cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aminoglycoside Allergic Reactions

Aminoglycosides are antimicrobial agents that are primarily used for infections caused by Gram-negative pathogens. The purpose of this article is to review the allergic reactions reported in the published literature to aminoglycoside antibiotics. A thorough PubMed search was conducted and excluded non-allergic adverse reactions to aminoglycosides. Allergic reactions to aminoglycosides occur infrequently, but can include cutaneous reactions as well as systemic reactions, including anaphylaxis. Of the evaluated aminoglycosides, gentamicin had the most reported allergic reactions, including the most reports of anaphylaxis, followed by tobramycin, and then amikacin. Most reports of allergic reactions occurred in patients who had a prior exposure to some dosage form of an aminoglycoside. Cross-reactivity among aminoglycosides is common and occurs due to the similarities in their chemical structures. Desensitization protocols to tobramycin have been described in the literature.
Moving forward with the primate microbiome: Introduction to a special issue of the American Journal of Primatology

Primate microbiome research is a quickly growing field with exciting potential for informing our understanding of primate biology, ecology, and evolution as well as host-microbe interactions more broadly. This introductory essay to a special section of the American Journal of Primatology provides a cross-sectional snapshot of current activity in these areas by briefly summarizing the diversity of contributed papers and their relationships to key themes in host-associated microbiome research. It then uses this survey as a foundation for consolidating a set of key research questions to broadly guide future research. It also argues for the importance of methods standardization to facilitate comparative analyses and the identification of generalizable patterns and relationships. While primatology will benefit greatly from the integration of microbial datasets, it is uniquely positioned to address important questions regarding microbiology and macro-ecology and evolution more generally. We are eager to see where the primate microbiome leads us.
Better virtuous than safe

According to the safety principle, if one knows that p, then one’s belief in p could not easily have been false. In this paper, I pose a dilemma for safety theorists by asking the following question: In evaluating whether or not a belief is safe, must we only examine the error-possibilities of the same belief as formed in the actual world? If ‘yes’, safety meets a familiar objection regarding necessary truths and the objection also extends to contingent propositions. If ‘no’, however, there is no necessity of safety for knowledge. It is argued that this dilemma poses a threat for a number of safety principles from the recent literature. In the end, I draw implications of my arguments for the debate between robust and anti-luck virtue epistemologies. The result is that anti-luck virtue epistemology suffers from the difficulty with the safety principle whereas the robust variant remains intact.
Neutron diffraction structural study of CO2 binding in mixed-metal CPM-200 metal–organic frameworks

Metal–organic frameworks featuring open metal coordination sites have been widely studied for the separation of gas mixtures. For CO2/N2 separations, these materials have shown considerable promise. Herein, we report the characterization of a subset of the well-known PCN-250 class of frameworks upon CO2 adsorption via powder neutron diffraction methods. Noteably, in contrast to previously reported data, they display only moderate CO2 adsorption enthalpies, based on metal cation–CO2 interactions. Further, we show charge balance in these materials is likely achieved via ligand vacancies rather than the presence of μ3-OH groups in the trimetallic cluster that comprises them.
Identifying Predictors for Enhanced Outcomes for People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) often rely on Medicaid-funded services and supports to facilitate their daily living. The financial investment for these services is significant, yet little work has been conducted to understand how these investments affect life outcomes. This pilot study used a novel data integration approach to offer initial insights about how Medicaid expenditures relate to outcomes using Medicaid claims data, results of the National Core Indicators consumer survey, and data from the Supports Intensity Scale (SIS). Findings suggested that subpopulations of people with IDD who also had high behavioral needs or high medical needs had significantly higher expenditures than individuals with more typical SIS-assessed support needs. Regression analyses suggested mixed outcomes based on the factors we considered, including a finding that people with IDD who lived in sponsored residential care homes were more likely to engage in inclusive activities in the community than those who lived in larger congregate settings, or those who lived in a family home. Results of this pilot, when brought to scale, will be useful in examining the performance of state IDD service systems over time.
Age of Information Minimization in Wireless Powered Stochastic Energy Harvesting Networks

This paper studies age of information minimization for a large network, where transmitters harvest energy from power beacons and send time-sensitive updates to receivers. The distributions of power beacons and energy harvesting nodes are considered to be homogeneous Poisson point and binomial point processes, respectively. We focus on probabilistic update policies for energy harvesting nodes and derive a closed-form expression for the average age of information of a node in the network utilizing stochastic geometry. Specifically, the age of information minimization is formulated as a stochastic optimization problem, transformed to a convex program and solved by the projected gradient descent algorithm.
IMC-Sort: In-Memory Parallel Sorting Architecture using Hybrid Memory Cube

Processing-in-memory (PIM) architectures have gained significant importance as an alternative paradigm to the von-Neumann architectures to alleviate the memory wall and technology scaling problems. PIM architectures have achieved significant latency and energy consumption improvements for various emerging and widely used workloads such as deep neural networks, graph analytics, databases and computational genomics. In this work, we propose a PIM based accelerator architecture (IMC-Sort) for the sort algorithm. Sort is one of the fundamental and widely used algorithm in various applications such as databases, networking, and data analytics. IMC-Sort architecture augments the hybrid memory cube memory system by incorporating custom sorting network at each of the HMC vault's logic layer. IMC-Sort uses optimized folded Bitonic sort and merge network to sort input sequences of arbitrary length at each vault and optimized address mapping mechanism to distribute the input data across HMC vaults. Merging of the sorted results across individual vaults is also performed using the vault's sorting network by communicating with other vaults through the HMC's crossbar network. Overall, IMC-Sort achieves 16.8x, 1.1x speedup and 375.5x, 13.6x savings in energy consumption compared to the widely used CPU implementation and state of the art near memory custom sort accelerator respectively.
Blepharoclonus in Parkinson’s Disease: a prevalent and meaningful finding? (2174)

Objective: To assess the prevalence of blepharoclonus (eye lid fluttering) in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). If blepharoclonus is determined to be present in early PD stages, or if present in prodromal PD, then it may be a useful clinical diagnostic biomarker. Background: Blepharoclonus elicited with gentle eyelid closure was reported with parkinsonism in congenital hydrocephalus, but has not reported in associated with PD. We have observed sustained eye lid fluttering upon gentle eye closure to be a common phenomenon in PD. Design/Methods: We evaluated 20 consecutive new PD patients. We recorded patient’s age, sex, disease duration and Hoehn and Yahr (HY) stage. Blepharoclonus was considered present if eyelid fluttering was sustained for >5 seconds after gentle eye closure. For each patient we completed the REM Sleep Behavior Disorder Questionnaire (RBDQ), and recorded non motor features including anxiety, depression, subjective hyposmia/anosmia, and constipation. Eye lid fluttering was videotaped (examples embedded into poster). Results: Of the 20 PD patients, 17 (85%) had sustained blepharoclonus. Our cohort included 6 (30%) women. Mean age was 67.1 years. Mean disease duration was 4.3 years. HY stages 1–5 are represented; HY1 (n=6; 30%), HY2 (n=11; 55%), HY3 (n=1; 5%), HY4 (n=1; 5%), and HY5 (n=1; 5%), and blepharoclonus was present in HY1 patients. 6 patients (30%) had RBDQ score >5 (suggestive for presence of RBD); 5 (83.3%) of these patients had blepharoclonus. Anosmia/hyposmia, constipation, anxiety and depression were present in 11 (55%), 11 (55%), 6 (30%) and 9 (45%), respectively. Conclusions: Blepharoclonus is prevalent in PD, present in 85% of our cohort, including early PD stages, but it is not yet known if it is a potential prodromal symptom. To further investigate the utility of this finding as a prodromal diagnostic biomarker, its prevalence could be assessed in patients with idiopathic RBD without clinically apparent parkinsonism. Disclosure: Dr. Margolesky has nothing to disclose. Dr. Fleming has nothing to disclose. Dr. Shpiner has nothing to disclose. Dr. Luca has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with Abbott, Boston Scientific.. Dr. Moore has nothing to disclose. Dr. Singer has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with I have received payment for my work as a video panelist from CNS Ratings LLC reviewing videos for a Mitsubishi Pharmaceutical sponsored study.. Dr. Singer has received research support from Sunovion, Adamas, Pharma2B, Biogen.
A tiny, long-legged raptor from the early Oligocene of Poland may be the earliest bird-eating diurnal bird of prey.

We report a small hawk-like diurnal bird from the early Oligocene (30–31 million years ago) of Poland. Aviraptor longicrus, n. gen. et sp. is of a size comparable with the smallest extant Accipitridae. The new species is characterized by very long legs, which, together with the small size, suggest an avivorous (bird-eating) feeding behavior. Overall, the new species resembles extant sparrowhawks (Accipiter spp.) in the length proportions of the major limb bones, even though some features indicate that it convergently acquired an Accipiter-like morphology. Most specialized avivores amongst extant accipitrids belong to the taxon Accipiter and predominantly predate small forest passerines; the smallest Accipiter species also hunts hummingbirds. Occurrence of a possibly avivorous raptor in the early Oligocene of Europe is particularly notable because A. longicrus coexisted with the earliest Northern Hemispheric passerines and modern-type hummingbirds. We therefore hypothesize that the diversification of these birds towards the early Oligocene may have triggered the evolution of small-sized avivorous raptors, and the new fossil may exemplify one of the earliest examples of avian predator/prey coevolution.
Understanding podcast users: Consumption motives and behaviors:

Through a large-scale national survey, this study provided the first comprehensive examination of podcast users in the United States from the perspectives of motivation and usage. It deepened our u...
Prolonged Infectious SARS-CoV-2 Shedding from an Immunocompromised Patient

Long-term SARS-CoV-2 shedding was observed from the upper respiratory tract of an immunocompromised patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and acquired hypogammaglobulinemia. Shedding of SARS-CoV-2 genomic and subgenomic RNA was observed up to 105 days, and infectious virus up to 70 days past the initial diagnosis. The infection was not cleared after a first treatment with convalescent plasma, suggesting limited impact on SARS-CoV-2 in the upper respiratory tract. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was no longer detected several weeks after a second transfusion of convalescent plasma. There was marked within-host genomic evolution of SARS-CoV-2, with continuous turnover of dominant viral variants. However, replication kinetics in VeroE6 cells and primary human alveolar epithelial tissues were not affected. Our data indicate that certain immunocompromised patients may shed infectious virus for longer durations than previously recognized. Detection of of subgenomic RNA is recommended in persistently SARS-CoV-2 positive individuals as a proxy for shedding of infectious virus. Funding: This work was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). T.A.B. is supported by the Medical Research Council UK (MR/S007555/1). The Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics is supported by Wellcome Centre grant 203141/Z/16Z. Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no competing interests.
Smaller Regional Brain Volumes Predict Posttraumatic Stress Disorder at 3 Months After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Abstract Background Brain volumes in regions such as the hippocampus and amygdala have been associated with risk for the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The objective of this study was to determine whether a set of regional brain volumes, measured by magnetic resonance imaging at 2 weeks following mild traumatic brain injury, were predictive of PTSD at 3 and 6 months after injury. Methods Using data from TRACK-TBI (Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in TBI), we included patients (N = 421) with Glasgow Coma Scale scores 13–15 assessed after evaluation in the emergency department and at 2 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after injury. Probable PTSD diagnosis (PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 score, ≥33) was the outcome. FreeSurfer 6.0 was used to perform volumetric analysis of three-dimensional T1-weighted magnetic resonance images at 3T obtained 2 weeks post injury. Brain regions selected a priori for volumetric analyses were insula, hippocampus, amygdala, superior frontal cortex, rostral and caudal anterior cingulate, and lateral and medial orbitofrontal cortices. Results Overall, 77 (18.3%) and 70 (16.6%) patients had probable PTSD at 3 and 6 months. A composite volume derived as the first principal component incorporating 73.8% of the variance in insula, superior frontal cortex, and rostral and caudal cingulate contributed to the prediction of 3-month (but not 6-month) PTSD in multivariable models incorporating other established risk factors. Conclusions Results, while needing replication, provide support for a brain reserve hypothesis of PTSD and proof of principle for how prediction of at-risk individuals might be accomplished to enhance prognostic accuracy and enrich clinical prevention trials for individuals at the highest risk of PTSD following mild traumatic brain injury.
TOSS-2020: A Commodity Software Stack for HPC

The simulation environment of any HPC platform is key to the performance, portability, and productivity of scientific applications. This environment has traditionally been provided by platform vendors, presenting challenges for HPC centers and users including platform-specific software that tend to stagnate over the lifetime of the system. In this paper, we present the Tri-Laboratory Operating System Stack (TOSS), a production simulation environment based on Linux and open source software, with proprietary software components integrated as needed. TOSS, focused on mid-to-large scale commodity HPC systems, provides a common simulation environment across system architectures, reduces the learning curve on new systems, and benefits from a lineage of past experience and bug fixes. To further the scope and applicability of TOSS, we demonstrate its feasibility and effectiveness on a leadership-class supercomputer architecture. Our evaluation, relative to the vendor stack, includes an analysis of resource manager complexity, system noise, networking, and application performance.
Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest care in Detroit.

Abstract Introduction In response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Detroit, an earlier termination of resuscitation protocol was initiated in March 2020. To characterize pre-hospital cardiac arrest careduring COVID-19 in Detroit, we analyzed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) rate of ROSC (return of spontaneous circulation) and patient characteristics before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods OHCA data was analyzed between March 10th, 2020 – April 30th, 2020 and March 10th, 2019 – April 30th, 2019. ROSC, patient demographics, arrest location, initial rhythms, bystander CPR and field termination were compared before and during the pandemic. Descriptive statistics were utilized to compare arrest characteristics between years, and the odds of achieving vs. not achieving ROSC. 2020 vs. 2019 as a predictor for ROSC was assessed with logistic regression. Results 471 patients were included. Arrests increased to 291 during the pandemic vs. 180 in 2019 (62% increase). Age (mean difference + 6; 95% CI: +2.4 to +9.5), arrest location (nursing home OR = 2.42; 95% CI: 1.42–4.31; public place OR = 0.47; 95% CI: 0.25–0.88), BLS response (OR = 0.68; 95% CI: 0.47–0.99), and field termination of resuscitation (OR = 2.36; 95% CI: 1.36–4.07) differed significantly in 2020 compared to 2019. No significant difference was found in the confounder-adjusted odds of ROSC in 2020 vs 2019 (OR = 0.61; 95% CI: 0.34–1.11). Conclusion OHCA increased by 62% during COVID-19 in Detroit, without a significant change in prehospital ROSC. The rate of ROSC remained similar despite the implementation of an early termination of resuscitation protocol in response to COVID-19.
Ethical Applications of Artificial Intelligence: Evidence From Health Research on Veterans.

Background: Despite widespread agreement that artificial intelligence (AI) offers significant benefits for individuals and society at large, there are also serious challenges to overcome with respect to its governance. Recent policymaking has focused on establishing principles for the trustworthy use of AI. Adhering to these principles is especially important for ensuring that the development and application of AI raises economic and social welfare, including among vulnerable groups and veterans. Objective: We explore the newly developed principles around trustworthy AI and how they can be readily applied at scale to vulnerable groups that are potentially less likely to benefit from technological advances. Methods: Using the US Department of Veterans Affairs as a case study, we explore the principles of trustworthy AI that are of particular interest for vulnerable groups and veterans. Results: We focus on three principles: (1) designing, developing, acquiring, and using AI so that the benefits of its use significantly outweigh the risks and the risks are assessed and managed; (2) ensuring that the application of AI occurs in well-defined domains and is accurate, effective, and fit for the intended purposes; and (3) ensuring that the operations and outcomes of AI applications are sufficiently interpretable and understandable by all subject matter experts, users, and others. Conclusions: These principles and applications apply more generally to vulnerable groups, and adherence to them can allow the VA and other organizations to continue modernizing their technology governance, leveraging the gains of AI while simultaneously managing its risks.
Acute Treatments for Episodic Migraine in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Importance Migraine is common and can be associated with significant morbidity, and several treatment options exist for acute therapy. Objective To evaluate the benefits and harms associated with acute treatments for episodic migraine in adults. Data Sources Multiple databases from database inception to February 24, 2021. Study Selection Randomized clinical trials and systematic reviews that assessed effectiveness or harms of acute therapy for migraine attacks. Data Extraction and Synthesis Independent reviewers selected studies and extracted data. Meta-analysis was performed with the DerSimonian-Laird random-effects model with Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman variance correction or by using a fixed-effect model based on the Mantel-Haenszel method if the number of studies was small. Main Outcomes and Measures The main outcomes included pain freedom, pain relief, sustained pain freedom, sustained pain relief, and adverse events. The strength of evidence (SOE) was graded with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Methods Guide for Effectiveness and Comparative Effectiveness Reviews. Findings Evidence on triptans and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs was summarized from 15 systematic reviews. For other interventions, 115 randomized clinical trials with 28 803 patients were included. Compared with placebo, triptans and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs used individually were significantly associated with reduced pain at 2 hours and 1 day (moderate to high SOE) and increased risk of mild and transient adverse events. Compared with placebo, calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonists (low to high SOE), lasmiditan (5-HT1Freceptor agonist; high SOE), dihydroergotamine (moderate to high SOE), ergotamine plus caffeine (moderate SOE), acetaminophen (moderate SOE), antiemetics (low SOE), butorphanol (low SOE), and tramadol in combination with acetaminophen (low SOE) were significantly associated with pain reduction and increase in mild adverse events. The findings for opioids were based on low or insufficient SOE. Several nonpharmacologic treatments were significantly associated with improved pain, including remote electrical neuromodulation (moderate SOE), transcranial magnetic stimulation (low SOE), external trigeminal nerve stimulation (low SOE), and noninvasive vagus nerve stimulation (moderate SOE). No significant difference in adverse events was found between nonpharmacologic treatments and sham. Conclusions and Relevance There are several acute treatments for migraine, with varying strength of supporting evidence. Use of triptans, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, acetaminophen, dihydroergotamine, calcitonin gene-related peptide antagonists, lasmiditan, and some nonpharmacologic treatments was associated with improved pain and function. The evidence for many other interventions, including opioids, was limited.
Kurtosis-Based Symbol Timing and Carrier Phase/Frequency Tracking.

Kurtosis is known to be effective at estimating signal timing and carrier phase offset when the processing is performed in a “burst mode,” that is, operating on a block of received signal in an offline fashion. In this paper, kurtosis-based estimation is extended to provide tracking of timing and carrier phase, and frequency offsets. The algorithm is compared with conventional PLL-type timing/phase estimation and shown to be superior in terms of speed of convergence, with comparable variance in the matched filter output symbols.
Characterization and allogeneic transplantation of a novel transgenic cone-rich donor mouse line.

Abstract Objectives Cone photoreceptor transplantation is a potential treatment for macular diseases. The optimal conditions for cone transplantation are poorly understood, partly because of the scarcity of cones in donor mice. To facilitate allogeneic cone photoreceptor transplantation studies in mice, we aimed to create and characterize a donor mouse model containing a cone-rich retina with a cone-specific enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) reporter. Methods We generated OPN1LW-EGFP/NRL−/− mice by crossing NRL−/− and OPN1LW-EGFP mice. We characterized the anatomical phenotype of OPN1LW-EGFP/NRL−/− mice using multimodal confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (cSLO) imaging, immunohistology, and transmission electron microscopy. We evaluated retinal function using electroretinography (ERG), including 465 and 525 nm chromatic stimuli. Retinal sheets and cell suspensions from OPN1LW-EGFP/NRL−/− mice were transplanted subretinally into immunodeficient Rd1 mice. Results OPN1LW-EGFP/NRL−/− retinas were enriched with OPN1LW-EGFP+ and S-opsin+ cone photoreceptors in a dorsal-ventral distribution gradient. Cone photoreceptors co-expressing OPNL1W-EGFP and S-opsin significantly increased in OPN1LW-EGFP/NRL−/− compared to OPN1LW-EGFP mice. Temporal dynamics of rosette formation in the OPN1LW-EGFP/NRL−/− were similar as the NRL−/− with peak formation at P15. Rosettes formed preferentially in the ventral retina. The outer retina in P35 OPN1LW-EGFP/NRL−/− was thinner than NRL−/− controls. The OPN1LW-EGFP/NRL−/− ERG response amplitudes to 465 nm stimulation were similar to, but to 535 nm stimulation were lower than, NRL−/− controls. Three months after transplantation, the suspension grafts showed greater macroscopic degradation than sheet grafts. Retinal sheet grafts from OPN1LW-EGFP/NRL−/− mice showed greater S-opsin + cone survival than suspension grafts from the same strain. Conclusions OPN1LW-EGFP/NRL−/− retinae were enriched with S-opsin+ photoreceptors. Sustained expression of EGFP facilitated the longitudinal tracking of transplanted donor cells. Transplantation of cone-rich retinal grafts harvested prior to peak rosette formation survived and differentiated into cone photoreceptor subtypes. Photoreceptor sheet transplantation may promote greater macroscopic graft integrity and S-opsin+ cone survival than cell suspension transplantation, although the mechanism underlying this observation is unclear at present. This novel cone-rich reporter mouse strain may be useful to study the influence of graft structure on cone survival.
STNet: An End-to-End Generative Framework for Synthesizing Spatiotemporal Super-Resolution Volumes.

We present STNet, an end-to-end generative framework that synthesizes spatiotemporal super-resolution volumes with high fidelity for time-varying data. STNet includes two modules: a generator and a spatiotemporal discriminator. The input to the generator is two low-resolution volumes at both ends, and the output is the intermediate and the two-ending spatiotemporal superresolution volumes. The spatiotemporal discriminator, leveraging convolutional long short-term memory, accepts a spatiotemporal super-resolution sequence as input and predicts a conditional score for each volume based on its spatial (the volume itself) and temporal (the previous volumes) information. We propose an unsupervised pre-training stage using cycle loss to improve the generalization of STNet. Once trained, STNet can generate spatiotemporal super-resolution volumes from low-resolution ones, offering scientists an option to save data storage (i.e., sparsely sampling the simulation output in both spatial and temporal dimensions). We compare STNet with the baseline bicubic+linear interpolation, two deep learning solutions (SSR+TSR, STD), and a state-of-the-art tensor compression solution (TTHRESH) to show the effectiveness of STNet.
Asynchronous replica exchange software for grid and heterogeneous computing

Parallel replica exchange sampling is an extended ensemble technique often used to accelerate the exploration of the conformational ensemble of atomistic molecular simulations of chemical systems. Inter-process communication and coordination requirements have historically discouraged the deployment of replica exchange on distributed and heterogeneous resources. Here we describe the architecture of a software (named ASyncRE) for performing asynchronous replica exchange molecular simulations on volunteered computing grids and heterogeneous high performance clusters. The asynchronous replica exchange algorithm on which the software is based avoids centralized synchronization steps and the need for direct communication between remote processes. It allows molecular dynamics threads to progress at different rates and enables parameter exchanges among arbitrary sets of replicas independently from other replicas. ASyncRE is written in Python following a modular design conducive to extensions to various replica exchange schemes and molecular dynamics engines. Applications of the software for the modeling of association equilibria of supramolecular and macromolecular complexes on BOINC campus computational grids and on the CPU/MIC heterogeneous hardware of the XSEDE Stampede supercomputer are illustrated. They show the ability of ASyncRE to utilize large grids of desktop computers running the Windows, MacOS, and/or Linux operating systems as well as collections of high performance heterogeneous hardware devices.
Potential cooling savings from a ground-coupled return-air duct system for residential buildings in hot and humid climates

Abstract This study presents an estimation of the potential cooling energy reduction that a closed-loop earth-air heat exchanger (EAHE) could bring to residences in the hot and humid climates of Texas (climate zones 2A and 3A). This analytical study was based on a system simulation model that utilizes ground temperature patterns to improve cooling energy use in residential buildings by coupling return-air duct systems with the ground. The simulation model was validated by comparing the calculated air temperatures against two sets of experimental air temperatures published in previous literature. The potential cooling energy savings from the closed-loop EAHE system were obtained by comparing simulations of a residential air-source heat pump (ASHP) system model with and without an EAHE. The simulation performance results comparing a typical ASHP system with and without an EAHE showed annual cooling energy savings of 9.6% for Houston and 13.8% for Dallas. In addition, parametric analyses were developed to determine the effect of the EAHE's thermal performance by varying the pipe length, buried pipe depth, and airflow velocity.
Muscle metaboreflex improves O2 delivery to ischemic active skeletal muscle.

Ischemia of active skeletal muscle elicits a powerful pressor response, termed the muscle metaboreflex. We recently reported that the muscle metaboreflex pressor response acts to partially restore ...
Public Housing and Health: Is There a Connection?

This paper explores the relationship between public housing and health outcomes among low-income housing residents. While public housing can be dangerous and unhealthy environments to live, the subsidized rent may free up resources for nutritious food and health care. In addition, public housing may be of higher quality than the available alternatives, it may provide easier access to health clinics willing to serve the poor, and it may link residents to social support networks, which can improve mental health and the ability to access higher-quality grocery stores. To test whether there is a "back-door" health benefit to the public housing program, we analyze data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. We minimize the effects of selection into public housing with controls and instrumental variables estimation and find that public housing residence may reduce the mother's probability of smoking. The other results are sensitive to the instrumental variable used, and thus, we conclude that, except with respect to smoking, we are unable to detect a robust health effect of public housing.
A 10-Gbps, 8-PAM parallel interface with crosstalk cancellation for future hard disk drive channel ICs

The paper presents a new system architecture for future hard disk channel ICs based on a high-speed digital parallel interface. A crosstalk cancellation technique using a novel data encoding scheme is proposed to suppress electromagnetic interference (EMI) generated by the I/Os. This technique is implemented utilizing a novel 8-4-PAM signaling with a data look-ahead algorithm. Simulations show a 37% crosstalk reduction for six adjacent channels each operating at 10 Gbps. The key circuit components in the high-speed interface transceiver, including the receive sampler, the phase interpolator and the transmitter output driver, are described in detail. Designed in a 0.13-/spl mu/m digital CMOS process, the transceiver, excluding the test logic, consumes 310 mW from a 1-V supply based on simulation results.
Gamma-Ray Bursts: A Physical Perspective

Observations of the spectra and angular distribution of gamma-ray bursts suggest that these events originate from near the surface of strongly magnetized, Galactic neutron stars. We first argue that the bursts are powered by the rotational or internal energy of neutron stars, rather than by accretion or thermonuclear energy, and then examine some physical issues related to powering gamma-ray bursts by neutron star glitches. These issues include how energy is accumulated or released by the differentially rotating neutron superfluid in a neutron star, the timescale for a glitch to occur, and mechanisms by which energy is transferred from excitations inside the star to high-energy particles above the stellar surface. We describe how relativistic electrons produce a photon-starved spectrum in the x-ray range, as observed in gamma-ray bursts, by Compton scattering the thermal radiation from the surface of a warm neutron star.
Smoking and body weight as markers of fitness for duty among U.S. military personnel

ABSTRACT Background: Both tobacco and overweight present serious threats to public health. Although the military has targeted both health issues, only weight status is included in tests of fitness. This study contrasted the relative utility of body weight and smoking as markers for fitness for duty. Methods: Using data from the 2002 Department of Defense Survey of Health-Related Behaviors among Military Personnel (N = 12,149; 24.7% female), troops were categorized according to weight (underweight, healthy weight, overweight, or obese) and smoking status (never smoker, former smoker, or current smoker). Results: Logistic models were developed to examine the usefulness of smoking status and weight status as predictors of items assessing four domains of military fitness for duty, namely, physical health, mental health, substance abuse, and legal problems. Smoking status was a consistent and strong predictor of items within all four fitness domains. In contrast, weight status was not a consistent predictor of...
Mass spectrometry of nucleoside derivatives. Seleno analogs of purine and pyrimidine bases and nucleosides

Mass spectra of certain selenobases and selenonucleosides, and some of their trimethylsilyl and O,N-permethyl derivatives have been studied from the standpoint of structural characterization, and in order to ascertain the influence of selenium on normal fragmentation patterns. Molecular ion abundances of the selenouracils are intermediate between those of the corresponding oxygen and sulfur analogs. Fragmentation processes are similar to those of the corresponding normal bases and nucleosides but with additional ions resulting from expulsion of Se or SeH in most cases. Trimethylsilylation occurs at approximately the same rate as for normal bases and nucleosides but the products show decreasing stability with prolonged heating. A least squares procedure is demonstrated which generates monoisotopic mass patterns and assists in interpretation of the mass spectra.
Effect of 15-lipoxygenase-derived arachidonate metabolites on human neutrophil degranulation

Abstract Products of the 15-lipoxygenase pathway of arachidonate metabolism, prepared by techniques that effectively free them from contaminants, were examined for their ability to influence human neutrophil degranulation. 15(S)-Hydroxyicosatetraenoate [15(S)-HETE], 8(S),15(S)-dihydroxy-icosatetraenoate, and 5(S),15(S)-dihydroxyicosatetraenoate did not directly stimulate this response, but 5(S),15(S)-dihydroxyicosatetraenoate (158–5000 nM) enhanced degranulation responses elicited by platelet-activating factor and its structural analogues. It had no such effect on the degranulation responses elicited by a tripeptide chemotactic factor, phorbol myristate acetate, leukotriene B 4 , or ionophore A23187. In many of these respects, the potentiating actions of 5,15-dihydroxyicosatetraenoate paralleled the actions of 5(S)-hydroxyicosatetraenoate. Indeed, these two metabolites had potentiating actions on platelet-activating factor that were non-additive and, under specific conditions, cross-desensitized each other. Based on the structural specificity demonstrated by these and other mono- and dihydroxyeicosatetraenoates in potentiating platelet-activating factor as well as their mutual cross-desensitizing actions, we suggest that 5-hydroxylated arachidonate metabolites act by a structurally specific receptor to potentiate human neutrophil responses to certain stimuli.
Nuclear organization of pre-mRNA processing

Recent studies have suggested that small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles (snRNPs), non-snRNP splicing factors, and several heterogeneous nuclear RNP proteins change their organization within the cell in response to transcriptional activity. Several of the RNA substrates with which these factors interact have been shown to localize in tracks that are associated with regions in which splicing factors are concentrated (nuclear speckles). It is now thought that pre-mRNA splicing may occur within these tracks.
HOW ACCURATE ARE 3D-ECHO MEASUREMENTS? COMPARISON OF IN-VIVO MEASUREMENT OF PROSTHETIC VALVE SEWING RING DIAMETER TO KNOWN PROSTHESIS SIZE

We evaluated the accuracy of real-time 3D-TEE (RT3DTEE) by measuring mitral (MV) and aortic (AV) prosthetic sewing ring diameter and comparing to known prosthesis size. We also compared RT3DTEE accuracy to standard 2DTEE. RT3DTEE and 2DTEE were performed simultaneously in 30 consecutive patients
Guard placement for efficient point-in-polygon proofs

We consider the problem of placing a small number of angle guards inside a simple polygon P so asto provide efficient proofs that any given point is inside P. Each angle guard views an infinite wedge of the plane, and a point can prove membership in P if it is inside the wedges for a set of guards whose common intersection contains no points outside the polygon. This model leads to a broad class of new art gallery type problems, which we call "sculpture garden" problems and for which we provide upper and lower bounds. In particular, we show there is a polygon P such that a "natural" angle-guard vertex placement cannot fully distinguish between pointson the inside and outside of P (even if we place a guard at every vertex of P), which implies that Steiner-point guards are sometimes necessary. More generally, we show that, for any polygon P, there is a set of n+2(h-1) angle guards that solve the sculpture garden problem for P, where h is the number of holes in P (so a simple polygon can be defined with n-2 guards). In addition, we show that, for any orthogonal polygon P, the sculpture garden problem can besolved using n/2 angle guards. We also give an example of a class of simple (non-general-position) polygons that have sculpture garden solutions using O(√n) guards, and we show this bound is optimal to within a constant factor. Finally, while optimizing the number of guards solving a sculpture garden problem for a particular P is of unknown complexity, we show how to find in polynomial time a guard placement whose size is within a factor of 2 of the optimal number for any particular polygon.
Experience with using the Box-Cox transformation when forecasting economic time series

Abstract Experience using twenty-one actual economic series suggests that using the Box-Cox transform does not consistently produce superior forecasts. The procedure used was to consider transformations x (λ) = (x λ −1) λ , where λ is chosen by maximum likelihood, a linear ARIMA model fitted to x (λ) and forecasts produced, and finally forecasts constructed for the original series. A main problem found was that no value of λ appeared to produce normally distributed data and so the maximum likelihood procedure was inappropriate.
Desirable features in mold filling simulations for Liquid Composite Molding processes

Numerical simulations of the mold filling process in various Liquid Composite Molding (LCM) techniques, in which the fiber reinforcements represent the porous media and the polymeric resin is the impregnating fluid, have been successfully utilized for over a decade now, but they continue to be under dynamic development. Some of the recent applications are the increased emphasis on design optimization, control of the impregnation process and the rapid introduction of new LCM techniques such as the Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM). This paper describes the requirements that these new applications demand on the implementation of such numerical simulation for modeling mold filling in LCM processes, namely Resin Transfer molding (RTM) and VARTM. Liquid Injection Molding Simulation (LIMS) developed at the University of Delaware, which can simulate the flow in such processes, has been modified to encompass these features. It addresses practical issues concerning modeling the part geometry, such as the proper choice of one-, two- and three-dimensional elements and their effective combinations. It also describes the simulation of non-trivial boundary conditions, placement of sensors and allowing for resin injection control using the functions built into the simulation program and the embedded scripting language. Several examples are presented to highlight the importance of its flexibility. The paper also addresses some VARTM specific issues, such as the modeling of distribution media, dimensional change during filling and fiber tow saturation. Polym. Compos. 25:355–367, 2004. © 2004 Society of Plastics Engineers.
Stable and unstable DNA-3H in Entamoeba histolytica grown with Bacteroides sp.

Abstract Entamoeba histolytica strain K9, grown with non-multiplying Bacteroides sp. was incubated with thymidine-methyl- 3 H for 72 hours. The distribution of tritium in the amebae was then followed by liquid-scintillation spectrometry, after resuspension in unlabeled medium over a 72-hour period. An approximate 40% reduction in total acid-insoluble tritium (DNA) occurred within 24 hours; a further reduction in DNA- 3 H over the next 48 hours was small. This initial drop in high molecular weight tritium was probably a reflection of the unstable cytoplasmic DNA fraction in amebae (much of which is of bacterial origin) detected previously by autoradiography. Mitomycin C (MC), at a concentration which partially inhibits growth of amebae (0.0002%), was without significant effect on the loss of such acid-insoluble tritium over a 72 hour period. This indicates that this concentration of MC does not degrade DNA. Further evidence that MC does not degrade DNA was revealed by the presence of a low activity, comparable with that of control cells, in the low molecular weight (acid-soluble) fraction of cells treated with MC. This same concentration of MC does result in a considerable increase in loss of tritium in thymidine-methyl- 3 H-prelabeled Bacteroides , the associate cell. However, since this is a nonpropagating population, to begin with, it is not clear whether this is the result of the effect of MC directly on DNA, or a secondary result, due to disintegrating cells.
Genomic Deletions of the Drosophila melanogaster Hsp70 Genes

Homologous recombination can produce directed mutations in the genomes of a number of model organisms, including Drosophila melanogaster. One of the most useful applications has been to delete target genes to generate null alleles. In Drosophila, specific gene deletions have not yet been produced by this method. To test whether such deletions could be produced by homologous recombination in D. melanogaster we set out to delete the Hsp70 genes. Six nearly identical copies of this gene, encoding the major heat-shock protein in Drosophila, are found at two separate but closely linked loci. This arrangement has thwarted standard genetic approaches to generate an Hsp70-null fly, making this an ideal test of gene targeting. In this study, ends-out targeting was used to generate specific deletions of all Hsp70 genes, including one deletion that spanned ∼47 kb. The Hsp70-null flies are viable and fertile. The results show that genomic deletions of varied sizes can be readily generated by homologous recombination in Drosophila.
Perspectives on dyslipidemia and coronary heart disease in women: an update.

Purpose of review Coronary heart disease remains the most common cause of death among women. This review summarizes observational studies of lipoproteins and coronary heart disease risk and randomized trials of lipid-lowering therapy among women and reviews progress in the implementation of proven therapies in clinical practice. Recent findings Recent studies confirm the strong relationship between lipoproteins and coronary heart disease development among women and extend these observations to more diverse populations. The apoprotein B/A-1 ratio is emerging as the strongest marker of coronary heart disease risk while enthusiasm for the importance of small dense LDL particles appears to be waning. International observational data re-affirm the importance of traditional risk factors in coronary heart disease development. Recent clinical trials suggest that intensive therapy with statins may provide incremental benefits. While there is progress in awareness, treatment and control of dyslipidemia, substantial proportions of women (and men) remain untreated or undertreated in the US and elsewhere. Summary Dyslipidemia and coronary heart disease risk among women are closely linked. The benefits of lipid-lowering treatment are well documented, but the full potential of such therapies has yet to be realized, in part due to delayed diagnosis of dyslipidemia, underutilization of therapy by providers, and poor adherence to treatment among patients.
Two-Layer Versus One-Layer Closure in Transverse Island Flap Repair of Posterior Hypospadias

Abstract Despite its prevalence for more than two decades, one-stage repair of moderately severe hypospadias is still associated with a high complication rate. A retrospective study of 103 cases of posterior hypospadias treated exclusively with the Duckett transverse island flap procedure was conducted to analyze factors that might affect the morbidity. The latter included the age of the patients, the anatomical variants of the hypospadias, the suture materials and the technique used, the length of the urethral tube, and the methods and duration of urinary diversion. The fistula rate was 24% (25103), and the overall complication rate was 31% (32103). The patients in the glanular-subcoronal-penile variant had a significantly lower overall complication rate than those in the penoscrotal-scrotal variant (21% versus 39%, P P P P
Effect of the local chromosomal environment upon the genotype.

CRITICAL data bearing on the question of gene-conversion were obtained by analsysis of a yeast hybrid heterozygous for nine different genes. Thirty-four tetrads from a single family heterozygous for the genes controlling cadmium-sensitivity vs. resistance (CD/cd)1 and fermentation of methyl -α-D-glucopyranoside (MG/mg) were obtained from a single hybrid in which most of the nine loci segregated regularly. In addition to CD and cd a third phenotype (cd M) was characterized by capacity eventually to achieve cadmium-resistance, presumably by mutation—a potential lacking in the cd genotype. The three types are indicated by a three-membered ratio CD : cd M : cd (Table 1).
X-ray diffraction studies of crystalline trihalomethyl ketones (RCOCX3) reveal an unusual structural deformation about the carbonyl group

Abstract X-ray crystallographic studies of a set of trihalomethyl ketones (4, 5, and 6) indicate that the carbonyl oxygen is displaced significantly toward the trihalomethyl group, probably as a consequence of oxygen lone pair delocalization into the σ* orbital of COX3.