cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Applications of electron-beam generated plasmas to materials processing

Nonequilibrium (T/sub e//spl Gt/T/sub ion,gas/) plasma processing often allows for greater process control with reduced environmental impact when compared to other materials processing methods, and therefore presents tremendous opportunities in the areas of thin film development and surface modification. The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory's "Large Area Plasma Processing System" (LAPPS) has been developed based on the high-energy (2 keV) electron-beam ionization process, with the goal of maximizing the benefits of plasma processing over large areas (/spl sim/1 m/sup 2/). This system has been shown to be: 1) efficient at producing plasma in any gas composition; 2) capable of producing low-temperature plasma electrons ( orientation in TiN films, due to the increased atomic nitrogen ion flux. Polymer pretreatment studies were also initiated in these systems; polytetrafluoroethylene substrates pretreated with an oxygen LAPPS exposure demonstrated a significant increase in copper and aluminum film adhesion compared to untreated substrates, with the dominant factor believed to be the changed surface morphology. Similarly dramatic fluorination of polyethylene was demonstrated with plasmas generated in Ar/SF/sub 6/ mixtures.
"Ryanogate": who leaked the calcium?

See related article, pages 235–244 The sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) is the major intracellular calcium storage depot in cardiac muscle. Cycling of calcium between the lumen of the SR and the myoplasmic space occurs repetitively during each heart beat. Excitation–contraction coupling in the heart begins when calcium entry through voltage-gated L-type calcium channels in the sarcolemma induces the opening of calcium release channels (also known as ryanodine receptors, or RyR) in the adjacent SR. The majority of the calcium that enters the cytosol during the early portion of each cycle is then resequestered into the SR lumen via the actions of the calcium uptake protein, (sarco)endoplasmic reticulum calcium adenosine triphosphatase (SERCA). Tight regulation of the timing and quantity of these intracellular calcium fluxes is critical to achieve graded contractility and relaxation of the heart muscle. Such control allows optimal matching of cardiac function to heart rate and metabolic needs of the body. The mechanisms of excitation–contraction coupling have been reviewed more thoroughly elsewhere.1 There has been a great deal of interest in the possibility that altered calcium homeostasis in the cardiac myocyte is the fundamental abnormality in the failing heart.2 The most widely accepted hypothesis to explain myocyte dysfunction is that reduced abundance or activity of SERCA protein directly results in a lower rate of calcium uptake by the SR. In this scenario, reduced SR uptake results in lower SR calcium content, which then produces lower SR calcium release and reduced contractility. However, the “SERCA-centric” view of heart failure is at best only a partial explanation of the cellular abnormalities that occur in failing hearts.3–5 We now recognize that many other highly complex mechanisms in addition to SERCA expression regulate SR calcium uptake and release. In particular, posttranslational modifications of SR proteins are known to be extremely …
Variability Aware Low-Power Delay Optimal Buffer Insertion for Global Interconnects

Global interconnect delay variations may cause clock skew, unpredictable signal line delays, and degraded system performance. Conventional variation mitigation techniques incur large delay and power overheads, as variability increases in sub-65 nm technologies. This paper presents a methodology to include robustness optimization in power-delay optimal buffer insertion. Closed form expressions are derived for the delay variation model used in the optimization and its accuracy is verified against simulation results. Using the power, delay, and delay variation models, a design space is constructed for the interconnect. Through power-robustness trade-off analysis of the design space, the optimal buffering solution for the interconnect is computed. Comparison with simulation results verifies the accuracy of the optimal solution computed using this method. The application of this methodology in enhancing robustness of clock networks during buffer insertion phase is demonstrated and simulation results presented.
Release of iron from ferritin requires lysosomal activity

How ferritin-Fe becomes available for cell functions is unknown. Our previous studies with rat hepatoma cells indicated ferritin had to be degraded to release its Fe. In these studies, we investiga...
Operation and transition loss analysis in modified multilevel DC-DC converter modules

In this paper, two new configurations of multilevel DC-DC converter modules are presented. These converters facilitate the implementation of cascaded topology of multilevel DC-DC converters and improve the transition time in switching between voltage levels. Different sources of power losses of multilevel DC-DC converter modules such as switch losses, switching losses, and transition losses are compared.
Adolescent Victimization and Violent Self-Help

A generation of criminological research demonstrates considerable overlap between victim and offender populations. Although there is compelling theoretical and empirical evidence that criminal offenders live a high-risk lifestyle that exposes them to a higher likelihood of becoming victims of crime themselves, we take as a point of departure the possibility that an individual’s experiences as a crime victim might also motivate them to engage in certain forms of violent behavior as a form of ‘‘self-help.’’ In this study, violent self-help is conceptualized to encompass gang membership, handgun carrying, and aggravated assault. An analysis of data from a nationally representative sample of adolescents (12 years of age at the initial interview) provides support for the proposition that experienced and vicarious victimization are precursors to later violent behavior, even among youth with no history of violent behavior.
Pharmacologic management of cough

This review is an update of recent advances in our understanding of cough suppressants and impairment of cough. Low-dose oral morphine has recently been shown to significantly suppress chronic cough, but the side effect profile of this opioid may limit its widespread utility. Several studies have demonstrated a dissociation between the efficacy of antitussives in some metrics of pathologic cough and their effects on cough sensitivity to inhaled irritants. The relevance of widely used inhaled irritants in understanding pathologic cough and its response to antitussives is questionable. A recent advance in the field is the identification and measurement of an index of sensation related to cough: the urge to cough. This measure highlights the potential involvement of suprapontine regions of the brain in the genesis and potential suppression of cough in the awake human. There are no new studies showing that mucolytic agents are of value as monotherapies for chronic cough. However, some of these drugs, presumably because of their antioxidant activity, may be of use as adjunct therapies or in selected patient populations. The term dystussia (impairment of cough) has been coined recently and represents a common and life-threatening problem in patients with neurologic disease. Dystussia is strongly associated with severe dysphagia and the occurrence of both indicates that the patient has a high risk for aspiration. No pharmacologic treatments ae available for dystussia, but scientists and clinicians with experience in studying chronic cough are well qualified to develop methodologies to address the problem of impaired cough.
Calling It Quits: When Patients or Proxies Request to Withdraw or Withhold Life-Sustaining Treatment After Spinal Cord Injury

Some of the most difficult issues in spinal cord injury (SCI) medicine occur when existential questions arise, for example, when is life with SCI not worth living? As a static, nonprogressive disability, high levels of SCI are usually compatible with a long lifespan—even when a ventilator is required to sustain life. As a form of life-sustaining treatment, a ventilator—like any other medical treatment—can be freely chosen or rejected by a competent patient. But what are the minimum standards for competency (or decision-making capacity), and how much does a new patient need to know about life with SCI to make a fully informed decision? For a patient who has lived with SCI for a while and now despairs due to a lack of options or social supports, is a decision to be removed from a ventilator an act of authentic autonomy or a forced choice due to social injustices? This article explores these issues in some depth and offers SCI health care professionals some suggestions for helping patients navigate these dif...
Response factors surrounding progression of pressure ulcers in community-residing adults with spinal cord injury.

OBJECTIVE. This study examined how community-dwelling adults with spinal cord injury (SCI) respond in real-life circumstances after detecting a low-grade (Stage 1 or Stage 2) pressure ulcer. METHOD. We performed a secondary analysis of personal information profiles obtained in a previous qualitative research study. Profiles were examined to explore how individualized lifestyle considerations affected pressure ulcer risk in 19 adults with SCI who responded to an early ulcer that later progressed to a medically serious level. RESULTS. On the basis of a total of 46 pressure ulcer events, we identified a typological framework that described eight primary response categories and seven subcategories. CONCLUSION. The findings have significant practice implications for occupational therapists who provide services for adults with SCI living in the community. The importance of combining an initial individualized preventive intervention with structured follow-up within a person�s unique everyday life setting is further explored
Integrated electronics for peripheral nerve recording and signal processing

This paper describes the integrated circuit implementation of an electronic system for peripheral nerve recording and signal processing. Specifically, the system aims to record and condition neural activity from the phrenic nerve as a good indicator for breathing, and generate a stimulus trigger signal for a laryngeal pacemaker device to reanimate a paralyzed muscle with electrical stimulation paced with respiration. The 2.2 × 2.2-mm2 integrated circuit is fabricated using the AMI 1.5 µm 2P/2M n-well CMOS process, and consumes 1 mW from ±1.5 V. System architecture, circuit design, simulation results, and measurement data in benchtop experiments are presented.
Metabolic hormones in saliva: origins and functions

The salivary proteome consists of thousands of proteins, which include, among others, hormonal modulators of energy intake and output. Although the functions of this prominent category of hormones in whole body energy metabolism are well characterized, their functions in the oral cavity, whether as a salivary component, or when expressed in taste cells, are less studied and poorly understood. The respective receptors for the majority of salivary metabolic hormones have been also shown to be expressed in salivary glands (SGs), taste cells, or other cells in the oral mucosa. This review provides a comprehensive account of the gastrointestinal hormones, adipokines, and neuropeptides identified in saliva, SGs, or lingual epithelium, as well as their respective cognate receptors expressed in the oral cavity. Surprisingly, few functions are assigned to salivary metabolic hormones, and these functions are mostly associated with the modulation of taste perception. Because of the well-characterized correlation between impaired oral nutrient sensing and increased energy intake and body mass index, a conceptually provocative point of view is introduced, whereupon it is argued that targeted changes in the composition of saliva could affect whole body metabolism in response to the activation of cognate receptors expressed locally in the oral mucosa.
Remaking Government Institutions in the 1970s: Participatory Democracy and the Triumph of Administrative Politics

Interpreting the 1970s is a difficult business. On the one hand, reformers struggled earnestly and effectively to codify the exalted vision of a good society that was celebrated during the 1960s. And yet in doing so, they appeared to routinize rather than resolve the virulent conflicts of the previous decade. Scholars tend to agree that the reforms of the 1960s and 1970s marked a transformation of political life no less important than the Progressive Era and the New Deal. Unlike these earlier reform periods, however, the 1960s and 1970s did not embrace national administrative power as an agent of social and economic justice. Instead, reformers of the 1960s and 1970s championed “participatory democracy” and viewed the very concept of national governmental authority with deep suspicion. Indeed, Hugh Heclo characterizes the reform legacy of the 1960s and 1970s as one of intractable fractiousness, as a “postmodern” assault on the modern state forged on the anvil of reforms carried out during the Progressive and New Deal eras. “In the end, it appears that a great deal of postmodern policymaking is not really concerned with ‘making policy’ in the sense of finding a settled course of public action that people can live with,” he writes. “It is aimed at crusading for a cause by confronting power with power.”
The respiration and growth of synchronized populations of the cell Astasia longa

Abstract The respiration and dry weight changes of Astasia synchronized on a repetitive temperature cycle were measured. It was found that the respiration of the synchronous culture doubled during the warm period of the temperature cycle concurrent with the synchronous burst of cell division. The dry weight of the culture doubled during the synchronous cycle; one third of the dry weight synthesis occurred in the cold period; two thirds of the dry weight synthesis occurred in the warm period. The rates of dry weight synthesis of the synchronized cells were the same as those for cells grown exponentially at the cycle temperatures but the respiration rates of the synchronized cells were a third higher than the respiration rates of the exponentially grown cells. The ratio of the respiration to the dry weight of the synchronized cells tended to approach values characteristic of cells grown exponentially at the cycle temperatures. The significance of these data with respect to the energetics of cell division and cell growth are discussed.
Hand deformity and sensory loss due to Hansen's disease in American Samoa

We report the prevalence of sensory loss and hand deformity in 63 patients with Hansen's disease in American Samoa. Open ulceration, the most common deformity, was present in 41% of patients; sensory abnormalities were present in 54% and were bilateral in 65%. The presence of abnormal sensibility correlated with a high percentage of other deformities. Hand abnormalities were most prevalent in lepromatous patients and were related to a prolonged duration of disease. Nerve thickening did not appear to be a helpful clinical finding to assess the degree of sensory loss.
Incremental policy learning: an equilibrium selection algorithm for reinforcement learning agents with common interests

We present an equilibrium selection algorithm for reinforcement learning agents that incrementally adjusts the probability of executing each action based on the desirability of the outcome obtained in the last time step. The algorithm assumes that at least one coordination equilibrium exists and requires that the agents have a heuristic for determining whether or not the equilibrium was obtained. In deterministic environments with one or more strict coordination equilibria, the algorithm learns to play an optimal equilibrium as long as the heuristic is accurate. Empirical data demonstrate that the algorithm is also effective in stochastic environments and is able to learn good joint policies when the heuristic's parameters are estimated during learning, rather than known in advance.
Performance of a decentralized knowledge base system

The binary predicate execution model (BPEM) is a computational model that combines logic programming, semantic nets, and message-driven computation into a paradigm for the construction of highly parallel knowledge-base systems. Simulation results are presented that demonstrate the ability of BPM to exploit effectively the resources of a loosely coupled computer network consisting of large numbers of independent processing elements. These simulations suggest performance on the order of 10/sup 5/ logical inferences per second for 256 processing elements in an n-cube configuration. A very important feature of the BPEM is that it scales-up linearly under simple OR-parallelism and AND-parallelism. Hence, the BPEM can scale-up to exploit parallelism efficiently in very large semantic networks and knowledge bases. >
Candidate protein biodosimeters of human exposure to ionizing radiation

Purpose: To conduct a literature review of candidate protein biomarkers for individual radiation biodosimetry of exposure to ionizing radiation.Materials and methods: Reviewed ∼300 publications (1973 – April 2006) that reported protein effects in mammalian systems after either in vivo or in vitro radiation exposure.Results: We found 261 radiation-responsive proteins including 173 human proteins. Most of the studies used high doses of ionizing radiation (>4 Gy) and had no information on dose- or time-responses. The majority of the proteins showed increased amounts or changes in phosphorylation states within 24 h after exposure (range: 1.5- to 10-fold). Of the 47 proteins that are responsive at doses of 1 Gy and below, 6 showed phosphorylation changes at doses below 10 cGy. Proteins were assigned to 9 groups based on consistency of response across species, dose- and time-response information and known role in the radiation damage response.Conclusions: ATM (Ataxia telengiectasia mutated), H2AX (histone 2AX),...
Time-Aggregation Bias in Hazard-Rate Models with Covariates

This article elaborates the results found in Petersen (1991) by discussing how to minimize time-aggregation bias in hazard-rate models with measured covariates. It first considers a model with a single categorical covariate with h categories. It derives analytically the bias of the estimator that assumes the durations are exactly measured, when the durations are in fact rounded up to the nearest integer. Second, the article conducts both large-and small-sample Monte Carlo studies for several estimators of the covariate effects in the presence of time aggregation. There are three central findings. (1) It is shown that the likelihood that adjusts for the grouped nature of the duration measures recaptures the parameters very well. (2) The estimator that assumes that the durations are exactly measured, when they in fact are rounded up to the nearest integer, is biased in several ways. (3) The estimator that uses the midpoint adjustment suffers from the same weaknesses as the estimator that rounds up to the ne...
John D. Stoeckle and the Upstream Vision of Social Determinants in Public Health

This article discusses the influence of physician John D. Stoeckle on the social aspects of public health and medical care. The author comments on Stoeckle's focus on the sources of illness and death in the social environment, to which he referred as upstream from the individual patient. A brief biography of Stoeckle is also provided.
Infrastructuring and the Challenge of Dynamic Seams in Mobile Knowledge Work

Highly mobile knowledge workers spend a large portion of their time traversing within and among different infrastructural configurations as they move through space. These dynamic configurations are experienced as either technological or contextual constraints, which range from forms of technological exclusion and infrastructural disconnection to divides caused by both spatial and organizational boundaries. The workaday nature of these constrained environments force mobile workers to engage in a type of articulation work that involves the construction of bridging, assembling, or circumventing solutions to repeatedly negotiate these impediments. Engaging in these 'infrastructuring' practices requires that workers develop 'infrastructural competence'-knowledge of the generative possibilities of infrastructural seams. In effect, this renders mobile workers as infrastructural bricoleurs. We discuss the implications of this required competence and speculate regarding its origin, maintenance, and differentiation among professions.
Constructing "Deservingness": DREAMers and Central American Unaccompanied Children in the National Immigration Debate.

Utilizing a Latina/o Critical Theory framework (LatCrit), I examine the narratives that emerged within national newsprint media coverage of DREAMers and Central American unaccompanied children. Data included 268 newspaper articles published during periods of heightened national media attention about DREAMers (96 articles) and Central American unaccompanied children (172 articles). A content analysis revealed that prevalent and contradictory narratives created constructions of deservingness, where one group is positively portrayed as deserving of U.S. opportunity, and the other group, negatively portrayed as undeserving. The analysis shows that regardless of the positive or negative portrayals cast, constructions of “deservingness” are employed in these narratives that assigned values of non-nativeness to both groups that justify their continued subordination in U.S. society.
Rendering Invisible Punishments Visible Using Institutional Ethnography in Feminist Criminology

As the pendulum swings away from mass incarceration, feminist criminologists must be alert to the ways in which forms of invisible punishment continue to oppress and marginalize crime-processed women. Institutional ethnography is a mode of inquiry that examines work processes and how they are coordinated, often through texts and discourses. Through illustrative examples from a sample of formerly incarcerated women in post-realignment California, we demonstrate institutional ethnography’s importance as a feminist research tool that places the reentry work of crime-processed women in conversation with the invisible punishments imposed on them after and in lieu of incarceration.
An Aceto-Carmine Squash Technic for Mature Embryo Sacs

A method is described by which, whole embryo sacs of Nicotiana, Petunia and no doubt of certain other genera can be obtained readily in aceto-carmine ovule squashes. Although application of the technic to megagametogenesis and fertilization stages is stressed in this paper, use of the method allows development to be traced from the archespore up to the second or third division of endosperm nuclei. The success of the technic depends on four phases:–1) fixation in a medium that causes cell and nuclear structures to become pliable, yet rigid enough that their spatial relationships are not greatly distorted in squashing; 2) heat, which apparently increases the cohesion of cytoplasmic and nuclear constituents; 3) maceration to separate the embryo sac from surrounding cells; and 4) the use of a stain that differentiates the various nuclear structures as well as those of the cytoplasm. Staining of the cytoplasm, essential in some embryological investigations, is one advantage of the aceto-carmine squash method o...
Alpha-amylase Adsorption on Raw Starch and Its Relation to Raw Starch Digestion

Alpha-amylase adsorption on raw starch and its relation to raw starch digestion were investigated. Four kinds of α-amylases-pancreatic, malt, fungal, and bacterial amylaseswere used. The relation of digestion of raw starch by a-amylases to adsorption of the enzyme was complicated and it was dependent on the specific enzyme, its concentration, time of action and on the specific starch involved. The adsorption of the enzyme on raw starch was rapid and was desorbed at a decelerating rate with time and was similar to the digestion activity curve.
Studies on the noradrenaline alpha-receptor. I. Techniques of receptor isolation. The distribution and specificity of action of N-(2-bromoethyl)-N-ethyl-1-naphthylmethylamine, a competitive antagonist of noradrenaline.

Studies have been made of the potential usefulness of adrenergic blocking 2-halogenoethylamines for labeling time α-receptor. The uptake of 3 H-labeled N -(2-bromoethyl)- N -ethyl- N -1-naphthylmethylamine ( 3 H-SY.28) by rabbit vas deferens was shown to be nonspecific and the 2-halogenoethylamine apparently showed little specificity for the α-receptor. In an attempt to obtain greater specificity, rabbit aorta and vas deferens were pretreated with N,N -dimethyl-2-bromo-2-phenylethylamine, a short-lasting irreversible α-receptor antagonist, prior to treatment with 3 H-SY.28. Tissues pretreated with the short-lasting antagonist should take up less 3 H-SY.28 and the difference between this uptake and that of controls should reflect the concentration of α-receptor material. However, this treatment did not afford any significant protection against the uptake of 3 H-SY.28. The possible protective effects of various amines against labeling by 3 H-SY.28 were also investigated: no correlation could be found between the protective ability of these amines and their "direct" or "indirect" sympathomimetic activities. An investigation was also made of the finding that trypsin can reverse the blockade of 3 H-SY.28. It was concluded that the recovery of response following trypsin is probably unrelated to α-receptor regeneration. The distribution of 3 H-SY.28 and its corresponding alcohol was studied in rats. Our results suggest that the prolonged tissue retention of radioactivity following 3 H-SY.28 is probably due to the high binding capacities of tissues for 3 H-SY.28 alcohol rather than to the presence of high concentrations of covalently bound 3 H-SY.28.
Insights Into Pediatric Brain Stimulation Protocols From Preclinical Research

Abstract Brain stimulation in children requires consideration of the unique biology of the immature brain, and insights into molecular and synaptic distinctions between the developing and mature brain come largely from preclinical experiments in rodents. While the published literature contains few examples of brain stimulation in immature animals, an extensive library of rodent neurodevelopmental research can contribute to the design of pediatric brain stimulation protocols. In particular, preclinical studies identify that GABA-mediated inhibition is reduced and glutamate-mediated excitation is enhanced in the developing brain. These observations, coupled with susceptibility of children to seizures, raise a safety concern in pediatrics. Similarly, capacities for synaptic plasticity differ with age, and warrant consideration in brain stimulation protocol design. Also, beyond differences attributable to age, prevalent neurodevelopmental syndromes, such as epilepsy and autism spectrum disorders, are associated with dysmature brain biology, and thus aspects of brain immaturity should be considered even in some older subjects.
Loss-of-control eating following sleeve gastrectomy surgery.

Abstract Background Postoperative loss-of-control (LOC) eating is related to poorer weight loss outcomes after bariatric surgery, but little is known about LOC eating after sleeve gastrectomy surgery. Objectives To examine LOC eating severity and weight loss after sleeve gastrectomy Setting University School of Medicine, United States Methods Participants were 71 individuals (84.5% female; n = 60) who underwent sleeve gastrectomy surgery within the previous 4 to 9 months and reported LOC eating at least once weekly during the previous 28 days. LOC eating was assessed using the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) Bariatric Surgery Version. Current mean age and body mass index were 47.3 (SD = 10.1) years and 37.9 (SD = 8.2) kg/m2. Two groups, bariatric binge-eating disorder (Bar-BED) and loss-of-control eating only (LOC-only), were created based on modified binge-eating disorder (BED) criteria, which excluded the “unusually large quantity of food” criterion due to limited gastric capacity postsurgery. Bar-BED criteria mirrored BED criteria and consisted of the following: at least 12 LOC eating episodes over the prior 3 months (once weekly), 3 of 5 associated symptoms, marked distress over LOC eating, and lack of regular compensatory behaviors. Results Based on these revised criteria, 49.3% (n = 35) were classified as the Bar-BED group and 50.7% (n = 36) as the LOC-only group. Compared with the LOC-only group, the Bar-BED group had significantly greater EDE global and subscale scores and lower percent weight loss by 6 months postsurgery. Conclusion Findings suggest LOC eating that parallels BED postsurgery is associated with poorer outcomes after sleeve gastrectomy including poorer weight loss and greater severity of eating-disorder psychopathology.
Transient Response Of A Wedge With Two-face Impedances: A Uniform Time-donfafn GTD Solution And Applications

The problem of transient electromagnetic scattering from a plane wedge with arbitrary impedances on the two faces is addressed in this presentation. Analytical formulations have been developed for the transient response of the wedge based on the time-domain version of the frequency domain diffraction coefficient for the wedge with two face impedances originally presented by Tiberio and his coworkers (1985). The bistatic fields due to such an impedance weldge have been plotted for arbitrary wedge angles, polarizations and surface impedances. The special case of time domain scattering of the impedance half plane, impedance full plane and an impedance right-angled wedge have also been treated. The analysis has been applied in a practical example of time domain scattering from a two-face impedance and a coated plate.
Spin-Orbit Coupling Drives Femtosecond Nonadiabatic Dynamics in a Transition Metal Compound.

Transient absorption measurements conducted using broadband, 6 fs laser pulses reveal unexpected femtosecond dynamics in the [IrBr6]2– model system. Vibrational spectra and the X-ray crystal structure indicate that these dynamics are not induced by a Jahn–Teller distortion, a type of conical intersection typically associated with the spectral features of transition metal compounds. Two-dimensional electronic spectra of [IrBr6]2– contain 23 cross peaks, which necessarily arise from spin–orbit coupling. Real-valued 2D spectra support a spectroscopic basis where strong nonadiabatic coupling, ascribed to multiple conical intersections, mediates rapid energy relaxation to the lowest-energy excited state. Subsequent analysis gives rise to a more generalized description of a conical intersection as a degeneracy between two adiabatic states having the same total angular momentum.
Osteonecrosis of the jaw: Long-term follow-up shows variable rate of healing

9061 Background: Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) is a rare but clinically significant disorder recently reviewed in a large retrospective study (Hoff et al, 42nd ASCO Annual Meeting 2006, Abstract #8528). A subset of the ONJ patients from that study with breast cancer or multiple myeloma (MM) was followed at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (UTMDACC) dental clinic. This analysis describes the natural history of ONJ in this subset. Methods: Thirteen of 29 ONJ patients treated with intravenous bisphosphonates (IVBP) at UTMDACC and 1 treated elsewhere were evaluated in the dental clinic for > 6 months (MM, n=7; breast cancer, n=7). The maximum length of exposed bone was measured at each visit. Patients received a standard regimen of conservative dental care with debridement when indicated. Results: All 14 patients received zoledronic acid (median cumulative dose 72 mg; range 24–152) and 10 also received pamidronate (median cumulative dose 1,710 mg; range 90–2,700). They were followed for a ...
Identification of the gene that codes for the σ2 receptor

The σ2 receptor is an enigmatic protein that has attracted significant attention because of its involvement in diseases as diverse as cancer and neurological disorders. Unlike virtually all other receptors of medical interest, it has eluded molecular cloning since its discovery, and the gene that codes for the receptor remains unknown, precluding the use of modern biological methods to study its function. Using a chemical biology approach, we purified the σ2 receptor from tissue, revealing its identity as TMEM97, an endoplasmic reticulum-resident transmembrane protein that regulates the sterol transporter NPC1. We show that TMEM97 possesses the full suite of molecular properties that define the σ2 receptor, and we identify Asp29 and Asp56 as essential for ligand recognition. Cloning the σ2 receptor resolves a longstanding mystery and will enable therapeutic targeting of this potential drug target.
An interoceptive model of bulimia nervosa: A neurobiological systematic review

The objective of our study was to examine the neurobiological support for an interoceptive sensory processing model of bulimia nervosa (BN). To do so, we conducted a systematic review of interoceptive sensory processing in BN, using the PRISMA guidelines. We searched PsychInfo, Pubmed, and Web of Knowledge databases to identify biological and behavioral studies that examine interoceptive detection in BN. After screening 390 articles for inclusion and conducting a quality assessment of articles that met inclusion criteria, we reviewed 41 articles. We found that global interoceptive sensory processing deficits may be present in BN. Specifically there is evidence of abnormal brain function, structure and connectivity in the interoceptive neural network, in addition to gastric and pain processing disturbances. These results suggest that there may be a neurobiological basis for global interoceptive sensory processing deficits in BN that remain after recovery. Data from taste and heart beat detection studies were inconclusive; some studies suggest interoceptive disturbances in these sensory domains. Discrepancies in findings appear to be due to methodological differences. In conclusion, interoceptive sensory processing deficits may directly contribute to and explain a variety of symptoms present in those with BN. Further examination of interoceptive sensory processing deficits could inform the development of treatments for those with BN.
Juries, Race, and Gender: A Story of Today's Inequality

The Civil Rights Act of 1991 was supposed to be a victory for employment discrimination plaintiffs – a dramatic expansion of their rights. Twenty years later, however, we are told that the news for employment discrimination plaintiffs has gone “from bad to worse.” This essay, a reflection on the twenty-year history of the 1991 Act, explores how just how bad it is. In doing so, this essay discovers some optimistic news (but not much): Plaintiffs today are more likely to win at trial than before the 1991 Act. This is likely because of the 1991 Act’s expanded right to a jury trial. Yet, this is not a story of optimism – or equality – for all plaintiffs. The essay’s original study of 102 jury trials reveals that some plaintiffs do much worse than other plaintiffs. African Americans and Latinos claiming race discrimination, for example, have the lowest jury win rates. Many who study jury behavior would have predicted this outcome. From this, the essay argues that the evidence is strong that the status quo is not race neutral, and neither are juries.
Integrated Visual Supports in a School-Based Microenterprise for Students With Intellectual Disabilities:

School-based microenterprises and vocational training opportunities represent an effective approach to developing transferable vocational skills in students with intellectual and developmental disa...
Anesthesia for nephrectomy with vena cava thrombectomy

Up to 10% of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) tumors extend intravascularly from the kidney into the inferior vena cava (IVC) via the renal vein. Radical nephrectomy and vena cava thrombectomy is the therapy of choice for these patients. Surgical complexity and morbidity increases with cephalad extension of the tumor thrombus; Level I thrombus extends minimally into the IVC (≤2 cm) while Level IV extends into the IVC above the diaphragm. Anesthetic management varies based on extension of tumor and is often challenging due to IVC clamping, hemodynamic instability, potential for massive hemorrhage, and risk of intraoperative tumor embolization. Patients with high-level tumors should be managed in experienced centers with expertise in advanced techniques including transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), venovenous bypass, and cardiopulmonary bypass. A multidisciplinary team approach is important in the management of these patients.
Self-assembled monolayers of phosphonates promote primary chondrocyte adhesion to silicon dioxide and polyvinyl alcohol materials.

AbstractThe optimal solution for articular cartilage repair has not yet been identified, in part because of the challenges in achieving integration with the host. Coatings have the potential to transform the adhesive features of surfaces, but their application to cartilage repair has been limited. Self-assembled monolayer of phosphonates (SAMPs) have been demonstrated to increase the adhesion of various immortalized cell types to metal and polymer surfaces, but their effect on primary chondrocyte adhesion has not been studied. The objective of this study was to investigate the response of primary chondrocytes to SAMP coatings. We hypothesized a SAMP terminated with an α,ω-bisphosphonic acid, in particular butane-1,4-diphosphonic acid, would increase the number of adherent primary chondrocytes to polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). To test our hypothesis, we first established our ability to successfully modify silicon dioxide (SiO2) surfaces to enable chondrocytes to attach to the surface, without substantial changes...
Frontoinsular Network Markers of Current and Future Adolescent Mood Health.

Abstract Background Adolescence is a developmental period in which depression and related mood syndromes often emerge, but few objective markers exist to guide diagnosis or predict symptoms. One potential mood marker is the functioning of frontoinsular networks, which undergo substantial development in adolescence and have been implicated in adult depression. To test this hypothesis, we used task-based neuroimaging to evaluate whether frontoinsular network dysfunction was linked to current and prospective mood health in adolescents. Methods Adolescents (n = 40, 13–19 years of age) reporting varying levels of depressive symptom severity performed an emotional working memory task with neuroimaging. Next, teens completed a 2-week follow-up consisting of a daily diary report of negative affect and final report of depressive symptoms (n = 28 adherent). Analyses tested associations between task-related functional connectivity in frontoinsular networks and baseline or prospective measures of mood health over 2-week follow-up. Results Frontoinsular task response was associated with higher current depression severity (p = .049, ηp2 = .12), increases in future depression severity (p = .018, ηp2 = .23), and more intense and labile negative affect in daily life (ps = .015 to .040, ηp2 = .22 to .30). In particular, hypoconnectivity between insula and lateral prefrontal regions of the frontoparietal network was related to both baseline and prospective mood health, and hyperconnectivity between insula and midline or temporal regions of the default network was related to prospective mood health. Conclusions These findings indicate that frontoinsular imbalances are related to both current depression and changes in mood health in the near future and suggest that frontoinsular markers may hold promise as translational tools for risk prediction.
Impact of dislocations on the thermal conductivity of gallium nitride studied by time-domain thermoreflectance

GaN thermal conductivity (κGaN) of hydride vapor phase epitaxy grown GaN (HVPE GaN), high nitride pressure grown GaN (HNP GaN), and metal-organic chemical vapor deposition grown GaN on sapphire (GaN/sapphire) and on Si(111) (GaN/Si) are measured as 204.7 (±4.6), 206.6 (±6.8), 191.5 (±10.5), and 164.4 (±3.2) W/m K, respectively, using the time-domain thermoreflectance technique. Dislocation densities (σD) of HVPE GaN, HNP GaN, GaN/sapphire, and GaN/Si are measured as 4.80 (±0.42) × 105, 3.81 (±0.08) × 106, 2.43 (±0.20) × 108, and 1.10 (±0.10) × 109 cm−2, respectively, using cathodoluminescence and X-ray diffraction studies. Impurity concentrations of Si, H, C, and O are measured by secondary ion mass spectroscopy studies. The relationship between κGaN and σD is modeled through a new empirical model κGaN = 210 tanh0.12(1.5 × 108/σD). A modified Klemens's model, where dislocation induced scattering strength is increased, is proposed to explain the experimental rate of decrease in κGaN with increasing σD. Overall, this work reports how κGaN of heteroepitaxially-grown GaN can be estimated based on σD, providing key design guidelines for thermal management in GaN semiconductor devices.
Potential Unintended Consequences Of Recent Shared Decision Making Policy Initiatives.

Shared decision making (SDM)—when clinicians and patients make medical decisions together—is moving swiftly from an ethical ideal toward widespread clinical implementation affecting millions of pat...
Telehealth for the internal medicine resident: A 3-year longitudinal curriculum.

AimsAcross the United States of America, patients are increasingly receiving healthcare using innovative telehealth technologies. As healthcare continues to shift away from traditional office-based...
Variable association of atypical femur fracture and osteonecrosis of jaw with bisphosphonates and denosumab use: Drug-safety surveillance study

In the United States, there are over ten million adults diagnosed with osteoporosis and many more are at risk of developing the condition. Osteoporosis affects both males and females, mostly post-menopausal. Bisphosphonates and denosumab have been widely used globally to treat the condition. The use of bisphosphonates and denosumab had been associated with rare adverse effects including osteonecrosis of the jaw, ONJ, and atypical femur fracture, AFF. However, it remained unclear whether those side effects were class-wide or drug-specific. By analyzing over 230,000 osteoporosis patient reports from the FDA adverse event reporting system, FAERS, we confirmed the association of bisphosphonates and denosumab use with AFF and ONJ. Additionally, comparing each of the four frequently used bisphosphonates with denosumab-treated patients used as a control, we identified: (i) varying significance of association with ONJ and AFF for alendronate, risedronate, ibandronate and zoledronic acid, (ii) over two fold increase in risk of both side effects in alendronate patients, particularly in females, (iii) over a six fold increase in AFF risk in both males and females taking risedronate, and (iv) lower risk of both AFF and ONJ, for zoledronic acid patients compared to denosumab.
HR Practices, Customer-Focused Outcomes, and OCBO: The POS-Engagement Mediation Chain

The mechanisms through which HR practices impact employee-level and organizational-level outcomes continue to intrigue HR academicians and practitioners. More recently, within the context of human resource management (HRM), there is interest in understanding the role of engagement as a predictor of employee outcomes. More widely studied, is the mediating effect of perceived organizational support (POS) on the investment organizations make in their HR practices and outcomes such as turnover intentions, in-role and extra-role behaviors, and performance. This study provides additional insight into the relationship between individual HR practices and customer-focused outcomes and organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBO) through two interdependent mechanisms: the POS-engagement chain. Data were collected from a municipality in the Southwest region of the U.S.A. The results indicate the POS-engagement mediation chain occurs between training, pay for performance, selection, promotional opportunities and decision making and the outcomes of customer experience, customer commitment, and OCBO. Our study has contributed to debates concerning whether POS or engagement is an underlying mechanism relating HR practices and important outcomes that benefit the organization. By developing and testing a model that integrates both POS and engagement as a mediating chain linking HR practices to customer- focused outcomes and OCBO, we hope that that further investigations of the impact that HR practices have on outcomes such as customer-focused outcomes and OCBO, utilize the POS-engagement mediation chain as a key mechanism through which organizational outcomes occur.
Social media ethics in the data economy: Issues of social responsibility for using Facebook for public relations

Abstract The rapidly-evolving data economy based on surveillance capitalism raises new issues of ethics and social responsibility for public relations practice and scholarship. Understanding the business model of companies like Facebook, that sell algorithmic-driven, micro-targetable profiles of individuals, is necessary in order to consider consequences of using social media to communicate with audiences. This critical essay examines the operating model and deceptive communication strategies of Facebook Inc., and considers how the use of algorithms and artificial intelligence impacts stakeholders. Ethical frameworks explicated by previous scholars to assess standards of the profession are used as a theoretical lens to consider the social responsibility implications of using Facebook for public relations. The social media environment is changing quickly, which calls for consideration of unintended impacts.
Ethics in Praxis: Situational, Embodied, Relational

As the introduction to this issue makes clear, the ethical exposure essays we include here are the start of an ongoing initiative in the journal—to include focused sections of shorter pieces on critical threads or matters of concern in ongoing RHM work, in this case ethical conundra encountered in practice-level enactments of methodologies. In setting the tone for this special section, we now attempt to parse an “ethics in praxis” that is characterized by situational, embodied, and reflexive orientations rather thanby attributes more common in virtue ethics. This emphasis on praxis allows us to put forward an idea of ethics in and for RHM that is responsive to critique as we articulate it in the overall introduction to this issue: as kairos-driven and attuned to crises as they unfold in the present and as they anticipate and offer opportunities to “play” at various imagined futures.