cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Treatment of Pediatric and Adolescent Pelvic Ring Injuries With Percutaneous Screw Placement.

BACKGROUND Pediatric and adolescent pelvic ring injuries are frequently treated without surgery. In patients with unstable injuries to the pelvic ring, surgical stabilization aids in resuscitation, provides pain relief, and allows for mobilization. Percutaneous pelvic screw fixation is commonly performed in adult patients for unstable pelvic ring injuries, but a paucity of literature exists regarding their use in pediatric patients. The purpose of this study is to review the use, outcome, and management of percutaneous posterior pelvic screws in pediatric patients with unstable pelvic ring injuries. METHODS A retrospective review of a prospectively collected orthopaedic trauma database was performed over a 7-year period at a regional level-1 trauma center. All patients between the ages of 7 and 17 who sustained an injury to the pelvic ring and were treated with percutaneous fixation of the posterior pelvic ring were identified. We evaluated the frequency of this technique in the described patient population, incidence of nerve injury, infection, loss of fixation, and need for hardware removal. RESULTS A total of 238 pediatric patients who sustained a pelvic ring injury were initially identified; following application of study criteria, 67 (28.1%) patients were included in the study. Additional anterior ring fixation was performed in 33 (49.2%) patients. There were no iatrogenic nerve injuries, no infections, and surgical blood loss was <50 mL in all cases. Clinical and radiographic follow-up averaged 33 weeks. No loss of reduction was observed. Eight patients (13%) reported persistent low back pain at last follow-up. Elective hardware removal was performed in 3 patients. CONCLUSIONS The majority of pediatric pelvic ring injuries can be treated without surgery. In the setting of instability, percutaneous pelvic screw fixation can be performed safely. A computed tomography scan is used to evaluate the available osseous pathways for screws and intraoperative fluoroscopy is used to safely perform this technique. Screw removal should be discussed in select patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level IV.
Quality of Care for HIV/AIDS and for Primary Prevention by HIV Specialists and Nonspecialists.

Abstract The role of HIV specialists in providing primary care to persons living with HIV/AIDS is evolving, given their increased incidence of comorbidities. Multivariate logit analysis compared compliance with sentinel preventive screening tests and interventions among publicly insured Californians with and without access to HIV specialists in 2010. Quality-of-care indicators [visit frequency, CD4 and viral load (VL) assessments, influenza vaccine, tuberculosis (TB) testing, lipid profile, glucose blood test, and Pap smears for women] were related to patient characteristics and provider HIV caseload. There were 9377 adult Medicare enrollees (71% also had Medicaid coverage) and 2076 enrollees with only Medicaid coverage. Adjusted for patient characteristics, patients seeing providers with greater HIV caseloads (>50 HIV patients) were more likely to meet visit frequency guidelines in both Medicare [98%; confidence interval (CI 97.5–98.2) and Medicaid (97%; CI 96.2–98.0), compared to 60% (CI 57.1–62.3) and ...
Mobile Home Residents and Hurricane Vulnerability in South Florida: Research Gaps and Challenges

In South Florida there are several social and logistical challenges to surveying and advocating for mobile home residents regarding vulnerability to natural hazards such as sea level rise and hurricanes. These residents have consequently been understudied despite historically exhibiting higher vulnerability and lower resilience. This exploratory study uses a social-ecological framework to highlight individual-, community-, and institutional-level challenges and research gaps encountered when working with mobile home residents. These observations represent a longer-term opportunity to further refine our understanding of natural hazard vulnerability, build increased resilience among vulnerable populations, and improve health equity in South Florida and beyond.
Quantity and quality of available mates alters female responsiveness but not investment in the Pacific field cricket, Teleogryllus oceanicus

An individuals’ experience with conspecific signaling during development can lead to variation in their mating signals and behavior later in life. It is unclear whether experience with sexual signals also alters receivers’ fitness through changes in investment in offspring. Male field crickets attract mates using a long-distance calling song. To determine how developmental experience with calling song quality and quantity alters mating responsiveness and fitness, we raised juvenile female Teleogryllus oceanicus in five acoustic environments. These environments mimicked two mate quantities (high and low) crossed with two mate qualities (high and low), and a silent control. At adulthood, we measured females’ responsiveness in phonotaxis trials. Following phonotaxis, females were offered opportunities to mate and lay eggs. We measured egg number and proportion hatching as components of fitness and reproductive investment. Corroborating previous research in this system, female crickets raised in silence approached a broadcast calling song nearly 45% faster than their counterparts reared hearing a high-quantity/high-quality combination of calling song. Additionally, females adjusted other aspects of phonotaxis behavior in response to the quantity, but not quality of song. We found no evidence that females adjusted mating rates or investment in offspring. Regardless of acoustic experience, females laid equivalent numbers of eggs that had equivalent hatching success. Our results show that female mating behavior responds to juvenile experience mimicking a lack of mating opportunities, but is less responsive to variation in mate quality. Furthermore, reproductive investment may be less plastic than mating behavior. Social experience can inform organisms about current environmental conditions and lead to changes in behavior. Existing work suggests that field crickets in the genus Teleogryllus change their mating behavior in response to acoustic environments that mimic varied mate availabilities and qualities. However, we do not know if females alter their investment in offspring under similar circumstances. Variable investment could speed evolutionary change when combined with behavioral plasticity. We found that although female mating behavior is sensitive to variation in acoustic experience, reproductive investment is not. The number of eggs laid and the percent hatching did not depend on acoustic experience. We discuss evolutionary explanations for these patterns, including the possibility that investment is less plastic than mating behavior.
Use of intramedullary carbon fiber nail in hindfoot fusion: A small cohort study.

Abstract Background Current literature on carbon fiber implant use in foot and ankle surgery is scant. The purpose of this paper is to report medium-term outcomes of hindfoot fusion using a carbon fiber intramedullary nail. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 30 cases of hindfoot fusion using carbon fiber intramedullary nail fixation between 2014 and 2017. We excluded revisions and cases with bulk allograft or ankle infection prior to surgery. We reviewed charts for length of followup, radiographic union, and complications. Results Eleven patients were included (6 females, 5 males; mean age=52±15years; mean BMI=29.0±6.4kg/m 2 ). Mean followup was 20 (range, 1.5–107) months. Nine of eleven cases achieved radiographic union while one case developed a complication requiring surgery. The mean time to union was 3 (range, 1.5–6) months. Conclusions Carbon fiber implants offer several theoretical advantages over traditional metallic implants. They can be used safely in foot and ankle surgery without concern for high failure or complication rate. Larger scale studies with longer followup are needed on this topic.
A Binaphthyl-Based Scaffold for a Chiral Dirhodium(II) Biscarboxylate Ligand with α-Quaternary Carbon Centers

A chiral dirhodium(II) paddlewheel complex has been synthesized from biscarboxylate ligands derived from BINOL, and the resulting complex has been used in enantioselective carbene/alkyne cascade reactions. The ligand design was guided by requirements of α,α-dimethyl substituted carboxylates and bidentate ligands to ensure high levels of catalytic activity. Previously disclosed chiral complexes lack these features, resulting in low product yields. The design successfully replicated or exceeded the yields of the unusually effective achiral catalyst for the cascade reaction, Rh2(esp)2, which often shows unique reactivity. Promising enantioselectivity was observed for aldehyde-derived hydrazone substrates (29–96% ee), showing that the new scaffold has significant potential.
Relational-Transformative Pastoral Care for Korean Women

This chapter aims toward developing a pastoral care model to enhance Korean women’s self-esteem. In so doing, the author seeks to accomplish three goals: first, to propose a relational-transformative pastoral care, influenced by the communal contextual, intercultural, and feminist-womanist paradigms; second, to present three major themes of self-esteem—authenticity, mutuality, and solidarity—in interaction with the Korean women’s narratives; and finally, to recommend four steps of pastoral care—attentive listening, mutual accompaniment, engagement in critical and systemic analysis, and authentic action for creating a mutual community.
Multiscale Molecular Dynamics Approach to Energy Transfer in Nanomaterials.

After local transient fluctuations are dissipated, in an energy transfer process, a system evolves to a state where the energy density field varies slowly in time relative to the dynamics of atomic collisions and vibrations. Furthermore, the energy density field remains strongly coupled to the atomic scale processes (collisions and vibrations), and it can serve as the basis of a multiscale theory of energy transfer. Here, a method is introduced to capture the long scale energy density variations as they coevolve with the atomistic state in a way that yields insights into the basic physics and implies an efficient algorithm for energy transfer simulations. The approach is developed based on the N-atom Liouville equation and an interatomic force field and avoids the need for conjectured phenomenological equations for energy transfer and other processes. The theory is demonstrated for sodium chloride and silicon dioxide nanoparticles immersed in a water bath via molecular dynamics simulations of the energy t...
Taming unruly chloride channel inhibitors with rational design

A selective inhibitor is a drug that inhibits the function of one type of protein more than others. This precise block of function can reveal the physiological role of the targeted endogenous protein. In PNAS, Koster et al. (1) describe the design and characterization of inhibitors that distinguish between closely related CLC chloride channel proteins. This is a boon to studies of CLC physiological function. In this Commentary, we discuss why selective inhibitors represent a scientific breakthrough, how these well-behaved inhibitors evolved from problematic CLC pharmacophores, and what this work portends for the field. Selective inhibitors of protein function are uniquely valuable tools for studying physiological function. Before the era of molecular biology, inhibitors were the primary, if not only, means of testing the functional significance of proteins. Now, full genomes are sequenced, and a dizzying array of genetic means are available to distinguish protein functions. However, selective inhibitors remain as valuable as ever. Genetic manipulation of protein function is of course phenomenally useful. However, genetic manipulation takes time to implement and always perturbs endogenous physiology. Pharmacology remains irreplaceable as a means of manipulating endogenous function within the time frame of a physiological experiment. As evidence for this claim, the physiological function of proteins with known inhibitors are generally well understood, but the functions of those without inhibitors often remain mysterious. A selective inhibitor for a protein can enable rigorous testing of squishy physiological hypotheses. Examples of selective inhibitors leading to scientific breakthroughs abound. A classic example is how the selective inhibition of the Na+/K+ ATPase by the cardiac glycoside ouabain revealed that sodium and potassium gradients are established by the same ion pump. Soon after, selective inhibition of sodium currents by the paralytic poison tetrodotoxin provided strong evidence that sodium and potassium currents flow through separate … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: jsack{at}ucdavis.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Phosphorylated TDP-43 (pTDP-43) aggregates in the axial skeletal muscle of patients with sporadic and familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Muscle atrophy with weakness is a core feature of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) that has long been attributed to motor neuron loss alone. However, several studies in ALS patients, and more so in animal models, have challenged this assumption with the latter providing direct evidence that muscle can play an active role in the disease. Here, we examined the possible role of cell autonomous pathology in 148 skeletal muscle samples from 57 ALS patients, identifying phosphorylated TAR DNA-binding protein (pTDP-43) inclusions in the muscle fibers of 19 patients (33.3%) and 24 tissue samples (16.2% of specimens). A muscle group-specific difference was identified with pTDP-43 pathology being significantly more common in axial (paraspinous, diaphragm) than appendicular muscles (P = 0.0087). This pathology was not significantly associated with pertinent clinical, genetic (c9ALS) or nervous system pathologic data, suggesting it is not limited to any particular subgroup of ALS patients. Among 25 non-ALS muscle samples, pTDP-43 inclusions were seen only in the autophagy-related disorder inclusion body myositis (IBM) (n = 4), where they were more diffuse than in positive ALS samples (P = 0.007). As in IBM samples, pTDP-43 aggregates in ALS were p62/ sequestosome-1-positive, potentially indicating induction of autophagy. Phospho-TDP-43-positive ALS and IBM samples also showed significant up-regulation of TARDBP and SQSTM1 expression. These findings implicate axial skeletal muscle as an additional site of pTDP-43 pathology in some ALS patients, including sporadic and familial cases, which is deserving of further investigation.
Can endoscopic resection for Barrett's dysplasia and early cancer be curative?

Effective endoscopic treatments for dysplasia and early (intramucosal) cancer, together with expanded and rigorous screening programs to detect Barrett's esophagus, could help reverse the increase in the incidence of esophageal cancer and reduce esophageal cancer-related mortality. In this review, we discuss the long-term outcomes for mucosal resection for dysplasia and early cancer and compares them to esophagectomy as the standard of care choice. Eendoscopic resection for Barrett's dysplasia and early cancer can be curative but only when the lesion can be classified as: Paris type I (polypoid); Paris IIa (slightly elevated); Paris IIb (flat); Paris IIc (slightly depressed); histological grades G1 and G2; high-grade dysplasia. The size of the lesion is important, since <20 mm diameter lesions can be removed using endoscopic mucosal resection or, if they are larger, by endoscopic submucosal dissection. Proper imaging and lesion characterization followed by endoscopic resection as needed are essential in diagnostic and therapeutic decision making. Mucosal (T1a) Barrett's cancer and low-risk submucosal cancers have a minimal risk for lymph node metastasis and local endoscopic treatment is justified. Long-term outcomes of endoscopic therapy are same as surgery.
Monteggia and Galeazzi Fracture/Dislocations

Monteggia and Galeazzi fracture/dislocations are often caused by direct trauma to the forearm. These often occur in the younger patients in high-energy accidents and are often treated surgically.
Inorganic iron-sulfur clusters enhance electron transport when used for wiring the NAD-glucose dehydrogenase based redox system.

Wiring the active site of an enzyme directly to an electrode is the key to ensuring efficient electron transfer for the proper performance of enzyme-based bioelectronic systems. Iron-sulfur complexes, the first link between proteins and mediating molecules in the biological electron transport chain(s), possess an intrinsic electron transport capability. The authors demonstrate the application of inorganic iron-sulfur clusters (Fe-S) viz. FeS, FeS2, Fe2S3, and Fe3S4, as molecular wires to mediate electron transport between a glucose-selective redox enzyme and the gold electrode. It is shown that Fe-S can emulate the functionality of the natural electron transport chain. Voltammetric studies indicate a significant improvement in electron transport, surface coverage, and resilience achieved by the Fe-S-based glucose anodes when compared to a conventional pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ)-based electrode. The Fe-S-based glucose anodes showed glucose oxidation at a potential of +0.5 V vs. Ag/AgCl with Tris-HCl buffer (pH 8) acting as a carrier. The current densities positively correlated with the concentrations of glucose in the range 0.1–100 mM displaying detection limits of 0.77 mM (FeS), 1.22 mM (FeS2), 2.95 mM (Fe2S3), and 14.57 mM (Fe3S4). The metal-anchorable sulfur atom, the strong π-coordinating iron atom, the favorable redox properties, low cost, and natural abundance make Fe-S an excellent electron-mediating relay capable of wiring redox active sites to electrode surfaces.
Automated segmentation and geometrical modeling of the tricuspid aortic valve in 3D echocardiographic images

The aortic valve has been described with variable anatomical definitions, and the consistency of 2D manual measurement of valve dimensions in medical image data has been questionable. Given the importance of image-based morphological assessment in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of aortic valve disease, there is considerable need to develop a standardized framework for 3D valve segmentation and shape representation. Towards this goal, this work integrates template-based medial modeling and multi-atlas label fusion techniques to automatically delineate and quantitatively describe aortic leaflet geometry in 3D echocardiographic (3DE) images, a challenging task that has been explored only to a limited extent. The method makes use of expert knowledge of aortic leaflet image appearance, generates segmentations with consistent topology, and establishes a shape-based coordinate system on the aortic leaflets that enables standardized automated measurements. In this study, the algorithm is evaluated on 11 3DE images of normal human aortic leaflets acquired at mid systole. The clinical relevance of the method is its ability to capture leaflet geometry in 3DE image data with minimal user interaction while producing consistent measurements of 3D aortic leaflet geometry.
Validation of neuroreceptor PET based subdivision of human cingulate cortex parcellated on MRI

1198 Objectives To examine whether parcellation of Brodmann areas 25 (ventral subgenual anterior CC, vACC25) and 31 (dorsal posterior CC, dPCC31), in addition to cingulate proper (CC) and paracingulate (PaC) cortex (a Fornito model, 2006) improves measurements of PET binding potential (BP) over our recent PET-based model (Neuroimage 52:S194, 2010). Methods Three groups of healthy subjects enter the study who had [11C]DASB (n=10), [11C]MDL100,907 (n=10), and [11C]carfentanil (n=10), serotonin transporter (SERT), and 5HT2A and µ-opioid receptor ligands, respectively. On MRI, CC, PaC, vACC25 and dPCC31 were semi-automatically parcellated according to Fornito model (4 subdivisions). Then, combined CC VOIs were divided into anterior (aC), middle (mC), and posterior (pC) using commissural planes (Vogt 2003), while aC was further divided into ventral (vaC), rostral (raC), and dorsal (daC) using anterior tip of corpus callosum (Bush 2000) to complete 5 subdivision model. Regional BP were obtained for VOIs of Fornito and 5 subdivision models using multi-linear reference tissue method with 2 parameters (MRTM2; Ichise, 2002). Regional BP were compared using paired t-test with Bonferroni correction. Results Structural vACC25 showed the highest SERT (p Conclusions vACC25 and dPCC31 showed distinctive BP within conventional, PET-based subdivisions of aC and pC, respectively for SERT, 5HT2A and µ-opioid receptors, necessitating separate VOIs. Development of CC subdivision method might be needed and specific to individual receptor/transporter systems. Research Support NIBIB, NIDA, NIAAA (5T32EB006351-05) (JK
Converting tree diameter measured at root collar to diameter at breast height.

Pinyon pine (Pinus edulis), Utah juniper (Junipers osteosperma), and Gambel oak (Quercus garnbelii) are dryland tree species often measured for diameter at the root collar (drc) near groundline (Figure 1). This measurement point is below most main stem branching typical of dryland species. The drc measurement standard has worked well for field inventory but presents a problem when results are compared to diameter data of trees measured at breast height dbh (1.37 m above groundline). Basal area calculation and other stand diameter comparisons, for example, are compli-
Target identification in biological systems using network connectivity information from literature mining databases

Abstract We address the automated drug target identification problem for pharmaceutical research. It is often the case in pharmaceutical industry to bring a new promising target to clinical trials only to find that it has serious safety concerns or lack of efficacy. A gene downstream or upstream in the pathway can be a remedy, however, finding such an alternative target using existing in-silico or bench tools can be extremely labor-intensive. Recently, increasing amounts of information and observations have been compiled from different areas of biological research and deposited on databases. In this work we propose a novel computational method to quantify indirect relationships between the objects of biological research of interest by using existing relationships from text mining databases to automate the search for novel biological targets. We applied our method to analyze 9575 proteins in Ariadne database and create a rank-ordered list of proteins that are most similar to the original query. We also compared our method with the Jaccard similarity index for link prediction performance. Our method outperformed the Jaccard method in predicting the existing links for 9575 proteins in the database.
An exploratory study on the influence of developers in technical debt

Software systems are often developed by many developers who have a varying range of skills and habits. These developers have a big impact on software quality. Understanding how different developers and developer characteristics impact the quality of a software is crucial to properly deploy human resources and help managers improve quality outcomes which is essential for software systems success. Addressing this concern, we conduct a study on how different developers and developer characteristics such as developer seniority in a system, frequency of commits, and interval between commits relate to Technical Debt (TD). We performed a large-scale analysis on 19,088 commits from 38 Apache Java systems and applied multiple statistical analysis tests to evaluate our hypotheses. Our empirical evaluation suggests that developers unequally increase and decrease TD, a developer seniority in a software system and frequency of commits are negatively correlated with the TD the developer induces, and a developer commit interval has a positive correlation with the TD the developer induces.
Phased implementation of an antimicrobial stewardship program for a large community hospital system

Background Antimicrobial stewardship is recommended as a crucial mechanism to reduce the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. The purpose of this article was to describe implementation of antimicrobial management programs (AMPs) across a large health system of community hospitals. Methods The initiative was structured in 4 phases. Although each phase was implemented sequentially, facilities could progress at their own pace. Phase goals needed to be met before moving to the next phase. The 4 phases included preparatory, foundational, clinical care optimization, and refinement. A survey was administered prior to the initiative in 2010, and modified surveys were administered in 2015 and 2017. Results Stewardship activities improved in most areas of the AMP initiative in 2015, with substantial improvement by 2017. Important changes included an increase in established programs, from 82% in 2010 to 88% and 96% in 2015 and 2017, respectively. Physician Champions increased from 73% in 2010 to 94% in 2017. Advances were made in the use of evidence-based treatment recommendations, antibiogram development, prospective audit and feedback for antimicrobials, tracking of antibiotic usage metrics, and a cost reduction of 40% from baseline. Conclusion A well-designed, phased approach to implementing AMP can help community hospitals and hospital systems recognize substantial clinical and financial benefits.
Protein kinase R-like endoplasmatic reticulum kinase is a mediator of stretch in ventilator-induced lung injury.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a severe form of lung injury characterized by damage to the epithelial barrier with subsequent pulmonary edema and hypoxic respiratory failure. ARDS is a significant medical problem in intensive care units with associated high care costs. There are many potential causes of ARDS; however, alveolar injury associated with mechanical ventilation, termed ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI), remains a well-recognized contributor. It is thus critical to understand the mechanism of VILI. Based on our published preliminary data, we hypothesized that the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response molecule Protein Kinase R-like Endoplasmic Reticulum Kinase (PERK) plays a role in transmitting mechanosensory signals the alveolar epithelium. ER stress signal responses to mechanical stretch were studied in ex-vivo ventilated pig lungs. To explore the effect of PERK inhibition on VILI, we ventilated live rats and compared lung injury parameters to non-ventilated controls. The effect of stretch-induced epithelial ER Ca2+ signaling on PERK was studied in stretched alveolar epithelial monolayers. To confirm the activation of PERK in human disease, ER stress signaling was compared between ARDS and non-ARDS lungs. Our studies revealed increased PERK-specific ER stress signaling in response to overstretch. PERK inhibition resulted in dose-dependent improvement of alveolar inflammation and permeability. Our data indicate that stretch-induced epithelial ER Ca2+ release is an activator of PERK. Experiments with human lung tissue confirmed PERK activation by ARDS. Our study provides evidences that PERK is a mediator stretch signals in the alveolar epithelium.
Sensitivity of modeled microscale gas breakdown voltage due to parametric variation

Device miniaturization increases the importance of understanding and predicting gas breakdown and electrical discharge thresholds. At gap sizes on the order of ten microns at atmospheric pressure, field emission drives breakdown rather than Townsend avalanche. While numerical and analytical models can demonstrate this transition, a quantitative understanding of the relative importance of each parameter remains unclear. Starting from a universal model for gas breakdown across the field emission and Townsend avalanche regimes [A. M. Loveless and A. L. Garner, Phys. Plasmas 24, 113522 (2017)], this paper applies the concept of error propagation from ionizing radiation measurements to determine the relative impact of each factor on the predicted breakdown voltage. For limits of both large and small products of the dimensionless ionization coefficient, α ¯ , and gap distance, d ¯, the electrode work function has the largest relative effect on the predicted breakdown voltages with a deviation of 50% in the work function resulting in an uncertainty in the calculated breakdown voltage of ∼84% for both α ¯ d ¯ ≫ 1 and α ¯ d ¯ ≪ 1. This quantifies the significance of nonuniformities in material surfaces and changes in the surface structure during multiple electric field applications and help predict the breakdown voltage for small gaps, motivating better electrode characterization both initially and during repeated operation.
White Men Holding on for Dear Life and Taking It: A Content Analysis of the Gender and Race of the Victims and Killers in The Walking Dead

The present content analysis of the first seven seasons of AMC’s hit zombie thriller, The Walking Dead, revealed that of the 122 characters who were killed, most were White (78.7%) and male (75.4%), and the 87 characters who did the killings were also mostly White (82.6%) and male (60.9%). The show’s creators, then, have envisioned a post-apocalyptic society that is (mostly) White men killing off (mostly) White men in a sort of White male survivalist fantasy. Current results also revealed that of the female characters who met their death, 33% were lead characters, whereas only 16% of the male character deaths were leads. So although women die at comparable rates to the men on the show generally and are granted some agency by carrying out many of the killings, the show’s propensity to kill off major female characters with more dispatch than lead men ultimately reveals the women’s vulnerability when compared to the patriarchal survivors and leaders on the show. Social cognitive theory is used to speculate about the possible effects the popular cable TV program might have on audience members in the United States and worldwide.
Analysis of the system response of a spray passive downdraft evaporative cooling system

Abstract A spray Passive Downdraft Evaporative Cooling (PDEC) system achieves great savings for space cooling and improves indoor environmental quality by supplying a large amount of fresh outdoor air. As previous studies heavily focused on the energy saving capability of a spray PDEC system due to lack of methods for a detailed analysis, the influence of cool humid supply air from a spray PDEC system in a space in buildings has not been comprehensively studied. This study is intended to evaluate the competence of a spray PDEC system as a primary cooling system in typical spaces in a primary school building by developing a method using building energy simulation tool. It runs one-day simulations in a hot dry climate and a warm moderate climate in order to distinctly examine the benefits and the areas that should be advanced. It analyses how a spray PDEC system responds to the space cooling loads and spaces conditioned by the system thermally behave. The results of the simulations affirm that a spray PDEC system is capable of conditioning building spaces in the two climates, indicating some areas to be improved.
Raining on SeaWorld’s Parade: PETA’s Direct Action and Public Interest Communication

PETA is well known for creative animal rights activism, with studies exploring how its text-based advocacy creates change regarding societal treatment of animals. What is less explored is how PETA uses on the ground direct action strategies as public interest communications (PIC). For PIC scholars, these strategies are relevant, as direct action provides communicators with experiential ways to persuade stakeholders of new perspectives to push for social change. Building on previous studies in public relations activism and PIC, this essay argues that PETA’s direct-action strategies complement its text-based advocacy by shaping stakeholder perception through encounters with material realities, specifically by using embodied forms of persuasion. Answering how public interest communicators create effective persuasive messages on the ground is crucial in understanding contemporary social change.
Crystal Viscoplasticity Model of Molybdenum Including the Influence of Silicon in Solid Solution

Molybdenum (Mo)-based alloys offer higher temperature capability than nickel-based superalloys. The challenge of designing these alloys is tailoring the chemistry and microstructure to achieve high-temperature strength, creep and fatigue resistance, and oxidation resistance while maintaining lower-temperature ductility and damage tolerance. Structure-properties modeling tools can be used to identify optimum microstructures. However, one missing element in this tool set is a constitutive model for the more ductile α-Mo phase over the entire temperature range from room temperature to 1,400°C. A crystal viscoplasticity model is developed for α-Mo, including the influence of varying amounts of silicon (Si) in solid solution. The temperature, strain rate, and Si dependence of the deformation behavior needed to determine the model parameters are obtained from new compression experiments.
Development of Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) in Pathology

Backgroundand goal: Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) is an emerging technology in the biomedical field and enables us to analyze 3D structures non-destructively and observe these structures in various directions, thus enabling innovation in this area of pathology. However, application of micro-CT for medicine has just started and optimization per purpose has not yet been done. The purpose of this study is to 1) demonstrate the potential utility of micro-CT in pathology; 2) optimize micro-CT imaging technology and develop a standard operating protocol and; 3) investigate whether micro-CT incurs any radiation damage to pathological tissue samples.Material and methods:The samples of fresh tissue, formalin fixed tissue and formalin fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue blocks were scanned using a custom-built Nikon Metrology micro-CT system with a variety of parameters then evaluated with histology correlation in detail. Radiation damage to tissue samples was also evaluated. Through our study, we have established the scanning protocol and workflow for each type of sample. Results:For fresh/fixed tissue, the house made polystyrene foam container was most ideal and the scanning time for fresh tissue was six minutes at as shortest, in which it is possible to detect neoplastic lesions in the tissue. In case of FFPE blocks, 10 -17 hours scanned images
Analyzing Talk and Text III: Discourse Analysis

This chapter introduces critical discourse analysis (CDA) and demonstrates its applicability to critical media policy studies. The chapter progresses iteratively, beginning with a brief discussion of discourse, followed by an outline of critical discourse analysis. It then demonstrates how CDA is an appropriate methodological tool for media policy studies and walks the reader through how to apply CDA to media policy. Following examples from studies on American broadcasting policy and British digital media policy, it concludes with a summary of both the limitations and benefits of CDA.
Neonatal morbidity in late preterm small for gestational age neonates

Introduction: To compare neonatal respiratory morbidity among small for gestational age (SGA; birth weight less than 10th percentile for gestational age) versus appropriate for gestational age (AGA...
UroSEEK gene panel for bladder cancer surveillance.

Cancer of the urinary bladder is incredibly aggressive and is highly resistant to many of today’s currently available cancer therapies. In 2019 alone, an estimated 80,470 newly diagnosed cases of bladder cancer (BCa) and 17,670 deaths from BCa is expected to occur in 2019 in the United States (1). In addition, since 2002, the absolute numbers of cases and deaths from BCa have increased by 45% and 35%, respectively (2,3).
Educational Perspectives: Palliative Care Education in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship

The neonatal period from birth to less than or equal to 28 days is one of increased risk of death. Congenital anomalies and prematurity are 2 of the most common risk factors for death at this early age. Many of these neonates will die in an intensive care unit, some with full resuscitative efforts being undertaken despite the understanding that these actions are highly unlikely to yield an outcome different from death. Palliative care allows curative therapies to be provided alongside supportive techniques such as enhanced family communication, attention to spirituality and the psychosocial health of the family, management of symptoms other than those specific to the underlying disease process, and enhancing comfort. The American Academy of Pediatrics has set forth recommendations related to pediatric palliative care for the various pediatric subspecialties; however, much of the focus is on disease processes and curing or mitigating various illnesses. Given the high preponderance of death in the neonatal period, neonatal-perinatal medicine training programs should be tasked with generating formal palliative care training. Such training should be geared to providing better care for neonatal patients with a life-limiting or life-altering illness, and better equipping future neonatologists with the tools needed to provide truly comprehensive care for their sickest patients at risk for death and disability. This article serves to review the concept of palliative care in neonates, discuss the paucity of formal education in palliative care, explore the general trend in palliative care education, review various ways in which palliative care education can be formalized, and define metrics of a successful educational program.
Management of Patient with Guillain-Barré Syndrome

A 56-year-old man with a history of coronary artery disease which is medically managed, diabetes mellitus (non-insulin dependent), and recently diagnosed Guillain-Barre syndrome presents for surgical management of acute cholecystitis. He is transferred to the preoperative area from the medical step down unit. On your arrival at the bedside for preoperative evaluation, you note that he is on 2 L of oxygen via nasal cannula and appears mildly dyspneic.
Prolactin and Autoimmunity

Publisher Summary Prolactin, a peptide hormone, has the potential to stimulate the immune system and has been implicated as a factor that can activate autoimmune diseases. Prolactin is produced in the anterior pituitary as well as extrapituitary sites such as the brain and lymphocytes5 and is a cytokine, with comparable structural motifs and similar receptor structures and signal transduction pathways. Prolactin receptors are distributed throughout the immune system and are included in a novel receptor family that includes receptors for IL-2β, IL-3, IL-4, IL-6, IL-7, growth hormone, and erythropoietin. Prolactin can influence the immune system through the thymus, inducing IL-2 receptors on lymphocytes. Lymphocytes synthesize and release a biologically active form of prolactin that acts as an autocrine and paracrine growth factor. Treatment with corticosteroids can suppress production of prolactin, leading to the hypothesis that reduction of circulating prolactin accounts for some of the immunosuppressive actions of this class of drugs. Dexamethasone decreases circulating prolactin and inhibits gene expression of both pituitary prolactin and lymphocyte prolactin.
Nasal-Swab Testing Misses Patients with Low SARS-CoV-2 Viral Loads

The urgent need for large-scale diagnostic testing for SARS-CoV-2 has prompted pursuit of sample-collection methods of sufficient sensitivity to replace sampling of the nasopharynx (NP). Among these alternatives is collection of nasal-swab samples, which can be performed by the patient, avoiding the need for healthcare personnel and personal protective equipment. Previous studies have reached opposing conclusions regarding whether nasal sampling is concordant or discordant with NP. To resolve this disagreement, we compared nasal and NP specimens collected by healthcare workers in a cohort consisting of individuals clinically suspected of COVID-19 and outpatients known to be SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR positive undergoing follow-up. We investigated three different transport conditions, including traditional viral transport media (VTM) and dry swabs, for each of two different nasal-swab collection protocols on a total of 308 study participants, and compared categorical results and Ct values to those from standard NP swabs collected at the same time from the same patients. All testing was performed by RT-PCR on the Abbott SARS-CoV-2 RealTime EUA (limit of detection [LoD], 100 copies viral genomic RNA/mL transport medium). We found high concordance (Cohen's kappa >0.8) only for patients with viral loads above 1,000 copies/mL. Those with viral loads below 1,000 copies/mL, the majority in our cohort, exhibited low concordance (Cohen's kappa = 0.49); most of these would have been missed by nasal testing alone. Previous reports of high concordance may have resulted from use of assays with higher LoD (≥1,000 copies/mL). These findings counsel caution in use of nasal testing in healthcare settings and contact-tracing efforts, as opposed to screening of asymptomatic, low-prevalence, low-risk populations. Nasal testing is an adjunct, not a replacement, for NP.
Parent–Child Anxiety Symptoms in Emerging Adults: Moderation by Gender and Religiosity:

Although research has indicated that parent and child anxiety are connected, religiosity may serve as a protective factor and help weaken this connection. The current study asked 1,002 emerging adu...
Moral Distress among Physical and Occupational Therapists: A Case Study

This study examines the impact and implications of moral distress on Physical Therapists and Occupational Therapists employed at two Skilled Nursing Facilities. This study used a quantitative, cros...
Use of internal documents to investigate a tobacco company's strategies to market snus in the United States.

INTRODUCTION Prior studies indicate that cigarette manufacturers have been interested for decades in developing a smokeless tobacco (SLT) product for smokers and non-users of SLT. The current study aims to assess a tobacco company's use of novel marketing strategies and intent to promote snus in the US as either a replacement or situational substitute for the cigarette. METHODS A Boolean search string was used to search R. J. Reynolds' (RJR) Records in UCSF's Truth Tobacco Industry Documents Library. A total of 358 documents, from 2005-2009, met our initial search criteria and were selected for their relevance to the marketing of Camel Snus. A content analysis was subsequently conducted using the Framework Method to identify themes and strategies for promoting Camel Snus. RESULTS Four major themes about Camel Snus emerged from the documents: 1) promotion by third parties including retailers, snus ambassadors and secret shoppers, 2) expansion of the target population of SLT users to include female smokers and dual users of cigarettes and SLT, 3) emphasis on the difference between Camel Snus and other SLT, and 4) a shift from promoting the practical uses of Camel Snus to using emotional messages conveying freedom. CONCLUSIONS The findings align with other studies suggesting that RJR intended to market snus to non-users of SLT. The findings also reveal that RJR employed creative marketing strategies (e.g. snus ambassadors) and may have intended to promote snus as a situational substitute for the cigarette, as evidenced by the company's recruitment of dual tobacco users.
Conservation of a DNA Replication Motif among Phylogenetically Distant Budding Yeast Species.

Eukaryotic DNA replication begins at genomic loci termed origins, which are bound by the origin recognition complex (ORC). Although ORC is conserved across species, the sequence composition of origins is more varied. In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the ORC-binding motif consists of an A/T-rich 17 bp "extended ACS" sequence adjacent to a B1 element composed of two 3-bp motifs. Similar sequences occur at origins in closely related species, but it is not clear when this type of replication origin arose and whether it predated a whole-genome duplication that occurred around 100 Ma in the budding yeast lineage. To address these questions, we identified the ORC-binding sequences in the nonduplicated species Torulaspora delbrueckii. We used chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing and identified 190 ORC-binding sites distributed across the eight T. delbrueckii chromosomes. Using these sites, we identified an ORC-binding motif that is nearly identical to the known motif in S. cerevisiae. We also found that the T. delbrueckii ORC-binding sites function as origins in T. delbrueckii when cloned onto a plasmid and that the motif is required for plasmid replication. Finally, we compared an S. cerevisiae origin with two T. delbrueckii ORC-binding sites and found that they conferred similar stabilities to a plasmid. These results reveal that the ORC-binding motif arose prior to the whole-genome duplication and has been maintained for over 100 Myr.
GWAS deems parents guilty by association.

Almost 150 y ago, Galton (1) pitted “nature” against “nurture.” In asking whether our biological or environmental inheritance is more important in shaping our traits, Galton implicitly suggested that their effects can be separated. Galton’s division has always been too neat. Our genes and environments intertwine to shape our bodies, capacities, and personalities. The “nature vs. nurture” dichotomy is particularly badly strained in interpreting gene-by-environment interactions, in which the effects of genetic variants depend on the environment in which they are expressed (2). Another challenge is gene–environment covariation, in which, for example, people’s genotypes make them more likely to be exposed to particular environments (3). For example, skin tone—a genetically influenced trait—affects access to health care, socioeconomic exposures, and more (4⇓–6). In PNAS, Wu et al. (7) analyze a fascinating source of gene–environment covariation: Our biological parents, who are the sources of our genes, can also shape our environment. Parental effects on environments—on prenatal environment, diet, socioeconomic circumstances, home environments during childhood, and more—may in turn be influenced by the parents’ genes. The alleles of parents can therefore affect a child’s traits either via the effects they have when inherited in the genome (“direct genetic effects”) or via their effect on the environments that parents create (“indirect parental genetic effects”; Fig. 1). Wu et al. provide new tools for studying such indirect parental genetic effects using summary data from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) (i.e., marker-level summaries that authors of GWASs typically release, even when they do not share raw data) and use them to study genetic effects on birth weight and on educational attainment. Fig. 1. Alleles of biological parents can affect a trait of their child either when inherited and expressed in the child’s genome (“direct genetic effects”; dark blue arrow) or when they are expressed in … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: arbelharpak{at}utexas.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Incorporating Biocultural Approaches in Forest Management: Insights from a Case Study of Indigenous Plant Stewardship in Maine, USA and New Brunswick, Canada

Biocultural approaches promote consideration of diverse values and cultural practices into resource management. However, cultural inclusion in North American forest management is limited. Drawing o...