cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 4216: Targeting NANOG: genes, proteins and response to viral RNAi in preclinical models

Purpose: Since the NANOG family controls stemness and neoplastic progression in human colorectal carcinoma (CRC), our postulate is that targeting the dominant NANOG and NANOGP8 members with viral vector delivered shRNA will inhibit CRC progression in preclinical models and that replicating viral vectors are more active than non-replicating vectors. Methods: Cells were human CRC lines (Clone A, CX-1 and LS174T) and mouse fibroblasts (3T3). shRNA specific to NANOG (shNG-1), NANOGP8 (shNp8-1) or a control (shNEG) were created in lentivirus (LV) and chimeric adenovirus 5/3 (Ad5/3). CRC and 3T3 were cultured in monolayer with serum-containing medium or in suspension in ultra low attachment plates without serum. Nanostring 770 gene cancer panel was analyzed in 72 hr cultures with NMF clustering and GSEA analysis. Annexin V expression and caspase-3, 8 or 9 activation in suspension culture assessed Apoptosis. LV or Ad5/3 shRNAs were added to spheroids in 3-D suspension cultures to test therapy in vitro. Intratumoral injection of LV or Ad5/3 shRNA into 5-10 mm sub cutis nodules in groups of 5-10 NOD/SCID mice measured activity in vivo. Results: LV shNp8-1 in both Clone A and CX-1 caused significant inhibition of TGF-beta, EGFR, NRF2, E2F3 and the Cyclin D1 pathways by NMF and GSEA analysis in monolayer culture. LV shNp8-1 inhibited growth of LS174T, Clone A and CX-1 by 50% in 3 days in 3-D suspension cultures without further decrease. Apoptosis was due to Caspase 9 activation. In contrast, Ad5/3-shNp8-1 decreased spheroid growth by up to 94% at 9 -14 days while Ad5/3 decreases spheroid growth by 80%. Ad5/3-shNp8-1 but nit Ad5/3 was active in co-cultures with 3T3 to a 2:1 CRC:3T3 ratio. Transduction level was ∼50% in LV treated cells but ∼90% in Ad5/3 treated cells. Intratumoral injection of LVshNG-1 or LVshNp8-1, decreased tumor size by 50% compared to LVshNEG or untreated CX-1 tumors for 11 days after which tumor growth rebounded to match controls. Ad5/3-shNp8-1 injection into 5-9 mm nodules inhibited CX-1 and LS14T growth by ∼50% until euthanized. Conclusions: Targeting NANOGP8 more than NANOG inhibits proliferation and activates apoptosis through multiple pathways. Nonreplicating LV delivered shRNA inhibited tumor growth in in vitro and in vivo preclinical models but replicating oncolytic Ad5/3 infects more cells and promotes shRNA efficacy. Replicating vectors targeting NANOG are important for further development. Citation Format: J. Milburn Jessup, Abid R. Mattoo, Nikolay Korokhov. Targeting NANOG: genes, proteins and response to viral RNAi in preclinical models. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 4216. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-4216
Nutrition and Liver Disease

The liver plays a central role in the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, vitamins, and minerals. As a result, diseases of the liver can disrupt this metabolism and adversely affect nutritional status. Acute and chronic liver diseases occur in both children and adults, and malnutrition often accompanies the disease. Many known and suspected factors contribute to malnutrition, and they are discussed in the chapter. Liver transplantation is a viable option for many children and adults with end-stage liver disease, and good nutritional status is of utmost importance for these patients. The nutritional management of liver disease is an exciting field in which much research still needs to be done to address the many questions surrounding adequate and appropriate nutrition intervention for each disease and for the different stages of liver disease. The liver is an important organ in the metabolism and utilization of all macro- and micronutrients. The presence of liver diseases can have a profound effect on nutritional status. Nutrition interventions play a key role in the overall management of liver diseases.
A “Varied or Intense Existence”: Public Commemoration of Boxing Champion Jack Johnson

ABSTRACTScholars have suggested that public memory often reflects more about the present than it does about the past. This article takes up the issue of how public commemoration of Jack Johnson has rhetorically repositioned him as a central figure in the fight for civil rights, despite Johnson's well-documented reservations about acting as a representative for the Black community. Public commemoration is a practice of “rhetorical invention” (Blair, Dickinson, & Ott, 2010, p. 13; Blair & Michel, 2000). The rhetorical invention of Johnson's legacy is conditioned by the material (historical, social, and cultural) contexts in which his memory is evoked in public discourse and is comprised of visual and discursive strategies used by those who sought to commemorate him. In commemoration, Johnson's body is inscripted as a “raced figure” to signify conceptual shifts in Black masculinities and the tactical dimensions of the Civil Rights Movement. By examining the rhetorical invention of Johnson's legacy, this arti...
Bi-allelic alterations in DNA repair genes underpin homologous recombination DNA repair defects in breast cancer

Homologous recombination (HR) DNA repair-deficient (HRD) breast cancers have been shown to be sensitive to DNA repair targeted therapies. Burgeoning evidence suggests that sporadic breast cancers, lacking germline BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations, may also be HRD. We developed a functional ex vivo RAD51-based test to identify HRD primary breast cancers. An integrated approach examining methylation, gene expression, and whole-exome sequencing was employed to ascertain the aetiology of HRD. Functional HRD breast cancers displayed genomic features of lack of competent HR, including large-scale state transitions and specific mutational signatures. Somatic and/or germline genetic alterations resulting in bi-allelic loss-of-function of HR genes underpinned functional HRD in 89% of cases, and were observed in only one of the 15 HR-proficient samples tested. These findings indicate the importance of a comprehensive genetic assessment of bi-allelic alterations in the HR pathway to deliver a precision medicine-based approach to select patients for therapies targeting tumour-specific DNA repair defects. Copyright © 2017 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
‘DANGEROUS GEOGRAPHIES’: THE ERASURE AND RECALIBRATION OF THE CONTESTED SPACE OF THE NATION IN TIMES OF WAR AND PEACE IN SRI LANKAN FICTION

This essay meets the spatial turn in postcolonial studies in examining the representations of the contested space of the nation during and after the war in Sri Lanka in the work of Ambalavaner Sivanandan and Romesh Gunesekera. In their realist novels that portray the ethnic conflict and its ramifications, these writers approach the topography of Sri Lanka as the overlapping material and discursive sites of meaning shaped by the overdetermined forces of colonialism, class and ethnic strife, and postcolonial nation-building projects, postwar reconstruction and neoliberal policies. Their novels represent the erasure and recalibration of the contested space of the nation during and after the war – the dialectical effects of which can be seen in the discursive production of the North as “dangerous geographies”, an inhospitable terrain of death, disease, scarcity and violence, enabling both the erasure of landscape by war and its reconstitution after “peace”. Drawing on Achille Mbembe’s discussion of the influe...
From “What is Reading?” to What is Literacy?:

In their 1985 report, Becoming a Nation of Readers: The Report of the Commission on Reading, Anderson, Hiebert, Scott, and Wilkinson defined reading and proposed five principles that guide its succ...
Using Stable and Radiocarbon Analyses as a Forensic Tool to Find Evidence of Oil in the Particulates of the Water Column and on the Seafloor Following the 2010 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill

Abstract Over 600 million liters of oil and copious amounts of methane were released into the Gulf of Mexico between April 20, 2010 and July 15, 2010. We used stable and radiocarbon analyses as a forensic tool to trace these hydrocarbons from the Deepwater Horizon (DwH) well into suspended particulate organic carbon (POCsusp), sinking particulate organic carbon (POCsink), and sedimentary organic carbon on the seafloor. POCsusp samples were considerably depleted both in δ13C and Δ14C relative to surface production, with δ13C and Δ14C values as low as −37.2‰ and −618‰, respectively. POCsink time series data revealed a modern Δ14C value due to a large diatom bloom in early September 2010, but values became depleted as oil contaminated particles continued to descend in the water column until the end of the year. Sediment cores collected in the vicinity of the DwH wellhead revealed evidence of oil contamination in the surface layer (0–1 cm), as indicated by a depletion in Δ14C values compared to the layers below the surface. In addition to providing evidence of oil contamination using stable and radiocarbon analyses, our study was consistent with the existence of a pathway by which spilled oil was deposited onto the seafloor.
Persistence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes on the exterior of three common food packaging materials

Abstract An estimated 179 million cases of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) occur each year in the United States. Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes, common etiologic agents of AGE, both have low-infectious doses and high environmental resistance. Surfaces contaminated with either pathogen, such as the exterior surface of a food package, could serve as a vehicle for AGE transmission. The aim of this study was to determine the persistence of E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes on three common food packaging materials–oriented polyethylene terephthalate (OPET), oriented polypropylene (OPP), and nylon-6. Coupons (5 × 5 cm2) from each material were sterilized under ultraviolet light for 5 min, inoculated with ca. 7 log CFU of a three-strain-mixture of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labeled E. coli O157:H7, then incubated according to the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry standards. Surviving E. coli O157:H7 cells were recovered in saline at 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 14, 15 days then enumerated on tryptic soy broth (TSB) supplemented with ampicillin using the three-tube most probable number (MPN) method. The same procedure using a three-strain mixture of rifampin-resistant (Rif)-L. monocytogenes was followed except TSB was supplemented with rifampin. E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes both survived on OPET, OPP, and nylon-6 for 15 days. The log reductions for E. coli O157:H7 were 5.7 log MPN, 5.3 log MPN, and 5.1 log MPN across the three materials respectively. The log reduction for L. monocytogenes was 6.5 log MPN, 6.3 log MPN, and 4.8 log across the same three materials. The number of surviving E. coli cells was significantly higher (P > 0.05) than L. monocytogenes at sampling times 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 14, and 15 days. No significant difference was shown between the two bacteria between 0 and 0.5 days. Survival of both bacteria across all three materials was not significantly different (P > 0.05). These results suggest that a highly contaminated (107 CFU/coupon) exterior surface of a food package could be a potential vehicle for the transmission of bacteria associated with AGE.
Children of Latino immigrants framing race: making sense of criminalisation in a colour-blind era

Post-1965 children of Latino immigrants in the United States have come of age during an era of mass incarceration and a colour-blind ideology. Drawing from in-depth interviews with inner city, male...
Development, Anatomy, and Physiology of the Upper Esophageal Sphincter and Pharyngoesophageal Junction

The upper esophageal sphincter (UES) functions to close or to open the esophago-pharyngeal junction as needed. The UES closing muscles include the cervical esophagus, cricopharyngeus (CP), and inferior pharyngeal constrictor, but the primary functional muscle of the UES is the CP. The UES opening muscles include anteriorly the superior and inferior hyoid muscles and posteriorly the stylopharyngeus, palatopharyngeus, and pteropharyngeus. The UES is opened intermittently during various functions by relaxation of its closing muscles, contraction of its opening muscles, and bolus pulsion. The UES closing muscles contain two sets of muscle fibers: an inner layer of slow-twitch fibers and outer layer of fast-twitch fibers. It is hypothesized that these two fiber types serve the two basic functions of the UES closing muscles: slow tone generation and rapid reflex responsiveness. The UES motor and sensory functions are controlled by branches of the glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves. The motor nerve of the CP in animals is the pharyngoesophageal branch of the vagus nerve and may be the recurrent laryngeal nerve in humans. The nucleus ambiguus is the primary motor nucleus of the UES, and the nucleus tractus solitarius is the primary termination site of UES afferents. The UES opens and closes in complex patterns well coordinated with laryngeal movement to prevent aspiration during swallowing, belching, and vomiting. The UES tone increases during various digestive or respiratory tract reflexes to prevent the insufflation of air into the esophagus or the pharyngeal reflux of esophageal contents with possible aspiration. The specific actions of individual muscles of the UES differ among its various functions. The UES is fully functional as early as 33 weeks postmenstrual age although the specific parameters may differ.
Role of Endogenous Corticosteroids

The effects of corticosteroid treatment appear to represent precocious development of normal biochemical, physiologic and morphologic events in pulmonary differentiation (Chap. 1 and 2). Most, if not all, of these effects are mediated through receptor, indicating that physiologic concentrations of glucocorticoid are sufficient to produce a response (Chap. 3). Glucocorticoids also regulate developmental processes in a variety of other tissues of fetal and newborn animals (Ballard 1979a). These considerations support the concept that endogenous corticoids influence the timing of normal lung development and that administration of glucocorticoid mimics the action of endogenous hormone. In this chapter I review the evidence that endogenous glucocorticoids have a physiologic role in lung maturation. Previous discussions of this topic include reviews by Taeusch and Avery (1977), Smith (1979), and Ballard (1982a).
Detection of critical safety events on freeways in clear and rainy weather using SHRP2 naturalistic driving data: Parametric and non-parametric techniques

Abstract A better understanding of what happened before and during a crash event could lead to development of countermeasures that reduce crash risk on freeways. This paper focused on detecting near-crashes on freeways by comparing environmental conditions and vehicle kinematics signatures of near-crash events to normal driving using data collected from the Second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP2) – Naturalist Driving Study. The study considered near-crash events as surrogate measures of crash risk only in rainy and clear weather conditions due to a limited number of near-crashes in other weather conditions. A time chunking technique was used with different aggregation levels to monitor changes in vehicle kinematics on a timescale. Both parametric and non-parametric techniques were used to detect near-crashes on freeways. The Binary Logistic Regression model was used as a parametric detection model, while Decision Tree , K-Nearest Neighbors (K-NN), and Deep Learning Artificial Neural Network were used as non-parametric detection models. The results showed that the logistic regression model provided a good fit of the input data and can detect near-crashes with outstanding discrimination. However, the time zone of interest identified by non-parametric models led to higher accurancy than that identified by the logistic regression model. In addition, Decision Tree and Deep Learning ANN machine learning algorithms showed higher detection accuracy of near-crashes compared to the K-NN algorithm.
Introduction: Why Do We Need New Narratives for the History of the Federal Republic?

Observers of German current affairs and historians of contemporary Germany have long been cognizant of the shadow that the Nazi past and its crimes cast over postwar German history. Likewise, it has long been widely accepted as appropriate that the “old” Federal Republic would develop a political culture marked by reserve and modesty on the international stage and in its public representation—whatever seemed the opposite of the pomp, power, and ruthlessness of past German regimes. Whereas the prospect of unification in 1989-1990 still triggered concerns about the country's possible relapse into attitudes and behaviors worthy of a “fourth Reich,” two decades later, Germans were treated to the news that theirs was “the most positively viewed nation in the world.” A few years later still, German Chancellor Angela Merkel found herself widely hailed as the “leader of the free world,” a phrase soaked in Cold War connotations and hitherto reserved for the president of the United States. Merkel probably had little desire for such a click-bait label; it was the world around her that had changed on the coattails of the global ascendancy of right-wing populism and authoritarianism, resulting, for example, in the British vote to leave the European Union (“Brexit”), the presidency of Donald Trump, and the attempt of the Polish government to do away with the separation of powers. With the strong showing of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the 2017 federal elections, this development had begun to affect domestic politics in Germany as well.
17 The Demography of Social Stratification

Socioeconomic characteristics and prospects for upward mobility differ across various groups in a population. Generally referred to as social stratification, these socioeconomic patterns are partly the consequences of prior processes associated with fertility, mortality and immigration. Stratification then in turn influences the fertility, mortality and immigration of the next generation of individuals. The demography of socioeconomic differentials thus plays a pivotal role in the evolution of the structure of a population as well as in its level and patterns of inequality. This chapter reviews demographic research in this area. We survey major methodological studies which often investigate entry and exit processes or other mobility processes that may be time-dependent. The findings from recent and other notable studies are also reviewed in regard to contemporary social stratification particularly as it relates to the effects of ascribed characteristics such as social class origins and race/ethnicity versus education which is an achieved characteristic.
Application of PCSK9 Inhibitors in Practice

PCSK9i (protein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors) are set to revolutionize the treatment of hypercholesterolemia in the management of atherosclerotic risk, but numerous reports have detailed unprecedented barriers to access for these drugs. To overcome these challenges, our group created a model to facilitate provision of this new therapy for patients who qualify according to Food and Drug Administration criteria. This report details the real-world follow-up experience of PCSK9i use in a large patient cohort structured to ensure rigor in data collection, analysis, and interpretation. The 271 patients approved and actively followed in our PCSK9i clinic between July 2015 and August 2018 represent a 97% approval rate from insurance, with 28% of prescriptions requiring at least one appeal. Over 50% of patients were statin intolerant. On average, there was a median lapse of 15 days between initial visit and insurance approval. PCSK9i therapy was affordable for most patients, with an average monthly out-of-pocket expense of $58.05 (median $0). Only 2.3% of patients were unable to initiate or continue therapy because of cost. Reductions from baseline in LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol and Lp(a) (lipoprotein [a])were comparable to published reports with median reductions of 60% and 23% at 1 year, respectively. PCSK9i therapy was well-tolerated overall, though 9% of patients reported adverse events, and 5% of patients discontinued due mostly to musculoskeletal and flu-like symptoms. Our practice model demonstrates that PCSK9i therapy can be accessed easily and affordably for the majority of eligible patients, resulting in dramatic improvement in lipid profile results. Moreover, our registry data suggest that results from the prospective clinical trials of PCSK9i on LDL and Lp(a) reduction and on tolerability are applicable to a real-world cohort.
Assessment of larval fish assemblages and nursery habitat in the St. Clair River delta

Abstract The St. Clair River delta, part of the St. Clair-Detroit River System (SCDRS), is the most fished coastal wetland area in the Laurentian Great Lakes and provides nursery habitat for a variety of fish species; however, few large-scale surveys of larval fish have been performed within the delta since the 1980s. Larval fish, zooplankton, and aquatic plants were sampled at 20 sites from May through July in 2010 and 2011 to characterize shallow channel and backwater delta habitats used by fish. The larval fish assemblage was sampled using active and passive gears (conical nets and light traps) and was dominated by Cyprinidae, Catostomidae, and Gobiidae. The microzooplankton assemblage was composed of rotifers, copepod nauplii, and Dreissena spp. veligers, while the macrozooplankton assemblage was composed of mostly cyclopoids and harpacticoids in May and cladocerans later in the season. Scirpus spp. dominated the plant assemblage in June and was replaced by Chara spp. in July. Seasonal compositional shifts were evident for larval fish, zooplankton, and plant assemblages, and greater densities of microzooplankton and cladocerans were typically found in backwater areas. Assemblage compositions were comparable to those in historical surveys but invasive Gobiidae and Dreissena spp. veligers now represent substantial proportions of the larval fish and zooplankton assemblages, respectively. Due to the high connectivity and advective nature of the SCDRS, understanding the larval fish assemblage dynamics of the delta can help inform estimates of system productivity.
A Classification of Quadratic Rook Polynomials

Rook theory is the study of permutations described using terminology from the game of chess. In rook theory, a generalized board B is any subset of the squares of an n × n square chessboard for some positive integer n. Rook numbers count the number of ways to place non-attacking rooks on a generalized board, and the rook polynomial is a polynomial that organizes the rook numbers for a board B. In our research, we classified all quadratic polynomials that are the rook polynomial for some generalized board B. Acknowledgements: Samantha Tabackin Page 64 RHIT Undergrad. Math. J., Vol. 15, No. 1
Toxic tall fescue grazing increases susceptibility of the Angus steer fecal microbiota and plasma/urine metabolome to environmental effects

Impaired thermoregulation and lowered average daily gains (ADG) result when livestock graze toxic endophyte (Epichloe coenophialum)-infected tall fescue (E+) and are hallmark signs of fescue toxicosis (FT), a disease exacerbated by increased temperature and humidity (+temperature-humidity index; +THI). We previously reported FT is associated with metabolic and microbiota perturbations under thermoneutral conditions; here, we assessed the influence of E+ grazing and +THI on the microbiota:metabolome interactions. Using high-resolution metabolomics and 16S rRNA gene sequencing, plasma/urine metabolomes and the fecal microbiota of Angus steers grazing non-toxic or E+ tall fescue were evaluated in the context of +THI. E+ grazing affected the fecal microbiota profile; +THI conditions modulated the microbiota only in E+ steers. E+ also perturbed many metabolic pathways, namely amino acid and inflammation-related metabolism; +THI affected these pathways only in E+ steers. Integrative analyses revealed the E+ microbiota correlated and co-varied with the metabolomes in a THI-dependent manner. Operational taxonomic units in the families Peptococcaceae, Clostridiaceae, and Ruminococcaceae correlated with production parameters (e.g., ADG) and with multiple plasma/urine metabolic features, providing putative FT biomarkers and/or targets for the development of FT therapeutics. Overall, this study suggests that E+ grazing increases Angus steer susceptibility to +THI, and offers possible targets for FT interventions.
Hematologic and Biochemical Ranges and Health Assessments of Free-Ranging San Salvador Iguanas (Cyclura rileyi rileyi) in a Translocation Program

The San Salvador rock iguana (Cyclura rileyi rileyi) is a critically endangered lizard restricted to a single island and its islets in The Bahamas. As part of a translocation project, 21 San Salvador rock iguanas were captured for physical examinations, complete blood counts (CBC), plasma biochemical analyses, fecal and hematologic endoparasite analyses, and nutrition evaluations. All San Salvador rock iguanas appeared to be healthy based on weight, activity, and physical examination. Blood samples were collected in lithium heparin to determine CBC, hemoparasite, and biochemistry results, including vitamin and mineral analyses. The CBC results indicate that San Salvador rock iguanas have relatively higher levels of lymphocytes and monocytes and lower levels of heterophils and azurophils compared with other West Indies Cyclura species. Biochemistry values were similar to other Cyclura species, with wide ranges noted in cholesterol, triglycerides, and creatine phosphokinase. There were no hemoparasites seen. Fecal samples were collected and analyzed for parasites and bacteria (culture). Oxyurids were the only fecal parasite seen. Fecal bacterial culture was consistent with previously reported findings in other iguanid species. This information serves as baseline reference data for future health assessments of the San Salvador iguana and provides valuable information toward managing the translocation program for this endangered species.
Multilayering as a solution to medical device failure

Abstract There are three main problems associated with medical device implants: biofilm, wear and corrosion, and bio rejection. A potential solution to these problems is multilayering. Polyelectrolyte multilayered films composed of polyallylamine hydrochloride and poly(4-vinylphenol) have been demonstrated to inhibit Staphylococcus epidermidis growth. Another study examined the wear behavior of polyelectrolyte multilayer coated orthopedic surfaces composed of poly(acrylic acid) and poly(allylamine hydrochloride) and found coated systems resulted in 33 % less wear than uncoated systems. Additionally, a heparin/collagen anti-CD34 antibody ((HEP/COL)5-CD34) multilayer system provided accelerated adhesion of endothelial cells with a significant number of endothelial cells attaching in the first 5 min. This allowed for re-endothelialization to occur possibly reducing cardiac stent bio rejection. This review explores various ways multilayering has been utilized to prolong medical device use and decrease the number of complications associated with them.
An unusual accessory pathway

A female marathon runner without structural heart disease had a documented regular wide complex tachycardia. Diagnosis is discussed.
On Distribution Testing in the Conditional Sampling Model

Recently, there has been significant work studying distribution testing under the Conditional Sampling model. In this model, a query specifies a subset $S$ of the domain, and the output received is a sample drawn from the distribution conditioned on being in $S$. In this paper, we improve query complexity bounds for several classic distribution testing problems in this model. First, we prove that tolerant uniformity testing in the conditional sampling model can be solved using $\tilde{O}(\varepsilon^{-2})$ queries, which is optimal and improves upon the $\tilde{O}(\varepsilon^{-20})$-query algorithm of Canonne et al. [CRS15]. This bound even holds under a restricted version of the conditional sampling model called the Pair Conditional Sampling model. Next, we prove that tolerant identity testing in the conditional sampling model can be solved in $\tilde{O}(\varepsilon^{-4})$ queries, which is the first known bound independent of the support size of the distribution for this problem. Next, we use our algorithm for tolerant uniformity testing to get an $\tilde{O}(\varepsilon^{-4})$-query algorithm for monotonicity testing in the conditional sampling model, improving on the $\tilde{O}(\varepsilon^{-22})$-query algorithm of Canonne [Can15]. Finally, we study (non-tolerant) identity testing under the pair conditional sampling model, and provide a tight bound of $\tilde{\Theta}(\sqrt{\log N} \cdot \varepsilon^{-2})$ for the query complexity, where the domain of the distribution has size $N$. This improves upon both the known upper and lower bounds in [CRS15].
Is Ileocolonoscopy Necessary When Evaluating Abdominal Pain and Nonbloody Diarrhea

* Abbreviations: CRP — : C-reactive protein FGID — : functional gastrointestinal disorder IBD — : inflammatory bowel disease Chronic abdominal pain and diarrhea are common symptoms in children. In any given 6-month period, up to half of the children in the United States report persistent abdominal pain, which often leads to a medical evaluation.1–5 When evaluating children with chronic abdominal pain and diarrhea, clinicians have the challenge of determining how much of an evaluation is necessary because a functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID) is most likely. Rome IV criteria (international guidelines used to define FGIDs) state that the diagnosis of an FGID can be supported when “after appropriate medical evaluation the symptoms cannot be attributed to another medical condition.”5 The central question is as follows: what is appropriate medical evaluation? Certainly the presence of “alarm” signs and symptoms (eg, weight loss, poor weight gain, poor linear growth, significant vomiting, chronic severe diarrhea, hematochezia, persistent right upper or lower quadrant pain, fever, unexplained anemia, family history of inflammatory bowel disease [IBD]) should prompt a full diagnostic evaluation.3 When should an extensive evaluation, including upper gastrointestinal endoscopy or ileocolonoscopy be done? These … Address correspondence to Jillian S. Sullivan, MD, MSCS, Department of Pediatrics, The University of Vermont Children’s Hospital, 111 Colchester Ave, Burlington, VT 05401. E-mail: jillian.sullivan{at}uvmhealth.org
TREAT: A New Match Algorithm

This chapter presents the development of the TREAT production system matching algorithm. The TREAT algorithm incorporates a new source of information, conflict set support, not detailed by McDermott et al , to boost the efficiency of production system algorithms. The incentive for the development was provided by the inadequacies of the naive DADO algorithm and the inappropriateness of parallel versions of the RETE match for use on the DADO machine. Specifically the naive DADO algorithm was developed to show pedagogically how the topology of the DADO machine can support the communication requirements for production system matching and how the execution model of DADO supported forking large numbers of independent parallel processes to perform the matching. As a pedagogical tool, the naive DADO algorithm avoids complication by not incorporating any aspects of temporal redundancy and by not addressing the issue of packing multiple rules and working memory elements within single processing elements.
Probing Density Fluctuations using the FIRST Radio Survey

We use results of angular clustering measurements in 3000 sq. deg's of the FIRST radio survey to infer information on spatial clustering. Measurements are compared with CDM-model predictions. Clustering of FIRST sources with optical ID's in the APM catalog are also investigated. Finally, we outline a preliminary search for a weak lensing signal in the survey.
Changes in Opioid Overdose Emergency Encounters Associated with Expansion of Wisconsin Medicaid to Childless Adults in Poverty.

Objective:The purpose of this study was to measure changes in the payer mix and incidence of emergency department (ED) opioid-related overdose encounters after an April 2014 expansion of Medicaid t...
Managing Falls: Implementation of a Three-Intervention Initiative to Improve Quality of Care for Patients With Cancer.

Background All healthcare institutions prioritize falls as a major safety issue. Falls are of particular concern on inpatient oncology units where patients are substantially at risk for injury related to falls. Objectives This article describes a multifaceted fall-prevention initiative that can be implemented on oncology units using evidence-based interventions in the key areas of communication, toileting, and hourly rounding. The Visual Rounding Tool for communication around hourly rounding and proactive toileting is also introduced. Methods Based on a root cause analysis and literature review, the inpatient oncology unit-based committee launched a three-intervention initiative, carried out during three consecutive months, to address patient falls. Findings Fall rates decreased using the three- intervention initiative. Systematic improvement in processes enabled an increased occurrence of communication between nurses and assistive personnel, increased use of the Visual Rounding Tool for proactive toileting and hourly rounding, and a significant but short-lived decrease in call light use.
Pairwise hydrodynamic interactions of spherical colloids at a gas-liquid interface

Colloids which adsorb to and straddle a fluid interface form monolayers that are paradigms of particle dynamics on a two dimensional fluid landscape. The dynamics is typically inertialess (Stokes flows) and dominated by interfacial tension so the interface is undeformed by the flow, and pairwise drag coefficients can be calculated. Here the hydrodynamic interaction between identical spherical colloids on a planar gas/liquid interface is calculated as a function of separation distance and immersion depth. Drag coefficients (normalized by the coefficient for an isolated particle on the surface) are computed numerically for the four canonical interactions. The first two are motions along the line of centres, either with the particles mutually approaching each other or moving in the same direction (in tandem). The second two are motions perpendicular to the line of centres, either oppositely directed (shear) or in the same direction (tandem). For mutual approach and shear, the normalized coefficients increase with a decrease in separation due to lubrication forces, and become infinite on contact when the particle is more than half immersed. However, they remain bounded at contact when the particles are less than half immersed because they do not contact underneath the liquid. For in-tandem motion, the normalized coefficients decrease with a decrease in separation; they collapse, for all immersion depths, to the dependence of the drag coefficient on separation for two particles moving in tandem in an infinite medium. The coefficients are used to compute separation against time for colloids driven together by capillary attraction.
Evaluation of the Impact of Prior-to-Admission Sleep Aid Prescribing Practices on Sleep and Delirium in the Intensive Care Unit.

Background:Sleep disruptions in the intensive care unit (ICU) may lead to complications such as delirium. There is limited evidence addressing how sleep aid use before and during ICU admission affe...
Using Book Tasting in the Academic Library: A Tale of Children’s Literature, Collaboration, and an Increased Appetite for Books

This qualitative action research study investigated the influence that participating in a book tasting had on Pre K-4 pre-service teachers in their social studies methods course. The findings indic...
Cultivating practices for resilience with baccalaureate nursing students: A pilot study.

PURPOSE The purpose of Cultivating Practices for Resilience (CPR) was to develop, implement, and evaluate college-wide strategic initiatives to promote wellness and resilience and improve mental health outcomes in baccalaureate nursing students. DESIGN AND METHODS Six hundred and fifty-four students were invited to complete a 24-item survey over 3 weeks in 2021. Descriptive statistics/logistic regression were used for data analysis. FINDINGS One hundred and thirty-one students completed the survey; 61% were sophomores. White students (p = 0.024) and males (p = 0.023) had higher intentions to refer colleagues to mental health services. Those perceiving CPR programming more helpful had higher intentions to refer (p < 0.001) and embrace the ANA's Healthy Nurse Healthy Nation™ campaign (p < 0.001). PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Stronger strategic efforts are needed to help shape an academic culture for cultivating practices for resilience among baccalaureate nursing students, especially females and underrepresented population groups.
Identifying Mental Disorders in Primary Care: Diagnostic Accuracy of the Connected Mind Fast Check (CMFC) Electronic Screen

Primary care physicians (PCPs) often daily address diagnoses and treatment of mental disorders in their practices. The current study examined the Connected Mind Fast Check (CMFC), a two-tiered electronic screen, assessing six common mental disorders. The eight-item Initial Screen assesses possible symptoms, whereas SAM modules establish provisional diagnoses and areas of clinical concern. With 234 patients from five independent PCP offices, diagnostic accuracy was tested with the SCID-5-RV as the external criterion. Concerningly, many patients were unaware of their current mental disorders and comorbidities. The CMFC Initial Screen evidenced strong sensitivity, identifying with very few missing diagnoses. About two-thirds of provisional SAM diagnoses were confirmed with high specificities. Bipolar Disorder posed the most challenges at both tiers. Importantly, the suicide screen identified all patients with suicide plans and three-fourths with ideation. In general, the CMFC effectively identified provisional diagnoses, impairment, and potential suicidality.
Anesthesia for maxillary, salivary gland, mandibular and temporomandibular joint surgery

Transsphenoidal pituitary resection is a common surgical procedure that offers unique challenges to the anesthesiologist. Generally, the transsphenoidal approach to the sella region can be divided into two techniques: (1) the sublabial approach which involves an incision made beneath the upper lip into the gum and subsequently through the septum and (2) the transnasal approach which involves dissection through the nasal cavity wall using microsurgical or endoscopic instruments inserted through the nostrils. The heterogeneity of the patient population and their medical condition requires a fundamental knowledge of the nature of pituitary disease and management. Understanding the specific demands of the surgical technique allows the anesthesia provider to facilitate the procedure and increase the efficacy of the intervention. Additionally, predicting and managing the peri- and postoperative complications allows the anesthesiologist to maximize the safety of the patient.
An evolutionary algorithm for function inversion and boundary marking

We present an evolutionary algorithm for distributing points evenly on a surface f(x)=c. Applications include function inversion (where system inputs are sought which produce a desired output) and boundary detection for e.g. control systems or power-system security assessment, in which boundaries of a safe operating region are to be avoided.
Isolation of Streptococcus lactis C2 Mutants with High Phosho-β-Galactosidase Activity,

Abstract We performed experiments in search of a plating medium which would differentiate lactose constitutive mutants from wild-type cells of lactic streptococci and of a broth medium that would enrich for lactose constitutive mutants. No selective medium was applicable for selection of lactose constitutive mutants from Group N streptococci. Prolonged growth in a chemostat with lactose as the limiting growth factor, however, enriched for these mutants from Streptococcus lactis C2. The mutants synthesized phospho- β -galactosidase constitutively with an activity 1.5 to 4 times that of the parent culture. The slow growth of S. lactis C2 and the acquisition of ability to grow on lactobionic acid by the mutants confirmed their constitutive nature. In comparison to S. lactis C2, the constitutive mutant M10 grew rapidly in milk whereas the lag phase was 45min with the parent strain when the inoculum was low. During this study we observed a change in the specific activity of phospho-β-galactosidase in S. lactis C2 under different growth conditions. Stage of growth markedly influenced enzyme activity. In addition, in complex broth lactose utilizing enzymes were repressed by glucose. However, in a semi-synthetic medium containing glucose, the phospho-β-galactosidase activity remained essentially constant for glucose concentrations ranging from .5 to 10mg per ml. S. lactis C2 did not exhibit a glucose-lactose growth diauxie and. appeared to possess a high basal amount of phospho-β-galactosidase activity.
Transport in ferromagnetic GdTiO3/SrTiO3 heterostructures

Epitaxial GdTiO3/SrTiO3 structures with different SrTiO3 layer thicknesses are grown on (001) (LaAlO3)0.3(Sr2AlTaO6)0.7 substrate surfaces by hybrid molecular beam epitaxy. It is shown that the formation of the pyrochlore (Gd2Ti2O7) phase can be avoided if GdTiO3 is grown by shuttered growth, supplying alternating monolayer doses of Gd and of the metalorganic precursor that supplies both Ti and O. Phase-pure GdTiO3 films grown by this approach exhibit magnetic ordering with a Curie temperature of 30 K. The electrical transport characteristics can be understood as being dominated by a conductive interface layer within the SrTiO3.
Fast Computational GPU Design with GT-Pin

As computational applications become common for graphics processing units, new hardware designs must be developed to meet the unique needs of these workloads. Performance simulation is an important step in appraising how well a candidate design will serve these needs, but unfortunately, computational GPU programs are so large that simulating them in detail is prohibitively slow. This work addresses the need to understand very large computational GPU programs in three ways. First, it introduces a fast tracing tool that uses binary instrumentation for in-depth analyses of native executions on existing architectures. Second, it characterizes 25 commercial and benchmark OpenCL applications, which average 308 billion GPU instructions apiece and are by far the largest benchmarks that have been natively profiled at this level of detail. Third, it accelerates simulation of future hardware by pinpointing small subsets of OpenCL applications that can be simulated as representative surrogates in lieu of full-length programs. Our fast selection method requires no simulation itself and allows the user to navigate the accuracy/simulation speed trade-off space, from extremely accurate with reasonable speedups (35X increase in simulation speed for 0.3% error) to reasonably accurate with extreme speedups (223X simulation speedup for 3.0% error).
Validation of SeaWiFS chlorophyll a in Massachusetts Bay

Massachusetts Bay, a semi-enclosed embayment (50 � 100 km) in the Northwest Atlantic, is the focus of a monitoring program designed to measure the effects of relocating the Boston Harbor sewage outfall to a site 15 km offshore in Massachusetts Bay. The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) in situ monitoring program samples selected stations up to 17 times per year to observe seasonal changes in phytoplankton biomass and other water quality variables. We investigated the feasibility of augmenting the monitoring data with satellite ocean color data to increase the spatial and temporal resolution of quantitative phytoplankton measurements. In coastal regions such as Massachusetts Bay, ocean color remote sensing can be complicated by in-water constituents whose concentrations vary independently of phytoplankton and by inaccurate modeling of absorbing aerosols that tend to be concentrated near the coast. An evaluation of in situ and sea-viewing wide field-of-view sensor (SeaWiFS) measurements from 1998 to 2005 demonstrated that SeaWiFS overestimated chlorophyll a mainly due to atmospheric correction errors that were amplified by absorption from elevated concentrations of chlorophyll a and colored dissolved organic matter. Negative water-leaving radiances in the 412 nm band, an obvious artifact of inadequate atmospheric correction, were recorded in approximately 60–80% of the cloud-free images along the coast, while the remaining portions of the Bay only experience negative radiances 35–55% of the time with a clear nearshore to offshore decrease in frequency. Seasonally, the greatest occurrences of negative 412 nm radiances were in November and December and the lowest were recorded during the summer months. Concentrations of suspended solids in Massachusetts Bay were low compared with other coastal regions and did not have a significant impact on SeaWiFS chlorophyll a measurements. A regional empirical algorithm was developed to correct the SeaWiFS data to agree with in situ observations. Monthly SeaWiFS composites illustrated the spatial extent of a bimodal seasonal pattern, including prominent spring and fall phytoplankton blooms; and the approximate 115 cloud-free scenes per year revealed interannual variations in the timing, magnitude and duration of phytoplankton blooms. Despite known artifacts of SeaWiFS in coastal regions, this study provided a viable chlorophyll a product in Massachusetts Bay that significantly increased the spatial and temporal synoptic coverage of phytoplankton biomass, which can be used to gain a comprehensive ecosystem-wide understanding of phytoplankton dynamics at event, seasonal and interannual timescales. r 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Induction of suppressor T cells and tolerant B cells in vitro by DNP-IgG☆

Abstract Tolerance may be induced in vitro by preincubating cells for 6 hr with dinitrophenyl (DNP)-IgG prior to culturing with antigen, DNP-Ficoll, in Marbrook culture flasks. Studies were done to determine the mechanism of tolerance induction in this system. Isolated T cells and isolated B cells were preincubated either with or without DNP-IgG for 6 hr and placed in culture with antigen in various combinations. Tolerant T cells were able to suppress the anti-DNP response of normal B cells and normal spleen cells. Tolerant B cells and normal T cells also had a decrease in anti-DNP response. Tolerant T cells generated in vitro did not suppress the in vivo response of mice to DNP-Ficoll or DNP-KLH. These data suggest that in vitro tolerance induction by DNP-IgG is mediated by both suppressor T cells and tolerant B cells.