cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Discrete Idiosyncratic Goods and Structural Principles of Distributive Justice

Our aim is to draw a set of distinctions among types of goods which has significant implications for theories of distributive justice. We begin by providing a general account of two sets of properties--fungibility and nonfungibility, divisibility and indivisibility--and argue that goods can be distinguished according to these criteria. Further, we contend that these distinctions entail complications for structural principles of distributive justice (i.e., principles such as maximin that distribute payoffs to positions). As an example we consider James Fishkin's discussion of structural principles, arguing that Fishkin's view that (i) value, structure, and assignment are independent holds only to the degree that the goods considered are fungible and divisible, (ii) structural principles face difficulties beyond those which Fishkin identifies and addresses with his principle of nontyranny, since structural principles cannot accommodate highly nonfungible, indivisible goods, and (iii) these difficulties can ...
A New Pathogenic Mutation in the APP Gene (I716V) Increases the Relative Proportion of Aβ42(43)

We report a novel mutation in the amyloid precursor protein gene (APP I716V) which probably leads to familial early onset Alzheimer's disease with an onset age in the mid 50s. Cells transfected with cDNAs bearing this mutation produce more A beta 1-42(43) than those transfected with wild-type APP and this effect is additive with that of the previously reported APP V717I mutation thus providing a novel approach for further increasing A beta 1-42(43) in model systems.
Antecedent Factors Differentiating Women and Men in Science/Nonscience Careers

Factors that differentiate women and men who choose a science career from those who do not were investigated using longitudinal data from 1980 and 1990. The participants (N = 459) were ninth or twe...
Canting of Spins in Manganites

The A and C phases of La1-xCaxMnO3 display canting of the magnetically ordered t2g-spins as a consequence of the competition between the double exchange and superexchange interactions. Using a mean-field slave-boson formulation for eg-electrons in two orbitals with excluded multiple occupancy and Hund's rule coupling between the eg and t2g electrons, the instability of the A, B, C, and G phases toward canting is studied
Control of a time-delayed 5 degrees of freedom arm model for use in upper extremity functional electrical stimulation

The goal of this work is to design a controller for a functional electrical stimulation (FES) neuroprosthesis aimed at restoring shoulder and elbow function in individuals who have suffered a high-level cervical (C3-C4) spinal cord injury (SCI). The controller is a mathematical algorithm that coordinates the electrical stimulations applied to the paralyzed muscles such that the arm closely tracks a given desired trajectory. An issue that so far has received little attention is that of time-delays. These delays arise from two sources: (1) the muscle excitation-activation dynamics (10–30ms) and (2) the sampling of the electrical stimulation (80ms at the typical 12Hz stimulation frequency). Using a 5 degrees of freedom (5DOF) arm model we designed and evaluated a novel controller capable of maintaining stable and accurate tracking performance in the presence of time-delays. For a desired trajectory consisting of 10 randomized reaches, the controller achieved excellent tracking performance as measured by the root-mean-square error (RMSE) between the desired and simulated joint angles (RMSE= [1.48°; 0.81°; 2.14°; 3.11°; 2.29°]).
Examining the relationship between pre- and postimplant geometry in prostate low-dose-rate brachytherapy and its correlation with dosimetric quality using the similarity concept.

Abstract Purpose This is a retrospective study in which we define multiple metrics for similarity and then inquire on the relationship between similarity and currently used dosimetric quantities describing preimplant and postimplant plans. Methods and Materials We analyzed a unique cohort of 94 consecutively performed prostate seed implant patients, associated with excellent dosimetric and clinical outcomes. For each patient, an ultrasound (US) preimplant and two CT postimplant (Day 0 and Day 30) studies were available. Measures for similarity were created and computed using feature vectors based on two classes of moments: first, invariant to rotation and translation, and the second polar–radius moments invariant to rotation, translation, and scaling. Both similarity measures were calibrated using controlled perturbations (random and systematic) of seed positions and contours in different size implants, thus producing meaningful numerical threshold values used in the clinical analysis. Results An important finding is that similarity, for both seed distributions and contours, improves significantly when scaling invariance is added to translation and rotation. No correlation between seed and contours similarity was found. In the setting of preplanned prostate seed implants using preloaded needles, based on our data, similarity between preimplant and postimplant plans does not correlate with either minimum dose to 90% of the volume of the prostate or analogous similarity metrics for prostate contours. Conclusions We have developed novel tools and metrics, which will allow practitioners to better understand the relationship between preimplant and postimplant plans. Geometrical similarity between a preplan and an actual implant, although useful, does not seem to be necessary to achieve minimum dose to 90% of the volume of the prostate-good dosimetric implants.
Total body water and water turnover rates in the estuarine diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) during the transition from dormancy to activity

Abstract Water and salt concentrations in an animal’s body fluids can fluctuate with changing environmental conditions, posing osmoregulatory challenges that require behavioral and physiological adjustments. The purpose of this study was to investigate body water dynamics in the estuarine diamondback terrapin ( Malaclemys terrapin ), a species that undergoes seasonal dormancy in salt marsh habitats. We conducted a field study to determine the total body water (TBW%), water turnover rate (WTR), and daily water flux (DWF) of female terrapins in southeastern North Carolina pre- and post-emergence from winter dormancy. Terrapins were injected with [ 2 H]deuterium on two occasions and washout of the isotope was monitored by taking successive blood samples during the period of transition from dormancy to activity. The WTR and DWF of ‘dormant’ terrapins were significantly lower than those of ‘active’ terrapins (WTR ’dormant’ = 49.70 ± 15.94 ml day -1 , WTR ’active’ = 100.20 ± 20.36 ml day -1 , DWF ’dormant’ = 10.52 ± 2.92 %TBW day -1 , DWF ’active’ = 21.84 ± 7.30 %TBW day -1 ). There was no significant difference in TBW% between ‘dormant’ and ‘active’ terrapins (75.05 ± 6.19% and 74.54 ± 4.36%, respectively). Results from this field study provides insight into the terrapin’s ability to maintain osmotic homeostasis while experiencing shifts in behavioral and environmental conditions.
Subpicosecond pulse amplification in semiconductor laser amplifiers: theory and experiment

We present a phenomenological model of subpicosecond pulse evolution in semiconductor laser amplifiers, which includes carrier heating effect, gain dispersion, gain saturation, and three kinds of self-phase modulations (SPM). The results obtained from this model are applied to and found to agree very well with experimental measurements of spectral distortions and time-resolved gain on a semiconductor laser amplifier with 460-fs and 2-ps input pulses. The device parameters that are used to match the experimental results are within a reasonable range, either suggested by previous experiments or by published calculations, The results show that the evolution of the pulses and their spectra is sensitively dependent on the input pulse shape and on a variety of time domain and frequency domain amplitude and phase shaping effects. Matching the theory to the experimental data suggests that among the possible causes of the carrier heating two-photon absorption (TPA) is the most important. This effect of TPA needs to be included to properly account for the observed dependence of the carrier heating gain reduction on the pulse length. By examining separately the contribution of the corresponding terms, we also prove the importance of SPM due to the carrier heating and to the instantaneous nonlinear index in shaping the output spectrum. We compare our model with Agrawal's theory, which is valid for pulses of tens of picosecond duration, and find large differences for subpicosecond pulses. For 2-ps pulses, on the other hand, the differences are fewer and less dramatic. The good agreement of the new model with experiments will now allow diagnostics and predictions of pulse evolution in semiconductor optical amplifiers from the picosecond to the subpicosecond range. >
Secondhand hookah smoke: an occupational hazard for hookah bar employees

Background Despite the increasing popularity of hookah bars, there is a lack of research assessing the health effects of hookah smoke among employees. This study investigated indoor air quality in hookah bars and the health effects of secondhand hookah smoke on hookah bar workers. Methods Air samples were collected during the work shift of 10 workers in hookah bars in New York City (NYC). Air measurements of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ), fine black carbon (BC 2.5 ), carbon monoxide (CO), and nicotine were collected during each work shift. Blood pressure and heart rate, markers of active smoking and secondhand smoke exposure (exhaled CO and saliva cotinine levels), and selected inflammatory cytokines in blood (ineterleukin (IL)-1b, IL-6, IL-8, interferon γ (IFN-γ), tumour necrosis factor (TNF-α)) were assessed in workers immediately prior to and immediately after their work shift. Results The PM 2.5 (gravimetric) and BC 2.5 concentrations in indoor air varied greatly among the work shifts with mean levels of 363.8 µg/m 3 and 2.2 µg/m 3 , respectively. The mean CO level was 12.9 ppm with a peak value of 22.5 ppm CO observed in one hookah bar. While heart rate was elevated by 6 bpm after occupational exposure, this change was not statistically significant. Levels of inflammatory cytokines in blood were all increased at postshift compared to preshift testing with IFN-Υ increasing from 0.85 (0.13) to 1.6 (0.25) (mean (standard error of the mean; SEM)) pg/mL (p 90 ppm exhaled CO. Conclusions These results demonstrate that hookah bars have elevated concentrations of indoor air pollutants that appear to cause adverse health effects in employees. These data indicate the need for further research and a marked need for better air quality monitoring and policies in such establishments to improve the indoor air quality for workers and patrons.
Polyclonal B cell lymphoma of renal transplant ureter induced by cyclosporine: case report.

AbstractA case of a renal transplant patient who had polyclonal B cell lymphoma of the transplant ureter 3 months postoperatively while on cyclosporine therapy is reported. Removal of the ureteral segment along with acyclovir therapy and discontinuation of cyclosporine resulted in no subsequent tumor growth and stable renal function for more than 5 years.
Marginal structural models to control for time-varying confounding in occupational and environmental epidemiology

Dumas et al 1 have provided a nice example of the use of marginal structural models (MSMs) in occupational epidemiology. The clear presentation will help occupational/environmental epidemiologists become more familiar with these models, which have not been used much to date in this field. Although sometimes difficult to understand and to ‘intuit’, MSMs are worth understanding, if only because they help clarify in general the nature of confounding and selection bias.2 These models in (non-randomised) longitudinal studies are needed when time-varying confounders are themselves predicted by previous exposure, at which point they become intermediate variables on the pathway between exposure and disease. In this circumstance, the epidemiologist is left with the unenviable choice of adjusting for the cofounder (necessary to avoid confounding) or not adjusting for it (necessary to avoid adjusting for an intermediate variable). MSMs were developed to solve this conundrum,2 ,3 which has been increasing common as more detailed longitudinal data have been collected in epidemiological studies. These models apply inverse-probability weights based on an ‘exposure’ model which assesses the probability for each subject that they have received their own exposure and confounder history up to each time t, with the follow-up period divided into T (t=1 to T) categories. These weights are then used in standard regression models (eg, pooled logistic regression models across the categories of follow-up time) assessing treatment/exposure effects on disease, and their use amounts to analysing a …
Two patients with neuroglycopenia.

One patient suffers from periodic "silliness," the other suffers from syncope. What is the diagnosis and treatment?
Expression of caveolin-1 in human hepatocarcinoma cell lines with varying invasive ability

Objective: To study the expression of caveolin1 in human hepatocarcinoma cell lines with varying invasive ability. Methods: The caveolin-1 protein and mRNA of human normal hepatic cell line L02, human hepatocarcinoma cell lines HepG2 and SMMC7721 were detected using immunocytochemistry, Western blot, and Real Time PCR technique, and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)was measured by ELISA technique. Results: The caveolin-1 protein and mRNA were at low level in human normal hepatic cell line, lost in human hepatocarcinoma cell lines with low invasive ability, but significantly increasing in human hepatocarcinoma cell lines with high invasive ability. Moreover, the expression of caveolin-1 was significantly associated with VEGF. Con-clusion: The expression of caveolin-1 was associated with the invasion of hepatocarcinoma and angiogenesis, playing distinct roles during the varying progression of hepatocarcinoma.
Method and System of Relay Protection Business Impact Analysis for Electric Power Communication

The real-time and accurate analysis of communication channel fault for relay protection business impact plays an important role in the safe and stable operation of safeguarding the power communication relay protection business.Through establishing the network resource model of the business layer,transport layer and physical layer based on relay protection,this article puts forward the relay protection business impact analysis method based on network resource model,and builds analysis system.The analysis method and system have been successfully applied in the telecommunication management system of SGCC,and plays an active supporting role in the examining of safety hidden danger and management of power communication operation.
Whole-Animal High-Throughput Screens: The C. elegans Model

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans shows a high degree of conservation of molecular pathways related to human disease, yet is only 1-mm long and can be considered as a microorganism. Because of the development of a simple but systematic RNA-interference (RNAi) methodology, C. elegans is the only metazoan in which the impact of "knocking-down" nearly every gene in the genome can be analyzed in a whole living animal. Both functional genomic studies and chemical screens can be carried out using C. elegans in vivo screens in a context that preserves intact cell-to-cell communication, neuroendocrine signaling, and every aspect of the animal's metabolism necessary to survive and reproduce in lab conditions. This feature enables studies that are impossible to undertake in cell-culture-based screens. Although genome-wide RNAi screens and limited small-molecule screens have been successfully performed in C. elegans, they are typically extremely labor-intensive. Furthermore, technical limitations have precluded quantitative measurements and time-resolved analyses.In this chapter, we provide detailed protocols to carry out automated high-throughput whole-animal RNAi and chemical screens. We describe methods to perform screens in solid and liquid media, in 96 and 384-well format, respectively. We describe the use of automated handling, sorting, and microscopy of worms. Finally, we give information about worm-adapted image analysis tools to quantify phenotypes. The technology presented here facilitates large-scale C. elegans genetic and chemical screens and it is expected to help shed light on relevant biological areas.
Management of cannulation for cardiopulmonary bypass in patients with adult-acquired heart disease.

The low mortality in open heart surgical procedures at the Cleveland Clinic indicates an evolution to both technical simplicity and reliability in this important aspect of open cardiovascular surgical procedures. The authors discuss their current techniques of cannulation and management of complications.
Antibacterial therapy in childhood.

Selection of antibiotics for children is governed by principles similar to those which apply in adults.
Counternarrating Racialized Expectations at School: The Diverse Enactments of “Non-Dominant” Identities Among 1.5-Generation Japanese Immigrant Youth

ABSTRACTThis study adds to the research on the education of Asian immigrant adolescents by situating how generation, language, nationality, and race complexly impacted how a group of 1.5-generation Japanese youth have made sense of their multiple “non-dominant” identities as immigrant Americans and transnational students within an urban high school setting that publicly promoted a mission of inclusivity but, in practice, devalued “non-dominant” cultural and linguistic expressions. The findings highlight how the youth have contested the English-only ideologies and racialized expectations at their school through alternative literacies and other diverse enactments of their identities, such as by speaking Japanese or Japanglish (a mix of Japanese and English) and expressing their “Made in Japan” pride through the public display of nationalistic symbols and various bilingual or Japanese-language textual representations. New directions are offered for theorizing 1.5-generation Asian immigrant youth linguistic e...
Mechanisms of Alkali Metal Catalysis in the Gasification of Coal, Char, or Graphite

Abstract Catalytic gasification of coal is an old technology with patents dating back to at least 1884 [1]. To gasify charcoal, lignite, or subbituminous coals, these materials were mixed with the oxides, hydroxides, or carbonates of alkali metals or alkaline-earth metals, Considerably higher gasification rates or lower gasification temperatures were realized by these additives.
The World Bank, Organized Hypocrisy, and Women's Health: A Cross-National Analysis of Maternal Mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa

The theory of organized hypocrisy asserts that an organization depends upon its external environment for both financial support and conferred legitimacy, which can lead to conflicting policy agendas. We apply the theory of organized hypocrisy to World Bank structural adjustment and investment lending for reproductive health, hypothesizing these two lending policies should have differential effects on maternal mortality. We estimate a two-way fixed effects regression model with robust standard errors clustered by country to examine the effect of World Bank reproductive health lending on maternal mortality within sub-Saharan African nations over the period 1990–2010. We find that in every model the coefficients for World Bank structural adjustment lending in the health sector are positive and significant while the coefficients for World Bank investment lending in the reproductive health sector are negative and significant. The findings lend support to the theory that the World Bank is pursuing contradictory agendas, embodied by its lending policies, which can have differential effects on maternal mortality.
Packing a modern Xilinx FPGA using RapidSmith

Academic packing algorithms have typically been limited to theoretical architectures. In this paper, we describe RSVPack, a packing algorithm built on top of RapidSmith to target the Xilinx Virtex 6 architecture. We integrate our packer into the Xilinx ISE CAD flow and demonstrate our packer tool by packing a set of benchmark circuits and performing routing and timing analysis inside ISE.
Abstract 97: Epigenetic Signatures Contribute to the Superior Endothelial Cell Identity in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Derived From Endothelial Cells

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can be derived from multiple types of somatic cells by transient overexpression of four Yamanaka factors. Epigenetic memory of the tissue of origin is seen in early passage iPSCs, which may interfere the directed differentiation towards target lineages in disease modeling and drug discovery. Here we derived human iPSC from three types of somatic cells of the same individuals: fibroblast (FB-iPSCs), endothelial cells (EC-iPSCs) and cardiac progenitor cells (CPC-iPSCs). We then differentiated them into endothelial cells by using sequential administration of Activin, BMP4, bFGF and vEGF. EC-iPSCs show higher EC differentiation propensity and EC-specific markers (PECAM1 and NOS3) gene expression in early passage iPSCs than FB-iPSCs and CPC-iPSCs. In vivo, EC-iPSC-ECs display significantly greater revascularization capacity than those of FB-iPSCs and CPC-iPSCs when transplanted to the hindlimb ischemic mice. In addition, transplanted EC-iPSC-ECs were recovered with a higher percentage of CD31+ population and higher EC-specific markers (PECAM1, KDR and ICAM) gene expression by using single cell qPCR. In vitro, EC-iPSC-ECs exhibit better endothelial cell character maintenance along with extensive culturing and passaging. Several chromatin signatures, including H3K27ac, H3K4me1 and p300 were found highly enriched in ECs and EC-iPSCs, but not in human embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Gene ontology analysis indicates that the differentially enriched regions are primarily associated with angiogenesis and vascular development, reflecting the residual epigenetic signatures in EC-iPSCs. Finally EC-specific enhancer markers undergo dynamic changes during the process of EC fate commitment and differentiation, though the majority of them sustain conserved pattern in EC-iPSCs, CPC-iPSCs and FB-iPSCs. In conclusion, these results highlight that the residual epigenetic signatures of tissue of origin may affect lineage differentiation propensity in early-passage human iPSCs.
Significance of the Inflammatory Response in Brain Ischemia

Leukocytes appear to have a central role in the inflammatory response that develops during acute brain ischemia. This brief review adduces evidence that leukocytes accumulate in focal zones of acute brain ischemia at a sufficiently early stage to participate in the process of progressive ischemic brain damage and that partial inhibition of that accumulation, by various measures, can attenuate ischemic brain injury. Mechanisms of leukocyte adhesion are discussed in detail and an inference is put forward that leukocytes are an important factor in progressive ischemic injury, but almost certainly act in concert with a number of other similarly important factors. On this basis, leukocyte inhibition may have demonstrable benefit in acute stroke, but ultimately be found to only partially spare potentially salvageable tissue in the ischemic zone.
Patterns of Honeydew Droplet Production by Nymphal Stages of Bemisia argentifolii (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) and Relative Composition of Honeydew Sugars

Honeydew droplets were collected from nymphal and adult Bemisia argentifolii Bellows and Perring. Nymphs produced a regular pattern of honeydew droplets consisting of periods of production followed by periods where no droplets were produced. The mean length of individual production periods increased from the second (40 ± 1 min) to the fourth (162 ±11 min) stadium, until the late fourth stadium when honeydew production by most nymphs became continuous. In contrast, the periods of no production decreased in length as nymphs developed from the second (35 ± 1 min) to the fourth (23 ± 1 min) stadium. The frequency of droplets during the production periods decreased from the first (80 ± 1 drops per h) to the fourth (22 ± 1 drops per h) stadium. This periodic pattern is consistent with previous reports for Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood), however, the functional significance of this pattern remains unknown. If this cyclic pattern should prove critical to the successful feeding and development of whiteflies,...
The Effect of Atmospheric Pressure Plasma on Paper and Pulps

The increased functionality of cellulose fiber based paper products is of high interest, as researchers are investigating methods to replace petroleum-based products with modified paper products. In this study, fully bleached wood pulps were treated with atmospheric pressure plasma, made into paper handsheets, and then tested for surface and other physical properties. Paper handsheets after formation were also treated with plasma to induce surface modifications. The plasma was generated using helium with fractions of either O2, CF4, or C3F6 to determine the effect of the nature of the gas. Drying methods had a greater effect on strength properties and density than plasma treatment. Plasma treatments on previously made paper increased the surface roughness, but plasma treatments on pulps prior to papermaking did not cause any roughness changes in the resulting paper. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) revealed small increases in the oxygen to carbon ratios of oxygen enhanced plasmas for both pulp and paper treated samples. The plasma treatment showed evidence of surface fluorine in paper treated with CF4 containing plasma, but not in pulps treated with CF4 containing plasma and then made into paper.
Effect of Halide Anions on the Structure and Dynamics of Water Next to an Alumina (0001) Surface

While ions are known to perturb hydrogen bonding networks in bulk water, our understanding of such effects is less developed for interfaces. Alumina/water interfaces are highly ordered due to strong hydrogen bonding interactions between interfacial water molecules and adjacent aluminol groups. However, how ions alter this interaction is not yet known. Herein, to address the effect of sodium halide salts on the hydrogen bonding environment of interfacial water, we investigated charged alumina (0001) surfaces using steady-state and time-resolved vibrational sum frequency generation (vSFG) spectroscopy. Our results indicate that the effect of halide anions on the attenuation of the vSFG signal next to positively and negatively charged alumina surfaces followed the sequence F– ≫ Br– > Cl– > I– (slightly varied direct Hofmeister series) and Br– > I– ≈ Cl– > F– (slightly varied indirect Hofmeister series), respectively. Additionally, time-resolved vSFG reveals that only F– perturbs the vibrational lifetime of w...
Postpartum depression and social support in a racially and ethnically diverse population of women

Lack of social support is an important risk factor for postpartum depression (PPD), whereas the presence of social support can buffer against PPD. However, the relationship between social support and PPD in racial/ethnic minority women is still largely unknown. Our purpose was to examine the role of social support in a large, diverse population of PPD cases and controls. Participants (N = 1517) were recruited at the routine 6-week postpartum visit (± 1–2 weeks) from four different outpatient clinics in North Carolina. Case status was determined using the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Social support was measured using the Medical Outcomes Social (MOS) Support survey and the Baby’s Father Support Scale (DAD). We found that higher levels of social support had a strong protective association against PPD (MOS total score OR, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.19–0.27; p = 6.92E-90; DAD total score OR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.88–0.92; p = 1.69E-29), and the effects of social support did not differ when accounting for race/ethnicity. Additionally, PPD symptom severity is significantly and negatively correlated with the degree of social support. Our findings suggest that multi-dimensional aspects of social support may be protective for racial/ethnic minority women. We believe this study is currently the largest and most robust characterizing PPD case status and its association with social support in a diverse cohort of mothers. Future work is required to understand how best to implement culturally sensitive interventions to increase social support in minority perinatal women.
Towards the Rational Design of Hormone Analogs Which Complement Receptor Mutations

Mutations to nuclear and steroid hormone receptors (NHRs) are associated with a variety of human genetic diseases (1–3). These mutations generally result in reduced ligand binding or impaired ligand-dependent transactivation (or trans-repression) response. Individuals having mutant receptors that show reduced hormone responsiveness can often be treated with high doses of the natural hormone, however, often supraphysiological doses of hormone can create undesirable side effects that can be ascribed to inappropriate activation of other receptor subtypes and/or other samehormone responsive receptors (4, 5). In such cases hormone analogs have been empirically been used which may be able to impart greater potency activity and selectivity with mutant receptors. Thus far the use of hormone analogs for the functional rescue of impaired receptors has been largely empirical. The high-resolution structures of nuclear receptors may provide the basis to use rational molecular design strategies to efficiently create custom-designed hormone analogs, which may be able to bind to mutant receptors with greater activity, potency and selectivity than the natural hormone or existing hormone analogs. Currently relatively few examples of molecular complementation are known. This chapter will discuss examples from related nuclear receptors and other non-NHR examples to provide perspective to this exciting new area of research.
Improving the functionality of clothing through novel pesticide protection

Abstract: Chemical protection is needed to reduce occupational chemical exposure for individuals involved with mixing, loading and applying pesticide. Protection is provided by chemical protective materials that function by means of barrier (i.e. no permeation or penetration), repellency, or adsorption mechanisms, or a combination of these approaches. Basic mechanisms have been used to define novel approaches for pesticide-protective clothing including microporous and nanofibrous membranes as well as self-decontamination materials based upon N-halamines, metal oxides and polyoxometalates.
Esophageal Remodeling in Eosinophilic Esophagitis

The normal esophagus is composed of layers from the lumen to the adventitia. The non-keratinized stratified squamous epithelium abuts the lumen while the subepithelial regions contain the underlying lamina propria, muscularis mucosa, submucosa, and muscularis propria. The esophageal epithelium contains regenerative cells in the basal zone, which usually comprises 15% of the total epithelial height while projections of lamina propria, known as the vascular papillae, extend to approximately one third of the thickness of the squamous epithelium. In the normal esophagus, the LP comprises non-fibrotic, reticular collagen filaments and the epithelium is devoid of eosinophilic infiltration. Therefore, epithelial eosinophilia indicates a pathologic condition.
Early genetic counseling and detection of CDH1 mutation in asymptomatic carriers improves survival in hereditary diffuse gastric cancer

Abstract Background Hereditary diffuse gastric cancer is associated with E-cadherin (CDH1) germline mutations. The implications of CDH1 mutations detected with multigene panels in those without family history of HDGC are uncertain. Methods A registry of patients who underwent genetic counseling for CDH1 mutation was queried for the period 2011–2017. Results Twenty-one patients with CDH1 mutation were identified. The most common indication for CDH1 genetic screening was family history of hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (known risk) in 10 patients (48%); 11 patients (52%), however, were diagnosed by multigene cancer panels (unknown risk). Nine of the 21 patients underwent total gastrectomy, and 5 others had metastatic gastric cancer at presentation. In the gastrectomy group, 5 of the 9 patients (56%) were known to have gastric cancer based on preoperative screening endoscopy, but final pathologic examinations indicated diffuse gastric cancer in 8 of the 9 patients. The 11 patients with unknown risk for CDH1 mutation tended to be older (median 41 vs 24 years) and more likely to have metastatic disease and to die of the disease (43% vs 29%) compared with patients with family history of hereditary diffuse gastric cancer. Conclusion CDH1 mutation–associated hereditary diffuse gastric cancer is a biologically aggressive variant of gastric cancer that appears to behave similarly in patients detected only by multigene panels. The detection of CDH1 mutation at a minimum warrants genetic counseling and preferably total gastrectomy.
A Study on Optimal Placement of Accelerometers for Pose Estimation of a Robot Arm

This study investigates the effects of inertial sensor placement and noise characteristics on the accuracy of robot pose estimation. Of course, most robots are equipped with joint angle encoders for pose estimation and end-effector positioning. However, in some situations, it's not possible or not desirable to introduce encoders on all joints. Such common examples include legged locomotion, dual arm co-manipulation, and prosthetic limbs. To tackle such situations, one solution is to embed inertial measurement units (IMUs) into artificial skin patches placed on robots' limbs and body. This work analyzes the effects of design parameters such as the number of sensors, their placement on the robot, and noise properties on the quality of robot pose estimation and its signal-to-noise Ratio (SNR). We study the benefits of using a large number of IMUs, which is possible due to the proliferation of inexpensive micro-machined sensors. We use Monte-Carlo simulations and experiments with a two-link robot arm to obtain the distributions of expected estimation error metric values for several accelerometer configurations, which are then compared to determine the optimal number and placement for the IMUs. Results show that the placement of at least two accelerometers on each link has the most significant impact on the pose estimation error, while using a larger number of accelerometers plays a less significant role in reducing the arm pose estimation error and resultant SNR.
Patient Reported Outcomes in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Patients: A Pilot Project

Background Patient-reported outcomes (PROs), including symptoms and quality of life (QOL) measures capture the patient-centered experience of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). They enhance patient-provider communication and allow for symptom intervention. PROMIS-29 is one of the NIH developed and validated tools for collecting PROs. It examines 7 domains: physical function, anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleep disturbance, social participation, and pain interference. We have piloted its use in the HSCT patients. Methods Twenty five patients both pre- and post- hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allogeneic, n = 14; autologous, n = 11) were surveyed using the PROMIS 29 scale. Patients ranged from 4.6 months pre-transplant to 5.8 years post-transplant. The patients completed the PROMIS-29 survey in the waiting room prior to their scheduled appointments. Results The top three reported concerns were decreased physical function (38.5%), fatigue (30.8%) and pain (20%). Fatigue remained a prominent complain with patients commonly reporting moderate to severe fatigue post-transplant. Strikingly, patients reported fatigue commonly whether they were within a year of their transplant or several years out from their transplant. Conclusions PROs, such as PROMIS-29, provide valuable insight into the HSCT patient experience and QOL. Our pilot data, demonstrates that these symptoms can persist long after the patient has been cured of their hematologic malignancy. We are broadening the implementation of this survey to capture all HSCT recipients. We plan to use the results to enhance communication at our outpatient visits. We also plan to use the aggregated data to define areas for future intervention to help our patients cope following transplantation.
Erratum to: The Parasitic Hymenoptera and Biological Control and Our Knowledge of the African Ichneumonidae

The correct title of the paper by Virendra K. Gupta, published in Vol. 12 No. 1/2/3, pp. 9–18,1991, is as follows:
Management of Port Occlusions in Adults: Different-Site Replacement versus Same-Site Salvage.

Abstract Purpose To compare the safety and effectiveness of different-site port placement versus same-site port salvage in adult patients with occluded ports. Materials and Methods Ninety-five occluded subcutaneous infusion ports (ports) in 95 patients presenting between July 1, 2002, and June 30, 2017, were retrospectively reviewed: 48 (51%) different-site placements (replacements; same-day indwelling port removal and different-site new port placement) and 47 (49%) same-site salvages (salvages; 35 fibrin sheath strippings, 12 over-the-wire exchanges). Demographic information, indication for initial placement and replacement or salvage, procedural details, post-intervention primary catheter patency, and post-intervention port sequelae were recorded. Post-intervention primary catheter patency, and malfunction and infection rates were compared with Kaplan-Meier estimation and the log-rank test, and Fisher exact test, respectively. The association of patient risk factors and port patency was assessed with Cox regression. Results Median primary catheter patency after replacement was 254 days (interquartile range [IQR], 297) and after salvage was 391 days (IQR, 906) (P = .25). Within the salvage group, median primary catheter patency after stripping was 391 days (IQR, 658) and after exchange was 666 days (IQR, 1412) (P = .08). There was no statistical difference in malfunction (P = .12) and infection (P = .74) rates between the replaced and salvaged groups or in malfunction (P = .09) and infection (P = .1) rates between the exchanged and stripped subgroups. None of the patient or catheter characteristics assessed were significantly associated with primary catheter patency. Conclusions There was no statistical difference between patency, malfunctions, or infections after replacement and salvage, or after stripping and exchange, so technique selection should be based on the patient’s estimated lifetime venous access requirements, cost, and physician preference.
Multi-objective ranking and selection: Optimal sampling laws and tractable approximations via SCORE

Consider the multi-objective ranking and selection (MORS) problem in which we select the Pareto-optimal set from a finite set of systems evaluated on three or more stochastic objectives. Toward det...
Pilot study to assess a pharmacist- and medication navigator-led intervention of oral anticancer medication (OAM) adherence.

58Background: While advances in OAM make treatment more convenient for patients, OAM must be taken and handled correctly. Studies show gaps in patients’ knowledge of taking/handling OAM, suboptimal...
The effectiveness of epidural blood patch in patients with cerebral palsy treated with intrathecal baclofen implantation.

Background Cerebrospinal fluid leak and postdural puncture spinal headache following intrathecal baclofen therapy are known complications. Although primary treatments are conservative, epidural blood patch is an alternative in patients with persistent and severe symptoms. Aim The purpose of this article is to review the effectiveness of epidural blood patch for the treatment of spinal headache and cerebrospinal fluid leak associated with intrathecal baclofen treatment in children with cerebral palsy. Methods Our database was reviewed for epidural blood patch in 341 pediatric patients with cerebral palsy who underwent primary intrathecal baclofen treatment from 2004 to 2018 at one institution. The number of patches, time frame of treatment, and effectiveness of the epidural blood patch were collected. All patients treated with epidural blood patch were evaluated for primary and secondary intrathecal baclofen-related procedures, and subsequent treatment of intrathecal baclofen associated with cerebrospinal fluid leak and spinal headache. Results Twenty-nine epidural blood patch procedures were performed on 26 patients who had received intrathecal baclofen procedures. Of these 26 patients, four had a secondary epidural blood patch. The incidence of spinal headache/cerebrospinal fluid leak was 31% (107/341), and 81/107 (76%) patients with spinal headache/cerebrospinal fluid leak responded to conservative treatments. Success rate for initial epidural blood patch was 79.3% (23/29). The second epidural blood patch was performed in four patients after failure of initial epidural blood patch. Second epidural blood patch success rate was 75% (3/4). Conclusion Spinal headache and cerebrospinal fluid leak are known complications after intrathecal baclofen treatment in children with cerebral palsy. When conservative treatments are unsuccessful, epidural blood patch can be used with confidence for these patients. In patients with ongoing symptoms, it is possible to obtain success by repeating the epidural blood patch to continue intrathecal baclofen treatment and avoid aggressive surgery.
Introduction to Part II: Normativity at Crossroads

Even though religious bioethicists have tried to find ways to develop normative bioethical arguments amidst the diversity of their respective religious traditions, the various chapters of the first part of the book may still leave the impression that a study of religious bioethics actually leads to the conclusion that within a global context bioethical arguments cannot be normative for everyone, but only for those who adhere to particular traditions. In this part, we assess the validity of that statement and explore ways to talk about normativity in a global context and implement normative discourse in practice.
Discovery and Mapping of the Triton Seep Site, Redondo Knoll: Fluid Flow and Microbial Colonization Within an Oxygen Minimum Zone

This paper examines a deep-water (~900 m) cold-seep discovered in a low oxygen environment ~30 km off the California coast in 2015 during an E/V Nautilus telepresence-enabled cruise. This Triton site was initially detected from bubble flares identified via shipboard multibeam sonar and which was then confirmed visually using the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Hercules. High resolution mapping (to 1cm resolution) and co-registered imaging has provided us with a comprehensive site overview - both of the geologic setting and the extent of the associated microbial colonization. The Triton site represents an active cold-seep site where microbes can act as primary producers at the base of a chemosynthesis-driven food chain. But it is also located near the core of a local oxygen minimum zone, averaging 100m across the seafloor, dominate the site, whilst typical seep-endemic macrofauna were noticeably absent from our co-registered photographic and high resolution mapping surveys - especially when compared to all adjacent seep sites within the same California Borderlands region. This unusual discovery, in close proximity to Los Angeles, CA, provides an interesting natural laboratory for examining the biogeochemical and microbiological functioning of cold seep ecosystems within an Oxygen Minimum Zone. Current climate change predictions include possible expansion of OMZs, both up and down-slope along continental margins. Thus, study of the differences between cold seep communities within and shallower than the core of the current OMZ along the California Borderlands might provide important new insights into how cold seep communities might be expected to be impacted by future climate change along this and other continental margins.
INFLUENCE OF AN ACUTE BOUT OF SELF-MYOFASCIAL RELEASE ON KNEE EXTENSION FORCE OUTPUT AND ELECTRO-MECHANICAL ACTIVATION OF THE QUADRICEPS.

Background In contrast to static stretching (SS), previous research has demonstrated increases in flexibility after an acute bout of self-myofascial release (SMR) without any subsequent decreases in force output. Previous research has utilized measures of surface electromyography (sEMG) and mechanomyography (MMG) to examine the influence of SS on the electrical and mechanical processes of muscle activation, respectively. However, there is a lack of research examining the potential changes in electro-mechanical muscle activation post-SMR. Purpose To examine the influence of SMR, via an acute bout of foam rolling (FR) to the vastus lateralis (VL), on the expression of knee extension force output and the inter-muscular electro-mechanical activation of the quadriceps musculature. Study Design Randomized crossover trial. Methods Twenty (10 males, 10 females) recreationally-active participants with prior FR experience completed both SMR and control (CON) testing protocols during separate testing sessions that were conducted in a randomized order 48 hours apart. During the SMR protocol, participants performed 3 sets of 60 seconds of FR over the VL portion of their quadriceps musculature, with 60 seconds of rest between sets. During the CON protocol, participants quietly sat upright for 10 minutes. Peak knee extension force output -(Forcepeak) data, as well as sEMG and MMG data from the VL and the rectus femoris (RF) were collected during maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVICs) before and after both testing protocols. Root mean square sEMG and MMG amplitudes were calculated to represent electro-mechanical muscle activation of the VL (VL-sEMGRMS, VL-MMGRMS) and RF (RF-sEMGRMS, RF-MMGRMS) musculature. Results Repeated measures analyses of variance (RM ANOVAs) identified a significant (p < 0.05) increase in Forcepeak within the SMR protocol among males, but no change among females. No statistically significant changes in any electro-mechanical muscle activation measures were identified pre-to-post-SMR within either sex. Conclusion In contrast to the SS literature body, these results suggest that SMR does not influence the electro-mechanical aspects of muscle activation during MVICs. These results provide support for the absence of decreases in force output post-SMR, but further examination regarding the potential muscle mass influence of SMR on electro-mechanical muscle function remains warranted. Level of Evidence 2c.
Callable U.S. Treasury Bonds: Optimal Calls, Anomalies, and Implied Volatilities

Using implied volatility analysis, this article addresses two important issues concerning callable bonds: negative option value anomalies and the optimal call decision rule. In examining apparent negative option values embedded in callable U.S. Treasury bonds, we significantly extend the sample periods and breadths covered by previous researchers and resolve the inconsistencies in their results. We show that the frequency of negative option values is time-varying and related to away-from-the-moneyness. We then develop the option-theoretic optimal policy for calling bonds by introducing the concept of "threshold volatility." Using the concept we determine that most past Treasury call decisions were optimal.