cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Update on dairy cow free stall design

This paper summarizes recent advances in our knowledge of free stall design for dairy cows. New information related to free stall surface cushion and traction, resting space, head lunge and bob movement and neck rail location is reviewed and summarized. Diagonal lying of cows in stalls has several potential adverse effects, and can result from mechanical and social obstructions related to overall stall size. Recent research has shown that lame cows behave differently on mattress than on sand surfaces. It is likely that lameness is a risk factor for other stall injuries and entrapments. Currently, sand remains an optimal stall surface for the dairy cow as its cushion and traction allows lame cows to maintain normal patterns of daily stall activity.
Open Versus Minimally Invasive Fixation Techniques for Thoracolumbar Trauma: A Meta-Analysis

Study Design Systematic literature review and meta-analysis of studies published in English. Objective This study evaluated differences in outcome variables between percutaneous and open pedicle screws for traumatic thoracolumbar fractures. Methods A systematic review of PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase was performed. The variables of interest included postoperative visual analog scale (VAS) pain score, kyphosis angle, and vertebral body height, as well as intraoperative blood loss and operative time. The results were pooled by calculating the effect size based on the standardized difference in means. The studies were weighted by the inverse of the variance, which included both within- and between-study error. Confidence intervals were reported at 95%. Heterogeneity was assessed using the Q statistic and I 2 . Results After two-reviewer assessment, 38 studies were eliminated. Six studies were found to meet inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. The combined effect size was found to be in favor of percutaneous fixation for blood loss and operative time ( p I 2 Conclusions Patients with thoracolumbar fractures can be effectively managed with percutaneous or open pedicle screw placement. There are no differences in VBH, kyphosis angle, or VAS between the two groups. Blood loss and operative time were decreased in the percutaneous group, which may represent a potential benefit, particularly in the polytraumatized patient. All variables in this study demonstrated near-perfect homogeneity, and the effect is likely close to the true effect.
Review Essay: Immigrants and Ethnic Communities

(1987). Review Essay: Immigrants and Ethnic Communities. The Oral History Review: Vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 151-158.
A Long Endurance, Highly Maneuverable, Collaborative, Unmanned Airborne System

This paper presents an overview of a collaborative unmanned aerial system that combines the long endurance of an airship with the agility of a small rotorcraft UAV. Utilizing an innovative docking mechanism, the "mothership" airship can carry, deploy, recover, and recharge the small quadcopter UAV. Besides providing transport and power, the airship serves as the central communications hub, carrying equipment capable of receiving transmissions from the UAV and broadcasting them to a remote ground control station. A sub-scale demonstrator and reference mission to investigate the feasibility of the proposed collaborative system were developed. The integrated design philosophy and process are described and include conceptual and preliminary analyses; detailed subsystem and component design and fabrication; and iterative testing and redesign. Results from flight tests demonstrate that required capabilities were met or exceeded. Suggested improvements and added capabilities have the potential to revolutionize the application of UAVs across a diverse range of civilian and military applications.
Use of Educational Resources for Cardiovascular Risk Reduction in the Stanford Five-City Project

To investigate the extent to which individuals use health education resources for cardiovascular risk reduction, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of 2,234 adults 18-74 years of age in four northern California cities. The purposes of the study were to (1) assess the use of 10 cardiovascular disease (CVD) intervention materials and programs, (2) compare use rates between the treatment and control communities of the Stanford Five-City Project, and (3) examine variation in use by type of intervention, risk factor, and sociodemographic status. The community level analyses indicate that up to one-third of adults I had used interventions to modify CVD risk factors during a one-year period, and that communities with comprehensive risk reduction programs had higher rates of use, particularly for I printed education materials. The subgroup analyses indicate substantial variability in use depending on sociodemographic status, with those at highest risk (men, older adults, and low socioeconomic groups) reporting the lowest use of CVD intervention materials and programs.
Pathology of Tumors of the Cranial Base

Tumors of the skull base are varied and can be categorized into benign and malignant neoplasms. This article outlines the types of tumors found in this surgically challenging anatomic location.
Biochemical Pharmacology of the Epidermis

The influence of adenosine 3′, 5′-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) on the proliferation and differentiation of several cell types was indicated in the literature of the early 1970s (Pastan, Johnson & Anderson, 1975). An investigation of the cyclic AMP system in the epiderrnis appeared to be a reasonable approach for the development of new treatments for various proliferative skin diseases such as psoriasis. From the data available in the literature, an increase in the cyclic AMP concentrations in the tissue might decrease proliferation and induce differentiation.
The Origins of Government and the Nature of Political Obligation

Hobbes held that the earliest states had been families. ‘It is evident’, he said, ‘that the beginning of all Dominion amongst Men was in Families’, and that the father ‘was absolute Lord of his Wife and Children’ (Dialogue 159). He also thought that commonwealths could begin through conquest. But he spent most space on the commonwealth by institution, which he treated as the paradigm case of how government arises. The same emphasis on commonwealths by institution was characteristic of most contractualists or contractarians — that is to say, of thinkers who grounded government upon the consent of the governed. Many such theorists drew the conclusion that rulers are now bound by the conditions of the original contract and may be resisted if they breach them. Among medieval Roman lawyers, however, it was commonly argued that the original contract was an absolute transference of power from the people to its ruler. A number of Hobbes’ French contemporaries — including Cardin le Bret and Edmond Richer — likewise argued that the people originally consented to absolute monarchy, and that kings were irresistible. Hobbes similarly claimed that the people’s consent instituted absolute sovereignty. But he added a novel argument, asserting that government by institution arises through a contract between individuals excluding the sovereign, and not between the people and its ruler.
Recurrence After Liver Transplantation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A New MORAL to the Story.

Objective:We sought to develop a “Model Of Recurrence After Liver transplant” (MORAL) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Background:The Milan criteria are used to allocate livers to patients with HCC requiring liver transplantation (LT) but do not include objective measures of tumor biology. Biologi
Design and Modeling of Flexible Passive Rowing Joint for Robotic Fish Pectoral Fins

Paired pectoral fins that are capable of rowing motions are an important actuation mechanism for robotic fish. Existing work in this area typically adopts a rigid connection between the actuator and the pectoral fins, which requires a faster actuation speed in the power stroke than in the recovery stroke to produce a net thrust or moment. In addition to increasing the control complexity, the latter requirement leads to slow robot speeds due to prolonged deceleration during the recovery stroke. In this paper, we propose the design of a novel flexible passive joint that connects the servomotor arm to the pectoral fin, to overcome the aforementioned problem. A dynamic model is developed for the joint and for a robotic fish equipped with such joints. The design and the model are evaluated with extensive experimental results. With symmetric actuation patterns during the power and recovery strokes, the robotic fish with the proposed joints shows clear speed advantage over the case involving rigid joints and asymmetric actuation. Motivated by the need for design optimization, the model is further utilized to investigate the influence of the joint length and stiffness on the robot locomotion performance and efficiency. It is found that, for low fin-beat frequencies, longer or more flexible joints lead to higher speeds, and the trend is reversed at high fin-beat frequencies. On the other hand, while the mechanical efficiency shows a decreasing trend when the frequency increases, it is higher with shorter joints. These findings suggest the utility of the proposed model for multiobjective design of the joint and its operating frequency.
Suppression of Host Innate Immune Response by Hepatitis C Virus via Induction of Autophagic Degradation of TRAF6

Tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) is an important adapter molecule that mediates the TNFR family and interleukin-1/Toll-like receptor (IL-1/TLR) signaling cascades. These pathways are important for the host to control viral infections. In this report, we demonstrated that hepatitis C virus (HCV) depleted TRAF6 from its host cells through a post-translational mechanism. This depletion was independent of proteasomes, as it was not affected by the proteasome inhibitor MG132, but it was suppressed by bafilomycin A1, which led to the association of TRAF6 with autophagosomes. As bafilomycin A1 is a vacuolar ATPase inhibitor that inhibits the autophagic protein degradation, these results suggested that HCV depleted TRAF6 via autophagy. The degradation of TRAF6 was apparently mediated by the p62 sequestosome protein, which is a factor important for selective autophagy, as it could bind to TRAF6 and its silencing stabilized TRAF6. The depletion of TRAF6 suppressed the activation of NF-κB and the induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines and enhanced HCV replication. In contrast, the over-expression of TRAF6 suppressed HCV replication. These results revealed a novel mechanism that was used by HCV to disrupt the host innate immune responses for viral replication and persistence. IMPORTANCE HCV can cause severe liver diseases and is one of the most important human pathogens. It establishes chronic infection in the great majority of patient that it infects, indicating that it has evolved sophisticated mechanisms to evade host immunity. TRAF6 is an important signaling molecule that mediates the activation of NF-κB and the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and interferons. In this study, we found that HCV infection suppressed the host innate immune response through the induction of autophagic degradation of TRAF6. This finding provided important information for further understanding how HCV evades host immunity to establish persistence.
Bringing winners and losers into the classroom

Steve Schmidt (2017) and Jonathan Wight (2017) argue, with good reason, that there are deep problems with the content of normative economics taught (or implied) in most intro classes. A natural res...
A National Curriculum of Fundamental Skills for Plastic Surgery Residency: Report of the Inaugural ACAPS Boot Camp.

Background The Inaugural American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons Plastic Surgery Boot Camp program was developed in response to ongoing changes in graduate medical education. The Boot Camp is a hands-on, practicum-based, 3-day course to introduce core concepts in plastic surgery for new plastic surgery residents (in both integrated and independent tracks). Methods The course was held in Pittsburgh in July to August 2015. There were 43 attendees (35 integrated/8 independent) representing 22 residency programs across 15 states. Faculty was composed of 8 local personnel and 5 visiting. Lecture topics and practical sessions covered the full spectrum of plastic surgery. All trainees completed an online survey evaluation both during the course and at 6 months. Results Participant responses were overwhelmingly positive. A total of 72% of respondents rated the Boot Camp ≥ 8 on a 1 to 10 scale (10 is excellent) for the overall course rating; 79% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the statement that the simulation scenarios were realistic; and 75% of participants agreed or strongly agreed with the statement that they found simulation-based training to be a valuable way to teach this material. Respondents reported an increase in comfort and confidence across topics after attending the Boot Camp at both 0- and 6-month time points. Instructors received positive evaluations across all topics. Conclusions This successful inaugural course serves as a benchmark for development of a logistical blueprint, business plan, and curriculum for a proposed expansion to regional centers, to potentially encompass all incoming residents in plastic surgery.
A Conference of the Baltic Heritage Network in Rīga, Latvia

ABSTRACTThe article summarizes the fourth conference of the Baltic Heritage Network, held in Rīga, Latvia on June 30–July 2, 2015.
The mitochondrial-targeted peptide, SS-31, improves glomerular architecture in mice of advanced age

Although age-associated changes in kidney glomerular architecture have been described in mice and man, the mechanisms are unknown. It is unclear if these changes can be prevented or even reversed by systemic therapies administered at advanced age. Using light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, our results showed glomerulosclerosis with injury to mitochondria in glomerular epithelial cells in mice aged 26 months (equivalent to a 79-year-old human). To test the hypothesis that reducing mitochondrial damage in late age would result in lowered glomerulosclerosis, we administered the mitochondrial targeted peptide, SS-31, to aged mice. Baseline (24-month-old) mice were randomized to receive 8 weeks of SS-31, or saline, and killed at 26 months of age. SS-31 treatment improved age-related mitochondrial morphology and glomerulosclerosis. Assessment of glomeruli revealed that SS-31 reduced senescence (p16, senescence-associated-s-Gal) and increased the density of parietal epithelial cells. However, SS-31 treatment reduced markers of parietal epithelial cell activation (Collagen IV, pERK1/2, and α - smooth muscle actin). SS-31 did not impact podocyte density, but it reduced markers of podocyte injury (desmin) and improved cytoskeletal integrity (synaptopodin). This was accompanied by higher glomerular endothelial cell density (CD31). Thus, despite initiating therapy in late-age mice, a short course of SS-31 has protective benefits on glomerular mitochondria, accompanied by temporal changes to the glomerular architecture. This systemic pharmacological intervention in old-aged animals limits glomerulosclerosis and senescence, reduces parietal epithelial cell activation, and improves podocyte and endothelial cell integrity.
Pipestone Carving Tools: Results of Use-wear and Residue Analyses

The following research was an attempt to identify tools that were used in the manufacture of pipestone pipes and to determine the sites in which this activity occurred. Use-wear and residue analyses were applied to tool types previously identified as used in pipe manufacture and using artifacts from four Great Bend Aspect sites in Kansas. These analyses identified pipestone use-wear and residue on tools from all four sites. Additionally, new tool types were added to the list of those previously identified as used in pipe manufacture.
Stochastic Signatures of Involuntary Head Micro-movements Can Be Used to Classify Females of ABIDE into Different Subtypes of Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Background: The approximate 5:1 male to female ratio in clinical detection of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) prevents research from characterizing the female phenotype. Current open access repositories (such as those in the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE I-II) contain large numbers of females to characterize females on the autistic spectrum. Here we introduce new methods to integrate data in a scale-free manner from continuous biophysical rhythms of the nervous systems and discrete (ordinal) observational scores. Methods: New data-types derived from image-based involuntary head motions and personalized statistical platform were combined with a data-driven approach to unveil sub-groups within the female cohort. Further, to help refine the clinical DSM-based ASD vs. Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) criteria, distributional analyses of ordinal score data from Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS)-based criteria were used on both the female and male phenotypes. Results: Separate clusters were automatically uncovered in the female cohort corresponding to severity levels. Specifically, the AS-subgroup emerged as the most severely affected with excess noise and randomness in the involuntary head micro-movements. Further these methods revealed ASD-males to be more affected than AS-males. A thorough study of ADOS-2 and ADOS-G scores provided confounded results regarding the ASD vs. AS male comparison, whereby the ADOS-2 rendered the AS-phenotype worse off than the ASD-phenotype, while ADOS-G flipped the results. Females with AS scored higher on severity than ASD-females in all ADOS test versions and their scores provided evidence for significantly higher severity than males. However, the statistical landscapes underlying female and male scores appeared disparate. As such, further interpretation of the ADOS data seems problematic, rather suggesting the critical need to develop an entirely new metric to measure social behavior in females. Conclusions: According to the outcome of objective, data-driven analyses and subjective clinical observation, these results support the proposition that the female phenotype is different. Consequently the “social behavioral male ruler” will continue to mask the female autistic phenotype. It is our proposition that new observational behavioral tests ought to contain normative scales, be statistically sound and combined with objective data-driven approaches to better characterize the females across the human lifespan.
CANNABINOID RECEPTOR EXPRESSION IN IMMUNE CELLS

It is now recognized that cannabinoids exert their effects both by receptor and non-receptor-mediated mechanisms. The cannabinoid receptor family consists of two G protein-coupled receptors, the first of these, designated as CB 1, is limited primarily to neural tissue while the second, designated as CB2, is found primarily within immune cells at peripheral sites.1–3 Recently, an amine-terminal splice variant of CB 1, designated CB 1 a, was identified in a human lung cDNA library,4 but protein expression of this splice variant has not been demonstrated in tissue. Evidence for the presence of cannabinoid receptors on immune cells has been obtained using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and radioligand binding assay as barometers of receptor message and protein expression, respectively.5 The identification and quantitation of receptor protein based on binding of radiolabeled ligand does not allow for differentiation between the expression of CB 1 and CB2, since these receptors share similar ligand binding profiles. On the other hand, RT-PCR, while not allowing for assessment of receptor protein levels, is a highly sensitive and discriminatory measure of cannabinoid receptor type-specific gene expression. Nevertheless, this technique suffers from several potential deficiencies especially when used to study intron-less genes such as those for CB 1 and CB2 where genomic DNA (gDNA) amplification products would have the same size as products derived from cDNA. Furthermore, there are difficulties in quantitative standardization which could compromise interpretation of results.
Homework and achievement: Explaining the different strengths of relation at the elementary and secondary school levels

Four explanations were tested for why the correlation between homework and achievement is weaker in elementary school than secondary school. Eighty-two teachers answered questions about their homework practices, and their responses were related to their students' achievement test scores. No evidence was found to suggest the weaker correlation in elementary school associated with a restricted variation in amounts of homework in early grades nor that teachers assigned more homework to poor-performing classes. Evidence did suggest that teachers in early grades assigned homework more often to develop young students' management of time, a skill rarely measured on standardized achievement tests. Also consistent with this hypothesis, elementary school teachers were more likely to use homework to review class material and to go over homework in class, while secondary school teachers more often used homework to prepare for and enrich class lessons. Finally, there was weak evidence that young students who were struggling in school took more time to complete homework assignments.
Do executive functions explain the covariance between internalizing and externalizing behaviors

This study examined whether executive functions (EFs) might be common features of internalizing and externalizing behavior problems across development. We examined relations between three EF latent variables (a common EF factor and factors specific to updating working memory and shifting sets), constructed from nine laboratory tasks administered at age 17, to latent growth intercept (capturing stability) and slope (capturing change) factors of teacher- and parent-reported internalizing and externalizing behaviors in 885 individual twins aged 7 to 16 years. We then estimated the proportion of intercept-intercept and slope-slope correlations predicted by EF as well as the association between EFs and a common psychopathology factor (P factor) estimated from all 9 years of internalizing and externalizing measures. Common EF was negatively associated with the intercepts of teacher-rated internalizing and externalizing behavior in males, and explained 32% of their covariance; in the P factor model, common EF was associated with the P factor in males. Shifting-specific was positively associated with the externalizing slope across sex. EFs did not explain covariation between parent-rated behaviors. These results suggest that EFs are associated with stable problem behavior variation, explain small proportions of covariance, and are a risk factor that that may depend on gender.
From the Cover: 7,8-Dihydroxyflavone Rescues Lead-Induced Impairment of Vesicular Release: A Novel Therapeutic Approach for Lead Intoxicated Children.

Childhood lead (Pb2+) intoxication is a public health problem of global proportion. Lead exposure during development produces multiple effects on the central nervous system including impaired synapse formation, altered synaptic plasticity, and learning deficits. In primary hippocampal neurons in culture and hippocampal slices, Pb2+ exposure inhibits vesicular release and reduces the number of fast-releasing sites, an effect associated with Pb2+ inhibition of NMDA receptor-mediated trans-synaptic Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) signaling. The objective of this study was to determine if activation of TrkB, the cognate receptor for BDNF, would rescue Pb2+-induced impairments of vesicular release. Rats were chronically exposed to Pb2+ prenatally and postnatally until 50 days of age. This chronic Pb2+ exposure paradigm enhanced paired-pulse facilitation of synaptic potentials in Schaffer collateral-CA1 synapses in the hippocampus, a phenomenon indicative of reduced vesicular release probability. Decreased vesicular release probability was confirmed by both mean-variance analysis and direct 2-photon imaging of vesicular release from hippocampal slices of rats exposed to Pb2+in vivo. We also found a Pb2+-induced impairment of calcium influx in Schaffer collateral-CA1 synaptic terminals. Intraperitoneal injections of Pb2+ rats with the TrkB receptor agonist 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (5 mg/kg) for 14-15 days starting at postnatal day 35, reversed all Pb2+-induced impairments of presynaptic transmitter release at Schaffer collateral-CA1 synapses. This study demonstrates for the first time that in vivo pharmacological activation of TrkB receptors by small molecules such as 7,8-dihydroxyflavone can reverse long-term effects of chronic Pb2+ exposure on presynaptic terminals, pointing to TrkB receptor activation as a promising therapeutic intervention in Pb2+-intoxicated children.
Evolution of hindlimb bone dimensions and muscle masses in house mice selectively bred for high voluntary wheel‐running behavior

We have used selective breeding with house mice to study coadaptation of morphology and physiology with the evolution of high daily levels of voluntary exercise. Here, we compared hindlimb bones and muscle masses from the 11th generation of four replicate High Runner (HR) lines of house mice bred for high levels of voluntary wheel running with four non-selected control (C) lines. Mass, length, diameter, and depth of the femur, tibia-fibula, and metatarsal bones, as well as masses of gastrocnemius and quadriceps muscles, were compared by analysis of covariance with body mass or body length as the covariate. Mice from HR lines had relatively wider distal femora and deeper proximal tibiae, suggesting larger knee surface areas, and larger femoral heads. Sex differences in bone dimensions were also evident, with males having thicker and shorter hindlimb bones when compared with females. Several interactions between sex, linetype, and/or body mass were observed, and analyses split by sex revealed several cases of sex-specific responses to selection. A subset of the HR mice in two of the four HR lines expressed the mini-muscle phenotype, characterized mainly by an ∼50% reduction in hindlimb muscle mass, caused by a Mendelian recessive mutation, and known to have been under positive selection in the HR lines. Mini-muscle individuals had elongated distal elements, lighter and thinner hindlimb bones, altered 3rd trochanter muscle insertion positions, and thicker tibia-fibula distal widths. Finally, several differences in levels of directional or fluctuating asymmetry in bone dimensions were observed between HR and C, mini- and normal-muscled mice, and the sexes. This study demonstrates that skeletal dimensions and muscle masses can evolve rapidly in response to directional selection on locomotor behavior.
Correction to: Outcomes Associated with Generic Drugs Approved Using Product-Specific Determinations of Therapeutic Equivalence.

Page 432, Fig. 2 Plots of model-based outcome incidence rates (per 100 person-years of exposure) before and after introduction of first generic versions of study and control drugs.
Large Deviation Principle for Diffusions

In exercise (3.46) ii) we had an example of a diffusion, besides Brownian motion, for which we can derive a large deviations principle. Of course, our derivation in (3.46) ii) rested on the observation that if $$ X(t) = \beta (t) - \int_0^t X (s)ds\quad, \quad t \geqslant 0 $$ , where β(•) is a Brownian motion starting at 0, then X(•) is a centered Gaussian process. A second approach (and an approach which has a chance of generalizing to non-Gaussian diffusions) to obtaining a large deviations principle for X(•) is the following. Define F: C([0, ∞); R1) → C([0,∞); R1) so that $$ (F(\phi ))(t) = \phi (t)\int_0^t {(F(\phi ))(s)ds\quad, \quad } t \geqslant 0 $$ . Clearly, for each T > 0, F determines a continuous injective surjection from C([0,T];R1) onto C([0,T];R1) . Moreover, if Xe (•) = e1/2X(•) , then X (•) = F(e1/2 β(•)). Hence, if µ denotes the distribution of X(•)|[0,T], then for any closed C ⊆ C([0,T];R1): $$ \begin{gathered} \overline {\mathop{{\lim }}\limits_{{\varepsilon \downarrow 0}} \,} \varepsilon \log \,\mu \left( {\frac{1}{{{}_{\varepsilon }1/2}}C} \right) = \overline {\mathop{{\lim }}\limits_{{\varepsilon \downarrow 0}} \,} \varepsilon \,\log \,P({\varepsilon^{{1/2}}}\beta ( \cdot ) \in {F^{{ - 1}}}(C)), \hfill \\ \leqslant - \inf \left\{ {{I_{{{}_wT}}}(\phi ):F(\phi ) \in C} \right\} \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ \( {I_{{{}_wT}}} \) is the rate function for Wiener measure \( {}_wT \) on C([0,T];R1). Because F is 1-1 and onto, we see that $$ \begin{gathered} \inf \left\{ {{I_{{{}_wT}}}(\phi ):F(\phi ) \in C} \right\} \hfill \\ = \inf \left\{ {{I_{{{}_wT}}} \circ {F^{{ - 1}}}(\phi ):\phi \in C} \right\} \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ .
Arachidonic acid monooxygenase: Genetic and biochemical approaches to physiological/pathophysiological relevance

Studies with rat genetic models of hypertension pointed to roles for the CYP2C and CYP4A arachidonic acid epoxygenases and ω-hydroxylases in tubular transport, hemodynamics, and blood pressure control. Further progress in defining their physiological functions and significance to human hypertension requires conclusive identifications of the relevant genes and proteins. Here we discuss unequivocal evidence of roles for the murine Cyp4a14, Cyp4a10, and Cyp2c44 genes in the pathophysiology of hypertension by showing that: a) Cyp4a14(-/-) mice develop sexually dimorphic hypertension associated with renal vasoconstriction, and up-regulated expression of Cyp4a12a and pro-hypertensive 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) levels, and b) Cyp4a10(-/-) and Cyp2c44(-/-) mice develop salt sensitive hypertension linked to downregulation or lack of the Cyp2c44 epoxygenase, reductions in anti-hypertensive epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), and increases in distal sodium reabsorption. Based on these studies, the human CYP4A11 and CYPs 2C8 and 2C9 genes and their products are identified as potential candidates for studies of the molecular basis of human hypertension.
Amicus Brief of Scholars of Corpus Linguistics in Rimini Street v. Oracle

The question presented in Rimini Street v. Oracle is whether the Copyright Act's allowance of "full costs" is limited to the categories and amounts of costs enumerated in 28 U.S.C. 1920 & 1821, or whether it refers to all litigation expenses. Because Congress and the Supreme Court have stated that the word "costs" is a term of art, the question turns on whether the word "full" -- as the Ninth Circuit held -- can cause "costs" to lose its technical meaning. This brief, filed on behalf of eleven corpus linguistics scholars, presents empirical evidence derived from corpora -- electronically searchable databases of texts -- that shows that it cannot. The meaning of adjectives is determined by the nouns they modify, not the other way around. That is why we judge a "tall seven year old" by a different standard of tallness than a "tall NBA player" and why the word "long" means one thing when modifying "story" and something else entirely when modifying "table." Furthermore, the linguistic evidence shows that "full" in Section 505 should be considered a "delexicalized" adjective -- meaning its purpose is to draw attention to and underline an attribute that is already fundamental to and embedded in the nature of the noun. "Full" often serves to emphasize the completeness of an object that is already presumed to be complete, like "full deck of cards," "full set of teeth," and "full costs."
Endovascular Versus Transapical Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: In-hospital Mortality, Hospital Outcomes, and 30-day Readmission. A Propensity Score-matched Analysis.

INTRODUCTION Transapical transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is associated with increased morbidity compared with endovascular TAVR. We sought to compare the differences in clinical outcomes between endovascular and transapical TAVR approaches utilizing a propensity score model. METHODS Patients undergoing TAVR (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes 35.05 and 35.06) between January 2011 and November 2014 were identified in the Nationwide Readmissions Database, and a propensity score-matched analysis was performed comparing transapical versus endovascular approach. The primary outcome of interest was in-hospital mortality and 30-day all-cause readmission. We also evaluated trends in use of TAVR over the years. RESULTS We identified 28,302 endovascular TAVR and 7967 transapical TAVR performed during the study period. The propensity score-matching algorithm yielded 7879 well-matched patients in each group. The in-hospital mortality rates were significantly lower in endovascular TAVR compared with transapical TAVR (1.7% vs 6.7%; OR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.17- 0.35; P < 0.001). The 30-day readmission rate was lower in endovascular TAVR (14.4% vs 16.8%; OR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.70-0.98; P = 0.036). Use of TAVR increased from 585 (74% endovascular TAVR) in 2011 to 16,801 in 2014 (82.8% endovascular TAVR). CONCLUSIONS Endovascular TAVR is associated with significantly lower in-patient mortality and lower readmission rate when compared with transapical TAVR. Heart failure remains the most common cause for readmission after TAVR regardless of approach.
Identity and perceptions of quality of life in Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract Background With life expectancy on the rise and the baby boomer generation growing older, Alzheimer's disease (AD) will affect more individuals and families than ever before. Therefore, it is imperative that healthcare providers identify the objective and perceived factors which positively and negatively affect the experience of progressing through AD. Aim The goal of this exploratory qualitative research is to begin to develop an in-depth description of the perceptions related to life satisfaction in early-to mid-AD from the patient and caregiver perspectives. Methods A convenience sample of four community-dwelling AD patients and caregivers were recruited from a local Alzheimer's Association support group. Semi-structured interviews were conducted together with participants and caregivers. Results The major findings of this study uncovered a process by which 1) changes in activity occur in response to the diagnosis 2) dyads discover new ways in which to mutually adapt and cope and 3) the person with dementia remains meaningfully engaged in their lives with a generally positive perception of quality of life (QoL). Conclusions These preliminary findings are a promising line of research and have implications for Alzheimer's patients, their families, and person-centered care. By accounting for individual levels of baseline engagement and taking each patient's perspective into account, nurses have the ability to identify individual changes over time and positively impact the patient's QoL. Further studies with larger and more diverse samples are needed to expand upon this preliminary framework.
Statewide Tuskegee Alliance for clinical trials

BACKGROUND Cancer mortality rates for all sites are nearly 2.5 times greater for African-Americans compared with whites. In addition, there are data implying that cancer treatment outcomes for minorities are unfavorable compared with whites. Whether this is due to poor access to health care or a biologic property of malignancies occurring in specific populations remains to be determined. Because of these unknown factors, targeting minorities for clinical trials may contribute toward the reduction of the overall morbidity and mortality associated with specific cancers. METHODS The current study describes the establishment of a genuine collaborative partnership between the targeted minority community and clinical investigators at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. This partnership was formed for the purpose of identifying strategies that would enhance the accrual and retention of minority participants into current and future cancer prevention and control trials. Focus groups and key informant interviews were conducted to ascertain the community's perception of participating in clinical trials. RESULTS The majority of focus group participants were unclear regarding the nature of clinical trials. Participants indicated that they would participate in research studies if they received adequate information regarding the purpose and benefits of the study, and if the charge came from a pastor or physician. Barriers to participation included time commitments, family obligations, whether blood was involved, and past experiences. The majority of the participants indicated that their knowledge of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study did not influence their decision to participate in research. A major outcome of the conference was the formation of the Statewide Tuskegee Alliance Coalition. The planning coalition decided to continue their efforts to work with communities and promote cancer awareness among minorities. After the conference, the coalition conducted several meetings and in July 1998, 1 year after the conference, the coalition selected a chair, co-chair, and a formal name for the organized group. CONCLUSIONS The planning, development, and implementation of this conference provided a valuable experience for researchers and community members. It was discovered that community involvement in the early phase of this project contributed to its success. Furthermore, the partnership that developed between researchers (academic institutions) and communities successfully provided an infrastructure that supported the interest of both groups. Cancer 2001;91:237–41. © 2001 American Cancer Society.
Human immuno-deficiency virus and health care workers: risking livelihood as well as life

At the time of the public scare over patients infected with HIV by a dentist in Florida, the resulting sense of crisis created serious division in the medical profession about the facts of HIV transmission and distortions in the public press about the frequency of transmission.20 With time, these problems have subsided, and HC workers now have an opportunity to reconsider how to treat HIV+ colleagues and how to educate the public.20 Whatever plan is adopted, it must address the concerns of both patients and those who will care for them.
Nurse-Led Motivational Interviewing for Setting Functional Cancer Pain Goals.

Abstract Purpose Persons with advanced cancers experience high rates of pain. Nursing interventions for pain, which are tailored to the individual patient, may support motivation to engage in self-management and should include setting of realistic functional goals. For patients with advanced cancer, functional pain goals include personally important activities, measurable across clinical encounters. However, limited evidence exists regarding nursing assessment of functional pain goals. To address this gap, we piloted use of a motivational interviewing intervention. Motivational interviewing is a clinical technique for clarifying goals and related impediments, such as cognitive and emotional factors underlying pain management behaviors. Design Pilot feasibility testing. Methods Palliative care patients with cancer-related pain completed up to four intervention sessions, the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, and an author-developed acceptability questionnaire. Feasibility success was determined by 60% of participants completing at least two interventions. Fidelity to the intervention was assessed using the Motivational Interviewing Skills for Healthcare Encounters tool. Results Sixty-seven percent completed two interventions. Participants reported that interventions were helpful, worthwhile, and recommended. Mean pain self-efficacy scores (0-60 possible) rose from 31.5 (SD = 11.2) at intervention 1 to 35.5 (SD = 13) after intervention 4. Intervention fidelity was maintained. Conclusions Participants were willing to engage in multiple motivational interviewing conversations focused on pain management behaviors related to functional goals. Based on these findings about motivational interviewing for functional goals and patient willingness to set them, these conversations may have a place in clinical care as an element of pain assessment and intervention tailoring.
Seasonal Changes in the Drivers of Water Physico-Chemistry Variability of a Small Freshwater Tidal River

Where rivers meet the sea, tides can exert a physical and chemical influence on the lower reaches of a river. How tidal dynamics in these tidal river reaches interact with upstream hydrological drivers such as storm rainfall, which ultimately determines the quantity and composition of material transferred from watersheds to estuaries, is currently unknown. We monitored a small freshwater tidal river in the Pacific Northwest, USA in high resolution over one year to evaluate the relative importance of tides versus upstream hydrological flows (i.e., base flow and precipitation events) on basic physico-chemical parameters (pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, specific conductivity, and temperature), and how these interactions relate to the downstream estuary. Tidal variability and diurnal cycles (i.e. solar radiation) dominated water physico-chemical variability in the summer, but the influence of these drivers was overshadowed by storm-driven sharp pulses in river physico-chemistry during the remainder of the year. Within such events, we found incidences of counterclockwise hysteresis of pH, counterclockwise hysteresis of dissolved oxygen, and clockwise hysteresis of turbidity, although systematic trends were not observed across events. The dominance of storm rainfall in the river’s physico-chemistry dynamics, and similar pulses of decreased pH observed in adjacent estuarine waters, suggest that the linkage between tidal streams and the broader system is variable throughout the year. High-frequency monitoring of tidal river biogeochemistry is therefore crucial to enable the assessment of how the relative strength of these drivers may change with future sea level rise and altered precipitation patterns to modulate biogeochemical dynamics across the land-ocean-atmosphere continuum.
The Chemical Composition of Red Giants — The First Dredge-Up Phase

The first dredge-up changes the red giant atmosphere abundances of Li, Be and B and the participants in the CNO-cycle. Theoretical predictions are reviewed and compared with the observed abundance changes. For the G and K giants (M ≤ 3 M⊙), the observed and predicted abundance changes are in fair agreement. The 13C-rich giants appear during the main sequence phase to have experienced a slow mixing within the radiative zone outside the core. The supergiants including Cepheids show an O deficiency that is not predicted by standard theory. The speculation is offered that the ON-cycle processed material is transported out by rotationally induced meridional currents or by convection cells to layers that during the red giant phase fall within the deep convective envelope. Several classes of peculiar low luminosity red giants are briefly discussed.
Warfarin dose adjustments based on CYP2C9 genetic polymorphisms.

Background: The dose response relationship of warfarin is unpredictable. Polymorphism of the Cytochrome P4502C9 enzyme leads to warfarin hypersensitivity presumably due to decreased metabolism of the S-enantiomer. The purpose of this study was to further characterize the relationship between CYP2C9 genotype and phenotype and to develop a basis for guidelines to interpret CYP2C9 genotype for warfarin dosing. Methods and results: Patients stabilized on warfarin therapy were recruited from an anticoagulation clinic. Patients were genotyped for CYP2C9*2, CYP2C9*3 and CYP2C9*5 alleles by standard methods of polymerase chain reaction amplification and restriction endonuclease digestion. Phenotype was determined by; dose (mg/kg/d) required to maintain anticoagulation, (INR 2.0–3.0), oral plasma S-warfarin clearance, and the plasma S:R-warfarin ratio. In this cohort, no subjects were found to have the CYP2C9*5 allele. The plasma S-warfarin concentration did not differ with age, dose or CYP2C9 genotype. Both CYP2C9*2 and *3 alleles were associated with lower maintenance dosages, lower total and R-warfarin plasma concentrations, decreased oral clearance of S-warfarin, increased plasma S:R-warfarin ratio and extended S-warfarin elimination half-life. Advancing age was found to decrease Warfarin maintenance dose in subjects with the common active CYP2C9*1/*1 genotype but did not influence dose requirement of subjects with one or more variant CYP2C9 alleles. Conclusions: Subjects who have been titrated to a consistent target INR demonstrate comparable plasma S-warfarin concentrations independent of CYP2C9 genotype. The warfarin dose required to maintain a consistent target INR between subjects differs as a function of S-warfarin clearance which is decreased by both CYP2C9*2 and or CYP2C9*3 variant alleles. The variables of CYP2C9 genotype and age can be applied to restrict the dosage range considered for individual patients.
Examination of breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) levels, alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT-C) classification, and intended plans for getting home among bar-attending college students

Background and Objective The college student population is one of the heaviest drinking demographic groups in the US and impaired driving is a serious alcohol-related problem. The objective of this study is to better understand the relationship between alcohol-related behaviors and “plans to get home” among a sample of college students. Methods We conducted four anonymous field studies to examine associations between breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) levels, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C) classification, and plans for getting home among a sample of bar-attending college students (N = 713). Results, Discussion and Conclusions The vast majority of participants in our sample (approximately 95%) were not intending to drive and the average BrAC% of those intending to drive was .041. Our one-way ANOVAs indicated that (1) participants classified by the AUDIT-C as not having an alcohol problem had a significantly lower BrAC% than those classified as having a potential problem and (2) participants planning to drive had a significantly lower BrAC% than those with a plan that did not involve them driving and those without a plan to get home. Although it is encouraging that most of our sample was not intending to drive, it is important to continue to attempt to reduce impaired driving in this population. Scientific Significance This study helps college health professionals and administrators to better understand the relationship between alcohol-related behaviors and plans to get home among college students. (Am J Addict 2015;XX:XX –XX)
Estudio comparativo de la utilización biologica de ß-caroteno sintético y de fuentes naturales en ratas

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the change in concentration of retinol and beta-carotene (BC) in blood serum and liver tissue of rats, after supplementation with synthetic BC and commonly consumed carotenoid-rich vegetables (carrot and spinach). Weanling male Wistar rats were randomly assigned in four groups of 16 rats each. The four groups of rats were supplemented according to the following feeding treatments: 1) Control group (0G), 0.2 mL corn oil; 2) Pure BC group (BCG), 60 micrograms RE in 0.2 mL corn oil; 3) Carrot group (CG), 60 micrograms RE in 0.2 mL corn oil; 4) Spinach group (SG), 60 micrograms RE in 0.2 mL corn oil. Analysis of retinol and BC contents in serum and liver was performed by HPLC procedures. The variance analysis showed no significant differences (a = 0.05) in the increase of weight of the animals and in the increase of retinol and BC levels in serum and in liver of the four treatments during the four weeks of supplementation. The correlation analysis between levels of retinol and BC in serum and in liver showed no relation between these two parameters. A regression analysis of liver BC levels in the four treatments showed the following slopes of the regression lines: BCG, 0.909; CG, 0.451; SG, 0.444, and 0G, 0.203. These results indicate that the highest BC absorption was in the BCG treatment, whereas the BC absorption in the CG and SG treatments was approximately one half.