cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How does satisfaction with the health-care system relate to patient experience?

OBJECTIVE: To explore what determines people's satisfaction with the health-care system above and beyond their experience as patients. METHODS: Data on health system responsiveness, which refers to the manner and environment in which people are treated when they seek health care, provides a unique opportunity to better understand the determinants of people's satisfaction with the health-care system and how strongly this is influenced by an individual's experience as a patient. The data were obtained from 21 European Union countries in the World Health Survey for 2003. Additive ordinary least-squares regression models were used to assess the extent to which variables commonly associated with satisfaction with the health-care system, as recorded in the literature, explain the variation around the concept of satisfaction. A residual analysis was used to identify other predictors of satisfaction with the health-care system. FINDINGS: Patient experience was significantly associated with satisfaction with the health-care system and explained 10.4% of the variation around the concept of satisfaction. Other factors such as patient expectations, health status, type of care, and immunization coverage were also significant predictors of health system satisfaction; although together they explained only 17.5% of the observed variation, while broader societal factors may largely account for the unexplained portion of satisfaction with the health-care system. CONCLUSION: Contrary to published reports, people's satisfaction with the health-care system depends more on factors external to the health system than on the experience of care as a patient. Thus, measuring the latter may be of limited use as a basis for quality improvement and health system reform.
In the ventral tegmental area, G-proteins mediate progesterone’s actions at dopamine type 1 receptors for lordosis of rats and hamsters

Previous reports indicate that the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and/or progesterone (P) can modulate the reinforcing effects of drugs of abuse, food, and sexual behavior. We investigated if, in the VTA, P’s membrane-mediated actions for lordosis involve dopamine type 1 receptors (D1). Also, whether P’s actions at D1 for lordosis are mediated by typical G-protein coupled mechanisms was examined. In Exps 1 and 2, rats received estradiol (E2 10 μg) at h 0 and infusions of the D1 antagonist SCH23390 (100 ng), the D1 agonist SKF38393 (100 ng), or vehicle, to the VTA, at h 44. Thirty minutes later, rats received systemic P (0, 50, 100, or 200 μg). Subjects were tested for lordosis and motor behavior 2.5 h later. In Exps 3 and 4, E2+P (rats 0 or 100 μg; hamsters 200 μg)-primed animals were pretested for lordosis and motor behavior at h 47.5 and infused with SKF38393 (100 ng) or vehicle to the VTA. Thirty minutes later, subjects were retested and infused with the G-protein inhibitor guanosine 5′-O-(2-Thiodiphosphate) (GDP-β-S; 50 μM) or vehicle. Posttesting occurred 30 min later. Pretreatment with SCH23390-reduced and SKF38393-enhanced P’s actions, in the VTA, for lordosis of E2-primed rats and hamsters. As well, D1-mediated increases in P-facilitated lordosis of rats and hamsters were inhibited by GDP-β-S. Changes in lordosis were independent of large alterations in motor behavior. In the VTA, P has actions for modulating reinforcing behaviors, such as lordosis, at D1 that are G-protein-mediated.
Discerning responses of down wood and understory vegetation abundance to riparian buffer width and thinning treatments: an equivalence–inequivalence approach

The combined effectiveness of thinning and riparian buffers for increasing structural complexity while maintaining riparian function in second-growth forests is not well documented. We surveyed dow...
Museum salvage: A case study of Mesoamerican artifacts in museum collections and on the antiquities market

AbstractMuseum salvage refers to critical studies of museum collections with little or no provenience information that seek to glean useful archaeological information from these artifacts and examine the nature of their origins and possible connections to the illicit antiquities trade and the art market. Our case study focuses on artifacts from Mesoamerica and objects from the ancient capital of Teotihuacan in particular. We take a multi-scalar approach, including a quantitative analysis of Sotheby’s auction records for Mesoamerican items from 1966 to 2010, a survey of Teotihuacan attributed items in U.S. museums, and a more detailed examination of Teotihuacan-style artifacts in the Denver Museum of Nature & Science collections. The study tracks and attempts to explain diachronic patterns in the Mesoamerican antiquities trade, connections to museum collecting practices, and looting behavior. The study illustrates the potential benefits of museum salvage, while also revealing the clear limitations of resea...
An autonomous sensor platform vessel for marine protected area monitoring

Development of an autonomous surface vessel platform for marine sensing is presented. Much of the design characteristics are general, but a specific application related to monitoring of designated coastal marine protected areas is discussed. The sensor platform vessel described is small, approximately 35 lbs in air, and designed for low power requirements. The power requirements for propulsion are examined and show that an estimated 5 W average power is expected to be sufficient to operate the vessel at its maximum speed. Initial tests verify operation of the vessel's navigation algorithm to control heading in a sheltered harbor.
Klinefelter Syndrome: The Need for Early Identification and Treatment:

A 14-year-old boy presented with severe academic difficulties, emotional disturbance, borderline mental retardation, tall stature, delayed sexual development, small testes, and gynecomastia. Chromosomal analysis revealed an additional X chromosome compatible with the diagnosis of 47, XXY Klinefelter Syndrome. This case retrospectively follows the progression of learning and behavioral problems occurring in the primary grades prior to the diagnosis of Klinefelter Syndrome and reports the effects of psychiatric treatment, modified educational placement, testosterone supplementation, and corrective surgery in adolescence. The early identification of Klinefelter Syndrome is vital to the XXY male in that many of the developmental, behavioral and emotional problems associated with an additional X chromosome are amenable to treatment.
Capitate-radius arthrodesis: An alternative method of radiocarpal arthrodesis

Arthrodesis of the wrist may be indicated for a variety of conditions and can be achieved by many techniques. We have had experience with radiocarpal arthrodesis by fusion of the capitate to the radius after a modified proximal row carpectomy. The common feature in our 10 patients was a flexion deformity of the wrist. In five of the patients it was the result of spastic posturing. Five of the patients had a variety of other conditions. Primary arthrodesis occurred in all patients and the cosmetic improvement was appreciated by all patients. Functional improvement seemed to be most related to the preoperative condition. The follow-up evaluation averaged 5.4 years with a range from 6 months to 11 years.
Reassessing the Demographic Imperative.

For many years gerontologists have discussed the consequences of advances that have lengthened lives but have been less successful at improving the quality of those lives. While this debate continues, the resulting demographic shift in the age profile of the United States threatens to overwhelm our ability to care for those who most need assistance. In the absence of major policy changes or dramatic medical discoveries, or both, the need for institutional care among the population 85 and older will soon exceed the available resources.
Formalizing multi-agent POMDP's in the context of network routing

This paper uses partially observable Markov decision processes (POMDP's) as a basic framework for multi-agent planning. We distinguish three perspectives: first one is that of an omniscient agent that has access to the global state of the system, second one is the perspective of an individual agent that has access only to its local state, and the third one is the perspective of an agent that models the states of information of the other agents. We detail how the first perspective differs from the other two due to the partial observability. POMDP's allow us to formally define the notion of optimal actions in each perspective, and to quantify the loss of performance due to partial observability, and possible gain in performance due to intelligent information exchange between the agents. As an example we consider the domain of agents in a distributed information network. There, agents have to decide how to route packets and how to share information with other agents. Though almost all routing protocols have been formulated based on detailed-study of the functional parameters in the system, there has been no clear formal representation for optimality. We argue that the various routing protocols should fall out as different approximations to policies (optimal solutions) in such a framework. Our approach also proves critical and useful for the computation of error bounds due to approximations used in practical routing algorithms. Each routing protocol is a conditional plan that involves physical actions, which change the physical state of the system, and actions that explicitly exchange information.
Involvement of the Carboxy-Terminus Region of the Dihydropyridine Receptor β1a Subunit in Excitation-Contraction Coupling of Skeletal Muscle

Skeletal muscle knockout cells lacking the beta subunit of the dihydropyridine receptor (DHPR) are devoid of slow L-type Ca(2+) current, charge movements, and excitation-contraction coupling, despite having a normal Ca(2+) storage capacity and Ca(2+) spark activity. In this study we identified a specific region of the missing beta1a subunit critical for the recovery of excitation-contraction. Experiments were performed in beta1-null myotubes expressing deletion mutants of the skeletal muscle-specific beta1a, the cardiac/brain-specific beta2a, or beta2a/beta1a chimeras. Immunostaining was used to determine that all beta constructs were expressed in these cells. We examined the Ca(2+) conductance, charge movements, and Ca(2+) transients measured by confocal fluo-3 fluorescence of transfected myotubes under whole-cell voltage-clamp. All constructs recovered an L-type Ca(2+) current with a density, voltage-dependence, and kinetics of activation similar to that recovered by full-length beta1a. In addition, all constructs except beta2a mutants recovered charge movements with a density similar to full-length beta1a. Thus, all beta constructs became integrated into a skeletal-type DHPR and, except for beta2a mutants, all restored functional DHPRs to the cell surface at a high density. The maximum amplitude of the Ca(2+) transient was not affected by separate deletions of the N-terminus of beta1a or the central linker region of beta1a connecting two highly conserved domains. Also, replacement of the N-terminus half of beta1a with that of beta2a had no effect. However, deletion of 35 residues of beta1a at the C-terminus produced a fivefold reduction in the maximum amplitude of the Ca(2+) transients. A similar observation was made by deletion of the C-terminus of a chimera in which the C-terminus half was from beta1a. The identified domain at the C-terminus of beta1a may be responsible for colocalization of DHPRs and ryanodine receptors (RyRs), or may be required for the signal that opens the RyRs during excitation-contraction coupling. This new role of DHPR beta in excitation-contraction coupling represents a cell-specific function that could not be predicted on the basis of functional expression studies in heterologous cells.
Advancing translation of biomarkers into regulatory science.

Many identified biomarkers have yet to be translated into regulatory science The first biomarker successfully translated into regulatory decision-making at the US FDA was HER2. In 1998, the FDA approved Herceptin (trastuzumab) for treatment of breast cancer patients whose HER2 is overexpressed. Since then, translation of biomarkers into FDA regulatory decision-making has been accelerated and led to an ever increasing number of targeted therapies using biomarkers being approved, as evidenced by the fact that eight drugs (Beleodaq, Blincyto, Cardelga, Harvoni, Lynparza, Viekira Pak, Vimizim and Zykadia) for targeted therapies were approved in 2014. There are many efforts and programs at the FDA which aim to advance the translation of biomarkers into regulatory science [1–3]. Academic institutes and industry have huge investments in biomarker development. In addition, emerging technologies have been used in the discovery of biomarkers [4]. A large number of biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis, treatment selection and dose on demand have been identified, providing more impetus for translation of biomarkers into regulatory science. Though some biomarkers have been used in the FDA’s regulatory science work, many more identified biomarkers have not yet been translated into regulatory decision-making. The motivation behind this issue of Biomarkers in Medicine is to provide a contemporary summary of advances in translation of biomarkers into regulatory science. MicroRNAs as noninvasive biomarkers have tremendous potential to be translated into regulatory science MicroRNAs (abbreviated as miRNAs) are endogenous small noncoding RNAs that play regulatory roles in gene expression. Expression of some miRNAs has been found to be associated with certain diseases and drug treatment responses. Recent advances in emerging technologies, such as nextgeneration sequencing (NGS) technologies for measuring expression of known miRNAs and discovery of new miRNAs, have identified many miRNAs as biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis and safety evaluation [5]. Efforts continue unabated with the aim of translating new miRNA biomarkers into regulatory science. Accordingly, this issue solicited expert reviews to shed light on recent biomarker research and to foster translation of miRNA biomarkers into regulatory science. Drug safety is a major factor in regulation and development. This issue collected expert reviews which summarize recent efforts in the application of miRNAs as drug safety biomarkers for hepatotoxicity and cardiotoxicity testing [6–8]. Some miRNAs, such as miR-34a, miR-93–5p, miR-21 and miR-155, have demonstrated potential as biomarkers of nephrotoxicity [7,8]. Translation of miRNAs into drug safety biomarkers in regulatory science has been impeded due to concerns regarding variations among assay methods used to quantify miRNAs and lack of standards [8]. Future efforts to translate miRNA biomarkers into regulatory science for Advancing translation of biomarkers into regulatory science
A clustering technique for blind equalization of MIMO frequency selective channels

In this paper, we propose a blind equalizer for the MIMO frequency selective channels. The proposed equalizer, called the Least Mean Squares soft decision-directed equalizer, consists of a blind clustering algorithm piloted by the soft decisions at its output. The equalizer taps are updated by maximizing the a posteriori probability density function of the equalized signal. The performances of the proposed equalizer are compared to those of the modified Constant Modulus algorithm and to those of the dual-mode modified Constant Modulus algorithm MCMA+DD-MIMO. Simulation results show that the proposed equalizer has a lower residual MSE than the other simulated algorithms.
Performance and Integration Implications of Addressing Localized Hotspots Through Two Approaches: Clustering of Micro Pin-Fins and Dedicated Microgap Coolers

An evaluation of two approaches to localized hotspot cooling is conducted through both numerical modeling and experimental demonstration, with the advantages and limitations of each approach highlighted. The first approach, locally increasing the density of pins in a micro pin fin heat sink, was shown through numerical modeling to deliver a factor of two enhancement in effective heat transfer coefficient by doubling the pin density near the hotspot. This simpler approach to maintaining temperature uniformity eliminates the need for hotspot specific fluid routing and delivery, and also has minimal impact on the larger flow field. Dedicated hotspot coolers, on the other hand, have the ability to dissipate significantly larger heat fluxes while maintaining manageable pressure drops, because the flow rate to the dedicated cooler can be closely matched to the demands of the hotspot. Dissipation of hotspot heat fluxes in excess of 2 kW/cm2 is demonstrated experimentally using a two phase dedicated hotspot cooler. However, dedicated coolers require additional fluidic routing and manifolding to efficiently deliver the coolant to the hotspot. These integration concerns are considered in concert with the performance of the hotspot cooler itself to enable better informed thermal design for both system level and device level cooling.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Prediction of Baseball Ability through an Analysis of Measures of Strength and Structure

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the relation of 19 selected structural and strength measures to success in the baseball skills of hitting, running, throwing, and fielding plus over-all baseball ability. The structural measures tested have consistently low correlations with the criteria. The measures of strength tested have consistently high correlations with the criteria: .79, left shoulder flexion with hitting; .72, right shoulder flexion with throwing; and .67, left shoulder flexion with total ability. Left shoulder flexion is the best single measure found to predict baseball ability. Right shoulder flexion ranks second.
Hypertension in chronic kidney disease

Hypertension and diabetes are the two significant cardiovascular risk factors that contribute to the development and progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Hypertension is present in >50 % of those with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and the prevalence increases with diminishing eGFR in parallel with the increasing risk for cardiovascular outcomes. Inappropriate activation of the renin–angiotensin system (RAS) and the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) contributes substantially to hypertension in individuals with kidney disease and the high prevalence of CVD. Thereby, intervention with agents that interrupt the RAS and SNS improve not only hypertension but slow the progression and CKD-related CVD morbidity and mortality.
Endothelial Dysfunction in Human Diabetes Is Mediated by Wnt5a–JNK Signaling

Objective—Endothelial dysfunction is linked to insulin resistance, inflammatory activation, and increased cardiovascular risk in diabetes mellitus; however, the mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Recent studies have identified proinflammatory signaling of wingless-type family member (Wnt) 5a through c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) as a regulator of metabolic dysfunction with potential relevance to vascular function. We sought to gain evidence that increased activation of Wnt5a–JNK signaling contributes to impaired endothelial function in patients with diabetes mellitus. Approach and Results—We measured flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery and characterized freshly isolated endothelial cells by protein expression, eNOS activation, and nitric oxide production in 85 subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (n=42) and age- and sex-matched nondiabetic controls (n=43) and in human aortic endothelial cells treated with Wnt5a. Endothelial cells from patients with diabetes mellitus displayed 1.3-fold ...
Sequentially layered CdSe/CdS nanowire architecture for improved nanowire solar cell performance

The power conversion efficiency of semiconductor nanowire (NW) based solar cells as compared to quantum dot solar cell (QDSC) has remained lower, and efforts to improve the photovoltaic performance of semiconductor NWs continue. We have now succeeded in using a layered architecture of CdS and CdSe NWs for improving the photovoltaic performance of nanowire solar cell (NWSC). The photoanode designed with sequentially deposited films of CdSe and CdS NWs delivered a power conversion efficiency of 1%. This efficiency of CdSe/CdS composite is an order of magnitude improvement over single nanowire system (CdS or CdSe) based solar cell. The improvement seen in the CdSe/CdS composite film is attributed to charge rectification and improvement of electron and hole separation and transport in the opposite direction. Impedance spectroscopy demonstrates the beneficial effect of type II structure in CdSe/CdS sequential deposition through lower transport resistance, which remains a dominating effect in dictating the over...
Games Against the Wind: Guided Parafoil Accuracy

game against the wind, we show how to compute the landing accuracy that can be guaranteed by a perfect guidance system in the presence of worst case variable wind. What perfect guidance can guarantee depends on distance and relative heading to the target, remaining time to impact, system airspeed and maximum turn rate, and wind speed. We use the theory to bound the landing accuracy that can be guaranteed for the \Snowake" parafoil system. Nomenclature x;y Horizontal coordinates of parafoil position with respect to the target ; _ Parafoil heading and heading rate v Parafoil horizontal airspeed wx;wy Horizontal components of wind velocity t A small increment of time C(x;y;t) The accuracy (smallest miss distance) guidance can guarantee when play starts from position (x;y) at time t
Opinion: The hunger metrics mirage: There's been less progress on hunger reduction than it appears

As the timeframe for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) came to an end in 2015, the United Nations lauded great progress, calling its MDG campaign the “most successful anti-poverty movement in history” (1). In its final progress report, the United Nations states that poverty has decreased by half and hunger has fallen dramatically (1). Sixty countries are said to have achieved the hunger-reduction target since 1990. Among the achievers are a strikingly large number of the so-called “least developed countries,” and many of them are the poorest countries of sub-Saharan Africa. There is no doubt that much of the developing world made significant progress in enhancing food supplies and reducing hunger over the past 25 years. However, tracking progress by country and across countries has been marred by the ambiguity of the metrics that have been used.
Evaluation of comprehensive measures to control schistosomiasis primarily through infection source control in Hubei Province

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of comprehensive measures to control schistosomiasis primarily through infection source control over 3 years in Hubei Province. Methods Eight villages(pilot villages) in 4 counties(districts) of Hubei Province with a high incidence of schistosomiasis were selected as study sites to investigate the effectiveness of comprehensive schistosomiasis control measures including "improved latrines and methane-generating pits","safe water supply","cattle culling",and "tree planting to deter snails".Schistosomiasis control measures were also supplemented by routine hygiene-related measures.Data on schistosomiasis morbidity and residents' per capita income were analyzed. Results After 3 years of comprehensive control measures,areas where snails were found decreased 17.51%,the density of living snails decreased 14.22%,the density of infected snails decreased 77.21% and the rate of snail infection decreased 73.47%.The rate of schistosome infection in residents decreased 86.38%.The number of livestock declined and the rate of infection in cattle decreased 88.01%.Residents' per capita income increased 40.78%. ConclusionComprehensive measures to control schistosomiasis primarily through infection source control were feasible and effective in schistosome-endemic marshlands and had obvious social and economic benefits..
CPOCL: a narrative planner supporting conflict

Conflict is an essential element of interesting stories, but little research in computer narrative has addressed it directly. We present a model of narrative conflict inspired by narratology research and based on Partial Order Causal Link (POCL) planning. This model informs an algorithm called CPOCL which extends previous research in story generation. Rather than eliminate all threatened causal links, CPOCL marks certain steps in a plan as non-executed in order to preserve the conflicting subplans of all characters without damaging the causal soundness of the overall story.
Methodological Issues in Examining Measurement Equivalence in Patient Reported Outcomes Measures: Methods Overview to the Two-Part Series, “Measurement Equivalence of the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System® (PROMIS®) Short Forms”

The purpose of this article is to introduce the methods used and challenges confronted by the authors of this two-part series of articles describing the results of analyses of measurement equivalence of the short form scales from the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System ® (PROMIS ® ). Qualitative and quantitative approaches used to examine differential item functioning (DIF) are reviewed briefly. Qualitative methods focused on generation of DIF hypotheses. The basic quantitative approaches used all rely on a latent variable model, and examine parameters either derived directly from item response theory (IRT) or from structural equation models (SEM). A key methods focus of these articles is to describe state-of-the art approaches to examination of measurement equivalence in eight domains: physical health, pain, fatigue, sleep, depression, anxiety, cognition, and social function. These articles represent the first time that DIF has been examined systematically in the PROMIS short form measures, particularly among ethnically diverse groups. This is also the first set of analyses to examine the performance of PROMIS short forms in patients with cancer. Latent variable model state-of-the-art methods for examining measurement equivalence are introduced briefly in this paper to orient readers to the approaches adopted in this set of papers. Several methodological challenges underlying (DIF-free) anchor item selection and model assumption violations are presented as a backdrop for the articles in this two-part series on measurement equivalence of PROMIS measures.
Cleaning Metal and Semiconductor Crystals—Examples

The preparation of clean single crystals of the metals is fundamentally important in surface science research, since surface properties are often highly dependent on poisons and promoters that are present. It is commonly known that bulk impurities present in zone-refined single crystals at the ppm level can often segregate to the surface upon heating.
FDG PET findings are predictive of histopathological response after neoadjuvant therapy for esophageal cancer

1724 Objectives: Neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) with combined radiation treatment and chemotherapy is being employed prior to esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. Complete histopathological response after NAT has been known to correlate with favorable long term prognosis. The aim of this study was to determine the ability of FDG PET imaging in predicting histopathological results after NAT in patients with esophageal cancer. Methods: FDG PET images of 38 patients (males 30 and females 8) with esophageal cancer were reviewed. PET image before and after NAT were compared for residual disease activity. Based on PET findings Patients were divided into 3 groups - those with complete resolution, partial resolution and no resolution of the baseline FDG activity in the primary tumor. The PET results were then compared with the histopathological examination after esophagectomy for the presence or absence of residual tumor in the resected specimen. Results: Complete resolution of the primary tumor FDG uptake (group 1) was seen in 23 patients, partial resolution (group 2) in 7 patients and no resolution (group 3) in 8 patients. Eighteen patients in group1 (79 %) had no residual tumor on the esophagectomy. Of the 5 patients in group 1 who had residual tumor two had local nodal disease and 3 had poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Three patients in group 2 had no residual tumor and 4 patients had residual tumor. One patient in group 3 did not have surgery. All of the remaining 6 patients (100%) in group 3 had residual tumor. Conclusions: Findings of our study show that complete resolution of the primary tumor FDG uptake after NAT is strongly predictive of histopathological response after esophagectomy in patients with esophageal cancer. However tumors which become undifferentiated despite NAT may also show no FDG uptake. Lack of resolution of the FDG uptake after NAT is highly suggestive of the persistence of residual tumor which has prognostic implications.
Butterflies, beetles, and postwar Japan: semi-documentary in the 1960s

ABSTRACTIn 1958, Hanada Kiyoteru pointed to the virtues of the ‘semi-documentary’ format. By the 1960s, highly political films, especially those centered on human rights, abandoned Griersonian documentary and instead used highly poetic and allegorical forms. Hanada claimed that postwar viewers can only feel fuman – dissatisfaction – with documentary objectivity; indeed, the era produced a number of filmmakers attempting a more subjective iteration of the documentary format, or a more documentarian approach to a standard fiction film. This paper analyzes two such ‘semi-documentaries’ that serve as political allegories: Kuroki Kazuo’s Silence Has No Wings (1966) and Imamura Shohei’s Insect Woman (1963). Interestingly, both films use insects – a beetle in Imamura’s film and a butterfly in Kuroki’s – to allegorize the contemporary landscape of postwar Japan. Although both appear fiction films to contemporary audiences, these two films were ‘semidocumentaries’ according to the zeitgeist of the 1960s. By analyz...
Project FORESIGHT and Return on Investment: Forensic Science Laboratories and Public Health Laboratories

Forensic laboratories have experienced a growing demand for services that has far outpaced the resources allocated for the investigation of forensic evidence. European and North American projects h...
Recent research approaches to urban flood vulnerability, 2006–2016

This study examines the research trend of urban flood risk assessment and investigates what methods and approaches have been changed and how these changes have improved our understanding on multi-dimensions of urban flood vulnerability. By reviewing a total of 318 peer-reviewed journal articles during the last 10 years (2006–2016) using bibliometric and content analysis, we observed that the physical vulnerability was the most popular concerns followed by the institutional vulnerability and social vulnerability. Moreover, we found that the planning and policy approach focusing on institutional vulnerability has the potential to link physical and social dimensions of flood vulnerability, facilitating the tight collaboration between applied sciences and social sciences. This study concluded that the continuous increasing number of the comprehensive approach to urban flood risk assessment offers evidence for a new paradigm shift toward a more inclusive way to understand multi-dimensional aspects of urban flood vulnerability across disciplines and different knowledge systems.
Crossing the strait: Morocco, Gibraltar and Great Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries

James A.O.C Brown’s study of economic and diplomatic relations between British Gibraltar and ʿAlawite Morocco offers more than simply a political history. Rather, Brown aptly employs a socio-histor...
Apoptosis gene polymorphisms and the risk of non-small cell lung cancer

3118 BACKGROUND: Apoptosis (programmed cell death) plays an important role in targeting cancer cells for destruction. Defects in this process can lead to the unchecked cell growth and proliferation. Various single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in apoptotic genes have been associated with increased risks in lung cancer, particularly FAS -1377G>A (in LD with rs1800682), FASL -844 T>C , IL1B 3954 C>T Phe105Phe (rs1143634) and BAT3 Ser625Pro (rs1052486). FASL is the ligand of FAS, a member if the TNF superfamily of death receptors, which upon binding, initiate the extrinsic pathway of apoptosis. Interleukin 1 cytokine IL1B is another important initiator. BAT3, HLA-B associated transcript 3, is involved in intrinsic apoptosis by its interaction with p53. METHODS: We studied the association of these SNPs with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using a large case-control study (N=4270: 2651 cases, 1619 controls, restricted to Caucasians). We used multiple logistic regression, adjusting for age, gender, smoking status, square root of pack years, and years since smoking cessation for ex-smokers, with a co-dominant genetic model. Interactions with smoking status, pack years, age (split at 60yrs, the control median), and gender were tested by stratification and the likelihood ratio test (LRT) for interaction terms. We also conducted a case only analysis for cell type and cancer stage. RESULTS: Minor allele frequencies in controls, were 48% for BAT3 S625P, (HWE p-value=0.84), 13% for FAS -1377G>A , (HWE p=0.75), 38% for FASL -844 T>C , (HWE p =0.25) and 23% for IL1B 3954 C>T , (HWE p=0.12). Adjusted main effects ORs for all 4 SNPs were not associated with NSCLC. Tests for trend were also not significant. There was a significant modification of genotype and risk by age: for those under age 60, the FASL -844 CT vs . TT was associated with an aOR= 1.58 (1.22, 2.05), p=0.0006; and the FASL -844 CC vs. TT aOR= 1.45 (1.01, 2.04) p=0.04. In comparison, for those over age 60, the FASL -844 CT vs . TT aOR= 0.91 (0.73, 1.13), p=0.37; and the FASL -844 CC vs. TT OR= 0.86 (0.64, 1.16) p=0.32. The LRT p-value of the age-genotype interaction was p=0.004. Examination of effect modification of the genotype by smoking status, (current, former and never smokers), revealed that IL1B +3954 TT vs. CC confers a deleterious effect, significant for ex-smokers, aOR= 1.74 (1.06, 2.85), p=0.03, but for never smokers aOR= 0.77 (0.33, 1.79) p=0.55 and current smokers aOR= 0.79 (0.39, 1.59) p=0.5. The LRT of smoking-genotype interaction was not significant (p=0.24). Only FASL -844 T>C showed a significant LRT smoking-genotype interaction (p=0.03), but there was no significant association between this SNP and NSCLC risk for each smoking group. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest age and smoking modify the association of the FASL -844 and IL1B +3954 SNPs respectively with the risk of NSCLC.
Systemic Bevacizumab for Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis: A Single Center Experience of Two Cases

BACKGROUND Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP), caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), is the most common benign neoplasm of the larynx and central airways. RRP has a significant impact on quality life and high annual costs to healthcare. Currently, there is no cure for RRP, leading to repeated debulking operations for symptomatic palliation. Various local adjuvant therapies have also been studied with mixed efficacy. HPV oncogene products increase expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) providing a potential target for treatment of RRP. Bevacizumab, a recombinant monoclonal antibody that inhibits VEGF, has shown efficacy in patients with localized disease. CASE REPORT We present two cases of extensive airway and parenchymal RRP successfully managed with systemically administered bevacizumab, a recombinant monoclonal antibody that inhibits VEGF. CONCLUSIONS Bevacizumab has shown efficacy in patients with localized disease, but here we illustrate the potential of bevacizumab for patients with extensive parenchymal burden as well as provide a brief review of the literature.
The development and evaluation of β-glucosidase immobilized magnetic nanoparticles as recoverable biocatalysts

Abstract Magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) solid core supports bound with β-glucosidase (βG) were evaluated as recyclable biocatalysts. To determine whether the relative positioning of immobilized βG to MNP surfaces impacts enzyme activity, MNPs were conjugated with βG using a glutaraldehyde cross-linker for proximal binding with different polyethylene glycol spacer-linkers (MW: 200, 400, 1000). MNP surface modifications were validated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and the measurement of saturation magnetization for the bioconjugates revealed minor decreases in magnetic moments relative to core MNPs. All four bioconjugates showed similar binding efficiencies for βG, but measured increases in Km values and decreases in Vmax values, regardless of the spacer length, indicated that the specific activity of βG was lowered upon enzyme immobilization and spacer lengths were negligible. Despite a reduction in βG activity, immobilization conferred thermal stability under conditions in which the native enzyme is inactivated. To evaluate the recycling properties of the bioconjugates, enzyme activity measurements were conducted for ten consecutive rounds at 45 °C. The bioconjugates hydrolyzed total amounts of p-nitrophenyl β- d -glucoside comparable to a single application of unmodified βG following the third recycling round along with significant activity after ten rounds. Based on these results, the enhanced stability of immobilized βG on recoverable MNPs provides a means for reducing the amount of βG required for cellulose hydrolysis, thereby reducing costs associated with ethanol production.
A Paleoecological Perspective on Wetland Restoration

Paleoecological investigations of wetland sedimentary deposits offer the possibility of obtaining accurate reconstructions of base line conditions in the past. Plant remains, such as leaves, seeds, fruits, wood, and pollen, provide a window of variable temporal and spatial resolution into past environmental conditions at a particular site. These archives of physical and biological wetland ecosystem characteristics, if preserved, may be exploited to reconstruct the plant community at a single point in time. Moreover, changes in past plant community composition, hydrology, and the dynamics of wetland ecosystems through time may be better understood. This paper reviews the range of paleoecological information archived in wetland sedimentary deposits that may be understood in the restoration science context. This type of information gleaned by applying paleoecological techniques should provide reasonable targets for restoration ecologists working to improve the quality and quantity of ecosystem functions and services in wetlands.
Geochemistry in Ecosystem Analysis of Heavy Metal Pollution

Environmental geochemistry is the discipline that uses the chemistry of the solid earth, its aqueous and gaseous components, and life forms to assess heavy metal contamination impacts on our planet’s ecosystems. It deals with physical, chemical and biological conditions in an environment such as temperature, state of matter, acidity (pH), reduction-oxidation (redox) potential, bacterial activity and biological oxygen demand (BOD). These factors and others influence the mobilization, dispersion, deposition, distribution and concentration of potentially toxic metals/metalloids which can impair the health of organisms in an ecosystem. As such, environmental geochemical data identify pristine chemical conditions that pose no threats to ecosystem inhabitants, those that may suffer from (natural) chemical intrusion from rock weathering and decomposition, and environments that are at risk from chemical element pollution as a result of human activities.
Regulation by Taxation

This chapter examines some cases where taxation seems perhaps to be supported more as a means of accomplishing specific regulatory ends than as a means of raising general revenues. Many of these instances involve claims about the control of external costs, as through various environmental taxes and fees.
Women's Self-Perceived Similarity to Their Mother and Associations with Patterns of Alcohol Misuse over 20 Years.

Aims This study examined transgenerational transmission of risk for female alcohol misuse. Women's perceived similarity to their mother/father in adulthood was examined in terms of its influence on the expected association between perceived maternal alcohol use and female offsprings' trajectories of alcohol misuse. We hypothesized that a daughter's self-perceived similarity to her mother, in instances where her mother was perceived to be a frequent- or problem-drinker, would be associated with an increase in the daughter's count of negative consequences from alcohol use and potential symptoms of alcohol dependence across adulthood. Short summary Women's perceived similarity to their mother/father was examined as a factor influencing associations between perceived parental alcohol use during childhood and patterns of alcohol misuse in adulthood. Women's self-perceived similarity to their frequent- or problem-drinking mothers increased the risk of negative consequences from drinking over time as well as potential symptoms of alcohol dependence over time. Methods Analyses utilized data from a survey of women (N = 911) who were followed over a 20-year period, beginning in 1981. Women, ages 21 or older and living in households in the contiguous USA, were eligible, and women who consumed four or more alcoholic drinks per week were oversampled. Model estimates were weighted to adjust for the oversampling of heavier drinking women and to reflect national demographics. Latent growth mixture models estimated regression parameters that captured variation in participants' alcohol misuse over time. Results Women who reported that their mother was a frequent- or problem-drinker and who perceived themselves to be similar to their mother, in general, showed increases in alcohol misuse. The same pattern of results was not shown for fathers. Conclusions Results support that interventions seeking to reduce female alcohol misuse should address the role of perceived similarity to heavy-drinking female role models or 'female-drinker' prototypes to reduce problem-drinking behavior among female drinkers.
Oncolytic HSV therapy increases trametinib access to brain tumors and sensitizes them in vivo.

Background Hyperactivation of the RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK signaling pathway is exploited by glioma cells to promote their growth and evade apoptosis. MEK activation in tumor cells can increase replication of ICP34.5-deleted herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), but paradoxically its activation in tumor-associated macrophages promotes a pro-inflammatory signaling that can inhibit virus replication and propagation. Here we investigated the effect of blocking MEK signaling in conjunction with oncolytic HSV-1 (oHSV) for brain tumors. Methods Infected glioma cells co-cultured with microglia or macrophages treated with or without trametinib were used to test trametinib effect on macrophages/microglia. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, western blotting, and flow cytometry were utilized to evaluate the effect of the combination therapy. Pharmacokinetic (PK) analysis of mouse plasma and brain tissue was used to evaluate trametinib delivery to the CNS. Intracranial human and mouse glioma-bearing immune deficient and immune competent mice were used to evaluate the antitumor efficacy. Result Oncolytic HSV treatment rescued trametinib-mediated feedback reactivation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway in glioma. In vivo, PK analysis revealed enhanced blood-brain barrier penetration of trametinib after oHSV treatment. Treatment by trametinib, a MEK kinase inhibitor, led to a significant reduction in microglia- and macrophage-derived tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) secretion in response to oHSV treatment and increased survival of glioma-bearing mice. Despite the reduced TNFα production observed in vivo, the combination treatment activated CD8+ T-cell mediated immunity and increased survival in a glioma-bearing immune-competent mouse model. Conclusion This study provides a rationale for combining oHSV with trametinib for the treatment of brain tumors.
Patterns of tobacco use among smokers prior to hospitalization for an acute cardiac event: Use of combusted and non-combusted products.

Abstract Use of tobacco products before or after a cardiac event increases risk of morbidity and mortality. Unlike cigarette smoking, which is generally screened in the healthcare system, identifying the use of other tobacco products remains virtually unexplored. This study aimed at characterizing the use of other non-combusted tobacco products in addition to combusted products among cardiac patients and identifying a profile of patients who are more likely to use non-combusted products. Patients (N = 168) hospitalized for a coronary event who reported being current cigarette smokers completed a survey querying sociodemographics, cardiac diagnoses, use of other tobacco products, and perceptions towards these products. Classification and regression tree (CART) analysis was used to identify which interrelationships of participants characteristics led to profiles of smoking cardiac patients more likely to also be using non-combusted tobacco products. Results showed that non-combusted tobacco product use ranged from 0% to 47% depending on patient characteristic combinations. Younger age and lower perception that cigarette smoking is responsible for their cardiac condition were the strongest predictive factors for use of non-combusted products. Tobacco product use among cardiac patients extends beyond combusted products (13.7% non-combusted product use), and consequently, screening in health care settings should be expanded to encompass other tobacco product use. This study also characterizes patients likely to be using non-combusted products in addition to combusted, a group at high-risk due to their multiple product use, but also a group that may be amenable to harm reduction approaches and evidence-based tobacco treatment strategies.