cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Proliferative Defects in Ulcerative Colitis Patients

The proliferative characteristics of epithelial cells in rectal biopsies from a group of 18 patients (ages 18–72) with ulcerative colitis spanning several months to over 20 years duration were examined, using an in vitro 3HTdR labeling technique. Although the labeling indices for patients with inflammatory bowel disease did not differ significantly from that of control (8.9<±3.6 vs 7.7±3.9), the number of labeled cells I individual crypt column was higher among some crypts in ulcerative colitis patients. A normal proliferative pattern was demonstrated in crypts of 5/18 patients (27.8%) with DNA synthesis confined to the lower two-thirds of the crypt and the lower third the major zone of proliferation. Thirteen patients (72.2%) showed extension of the proliferative compartment to the surface of the glands, while retaining the lower third of the gland as the predominant proliferative zone (Stage I abnormality). Of these 13, seven had an additional abnormality, namely, a shift of the major zone of proliferat...
A pediatric patient with a mediastinal mass and pulmonary embolus

When anesthetizing a patient with an anterior mediastinal mass, sudden hypoxaemia and cardiovascular collapse may result from compression of a large airway or vascular structure in the mediastinum. We report the case of a pediatric cancer patient with an anterior mediastinal mass, who developed sudden and fatal hypoxaemia and cardiovascular collapse in the hours following sedation. A massive pulmonary thromboembolism was diagnosed at autopsy. We suggest that pulmonary embolism should be considered in the differential diagnosis when a patient with a mediastinal mass develops perioperative hypoxaemia, cardiovascular collapse, or both.
The metabolic tune-up: Metabolic harmony and disease prevention

An optimum intake of micronutrients and metabolites, which varies with age and genetic constitution, would tune up metabolism and give a marked increase in health, particularly for the poor and elderly, at little cost. 1) DNA damage. Inadequate intake of folic acid causes millions of uracils to be incorporated into the DNA of each cell with associated chromosome breaks, essentially producing a radiation mimic. Deficiencies of the metabolically connected vitamins B-6 and B-12, which are also widespread, also cause uracil incorporation and chromosome breaks. Inadequate iron intake (2 billion women in the world; 25% of U.S. menstruating women) causes oxidants to leak from mitochondria and damages mitochondria and mitochondrial DNA. Inadequate zinc intake (∼10% in the U.S.) causes oxidation and DNA damage in human cells. 2) The K m concept. Approximately 50 different human genetic diseases that are due to a poorer binding affinity (K m ) of the mutant enzyme for its coenzyme can be remedied by feeding high-dose B vitamins, which raise levels of the corresponding coenzyme. Many polymorphisms also result in a lowered affinity of enzyme for coenzyme. 3) Mitochondrial oxidative decay with age. This decay, which is a major contributor to aging, can be ameliorated by feeding old rats the normal mitochondrial metabolites acetyl carnitine and lipoic acid at high levels. They restore the K m for acetyl carnitine transferase and the velocity of the reaction as well as mitochondrial function; reduce levels of oxidants, neuron RNA oxidation and mutagenic aldehydes; and increase old-rat ambulatory activity and cognition.
Mean nearest-neighbor distance in random packings of hard D-dimensional spheres.

We derive the first nontrivial rigorous bounds on the mean distance between nearest neighbors $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ in ergodic, isotropic packings of hard $D$-dimensional spheres that depend on the packing fraction and nearest-neighbor distribution function. Several interesting implications of these bounds for equilibrium as well as nonequilibrium ensembles are explored. For an equilibrium ensemble, we find accurate analytical approximations for $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ for $D\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}2$ and 3 that apply up to random close packing. Our theoretical results are in excellent agreement with available computer-simulation data.
Stereoselective Bupropion Hydroxylation as an In Vivo Phenotypic Probe for Cytochrome P4502B6 (CYP2B6) Activity

The clearance of racemic bupropion, metabolized selectively by CYP2B6 in vitro, has been used clinically to phenotype CYP2B6 activity, polymorphisms, and drug interactions but has known limitations. Bupropion hydroxylation by CYP2B6 is stereoselective. This investigation assessed the stereoselectivity of bupropion pharmacokinetics and the influence of CYP2B6 induction. Ten healthy volunteers received immediate-release bupropion before and after 7 days of rifampin. Plasma and urine bupropion and hydroxybupropion were analyzed using a stereoselective assay. Plasma area under the curve (AUC(0-infinity)) and maximum concentrations were 3-fold greater for R- than S-bupropion. Bupropion apparent oral clearance was 3- and 2-fold greater for S- than R- and R,S-bupropion, respectively. Hydroxybupropion plasma AUC(0-infinity) and elimination half-life were significantly less for (S,S)- than (R,R)- and the racemate. (S,S)-hydroxybupropion was formation rate limited, whereas (R,R)-hydroxybupropion and the racemate were elimination rate limited. Rifampin doubled both R- and S-bupropion clearance and caused 4-fold increases in both (R,R)- and (S,S)-hydroxybupropion formation clearances. Increases in the plasma hydroxybupropion/bupropion AUC(0-infinity) ratio were greater for (S,S)- than (R,R)-hydroxybupropion. Simplified plasma and urine metrics of stereoselective bupropion metabolism and clearance were identified. Because metabolite formation clearance is the best in vivo metric of enzyme activity and due, therefore, to faster S-bupropion elimination and formation rate-limited (S,S)-hydroxybupropion kinetics, stereoselective S-bupropion hydroxylation and (S,S)-hydroxybupropion formation clearance may be a useful and improved phenotypic probe for CYP2B6.
Learning about cancer from frogs: analysis of mitotic spindles in Xenopus egg extracts

The mitotic spindle is responsible for correctly segregating chromosomes during cellular division. Disruption of this process leads to genomic instability in the form of aneuploidy, which can contribute to the development of cancer. Therefore, identification and characterization of factors that are responsible for the assembly and regulation of the spindle are crucial. Not only are these factors often altered in cancer, but they also serve as potential therapeutic targets. Xenopus egg extract is a powerful tool for studying spindle assembly and other cell cycle-related events owing, in large part, to the ease with which protein function can be manipulated in the extract. Importantly, the spindle factors that have been characterized in egg extract are conserved in human spindle assembly. In this review, we explain how the extract is prepared and manipulated to study the function of individual factors in spindle assembly and the spindle checkpoint. Furthermore, we provide examples of several spindle factors that have been defined functionally using the extract system and discuss how these factors are altered in human cancer.
Segmentation of Brain Tissue from Magnetic Resonance Images

Segmentation of medical imagery is a challenging problem due to the complexity of the images, as well as to the absence of models of the anatomy that fully capture the possible deformations in each structure. Brain tissue is a particularly complex structure, and its segmentation is an important step for studies in temporal change detection of morphology, as well as for 3D visualization in surgical planning. In this paper, we present a method for segmentation of brain tissue from magnetic resonance images that is a combination of three existing techniques from the Computer Vision literature: EM segmentation, binary morphology, and active contour models. Each of these techniques has been customized for the problem of brain tissue segmentation in a way that the resultant method is more robust than its components. Finally, we present the results of a parallel implementation of this method on IBM''s supercomputer Power Visualization System for a database of 20 brain scans each with 256x256x124 voxels and validate those against segmentations generated by neuroanatomy experts.
The Body, Music, and Healing

Nothing is more ironical than strengths that generate weaknesses. I think particularly of the ability of Western philosophy and science to objectify the world. To so sharply demarcate things and pin them down that they become objects. Ob-jecta — the Latin roots connote things thrown in front of us. So framed and constituted in experience, things transformed into objects “out there” are subjected to scientific observations and experimentations that tease out, or force out, some of their hidden features.
Dynamic precedence for military IP networks

Current IP routed networks can support a wide range of real-time, non-real-time applications through the use of various quality of service (QoS) and class of service (CoS) methodologies. What's missing in these commercial solutions is a precedence scheme which minimizes the probability of mission-critical calls and data streams being rejected or negatively affected by "background traffic". Such a capability exists in military voice switches in the form of multi-level precedence and preemption (MLPP). In the bandwidth limited tactical environment, a preemptive network service that discriminates among traffic flows based on their importance (precedence) is essential to meeting mission requirements. This paper presents a hierarchical questing and scheduling algorithm which provides preemptive precedence between traffic flows of varying importance, and which also supports classes of service for flows with differing service requirements (e.g., real-time voice, non real-time data). At the top of the hierarchy we use a strict, preemptive, scheduler to distinguish between precedence levels and guarantee that the maximum bandwidth is made available to mission critical traffic. Subordinate to the preemptive scheduler we have implemented a variant of weighted fair queueing which assures that the bandwidth available to each precedence level is distributed among the service classes according to current policy.
Innateness, autonomy, universality? Neurobiological approaches to language

The concepts of the innateness, universality, species-specificity, and autonomy of the human language capacity have had an extreme impact on the psycholinguistic debate for over thirty years. These concepts are evaluated from several neurobiological perspectives, with an emphasis on the emergence of language and its decay due to brain lesion and progressive brain disease.Evidence of perceptuomotor homologies and preadaptations for human language in nonhuman primates suggests a gradual emergence of language during hominid evolution. Regarding ontogeny, the innate component of language capacity is likely to be polygenic and shared with other developmental domains. Dissociations between verbal and nonverbal development are probably rooted in the perceptuomotor specializations of neural substrates rather than the autonomy of a grammar module. Aphasiologicaldata often assumed to suggest modular linguistic subsystems can be accounted for in terms of a neurofunctional model incorporating perceptuomotor-based regional specializationsand distributivity of representations. Thus, dissociations between grammatical functors and content words are due to different conditions of acquisition and resulting differences in neural representation. Human brains are characterized by multifactorial interindividual variability, and strict universality of functional organization is biologically unrealistic.A theoretical alternative is proposed according to which (1) linguistic specialization of brain areas is due to epigenetic and probabilistic maturational events, not to genetic ”hard-wiring,” and (2) linguistic knowledge is neurally represented in distributed cell assemblies whose topography reflects the perceptuomotor modalities involved in the acquisition and use of a given item of knowledge.
Managing the configuration complexity of distributed applications in Internet data centers

In this article we examine the challenges faced by data center administrators when deploying and configuring Web applications. We discuss how the configuration dependencies of these Web applications cut across software stacks, network layers, and middleware container boundaries. We argue that the deployment and configuration process requires the combined expertise from multiple domains such as application, middleware, network, security, reliability, and performance. We review the model-based tools available today to manage the configuration complexity of these applications and introduce a new tool that extends the existing state of the art by automatically generating actionable distributed deployment models using model transformation techniques. The key idea behind this new tool is the principle of separation of concerns: developers capture the logical structure of the application in a model, best practices experts define deployment model transformation rules, deployers specify the required deployment patterns, and an operator provides a model describing the data center resources. The tool automatically finds solutions based on these four inputs and executes the deployment.
Observations of binary population biofilms

Biofilm research has focused on studies of undefined mixed microbial populations and, more recently, on investigations of monopopulation biofilms. In the first case, the biofilm is considered a homogeneous mass, ignoring the properties of individual species. The second case concentrates on the properties and processes of one microbial species in the biofilm. This article describes biofilm experiments conducted with monopopulations of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and with binary populations of K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa. Process rates and stoichiometric coefficients were determined for the monopopulation and for the binary population biofilms and evaluated in light of the species distribution in the latter. Results indicate that neither the specific cellular product formation rate nor the glucose-oxygen stoichiometric ratio of K. pneumoniae or P. aeruginosa in the binary biofilm is affected by the presence of the other species. Consequently, species interaction was not observed. Although the specific cellular growth rate of K. pneumoniae is five times that of P. aeruginosa, the former species did not dominate the microbial population in the biofilm. Possible reasons for this unexpected behavior are discussed.
Two-terminal resistive switches (memristors) for memory and logic applications

We review the recent progress on the development of two-terminal resistive devices (memristors). Devices based on solid-state electrolytes (e.g. a-Si) have been shown to possess a number of promising performance metrics such as yield, on/off ratio, switching speed, endurance and retention suitable for memory or reconfigurable circuit applications. In addition, devices with incremental resistance changes have been demonstrated and can be used to emulate synaptic functions in hardware based neuromorphic circuits. Device and SPICE modeling based on a properly chosen internal state variable have been carried out and will be useful for large-scale circuit simulations.
Cooperative and group testing in verification of dynamic composite Web services

Verifying Web services (WS) in a dynamic Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) is challenging because new services can be composed at runtime using existing WS. Furthermore, in a composite service, any component can be dynamically replaced during execution if the component fails. Another challenge is that the testing is time critical because verification must be conducted at runtime and in real time. We compare and contrast traditional software testing and WS testing techniques and propose a WS group testing technique to test composite services. The group testing technique also has the ability to evaluate the test scripts, automatically establish the oracle of the each test script, and identify faulty WS in a failed composite WS.
Methionine cytotoxicity in the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7.

Abstract Among the first nutrients to be linked to cancer were methyl group containing nutrients including methionine. Methionine and its metabolic derivatives are essential components in several indispensable biological reactions including protein synthesis, polyamine synthesis, and many transmethylation reactions. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which methionine excess affects the proliferation and gene expression of the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7. Cells were first grown in control medium; the medium was then replaced with either control or methionine-supplemented treatment media. We found that 5 and 10 g/L methionine significantly suppressed cell growth on day 1, and no further growth was detected after 3 d of treatment. Cell proliferation in the methionine treated group was significantly lower than that of the control group. Northern analysis revealed that expression of p53 in methionine-treated MCF-7 cells was approximately 70% lower than that of control cells. p53 i...
Colony stimulating factor-1 stimulated macrophage membrane protein phosphorylation.

Colony Stimulating Factor-1 (CSF-1) is required for the in vitro survival, proliferation and differentiation of mononuclear phagocytes (precursor cell → monoblast → promonocyte → monocyte → macrophage) (reviewed in 1). Purified murine or human CSF-1 has been shown to be a hanodimer consisting of two identical ~ 14,000 Mr polypeptide chains that are maintained as a differ by disulfide bonds. It is heavily glycosylated with N-linked oligosaccharides of the acidic complex type. The variable molecular weight (Mr) of the native molecule within the range of 45,000–70,000 is entirely ascribable to variation in glycosylation. While the carbohydrate does not appear to be necessary for biological, antibody-binding, or receptor-binding activities, all of these activities are lost when the molecule is gently reduced to yield monomeric subunits2.
Prediction of Unsuspected Ordering Tendencies in Pd-Pt and Rh-Pt Alloys

In 1959, Raub1 suggested the existence of miscibility gaps in the Pd-Pt and Rh-Pt systems from the assumed correlation between the maximum miscibility gap temperature and the difference in melting points of the constituents, and from the experimentally observed miscibility gaps in “similar alloys” such as Pd-Rh, Ir-Pt, and Ir-Pd.1 Attempts to observe these miscibility gaps have, however, consistently failed.2–5 Phenomenological theories6,7 are not conclusive on whether Pd-Pt and Rh-Pt should phase-separate or order: Miedema’s model6 predicts ΔH ∼ ± (1–3) kJ/mol for Pd-Pt and Rh-’t, a value being close to the model’s limit of accuracy. Thus, neither experiment2–5 nor simple phenomenological theories6,7 shed light on whether these systems order or not. Yet, all phase-diagram compilations including the latest assessments by Massal-ski et al.,8 have adopted Raub’s view, labeling Pd-Pt and Rh-Pt as phase-separating (“miscibility gap”) systems.
Botulinum toxin type A: Exploring new indications.

Abstract The use of botulinum toxin has expanded in the last five years to include traditional neurological use against dystonia and spasticity, as well as the emerging use for headache, pain, neuropathy, myofascial pain, joint arthritis, otolaryngology, gastroenterology and genitourinary disorders. This review will focus on these emerging uses of botulinum toxin as reported in recent literature. The exploratory use of botulinum toxin for cervical dystonia, blepharospasm and spasticity in small trials and case reports, has led to its detailed study in larger placebo-controlled clinical trials. Although the use of botulinum toxin for new indications may benefit a specific subset of patients with refractory pain and disability, the reader must realize that this is an emerging area, generally limited by a lack of large, placebo-controlled studies.
Goiterogenic action of iodide and the etiology of goiters in chicks from thyroprotein-fed hens.

SummaryThe goiterogenic action of increased iodide intake is demonstrated both in the normal fowl, follwing continuous treatment, as well as in the developing chick embryo. The goiters in chicks presumably result from large amounts of inorganic iodide deposited in the egg by the hen and are comparable in weight and histology to those observed in chicks from dams fed histology to those observed in chicks from dams fed synthetic thyroprotein. It is suggested that the goiters observed in chicks from dams fed synthetic thyroprotein are caused by the iodide present in thyroprotein.
Design and Implementation of Substation System Configuration Tool Based on IEC61850

By analyzing the model structure and the syntax structure of substation configuration description language(SCL),generating standards and format requirements of the configuration model are made clear.Proceeding from the actual requirement of engineering configuration,the expected function and operation mode of configuration tool are analyzed.Referring to the development idea of MVC interface software,in order to remain the relative independence and the reusability of the functional modules,a substation system configuration tool based on IEC 61850 is designed and achieved under the development environment of QT4.5.3.The practical application shows that this configuration tool can completely satisfy the requirements of substation system.
Performance modeling and optimization of ball mill based on data mining

128 065 records from the data warehouse in a coal-fired power plants were used for data mining modeling of coal grinding process in a double charge-discharge coal ball mill,the artificial neural network model built to be verified by the actual operation of the ball mill,was employed to simulate the coal grinding process,focusing on the particle filling optimization. The results show that the mill current and particle filling increase with the coal feed flow when ventilation rate remained the same,mill current starts to decline after rising to a peak,the beginning of the decline region corresponds to the optimal particle filling,at this point,the gap between balls are just full of coal particles,the mill is running close to maximum power,and grinding efficiency reaches the highest. The coal grinding neural network model is not only validated by large quantity of running data in a actual mill,but also the model inferences are conformed by existing research findings,and prove to be robust and of high degree of generality.
Introduction of the Best Value Approach in India

In September of 2013 the Performance Based Studies Research Group (PBSRG) made its first entry into India to introduce the Best Value approach. The purpose of the entry was to identify if the Best Value (BV) approach and technology could optimize the performance of the Indian Construction industry. This paper documents the results of the exploratory effort. In 2014, industry visionaries in coordination with the SJCE university group, will commence testing of the implementation of the licensed Best Value technology in India. The technology includes the Information Measurement Theory (IMT), the Performance Information Procurement System (PIPS) and the Construction Industry Structure (CIS).
Long-term care insurance and alternatives: a comparison of employer and individual policy markets.

This article presents findings from a recently completed Health Insurance Association of America-sponsored survey that sought to measure the extent to which long-term care insurers paid for newer, long-term care alternatives. The focus of the survey was on payment for three services: adult day care, board and care homes, and assisted living facilities. The survey also collected information on companies offering reimbursement for these services under an alternate care benefit (i.e., a plan of nonconventional care and services that can serve as an alternative to more costly inpatient nursing home care). Survey data showed that long-term care insurance sold in employer markets reimburses a richer set of alternative long-term care benefits than policies sold in individual markets. In addition, the majority of employer market companies reimburse for alternatives under their base policy, recognizing the importance of payment for noninstitutional, long-term care alternatives.
Phonologically impaired preschoolers: rhyme with an eye toward reading.

In this study were compared the phonological awareness of 15 moderately to severely phonologically impaired and 15 phonologically normal children, matched on mental age and gender, on sensitivity to alliteration and to rhyme. Analysis showed no significant difference between the groups in detection of alliteration; however, there was a significant difference in detection of rhyme. The latter correlated .43 with speech intelligibility. We conclude that phonological awareness is associated closely with productive phonological ability early in development.
Urban farmsteads: Household responsibilities in the city

A focus of recent historical archaeological research in Arkansas is the nature of 19th century occupation in smaller population centers. The plats for many villages and towns permit examination of pattern and process at the least complex stratum of settlement: individual families and discrete house lots. The “urban farmstead” concept is defined and shows that until recently, such in-town lots contained buildings and spaces that functionally paralleled those of rural farmsteads. The synchronic and diachronic dimensions of the model may be useful for examining residences in nucleated centers in other times and places. In many ways, the responsibility given to the occupants by the city for a variety of tasks, reflected in the urban farmstead, permitted nucleated settlement itself to continue.
Five Challenges Confronting Library-Related Research and Researchers

ABSTRACTInstead of presenting a research agenda, this article identifies five challenges of importance to anyone conducting research or wanting to use the results for planning or decision-making pu...
Best Practices Education, Part II: Evidence for and Against Opioid Therapy

Why and when should a physician prescribe opioids? The first and most obvious reason is to treat severe pain that cannot be treated otherwise. Opioids remain a prevalent therapeutic modality for a reason: They possess significant analgesic effects across a wide spectrum of painful conditions. Often referred to as “broad-spectrum analgesics,” they reduce nociception and perception and enhance descending modulation with time-tested efficacy. Mounting evidence however indicates that indiscriminate and chronic use may be detrimental. Tolerance, adverse effects (including hyperalgesia), and, frankly, inefficacy in many situations mandate that the physician knows why and when to prescribe opioids and why and when not to. The use of opioids to treat acute, severe, and “intractable pain that is not adequately managed with more conservative or interventional methods” is rarely contested and may reduce chronification of pain. The use of opioids to treat chronic pain is much more contentious and lacks evidence base at present. The second reason a physician might prescribe opioids, supported by current consensus, is to facilitate improvement in function that might otherwise not occur without adequate analgesia.
Metal Vapor Chemistry Related to Molecular Metals

One of the apparent requirements for the production of new molecular metals is the use of “flat” molecules.1 Bulky three dimensional substituents do not allow formation of stacked molecular layers as found in the noteworthy example TTF-TCNQ. By studying metal atom (vapor) reactions with flat ligands, we anticipated the production of new two dimensional organometallics in the absence of normal three dimensional stabilizing ligands. The following types of metal — “flat ligand” complexes have been considered, and successfully synthesized. So far our results have progressed to the stage of doing the syntheses and elucidating the structural properties and chemistry of these species. Very little has been done to date regarding electrical properties of these molecules or their charge transfer complexes.
Optimization of trans-Splicing for Huntington's Disease RNA Therapy

Huntington's disease (HD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder caused by a polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion in exon 1 of the Huntingtin (HTT) gene. We have previously demonstrated that spliceosome-mediated trans-splicing is a viable molecular strategy to specifically reduce and repair mutant HTT (mtHTT). Here, the targeted tethering efficacy of the pre-mRNA trans-splicing modules (PTM) in HTT was optimized. Various PTMs that targeted the 3' end of HTT intron 1 or the intron 1 branch point were shown trans-splice into an HTT mini-gene, as well as the endogenous HTT pre-mRNA. PTMs that specifically target the endogenous intron 1 branch point increased the trans-splicing efficacy from 1-5 to 10-15%. Furthermore, lentiviral expression of PTMs in a human HD patient iPSC-derived neural culture significantly reversed two previously established polyQ-length dependent phenotypes. These results suggest that pre-mRNA repair of mtHTT could hold therapeutic benefit and it demonstrates an alternative platform to correct the mRNA product produced by the mtHTT allele in the context of HD.
The Practical Predictability of Storm Tide from Tropical Cyclones in the Gulf of Mexico

AbstractThe potential for storm surge to cause extensive property damage and loss of life has increased urgency to more accurately predict coastal flooding associated with landfalling tropical cyclones. This work investigates the sensitivity of coastal inundation from storm tide (surge + tide) to four hurricane parameters—track, intensity, size, and translation speed—and the sensitivity of inundation forecasts to errors in forecasts of those parameters. An ensemble of storm tide simulations is generated for three storms in the Gulf of Mexico, by driving a storm surge model with best track data and systematically generated perturbations of storm parameters from the best track. The spread of the storm perturbations is compared to average errors in recent operational hurricane forecasts, allowing sensitivity results to be interpreted in terms of practical predictability of coastal inundation at different lead times. Two types of inundation metrics are evaluated: point-based statistics and spatially integrate...
The Mitochondrial DNA Polymerase in Health and Disease

Since mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been shown to be a cause of many mitochondrial diseases as well as aging, it is important to understand the origin of these mutations and how replication proteins modulate this process. DNA polymerase gamma (pol gamma) is the polymerase that is responsible for replication and repair of mtDNA. Pol gamma has three main roles in mtDNA maintenance and mutagenesis. As the only known DNA polymerase in mitochondria, pol gamma is required for all replication and repair functions and is the main source of errors produced in human mtDNA. Pol gamma is also sensitive to a host of antiviral nucleoside analogs used to treat HIV-1 infections, which can cause an induced mitochondrial toxicity. Finally, the gene for pol gamma, POLG, is a genetic locus for several mitochondrial disease with over 150 genetic mutations currently identified.
Hypersynchrony in MEG spectral amplitude in prospectively-identified 6-month-old infants prenatally exposed to alcohol

Abstract Early identification of children who experience developmental delays due to prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) remains a challenge for individuals who do not exhibit facial dysmorphia. It is well-established that children with PAE may still exhibit the cognitive and behavioral difficulties, and individuals without facial dysmorphia make up the majority of individuals affected by PAE. This study employed a prospective cohort design to capture alcohol consumption patterns during pregnancy and then followed the infants to 6 months of age. Infants were assessed using magnetoencephalography to capture neurophysiological indicators of brain development and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-III to measure behavioral development. To account for socioeconomic and family environmental factors, we employed a two-by-two design with pregnant women who were or were not using opioid maintenance therapy (OMT) and did or did not consume alcohol during pregnancy. Based on prior studies, we hypothesized that infants with PAE would exhibit broad increased spectral amplitude relative to non-PAE infants. We also hypothesized that the developmental shift from low to high frequency spectral amplitude would be delayed in infants with PAE relative to controls. Our results demonstrated broadband increased spectral amplitude, interpreted as hypersynchrony, in PAE infants with no significant interaction with OMT. Unlike prior EEG studies in neonates, our results indicate that this hypersynchrony was highly lateralized to left hemisphere and primarily focused in temporal/lateral frontal regions. Furthermore, there was a significant positive correlation between estimated number of drinks consumed during pregnancy and spectral amplitude revealing a dose-response effect of increased hypersynchrony corresponding to greater alcohol consumption. Contrary to our second hypothesis, we did not see a significant group difference in the contribution of low frequency to high frequency amplitude at 6 months of age. These results provide new evidence that hypersynchrony, previously observed in neonates prenatally exposed to high levels of alcohol, persists until 6 months of age and this measure is detectable with low to moderate exposure of alcohol with a dose-response effect. These results indicate that hypersynchrony may provide a sensitive early marker of prenatal alcohol exposure in infants up to 6 months of age.
Effect of annealing on structural changes and oxygen diffusion in amorphous HfO2 using classical molecular dynamics

Non-volatile memory is a promising alternative to present memory technologies. Oxygen vacancy diffusion has been widely accepted as one of the reasons for the resistive switching mechanism of transition-metal-oxide based resistive random access memory. In this study, molecular dynamics simulation is applied to investigate the diffusion coefficient and activation energy of oxygen in amorphous hafnia. Two sets of empirical potential, Charge-Optimized Many-Body (COMB) and Morse-BKS (MBKS), were considered to investigate the structural and diffusion properties at different temperatures. COMB predicts the activation energy of 0.53 eV for the temperature range of 1000–2000 K, while MBKS predicts 2.2 eV at high temperature (1600–2000 K) and 0.36 eV at low temperature (1000–1600 K). Structural changes and appearance of nano-crystalline phases with increasing temperature might affect the activation energy of oxygen diffusion predicted by MBKS, which is evident from the change in coordination number distribution an...
The IPE performance report: A tool for preceptor development.

Abstract Introduction In order to promote interprofessional education (IPE) within the advanced experiential curriculum, the Office of Experiential Affairs (OEA) at Western New England University (WNE) created a process by which information regarding IPE at the practice sites is collected, verified, quantified, and used for preceptor development. Methods An interprofessional education preceptor survey (IPEPS), consisting of 43 standardized questions designed to assess IPE opportunities available at practice sites, was administered to 55 preceptors in spring 2016 using QualtricsTM. Throughout the 2016–2017 academic year, students were required to document two interprofessional interactions that occurred during each of their four required APPE rotations. Results from the IPEPS were used to determine a perceived level of IPE occurring at each site and compared to student field encounter logs, then used to inform preceptor development through a customized IPE Performance Report. Results and Discussion Response rates for both the IPEPS and student field encounter logs were 100%. Data relating to preceptors’ perception of IPE opportunities afforded by their sites were collected and compared to data logged by students regarding IPE encounters at the sites. The data were compiled through a customized IPE Performance Report and communicated to preceptors as a form of professional development around IPE.
Integrated proximity, contact and force sensing using elastomer-embedded commodity proximity sensors

We describe a combined proximity, contact and force (PCF) sensor based on a commodity infrared distance sensor embedded in a transparent elastomer with applications in robotic manipulation. Prior to contact, the sensor works as a distance sensor, whereas after contact the elastomer magnifies the near field of the proximity sensors letting the sensor interpret the indentation on elastomer as force. Contact occurs at the transition of proximity and force. We describe in detail the sensor design, its principle of operation and experimentally characterize the design parameters including polymer thickness, its mixing ratio, and emitter current of the infrared sensor. We also show that the sensor response has an inflection point at contact that is independent of an object’s surface properties, making it a robust detector for contact events. We finally demonstrate a series of use cases for the proposed PCF sensor, including (1) improving pre-grasp alignment, (2) determining contact event with objects, (3) obtaining simple 3D point cloud models of objects using both proximity and contact, and (4) registering self-generated point clouds to those from a RGB-D camera using a Baxter robot and Kinova Jaco arm.
The changing landscape of epilepsy surgery: No longer the "last resort".

Epilepsy surgery has traditionally been viewed as a therapy of last resort for the treatment of drug-resistant seizures. The results of a Canadian randomized trial demonstrated the superiority of surgery over continued pharmacologic therapy for short-term seizure control for patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. This trial confirmed conclusions from observational studies that demonstrated the effectiveness of surgery in controlling seizures in the long term1 with associated improvements in quality of life,2 as well as decreases in mortality3 and health care costs.4
Fostering Project-based, Active Learning through Use of Technology

In this paper, we present a successful, systemic, and sustainable approach to integrating technology into the K-12 teaching and learning environment. We will discuss obstacles and causes for failure that impeded previous attempts. We will share the vision, methodology and results that have had such a significant impact in New York City classrooms. Teachers have improved their content knowledge, technology and information literacy skills, perceptions about technology, and the use of inquiry to promote understanding. Students are better prepared to access and manage print and electronic information, think critically, solve problems, work on teams, and communicate and collaborate with students around the world.
Cost-effectiveness of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy in pediatric relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

6610Background: Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy is a new class of cancer therapy with promising results, but comes at a high upfront cost. We sought to evaluate the cost-effectiven...
Role and significance of thermal loading on the performance of carbon nanotube-based mass sensors

Abstract Insights on the sensitivity of carbon nanotube-based mass sensors subject to a uniform thermal environment are provided. The thermal loads are introduced as a means of buckling nonlocal carbon nanotube-based mass sensors in an effort to obtain high frequency shifts before and after the deposition of a nanoparticle on a carbon nanotube (CNT), leading to improved mass detection. In introducing thermal loads, the critical buckling temperature, pre-buckling, and post-buckling behaviors of CNTs with an arbitrary deposited mass are investigated. The CNT is modeled as an Euler-Bernoulli beam and the nonlinear governing equations of motion are derived by virtue of the Hamilton's principle. Eringen's nonlocal theory is employed to account for the interatomic long-range interactions, i.e., the size dependent phenomena occurring at the nano-scale. The proposed model allows for an arbitrarily positioned atomic-mass particle and accounts for the effects of the thermal field and the nonlocal parameter on the pre-buckling and post-buckling dynamics of clamped-clamped nanobeams. It is demonstrated that the temperature change has a remarkable influence on the frequency shift and hence on the sensitivity of the CNT-based mass sensor. The results show that augmenting the temperature in the pre-buckling regime leads to a decrease in the frequency shift, while the temperature rise in the post-buckling configuration has an increasing effect on the sensitivity of the CNT-based mass sensor. Also, it is found that when the temperature exceeds a certain point in the post-buckling region, higher frequency shifts can be obtained compared to the pre-buckling regime. In varying parameters, such as the length, diameter, number of walls (single-walled CNTs or multi-walled CNTs), location of the deposited mass, and nonlocal parameter, greater frequency shifts can be obtained in the post-buckling configurations of the CNT, leading to enhanced sensitivity in the system.
Expanded Genome-Wide Association Study Meta-Analysis of Psoriasis Expands the Catalog of Common Psoriasis-Associated Variants.

Psoriasis is a complex immune-mediated disease of skin and joints with a prevalence of about 2%. Previous genetic association studies have identified more than 60 psoriasis susceptibility loci, 47 of which were identified in Caucasians. To further understand the genetic architecture of this disease, we conducted the largest meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for psoriasis to date, including data from eight different Caucasian cohorts (seven GWAS and one Immunochip dataset), with a combined effective sample size of more than 39,000 individuals. Approximately half (n = 22) of the 47 European-origin loci were identified in cohorts containing a large proportion (≥50%) of samples genotyped using the Immunochip (Bowes et al., 2015; Stuart et al., 2015; Tsoi et al., 2012a, 2015), a platform that focuses on genetic variants from promising signals identified in previous association studies of autoimmune diseases (Stuart et al., 2015). However, restricting analysis to markers genotyped (∼110,000) (Tsoi et al., 2012b) or well-imputed (∼700,000) (Tsoi et al., 2015) on the Immunochip limits exploration of the full genome for susceptibility loci.
Nonstationary model of oblique x-ray incidence in amorphous selenium detectors: II. Transfer functions.

Purpose One limitation of experimental techniques for quantifying resolution and noise in detectors is that the measurement is made in a region-of-interest (ROI). With theoretical modeling, these properties can be measured at a point, allowing for quantification of spatial anisotropy. This paper calculates nonstationary transfer functions for amorphous selenium (a-Se) detectors in breast imaging. We use this model to demonstrate the performance advantage of a "next-generation" tomosynthesis (NGT) system, which is capable of x-ray source motion with more degrees of freedom than a clinical tomosynthesis system. Methods Using Swank's formulation, the optical transfer function (OTF) and presampled noise power spectra (NPS) are determined based on the point spread function derived in Part 1. The modulation transfer function (MTF) is found from the normalized modulus of the OTF. To take into account the presence of digitization, the presampled NPS is convolved with a two-dimensional comb function, for which the period along each direction is the reciprocal of the detector element size. The detective quantum efficiency (DQE) is then determined from combined knowledge of the OTF and NPS. Results First, the model is used to demonstrate the loss of image quality due to oblique x-ray incidence. The MTF is calculated along various polar angles, corresponding to different orientations of the input frequency. The MTF is independent of the incidence angle if the polar angle is perpendicular to the ray incidence direction. However, along other polar angles, oblique incidence results in MTF degradation at high frequencies. The MTF degradation is most substantial along the ray incidence direction. Unlike the MTF, the normalized NPS (NNPS) is independent of the incidence angle. To measure the relative signal-to-noise, the DQE is also calculated. Oblique incidence yields high-frequency DQE degradation, which is more pronounced than the MTF degradation. This arises because the DQE is proportionate with the square of the MTF. Ultimately, this model is used to evaluate how the image quality varies over the detector area. For various projection images, we calculate the variation in the incidence angle over this area. With the NGT system, the source can be positioned in such a way that this variation is minimized, and hence the DQE exhibits less anisotropy. To achieve this improvement in the image quality, the source needs to have a component of motion in the posteroanterior (PA) direction, which is perpendicular to the conventional direction of source motion in tomosynthesis. Conclusions In a-Se detectors, the DQE at high frequencies is degraded due to oblique incidence. The DQE degradation is more pronounced than the MTF degradation. This model is used to quantify the spatial variation in DQE over the detector area. The use of PA source motion is a strategy for minimizing this variation and thus improving the image quality.
Health Impact of Hurricanes Irma and Maria on St Thomas and St John, US Virgin Islands, 2017-2018.

Objectives. To assess the health impact of Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria on St Thomas, US Virgin Islands.Methods. We collected data from interviews conducted 6 and 9 months after the hurricane...
Severe Henoch-Shonlein Purpura Nephritis in Children: A Single Center Twelve Year Review

Introduction Henoch Schonlein Purpura (HSP) is the most common form of systemic vasculitis in children; its annual incidenceis 15/100,000
Balanced framing in prognostic discussions among patients with advanced cancer.

22Background: Prognostic awareness, which incorporates understanding of treatment goals, curability, life-expectancy, and anticipated course of illness, is critical to informed decision-making. In ...