cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Propagation of Lactic Dehydrogenase-EIevating Virus in Cell Culture.∗

SummaryPrimary cultures of adult mouse lung, spleen, and liver and of mouse embryo support the multiplication of the lactic de-hydrogenase-elevating virus. Such cultures produced virus continuously until they had been subcultured 2-3 times. This corresponded to 20 weeks in the case of lung and spleen and to 2-3 weeks with cultures of embryo. Viral multiplication was not accompanied by cytologic alterations in the cells or by changes in their rate of synthesis of nucleic acids or protein. Infection did not cause detectable changes in either the production of LDH or in its release from cells.
Bibliography on Fear of Success in Black Women: 1970–1982

Summy.-Matina Hornet's (1968) original research on the motive to avoid success embraced within the achievement-orientation literature gathered momentum as a viable personality construct. However, an overwhelming amount of this research has focussed predominantly on white women with varying emphasis on men. A computer search was performed to assess the limited number of articles and empirical studies published on the fear of success as it relates specifically to black women. The search yielded 20 references, of which five are unpublished manuscripts, and spanned a 12-yr. period from 1970 to 1982.
Evaluation on Nitrate Contamination Status of Drinking Water in a County of Hebei Province

[Objective]To evaluate nitrate contamination status of drinking water in a county of Hebei Province.[Methods] Stratified random sampling method was used to select 100 monitoring spots from 13 villages(towns) in Hebei.Type of water source,mode of water supply,pollution condition of water sources,and covered population were investigated by a self-designed survey form.A total of 354 water samples were collected and tested during the dry season(May) and the rainy season(July) in 2012.All assessments followed the Sanitary Standards for Drinking Water Quality(GB 5749-2006).[Results]The average concentration of nitrate in the sampled drinking water was 18.32mg/L,and 31.64% samples exceeded the sanitary limit for drinking water quality(20mg/L).The nitrate concentrations and the unqualified rates in finished water tap water in the dry season were higher than those in the rainy season(P0.05).The nitrate concentrations and the unqualified rates in finished water tap water from the centralized water supply system were lower than that in the reservoir water(non-central water supply)(P0.05).The unqualified rate of nitrate concentration was highest in the samples of Shangzhai Town,followed by Bailuquan Town,and all water samples in Shangzhuang town were qualified.In the rainy season,the concentrations and the unqualified rates of nitrate in the regions implementing the safe drinking water project were lower than those without(P0.05).[Conclusion]The selected county presents severe nitrate contamination in drinking water,and requires a strengthened remediation to control the nitrate pollution.
Use of Magnetic Internal Ureteral Stents in Pediatric Urology: Retrieval without Routine Requirement for Cystoscopy and General Anesthesia

AbstractIn children the use of internal ureteral stents has the added morbidity of requiring general anesthesia for stent retrieval. Magnetically tipped ureteral stents were developed to allow easy retrieval without the need for anesthesia or cystoscopy. For pyeloplasty we generally do not use a stent or nephrostomy tube but we treated 7 children 2½ months to 11 years old in whom we believed there was an indication for stenting and in whom we used a magnetically tipped stent. The catheters were removed with a magnetically tipped catheter retriever without the need for anesthesia in 6 of the 7 cases and cystoscopy was not required in any case. Our initial impression is that when stenting is advised the magnetically tipped ureteral stent appears to be a good alternative, especially in children, since it avoids the need for anesthesia and cystoscopic retrieval.
Correlates of Attachment to Depressive Phenomena

Depressive disorders are defined exclusively in terms of affect by many researchers. Others consider affect (in particular, negative affect) to be only one of several constituents of depression. But whether or not depression is defined by the role that affect plays, there seems to be nearly universal consensus that affect and depression are strongly related.
Eigenfunctions of the Multidimensional Linear Noise Fokker-Planck Operator via Ladder Operators

The eigenfunctions and eigenvalues of the Fokker-Planck operator with linear drift and constant diffusion are required for expanding time-dependent solutions and for evaluating our recent perturbation expansion for probability densities governed by a nonlinear master equation. Although well-known in one dimension, for multiple dimensions the eigenfunctions are not explicitly given in the literature. We develop raising and lowering operators for the Fokker-Planck (FP) operator and its adjoint, and use them to obtain expressions for the corresponding eigenvalues and eigenfunctions. We show that the eigenfunctions for the forward and adjoint FP operators form a bi-orthogonal set, and that the eigenfunctions reduce to sums of products of Hermite functions in a particular coordinate system.
Blind men and the refractory ITP elephant.

In this issue of Blood, Cuker and Neunert describe their tiered approach to the treatment of refractory immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), and Mahevas et al describe the characteristics and outcomes of patients with ITP refractory to splenectomy, rituximab, and maximal doses of thrombopoietin receptor agonists (TRAs), observing excellent responses to a combination of TRAs with immunosuppression.1,2
Impact of bike facilities on residential property prices

As many cities are investing in street improvements or transportation infrastructure upgrades to provide better bike access or more complete bike networks, many practitioners, planners, and policy makers are seeking more conclusive evidence about the economic value of bike infrastructure and bike facilities. With the use of residential property values as indicators of consumer preferences for bicycle infrastructure, many scholars have shown the importance of green space and off-street bike trails as amenities valuable to property owners. However, empirical evidence on the relationship of on-street bike facilities and property values remains relatively inconsistent. The unique focus of this study was advanced bike facilities that represented higher levels of bike priority or bike infrastructure investments shown to be more desirable to a larger portion of the population. Through the separate estimation of ordinary least squares hedonic pricing models and spatial autoregressive hedonic models of single and ...
Polymer approach to supported silica membranes

Polymeric silica sols were used to prepare membranes on commercial γ-Al2O3 supports with nominal support pore diameters of 4.0 nm. Aging of the silica sols was shown to be effective to form discrete membrane layers. He/N2 selectivity factors exceeding ideal Knudsen values were observed when the sols were prepared under conditions in which the condensation rate was minimized. We propose that the average pore size of the membrane depends on the balance of capillary pressure and modulus during membrane deposition. The condensation rate might influence the breadth of the pore size distribution.
In Silico Design of DNP Polarizing Agents: Can Current Dinitroxides Be Improved?

Numerical calculations of enhancement factors offered by dynamic nuclear polarization in solids under magic angle spinning (DNP-MAS) were performed to determine the optimal EPR parameters for a dinitroxide polarizing agent. We found that the DNP performance of a biradical is more tolerant to the relative orientation of the two nitroxide moieties than previously thought. Generally, any condition in which the gyy tensor components of both radicals are perpendicular to one another is expected to have near-optimal DNP performance. Our results highlight the important role of the exchange coupling, which can lessen the sensitivity of DNP performance to the inter-radical distance, but also lead to lower enhancements when the number of atoms in the linker becomes less than three. Lastly, the calculations showed that the electron T1e value should be near 500 μs to yield optimal performance. Importantly, the newest polarizing agents already feature all of the qualities of the optimal polarizing agent, leaving little room for further improvement. Further research into DNP polarizing agents should then target non-nitroxide radicals, as well as improvements in sample formulations that target high-temperature DNP and limit quenching and reactivity.
Broadening the Contours of Attachment Experience and Implicit Relational Knowledge: Reply to Commentaries by Dr. Kaplan and Dr. Nahum

Replies to Dr. Kaplan and Dr. Nahum (this issue) focus on the complexly layered aspects of both attachment dimensions and clinical engagement. Attachment is looked at in the context of multiple self states. Thus, despite the predominant annihilation anxiety that accompanies disorganized attachment, there may also be self experiences of shame and humiliation generated by dependency needs. In response to the Boston Change Process Study Group, the paper proposes the idea that there is “something more” than implicit relational knowledge— something that is not subsumed under that theoretical paradigm. In keeping with the theme of multiple self states, “dissociation” and “enactment” are believed to be useful concepts in providing a path for transformative relational experience.
Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck in children

Abstract Objective To discuss the presentation, evaluation, and management of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck in the pediatric population. Methods Medical records of pediatric (≤20 years) patients treated for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck between 1996 and 2016 were reviewed. Data pertaining to clinical presentation, diagnostic methods, treatment plan, complications, recurrence, follow-up, or outcome were collected. Results Eleven patients were diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma. Seven of these patients had medical histories significant for prior malignancies, immunosuppressant therapy, and/or genetic syndromes. Lesions were identified in the oral cavity (n = 5, 45.5%), lip/upper lip (n = 3, 27.3%), larynx (n = 2, 18.2%), and nasal cavity (n = 1, 9.1%). Tumors were most commonly treated with surgical excision alone. Three patients underwent irradiation (2 adjuvant and 1 without surgery) and chemotherapy (1 adjuvant, 1 neoadjuvant, and 1 without surgery). Of these patients, one reported complications of hearing loss, loss of dentition, and laryngeal stenosis. Two patients developed local recurrence at 1 month and 5 years post-operatively, respectively. One patient developed an orocutaneous fistula and subsequently died. No other complications were reported. Median follow-up time was 4.6 years (interquartile range: 2.4–8.4 years). Complications of radiation included: laryngeal stenosis, wound breakdown, and orocutaneous fistula. Conclusion Squamous cell carcinoma is rare in the pediatric population. Most frequently, it is associated with previous malignancies, immunosuppressant therapy, and/or genetic conditions. Complete surgical excision is recommended to obviate the need for radiation whenever possible.
Answering the Call

A poetic text joins the voices of C. Wright Mills, Paulo Freire, and Augusto Boal in a critical dialogue concerning social justice, performance, and critical pedagogy.
Introducing Being in Transit

That we find ourselves running to, fleeing from or otherwise commuting between here and there poses problems that most philosophers have so far and for the most part seemed to neglect. We, however, are moved by this reality, one in which the distinction between nomadism and globalism, and between choice and necessity becomes somewhat obscure, if still clearly determined while arguably equally clearly indeterminate, whether an expression of the postmodern condition or the consequence of modernity, or the extended, and typically gratuitous and vicious, exigencies of race, class, and gender.
An Integrative Analysis of Time-varying Regulatory Networks From High-dimensional Data

Directed networks have been widely used to describe many biological processes and functions. Understanding the structure of biological networks, especially regulatory networks, could help discover the mechanisms underlying important biological processes and pathogenesis of diseases. Most network inference methods assume the network structure is time-invariant or stationary. However, in some processes, the network structure is non-stationary or time-varying. The stationary network inference methods might not be able to directly used to reconstruct time-varying networks. Some non-stationary network learning methods have been proposed to infer the networks, but, the inferred networks are not regulatory networks which require activation and inhibition information. This work proposes an integrative approach, which combines the changepoint estimation, weighted network learning and searching, and model checking technique, to reconstruct time varying regulatory networks from high-dimensional time series data. We illustrate this approach to study the structure changes of Drosophila’s regulatory networks in its life cycle.
Nonlinear dynamic analysis of 1:2 internal resonant V-shaped harvester

The objective of the manuscript is to explore the effects of geometry on the dynamics of an internally resonant vibrational energy harvester (VEH). Recently, the authors of this manuscript unveiled the existence of ∞6N solutions to design multi-members resonators which exhibit N commensurate frequencies equal to the number of members of the structure. The generalized topology of this family of resonators which exhibit 1:2 resonance resembles a V -shaped structure, i.e., a structure with two members adjoined at an angle φ, denoted as the folding angle. The classic 1:2 internally resonant L-shaped structure is a subset of solutions in this family. This work investigates the effect of the folding angle on the dynamic response of these oscillators. The nonlinear equations of motion are derived by means of Lagrange’s equation, the beams are inextensible yielding second order nonlinearities. Approximate solutions of the model are obtained using the method of multiple scales. The effect of the folding angle on the nonlinear modal interaction in the power- frequency response curves is investigated.
‘I think I’m gonna hurl’: A Narrative Review of the Causes of Nausea and Vomiting in Sport

Exercise-associated gastrointestinal (GI) distress can negatively impact athletic performance and interfere with exercise training. Although there are a few universal underlying causes of GI distress, each symptom often has its own unique triggers and, therefore, its own prevention and management strategies. One of the most troubling GI symptoms an athlete can experience during training and competition is nausea/vomiting. The prevalence of nausea varies with several factors, two of the most important being exercise intensity and duration. Relatively brief, high-intensity exercise (e.g., sprinting, tempo runs) and ultra-endurance exercise are both associated with more frequent and severe nausea. The potential causes of nausea in sport are numerous and can include catecholamine secretion, hypohydration, heat stress, hyponatremia, altitude exposure, excessive fluid/food consumption, hypertonic beverage intake, pre-exercise intake of fatty- or protein-rich foods (especially in close proximity to exercise), prolonged fasting, various supplements (caffeine, sodium bicarbonate, ketones), certain drugs (antibiotics, opioids), GI infections, and competition-related anxiety. Beyond directly addressing these aforementioned causes, antiemetic drugs (e.g., ondansetron) may also be useful for alleviating nausea in some competitive situations. Given the commonness of nausea in sport and its potential impact on exercise performance, athletes and sports medicine practitioners should be aware of the origins of nausea and strategies for dealing with this troublesome gut complaint.
Utilization of Psyllium Husk Powder as a Dietary Fiber Source for Improving the Quality of a Processed Turkey Product

ObjectivesThe objectives of this study were to determine the effects of different dietary fiber levels (0, 1, 2, or 3 g per serving) of psyllium husk powder on the functional properties of a processed ground turkey product and determine consumer preferences for the processed ground turkey product containing the dietary fiber additive. Materials and MethodsEach processed turkey product contained 10.9 kg ground turkey, 0.6% sodium alginate, 0.6% encapsulated lactic acid, 0.3% calcium carbonate, 5.0% distilled water, and 0, 1.6, 6.4, or 12.8% psyllium husk powder (PHP). The Genesis RD however, no significant (P > 0.05) difference was observed for the texture category. ConclusionOverall, this study indicated that adding dietary fiber into a processed meat product can benefit functionality properties such as cook yield, moisture content, water holding capacity, and texture. Ultimately though, creating a product that contains an adequate amount of psyllium husk fiber for the health benefits can become challenging and negatively impact sensory evaluation. Potentially, further research can be done with this fiber at the same or lower levels to determine shelf-life, microbiological growth, and consumer acceptability if incorporated into a specific product category.
Surface modification of SOFC cathodes by Co, Ni, and Pd oxides

Abstract The effect of adding transition-metal catalysts to the surfaces of Solid-Oxide-Fuel-Cell (SOFC) cathodes was examined. Monolayer amounts of Pd, Ni, and Co were deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) to cathodes prepared by impregnation of La0.8Sr0.2FeO3 (LSF), La0.8Sr0.2CoO3 (LSCo), and La0.6Sr0.4 Co0.2Fe0.8O3 (LSCF) into YSZ scaffolds. Incorporating the catalysts by ALD allowed modification of the surface composition without changing the cathode surface area or structure. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and High Sensitivity-Low Energy Ion Scattering were used to confirm ALD growth rates that were measured gravimetrically. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy indicated that the addition of Pd had a small negative effect on all of the cathodes. Ni and Co exhibited only a small effect on LSCo and LSCF cathodes but both decreased the cathode impedance for LSF. It is suggested that an essential feature in cathode promotion by Co and Ni is that these cations are incorporated into the perovskite surface and thereby increase the concentration of oxygen vacancies, while Pd only blocked adsorption sites.
Magneto-Optical Studies of Ybco Thick Films in the Critical State

We present magneto optical studies of the critical state in YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) thick films prepared using BaF2 ex-situ post reaction process. A distinctive fractal propagation pattern was observed as the magnetic flux entering the superconducting films, in a striking contrast to the behavior expected of a uniform type II superconducting film in the critical state. However, by averaging the flux density over a certain length scale, we found that flux penetration can be described with the standard Bean critical state model. The temperature dependence of critical current density J c was obtained by applying the Bean model to the averaged flux profiles, and found in good agreement with those obtained by direct transport measurements.
The impact of systemic precision medicine and immunotherapy treatments on brain metastases.

// Rowland H. Han 1 , Gavin P. Dunn 1 , 2 , Milan G. Chheda 3 , 4 and Albert H. Kim 1 1 Department of Neurological Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA 2 Center for Human Immunology and Immunotherapy Programs, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA 3 Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA 4 Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA Correspondence to: Albert H. Kim, email: alberthkim@wustl.edu Keywords: brain metastases; targeted therapy; precision medicine; immunotherapy; systemic therapy Received: September 22, 2019 Accepted: October 21, 2019 Published: November 19, 2019 ABSTRACT Metastases from melanoma, lung and breast cancer are among the most common causes of intracranial malignancy. Standard of care for brain metastases include a combination of surgical resection, stereotactic radiosurgery, and whole-brain radiation. However, evidence continues to accumulate regarding the efficacy of molecularly-targeted systemic treatments and immunotherapy. For non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), numerous clinical trials have demonstrated intracranial activity for inhibitors of EGFR and ALK. Patients with melanoma brain metastases may benefit from systemic therapy using BRAF-inhibitors with and without trametinib. Several targeted options are available for breast cancer brain metastases that overexpress HER2, although agents with intracranial activity are still needed for other molecular subtypes. Immune checkpoint inhibitors including anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies are yielding impressive responses in intracranial manifestations of metastatic melanoma and NSCLC. Given the promising early results with these emerging therapies, management of eligible patients will require increased multidisciplinary discussion incorporating novel systemic treatment approaches prior or in addition to local therapy.
Positive and negative emotional expression measured from a single written essay about trauma predicts survival 17 years later in people living with HIV.

Abstract Objective To determine whether expression of positive and negative emotions measured within a single written trauma essay predicts survival over 17 years in people living with HIV. Methods This is a longitudinal, observational study of a volunteer sample of HIV-seropositive individuals at the mid-range of disease (150–500 CD4-cells/mm3 with no prior AIDS-defining symptoms). Exclusion criteria included substance dependence, dementia, and/or psychosis. Baseline assessments occurred between 1997 and 1999 and survival data was collected in 2014 (17 year follow up). At baseline, participants wrote an essay about the most traumatic event in their life. Emotional expression was measured by the number of positive and negative emotional words in the essay. The primary study outcome measure was survival from baseline. Biomedical covariates included CD4 count, viral load, age, and antiretroviral medications. Sociodemographic covariates included gender, race, and education. Results The sample was diverse in terms of age (M [SD] 37.60 [9.07]), sex (70.7% male), sexual orientation (55.5% gay or bisexual), and race/ethnicity (37.2% African American, 30.5% white, 28.0% Hispanic, and 4.3% other). Positive, negative, and total emotional expression predicted greater survival (ps Conclusions Both positive and negative emotions expressed in a written trauma essay predict survival over 17 years in people living with HIV. Expressing emotions may have benefits for health.
PCF: Provably Resilient Flexible Routing

Recently, traffic engineering mechanisms have been developed that guarantee that a network (cloud provider WAN, or ISP) does not experience congestion under failures. In this paper, we show that existing congestion-free mechanisms, notably FFC, achieve performance far short of the network's intrinsic capability. We propose PCF, a set of novel congestion-free mechanisms to bridge this gap. PCF achieves these goals by better modeling network structure, and by carefully enhancing the flexibility of network response while ensuring that the performance under failures can be tractably modeled. All of PCF's schemes involve relatively light-weight operations on failures, and many of them can be realized using a local proportional routing scheme similar to FFC. We show PCF's effectiveness through formal theoretical results, and empirical experiments over 21 Internet topologies. PCF's schemes provably out-perform FFC, and in practice, can sustain higher throughput than FFC by a factor of 1.11X to 1.5X on average across the topologies, while providing a benefit of 2.6X in some cases.
Melatonin and Autophagy in Aging-Related Neurodegenerative Diseases

With aging, the nervous system gradually undergoes degeneration. Increased oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cell death are considered to be common pathophysiological mechanisms of various neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD), organophosphate-induced delayed neuropathy (OPIDN), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Autophagy is a cellular basic metabolic process that degrades the aggregated or misfolded proteins and abnormal organelles in cells. The abnormal regulation of neuronal autophagy is accompanied by the accumulation and deposition of irregular proteins, leading to changes in neuron homeostasis and neurodegeneration. Autophagy exhibits both a protective mechanism and a damage pathway related to programmed cell death. Because of its "double-edged sword", autophagy plays an important role in neurological damage and NDDs including AD, PD, HD, OPIDN, and ALS. Melatonin is a neuroendocrine hormone mainly synthesized in the pineal gland and exhibits a wide range of biological functions, such as sleep control, regulating circadian rhythm, immune enhancement, metabolism regulation, antioxidant, anti-aging, and anti-tumor effects. It can prevent cell death, reduce inflammation, block calcium channels, etc. In this review, we briefly discuss the neuroprotective role of melatonin against various NDDs via regulating autophagy, which could be a new field for future translational research and clinical studies to discover preventive or therapeutic agents for many NDDs.
Approach to Transgender Health

Transgender people have unique healthcare needs and deserve appropriate and culturally conscious services. This teaching script highlights terminology, treatment initiation, and hormone therapy effects. We emphasize the ability to start therapy with the informed consent model as well as the indications and contraindications of prescribing gender affirming hormone therapy.
Clinician-driven model creates opportunity for perioperative patient education AIDS

Introduction Despite readily available guidelines and convincing evidence for limiting transfusions, unjustified variability in perioperative red blood cell (RBC) transfusion practice remains in cardiac surgical patients. We hypothesize that sharing the decision of when to transfuse RBC with cardiac surgical patients will limit unjustified perioperative transfusion. Herein, we present the results of a survey to better delineate the knowledge of and preference for perioperative RBC transfusion by clinician and patients. Methods The final provider participant survey contained 11 questions plus 10 demographic questions, while the final patient participant survey contained 10 questions plus 9 demographic questions. Survey content and research method was approved by the local Institutional Review Board. Clinician surveys were distributed to the Departments of Cardiology, Cardiac Surgery, Internal Medicine and Anesthesiology using Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap). Patient surveys were distributed to consecutive patients presenting to our Preoperative Clinic for one week. Patient responses were manually entered into excel. Participant responses were summarized and compared using JMP Pro 14. Results Of the 313 surveys distributed to clinicians, and 121 to patients, 99 (32%) and 93 (77%) were returned, respectively. Of the 6 questions that tested knowledge, three differed significantly between clinicians and patients (Table): on a seven-category Likert scale, clinicians felt more knowledgeable than patients about the hemoglobin level at which red blood cells should be transfused (5.5 vs 2.1; p Discussion In a reasonably well-represented sample of participants from a large, academic tertiary care hospital, we highlight significant differences in the basic knowledge about and preferences for perioperative red blood transfusion between clinicians and patients. Our results strongly imply a clinician-driven decision model to transfuse RBCs, and supports future efforts to develop decision aids to facilitate patient involvement in the shared decision-making of when and how much to transfuse.
Understanding and Engineering Grain Boundaries for High-Performance Halide Perovskite Photovoltaics

Grain boundary is the key interface in polycrystalline halide perovskite semiconductors and devices. In this work, first, we present a fundamental discussion on the role of grain boundaries in determining the carrier-transport properties and the (electro)chemical stability of halide perovskites. Then, we demonstrate rational chemical approaches for tailoring grain boundaries in halide perovskite thin films, which will not only lead to the reduction of electronic/ionic defects, but also endow grain-boundaries with new functions. High-performance halide perovskite photovoltaic devices are achieved based on engineered grain boundary interfaces. Furthermore, we provide perspectives on the future research directions on halide perovskite grain boundaries for photovoltaics and beyond.
The Impact of Perioperative Blood Pressure on Hematoma Development After Panniculectomy.

PURPOSE Hematoma affects 10% to 13% of patients undergoing panniculectomy. Although elevated perioperative blood pressure has been associated with hematoma after rhytidectomy, this has not been established for panniculectomy. We sought to determine the impact of perioperative blood pressure on hematoma development in patients undergoing panniculectomy. METHODS A retrospective review was performed on patients undergoing isolated panniculectomy procedures. Blood pressure parameters recorded included systolic blood pressures (SBPs), diastolic blood pressures (DBPs), and mean arterial pressure. The mean, peak, and trough blood pressure values were recorded. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative blood pressures were recorded, and differences between phases were calculated. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed. RESULTS One hundred forty-three patients were identified, which included 84% (n = 120) women and 17% (n = 23) men. A history of hypertension was present in 55% (n = 79) of patients, of which 91% (n = 72) were medically controlled. Preoperative antiplatelet or anticoagulation was used in 21% (n = 31) of patients. Seven patients (5%) developed a hematoma, of which 5 required operative drainage. Development of hematoma was not associated with patient, surgical, or postoperative pain variables. There was an association between hematoma and elevated postoperative blood pressures on univariate and multivariate analyses. The mean peak SBP in the hematoma group was 160 mm Hg in comparison to 141 mm Hg in the nonhematoma group. For each 10-mm Hg increase in postoperative peak SBP, the odds of a hematoma increased by 2.8 times. When comparing phases of care, hematoma patients had similar intraoperative and postoperative peak SBP, but their postoperative SBP was 19 mm Hg higher than preoperative baseline. Conversely, nonhematoma patients had a postoperative blood pressure that was similar to their preoperative baseline and 20 mm Hg lower than their intraoperative values. CONCLUSIONS Hematoma is associated with elevated postoperative blood pressures. A postoperative mean peak SBP of 160 mm Hg was associated with hematoma, and for each 10 mm Hg, the risk of hematomsa increased by 2.8 times. The risk of hematoma may be reduced by strict postoperative blood pressure control. We recommend a postoperative peak SBP goal of 140 mm Hg or less, with a value equal to or less than their preoperative baseline and 20 mm Hg lower than their intraoperative pressure.
An Examination of Form-Focused Instruction: Isolated Versus Integrated and Focus on Forms Versus Focus on Form

This paper presents a summary of the most recent research-oriented studies with a focus on two of the most important categorizations of Form-Focused Instruction (FFI): isolated versus integrated. The theoretical differences between the two different types of FFI are provided and a brief summary of the most recent studies is reported. The paper finds that isolated versus integrated instruction is a necessary technique and needs to be applied to the teaching process at the appropriate time. In general, the findings indicate that the tendency toward implicit learning of grammar through using communicative forms of the language is improving and the final outcome of this approach shows improvement and progress in the learners' production and language development.
Pharyngoesophageal Dilation and Botulinum Toxin Therapy for Dysphagia in Patients With Inclusion Body Myositis (P3.157)

OBJECTIVE: To report clinical features and outcomes in patients with sporadic inclusion body myositis (s-IBM) undergoing interventional treatment(s) for dysphagia. BACKGROUND: Impairment in the oropharyngeal phase of swallowing has been implicated in the pathogenesis of dysphagia associated with inflammatory myopathies. Dysphagia in s-IBM may be a presenting feature and is often relatively refractory to treatment, resulting in substantial morbidity and mortality. DESIGN/METHODS: Retrospective review of 28 patients (11 women, 17 men; mean age at symptom onset 66.7 years) with dysphagia associated with s-IBM from the period of 2009-2014 at our institution. RESULTS: Of twenty-eight cases reviewed, eighteen patients (64.2[percnt]) completed oropharyngeal video-fluoroscopic swallowing examinations. Findings included hypopharyngeal weakness with and without signs of aspiration, prominence of the cricopharyngeus muscle, and esophageal dysmotility due to insufficient upper esophageal sphincter (UES) opening, impaired peristalsis, and/or stricture. Nine patients (32.1[percnt]) underwent intervention aimed at managing dysphagia - two underwent percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG), two had balloon dilation performed of the esophagus alone, three underwent bougie esophageal dilation alone, one had both balloon and (later) bougie dilation, and one underwent bougie upper esophageal dilation with concurrent botulinum toxin A injection to the cricopharyngeus. Both patients who underwent PEG expired within ten years of dysphagia onset. Those patients undergoing balloon dilation alone had longer lasting subjective improvement in dysphagia symptoms than those undergoing bougie dilation alone. The patient who underwent both dilation treatments separately noted little to no change in symptoms. The patient who underwent bougie dilation with concurrent botulinum toxin cricopharyngeal injection developed transient (2-4 weeks) subjective worsening of dysphagia followed by reported improvement lasting 4-5 months. CONCLUSIONS: These data support that esophageal dilation may be an effective symptomatic treatment for s-IBM-associated dysphagia. Additional studies are needed to evaluate the utility of botulinum toxin A administered alone or in conjunction with other treatment modalities. Disclosure: Dr. Parres has nothing to disclose.
Informed Consent for Genetic Research

Genetic research often utilizes or generates information that is potentially sensitive to individuals, families, or communities. For these reasons, genetic research may warrant additional scrutiny from investigators and governmental regulators, compared to other types of biomedical research. The informed consent process should address the range of social and psychological issues that may arise in genetic research. This paper addresses a number of these issues, including recruitment of participants, disclosure of results, psychological impact of results, insurance and employment discrimination, community engagement, consent for tissue banking, and intellectual property issues. Points of consideration are offered to assist in the development of protocols and consent processes in light of contemporary debates on a number of these issues.
Mechanical aspects of the Thermal InfraRed system (TIRS) on Landsat 8

The Thermal InfraRed Sensor (TIRS) instrument was launched into space on board Landsat 8 in February 2013. This instrument was added to Landsat 8 to measure water evaporation and transpiration as well as provide two thermal infrared bands to complement the optical suite. TIRS has a refractive telescope which focuses a light onto a focal plane cooled to 43K with a two-stage cryocooler. This paper will detail the mechanical aspects of TIRS including a description of its composite honeycomb box design, flexures, large deployable earth shield, and accommodations for the telescope, detector, and cryocooler. The design, build, test, and delivery of TIRS was accomplished in three years on an accelerated schedule at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The assembly and test flow are discussed including qualification of the structure in vibration and acoustic tests.
Convexity of Frequency Response Arcs Associated with a Stable Polynomial

Associated with a polynomial p(s) and an interval ? ? R is a frequency response arc. This arc is obtained by sweeping the frequency ? over ? and plotting p(j?) in the complex plane. We say that an arc is proper if it does not pass through the origin and the net phase change of p(j?) for all ? ? ? is no more than 180 degrees. In this paper, we establish convexity of all proper frequency response arcs associated with a Hurwitz polynomial. The latter part of the paper deals with ramifications and extensions. Of particular interest is the fact that the so-called inner frequency response set is convex.
Noise in Diode Lasers

The small size, high efficiency and high output nower of solid state GaAlAs single-mode diode lasers make them a convenient source for fiber optic sensor systems. However, the transition from laboratory setups to packaged devices has led to a number of problems primarily caused by the source. The problems of the output of these single-mode devices, which result in a loss of sensor sensitivity may be split into three basic groups: 1. Coherence length 2. Amplitude noise 3. Phase noise.
Varicella-Zoster Virus

Laboratory diagnosis of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection requires the identification of the virus or one of its products in skin lesions, tissues, or fluids from the patient. Techniques include isolation of the virus in tissue culture, direct immunofluorescent staining of cells obtained from lesions, and detection of the virus genome by techniques based on PCR. Vesicular fluids, crusts that have been ground in water, or skin lesion sections can be examined by electron microscopy (EM). The authors had experience of successful identification and typing of VZV strains from environmental swabs. Recent studies indicate that while multiple polymorphisms were identified between vaccine and wild-type strains, detection of the sequence polymorphism at genome position 106262 is the most reliable method for discriminating the vaccine strain from wild-type VZV. Perhaps the most important concern in the use of PCR is the quality of the template to be amplified. Serologic testing is most often requested for determining susceptibility to VZV in outbreak settings, but on occasion it is needed for diagnosis. Assay formats used for simple determination of VZV serostatus include enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), membrane fluorescence, and latex bead agglutination. Each of these test formats has limitations, which are discussed in this chapter. The authors recently documented cases of varicella in health care workers who were incorrectly identified as VZV seropositive by the latex bead agglutination method. Despite VZV immunoglobulin (VZIG) prophylaxis, approximately two-thirds of infants exposed to maternal varicella around the time of delivery will become infected.
Long-term Risk of Hysterectomy among 80,007 Sterilized and Comparison Women at Kaiser Permanente, 1971–1987

To study the long-term risk of hysterectomy after tubal sterilization, the authors analyzed historical hospital discharge data on 39,502 parous women sterilized during 1971-1984 and 40,505 comparison women matched on age, race, parity, and interval since last birth. Sterilized women were significantly more likely than were comparison women to undergo hysterectomy (relative risk (RR) = 1.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.26-1.44), especially for diagnoses of menstrual dysfunction and pelvic pain (RR = 1.88, 95% CI 1.65-2.13). Higher relative risks were not associated with greater tissue-destructive methods of tubal occlusion. Relative risks were highest for women who were young on the reference date (RR = 2.45, 95% CI 1.79-3.36 for women aged 20-24 years), but declined steadily as age increased (RR = 0.96, 95% CI 0.72-1.28 for women aged 40-49 years). In all age groups, relative risks were significantly above 1.00 after 7 years of follow-up. Reasons for elevated risks may be related to a greater willingness of sterilized women to forgo their uteruses. The emergence of greater risk in all age groups, however, prevents the authors from ruling out a possible latent biologic effect of tubal sterilization.
USING AFFORDABLE TECHNOLOGY TO DECREASE DIGITAL INEQUALITY: Results from Birmingham's One Laptop Per Child XO laptop project

School systems in the United States are increasingly integrating computers into the classroom. Yet, we know little about the factors that determine successful adoption, use, and attitudes toward the computers. The City Council of Birmingham, Alabama is the first in the United States to provide One Laptop Per Child XO laptops to all students in first-fifth grades in the Birmingham City School System. The purpose of this study is to present the survey results examining factors that are related to XO laptop usage and attitudes among fourth- and fifth-grade students in Birmingham City schools. The results indicate that factors vary depending upon the type of use or attitudes being examined. Teachers' use of the XO laptop in the classroom is a primary factor that is related to the frequency of XO activity use and students' attitudes toward the XOs, while teachers' ability is related to the hours of XO usage in school. These results highlight the importance of having well-trained teachers who embrace using the ...
The microRNA 424/503 cluster reduces CDC25A expression during cell cycle arrest imposed by transforming growth factor β in mammary epithelial cells.

Recently, we demonstrated that the microRNA 424(322)/503 [miR-424(322)/503] cluster is transcriptionally controlled by transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) in the mammary epithelium. Induction of this microRNA cluster impacts mammary epithelium fate by regulating apoptosis and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) signaling. Here, we expanded our finding to demonstrate that miR-424(322)/503 is an integral component of the cell cycle arrest mediated by TGF-β. Mechanistically, we showed that after TGF-β exposure, increased levels of miR-424(322)/503 reduce the expression of the cell cycle regulator CDC25A. miR-424(322)/503-dependent posttranscriptional downregulation of CDC25A cooperates with previously described transcriptional repression of the CDC25A promoter and proteasome-mediated degradation to reduce the levels of CDC25A expression and to induce cell cycle arrest. We also provide evidence that the TGF-β/miR-424(322)/503 axis is part of the mechanism that regulates the proliferation of hormone receptor-positive (HR+) mammary epithelial cells in vivo.
Wavelet Analysis Used for Spectral Background Removal in the Determination of Glucose from Near-Infrared Single-Beam Spectra

Wavelet analysis is developed as a preprocessing tool for use in removing background information from near-infrared (near-IR) single-beam spectra before the construction of multivariate calibration models. Three data sets collected with three different near-IR spectrometers are investigated that involve the determination of physiological levels of glucose (1-30 mM) in a simulated biological matrix containing alanine, ascorbate, lactate, triacetin, and urea in phosphate buffer. A factorial design is employed to optimize the specific wavelet function used and the level of decomposition applied, in addition to the spectral range and number of latent variables associated with a partial least-squares calibration model. The prediction performance of the computed models is studied with separate data acquired after the collection of the calibration spectra. This evaluation includes one data set collected over a period of more than 6 months. Preprocessing with wavelet analysis is also compared to the calculation of second-derivative spectra. Over the three data sets evaluated, wavelet analysis is observed to produce better-performing calibration models, with improvements in concentration predictions on the order of 30% being realized relative to models based on either second-derivative spectra or spectra preprocessed with simple additive and multiplicative scaling correction. This methodology allows the construction of stable calibrations directly with single-beam spectra, thereby eliminating the need for the collection of a separate background or reference spectrum.
Oxylipins act as determinants of natural product biosynthesis and seed colonization in Aspergillus nidulans

Summary Secreted, hormone-like lipogenic molecules, called oxylipins, mediate the balance of asexual to sexual spore ratio in Aspergillus nidulans . Oxylipin produc- tion in this fungus is dependent on developmental regulation of three conserved fatty acid oxygenases, PpoA, PpoB and PpoC. Here, we show that in addi- tion to altering spore ratios, loss of ppo genes affect natural product biosynthesis and seed colonization. D ppoA; D ppoC and D ppoA; D ppoB; D ppoC mutants were unable to produce the mycotoxin sterigma- tocystin (ST) in vitro or in planta but in contrast overproduced the antibiotic penicillin (PN). These findings were correlated with decreased expression of genes involved in ST biosynthesis and increased expression of a PN biosynthetic gene, thus suggest- ing that oxylipin species regulate secondary metabo- lites at the transcriptional level. Additionally, the D ppoA; D ppoC and the D ppoA; D ppoB; D ppoC mutants were defective in colonization of peanut seeds as reflected by a decrease in conidiation and production of the seed degradative enzyme lipase. These results indicate that oxylipin production is important for host colonization and mycotoxin production and may provide a promising target for future control strategies.
Light-Cone Analysis of Massive μ -Pair Production

An operator representation for the behavior of the product of two electromagnetic currents near the light cone is used to discuss massive $\ensuremath{\mu}$-pair production in hadron-hadron interactions. Restrictions from the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center electroproduction experiments and from Regge theory are incorporated. Our predictions are in agreement with the recent Columbia---Brookhaven National Laboratory experiment.