cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lessons learned and a look to the future: the Chronic Ischemic Heart Disease (CICD) Pilot Registry.

This editorial refers to ‘EURObservational Research Programme: the Chronic Ischaemic Cardiovascular Disease Registry: pilot phase (CICDPILOT)', by M. Komajda et al ., on page doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehv437. In Europe, as in the USA, the use of prospective, practice-based longitudinal registries of hospitals and their cardiovascular disease patients has become a mainstay in the arsenal of quality improvement. To measure practice is to understand practice, and to identify where the gaps in delivery of quality care exist, as benchmarked against relevant practice guidelines and performance measures, and their effects on outcome is fundamental to improving practice and patient outcomes.1 Implemented and managed under the auspices of the major cardiovascular societies, which also sponsor the processes for development of guidelines and performance measures, and with guidance from experienced and representative executive leadership and steering committees, these registries provide objective and carefully collected and curated data that are the foundation of the ‘cycle of quality’.2 Beginning with the first EuroHeart Survey in 2000, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) has and continues to sponsor many such registries, collecting data from practices throughout Europe and across the spectrum of cardiovascular disease that inform the practicing community about not only the epidemiology of cardiovascular disease, but also how it is being managed.3 One unique challenge for Europe as it seeks to understand and improve cardiovascular practice and cardiovascular outcomes is the immense heterogeneity, both clinically (e.g. population demographics, prevalence …
Using hapmap tools to predict oncology-related phenotypes: TPMT activity vs hapmap SNPs

13035 Background: Thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT) is a cytosolic enzyme responsible for the S-methylation of thiopurines. There are several functional genetic polymorphisms in TPMT activity, ...
Global collaboration in primary health care.

The role of nurses in global collaboration in primary health care is explored in this address. The concept of primary care differs in various countries depending on needs so re-education of nurses parallels these needs. Nursing practice is adapting to shortages of physicians in some areas but reacting to excess of physicians in Spain for example. Only the United States makes a distinction between primary health care and community health nursing: most other countries emphasize team approach to a greater extent integrating nutrition agriculture social work education and other fields into nursing practice. One great challenge to international collaboration by nurses is their failure to be more assertive in initiating local and regional health programs. Another obstacle is communication not only language but also unfamiliarity with professional development in terms of advanced academic education and professional journals. International nursing collaboration can begin by developing strategies for solving the problems of refugees agricultural migrants homeless and marginal people of all kinds. International collaboration could improve primary care for example the infant low birth weight and mortality in the Black U.S. population 34th among all nations. The primary health care movement challenges nurses to break through barriers that maintain professional isolation.
Seasonal variations in mood and behavior associate with common chronic diseases and symptoms in a population-based study

The purpose of this study was to assess how seasonality is associated with some of the most common non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the general Finnish population. The global seasonality score (GSS) was used to measure the magnitude of seasonality in 4689 participants, in addition to which they reported the extent to which the seasonal variations in mood and behavior were experienced as a problem. Regression models and the odds ratios were adopted to analyze the associations adjusted for a range of covariates. Seventy percent of the participants had seasonal variations in sleep duration, social activity, mood, or energy level, and forty percent those in weight and appetite. Angina pectoris and depression were significantly associated with seasonality throughout the analysis. Hypertension, high cholesterol levels, diabetes, other (than rheumatoid) joint diseases and other (than depressive) psychological illnesses were significantly associated with experiencing a problem due to the seasonal variations, with an increase in the GSS, and with seasonal affective disorder and its subsyndromal form. The co-occurrence of the seasonal variations in mood and behavior with certain common NCDs warrants future research to have insights into the etiology and potentially shared pathways and mechanisms of action.
Daily Activity and Body Temperature of the Southern Woodchuck, Marmota monax monax, in Northwestern Arkansas

Daily activity and body temperature cycles of Marmota monax monax were studied in northwestern Arkansas during the summer and autumn of 1973. Above ground activity was observed 35.4 percent of the time. A unimodal cycle was characteristic of activity from 1 May through 14 June and 1 October through 19 November, whereas a bimodal cycle described activity from-15 June through 30 September. During the unimodal activity pattern, below ground activity accounted for 51.6 percent of the total activity as compared to 37.9 percent in the bimodal condition. Early morning and afternoon activity was greatest during the midsummer period, with depressed activity between 1300 and 1600 hours. Although body temperature cycles were slight during all periods, the cycle amplitude was largest early and late in the year. Maximum daily body temperatures were recorded during the day, whereas minimum body temperatures occurred at night. The mean body temperature was 37.8° ± 0.57°C. Body temperatures averaged 0.5°C lower during early summer and autumn than during midsummer. Effects of environmental variables on animal activity, position, and body temperature were slight.
Incidence and outcome of Clostridium difficile infection following autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.

A retrospective evaluation of 200 consecutive recipients of autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) was conducted to ascertain the incidence and outcome of infection with Clostridium difficile. The diagnosis was confirmed in 14 patients with diarrhea (15 episodes) at a median of 33 days after stem cell infusion. Five patients were neutropenic at the time of diagnosis. Every individual had adverse known risk factors such as recent or current use of antibiotic, corticosteroid and antiviral therapy, recent administration of myelo- ablative chemotherapy and numerous, prolonged periods of hospitalization. Diarrhea, frequently hemorrhagic, was the most common presenting feature along with fever, abdominal cramps and abdominal distention. Diagnosis was established by the stool-cytotoxin test. Response to standard treatment with oral vancomycin or metronidazole was prompt despite the presence of several adverse prognostic features in these patients. There was only one instance of relapse which was also treated successfully. Several transplant-related variables such as age, sex, underlying malignancy, myelo-ablative regimen, duration of neutropenia, and prophylactic use of oral ampicillin underwent statistical analysis but failed to be predictive of C. difficile infection in such a setting. Finally, C. difficile is not uncommon after autologous PBSCT and must be included in the differential diagnosis in any such patient with diarrhea.
Moneymakers and Craftsmen: A Platonic Approach to Privatization

Debates over the privatization of formerly public industries and services are common in contemporary politics. The overall goal of this paper is to suggest a normative framework within which deliberations over public ownership might take place. I draw this framework from Plato's Republic, which I claim justifies public ownership as a means for ensuring that citizens labour as craftsmen rather than moneymakers; according to Plato's social ontology, only craftsmen can constitute a genuine society and hence enjoy access to the full array of goods for the sake of which society comes into existence. This justificatory structure implies that public ownership is only a means for ensuring the appropriate teleology of labour; if there turn out to be better means, so be it. But what does turn out to be indispensable on this view, as G. A. Cohen understood, is an ethos of justice, especially among those in charge of regulating social institutions.
Abstract CN07-05: Efficient designs for lung cancer prevention trials: Lessons learned and moving forward

Despite intense efforts, there are few lung cancer prevention trials showing positive results in the past few decades. Smoking cessation remains an important yet challenging public health issue. Multiple chemopeventive agents have been tested but, to date, there is none ready for clinical use and some even showed harmful effects in subgroups of subjects. To make progress, we need to learn from our past experiences and incorporate efficient designs in future trials. A few key areas will be reviewed and discussed in the presentation including the followings: (1) The success rate for large, randomized, phase III trials based solely on epidemiology data or retrospective analysis is low. (2) It is important to identify high-risk populations to increase the study efficiency. (3) Although several lung cancer risk models for predicting individual9s cancer risk have been proposed, validation studies are needed to confirm their clinical applicability. (4) Similarly, markers for predicting lung cancer risks have been proposed but required independent validation. (5) Surrogate endpoints such as biomarker modulation are often used in prevention trials because it is often not feasible to use cancer development as the primary endpoint. However, surrogate endpoints are valuable only if they are associated with clinically meaningful endpoints. (6) Identification of prognostic and predictive markers for prevention can increase the study efficiency by stratifying subjects and focusing on the subgroups who are more likely to benefit. (7) Construct efficient designs for evaluating multiple preventive agents by applying adaptive designs to allow early stopping due to futility, efficacy, or equivalence, adding/dropping arms based on interim data, adaptive randomization to assign more patients to the more effective arms, seamless phase II/III studies, etc. In addition, evaluate the use of multistage designs to efficiently evaluate the treatment effect, identify important markers, and study the interaction between treatments and markers. (8) Screen preventive agents by using windows of opportunity trials with short term intervention and endpoints. (9) Encourage more randomized phase II trials and discourage lunching definitive phase III trial prematurely. (10) Develop a platform and modular clinical trial design approach for the development of preventive agents. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(12 Suppl):CN07-05.
Co-prescription of naloxone as a Universal Precautions model for patients on chronic opioid therapy-Observational study.

ABSTRACTBackground: The epidemic of lethal prescription opioid overdose is one of the most pressing public health problems in the United States. In an ambulatory clinic setting, current practice guidelines suggest that health care providers should screen patient's aberrant drug-related behaviors. Given the difficulty of predicting which patients on chronic opioid therapy (COT) will experience opioid overdose, a new paradigm of harm reduction is called for. In previous studies, naloxone, an opioid antagonist, was given only to high-risk patients. However, if naloxone is co-prescribed in a Universal Precautions manner for all patients receiving COT, this may have a significant impact on intentional and unintentional opioid overdose deaths. Methods: Adult patients treated with COT for chronic noncancer pain are eligible study participants at the University of New Mexico Pain Center. The primary goal of this 1-year study was to develop an efficient Universal Precautions model for co-prescribing of naloxone wi...
What Drives Variation in Antibiotic Prescribing for Acute Respiratory Infections

Background Acute respiratory infections are the most common symptomatic reason for seeking care among patients in the US, and account for the majority of all antibiotic prescribing, yet a large fraction of antibiotic prescriptions are inappropriate.
Working memory in children's math learning and its disruption in dyscalculia

Working memory (WM) plays an essential role in children's mathematical learning. WM influences both the early foundational phases of number knowledge acquisition and subsequent maturation of problem solving skills. The role of individual WM components in mathematical cognition depends not only on problem complexity but also on individual differences in mathematical abilities. Furthermore, the contributions of individual WM components change dynamically over development with visuospatial processes playing an increasingly important role in learning and enhancing mathematical proficiency. Convergent findings from neuroimaging studies are now providing fundamental insights into the link between WM and mathematical cognition, and the mechanisms by which poor WM contributes to learning disabilities. Evidence to date suggests that visuospatial WM is a specific source of vulnerability in children with mathematical learning disabilities and needs to be considered as a key component in cognitive, neurobiological, and developmental models of typical and atypical mathematical skill acquisition.
Social Media and Alcohol: Summary of Research, Intervention Ideas and Future Study Directions

Alcohol content is frequently displayed on social media through both user-generated posts and advertisements. Previous work supports that alcohol content on social media is influential and often associated with offline behaviors for adolescents and young adults. Social media may have a role in future alcohol intervention efforts including identifying those at risk or providing timely prevention messages. Future intervention efforts may benefit from an affordance approach rather than focusing on a single platform.
New species and records of Psocoptera (Insecta) from Roraima State, Brazil.

Psocoptera. from Ilha de Marcica and Pacaraima, Roraima State, Brazil, representing 103 species are recorded. Sixty-two are new to science. and are described and figured, representing genera Echmepteryx(2), Tapinella(3), Musapsocus, (1), Seopsocus(3),Isth-mopsocis(3), Dolabellopsocus(6), Epipsocus(5), Neurostigma.(1), Nctiopscus(1), Cae-cilius (6) , Enderluinella (1), Xanthocarcilius(1) , Polypsocus(3) , Scytopsocus(1), ar-chipsocus(1), Lachesilla(4), Notolachesilla(1) , Perispsocus(4), Dactylopsocus (1) , Metylophorus(3), Blaste.(4), Lichenomiae(3), Myopsocus (3). Genus Notarchispsu. gen. is erected for Archipsocus macrurusNew and a new species. Genus MonocladellusEu-derlein in placed in synonymy of, PolypsocusHagen. South American species assigned to genus LophopterygllaEnderlein by New (1979) are. reassigned to Myopscus and represent a parallel development in the latter genus.
Between Conservatism and Libertarianism: Pro-life Strategy After the ACA

Chapter 5 analyzes the discourse of the pro-life movement surrounding the Hobby Lobby ruling, focusing particularly on the increase in the use of freedom of religion arguments. The ruling has been framed as a victory to the freedom of individuals against government intervention, promoting libertarian values and legislation. The focus of the pro-life movement on religious liberty expands the topics that are at the center of the pro-life mission, while broadening its base of support to people who are concerned about freedom from governmental control more generally. This framing also promotes the concept of human rights as negative rights, while also challenging the separation between abortion and contraception.
CHAPTER 3 – Aging and Calcium Balance

This chapter discusses the role of calcium balance in aging. Calcium balance is the resultant of several interacting forces, including nutrition, hormonal status, disuse, and general involution. Minimization of the structural impact of a negative calcium balance (that is, a depleted skeleton) requires a multifaceted approach, including, but not limited to, an adequate calcium intake. Because calcium utilization is inefficient even during growth; and becomes more so with age; calcium intake requirements are high, and rise with age. Intakes of calcium for healthy elderly persons should be in the range of 1400–1600 mg/day, and patients with osteoporosis being treated with bone active agents may need substantially more to realize the full benefit of their antiosteoporosis therapies. The goal of a high calcium intake in the elderly is both to make certain that inadequate calcium is not compounding the other negative factors influencing the aging skeleton. and to support any bone-building potential that may reside in current and future antiosteoporosis therapies.
Combating antibiotic resistance: The role of nursing in antibiotic stewardship

Antibiotic resistance is one of the top infectious disease threats facing the world today. The escalating resistance to antibiotics has been named by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as one of the top 5 threats to health in the United States and has led to the development of the National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria. The plan, released by the White House in March 2015, calls for the establishment of antibiotic stewardship programs in all acute care hospitals by 2020. For antibiotic stewardship programs to achieve optimal success they must include nursing's perspectives and the active participation of nurses and the nursing profession. Although clearly any successful efforts to address this complex problem must be comprehensive, sustained, and involve all sectors of the health care community and public, the aim of this article is to convey the immediate need for nurses and the nursing profession to actively engage in initiatives, strategies, and solutions to combat antibiotic resistance, and to recommend what stakeholders within the nursing profession might contribute to antibiotic stewardship.
Multivariable dependency of thermal shrinkage in highly aligned polypropylene tapes for self-reinforced polymer composites

Abstract Self-reinforced composites offer a unique combination of properties such as high specific strength, high impact resistance, and recyclability by incorporating highly aligned fibers within a random matrix of the same polymer. However, high temperatures will shrink the system to recover randomness in the aligned segments, compromising the composite thermal stability during processing as self-reinforced tapes are consolidated into the final composite through heating and pressure. Hence, the dynamic nonlinear multivariable (i.e., time, temperature, stress) shrinkage exhibited by self-reinforced polypropylene (SRPP) tapes was measured and modeled at the maximum shrinkage limit achieved in the proximity of the composite processing temperature [∼140 to160 °C]. At high stress (∼7.5 MPa) the thermal shrinkage of the SRPP tapes was reduced and a parallel creep mechanism was activated. The modeling, and prediction of the main factors governing the thermal shrinkage expand and diversify the dynamic design window for new SRPP composites.
Fear, Trauma, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Clinical, Neurobiological, and Cultural Perspectives

Fear is central in human experience, function, and survival, and commonly evoked by exposure to threat. Yet threat may also constitute a psychological trauma (e.g., physical and/or sexual assault, wars, and natural disasters). However, the primary difference between fear and trauma is that fear is a response to an event, while trauma is the event itself. As is increasingly the case in contemporary discourse, the term trauma can both refer to the time of the traumatic event (the event itself), as well as the psychosocial and cognitive ramifications of experiencing intense fear during a traumatic event (the result of the event). To clarify this distinction, we explore in this chapter the multiple relationships between fear and trauma and examine how they intertwine in the context of their most relevant psychopathology—posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Investigating seasonal methane emissions in northern California using airborne measurements and inverse modeling

Seasonal methane (CH4) emissions in northern California are evaluated during this study using airborne measurement data and inverse model simulations. This research applies Alpha Jet Atmospheric eXperiment (AJAX) measurements obtained during January – February 2013, July 2014, and October – November 2014 over the San Francisco Bay Area (SFBA) and northern San Joaquin Valley (SJV) in order to constrain seasonal CH4 emissions in northern California. The California Greenhouse Gas Emissions Measurement (CALGEM) a priori emission inventory was applied in conjunction with the Weather Research and Forecasting and Stochastic Time-Inverted Lagrangian Transport (WRF-STILT) model and inverse modeling techniques to optimize CH4 emissions. Comparing model-predicted CH4 mixing ratios with airborne measurements, we find substantial underestimates suggesting that CH4 emissions were likely larger than the year 2008 a priori CALGEM emission inventory in northern California. Using AJAX measurements to optimize a priori emissions resulted in CH4 flux estimates from the SFBA/SJV of 1.77 ± 0.41, 0.83 ± 0.31, and 1.06 ± 0.39 Tg yr-1 when using winter, summer, and fall flight data, respectively. Averaging seasonal a posteriori emission estimates (weighted by posterior uncertainties) results in SFBA/SJV annual CH4 emissions of 1.28 ± 0.38 Tg yr-1. A posteriori uncertainties are reduced more effectively in the SFBA/SJV region compared to state-wide values indicating that the airborne measurements are most sensitive to emissions in this region. A posteriori estimates during this study suggest that dairy livestock was the source with the largest increase relative to the a priori CALGEM emission inventory during all seasons.
Surface enhanced spectroscopic investigations of adsorption of cations on electrochemical interfaces

The adsorption of alkali and tetraalkylammonium cations on Pt is investigated using surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy and carbon monoxide as a probe molecule. Alkali cations exhibit a stronger adsorption than organic cations, with potassium showing the strongest effect, followed by sodium and lithium.
The philosophy of human movement

Those teaching introductory sport philosophy courses at the undergraduate level realize the importance of finding insightful reading materials. One standard text written for this level and purpose ...
Pearling, wrinkling, and buckling of vesicles in elongational flows

Tubular vesicles in extensional flow can undergo ‘pearling’, i.e. the formation of beads in their central neck reminiscent of the Rayleigh–Plateau instability for droplets. In this paper, we perform boundary integral simulations to determine the conditions for the onset of this instability. Our simulations agree well with experiments, and we explore additional topics such as the role of the vesicle’s initial shape on the number of pearls formed. We also compare our simulations to simple physical models of pearling that have been presented in the literature, where the vesicle is approximated as an infinitely long cylinder with a constant surface tension and bending modulus. We present a complete linear stability analysis of this idealized problem, including the effects of non-axisymmetric deformations as well as surface viscosity. We demonstrate that, while such models capture the essential physics of pearling, they cannot capture the stability of these transitions accurately, since finite length effects and non-uniform surface tension effects are important. We close our paper with a brief discussion of vesicles in compressional flows. Unlike quasi-spherical vesicles, we find that tubular vesicles can transition to a wide variety of permanent, buckled states under compression. The idealized problem mentioned above gives the essential physics behind these instabilities, which to our knowledge has not been examined heretofore.
Earnings Inequality and Other Determinants of Wealth Inequality

Abstract We study the relation between the distribution of labor earnings and the distribution of wealth. We show, theoretically as well as empirically, that while labor earnings and precautionary savings are important determinants of wealth inequality factors, they cannot by themselves account for the thick tail of (the large top shares in) the observed distribution of wealth. Other determinants, like stochastic returns to wealth, as well as savings rates and rates of returns increasing in wealth, need to be accounted for.
Transgenic SCs expressing GDNF-IRES-DsRed impair nerve regeneration within acellular nerve allografts.

Providing temporally regulated glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) to injured nerve can promote robust axon regeneration. However, it is poorly understood why providing highly elevated levels of GDNF to nerve can lead to axon entrapment in the zone containing elevated GDNF. This limited understanding represents an obstacle to the translation of GDNF therapies to treat nerve injuries clinically. Here, we investigated how transgenic Schwann cells (SCs) overexpressing GDNF-IRES-DsRed impact nerve regeneration. Cultured primary SCs were transduced with lentiviruses (GDNF-overexpressing transgenic SCs), one of which provides the capability to express high levels of GDNF and regulate temporal GDNF expression. These SC groups were transplanted into acellular nerve allografts (ANAs) bridging a 14 mm rat sciatic nerve defect. GDNF-overexpressing transgenic SCs expressing GDNF for as little as 1 week decreased axon regeneration across ANAs and caused extensive extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling. To determine whether additional gene expression changes beyond GDNF transgene expression occurred in GDNF-overexpressing transgenic SCs, microarray analysis of GDNF-overexpressing transgenic SCs compared to untreated SCs was performed. Microarray analysis revealed a set of common genes regulated in transgenic SC groups expressing high levels of GDNF compared to untreated SCs. A co-culture model of GDNF-overexpressing transgenic SCs with fibroblasts (FBs) revealed differential FB ECM-related gene expression compared to untreated SCs. These data suggest a component of axon entrapment is independent of GDNF's impact on axons. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 2121-2130. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Direct solver for pentadiagonal matrix containing tridiagonal submatrices

ABSTRACTThe following study introduces an algorithm for numerically solving a coupled system of differential equations that discretize to produce a banded pentadiagonal matrix with tridiagonal submatrices on either side. The article then proceeds to illustrate a step-by-step procedure to solve a two-equation system in a coupled manner. A generalization of this method to multiequation system follows. The proposed algorithm is highly efficient as it fully exploits the banded nature of the matrix. Finally, the solution of the two-equation k − ω and the four-equation turbulence models in plane channel flows by the current method serves as a demonstration exercise and wraps up the paper.
Accelerating energy-aware spatiotemporal path planning for the lunar poles

Future robotic missions to the poles of the Moon and Mercury will face challenges not encountered by current and prior planetary rover missions. Careful energy-aware spatiotemporal path planning will be required to accomplish mission objectives at high cadence under changing illumination conditions. With attention to landing site and time, such spatiotemporal path planning may enable extended missions on order of months that would not otherwise be possible. This work presents improvements in energy-aware spatiotemporal path planning for multiple waypoints to significantly reduce planning time. A time-compression technique is used to simplify planning in areas where changes occur infrequently. Consideration of end-goal reachability reduces the search space. Finally, heuristics that use pre-computation with static obstacles speed up the search.
Comparison of GATA-3, mammaglobin, GCDFP-15 expression in breast carcinoma in serous effusions: A cell-block micro-array study

Background GATA-3 is a potential marker for detection of metastatic breast carcinoma, reportedly more sensitive than mammaglobin (MAM) and GCDFP-15. We aim to compare the sensitivity of GATA-3, MAM and GCDFP-15 in determining the breast origin of malignant effusions. Methods Cell blocks from 27 cases of serous effusions positive for metastatic breast cancer were retrieved. Immunohistochemistry for GATA-3, MAM, gross cystic disease fluid protein 15 (GCDFP-15), estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) was performed on cell-block micro-array. Statistical analysis using two ways Chi square, one-way ANOVA and multiple regression was performed. Results The detection rate of breast cancer in serous fluid was significantly higher with GATA-3 (88.8 %, X2=15.9, p=0.00034) than with MAM (51.8 %) and GCDFP-15 (37.0 %). All ER positive cases (19) were GATA-3 positive. Conversely, all GATA-3 negative cases (3) were ER negative. The intensity of stain and percentage of positive cells were significantly higher with GATA-3 (p<0.0001) than with MAM and GCDFP-15. The intensity and percentage of positive cells score of GATA-3 were statistically associated with ER stain intensity and percentage of positive cell scores. Conclusions GATA3 is a sensitive marker, superior to MAM and GCDFP-15 in determining the breast origin of metastatic adenocarcinoma. It is also strongly associated with ER expression.
A Review of Palliative and Hospice Care in the Context of Islam: Dying with Faith and Family

Abstract Background: By starting to understand Muslim culture, we can seek common ground with Islamic culture within the American experience and bridge opportunities for better palliative and hospice care here and in Middle Eastern countries. The United States, Canada, and Europe are education hubs for Middle Eastern students, creating an opportunity for the palliative and hospice care philosophy to gain access by proxy to populations of terminally ill patients who can benefit from end-of-life care. Objective: The aim was to assess the state of research and knowledge about palliative and hospice care within the context of Muslim culture and religion. Results: Within the guide of the key search terms, we learned that at a glance, over 100 articles meet the search criteria, but after a closer inspection, only a portion actually contributed knowledge to the literature. This confirmed the need for research in this vein. More importantly, we posit that once the layers of culture, religion, norms, and nationali...
Lattice Walks and Primary Decomposition

This paper shows how primary decompositions of an ideal can give useful descriptions of components of a graph arising in problems from combinatorics, statistics, and operations research. We begin this introduction with the general formulation. Then we give the simplest interesting example of our theory, followed by a statistical example similar to that which provided our original motivation. Later on we study the primary decompositions corresponding to some natural combinatorial problems.
Evaluation of the Learning Curve When Transitioning From Posterolateral to Direct Anterior Hip Arthroplasty: A Consecutive Series of 1000 Cases.

Abstract Background The direct anterior approach (DAA) for primary hip replacement has been gaining more attention and widespread use in recent years. There are a number of published studies evaluating the learning curve when a surgeon changes technique; these studies typically look at complications during the initial cases. This study examines procedure and total operating room (OR) time along with all complications for a surgeon transitioning from the posterolateral approach (PA) to DAA. Methods A retrospective review of a single surgeon series of 1000 initial DAA procedures. Total OR time, procedure time, and complications were collected and analyzed. One-way analysis of variance and post hoc least significant difference tests were used for statistical analysis. Results There was an initial increase in both procedure and OR times compared with the mature PA, by 34% and 30%, respectively. The procedure time became statistically equivalent to the mature PA time after the 400th DAA case, and significantly shorter after the 850th case. The total OR time became statistically equivalent after the 900th DAA case. There were 18 early ( Conclusion There was an initial increase in both total OR time and procedure time when an experienced surgeon introduced the DAA. By the end of the series, procedure time was significantly shorter and total OR time was equivalent. Complications overall were low and femoral complications decreased with time.
Meaning before order: Cardinal principle knowledge predicts improvement in understanding the successor principle and exact ordering.

Abstract Learning the cardinal principle (the last word reached when counting a set represents the size of the whole set) is a major milestone in early mathematics. But researchers disagree about the relationship between cardinal principle knowledge and other concepts, including how counting implements the successor function (for each number word N representing a cardinal value, the next word in the count list represents the cardinal value N + 1) and exact ordering (cardinal values can be ordered such that each is one more than the value before it and one less than the value after it). No studies have investigated acquisition of the successor principle and exact ordering over time, and in relation to cardinal principle knowledge. An open question thus remains: Is the cardinal principle a “gatekeeper” concept children must acquire before learning about succession and exact ordering, or can these concepts develop separately? Preschoolers (N = 127) who knew the cardinal principle (CP-knowers) or who knew the cardinal meanings of number words up to “three” or “four” (3–4-knowers) completed succession and exact ordering tasks at pretest and posttest. In between, children completed one of two trainings: counting only versus counting, cardinal labeling, and comparison. CP-knowers started out better than 3–4-knowers on succession and exact ordering. Controlling for this disparity, we found that CP-knowers improved over time on succession and exact ordering; 3–4-knowers did not. Improvement did not differ between the two training conditions. We conclude that children can learn the cardinal principle without understanding succession or exact ordering and hypothesize that children must understand the cardinal principle before learning these concepts.
Charge Transfer and Spin Magnetism of Binary Alloys

The spin susceptibility of interacting electrons represented by $$ H\text{ = }\sum\limits_{\text{i,j,}\sigma } {\text{t}_{\text{ij}} a_{i,\sigma }^ + a_{j,\sigma } + \text{U}\sum\limits_\user1{i} {n_{\user1{i,}\sigma } n_{i, - \sigma } } } $$ (1) is given as follows in a Hartree—Fock approximation1: $$ \chi \left( {Q,\omega } \right) = 2\mu \tfrac{2}{\text{B}}\frac{{\Pi \left( {\text{Q,}\omega } \right)}}{{\left[ {1 - U\Pi \left( {Q,\omega } \right)} \right]}} $$ (2) $$ \Pi \left( {Q,\omega } \right) = - \sum\limits_k {\frac{{f_k - f_{k + Q} }}{{\varepsilon \left( k \right) - \varepsilon \left( {k + Q} \right) - \omega - i0^ + }}} $$ (3) where $$\varepsilon \left( k \right) = \sum {_j t_{ij} \exp \left[ {ik\left( {R_i - R_j } \right)} \right]} $$ , and f k and μB are the Fermi distribution function with energy e (k) and the Bohr magneton, respectively.
America's Struggle for Same-Sex Marriage: Overview and Background

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were at least 600,000 gay and lesbian couples living together in the United States in 2000, in virtually every county in the country. – Evan Wolfson (2004: 87) N o one knows for certain how many gay people are in the United States, because “[t]he gay and lesbian population is ‘invisible’” (Riggle and Tadlock 1999: 6). During the 2000 elections, national exit polls indicated that 4 percent of voters self-identified as gay or lesbian. Yet that figure represents only those citizens who were prepared voluntarily to identify themselves as lesbian or gay to pollsters. Social scientists believe there's a large group of Americans who are at various stages of an ongoing process of “coming out” as gay or lesbian. In any event, the 600,000 same-sex households reported by Wolfson above indicate that the population is substantial. This book chronicles the evolution of the social movement for same-sex marriage in the United States and examines the political controversies surrounding it, particularly during the momentous time that began on November 18, 2003. That day, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) decided the landmark case of Goodridge v. Department of Public Health and declared that the Commonwealth's conferral of civil marriage only on opposite-sex couples violated the Massachusetts constitution's principles of respect for individual autonomy and equality under law.
Lining Up for Star-Wars Tickets: Some Ruminations On Ethics and Economics Based on An Internet Study of Behavior in Queues

Queues may represent business ethics in microcosm: they provide an opportunity to study in a smaller package the fundamental ethical tension in economic activity between self-interest and civility in the context of uncertainty and stress. In May 1999 people began forming lines to purchase tickets to the new Star Wars movie "The Phantom Menace." This paper reviews responses to a questionnaire on the internet regarding experiences in those lines. It focuses on two behaviors threatening queue discipline – the formation of cooperative groups and "pre-scalping." It concludes that although queues are complex phenomena, exhibiting important ethical, economic, social, and psychological elements, the general organizing principle of "first-come-first-served" still provides the foundation for queues while at the same time making room for a variety of legitimate modifications. Second, this paper concludes that, as with queues, the thought that self-interest is the exclusive guiding principle for business behavior is likewise too narrow, inducing participants to neglect opportunities for personal enrichment and satisfaction.
Judging action capabilities in augmented reality

The utility of mediated environments increases when environmental scale (size and distance) is perceived accurately. We present the use of perceived affordances---judgments of action capabilities---as an objective way to assess space perception in an augmented reality (AR) environment. The current study extends the previous use of this methodology in virtual reality (VR) to AR. We tested two locomotion-based affordance tasks. In the first experiment, observers judged whether they could pass through a virtual aperture presented at different widths and distances, and also judged the distance to the aperture. In the second experiment, observers judged whether they could step over a virtual gap on the ground. In both experiments, the virtual objects were displayed with the HoloLens in a real laboratory environment. We demonstrate that affordances for passing through and perceived distance to the aperture are similar in AR to those measured in the real world, but that judgments of gap-crossing in AR were underestimated. These differences across two affordances may result from the different spatial characteristics of the virtual objects (on the ground versus extending off the ground).
Trafficking of Cholesterol from Lipid Droplets to Mitochondria in Bovine Luteal Cells: Acute Control of Progesterone Synthesis

The corpus luteum (CL) is a transient endocrine gland that synthesizes and secretes the steroid hormone, progesterone. Progesterone biosynthesis is a complex process, converting cholesterol via a series of enzymatic reactions, into progesterone. Lipid droplets in luteal cells store cholesterol in the form of cholesterol esters, which can be utilized for steroidogenesis. In small luteal cells, luteinizing hormone (LH) increases intracellular cAMP concentrations leading to activation of protein kinase A (PKA), which phosphorylates downstream proteins, such as hormone sensitive lipase (HSL). Phosphorylation of HSL at Ser563 leads to increased HSL activation and association with lipid droplets, events which theoretically release cholesterol, which can be used for progesterone synthesis. Bovine CL were obtained from a local abattoir, dispersed, and luteal cells were enriched for SLC via centrifugal elutriation. Our results reveal that LH, forskolin, and cAMP induce HSL phosphorylation at Ser563and Ser660. Moreover, inhibiting HSL activity attenuates LH-induced P4 synthesis. Confocal analysis revealed that LH stimulates translocation of HSL to lipid droplets and mitochondria. Furthermore, LH increased trafficking of cholesterol from the lipid droplets to the mitochondria which was dependent on both PKA and HSL activation. These results demonstrate cholesterol stored in lipid droplets are utilized for LH-induced progesterone biosynthesis. Likewise, PKA-induced activation of HSL is required for release and trafficking of cholesterol from the lipid droplets to the mitochondria. Taken together, these findings support a role for a PKA/HSL signaling pathway in response to LH and demonstrate the dynamic relationship between PKA, HSL, and the lipid droplets in the synthesis of progesterone.
Comparing pregnancy outcomes and loss rates in elective twin pregnancy reduction with ongoing twin gestations in a large contemporary cohort

Background As compared with singleton gestations, twin pregnancies are associated with a significantly higher risk of preterm birth and maternal complications as well as fetal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Multifetal pregnancy reduction is a technique developed in the 1980s to reduce the fetal number in higher-order multiple pregnancies to reduce the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, most importantly preterm birth. Objective The objective of the study was to compare pregnancy outcomes and loss rates in elective twin pregnancy reduction to ongoing twin gestations in a large contemporary cohort. Study Design This was a retrospective review of dichorionic diamniotic twin gestations that underwent first-trimester ultrasound at our institution from January 2008 to September 2016. Planned elective 2-to-1 multifetal pregnancy reductions at less than 15 weeks’ gestation were compared with ongoing dichorionic diamniotic twin gestations. Data were collected via chart review. Demographics between 2-to-1 reduced singletons and ongoing twins were assessed using a Student t test or a Wilcoxon rank-sum test, as appropriate, for continuous variables and χ2 or Fisher exact tests, as appropriate, for categorical variables. Univariable and multivariable logistic regressions were used to compare pregnancy outcomes between ongoing twins and reduced singletons adjusting for maternal age, body mass index, race, in vitro fertilization, use of chorionic villus sampling, prior term birth, and prior preterm birth. Results Of 1070 dichorionic diamniotic twin pregnancies identified, completed follow-up data were available and analyzed for 855 patients (79.9%). Among those, 250 (29.2%) were 2-to-1 singletons and 605 (70.8%) were ongoing twins. Reduced singleton patients were slightly older, more likely white, and had lower body mass index. They were also more likely to have undergone in vitro fertilization (63.6% vs 48.8%), had chorionic villus sampling (92% vs 37.5%), and had prior term births (54% vs 35.7%). Compared with 2-to-1 singletons, the adjusted odds of having preterm delivery at 37 weeks for ongoing twins were 5.62 times (95% confidence interval, 3.67–8.61; P Conclusion In our study, patients who elected to reduce to a singleton pregnancy had a higher gestational age of delivery and lower rates of preterm birth and pregnancy complications without an increased risk of pregnancy loss.
Evaluating alcohol and marijuana use among emerging adult males via analysis of text messages.

Background: Advances in social technologies offer new tools for large scale data collection and analysis of peer influence and social networks on substance use attitudes and behaviors. Objective: T...
Intertextuality and nationalism discourse: a critical discourse analysis of microblog posts in China

As an important dimension of contentious politics, online political discourse reveals crucial issues related to ideology, power, and identity in times of political struggle. Drawing on Norman Fairc...
Interaction non grata between CFTR's correctors and potentiators.

Cystic fibrosis (CF), the most common life-shortening hereditary diseases in people of Caucasian ethnicity, is caused by mutations that render the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) chloride channel dysfunctional (1,2). So far, more than 1,900 mutations have been discovered to cause CF (http://www.cftr2.org) (3,4), but approximately 90% of the CF patients are inherited with at least one copy of the ΔF508 mutation, the deletion of a single amino acid residue phenylalanine at position 508. Multiple defects of the CFTR channels have been associated with the ΔF508 mutation. It is now well established that the majority of misfolded ΔF508-CFTR proteins are degraded by the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) quality control machinery (5,6). This defect in protein maturation, which results in an insufficient amount of functional channels reaching the apical membrane of epithelial cells (7), is further exacerbated by the fact that once the ΔF508-CFTR channels do make it to the plasma membrane, their half-life is greatly shortened (7,8). Adding on top of these already intractable pathologies is a disrupted gating, i.e., a much reduced probability of the mutant channel being opened (9-11), for ΔF508 channels that stay long enough in the cell membrane to be recorded by electrophysiological means. The requirement of having drugs to correct all the underlying defects including misfolding, mislocalization, protein instability and malfunction of channel gating in ΔF508-CFTR leaves this most common disease-associated mutant thornier to be contended in our search for targeted CF therapy.
Interleukin-36γ Is Elevated in Cervicovaginal Epithelial Cells in Women With Bacterial Vaginosis and In Vitro After Infection With Microbes Associated With Bacterial Vaginosis

In recent studies, the interleukin (IL)-36 cytokines were shown to be elevated in women with non-Lactobacillus-dominated vaginal microbiomes. In this study, we evaluated IL36G expression in clinical samples from women with and without bacterial vaginosis (BV) and a human 3-dimensional cervical epithelial cell model. IL36G expression was significantly elevated in cervicovaginal epithelial cells isolated from BV-positive women and corresponded with increased neutrophil counts relative to BV-negative women. In addition, specific BV-associated bacterial species as well as a polymicrobial cocktail significantly induced IL36G expression in vitro. These findings suggest that IL-36γ may exhibit an important function in the host response to BV and other sexually transmitted infections.
Trans-septal suture retraction for endoscopic orbital surgery

Purpose: We describe a novel technique for endonasal endoscopic orbital surgery. Previously described strategies for minimally invasive orbital surgery include mobilization of the medial rectus mus...