cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
P18.13 Reported church attendance at the time of entry into hiv care associates with reduced viremia at 12 months

Background The Southeastern US is characterised as America’s “bible belt” with prominent religiosity yet also has the highest HIV incidence. The interplay between religion/spirituality and HIV-related outcomes could vary from detrimental to beneficial. We previously showed that men who have sex with men (MSM) who attended church were more likely to present to care with more advanced disease than those who did not. Here, we evaluate the relationship between church attendance and sustained HIV viremia 12 months after initiation of care in the Southeastern US. Methods We evaluated 12-month longitudinal analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between church attendance and continued viremia (viral load > 200 copies/ml) for patients presenting for care at a university HIV clinic. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression models were fit for church attendance (the main variable of interest) as well as other variables potentially related to sustained viremia. Results Between 2007 to 2012, 382 patients initiated HIV care for the first time and had a HIV viral load available 12 months from time of care entry. Most were black (60%), MSM (65%) and at 12 months were virally suppressed (74%). In MV analyses, reported church attendance was associated with a lower likelihood of HIV viremia (AOR 0.5; 95% CI 0.2, 0.9). Variables associated with an increased likelihood of sustained HIV viremia included black race (AOR 3.2; 95% CI 1.4, 7.4), living with family (AOR 2.7; 95% CI 1.0, 6.9), and disclosure of HIV status only to family (AOR 3.0; 95% CI 1.2, 7.7) or only to friends (AOR 2.6; 95% CI 1.1, 6.7). Conclusions Church attendance may provide much needed support for patients entering HIV care. Further research is needed to understand the complex relationship between church attendance and health care outcomes in PLWH. Disclosure of interest statement No disclosures.
Health problems of mothers and children.

An attempt is made by the authors to indicate certain concepts which must be utilized to bring women to and through a healthy childbearing period, to bring the greatest number of infants successfully through the period of infancy and to provide a favorable environment for healthy development of children. To accomplish these aims, proved measures must be used more widely and others must be sought out. Such measures are best used in ways which provide continuity and individualization.
Comparative biology and pesticide susceptibility of Amblydromella caudiglans and Galendromus occidentalis as spider mite predators in apple orchards

The successful integrated mite management program for Washington apples was based on conservation of the mite predator Galendromus occidentalis (Nesbitt). In the 1960s, this mite was assumed to be the only phytoseiid in Washington commercial apple orchards, due to its preference for the most common mite pest of that period, Tetranychus mcdanieli McGregor, as well as its resistance to organophosphate pesticides. A recent survey of phytoseiids in Washington apple found that another phytoseiid, Amblydromella caudiglans (Schuster) has become common. It is a more generalized predator than G. occidentalis (it is not a Tetranychus spp. specialist) and is not known to be organophosphate-resistant. A series of experiments was conducted to compare the life history, prey consumption, and pesticide tolerance of these two species. Galendromus occidentalis developed more quickly than A. caudiglans, but had slightly lower egg survival. Although A. caudiglans attacked more Tetranychus urticae Koch eggs than G. occidentalis, it could not reproduce on this diet. Both predators performed equally well on a diet of T. urticae protonymphs. Unlike G. occidentalis, A. caudiglans experienced significant mortality when exposed to carbaryl, azinphosmethyl, and bifenazate. Both predators experienced significant mortality due to imidacloprid and spinetoram. These results highlight the key differences between these two predators; the shift away from organophosphate use as well as the change in dominant mite pest to Panonychus ulmi (Koch) may be driving factors for the observed increased abundance of A. caudiglans in Washington apple.
Reading Afghanistan Post-9/11

Shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Afghanistan was in the center of media attention as officials surmised that the terrorists were al Qaeda who had found refuge within Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. Marc Kauffman in a piece for the Washington Post on September 23, 2001 wrote that “Until Sept. 11 few Americans knew or cared about the people and events [of] distant Afghanistan.”2 That indifference immediately changed. The “war on terror” and its Taliban target led to a crash course in Afghan history, geography, culture, and politics. Although there were variations and differences of approach, most media sources converged in shaping a shared narrative of the state of the Afghan people. Much was heard of the brutality of Taliban rule, of the plight of Afghan women, and of the tenacious spirit of the Afghan warrior who had managed to defend his country from foreign rule for more than 2,000 years.
Impact of Insect Management on Population Dynamics and Insecticide Resistance of Tarnished Plant Bug (Hemiptera: Miridae).

While transgenic plants targeting lepidopteran and coleopteran insects have been available for almost 20 yr, there are no transgenic crops that target hemipteran insects such as tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), though at least one company lists potential products in advanced stages of development. A resistance management model for the U.S. Mid-South was developed to aid in resistance risk assessments for transgenic crops targeting L. lineolaris , and validated against the prior case of pyrethroid resistance in this insect. The model predicted that resistance to a pyrethroid would evolve in 17.6–21.0 yr (depending on the initial resistance allele frequency), which was close to the 15–20 years observed in the field. Due to uncertainty in female fecundity, we varied fecundity from 3 eggs/female/day to 12 eggs/female/day. Sprays were applied based on action thresholds, and increasing fecundity therefore increased the number of sprays applied per year and decreased durability. We also varied the action threshold in cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) fields (the population levels at which sprays were applied) from 17,600/ha to as low as 1,100/ha. Lowering the threshold increased the number of sprays applied, but also increased durability of the pesticide. Removing the noncotton host refuge present at the same time as cotton changed the relationship so that increasing the action threshold increased durability. The impact of insect resistance management on action threshold cost estimates will vary depending on the landscape, and cannot be assumed to always move the economic injury level in the same direction.
The Molecular Basis for BCL-2 Oncogene Addiction in CLL.

CLL cells consistently express BCL-2 at a high level. Using a compound demonstrated to antagonize BCL-2 function, ABT-737, we show that CLL cells in short-term primary culture are uniformly sensitive to single-agent BCL-2 antagonism, with EC50’s in the 10 nM range. To understand the mechanism of CLL sensitivity to this compound, we studied mitochondria from these primary CLL cells. We employed a panel of peptides derived from the BH3 domain of pro-death BH3-only proteins, certain of which selectively inhibit BCL-2 function in vitro. We demonstrate that those with activity against BCL-2 in vitro induce cytochrome c release, a hallmark of the mitochondrial dysfunction during apoptosis. A non-malignant cellular model of BCL-2 dependence revealed that binding of the pro-apoptotic protein BIM to BCL-2 correlated with sensitivity to BCL-2 inhibitors. We likewise discovered that BCL-2 binds and sequesters BIM in CLL cells. In contrast to the BCL-2 dependent CLL cells, we examined myeloma cell lines with defined MCL-1 dependence and relative BCL-2 independence. These cell lines were 100 fold less sensitive to ABT-737. Furthermore, in mitochondrial assays only BH3 peptides which interact with MCL-1 induce cytochrome c release. These experiments reveal that cellular requirement for an anti-apoptotic protein function can be deduced from a functional mitochondrial requirement determined using our panel of BH3 peptides. In CLL, and perhaps other malignancies, it appears that BCL-2 maintains survival by sequestering pro-apoptotic proteins like BIM. Inhibition of this sequestration provokes cell death ex vivo, even with a single agent BCL-2 inhibitor. Reliance on BCL-2 for survival may be an Achilles heel for CLL and other cancers.
Characterizing the mechanism(s) of heavy element synthesis reactions

A review of the current state of our understanding of complete fusion reaction mechanisms is presented, from the perspective of an experimentalist. For complete fusion reactions, the overall uncertainties in predicting heavy element synthesis cross sections are examined in terms of the uncertainties associated with the calculations of capture cross sections, fusion probabilities and survival probabilities.
Modulation of Nuclear Protein Kinase Activity by Glucagon

Protein kinase (PK) activity associated with the nuclei isolated from perfused rat liver was increased 3–4 times above control when the perfusate contained 7 × 10−9 M glucagon. Maximal incorporation of phosphate from ATP into hi stone f2b was observed 5 minutes following the addition of hormone to the perfusate. The increased activity seen as a result of glucagon could be inhibited to control levels with purified regulatory subunit from cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase and by the heat-stable protein kinase inhibitor. The control PK activity associated with nuclei isolated from unstimulated liver was not affected appreciably by these two inhibitory proteins. The substrate preference for control nuclei was phosvitin while the stimulated nuclei preferred histone as phosphate acceptor. The phosvitin activity in control and stimulated nuclei was not changed with hormone. There was a non-specific increase in the nuclear-associated protein kinase with the addition of purified catalytic subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase to liver homogenates. When livers were stimulated with low doses of glucagon (3.4 × 10−10M) a spike of cyclic AMP formation occurred at 5 minutes returning to control (0.5 nmoles/gram) by 15 minutes. The nuclear-associated PK activity remained elevated 2–3 fold even after the cyclic AMP content had returned to control levels.
Heitler-London model for acceptor-acceptor interactions in doped semiconductors

The interactions between acceptors in semiconductors are often treated in qualitatively the same manner as those between donors. Acceptor wave functions are taken to be approximately hydrogenic and the standard hydrogen molecule Heitler-London model is used to describe acceptor-acceptor interactions. But due to valence band degeneracy and spin-orbit coupling, acceptor states can be far more complex than those of hydrogen atoms, which brings into question the validity of this approximation. To address this issue, we develop an acceptor-acceptor Heitler-London model using single-acceptor wave functions of the form proposed by Baldereschi and Lipari, which more accurately capture the physics of the acceptor states. We calculate the resulting acceptor-pair energy levels and find, in contrast to the two-level singlet-triplet splitting of the hydrogen molecule, a rich ten-level energy spectrum. Our results, computed as a function of interacceptor distance and spin-orbit coupling strength, suggest that acceptor-acceptor interactions can be qualitatively different from donor-donor interactions, and should therefore be relevant to the control of two-qubit interactions in acceptor-based qubit implementations, as well as the magnetic properties of a variety of p-doped semiconductor systems. Further insight is drawn by fitting numerical results to closed-form energy-level expressions obtained via an acceptor-acceptor Hubbard model.
Temperature Distribution in Large, Pot-in-Pot Nursery Containers

Abstract Container-grown landscape plants in the Mid-Atlantic and Southern states are exposed to wide, rapid fluctuations of temperatures, particularly during winter. Thermocouples were placed at three depths and four orientations in the soil mix of 2-year-old, Foster' hybrid holly (Ilex × attenuata ‘Fosteri’) to monitor temperature profiles of 57 liter (nominal 15 gal) containers. These containers were grown conventionally under three treatments: on a bare ground surface (control), inside plastic-film-covered hoop houses, and in the pot-in-pot (PIP) configuration below the ground surface. Temperatures were monitored during both the coldest and the warmest periods of the year in the Moncks Comer, SC, area. In the coldest period, soil temperatures averaged among depths and orientations were 3.6C (6.5F) warmer in the hoop houses than in the control, and 1.1C (2F) warmer in the PIP system than in the control. Although colder than the hoop houses, the average temperatures of the PIP container dropped below 0C...
Geometric Singular Perturbation Analysis of Neuronal Dynamics

Abstract In this chapter, we consider recent models for neuronal activity. We review the sorts of oscillatory behavior which may arise from the models and then discuss how geometric singular perturbation methods have been used to analyze these rhythms. We begin by discussing models for single cells which display bursting oscillations. There are, in fact, several different classes of bursting solutions; these have been classified by the geometric properties of how solutions evolve in phase space. We describe several of the bursting classes and then review related rigorous mathematical analysis. We then discuss the dynamics of small networks of neurons. We are primarily interested in whether excitatory or inhibitory synaptic coupling leads to either synchronous or desynchronous rhythms. We demonstrate that all four combinations are possible, depending on the details of the intrinsic and synaptic properties of the cells. Finally, we discuss larger networks of neuronal oscillators involving two distinct cell populations. In particular, we demonstrate how dynamical systems methods can be used to analyze recent models for sleep rhythms and other oscillations generated in the thalamus. The analysis helps to explain the generation of the different thalamic rhythms and the transitions between them, in both of which inhibition plays a crucial role.
Fathers’ Perspectives on Strengthening Military Families: A Mixed Method Evaluation of a 10-Week Resiliency Building Program

A recent Institute of Medicine report on “The Assessment or Readjustment Needs of Veterans, Service Members, and Their Families” http://nationalacademies.org/hmd/Reports/2013/Returning-Home-from-Iraq-and-Afghanistan.aspx , (2013) underscored the need for effective support for military families with young children, and that effective engagement into existing services remains a challenge. This mixed-method study involved 14 fathers (previously deployed military) who engaged in the Strong Military Families Program, a resiliency-building group for families with young children. The purpose of this paper was twofold: first, to identify the efficacy of this brief intervention for reducing mental health symptomatology among previously deployed military fathers who completed the group, and second to better understand the perceptions and reflections of fathers who completed an effective symptom management program in order to fill the literature gap around this issue and guide future efforts at increasing engagement of this population. Pre- and post-group assessments were administered including depression and posttraumatic stress symptom ratings. Assessments also included interviews designed to elicit fathers’ expectations before the program and to capture their reflections after completion. Quantitative analyses examined changes in symptoms pre- to post-group, and qualitative analyses aimed to better understand fathers’ experiences and help guide future efforts to increase engagement of this population. A grounded theory approach was employed to analyze interview content, and two themes were identified reflecting a desire for (1) connection and (2) learning. The prominence of these themes both before and after group underscored the value of connection to others who shared experience and opportunity for learning effective parenting strategies. Corresponding quantitative analyses indicated a significant decrease in self-reported posttraumatic stress (p < .05) and trend level reduction in depression (p < .10), suggesting participation may contribute to more effective symptom management. Subgroup analyses contrasting the pre-group interviews of fathers who endorsed higher (n = 9) versus lower (n = 5) levels of symptoms revealed that those with greater symptomatology expressed more themes related to fear of committing to the program. Discussion will focus on effective outreach and engagement, and the need to align programs to the interests of previously deployed fathers of young children.
Full length article: Assessing the impact of physical layer techniques on ad hoc network performance

This article provides an overview on the topic of ad hoc network performance analysis, mainly from a physical layer standpoint. The emphasis of the paper is on how the individual link and network performance can be evaluated in an analytically tractable manner, such that design insights can be obtained and optimization over key parameters is possible. Our model is that of a large random network, where the wireless channel comprises path-loss and fading. Various physical layer factors are taken into account: the multiple-access (MA) scheme, such as direct-sequence (DS) CDMA and frequency-hopping (FH) CDMA; error correction coding such as Reed-Solomon (RS) or convolutional coding; coherent or noncoherent detection; the use of multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) techniques to enhance error protection or to increase the transmission rate. The performance of the network is evaluated and optimized in terms of useful metrics such as the network throughput, the information efficiency and the transmission capacity.
Necrotizing fasciitis following abdominal gunshot wound.

A 39-year-old man presented to our hospital as a trauma activation following multiple gunshot wounds to the abdomen. He was taken to the operating room (OR) where abdominal exploration revealed multiple small and large intestinal injuries. The injured segments of the distal small bowel and proximal colon were resected and bowel continuity was restored. Additionally, a smaller sigmoid colon injury near the level of the sacral promontory was identified and primarily repaired. The multiple missile sites were not aggressively debrided, but were irrigated and left to close by secondary intent. Perioperative antibiotics were continued for 24 hours given intra-abdominal contamination. The patient continued his recovery in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU). On postoperative day (POD) 2, he remained hypotensive despite vasopressor support and began to clinically deteriorate. As such, he was taken back to the OR for re-exploration. Intact anastomoses and colorrhaphy were appreciated. On POD 10 from his initial laparotomy, he developed cellulitis and an abdominal wall abscess. He was taken to the OR for incision and …
Does Height Matter? The Association Between Cerclage Height and Pregnancy Outcome

Abstract Objective: The aim of this research was to investigate if an association exists between cerclage height (CH) or the ratio of CH-to-cervical length (CL) and delivery prior to 35 weeks gesta...
Music teachers’ lives and the micropolitical landscape of schools:

The purpose of this study was to examine how four experienced music teachers describe their navigation of the micropolitical landscape in their schools. Research questions included: (a) How do the ...
IgE- and Non-IgE-Mediated Food Allergy

Food allergy is generally defined as an immune-mediated adverse response to food. In contrast, nonimmune adverse reactions to foods include intolerance, such as lactose intolerance, and pharmacologic responses, including tachycardia from caffeine or flushing and pruritus from scombroid fish poisoning. The immunologic responses responsible for food allergies are often categorized as IgE antibody mediated, cell mediated (non-IgE), or caused by combined immune responses. Food-induced eosinophilic esophagitis is typically considered to be the result of, or related to, both cellular and IgE antibody responses. This chapter focuses upon the full spectrum of food allergic disorders with less emphasis on eosinophilic esophagitis. There are a number of important reasons for considering a diagnosis of food allergy in those who have or may have eosinophilic esophagitis. Food is an important trigger for eosinophilic esophagitis and coexisting food allergy, or at least positive tests for food-specific IgE or positive allergy patch tests to foods are frequently reported. In reports of children and adults with eosinophilic esophagitis, generally over 2/3 have positive tests for food-specific IgE. Additionally, 6–24% of those with eosinophilic esophagitis have anaphylactic food allergies. Thus, identification and management of IgE-mediated food allergy is an important component of care for many patients with eosinophilic esophagitis.
Making Connections: Community Organizing, Empowerment Planning, and Participatory Research in Participatory Evaluation

This article shows the intersections of participatory research, popular education, empowerment planning, and community organizing with participatory evaluation. It argues that a truly successful participatory evaluation involves participants in guiding and even conducting the research, doing a process of self- and program study, creating plans for change, and organizing themselves for implementing these plans. Next, the chapter shows how these elements played out in a participatory evaluation of a community organizing training and technical assistance project in Toledo, Ohio. The first year of the project was facilitated by participatory evaluation that helped identify early successes and problems so participants could make programmatic changes early in the process. The telling of the story also develops practices of participatory evaluation, including planning the evaluation, doing the research and adapting it to changing conditions, uncovering creative tensions, participatory validity checking, and linking the process to planning and action. The chapter concludes with some lessons for participatory evaluation practice.
Kierkegaard and the Problem of Ironic Agency

According to contemporary hierarchical views of the self and agency, the distinctive feature of human agency is that we have the ability to distance ourselves from our immediate desires (Frankfurt) and from those socially prescribed norms that guide our actions (Korsgaard) and choose which desires/practical identities we want to identify as being truly reflective of our own selves. The ironic agent is able to achieve this reflective distance, but is not able to take the second step of fully identifying herself with any desires/identities. Instead, the ironic agent plays at being a certain type of person or having certain desires. The problem for the ironic agent, broadly speaking, is that she is not able to be an agent in the fullest sense of the term, something which requires that we have at least some desires or practical identities with which we have reflectively and fully identified. In Kierkegaard’s thought, we find an in-depth description of ironic agency and its problems, as well as a recommendation for how to move beyond ironic agency. In this paper, I will argue that Kierkegaard’s solution to the problem of ironic agency (a move to the ethical sphere of existence) is not a tenable one, but that a solution to the problem of ironic agency can be worked out by giving a reconstructed reading of Kierkegaard’s understanding of faith.
Cooperative Processing of Information

The Nash equilibrium concept of a normal-form game (Nash [15]) has been extended in several directions in the past: One direction is to introduce asymmetric information explicitly into the normal-form game. The resulting model is Harsanyi’s [9] Bayesian game. His Bayesian equilibrium concept extends the Nash equilibrium concept to this new framework.
Applied Linguistics: Realities and Projections Re the Teaching Profession

The motivation for attempting a retrospective and projective view of applied linguistics with respect to language proficiency and the teaching profession, has, for me, been at least twofold. On the one hand, there is a professional perspective. By that I mean the actual work conducted by applied linguistics. What major and minor themes have been the focal points of research and general inquiry? What trends seem to have been developing in the directions for such work? At the same time, there is an organizational basis for such review. Here I refer to the formal establishment of associations and organizations. Why and how have applied linguists joined together in professional organizations? What prospects appear for the maintenance and growth of such organizations? The first of these issues touches on the seemingly age-old question of the nature and scope of applied linguistics. Admittedly, retrospection in this regard has often taken the form of introspection. Some would contend that constant attention to what activities are and can or should be encompassed within a field labelled “applied linguistics” detracts from participation in and dissemination of information on the work to be done. Such a commentary should not be dismissed lightly. There is value, nonetheless, in assessing the activities within applied linguistics because of the potential support that such reviews provide to the field, its participants, and its organizations. It can only provide needed recognition for work already accomplished and, by highlighting such activities, encourage more professionals to participate in a wider range of potential projects with a language base.
Differential Associations of Diastolic and Systolic Pressures With Cerebral Measures in Older Individuals With Mild Cognitive Impairment.

BACKGROUND Reports on the relative importance of the diastolic and systolic blood pressures (DBP and SBP) in age-related cognitive decline are mixed. Investigating the relation between DBP/SBP and functional and structural brain changes could elucidate which of the 2 measures is more critically important for brain function and, consequently, cognitive impairment. METHODS We investigated the association of SBP and DBP with cortical volume, cerebral blood flow (CBF), and white matter lesions (WML), in nondemented older adults with and without mild cognitive impairment (MCI; N = 265, 185 MCI, mean age = 64 years). Brachial blood pressure was measured twice while seated, and the average of the 2 measures was used. Cortical volume, gray matter (GM) CBF, and WML were estimated using T1-weighted imaging, arterial spin labeling, and fluid attenuation inversion recovery, respectively. RESULTS Reduced cortical volume was associated with elevated DBP (β= -0.18, P = 0.034) but not with SBP (β = -0.10, P = 0.206). GM CBF was associated with DBP (β = -0.13, P = 0.048) but not with SBP (β = -0.07, P = 0.275). Likewise, CBF within brain regions where MCI patients showed hypoperfusion were only associated with DBP (DBP: β = -0.17, P = 0.005; SBP: β = -0.09, P = 0.120). WML volume was associated with both DBP (β = 0.20, P = 0.005) and SBP (β = 0.30, P < 0.001). For all measures, there was no interaction between DBP/SBP and cognitive status, indicating that these associations were independent of the cognitive status. CONCLUSIONS Independently of the cognitive status, DBP is more critically important for GM volume and perfusion, whereas WML is associated with both blood pressures, likely reflecting long-term effect of hypertension and autoregulation dysfunction.
The chameleonic reactivity of dilithio bis(alkylamido)cyclodiphosph(iii)azanes with chlorophosphines

To synthesize a bis(diphosphinylamine) ligand for use in late-metal catalysis dilithio bis(tert-butylamido)cyclodiphosph(iii)azane was treated with two equivalents of (Ph)2PCl. The chlorodiphenylphosphine attacked the dilithium salt kinetically at phosphorus, followed by a rearrangement to an unsymmetrical P, N-di-substituted product. Solid-state structures of both products were determined, and the activation energy for the rearrangement was measured. To gain further insight into the location of chlorophosphine attack (N versus P) on lithium diamides, dilithio bis(cyclohexylamido)cyclodiphosph(iii)azane or dilithio bis(tert-butylamido)cyclodisilazane was treated with two equivalents of PCl3. In each case only the symmetrically N,N'-substituted bis(PCl2) product was obtained and characterized by X-ray analysis. The structures of these latter compounds are unusual, because in both cases a bicyclic compound with a bis(amido) chelated, central P-Cl moiety was expected based on precedent. The two proximal and juxtaposed PCl2 groups may provide a starting point for potentially novel reactivity studies.
Purity assignment for peptide certified reference materials by combining qNMR and LC-MS/MS amino acid analysis results: application to angiotensin II

The purity value assignment of metrologically traceable peptide reference standards requires specialized primary methods. Conventionally, amino acid analysis by isotope dilution tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) following peptide hydrolysis is employed as a reference method. By contrast, quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance (qNMR) spectroscopy allows for quantitation of intact peptides, thus eliminating potential bias due to hydrolysis. Both methods are susceptible to interference from related peptide impurities, which need to be accurately measured and accounted for. The mass balance approach has also been employed for peptide purity measurements, whereby the purity is defined by the sum of the mass fraction of all impurities identified. Ideally, results from these three orthogonal methods can be combined for final purity assignment of peptide reference standards. Here we report a novel strategy for correcting both LC-MS/MS and 1H-qNMR results for related peptide impurities and combining results from both methods using a Bayesian statistical approach using mass balance results as prior knowledge. The mass balance method relied on a validated 19F-qNMR method to measure the trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) counter-ion, considered an impurity in this case at nearly 25% by mass. Using a candidate certified reference material (CRM) for angiotensin II, excellent agreement was achieved with the three methods. The final purity value assignment of the candidate CRM was 691 ± 9 mg/g (k = 2).
Bioactive effects of silica nanoparticles on bone cells are size, surface, and composition dependent.

Abstract Silica based nanoparticles have been demonstrated to have intrinsic biologic activity towards the skeleton and to function by promoting the differentiation of bone forming osteoblasts while inhibiting the differentiation of bone resorbing osteoclasts. The excitement surrounding nanomedicine in part revolves around the almost unlimited possibilities for varying the physicochemical properties including size, composition, and surface charge. To date few studies have attempted to manipulate these characteristics in concert to optimize a complex biologic outcome. Towards this end, spherical silica nanoparticles of various sizes (50–450 nm), of different surface properties (OH, CO2H, NR4+, mNH2), and of different composition (silica, gold, and polystyrene) were synthesized and evaluated for biological activity toward skeletal cells. Osteoblast activity was most influenced by composition and size variables, whereas osteoclasts were most affected by surface property variation. The study also establishes nanoparticle mediated suppression of Nfatc1, a key transcriptional regulator for osteoclast differentiation, identifying a novel mechanism of action. Collectively, the study highlights how during the design of bioactive nanoparticles, it is vital to consider not only the myriad of physical properties that can be manipulated, but also that the characteristics of the target cell plays an equally integral role in determining biological outcome. Statement of significance Silica nanomaterials represent a promising biomaterial for beneficial effects on bone mass and quality as well as regenerative tissue engineering and are currently being investigated for intrinsic bioactivity towards the primary cells responsible for skeletal homeostasis; osteoblasts and osteoclasts. The goal of the current study was to assess the physical properties of silica nanoparticles that impart intrinsic bioactivity by evaluating size, surface charge, and composition. Results reveal differential influences of the physical properties of nanoparticles towards osteoblasts and osteoclasts. This study provides new insights into the design of nanoparticles to specifically target different aspects of bone metabolism and highlights the opportunities provided by nanotechnology to modulate a range of cell specific biological responses for therapeutic benefit.
Noncanonical Cation-π Cyclizations of Alkylidene β-Ketoesters: Synthesis of Spiro-fused and Bridged Bicyclic Ring Systems.

Three cation−π cyclization cascades initiated at alkylidene β-ketoesters bearing pendent alkenes are described. Depending upon the alkene substitution pattern and the reaction conditions employed, it is possible to achieve selective synthesis of the three different types of products, including 1-halo-3-carbomethoxycyclohexanes, spiro-fused tricyclic systems, and [4.3.1] bridged bicyclic ring systems. All three reactions begin with 6-endo addition of an olefin to the alkylidene β-ketoester electrophile, followed by one of three different cation capture events.
PEEC Method and Hierarchical Approach Towards 3D Multichip Power Module (MCPM) Layout Optimization

Recent advances in packaging technologies have improved multichip power module (MCPM) power density through innovative designs with layout size reduction, multi-layer stacking, and heterogeneous components integration. As these layout designs are getting denser, signal integrity issues due to mutual couplings demand more consideration. Hence, in order to handle these new layouts in the power module design automation tool—PowerSynth, a new electrical model has been developed based on the PEEC method. This method provides further insights into electrical reliability during optimization by evaluating current density and electric field inside each conductor. A coarse meshing process is applied to every generated layout to ensure accurate parasitic extraction while maintaining efficient computation time. Furthermore, a hierarchical approach has been applied to form connections between traces and components during placement to evaluate electrical parasitics without increasing the number of mesh points. Comparisons versus FEA simulation tools and experiments have shown promising initial extraction results using this model.
Creating Womenâ€™s Identity in Fashion: Objectification Within Norman Norellâ€™s Classic Silhouette

An analysis of American designer Norman Norellâ€™s 1951 dinner dress and Norellâ€™s classic silhouette at theTexas Fashion Collection led to the examination of the mid-twentieth century and how misogyny related to thesociety during this time. The investigation of misogyny in the fashion industry began with the evaluation JoanneEntwistleâ€™s article â€œFashion and the Fleshy Body: Dress as Embodied Practiceâ€ which provided the preliminaryunderstanding of femininity, womenâ€™s identity, and fashion. By understanding social theory, feminist theory, andthe history of the mid-twentieth century, I am able to reinvestigate Norellâ€™s work as a perpetuating factor ofmisogyny in fashion. Beyond observations and analysis of Norellâ€™s relationship to feminine identity in fashion,I explore modern fashion and the changing nature of misogyny in the industry since the classic silhouette ofNorman Norell in core fashion areas like Vogue magazine.
Development of 3D Printed Tablets by Fused Deposition Modeling Using Polyvinyl Alcohol as Polymeric Matrix for Rapid Drug Release.

Abstract In this study, the processability of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), a water-soluble polymer, into melt-extruded filaments and then into 3D printed tablets by fused deposition modeling was studied. PVA is semicrystalline with Tg and m.p. of ~45°C and ~190°C, respectively. After screening several plasticizers, sorbitol was selected to enhance melt extrudability of PVA. Carvedilol and haloperidol, 2 basic compounds with pH-dependent solubility, were used as model drugs. Miscibility of the drugs with PVA, with and without added sorbitol as plasticizer, was also tested to determine whether any amorphous solid dispersion was formed that would facilitate rapid and pH-independent dissolution. Finally, the drug release from physical mixtures, crushed extrudates, and printed tablets were determined. Owing to high m.p. and high melt viscosity of PVA, filaments containing 10% and 20% drug required 180°C-190°C for extrusion, which could be reduced to ~150°C by adding 10% sorbitol. The printing temperature of 210°C was, however, required. Miscibility of carvedilol and haloperidol with PVA were, respectively, ~20% and
Thinking Systematically About the Online Academic Experience [Highlights]

TWO MONTHS INTO THE CORONAvirus pandemic, most university and laboratory staff have been asked to work from home We are fortunate that, while most physical work has been on pause, research, scholarship, and teaching can continue via teleconference calls and collaborative online workspaces Even as universities and labs attempt to partially reopen this summer and fall, online scholarship will likely have to continue as students and staff struggle to return to campus due to travel and visa restrictions, and parents have to stay home due to school and daycare closures Now is the time to brainstorm what work still needs to be done to create useful and productive virtual spaces for academics and research scientists-both amid the pandemic and afterward In this "Highlights" column article, I first discuss the need for a systematic approach to physical resources for online academic work Then I review the organization and operation of the larger academic gatherings © 2020 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc All rights reserved
Pathway size matters: the influence of pathway granularity on over-representation (enrichment analysis) statistics.

Enrichment or over-representation analysis is a common method used in bioinformatics studies of transcriptomics, metabolomics, and microbiome datasets. The key idea behind enrichment analysis is: given a set of significantly expressed genes (or metabolites), use that set to infer a smaller set of perturbed biological pathways or processes, in which those genes (or metabolites) play a role. Enrichment computations rely on collections of defined biological pathways and/or processes, which are usually drawn from pathway databases. Although practitioners of enrichment analysis take great care to employ statistical corrections (e.g., for multiple testing), they appear unaware that enrichment results are quite sensitive to the pathway definitions that the calculation uses. We show that alternative pathway definitions can alter enrichment p-values by up to nine orders of magnitude, whereas statistical corrections typically alter enrichment p-values by only two orders of magnitude. We present multiple examples where the smaller pathway definitions used in the EcoCyc database produces stronger enrichment p-values than the much larger pathway definitions used in the KEGG database; we demonstrate that to attain a given enrichment p-value, KEGG-based enrichment analyses require 1.3–2.0 times as many significantly expressed genes as does EcoCyc-based enrichment analyses. The large pathways in KEGG are problematic for another reason: they blur together multiple (as many as 21) biological processes. When such a KEGG pathway receives a high enrichment p-value, which of its component processes is perturbed is unclear, and thus the biological conclusions drawn from enrichment of large pathways are also in question. The choice of pathway database used in enrichment analyses can have a much stronger effect on the enrichment results than the statistical corrections used in these analyses.
BRASH syndrome: more than just syncope

The pentad of bradycardia, renal failure, atrioventricular nodal blockade, shock, and hyperkalemia describes the BRASH syndrome, a newly recognized phenomenon in which accumulation of potassium and renally excreted atrioventricular nodal blockers cause a cycle of bradycardia, hypoperfusion, and worsening renal function. Here, we describe a case of BRASH in an elderly woman whose medications had recently changed, and who presented with bradycardia, anuria, and hypotension. Resolution of symptoms occurred over hours after the right treatment was started. Furthermore, we review case reports written in recent years for common BRASH syndrome patient characteristics.
IN-SERVICE FUEL ECONOMY

Ford Motor Company surveyed management personnel who drive Ford lease vehicles. From the responses, in-use fuel economy data were computed on over 10,600 1978 model year cars. Analyses of the data are presented which include: fuel economy summary statistics; regressions of fuel economy ratings versus in-use fuel economy; measures of the ability of EPA ratings to rank in-use fuel economy; and the influence of car size class or transmission type on fuel economy regression and correlation. Wide ranges of fuel economies were found for each vehicle model type. The analysis shows no significant trend by car size class in the relationship between in-use fuel economy and metro highway fuel economy ratings.
Factors That Influence an Undergraduate Student to Choose a Career in Aviation, and Enroll in the Aviation Science Program at Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology

A study was conducted in the Aviation Science Department, Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology, Saint Louis University, to determine the factors that influence undergraduate students to choose aviation as a career field and Parks College as their choice for their aviation education. This information was gathered to assist Parks College in determining the most effective measures to recruit and retain undergraduate students and what other measures might be considered to improve a student's educational experience at Parks. A paper survey instrument consisting of eight pertinent demographic questions, 67 Likert scale questions, and five open-ended questions were given to a convenience sample of four aviation science classes: one freshman class, one sophomore class, one junior class, and one senior class. The survey population consisted of undergraduate aviation science and aviation management majors. The results of the survey and conclusions are discussed.
Abortions—A study based on 1,304 cases☆

Abstract An analysis of 1,304 cases of patients with abortions admitted to the Tulane Gynecologic Service of Charity Hospital of Louisiana is presented. The seasonal variation in the incidence of admissions with a peak in May correlated with the seasonal incidence of pregnancies. Two hundred fifty of the cases were septic. Six of these patients died, a mortality of 0.46 per cent, as contrasted with a rate of 1.06 per cent during the four and one-half years prior to 1941. This recent lowering of the mortality rate is attributed to the liberal use of chemotherapy and antibiotics, the availability of blood for transfusions, and recognition and prompt treatment of complications.
A Behavioral Law and Economics Analysis of Property

Property is complex but nonetheless, decisions-makers need to make decisions relating to property all the time. This paper uses both traditional law and economics and behavioral law and economics to theoretically consider how decision-makers may make decisions with respect to property. It surveys a range of heuristics and biases and how two common conceptions of property – discrete asset and bundle of rights – may interact in decision-making, drawing from examples in the US and Australia. Finally it focuses on the application of these concepts to the investment decisions of property owners in the context of government takings. In doing so it finds while traditional law and economics analysis may suggest that under-compensation for property compulsorily acquired by the government will deter property owners from over-investing in their property, once we allow property owners to be imperfectly rational under a behavioral law and economics framework under-compensation may still lead to over-investment. The theoretical considerations in this paper could form the foundation for future empirical tests on how decisions-makers actually think in relation to property and whether they respond to policy in the way predicted by theory.
Airbag deployment and improperly restrained children: a lethal combination.

BACKGROUND:: Airbag deployment is an acknowledged mechanism of serious trauma in children involved in motor vehicle crashes. From a review of national databases, we determined the number and types of fatal and nonfatal injuries to children caused by airbag deployment and child restraint system use. We also reviewed the relevant literature and provide information useful for caregivers and health care professionals in hopes of reducing future injuries. METHODS:: We retrospectively reviewed 263 reported cases in which airbag deployment caused fatal or nonfatal injuries in children from reports released by the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration and the National Pediatric Trauma Registry. Data were collected from January 1993 to December 2002 and imported into a database program for analysis. RESULTS:: Of the 263 pediatric injuries caused by airbag deployment, 159 were fatal, and 104 were nonfatal. The peak incidence occurred in 1998, when 58 children were reported injured. Head injuries were most frequent, involving 170 children (64.6%), followed by spinal injuries, involving 100 children (38.0%). For children in their first year of life, head injuries were the sole mechanism of fatality. Of all children studied, only six (2.3%) were properly restrained. CONCLUSION:: Airbag deployment in motor vehicle crashes is a well-recognized mechanism of morbidity and mortality in the pediatric population. Most injuries include trauma to the head and spine, which can have significant long-term consequences. Although the reported incidence of such injuries is decreasing, many children are improperly restrained. In our study, only 2.3% of children were properly restrained, suggesting that proper child restraint and seating position could have prevented most injuries.
Metric Learning: A Support Vector Approach

In this paper, we address the metric learning problem utilizing a margin-based approach. Our metric learning problem is formulated as a quadratic semi-definite programming problem (QSDP) with local neighborhood constraints, which is based on the Support Vector Machine (SVM) framework. The local neighborhood constraints ensure that examples of the same class are separated from examples of different classes by a margin. In addition to providing an efficient algorithm to solve the metric learning problem, extensive experiments on various data sets show that our algorithm is able to produce a new distance metric to improve the performance of the classical K-nearest neighbor (KNN) algorithm on the classification task. Our performance is always competitive and often significantly better than other state-of-the-art metric learning algorithms.