cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interactions between cottonwood and beavers positively affect sawfly abundance

1. Cottonwood (Populus spp.) are the dominant tree type in riparian forests of the western U.S.A. In these riparian forests, the beaver (Castor canadensis) is a major ecosystem engineer that commonly browses cottonwood, resulting in distinct changes to plant architecture. Here the hypothesis that beaver herbivory indirectly affects the distribution of a keystone leaf-galling sawfly through architectural changes in cottonwood was examined. 2. It was found that: (a) beaver herbivory of cottonwood results in an increase in average shoot length over unbrowsed cottonwood; (b) sawfly galls were up to 7-14 times more abundant on browsed cottonwood than unbrowsed cottonwood; and (c) sawfly gall abundance was correlated positively with changes in shoot length after beaver herbivory. Together these data show that the individual and combined effects of cottonwood and beaver herbivory increase shoot length, positively affecting sawfly abundance. 3. Because herbivores are a ubiquitous component of most ecosystems, we argue that the indirect effects of herbivory on plant quality, and subsequently other herbivores, may be as important as environmental variation. © 2006 The Authors.
Application of digital beamforming for look-down, clutter limited, MTI radar-with specific application to space based radar

For a look-down MTI radar to effectively detect moving targets, Doppler clutter must be suppressed. Where the target Doppler is within the mainbeam clutter, Displaced Phase Center Antenna (DPCA) or Space-Time Adaptive Processing (STAP) methods must be used. Even with these clutter suppression techniques, as grazing angles increase, the clutter power return increases faster than target power. This tends to severely limit the radar performance, and adding power doesn't help much since clutter power will increase as signal power increases. Using multiple beams (n) at less power (1/n) can enable the effective use of additional transmit power and increase system area coverage rates, with constant performance. Specific application of this technique to an SBR will be analyzed. A simple example to illustrate the concept is a single radar with two 1/2 power beams. To keep signal strength comparable to the single beam full-power case, 2/spl times/ dwell is needed, but as dwell times increase, the range/doppler cell size decreases by 1/2, decreasing clutter power by 1/2, so S/C actually improves, for each beam. Therefore less than 2/spl times/ dwell is needed to maintain a constant S/I for each 1/2 power beam. So area coverage rate will increase since spot area increases by 2/spl times/ and dwell time increases by less than 2/spl times/.
Toward establishing a link between psychomotor task complexity and human information processing

The objective of this research is to propose and validate a link between an existing information processing model for psychomotor tasks and a comprehensive characterization of task complexity. This was achieved by incorporating four constructs of task complexity either alone or in combination into a hierarchical computer-based menu system. The results showed that as the number of constructs present in the interface increased, subjects experienced an increased challenge to short-term memory which impaired performance. A modified information processing model is provided that reflects a short-term memory link between psychomotor information processing and the complexity of a psychomotor task.
Comparing Direct and Indirect Benefit Estimation Approaches

This chapter compares direct and indirect approaches for measuring individuals’ values of improved water quality. Generally, economists prefer data that are derived from circumstances in which individuals have a financial stake in the outcome. Thus, it is not surprising that they prefer the indirect approaches for estimating benefits, all else being equal. For many environmental applications, however, all else is not equal. Either indirect approaches are unavailable, or the motives for observable household decisions cannot be untangled, given existing theory and data. Because of these reasons, direct methods will remain a prominent part of the benefit estimation picture. Whether economists will alter the order of preferred approaches is another matter.
A performance study of group editing algorithms

As typical collaboration tools, group editors allow a distributed group of human users to view and edit shared documents simultaneously over a computer network. Fast local response and timely group awareness are accepted performance metrics in group editors. In this context, a family of optimistic concurrency control algorithms, called operational transformation (OT), has been well established. However, no study has been reported previously to evaluate their performance. This paper analyzes some representative OT algorithms and reveals that the performance of OT actually depends on a number of factors. The experimental results show the extent to which current OT algorithms support synchronous and asynchronous group editing.
Systemic work with clients with a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder

Clients who are diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder are likely to engage with clinicians in compelling ways. They challenge us with an urgency that helps us to define ourselves as we work with them. They confront us with the limitations of our treatment approaches, requiring a genuineness of interaction and a flexibility that can be both challenging and uncomfortable. While therapists have made great strides over the past few decades in their treatment approaches with this population, there is a gap in the literature on the use of systemic approaches with these clients. This article examines some of the issues that arise in work with people with a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder and offers an application of a larger systems perspective to the development of viable treatment options for these clients.
Managing the kidney waiting list.

Candidates on the kidney transplant list wait for longer periods and have increasing numbers of comorbid conditions. To ensure that these candidates are acceptable for transplantation when an organ becomes available, physical, psychosocial, and financial strategies are essential. The authors surveyed 68 transplant centers to determine current practices. Eighteen percent of centers did not reevaluate candidates. Other programs used time on the list, disease, age, or a combination of these factors as evaluation criteria. Initial cardiac evaluation was relied upon by 51.4% of centers, with varying criteria used to determine status. Social work evaluation was done by 42.6% of centers, usually annually. Annual financial reevaluation was performed in 57.4%. Data support reviewing candidates, especially those with diabetes, those who have been receiving dialysis for a long time, and those older than 60 years. The dedication of one coordinator to manage waitlisted candidates using age, diagnosis, and time receivi...
Comparative toxicity of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin to seven freshwater fish species during early life-stage development

The toxic effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) to fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas), channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), lake herring (Coregonus artedii), medaka (Oryzias latipes), white sucker (Catastomus commersoni), northern pike (Esox lucius), and zebrafish (Danio danio) were observed during early life-stage development after waterborne exposure of fertilized eggs. Species sensitivity based on TCDD-Cegg (TCDD concentration in eggs) was determined by effects observed over a 32-d period for all species except lake herring in which a 100-d period was used. Signs of TCDD toxicity, including edema, hemorrhaging, and craniofacial malformations were essentially identical to those observed in salmonids following TCDD egg exposure and preceded or accompanied mortality most often during the period from hatch through swim-up. The no-observed-effect concentrations and lowest-observed-effect concentrations, based on significant decreases in survival and growth as compared to the controls, ranged from 175 and 270 pg/g for lake herring to 424 and 2,000 pg/g for zebrafish, respectively. Shapes of concentration–response curves, expressed as TCDD-Cegg versus percent mortality, were similar for all species and were consistently steep suggesting that the mechanism of action of TCDD is the same among these species. The LCegg50s (concentrations in eggs causing 50% lethality to fish at test termination) ranged from 539 pg/g for the fathead minnow to 2,610 pg/g for zebrafish. Comparisons of LCegg50s indicate that the tested species were approximately 8 to 38 times less sensitive to TCDD than lake trout, the most sensitive species evaluated to date. When LCegg50s are normalized to the fraction lipid in eggs (LCegg,l50s), the risk to early life stage survival for the species tested ranges from 16- to 180-fold less than for lake trout.
Conflicts Of Interest And The Case Of Auditor Independence: Moral Seduction And Strategic Issue Cycling

A series of financial scandals revealed a key weakness in the American business model: the failure of the U.S. auditing system to deliver true independence. We offer a two-tiered analysis of what went wrong. At the more micro tier, we advance moral seduction theory, explaining why professionals are often unaware of how morally compromised they have become by conflicts of interest. At the more macro tier, we offer issue-cycle theory, explaining why conflicts of interest of the sort that compromise major accounting firms are so pervasive.
6-Keto-PGF1α Synthesis in Diabetic Rat Aorta: Effect of Substrate Concentration and Cholesterol Feeding

AbstractThe effect of short-term feeding of a 1% cholesterol diet to normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats on aortic 6-keto-PGF1α synthesis from exogenous and endogenous arachidonic acid (AA) was investigated. Diabetes and cholesterol feeding (by themselves) resulted in a reduction in aortic synthesis of 6-keto-PGF1α from both exogenous and endogenous arachidonic acid. An additive effect of diabetes and cholesterol feeding together was found for synthesis of 6-keto-PGF1α from exogenous but not endogenous AA. Experiments in which the AA concentration was varied suggested that the inhibition of aortic 6-keto-PGF1α synthesis by diabetes was competitive in nature. The diabetic rat was also found to be severely compromised in its ability to handle dietary cholesterol, as evidenced by a dramatic increase in plasma total cholesterol.
Topical steroid therapy as an alternative to circumcision for phimosis in boys younger than 3 years.

ABSTRACTPurpose: Topical steroids are an effective alternative to circumcision for the treatment of phimosis. However, their use has been reported primarily in older boys thought to have “pathological” or secondary phimosis. We report the effectiveness of topical steroids as an alternative to circumcision in infants and young children.Material and Methods: We evaluated 27 boys with phimosis for possible circumcision because of genitourinary anomalies (4), a history of urinary tract infection (11) or both (7), or balanoposthitis (5). Patient age ranged from 1 to 31 months (mean 11.3). In no case could the prepuce be retracted to visualize the meatus. Patients were treated with 0.05% betamethasone cream applied to the distal aspect of the prepuce twice daily for 1 month.Results: Of the boys 20 (74%) had fully retractable foreskins after 1 month of treatment with betamethasone and 5 (18%) had a partial response at 1 month, with the prepuce becoming fully retractable during month 2 of therapy. No adverse side...
Bayes risk weighted tree-structured vector quantization with posterior estimation

The authors investigate a method that combines compression and low-level classification of images by designing codes that contain implicit information regarding classification. The design consists of a tree-structured vector quantizer (TSVQ) that incorporates a Bayes risk term into the distortion measure used in the quantizer design algorithm in order to permit a tradeoff of mean squared error and classification error. Once designed, the quantizer can operate to minimize the Bayes risk weighted distortion measure by incorporating the posterior probabilities into the encoding process. A completely nonparametric design algorithm is constructed by estimating these posterior distributions using a TSVQ that incorporates the classification error into the splitting criterion. This approach is used to analyze simulated data and to identify tumors in CT lung images. Comparisons are made with other vector quantizer based classifiers, including Kohonen's "learning vector quantizer." For the examples considered, their method provided a classification that was superior to the other methods while simultaneously providing close to or superior compression performance. >
Variation of mechanical properties along the length of the aorta in C57bl/6 mice

The objective of the present study is to obtain a systematic set of data on the mechanical properties along the entire length of the mouse aorta. The ascending aorta of seven mice was cannulated near the aortic valve, and the aorta was preconditioned with several cyclic changes in pressure. The perfusion pressure was then increased in 30-mmHg increments from 0 to 150 mmHg. Cab-O-Sil, colloidal silica, was mixed into the perfusate to prevent flow through the microvessels and hence attain zero-flow distensions. Our results show that the residual circumferential strain leads to a uniformity of transmural strain of the aorta in the loaded state along the entire length of the aorta. This uniformity is attained in the range of 60-120 mmHg. At pressures 120 mmHg, the converse is true. Furthermore, we found that the circumferential and longitudinal stress-strain relationships are linear in the pressure range of 30-120 mmHg. Finally, the circumferential modulus is greatest (most rigid) near the diaphragm, and the majority of volume compliance (85%) is in the thoracic compared with the abdominal aorta. These findings are important for an understanding of the hemodynamics of the cardiovascular system of the normal mouse and will serve as a reference state for the study of various diseases in knock-in and knock-out models of this species.
Computer-Aided Image Analysis Algorithm to Enhance In Vivo Diagnosis of Plaque Erosion by Intravascular Optical Coherence Tomography

Background— Recent reports show that plaque erosion can be diagnosed in vivo using optical coherence tomography in patients with acute coronary syndrome. However, quantitative optical coherence tomographic image criteria for computer-aided diagnosis of plaque erosion have not been established. Methods and Results— A total of 42 patients with acute coronary syndrome caused by plaque erosion were included. Plaque erosion was identified according to the previously established optical coherence tomography criteria. Both optical properties and morphological features of the focal-eroded region as well as erosion-adjacent region were analyzed using a custom-designed computer algorithm. Noneroded fibrous plaques remote from the erosion site within the same vessel were used as controls. Eroded plaques have significantly lower surface intensity ( P <0.001), lower region of interest intensity ( P <0.001), lower surface normalized SD ( P <0.001), lower region of interest normalized SD ( P <0.001), higher optical attenuation ( P <0.001), larger tissue protrusion area ( P <0.001), and greater surface roughness ( P <0.001) when compared with control plaques. Erosion-adjacent regions also have lower region of interest normalized SD ( P =0.008), higher attenuation ( P <0.001), and greater surface roughness ( P =0.005). Using a logistic regression model built on the quantitative features, plaque erosion can be accurately classified against intact fibrous plaques. There was low inter- and intraobserver variability associated with the algorithm-assisted quantitative assessment. Conclusions— Plaque erosion has distinctive optical properties and morphological features when compared with noneroded fibrous plaques. Quantitative image analysis may enhance diagnostic accuracy for plaque erosion in vivo.
The Evolution of the Classification of Psychiatric Disorders

This article traces the history of classification systems for mental illness and then reviews the history of the American diagnostic system for mental disorders. The steps leading up to each publication of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) are described including leaders, timelines, pre-publication meetings, and field trials. Important changes in the purpose of the manuals are described with a focus on events leading to the manual’s third edition (DSM-III), which represented a paradigm shift in how we think about, and use, the classification system for mental illness. For the first time, DSM-III emphasized empirically-based, atheoretical and agnostic diagnostic criteria. New criticisms of the DSM-III and subsequent editions have arisen with a call for a new paradigm shift to replace diagnostic categories with continuous dimensional systems of classification, returning to etiologically-based definitions and incorporating findings from neurobiological science into systems of diagnosis. In the foreseeable future, however, psychiatric diagnosis must continue to be accomplished by taking a history and assessing the currently established criteria. This is necessary for communication about diseases and education of clinicians and scientists in medical fields, as well as advancement of research needed to further advance the diagnostic criteria of psychiatry.
Against depolitization: Prison-museums, escape memories, and the place of rights:

This essay compares postdictatorial transformations of former spaces of confinement for political prisoners into shopping malls, such as the Buen Pastor prison in Cordoba (Argentina) and the Punta ...
Water Stress Modulates Soybean Aphid Performance, Feeding Behavior, and Virus Transmission in Soybean

Little is known about how water stress including drought and flooding modifies the ability of plants to resist simultaneous attack by insect feeding and transmission of insect-vectored pathogen. We analyzed insect population growth, feeding behaviors, virus transmission, and plant amino acid profiles and defense gene expression to characterize mechanisms underlying the interaction between water stress, soybean aphid and aphid-transmitted, Soybean mosaic virus, on soybean plants. Population growth of non-viruliferous aphids was reduced under drought stress and saturation, likely because the aphids spent less time feeding from the sieve element on these plants compared to well-watered plants. Water stress did not impact population growth of viruliferous aphids. However, virus incidence and transmission rate was lowest under drought stress and highest under saturated conditions since viruliferous aphids took the greatest amount time to puncture cells and transmit the virus under saturated conditions and lowest time under drought stress. Petiole exudates from drought-stressed plants had the highest level of total free amino acids including asparagine and valine that are critical for aphid performance. Aphids did not benefit from improved phloem sap quality as indicated by their lower densities on drought-stressed plants. Saturation, on the other hand, resulted in low amino acid content compared to all of the other treatments. Drought and saturation had significant and opposing effects on expression of marker genes involved in abscisic acid (ABA) signaling. Drought alone significantly increased expression of ABA marker genes, which likely led to suppression of salicylic acid (SA)- and jasmonic acid (JA)-related genes. In contrast, ABA marker genes were down-regulated under saturation, while expression of SA- and JA-related genes was up-regulated. We propose that the apparent antagonism between ABA and SA/JA signaling pathways contributed to an increase in aphid densities under drought and their decrease under saturation. Taken together, our findings suggests that plant responses to water stress is complex involving changes in phloem amino acid composition and signaling pathways, which can impact aphid populations and virus transmission.
Patterns of Care for Colorectal Liver Metastasis Within an Integrated Health System: Secular Trends and Outcomes

Utilization of evidence-based treatments for patients with colorectal liver metastasis (CRC-LM) outside high-volume centers is not well-characterized. We sought to describe trends in treatment and outcomes, and identify predictors of therapy within a nationwide integrated health system. Observational cohort study of patients with CRC-LM treated within the Veterans Affairs (VA) health system (1998–2012). Secular trends and outcomes were compared on the basis of treatment type. Multivariate regression was used to identify predictors of no treatment (chemotherapy or surgery). Among 3270 patients, 57.3 % received treatment (chemotherapy and/or surgery) during the study period. The proportion receiving treatment doubled (38 % in 1998 vs. 68 % in 2012; trend test, p 75 years: OR 3.84, 95 % CI 3.13–4.69] and those with high comorbidity index (Charlson ≥3: OR 1.47, 95 % CI 1.16–1.85) were more likely to be untreated. Overall survival was significantly different based on treatment strategy (log-rank p < 0.001). The proportion of CRC-LM patients receiving treatment within the largest integrated health system in the US (VA health system) has increased substantially over time; however, one in three patients still does not receive any treatment. Future initiatives should focus on increasing treatment among older patients as well as on evaluating reasons leading to the no-treatment approach and increased use of ablation procedures.
A Stannyl-Decorated Zintl Ion [Ge18Pd3(SniPr3)6]2–: Twinned Icosahedron with a Common Pd3-Face or 18-Vertex Hypho-Deltahedron with a Pd3-Triangle Inside

We report the synthesis and characterization of the title anion which has a germanium/palladium cluster core of [Ge18Pd3] and six tri-isopropyl tin substituents. Its two Ge9-halves are the first examples of germanium deltahedra with three nonsilyl substituents, tri-isopropyl tin in this case. The new cluster is made by a reaction of an acetonitrile suspension of K4Ge9 with iPr3SnCl that generates primarily tristannylated 9-atom clusters [Ge9{SniPr3}3]−, followed by addition of Pd(PPh3)4 to the reaction mixture. It was structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction in [K(222crypt)]2[Ge18Pd3{SniPr3}6]·iPr2O and was also confirmed in solution by ESI-MS and NMR. The new anion can be viewed both as a dimer of face-fused icosahedra (twinned icosahedron) with a common Pd3-face, i.e., [(iPr3Sn)3Ge9Pd3Ge9(SniPr3)3]2– that resembles but is not isoelectronic with the known borane version B21H18– or as a large hypho-deltahedron of 18 Ge-atoms with a triangle of Pd3 inside, i.e., [Pd3@Ge18(SniPr3)6]2–....
Ultrafast Charge Carrier Dynamics in Extremely Thin Absorber (ETA) Solar Cells Consisting of CdSe-Coated ZnO Nanowires

The extremely thin absorber (ETA) solar cell architecture can enable higher efficiencies than planar cells for absorbers that have low carrier lifetimes or mobilities. Efficient charge separation requires that interfacial electron and hole transfer proceed much faster than the recombination lifetime of photoexcited carriers. In this work, transient absorption spectroscopy was employed to measure these ultrafast photophysical processes in CdSe-coated ZnO nanowire ETA cells and model planar films. At low pump fluences, carrier lifetime was controlled by Shockley–Read–Hall and surface recombination. Annealing the electrodeposited CdSe films increased the lifetime 50-fold, to >1 ns as measured by transient absorption spectroscopy, which correlated to improved ETA cell performance. Interfacial electron transfer from the CdSe coating into the ZnO nanowires occurred 3 orders of magnitude faster, within 1 ps, independent of the presence or absence of an interfacial CdS buffer layer. Interfacial hole transfer to t...
A Middle-of-the-Road Proposal amid the Sci-Hub Controversy: Share “Unofficial” Copies of Articles without Embargo, Legally

This article summarizes the two sides of the Sci-Hub debate, and raises awareness of the rights of journal article authors to post a certain version online that one is legally allowed to share, with no embargo.
Signal Transduction in DC Differentiation: Winged Messengers and Achilles’ Heel

Dendritic cells (DC) are centrally involved in the initiation and regulation of the adaptive immune response, and different DC can have markedly different (e.g., opposing) function. Acquisition of specific functions is likely to be a result of both nature and nurture, namely differentiation of progenitors into distinct DC subsets as well as the influence of environmental signals. This is not unlike what is seen for T and B cells. This review will focus on the signal transduction pathways that allow an unusually wide range of hematopoietic progenitors to differentiate into DC, the functional characteristics regulated by these pathways, and the ability of pathogens to alter DC function by subverting these pathways during progenitor→DC differentiation.
Sound + image in computer-based design: learning from sound in the arts

Sound is underutilized in software and on the web, in spite of its obvious value to other media, such as film. Many practitioners in computer-based design, particularly those with backgrounds in programming and print design, are simply unfamiliar with the medium of sound. The performing arts has a long history of creating sound which makes a powerful impression on human perception and emotion, and has accumulated a rich body of theories and practical insights for how this is done. These theories and insights should be explored for their usefulness in improving sound design in software. The purpose of the research discussed in this paper has been to learn from the principles and practices of sound design in the performing arts, and to discuss and demonstrate ways in which some of these ideas might be helpful to designers of computer-based media and software. This research considers performing arts theory with an emphasis on sound, validates some of this theory in the form of a series of interactive multimedia exercises, and describes commentary from performing arts professionals who discuss practical and theoretical issues in sound design from an experienced perspective. Games tend to make better use of sound than other computer-based products and, because of their narrative qualities, occupy a place in design somewhere between traditional performing arts and software. For these reasons, games have lessons to offer to other areas of computer-based design in terms of sound use, and some analysis of game design is included here, as well.
Retinal Thickness and Visual Disability in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis and Disease-Free Controls with Myopia (S48.008)

Objective: We determined the relation of myopia, as measured by spherical equivalent, to retinal thickness in the nerve fiber layer and macula in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) compared to disease-free controls using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Background: Myopia is associated with thinning of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) by OCT in healthy patients, and longer axial length, captured by spherical equivalent (spherical correction + 0.5*cylinder), produces RNFL thinning. The extent to which myopic spherical equivalent could affect the relation between MS vs. disease-free control status and RNFL and ganglion cell layer (GCL+IPL) thickness has not been investigated. Design/Methods: Participants with MS and disease-free controls enrolled in an ongoing collaborative study of MS visual outcomes completed spectral-domain OCT to determine peripapillary RNFL and GCL+IPL thicknesses. Results: Among disease-free controls (n=65 eyes), greater spherical equivalent in the myopic direction was a predictor of thinner RNFL (p<0.001) and GCL+IPL (p=0.005, GEE models, accounting for age and within-patient, inter-eye correlations). In the MS cohort (n=291 eyes), greater degrees of myopia were also associated with RNFL thinning (p<0.001). These associations were similar among MS eyes with (n=101 eyes) and without a history of optic neuritis (n=180 eyes). Accounting for MS vs. control status in the models lessened the significance of the association of greater myopia with RNFL and GCL+IPL thinning, but did not account for this relationship completely. Conclusions: Myopia is a significant contributor to RNFL and GCL+IPL thinning in both disease-free controls and among patients with MS. Even among eyes with a history of optic neuritis, the potential influence of myopia should be taken into account when interpreting group and individual data from OCT measurements. Study Supported by: National Multiple Sclerosis Society Disclosure: Dr. Nolan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Laura has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hasanaj has nothing to disclose. Dr. Peter A. Calabresi has received personal compensation for activities with Abbott and Vertex as a consultant. Dr. Calabresi has received research support from Novartis, MedImmune and Biogen. Dr. Frohman has received personal compensation for activities with Novartis, Genzyme, Acorda and Teva Neuroscience as a speaker and consultant. Dr. Galetta has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec and Genzyme as a consultant. Dr. Balcer has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec and Genzyme as a consultant.
Recent Developments in Stem and Progenitor Cell Therapy for Cardiac Repair.

Recent Developments in Cardiovascular Research: The goal of “Recent Developments” is to provide a concise but comprehensive overview of new advances in cardiovascular research, which we hope will keep our readers abreast of recent scientific discoveries and facilitate discussion, interpretation, and integration of the findings. This will enable readers who are not experts in a particular field to grasp the significance and effect of work performed in other fields. It is our hope and expectation that these “Recent Development” articles will help readers to gain a broader awareness and a deeper understanding of the status of research across the vast landscape of cardiovascular research— The Editors . Making our way through the beginning of the 21st century, we have seen the field of cardiovascular medicine make significant advances in both biomedical research and patient care. Despite these advancements, we continue to face statistics, which force us, time and again, to report heart failure (HF) as a leading cause of death in the United States and in much of the rest of the developed world.1 Indeed, refined pharmacological and surgical approaches have proven effective in management of acute and chronic cardiovascular diseases, but more frequently than not, only palliative measures are available, which serve to merely alleviate the burden of symptoms and delay disease progression to end-stage HF. HF itself is most accurately defined by the heart’s inability to sufficiently deliver blood to the surrounding organs and tissues of the body. Although there are a host of pathologies that can contribute to this condition, myocardial infarction (MI) resulting from atherosclerotic coronary artery disease is the leading event culminating in HF. After infarction, the heart experiences significant myocyte death and tissue necrosis. Damaged cardiac parenchyma is eventually replaced with fibrous scar, which lacks the contractile and conductive properties of normal myocardial …
Inorganic is Still Good for You: Building a Structured Group Mentoring Program for Librarians

Abstract It might be hard to know when one’s institution is mentoring its librarians well, but it’s easy to know when an institution is mentoring poorly. Poor mentoring can be a factor in individuals failing to advance and low retention, and can result in problematic workplace culture, while reinforcing structural inequities. At the University of Colorado Boulder (CU-Boulder) we had an option paired mentoring system in place, but received consistent complaints about mentoring in internal/institutional assessments. Librarians also expressed difficulties in understanding the tenure process, finding opportunities to grow a satisfying career, and gaining familiarity with institutional culture and context. A task force was formed to investigate ways to better provide mentoring in the libraries. After investigating various options, the University Libraries put in place a structured group mentoring program that connects groups of 35 new librarians together with 23 senior librarians. New librarians are automatically added to a mentoring group upon arrival, and all senior librarians are required to participate as mentors. The program enables mentoring related to tenure, professional goals, work life balance, and institutional culture and context. A library committee develops potential discussion topics, group assignments, structure, open sessions, and program evaluations. The group mentoring approach imparts numerous advantages not shared by other structures.
Pentoses and light intensity increase the growth and carbohydrate production and alter the protein profile of Chlorella minutissima

High concentrations of carbon, which is considered a necessary element, are required for microalgal growth. Therefore, the identification of alternative carbon sources available in large quantities is increasingly important. This study evaluated the effects of light variation and pentose addition on the carbohydrate content and protein profile of Chlorella minutissima grown in a raceway photobioreactor. The kinetic parameters, carbohydrate content, and protein profile of Chlorella minutissima and its theoretical potential for ethanol production were estimated. The highest cellular concentrations were obtained with a light intensity of 33.75µmol.m-2.s-1. Arabinose addition combined with a light intensity of 33.75µmol.m-2.s-1 increased the carbohydrate content by 53.8% and theoretically produced 39.1mL·100g-1 ethanol. All of the assays showed that a lower light availability altered the protein profile. The luminous intensity affects xylose and arabinose assimilation and augments the carbohydrate content in C. minutissima, making this microalga appropriate for bioethanol production.
1.17 – Computational Thermodynamics: Application to Nuclear Materials

This chapter considers methods and techniques for computational modeling of nuclear materials with a focus on fuels. The basic concepts of chemical thermodynamics are described and various current models for complex crystalline and liquid phases are illustrated. Also included are descriptions of available databases for use in chemical thermodynamic studies and commercial codes for performing complex equilibrium calculations.
Pancreatic Kaposiform Hemangioendothelioma Not Responding to Sirolimus.

Background Kaposiform hemangioendothelioma (KHE) is a vascular tumor frequently associated with Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon (KMP), characterized by severe thrombocytopenia and consumptive coagulopathy. Visceral involvement in KHE is rare. In our recent experience, sirolimus has shown to be an effective treatment in cutaneous KHE, becoming indeed the treatment of choice in KMP. We report a case of pancreatic KHE associated with KMP and refractory to sirolimus. Case Report A 4-month-old infant is referred for obstructive jaundice (10 mg/dL conjugated bilirubin) secondary to vascular pancreatic tumor. Magnetic resonance (MR) and immunohistochemistry were compatible with KHE, but the tumor was considered unresectable. We initiated sirolimus (0.8 mg/m 2 /12 h) to treat KMP, and interventional radiology was performed for percutaneous biliary diversion. This procedure prompted KMP (platelets: 51,000/µL). Sirolimus treatment for 7 days showed no effect; therefore, we started our VAT protocol (vincristine/aspirine/ticlopidin) with great response after 10 days (platelets: 3,70,000/µL). Three months later, percutaneous biliary diversion was replaced by a biliary stent. The tumor disappeared leaving fibrosis and dilatation of biliary tract needing hepaticojejunostomy 6 months later. Discussion It is difficult to establish protocols for an unusual presentation of a tumor with different targets. This is a reason collaborative multicenter studies should be performed. Management of obstructive jaundice secondary to a tumor that usually regresses in 10 years is an added challenge; therefore, the management should be led by a multidisciplinary team. Sirolimus treatment in cutaneous KHE has been described as successful in the literature, as well as in our own experience; however, it failed in our first patient with visceral KHE. We need to investigate the different response to pharmacological agents in tumors with similar histopathology, but with visceral involvement.
Mobility, Search Modes, and Food-Getting Technology

The archaeology of Late Glacial and Early Postglacial central and western Europe offers evidence of long-term economic, technological, and demographic change in mobile hunter-gatherer societies at a time of dramatic environmental change. Late Glacial and Early Postglacial warming caused a rapid retreat of alpine glaciers and touched off a cascade of changes in natural landscapes, as first steppe-tundra and then woodland flora and fauna recolonized previously glaciated and periglacial areas. Climatic and landscape change north of the Alps took place in several episodes during a long period of unstable conditions between the first major glacier retreats about 16,000 years B.F. and the development of deciduous forests about 8000 years later. The archaeological record of this period shows clear evidence of changes in several aspects of hunter-gatherer spatial behavior, including migration into deglaciated and periglacial regions (Housley et al. 1997; Jochim et al. 1999) and changes in land use by local populations, as indicated by alterations in the number, size, character, and location of archaeological sites during this dynamic period (Eriksen 1991, 1996; Jochim 1991, 1998; Mellars 1984; Myers 1989; Straus 1991; Svoboda et al., eds. 1996)
Function of Act1 in IL-17 family signaling and autoimmunity.

The maintenance of immune homeostasis requires the delicate balance between response to foreign antigens and tolerance to self. As such, when this balance is disrupted, immunodeficiency or autoimmunity may manifest. The adaptor molecule known as Act1 is a critical mediator of IL-17 receptor family signaling. This chapter will detail the current understanding of Act1 ’s role in signal transduction as well as address the fundamental role of Act1 in autoimmunity. At the molecular level Act1 interacts with IL-17 R through the conserved SEFIR domain, binds TRAF proteins and exerts E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. In in vivo models, Act1 deficiency provides protection against experimental autoimmune diseases, such as colitis and EAE. Yet mice lacking in Act1 develop spontaneous autoimmune diseases. Indeed, the utility of Act1 seems to rely on the specific cell type expression that may determine the pathway that Act1 mediates.
Testing Placement of Gastric Feeding Tubes in Infants.

BACKGROUND Inadvertent positioning of a nasogastric tube in the lung can cause serious complications, so identifying methods to detect improperly inserted tubes is imperative. OBJECTIVES To compare the sensitivity, specificity, and negative and positive predictive values of 4 pH cut points (< 4.0, < 4.5, < 5.0, and < 5.5) in differentiating gastric and tracheal aspirates under various treatment conditions and to explore the utility of a pepsin assay for distinguishing between gastric and tracheal aspirates. METHODS Gastric and tracheal aspirates were collected from critically ill infants undergoing mechanical ventilation who had nasogastric or orogastric feeding tubes. Aspirates were tested with colorimetric pH indicators and a rapid pepsin assay. Information about treatment conditions was obtained from medical records. RESULTS Two hundred twelve gastric aspirates and 60 tracheal aspirates were collected from 212 patients. Sensitivity was highest and specificity was lowest at the gastric aspirate pH cut point of less than 5.5. Positive predictive values were 100% at all pH cut points less than 5.0. Negative predictive values were higher at the pH cut point of less than 5.0 than at cut points less than 4.5. A higher percentage of pepsin-positive readings was found in gastric aspirates (88.3%) than in tracheal aspirates (5.4%). CONCLUSION For a desired positive predictive value of 100%, a pH cut point of less than 5.0 provides the best negative predictive values, regardless of gastric acid inhibitor administration and feeding status. The pepsin assay is promising as an additional marker to distinguish gastric from tracheal aspirates.
Detection of Bladder Cancer in Urine Sediments by a Novel Multicolor Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (Quartet) Test.

Abstract Background Bladder cancer is among the common human malignancies that show a heavy mutational load and copy number variations of numerous chromosomes, which makes them a target for diagnostic explorations. Objective We aimed to design a multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) test referred to as the quartet test for the detection of bladder cancer in urine. Design, setting, and participants We performed genome-wide copy number variation analysis on cohorts from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center ( n =40) and The Cancer Genome Atlas ( n =129), and identified the most frequently amplified chromosomal regions. These data were used to select four of the amplified regions to design a multicolor FISH test, referred to as the quartet test. Assay validation was performed on urine samples from 98 patients with bladder cancer: 56 with low-grade papillary, 42 with high-grade invasive disease, and 48 benign controls. Intervention The quartet test can be used in clinical practice for noninvasive detection of bladder cancer. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis We initially analyzed samples using a fraction of abnormal cell scores and then by the quantitative score, which included not only the proportion of cells with abnormal copy numbers, but also the proportion of cells with numbers of altered copies and degree of amplification. We used receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves to identify cutoff values for the scores at which performances of sensitivity and specificity were maximized. Results and limitations The copy number status assessed by probes detected in voided urine reflected the amplification status of the primary tumor. An ROC curve summarizing the proportion of assayed cells with any abnormal copy numbers gave specificity of 93.8% and sensitivity of 78.6% using the proportion of cells with abnormal copy numbers. The quantitative score giving extra weight to cells with multiple simultaneous amplifications provided 95.8% specificity and 76.8% sensitivity. Both percentage of abnormal cells and quantitative scores were highly effective for assessing the grade of the tumor. The full spectrum of potential clinical applications was not explored in the current study, and further validation studies are needed. Conclusions The quartet test shows promising specificity and sensitivity results, but it requires validation on a larger multi-institutional cohort of samples. Patient summary The quartet test can be used for noninvasive detection of bladder cancer in voided urine. It can also be used to assess the grade of the tumor and tumor recurrence as well as post-treatment effects.
A Neurology Clerkship Curriculum Using Video-Based Lectures and Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT).

Introduction Just-in-time teaching is an educational strategy that involves tailoring in-session learning activities based on student performance in presession assessments. We implemented this stra...
CLOSED-LOOPED STIMULATION PACING FOR THE PREVENTION OF RECURRENT VASOVAGAL SYNCOPE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

Vasovagal syncope (VVS) is defined by transient loss of consciousness with spontaneous rapid recovery. Recently, a closed loop stimulation pacing system (CLS) has shown superior effectiveness to conventional pacing in refractory VVS. However, there have been no systematic review and meta-analysis.
End-Stage Renal Disease and Dialysis

An 18-year old male with end-stage renal disease secondary to FSGS initiates chronic maintenance hemodialysis therapy. He receives 40 μg of recombinant hepatitis B vaccine intramuscularly in the deltoid, receiving three separate doses. Six weeks after the primary series is completed, antibody levels against hepatitis B surface antigen are <10 mU/ml.
Therapeutic Lifestyle Change for the Prevention and Treatment of Hyperlipidemia and Coronary Artery Disease

Since the earliest experimental and epidemiologic studies on the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, diet composition and level of physical activity have been recognized as important etiological factors [1]. Despite advances from major programs on cholesterol, hypertension, obesity, and physical activity from the National Heart Lung Blood Institutes, more remains to be done. Indeed, in a recent analysis of the decline in CHD deaths from 1980 through 2000, approximately 44% of the decline was attributed to changes in risk factors such as total cholesterol, systolic blood pressure (BP), smoking prevalence, and physical inactivity. However, these reductions were partially offset by increases in the body mass index (BMI) and the prevalence of diabetes (DM) [2]. Although CHD with rare exceptions is an adult disease, we are reminded that the precursors of atherosclerosis are present in the young. Data from the Pathobiological Determinants of Atherosclerosis in Youth (PDAY) study, an autopsy study of individuals aged 15–34 years, showed that early atherosclerosis can be found in the abdominal aorta just proximal to the bifurcation and in the coronary arteries [3]. Metabolic risk factors such as triglycerides, smoking, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), high non-HDL-C, blood pressure, and BMI are associated with this initial atherosclerosis and are also predictive of early intimal thickening in the aorta and carotid arteries in adolescents [4]. In addition, a recent report from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study demonstrated that elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and other lipid abnormalities in young age are associated with greater coronary calcium in middle age [5]. With an increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome and diabetes seen in the young [6], it makes sense to target lifestyle change recommendations to all members of the family instead of just adult patients.
Hereditary Factors in Neurotic Conditions

Although the clinical utility of the term neurosis has been questioned (see DSM-III, 1980, for a discussion of this issue), an extensive body of psychiatric data has been collected regarding neurotic conditions. Before summarizing the genetic studies in this field, we need to review the terms used in that body of research. A neurosis has usually been defined as a mental abnormality in which there is no serious loss of contact with reality (i. e., there are no hallucinations or delusions), no serious disorganization of personality, and no pervasive change in mood. Rather, the central symptom is thought to be anxiety, which is expressed in a variety of ways, frequently manifested in compulsive or obsessive behavior, difficulty in making decisions, panic attacks, phobias, or conditions characterized by temporary loss of memory. Some neurotics can be difficult to live with because of extremely rigid behavior patterns. They may also be quarrelsome or appear withdrawn, and when this latter symptom is present the condition may be confused with schizoid personality.