cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Menthol cigarettes, race/ethnicity, and biomarkers of tobacco use in U.S. Adults: The 1999-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)

Background: In the United States, cigarette flavorings are banned, with the exception of menthol. The cooling effects of menthol could facilitate the absorption of tobacco toxicants. We examined levels of biomarkers of tobacco exposure among U.S. smokers of menthol and nonmenthol cigarettes. Methods: We studied 4,603 White, African-American, and Mexican-American current smokers 20 years of age or older who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 through 2010 and had data on cigarette type and serum cotinine, blood cadmium, and blood lead concentrations. Urinary total 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol) (NNAL) was studied in 1,607 participants with available measures. Results: A total of 3,210 (74.3%) participants smoked nonmenthol cigarettes compared with 1,393 (25.7%) participants who smoked menthol cigarettes. The geometric mean concentrations comparing smokers of nonmenthol with menthol cigarettes were 163.1 versus 175.9 ng/mL for serum cotinine; 0.95 versus 1.02 μg/L for blood cadmium; 1.87 versus 1.75 μg/dL for blood lead; and 0.27 versus 0.23 ng/mL for urine NNAL. After multivariable adjustment, the ratios [95% confidence interval (CI)] comparing smokers of menthol with nonmenthol cigarettes were 1.03 (0.95–1.11) for cotinine, 1.10 (1.04–1.16) for cadmium, 0.95 (0.90–1.01) for lead, and 0.81 (0.65–1.01) for NNAL. Conclusions: In a representative sample of U.S. adult smokers, current menthol cigarette use was associated with increased concentration of blood cadmium, an established carcinogen and highly toxic metal, but not with other biomarkers. Impact: These findings provide information regarding possible differences in exposure to toxic constituents among menthol cigarette smokers compared with nonmenthol cigarette smokers. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(2); 224–32. ©2012 AACR.
Histochemical technique: A low-volume, enzyme-amplified immunoassay with sub-fmol sensitivity. Application to measurement of abscisic acid in stomatal guard cells

Immunological protocols are useful for quantitative histochemistry because of the high specificity and affinity of antibody-antigen binding. This interaction, followed by amplification steps, is the basis of an assay that has a sensitivity of 10-10 mol abscisic acid. This assay, combined with extant single-cell methodologies, makes it possible to determine the cellular localization of abscisic acid within a leaf. This general approach possibly has wide application in plant physiological research; therefore, we give a brief general description of our implementation here.
Time- and NADPH-Dependent Inhibition of Cytochrome P450 3A4 by the Cyclopentapeptide Cilengitide: Significance of the Guanidine Group and Accompanying Spectral Changes

Cilengitide is a stable cyclic pentapeptide containing an Arg-Gly-Asp motif responsible for selective binding to αVβ3 and αVβ5 integrins. The candidate drug showed unexpected inhibition of cytochrome P450 (P450) 3A4 at high concentrations, that is, a 15-mM concentration caused attenuation of P450 3A4 activity (depending on the probe substrate): 15-19% direct inhibition, 10-23% time-dependent inhibition (30-minute preincubation), and 54-60% metabolism-dependent inhibition (30-minute preincubation). The inactivation efficiency determined with human liver microsomes was 0.003 ± 0.001 min(-1) mM(-1) and was 0.04 ± 0.01 min(-1) mM(-1) with baculovirus-based microsomes containing recombinant P450 3A4. Neither heme loss nor covalent binding to apoprotein could explain the observed reductions in residual activity. Slowly forming type II difference spectra were observed, with maximum spectral changes after 2 hours. Binding to both reduced and oxidized P450 3A4 was observed, with apparent Kd values of 0.66 μM and 6 μM. The significance of the guanidine group in inhibition was demonstrated using ligand binding spectral changes and inactivation assays with guanidine analogs (debrisoquine, N-acetylarginine-O-methyl ester) and the acetylated ornithine derivative of cilengitide. The observed inhibition could be explained by direct inhibition, plus by formation of stable complexes with both ferric and ferrous forms of heme iron and to some extent by the formation of reactive species capable to react to the protein or heme. Formation of the complex required time and NADPH and is attributed to the guanidino group. Thus, the NADPH-dependent inhibition is considered to be mainly due to the formation of a stable complex rather than the formation of reactive species.
From Freshman to Graduate: Recruiting and Retaining Minority Students

The purpose of this research project was to identify methods to retain minority teacher education candidates and identify curricular and environmental factors that affect recruitment and retention of minority teacher education candidates and student teachers. Because of the low enrollment of minority students in the department in comparison to the number of minority teachers in the state, the researchers desired to ascertain why students choose to remain or leave the department. Focus groups were conducted with minority students to collect information on retention factors.
Rheumatoid arthritis in the aged. Incidence and optimal management.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is estimated to occur in 0.3 to 3% of the general population. Up to one-third of RA patients first present for treatment after the age of 60 years (elderly-onset RA). The overall frequency in individuals older than 65 is increased, so that 30 to 40% of RA patients treated in rheumatology centres are > 60 years of age.
The Effects of Spatially Patterned Excitation in THz Generation from Photoconductive Sources

We investigate the interplay of the carrier dynamics and screening, and determine the optical spot shape needed to optimize the emitted THz transients based on a simulation from a detailed Monte Carlo-Poisson solver.
Reinforcement Challenges and Solutions in Optimized Design of Injection Molded Plastic Parts

The mechanical performance of injection molded glass-fiber reinforced plastic parts is highly anisotropic and depends strongly on the kinetics (orientation and distribution) of the glass-fiber and the part geometry. Similarly, the bulk and local mechanical performance at the ribs, walls and welds is influenced by these glass-fibers and the specific processing technology (including joining) used, as related to melt-flow and melt-pool formation and glass-fiber re-orientation. The purpose of this study is to show: the effect of short glass-fiber orientation at the prewelded beads, ribs and wall areas for injection molded and subsequently welded parts the short-term mechanical performance of welded butt-joints that have various geometry and thickness, namely "straight" and "T-type" welds. Findings on the optimized mechanical performance of these two different types of butt-joints ("straight" and "T-type") with respect to design and geometry, will help designers with material selection, welding, processing and design optimization of ribs, walls, etc.
Decentralized approximate Bayesian inference for distributed sensor network

Bayesian models provide a framework for probabilistic modelling of complex datasets. Many such models are computationally demanding, especially in the presence of large datasets. In sensor network applications, statistical (Bayesian) parameter estimation usually relies on decentralized algorithms, in which both data and computation are distributed across the nodes of the network. In this paper we propose a framework for decentralized Bayesian learning using Bregman Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (BADMM). We demonstrate the utility of our framework, with Mean Field Variational Bayes (MFVB) as the primitive for distributed affine structure from motion (SfM).
Present Moment Effects: Pain, Distress, and Cancer

Cancer patients experience distress during their disease that likely will be exacerbated at some point by pain. Poor pain control is common among those with cancer, and the primary medical treatment is the prescription of opioid medications. The purpose here was to investigate the efficacy of a modified eightweek mindfulness-based intervention on the pain-related factors of pain anxiety, pain catastrophizing, symptoms of distress, and fatigue in 57 women diagnosed with breast cancer and consequent pain. As predicted, statistical analyses of pre-post scores revealed significant improvements for pain anxiety and pain catastrophizing following the eight-week intervention. Also, symptoms of distress and fatigue improved significantly pre-to-post in this group of women. These preliminary findings are encouraging, yet they must be viewed with caution until further research is conducted in this area. Hopefully, this line of research eventually will be able to provide options other than narcotics to those in pain.
Enrollment of Veterans Into a Heart Failure Home Telehealth Program

Heart failure (HF) affects 5.7 million Americans and is the most common reason for 30-day readmissions. While evidence supports incorporating home telehealth (HT) programs within health care organi...
Design and Realization of Eight-way Contest Device based on Singlechip

The paper designed an eight-way contest device system with AT89S51 as the central component.The results of the simulation experiment and the hardware implementation indicated that the system eight-way contest device is of many advantages such as response fast, structure simple,and so on.
Patient Preferences for and Satisfaction with Methods of Communicating Test Results in a Primary Care Practice

Article-at-a-Glance Background Appropriate and timely communication of test results is an important element of high-quality health care. Patients' preferences regarding and satisfaction with test result notification methods in a primary care practice were evaluated. Methods Some 1,458 consecutive patients were surveyed for whom routine blood tests were performed in the primary care internal medicine division at the Mayo Clinic Rochester (Minnesota) between January and March 2006. Results Among 888 respondents, test result notification occurred by telephone call (43%), return visit (35%), letter (3%), e-mail (0.1%), or a combination of methods (19%). Most (60%) telephone calls were handled by nurses. Patient preferences for notification method were telephone call (55%), return visit (20%), letter (19%), e-mail (5%), and automated answering mechanism (1%). Among patients reporting preference for telephone call, 67% wanted a call from a physician or nurse practitioner. Overall, 44% of patients received results by their preferred method; patients who did not were more likely to be dissatisfied with the communication method than those who did (10% vs. 5%, p = 0.01). A majority of patients were at least somewhat anxious to learn their test results, and patients greatly valued timeliness in test-result notification. Discussion The results describe primary care patients' preferences for communication from their providers. Disparities exist between current practice and patient preferences in this important care delivery process. A telephone call from a physician or nurse practitioner was used to deliver test results for fewer than half of the patients who preferred to receive their results by this method. Future work should explore reimbursement of patient-preferred options and assess ways to improve resource-conscious test result communication methods.
Beyond “buy-in”: designing citizen participation in water planning as research

Abstract In United States water resources management, water quantity planning (supply, availability, and use) fall within the domain of individual states. Because water is a shared resource held in trust for the use of a state's citizenry, its management obliges the involvement of water users. Under the above regime, states have much discretion concerning how to accomplish this. In state water planning, a variety of activities are considered stakeholder engagement. Natural resource management agencies often treat public participation as a chore for attaining legitimacy whose resources might be better used for technical aspects of planning. This paper details the public participation design for the 2015 Montana State Water Plan's Yellowstone Basin scoping phase. It argues that design of participatory practices is the key variable for successful participation. Stakeholders are experts whose knowledge can be incorporated into planning to inform priorities, corroborate biophysical data, and supply insights for communicating science and policy to citizens across specific localities. We argue that stakeholder engagement in water resources planning should be treated as research for the purposes of gathering and organizing social and biophysical truths. Through participant data approaches, citizen comments as data can improve the informational basis of planning and relational aspects. Public buy-in (legitimation) is not the objective of stakeholder participation; however, it can be a by-product of good design which suits the context and effectively uses citizen input to improve decision making. Using experience from basin-scale citizen advisory committees, this essay offers recommendations for water planners to design productive public engagement practices.
Multi-well plate immunoassays for measuring signaling protein activations/deactivations and membrane vs. intracellular receptor levels

We developed fixed-cell multi-well plate immunoassays that increase the throughput and ease of quantification for questions formerly assessed by immunoblot scanning. The assays make use of the now abundant antibodies designed to recognize receptor subtypes and posttranslationally modified signaling proteins. By optimizing permeabilization and fixation conditions, mainly based on specific cell types, the assay can be adapted to the study of many different antigens of importance to hormonal and neurotransmitter signaling scenarios.
Genetic Transformation in Dendrobium (Orchid)

Dendrobium is one of the largest genera, in the family Orchidaceae with an estimated 1400 species (Dressler 1990). It is found throughout western Asia and the Pacific Islands. Subgeneric sections of Dendrobium species with horticultural value include Phalaenanthe, Spatulata (Ceratobium), Latourea, Dendrobium (Eugenanthe), Callista, and Formosae (Nigrohirsutae). Intersectional polyploid hybrids comprise the majority of commercial cut flower and potted cultivars (Kamemoto 1987). Exotic flowers on long arching sprays offer great diversity in flower form and color, and a long vase life of 2 to 3 weeks. Since the 1960s, dendrobiums have become a leading crop among Pacific Rim flower growers due to their relative ease of culture, postharvest handling, and the increased availability of cultivars. In 1991, Thailand exported about 300 million orchid sprays (mainly dendrobiums) valued at FOB $26.2 million. In Hawaii, in 1992 Dendrobium orchid sales reached a farmgate value of $7.7 million for cut sprays, potted plants and lei flowers (Hawaii Agricultural Statistics Service 1993). The global market for quality dendrobiums continues to be strong.
Can the Brain Benefits of Exercise Be Enhanced Without Additional Exercise

Exercise has long been considered a useful means by which to maintain brain health and treat brain diseases. Yet many of the neural benefits of exercise, such as enhanced hippocampal neurogenesis, take weeks to manifest. Moreover, the brains most in need of the restorative effects of exercise are often paired with bodies that can tolerate very little physical activity, such as those deconditioned by stroke. It would therefore be of great utility to pinpoint ways in which the brain benefits of exercise could be augmented without adding additional exercise time. Exercise represents a significant challenge to the brain because of the heat produced by exercising muscles, but physical activity in the cold attenuates this physiological burden. Using a rat model of voluntary exercise, we recently tested the hypothesis that exercise in cold ambient temperature (4.5°C) would stimulate hippocampal neurogenesis more effectively than exercise at room temperature. We found that, compared to animals that ran at room temperature, animals that exercised in the cold ran a shorter distance and for less total time. Nonetheless, they had more significantly more newly generated neurons in the hippocampal dentate gyrus, indicating that running in the cold may be an effective means by which to maximize brain exercise benefits, yet minimize exercise time. Exercise is increasingly becoming accepted as “medicine” for diseases of both brain and body1. For the brain, exercise offers chemical, cellular and structural benefits, including enhanced generation of new neurons, glia and blood vessels2-5, increased expression of neurotrophins (such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)6,7), dendritic remodeling8,9 and stabilization of stress responses10 and inflammatory signaling11. These mechanisms of action directly counteract those present in disease states. For example, the depressed brain is characterized by decreased synaptic plasticity, hippocampal neurogenesis and BDNF12, all of which can be reversed by exercise.
The Boston Retinal Implant

The Boston Retinal Implant Project has developed a subretinal, hermetically-enclosed, chronically-implantable vision prosthesis to restore some useful vision to people with degenerative retinal diseases, especially retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration. Our implant attaches to the outside of the eye, with only the electrode array entering the eye, carrying over 256 independently-configurable retinal stimulation channels. Our device receives wireless power and data from an inductive link, and inbound data includes image information in the form of stimulation commands containing current amplitudes and pulse widths. Outbound data includes status information on the implant and measurements of electrode voltages. A custom-designed integrated circuit chip is packaged in an 11 mm-diameter titanium case with a ceramic feedthrough, attached to the side of the eye. The chip decodes the stimulation data, creates biphasic, charged-balanced current pulses, and monitors the resulting voltages on the stimulating electrodes. The electrode array is a thin, flexible, microfabricated film carrying hundreds of wires to exposed electrodes in the eye. The electrodes are coated with sputtered iridium oxide film to allow much greater charge transfer per unit area by means of reversible faradaic reactions. The Boston Retinal Implant is being manufactured and tested in pre-clinical trials for safety, with plans to begin clinical trials soon.
Advances in treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension: patent review

Current therapeutic approaches for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) commonly include use of prostacyclins, endothelin pathway antagonists or NO (nitric oxide) pathway modulators. These agents are non-specific and suffer from several important shortcomings including short half-lives, invasive routes of administration, higher dose and frequency requirements, and several dose-related systemic side effects. Hence, discovery of novel agents with improved therapeutic efficacy with respect to survival benefits and the development of non-invasive routes of administration are in critical need. Current research aimed at developing more selective therapies for PAH are focused both on agents acting on novel molecular targets, as well as, novel compounds acting on conventional pathways with improved characteristics. Area covered: The present review covers recently filed (issued/application) patents (2010-2016) describing novel agents acting on investigational targets as well as novel compounds with improved characteristics acting on established targets. Patents describing combinations of conventional and investigational compounds are also discussed. Expert opinion: PAH has recently been considered as cancer-like disease with over-proliferation of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells. New cellular and molecular biological advances have revealed novel target/pathways involved in the pathogenesis and progression of PAH. Thus, discovery of agents that act on these novel pathways provides a promising avenue of research for improving therapeutic approaches for PAH.
Similarity of osmoregulatory capacity in coastal and inland alligator gar.

Abstract The alligator gar Atractosteus spatula is a primitive fish species, occupying a wide range of temperature and salinity habitats. Long-distance movements are limited, leading to genetic differentiation between inland and coastal populations. Unknown is whether physiological capacity differs between geographically separated populations, particularly for traits important to osmoregulation in saline environments. Alligator gar from inland and coastal populations were reared in a similar environment and exposed to temperature (10, 30 °C) and salinity (0, 20 ppt) extremes to determine whether iono- and osmoregulatory ability differed between populations. There were few differences in osmoregulatory ability between populations, with similar gill, blood and gastrointestinal tract osmoregulatory parameters. Blood plasma osmolality, ion concentrations, intestinal pH and bicarbonate base concentrations, intestinal fluid osmolality, ion concentrations and gill Na+, K+-ATPase (NKA) activity were similar between populations. Notably, gar from both populations did not osmoregulate well at low temperature and high salinity, with elevated plasma osmolality and ion concentrations, low gill NKA, and little evidence of gastrointestinal tract contribution to ionic and base regulation based on a lack of intestinal fluid and low base content. Therefore, the hypothesis that coastal gar would have improved osmotic regulatory ability in saline environments as compared to inland alligator gar was not supported, suggesting physiological capacity may be retained in primitive species possibly due to its importance to their persistence through time.
Mosaic: Processing a Trillion-Edge Graph on a Single Machine

Processing a one trillion-edge graph has recently been demonstrated by distributed graph engines running on clusters of tens to hundreds of nodes. In this paper, we employ a single heterogeneous machine with fast storage media (e.g., NVMe SSD) and massively parallel coprocessors (e.g., Xeon Phi) to reach similar dimensions. By fully exploiting the heterogeneous devices, we design a new graph processing engine, named Mosaic, for a single machine. We propose a new locality-optimizing, space-efficient graph representation---Hilbert-ordered tiles, and a hybrid execution model that enables vertex-centric operations in fast host processors and edge-centric operations in massively parallel coprocessors.Our evaluation shows that for smaller graphs, Mosaic consistently outperforms other state-of-the-art out-of-core engines by 3.2-58.6x and shows comparable performance to distributed graph engines. Furthermore, Mosaic can complete one iteration of the Pagerank algorithm on a trillion-edge graph in 21 minutes, outperforming a distributed disk-based engine by 9.2×.
Optimal feedback mechanisms for regulating cell numbers

How living cells employ counting mechanisms to regulate their numbers or density is a long-standing problem in developmental biology that ties directly with organism or tissue size. Diverse cells types have been shown to regulate their numbers via secretion of factors in the extracellular space. These factors act as a proxy for the number of cells and function to reduce cellular proliferation rates creating a negative feedback. It is desirable that the production rate of such factors be kept as low as possible to minimize energy costs and detection by predators. Here we formulate a stochastic model of cell proliferation with feedback control via a secreted extracellular factor. Our results show that while low levels of feedback minimizes random fluctuations in cell numbers around a given set point, high levels of feedback amplify Poisson fluctuations in secreted-factor copy numbers. This trade-off results in an optimal feedback strength, and sets a fundamental limit to noise suppression in cell numbers. Intriguingly, this fundamental limit depends additively on two variables: relative half-life of the secreted factor with respect to the cell proliferation rate, and the average number of factors secreted in a cell9s lifespan. We further expand the model to consider external disturbances in key physiological parameters, such as, proliferation and factor synthesis rates. Intriguingly, while negative feedback effectively mitigates disturbances in the proliferation rate, it amplifies disturbances in the synthesis rate. In summary, these results provide unique insights into the functioning of feedback-based counting mechanisms, and apply to organisms ranging from unicellular prokaryotes and eukaryotes to human cells.
The Nitro Group as a Masked Electrophile in Covalent Enzyme Inhibition

We report the unprecedented reaction between a nitroalkane and an active-site cysteine residue to yield a thiohydroximate adduct. Structural and kinetic evidence suggests the nitro group is activated by conversion to its nitronic acid tautomer within the active site. The nitro group, therefore, shows promise as a masked electrophile in the design of covalent inhibitors targeting binding pockets with appropriately placed cysteine and general acid residues.
Group Sequential Design of Phase II and III Trials

In standard (nonsequential) designs of Phase II or III clinical trials, the sample size is determined by the power at a given alternative. In practice, especially for new treatments about which there is little information concerning the magnitude of the treatment effect before actual data are collected, it is often difficult for investigators to specify a realistic alternative at which sample size determination can be based. On the other hand, economic considerations related to funding and duration for the trial and administrative considerations related to other trials that compete for patients and investigators impose constraints on the sample size.
Thermal and Non-thermal Activation of Si(100) Surface Nitridation

There is currently great interest in understanding the surface chemistry and thin film growth mechanisms of technologically important semiconductors. One intriguing finding of many studies in this area is that unusually high temperatures are required for sustained reactivity and film growth. Thus, for example, silicon nitride film growth using the reaction of Si with NH3 is carried out at temperatures of l000–1300K.(1 ,2) Intuitively one would expect that the presence of surface dangling bonds should give to semiconductor surfaces a free-radical-like reactivity characterized by low activation barriers. The high process temperatures are often undesirable because they can also enhance the rates of unwanted processes such as dopant diffusion. For these reasons non-thermal means of reaction are actively being sought.(3) Essential for the success of such efforts is to understand the mechanism of the reaction, particularly the nature of the rate-limiting step.
Metaphors of Being a Φ

The category women is a central analytic category of feminism, but has been very troubled in feminist theory and philosophy. In the background of the troubles with the category women is the metaphoric image of a social category as a set and its exemplars as set members. But the category women cannot be defined as sets are defined, so that is an inappropriate metaphor. A number of feminists and race theorists turn to Wittgenstein, who offers alternative metaphors. This chapter explores the powers and resonances of his metaphors—in the case of “family resemblance,” using the work of cognitive psychologists Rosch and Mervis on categories that have prototype structure.
Chemical Kinetics of Hydrogen and Pb Centers

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements indicate that Pb centers, which are a dangling-bond type of defect at the (111) Si-Si02 interface, can be passivated with H2 at a rate which is proportional to the H2 concentration in the thermal oxide and the interfacial density of Pb centers. This process is characterized by an activation energy, Ef, of 1.66 ± 0.06 eV with a second-order pre-exponential factor, k(2)of, of 1.94 (+2./-1.) x 10−6 cm3/sec for temperatures between 230 and 260°C. The passivation process is demonstrated to be consistent with a chemical process in which H2 molecules, during the course of their diffusional motion among the accessible interstices of the Si02 network and the reaction site at Pb centers, react directly with Pb centers. EPR measurements indicate that passivated Pb centers, denoted as HPb, in effect dissociate in vacuum above 550°C.
Patterns of family communication and preferred resources for sharing information among families with a Lynch syndrome diagnosis.

Abstract Objectives To explore patterns of communication among families with a Lynch syndrome diagnosis and understand what resources could facilitate family communication. Methods 127 probands (i.e., first person in family with identified mutation) and family members participated in semi-structured interviews about: how they learned about the Lynch syndrome diagnosis, with whom they shared genetic test results, confidence in sharing results with other family members, and helpfulness of educational resources. Results Both probands and family members were most likely to share genetic test results with parents and siblings, and least likely to share results with aunts, uncles, and cousins. Most participants felt very confident sharing their test results with family members, but reported that certain topics such as cancer risk were challenging to convey. Probands reported the most helpful resources to be access to a specialty clinic or website, while family members described general printed materials as most helpful. Conclusions Families affected by Lynch syndrome may experience barriers to communication with more distant relatives, and may benefit from receiving specific resources (e.g., websites about Lynch syndrome, print materials) to facilitate family communication. Practice implications Providers could emphasize the need to share information with more distant family members and provide appropriate supportive resources.
Recent developments in dislocation pattern dynamics: Current opinions and perspectives

The development of crystal plasticity theory based on dislocation patterns dynamics has been an outstanding problem in materials science and condensed matter of physics. Dislocation is the origin o...
Exploring the importance of detailed environment variables in neighborhood commute mode share models

This paper analyzes the relationship between detailed neighborhood environment variables and commute mode share using a dataset drawn from across the United States and includes model validation results. Representing one of the first studies of its kind, we use United States journey-to-work data to explore the following questions: 1) Which detailed environment variables have significant associations with the proportion of people in a neighborhood who take public transit, walk, or bicycle to work? 2) Does adding detailed environment variables to existing, nationally available neighborhood variables improve the predictive accuracy of work commute mode share models? We use a set of 120 randomly selected census tracts to estimate fractional multinomial logit models that predict walk, bicycle, transit, and automobile commute mode shares. The Base Model includes a set of nine significant, nationally available variables identified from a previous analysis of 5,000 tracts. We test 18 additional detailed neighborhood environment variables and identify five variables that have significant associations with commute mode share: sidewalk coverage (positive association with transit and walk), proximity to a rail station (positive association with transit), bicycle facility density (positive association with bicycle), freeway presence (negative association with walk), and mixed land use (positive association with transit, walk, and bicycle). While these detailed environment variables add clarity to our understanding of factors that influence travel behavior, our validation analysis using 50 separate census tracts does not provide conclusive evidence that these variables improve model accuracy. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to determine the optimal set of variables to include to predict automobile, transit, pedestrian, and bicycle commute mode shares.
Pneumocystis jirovecii prophylaxis in patients treated for high-grade gliomas: a survey among neuro-oncologists.

Background Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) is a known complication in patients with high-grade gliomas (HGGs) who are treated with radiation and chemotherapy. PJP prophylaxis is commonly recommended, but there are currently no clear guidelines regarding duration of treatment and choice of drugs. This study aimed to assess current practice patterns of PJP prophylaxis among neuro-oncologists. Methods An online survey of 14 multiple choice questions was sent to 207 neuro-oncologists and medical oncologists treating brain cancers at all National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers in the United States. Recipients were identified via a search of the cancer centers' websites. Results Sixty-one invited experts completed the survey (response rate 29%; of these, 72% were neuro-oncologists, 18% were medical oncologists, and 10% were pediatric neuro- or medical oncologists). Seventy percent of respondents stated that they routinely prescribe PJP prophylaxis, while 7% do not provide prophylaxis. Eighty-one percent of respondents use absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) to assess lymphopenia and 13% also monitor CD4 lymphocyte counts during prophylaxis. The most commonly used first-line agent is trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (88% of respondents), followed by pentamidine (6%). Discontinuation of PJP prophylaxis is determined by the following: count recovery (33% by ALC; 18% by CD4 lymphocyte counts), radiation completion (23%), and chemotherapy completion (7%). Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase levels were routinely checked by only 13% of respondents. Conclusions PJP prophylaxis is commonly used in HGG patients, but there are large variations in practice patterns, including the duration of prophylaxis. As consideration for PJP prophylaxis affects all patients with HGG, standardization of prophylaxis should be formally addressed.
Usefulness of Intraprocedural Pulmonary Venous Flow for Predicting Recurrent Mitral Regurgitation and Clinical Outcomes After Percutaneous Mitral Valve Repair With the MitraClip.

Abstract Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic value of pulmonary venous (PV) flow during MitraClip implantation. Background The clinical significance of PV flow information during MitraClip implantation is unknown. Methods A total of 300 patients who underwent MitraClip implantation and in whom the measurement of PV flow was completed using intraprocedural transesophageal echocardiography were retrospectively reviewed. The optimal threshold of the ratio of systolic velocity-time integral (Svti) to diastolic velocity-time integral (Dvti) ratio after MitraClip placement for major adverse cardiovascular events (all-cause death, redo MitraClip implantation, mitral valve surgery, and heart transplantation) during 12 months was assessed. The best cutoff ratio was 0.72. Patients were divided into 2 groups using this cutoff ratio (low Svti/Dvti, n = 91; high Svti/Dvti, n = 209). Results Following mitral regurgitation reduction by MitraClip placement, Svti increased in the both groups. The frequency of mitral regurgitation 3/4+ immediately after MitraClip implantation, at 1-month follow-up, and at 12-month follow-up was significantly higher in patients with low Svti/Dvti ratios than in those with high Svti/Dvti ratios (after MitraClip placement, 5.5% vs. 0%; p Conclusions PV flow information in the catheterization laboratory immediately after MitraClip implantation predicted recurrent mitral regurgitation and worse long-term outcomes.
Stationarity and Invertibility

Most time-series methods are only valid if the underlying time-series is stationary. The more stationary something is, the more predictable it is. More specifically, a time-series is stationary if its mean, variance, and autocovariance do not rely on the particular time period.
Religious Holidays, Values, and Rituals: Mishnaic Perspectives

Religious celebrations and their associated rituals reveal some of the most important values of a community as well as the place of these values in households and families. Overall, the impact of religion on the social cohesion of a group can be inferred from the ways that the ideals of holiday celebrations are constructed. As a basis for understanding how Mishnah constructs the community we ask, what were the core features of the Mishnaic conception of religious holy days and holidays and their rituals? How are these holidays to be marked and celebrated in the public and private spheres? This paper explores the Mishnaic conception of Judaism as expressed in diverse religious holidays, weekly and annually over the seasons. Our approach emphasizes how social science understands the significance of both public and private/home religious celebrations and rituals and shows that holidays and rituals identify the religious values that make Jews a distinct community. We draw mainly on Mishnah’s division of “Moed” (Appointed Times) that focuses directly on holidays and their related rituals. The main themes of Mishnah show how Jews are to be differentiated from non-Jews, how historical events are marked in a Jewish way, and in turn how the Jewish community is distinctive. We learn from the Mishnaic texts the “ideals” and ideas of religious rituals and holidays, not necessarily the empirical reality of holiday celebrations or ritual activities that characterized the community that they constructed.
Optical properties of CsPbCl 3 nanocrystals in phosphate glass

CsPbCl3 nanocrystals embedded glasses have potential to incorporate transition metal ions and lead to efficient spectral conversion for applications as solar concentrator materials in building. Here, CsPbCl3 nanocrystals were precipitated through heat-treatment in phosphate glasses with potential application in building. X-ray diffraction patterns confirm that CsPbCl3 nanocrystals were formed in glasses. By changing the heat-treatment conditions, absorption peaks of the CsPbCl3 nanocrystals can be tuned from 3.06 eV (405 nm) to 3.25 eV (381 nm). Upon 255–325 nm UV light excitation, photoluminescence in the range of 350–530 nm was observed. Upon 325–375 nm UV light excitation, CsPbCl3 nanocrystals exhibited narrow band photoluminescence centering at 405–410 nm with Stokes shift almost linearly dependent on the band gap energy of CsPbCl3 nanocrystals.
Cyborg Storytelling: Virtual Embodiment in Jennifer Egan's "Black Box"

Responding to criticism that Jennifer Egan’s 2012 Twitter story “Black Box” was a failed social media experiment, this paper argues for its critical bearing on contemporary cultural and literary co...
Influence of vitrification method on clinical outcome of human frozen-thawed cleaved embryo transfer

Objective To investigate the influence of vitrification method on clinical outcome of human frozen-thawed cleaved embryo transfer.Methods In the in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer cycles,supernumerary embryos were cryopreserved by vitrification or slow-freezing sequencing method.The embryo survival rate,intact survival rate,pregnant rate and implantation rate were compared after thawing.Results In 248 vitrified embryo thaw cycles,746 vitrified embryos were thawed,and 643(86.2％) of them survived and 594(79.4％) of them intactly survived after the thawing.In 244 women,632 embryos were transferred,and 107(43.9％) of them got clinical pregnancy,the implantation rate was 26.1％ (165/632).As to slow-freezing method,in 225 embryo thaw cycles,818 embryos were thawed,598 (73.1％) of them survived,436(53.3％) of them intactly survived,and 594 embryos were transferred in 225 cycles,and 74 (32.9％) of them got clinical pregnancy,the implantation rate was 15.2％(90/594).The embryo survival rate,intact survival rate,pregnant rate,implantation rate were higher in vitrification group than those in slow-freezing group (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Vitrification is a more effective method of cryopreserving the human embryo than conventional slow freezing. Key words: Vitrification; Slow-freezing sequencing; Cleaved embryo; In vitro fertilization and embryo transfer
A Systematic Review of Tier 1 PBIS Implementation in High Schools

An emerging body of research shows Tier 1 Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) can be successfully implemented in high schools to improve school climate and graduation rates and re...
Ahmed Versus Baerveldt Glaucoma Drainage Device in Uveitic Glaucoma: A Retrospective Comparative Study.

Precis Baerveldt glaucoma drainage device demonstrated a greater reduction in intraocular pressure (IOP) than Ahmed in patients with uveitic glaucoma. The most common cause of failure was uncontrolled IOP in Ahmed and hypotony in the Baerveldt group. Purpose To compare the efficacy and safety of Ahmed and Baerveldt glaucoma drainage devices in uveitic glaucoma. Materials and methods The retrospective comparative study included patients with uveitic glaucoma who underwent Ahmed or Baerveldt glaucoma drainage device implantation with a minimum follow-up of 3 months. Success was defined as IOP ≥6 and ≤21 mm Hg and >20% reduction on 2 consecutive visits after the third month with (qualified success) or without (complete success) medications and no further glaucoma surgery or loss of vision. IOP, number of medications, visual acuity, complications, and interventions were compared between groups. Results In total, 137 eyes of 122 patients (67 Ahmed, 70 Baerveldt) were included. The preoperative IOP and number of medications in the Ahmed group (32.7±10.3 mm Hg; 4.1±1.3) were similar to Baerveldt (32.1±10.2 mm Hg; 4.3±1.3; P=0.73, 0.35). These at the last follow-up were (18.1±9.8 mm Hg; 2.1±1) in Ahmed and (12.7±6.9 mm Hg; 1.3±1.3) in Baerveldt groups (P=0.04, 0.01). The Baerveldt had greater IOP reduction (60.3% vs. 44.5%) and complete success rate (30% vs. 9%) with higher complication rate (51.4% vs. 20.9%) (all P≤0.05). The de novo glaucoma reoperation rate was 19% in the Ahmed group and 4% in the Baerveldt group (P=0.006). Hypotony resulted in failure in 7 eyes (10%) in the Baerveldt group and none in the Ahmed group (P=0.013). Conclusions Higher complete success rate and significantly greater reduction in mean IOP and number of medications were observed in the Baerveldt group, but with a higher rate of complications including hypotony.
Comparative Trends in the Distribution of Lung Cancer Stage at Diagnosis in the Department of Defense Cancer Registry and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results data, 1989-2012.

Introduction We compared the stage at diagnosis for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients in the military healthcare system (MHS) and the general public to assess differences between these two groups as well as to assess the trends in stage at diagnosis in the recent past. Method This study was based on the non-identifiable data from the U.S. Department of Defense Automated Central Tumor Registry (ACTUR) and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program of the National Cancer Institute. Patients diagnosed with NSCLC between 1989 and 2012 were included. The distributions of tumor stage at diagnosis and trends in tumor stage were compared between the two populations. Results The cohorts were predominately male in both ACTUR (65.3%) and SEER (55.1%) and white patients accounted for greater than 80% of patients in both ACTUR and SEER. Among 21,031 patients in ACTUR and 773,356 patients in SEER, stage IV lung cancers predominated (ACTUR 33.6%, SEER 40.5%) followed by stage III (ACTUR 26.1%, SEER 26.4%) and stage I (ACTUR 24.7%, SEER 20.6%). Notable differences between the two populations were the higher percentage of stage I and lower percentage of stage IV, along with a lower rate of unknown stage patients after 2004, in ACTUR than SEER. Between 1989 and 2012, the percentage of stage IV disease increased in ACTUR and SEER coincident with a decrease in unknown stage disease. Conclusions The majority of NSCLC patients in the MHS and general population are diagnosed with stage IV NSCLC and the percentage is increasing. Compared to the general population, NSCLC patients in the MHS have a higher percentage of stage I, a lower percentage of stage IV, and of unknown stage cancer. Universal care along with more rigorous staging across the MHS may play a role in these findings.
Dispersion and Distortions in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

This paper documents the heterogeneity across voyages during the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Output dispersion is highest across Portuguese voyages, lower across French voyages, and lowest across British voyages. We use a structural approach to identify market distortions from wedges in first order conditions. The dispersion in market distortions is highest for Portuguese voyages, followed by French and British. We then calculate the share of output dispersion due to the dispersion in market distortions. Dispersion in market distortions accounts for as much as 17% of the dispersion in output. Dispersion in TFP accounts for the largest share of dispersion in output.
Kicking the dirt in the hunt for discoveries: pursuing a career in biomedical science

In this Worldview, I share a few observations that I have learnt during my career as a biomedical scientist: explore a bit before settling on a place to experimentally dig for your discoveries; recognize that nature is exceedingly complex and that dogma is meant to be broken; allow yourself to take risks and fail; and realize that science is best done with the long view in mind.
A Review of the Molluscan Microbiome: Ecology, Methodology and Future

Many mollusks host symbiotic microbiota that are tightly involved in molluscan biological functions and ecological interactions. Here, we review the described symbioses between molluscan hosts and their bacterial partners. We focus on associations where the molluscan host is hypothesized to gain an evolutionary advantage because of the role of its symbiont. In addition, we focus only on those relationships that have been established experimentally or at least show strong evidence for symbioses. Along with providing a review of the known molluscan host/microbe mutualistic symbioses, we also outline common methodologies in the study of these relationships. Last, we point out areas of further exploration for molluscan microbiome studies.
Electrochemical anodic oxidative fluorination and trifluoroalkylation of organic compounds

Abstract Owing to the unique biological and molecular properties of fluorinated organic compounds, development of selective fluorination protocols has gained a significant amount of attention in recent years. Out of various reported methods, electrochemical fluorination has emerged as an important tool for the selective carbon-fluorine (C F) and carbon-trifluoroalkyl (C-CF3) bond formation in a wide range of substrates. The first process of electrochemical fluorination was developed by Simons in 1950. Initially the development in this area was relatively slow; however, over the past two decades, it has become a mainstream research focus due to the potential applications of organofluorine compounds in materials and the pharmaceutical industry. In this account, we highlight some of the most significant developments in the area of electrochemical fluorination.