cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Benign Fibroepithelial Polyps: A Rare Cause of Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction in Children

FEPs are rare, benign mucosal growths that may cause urinary tract obstruction in both adults and children. We present the case of a ten year old Hispanic male with recurring urinary tract infections and hydronephrosis diagnosed with fibroepithelial polyps (FEPs). Despite multiple radiographic procedures, we were unable to accurately preoperatively diagnose FEPs. Here we demonstrate the difficulties in preoperative diagnosis and suggest that perhaps a combination of US and MRI in the setting of persistent urinary tract infections and flank pain may be the best approach for early diagnosis and conservative management, including less invasive treatment protocols.
The Super-Heterodyne-Its Origin, Development, and Some Recent Improvements

This paper describes the development of the super-heterodyne receiver from a wartime invention into a commercial form of broadcast receiver apparatus now available to the general public. The success of the development is due to the low filament consumption vacuum tube and to the reduction in the number of tubes required by self-heterodyning, reflexing, and improvement in transformer design. Instances are cited of trans-Atlantic and trans-continental reception of broadcast stations by completely portable sets constructed in accordance with the methods described.
Health literacy of Iraqi immigrant adults: pilot study

Objective: This study aimed to examine the effect of a 3- hour educational program on the health literacy of Iraqi immigrants in the U.S. Methods: The pilot study was implemented using a Pretest-Posttest design. Iraqi immigrants (n = 30) who were 18 years or older, used English as a second language and lived in the U.S. for at least five months, participated in the study. Health literacy (functional, communicative and critical) was measured before and after an educational program by using the “Test of All Aspects of Health Literacy Scale (AAHLS)”. Results: Based on the results of this pilot study, the mean of AAHLS total score for the pretest was 13.3, and the mean of total score for the posttest was 16.03. So, there is significant improvement in health literacy after the program. Conclusions: Although the results indicated a significant improvement of PostTotal health literacy scores (M = 16.3, SD = 3.04) over PreTotal health literacy score (M = 13.13, SD = 3.13), t (29) = 4.917, p < .001, the functional literacy subscale did not show similar improvement.
Probing slepton mass nonuniversality at e + e − linear colliders

There are many models with nonuniversal soft SUSY breaking sfermion mass parameters at the grand unification scale. Even in the MSUGRA model scalar mass unification might occur at a scale closer to M{sub Planck}, and renormalization effects would cause a mass splitting at M{sub GUT}. We identify an experimentally measurable quantity {Delta} that correlates strongly with {delta}m{sup 2}(equivalent to)m{sub {tilde e}{sub R}}{sup 2}(M{sub GUT})-m{sub {tilde e}{sub L}}{sup 2}(M{sub GUT}), and which can be measured at electron-positron colliders provided both selectrons and the chargino are kinematically accessible. We show that if these sparticle masses can be measured with a precision of 1% at a 500 GeV linear collider, the resulting precision in the determination of {Delta} may allow experiments to distinguish between scalar mass unification at the GUT scale from the corresponding unification at Q{approx}M{sub Planck}. Experimental determination of {Delta} would also provide a distinction between the MSUGRA model and the recently proposed gaugino-mediation model. Moreover, a measurement of {Delta} (or a related quantity {Delta}{prime}) would allow for a direct determination of {delta}m{sup 2}.
EVOLUTIONARY NOVELTY AND ATAVISM IN THE SEMIONOTUS COMPLEX: RELAXED SELECTION DURING COLONIZATION OF AN EXPANDING LAKE.

Fishes of the genus Semionotus diversified in the rift lakes of eastern North America during the Mesozoic (Newark Supergroup). Like the well-known cichlid fishes of the African great lakes, diverse complexes of semionotids were apparently endemic to a number of different lakes. Semionotid fishes show considerable morphological diversity in body shape and in a modified row of scales termed "dorsal ridge scales." A number of distinct dorsal-ridge-scale patterns characterize groups of species from the Newark Supergroup. Interestingly, about 5.5% of individuals examined have anomalous scales mixed in with otherwise stereotypic dorsal-ridge-scale patterns. In this study, I take advantage of nearly annual stratigraphic resolution to determine whether dorsal-ridge-scale anomalies are concentrated stratigraphically in the early phase of lake formation and colonization by semionotids. More than 1,700 specimens of semionotid fish were collected from a single lake deposit (cycle P4), representing approximately 21,000 years, in the Early-Jurassic Towaco Formation of the Newark Basin. Dorsal-ridge-scale anomalies are significantly more frequent in older than in younger lake sediments, which I interpret as being the result of relaxed selection during the early colonization of the lake. Anomalous variation parallels variation in dorsal ridge scales between species-groups. Some anomalies are atavisms, while others are unique or foreshadow future evolutionary events. One type of anomaly is incorporated into the dorsal-ridge-scale series of two new species that gave rise to a radiation in a subsequent lake filling the same topographic basin. Because both novelties and atavisms occur in the dorsal-ridge-scale series of single individuals, I argue that the disruptions of the same "developmental program" produced both atavistic and novel traits.
Biochemical Basis of Sestrin Physiological Activities

Excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and chronic activation of mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 1 (mTORC1) are well-characterized promoters of aging and age-associated degenerative pathologies. Sestrins, a family of highly conserved stress-inducible proteins, are important negative regulators of both ROS and mTORC1 signaling pathways; however, the mechanistic basis of how Sestrins suppress these pathways remains elusive. In the past couple of years, breakthrough discoveries about Sestrin signaling and its molecular nature have markedly increased our biochemical understanding of Sestrin function. These discoveries have also uncovered new potential therapeutic strategies that may eventually enable us to attenuate aging and age-associated diseases.
Effectiveness of ion cleaning to improve the laser damage threshold of HfO2/SiO2 optical coatings for high reflection and antireflection at 527 nm and 1054 nm

Preventing contamination is vital to achieving high laser-induced damage thresholds in optical coatings. The importance of removing contamination from optical substrates has led to the development of many specialized cleaning processes, including the application of solvents, acids, mild detergents, and abrasives. To further enhance contamination removal, the substrate may be treated with ion cleaning just prior to depositing the optical coating. Ion cleaning is attractive thanks to the convenience of providing in-situ treatment to optical substrates, and also avoiding the hassle of managing hazardous chemicals or applying mechanical force to scrub off detergents and other cleaning agents. In this study, we compare the effectiveness of ion cleaning for increasing the laser-induced damage thresholds of high reflection (527 nm and 1054 nm) and antireflection (527 nm) coatings. Ion cleaning was performed using a radio frequency ion source with argon and oxygen. The coatings investigated were deposited with layers of HfO 2 and SiO 2 in an e-beam evaporation system, and are designed to withstand nanosecond pulses from a kJ-class laser.
Determination of the Molecular Weights of Membrane Proteins and Polypeptides

The number of methods available for the estimation of the molecular weights of native proteins and/or their constituent polypeptide chains is greater now than ever before. The contemporary investigator commonly has access to an analytical ultracentrifuge, and, with the advent of simple and inexpensive semiempirical methods such as gel chromatography and gel electrophoresis in denaturing solvents, what was once a major undertaking has become a matter of routine. Unfortunately, this generalization most aptly applies to those who work with proteins whose origin is a hydrophilic environment, such as cytoplasm and serum; the investigator who is engaged in the study of membranes and membrane proteins finds himself dealing with macromolecules that must function in a nonaqueous environment and therefore often do not conform to the expected behavioral patterns of hydrophilic proteins.
Integration of III-V nanopillar resonator to in-plane silicon waveguides

We proposed, fabricated, and characterized new structures based on III-V compound semi-conductor nanopillars, monolithically integrated to silicon platform, for coupling spontaneous and stimulated emission to silicon waveguides.
Comparative effectiveness of adjuvant chemoradiotherapy after gastrectomy among older patients with gastric adenocarcinoma: a SEER–Medicare study

Since the INT-0116 trial reported a survival advantage, postoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) has been a care standard for US patients in whom gastric adenocarcinoma has been diagnosed. We sought to estimate the association between treatment and survival among the older US Medicare population. This is a retrospective cohort study of Medicare beneficiaries aged 65–79 years with stage IB–III gastric adenocarcinoma diagnosed between 2002 and 2009 in a Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results region. Patients were categorized on the basis of treatment: (1) gastrectomy only and (2) gastrectomy plus adjuvant CRT. We examined factors associated with receipt of adjuvant CRT, including stage at diagnosis, comorbidity, and tumor subtype. Overall survival was measured from 90 days after gastrectomy until death or the censoring date of December 31, 2010. Of the 1519 patients who underwent gastrectomy, 41.7% received adjuvant CRT. Factors associated with adjuvant CRT included age younger than 75 years at cancer diagnosis and stage II or stage III cancer. The median overall survival from the time of gastrectomy was 25.1 months (interquartile range 43.7 months) for gastrectomy only and 26.9 months (interquartile range 40.9 months) for adjuvant CRT. Multivariable and propensity-score-stratified models demonstrated a survival benefit associated with adjuvant CRT [hazard ratio (HR) 0.58; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.50–0.67], although the magnitude was greater for stage II tumors (HR 0.50; 95% CI 0.39–0.61) and stage III tumors (HR 0.58; 95% CI 0.45–0.73) than for stage IB tumors (HR 1.02; 95% CI 0.71–1.45). Adjuvant CRT, in conjunction with gastrectomy, was associated with a survival benefit among older patients with stage II or stage III tumors.
Reliable and reproducible PUF based cryptographic keys under varying environmental conditions

In this paper, a configurable ring oscillator PUFs (c-ROPUFs) is utilized to improve PUF entropy and reliability. In addition, a novel security technique to enhance PUF's reproducibility using a newly defined parameter namely intra-die diverseness is introduced. An implementation of c-ROPUF on a Xilinx Spartan-3E FPGA on 30 different chips under different environmental conditions is shown. Experimental results show that the c-ROPUF design, improves the reliability from 94% to 100% and bit flip rate is reduced from 5.5% to 0% at varying supply voltage and temperatures. Experimental results show that average reproducibility, in terms of Hamming Distance, is enhanced to around 50%.
Media Portrayals of Changing Migration Patterns in Southeast Asia

This study employed frame analysis to examine media reports of migrants and migration in Southeast Asia. Newspaper stories by Malaysia’s New Straits Times and Thailand’s The Nation in 2012-2015 were randomly selected and analyzed to ascertain how migration issues were conceptualized. Five news frames were identified in each country. A commonly applied frame in both countries concerned migrants as victims of mistreatment. Also, diplomacy and international cooperation on migration was another recurrent frame, especially concerning Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. Malaysian reports emphasized the country’s cooperation with diplomatic efforts whereas Thai news coverage on international diplomacy presented its nation as more assertive and uncompromising. การนำเสนอภาพของสอเกยวกบการเปลยนแปลงรปแบบ การยายถนในเอเชยตะวนออกเฉยงใต การศกษาครงนใช การวเคราะหการกำหนดกรอบขาว เพอตรวจสอบการนำเสนอขาวของสอในประเดนผยายถนและการยายถนในเอเชยตะวนออกเฉยงใต โดยสมตวอยางการรายงานขาวจากหนงสอพมพมาเลเซย นว สเตรท ไทมส และหนงสอพมพไทย เดอะ เนชน ทนำเสนอระหวางป พ.ศ. 2555-2558 เพอวเคราะหวา สอมการกำหนดกรอบความคดออกสสาธารณะในประเดนการยายถนอยางไร ผลการศกษาพบวา หนงสอพมพของทงสองประเทศ ตางนำเสนอขาวการยายถนใน 5 กรอบขาวหลก โดยกรอบขาวทสอทงสองประเทศนำเสนอคลายคลงกน คอ การทารณกรรมเหยอผยายถน และมการนำเสนอซำบอยครงในกรอบขาวเกยวกบการทตและความรวมมอระหวางประเทศ โดยเฉพาะในประเดนขาวเกยวกบผอพยพชาวโรฮนจาจากประเทศเมยนมา ทงน การรายงานขาวของหนงสอพมพมาเลเซยเนนยำเรองความพยายามของรฐบาลตอการใหความรวมมอทางการทต ขณะทหนงสอพมพไทยนำเสนอประเดนการทตระหวางประเทศทบงชวา รฐบาลไทยมทาทเดดขาดและไมประนประนอม
Adenylyl Cyclase 1 Is Required for Ethanol-Induced Locomotor Sensitization and Associated Increases in NMDA Receptor Phosphorylation and Function in the Dorsal Medial Striatum

Neuroadaptive responses to chronic ethanol, such as behavioral sensitization, are associated with N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) recruitment. Ethanol enhances GluN2B-containing NMDAR function and phosphorylation (Tyr-1472) of the GluN2B-NMDAR subunit in the dorsal medial striatum (DMS) through a protein kinase A (PKA)-dependent pathway. Ethanol-induced phosphorylation of PKA substrates is partially mediated by calcium-stimulated adenylyl cyclase 1 (AC1), which is enriched in the dorsal striatum. As such, AC1 is poised as an upstream modulator of ethanol-induced DMS neuroadaptations that promote drug responding, and thus represents a therapeutic target. Our hypothesis is that loss of AC1 activity will prevent ethanol-induced locomotor sensitization and associated DMS GluN2B-NMDAR adaptations. We evaluated AC1's contribution to ethanol-evoked locomotor responses and DMS GluN2B-NMDAR phosphorylation and function using AC1 knockout (AC1KO) mice. Results were mechanistically validated with the AC1 inhibitor, NB001. Acute ethanol (2.0 g/kg) locomotor responses in AC1KO and wild-type (WT) mice pretreated with NB001 (10 mg/kg) were comparable to WT ethanol controls. However, repeated ethanol treatment (10 days, 2.5 g/kg) failed to produce sensitization in AC1KO or NB001 pretreated mice, as observed in WT ethanol controls, following challenge exposure (2.0 g/kg). Repeated exposure to ethanol in the sensitization procedure significantly increased pTyr-1472 GluN2B levels and GluN2B-containing NMDAR transmission in the DMS of WT mice. Loss of AC1 signaling impaired ethanol-induced increases in DMS pGluN2B levels and NMDAR-mediated transmission. Together, these data support a critical and specific role for AC1 in striatal signaling that mediates ethanol-induced behavioral sensitization, and identify GluN2B-containing NMDARs as an important AC1 target.
3D MITRAL VALVE QUANTITATION PREDICTS PROCEDURAL SUCCESS DURING TRANSCATHETER MITRAL VALVE REPAIR

We aimed to investigate whether quantitative 3D transesophageal echocardiography (3D TEE) predicts successful mitral regurgitation (MR) reduction in patients undergoing transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair (TMVR). Thirty-nine patients underwent 3D TEE during TMVR. Volumetric datasets were
Analysis of the Monarchical Restoration in China

“What do the Chinese students think of the present political changes in China?” That I do not know. I can only say what I personally feel about this matter. First of all, I welcome the change from a republic to a monarchy. There are a thousand and one reasons why I should welcome this change, and for brevity’s sake, I only mention a few.
Are Red Tides Correlated to Spring-Neap Tidal Mixing?: Use Of A Historical Record to Test Mechanisms Responsible for Dinoflagellate Blooms

Vertical mixing is generally considered to be one of the most influential factors affecting phytoplankton abundance in the ocean (Sverdrup, 1953; Gran and Braarud, 1935). Changes in both phytoplankton abundance and species composition are thought to occur as a function of turbulence (Margalef, 1978). Research has therefore been directed at the sources of water column turbulence in nature and how these sources affect phytoplankton community dynamics.
Concolic testing and constraint satisfaction

Software testing is the most common technique used in industry to improve reliability and quality of software. Unfortunately, testing is mostly a manual process that reportedly accounts for over half of the typical cost of software development and maintenance. Symbolic execution [6,2,3,9,5] was proposed in the 70s to automate software testing by generating test inputs.
DIET in the Second Layer: An ESDIAD Study of NH3 on a CO Layer on Ni(111) and Ni(110)

We have recently reported on the interactions of CO and NH3 on nickel surfaces [1,2], as determined by the electron stimulated desorption ion angular distribution (ESDIAD) method. In this paper we review that work and present the results of calculations that show the role of the CO layer in DIET phenomena. Tochihara et al. [3] have also studied this system using MQS spectroscopy, and their results are of importance in our conclusions.
Confronting The Effects Of Climate Change On Health In California.

Vulnerable communities have been forced to address the deepening impact of severe weather events on residents’ well-being.
Variation in Prostaglandin Analog Prices Paid for Through Medicare Part D.

Objective:Determine the prices and price variation of the prostaglandin analogs (PGAs) used in the United States and examine their trends from 2013 to 2016 using Medicare Part D data.Design:This is a retrospective cross-sectional study.Participants:All ophthalmologists and optometrists in all 50 sta
Planar morphometrics using Teichmüller maps

Inspired by the question of quantifying wing shape, we propose a computational approach for analysing planar shapes. We first establish a correspondence between the boundaries of two planar shapes with boundary landmarks using geometric functional data analysis and then compute a landmark-matching curvature-guided Teichmuller mapping with uniform quasi-conformal distortion in the bulk. This allows us to analyse the pair-wise difference between the planar shapes and construct a similarity matrix on which we deploy methods from network analysis to cluster shapes. We deploy our method to study a variety of Drosophila wings across species to highlight the phenotypic variation between them, and Lepidoptera wings over time to study the developmental progression of wings. Our approach of combining complex analysis, computation and statistics to quantify, compare and classify planar shapes may be usefully deployed in other biological and physical systems.
Hackers, Computers, and Cooperation: A Critical History of Logo and Constructionist Learning

This paper examines the history of the learning theory "constructionism" and its most well-known implementation, Logo, to examine beliefs involving both "C's" in CSCW: computers and cooperation. Tracing the tumultuous history of one of the first examples of computer-supported cooperative learning (CSCL) allows us to question some present-day assumptions regarding the universal appeal of learning to program computers that undergirds popular CSCL initiatives today, including the Scratch programming environment and the "FabLab" makerspace movement. Furthermore, teasing out the individualistic and anti-authority threads in this project and its links to present day narratives of technology development exposes the deeply atomized and even oppositional notions of collaboration in these projects and others under the auspices of CSCW today that draw on early notions of 'hacker culture.' These notions tend to favor a limited view of work, learning, and practice-an invisible constraint that continues to inform how we build and evaluate CSCW technologies.
A study of contralateral persistent processus vaginalis in laparoscopic hernia repair in children

The introduction of laparoscopy for hernia repair permits intra-abdominal observation of a hernia and contralateral persistent processus vaginalis (CPPV). The current study’s aim was to investigate the diameter of opening of an inguinal hernia and CPPV in patients with unilateral inguinal hernia, and to evaluate their correlation with age. From September 2012 to August 2017, 569 pediatric patients underwent laparoscopic repair of unilateral inguinal hernia. We retrospectively evaluated the size of the hernia and CPPV by measuring the diameter of opening. Pearson correlation analysis and linear-by-linear association were used in the statistical analysis. The median age at operation was 32.4 months (range 0.2–219 months). CPPV was observed in 330 patients (58.0%), and its incidence was significantly higher in patients with left inguinal hernias than in those with right inguinal hernias (62.8 versus 54.0%, p < 0.001). The mean diameter of opening for the hernias was significantly larger than that for CPPV (11.2 ± 3.1 vs. 6.1 ± 2.5 mm, p < 0.001). The incidence of CPPV gradually decreased from 77.2% in infants to 46.6% in the oldest age group (≥ 6 years) (p trend < 0.001). The diameter of the opening of a hernia was not correlated with increasing age, and the diameter of the opening of a CPPV was not correlated with increasing age, as well. The diameters of a hernia and CPPV were identified in the current study, and the diameter was not correlated with increasing age. The incidence of CPPV was more common in patients with left inguinal hernias than in those with right inguinal hernias, and it gradually decreased with increasing age.
Bioabsorption and effectiveness of long-lasting permethrin-treated uniforms over three months among North Carolina outdoor workers

Vector-borne diseases are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in the USA. Effective, convenient prevention methods are needed. Long-lasting permethrin-impregnated (LLPI) clothing can prevent tick bites, however, additional information is needed on the real-world effectiveness and safety of this preventative measure. In this pilot study, we recruited state and county park employees from North Carolina to wear LLPI uniforms for three months during the summer of 2016. We collected spot urine samples for biomonitoring of permethrin metabolites at one week, one month and three months after first use of the LLPI uniform. Following three months of wear, we collected pants and socks and analyzed them for permethrin content and mortality to ticks and mosquitoes. Thirteen park employees were included in the analysis. Bioactive amounts of permethrin remained in all clothing swatches tested, although there was great variability. Tick mortality was high, with 78% of pant and 88% of sock swatches having mean knockdown percentages ≥ 85%. In contrast, mosquito mortality was low. Over the study period, the absorbed dosage of permethrin averaged < 4 μg/kg/d of body weight based on measurements of three metabolites. LLPI clothing retained permethrin and bioactivity against ticks after three months of use in real-world conditions. The estimated absorbed dosage of permethrin was well below the U.S. EPA level of concern, suggesting that LLPI clothing can be used safely by outdoor workers for tick bite prevention.
Catalytic ring-closing reactions of gold compounds containing bis(phosphino)ferrocene ligands

Abstract The efficiency of various gold compounds containing bis(phosphino)ferrocene ligands for catalyzing ring-closing reactions was examined. Six commercially available bis(phosphino)ferrocene ligands: 1,1′-bis(ditert-butylphosphino)ferrocene (dtbpf), 1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene (dppf), 1,1′-bis(dicylohexylphosphino)ferrocene (dcpf), 1,1′-bis(diiso-propylphosphino)ferrocene (dippf), 1-diphenylphosphino-1′-di-tert-butylphosphinoferrocene (dppdtbpf) and 1,1′-bis(5-methyl-2-furanylphosphino)ferrocene (dfurpf) were employed in this study. In addition to the previously reported [Au2Cl2(μ-PP)] (PP = dtbpf, dppf, dcpf, dippf or dppdtbpf) compounds, [Au2Cl2(μ-dfurpf)] was synthesized and characterized by NMR spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and X-ray crystallography. All of these gold compounds react with Na[BArF24] (BArF24 = tetrakis(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)borate) to remove a chloride and yield the cationic monochlorides, [Au2(μ-Cl)(μ-PP)]+. The effectiveness of the [Au2Cl2(μ-PP)] and [Au2(μ-Cl)(μ-PP)][BArF24], either pre-formed or generated in situ, compounds for the catalytic intramolecular alkyne hydroalkoxylation of (Z)-3-methylpent-2-en-4-yn-1-ol was examined in CDCl3 and toluene-d8. The ring-closing of N-(prop-2-yn-1-yl)benzamide was also examined and was efficiently carried out in toluene-d8 using [Au2(μ-Cl)(μ-PP)][BArF24] (PP = dtbpf, dppf, dcpf, dippf, dppdtbpf or dfurpf). In addition, [Au2Cl2(μ-dppe)] and [Au2(μ-Cl)(μ-dppe)][BArF24] were examined as catalysts for these ring-closing reactions in order to determine if the ferrocene backbone of the bis(phosphino)ferrocene ligands was important for catalysis.
Differences in Longitudinal Disease Activity Between Research Cohort and Noncohort Participants with Rheumatoid Arthritis Using Electronic Health Record Data

Objective Research using electronic health records (EHRs) may offer advantages over observational prospective cohort studies, including lower costs and a more generalizable patient population; however, EHR data may be more biased because of the high prevalence of missing data. We took advantage of a unique clinical setting in which all patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were asked to participate in a longitudinal cohort study that would examine potential biases of EHR vs. prospective cohort designs in assessment of disease outcomes, but only some chose to participate. Methods For individuals both participating in the cohort ("cohort," n = 187) and not participating ("noncohort," n = 190), we retrieved data regarding RA disease activity and other sociodemographic and clinical factors from data recorded in the EHR between 2013 and 2017. We compared the prevalence of missing data between groups and studied differences in disease activity measures over time. Results Disease activity measures were less likely to be missing for cohort participants compared with noncohort participants (0.2%-13% vs. 2%-22%, respectively). No significant differences were present at baseline with respect to race/ethnicity or disease activity measures between groups. However, black, non-Hispanic race/ethnicity was associated with worse longitudinal disease activity compared with white, non-Hispanic individuals in noncohort participants (β = 6.47, P =0.03) but not in cohort participants (β = -0.10, P = 0.97) (P interaction = 0.09). Conclusion Findings suggest that data derived from the EHR were comparable to a cohort across some variables but captured racial/ethnic disparities in long-term outcomes not observed in the cohort study. Research utilizing EHR data in conjunction with cohort studies may provide new opportunities for studying health disparities.
Importance of measuring endolysosome, cytosolic, and extracellular pH in understanding the pathogenesis of and possible treatments for glioblastoma multiforme

Background Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a very aggressive form of brain cancer that carries with it a tragically poor prognosis. As with many other forms of cancer, the extracellular environment near GBM tumors is acidified and is relevant to the pathogenesis of GBM because decreased pH promotes tumor cell invasion, increases angiogenesis, decreases immune surveillance, and increases resistance to possible treatments. Recently, vacuolar ATPase (v-ATPase), a proton pump that helps maintain the acidic environment in endosomes and lysosomes (hereafter referred to endolysosomes) as well as proton gradients across the plasma membrane, was identified as a novel therapeutic target for GBM. However, information is lacking about cancer cell and tissue pH of endolysosomes, cytosol and extracellular fluid. Aim Here, we measured endolysosome, cytosolic, and extracellular pH in U87MG cells in the absence and presence of the v-ATPase inhibitor bafilomycin A1. Methods In vitro measurements of U87MG cells were conducted using LysoSensor dye and a Lysosome-RFP dye for lysosome pH, BCECF-AM for cytosolic pH, and a pH-sensitive microprobe for extracellular pH. Results Bafilomycin A1 increased endolysosome pH from 5.28 to 5.57, decreased cytosolic pH from 7.01 to 6.46, and increased extracellular pH from 7.18 to 7.40. Conclusions Here, we report the ability to make pH measurements in U87MG glioblastoma cells and discuss these results in the context of GBM pathogenesis and possible treatment. This might be of some importance in understanding the pathogenesis of GBM because the highly regulated stores of hydrogen (H+) ions in endolysosomes can influence cytosolic and extracellular pH as well as the distribution, numbers, and sizes of endolysosomes.
Global Disparities in Wilms Tumor.

Abstract Background Wilms tumor accounts for more than 90% of all malignant kidney neoplasms in children. Survival after diagnosis and treatment is excellent in most high-income countries. Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) continue to struggle with Wilms tumor detection and treatment. The purpose of this study was to compare the global incidence and outcomes of Wilms tumor. Material and methods Wilms tumor incidence data from the World Health Organization (WHO), International Incidence of Childhood Cancer, Volume III, was analyzed according to world region and country socioeconomic status using descriptive statistics and independent-sample Kruskal–Wallis Test. A literature review was also performed to assess outcomes and identify common themes. Results Wilms tumor was most common in children aged 0-4 y (median incidence 15.1 [IQR 11.8-18.7] ASR/million). High-income countries reported significantly higher median incidence than middle-income countries (8.6 [7.4–9.3] versus 6.1 [4.9–8.7] ASR/million; P Conclusions Reported Wilms tumor incidence is highest in low-income countries, and these are also the countries that have the lowest survival. Lack of significance may reflect incomplete and absent data reporting from lower income countries. Accurate and comprehensive registries are the first steps to appropriate resource allocation in order to improve outcomes for this highly curable childhood malignancy.
Online Machine Learning Based Controller for Coupled Tanks Systems

Controlling the behavior of unknown dynamical systems is challenging in the presence of uncertainties and complex nonlinearities. This paper proposes an online machine learning-based methodology to control dynamical systems without a priori knowledge of their dynamical models nor dependency on large-scale datasets. The proposed online controller is based on a class of artificial neural networks, called Radial Basis Function (RBF) network. The learning capability and low computational complexity of the proposed online controller makes it a promising approach to be utilized in real-time control of unknown dynamical systems. The satisfactory performance of the proposed method is validated by applying it to a coupled tanks system.
Evolution of Genomic and T-cell Repertoire Heterogeneity of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Under Dasatinib Treatment

Purpose: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is considered an orphan disease with few treatment options. Despite multimodality therapy, the majority of MPMs recur and eventually become refractory to any systemic treatment. One potential mechanism underlying therapeutic resistance may be intratumor heterogeneity (ITH), making MPM challenging to eradicate. However, the ITH architecture of MPM and its clinical impact have not been well studied. Experimental Design: We delineated the immunogenomic ITH by multiregion whole-exome sequencing and T-cell receptor (TCR) sequencing of 69 longitudinal MPM specimens from nine patients with resectable MPM, who were treated with dasatinib. Results: The median total mutation burden before dasatinib treatment was 0.65/Mb, similar with that of post-dasatinib treatment (0.62/Mb). The median proportion of mutations shared by any given pair of two tumor regions within the same tumors was 80% prior to and 83% post-dasatinib treatment indicating a relatively homogenous genomic landscape. T-cell clonality, a parameter indicating T-cell expansion and reactivity, was significantly increased in tumors after dasatinib treatment. Furthermore, on average, 82% of T-cell clones were restricted to individual tumor regions, with merely 6% of T-cell clones shared by all regions from the same tumors indicating profound TCR heterogeneity. Interestingly, patients with higher T-cell clonality and higher portion of T cells present across all tumor regions in post-dasatinib–treated tumors had significantly longer survival. Conclusions: Despite the homogeneous genomic landscape, the TCR repertoire is extremely heterogeneous in MPM. Dasatinib may potentially induce T-cell response leading to improved survival.
Characterizing Enzyme Reactions in Microcrystals for Effective Mix-and-Inject Experiments using X-ray Free-Electron Lasers.

Mix-and-inject serial crystallography is an emerging technique that utilizes X-ray free electron lasers (XFELs) and microcrystalline samples to capture atomically detailed snapshots of biomolecules...
Time Integrated Soft X-ray Imaging in High Intensity Laser Experiments (thesis)

2009 marks a significant achievement and the dawn of a new era in high intensity laser research with the final commissioning of all 192 beams at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). NIF is a department of energy (DOE) funded project more than 10 years in the making located at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The following research was done as one of many preliminary experiments done to prepare for these historic events. The primary focus of the experimental campaign this paper addresses is to test and develop a thermal x-radiation source using a short pulse laser. This data is hoped to provide information about the thermal transport mechanisms important in the development of prediction models in High Energy Density (HED) science. One of several diagnostics fielded was a soft x-ray imager (SXRI) which is detailed in this paper. The SXRI will be used to measure the relative size of the heated region and also the relative level of specific x-ray emissions among several shot and target configurations. The laser system used was the Titan laser located in the Jupiter Laser Facility (JLF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). Titan uses the JLF Janus Nd:glass laser west frontend system withmore » a Optical Parametric Chirped Pulse Amplification (OPCPA) in place of the nanosecond oscillator. The system is capable of producing laser intensities of over a petawatt with several tens of joules delivered in the beam.« less
Abdominal ultrasound findings contribute to a multivariable predictive risk score for surgical necrotizing enterocolitis: A pilot study

Abstract Background Abdominal ultrasound (AUS) is a promising adjunct to abdominal x-ray (AXR) for evaluating necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). We developed a multivariable risk score incorporating AUS to predict surgical NEC. Methods 83 patients were evaluated by AXR and AUS for suspected NEC. A subset had surgical NEC. Multivariate logistic regression determined predictors of surgical NEC, which were incorporated into a risk score. Results 14/83 patients (16.9%) had surgical NEC. 10/83 (12.0%) patients required acute intervention, while 4/83 (4.8%) patients only required delayed surgery. Four predictors of surgical NEC were identified: abdominal wall erythema (OR: 8.2, p = 0.048), portal venous gas on AXR (OR: 29.8, p = 0.014), and echogenic free fluid (OR: 17.2, p = 0.027) and bowel wall thickening (OR: 12.5, p = 0.030) on AUS. A multivariable risk score incorporating these predictors had excellent area-under-the-curve of 0.937 (95% CI: 0.879–0.994). Conclusions AUS, as an adjunct to physical exam and AXR, has utility for predicting surgical NEC.
An evaluation of power conversion systems for land-based nuclear microreactors: Can aeroderivative engines facilitate near-term deployment?

Abstract Power conversion cycles (Subcritical Steam, Supercritical Steam, Open Air Brayton, Recuperated Air Brayton, Combined Cycle, Closed Brayton Supercritical CO2 (sCO2), and Stirling) are evaluated for land-based nuclear microreactors based on technical maturity, system efficiency, size, cost and maintainability, safety implications, and siting considerations. Based upon these criteria, Air Brayton systems were selected for further evaluation. A brief history of the development and applications of Brayton power systems is given, followed by a description of how these thermal-to-electrical energy conversion systems might be integrated with a nuclear microreactor. Modeling is performed for optimized cycles operating at 3 MW(e) with turbine inlet temperatures of 500 °C, 650 °C and 850 °C, corresponding to: a) sodium fast, b) molten salt or heat pipe, and c) helium or sodium thermal reactors, coupled with three types of Brayton power conversion units (PCUs): 1) simple open-cycle gas turbine, 2) recuperated open-cycle gas turbine, and 3) recuperated and intercooled open-cycle gas turbine. Aeroderivative turboshaft engines employing the simple Brayton cycle and two industrial gas turbine engines employing recuperated air Brayton cycles are also analyzed. These engines offer mature technology that can facilitate near-term deployment with a modest improvement in efficiency.
Nierfunctie bij kinderen

De glomerulaire filtratiesnelheid (GFR) is de belangrijkste klinische maat voor de nierfunctie. De ideale GFR-marker heeft een stabiele concentratie in het lichaam en wordt alleen door de glomerulus uitgescheiden. Inuline bezit deze eigenschappen, de renale klaring ervan wordt beschouwd als de gouden standaard voor het bepalen van de GFR. Klaringsonderzoeken zijn echter complex en invasief. In de klinische praktijk wordt daarom gebruikgemaakt van serumconcentraties van endogene nierfunctiemarkers. De creatinineconcentratie blijft wereldwijd de meest gebruikte marker, ondanks dat het ook niet-glomerulair uitgescheiden wordt. De niet-lineaire relatie tussen markerconcentraties en de GFR maakt het lastig om een verslechtering van de nierfunctie te herkennen. Richtlijnen adviseren daarom de GFR te schatten aan de hand van markerconcentraties. De meest gebruikte formule voor kinderen is de Schwartz-formule die corrigeert voor de leeftijdsgebonden toename in creatinine door de lichaamslengte te betrekken in de berekening. Cystatine C is de laatste jaren in opkomst als een nieuwe nierfunctiemarker. Het is een laagmoleculair eiwit dat alle kenmerken van de ideale marker bezit. Ondanks dat het belangrijke voordelen heeft boven creatinine, waarvan de belangrijkste stabiele concentratie vanaf de leeftijd van 2 jaar en onafhankelijkheid van lichaamssamenstelling zijn, is de klinische toepassing ervan nog niet wijdverspreid. Ook voor cystatine C bestaan diverse formules waarmee de GFR geschat kan worden. Deze review geeft een overzicht van de diverse mogelijkheden die de kinderarts heeft om de GFR bij kinderen te bepalen.
Effects of chronic ethanol exposure on neuronal function in the prefrontal cortex and extended amygdala

Chronic alcohol consumption and withdrawal leads to anxiety, escalated alcohol drinking behavior, and alcohol dependence. Alterations in the function of key structures within the cortico-limbic neural circuit have been implicated in underlying the negative behavioral consequences of chronic alcohol exposure in both humans and rodents. Here, we used chronic intermittent ethanol vapor exposure (CIE) in male C57BL/6J mice to evaluate the effects of chronic alcohol exposure and withdrawal on anxiety-like behavior and basal synaptic function and neuronal excitability in prefrontal cortical and extended amygdala brain regions. Forty-eight hours after four cycles of CIE, mice were either assayed in the marble burying test (MBT) or their brains were harvested and whole-cell electrophysiological recordings were performed in the prelimbic and infralimbic medial prefrontal cortex (PLC and ILC), the lateral and medial central nucleus of the amygdala (lCeA and mCeA), and the dorsal and ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (dBNST and vBNST). Ethanol-exposed mice displayed increased anxiety in the MBT compared to air-exposed controls, and alterations in neuronal function were observed in all brain structures examined, including several distinct differences between subregions within each structure. Chronic ethanol exposure induced hyperexcitability of the ILC, as well as a shift toward excitation in synaptic drive and hyperexcitability of vBNST neurons; in contrast, there was a net inhibition of the CeA. This study reveals extensive effects of chronic ethanol exposure on the basal function of cortico-limbic brain regions, suggests that there may be complex interactions between these regions in the regulation of ethanol-dependent alterations in anxiety state, and highlights the need for future examination of projection-specific effects of ethanol in cortico-limbic circuitry.
30 Illuminating obscure states of the phage T3 DNA packaging motor

We use DNA packaging of the related phages, T3 and T7, as a model to develop analysis of biological structure-function relationships. A key objective is characterization of the DNA packaging motor ...
Cross-cultural Validation of a Patient Satisfaction with Interpersonal Relationship with Navigator Measure: A Multi-site Patient Navigation Research Study.

Background Patient navigators are trained to help patients effectively access and use healthcare resources in order to facilitate timely completion of recommended cancer screening, diagnostic care, and treatment. Patient navigators provide logistic, instrumental, and psychosocial support to cancer patients. Yet few studies have examined patient–navigator relationships, particularly for Spanish-speaking patients with low English proficiency. We aimed to validate a Spanish version of the Patient Satisfaction with Interpersonal Relationship with Navigator (PSN-I-Sp) scale. Methods We translated and back-translated the PSN-I into Spanish and administered the resulting PSN-I-Sp to 222 Spanish-fluent participants. We conducted a principal components analysis and assessed Cronbach's coefficient alpha (α) to evaluate the latent structure and the internal consistency of the PSN-I-Sp. We also completed correlation analyses to examine divergence and convergence of the PSN-I-Sp with the Spanish version of the Patient Satisfaction with Cancer-Related Care (PSCC-Sp) and the patients' demographics. Results The principal components analysis revealed a one-dimensional PSN-I-Sp measure that explained 82.0% of the variance. The reliability assessment revealed high internal consistency (α = 0.97). The PSN-I-Sp demonstrated good face validity and adequate convergent and divergent characteristics as indicated by a moderate correlation with scores on the PSCC-Sp (all ps 0.05). Conclusion The PSN-I-Sp is a valid and internally consistent measure of satisfaction with interpersonal relationship with a patient navigator for Spanish-speaking participants. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Manipulating gene expression with replication-competent retroviruses.

Publisher Summary The obvious advantages of the chick for embryological studies have been tempered by the difficulties of genetic analyses in this organism. The ability to manipulate gene expression in the mouse embryo has rendered it the organism of choice for genetic studies, but the difficulty of physically manipulating the mammalian embryo limits the combination of these approaches to study development. The use of retroviral vectors to alter gene expression has proven to be a valuable alternative to transgenic approaches. Many of the genetic manipulations that have proven so powerful in the mouse can be mimicked with retroviral vectors. The use of retroviruses to alter gene expression has several advantages stemming from the comparative ease with which different expression patterns may be generated with the same virus. Many genes are reused in different tissues and at different times to mediate development. By varying the infection protocol, a single high titer virus stock may be used to address the role of a gene in many different developmental decisions.
Nickel Influences Iron Metabolism through Physiologic, Pharmacologic and Toxicologic Mechanisms in the Rat

A study involving three experiments was done to ascertain whether the beneficial effect of nickel on hematopoiesis in moderately iron-deficient rats was due to physiologic and/or pharmacologic mechanisms. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were fed nickel supplements ranging from 0 to 100 micrograms/g in iron-low (15 micrograms Fe3+/g), iron-adequate (65 micrograms Fe3+/g), or iron-luxuriant (100 micrograms Fe3+/g) diets. The basal diet contained from 2 ng (experiment 3) to 36 ng (experiment 1) of nickel/g. At 10 weeks, both nickel deficiency and toxicity (100 micrograms/g diet) tended to depress hematopoiesis and markedly altered femur and liver trace element content in marginally iron-deficient rats. The alterations included elevated copper, iron and nickel, and depressed calcium and manganese in femurs. The pharmacologic action of nickel was indicated by the finding that high dietary nickel (5, 10, 20 or 50 micrograms/g) apparently stimulated hematopoiesis in marginally iron-deprived rats to a greater extent than dietary levels of nickel (0.1, 0.5 or 1.0 microgram/g) considered adequate for nutritional needs. High dietary nickel also elevated the iron content in liver of marginally iron-adequate rats. The findings indicate that nickel influences iron metabolism at physiologic, pharmacologic and toxic levels of intake. They also indicate that many previously reported signs of nickel deprivation, including effects on hematopoiesis, may have been misinterpreted and might be manifestations of pharmacologic actions of nickel.
Primordial Moral Awareness: Levinas, Conscience, and the Unavoidable Call to Responsibility

The phenomenon of conscience as articulated in Roman Catholic moral theology has at least three dimensions: a fundamental and universal call to moral goodness; the search for moral truth; and a commitment to act in a particular way. Recent moral theology has tended to focus on the latter two dimensions, but there has been a strong call from Thomas Ryan for attention to the first dimension of conscience, especially its constitution in ‘horizontal relationality’. In this article I respond to Ryan's call, and demonstrate that the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas can show how the experience of conscience is constituted in horizontal relationality, as well as that it supports an understanding of conscience as a universal call to responsibility. Correlatively, and perhaps more significantly, the introduction of Levinas’ philosophy into the discussion of conscience sheds light on a significant aspect of this call to moral responsibility. This highlights that the Roman Catholic understanding of conscience has ethical consequences for theology more broadly considered (as well as the other academic disciplines) in terms of understanding why it is impossible to set aside considerations of responsibility in the search for truth.
Emerging Hardware Trends in Large-Scale Transaction Processing

What are the next challenges and trends for online transaction-processing (OLTP) database systems? Here, Andrew Pavlo opines on how database management system developers will need to respond as new hardware technologies become widely available.