cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetic and epigenetic control of the efficiency and fidelity of cross-species prion transmission.

Self-perpetuating amyloid-based protein isoforms (prions) transmit neurodegenerative diseases in mammals and phenotypic traits in yeast. Although mechanisms that control species-specificity of prion transmission are poorly understood, studies of closely related orthologs of yeast prion protein Sup35 demonstrate that cross-species prion transmission is modulated by both genetic (specific sequence elements) and epigenetic (prion variants, or “strains”) factors. Depending on the prion variant, the species barrier could be controlled at the level of either heterologous coaggregation or conversion of the aggregate-associated heterologous protein into a prion polymer. Sequence divergence influences cross-species transmission of different prion variants in opposing ways. The ability of a heterologous prion domain to either faithfully reproduce or irreversibly switch the variant-specific prion patterns depends on both sequence divergence and the prion variant. Sequence variations within different modules of prion domains contribute to transmission barriers in different cross-species combinations. Individual amino acid substitutions within short amyloidogenic stretches drastically alter patterns of cross-species prion conversion, implicating these stretches as major determinants of species specificity.
MIMO spatial multiplexing systems with limited feedback

This paper investigates the problem of transmit beamforming in MIMO spatial multiplexing (SM) systems with a finite-rate feedback channel. Assuming a fixed number of spatial channels and equal power allocation, we propose a new design criterion for designing the codebook of beamforming matrices that is based on minimizing the capacity loss resulting from the limited rate in the feedback channel. Using the criterion, we develop an iterative design algorithm that converges to an optimum codebook. Under the i.i.d, channel and high SNR assumption, the effect on channel capacity of the finite-bit representation of beamforming matrix is analyzed. Central to this analysis is the complex multivariate beta distribution and tractable approximations to the Voronoi regions associated with the code points. Furthermore, to compensate for the degradation due to the equal power allocation assumption, we propose a multi-mode SM transmission strategy wherein the number of data streams is determined based on the average SNR. This approach is shown to allow for effective utilization of the feedback bits.
Isolation of an intermediate in the insertion of a carbodiimide into a boron-aryl bond

A 1 ∶ 1 Lewis acid–base complex between CyNCNCy and PhBCl2 has been isolated and structurally characterized, heating of which in refluxing toluene results in the amidinate, [PhC{NCy}2]BCl2; the overall reaction has been modeled by DFT calculations.
Numerical Simulation of Turbulent MHD Flows Using an Iterative PNS Algorithm

A new parabolized Navier-Stokes (PNS) algorithm has been developed to efficiently compute magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flows in the low magnetic Reynolds number regime. In this regime, the electrical conductivity is low and the induced magnetic field is negligible compared to the applied magnetic field. The MHD effects are modeled by introducing source terms into the PNS equation which can then be solved in a very efficient manner. To account for upstream (elliptic) effects, the flowfields are computed using multiple streamwise sweeps with an iterated PNS algorithm. Turbulence has been included by modifying the Baldwin-Lomax turbulence model to account for MHD effects. The new algorithm has been used to compute both laminar and turbulent, supersonic, MHD flows over flat plates and supersonic viscous flows in a rectangular MHD accelerator. The present results are in excellent agreement with previous complete Navier-Stokes calculations.
A twin study of genetic and environmental influences on suicidality in men.

Background. Previous studies that have examined genetic influences on suicidal behaviour were confounded by genetic vulnerability for psychiatric risk factors. The present study examines genetic influences on suicidality (i.e. suicidal ideation and/or suicide attempt) after controlling for the inheritance of psychiatric disorders.Methods. Sociodemographics, combat exposure, lifetime DSM-III-R major depression, bipolar disorder, childhood conduct disorder, adult antisocial personality disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, drug dependence, alcohol dependence and lifetime suicidal ideation and attempt were assessed in 3372 twin pairs from the Vietnam Era Twin Registry who were assessed in 1987 and 1992. Genetic risk factors for suicidality were examined in a multinomial logistic regression model. Additive genetic, shared environmental and non-shared environmental effects on suicidality were estimated using structural equation modelling, controlling for other risk factors.Results. The prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempt were 16·1% and 2·4% respectively. In a multinomial regression model, co-twin’s suicidality, being white, unemployment, being other than married, medium combat exposure and psychiatric disorders were significant predictors for suicidal ideation. Co-twin’s suicidality, unemployment, marital disruption, low education attainment and psychiatric disorders (except childhood conduct disorder) were significant predictors for suicide attempt. Model-fitting suggested that suicidal ideation was influenced by additive genetic (36%) and non-shared environmental (64%) effects, while suicide attempt was affected by additive genetic (17%), shared environmental (19%) and non-shared environmental (64%) effects.Conclusions. There may be a genetic susceptibility specific to both suicidal ideation and suicide attempt in men, which is not explained by the inheritance of common psychiatric disorders.
Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) Profiles of Adult Female Abuse Survivors

Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) profiles of 91 adult female, Caucasian subjects were examined to determine if there were significant differences between those subjects who reported a history...
Generalizability coefficients are reliability coefficients

Generalizability theory explicitly recognizes that multiple sources of error and true score variance exist and that measures may have different reliabilities in different situations. Thus, it enjoys many advantages over classic true score theory; however, it is relatively little used by social science researchers outside of educational psychology. This unfortunate situation has arisen, in part, because researchers do not realize that the coefficients of generalizability, which generalizability theory produces, are reliability coefficients. Labelling these coefficients as reliability coefficients should increase interest in, and the use of, generalizability theory.
Communications via Systems-on-Chips Clustering in Large-Scaled Sensor Networks

In this paper, we have proposed a framework of systems-on-chips clustering in application to complicated sensor networks. The framework can be applied to address the communication issues in distributed and large-scaled sensor nodes in wireless sensor network application. There are two communication categories under consideration, i.e. intra-nodes and inter-nodes. Due to the potentially higher frequency in the signal propagation within the sensor node, the characteristics of the interconnect among various systems-on-chips cannot be described in the traditionally lumped R, L, C components. We adapt a distributed transmission line model to address such issues and possibly improve the reliability in the intra-nodes communication. Furthermore, based on the bandwidth requirements of each sensor node, the large-scaled senor network is proposed to be transformed into a maze diagram by a user defined threshold bandwidth, so that many existing approaches may be applied to determine the routing paths in the inter-nodes communication to improve the efficiency of the overall network.
Agricultural policy and nutrition outcomes - getting beyond the preoccupation with staple grains

There is a growing disconnect between agricultural policy and contemporary nutritional challenges, the persistent problem of micronutrient malnutrition and child stunting, as well as the emerging challenges of overweight and obesity. Diversification of production systems and the market supply of enhanced diversity will only happen when the current distortions to farm and market level incentives are corrected. Data on the diet transition that is taking place across the developing world is presented and the growing divergence between staple crop demand and supply trends discussed. The reasons for the low producer response to rising demand for non-staple food, such as vegetables, are examined. Finally, the paper presents the main elements of a crop neutral agricultural policy, one that creates a level playing field which allows farmers to respond to market signals rather than a policy that is biased toward a particular set of crops.
Cultural orientation as a moderator of the relationship between Chinese American adolescents' discrimination experiences and delinquent behaviors.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among Chinese American adolescents’ discrimination experiences, cultural orientations, and delinquent behaviors. Data were collected from three hundred and eleven Chinese American adolescents (58% girls) and their parents when the adolescents were 7th or 8th graders and again 4 years later. The data analyses demonstrated that adolescents’ perceptions of discrimination and victimization experiences were significantly related to their delinquent behaviors conditionally based upon their cultural orientation. Specifically, adolescents’ high Chinese cultural orientation amplified the negative impact of discriminatory experiences on delinquent behaviors whereas high Western cultural orientation protected them against that impact. The significance of both ethnic and mainstream cultural orientations for understanding ethnic minority adolescents’ adjustment and improving their adjustment outcomes is discussed.
Role of kinase-independent and -dependent functions of FAK in endothelial cell survival and barrier function during embryonic development.

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is essential for vascular development as endothelial cell (EC)–specific knockout of FAK (conditional FAK knockout [CFKO] mice) leads to embryonic lethality. In this study, we report the differential kinase-independent and -dependent functions of FAK in vascular development by creating and analyzing an EC-specific FAK kinase-defective (KD) mutant knockin (conditional FAK knockin [CFKI]) mouse model. CFKI embryos showed apparently normal development through embryonic day (E) 13.5, whereas the majority of CFKO embryos died at the same stage. Expression of KD FAK reversed increased EC apoptosis observed with FAK deletion in embryos and in vitro through suppression of up-regulated p21. However, vessel dilation and defective angiogenesis of CFKO embryos were not rescued in CFKI embryos. ECs without FAK or expressing KD FAK showed increased permeability, abnormal distribution of vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin), and reduced VE-cadherin Y658 phosphorylation. Together, our data suggest that kinase-independent functions of FAK can support EC survival in vascular development through E13.5 but are insufficient for maintaining EC function to allow for completion of embryogenesis.
Adaptive maximum-likelihood sequence estimation for digital signaling in the presence of intersymbol interference (Corresp.)

An adaptive maximum-likelihood sequence estimator for a digital pulse-amplitude-modulated sequence in the presence of finite-duration unknown slowly time-varying intersymbol interference and additive white Gaussian noise is developed. Predicted performance and simulation results for specific channels are given.
Media Streams: an iconic visual language for video annotation

In order to enable the search and retrieval of video from large archives, we need a representation of video content. Although some aspects of video can be automatically parsed, a detailed representation requires that video be annotated. We discuss the design criteria for a video annotation language with special attention to the issue of creating a global, reusable video archive. Our prototype system, Media Streams, enables users to create multi-layered, iconic annotations of streams video data. Within Media Streams, the organization and categories of the Director's Workshop allow users to browse and compound over 2200 iconic primitives by means of a cascading hierarchical structure which supports compounding icons across branches of the hierarchy. The problems of creating a representation of action for video are given special attention, as well as describing transitions in video. >
Strings at finite temperature and deconfinement

We demonstrate two general properties of string models at finite temperature. About zero temperature, the leading decrease in the effective string tension is calculable in any dimension $d$. For all temperatures, string theories are soluble in an expansion about infinite $d$, exhibiting a finite temperature ${T}_{c}$ at which the effective string tension vanishes, with ${T}_{c}\ensuremath{\sim}{d}^{\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{2}}$.
Teachers Share Their Mathematics Backgrounds: Telling It Like It Was

This study focused on the mathematics backgrounds of 45 elementary mathematics teachers. A survey was administered which asked teachers to reflect on their elementary, secondary, and college mathematics experiences, the support they received and the confidence they have with their ability to teach elementary mathematics. Quantitative and qualitative data derived from the survey, revealed that sharing mathematics knowledge in elementary school; committed, enthusiastic teachers in high school; parental support; and practical uses of mathematics were positive influences for these teachers. Rote drill, seatwork, and ability grouping were negative influences. The majority of the teachers felt inservice staff development experiences helped make them confident teachers of elementary mathematics. The implications of the study for mathematics education are discussed.
Differential effective medium modeling of rock elastic moduli with critical porosity constraints

Rocks generally have a percolation porosity at which they lose rigidity and fall apart. Percolation behavior is a purely geometrical property, independent of any physical properties, and is a powerful constraint on any valid velocity-porosity relation. We show how the conventional Differential Effective Medium (DEM) theory can be modified to incorporate percolation of elastic moduli in rocks by taking the material at the critical porosity as one of the constituents of a two-phase composite. Any desired percolation porosity can be specified as an input. In contrast, the conventional DEM model always predicts percolation at a porosity of either 0 or 100 percent. Most sedimentary rocks however have intermediate percolation porosities and are therefore not well represented by the conventional theory. The modified DEM model incorporates percolation behavior, and at the same time is always consistent with the Hashin-Shtrikman bounds. The predictions compare favorably with laboratory sandstone data.
Reflectance characteristics of Russian wheat aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae) stress and abundance in winter wheat

The Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko)) infests wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), and other small grains and grasses. Russian wheat aphid infestations are unpredictable in time and space. In favorable conditions, Russian wheat aphid feeding can result in heavy damage to wheat and barley in a short period of time. A repetitive monitoring strategy that allows for rapid assessment of aphid infestation and damage over the growing season is critically needed. Tracking the irregular infestation patterns of Russian wheat aphid in order to optimize control efforts is central to the successful management of this aphid. One method that has been shown over a number of years to be useful for monitoring some insect outbreaks is to measure the light reflected by the infested canopy, plant, or leaf. Hence, this research was designed to investigate: (1) the potential use of remotely sensed data to discern and identify differences in spectral reflection patterns (spectral signatures) of winter wheat canopies with and without Russian wheat aphid infestation, and (2) the relationship between spectral indices and Russian wheat aphid abundance in wheat canopies growing in field conditions. Russian wheat aphid-infested wheat canopies had significantly lower reflectance in the near infrared region and higher in the visible range of the spectrum when compared with noninfested canopies. Linear regression analyses showed that there were varying relationships between Russian wheat aphid density and spectral vegetation indices, with coefficients of determination (r^2) ranging from 0.91 to 0.01. These results indicate that remote sensing data have the potential to distinguish damage by Russian wheat aphid and quantify its abundance in wheat. However, success for Russian wheat aphid density estimation depends on the selection of spectral vegetation indices.
SUPPRESSIVE ACTION OF TESTOSTERONE PRO-PIONATE ON MENSTRUATION AND ITS EFFECT ON VAGINAL SMEARS1

IN A PREVIOUS article (i) we reported the inhibitory effects of male sex hormone on human menstruation. It was shown that the administration of 775 mg. of testosterone propionate, oreton,2 over a period of 31 days produced a temporary suppression of the menstrual cycle in a young woman. The treatment was followed by a series of changes in the vaginal secretion culminating in a smear picture comparable to that observed in the meno-pause (2). Further unpublished studies have shown these smear changes to be characteristic. Since this hormone gives promise of being useful in dealing with human menstrual disturbances, and the information afforded by vaginal smears is so specific and readily obtained, a more detailed description of the smear changes occurring during and after treatment with this hormone will be given. This method of regulating hormonal therapy should prove as useful when the male sex hormone is given as it has been in guiding
A review of multi-agent systems concepts and research related to building HVAC control

This article is a primer for how multi-agent system technology may influence building HVAC control technologies. The multi-agent system paradigm brings some inherent disruption to current HVAC control technologies, requiring increased embedded intelligence and more advanced communication protocols. Along with HVAC-specific multi-agent system research, two other fields that have active multi-agent system research are incorporated into the review. They are the smart grid and ambient intelligence domains, which merit inclusion because of their distinct overlap with HVAC issues. The review culminates in posing a few perspectives and directions of how multi-agent system could alter building HVAC control implementations.
3,3′-Diindolylmethane Ameliorates Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B–Induced Acute Lung Injury through Alterations in the Expression of MicroRNA that Target Apoptosis and Cell-Cycle Arrest in Activated T Cells

3,39-Diindolylmethane (DIM), a natural indole found in cruciferous vegetables, has significant anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. In this current study, we investigated the effects of DIM on acute lung injury (ALI) induced by exposure to staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB). We found that pretreatment of mice with DIM led to attenuation of SEB-induced inflammation in the lungs, vascular leak, and IFN-g secretion. Additionally, DIM could induce cell-cycle arrest and cell death in SEB-activated T cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Interestingly, microRNA (miRNA) microarray analysis uncovered an altered miRNA profile in lung-infiltrating mononuclear cells after DIM treatment of SEB-exposed mice. Moreover, computational analysis of miRNA gene targets and regulation networks indicated that DIM alters miRNA in the cell death and cell-cycle progression pathways. Specifically, DIM treatment significantly downregulated several miRNA and a correlative increase associated gene targets. Furthermore, overexpression and inhibition studies demonstrated that DIM-induced cell death, at least in part, used miR-222. Collectively, these studies demonstrate for the first time that DIM treatment attenuates SEB-induced ALI and may do so through the induction of microRNAs that promote apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest in SEB-activated T cells.
Cross-cultural gerontology research methods: challenges and solutions

Cross-cultural research in the behavioural and social sciences uses data from several societies or distinct cultural groups to describe the diversity of human behaviour and test hypotheses about behaviour and culture. This paper reviews the historical development and current state of cross-cultural research in the social sciences and gerontology. Cross-cultural research in gerontology is important because the social processes of ageing vary. It aims to distinguish universal from culturally-specific processes and determine how cultural factors influence individual and population ageing. It has to overcome many challenges: how to design an equivalent and unbiased study, how to access different cultures, how to contextualise these cultures, and how to ensure that questions are meaningful for different cultures. Appropriate strategies include using an international multicultural research team, becoming familiar with the local culture, maintaining good relationships with community leaders, studying only those aspects of behaviour that are functionally equivalent while avoiding the idiosyncratic, using appropriate measures, and encouraging equal partnership and open communication among colleagues. Cross-cultural research has been growing and has become a basis for globally-relevant social gerontology. To highlight the complexity of cross-cultural research and lessons learnt from such research experience, this paper describes an example study of long-term care that involved researchers from more than 30 countries and from many disciplines.
Stimulating Tensions in Special Education Teachers' Figured World: An Approach toward Inclusive Education.

ABSTRACTI examine special educators’ professional identity emergence and tensions within a researcher-facilitated teacher learning community. I introduced tools to evoke and challenge inequities in educational systems and via which participants examined and planned general education instruction for students with dis/abilities. Initially, professional identity, or figured world, emerged as performance of pathologising and relatedly, remediating students. Over time, participants expressed tensions as they engaged tools to examine structural limitations and design more universally accessible instruction; figured worlds shifted to critical sense-making about their positioning by general education colleagues and school structural barriers, and procedural identity performance tied to investigating student assets. Findings suggest potential for purposefully designed artefacts to mediate special educators’ development as (more) inclusive educators.
Tethered Capsule OCT Endomicroscopy - A Novel Look at the Human Digestive System

Experience with translation of the Tethered Capsule Endomicroscopy to the clinic and results showing its potential to address the unmet clinical need for a well tolerated method for screening and monitoring of digestive diseases will be presented.
Obsolete tobacco control themes can be hazardous to public health: the need for updating views on absolute product risks and harm reduction.

Background Leading themes have guided tobacco control efforts, and these themes have changed over the decades. When questions arose about health risks of tobacco, they focused on two key themes: 1) how bad is the problem (i.e., absolute risk) and 2) what can be done to reduce the risk without cessation (i.e., prospects for harm reduction). Using the United States since 1964 as an example, we outline the leading themes that have arisen in response to these two questions. Initially, there was the recognition that “cigarettes are hazardous to health” and an acceptance of safer alternative tobacco products (cigars, pipes, light/lower-tar cigarettes). In the 1980s there was the creation of the seminal theme that “Cigarettes are lethal when used as intended and kill more people than heroin, cocaine, alcohol, AIDS, fires, homicide, suicide, and automobile crashes combined.” By around 2000, support for a less-dangerous light/lower tar cigarette was gone, and harm reduction claims were avoided for products like cigars and even for smokeless tobacco which were summarized as “unsafe” or “not a safe alternative to cigarettes.”
Oedipa Crisis: Paranoia and Prohibition in The Crying of Lot 49

Near the end of The Crying of Lot 49, Oedipa Maas finds herself trapped in a stultifying "symmetry of choices" (181). In the process of executing her ex-lover's will, she has seemingly stumbled upon the Tristero, a secret, perhaps anarchic, organization. But is the Tristero the sublime thread which might lead Oedipa out of her own suburban inertia, even out of the hopelessness of her America? Or is the Tristero instead the thread of an idea with which she weaves a sublime delusion? As Oedipa reflects, "Behind the hieroglyphic streets there would either be a transcendent meaning, or only the earth" (181). Indeed, this binary system is readily acknowledged, even thematized, in Pynchon's novel, but the suppositions which ground the duality are not so clear. Ostensibly, discovering the Tristero qua reality would be tantamount to the validation of meaning, while acknowledging the delusion of meaning (which Oedipa considers paranoid) would be the acceptance of meaninglessness. But if, at the level of its expression, paranoia is so quantified as to suggest its impossibility, then perhaps that implicit denial conceals another possibility: might an originary paranoiac CriSIS have brought the symmetry – meaning or meaninglessness – to bear?
Treatment of Reuber H35 hepatoma cells with carrier-bound methotrexate.

Methotrexate (MTX), 40 µM, covalently linked to bovine serum albumin (BSA), was ineffective in suppressing the growth of an MTX transport-resistant strain of Reuber hepatoma H35 cells (I50(MTX) ∼ 3.5 µM). However, conjugation of MTX with poly(L-lysine) led to cell growth repression at levels of
SPECIALIZED IMAGING TECHNIQUES

The foregoing discussion has presented a summary of many of the optical microscopic methods in use by researchers and clinicians. Along with emerging technologies, such as laser tweezers and scissors, which are outside the scope of this review, the methodologies discussed here ensure that the optical microscope will remain a central tool for biomedical research.
History of Mars Ascent Vehicle development over the last 20 years

The Mars Ascent Vehicle concept has seen many studies and development efforts over the last 20 years, up to efforts currently underway by the Mars Program Office. A wide range of concepts have been explored, and many participants over time have been involved. This paper will give an overview of this colorful history, including the context for the individual efforts, the people and organizations involved, and some details of various MAV concepts that have been considered.
Preparation and Immortalization of Primary Murine Cells

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the procedure for preparing and immortalizing primary murine cells. The embryo dissection need not be performed in the hood but rather can be done on a clean bench covered with a diaper. Using Mayo scissors and large forceps, carefully open the abdomen, locate the embryos, and remove the bicornuate uterus with embryos. Place uterus plus embryos in sterile PBS in 10-cm dish. Using fine forceps and/or scissors, gently dissect each balloon-like embryo with fetal membranes from the thicker uterus and place individually into a 6-cm dish with sterile PBS. To assure that all lines will evade senescence via a similar mechanism, cells can either be immortalized through the use of an immortalizing oncogene or by using cells derived from animals of a genetic background that resists senescence. The most elegant method of obtaining immortal cell lines is by deriving cells from animals resistant to senescence. The 3T9 assay can be used to quantify both growth and immortalization frequency.
Abnormal Freezing of Milk Caused by Ice-Nucleating Bacteria.

Cultures of ice nucleating bacteria isolated from raw producer bulk milk were gram negative rods, mostly Pseudomonas fluorescens . Milk samples from which the cultures were isolated prefroze during supercooling in the cryoscopic test of freezing point. Grown under conditions of restricted nutrition, cells transferred to normally freezing samples imparted the ice nucleating factor.
Injuries Among School-aged Children of Immigrants

In response to a dearth of research on injuries among children of immigrants, this study examined child injury rates by immigrant generation. We used generalized estimating equations and nationally representative data to estimate injury risk for school-aged children of immigrants of different generations compared to children of native, US-born parents. After controlling for multiple other factors including socioeconomic status, citizenship, and children's general health, both 1st and 2nd generation school-aged children had significantly lower odds of having injuries compared to children of natives. Additional analyses also found lower odds of injuries among 1st and 2nd generation children relative to children of natives that persisted in both lower- and higher-income families. The findings suggest that 1st and 2nd generation immigrant families possess factors that protect children from injury independent of socioeconomic status. Policy and program development would benefit from a clearer understanding of these protective factors.
Community Health Worker Impact on Chronic Disease Outcomes Within Primary Care Examined Using Electronic Health Records.

Objectives. To investigate community health worker (CHW) effects on chronic disease outcomes using electronic health records (EHRs).Methods. We examined EHRs of 32 147 patients at risk for chronic disease during 2012 to 2015. Variables included contact with clinic-based CHWs, vitals, and laboratory tests. We estimated a mixed model for all outcomes.Results. Within-group findings showed statistically significant improvements in chronic disease indicators after exposure to CHWs. In health center 1, HbA1c (glycated hemoglobin) decreased 0.15 millimoles per mole (95% confidence interval [CI] = −0.24, −0.06), body mass index decreased 0.29 kilograms per meter squared (CI = –0.39, −0.20), and total cholesterol decreased 11.9 milligrams per deciliter (CI = −13.5, −10.2). In health center 2, HbA1c decreased 0.43 millimoles per mole (CI = –0.7, −0.17), body mass index decreased by 0.08 kilograms per meter squared (CI = −0.14, −0.02), and triglycerides decreased by 22.50 milligrams per deciliter (CI = −39.0, −6.0)....
Five-Year Mortality After Transient Ischemic Attack: Focus on Cardiometabolic Comorbidity and Hospital Readmission.

Background and Purpose— We aimed at providing estimates of mortality associated with cardiometabolic comorbidity and incident readmission from cardiometabolic as compared with noncardiometabolic conditions after a first transient ischemic attack. Methods— Between 2000 and 2015, patients hospitalized for a first transient ischemic attack were examined for cardiometabolic comorbidities (diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation), 5-year incident hospitalization, and time to death. Results— Of 251 patients with transient ischemic attack, 134 (53%) had at least 1 and 55 (22%) had at least 2 cardiometabolic conditions. By 5 years, 491 readmissions (134 [27%] cardiometabolic and 357 [73%] noncardiometabolic) and 75 deaths (27 [36%] cardiometabolic and 47 [64%] noncardiometabolic) were observed. Mortality was increased with any concurrent cardiometabolic comorbidity (hazard ratio, 1.89; 95% confidence interval, 1.17–3.03; P =0.0089) with multiplicative mortality risk from a combination of coronary artery disease and heart failure. Each hospitalization was associated with a 1.5-fold risk of death (95% confidence interval, 1.37–1.64; P Conclusions— Among patients hospitalized for first transient ischemic attack, 5-year mortality is associated with concurrent cardiometabolic comorbidity and rates of subsequent hospitalization.
New QED, the GSI Peaks, and Background Fields

There is much evidence that quantum electrodynamics may nave a new, non-perturbative phase, characterized by spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking and confinement. We discuss the possibility that this phase may have been seen in the heavy-ion collision experiments at GSI the narrow peaks in the e+e−coincidence data are well explained as composite states of e+e−in this new phase of QED. We concentrate particularly on the question of whether background electromagnetic fields can induce the phase transition, and we present some new, direct, affirmative evidence that field configurations similar to those in the experiments can lead to spontaneous mass generation.
A Retrospective of Wald’s Sequential Analysis—Its Relation to Change-point Detection and Sequential Clinical Trials

The theory of sequential analysis was initiated by Wald during the 1940’s in response to problems of sampling inspection. Wald’s contributions are reviewed, and more recent developments in sequential change-point detection and sequential clinical trials are described. Particular attention is devoted to the application of random walk and renewal theory to improve Wald’s error probability and expected sample size approximations. The changing focus occasioned by the stimulus of new applications is discussed.
Determination of Compound Kill Kinetics Against Mycobacterium tuberculosis

In this chapter, we describe how to determine the kill kinetics and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of a compound against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Techniques are described for three conditions: actively growing aerobic bacteria, and non-replicating bacteria induced by nutrient starvation and/or low pH. Each technique involves determining the number of viable bacteria in the presence of several concentrations of compound over 3 weeks. Guidelines for how to interpret the results, to determine if growth-inhibitory compounds are bactericidal or bacteriostatic and also whether compounds exhibit time-dependent or concentration-dependent kill are provided.
Exploiting the Potentials of the Front Surface Field (FSF) Industrial Silicon Solar Cell

This paper reports the PC2D simulation of an industrial size FSF solar cell with screen-printed Al alloyed back p-n junction. Best cell efficiency of 18.4% was modeled by PC2D confirming fill factor (FF) of 79.3%. Contour maps were generated to confirm the impact of FSF sheet resistance on the lateral voltage distribution. The maximum collection efficiency of ~97% was obtained at 1010 nm, which is close to the p-n junction and ~96% at 350 nm. The short circuit current was somewhat low because of lower emitter to the total cell area. Thus, this simple and cost-effective structure has great potential to reduce the cost of solar electricity.
Macromolecules with programmable shape, size, and chemistry

Shape, size, and composition are the most fundamental design features, enabling highly complex functionalities. Despite recent advances, the independent control of shape, size, and chemistry of macromolecules remains a synthetic challenge. We report a scalable methodology to produce large, well-defined macromolecules with programmable shape, size, and chemistry that combines reactor engineering principles and controlled polymerizations. Specifically, bottlebrush polymers with conical, ellipsoidal, and concave architectures are synthesized using two orthogonal polymerizations. The chemical versatility is highlighted by the synthesis of a compositional asymmetric cone. The strong agreement between predictions and experiments validates the precision that this methodology offers.
The Genetics of Mdd In Sweden

Abstract We began the Genomic Aggregation Project in Sweden (GAPS) in 4/2016. Genomic data existed on >200K Swedes, and to leverage the investments that made these data, aggregating these data is an obvious first step. We have formed a consortium, recruited investigators from across Sweden, worked out the ethical-regulatory framework, and set up a processing pipeline. GAPS now has 14 case-control and 7 cohort studies with N=154,047 with existing genome-wide SNP data: most of the data have been through a local implementation of the PGC pipeline and are analysis-ready. We will soon add specialty arrays (N=89,727), whole exome (N=19,802), and whole genome sequencing (N=6,150). One of the first phenotypes to be analyzed will be major depressive disorder (MDD). We estimate that there are 20K cases of MDD now in GAPS (as many GAPS cohorts are psychiatric). Sweden has universal health care, and all subjects have a complete vector of inpatient discharge diagnoses, outpatient specialist treatment, and pharmacy records. Following imputation to a Sweden-specific reference, we will conduct common & rare variant association tests, incorporate external results, and create a novel MDD severity index (yearly sick leave and income) for case stratification. We will attempt to identify predictors of long-term outcome at first presentation, with the possibility of validation in Denmark and Norway.
Impact on Readmission Reduction Among Heart Failure Patients Using Digital Health Monitoring: Feasibility and Adoptability Study

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a condition that affects approximately 6.2 million people in the United States and has a 5-year mortality rate of approximately 42%. With the prevalence expected to exceed 8 million cases by 2030, projections estimate that total annual HF costs will increase to nearly US $70 billion. Recently, the advent of remote monitoring technology has significantly broadened the scope of the physician’s reach in chronic disease management. Objective: The goal of our program, named the Heart Health Program, was to examine the feasibility of using digital health monitoring in real-world home settings, ascertain patient adoption, and evaluate impact on 30-day readmission rate. Methods: A digital medicine software platform developed at Mount Sinai Health System, called RxUniverse, was used to prescribe a digital care pathway including the HealthPROMISE digital therapeutic and iHealth mobile apps to patients’ personal smartphones. Vital sign data, including blood pressure (BP) and weight, were collected through an ambulatory remote monitoring system that comprised a mobile app and complementary consumer-grade Bluetooth-connected smart devices (BP cuff and digital scale) that send data to the provider care teams. Care teams were alerted via a Web-based dashboard of abnormal patient BP and weight change readings, and further action was taken at the clinicians’ discretion. We used statistical analyses to determine risk factors associated with 30-day all-cause readmission. Results: Overall, the Heart Health Program included 58 patients admitted to the Mount Sinai Hospital for HF. The 30-day hospital readmission rate was 10% (6/58), compared with the national readmission rates of approximately 25% and the Mount Sinai Hospital’s average of approximately 23%. Single marital status (P=.06) and history of percutaneous coronary intervention (P=.08) were associated with readmission. Readmitted patients were also less likely to have been previously prescribed angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers (P=.02). Notably, readmitted patients utilized the BP and weight monitors less than nonreadmitted patients, and patients aged younger than 70 years used the monitors more frequently on average than those aged over 70 years, though these trends did not reach statistical significance. The percentage of the 58 patients using the monitors at least once dropped from 83% (42/58) in the first week after discharge to 46% (23/58) in the fourth week. Conclusions: Given the increasing burden of HF, there is a need for an effective and sustainable remote monitoring system for HF patients following hospital discharge. We identified clinical and social factors as well as remote monitoring usage trends that identify targetable patient populations that could benefit most from integration of daily remote monitoring. In addition, we demonstrated that interventions driven by real-time vital sign data may greatly aid in reducing hospital readmissions and costs while improving patient outcomes.
Unraveling Momentum's Moments

I examine the momentum anomaly through the prism of higher order risk neutral moments of high and low momentum stocks. I use option prices from 2002 to 2013 to extract time varying ex ante estimates of variance, skewness and kurtosis of high and low momentum stocks. High momentum stocks have lower variance, less negative skewness and lower kurtosis. This is in contrast to studies that use static, ex post estimates of skewness to explain momentum returns as a function of exposure to the higher order moments of the underlying return distribution. These results highlight that momentum returns can not be explained by ex ante estimates of higher order moments and remain dicult to resolve empirically in a rational expectations framework.
Association of food environment and cardiovascular mortality

Background : The association between healthy dietary habits and cardiovascular health is well established; however, it is unknown whether access to healthy and sustainable food sources correlates with better cardiovascular mortality. Methods : County-level data on Food Environment Index (FEI) for 2014 was retrieved from the County Health Rankings dataset. County-level data on cardiovascular diseases (CVD) mortality was obtained from the death registry files of the National Vital Statistics System. We used a linear regression model to assess the association between FEI and CVD mortality after adjusting for sex and race distributions, urban-rural distribution and median household income. Results : Data were available for 3069 counties. The mean FEI was 7.0 (SD, 1.2) and mean CVD mortality (per 100,000 population) was 252.7 (95% CI, 247.1-258.3) across the United States in 2014. There was a significant inverse association between FEI and adjusted CVD mortality (P <0.001). Every unit increase in FEI corresponded to a decline in CVD mortality of 19.1 per 100,000 population. Conclusions : Higher FEI correlates with reduced CVD mortality. Improving access to healthy sustainable food sources may help decrease cardiovascular mortality.
Expected Maintenance Actions for Imperfect Production Processes Using a Markovian Approach

In practice, most of the production systems are not perfect in that defectives are often produced. Even though the maintenance of such imperfect production systems has been studied, the maintenance strategies obtained by a Markovian approach are limited. In this paper, expected maintenance actions for imperfect production processes are developed using a Markovian approach. An integrated maintenance action model has been developed in order to determine the required preventive maintenance, inspection, and minimal repair for each state. The expected total cost has been obtained that covers the cost of the production process with the cost of maintenance.
The FIRST Sample of Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies at High Redshift. I. Sample and Near-Infrared Morphologies

We present a new sample of distant ultraluminous infrared galaxies. The sample was selected from a positional cross-correlation of the IRAS Faint Source Catalog with the FIRST database. Objects from this set were selected for spectroscopy by virtue of following the well-known star-forming galaxy correlation between 1.4 GHz and 60 μm flux, and by being optically faint on the POSS. Optical identification and spectroscopy were obtained for 108 targets at the Lick Observatory 3 m telescope. Most objects show spectra typical of starburst galaxies and do not show the high-ionization lines of active galactic nuclei. The redshift distribution covers 0.1 0.5 and an average redshift of = 0.31. K-band images were obtained at the IRTF, Lick, and Keck observatories in sub-arcsec seeing of all optically identified targets. About two-thirds of the objects appear to be interacting galaxies, while the other one-third appear to be normal. Nearly all the identified objects have far-IR luminosities greater than 1011 L⊙, and ~25% have LFIR > 1012 L⊙.
Method to Create Perceptually Uniform Color Gradients with Optimized Color Differences between each Step for Data Visualization

This paper presents an original method to create optimized color differences between each step of a CIELAB perceptually uniform color gradient. The relevant equations for the necessary color space ...
Optical imaging of zebrafish xenograft tumors for a high throughput drugs screen

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the United States. Heterogeneity in breast cancer treatment response across patients indicates that patient-specific treatment screens will reduce under-treatment of aggressive and recurrent cancers, while also sparing patients with non-aggressive disease toxicities due to overtreatment. Xenografts grown from patient-specific tissue in zebrafish present a novel platform for a medium to high-throughput anti-cancer drug screen to individualize patient therapy. The goal of this project is to develop an optical imaging anti-cancer drug screen to evaluate patient-specific zebrafish tumors. Trastuzumab (anti-HER2 antibody) responsive and resistant breast cancer cells were injected into 48 hour-post-fertilization zebrafish embryos. Tumors were established for 24 hours and then fish were treated with a panel of breast cancer drugs and drug combinations. Autofluorescence lifetime images with single-cell resolution of the fish tumors were acquired at 24, 48, and 72 hours of drug treatment. Wide-field mCherry fluorescence and bright-field images with fish-level resolution were acquired prior to treatment (t=0 hour) and at 72 hours of drug treatment. Individual tumor responses were determined from the whole-fish bright-field and mCherry fluorescence images. Substantial differences in autofluorescence lifetime features, including optical redox ratio and mean NADH lifetime, were found between drug responsive and resistant tumors. These results suggest autofluorescence lifetime imaging is predictive of anti-cancer drug response in zebrafish xenografts
Cultural skills as drivers of decency in decent work: an investigation of skilled workers in the informal economy

Over 61% of the world’s population lives and works in the informal economic sector. However, workers in the informal economy are conspicuous by their relative absence in work psychology research an...