chow-maintained or high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese rats received daily IP injections of sitagliptin (6 mg/kg) or saline in combination with a twice-daily 8 ml oral gavage of milk protein concentrate (MPC; 80/20% casein/whey; 0.5 kcal/ml), soy protein (non-dairy control; 0.5 kcal/ml) or 0.9% NaCl for two months. Food intake and body weight were recorded every 24–48 h; blood glucose regulation was examined at baseline and at 3 and 6.5 weeks via a 2 h oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT; 25% glucose; 2 g/kg). MPC and soy protein significantly suppressed cumulative caloric intake in HFD but not chow-maintained rats. AUC analyses for OGTT show suppression in glycemia by sitagliptin with MPC or soy in chow- and HFD-maintained rats, suggesting that chronic ingestion of dairy or soy proteins may augment endogenous GLP-1 signaling and the glycemic- and food intake-suppressive effects of DPP-IV inhibition.
Abstract 153: Using the Embryonic Heart as an Instructive Template for Cardiac Tissue Engineering

The engineering of highly aligned cardiomyocytes into functional heart muscle remains a primary challenge in cardiac tissue engineering. Researchers have shown that micropatterned topography and chemistry as well as mechanical and electrical gradients are all effective at inducing some degree of alignment. However, which approach works best in terms of electromechanical function of the engineered cardiac muscle is still an active area of research. Because formation of new heart muscle in mammals primarily occurs during cardiogenesis, we asked whether the embryonic heart could be used as an instructive template for the design of more effective cardiac tissue engineering scaffolds. Specifically, we hypothesized that micropatterns of fibronectin based on fibronectin fibril size and architecture in embryonic myocardium could improve cardiomyocyte alignment relative to 20 μm wide, 20 μm spaced fibronectin lines, a control pattern used widely in the literature. To test this, we first imaged the fibronectin matrix in the ventricles of day-5 embryonic chick hearts and imaged this in 3D using a multiphoton microscope. This fibronectin structure was then converted into a photomask for photolithography and subsequent patterning of fibronectin onto cover slips using microcontact printing. Samples with the biomimetic patterns or control patterns were seeded with embryonic chick cardiomyocytes, cultured for 3 days and then stained and imaged to visualize the myofibrils. Image analysis to quantify alignment showed that the ability of the biomimetic pattern to induce cardiomyocyte alignment increased with cell density, suggesting that cell-cell interactions play an important role in the formation of aligned embryonic myocardium. Disruption of the cadherins junctions using blocking antibodies confirmed this conclusion. In the future we will use human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes to engineer more clinically-relevant human heart muscle and analyze electromechanical function of the tissues including contractile force and action potential propagation.
Revised National Estimates of Emergency Department Visits for Sepsis in the United States.

Objectives:The emergency department is an important venue for initial sepsis recognition and care. We sought to determine contemporary estimates of the epidemiology of U.S. emergency department visits for sepsis.Design:Analysis of data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.Settin
A comprehensive study of smoking-specific microRNA alterations in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Abstract Objective While tobacco smoking is a well-known risk factor for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), the molecular mechanisms underlying tobacco-induced HNSCC remain unclear. This study sought to comprehensively identify microRNA (miRNA) alterations and evaluate their clinical relevance in smoking-induced HNSCC pathogenesis and progression. Materials and methods Using small RNA-sequencing data and clinical data from 145 HNSCC patients, we performed a series of differential expression and correlation analyses to identify a panel of tobacco-dysregulated miRNAs associated with key clinical characteristics in HNSCC. We then examined the expression patterns of these miRNAs in normal epithelial cell lines following exposure to cigarette smoke extract. Results Our analyses revealed distinct panels of miRNAs to be dysregulated with smoking status and associated with additional clinical features, including tumor stage, metastasis, anatomic site, and patient survival. The differential expression of key miRNAs, including miR-101, miR-181b, miR-486, and miR-1301, was verified in cigarette-treated epithelial cell lines, suggesting their potential roles in the early development of smoking-related HNSCCs. Conclusion Specific alterations in miRNA expression may be traced to tobacco use and are associated with important HNSCC clinical characteristics. Future studies of these miRNAs may be valuable for furthering the understanding and targeted treatment of smoking-associated HNSCC.
Acute postoperative management after lung transplantation.

Despite many advances in the field of lung transplantation, lung transplant recipients have the lowest median survival of any solid organ transplant population. Complications such as reperfusion injury, graft rejection, infection, and anastomotic breakdown increase morbidity and mortality during the immediate postoperative period. Ventilator management with lung protective strategies can not only minimize ventilator time and mitigate the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia, but it may also decrease the risk of primary graft dysfunction and graft failure. Maintaining fluid balance, pain control, and preserving renal function also decrease postoperative complications. Advancements in immunotherapy with the use of calcineurin inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies have been shown to decrease the incidence of acute rejection. However, when unexpected complications occur, appropriately timed rescue therapies such as the initiation of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation, retransplantation, and plasmapheresis are important considerations geared toward a positive transplant outcome.
Abstract 14957: Personalized Disease Networks in Predicting Cardiovascular Outcomes

Introduction: In epidemiological studies, outcomes are usually predicted using standard statistical techniques including logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard models. These models do not ...
Review of Vascular Graft Studies in Large Animal Models

As the incidence of cardiovascular disease continues to climb worldwide, there is a corresponding increase in demand for surgical interventions involving vascular grafts. The current gold standard for vascular grafts is autologous vessels, an option often excluded due to disease circumstances. As a result, many patients must resort to prosthetic options. While widely available, prosthetic grafts have been demonstrated to have inferior patency rates compared with autologous grafts due to inflammation and thrombosis. In an attempt to overcome these limitations, many different materials for constructing vascular grafts, from modified synthetic nondegradable polymers to biodegradable polymers, have been explored, many of which have entered the translational stage of research. This article reviews these materials in the context of large animal models, providing an outlook on the preclinical potential of novel biomaterials as well as the future direction of vascular graft research.
Unanimous Consensus Against AGM

Given the role consensus is supposed to play in the social aspects of inquiry and deliberation, it is important that we may always identify a consensus as the basis of joint inquiry and deliberation. However, it turns out that if we think of an agent revising her beliefs to reach a consensus, then, on the received view of belief revision, AGM belief revision theory, certain simple and compelling consensus positions are not always available.
GSI-Based, Continuously Cycled, Dual-Resolution Hybrid Ensemble–Variational Data Assimilation System for HWRF: System Description and Experiments with Edouard (2014)

AbstractA Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation analysis system (GSI)-based, continuously cycled, dual-resolution hybrid ensemble Kalman filter–variational (EnKF-Var) data assimilation (DA) system is developed for the Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting (HWRF) Model. In this system, a directed moving nest strategy is developed to solve the issue of nonoverlapped domains for cycled ensemble DA. Additionally, both dual-resolution and four-dimensional ensemble–variational (4DEnVar) capabilities are implemented. Vortex modification (VM) and relocation (VR) are used in addition to hybrid DA. Several scientific questions are addressed using the new system for Hurricane Edouard (2014). It is found that dual-resolution hybrid DA improves the analyzed storm structure and short-term maximum wind speed (Vmax) and minimum sea level pressure (MSLP) forecasts compared to coarser, single-resolution hybrid DA, but track and radius of maximum wind (RMW) forecasts do not improve. Additionally, applying VR and VM on th...
Identification of phlebovirus and arenavirus RNA sequences that stall and repress the exoribonuclease XRN1

Regulated mRNA decay plays a vital role in determining both the level and quality of cellular gene expression. Viral RNAs must successfully evade this host RNA decay machinery to establish a productive infection. One way for RNA viruses to accomplish this is to target the cellular exoribonuclease XRN1, because this enzyme is accessible in the cytoplasm and plays a major role in mRNA decay. Members of the Flaviviridae use RNA structures in their 5'- or 3'-untranslated regions to stall and repress XRN1, effectively stabilizing viral RNAs while also causing significant dysregulation of host cell mRNA stability. Here, we use a series of biochemical assays to demonstrate that the 3'-terminal portion of the nucleocapsid (N) mRNA of Rift Valley fever virus, a phlebovirus of the Bunyaviridae family, also can effectively stall and repress XRN1. The region responsible for impeding XRN1 includes a G-rich portion that likely forms a G-quadruplex structure. The 3'-terminal portions of ambisense-derived transcripts of multiple arenaviruses also stalled XRN1. Therefore, we conclude that RNAs from two additional families of mammalian RNA viruses stall and repress XRN1. This observation. emphasizes the importance and commonality of this viral strategy to interfere with the 5'-to-3'-exoribonuclease component of the cytoplasmic RNA decay machinery.
Bilby da Páscoa como estratégia de contra-marketing para a conservação da biodiversidade

Social marketers regularly have to contend with antagonistic marketing efforts promoted by other social actors, such as the tobacco and alcohol industries. These efforts can severely limit the impact of social marketing. As a consequence, social marketers often engage in counter-marketing, the development of marketing strategies aimed at undermining the messages promoted by a competitor. In this paper, it is studied the creation of the Easter Bilby brand, developed in Australia as a counter-marketing strategy to the popular Easter bunny. Rabbits are invasive to Australia and have caused massive damage to the country’s biodiversity while the bilby is an endemic and threatened species that better reflects the uniqueness of Australia’s fauna.
New Strategies for Probing Energy Systems with In Situ Liquid-Phase Transmission Electron Microscopy

Liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy (LP-TEM) is a powerful characterization tool for probing the dynamics of nanometer-scale systems in a solvated environment. When the energetic electron beam (80–300 kV) interacts with the solvent, radiolysis occurs, generating highly reactive species that interact with the sample. While these species are often considered harmful and great efforts are taken to mitigate their influence, many of these radiolytic products, such as hydroxyl radicals and solvated electrons, are crucially relevant to several areas of energy research. In this Perspective, we propose a paradigm shift wherein solvent-derived, reactive radiolytic species generated by the electron beam are viewed as a tool for rational chemical perturbation of a material system rather than as a source of error to minimize. With an increased understanding of and control over the chemical kinetics governing the distribution of radiolytic species, LP-TEM is poised to allow for direct imaging of chemically dr...
Developing an Action Plan to Fight Food Insecurity

It is important to develop an action plan in order to implement a FI program in your clinical setting. In this chapter, we will outline the critical steps to developing a program to address FI, including identification of key partners, stakeholders, and barriers. In addition, evaluation metrics to measure success will be introduced as part of development of the action plan.
Selectively-deposited energetic materials: A feasibility study of the piezoelectric inkjet printing of nanothermites

Abstract This work investigated the utility of three piezoelectric inkjet printers as energetic material deposition systems, focusing on the ability of each system to achieve the seamless integration of energetic material into small-scale electronic devices. Aluminum copper (II) oxide nanothermite was deposited using the three deposition systems. The printers were evaluated based on their robustness to energetic ink solids loading, drop formation reliability, drop quality degradation over time, and the energetic performance of the deposited material. These metrics correlate to the feasibility of a deposition system to successfully achieve high sample throughput while maintaining the energetic performance of the printed material. After initial system testing, the PipeJet P9 500 μm pipe was used to demonstrate the successful deposition of nanothermite in varying geometric patterns with micrometer precision. From these samples, preliminary propagation speed measurements were obtained, which showed a correlation between the printed line widths and burning rates.
Selective Myopia: A Comparison of Analysts' Reactions to Incumbent and Non-Incumbent Responses to Technological Change

We explore the reactions of securities analysts - as important sources of institutional pressures for firms - to similar strategies undertaken by two different groups of firms responding to a radical technological change. We study the advent of voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) technology in the wireline telecommunications services industry and compare analysts' reactions to similar strategies pursued by incumbent firms (wireline telecom firms) and non-incumbent entrants diversifying from other industries (cable television firms) between 2002 and 2007. In our study of the texts of hundreds of analysts' reports, we first find that analysts were more attentive to firms' strategies to respond when covering the non-incumbent cable entrants than in reports on the incumbent firms, and second, that analysts were more positive toward the cable firms' strategies to respond to the new technology than to similar strategies undertaken by the incumbent phone companies. These findings contribute to the literature on the challenges of technological change. It may be that the reactions from securities analysts and financial markets create additional disadvantages for incumbent firms responding to technological change, while legitimating and enabling the similar responses of new competitors.
Clinical Perspectives on Stepfamily Dynamics

In Chapter 1 we referred to the historical impact of clinical writers on the development of the study of stepfamilies. Before researchers expressed much interest in stepfamilies, clinicians had written prodigiously about stepfamily relationships and the dynamics of stepfamilies (e.g., Crohn et al., 1981; Goldstein, 1974; Visher & Visher, 1979). The influence of clinicians is not just historical, however; they continue to significantly contribute to existing knowledge about stepfamilies. We define clinician broadly to include any helping professional who works with stepfamilies in applied settings (e.g., family life educators, family therapists, social workers, counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists).
Faith, Belief, and Will: Toward a Volitional Stance Theory of Faith

The point of departure of this paper is a conception of faith that is broader than traditional conceptions on which it is essentially doxastic. On the theory presupposed here, neither propositional faith (faith that) nor attitudinal faith (faith in) entails belief. Faith is also irreducible to hope, though it is not without some kinship to it. More positively, on the view presented here, faith entails a set of positive attitudes of a certain kind. This positive element makes it natural to consider faith a kind of stance toward its object. That conception, in turn, indicates the presence of volitional elements in faith. With these points in view, the paper pursues in detail the kinds of volitional elements that are essential in faith or, at least, characteristic of certain major kinds of faith. The conception of faith as a kind of volitional stance helps to explain both the importance of faith—secular as well as religious—in human life and the resilience of faith in the encounter with counterevidence.
Pain coping skills training for African Americans with osteoarthritis study: baseline participant characteristics and comparison to prior studies.

The Pain Coping Skills Training for African Americans with OsteoaRTthritis (STAART) trial is examining the effectiveness of a culturally enhanced pain coping skills training (CST) program for African Americans with osteoarthritis (OA). This disparities-focused trial aimed to reach a population with greater symptom severity and risk factors for poor pain-related outcomes than previous studies. This paper compares characteristics of STAART participants with prior studies of CST or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-informed training in pain coping strategies for OA. A literature search identified 10 prior trials of pain CST or CBT-informed pain coping training among individuals with OA. We descriptively compared characteristics of STAART participants with other studies, in 3 domains of the National Institutes of Minority Health and Health Disparities’ Research Framework: Sociocultural Environment (e.g., age, education, marital status), Biological Vulnerability and Mechanisms (e.g, pain and function, body mass index), and Health Behaviors and Coping (e.g., pain catastrophizing). Means and standard deviations (SDs) or proportions were calculated for STAART participants and extracted from published manuscripts for comparator studies. The mean age of STAART participants, 59 years (SD = 10.3), was lower than 9 of 10 comparator studies; the proportion of individuals with some education beyond high school, 75%, was comparable to comparator studies (61–86%); and the proportion of individuals who are married or living with a partner, 42%, was lower than comparator studies (62–66%). Comparator studies had less than about 1/3 African American participants. Mean scores on the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index pain and function scales were higher (worse) for STAART participants than for other studies, and mean body mass index of STAART participants, 35.2 kg/m2 (SD = 8.2), was higher than all other studies (30–34 kg/m2). STAART participants’ mean score on the Pain Catastrophizing scale, 19.8 (SD = 12.3), was higher (worse) than other studies reporting this measure (7–17). Compared with prior studies with predominantly white samples, STAART participants have worse pain and function and more risk factors for negative pain-related outcomes across several domains. Given STAART participants’ high mean pain catastrophizing scores, this sample may particularly benefit from the CST intervention approach. NCT02560922
Calculation of MTDSC signals, factors effecting the signals and applications in drug development

In this paper the author emphasizes on the basic principle of Modulated Temperature Differential Scanning Calorimetry MTDSC advantages of MTDSC compared to conventional DSC calculation of heat flow components and heat capacity components factors effecting the MTDSC signals and application of MTDSC in drug development MTDSC a sinusoidal modulation is overlaid on a conventional linear heating ramp in which the sample temperature increases continuously with time The linear heating rate gives the information same as the standard DSC while the sinusoidal heating rate determines the fraction of the total heat flow corresponding to the changing heat rate The total heat flow rate depends on heat capacity and change in heat capacity This fraction of heat flow is called Reversing heat flow or the heat capacity component of the Total heat flow The kinetic component is time dependent also known as Non reversing heat flow that does not respond to the changing heating rate For accurate measurements of heat flow components and heat capacity components optimized experimental parameters must be chosen MTDSC in particularly plays an preformulation studies to establish Tg polymorphic forms polymorphic transitions ensure stability by drug excipient compatability studies and to determine enthalpy of polymorphic transitions
Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for the Critically Ill Patient

The gut microbiome has been implicated in a diversity of diseases, such as irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, hepatic steatosis, metabolic syndrome, obesity, and anxiety. Current research also suggests the presence of a bidirectional relationship between the composition of the gut microbiome and critical illness. In the critical care setting, multiple factors (eg, use of antibiotics, aberrant nutrition, bloodstream infections, bowel ischemia, and abnormal bowel motility) strongly contribute to intestinal dysbiosis. Conversely, early studies have associated intestinal dysbiosis with worse clinical outcomes in the intensive care unit (ICU), such as infection, organ failure, and mortality. The possibility of intestinal dysbiosis influencing these clinical outcomes has prompted the question of whether microbiome manipulation strategies, such as fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), may have a role in the management of critical illness. After a literature search of FMT used in the ICU for indications other than Clostridium difficile infections, we found 4 case reports that describe the use of FMT in 5 critically ill patients with systemic inflammatory responses and no clear source of infection. This review discusses the relationship between the gut microbiome and critical illness, early data on the use of FMT in critical care, and safety considerations of FMT in the critically ill and immunocompromised populations.
Sounding the Alarm: The Political Economy of Whistleblowing in the US Security State

What role do whistleblowers play in democratic politics? This paper answers this question by analyzing the political economy of whistleblowing within democratic political institutions. Democratic politics is characterized by numerous principal-agent problems creating significant space for opportunism. Whistleblowers help to resolve these principal-agent problems through the revelation of information regarding abuses of power. These revelations can take place internally, by taking advantage of channels to report abuse, or externally, by publicly revealing information. The latter is especially important where internal mechanisms for reporting opportunism are lacking. Whistleblowing in the US national security state is presented to illustrate this logic.
Vaginal cleansing with chlorhexidine gluconate or povidone-iodine prior to cesarean delivery: a randomized comparator-controlled trial

Background Several randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that preoperative abdominal skin preparation with chlorhexidine gluconate is superior to povidone-iodine for the prevention of surgical site infections. Despite these results, povidone-iodine is still the most commonly used agent for vaginal preparation, even though it may not be ideal. Objectives The objectives of the study were as follows: (1) to determine whether vaginal cleansing with a 4% chlorhexidine gluconate solution results in fewer wound infections as compared with povidone-iodine when used for vaginal antisepsis prior to cesarean delivery and (2) to compare rates of patient reported side-effects associated with vaginal application of 4% chlorhexidine gluconate solution and 10% povidone-iodine. Study Design This is a block randomized, comparator-controlled, open-label trial. Women undergoing nonemergent cesarean delivery were randomized to receive vaginal cleansing with either 4% chlorhexidine solution or 10% povidone-iodine solution prior to skin incision. The primary outcome was wound site infection occurring within 14 days of cesarean delivery including superficial or deep surgical site infection. Secondary outcomes included rates of endometritis, postoperative fever, and side effects (vaginal dryness, irritation, and desquamitization) occurring within 14 days of cesarean delivery. Risks were reported as odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals, with P Results From Dec. 1, 2016, through Feb. 28, 2018, a total of 1,114 patients met the inclusion criteria: 524 were randomized to the chlorhexidine gluconate arm and 590 to the povidone-iodine arm. Both arms were similar with regard to age, parity, body mass index, gestational age at delivery, indication for cesarean delivery, and incidence of membrane rupture. The rate of wound infection was significantly lower in the chlorhexidine arm as compared with povidone-iodine (0.6% vs 2.0%; P = .039, odds ratio, 0.28, 95% confidence interval, 0.08–0.98). Rates of endometritis (0.4% vs 0.5%, P = 1.000) and postoperative fever (2.5% and 2.7%, P = 0.892) were similar for the chlorhexidine and povidone-iodine groups, respectively. No adverse effects on the vaginal mucosa were noted for either solution. Conclusion Vaginal cleansing with a 4% chlorhexidine solution prior to cesarean delivery resulted in fewer overall wound infections when compared with povidone-iodine solution with no patient-reported adverse reactions.