cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trends in characteristics and multi-product use among adolescents who use electronic cigarettes, United States 2011-2015.

Objectives Evaluate trends from 2011–2015 in electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use among U.S. adolescents, grades 6–12, including prevalence and associations with past month use of cigarettes and other tobacco products, cigarette smoking intensity, quit attempts, and quit contemplation. Methods Five consecutive waves from the National Youth Tobacco Survey (N = 101,011) were used to estimate the grade- and race/ethnicity-standardized prevalence of past month use of e-cigarettes and nine non e-cigarette tobacco products. We assessed linear trends by year and compared outcomes (e.g., tobacco use, smoking intensity) by e-cigarette past month use. Results Past month e-cigarette use rose sharply from 2011–2015. In all years and both sexes, e-cigarette past month use and ever use were positively associated with use of cigarettes and other tobacco products, with past month e-cigarette use reaching 52% in 2015 among individuals who used ≥1 non e-cigarette tobacco product in the past month. Meanwhile, from 2011–2015, the population of adolescent past month e-cigarette users increasingly encompassed adolescents who were not past month users of other products (females: 19.0% to 41.7%; males: 11.1% to 36.7%) or had never used other products (females: 7.1% to 13.5%; males: 6.7% to 15.0%). Among male (but not female) past month cigarette users, there was a statistically significant positive association between past month e-cigarette use and daily cigarette smoking but not in all individual years. Past month e-cigarette use among past month cigarette smokers was not associated with cigarette quit attempts or quit contemplation, with no temporal trend. Conclusion Adolescent past month e-cigarette use is associated with past month use of other tobacco but not with cigarette quit attempts or quit contemplation among cigarette users. Over five years, the average characteristics of U.S. adolescents who use e-cigarettes have shifted, increasingly including more adolescents who do not use non e-cigarette tobacco products.
Towards a formal framework for hybrid planning in self-adaptation

Decision-making approaches in self-adaptation face a fundamental trade-off between quality and timeliness of adaptation plans. Due to this trade-off, designers often have to make an offline compromise between finding adaptation plans quickly and finding closer-to-optimal plans that demand longer computation times. Recent work has proposed that hybrid planning can resolve this trade-off dynamically, achieving higher utility than either fast or slow approaches individually. The promise of hybrid planning is to combine multiple decision-making approaches at run time to produce adaptation plans of the high quality within given time constraints. However, the diversity of decision-making approaches makes the problem of hybrid planning complex and multi-faceted. This paper advances the theory of hybrid planning by formalizing the central concepts and four sub-problems of hybrid planning. This formalization can serve as a foundation for creating and evaluating hybrid planners in the future.
288 THE ROLE OF PLASMEPSIN 10 IN OOKINETE EGRESS THROUGH THE MOSQUITO MIDGUT.

Background Successful development of a malaria vaccine would have a global impact. A vaccine to block transmission of Plasmodium to mosquitoes would protect individuals and populations from malaria. While some Plasmodium aspartic proteases (plasmepsins) are known to degrade hemoglobin in the blood stages, proteomic and expression profiling data suggest that other plasmepsins, including PM 10, are present in ookinetes, the mosquito-invasive stage of the parasite. The stage-specific expression of PM 10 implies a novel and yet uncharacterized function for this protease in parasite invasion of the mosquito. We hypothesize that interference of PM 10 will prevent parasite migration through the mosquito midgut wall, thus validating this molecule as a target for blocking malaria transmission. Methods Three species of Plasmodium were used in this study: P. falciparum , P. berghei , and P. gallinaceum . Anti-PM 10 monoclonal antibodies were used for immunofluorescence and immunoelectron localization of the protein within blood stage parasites and zygote/ookinetes. Experimental mosquito infections were performed in the presence of the mAbs using glass membrane feeders. Results Localization studies demonstrated apical surface localization of PMX on the parasite, suggesting a role for the enzyme in midgut penetration. The effect of the anti-PMX mAb on transmission is currently under investigation. Discussion Subcellular localization of plasmepsin X suggests a novel role for a Plasmodium aspartic protease in parasite development and invasion of the mosquito midgut. These results support the hypothesis that ookinete-expressed PM X is a promising target for blocking malaria transmission. Further studies are required to elucidate the precise mechanism by which the ookinete PM X mediates midgut invasion.
Impact of international and local conditions on sovereign bond spreads: International evidence

Abstract This paper examines the effect of international and domestic factors on the sovereign bond spreads for 22 developed countries in North America, Europe and Pacific Rim regions. First, for all the regions the impact of global factors on the sovereign bond spreads is more intense than regional factors. Second, the findings confirm that for the bond spreads of each region over its domestic government bonds, the countries’ local fundamentals are better determinants of the spreads compared to the spread over US government bonds as a safe haven. Third, the influence of worldwide factors in the Eurozone compared to other regions bond spreads is less. Fourth, the relationship of the market sentiment and the investor risk aversion with the sovereign bond spreads of all regions is positive. Equity market volatility plays significant role in yield speads in international bond markets.
Patterns in Liver-Related Health Outcomes with Hepatitis C Virus Treatments and Health Equity Implications for Decision Makers: A Cohort Analysis of Medicaid Patients.

Abstract Introduction: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a blood-borne communicable disease that, in perhaps 20% of cases, results in a chronic disease. However, traditional peginterferon/ribavirin therapies pose many adverse side effects that are difficult to tolerate, and many patients do not complete the therapy. However, healthcare access to these newer, efficacious treatments are reduced, due to inadequate or lack of coverage of direct acting antiviral (DAA) medication. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of HCV treatment regimens on outcomes of care for HCV-infected Medicaid beneficiaries without cirrhosis/liver disease scarring. Methods: A cohort analysis was performed to evaluate the changes in cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer), and liver transplantation with use of HCV treatments in Medicaid beneficiaries with HCV, and was followed over a period of 10 years. The cohort of Medicaid beneficiaries and relevant variables were generated from published literature....
Risk of Hypoglycemia Following Hospital Discharge in Patients With Diabetes and Acute Kidney Injury

OBJECTIVE Hypoglycemia is common in patients with diabetes. The risk of hypoglycemia after acute kidney injury (AKI) is not well defined. The purpose of this study was to compare the risk for postdischarge hypoglycemia among hospitalized patients with diabetes who do and do not experience AKI. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We performed a propensity-matched analysis of patients with diabetes, with and without AKI, using a retrospective national cohort of veterans hospitalized between 2004 and 2012. AKI was defined as a 0.3 mg/dL or 50% increase in serum creatinine from baseline to peak serum creatinine during hospitalization. Hypoglycemia was defined as hospital admission or an emergency department visit for hypoglycemia or as an outpatient blood glucose RESULTS We identified 65,151 propensity score–matched pairs with and without AKI. The incidence of hypoglycemia was 29.6 (95% CI 28.9–30.4) and 23.5 (95% CI 22.9–24.2) per 100 person-years for patients with and without AKI, respectively. After adjustment, AKI was associated with a 27% increased risk of hypoglycemia (hazard ratio [HR] 1.27 [95% CI 1.22–1.33]). For patients with full recovery, the HR was 1.18 (95% CI 1.12–1.25); for partial recovery, the HR was 1.30 (95% CI 1.23–1.37); and for no recovery, the HR was 1.48 (95% CI 1.36–1.60) compared with patients without AKI. Across all antidiabetes drug regimens, patients with AKI experienced hypoglycemia more frequently than patients without AKI, though the incidence of hypoglycemia was highest among insulin users, followed by glyburide and glipizide users, respectively. CONCLUSIONS AKI is a risk factor for hypoglycemia in the postdischarge period. Studies to identify risk-reduction strategies in this population are warranted.
Accreditation is Perceived to Improve the Quality of Vascular Testing Facilities

ObjectiveAccreditation for noninvasive vascular testing facilities has been available since 1990, but is not mandatory. We sought to determine the perceived value of accreditation among the staff o...
Molecular Genetics of the Familial Chylomicronemia Syndrome

Familial chylomicronemia, a rare genetic syndrome inherited as an autosomal recessive trait, is characterized by severe fasting hypertriglyceridemia and massive accumulations of chylomicrons in plasma (Brunzell 1989, Santamarina-Fojo 1991). Affected individuals often present early in childhood with recurrent episodes of abdominal pain and/or pancreatitis frequently precipitated by the ingestion of a fatty meal. Hepatosplenomegaly and mild elevations in liver transaminases may result from lipid accumulation in these organs. Phagocytosis of chylomicrons by macrophages in the skin results in the formation of eruptive xanthomas, and on funduscopic examination, lipemia retinalis may be evident in patients with triglyceride levels greater than 1000 mg/dl. The major morbidity associated with this disorder is recurrent episodes of pancreatitis, which in some patients have resulted in pancreatic insufficiency. The two major molecular defects in the familial chylomicronemia syndrome are a deficiency of lipoprotein lipase (LPL), or of apolipoprotein (apo) C-II. Lipoprotein lipase, a glycoprotein located on the luminal surface of capillary vessels, catalyzes the hydrolysis of triglycerides present in circulating chylomicrons and very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) to mono-and di-glycerides and to free fatty acids. ApoC-II, a 79 amino acid protein present in chylomicrons, VLDL, and HDL, serves as a cofactor for LPL and is essential for normal triglyceride hydrolysis.
Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) as an Insult-Induced Immune Dissonance: A Role for Lactoferrin

Abstract Inflammation has been recognized as a medical condition dating back to the ancient Egyptian and Greek cultures. In the 5th century B.C.E. Hippocrates described inflammation as an early component of the healing process after tissue injury. Since then the definition of inflammation has changed but the foundation remains the same—inflammation is the body’s defense in response to environmental insult. In recent years, a deeper understanding of inflammation underlying Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) has come from the intersection of molecular biology and immunological discoveries. Advancements in genomics and proteomics have proven instrumental in the dissection of molecular mechanisms of inflammation; recognition of the signaling pathway crossroads has become a guiding light to the development of novel immune therapies in many inflammation-induced diseases. An in-depth look at one potential therapeutic agent, lactoferrin (LTF), demonstrates how an immune modulator may hold potential to control the inflammatory response. The clinical impact of this knowledge is enormous and holds promise on further development of new technologies for multiple clinical applications.
The Popular Church and Revolutionary Insurgency in El Salvador

This essay reviews the following works: Vida, pasion y muerte del jesuita Rutilio Grande. By Rodolfo Cardenal. San Salvador: UCA Editores, 2016. Pp. 564. $12.00 paperback. ISBN: 9789996110283. Poets and Prophets of the Resistance: Intellectuals and the Origins of El Salvador’s Civil War. By Joaquin M. Chavez. New York: Oxford University Press, 2017. Pp. xii + 336. $74.00 hardcover. ISBN: 9780199315512. The Salvador Option: The United States in El Salvador, 1977–1992. By Russell Crandall. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2016. Pp. xv + 690. $39.95 paperback. ISBN: 9781316500644. Assassination of a Saint: The Plot to Murder Oscar Romero and the Quest to Bring His Killers to Justice. By Matt Eisenbrandt. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2017. Pp. ix + 219. $29.95 paperback. ISBN: 9780520286801. El Salvador: Historia contemporanea, 1808–2010. Edited by Carlos Gregorio Lopez Bernal. San Salvador: Editorial Universitaria, 2015. Pp. 424. ISBN: 9789992327869. A Radical Faith: The Assassination of Sister Maura. By Eileen Markey. New York: Nation Books, 2016. Pp. 1 + 307. $26.99 hardcover. ISBN: 9781568585734. Priest under Fire: Padre David Rodriguez, the Catholic Church, and El Salvador’s Revolutionary Movement. By Peter M. Sanchez. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2015. Pp. xvi + 308. $44.95 hardcover. ISBN: 9780813061191. Liberation through Reconciliation: Jon Sobrino’s Christological Spirituality. By O. Ernesto Valiente. New York: Fordham University Press, 2015. Pp. 289. $35.00 paperback. ISBN: 9780823268870.
Efficacy and safety of duloxetine in osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

About 21% of adults with osteoarthritis (OA) are diagnosed with concomitant depression in addition to chronic pain. Duloxetine, an anti-depressant med ication, has been recently approved for managing Knee OA. We performed a systematic review to ascertain the efficacy and safety of duloxetine for OA. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Database from inception to December 2018. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) assessing the efficacy and/or safety of duloxetine versus placebo in OA patients were included. Data extraction and quality assessment were undertaken by two independent reviewers. Seven RCTs (n = 2,102 participants) met our inclusion criteria, and five RCTs (n = 1,713) were eligible for meta-analysis. The results of our analyses indicate that duloxetine has statistically significant, moderate ben efits on pain, function, and quality of life in knee OA patients for up to 13 weeks. Reported incidences of gastrointestinal adverse events were three to four times higher in participants who received duloxetine versus placebo. Duloxetine may be an effective treatment option for individuals with knee OA, but use of the drug is associated with a significantly higher risk of adverse events. Patient preferences and clinicians’ judgment must be considered before the initiation of duloxetine.
Fluorescent Western Blotting: High Sensitivity Detection of Multiple Targets

Western blotting with fluorescence detection offers the possibility of detecting multiple targets simultaneously on a single blot. Primary antibodies are increasingly available from multiple hosts, and there are now a wide variety of dye labels to exploit multiple imaging channels. If primary and secondary antibodies are selected so that individual targets can be discriminated, multiple antigens can be detected and quantified in a single experiment. Current fluorescence imaging instrumentation offers multiple detection channels and gives sensitivity comparable to other methods. The method described in this article allows multiple targets to be quantified simultaneously and reduces the need for stripping and re-probing. It also allows loading controls to be detected alongside the targets of interest. © 2020 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Basic Protocol: Five-plex western blot detection, including tubulin detection for loading control.
Significance of Paneth cell-like differentiation in prostatic adenocarcinoma: a retrospective cohort study of 80 cases.

Summary The grading and prognosis of prostatic adenocarcinoma with Paneth cell–like differentiation (PanEC) is controversial with limited available data. We identified 80 cases, not previously published, of PanEC first identified on biopsy (n = 69), transurethral resection of the prostate (n = 1), and radical prostatectomy (RP) (n = 10). Of 69 biopsies, 22 did not have a grade assigned. In the remaining 47 biopsies, the Grade Groups (GGs) of the associated usual prostatic adenocarcinoma were GG1–2 (n = 34) and GG3–5 (n = 13). Of 10 RPs, the GGs were as follows: GG1–2 (n = 8), GG4 (n = 1), and no grade due to treatment effect (n = 1); pathological stages were pT2 (n = 8) and pT3a (n = 2), all with negative lymph nodes. We analyzed 19 cases with available follow-up only associated with GG1–2 conventional cancer; 9 underwent RP, and GGs at RP were as follows: GG1–2 (n = 7), no grade due to treatment effect (n = 1), and missing data (n = 1); pathologic stages were pT2 (n = 6) and pT3a (n = 3); there were no positive regional lymph nodes; 3 were managed with active surveillance, without follow-up progression; 5 patients underwent radiation therapy with or without hormone therapy; none showed follow-up progression; 2 (10.5%) patients were recommended to undergo radiotherapy, with no further follow-up. Of the cases with available follow-up, 9 were not associated with conventional adenocarcinoma; the majority of these cases were treated with radiation therapy or active surveillance without evidence of progression. In summary, although a minority of PanECs are associated with conventional higher grade adenocarcinoma and have progression after treatment, the majority have favorable findings, justifying the consideration of them as more indolent tumors despite cases in which PanEC resembles Gleason pattern 5 adenocarcinoma.
Finding and creating meaning in life during reversals and revisions

Abstract Life transitions are analyzed for ways in which they affect components of meaning in life. Six challenges to meaning are identified and described: physiological changes, disruption of norms, overreliance on social network, stressful autonomy, psychosocial vulnerability, and biographical disruption. Each of these challenges has the potential to erode the three domains of meaning in life, coherence, purpose, and mattering.
Importance of the hydrogen evolution reaction in magnesium chloride solutions on stainless steel

Abstract Cathodic kinetics in magnesium chloride (MgCl2) solutions were investigated on platinum (Pt) and stainless steel 304 L (SS304 L). Density, viscosity, and dissolved oxygen concentration for MgCl2 solutions were also measured. A 2-electron transfer for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on Pt was determined using a rotating disk electrode. SS304 L displayed non-Levich behavior for ORR and, due to ORR suppression and buffering of near surface pH by Mg-species precipitation, the primary cathodic reaction was the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in saturated MgCl2. Furthermore, non-carbonate precipitates were found to be kinetically favored. Implications of HER are discussed through atmospheric corrosion and stress corrosion cracking.
Nursing Student Differences in Transcultural Self-Efficacy by Culture Curriculum: A Longitudinal Study.

IntroductionLongitudinal studies regarding educational strategies to help nursing students gain transcultural self-efficacy skills are limited. This study aimed to compare the long-term effects of ...
Alcohol-free hand sanitizer and other quaternary ammonium disinfectants quickly and effectively inactivate SARS-CoV-2.

Summary Background SARS-CoV-2 is the virus responsible for the current global pandemic, COVID-19. Because this virus is novel, little is known about its sensitivity to disinfection. Methods We performed suspension tests against SARS-CoV-2 using three commercially available quaternary ammonium compound (Quat) disinfectants and one laboratory-made 0.2% benzalkonium chloride solution. Findings Three of the four formulations completely inactivated the virus within 15 s of contact, even in the presence of a soil load or when diluted in hard water. Conclusion Quats rapidly inactivate SARS-CoV-2, making them potentially useful for controlling SARS-CoV-2 spread in hospitals and the community.
Spouse caregivers' attributed gains from a skill-based counseling program.

To describe spouse caregivers’ perceived gains in their own words from participating in a fully manualized 5-session educational counseling program whose goals were to enhance their self-care and skills to interpersonally support their wife with breast cancer. Interviews from 81 spouses obtained 7 months after exiting from a fully manualized educational counseling program, Helping Her Heal, were content analyzed using inductive coding methods adapted from grounded theory. Trustworthiness of study results was protected by coding to consensus, formal peer debriefing, and maintaining an audit trail. Analysis yielded 3 conceptual domains: Giving Me Structure; Adding Skills to Help Her and Us; and Gaining Insights into Myself and My Wife, all of which reflected practical things on which spouses could take action and ways they could take care of themselves, support their wife, and from which they gained insight into their own and their wife’s response to the breast cancer. Findings suggest that short-term, fully manualized counseling programs can provide opportunities and practical ways spouse caregivers are able to gain interpersonal communication, self-care skills, and personal insights. This scripted model of counseling is a way in which to deliver educational counseling with self-reported benefits, even though the program is fully scripted and not uniquely fashioned for each caregiver’s unique experience. NCI-2013-01838 .
Systemic and mucosal mobilization of granulocyte subsets during lentiviral infection.

Granulocytes mediate broad immunoprotection through phagocytosis, extracellular traps, release of cytotoxic granules, antibody effector functions and recruitment of other immune cells against pathogens. However, descriptions of granulocytes in HIV infection and mucosal tissues are limited. Our goal was to characterize granulocyte subsets in systemic, mucosal and lymphoid tissues during lentiviral infection using the rhesus macaque (RM) model. Mononuclear cells from jejunum, colon, cervix, vagina, lymph nodes, spleen, liver and whole blood from experimentally naive and chronically SHIVsf162p3-infected RM were analysed by microscopy and polychromatic flow cytometry. Granulocytes were identified using phenotypes designed specifically for RM: eosinophils-CD45+ CD66+ CD49d+ ; neutrophils-CD45+ CD66+ CD14+ ; and basophils-CD45+ CD123+ FcRe+ . Nuclear visualization with DAPI staining and surface marker images by ImageStream (cytometry/microscopy) further confirmed granulocytic phenotypes. Flow cytometric data showed that all RM granulocytes expressed CD32 (FcRγII) but did not express CD16 (FcRγIII). Additionally, constitutive expression of CD64 (FcRγI) on neutrophils and FcRe on basophils indicates the differential expression of Fc receptors on granulocyte subsets. Granulocytic subsets in naive whole blood ranged from 25·4% to 81·5% neutrophils, 0·59% to 13·3% eosinophils and 0·059% to 1·8% basophils. Interestingly, elevated frequencies of circulating neutrophils, colorectal neutrophils and colorectal eosinophils were all observed in chronic lentiviral disease. Conversely, circulating basophils, jejunal eosinophils, vaginal neutrophils and vaginal eosinophils of SHIVsf162p3-infected RM declined in frequency. Overall, our data suggest modulation of granulocytes in chronic lentiviral infection, most notably in the gastrointestinal mucosae where a significant inflammation and disruption occurs in lentivirus-induced disease. Furthermore, granulocytes may migrate to inflamed tissues during infection and could serve as targets of immunotherapeutic intervention.
The Future Roles of Remembering and Forgetting for Agentic Twenty-First-Century Cities

In our concluding chapter we discuss possible futures for agentic cities into the twenty-first century across transnational cityscapes. We provide readers with examples of international cities that each highlight differing memoryscapes. For instance, we discuss Cold War legacies and class warfare in Seoul; international and definitional issues in Jerusalem; colonial erasures of indigenous pasts in Toronto; and the indigenous agencies of Shillong, India.
Bases de la distribución del valor económico generado para la sustentabilidad empresarial

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been discussed over the last four decades. Global social demands require organizations to report their environmental and social impact, which can be done based on the standards of Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). These establish that economic value can be distributed in at least 5 aspects: Operational Costs, Salary and Employee Benefits, Payments to Suppliers, Payments to Government, and Investments in the Community. Given this, from a stakeholder’s perspective, inquiries arise about concentration in the distributed value. After an exploratory qualitative analysis followed by an Ensembled Clustering algorithm implementation, 3 and 5 groups were identified in 2018 and 2019 respectively from the companies with greater presences in the stock market. Each group has concentrations in 4 of the 5 aspects previously listed by the GRI. According to the results, the identification of these groups would allow investors to know the spotlights on the distributed value generation so using this as inputs when investments are made. Additionally, according to the results, the characteristics related to the Investments in the Community was identified as not considered by any groups, opening a gap of differentiating aspect and improvement by companies.
Does the ability to identify the construct on an empathy situational judgment test relate to performance? Exploring a new concept in assessment

Abstract Introduction The ability to identify criteria (ATIC) refers to an examinee's capacity to distinguish the construct being evaluated. Previous research indicates ATIC can be predictive of performance on some assessments. This exploratory study investigated the relationship between a participant's ability to identify criteria and their performance on an empathy situational judgment test (SJT), an assessment format used to measure social and behavioral attributes. Methods A 12-item empathy SJT was completed by 15 students and 15 pharmacists. During a cognitive interview, participants were asked what they believed each exam question measured. Responses were coded to determine whether participants stated “empathy” (indication of ATIC). The point-biserial correlation coefficient was calculated to explore the relationship of ATIC (correctly or not correctly identifying the item measured empathy) and performance on the SJT (total score). Results Participants identified empathy 33.3% of the time, and it was the construct most often identified. Pharmacists (27.5%) identified empathy less often than students (39.2%). When empathy was identified as the construct, it was most often reported for items in a non-healthcare setting (56.3%) rather than a healthcare setting (43.7%) and for questions targeting affective empathy (71.3%) rather than cognitive empathy (28.7%). There were no statistically significant relationships with correctly identifying the construct and performance on individual items and the overall test. Conclusions There is inconclusive evidence that ATIC relates to performance on an empathy SJT. Additional research is needed to evaluate the role of ATIC and assessment performance to corroborate study results.
Dual-site blood culture yield and time to positivity in neonatal late-onset sepsis.

Objective To determine whether culture yield and time to positivity (TTP) differ between peripheral and central vascular catheter-derived blood cultures (BCx) in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) patients evaluated for late-onset sepsis. Design Single-centre, retrospective, observational study. Setting Level IV NICU. Participants The study included infants >72 hours old admitted to NICU in 2007-2019 with culture-confirmed bacteraemia. All episodes had simultaneous BCx drawn from a peripheral site and a vascular catheter ('catheter culture'). Main outcome measures Dual-site culture yield and TTP. Results Among 179 episodes of late-onset bacteraemia (among 167 infants) with concurrently drawn peripheral and catheter BCx, the majority (67%, 120 of 179) were positive from both sites, compared with 17% (30 of 179) with positive catheter cultures only and 16% (29 of 179) with positive peripheral cultures only. 66% (19 of 29) of episodes with only positive peripheral BCx grew coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, while 34% (10 of 29) were recognised bacterial pathogens. Among 120 episodes with both peripheral and catheter BCx growth, catheter cultures demonstrated bacterial growth prior to paired peripheral cultures in 78% of episodes (93 of 120, p Conclusion Concurrently drawn peripheral and catheter BCx had similar yield. While a majority of episodes demonstrated dual-site BCx growth, a small but important minority of episodes grew virulent pathogens from either culture site alone. While dual-site culture practices may be useful, clinicians should balance the gain in sensitivity of bacteraemia detection against additive contamination risk.
Electronic Excitations and Optical Properties of C60 Molecules

We present here a brief summary of key theoretical and experimental investigations of the electronic excitations and optical properties of C60 molecules and solid C60, reviewing, in particular, the optical absorption by vibronic transitions, Raman scattering, photoluminescence, resonant two-photon photoemission, nonlinear optical processes, the charge state of C60 molecules adsorbed on metal and semiconductor surfaces, and surface enhanced Raman scattering, and also a brief comment about the C60 molecule as a quantum dot.
Supernova Shocks and Neutrino Diffusion

The general features of an outgoing supernova shock are discussed. The effects of neutrino production and emission from the shock, nuclear dissociation, and electron capture behind the shock are computed. An analytic model of neutrino diffusion is made. The virial theorem is used to calculate the shock velocity and the radius beyond which matter may reach escape velocities.
Stages of Change in the Trajectory of Postpartum Weight Self-Management

ABSTRACT Objective To identify women's patterns of readiness to engage in weight self‐management behaviors during the postpartum period. Design Prospective, longitudinal design with repeated measures, guided by the transtheoretical model of behavior change (TTM). Setting A tertiary perinatal center in an urban setting in the midwestern United States with approximately 3,000 births annually. Participants One hundred ninety‐one (191) adult postpartum women. Methods Participants were surveyed in person during their postpartum hospitalizations, and by telephone at 4 and 8 weeks postpartum using the Stages of Change for Weight Management (SOCWM) and the Decisional Balance for Weight Management (DBWM) tools. Results There was a significant effect of time on stage of change for women in the postpartum period, with women in a higher stage of change at 8 weeks than during the postpartum hospitalization. There were no significant differences in stage of change at any of the three time points by prepregnant weight category or by race. Nearly one half of the sample was in the contemplation stage during the postpartum hospitalization, and more than 80% were in action or maintenance stages by 8 weeks postpartum. Conclusions The early postpartum period is an opportune time to influence stage of change in women's weight management behaviors. Assessment of readiness to engage in or continue weight management behaviors will allow providers to use stage‐matched interventions guided by the TTM to facilitate women's self‐management of weight.
Improved Techniques for Staining and Enumerating Focus Formation in Viral Infectivity Assays

Improved techniques consisting of glutaraldehyde fixation, Giemsa staining, and colony counter enumeration of foci in viral infectivity assays were compared to microscope scanning and lantern slide projection methods. These techniques broadened the scope of application to potentially hazardous viruses and increased the efficiency of assaying.
Linear programs for the Kepler conjecture

The Kepler conjecture asserts that the densest arrangement of congruent balls in Euclidean three-space is the face-centered cubic packing, which is the familiar pyramid arrangement used to stack oranges at the market. The problem was finally solved in 1998 by a long computer proof. The Flyspeck project seeks to give a full formal proof of the Kepler conjecture. This is an extended abstract for a talk in the formal proof session of ICMS-2010, which will describe the linear programming aspects of the Flyspeck project.
Transcription of Hepatitis Delta Antigen mRNA Continues throughout Hepatitis Delta Virus (HDV) Replication: a New Model of HDV RNA Transcription and Replication

Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) replicates by RNA-dependent RNA synthesis according to a double rolling circle model. Also synthesized during replication is a 0.8-kb, polyadenylated mRNA encoding the hepatitis delta antigen (HDAg). It has been proposed that this mRNA species represents the initial product of HDV RNA replication; subsequent production of genomic-length HDV RNA relies on suppression of the HDV RNA polyadenylation signal by HDAg. However, this model was based on studies which required the use of an HDV cDNA copy to initiate HDV RNA replication in cell culture, thus introducing an artificial requirement for DNA-dependent RNA synthesis. We have now used an HDV cDNA-free RNA transfection system and a method that we developed to detect specifically the mRNA species transcribed from the HDV RNA template. We established that this polyadenylated mRNA is 0.8 kb in length and its 5' end begins at nucleotide 1631. Surprisingly, kinetic studies showed that this mRNA continued to be synthesized even late in the viral replication cycle and that the mRNA and the genomic-length RNA increased in parallel, even in the presence of HDAg. Thus, a switch from production of the HDAg mRNA to the full-length HDV RNA does not occur in this system, and suppression of the polyadenylation site by HDAg may not significantly regulate the synthesis of the HDAg mRNA, as previously proposed. These findings reveal novel insights into the mechanism of HDV RNA replication. A new model of HDV RNA replication and transcription is proposed.
The emerging field of energy transitions: Progress, challenges, and opportunities

Abstract Energy transitions are an unmistakable part of today's public discourse. Whether shaped by fuel price fluctuation, environmental and security concerns, aspects of technology change, or goals to improve energy access, attention regularly turns to ways in which to improve energy pathways. Yet what is understood about energy system change is still emerging. This article explores the evolving field of energy transitions with an aim to connect and enlarge the scholarship. Definitions and examples of energy transitions are discussed, together with core ideas on trade-offs, urgency, and innovation. Global developments in energy and related mega-trends are then reviewed to highlight areas of analytical significance. Key information sources and suppliers are examined next. The article concludes with ideas about opportunities for further research.
Outcomes research in nephrology

The field of clinical research in nephrology should be and is being broadened beyond clinical trials by incorporating epidemiologic designs and subjective patients' assessments of their own health and the degree to which they are satisfied with services they receive. The advantages of these changes include increased relevance to the concerns of patients and increased relevance to the real world of clinical practice.
Tear film and ocular surface changes after closure of the meibomian gland orifices in the rabbit

To determine whether meibomian gland dysfunction can increase tear film osmolarity and produce ocular surface changes analogous to those seen with lacrimal gland disease (keratoconjunctivitis sicca [KCS]), the authors closed the meibomian gland orifices in the right eyes of 11 rabbits by light cautery and studied the changes for 20 weeks. Tear film osmolarity was increased throughout the observation period. Conjunctival goblet cell density and corneal epithelial glycogen levels declined progressively. Closure of the meibomian gland orifices thus increased tear film osmolarity in the presence of normal lacrimal gland function and caused ocular surface abnormalities similar to KCS.
Hyperspectral Algorithm for Mapping Tissue Oxygen Saturation

A simple algorithm based on computational estimates of spectral feature amplitudes in hyperspectral images is described for mapping oxygen delivery in tissue. Features are determined from contiguous image bands spanning the prominent absorption wavelengths of hemoglobin. Pixel values along the z-axis at each image coordinate establish a spectral curve. A reference baseline is obtained by linear interpolation between isosbestic points on the curve which are insensitive to changes in oxygen saturation of the blood. An oxygen-sensitive vector is determined from areas between the recorded curve and baseline, which estimates relative amounts of oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin that contribute to the blood spectrum. Corrections are applied to account for variation in total light between recordings, and for the volume of blood at each pixel location in the recording. Here we apply the method to map relative oxygen saturation in the optic nerve head and overlying retinal vessels at normal and elevated intraocular pressure.
Studies directed toward the total synthesis of azaspiracid. Construction of the C1–C19 carbon backbone and synthesis of the C10, C13 nonnatural transoidal bisspirocyclic ring system

Abstract The efficient entry to the C 1 –C 19 carbon backbone of azaspiracid is outlined utilizing a key Julia coupling strategy. Spirocyclization of a C 12 sulfone substrate induced formation of the unprecedented, nonnatural transoidal bisspiroketal. Construction of the bisspirocyclic array at C 10 and C 13 , in the absence of the C 12 sulfone, led to formation of the cisoidal orientation of the bisspirocycle, with the nonnatural stereochemistry at C 13 .
Why the local-spin-density approximation fails to predict the energy bands of Gd correctly

All energy-band calculations of Gd show seven very-narrow minority-spin 4f bands just above the Fermi energy. We show that this resonance is an artifact of the local-spin-density approximation and suggest that it is the reason that all calculations have yielded electronic densities of states at the Fermi energy larger than the experimental value.
Control of cortical microtubule organization and desmosome stability by centrosomal proteins

In many tissues microtubules reorganize into non-centrosomal arrays in differentiated cells. In the epidermis, proliferative basal cells have a radial array of microtubules organized around a centrosome, while differentiated cells have cortical microtubules. The desmosomal protein desmoplakin is required for the microtubules to organize around the cell cortex. Furthermore, the centrosomal and/or microtubule-associated proteins ninein, Lis1, Ndel1, and CLIP170 are recruited to the cell cortex, where they have been implicated in the cortical organization of microtubules. Recently, it has been shown that in Lis1-null epidermis, microtubules are disorganized in the differentiated layers of the epidermis. Furthermore, Lis1-null mice die perinatally due to dehydration. This is due, in part, to the unexpected desmosome phenotype observed in Lis1-null skin. Upon loss of Lis1, desmosomal proteins become less stable. Here, we propose that Lis1 may regulate desmosomal stability through its binding partners Nde1/Ndel1 and dynein.
Fitness Consequences of Multiple Mating on Female Sitophilus oryzae L. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

The effects of multiple mating on fitness in the rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae L. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), were studied. In the first of a series of experiments, the impact of multiple mating on female fitness was determined by evaluating the effects of a single mating period with one male, continuous exposure to one male, and continuous exposure to five males. Continuous exposure to one male increased lifetime fecundity by extending the period of time progeny were produced compared with a single mating period with one male, although average progeny size was reduced. Exposure to five males significantly reduced female survival and the number and size of progeny produced compared with the other treatments. In the second experiment, the number of progeny and the length of time progeny could be produced from a single copulation were determined. Females became sperm depleted within 7 ± 1 wk after laying 259 ± 22 progeny, but a second mating period 9 wk after the first copulation extended progeny production. In the final experiment, the mechanism for the decline in progeny production at high male densities was determined to be reduced oviposition, caused at least in part by a high proportion of time spent in copula. The number of copulations has costs and benefits for females that may affect population dynamics.
Minimal Sedation Second Dose Strategy With Intranasal Midazolam in an Outpatient Pediatric Echocardiographic Setting

Background Anxiety and movement in children during transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) can compromise study quality and reliability. Minimal sedation is often required. Intranasal midazolam (INM), used in various procedures, is an excellent sedative. Optimal INM dosing strategies for uncooperative children undergoing TTE are largely unknown, including second-dose INM strategies, introduced to maximize the potential for successful sedation and minimize risk. The purpose of this retrospective review was to evaluate the effectiveness of a second-dose INM minimal sedation strategy recently adopted at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Methods The strategy incorporates a second dose of INM if needed (10-15 minutes after the first dose) to obtain the desired level of anxiolysis. The effectiveness of this strategy was assessed in 100 consecutive patients (age range, 1-59 months). Results There were no reported complications, minimal untoward side reactions, and no delays in discharge. Eighty patients attained satisfactory minimal sedation levels. Conclusion A second-dose INM strategy was effective in achieving satisfactory minimal sedation in children undergoing TTE. The results of this study also suggest that only a small proportion of patients would benefit from a one-dose INM strategy.
Flow Distribution and Pressure Drop in Steady Airflow Through a Selective Laser Sintered Human Tracheobronchial Airway Model

The flow distribution and pressure drop of steady airflow in the human central airways were studied experimentally using an anatomically correct, selective laser sintered (SLS) human tracheobronchial airway model. Measurements were made for tracheal flow rates ranging from 0.1 to 2.67 liters per second, which correspond to normal physiological flow ranges. The mean air velocities at the exit orifices of the airway model were detected by means of a pitot static tube connected to a pressure transducer. The flow rates, the average velocities, and the Reynolds numbers in each branch of the airway model were then computed. In addition, the static pressure difference between the trachea and the airway exits was measured. The experimental measurements were used to determine the relationship between pressure drop and flow rate. The ratio of inlet to total exit area of the model was identified as a significant factor that influenced the pressure drop. The results obtained in the present study will be particularly useful for validating computational studies.© 2003 ASME
A Fickian Diffusion Model for the spreading of liquid plumes infiltrating in heterogeneous media

Infiltration of water and non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) in the vadose zone gives rise to complex two- and three-phase immiscible displacement processes. Physical and numerical experiments have shown that ever-present small-scale heterogeneities will cause a lateral broadening of the descending liquid plumes. This behavior of liquid plumes infiltrating in the vadose zone may be similar to the familiar transversal dispersion of solute plumes in single-phase flow. Noting this analogy we introduce a mathematical model for ‘phase dispersion’ in multiphase flow as a Fickian diffusion process.
Measuring reversible photomechanical switching rates for a molecule at a surface

We have used single-molecule-resolved scanning tunneling microscopy to measure the photomechanical switching rates of azobenzene-derived molecules at a gold surface during exposure to UV and visible light. This enables the direct determination of both the forward and reverse photoswitching cross sections for surface-mounted molecules at different wavelengths. In a dramatic departure from molecular behavior in solution-based environments, visible light does not efficiently reverse the reaction for azobenzene-derived molecules at a gold surface.
Exposure limits imposed by screen -film systems on the transfer of image information

National Bureau of Standards, Washington, D.C. 20234AbstractInformation transfer in a screen -film system occurs over a limited region of x -ray exposures because ofthe non -linear response of film to light emitted from the x -ray fluorescent screen. Based on screen lightemission and film response data, the information transfer efficiency of a typical screen -film system is deter-
SAGE ON THE STAGE OR GUIDE ON THE SIDE: AN OUTCOME‐BASED APPROACH TO THE PREPARATION OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE VOCATIONAL‐TECHNICAL FACULTY FOR THE 1990S AND BEYOND

By the year 2005, 40% of Iowa's community college vocational‐technical (vo‐tech) faculty will retire. New faculty will have to teach in an environment where curriculum is outcome based; workplace basics and learning to learn will be integrated into each and every learning experience; teaching and learning is a process, not a method; collaborative learning will be a reality; and the evaluation of the learning‐reaching process will be synonymous with classroom research. Then, and only then, will the community college classroom be able to maximize the effectiveness of faculty and the potential, retention, and success of a very diverse student population. In 1992, eight Iowa community colleges in cooperation with Iowa State University “broke the mold” and implemented the Community College Induction Mentoring (CCIM) Program. CCIM is based on 43 teacher behaviors and validated by 66 Iowa community college supervisors and 177 teachers. New faculty attend over a 2‐year period 14 workshops conducted and guided by ...
Carrier transport effects in quantum well lasers: an overview

Early theoretical predictions and later experimental work have shown that lasers with quantum well active areas have enhanced differential gain over bulk lasers. The resonance frequency in a semiconductor laser is proportional to the square root of the differential gain. The resonance frequency is directly related to the modulation bandwidth, and the enhancement in the intrinsic differential gain led to theoretical predictions of increased modulation bandwidth in quantum well lasers. This enhancement in the modulation bandwidth proved to be elusive initially, and later it was realized that other factors, namely carrier transport effects, played a more dominant role in the high-speed properties of quantum well lasers. Carrier transport effects, in addition to bandfilling, affect a wide range of static and dynamic properties of the quantum well lasers. This paper will present an overview of our present understanding of the carrier transport processes and their effects in quantum well lasers.