cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of CenteringPregnancy group prenatal care on preterm birth in a low-income population

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of group prenatal care on rates of preterm birth. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 316 women in group prenatal care that was compared with 3767 women in traditional prenatal care. Women self-selected participation in group care. RESULTS: Risk factors for preterm birth were similar for group prenatal care vs traditional prenatal care: smoking (16.9% vs 20%; P .17), sexually transmitted diseases (15.8% vs 13.7%; P .29), and previous preterm birth (3.2% vs 5.4%; P .08). Preterm delivery (37 weeks’ gestation) was lower in group care than traditional care (7.9% vs 12.7%; P .01), as was delivery at 32 weeks’ gestation (1.3% vs 3.1%;P .03). Adjusted odds ratio for preterm birth for participants in group care was 0.53 (95% confidence interval, 0.34 – 0.81). The racial disparity in preterm birth for black women, relative to white and Hispanic women, was diminished for the women in group care. CONCLUSION: Among low-risk women, participation in group care improves the rate of preterm birth compared with traditional care, especially among black women. Randomized studies are needed to eliminate selection bias.
Double-Epilayer Structure for Low Drain Voltage Rating n-Channel Power Trench MOSFET Devices

Double-epilayer structures were studied for n-channel low-voltage power trench MOSFET devices with drain-to-source voltage (Vds) of 20 V, and various device performance improvements have been observed. The threshold voltage variation (sigmaVth) can be reduced by increasing the intrinsic epilayer thickness. A 9% effective electron mobility mun improvement has been observed and is attributed to the reduced background phosphorus scattering. A Qgd of 3.1 nC for double- epilayer structure is observed which is about 30% lower than the 4.5 nC for the single-epilayer structure. This improved Qgd is due to both an increasing depletion width at the bottom of the trench and the well junction moving toward the trench bottom for the double-epilayer structure. The dependence of Qgd on the double-epilayer structure (intrinsic epilayer thickness and the doped epilayer resistivity) is found following the power law Qgd prop alphaX-b, where a and b are double-epilayer structure dependent. Compared to the single-epilayer structure, a double- epilayer structure can handle larger reverse current, suggesting a smaller basis resistance (Rbb') for the double-epilayer structure. This improvement ranges from 7% to 24% depending on the die pitch. A 20% less temperature dependence of device on-resistance for the double-epilayer structure has also been observed. This enables a large forward current capability, although the mechanism is not well understood.
Constraining the concentration of the hydroxyl radical in a stratocumulus-topped marine boundary layer from sea-to-air eddy covariance flux measurements of dimethylsulfide

Abstract. The hydroxyl radical (OH) is an important oxidant in the troposphere due to its high reactivity and relative abundance. Measuring the concentration of OH in situ, however, is technically challenging. Here we present a simple method of estimating an OH-equivalent oxidant concentration ("effective OH") in the marine boundary layer (MBL) from the mass balance of dimethylsulfide (DMS). We use shipboard eddy covariance measurements of the sea-to-air DMS flux from the Vamos Ocean-Cloud-Atmosphere-Land Study Regional Experiment (VOCALS-REx) in October and November of 2008. The persistent stratocumulus cloud-cover off the west coast of South America and the associated strong inversion between MBL and the free troposphere (FT) greatly simplify the dynamics in this region and make our budget estimate possible. From the observed diurnal cycle in DMS concentration, the nighttime entrainment velocity at the inversion is estimated to be 4 mm s−1. We calculate 1.4(±0.2)×106 OH molecules cm−3 from the DMS budget, which represents a monthly effective concentration and is well within the range of previous estimates. Furthermore, when linearly proportioned according to the intensity of solar flux, the resultant diel OH profile, together with DMS surface and entrainment fluxes, enables us to accurately replicate the observed diurnal cycle in DMS (correlation coefficient over 0.9). The nitrate radical (NO3) is found to have little contribution to DMS oxidation during VOCALS-REx. An upper limit estimate of 1 pptv of bromine oxide radical (BrO) would account for 30% of DMS oxidation and lower the OH concentration to 1.0)×106 OH molecules cm−3. Our effective OH estimate includes the oxidation of DMS by such radicals.
Unmet needs in controlling metabolic disease.

Multislice computerized tomography (MSCT) is a relatively new, noninvasive method for evaluating coronary stenosis. In symptomatic patients, the use of MSCT has been shown to be effective in identifying coronary lesions with comparable accuracy to the traditional, catheter-based invasive angiography. With the 64-slice MSCT scanner, units are acquired faster and the slices are thinner, resulting in improved temporal and spatial resolution and coronary artery imaging. Additional benefits of the 64-slice MSCT scanner as compared with the older generation scanners include a shorter period during which the patient must hold his or her breath, a wider range of acceptable heart rates, and the ability to image very obese patients and those with moderate coronary calcium with lower volumes of contrast. The 64-slice MSCT scanner has some limitations, but it demonstrates an improved image resolution that allows for a more precise evaluation. This new generation of MSCT scanners may eventually eliminate the need for invasive coronary angiography.
Hypertensives' pressor response to norepinephrine. Analysis by infusion rate and plasma levels.

After 5 days of a 10 mEq sodium diet or 4 days of a 200 mEq sodium diet, 15 hypertensives and 11 normotensive control subjects received pressor doses of intravenous norepinephrine (NE). Analysis of pressor responses to the rate of NE infusion showed that the high salt diet sensitized subjects so that they needed less NE to raise systolic blood pressure (SBP) 20 mm Hg (P = .005). There was a complex interaction of salt intake, black race, and hypertension on NE pressor sensitivity (P = .03). Hypertensives attained lower plasma NE levels during the stepwise NE infusion, so we reanalyzed NE sensitivity in terms of the changes in plasma NE levels. This analysis also showed that during the high salt diet, subjects initiated a pressor response at lower plasma NE levels (P = .017) and raised SBP 20 mm Hg at lower NE levels (P = .007). The reanalysis showed that hypertensives initiated a pressor response at lower plasma NE levels (P = .03) and raised SBP 20 mm Hg at lower NE levels (P = .002). Plasma NE levels should provide a better guide to the concentration of NE at cardiovascular receptors than the rate of NE infusion. Analysis of pressor responses to plasma NE levels demonstrated that the hypertensives had an exaggerated pressor response to NE.
Untangling the Impacts of Climate Change on Waterborne Diseases: a Systematic Review of Relationships between Diarrheal Diseases and Temperature, Rainfall, Flooding, and Drought

Global climate change is expected to affect waterborne enteric diseases, yet to date there has been no comprehensive, systematic review of the epidemiological literature examining the relationship between meteorological conditions and diarrheal diseases. We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Collection for studies describing the relationship between diarrheal diseases and four meteorological conditions that are expected to increase with climate change: ambient temperature, heavy rainfall, drought, and flooding. We synthesized key areas of agreement and evaluated the biological plausibility of these findings, drawing from a diverse, multidisciplinary evidence base. We identified 141 articles that met our inclusion criteria. Key areas of agreement include a positive association between ambient temperature and diarrheal diseases, with the exception of viral diarrhea and an increase in diarrheal disease following heavy rainfall and flooding events. Insufficient evidence was available to evaluate the effects of drought on diarrhea. There is evidence to support the biological plausibility of these associations, but publication bias is an ongoing concern. Future research evaluating whether interventions, such as improved water and sanitation access, modify risk would further our understanding of the potential impacts of climate change on diarrheal diseases and aid in the prioritization of adaptation measures.
Case 1: Joint Pain, Weight Loss, Fatigue, and Persistent Pleural Effusions in 17-year-old Boy.

1. Diana Weaver, MD* 2. Valeriy Chorny, MD* 3. Sayani Tewari, MBBS* 1. *Kings County Hospital Center, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY. A 17-year-old boy with intellectual disability, epilepsy, asthma, diabetes mellitus type 2, and thyroiditis is readmitted for seizures, persistent cough, shortness of breath, and persistent pleural effusion on chest radiograph. He has constant chest and joint pain and a gait abnormality. Before the current hospitalization, he presented to the clinic with 2 weeks of productive cough and received azithromycin. Seventeen days later, he was admitted for cough and progressive worsening of fatigue; muscle, back, abdominal, and chest pains; unintentional weight loss; and a 9-month history of joint pains and gait change described as “walking like an old man.” A chest radiograph and chest computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a small right pleural effusion with nonspecific right lower lobe ground-glass opacities and no hilar lymphadenopathy. He was treated for possible pneumonia and discharged after 3 days. He was afebrile throughout his hospital course. His daily medications include metformin 1,000 mg/day, levothyroxine 50 μg/day, topiramate 400 mg/day, and oxcarbazepine 1,800 mg/day (started 10 months ago). Physical examination reveals temperature of 100°F (37.7°C), respiratory rate of 26 breaths/min, heart rate of 88 beats/min, blood pressure of 118/71 mm Hg, and room air oxygen saturation of 93%. Examination of the …
The Sources of Cultural Power: Beyond the Cultural Arbitrary

Since the 19 century the dominant conceptualization of cultural power has been the Bcultural arbitrary,^ the idea that the meaning of a sign comes not from any substantive relationship to the signified but from its relationship to other signs in a symbolic structure. Put differently, the relationship of the signifier to the signified is arbitrary. The beauty of the cultural arbitrary is that it provides a solid foundation for recognizing the relative autonomy of culture. Culture becomes a structure with its own integrity, and as such is a resource that competes alongside social, economic and political structures and motivations as a determinant of social action. Culture frames the possible, provides moral frameworks for judging the actual, and can motivate the actions of individuals and groups. The scholarship of Jeffrey Alexander and others working within the Bstrong program^ of cultural sociology has shown the analytical purchase and interpretative power of this conceptualization. However fruitful, this conceptualization is not without limitations. First, feminist and postcolonial scholars have suggested that concepts of culture that portray it as autonomous cover over the politics of cultural creation and the real social struggles involved in representation (see Smilde 2013). Second, concepts of culture based on an arbitrary relationship between signifier and signified do not seem to capture the actual engagement of culture in life, in which people formulate and use culture to address the challenges they face in the world. Culture does not just motivate, restrict and condition behind the backs of actors. It is created by them as they engage the world and is consciously modified as it succeeds or fails. Third, while the cultural arbitrary strengthens the autonomy of culture, by the same token it reduces the scope of culture, forfeiting intentional practice over to conceptions of unconstructed rational action. Scholars working with the strong program of cultural sociology can certainly deal with political and economic actors that manipulate and instrumentally use culture. But they tend to do so using concepts of naked rational action. This is unfortunate Qual Sociol (2016) 39:195–198 DOI 10.1007/s11133-016-9327-6
Is Less More for the Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation after Cardiac Surgery

Atrial fibrillation occurs in anywhere from 20 to 50% of patients after cardiac surgery. The high frequency is important, largely because this condition prolongs the patient’s hospital stay and increases both morbidity and cost.1 The treatment of patients with atrial fibrillation, including those with postoperative atrial fibrillation, has three components: the institution of anticoagulation for stroke prevention, rate control, and rhythm control.2 Among these three components, there is great variation in practice patterns. Some physicians believe that there should be a low threshold for pursuing rhythm control, whereas others think that a much higher threshold is important. In this issue . . .
Voices of Experience

This narrative contains pearls of wisdom from individuals who engage in population and academic-community-related work. Respondents answered the following questions: Can you say a bit about why community-academic partnerships are important? What are the three things you wish you had known when you first started doing work with communities? How does someone learn to engage with communities in a manner that is respectful and leads to strong partnerships? How did you learn? What are some of the things that you have observed that get in the way of partnership-building? How has working with communities changed the nature or effect of your work?
Analysis of Neutrophil Polarization and Chemotaxis

Neutrophil polarization and directed migration (chemotaxis) are critical for the inflammatory response. Neutrophil chemotaxis is achieved by the sensing of narrow gradients of chemoattractant and the subsequent polarization and directed migration toward the chemotactic source. Despite recent progress, the signaling mechanisms that regulate neutrophil polarization during chemotaxis have not been clearly defined. Here, we describe methods to analyze neutrophil polarization and asymmetric redistribution of signaling components induced by chemoattractant using immunofluorescence. Further, methods are described to dissect the role of specific signaling pathways during chemotaxis by the use of murine neutrophils from transgenic mouse models. Finally, methods for time-lapse microscopy and transwell assay for the analysis of neutrophil chemotaxis will also be discussed.
Breast Augmentation Using Abdominoplasty Fat

Lipoaspiration is the typical method of obtaining fat for transfer, however, the morselized abdominal pannus can also be used for fat transfer to the breast in patients already undergoing abdominoplasty. There is no accepted best practice for fat graft harvest, preparation, and injection.1,2 Fat harvest has been described with hand-held syringe, standard liposuction, power assisted liposuction, ultrasound liposuction, and water assisted liposuction. Volume retention after fat transfer stabilizes by 4 months3 and tends to have higher retention percentages with higher volumes injected to the breast.4 Retention of fat varies from 40% to 80% as measured by volumetric analysis of MRI and three-dimensional photography.5,6 A large quantity of liposuctioned fat is required for adequate lipoaugmentation. Three patients underwent liposuction, abdominoplasty, and fat transfer to the breasts, two of them also had removal of breast implants. Liposuction of the abdomen and flanks preceded the abdominoplasty. The fat was …
Analytical Prediction of Transient Coupling

This paper presents a simplified solution of complex coupling problems in both the frequency and time domain, that are common in the Aerospace industry. This approach consists in determining the transfer function (coupling factor), that exists between the interference and induced lines, using modified Electromagnetic Directional Coupler equations. Graphical techniques are presented to facilitate rapid solutions.
Papua New Guinea ? Science reveals hidden wealth

PNG harbours great wealth in flora, fauna, mineral resources and its people, but these have long remained hidden by jungle-covered mountains, extensive lowland swamps and many outlying volcanic and earthquake-prone islands. New Guinea came to the attention of science in the 17th century with the discovery of the bird of paradise, a great curiosity to Europeans. Expeditions into PNG in the 19th century became fiercely competitive amongst naturalists, expeditions which would lay the geological groundwork for huge copper-gold, and oil and gas discoveries in the 20th century (Rickwood 1990). Oil Search, incorporated in PNG in 1929, has continued this spirit of discovery with extensive geologic and scientific surveys through its 80 year history, contributing to the PNG oil boom throughout the 1990?s and to the upcoming LNG boom from 2014 into the 2030?s. Geologic advances have been made in the dating of sequences, understanding of the development of mountain belts in 2D and (soon) 3D, and the prediction of fluid migration into traps. Engineering innovations have been profound, in heli-drilling, seismic acquisition and now in the construction of an LNG stream. But what of the future? Science in PNG will continue to move forward; the application of 3D seismic in the offshore will open new frontiers, and the recent granting of coal-bed-methane licences in the swampy lowlands will test our knowledge and our science. There is no doubt that scientific endeavor will bring to light yet more wealth in Papua New Guinea.
Intelligent motion control and gain tuning-toward a more intelligent design of motion control systems

An intelligent motion control system design concept is proposed. The design is intelligent in that the designed system can adapt itself to operational, system itself and/or environmental variations. The key concept is to link system gain tuning with the variations explicitly and quantitatively. The effectiveness of the system is verified by an existing experiment.
Language as a factor in the identification of ordinary words and number words

Abstract What role does language play in the organization of and access to the bilingual lexicon? Two primed lexical decision experiments addressed this question, with the specific aim of comparing the salience of the language of presentation of a word when the word was a number-word (e.g. FIVE) and when it was a non-number-related word. The results of the two experiments revealed that language does not appear to be as important a feature of number words as it is for “ordinary” words of the lexicon. The findings are discussed in light of recent models of bilingual lexical access.
Time-resolved flow dynamics and Reynolds number effects at a wall-cylinder junction

This study investigated the physics of separated turbulent flows near the vertical intersection of a flat wall with a cylindrical obstacle. The geometry imposes an adverse pressure gradient on the incoming boundary layer. As a result, flow separates from the wall and reorganizes to a system of characteristic flow patterns known as the horseshoe vortex. We studied the time-averaged and instantaneous behaviour of the turbulent horseshoe vortex using planar time-resolved particle image velocimetry (TRPIV). In particular, we focused on the effect of Reynolds number based on the diameter of the obstacle and the bulk approach velocity, . Experiments were carried out at : , and . Data analysis emphasized time-averaged and turbulence quantities, time-resolved flow dynamics and the statistics of coherent flow patterns. It is demonstrated that two large-scale vortical structures dominate the junction flow topology in a time-averaged sense. The number of additional vortices with intermittent presence does not vary substantially with . In addition, the increase of turbulence kinetic energy (TKE), momentum and vorticity content of the flow at higher is documented. The distinctive behaviour of the primary horseshoe vortex for the case is manifested by episodes of rapid advection of the vortex to the upstream, higher spatio-temporal variability of its trajectory, and violent eruptions of near-wall fluid. Differences between this experimental run and those at lower Reynolds numbers were also identified with respect to the spatial extents of the bimodal behaviour of the horseshoe vortex, which is a well-known characteristic of turbulent junction flows. Our findings suggest a modified mechanism for the aperiodic switching between the dominant flow modes. Without disregarding the limitations of this work, we argue that Reynolds number effects need to be considered in any effort to control the dynamics of junction flows characterized by the same (or reasonably similar) configurations.
Effectiveness of enforcement levels of speed limit and drink driving laws and associated factors – Exploratory empirical analysis using a bivariate ordered probit model

Abstract The contemporary traffic safety research comprises little information on quantifying the simultaneous association between drink driving and speeding among fatally injured drivers. Potential correlation between driver's drink driving and speeding behavior poses a substantial methodological concern which needs investigation. This study therefore focused on investigating the simultaneous impact of socioeconomic factors, fatalities, vehicle ownership, health services and highway agency road safety policies on enforcement levels of speed limit and drink driving laws. The effectiveness of enforcement levels of speed limit and drink driving laws has been investigated through development of bivariate ordered probit model using data extricated from WHO's global status report on road safety in 2013. The consistent and intuitive parameter estimates along with statistically significant correlation between response outcomes validates the statistical supremacy of bivariate ordered probit model. The results revealed that fatalities per thousand registered vehicles, hospital beds per hundred thousand population and road safety policies are associated with a likely medium or high effectiveness of enforcement levels of speed limit and drink driving laws, respectively. Also, the model encapsulates the effect of several other agency related variables and socio-economic status on the response outcomes. Marginal effects are reported for analyzing the impact of such factors on intermediate categories of response outcomes. The results of this study are expected to provide necessary insights to elemental enforcement programs. Also, marginal effects of explanatory variables may provide useful directions for formulating effective policy countermeasures for overcoming driver's speeding and drink driving behavior.
Responding to “Making Change Happen”: Students as Partners for Change

The article responds to the issue article "Making Change Happen: The New Mission and Location of Language Departments" by Rogelio Minana. Topics include interpersonal connections of university and college language departments with target language communities, interdisciplinary collaboration with faculty members in other academic departments, and the author's experiences of collaboration in relation to an Arabic language program.
Intertwining evidence- and model-based reasoning in physics sensemaking: An example from electrostatics

An argument for viewing evidence-based reasoning and model-based reasoning as two subcomponents of the larger activity of sense making.
University-Industry Knowledge Transfer: Channels of Sport Research Interaction

The reputation of academic programs is increasingly defined in terms of both the generation of high-quality research and the success in transferring scientific findings into commercial development. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence on the particular channels of research interaction between sport academia and sport companies. The purpose of this study was to assess, for the first time, the degree to which different channels of research interaction could be used to inform the research involvement levels of sport organizations with sport academia. Information was gathered from 292 sport managers working for United States sport companies. The results provide evidence that sport managers who collaborated with sport management academia are more concerned with working on joint research projects with sport management scholars and departments than with academic engagement in patenting and licenses, or involvement in networking, scholars’ mobility, and publication research channels.
pH-Dependent cooperativity and existence of a dry molten globule in the folding of a miniprotein BBL

Solution pH plays an important role in protein dynamics, stability, and folding; however, detailed mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here we use continuous constant pH molecular dynamics in explicit solvent with pH replica exchange to describe the pH profile of the folding cooperativity of a miniprotein BBL, which has drawn intense debate in the past. Our data reconciled the two opposing hypotheses (downhill vs. two-state) and uncovered a sparsely populated unfolding intermediate. As pH is lowered from 7 to 5, the folding barrier vanishes. As pH continues to decrease, the unfolding barrier lowers and denaturation is triggered by the protonation of Asp162, consistent with experimental evidence. Interestingly, unfolding proceeded via an intermediate, with intact secondary structure and a compact, unlocked hydrophobic core shielded from solvent, lending support to the recent hypothesis of a universal dry molten globule in protein folding. Our work demonstrates that constant pH molecular dynamics is a unique tool for testing this and other hypotheses to advance the knowledge in protein dynamics, stability, and folding.
Pharmacological modulation of the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor in a mouse model of mecamylamine-precipitated nicotine withdrawal.

Recent preclinical data has implicated the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) as a target in modulating nicotine reward. However, the role of the channel properties of the α7 nAChR in nicotine withdrawal is unknown. This study aimed to investigate the impact of α7 nAChR pharmacological modulation on mecamylamine-precipitated nicotine withdrawal behaviors in mice by using positive allosteric modulators (PAMs). The effect of the orthosteric α7 nAChR full agonist PNU282987 (1, 3, 9 mg/kg, s.c.), type I α7 PAM NS1738 (1 and 10 mg/kg; i.p.) and the type II α7 PAM PNU120596 (3 and 9 mg/kg, i.p.) on anxiety-like behavior, somatic signs, and hyperalgesia was measured in mice undergoing mecamylamine-precipitated nicotine withdrawal. Mice were infused with 24 mg/kg/day nicotine or saline for 14 days using s.c. osmotic minipumps. Nicotine withdrawal signs were precipitated upon administration of the non-selective nAChR antagonist mecamylamine (3.5 mg/kg, i.p.). Anxiety-like behavior in nicotine withdrawn mice was only attenuated by PNU282987 in a dose-related fashion. Somatic signs were reduced by PNU282987 and NS1738. PNU120596 was the only compound that reversed precipitated nicotine withdrawal-induced hyperalgesia. Taken together, our results suggest that modulation of the α7 nAChR can play important roles in mecamylamine-precipitated nicotine withdrawal behaviors in mice. In addition, the effects of PAMs in this study suggest that endogenous acetylcholine/choline tone is sufficient to attenuate some aspects of precipitated nicotine withdrawal. These findings highlight a beneficial effect of using α7 nAChR PAMs in some aspects of precipitated nicotine withdrawal.
Species-Level Diversity Among Malagasy Lemurs

The number of Malagasy lemur species recognized has skyrocketed over the past quarter-century, from 22 in 1982 to almost 100 today. This is largely a result of the wholesale application of phylogenetic species concepts and the elimination of subspecies from the lemur fauna. I argue that “silver-bullet” approaches to species recognition ignore real biological complexity, and that species are best recognized through weighing all available evidence including that furnished by morphology, molecules, behavior, communication, demography, and distributions. Only about 50 lemur species are fully justified by current evidence, although this is certainly a conservative estimate.
Measurement and modeling of filament temperature distribution in the standoff gap between nozzle and bed in polymer-based additive manufacturing

Abstract Dispensing of a polymer filament above its glass transition temperature is a critical step in several polymer-based additive manufacturing techniques. While the nozzle assembly heats up the filament prior to dispense, it is important to minimize cooling down of the filament in the standoff distance between the nozzle tip and bed. While heat transfer processes within the nozzle assembly, such as filament melting, and on the bed, such as thermally-driven filament-to-filament adhesion, have been well studied, there is a lack of work on heat transfer in the filament in the standoff region. This paper presents infrared thermography based measurement of temperature distribution in the filament in the standoff region, and an analytical model for heat transfer in this region. The analytical model, based on a balance between thermal advection and convective/radiative heat loss predicts an exponentially decaying temperature distribution, the nature of which is governed by the characteristic length, a parameter that combines multiple process parameters such as mass flowrate, filament diameter, heat capacity and cooling conditions. Experimental data in a wide range of process parameters are found to be in very good agreement with the analytical model. The thermal design space for ensuring minimal temperature drop in the standoff region is explored based on the analytical model. Experimental data and theoretical modeling presented here improve our fundamental understanding of heat transfer in polymer additive manufacturing, and may contribute towards design tools for thermal optimization of these processes.
Medical marijuana laws are associated with increases in substance use treatment admissions by pregnant women

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Between 2002 and 2014, past-month marijuana use among pregnant women in the United States increased 62%, nearly twice the growth of the general population. This growth coincides with the proliferation of state medical marijuana laws (MMLs) authorizing physicians to recommend marijuana for approved conditions. We estimated the association between MMLs and substance use treatment utilization among pregnant and non-pregnant women of reproductive age. We also examined whether the association varied across MML provisions, age groups and treatment referral sources to clarify potential pathways. DESIGN Nation-wide administrative data from the 2002-14 Treatment Episodes Data Set Admissions, and a difference-in-differences design that exploited the staggered implementation of MMLs to compare changes in outcomes before and after implementation between MML and non-MML states. SETTING Twenty-one MML and 27 non-MML US states. PARTICIPANTS Pregnant and non-pregnant women aged 12-49 admitted to publicly funded specialty substance use treatment facilities. MEASUREMENTS The primary outcome variable was the number of treatment admissions per 100 000 women aged 12-49, aggregated at the state-year level (n = 606). Admissions for marijuana, alcohol, cocaine and opioids were considered. The primary independent variable was an indicator of MML implementation in a state. FINDINGS Among pregnant women, the rate of marijuana treatment admissions increased by 4.69 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.32, 8.06] in MML states relative to non-MML states. This growth was accompanied by increases in treatment admissions involving alcohol (β = 3.19; 95% CI = 0.97, 5.410 and cocaine (β = 2.56; 95% CI = 0.34, 4.79), was specific to adults (β = 5.50; 95% CI = 1.52, 9.47) and was largest in states granting legal protection for marijuana dispensaries (β = 6.37; 95% CI = -0.97, 13.70). There was no statistically significant association between MMLs and treatment admissions by non-pregnant women. CONCLUSIONS Medical marijuana law implementation in US states has been associated with greater substance use treatment utilization by pregnant adult women, especially in states with legally protected dispensaries.
Pathways to brain resilience.

Dena B. Dubal is a physician–scientist and the endowed chair in aging and neurodegenerative disease in the neurology department at the University of California, San Francisco. She has received awards from the National Institutes of Health and American Federation for Aging Research.
Rejection of xenogeneic porcine islets in humanized mice is characterized by graft‐infiltrating Th17 cells and activated B cells

Xenogeneic porcine islet transplantation is a promising potential therapy for type 1 diabetes (T1D). Understanding human immune responses against porcine islets is crucial for the design of optimal immunomodulatory regimens for effective control of xenogeneic rejection of porcine islets in humans. Humanized mice are a valuable tool for studying human immune responses and therefore present an attractive alternative to human subject research. Here, by using a pig-to-humanized mouse model of xenogeneic islet transplantation, we described the human immune response to transplanted porcine islets, a process characterized by dense islet xenograft infiltration of human CD45+ cells comprising activated human B cells, CD4+ CD44+ IL-17+ Th17 cells, and CD68+ macrophages. In addition, we tested an experimental immunomodulatory regimen in promoting long-term islet xenograft survival, a triple therapy consisting of donor splenocytes treated with ethylcarbodiimide (ECDI-SP), and peri-transplant rituximab and rapamycin. We observed that the triple therapy effectively inhibited graft infiltration of T and B cells as well as macrophages, promoted transitional B cells both in the periphery and in the islet xenografts, and provided a superior islet xenograft protection. Our study therefore indicates an advantage of donor ECDI-SP treatment in controlling human immune cells in promoting long-term islet xenograft survival.
High-temperature all-fiber non-destructive multi-parameter sensing system with consistent performance.

A high-temperature all-fiber non-destructive multi-parameter sensing system is developed. The system can operate consistently in a wide range of temperature changes by specially designed active signal generation and detection units. It is capable of monitoring temperature up to 600°C and cracks on metal pipes with an acoustic wave generation unit and an acoustic detection unit. A gold-coated multi-mode fiber is used to deliver a laser pulse for acoustic excitation while minimizing parasitic acoustic signals at high temperature. An in-fiber Fabry–Perot fiber Bragg grating (FP-FBG) is fabricated in another single-mode fiber and bonded to the test object for acoustic detection. The FP-FBG avoids strain redistribution inside the bonder at high temperature to ensure consistent operation. The feasibility of the system for temperature monitoring and crack detection in real-world applications is also demonstrated on an industry-standard P91 pipe.
Density Functional Theory Study of Decarboxylation and Decarbonylation of Acetic Acid on Pd (111)

Acetic acid (CH3COOH) decomposition over Pd (111) surface is a good model system for decomposition of acids and small oxygenates common in biomass conversion. Here we present Density Functional The...
Guidance for contemporary use of biologics in management of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps: discussion from a National Institutes of Health-sponsored workshop.

BACKGROUND Biologic medications are emerging as options for treating chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). Several questions remain regarding patient selection, indications, clinical efficacy, and cost effectiveness. METHODS In November 2019, a group of physicians and scientists gathered to consider strategies for future studies regarding biologics. During the discussion, gaps in knowledge highlighted a need for a consensus on the present day use of biologics in polyp patients. RESULTS The goal of this guideline is to propose recommendations for the current use of biologics in CRSwNP as new evidence continues to emerge and inform practice. CONCLUSION We suggest that physicians evaluate patients on an individual basis and closely monitor for improvement due to the high cost and unknown long-term effects of biologics.
Fever, poor response, convulsions, and hepatomegaly

Objective To investigate the differential diagnosis of Reye syndrome and the characteristics of primary carnitine deficiency, and to provide diagnostic strategy for similar cases. Methods There was a case presented with fever, poor response, convulsions and hepatomegaly hospitalized in Wuhan Children's Hospital, and the clinical manifestations were described, the physical examination was comprehensively conducted, the auxiliary examination results were recorded, some pediatric specialists from ICU, neurology department, genetic metabolic department, digestive system department were invited to discuss the case.The treatment was adjusted according to the suggested opinions; the treatment effects and the final diagnosis were tracked. Results The primary diagnosis of the case was central nervous system infection or toxic encephalopathy at the time of admission, but Reye syndrome could not be excluded.Although the cerebrospinal fluid test and brain MRI examination detected nothing abnormal, liver function suggested alanine aminotrans ferase ALT increase, blood sugar decrease, the liver volume increase, which was detected by liver ultrasound.Blood amino acids examination revealed the carnitine level decreased, and it was confirmed as primary carnitine deficiency in the end.L-carnitine was used to treat the disease, and its effect was good. Conclusions Great importance should be attached to children with onset age, physical check-up, and multidisciplinary cooperation.Use monism to explain the illness and the auxiliary inspection as far as possible, so that it can get early diagnosis and treatment, and the outcome is good. Key words: Reye syndrome; Primary carnitine deficiency; Hereditary metabolic disease
Trypanosomes have divergent kinesin-2 proteins that function differentially in flagellum biosynthesis and cell viability

Trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent of African sleeping sickness, has a flagellum that is crucial for motility, pathogenicity, and viability. In most eukaryotes, the intraflagellar transport (IFT) machinery drives flagellum biogenesis, and anterograde IFT requires kinesin-2 motor proteins. In this study, we investigated the function of the two T. brucei kinesin-2 proteins, TbKin2a and TbKin2b, in bloodstream form trypanosomes. We found that compared to other kinesin-2 proteins, TbKin2a and TbKin2b show greater variation in neck, stalk, and tail domain sequences. Both kinesins contributed additively to flagellar lengthening. Silencing TbKin2a inhibited cell proliferation, cytokinesis and motility, whereas silencing TbKin2b did not. TbKin2a was localized on the flagellum and colocalized with IFT components near the basal body, consistent with it performing a role in IFT. TbKin2a was also detected on the flagellar attachment zone, a specialized structure that connects the flagellum to the cell body. Our results indicate that kinesin-2 proteins in trypanosomes play conserved roles in flagellar biosynthesis and exhibit a specialized localization, emphasizing the evolutionary flexibility of motor protein function in an organism with a large complement of kinesins.
Mechanisms of stationary cross-flow instability growth and breakdown induced by forward-facing steps

An experimental study is performed to determine the mechanisms by which a forward-facing step impacts the growth and breakdown to turbulence of the stationary cross-flow instability. Particle image velocimetry measurements are obtained in the boundary layer of a swept flat plate with a pressure body. Step heights range from 53 % to 71 % of the boundary-layer thickness. The critical step height is approximately 60 % of the boundary-layer thickness for the current study, although it is also shown that the critical step height depends on the initial amplitude of the stationary cross-flow vortices. For the critical cases, the stationary cross-flow amplitude grows sharply downstream of the step, decays for a short region and then grows again. The initial growth region is linear, and can be explained primarily through the impact of the step on the mean flow. Namely, the step causes abrupt changes to the mean flow, resulting in large values of wall-normal shear, as well as highly inflectional profiles, due to either cross-flow reversal, separation or both. These inflectional profiles are highly unstable for the stationary cross-flow. Additionally, the reversed flow regions are significantly modulated by the stationary cross-flow vortices. The second region of growth occurs due to the stationary-cross-flow-induced modulation of the shear layer, which leads to multiple smaller wavelength streamwise vortices. High-frequency fluctuations indicate that the unsteady transition mechanism for the critical cases relates to the shedding of vortices downstream of reattachment of the modulated separated regions.
Successful Percutaneous Edge-to-Edge Mitral Valve Repair in a Patient With Mediastinal Shift.

Abstract Mediastinal shift often induces deformation of the esophagus and the cardiac chamber. We describe the case of percutaneous mitral edge-to-edge valve repair in a patient with mediastinal sh...
Glia-selective deletion of complement C1q prevents radiation-induced cognitive deficits and neuroinflammation

The adverse neurocognitive sequelae following clinical radiotherapy (RT) for central nervous system (CNS) malignancies are often long-lasting without any clinical recourse. Despite recent progress, the cellular mechanisms mediating RT-induced cognitive deficits (RICD) are poorly understood. The complement system is an immediate sensor of a disturbed inflammatory environment and a potent mediator of gliosis with a range of nonimmune functions in the CNS, including synaptic pruning, which is detrimental if dysregulated. We hypothesize that complement-mediated changes in glial cell function significantly contribute to RICD. The underlying alterations in CNS complement cascade proteins (C1q, C3), TLR4, and colabeling with glia (IBA1, GFAP) were examined using gene expression, immunofluorescence, and in silico modeling approaches in the adult mouse brain following 9 Gy cranial RT. Three-dimensional volumetric quantification showed elevated molecular signatures of gliosis at short- and long-term post-RT times. We found significant elevations in complement C1q, C3, and TLR4 post-RT accompanied by increased colabeling of astrocytes and microglia. To address the mechanism of RT-induced complement cascade activation, neuroinflammation, and cognitive dysfunction, we used a genetic approach-conditional, microglia-selective C1q (Flox) knockdown mice-to determine whether a glia-specific, upstream complement cascade contributes to RICD. C1q-Flox mice exposed to cranial RT showed no cognitive deficits compared with irradiated WT mice. Further, irradiated C1q-Flox mice were protected from RT-induced microglial activation and synaptic loss, elevation of anaphylatoxin C5a receptor, astrocytic-C3, and microglial-TLR4 expression in the brain. Our findings demonstrate for the first time a microglia-specific mechanism of RICD involving an upstream complement cascade component, C1q. SIGNIFICANCE: Clinically-relevant radiotherapy induces aberrant complement activation, leading to brain injury. Microglia-selective genetic deletion of CNS complement C1q ameliorates radiation-induced cognitive impairments, synaptic loss, and neuroinflammation, highlighting the potential for C1q as a novel therapeutic target.See related commentary by Korimerla and Wahl, p. 1635.
Dendronized vesicles: formation, self-organization of dendron-grafted amphiphiles and stability

Fundamental bacterial functions like quorum sensing can be targeted to replace conventional antibiotic therapies. Nanoparticles or vesicles that bind interfacially to charged biomolecules could be used to block quorum sensing pathways in bacteria. Towards this goal, dendronized vesicles (DVs) encompassing polyamidoamine dendron-grafted amphiphiles (PDAs) and dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine lipids are investigated using the molecular dynamics simulation technique in conjunction with an explicit solvent coarse-grained force field. The key physical factors determining the stability of DVs as a function of the dendron generation and relative concentration are identified. The threshold concentration of each dendron generation that yields stable DVs is determined. Dendrons with lower generations rupture the DVs at high relative concentrations due to the electrostatic repulsions between the terminally protonated amines. Whereas, dendrons with intermediate generations demonstrate a mushroom-to-brush transition. Conformational changes in the dendrons expand the outer DV surface, resulting in instability in the DV bilayer. DVs encompassing dendrons with higher generations incur stresses on the bilayer due to their high charge density and spontaneous curvature. The self-organization of PDAs on the DV surface are examined to understand how the asymmetric stresses are minimized across the bilayer. A set of conditions are determined to be conducive for the formation of a single cluster of PDAs that decorates the DV surface like a mesh. Results from this study can potentially guide the design and synthesis of nanoparticles which target quorum sensing pathways in bacteria towards the prevention and treatment of bacterial infections. Furthermore, these nanoparticles can be used in diverse applications in biomedicine, energy or electronics that require synthetic dendronized cells or the adsorption and transport of charged species.
Inside and Out.

Inside and Out A 38-year-old woman who walked several hours per day as a mail carrier had sudden substernal chest pain accompanied by shortness of breath on her way home from work. Emergency corona...
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced inflammatory changes to differentially expressed miRNAs of the host inflammatory response

Abstract In veterinary medicine, inflammation in swine is evaluated principally by clinical signs. This method is often unreliable when assessing large animal populations because of inconsistent interpretations of clinical observations. This study examined whether changes in miRNA expression can predict the severity of the inflammatory response in swine after administration of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Whole blood from swine challenged with LPS at 0.125 μg/kg to 2.0 μg/kg body weight was collected at 0, 1, 3, and 8 h post LPS-challenge. Mature miRNAs were extracted from plasma and quantitative real-time-PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to evaluate the 84 most abundant swine miRNAs found in plasma. The miRNA changes in expression were assessed using the comparative CT Method (ΔΔCT method) for normalization with an exogenous control. The results revealed that expression of ssc-let-7e-5p, ssc-mir-22−3p, and ssc-miR-146a-5p were the most significantly changed miRNA over the time course. At 1 h post-LPS, ssc-let-7e-5p decreased as the LPS dosage levels increased from 0.125 to 1.0 μg/kg. Similarly, as the LPS doses increased from 0.125 to 0.5 μg/kg, ssc-miR-22−3p levels significantly decreased at 1 h post-LPS. In the 2.0 μg/kg LPS, ssc-miR-146a-5p levels increased between 0 and 3 h post-LPS; however, expression was downregulated with a 145 % decrease from 3 to 8 h. The three miRNA biomarkers suggest potentially useful surrogate endpoints for the evaluation of inflammatory and endotoxemia responses in swine.