cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Combining Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation and Bariatric Surgery: A Route to Improve Outcomes in Morbidly Obese Patients with End Stage Heart Failure

Purpose Review our single center experience of morbidly obese patients with end-stage heart failure (ESHF) that underwent left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. Methods From 1/1/2008 - 1/1/2018, 240 adult LVADs were implanted at our center. We reviewed the cases of patients presenting with ESHF and morbid obesity [pre-operative body mass index (BMI) >35 kg/m2] who underwent LVAD alone, and compared that to a group that underwent LVAD and bariatric surgery [laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG)] as a means for weight reduction. Demographic characteristics, perioperative details, BMI, and status of transplant candidacy were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed (SPSS version 25) with chi-squared analysis, kaplan meier survival analysis, regression analysis, and student's t-test. Results Twenty nine patients met criteria and underwent LVAD implantation. Fifteen patients underwent LVAD alone. Fourteen patients underwent LVAD + LSG. Both groups showed good survival outcomes, LVAD alone (88.9 ± 5.9 months) versus LVAD +LSG (96.1 ± 12.4 months), but were not significantly different. However, we did note that more patients in the LVAD+LSG group were bridged to OHTx (p Conclusion LVAD alone and/or LVAD + LSG are both technically feasible and effective treatment options for the long term survival of morbidly obese patients with ESHF. Combining LVAD + LSG can help bridge patients to OHTx.
Distinct Dynamics Of Endocytic Clathrin Coated Pits And Coated Plaques

Clathrin is the scaffold of a conserved molecular machinery that has evolved to capture membrane patches, which then pinch off to become traffic carriers. These carriers are the principal vehicles of receptor-mediated endocytosis and are the major route of traffic from plasma membrane to endosomes. We report here the use of in vivo imaging data, obtained from spinning disk confocal and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy, to distinguish between two modes of endocytic clathrin coat formation, which we designate as ‘‘coated pits’’ and ‘‘coated plaques.’’ Coated pits are small, rapidly forming structures that deform the underlying membrane by progressive recruitment of clathrin, adaptors, and other regulatory proteins. They ultimately close off and bud inward to form coated vesicles. Coated plaques are longer-lived structures with larger and less sharply curved coats; their clathrin lattices do not close off, but instead move inward from the cell surface shortly before membrane fission. Local remodeling of actin filaments is essential for the formation, inward movement, and dissolution of plaques, but it is not required for normal formation and budding of coated pits in the cells we have studied. We conclude that there are at least two distinct modes of clathrin coat formation at the plasma membrane— classical coated pits and coated plaques—and that these two assemblies interact quite differently with other intracellular structures.
Structural basis of ClpXP recognition and unfolding of ssrA-tagged C-degron substrates

All cells degrade partially synthesized proteins when ribosomes fail to complete normal translation1. In Escherichia coli and other eubacteria, the tmRNA system rescues stalled ribosomes and cotranslationally adds an ssrA tag to the C-terminus of the incomplete protein to direct degradation by ClpXP and other AAA+ proteases, thereby safeguarding proteome integrity2. Here, we present two cryo-EM structures of ClpXP bound to the ssrA degron, which explain initial degron recognition and subsequent movement into the motor’s central channel. Our studies illuminate how ClpXP unfolds substrates with degrons of different lengths and transitions from specific recognition into a nonspecific unfolding and translocation machine. Many AAA+ proteases and protein-remodeling motors likely employ similar strategies.
Long-term hemodynamic benefits after ‘treat-to-close’ for intracardiac shunts and pulmonary hypertension

Background: Patients with congenital heart defects and systemic-to-pulmonary pre-tricuspid shunts (PTS) may develop pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) from chronic volume overload. PTS patients with PAH can undergo medical therapy followed by closure (treat-to-close) with safe short-term outcomes. This may result in improved pulmonary resistance, compliance and RV function, but severe distal vascular disease may persist. Aims and Objectives: To examine longitudinal hemodynamic changes in pulmonary vascular load and RV function from diagnosis, post-shunt closure and long-term follow up in patients with PTS with PAH. Methods: PTS subjects with PAH who underwent treat-to-close and had at least one early post-closure and late resting and exercise cath were identified. RV afterload (Ea, Ca, resting PVR, exercise α and linear PQ), RV contractility (Ees) and RV-PA coupling (Ees/Ea) were analyzed. Results: 3 subjects (2 ASDs, 1 PAPVR) were included. Closure resulted in short- and long-term reduction in mean PA pressure, PVR (Fig A and B) and global afterload with improved RV-PA coupling (Fig C). Exercise PQ and α remained abnormal (Fig C). Conclusions: Treat-to-close for PTS with PAH provides short- and long-term improvements suggesting benefit of this aggressive approach. However, distal vascular disease remains despite near normalization of global afterload and chronic medical therapy may still be needed.
Your signature is your password: Haptic Passwords on Mobile Devices.

In this paper, a new behavioral biometric password based on haptic interaction is described. This "haptic password" system is built on a device that has a force-sensitive screen. The user authentication process leverages maximal overlap discrete wavelet transform (MODWT) based feature extraction along with a customized classifier as well as an adaptive template scheme to accommodate users' variations over time. An experimental study was conducted with 29 subjects and we investigated the authentication performance with multiple user postures under simulated forgery attacks. The performance of the model is evaluated based on authentication accuracies. The results suggest that this proposed haptic password system achieves robust high authentication accuracy and scalability, as well as forgery-proof performance.
eHealth Practices in Cancer Survivors With BMI in Overweight or Obese Categories: Latent Class Analysis Study

Background: eHealth technologies have been found to facilitate health-promoting practices among cancer survivors with BMI in overweight or obese categories; however, little is known about their engagement with eHealth to promote weight management and facilitate patient-clinician communication. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine whether eHealth use was associated with sociodemographic characteristics, as well as medical history and experiences (ie, patient-related factors) among cancer survivors with BMI in overweight or obese categories. Methods: Data were analyzed from a nationally representative cross-sectional survey (National Cancer Institute’s Health Information National Trends Survey). Latent class analysis was used to derive distinct classes among cancer survivors based on sociodemographic characteristics, medical attributes, and medical experiences. Logistic regression was used to examine whether class membership was associated with different eHealth practices. Results: Three distinct classes of cancer survivors with BMI in overweight or obese categories emerged: younger with no comorbidities, younger with comorbidities, and older with comorbidities. Compared to the other classes, the younger with comorbidities class had the highest probability of identifying as female (73%) and Hispanic (46%) and feeling that clinicians did not address their concerns (75%). The older with comorbidities class was 6.5 times more likely than the younger with comorbidities class to share eHealth data with a clinician (odds ratio [OR] 6.53, 95% CI 1.08-39.43). In contrast, the younger with no comorbidities class had a higher likelihood of using a computer to look for health information (OR 1.93, 95% CI 1.10-3.38), using an electronic device to track progress toward a health-related goal (OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.08-3.79), and using the internet to watch health-related YouTube videos (OR 2.70, 95% CI 1.52-4.81) than the older with comorbidities class. Conclusions: Class membership was associated with different patterns of eHealth engagement, indicating the importance of tailored digital strategies for delivering effective care. Future eHealth weight loss interventions should investigate strategies to engage younger cancer survivors with comorbidities and address racial and ethnic disparities in eHealth use.
Palliative and End of Life Care Preferences in Adolescents and Young Adults with Heart Failure

Purpose Nearly 14,000 children experience heart failure (HF) related hospitalizations annually in the US. Death occurs in 7% of these cases with costly and invasive interventions being common near the end of life (EOL). Yet, youth with HF are less likely to receive palliative care services compared to other pediatric illness groups, with little research focusing on EOL care needs. This study aimed to describe palliative and EOL care preferences in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with HF. Methods AYAs (12-24 years) with HF or a significant post-heart transplant complication and a parent were enrolled at a single center. AYA/parent dyads completed the Lyon Family-Centered Advance Care Planning Survey. Standard descriptive statistics were reported. Results 46 patients and 44 parents participated. Patients were 63% male; 76% White. Dilated cardiomyopathy (28%), chemotherapy-related cardiomyopathy (24%), and single ventricle heart disease (17%) were the most common diagnoses. Of patients 18 or over, only 24% had completed a Durable Power of Attorney. The majority of patients (57%) had not discussed their EOL care wishes with anyone. Most AYAs (80%) and parents (93%) desired parental involvement in EOL decisions if critically ill. Fewer AYAs (50%) and parents (57%) desired physician involvement in EOL decisions. Preferred timing for EOL discussions varied with nearly 1/3 stating discussions should occur when there is no chance of cure or survival. A quarter (26%) of AYAs preferred to have EOL discussions before getting too sick. Both AYAs and parents commonly endorsed that conversations about EOL wishes should be initiated by the following people: parent, cardiologist, psychologist/therapist, sibling, family physician. While many patients (37%) reported no barriers to discussing EOL wishes, 39% endorsed discomfort with discussions, and 15% stated their doctor never brings it up. Among participants, 13% of AYAs and 41% of parents perceived patient's heart disease to result in shortened life. Overall, AYAs (72%) and parents (66%) did not find participation in this study to be stressful. Conclusion Most AYAs with HF in this study had clear preferences regarding discussions about their EOL wishes; however, the majority had not discussed their wishes with anyone. Interventions to meet the individualized EOL communication needs of young patients with HF are needed.
The School Psychologist’s Role in Manifestation Determination Reviews: Recommendations for Practice

Manifestation determination reviews (MDRs) are a federally mandated practice that prevents schools from suspending students with disabilities for more than 10 days before determining if the student...
The Use of Tranexamic Acid in Facial Cosmetic Surgery Procedures: A Technical Note

Tranexamic acid (TXA) has been widely used as an antifibrinolytic in dentoalveolar surgery and only recently has its effects been explored in facial procedures. Multiple studies have reported the use of TXA in facial cosmetic surgery; and to date, only a limited number of them utilized TXA as a local infiltrative technique for rhytidectomy procedures. We present a technical note to using lower concentrations of TXA in tumescent anesthesia for an array of facial cosmetic procedures. Our experience thus far has shown improved hemostasis, reduction of intraoperative bleeding and a more profound reduction in postoperative ecchymosis, edema and seroma formation.
Reversible dysregulation of renal circadian rhythm in lupus nephritis.

Background We have found disruption of expression of major transcriptional regulators of circadian rhythm in the kidneys of several mouse models of lupus nephritis. Here we define the consequence of this disturbance with respect to circadian gene expression and renal homeostatic function in a mouse model of lupus nephritis. Methods Molecular profiling of kidneys from 47 young and 41 nephritic female NZB/W F1 mice was performed at 4 hourly intervals over a 24 h period. Disruption of major circadian transcriptional regulators was confirmed by qPCR. Molecular data was normalized and analyzed for rhythmicity using RAIN analysis. Serum aldosterone and glucose and urine sodium and potassium were measured at 4 hourly intervals in pre-nephritic and nephritic mice and blood pressure was measured every 4 h. Analyses were repeated after induction of complete remission of nephritis using combination cyclophosphamide and costimulatory blockade. Results We show a profound alteration of renal circadian rhythms in mice with lupus nephritis affecting multiple renal pathways. Using Cosinor analysis we identified consequent alterations of renal homeostasis and metabolism as well as blood pressure dipper status. This circadian dysregulation was partially reversed by remission induction therapy. Conclusions Our studies indicate the role of inflammation in causing the circadian disruption and suggest that screening for loss of normal blood pressure dipping should be incorporated into LN management. The data also suggest a potential role for circadian agonists in the treatment of lupus nephritis.
An individual level infectious disease model in the presence of uncertainty from multiple, imperfect diagnostic tests.

Bayesian compartmental infectious disease models yield important inference on disease transmission by appropriately accounting for the dynamics and uncertainty of infection processes. In addition to estimating transition probabilities and reproductive numbers, these statistical models allow researchers to assess the probability of disease risk and quantify the effectiveness of interventions. These infectious disease models rely on data collected from all individuals classified as positive based on various diagnostic tests. In infectious disease testing, however, such procedures produce both false-positives and false-negatives at varying rates depending on the sensitivity and specificity of the diagnostic tests being used. We propose a novel Bayesian spatio-temporal infectious disease modeling framework that accounts for the additional uncertainty in the diagnostic testing and classification process that provides estimates of the important transmission dynamics of interest to researchers. The method is applied to data on the 2006 mumps epidemic in Iowa, in which over 6,000 suspected mumps cases were tested using a buccal or oral swab specimen, a urine specimen, and/or a blood specimen. Although all procedures are believed to have high specificities, the sensitivities can be low and vary depending on the timing of the test as well as the vaccination status of the individual being tested.
Explaining the Cross-National Time-Series Variation in Life Expectancy: Income, Women’s Education, Shifts and What Else?

This paper examines the variation across countries and evolution over time of life expectancy. Using historical data going back to the beginning of the 20th century several basic facts about the relationship between national income and life expectancy are established. The paper shows that even by examining the augmented Preston curve there is no indication that the Preston curve is “breaking down” and no indication from over 100 years of data that a very strong relationship between national income and life expectancy will not persist, particularly over the ranges of income of primary interest to the Human Development Report. Empirical findings show that there are actually fewer “puzzles” than might appear while trying to reconcile the strong cross-sectional association with the time evolution of life expectancy in specific countries and most of the existing “puzzles” come from using either very short time-horizons or very small moves in income per capita when the Preston curve is a long-run phenomena. The paper also discusses the phenomena of the cross-national convergence, with the life expectancy of the poorer countries increasing, in absolute terms, faster than those of the rich countries and how the findings about the augmented Preston curve relate to discussions of health policy.
A reputation-based mechanism for software vulnerability disclosure

Whether and how to disclose software vulnerability information has been debated intensely. An optimal disclosure policy should balance the tradeoff between its impact on software vendors' incentives and the potential risks imposed on customers. Previous research on software vulnerability primarily focused on the timing aspect of the disclosure policy. In this paper, we investigate another dimension -the reputation aspect -of the disclosure policy. We propose a disclosure mechanism integrated with a reputation system which reflects software security level. Reputation by itself can effectively provide an incentive for software vendors to fix vulnerabilities. Furthermore, the reputation operator can partially release vulnerability details to optimize social welfare.
Vertical integration in a spatial setting: Inplications of the successive monopoly distortion

Abstract We extend earlier analyses of spatial markets to a vertical setting, in which firms at both the upstream and downstream level face transportation costs and sunk cost investments. Depending on the costs of integration and the size of the successive monopoly distortion loss, vertical integration may be partial, total or not at all.
Synaptic plasticity in the basolateral amygdala induced by hippocampal formation stimulation in vivo

Several studies suggest that axonal projections from the hippocampal formation (HF) to the basolateral amygdala (BLA) play a role in Pavlovian fear conditioning to contextual conditional stimuli. We have used electrophysiological techniques to characterize neuronal transmission in these projections in urethane-anesthetized rats. Single- pulse electrical stimulation of the ventral angular bundle (VAB), which carries projections from the HF to the BLA, reliably evoked a biphasic extracellular field potential in the BLA that consisted of an early, negative and a late, positive component. The negative component of the field potential occurred at a short latency (3–8 msec), was both temporally and spatially correlated with VAB-evoked multiple-unit discharges in the BLA, and exhibited properties typical of a monosynaptic response. Infusion of lidocaine or glutamate receptor antagonists into the BLA attenuated VAB-evoked field potentials, indicating that they are generated by local synaptic glutamatergic transmission. Both paired-pulse stimulation and brief trains of high- frequency stimulation (HFS) induced a short-lasting facilitation of BLA field potentials, whereas longer and more numerous trains of HFS produced an enduring, NMDA receptor-dependent long-term potentiation (LTP) of the potentials. The induction of LTP was accompanied by a decrease in paired-pulse facilitation (PPF), suggesting a presynpatic modification underlying its expression. Electrolytic lesions placed in regions of the HF that project to the BLA or excitotoxic lesions placed in the BLA eliminated Pavlovian fear conditioning to a contextual conditional stimulus. The critical role of both structures in context conditioning implicates plasticity at HF-BLA synapses in this form of learning.
Hotspots of Epiphytic Lichen Diversity in Two Young Managed Forests

Understanding within-stand variation in diversity of epiphytes will provide an improved basis for producing timber while conserving biological diversity. Tulo 80-ha, 50-year-old managed stands of conifers were surveyed to locate 0.4 ha putative "diversity" plots, the areas appearing most diverse in lichen epiphytes. These plots were generally located in areas made heterogeneous by canopy gaps, wolf trees (trees with large- diameter lower branches), and old-growth remnant trees. "Matrix" plots, in contrast, were chosen at random from the remaining, more homogenous forest. Diversity plots hosted from 25% to 40% more epiphytic lichen species than matrix plots in both stands. The strongest within-stand gradients in species composition were cor- related with percentage of plot occupied by gaps and wolf trees. Percentage of the plot in gaps was correlated with species richness (r = 0. 79). In the more structurally diverse stand, diversity and abundance of nitrogen- fixing "cyanolichens" were correlated with percentage of the plot occupied by gaps (0.5 < r < 0. 9), and alectori- oid lichens were correlated with percentage of the plot occupied by old-growth remnant trees (0.5 < r < 0. 6). In the stand with more homogenous structure, percentage of the plot under gaps was correlated with regionally common species that were otherwise absent or sparse in the matrix. Protecting gaps, hardwoods, wolf trees, and old-growth remnant trees during thinning or other partial cutting is likely to promote the majority of epi- phytic macrolichens in young conifer forests. Because these features are easily recognized on aerial photos and on the ground by land managers, it is practical to manage for forest structures that would promote li-
Evaluation of depth of interaction measurements using discrete crystal arrays and digital silicon photomultipliers

Digital silicon photomultiplers (dSiPMs) show promise for the advancement of PET detectors; advantages include fast timing, reduction in dark counts via selective cell deactivation, and possible advancement in photon depth of interaction (DOI) estimation. Improved spatial resolution is especially desirable in smaller ring diameter PET systems, such as in whole body PET/MRI. This study explored timing and DOI resolution in multiple discrete crystal arrays and light coupling configurations with dSiPMs. Two dSiPM tiles and a 68Ge source were placed in coincidence, with a ∼ 2 mm diameter beam on the test crystal surface. Test crystals consisted of 6×6, 2×2, 6×1, or 6×2 arrays of 4×4×22 mm3 crystals with different combinations of reflective and transmitting surface treatments. In most cases timing FWHM was below 425 ps, with several configurations displaying sub-400 ps timing. In almost all configurations DOI separation into top, middle, and bottom regions was easily achievable. Crystals with greater light sharing showed improved DOI resolution, but degraded timing resolution and partial reflectors improved DOI estimation near the entrance surface. The best overall performance (412 ps timing, 4.9 mm DOI) was achieved with the 6×6 meltmount + mirror film array.
An intelligent fuzzy control system

We propose a new architecture of an intelligent fuzzy control system. The basic idea of the system is based on analyzing error responses of a fuzzy control system to adjust its parameters properly. Two simulation results have shown that the proposed system is promising.
Reversible Nε‐lysine acetylation regulates the activity of acyl‐CoA synthetases involved in anaerobic benzoate catabolism in Rhodopseudomonas palustris

Rhodopseudomonas palustris grows photoheterotrophically on aromatic compounds available in aquatic environments rich in plant-derived lignin. Benzoate degradation is regulated at the transcriptional level in R. palustris in response to anoxia and the presence of benzoate and/or benzoyl-CoA (Bz-CoA). Here, we report evidence that anaerobic benzoate catabolism in this bacterium is also regulated at the post-translational level. In this pathway, benzoate is activated to Bz-CoA by the AMP-forming Bz-CoA synthetase (BadA) enzyme. Mass spectrometry and mutational analysis data indicate that residue Lys512 is critical to BadA activity. Acetylation of Lys512 inactivated BadA; deacetylation reactivated BadA. Likewise, 4-hydroxybenzoyl-CoA (HbaA) and cyclohexanecarboxyl-CoA (AliA) synthetases were also reversibly acetylated. We identified one acetyltransferase that modified BadA, Hba and AliA in vitro. The acetyltransferase enzyme is homologous to the protein acetyltransferase (Pat) enzyme of Salmonella enterica sv Typhimurium LT2, thus we refer to it as RpPat. RpPat also modified acetyl-CoA (Ac-CoA) synthetase (Acs) from R. palustris. In vivo data indicate that at least two deacetylases reactivate BadA(Ac). One is SrtN (encoded by srtN, formerly rpa2524), a sirtuin-type NAD(+)-dependent deacetylase (O-acetyl-ADPribose-forming); the other deacetylase is LdaA (encoded by ldaA, for lysine deacetylase A; formerly rpa0954), an acetate-forming protein deacetylase. LdaA reactivated Hba(Ac) and AliA(Ac)in vitro.
Synchronous bilateral renal cell carcinoma: Total surgical excision

Sixty-one patients with bilateral synchronous renal cell carcinoma have undergone total excision of their neoplastic disease. True follow-up of the patients has been obtained from the surgeons or the patients themselves. Fifty-one patients underwent renal parenchymal-sparing procedures in one- or two-stage operations. Successful extracorporeal tumor resection was performed on 17 kidneys. The local tumor recurrence rate is 10%. Ten patients underwent bilateral nephrectomy with maintenance hemodialysis, and 4 of these underwent renal transplantation. The 69% survival rate of the group at five years is better than that of unilateral renal cell carcinoma.
Structure and polymorphism of 1,2-dioleoyl-3-acyl-sn-glycerols. Three- and six-layered structures

Triacylglycerols, which usually contain at least one unsaturated fatty acid, are the most important forms of stored biological lipids in teleosts, mammals, and most plants. Since the physical properties of such mixed-chain triacylglycerols are poorly understood, a systematic study of such compounds has been initiated. Stereospecific 1,2-dioleoyl-3-acyl-sn-glycerols were synthesized with even carbon saturated fatty acyl chains of 14-24 carbons in length. Their polymorphic behavior was examined by differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray powder diffraction. The thermal behavior revealed from one to four major polymorphic transitions depending upon saturated chain length. Plots of enthalpy of fusion and entropy vs. carbon number for melting of the most stable polymorph were linear throughout the series with slopes of 1.0 kcal/mol per carbon atom and 2.6 cal/(mol K) per carbon atom, respectively. These slopes indicate that the saturated chains are packed in a well-ordered tightly packed lattice. When the compounds were rapidly cooled to 5 degrees C, X-ray powder diffraction revealed strong beta' (ca. 3.8 and 4.2 A) reflections and weak beta (ca. 4.6 A) reflections. The beta subcell reflections intensified when the compounds were heated to within 5 degrees C of the melting temperature of the highest melting polymorph. Evidence of an alpha phase was not seen on 30-min X-ray exposures for any of the compounds. In the proposed packing arrangement the saturated and unsaturated chains are segregated into layers. The stable form of all compounds exhibits a triple layer packing mode in which a bilayer of oleoyl chains is segregated from an interdigitated layer of saturated chains.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
CSRL: A language for expert systems for diagnosis

Abstract We present CSRL (Conceptual Structures Representation Language) as a language to facilitate the development of expert diagnosis systems based on a paradigm of “cooperating diagnostic specialists.” In our approach diagnostic reasoning is one of several generic tasks, each of which calls for a particular organizational and problem-solving structure. A diagnostic structure is composed of a collection of specialists, each of which corresponds to a potential hypothesis about the current case. They are organized as a classification or diagnostic hierarchy, e.g. a classification of diseases. A top-down strategy called establish—refine is used, in which either a specialist establishes and then refines itself, or the specialist rejects itself, pruning the hierarchy that it heads. CSRL is a language for representing the specialists of a diagnostic hierarchy and the diagnostic knowledge within them. The diagnostic knowledge is encoded at various levels of abstractions: message procedures, which describe the specialist's behavior in response to messages from other specialists; knowledge groups, which determine how data relate to features of the hypothesis; and rule-like knowledge, which is contained within knowledge groups.
Coloration of human lenses by near ultraviolet photo-oxidized tryptophan.

Abstract When human lenses in vitro and solutions of extracted crystallins were irradiated for 48 hr with near u.v. light in the presence of tryptophan their absorption of visible light (at 440 nm) increased and they became more intensely yellow-brown. As a result the absorption of u.v. light and the blue visible fluorescence of all lens crystallin fractions increased at least several fold. The observations suggest a role of environmental near u.v. light in the intensification of human lens color with aging. Both beneficial and harmful effects may result from such lens color darkening.
Long-term visual changes following pituitary irradiation☆

Abstract Purpose : To analyze possible long-term effects of pituitary irradiation on visual fields and acuity. Methods and Materials : Eighty-six patients were treated with radiotherapy for pituitary tumors at the National Cancer Institute between 1980 and 1991. Twenty-one patients had baseline preradiation and long-term follow-up visual fields. Eyes were followed with serial Goldmann or Humphrey visual field testing. Neuroradiologic correlation was made with the available brain scans. There were 12 females and 9 males with an median age of 44. Eighteen patients had hormone-secreting tumors and three had chromophobe adenomas. All but one patient with an inoperable invasive macroadenoma were irradiated after one or more transphenoidal resections or a craniotomy. The indications for radiation in the operable patients were: nine patients, partial tumor resection; nine patients, tumor recurrence; and two patients, persistent hormonal elevation after surgery. The median dose delivered was 50 Gy (45–59.4 Gy). The average field size was 6 × 6 cm (5 × 5 cm to 10 × 12.5 cm). Results : With a median follow-up of 48 months (14–128) after radiotherapy, 1 out of 21 patients had recurred (at 8 months) and all patients are alive. Of the 38 sighted eyes, 27 had normal visual fields before and after radiation, 7 eyes showed improvement, and 4 eyes had a stable defect, mostly in the superior temporal region. There were no cases of radiation-induced visual field or acuity deterioration. Six out of 21 patients (29%) had neurologic symptoms in follow-up, most of which appeared vascular in nature. Four patients complained of atypical migranous-like headaches that first began 1.5–3 years following treatment. One patient complained of recurrent vertical diplopia and one patient had a cerebral vascular accident 7 years following therapy. A dose-related associated with these neurovascular symptoms approached statistical significane. Only 1 out of 11 (9%) patients who received doses less than or equal to 50 Gy developed these symptoms, whereas 5 out of 10 (50%) patients who received doses greater than 50 Gy developed symptoms (p2 = 0.064). Conclusions : Postoperative radiation for partially resected or recurrent pituitary adenomas using megavoltage radiation, as well as modern field arrangements and fractionation, is extremely effective and safe. Ninety-five percent of patients are free of recurrence with no deterioration in the visual fields or acuities. Some patients experienced neurovascular symptoms (mostly vascular headaches) following surgery and radiation. There is a trend (p2= 0.064) toward increased symptoms following higher radiation doses.
Production of intense low emittance beams for free electron lasers using electron linear accelerators

Abstract The production of intense low emittance beams for free electron laser operation requires new approaches to linear accelerator design. Examples are the use of high gradient single cell resonators instead of conventional multi-cavity structures, the use of magnetic bunching at relatively high energies instead of conventional bunching at low energy, and the use of multiple frequency (harmonically related) rf fields for acceleration instead of single frequency fields. Advantages of the use of multiple frequency rf fields will be discussed, and the results of numerical calculations comparing multiple frequency versus single frequency acceleration will be presented.
Factors that predict prolonged length of stay after aortic surgery.

Abstract Objectives In this era of managed health care, third-party payers insist that surgeons minimize hospital stay even after major operations such as aortic surgery. We attempted to identify risk factors that predict prolonged hospital length of stay (LOS) so that realistic expectations can be established for these patients who frequently are at high-risk. Methods In 1994 a clinical pathway for aortic surgery was implemented at our hospital. Between January 1, 1994, and December 31, 2000, data including identifiable risk factors and LOS were reviewed for 240 patients who underwent elective infrarenal aortic surgery to treat aneurysmal (n = 179) or occlusive (n = 61) disease. Risk factors were analyzed to determine their effect on LOS. Data for patients who underwent endovascular, emergency, or concomitant cardiac surgery were excluded from analysis. Results In-hospital mortality was 0.4% (1 of 240 patients), and morbidity was 18% (44 of 240 patients). Mean LOS was 8.2 ± 5.7 days for all patients, 6.9 ± 2.9 days for those without complications, and 13.8 ± 6.7 days for patients with complications ( P P = .0004), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD; P = .0351), intraoperative blood loss more than 500 mL ( P = .0006), duration of surgery more than 5 hours ( P P = .0311), and postoperative complications overall ( P P = .0050), COPD ( P = .0445), and complications overall ( P = .0094). Conclusion The only identifiable preoperative risk factors that correlated with increasing LOS after elective infrarenal aortic surgery (multivariate analysis) were increasing age and COPD. Third-party payers should allow longer hospitalization for patients older than 75 years and for patients with significant pulmonary disease.
A Two-Phase Box Model to Study Mercury Atmospheric Mechanisms

Environmental Context. Elemental mercury (Hg0) is converted to divalent mercury (Hg2+) in the atmosphere, largely in water droplets. The wet deposition of Hg2+ is a major concern to human health. Because it is bio-accumulated through the food chain, consumption of contaminated fish can be particularly dangerous. Currently the budgets of mercury in the atmosphere are poorly understood, due in part to uncertainties in the chemical pathways controlling the speciated forms of mercury. Improved mercury chemistry models are needed to better predict Hg2+ levels in water droplets and to estimate wet deposition of Hg2+ in order to help assess the potential health risks of mercury. Abstract. A box model designed to investigate mercury chemical mechanisms in the atmosphere is presented. Aqueous-phase mercury oxidation–reduction, sulfite, and oxygen reactions, along with gas-phase mercury reactions are included in the model. The model is used to evaluate the key reaction steps under several atmospheric conditions. The sensitivity of the results to parameters, initial conditions, and assumptions regarding chemical mechanisms are investigated. Model simulations were performed in closed (liquid only) and two-phase (liquid/gas) systems. In the liquid phase, elemental mercury is oxidized to divalent mercury by ozone at night and by hydroxide radical and ozone during the day. Ozone is shown to play a significant role in mercury mechanisms by oxidizing elemental mercury directly and producing hydroxyl and hydroperoxyl radicals. The effects of sulfite on mercury aqueous chemistry were found to be limited due to its rapid conversion to sulfate. The results of two-phase simulations show that Hg2+ concentrations exhibit a diurnal cycle, increasing before the sunrise and decreasing before the sunset due to the aqueous-phase hydrogen–oxygen photochemistry that produces hydroxyl and hydroperoxyl radicals. Gas-phase mercury oxidation reactions significantly enhance the levels of Hg2+ in the aqueous phase, and reactions with ozone and hydroxyl radicals play the leading role. The effect of reactive chlorine on mercury chemistry can be important.
The perils of tweaking: how to use macrodata to set parameters in complex simulation models

When can macroscopic data about a system be used to set parameters in a microfoundational simulation? We examine the epistemic viability of tweaking parameter values to generate a better fit between the outcome of a simulation and the available observational data. We restrict our focus to microfoundational simulations—those simulations that attempt to replicate the macrobehavior of a target system by modeling interactions between microentities. We argue that tweaking can be effective but that there are two central risks. First, tweaking risks overfitting the simulation to the data and thus compromising predictive accuracy; and second, it risks compromising the microfoundationality of the simulation. We evaluate standard responses to tweaking and propose strategies to guard against these risks.
The Bayesian method for causal discovery of latent-variable models from a mixture of experimental and observational data

This paper describes a Bayesian method for learning causal Bayesian networks through networks that contain latent variables from an arbitrary mixture of observational and experimental data. The paper presents Bayesian methods (including a new method) for learning the causal structure and parameters of the underlying causal process that is generating the data, given that the data contain a mixture of observational and experimental cases. These learning methods were applied using as input various mixtures of experimental and observational data that were generated from the ALARM causal Bayesian network. The paper reports how these structure predictions and parameter estimates compare with the true causal structures and parameters as given by the ALARM network. The paper shows that (1) the new method for learning Bayesian network structure from a mixture of data that this paper introduce, the Gibbs Volume method, best estimates the probability of the data, given the latent variable model and (2) using large data (>10,000 cases), another model, the implicit latent variable method, is asymptotically correct and efficient.
An analytical study of gas-bubble nucleation mechanisms in uranium-alloy nuclear fuel at high temperature☆

A multi-atom gas-bubble nucleation mechanism in uranium-alloy nuclear fuel operating in the high-temperature equilibrium gamma phase is proposed based on interpretation of measured intragranular bubble-size distribution data. This model is contrasted with the conventional two-atom nucleation mechanism within the context of a mechanistic calculation of the fission-gas bubble-size distribution. The results of the analysis enable the calculation of safety margins for unrestrained fuel swelling. These safety margins contain an uncertainty primarily tied to uncertainties in the values of the volume and Xe diffusion coefficients.
Abstract 1107: Tumor microenvironment based modulation of thyroid cancer phenotype

Inflammation plays a pivotal role in the progression of solid malignant tumor with studies showing that the presence of specific inflammatory-immune cells, such as macrophages, at the tumor site leads to poor prognosis. M1 polarized macrophages secrete pro-inflammatory chemokines and cytokines which induce an epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in tumor cells; a process where epithelial cells acquire mesenchymal traits, thus facilitating tissue infiltration and consequent metastasis. EMT as a marker of cancer progression is understudied in thyroid cancer. In our present study, we evaluated the crosstalk between the macrophages and the epithelial cells in the thyroid tumor microenvironment with the use of an in vitro model system consisting of an immortalized thyroid cell line (Nthy-ori 3-1), three papillary cancer cell lines (BCPAP, 8505C and TPC-1) and one follicular cancer cell line (CGTHW-1). We observed the halt in proliferation of the thyroid cancer cells as the epithelial cells differentiate into mesenchymal cells under the influence of activated macrophage conditioned media. We also observed a statistically significant (p Citation Format: Neha Y. Tuli, Jonathan Cabin, Robert Suriano, Robert Bednarczyk, Elyse Hanly, Jan Geliebter, Edward Shin, Raj K. Tiwari. Tumor microenvironment based modulation of thyroid cancer phenotype. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1107. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1107
The contemporary cement cycle of the United States

A country-level stock and flow model for cement, an important construction material, was developed based on a material flow analysis framework. Using this model, the contemporary cement cycle of the United States was constructed by analyzing production, import, and export data for different stages of the cement cycle. The United States currently supplies approximately 80% of its cement consumption through domestic production and the rest is imported. The average annual net addition of in-use new cement stock over the period 2000-2004 was approximately 83 million metric tons and amounts to 2.3 tons per capita of concrete. Nonfuel carbon dioxide emissions (42 million metric tons per year) from the calcination phase of cement manufacture account for 62% of the total 68 million tons per year of cement production residues. The end-of-life cement discards are estimated to be 33 million metric tons per year, of which between 30% and 80% is recycled. A significant portion of the infrastructure in the United States is reaching the end of its useful life and will need to be replaced or rehabilitated; this could require far more cement than might be expected from economic forecasts of demand for cement.
GPS Dropwindsonde and WSR-88D Observations of Tropical Cyclone Vertical Wind Profiles and Their Characteristics

AbstractThe characteristics of tropical cyclone vertical wind profiles and their associated wind speed peaks below 1.5 km were examined through the use of a large number of GPS dropwindsondes (GPS sondes) and radar-derived velocity–azimuth display (VAD) profiles. Composite wind profiles were generated to document the mean structure of tropical cyclone vertical wind profiles and their changes with storm-relative position. Composite profiles were observed to change as the radius decreased inward toward the radius of maximum winds. Profiles also varied between three azimuthal sectors. At landfall, wind profiles exhibited changes with radial distance and differences were observed between those within offshore and onshore flow regimes. The observations support a general reduction in boundary layer depth with decreasing radial distance. Wind profiles with peaks at low altitudes were typically confined to radii less than 60 km, near and radially inward from the radius of maximum winds. Wind speed maxima, when sc...
What Accounts for Differences in Substance Use Among U.S.-Born and Immigrant Hispanic Adolescents?: Results from a Longitudinal Prospective Cohort Study

Purpose The current study was conducted to ascertain whether the effects of nativity (i.e., U.S. born vs. immigrant) on Hispanic adolescent substance use is mediated by ecological processes such as family functioning, school connectedness, and perceived peer substance use.
An Experimental/Analytical Study of High-Speed, High-Load Rolling/Sliding Contacts with Ultra-Low Viscosity Fluids©

Experiments and theoretical analyses were carried out in this research to study the operating and lubrication conditions in highspeed, high-load rolling/sliding contacts with liquid oxygen (LO2). A cryogenic traction tester having a single rolling/sliding contact conjunction was used in the experiments. Contact between two AISI 440C stainless steel rolling elements was studied at a rolling velocity of 47 m/s and at a load that generates a Hertzian peak pressure of 2.2 GPa. Tests were run with a slide-to-roll ratio up to one percent, and traction and specimen wear were measured. Experiments were also conducted at rolling velocities of 1.0 m/s and 11.7 m/s to provide evidence of LO2 load support at high speeds and to deduce parameters for subsequent theoretical analyses. The measured total traction and asperity friction were then used as inputs to an analytical model to determine the load-carrying capacity and average film thickness of LO2. The analyses show that the traction is mainly due to asperity frict...
The impact of college student socialization, social class, and race on need for cognition

Using longitudinal data, this chapter expands the use of Weidman's Model of Undergraduate Socialization by applying it to components of college student socialization, social class, and race and how these elements work together to influence need for cognition.
Discovery of quinoline small molecules with potent dispersal activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms using a scaffold hopping strategy

Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis are recognized as the most frequent cause of biofilm-associated nosocomial and indwelling medical device infections. Biofilm-associated infections are known to be highly resistant to our current arsenal of clinically used antibiotics and antibacterial agents. To exacerbate this problem, no therapeutic option exists that targets biofilm-dependent machinery critical to Staphylococcal biofilm formation and maintenance. Here, we describe the discovery of a series of quinoline small molecules that demonstrate potent biofilm dispersal activity against methicillin-resistant S. aureus and S. epidermidis using a scaffold hopping strategy. This interesting class of quinolines also has select synthetic analogues that demonstrate potent antibacterial activity and biofilm inhibition against S. aureus and S. epidermidis.
Charge transfer in binary alloys and to impurities in iron

Abstract The energy density formalism in the Thomas-Fermi-Dirac approximation was used to study charge transfer in equiatomic binary ordered alloys and in dilute iron alloys. This method was applied outside of a core region around each nucleus; the inner region was treated by taking the electron density to be that given by free atom wave functions. The results for the equivolume charge transfer in binary alloys agreed satisfactorily with existing KKR-selfconsislent field calculations. For metalloid impurities in iron, the charge transfer to the impurity, and the variation of lattice parameter with concentration was computed. The latter compared fairly well with experiments. The theory explicitly displays the role of the electron density at the cell boundary in alloy formation and charge transfer effects. Alloy formation is visualized as a process in which atomic cells of the pure metals are expanded or compressed to the equilibrium cell volume of the alloy, bringing the cells together to form the alloy, and then allowing the electron distribution to relax. The general conclusion of this work is that modifying the TFD theory by using it only in regions where the electron density does not vary too rapidly, and using quantum theory results for the density close to the nuclei. provides a satisfactory method for studying charge transfer.