cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cancer Drugs, Clinical Trials, and Regulatory Agencies

The treatment of cancer, including Head and Neck, often requires powerful medication which needs to undergo a rigorous development and evaluation process. This complex interaction between basic scientists, clinical investigators and the pharmaceutical industry is largely overseen by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA must regulate the medications approved in the United States for the safety and benefit of the patient. Therefore, a comprehensive and detailed approval process has been developed over the last several decades that attempts to assure proper drug evaluation without undue delay in approval of these vital products. The elaborate process begins with preclinical trials where investigational medications are tested in animals to assess whether there is predicted benefit and safety in humans. When the medication is deemed safe enough to evaluate in humans a lengthy process of three phases of clinical trials begins. Each clinical trial phase has specific goals and requirements allowing progression of the drug towards approval. When it comes to testing and utilizing these medications for head and neck cancer patients there are several important ethical issues to consider. These issues include that these medications are usually only tested in patients who have tried and failed already approved treatment regimens, placebos should not be used in this patient population because it is not ethical to give these sick patients no treatment at all and patients that cannot participate in the clinical trial due to the very specific requirements of many trials may be able to access the investigational medication through a protocol process. Investigators in head and neck clinical trials are responsible for looking out for the needs of these very ill patients. It is a delicate balance to maintain proper clinical care and still conduct trials to search for better drug treatment regimens. An investigational review board is used to review and oversee clinical trials to make sure the trials are being completed properly and in the best interest of the patients. In instances where the trials show positive results, the developers of the drug will seek FDA approval to be marketed for specific clinical uses. This entire approval process is followed by surveillance of the drug even after it has reached the clinical use market. Although the FDA is charged with the task of careful consideration of all new potential cancer drugs there is some controversy as to whether this process actually slows clinical use of certain drugs in the United States. Whether a clinician is considering using a new cancer drug or an investigator is looking for the next hopefully better drug, knowledge of the FDA process of trials and drug development is vital to understand.
Repatriation Reader: Who Owns American Indian Remains?

In the past decade the repatriation of Native American skeletal remains and funerary objects has become a lightning rod for radically opposing views about cultural patrimony and the relationship between Native communities and archaeologists. In this unprecedented volume, Native Americans and non-Native Americans within and beyond the academic community offer their views on repatriation and the ethical, political, legal, cultural, scholarly, and economic dimensions of this hotly debated issue. While historians and archaeologists debate continuing non-Native interests and obligations, Native American scholars speak to the key cultural issues embedded in their ancestral pasts. A variety of sometimes explosive case studies are considered, ranging from Kennewick Man to the repatriation of Zuni Ahayu:da. Also featured is a detailed discussion of the background, meaning, and applicability of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, as well as the text of the act itself. Devon Abbott Mihesuah is Professor of Applied Indigenous Studies at Northern Arizona University. She is the author or editor of several works, including Natives and Academics: Researching and Writing about American Indians (Nebraska 1998) and The Roads of My Relations.
Interfacial Failure In Ti/Sio2 and Ti/AIN System And Temperature Dependence Of Hardness Of AIN

The load dependence of interracial failure induced by microindentation has been studied. It is demonstrated experimentally that substrate lateral defects induced by indentation contribute significantly to interracial failure. The microhardness of translucent AIN was measured at temperatures up to 1200°C. The hardness decreased from 10.6GPa at room temperature to 4.0GPa at 1200°C.
Load cell system test experience: Measuring the vibrator ground force on land seismic acquisition

Many methods have been developed in an attempt to expand the recorded bandwidth associated with Vibroseis surveys, particularly to boost the signal at high frequencies for improving seismic image resolution. However, the dominant frequency band still remains in the range of 10– 60Hz and no significant improvement has been achieved at high frequencies in conventional 3D seismic surveys. Ground attenuation is one of possible limitations, and another is that during the course of the seismic acquisition, the vibrator may not actually be generating as much energy at high frequencies as expected. In this paper the letter possibility is addressed by using a Load Cell System to measure the force actually being generated by the servo hydraulic vibrator. We find that these measurements are not consistent with the drive signal from the vibrator electronic controller (weighted-sum ground force estimate) therefore the conventional weighted-sum ground force signal is deemed questionable.
On the Asymptotic Expressions for Jacobi and Legendre Polynomials Derived from Finite-Difference Equations

(1926). On the Asymptotic Expressions for Jacobi and Legendre Polynomials Derived from Finite-Difference Equations. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 33, No. 7, pp. 354-361.
A Liquefaction Susceptibility Map for Peninsular Charleston, South Carolina

A map depicting the liquefaction susceptibility of the near surface soils in Charleston, South Carolina, is presented in this paper. The map shows five zones of different susceptibility. Susceptibility was defined as the critical ground acceleration required to cause liquefaction of the soil. Critical acceleration was obtained using the simplified method developed by Seed and Idriss (1981), Seed and others (1983 (1985), and Seed and DeAlba (1986). This method relates Standard Penetration Test resistance and the cyclic shear stress required to cause liquefaction at sites that have experienced shaking in the past to liquefaction susceptibility. Typical soil profiles of peninsular Charleston are presented to show the wide variability of the subsoil conditions in the area. This variability is due to the large amount of filling that took place over 300 yr to reclaim land from the sea and from the swamps and creeks that covered much of the original peninsula.
Fe(IV) alkylidenes are actually Fe(II), and a related octahedral Fe(II) “alkylidene” is a conjugated vinyl complex

Abstract Electronic structure calculations on previously synthesized [mer-{κ-C,N,C-(2-C6H4)CH N(1,2-C6H4)C(iPr) }Fe(PMe3)3][BArF4] (1) and mer,trans-{κ-C,N,C-(2-C6H4)CH(Bn)N(1,2-C6H4)C(iPr) }Fe(PMe3)2N2 (4-Bn) reveal that 1 is best interpreted as Fe(II) bound to a carbenium ion, while 4-Bn has an imino-vinyl unit bound to a ferrous center. Attempts to prepare LnFe CHR species capable of olefin metathesis or carbene transfer were obviated by alternative reactivity, although precursors mer,trans-{κ3-N,N,C-(2-py)CH NCH2CH CH}Fe(PMe3)2CH3 (6), [mer,trans-{κ3-N,N,C-2-py-CH NCH2CH CH}Fe(PMe3)2CH3] [PF6−] (8), mer,trans-{κ3-N,N,C-2-py-CH NCH2CH CH}Fe(PMe3)2I (9), mer-{κ3-N,N,C-(2-pyridyl) CHNCHCHCH}Fe(PMe3)3 (11), and mer-{κ3-C,N,C-(2-C6H4)CH NCH2CH CH}Fe(PMe3)3 (12) were prepared. Related phenyl derivatives, mer,trans-{κ3-N,N,C-(2-py)CH NC(Me)2CH CH}Fe(PMe3)2CH3 (13) and [mer,trans-{κ3-N,N,C-(2-py)CH NC(Me)2CH CH}Fe(PMe3)2N2][BArF4] (15) were prepared to test additional stability issues. Compounds 9 and 11 were structurally characterized, and metrical parameters of the latter, in addition to electronic structure calculations, suggest that it is not an alkylidene, but an Fe(II) center coordinated by a conjugated vinyl ligand with extensive delocalization in its π-system.
Composable, parameterizable templates for high-level synthesis

High-level synthesis tools aim to make FPGA programming easier by raising the level of programming abstraction. Yet in order to get an efficient hardware design from HLS tools, the designer must know how to write HLS code that results in an efficient low level hardware architecture. Unfortunately, this requires substantial hardware knowledge, which limits wide adoption of HLS tools outside of hardware designers. In this work, we develop an approach based upon parameterizable templates that can be composed using common data access patterns. This creates a methodology for efficient hardware implementations. Our results demonstrate that a small number of optimized templates can be hierarchically composed to develop highly optimized hardware implementations for large applications.
Analysis of the current situation of tableware disinfection in Zhaotong catering units in 2010

Objective To understand the situation of tableware disinfection in Zhaotong catering units recently,providing a basis for food safety supervision and management,for standard of food hygiene for catering units,promote catering healthy development.Methods Using coliform rapid paper strip method,according to "Hygienic standard for disinfection of dinner and drinking set"(GB14934-1994) for sampling,testing and evaluation.Results By Sampling inspection cutlery(including tea set) within 590 catering units in Zhaoyang district of Zhaotong,sampling a total of 3 540,2 920 are qualified,the qualified rate is 82.5%.Conclusion Tableware sampling in Zhaotong catering units have the low pass rate of only 82.5%,show the current situation of tableware disinfection in Zhaotong is not optimistic,therefore,strengthen the catering units owners and their employees health knowledge training,strengthen health awareness,strengthen supervision and management,etc.there is still much work to be improved.
Clinical analysis of 46 suspected child tuberculosis cases

Objective To analyze the results of diagnosis and treatment of suspected child pulmonary tuberculosis cases.Methods The features,clinical diagnosis and treatment of 46 suspected child pulmonary tuberculosis cases were analyzed.Results After proper antituberculosis treatment 40 out of the 46 suspected child pulmonary tuberculosis cases were excluded of tuberculosis and 6 suspected child tuberculosis cases were confirmed and standard antituberculosis treartment was conducted.Conclusion Diagnostic treatment is recommended to dealing with suspected child pulmoanruy tuberculosis cases.
Measures to Improve Operational Reliability of Gas Insulated Metal Enclosed Switchgear and Controlgear

For improving outgoing quality,installation quality and operational state of gas insulated metal encloses switchgear,this paper proposes measures to improve operational reliability of GIS in aspects of engineer,installation commissioning,handing over acceptance,operational maintenance and technical advancement and applies in Guangdong power grid. After implementing the above measures in Guangdong power grid,it is found several GIS manufacturing problems and insulation defects in operation.In addition,significant and emergent defect rate of GIS decreases and short circuit insulation accidents decline.Application effectiveness indicates that these measures are useful to realize overall process management for GIS quality from the source which is able to solve problems of multiple GIS faults.
Kinetics of decomposition of rabeprazole sodium in aqueous solutions determined by high performance liquid chromatography.

Received May 25, 2006, accepted June 17, 2006Dr. C. J. Mbah, DMI Inc., 86 N. Main Street, Wharton, NJ 07885, USAPharmazie 62: 112–114 (2007) doi: 10.1691/ph.2007.2.6106The kinetics of decomposition of rabeprazole sodium in aqueous solutions at elevated temperatureshas been investigated by high performance liquid chromatography. The reaction is found to follow first-order kinetics and the rate constant for the degradation at 25 C is estimated by extrapolation. Thebreakdown of rabeprazole sodium is shown to be water and hydrogen ion catalysed and the effects ofionic strength and buffer concentrations to such rate studies are discussed.1. IntroductionRabeprazole sodium, {[(4-(3-methoxypropoxy)-3-methyl-2-pyridinyl]-methyl)-sulfinyl}-1H-benzimidazole sodium saltis a substituted benzimidazole proton pump inhibitor(Prakash and Faulds 1998; Robinson 2004). Clinically,rabeprazole sodium is administered as delayed-releaseenteric coated tablets for the treatment of gastroeso-phageal reflux disease, duodenal ulcers and patholo-gical hypersecretory conditions, including Zollin-ger-Ellison syndrome. Rabeprazole acts by blockingirreversibly the hydrogen-potassium adenosine tripho-sphatase enzyme system (the K
Commentary: Networks of peers, genes, and explanations – reflections on Szekely et al. (2016)

Much has been learned about the origins and effects of peer relationships on the health and well-being of children, adolescents, and adults. This commentary on Szekely et al. examines the role of genetics research on peer relationships, and the arising methodological and conceptual questions. Research findings on the genetics of peer networks illustrate how genetic influences may shape complex and dynamic phenotypes. Equally complex is the application of these findings for theory and practice.
Does Language Moderate the Influence of Information Scanning and Seeking on HPV Knowledge and Vaccine Awareness and Initiation among Hispanics

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether language moderates associations between three communication variables: media use, information scanning (attending to and remembering information) and seeking (actively looking for information), and three HPV outcomes: knowledge, vaccine awareness and vaccine initiation among Hispanics. PARTICIPANTS: Hispanic mothers of females aged 8-22 years (N=288) were surveyed. METHODS: Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions investigated associations between communication variables and HPV outcomes. To examine moderation by language, we compared main effects and interaction models using the likelihood ratio test. RESULTS: For English- and Spanish-speakers, Internet use was associated with more HPV knowledge and vaccine awareness, but not initiation. Scanning and seeking were associated with more knowledge, vaccine awareness, and initiation. Language moderated effects of scanning and seeking only on vaccine awareness. Spanish speakers who scanned for information were more likely to be aware of the vaccine than those who did not (80% vs 26%); Spanish speakers who sought information were also more likely to be aware (95% vs 55%). For English speakers, vaccine awareness did not differ between those who scanned and sought and those who did not. CONCLUSIONS: Effects of information scanning and seeking on HPV vaccine awareness were much greater for Spanish than for English speakers. Providers, therefore, should not assume that Spanish-speaking mothers are already aware of the vaccine. Our findings call attention to heterogeneity within Hispanics which could be particularly important when examining health communication and cancer prevention behaviors. Ethn Dis. 2013;23[1]:95–102
The international political economy of worker satisfaction: a cross-national HLM analysis

Purpose – There is a growing body of comparative research examining country differences in job satisfaction and its determinants. However, existing research cannot explain similarities in job satisfaction levels across very different countries, nor can it explain the differences between seemingly similar countries. Moreover, there has been no significant research conducted to date that has examined the country-level contextual conditions that are poised to impact worker satisfaction and its determinants. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – In this research, the author address this existing gap in the academic literature on job satisfaction by using non-panel longitudinal data from the International Social Survey Program (Work Orientations I, II, and III: 1989, 1997, and 2005) to examine cross-national differences in job satisfaction and its determinants. The author compare and combine previous international political economy theoretical work and hierarchical linear modeli...
The Efficacy and Long-Term Toxicity of Intravenous Busulfan and Cyclophosphamide Conditioning Regimen for Stem Cell Transplantation in Advanced Lymphoma.

Background: Although busulfan (Bu) in combination with cyclosphosphamide (Cy) is a commonly used conditioning regimen for the treatment of patients with hematologic diseases, its toxicity profile when administered intravenously (IV) as well as efficacy remains unclear, especially in the setting of autologous transplant for lymphoma. Objective: To determine toxicity and the efficacy of the IV Bu/Cy conditioning regimen in patients who underwent autologous peripheral stem cell transplantation (APSCT) for the treatment of lymphoma. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed in 37 patients (21 male; 16 female) who underwent APSCT and received IV Bu/Cy regimen between January 2000 and May 2004. Results: The median age was 50 years old (range: 20–68). Forty-seven percent of the patients were heavily pretreated (≥ 3 previous treatment, range 2–5). The distribution of lymphoma was: diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL, 23), follicular lymphoma (8), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL, 5), and T-cell lymphoma (1). All patients received IV busulfan 3.2 mg/kg and cyclophosphamide 120 mg/kg, and were evaluable for toxicity. The patients engrafted (ANC ≥ 500 μ/l) at a median of 11 days (range: 9–14), and sustained platelet count (≥ 20,000 μ/l) at a median of 11 days (range: 8–42). The most common toxicities encountered were grade 1–2 including nausea, vomiting, stomatitis, esophagitis, and diarrhea. Grade 3–4 toxicities included hepatic veno-occlusive disease (HVOD, n=2), SIADH (n=1), and atrial fibrillation (n=2). Treatment related mortality (TRM) was seen in 3 patients due to HVOD (n=2) and septic shock (n=1). Twenty patients are still alive and 18 have no evidence of disease progression, with a median follow up of 17 months (range: 2–54 months). Kaplan-Meir actuarial OS at 24 months was 55.3% with a 47.3% DFS. Median event-free survival was 24 months (range 2–52). Conclusions: IV Bu/Cy is a well-tolerated conditioning regimen with acceptable TRM, when compared with other regimens in heavily pretreated patients. The risk for HVOD is low. Further prospective trials are necessary to evaluate the role of Bu/Cy regimen in autologous stem cell transplant for lymphoma.
The Affordable Care Act: implications for health-care equity.

Summary Inequalities in medical care are endemic in the USA. The Affordable Care Act (ACA), passed in 2010 and fully implemented in 2014, was intended to expand coverage and bring about a new era of health-care access. In this review, we evaluate the legislation's impact on health-care equity. We consider the law's coverage expansion, insurance market reforms, cost and affordability provisions, and delivery-system reforms. Although the ACA improved coverage and access—particularly for poorer Americans, women, and minorities—its overall impact was modest in comparison with the gaps present before the law's implementation. Today, 29 million people in the USA remain uninsured, and substantial inequalities in access along economic, gender, and racial lines persist. Although most Americans agree that further reform is needed, the proper direction for reform—especially following the 2016 presidential election—is highly contentious. We discuss proposals for change from opposite sides of the political spectrum, together with their potential impact on health equity.
Evidence for a scale‐limited low‐frequency earthquake source process

We calculate the seismic moments for 34,264 low-frequency earthquakes (LFEs) beneath the Olympic Peninsula, Washington. LFE moments range from 1.4 × 1010 to 1.9 × 1012 N m (Mw = 0.7–2.1). While regular earthquakes follow a power law moment-frequency distribution with a b value near 1 (the number of events increases by a factor of 10 for each unit increase in Mw), we find that while for large LFEs the b value is ~6, for small LFEs it is <1. The magnitude-frequency distribution for all LFEs is best fit by an exponential distribution with a mean seismic moment (characteristic moment) of 2.0 × 1011 N m. The moment-frequency distributions for each of the 43 LFE families, or spots on the plate interface where LFEs repeat, can also be fit by exponential distributions. An exponential moment-frequency distribution implies a scale-limited source process. We consider two end-member models where LFE moment is limited by (1) the amount of slip or (2) slip area. We favor the area-limited model. Based on the observed exponential distribution of LFE moment and geodetically observed total slip, we estimate that the total area that slips within an LFE family has a diameter of 300 m. Assuming an area-limited model, we estimate the slips, subpatch diameters, stress drops, and slip rates for LFEs during episodic tremor and slip events. We allow for LFEs to rupture smaller subpatches within the LFE family patch. Models with 1–10 subpatches produce slips of 0.1–1 mm, subpatch diameters of 80–275 m, and stress drops of 30–1000 kPa. While one subpatch is often assumed, we believe 3–10 subpatches are more likely.
Adaptive Force Feedback for Stable Haptic Interfaces

Abstract In this paper we present a new approach to reduce instability in haptic interfaces caused by intersample behavior. The approach calls for an optimization based approach that seeks to minimize the cumulative mean square error between the desired analog force feedback and the discrete input actually generated, at selected intersample instants. An adaptive control based framework to desensitize the haptic interface to variations in the parameters defining the dynamics of the human hand is outlined.
Pulverized granite at the brittle-ductile transition: An example from the Kellyland fault zone, eastern Maine, U.S.A.

Abstract Granite from a 50–200-m-wide damage zone adjacent to the brittle-ductile Kellyland Fault Zone contains healed fracture networks that exhibit almost all of the characteristics of dynamically pulverized rocks. Fracture networks exhibit only weak preferred orientations, are mutually cross-cutting, separate jigsaw-like interlocking fragments, and are associated with recrystallized areas likely derived from pervasively comminuted material. Fracture networks in samples with primary igneous grain shapes further indicate pulverization. Minimum fracture densities in microcline are ∼100 mm/mm 2 . Larger fractures in microcline and quartz are sometimes marked by neoblasts, but most fractures are optically continuous with host grains and only visible in cathodoluminescence images. Fractures in plagioclase are crystallographically controlled and typically biotite filled. Petrologic observations and cross-cutting relationships between brittle structures and mylonitic rocks show that fracturing occurred at temperatures of 400 °C or more and pressures of 200 MPa. These constraints extend the known range of pulverization to much higher temperature and pressure conditions than previously thought possible. The mutually cross-cutting healed fractures also provide the first record of repeated damage in pulverized rocks. Furthermore, pulverization must have had a significant but transient effect on wall-rock porosity, and biotite-filled fracture networks in plagioclase form weak zones that could accommodate future strain localization.
The Conserved RNA Exonuclease Rexo5 Is Required for 3' End Maturation of 28S rRNA, 5S rRNA, and snoRNAs.

Non-coding RNA biogenesis in higher eukaryotes has not been fully characterized. Here, we studied the Drosophila melanogaster Rexo5 (CG8368) protein, a metazoan-specific member of the DEDDh 3'-5' single-stranded RNA exonucleases, by genetic, biochemical, and RNA-sequencing approaches. Rexo5 is required for small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA) and rRNA biogenesis and is essential in D. melanogaster. Loss-of-function mutants accumulate improperly 3' end-trimmed 28S rRNA, 5S rRNA, and snoRNA precursors in vivo. Rexo5 is ubiquitously expressed at low levels in somatic metazoan cells but extremely elevated in male and female germ cells. Loss of Rexo5 leads to increased nucleolar size, genomic instability, defective ribosome subunit export, and larval death. Loss of germline expression compromises gonadal growth and meiotic entry during germline development.
Detection of DNA Strand Breaks by Flow and Laser Scanning Cytometry in Studies of Apoptosis and Cell Proliferation (DNA Replication)

Extensive fragmentation of nuclear DNA occurs during apoptosis, and the presence of DNA strand breaks is considered to be a marker of the apoptotic mode of cell death. This chapter describes methods to label in situ DNA strand breaks with fluorochromes for detection by flow or laser scanning cytometry. By staining DNA with a fluorochrome of another color, cellular DNA content is measured concurrently and the bivariate analysis of such a data reveals DNA ploidy and cell-cycle phase position of apoptotic cells. The DNA strand break-labeling methodology is also used for detecting the incorporation of halogenated DNA precursors in studies of the cell cycle, proliferation, and DNA replication. In this application, termed “strand breaks induced by photolysis” (SBIP), the cells are incubated with 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) to incorporate it into DNA and sensitize the DNA to ultraviolet (UV) light. DNA strand breaks are then photolytically generated by exposing the cells to UV light. The DNA strand breaks resulting from UV-photolysis are subsequently fluorochrome-labeled as for labeling apoptotic-DNA breaks. Because SBIP, unlike the alternative method of detection of BrdU incorporation, does not require subjecting cells to harsh conditions (strong acid or heat) of DNA denaturation, it is compatible with concurrent detection of intracellular or cell surface antigens by immunocytochemical means.
Cash Budgets, Controls, and Management in Clubs

Cash is important, because it pays for all expenses and obligations. On an annual basis, designated individuals will compile a cash budget for the coming year, which club management will use as a b...
Fuel performance simulation of iron-chrome-aluminum (FeCrAl) cladding during steady-state LWR operation

Abstract Alternative cladding materials have been proposed to replace the currently used zirconium (Zr)-based alloys, in order to improve the accident tolerance of light water reactor (LWR) fuel. Of these materials, there is a particular focus on iron-chromium-aluminum (FeCrAl) alloys that exhibit much slower oxidation kinetics in high-temperature steam than Zr-alloys. This behavior should decrease the energy release due to oxidation and allow the cladding to remain integral longer in the presence of high temperature steam, making accident mitigation more likely. Within the development of these alloys, suitability for normal operation must also be demonstrated. This article is focused on modeling the integral thermo-mechanical performance of FeCrAl clad UO 2 fuel during normal reactor operation. Finite element analysis has been performed to assess commercially available FeCrAl alloys (namely Alkrothal 720 and APMT) as a candidate fuel cladding replacement for Zr-alloys, using the MOOSE-based fuel performance code BISON. These simulations identify the effects of the mechanical-stress and irradiation responses of FeCrAl and provide a comparison with Zr-alloys. In comparing these cladding materials, fuel rods have been simulated for normal reactor operation and simple steady-state operation. Normal reactor operating conditions target the cladding performance over the rod lifetime (∼4 cycles) for the highest-power rod in the highest-power fuel assembly under reactor power maneuvering. These power histories and axial temperature profiles input into BISON were generated from a neutronics study on full-core reactivity equivalence for FeCrAl using the 3D full core simulator NESTLE. The fuel rod designs and operating conditions used here are based on the Peach Bottom BWR with representative GE-12/14 fuel geometries, and design consideration was given to minimize the neutronic penalty of the FeCrAl cladding by changing fuel enrichment and cladding thickness. Individual sensitivity analyses of the fuel and cladding creep responses were also performed, which indicated the influence of compliance for each material, separately, on the stress state of the fuel cladding. These parametric analyses are performed using steady-state operating conditions such as a simple axial power profile, a constant cladding surface temperature, and a constant fuel power history.
Affordable Care Act Impact on Medicaid Coverage of Smoking-Cessation Treatments.

Introduction Four sections of the Affordable Care Act address the expansion of Medicaid coverage for recommended smoking-cessation treatments for: (1) pregnant women (Section 4107), (2) all enrollees through a financial incentive (1% Federal Medical Assistance Percentage increase) to offer comprehensive coverage (Section 4106), (3) all enrollees through Medicaid formulary requirements (Section 2502), and (4) Medicaid expansion enrollees (Section 2001). The purpose of this study is to document changes in Medicaid coverage for smoking-cessation treatments since the passage of the Affordable Care Act and to assess how implementation has differentially affected Medicaid coverage policies for: pregnant women, enrollees in traditional Medicaid, and Medicaid expansion enrollees. Methods From January through June 2017, data were collected and analyzed from 51 Medicaid programs (50 states plus the District of Columbia) through a web-based survey and review of benefits documents to assess coverage policies for smoking-cessation treatments. Results Forty-seven Medicaid programs have increased coverage for smoking-cessation treatments post-implementation of the Affordable Care Act by adopting one or more of the four smoking-cessation treatment provisions. Coverage for pregnant women increased in 37 states, coverage for newly eligible expansion enrollees increased in 32 states, and 15 states added coverage and/or removed copayments in order to apply for a 1% increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage. Coverage for all recommended pharmacotherapy and group and individual counseling increased from seven states in 2009 to 28 states in 2017. Conclusions The Affordable Care Act was successful in improving and expanding state Medicaid coverage of effective smoking-cessation treatments. Many programs are not fully compliant with the law, and additional guidance and clarification from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services may be needed.
Moral agency among the ruins.

Doris suggests thought-provoking directions for rehabilitating moral agency within a self that is unaware and incoherent. These directions suggest more radical proposals. First, moral reasoning may serve many different functions beyond merely expressing a person's values. Second, social collaboration may not focus on moral reasoning as much as it does on the “defeaters” of that agency. Ultimately, moral agency may not reside in the individual but in social communities or within external situations.
Examining green reviews on TripAdvisor: Comparison between resort/luxury hotels and business/economy hotels

The purpose of this study is to analyze guest green reviews on TripAdvisor and identify what green practices are mentioned by guests at resort/luxury and business/economy hotels. The results reveal...
Heatmap generation for emergency medical procedure identification

Ideal treatment of trauma, especially that which is sustained during military combat, requires rapid management to optimize patient outcomes. Medical transport teams `scoop-and-run' to trauma centers to deliver the patient within the `golden hour', which has been shown to reduce the likelihood of death. During transport, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) perform numerous procedures from tracheal intubation to CPR, sometimes documenting the procedure on a piece of tape on their leg, or not at all. Understandably, the EMT's focus on the patient precludes real-time documentation; however, this focus limits the completeness and accuracy of information that can be provided to waiting trauma teams. Our aim is to supplement communication that occurs en-route between point of injury and receiving facilities, by passively tracking and identifying the actions of EMTs as they care for patients during transport. The present work describes an initial effort to generate a coordinate system relative to patient's body and track an EMT's hands over the patient as procedures are performed. This `patient space' coordinate system allows the system to identify which areas of the body were the focus of treatment (e.g., time spent over the chest may indicate CPR while time spent over the face may indicate intubation). Using this patient space and hand motion over time in the space, the system can produce heatmaps depicting the parts of the patient's body that are treated most. From these heatmaps and other inputs, the system attempts to construct a sequence of clinical procedures performed over time during transport.
Recent Results with Liposomes as Boron Delivery Vehicles for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy

The slow evolution of effective drug-targeting methodologies for the selective delivery of boron to cancer cells persists as an important obstacle to the development of boron neutron capture therapy.1 Simple boron compounds offer the convenience of availability and ease of synthesis but often exhibit low selectivity and require large injected doses in order to produce the required boron concentrations in tumor. The development of new boron compounds with natural tumor selectivity is problematic. The conjugation of boron-rich moieties to existing tumor-selective substrates often leads to problems with loss of tumor specificity, water solubility, and toxicity.
Hippocampal transcriptome reveals novel targets of FASD pathogenesis.

INTRODUCTION Prenatal alcohol exposure can contribute to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), characterized by a myriad of developmental impairments affecting behavior and cognition. Studies show that many of these functional impairments are associated with the hippocampus, a structure exhibiting exquisite vulnerability to developmental alcohol exposure and critically implicated in learning and memory; however, mechanisms underlying alcohol-induced hippocampal deficits remain poorly understood. By utilizing a high-throughput RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) approach to address the neurobiological and molecular basis of prenatal alcohol-induced hippocampal functional deficits, we hypothesized that chronic binge prenatal alcohol exposure alters gene expression and global molecular pathways in the fetal hippocampus. METHODS Timed-pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to a pair-fed control (PF) or binge alcohol (ALC) treatment group on gestational day (GD) 4. ALC dams acclimatized from GDs 5-10 with a daily treatment of 4.5 g/kg alcohol and subsequently received 6 g/kg on GDs 11-20. PF dams received a once daily maltose dextrin gavage on GDs 5-20, isocalorically matching ALC counterparts. On GD 21, bilateral hippocampi were dissected, flash frozen, and stored at -80° C. Total RNA was then isolated from homogenized tissues. Samples were normalized to ~4nM and pooled equally. Sequencing was performed by Illumina NextSeq 500 on a 75 cycle, single-end sequencing run. RESULTS RNA-seq identified 13,388 genes, of these, 76 genes showed a significant difference (p < 0.05, log2 fold change ≥2) in expression between the PF and ALC groups. Forty-nine genes showed sex-dependent dysregulation; IPA analysis showed among female offspring, dysregulated pathways included proline and citrulline biosynthesis, whereas in males, xenobiotic metabolism signaling and alaninine biosynthesis etc. were altered. CONCLUSION We conclude that chronic binge alcohol exposure during pregnancy dysregulates fetal hippocampal gene expression in a sex-specific manner. Identification of subtle, transcriptome-level dysregulation in hippocampal molecular pathways offers potential mechanistic insights underlying FASD pathogenesis.
Novel Metallic Crystalline Phase of Li2S3

Poor electrical conductivity of the redox end solid products is one of the most important reasons impeding commercialization of Li–S battery. One of the solid intermediate products, Li2S2, is well-...
Surgical Techniques for Inguinal Hernia Repair: Open Techniques—Tissue Repairs

The pathophysiology of inguinal hernia is based primarily on a defect in the myopectineal orifice of Fruchaud (Fig. 8.1), which may be repaired by approximation of tissues together to close the defect (tissue repair) or bridging the defect with a mesh to create a tension-free repair (mesh repair). The rapid development in technology has revolutionized the treatment of hernia repair with the development of the mesh and endoscopic instrumentations which made the posterior approach to the inguinal area accessible, and highly effective in treating the hernia defect. Despite these advances, tissue repair still remains to be an acceptable procedure for some inguinal hernias, particularly in cases where the local condition in the inguinal area is contaminated or potentially contaminated, which contraindicates the use of a foreign material, like the mesh. Besides, some tissue repairs, like the Shouldice repair, have been shown by studies to have a recurrence rate of 1% [1] and that could be comparable to the tension-free or mesh repair, whether done with the anterior or posterior approach. Based on the guidelines of the European Hernia Society, Shouldice repair is the best non-mesh repair for inguinal hernias [2]. A 2012 meta-analysis from the Cochrane Database demonstrated significantly lower rates of hernia recurrence (OR 0.62, CI 0.45–0.85) in patients undergoing Shouldice operations when compared with other open tissue-based methods [3]. In a study of McGuillicuddy et al., Shouldice repair can compare with Lichtenstein technique in terms of effectivity. However, in the long-term basis Lichtenstein technique has a shorter learning curve, easier to learn, and could be done also under local anesthesia, with lesser recurrences [4].
11 – Capital and Natural Resource Markets

Publisher Summary Firms regulate their use of inputs depending upon the marginal costs of those productive resources and their marginal revenues. The profit-maximizing firm uses any given resource until its marginal revenue equals marginal cost. Changes in either marginal costs or marginal revenues alter the firm's demand for inputs. The demand for capital is complicated because capital must be purchased, but revenues are earned in the future. Firms must use the tool of present value to compare these costs and revenues. The firm purchases capital to the point where its current marginal cost equals the present value of its future marginal revenues. Most inputs are supplied along the lines of the producer decision. Natural resources supplies might be affected by other economic events. In the case of a finite natural resource, opportunity costs must be considered. This makes the production decision different from that for a good without a finite production limit. Some resource markets experience boom and bust cycles because of the lag between the time when production decisions are made and when the product itself can be brought to market. The cobweb model describes these cycles in markets for agricultural products, natural resources, and specific occupational groups labor markets.
Atmospheric clusters to nanoparticles: Recent progress and challenges in closing the gap in chemical composition

Abstract Aerosol nanoclusters (AN), defined here as molecular aggregates suspended in a gas with dimensions between 2 and 10 nm, are the link between substances that we think of as molecules, or the “gas phase,” and those that we consider as particles, or the “condensed phase.” The ability to measure and model the physical and chemical properties of size-resolved AN, which at present is rudimentary at best, is crucial for understanding how particles form and evolve in a number of environments that are natural or influenced by human activities. This review describes the current state-of-the-art for measuring and modeling the size-resolved composition of atmospheric AN. We focus specifically on instruments, many relying on mass spectrometry, that show promise for closing the measurement gap under atmospherically relevant conditions by increasing the size of measurable gas-phase clusters (bottom-up approaches) and by decreasing the size of measurable nanoparticles (top-down approaches). Theoretical methods for predicting AN composition have similarly relied on bottom-up approaches that extend the accuracy of quantum chemistry calculations to larger molecular systems, as well as top-down approaches that correct bulk composition aerosol models for size-dependent properties such as viscosity and volatility. Current measurement and modeling challenges that must be overcome in order to close the gap are discussed.
Reconstructing Local Government

After the Civil War, the South faced a problem that was almost entirely new in the United States: a racially diverse and geographically integrated citizenry. In one fell swoop with emancipation, millions of former slaves were now citizens. The old system of plantation localism, built largely on the feudal control of the black population by wealthy white planters, was no longer viable. The urgent question facing both those who sought to reform and those who sought to preserve the “Old South” was: What should local government look like after emancipation? This Article tells the story of the struggle over the answer to that question. At the center of that struggle is an untold legal history of local government reform during Reconstruction. In the years immediately after the Civil War, idealistic Yankee reformers went south with the explicit aim of remaking the “fabric of southern culture” by rebuilding the South in the image of their northern homes. Specifically, in North Carolina, Virginia, and South Carolina, these reformers rewrote state constitutions to replace the plantation and county court with townships modeled on the New England town. Southern conservatives resisted the new townships, understanding them as foreign impositions targeted to destroy their old way of life. Within a decade they had dismantled the new townships and built the foundations of a new Jim Crow local order rooted in the county and approximating a return to the plantation. By telling this new history, this Article contributes to present scholarship in at least two ways. First, the story highlights a binary struggle between “communitarian” localism embodied in the civic participation of the New England town and “proprietary” localism embodied in the private power of the plantation owner. This struggle was framed with crystal clarity during Reconstruction, but it remains a powerful analytic tool for understanding today’s debates and struggles over local government. Second and relatedly, this history reveals the extent to which racial anxiety shaped and continues to shape local institutions. The communitarian township experiment was fueled by a vision of racial equality — and the white supremacist response to it was fueled by resentment and resistance to that vision. When we think about localism and racial inequality, we tend to think about the responses to school desegregation in the mid-twentieth century when racial resentment and fear during the “Second Reconstruction” drove white flight and contributed to resegregation through suburbanization. This Article shows that we may be looking at the wrong Reconstruction. In fact, the pathologies of local government, racial segregation, democracy, and protection of property were framed after the Civil War, in the crucible of a direct conflict between utopian racial egalitarianism and white supremacy.
Don't Get SLAMmed into Nefer Nefer Land: Complaints in the Civil Forfeiture of Cultural Property

The Saint Louis Art Museum, known as SLAM, acquired the mask of Ka-Nefer-Nefer in 1998. Eight years later, the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities called for its return on the grounds that it had been stolen from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. SLAM refused. In 2011, the case went before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri to determine the ownership of the mask. Perhaps to the surprise of many, the court decided that the mask belongs in Saint Louis.This Article will explain how this case was properly decided, albeit on a legal technicality. It will also discuss the law surrounding different kinds of repatriation claims, and how foreign patrimony laws apply within the United States legal system. Finally, it will discuss the ramifications of the Ka-Nefer-Nefer decision. Given that the black market for art is estimated to be the third largest in the world, behind drug trafficking and arms dealing, proper understanding of the United States laws in the field of art law is important.
Fast Approximations for Rooted Connectivity in Weighted Directed Graphs.

We consider approximations for computing minimum weighted cuts in directed graphs. We consider both rooted and global minimum cuts, and both edge-cuts and vertex-cuts. For these problems we give randomized Monte Carlo algorithms that compute a $(1+\epsilon)$-approximate minimum cut in $\tilde{O}(n^2 / \epsilon^2)$ time. These results extend and build on recent work [4] that obtained exact algorithms with similar running times in directed graphs with small integer capacities.
Navigating grain boundaries in perovskite solar cells

Grain boundaries (GBs) play an important role in determining recombination in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Vaynzof et al. report on this effect using both experimental characterizations and theoretical device simulations. They find that small hidden grains accompanying a large number of GBs act as non-radiative recombination hotspots, suggesting that eliminating small grains can improve PSC performance.
Comparing medication adherence using a smartphone application and electronic monitoring among patients with acute coronary syndrome

Aim The purpose of this study was to determine the extent of agreement between adherence measures obtained using two technological interventions, electronic monitoring (EM) and a smartphone application (App). Background Clinicians, patients, and researchers depend on valid measurements of medication adherence to inform the delivery of preemptive care when needed. Technology is routinely used for monitoring medication adherence in both clinical practice and research, yet there is a dearth of research comparing novel App based approaches to traditional approaches used for assessing medication adherence. Methods Adherence rates were captured on both the EM and the App for 3697 daily observations from 44 participants with acute coronary syndrome over 90 days immediately following discharge from acute care. For EM, adherence was measured using EM equipped pill bottles. For the App, adherence was measured by having participants upload daily photos to the App prior to taking their daily aspirin. Agreement was assessed using a Bland-Altman analysis. Results The mean adherence rate was higher on the App, 92%, than the EM, 78% (p < 0.001). The mean difference in adherence rates between these methods was 14% (95% Confidence Interval: −23%, −5%). Conclusions These findings illustrate a lack of agreement between technological interventions used for measuring adherence in cardiovascular patient populations, with higher adherence rates observed with the App compared to EM. These findings are salient given the increased reliance on telehealth due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.