cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Longitudinal Relations of Intrusive Parenting and Effortful Control to Ego‐Resiliency During Early Childhood

Longitudinal relations among ego-resiliency (ER), effortful control (EC), and observed intrusive parenting were examined at 18, 30, and 42 months of age (Ns = 256, 230, and 210) using structural equation modeling. Intrusive parenting at 18 and 30 months negatively predicted EC a year later, over and above earlier levels. EC at 30 months mediated the negative relation between 18-month intrusive parenting and ER at 42 months when controlling for stability of the variables. ER did not predict EC. The findings suggest that intrusive parenting may have a negative effect on children's ego-resiliency through its effects on children's abilities to regulate attention and behavior.
Inhibitory Effect of an Anti-oxidant, Butylated Hydroxyanisole, on the Primary in Vitro Immune Response:

SummaryButylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), an anti-oxidant food additive, inhibited the primary in vitro antibody (PFC) response of C57B1/6 spleen cells to both a thymus-dependent antigen (SRBC) and a thymus-independent antigen (E. coli 0127:B8); the PFC response of athymic nude spleen cells to E. coli 0127:B8 was inhibited to the same degree. BHA inhibited both B- and T-lymphocyte function. BHA needed to be present only for the first 4 hr of culture to exert its inhibitory effect on the PFC response. DNA synthesis in C57B1/6, athymic nude, and T-cell mito-gen-induced C57B1/6 spleen cell cultures was inhibited by BHA; however, short-term exposure of cultures to BHA at certain PFC inhibitory concentrations resulted in stimulation of DNA synthesis. The mechanism of the inhibitory effect of BHA on the in vitro PFC response is unknown, but may possibly involve activation of regulatory cell activity. Certainly, the data warrant further study of the effect of this ubiquitous food additive on the immune response.
Performance of Vitek 2 for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of Enterobacteriaceae with Vitek 2 (2009 FDA) and 2014 CLSI Breakpoints

ABSTRACT Vitek 2 (bioMerieux Inc., Durham, NC) is a widely used commercial antimicrobial susceptibility test system. We compared the MIC results obtained using the Vitek 2 AST-GN69 and AST-XN06 cards to those obtained by CLSI broth microdilution (BMD) for 255 isolates of Enterobacteriaceae, including 25 isolates of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. In total, 25 antimicrobial agents were examined. For 10 agents, the MIC data were evaluated using two sets of breakpoints: (i) the Vitek 2 breakpoints, which utilized the 2009 FDA breakpoints at the time of the study and are equivalent to the 2009 CLSI M100-S19 breakpoints, and (ii) the 2014 CLSI M100-S24 breakpoints. There was an overall 98.7% essential agreement (EA). The categorical agreement was 95.5% (CA) using the Vitek 2 breakpoints and 95.7% using the CLSI breakpoints. There was 1 very major error (VME) (0.05%) observed using the Vitek 2 breakpoints (cefazolin) and 8 VMEs (0.5%) using the CLSI breakpoints (2 each for aztreonam, cefepime, and ceftriaxone, and 1 for cefazolin and ceftazidime). Fifteen major errors (MEs) (0.4%) were noted using the Vitek 2 breakpoints and 8 (0.5%) using the CLSI breakpoints. Overall, the Vitek 2 performance was comparable to that of BMD for testing a limited number of Enterobacteriaceae commonly isolated by clinical laboratories. Ongoing studies are warranted to assess performance in isolates with emerging resistance.
Accumulation of Serial Forces on TCR and CD8 Frequently Applied by Agonist Antigenic Peptides Embedded in MHC Molecules Triggers Calcium in T Cells

T cell activation by Ag is one of the key events in adaptive immunity. It is triggered by interactions of the TCR and coreceptor (CD8 or CD4) with antigenic peptides embedded in MHC (pMHC) molecules expressed on APCs. The mechanism of how signal is initiated remains unclear. In this article, we complement our two-dimensional kinetic analysis of TCR-pMHC-CD8 interaction with concurrent calcium imaging to examine how ligand engagement of TCR with and without the coengagement of CD8 initiates signaling. We found that accumulation of frequently applied forces on the TCR via agonist pMHC triggered calcium, which was further enhanced by CD8 cooperative binding. Prolonging the intermission between sequential force applications impaired calcium signals. Our data support a model where rapid accumulation of serial forces on TCR-pMHC-CD8 bonds triggers calcium in T cells.
Surgical management of intermittent exotropia with high AC/A ratio.

Abstract Background: A subgroup of patients with intermittent exotropia have a high AC/A ratio, which places them at risk for esotropia at near after surgical treatment of their distance deviation. Methods: A retrospective review of six patients with intermittent exotropia and a high AC/A ratio who were simultaneously treated with lateral rectus recessions to fully correct their exotropia at distance and placement of posterior fixation sutures on both medial rectus muscles in hopes of preventing an esotropia at near after surgery. Results: Despite the persistence of a high postoperative AC/A ratio as assessed by the gradient method, five of six patients achieved stable postoperative alignment at distance and near without bifocals. One patient required postoperative bifocal correction for intermittent esotropia at near. Conclusion: In patients with intermittent exotropia and a high AC/A ratio, posterior fixation of the medial rectus muscles at the time of lateral rectus recessions enables the surgeon to fully correct the distance deviation and minimizes the risk of postoperative esotropia at near.
The Alpha/Beta Interferon Receptor Provides Protection against Influenza Virus Replication but Is Dispensable for Inflammatory Response Signaling

The innate immune response provides the first line of defense against foreign pathogens by responding to molecules that are a signature of a pathogenic infection. Certain RNA viruses, such as influenza virus, produce double-stranded RNA as an intermediate during the replication life cycle, which activates pathogen recognition receptors capable of inducing interferon production. By engaging interferon receptors, interferon activates the JAK-STAT pathway and results in the positive feedback of interferon production, amplifying the response to viral infection. To examine how deficiencies in interferon signaling affect the cellular response to infection, we performed influenza virus infections of mouse embryonic fibroblasts lacking the alpha/beta interferon receptor, the gamma interferon receptor, or both. In the absence of the alpha/beta interferon receptor, we observed increased viral replication but decreased activation of PKR, Stat1, and NF-κB; the presence or absence of the gamma interferon receptor did not exhibit discernible differences in these readouts. Analysis of gene expression profiles showed that while cells lacking the alpha/beta interferon receptor exhibited decreased levels of transcription of antiviral genes, genes related to inflammatory and apoptotic responses were transcribed to levels similar to those of cells containing the receptor. These results indicate that while the alpha/beta interferon receptor is needed to curb viral replication, it is dispensable for the induction of certain inflammatory and apoptotic genes. We have identified potential pathways, via interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) activation or Hoxa13 , Polr2a , Nr4a1 , or Ing1 induction, that contribute to this redundancy. This study illustrates another way in which the host has evolved to establish several overlapping mechanisms to respond to viral infections.
Indications and Application of Epidural Anesthesia in a Pediatric Population Outside The Perioperative Period

The techniques of spinal and epidural anesthesia have been key components of anesthetic care for the past 100 years. Although commonly used in the operating room, their use in children outside the perioperative period has been limited. The author presents his experience with the use of epidural anesthesia to provide analgesia in five children when parenteral narcotics were ineffective in treating pain associated with burns, sickle cell crisis, trauma, and malignancies. Additionally, the principles and adverse effects of epidural anesthesia are discussed.
OI-B-2

AIMS Assessment of renal function in pregnancy currently requires a 24-hour urine creatinine clearance (CrCl). This study compared the Cockcroft & Gault estimation with the measured CrCl in pregnant women. The 24-hour CrCl was also compared to shorter collection intervals. METHODS This is a prospective, cohort study of pregnant women admitted to the antepartum service at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Urine was collected in 3 sequential intervals: 2, 6 and 16 hours. Data included: height, weight, age, ethnicity, obstetrical and medical history and serum creatinine. A 24-hour measured CrCl was calculated from the pooled collections and using Pearson's correlation compared to the Cockcroft & Gault estimation using ideal body weight and actual body weight. Using ANOVA, the 24-hour CrCl was also compared to the clearances in the shorter collections. RESULTS Of the 71 women enrolled, 63 completed the study. The calculated CrCl using actual body weight was a better approximation for measured CrCl than ideal body weight (r = .738 and .591, respectively, P=0.01). Substituting a correction factor of .8 rather than .85 in the formula with actual body weight improved the percentage of women with estimated clearances within 20% of measured (70.4% vs 46%). The 2-hour collection significantly overestimated CrCl compared to the other collection intervals (P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS The Cockcroft & Gault calculation using actual body weight and a correction factor of .8 reliably estimates CrCl in the pregnant patient. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2005) 79, P2–P2; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2005.12.007
Kinetics of tweed and twin formation during an ordering transition in a substitutional solid solution

Abstract A kinetic model based on the theory of strain-induced interactions is developed to describe the effect of elastic strain on structural transformation kinetics. An ordering transition resulting in a reduction in the crystal lattice point-group symmetry in a substitutional solid solution is considered. Our computer simulation of a two-dimensional model binary alloy revealed the detailed kinetics of formation of tweed morphologies and the tweed → twin coarsening process driven by the transformation-induced elastic strains.
Associations between intensity of child welfare involvement and child development among young children in child welfare.

Objective To examine developmental and behavioral status of children in child welfare (CW) over time, by intensity of CW involvement using a national probability sample.
Increased pathology in lungs of mice after infection with an alpha-crystallin mutant of Mycobacterium tuberculosis: changes in cathepsin proteases and certain cytokines

Latency and reactivation are a significant problem that contributes to the incidence, transmission and pathogenesis of tuberculosis. The mechanisms involved in these processes, at the level of both the bacillus and the host, are poorly understood. In Mycobacterium tuberculosis the α-crystallin (acr) gene has been linked to latency, because it is highly expressed during hypoxic growth conditions. Deletion of the acr gene in M. tuberculosis H37Rv (Δacr strain) was previously shown to reduce the intracellular growth of bacilli in macrophages; however, its impact on pathogenesis in vivo was unknown. This study demonstrated that infection of C57BL6 mice with Δacr results in lung bacillary loads 1-2 log units higher in comparison to parental H37Rv. Haematoxylin/eosin staining of lungs revealed exacerbated pathology characterized by extensive obliteration of alveolar air spaces by granulomatous inflammation. RT-PCR analysis and immunostaining of lungs showed that infection with either H37Rv or Δacr results in the differential expression of lysosomal cathepsin proteases. A slight increase in the expression of the matrix-degrading acidic-type cathepsins B, D and H was noted in Δacr-infected mice and was associated with clusters of macrophages within lung granulomas. Δacr-infected mice also showed high serum levels of TNF-α, IFN-γ and G-CSF, suggesting that Acr may play a role in modulating the host response to infection.
Quantitative Evaluation of the Adaptation of Dental Amalgam into Line Angles

Amalgam adaptation into axial line angles was investigated. Split metal dies, providing line angles of 30°, 45°, 60°, and 90°, were used to prepare the specimens. The area of discrepancy between the packed amalgam and test line angles was measured. Adaptation improved significantly as the degree of line angle increased.
Eigenvalue-eigenvector solutions for two general markov models in reliability

Abstract Markov models for a general availability model and for a general relibility model are described. Each model represents a system composed of components having independent, constant failure rates, and in the case of the availability model, independent, constant repair rates. Solutions to the respective sets of differential equations are given in terms of the eigenvalues, eigenvectors and arbitrary initial conditions of the systems. The eigenvalues, eigenvector matrices, and inverse eigenvector matrices are given in analytic expressions.
Task-level learning: experiments and extensions

Results obtained from experiments with task-level learning are described. The main idea of task-level learning is that a given task can be viewed as an input-output system driven by a vector of input variables or commands and responding with a vector of output variables or performance indicators. This formulation allows the application of powerful numerical methods to problems at a high-level of performance measurement: the task level. Task-level learning is studied as a paradigm than may help to program machines to learn from experience in order to: (1) perform a task better over time, (2) optimize task performance, and (3) generalize knowledge over tasks. Some extensions to the paradigm are explored. A refined model learning scheme is presented. Simulation experiments are performed to test the effects of different inverse models, different learning schemes, and different learning intervals. A framework for dealing with tasks that inherently try to minimize or maximize performance is presented. >
Strategic Decision-Making In the Emerging Field Of E-commerce

Electronic commerce is changing the traditional way of doing business and furthermore the growth of the Internet is creating new opportunities for business. This paper discusses how the nature of electronic commerce affects strategic decision-making. First, some features of electronic commerce are identified that distinguish it from traditional business - new markets and knowledge-based competition. This is followed by a review of literature on the theoretical background of e-commerce an academic consideration on what are e-commerce strategies. This paper then introduces some of the most common strategic tools used in decision –making, concepts for creating competitive advantage and value chains. Porter’s Value Chain Theory, Five Forces Model is examined in the emerging world of e-commerce, as well as generic competitive strategies.
Response of Herpetofaunal Communities to Forest Cutting and Burning at Chesapeake Farms, Maryland1

Abstract The distribution and abundance of amphibians and reptiles in forest stands subjected to salvage cutting and prescribed burning were compared with their unmanaged counterparts. The study was conducted on the Atlantic coastal plain at Chesapeake Farms near Chestertown, Maryland. Three herpetofaunal trapping arrays were systematically located in each of four forest stand types: hardwood (Hardwood), cut-over hardwood (Cut), mixed pine-hardwood (Pine) and prescribed burn pine (Burn). A total of 3931 individuals representing 29 species were captured in 30,540 trap nights during the spring and summer 1992 and 1993. Felling of hardwoods and prescribed burning of pine resulted in similar responses from the herpetofaunal communitites; Hardwood had the most distinctive herpetofaunal community of the four stands. Adults and young-of-the-year (YOY) of six amphibian species were significantly more abundant in Hardwood than Cut. Only one amphibian species, Pseudacris triseriata, was less abundant in Hardwood th...
Bridge damage localization through modified curvature method

In this paper, a systematic methodology for identifying damages in bridges is presented, which includes the baseline calibration through field testing data, damage simulation and identification, and an in-lab experimental verification of the model. Using the test data from an incompletely documented bridge 09-125-16 in Cass County North Dakota, a Grillage numerical model has been first created to simulate the bridge responses due to traffic loads, with the purpose to find an accurate baseline data. Through adjustment of boundary stiffness, a validated bridge model, matching the field test data, has been developed. Based on the chosen validated numerical model, numerical simulation of the corresponding bridge under different damage scenarios and traffic loads has been performed. Using the difference of the displacement mode shape data, a modified curvature method is suggested for identifying damages in bridges, which has been proven successful through the modeling results of bridges with fictitious damages. Following the numerical model development, an in-lab experiment of a steel plate with and without damages under impact forces has been adopted to produce vibration data through an accelerometer. The modified curvature has been then computed using the experimental mode shape data and its change has been found to correlate very well with the embedded damage as anticipated by the suggested theory.
International Hydrological Decade Program Abroad

Advancement of hydrology and improvement in its application will aid rational management of water for human benefit throughout the world. Eighty nations are cooperating for that purpose in an International Hydrological Decade. UNESCO and other United Nations agencies, aided by scientific associations, are catalyzing and coordinating the program, which began in January 1965. Activities cover a wide spectrum, ranging from specific topical research to observation and analysis of global hydrological phenomena. The program emphasizes education and training to alleviate a critical world shortage of hydrologists. Program projects will also alleviate a shortage of water data for two-thirds of the world’s land area. This will contribute to the development of improved water supplies and increased food production in underdeveloped areas.
Application: Graph Theory

Graph theory is a branch of combinatorics that specializes in modeling relationships between objects. For instance, the objects may be individuals and they are related if they are acquainted. As a second example, suppose that our objects are airports. We would say that two airports are related if there is a direct flight from one to the other. As a final example, consider the shipping network of a company. The objects in question may be the warehouses in the network. Two warehouses are related if they ship from to one another. As we see from these examples, graph theory has numerous applications in communications, transportation, and computer science.
Debris Falls at the Front of Arapaho Rock Glacier, Colorado Front Range, U.S.A.

Debris falls at the front of Arapaho rock glacier in Colorado Front Range are identified by photography from a monumented photo site over a 9-year period, 1961–1970. Volume of debris fallen gives a...
Interfertility and comparative morphological studies of Exidiopsis plumbescens from the west coast

Single basidospore isolates were obtained from 16 collections of Exidiopsis plumbescens from northern California, western Washington, and the vicinity of Vancouver, British Co? lumbia, Canada. Intracollection matings indicate a bifactorial compatibility pattern; intercollection matings were all interfertile except those with common B factors. Thirty-two A factors and 27 B factors were identified. No evidence was obtained of nuclear migration in A^B^ matings; evidently the dikaryon is formed only in the contact zones of compatible crosses. A^=B= crosses resulted in a relatively unstable heterokaryon with false clamps, binucleate, terminal hyphal segments, and uninucleate, subterminal segments. Both A=B^ and A=B= crosses yielded hyphae with simple septa and, predominately, uninucleate, hyphal segments. The 28 specimens studied in detail, including the 16 used in the interfertility studies, varied in macroscopic aspect when collected and when dried, thickness of basidocarp, morphology and size of basidia, and size of basidiospores. Exidiopsis plumbescens occurs on a variety of decaying woods, but all verifiable records were from woody, angiosperm species. The means of the length and width of the basidiospores formed a linear relationship. No consistent correlations were observed in the larger samples between basidiospore size or morphology and substrate or collection site. The dimensions ofthe spores ofthe collections used in the interfertility tests were evenly distributed throughout the range of spore sizes. Interfertility and traditional morphological studies provide a basis for determining the interbreeding populations (i.e., species) of some taxa ofthe saprobic Heterobasidiomycetes.
long-term Exposure to Lifelong Therapies

Three categories of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)-associated major toxic effects have been identified: nucleoside-related toxic effects (e.g., neuropathy, myopathy, pancreatitis, hepatic steatosis, lactic acidosis, and possibly lipoatrophy), metabolic complications (e.g., fat redistribution, insulin resistance, and hyperlipidemia), and bone disease (e.g., osteopenia and/or osteoporosis). The toxic effects caused by nucleosides are hypothesized to be a result of mitochondrial injury and include myopathy, pancreatitis, liver failure, and lactic acidosis. Alterations in lactic acid metabolism range from common instances of asymptomatic lactic acidemia to rare occurrences of life-threatening lactic acidosis with hepatic steatosis. A metabolic syndrome consisting of lipodystrophy (i.e., fat redistribution), hyperlipidemia and insulin resistance has been observed, particularly with protease inhibitor treatment. Some additive interaction between protease inhibitors and nucleosides has also been described. The potential relationship of these metabolic abnormalities to increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes has broad implications on long-term patient management. Lipodystrophy associated with HAART is generally accompanied by potentially serious abnormalities, including dyslipidemia (i.e., hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia) and altered glucose metabolism (i.e., insulin resistance). Regimens of HAART may have adverse effects on bone metabolism, as indicated by emerging reports of osteopenia, osteoporosis, and avascular necrosis.
P2-08-01: Impact of Aromatase Inhibitors on Background Parenchymal Enhancement and Amount of Fibroglandular Tissue on Breast MRI.

Background: On breast MRI, background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) and volume of fibroglandular tissue (FGT) have been shown to reflect a patient9s hormonal status. Tamoxifen has been shown to reduce mammographic breast density and may serve as an early predictor of response in the prevention setting (Cuzick, JNCI 2011). We have shown that adjuvant tamoxifen can reduce BPE in the unaffected breast in women with breast cancer. We hypothesize that aromatase inhibitor (AI) induced endocrine changes in breast tissue should also be evident and therefore we performed a study to evaluate whether adjuvant AI therapy influences BPE or amount of FGT in the contralateral breast. Methods: An electronic medical record review identified 856 postmenopausal women with stage I-III breast cancer who had at least two breast MRIs and took adjuvant AI treatment. A retrospective chart review was conducted to select those patients without a history of prior tamoxifen or raloxifene treatment who had a MRI of the contralateral breast both before and during 6 to 12 months of AI treatment. After exclusion of all irradiated breasts, 168 women were eligible. MRIs were performed between August 1999 and June 2010. Two radiologists who were blind to AI treatment status, independently rated level of BPE and amount of FGT using categorical scales: BPE — Minimal, Mild, Moderate, Marked; FGT — Fatty, Scattered, Heterogeneously Dense, Dense (based on proposed BIRADS criteria for BPE and on ACR criteria for FGT). Blinded side-by-side direct comparison evaluated whether there was a category change between the two MRIs. A consensus was reached in cases of disagreement. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to assess changes in rating categories for BPE and FGT between before and during AI breast MRIs. A waiver of authorization was granted by the institutional review board for this study. Results: In this study 127/168 (76%) women were treated with anastrozole, 33/168 (20%) with letrozole and 8/168 (5%) with exemestane. Based on the blinded side-by-side comparison, a category (or more) decrease in BPE occurred during treatment with AIs (p Conclusions: After 6 to 12 months of treatment with adjuvant AIs, there was a statistically significant category (or more) decrease in BPE. BPE is more sensitive than FGT to changes in normal breast stroma that occur during adjuvant treatment with AIs and BPE may be a marker of anti-hormonal activity in the breasts. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-08-01.
Beyond Moral Idealism

To an increasing number of people the idea that a religion which means to be something more than an heroic moral idealism has any significant place in the modern world seems open to grave doubts. Moreover, a large body of traditional metaphysical doctrines and systems are being subjected to much the same sort of criticism which religion is called upon to face. Three general arguments are used to show that both traditional religion and traditional metaphysics are no longer able to do what clear thinking and enlightened practice demand.
Estrogen and Progesterone Receptors of Human Endometrial Cells in Vivo and in Vitro : Comparative Results of Radiochemical and Histochemical Assays

AbstractOncopathologists have been developing histochemical methods of sex steroid receptor determination, essential in therapy selection in breast cancer, based on the binding of labeled hormone to receptor. We have applied the fluorescent hormones available commercially from Lee to endometrium. Our purpose was to compare biochemical and histochemical results, both in fresh tissue and in endometrial tissue cultures. We wished to examine the ability of the technique to determine subcellular localization of hormone binding and to trace the hormone-receptor pathway to the chromatin. Eleven fresh normal endometrial specimens, in culture for 3 months, were used for the determination of receptors. As a control we also used cells from 4 human carcinoma cell lines. In fresh tissue, histological patterns were similar to those described in breast cancer but there was little correlation with radiochemical values. In cultured cells also, there was no similarity between the two techniques. Morphologically the labeled...
Blunt traumatic infrarenal aortic intimal flap progressing to pseudoaneurysm over 3 months.

Blunt traumatic infrarenal aortic injuries are unusual, and the formation of a delayed pseudoaneurysm of the aorta is even more rare. In this report, a young woman developed a small intimal flap of the infrarenal aorta after a motor vehicle accident which progressed into a 3 cm pseudoaneurysm after 3 months. Operative repair was successful and the patient recovered. This case illustrates the importance of repeat imaging of small blunt aortic injuries since progression can occur.
The Effects of Using Response Cards on Student Participation, Academic Achievement, and On-Task Behavior During Whole-Class, Math Instruction

This study evaluated the effects of using response cards during whole-group math instruction in a fourth-grade classroom, using an ABA research design. During both A and B conditions the classroom teacher conducted her math lessons as planned. However during the A conditions, hand-raising (HR) was in effect. That is, when the teacher asked a question she instructed the students to raise their hands and after each question she called on one student whose hand was raised. During the B condition, response cards (RC) were in effect. Whenever she asked a question, the teacher instructed the entire class to write their answers on individual response cards. After each question, the teacher instructed the entire class to hold up their RC. Data were collected on five students who represented the class range in general level of participation, academic skills, and on-task behavior. Results indicated that student participation, specifically the number of student-initiated opportunities to respond and the number of student responses were higher when using RC than when HR was in effect. Students scored higher on the weekly math quiz after the RC condition than after the HR conditions. The percentage of intervals that students were on-task also was higher when RC were used.
Neurology of language.

A host of recent investigations and new theoretical models have advanced our understanding of the neural underpinnings of speech and language in humans. The application of positron emission tomography (PET) techniques to the investigation of language has provided corroborating evidence regarding the role of left hemisphere structures previously associated with language, together with some intriguing new findings. Innovative ideas regarding the ontogeny of language have come from studies of deaf infants who appear to babble with signs in much the same way that hearing infants babble vocally. A number of investigators have focused on the controversial syndrome known as progressive aphasia, and new evidence has supported the importance of this syndrome from both diagnostic (e.g. providing clues regarding neuropathology) and scientific (e.g. yielding information about the organization of lexical access structures in left temporal lobe) perspectives.
Lipid Cross-Linking of Nanolipoprotein Particles Substantially Enhances Serum Stability and Cellular Uptake

Nanolipoprotein particles (NLPs) consist of a discoidal phospholipid lipid bilayer confined by an apolipoprotein belt. NLPs are a promising platform for a variety of biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility, size, definable composition, and amphipathic characteristics. However, poor serum stability hampers the use of NLPs for in vivo applications such as drug formulation. In this study, NLP stability was enhanced upon the incorporation and subsequent UV-mediated intermolecular cross-linking of photoactive DiynePC phospholipids in the lipid bilayer, forming cross-linked nanoparticles (X-NLPs). Both the concentration of DiynePC in the bilayer and UV exposure time significantly affected the resulting X-NLP stability in 100% serum, as assessed by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) of fluorescently labeled particles. Cross-linking did not significantly impact the size of X-NLPs as determined by dynamic light scattering and SEC. X-NLPs had essentially no degradation over 48 h in 100% serum, which is a drastic improvement compared to non-cross-linked NLPs (50% degradation by ∼10 min). X-NLPs had greater uptake into the human ATCC 5637 bladder cancer cell line compared to non-cross-linked particles, indicating their potential utility for targeted drug delivery. X-NLPs also exhibited enhanced stability following intravenous administration in mice. These results collectively support the potential utility of X-NLPs for a variety of in vivo applications.
Determinants of housing quality: A comparison of white, African-American, and Hispanic single-parent women

This study examines housing quality among three groups of single-parent women: white, African-American, and Hispanic. Three indicators of housing quality—crowding, affordability, and satisfaction—are used to discover the extent to which these groups experience housing problems. This study also explores differences and similarities in the factors that precipitate problems in housing quality for these three groups of single parents. Findings suggest important differences and similarities in the nature of housing quality problems among white, African-American, and Hispanic single-parent women. The specified variables explained about 20% of the variance in crowding, housing affordability, and housing satisfaction. On measures of objective and subjective housing quality, white single mothers are better housed than their African-American or Hispanic counterparts. Hispanic single mothers have the largest housing cost burden and average more persons per household than the other groups. African-Americans are twice as likely as either group to live in low-quality housing and reported the lowest average satisfaction with their housing.
Helping for Change.

You have been worrying about global warming and wanting to change some ways in which you contribute to it. But you continue to add too much carbon to the atmosphere—when you heat or cool your house, drive your car, or purchase goods. A long chain of responses is required to get from a state of concern to new habits, and you've found yourself stuck, doing things as you always have. Consider this: Helping another person can be a powerful method for changing your own behavior. To begin the process, seek occasions to help another change in a way consistent with your goals.
Network Analysis and Applications in Pediatric Research

Networks, where nodes denote entities and links denote associations, provide a unified representation for a variety of complex systems, from social relationships to molecular interactions. In an era of big data, network analysis has been proved useful in biological applications such as predicting functions of proteins, guiding the design of wet-lab experiments, and discovering biomarkers of diseases. Driven by the availability of large-scale data sets and rapid development of bioinformatics’ tools, the research community has applied network analysis to define underlying causes of pediatric diseases. This will almost certainly lead to more effective strategies for prevention and treatment of diseases. In this chapter, we will introduce classic and the state-of-the-art network analysis methodologies, approaches and their applications. We then provide four examples of recent research, where network analysis is being applied in pediatrics. These include the identification of high-density lipoprotein particles that underlie the development of cardiovascular disease using protein-protein interaction networks, alternative splicing analysis by splicing interaction network, construction and network analysis of pediatric brain functional atlas, and disease relationship exploration using diagnosis association networks constructed by electronic health record.
Germline Genetic Predisposition to Hematologic Malignancy

Development of hematologic malignancies is driven by mutations that may be somatic or germline. Availability of next-generation DNA sequencing technologies has facilitated the development of individualized diagnostic evaluations and tailored treatment strategies. Until now, such personalized medical approaches have largely centered on prognostic stratification and treatment strategies informed by acquired somatic mutations. The role of germline mutations in children and adults with hematologic malignancies was previously underappreciated. Diagnosis of an inherited predisposition to hematologic malignancy informs choice of therapy, risk of treatment-related complications, donor selection for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, evaluation of comorbidities, and surveillance strategies to improve clinical outcomes. The recognition that patients with inherited hematologic malignancy syndromes may present without classic clinical stigmata or suspicious family history has led to increased reliance on genetic testing, which, in turn, has raised new diagnostic challenges. Genomic testing is a rapidly evolving field with an increasing number of choices for testing for the practicing clinician to navigate. This review will discuss general approaches to diagnosis and management of patients with germline predisposition to hematology malignancies and will consider applications and limitations of genomic testing in clinical practice.
PrIA: A Private Intelligent Assistant

Personalized services such as news recommendations are becoming an integral part of our digital lives. The problem is that they extract a steep cost in terms of privacy. The service providers collect and analyze user's personal data to provide the service, but can infer sensitive information about the user in the process. In this work we ask the question "How can we provide personalized news recommendation without sharing sensitive data with the provider?"We propose a local private intelligence assistance framework (PrIA), which collects user data and builds a profile about the user and provides recommendations, all on the user's personal device. It decouples aggregation and personalization: it uses the existing aggregation services on the cloud to obtain candidate articles but makes the personalized recommendations locally. Our proof-of-concept implementation and small scale user study shows the feasibility of a local news recommendation system. In building a private profile, PrIA avoids sharing sensitive information with the cloud-based recommendation service. However, the trade-off is that unlike cloud-based services, PrIA cannot leverage collective knowledge from large number of users. We quantify this trade-off by comparing PrIA with Google's cloud-based recommendation service. We find that the average precision of PrIA's recommendation is only 14% lower than that of Google's service. Rather than choose between privacy or personalization, this result motivates further study of systems that can provide both with acceptable trade-offs.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' readmission reports inaccurately describe an institution's decompensated heart failure admissions.

Hospitals typically use Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP) administrative reports as the standard of heart failure (HF) admission quantification. We aimed to evaluate the HF admission population identified by CMS HRRP definition of HF hospital admissions compared with a clinically based HF definition. We evaluated all hospital admissions at an academic medical center over 16 months in patients with Medicare fee-for service benefits and age ≥65 years. We compared the CMS HRRP HF definition against an electronic HF identification algorithm. Admissions identified solely by the CMS HF definition were manually reviewed by HF providers. Admissions confirmed with having decompensated HF as the primary problem by manual review or by the HF ID algorithm were deemed "HF positive," whereas those refuted were "HF negative." Of the 1672 all-cause admissions evaluated, 708 (42%) were HF positive. The CMS HF definition identified 440 admissions: sensitivity (54%), specificity (94%), positive predictive value (87%), negative predictive value (74%). The CMS HF definition missed 324 HF admissions because of inclusion/exclusion criteria (15%) and decompensated HF being a secondary diagnosis (85%). The CMS HF definition falsely identified 56 admissions as HF. The most common admission reasons in this cohort included elective pacemaker or defibrillator implantations (n = 13), noncardiac dyspnea (n = 9), left ventricular assist device complications (n = 8), and acute coronary syndrome (n = 6). The CMS HRRP HF report is a poor representation of an institution's HF admissions because of limitations in administrative coding and the HRRP HF report inclusion/exclusion criteria.
The Challenges of Idealized Mothering: Marginalized Mothers Living With Postpartum

Being a good mother is the highest calling for many women. However, the demands of being a “good mother” can be stressful, especially during pregnancy and the first 2 years postpartum. For many low...
Differential effects of α4β2 nicotinic receptor antagonists and partial-agonists on contextual fear extinction in male C57BL/6 mice.

Numerous studies have attributed the psychopathology of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to maladaptive behavioral responses such as an inability to extinguish fear. While exposure therapies are mostly effective in treating these disorders by enhancing extinction learning, relapse of PTSD symptoms is common. Although several studies indicated a role for cholinergic transmission and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in anxiety and stress disorder symptomatology, very little is known about the specific contribution of nAChRs to fear extinction In the present study, we examined the effects of inhibition and desensitization of α4β2 nAChRs via a full antagonist (Dihydro-beta-erythroidine (DhβE)) and two α4β2 nAChR partial-agonists (varenicline and sazetidine-A) on contextual fear extinction, locomotor activity, and spontaneous recovery of contextual fear in mice. We trained and tested the subjects in a contextual fear extinction as well as an open field paradigm and spontaneous recovery following injections of DhβE, varenicline, and sazetidine-A. Our results demonstrated that lower doses of DhβE (1 mg/kg) and sazetidine-A (0.01 mg/kg) enhanced contextual fear extinction whereas higher doses of varenicline (0.1 mg/kg) and sazetidine-A (0.1 mg/kg) resulted in impaired contextual fear extinction. However, the higher dose of sazetidine-A (0.1 mg/kg) decreased locomotor activity, which may contribute to increased freezing response observed during fear extinction. Finally, we found that the low dose of DhβE, but not sazetidine-A, also decreased spontaneous recovery of contextual fear following fear extinction. Overall, these results suggest that inhibition and desensitization of α4β2 nAChRs enhance extinction of contextual fear memories. This suggests that modulation of α4β2 nAChRs may be employed as an alternative pharmacological strategy to aid exposure therapies associated with PTSD by augmenting contextual fear extinction processes.
From Corpo Economicus to Corpo Sapiens

One image of the corporation animates the fields of corporate law and corporate governance both discursively and practically: The corporation is an institution that exists to facilitate the pursuit of a reasonably simple objective—to maximize wealth (i.e. profits) through the correct means (i.e. efficient ones). By and large, the law reifies and perpetuates this image by creating strictures that facilitate its perceived advantages and mitigate its perceived dangers. However, practice has shown that this foundational principle is not always or necessarily consistent with real world experience. This article explores this disconnect.
Intergenerational transmission of child abuse and neglect: Effects of maltreatment type and depressive symptoms

Abstract Parental history of childhood maltreatment victimization is a widely studied risk factor for child maltreatment perpetration, a process referred to as the intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment (ITCM). Using a sample of mothers receiving welfare in Illinois, we examined how maternal history of physical abuse and neglect was associated with perpetration of physical abuse and neglect against mothers' own children. In addition, we investigated whether the mediating effects of depressive symptoms on ITCM differ by subtype of maltreatment using PROCESS Macro analyses as developed by Hayes (2017).We found that maternal physical abuse history increased the risk of offspring physical abuse and neglect; maternal neglect history was associated with offspring neglect only. In addition, we found that mothers' depressive symptoms mediated the associations of neglect and physical abuse victimization with perpetration of physical abuse; depressive symptoms did not explain any aspect of neglect perpetration.
The Prevention of Alcohol Problems

Although concern over the prevention of alcohol problems has a long history, evaluative research regarding such effects is of more recent vintage. In effect, the post-prohibition era shifted the focus of social concern from alcohol per se to the individual with alcohol problems, individuals said to be predisposed and afflicted with the disease of alcoholism. Consequently, the major emphasis in the alcohol field became treatment. The formation and subsequent reports of the Cooperative Commission on the Study of Alcoholism (Plaut, 1967; Wilkinson, 1970) emerged later as a major prevention landmark. The members of this commission, who represented various professions and disciplines, examined the many social and developmental influences on alcohol problems from a broad perspective. The commission’s observation and resultant recommendations essentially constituted a programmatic social plan for reducing the country’s drinking problems. It is no small tribute that many of their specific proposals for prevention found their way into the early activities of the then newly formed National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). The overriding them of a need for change in alcohol-related attitudes and social norms, with a particular emphasis on the preventive value of education, characterizes the literature of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Changes in distribution and licensing were seen as important ways of modifying key social attitudes.
Linear Comparison Methods for Nonlinear Composites

Recently developed methods for estimating the effective behavior of nonlinear composites are reviewed. The methods follow from variational principles expressing the effective behavior of the given nonlinear composites in terms of the behavior of suitably chosen “linear comparison” composites. This allows the use of classical bounds and estimates (e.g., Hashin-Shtrikman, self consistent approximations) for linear materials to generate corresponding bounds and estimates for nonlinear ones. The first method (Ponte Castaneda 1991) makes use of the “secant” moduli of the phases, evaluated at the second moments of the strain field over the phases, and delivers bounds, but these bounds are exact only to first order in the heterogeneity contrast. The second method (Ponte Castaneda 1996) makes use of the “tangent” moduli, evaluated at the phase averages (or first moments) of the strain field, and yields estimates that are exact to second-order in the contrast, but that can violate the bounds in some special cases. These special cases turn out to correspond to situations, such as percolation phenomena, where field fluctuations become important. The third method (Ponte Castaneda 2002) delivers estimates that are exact to second order in the contrast, making use of “generalized secant” moduli incorporating both first- and second-moment information, in such a way that the bounds are never violated.