cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differential association between statin exposure and elevated levels of creatine kinase.

BACKGROUND:Although hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) are generally well tolerated, myopathy can be a serious adverse event. The association among different statins, doses, and related risk factors is not well understood.Objective:To determine the prevalence of elevated creatine kinase (CK) levels in patients taking statins, specific doses of these drugs, and other factors. Simvastatin and lovastatin were the drugs of primary interest.METHODS:In a modified prevalence (cross-sectional) study, prescriptions and laboratory data for 215 191 patients exposed to a statin in 2002 were reviewed. A log-linear Poisson regression model was used to determine the statistical relationship of an elevated CK level to other independent variables.RESULTS:Prevalence of high elevation of CK levels (ie, n of cases/1000 pts. exposed to statins) was 1.6; prevalence of mild to moderate elevation of CK levels was 6.4. For high elevations, the prevalence ratios were lower for low doses of lovastatin t...
Two Sides of a Coin: The Dual Roles of Chitinase 3-Like 1 in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a progressive, fatal lung disease, primarily affects patients over 50 years of age. These individuals present with symptoms of respiratory failure, including worsening dyspnea, cough, and decreased exercise tolerance. Additionally, these patients often present with bilateral, inspiratory crackles, and demonstrate finger clubbing [1]. With the progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, patients lose the lung elasticity and normal alveolar architecture that permit normal respiration, which results in their eventual respiratory failure and death. In fact, between 50 and 80 % of patients afflicted with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis die within 5 years of their initial diagnoses [2, 3]. Additionally, annual mortality attributable to IPF is higher than the mortality caused by certain cancers, like melanoma or brain cancers [4]. While risk factors like cigarette smoking have been associated with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, none have consistently presented with IPF to suggest a causative effect [5, 6]. The pathogenesis of IPF is still a subject of much investigation. Recent research has shown that the development of IPF involves two sequential phases: injury with apoptosis, followed by remodeling and an extensive fibrotic response. However, because the lesions within an IPF lung are temporally heterogeneous, the pathogenesis and regulation of this disease largely remain unexplained.
Maximum-Likelihood Approach for Gene Family Evolution Under Functional Divergence

According to the observed alignment pattern (i.e., amino acid configuration), we studied two basic types of functional divergence of a protein family. Type I functional divergence after gene duplication results in altered functional constraints (i.e., different evolutionary rate) between duplicate genes, whereas type II results in no altered functional constraints but radical change in amino acid property between them (e.g., charge, hydrophobicity, etc.). Two statistical approaches, i.e., the subtree likelihood and the whole-tree likelihood, were developed for estimating the coefficients of (type I or type II) functional divergence. Numerical algorithms for obtaining maximum-likelihood estimates are also provided. Moreover, a posterior-based site-specific profile is implemented to predict critical amino acid residues that are responsible for type I and/or type II functional divergence after gene duplication. We compared the current likelihood with a fast method developed previously by examples; both show similar results. For handling altered functional constraints (type I functional divergence) in the large gene family with many member genes (clusters), which appears to be a normal case in postgenomics, the subtree likelihood provides a solution that is computationally feasible and robust against the uncertainty of the phylogeny. The cost of this feasibility is the approximation when frequencies of amino acids are very skewed. The potential bias and correction are discussed.
Distributed scheduling of broadcasts in a radio network

A distributed algorithm is presented for obtaining an efficient and conflict-free broadcasting schedule in a multi-hop packet radio network. The inherent broadcast nature of the radio channel enables a node's transmission to be received by all other nodes within range. Multiple transmissions can be scheduled simultaneously because of the multi-hop nature of the network. It is first shown that the construction of a broadcasting schedule of minimum length is NP-complete, and then a centralized algorithm based on a sequential graph-coloring heuristic is presented to construct minimal-length schedules. A distributed implementation of this algorithm is then proposed, which is based on circulating a token through the nodes in the network. >
COMPARISON OF PHYSICAL EXAMINATION AND FLUORODEOXYGLUCOSE POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY/COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY 4-6 MONTHS AFTER RADIOTHERAPY TO ASSESS RESIDUAL HEAD-AND-NECK CANCER

Purpose To retrospectively compare fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) and physical examination 4–6 months after radiotherapy for assessing residual head-and-neck cancer (HNC). Methods and Materials From July 2002 through March 2006, 52 HNC patients underwent definitive radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. Categoric assessments of residual tumor by PET/CT and physical examination 4–6 months after therapy were correlated and compared with clinical outcomes. Pretreatment data, including tumor stage and primary site standardized uptake value, were also gathered retrospectively and correlated with clinical outcomes. Median follow-up time was 58 months. Results Twenty-one patients had either locoregionally "positive" (17 of 21) or "equivocal" (4 of 21) PET/CT scans, whereas 31 patients had locoregionally negative scans. Four patients failed treatment and had biopsy-confirmed residual or recurrent local disease. All patients, including patients with locally suspicious scans or examinations who refused biopsies, were followed clinically for a minimum of 29 months after therapy, with no other cases of treatment failure detected during this time. No patient had residual nodal disease after therapy. Sensitivities of PET/CT vs. physical examination for early detection of treatment failure were 100% vs. 50%, whereas the specificities of the two modalities were 64.6% vs. 89.6%, respectively. Higher initial T stage and American Joint Commission on Cancer stage correlated with increased incidence of positive/equivocal PET/CT results and treatment failure. Maximal standardized uptake value was not predictive of any clinical outcome. Conclusions A negative result on PET/CT obtained 4–6 months after radiotherapy is highly sensitive and correlates with successful locoregional control. Patients with negative scans may reasonably be spared invasive diagnostic procedures, such as biopsy and neck dissection, unless recurrent disease is suspected on clinical grounds. Close follow-up is prudent for HNC patients with abnormal findings on posttherapy PET/CT scan.
Light rail accident involvement and severity

Accident causation and accident severity analyses for a light rail transit system are presented, with a view to providing input for the identification and development of accident and severity countermeasures. Accident reports of the Santa Clara County Transit Authority were used in both analyses. In the accident causation analysis, patterns of critical events for various types of light rail accident involvement were determined. The accident severity model is a binary logit model expressing the probability of injury accident as a function of speeds before collision of both the light rail vehicle and the motor vehicle, movement of the motor vehicle before collision, and peak and off-peak period.
Risk of Death in Elderly Users of Conventional vs. Atypical Antipsychotic Medications

background Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an advisory stating that atypical antipsychotic medications increase mortality among elderly patients. However, the advisory did not apply to conventional antipsychotic medications; the risk of death with these older agents is not known. methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study involving 22,890 patients 65 years of age or older who had drug insurance benefits in Pennsylvania and who began receiving a conventional or atypical antipsychotic medication between 1994 and 2003. Analyses of mortality rates and Cox proportional-hazards models were used to compare the risk of death within 180 days, less than 40 days, 40 to 79 days, and 80 to 180 days after the initiation of therapy with an antipsychotic medication. We controlled for potential confounding variables with the use of traditional multivariate Cox models, propensity-score adjustments, and an instrumental-variable analysis. results Conventional antipsychotic medications were associated with a significantly higher adjusted risk of death than were atypical antipsychotic medications at all intervals studied (≤180 days: relative risk, 1.37; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.27 to 1.49; <40 days: relative risk, 1.56; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.37 to 1.78; 40 to 79 days: relative risk, 1.37; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.19 to 1.59; and 80 to 180 days: relative risk, 1.27; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.14 to 1.41) and in all subgroups defined according to the presence or absence of dementia or nursing home residency. The greatest increases in risk occurred soon after therapy was initiated and with higher dosages of conventional antipsychotic medications. Increased risks associated with conventional as compared with atypical antipsychotic medications persisted in confirmatory analyses performed with the use of propensity-score adjustment and instrumental-variable estimation. conclusions If confirmed, these results suggest that conventional antipsychotic medications are at least as likely as atypical agents to increase the risk of death among elderly persons and that conventional drugs should not be used to replace atypical agents discontinued in response to the FDA warning.
The Impact of Race on the Prognosis of Preclinical Diastolic Dysfunction: A Large Multiracial Urban Population Study.

Abstract Background This study was performed to assess the impact of race on the incidence of heart failure and survival in patients with preclinical diastolic dysfunction. Methods All adults during a 5-year period with grade 1 diastolic dysfunction on echocardiogram, left ventricular ejection fraction ≥50%, and no diagnosis of heart failure were included in this study. Clinical endpoints were new diagnosis of heart failure (International Classification of Diseases-Ninth Revision code 428.0) and all-cause mortality. A total of 7878 patients: 20.8% non-Hispanic White, 35.8% non-Hispanic Black, and 31.0% Hispanic individuals (mean age was 68 ± 12 years, 37% men) were included in the study. Non-Hispanic Whites were older, more frequently male, and had a higher mean socioeconomic status and more antecedent myocardial infarction. Results Non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanics had more hypertension, diabetes, renal disease, and cerebrovascular disease. After a median follow-up time of 6 years, 1356 patients developed heart failure and 2078 patients died. The 10-year cumulative probabilities of heart failure and all-cause mortality were 23.9% and 32.6%, respectively. Time to incident heart failure was similar among the 3 racial groups. However, non-Hispanic Blacks (hazard ratio 0.80, P = .002) and Hispanics (hazard ratio 0.67, P Conclusions Time to heart failure was similar among the 3 racial groups, however, non-Hispanic Whites experienced worse survival compared with non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanics, despite their higher burden of risk factors. The reasons for worse survival in the non-Hispanic white population need to be further explored.
91 embryo sugar consumption during in vitro development

Despite the presence of glycogen and triglycerides as energy reserves in bovine embryos, the viability of embryonic cells in culture is maintained primarily by energetic substrates present in the culture medium. The aim of this experiment was evaluate the embryo metabolism during three important stages of development: Days 1 to 3, Days 3 to 5, and Days 5 to 7; before the formation of Barr body, before the differentiation into ICM and trophectoderm, and during the blastocyst formation, respectively. In this study, we evaluated some energetic substrates (Krebs cycle intermediates). For these analyses we chose to use proton magnetic resonance (H1-NMR) spectroscopy. Matured oocytes were purchased from DeSoto Biosciences (Seymour, TN, USA). The matured cumulus-oocyte complexes were fertilized in vitro according to our standard procedures (Rubessa et al. 2011 Theriogenology 76, 1347–1355). For each group (Days 1–3, 3–5, and 5–7), the zygotes were place in individual drops, and after 48 h of culture, they were placed into well of the well (WOW) culture. For the 3–5 and 5–7 groups, the zygotes were first place in 400 μL of SOF and then moved in a single drop. The 5–7 group was not placed in the WOW system. Zygotes were incubated in a humidified mixture of 5% CO2, 6% O2, and 88% N2 in air at 39°C. The embryos were scored for quality on the basis of morphological criteria. Samples of media (40 μL) were added to 560 μL of a stock solution prepared by dissolving 5.0 mg of sodium 3-(trimethylsilyl)-2,2′,3,3′-tetradeuteropropionate (TSP) in 50 mL of deuterium oxide. The TSP acted both as a chemical shift reference and as an internal standard for the purposes of quantitation. The resulting diluted samples were transferred to a 5-mm NMR tube. Samples were analysed on a Varian VNS-750 NB (750 MHz) spectrometer (Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA, USA). A total of 30 embryos were evaluated, 10 per stage. Data were statistically analysed through an analysis of variance using the Generalized Linear Model (GLM) procedure (SPSS, version 18, 2009). Bonferroni’s post-hoc test was used to perform statistical multiple comparison. The α level was set at 0.05. All data were expressed as quadratic mean and mean standard error. The results, reported in Table 1, show that there was no statistical difference when we compare the lactate, myo-inositol, and pyruvate concentrations. However, there were significant differences when we focused on acetate and formate levels: after Day 3 the production of these two substrates significantly increased. Formate and acetate are important metabolites of the Krebs cycle. The changes of these two substrates are important signs that embryos start glycolysis after Day 3. Table 1.Quadratic means and mean standard errors of formate, lactate, myo-inositol, pyruvate, and acetate for Day 1–3, 3–5, 5–7, and control groups
Can a Microwave Heat up Coffee? How English- and Japanese-Speaking Children Choose Subjects in Lexical Causative Sentences.

Languages differ greatly in how they express causal events. In languages like Japanese, the subjects of causative sentences, or causers, are generally animate and intentional, whereas in other languages like English, causers range widely from animate beings to inanimate objects (e.g. Wolff, Jeon & Li, 2009). This paper explores when children learn to represent cause in their native tongue and how this learning occurs over the course of development. English- and Japanese-speaking preschoolers watched animations that were caused by (i) humans acting intentionally, (ii) humans acting accidentally, (iii) objects that generate energy (e.g. a machine), and (iv) objects that do not generate energy (e.g. a tool). Children were then asked to choose a good description of the event between two options. At age three, English- and Japanese-speaking children performed the task in similar ways, attending only to the intention of causal agents; however, at age four, speakers of the two languages diverged. English speakers were more likely to accept energy-generating objects such as machines as the subject of a lexical causative sentence than Japanese speakers.
Cancer Metastases: So Close and So Far

Metastases are tumors that develop at a distance from their primary origin and are responsible for the death of 90% of cancer patients. For over a century the notion of seed (migrating cells) and soil (the locus where those cells anchor) provided an accurate account of which were the protagonists in their genesis. Despite aggressive efforts to unravel the dynamics involving migrating cells and the niche in which they anchor, explanations of this process remain ill-defined and controversial. The controversy is generated by the different premises that researchers adopt to integrate the vast amount of data collected at different levels of biological organization. The so-far hegemonic theory of cancer and its metastases has been the somatic mutation theory (SMT) and a number of its variants: They consider that cancers and their metastases represent a cell-based, genetic and molecular disease. This interpretation has been challenged by the tissue organization field theory (TOFT), which considers instead that cancer is a tissue-based disease, akin to development gone awry. In this Commentary, the merits of both theories are compared now in the context of metastases. Based on the epistemological shortcomings of the SMT and the acknowledged failure of therapeutic approaches based on this theory, we conclude that TOFT explains comprehensibly carcinogenesis and the appearance of metastases.
A Cross Racial Comparison of Personality Traits between Athletes and Nonathletes

Abstract This study was designed to investigate the differences in four personality traits between Negro and white athletes and nonathletes utilizing the Gordon Personal Profile. Six hypotheses, all stated in the null form, were used in comparing the different groups. A total of 111 subjects were divided into four groups based upon their ethnic background and athletic ability. The results produced seven significant differences at the .05 level: three between white athletes and white nonathletes; one between Negro varsity athletes and Negro nonathletes; and three between white varsity athletes and Negro nonathletes. These results suggested that white varsity athletes were significantly different and ranked higher in Ascendancy, Responsibility, and Emotional Stability traits when compared to Negro and white nonathletes. They also suggested that Negro varsity athletes were significantly different and ranked higher in Responsibility when compared to Negro nonathletes. No significant differences occurred when ...
Energy Concepts of Aerobic Microbial Metabolism

Three different energy concepts of cell yield are investigated using synthesis data measured in mixed aerobic cultures for 15 different substrates. These include, the energy-synthesis concepts of McKinney, Servizi and Bogan, and McCarty. Growth, substrate removal, and oxygen uptake measurements at 25○ C. are correlated with various thermodynamic functions including enthalpy and free energy. Efficiency measurements based upon free energy computations agree with McCarty's results. However, the study results conflict with the magnitude of cell yield per unit change of free energy of oxidation as estimated by Servizi and Bogan. Conclusions regarding the validity of McKinney's heat loss-cell yield relationship were not possible although the proportionality between heat of reaction and oxygen utilization was verified. This latter relationship is based upon hypothetical oxidative assimilation equations computed from the experimental data and assumed protoplasm formulations. Substrates used in the study included compounds representing the basis food substances of carbohydrates, fatty and amino acids.
Pungency: A reason for the sluggish expansion of hot spicy foods from the tropics.

Reply to: Abdel-Salam OME. Preference for hot pepper: A complex interplay of personal, cultural, and pharmacological effects. Temperature 2016; 3:38-9; http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/23328940.2015.11112...
Synthesis of a phosphorano-stabilized U(IV)-carbene via one-electron oxidation of a U(III)-Ylide adduct

Addition of the Wittig reagent Ph(3)P═CH(2) to the U(III) tris(amide) U(NR(2))(3) (R = SiMe(3)) generates a mixture of products from which the U(IV) complex U═CHPPh(3)(NR(2))(3) (2) can be obtained. Complex 2 features a short U═C bond and represents a rare example of a uranium carbene. In solution, 2 exists in equilibrium with the U(IV) metallacycle U(CH(2)SiMe(2)NR)(NR(2))(2) and free Ph(3)P═CH(2). Measurement of this equilibrium as a function of temperature provides ΔH(rxn) = 11 kcal/mol and ΔS(rxn) = 31 eu. Additionally, the electronic structure of the U═C bond was investigated using DFT analysis.
The Influence of Widely Fluctuating Temperatures on Heat Production and Energetic Efficiency of Broilers

Broiler chicks 4 and 4.5 weeks of age were subjected to the following temperature regimens for the experimental periods which ranged from 18 to 24 days in three experiments: cyclic cold temperature (1.7 to 12.8 C), cyclic hot temperature (23.9 to 35 C), cyclic normal temperature (12.8 to 23.9 C), and "changing" temperature. The birds of the "chaning" temperature regimen were rotated from the hot to the cold room and back allowing three days at each temperature on each cycle so that the overall mean temperature was similar for the birds of the changing and the normal regimens during experimental periods. In one experiment three diets with different energy and protein levels were used. The metabolizable energy per kilogram and percent protein were s follows: 3200 and 20 (control diet), 3200 and 17 (low protein diet), and 2800 and 20 (low energy diet). In two other experiments either the control diet or both the control and low energy diets wereused. The response to the different diets was similar at all temperatures so that no diet X temperature interaction occurred. Heat production as a percentage of metabolizable energy intake was least for birds kept at the normal temperature, intermediate for birds subjected to the changing temperatures, and greatest for birds of the cold and hot temperatures. Also, energy gain as percentage of metabolizable energy intake was greatest for birds housed at the normal temperature. The lower energetic efficiency of birds in the changing temperature as compared to birds in the normal temperature suggested an increase in energy cost for maintaining body temperature when chicks were subjected to a widely fluctuating temperature.
Hypoxic ascites in broilers: a review of several studies done in Colombia.

In Bogota, Colombia, broilers developed ascites due to pulmonary hypertension of hypoxic origin at 2638 m above sea level. This disease has tremendous economic impact in various countries of the world and is characterized by pulmonary hypertension, hypertrophy and hyperplasia of the right ventricle of the heart, increased hematocrit and hemoglobin values, and ascites. This entity appears to be influenced by management practices and by inability of broilers to adapt to high altitude.
A Brief Talk About Laser Measurement's Application in Engine Assembly Process

the application of laser detection technology,such as laser interferometric length,ranging,speed,scan etc..Laser measurement is a kind of non-contact measurement,does not affect the measured object movement,high precision,large measuring range,short detection time,no damage to the object to be measured.The valve packing lines in the engine cylinder head assembly with laser non-contact detection for lock wood pressure detection results installed after a judge for follow-up and investigation.
399 COMPARISON OF COGNITIVE FUNCTION AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN WOMEN WITH HYPOPITUITARISM: ROLE OF ANDROGENS

Objective: The role of testosterone in cognitive and psychological function in women remains poorly understood. Women with hypopituitarism have severely diminished ovarian and adrenal androgen production and thus represent an excellent model to study the consequences of androgen deficiency. We hypothesized that women with hypopituitarism would exhibit altered psychological function and decreased quality of life as a result of androgen deficiency. Method: Total testosterone, cognitive function and quality of life questionnaires (POMS, NHP Questionnaire, Fatigue Impact Scale, SCL-90-R) were obtained from 15 women with documented hypopituitarism (median age 37.5±7.1, BMI 28.1±5.2) and 9 aged-matched healthy volunteers (median age 26±9.2, BMI 25.6±4.2) in an IRB-approved study. Results: Total testosterone levels were markedly diminished among women with hypopituitarism (4.7±3.9 ng/dL) compared to normal volunteers (25.5±2.7 ng/dL, p≤0.0005). All cognitive function and quality of life questionnaires (POMS, p≤0.001; NHP Questionnaire, p≤0.005; Fatigue Impact Scale, p≤0.005; SCL-90-R, p≤0.05) showed marked differences in psychological function and fatigue in the patients with documented hypopituitarism compared to aged-matched healthy volunteers controls. Conclusion: Based on this data, we postulate that testosterone deficiency in women with hypopituitarism leads to impairment of cognitive function and a marked decrease in their quality of life. These data provide compelling rationale for placebo-controlled, randomized trials of testosterone replacement in women with hypopituitarism.
Extending patient care office hours: what factors are important to consider?

BACKGROUND Primary care physicians are feeling increasing pressure to see more ambulatory patients each day, and most practices are considering expanded hours. The goal of this study was to identify factors that physicians and office personnel felt were important to consider when deciding whether to extend patient care office hours. METHODS We used a qualitative descriptive study design with focus groups to elicit responses from office personnel. We recorded and transcribed unstructured interviews and used an editing style of data analysis to identify important factors. We then categorized the factors and compared them with the transcripts to identify which personnel groups considered each category of factors important. RESULTS Eight categories of factors emerged from the focus group discussions. Some factors were common to more than one category. The most important categories were: defining the purpose of this schedule change (addressing specific office needs); impact on the quality of resident education; disruption of complex office schedules; and impact on time outside the office, and the potential disruption of the balance between personal and professional commitments. CONCLUSIONS A broad spectrum of office-specific characteristics and personal considerations has to be considered when deciding whether to extend office hours. These factors are interdependent, and their importance varies among office personnel groups. The factors can be considered in a systematic fashion, however, providing a practice with useful, objective data on which to base its decision.
Tendon transfer to unossified bone in a porcine model: potential implications for early tibialis anterior tendon transfers in children with clubfeet

Tibialis anterior tendon transfers (TATT) are commonly performed in young children following Ponseti casting for clubfeet. The classic TATT involves advancing the tendon through a hole drilled in the ossified cuneiform. The aim of this study was to determine if tendons transferred through unossified bones have untoward effects on subsequent bone development. Twenty-five piglets underwent one of five surgical procedures. An 18-gauge needle was then used to place a tunnel through the bony or cartilaginous portion of the calcaneus (through direct visualization) and isolated slips of the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) were placed through the tunnels, as determined by surgical procedure. Radiographic and/or histologic evaluations of the calcaneal apophyses were then performed. A discrete (1–4) and dichotomous “Normal” or “Abnormal” scoring system was developed and its reliability assessed to grade the appearance of the calcanei. Calcaneal appearances following the surgical procedures were then compared with controls. The average load to failure of a subset of transferred tendons was then compared using an MTS machine. The proposed apophyseal grading system (1–4) demonstrated an intraclass correlational coefficient (ICC) for consistency of 0.92 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.88 < ICC < 0.95] and ICC for agreement of 0.91 (95% CI 0.86 < ICC < 0.95), indicating strong agreement and consistency. Similarly, Fleiss’ kappa for the 1–4 scoring system was found to be 0.67, indicating substantial agreement between reviewers. When the 1–4 system was translated into the dichotomous scheme “Normal” and “Abnormal”, the kappa value increased to 0.94, indicating strong agreement. Forty-six apophyses (13 control and 33 operative) were assessed using this scoring scheme. Apophyseal transfers were significantly more abnormal than controls (p < 0.0001), while no difference in abnormalities was found following tunnel placement alone (p = 1). Mechanical testing of the tendons transferred to bone or through the cartilaginous apophysis demonstrated no significant differences (p = 0.2). Tendon transfers through unossified bones altered subsequent bone development. While the long-term consequence of these structural changes is unknown, these findings suggest that tendon transfers through unossified bones should be avoided and alternative methods of tendon fixation explored.
Big biology meets microclimatology: defining thermal niches of ectotherms at landscape scales for conservation planning.

Temperature profoundly affects ecology, a fact ever more evident as the ability to measure thermal environments increases and global changes alter these environments. The spatial structure of thermalscapes is especially relevant to the distribution and abundance of ectothermic organisms, but the ability to describe biothermal relationships at extents and grains relevant to conservation planning has been limited by small or sparse data sets. Here, we combine a large occurrence database of >23 000 aquatic species surveys with stream microclimate scenarios supported by an equally large temperature database for a 149 000-km mountain stream network to describe thermal relationships for 14 fish and amphibian species. Species occurrence probabilities peaked across a wide range of temperatures (7.0–18.8°C) but distinct warm- or cold-edge distribution boundaries were apparent for all species and represented environments where populations may be most sensitive to thermal changes. Warm-edge boundary temperatures for a native species of conservation concern were used with geospatial data sets and a habitat occupancy model to highlight subsets of the network where conservation measures could benefit local populations by maintaining cool temperatures. Linking that strategic approach to local estimates of habitat impairment remains a key challenge but is also an opportunity to build relationships and develop synergies between the research, management, and regulatory communities. As with any data mining or species distribution modeling exercise, care is required in analysis and interpretation of results, but the use of large biological data sets with accurate microclimate scenarios can provide valuable information about the thermal ecology of many ectotherms and a spatially explicit way of guiding conservation investments.
Impact of contrast exposure from computed tomography angiography on acute kidney injury after neonatal cardiopulmonary bypass surgery.

OBJECTIVE Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent complication after cardiopulmonary bypass (CBP) for cardiac surgery in neonates. It is unclear if exposure to computed tomography angiography (CTA) in the preoperative period increases the risk of AKI. We hypothesized a short interval between CTA and CPB surgery would be associated with higher rates of AKI in infants. DESIGN In this single center retrospective review of patients between 2012 and 2015, neonates less than one month old were analyzed if they had CTA prior to cardiac surgery with CPB. Baseline, demographic, fluid balance, and laboratory data was analyzed. AKI was staged according to KDIGO criteria. RESULTS Fifty-six neonates were analyzed. AKI developed in 42 (75%) of patients; severe AKI (KDIGO stages 2 and 3) occurred in 18 (32%). Patient characteristics were similar at baseline and at time of CTA between those with and without severe AKI. Patients with severe AKI had longer CPB time, lower postoperative urine output, higher peak serum creatinine, and longer hospital length of stay. When considering intervals between CTA and CPB surgery ≤1 day (n = 19), ≤3 days (n = 28), and >3 days (n = 28); there was no difference in AKI incidence nor postoperative outcomes among these three interval cohorts. CONCLUSION Routine exposure to CTA and CPB surgery in close succession does not appear to increase the risk of AKI after neonatal cardiac surgery. Though other risks need to be weighed (eg, sedation, intubation, radiation exposure), this result may enable more liberal utilization of CTA for preoperative surgical planning of congenital heart operations in patients with unclear or complex anatomy.
Filtration performance of electrospun acrylonitrile-butadiene elastic fiber mats in solid aerosol filtration

Abstract Elastic acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer fibers were electrospun to fabricate fiber mats of five different basis weights: 10, 20, 30, 45, and 60 g/m2. The fiber mats were investigated for properties of pore diameter and permeability. As the basis weight increased, bubble point and mean flow pore diameters as well as the permeability/mat-thickness values decreased. The fiber mats were tested as filter media for capture of NaCl nanoparticles from aerosol flow. Due to the elastic nature of the fibers, the mats were tested in stretched and non-stretched conditions to evaluate changes in filter performance. The pressure drop and penetration of the filter media were calculated using correlations from literature and by assuming idealized properties of constant mat thickness or constant mat volume when the mat is stretched. Experimentally, the fiber mats of higher basis weights yielded higher pressure drops and lower penetrations compared to lower basis weight mats. The stretched fiber mats showed decreased pressure drops and increased particle penetrations compared to the non-stretched mats due to the enlargement of pores within the mats. The FI values were about the same between stretched and non-stretched mats of same starting basis weights.
A motivational interview promotes retention of blood donors with high internal motivation

BACKGROUND Based on the hypothesis that self-determined motivation is associated with an increased likelihood of future behavior, the present study examined the ability of a motivational interview to promote internal motivation for giving blood and future donation attempts. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS A sample of 484 recent whole-blood and double red blood cell donors (62.4% female; age = 30.2 ± 11.8 years) were randomly assigned to either a telephone-delivered motivational interview or a control call approximately 6 weeks after donating. Several weeks before the call and again 1 week after the call, participants completed the Blood Donor Identity Survey, a multidimensional measure of donor motivation, to derive indices of amotivation, external motivation, and internal motivation to give blood. Repeat donation attempts were tracked using blood center records. RESULTS Relative to controls, participants in the motivational interview group showed a shift toward more self-determined motivation, as indicated by significant decreases in amotivation (p = 0.01) and significant increases in external (p = 0.009) and internal (p = 0.002) motivation. Furthermore, those with initially high levels of autonomous motivation were more likely to make a donation attempt in the subsequent year if they completed the motivational interview (71.1%) versus the control call (55.1%). CONCLUSION Motivational interviewing is a potentially useful strategy to enhance retention of existing blood donors, particularly among those who express a greater sense of internal motivation for giving.
Positive emotional well-being, health Behaviors, and inflammation measured by C-Reactive protein.

Abstract Objective There is a substantial body of literature describing the association between inflammatory biomarkers and negative emotional factors (i.e. depression). However, less is known about how they might be related to positive psychological variables. This study examined the association between positive emotional well-being (PEWB) and C-Reactive Protein (CRP), an inflammatory biomarker important for cardiovascular and other diseases. Method Data were analyzed from 1979 respondents to a nationwide survey in the U.S., which included a chronically ill subgroup. Two aspects of PEWB were assessed; positive affect and life satisfaction. CRP was analyzed via blood-spot from a finger-prick. The mediating role of health behaviors (i.e., smoking, alcohol, BMI, and moderate exercise) was also examined. Results Both positive affect and life satisfaction were significantly related to lower CRP even after controlling for demographics and depression, in both the overall sample and chronically ill group. Only life satisfaction remained significantly related to CRP when controlling for health behaviors. When both depression and health behaviors were controlled, neither positive affect nor life satisfaction was significantly related to CRP. Moderate exercise emerged as the strongest mediator, followed by BMI and smoking. Individuals with low positive affect or low life satisfaction were at increased odds (OR = 1.40 and OR = 1.54, respectively) of having clinically elevated (≥3 mg/L) CRP. Conclusion Our results add to a growing literature reporting an association between aspects of PEWB, especially life satisfaction, and a health-related biomarker of inflammation. Those with low positive affect or life satisfaction face increased risk of having clinically elevated CRP. Health behaviors, especially BMI and moderate exercise, account for some but not all of this relationship. Future studies should determine whether increasing life satisfaction and positive affect may contribute to improvements in health behaviors, inflammation, and better health outcomes.
Clinical and radiographic outcomes of the Kramer osteotomy in the treatment of bunionette deformity.

Abstract Background Bunionette deformity is a painful bony prominence of the 5th metatarsal. We evaluated outcomes of using a Kramer osteotomy to treat this condition. Methods Retrospective study of patients treated with a Kramer osteotomy from 2003 and 2016. Outcome measures included Foot Functional Index (FFI) and radiographic measurements. Results 38 patients (43 feet) with an average follow-up of 55 months. Mean postoperative FFI 1 1Foot Functional Index. was 19.4. Mean 4-5 IMA 2 24th-5th Intermetatarsal Angle. improved 3.9°, from 8.3° preoperatively to 4.4° on final postoperative films (p 3 35th Metatarsophalangeal Joint. angle improved 13.2° from 13.6° preoperatively to 0.4° at final follow-up (p Conclusions The Kramer osteotomy is an effective treatment option in patients with bunionette deformity, with significant correction of the 4-5 IM 2 and MTP-5 3 angles and few complications.
Application of STATCOM for MVDC shipboard power system

This paper proposes a solution to deal with the unsymmetrical transient faults in the Medium Voltage DC Shipboard Power System (MVDC SPS), which is employing Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM) on the AC load side of the SPS. An improved Genetic Algorithm (FGA) approach is also introduced to design the STATCOM's controller. The performance of the proposed FGA-based controller design compared with the GA-based STATCOM design under different operating conditions and faults. The simulation results confirm that the optimal design of the controller with FGA optimization technique provides an acceptable post-disturbance and post-fault performance to recover the system to its normal situation.
Ultralow Impedance Graphene Microelectrodes with High Optical Transparency for Simultaneous Deep Two‐Photon Imaging in Transgenic Mice

The last decades have witnessed substantial progress in optical technologies revolutionizing our ability to record and manipulate neural activity in genetically modified animal models. Meanwhile, human studies mostly rely on electrophysiological recordings of cortical potentials, which cannot be inferred from optical recordings, leading to a gap between our understanding of dynamics of microscale populations and brain-scale neural activity. By enabling concurrent integration of electrical and optical modalities, transparent graphene microelectrodes can close this gap. However, the high impedance of graphene constitutes a big challenge towards the widespread use of this technology. Here, we experimentally demonstrate that this high impedance of graphene microelectrodes is fundamentally limited by quantum capacitance. We overcome this quantum capacitance limit by creating a parallel conduction path using platinum nanoparticles. We achieve a 100 times reduction in graphene electrode impedance, while maintaining the high optical transparency crucial for deep 2-photon microscopy. Using a transgenic mouse model, we demonstrate simultaneous electrical recording of cortical activity with high fidelity while imaging calcium signals at various cortical depths right beneath the transparent microelectrodes. Multimodal analysis of Ca2+ spikes and cortical surface potentials offers unique opportunities to bridge our understanding of cellular dynamics and brain-scale neural activity.
A Case Study in Communication Disorders

Often, children with language disorders exhibit other more subtle delays or deviance in social, communicative, and cognitive development. By focusing on these three areas, the clinician can understand the developmental context in which the language delay manifests. This approach includes the following: gathering information, psychological and communicative examinations, psychiatric examination, and medical evaluation.
Entomophthovirus: An insect-derived iflavirus that infects a behavior manipulating fungal pathogen of dipterans

We discovered a virus infecting Entomophthora muscae, a behavior-manipulating fungal pathogen of dipterans. The virus, which we name Entomophthovirus, is a capsid-forming, positive-strand RNA virus in the viral family iflaviridae, whose known members almost exclusively infect insects. We show that the virus RNA is expressed at high levels in fungal cells in vitro and during in vivo infections of Drosophila melanogaster, and that virus particles are present in E. muscae. Two close relatives of the virus had been previously described as insect viruses based on the presence of viral genomes in transcriptomes assembled from RNA extracted from wild dipterans. By analyzing sequencing data from these earlier reports, we show that both dipteran samples were co-infected with E. muscae. We also find the virus in RNA sequencing data from samples of two other species of dipterans, Musca domestica and Delia radicum, known to be infected with E. muscae. These data establish that Entomophthovirus is widely, and seemingly obligately, associated with E. muscae. As other members of the iflaviridae cause behavioral changes in insects, we speculate on the possibility that Entomophthovirus plays a role in E. muscae involved host manipulation.
Determining Cardiorespiratory Fitness With Precision: Compendium of Findings From the FRIEND Registry

Healthy living (HL) behaviors and characteristics are central to both preventing and treating a myriad of chronic diseases; a key HL characteristic is cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). Knowing an individual's CRF provides vital information when assessing health status and formulating a plan of care. Normative reference values as well as thresholds that denote varying degrees of health and future risk exist for measures of CRF. However, improving upon the precision of CRF reference standards according to key factors as well as precision in how CRF assessments can be used to assess health status and prognosis is needed. The current review will: 1) provide an overview of current approaches to CRF assessment and interpretations; 2) describe more recent efforts to improve upon the precision of CRF values; and 3) describe the Fitness Registry and the Importance of Exercise: A National Data Base (FRIEND) for the precision of CRF as a clinical measure.
Wait-free Dynamic Transactions for Linked Data Structures

Transactional data structures support threads executing a sequence of operations atomically. Dynamic transactions allow operands to be generated on the fly and allows threads to execute code in between the operations of a transaction, in contrast to static transactions which need to know the operands in advance. A framework called Lock-free Transactional Transformation (LFTT) allows data structures to run high-performance transactions, but it only supports static transactions. We extend LFTT to add support for dynamic transactions and wait-free progress while retaining its speed. The thread-helping scheme of LFTT presents a unique challenge to dynamic transactions. We overcome this challenge by changing the input of LFTT from a list of operations to a function, forcing helping threads to always start at the beginning of the transaction, and allowing threads to skip completed operations through the use of a list of return values. We thoroughly evaluate the performance impact of support for dynamic transactions and wait-free progress and find that these features do not hurt the performance of LFTT for our test cases.
Distributed Learning of Deep Neural Networks using Independent Subnet Training.

Distributed machine learning (ML) can bring more computational resources to bear than single-machine learning, reducing training time. Further, distribution allows models to be partitioned over many machines, allowing very large models to be trained -- models that may be much larger than the available memory of any individual machine. However, in practice, distributed ML remains challenging, primarily due to high communication costs. We propose a new approach to distributed neural network learning, called independent subnet training (IST). In IST, a neural network is decomposed into a set of subnetworks of the same depth as the original network, each of which is trained locally, before the various subnets are exchanged and the process is repeated. IST training has many advantages over standard data parallel approaches. Because the subsets are independent, communication frequency is reduced. Because the original network is decomposed into independent parts, communication volume is reduced. Further, the decomposition makes IST naturally model parallel, and so IST scales to very large models that cannot fit on any single machine. We show experimentally that IST results in training time that are much lower than data parallel approaches to distributed learning, and that it scales to large models that cannot be learned using standard approaches.