cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Infection-Associated Hematological Malignancies

The association between infectious agents and hematologic human malignancies has been actively studied, and numerous viral and bacterial agents were found to play a significant role in the pathogenesis of these diseases. However, the exact molecular mechanisms of infection-induced oncogenesis are still not completely understood. Three viruses, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Human T-cell lymphotropic virus I (HTLV-I), and Kaposi’s sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV), and one bacteria, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) have been definitely associated with human hematologic malignancies, particularly, lymphoid neoplasms. Although these agents employ very different specific oncogenic mechanisms, they converge on several common intercellular pathways (such as cell-cycle regulation, proliferation and apoptosis) that eventually lead to malignant transformation. Environmental and host cofactors such as immunosuppression, genetic predisposition, and mutagens can accelerate the development of these neoplasms. The study of infectious agents and of the multiple mechanisms deployed by them has improved our current understanding of cancer biology. The emerging information may expedite the development of new targeted approaches to prevent and treat infection-associated hematologic malignancies. In this review we will focus on the molecular mechanisms that are involved in the development of the wide spectrum of hematologic malignancies, associated with EBV, HTLV-1, KSHV and H. pylori, as well as their main clinical features.
Face Matching Method in Video Stream based on SMCF and Weighted Histogram

This paper presents a new method to match human face with sequential Monte Carlo filter and weighted histogram in the context of streaming video.In this method the weighted histogram of target face in HSV is adopted as matching feature,the processing technology of sampling and weighting is used to predict the possible matching region of the face,and the maximum posteriori estimation is employed to achieve fast similarity matching.Experimental results show that the weighted histogram of the face in HSV has clustering characteristics, which can adapt to complex background interference.At the same time,the means of region prediction and maximize estimates of the SMCF is effective to reduce the computational overhead and to increase the reliability of the matching.The proposed method can be applied in face tracking,video surveillance and digital entertainment field etc.
Pharmacokinetic Characterization and Bioavailability of Strawberry Anthocyanins Relative to Meal Intake

Plasma strawberry anthocyanins were characterized in overweight (BMI: 26 ± 2 kg/m2) adults (n = 14) on the basis of meal timing. At each visit, subjects ingested three study drinks: two control and one strawberry drink. A strawberry drink was given at either 2 h before the breakfast meal (BM), with the meal (WM), or 2 h after the meal (AM), and control drinks were given at the alternative time points. Plasma anthocyanins and their metabolic conjugates were assessed hourly for 10 h using a triple-quadrupole liquid chromatography mass spectrometer. Maximum concentrations (Cmax), area under the curve (AUC), and bioavailability of pelargonidin-based anthocyanins determined from the main conjugated metabolite (pelargonidin glucuronide) were greater when a strawberry drink was consumed 2 h before the meal (BM) compared to consumption WM or AM (p < 0.05). Our results indicate that the timing of strawberry consumption relative to a meal impacts anthocyanin pharmacokinetic variables.
Postmesh herniorrhaphy wound infections : Can they be eliminated?

The present infection rate of 3 to 4% for inguinal herniorrhaphy should be considered unacceptable. Modern understanding of bacterial film formation, dynamics, and molecular composition should allow the performance of virtually infection-free inguinal and ventral herniorrhaphy. In our service, the reinstitution of accepted and time-tested aseptic regimens combined with antiseptic measures consisting of 1 gram of intravenous cefazolin administered 1 hour before surgery plus frequent wound irrigations with a solution of 80 mg of gentamycin sulphate dissolved in 250 ml of normal saline solution have yielded an infection rate of 0.11% in over 4,000 clean inguinal and 350 clean ventral herniorrhaphies. Our last wound infection occurred in 1983. These results supporting the experience of orthopedic joint replacement suggest that very low postherniorrhaphy infection rates are achievable goals.
The general theory of transformational growth: Demand growth, pricing, and investment plans

In Craft-based economies investment will tend to be “regular,” that is, to be governed by the growth of the labor force, which itself is the result of the structural tendency of labor to be released from agriculture and flow from the countryside to urban areas (Nell, 1992). Growth takes place through the establishment of new firms on borrowed or entrepreneurial capital, so the rate of interest imposes a tendency to uniformity of the profit rate. Thus we saw that investment in Craft economies could be broadly described as supply-driven, that is, governed by the natural rate. But in Mass Production economies investment will be governed by technical progress and the expected growth of demand; investment will not be “regular,” and, moreover, the growth of demand will be influenced by the pricing policies adopted in the course of investment planning. Financial markets will encourage seeking out the highest profit rate, but any tendency to uniformity will be weak, because growth in different markets will be different. Prices and investment plans will therefore be determined together, in the light of expected growth. These will be “benchmark” prices and will serve as guidelines to current behavior; however, there are good reasons for market prices to stay fairly close to the benchmarks. Market adjustment under Mass Production will take a different course than in Craft economies.
The Frontier software-defined radio for the solar probe plus mission

The latest adaptation of the Frontier Radio, an X/Ka-band deep space implementation, has been transitioned into a finished product for Solar Probe Plus (SPP) and future missions. Leveraging the technology readiness level (TRL) 9 software-defined radio (SDR) platform successfully flown on the Van Allen Probes (VAP) mission, the Frontier Radio now brings a low-power, low-mass, yet highly radiation-tolerant and robust SDR to deep space applications. This implementation brings with it a suite of enhanced capabilities and improvements to the Frontier Radio platform. The core deep space software implementation is designed to match or improve upon the signal acquisition and tracking performance, as well as improve the receive and transmit implementation losses of its predecessors (JHU/APL and industry). The deep space radio operates using less than 6W at 30V in receive mode, and approximately 10W with either the X- or Ka-band exciter enabled and operating in two-way coherent duplex mode. The power consumption in these modes can be further reduced to as low as 3W and 9W respectively, depending on the spacecraft bus and mission requirements. In addition to providing standard deep space navigation features such as two-way Doppler, two-way ranging, and differential one-way ranging (DOR), firmware and software enhancements were made to improve the receiver acquisition and tracking robustness. A software enhancement was also essential in 1) reducing the effects of turnaround noise on the Ka-band link and 2) reducing the impact on downlink frame error rates while operating in a coherent turnaround mode. These improvements enable simultaneous science return and navigation over the Ka-band link with minimal implementation loss. A number of enhancements to the hardware and test platforms have been made to improve manufacturability, reduce manufacturing and test cost and turnaround time, improve portability across multiple frequency bands and applications, and increase processing capacity. The parts selection provides for a total ionizing dose (TID) tolerance of at least 100krads, subject to the parts purchased at time of manufacturing, without spot or bulk shielding. The Frontier Radio provides a robust selection of single event mitigation and fault protection techniques. Future deep space missions such as Europa Clipper plan to utilize the Frontier Radio. A single board version of the Frontier Radio is also under development for CubeSat and other small form factor spacecraft, with a current best estimate (CBE) of 1W receive mode and less than 5W duplex mode with a 1W power amplifier; this implementation leverages the same robust parts selection as the parent product, with a streamlined hardware implementation that leverages advancements in high speed signal conversion and processing. This paper describes the current capabilities of the Frontier Radio for deep space and provides a short discussion of future efforts related to the platform.
Design of Photonic Crystal Cavities for Extreme Light Concentration

The fields of photonic crystals and plasmonics have taken two different approaches to increasing light–matter interaction. Photonic crystal cavities increase temporal confinement of light in a material, as represented by their high quality factor, while plasmonic structures increase spatial confinement, as represented by their low mode volume. However, the inability to simultaneously attain extreme temporal and spatial confinement of light remains a barrier to realizing ultimate control of light in a material and maximum performance in photonic devices. Here, by engineering the photonic crystal unit cell to incorporate deep subwavelength dielectric inclusions, we show that it is possible in a single structure to achieve a mode volume commensurate with plasmonic elements while maintaining a quality factor that is characteristic of traditional photonic crystal cavities. Manipulating the geometric design of the unit cell leads to precise control of the band structure and mode distribution in the photonic cry...
Recursive feature elimination for biomarker discovery in resting-state functional connectivity

Biomarker discovery involves finding correlations between features and clinical symptoms to aid clinical decision. This task is especially difficult in resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data due to low SNR, high-dimensionality of images, inter-subject and intra-subject variability and small numbers of subjects compared to the number of derived features. Traditional univariate analysis suffers from the problem of multiple comparisons. Here, we adopt an alternative data-driven method for identifying population differences in functional connectivity. We propose a machine-learning approach to down-select functional connectivity features associated with symptom severity in mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Using this approach, we identified functional regions with altered connectivity in mTBI. including the executive control, visual and precuneus networks. We compared functional connections at multiple resolutions to determine which scale would be more sensitive to changes related to patient recovery. These modular network-level features can be used as diagnostic tools for predicting disease severity and recovery profiles.
Fixation time does not affect the expression of estrogen receptor.

To the Editor We read with high interest the article by Ibarra et al1 in the Journal . The authors are to be congratulated for taking the initiative to add to the literature of fixation time for hormone receptors. However, the article that is published in the Journal is essentially a data point and not a valid scientific study. The authors used breast cancers from 10 patients, all of whom are high expressers of estrogen receptor (ER). The authors processed these specimens on an accelerated tissue processor program that uses heat enhancement. For this article to be scientifically and clinically useful and not misleading, the authors need to include patients who have intermediate to low expression of ER, which comprises about one third of all patients with breast cancer. In addition, results from the processor used in the study must be compared with those from a conventional tissue processor (nonaccelerated, without heat enhancement). The specimens used in this study were hand-carved to simulate breast core biopsy specimens, but we submit that they are not truly representative of breast core biopsy specimens that are procured by radiology. Radiology-procured breast biopsy specimens are typically fatty, 11-gauge, vacuum-assisted biopsy specimens …
Robotic video-assisted thoracoscopy: minimally invasive approach for management of mediastinal tumors

In spite of difficult anatomic access for tumors of mediastinum, surgical resection remains the best diagnostic and therapeutic approach. Widespread acceptance of video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS) is restricted by the limiting nature of instruments and suboptimal visualization. Robotic assisted minimally invasive surgery seems to hold most promise in remote, narrow anatomical regions. After obtaining approval from Institutional Review Board (IRB), a retrospective review of prospectively collected database on patients that underwent Robotic VATS between 2009 and 2013 was conducted. Forty-eight patients underwent RVATS resection of mediastinal tumor. One procedure (2.1%) was converted to open. The size of the mass ranged from 0.6 to 12.5 cm in greatest dimension (mean 5.16 cm). The mean duration of procedure was 127.96 min (60–240 min). Five patients (10.4%) had early postoperative complications including chylothorax (1 patient), new onset atrial fibrillation (1 patient), pleural effusion (1 patient), empyema (1 patient), and bleeding (1 patient). Mean follow-up time was 186 days (10–1300 days). Two patients (4%) with invasive thymoma developed local recurrence. The present study documents the feasibility of RVATS in the management of mediastinal tumors irrespective of the location in various mediastinal compartments. The role for careful and complete excision of the tumor, and surveillance afterward on invasive thymoma, was noted in our study, as in literature.
Fast Evaluation of Commutation Failure Risk in Multi-Infeed HVDC Systems

This paper presents a fast and reliable method to evaluate risk of single or multiple commutation failures for multi-infeed HVDC systems following faults occurring at the receiving-end ac system. First, a fast calculation method of multi-infeed interaction factor, describing the interactivity and mutual impact between two inverter AC buses on is proposed. It is then refined to being the AC–DC system voltage interaction factor (ADVIF) to represent the relationship in bus voltages between inverter and AC buses at the re-ceiving-end systems. Then, a critical AC–DC system voltage interaction factor (CADVIF) based on the minimum extinction angle criteria is proposed. By calculating and comparing ADVIFs and CADVIFs, which can be obtained quickly, it is possible to identify AC buses that, if a fault occurs, would cause commutation failures at one or more HVDC systems. The validity and accuracy of the proposed approach are demonstrated by comparing with simulations results using a two-infeed HVDC test system and an actual large power grid.
Cellular response of a novel PLK inhibitor in breast cancer cells

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 12-16, 2008; San Diego, CA 2397 Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) is a serine/threonine protein kinase with several important functions throughout the G2→M phase of the cell cycle. Previous data has shown PLK1 to be highly expressed in malignant cells and its expression portends poor prognosis in various human cancer. Therefore, Plk1 is a potential oncology drug target, and several small molecules including GSK461364 are being developed to target PLK1 and are in clinical trials. We describe here analyses of molecular responses to GSK461364. With this background, we measured responses to GSK461364 in a panel of 50 breast cell lines. GSK461364 inhibited cell growth with a GI50 range between 0.1nM to 8 µM. GSK461364 also induced cell apoptosis, and inhibited cell proliferation and G2/M arrest by high content imaging. Subtype analysis of responses to the breast cancer cell lines showed GSK461364 to be more cytotoxic in lines representing clinically aggressive basal B breast cancers sub-type than in luminal sub-type cell lines or nontransformed human mammary epithelial cultures. Predictive biomarkers of response to GSK461364 treatment were discovered by supervising genomic and mRNA expression signatures of cell lines with the GI50 profile of GSK461364. While further validation of these candidate biomarkers is needed, such predictors could be used to enrich patient populations for potential responders prior to initiating therapy in the clinic and to define tailored therapeutics for individual patients. (Supported by funds from NIH/NCI U54 CA112970, ASCO and GlaxoSmithKline)
Pulmonary venous abnormalities encountered on pre-radiofrequency ablation mapping multidetector computed tomography

Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) elegantly renders pulmonary venous anatomy. With increasing numbers of radiofrequency ablation procedures being performed, there is now a greater emphasis on pre-procedure imaging to delineate this anatomy. Pulmonary venous mapping studies can be performed with or without ECG-gating. However, ECG-gating improves both the quality of 3D images and the accuracy of pulmonary vein (PV) ostial diameter measurements. Including the superior thorax, and not just the left atrium and central PVs, allows visualization of aberrant pulmonary venous drainage to the brachiocephalic veins or superior vena cava. Normally, there are two superior PVs, one right and one left, and two inferior PVs, one right and one left. The right superior vein usually drains the right upper and middle lobe. The left superior vein drains the left upper lobe including the lingula. The inferior veins drain their respective lower lobe. PV anatomy is more variable than pulmonary arterial anatomy, and developmental anomalies are common. This article describes, illustrates and reviews the common anomalies of the PVs in our experience performing over 1000-pre-radiofrequency ablation cardiac MDCT studies. The commonest anomalies are supernumerary or accessory veins (on the right) and a (left) common trunk. More rarely, partial anomalous pulmonary venous return and Cor triatriatum are seen, and rarest of all is total anomalous pulmonary venous return, PV varix and single or multiple vein stenosis or atresia.
Interpretation of Tracer Experiments on Inverted Five-spot Well-patterns within the Western Half of the Farnsworth Unit Oil Field

Abstract The Southwest Regional Partnership on Carbon Sequestration (SWP), one of the U.S. Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) seven Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships, is currently working to demonstrate the utilization and storage of CO2 in the Farnsworth Unit (FWU) Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) site under the final development phase of this U.S. DOE initiative. A component of the research is to use fluid tracers to understand the multifluid flow patterns that develop between injection and production wells via collected field data and supporting numerical reservoir models. The FWU, located in the Anadarko Basin, Ochiltree County, Texas, and being operated by Chaparral Energy, is a mature EOR water-flood field, which is currently being converted to a CO2 flow, with inverted 5-spot patterns transitioning from pure water to alternating CO2 and water floods (i.e., water alternating gas (WAG)) at an approximate rate of one every 6 to 10 months. The SWP tracer program is conducting a suite of tracer injections into the active 5-spot patterns at the FWU. Tracers have been selected to be nonreactive and either principally soluble in CO2 (gas soluble) or water (aqueous soluble). In addition to characterizing the multifluid flow behaviour within reservoir, the gas and aqueous tracers have roles in detecting any leakage from the reservoir. A total of seven unique perfluorocarbon tracer (PFT) compounds make up the suite of gas soluble tracers and eight unique naphthalene sulfonate tracer (NPT) compounds comprise the aqueous soluble tracers. All selected tracers are significantly detectable below the parts per billion concentrations, allowing for high resolution for the inter-well tests at relatively low injection volumes.
Consistent Query Answering: The First Ten Years

Usually, the data in a database instance is supposed to be consistentand satisfy the database integrity constraints. However, it is quite common for the two to diverge. The data may fail to satisfy the constraints for various reasons: it may be erroneous, out of date, or come from mutually inconsistent sources.
Serial assessment of left ventricular performance following coronary artery bypass grafting. Early postoperative results with myocardial protection afforded by multidose hypothermic potassium crystalloid cardioplegia

Forty patients who recently underwent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) operations had serial hemodynamic and scintigraphic studies. Multidose hypothermic potassium crystalloid cardioplegia was used for myocardial protection and newer techniques in anesthetic management and perioperative patient care were also employed. The method of equilibrium cardiac gated blood pool (GBP) scintigraphy was used to obtain perioperative changes in global ejection fraction (EF) and regional wall motion (RWM). Ninety percent of patients displayed a decrease in EF 2 hours postoperatively when compared to their preoperative values. This change was also associated with a fall in cardiac index (CI) and left ventricular stroke work index (LVSWI). Twenty-four hours postoperatively, EF and CI recovered to preoperative levels, but LVSWI remained depressed. Seven days postoperatively, global EF had improved to a value greater than the preoperative one (50% ± 3% versus 57% ± 4%, p
Isolation and enzymic assay of choline and phosphocholine present in cell extracts with picomole sensitivity.

Increasing interest in receptor-regulated phospholipase C and phospholipase D hydrolysis of cellular phosphatidylcholine motivates the development of a sensitive and simple assay for the water-soluble hydrolytic products of these reactions, phosphocholine and choline respectively. Choline was partially purified from the methanol/water upper phase of a Bligh & Dyer extract by ion-pair extraction using sodium tetraphenylboron, and the mass of choline was determined by a radioenzymic assay using choline kinase and [32P]ATP. After removal of choline from the upper phase, the mass of residual phosphocholine was determined by converting it into choline by using alkaline phosphatase, followed by radioactive phosphorylation. In addition to excellent sensitivity (5 pmol for choline and 10 pmol for phosphocholine), these assays demonstrated little mutual interference (phosphocholine----choline = 0%; choline----phosphocholine = 5%), were extremely reproducible (average S.E.M. of 3.5% for choline and 2.9% for phosphocholine), and were simple to perform with instrumentation typically available in most laboratories. In addition, the ability to apply the extraction technique to the upper phase of Bligh & Dyer extracts permitted simple analysis not only of choline and phosphocholine, but also of phosphatidylcholine and lipid products of phospholipase C and phospholipase D activity (1,2-diacylglycerol and phosphatidic acid respectively) from the same cell or tissue sample.
A phase IIA trial of acupuncture to reduce chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy severity during neoadjuvant or adjuvant weekly paclitaxel chemotherapy in breast cancer patients.

Abstract Purpose Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common and potentially dose-limiting side-effect of neurotoxic chemotherapy for cancer patients. We evaluated the preliminary efficacy of acupuncture in preventing worsening CIPN in patients receiving paclitaxel. Methods In this phase IIA single-arm clinical trial, we screened stage I–III breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant/adjuvant weekly paclitaxel for development of CIPN. The primary objective was to assess acupuncture's efficacy in preventing the escalation of National Cancer Institute-Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI-CTCAE), version 4.0, grade II CIPN to higher grades. Acupuncture was deemed worthy of further study if 23 or more of the 27 enrolled patients did not develop grade III CIPN. Outcome measures (NCI-CTCAE CIPN grade, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy/Gynecologic Oncology Group-Neurotoxicity [FACT/GOG-Ntx], Neuropathic Pain Scale [NPS]) were obtained weekly during the intervention. Results Of 104 patients screened, 37 developed grade II CIPN (36%), and 28 (27%) enrolled into the intervention phase; one was removed due to protocol violation. Of the 27 patients receiving acupuncture, 26 completed paclitaxel treatment without developing grade III CIPN, meeting our prespecified success criteria for declaring acupuncture worthy of further study. FACT/GOG-Ntx and NPS scores remained stable during the intervention while continuing weekly paclitaxel. Acupuncture treatment was well tolerated; 4 of 27 (15%) patients reported grade I bruising. Conclusions Acupuncture was safe and showed preliminary evidence of effectiveness in reducing the incidence of high grade CIPN during chemotherapy. A follow-up randomised controlled trial is needed to establish definitive efficacy in CIPN prevention for patients at risk.
The Association Between Buccal Mucosa Thickness and Periimplant Bone Loss and Attachment Loss: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Purpose:The aim of this study was to assess if there is an association between buccal mucosa thickness and periimplant attachment loss after 1 year of function.Materials and Methods:A total of 28 patients (14 periimplantitis implants and 14 healthy implants) were included. The buccal mucosal thickne
Abdominopelvic bleed rate on admission CT correlates with mortality and transfusion needs in the setting of blunt pelvic fractures: a single institution pilot study.

The objectives of this study were to calculate the total volumetric rate of abdominopelvic bleeding in patients with acute pelvic fractures and examine the relationships between the bleeding rate, patient outcomes, and required patient interventions. This was a retrospective cohort study which included 29 patients from a 4-year period (May 2013 to May 2017). Patients with acute pelvic fractures and active bleeding detected on CT with two phases of imaging were included. Software was used to measure the volume of active bleeding on arterial and parenchymal phases. The active bleeding rate was calculated by dividing the change in active bleeding volume by the time between the two phases. The total volumetric bleed rate from all sites was then computed. Clinical variables were compared between survivors and non-survivors. Overall mortality in this cohort was 21% (n = 6). The mean abdominopelvic volumetric bleed rate in non-survivors was much greater than survivors (40.7 cc/min vs. 5.7 cc/min; p 20 cc/min was associated with a mortality rate of 80% while a rate of 20 cc/min was associated with a high risk of mortality.
On the status of Araripegryllus romualdoi (Insecta: Orthoptera: Grylloidea) from the Cretaceous Santana Formation of Brazil

The fossil cricket Araripegryllus romualdoi was described by Freitas et al. (2016) based on a single, very poorly preserved specimen from the Romualdo Member of the Lower Cretaceous Santana Formation; a deposit famed for the exceptional preservation of vertebrates in carbonate concretions (Martill, 1996, 2007). While abundant and diverse in the underlying Crato Formation (Martill et al., 2007 and contributions therein), fossil insects had not been reported from the Santana Formation prior to Freitas et al.’s paper. The occurrence of an insect in the Santana Formation is certainly noteworthy, but the description of a new species and its placement in the genus Araripegryllus are problematic, primarily because of the very poor preservation of the specimen. Here, problems associated with the diagnosis and placement of A. romualdoi are outlined, and the species declared a nomen dubium.
Trends in Major Gastrectomy for Cancer: Frequency and Outcomes.

Declining incidence of gastric cancer in the USA has presumably resulted in lower rates of major gastrectomy for cancer. The impact on perioperative outcomes remains undefined. The aims of this study were to characterize national trends in frequency of major gastrectomy for cancer, identify factors associated with in-hospital mortality, and examine outcome disparities by race/ethnicity. Nationwide inpatient sample data from 1993 to 2013 were queried for procedural and diagnostic codes (ICD-9) relating to total and partial gastrectomy procedures. Gastric resections for cancer were compared to those for peptic ulcer disease for reference. Patient demographics, comorbidity score, mortality, and hospital characteristics were recorded as covariates. A significant decrease in annual rates of partial and total gastrectomy was observed from 1993 to 2013 (p < 0.0001). The change in absolute number and percent decline was greater for partial gastrectomy (− 39.3%) than total gastrectomy (− 19%). There was a 34.0% decrease in gastrectomy for cancer in Whites and a 61.2% increase among Hispanic patients over two decades. In-hospital mortality also significantly decreased over the study period (7.7% to 2.7%). Factors associated with lower mortality rates included male sex and treatment at urban teaching hospitals. Analysis of trends revealed that gastrectomy for cancer was performed with increasing frequency at urban teaching hospitals. The frequency of major gastric resections in the USA has declined over two decades. Overall, in-hospital mortality rates also have decreased significantly. Declining in-hospital mortality after gastrectomy for cancer is associated with more frequent treatment at urban teaching hospitals.
Effect of Zileuton Treatment on Sinonasal Quality of Life in Patients with Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease.

BackgroundAspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) is a subtype of chronic sinusitis comprised of asthma, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, and a non-IgE hypersensitivity to cyclooxyg...
Perceived Relevance of Digital Badges Predicts Longitudinal Change in Program Engagement.

Digital badges have long been assumed to possess motivational qualities that could encourage learners to engage with learning content. However, prior studies have found the effects of badges to be complex, differing by learner, type of badge, and potentially other factors. Qualitative reports suggest that individuals’ perceptions of digital badges may play a role in moderating badges’ effects: badges are only motivating when they are perceived as relevant and desirable. In the current study, we examine longitudinal episodes of data from 2,410 middle and high school users of a badged online programming curriculum to test whether there is evidence that learners’ perceptions of badges’ relevance predict changes in engagement over time; and whether that relationship is equitable with respect to age, sex, and ethnicity. We also investigate whether a reciprocal relationship may exist in which engagement predicts relative increases in learners’ perceptions of badges as relevant to them. Learners’ positive perceptions of badges’ relevance predicted rank-order increases in engagement over time. Further, this relationship did not vary by age, sex, or minoritized racial/ethnic status. In addition, higher engagement also predicted upward shifts in perceived badge relevance. These results suggest that learners’ subjective evaluations of digital badges are closely related to changes in their engagement with program activities, that badged engagement neither widens nor closes educational equity gaps, and that learners’ regard for badges and engagement in program activities may be mutually reinforcing. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)
SEX-BASED DIFFERENCES ON LEFT VENTRICULAR REMODELING AND SURVIVAL IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC AORTIC REGURGITATION: IS THERE A NEED FOR SEX SPECIFIC THRESHOLDS FOR SURGICAL INTERVENTION?

Females with chronic aortic regurgitation (AR) are less frequently referred for surgical intervention than males and are more symptomatic at the time of presentation. We sought to evaluate sex-based differences in left ventricular (LV) remodeling and survival in patients with significant AR referred
Uncertainty and Legal Foreseeability in Flood Risk Management

AbstractThe legal concept of foreseeability is an important element of proof in flood loss litigation against the US Army Corps of Engineers. Although hydrologic forecasting and engineering uncerta...
Effects of soil shrink-swell on bird bones: An experimental taphonomy pilot study

Abstract The soil burial context of a bird bone assemblage is affected by many different taphonomic factors. In this pilot study, we examined the potential effects of soil shrink-swell on white-tailed dove (Zenaida asiatica) bones experimentally buried in three soils of different clay contents. We predicted that bones buried in high clay soils would experience the most damage from soil shrink-swell. Dove wing and leg bones were buried and exposed to 60 days and eight episodes of cyclic soil shrink-swell. We recovered all bones (humeri, ulnae, radii, femora, and tibiotarsi) and found 77.1% of them to exhibit damage. Significant damage occurred among the humeri, ulnae, radii, and femora buried in high clay soil, supporting our prediction. Each bone experienced at least one of the 10 fracture types we recorded. We found the greatest damage in humeri, for which all experienced damage from pitting. The humeri sample also displayed eight fracture types across bone portions and landmarks. Our pilot study is exploratory and meant to provide information useful for further experimentation with additional bird bones using whole carcasses and excised specimens placed in additional positions and soil conditions.
Models of Spike Generation and Conduction

The previous chapters in this section have discussed the generation and passive conduction of signals in neurons, noting that passively conducted signals are attenuated very severely even over short distances. When such signals are excitatory, they may lead to the generation of large-amplitude spikes, which in turn are continually provided with energy as they propagate and thus are conducted over essentially unlimited distances without attenuation. The low-amplitude signals that are excitatory and thus tend to trigger spikes are often called generator potentials. In this chapter, we shall discuss several models related to the triggering of spikes by generator potentials and the subsequent attenuationless propagation of those spikes along neuronal fibers. We will progress from the iron-wire analogy of the 1920s, through the threshold/accommodation models of the 1930s, to the Hodgkin-Huxley model of the early 1950s.
Phospholipids of the Thiobacilli

Phosphatidyl glycerol, disphosphatidyl glycerol, and phosphatidyl ethanolamine were found in all of the Thiobacillus species studied. T. thioparus possessed only these phospholipids. T. intermedius, T. neapolitanus, and T. thiooxidans contained phosphatidyl-N-monomethylethanolamine, and T. novellus lipids contained phosphatidyl-N-monomethylethanolamine, phosphatidyl-N-N-dimethylethanolamine, and phosphatidyl choline, in addition to the three phospholipids common to all of the thiobacilli. Methionine was found to act as a methyl donor in the biosynthesis of the methylated forms of phosphatidyl ethanolamine. Phosphatidyl inositol was not detected in any of the organisms. Changing the nutrient medium did not result in a qualitative change in the phospholipid spectrum of the cultures.
BDEI: Biodiversity Information Organization using Taxonomy (BIOT)

Biological resources are the basis of much of this Nation's prosperity. The wise stewardship of these riches affects current and future generations and, therefore, must be rooted in decisions based on the best information available. Because of the rapid growth of all content on the Internet, there is a corresponding increase in online biological information of all types. However, the sheer volume of data, and its widely varying quality and physical distribution make it impossible for decision makers to make critical decisions without the benefit of the existing body of information. This project aims to investigate and develop intelligent knowledge management tools and deploy them in this important domain. In particular, we will investigate the use of a taxonomy as a reference ontology to provide a conceptual framework to allow intelligent agents to browse biodiversity information in a variety of formats widely distributed on the World Wide Web.
Legal Research and the World of Thinkable Thoughts

It is difficult to properly describe technology’s impact on legal information. The impact created a generational gap between those who learned their research skills before the change and current students. The habits of the new generation of legal researchers point toward a change in the way that we can think about the law.
Properties of Sliding Bearings: Theory and Experiments

Sliding seismic isolation systems may consist of a variety of components, of which the most important one is the sliding bearing. Typically, sliding bearings consist of interfaces made of PTFE or PTFE-based composites and highly polished stainless steel. The properties of these interfaces are described.
Proteolysis of bacterial membrane proteins by Neisseria gonorrhoeae type 2 immunoglobulin A1 protease

The immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) proteases of Neisseria gonorrhoeae have been defined as having human IgA1 as their single permissive substrate. However, in recent years there have been reports of other proteins which are susceptible to the proteolytic activity of these enzymes. To examine the possibility that gonococcal membrane proteins are potential substrates for these enzymes, isolated outer and cytoplasmic membranes of N. gonorrhoeae were treated in vitro with exogenous pure IgA1 protease. Analysis of silver-stained sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels of outer membranes indicated that there were two outer membrane proteins of 78 and 68 kDa which were cleaved by IgA1 protease in vitro in GCM 740 (a wild-type strain) and in two isogenic IgA1 protease-negative variants. Similar results were observed with a second gonococcal strain, F62, and its isogenic IgA1 protease-negative derivative. When GCM 740 cytoplasmic membranes were treated with protease, three minor proteins of 24.5, 23.5, and 21.5 kDa were cleaved. In addition, when outer membranes of Escherichia coli DH1 were treated with IgA1 protease, several proteins were hydrolyzed. While the identities of all of these proteolyzed proteins are unknown, the data presented indicate that there are several proteins found in the isolated membranes of gram-negative bacteria which are permissive in vitro substrates for gonococcal IgA1 protease.
A procedure for getting FEA results to a prespecified modeling precision

Abstract This paper defines the steps of an adaptive procedure for controlling finite element analysis (FEA) model approximations to obtain predictions of the structures' external work of deformation with a prespecified number of digits of precision. The procedure includes five measures to ensure the validity of the curve fitting and the precision of modeling approximations. The illustrative example involves response of a rectangular membrane loaded by an in-plane bending line loading. The procedure leads to rejecting analysis results of the coarsest grid. Since the solution of the illustrative problem is bounded, the procedure can yield a convergent sequence of estimates of the work and provide values of the work when the grid interval is zero. Computer resources expended using the procedure are a maximum of twice those incurred in evaluating the external work for the smallest FEA grid interval used in curve fitting.
REACTIONS TO THE PATRICIA HEARST CASE: AN ATTRIBUTIONAL PERSPECTIVE

Summary.-Two major purposes of this study were (a) to examine attributions of causality in the Patricia Hearst (P.H.) case and their relation to ocher relevant judgments and (b) to examine personality impressions of P.H. at three phases in the chronology of the case. Subjects were presented with a detailed synopsis of the case. It was anticipated and later verified that there would be considerable individual differences in reactions to this case. Subjects attributed more situational than personal causality to P.H.'s behavior but substantial importance was attached to the latter. Higher ratings on personal causality were associated with higher ratings on guilt, recommended punishment, and other judgments implying a dispositional view of P.H.'s behavior. Higher ratings on situational causality were, conversely, associated with lower guilt ratings, less punishment, etc. Personality impressions were favorable initially, became dramatically negative at the "Tania" phase, and then were somewhat more favorable "at trial" although less than the initial impressions. Subjects were categorized as internal or external on the basis of their relatively extreme location on a combined attribution scale. Internally oriented subjects were less favorable in their impressions than were subjects with an external orientation, particularly at the initial and "at trial" phases of the case.
Imaging of muscle disorders in children

Muscle inflammation is a relatively common pathological process in childhood. The diagnosis of the underlying cause relies on an appreciation of the pattern of clinical features, as well as the results of biochemical, histological and radiological investigations. Often the clinical and biochemical features are non-specific and insensitive. Consequently, the radiological abnormalities are very important in establishing a diagnosis and an understanding of the imaging features of muscle inflammatory disorders in childhood is needed. Some of the imaging protocols needed to investigate a variety of muscle and soft-tissue inflammatory conditions in childhood are reviewed in this article. Those features that are helpful in narrowing the differential diagnosis are indicated and a logical approach to the investigation of affected children is provided. The value of MR imaging is highlighted.
Subduction process of a fracture zone and aseismic ridges — the focal mechanism and source characteristics of the New Hebrides earthquake of 1969 January 19 and some related events

The subduction of the D'Entrecasteaux fracture zone-seismic ridge system in the New Hebrides island arc is investigated on the basis of the focal process of the New Hebrides earthquake of 1969 January 19 (m_b= 6.4, h= 107 km), mechanisms of some related events, seismicity and regional tectonics. A notable feature of this island arc is the discontinuity of the New Hebrides Trench in the central New Hebrides where the ridge-fracture zone is subducting and intersecting the arc. The 1969 New Hebrides earthquake occurred along the subducted portion of the fracture zone and is characterized by unusual waveforms with remarkably large excitation of long period waves, rare for earthquakes of comparable mb and depth; the P-wave records show anomalously long duration and complexity indicating that the earthquake was a multiple event with a source duration of at least 30 s. P-wave first motions, seismicity data and synthetic body-wave seismogram indicate that the earthquake represents transverse left-lateral motion on a nearly vertical, E—W trending fault plane with a slip vector subparallel to the down-dip direction of the Benioff zone. The total seismic moment is found to be 5 × 10^(26) dyne cm by matching the amplitudes and waveforms between observed and synthetic surface waves. The location and mechanism of this earthquake suggest that the D'Entrecasteaux fracture zone structurally extends to the east of the trench. This structural boundary at depth seems to be reflected in the spatial distribution of two earthquake swarms which are bounded sharply at the latitude of 15.2°S. At the extension of the ridge-fracture zone, the activity of intermediate depth earthquakes, which are characterized by a very consistent pattern of down-dip extensional mechanism, is much higher and their depths are systematically shallower than in the adjacent regions. These features can be interpreted as a consequence of subduction of a buoyant ridge and the resultant increase in the extensional stress at the intermediate depths of the sinking slab. Fault-plane solutions of 22 earthquakes suggest that the subduction of aseismic ridges in the New Hebrides is characterized by high-angle thrusts. The lithospheres on the two sides of the D'Entrecasteaux fracture zone under the arc subduct more or less independently and generate alternating left-lateral and right-lateral earthquakes along the subducted portion of the fracture zone.
Chemistry of Bifunctional Photoprobes. 1. Perfluoroaryl Azido Functionalized Phosphorus Hydrazides as Novel Photoreactive Heterobifunctional Chelating Agents: High Efficiency Nitrene Insertion on Model Solvents and Proteins.

Synthesis and evaluation of a new class of photochemically activated heterobifunctional chelating agents for protein modification is described. Selective functionalization of perfluoroaryl azides b...
1820 – Suicide in the US army

Introduction Suicide rates in the United States Army have steadily risen over the past eight years to record levels and continue to rise. The suicide rate now is greater than the general US population even after controlling for sex and age. This change is even more concerning based on the previous steady decreased rate compared to the US general population in the thirty years prior to 2004. In 2012, suicide deaths have outpaced combat deaths year to date. Objectives 1. Using epidemiologic surveillance data and new scientific data, describe factors associated with the increase in suicide deaths and potential targets for interventions. Aims Provide overview of factors associated with suicide in military populations and effects of combat on suicide rates. Methods Information provided will be based on current published and ongoing research synthesizing the larger suicide research literature. Results Suicide in the Army has steadily increased since 2004 along with other surrogate markers of increased psychiatric illness including post deployment surveillance, anonymous surveillance, clinical utilization rates and rates of drug misuse and abuse. Conclusions Integrating media and scientific reports on the increased rates of miltary suicide is challenging. However, clinically relevant targets to impact rates along with strategies to research factors associated with suicide and larger prevention efforts hold promise.