cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Direct photonic etching of electrical materials

Multiwavelength Diode Pumped Solid State (DPSS) lasers allows operations such as micromachining in a variety of materials such as ceramics, metals and polymers. A series of experiments was performed to investigate how the protective gas environment and gas pressure affect the ability to cut and machine silicon steel. Results from this study reveal that traditional plasma-controlling gases have a detrimental effect on the surface morphology of machined electrical components. This paper discusses the theory behind direct photonic etching and explains how the machining of thin plates of silicon steel can benefit the rapid production of electrical components such as transformer cores and dynamo pole pieces.
Effects of infant formula on cell homeostasis and cytokine levels in an in vivo and in vitro murine aspiration model.

Rationale The role of infant formula aspiration in lung injury has not been studied extensively. We evaluated the effects of a single infant formula aspiration into the lungs of mice and the effect of infant formula exposure on cell lines representing murine alveolar macrophages and type II epithelial cells. Objectives To study the effects of exposure to infant formula on cell count histology and cytokine levels in an in vivo and in vitro model of aspiration. Methods In vivo: Juvenile mice received 2.5 µl/g of 50% infant formula intranasally. Bronchoalveolar lavage samples were collected at 1, 2, and 7 days after aspiration and evaluated for cell count and differential. In vitro: RAW 264.7 and MLE-15 cells were exposed to 1% infant formula for 6 hr. Extracellular levels of IL-6, TNF-α, MIP-2, and KC were measured in lavage fluid and cell media using ELISA assays. Results In vivo: An increase in neutrophils, IL-6 and KC levels were noted 24 hr after infant formula exposure. In vitro: An increase in TNF-α levels from RAW 264.7 and MIP-2 and KC levels from MLE-15 cells was noted after infant formula exposure. Conclusions A single aspiration of infant formula into the lungs leads to an acute inflammatory response involving both lung macrophages and epithelial cells. Pediatr. Pulmonol. 2011; 46:927–933. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Distribution of thymidine-H3 in the overgrown brain of the chick embryo.

The pattern of incororation of thymidine-H3 was studied in chick embryos in which overgrowth was experimentally induced in the optic tectum. Radioautograhs were prepared for experimental and control embryos ranging in age from three to five days' incubation at post-label periods of one hours, and eight hours. Under conditions of overgrowth, S-phase cells are situated not only in the periphery of the wall of the tectum, but are also found scattered among mitotic cells along the ventricular border. Labeled intraventricular cells are commonly seen in the defective brains. The onset of neuroblast differentiation, as indicated by a loss in ability of certain cells to incorporate thymidine-H3, appears to be the same in the tectum of experimental and normal embryos and takes place toward the end of the fourth day of incubation. As development continues, the pattern of labeling becomes increasingly distorted in the severely affected potions of the overgrown tectum, and neuroepithelial cells become interspersed among differentiated neuroblasts.
Feasibility and safety of transradial artery approach for selective cerebral angiography

The transradial artery (TRA) approach is a conventional means of diagnostic cardiac catheterization and catheter-based coronary intervention. However, to our knowledge, the safety and feasibility of cerebrovascular angiographic studies using the TRA approach for patients with brain ischemia has not been reported. This study investigated whether the TRA approach using 6 Fr Kimny guiding catheter for both extracranial and intracranial angiographies is safe and effective for patients with a history of stroke, transient ischemic attack, or significant carotid stenosis. From February 2003 to June 2004, a total of 46 consecutive patients with an age range from 50 to 83 years were enrolled into the study. The retrograde engagement technique that involved lopping the guiding catheter was utilized. Outpatient carotid angiography was performed in 40% of the study patients. The overall procedural success (defined as completely evaluating both carotid and vertebral arteries and intracranial vessels) was 93.5% (n = 43) using the Kimny guiding catheter. Significant cerebrovascular stenosis (> 50%), including carotid artery in 52.2% (n = 24), vertebral artery in 15.2% (n = 7), and intracranial major artery in 15.2% (n = 7), was found in 82.6% of the patients. Notably, 17 (37.0%) of these patients with severe carotid stenosis (> or = 70%) required staged carotid stenting. Concomitant vertebral artery stenting was performed in four (8.7%) patients because of severe stenosis (> or = 70%) of these vessels. Two patients experienced transient dizziness (duration < 30 min) following the procedure. TRA approach for selective cerebral angiography is safe and feasible in patients with a history of brain ischemia.
Search, Space, and Time

Every execution of a computer program uses memory space and consumes computing time. In particular, a discrete-event simulation expends a considerable proportion of its running time executing searches for new space and creating and maintaining order among the myriad of entity records and event notices it generates as simulated time evolves. In spite of their relative importance, current PC workstation environments, with their substantial memories and reduced, if nonexistent, emphasis on execution within a specified computing time constraint, make these topics appear less important to the simulationist than they were in the past. Moreover, every simulation programming language implicitly provides a means for managing space and performing searches during execution of virtually any program written in the language, further removing these issues from a simulationist’s consciousness.
Measuring Productive Vocabulary of Toddlers in Low-Income Families: Concurrent and Predictive Validity of Three Sources of Data.

This study examined parental report as a source of information about toddlers’ productive vocabulary in 105 low-income families living in either urban or rural communities. Parental report using the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory – Short Form (CDI) at child age 2 ;0 was compared to concurrent spontaneous speech measures and standardized language assessments, and the utility of each source of data for predicting receptive vocabulary at age 3;0 (Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test) was evaluated. Relations between language measures of interest and background variables such as maternal age, education, and race/ethnicity were also considered. Results showed that for the sample as a whole, parental report was moderately associated with other language measures at age 2;0 and accounted for unique [*] The findings reported here are based on research conducted as part of the national Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project funded by the Administration for Children, Youth and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through grants to Harvard University Graduate School of Education and to New York University. The research was conducted in collaboration with Early Education Services in Brattleboro, VT, and The Educational Alliance, two of 17 programmes participating in the national Early Head Start study. The authors are members of the Early Head Start Research Consortium. The Consortium consists of representatives from 17 programmes participating in the evaluation, 15 local research teams, the evaluation contractors, and ACYF. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Health and Human Services. The authors wish to express their gratitude to their programme partners and to the participating families. Address for correspon
ADAPT FAST Study: third-generation stroke thrombectomy devices place renewed focus on the elusive relationship between revascularization and good outcomes

We commend the authors for demonstrating the effectiveness of the ADAPT technique for the rapid revascularization of proximal intracranial occlusions.1 The overall 78% rate of modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (mTICI) 2b/3 reperfusion and the ultrashort procedural time to revascularization support the Penumbra 5MAX and 5MAX ACE aspiration catheters as first-line interventional tools alongside stent retrievers. There are several points worth mentioning regarding the design and reporting of this study: 1. Evaluation of angiographic outcomes: as the authors admit, it is critical that studies that use revascularization as a primary endpoint have their angiographic results adjudicated by a blinded core imaging laboratory. The SWIFT study has shown us that self-adjudication is biased towards inflated measures of procedural success.2 2. Good clinical outcome rates in context: in their discussion the authors compare the clinical results of the ADAPT FAST, SWIFT and TREVO 2 studies, all of which report approximately 40% rates of good outcome (modified Rankin Scale score 0–2).1–3 What is more significant, however, is that, despite a near doubling in the rate of meaningful reperfusion (mTICI 2b/3) and faster procedural times with these third-generation devices, there has been no perceptible increase in the rate of good outcomes compared with the IMS III study, …
Correlation and Prediction of Rates of Alkaline Hydrolysis of Some Benzoate Esters

Rate constants have been determined for the alkaline hydrolysis of 36 p-substituted alkyl benzoates, and it is shown that these esters can be characterized on the basis of their rates of alkaline hydrolysis. Application of linear free-energy relationships allows calculation of alkaline hydrolysis rate constants for alkyl or aromatic p-substituted benzoate esters not included in this study. It is demonstrated that rates can be predicted for esters whether substituent variation is in the acyl or alkyl portion of the molecule by using the conventional Hammett treatment and the more recent alcohol dissociation model.
A new class of rank breaking orbifolds

Abstract We describe field-theory T 2 / Z n orbifolds that offer new ways of breaking SU ( N ) to lower rank subgroups. We introduce a novel way of embedding the point group into the gauge group, beyond the usual mapping of torus and root lattices. For this mechanism to work the torus Wilson lines must carry nontrivial 't Hooft flux. The rank lowering mechanism proceeds by inner automorphisms but is not related to continuous Wilson lines and does not give rise to any associated moduli. We give a complete classification of all possible SU ( N ) breaking patterns. We also show that the case of general gauge group can already be understood entirely in terms of the SU ( N ) case and the knowledge of standard orbifold constructions with vanishing 't Hooft flux.
Multimethod synthetic data generation for confidentiality and measurement of disclosure risk

Government agencies must simultaneously maintain confidentiality of individual records and disseminate useful microdata. We propose a method to create synthetic data that combines quantile regression, hot deck imputation, and rank swapping. The result from implementation of the proposed procedure is a releasable dataset containing original values for a few key variables, synthetic quantile regression predictions for several variables, and imputed and perturbed values for remaining variables. To measure the disclosure risk in the resulting synthetic dataset, we extend existing probabilistic risk measures that aim to imitate an intruder attempting to match a record in the released data with information previously available on a target respondent.
Politics is local: State legislator voting on restrictive voter identification legislation

The marked increase in restrictive voter identification (ID) laws since the 2010 elections reveals the extreme partisan polarization in those state legislatures advancing this reform. Unlike previous studies that examine state-level factors expected to influence passage of restrictive voter ID bills, this study is the first to investigate the question using the state legislator as the unit of analysis. Multivariate analysis of the voting behavior of state legislators shows which kinds of district-level factors increase or decrease their likelihood of supporting stricter voter ID laws. Given the differentiable coalitions favoring Democratic and Republican candidates, certain partisan-aligned district demographics influence state lawmaker support for restrictive voter ID legislation. Race in particular is a major cleavage conditioning support for restrictive voter ID laws. Unlike the mixed findings generated by macro-level studies, this article provides convincing evidence that the size of the black district population negatively influences the likelihood that a Democratic legislator votes in favor of a restrictive voter ID bill, but positively affects the probability that a Republican lawmaker votes yes. The findings in this study illuminate the contextual factors that influence legislator voting on this salient election reform.
Lincoln of Kentucky

Abraham Lincoln spent the first seven years of his life in Kentucky and the state continued to affect his life at every stage. During the Civil War he accepted the state's illegal neutrality and in the 1864 presidential election, Kentucky was one of only three states to vote against him.
Integration of germline and somatic variation in tumor data

During tumor inception and progression, culprit gene variants confer selective advantage to progenitor cancer cells, allowing them to outcompete normal cells and proliferate uncontrollably. Both regions of somatic amplification as well as germline DNA sequence changes may be variants that are positively selected by the tumor. Traditionally, these two variant classes have been studied independently. While many discoveries have been made in such a manner, independent examination of these classes possesses certain limitations. Integrated examination of these two classes holds the potential to reveal specific nucleotide alleles that are amplified in the tumor, which in turn may reveal proximal genes. We present methods that focus on such integration. The first, the Amplification Distortion Test (ADT), aims to detect nucleotide alleles that are selectively amplified across tumor samples. Motivated to apply ADT on nascent next generation sequencing data, we developed a novel Hidden Markov Model-based method—Haplotype Amplification in Tumor Sequences (HATS)—that analyzes tumor and matched normal sequence data, along with training data for linkage information, to infer amplified alleles and haplotypes in regions of copy number gain. HATS is designed to handle biases in read data as well as accommodate rare variants. We demonstrate that HATS infers the amplified alleles more accurately on simulated and real tumor data than does an alternate naive approach, especially at low to intermediate sequence coverage levels, and when allele-specific biases or stromal contamination is present. We present these methods with the motivation that they may aid the cancer community in identifying novel causal or associated putative variants.
Computational Geology 12 – Cramer's Rule and the Three-Point Problem

(2000). Computational Geology 12 – Cramer's Rule and the Three-Point Problem. Journal of Geoscience Education: Vol. 48, No. 4, pp. 522-532.
Pulmonary edema in oxygen poisoning.

ConclusionWhen guinea pigs are placed in an environment of 95 to 99% oxygen at ground level barometric pressure 73 to 75 cm Hg, the animals will develop pulmonary edema as a symptom of oxygen poisoning after 48 hours. The condition becomes progressively worse, and the animals die after 4 to 6 days in the oxygen atmosphere. Lung analyses during severe oxygen poisoning indicate an approximate doubling in lung weight and soluble protein nitrogen. Pulmonary hemoglobin, while quite variable in amount in different lungs, does not increase significantly in the entire lung during oxygen poisoning, but local regions, as shown by histological examination, may be intensely congested.
Medication Adherence Interventions Improve Heart Failure Mortality and Readmission Rates: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Controlled Trials.

Background Poor adherence to medications is a common problem among heart failure (HF) patients. Inadequate adherence leads to increased HF exacerbations, reduced physical function, and higher risk for hospital admission and death. Many interventions have been tested to improve adherence to HF medications, but the overall impact of such interventions on readmissions and mortality is unknown. Methods and Results We conducted a comprehensive search and systematic review of intervention studies testing interventions to improve adherence to HF medications. Mortality and readmission outcome effect sizes (ESs) were calculated from the reported data. ESs were combined using random‐effects model meta‐analysis methods, because differences in true between‐study effects were expected from variation in study populations and interventions. ES differences attributed to study design, sample, and intervention characteristics were assessed using moderator analyses when sufficient data were available. We assessed publication bias using funnel plots. Comprehensive searches yielded 6665 individual citations, which ultimately yielded 57 eligible studies. Overall, medication adherence interventions were found to significantly reduce mortality risk among HF patients (relative risk, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.81, 0.99), and decrease the odds for hospital readmission (odds ratio, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.71, 0.89). Heterogeneity was low. Moderator analyses did not detect differences in ES from common sources of potential study bias. Conclusions Interventions to improve medication adherence among HF patients have significant effects on reducing readmissions and decreasing mortality. Medication adherence should be addressed in regular follow‐up visits with HF patients, and interventions to improve adherence should be a key part of HF self‐care programs.
IL-1β alters the expression of the receptor tyrosine kinase gene r-EphA3 in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes

To identify proinflammatory cytokine responsive genes in the myocardium, we used differential display to study RNA isolated from neonatal rat cardiac myocytes treated with tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Sequence analysis of differential display products confirmed by reverse Northern blots revealed one clone as the partial sequence of an Eph-related receptor tyrosine kinase (r-EphA3). In cardiac myocytes, 36-h exposure to TNF-α and IL-1β reduced r-EphA3 transcripts to 59.9% (P < 0.01) of control levels; this effect was largely dependent on IL-1β. Western blot analysis showed that changes in r-EphA3 protein levels reflect that seen for transcripts. Cardiac nonmyocytes expressed substantially lower levels of r-EphA3. Full-length r-EphA3 cDNA clone (3,077 base pair) yielded an amino acid sequence with 90–98% homology to the Eph receptor human EphA3, chick EphA3, and mouse EphA3. In the adult rat, r-EphA3 transcripts were most abundant in the heart, brain, and lung. These results s...
To Hell with the Theologians: Doctrines of Damnation in “Last Judgements” in the Medieval Latin West

One of the prolific images from the later Middle Ages is the last judgement. Depictions occurred in sculpture, on canvas, in fresco, and in manuscript illuminations. The spectre of a final cosmic reckoning reflects widespread medieval social anxieties as well as traditional and official church teaching. Images of hell, damnation, torture, and punishment are especially evident in the haunting visual work of Taddeo di Bartolo, in the Albi Cathedral, in Bosch and Michelangelo, and in numerous literary texts including the Apocalypse of Peter and Dante. The consequences of sin, sexual transgression, and other miscreant behaviour are brought to summation in the last judgement where theology, religious practice, and social anxiety are displayed vividly and publicly.
Abstract 59: Altering Levels of Invariant Natural Killer T Cells Does Not Improve Adipose Tissue Inflammation or Insulin Sensitivity in Diet-Induced Obesity

Obesity is a chronic inflammatory state characterized by adipose tissue immune cell infiltration. While macrophages are a key player, recent evidence also implicates T lymphocytes in adipose inflammation. Natural killer T (NKT) cells are a specialized lymphocyte subset expressing natural killer cell properties and T cell receptors (TCR). The invariant NKT (iNKT) cell has a limited TCR repertoire (Vα14/Jα18) and recognizes lipid antigens. Existing data on the role of iNKT cells in obesity is inconclusive. We hypothesized that lipid antigen recognition in obese adipose tissue by iNKT cells contributes to inflammation and insulin resistance. To evaluate whether lack of iNKT cells protects from obesity and its complications, Jα18-/-Ldlr -/- mice lacking iNKT cells were placed on a high fat, high carbohydrate diabetogenic diet +0.15% cholesterol (DDC) for 16 weeks. Effects on body weight, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, visceral adipose tissue macrophage accumulation and systemic inflammation were analyzed. Jα18-/-Ldlr -/- mice gained more weight than control Ldlr -/- mice. Hypertriglyceridemia developed in the Jα18 -/- mice without differences in glucose homeostasis. Increased F4/80 and MCP1 gene expression and macrophage Mac2 immunostaining suggested worsened adipose inflammation. No differences in circulating serum amyloid A, an inflammatory marker, were observed. Overall, mice lacking iNKT cells were not protected from becoming obese but had worsened metabolic features. We also evaluated effects of overabundance of iNKT cells on obesity using Vα14 transgenic(Tg) mice. Vα14TgLdlr -/- mice gained 25% more weight on DDC, had increased fat mass on body composition analysis, hepatomegaly, hyperlipidemia and hyperinsulinemia compared to controls. Adipose tissue revealed increased macrophage, chemotactic and cytokine gene expression as well as Mac2 staining. Similar inflammatory changes were also observed in the liver. Thus the Vα14Tg mice also had significantly worsened metabolic features of obesity. These results suggest that the relationship of iNKT cells in metabolism is complex and that simple excess or depletion of these immunological cells is not sufficient to beneficially modify metabolic abnormalities associated with obesity.
Essential Role of Kindlin 3 in Zebrafish Thrombopoiesis.

The zinc finger transcription factor GATA-1 is required for proliferative inhibition and terminal maturation of megakaryocytes, and is mutated in Down Syndrome Transient Myeloproliferative Disorder (TMD) and Acute Megakaryoblastic Leukemia (DS-AMKL). Yet the molecular mechanisms that regulate GATA-1 activity in megakaryopoiesis remain incompletely understood. Many transcription factors, in addition to binding DNA, make important protein-protein interactions that modulate their activity. In order to further understand GATA-1’s function, and possibly identify new factors involved in megakaryopoiesis, we purified GATA-1 containing multiprotein complexes from the murine L8057 megakaryocytic cell line. We generated stable L8057 cell lines expressing metabolically biotinylated and FLAG epitope tagged GATA-1, and then performed a tandem anti-FLAG immunoaffinity and streptavidin affinity purification. Using mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS), we identified the known GATA-1 associated proteins Friend of GATA-1 (FOG-1), SCL, Ldb1, Runx-1/Cbf-β. SP1 and all components of the NuRD complex (which binds FOG-1) as co-purifying proteins. In addition, we reproducibly obtained several novel proteins. We previously reported the identification of the kruppel-type zinc finger transcription factor zfp148 (also called ZBP-89), and showed that it plays an essential role in megakaryopoiesis and definitive erythropoiesis. Here we report the identification of Kindlin 3 (also called URP2 for UNC-112 related protein 2), a member of a family of PH and FERM domain containing proteins that are thought to play a role in integrin-mediated processes. Expression of Kindlin 3 is restricted to hematopoietic cells, principally megakaryocytes and lymphocytes. It is first expressed at ~E9.5 during murine embryogenesis, and is abundant in fetal liver megakaryocytes by day E14.5. In order to begin to assess the role of Kindlin 3 in megakaryopoiesis in vivo, we performed morpholino-mediated knockdown of Kindlin 3 expression in CD41-GFP transgenic zebrafish embryos. In contrast to control embryos, embryos injected with Kindlin 3 specific morpholinos exhibited nearly complete loss of GFP+ thrombocytes (equivalent to mammalian megakaryocyte/platelets). Erythroid development (equivalent to mammalian primitive erythropoiesis at this stage of development) was not significantly affected, similar to embryos injected with zfp148-specific morpholinos. Given the role of integrin outside-to-inside signaling in megakaryopoiesis, we propose that Kindlin 3 may play a role linking extracellular signals to megakaryocyte maturation and growth control via GATA-1 transcription complexes. Further analysis in murine systems is underway to test this hypothesis.
Study of VH3-21 in a Large Cohort of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Patients Reveals Evidence for Antigen Selection and Confirms Its Predictive Value for Early Disease Progression.

The use frequency of the immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy chain variable region gene (VH) 3–21 in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) varies among studies on various cohorts of European patients, ranging from 0.9%–10%. Such variation could be due to geographic/population differences and/or sample-size limitations. We examined a large cohort (N=2,190) of CLL patients evaluated in the United States by the CLL Research Consortium (CRC) and found 56 (2.6%) used IgVH3-21. Thirty-five of the 56 cases (63%) expressed Ig light chains, whereas only 821 (38%) of the 2,134 cases that used IgVH other than IgVH3-21 used light chains, a difference that was highly significant (P 98% homology to germline VH3-21. Twenty (43%) or 18 (38%) of the 47 cases examined by flow cytometry expressed ZAP-70 or high-level CD38, respectively. Although there was frequent concordant expression of ZAP-70 and/or CD38 with unmutated IgVH3-21, such associations were not absolute, as had been noted for CLL cases that did not use IgVH3-21. Thirty-two percent (18/56) of the cases had a previously described common amino-acid motif (ARDANGMDV) in the otherwise highly variable Ig heavy-chain CDR3. Seventeen (94%) of such cases used light chains typically encoded by V3-21/J3. In addition, we identified a novel amino-acid consensus motif (DPSFYSSSWTLFDY) in the Ig heavy chain CDR3 for 3 of the 56 cases (5.4%). We examined the time from diagnosis to initiation of therapy as per established NCI-Working Group guidelines in 40 patients for whom complete clinical data were available. With a median follow-up of 4.2 years from the date of diagnosis, 25 of the 40 patients had received therapy at the time of this analysis. The median time to treatment (TTT) for all 40 patients was 3.5 years, which was significantly shorter than the median TTT of 6.6 years noted for a previously-described CRC cohort of 307 patients that were not selected for use of IgVH3-21 (NEJM2004; 351: 893–901) (P
Note on nontrivial solutions for a class of p-Laplacian systems

Abstract We prove the existence of nonzero positive solutions of the p-Laplacian system { − Δ p u i = f i ( x , u ) in Ω , i ∈ { 1 , . . , n } , u i = 0 on ∂ Ω , where u = ( u 1 , . . , u n ) , Δ p u i = div ( | ∇ u i | p − 2 ∇ u i ) , p > 1 , Ω is a bounded domain in R n with smooth boundary ∂Ω, f i : Ω × R + n → R + are allowed to be singular at x ∈ ∂ Ω and satisfy some sublinear conditions. Our results improved previously known results in the literature.
JAK2 JH2 Fluorescence Polarization Assay and Crystal Structures for Complexes with Three Small Molecules

A competitive fluorescence polarization (FP) assay is reported for determining binding affinities of probe molecules with the pseudokinase JAK2 JH2 allosteric site. The syntheses of the fluorescent 5 and 6 used in the assay are reported as well as Kd results for 10 compounds, including JNJ7706621, NVP-BSK805, and filgotinib (GLPG0634). X-ray crystal structures of JAK2 JH2 in complex with NVP-BSK805, filgotinib, and diaminopyrimidine 8 elucidate the binding poses.
Evaluation of the use of a sensory room on an adolescent inpatient unit and its impact on restraint and seclusion prevention

Topic Restraint and seclusion (R/S) reduction initiatives require multimodal efforts, particularly proactive approaches to facilitate patients’ regulation. Sensory approaches are an increasingly popular method for helping patients self-regulate. A plan-do-check-act quality improvement model was used to measure practical aspects of a newly implemented sensory room on an adolescent psychiatric inpatient unit. Purpose This article describes an adolescent unit's implementation processes and methods used to evaluate a sensory room and its impact on R/S use, staff–patient relationships, and patients’ aggressive behaviors. Sources Used Selected multidisciplinary literature on sensory rooms and R/S reduction, adolescent unit staff/patient surveys, and institutional quality metrics. Conclusions The use of a sensory room intervention substantially decreased patients’ distress and reduced R/S use and aggressive behaviors. Improvements were also found in patient and staff members’ sense of safety. No differences in the quality of staff–patient relationships were found based on sensory room use. An increase in the durations of R/S did occur and was attributed to a few patients who were “high users” of R/S. Considerations for continuous program improvement and research are discussed.
White Supremacists, or the Emasculation of the American White Man

Set against recent eruptions of right-wing violence in Wisconsin, Colorado, and Oakland, Kimmel’s article challenges contemporary White Supremacist Movements in the United States of America. In what he reads as “growing bands of America’s domestic terrorists”, Kimmel explores a major shift in the organizing strategies of the American right wing and investigates their structures in the last three American governments (Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama), including a discussion of the 9/11 terror attacks and their immediate effects. He reasons that the American right wing is fueled by hypermasculine egomania, an inverted minority discourse, changes in power distribution, and conspiracy theories characterized by anti-globalization, anti-immigrant, anti-Semitic, racist, sexist, and homophobic stances.
Research Methodology in Communication: Review and Commentary

While most reviews of methodology and research in communication have not failed to recognize the importance of theory to guide research, such calls for “more theory” are useless and even misleading unless pragmatic direction can be offered to guide theory construction efforts. Formal modeling techniques are suggested as one set of logics useful to aid the construction of small theories. Since there are good reasons to view research methods as the servant of theory, then research design, measurement, and analysis should be treated within the perspective of the model or theory which makes it relevant. Accordingly several recent and continuing trends in theoretical approaches to communication are isolated and the more obvious methodological implications of each explored.
Neural Crest Stem Cell: Tissue Regeneration and Repair

Interest regarding stem cell-based therapies for tissue regeneration and repair is rapidly growing. Craniofacial problems such as periodontal disease, cleft lip and palate, ear microtia, craniofacial microsomia, and head and neck cancers are not only common but also some of the most burdensome surgical problems worldwide. Treatments often require a multistaged, multidisciplinary team approach. Current surgical therapies attempt to reduce the morbidity and social/emotional impact, yet outcomes can still be unpredictable and unsatisfactory. The concept of harvesting stem cells with expansion, differentiation, seeding onto a scaffold, and re-transplanting them is likely to become a clinical reality. The goal of stable long-term function and integration of repaired or regenerated tissues will require the appropriate blend of biomaterials, growth factors, and stem cells. In this chapter, we will summarize the likely translational applications of stem cells derived from the cranial neural crest cells (CNCC) in craniofacial tissue regeneration and repair.
Expanding the informational chemistries of life: peptide/RNA networks.

The RNA world hypothesis simplifies the complex biopolymer networks underlining the informational and metabolic needs of living systems to a single biopolymer scaffold. This simplification requires...
Time and Thermodynamics

Our everyday lives seem to be controlled by a fundamental asymmetry of nature: The past and the future are not interchangeable, youth will not return, and the dead will not come back to life. Life appears to run preferentially in one direction. Humans have been preoccupied with the meaning of this “time arrow,” which appears to determine their fates, ever since the beginnings of philosophy and religion. Since the end of the nineteenth century, this problem has also been tackled with mathematical and physical precision within the framework of thermodynamics. Entropy may be interpreted statistically as a measure of disorder in systems such as a collection of gas molecules in an insulated container. The spontaneous increase of disorder, as well as the decay of ordered systems, is predicted by the second law of thermodynamics. But how are we to understand cosmic evolution, which appears to develop ever more complex ordered systems from simpler ones?
2D materials under the microscope(s): connecting material properties and electronic structure to many-body excitonic phenomena in monolayer WS2 (Conference Presentation)

Interest in transition metal dichalcogenides has been renewed by the discovery of emergent properties when reduced to single, two-dimensional (2D) layers. In the few-layer limit, the optical and electronic properties of TMDs are modified by a strongly reduced dielectric screening. As a consequence of the weak screening, these 2D materials are intrinsically susceptible to spatial disorder, which can arise due to defects from the growth or interactions with the substrate. Here, we use a set of complementary imaging techniques - Raman, photoluminescence, Kelvin probe, and photoelectron spectroscopy – to correlate locally the chemical state, electronic structure, and optical properties of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides. In particular, we employ spatially resolved angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (nano-ARPES) to map the variations in band alignment, effective mass and chemical composition of CVD-grown monolayer WS2. By correlating the spectroscopic information from nano-ARPES with hyperspectral photoluminescence data, we reveal the interplay between local material properties, such as defect density or chemical composition, and the formation of charged trions, defect-bound excitons and neutral excitons. We compare these results to combined atomic force and scanning tunneling microscopy studies, where we can unambiguously identify point defects in the films at the atomic level.
Virus infection and human cancer: an overview.

It is now estimated that approximately 10 % of worldwide cancers are attributable to viral infection, with the vast majority (>85 %) occurring in the developing world. Oncogenic viruses include various classes of DNA and RNA viruses and induce cancer by a variety of mechanisms. A unifying theme is that cancer develops in a minority of infected individuals and only after chronic infection of many years duration. The viruses associated with the greatest number of cancer cases are the human papillomaviruses (HPVs), which cause cervical cancer and several other epithelial malignancies, and the hepatitis viruses HBV and HCV, which are responsible for the majority of hepatocellular cancer. Other oncoviruses include Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpes virus (KSHV), human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV-I), and Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV). Identification of the infectious cause has led to several interventions that may reduce the risk of developing these tumors. These include preventive vaccines against HBV and HPV, HPV-based testing for cervical cancer screening, anti-virals for the treatment of chronic HBV and HCV infection, and screening the blood supply for the presence of HBV and HCV. Successful efforts to identify additional oncogenic viruses in human cancer may lead to further insight into etiology and pathogenesis as well as to new approaches for therapeutic and prophylactic intervention.
Implementation of a Central Line Maintenance Bundle for Dislodgement and Infection Prevention in the NICU.

Background:Infants in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU) often receive medications or nutritional support for extended periods. Due to the fragility of veins, central lines are often used. Adverse outcomes from central lines such as infections and line dislodgements, where the line terminates in
The youth in the European labour market. Is it lost generation

Young people, school leavers, graduates and those who have not completed education, belong in many countries of European Union among the disadvantaged in the labour market. Because of that, they often face serious social situation. This paper focuses on the situation of young people in the labour market in the European Union, for whom the term lost generation is used in the media. It is investigated whether the concept of a Lost Generation is an adequate name for the situation or it is just journalistic hyperbole. The paper is a systematic review. It includes a meta-analysis component which involves using statistics. The methods of analysis of statistical data, synthesis of researched findings and monitoring of press and media are used.
Socioeconomic Status, Race/Ethnicity, and Health Disparities in Children and Adolescents in a Mixed Rural-Urban Community—Olmsted County, Minnesota

Abstract Objective To characterize disparities in childhood health outcomes by socioeconomic status (SES) and race/ethnicity in a mixed rural-urban US community. Methods This was a retrospective population-based study of children 18 years and younger residing in Olmsted County, Minnesota, in 2009. The prevalence rates of childhood health outcomes were determined using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes. Socioeconomic status was measured using the HOUsing-based SocioEconomic Status index (HOUSES), derived from real property data. Adjusting for age and sex, logistic regression models were used to examine the relationships among HOUSES, race/ethnicity, and prevalence of childhood health outcomes considering an interaction between HOUSES and race/ethnicity. Odds ratios were calculated using the lowest SES quartile and non-Hispanic white participants as the reference groups. Results Of 31,523 eligible children, 51% were male and 86% were of non-Hispanic white race/ethnicity. Overall, lower SES was associated with higher prevalence of bronchiolitis, urinary tract infection, asthma, mood disorder, and accidents/adverse childhood experiences (physical and sexual abuse) in a dose-response manner (P Conclusion Significant health disparities are present in a predominantly affluent, non-Hispanic white, mixed rural-urban community. Socioeconomic status modifies disparities by race/ethnicity in clinically less overt conditions. Interpretation of future health disparity research should account for the nature of disease.
Risk Factors for the Development of Stent-Associated Cholangitis Following Endoscopic Biliary Stent Placement.

To elucidate the overall risk and risk factors for developing cholangitis following biliary stent placement by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and to determine the clinical outcomes of these individuals. We performed a retrospective review of 796 patients who had undergone 1127 ERCPs with biliary stent placement between 2007 and 2015 at a single tertiary care center. There were 91 episodes of stent-associated cholangitis (SAC) during the study period. Data obtained through the medical records included ERCP indication, patient factors (biliary anatomy, demographics, and comorbidities), stent characteristics (material, length, and design), change in serum bilirubin, stent indwelling time, rates and etiologies of bacteremia, and the mortality rate. Those with SAC were more likely to have an anatomic biliary stricture (13.1% vs. 2.3%, p < .0001), with hilar and multiple strictures having the highest risk (19.1% vs. 11.6%, p = .04). The ERCP indication of malignant biliary obstruction was associated with higher rates of SAC (15.6% vs. 3.4%, p = < .0001). Rates of SAC were higher in those who failed to normalize total bilirubin (16.9% vs. 7.8%, p = .0005), and these episodes occurred earlier compared to those who normalized total bilirubin (median 30.5 days vs. 140.5 days, p < .0001). Patients at increased risk of SAC include those with an anatomic stricture, malignant biliary obstruction, and those who fail to normalize total bilirubin after biliary stent placement. Future protocols should be designed to reduce the risk of cholangitis in these populations.
GPUIterator: bridging the gap between Chapel and GPU platforms

PGAS (Partitioned Global Address Space) programming models were originally designed to facilitate productive parallel programming at both the intra-node and inter-node levels in homogeneous parallel machines. However, there is a growing need to support accelerators, especially GPU accelerators, in heterogeneous nodes in a cluster. Among high-level PGAS programming languages, Chapel is well suited for this task due to its use of locales and domains to help abstract away low-level details of data and compute mappings for different compute nodes, as well as for different processing units (CPU vs. GPU) within a node. In this paper, we address some of the key limitations of past approaches on mapping Chapel on to GPUs as follows. First, we introduce a Chapel module, GPUIterator, which is a portable programming interface that supports GPU execution of a Chapel forall loop. This module makes it possible for Chapel programmers to easily use hand-tuned native GPU programs/libraries, which is an important requirement in practice since there is still a big performance gap between compiler-generated GPU code and hand-turned GPU code; hand-optimization of CPU-GPU data transfers is also an important contributor to this performance gap. Second, though Chapel programs are regularly executed on multi-node clusters, past work on GPU enablement of Chapel programs mainly focused on single-node execution. In contrast, our work supports execution across multiple CPU+GPU nodes by accepting Chapel's distributed domains. Third, our approach supports hybrid execution of a Chapel parallel (forall) loop across both a GPU and CPU cores, which is beneficial for specific platforms. Our preliminary performance evaluations show that the use of the GPUIterator is a promising approach for Chapel programmers to easily utilize a single or multiple CPU+GPU node(s) while maintaining portability.
FLOSS participants' perceptions about gender and inclusiveness: a survey

Background: While FLOSS projects espouse openness and acceptance for all, in practice, female contributors often face discriminatory barriers to contribution. Aims: In this paper, we examine the extent to which these problems still exist. We also study male and female contributors' perceptions of other contributors. Method: We surveyed participants from 15 FLOSS projects, asking a series of open-ended, closed-ended, and behavioral scale questions to gather information about the issue of gender in FLOSS projects. Results: Though many of those we surveyed expressed a positive sentiment towards females who participate in FLOSS projects, some were still strongly against their inclusion. Often, the respondents who were against inclusiveness also believed their own sentiments were the prevailing belief in the community, contrary to our findings. Others did not see the purpose of attempting to be inclusive, expressing the sentiment that a discussion of gender has no place in FLOSS. Conclusions: FLOSS projects have started to move forwards in terms of gender acceptance. However, there is still a need for more progress in the inclusion of gender-diverse contributors.
Clock Skew Optimization for Peak Current Reduction

The presence of large current peaks on the power and ground lines is a serious concern for designers of synchronous digital circuits. Current peaks are caused by the simultaneous switching of highly loaded clock lines and by the signal propagation through the sequential logic elements. In this work we propose a methodology for reducing the amplitude of the current peaks. This result is obtained by clock skew optimization. We propose an algorithm that, for a given clock cycle time, determines the clock arrival time at each flip-flop in order to minimize the current peaks while respecting timing constraint. Our results on benchmark circuits show that current peaks can be reduced without penalty on cycle time and average power dissipation. Our methodology is therefore well-suited for low-power systems with reduced supply voltage, where low noise margins are a primary concern.
Where's the Science? Recent Changes to Clean Water Act Threaten Wetlands and Thousands of Miles of Our Nation's Rivers and Streams

The vision of the U.S. government when they passed the Clean Water Act (CWA) in 1972 was to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters to support f...
Ah Receptor Ligands and Their Impacts on Gut Resilience: Structure-Activity Effects

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD, dioxin) and structurally related halogenated aromatics modulate gene expression and induce biochemical and toxic responses that are mediated by initial binding to the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). The AhR also binds structurally diverse compound including pharmaceuticals, endogenous biochemicals, health-promoting phytochemicals, and microbial metabolites. Many of these AhR ligands do not induce TCDD-like toxic responses and some AhR ligands such as microbial metabolites of tryptophan play a role in maintaining gut health and protecting against intestinal inflammation and cancer. Many AhR ligands exhibit tissue- and response-specific AhR agonist or antagonist activities, and act as selective AhR modulators (SAhRMs) and this SAhRM-like activity has also been observed in AhR-ligand-mediated effects in the intestine. This review summarizes studies showing that several AhR ligands including phytochemicals and TCDD protect against dextran sodium sulfate-induced intestinal inflammation. In contrast, AhR ligands such as oxazole compounds enhance intestinal inflammation suggesting that AhR-mediated gut health can be enhanced or decreased by selective AhR modulators and this needs to be considered in development of AhR ligands for therapeutic applications in treating intestinal inflammation.
Spacer microbial contamination and asthma outcomes: case series

The primary method of drug delivery to treat asthma is through pressurized metered dose inhalers (pMDI). Asthma guidelines recommend that providers prescribe a spacer for all patients using pMDI. T...
Team Science in Biostatistical Collaboration: An Opportunity to Practice Leadership, Embrace Diversity, Manage Conflict, and Share Credit

Multidisciplinary scientific teams are crucial for addressing formidable health problems. The increasing need to design, collect, analyze, and interpret health data places biostatisticians at the center of team science. Nuanced practice of leadership, accepting diversity, conflict management, and credit sharing are crucial for effective integration of biostatisticians into team science.