cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lipoprotein management in patients with cardiometabolic risk: consensus statement from the American Diabetes Association and the American College of Cardiology Foundation.

Risk factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) often cluster, including obesity (particularly central), insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, dyslipoproteinemia, and hypertension. These conditions can also occur in isolation, and they are exaggerated by physical inactivity and smoking. Since each of these factors increases risk of CVD, the concept of global cardiometabolic risk (CMR) (Fig. 1) is of value (1). Lipoprotein abnormalities, including elevated triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, and increased numbers of small dense LDL particles, are common findings in patients with CMR. Clinical entities with increased CMR include type 2 diabetes, familial combined hyperlipidemia, familial hypoalphalipoproteinemia, and polycystic ovary syndrome (2). These disorders often share the CMR characteristics of central obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipoproteinemia, and hypertension. There are stringent lipid treatment goals for patients with type 2 diabetes or CVD; however, guidelines for treatment of dyslipoproteinemia in high-risk subjects without diabetes or CVD are less intense and are based primarily on LDL cholesterol concentrations, with non-HDL concentrations a secondary consideration in some subjects. Numerous trials have demonstrated that therapies (primarily statins) directed at LDL cholesterol lowering clearly reduce risk of CVD events in patients with diabetes and in those without diabetes but with other CVD risk factors; yet, a number of questions remain. Even with adequate LDL cholesterol lowering, many patients on statin therapy have significant residual CVD risk. It is unclear whether lipoprotein parameters other than LDL or non-HDL cholesterol provide clinically significant additional prognostic information regarding CVD risk, yield more information about the effectiveness of therapy, or indicate more appropriate treatment targets. Many patients with CMR or diabetes have relatively normal levels of LDL cholesterol but increased numbers of small dense LDL particles and other atherogenic lipoproteins. Some have advocated that assessment of other lipoprotein parameters might be more helpful than assessment limited to LDL or non-HDL …
The role of emotion in workplace incivility

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine leader-member exchange (LMX) and perceived organizational support (POS) as moderators of the relationship between psychological contract violation and workplace incivility. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was administered to employed adults. Findings – The association between violation and incivility was more pronounced when levels of LMX and POS were higher. Research limitations/implications – The correlation design limits the ability to draw causal inferences. Affect models, including but not limited to affect infusion model (AIM), offer a useful framework for enhancing understanding of incivility and other forms of counterproductive work behaviors. Practical implications – The study has contributed to knowledge about contract violation’s implications for work behaviors, such as incivility. Managers sensitive to the dynamics of contract breach may prevent feelings of violation by communicating clearly and often about expectations, resource...
Diagnostic cytology of small mammary carcinomas

This brief article summarizes the historical background of the thin needle aspiration technique as it applies to diseases of the breast. The technique and the achievements of this method in the diagnosis of small breast cancers are reported. A brief note on the value of nipple secretions in the diagnosis of carcinoma of the mammary ducts is appended.
Robust ENSO across a Wide Range of Climates

AbstractEl Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a pronounced mode of climate variability that originates in the tropical Pacific and affects weather patterns worldwide. Growing evidence suggests that despite extensive changes in tropical climate, ENSO was active over vast geological epochs stretching millions of years from the late Cretaceous to the Holocene. In particular, ENSO persisted during the Pliocene, when a dramatic reduction occurred in the mean east–west temperature gradient in the equatorial Pacific. The mechanisms for sustained ENSO in such climates are poorly understood. Here a comprehensive climate model is used to simulate ENSO for a broad range of tropical Pacific mean climates characterized by different climatological SST gradients. It is found that the simulated ENSO remains surprisingly robust: when the east–west gradient is reduced from 6° to 1°C, the amplitude of ENSO decreases only by 30%–40%, its dominant period remains close to 3–4 yr, and the spectral peak stays above red noise. T...
Intraspecific variation in Anolis sagrei mirrors the adaptive radiation of Greater Antillean anoles

Anolis lizards of the Greater Antilles represent one of the classic examples of vertebrate adaptive radiation. The same morphological types (‘ecomorphs’) have evolved repeatedly in response to similar ecological pressures on different islands. We tested whether patterns of within species diversification were congruent with between species patterns and the processes leading to the adaptive radiation of Greater Antillean anoles by measuring variation in performance-related morphological characters in the brown anole, Anolis sagrei. We measured morphological and genetic variation in two different habitat types on each of five islands in the Bahamas. We estimated population structure and rates of gene flow within and among islands using eight microsatellite markers. Intraspecific variation in performance-related morphological characters was similar to the pattern of interspecific variation that characterizes the adaptive radiation of this group in the Greater Antilles. For example, limb length was correlated with perch diameter within A. sagrei as has also been shown among species of anole. Morphological divergence in traits has occurred despite relatively high levels of gene flow both within and among islands. These results are discussed in the context of the divergence-with-gene-flow model of speciation. The results provide important intraspecific evidence that the diversification of anoles has been shaped by natural selection and show how ecologically-based selection pressures explain diversification at both the population and species levels. © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2007, 90, 189–199.
Diversification of brain morphology in antarctic notothenioid fishes: Basic descriptions and ecological considerations

The Notothenioidei, a perciform suborder of 120 species, dominates the ichthyofauna of the Southern Ocean around Antarctica. Unlike most teleost groups, notothenioids have undergone a corresponding ecological and phyletic diversification and therefore provide an excellent opportunity to study the divergence of the nervous system in an unusual environment. Our goal is to evaluate notothenioid brain variation in light of this diversification. To provide a baseline morphology, we examine the gross morphology and histology of the brain of Trematomus bernacchii, a generalized member of the family Nototheniidae. We then examine the variation in brain gross anatomy (32 species) and histology (10 species) of other notothenioids. Our sample represents about 27% of the species in this group and includes species from each of the six families, as well as species representing diverse ecologies. For comparison we reference the well-studied brains of two species of temperate perciformes (Perca flavescens and Lepomis humilis). Our results show that, in general, notothenioid brains are more similar to the brains of temperate perciforms than to the unusual brains of cave-dwelling and deep-sea fishes. Interspecific variation in gross brain morphology is comparable to that in Old World cyprinids and is illustrated for 17 species. Variation is especially noteworthy in the ecologically and geographically diverse family Nototheniidae. Measurements indicate that sensory regions (olfactory bulbs, eminentia granularis, and crista cerebellaris) exhibit the most pronounced variation in relative surface area. Association areas, including the corpus cerebelli and the telencephalon, exhibit moderate variation in size, shape, and lobation patterns. Regulatory areas of the brain, including the saccus vasculosus and the subependyma of the third ventricle, are also variable. These regions are best developed in species living in the subfreezing water close to the continent. In some species the expanded ependymal lining forms ventricular sacs, not previously described in any other vertebrate. Three species, including two nototheniids (Eleginops maclovinus and Pleuragramma antarcticum) and the only artedidraconid in our sample, have distinctive brains. The unique brain morphology of Pleuragramma is probably related to a sensory (lateral line) specialization for feeding. Within the Nototheniidae, a phyletic effect on cerebellar morphology is evident in the Coriiceps group and in the Pleuragramminae. Neither phyletic position nor ecological factors (water temperature, position in the water column, dietary habits) alone fully explain the pattern of notothenioid brain diversification.
Modulation of Microtubule Dynamics by Tau in Living Cells: Implications for Development and Neurodegeneration

The neural microtubule-associated protein tau binds to and stabilizes microtubules. Because of alternative mRNA splicing, tau is expressed with either 3 or 4 C-terminal repeats. Two observations indicate that differences between these tau isoforms are functionally important. First, the pattern of tau isoform expression is tightly regulated during development. Second, mutation-induced changes in tau RNA splicing cause neuronal cell death and dementia simply by altering the isoform expression ratio. To investigate whether 3- and 4-repeat tau differentially regulate microtubule behavior in cells, we microinjected physiological levels of these two isoforms into EGFP-tubulin-expressing cultured MCF7 cells and measured the effects on the dynamic instability behavior of individual microtubules by time-lapse microscopy. Both isoforms suppressed microtubule dynamics, though to different extents. Specifically, 4-repeat tau reduced the rate and extent of both growing and shortening events. In contrast, 3-repeat tau stabilized most dynamic parameters about threefold less potently than 4-repeat tau and had only a minimal ability to suppress shortening events. These differences provide a mechanistic rationale for the developmental shift in tau isoform expression and are consistent with a loss-of-function model in which abnormal tau isoform expression results in the inability to properly regulate microtubule dynamics, leading to neuronal cell death and dementia.
Lead Zirconate Titanate Stannate Thin Films for Large Strain Microactuator Applications

Thin films of antiferroelectric tetragonal (Pb.97 La.02 )(Zr1-x-yTixSny)O3 have been synthesized from acetate and alkoxide precursors via a sol-gel process. A multiple layer spin coating procedure was used to prepare 0.4 gtm films on platinized silicon wafers. Crystallization of the films as confirmed by x-ray diffraction was achieved by rapid thermal annealing at 700°C for 20 seconds. Antiferroelectric to ferroelectric phase switching threshold fields were determined from P-E hysteresis curves. Longitudinal strain is reported as a function of applied electric field, with a maximum strain of 1.6×10-3 measured at an applied dc bias field of 120 kV/cm on a film of composition Pb.97 La.02 (Zr.60Ti.l0Sn.30 )O3. These films show promise for micromechanical actuator applications due to the high strain associated with field forced antiferroelectric to ferroelectric phase switching.
Adolescents’ Disclosure and Secrecy About Peer Behavior: Links with Cyber Aggression, Relational Aggression, and Overt Aggression

The current study examines links between parent–adolescent relationship characteristics, friendship risk, and adolescent aggressive behavior. Adolescents (N = 110; M age = 17.05 years) were surveyed about their aggressive behavior (including cyber, relational, and overt) and the extent to which they disclosed aspects about their social lives (online and offline) to their parents. Participants also reported on the extent to which they hid or concealed components of their online and offline social lives from their parents, and about their exposure to a risky friendship context. Results indicate that high amounts of adolescent secrecy coupled with either (1) cyber aggressive friends, or (2) high levels of unsupervised socializing, increases adolescents’ risk for cyber aggression. Interactions between the parenting and peer contexts were also found with regard to relationally aggressive behavior. Implications of these results are discussed in the context of the parent–adolescent relationship.
Particulate Matter, Turbidity, and Color

Particles too large to be in true solution but small enough to remain suspended against the force of gravity comprise the particulate matter in water. These particles create turbidity and impart color to water. Particulate matter is of both organic and inorganic origin and includes living organisms, detritus, and soil particles. Turbidity caused by particles restricts light penetration and has a powerful effect upon growth of plants in aquatic ecosystems. Suspended particles also settle creating bottom deposits, and high rates of sedimentation can result in severe bottom habitat degradation. Water for drinking purposes and for some industrial uses is degraded by significant amounts of turbidity or color, and treatment often must be applied to remove these substances. Particulate matter, turbidity, and color are important water quality variables.
Lymphomatoid Papulosis Type D: Report of a Case in a Child and Review of the Literature

Lymphomatoid papulosis (LyP) is a cutaneous CD30-positive T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder that occurs primarily in adults and presents with crops of papules that become necrotic and spontaneously regress. It is classified according to the histopathologic findings; currently recognized subtypes include A, B, C, D, and E. LyP is uncommon in children. Herein we describe a child with an unusual clinical presentation of LyP type D and review the literature of reported cases in children.
EDAD: Energy-centric data collection with anycast in duty-cycled wireless sensor networks

Recent efforts in applying anycast techniques to duty-cycled wireless sensor networks have shown promising results in terms of reduced delay and energy consumption. This paper further increases the energy savings by introducing EDAD, an energy-centric cross-layer data collection protocol designed for anycast communications in asynchronously duty-cycled wireless sensor networks. EDAD uses a new anycast routing metric, EEP, that minimizes the expected energy consumed along the path of a packet and automatically adapts to network settings. Simulation results show that EDAD consumes less energy than similar existing protocols, while maintaining a comparable delay and high delivery rate. I. INTRODUCTION
Effect of intellectual enrichment on AD biomarker trajectories Longitudinal imaging study

Objective: To investigate the effect of age, sex, APOE4 genotype, and lifestyle enrichment (education/occupation, midlife cognitive activity, and midlife physical activity) on Alzheimer disease (AD) biomarker trajectories using longitudinal imaging data (brain β-amyloid load via Pittsburgh compound B PET and neurodegeneration via 18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET and structural MRI) in an elderly population without dementia. Methods: In the population-based longitudinal Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, we studied 393 participants without dementia (340 clinically normal, 53 mild cognitive impairment; 70 years and older) who had cognitive and physical activity measures and at least 2 visits with imaging biomarkers. We dichotomized participants into high (≥14 years) and low ( Results: Age was associated with amyloid and neurodegeneration trajectories; APOE4 status appears to influence only the amyloid and FDG trajectories but not hippocampal volume trajectory. In the high-education stratum, high midlife cognitive activity was associated with lower amyloid deposition in APOE4 carriers. APOE4 status was associated with lower FDG uptake in the entire cohort and in participants with lower education but not the high-education cohort. Conclusions: There were minimal effects of lifestyle enrichment on AD biomarker trajectories (specifically rates). Lifetime intellectual enrichment (high education, high midlife cognitive activity) is associated with lower amyloid in APOE4 carriers. High education is protective from the APOE4 effect on FDG metabolism. Differing education levels may explain the conflicting results seen in the literature.
Stability of Standard Electrolytic Conductivity Solutions in Glass Containers.

The stability of solutions having an electrolytic conductivity, κ , of 5 μS/cm to 100 000 μS/cm packaged in glass screw-cap bottles, glass serum bottles, and glass ampoules was monitored for 1 year to 2 years. The conductivity was determined by measuring the ac resistance of the solution. Mass loss was also monitored for solutions packaged in bottles. The solutions were prepared using KCl in water ( κ ≥100 μS/cm) or KCl in 30 % (by mass) n-propanol 70 % (by mass) water ( κ ≤ 15 μS/cm). The conductivity changes were compared by packaging type and by nominal κ . The main causes of the κ changes are evaporation (screw-cap bottles) and leaching (screw-cap bottles, serum bottles, and ampoules). Evaporation is determined from mass loss data; leaching occurs from the glass container with no change in mass. The choice of optimal packaging, which depends on the conductivity level, is the packaging in which κ changes the least with time. Ampoules are the most suitable packaging for standards having nominal κ values of 500 μS/cm to 100 000 μS/cm. Screw-cap bottles are most suitable for standards having a nominal κ of 5 μS/cm to 100 μS/cm.
Healthelinks Update: Delivering Consumer Health Information in Northwest Louisiana

In 2000, the Health Sciences Library at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center/Shreveport (LSUHSC-S) accepted the challenge of meeting public health information needs in a rural setting. This endeavor began with the development of a consumer health Web site, “healthelinks,” promoted through training sessions for public librarians in the 29 parishes of northern Louisiana. Since that time, there have been many improvements to the healthelinks Web site, and the LSUHSC-S Library has reached out beyond the limited needs of public libraries to train teachers, public health workers, medical students, and physicians to use this valuable resource.
Implementing Multicultural Ethics: Issues for Family Counselors

This article addresses the need for family counselors to examine the application of new constructs to counseling ethics training. The authors believe that current ethics training is deficient in in...
Bennefits of Decision Support Tools for Users with Differing Levels of Domain Expertese

When designing decision support systems (DSSs) to support complex cognitive problem solving tasks, it is important to understand what classes of users (domain novices, intermediates or experts) are likely to benefit from it, and conversely, what types of benefits can one expect a given class of users (such as domain novices or experts) will derive. Unfortunately, this is not yet well understood. In this paper we examine a specific class of DSSs which assist users by generating solution options. We compared the results of this class of DSS for four domains and found that they tend to increase novices’ solution quality more than experts’, and that increase may come at the cost of more total time required to produce solutions (although this is not always the case.) Additionally, in an animal nutrition domain, we found that both experts and novices (particularly experts) tended to insist on detrimentally modifying computer generated solutions even when those solutions started out with very high quality. Lastl...
Optogenetic approaches to evaluate striatal function in animal models of Parkinson disease

Optogenetics refers to the ability to control cells that have been genetically modified to express light-sensitive ion channels. The introduction of optogenetic approaches has facilitated the dissection of neural circuits. Optogenetics allows for the precise stimulation and inhibition of specific sets of neurons and their projections with fine temporal specificity. These techniques are ideally suited to investigating neural circuitry underlying motor and cognitive dysfunction in animal models of human disease. Here, we focus on how optogenetics has been used over the last decade to probe striatal circuits that are involved in Parkinson disease, a neurodegenerative condition involving motor and cognitive abnormalities resulting from degeneration of midbrain dopaminergic neurons. The precise mechanisms underlying the striatal contribution to both cognitive and motor dysfunction in Parkinson disease are unknown. Although optogenetic approaches are somewhat removed from clinical use, insight from these studies can help identify novel therapeutic targets and may inspire new treatments for Parkinson disease. Elucidating how neuronal and behavioral functions are influenced and potentially rescued by optogenetic manipulation in animal models could prove to be translatable to humans. These insights can be used to guide future brain-stimulation approaches for motor and cognitive abnormalities in Parkinson disease and other neuropsychiatric diseases.
Acute Renal Failure—1960

Five principles of treatment of acute renal failure are maintenance of body fluids and electrolytes, suppression of protein breakdown, prevention and treatment of infections, elimination of retention products by dialysis, and elimination of edema fluid by ultrafiltration. Any patient with uremia may need treatment with the artificial kidney to help him recover from an acute episode.After lifesaving procedures have been instituted, the cause of the renal failure must be diagnosed. A defeatist attitude toward treatment or elimination of the cause is not justified so long as there is no histologic proof of incurability. Lack of persistence, too-late referral, and unwarranted conservative management have cost thousands of lives in the past five years.
Traumatic Brain Injury: Methods for Clinical and Forensic Neuropsychiatric Assessment, Second Edition

Traumatic Brain Injury: Methods for Clinical and Forensic Neuropsychiatric Assessment, Third Edition provides physicians and psychologists with a scientifically based schema for the clinical evaluation of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The book assists physicians and psychologists in developing treatment plans for patients who have sustained TBIs an
Standard measure spaces

There are many examples of measure spaces that present various pathologies and on which some of the deeper theorems of measure theory fail. Elements of the class of standard measure spaces, to be defined shortly, do not display any of these pathologies and, in addition, can be classified up to a natural notion of isomorphism. The results we present here use little in addition to the observation that a separable metric space can be written as a countable union of closed subsets of arbitrarily small diameter (for instance, the closed balls of a fixed radius centered at the points of a countable dense set).
Beyond the genetic lesions: Gene inactivation by promoter hypermethylation in human cancer

Genetic alterations in key genes are distinctive of a cancer cell. But the tumors also undergo other changes specific of the malignant transformation that do not affect the sequence of DNA. These are given the term epigenetic lesions, and the main one is aberrant methylation. In this review we focus in how promoter hypermethylation silences the expression of genes contributing to the neoplastic phenotype. Well recognized tumor suppressor genes such asp16/INK4a, BRCA1, Rb andVHL became hypermethylated in sporadic tumors with very selective patterns. Other genes recently characterized such asp14/ARF, LKB1, p73, E-cadherin andDAP-Kinase are also epigenetically inactivated in tumors. Furthermore, the methylation mediated silencing of DNA repair and detoxifier genes, such as the mismatch repair genehMLH1, the alkylrepairMGMT and the carcinogen-protectorGSTP1, may cause important genomic damage and mutations. All this recent data may provide a new avenue in how we understand the development, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
A Broadband ML-FMA for 3-D Periodic Green’s Function in 2-D Lattice Using Ewald Summation

A periodic fast multipole algorithm (P-FMA) is devised for evaluating 3-D periodic Green’s function (PGF) for a 2-D lattice which can be used to solve scattering by a structure with 2-D periodicity. The introduction of periodicity in the Green’s function formulation produces image sources at each lattice site. Like multilevel FMA (ML-FMA), P-FMA takes advantage of the distance between image sources and observation points to factorize the field using multipoles. By substituting known factorizations of the free-space Green’s function into the expression for PGF, one can isolate the summation over the lattice into the translation phase of the FMA. For both plane wave and multipole factorizations, a common term known as lattice constant appears. The lattice constant is an infinite sum over the lattice which does not converge absolutely when expressed as a spatial sum. Using the Ewald summation technique, the lattice constants can be evaluated with exponential convergence and high accuracy. The resulting P-FMA is between $\mathcal {O}(N)$ and $\mathcal {O}(N\log N)$ in memory use and computational complexity, depending on the object size relative to the wavelength.
Correlates of Dietary Adherence and Maladaptive Eating Patterns Following Roux-en-Y Bariatric Surgery

Self-reported poor dietary adherence following bariatric surgery is associated with less successful weight loss outcomes. Poor dietary adherence is a global construct lacking specificity regarding its underlying, clinically targetable, maladaptive eating behaviors. Comprehensive online survey data were obtained from a sample of 274 adults who underwent Roux-en-Y surgery in the prior 1–12 years. Correlations between dietary adherence and six eating-related behaviors were calculated, with the frequency of each behavior reported on a 7-point scale. Linear regression modeling was applied. All six maladaptive eating behaviors were highly correlated with dietary adherence (Pearson’s r > 0.5): grazing (r = − 0.565), mindless eating (r = − 0.572), loss of control eating (r = − 0.517), eating “more than is best” after dinner (r = − 0.518), eating foods off of one’s plan (r = − 0.557), and “when I eat something off-plan, I feel like I have blown it and I give up and eat more” (r = − 0.574). The estimated regression coefficients in the linear model was statistically significant, [F(5, 261) = 60.006, p < 0.001] and accounted for approximately 54% of the variance of global dietary adherence (R 2 = 0.535, adjusted R 2 = 0.526). Six maladaptive eating behaviors accounted for a highly significant portion of post-Roux-en-Y patients’ poor self- reported dietary adherence. Prospective studies are needed to investigate the relationship between targetable maladaptive eating behaviors and bariatric surgery outcomes.
A descriptive analysis of self-injury in community settings: exploring behaviour-behaviour contingencies.

BACKGROUND Self-injurious behaviour (SIB) is a treatment-resistant aberrant behaviour that significantly impacts the lives of people with intellectual disabilities (ID). Direct observations of SIB under naturally occurring conditions can inform the unique structural properties of these behaviours, and the contexts in which they occur. While previous applications of sequential analyses have identified strong temporal associations between instances of SIB, they have relied on methods that do not adequately control for chance sequencing and may mask within-participant variability by pooling data across contexts and response topographies. We applied a new sequential analysis method to quantify SIB-SIB contingencies within and across topographies for individuals with ID in community settings. We also explored the extent to which the direction and strength of SIB-SIB contingencies varied by context. METHOD Seven individuals with chronic SIB were video-recorded during their daily routines. A continuous, timed-event data collection system was used to measure frequencies of five topographies of SIB and duration of staff interactions. We used an event lag with pauses sequential analysis method to estimate SIB-SIB contingencies within and across topographies and during times with and without staff interaction. RESULTS Positive SIB-SIB contingencies were identified for all participants, with contingency strengths varying among participants and topographies. The strength and direction of the SIB-SIB contingencies also varied by the presence and absence of staff interaction. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest the direction and strength of SIB-SIB contingencies may be fluid based on the presence or absence of certain environmental context variables. Evaluating SIB-SIB contingencies under different environmental conditions may help identify contexts in which SIB is likely to persist.
Depression is associated with dimensional and categorical effects on white matter pathways.

Background Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies report reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, whether FA covaries with key depressive symptoms, such as anhedonia, is unclear. Methods Magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired from 38 unmedicated adults with MDD and 52 healthy controls. DTI metrics were extracted from regions of interest that have consistently shown reduced FA in MDD. Analyses focused first on identifying group differences, and then determining whether reduced FA in depressed adults was related to individual differences in anhedonia and depressive severity. To establish specificity to depression, these analyses controlled for symptoms of anxiety. Results Relative to controls, depressed adults showed reduced FA in the genu of the corpus callosum, the anterior limb of the internal capsule (ALIC), the cingulum bundle near the anterior cingulate cortex, and the uncinate fasciculus (UF). In the depressed group, anhedonia negatively correlated with FA in the genu, cingulum, and UF, but positively correlated with radial diffusivity (RD)-a metric previously linked to demyelination-in the genu and ALIC. Depressive severity positively correlated with RD in the ALIC. These relationships remained significant after accounting for anxiety. Conclusion Anhedonia was positively correlated with reduced FA and increased RD in white matter pathways that connect regions critical for value coding, representing stimulus-reward associations, and guiding value-based action selection. Thus, a cardinal symptom of MDD-anhedonia-was lawfully related to abnormalities in reward network connectivity.
“CHOKING UNDER PRESSURE” IN OLDER DRIVERS

Aging can impair executive control and emotion regulation, affecting driver decision-making and behavior, especially under stress. We used an interactive driving simulator to investigate ability to make safe left-turns across oncoming traffic under pressure in 13 older (> 65 years old) and 16 middle-aged (35-56 years old) drivers. Drivers made left-turns at an uncontrolled intersection with moderately heavy oncoming traffic. Gaps between oncoming vehicles varied and increased gradually from 2 s to 10 s. Drivers made two left-turns with a vehicle honking aggressively behind (pressure condition), and two left-turns without the honking vehicle (control condition). Results showed that middle-aged drivers made more cautious turning decisions under pressure (by waiting for larger and safer gaps, p < .001), but older drivers did not. Further, older driver turning paths deviated under pressure compared to the control condition (p < .05), but the middle-aged group did not. Moreover, across all subjects, better executive function was significantly correlated with larger increases of accepted gap size from control to honking (p < .01). The findings suggest that older drivers are more sensitive to traffic challenges from environmental pressure and that neural models of older driver performance and safety must factor in age-related changes in executive control and emotion processing.
Proposal of a Computing Model Using GRID Resources for the JEM-EUSO Space Mission

For High Energy Physics (HEP) experiments the huge amount of data and complex analysis algorithms require the use of advanced GRID computational resources. Therefore, an exhaustive analysis of computational requirements and resources, in the frame of the GRID architecture, intended for the JEM-EUSO space mission software and computing infrastructure has been performed. Moreover solutions to account for the software and data repositories as well as a proper administrative organization are pointed out.
Essay #12: Laws of Excluded Middle and a Temporal Dilemma

This essay begins with a brief discussion of Borges’ short story “The Garden of Forking Paths”. The interest of the story is that it imagines a world in which the protagonist violates logical laws by simultaneously both performing and not performing a certain action at the same time. The essay proceeds by formulating a four-fold taxonomy, for understanding laws of excluded middle, viz. (I) Pragmatic versions, (II) Semantic versions, (III) Syntactic versions, and (IV) Ontological versions. Drawing on Aristotle, Gottlob Frege, Bertrand Russell, G.E. Moore, and Nicholas Rescher instances of these four categories are compared and contrasted.
Performance evaluation and parametric study of elastomer seal in conventional hanger assembly

Abstract Seal assembly is a critical component of wellhead for maintaining well integrity. Failure of seal assembly is often cited as a cause for well control incidents. Comprehensive review of existing literature and industry standards and guidelines indicate that limited information is available in public domain on functional aspects and fitness for service evaluation of elastomer hanger seal assembly. This work presents finite element modelling approach to evaluate performance and fitness-for-service of conventional elastomer hanger seal assembly. Three-dimensional computer models consisting of liner, casing, and seal assembly elements were used for this purpose. Sealability was assessed in terms of the contact stress generated at the seal-pipe interface. An analytical model was used to validate and confirm accuracy of FEA results. Parametric analyses were performed and operating curves were generated to understand the behavior of elastomer seal considering different design parameters, such as dimensions and material properties. Sensitivity analysis was performed to identify critical design parameters. Seal annular fit, amount of energization, elastic modulus, and Poisson's ratio were observed to be the most critical factors affecting sealability. All major predictors were incorporated into an empirical correlation that can be used to estimate contact pressure with ±2% error. Based on all the simulation results, recommendations are provided that will help industry/regulators alike in designing and assessing “fitness-for-service” of seal assemblies.
Subgrid Precipitation Properties of Mesoscale Atmospheric Systems Represented by MODIS Cloud Regimes

AbstractThe distribution of mesoscale precipitation exhibits diverse patterns: precipitation can be intense but sporadic, or it can be light but widespread. This range of behaviors is a reflection ...
Abstract 478: Small Molecule ICG-001, Sodium Butyrate, and Retinoic Acid Enhanced Direct Cardiac Reprogramming of Induced Cardiomyocytes (iCMs)

Background: Reprogramming of cardiac fibroblasts into induced cardiomyocyte-like cells (iCMs) in situ represents a promising strategy for cardiac regeneration. A combination of three cardiac transc...
HIV exceptionalism: development through disease in Sierra Leone

Why do HIV/AIDS intervention programs that “aim to mitigate the effects of the disease among HIV-positive people” end up “entrenching and reinforcing HIV’s exceptional status (9)?” What assumptions...
Effect of Surface Alignment on Connectivity in Phosphonium-Containing Diblock Copolymer Anion-Exchange Membranes

The performance of ion exchange membranes in fuel cells is critically linked to its ion-conducting morphology. In this report, we analyzed the connectivity of anion exchange membranes (AEMs) by electrostatic force microscopy (EFM). As a tapping-mode AFM based technique, EFM probes height, phase, and electrostatic force gradient imagines through two-pass interleave scans, which reveals the direct relationship between membrane surface morphology and connectivity of the ionic domain. The AEMs are diblock copolymers of a polyisoprene (PIp) block and a polystyrenic block containing phosphonium ion (P(R3P+)MS). Different alignments of cylinders were observed in bulk, and on surface for AEMs with different ion exchange capacity (IEC) and preparation methods. The impacts of the cylinder alignment on the connectivity of the ionic domain were then investigated by EFM. For AEM 13 with parallel aligned cylinders on the surface, many disconnected regions were observed throughout the membrane. In contrast, the perpendi...
The role of vitamin D in patients with oral and oropharyngeal cancers

Objectives Vitamin D is an essential hormone involved in calcium and bone homeostasis and has also been shown to modulate critical aspects of innate and adaptive immunity. The associations among human papilloma virus (HPV) infection, vitamin D, and oral and oropharyngeal cancer (OOPC) have yet to be described; we propose to address this gap in knowledge by exploring the relationship between serum vitamin D levels, cancer site, and HPV status in a cohort of patients with OOPC. Study Design A retrospective chart review of patients seen at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute from January 1999 to December 2017 was conducted. Data collected included patient demographic characteristics, vitamin D serum levels, oncologic history, and HPV-16 status (polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry for p16). Patients with vitamin D serum levels obtained within 1 year before and 1 year after the OOPC diagnosis were included in this analysis. Vitamin D levels less than 20 ng/mL and less than 30 ng/mL were considered deficient and insufficient, respectively. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the relationship between vitamin D serum levels, HPV-16 status, and site of cancer. A P value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results One hundred and twenty-three patients were included (70.7% males; n = 87; median age 62 years; range 27–91 years). Eighty-nine patients were diagnosed with OPC (72.3%) and 34 (27.6%) with oral cancer (OC). The most prevalent sites were the base of the tongue (34%; n = 42) and tonsils (28.4%; n = 35). Of the tumors tested for HPV-16 (n = 64), 78.1% were positive. Median vitamin D serum level was 30 ng/mL (range 6–82 ng/mL); 19.5% (n = 24) of individuals were deficient in vitamin D, 30% (n = 37) had insufficient levels, and the remainder of patients had sufficient serum vitamin D levels. Neither OC/OPC nor HPV-16 status in OPC was significantly correlated with vitamin D serum level in this cohort (P > .05). Conclusions In our cohort, vitamin D serum levels did not seem to play a role in HPV-positive OPC, OC, or OPC in general. Further larger studies are needed to evaluate the potential association between vitamin D deficiency and head and neck cancer risk.
Platelet Function Testing with a VerifyNow-Directed Personalized Antiplatelet Strategy and Associated Rates of Thromboembolic Complications After Pipeline Embolization for Complex Cerebral Aneurysms.

Background VerifyNow-directed personalized antiplatelet therapy for aneurysm embolization with a Pipeline Embolization Device (PED) remains controversial. Evaluate thrombotic complications between patients who received VerifyNow-directed personalized antiplatelet therapy versus those who did not after PED flow diversion of complex cerebral aneurysms. Methods This was a retrospective cohort of consecutive patients undergoing flow diversion with PED at the Medical University of South Carolina between January 2012 and May 2018. Patients who received VerifyNow-directed personalized antiplatelet therapy were compared with those who received antiplatelet therapy without platelet function testing. Patients with a P2Y12 reaction unit (PRU) ≥194 were deemed to be clopidogrel hyporesponsive. The primary outcome is the rate of thrombotic complications, and the secondary outcomes are the rate of hemorrhagic and thrombotic complications stratified by PRU and high-risk clinical and procedure-related candidate predictors. Results Thrombotic complications were not different between patients managed with (n = 159) versus without (n = 110) VerifyNow (6.9% vs. 7.3%; P = 0.911). Hemorrhagic complications were also no different (3.1% vs. 4.5%; P = 0.550). PRU stratification revealed no difference in thrombotic or hemorrhagic complications (P = 0.488 and P = 0.136, respectively). The only significant predictors for thrombotic complications were the presence of diabetes (OR 2.9; P = 0.034), obesity (OR 5.1; P ≤ 0.001), fusiform aneurysm (OR 3.3; P = 0.023), posterior circulation implantation (OR 3.4; P = 0.016), and >1 PED implanted (OR 2.4; P = 0.046). Conclusions The role of VerifyNow and personalized antiplatelet therapy in patients undergoing flow diversion with PED to treat complex aneurysms did not demonstrate a benefit in reducing thrombotic complications.
Editorial: 50 Years of Opioid Research and the International Narcotics Research Conference.

In the past 50 years, scientists have made considerable strides towards understanding how opioids act. This special issue of Molecular Pharmacology celebrates these 50 years of opioid research and the role that the International Narcotics Research Conference has played in driving this research, by bringing together review and original research articles that present historical highlights, the current state of the art, and perspectives on the future of opioid research. Significance Statement Opioids have been used for thousands of years to manage pain and cause euphoria, but their use has been highly limited due to serious side effects. Deciphering the mechanisms of how opioids mediate beneficial and adverse physiological outcomes is essential for developing better treatments for pain and for opioid addiction.
Monte Carlo Simulations of Thermal-Nonthermal Radiation from a Neutron Star Magnetospheric Accretion Shell

We discuss the space- and time-dependent Monte Carlo code we have developed to simulate the relativistic radiation output from compact astrophysical objects, coupled to a Fokker-Planck code to determine the self-consistent lepton populations. We have applied this code to model the emission from a magnetized neutron star accretion shell near the Alfven radius, reprocessing the radiation from the neutron star surface. We explore the parameter space defined by the accretion rate, stellar surface field, and level of wave turbulence in the shell. Our results are relevant to the emission from atoll sources, soft X-ray-transients containing weakly magnetized neutron stars, and recently suggested models of accretion-powered emission from anomalous X-ray pulsars.
Improving Accuracy of Nuclei Segmentation by Reducing Histological Image Variability BMI 260 - Spring 2017

Abstract Cancer is the second leading cause of death in United States. Early diagnosis of this disease is essential for many types of treatment. Cancer is most accurately observed by pathologists using tissue biopsy. In the past, evaluation of tissue samples was done manually, but to improve efficiency and ensure consistent quality, there has been a push to evaluate these algorithmically. One important task in histological analysis is the segmentation and evaluation of nuclei. Nuclear morphology is important to understand the grade and progression of cancer. Convolutional neural networks (CNN) were used to segment train models for nuclei segmentation. Stains are used to highlight cellular features. However, there is significant variability in imaging of stained slides due to differences in stain, slide preparation and slide storage. This make automated methods challenging to implement across different datasets. This paper evaluates four stain normalization methods to reduce the variability between slides. Nuclear segmentation accuracy was evaluated for each normalized method. Baseline segmentation accuracy was improved by more than 50% of its base value as measured by the AUC and Recall. We believe this is the first study to look at the impact of four stain normalization approaches (histogram equalization, Reinhart, Macenko, Khan) on segmentation accuracy.
Bayesian accuracy analysis of stochastic circuits

Understanding accuracy and the tradeoffs it entails is key to evaluating the growing list of stochastic computing (SC) circuit designs. Due to shortcomings of current SC error theory, simulation has become the standard way to estimate a circuit's accuracy. However, simulation can demand large computational resources and lead to uncertain, misleading, or unexplainable results. A soundly based analytic approach is therefore preferable to simulation. In this work, we first show the input value distribution's large influence on circuit accuracy. Then we develop a Bayesian error analysis methodology which uses the input value distribution as a prior to inform better accuracy estimates. This error formulation introduces concepts new to SC such as estimator dominance and points to ways of improving simulation-based accuracy estimates. Orthogonal to the Bayesian ideas, we also show how to use bias-variance decomposition to simplify and aggregate the effects of SC's many error sources. We present techniques that use the beta distribution to model the stochastic number value distribution. Finally, we demonstrate the use of these ideas to improve the accuracy and analysis of an SC-based neural network.
Giant Congenital Blue Nevus Presenting as Cutis Verticis Gyrata: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Objectives:Cerebriform intradermal nevus and giant congenital blue nevi are rarely reported melanocytic nevi with clinical and histopathologic similarities. Both are known to produce cutis verticis...
Business Groups in Spain: Regulation and Ideology Drivers for Transformation

I analyze the drivers of the emergence and transformation of business groups in advanced countries. Based on the analysis of the transformation of Spanish business groups in the 20th and 21st centuries, I complement the traditional explanations for the existence of business groups (weak institutions and a closed economy) with two novel explanations (industry regulation and owner ideology). I separate business groups into four types based on their ownership (state-owned, bank-owned, family-owned, and labor-owned) to discuss differences in the drivers of their existence. First, state-owned business groups emerge as a result of the ideology of national economic development and import substitution, reduce in scope with pro-market reforms, but continue to exist in line with the ideology of social stability and strategic development. Second, bank-owned business groups emerge as a result of industry regulations, and decline sharply with the deregulation of the industry after pro-market reforms. Third, family-owned business groups emerge to take advantage of growth opportunities in a closed economy with weak institutions, but refocus their activities in response to competitive pressures after pro-market reforms. Finally, labor-owned business groups emerge as a result of an ideology of social development and solidarity, and continue in existence after pro-market reforms in line with their ideology.