cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Arctic snow distribution patterns at the watershed scale

Watershed-scale hydrologic models require good estimates of spatially distributed snow water equivalent (SWE) at winter's end. Snow on the ground in arctic environments is susceptible to significant wind redistribution, which results in heterogeneous snowpacks. The scarcity and quality of data collected by snow gauges provides a poor indicator of actual snowpack distribution. Snow distribution patterns are similar from year to year because they are largely controlled by the interaction of topography, vegetation, and consistent weather patterns. Consequently, shallow and deep areas of snow tend to be spatially predetermined, resulting in depth (or SWE) differences that may vary as a whole, but not relative to each other. Our aim was to identify snowpack distribution patterns and establish their stability in time and space at a watershed scale. Snow patterns were established by: (1) using numerous field surveys from end-of-winter field campaigns; and (2) differentiating snowpacks that characterize small-scale anomalies (local scale) from snowpacks that represent a large-scale area (regional scale). We concluded that basic snow survey site descriptions could be used to separate survey locations into regional and local-scale representative sites. Removing local-scale influences provides a more accurate representation of the regional snowpack, which will aid in forecasting snowmelt runoff events.
Spina Bifida in Infants of Women Treated with Carbamazepine during Pregnancy

SHORTLY after Robert and Guibaud reported in 19821 an association between the use of valproic acid during pregnancy by women with seizure disorders and the occurrence of spina bifida in their offspring, carbamazepine was also implicated, on the basis of 12 cases of spina bifida among 60 infants with birth defects after exposure to carbamazepine in utero.2 , 3 Jones et al. recently reported the outcomes of pregnancy in a cohort of 56 women taking carbamazepine, on the basis of the data from the California Teratogen Registry.4 This study included a case of spina bifida. In follow-up correspondence, Jones et al. mentioned . . .
Experimental Study on the inquiry teaching of tennis selective class in Chinese universities

Physical education teaching appreciates personalized and varied teaching methods,especially requires to improve college-students self-study and inquiry ability.The experiment of inquiry teaching at university tennis shows that the experimental group has better performance than that of the contrast group,especially in terms of the actual combat ability;the attitude about the inquiry learning of experimental group college-students is actively sanction,and have characters with interest,practice,ration,actively,personality,amusement,main-body and competition;the inquiry tennis teaching converts teaching evaluation criterion into non-academic knowledge,and tendencies teaching contents and teaching aim into people conversion;the inquiry tennis teaching can motivate college-students the inquiry appetite of tennis technique and knowledge,in favour of cultivating interest of the tennis and forming physical education thinking of long-life for college-students.So,the inquiry tennis teaching can be applied to the tennis selective class.
Effectiveness evaluation for detecting occurrence of infectious diseases by school absenteeism surveillance

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of detection of infectious disease occurrence by school absenteeism surveillance system and provide scientific evidence for perfecting early-warning of infectious disease occurrence at schools.Methods Information from school absenteeism was verified with the notification of infectious diseases from the National Disease Surveillance Information System to confirm their occurrence in students by sentinel surveillance and registration of school absenteeism. Timeliness of the case reporting of infectious diseases from the two systems was compared.Results About 60.8 percent of the cases of infectious diseases in students were registered by school absenteeism system and 74.2 percent of those not registered whose disease occurred just on holidays or at times after class but not absent from class. Only 28.8 percent of them were absent form class but not registered. School absenteeism due to infectious disease was recorded 1.1 days earlier,in average,than that reported via hospital surveillance reporting system.Conclusion Not all cases of infectious diseases can be found in time by school absenteeism surveillance system only,and a daily report system combined with both school absenteeism surveillance system and routine check-ups for students in the morning and at the noon for infectious disease occurrence should be established,which can supplement with the National Disease Surveillance Information System mutually.
Oxidation of Glycerol to Dicarboxylic Acids Using Cobalt Catalysts

In this paper, the performance of cobalt-based catalysts was reported for oxidation of glycerol to dicarboxylic acids such as tartronic and oxalic acids. Cobalt catalysts supported on Mg3Al(OH)y(CO3)z structures prepared by a two-step modified sol–gel method showed 100% glycerol conversion with 64% and 24% selectivity toward tartronic and oxalic acids under mild conditions (55–70 °C and 0.1 MPa O2). Surface and bulk characterization by N2 adsorption/desorption, X-ray diffraction, and temperature-programmed reduction reveals that the cobalt sites interacting with surface hydroxides are catalytically more active than those incorporated into a framework leading to selective glycerol oxidation to dicarboxylic acids in one pot. On the basis of the experiments at different cobalt contents, temperatures, and concentration–time profiles, possible reaction pathways are discussed to explain the selectivity profile. Deactivation of the catalyst under certain conditions has been discussed as a result of loss of surfa...
Evaluation of Corn Rootworm Traited and Refuge Hybrids in Combination With Aztec 4.67G Insecticide at Planting for Control of Larval Corn Rootworm, 2015: Table 1

Single corn rootworm (CRW) traited and refuge hybrids in combination with Aztec 4.67G insecticide at planting were evaluated for effectiveness of larval CRW control near Clay Center, NE during 2015. The trial site was late-planted corn and pumpkins (insecticide free) during 2014. The experimental design was a RCB with four replicates. Plot size was 4 rows × ∼70 ft length with 30-inch row spacing. Soil type was a Crete silt loam. ‘DeKalb DKC62-95’ (contains Roundup Ready 2 herbicide trait [refuge hybrid]), ‘DeKalb DKC62-97RIB’ (contains 90% GENVT3PRIB traited seed and 10% refuge seed), ‘Pioneer P1395AM1’ (contains 90% Herculex XTRA traited seed and 10% Herculex I traited seed), and ‘NK N68B-3111’ …
Liposomes as carriers of contrast agents for in vivo diagnostics

Abstract The current status of application of liposomes as carriers for diagnostic imaging agents in experimental and clinical medicine is considered. Liposomes loaded with the appropriate contrast agents have been shown to be suitable for all used imaging modalities, including γ- , magnetic resonance (MR), computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound imaging. The methods are briefly described to prepare liposomes loaded with various contrast agents, as well as some basic data on their in vitro and in vivo properties and biodistribution. The application of contrast-loaded liposomes in different modalities for the experimental and clinical imaging of reticuloendothelial system (RES) organs (liver and spleen); components of lymphatic system; tumors; cardio-vascular system including the blood pool; and infection and inflammation sites is briefly reviewed together with some data available on the use of contrast liposomes for more exotic miscellaneous imaging. New trends in the use of contrast-loaded liposomes are also considered, such as the application of targeted immunoliposomes and long-circulating polymer-modified liposomes for imaging purposes.
Antibiotic Strategy and Stewardship

Antibiotic stewardship is the optimization of antibiotic regimens to ensure the best treatment selection for individual patients with minimization of side effects and cost while attempting to limit the development of resistance (MacDougall and Polk, Clin Microbiol Rev 18(4):638–656, 2005; Luyt et al., 1–12, 2014). Comprehensive antibiotic management strategies may use a variety of methods to limit antibiotic use in volume, duration, and spectrum. These strategies should also include multidisciplinary efforts to monitor compliance with clinical practice guidelines, policies, and protocols. Formulary restriction, antibiotic cycling, selective reporting of culture susceptibilities, and decision support tools to aid in drug selection are among the means by which antimicrobial use can be directed. Equally important in the critical care setting is the prevention and treatment of nosocomial infections common to critically ill patients.
SP0067 Sensitization and Pain in OA

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis, with the hand, knee and hip being the most prevalent joints affected. Pain is the primary clinical symptoms of knee OA and knee OA itself is a leading cause of disability among older adults worldwide. Yet there are limited management options for the symptoms of knee OA, and no proven therapies that can alter its progression. An improved understanding of pain etiology in knee OA is critical to improving OA outcomes by identifying rational therapeutic targets. While there are data to support the importance of structural pathology as contributing to pain in knee OA, such structural lesions do not fully account for the pain experience in OA. Whereas knee OA pain is typically activity-related earlier in the course of disease, pain can be come chronic later in the disease course, suggesting the possibility of altered neurobiological pathways playing a role in OA pain. Peripheral and central sensitization, which reflect alterations in the ascending nociceptive signals in the peripheral and central nervous systems, respectively, and inadequate descending inhibition can lead to heightened pain sensitivity. Sensitization can be assessed in clinical studies with pressure pain threshold and temporal summation, and assessment of conditioned pain modulation provides insights into efficiency of the descending inhibitory pathways. Conditioned pain modulation has been demonstrated to be abnormal in patients awaiting joint replacement surgery, and to improve post-replacement, raising in the intriguing possibility that certain abnormalities of pain processing can be altered by removing the pathologic tissue. In terms of sensitization, pressure pain threshold is lower (i.e., more pain sensitive and/or sensitized) in subjects with knee OA than in healthy controls around the knee and other anatomic sites on both the ipsilateral and contralateral sides. Lower pressure pain threshold and temporal summation are also associated with higher likelihood of pain presence and severity both at the knee and distant to the knee, but have no clear relation to radiographic severity or duration of disease. However, synovitis and effusion, which are inflammatory lesions in knee OA, are associated with both pressure pain threshold and temporal summation. In contrast, bone marrow lesions, which are largely mechanically-driven lesions in knee OA, are not associated with these measures of sensitization. These results suggest that certain features of knee OA may result in sensitization, and offer a potential avenue for targeted therapy to reduce the occurrence of sensitization, and thereby reduce pain severity in knee OA. Disclosure of Interest None declared
On the structure of charged interfaces

Former models of the electric double layer, and several alternative possibilities, lack consistency with six well-known facts. The paper attempts to adduce models which allow interpretation of these. The potential, not the charge, is the dependent variable in the double layer. The distortion dielectric constant of the water adsorbed on an electrode is six, not n2 . The constant minimum capacity on the negative branch is interpreted in terms of a model in which Gouy adsorption begins outside the first layer of water molecules. Super-equivalent adsorption is purely electrostatic in nature and becomes appreciable if the ionic radius is > 1-4 A. The isotherm for this type of adsorption is treated in terms of lateral repulsion. The model is shown to give rise to a correct dependence of amount adsorbed on charge. The 'capacitance hump' arises from the slowing down of the rate of increase of the charge on the anions in the Helmholtz layer with increasingly positive charge on the metal due to repulsion among the anions. Some properties of the oriented dipole layer on electrodes are treated. The capacitance contributions due to change in the potential contribution of such dipoles to the Galvani p.d. with change in electrode charge is negligible. There is no unique value of Xdipole' for this is potential dependent. The maximum value, calculated for extreme values of charge on the electrode, is < 100 mV. The adsorption of aliphatic substances in terms of numerous models is discussed. Some newly available facts are inconsistent with theories previously discussed. They are consistent with a 'competition with water' model in which the essential feature is the turning over of water molecules on the negative side of the e.c.m.
Abstract 19485: Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation Attenuates Venous Stenosis of Hemodialysis Vascular Access Arteriovenous Fistula by Inhibition of Macrophage PPAR-γ Expression

Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is the preferred vascular access for patients undergoing hemodialysis and the majority of AVFs fail because of venous intimal hyperplasia (VNH). Previous results of our lab indicate that human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation to the adventitia of the outflow vein of AVF attenuates VNH in immunodeficient mice. Therefore, to explore the molecular mechanisms of this observation, we performed RNA-seq transcriptome analysis of the outflow veins of AVFs excised from the C57BL/6 mice with chronic kidney disease (CKD) after adventitial transplantation of MSCs from the donor inbred C57BL/6 mice. Gene expression profile identified 37 genes that were up regulated and 180 were down regulated in the outflow veins of AVFs transplanted with MSCs compared to controls [fold change >2; RPKM >0.1; p PPAR- γ and its expression was significantly down regulated in MSC transplanted vessels. Results from RT-qPCR analysis confirmed this observation as PPAR- γ was significantly down regulated in MSC transplanted outflow veins of AVFs compared to controls. MSC transplantation significantly decreased CD68 staining in the outflow veins of AVFs compared to control mice. We determined the expression patterns of PPAR-γ using immunohistochemistry on human vein sections of failed fistulas and identified that it was significantly elevated in CD68 positive cells compared to normal veins. In vitro studies revealed that PMA induced monocyte to macrophage differentiation was inhibited when cultured in conditioned media (CM) from hypoxic human MSCs. In line with these results, expression of PPAR- γ , CD36 , and IL-1 β was down regulated, while the monocyte marker CD14 increased in THP-1 cells treated with CM+PMA compared to cells in control media with PMA. These results suggest that MSC transplantation reduces VNH by inhibiting macrophage differentiation by suppressing PPAR- γ gene expression and attenuating macrophage differentiation.
Settled Versus Right: A Theory of Precedent (Introduction)

The book develops a theory of precedent designed to enhance the stability and impersonality of constitutional law. It contends that the prevailing approach to precedent in American law is undermined by principled disagreements among judges over the proper means and ends of constitutional interpretation. The structure and composition of the modern doctrine all but guarantee that conclusions about the durability of precedent will track individual views about whether decisions are right or wrong, and whether mistakes are harmful or benign. This is a serious challenge, but it also reveals a path toward enhancing legal continuity by reconsidering the role of precedent.
Desistance-Focused Treatment and Asset-Based Programming for Juvenile Offender Reintegration: A Review of Research Evidence

Research indicates that juvenile delinquency, if not intervened earlier, could potentially lead to the youth’s future involvement with the criminal justice system as an adult. This study identifies research evidence to support the building of a desistance-focused pathway for juvenile offenders positively reentering society. It examines the “desistance” components of treatment programs and assets that help ex-offending adolescents achieve success in reintegrating back to the community. A review of research evidence summarized the empirical data from twelve studies published between 2007 and 2017. Diverse service components were found in addressing the treatment needs of young offenders, indicating that multiple services are needed to lower their recidivism rate. These diverse components were benchmarked with the 40-asset model developed by the Search Institute, providing additional support that these service components are resilience-based and desistance-focused. Both internal and external assets were emphasized in these reviewed studies. Highlighted are the holistic nature of asset-based programs and service components for helping juveniles gain internal awareness and access external resources. A balanced treatment model is recommended with an emphasis on building assets for designing a holistic plan of reintegration to help juveniles reenter society and stay crime-free.
Multiple chronic conditions: Implications for cognition - Findings from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention (WRAP).

Abstract Introduction Several chronic illnesses have demonstrated relationships to cognitive decline in the context of aging. However, researchers have largely ignored the effects of multi-morbidity in the context of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) risk. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between multiple chronic conditions (MCC) and cognitive decline. Methods Latent class analysis (LCA) was completed to identify different subgroups of the 1285 participants from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention who were recognized based on their self-reported chronic illnesses. Differences between variables of interest (i.e., biomarkers and depressive symptom scores) and each of the individual classes were then explored. Chi-square tests were used to examine the association between MCC and cognitive status. Results LCA revealed a four-class model best fit solution. Participants in the sleep class had the highest incidence of new onset cognitive decline. Discussion Findings offer evidence of an association between specific MCC groups and the development of cognitive decline. Nurses should monitor and screen for cognitive decline in the presence of MCC in order to better target self-management interventions.
The rebirth of rational morphology

This paper examines a new challenge to neo-Darwinism, a movement known as process structuralism. The process structuralist critique of neo-Darwinism holds 1) that there are general laws in biology and that biologists should search for these laws; 2) that there are general forms of morphology and development and that biologists should attempt to uncover these forms; 3) that organisms are unified wholes that cannot be understood without adopting a holistic perspective; and 4) that no special, causal primacy should be given to the genes in development and morphology. This paper places process structuralism in its historical context, examines the philosophical underpinnings of the movement, and discusses some of the evidence used to support its claims.
Evaluation Of A Galvanometric Scanner For Rapid Tuning Of CO 2 Lasers

Remote sensing of gaseous constituents in the atmosphere is possible with a single laser system operating at high (more than 100 Hz) pulse tuning rates so as to minimize the effects of atmospheric turbulence. This paper investigates the possibility of using a galvanometric scanner as a rapid tuning device for both pulsed and continuous wave CO 2 lasers. When used with a TEA laser, the galvanometer was able to switch lines as fast as 140 Hz.
Effects of Catapres-TTS on Cerebral Blood Flow in Elderly Hypertensive Patients

Hypertension is a major risk factor for certain cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases which is present in elderly as well as young patients (Kannel 1974; Shekelle 1974). Treatment of certain hypertensive patients with various hypotensive agents also reduces serious morbidity and mortality (Hypertension Detection and Follow-up Program Cooperative Group 1979). However, antihypertensive therapy may carry a big risk in certain groups of patients, especially the elderly, because the fall in arterial pressure could result in a clinically significant fall in perfusion of certain vital organs such as the brain, kidneys or myocardium (Jackson et al. 1976). Clonidine has been shown to decrease cerebral blood flow when given intravenously to patients with hypertensive emergencies (Ber-tel et al. 1983), although its effect on regional cerebral blood flow is unknown. Because many elderly hypertensive patients are likely to have subclinical cerebrovascular disease and thus be susceptible to adverse effects of hypotensive therapy, this study was undertaken to examine the effect of clonidine given by a transdermal delivery system on cerebral blood flow in this group. This report summarises the preliminary findings of the effect of Catapres-TTS on cerebral blood flow in elderly patients with mild hypertension.
The Cambridge Introduction to Eighteenth-Century Poetry: A concluding note: then and now

A hazard of literary scholarship to which eighteenth-century specialists may be especially liable is a tendency toward selective identifications with some of the authors we study, identifications that are selective in two senses. One imagines a special kinship with only some authors – Swift, say, rather than Johnson, or vice versa – and with only some features of those authors. So, I align myself with Swift’s views on imperialism but not on the deference due to a national church. When I think, “If Swift were alive today he would satirize ——,”the blank fills in with the current object of my own indignation. This ethical idealization has a formal equivalent, usually a kind of aesthetic nostalgia: “If Pope were alive today, he’d be writing real poetry, not the kind of obscure mush published by ——.” Here one may fill in the name of a least favorite contemporary magazine or poet, while imagining Pope (or Johnson, or Cowper) valiantly holding up formalist standards against an amorphous twenty-first century. Arguably, however, if Pope were alive today “he” would be writing free verse. This view may be wrong, as well as ill-advised. As George Eliot remarks in Middlemarch , “Among all forms of mistake, prophecy is the most gratuitous” (chapter 10, opening). But it seems a more convincing image than one of Pope clinging to the heroic couplet three centuries after he began refining it. Of course, this whole mode of supposition begins quickly to unravel, there being no “Pope” abstracted from the historical particularity that produced him. But just before we abandon it entirely, we might recall that Pope was always an experimental modernist. Whatever his reverence for the Ancients, he believed that the poetry of his day could and should progress, and he never tried to revive an antiquated style. Edward Young wrote in 1759 that the way to imitate Homer is not to imitate Homer (a view Johnson considered uncontroversial), and the same might be said of imitating Pope or of imagining eighteenth-century poetry more broadly.
Coping with family structure in genome-wide association studies: a comparative evaluation

In this paper, a fully statistical investigation of the control of family structure as random effects is analyzed and discussed, using both the genome-wide association studies (GWAS) data and simulated data. Three modeling strategies are proposed and the analysis results suggest the hybrid use of results from all possible models should be combined in practice.
Bringing Scale and Structure to the Online Information Literacy Program

AbstractThis case study provides insights into how one academic library scaled and structured its information literacy program for a rapidly growing online learning division. Particular attention i...
Experimental demonstration of loop state-preparation-and-measurement tomography

We have performed an experiment demonstrating that loop state-preparation-and-measurement tomography [Jackson and van Enk, Phys. Rev. A 92, 042312 (2015)] is capable of detecting correlated errors between the preparation and the measurement of a quantum system. Specifically, we have prepared pure and mixed states of single qubits encoded in the polarization of heralded individual photons. By performing measurements using multiple state preparations and multiple measurement device settings we are able to detect if there are any correlated errors between them, and we are also able to determine which state preparations are correlated with which measurements. This is accomplished by going around a ``loop'' in parameter space, which allows us to check for self-consistency. No assumptions are made concerning either the state preparations or the measurements, other than that the dimensions of the states and the positive-operator-valued measures (POVMs) describing the detector are known. In cases where no correlations are found we are able to perform quantum state tomography of the polarization qubits by using knowledge of the detector POVMs, or quantum detector tomography by using knowledge of the state preparations. Note, however, that the detection of correlated errors does not require estimating any state or measurement parameters.
Risk Factors Associated with Community-Acquired Urinary Tract Infections Caused by Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia coli: a Systematic Review

This review aims to characterize the current body of knowledge regarding risk factors for community-acquired urinary tract infection (CA-UTI) caused by extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing (ESBL) uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). Our purpose is to identify major knowledge gaps, suggest potential areas for improved public health intervention, and propose future research directions. This review contains two parts. Part one reviews 15 studies that included 2,930 ESBL-producing UPEC infections in 10 countries. Of the 103 risk factors for these infections examined, only two of eight commonly-assessed factors demonstrated concordant significant results across studies. Part two focuses on 19 studies that examined 2,042 ESBL-producing extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) strains isolated from environmental, food, or animal sources and discovered evidence for occurrence of all six pandemic ExPEC lineages associated with CA-UTI in these sources. This review has demonstrated inconsistent evidence regarding patient level risk factors associated with CA-UTI caused by ESBL-producing UPEC. However, reviewed studies reveal exposures to food, animal, or environmental sources to be potential risk factors for infection with common ESBL-producing E. coli.
Partially Averaged Navier-Stokes Formulation of a Two-Layer Turbulence Model

Partially averaged Navier–Stokes (PANS) is a scale-resolving simulation (SRS) approach wherein a two-equation closure model is suitably adapted for computing unresolved stresses. The objective of t...
Enter the Order, Protect the Privilege: Considerations for Courts Entering Protective Orders Under Federal Rule of Evidence 502(D)

The model Rule 502(d)1 order2 resulting from the Symposium on Rule 502 hosted by the Committee on the Rules of Evidence should be implemented into courts’ standard pretrial case management practice. Through this Essay, I hope to justify encouragement of its use. But I also hope to highlight potential points of friction with the attorney-client privilege that 502(d) orders may tempt. I will first briefly address the benefits of Rule 502(d). Then I will address some critiques that have been levied against courts entering 502(d) orders sua sponte, and explain why those critiques are meritless. Finally, I will walk through examples of courts that have properly utilized 502(d) orders, as well as some that have perhaps gone astray. Courts must be mindful of stretching the enabled benefits of the model order too far. Certain decisions related to compelled disclosure, costshifting, and scheduling that are ostensibly justified by the protections of Rule 502(d) can implicate paternalistic concerns. Courts must be mindful of different concerns than litigants because courts’ discovery rulings, when they would not otherwise be the same absent a 502(d) order,3 can make de facto choices that should be left to litigants.
Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in older adults with gastrointestinal (GI) cancer undergoing surgery.

159Background: Older adults with GI cancer often experience poor surgical outcomes, yet little is known about their PROs, such as physical function, quality of life (QOL), and physical and psycholo...
Lack of Evidence of Transmission of Bloodborne Viruses by Improperly Reprocessed Fiberoptic Endoscopes

Background: A sterile processing service (SPS) technician was found to inadequately clean fiberoptic endoscope channels during reprocessing prior to high-level disinfection. Channels were only brushed once and 7 of 30 audited scopes had measurable bioburden. Consistent with VA policy, a retrospective investigation, along with public disclosure, was performed. Methods: A potentially exposed case (PEC) was defined as any patient who had flexible fiberoptic endoscopy between April 19, 2015, and June 23, 2017, when the identified SPS technician worked in the endoscope reprocessing station. Using the internal log of the automated high–level disinfection equipment (Medivators/Cantel, Minneapolis, MN), device serial numbers were matched to patients in endoscopy suite procedure logs. Additionally, the VA Corporate Data Warehouse (CDW) was queried for CPT and International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) and ICD-10 procedure codes to verify identified cases and to search for other PECs. All PECs were notified by telephone and mail, and serologic testing for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and hepatitis B virus (HBV) was offered. Results were compared to prior bloodborne pathogen (BBP) testing results extracted from the CDW. Facility microbiology laboratory records of positive cultures/microscopy for enteric pathogens also were compared to the list of PECs; no active testing was performed. Results: Of the 565 PECs, 552 (98%) were successfully contacted. 8 declined testing or preferred non-VA testing, and 22 died before testing could be initiated. Repeat testing at 6 months was requested for PECs who had initial testing performed <6 months after exposure; 32 refused additional tests or did not respond to additional requests. In total, 522 PECs (92%) had testing performed for 1 or more BBPs: (1) 521 were anti–HIV negative with 1 previously known positive; (2) 481 were anti–HCV negative—43 were previously known positive and 1 PEC with an undetectable HCV viral load was newly identified; (3) 461 were negative for both HBV core or surface antibodies and surface antigen—32 were previously known positive and 17 were newly positive for one or both antibody tests with negative HBV surface antigen. Of 17 newly identified positive PECs, 16 had undetectable HBV DNA; 1 died prior to HBV DNA testing. Conclusions: There was no evidence of transmission of BBPs in this cohort of PECs who had procedures with potentially improperly cleaned fiberoptic endoscopes. Although not all patients completed all retrospective BBP testing, <10% were missing all or some tests. Local passive surveillance did not indicate enteric pathogen transmission. Additional education regarding and monitoring of reprocessing procedures have been instituted. Funding: None Disclosures: None
Rising Confidence in Michigan's Direction Among Local Leaders, but Partisan Differences Remain

This report presents the opinions of Michigan’s local government leaders regarding the direction in which the state is headed, as well as their evaluations of the job performance of Governor Rick Snyder and the Michigan Legislature. These findings are based on statewide surveys of local government leaders in the Spring 2018 wave and comparisons to previous Spring waves of the Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS).
The Color of Collateral Damage: The Mutilating Impact of Collateral Consequences on the Black Community and the Myth of Informed Consent

The rights of the convicted have long been constrained by the relentless imposition of collateral consequences of criminal convictions. More specifically, collateral consequences of drug convictions have a disparate impact on the Black community due to over-policing of Black neighborhoods. Consequently, Black people are over-prosecuted, leading to more convictions and ultimately making them the primary victim of collateral consequences. Certain collateral consequences almost exclusively affect Black people and are strikingly similar to Jim Crow laws. Similar to Jim Crow laws, these collateral consequences almost exclusively prohibit the Black convicted from public housing, welfare assistance, financial aid, the ability to vote, the ability to receive certain jobs and licenses, and more. Collateral consequences are considered categorically different from forms of direct punishment like fines, jail time, and probation. Due to this deceptive distinction, there is no notice requirement for collateral consequences at the plea stage. Thus, many defendants will accept deals for guilty pleas, completely unaware that collateral consequences will affect them for what could be the rest of their lives. In regard to this mockery of justice, this Article implores the argument that the informed consent requirement, as it stands, is a myth. This article discusses the constitutional implications surrounding the prejudicial imposition of collateral consequences and the blurred distinction made between collateral consequences and direct punishment. In doing so, this article proposes (1) Congress employ a legislative overhaul to remove prejudicial collateral consequences (2) Supreme Court change the standard of judicial review from the rational basis test to strict scrutiny and extend their holding in Padilla v. Kentucky to apply to all collateral consequences, and (3) Federal and State legislators enact legislation aimed at placing procedural safeguards—like a notice requirement—at the plea stage.
Quantitative Proteomics Reveals that the OGT Interactome Is Remodeled in Response to Oxidative Stress.

Abstract The dynamic modification of specific serine and threonine residues of intracellular proteins by O-linked N-acetyl-β-D-glucosamine (O-GlcNAc) mitigates injury and promotes cytoprotection in a variety of stress models. The O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and the O-GlcNAcase are the sole enzymes that add and remove O-GlcNAc, respectively, from thousands of substrates. It remains unclear how just two enzymes can be specifically controlled to affect glycosylation of target proteins and signaling pathways both basally and in response to stress. Several lines of evidence suggest that protein interactors regulate these responses by affecting OGT and O-GlcNAcase activity, localization, and substrate specificity. To provide insight into the mechanisms by which OGT function is controlled, we have used quantitative proteomics to define OGT's basal and stress-induced interactomes. OGT and its interaction partners were immunoprecipitated from OGT WT, null, and hydrogen peroxide–treated cell lysates that had been isotopically labeled with light, medium, and heavy lysine and arginine (stable isotopic labeling of amino acids in cell culture). In total, more than 130 proteins were found to interact with OGT, many of which change their association upon hydrogen peroxide stress. These proteins include the major OGT cleavage and glycosylation substrate, host cell factor 1, which demonstrated a time-dependent dissociation after stress. To validate less well-characterized interactors, such as glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase and histone deacetylase 1, we turned to parallel reaction monitoring, which recapitulated our discovery-based stable isotopic labeling of amino acids in cell culture approach. Although the majority of proteins identified are novel OGT interactors, 64% of them are previously characterized glycosylation targets that contain varied domain architecture and function. Together these data demonstrate that OGT interacts with unique and specific interactors in a stress-responsive manner.
Performing Colonoscopies in Patients in Cardiogenic Shock Awaiting Heart Transplantation: Is it Safe?

Purpose Patients more than 50 years of age routinely undergo screening colonoscopies. These patients can develop severe end-stage heart disease and may require heart transplantation. Many of these patients present in cardiogenic shock and it is unclear whether the use of colonoscopy is safe and efficacious in the screening of these patients for candidacy for heart transplantation. In our single-center program, we preform colonoscopies routinely on older patients at risk for colon cancer (family history, previous polyps or adenomas, stools heme positive) awaiting heart transplantation. We now report our experience of performing colonoscopes in these patients who are in cardiogenic shock, defined as patients who are on intravenous inotropic or left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support to maintain acceptable cardiac hemodynamics. Methods Between 2014 and 2019, we evaluated 300 heart transplant candidates who developed cardiogenic shock, defined as the need for IV inotropes or LVAD support. 30 of these patients underwent colonoscopy while on IV inotropes (n=27) and LVAD (n=3). All patients had compensated hemodynamics and anticoagulation was held prior to the procedure. Results Of the 30 patients with inotropic/LVAD support who underwent colonoscopy, the average age was 61.5 years and 87% were male. The specific inotrope(s) administered are listed in the table. The following findings at colonoscopy were found: 0 adenomas and 13 benign malignancies. There was no metastatic disease demonstrated. There were no complications arising from this colonoscopy except for bleeding due to biopsies that required hemoclips but no blood transfusions. Inotropic/LVAD support was continued through these procedures. Conclusion Colonoscopies for evaluation of heart transplant candidates who are in cardiogenic shock are acceptable, but caution should be taken in terms of risk for bleeding. Colonoscopies in cardiogenic shock should be limited to patients who are at risk for colon cancer.
Biphasic pollen tube growth in Plumbago zeylanica

Tricellular pollen is typified by complex recognition requirements, rapid pollen tube growth, and high respiratory rates, whereas bicellular pollen has less complicated recognition processes, slower pollen tube growth and relatively lower respiratory rates (Hoekstra, 1983). In a comparison of bicellular and tricellular pollen tube growth rates, Mulcahy and Mulcahy (1983) reported that in vivo pollen tube growth rates in bicellular pollen were clearly biphasic, but in tricellular pollen growth was monophasic. In biphasic pollen, an initial slow period of pollen tube growth occurred that was not accompanied by the formation of callose plugs. However, coincident with the formation of the sperm cells, the physiology of the pollen tube apparently changed dramatically, resulting in increased growth rates, the creation of callose plugs along the length of the pollen tube, and much higher metabolic rates. Apparently, the metabolic requirements of bicellular pollen also change at this time, as pollen tubes grown in vitro cease growth entirely at this time and do not form sperm cells. Mulcahy and Mulcahy (1983) suggested that the physiology of tricellular pollen was directly comparable to the second phase of bicellular pollen growth and inferred an evolutionary significance for this comparison.
Bioethics in Biotechnology

As biotechnology continues its march forward, it will inevitably raise new moral and legal questions. Our expanding knowledge and capabilities—instead of resolving bioethical issues—will most likely create new challenges, and the line between ethical and unethical behavior will only become murkier. There are few “black and white” issues in bioethics, but instead varying shades of gray. Indeed, the complexity of bioethics is such that a student can now obtain a graduate-level degree in the field.
Graph Partitioning Algorithms with Applications to Scientific Computing

Identifying the parallelism in a problem by partitioning its data and tasks among the processors of a parallel computer is a fundamental issue in parallel computing. This problem can be modeled as a graph partitioning problem in which the vertices of a graph are divided into a specified number of subsets such that few edges join two vertices in different subsets. Several new graph partitioning algorithms have been developed in the past few years, and we survey some of this activity. We describe the terminology associated with graph partitioning, the complexity of computing good separators, and graphs that have good separators. We then discuss early algorithms for graph partitioning, followed by three new algorithms based on geometric, algebraic, and multilevel ideas. The algebraic algorithm relies on an eigenvector of a Laplacian matrix associated with the graph to compute the partition. The algebraic algorithm is justified by formulating graph partitioning as a quadratic assignment problem. We list several papers that describe applications of graph partitioning to parallel scientific computing and other applications.
Spin-transfer induced switching in magnetic nanopillars

Summary form only given, as follows: the author reviews the basic experimental findings of spin-induced magnetic switching in sub-100 nm magnetic nanopillar spin valves. Issues include the basic physics of a spin-current-induced torque on a nanomagnet, sample fabrication techniques, and device properties in terms of current-induced magnetic excitation and magnetic switching dynamics. Potentials for future applications in magnetic memory technology and related challenges will also be briefly discussed.
Tied mixture continuous parameter models for large vocabulary isolated speech recognition

The acoustic modeling problem in automatic speech recognition is estimated with the specific goal of unifying discrete and continuous parameter approaches. The authors consider a class of very general hidden Markov models which can accommodate sequences of information-bearing acoustic feature vectors lying either in a discrete or in a continuous space. More generally, the new class allows one to represent the prototypes in an assumption-limited, yet convenient, way, as (tied) mixtures of simple multivariate densities. Speech recognition experiments, reported for a large (5000-word) vocabulary office correspondence task, demonstrate some of the benefits associated with this technique. >
Increased visceral fat and decreased energy expenditure during the menopausal transition.

This study assessed longitudinal changes in body composition, fat distribution and energy balance in perimenopausal women. We hypothesized that total fat and abdominal body fat would increase at menopause due to decreased energy expenditure (EE) and declining estrogen, respectively. Observational, longitudinal study with annual measurements for 4 years. Healthy women (103 Caucasian; 53 African-American), initially premenopausal. During follow-up, lack of menstruation for 1 year and follicle-stimulating hormone >30 mIU ml−1 defined a subject as postmenopausal. Fat and lean mass (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), visceral (VAT) and subcutaneous abdominal fat (SAT) (computed tomography), dietary intake (4-day food record), serum sex hormones and physical activity (tri-axial accelerometry). Twenty-four hour EE was measured by whole-room calorimeter in a subset of 34 women at baseline and at year 4. Body fat and weight increased significantly over time only in those women who became postmenopausal by year 4 (n=51). All women gained SAT over time; however, only those who became postmenopausal had a significant increase in VAT. The postmenopausal group also exhibited a significant decrease in serum estradiol. Physical activity decreased significantly 2 years before menopause and remained low. Dietary energy, protein, carbohydrate and fiber intake were significantly higher 3–4 years before the onset of menopause compared with menopause onset. Twenty-four hour EE and sleeping EE decreased significantly with age; however, the decrease in sleeping EE was 1.5-fold greater in women who became postmenopausal compared with premenopausal controls (−7.9 vs −5.3%). Fat oxidation decreased by 32% in women who became postmenopausal (P<0.05), but did not change in those who remained premenopausal. Middle-aged women gained SAT with age, whereas menopause per se was associated with an increase in total body fat and VAT. Menopause onset is associated with decreased EE and fat oxidation that can predispose to obesity if lifestyle changes are not made.
Small sample estimation of relative accuracy for binary screening tests

Comparing the accuracy of two screening tests is ideally achieved by administering both tests as well as a gold standard test to all study subjects. In practice, a more ethical screen positive study design is often used, one that requires gold standard determination only for subjects that screen positive on either test under investigation. Although it is not possible to quantify the absolute accuracy of each test with such a design,the relative accuracy of the tests can be estimated. Since relative accuracy estimation has poor small sample properties, adjusted estimators based on adding constants to the observed data have been proposed. The adjusted estimators have the advantage that they yield point and variance estimates of relative accuracy in all settings. However, we show through both theory and numerical examples that adding constants to the data can be beneficial or detrimental to small sample performance. Furthermore, the performance of the adjusted estimator depends not only on the magnitude of the constant but also on parameters that cannot be estimated with data from a screen positive study, making selection of an optimal constant difficult in practice. We also examine the performance of the adjusted estimator using data from a study comparing the accuracy of two screening tests for cervical cancer.