cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Capillary pressure as related to water holding in polyacrylamide and chicken protein gels.

UNLABELLED The ability of food gels to hold water affects product yield and organoleptic quality. Most researchers believe that water is held by capillarity such that gels having smaller mean pore diameter and a more hydrophilic surface hold water more tightly. To date, however, only qualitative evidence relating pore size to water holding (WH) properties has been provided. The present study sought to provide quantitative confirmation of this hypothesis. Scanning electron microscopy coupled with image analysis was used to measure pore size, and water contact angle with the gel surface was measured by the captive bubble method, in both model polyacrylamide gels and heat-induced protein (minced chicken breast) gels. These were related to water lost during cooking of meat pastes to form gels (cooking loss (CL)), as well as water lost upon centrifugation (expressible water (EW)) or by capillary suction (CSL) of all prepared gels, as inverse measures of WH. As predicted by the Young-Laplace equation for calculating capillary pressure, the presumed mechanism of WH, gels with lower water losses exhibited a more hydrophilic surface (smaller contact angle). Yet, both lower CL and CSL correlated with larger mean pore diameter of gels, not smaller as had been expected. Polyacrylamide gels varied more in WH than did prepared meat gels, yet only the capillary suction method was sensitive enough to detect these differences. PRACTICAL APPLICATION The ability of gels to hold water is important for economics of processing, food quality, and food safety. This study investigated the prevailing theory for how gels hold water, capillarity. Both the pore sizes of gel microstructures and the degree of hydrophilicity of the polymers comprising each gel were quantitatively assessed and related to water holding (WH) properties, and this was the first report using such methodologies. It appeared that the degree of hydrophilicity was much more important explaining WH properties than pore size, and that future research of this kind should be carried out.
Arguments against elective single-embryo transfer

Twin pregnancies are widely considered to carry higher risks for mothers and offspring than singleton deliveries. Therefore, authorities have increasingly argued in favor of reducing the high prevalence of twin pregnancies after fertility treatments. Attempts at such a reduction with IVF have been the primary motivation for the increasing popularity of single-embryo transfer (SET). If it were to be proved that the outcome risks of twin pregnancies do not exceed those of singletons and if data suggested that twin pregnancies may, indeed, represent a more cost-effective approach for most infertility patients towards building a family, the basic rationale for SET would, therefore, be eliminated. Such data were recently developed and are reviewed here. The conclusions from those data are that, in a vast majority of infertility patients, SET is outright contraindicated and should not be offered, except as part of experimental studies and with appropriate informed consents. Only patients with obstetrical contra...
Pertussis Vaccination for Health Care Workers

Pertussis, an acute respiratory infection caused by Bordetella pertussis, classically manifests as a protracted cough illness. The incidence of pertussis in the United States has been increasing in recent years. Immunity wanes after childhood vaccination, leaving adolescents and adults susceptible to infection. The transmission of pertussis in health care settings has important medical and economic consequences. Acellular pertussis booster vaccines are now available for use and have been recommended for all adolescents and adults. These vaccines are safe, immunogenic, and effective. Health care workers are a priority group for vaccination because of their increased risk of acquiring infection and the potential to transmit pertussis to high-risk patients. Health care worker vaccination programs are likely to be cost-effective, but further research is needed to determine the acceptability of pertussis vaccines among health care workers, the duration of immunity after booster doses, and the impact of vaccination on the management of pertussis exposures in health care settings.
Cancer Ecology: Niche Construction, Keystone Species, Ecological Succession, and Ergodic Theory

Parallels between cancer and ecological systems have been increasingly recognized and extensively reviewed. However, a more unified framework of understanding cancer as an evolving dynamical system that undergoes a sequence of interconnected changes over time, from a dormant microtumor to disseminated metastatic disease, still needs to be developed. Here, we focus on several examples of such mechanisms, namely, how in cancer niche construction a metabolic adaptation and consequent change to the tumor microenvironment (niche modification) becomes an important factor in evasion of the predator (immune system), facilitating disease progression; how tumor establishment and propagation is driven by the tumor’s own keystone species, the cancer stem cells; and how the succession of stages of metastatic dissemination can be informed by ergodic theory and forest ecology.
Essay: South Africa's Use of Constitutional Rights Adjudication to Remedy Persistent Economic Inequality

Advocates and scholars have long queried whether or not express constitutional rights protection could advance the cause of socio-economic equality in the manner that it has advanced the related goal of civil and political equality. In this regard, the first decade of adjudication of socio-economic rights by the Constitutional Court of South Africa has been a rare and notable experiment into the capacity of courts to advance social justice. South Africa's post-apartheid Constitution included among its enumerated rights a host of protections intended to remedy the economic injustices of the past. The Court has dealt effectively with claims of the non-justiciability of social rights (though a process of "differentiated incorporation," adaptable to other nations) and has addressed specific social rights-most notably, housing and healthcare-in multiple cases. Unquestionably, South Africa's affirmative jurisprudence of socio-economic rights enforceability is a novel and potentially fruitful contribution to the struggle against poverty. But even if the South African court has demonstrated that social rights adjudication is possible, has it demonstrated that adjudication can remedy economic inequality? The Court's success has been uneven; enforcing socio-economic rights infrequently and in a less expansive manner that civil and political rights. There are reasonable justifications for this and historical analogies caution against immodest expectations, but there are similarly genuine reasons for disappointment. Moreover, what does the slow pace of economic advancement in South Africa tell us about the value of constitutional protection of such rights? This brief essay reviews the South African experience to evaluate the capacity of socio-economic constitutional rights to advance substantive equality.
Media framing the reception of unmanned aerial vehicles in the United States of America

Abstract When the United States Congress mandated implementation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) into the domestic airspace in 2012, there was substantial opposition to the policy change. Critics expressed fears regarding their threat to privacy and safety, and legislatures considered numerous bills that would significantly limit or even ban domestic unmanned flight. UAV advocates used various methods to counter UAV's negative image. This study examines media stories regarding UAVs over a four-year period (2011–2014) and demonstrates that despite the backlash against expansion, media frames emphasizing benefit rather than risk dominated in the U.S. media. The economic opportunities presented by UAVs appeared in most media reports and over time reports increased of relatively noncontroversial applications, such as agriculture. Citizen advocacy or frames that emphasized the personal freedom to fly a UAV also increased. Industry and university officials, who usually support expansion, were the most frequent sponsors of media statements. The framing of media reports can influence public debate. Potential risks of a new technology can be amplified or minimized depending on how the media present the issue to the public.
FACTORS INFLUENCING PERFORMANCE IN BASIC TECHNOLOGY AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS Of DELTA SOUTH SENATORIAL DISTRICT IN DELTA STATE, NIGERIA

Similar to other science subjects, basic technology recorded poor secondary school students’ performance both in national and international examination. Furthermore, there are large variations in performances of Nigerian students that raise concerns. These differences in performance may be caused by multiple factors that need to be identified. The aim of this study is to identify the factors that influence students’ performance in basic technology. Four research questions guided the study and four hypotheses were tested at the .05 level of significance. The study used the survey research design method with 218 principals of secondary schools in Delta South Senatorial District in Delta State of Nigeria as the target population. The stratified random sampling technique was used to select 65 principals (32 from public and 33 from private secondary schools) as sample of the study. The instrument for data collection was a questionnaire which was content and face validated by three lecturers. The test-retest method was used to ascertain the reliability based on 20 principals who were not part of the population under study. The estimated reliability r= 0.73. Data was collected personally by the researcher and was analysed using ANOVA (Analysis of variance). The result revealed that multiple factors; schools’, students’, government, and parents’ factors influenced students’ performance in basic technology with lack of resources underlying these factors. Hence, it was recommended among others that Delta State Ministry of Basic Education should adequately provide the required resources for the teaching and learning of basic technology in secondary schools in Delta State.
Cell-Line Selectivity Improves the Predictive Power of Pharmacogenomic Analyses and Helps Identify NADPH as Biomarker for Ferroptosis Sensitivity

Precision medicine in oncology requires not only identification of cancer-associated mutations but also effective drugs for each cancer genotype, which is still a largely unsolved problem. One approach for the latter challenge has been large-scale testing of small molecules in genetically characterized cell lines. We hypothesized that compounds with high cell-line-selective lethality exhibited consistent results across such pharmacogenomic studies. We analyzed the compound sensitivity data of 6,259 lethal compounds from the NCI-60 project. A total of 2,565 cell-line-selective lethal compounds were identified and grouped into 18 clusters based on their median growth inhibitory GI50 profiles across the 60 cell lines, which were shown to represent distinct mechanisms of action. Further transcriptome analysis revealed a biomarker, NADPH abundance, for predicting sensitivity to ferroptosis-inducing compounds, which we experimentally validated. In summary, incorporating cell-line-selectivity filters improves the predictive power of pharmacogenomic analyses and enables discovery of biomarkers that predict the sensitivity of cells to specific cell death inducers.
Grammar Schemata

A solution is presented for the following problem: Determine a procedure that produces, for each full trio L of context-free languages (more generally, each trio of r.e. languages), a family of context-free (phrase structure) grammars which (a) defines L, (b) is simple enough for practical and theoretical purposes, and (c) in most cases is a subfamily of a well-known family of context-free (phrase structure) grammars for L if such a well-known family exists. (A full trio (trio) is defined to be a family of languages closed under homomorphism (e-free homomorphism), inverse homomorphism, and intersection with regular sets.)The key notion in the paper is that of a grammar schema. With each grammar schema there is associated a family of interpretations. In turn, each interpretation of a grammar schema gives rise to a phrase structure grammar. Given a full trio (trio) L of context-free (r.e.) languages, one constructs a grammar schema whose interpretations (e-limited interpretations) then give rise to the desired family of grammars for L.
Effects of Winglets on Small Unmanned Aerial Systems

The purpose of this work is to investigate the effect of adding winglets of various dihedral angles to a small unmanned aerial system. Although significant research has been completed on the effects of winglets on large aircraft, there has been little focus on winglet effects for small unmanned systems. This work attempts to better understand the effects of winglets on small unmanned systems with modeling, analysis, and flight tests. The results of this research are promising and may help increase the capabilities of current and future unmanned aerial systems. The Advanced Aircraft Analysis modeling software is used to create a physics based models of the 40% scale YAK-54 unmanned aerial system. Five models are created to analyze the aircraft with no winglets, a wing extension, and winglets at angles of thirty, fourty-five, and sixty degrees. Aircraft stability and control derivatives for each model are developed to analyze the effects of winglets on the small aircraft’s dynamic modes. Winglets are found to increase the damping ratio and natural frequency of Short Period mode. The lateral-directional stability of the small aircraft with winglets is also increased. For validation and verification purposes, winglets are manufactured at a dihedral angle of fourty-five degrees and attached to the 40% scale YAK-54 aircraft. Flight system identification tests are performed to verify the physics based models.
Phenylene Ring Motions in Isomeric Glassy Epoxy Networks and Their Contributions to Thermal and Mechanical Properties

Cross-linked epoxies prepared from diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) exhibit substantial property differences due to isomeric structures of the diamine curatives, 3,3′- and 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl sulfone (DDS). Here, the motions of phenylene rings on both the bisphenol A (BPA) and DDS structures of the networks were investigated through solid-state NMR 2H line shape analysis to trace the molecular origins. Ring deuterated monomers, namely, DGEBA-d8, 33DDS-d8, and 44DDS-d8, were synthesized, and four deuterated networks were prepared. The line shapes of the ring motions were interpreted using a motional model that described both ring π-flips and main-chain fluctuations. The contributions of different ring motions to mechanical relaxations are elucidated, and the molecular origins of property differences are identified.
Inhibition of the p38 MAP kinase pathway destabilizes smooth muscle length during physiological loading.

We tested the hypothesis that mechanical plasticity of airway smooth muscle may be mediated in part by the p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway. Bovine tracheal smooth muscle (TSM) st...
Using Loan plus Lender Literacy Information to Combat One-Sided Marketing of Debt Consolidation Loans:

Abstract The marketing of debt consolidation loans is intended to offer a financial remedy to consumers faced with mounting debt and credit problems and unable to meet their monthly payments. The authors argue that debt consolidation loan marketing overemphasizes the short-term benefits (e.g., lower monthly payments) and downplays the considerable downside of these loans (e.g., longer repayment and more total interest paid). Two experiments demonstrate that a financial literacy intervention combining information about loans and lenders can help consumers understand and respond to debt consolidation loan marketing (whereas a basic financial numeracy intervention does not). Implications for consumers, marketers, public policy makers, and researchers who work in the area of financial literacy are discussed.
“Tiempo de pícaros”: la picaresca en El ministerio del tiempo

El articulo presenta un analisis de la picaresca, entendida como mito literario y fenomeno social, en El ministerio del tiempo. El estudio se enfoca en el capitulo sexto, “Tiempo de picaros”. El empleo ambivalente de la picaresca en la serie permite reflexionar en torno a la identidad espanola y sus valores, asunto polemico y de especial relevancia en tiempos de crisis.
Isolation and Identification of the Toxoplasma Gondii Field Strains from Pigs by Cell Culture

To obtain the Toxoplasma gondii field strains from pigs,the kinds of media,serum concentration and the usage of supernatant of RH strain culture(SRC) were first optimized.Total of 19 blood samples of which the T.gondii antibody are positive were cultured with PK-15 cells and 10 strains of T.gondii were isolated.The results of PCR and ELISA further confirmed that all of the isolates are field strains.Our data demonstrate that the method of cell culture is an effective way to isolate T.gondii field strains from pigs.
READ FOR PLEASURE AND ACQUIRE THE LANGUAGE

Despite overwhelming research evidence buttressing the power of reading (Krashen, 2004), reading for pleasure – widely known as Free Voluntary Reading (FVR) – is still excluded in the mandated national curriculum for English language teaching in Indonesia. In fact, critical voices (channeled primarily via scholarly published articles) demanding the inclusion of this kind of reading in the curriculum are almost non-existent. This shows that the power of reading in general and FVR in particular, is not acknowledged by Indonesian scholars, politicians, and language teaching practitioners. This article argues that the sluggish improvement of literacy in this country is due to the fact that English language teaching is geared to conscious learning rather than to acquisition of the language as well as to the exclusive focus on heavy and ‘serious' literature. This article offers alternative English language pedagogy, one that is not only pleasant for the students, but also helps facilitate literacy development in a powerful way. Implications of this alternative pedagogy are discussed.
Contained neonatal urinoma: management and functional results.

Abstract Between 1970 and 1985, 10 male newborns with a contained urinoma were treated at our institution. An underlying congenital obstructive uropathic condition was discovered in every patient, the most common of which was posterior urethral valves. All 10 patients underwent surgical correction of the primary obstructive process. Direct drainage of the urinoma was required in 4 patients because of progressive clinical symptoms. Radiographic and renal functional parameters returned to normal at followup. Clinical presentation, evaluation, treatment and pathophysiology of this rare entity are discussed.
Chromospheric Structure Inferred from Spectral Lines

The chromosphere-corona complex plays such an important role in our understanding of the Sun and its space environment that it behooves us to ask how general these phenomena are in other stars. We shall turn to this question at several places in the remaining chapters. At this point, we consider just what evidence we would have of the solar chromosphere and corona if the Sun were at a stellar distance. The answer is: very little!
The Unique Utility Function of Morally Convicted Voters

The definition of moral conviction suggests that morally convicted individuals have a bifurcated view of political issues: policies are deemed either (a) morally right or (b) morally wrong. Moral attitudes do not lend themselves to middle of the road evaluations of policies, such as the ‘somewhat right thing’ or ‘neither right nor wrong thing’. But the standard utility functions used by political scientists in predicting voter choice involve just this type of gradual loss of utility. Consequently, I suggest that the morally convicted have a unique utility function, which is an area of high, constant utility (representing the morally right policies) followed by a steep, convex drop to an area of low, constant utility (representing the morally wrong policies). I provide evidence that morally convicted individuals do differ in their utility functions, and that their utility loss is of a convex form.
Eotaria citrica, sp. nov., a new stem otariid from the “Topanga” formation of Southern California

A new taxon of stem otariid, Eotaria citrica sp. nov., is described from the upper Burdigalian to lower Langhian "Topanga" formation of Orange County, California. The new species is described from mandibular and dental remains that show a unique combination of plesiomorphic and derived characters. Specifically, it is characterized by having trenchant and prominent paraconid cusps in p3-m1, lingual cingula of p2-4 with faint crenulations, premolars and molars with vestigial metaconid, bilobed root of m2 and a genial tuberosity located under p3. Furthermore, additional material of the contemporaneous Eotaria crypta is described, providing new information on the morphology of this taxon. Both species of Eotaria represent the earliest stem otariids, reinforcing the hypothesis that the group originated in the north Eastern Pacific Region. At present, the "Topanga" Fm. pinniped fauna includes Eotaria citrica, Eotaria crypta, the desmatophocid Allodesmus sp., the odobenids Neotherium sp., Pelagiarctos sp. and includes the oldest records of crown pinnipeds in California. Overall this pinniped fauna is similar to the nearly contemporaneous Sharktooth Hill bonebed. However, unambiguous records of Eotaria are still missing from Sharktooth Hill. This absence may be due to taphonomic or paleoenvironmental factors. The new "Topanga" record presented here was integrated into an overview of the late Oligocene through early Pleistocene pinniped faunas of Southern California. The results show an overall increase in body size over time until the Pleistocene. Furthermore, desmatophocids were the largest pinnipeds during the middle Miocene, but were extinct by the beginning of the late Miocene. Odobenids diversified and became the dominant pinnipeds in late Miocene through Pleistocene assemblages, usually approaching or exceeding 3 m in body length, while otariids remained as the smallest taxa. This pattern contrasts with modern assemblages, in which the phocid Mirounga angustirostris is the largest pinniped taxon in the region, odobenids are extinct and medium and small size ranges are occupied by otariids or other phocids.
Protecting the Tired, the Poor, the Huddled Masses.

Refugees and asylum seekers who make their way to the United States have suffered abuse, torture, and persecution. They are sacrificing everything they have simply to find safety, and our values dictate that we continue to welcome them into our clinics and hospitals.
Bots for Software-Assisted Analysis of Image-Based Transcriptomics

We introduce software assistants -- bots -- for the task of analyzing image-based transcriptomic data. The key steps in this process are detecting nuclei, and counting associated puncta corresponding to labeled RNA. Our main release offers two algorithms for nuclei segmentation, and two for spot detection, to handle data of different complexities. For challenging nuclei segmentation cases, we enable the user to train a stacked Random Forest, which includes novel circularity features that leverage prior knowledge regarding nuclei shape for better instance segmentation. This machine learning model can be trained on a modern CPU-only computer, yet performs comparably with respect to a more hardware-demanding state-of-the-art deep learning approach, as demonstrated through experiments. While the primary motivation for the bots was image-based transcriptomics, we also demonstrate their applicability to the more general problem of scoring "spots" in nuclei.
Optimization and simplification of hierarchical clusterings

Clustering is often used to discover structure in data. Clustering systems differ in the objective function used to evaluate clustering quality and the control strategy used to search the space of clusterings. In general, a search strategy cannot both (1) consistently construct clusterings of high quality and (2) be computationally inexpensive. However, we can partition the search so that a system inexpensively constructs 'tentative' clusterings for initial examination, followed by iterative optimization, which continues to search in background for improved clusterings. This paper evaluates hierarchical redistribution, which appears to be a novel optimization strategy in the clustering literature. A final component of search prunes tree-structured clusterings, thus simplifying them for analysis. In particular, resampling is used to significantly simplify hierarchical clusterings.
Taiwan's Voluntary Compliance with the International Climate Regime: Adaptation or Learning?

In 2006, the Taiwan cabinet submitted the draft bill of the “Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act” to the Legislative Yuan. This action marks an important progress in Taiwan’s compliance with the international climate regime. After assuming office in May 2008, the newly elected president, Ma Ying-jeou, also actively advocates the “save energy and reduce carbon emissions” policy. Since Taiwan is not a signatory of the Kyoto Protocol, its willingness to comply with the carbon emissions reduction requirements poses an interesting theoretical question for students of international relations: does Taiwan’s voluntary compliance reflect its learning from the international climate norm, or merely a tactical adaptation to it? By carefully analyzing the development of Taiwan’s climate change policy and the drafting and deliberation process of the “Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act,” this paper demonstrates that Taiwan’s climate policy to a great extent is driven by the fear of being punished by the international society.Its overarching goal is still the belief that economic development should be the primary consideration. This finding suggests that Taiwan’s isolation from both the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol has prohibited it from being socialized into their norm of climate change mitigation through intensive interaction.
Hormonal and dietary regulation of lipolysis in bovine adipose tissue

INTRODUCTION LITEPJ^TURE REVIEW MATERIALS AND METHODS RESULTS AND DISCUSSION SWIMARY LITERATURE CITED ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS APPENDIX TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cognitive Therapy: Distinctions and Directions

A recent revolution within cognitive therapy has led to two distinct movements. Traditional cognitive therapists espouse a cognitive primacy and seek to effect cognitive change which in turn leads ...
Sjogren's Syndrome: Clinical Benefits of Low-dose Naltrexone Therapy.

Sjogren’s Syndrome is a chronic autoimmune disorder that causes the inflammation of the lacrimal and salivary glands, resulting in dryness of the eyes and mouth. In addition, fatigue and musculoskeletal pain, often described as aching, is very common. Treatment directed toward alleviating the fatigue and pain associated with Sjogren’s is currently very limited. This report describes a case of a 47-year-old female with suspected Sjogren's based on long-standing dry eyes, dry mouth, joint pain, fatigue, elevated measures of inflammation, and a positive rheumatoid factor. She failed standard therapy but improved clinically with low-dose naltrexone therapy.
Technical Performance Score Predicts Perioperative Outcomes in Complex Congenital Heart Surgery Performed in a Small-to-Medium-Volume Program.

As the quality of surgical outcomes depend on many factors, the development of validated tools to assess the different aspects of complex multidisciplinary teams’ performance is crucial. The Technical Performance Score (TPS) has only been validated to correlate with outcomes in large-volume surgical programs. Here we assess the utility of TPS in correlation to perioperative outcomes for complex congenital heart surgeries (CHS) performed in a small-to-medium-volume program. 673 patients underwent CHS from 4/2012 to 12/2017 at our institution. Of those, 122 were STAT 4 and STAT 5. TPS was determined for each STAT 4 and STAT 5 operation using discharge echocardiogram: 1 = optimal, 2 = adequate, 3 = inadequate. Patient outcomes were compared including mortality, length of stay, ventilation times, and adverse events. 69 patients (57%) were neonates, 32 (26%) were infants, 17 (14%) were children, 4 (3%) were adults. TPS class 1 was assigned to 85 (70%) operations, TPS class 2 was assigned to 25 (20%) operations, and TPS class 3 was assigned to 12 (10%) operations. TPS was associated with re-intubation, ICU length of stay, postoperative length of stay, and mortality. TPS did not correlate with unplanned 30-day readmissions, need for reoperation, and inotropic score. Technical performance score was associated with perioperative outcomes and is a useful tool to assess the adequacy of repair for high complexity CHS in a small-to-medium-volume surgical program. TPS should be a part of program review in congenital heart programs of all sizes to identify strategies that may reduce postoperative morbidity and potentially improve long-term outcomes.
Relationship between HETP measurements and breakthrough curves in short chromatography columns

An analysis of the relationship between the number of plates measured with a small molecule tracer and the breakthrough curve of a strongly bound protein in short laboratory chromatography columns (1-5 cm) considering flow nonuniformity is presented. For practical conditions, while axial dispersion has only a small impact on the breakthrough curve, radial flow nonuniformity has a profound effect. Radial parabolic velocity profiles lead to tailing tracer peaks and broader breakthrough curves. Profiles where the velocity varies radially only in a thin region near the column wall lead to fronting tracer peaks and early breakthrough when the velocity at the wall is higher than the average and to tailing peaks and tailing breakthrough curves when the velocity at the wall is lower than the average. Experiments conducted in laboratory minicolumns (0.5-1 cm diameter, 0.5-1 ml volume) show tracer peaks and protein breakthrough curves that are consistent with higher velocities at the wall. The model presented in this work provides a tool to model experimental breakthrough data and to assess the degree of flow uniformity required to obtain meaningful dynamic binding capacity measurements using minicolumns in a high-throughput lab setting.
Decreased Calcium-Sensing Receptor Expression Controls Calcium Signaling and Cell-To-Cell Adhesion Defects in Aged Skin.

The calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) drives essential calcium ion (Ca2+) and E-cadherin‒mediated processes in the epidermis, including differentiation, cell-to-cell adhesion, and epidermal barrier homeostasis in cells and in young adult mice. We now report that decreased CaSR expression leads to impaired Ca2+ signal propagation in aged mouse (aged >22 months) epidermis and human (aged >79 years, donor age) keratinocytes. Baseline cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations were higher, and capacitive Ca2+ entry was lower in aged than in young keratinocytes. As in Casr-knockout mice (EpidCaSR–/–), decreased CaSR expression led to decreased E-cadherin and phospholipase C-γ expression and to a compensatory upregulation of STIM1. Pretreatment with the CaSR agonist N-(3-[2-chlorophenyl]propyl)-(R)-alpha-methyl-3-methoxybenzylamine normalized Ca2+ propagation and E-cadherin organization after experimental wounding. These results suggest that age-related defects in CaSR expression dysregulate normal keratinocyte and epidermal Ca2+ signaling, leading to impaired E-cadherin expression, organization, and function. These findings show an innovative mechanism whereby Ca2+- and E-cadherin‒dependent functions are impaired in aging epidermis and suggest a new therapeutic approach by restoring CaSR function.
Additive manufacturing of polyamide nanocomposites for electrostatic charge dissipation applications

Abstract Polyamide 6 (PA 6) nanocomposites are viable engineered nanocomposite materials with potential application in electrostatic discharge dissipation applications. Creating an electrically conductive path to dissipate electrostatic charges in such materials can be a viable solution to electrostatic discharge (ESD) concerns. The addition of nanofillers can also enhance mechanical properties of the parent polyamide 6, a structural thermoplastic ideal for 3D printing via fused deposition modelling (FDM). While improving the ESD capability, it is imperative to sustain the structural integrity of the nanocomposites. Hence, this study evaluated the mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of 3D printed PA6 nanocomposites for electrostatic discharge applications. 3 and 5 wt% of carbon nanofibers (CNF) was compounded with PA6 using co-rotating twin screw extruder to produce 1.75 mm diameter monofilaments for fused deposition modelling (FDM). The test samples were printed using commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) 3D printer, Lulzbot TAZ 6 FDM printer. Mechanical, electrical, and thermal characterization was carried out according to their respective ASTM standard. The tensile and flexural properties were enhanced by 3 wt% addition of CNF, but no significant improvement was observed at 5 wt%. The CNF nanocomposites exhibited good thermal stability and crystallization phenomenon at both loading levels. The volume resistivity of the of the PA6 matrix was reduced to order of 1011 and 1012 by 3 wt% and 5 wt% CNF addition respectively, which seems promising for manufacturing static discharge products.
Integration of a dedicated management protocol in the care of pediatric liver cancer: From specialized providers to complication reduction

Introduction Up to a third of children undergoing partial hepatectomy for primary hepatic malignancies experience at least one perioperative complication, with a presumed deleterious effect on both short- and long-term outcomes. We implemented a multidisciplinary treatment protocol in the management of these patients in order to improve complication rates following partial hepatectomy. Methods A retrospective chart review was completed for all patients Results A total of 73 patients were included in the analysis with 33 prior-to and 40 after dedicated provider protocol implementation. Perioperative complication rates decreased from 52% to 20% (p = 0.005) with major complications going from 18% to 10% (p = 0.31). On multivariable logistic regression, protocol implementation was associated with a reduction in any (OR 0.29 [95% CI 0.09 - 0.89]) but not major complications. On multivariate cox models, post protocol implementation was associated with improved event free survival (EFS) (HR 0.19 (0.036 - 0.195). Among patients with a diagnosis of hepatoblastoma (n = 62), the occurrence of a major perioperative complication was associated with a worse EFS (HR=5.45, p = 0.03) on multivariate analysis, however this did not translate into an impact on overall survival. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that, for children with primary liver malignancies, a dedication of patients to high-volume surgeons can improve rates of complications of liver resections and may improve the oncological outcome of hepatoblastoma.
Evaluating Surveillance for and Estimating Administration of Rabies Postexposure Prophylaxis in the United States, 2012-2018.

Background An evaluation of postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) surveillance has not been conducted in over 10 years in the United States. An accurate assessment would be important to understand current rabies trends and inform public health preparedness and response to human rabies. Methodology/principle findings To understand PEP surveillance, we sent a survey to public health leads for rabies in 50 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, Washington DC, Philadelphia, and New York City. Of leads from 54 jurisdictions, 39 (72%) responded to the survey; 12 reported having PEP-specific surveillance, five had animal bite surveillance that included data about PEP, four had animal bite surveillance without data about PEP, and 18 (46%) had neither. Although 12 jurisdictions provided data about PEP use, poor data quality and lack of national representativeness prevented use of this data to derive a national-level PEP estimate. We used national-level and state specific data from the Healthcare Cost & Utilization Project (HCUP) to estimate the number of people who received PEP based on emergency department (ED) visits. The estimated annual average of initial ED visits for PEP administration during 2012-2017 in the United States was 46,814 (SE: 1,697), costing upwards of 165 million USD. State-level ED data for initial visits for administration of PEP for rabies exposure using HCUP data was compared to state-level surveillance data from Maryland, Vermont, and Georgia between 2012-2017. In all states, state-level surveillance data was consistently lower than estimates of initial ED visits, suggesting even states with robust PEP surveillance may not adequately capture individuals who receive PEP. Conclusions Our findings suggest that making PEP a nationally reportable condition may not be feasible. Other methods of tracking administration of PEP such as syndromic surveillance or identification of sentinel states should be considered to obtain an accurate assessment.
Surface Structures Determined by Kinetic Processes: Adsorption and Diffusion of Oxygen on Pd(100)

Atomic oxygen forms a metastable c(2×2) phase on Pd(100) under conditions of rapid adsorption (high pressure) and slow diffusion (low sample temperature). One possible explanation is that oxygen molecules require an 8-fold ensemble of empty sites for dissociative chemisorption, and that subsequent adatom motion is limited and creates no neighboring pairs of filled sites. We describe the properties of the adlayer predicted by such a model.
Profile and departure size of condensation drops on vertical surfaces

The problem of the equilibrium shape and departure size of two-dimensional dropwise condensation drops on a vertical surface is considered. The equation of the surface of the drop is obtained by minimizing (for a given volume) the total energy of the drop, consisting of surface and gravitational energy, using the techniques of variational calculus. The solution is tractable once the advancing contact angle is known, and is taken as an approximation to the axial meridian profile of a three-dimensional drop. The receding contact angle is obtained as part of the solution.
Targeting growth through technological innovation

It is noted that targeting R&D investments by the type(s) of innovation will increase a firm's competitiveness because it will have had to make decisions associated with the strategy. The author presents a model for guiding technology firms in developing innovative technology into new products. The overall function of the model and the strategies that are described emphasize the impact of an innovation. Technology firms develop strategies that either meet a need (market pull) or create a need (technology push) in order to achieve strategic goals. Impact strategies likewise reflect attempts at meeting strategic goals, but with the intent of shaping the scope and scale of the technological innovations by establishing guidelines to assist the firm in identifying and coordinating the resources, strategies, and management practices successfully. The author describes the most common strategies used by technology firms to be innovative, and how they utilize R&D to support innovation. >
Prediction and optimization of transient temperature fields in electromagnetic hyperthermia

Clinical successes have continued to drive the technological development of electromagnetic hyperthermia for oncological applications. Primarily used in addition to radiation therapy, hyperthermia, or the elevation of cancerous tissue temperatures, has been shown to have clinical value in a number of studies despite serious technical difficulties. There are few reports of the use of detailed, three-dimensional models of hyperthermia in transient temperature optimization procedures. In this work, a method is presented for the transient optimization of hyperthermia sessions. A key feature of the method is the reduction of the extremely high-order models resulting from full three-dimensional models of hyperthermia via the spectral Lanczos decomposition method (SLDM). The intention of this work is to illustrate how the SLDM can be applied to the prediction and optimization of transient temperature fields.
A simple rectangular element for two-dimensional analysis of laminated composites

A simple rectangular finite element was developed for two dimensional analysis of laminated composite materials. The rectangular laminated composite element eliminates the need to add elements to a model simply to account for the material properties of various laminae. This is particularly advantageous for thick laminates with many lamina. Explicit integration in terms of generalized displacements minimizes the algebraic effort required to derive the element stiffness and the thermal load vector. A substitute shape function technique is used to improve the performance of the element in modeling bending type deformation. Results for several example problems are discussed.
The dependence of butt fusion bond strength on joining conditions for polyethylene pipe

The integrity of a pipeline system is determined by its weakest links. Joints may be such places. Heat fusion is the most common joining method for distribution gas piping. There are procedural, thermal, and mechanical aspects of making fusion joints. Procedural aspects, such as heater calibration and cleanliness, can be assured only by rigorous training and certification of the operators. Thermal and mechanical aspects consist of specifying joining conditions such as the heater temperature, heating time, and joining pressure. In the absence of procedural errors, the strength of a fusion joint should depend on the pipe material, pipe dimensions, and the thermal and mechanical joining conditions. The measured parameters that are measures of strength are impact energy and location of failure in the tensile impact test. A parameter, termed the joining parameter, was found to characterize the joining conditions. This parameter is a function of bead volume, melt volume at the end of the heating phase, and pipe wall thickness. Of the mechanical test parameters, the impact energy was found to correlate best with the joining parameter.
Pathogenesis of Alcohol-Induced Chronic Pancreatitis: Facts, Perceptions, and Misperceptions

The pathogenesis of chronic pancreatitis secondary to chronic alcoholism is not fully understood. A major hurdle in the understanding of the pathogenesis is the inability to study early lesions of the pancreas and the sequential changes. Facts are few; observations are many. Each new hypothesis argues against all previous hypotheses; however, clinical chronic pancreatitis is initiated by one or more of the mechanisms. Good experimental models for alcoholic pancreatitis are not available, limiting the ability to study the pathogenesis. Additional studies on genetic markers and immunologic mechanisms might explain acinar cell injury, which seems to be the earliest lesion in most, if not all, types of chronic pancreatitis. Opie's common channel and obstruction regurgitation theories seem unrelated to chronic pancreatitis. Although biochemical changes of the pancreatic secretion in alcoholic patients promote protein-plug formation, evidence is too weak to consider protein plug as the earliest change. The theory of necrosis of the acinar cell by some unknown mechanism, subsequently leading to fibrosis, is gaining support; however, it is clear that the pathogenesis of alcoholic pancreatitis is not yet fully understood.
Effect of the selective estrogen receptor modulator raloxifene on explanted uterine growth in rats

Raloxifene is a selective estrogen receptor modulator known to have antiestrogenic effects on uterine tissue. In this study, the effects of raloxifene on uterine explant growth were evaluated in rats. Rats were ovariectomized, implanted with an estradiol pellet, and an endometriosis-like state was artificially created by suturing uterine explants near mesenteric blood vessels. Approximately 21 days after explant surgery, rats with confirmed uterine explant growth were given raloxifene orally at doses of 0 or 10 mg/kg/day for 7 or 14 days. After 7 days of raloxifene treatment, explant weight and volume were significantly decreased. Fourteen days of raloxifene treatment, also caused a decrease in explant weight and volume, though not statistically significant. In addition, raloxifene treatment caused weight of the remaining uterine horn to decrease. Histological examination of the explants confirmed the presence of endometrial tissue similar to that seen in the uterus. In this study, raloxifene suppressed explanted uterine growth in a rat model designed to mimic human endometriosis. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Plasminogen activator production by human tumor cells: effect on tumor cell-extracellular matrix interactions.

Cell lines derived from 3 different types of human tumor (e.g., squamous carcinomas, melanomas and gliomas) were examined for production of plasminogen activator activity and for attachment and spreading on various extracellular matrix components in the presence or absence of plasminogen. All of the squamous carcinoma and melanoma lines produced high levels of plasminogen activator activity. In contrast, 4 of 6 glioma lines had undetectable activity. Cells from all 3 tumor types attached and spread on fibrinogen-coated or fibrin-coated plastic dishes in the absence of plasminogen. In the presence of exogenous plasminogen, the attachment and spreading of the cells which produced high levels of plasminogen activator activity was inhibited. The plasminogen activator-deficient cells were much less sensitive to exogenous plasminogen. In the presence of plasminogen, attachment and spreading on fibronectin-coated dishes was also partially inhibited. In contrast, plasminogen had no effect on the attachment and spreading of the cells on type-1 or -IV collagen, laminin or thrombospondin. Previous studies have shown that tumor-cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix depends on the synthesis of receptors for extracellular matrix components or on the synthesis of extracellular matrix components themselves. The present study shows that, in addition, the production of enzymes which are capable of degrading these components also influences tumor-cell adhesion to extracellular matrix moieties.
Effect of chilled monomer on working time and transverse strength of three autopolymerizing acrylic resins

Samples of three commercially available poly(methyl-methacrylate) autopolymerizing resins were made by using room temperature and chilled monomer. Working and setting times and transverse strengths were determined. The following conclusions can be drawn: 1. Working and setting times increased approximately 2 to 4 minutes when chilled monomer was used. This could be advantageous in certain situations. 2. Transverse strength decreased approximately 17% with the use of chilled monomer. The clinical significance of this decrease is not known.
Sign phase transition and directed paths in random media

We consider a lattice model which corresponds to the high temperature expansions of disordered Ising and Heisenberg models and to the deeply localized regime of the disordered Anderson model. The spin correlation functions for the Ising and Heisenberg model and the amplitude of electron tunneling for the Anderson model exhibit a “sign phase transition.” At small concentration x of scatterers with a negative scattering amplitude these quantities have predictable signs while at large x their signs are unpredictable.