cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A role for primary cilia in aortic valve development and disease.

Background Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) disease is the most common congenital heart defect, affecting 0.5-1.2% of the population and causing significant morbidity and mortality. Only a few genes have been identified in pedigrees, and no single gene model explains BAV inheritance, thus supporting a complex genetic network of interacting genes. However, patients with rare syndromic diseases that stem from alterations in the structure and function of primary cilia ("ciliopathies") exhibit BAV as a frequent cardiovascular finding, suggesting primary cilia may factor broadly in disease etiology. Results Our data are the first to demonstrate that primary cilia are expressed on aortic valve mesenchymal cells during embryonic development and are lost as these cells differentiate into collagen-secreting fibroblastic-like cells. The function of primary cilia was tested by genetically ablating the critical ciliogenic gene Ift88. Loss of Ift88 resulted in abrogation of primary cilia and increased fibrogenic extracellular matrix (ECM) production. Consequentially, stratification of ECM boundaries normally present in the aortic valve were lost and a highly penetrant BAV phenotype was evident at birth. Conclusions Our data support cilia as a novel cellular mechanism for restraining ECM production during aortic valve development and broadly implicate these structures in the etiology of BAV disease in humans. Developmental Dynamics 246:625-634, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Lithium-Ion Insertion Properties of Solution-Exfoliated Germanane

The high theoretical energy density of alloyed lithium and germanium (Li15Ge4), 1384 mAh/g, makes germanium a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries. However, common alloy anode architectures suffer from long-term instability upon repetitive charge–discharge cycles that arise from stress-induced degradation upon lithiation (volume expansion >300%). Here, we explore the use of the two-dimensional nanosheet structure of germanane to mitigate stress from high volume expansion and present a facile method for producing stable single-to-multisheet dispersions of pure germanane. Purity and degree of exfoliation were assessed with scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. We measured representative germanane battery electrodes to have a reversible Li-ion capacity of 1108 mAh/g when cycled between 0.1 and 2 V vs Li/Li+. These results indicate germanane anodes are capable of near-theoretical-maximum energy storage, perform well at high cycling rates, and can...
Structure and Function of G-Protein-Coupled Receptors: Lessons from Recent Crystal Structures

Publisher Summary This chapter explains the structure and function of G-protein-coupled receptors and describes the experimental results from studies conducted on recent crystal structures. Recent reports of crystal structures of additional G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and of a ligand-free opsin provide an opportunity to compare and contrast modes of ligand binding and G-protein activation among the entire superfamily of heptahelical receptors. GPCR signaling complexes are allosteric machines. Agonist receptor ligands outside of the cell induce guanine-nucleotide exchange on a heterotrimeric guanine-nucleotide binding regulatory protein (G protein) inside of the cell where the ligand binding site on the receptor and the nucleotide binding site and the G protein are in the order of 8–10 nm or more apart. Receptor phosphorylation by receptor-specific kinases and the binding of various cellular adaptor proteins also regulates receptor desensitization, internalization, sequestration, and recycling. The concepts of affinity and efficacy are used to describe the pharmacology of a drug (ligand). Affinity refers to the ability of the drug to bind to its molecular target, and efficacy refers to the ability of a drug to induce a biological response in its molecular target. Recent research suggests that the crystal structures of the β2AR provide an excellent data set to carry out a detailed analysis of ligand binding principles in Family A GPCRs. The challenge in the area of research that now remains is to obtain the structure of the complex between an agonist-bound GPCR and a G protein.
A developmental‐based motivational intervention to reduce alcohol and marijuana use among non‐treatment‐seeking young adults: a randomized controlled trial

Aims To test the hypothesis that among non-treatment-seeking emerging adults (EA) who both use marijuana and have alcohol binges, a brief, longitudinally delivered, developmentally based motivational intervention would show greater reductions in the use of these two substances compared with a health education control condition. Design Parallel, two-group, randomized controlled trial with follow-up interventions conducted at 1, 3, 6 and 9 months and final assessments at 12 and 15 months. Setting Hospital-based research unit in the United States. Participants Community-based 18–25-year-olds who reported at least monthly binge drinking and at least weekly marijuana use. Intervention Motivational intervention (EA-MI) focused primarily on themes of emerging adulthood (identity exploration, instability, self-focus, feeling in-between, a sense of possibilities) and the subjects' relationship to substance use (n = 110) compared with an attention-matched health education control condition (n = 116). Measurements The primary outcomes were days of binge alcohol, marijuana and dual use day as measured using the timeline follow-back method analysing the treatment by time interaction to determine relative differences in the rate of change between intervention arms. Findings At baseline, the mean rate (days/30) of binge drinking was 5.23 (± 4.31) of marijuana use was 19.4 (± 10.0) and of dual (same day) use was 4.11 (± 4.13). Relative to baseline, there were reductions in the rate of binge alcohol use, marijuana use and days of combined binge alcohol and marijuana use (P < 0.001) at all follow-up assessments. However, the treatment × time interaction was not statistically significant for alcohol (P = 0.37), for marijuana (P = 0.07) or for dual use (P = 0.55). Averaged over all follow-ups, mean reductions in binge, marijuana and dual use days were 1.16, 1.45 and 1.08, respectively, in the health education arm, and 1.06, 1.69 and 0.96 in EA-MI. Bayes factors were < 0.01 for frequency of binge alcohol use and frequency of dual binge alcohol and marijuana and 0.016 for marijuana use. Conclusions A brief, longitudinally delivered, developmentally based motivational intervention for young adults did not produce reductions in binge alcohol, marijuana use or dual use days relative to a control condition.
Movement augmentation to evaluate human control of locomotor stability

Controlling center of mass (COM) position and velocity within a dynamic base of support is essential for gait stability. This skill is often compromised following neurologic injury, creating a need to develop effective interventions to enhance gait stability. A movement augmentation paradigm applied to walking could potentially be used to improve control of COM dynamics. We have developed a cable robot system, the Agility Trainer, to apply continuous frontal-plane forces to the pelvis during treadmill walking. This cable robot system uses a set of series elastic actuators powered by linear motors to create bilateral forces. Here we use the Agility Trainer to create a negative viscosity force field proportional to the subject's lateral velocity. Two healthy young subjects performed two 10-minute walking trials, Baseline and Negative Viscosity. During the first minute of walking in the Negative Viscosity field, participants' lateral COM motion became less controlled when compared to the rhythmic sinusoidal motion observed during Baseline walking. By the 10th minute of walking in the Negative Viscosity field the participants had adapted their gait patterns, decreasing their variation in peak lateral COM speed each stride. These results demonstrate that it is feasible to use the Agility Trainer to apply a movement augmentation paradigm to human walking.
Ensemble Hail Prediction for the Storms of 10 May 2010 in South-Central Oklahoma Using Single- and Double-Moment Microphysical Schemes

AbstractExplicit prediction of hail using numerical weather prediction models remains a significant challenge; microphysical uncertainties and errors are a significant contributor to this challenge. This study assesses the ability of storm-scale ensemble forecasts using single-moment Lin or double-moment Milbrandt and Yau microphysical schemes in predicting hail during a severe weather event over south-central Oklahoma on 10 May 2010. Radar and surface observations are assimilated using an ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) at 5-min intervals. Three sets of ensemble forecasts, launched at 15-min intervals, are then produced from EnKF analyses at times ranging from 30 min prior to the first observed hail to the time of the first observed hail. Forty ensemble members are run at 500-m horizontal grid spacing in both EnKF assimilation cycles and subsequent forecasts. Hail forecasts are verified using radar-derived products including information from single- and dual-polarization radar data: maximum estimated size ...
Linear regression based multi-state logic decomposition approach for efficient hardware implementation

Multi-state logic presents a promising avenue for more-than-Moore scaling, since efficient implementation of multi-valued logic (MVL) can significantly reduce switching and interconnection requirements and result in significant benefits compared to binary CMOS. So far, traditional approaches lag behind binary CMOS due to: (a) reliance on logic decomposition approaches [4][5][6] that result in many multi-valued minterms [4], complex polynomials [5], and decision diagrams [6], which are difficult to implement, and (b) emulation of multi-valued computation and communication through binary switches and medium that require data conversion, and large circuits. In this paper, we propose a fundamentally different approach for MVL decomposition, merging concepts from data science and nanoelectronics to tackle the problems, (a) First, we do linear regression on all inputs and outputs of a multivalued function, and find an expression that fits most input and output combinations. For unmatched combinations, we do successive regressions to find linear expressions. Next, using our novel visual pattern matching technique, we find conditions based on input and output conditions to select each expression. These expressions along with associated selection criteria ensure that for all possible inputs of a specific function, correct output can be reached. Our selection of regression model to find linear expressions, coefficients and conditions allow efficient hardware implementation. We discuss an approach for solving problem (b) and show an example of quaternary sum circuit. Our estimates show 65.6% saving of switching components compared with a 4-bit CMOS adder.
Climate Commons Law, The Transformative Force of the Paris Agreement

Can international law continue to bind the U.S. to reduce carbon emissions after it terminates the Paris Climate Agreement? President Trump’s recent statement that the U.S. immediately will halt implementation of the Paris Agreement lends urgency to this question: meeting global carbon emission reduction goals in accordance with the Paris Agreement would be close to impossible without U.S. participation. Global leaders have expressed outrage at the U.S. announcement, insisting that the U.S. continue to make efforts to meet its Paris goals. Despite the practical importance of the question, the scant scholarship on the topic so far has failed to provide a realistic path to hold the U.S. legally accountable for a defection from its Paris Agreement commitments. Part of the literature highlights the lack of substantive U.S. legal constraint under the law of treaties. The remainder proposes purely political processes to entice the U.S. to cooperate with global climate efforts. This Article for the first time theorizes that the question can be answered by focusing on the legal significance of global reliance on the U.S.’ Paris Agreement commitments. It submits that the Paris Agreement was built to encourage strong reliance interests. The U.S. acted to foster reliance upon its commitment to the Paris Agreement goals. Other states in turn relied upon representations by the U.S. By inducing other states to rely upon its commitments, the U.S. has now become bound under the international law of unilateral declarations to meet these commitments. The Article further submits that continued and ambitious state practice to reduce carbon emissions in reliance upon global Paris Agreement commitments will give rise to a new rule of customary international law. This rule of customary international law will obligate each state, including the U.S., equitably and proportionately to contribute to global carbon emission reduction efforts. The Article shows that (1) the U.S. has bound itself by an international law unilateral declaration to continue to reduce carbon emissions notwithstanding President Trump’s recent statement of intent to the contrary; (2) sufficiently many states have relied upon U.S. action to deny the U.S. the ability to terminate its unilateral commitment for at least four years; and (3) if a sufficient number of states have met or exceeded their own commitments by that time, the U.S. will become bound permanently by a carbon custom to continue to fulfill its initial commitments and to match the trajectory set by customary international development. The Article thus demonstrates that, consistent with the initial reaction to the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, existing commitments by the U.S. to reduce carbon emissions in the implementation of the Paris Agreement have more than political force at international law.
Consumer Perception of Food Preservation Techniques

Food preservation techniques have enabled consumers to select a variety of nutritional, safe and flavorful foods that can be used to create an appealing meal in minimum time. While consumers value these attributes, many do not realize that preserved foods retain significant nutritional value and may be as safe or safer than their fresh equivalent. Consumers respond positively to information that emphasizes product benefits. A communication approach built on an understanding of consumer concerns, utilizes consumer information sources, and delivered by trusted sources can increase consumer acceptance of food preserved by traditional as well as innovative methods.
Inefficient Metabolism of the Human Milk Oligosaccharides Lacto-N-tetraose and Lacto-N-neotetraose Shifts Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis Physiology

Breast milk contains a high concentration of indigestible oligosaccharides, which likely mediated the coevolution of the nursing infant with its gut microbiome. Specifically, Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis (B. infantis) often colonizes the infant gut and utilizes these human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) to enrich their abundance. In this study, the physiology and mechanisms underlying B. infantis utilization of two HMO isomers lacto-N-tetraose (LNT) and lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT) was investigated in addition to their carbohydrate constituents. Both LNT and LNnT utilization induced a significant shift in the ratio of secreted acetate to lactate (1.7-2.0) in contrast to the catabolism of their component carbohydrates (~1.5). Inefficient metabolism of LNnT prompts B. infantis to shunt carbon towards formic acid and ethanol secretion. The global transcriptome presents genomic features differentially expressed to catabolize these two HMO species that vary by a single glycosidic linkage. Furthermore, a measure of strain-level variation exists between B. infantis isolates. Regardless of strain, inefficient HMO metabolism induces the metabolic shift towards formic acid and ethanol production. Thus differential metabolism of milk glycans potentially drives the emergent physiology of host-microbial interactions to impact infant health.
Revised Uniform Laws on Notarial Acts

The legal, technological, and structural components are in place to allow the legal community to embark on the process of creating a uniform real property recording act. Certain jurisdictions have started the process by adopting various provisions allowing counties to implement electronic recording systems. These provisions are, however, disparate and inconsistent. Given the inconsistencies in the manner in which the electronic recording systems are developing, national commercial and lending practices would have a difficult time attempting to comply with all the possible permutations. In the near future, Fannie Mae, the Property Records Industry Association, and the Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization should set forth a single generally-accepted protocol for the format of electronic documents and electronic signatures. Thereafter, one can project a substantial and immediate "push" to establish electronic recording on a national scale. The promulgation of a Uniform Acton electronic recording would also promote national uniformity. It would provide a framework for an enactment by each state that would assure a single national recording structure.
Characterization of gastric mucosal membranes. II. Lipid compositions of purified gastric mitochondria from pig, rabbit and frog.

Abstract 1. 1. The lipid compositions of purified mitochondrial fractions from the fundic mucosa of pig, rabbit and frog were determined. 2. 2. The total lipids expressed as mg lipid per 100 mg mitochondrial protein were approx. the same in pig and rabbit (13.4 and 15.5, respectively) and much higher than in frog (8.5). 3. 3. The levels of phospholipids were about the same in pig and frog (approx. 61% of the total lipid) and lower than rabbit (78%). However, the levels of cholesterol were significantly different in the three species and constituted 22, 9 and 18.2% of the total lipids in pig, rabbit and frog mitochondria, respectively. 4. 4. The glycolipid content in the mitochondrial lipids from pig, rabbit and frog were 7, 5.6 and 10.5%, respectively. 5. 5. Cardiolipin contributed from 5.6 to 7.5% of the total phospholipids in the various species. Phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine together accounted for 80–90% of the total phospholipids in the various species; the contribution of phosphatidylcholine being always higher than that of phosphatidylethanolamine. Small but significant amounts of phosphatidylinositol were present in all species. 6. 6. Generally, the predominant saturated fatty acid in the phospholipids was 16:0 from all species (except in phosphatidylethanolamine from pig and frog), and 18:1 and 18:2 were the predominant unsaturated fatty acids from all species. Sphingomyelin contained the highest amount of saturated fatty acids (over 80%) in both the species (pig and rabbit) studied.
“Open line of credit:” Under no borrowing constraints, how do young adults invest?

Students at the United States Naval Academy have the opportunity to take a “Career Starter Loan.” Two military-oriented banks provide these loans exogenously at a low interest rate that does not depend on individual credit scores. Using survey data, this paper examines investment behavior in relation to risk profiles, self-reported planning horizons, and other individual characteristics. The data offers novel insights into the investment behavior of college-aged individuals, an infrequently studied group in behavioral finance. Simple OLS and Tobit models reveal that: (1) cognitive ability is strongly and positively associated with more investment and riskier choices; (2) demographic background characteristics relate to investment behavior, as respondents from wealthier backgrounds invest more and with more risk; (3) individuals with superior financial literacy tend to invest more, typically in equity markets; (4) personality traits, such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and planning horizon length, can also predict investment behavior. Lastly, we explore a notion of “investment exuberance” to see which factors might relate to young investors’ confidence in their choices.
Barbarians at the Gates? A Reply to the Critics of the Victims' Rights Amendment

The next Amendment to our Constitution will likely be the Victims' Rights Amendment, which provides a bill of rights for victims of crime. As the amendment has moved closer to passage, its critics have raised various objections. This article responds to the critics, concluding that the Victims' Rights Amendment would properly recognize victims' compelling interests in the criminal justice process. Part I of the article reviews normative objections to the Amendment, concluding that the amendment will harm neither the legitimate interests of defendants nor prosecutors. For example, victims can be given the right to make "impact" statements at sentencing without harming the fairness of the process. Part II responds to those who have argued that the amendment is "unnecessary," explaining the undeniable practical problems that victims face in attempting to secure their rights without federal constitutional protection. Part III turns to structural objections to the amendment, explaining why the protection of the rights of victims to participate in the criminal justice process is an appropriate subject for a constitutional amendment.
Closed-Form Solution for Synchrophasor Data Correction under GPS Spoofing Attack

Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) are increasingly being deployed to augment monitoring, protection and control applications in the power grid. PMUs rely on the Global Positioning System (GPS) for generation of time-synchronized and accurate measurements. However, civilian GPS signals, being unencrypted, are susceptible to GPS spoofing attacks (GSA). Hence ensuring the integrity of GPS-timing dependent synchrophasor data has become critical. In this paper, a closed-form analytical solution for estimating the GSA phase shift has been proposed and integrated to the spoofing detection & correction framework. Extensive simulations have been performed in order to verify the accuracy of the solution in determining the location and the phase shift of the compromised PMU. Time domain dynamic simulations presented in this paper demonstrate the applicability of the proposed solution for near-real-time detection of GSA, and this will enable faster detection and correction of phase angles of compromised synchrophasor data.
2018 Maurice Wilkes Award Given to Gabriel Loh

Gabriel Loh was the 2018 recipient of the ACM SIGARCH Maurice Wilkes award in recognition of his contributions to the advancement of die-stacked architectures. The Maurice Wilkes award is given annually to an early career researcher for an outstanding contribution to computer architecture.
Dormant independence

The construction of causal graphs from nonexperimental data rests on a set of constraints that the graph structure imposes on all probability distributions compatible with the graph. These constraints are of two types: conditional independencies and algebraic constraints, first noted by Verma. While conditional independencies are well studied and frequently used in causal induction algorithms, Verma constraints are still poorly understood, and rarely applied. In this paper we examine a special subset of Verma constraints which are easy to understand, easy to identify and easy to apply; they arise from "dormant independencies," namely, conditional independencies that hold in interventional distributions. We give a complete algorithm for determining if a dormant independence between two sets of variables is entailed by the causal graph, such that this independence is identifiable, in other words if it resides in an interventional distribution that can be predicted without resorting to interventions. We further show the usefulness of dormant independencies in model testing and induction by giving an algorithm that uses constraints entailed by dormant independencies to prune extraneous edges from a given causal graph.
Surgical management of traumatic disruption of the descending aorta.

Abstract During an 11 1/2-year period, 20 consecutive patients presenting with a traumatic disruption of the proximal descending aorta underwent an emergency operative repair. The mean age was 26 years (range 15 to 62), and 13 (65%) were male. Associated injuries were frequent and required additional major operative procedures in half of the cases. Two patients died as a result of associated intracranial injuries, for a hospital survival of 90%. The operative repair was accomplished by graft replacement of the involved segment of the aorta in all but one patient who underwent a primary repair. Simple aortic crossclamping was used in 8 patients (40%) and heparinless femoral-femoral venoarterial bypass in 12 patients (60%). Neither renal failure nor paraplegia in any of the patients. Four patients required thoracic reoperations. These results indicate that an aggressive multidisciplinary surgical approach can produce favorable results in patients with traumatic descending aortic injuries.
Potential Impact of Interventions to Enhance Retention in Care During Real-World HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Implementation.

Abstract Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has the potential to significantly reduce HIV incidence among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States. However, the extent to which suboptimal ...
A Balance Sheet Approach to a Financial System with Narrow Banking

This paper presents a balance sheet approach to understanding the reform of the financial system to include narrow banking. It was prepared for a conference at the Jerome Levy Economics Institute of Bard College, June 23-28, 1991.
Monte Carlo Simulation of High-Energy Electron Transport in Silicon: Is There a Short-Cut to Happiness?

Impact ionization and injection into the SiO2 gate insulator, the most commonly studied phenomena in the context of hot-electron transport in Si devices, have been investigated using a large variety of physical models, from full-band Monte Carlo simulations1,2, to parabolic-band approximations coupled to Monte Carlo3 or simplified4,5 solution to the transport equation, to empirical fits to the electron energy distribution6–8, to analytic models based on Maxwellian distribution functions and the lucky-electron concept9. We have argued in the past10 that most of these attempts were premature, since we were still missing some basic knowledge of high-energy (> 1 eV) transport in Si. A look at the top frames of Fig. 1 clarifies the reasons of our past pessimism: Even restricting ourselves to publications dealing with ‘physically based’ Monte Carlo simulations, we see that a huge uncertainty existed, as recently as a few years ago, on our knowledge of the rates for the most important scattering processes for electrons in Si (with phonons1,11,12 and impact ionization12–17). While these models were tailored to reproduce a limited amount of experimental data under homogeneous conditions, it is clear that there was little hope of accurately predicting hot-electron transport in the most general situation.
End-Organ Physiology Under Continuous-Flow Mechanical Circulatory Support

Continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (CFVADs) are implantable pumps that support the heart when it is no longer capable of sustaining sufficient blood flow through the body. CFVADs available today are being used to bridge patients with end-stage heart failure to heart transplantation and/or for destination therapy, by enhancing myocardial and systemic end-organ perfusion. It has been demonstrated that in the lack of a donor heart, they can provide adequate systemic flow to a heart failure patient for up to 14+ years, and it is still counting. Nevertheless, the (patho-) physiological effects of the continuous and/or reduced pulsatile flow conditions on aortic valve functions and myocardial-renal-cerebral and gastrointestinal perfusion are not well understood. The main objective of this chapter is to provide a brief review about the complex interaction between continuous-flow cardiac assist devices and end-organ physiology under the light of recently published articles.
Tiny Publics and Social Worlds—Toward a Sociology of the Local. Gary Alan Fine in Conversation With Reiner Keller

Gary Alan FINE gehort weltweit zu den prominentesten Personlichkeiten der zeitgenossischen soziologischen Ethnografie. In diesem Gesprach spricht er uber Einflusse in seiner akademischen Laufbahn und pragende intellektuelle Entscheidungen. Er gilt als "serieller Ethnograf", der in zahlreichen Feldkontexten gearbeitet hat und dabei einerseits Kleingruppen und eine von Menschen bevolkerte Ethnografie favorisiert, sich andererseits mit Geruchten, Klatsch und moralischen Geschichten beschaftigt, die in kleinen und groseren Publiken erzahlt werden. FINE beschreibt sein theoretisches Kerninteresse als die Untersuchung des Wechselspiels von Struktur, Interaktion und Kultur. In seinem Werk analysiert er die vielfaltigen ortsgebundenen Arten und Weisen, in denen Gesellschaft von Menschen in formellen und informellen sozialen Settings verwirklicht wird, angefangen bei Baseballteams uber Restaurantkuchen oder die Wetterberichterstattung bis hin zum Schachspielen –um nur einige wenige Gegenstande seiner Forschungen zu nennen. Wesentlich beeinflusst durch symbolisch-interaktionistisches Denken und im Rekurs auf weitere wichtige Perspektiven auf soziale Welten pladiert er fur eine selbstbewusste Haltung der ethnografischen Forschung und des ethnografischen Schreibens sowie fur die Bedeutung der Konzeptarbeit in einer theorie-informierten empirischen Soziologie dessen, was Menschen zusammen tun.
Motivation and Determinants for Successful Engagement among Community-Dwelling Older Adults Participating in a Ballroom Dance Program

Dance is an enjoyable activity among older adults, but motivations and determinants for successful engagement are less understood. Our aim was to assess these factors among community-dwelling older...
A study protocol to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of the Clinical Nurse Leader Care Model in improving quality and safety outcomes

AimsPatients are harmed or die every year because of unsafe, inappropriate or inadequate healthcare delivery. Registered Nurses are a recognized patient safety strategy. However, variability in research findings indicate the relationship is not as simple as "more nurses=better outcomes." Hence, currently there exists no evidence-based frontline nursing care model. One emerging model is the Clinical Nurse Leader care model.DesignThis Hybrid Type II Implementation-Effectiveness study will evaluate the effect of the care model on standardized quality and safety outcomes and identify implementation characteristics that are sufficient and necessary to achieve outcomes.MethodsThis study leverages a natural experiment in 66 clinical care units in nine hospitals across five states in the United States that have implemented the Clinical Nurse Leader care model.ResultsFindings will elucidate Registered Nurse's mechanisms of action as organized into frontline models of care and link actions to improved care quality and safety.
The Placental Response to Guinea Pig Cytomegalovirus Depends Upon the Timing of Maternal Infection.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infects the placenta, and these placental infections can cause fetal injury and/or demise. The timing of maternal HCMV infection during pregnancy is a determinant of fetal outcomes, but how development affects the placenta’s susceptibility to infection, the likelihood of placental injury post-infection, and the frequency of transplacental HCMV transmission remains unclear. In this study, guinea pig cytomegalovirus (GPCMV) was used to model primary maternal infection and compare the effects of infection at two different times on the placenta. When guinea pigs were infected with GPCMV at either 21- or 35-days gestation (dGA), maternal and placental viral loads, as determined by droplet digital PCR, were not significantly affected by the timing of maternal infection. However, when the transcriptomes of gestational age-matched GPCMV-infected and control placentas were compared, significant infection-associated changes in gene expression were only observed after maternal infection at 35 dGA. Notably, transcripts associated with immune activation (e.g. Cxcl10, Ido1, Tgtp1, and Tlr8) were upregulated in the infected placenta. A GPCMV-specific in situ hybridization assay detected rare infected cells in the main placenta after maternal infection at either time, and maternal infection at 35 dGA also caused large areas of GPCMV-infected cells in the junctional zone. As GPCMV infection after mid-gestation is known to cause high rates of stillbirth and/or fetal growth restriction, our results suggest that the placenta becomes sensitized to infection-associated injury late in gestation, conferring an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes after cytomegalovirus infection.
Multi-objective characterization of an inflatable space structure with a quasi-static experimental deflation and finite element analysis

Abstract We propose a methodology for the multi-objective characterization of a light, single layer orthotropic fabric inflatable space structure. The presented approach focuses on a custom in-situ experimental quasi-static deflation, semi-empirical development of flow coefficients and structural integrity loss parameters as well as process validation with finite element analysis. The experiments are designed to investigate a collapse of a thin, deployable, one segmented inflatable structure caused by a simulated single leak and passive porous leakage through the fabric material. The acquisition of real time data with a custom designed standalone ambient conditions sensing platform and the wireless internal sensing unit furnishes pressures, temperatures, mass flow rates, dynamic strains and accelerations. Synchronously, geometric changes in the shape of the structure's representative area are recorded utilizing photogrammetry. The non-wireless and wireless outputs are treated with a series of smoothing, best-fitting and refining operations and combined with the corresponding sequence of active surface area photogrammetric results. The formulation of inflatable characterization parameters and a single leak/passive porous leakage structural integrity loss ratios allows for an in depth description of the inflatable structure behavior. A closer examination of the experimental data shows that the majority of the structural integrity loss ~97% is attributed to the sudden and relatively short leak due to puncture and the remaining ~3% to the slow and prolonged pressure loss caused by the passive porous areal leakage through the membrane. A semi-empirical framework based on a thermodynamic equilibrium produces sets of single leak, passive porous leakage and active area coefficients to be validated with the Ls-DYNA® finite element simulation of a polyurethane coated nylon fabric inflatable structure model. We use implicit and explicit fea of a control volume deflation to validate the aforementioned coefficient curves and constants. The subsequent comparison with the experimental internal temperature, internal pressure and mass flow rates results in a 1.83%, 0.61% and 1.19% difference respectively for the single leak events. The successive contrasting with the experimental internal temperature, internal pressure and active area produces 2.04%, 1.26% and 1.68% difference for the passive porous leakage respectively. We demonstrated that the multi-objective, structural integrity loss characterization techniques for the space structures have promising capabilities for the application in inflatable structures of diverse shapes and sizes.
Unrolling Particles: Unsupervised Learning of Sampling Distributions.

Particle filtering is used to compute good nonlinear estimates of complex systems. It samples trajectories from a chosen distribution and computes the estimate as a weighted average. Easy-to-sample distributions often lead to degenerate samples where only one trajectory carries all the weight, negatively affecting the resulting performance of the estimate. While much research has been done on the design of appropriate sampling distributions that would lead to controlled degeneracy, in this paper our objective is to \emph{learn} sampling distributions. Leveraging the framework of algorithm unrolling, we model the sampling distribution as a multivariate normal, and we use neural networks to learn both the mean and the covariance. We carry out unsupervised training of the model to minimize weight degeneracy, relying only on the observed measurements of the system. We show in simulations that the resulting particle filter yields good estimates in a wide range of scenarios.
Abstract W P310: National Trends in Carotid Artery Stenting and Endarterectomy by Sex, Race, and Region: 2007-2011

Background: CREST, a randomized trial comparing carotid artery stenting (CAS) with endarterectomy (CEA) in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients, reported in 2010 that the two procedures were similar for the composite endpoint of stroke, myocardial infarction, or death. Data on temporal trends in the use of these procedures in the US are limited, particularly by sex, race, and geographic region. We reviewed trends in utilization of CAS and CEA for ischemic stroke patients. Methods: Ischemic stroke hospitalizations (ICD-9 433, 434, 436) were identified for patients aged ≥18 years from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample 2007-2011 (N=480,375). Annual trends of CAS and CEA were estimated using mixed models that adjusted for patient age and comorbidities. Models were stratified by sex, race (white, black, other), and 9 geographic regions. Results: Overall, the proportion of stroke patients who received CAS remained relatively stable over time (2.7% in 2007 to 2.8% in 2011) while the proportion who received CEA decreased (from 21.0% to 16.3%). CAS rates increased in the three Central Regions (East North, East South, and West South) but decreased in New England; CEA declines were similar across regions. In adjusted analyses, CAS rates increased slightly for white men, decreased for men and women of other race, but remained stable for the remaining groups (Figure); CEA rates decreased for all sex-race groups. These patterns by sex and race subgroups were generally consistent across geographic regions. Conclusions: The proportion of hospitalized stroke patients receiving CEA decreased over time while CAS rates remained relatively stable, with slight increases seen in the Central regions of the US. There are sex-race differences in the proportion of patients who receive these procedures, but these patterns are largely similar across regions. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Data quality control theory and pragmatics

Contains 16 papers that emerged from the Survey Data Quality Control Workshop in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, April 1988. The volume is based on two premises: many useful data quality control practices have gone undocumented, and would benefit the quality control community; and better interaction among the
Hydroxyurea chemotherapy for unresectable or residual meningioma

Meningiomas represent 18-20% of all intracranial tumors and have a 10-year recurrence rate of 20-50%, despite aggressive surgery and irradiation. In addition, many tumors are not amenable to surgery due to their deep location or proximity to delicate structures. Chemotherapy is being explored as another potential treatment option for unresectable or refractory meningiomas. Hydroxyurea is an agent that inhibits ribonucleotide reductase and can induce apoptosis in meningioma cell cultures and animal models. We have placed 17 patients with unresectable or residual meningioma on hydroxyurea chemotherapy (20 mg/kg/d orally). The mean age of our cohort was 57.2 years; 13 patients were female. Eleven patients had actively growing tumors or neurological progression at the onset of chemotherapy. Sixteen patients were evaluable for response. Fourteen of the 16 patients (88%) responded with stable disease ranging from 20 to 144+ weeks (median 80 weeks; 10 patients still accruing time). Three of the responders progressed after 20, 36, and 56 weeks, respectively. Two patients had progressive disease after 10 weeks. Toxicity was hematologic in most patients; leukopenia was most common. Nine patients (53%) required dosage reductions (250-500 mg/d) secondary to hematologic toxicity. Hydroxyurea appears to have modest activity against meningiomas and should be considered in patients with unresectable tumors or large residual tumors following surgical resection.
DNA sequence of two linked actin genes of sea urchin.

Abstract DNA sequences have been determined for two actin genes which are closely linked in the genome of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. The two genes have the same 5'-3' orientation; they were apparently formed originally by tandem gene duplication. The amino acids encoded by the two genes closely resemble those of cytoplasmic actins of mammals and slime molds and differ somewhat from those of mammalian muscle actin. Actin gene 1 had been tentatively identified earlier as the gene for an embryonic cytoplasmic actin by the homology of the 3' noncoding region with that of the cDNA of an embryonic actin mRNA from S. purpuratus. The DNA sequence of gene 1 shows presumptive signals for the initiation and termination of transcription which would govern the formation of a mature mRNA of 1.9 kilobases. Both actin genes 1 and 2 have introns in their coding regions at codons 121/122 and 204. These positions for actin introns have been reported so far only in the rat, not in lower organisms. The divergence of the sequences of these coding-region introns in the two actin genes is 66%, suggesting that the genes diverged about 90 million years ago. By contrast to the introns, the coding regions have been highly conserved; the amino acids of the two genes differ by only 1.3%, and the silent sites of the codons differ by only 12%.
GRAND UNIFICATION: A STATUS REPORT

By the middle of 1974, only a few papers had been written about what we now call grand unification (GU)1,2,3 but the main ideas were already in place. GU solved many puzzles, but two obvious puzzles remained: the flavor puzzle and the hierarchy puzzle.
New insights into the pathophysiology of oedema in nephrotic syndrome

Oedema is a common clinical manifestation of nephrotic syndrome. However, the pathophysiological mechanism of sodium retention in nephrotic syndrome has been intensely debated for decades. Several clinical and experimental observations argue against the classic or "underfill" hypothesis of oedema formation in nephrotic syndrome. In many patients, oedema formation in nephrotic syndrome is due to the kidney being intrinsically unable to excrete salt and is unrelated to systemic factors (i.e. hypoalbuminaemia, decreased “effective” arterial blood volume, and secondary hyperaldosteronism). The cortical collecting duct is the nephron site of sodium retention in nephrotic syndrome. Activation of the epithelial sodium channel in the cortical collecting duct is responsible for sodium retention in nephrotic syndrome. In nephrotic syndrome, a defective glomerular filtration barrier allows the passage of proteolytic enzymes or their precursors, which have the ability to activate the epithelial sodium channel, thereby causing the the subsequent sodium retention and oedema.
The structure and evolution of the murine inhibitor of carbonic anhydrase: A member of the transferrin superfamily

The original signature of the transferrin (TF) family of proteins was the ability to bind ferric iron with high affinity in the cleft of each of two homologous lobes. However, in recent years, new family members that do not bind iron have been discovered. One new member is the inhibitor of carbonic anhydrase (ICA), which as its name indicates, binds to and strongly inhibits certain isoforms of carbonic anhydrase. Recently, mouse ICA has been expressed as a recombinant protein in a mammalian cell system. Here, we describe the 2.4 A structure of mouse ICA from a pseudomerohedral twinned crystal. As predicted, the structure is bilobal, comprised of two α-β domains per lobe typical of the other family members. As with all but insect TFs, the structure includes the unusual reverse γ-turn in each lobe. The structure is consistent with the fact that introduction of two mutations in the N-lobe of murine ICA (mICA) (W124R and S188Y) allowed it to bind iron with high affinity. Unexpectedly, both lobes of the mICA were found in the closed conformation usually associated with presence of iron in the cleft, and making the structure most similar to diferric pig TF. Two new ICA family members (guinea pig and horse) were identified from genomic sequences and used in evolutionary comparisons. Additionally, a comparison of selection pressure (dN/dS) on functional residues reveals some interesting insights into the evolution of the TF family including that the N-lobe of lactoferrin may be in the process of eliminating its iron binding function.
How two meters of DNA fit into a cell nucleus: Polymer models with topological constraints and experimental data

A recent experiment has confirmed the theoretical prediction of the fractal properties of DNA packaged in the cell nucleus of eukaryotes, particularly in interphase chromosomes. In this study, both the main theoretical ideas and the experimental results are presented in a compact form. Other properties of chromosomes, that is, the so-called territories, which allow for a natural explanation through the concepts of polymer physics, are discussed. At the end, some open questions are formulated.
Differential distribution of β-pigment-dispersing hormone (β-PDH)-like immunoreactivity in the stomatogastric nervous system of five species of decapod crustaceans

Pigment-dispersing hormone (PDH) acts to disperse pigments within the chromatophores of crustaceans. Using an antibody raised against β-PDH from the fiddler crab Uca pugilator, we characterized the distribution of β-PDH-like immunoreactivity in the stomatogastric nervous system of five decapod crustaceans: the crabs, Cancer borealis and Cancer antennarius, the lobsters, Panulirus interruptus and Homarus americanus, and the crayfish, Procambarus clarkii. No somata were stained in the stomatogastric ganglion (STG) or the esophageal ganglion in any of these species. Intense PDH-like staining was seen in the neuropil of the STG in P. interruptus only. In all 5 species, cell bodies, processes, and neuropil within the paired circumesophageal ganglia (CGs) showed PDH-like staining; the pattern of this staining was unique for each species. In each CG, the β-PDH antibody stained: 1 large cell in C. borealis; 3 small to large cells in C. antennarius; 3–8 medium cells in P. clarkii; 1–4 small cells in H. americanus; and 13–17 small cells in P. interruptus. The smallest cell in each CG in C. antennarius sends its axon, via the inferior esophageal nerves, into the opposite CG; this pair of cells, not labeled in the other species studied, may act as bilateral coordinators of sensory or motor function. These diverse staining patterns imply some degree of evolutionary diversity among these crustaceans. A β-PDH-like peptide may act as a neuromodulator of the rhythms produced by the stomatogastric nervous system of decapod crustaceans.
Alcohol advertising and adolescents

Considerable research now exists that the media may exert a powerful influence on adolescents' drug-taking behavior. Teens view an average of 2,000 beer and wine ads per year in the US. In addition, television shows, movies, and music videos contain considerable amounts of alcohol use. This article will discuss the available research and offers suggestions to make the media healthier for teenagers.