cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of Change to Molecular Testing for Clostridium difficile Infection on Healthcare Facility–Associated Incidence Rates

Background. Change from nonmolecular to molecular testing techniques is thought to contribute to the increasing trend in incidence of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI); however the degree of effect attributed to this versus other time-related epidemiologic factors is unclear.Methods. We compared the relative change in incidence rate (IRR) of healthcare facility–associated (HCFA) CDI among hospitals in the Duke Infection Control Outreach Network before and after the date of switch from nonmolecular tests to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using prospectively collected surveillance data from July 2009 to December 2011. Data from 10 hospitals that switched and 22 control hospitals were included. Individual hospital estimates were determined using Poisson regression. We used an interrupted time series approach to develop a Poisson mixed-effects model. Additional regression adjustments were made for clustering and proportion of intensive care unit patient-days. The variable for PCR was treated as a fixed e...
Numerical methods for analyzing sintering by surface diffusion

It is concluded that shape profiles and neck-growth kinetics as previously presented are reasonable. Independent numerical analyses produced (for no shrinkage) profiles and kinetics for cylinders is in agreement. Undercutting volumes about equal to neck volumes are required by conservation. (FS)
Determination of Van Der Waals broadening at temperatures of astrophysical interest

Discussion of the results of experiments analyzing the widths of shock-excited emission lines at temperatures of about 5000 K. The width of two neutral silicon lines (4102 and 5948 A) were measured as broadened by argon, and the shift of one of these lines (4102 A) was determined. Likewise, the width one of the lines of cesium (4593 A) was measured as broadened by argon and neon. These data are compared with other experimental data to determine the temperature dependence of the broadening. Significant disagreements with simple theory are found, the experimental values of the widths being larger than the theoretical values by factors of 1.5-2.
The isolation of functionally heterogeneous hepatocytes of the proximal and distal half of the liver acinus in the rat.

The objective of this study was to isolate hepatocytes of the proximal half (Zones 1 and 2) or distal half (Zones 2 and 3) of the liver acinus. The zonal origin of the isolated hepatocytes was recognized by: (a) the presence in hepatocytes of a fluorescent marker, acridine orange, selectively delivered to either the proximal or the distal half of the acinus by in situ perfusion prior to cell isolation and (b) the measurement of the induction of cytochrome P-450 by phenobarbital, an induction known to occur predominantly in the distal half of the acinus. Following the selective labeling of the acinus with acridine orange, livers were perfused with collagenase in either the portal to hepatic vein direction (anterograde) or in the retrograde direction. Hepatocytes isolated by either an anterograde or a retrograde perfusion were separated by centrifugation in a Percoll density gradient. This procedure isolated populations of proximal or distal hepatocytes, respectively, which were intact and 90% fluorescent. In an effort of assessing the heterogeneity of the separated proximal and distal hepatocytes, each population was further fractionated by centrifugal elutriation. This resulted in the arbitrary separation of proximal or distal hepatocytes into five fractions. Total cytochrome P-450 was determined spectrophotometrically in each of the fractions isolated from controls and after 3 days of the in vivo administration of phenobarbital. On the basis of the pattern of fluorescence in isolated hepatocytes and on the cytochrome P-450 inductive response to phenobarbital administration, it is proposed that: (a) the anterograde or retrograde perfusion of the liver with collagenase separated hepatocytes predominantly of the proximal or distal half of the liver acinus, respectively and (b) that hepatocytes of the distal half of the liver acinus responded to phenobarbital administration with the highest level of cytochrome P-450 induction, indicating that the isolated hepatocytes conserved the functional heterogeneity observed in vivo.
Cultivating a Justice Orientation Toward Citizenship in Preservice Elementary Teachers

Teacher educators have an obligation to prepare preservice teachers with the skills and dispositions necessary to promote a socially just world. Yet the results of this study uncovered that the majority of elementary preservice teachers in a national sample (N = 846) have a simplistic perception of good citizenship consistent with what Westheimer and Kahne called a “personally responsible” model of citizenship. Follow-up interviews with 21 participants revealed a problematic trend among 14 participants: inadequate content knowledge and minimal support or even resistance to socially just action. As this trend is antithetical to a democratic government and the very nature of social studies, we recommend teacher educators attempt to move preservice candidates in the direction of adopting Westheimer and Kahne’s justice orientation toward citizenship when teaching elementary students in their future classrooms.
Temporal Patterns of Trunk Muscle Activity throughout a Dynamic, Asymmetric Lifting Motion:

This study examined the effects of trunk speed and exertion level on temporal aspects of trunk muscle activity patterns during dynamic, asymmetric lifting. Electromyographic (EMG) data from eight trunk muscles were collected along with trunk torque output, position, and velocity data during several repetitions of four speed/loading combination conditions. During analysis, each muscle's EMG record was reduced to three key events: a start, a peak, and an end point. For each subject, temporally ordered event lists were constructed for each test condition. Networks of events that consistently occurred regardless of loading or speed levels were constructed for each subject. Two event pairs occurred consistently for all subjects under all conditions, whereas some pairs occurred in association with specific speed or resistance levels. Temporal information related to muscle activity could be used in biomechanical models in order to predict changes in spinal loading during the course of workplace tasks.
Topical PTH (1-34) is a novel, safe and effective treatment for psoriasis: a randomized self-controlled trial and an open trial.

Summary Background There continues to be a need to develop new pharmacological approaches for treating the common skin disease psoriasis. Human skin produces parathyroid hormone related peptide. This peptide is a potent inhibitor of epidermal cell growth. Objectives A programme was initiated to determine whether an agonist of this peptide's receptor, PTH (1–34), could be developed as a drug to treat psoriasis. Methods PTH (1–34) was formulated in Novasome A® cream. Fifteen adult patients with chronic plaque psoriasis who had failed to respond to at least one standard treatment were enrolled in a randomized double-blinded placebo self-controlled trial. The patients topically applied to a 25-cm2 psoriatic lesion 0·1 g of either Novasome A® cream or Novasome A® cream that contained 20 μg of PTH (1–34) twice a day for 2 months. At the end of the double-blind study, patients were enrolled in an open large area study. Ten patients applied PTH (1–34) (50 μg per 0·1 g) once daily to their psoriatic lesions. The patients were evaluated for their global improvement and calcium metabolism. Results Novasome A® cream enhanced the percutaneous absorption of PTH (1–34) in human skin in comparison with formulations in propylene glycol or normal saline. Psoriatic lesions treated with PTH (1–34) showed marked improvement in scaling, erythema and induration. There was a 67·3% improvement in the global severity score for the lesion treated with PTH (1–34) compared with the placebo-treated lesion, which only showed a 17·8% improvement. Ten patients topically applied PTH (1–34) on all of their lesions in a stepwise manner. A Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score analysis of all the patients revealed improvement of 42·6% (P < 0·02). None of the patients experienced hypercalcaemia or hypercalciuria or developed any side-effect to the medication. Conclusions Patients who were resistant to at least one standard therapy for psoriasis had a remarkable improvement in their psoriasis when they applied PTH (1–34) to their lesion(s). No untoward toxicity was observed in any of the subjects. This pilot study suggests that topical PTH (1–34) is a safe and effective novel therapy for psoriasis.
CD34 selection using three immunoselection devices: comparison of T-cell depleted allografts

Background T-cell depletion of allografts markedly reduces the incidence of GvHD following BMT. The approach taken at our Center has utilized the physical separation method of counterflow centrifugal elutriation (CCE), augmented by recovery of stem cells from lymphocyte-rich fractions by immunoaffinity selection of CD34 + stem cells. We wanted to compare the performance characteristics of three commercially available selection devices, as well as the clinical outcomes of patients who received allografts engineered by the different devices. Methods BM allografts were prepared for patients undergoing BMT for hematologic malignancies. BM cells were separated into lymphocyte-rich and lymphocyte-depleted fractions using CCE, followed by recovery of CD34 + cells from the lymphocyte-rich fraction using one of three immunoselection devices [CellPro CEPRATE, Nexell Isolex 300i (software version 2.5) and AmCell CliniMACS]. Allografts consisted of the lymphocyte-depleted fraction plus the CD34-selected fraction. Res...
The 1993 Research Awards in Psychogeriatrics

The IPA Research Awards were established in order to call attention to some of the most meritorious research being conducted in our field. Research is not only a rigorous enterprise, it can also appear at times to be a somewhat isolated enterprise. Clearly, it is necessary that investigators receive feedback and recognition for their efforts, particularly when these efforts are a benefit and/or a stimulus for the broader medical and scientific communities. The Research Awards are one mechanism by which investigators can receive richly deserved recognition for their contributions.
Total internal reflection for precision small-angle measurement

A method for precision small-angle measurement is proposed. This method is based on the total-internal-reflection effect of a light beam at a pair of glass prisms. Angular displacement of the light beam is measured when the intensity change of the reflected beam is detected as a result of the relative phase shift between the s- and the p-polarized beams. An initial phase shift between the s- and the p-polarized components is introduced to increase measurement sensitivity. For increased measurement linearity and reduced effect of laser power fluctuation on the output, a differential method is used in which the light beam is split equally into two beams, each reflected at a prism and detected by a photodiode. The output is obtained as the difference of the two detected intensities divided by their sum. A prototype device was built, which demonstrated a nonlinearity error of 1.3% in a measurement range of ±0.6° or 0.4% in ±0.3°. The peak-to-peak noise level was found to be at approximately 0.5 arc sec. This noise level can be reduced further and resolution increased by a reduction of the measurement range.
Mentoring during Medical School and Match Outcome among Emergency Medicine Residents.

Introduction Few studies have documented the value of mentoring for medical students, and research has been limited to more subjective (e.g., job satisfaction, perceived career preparation) rather than objective outcomes. This study examined whether having a mentor is associated with match outcome (where a student matched based on their rank order list [ROL]).
Cultural differences in visual object recognition in 3-year-old children.

Recent research indicates that culture penetrates fundamental processes of perception and cognition. Here, we provide evidence that these influences begin early and influence how preschool children recognize common objects. The three tasks (N = 128) examined the degree to which nonface object recognition by 3-year-olds was based on individual diagnostic features versus more configural and holistic processing. Task 1 used a 6-alternative forced choice task in which children were asked to find a named category in arrays of masked objects where only three diagnostic features were visible for each object. U.S. children outperformed age-matched Japanese children. Task 2 presented pictures of objects to children piece by piece. U.S. children recognized the objects given fewer pieces than Japanese children, and the likelihood of recognition increased for U.S. children, but not Japanese children, when the piece added was rated by both U.S. and Japanese adults as highly defining. Task 3 used a standard measure of configural progressing, asking the degree to which recognition of matching pictures was disrupted by the rotation of one picture. Japanese children’s recognition was more disrupted by inversion than was that of U.S. children, indicating more configural processing by Japanese than U.S. children. The pattern suggests early cross-cultural differences in visual processing; findings that raise important questions about how visual experiences differ across cultures and about universal patterns of cognitive development.
A forsaken and foreclosed utopia: Rousseau and international relations

In the field of international relations, Rousseau is generally considered an antiutopian and an exponent of the realist tradition. This view is based on his distrust of alliances and peace plans but also on the fact that he never offered any solution to how to lastingly ban war from the international scene. In this article, I argue instead that Rousseau's failure to propose any solutions in international politics lies rather in the utopian nature of his political philosophy. Rousseau intended to find remedies to the question of international law; if he never articulated them, it is, I submit, because the mere discussion of international relations would have undermined the lack of relationality which characterizes his model Republic. By envisioning the ideal state as self-sufficient and isolated (i.e. in the image of the unsociable man in the state of nature), Rousseau renders impractical the aspiration he had of resolving the question of sociability between states.
Effect of acetazolamide on passage of protein from cerebrospinal fluid to plasma.

SummaryAcetazolamide was shown to inhibit the passage of protein from CSF to plasma in dogs. This action was demonstrated with both normal and abnormally-elevated CSF protein levels.
Localized PT -symmetric directionally invisible scatterers

We demonstrate how to create localized $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric directionally invisible scatterers directly from a governing wave equation. Moreover, we can construct general non-$\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric objects which exhibit directional invisibility, though such an effect is typically associated with $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric objects. Whereas previously the determining condition for an optical $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric device was a $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric complex refractive index, we show that a broader condition, requiring only the scattering potential to be $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric, leads to the same behavior. This enables the construction of $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric objects without a $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric complex refractive index, effectively doubling the number of possible invisible objects. Consequently, the set of gain-loss invisible objects is much broader than previously realized, and several examples are shown.
Study on Operation Duration of Electrolytic Chlorination System

The vital signs of acorn barnacle as the main kind of thalassophyte are studyed under relating temperatures duration,so is the flow path of the circulating water system in Binhai Power Plant could be adhered,polluted and blocked. The determination basis for duration of anti-fouling device putting-into operation is proposed. It is clear that there is no need of killing the thalassophyte in the circulating water system when the sea water temperature below five degrees centigrade and thus saving one-third of electrical energy per year. The theoreticle gaps are filled in in our country and the economical benefits are achieved.
Screening of Molecular Biomarkers Associated with Heart Failure Derived from Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy

Objective:To sieve molecular biomarkers associated with heart failure derived from arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC).Methods:The comparative gene microarray analysis using individual left ventricular myocardial samples from 5 patients with heart failure resulting from ARVC undergoing transplantation and 5 matched samples from normal adult heart were performed.The accuracy rate of the differentially expressed genes obtained by gene microarray was further verified by quantitative real time RT-PCR.Results:83 genes (from a total of 35000) that were differentially expressed in diseased hearts versus normal hearts were identified.Among them thirty-seven genes were up-regulated and forty-eight genes were down-regulated in ARVC hearts compared with the normal hearts.Changes of gene expressions were most prominently observed in those belonging to the "metabolism" category.Eighty percent of the selected 30 differentially expressed genes from microarray analysis were confirmed by quantitative real time RT-PCR.The highly expressed level of atrial natriuratic peptide (ANP) in ARVC hearts that was confirmed by quantitative real time RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry was reported.Conclusion:For the first time to our knowledge,the altered expressed genes in ARVC hearts compared with the matched normal hearts were identified.The results are the base to further study the molecular mechanism and identify diseased-specific molecular biomarkers in heart failure derived from ARVC.
Effect of osmolality on cytosolic free calcium and aldosterone secretion.

Alterations in extracellular osmolality have powerful inverse effects on basal and potassium- and angiotensin-stimulated aldosterone secretion. With the use of bovine glomerulosa cells grown in primary culture, the effects of alterations in osmolality on cytosolic calcium concentration ([Ca2 + ]c), efflux and uptake of 45Ca2 + , and aldosterone secretion were determined. Alterations in osmolality, independent of sodium concentration, have inverse effects on aldosterone secretion, which are correlated with simultaneous changes in [Ca2 + ]c measured using fura-2. Reductions in osmolality cause dose-dependent biphasic increases in [Ca2 + ]c different from the monophasic increases in [Ca2 + ]c produced by increases in potassium concentration. Like potassium- and angiotensin-stimulated increases in [Ca2 + ]c, hypotonically induced increases in [Ca2 + ]c are associated with an increase in 45Ca2 + efflux. Reductions in osmolality also increased the uptake of 45Ca2 + , an effect apparent at 2 min and persistent for at least 30 min. In the absence of extracellular calcium, reductions in osmolality, as increases in potassium concentration but not angiotensin, fail to increase [Ca2 + ]c, efflux of 45Ca2 + , or aldosterone secretion. In conclusion, osmolality-induced alterations in aldosterone secretion are associated with parallel changes in [Ca2 + ]c, effects caused by alteration in the influx of extracellular calcium. On the basis of these and previous studies, we hypothesize that osmolality affects calcium influx by activating voltage-dependent or stretch-activated calcium channels.
Addressing issues associated with evaluating prediction models for survival endpoints based on the concordance statistic

Prediction models for disease risk and prognosis play an important role in biomedical research, and evaluating their predictive accuracy in the presence of censored data is of substantial interest. The standard concordance (c) statistic has been extended to provide a summary measure of predictive accuracy for survival models. Motivated by a prostate cancer study, we address several issues associated with evaluating survival prediction models based on c-statistic with a focus on estimators using the technique of inverse probability of censoring weighting (IPCW). Compared to the existing work, we provide complete results on the asymptotic properties of the IPCW estimators under the assumption of coarsening at random (CAR), and propose a sensitivity analysis under the mechanism of noncoarsening at random (NCAR). In addition, we extend the IPCW approach as well as the sensitivity analysis to high-dimensional settings. The predictive accuracy of prediction models for cancer recurrence after prostatectomy is assessed by applying the proposed approaches. We find that the estimated predictive accuracy for the models in consideration is sensitive to NCAR assumption, and thus identify the best predictive model. Finally, we further evaluate the performance of the proposed methods in both settings of low-dimensional and high-dimensional data under CAR and NCAR through simulations.
Use of L-dopa (L-dihydroxyphenylalanine) to stimulate ovulation.

This study was prompted by previous experimental data which suggested that l -dopa may be useful clinically in treating anovulation and oligoamenorrhea due to hypothalamic-pituitary hypofunction of nonorganic origin. Six such patients, who had failed to respond to clomiphene therapy but who had previously ovulated and become pregnant following the administration of human pituitary gonadotropins, were treated with 2 Gm. of l -dopa daily for 3 months. There was no response in 3 patients. The remaining 3 patients showed evidence of increased gonadotropin and estrogen activity. However, follicular maturation did not reach the level necessary to trigger ovulation, even with the addition of human chorionic gonadotropin. These data indicated that in the manner used in this study l -dopa is not useful clinically in hypogonadotropism.
TH-AB-209-02: Gadolinium Measurements in Human Bone Using in Vivo K X-Ray Fluorescence (KXRF) Technique

Purpose: Improvement in an in vivo K x-ray fluorescence system, based on 109Cd source, for the detection of gadolinium (Gd) in bone has been investigated. Series of improvements to the method is described. Gd is of interest because of the extensive use of Gd-based contrast agents in MR imaging and the potential toxicity of Gd exposure. Methods: A set of seven bone equivalent phantoms with different amount of Gd concentrations (from 0–100 ppm) has been developed. Soft tissue equivalent plastic plates were used to simulate the soft tissue overlaying the tibia bone in an in vivo measurement. A new 5 GBq 109Cd source was used to improve the source activity in comparison to the previous study (0.17 GBq). An improved spectral fitting program was utilized for data analysis. Results: The previous published minimum detection limit (MDL) for Gd doped phantom measurements using KXRF system was 3.3 ppm. In this study the MDL for bare bone phantoms was found to be 0.8 ppm. Our previous study used only three layers of plastic (0.32, 0.64 and 0.96 mm) as soft tissue equivalent materials and obtained the MDL of 4–4.8 ppm. In this study the plastic plates with more realistic thicknesses to simulate the soft tissue covering tibia bone (nine thicknesses ranging from 0.61–6.13 mm) were used. The MDLs for phantoms were determined to be 1.8–3.5 ppm. Conclusion: With the improvements made to the technology (stronger source, improved data analysis algorithm, realistic soft tissue thicknesses), the MDL of the KXRF system to measure Gd in bare bone was improved by a factor of 4.1. The MDL is at the level of the bone Gd concentration reported in literature. Hence, the system is ready to be tested on human subjects to investigate the use of bone Gd as a biomarker for Gd toxicity.
Bandlike Transport in Ferroelectric-Based Organic Field-Effect Transistors

Despite much study of the general mechanism of transport in organic transistors, their $p\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}o\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}l\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}a\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}r\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}i\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}z\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}a\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}t\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}i\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}o\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}n-d\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}o\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}m\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}i\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}n\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}a\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}t\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}e\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}d$ transport is still not well understood. Using a ferroelectric polymer for the dielectric layer in an organic field-effect transistor (OFET) allows tuning of polarization strength with temperature. Remarkably, at 200 K TIPS-pentacene OFETs with a ferroelectric dielectric exhibit a negative coefficient of mobility (bandlike transport, reminiscent of a metal, instead of the usual activated transport). The key to this behavior is the discrete nature of the trapping levels in TIPS-pentacene, and presumably other solution-processable $\ensuremath{\pi}$-conjugated conductors.
Abstract P249: Cardiac Troponin I Pro82Ser Variant Impairs Myofilament Cooperativity, Induces Diastolic Dysfunction, and Blunts β-Adrenergic Response

Cardiac troponin I is a key regulatory protein for muscle contraction and necessary for an adequate β-adrenergic response. The Proline 82 Serine (P82S) sequence variant of troponin I gene ( TNNI3 ) is associated with late onset hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Our preliminary data has shown that cTnIP82S is heterozygous in 3% of African Americans and is associated with increased LV mass in hypertensive black men. We hypothesize that cTnIP82S variant could influence the hypertrophic response to hypertension and/or the malignancy of the phenotypic expression when combined with known HCM disease causing myofilament mutations. We created a transgenic cTnIP82S mouse model. Echocardiography at baseline in older Tg and NTg mice (64-65 wks) showed impaired ejection time and relaxation, Tg display longer isovolumetric relaxation time (IVRT) (Tg 29.7±0.26 vs NTg 23± 0.23 msec, n=8 vs n=7 p max ) and myofilament calcium sensitivity, whereas n Hill showed a marked depression (Tg 1.72±0.17 vs NTg 3.09±0.44, n=7 vs n=5, p
Identifying the Optimal Radiation Dose in Locally Advanced Non-Small-cell Lung Cancer Treated With Definitive Radiotherapy Without Concurrent Chemotherapy.

Abstract Introduction The optimal radiation dose for locally advanced non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is not known for patients who receive sequential chemoradiation (CRT) or definitive radiotherapy (RT) only. Our objective was to determine whether a benefit exists for radiation dose escalation for these patients. Materials and Methods The patients included in our retrospective analysis had undergone RT for NSCLC from 2004 to 2013, had not undergone surgery, and received a dose ≥ 50.0 Gy. Patients who received concurrent CRT were excluded from the analysis, leaving 336 patients for analysis. The primary outcomes were overall survival (OS), local failure (LF), and distant failure (DF). Results On multivariate analysis, after adjusting for age, Karnofsky performance status, gross tumor volume, and treatment modality, patients treated with a radiation dose > 66 Gy had significantly improved OS compared with those treated with P = .008). After adjusting for smoking history and radiologic tumor size, patients treated with a radiation dose > 66 Gy had a significantly decreased risk of LF compared with those treated with P = .02). The radiation dose was not an independent prognostic factor of DF on multivariate analysis. Conclusion When controlling for tumor volume and/or dimensions and other independent prognostic factors, patients with locally advanced NSCLC who were not candidates for concurrent CRT benefited from a radiation dose > 66 Gy versus
What Do We Want To Know About Personality In Marine Mammals

Investigation of personality in a variety of nonhuman animal species has flourished over the past decade. However, personality assessments in marine mammals remain greatly underrepresented. In this chapter, we seek to outline the key areas of interest that warrant further study to improve knowledge of personality in marine mammals. Several definitional challenges associated with personality in marine mammals are examined. An overview of the current marine mammal personality literature is provided, which is limited to trait ratings of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and behavioral axes in grey seals (Halichoerus grypus). Possible cross-species comparisons are limited at this time due to the lack of marine species included. With this in mind, it would be useful to assess the personality dimensions of species from each of the major marine mammal taxa: pinnipeds, sirenians, cetaceans, and carnivores. This could provide evidence for the potential impact of marine mammals’ aquatic lifestyle on the evolution of species-specific personality traits. Given their aquatic habitat, aspects of typical personality methodology are difficult to apply to marine mammals. Several of these difficulties are discussed, along with proposed solutions to maximize the species-relevance and representativeness of collected data. Finally, the potential contributions of personality to a number of research areas are discussed: social rank and dominance, learning, physiology, and friendships. Although the field of marine mammal personality research is in an early stage of development, this provides huge opportunity for future research.
Comparing human and machine recognition of children’s touchscreen stroke gestures

Children's touchscreen stroke gestures are poorly recognized by existing recognition algorithms, especially compared to adults' gestures. It seems clear that improved recognition is necessary, but how much is realistic? Human recognition rates may be a good starting point, but no prior work exists establishing an empirical threshold for a target accuracy in recognizing children's gestures based on human recognition. To this end, we present a crowdsourcing study in which naive adult viewers recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk were asked to classify gestures produced by 5- to 10-year-old children. We found a significant difference between human (90.60%) and machine (84.14%) recognition accuracy, over all ages. We also found significant differences between human and machine recognition of gestures of different types: humans perform much better than machines do on letters and numbers versus symbols and shapes. We provide an empirical measure of the accuracy that future machine recognition should aim for, as well as a guide for which categories of gestures have the most room for improvement in automated recognition. Our findings will inform future work on recognition of children's gestures and improving applications for children.
Abstract 367: Eph-B4 Mediates Arteriovenous Fistula Maturation via Akt-1

Objectives: Although the arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is the gold standard for dialysis access, low rates of fistula maturation prevent optimal fistula use. We have previously shown that stimulation of Eph-B4 in vein grafts prevents wall thickening during venous remodeling. Since Akt-1 is a downstream mediator of Eph-B4 signaling in endothelial cells, we hypothesized that Akt-1 mediates Eph-B4 function during AVF maturation. Methods: The infrarenal aorto-caval AVF model was created in wild type C57BL/6 mice and Akt-1 knockout mice as previously described. To stimulate Eph-B4 activity, mice were treated with either EphrinB2/Fc (20 μg IP) or a control vehicle at 48 hr intervals over a 21 day study period. Fistula maturation was monitored with weekly ultrasound measurements; AVF were harvested at day 21 and infrarenal IVC wall thickness was measured using computerized morphometry. Eph-B4, phospho-tyrosine, and Akt-1 immunoreactivity were measured with immunofluorescence. Results: In WT mice, Eph-B4 expression increased 4.6-fold after AVF compared to sham operation (p=0.007, t-test). IF revealed unmerged Eph-B4 and p-tyr signal at days 7 and 21. Stimulation of Eph-B4 in WT mice increased Eph-B4 and p-tyr merged signal 6-fold (p=0.005, ANOVA) at 21 days and resulted in a 49% decrease in phospho-Akt-1 signal (p=0.0013, t-test). Eph-B4 stimulation in WT mice was associated with reduced fistula diameter (45% vs. 98.6%; p Conclusion: There is increased Eph-B4 expression in an AVF, although the Eph-B4 is not phosphorylated. Stimulation of Eph-B4 increases the percentage of phosphorylated Eph-B4 resulting in reduced Akt-1 phosphorylation with consequent reduced fistula diameter and wall thickness. Akt-1 knockout abolishes the effects of Eph-B4 stimulation on wall thickness and diameter. These findings suggest Eph-B4 is an inhibitor of Akt-1 activity and that Akt-1 mediates the effect of Eph-B4 on venous adaptation to the arterial environment.
Interdisciplinary food-related academic programs: a 2015 snapshot of the United States landscape.

Interdisciplinary food-related research and study is a growing field in academia. Each year, more universities add departments, courses, majors, and minors focused on studying food and society and the complexities of growing, processing, distributing, accessing, and consuming food. In this commentary, we present our exploratory findings about interdisciplinary food-related academic programs, including food studies and food systems programs in the United States. This cross-sectional research developed a snapshot of the 2015 land-scape of interdisciplinary food-related academic programs, provided a preliminary examination of their educational offerings, and will inform future research opportunities. In this formative study, we found 82 interdisciplinary food-related under-graduate programs focused on food. Nineteen program majors, minors, or concentrations had a core disciplinary focus on sustainable agriculture. "Food studies" and "food systems" were the primary focus of 15 undergraduate programs. We found 58 interdisciplinary food-related graduate programs and extracted information on their course offerings. Organizing courses into nine course categories, 78 percent of the programs offered courses in two to five categories, and 22 percent offered courses in six to eight categories. Few courses integrated material from multiple disciplines into a single course, suggesting that these interdisciplinary programs stemmed from traditional academic silos. Based on this preliminary work, we propose to further investigate the interdisciplinary nature of food-related academic programs, map their growth trajectory, and solicit feedback from faculty and administrators about their challenges in establishing and maintaining these programs. In future research, we are also interested in exploring job options for graduates of food-related academic programs to inform recruitment strategies and courses of study.
MASS EFFECT: GAME TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATIONAL CONTEXTS

Advanced three-dimensional virtual environment technology, similar to that used by the film and computer games industry, can allow educational developers to rapidly create realistic online virtual environments. Generic rules of thumb regarding the specification, development, application, and operation of these learning environments can be garnered from industrial training systems and examined in an educational context. 1,2,3 This paper introduces a virtual learning environment ViRILE (Virtual Reality Interactive Learning Environment) developed by the author. ViRILE is designed for use by undergraduate chemical engineers to simulate the configuration and operation of a polymerisation plant. This paper will also discuss the implementation of this and other similar systems and extrapolate the lessons learnt into general pedagogical guidelines to be considered for the development of VR based online educational learning resources.
A metastable rRNA junction essential for bacterial 30S biogenesis

Tertiary sequence motifs encode interactions between RNA helices that create the three-dimensional structures of ribosomal subunits. A Right Angle motif at the junction between 16S helices 5 and 6 (J5/6) is universally conserved amongst small subunit rRNAs and forms a stable right angle in minimal RNAs. J5/6 does not form a right angle in the mature ribosome, suggesting that this motif encodes a metastable structure needed for ribosome biogenesis. In this study, J5/6 mutations block 30S ribosome assembly and 16S maturation in Escherichia coli. Folding assays and in-cell X-ray footprinting showed that J5/6 mutations favor an assembly intermediate of the 16S 5' domain and prevent formation of the central pseudoknot. Quantitative mass spectrometry revealed that mutant pre-30S ribosomes lack protein uS12 and are depleted in proteins uS5 and uS2. Together, these results show that impaired folding of the J5/6 right angle prevents the establishment of inter-domain interactions, resulting in global collapse of the 30S structure observed in electron micrographs of mutant pre-30S ribosomes. We propose that the J5/6 motif is part of a spine of RNA helices that switch conformation at distinct stages of assembly, linking peripheral domains with the 30S active site to ensure the integrity of 30S biogenesis.
Dominant intraprostatic cancer confirmed by direct MRI-guided biopsy: Concordance with histopathological findings.

Abstract Purpose To investigate the concordance between dominant intraprostatic cancer seen on endorectal multiparametric MRI and confirmed by MRI-targeted biopsy with histopathological findings at radical prostatectomy, since existing literature has emphasized the miss rather than the concordance rate of MRI. Materials and methods We retrospectively identified 20 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy after a dominant intraprostatic cancer focus was identified at endorectal multiparametric MRI and confirmed by MRI-targeted biopsy. Concordance was determined by comparing the location and Gleason grade group of dominant tumor at MRI with the location and Gleason grade group determined at histopathological review. Results Mean patient age was 65 years (range, 48 to 76) and median serum prostatic specific antigen level was 9.4 ng/mL (range, 4.6 to 58.0). In all 20 patients, the location of dominant tumor based on MRI and targeted biopsy corresponded with the dominant tumor location at histopathology. In 9 patients, Gleason grade group was the same at targeted biopsy and final histopathology. In 9 patients, final Gleason grade group was higher and in two patients it was lower. Conclusion Our preliminary results suggest dominant tumor as determined by endorectal multiparametric MRI and confirmed by a positive MRI-targeted biopsy has high concordance with histopathological findings at radical prostatectomy for location, and reasonable concordance for Gleason grade group.
A Collaborative Government-University-Industry Model for a STEM Career-Education Pathway: Phase III: The R&D of Forensic Analytics and Biometrics

This proposal addresses the implementation and testing of new components of forensic analytics and biometrics and how this research might be integrated into the CSI Summer Academy program that takes place each summer at the University of Central Oklahoma. The experiment designed for this proposal uses two groups of students from the university performing similar activities on computers monitored by a keystroke logger and mouse tracker to collect data. In the experiment, one group of participants is the valid user group and the other group is the hacker group. This proposal seeks to answer two main research questions using data from this experiment: What is the accuracy rate of the keystroke biometrics for detecting unauthorized users? and What is the accuracy rate of the mouse biometrics for detecting unauthorized users? The design of this proposed study is quasi-experiment, the method is quantitative, and the time scope is cross-sectional. The data from the proposed experiment will be analyzed using the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to determine whether there is any statistical evidence either supporting or rejecting the research hypothesis that behavioral biometrics can accurately identify intruders. Researchers hypothesize that there are significant differences in the ways that authentic users and hackers use the mouse and keyboard. Insights on how to stop hackers can be helpful for preventing cybercrimes. As forensic analytics and biometrics are integrated into the CSI Summer Academy, students will be introduced to an innovative, ever-expanding field of forensics that will provide them with increased technology skills and educators will be provided with new, updated teaching resources. The real-world implications of this work in the future include decreased cybercrime, a safer internet experience, increased crime prevention techniques, and even possibly lives being saved.
Aneurysm sac failure to regress after endovascular aneurysm repair is associated with lower long-term survival.

Abstract Background The early survival advantage of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) compared with open repair reverses over time, possibly because of higher rates of reintervention related to endoleaks and aneurysm sac expansion. Therefore, we sought to examine the association between sac behavior, endoleaks, reintervention, and long-term survival. Methods We reviewed all patients undergoing EVAR in the Vascular Quality Initiative between 2003 and 2017 with an imaging study at 1 year postoperatively (±6 months). We defined aneurysm sac changes by Society for Vascular Surgery guidelines (change ≥5 mm) and determined independent predictors of sac behavior, new endoleak, and reintervention using hierarchical logistic regression. We employed Cox regression to examine the association between sac behavior and long-term survival. We performed propensity matching between patients with sac regression and those with failure to regress as a secondary analysis. Results Of 30,074 EVAR patients, 14,817 (49%) had a 1-year imaging study and were included in this study. At 1 year, 40% of sacs regressed, 35% remained stable, and 25% expanded. Factors independently associated with sac expansion were age (by decade: odds ratio [OR], 1.07; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1.13; P = .02), appearance of new endoleak (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.10-1.37; P = .001), smaller aortic diameter (diameter Conclusions After EVAR, aneurysm sac behavior is associated with the development of new endoleaks, reintervention, and long-term mortality. Not only sac expansion but any failure of the sac to regress is associated with higher long-term mortality, independent of reinterventions or endoleaks, and may be modified by statin therapy. Further study is needed to establish whether patients with stable sacs could benefit from selective reintervention.
Providing quality of service guarantees in high-speed networks

In this paper we identify the issues involved in providing quality-of-service (QOS) guarantees to sessions in a high-speed network and briefly survey research in this area. Three approaches towards providing QOS guarantees are described and discussed: the tightly controlled approach, the approximate approach, and the bounding approach.
Formation of Reactive Intermediates by Phase II Enzymes: Glutathione-Dependent Bioactivation Reactions

Xenobiotic metabolism serves several important functions in the body: The metabolism of drugs to pharmacologically inactive metabolites is the major mechanism for the termination of drug action. Metabolism may quantitatively alter drug action and may also convert pharmacologically inactive prodrugs to their pharmacologically active metabolites. In addition, metabolism of xenobiotics to polar, readily excretable metabolites is a major detoxication mechanism. Although the metabolism of drugs and chemicals is usually beneficial, it is now well known that the toxicity of most organic chemicals is associated with their enzymatic conversion to toxic metabolites, a process termed bioactivation (Anders, 1985).
A Hybrid Diagnosis Approach Combining Black-Box and White-Box Reasoning

We study model-based diagnosis and propose a new approach of hybrid diagnosis combining black-box and white-box reasoning. We implemented and compared different diagnosis approaches including the standard hitting set algorithm and new approaches using answer set programming engines (DLV, Potassco) in the application of Euler/X toolkit, a logic-based toolkit for alignment of multiple biological taxonomies. Our benchmarks show that the new hybrid diagnosis approach runs about twice fast as the black-box diagnosis approach of the hitting set algorithm.
Synthesis of Findings

Much of the research conducted in education, psychology, business, and other disciplines has involved single experiments or studies that rarely provide definitive answers to research questions. We have learned that researchers seldom replicate their research studies and instead use cross-validation, jackknife, or bootstrap methods to estimate the stability and accuracy of a sample statistic as an estimate of a population parameter. The world around us is understood better when we discover underlying patterns, trends, and principles, which can result from an accumulation of knowledge gained from several studies on a topic of interest. Consequently, a review of the research literature is invaluable in summarizing and understanding the current state of knowledge about a topic. Rather than rely on subjective judgments or interpretations of the research literature, meta-analysis techniques provide a quantitative objective assessment of the study results.
Nutritional Deficiencies in the Neonate

This article reviews common nutritional deficiencies that have been identified in newborn infants, including deficiencies of protein; vitamins A, D, K, C, and E; calcium and phosphorus; folate; zinc; and copper. The etiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of these nutritional deficiencies are discussed.
π-Stacked Oligomers as Models for Semiconducting Conjugated Organic Materials

Intermolecular interactions between π systems have a significant effect on the electronic structure and physical properties of thin films of semiconducting conjugated oligomers and polymers. The solid-state packing of these chains may be mimicked within molecules in which conjugated segments are held in a stacked arrangement by their attachment to a rigid scaffold. Electrochemical and spectroscopic characterization of such molecules provide insights into the effect of the structure and length of the conjugated segment, the position at which the segments interact, the length over which the segments are stacked, and the number of segments that are held in such an arrangement. In this review particular emphasis is placed on the use of substituted [2.2] paracyclophanes and arene-fused bicyclo[4.4.1]undecanes as scaffolds.
Mechanisms of DNA-reactive and epigenetic chemical carcinogens: applications to carcinogenicity testing and risk assessment

Chemicals with carcinogenic activity in either animals or humans produce increases in neoplasia through diverse mechanisms. One mechanism is reaction with nuclear DNA. Other mechanisms consist of epigenetic effects involving either modifications of regulatory macromolecules or perturbation of cellular regulatory processes. The basis for distinguishing between carcinogens that have either DNA reactivity or an epigenetic activity as their primary mechanism of action is detailed in this review. In addition, important applications of information on these mechanisms of action to carcinogenicity testing and human risk assessment are discussed.