cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New concepts in the pathogenesis of urinary tract infections

Random amplified polymorphic DNA fingerprinting was used to distinguish among Escherichia coli bacterial strains creating urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women. Bacteria bound more avidly to cells from postmenopausal donors with history of UTIs (PK) compared with cells from women without history of UTIs (AO). Nonpiliated bacterial strains did not adhere to the cell lines. Increasing S-IgA concentrations has no effect on AO cell bacterial binding, whereas bacterial adhesion to PK cell epithelium increased with increasing S-IgA concentration.
Solution of periodic discrete-time Riccati and Lyapunov equations

We present a Schur method for the solution of periodic discrete-time Riccati and Lyapunov equations. The method can be easily extended to solve the corresponding implicit equations which arise from generalized state space systems. >
Transient analysis of a CMOS inverter driving resistive interconnect

Expressions characterizing the output voltage and propagation delay of a CMOS inverter driving a resistive-capacitive interconnect are presented in this paper. The MOS transistors are characterized by the nth power law model. In order to emphasize the nonlinear behavior of a CMOS inverter, the interconnect is modeled as a lumped RC load. The propagation delay of a CMOS inverter is characterized for both a fast ramp and a slow ramp input signal. The waveform of the output voltage based on these analytic equations is quite close to SPICE assuming a fast ramp input signal. The accuracy of the propagation delay model for both fast ramp and slow ramp input signals is within 7% as compared to SPICE simulations.
Construction of an Infant Neurological International Battery (INFANIB) for the Assessment of Neurological Integrity in Infancy

In this article, we describe the construction of an instrument for the assessment of the neurological integrity of infants. In a follow-up program for infants from the neonatal intensive care unit, 365 evaluations of 308 infants were made by using a 32-item battery with items from four methods. Factor analyses were used for data analyses, which yielded a 20-item instrument with five factors. We named the instrument the Infant Neurological International Battery (Infanib). The Infanib has sufficient reliability for clinical and research purposes. We have formed scoring sheets, which permit clinical use of the instrument. Cut points are recommended for the separation of infants with normal, transiently abnormal, and abnormal neurologic development. The quantified scoring system enables comparison of infants on item scores, subscores (factor scores), and total scores. It also permits entry of these scores in the computer so that more complex descriptions are possible of the relationship of the neurological assessment of infants both to earlier (eg, birth) and later variables (eg, cerebral palsy, cognitive function, and school performance).
Practical spatial database access methods

Although many solutions to the problem of representing spatial data have been proposed, most are not practical. They cannot be guaranteed to perform well with large and arbitrarily distributed data collections. They may not be easily integrated with concurrency and recovery software already written for database systems. However, two proposed structures do have some guarantees, similar to those which have made the B/sup +/-tree so successful for one-dimensional data. These analytic guarantees include worst case space utilization in data and index pages, a minimal fan-out and exact match search time bounded by the height of the tree. The two methods are the holey brick tree and bit interleaving using a B/sup +/-tree. Both can also be integrated with concurrency and recovery systems in the same way that B/sup +/-trees are. >
Bioorganic Studies on Rhodopsins

A sum mary of on go ing bioorganic stud ies on rho dop sin, the most in ten sively stud ied G-protein cou pled re cep tor (GPCR) is given. The ar ti cle in cludes: (i) gen eral de scrip tions of rho dop sin and (ii) var i ous nat u rally oc cur ring ret i nal chromo phores in an i mals, fish and mi cro or gan isms; (iii) the ra tio nale for 6-s-cis-11-sicis ret i nal be ing the com mon chromophoric struc ture in vi sual pig ments; (iv) elec tro static charge dis tri bu tion within the op sin bind ing site; (v) the vi sual transduction cy cle; and (vi) the changes oc cur r ing in the chromo phore/re cep tor in ter ac tions allong the vi sual transduction path.
Modeling and Cost Optimization of Combined Cycle Heat Recovery Generator Systems

Proceedings of ASME Turbo Expo 2003 Power of Land, Sea, and Air June 16-19, 2003, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
The utility of immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization in placental pathology

It has long been recognized that routine histologic examination of the placenta has limitations, especially with regard to the diagnosis of infectious diseases and the concomitant cytokine response that may cause severe in utero fetal damage. Immunohistochemical testing of the placenta in such situations can be very useful in terms of identifying the infectious agent as well as in demonstrating a marked increase in cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 8, produced primarily by cells native to the villi and fetal membranes. One hundred placentas (20 normal childbirths, 20 with severe neonatal morbidity of known cause, 25 idiopathic stillbirths where autopsy material was available, 35 with severe idiopathic neonatal morbidity) were examined for a wide variety of infectious diseases and cytokine production. An infectious agent was evident in 19 (76%) of 25 placentas from stillbirths and 28 (80%) of 35 placentas associated with idiopathic severe neonatal morbidity. No infectious agent was noted in the placentas from normal childbirths or cases of known neonatal morbidity. The most common infectious agent was coxsackie virus (51% of infections) followed by bacterial infections (24% of infections). The same infectious agent found in the placenta was found in the corresponding autopsy material from the stillbirths, with the spleen containing the greatest number of infected cells. There was a strong correlation between the number of cells demonstrating cytokine expression (tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 8) and the presence of an infectious disease in the placenta and stillborn. No histologic feature was associated with an in utero infection. Immunohistochemical testing of placentas gives much insight into their structure and function, including, besides infectious disease detection, the marked diversity of function of trophoblasts, the rarity of committed B cell response, and the strong potential of contractility of villi.
Does Competition Affect Truth Telling? An Experiment with Rating Agencies

We use an experimental approach to study the effect of market structure on the incidence of misreporting by credit rating agencies. In the game, agencies receive a signal regarding the type of asset held by the seller and issue a report. The sellers then present the asset, with the report if one is solicited, to the buyer for purchase. We find that competition among rating agencies significantly reduces the likelihood of misreporting.
Effect of phlebotomy on reticulocyte numbers in Japanese Quail.

Abstract Hematological changes were studied in response to a phlebotomy of 30% of the estimated total blood volume in 5-week-old Coturnix coturnix japonica. Blood samples, femoral bone marrow samples, and blood and marrow erythroid cell differential counts were collected at 0 (nonphlebotomized), 1, 3, 6, 24, and 72 hr postphlebotomy. The samples were collected only once from each bird. Total peripheral erythrocyte numbers, percent hematocrit, and hemoglobin levels were decreased at 1, 3, 6, and 24 hr. The relative percentage of peripheral erythrocytes with little or no reticulum was not affected by phlebotomy. With the exception of mean cellular hemoglobin concentration, all of the hematological values measured in the peripheral blood had returned to nonphlebotomized, 0 hr levels at 72 hr postphlebotomy. However, in the bone marrow, a marked reticulocytosis was found at 72 hr postphlebotomy.
Two-port analysis of systemic venous and arterial impedances

Hemodynamic properties of the systemic vasculature were measured in eight anesthetized dogs using two-port impedance analysis. Blood pressures and flows were measured at the aortic root and the caval-atrial junction. Impedances were computed from 0.05 to 20 Hz to characterize the systemic vasculature. Pseudorandom variations in flow were produced with an extracorporeal perfusion system. Impedance measurements were made at carotid baroreceptor pressures of 50, 125, and 200 mmHg. A six-parameter lumped-element model best fitted the measured impedance spectra. At 125 mmHg, the mean parameter values were venous inertance, 13.5 g.kg.cm-4; venous and arterial compliances, 0.769 and 0.0214 ml.mmHg-1.kg-1; venous and arterial characteristic impedances, 0.028 and 0.084 mmHg.kg.min.ml-1; and arterial-to-venous small-vessel resistance, 0.706 mmHg.kg.min.ml-1. Regression analysis showed significant dependence of small-vessel resistance on baroreceptor pressure. The other parameters were not dependent on carotid sinus pressure, which is consistent with baroreflex control of venous unstressed volume but not compliance. We conclude that two-port impedance analysis is a useful tool for studying venous hemodynamics and the dynamic coupling between the veins and the right heart.
Gaussian Beam Scattering From a Deterministic Rough Metal Surface

A full-wave theory of plane wave scattering from rough surfaces called the correction current (CC) method was recently developed. This paper extends the CC method to the more general case of beam wave scattering. Gaussian beams are assumed incident upon a deterministic metal rough surface. Scatter patterns based on the CC method are calculated and compared to scatter patterns determined by the method of moments solution of an electric field integral equation formulation of the scatter problem. It was shown that good agreement between these two solution methods is obtained for scatter surfaces for which the CC method is shown to satisfy conservation of power and an accuracy criterion.
Pathophysiology of Cytokines

Toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1) induces IL-1 production from macrophages/monocytes of various species. Susceptibility of the mouse strains to TSST-1 is parallel to the IL-1 production. IL-1 has multibiological activities for T cells, hepatocytes, neutrophils, fibroblasts and other cells, resulting in induction of acute phase responses. PI 5 IL-1 (IL-1 alpha) and PI 7 (IL-1 beta) are cloned in both the human and the mouse cases (1_??_3). The recombinant IL-1's confirm the multiple biological properties of the purified IL-1 including fever. IFN-alpha is also an endogenous pyrogen. Recombinant tumor necrosis factor (TNF) possesses almost the same biological function of IL-1. However, TNF induces IL-1 production from human mononuclear cells while IL-1 production by IL-1 itself has never been reported, yet. Differently from IL-1, TNF does not augment T cell proliferation. Although TSST-1 induces only IL-1, endotoxin stimulates both IL-1 and TNF production. A quantitative relationship among these endogenous pyrogens remains unsolved in each disease.1) Auron, et al.: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 81: 7907, 1984.2) Lomedico, et al.: Nature, 312: 458, 1984.3) Gubler, et al.: J. Immunol, 136: 2492, 1986.
Is Cis-Platinum Vestibulotoxic?

Serial vestibular testing was performed on 34 patients undergoing cis-platinum chemotherapy and 12 age-matched normal subjects. Vestibular testing comprised caloric and low-frequency, sinusoidal rotational testing (0.01 to 0.16 Hz). Test-retest variability in the caloric and rotational vestibular assessment of the normal subjects formed the basis for evaluation of subclinical loss of vestibular function within our patient population. In spite of high-dose cis-platinum chemotherapy (100 mg/m2) with cumulative dosages to 1600 mg, no clear evidence of vestibular toxicity was found.
Infectious Disease Reporting and Management Status in Shanghai Private Medical Facilities,2008

[Objective]To analyze infectious disease reporting(IDR) and management status in Shanghai private medical facilities,and to provide reference for better infectious disease control in Shanghai.[Methods]From January to June of 2008,more than 1000 private medical facilities in Shanghai were enrolled and divided into 3 groups :hospital,out-patient department,and clinic.After removed the facilities without infection diseases services,89 private medical facilities were selected by a stratified sampling strategy with 10% sampling portion of each group.Information of IDR and management status were collected and analyzed.[Results]Of the 89 medical facilities studied,only 21 were recognized by the official infectious disease reporting system.The proportions of full-time employees and regulations of IDR in the hospital group were higher than those in the other groups.The age of full-time IDR employees ranged from 22 to 80 years old,and the median age was significantly older in the clinic group than in the other groups.The total reporting rate of all groups was 100.00%,the accuracy rate was 99.67%,the duplicate report rate was 1.10%,and the timely reporting rate was only 92.60%.[Conclusion]Private medical facilities of different categories vary in the reporting management regulations,and full-time IDR employees.Therefore,more efforts should be taken to make appropriate strategies according to specific facilities and personnel,as well as to promote the implementation of policies and official documents,so as to improve IDR quality.
A retrospective evaluation of lomustine (CeeNU) in 32 treatment naïve cats with intermediate to large cell gastrointestinal lymphoma (2006-2013).

Multi-drug chemotherapy protocols for feline lymphoma have demonstrated variable efficacy and tolerability. In phase I trials, lomustine has demonstrated efficacy for cats with lymphoma though its use for treatment naive feline intermediate/large cell gastrointestinal (GI) lymphoma remains unknown. This study evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of lomustine for the treatment of feline GI lymphoma. Thirty-two cats with histologically or cytologically confirmed intermediate/large cell GI lymphoma were evaluated retrospectively. Factors assessed included clinical signs, hematologic/biochemical parameters and use of l-asparaginase at induction. A response rate of 50% (16/32), with median duration of response of 302 days (range 64-1450 days), was found. Median progression-free interval was 132 days (range 31-1450 days), with overall median survival time of 108 days (range 4-1488 days). History of hyporexia, presence of anaemia and dose of lomustine were significantly associated with progression-free survival. Overall, lomustine is a well-tolerated and effective treatment for feline GI lymphoma.
Taste Sensation: Influences on Human Ingestive Behavior

Taste sensations serve multiple feeding-related functions. There are inherent likes and dislikes for taste qualities, but all are modifiable through dietary experience. Mere exposure to the taste of food elicits numerous physiological responses that may prime the body to efficiently absorb and utilize ingested nutrients. Gustatory disorders can increase an individual’s risk to environmental toxin exposure, diminish quality of life, and negatively influence diet and nutritional status, but most affected patients adapt and experience no taste-related chronic health disorder.
Excited States of Saturated Molecules

Advances in computational technology and quantum mechanical methodology have brought accurate calculations on molecular structure and electronic spectroscopy within the realm of feasibility for moderate sized molecules. It is noteworthy, however, that in the area of excited states the great bulk of calculations have been carried out on unsaturated molecules. This can be understood in two ways. First, in the early years of quantum chemistry, prior to the availability of fast computers, planar conjugated molecules allowed the investigator to concentrate on the π-electron network, thereby, reducing the computational effort. In recent years, the natural inclination has been to re-evaluate the early results with more accurate techniques. Second, the electronic spectra of saturated molecules, especially those of acyclic alkanes, are difficult to interpret[1] and therefore, provide less comparative information. Consequently, theoretical investigations of excited states of saturated molecules have been few. In particular, with the exception of a preliminary study of methane surfaces using a minimal basis set,[2] ab initio calculations on alkane excited states have been limited to the vertical excitations in methane[3,4] and ethane.[5]
Survey of CAD programs

Until a few years ago, high investment costs meant that computer aided design, or CAD for short, was almost exclusively the prerogative of large commercial concerns. Essentially, until then the term CAD had been understood to mean computer-aided development and design in, for example, the mechanical engineering sector or for resolving PCB tasks in electrical engineering. Thanks to the rapid pace of development in the software sector, a large number of specialised areas have since arisen for which the expression computer assisted engineering (CAE) can be applied as an umbrella term for all computer-assisted activities in the development sector. A number of highly efficient programs have been developed for the analogue and digital high-frequency technology sectors, which make it possible to achieve the synthesis, analysis and optimisation of an electronic circuit, right through to the automatic generation of a layout.
Of Piglets and Threadlets: Architectures for Self-Contained, Mobile, Memory Programming

Virtually all of the discussion on "commodity" vs. "custom" architectures, especially for highly parallel systems, has focused on the high-glamor, high complexity processor core. This paper takes a different tack - it explores the potential for directly attacking the memory wall by programming the classically "dumb" memory interface. Several related but separable techniques are involved: converting the data that makes up a memory request into the machine state of a "traveling thread", and developing an ISA that can manipulate this state via extremely short instructions that allow complete programs to be stored within the access packet. The results are interesting: a wide spectrum of functions applications exist for which this approach provides significant improvement in bandwidth and latency
Initial BIBFRAME 2.0 Modeling for the Library Information Spotlight “Opera Planet”

The library linked data environment promises to meet libraries' needs for agility in content delivery and user engagement on the Web. This project chose BIBFRAME 2.0 to demonstrate the purpose by covering the initial BIBFRAME 2.0 modeling and conversion of the sample bibliographic data in Opera Planet, a collection of opera librettos, scores, videos, sound recordings, streaming media, and so forth. The project also developed a proof-of-concept demo site for linked library data application for content enhancement and visualization using various tools, particularly the MARC to BIBFRAME Transformation Service, RDF Translator, AngularJS 2.0, and external open linked data.
Learning to match images in large-scale collections

Many computer vision applications require computing structure and feature correspondence across a large, unorganized image collection. This is a computationally expensive process, because the graph of matching image pairs is unknown in advance, and so methods for quickly and accurately predicting which of the O(n2) pairs of images match are critical. Image comparison methods such as bag-of-words models or global features are often used to predict similar pairs, but can be very noisy. In this paper, we propose a new image matching method that uses discriminative learning techniques--applied to training data gathered automatically during the image matching process--to gradually compute a better similarity measure for predicting whether two images in a given collection overlap. By using such a learned similarity measure, our algorithm can select image pairs that are more likely to match for performing further feature matching and geometric verification, improving the overall efficiency of the matching process. Our approach processes a set of images in an iterative manner, alternately performing pairwise feature matching and learning an improved similarity measure. Our experiments show that our learned measures can significantly improve match prediction over the standard tf-idf-weighted similarity and more recent unsupervised techniques even with small amounts of training data, and can improve the overall speed of the image matching process by more than a factor of two.
The Normalization of Youth Political Agency

Youth in general and youth in specific who are living in politically unstable, war-like areas are acutely aware of the local and global situations regarding the conflict. It is clear in reading the narratives of Palestinian youth that they are not passive recipients of the top-down model of political socialization. Given that youth agency is in fact active of their own perspective, it is imperative to discuss the fact that even though they are growing up and living in an area that is being occupied, they are still able to experience daily life with its complexity and (im)possibilities just like any other youth. Such “normality” is constructed according to their local/global discourse and youth agency interaction and intersectionality. Palestinian children’s and youth’s experiences have some similar interactions as other individuals not living in a conflicted area. A 12-year-old female Palestinian youth from a refugee camp wrote, “We took our midterm certifications; I felt so happy because I got high marks, then I went home and when my mother saw my marks she felt happy and wished for me continued success.” Another participant, a 12-year-old male from a city, wrote about worries at school, “I was so stressed because I am awaiting the results of the exam to see if I passed, I tried to calm down but it was in vain.” While the political situation of the Occupied Palestine Territories and the living reality of youth is one of political conflict, it is clear that this reality does not negate the everyday living experience and the right to live in stability within unstable circumstances.
Surgical isolation of the left atrial appendage: A new technique

Abstract Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a dismal arrhythmia. Thirty to forty percent of patients with mitral valve diseases have chronic AF at the time of surgery with increased incidence of morbidity and mortality postoperatively. Thromboembolism is well known among patients with AF despite adequate anticoagulation therapy and the left atrial appendage (LAA) has been proposed to be its main source. In 2014 LAA has been considered for surgical closure in the AF treatment guidelines. Several surgical techniques have been adopted to exclude LAA during surgery and none of them proved to be completely effective. The main goal of our described new technique is to completely separate the LAA from general circulation avoiding failures of other techniques.
A FAILED SHOWCASE OF EMPIRE?: THE GOLD COAST POLICE BAND, COLONIAL RECORD KEEPING, AND A 1947 TOUR OF GREAT BRITAIN

In 1947, the Gold Coast Police Band embarked on a four-month long tour of Great Britain. The event, which was organized by the Accra government and Colonial Office in London, was designed to be a carefully-scripted showcase of the Empireâ€™s merits and future prospects. As a result, the bulk of the written records that colonial officials compiled about it focused not on its actual progression or outcomes, but on their own preparations and confidence about its â€œinevitableâ€ success. This article examines this pattern of colonial record keeping and looks beyond its overt declarations to analyze a series of incomplete exchanges, isolated letters, and brief references that tell a much more complicated story. Insisting that these archival fragments reveal that the tour did not go as planned, it also proposes that we can use them to engage two topics important to studies of African music during the colonial period: the stateâ€™s strategic use of music and the colonial archiveâ€™s utility as a source of information about past musical events.
Population-dependent Intron Retention and DNA Methylation in Breast Cancer

Regulation of gene expression by DNA methylation in gene promoter regions is well studied; however, the effects of methylation in the gene body (exons and introns) on gene expression are comparatively understudied. Recently, hypermethylation has been implicated in the inclusion of alternatively spliced exons; moreover, exon recognition can be enhanced by recruiting the methyl-CpG-binding protein (MeCP2) to hypermethylated sites. This study examines whether the methylation status of an intron is correlated with how frequently the intron is retained during splicing using DNA methylation and RNA sequencing data from breast cancer tissue specimens in The Cancer Genome Atlas. Interestingly, hypomethylation of introns is correlated with higher levels of intron expression in mRNA and the methylation level of an intron is inversely correlated with its retention in mRNA from the gene in which it is located. Furthermore, significant population differences were observed in the methylation level of retained introns. In African-American donors, retained introns were not only less methylated compared to European-American donors, but also were more highly expressed. This underscores the need for understanding epigenetic differences in populations and their correlation with breast cancer is an important step toward achieving personalized cancer care. Implications: This research contributes to the understanding of how epigenetic markers in the gene body communicate with the transcriptional machinery to control transcript diversity and differential biological response to changes in methylation status could underlie some of the known, yet unexplained, disparities in certain breast cancer patient populations. Mol Cancer Res; 16(3); 461–9. ©2018 AACR.
Between Don Quixote and Hamlet: vicissitudes of contemporary Cultural Psychiatry

Background. Although Cultural Psychiatry (CP) has emerged as a significant discipline and body of knowledge in recent decades, it finds itself in a current intense debate about its identity, its contributions, and its future. Objective. To examine conflictive areas of historical, epistemological, clinical, educational, and research interest in the present and future development of CP. Method. A narrative review of outstanding sources, articles, and textbooks on CP that reflect its current vicissitudes; for each area, adequate quotations of Cervantes’ Don Quixote and Shakespeare’s Hamlet are used. Results. In addition to updating definitions and content, discussions about whether CP is a psychiatric subspecialty, the scope of its diagnostic, clinical and therapeutic applications, evaluation of criticisms and strengths, interactions with other disciplines, as well as reflective speculations about its future, are outlined. Discussion and conclusion. CP is considered the receptacle of many disciplines, the last bastion of humanistic medicine in a globalized world, although its development will always be marked by scholarly debates about contexts, meanings, identities, and competencies regarding its ontological and epistemological components.
Evolution of neurocognitive function in long-term survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated with chemotherapy only.

The purpose of this study was to determine the evolution of neurocognitive problems from therapy completion to long-term follow-up in survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated with chemotherapy only. We evaluated whether attention problems observed at therapy completion evolve into long-term executive dysfunction in 158 survivors treated on a single institution protocol. Treatment data (high-dose intravenous methotrexate exposure [serum concentration] and triple intrathecal chemotherapy injections) were collected. Parent report of behavior and direct cognitive testing of survivors was conducted at end of therapy, and survivors completed neurocognitive testing when > 5 years post-diagnosis. At the end of chemotherapy, survivors (52% female; mean age 9.2 years) demonstrated higher frequency of impairment in sustained attention (38%) and parent-reported inattention (20%) compared to population expectations (10%). At long-term follow-up, survivors (mean age 13.7 years; 7.6 years post-diagnosis) demonstrated higher impairment in executive function (flexibility 24%, fluency 21%), sustained attention (15%), and processing speed (15%). Sustained attention improved from end of therapy to long-term follow-up (p 0.05). The direct effect of chemotherapy exposure predicted outcomes at both time points. Survivors should be monitored for neurocognitive problems well into long-term survivorship, regardless of whether they show attention problems at the end of therapy. Treatment exposures are the best predictor of long-term complications.
The LMS and the Library

What might be the digital equivalent of walking by the library on your way to class?Library buildings have traditionally been considered gems on college campuses: They are usually a centrally locat...
Taxonomy Development for Virtual Reality (VR) Technologies in Healthcare Sector

The paper presents a Design Science Research (DSR) project, which was conducted to develop taxonomy for Virtual Realty VR technology in healthcare. In this paper, we discuss the process involved to design a comprehensive taxonomy framework of VR technologies that classify VR tools within the healthcare industry. The framework is intended to help practitioners, researchers, and developers to agree on a common language in order to analyze the usefulness and gaps in existing VR applications in healthcare. The taxonomy guide evaluates the process of VR tools to determine where each VR device fits in the healthcare industry; identifies the uniqueness and originality of new VR devices; and recognizes the needs and gaps for further VR application development within this industry.
Endoscopy in Older Adults: Risks, Benefits, Considerations

Gastrointestinal endoscopy is safe and efficacious in the elderly. In the older adults, colorectal cancer screening or surveillance with colonoscopy is best individualized based upon general health and comorbidity. Colonoscopies performed for bleeding or iron-deficiency anemia have a higher yield in older adults. Colonic preparations are well tolerated in the old, but care should be exercised in choosing a bowel preparation. Geriatric patients are sensitive to sedation, calling for caution with choice of agent, rate of administration, and cumulative dose. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy is a high-yield procedure in the elderly with symptoms, including dyspepsia and dysphagia.
A Reply to Ernan McMullin

My paper ‘Simulating Clinical Judgment’ was written in response to a request, from the organizers of this symposium, to give an account of my work in a way which would provoke philosophical comment. Having now studied Ernan McMullin’s commentary on my paper I think I may claim to have achieved a certain measure of success in this endeavor, although McMullin’s comments are, I must admit, not quite what I expected.
Association of Fetal Fraction of Cell-Free DNA and Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy.

Objective The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between fetal fraction and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Study Design This is a retrospective cohort study of women with singleton pregnancies who had cell-free DNA (cfDNA) screening at 10 to 20 weeks of gestation. The primary outcome was the development of gestational hypertension (gHTN), preeclampsia (PEC), and PEC with severe features. Multinomial logistic regression was performed to assess the relationship between fetal fraction and pregnancy outcomes of interest while controlling for potential confounders. Results Among 2,701 women meeting inclusion criteria, 387 (14.3%) were diagnosed with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. First-trimester fetal fraction was significantly lower in women diagnosed with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (10.9 vs. 12.4, p 34 weeks, and PEC with severe features with delivery ≤ 34 weeks was seen with lower first-trimester fetal fractions (odds ratio [OR]: 0.55, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.36–0.83], p = 0.005; OR: 0.59, 95% CI [0.35–0.99], p = 0.048; and OR: 0.27, 95% CI [0.08–0.96], p = 0.044). The relationship between fetal fraction and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy was not statistically significant after adjusting for maternal age, race, body mass index, and chronic hypertension. Conclusion Fetal fraction of cfDNA at 10 to 20 weeks of gestation was not associated with the development of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
Red Room Green Screen

Red walls, dense and saturated, produce an atmospheric interior that is unfamiliar and unsettling. Filled with restless surfaces and figures—wallpapers, curtains, mirrors, pillows, and ornaments—th...
Downregulation of thromboxane A2 and angiotensin II type 1 receptors associated with aging-related decrease in internal anal sphincter tone

Aging-associated decrease in internal anal sphincter (IAS) tone (AADI) is a major contributor in the rectoanal incontinence (RI). To determine the pathogenesis of AADI, we investigated the effect of aging on GPCR activation and related downstream signaling. We particularly investigated two GPCRs that characterize IAS smooth muscle cells (SMCs): thromboxane A2 and angiotensin II type 1. Two groups of Fischer 344 rats (6-month-old [young group] and 26-month-old [old group]) were employed to determine the GPCR function by isometric contraction, the expressions of GPCRs, and their downstream regulatory signaling proteins (regulator of G-protein signaling 2, RGS2; GPCR Kinase 5, GRK5; and β-arrestin, Arrb2) using RT-PCR, qPCR, and western blot analyses. We used reversible biotinylation to monitor the GPCR trafficking using SMCs. Aging selectively attenuated thromboxane A2 and Ang II-induced IAS contraction. RT-PCR, qPCR, and WB data revealed a significant decrease in the expressions of the GPCRs and increase in the expression of RGS2, GRK5, and Arrb2. The increased GPCR internalization and decreased recycling under aging were validated by reversible biotinylation. We conclude that downregulation of GPCR, accompanied by upregulation of regulatory proteins, plays an important role in receptor desensitization and may be important underlying mechanisms of RI in certain aging patients.
The Management of GER in Neurologically Impaired Patients

The optimal management today for GER in neurologically impaired (NI) children is a subject of great controversy, and there is no conformity of thought. Several authors have studied the role of gastrostomy tube placement in NI children, stressing facilitation of care and family satisfaction [1]. Others extensively evaluated the need for an antireflux procedure in these patients [2,3].
Agenda Discussion: Oxidation of Metals, Solid-Solid Reactions, Solid-State Electrochemistry

In the oxidation of pure metals at sufficiently high temperatures, Rapp asserted that for at least four metals (copper, cobalt, iron, and nickel), the classical diffusional mechanism is substantiated, i.e., the calculated values of Wagner′s parabolic rational rate constants correspond exactly to the experimental parabolic rate constants. However, the scales of these four metals are of no real practical importance, and the oxidation mechanisms of the important protective scales Cr2 O3, SiO2 and Al2O3 are not well understood.
Empowering Agroecosystem Modeling with HTC Scientific Workflows: The Cycles Model Use Case

Scientific workflows have enabled large-scale scientific computations and data analysis, and lowered the entry barrier for performing computations in distributed heterogeneous platforms (e.g., HTC and HPC). In spite of impressive achievements to date, large-scale modeling, simulation, and data analytics in the long-tail still face several challenges such as efficient scheduling and execution of large-scale workflows $(\mathrm{O}(10^{6}))$ with very short-running tasks (few seconds). While the current trend to support next-generation workflows on leadership class machines have gained much attention in the past years, at the other end of the spectrum scientific workflows from the long-tail science have become larger and require processing massive volumes of data. In this paper, we report on our experience in designing and implementing an HTC workflow for agroecosystem modeling. We leverage well-known (task clustering and co-scheduling) and emerging (hierarchical workflows and containers) workflow optimization techniques to make the workflow planning problem tractable, and maximize resource utilization and the degree of task parallelism. Experimental results, via the implementation of a use case, show that by strategically combining the above strategies and defining an appropriate set of optimization parameters, the overall workflow makespan can be improved by 3.5 orders of magnitude when compared to a regular (non-optimized) execution of the workflow.
A balancing act: racial disparities in cardiovascular disease mortality among women diagnosed with breast cancer.

Background The cardiotoxic effects of breast cancer therapies are well documented in clinical trials. However, clinical trials often underrepresent those at highest risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD)related outcomes and have limited generalizability to the larger breast cancer population. In addition, racial differences in treatment-associated CVD mortality have yet to be explored. In this study, we sought to quantify the relationship between breast cancer therapies and CVD mortality, and explore whether this effect differed between non-Hispanic black (NHB) and white (NHW) women. Methods Using data from the Georgia Cancer Registry, we identified women diagnosed with a first primary invasive breast cancer [2010-2014], residing in the metropolitan Atlanta area (n=3,580 NHB; n=4,923 NHW), and followed them for mortality through December 31, 2018. Exposures of interest included therapies with potential cardiotoxic effects including chemotherapy and hormone therapy, which are routinely collected by the GCR. Individual agents are not captured within the GCR, therefore trastuzumab was identified using natural language processing of textual descriptions. We used propensity score weighted Cox proportional hazards regression to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between each treatment modality and CVD mortality among the overall cohort and by race. Results In the overall cohort, similar hazards of CVD mortality were found among women treated with chemotherapy (HR =1.10, 95% CI: 0.62, 1.96) and hormone therapy (HR =0.94, 95% CI: 0.59, 1.50), compared to women who did not receive the respective treatments. In contrast, women treated with trastuzumab had a higher hazard of CVD mortality compared to women not treated with trastuzumab (HR =2.05, 95% CI: 0.76, 5.52). In race-specific models, hormone therapy was associated with a higher hazard of CVD mortality among NHB women (HR =2.18, 95% CI: 0.78, 6.12), but not NHW women (HR =0.66, 95% CI: 0.39, 1.13). Similar, albeit attenuated, associations were found for chemotherapy. We were unable to investigate race-specific effects of trastuzumab due to low prevalence and insufficient number of events. Conclusions In our study, we observed more pronounced associations of chemotherapy and hormone therapy with CVD mortality among NHB women, for whom we know have greater CVD-related comorbidities at breast cancer diagnosis. Patients may benefit from treatment plans that find a balance between curative breast cancer treatment and prevention of CVD-related events and mortality. CVD-related outcomes may be most relevant for women with hormone receptor positive disease due to shared risk factors (e.g., obesity, tobacco use, physical activity) and longer survival.
Humor and camera view on mobile short-form video apps influence user experience and technology-adoption intent, an example of TikTok (DouYin)

Abstract Mobile short-form videos on social media apps are increasingly popular. Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) theories may be extended to short-form video apps to understand and improve app user experience, as well as to persuade new technology-adoption. The present study examined the psychological responses and persuasive outcomes associated with short-form videos on a mobile social media app. In a 2 (low- V.S. high-level humor) X 2 (first- V.S. third-person view) between-subject experimental design, participants (N = 81) were randomly assigned one of the four sets of videos about smart homes; post-viewing, they filled out an online questionnaire. Results of ANCOVA demonstrated significant effects of videos' humor and camera view on the viewer perceptions of Immersion, Social Presence and Entertainment but not on Spatial Presence and Perceptual Realism: Humor had mixed effects on the interaction between users and the mobile app; the first-person camera view elevated viewers' Immersion, Social Presence, Entertainment. As a PROCESS mediation test showed, Social Presence mediated (by 56.78%) the indirect link between the level of humor getting from a video and the viewers’ post-viewing intent to adopt the technology depicted in the video. The study demonstrated values of extending HCI theories to mobile short-form video apps. Implications were discussed in terms of using appropriate humor and camera view for improving user experience and persuading serious agenda.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Cardiovascular Training Programs: Challenges, Responsibilities, and Opportunities.

The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has dramatically disrupted cardiovascular disease fellowship training. Significant reductions in cardiac volumes and simultaneous reassignment of physicians, including to COVID-19–centric services, have led to educational challenges in fellowship
Visual Perception: Human Brain Cells Cause a Change of View.

Summary Some images spontaneously change in appearance. A new study has found that these changes are reflected in high-level visual cortical areas before they become apparent in early sensory cortex. This suggests that visual information not only flows towards interpretative areas of our brain, but also in the reverse direction.
Smokeless Tobacco Point of Sale Advertising, Placement and Promotion: Associations With Store and Neighborhood Characteristics

Introduction: Objectives of this study were to determine retail and neighborhood characteristics associated with smokeless tobacco (ST) product promotion, price promotion, and storefront advertising among retailers in Oklahoma. Methods: In this statewide point-of-sale study, we collected data from 1,354 ST retailers. Using store characteristics and census tract information, we estimated summary statistics and adjusted prevalence ratios during 2019-2020. Results: Of ST retailers audited, 11.0% demonstrated ST youth promotion, 43.0% ST price promotions, and 19.6% ST storefront advertising. The adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) for convenience stores was higher for all three ST strategies: youth promotion (aPR = 3.4, 95% CI 1.9, 6.2), price promotion (aPR = 3.8, 95% CI 2.9, 5.0), and storefront advertising (aPR=16.4, 95% CI 6.7, 40.3) compared to other store types. Metropolitan tobacco retailers had higher aPRs for youth promotion (aPR = 1.7, 95% CI 1.12 2.6) and storefront advertising (aPR = 1.5, 95% CI 1.2, 1.9). Conclusions: Findings of this study suggest there are currently ample opportunities for youth and adults at risk for tobacco initiation to be exposed to ST products in the retail environment. Convenience stores, more likely to be found and utilized in rural areas compared to metropolitan areas, are disproportionately more likely to engage in marketing strategies that could lure youth into trying smokeless tobacco.
Estrogenic bias in T-Lymphocyte biology: Implications for cardiovascular disease

Gender bias in cardiovascular disease has been extensively documented in epidemiological and clinical studies. Despite this, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying these disparities between men and women are poorly understood. It is clear that physiological concentrations of estradiol, such as those present in pre-menopausal women, exert cardioprotective effects that are absent in men or in post-menopausal women. These cardioprotective effects, in part, are due to the estrogen receptor-mediated modulation of the immune system including T-cells. Estrogen receptors (ERs) are widely expressed in different T-cell subsets which are known to play an indispensable role in the progression of cardiovascular disease. Because T-cells can be polarized into several distinct subsets depending on the activation milieu, they can have many different, potentially opposing functions, and it is unclear what roles estrogen receptor signaling may play in mediating these functions. This is further complicated by the discrete and often antagonistic actions of different ERs on T-cell biology which dictate the balance between numerous ER-dependent signaling pathways. While myriad effects of estrogen in T-cells are relevant for many cardiovascular diseases, their widespread effects on several other (patho)physiological systems introduce several obstacles to understanding ER signaling and its precise effects on the immune system. This review aims to provide a more comprehensive summary of the mechanisms of estrogen receptor-mediated modulation of T-cell function, polarization, and cytokine production in the context of cardiovascular disease.
Workload- and User-aware Battery Lifetime Management for Mobile SoCs

Mobile devices have become an essential part of daily life with the increased computing capabilities and features. For battery powered devices, the user experience depends on both quality-of-service (QoS) and battery lifetime. Previous works have been proposed to balance QoS and battery lifetime of mobile devices; however, they often consider only the CPU. Additionally, they fail in considering the user's desired battery lifetime while having a high QoS variation, which undermine the user satisfaction. In this work, we propose a CPU-GPU workload- and user-aware battery lifetime management technique for mobile devices using machine learning. Firstly, we design a workload-aware governor through an offline and an online analysis. A set of CPU and GPU performance counters is used during the offline analysis to identify a set of canonical phases (CP). In runtime, k-means is used to classify each sample of the performance counters to one of the predefined CP. Afterwards, we build a model that predicts the energy consumption given the user usage history. Finally, the energy model is used to find the optimal frequency settings for the CPU and GPU to provide the best QoS while meeting the target battery lifetime. The evaluation of the proposed work against state of the art techniques in a commercial smartphone, shows 15.8% and 9.4% performance improvement on the CPU and GPU, respectively. The proposed technique also shows 10× improvement in QoS variation, while meeting the desired battery lifetime.