cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Translating research into clinical practice: the role of quality improvement in providing rehabilitation for people with critical illness.

Our goal as health care professionals is to provide patients with the best care available. One important challenge is the slow translation of research evidence into clinical practice. It is essential that such “knowledge translation” is efficient and timely to ensure that patients receive the most effective therapies and achieve improved outcomes.1 Currently, the gap between publication of clinical research findings and their implementation into routine clinical practice is substantial2 and leads to suboptimal health care delivery.3 Alan Jette, PT, PhD, FAPTA, addressed this issue in the 43rd Mary McMillan Lecture, in which he shared his vision for the physical therapy profession to be a leader in implementing evidence-based strategies for health promotion and treatment interventions.4 One approach to facilitating the translation of research into clinical practice is the use of systematic quality improvement (QI) processes. Quality improvement attempts to change clinician behavior and, through those changes, lead to more consistent, appropriate, and efficient application of established clinical interventions, resulting in improved care and patient outcomes.5 Quality improvement is an intrinsic part of good clinical practice and is designed to bring about immediate improvements in health care in local settings.6 Quality improvement assumes that quality and safety are characteristics of health care systems, and many QI activities involve groups of clinicians, managers, and staff cooperating to improve procedures and practices.6 Quality improvement differs from human subject research in that the latter identifies new, effective therapies, whereas QI interventions are designed to enhance the real-world implementation of proven therapies, such as implementing an evidence-based practice guideline.6 To increase the reliable use of clinical research, not only does practitioner behavior need to change, but changes must occur in the culture of health care teams and organizations.7 Two very successful QI projects8– …
Contrast enhanced ultrasound flash replenishment method for directed prostate biopsies

Purpose: We evaluated prostate cancer detection with contrast enhanced ultrasound of the prostate using MicroFlow Imaging (Toshiba America Medical Systems, Tustin, California) compared to systematic biopsy.Materials and Methods: A total of 60 patients referred for prostate biopsy were evaluated with pre-contrast and contrast enhanced MicroFlow Imaging transrectal ultrasound. MicroFlow Imaging is a flash replenishment technique that uses high power flash pulses to destroy contrast microbubbles, followed by low power pulses to demonstrate contrast replenishment. A composite image depicting the vascular architecture is constructed through maximum intensity capture of temporal data in consecutive low power images. Using MicroFlow Imaging up to 5 directed biopsy cores were obtained from areas of abnormal vascular enhancement or morphology, followed by a systematic 10-core biopsy protocol.Results: A biopsy positive for cancer was found in 79 of the 825 cores (10%) from 18 of the 60 subjects (30%). Positive biop...
Neuronal Basis of the Motion Aftereffect Reconsidered

Several fMRI studies have reported MT+ response increases correlated with perception of the motion aftereffect (MAE). However, attention can strongly affect MT+ responses, and subjects may naturally attend more to the MAE than control trials without MAE. We found that requiring subjects to attend to motion on both MAE and control trials produced equal levels of MT+ response, suggesting that attention may have confounded the interpretation of previous experiments; in our data, attention accounts for the entire effect. After eliminating this confound, we observed that direction-selective motion adaptation produced a direction-selective imbalance in MT+ responses (and earlier visual areas), and yielded a corresponding asymmetry in speed discrimination thresholds. These findings provide physiological evidence that population level response imbalances underlie the MAE, and quantify the relative proportions of direction-selective neurons across human visual areas.
Market Efficiency and Technical Analysis Can they Coexist

Market efficiency is generally accepted in the academic community even though it cannot fully describe reality. Primarily due to noise, prices merely reflect beliefs about a firm’s unknown true intrinsic value which makes behavioral finance important. Technical analysis attempts to measure changes in these beliefs to predict stock prices and should have value given the evidence in behavioral finance, the use in practice and the conditional predictability of human behavior. Moreover, the lack of academic evidence in technical studies probably results from the violation of two foundational principles in the discipline.
Finding an Upper Limit in the Presence of Unknown Background

Experimenters report an upper limit if the signal they are trying to detect is non-existent or below their experiment's sensitivity. Such experiments may be contaminated with a background too poorly understood to subtract. If the background is distributed differently in some parameter from the expected signal, it is possible to take advantage of this difference to get a stronger limit than would be possible if the difference in distribution were ignored. We discuss the ``Maximum Gap'' method, which finds the best gap between events for setting an upper limit, and generalize to ``Optimum Interval'' methods, which use intervals with especially few events. These methods, which apply to the case of relatively small backgrounds, do not use binning, are relatively insensitive to cuts on the range of the parameter, are parameter independent (i.e., do not change when a one-one change of variables is made), and provide true, though possibly conservative, classical one-sided confidence intervals.
The hands of John Snow: clue to his untimely death?

The accomplishments of John Snow (1813–1858), physician-epidemiologist, inventor and anaesthetist to Queen Victoria, are well documented, but the causes of his untimely death at age 45 remain conjectural. Snow suffered a paralysing stroke while working on his magnum opus, On Chloroform and Other Anaesthetics , and died a few days later on 16 June 1858. Snow had a history of renal problems associated with tuberculosis. He also experimented on himself with ether, chloroform and other agents over several years, but whether this prolonged self-experimentation contributed to his early death is uncertain. A photograph of Snow taken in 1857 shows that the fingers of his right hand were swollen. Could this be a clue to the cause of his death? The “modern” view is that Snow’s early tuberculosis and associated renal disease led to hypertension, chronic renal failure and stroke. The tuberculosis and renal involvement may have been worsened by vegetarianism and perhaps resulting vitamin D deficiency. However, the renal damage caused by tuberculosis is unlikely to have been progressive. Based on current evidence of renal toxicity associated with exposure to anaesthetic agents, it is perhaps more likely that extensive and prolonged self-experimentation with anaesthetics over a 9-year period led to Snow’s renal failure, swollen fingers and early death from stroke.
Online Multiplayer Games

This lecture introduces fundamental principles of online multiplayer games, primarily massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), suitable for students and faculty interested both in designing games and in doing research on them. The general focus is human-centered computing, which includes many human-computer interaction issues and emphasizes social computing, but also, looks at how the design of socio-economic interactions extends our traditional notions of computer programming to cover human beings as well as machines. In addition, it demonstrates a range of social science research methodologies, both quantitative and qualitative, that could be used by students for term papers, or by their professors for publications. In addition to drawing upon a rich literature about these games, this lecture is based on thousands of hours of first-hand research experience inside many classic examples, including World of Warcraft, The Matrix Online, Anarchy Online, Tabula Rasa, Entropia Universe, Dark Age of Camelot, Age of Conan, Lord of the Rings Online, Tale in the Desert, EVE Online, Star Wars Galaxies, Pirates of the Burning Sea, and the non-game virtual world Second Life. Among the topics covered are historical-cultural origins of leading games, technical constraints that shape the experience, rolecoding and social control, player personality and motivation, relationships with avatars and characters, virtual professions and economies, social relations inside games, and the implications for the external society. Table of Contents: Introduction / Historical-Cultural Origins / Technical Constraints / Rolecoding and Social Control / Personality and Motivation / Avatars and Characters / Virtual Professions and Economies / Social Relations Inside Games / Implications for External Society
Nebulized furosemide in the treatment of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants.

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a chronic pulmonary disease commonly seen in preterm infants who require supplemental oxygen and/or assisted mechanical ventilation. BPD, a major cause of morbidity and mortality among premature infants, occurs in 5,000 to 10,000 premature infants in the United States each year. Despite numerous medical advances, no single intervention will prevent or treat BPD; hence, premature infants have an increased risk for developing significant sequelae that affect both cognitive and motor function. This article provides a brief overview of BPD and reviews the available literature regarding the safe and effective use of nebulized furosemide in the treatment of this disorder. Abbreviations BP, blood pressure; BPD, bronchopulmonary dysplasia; CLD, chronic lung disease; HR, heart rate; GA, gestational age; NICHD, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; PMA, postmenstrual age; PNA, postnatal age; NICU, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; RDS, respiratory distress syndrome; RR, respiratory rate; UOP, urine output; VLBW, very-low birth weight
Vasculogenesis and angiogenesis: extracellular matrix remodeling in coronary collateral arteries and the ischemic heart.

Heart failure secondary to ischemic cardiomyopathy is the primary cause of cardiovascular mortality. The promise of the collateral circulation lies in its potential to alter the course of the natural history of coronary heart disease. The collateral circulation of the heart is responsible for supplying blood and oxygen to the myocardium at ischemic risk following severe stenosis and reduced vasoelasticity function of a major coronary artery. In response to flow, stress, and pressure, collateral vessels are restructured and remodeled. Vascular remodeling by its very nature implies synthesis and degradation of extracellular matrix components in the vessel wall. Under normal physiological conditions proteinases that break down the specialized matrix are tightly regulated by antiproteinases. The balance between proteinase and antiproteinase influences is discoordinated during collateral development which leads to adaptive changes in the structure, function, and regulation of extracellular matrix components in the vessel wall. The role of extracellular matrix components in coronary collateral vessel formation in a canine model of chronic coronary artery occlusion has been demonstrated. The role of matrix proteinases and antiproteinases in the collateral vessel play a significant role in the underlying mechanisms of collateral development. This review presents new and significant information regarding the role of extracellular matrix proteinases and antiproteinases in vascular remodeling, function, and collateral development. Such information will have a significant impact on the understanding of the basic biology of the vascular extracellular matrix turnover, remodeling, and function as well as on elucidating potential avenues for pharmacological approaches designed to increase collateral formation and optimize myocardial blood flow in the treatment of ischemic heart disease. J. Cell. Biochem. 65:388–394. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Long-Wavelength Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers on InP With Lattice Matched AlGaInAs&#8211;InP DBR Grown by MOCVD

1.3- and 1.55- $mu$ m vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) on InP have been realized. High-reflectivity AlGaInAs–InP lattice matched distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) were grown on InP substrates. 1.7 (for 1.3 $mu$ m) and 2.0 (for 1.55 $mu$ m) mW single mode power at 25 $^circ$ C, 0.6 mW single mode power at 85 $^circ$ C and lasing operation at $≫hbox100^circ$ C have been achieved. 10 Gbit/s error free transmissions through 10 km standard single mode fiber for 1.3- $mu$ m VCSELs, and through 15 km nonzero dispersion shift fiber for 1.55- $mu$ m VCSELs, have been demonstrated. With the addition of an SOA, 100 km error free transmission at 10 Gbit/s also has been demonstrated through a negative dispersion fiber. No degradation has been observed after over 2500-h aging test.
Hypothyroidism and Mortality among Dialysis Patients

Summary Background and objectives Hypothyroidism is highly prevalent among ESRD patients, but its clinical significance and the benefits of thyroid hormone replacement in this context remain unclear. Design, setting, participants, & measurements This study examined the association between hypothyroidism and all-cause mortality among 2715 adult dialysis patients with baseline thyrotropin levels measured between April of 2005 and April of 2011. Mortality was ascertained from Social Security Death Master Index and local registration systems. The association between hypothyroidism (thyrotropin greater than assay upper limit normal) and mortality was estimated using Cox proportional hazards models. To reduce the risk of observing reverse-causal associations, models included a 30-day lag between thyrotropin measurement and at-risk time. Results Among 350 (12.9%) hypothyroid and 2365 (87.1%) euthyroid (assay within referent range) patients, 917 deaths were observed during 5352 patient-years of at-risk time. Hypothyroidism was associated with higher mortality. Compared with thyrotropin in the low-normal range (0.4–2.9 mIU/L), subclinical hypothyroidism (thyrotropin >upper limit normal and ≤10.0 mIU/L) was associated with higher mortality; high-normal thyrotropin (≥3.0 mIU/L and ≤upper limit normal) and overt hypothyroidism (thyrotropin >10.0 mIU/L) were associated with numerically greater risk, but estimates were not statistically significant. Compared with spontaneously euthyroid controls, patients who were euthyroid while on exogenous thyroid replacement were not at higher mortality risk, whereas patients who were hypothyroid were at higher mortality risk. Sensitivity analyses indicated that effects on cardiovascular risk factors may mediate the observed association between hypothyroidism and death. Conclusions These data suggest that hypothyroidism is associated with higher mortality in dialysis patients, which may be ameliorated by thyroid hormone replacement therapy.
Atmospheric CO 2 monitoring with single-cell NDIR-based analyzers

Abstract. We describe CO2 concentration measurement systems based on relatively inexpensive single-cell non-dispersive infrared CO2 sensors. The systems utilize signal averaging to obtain precision (1-σ in 100 s) of 0.1 parts per million dry air mole fraction (ppm), frequent calibrations and sample drying in order to achieve state-of-the-art compatibility, and can run autonomously for months at a time. Laboratory tests indicate compatibility among four to six systems to be ±0.1 ppm (1-σ), and field measurements of known reference-gases yield median errors of 0.01 to 0.17 ppm with 1-σ variance of ±0.1 to 0.2 ppm. From May to August 2007, a system co-located with a NOAA-ESRL dual-cell NDIR system at the WLEF tall tower in Wisconsin measured daytime-only daily averages of CO2 that differ by 0.26 ± 0.15 ppm (median ± 1 σ), and from August 2005 to April 2011 a system co-located with weekly NOAA-ESRL network flask collection at Niwot Ridge, Colorado measured coincident CO2 concentrations that differed by −0.06 ± 0.30 ppm (n = 585). Data from these systems are now supporting a wide range of analyses and this approach may be applicable in future studies where accuracy and initial cost of the sensors are priorities.
Designing stabilizing control of uncertain systems by quasiconvex optimization

The design of stabilizing linear output feedback control of uncertain systems is a computationally demanding optimization problem as local minima may exist which are distinct from the global minimum. However, in some special cases, quasiconvexity can be proven through a simple redefinition of variables and/or a reformulation of the problem in the dual form. Such special cases include state feedback control for both discrete and continuous time systems. >
Electron Transport in Semiconducting Chiral Carbon Nanotubes

We report on electron transport characteristics for semiconducting, single wall, chiral carbon nanotubes. The Boltzmann transport equation is solved indirectly by the Ensemble Monte Carlo method. The basis for the transport calculations is provided by electronic structure calculations within the framework of a simple tight binding model. Scattering mechanisms considered are due to the electron-phonon interactions involving longitudinal acoustic, longitudinal optic, and radial breathing mode phonons. Results show significantly increased Umklapp scattering processes due to the reduced Brillouin zone compared to zigzag nanotubes. However, the transient and steady-state transport characteristics are similar to those of zigzag CNTs with comparable diameter.
Diet of the Cauca Guan: exploitation of a novel food source in times of scarcity.

Although exotic species may have a negative impact on native organisms, they can in some cases provide abundant resources. Use of these resources may have important implications for habitat use, movement, and space requirements of native animals, and ultimately for population dynamics. We describe the diet of a population of the narrowly endemic Cauca Guan (Penelope perspicax) in the Colombian Andes. This guan demonstrates plasticity in its eating habits, feeding on an exotic tree species during periods of food scarcity. Based on direct observations and analysis of fecal samples over a one-year cycle, we found that guans fed on 89 species of fruits but also included foliage, flowers, and invertebrates in their diets. Guans fed on fruit species in proportion to their availability but favored some species with high fruit production or prolonged fruiting. Fruit availability, measured both in numbers of species and biomass, varied throughout the year, with a low in September-December. During the period of low fruit availability, guans congregated in large numbers at a Chinese ash (Fraxinus chinensis) plantation, where they fed on young leaves in large quantities. Ash was planted at this site over 40 years ago as part of a reforestation program, and plantations are invaded by native vegetation. Guans are abundant at this site, and seasonal consumption of ash foliage, a concentrated and abundant food source, may have influenced local population dynamics.
The Future of GI and Liver Research: Editorial Perspectives III. JNK/AP-1 regulation of hepatocyte death

Activation of the JNK/activator protein-1 (AP-1)-signaling pathway is a common mediator of hepatocyte death from a variety of stimuli. Although the mechanism by which JNK or AP-1 promotes death is unknown, it results when activation of this signaling pathway is unusually prolonged. Although JNK/AP-1 mediates TNF-induced cell death at or above the level of the mitochondria, the ability of JNK/AP-1 to promote death from necrosis as well as apoptosis suggests that JNK/AP-1 may induce death by several mechanisms. Recognition of JNK/AP-1 signaling as a critical promoter of hepatocyte death raises the possibility that the therapeutic manipulation of this pathway may be effective in the treatment of human liver disease.
Step-Tracking Movements of the Wrist. IV. Muscle Activity Associated With Movements in Different Directions

Hoffman, Donna S. and Peter L. Strick. Step-tracking movements of the wrist. IV. Muscle activity associated with movements in different directions. J. Neurophysiol. 81: 319–333, 1999. We examined t...
Insect Herbivory on Low-Lignin Transgenic Aspen

Ecological effects of genetically modified plants cannot always be predicted based on knowledge of the plant species or transgene. We studied the effects of transgenic aspen (Populus tremuloides Michaux) with reduced lignin and altered growth phenotypes on the feeding performance of gypsy moth larvae (Lymantria dispar L.) and forest tent caterpillars (Malacosoma disstria Hubner). Developmental trials were conducted using one control line and four separate transgenic lines of aspen. Gypsy moth larvae showed a significant reduction in survival on one high-lignin reduction transgenic tree line relative to all other lines, but weights of surviving larvae were similar across tree lines. Forest tent caterpillars showed similar survival and weights on all tree lines. Trials were also conducted to evaluate whether gypsy moth larvae preferred feeding on high-lignin reduction transgenic aspen lines or control trees. While gypsy moth larvae showed no significant preference between the control line and the transgenic line that caused significant reductions in larval survival during developmental trials, they did strongly prefer transgenic leaves causing no such reductions in larval survival. Because effects on feeding larvae varied among tree lines, we concluded that any potential phytochemical alterations in the transgenic lines could not be directly linked to lignin reduction. Because only one transgenic tree line had a negative effect on the herbivores, we propose that this may be an indirect consequence of transgenic manipulation resulting from the insertion point of the antisense Pt4CL gene in the genome, rather than 4CL suppression or lignin reduction.
Tomato peeling by ohmic heating with lye-salt combinations: Effects of operational parameters on peeling time and skin diffusivity

Abstract Ohmic heating without lye has shown promise in tomato peeling; however the use of lye is known to yield high peeled-product quality. In this work, we studied the operational parameters of the ohmic peeling process, specifically, the influence of salt-lye concentration combinations and field strength on time for skin cracking during ohmic peeling. We further investigated the influence of electric fields on the lye diffusivity through tomato skin. The treatments of 0.01/0.5% NaCl/NaOH at 1610 V/m and 0.01/1.0% NaCl/NaOH at 1450 V/m were the conditions that required the shortest time for cracking. For NaCl/KOH mixtures, 0.01/0.5% NaCl/KOH at 2020 V/m and 0.01/1.0% NaCl/KOH at 1450 V/m required the shortest time for cracking. Studies on diffusion through the tomato skin showed that ohmic heating significantly improved lye diffusion (p
Transcriptomic responses of the calanoid copepod Calanus finmarchicus to the saxitoxin producing dinoflagellate Alexandrium fundyense

In the Gulf of Maine, the copepod Calanus finmarchicus co-occurs with the neurotoxin-producing dinoflagellate, Alexandrium fundyense. The copepod is resistant to this toxic alga, but little is known about other effects. Gene expression profiles were used to investigate the physiological response of females feeding for two and five days on a control diet or a diet containing either a low or a high dose of A. fundyense. The physiological responses to the two experimental diets were similar, but changed between the time points. At 5-days the response was characterized by down-regulated genes involved in energy metabolism. Detoxification was not a major component of the response. Instead, genes involved in digestion were consistently regulated, suggesting that food assimilation may have been affected. Thus, predicted increases in the frequency of blooms of A. fundyense could affect C. finmarchicus populations by changing the individuals’ energy budget and reducing their ability to build lipid reserves.
The spectrum of epilepsy and electroencephalographic abnormalities due to SHANK3 loss‐of‐function mutations

SummaryObjective The coincidence of autism with epilepsy is 27% in those individuals with intellectual disability.1 Individuals with loss-of-function mutations in SHANK3 have intellectual disability, autism, and variably, epilepsy.2-5 The spectrum of seizure semiologies and electroencephalography (EEG) abnormalities has never been investigated in detail. With the recent report that SHANK3 mutations are present in approximately 2% of individuals with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities and 1% of individuals with autism, determining the spectrum of seizure semiologies and electrographic abnormalities will be critical for medical practitioners to appropriately counsel the families of patients with SHANK3 mutations. Methods A retrospective chart review was performed of all individuals treated at the Blue Bird Circle Clinic for Child Neurology who have been identified as having either a chromosome 22q13 microdeletion encompassing SHANK3 or a loss-of-function mutation in SHANK3 identified through whole-exome sequencing. For each subject, the presence or absence of seizures, seizure semiology, frequency, age of onset, and efficacy of therapy were determined. Electroencephalography studies were reviewed by a board certified neurophysiologist. Neuroimaging was reviewed by both a board certified pediatric neuroradiologist and child neurologist. Results There is a wide spectrum of seizure semiologies, frequencies, and severity in individuals with SHANK3 mutations. There are no specific EEG abnormalities found in our cohort, and EEG abnormalities were present in individuals diagnosed with epilepsy and those without history of a clinical seizure. Significance All individuals with a mutation in SHANK3 should be evaluated for epilepsy due to the high prevalence of seizures in this population. The most common semiology is atypical absence seizure, which can be challenging to identify due to comorbid intellectual disability in individuals with SHANK3 mutations; however, no consistent seizure semiology, neuroimaging findings, or EEG findings were present in the majority of individuals with SHANK3 mutations.
The Utility of the MAUDE Database for Osseointegrated Auditory Implants.

Objective:To determine the utility of Manufacturer and User Friendly Device Experience (MAUDE) database in studying osseointegrated auditory implant (OAI)–related complications.Methods:The MAUDE da...
Probing the Heterogeneous Ozonolysis of Squalene Nanoparticles by Photoemission

The heterogeneous reaction of ozone (O3) with 200 nm squalene nanoparticles is studied using near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) and ultraviolet (UPS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Photoelectrons are detected from free nanoparticle beams using a velocity map imaging (VMI) spectrometer capable of detecting photoelectrons with up to 40 eV of kinetic energy. Heterogeneous kinetics are quantified using changes in the UPS, XPS, and NEXAFS spectrum, yielding uptake coefficients for the decay of the double bonds in squalene of (3.1 ± 0.7) × 10–4, (2.6 ± 0.6) × 10–4, and (2.9 ± 0.7) × 10–4, respectively. When comparing these values with the uptake coefficient, (1.0 ± 0.2) × 10–3, determined by the molecular decay of squalene measured with aerosol mass spectrometry, it is found that on average 1.6 ± 0.2 double bonds are removed for each ozone-squalene reactive collision, suggesting the importance of evaporation of small molecular weight reaction products from the aerosol. From further ...
A FPGA Based Two Level Optimized Local Filter Design for High Speed Image Processing Applications

This work presents an efficient Feild Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) based local filter design for portable and high speed image processing applications. It is highly optimized by using two level optimization. The first level optimization at design-level exploits tempo-spatial parallelism of filters by developing parallel/pipelined architecture. For exploiting spatial-parallelism, design computes partial results of multiple MACs in parallel and accumulates them via adder-tree for final result. Though it bears good performance aptitude but adder-tree incurs long critical path (4.713 ns) thus limits design performance. The critical path was reduced to 2.489 ns with temporal parallelism by pipelining the adder-tree. Design performance is further enhanced by deploying the second level optimization at post-implementation level where device aware floor-planning fine tunes the design. It aligns all utilized embedded resources of design on Xilinx Virtex-5 device and confines slice based logic across them. It results in packing the design within small area with reduced slice count and critical path (2.32 ns). After applying two levels of optimization, the design occupies 89 Slices, 3 DSP-Slices, 2 BRAM18 and achieves high frequency of 431.03 MHz.
Pediatric Community Mental Health

The emotional health and wellbeing of children and adolescents and their families is of utmost importance. Pediatricians are at the front line in identifying mental illness in children and adolescents and either linking them to resources in the community or providing treatment options themselves. Collaboration and integrative health care models is the cornerstone of effective strategies to provide access and quality mental health care to children and families in communities across the country.
The effects of multidisciplinary clinics on the variability in timeliness of care for lung cancer patients.

e17533 Background: Implementation of multi-disciplinary clinics (MDC) has the potential to improve the care of cancer patients. Little data presently exists on the impact of MDC based care on cance...
Structural Basis of MeCP2 Distribution on Non-CpG Methylated and Hydroxymethylated DNA

The Rett-syndrome-associated methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) selectively binds methylated DNA to regulate transcription during the development of mature neurons. Like other members of the methyl-CpG-binding domain (MBD) family, MeCP2 functions through the recognition of symmetrical 5-methylcytosines in CpG (mCG) dinucleotides. Advances in base-level resolution epigenetic mapping techniques have revealed, however, that MeCP2 can bind asymmetrically methylated and hydroxymethylated CpA dinucleotides and that this alternative binding selectivity modifies gene expression in the developing mammalian brain. The structural determinants of binding to methylated CpA (mCA) and hydroxymethylated DNA have not been previously investigated. Here, we employ isothermal titration calorimetry and NMR spectroscopy to characterize MeCP2 binding to methylated and hydroxymethylated mCG and mCA DNA, examine the effects of Rett-syndrome-associated missense mutations, and make comparisons to the related and evolutionarily most ancient protein, MBD2. These analyses reveal that MeCP2 binds mCA with high affinity in a strand-specific and orientation-dependent manner. In contrast, MBD2 does not show high affinity or methyl-specific binding to mCA. The Rett-associated missense mutations (T158M, R106W, and P101S) destabilize the MeCP2 MBD and disrupt the recognition of mCG and mCA equally. Finally, hydroxymethylation of a high-affinity mCA site does not alter the binding properties, whereas hemi-hydroxylation of the equivalent cytosine in an mCG site decreases affinity and specificity. Based on these findings, we suggest that MeCP2 recognition of methylated/hydroxymethylated CpA dinucleotides functions as an epigenetic switch redistributing MeCP2 among mCG and mCA loci.
A Novel Hammerstein Model Applied for High Purity Distillation Control

Abstract A nonlinear model predictive controller (NLMPC), which uses a novel Hammestein model, has been tested on a simulator of an industrial propylene/propane splitter and compared with control performance for a diagonal PI controller and a DMC™ controller. The Hammerstein model uses a steady-state neural network model for the column combined with a time horizon dynamic model. The dynamic model is the linear combination of previous inputs thus is able to directly consider the large variations in time constants observed for high purity distillation columns.
Sustained Posttransplantation Diabetes Is Associated With Long-Term Major Cardiovascular Events Following Liver Transplantation

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death among liver transplant (LT) recipients. With a rising burden of posttransplantation metabolic disease, increases in cardiovascular-related morbidity and mortality may reduce life expectancy after LT. It is unknown if the risk of long-term major cardiovascular events (MCEs) differs among LT recipients with varying diabetic states. We performed a retrospective cohort study of LT recipients from 2003 through 2013 to compare the incidence of MCEs among patients (1) without diabetes, (2) with pretransplantation diabetes, (3) with de novo transient posttransplantation diabetes, and (4) with de novo sustained posttransplantation diabetes. We analyzed 994 eligible patients (39% without diabetes, 24% with pretransplantation diabetes, 16% with transient posttransplantation diabetes, and 20% with sustained posttransplantation diabetes). Median follow-up was 54.7 months. Overall, 12% of patients experienced a MCE. After adjustment for demographic and clinical variables, sustained posttransplantation diabetes was the only state associated with a significantly increased risk of MCEs (subdistribution hazard ratio 1.95, 95% confidence interval 1.20-3.18). Patients with sustained posttransplantation diabetes mellitus had a 13% and 27% cumulative incidence of MCEs at 5 and 10 years, respectively. While pretransplantation diabetes has traditionally been associated with cardiovascular disease, the long-term risk of MCEs is greatest in LT recipients with sustained posttransplantation diabetes mellitus.
NGS-based analysis of base-substitution signatures created by yeast DNA polymerase eta and zeta on undamaged and abasic DNA templates in vitro

Translesion synthesis (TLS) is the mechanism in which DNA polymerases (TLS polymerases) bypass unrepaired template damage with high error rates. DNA polymerase η and ζ (Polη and Polζ) are major TLS polymerases that are conserved from yeast to humans. In this study, we quantified frequencies of base-substitutions by yeast Polη and Polζ on undamaged and abasic templates in vitro. For accurate quantification, we used a next generation sequencing (NGS)-based method where DNA products were directly analyzed by parallel sequencing. On undamaged templates, Polη and Polζ showed distinct base-substitution profiles, and the substitution frequencies were differently influenced by the template sequence. The base-substitution frequencies were influenced mainly by the adjacent bases both upstream and downstream of the substitution sites. Thus we present the base-substitution signatures of these polymerases in a three-base format. On templates containing abasic sites, Polη created deletions at the lesion in more than 50% of the TLS products, but the formation of the deletions was suppressed by the presence of Polζ. Polζ and Polη cooperatively facilitated the TLS reaction over an abasic site in vitro, suggesting that these two polymerases can cooperate in efficient and high fidelity TLS.
Associations between cyanobacteria and indices of secondary production in the western basin of Lake Erie

Large lakes provide a variety of ecological services to surrounding cities and communities. Many of these services are supported by ecological processes that are threatened by the increasing prevalence of cyanobacterial blooms which occur as aquatic ecosystems experience cultural eutrophication. Over the past 10 yr, Lake Erie experienced cyanobacterial blooms of increasing severity and frequency, which have resulted in impaired drinking water for the surrounding communities. Cyanobacterial blooms may impact ecological processes that support other services, but many of these impacts have not been documented. Secondary production (production of primary consumers) is an important process that supports economically important higher trophic levels. Cyanobacterial blooms may influence secondary production because cyanobacteria are a poor-quality food resource and cyanotoxins may be harmful to consumers. Over 3 yr at 34 sites across the western basin of Lake Erie, we measured three indices of secondary production that focus on the dominant bivalve taxa: (1) growth of a native unionid mussel, (2) the size of young-of-year dreissenid mussels, and (3) the mass of colonizing animals on a Hester-Dendy sampler. Associations between these indices and cyanobacterial data were estimated to assess whether cyanobacteria are associated with variation in secondary production in the western basin of Lake Erie. The results suggest cyanobacterial abundance alone is only weakly associated with secondary production, but that cyanotoxins have a larger effect on secondary production. Given recurring late-summer cyanobacterial blooms, this impact on secondary production has the potential to undermine Lake Erie's ability to sustain important ecosystem services.
Sounds of a Modern Nation: From Narcocorridos to Hugo Salcedo's Música de balas

ABSTRACTMusica de balas, by Hugo Salcedo, revives and humanizes Mexican bodies that often appear only as death toll statistics. Relating experiences from notably violent border cities, such as Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez, the play performs feminicides, decapitations, civilian casualties, and cartel feuds as a way of signaling posttraumatic stressors that hold the nation captive, literally reliving and repeating senseless tragedies. From the title itself, Salcedo suggests that modern-day Mexicans hear gunfire so frequently that it has become a sort of music, a backdrop to life on the border. At the same time, the only references to music in the play are songs associated with the iconic voice of the narcocorrido genre: Chalino Sanchez, himself publicly gunned down. Considered together, the narcocorrido accompaniment and flying bullets are not simply a soundtrack to the play but, rather, stand in as a depiction of the soundscape of the modern nation.
Short-term load forecasting using deep neural networks (DNN)

Load forecasting is an important electric utility task for planning resources in Smart grid. This function also aids in predicting the behavior of energy systems in reducing dynamic uncertainties. The efficiency of the entire grid operation depends on accurate load forecasting. This paper proposes and investigates the application of a multi-layered deep neural network to the Iberian electric market (MIBEL) forecasting task. Ninety days of energy demand data are used to train the proposed model. The ninety-day period is treated as a historical dataset to train and predict the demand for day-ahead markets. The network structure is implemented using Google's machine learning Tensor-flow platform. Various combinations of activation functions were tested to achieve a better Mean Absolute percentage error (MAPE) considering the weekday and weekend variations. The tested functions include Sigmoid, Rectifier linear unit (ReLU), and Exponential linear unit (ELU). The preliminary results are promising. and show significant savings in the MAPE values using the ELU function over the other activation functions.
Regional heterogeneity in the relationship between inequality and growth: Evidence from panel vector autoregressions

Abstract This note estimates the responses of income inequality to growth shocks, and growth to shocks to income inequality using a panel VAR model. Employing annual data from 1930 to 2012 for the 50 U.S. states and DC, we find that inequality and growth decrease following respective shocks to growth and inequality. However, we document significant heterogeneity in U.S. regional responses to inequality and growth shocks. Furthermore, variance decompositions show that regional income inequality explains a relatively small proportion of the variation in regional real per capita growth in the short run, but that the explanatory power of inequality for growth rises over time, explaining as much as 60% of the long run unpredictable fluctuations in growth in some regions. We also report substantial heterogeneity in the explanatory power of growth to movements in regional income inequality, with income growth explaining a little over 1% of the long run variation in income inequality in the Mid Atlantic region, but over 45% in the West North Central region.
Collegiate recovery programs and disordered eating: exploring subclinical behaviors among students in recovery

ABSTRACTThe co-occurring prevalence of disordered eating (DE) with substance use disorders is estimated to be high among college students. Collegiate recovery programs (CRPs), primarily used for the support of students with mental health disorders and substance use disorders, are well positioned to potentially provide support for students with DE behaviors. The current study identifies the prevalence of subclinical DE behaviors among college students currently participating in a collegiate recovery program at a U.S. institution. 61 recovering students (Age: M = 29 years, SD = 8.35, 59% male) completed a digital survey inquiring about subclinical DE behaviors using 9 Likert-type scaled questions. Composite subclinical DE scores were significantly different between student genders, as well as full-time and part-time students. Female and full-time students were more likely to experience subclinical DE behaviors than male and part-time students. As subclinical DE behaviors are present among students engaged i...
Demand Response for Thermal Fairness in District Heating Networks

District heating (DH) networks are complex thermal grids wherein a centrally heated fluid is circulated through a network of pipes and heat exchangers to meet the heating needs of residential and commercial buildings. Several factors can lead to inefficient and unfair energy distribution among consumers in these networks. These include varying levels of building insulation, distance of individual buildings from the central energy source, and thermal losses in network pipes. Moreover, shortage of energy at the central energy source and extreme weather conditions can exacerbate these issues, leading to differing levels of thermal comfort and customer disgruntlement in the long run. In this paper, we propose and study a demand response scheme that attempts to ensure thermal fairness among energy consumers in modern thermal grids. We develop optimization formulations based on thermodynamic models of DH networks, which determine optimal energy flow for individual buildings in order to achieve thermal fairness across the network. Our numerical results using physics based models for DH networks show that it is indeed possible to achieve network level thermal fairness based objectives by controlling network parameters such as mass flow rates of water to the consumer premises and the supply water temperature.
Auroral Substorm and Associated Magnetic Disturbances

A close relationship between auroral displays and polar magnetic disturbances has been recognized for many years (Harang, 1951; Heppner, 1954; Khorosheva, 1961). It is, however, only recently that large-scale auroral displays over the entire polar region and their detailed relationships with the associated geomagnetic activity have become clear. In this chapter, we shall examine individual features of auroral displays and only those geomagnetic disturbances under or near auroras. In Chapter 3, we shall study geomagnetic disturbances associated with the auroral substorm by examining magnetic records collected from stations widely distributed over the entire Northern Hemisphere.
Ionospheric drift measurements with ionosondes

In the last forty years many attempts have been made to measure ionospheric plasma motions with HF radio sounders, generally specialized ionosondes. Starting in the 1950's, the so-called similar fading and the correlation methods were applied to estimate the velocities in the ionosphere. More recently, the interferometric Doppler technique was introduced which successfully measured ionospheric drifts that were verified by incoherent scatter radar measurements. The latter technique is discussed in some detail in this paper.
Frequency Dependence of Receiving Sensitivity of Ultrasonic Transducers and Acoustic Emission Sensors

Receiving displacement sensitivities (Rx) of ultrasonic transducers and acoustic emission (AE) sensors are evaluated using sinewave packet excitation method and compared to the corresponding data from pulse excitation method with a particular emphasis on low frequency behavior below 20 kHz, down to 10 Hz. Both methods rely on the determination of transmitter displacement characteristics using a laser interferometric method. Results obtained by two calibration methods are in good agreement, with average spectral differences below 1 dB, indicating that the two calibration methods yield identical receiving sensitivities. At low test frequencies, effects of attenuation increase substantially due to increasing sensor impedance and Rx requires correction in order to evaluate the inherent sensitivity of a sensor, or open-circuit sensitivity. This can differ by more than 20 dB from results that used common preamplifiers with ~10 kΩ input impedance, leading to apparent velocity response below 100 kHz for typical AE sensors. Damped broadband sensors and ultrasonic transducers exhibit inherent velocity response (Type 1) below their main resonance frequency. In sensors with under-damped resonance, a steep sensitivity decrease occurs showing frequency dependence of f2~f5 (Type 2), while mass-loaded sensors exhibit flat displacement response (Type 0). Such behaviors originate from sensor characteristics that can best be described by the damped harmonic oscillator model. This model accounts for the three typical behaviors. At low frequencies, typically below 1 kHz, receiving sensitivity exhibits another Type 0 behavior of frequency independent Rx. Seven of 12 sensors showed this flat region, while three more appear to approach the Type 0 region. This appears to originate from the quasi-static piezoelectric response of a sensing element. In using impulse method, a minimum pulse duration is necessary to obtain spectral fidelity at low frequencies and an approximate rule is given. Various factors for sensitivity improvement are also discussed.
What Medications Are Helpful in Treating a GIB

Definitive management of a gastrointestinal bleeding lesion requires endoscopic or surgical intervention. In addition to blood products and anticoagulant reversal agents, pre-endoscopic pharmacologic therapy can decrease the amount of bleeding and thereby assist in achieving hemostasis.
Noval hybrid control method for APF based on PI and FRC

The accuracy of control links directly affects the compensation effect of active power filter (APF). Fast repetitive control (FRC) strategy based on single synchronous rotating frame is proposed, for improving the steady-state compensation accuracy and dynamic response. Based on the fundamental rotating mathematical model of APF, the fundamental component of output instruction current can be converted to DC component by synchronous rotation coordinate transformation, and 6k ± 1 times harmonics can be transferred to 6k times harmonics. Then, a hybrid control method based on proportion-integral (PI) control combined with FRC is proposed. The experimental results of the prototype proved that the method advantages in steady-state compensation accuracy, adaptability to load variation and dynamic performance.
State-space analysis of power to detect regional brook trout population trends over time

Threats to aquatic biodiversity are expressed at broad spatial scales, but identifying regional trends in abundance is challenging owing to variable sampling designs and temporal and spatial variat...