cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Defining neighborhood boundaries for urban health research in developing countries: a case study of Accra, Ghana

The neighborhood has been used as a sampling unit for exploring variations in health outcomes. In a variety of studies census tracts or ZIP codes have been used as proxies for neighborhoods because the boundaries are pre-defined units for which other data are readily available. However these spatial units can be arbitrary and do not account for social-cultural behaviors and identities that are significant to residents. In this study for the city of Accra, Ghana, our goal was to create a neighborhood map that represented the boundaries generally agreed upon by the residents of the city using the smallest available census unit, the enumeration area (EA), as the base unit. This neighborhood map was then used as the basis for mapping spatial variations in health within the city. The first step in demarcating the boundaries was to identify features that limit a person's movement including the major roads, drainage features, and railroad tracks that people use to partially define their neighborhood boundaries. Once an initial set of boundaries were established, they were iteratively modified by walking the neighborhoods, talking to residents, public officials, and others. The resulting neighborhood map consolidated 1,723 EAs into 108 neighborhoods covering the entire Accra metropolitan area. Results indicated that the team achieved 71 percent accuracy in mapping neighborhoods when the neighborhood keyed to the survey EA was compared with the response given by the interviewees in the 2008-2009 Women's Health Survey of Accra when asked which neighborhood they lived in.
Violência: um problema global de saúde pública

Este artigo e uma versao do que foi publicado no Informe Mundial sobre Violencia e Saude, da Organizacao Mundial de Saude (OMS), como introducao ao tema. Apresenta uma descricao geral da problematica e a posicao da OMS. Nele, os autores se dedicam a responder algumas questoes basicas: o estado do conhecimento sobre o assunto; os conceitos e definicoes com os quais a OMS trabalha; a natureza e a tipologia sobre violencia; as formas de abordagem quantitativa e qualitativa em um modelo ecologico; o lugar e o papel da saude publica e sua potencialidade com vistas a contribuir para prevenir e diminuir a violencia no mundo; as responsabilidades das nacoes e dos gestores em todos os niveis; os obstaculos para atuacao e os desafios para o setor.
Description of an efficacious behavioral peer-driven intervention to reduce racial/ethnic disparities in AIDS clinical trials

AIDS clinical trials (ACTs) are critical to the development of new treatments for HIV infection. However, people of color living with HIV/AIDS are involved in ACTs at disproportionally low rates, with African-Americans experiencing the greatest under-representation. In this article, we describe the core elements and key characteristics of a highly efficacious multi-component peer-driven intervention (PDI) designed to increase rates of screening for and enrollment into ACTs among African-American and Latino/Hispanic individuals, by addressing the main complex, multi-level barriers they experience to ACTs. We discuss the process of developing the intervention, the theoretical models guiding its delivery format and content, and provide an overview of the intervention’s components. We then use brief case studies to illustrate a number of key issues that may arise during intervention implementation. Finally, we describe lessons learned and provide recommendations for the PDI’s uptake in clinical and clinical trials settings.
Prehospital and Enroute Care

Prehospital and enroute care of a casualty can have a significant effect on both mortality and morbidity. The goal of a prehospital provider is to do whatever is possible to mitigate both of these outcomes. When reviewing the causes of death from the Vietnam War through Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom we see little change. The most common causes of death are: torso injury 35%, killed in action (KIA) from CNS injury 31%, Multi System Organ Failure (MSOF) 12%, extremity hemorrhage 9%, tension pneumothorax 5%, and airway 1%.
Latino family mental health: exploring the role of discrimination and familismo

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of discrimination and familismo on internalizing mental health symptoms among two generations of Latinos, youth and their parents, residing in the Southwest region of the United States. Data from the Latino Acculturation and Health Project was used to determine the direct and moderation effects of discrimination and familismo on internalizing mental health symptoms. The sample included 150 Latino youth–parent dyads who were immigrants or U.S. born. Descriptive results indicate that youth had significantly higher scores on the familismo scale whereas parents reported higher levels of perceived discrimination. Regression analyses results revealed direct effects of familismo and perceived discrimination on internalizing mental health symptoms. Implications for practice are discussed.
Evolution of imaging in rectal cancer: multimodality imaging with MDCT, MRI, and PET

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), multidetector computed tomography (MDCT), and positron emission tomography (PET) are complementary imaging modalities in the preoperative staging of patients with rectal cancer, and each offers their own individual strengths and weaknesses. MRI is the best available radiologic modality for the local staging of rectal cancers, and can play an important role in accurately distinguishing which patients should receive preoperative chemoradiation prior to total mesorectal excision. Alternatively, both MDCT and PET are considered primary modalities when performing preoperative distant staging, but are limited in their ability to locally stage rectal malignancies. This review details the role of each of these three modalities in rectal cancer staging, and how the three imaging modalities can be used in conjunction.
Numerical Analysis of Carbonate Microfacies in the Cupido Limestone (Neocomian-Aptian), Coahuila, Mexico

ABSTRACT Joint use of the numerical techniques cluster analysis and ordination, when accompanied by a simple presence-absence survey of petrographic variables in a large number of rock samples, provides a quick and objective initial view of the microfacies relationships in a stratigraphic sequence. Application of these numerical methods to the Lower Cretaceous Cupido Limestone in Arteaga Canyon, Coahuila, Mexico, yielded eight distinct microfacies, which appear to fit a generalized cycle of carbonate deposition on a broad, shallow bank.
Echocardiographic and Color Flow Doppler Features of Bioprosthetic Valve Degeneration

Serial echocardiographic and color flow Doppler studies were performed in 38 mitral and aortic bioprosthetic valves. In the ensuing three to four months of follow-up, 7 patients developed clinical, angiographic evidence of severe valve regurgitation due to structural valve degeneration. Analysis of ultrasound studies revealed that increased thickness of the cusp by echocardiography and presence of mild to moderate color flow Doppler regurgitation preceded clinical regurgi tation in 5 and 4 bioprostheses respectively.In conclusion, echo and cardiac Doppler features of thickened and/or regur gitant valves are markers for degenerating bioprostheses and these features usually precede clinical dysfunction.
Improving the ability to predict falls among older adults following inpatient rehabilitation

Commentary on: C Sherrington, SR Lord, JC Close, et al.. A simple tool predicted probability of falling after aged care inpatient rehabilitation.J Clin Epidemiol2011;64:779–86.
A Net Deposition Model

A net deposition model (dependent on friction velocity) that accounts for ideal deposition of aerosols to a surface, rebound of particles impacting the surface, and reentrainment of particles previously deposited on the surface has been developed. The model time step is based on a scaled time interval between coherent boundary layer structures (bursts), with deposition, rebound, and reentrainment determined for each time step. Deposition and rebound are functions of friction velocity, and reentrainment is based on a Monte-Carlo simulation using a surface renewal concept. The model was used to simulate net deposition of six different particle-surface pairs. Results were found to generally describe experimental data well, although some differences were present.
An investigation of seated postural stability

Results of tests undertaken to identify which measures of seated posture control are most effective in two areas, distinguishing differences in the x and y direction control strategies for a given task and distinguishing differences in overall control strategies for pairs of different tasks, are presented. The test platform, calibration tests, test protocol, and data analysis method are described. The results of statistical analyses performed on the data are summarized. >
Infusion pump-mediated mechanical hemolysis in pediatric patients.

Context Hemoglobinuria was observed after packed red blood cell transfusion in a series of patients at our pediatric treatment center. Laboratory testing was suggestive of intravascular hemolysis with no support for an immunohematologic process. Objective We investigated these adverse events to define a quality improvement plan and to prevent future hemolytic adverse events. Multiple factors were investigated, and the only change identified was the implementation of a new infusion pump (Pump A) that replaced a previous model (Pump B). Design In vitro pump analyses, a retrospective review of urinalyses, and prospective urinalysis and nursing surveillances were also performed. Results In in vitro analysis of the pumps, irradiated units with higher hematocrit at a low flow rate through Pump A had a greater than thirty-fold increase in free hemoglobin from baseline compared to minimal free hemoglobin changes seen with Pump B. Irradiated units with a lower hematocrit had a minimal change in free hemoglobin from baseline with both Pumps A and B at either low or high flow rate. Subsequently, only units with lower hematocrits were issued for transfusion of pediatric patients, and Pump A was replaced by Pump B in the outpatient unit. Retrospective and prospective surveillances found no additional unexplained cases of gross hemoglobinuria associated with transfusion. Conclusion The investigation determined that infusion of higher hematocrit units using a specific commercial pump was associated with mechanical hemolysis. The change to units with lower hematocrit through an alternative pump has been an effective corrective action to date.
Papilledema as a manifestation of a spinal subdural abscess

Papilledema is an uncommon presentation of spinal cord processes. Spinal subdural abscess (SSA) is a rare site of post-operative infection. We report a patient who developed papilledema as the primary manifestation of a post-operative lumbar subdural abscess. A spinal abscess should be considered in the post-operative spinal surgery patient who develops papilledema in the setting of persistent back pain. The increased intracranial pressure associated with lumbar spinal cord abscess most likely results from a markedly elevated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) protein or the disruption of CSF flow in the spinal cul-de-sac.
Structure-Function Relations in E. coli 16s RNA

As a more thorough understanding of RNA secondary and tertiary structure has developed over the last several years, so has an appreciation of its importance in the function of the various RNP particles of which it is a part. For example, Ul RNA has been linked to mRNA splicing (Lerner et al., 1980; Rogers and Wall, 1980) while the RNA moiety of RNAase P has been shown to be absolutely required for its activity (Kole et al., 1980). RNA has even been shown to be capable of making and breaking phosphodiester bonds in the complete absence of protein (Kruger et al., 1982). Along with these developments, the concept that ribosomal RNA is merely a framework on which ribosomal proteins can carry out their functions has been discarded. Indeed, speculations on the evolution of the protein-syn- thesizing system have generally concluded that the RNA must have predated the protein components. The similarity in structure of protein-free 16s RNA in solution and 16s RNA in the 30s subunit (observed with psoralen crosslink- ing by Wollenzein et al., 1979; Thammana et al., 1979; Thompson and Hearst, 1983; and with electron micros- copy) suggests that at least vestiges of the original catalytic structure remain. While Escherichia coli rRNA may no longer be able to carry out protein-free translation, it is now generally accepted that it plays an active role in ribosomal functions, Unfortunately, the dearth of structural informa- tion has allowed formulation of only simple models for how RNA operates. Even though the sequence of 16s RNA is known (Bro- sius et al., 1978; Carbon et al., 1979) and much of its secondary structure is agreed on (Noller and Woese, 1981; Stiegler et al., 1981; Zwieb et al., 1981) little progress has been made towards linking specific structures with func- tion. Recent work with psoralen crosslinking of 16s RNA (Thompson and Hearst, 1983) has confirmed parts of the secondary structure, and has also provided evidence for new interactions that appear to be functionally important. We will discuss how these structural features may be related to specific ribosomal mechanisms. We will concen- trate on E. coli 16s RNA, but eucaryotic 18s RNA will also be presented when its function appears to be substantially different. Reference to most ribosomal proteins will be tastefully omitted, primarily because their interactions with the RNA are poorly understood, but also because we have approached the problem with the bias that they modulate the activity of the RNA rather than being the principal driving force behind it.
Timing-driven routing for FPGAs based on Lagrangian relaxation

As interconnection delay plays an important role in determining circuit performance in field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), timing-driven FPGA routing has received much attention recently. In this paper, we present a new timing-driven routing algorithm for FPGAs. The algorithm minimizes critical path delay for a given placed circuit using the Lagrangian relaxation technique. Lagrangian multipliers used to relax timing constraints are updated by subgradient method over iterations. Incorporated into the cost function, these multipliers guide the router to construct a routing tree for each net. During routing, the congestion constraints on each routing resource are also handled to route circuits successfully. Experimental results on benchmark circuits show that our approach outperforms the state-of-the-art versatile place and route router.
Distributed weakness in virtual private networks

The use of virtual private networks is increasing rapidly primarily due to security concerns. As the result of analyzing actual corporate VPN strategies, we identify a common vulnerability we name "distributed weakness in VPNs". Specifically we describe a simple routing attack that can be launched against VPN tunnel endpoints with significant implications. We close with a solution to protect against exploitation of this vulnerability.
Characterization of isolated attosecond pulses from multi-cycle lasers

Through FROG-CRAB based on attosecond streaking, we characterized 140 attosecond single isolated pulses generated with a double optical gating using 9 fs lasers.
Estimation of energy distributions in generalized multi-element-kind systems

A general method for estimating energy distribution in multi-element-kind systems with arbitrary circuit topology is presented. Bounds on the power dissipation in various two-terminal elements are computed for exponentially damped sinusoidal excitations under steady state. The proposed algorithm is not only limited to single-frequency excitations, but applies equally to harmonic analysis associated with exponentially damped periodic excitations. >
Wireless less-invasive blood pressure sensing microsystem for small laboratory animal in vivo real-time monitoring

A novel wireless less-invasive implantable blood pressure sensing system is developed for advanced biological research. The system employs a miniature instrumented elastic cuff, wrapped around a blood vessel, for small animal real time blood pressure monitoring. The elastic cuff is made of biocompatible soft silicone material by a molding process and is filled by insulating silicone oil with an immersed MEMS capacitive pressure sensor interfaced with low power integrated electronics. This technique avoids vessel penetration and substantially minimizes vessel restriction due to the soft cuff elasticity, thus attractive for long-term implant. The MEMS pressure sensor detects the coupled blood pressure waveform caused by the vessel expansion and contraction, followed by amplification, digitization, and wireless FSK data transmission to an external receiver. The integrated electronics are designed with capability of receiving RF power from an external power source and converting the RF signal to a stable 2V DC supply in an adaptive manner to power the overall implant system, thus enabling a realization of stand-alone battery-less implant microsystem. The electronics are fabricated in a 1.5 mum CMOS process and occupies an area of 2 mm x 2 mm. The prototype monitoring cuff is wrapped around the right carotid artery of a laboratory rat to measure real-time blood pressure waveform. The measured in vivo blood waveform is compared with a reference waveform recorded simultaneously by using a commercial catheter-tip transducer inserted into the left carotid artery. Two measured waveforms are closely matched with a constant scaling factor. The ASIC is interfaced with a 5 mm-diameter RF powering coil and four surface-mount components (one inductor and three capacitors) over a thin flexible substrate via bond wires, followed by silicone coating and packaging with the prototype blood pressure monitoring cuff. The overall system exhibits a weight of 280 mg, representing an order of magnitude mass reduction compared to state-of-the-art commercial technology.
Spike-Based Feature Extraction for Noise Robust Speech Recognition Using Phase Synchrony Coding

We propose a noise robust feature extraction technique for speech signals using phase synchrony. The front-end employs a psychoacoustic cochlea model with inner hair cells to transform speech into a parallel stream of spike trains as observed in the auditory nerve fibers. The degree of phase synchrony among nerve fibers with similar characteristic frequencies is calculated to yield a feature vector which shows little degradation in response to increasing levels of noise. As a benchmark, the feature set is used in a biologically plausible model with a spike-based, liquid state machine classifier for a simple acoustic classification task. Though applied to a simplified domain, the results indicate a superior performance when compared to a conventional speech recognition system, especially at very low signal-to-noise ratios.
Frequency of Egg and Nestling Destruction by Female Brown-headed Cowbirds at Grassland Nests

Abstract Researchers have suggested that Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) destroy nest contents of potential hosts to induce renesting and thus enhance future opportunities for parasitism. Although cowbird destruction of passerine nests has been witnessed and surmised, few data are available on frequency of those events. We used miniature video-cameras at nests of grassland passerines and documented partial or complete destruction of eggs or nestlings by cowbirds at 7 of 132 nests monitored with cameras. At least three of the seven cases appeared to be attempts to totally destroy the nest contents; those cowbirds did not appear to be motivated by food or an intent to parasitize the nest. Three cases probably were associated with parasitism, but two involved egg removal late in incubation and the third was unusually destructive. Cowbirds were responsible for 24% of egg losses and 5% of nestling losses caused by predators. The importance of cowbirds as an agent of egg and nestling loss undoubtedly var...
In-utero Fetal and Placental Development Following Maternal Protein Repletion in Rats

The effects of early short term maternal protein deprivation during pregnancy on fetal and placental development have been investi gated. The parameters used to assess fetal and neonatal development were: body weight, cerebral weight, cerebral DNA and protein content. In addi tion to these fetal parameters, placental development was also estimated by determining the wet weight, placental cell number ( estimated by DNA content) and cell size (protein:DNA ratio). Analyses were made on days 16, 18, and 20 of pregnancy and on the day of spontaneous delivery. Al though protein deprivation during pregnancy, commencing with the day of mating until day 6 of pregnancy, resulted in a decrease in some fetal parameters in-utero as compared to normal control fetuses, there was no deficit in any measured parameter at the time of natural birth except in cerebral protein content. These results were compared to those obtained when the protein deprivation was imposed during day 0 to day 10 or during days 10 to 15 of gestation. Cerebral weight and cerebral DNA content at the time of natural birth were similar to or greater than those of the un treated controls. Examination and comparison of the data, obtained on the 16th, 18th, and 20th day of gestation in all three experimental groups, indicate that a short term protein deprivation, regardless of the specific time period, affects fetal development. If the protein deprivation is past day 6 of pregnancy, the length of gestation is prolonged. The decrease in the proportion of pregnancies carried to term in rats deprived of protein early in pregnancy was also investigated. Evidence for an exceedingly short but crucial time period as the regulating factor for the outcome of preg nancy was found. J. Nutr. 108: 959-966, 1978.
Beginnings of earthquakes in the Mexican subduction zone on strong-motion accelerograms

Abstract The Guerrero, Mexico, accelerograph network has recorded, at short distances, earthquakes with magnitudes from 3.0 to 8.1. In this article, the initial 3.5 sec of the P waves, on the vertical component, are compared. In addition to unfiltered accelerograms, several causal bandpass filters are applied. We do not see significant differences, in either original or filtered records, between the initial (e.g., 0.5 sec) seismograms of moderate and large earthquakes. In the original and 2- to 5-Hz passband, the main differences among events with magnitudes over about 4.5 is in the duration of shaking. The initial ground motions of all the large events have very small amplitudes, which gradually get larger. At lower frequencies, seismograms of the largest events show a complex series of multiple pulses, assumed related to failure of numerous asperities. In our lowest frequency band (0.2 to 0.5 Hz), most of the large events that we examined begin with rupture of asperities that are not necessarily larger, and are sometimes smaller, than the asperities that fail during smaller events. The observations are consistent with a model of faulting in which the largest asperities are located at random on the eventual fault plane, and fail when the rupture front, propagating from the hypocenter, reaches them. This allows the largest asperities to occasionally be at the hypocenter and to fail immediately, but for a large fault, it is more likely that they will be located elsewhere and fail later.
Nondeterministic Algorithms

Programs to solve combinatorial search problems may often be simply written by using multiple-valued functions. Such programs, although impossible to execute directly on conventional computers, may be converted in a mechanical way into conventional backtracking programs. The process is illustrated with algorithms to find all solutions to the eight queens problem on the chessboard, and to find all simple cycles in a network.
PROBABILITIES OF n-TREES UNDER TWO MODELS: A DEMONSTRATION THAT ASYMMETRICAL INTERIOR NODES ARE NOT IMPROBABLE

Demonstrations par des equations derivees, sous deux modeles, que les arbres phylogenetiques tres asymetriques ne sont pas improbables mais, en fait, hautement probables.
Differential diagnosis of myotonia.

If detection of the myotonic response is difficult, myotonia is absent. The differential diagnosis of myotonia is clinically the differential diagnosis of loss of strength. Disorders which cause loss of strength are considered by age group (infancy and childhood, adulthood, old age) and in order of frequency.
A study on the relationship between the serum bilirubin level and the contents of erythrocyte membrane antigens in hemolytic disease of newborn

Objective To study the correlation between the levels of serum bilirubin and the contents of erythrocyte membrane antigens in hemolytic disease of newborn(HDN).Methods A total of 105 samples of HDN were collected,including 99 cases with ABO HDN,and 6 cases with NON-ABO HDN.The erythrocyte membrane antigens were investigated by flow cytometry(FCM) and the levels of its corresponding serum bilirubin were analyzed in the patient with HDN.Results In ABO hemolytic group,erythrocyte sensitization ratio was between 8.2%~35.6%,with a median of 20.5%,22.9%on average,the level of serum bilirubin was between 251.2 μmol/L-451.1 μmol/L,with a median of 341.5 μmol/L,average 352.2 μmol/L;In Non ABO HDN group,erythrocyte sensitization ratio was between 66.1%~99.5%,with a median of 89.5%,average 88.3%.The level of serum bilirubin was between 385.5 μmol/L ~668.9 μmol/L,with a median of 510.6μmol/L,average 527.2 μmol/L.The levels of serum bilirubin with HDN was associated with the increase of the contents of erythrocyte membrane antigens.Conclusions The study showed that a positive correlation between the levels of serum bilirubin and the contents of erythrocyte membrane antigens in hemolytic disease of newborn.
Blood gas analyzers.

Laboratory-based blood gas analyzers have reliably produced pH, PCO2, and PO2 analyses for several decades. Over this time, their design changes reduced maintenance procedures, microprocessor-controlled functions simplified operation, and regulations governing their use have expanded. This article presents the electrochemical principles of the pH and blood gas electrodes and the operational procedures necessary to satisfy regulatory standards.
A large refined catalog of earthquake relocations and focal mechanisms for the Island of Hawai'i and its seismotectonic implications

We present high-quality focal mechanisms based on a refined earthquake location catalog for the Island of Hawai'i, focusing on Mauna Loa and Kīlauea volcanoes. The relocation catalog is based on first-arrival times and waveform data of both compressional and shear waves for about 180,000 events on and near the Island of Hawai'i between 1986 and 2009 recorded by the seismic stations at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. We relocate all the earthquakes by applying ray tracing through an existing three-dimensional velocity model, similar event cluster analysis, and a differential-time relocation method. The resulting location catalog represents an expansion of previous relocation studies, covering a longer time period and consisting of more events with well-constrained absolute locations. The focal mechanisms are obtained based on the compressional-wave first-motion polarities and compressional-to-shear wave amplitude ratios by applying the HASH program to the waveform cross correlation relocated earthquakes. Overall, the good-quality (defined by the HASH parameters) focal solutions are dominated by normal faulting in our study area, especially in the active Ka'ōiki and Hīlea seismic zones. Kīlauea caldera is characterized by a mixture of approximately equal numbers of normal, strike-slip, and reverse faults, whereas its south flank has slightly fewer strike-slip events. Our relocation and focal mechanism results will be useful for mapping the seismic stress and strain fields and for understanding the seismic-volcanic-tectonic relationships within the magmatic systems.
Local Morphologic Controls and Effects of Basin Geometry on Flow Processes in Deep Marine Basins

Unravelling provenance for deep-water turbidite systems is complicated by a relatively poor understanding of the effects of basin morphology and large-scale bedforms and channel configuration on the distribution of sediment within these turbidite deposits. Outcrop studies of ancient deposits are generally limited to scales of observations that are neither large enough nor sufficiently closely-spaced to recognize the complexities seen on modern turbidite systems. Examples from several relatively well-studied modern submarine fans illustrate examples of (1) headless channels, (2) hanging tributary and distributary channels, (3) channel abandonment leading to lobe or fan bypass, (4) meandering (or sinuous) channels, (5) sediment waves, and (6) erosional scours of channel dimensions. These and related morphologic features help to identify the complexities of depositional processes on modern submarine fans with implications for provenance interpretation in ancient turbidite systems.
Angiogenesis signaling pathways as targets in cancer therapy

Publisher Summary Cancer associated angiogenesis is often driven by an abnormal pro-angiogenic profile, a phenomenon that may also be observed in certain inflammatory states, whereas inadequate angiogenesis may be associated with inefficient tissue repair and defective collateral blood vessel formation. The angiogenic process in tumors can be compartmentalized into three main phases: inflammatory, proliferative, and remodeling. The proliferation stage is crucial for successful tumor angiogenesis. The interactions between tumor cells and host stromal cells have a profound influence on tumor cell proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis. The abnormal microcirculation within tumors results in areas of hypoxia, which serves to alter the metabolic profile of cancer cells and to further enhance angiogenesis. Anti-angiogenic therapy that restores the angiogenic balance and normalizes the blood vessels may prove to be a highly advantageous approach to inhibit tumor growth and metastasis. While anti-angiogenic therapies can normalize tumor vasculature and the tumor microenvironment, the effect is often transient and is dictated by the type of tumor and its location, underscoring the importance of timing and duration of therapy. However, there is a high risk that such a multitargeted approach will greatly increase health care costs and may increase to unacceptable levels the side effect profile of anti-angiogenic therapy.
Research on Social Validity

This chapter outlines the research which is conducted regarding the social appropriateness of treatment procedures, otherwise known as treatment acceptability. It also describes the research regarding the other two dimensions of social validity. The three dimensions of social validity described by Wolf, which include the significance of the goals of treatment, the appropriateness of the treatment procedures, and the importance of the effects of treatment, have been researched using varying methods and to varying degrees. The most thoroughly researched dimension of social validity appears to have been the social appropriateness of the treatment procedures. This dimension has been termed treatment acceptability by Kazdin. The significance of the goals of treatment appears to have received the least attention in the research literature, while the social importance of the effects of treatment has received a good deal of attention depending upon the manner in which this dimension is defined. The research on treatment acceptability has produced a large amount of information on variables which may influence how a treatment may be accepted. The importance of identifying the variables associated with high or low treatment acceptability lies in the fact that these variables may play an important role in the implementation of treatments, as well as the maintenance of behavior change. Several researchers have conceptualized or empirically demonstrated the importance of treatment acceptability. Wolf described how treatments that are not socially valid may cause clients to run away. Kazdin discussed how low acceptance of treatment may deter clients from seeking out treatment, initiating treatment, or maintaining treatment protocols.
New Directions for Labour, 1970–74: ‘We Must in the Future Alter the Priorities in Favour of Economic Growth’

The Labour Party came to power in the February 1974 general election upon a campaign manifesto pledging ‘a fundamental and irreversible shift in the balance of wealth and power in favour of working people and their families’ (Labour Party 1974a: 15). In this chapter, the experiences and ‘lessons’ of Labour’s 1964–70 period in government as well as the party’s policy development during the 1970–74 opposition period are selectively reviewed in order to understand the origins of the policy emphases that were curbed in 1975 and 1976. The evolution of Labour policy in two critical areas up to 1974 are examined — sterling’s exchange rate and relations with the trade unions. Problems that emerged in each of these policy domains came to exert decisive influences upon both the 1964–70 and the 1974–79 Labour Governments.
IMPACT OF HEREDITARY CAUSES OF THROMBOSIS ON ISCHEMIC STROKE BETWEEN THE YEARS 2008 THROUGH 2012: NATIONWIDE INPATIENT SAMPLE DATA ANALYSIS

Background: Ischemic Stroke (IS) is associated with traditional risk factors of diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and smoking. However, impact of hereditary causes of thrombosis (HT) on IS is largely unknown. HT includes primary hypercoagulable state, activated protein C resistance,
Self-stigma and weight loss: The impact of fear of being stigmatized:

This study sought to examine whether two facets of weight self-stigma (fear of enacted stigma and self-devaluation) were associated with weight change and treatment engagement for 188 individuals participating in a 3-month online weight loss program. Fear of enacted stigma predicted less weight loss 3 months later after controlling for demographics, eating problems, and psychological symptoms. Self-devaluation did not predict weight loss. Neither weight self-stigma variable predicted engagement in the online program. These results add to the literature indicating the negative effects of weight self-stigma while highlighting the central role of fear of being stigmatized by others in this process.
Effects of chronic intrathecal infusion of BDNF on interneuronal activity in a large animal model of spinal cord injury

In the present study, we examined the correlations between the recovery of stepping obtained with intrathecal Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) delivery via mini-pump to the lumbar spinal cord and the firing of the lumbar spinal interneurons in a feline model of Spinal Cord Injury (SCI).
Snapshot: clustering and visualizing epigenetic history during cell differentiation

Epigenetic modification of chromatin plays a pivotal role in regulating gene expression during cell differentiation. The scale and complexity of epigenetic data pose a significant challenge for biologists to identify the regulatory events controlling each stage of cell differentiation. Here, we present a model-free method, called Snapshot, that uses epigenetic data to generate a hierarchical visualization for the DNA regions segregating with respect to chromatin state along any given cell differentiation hierarchy of interest. Different cell type hierarchies may be used to highlight the epigenetic history specific to particular lineages of cell differentiation. We demonstrate the utility of Snapshot using data from the VISION project, an international project for ValIdated Systematic IntegratiON of epigenomic data in mouse and human hematopoiesis.
Projection based light-directed electrophoretic deposition for additive manufacturing

Abstract Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) is a widely used industrial coating technique for depositing polymer, ceramic, and metal thin films. Recently, there has been interested in using EPD for additive manufacturing using reconfigurable electrodes. Here, we report the first projector-based light-directed electrophoretic deposition (EPD) system that uses projected digital masks to dynamically control the electric field, eliminating the need for physical photomasks. We demonstrate a resolution limit of 10 μm for the deposited feature, which corresponds to the limits of the optical system. Furthermore, the first 3D overhanging structure made with EPD is presented, which points to the ability to create architected cellular materials. These improvements open the possibility for EPD to be a true 3D additive manufacturing technique.
Information Acquisition in the Exploration of Random Fields

An information-like metric that characterizes the complexity of functions on compact planar domains is presented. Combined with some recently introduced control laws for level following and gradient climbing, it is shown how the metric can be used in designing reconnaissance strategies for sensor-enabled mobile robots. Reconnaissance of unknown scalar potential fields—describing physical quantities such as temperature, RF field strength, chemical species concentration, and so forth—may be thought of as an empirical approach to determining critical point geometries and other important topological features. It is hoped that this will be of interest to Professors Byrnes and Lindquist on the occasion of the career milestones that this volume celebrates.
APA Practice Guidelines

Seventy-eight psychiatrists attending an American Psychiatric Association (APA) district branch continuing education meeting were surveyed about their awareness and acceptance of the APA’s practice guideline for bipolar disorder. Assessments were conducted immediately before and again immediately following an educational intervention, which consisted of a 3-hour slide-show and lecture presentation on these guidelines. Before the presentation, one out of six of these psychiatrists did not know that practice guidelines even existed, and about one-half did not have (or did not know that they had) a copy, and they did not know that guidelines were published in the American Journal of Psychiatry. Almost half had not read any of the bipolar guideline, whereas 34% had read “some” or “thoroughly.” Responses before and following the intervention showed that a large majority of the psychiatrists felt that this specific guideline generally validated the manner in which they treated patients with bipolar disorders, and almost half felt that knowledge obtained from the guideline had changed, or would change, their treatment of bipolar disorders in the future. High levels of acceptability for the guideline were reported both by those who had previously read the guideline and those who first became familiar with it during the presentation. Presentations at APA district branches may aid in dissemination of practice guidelines, but additional interventions and dissemination techniques are required as well. Since questions based on the APA’s practice guidelines will be increasingly influential in American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology recertification examinations, more comprehensive dissemination methods are needed to assure that practitioners are well acquainted with these guidelines.
Approaches to In Vivo Imaging of Cancer Immunotherapy

Advancements in our understanding of the immune system have ushered in a new era of immune-based therapeutic strategies to treat and prevent cancer. However, the success of refining and clinical testing of these novel therapeutic strategies has required the development of new ways to monitor tumor and immune responses for a number of reasons. First, in vitro measures of the immune response are limited, and do not reflect important immune events that occur in vivo. Second, commonly used tumor response criteria may not be indicative of therapeutic activity. Lastly, typical approaches to defining the dose of a drug to treat cancer are not applicable to immune-based cancers. These problems have led to the development of newer monitoring strategies including a wide variety of whole-bodyimaging approaches. Imaging can provide insight into the actions of immune-based therapies that ordinarily would not be possible, and will likely result in enhanced decision making as to what strategies should, or should not be, moved into advanced clinical testing. In this chapter, a number of imaging techniques are discussed as well as their application to the development, understanding, and clinical monitoring of immune-based therapies.
Protein Content of Gastric Lymph

Samples of pure gastric lymph have not been collected and analyzed previously for amount and type of protein (1). In the following experiments, a free hand micropuncture technique was used to obtain samples of canine gastric lymph which were analyzed for total protein and electrophoresed on both Polyacrylamide and cellulose acetate systems.
Potential Functional Embedding Theory with an Improved Kohn–Sham Inversion Algorithm

Potential functional embedding theory (PFET) is a rigorous theory that can yield a unique, self-consistent embedding potential shared by different subsystems treated at different levels of theory. Application of PFET has been limited by the time-consuming and sometimes unstable optimized effective potential (OEP) procedure. Here, we improve the performance of PFET by replacing the OEP algorithm with a new method to reconstruct the effective Kohn–Sham (KS) potential. We propose a direct, efficient KS inversion algorithm to solve for the effective KS potential and then employ the resulting algorithm in PFET. We benchmark our KS inversion algorithm against the recently reported modified Ryabinkin–Kohut–Staroverov (mRKS) procedure. Numerical examples show that, with sufficiently large basis sets, our KS inversion algorithm generates almost as accurate results as the mRKS procedure does, except in the vicinity of atomic nuclei, and that it requires less computational time. Three types of chemical interactions ...
Quantifying synergy for hormetic compounds using the dose-equivalence/zero-interaction (DE/ZI) method: Nrf2/antioxidant response element pathway activation

Small molecule Nrf2/ARE pathway activators show promise to preventchronic disease conditions, given their role in mitigating oxidative and electrophilic stress. We find that the efficacy and potency of the clinically-studied electrophilic Nrf2/ARE activator sulforaphane are enhanced by 12.5 µM 2,5-di-tert-butyl hydroquinone (dtBHQ), a reactive oxygen species-generating diphenol. Because the maximum efficacy of sulforaphane is increased, the compounds are acting in a synergistic manner. The issue that arises is how to quantitate the extent of the synergistic interaction. Synergy is defined by a response greater than the predicted additive response. We investigated whether the commonly used dose-effect models, including Highest Single Agent, Response Additivity, and Bliss Independence, as well as the curve-based models, e.g. Loewe Additivity and the Chou-Talalay method, could be applied to sulforaphane and dtBHQ data sets to predict the additive response. Nrf2-targeted activators, including sulforaphane, do not exhibit a traditional Hill-slope dose-response curve, but rather a hormetic dose-response, with a U-shape. We show that, given the sulforaphane curve shape, published methods of determining the predictive additive effect are not appropriate. Therefore, we propose a model to assess synergistic interactions that can be applied to any curve shape. This method, termed dose-equivalence/zero-interaction (DE/ZI), is based on the principles of Loewe Additivity, in which additivity is determined not by adding the effects of doses of drug A and drug B, but by adding the dose of A and the equivalent dose of B and calculating the predicted effect. DE/ZI differs from Loewe Additivy in that DE/ZI releases the constraint that interpolation off curve A and curve B must give the same predicted additive result. DE/ZI generates a FoldSynergy value with error, based on a Monte Carlo simulation. DE/ZI allows drug combinations to be assessed for synergy or antagonism, even for compounds that do not fit to a traditional Hill-slope model.
Minimally invasive transatrial mitral valve replacement in mitral annular calcification

Mitral annular calcification (MAC) is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing mitral valve replacement (1). In high-risk patients, an alternative to conventional surgical techniques involves placement of a balloon-expandable transcatheter valve, either through a transapical, transseptal (TS), or open surgical approach (2,3). While TS delivery is an attractive option, up to 75% of patients may not be candidates for TS implantation based on non-circumferential MAC (see Figure 1), an elliptical-shaped annulus or annulus too large to seal the transcatheter valve with subsequent risk for either paravalvular leak (PVL) or valve embolization (2). Other exclusion criteria include a long anterior mitral leaflet, or highly calcified subvalvular apparatus, which risk left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO), the presence of left atrial or ventricular thrombus, which risks of stroke during transcatheter manipulation, or the need for concomitant cardiac operations. Among patients treated with transcatheter valve in MAC via an open approach, there is sparse literature detailing a minimally invasive approach, which represents an attractive option in this high-risk cohort (4). Open in a separate window Figure 1 Representative orthogonal (A) and 3D reconstruction (B) images of severe noncircumferential MAC with left ventricular extension in a patient planned to undergo open transcatheter mitral replacement.
Defining digital literacy development: An examination of pre-service teachers’ beliefs

Abstract We identify three conceptions of digital literacy development populating the literature: digital natives, skill-based, and sociocultural perspectives. We adopt a qualitative approach to examine pre-service teachers' beliefs about digital literacy development as aligned with each of these three perspectives. While pre-service teachers were most commonly found to hold skill-based perspectives on digital literacy development, digital natives aligned and sociocultural perspectives were also well-represented. We further identify perspectives on digital literacy development uniquely appearing in students' responses. These include pre-service teachers’ conception of digital literacy development as autonomously developed, technology driven, or project based. We further examine the contexts within which pre-service teachers situate digital literacy as emerging; these include both formal and informal settings. The article concludes with a discussion of implications for instruction.
Hippocampus Is What Happens while You’re Busy Making Other Plans

In this issue of Neuron, Vikbladh et al. (2019) provide evidence to suggest that the human hippocampus, long known to support spatial memory, also plays a causal role in model-based planning.
History’s priests, history’s magicians: exploring the contentious relationship between authorized heritage and ghost tourism in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

I explore the contentious relationship between ghost tourism and authorized heritage in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania through the classical distinction between magic and religion. Durkheim argues the ma...