cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How does the consideration of Indigenous identities in the US complicate conversations about tracking folk racial categories in epidemiologic research

In public health research, tracking folk racial categories (in disease risk, etc.) is a double-edged tool. On the one hand, tracking folk racial categories is dangerous because it reinforces a problematic but fairly common belief in biological race essentialism. On the other hand, ignoring racial categories also runs the risk of ignoring very real biological phenomena in which marginalized communities, likely in virtue of their marginalization, are sicker and in need of improved resources. Much of the conversation among epidemiologists and philosophers of medicine concerning the issue of tracking folk racial categories in public health research springs forth from largely black/white binarized health inequities. While health inequities between black and white Americans are certainly a very important topic, I am interested in investigating the complications to this conversation about the potential harms of tracking folk racial categories in public health research generated by the consideration of Indigenous identities in the US—groups whose health inequities are typically tracked based on the folk racial category of “Native American” or “American Indian,” but whose unique identity categories and community membership problematize the current spectrum of approaches to tracking folk racial categories in epidemiologic research. This paper will draw on scholarship by and about Indigenous people in the US context to address an undertheorized facet of the conversations concerning the potential harms of tracking folk racial categories in public health research, including the potential undermining of American Indian sovereignty and Indigenous epistemologies. I will end on some methodological considerations inspired by the inclusion of Indigenous identities in the US in the conversation about tracking folk racial categories in epidemiologic research.
Vat photopolymerization of charged monomers: 3D printing with supramolecular interactions

Additive manufacturing enables the creation of novel structures and geometries previously unattainable through traditional processing techniques. In particular, vat photopolymerization provides unprecedented resolution through the tailored delivery of light with photo-crosslinkable or photo-polymerizable materials. Traditionally, chemical crosslinks generate a permanent network, which exhibits swelling but not dissolution. In this work, photopolymerization of photo-reactive monomers with acrylate, acrylamide, and vinyl polymerizable sites enabled the formation of water-soluble 3D printed parts using vat photopolymerization. A library of monomers with varied ionic and hydrogen bonding sites provided photopolymerized films with tensile properties approaching 1200% elongation at break and 0.47 MPa stress at 100% elongation. The rate of polymerization and the subsequent mechanical properties revealed a dependence on the type of supramolecular interactions and functionality on the resulting hydrogel. The diverse functionality of the monomers enabled aqueous dissolution times ranging from 27 to 41 min. Vat photopolymerization of a trimethylammonium ethyl acrylate chloride solution and with 30 wt% N-vinyl pyrrolidone provided 3D parts with fine structural resolution. This method of creating soluble, water-swollen structures through vat photopolymerization provides future research with a larger library of monomers for diverse applications including soluble support scaffolds.
Case study: An experimental noise reduction study of an extended flow range automotive turbocharger centrifugal compressor

A new turbocharger compressor was designed to reduce noise at the compressor inlet, while allowing peak engine torque and power to be increased by 28% and 29%, respectively, relative to the previous generation (baseline) production engine with identical displacement. Experimental compressor performance and acoustic results were presented for three incremental changes, in order to isolate the impact of individual design features. The new larger impeller with reworked aerodynamics increased the SPL of mid flow range whoosh noise, relative to the baseline compressor. Adding a ported shroud to the new impeller reduced the maximum whoosh noise level below that of the baseline design, but significantly elevated narrowband noise at the blade-pass frequency. The final new compressor design featured the larger impeller with reworked aerodynamics, a ported shroud recirculating casing treatment, holes between the main and secondary recirculation passage, and a slight cross-sectional area reduction just upstream of the impeller. This final configuration decreased overall SPL by 3â–“6 dB(A) in the low to mid flow region, where it was elevated for the baseline compressor. The maximum flow rate of the new compressor increased significantly, and the flow rate at the deep surge boundary increased slightly. Relative to the baseline design, the efficiency of the new compressor was up to 8 percentage points lower at the low flow boundary and up to 18 percentage points higher at elevated flow rates.
Navigating class power and inequalities: New deal liberals and the Los Angeles regional labor board, 1933-1934

ABSTRACTThis article examines how local state officials operated the Los Angeles Regional Labor Board, 1933-1934, a regional branch of the National Labor Board. Amid a surge in workers mobilizing s...
Identifying People Based on Machine Learning Classification of Foods Consumed in Order to Offer Tailored Healthier Food Options

Using food recall data collected from over 8000 Americans, we used Machine Learning to classify a person’s demographic characteristics (age, gender, race, and income) based on the foods they consumed in a 24-h period. The best-performing models predicted gender correctly 61%, race 44%, and age 43% of the time on independent validation data. The model was subsequently used to provide tailored recommendations for healthier food options based on low-calorie and low-fat options for specific food groups that are typically consumed by other Americans that match the person’s demographics. This system is part of a larger Smart Human-Centered System that assists users in recording the foods they consume, recognizes nutritional content of the food, offers tailored recommendations for consuming healthier foods, and tracking behavior change over time.
Pros and cons of Parkinson's disease therapeutics

Abstract Parkinson's disease (PD) being the second most common neurodegenerative disorder is usually found in approximately 2%–3% of aged population. Myriad of therapeutics have been used to overcome PD symptoms. Although several of them show significant therapeutic effect, yet they repose challenges such as low bioavailability and short systemic circulation, which profoundly impede their success. In addition, blood–brain barrier limits their entry into the brain, thus reducing the therapeutic effect remarkably. To overcome abovementioned challenges, nanotechnology has been extensively used currently. Despite the significant progress in neuroscience research after the advent and use of nanotechnological maneuvers for the brain diseases, a few demerits such as internalization of therapeutics in nontarget organs limit their success. This chapter primarily focuses on multifarious therapeutic avenues and their pros and cons.
Quantifying multi-species microbial interactions in the larval zebrafish gut

The microbial communities resident in animal intestines are composed of multiple species that together play important roles in host development, health and disease. Due to the complexity of these communities and the difficulty of characterizing them in situ, the determinants of microbial composition remain largely unknown. Further, it is unclear for many multi-species consortia whether their species-level makeup can be predicted based on an understanding of pairwise species interactions, or whether higher-order interactions are needed to explain emergent compositions. To address this, we examine commensal intestinal microbes in larval zebrafish, initially raised germ-free to allow introduction of controlled combinations of bacterial species. Using a dissection and plating assay, we demonstrate the construction of communities of one to five bacterial species and show that the outcomes from the two-species competitions fail to predict species abundances in more complex communities. With multiple species present, inter-bacterial interactions become weaker and more cooperative, suggesting that higher-order interactions in the vertebrate gut may stabilize complex communities.
Caring for a service member or Veteran following traumatic brain injury influences caregiver mental health

This study examined factors related to poor mental health in caregivers assisting service members and Veterans (SMV) following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Participants were 201 military caregiver...
Contesting and advocating gender ideologies: an analysis of sararīman (salaried men) characters’ hegemonic masculinities in a Japanese TV drama

Previous scholars have identified sarariman (salaried men), who prioritise work over family, as the ideal of hegemonic masculinity in Japan. This study focuses on sarariman characters’ language use in the workplace as depicted in the 2015 Japanese TV drama Age Harassment. Employing the concepts of stance and hegemonic masculinities, the study demonstrates that, in this mediatised representation, the sarariman characters draw on diverse gender ideologies to display masculine identities. Using online commentary, the study also explores audience members’ responses to the drama’s depiction of masculinities. The study’s analysis of these two types of data suggests that despite increasing social acceptance of more diverse masculinities, the stereotypical sarariman remains to some extent the hegemonic ideal in contemporary Japan.
How Design Thinking Can Influence Food Choices and Healthy Eating Experiences Among Consumers

This chapter presents an integrated food choice framework and design thinking approach for influencing healthy food choices and eating behaviors. The authors describe this approach through case studies and examples from their work at the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University. The authors also provide step-by-step guides to novel processes and methods that are designed to illuminate opportunities for interventionary solutions.
Leadership Development: Current State and Needs for Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellows

Background: Pediatric Hospital Medicine (PHM) fellowship programs must train leaders to address local and systemic health care challenges. It is unknown how leadership development education is currently incorporated into PHM fellowship and which topics should be included in future training. Objective: To identify fellowship directors’ perspectives on which leadership development topics are currently taught to PHM fellows and which topics should be required education during PHM fellowship training. Methods: …
A nuclear factor-kappa B inhibiting peptide suppresses innate immune receptors and gliosis in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract A disproportionate increase in activated nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) has been shown to drive the Aβ deposition, neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Hence, selective targeting of activated p65 represents an attractive therapeutic approach for AD. Glucocorticoid induced leucine zipper (GILZ) is a NF-κB interactant that binds and sequesters the activated p65 in the cytoplasm. The p65 binding domain of GILZ adopts a polyproline type II helical conformation, a motif that acts as an adaptable glove in the interface with the binding partner and constitutes an excellent template for drug design. Previously, peptide analogs of the p65 binding domain of GILZ, referred to as GA have been shown to suppress pathology in the lipopolysaccharide induced model of neuroinflammation. In this study, we investigated the CNS delivery of labeled GA administered intraperitoneally in adult mice for a period of upto 24 h. Further, we evaluated the suppressive potential of GA in 5xFAD mice, an aggressive model with five genetic mutations closely associated with human AD. Groups of 5xFAD mice administered GA or control peptide intraperitoneally on alternate days for six weeks were evaluated for Aβ deposition, microglia, inflammation and innate immune responses by immunohistochemistry and real time polymerase reaction. GA was observed in proximity with NeuN positive neurons suggesting that the compound crossed the blood brain barrier to reach the brain parenchyma. Further, GA treatment decreased Aβ load, reduced Iba1 + microglia and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)+ astrocytes, inhibited inflammatory cytokines and suppressed toll like receptor (TLR-2, TLR-4) expressions in 5xFAD mice.
Hiding in Plain Sight: Mediation, Client-Centered Practice, And the Value of Human Agency

Students and practitioners of transformative mediation still underemphasize the importance of client “empowerment” – the opportunity for clients to recapture the sense of agency that conflict has compromised. That is, those learning the skills of a client-centered process like transformative mediation tend to overlook and ignore the achievement of client empowerment, compared to other goals. Why does the achievement of client empowerment go unseen in this way, even when its value has been explained and emphasized in written work, training, and otherwise? Addressing this “invisibility” of client empowerment is a major challenge for those who ascribe importance to the impact mediation can have on restoring clients’ sense of agency in the wake of conflict. That is one purpose of this Article However, the effort to answer that question makes sense only if one accepts the premise that client agency – and human agency in general – is a core value whose furtherance should stand at the center of any client assistance process. That premise lies at the heart of transformative mediation theory and practice, and other related processes. What justifies that premise? What is it that explains the value placed by transformative mediation adherents on this phenomenon of human agency per se? Answering that question, primarily but not only in the context of mediators’ work, is a second major aim of this Article. To achieve these aims, this Article first traces the history of transformative practice. Then the Article explores the meaning of agency, as a basis for mediation and other social processes. It is argued that the phenomenon of agency is at the core of human identity and consciousness; that is, the assertion of agency is an essential meaning of being human, regardless of whether it achieves some other specific impact in the external world. Part Three shows that, although the value of client agency and client-centered practice is mostly disfavored in the dominant practices of mediation and other “helping” professions, that value does find strong recognition in popular culture, and in the clients of transformative mediators.
The Natural History of Atrioventricular Valve Regurgitation Throughout Fetal Life in Patients with Atrioventricular Canal Defects.

Atrioventricular valve regurgitation (AVVR) influences morbidity and mortality in the atrioventricular canal defect (AVC). Fetal cardiac structures are subject to hemodynamic changes, as well as growth and maturation during gestation, which may alter the degree of AVVR and affect prognosis. We sought to investigate the frequency of change in degree of AVVR documented by fetal echocardiography (echo) between different periods of gestational age. Subjects with AVC seen in the Fetal Heart Program between January 2008 and September 2010 were identified. Degree of AVVR was assessed by color Doppler imaging and categorized as Grade 0 (no AVVR), Grade 1 (hemodynamically insignificant AVVR = trivial or mild), and Grade 2 (hemodynamically important AVVR = ≥moderate). Levels of AVVR between periods were compared. Forty-three fetuses were analyzed. Overall, 60 % had no change, 14 % had a decrease, and 26 % had an increase in AVVR grade. Two fetuses progressed from Grade 0 or 1 to Grade 2, while one fetus decreased from Grade 2 to Grade 0. Trisomy 21 and heterotaxy syndrome were not risk factors for AVVR progression. Transitional and incomplete canal defects may be more susceptible to AVVR progression. Sixty percent of fetuses with AVC will not exhibit progression of AVVR between the second and third trimesters of gestation. In those who exhibit change, it is most often within a hemodynamically insignificant range between none and mild regurgitation (Grades 0 and 1). These findings have implications for the counseling, follow-up, and delivery plans of the fetus with AVC defect.
Innovations in Integrating Tolerance Analysis Technologies for a Computer-Aided Tolerancing System

CE/TOL 6σ is a commercial computer-aided tolerancing system for modeling, analyzing and optimizing tolerances in 3-D mechanical assemblies. CE/TOL 6σ is integrated with the Pro/ENGINEER CAD system and provides graphical tolerance model creation using the assembly geometry. The tolerance model is constructed using a versatile set of modeling elements. Graphical modeling eliminates the need to manually enter any equations. The tolerance analysis and optimization is performed using built-in worst case and statistical methods.
Association of frequent knee bending activity with focal knee lesions detected with 3T magnetic resonance imaging: data from the osteoarthritis initiative.

Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is one of the major causes of functional limitation and physical disability worldwide. The overall lifetime risk of symptomatic knee OA has been found to be as high as 40–50% (1). The etiology of knee OA is multifactorial. Excessive loading across the knee joint is considered an important risk factor in the pathogenesis of knee OA (2, 3). Activities during which the knee is flexed beyond 90 degrees are known to place a greater load across the whole knee joint and potentially cause more damage to the articular cartilage (4–6). Several studies have reported that the risk of knee OA is increased by work that involves prolonged bending of the knees (7–9). These studies, however, have relied on job title as an index of presumed workplace activity, rather than directly monitoring the particular types of repetitive knee movements (5, 10). Furthermore, it is increasingly recognized that for the given activity, the tibiofemoral and patellofemoral joints are exposed to different loads and contact stresses (4–6). Previous epidemiologic studies have mostly evaluated knee OA based on radiographs, which are insensitive to early changes in cartilage morphology, and are not well suited for identification of the location where cartilage is most affected (7, 8, 11–19). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based studies can directly visualize structural morphology in all compartments of the knee, therefore it plays a key role in assessing the severity of OA and in monitoring its progression. Understanding how frequent knee bending activities may affect cartilage and menisci, by observing morphological change on MRI may provide further insights into the role of biomechanical loading in the pathogenesis of OA in different compartments of the knee joint. While many previous studies have evaluated subjects with symptomatic and radiographic OA (10, 11, 14, 20), the present study focuses on subjects who are at risk for developing OA, but in knees that do not have radiographic evidence or pain. Since early morphologic degeneration in the joint may not be detected using radiography (21, 22), this study uses MRI to assess cartilage and meniscal abnormalities. Moreover, we classified subjects with frequent knee bending using questionnaires, which assessed certain types of physical activity directly. Hence the goals of our study were (i) to study the association between repetitive knee bending activity and focal knee abnormalities both cross-sectionally and longitudinally over a period of 3 years and (ii) also to separately examine the impact of knee bending activities on the different compartments of the knee.
Stretched exponential-like impurity relaxation in the chain: a numerical study

Abstract We use the continued fraction formalism to show that a weakly bound, S=1/2, impurity spin, in a S=1/2 XY chain exhibits slow relaxation. The dynamical xx-correlation of the impurity spin, at different couplings to the rest of the chain, is best described by a non-universal stretched-exponential-like (SEL) decay at large times. The zz-correlation for that spin shows exponential-like decay. The host spins relax faster than the impurity spin. To our knowledge, this is the first study which introduces a simple 1D spin Hamiltonian and solves the Heisenberg equation of motion for the impurity spin to obtain SEL relaxation.
Libertarian Paternalism, Information Sharing, and Financial Decision-Making

We develop a theoretical model to study the welfare effects of libertarian paternalism on information acquisition, social learning, and financial decision-making. Individuals in our model are permitted to appreciate and use the information content in the default options set by a social planner. We show that in some circumstances the presence of default options can decrease welfare by slowing information propagation in the economy. An extension of the model shows that partial information disclosures by the social planner can increase individuals' incentives for gathering and sharing information, but that this does not affect the set of circumstances in which the absence of default options is optimal. Our analysis also considers a setting in which individuals can sell their information to others. We show that default options cause the quality (and price) of advice to decrease, which may lower social welfare. Finally, we study the effects of procrastination and excessive trust in the social planner on our analysis.
Thinking About the Conscious Mind

Mind A Brief Introduction. By John R. Searle . Oxford University Press, New York, 2004. 336 pp. $22, £14.99. ISBN 0-19-515733-8. Fundamentals of Philosophy. Writing for a broad, nonspecialist audience, the author argues against "all of the most famous and influential theories" in the philosophy of mind and for his interpretation of topics such as the mind-body problem, consciousness, and free will.
High-throughput studies of protein glycoforms using antibody-lectin sandwich arrays

The antibody-lectin sandwich arrays (ALSA) is a powerful new tool for glycoproteomics research. ALSA enables precise measurements of the glycosylation states of multiple proteins captured directly from biological samples. The platform can be used in a high-throughput mode with low sample consumption, making it well suited to biomarker research exploring glycan alterations on specific proteins. This article provides detailed descriptions of the use of ALSA, with a particular focus on biomarker research. The preparation and selection of antibodies and lectins, the preparation and use of the arrays and samples, and special considerations for using the platform for biomarker research are covered.
Observation of the microstructural evolution of snow under uniaxial compression using X-ray computed microtomography

[1] The relationship between snow microstructure and its mechanical properties is crucial for modeling the microstructural cause of snow avalanches. In this paper, the knowledge gap between snow microstructural evolution and overburden is bridged by combining compression tests with X-ray computed microtomography (micro-CT). Continuous compression tests and interrupted compression tests were performed on three types of snow (fresh low-temperature snow, fresh high-temperature snow, and sintered low-temperature snow with densities ranging from 100 to 350 kg/m3) to investigate the effects of initial structure on both the stress-displacement curve and structural changes during the compression test. Three-dimensional micro-CT images and scanning electron microscopy images showed that well-connected structures of sintered snow contribute to a more rapid stress increase during deformation. By combining the analyses of the specific surface area, structure model index, and structure thickness, it is shown that compression tests at a fixed temperature, loading rate, and density snow metamorphism can be regarded as an accelerated pressure sintering process. However, when extremely low-density snow (50 kg/m3) was subjected to compression testing, the same evolution of structure parameters was again found, but fracture of snowflakes was also observed. The overall process of low-density snow deformation can be explained as a combination of fracturing and sintering but with the sintering predominating.
Interictal Pain in Primary Headache Syndromes

Primary headache disorders are generally characterized by the pain, time course, and associated symptoms of their attacks, but often are accompanied by milder interictal pain. Patients with chronic migraine, chronic tension-type headache, hemicrania continua, and new daily-persistent headache have constant pain more often than not. Patients with trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias such as cluster headache commonly have interictal pain as well, usually much milder and unilateral to the side of attacks. Even those with rare headache types, including hypnic headache and trigeminal neuralgia, commonly have interictal pain. This review describes the incidence of interictal pain in primary headache disorders and suggests the significance and biological meanings of this pain.
Limitations of Current GABA Agonists in Neonatal Seizures: Toward GABA Modulation Via the Targeting of Neuronal Cl− Transport

Neonatal intensive care has advanced rapidly in the last 40 years, with dramatic decreases in mortality and morbidity; however, for neonatal seizures, neither therapies nor outcomes have changed significantly. Clinical and experimental studies indicate that seizures in neonates have long-term neurodevelopmental and psychiatric consequences, highlighting the need for novel drugs. Current first-line treatments targeting GABAA receptors, barbiturates and benzodiazepines, are limited in their efficacy and carry significant risks to the developing brain. Here, we review the efficacy and side effect profile of current GABA agonist therapies for neonatal seizures and suggest other treatment strategies. One promising avenue is the indirect manipulation of the GABAergic system via the modulation of neuronal Cl- gradients by targeting the cation-Cl- cotransporters (NKCC1 and KCC2) or their regulatory signaling molecules (WNK and SPAK/OSR1 kinases). Such a strategy might yield a novel class of more efficacious anti-epileptics with fewer side effects in neonates by specifically addressing disease pathogenesis. Moreover, this strategy may have ramifications for other adult seizure syndromes in which GABA excitation plays a pathogenic role, such as temporal lobe epilepsy.
35. Systemic Administration of rAAV6-Microdystrophin Preserves Muscle Function and Extends Lifespan in the Dystrophin-/Utrophin- Mouse Model of Severe Muscular Dystrophy

Top of pageAbstract Gene replacement is a promising strategy for treating severe neuromuscular disorders such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). However, the therapeutic potential of miniaturized dystrophin expression cassettes has not been rigorously assessed because traditional gene transfer systems cannot simultaneously transduce the important skeletal muscles, and the heart of animals that model muscular dystrophies. Furthermore, because of limited prospects for efficient gene transfer, previous studies have typically assessed the effects of localized interventions in the comparatively robust dystrophin-deficient mdx mouse, which poorly models the progressive, severe dystrophy that shortens the lives of DMD patients. We recently established a method that facilitates the delivery of genes to striated muscles throughout adult animals via intravenous administration of recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors (rAAV vectors). This advance has enabled us to rigorously evaluate systemic administration of our most promising microdystrophin construct as a prospective treatment for DMD in the dystrophin-/utrophin- double-knockout mouse. This model experiences severe and progressive muscular dystrophy that shortens lifespan by 75% compared with wild-type and mdx mice. We observed that systemic administration of rAAV6-microdystrophin vectors restores dystrophin expression in important skeletal muscles body-wide and throughout the mouse heart. Restoration of dystrophin expression considerably reduced key indices of muscle disease (such as muscle fiber degeneration) in hindlimb and diaphragm muscles. Treatment also enhanced the force-producing capacity, and resistance to contraction-induced injury of limb and respiratory muscles, and dramatically reduced serum-based indicators of body-wide muscle fiber degeneration. Importantly, we have established that these effects of intravenous rAAV6-microdystrophin delivery preserve the muscle mass and physical mobility of dystrophic mice, and considerably extend their lifespan. These data provide evidence that systemic administration of AAV vectors is a promising strategy to achieve whole body treatment of pathology associated with muscular dystrophy, and as such may lead to a treatment for DMD and other severe neuromuscular disorders.
Electrical characterization of Langmuir-Blodgett films of poly(3-hexylthiophene) by utilizing rectifying contacts

Abstract Rectifying contacts have been utilized in the electrical characterization of Langmuir-Blodgett films of poly(3-hexylthiophene) mixed with stearic acid or 3-octadecanoylpyrrole. The current transport and the capacitive properties indicate that the Schottky barriers are thin and partially blocking because of relatively high dopant concentrations. Charge carriers can tunnel through the thin barriers making the transport bulk limited corresponding to Poole-Frenkel effect characteristics. Capacitance-voltage measurements reveal increasing dopant concentration with decreasing film thickness near the rectifying electrode. The frequency and thickness dependences of the capacitance and parallel resistance indicate that filament formation occurs during vacuum deposition of the top electrodes, and that these filaments extend deep into the polymer.
Student video productions: Who owns the copyright?

Statue and case law provide little direct guidance as to student works. However, a 1989 U.S. Supreme Court decision defined the Work for Hire provisions of the 1976 Copyright Act in such a way that student‐producers would seem to be able to retain the copyright of their productions. Accordingly, recommendations are made concerning a contract between a school and a student acknowledging the student's copyright in the work but granting the school a non‐exclusive license to air the program. A prototype of such a contract is presented.
Effect of epidural analgesia for labor on the cesarean delivery rate.

OBJECTIVE To use meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of epidural analgesia on the cesarean delivery rate. DATA SOURCES The MEDLINE data base was searched for articles published in English between January 1981 and April 1992. We also interviewed experts and conducted a bibliographic follow-up and manual review of recent journals published from April to July 1992. METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION We excluded articles with irrelevant titles, and those case studies, book chapters, or articles that did not provide primary and relevant data. Two hundred thirty articles were read, including articles that reported on women of standard obstetric risk and on cesarean delivery rates for an epidural group and for a concurrent no-epidural group. These criteria yielded six studies for a primary analysis and two others for a secondary analysis. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS The sample size of the epidural and no-epidural groups and the number of cesareans within each group were extracted. Tests of homogeneity were conducted. The pooled cesarean delivery risk difference as a result of epidural analgesia was estimated. The cesarean rate for women undergoing epidural analgesia was ten percentage points greater than for no-epidural women (P < .05). More than a nine percentage point increase was shown for cesarean deliveries for dystocia (P < .05), when pooling either all studies or only randomized studies. CONCLUSIONS The results of this meta-analysis strongly support an increase in cesarean delivery associated with epidural analgesia. Further research should evaluate the balance between analgesia associated with the use of epidurals, and postpartum morbidity and costs associated with cesarean deliveries.
" We won" vs. "They lost": Exploring ego-enhancement and self-preservation tendencies in the context of video game play

Abstract The human tendencies to employ ego-enhancement and self-preservation strategies have been examined in the context of competitive events such as political elections and sports team affiliations. But do video game players use these same strategies to cope with game outcomes? A 2 × 2 experiment (N = 91) was conducted to examine if winning or losing in a staged video game bowling tournament and performing below-average or above-average on an unrelated trivia task would result in ego-enhancement or self-preservation tendencies. Results not only indicated that both strategies are utilized in the context of video game play, but also suggested a complex relationship between avatar resemblance and game enjoyment. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Excitation of rare earth emission in chalcogenide glasses by broadband Urbach edge absorption

Abstract Studies of photoluminescence (PL) and photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectroscopy in rare earth (RE)-doped chalcogenide glasses have shown that there are interactions between the fundamental optical absorption and emission processes of the chalcogenide host glasses such as Ge33As12Se55 and the spectrally overlapping intra 4f-shell transitions of Er, Pr and Dy dopants. A broad (∼0.5 eV fwhm), near-band edge PLE band is observed in the excitation spectra of RE emission bands in chalcogenide glasses, superimposed on the expected 4f-RE PLE peaks. The results reviewed here demonstrate that the broad band PLE of the RE emission is due to the absorption of light in the Urbach edge of the host glass followed by non-radiative transfer of the excitation energy to the RE emitters. On the basis of several unique properties of the broad band PLE, we suggest a model for the energy transfer process from the host glass to the REs mediated by intrinsic defect states in the glass.
Effects of cardiac myosin binding protein-C on actin motility are explained with a drag-activation-competition model

Although mutations in cardiac myosin binding protein-C (cMyBP-C) cause heart disease, its role in muscle contraction is not well understood. A mechanism remains elusive partly because the protein can have multiple effects, such as dual biphasic activation and inhibition observed in actin motility assays. Here we develop a mathematical model for the interaction of cMyBP-C with the contractile proteins actin and myosin and the regulatory protein tropomyosin. We use this model to show that a drag-activation-competition mechanism accurately describes actin motility measurements, while models lacking either drag or competition do not. These results suggest that complex effects can arise simply from cMyBP-C binding to actin.
Assaultive violence in the community: Psychological responses of adolescent victims and their parents

Purpose: This article presents an overview of psychological responses to injuries due to assaultive violence, particularly gunshot wounds, in adolescents and parents. Methods: Reviews were conducted of the psychological, medical, and public health literature to identify studies of violent injury in adolescent populations. Studies reviewed in this article include those reporting levels of gunshot and other violent injuries among pediatric patients in urban hospitals and those examining psychological responses of children and parents to violent injury and parental responses to potential death of a child. Results: Existing literature indicates that the number of adolescent victims of assaultive violence is increasing. Adolescent victims of assaultive violence and their parents may experience significant psychological distress including school difficulties, guilt and fears of subsequent injury, and changes in risk behaviors and perceptions of life. Conclusion: Greater awareness of the psychological repercussions of injury due to assaultive violence for adolescents and their families is needed among medical professionals. Hospital based interventions, which may include psychological support for adolescents and their parents and referrals for academic evaluation and assistance, should be developed for adolescent trauma victims and their families.
Expert Commentary: Practical Issues in Newborn Screening for Severe Combined Immune Deficiency (SCID)

Kate Sullivan: We asked experts in the field to comment on some of the more pressing questions in the burgeoning field of newborn screening for severe combined immune deficiency (SCID). Their valuable perspectives are provided to guide the establishment of policies as additional states consider and implement newborn screening for SCID. Jennifer Puck has been a strong advocate for newborn screening and originated the concept of T cell receptor excision circle (TREC) screening using dried blood spots; the TREC assay has been performed on all newborns in California since August 2010, and Dr. Puck is the immunology consultant for the California Genetic Disease Lab; she has instituted a centralized follow-up model, with the screening program obtaining and sending follow-up tests throughout the state to a single immunology lab. Dr. Puck and her Southern California colleague, Dr. Joseph Church, interpret all flow cytometric results from a designated laboratory with a standardized analytic panel. Dr. Jack Routes was responsible for implementing the first state newborn screening program for SCID, which started in Wisconsin in January 2008. Wisconsin is a leader in the field of newborn screening. Dr. Alexandra (Lisa) Filipovich has developed Cincinnati Children’s Hospital into one of the preeminent transplant centers. Novel protocols to limit toxicity and improve outcomes are central to the innovations at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.
The Efficiency of Women as Farm Managers: Kenya

The purpose of the study on which this paper is based is to investigate possible differences between male and female farm managers in the possession of, and means of acquiring, technical information relevant to agricultural production of maize (Zea mays or corn), the staple commodity of the area. Technical information is taken to mean knowledge relating to the manner in which inputs are combined. Producers are said to differ in technical efficiency when they experience systematic differences in the output produced from a given combination of inputs.' Allocative decision making, which has to do with the quantities of inputs used as distinct from the techniques of input use (cf. Shapiro, p. 2), is excluded from the analysis because of the absence of farmspecific price data. The section that follows describes the geographic area, giving an explanation of the high proportion of female farm managers (relative to the ratios found in most farming communities, in Africa and elsewhere). Next, the data are described, and the model is set out in general terms. The empirical analysis follows, and finally, some conclusions. Women as Farm Managers in Vihiga Division
972-105 Afterload Reduction Selectively Improves Myocardial Deformation After Infarction in Adjacent Noninfarcted Regions

left ventricular remodeling post-infarction (post-MI) is accompanied by persistent dysfunction in the non-infarcted adjacent region. Chronic afterload reduction (ALR) therapy has a salutary effect on post-MI remodeling. The relative contribution of mechanical unloading to this effect remains unclear. We hypothesized that improved adjacent (ADJ) region dysfunction contributes to the beneficial effect of ALR. We therefore studied myocardial deformation in ADJ and remote (REM) non-infarcted regions in 5 sheep two months after anteroapical infarction during control (C) and after nitroprusside infusion (NP). Using magnetic resonance tissue tagging and finite element analysis techniques, we measured deformation using the orthogonal principal strains, λl (1 + greatest systolic elongation), λ2 (1 - greatest systolic shortening), and β or angular deviation of λl from the radial direction. With NP. LV systolic pressure fell from 94 ± 9 to 69 ± 7 mmHg (p l 0.05) while end-diastolic pressure was unchanged, as measured by a high-fidelity catheter. Results (mean ± S.E.): REM deformation and its orientation were similar in C and NP In contrast: ADJλI ADJ λ2 ADJβ(°) C 1.06 ± 0.02 † 0.88 ± 0.01 † 45.6 ± 7.6 † NP 1.09 ± 0.03 † 0.83 ± 0.01 * † 25.8 ± 2.4 * † ANOVA P NS l 0.05 l 0.05 * p l 0.05 vs. Control † p l 0.05 REM vs. ADJ Thus in the ADJ regions, λl and λ2 were reduced compared to REM, and λ2 decreased after NP. denoting greater systolic shortening. The most important change with NP was the normalization of ADJ β, resulting in a greater contribution to pump function. In conclusion, improved mechanical function in the ADJ non-infarcted regions, particularly the orientation of principal strains, is an important determinant of the beneficial effect of ALR on post-MILV function.
Thermal Green's functions in plane anisotropic multiferroic bimaterials with viscous interface

Derived in this work are the time-dependent thermal Green’s function solutions of a steady line heat source and a steady thermal dislocation near a linear viscous interface between two different anisotropic magneto-electro-thermo-elastic multiferroic half-planes. Our analysis demonstrates that once the thermal Green’s functions at the initial time for a perfect interface are known, the corresponding time-dependent thermal Green’s functions at any time can be written down immediately. These solutions are obtained in exact closed form.
Identification of two GTP-binding proteins in the chloroplast protein import machinery

Two of four proteins that associated with translocation intermediates during protein import across the outer chloroplast envelope membrane were identified as guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-binding proteins. Both proteins are integral membrane proteins of the outer chloroplast membrane, and both are partially exposed on the chloroplast surface where they were accessible to thermolysin digestion. Engagement of the outer membrane's import machinery by an import substrate was inhibited by slowly hydrolyzable or non-hydrolyzable GTP analogs. Thus, these GTP-binding proteins may function in protein import into chloroplasts.
Leadership as medium: A leaderless group discussion model

Two models of group leadership are articulated: (1) a group leadership influence model, and (2) a leaderless group discussion model. A group leadership influence model assumes that leaders are more effective when they are active within the group and that this activity level is positively associated with group productivity. A leaderless group discussion model maintains that effective leadership is more docile and that the group's overall leadership activity versus the activity of an individual leader is a better predictor of group productivity. The assumptions of these two competing models of group leadership were tested in a laboratory descriptive study. The results suggest that a leaderless group discussion model provides a better understanding of the data. Implications for group leadership from a leaderless group discussion perspective are discussed.
Phytochemical Screening of Cannabis Sativa L. I: Constituents of an Indian Variant

9-trans-Tetrahydrocannabivarin, a mixture of sterols (campesterol, stigmasterol, and β-sitosterol), and the amino acid L-proline were isolated from an Indian variant of Cannabis sativa L. Characterizations were accomplished by the usual spectral methods, except for the sterols which were subjected to GLC-mass spectral analysis.
The Axial Distribution of Lesion-Site Atherosclerotic Plaque Components: An In Vivo Volumetric Intravascular Ultrasound Radio-Frequency Analysis of Lumen Stenosis, Necrotic Core and Vessel Remodeling

Radio-frequency intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) analysis characterizes atherosclerotic plaques into necrotic core (NC), dense calcium (DC), fibrofatty (FF) and fibrotic (FI) tissue. We studied axial plaque component distribution with respect to stenosis and remodeling. Preintervention virtual histology (VH) IVUS was performed in 81 pts (90 de novo lesions: 43 left anterior descending artery [LAD] and 47 right coronary artery [RCA]). VH-IVUS at the reference, minimum lumen area (MLA) and maximum NC (MaxNC) sites were analyzed. Pullback length of 31.1 +/- 12.0 mm spanned a lesion length of 13.8 +/- 9.5 mm. The MaxNC site was located at the MLA in 3.3% of lesions, proximal to the MLA in 61% of lesions (by 4.11 mm) and distal to the MLA in 35.6% of lesions (by 3.56 mm). The %DC was greater at the MaxNC and %FI and %FF plaque were less than at the MLA site. Lesion fiberoatheromas (FAs) were more often detected at the MaxNC than the MLA (96% versus 51%) and were more often classified as thin-caped or multilayered than the MLA sites. The remodeling index was larger at the MaxNC than MLA sites and correlated with the NC area both at the MLA (r(2) 0.068, p = 0.013) and at the MaxNC (r(2) 0.074, p = 0.009). In conclusion, grey-scale and VH-IVUS analysis showed that the MLA is rarely at the site of greatest instability (largest NC and remodeling) and necrotic core on VH is correlated with remodeling index. These in vivo findings are consistent with previously reported histopathologic data and have important implications for the detection and treatment of coronary artery disease.
Community Reinforcement and Family Training: A pilot comparison of group and self-directed delivery

In a randomized clinical pilot study, 40 concerned significant others (CSOs) of treatment-refusing alcohol- and drug-using individuals were randomized to either Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) conducted in a group format (Group CRAFT) or a Self-Directed CRAFT condition. Although results indicated no significant between-group difference in engaging treatment-refusing substance-using individuals (referred to as identified patients or IPs) into treatment, the engagement rate in Group CRAFT was similar to rates previously reported with individual CRAFT. For the intent-to-treat analysis, 60% of Group CRAFT CSOs engaged their loved one into treatment, as compared with 40% in Self-Directed CRAFT. Of CSOs in the Group condition who received at least one session of group therapy, 71% engaged their IP into treatment. CSOs in both conditions reported improvements in family cohesion and conflict at the 3- and 6-month follow-up, replicating prior CRAFT findings.
Equilibrium adsorption of water-like molecules on single nanospheres

Water-like gas adsorption on spherical nano-aerosol particles has been studied for particles of different sizes at different temperatures with density functional theory. The water-like fluid was modelled as Lennard–Jones (LJ) spheres with four hydrogen-bonding sites with parameters adjusted to the phase diagram of water. For the single sphere case, both the adsorption excesses and density profiles approach those of the plane cases as the spherical substrate sizes increase; at each temperature studied, the size dependence of the transition from thin-film adsorption to thick-film adsorption has been observed. What we found here support earlier suggestions (J. X. Fang, W. H. Marlow, J. X. Lu, and R. R. Lucchese, J. Chem. Phys. 107, 5212 (1997)) that not only the interaction energies between the water molecule and the spherical substrate are sensitive to the size of the spherical substrate, but also the wetting behaviour. In calculations of the excess adsorptions of particles of radii R = 20σ, 30σ, and 50σ, t...