cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cardiovascular Disease in the Elderly

The aging of the population worldwide will result in increasing numbers of elderly patients, among whom heart disease is the leading cause of death. Changes in cardiovascular physiology with normal aging and prevalent comorbidities result in differences in the effects of common cardiac problems as well as the response to their treatments. Patient-centered goals of care such as maintenance of independence and reduction of symptoms may be preferred over increased longevity. New less-invasive treatments are likely to improve outcomes in elderly patients who previously have been considered at prohibitive risk for traditional procedures. Clinical trials enrolling elderly patients are limited and recommendations for management from younger patients frequently lack evidence-based support in patients aged >75 years.
Disentangling Class from Philanthropy: The Double-edged Sword of Alternative Giving

A recurring theme echoed by critics of United States philanthropy is that foundations are instrumental in reproducing the class privilege of elites. Since the early 1970s, a cluster of “alternative” foundations has responded to this critique in two ways: 1) By distributing grants to recipients largely overlooked by mainstream philanthropy: marginalized groups organizing for progressive social change, and 2) By making grant decisions in ways that explicitly aim to challenge the class power foundations traditionally exercise. Regarding the latter, these alternative foundations either segregate donors from the process of deciding where their money goes and give this power instead to community activists, or they integrate donors with community activists to make grant decisions collaboratively. My analysis illustrates how both of these grantmaking models reinforce class distinctions, despite their intention of doing otherwise. Indeed, looking at alternative foundations in comparison to their more traditional counterparts reveals just how deeply class lies at the very core of philanthropy.
Choice Shifts in Small Groups Engaging in Repeated Intellective Tasks

We examine the propensity of individuals working in small groups to shift choices from their initial positions, following a group discussion, when engaged in multiple intellective tasks. We study the factors that may influence such shifts including perceptions of oneself and others, one’s specialized knowledge level, and the amount of disagreement among the initial choices. Ordered-logit regression is used to model the odds and hence the likelihood that team members switch their decisions a given number of times on the multiple tasks. Group members with high achieved status differences and distances, as measured by their ability relative to their teammates, were less likely to change positions in deference to the group. Perceptions of self were non-significant. Whether an individual was perceived to be a top performer by two or more of the other group members interacted with time, producing a positive longitudinal effect that occurs when one has influence over a majority in the group: The individual with ...
Homing endonuclease I-TevIII: dimerization as a means to a double-strand break

Homing endonucleases are unusual enzymes, capable of recognizing lengthy DNA sequences and cleaving site-specifically within genomes. Many homing endonucleases are encoded within group I introns, and such enzymes promote the mobility reactions of these introns. Phage T4 has three group I introns, within the td, nrdB and nrdD genes. The td and nrdD introns are mobile, whereas the nrdB intron is not. Phage RB3 is a close relative of T4 and has a lengthier nrdB intron. Here, we describe I-TevIII, the H–N–H endonuclease encoded by the RB3 nrdB intron. In contrast to previous reports, we demonstrate that this intron is mobile, and that this mobility is dependent on I-TevIII, which generates 2-nt 3′ extensions. The enzyme has a distinct catalytic domain, which contains the H–N–H motif, and DNA-binding domain, which contains two zinc fingers required for interaction with the DNA substrate. Most importantly, I-TevIII, unlike the H–N–H endonucleases described so far, makes a double-strand break on the DNA homing site by acting as a dimer. Through deletion analysis, the dimerization interface was mapped to the DNA-binding domain. The unusual propensity of I-TevIII to dimerize to achieve cleavage of both DNA strands underscores the versatility of the H–N–H enzyme family.
Inverse polarization transfer for detecting in vivo 13C magnetization transfer effect of specific enzyme reactions in 1H spectra.

Abstract The wide chemical shift dispersion and long T1 of 13C have allowed determination of in vivo magnetization transfer effects caused by aspartate aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase reactions using 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopy. In this report, we demonstrate that these effects can be observed in the proton spectra by transferring the equilibrium magnetization of 13C via the one-bond scalar coupling between 13C and 1H using an inverse insensitive nuclei enhanced by polarization transfer-based heteronuclear polarization transfer method. This inverse method allows a combination of the advantages of the long 13C T1 for maximum magnetization transfer and the high sensitivity of proton detection. The feasibility of this in vivo inverse polarization transfer approach was evaluated for detecting the 13C magnetization transfer effect of aspartate aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase reactions from a 72.5-μl voxel in the rat brain at 11.7 T.
ANALYZING CONVECTIVE HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER IN THROUGH-AIR DRYING OF FABRICS

In studying the through-air drying (TAD) of tissues and towels, the drying and heating of TAD fabrics as part of the overall system is considered for the first time. For a simple, single-layer TAD fabric structure, convective drying and heating is modeled using well- known heat and mass transfer models developed in general chemical engineering practice. The models are circular pipe flow, flow over cylinder, and packed bed. All three models predict a long fabric drying period and a quick fabric heating period. The constant temperatures of the fabrics during the fabric drying period predicted by all three models are nearly the same, and are close to the adiabatic saturation temperature of the inlet air, depending only on the temperature and supply humidity and not on the air flow rate. The drying rates predicted by the packed bed and flow over cylinder models are significantly higher than that by the circular pipe flow model. Further verification of the suitability of using either the packed bed or the flow...
Thermally subsiding basins and the insulating effect of sediment with application to the Cambro-Ordovician Great Basin sequence, western USA

Tectonic subsidence of thermally generated basins is sensitive to the insulating effect of sediment. Compacting sediment reduces thermal subsidence, increases apparent stretching factors and reduces uncertainty in estimates of the breakup age. The transient effect of sediment insulation on the shape of the subsidence curve is considered by comparing model results with an exponential fit from 16 to 144Myr after breakup. Misfits are dependent on the model parameters used, the degree of stretching, the degree of sediment compaction and the bottom boundary condition used in modelling. The magnitude of the misfit ranges up to 90 m (uncorrected for eustatic loading). These effects may alter the interpretation of backstripping results. Application to a data set from the Cambro-Ordovician miogeocline of the Great Basin, western USA, increases apparent stretching factors and reduces uncertainty in the predicted earliest Cambrian breakup age. In this case the misfits to exponential subsidence are quite large ( ~ 300m) so that correction for the insulating effect of sediment does not eliminate a probable eustatic signal consistent with the Sauk sequence. If a eustatic signal is assumed, correction for model error suggests that the thermal parameters used are an improvement over those previously adopted and that the base of the lithosphere thins as sediments are added at the surface.
Detection of acute nervous system injury with advanced diffusion‐weighted MRI: a simulation and sensitivity analysis

Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is a powerful tool to investigate the microscopic structure of the central nervous system (CNS). Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), a common model of the DWI signal, has a demonstrated sensitivity to detect microscopic changes as a result of injury or disease. However, DTI and other similar models have inherent limitations that reduce their specificity for certain pathological features, particularly in tissues with complex fiber arrangements. Methods such as double pulsed field gradient (dPFG) and q-vector magic angle spinning (qMAS) have been proposed to specifically probe the underlying microscopic anisotropy without interference from the macroscopic tissue organization. This is particularly important for the study of acute injury, where abrupt changes in the microscopic morphology of axons and dendrites manifest as focal enlargements known as beading. The purpose of this work was to assess the relative sensitivity of DWI measures to beading in the context of macroscopic fiber organization and edema. Computational simulations of DWI experiments in normal and beaded axons demonstrated that, although DWI models can be highly specific for the simulated pathologies of beading and volume fraction changes in coherent fiber pathways, their sensitivity to a single idealized pathology is considerably reduced in crossing and dispersed fibers. However, dPFG and qMAS have a high sensitivity for beading, even in complex fiber tracts. Moreover, in tissues with coherent arrangements, such as the spinal cord or nerve fibers in which tract orientation is known a priori, a specific dPFG sequence variant decreases the effects of edema and improves specificity for beading. Collectively, the simulation results demonstrate that advanced DWI methods, particularly those which sample diffusion along multiple directions within a single acquisition, have improved sensitivity to acute axonal injury over conventional DTI metrics and hold promise for more informative clinical diagnostic use in CNS injury evaluation.
Improving the professional status of teaching: perspectives of future teachers, current teachers, and education professors

Abstract A US national sample of 2947 future teachers, 457 current teachers, and 1219 education faculty members was asked to rate the importance of various suggestions for improving the professional status of teaching. The results indicated that future teachers differed from current teachers and education professors. The results also suggested that all these groups rated increasing extrinsic and intrinsic rewards for teaching the most important. They felt raising the standards of teacher education program and teacher certification was also important. However, they felt that eliminating undergraduate education majors/courses was much less important. Implications for the theory and practice of improving the professional status of teaching are discussed in light of the findings.
Preparation and aromatization of poly‐1,3‐cyclohexadiene. II

Further work on the polymerization of 1,3-cyclohexadiene by the action of Zieglertype catalysis and by cationic initiation has been carried out and polymers with an inherent viscosity of 0.1–0.19 have been obtained consistently. Dehydrogenation of the poly-1,3-cyclohexadiene by halogenation followed by pyrolysis has given good conversion to a polyphenyl which has some units which are incompletely aromatized. This polymer has very good heat stability but is not a useful polymer for plastic purposes.
Diabetes mellitus and periodontal diseases.

Background: The purpose of this review is to provide the reader with practical knowledge concerning the relationship between diabetes mellitus and periodontal diseases. Over 200 articles have been published in the English literature over the past 50 years examining the relationship between these two chronic diseases. Data interpretation is often confounded by varying definitions of diabetes and periodontitis and different clinical criteria applied to prevalence, extent, and severity of periodontal diseases, levels of glycemic control, and complications associated with diabetes. Methods: This article provides a broad overview of the predominant findings from research published in English over the past 20 years, with reference to certain ‘‘classic’’ articles published prior to that time. Results: This article describes current diagnostic and classification criteria for diabetes and answers the following questions: 1) Does diabetes affect the risk of periodontitis, and does the level of metabolic control of diabetes have an impact on this relationship? 2) Do periodontal diseases affect the pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus or the metabolic control of diabetes? 3) What are the mechanisms by which these two diseases interrelate? and 4) How do people with diabetes and periodontal disease respond to periodontal treatment? Conclusions: Diabetes increases the risk of periodontal diseases, and biologically plausible mechanisms have been demonstrated in abundance. Less clear is the impact of periodontal diseases on glycemic control of diabetes and the mechanisms through which this occurs. Inflammatory periodontal diseases may increase insulin resistance in a way similar to obesity, thereby aggravating glycemic control. Further research is needed to clarify this aspect of the relationship between periodontal diseases and diabetes. J Periodontol 2006;77:12891303.
Structural excitation by a turbulent boundary layer - An overview

Thirty years of theoretical and experimental research have yet to resolve a number of questions regarding the vibratory response of, and acoustic radiation from, a structure excited by a turbulent boundary layer (TBL). The most important questions are: (a) Can the TBL be characterized as a Thevenin source—particularly when vibratory power flow into the structure is maximized at hydrodynamic coincidence? Alternatively, at what level does structural vibration fundamentally change the character of the TBL? (b) Is the low wave number portion of the wall pressure spectrum of dominant importance in structural excitation away from hydrodynamic coincidence? Or do structural discontinuities cause the convective ridge of wall pressure to be of greater practical interest? (c) Can one quantify the radiation from a turbulent boundary layer about a rigid finite body? Is it dipole or quadrupole? What is the role of fluctuating wall shear stress? Current research on dense fluid loading and on modeling the behavior of the TBL is yielding new, and sometimes surprising, answers to some of these questions. Free resonant structural vibration in the dense fluid limit and the use of a bounded, non-causal, Green function representing the TBL are two of the surprises discussed.
On the integration of memristors with CMOS using nanoimprint lithography

Memristors were vertically integrated with CMOS circuits using nanoimprint lithography (NIL), making a transistor/memeristor hybrid circuit. Several planarization technologies were developed for the CMOS substrates to meet the surface planarity requirement for NIL. Accordingly, different integration schemes were developed and optimized. UV-curable NIL (UV-NIL) using a double layer spin-on resists was carried out to pattern the electrodes for memristors. This is the first demonstration of NIL on active CMOS substrates that are fabricated in a CMOS fab. Our work demonstrates that NIL is compatible with commercial IC fabrication process. It was also demonstrated that the memristors are integratable with traditional CMOS to make hybrid circuits without changing the current infrastructure in IC industry.
Incidence and Risk Factors for Adverse Events Related to Image-Guided Liver Biopsy

Abstract Objective To determine the incidence of major adverse events related to a large volume of image-guided liver biopsies performed at our institution over a 12-year period and to identify risk factors for major bleeding events. Patients and Methods A retrospective analysis of an internally maintained biopsy registry was performed. The analysis revealed that 6613 image-guided liver biopsies were performed in 5987 adult patients between December 7, 2001, and December 31, 2013. Liver biopsies were performed using real-time ultrasound guidance and a spring-loaded biopsy device, with rare exceptions. Adverse events considered major and included in this study were hematoma, infection, pneumothorax, hemothorax, and death. Using data from the biopsy registry, we evaluated statistically significant risk factors ( P Results A total of 49 acute and delayed major adverse events (0.7%) occurred after 6613 liver biopsy events. The incidence of hematoma requiring transfusion and/or angiographic intervention was 0.5% (34 of 6613). The incidence of infection was 0.1% (8 of 6613), and that of hemothorax was 0.06% (4 of 6613). No patient (0%) incurred a pneumothorax after biopsy. Three patients (0.05%) died within 30 days of liver biopsy, 1 being directly related to biopsy. Thirty-eight of 46 major adverse events (83%) presented acutely (within 24 hours). More than 2 biopsy passes, platelets 50,000/μL or less, and female sex were statistically significant risk factors for postbiopsy hemorrhage. Conclusion Image-guided liver biopsy performed by subspecialized interventionalists at a tertiary medical center is safe when the platelet count is greater than 50,000/μL. With appreciation of specific risk factors, safety outcomes of this procedure can be optimized in both general and specialized centers.
Abstract W P287: Does Comprehensive Stroke Certification Demonstrate a Significant Effect on Volume and Quality of Care?

Introduction/Background information: At the onset of acute stroke symptoms, speed, capability, safety and skill are essential-lost minutes can be the difference between full recoveries, poor outcome, or even death. The Joint Commission's Certificate of Distinction for Comprehensive Stroke Centers recognizes centers that make exceptional efforts to foster better outcomes for stroke care. While many hospitals have been surveyed, Cedars Sinai was the 5th hospital in the nation to receive this certification. Researchable question: Does Comprehensive stroke certification (CSC) demonstrate a significant effect on volume and quality of care? Methods: We assembled a cross-functional, multidisciplinary expert team representing all departments and skill sets involved in treating stroke patients. We carefully screened eligible patients with acute ischemic stroke We assessed the number of patients treated at Cedars-Sinai with IV-T-pa t 6 months before and then 6 months after CSC and the quality of their care includin...
Effect of Group Setting on Gross Motor Performance in Children 3-5 Years Old with Motor Delays.

ABSTRACTAims: The purpose of this study was to evaluate differences in gross motor performance of children 3–5 years of age with motor delays when assessed individually compared to assessment in a group setting among peers with typical development (TD). Methods: Twenty children with motor delays and 42 children with TD were recruited from a preschool program. A within-subject repeated measures design was used; each child with delay was tested both in an individual setting and in a group setting with two to four peers with TD. Testing sessions were completed 4–8 days apart. Ten different motor skills from the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2 were administered. Performance of each item was videotaped and scored by a blinded researcher. Results: Overall gross motor performance was significantly different (p < .05) between the two settings, with 14 of 20 children demonstrating better performance in the group setting. In particular, children performed better on locomotion items (p < .05). Conclusions: The ...
The Causes and Effects of Depression on Esther Greenwood in the Bell Jar

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the causes of depression in Esther Greenwood in the novel the Bell Jar written by Sylvia Plath. The Bell Jar is considered a sort of semi autobiography of Plath's life. In the novel, Plath depicts the American society during the 1950's, conveying how difficult upward mobility was for women during this period, even when these women had degrees from different American Universities. The paper also argues the different causes that triggers depression on Esther Greenwood, and how she copes with depression. In addition, the paper explains how the dominated-male society during this period, affected the integration of intellectual women in the American society.
Inverse Modeling of Water-Rock-CO2 Batch Experiments: Potential Impacts on Groundwater Resources at Carbon Sequestration Sites.

This study developed a multicomponent geochemical model to interpret responses of water chemistry to introduction of CO2 into six water-rock batches with sedimentary samples collected from representative potable aquifers in the Gulf Coast area. The model simulated CO2 dissolution in groundwater, aqueous complexation, mineral reactions (dissolution/precipitation), and surface complexation on clay mineral surfaces. An inverse method was used to estimate mineral surface area, the key parameter for describing kinetic mineral reactions. Modeling results suggested that reductions in groundwater pH were more significant in the carbonate-poor aquifers than in the carbonate-rich aquifers, resulting in potential groundwater acidification. Modeled concentrations of major ions showed overall increasing trends, depending on mineralogy of the sediments, especially carbonate content. The geochemical model confirmed that mobilization of trace metals was caused likely by mineral dissolution and surface complexation on cla...
Potential factors influencing carbapenem activity against Bacteroides fragilis group isolates.

A total of 1 11 randomly collected Bacteroides fragilis group strains obtained from clinical trials of meropenem for the treatment of intraabdominal and skin or skin-structure infections were screened for their in vitro susceptibility to meropenem, imipenem, and four other broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents. Eight selected strains, for which carbapenem MICs were >4 ,tg/ mL, were examined for mechanisms involved in alteration of drug penetration and in enzymatic degradation of the carbapenems. All 11 1 isolates were susceptible to meropenem, but some of these isolates were resistant to the following drugs: imipenem (1 isolate), cefoxitin (32), clindamycin (37), piperacillin (32), and piperacillin/tazobactam (3). Meropenem and imipenem were reported as being potent agents against the B. fragilis group strains [ 1]. Resistance to carbapenems among this group of organisms has been rare, but when it has been observed, it has usually been associated with the production of"efficient carbapenemases." These enzymes have been described as zinc-dependent f-lactamases that effectively degrade nearly all f-lactam agents including the f-lactam/f-lactamase inhibitor combinations [2]. Few details of the nonenzymatic resistance mechanisms of gram-negative anaerobic bacilli, which can mediate reduced susceptibility to ,-lactams (e.g., permeability and/or alteration of target proteins), have been described [3]. The following antibiotics were used in this study: meropenem (Zeneca Pharmaceuticals, Wilmington, DE); imipenem and cefoxitin (Merck Sharp & Dohme, West Point, PA); piperacillin/ tazobactam (Lederle Laboratories, Pearl River, NY); and clindamycin (Upjohn, Kalamazoo, MI). MICs were determined using the agar dilution method recommended by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) with use of Wilkins-Chalgren medium [4]. The NCCLS-recommended MIC breakpoints for resistance to the antibiotics were as follows: imipenem, > 16 uig/mL; cefoxitin, >64 ,tg/mL; clindamycin, >8 ,ug/mL; piperacillin, > 128 ttg/mL; and piperacillin/tazobactam, 128/4 Ag/mL [4]. B. fragilis organisms were considered to be resistant to meropenem at an MIC of > 16 /g/mL. All I 1 B. fragilis group isolates provided by the meropenem clinical trials were reidentified at Zeneca Pharmaceuticals with
Molecular and expression analysis of the negative regulators involved in the transcriptional regulation of acid phosphatase production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Abstract The PHO80 and PHO85 gene products encode proteins necessary for the repression of transcription from the major acid phosphatase gene (PHO5) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The deduced amino acid sequences of these genes have revealed that PHO85 is likely to encode a protein kinase, whereas no potential function has been revealed for PHO80. We undertook several approaches to aid in the elucidation of the PHO80 function, including deletion analysis, chemical mutagenesis, and expression analysis. DNA deletion analysis revealed that residues from both the carboxy- and amino-terminal regions of the protein, amounting to a total of 21% of the PHO80 protein, were not required for function with respect to repressor activity. Also, 10 independent single-amino-acid changes within PHO80 which resulted in the failure to repress PHO5 transcription were isolated. Nine of the 10 missense mutations resided in two subregions of the PHO80 molecule. In addition, expression analysis of the PHO80 and PHO85 genes suggested that the PHO85 gene product was not necessary for PHO80 expression and that the PHO85 gene was expressed at much higher levels in the cell than was the PHO80 gene. Furthermore, high levels of PHO80 were shown to suppress the effect of a PHO85 deletion at a level close to full repression. Implications for the function of the negative regulators in this system are discussed.
Actions of danazol in vivo on cytochrome P-450 and steroidogenic enzymes in rat testis and liver microsomal preparations.

The mechanism of action of danazol has not been established and the drug may act at multiple loci. Effects suggesting inhibition of pituitary gonadotropin release have been described while some in vitro studies have demonstrated competitive inhibition of steroidogenic enzymes. In addition, destruction of cytochrome P-450 by the acetylenic moiety of danazol is a possible mechanism. Following 14days of danazol treatment (10mg/kg/day), the specific content of rat testis microsomal cytochrome P-450 and the serum testosterone were decreased, in spite of no significant change in serum luteinizing hormone. Furthermore, simultaneous administration of human chorionic gonadotropin with danazol still resulted in a decrease in cytochrome. The activities of two testicular microsomal steroid-converting enzymes (17 α -hydroxytase and 17,20-lyase) were not altered when based on cytochrome P-450 content but were markedly depressed when based on microsomal protein. In liver, danazol showed a similar but teas marked dimunition of the cytochrome. Surprisingly, steroid 17 α -hydroxylass activity in liver was significantly increased while other cytochrome P-450 dependent enzyme activities were not altered.
Increased reproductive success of women after prenatal undernutrition

Sir, In a recent report in this journal (Painter et al., 2008) based on the follow-up of men and women born in the former Wilhelmina Gasthuis Hospital, Amsterdam between November 1943 and February 1947 and interviewed at age 58 years, women with famine exposure in utero but not men reported greater reproductive success compared with unexposed controls, with more offspring, more twins, a smaller likelihood to remain childless, and an earlier age of starting reproduction. The study included 473 women, of whom 204 met the study definition of famine exposure. We wish to bring to the attention of your readers our previous study in this population in which similar questions were addressed (Lumey and Stein, 1997). We interviewed the women at age 43 years. We reported no significant differences between those with famine exposure in utero and those born before or conceived after the famine with respect to age at menarche, age at first delivery, interpregnancy interval or age at later deliveries, completed family size, childlessness, age at first marriage or proportion married or menopause status. This study included 700 women, of whom 322 met our definition of famine exposure. Painter et al. expanded the earlier study sample to include additional women controls and men, but restricted follow-up to those residents in or close to Amsterdam, while our study recruited women living anywhere in Holland. The 204 women with famine exposure in utero in the Painter study, defined as births between 7 January 1945 and 8 December 1945, are essentially a subset of the 322 women with famine exposure in utero in our study, defined as births between 1 February 1945 and 31 December 1945. Some possible explanations for the inconsistent results come to mind. The Painter subset of exposed women may not correctly represent the available sample; there are small differences between the two studies with respect to the dates of birth of the reference sample and to categorization of exposure to the famine; or, study outcomes reported by women when interviewed at age 43 years are different compared with findings obtained at age 58 years. With the available data, these explanations can all be explored. We are puzzled why the previous study was not discussed by Painter et al. The omission of previous findings in this study population does a disservice to the reader. The two studies should be interpreted together to understand the experience of this cohort of women and the long-term consequences of exposure to famine during gestation. References
KSHV-associated extracavitary primary effusion lymphoma in an HIV seronegative patient: a case report and review of the literature.

ABSTRACTPrimary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is a rare type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma presenting as a lymphomatous effusion and absence of a solid tumor mass. Extracavitary PEL (EC-PEL) is a subtype of PEL with the absence of an effusion but presence of solid tumor. PEL and EC-PEL share the same histopathologic and immunophenotypic features. Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) positivity is seen universally in these malignancies and is a requisite for diagnosis. Most cases are seen to occur in HIV positive individuals. We present a unique case of a 21-year-old male who presented with ongoing chest pain and right hip pain found to have an extensive lytic lesion of the right iliac bone, a paratracheal mass and a large pelvic mass. All the involved sites were FDG (F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose)-avid on PET-CT scan. The patient was seronegative for HIV with no risk factors for immunosuppression. A biopsy of the pelvic mass and bone marrow showed large atypical cells with irregular multi-lobulated nuclei, promin...
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Fiction and Reality: Anguish and Agony

This chapter considers the diagnosis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder first as it applies to returning military personnel past and present. The American military, specifically, began by discounting the diagnosis as nothing more than cowardice, only to move in recent years to not only acknowledge the reality of this condition, but to actively attempt to get help to those who are suffering from it. Challenges emerge when the military’s mentality of being strong—physically and mentally—clashes with the notion of soldiers feeling empowered to seek out help. From here, the chapter considers how Metal Gear Solid V presents a complex vision of trauma and its lasting effects, one which avoids stereotyping all forms of trauma in the same way. Further still, Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain both illustrate that one does not simply and suddenly recover from trauma and that its lasting effects linger, perhaps for a lifetime.
Study of travel behavior of vessels in narrow waterways using AIS data – A case study in Sabine-Neches Waterways

Abstract This paper proposed an AIS data based method of studying travel behavior of vessels when passing through a hotspot in a narrow waterway, by building their trip information within this hotspot. With trip information, all trips in a hotspot can be divided into three categories: inbound, outbound and moored. The last one refers to the trips that have ever stopped in a hotspot. Such stopping behavior is expected to be different from those directly passing through a hotspot without any stopping. If not excluding these trips, the revealed behavior pattern may be bias, especially when considering speed distributions. This proposed method was applied to the three hotspots in the Sabine-Neches Waterways (SNWW), identified through the analysis of vessel conflicts along the whole SNWW using AIS data collected in the whole year of 2012: more than 10% of total vessel conflicts occurred within these three hotspots. We also investigated the distributions of flow speeds and densities, as well as their relationships at these hotspots, respectively. The findings reveal the travel patterns of inbound and outbound trips passing these three hotspots in the SNWW, considering the heterogeneous behavior of different types of vessels. These revealed patterns also help examine the risk of vessel collisions at these three spots, respectively.
Left ventricular geometry predicts ventricular tachyarrhythmia in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction: a comprehensive cardiovascular magnetic resonance study

Most patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implantation fail to utilize the device resulting in increasing societal costs and patient exposure to device morbidity. We sought to determine whether volumetric cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) left ventricular (LV) spherical remodeling predicts future ventricular arrhythmias in primary ICD patients with reduced LV ejection fraction (EF). Sixty-eight consecutive patients with transthoracic echocardiographic LVEF <35% referred for CMR prior to ICD implantation for primary prevention of sudden death were identified. Sphericity index was measured as the ratio of LV end-diastolic volume (from cine short axis stack) to the volume of a sphere with a LV end-diastolic 4-chamber length diameter. During a median follow-up of 55 months (interquartile range; 28–88), 15 patients (22%) received appropriate ICD therapy. Multivariable Cox’s proportional hazard modeling identified increased CMR-derived sphericity index as the strongest independent predictor of appropriate ICD therapy (hazard ratio [HR], 1.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02 to 1.16; p = 0.007). In addition, dichotomized volumetric CMR-derived sphericity index ≥0.57 carried a 4-fold hazard risk for appropriate ICD therapy, controlling for age and LVEF (HR, 4.49; 95% CI, 1.53 to 13.21; p = 0.006). When sphericity index, LVEF and mass index were used in combination, important incremental prognostic information was achieved (net reclassification improvement, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.06 to 0.77). The combined assessment of LV geometry, mass index and systolic function may provide incremental prognostic information regarding ventricular arrhythmia requiring appropriate ICD therapy in primary prevention patients with reduced LVEF.
Chemoradiotherapy versus chemotherapy alone for unresected nonmetastatic gallbladder cancer: National practice patterns and outcomes

Purpose: Current guidelines recommend chemotherapy (CT) with or without radiotherapy for unresected nonmetastatic gallbladder cancer (GC), with little consensus. However, several small-volume, single-institution studies have documented the efficacy of local therapy for this population. This is the largest study to date evaluating outcomes of chemoradiotherapy (CRT) versus CT alone in unresected nonmetastatic GC. Methods: The National Cancer Database was queried for primary GC cases (2004-2013) receiving CT alone or CRT. Patients receiving resection or lack of CT were excluded, as were those with metastatic disease or unknown M classification. Logistic regression analysis ascertained factors associated with CRT delivery. Kaplan-Meier analysis evaluated overall survival (OS) between both cohorts. Cox proportional hazards modeling determined variables associated with OS. Results: In total, 1,199 patients were analyzed (CRT: n=327, 27%; CT: n=872, 73%). Groups were evenly balanced, with no factor on multivariate logistic regression analysis statistically predicting for receipt of a particular paradigm. Median OS in the CRT and CT groups was 12.9 versus 7.8 months, respectively (P=.001). On multivariate analysis, OS was associated with age and years of treatment (P=.001 each). Notably, receipt of CRT independently predicted for improved OS (P=.001). Conclusions: CRT, compared with CT alone, was independently associated with improved survival in unresected nonmetastatic GC. Although causation is not implied, these results support the necessity for prospective CRT evaluation.
Red and white muscle

Publisher Summary In order for the food scientist to understand the characteristics of fresh meat and to appreciate its potential for incorporation into processed meat, he must have a fundamental knowledge of muscle. The casual observation is often made that certain muscles are redder or darker than others. The level of organization, be it red and white muscle, or red and white fibers, is a situation of terminology and recognition that exists, and must be understood. Enormous differences in composition and morphology exist between red and white muscle. Red muscle has a greater concentration of the pigment myoglobin, is generally lower in soluble protein content, lower in glycogen, and higher in lipid than white muscle. Red fibers are smaller in size than white fibers, are better supplied with capillaries, and contain more mitochondria. White fibers are equipped better for glycolytic metabolism than are red fibers, which are designed for oxidative metabolism. Isolated sarcoplasmic reticulum fragments from white muscle have a greater in vitro calcium-binding ability than those from red muscle and the myosin from red muscle has a lower ATPase activity than that from white muscle. The physiological response of red and white fibers corresponds well with what has been stated about their composition and biochemical properties. Stimulation of a white fiber produces a twitch response; a twitch response is also elicited in red fibers, but it gives a slower contraction which covers a longer period of time than that from a white fiber. Histochemical techniques have produced many beautiful and useful pictures of fiber type distribution. Red fibers are high in oxidative enzymes, such as SDH, but low in glycolytic enzymes, such as phosphorylase and also low in ATPase; the opposite situation exists in white fibers. Intermediate fibers are well recognized. The fiber types differentiate clearly just before or after birth of the animal. This is demonstrated by histochemical, biochemical, and physiological techniques. Because the control of differentiation is such an important biological problem, experiments dealing with cross-innervation and the trophic influence are presented. Finally, it is pointed out that fiber type composition has been shown to be an important consideration in the conversion of pig muscle to food for human consumption. Suggested areas of research need are noted.
Almost Periodic Solutions for Infinite Delay Systems

For certain systems with infinite delay, which are represent-able in the form (1), one gives conditions assuring the existence and uniqueness of an almost periodic solution. The almost periodicity concept used for either solution or free term of the system is chosen among the following ones: a.p. function with absolutely convergent Fourier series; a.p. function in Bohr sense; a.p. function in Besicovitch sense.
Effects of deproteinization and ashing on site-specific properties of cortical bone

Buffered sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) solution was used to remove selectively the collagen phase from bovine cortical bone. Changes in the mechanical behaviour and material properties were studied over a wide range of resolution (from 5 μm to 3 mm) using an integrated combination of experimental techniques. Optical microscopy indicated that timed immersion in NaOCl results in cortical bone specimens that consist of a mineralized tissue core surrounded by a layer of deproteinized or anorganic bone. With increased NaOCl treatment, the mechanical behaviour in three-point flexure of the intact specimens became increasingly characteristic of a brittle ceramic material. Localized material properties were evaluated using histology, scanning electron microscopy and microhardness testing. The site-specific properties and the mineralization of the cores were not significantly affected by the treatment; however, the interactions and structural framework of the hydroxyapatite crystallites within the anorganic material were compromised. This destruction of crystallite interlocking was not observed in samples in which the organic phase was removed by ashing at 800°C. The ashed samples maintained microhardness values three times those of the bleached samples. Because of its damaging effects on cortical bone structural integrity, the NaOCl treatment did not provide a reasonable means of studying, as a function of the phasic mass fraction, incremental changes in bone mechanical behaviour or the relative roles of collagen and mineral within the structural hierarchy.
High-speed alignment optimization of digital optical phase conjugation systems based on autocovariance analysis in conjunction with orthonormal rectangular polynomials

Digital optical phase conjugation (DOPC) enables many optical applications by permitting focusing of light through scattering media. However, DOPC systems require precise alignment of all optical components, particularly of the spatial light modulator (SLM) and camera, in order to accurately record the wavefront and perform playback through the use of time-reversal symmetry. We present a digital compensation technique to optimize the alignment of the SLM in five degrees of freedom, permitting focusing through thick scattering media with a thickness of 5 mm and transport scattering coefficient of 2.5 mm − 1 while simultaneously improving focal quality, as quantified by the peak-to-background ratio, by several orders of magnitude over an unoptimized alignment.
An integrated electronic health record-based workflow to improve management of colonoscopy-generated pathology results.

Purpose Managing and communicating colonoscopy-generated pathology results and appropriate follow-up recommendations can be challenging. To improve this process, we developed and implemented a standardized electronic health record-based intervention with built-in decision support. Methods Fourteen attending endoscopists performed enough colonoscopies to qualify for the study. For each, we randomly sampled and abstracted data from 35 colonoscopies that met prespecified inclusion criteria during both the pre-intervention and also post-intervention periods. Follow-up recommendations were compared to guidelines. We used the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test to assess the change in the proportion of cases with guideline-concordant results, the proportion with a documented follow-up result letter, and the median time to letter completion. A brief survey assessed endoscopists' satisfaction with the intervention. Results In total, 1,947 colonoscopies were extracted, of which 968 met inclusion criteria. The proportion of follow-up recommendations that were guideline concordant increased from a median of 82.9% pre-intervention to 85.7% post-intervention (P=0.72). The proportion of observations with a documented follow-up result letter increased from a median of 88.9% pre-intervention to 97.1% post-intervention (P=0.07). The number of calendar days between the date of the colonoscopy and the date the letter was sent decreased from a median of 7.7 days pre-intervention to 6.8 days post-intervention (P=0.79). Eighty-six percentage of endoscopists were either "very satisfied" or "satisfied" with the overall process. Conclusion The intervention was not associated with a statistically significant increase in guideline-concordant recommendations or efficiency measures, perhaps due to high baseline performance. The intervention was well received by endoscopists and captured data necessary for important downstream processes.
Inherited Genetic Risk Factors and Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis Relapse Events

Introduction: Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is an inflammatory myeloid neoplasia characterized by lesions including pathogenic CD207+ dendritic cells among an inflammatory infiltrate, and has a median age at diagnosis of 30 months. Approximately 50% of children with LCH relapse, and 40% experience a second relapse event within two years. Sequencing studies have identified activating somatic mutations in MAPK pathway genes in ~85% of LCH lesions. Notably, LCH cases who are carriers of BRAFV600E+ experience a 2-fold increased risk of relapse. However, the role of inherited genetic effects in LCH relapse remains unknown. Therefore, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to characterize the role of inherited genetic variants on risk of LCH relapse. Methods: LCH cases (n=117) for this discovery GWAS were recruited from Texas Children9s Hospital, of which 52 patients experienced a relapse event and 65 patients did not. Genotyping was performed on the Illumina Omni5 Quad BeadChip. We tested the association between common variants (minor allele frequency >5%) and LCH relapse risk in PLINK. A genome-wide threshold of significance was applied at P-value Results: High-quality genotype data for 583,173 germline variants were tested for an association with LCH relapse risk in the discovery GWAS stage. We identified a variant in high linkage disequilibrium with a cluster of loci on Chromosome 9 that surpassed our threshold of suggestive significance (non-coding RNA LOC100506532 rs2182640; P-value=6.98x10-6). This intronic variant was associated with a decreased risk of LCH relapse that remained statistically significant after adjusting for age at diagnosis, sex, and the top two PCs (aOR: 0.16; 95% CI: 0.07-0.35). While this non-coding RNA gene is largely uncharacterized, non-coding RNAs function to regulate gene expression at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional level. Results from validation of this risk locus in an independent replication set are forthcoming. Conclusions: In this genome-wide assessment of inherited genetic variation and LCH relapse, we identified a genomic region that may be associated with LCH relapse. It is unclear which variant in the LOC100506532 cluster is a potentially causal allele. One of these variants may be a proxy for the causal locus, or may act through an effect on other genes in the same region or at distal sites. Notably RXRA, a retinoic acid receptor gene, is located in close proximity (~400kb) to LOC100506532 and regulates gene expression in various biologic processes. Risk variants within this gene have been identified to modulate disease-specific survival in melanoma, another BRAF-driven malignancy. While we are in the process of validating the association between LOC100506532 rs2182640 and LCH relapse risk in an independent replication set, our discovery GWAS results provide initial evidence to suggest that inherited risk factors influence LCH disease severity. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.