cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
P105 Laboratory staffing retention: A retrospective study

Introduction Experienced personnel are a laboratory’s greatest asset. Several management strategies have been applied over the years to retain staff including a 5 tier promotion structure, salary adjustments, professional development, meeting attendance, and research opportunities. The study aim was to determine if the promotion strategy has been effective and if a 3–4 year staff retention is cost effective. Method Employee longevity, reasons for leaving, position at time of resignation, and promotion data were compiled for the past 15.5 years. Pre-employment expense calculations included salaries spent on screening, interviewing, and administrative processing. Employee training costs were determined by the non-productive time the trainee spent over the training period, trainer’s time, and reagent costs. Results Fifty-seven employees were hired during the study period with a loss of 3.6 individuals per year. Five individuals (9%) did not pass probationary period. The median of Upper Management retention was 16.9 years. The median years of service was slightly higher for current versus past Middle Managers (7.1 and 6 years respectively) but was slightly lower for current versus past Technologist (1.5 and 1.9 years respectively). The total cost to hire and train one Technologist is 42,749. Staff turnover equals a yearly expense of 153,898. Staff loss was largely due to career changes. Past Middle Managers and Technologists stayed in the HLA field at a similar rate (40% and 41% respectively). Conclusion Promotion opportunities have allowed retention of Upper and Middle Managers, with skill sets needed for a high complexity lab serving multiple transplant centers with high risk patients. Bachelor of Science graduates are hired in higher proportion than Medical Technologists, which may account for the turnover due to career change. Training costs were recovered within the first year; however, a 3–4 year retention goal may be more realistic to balance the non-quantified opportunity costs of constant training. Download : Download high-res image (130KB) Download : Download full-size image
SA protocols for investigating sudden deaths in-custody associated with excited delirium and positional asphyxia

A a small number of individuals suddenly die after a physical force altercation with police, correctional, or mental health personnel. The person exhibits bizarre, violent, and combative behaviors frequently related to chemical impairment, symptoms of mental impairment or both. A central problem in these deaths is identifying the exact cause of death. As a result numerous questions emerge which will be directed at the restraining officers, their department, and medico-legal investigators. Because these incidents will generate civil and/or criminal charges against the restraining personnel, this presentation identifies protocols for conducting sudden in-custody deaths investigations. The presentation identifies the detailed protocols necessary in performing an unexpected death in custody which occurs after the use of various less-lethal techniques, devices, and restraints. Current research on the physiological, pharmacological, and psychological causes of these deaths and the utilization of less lethal force techniques and weaponry is addressed, which form the basis for the investigatory protocols. Darrell L. Ross, J Forensic Res 2013, 4:4 http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2157-7145.S1.011
From Restoration to Redemption

I argue that apart from special circumstances, works of art cannot be restored since any change to the work’s aesthetic properties entails a change in the work’s identity. I argue that in a “restoration,” the work’s aesthetic properties are changed since (as I argue) the historical and authorial properties of a work are aesthetic properties. But I further argue that it is entirely possible for the new work created in a “restoration” to have greater aesthetic value than did the original work. This is because of the richer aesthetic impact that the work can possess in virtue of the more evocative story attached to it. In such a case, I argue that the damage or deterioration that necessitates the “restoration” is actually redeemed as it is incorporated as aesthetic properties into a greater work than what existed before. I illustrate my arguments and claims with numerous historical examples.
Propagation and dynamic manipulation of coherent orbital-angular-momentum modes through underwater turbid environments

This work demonstrates the propagation and dynamic manipulation of composite vortex beams through an underwater turbid environment. These profiles are generated through the coherent superposition of several different optical orbital-angular momentum modes using a 543.5 nm HeNe laser with a coherence length of 58.5 mm. The spatial coherence is maintained after propagation through 0.508 m of water with a scattering coefficient of 9.57m−1.
CT Based Custom Knee Arthroplasty Sizing May Be Inaccurate Due to Variable Remaining Cartilage Thickness

Introduction CT based systems that are used to create custom components and custom cutting guides in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) have variable methods for accounting for the thickness of remaining cartilage that may influence component sizing and bone resection. Little information has been published about the thickness of this cartilage, especially on the posterior femoral condyles. Failure to account for this cartilage may lead to under-sizing of the femoral component, or a reduction in the posterior condylar offset that may adversely affect flexion after TKA. Methods This IRB approved, retrospective study included 140 consecutive patients who underwent primary TKA. The medial and lateral posterior condylar bone cuts were performed in the usual manner with mechanical instruments. The resected specimen was sectioned in the sagital plane and the cartilage thickness was measured at the mid portion to the nearest millimeter. Results The mean cartilage thickness was 1.7 mm (range, 0 to 4 mm) on the medial posterior condyle and 2.0 mm (range, 0 to 5 mm) on the lateral posterior condyle. There was no correlation between the remaining medial and lateral posterior condylar cartilage thickness (p=0.35). Conclusions The thickness of remaining cartilage on the posterior condyles of the femur at the time of TKA is between 0 and 5 mm. This variable cartilage thickness may be poorly visualized on the CT studies used for creating custom femoral components or custom femoral cutting guides. This variability is greater than the 3 to 4 mm differences in AP measurement between femoral sizes in most contemporary TKA systems. Therefore, CT based custom systems may reproduce femoral sizing and posterior condylar offset less well than off the shelf femoral components implanted with conventional instruments. Future studies will be needed to evaluate the accuracy of component sizing between CT versus MRI based systems.
Predictors of survival for younger patients (pts) less than 50 years of age with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): A California Cancer Registry (CCR) analysis.

8049 Background: Lung cancer is often seen in older pts, with a median age at diagnosis of 70 years (yrs). Epidemiology and outcomes are reportedly different among younger NSCLC pts (< 50 yrs). We ...
Preliminary observations on the age and growth of dog snapper (Lutjanus jocu) and mahogany snapper (Lutjanus mahogoni) from the Southeastern U.S.

Dog snapper (Lutjanus jocu Bloch and Schneider 1801) and mahogany snapper (Lutjanus mahogoni Cuvier 1828) are infrequently caught snappers in the southeastern U.S. primarily occurring off of southern Florida. The species were opportunistically sampled from commercial and recreational fisheries in the southeastern U.S. from 1979 to 2015. Fish were aged (56 dog snapper and 54 mahogany snapper) by counting opaque zones on sectioned sagittal otoliths. Otoliths of both species were easily interpretable and agreement between readers was acceptable. Analysis of otolith edge-type revealed that annuli formed between May and July on both species. Dog snapper ranged from 200-837 mm total length (TL) and ages 2-33, while mahogany snapper ranged from 270-416 mm TL and ages 2-18. The Von Bertalanffy growth equations were Lt = 746(1-e(-0.20(t-0.32))) and Lt = 334(1-e(0.31(t+1.19))) for dog snapper and mahogany snapper, respectively. The weight-length relations were W = 1.31 × 10-5L3.03(n = 78, r2 = 0.99) and W = 5.40 × 10-6L3.15(n = 79, r2 = 0.79) for dog snapper and mahogany snapper, respectively, where W = whole weight in grams.
The Effectiveness of Bioskills Training for Simulated Open Lumbar Laminectomy.

Study Design:Randomized, prospective study within an orthopedic surgery resident program at a large urban academic medical center.Objectives:To develop an inexpensive, user-friendly, and reproducib...
REPLY: THE WACO MAMMOTH NATIONAL MONUMENT MAY REPRESENT A DIMINISHED WATERING-HOLE SCENARIO BASED ON PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE OF POST-MORTEM SCAVENGING

We sincerely welcome this discussion from Smith (2017) in response to our article regarding the Waco Mammoth National Monument (WMNM) that indicates the Columbian mammoth herd was subject to subaerial exposure and scavenging prior to burial, rather than being killed and buried in a single event (Wiest et al. 2016). Smith's comments do not dispute the methods or results in Wiest et al. (2016) but do highlight the inconsistencies between our conclusions and the previous understanding of the causative agents surrounding the fossil assemblage (Fox et al. 1992). We appreciate this opportunity to clarify and highlight the empirical basis for the interpretation in Wiest et al. (2016). The major finding from our study is the preponderance of diverse bioerosive traces and weathering features that suggest dry-decay, …
Expression of normal and variant human hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase in E. coli.

Hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) is a purine salvage enzyme which catalyzes the conversion of hypoxanthine and guanine to their respective mononucleotide forms, inosine 5’ monophosphate and guanosine 5’ monophosphate. A deficiency of HPRT in humans has two distinct clinical consequences. Complete deficiency is associated with the Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, a disease characterized by hyperuricemia, hyperuricaciduria, spasticity, choreathetosis, and a bizarre tendency to self-mutilate. Partial HPRT deficiency leads to severe precocious gout.
Pricing and Selling

After purchasing a supply of goods, the retailer assigns prices to the merchandise to sell it at a profit to the consumer. This chapter discusses the mechanics and terminology of this operation. Price setting is a two-way street. One approach is to start from the cost of a product and to add its expenses and the net profit. Markup is the amount that is added to the cost of an item to arrive at the sales price or the original retail price. For a single item, the price would vary as time passes. Any rise in the price after a markdown, up to its original retail price, is termed a markdown cancellation. Gross profit is the excess of the sales price over the cost of an item. The gross profit can be calculated for a firm's total sales or item by item. On a single product sold at its original retail price, gross profit will equal the markup. If a product is sold below the cost, it would result in a gross loss. Net profit is the excess of gross profit over operating expenses.
More on SAS Programming and Some Applications

Additional details of accessing external data, such as reading data from files, and how SAS data sets are permanently saved in libraries are introduced. User-written formats are illustrated using these for creating categories. A few base SAS procedures such as MEANS and TABULATE are used to demonstrate how to produce structured tables of basic statistics. The UNIVARIATE procedure is used to illustrate a variety of statistical and graphical analysis available in SAS for studying empirical distributions and the FREQ procedure is used for the analysis of one-way frequency tables and contingency tables using goodness-of-fit tests and statistical measures for examining associations among categorical variables. The REPORT procedure that combines features of several other report producing procedures is introduced.
Nutrition and Bone Mass

Nutrition is one of the more important factors that influence bone mass. The skeleton is the body's calcium reserve. When absorbed calcium from the diet is insufficient to offset excretory and dermal losses, bone will be torn down to maintain body fluid homeostasis. The author discusses ways to prevent this outcome.
Thermal Pollution Effects on an Estuary in a Developing Nation: Impact and Rehabilitation of Seagrass

Abstract Four fossil fuel generators of 213.5 megawatts supplying greater Kingston produced thermal effluents that denuded a 12,398 m 2 area; a 8,000 m 2 area inhabited only by the seagrass Halodule wrightii gradually merged into the natural shoreline community of Thalassia. For the first time in any global location, seagrass was rehabilitated while thermal pollution was ongoing. The heat tolerant species Halodule wrightii was able to survive and coalesce in barren areas when restored, although the other two species, Thalassia and Syringodium did not survive. Thus, the heat tolerant species of seagrasses can be restored in continually emitted thermal effluents. This will help to replace the lost functional characteristics of the original seagrass communities.
Effects of delayed delivery of dexamethasone-21-phosphate via subcutaneous microdialysis implants on macrophage activation in rats.

Abstract Macrophage activation is of interest in the biomaterials field since macrophages with an M(Dex) characteristic phenotype, i.e., CD68 + CD163 + , are believed to result in improved integration of the biomaterial as well as improved tissue remodeling and increased biomaterial longevity. To facilitate delivery of a macrophage modulator, dexamethasone-21-phosphate (Dex), microdialysis probes were subcutaneously implanted in male Sprague–Dawley rats. Dex localized delivery was delayed to the third day post implantation as a means to alter macrophage activation state at an implant site. To better elucidate the molecular mechanisms associated with M(Dex) macrophage activation, CCL2 was quantified in dialysates, gene expression ratios were determined from excised tissue surrounding the implant, histological analyses, and immunohistochemical analyses (CD68, CD163) were performed. Delayed Dex infusion resulted in the up-regulation of IL-6 at the transcript level in the tissue in contact with the microdialysis probe and decreased CCL2 concentrations collected in dialysates. Histological analyses showed increased cellular density as compared to controls in response to delayed Dex infusion. Dex delayed infusion resulted in an increased percentage of CD68 + CD163 + , M(Dex), macrophages in the tissue surrounding the microdialysis probe as compared to probes that served as controls.
Nonrandom two-liquid activity coefficient model for aqueous polyelectrolyte solutions

Abstract A comprehensive thermodynamic model is established to describe the thermodynamic properties of solvent water and mobile ions in aqueous polyelectrolyte solutions. The model accounts for excess Gibbs free energy of aqueous polyelectrolyte solutions with two contributions: (1) the long-range electrostatic polyion-ion interactions treated with Manning's limiting law and the long-range electrostatic ion-ion interactions treated with the Pitzer-Debye-Huckel equation, and (2) the short-range molecule-molecule, molecule-ion and ion-ion interactions treated with the electrolyte nonrandom two-liquid equation. Validated with extensive data sets of osmotic coefficients and mobile ion activity coefficients, the model is capable of systematically correlating and extrapolating thermodynamic properties of aqueous polyelectrolyte solutions.
1362-P: Puberty Changes Everything: Longitudinal Multitrajectory Modeling of Metabolic Control, Body Mass Index, and Insulin Dose among 9,239 Children with T1D from the DPV Registry

Worsening metabolic control, weight changes and increasing insulin dose during puberty have emerged as a challenge in diabetes care. However, individual variation is large. Data from the German/Austrian/Luxembourgian diabetes registry DPV were used to identify distinct patterns of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), age/sex-standardized body mass index (BMI-SDS) and daily insulin dose from childhood to young adulthood. Longitudinal data from 9,239 participants with T1D aged 8 to 18 years with duration >=2 years and >=5 years of follow-up were analyzed. We applied group-based multitrajectory (GBMT) modeling, a generalization of the group-based trajectory approach, to identify latent groups of subjects following similar developmental curves over time across multiple variables (Nagin, 2018). The GBMT approach revealed five unique groups of heterogeneous HbA1c, BMI-SDS and insulin dose patterns over time (Fig1). Differences in age at onset, gender, migration background as well as height-SDS, insulin pump and CGM usage, frequency of SMBG and physical activity were found across all groups. The present study identified for the first time five distinct multitrajectories of HbA1c, BMI-SDS and insulin dose during puberty. This approach demonstrates that variability between individuals is obscured by statistics on central tendency. Disclosure A. Schwandt: None. O. Kuss: None. D.P. Dunstheimer: None. B. Karges: None. T.M. Kapellen: None. T. Meissner: None. M. Witsch: None. M. Flury: Other Relationship; Self; Pfizer Inc. S. Straubinger: None. R.W. Holl: None. Funding German Center for Diabetes Research; Robert Koch Institute; German Diabetes Association
VAA ECMO: A Hybrid Cannulation Strategy in a Patient with Severe Peripheral Arterial Disease

Introduction Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) can restrict vascular access options for venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO). In emergent situations, a comprehensive vascular assessment is impractical, and when severe PAD is encountered, cannulation approaches may be limited. We report a successful cannulation strategy in a patient with severe PAD using bilateral femoral arterial access. Case A 69-year-old White male with ischemic cardiomyopathy with baseline EF 20-25%, coronary bypass grafting (CABG), and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) was admitted to an outside hospital for an elective redo CABG. He had post-cardiotomy shock requiring inotropes and a balloon pump. In 48 hours, he progressed to refractory cardiogenic shock and multiorgan failure with oliguria, coagulopathy, and mild cognitive impairment. VA-ECMO was emergently initiated as a potential bridge to durable ventricular assist device, pending renal recovery.After cut down, heavy circumferential calcification of the left common femoral artery (CFA) was observed, with no palpable pulse. Seldinger technique with incremental dilation was performed. However, a standard 180 cm wire met resistance and could not be advanced beyond 20 cm. Hoping this was extensive plaque, rather than a complete occlusion, a 19-French arterial cannula was placed, with a 6-French antegrade perfusion cannula in the left superficial femoral artery (SFA). ECMO was initiated and only 1 L of flow at 4000 RPM was achieved, indicating the resistance encountered likely implied a complete or critical stenosis of the left iliac artery. A second 19-French arterial cannulation in the right CFA was performed with no resistance this time. The arterial cannulae were connected in a Y configuration and ECMO resumed with roughly 3.5 L at 4000 RPM. The right common femoral vein was accessed with a 21-French venous cannula.He was extubated in less than 48 hours and did well for about 5 days, with evidence of LV recovery on ramp studies. Unfortunately, he then developed hypoxic respiratory failure, hemoptysis, recurrence of multiorgan failure, and hemodynamic instability, suspicious for septic shock. At this point, his family elected to initiate comfort measures, particularly in light of worsening cognitive status. Summary Atherosclerotic vessels pose access difficulties and risk vascular complications. As such, severe PAD often limits patient selection for VA ECMO. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case utilizing a bilateral femoral arterial approach to augment a low flow state in the setting of severe PAD. Various hybrid cannulation strategies may be considered with respect to individual anatomy and broaden the patient pool eligible for VA ECMO.
A Negative Effect of a Contractive Pose Is Not Evidence for the Positive Effect of an Expansive Pose: Commentary on Cuddy, Schultz, and Fosse (2018)

Cuddy, Schultz, and Fosse (2018) present p-curve analyses of the literature on postural feedback and conclude that their results are supportive of the inference that expansive poses (i.e., power poses) have positive effects on feelings of power and emotional/affective states. These inferences are incorrect because most of the examined studies cannot distinguish between the effects of an expansive pose and the effects of a contractive pose. Further, the few studies that can speak to these two effects suggest that an overall effect of posture is primarily due to the negative effects of a contractive pose (e.g., slouching) and not the positive effect of an expansive pose.
Dielectronic resonances of L M n and L N n (n ≥4 ) series in highly charged M -shell tungsten ions

We present spectroscopic measurements and detailed theoretical analysis of inner-shell $LMn$ and $LNn$ ($n\ensuremath{\ge}$ 4) dielectronic resonances in highly charged $M$-shell ions of tungsten. The x-ray emission from ${\mathrm{W}}^{49+}$ through ${\mathrm{W}}^{64+}$ was recorded at the electron-beam ion trap (EBIT) facility at the National Institute of Standards and Technology with a high-purity Ge detector for electron-beam energies between 6.8 and 10.8 keV. The measured spectra clearly show the presence of strong resonance features as well as direct excitation spectral lines. The analysis of the recorded spectra with large-scale collisional-radiative modeling of the EBIT plasma allowed us to unambiguously identify numerous dielectronic resonances associated with excitations of the inner-shell $2{s}_{1/2}, 2{p}_{1/2}$, and $2{p}_{3/2}$ electrons.
A history of MATLAB

The first MATLAB (the name is short for “Matrix Laboratory”) was not a programming language. Written in Fortran in the late 1970s, it was a simple interactive matrix calculator built on top of about a dozen subroutines from the LINPACK and EISPACK matrix software libraries. There were only 71 reserved words and built-in functions. It could be extended only by modifying the Fortran source code and recompiling it. The programming language appeared in 1984 when MATLAB became a commercial product. The calculator was reimplemented in C and significantly enhanced with the addition of user functions, toolboxes, and graphics. It was available initially on the IBM PC and clones; versions for Unix workstations and the Apple Macintosh soon followed. In addition to the matrix functions from the calculator, the 1984 MATLAB included fast Fourier transforms (FFT). The Control System Toolbox appeared in 1985 and the Signal Processing Toolbox in 1987. Built-in support for the numerical solution of ordinary differential equations also appeared in 1987. The first significant new data structure, the sparse matrix, was introduced in 1992. The Image Processing Toolbox and the Symbolic Math Toolbox were both introduced in 1993. Several new data types and data structures, including single precision floating point, various integer and logical types, cell arrays, structures, and objects were introduced in the late 1990s. Enhancements to the MATLAB computing environment have dominated development in recent years. Included are extensions to the desktop, major enhancements to the object and graphics systems, support for parallel computing and GPUs, and the “Live Editor”, which combines programs, descriptive text, output and graphics into a single interactive, formatted document. Today there are over 60 Toolboxes, many programmed in the MATLAB language, providing extended capabilities in specialized technical fields.
Medical Malpractice Claims Involving Physicians in the Intensive Care Unit: A Cohort Study.

Background:The intensive care unit (ICU) is a fast-paced setting, in which physicians from different specialties work. The goal of this study is to understand whether characteristics of medical mal...
Reducing the prevalence of low-back pain by reducing the prevalence of psychological distress: Evidence from a natural experiment and implications for health care providers.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether exogenously reduced psychological distress reduces reported low-back pain (LBP) and is associated with reduced medical visits for LBP. DATA SOURCES National Health Interview Survey, National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, 1998-2004. STUDY DESIGN We estimate a fuzzy regression discontinuity model in which a discontinuity in the prevalence of psychological distress is identified by exogenous national events. We examine whether this discontinuity induced a corresponding discontinuity in the prevalence of LBP. We additionally estimate a regression discontinuity model to determine associated changes in medical visits with LBP as the primary complaint. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS The prevalence of LBP was discontinuously reduced by one-fifth due to the exogenous national discontinuous reduction in psychological distress. This discontinuity in LBP cannot be explained by discontinuities in employment, insurance, injuries/poisoning, general health status, or other factors. We find an associated three-fifth discontinuous reduction in medical visits with LBP as the primary complaint. CONCLUSIONS On a monthly basis, 2.1 million (P < .01) adults ceased to suffer LBP due to the national reduction in psychological distress, and associated medical visits with LBP as the primary complaint declined by 685 000 (P < .01).
County-Specific, Real-Time Projection of the Effect of Business Closures on the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract Public health policies such as business closures have been one of our most effective tools in slowing the spread of COVID-19, but they also impose costs. This has created demand from policy makers for models which can predict when and where such policies will be most effective to head off a surge and where they could safely be loosened. No current model combines data-driven, real-time policy effect predictions with county-level granularity. We present a neural net-based model for predicting the effect of business closures or re-openings on the COVID-19 time-varying reproduction number Rt in real time for every county in California. When trained on data from May through September the model accurately captured relative county dynamics during the October/November California COVID-19 surge (r2 = 0.76), indicating robust out-of-sample performance. To showcase the model’s potential utility we present a case study of various counties in mid-October. Even when counties imposed similar restrictions at the time, our model successfully distinguished counties in need of drastic and immediate action to head off a surge from counties in less dire need of intervention. While this study focuses on business closures in California, the presented model architecture could be applied to other policies around world.
A Comprehensive Review on Rectifiers, Linear Regulators, and Switched-Mode Power Processing Techniques for Biomedical Sensors and Implants Utilizing in-Body Energy Harvesting and External Power Delivery

This article reviews the state-of-the-art power conditioning techniques to process harvested energy from the human body and any external environmental sources surrounding the human body for powering biomedical implants and sensors. The fundamental focus of this article is to highlight the necessity of power conditioning circuits to energize implanted biomedical circuits. In addition, the underlying challenges in power conversion modules used in these low-power circuits have been discussed in detail. Power conditioning techniques for biomedical implants heavily rely on the type of sources and implants, thereby we aim to provide an elaborate discussion on the operating principle of individual technique through this review. Besides, we have also explored the suitability of each individual power processing technique inside the human body with great details. Finally, a comprehensive discussion on the limitations of existing power conditioning techniques has been presented, and the scopes to improve or mitigate those limitations have been discussed as well. The goal of this work is to present a complete guideline for future researchers to downselect a compatible power conditioning technique for a specific biomedical application.
Spectral linewidth narrowing of two broad-area blue laser diodes (445 nm) with a common external cavity.

Two watt-level broad-area laser diodes were simultaneously locked into a common external cavity made using a surface grating in a Littrow configuration. The spectral linewidth of the combined laser beam was narrowed down from over a nanometer to 10–15 pm (FWHM), and the output power was the sum of the power of the individually locked laser diodes. The spectrum of the combined laser beam can be tuned over a range of 2–3 nm by changing the tilt angle of the grating and varying the injection currents of each laser diode.
Metastatic urinary bladder paraganglioma on Ga-68 DOTATATE PET/CT.

Abstract Paragangliomas are extra-adrenal catecholamine-secreting neuroendocrine tumors that can present with adrenergic signs and symptoms. The urinary bladder is a rare location for a paraganglioma, and these tumors must be distinguished from other more common bladder neoplasms. In this case report, we discuss a 59 year-old woman who initially presented with tachycardia, palpitations, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and weight loss. Laboratory evaluation showed significantly elevated catecholamines in the plasma and urine. A CT (Computed Tomography) scan of the abdomen and pelvis revealed an enhancing mass arising from the urinary bladder and an enlarged right pelvic lymph node. A follow up Ga-68 DOTATATE PET/CT (Positron Emission Tomography and/or Computed Tomography) showed increased uptake in the primary bladder mass, right pelvic lymph node, numerous skeletal lesions, and pulmonary nodules, consistent with metastatic paraganglioma of the urinary bladder. This case report demonstrates the radiological findings of metastatic urinary bladder paraganglioma and highlights the importance of skull base to mid-thigh PET/CT using Ga-68 DOTATATE. It is crucial for the radiologist to be familiar with the characteristics of urinary bladder paragangliomas and identify these tumors on imaging to allow prompt initiation of surgical resection and/or systemic therapy.
Associations between wildfire smoke exposure during pregnancy and risk of preterm birth in California.

Abstract There is limited population-scale evidence on the burden of exposure to wildfire smoke during pregnancy and its impacts on birth outcomes. In order to investigate this relationship, data on every singleton birth in California 2006–2012 were combined with satellite-based estimates of wildfire smoke plume boundaries and high-resolution gridded estimates of surface PM2.5 concentrations and a regression model was used to estimate associations with preterm birth risk. Results suggest that each additional day of exposure to any wildfire smoke during pregnancy was associated with an 0.49 % (95 % CI: 0.41–0.59 %) increase in risk of preterm birth ( 10 μg/m3) intensity smoke-day was associated with an 0.95 % (95 % CI: 0.47–1.42 %) and 0.82 % (95 % CI: 0.41–1.24 %) increase in preterm risk, respectively. In contrast to previous findings for other pollution types, neither exposure to smoke nor the relative impact of smoke on preterm birth differed by race/ethnicity or income in our sample. However, impacts differed greatly by baseline smoke exposure, with mothers in regions with infrequent smoke exposure experiencing substantially larger impacts from an additional smoke-day than mothers in regions where smoke is more common. We estimate 6,974 (95 % CI: 5,513–8,437) excess preterm births attributable to wildfire smoke exposure 2007–2012, accounting for 3.7 % of observed preterm births during this period. Our findings have important implications for understanding the costs of growing wildfire smoke exposure, and for understanding the benefits of smoke mitigation measures.
Chapter II History of the Smith Conjecture and Early Progress

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the history of the Smith conjecture and early progress. The study of periodic diffeomorphisms of the disk and the sphere began with the work of Brouwer [Bro] and Kerekjarto [Ke] in the 1920s. They proved that an orientation-preserving periodic diffeomorphism of the 2-disk or the 2-sphere was conjugate by a diffeomorphism to a rotation. These original proofs were incomplete and the gap was filled later by Eilenberg. Smith studied homeomorphisms of the n -disk and the n -sphere periodic of prime power period. He proved that the Z/ p -homology of the fixed point set is the same as that of a smaller dimensional disk or sphere. When the homeomorphism is orientation-preserving, then the codimension of the fixed point set is even. The analogue of the Smith conjecture in dimension m > 3 was investigated by Giffen, who showed that for each n > 1, m > 4 there exists a smooth m -sphere pair that is inequivalent to the standard pair.
Science and Development

During the past half-century, conventional understandings of science, development, and their relationship have changed radically. This article begins with the new conceptualization of science, the root concept of which is research, but with many meanings that shade into technology. ‘Development’ is defined as a process with economic, social, and cultural dimensions. Three major theories of development are reviewed: modernization theory, dependency theory, and institutional theory. The Green Revolution is used to illustrate positive and negative impacts of research-based technology. Five major types of organization in which scientific research is conducted are introduced.
Sequence and structural models of a bovine monoclonal antibody Fv region specific for bovine herpesvirus 1 glycoprotein D (VET2P.1037)

The cDNA of heterohybridoma mRNA encoding the variable domains of the light (VL) and heavy (VH) chains of an IgG1 bovine monoclonal antibody (MAb) neutralizing bovine herpesvirus 1 was commercially synthesized, cloned and sequenced. The variable (V) light chain sequence had highest identity with members of the V lambda family, 1a subfamily, and the joining (J) gene JL3, both commonly expressed in cattle. The V heavy chain sequence had highest identity with members of the VH1 gene family and JH1, also both commonly expressed in cattle. The VH nucleotide sequence had highest identity with the bovine diversity (D) gene DH3. The derived amino acid sequences were used to examine the complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) according to multiple systems. CDRL1-3 and CDRH1-2 were identified as belonging to or being similar to known canonical classes, and results from “H3 rules” were determined for CDRH3. Models of the Fv structure were derived using three on-line software packages. Overlapping sets of rodent and human MAb were used by the packages as templates for each framework and CDR structure individually. Predictions of the CDRL3 and CDRH3 configurations were more variable than that of other CDRs, and resulted in different paratope models. The results suggest sequences and crystal structures of MAb from a variety of species may be useful in describing additional canonical structures of immunoglobulins.
Theory of Protostellar Objects

Many problems in the theory of star formation are amenable to a complementary attack in which the analytical approach is used to reduce the governing equations to a form amenable to efficient numerical solution. This strategy has proven very useful in helping to resolve several astrophysical puzzles which arise because the bulk of star formation today is observed to occur, with relatively low efficiency, in giant molecular cloud complexes. How does a cloud of 105-106M⊙) know how to form stars of mass ≈ 1 M⊙)? How does the interstellar medium know, to one or two orders of magnitude, that roughly (hc/Gm H 2 3/2 hydrogen atoms of mass mH are needed to yield thermonuclear fusion in a self-gravitating ball of gas? Why have radio astronomers not detected unambiguous evidence for the collapse motions attendant to star formation? Why has a true protostar, the “holy grail” of infrared astronomy, been so hard to find? Why do young stellar objects almost universally exhibit powerful outflows? Why is the geometry for these outflows often bipolar? Why do T Tauri stars have such active chromospheres? In this review we suggest that these puzzles all have a related resolution, in the nature of how gravitational collapse is initiated and terminated in the slowly rotating cores of molecular clouds.
Methylation of class II trans-activator promoter IV: a novel mechanism of MHC class II gene control.

Inhibition of class II trans -activator (CIITA) expression prevents embryonic trophoblast cells from up-regulating MHC class II genes in response to IFN-γ. This is thought to be one mechanism of maternal tolerance to the fetal allograft. The CIITA gene is regulated by four distinct promoters; promoter III directs constitutive (B cell) expression, and promoter IV regulates IFN-γ-inducible expression. Using in vivo genomic footprinting, promoter-reporter analysis, Southern blot analysis, and RT-PCR, we have examined the cause of CIITA silencing in a trophoblast-derived cell line. We report here that methylation of promoter IV DNA at CpG sites in Jar cells prevents promoter occupancy and IFN-γ-inducible transcription. The inhibition of CpG methylation in Jar cells by treatment with 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine restores IFN-γ inducibility to CIITA. This is the first description of an epigenetic mechanism involved in regulation of CIITA and MHC class II gene expression.
Abstract 3045: Defining an elusive multiple myeloma stem cell population in mice

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a debilitating disease of proliferating and malignant plasma cells that is currently incurable. The ability of monoclonal recurrence of disease suggests it might arise from a stem cell-like population capable of self-renewal. The difficulty to isolate the cancer stem-like cell in MM in both mice and men has introduced confusion toward this hypothesis. XBP1s is a key positive regulator for unfolded protein response and a master transcription factor for plasma cell development. It was previously reported that transgenic overexpression of XBP1s in the B cell lineage of mice (XBP1s-Tg), induces a multiple myeloma phenotype resembling human MM. We have now defined a post-germinal center, pre-plasma B cell population that was significantly increased in XBP1s-Tg mice as the hallmarks of MM was demonstrated. This non-memory B cell population resembled a stem/progenitor cell population, with increased expression of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), Notch1 and c-kit. Importantly, utilizing an in vitro culture for differentiating plasma cells, the increased population began to differentiate into plasma cells, increasing in size and gaining CD138 expression, the hallmark marker for plasma cells. In conclusion, we have defined a transitional pre-plasma cell population that could potentially be a stem/progenitor population of multiple myeloma. These results provide a novel insight into stem cell biology with regard to multiple myeloma and the use of murine models of myeloma to study the disease. Citation Format: Joshua Kellner, Yunpeng Hua, Bei Liu, Zihai Li. Defining an elusive multiple myeloma stem cell population in mice. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3045. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3045
Sex differences in the recognition of infant facial expressions of emotion: The primary caretaker hypothesis

Abstract Although much research has been devoted to studying sex differences in functioning (e.g., Maccoby and Jacklin 1974), most efforts have been directed toward documenting or elucidating the proximate causes of sex differences. Few attempts have been made, however, to explain the ultimate causes of these differences or the selective pressures that have led to the development of psychological differences between males and females [for exceptions see Symons (1979) and Daly and Wilson (1983)]. Toward this end of blending psychology with evolutionary theory we develop what we call the “primary caretaker hypothesis,” which predicts that the sex that through evolutionary time has dominated infant caretaking will differentially exhibit skills that are important in caretaking (e.g., the ability to rapidly recognize infant emotional expressions). Evidence is advanced to show that females dominate childcare in nonhuman primates and humans and that a high level of care of infants is crucial, given universally high infant mortality rates throughout our evolutionary history and the number of potential hazards impairing infant development. The prompt and accurate recognition of infant emotional cues—especially in the face—is an important component of caretaking practices, and thus selective pressures should result in greater proficiency in this ability in the sex that caretakes most. An experimental procedure is described where informants were tested in their speed and accuracy of identifying infant facial expressions of emotion. A statistical analysis of the results revealed that females were significantly more accurate and rapid than males in their discrimination of facial expressions and that previous experience in childcare had no effect on this sex difference. Follow-up research concerning the “primary caretaker hypothesis” is proposed.
Recent insights into pulmonary repair following virus-induced inflammation of the respiratory tract.

A hallmark of infection by respiratory viruses is productive infection of and the subsequent destruction of the airway epithelium. These viruses can also target other stromal cell types as well as in certain instances, CD45+ hematopoietic cells either resident in the lungs or part of the inflammatory response to infection. The mechanisms by which the virus produces injury to these cell types include direct infection with cytopathic effects as a consequence of replication. Host mediated damage is also a culprit in pulmonary injury as both innate and adaptive immune cells produce soluble and cell-associated pro-inflammatory mediators. Recently, it has become increasingly clear that in addition to control of excess inflammation and virus elimination, the resolution of infection requires an active repair process, which is necessary to regain normal respiratory function and restore the lungs to homeostasis. The repair response must re-establish the epithelial barrier and regenerate the microarchitecture of the lung. Emerging areas of research have highlighted the importance of innate immune cells, particularly the newly described innate lymphoid cells, as well as alternatively activated macrophages and pulmonary stem cells in the repair process. The mechanisms by which respiratory viruses may impede or alter the repair response will be important areas of research for identifying therapeutic targets aimed at limiting virus and host mediated injury and expediting recovery.
Exclusive processes and hadron dynamics at short distances

The predictions of perturbative QCD for a number of areas of hadron dynamics are discussed, including exclusive processes at large momentum transfer, the endpoint behavior of hadronic structure functions, and the Fock state structure of hadron wavefunctions-especially their behavior at short-distance. New results for exclusive two-photon processes, the normalization of higher twist contributions to the meson structure function, and the calculation of the valence Fock state probability of the pion are presented. We also review the contrasting features of QCD and parton model dynamics.
Phylogeny and host-plant association in the leaf beetle genus Trirhabda LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

The leaf beetle genus Trirhabda contains 26 described species from the United States and Canada, feeding on host plants from the families Asteraceae and Hydrophyllaceae. In this study, we present a phylogeny for the genus that was reconstructed from mitochondrial COI and 12S rRNA fragments, nuclear ITS2 rRNA, and morphological characters. Both parsimony and mixed-model Bayesian likelihood analyses were performed. Under both methods, the mitochondrial and nuclear partitions support the same backbone phylogeny, as do the combined data. The utility of the molecular data is contrasted with the low phylogenetic signal among morphological characters. The phylogeny was used to trace the evolution of the host-plant association in Trirhabda. The recovered phylogeny shows that although the host-plant association is phylogenetically conservative, Trirhabda experienced one shift to a distantly related host-plant family, 6 shifts between host-plant tribes, and 6 between genera within tribes. The phylogeny reveals that Trirhabda were plesiomorphically adapted to tolerate complex secondary compounds of its host plants and this adaptation is retained in Trirhabda species, as evidenced by multiple shifts from chemically simpler host plants back to the more complex host plants.
Calculations of dynamic stresses in the envelopes of pulsed Xe flashlamps

We have modeled dynamic stresses in the envelopes of pulsed xenon flashlamps, treating stresses produced by three different sources: the heating of the envelope by the plasma; the pressure rise of the xenon gas; and magnetic forces, due to currents flowing in nearby lamps. The heat-induced stresses were calculated by the finite element method, using uniform heating rates for the inside surface of the envelope that were inferred from flashlamp radiant efficiency measurements. Pressure-induced stresses were calculated analytically, using empirical relationships for temperature and pressure in terms of current density. Magnetically-induced stresses were also calculated analytically, for flashlamps packed parallel to each other in linear arrays.
A quantum Newton's cradle

It is a fundamental assumption of statistical mechanics that a closed system with many degrees of freedom ergodically samples all equal energy points in phase space. To understand the limits of this assumption, it is important to find and study systems that are not ergodic, and thus do not reach thermal equilibrium. A few complex systems have been proposed that are expected not to thermalize because their dynamics are integrable. Some nearly integrable systems of many particles have been studied numerically, and shown not to ergodically sample phase space. However, there has been no experimental demonstration of such a system with many degrees of freedom that does not approach thermal equilibrium. Here we report the preparation of out-of-equilibrium arrays of trapped one-dimensional (1D) Bose gases, each containing from 40 to 250 (87)Rb atoms, which do not noticeably equilibrate even after thousands of collisions. Our results are probably explainable by the well-known fact that a homogeneous 1D Bose gas with point-like collisional interactions is integrable. Until now, however, the time evolution of out-of-equilibrium 1D Bose gases has been a theoretically unsettled issue, as practical factors such as harmonic trapping and imperfectly point-like interactions may compromise integrability. The absence of damping in 1D Bose gases may lead to potential applications in force sensing and atom interferometry.