cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Racial Discrepancies between Caucasians and African-Americans in Peripartum Cardiomyopathy Requiring Mechanical Circulatory Support

Background Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare form of cardiomyopathy diagnosed in the last month of pregnancy or up to five months postpartum in the absence of other underlying etiology. PPCM can result in cardiogenic shock or end-stage heart failure requiring mechanical circulatory support (MCS). It is unclear if there are any racial discrepancies in outcomes of patients requiring MCS. Method We queried the data from the National Inpatient Sample database from 2003-2014 to identify patients with the diagnosis of PPCM using the International Classification of Disease (ICD-9) codes 674.5x. Among the patients with PPCM we then identified those requiring short term mechanical support devices (Intra-aortic balloon pump, Impella, Centrimag, Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), Ventricular assist devices (VAD) and Orthotopic Heart Transplant (OHT) using the corresponding (ICD-9) codes 33.6, 37.5, 37.51, 37.60 37.61, 37.62 37.65, 37.66, 37.68, 39.65. Using ANOVA and Chi-Square analysis, we compared the differences in outcomes in Caucasian and African American (AA) races with PPCM requiring MCS. Results We identified 16,014 Caucasians and 15,537 AA patients with PPCM. Baseline characteristics including mean age, income quartile was similar except for a difference in average income quartile between Caucasian and AA with PPCM requiring VAD (2.49 vs 1.75, p = 0.02). In Caucasians, 2.03% (325/16,104) required MCS and in AA patients, 1.91% (297/15,537) required MCS, showing no difference between the two races. However, increased in-hospital mortality was noted in AA compared to Caucasians requiring short term MCS (20.9% vs 11.94%, p = 0.02) or requiring OHT (6.95% vs 0% p =0.02). There was a trend towards an increase in mortality in AA requiring VAD (16.51% vs 8.27%, p = 0.066) although it wasn't statistically significant. There was no significant difference in average total charges and average length of stay between Caucasian and AA in all three subgroups. We also noted an uptrend in the use of MCS in PPCM over the years as noted in the graph. Conclusion AA group had higher mortality rates in patients requiring MCS when compared to Caucasians. The reasons for these disparities remain unclear and further investigation is much needed given an uptrend use of MCS in patients with PPCM over the years.
An Efficient Integration of Disentangled Attended Expression and Identity FeaturesFor Facial Expression Transfer andSynthesis.

In this paper, we present an Attention-based Identity Preserving Generative Adversarial Network (AIP-GAN) to overcome the identity leakage problem from a source image to a generated face image, an issue that is encountered in a cross-subject facial expression transfer and synthesis process. Our key insight is that the identity preserving network should be able to disentangle and compose shape, appearance, and expression information for efficient facial expression transfer and synthesis. Specifically, the expression encoder of our AIP-GAN disentangles the expression information from the input source image by predicting its facial landmarks using our supervised spatial and channel-wise attention module. Similarly, the disentangled expression-agnostic identity features are extracted from the input target image by inferring its combined intrinsic-shape and appearance image employing our self-supervised spatial and channel-wise attention mod-ule. To leverage the expression and identity information encoded by the intermediate layers of both of our encoders, we combine these features with the features learned by the intermediate layers of our decoder using a cross-encoder bilinear pooling operation. Experimental results show the promising performance of our AIP-GAN based technique.
Transparency in a chain of disparate quantum emitters strongly coupled to a waveguide

We demonstrate the emergence of transparent behavior in a chain of periodically spaced nonidentical quantum emitters coupled to a waveguide, in the special case when the nearest neighbor separation is a half-integral multiple of the resonant wavelength, i.e., $kL$ is an integral multiple of $\ensuremath{\pi}$, with $k$ being the wave number and $L$ the spatial periodicity. When equal but opposite frequency detunings are assigned in pairs to a system of even number of atoms, perfect transmission ensues. When the chain size is odd, a similar assignment leads to the disappearance of collective effects as the odd atom determines the spectral behavior. We also manifest the robustness of these features against dissipative effects and show how the spectral behavior hinges significantly on the relative detunings between the atoms as compared to the decay rate. A key distinction from the phenomenon of electromagnetically induced transparency is that in the waveguide case, the presence of an intrinsic waveguide-mediated phase coupling between the atoms strongly affects the transport properties. Furthermore, while reciprocity in single-photon transport does not generally hold due to the phase coupling, we observe an interesting exception for $kL=n\ensuremath{\pi}$ at which the waveguide demonstrates reciprocal behavior with regard to both the transmission and reflection coefficients.
Pharmacodynamic Biomarkers for Emerging LRRK2 Therapeutics

Genetic studies have identified variants in the LRRK2 gene as important components of Parkinson's disease (PD) pathobiology. Biochemical and emergent biomarker studies have coalesced around LRRK2 hyperactivation in disease. Therapeutics that diminish LRRK2 activity, either with small molecule kinase inhibitors or anti-sense oligonucleotides, have recently advanced to the clinic. Historically, there have been few successes in the development of therapies that might slow or halt the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Over the past few decades of biomedical research, retrospective analyses suggest the broad integration of informative biomarkers early in development tends to distinguish successful pipelines from those that fail early. Herein, we discuss the biomarker regulatory process, emerging LRRK2 biomarker candidates, assays, underlying biomarker biology, and clinical integration.
COVID-19-Associated Critical Illness-Report of the First 300 Patients Admitted to Intensive Care Units at a New York City Medical Center.

Background:The first confirmed case of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection in the United States was reported from the state of Washington in January, 2020. By March, 2020, New York City had bec...
Effect of reactant dosing on selectivity during area-selective deposition of TiO2 via integrated atomic layer deposition and atomic layer etching

A key hallmark of atomic layer deposition (ALD) is that it proceeds via self-limiting reactions. For a good ALD process, long reactant exposure times beyond that required for saturation on planar substrates can be useful, for example, to achieve conformal growth on high aspect ratio nanoscale trenches, while maintaining consistent deposition across large-area surfaces. Area-selective deposition (ASD) is becoming an enabling process for nanoscale pattern modification on advanced nanoelectronic devices. Herein, we demonstrate that during area-selective ALD, achieved by direct coupling of ALD and thermal atomic layer etching (ALE), excess reactant exposure can have a substantially detrimental influence on the extent of selectivity. As an example system, we study ASD of TiO2 on hydroxylated SiO2 (Si–OH) vs hydrogen-terminated (100) Si (Si–H) using TiCl4/H2O for ALD and WF6/BCl3 for ALE. Using in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry and ex situ x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, we show that unwanted nucleation can be minimized by limiting the water exposure during the ALD steps. Longer exposures markedly increased the rate of nucleation and growth on the desired non-growth region, thereby degrading selectivity. Specifically, transmission electron microscopy analysis demonstrated that near-saturated H2O doses enabled 32.7 nm thick TiO2 patterns at selectivity threshold S > 0.9 on patterned Si/SiO2 substrates. The correlation between selectivity and reactant exposure serves to increase fundamental insights into the effects of sub-saturated self-limiting surface reactions on the quality and effectiveness of ASD processes and methods.
‘Kufunika kwa mtundu/fuko’ (Family circle): Understanding experiences of grandparents raising grandchildren in Malawi:

In Malawi, grandparents play significant roles in raising children when parents are absent. An inductive thematic qualitative approach was used to understand experiences of Malawian custodial grand...
Perception of spatial data properties in an immersive multi-layered auditory environment

We present a study of spatial sonification of multidimensional data using a spatial mask and an immersive high-density loudspeaker array. The study participants are asked to identify edges and perceived center of 2D shapes projected across the perimeter of an exocentric environment. The results show that the phase modulation technique results in less accurate user responses than the amplitude modulation or combined modulation techniques. No significant differences are found between stationary and mobile-user scenarios when comparing the angular miss distances of the perceived center of sonified shapes, but significant differences are identified in locating their left and top edges. Further research is warranted to determine why properties of some shapes are easier to pinpoint than others, and how sonification may be improved to minimize such discrepancies.
Invisible Things Forgotten: A Multi-Proxy Study of Wetland Plant Use at a Precolumbian Village on the Gulf Coast of Florida

Herbaceous wetland plant resources have been widely cultivated and utilized by Indigenous peoples throughout North America since at least the early Holocene. Archaeologists and ethnographers, along with traditional knowledge holders, have documented and reconstructed deep histories of interaction between human communities and coastal plants that provide dietary carbohydrates, medicinal compounds, and craft-fiber. On the Florida peninsula, as elsewhere, paleoethnobotanical researchers face challenging preservation conditions and, despite the ubiquity and vastness of coastal wetlands, the resident flora are conspicuously underrepresented in the archaeological record. In this study, we work toward the recognition of wetland plant use on the Gulf Coast of Florida by integrating analyses of archaeo-molluscan, microfaunal, and palynological assemblages from stratified shell-midden deposits at a village and civic-ceremonial center occupied across the first millennium AD. We identify four particular herbaceous wetland plants as likely subsistence, medicinal, and technological resources. In a brief discussion, we propose that coastal wetland flora likely played key roles within late-Holocene maritime resource intensification, civic-ceremonial aggregation, and village-coalescence.
Psychodrama and the Treatment of Alcoholism

Just as the terms psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic are used in three broad senses—first, to describe a method of treatment and research; second, to describe a body of theory based on data obtained using this method; and third, to describe a set of techniques derived from the formal method but applicable to other settings—the terms psychodrama and psychodramatic are used in the same three senses.
T1ρ and T2 mapping detect acute ischemic injury in a piglet model of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease.

This study investigated the sensitivity of T1ρ and T2 relaxation time mapping to detect acute ischemic injury to the secondary ossification center (SOC) and epiphyseal cartilage of the femoral head in a piglet model of Legg-Calve-Perthes disease. Six piglets underwent surgery to induce global right femoral head ischemia and were euthanized 48 hours later. Fresh operated and contralateral-control femoral heads were imaged ex vivo with T1, T2, and T1ρ mapping using a 9.4T magnetic resonance imaging scanner. The specimens were imaged a second time after a freeze/thaw cycle and then processed for histology. T1, T2, and T1ρ measurements in the SOC, epiphyseal cartilage, articular cartilage, and metaphysis were compared between operated and control femoral heads using paired t-tests. The effects of freeze/thaw, T1ρ spin-lock frequency, and fat saturation were also investigated. Five piglets with histologically-confirmed ischemic injury were quantitatively analyzed. T1ρ was increased in the SOC (101±15 vs. 73±16 ms, p=0.0026) and epiphyseal cartilage (84.9±9.2 vs. 74.3±3.6 ms, p=0.031) of the operated vs. control femoral heads. T2 was also increased in the SOC (28.7±2.0 vs. 22.7±1.7, p=0.0037) and epiphyseal cartilage (57.4±4.7 vs. 49.0±2.7, p=0.0041). No changes in T1 were detected. The sensitivities of T1ρ and T2 mapping in detecting ischemic injury were maintained after a freeze/thaw cycle, and T1ρ sensitivity was maintained after varying spin-lock frequency and applying fat saturation. In conclusion, T1ρ and T2 mapping are sensitive in detecting ischemic injury to the SOC and epiphyseal cartilage of the femoral head as early as 48 hours after ischemia induction. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Black Lives Matter Coverage: How Protest News Frames and Attitudinal Change Affect Social Media Engagement

This article investigates the relationship between digital news coverage of protests and the audience’s willingness to engage with a story about Black Lives Matter on social media. Using a 3x2 expe...
Genome-wide assessment of population structure in Florida’s coastal seaside sparrows

The distribution and genetic relatedness of subspecies among the populations of seaside sparrow (Ammospiza maritima [Wilson 1810]) along the coast of Florida are poorly understood. We evaluated genetic support for three defined Florida Gulf coast subspecies, as well as a fourth subspecies on the Atlantic coast, and assessed whether genetic clusters corresponded geographically with the defined ranges of subspecific designations. Data generated using double digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq) suggest that the Florida endemics, A. m. peninsulae and A. m. juncicola, are genetically indistinguishable, but that the third Gulf coast subspecies, A. m. fisheri, and the Atlantic coast subspecies, A. m. macgillivraii, are genetically distinct units. These three distinct genetic groups were identified in three main geographic areas within the state of Florida, USA: (1) Florida’s panhandle (2) Florida’s Gulf coast peninsula, and (3) the Atlantic coast. Admixture was detected between genetic clusters in sites near the transition zone between the Florida panhandle and peninsula. Geographic distributions of genetic clusters on the Gulf coast do not match currently defined subspecific ranges for A. m. fisheri and A. m. peninsulae.
Robots as man-extension systems in space

The main topic of the paper is sensing and computer based automation and man-machine interface devices and techniques which permit task-level and 'intelligent' two-way communication between human operator and remote robot in earth orbit. General considerations are presented on control and information problems in teleoperation and on the characteristics of earth orbital teleoperation. Specific control and information display devices and techniques are discussed and exemplified with development results obtained at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in recent years.
Fatigue in Metals

Fatigue, as a mechanism of failure in metals, has been of interest for many years. Its importance is indicated by an observation by Pook (Pook L (1983) The role of crack growth in metal fatigue. The Metals Society, London) who indicated that between 1938 and 1983 about 20,000 papers were published on the subject of fatigue. The initial emphasis on fatigue focused on the formation of cracks on smooth surfaces after prolonged periods of cyclic loading. In early work an emphasis was focused on determining the number of cycles required to cause failure by fracture. As the details of fracture mechanics evolved, interest in the development of a crack growth relation resulted in the development of a new approach to the analysis of fatigue crack growth. The operating conditions of structural elements can vary widely. These include variable amplitude loading and environmental conditions. The latter includes temperature and exposure to corrosive atmospheres. The effects of these on fatigue crack growth should be included in structural analyses, and each are considered in the following sections.
Using Agentization for Exploring Firm and Labor Dynamics

Agentization is the process of rendering neoclassical models into computational ones. This methodological tool can be used to analyze and test neoclassical theories under a more flexible computational framework. This paper presents agentization and its methodological framework. We propose that, by classifying the assumptions of a neoclassical model, it is possible to systematically analyze their influence in the predictions of a theory. Furthermore, agentization allows the researcher to explore the potentials and limitations of theories. We present an example by agentizing the model of Gabaix (1999) for the emergence of Zipf laws. We show that the agentized model is able to reproduce the main features of the Gabaix process, without holding neoclassical assumptions such as equilibrium, rationality, agent homogeneity, and centralized anonymous interactions. Additionally, the model generates stylized facts such as tent-shaped firm growth rates distributions, and the employer-size wage premium. These regularities are not considered in the neoclassical model. Thus, allows the researcher to explore the boundaries and potentials of the theory.
Interval forms of Newtons method

Improved forms of some interval Newton Methods are given. It is shown that certain intervals in the methods can be replaced by real numbers. This improves the convergence properties of the methods.
Clarifying inconclusive functional analysis results: Assessment and treatment of automatically reinforced aggression

We conducted a series of studies in which multiple strategies were used to clarify the inconclusive results of one boy's functional analysis of aggression. Specifically, we (a) evaluated individual response topographies to determine the composition of aggregated response rates, (b) conducted a separate functional analysis of aggression after high rates of disruption masked the consequences that maintained aggression during the initial functional analysis, (c) modified the experimental design used during the functional analysis of aggression to improve discrimination and decrease interaction effects between conditions, and (d) evaluated a treatment matched to the reinforcer hypothesized to maintain aggression. An effective yet practical intervention for aggression was developed based on the results of these analyses and from data collected during the matched-treatment evaluation.
R0 Structural parameters, conformational, vibrational studies and ab initio calculations of cyanocyclopentane.

Abstract The infrared and Raman spectra (3100–50 cm −1 ) of the gas, liquid or solution, and solid have been recorded of cyanocyclopentane, c-C 5 H 9 CN. Variable temperature (−60 to −100 °C) studies of the infrared spectra (3100–400 cm −1 ) of the sample dissolved in liquid xenon have been carried out. From these data, both the envelope-equatorial (Eq) and Ax conformers have been identified and their relative stabilities obtained. The enthalpy difference has been determined to be 55 ± 12 cm −1 (0.66 ± 0.14 kJ/mol) with the Eq conformer the more stable form. The percentage of the Ax conformer is estimated to be 45 ± 1% at ambient temperature. The conformational stabilities have been predicted from ab initio calculations by utilizing several different basis sets up to aug-cc-pVTZ from both MP2(full) and density functional theory calculations by the B3LYP method. Vibrational assignments have been made for the observed bands for both conformers with initial predictions by MP2(full)/6-31G(d) ab initio calculations to obtain harmonic force constants, wavenumbers, infrared intensities, Raman activities and depolarization ratios for both conformers. The r 0 structural parameter values for the Eq[Ax] form are; for the heavy atom distances (A): C N = 1.160 [1.160] (3); C α –C = 1.463 [1.463] (3); C α –C β , C β′ = 1.543 [1.545] (3); C β –C γ , C γ′ = 1.540 [1.541] (3); C γ –C γ′ = 1.552 [1.553] (3) and angles (°): ∠C α –C N = 179.0 [178.9] (5); ∠C β C α –C = 113.1 [110.1] (5); ∠C β C α C β′ = 103.0 [102.1] (5); ∠C α C β C γ = 104.1 [104.8] (5); ∠C β C γ C γ′ = 106.3 [106.0] (5). The results are discussed and compared to the corresponding properties of some related molecules.
Community Pharmacy and Blood Pressure Control

Widespread, effective identification and management of uncontrolled hypertension remains elusive, undermining our ability to reduce the impact of stroke and heart disease. The statistics are widely appreciated: ≈30% of North Americans have hypertension, and almost half of this hypertension is uncontrolled. Nearly 1000 people a day die of complications attributed to hypertension, and direct and indirect costs amount to $46 billion a year in the United States alone.1 Effective management of blood pressure for the 70 million adults in the United States who currently have hypertension would clearly overwhelm our existing primary care system. There are already ≈39 million physician office visits for essential hypertension per year.2 Article see p 93 Fortunately, help is available. Community pharmacies are one of the most widely available healthcare resources in North America.3 A substantial body of research has been emerged over the past 20 years documenting the effectiveness of team-based approaches that incorporate pharmacists. Indeed, these approaches have been summarized in several systematic reviews and meta-analyses including the recent Community Guide prepared for the US Preventive Services Task Force.4–6 Across the variety of interventions tested, the …
Voronoi diagram-based spheroid model for microwave scattering of complex snow aggregates

Abstract Methods to model snow aggregate scattering properties at microwave frequencies can be divided into structurally explicit and implicit techniques. Explicit techniques, such as the discrete dipole approximation (DDA), determine scattering and backscatter cross-sections assuming full knowledge of a given snow particle’s structure. Such calculations are computationally expensive. Implicit techniques, such as using the T-matrix method (TMM) with optically soft spheroids, model equivalent particles with variable mass, bulk density and aspect ratio according to an effective-medium approximation. It is highly desirable that there should be a good agreement between modeled aggregate cross-sections using both methods. A Voronoi bounding-neighbor algorithm is presented in this study to determine the bulk equivalent density of complex three-dimensional snow aggregates. While mass and aspect ratio are easily parameterized quantities, attempts to parameterize the bulk density of snowflakes have usually relied on a bounding ellipsoid, which can be determined from a flake’s radius of gyration, root mean square mean or simply from its maximum diameter. We compared the Voronoi algorithm against existing bounding spheroid approaches and mass–effective density relations at ten frequencies from 10.65 to 183.31 GHz, using a set of 1005 aggregates with maximum dimensions from a few hundred microns to several centimeters. When using the Voronoi-determined effective density, the asymmetry parameter, scattering, and backscatter cross-sections determined using the TMM reasonably match those for DDA-computed snow aggregates. From Ku to W-band, soft spheroids can reproduce cross-sections for aggregates up to 9 mm in maximum dimension. Volume-integrated cross-sections always agree to within 25% of DDA. As the DDA is computationally expensive, this offers a fast alternative that efficiently evaluates scattering properties at microwave frequencies.
Cranial MRI changes may precede symptoms in Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome

Two families are presented in which siblings of children affected with Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome exhibited characteristic cranial magnetic resonance imaging changes before developing clinical features of the disease. Linkage to a major locus on chromosome 20p supported the diagnosis of Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome. In some patients with Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome, iron is radiographically evident before the onset of clinical symptoms.
Child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church: a review of global perspectives

Child sexual abuse by Catholic priests is a global issue. Reports of abuse proliferated in the US in 2002, giving the appearance that it was an American phenomenon. However, by 2010, it was clear t...
Today's opportunity for the young engineer

By cultivating a practical point of view toward today's difficult situation the young engineer may gain experience at the very outset that will assist him in solving problems likely to recur again and again throughout his entire professional career
Formation of N-Heterocyclic Complexes of Rhodium and Palladium from a Pincer Silver(I) Carbene Complex

The pincer ligands 2,6-bis(n-butylimidazoliummethyl)pyridine dihalide (halide = Cl (3a), Br (3b) are easily obtained by the reaction of n-butylimidazole with 2,6-bis(chloromethyl)pyridine and 2,6-bis(bromomethyl)pyridine in a 2:1 molar ratio, respectively. Ligand 3a readily reacts with Ag2O in CH2Cl2 to yield the bis(silver carbene) complex [2,6-bis(n-butylcarbenemethyl)pyridine][AgCl]2 (4) in 70% yield. The reaction of 4 with (PhCn)2PDCl2 in CH2Cl2 yields the palladium carbene complex Pd[2,6-bis(N-n-butylcarbenemethyl)pyridine]Cl2 (5). The reaction of equimolar amounts of 4 and [Rh(COD)Cl]2 (COD = cyclooctadiene) in CH2Cl2 gave the dirhodium(I) complex [2,6-bis(N-n-butylcarbenemethyl)pyridine][Rh(COD)Cl]2 (6). All compounds were characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The solid-state structures of 4 and 6 were determined by X-ray crystallography.
Hematologic malignancy in sickle cell disease: Report of four cases and review of the literature

Hematologic malignancy has rarely been reported in adults with sickle cell disease. We describe four sickle cell patients (two with hemoglobin SC, two with hemoglobin SS) who developed hematologic malignancy (acute myeloblastic leukemia, multiple myeloma, malignant histiocytosis, and Hodgkin's disease). Three of the cases represent the first adult association between SC or SS hemoglobinopathy and the particular malignancy involved. Sickle hemoglobin does not appear to exert a protective effect against childhood hematologic malignancies, suggesting that better survival in sickle cell disease may be accompanied by an increased incidence of hematologic neoplasms in adulthood. Karyotypic analysis revealed alterations of chromosome 5 in two sickle cell patients with leukemia, raising the possibility of a chromosomal link between the two diseases. Further epidemiologic and cytogenetic studies are needed to define the relationship between hematologic malignancy and sickle cell disease.
Language, literacy, and communication regarding medication in an anticoagulation clinic: a comparison of verbal vs. visual assessment.

Despite the importance of clinician-patient communication, little is known about rates and predictors of medication miscommunication. Measuring rates of miscommunication, as well as differences between verbal and visual modes of assessment, can inform efforts to more effectively communicate about medications. We studied 220 diverse patients in an anticoagulation clinic to assess concordance between patient and clinician reports of warfarin regimens. Bilingual research assistants asked patients to (1) verbalize their prescribed weekly warfarin regimen and (2) identify this regimen from a digitized color menu of warfarin pills. We obtained clinician reports of patient regimens from chart review. Patients were categorized as having regimen concordance if there were no patient-clinician discrepancies in total weekly dosage. We then examined whether verbal and visual concordance rates varied with patient's language and health literacy. Fifty percent of patients achieved verbal concordance and 66% achieved visu...
Oral Leiomyomas: Review of the Literature and Report of a Case of Palatal Angioleiomyoma

A rare case of angioleimyoma of the palate is reported. A review of the literature shows that of a total of 116 previously reported cases of oral leiorayomas, only 19 were palatal angioleiomyomas.
Detection of Long-lived Bound Water Molecules in Complexes of Human Dihydrofolate Reductase with Methotrexate and NADPH

The locations of long-lived bound water molecules in the binary complex of human dihydrofolate reductase (hDHFR) with methotrexate (MTX) and the ternary complex of hDHFR with MTX and NADPH have been investigated using 15N-resolved, three-dimensional ROESY-HMQC and NOESY-HSQC spectra acquired at 25 degrees C and 8 degrees C. NOEs with NH groups of the protein are detected for five bound water molecules in the binary complex and six bound water molecules in the ternary complex. Inspection of crystal structures of hDHFR reveals that the bound water molecules perform structural and functional roles in the complexes. Two water molecules located outside the active site, WatA and WatB, have similar NOEs in the binary and ternary complexes. These water molecules from multiple hydrogen bonds bridging loops and/or secondary structural elements in crystal structures of hDHFR and so stabilize the tertiary fold of the enzyme. Two water molecules in the active site, WatC and WatD, also have similar NOEs in both complexes. In crystal structures of hDHFR, WatC is involved in MTX binding by forming hydrogen bonds to the ligand and protein, while WatD stabilizes WatC by hydrogen bonding to it and the protein. A third active-site water molecule, WatE, has a markedly stronger NOE in the ternary complex than in the binary complex. Differences in the binding of WatE in the binary and ternary complexes are important for understanding the mechanism of DHFR, since this water molecule is believed to be involved in substrate protonation. Although the increased NOE intensity for WatE could be caused by a change in the position of water molecule, it may also be caused by an increase in its lifetime, since structural fluctuations in the active site are decreased upon cofactor binding. NOEs for one other water molecule, WatF, may be observed in the ternary complex but not the binary complex. WatF forms hydrogen bonds bridging the cofactor and the protein in crystal structures of hDHFR.
Visual search from lab to clinic and back

Many of the tasks of medical image perception can be understood as demanding visual search tasks (especially if you happen to be a visual search researcher). Basic research on visual search can tell us quite a lot about how medical image search tasks proceed because even experts have to use the human “search engine” with all its limitations. Humans can only deploy attention to one or a very few items at any one time. Human search is “guided” search. Humans deploy their attention to likely target objects on the basis of the basic visual features of object and on the basis of an understanding of the scene containing those objects. This guidance operates in medical images as well as in the mundane scenes of everyday life. The paper reviews some of the dialogue between medical image perception by experts and visual search as studied in the laboratory.
Annual Glyphosate Treatments Alter Growth of Unaffected Bentgrass (Agrostis) Weeds and Plant Community Composition

Herbicide resistance is becoming more common in weed ecotypes and crop species including turfgrasses, but current gaps in knowledge limit predictive ecological risk assessments and risk management plans. This project examined the effect of annual glyphosate applications on the vegetative growth and reproductive potential of two weedy bentgrasses, creeping bentgrass (CB) and redtop (RT), where the glyphosate resistance (GR) trait was mimicked by covering the bentgrass plants during glyphosate application. Five field plots were studied in habitats commonly inhabited by weedy bentgrasses including an agricultural hayfield, natural meadow, and wasteland. Results showed that annual glyphosate treatment improved bentgrass survivorship, vegetative growth, and reproductive potential compared with bentgrass in unsprayed subplots. In the second year of growth, RT plants had an 86-fold increase in flower number in glyphosate-treated subplots versus controls, while CB plants had a 20-fold increase. At the end of the three year study, plant community composition had changed in glyphosate-treated subplots in hayfield and meadow plots compared to controls. Soils in subplots receiving glyphosate had higher nitrate concentrations than controls. This is the first study to mimic the GR trait in bentgrass plants with the goal of quantifying bentgrass response to glyphosate selection pressure and understanding the impacts on surrounding plant communities.
Pseudodrusen Subtypes as Delineated by Multimodal Imaging of the Fundus

Purpose To subclassify pseudodrusen based on their appearance in multimodal imaging. Design Retrospective, observational series. Methods The color fundus photographs and infrared scanning laser ophthalmoscope (IR-SLO) images of patients with pseudodrusen were evaluated along with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD OCT) by masked readers. Distinct types of pseudodrusen could be differentiated. Results There were 140 eyes of 93 patients with a mean age of 82.4 years. Multimodal imaging analysis showed 3 subtypes of pseudodrusen. One principal type was an orderly array of whitish discrete accumulations principally located in the perifovea, termed dot pseudodrusen. They appeared as hyporeflective spots, often with a target configuration, in IR-SLO images. The second type was interconnected bands of yellowish-white material forming a reticular pattern, called ribbon pseudodrusen, which were located in the perifovea. This subtype was faintly hyporeflective in IR-SLO imaging. Dot pseudodrusen were detected more commonly with IR-SLO imaging than in color photography ( P = .014) and ribbon pseudodrusen were seen more frequently in color than in IR-SLO images ( P Conclusion Pseudodrusen may be classified into at least 3 categories, each with optimal methods of detection and only 1 that formed a reticular pattern. These findings suggest pseudodrusen could contain differing constituents and therefore may vary in conferred risk for progression to advanced age-related macular disease.
Effect of pressure on the superconducting transition temperature of κ-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu(NCS)2

Abstract The effect of hydrostatic pressure on the superconducting transition temperature at ambient pressure of κ-(BEDT-TTF) 2 Cu(NCS) 2 is found to be −3 K/kbar initially. This is the largest pressure derivative ever observed for a superconducting transition.
Diphenylhydantoin reverses membrane effects in steroid myopathy.

THE induction of a myopathy in laboratory animals by long term administration of corticosteroids is well documented histologically1 and histochemically2. Changes in type II (fast) muscle fibre membrane properties also occur and result in depolarization and a shift, in the hyperpolarized direction, of the potential-dependent membrane excitability3. These changes in membrane properties may result, at least in part, from alterations in transmembrane electrolyte concentrations or permeabilities, possibly by affecting the operation of the active Na transport mechanism. Since diphenylhydantoin has been shown to alter membrane permeability to Na+ (refs. 4–6) and to cause an increase in intracellular K+ concentration7, it was of interest to determine its effects on muscle fibres from steroid-treated mice.
Twin-twin transfusion syndrome : rapid development of severe hydrops of the donor following selective feticide of the hydropic recipient

Twin-twin transfusion syndrome is a serious complication of monozygotic twin pregnancies and is associated with high rates of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Unfortunately, therapies to disrupt the arteriovenous anastomoses are limited, and the success rates of these therapeutic modalities are poor. We present a case of severe twin-twin transfusion syndrome at 23 weeks' gestation in which selective feticide of the recipient hydropic twin by intracardiac injection of potassium chloride was followed by rapid development of hydrops in the donor twin.
Cloning and characterization of a chromosomal DNA region required for growth on 2,4,5-T by Pseudomonas cepacia AC1100.

Abstract A series of spontaneous 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T) nonmetabolizing mutants of Pseudomonas cepacia AC1100 were characterized to be defective in either 2,4,5-T uptake or conversion of this compound to 2,4,5-trichlorophenol (2,4,5-TCP). Two of these mutants, RHC22 and RHC23, were complemented for growth on 2,4,5-T using an AC1100 genomic library constructed in the cosmid vector pCP13. Recombinant cosmids isolated from the complemented mutants contained a 27.5-kb insert which frequently underwent various-sized deletions in Escherichia coli . Hybridization studies showed this DNA to be of chromosomal origin and totally deleted in RHC22, RHC23 and other similar mutants. Complementation analyses of RHC22 with a series of subcloned fragments and spontaneously deleted derivatives of the recombinant cosmid pRHC21 showed the 2,4,5-T ( tft ) genes to occur within an 8.9-kb region. Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells transformed with this DNA acquired the ability to convert 2,4,5-T to 2,4,5-TCP. The genetic determinant for this function was further localized within a 3.7-kb region. This DNA, in the absence of other sequences from the 8.9-kb tft gene region allowed RHC22 cells to metabolize 2,4,5-T, but at low rates which were insufficient to support growth. Copies of the insertions sequence element IS931 were identified either adjacent to or within this tft gene region in the genomes of two independent wild-type AC 1100 isolates. Preliminary evidence suggests that these sequences either facilitate or are required for growth on 2,4,5-T and hence may be implicated in the genetic evolution of the 2,4,5-T metabolic pathway.
Abstract 1412: Capturing c-Myb target genes in adenoid cystic carcinoma

Mutated versions of c-Myb are potent oncoproteins, and Myb proteins are over- or highly-expressed in a wide variety of human tumors. Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma (ACC), the second most frequent malignancy of minor and major salivary glands, frequently contains a recurrent t(6;9) translocation which fuses the c-Myb proto-oncogene on chromosome 6q to the NFIB gene on chromosome 9p resulting in the expression of novel Myb-NFIB fusion oncoproteins. These variants of c-Myb play a definitive role in development of ACC tumors, and are the first evidence that Myb proteins function as “driver” mutations in human cancer. Identifying target genes directly regulated by Myb-NFIB oncoproteins in ACC tumors can help determine how Myb proteins transform cells and contribute to tumor development in ACC. Genomics analyses of solid tumors is challenging because tumors are often heterogeneous tissue types and are often not stored in a manner that preserves labile nucleic acids. FFPE samples offer the most promise since formaldehyde fixation effectively “locks” the Myb-NFIB fusion proteins and epigenetic marks, such as modified histones, to the genes of interest. We have developed improved methods were for extracting chromatin from FFPE samples for use in chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with next-generation sequencing (ChIP-seq) and are applying these technical innovations to ACC tumors preserved in FFPE. When combined with gene expression information provided by RNA-seq analysis, ChIP-seq analysis of c-Myb gene targets will identify regulators that can be targets in novel therapeutic strategies in the future, as well as provide a greater understand of c-Myb functions in ACC and other epithelial tumors in which Myb plays a role. Citation Format: KATHRYN BRAYER, Scott Ness. Capturing c-Myb target genes in adenoid cystic carcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1412. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1412
A Smooth Nonparametric Approach to Multivariate Process Capability

The determination of the capability of a stable process with a multivariate quality characteristic using standard methods usually requires the assumption that the quality characteristic of interest follows a multivariate normal distribution. Unfortunately, multivariate normality is a difficult assumption to assess. Further, departures from this assumption can result in erroneous conclusions. In this article, I propose assessing the capability of a process using a nonparametric estimator. This estimator is based on a kernel estimate of an integral of a multivariate density. Bandwidth selection for this method is based on a smoothed bootstrap estimate of the mean squared error of the estimator. I also address the issue of constructing approximate confidence intervals. An example is presented that applies the proposed method to bivariate nonnormal process data. The performance of the resulting estimator is then compared to the sample proportion and a normal parametric estimate in a simulation study.
Multi-Mode Kink Instability as a Mechanism for δ-Spot Formation

δ-spot active regions are a special class of active regions where a sunspot umbra of opposite polarity exist within the same penumbra (Zirin 1988). It is commonly held that active regions are the manifestation in the photosphere of a magnetic flux tube which arches up into the corona from the convection zone. The two opposite polarity spots of a bipolar active region are created by the intersection with the photosphere of the two legs of this arched flux tube. The close proximity of the opposite polarity spots of a δ-spot active region indicate that something forces the legs of the flux tube to remain close together. Other commonly observed properties of δ-spots, namely that the two spots rotate about each other as they evolve and that they develop magnetic shear along the magnetic neutral line between them, indicate that these active regions may be caused by kinked flux tubes, as first suggested by Tanaka (1991).
VEGF and VEGF Receptor mRNA Expression are Not Decreased in the Hypoplastic Fetal Lung Due to Oligohydramnios

VEGF and VEGF Receptor mRNA Expression are Not Decreased in the Hypoplastic Fetal Lung Due to Oligohydramnios
Program theory and evaluation theory in community-based programs

With increasing frequency, one hears the term “community-based programs” applied to projects in public health, social services, criminal justice, and other fields in which evaluation is used. The purpose of this presentation is to outline why the term has become common, define three specific models of community-based programs and the generic theories that underlie them, and identify aspects of evaluation theory that do and do not tit the concept of community based programs. At least for these programs, an attention to program theory is indispensable for evaluation theory. Space does not permit presentation of examples or the complete exposition of theory about communities.
Glucocorticoid regulation of the vitamin D receptor

Many studies indicate calcitriol has potent anti-tumor activity in different types of cancers. However, high levels of vitamin D can produce hypercalcemia in some patients. Glucocorticoids are used to ameliorate hypercalcemia and to enhance calcitriol anti-tumor activity. Calcitriol in combination with the glucocorticoid dexamethasone (Dex) increased vitamin D receptor (VDR) protein levels and ligand binding in squamous cell carcinoma VII (SCC). In this study we found that both calcitriol and Dex induce VDR- and glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-mediated transcription respectively, indicating both hormone receptors are active in SCC. Pre-treatment with Dex increases VDR-mediated transcription at the human CYP24A1 promoter. Whereas, pre-treatment with other steroid hormones, including dihydrotestosterone and R1881, has no effect on VDR-mediated transcription. Real-time PCR indicates treatment with Dex increases Vdr transcripts in a time-dependent manner, suggesting Dex may directly regulate expression of Vdr. Numerous putative glucocorticoid response elements (GREs) were found in the Vdr gene. Chromatin immuno-precipitation (ChIP) assay demonstrated GR binding at several putative GREs located within the mouse Vdr gene. However, none of the putative GREs studied increase GR-mediated transcription in luciferase reporter assays. In an attempt to identify the response element responsible for Vdr transcript regulation, future studies will continue to analyze newly identified GREs more distal from the Vdr gene promoter.
A perimidine-derived non-Kekulé triplet diradical.

6,9-Di(tert-butyl)-1-methyltetrazolo[1,5-a]perimidine (1) has been synthesized from naphthalene in seven steps. The EPR spectra, recorded after irradiation of 1 in a butyronitrile matrix at 77 K (λ = 351 nm) and in Ar and Xe matrixes at 4.6 K (λ ≥ 345 nm), showed a six-line, high-field signal (ΔmS = ± 1), centered at 3350 G in butyronitrile, along with a half-field signal (ΔmS = ± 2), which is characteristic for triplets. Simulation of the observed EPR spectra gave values for the zero-field splitting parameters of |D/hc|/cm−1 = 0.0105, |E/hc|/cm−1 = 0.0014 in butyronitrile and |D/hc|/cm−1 = 0.0107, |E/hc|/cm−1 = 0.0016 in Ar. These EPR parameters are consistent with the diradical 5,8-di(tert-butyl)-2-(N-methylimino)perimidine-1,3-diyl (32) as source of the EPR spectra. Linearity of the Curie−Weiss plot and UB3LYP and (14/14)CASPT2 calculations of the singlet−triplet energy difference (ΔEST ≈ 8−10 kcal/mol) indicate that the triplet is the ground state of 2, as predicted for such a nondisjoint diradical.
DETERMINATION OF FLUID-TO-PARTICLE HEAT TRANSFER COEFFICIENTS FOR ROTATING PARTICLES

Fluid-to-particle heat transfer coefficients (h fp ) were determined for stationary and rotating potato-alginate cubes heated by carboxymethylcellulose solutions in an aseptic processing system. Fluid temperature, fluid average velocity, CMC concentration, and particle size were varied. In the stationary particle case, the slip generalized Reynolds numbers (Regs) ranged from 1.3 to 6 7. For the rotating particles, Regs ranged from 0.91 to 5.0 and the generalized rotational Reynolds numbers (Re gr ) ranged from 6.0 to 33. The h fp ranged from 120 W/m 2 °C to 2400 W/m 2 °C and from 360 W/m 2 °C to 4300 W/m 2 °C for stationary and rotating particles, respectively. Particle rotation significantly increased h fp . Fluid temperature, particle size, fluid average velocity, and CMC concentration had significant effects on h fp for both stationary and rotating particles. Using Re gs in the dimensionless correlation gave a better prediction of h fp for the rotating particles than using Re gr .
Beauty Capital at the Helm: Effects of Physical Attractiveness on CEO Compensation

We examine the influence of CEOs’ beauty capital on their compensation by adopting a social exchange perspective. We also investigate the moderating effects of firm visibility, firm innovation inte...