cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Plant-based FRET biosensor discriminates environmental zinc levels.

Summary Heavy metal accumulation in the environment poses great risks to flora and fauna. However, monitoring sites prone to accumulation poses scale and economic challenges. In this study, we present and test a method for monitoring these sites using fluorescent resonance energy transfer (FRET) change in response to zinc (Zn) accumulation in plants as a proxy for environmental health. We modified a plant Zn transport protein by adding flanking fluorescent proteins (FPs) and deploying the construct into two different species. In Arabidopsis thaliana, FRET was monitored by a confocal microscope and had a 1.4-fold increase in intensity as the metal concentration increased. This led to a 16.7% overall error-rate when discriminating between a control (1 lM Zn) and high (10 mM Zn) treatment after 96 h. The second host plant (Populus tremula · Populu salba) also had greater FRET values (1.3-fold increase) when exposed to the higher concentration of Zn, while overall error-rates were greater at 22.4%. These results indicate that as plants accumulate Zn, protein conformational changes occur in response to Zn causing differing interaction between FPs. This results in greater FRET values when exposed to greater amounts of Zn and monitored with appropriate light sources and filters. We also demonstrate how this construct can be moved into different host plants effectively including one tree species. This chimeric protein potentially offers a method for monitoring large areas of land for Zn accumulation, is transferable among species, and could be modified to monitor other specific heavy metals that pose environmental risks.
Diagnostic precision of echocardiography in mitral valve prolapse

In order to determine the precision with which currently used echocardiographic criteria can be applied for the diagnosis of mitral valve prolapse, three independent observers (A, B, and C) blindly analyzed the separate M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiograms of 50 patients, 27 of whom had previously been identified clinically as having echocardiographic evidence of prolapse. Observer A's intraobserver repeatability for M-mode echocardiography was 92%, Observer B's was 84%, and Observer C's was 90%. For two-dimensional echocardiography, Observer A's intraobserver repeatability was 98%, Observer B's was 80%, and Observer C's was 82%. We believe that the variability in intraobserver repeatability is related to the frequency with which individual observers diagnosed prolapse. The interobserver repeatability for M-mode echocardiography for Observer A versus B was 64%, for Observer A versus C it was 80%, and for Observer B versus C it was 66%. The interobserver repeatability for two-dimensional echocardiography for Observer A versus B was 54%, for Observer A versus C it was 70%, and for Observer B versus C it was 52%. There was no significant difference between the inter- and intraobserver variability of M-mode versus two-dimensional echocardiography. Review of cases in which readings were discrepant revealed that these cases usually had relatively mild changes. Clinicians should be aware of the inherent variability of echocardiographic interpretation when they make a diagnosis of mitral valve prolapse.
COMPARISON BETWEEN ANALYTIC AND ALGEBRAIC CONSTRUCTIONS OF TOROIDAL COMPACTIFICATIONS OF PEL-TYPE SHIMURA VARIETIES

Using explicit identications between algebraic and analytic theta functions, we compare the algebraic constructions of toroidal compactications by Faltings{Chai and the author, with the analytic constructions of toroidal compactications following Ash{Mumford{Rapport{Tai. As one of the appli- cations, we obtain the corresponding comparison for Fourier{Jacobi expansions of holomorphic automorphic forms.
Aluminum Citrate Prevents Renal Injury from Calcium Oxalate Crystal Deposition

Calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals are responsible for the kidney injury associated with exposure to ethylene glycol or severe hyperoxaluria. Current treatment strategies target the formation of calcium oxalate but not its interaction with kidney tissue. Because aluminum citrate blocks calcium oxalate binding and toxicity in human kidney cells, it may provide a different therapeutic approach to calcium oxalate-induced injury. Here, we tested the effects of aluminum citrate and sodium citrate in a Wistar rat model of acute high-dose ethylene glycol exposure. Aluminum citrate, but not sodium citrate, attenuated increases in urea nitrogen, creatinine, and the ratio of kidney to body weight in ethylene glycol–treated rats. Compared with ethylene glycol alone, the addition of aluminum citrate significantly increased the urinary excretion of both crystalline calcium and crystalline oxalate and decreased the deposition of crystals in renal tissue. In vitro, aluminum citrate interacted directly with oxalate crystals to inhibit their uptake by proximal tubule cells. These results suggest that treating with aluminum citrate attenuates renal injury in rats with severe ethylene glycol toxicity, apparently by inhibiting calcium oxalate’s interaction with, and retention by, the kidney epithelium.
Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia: a disease of activated monoclonal B cells

B cell-type chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) has long been considered a disease of resting lymphocytes. However, cell surface and intracellular phenotypes suggest that most CLL cells are activated cells, although only a small subset progresses beyond the G1 stage of the cell cycle. In addition, traditional teaching says that CLL cells divide rarely, and therefore the build-up of leukaemic cells is due to an inherent defect in cell death. However, in vivo labelling of CLL cells indicates a much more active rate of cell birth than originally estimated, suggesting that CLL is a dynamic disease. Here we review the observations that have led to these altered views of the activation state and proliferative capacities of CLL cells and also provide our interpretation of these observations in light of their potential impact on patients.
Protective efficacy of interventions for preventing malaria mortality in children in Plasmodium falciparum endemic areas

Background Insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs) and indoor-residual spraying (IRS) are recommended strategies for preventing malaria in children. While their impact on all-cause child mortality is well documented, their impact on reducing malaria-attributable mortality has not been quantified. While the impact of intermittent preventive therapy in pregnant women (IPTp) and ITNs in pregnancy for improving birth outcomes is also well established, their impact on preventing neonatal or child mortality has not been quantified. Methods We performed two systematic literature reviews in Plasmodium falciparum endemic settings; one to estimate the effect of ITNs and IRS on preventing malaria-attributable mortality in children 1–59 months, and another to estimate the effect of ITNs and IPTp on preventing neonatal and child mortality through improvements in birth outcomes. Results We estimate the protective efficacy (PE) of ITNs and IRS on reducing malaria-attributable mortality 1–59 months to be 55%, with a range of 49–61%, in P. falciparum settings. We estimate malaria prevention interventions in pregnancy (IPTp and ITNs) to have a pooled PE of 35% (95% confidence interval: 23–45%) on reducing the prevalence of low birth weight (LBW) in the first or second pregnancy in areas of stable P. falciparum transmission. Conclusion This systematic review quantifies the PE of ITNs for reducing malaria-attributable mortality in children, and the PE of IPTp and ITNs during pregnancy for reducing LBW. It is assumed the impact of IRS is equal to that of ITNs on reducing malaria-attributable mortality in children. These data will be used in the Lives Saved Tool (LiST) model for estimating the impact of malaria prevention interventions. These data support the continued scale-up of these malaria prevention interventions in endemic settings that will prevent a considerable number of child deaths due directly and indirectly to malaria.
Soil Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Response to Corn Stover Removal and Tillage Management Across the US Corn Belt

In-field measurements of direct soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions provide critical data for quantifying the net energy efficiency and economic feasibility of crop residue-based bioenergy production systems. A major challenge to such assessments has been the paucity of field studies addressing the effects of crop residue removal and associated best practices for soil management (i.e., conservation tillage) on soil emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), and methane (CH4). This regional survey summarizes soil GHG emissions from nine maize production systems evaluating different levels of corn stover removal under conventional or conservation tillage management across the US Corn Belt. Cumulative growing season soil emissions of CO2, N2O, and/or CH4 were measured for 2–5 years (2008–2012) at these various sites using a standardized static vented chamber technique as part of the USDA-ARS’s Resilient Economic Agricultural Practices (REAP) regional partnership. Cumulative soil GHG emissions during the growing season varied widely across sites, by management, and by year. Overall, corn stover removal decreased soil total CO2 and N2O emissions by -4 and -7 %, respectively, relative to no removal. No management treatments affected soil CH4 fluxes. When aggregated to total GHG emissions (Mg CO2 eq ha−1) across all sites and years, corn stover removal decreased growing season soil emissions by −5 ± 1 % (mean ± se) and ranged from -36 % to 54 % (n = 50). Lower GHG emissions in stover removal treatments were attributed to decreased C and N inputs into soils, as well as possible microclimatic differences associated with changes in soil cover. High levels of spatial and temporal variabilities in direct GHG emissions highlighted the importance of site-specific management and environmental conditions on the dynamics of GHG emissions from agricultural soils.
Can synaesthesia be cultivated?: Indications from surveys of meditators

S ynaesthesia is considered ar are perceptual capacity, and one that is notcapableofcultivation.However,meditatorsreporttheexperiencequitecom- monly, and in questionnaire surveys, respondents claimed to experience synaesthesia in 35% of meditation retreatants, in 63% of a group of regular meditators, and in 86% of advanced teachers. These rates were significantly higher than in nonmeditator controls, and displayed significant correlations with measures of amount of meditation experience. A review of ancient texts found reports suggestive of synaesthesia in advanced meditators from India and China.Thesefindingssuggestthatsynaesthesiamaybecultivatedbymeditation, and that laboratory studies of meditators could be rewarding.
Occurrence of Nematodes (Dracunculus spp.) in Reintroduced River Otters in Kentucky

ABSTRACT Overharvesting and habitat loss resulted in the extirpation of river otters (Lontra canadensis) across much of Kentucky and efforts in the mid-1990s by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources have led to a resurgence of otter populations across the state. Since recovery, limited data on the biology of these animals have been collected, including levels of infection by endoparasites. We performed necropsies on 170 river otters obtained during the 2006–2009 harvest seasons. We found nematode parasites present in the fascial layers of the hind leg of 5 juvenile river otters for a minimum infection level for the Kentucky population of 0.0294. Infected animals were recorded in the Green, Kentucky, and Mississippi River watersheds. All nematodes were females of the genus Dracunculus, which cannot be assigned to the species level based on morphological characteristics. These observations are the first documented case of Dracunculus infection in river otters in Kentucky.
Friendship Matters Less on a Rainy Day: Firm Outcomes and Relationship Bank Health

Lending relationships between banks and borrowing firms have been considered important only for small and young firms. We show that even large publicly traded firms have relationships with lenders, but that the dependence of firms on such relationships is falling over time, just as in the case of small firms. Firms with stronger relationships with banks are significantly more likely to get loans. Relationship effects are also stronger for firms with higher informational opacity. However, strong relationships also mean that when the relationship bank's health deteriorates, firms find it difficult to switch to other lenders and hence see a decline in loan availability. Thus, the implications of relationship decline vary across informationally heterogeneous firms and the health of banking institutions.
Influence of Social Settings on Risky Sexual Behavior

This study investigated the relevance of social settings as predictors of risky sexual behavior. In a young adult sample (n = 324, M age = 20.2 years), we examined the association between frequency...
Theoretical Analysis of Transient Bioheat Transfer in Multi-Layer Tissue

Heat conduction in skin tissue is a problem of significant technological importance. A theoretical understanding of such a problem is essential as it may lead to design potential therapeutic measures for needed cancer therapy or novel medical devices for various applications including hyperthermia. To understand the physical phenomenon of energy transport in biological systems a transient model is chosen for this study. The most common transport equation to estimate temperature distribution in humans was developed by H.H. Pennes and is popularly known as the Pennes bioheat transfer equation. A generalized Pennes bioheat transfer equation accounts for the effect of various physical phenomena such as conduction, advection, volumetric heat generation, etc. are considered. In this paper, a general transient form of the Pennes bioheat transfer equation is solved analytically for a multilayer domain. The boundary value problem considers the core of the tissue is maintained at uniform temperature of 37°C, convective cooling is applied to the external surface of the skin and the sidewalls are adiabatic. The computation of transient temperature in multidimensional and multilayer bodies offers unique features. Due to the presence of blood perfusion in the tissue, the reaction term in the Pennes governing equation is modeled similar to a fin term. The eigenvalues may become imaginary, producing eigenfunctions with imaginary arguments. In addition the spacing between the eigenvalues between zero and maximum value varies for different cases; therefore the values need to be determined with precision using second order Newton’s method. A detailed derivation of the temperature solution using the technique of separation of variables is presented in this study. In addition a proof of orthogonality theorem for eigenfunctions with imaginary eigenvalues is also presented. The analytical model is used to study the thermal response of skin tissue to different parameters with the aid of some numerical examples. Results shown in this paper are expected to facilitate a better understand of bioheat transfer in layered tissue such as skin.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Effect of Structurally Similar Additives on Crystal Habit of Organic Molecular Crystals at Low Supersaturation

Foreign molecules such as additives or impurities may influence crystal morphology to a significant extent by disrupting the growth mechanism and inhibiting the growth rate of certain crystal faces. The additives can be byproducts of a preceding reaction step, or they could be specially designed to obtain specific crystal morphologies for particular applications. Because of the specific chemical structure of structurally similar additives, they can incorporate or lock into the original lattice only in certain configurations; hence, only some of the crystal faces are able to recognize these additive molecules. Once attached, they interfere with the first turn of a rotating growth spiral and hence slow down the growth rate of the face. In this article, we develop a generic probabilistic scheme for quantitatively estimating imposter recognition on each crystal face using a combination of mean field theory and configurational energy minimization. On the basis of this recognition, the mechanistic effect of an ...
The Multifarious Politics of Capital Punishment: A Response to Smith

This comment on Steve Smith's recent article, The Supreme Court and the Politics of Death, draws attention to data and political developments that suggest that American politics is not a one-way ratchet in the direction of severity that makes the death penalty an immutable feature of American criminal justice. Some of those features are well known, such as successful abolition efforts recently in two state legislatures; others are less so, such as less visible legislative action to curtail executions and improve capital litigation in various ways. This variability in capital punishment politics, across states as well as over time, complicates claims about the need for a stronger Supreme Court role in improving death penalty administration, which Smith rightly finds to have been largely unsuccessful. I also present reasons for skepticism about the Court's recent foray into improving capital litigation by strengthening standards for adequate defense counsel. Those standards ultimately depend on legislative action to be effective, and the same variability we find elsewhere among states on capital punishment issues should make one pessimistic that states will move consistently to make those new standards meaningful.
Light emission from polyethylene subjected to highly divergent fields

It is well known that polymers such as polyethylene can deteriorate under high electrical stress. This deterioration is usually in the form of electrical trees when the polymer is dry or water or electro-chemical trees in a wet environment. The tree initiation, before the tree becomes visible, is not fully understood. There is evidence that light is emitted during the electrical tree initiation process at both cryogenic and room temperatures [1,2]. Light has also claimed to have been detected during the growth of water trees [3]. This light has been attributed to electroluminescence or partial discharges ocurring in small voids near the needle tip. Previous studies have not attempted to detect partial discharges while measuring the light. This paper describes initial results of tests to measure simultaneously the light and partial discharge characteristics from a needle/plane electrode system in polyethylene.
Limited discrepancy beam search

Beam search reduces the memory consumption of best-first search at the cost of finding longer paths but its memory consumption can still exceed the given memory capacity quickly. We therefore develop BULB (Beam search Using Limited discrepancy Backtracking), a complete memory-bounded search method that is able to solve more problem instances of large search problems than beam search and does so with a reasonable runtime. At the same time, BULB tends to find shorter paths than beam search because it is able to use larger beam widths without running out of memory. We demonstrate these properties of BULB experimentally for three standard benchmark domains.
From a latent to a ‘strong’ soft power? The evolution of India’s cultural diplomacy

India celebrated when in 2014 the United Nations adopted the 21st of June as International Yoga Day. In recent years India’s leaders have increasingly focused on its diaspora, multicultural ethos, and its ancient practices like yoga, through official campaigns and foreign visits. Particularly since Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, there has been an increased activism to draw attention to and employ India’s soft power. The article traces the evolution of India as a soft power since its emergence as an independent country. It explores how this soft power has shaped India’s foreign policy and behavior. India’s soft power assets are not of recent origin, but there is an increasing activism to use those assets effectively. Has India evolved as a soft power? What are the characteristics of India’s soft power? How is India’s current political dispensation different from the earlier ones in applying soft power in foreign policy? The article addresses these questions by applying Nye Jr’s concept of soft power and aims to contribute to the debate on soft power by focusing on cultural diplomacy of a rising power. It demonstrates that though soft power resources, including culture, are not new, the increasing awareness and activism of India’s political class to use those resources to realize foreign policy goals is recent. The focus on soft power, particularly cultural diplomacy, and its use in foreign policy, has become increasingly visible in recent years. This article also argues that the increasing acceptability of its culture and values opens up possibilities for India to realize foreign policy goals. It will, however, be a daunting task for members of the Indian political class to use soft power effectively unless they address internal and external constraints. This article is published as part of a collection on soft power.
ABQ ThunderBird Cup v3.0 Alpha Worksop: Workshop Analysis 2016.

The ThunderBird Cup v3.0 (TBC3) program falls under the Minority Serving Institution Pipeline Program (MSIPP) that aims to establish a world-class workforce development, education and research program that combines the strengths of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and national laboratories to create a K-20 pipeline of students to participate in cybersecurity and related fields.
Promotion and Rescue of Intracellular Brucella neotomae Replication during Coinfection with Legionella pneumophila

We established a new Brucella neotomaein vitro model system for study of type IV secretion system-dependent (T4SS) pathogenesis in the Brucella genus. Importantly, B. neotomae is a rodent pathogen, and unlike B. abortus, B. melitensis, and B. suis, B. neotomae has not been observed to infect humans. It therefore can be handled more facilely using biosafety level 2 practices. More particularly, using a series of novel fluorescent protein and lux operon reporter systems to differentially label pathogens and track intracellular replication, we confirmed T4SS-dependent intracellular growth of B. neotomae in macrophage cell lines. Furthermore, B. neotomae exhibited early endosomal (LAMP-1) and late endoplasmic reticulum (calreticulin)-associated phagosome maturation. These findings recapitulate prior observations for human-pathogenic Brucella spp. In addition, during coinfection experiments with Legionella pneumophila, we found that defective intracellular replication of a B. neotomae T4SS virB4 mutant was rescued and baseline levels of intracellular replication of wild-type B. neotomae were significantly stimulated by coinfection with wild-type but not T4SS mutant L. pneumophila Using confocal microscopy, it was determined that intracellular colocalization of B. neotomae and L. pneumophila was required for rescue and that colocalization came at a cost to L. pneumophila fitness. These findings were not completely expected based on known temporal and qualitative differences in the intracellular life cycles of these two pathogens. Taken together, we have developed a new system for studying in vitroBrucella pathogenesis and found a remarkable T4SS-dependent interplay between Brucella and Legionella during macrophage coinfection.
Jaccard similarity-based quantification of the neighborhood stability of a node in mobile sensor networks

In this research, we propose to apply the Jaccard Similarity measure to quantify the extent of change in the neighborhood of a node in mobile sensor networks (MSNs) whose topology changes dynamically with time. We determine weighted average of the Jaccard Similarity (WJS) scores of the neighborhood of a node over a period of time and claim that nodes with larger WJS values (0 ≤ WJS ≤ 1) are more likely to have a stable neighborhood as well as be preferred for inclusion as intermediate nodes in communication topologies (like paths, trees, connected dominating sets, etc) for MSNs.
Production of Charmonium at Threshold in Hall A and C at Jefferson Lab

We describe in this paper two approved experiments in Hall A and Hall C at Jefferson Lab that will investigate the pure gluonic component of the strong interaction of Quantum Chromodynamics by measuring the elastic $$J/\psi $$ electro and photo-production cross section in the threshold region as well as explore the nature of the recently discovered LHCb charmed pentaquarks.
Distribution and determinants of patient satisfaction in oncology with a focus on health-related quality of life

e17578 Background: Cancer patients usually undergo extensive and debilitating treatments, which makes patient satisfaction with care in oncology an important health care assessment measure. We cond...
Instrumenting the Health Care Enterprise for Discovery in the Course of Clinical Care

Objectives: Although patients may have a wealth of imaging, genomic, monitoring, and personal device data, it has yet to be fully integrated into clinical care. Methods: We identify three reasons for the lack of integration. The first is that "Big Data" is poorly managed by most Electronic Medical Record Systems (EMRS). The data is mostly available on "cloud-native" platforms that are outside the scope of most EMRS, and even checking if such data is available on a patient often must be done outside the EMRS. The second reason is that extracting features from the Big Data that are relevant to healthcare often requires complex machine learning algorithms, such as determining if a genomic variant is protein-altering. The third reason is that applications that present the big data need to be modified constantly to reflect the current state of knowledge, such as instructing when to order a new set of genomic tests. In some cases, the applications need to be updated nightly. Results: A new architecture for the EMRS is evolving which could unite Big Data, machine learning, and clinical care through a microservice-based architecture which can host applications focused on quite specific aspects of clinical care, such as managing cancer immunotherapy. Conclusion: Informatics innovation, medical research, and clinical care go hand in hand as we look to infuse science-based practice into healthcare. Innovative methods will lead to in a new ecosystem of Apps interacting with healthcare providers to fulfill a promise that is still to be determined.
Instabilities in the Midlatitude Ionosphere in Terms of E–F Coupling

There are two intriguing phenomena in the midlatitude ionosphere: quasi-periodic (QP) radar echoes associated with a sporadic-E (E s) layer in the E region and medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs) in the F region, both of which often show northwest–southeast alignment and propagate southwestward in the Northern Hemisphere. The Perkins instability in the F region and the E s-layer instability in the E region can produce the tilted structure, but the growth rate of the Perkins instability alone cannot account for the observed MSTIDs. The electrodynamical coupling between these instabilities is now believed to be an important factor for the rapid growth of MSTIDs. From recent numerical studies, it is found that the polarization process in the E region is essential for the full development of MSTIDs as well as for the seeding of NW-SE perturbation in the F region. Further observations to identify the cause and effect of the coupling process are required in the future.
Impacts of Virus Processing on Human Norovirus GI and GII Persistence During Disinfection of Municipal Secondary Wastewater Effluent

Noroviruses cause significant global health burdens and waterborne transmission is a known exposure pathway. Chlorination is the most common method of disinfection for water and wastewater worldwide. The purpose of this study was to investigate the underlying causes for discrepancies in human norovirus (hNoV) resistance to free chlorine that have been previously published, and to assess hNoV GI and GII persistence during disinfection of municipal secondary wastewater (WW) effluent. Our results reveal that choice of hNoV purification methodology prior to seeding the viruses in an experimental water matrix influences disinfection outcomes in treatment studies. Common hNoV purification processes such as solvent extraction and 0.45-μm filtration were ineffective in removing high levels of organics introduced into water or wastewater samples when seeding norovirus positive stool. These methods resulted in experimental water matrices receiving an additional 190 mg/L as Cl2 of 15-s chlorine demand and approximately 440 mg/L as Cl2 of 30-min chlorine demand due to seeding norovirus positive stool at 1% w/v. These high organic loads impact experimental water chemistry and bias estimations of hNoV persistence. Advanced purification of norovirus positive stool using sucrose cushion ultracentrifugation and ultrafiltration reduced 15-s chlorine demands by 99% and TOC by 93% for loose (i.e. unformed diarrhea) stools. Using these methods, hNoV GI and GII persistence was investigated during free chlorination of municipal WW. A suite five of kinetic inactivation models was fit to viral reverse transcription-qPCR reduction data, and model predicted CT values for 1, 2, and 3 log10 reduction of hNoV GI in municipal WW by free chlorine were 0.3, 2.1, and 7.8 mg-min/L, respectively. Model predicted CT values for reduction of hNoV GII in WW were 0.4, 2.0, and 7.0 mg-min/L, respectively. These results indicate that current WW treatment plant disinfection practices employing free chlorine are likely protective for public health with regards to noroviruses, and will achieve at least 3-log reduction of hNoV GI and GII RNA despite previous reports of high hNoV resistance.
Development of the functional social network index for adolescent and young adult cancer survivors

Background To the authors' knowledge, social network status in adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors has not been adequately studied to date. The authors developed and validated a functional social network index (FSNI) for AYA survivors, and compared its performance with that of 2 traditional indices (density and betweenness centrality). Methods A total of 102 AYA survivors and 102 noncancer controls who were matched for age, sex, and race were recruited from an Internet panel. Each participant reported relationships with up to 25 close friends and/or relatives. The authors developed a FSNI with reported marital status, contact frequency with friends/relatives, available resources for emotional and tangible support, and available resources for physical activity and weight management advice. Linear regression was used to analyze associations between the FSNI and cancer diagnoses, treatments, and coping skills. Results Based on the FSNI, survivors were found to have more available resources for emotional support (beta [b] = 3.02; P = .003), tangible support (b = 4.17; P .05) nor significant associations with coping skills (all P values >.05). Conclusions The FSNI appears to provide a better social network assessment for AYA cancer survivors than traditional indices. Cancer 2018;124:2220-7. © 2018 American Cancer Society.
A Dynamic Model of Museum and Academic Library Cooperation: Cataloging Image Collections

Abstract In May of 1997, the College of the Holy Cross and the Worcester Art Museum were awarded a $300,000 grant to create a “megasource” of databases for visual arts students, museum employees, and the general public. This article will discuss issues concerning the creation of digital images and the cataloging of these images in MARC. It will also discuss a unique partnering relationship that led to a contractual arrangement between the two institutions.
NASA Electric Aircraft Testbed (NEAT) Single-Aisle Transport Air Vehicle Hybrid Electric Tail-Cone Thruster Powertrain Configuration and Test Results

A key technical challenge is to establish a viable concept for a MW -class hybrid gas-electric propulsion system for a commercial transport aircraft. This includes developing aircraft propulsion system conceptual designs, integrating sub-systems, high efficiency/power density electric machines, flight-weight power system and electronics, and enabling materials in high voltage insulation, high frequency soft magnetics, and conductors. The primary benefit of this research is to diversify the current turbofan propulsion options to include hybrid electric propulsion elements that reduce energy usage, emissions, and noise. A reconfigurable powertrain testbed at NASA Glenn Research Center is described including test results from the initial 500 kW powertrain configuration.
Situations, Information, and Evidence (Late Breaking Report)

We are concerned with information used as evidence for hypotheses of the identity of a culprit in a crime scene. We adapt Barwise’s situation theory: situations support information and carry information about other situations. An id-case is a constellation of situations involving one where an identity judgment is made. We here introduce the notion of a causal chain of information as a sequence of situations by which information is captured, managed, and communicated. An idcase is a confluence of such chains. Barwise discussed only one information-relevant action, viz., utterance, while we in this paper recognize many kinds and the objects they inform. We sketch our ontologies that provide the concepts used in encoding our cases.
Assessment of evaluated pulmonary vascular resistance by isoproterenol infusion in patients with atrial septal defects

Aim and Background Congenital heart diseases constitute a major category of disorders associated with pulmonary hypertension in atrial septal defect there is tendency to repair essentially all large defect except some of those with severe obstructive pulmonary vascular diseases. in this study the isoproterenol is used for assessment of patients with atrial septal defect, with elevated pulmonary / systemic vascular resistance ratio. Methods and Results 100 cases with atrial septal defect, with pulmonary hypertension received isoproterenol infusion. Haemodynamic findings found among all patients with atrial septal defect before and after isoproterenol infusion. There is a significant in pulmonary blood flow after isoproterenol infusion (from 5.34455 + 0.730 to 6.3300 + 0.870 liter/minute P Conclusion Isoproterenol is a successful and reliable pulmonary vasodilator that can be used to predict the reversible element of pulmonary hypertension in patient with left to right shunts (ASD) patients.
APPENDIX D – Research Studies in Patterns of Scientific Communication: II, The Role of the National Meeting in Scientific and Technical Communication*

We describe the results of a comprehensive study of scientific/technical communication associated with eleven national meetings which were sponsored by nine physical-, social- and engineering-science disciplines. Three groups of meeting participants were studied: authors (persons who presented papers) attendants (sample of persons who were present at these paper-presentations), and requestors (sample of persons who requested copies of these papers). The results showed that the national meeting is the first public announcement of a large portion of current research findings in any discipline and much of the information-exchange behaviour encountered at the meeting is intrinsically exploratory. The meeting presentation itself usually constitutes an interim report since most material presented there ultimately finds its way into the journal literature. Some discussion is presented of the relationship of the information-exchange activities to characteristics of meeting participants.
Dynamics of Quaternary Structure Transitions in R-State Carbonmonoxyhemoglobin Unveiled in Time-Resolved X-ray Scattering Patterns Following a Temperature Jump.

It is well-known that tetrameric hemoglobin binds ligands cooperatively by undergoing a ligand-induced T → R quaternary structure transition, a structure–function relationship that has long served as a model system for understanding allostery in proteins. However, kinetic studies of the reverse, R → T quaternary structure transition following photolysis of carbonmonoxyhemoglobin (HbCO) reveal complex behavior that may be better explained by the presence of two different R quaternary structures coexisting in thermal equilibrium. Indeed, we report here time-resolved small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) patterns of HbCO following a temperature jump that not only provide unambiguous evidence for more than one R state, but also unveil the time scale for interconversion between them. Since the time scale for the photolysis-induced R → T transition is likely different for different R-states, this structural heterogeneity must be accounted for to properly explain the kinetic heterogeneity observed i...
Usage of the Three-Layer Structure for Games: A Project SymBall and a Project Tornado

The original intention for developing the three-layer game structure is to find a software structure that may easily handle 10 or 100 sprints in a game. A project SymBall is developed to challenge the ability and power of the software structure. The project approved that the higher layer of the software structure allows adding more levels of threads; the lower layer has a sprite inheritance hierarchy for easily inserting different kinds of sprites and increasing any number of sprites. Another project Tornado that involves more then 10000 sprites further illustrates the stability and flexibility of the framework.
Cancer Screening for Transgender Patients: An Online Case-Based Module.

Introduction Guidelines recommend that primary care providers complete organ-based routine cancer screening for all transgender patients. Training on critical transgender health topics like cancer ...
Adult Robotic-Assisted Partial Nephrectomy for Renal Cell Carcinoma

The introduction of robotic surgery has revolutionized the treatment of urologic malignancy. Initially established for radical prostatectomy, robotic techniques are now being applied in the management of renal cancer. The feasibility and safety of robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) has been demonstrated in several small, single-institution studies [1–10]. Recently this technique has been applied successfully in patients with hilar, endophytic, and multiple renal masses [8–10]. Features of the da Vinci Surgical System (Intuitive Surgical Corp., Sunnyvale, California, USA) include 3D vision, articulating instruments, and motion scaling to reduce tremor. These amenities may allow the surgeon the ability to replicate established “open” maneuvers and allow for complex tumor extirpation and renal reconstruction which is challenging in a pure laparoscopic manner.
Applications of 3D Potassium-Ion Pre-Intercalated Graphene for Perovskite and Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

3D potassium-ion preintercalated graphene (KIPIG), which was recently invented via the reaction of potassium and CO, shows unique properties including large accessible surface area and excellent electrical conductivity for electrodes. Herein, it was revealed that the perovskite solar cells (PSC) and dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) with KIPIG electrode exhibited high power conversion efficiencies of 7.81% and 9.12%, respectively. This work not only proves that 3D KIPIG is an efficient electrode material, but also provides a strategy to reduce the fabrication cost of solar cells.
Trends in Mood and Anxiety Symptoms and Suicide-Related Outcomes Among U.S. Undergraduates, 2007–2018: Evidence From Two National Surveys

Abstract Purpose Past work has evidenced increased utilization of mental health services on college campuses, as well as rising rates of mood and suicide-related pathology in adolescents and young adults in recent years. We examined whether such findings are reflective of large-scale, nationwide trends in college student mental health in the past decade. Methods We examined trends in mood, anxiety, and suicide-related outcomes among U.S. college students from 2007 to 2018 across two large national datasets: (1) the National College Health Assessment (n = 610,543; mean age = 21.25 years; 67.7% female; and 72.0% white) and (2) the Healthy Minds Study (n = 177,692; 86% students aged 18–22 years; 57% female; and 74% white). Participants, randomly selected by their educational institution, completed self-report measures of past-year mood, anxiety, nonsuicidal self-injury, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Results In both samples, rates of depression, anxiety, nonsuicidal self-injury, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts markedly increased over the assessed years, with rates doubling over the period in many cases. Anger, low flourishing, and suicide plans, each assessed in only one dataset, also exhibited upward trends. Conclusions Findings demonstrate a broad worsening of mental health among U.S. college students over the past decade, a concerning result meriting further attention and intervention.
Safety analysis of bevacizumab plus NovoTTF-100A in patients with recurrent malignant gliomas.

2082 Background: Both bevacizumab and the NovoTTF-100A device are treatments approved by the FDA for recurrent glioblastoma. We examined our single-institution experience in using this combination ...
Stereoselective neurochemical, behavioral, and cardiovascular effects of α-pyrrolidinovalerophenone enantiomers in male rats

The synthetic cathinone α-pyrrolidinovalerophenone (α-PVP) continues to be abused despite being banned by regulatory agencies. The abused formulation of α-PVP is a racemic mixture consisting of two enantiomers, S-α-PVP and R-α-PVP. In this study, we investigated the neurochemical, behavioral, and cardiovascular effects of racemic α-PVP and its enantiomers in male rats. Racemic α-PVP blocked the uptake of both dopamine and norepinephrine ex vivo, but did not block the uptake of serotonin (5-HT), at their respective transporters. S-α-PVP was slightly more potent than racemic α-PVP, while R-α-PVP was 10 to 20 times less potent at blocking dopamine and norepinephrine uptake. In microdialysis studies, racemic and S-α-PVP increased extracellular dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens, but not levels of 5-HT. Racemic and S-α-PVP also increased locomotor activity. When tested at the same doses, S-α-PVP produced larger effects than racemic α-PVP. R-α-PVP also increased extracellular dopamine levels and locomotor activity, but only at 30 times higher doses than S-α-PVP. Racemic and S-α-PVP were self-administered by rats at 0.03 mg/kg/injection, whereas R-α-PVP was self-administered at a 10 times higher dose. Dose-effect determinations following acquisition suggested that R-α-PVP was at least 30 times less potent than S-α-PVP. Finally, racemic and S-α-PVP increased blood pressure and heart rate at doses approximately 30 times less than was required for R-α-PVP to produce similar effects. These results show that the neurochemical, behavioral, and cardiovascular effects of racemic α-PVP most likely reflect the actions of S isomer.
Coronary Disease-Associated Gene TCF21 Inhibits Smooth Muscle Cell Differentiation by Blocking the Myocardin-Serum Response Factor Pathway.

Rationale: The gene encoding TCF21 (transcription factor 21) has been linked to coronary artery disease risk by human genome-wide association studies in multiple racial ethnic groups. In murine mod...
5-Year Outcome of Patients Weaned off Corticosteroids after Heart Transplantation: Is There a Downside?

Purpose A large number of heart transplant patients are weaned off corticosteroids within the first year after heart transplantation. These patients are selected as they do not have rejection or graft dysfunction. In addition, these patients have not developed donor-specific antibodies (DSAs) and therefore are viewed as being immune-privileged. However, it has not been well established whether these patients have enhanced 5-year outcome compared to patients who remain on prednisone. Methods Between 2010 and 2014, we assessed 292 heart transplant patients who were successfully weaned off prednisone. These patients were compared to a contemporaneous cohort (n=173) of patients who had not undergone steroid weaning. Patients who were initiated on steroid weaning but failed were excluded. Endpoints include 5-year survival, 5-year freedom from cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV, stenosis ≥30% by angiography), 5-year freedom from non-fatal major adverse cardiac events (NF-MACE: myocardial infarction, new congestive heart failure, percutaneous coronary intervention, implantable cardioverter defibrillator/pacemaker implant, stroke), 5-year freedom from left ventricular dysfunction (LVEF ≤40%) or infection, and 1-year freedom from any treated rejection (ATR), acute cellular rejection (ACR), and antibody-mediated rejection (AMR). Results Patients who were successfully weaned off prednisone had significantly greater freedom from 1-year any treated rejection and 5-year freedom from left ventricular dysfunction. Those weaned off prednisone had comparable survival, freedom from CAV, NF-MACE, and infection to those not weaned off corticosteroids. Conclusion Steroid weaning is associated with long-term maintenance of normal cardiac function and may indeed represent an immune-privileged state. There does not appear to be any notable shortcoming to steroid weaning.
Alignment of diffraction features in the Optical Thomson Scattering Laser at the National ignition Facility

The world’s largest and most energetic laser facility, the National Ignition Facility (NIF) is dedicated to understanding inertial confinement fusion by irradiating a mm scale fusion target using 192 precisely aligned laser beams. The optical Thompson scattering (OTS) laser is being commissioned to understand the target implosion physics, especially for under-dense plasma conditions. The OTS will enable the diagnosis of the plasma performance leading to better control of the symmetry and efficiency of target implosion. Both 3w and 5w probe beams can be selectively chosen for diagnosing various plasma densities. Just as the NIF laser, the OTS system is aligned using several closed loop controls. CCD images of the laser beams are analyzed using automatic alignment image processing algorithm to provide beam position and motorized mirrors are mobilized to steer those beams to the desired path and location. One such control loop of the OTS uses a pair of far field diffraction pattern generated by a spherical object connected to a shaft. During the control loop alignment movements, the diffraction rings may be partially missing due to obstruction by the aperture. This paper describes the systematic process of algorithm development for detection of the diffraction rings and the necessary modifications as the requirements change. It describes the template design and algorithm for position detection from such images under challenging illumination and obstructive conditions. Among other novelties of this work is the use of a single computational neuron, inspired by a bipolar binary associative memory, employed to evaluate the quality and uncertainty of the location measurement, and avoid false detection.