cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SD unit system for standardized reporting and interpretation of laboratory data.

A system using SD units rather than original measurement values for reporting clinical laboratory data is presented. The SD unit directly depicts the degree of normality or abnormality of a value because it expresses the deviation of an individual value from the mean of the normal population. It standardizes reporting by establishing a single scale for all tests and methods, provides an intervariable unit that is easily adapted to laboratory changes in methodology without necessitating a change in the numerical reporting system, and allows immediate comparison of direction and magnitude of variation for any number of constituents simultaneously. The clinical usefulness of this system is illustrated by individual patient reporting, comparing results obtained in different laboratories by different methods, and demonstrating its application in studies of correlative pathophysiology.
Photo-Thermal Spectroscopic Imaging of MEMS Structures with Sub-Micron Spatial Resolution

We are developing a new non-contact and non-destructive imaging technique which requires no sample preparation and provides similar content information as FTIR or Raman spectroscopy while being immune to fluorescence and offers a potentially faster scan rate and/or higher spatial resolution. It utilizes photo-thermal heating of the sample with a quantum cascade laser (or other suitable infrared laser) and measuring the resulting increase in thermal emissions by either an infrared (IR) detector or a laser probe consisting of a visible laser reflected from the sample. The latter case allows for further increases in the spatial resolution from ∼10 μm to ∼1 μm or better, with suitable experimental conditions. Since the thermal emission signal is proportional to the absorption coefficient, by tuning the wavelength of the IR laser we can directly measure the IR spectrum of the sample. By raster scanning over the surface of the sample we can obtain maps of the chemical composition of the sample surface. We demonstrate this technique by imaging the surface of a micro-fabricated flow-through chemical vapor preconcentrator consisting of a silicon frame and a suspended-perforated polyimide membrane with a pair of platinum heater traces, coated with a custom sorbent polymer for selective sorption of analyte. We measure the spatial resolution of our photo-thermal imaging system as well as discuss the conditions under which the spatial resolution can be further increased from the far-field diffraction limited resolution given by the combination of the imaging optic and IR excitation laser wavelength.
Path planning and control for planar multibody systems using internal controls

We develop simple path planning and inverse kinematics control strategies for planar, multibody systems. We assume that the multibody systems are subject to internal control torques only and there are no exogenous inputs. Thus, the angular momentum of the system is a constant of motion and represents a nonintegrable path constraint. Our path planning strategies for large-angle, nonlinear maneuvers of the system involves prescribing a subset of the generalized coordinates to be polynomials in time, and using the angular momentum path constraint to determine the remaining generalized coordinate profiles. Examples are presented to demonstrate the new methods introduced. We also discuss three optimal control solution methods for these systems and we present optimal control maneuvers. (Author)
Oxygen content determination of Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu4O11+x superconductor by thermogravimetric analysis

Thermogravimetric analysis of the individual, binary, ternary, and bismuth-based superconductor mixtures have been carried out to elucidate the excess oxygen content of the Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu4O11+x. Our systematic approach eliminates the need to assume initial phase present, original oxygen content, and degree of reduction as in other TG studies. The excess oxygen content of the bismuth superconductor increases fromx=0.38 tox=0.64 after three heating cycles in oxygen atmosphere. Most of the excess oxygen is associated with the highly oxidized copper (Cu3+) in the superconducting phase/phases.
From caring about sustainability to developing care-ful engineers

Engineering is commonly thought of as a problem-solving profession (e.g. Allenby in Union College Symposium on Engineering and Liberal Education: Educating the Stewards of a Sustainable Future. Schenectady, New York, 2009; Zhou in Eur J Eng Educ 37(4):343–353, 2012). Still, good problem-solving depends on good problem-framing, which typically means capturing both the technical and social aspects of the problem at hand. It can though be challenging for engineering students to capture both these aspects of a problem. Cech (Sci Tech Human Values 39(1):42–72, 2014) has pointed out that significant challenges still exist within engineering curricula with regard to “reading” technical problems with multiple layers of meaning. What can be done to better this state of affairs? Fortunately, sustainability issues have caught the attention of this generation of college students (Watson et al. in J Prof Issues Pract 235–243, 2013). Building on the student enthusiasm associated with sustainability may be one way to foster student development regarding how to include ethical dimensions as an integral part of engineering framing and problem solving. We suggest that one option to achieve this is by teaching sustainability using an ethics of care framework that offers elements that more easily engage individuals in problem framing. This approach assumes that because engineering students “care” about sustainability as it applies to their disciplines, faculty can use an ethics of care framework to help students operationalize ethics as an integral component of the engineering decision-making process. By building on these initial lessons, students are better prepared to consider the socio-technical dimensions of engineering problems. Our argument draws upon examples from the University of Portland that demonstrate how students have a difficult time translating ethical theories to engineering problems, and also show how the care ethics approach can manifest itself naturally in the engineering curricula. We hope this paper serves to facilitate efforts to intentionally use sustainability issues to improve the teaching and learning of engineering ethics and further cultivate the T-shaped engineer.
Effects of regional myocardial ischemia on Doppler ejection dynamics

Global left ventricular performance evaluated on the basis of peak acceleration of blood in the ascending aorta and combined with exercise stress testing may potentially offer a noninvasive modality for detecting coronary artery disease in patients. Current clinical noninvasive approaches used in the detection of latent coronary artery disease include real time radionuclide cineangiography [1] and myocardial perfusion scintigraphy with 201thallium [2] both of which can be performed following isoproterenol infusion [3] has also been used to detect the presence of coronary artery disease, although less frequently. Both exercise stress testing and infusion of inotropic agents are maneuvers which increase myocardial oxygen demands beyond the capabilities of a stenosed coronary artery to supply adequate blood flow and, therefore, lead to regional myocardial ischemia. The presence of a latent coronary artery stenosis, therefore, is identifiable on the basis of a perfusion defect, regional left ventricular wall motion abnormality or electrocardiographic changes compatible with ischemia.
Efficacy of transrectal ultrasound-guided seminal vesicle biopsies in the detection of seminal vesicle invasion by prostate cancer.

AbstractDetection of microscopic seminal vesicle invasion with prostate cancer by transrectal ultrasound-guided seminal vesicle biopsies provides a method of evaluation that is much less subjective than digital rectal examination or imaging techniques. The accuracy of seminal vesicle biopsy is analyzed in 73 patients undergoing transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy of 145 seminal vesicles followed by radical prostatectomy.Of 133 benign seminal vesicle biopsies 11 (8.3%) were found in the surgical specimen to have cancer involving an average of 6% of the seminal vesicle area. Of 8 seminal vesicle biopsies showing cancer adjacent to seminal vesicle epithelium 100% demonstrated seminal vesicle invasion in the surgical specimen extending for an average of 19% of the seminal vesicle area. Three biopsies exhibited cancer but no seminal vesicle epithelium; only 1 (33%) of these had seminal vesicle invasion for 5% of the seminal vesicle area. One biopsy revealed normal prostate tissue. Careful placement of bilater...
The Value of Concept: Lessons from the Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance

The evolution of resistance to antibiotics in disease causing pathogens is a major world-wide threat to human health. This paper explores why regulatory, funding and institutional structures have inadequately addressed this issue, focusing on data from the US, but emphasizing that these issues are of global scope and applicability. There is an increasing call for serious acceptance of evolutionary biology by the medical community, but the failure to apply evolutionary ideas to the problem of antibiotic resistance continues. These ideas are deceptively simple in their basic formulation, but require sophisticated expertise when it comes to applying them in practice and to human health. The divergent histories of evolutionary biology and medical research have self-referential constituencies in each field. The field of evolutionary biology does not see the applied issues associated with antibiotic resistance as part of its remit. At the biomedical research level, funding for research on evolution of antibiotic resistance is paltry compared to its importance as a health threat, regulatory requirements do not address evolutionary issues, institutional structures dealing with the issue are undeveloped, and there is even avoidance of the word ‘evolution’ in the context of antibiotic resistance. Current approaches to antibiotic resistance invoke evolutionary principles at a such a naive level that what is put forward are ineffective seat-of-the-pants rules that have no strong theoretical basis and are almost always in desperate need of justification through evidence-based research. Clear solutions exist but their implementation remains problematic.
A Review Essay: Limits of Gaylaw

Part of Professor William Eskridge's mission in Gaylaw (Gaylaw: Challenging the Apartheid of the Closet by William N. Eskridge, Jr., Harvard University Press, 1999) is to describe the historical development of the complex legal and, to some extent the cultural, landscape for gays. (pp. 17-137) Though not much of Eskridge's presentation of the history of American law's treatment of gays draws from original research, its synthesis of the available secondary sources is a useful contribution and will likely become a staple of classes treating the subject.The larger part of Gaylaw is the book's greatest challenge and the place where Gaylaw will draw the most fire. Eskridge offers some fairly standard but nonetheless powerfully-reasoned arguments that the right of privacy should be applied to protect individuals from criminal sanction for consensual sodomy. (pp. 152-73) He makes an intriguing but incomplete case that state criminal prohibitions on sodomy run afoul of the First Amendment. (pp. 176-202) On Eskridge's view, the Equal Protection Clause should invalidate a wide range of laws discriminating against homosexuals. (pp. 207-31) Finally, he urges that the similarities between religion and homosexuality should lead to greater constitutional solicitude for the latter. (pp. 296-302)Gaylaw is an admirable attempt to liberate us--gay and straight--from what Eskridge calls in the book's subtitle, “The Apartheid of the Closet.” Yet it turns out that in subtle and unintentional ways Gaylaw manages to liberate from a closet what it then confines to a prison. It is an “identity prison”, to borrow Eskridge's useful phrase, (p. 7) one that has the virtue of being roomier than the old closet but the vice of being another confinement.Nevertheless, Gaylaw is a clear and soberly written argument, a powerful accomplishment that both reflects and reinforces what have become some of the principal approaches to legal scholarship in the area. It manages to connect contemporary discrimination against gays with the extensive historical record of such discrimination. And it envisions a moral dimension to gay equality that is both provocative and refreshing. For those reasons alone, it cannot be ignored.
Retrodiction of a sequence of measurement results in qubit interferometers

We study how well we can retrodict results of measurements made on a quantum system if we can make measurements on its final state. We know what measurements were made, but not their results. An initial examination shows that we can gain anywhere from no information to perfect information about the results of previous measurements, depending on the measurements and the initial state of the system. The case of two two-outcome measurements, the second of which is a projective measurement, is examined in some detail. We then look at a model of a qubit interferometer in which measurements are made in order to determine the path the qubit followed. The measurement made on the final state of the qubit depends on the information about previous measurement results that we are trying to determine. One can attempt to find the result of just one of the measurements or all of them or to find a measurement sequence that was not realized. We study all three possibilities.
Phasor Measurement-Enabled Decision Making

The controls developed in the previous chapter were continuous feedback controls, i.e., the control, u(t), depends on the state, x(t), at each instant of time. If x(t) changes, then u(t) changes with a small delay induced by communication latency (actually u(t) = f(x(t − Δt)). The power system, however, has other types of control which can be characterized as discrete in their dependence on state.
Contextual language model adaptation using dynamic classes

Recent focus on assistant products has increased the need for extremely flexible speech systems that adapt well to specific users' needs. An important aspect of this is enabling users to make voice commands referencing their own personal data, such as favorite songs, application names, and contacts. Recognition accuracy for common commands such as playing music and sending text messages can be greatly improved if we know a user's preferences. In the past, we have addressed this problem using class-based language models that allow for query-time injection of class instances. However, this approach is limited by the need to train class-based models ahead of time.
Born Without a Silver Spoon: Race, Wealth, and Unintended Childbearing.

The United States has a surprisingly high rate of unintended fertility, particularly among women of color. Although studies have examined socioeconomic correlates of unintended fertility, the role of economic resources remains unclear. Wealth may provide an important context for whether a birth was intended or unintended. Moreover, staggering racial wealth disparities may contribute to racial/ethnic patterns of unintended childbearing. This study examines the linkages between wealth and unintended first births, drawing on data from the NLSY79 (N = 1508). Results suggest that net wealth is negatively related to the probability of having an unintended first birth, controlling for a host of sociodemographic characteristics. We also use decomposition analysis to quantify wealth’s contribution to racial/ethnic disparities in unintended childbearing. Second only to marital status, differences in net wealth account for 9–17% of racial/ethnic disparities in unintended childbearing. Our results suggest that wealth is a significant and heretofore overlooked correlate of unintended childbearing.
Abstract IA05: Massively parallel search for synthetic lethal vulnerabilities using CRISPRi and CRISPRa

While the catalog of mammalian transcripts and their expression levels in different cell types and disease states is rapidly expanding, our understanding of their function lags behind. We present a robust technology enabling systematic investigation of the cellular consequences of repressing or inducing individual transcripts. We identify rules for specific targeting of transcriptional repressors (CRISPRi), typically achieving 90-99% knockdown with minimal off-target effects, and activators (CRISPRa) to endogenous genes via endonuclease-deficient Cas9. Together they enable modulation of gene expression over a ~1000-fold range. Using these rules, we construct and validate genome-scale CRISPRi and CRISPRa libraries that enable systematic analysis of gene function including both essential and nonessential as well as long noncoding RNAs. Our results establish CRISPRi and CRISPRa as powerful tools that provide rich and complementary information for mapping complex pathways. We have now adpated this approach to allow the largescale analysis of double knockdowns. This enables the systematic search for synthetic lethal interactions that will inform the rational design of combination drug therapies. Citation Format: Jonathan Weissman. Massively parallel search for synthetic lethal vulnerabilities using CRISPRi and CRISPRa [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Precision Medicine Series: Opportunities and Challenges of Exploiting Synthetic Lethality in Cancer; Jan 4-7, 2017; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2017;16(10 Suppl):Abstract nr IA05.
Teaching and Knowing in "Nepantla": "I Wanted Them to Realize That, That 'Is' Being Bilingual.".

ABSTRACTBilingual teachers’ professional identity inquiry may open up possibilities for agency and equality in U.S. dual language contexts. Deploying Borderland, Agency, and Position theories, this...
A 1600-year record of human impacts on a floodplain lake in the Mississippi River Valley

In North America, land use practices of the last two centuries have strongly influenced aquatic communities and freshwater quality, but the impacts of prehistoric land use on freshwater resources remain poorly documented. Here we investigate the influence of prehistoric and historical land use on Horseshoe Lake, Illinois, USA, an oxbow lake in a floodplain of the Mississippi River that is adjacent to Cahokia, the largest prehistoric indigenous population center north of Mexico. Diatom assemblages from Horseshoe Lake’s sedimentary record track shifts in aquatic environmental conditions over the last ca. 1600 years. During the period of prehistoric population growth and agricultural intensification associated with Cahokia’s emergence (ca. 600–1200 CE), the relative abundance of Aulacoseira granulata—a planktonic diatom associated with shallow eutrophic lakes—increased. Following the abandonment of Cahokia in the 14th century CE, the diatom flora of the lake shifted from planktonic Aulacoseira taxa to the epiphytic taxa Cocconeis and Gomphonema. This shift in diatom assemblages is consistent with a reduction of nutrient inputs to the lake and/or reduced fishing pressure as prehistoric populations abandoned the area. Following the intensification of historic settlement after 1800 CE, diatom assemblages shift to epipelic species of small Staurosira and Fragilaria, indicating a reduction in aquatic macrophytes and increased turbidity. Our results document prehistoric indigenous impacts on a freshwater system beginning nearly 1000 years before European colonization of the Americas and demonstrate the antiquity of human impacts on freshwater resources in North America.
Mexican-Origin Youth's Cultural Orientations and Values: Do Older Sisters and Brothers Matter?

Family is an important context for cultural development, but little is known about the contributions of siblings. This study investigated whether older siblings' cultural orientations and familism values predicted changes in younger siblings' cultural orientations and familism values across 2 years and tested sibling characteristics and younger siblings' modeling as moderators. Participants were 246 Mexican-origin younger (Mage = 17.72; SD = 0.57) and older siblings (Mage = 20.65; SD = 1.57) and their parents. Findings revealed that older siblings' Anglo orientations and familism values interacted with younger siblings' modeling: When younger siblings reported high modeling, older siblings' Anglo orientations and values predicted increases in younger siblings' Anglo orientations and values. Discussion highlights the importance of siblings in cultural socialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
The effect of alcohol on sensory phenomena and cognitive and motor tasks.

FOUR TESTS CALLING FOR COGNITIVE AND MOTOR SKILLS WERE ADMINISTERED TO EXAMINE PERFORMANCE AFTER SMALL AND MODERATE DOSES OF ALCOHOL. SENSORY PHENOMENA, VISUAL RESPONSES, AND SOMATOSENSORY EVOKED RESPONSES WERE EXAMINED. PERFORMANCE AT VARYING BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVELS IS DESCRIBED. ASPECTS DISCUSSED INCLUDE CRITICAL FLICKER FUSION, PULSE RATE, AND SPIRAL AFTEREFFECT OF ALCOHOL. /HSL/
Applications of the White-Noise Method to Neural Systems

In the previous chapters we covered the theoretical foundation of the white-noise method and the practical considerations of its actual use in physiological system identification and analysis. In this chapter we present some representative applications of the white-noise method to neural system identification and analysis. These applications are chosen because they include rather interesting cases of physiological system identification (e.g., one or two inputs, continuous or discrete input or output, etc.) and illustrate the various techniques and strategies of the white-noise method (e.g., choice of quasiwhite stimulus, representation of discrete data etc.).
Thermal Degradation of Piperazine Copolyamides

The thermal degradation of piperazine copolyamides was studied by both programmed and isothermal techniques with a Cahn RG Electrobalance® using a modified hangdown tube and thermocouple assembly. Experiments were carried out with block copolymers of terephthaloyl trans-2,5-dimethylpiperazine / isophthaloyl trans-2,5-dimethylpiperazine (abbreviated as t-2,5-DiMePipT / t-2,5-DiMePip-I), terphthaloyl trans-2,5-dimethylpiperazine / sebacyl trans-2,5-dimethylpiperazine (abbreviated as t-2,5- DiMePip-T / t-2,5-DiMePip-10), and isophthaloyl trans-2,5-dimethylpiperazine / sebacyl trans-2,5-dimethylpiperazine (abbreviated as t-2,5-DiMePip-I/t-2,5-DiMePip-10). In contrast to the previously studied homopoljrmers, the activation energies (range 44 to 61 kcal/mole), rates of volatilization, and half-life values are influenced by the molecular weights of the block copoljrmers. In general, the data indicate a random degradation process during isothermal pyrolysis in a vacuum. The exception is the block copolymer of t-2,5-DiMePip-I/t-2,5-DiMePip-10, which shows the competing effect of hydrolytic processes.
A Chemical Ecosystem Selection Approach for Generating Evolvable Chemical Systems in Vitro

Many attempts to ascertain the physicochemical processes governing the emergence of life have focused on studying the synthesis of particular biomolecules and their precursors or on designing simpl...
Abstract 3232: Circulating sCD27 and sCD30 in samples collected fifteen years apart and non-Hodgkin lymphoma risk: Findings from the CLUE-I and CLUE-II cohorts

Elevated serum levels of the immune activation markers sCD27 and sCD30 have been consistently associated with increased future risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). However, past studies could not clarify patterns of these markers over time preceding diagnosis, given their use of a single banked sample per participant. To address this question, we conducted a nested case-control study within the CLUE-I and CLUE-II cohorts including 102 case-control matched pairs with two banked samples per participant, collected fifteen years apart. The CLUE-II sCD27 concentrations among cases were higher than in the earlier CLUE-I samples (P Citation Format: Mark P. Purdue, Qing Lan, Judith Hoffman-Bolton, Allan Hildesheim, Paul Strickland, Kala Visvanathan, Nathaniel Rothman. Circulating sCD27 and sCD30 in samples collected fifteen years apart and non-Hodgkin lymphoma risk: Findings from the CLUE-I and CLUE-II cohorts [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3232.
Management and Treatment of Patients with Dysphagia

Dysphagia occurs when food or liquid is prevented from moving from the mouth to the stomach. The normal aging process and age-related disease contribute to the prevalence of dysphagia as do acquired acute and chronic progressive diseases. This paper will define compensatory techniques and discuss research that has led to evidence-based rehabilitative approaches in the treatment of deglutitive disorders. The multidisciplinary science of deglutology has advanced in evaluation including the use of high-resolution manometry and computed tomography to compliment radiographic techniques in evaluation and to better understand the changes that occur with management and treatment. We now understand the physiologic change that can occur with swallowing exercise and how both compensatory and rehabilitative techniques are not a one size fits all scenario. Evidence-based research allows clinicians to confidently provide better care and outcomes for patients with dysphagia.
New distributional records for Gyrinidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) on New Guinea and nearby islands, with a checklist of the New Guinea species

New distribution records are provided for the following 16 taxa of Gyrinidae on New Guinea, some of which have not been documented since their original type series were collected in the late 1800s or early 1900s: Porrorhynchus (Rhomborhynchus) depressus depressus Regimbart; Porrorhynchus (Rhomborhynchus) depressus misoolensis Ochs new combination; Dineutus ( Rhombodineutus ) pectoralis pectoralis Regimbart; Dineutus (Rhombodineutus) pectoralis biakensis Brinck; Dineutus ( Rhombodineutus ) pectoralis monticola Ochs; Dineutus ( Rhombodineutus ) heurni Zimmerman; Dineutus ( Rhombodineutus ) silenus Brinck; Dineutus ( Rhombodineutus ) sinuaticollis Zimmerman; Dineutus ( Rhombodineutus ) virescens Ochs; Dineutus ( Rhombodineutus ) chalybeus Zimmerman; Dineutus ( Rhombodineutus ) helleri stueberi Ochs; Dineutus ( Rhombodineutus ) tetracanthus tetracanthus Regimbart; Dineutus ( Merodineutus ) archboldianus Ochs; Dineutus ( Merodineutus ) loriae Regimbart; Dineutus ( Merodineutus ) macrochirus Regimbart; and Dineutus ( Spinosodineutes) neohollandicus Ochs. New distribution records are also provided for Dineutus ( Dineutus ) regimbarti regimbarti Regimbart from East Timor. The type-locality of Dineutus ( Rhombodineutus ) chalybeus is constrained to Yule Island, on the Gulf of Papua. Updated distribution maps are provided for all the New Guinea species above, a table is included summarizing currently documented ranges of elevation and water temperature for all species treated, and a checklist of all species of Gyrinidae currently known from New Guinea and nearby islands is provided, with species assigned to putative areas of freshwater endemism within the island.
Abstract P166: Identification of Cyr61 and Tfgbi as Hypertensive Renal LEC Genes

Increased renal lymphatic density is observed in various experimental models of hypertension. To identify differentially expressed genes in lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) from hypertensive kidn...
Web feature deprecation: a case study for chrome

Deprecation --- signaling that a function is becoming obsolete in the near future --- is necessary for the web ecosystem. However, an unsuccessful deprecation can lead to pain for both developers and end-users. In this paper, we analyze web feature deprecations with the goal of improving Chrome's deprecation process by balancing the need for deprecation and minimizing user pain. We produce a taxonomy of reasons why developers want to deprecate web features and a deprecation methodology for deciding when it is safe to deprecate a web feature. We also discuss the challenges faced during the deprecation process.
Explaining the Recent Upturn in Divorce in Indonesia: Developmental Idealism and the Effect of Political Change

Divorce trends in Indonesia during the latter half of the 20th century provide an interesting contrast to Western societies. While the social forces associated with modernisation resulted in a dramatic rise in divorce in Western societies, the process of modernisation produced an equally dramatic decline in divorce in Indonesia. Recent evidence, however, suggests that the divorce trends have reversed direction in Indonesia, and the divorce rate has begun to rise. The purpose of this paper is to present both statistical evidence of a possible rise in divorce and qualitative evidence of possible changes in reasons for divorce. The statistical evidence is based on five rounds of the Indonesia Demographic and Health Surveys conducted between 1987 and 2007. Qualitative evidence comes from interviews with marriage registrars, court officials, and other informed community members.
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF VASCULAR SMOOTH MUSCLE RELATED TO ITS CELLULAR COMPONENTS

Publisher Summary This chapter illustrates the relationship between the mechanical properties of smooth muscle cells and the whole blood vessels. It explains how these properties might be related to those of the contractile apparatus. The small size of vascular smooth muscle cells has so far prevented mechanical experiments being performed on isolated cells. Therefore, the knowledge of the mechanical properties of vascular smooth muscle cells has to be inferred from the mechanical properties of whole vascular preparations. Some indication of the relationship of these properties to those of smooth muscle cells can be obtained from histological studies. However, the complex interconnection of the cells makes interpretation of such studies difficult. The experiment discussed in the chapter uses a small whole muscle preparation, namely, a 150-μm artery, which is transparent enough to permit visualization of the smooth muscle cells within it. This preparation helped to make a direct correlation between the behavior of the cells and the behavior of the preparation under various mechanical perturbations.
Abstract 5267: Unbiased metabolic profiling of atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors predicts sensitivity to the glutamine metabolic inhibitor 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine

Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors (AT/RT) are deadly tumors of infancy in need of new, targeted therapies. Molecular analyses have revealed 3 epigenetically distinct subgroups of AT/RT. High MYC-expressing tumors are a particularly aggressive subgroup, with a 5-year median survival of 18.5%. MYC is difficult to directly target given large, flat, featureless protein-protein binding sites. We performed the first unbiased metabolic profile of AT/RT cell models by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. This study revealed that high MYC-expressing AT/RT have a unique metabolic profile (Partial Least Squares-Discriminant Analysis). Pathway analysis highlights a dependence on glutamine metabolism in high-MYC expressing AT/RT. High MYC-expressing cell lines grow poorly in glutamine-free media compared to low-MYC cell lines (MTS assay, glutamine-free media vs normal media). Due to this dependence on glutamine metabolism, we hypothesized that high-MYC expressing AT/RT would be especially sensitive to glutamine metabolic inhibitors. We show that the glutamine analogue, 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine (DON) slows high-MYC expressing AT/RT cell growth, induces high rates of apoptosis, and improves survival in orthotopic mouse models of high-MYC expressing AT/RT (p =0.0027 by log-rank test). In contrast, low-MYC expressing models are relatively insensitive to DON. In uniformly labeled glutamine metabolic analyses of AT/RT cells, DON treatment led to depletion of glutathione levels by preventing the production of glutamate. DON treatment synergized with carboplatin to kill AT/RT cells in vitro and extend the life of mice bearing AT/RT orthotopic xenografts (p Citation Format: Sabrina Z. Wang, Brad Poore, Jesse Alt, Antoinette Price, Sariah Allen, Brent Orr, Rana Rais, Barbara Slusher, Charles Eberhart, Eric H. Raabe, Jeffrey H. Rubens. Unbiased metabolic profiling of atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors predicts sensitivity to the glutamine metabolic inhibitor 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5267.
Testing the benefits of early vessel evolution.

This article comments on: Trueba S, Delzon S, Isnard S, and Lens F. 2019. Similar hydraulic efficiency and safety across vesselless angiosperms and vessel-bearing species with scalariform perforation plates. Journal of Experimental Botany 70, 3227–3240.
A Selection of Clinical Scenarios

This chapter contains several hypothetical clinical situations to tie together information from different chapters and to help with exam preparation. The scenarios begin with an infant needing anesthesia for laparotomy to treat intussusception and management of IV fluids before and after. The infant is anemic after surgery, and a decision about transfusion is needed. Next a young girl requires intubation for appendicectomy, but the endotracheal tube won’t initially pass beyond the vocal cords. Anesthesia eventually proceeds. Surgery is completed, then analgesia must be arranged. This is followed by a 12 year old who needs a diagnostic gastroscopy, but as you are about to commence anesthesia says she doesn’t want to have the procedure. This scenario is followed by one involving a 2 year old needing removal of an inhaled foreign removed. The last involves a child with Duchenne muscular dystrophy needing emergency surgery.
The Evolving Family Mealtime: Findings From Focus Group Interviews With Hispanic Mothers.

Background: Given the protective effects of shared family mealtimes and the importance of family in the Hispanic culture, this context should be explored further to determine how it can be leveraged and optimized for interventions. Objective: This study aimed to explore contextual factors associated with family mealtimes in Mexican and Puerto Rican families. Methods: A total of 63 mothers participated in 13 focus group interviews across 4 states. Thematic analysis was used to analyze transcripts. Results: Seven overarching themes were identified through the thematic analysis. Themes reflected who was present at the mealtime, what occurs during mealtime, the presence of television, the influence of technology during mealtime, and how mealtimes have changed since the mothers were children. Conclusions: Hispanic mothers may be adapting family mealtimes to fit their current situations and needs, keeping the television and other devices on during mealtimes, and making additional meals for multiple family members to appease everyone’s tastes. All of these are areas that can be incorporated into existing culturally tailored obesity prevention programs to help families lead healthier lives.
Evidence for the Efficacy of an Opioid-Sparing Effect of Intravenous Acetaminophen in the Surgery Patient: A Systematic Review.

Background Intravenous (IV) acetaminophen is used in multimodal analgesia to reduce the amount and duration of opioid use in the postoperative setting. Methods A systematic review of published randomized controlled trials was conducted to define the opioid-sparing effect of IV acetaminophen in different types of surgeries. Eligible studies included prospective, randomized, double-blind trials of IV acetaminophen compared with either a placebo- or active-treatment group in adult (age ≥18 years) patients undergoing surgery. Trials had to be published in English in a peer-reviewed journal. Results A total of 44 treatment cohorts included in 37 studies were included in the systematic analysis. Compared with active- or placebo-control treatments, IV acetaminophen produced a statistically significant opioid-sparing effect in 14 of 44 cohorts (32%). An opioid-sparing effect was more common in placebo-controlled comparisons. Of the 28 placebo treatment comparisons, IV acetaminophen produced an opioid-sparing effect in 13 (46%). IV acetaminophen produced an opioid-sparing effect in only 6% (one out of 16) of the active-control groups. Among the 16 active-control groups, opioid consumption was significantly greater with IV acetaminophen than the active comparator in seven cohorts and not significantly different than the active comparator in eight cohorts. Conclusions The results of this systematic analysis demonstrate that IV acetaminophen is not effective in reducing opioid consumption compared with other adjuvant analgesic agents in the postoperative patient. In patients where other adjuvant analgesic agents are contraindicated, IV acetaminophen may be an option.
Changes in the Association Between Diagnostic Testing Method, Polymerase Chain Reaction Ribotype, and Clinical Outcomes From Clostridioides difficile Infection: One Institution’s Experience

BACKGROUND In Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), the relationship between clinical, microbial, and temporal/epidemiological trends, disease severity and adverse outcomes is incompletely understood. In a follow-up to our study from 2010-2013, we evaluate stool toxin levels and C. difficile polymerase chain reaction (PCR) ribotypes. We hypothesized that elevated stool toxins and infection with ribotype 027 associate with adverse outcomes. METHODS In 565 subjects at the University of Michigan with CDI diagnosed by positive testing for toxins A/B by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) or PCR for the tcdB gene, we quantified stool toxin levels via a modified cell cytotoxicity assay (CCA), isolated C. difficile by anaerobic culture, and performed PCR ribotyping. Severe CDI was defined by Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) criteria, and primary outcomes were all-cause 30-day mortality and a composite of colectomy, intensive care unit admission, and/or death attributable to CDI within 30 days. Analyses included bivariable tests and logistic regression. RESULTS 199 samples were diagnosed by EIA; 447 were diagnosed by PCR. Toxin positivity associated with IDSA severity but not primary outcomes. In 2016, compared with 2010-2013, ribotype 106 newly emerged, accounting for 10.6% of strains, ribotype 027 fell from 16.5% to 9.3%, and ribotype 014-027 remained stable at 18.9%. Ribotype 014-020 associated with IDSA severity and 30-day mortality (P = .001). CONCLUSIONS Toxin positivity by EIA and CCA associated with IDSA severity but not with subsequent adverse outcomes. The molecular epidemiology of C. difficile has shifted, which may have implications for the optimal diagnostic strategy for and clinical severity of CDI.
Iterative reconstruction of the wave speed for the wave equation with bounded frequency boundary data

We study the inverse boundary value problem for the wave equation using measurements of waves emitted by band-limited boundary sources as the data. We prove how to choose classes of nonsmooth coefficient functions so that optimization formulations of inverse wave problems satisfy the prerequisites for the application of steepest descent and Newton-type iterative methods.
Metamorphosis in an Era of Increasing Climate Variability

Most animals have complex life cycles including metamorphosis or other discrete life stage transitions, during which individuals may be particularly vulnerable to environmental stressors. With climate change, individuals will be exposed to increasing thermal and hydrologic variability during metamorphosis, which may affect survival and performance through physiological, behavioral, and ecological mechanisms. Furthermore, because metamorphosis entails changes in traits and vital rates, it is likely to play an important role in how populations respond to increasing climate variability. To identify mechanisms underlying population responses and associated trait and life history evolution, we need new approaches to estimating changes in individual traits and performance throughout metamorphosis, and we need to integrate metamorphosis as an explicit life stage in analytical models.
Making the Law, Ruling the Law: International Statebuilding and the Rule of Law in Kosovo

This chapter aims to provide a general analysis of the drafting of legislation and the building of a system for the rule of law in Kosovo, examining how the international community has impacted on this process, and to what extent it has failed to create an effective, sustainable legal system. The first part of the chapter offers a general background to the international community’s involvement in setting up the rule of law sector in Kosovo and in the legal drafting process – thereby aiming to paint a bigger picture of statebuilding efforts from the early stages by providing information about the initial years of international involvement, prior to the declaration of independence. The second part of the chapter elaborates on the impact of the international community on the drafting of the core legal document on statehood – the Constitution of Kosovo. In particular, this section focuses on the difficulty of implementing certain provisions of the Constitution, which resulted in obstacles to the building and strengthening of Kosovo’s statehood. The third part of this chapter focuses mainly on the rule of law sector as a core component of statehood, and in particular on the role of the international community in the process of drafting some of the key legislation. While its contribution has been significant, as will be shown in this section the donor-driven agenda and the lack of consensus amongst the international community has often resulted in a power struggle between institutions and the creation of redundant bodies and institutions, which has then translated into a lack of efficiency. The chapter argues that although the international community has had a significant influence on the process of drafting all the key legislation in Kosovo, when put together in Kosovo they very often seem not to fit to the local context and needs, difficulty to be implemented, often in conflict with others, and drafted at a different time at the incentive of a different donor or international organisation.
Food Access, Diet Quality, and Nutritional Status of Older Adults During COVID-19: A Scoping Review

Background: COVID-19 has imposed challenges for older adults to access food, particularly in minority, lower income, and rural communities. However, the impact of COVID-19 on food access, diet quality, and nutrition of diverse older adult populations has not been systematically assessed. Objective: To examine changes in food access, diet quality, and nutritional status among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic and the potential differential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on these nutrition-related outcomes using the framework of the socio-ecological model. Methods: An electronic search was conducted on 3 databases (PubMed, CINAHL, and Web of Science) on March 7, 2021. Original, peer-reviewed English-language studies published 10/1/2019-3/1/2021 were considered for which the mean age of participants was 50 years and older. In order to be considered, studies must have examined food access, food security, or nutrition constructs as an outcome. Results: The initial search yielded 13,628 results, of which 9,145 were duplicates. Of the remaining 4,483 articles, 13 articles were in scope and therefore selected in the final analysis, which can be characterized as descriptive (n=5), analytical (n=6), and correlational (n=2). Studies were conducted among community-dwelling older adult populations (n=7) as well as those temporarily residing in hospital settings (n=6) in 10 countries. None of the in-scope studies examined the impact of food programs or specific public policies or disaggregated data by race/ethnicity. Conclusions: More research is needed to examine the impact of COVID-19 on food access/security and the differential barriers experienced by older adult populations.
Multiscale modeling of sensory properties of Co–Ni–Al shape memory particles embedded in an Al metal matrix

The concept of utilizing ferromagnetic shape memory alloys as embedded sensory particles in aluminum alloys for damage detection is discussed. When embedded in a material, a shape memory particle can undergo an acoustically detectable solid-state phase transformation when the local strain reaches a critical value. The emitted acoustic signal can be used for real-time damage detection. To study the transition behavior of the sensory particle inside a metal matrix under load, a simulation approach based on a coupled atomistic-continuum model is used. The simulation results indicate a strong dependence of the particle’s pseudoelastic response on its crystallographic orientation with respect to the loading direction. These results serve as a basis for understanding the efficacy and variability in the sensory particle transformation to detect damage processes.
Phosphorylation-dependent regulation of phospholipase A2 by G-proteins and Ca2+ in HL60 granulocytes.

We studied the regulation of arachidonic acid (AA) release by guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate (GTP gamma S) and Ca2+ in electropermeabilized HL60 granulocytes. Stimulation of AA release by GTP gamma S and Ca2+ was mediated by phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and required the presence of MgATP (EC50: 100-250 microM). The nucleotide effects were Ca(2+)-dependent (maximal effects detected at 1 microM free cation). UTP and ATP gamma S, which stimulate AA release in intact HL60 granulocytes with potencies and efficacies similar to those of ATP, were ineffective in supporting the effects of GTP gamma S in electropermeabilized cells. Pretreatment with pertussis toxin affected stimulation of AA release by ATP in intact cell, without altering the nucleotide effects in permeabilized cells. We observed the protein kinase C-dependent phosphorylation of PLA2 in permeabilized HL60 granulocytes, together with a correlation between the effects of phorbol esters and staurosporine on this reaction and on AA release. ATP-independent activation of PLA2 by GTP gamma S and/or Ca2+ was measured in subcellular fractions prepared from HL60 granulocytes. These data appear consistent with a model in which PLA2 activity in resting HL60 granulocytes is subjected to an inhibitory constraint that prevents its activation by Ca2+ and G-proteins. Removal of this constraint, either by the protein kinase C-dependent phosphorylation of the enzyme in vivo or physical disruption of the regulatory assembly (e.g. by N2 cavitation), allows its activation by Ca2+ and G-proteins.
Simple Random Walks on Tori

We consider a Markov chain whose phase space is a d-dimensional torus. A point x jumps to x+ω with probability p(x) and to x−ω with probability 1−p(x). For Diophantine ω and smooth p we prove that this Markov chain has an absolutely continuous invariant measure and the distribution of any point after n steps converges to this measure.