cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neonatal, moribund and undead T cells: the role of the liver in T cell development

T lymphocytes may be isolated from the mouse liver, and these cells have been interpreted as immature T cells in an extrathymic development pathway. However, the evidence in favor of this hypothesis is indirect, and there is some evidence that is contradictory. Most significantly, the genes RAG-1 and RAG-2, which are necessary for T cell receptor gene recombination to occur, are not expressed in liver T cells. A subset of liver T cells are undergoing apoptosis, which is the basis of an alternative model in which the liver is a site of peripheral T cell deletion. This model also provides an explanation for the accumulation of abnormal T cells in mice with the lpr mutation.
Perceived Needs of Parents of Critically Ill Children

purpose. To identify the needs of parents of critically ill hospitalized children as perceived by the parents and critical care nurses, and to identify any differences between the two groups. design. Descriptive, comparative. setting. Pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in a Midwestern hospital. participants. A nonprobability convenience sample of parents or primary caregivers of critically ill children (n = 21) and pediatric critical care nurses (n = 17). outcome measures. Critical Care Family Needs Inventory modified for pediatrics and demographic questionnaires. results. Information, assurance, and proximity to the critically ill child were identified as priority needs of the PCGs in this study. Significant differences on specific needs were identified between PCG/nurse matched pairs; however, no significant differences were found in total scores between the two groups by a two-tailed paired t test. conclusions. This study supports the need to investigate interventions to better address parental needs of critically ill children. By consistent identification, prioritization, and incorporation of parental needs into the plan of care, nurses can assist the parents in the recognition and fulfillment of needs that have less perceived importance. Research-based interventions will facilitate improved parental adaptation to their child's critical hospitalization.
Involving the public in nuclear terrorism preparedness: Reflections on the Washington Nuclear Summit

The global challenge of nuclear and radiological terrorism demands a global response—and public involvement.
Hormones and Cancer is Alive and Well at ICE/ENDO 2014

This June 21–24 kicks off the joint meetings of the 16th International Congress of Endocrinology (ICE) and The Endocrine Society’s (ES) 96th AnnualMeeting & Expo. Of note, this joint meeting held in Chicago (McCormick Place Convention Center) will be the world’s largest gathering of scientists and endocrinologists working in the field of hormone research, including those focused on the intersection of hormones and cancer.
Acoustical and behavioral correlates of profitability of food sources in honey bee round dances

The effects of the profitability of food sources on round dance behavior of honey bees (Apis mellifera) were studied by varying the concentration of sucrose solution imbibed at an artificial flower. The probability of dancing and the rate of reversals in the dance increased with concentration, as did several aspects of the dance sounds: mean carrier frequency, duration of the sound bursts, pulse repetition rate, number of sound bursts per dance, and amplitude. Significant variation among bees was detected in rate of reversals, but not for the other variables. The question of how bees communicate profitability in the round dance is discussed and further work is suggested.
Defining the Relationship among Founding Resources, Strategies, and Performance in Technology‐Intensive New Ventures: Evidence from the Semiconductor Silicon Industry*

The degree to which a firm's performance is dependent on its resources and strategies is widely debated in the literature. We examine this issue by analyzing historical data on the entire populatio...
Myriad-Type Polynomial Filtering

Linear combinations of polynomial terms yield poor performance in environments characterized by heavy-tailed distributions. Weighted myriad (WMy) filters, however, are well known for their outlier suppression and detail preservation properties. It is shown here that the WMy methodology is naturally extended to the polynomial sample case, yielding filter structures that exploit the higher order statistics of the observed samples while simultaneously being robust to outliers for heavy-tailed distributions environments. Moreover, the introduced power weighted myriad (PWMy) filter class is well motivated by analysis of cross- and square-term statistics of heavy-tailed distributions. The effectiveness of the proposed filter is evaluated through simulations
Domestic and foreign finance in modern Peru, 1850-1950 : financing visions of development

Colonial and post-independence heritage the domestic financial structure, 1884-1950 elite groups and private financial management financial aspects of regional and income inequalities financial policies and the state interaction of foreign and domestic finance.
Transcriptional repression of PGC-1α by mutant huntingtin leads to mitochondrial dysfunction and neurodegeneration

Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disease caused by a glutamine repeat expansion in huntingtin protein. Transcriptional deregulation and altered energy metabolism have been implicated in HD pathogenesis. We report here that mutant huntingtin causes disruption of mitochondrial function by inhibiting expression of PGC-1alpha, a transcriptional coactivator that regulates several metabolic processes, including mitochondrial biogenesis and respiration. Mutant huntingtin represses PGC-1alpha gene transcription by associating with the promoter and interfering with the CREB/TAF4-dependent transcriptional pathway critical for the regulation of PGC-1alpha gene expression. Crossbreeding of PGC-1alpha knockout (KO) mice with HD knockin (KI) mice leads to increased neurodegeneration of striatal neurons and motor abnormalities in the HD mice. Importantly, expression of PGC-1alpha partially reverses the toxic effects of mutant huntingtin in cultured striatal neurons. Moreover, lentiviral-mediated delivery of PGC-1alpha in the striatum provides neuroprotection in the transgenic HD mice. These studies suggest a key role for PGC-1alpha in the control of energy metabolism in the early stages of HD pathogenesis.
The Literature of Conservatism

The second article of the “Library Bill of Rights” proclaims: “Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.” Keeping this article in mind, have librarians always adhered to it? Cal Thomas, vice president of the Moral Majority, does not think so. In Book Burning (1982), he accuses the liberal establishment of censoring the writings of conservatives. For too long, conservatives have been branded as the arch banners when, in fact, they have faced prohibitive treatment from liberals. Thomas insists that some liberal publishing houses do not want to bring out a work espousing conservative ideals no matter how well‐written it is. Liberal extremist groups pressure publishing houses to reject their manuscripts. Liberal critics dismiss their books in a few sentences or do not review them at all. The large bookstore chains fail to stock their books, therefore depriving the reading public of exposure to them. And Thomas' final regret is that librarians turn a cold shoulder to books by conservatives, excluding them from their collections and, more importantly, from the judgment of history.
Square-free rings

Square-free algebras have been studied in a variety of settings amd have been completely characterized by Anderson and D ’Ambrosia. In this paper, we extend the definition of square-free to Artinian rings with identity and begin to develop the theory of square-free rings. We show that every square-free ring has an associated division ring and square-free semigroup. Many square-free rings are square-free D -algebras, i.e. rings of the form D⊗ K A where D is a division ring with center K and A is a square-free K-algebra. We present a characteriza-tion of all square-free D -algebras and provide examples of square-free rings that are not D-algebras.
Electrostatic fields near the active site of human aldose reductase: 1. New inhibitors and vibrational stark effect measurements.

Vibrational Stark effect spectroscopy was used to measure electrostatic fields in the hydrophobic region of the active site of human aldose reductase (hALR2). A new hALR2 inhibitor was designed and synthesized that contains a nitrile probe with a Stark tuning rate of 0.77 cm-1/(MV/cm). Mutations to amino acid residues in the vicinity of the nitrile functional group were selected based on electrostatics calculations, possible complications from hydrogen bonds near the nitrile, and comparison with the active site of human aldehyde reductase, whose structure is very similar. Changes in the absorption energy of the nitrile probe when bound to those mutated proteins were then used to quantify perturbations to the protein's electrostatic field. Electrostatic field changes as large as −10 MV/cm were observed. Measured electrostatic fields were compared to predictions based on continuum electrostatics calculations, revealing that substantial modifications to the calculation strategy are necessary. The effects of ...
Max Weber's “Author's Introduction” (1920): A Master Clue to his Main Aims

The prominent recent repetition of a widespread miscue on the date and description of Weber's magisterial Author's Introduction to the Collected Essays in the Sociology of Religion may serve as an apt point of departure for this essay which I happily dedicate to Talcott Parsons. Apart from his other writings to which only passing reference is made in the present essay, Prof. Parsons' Structure of Social Action and his annotated translation of Weber's Protestant Ethic offered me-and offered very many others-indispensable aid in uncovering the structure and meanings of Weber's pioneering investigations into the comparative historical sociology of the world religions.*
An automated comparative analysis of 17 complete microbial genomes.

Motivation: As sequenced genomes become larger and sequencing becomes faster, there is a need to develop accurate automated genome comparison techniques and databases to facilitate derivation of genome functionality; identification of enzymes, putative operons and metabolic pathways; and to derive phylogenetic classification of microbes. Results: This paper extends an automated pair-wise genome comparison technique (Bansal et al., Math. Model. Sci. Comput., 9, 1-23, 1998, Bansal and Bork, in First International Workshop of Declarative Languages, Springer, pp. 275-289, 1999) used to identify orthologs and gene groups to derive orthologous genes in a group of genomes and to identify genes with conserved functionality. Seventeen microbial genomes archived at ftp://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genbank/genomes have been compared using the automated technique. Data related to orthologs, gene groups, gene duplication, gene fusion, orthologs with conserved functionality, and genes specifically orthologous to Escherichia coli and pathogens has been presented and analyzed. Availability: A prototype database is available at ftp: //www.mcs.kent.edu/ ∼ arvind/intellibio/orthos.html. The software is free for academic research under an academic license. The detailed database for every microbial genome in NCBI is commercially available through intellibio software and consultancy corporation (Web site: http:// www.mcs.kent.edu/ ∼ arvind/intellibio.html).
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug and phospholipid prodrugs: combination therapy with antisecretory agents in rats.

Abstract BACKGROUND & AIMS: The gastrointestinal side effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are reduced by antisecretory agents. The effects of combination therapy on the gastrointestinal toxicity and therapeutic activity of free and phospholipid-associated NSAIDs were investigated in rats. METHODS: Fasted rats, pretreated with either saline or an antisecretory dose of omeprazole, ranitidine, or cimetidine, were intragastrically administered saline, aspirin, or indomethacin. In ulcer models, gastric lesions in aspirin-treated rats and intestinal bleeding in indomethacin-treated rats were measured. For antipyretic and analgesic activity, rectal body temperature in febrile rats and the rats' pain sensitivity to pressure applied to an inflamed limb were measured, respectively. RESULTS: NSAID-induced gastrointestinal ulceration and bleeding were reduced in rats pretreated with antisecretory agents and abolished in rats administered phospholipid-associated NSAIDs in combination with inhibitors of acid secretion. The antipyretic and analgesic activity of both NSAIDs was attenuated in rats pretreated with an antisecretory agent. This pH- dependent block in therapeutic activity was overcome if the NSAID was preassociated with a phospholipid to enhance the drug's lipophilic characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Combination therapy of antisecretory agents and NSAIDs, chemically associated with phospholipids, has distinct advantages with regard to both low gastrointestinal toxicity and restored therapeutic activity. (Gastroenterology 1996 Oct;111(4):990-5)
Oxidation of a single active site suffices for the functional inactivation of the dimeric Bacillus subtilis OhrR repressor in vitro

Bacillus subtilis OhrR is a dimeric repressor that senses organic peroxides and regulates the expression of the OhrA peroxiredoxin. Derepression results from oxidation of an active site cysteine which ultimately results in formation of a mixed disulfide with a low molecular weight thiol, a cyclic sulfenamide, or overoxidation to the sulfinic or sulfonic acids. We expressed a single-chain OhrR (scOhrR) in which the two monomers were connected by a short amino-acid linker. scOhrR variants containing only one active site cysteine were fully functional as repressors and still responded, albeit with reduced efficacy, to organic peroxides in vivo. Biochemical analyses indicate that oxidation at a single active site is sufficient for derepression regardless of the fate of the active site cysteine. scOhrR with only one active site cysteine in the amino-terminal domain is inactivated at rates comparable to wild-type whereas when the active site is in the carboxyl-terminal domain the protein is inactivated much more slowly. The incomplete derepression noted for single active site variants of scOhrR in vivo is consistent with the hypothesis that protein reduction regenerates active repressor and that, in the cell, oxidation of the second active site may also contribute to derepression.
Coercing Privacy and Moderate Paternalism: Allen on Unpopular Privacy

My hope is that by challenging two of the central claims of Unpopular Privacy, Professor Allen will be encouraged to expand or further clarify her views. First, I will critique Allen’s definition of privacy as being overly broad. On my view, including forced seclusion or isolation along with rights to control access to and uses of locations and information within the category of “privacy” is a mistake. Similarly, to describe legal protections for keeping doctor and patient confidences as coercing, rather than protecting privacy rights, seems a stretch. Second, I will challenge Allen’s justification for moderate paternalism. Our government may indeed be treating us like children in a variety of ways, but such policies are unjustified and create or sustain the very weaknesses they are supposed to ameliorate.
The Rhyacophila of the Salmon River Drainage of Idaho with Special Reference to Larvae

Eighteen species of Rhyacophila were found in the Salmon River drainage of Idaho in collections made during 1964, 1965, and 1966. The larvae of Rhyacophila acropedes Banks, angelita Banks, bifila Banks, coloradensis Banks, hyalinata Banks, oreta Ross, rotunda Banks, tucula Ross, vaccua Milne, vagrita Milne, vao Milne, vepulsa Milne, verrula Milne, and vocala Milne were found, and are described and figured. Distributional and bionomical data are presented for most species. Some of the Rhyacophila species encountered exhibited differences in their seasonal occurrence. Differences in adult diurnal activity periods also were noted and are recorded. An attempt was made to evaluate the preferred larval habitat of each species, but information was not sufficient to permit definite conclusions.
Transforming pathways activated by the v-Abl tyrosine kinase.

The Abelson Murine Leukemia Virus (A-MuLV) is the acute transforming retrovirus encoding the v-abl oncogene. Two isolates of the virus encoding proteins of p120 Kd and 160 Kd have been extensively studied. These viral isolates have been found to transform both hematopoietic and fibroblastic cells in vitro, while inducing predominantly pre-B cell leukemias in vivo. Both p120 v-Abl and p160 v-Abl are plasma membrane-associated non-receptor tyrosine kinases and the transforming activity of these proteins requires their tyrosine kinase activity. A-MuLV infection of hematopoietic cells has often been found to result in the abrogation of their cytokine-dependence for growth. In addition, v-Abl expressing hematopoietic cells often lose their ability to differentiate in response to appropriate cytokines. This review discusses some of the early transformation studies of A-MuLV, as well as some of the findings concerning the structure and biochemical activity of the v-Abl protein. Finally, we discuss the mechanisms associated with v-Abl mediated transformation through examination of the various signal transduction pathways activated by this oncogene.
The prevalence and severity of dental caries in Chad: a pilot study.

Objective: This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence and severity of dental caries among a cross section of a sample from different locations in Chad as part of a general assessment of their oral health status. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive survey of a nationwide sample included volunteers, 10 years or older, for a total of 1,011 participants. The survey consisted of a brief interview followed by a 1-2 minute oral examination of each subject. Results: The mean age of the participants was 29.61 ±12.59 years and the total mean value for Decayed/Missing/Filled Teeth (DMFT)=1.96 ±1.78. Females had a higher mean DMFT (2.72 ±1.88); decayed (2.82 ±1.07); missing teeth (1.81±1.14) than males (1.61 ±1.60): decayed (2.11 ±1.09); missing (1.45 ±0.89, respectively; all p 30 years) had higher DMFT (2.79±1.93) than the younger group (d"30 years; p<0.001). Urban area showed lower DMFT (1.81 ±1.68) than rural areas (2.31 ±1.95). Conclusion: In this study, the prevalence of dental caries is very low which is similar to the most of the African Saharan and sub-Saharan countries. However, there is need to establish caries control programs to prevent tooth decay in the future and help people maintain lifelong dental health.
Peripheral vascular function, oxygen delivery and utilization: the impact of oxidative stress in aging and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction

The aging process appears to be a precursor to many age-related diseases, perhaps the most impactful of which is cardiovascular disease (CVD). Heart disease, a manifestation of CVD, is the leading cause of death in the USA, and heart failure (HF), a syndrome that develops as a consequence of heart disease, now affects almost six million American. Importantly, as this is an age-related disease, this number is likely to grow along with the ever-increasing elderly population. Hallmarks of the aging process and HF patients with a reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) include exercise intolerance, premature fatigue, and limited oxygen delivery and utilization, perhaps as a consequence of diminished peripheral vascular function. Free radicals and oxidative stress have been implicated in this peripheral vascular dysfunction, as a redox imbalance may directly impact the function of the vascular endothelium. This review aims to bring together studies that have examined the impact of oxidative stress on peripheral vascular function and oxygen delivery and utilization with both healthy aging and HFrEF.
Incidence and risk factors for gastrointestinal bleeding among patients admitted to medical intensive care units

Objectives To identify incidence and risk factors for new-onset gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) in a medical intensive care unit (ICU), a topic for which there is a paucity of recent studies. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Medical ICUs at our tertiary-care hospital, from 2007 to 2013. Patients Patients who developed clinically significant GIB after entering the ICU. Interventions Univariable and multivariable analyses. Main outcome measures Incidence and risk factors for development of GIB. Results 4439 patients entered the medical ICU without a pre-existing GIB and 58 (1.3%) developed GIB while in the ICU. Risk factors included length of ICU stay (OR per additional day 1. 06; 95% CI 1.04 to 1.09) and elevated creatinine on ICU admission (OR 2.35; 95% CI 1.18 to 4.68, p=0.02). Elevated bilirubin on ICU admission (OR 2.08; 95% CI 0.97 to 4.47, p=0.06), and elevated aspartate transaminase (AST) on ICU admission (OR 2.20; 95% CI 0.96 to 5.03, p=0.06) trended towards increased risk of GIB that did not meet statistical significance. Age, gender, admission coagulation studies and mechanical ventilation were not predictive of GIB. Among those patients with new-onset GIB in the ICU, 47% died during that hospitalisation, as compared with those 30% of those without a GIB, p Conclusions Onset of GIB is now an infrequent occurrence in the ICU setting; however those with elevated bilirubin, AST and creatinine upon admission, and with longer length of ICU stay appear at increased risk and may benefit from closer monitoring.
NON-FOOD AGRO-INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH INFORMATION DISSEMINATION (NF-AIRID) NETWORK: A Concerted Action Supported by the European Commission, DG XII AIR Programme

ABSTRACT This Concerted Action ( Coombs et al., 1995 ) established a Network of 15 National Network Leaders (NNLs) throughout Europe to collect and disseminate information on non-food uses of agricultural/forest raw materials. Participants include universities, research institutes and companies seeking partners for activities under EC Framework 4, end users and public sector groups. These include the feed, fabric and paper industries, common interest groups, government departments and policy-makers. After 18 months, over 1500 Registrants are regularly receiving information from NF-AIRID, with a continuing growth at around 5% per month. At the time of writing, responses indicate that all aspects of non-food agro-industrial uses of crops and forestry are of interest, with the following areas receiving greatest attention: Raw materials - wood (lignocellulose), vegetable oils/fats, fibre; Products - liquid biofuels, paper/pulp, biopolymers/gums; Technologies - biotechnology, biological conversion, process engineering. The Network can also be accessed through a World Wide Web site on the InterNet.
Musculoskeletal Involvement in SSc is Associated with Worse Scores on Short Form-36 and Scleroderma Health Assessment Questionnaire and Lower Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Gene Expression in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells:

BackgroundSystemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by a wide variety of symptoms and disease manifestations including joint pain, gastrointestinal dysfunction, interstitial lung disease, and cardi...
Racial/Ethnic Differences in Sleep Disorders and Reporting of Trouble Sleeping Among Women of Childbearing Age in the United States

Objectives Whether racial/ethnic differences in prevalence/reporting of sleep disorders exist in pregnant women/women of child-bearing age is unknown. Study objectives were to estimate prevalence of sleep disorders and to examine racial/ethnic differences in sleep disorders, reporting of sleep issues, and amount of sleep among women of child-bearing age (15–44 years) in the US. Methods Through a secondary analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2010 (3175 non-pregnant, 432 pregnant women in main analysis), prevalence of sleep disorders, reporting of sleep disorders to a physician/health professional, and amount of sleep were estimated overall, by pregnancy status, and by race/ethnicity stratified by pregnancy status. Racial/ethnic differences in reporting of trouble sleeping by pregnancy status were examined using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Results Prevalence of diagnosed sleep disorders among women of childbearing age was 4.9 % [3.9 % pregnant; 5.1 % non-pregnant (p < 0.01)]. Significantly fewer pregnant and non-pregnant minority women reported adequate sleep (7–8 h) than non-Hispanic white (white) women (p < 0.05). Among non-pregnant women, odds of report of trouble sleeping were significantly higher for white compared to black (aOR 0.47 [95 % CI 0.36, 0.61]) or Mexican-American women (aOR 0.29 [95 % CI 0.21, 0.41]); non-pregnant minority women were also significantly less likely to report trouble sleeping than white women when controlling for amount of sleep. Among pregnant women, these same trends were found. Discussion Compared to white women, minority women, despite reporting less adequate sleep, are less likely to report trouble sleeping, providing evidence of an important health disparity.
The Interaction of HNO With Transition Metal Centers and Its Biological Significance. Insight Into Electronic Structure From Theoretical Calculations

HNO is a biological effector molecule of growing significance that is proposed to act both as a signaling molecule in mammals, but also as a drug that elevates the detrimental effects of heart attack and stroke by preventing reperfusion injuries. Although the endogenous production of HNO has never been shown rigorously, chemists have discovered a number of pathways that nature could use to produce this molecule from NO, many of them involving transition metal centers. In addition, in its potential role as a signaling molecule, transition metal centers, especially heme and nonheme iron sites, are prime candidates as HNO receptors. In this regard, it is also noteworthy that soluble guanylate cyclase has been proposed to be activated by HNO. In this chapter, we elucidate the electronic structure of heme–HNO complexes with a special focus on their potential role in biology. Other recently discovered HNO complexes based on pentacyanoferrate and [Ru II (Me 3 [9]aneN 3 )(bpy)] 2+ are also included. Insight into the electronic structure of all of these HNO complexes is derived from carefully performed quantum-chemical calculations, usually DFT methods, in close correlation to the available experimental (spectroscopic) data. A critical perspective on the successes and failures of DFT in accomplishing this goal is also provided. For this purpose, the ability of different DFT methods to predict (a) accurate binding constants of biologically relevant molecules to ferrous hemes, and (b) the p K a ’s of HNO complexes is evaluated.
Cisplatin and Cetuximab Treatment for Metastatic Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUNDCutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the second most common form of skin cancer and metastasizes in 2% to 5% of cases.OBJECTIVESystematic evaluation of published cases of metastatic cSCC (mSCC) treated with cisplatin or cetuximab from 1989 to 2014.MATERIALS AND METHODSA literature s
A Long-Term Study of Prognosis on Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance.

Abstract From 1976 to 2006, 547 patients have been identified and followed for monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). Criteria of inclusion included presence of serum monoclonal protein of a concentration of 2 g per deciliter or less; no or moderate amounts of monoclonal light chains in the urine; the absence of lytic bone lesions, anemia, hypercalcemia, and renal insufficiency related to the monoclonal protein; and proportion of plasma cells in the bone marrow of 5% or less. Patients identified as MGUS were followed every 6 months with physical examination, CBC, chemistries, and paraprotein studies. Ages ranged from 32 – 100 years (median 70 years). There were 214 males and 333 females. Over the 30 years of observation, 61 patients have developed disease progression: myeloma 29, lymphoma 12, macroglobulinemia 10, chronic lymphocytic leukemia 7, and amyloid 3. Time to develop myeloma ranged from 2–24 years (median 6 years), macroglobulinemia 2–8 years (median 5 years), and amyloid 3–10 years (median 10 years). Patients developed myeloma throughout the entire period of observation: 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10, 10, 11, 14, 15, 15, 18, 20, and 24 years. Survival from diagnosis of myeloma was 1+ – 14+ months (median 36 months) for myeloma and 24 – 108+ months (median 48 months) for macroglobulinemia. The only reliable method of identifying progression of disease to myeloma/macroglobulinemia/amyloid was serial determinations of paraprotein level. In this large series followed for 30 years, with a more restricted diagnosis of MGUS (paraprotein level ≤ 2 g per deciliter and 5% or less bone marrow plasma cells), 1% of all patients identified developed progression of disease. No patient developed disease progression in less than 2 years using the more restricted diagnosis. Risk of progression increased with time with patients developing myeloma even 20 years or longer of follow-up. Serial evaluations of paraprotein levels are indicated in patients identified as MGUS.
Atmospheric Effects on Muon Flux at Project GRAND

GRAND consists of 64 proportional wire chamber detector stations located just north of the University of Notre Dame and has been used to detect muon events since 1995. In this study, the data has been analyzed to inves- tigate the contribution of atmospheric pressure and temperature, and calculate correction coefficients. This study used GRAND single track muon flux data and NOAA balloon and weather station data from 4 October 2005 through 31 November of 2009 to investigate trends in muon flux caused by temperature changes as well as surface pressure vari- ations. To easily consider the effect of temperature, the upper air data sets were reduced to the altitude of the pressure corresponding to the interaction length of a 50 GeV proton, 8.53 kPa. This analysis yields a pressure correction coef- ficient of -0.98 and a temperature correction coefficient of -0.57.
Stereotypes of Stay-at-Home and Working Mothers

To empirically investigate the conjectured rivalry between stay-at-home mothers (SAHMs) and working mothers (WMs), we focused on stereotypes and attitudes about these two mother subgroups. In Study 1, mothers and nonmothers (N = 672) identified the content of 28 SAHM stereotypes and 21 WM stereotypes. In Study 2, different mothers and nonmothers (N = 499) reported on the stereotypes’ prevalence and valence. Principal components analyses evidenced six prevalent stereotype profiles for SAHMs and five prevalent stereotype profiles for WMs. Between-group differences (i.e., SAHMs, WMs, and nonmothers) emerged for stereotype prevalence, cognitive dimensions of ingroup/outgroup attitudes (i.e., warmth and competence), and outgroup homogeneity. These results demonstrate the combative intergroup nature of these mother subgroups and sexism surrounding the idealization of motherhood.
Sexual Orientation Discordance and Nonfatal Suicidal Behaviors in U.S. High School Students

Introduction Studies among adults have documented association between sexual orientation discordance and some suicide risk factors. However, studies examining sexual orientation discordance and nonfatal suicidal behaviors in youth are rare. This study examines the association between sexual orientation discordance and suicidal ideation/suicide attempts among a nationally representative sample of U.S. high school students. Methods Using sexual identity and sex of sexual contact measures from the 2015 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (n=6,790), a sexual orientation discordance variable was constructed describing concordance and discordance (agreement and disagreement, respectively, between sexual identity and sex of sexual contacts). Three suicide-related questions (seriously considered attempting suicide, making a plan about how they would attempt suicide, and attempting suicide) were combined to create a two-level nonfatal suicide risk variable. Analyses were restricted to students who identified as heterosexual or gay/lesbian, who had sexual contact, and who had no missing data for sex or suicide variables. The association between sexual orientation discordance and nonfatal suicide risk was assessed using logistic regression. Analyses were performed in 2017. Results Approximately 4.0% of students experienced sexual orientation discordance. High suicide risk was significantly more common among discordant students compared with concordant students (46.3% vs 22.4%, p Conclusions Sexual orientation discordance was associated with increased likelihood of nonfatal suicidal behaviors. Discordant adolescents may experience unique stressors that should be considered when developing and implementing suicide prevention programs.
Robust sensor placement for pipeline monitoring: Mixed integer and greedy optimization

Abstract Intelligent water systems – aided by sensing technologies – have been identified as an important mechanism towards ensuring the resilience of urban systems. In this work, we study the problem of sensor placement that is robust to intermittent failures of sensors, i.e. sensor interruptions. We propose robust mixed integer optimization (RMIO) and robust greedy approximation (RGA) solution approaches. The underlying idea of both approaches is to promote solutions that achieve multiple detectability of events, such that these events remain detectable even when some sensors are interrupted. Additionally, we apply a previously proposed greedy approximation approach for solving the robust submodular function optimization (RSFO) problem. We compare scalability of these approaches and the quality of the solutions using a set of real water-networks. Our results demonstrate that considering sensor interruptions in the design stage improves sensor network performance. Importantly, we find that although the detection performances of RMIO and RGA approaches are comparable, RMIO generally has better performance than RGA, and is scalable to large-scale networks. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that RMIO and RGA approaches tend to outperform the RSFO approach.
LinearFold: Linear-Time Prediction of RNA Secondary Structures

Predicting the secondary structure of an RNA sequence with speed and accuracy is useful in many applications such as drug design. The state-of-the-art predictors have a fundamental limitation: they have a run time that scales with the third power of the length of the input sequence, which is slow for longer RNAs and limits the use of secondary structure prediction in genome-wide applications. To address this bottleneck, we designed the first linear-time algorithm for RNA secondary structure prediction, which can be used with both thermodynamic and machine-learned scoring functions. Our algorithm, like previous work, is based on dynamic programming (DP), but with two crucial differences: (a) we incrementally process the sequence in a left-to-right rather than in a bottom-up fashion, and (b) because of this processing, we can further employ beam search pruning to ensure linear runtime in practice (with the cost of exact search). Even though our search is approximate, surprisingly, it results in even higher overall accuracy on a diverse database of se- quences with known structures. In particular, it leads to significantly more accurate predictions on the longest sequence families in that database (16S and 23S Ribosomal RNAs), as well as improved accu- racies for long-range base pairs (500+ nucleotides apart).
Using Agent Importance to Combat Preference Manipulation in Group Decision Making

We consider a problem that can arise in group decision-making when the selection process is based upon a group preference function obtained by an aggregation of the individual preference functions of the group members. We observe the possibility of the individual agents strategically manipulating the information they provide so as to further their own goal of getting their most preferred alternative selected by the group. With this in mind we suggest ways of modifying the formulation of the group decision functions to discourage strategic manipulation by the participating agents.
Profile Characteristics and Behavioral Change Trajectories of Young Residential Children

We aimed to identify profile characteristics for a recent sample of young residential children, examine the differential impact that profile characteristics have on behavior change, and describe the relationship between behavioral symptomatology and length of stay in residential treatment. A sample of 142 consecutively admitted residential treatment children were studied over a five-year period. Hierarchical Linear Modeling was the primary statistical method used to analyze behavioral rating data for a subset of 57 children assessed by teachers and treatment staff using the Devereux Scales of Mental Disorders. Younger age, female gender, and lower IQ were associated with increased levels of psychopathology. Residential length of stay was strongly linked to levels of behavioral symptomatology. HLM is a valuable analytic strategy that employs client profile characteristics to model behavioral change trajectories and help predict treatment responsiveness. System reform philosophies that promote expectations for rapid symptom improvement and removal of residential treatment from the continuum of care may exceed current treatment capacities.
EGTAOnline: An Experiment Manager for Simulation-Based Game Studies

Empirical game-theoretic analysis (EGTA) is a promising methodology for studying complex strategic scenarios through agent-based simulation. One challenge of utilizing this methodology is that it can require tremendous amounts of computation. Constructing the payoff matrix for a game of even moderate complexity entails significant data gathering and management concerns. We present EGTAOnline, an experiment management system that simplifies the application of the EGTA methodology to large games. We describe the architecture of EGTAOnline, explain why such a tool is practically important, and discuss avenues of research that are suggested through the use of EGTAOnline.
Irony and the Modern Theatre: Irony and dialectic: Shaw's Candida

Eugene Marchbanks is among the youngest of the magnificent oddballs of drama. He is fashioned by Bernard Shaw as an eighteen-year-old quixotic and contradictory spirit, shy by his own description yet consciously and intrusively assertive, poetic in sensibility but of undetermined talents. Marchbanks intrudes into the home of James and Candida Morell and in doing so forms a household triangle that is only quasi-romantic and yet distinctly dialectical in matters of conjugal, sexual, courtly, and familial relations. In essence, Marchbanks is a complicated dialectic unto himself. He is at once acutely perceptive and painfully jejune, an ardent suitor with scant sexuality, outspoken and determined and yet feckless and obfuscating at the same time. As Shaw's agent provocateur, however, he is a superb instigator, neatly able to defy and then erode James Morell's self-satisfaction while convincing himself that he loves and is the best possible match for Morell's wife. The mastering irony for Marchbanks, of course, is that his desire for Candida is so strongly qualified by reticence and that hers for him is so mysterious regarding its motivations and goals. Yet such qualifications, significant as they may be, are mitigated in light of Shaw's broader dialectical program. In truth, and as William Irvine points out, if Shaw had wanted a truly potent sexual threat to enter the Morell household, he could easily have made Marchbanks older, more single-minded, and more robust.
Genome-wide identification of enhancer elements in the placenta

Normal placental development is essential for a healthy pregnancy, and is contingent upon tight spatiotemporal regulation of gene expression. One level of transcriptional control is via enhancer elements in the genome. Enhancers are distal cis-regulatory elements that can impact gene expression regardless of their position or orientation. The study of enhancers in the placenta is usually focused on one or two at a time, and the simultaneous identification of all enhancers has been limited. However, such a holistic approach is necessary if we are to gain a systems-level understanding of gene expression regulation in the placenta. Here, we review current methods for genome-scale enhancer identification, as well as studies that have applied those techniques in the placenta, with the aim of guiding future research.
Role of Feldspar and Pyroxene Minerals in the Ice Nucleating Ability of Three Volcanic Ashes

The mineralogical and immersion-mode freezing properties of volcanic ashes from three volcanoes, Volcan de Fuego and Santiaguito in Guatemala, and Soufriere Hills Volcano, in Montserrat, were exami...
Common Aminoglycosides and Platinum-Based Ototoxic Drugs: Cochlear/Vestibular Side Effects and Incidence

This is a reference chart that identifies 16 aminoglycoside antibiotics and platinum based drugs that could be cochleotoxic, vestibulotoxic or both. Using the most currently available data from published research from the National Library of Medicine's PubMed data base, incidence figures and risk factors are included in the chart along with the potential of permanence of reversibility of the impairment.
Identifying Gender Disparities and Barriers to Measuring the Status of Female Faculty: The Experience of a Large School of Medicine.

Abstract Background: Women in academic medicine are not attaining parity with men in several domains. This issue is not only one of fairness; some funding agencies are requesting data on gender ben...
Adjoint Sensitivity Analysis of High-Impact Extratropical Cyclones

AbstractThe initial state sensitivity of high-impact extratropical cyclones over the North Atlantic and United Kingdom is investigated using an adjoint modeling system that includes moist processes...
Association of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundations’ social determinants of health and Medicare hospitalisations for ischaemic strokes: a cross-sectional data analysis

Objective Social determinants of health (SDH) have previously demonstrated to be important risk factors in determining health outcomes. To document whether the SDH are associated with hospitalisations for ischaemic stroke. Methods This cross-sectional study examines data from fiscal year 2015. Patients from the national Medicare 100% Inpatient Limited Dataset were linked with SDH measures from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) County Health Rankings. Medicare patients were included in the study group if they had either an admitting or primary diagnosis of ischaemic stroke. Counties without RWJF data were excluded from the study. Ischaemic strokes were compared with all other hospitalisations associated with characteristics of the SDH measures and benchmarked to above or below their respective national median. Estimates were performed with nested logistic regression. Results Approximately 256 766 Medicare patients had ischaemic stroke hospitalisations compared with all other Medicare patients (n=6 386 180) without ischaemic stroke hospitalisations while 30 853 patients were excluded due to residence in US territories. Significant factors included air pollution exceeding the national median (OR 1.06; 95% CI 1.05 to 1.07), per cent of children in single parent households exceeding the national median, (OR 1.02; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.03), violent crime rates exceeding the national median, (OR 1.02; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.03) and per cent smoking exceeding the national median, (OR 1.02; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.03). Conclusions When cross-sectional SDH are benchmarked to national median for ischaemic stroke hospitalisations and compared with all-cause hospitalisations, the effects remain significant. Further research on the longitudinal effects of the SDH and cardiovascular health, particularly disease-specific outcomes, is needed.
Design of a High Toughness Epoxy for Superconducting Magnets and Its Key Properties

Author(s): Yin, S; Swanson, J; Shen, T | Abstract: Nb3Sn accelerator magnets are poised to enable the luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, improving its potential for exploring physics beyond the standard model of particle physics. The prototype Nb3Sn magnets consistently need 10-25 quenches to achieve their best performance. A hypothesis is that the long training of these magnets may at least be partially induced by epoxy cracking and bonding failures. In 2018, we showed that several existing epoxies have a higher toughness and less tendency to crack at low temperatures than CTD-101K, the epoxy resin with which almost all Nb3Sn accelerator magnets have been impregnated. Here we explore a new high toughness formulation for reducing quench training of Nb3Sn accelerator magnets, through combining two amine curing agents to achieve a good glass transition temperature $(T_{g})$, adding a viscosity reducer to achieve low viscosity, and experimenting a coupling agent for improved bonding strengths. We report results of comprehensive materials tests, including thermal shock, tensile, compressive, shear tests, viscosity and $T_{g}$ tests.
Abstract 807: Predictive biomarkers for Bevacizumab activity in recurrent glioblastoma: A single institution study

Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive type of astrocytoma and the most common malignant brain tumor in adults. Bevacizumab is a recombinant monoclonal antibody that targets VEGF-A. VEGF is regulated by the hypoxia-inducible-factor (HIF-1α) pathway, with the tumor suppressor gene TP53 as one of the key regulating factors. Our study examines the relevance of various genetic mutations of the HIF-1α pathway and their predictive significance in patients diagnosed with recurrent GBM and treated with bevacizumab. A total of 41 patients diagnosed with recurrent GBM and treated with Bevacizumab at Virginia Commonwealth University from January 1990 through November 2018 were included in our study. Our study cohort consists of 56.1% males and 43.9% females, with an average age of 59.9 (SD 12.1), and 68.3% were Caucasian. The majority (90%) of the cohort were classified as de novo cases of GBM. The overall survival (OS) was 172.5 days (95% CI: 122.0, 218.5), with a minimum of 11 days and maximum of 904 days measured from the date of the first bevacizumab treatment to the date of death. The majority of patients (70.7%) responded to treatment, with 61% exhibiting a partial response and 9.8% exhibiting a complete response. The median first response to treatment (FRT) was 34 days (95% CI: 21, 40), with a minimum of 2 days and maximum of 76. All patients died during the follow-up period. Survival analyses for OS, along with FRT, were both performed with Kaplan-Meier curves generated individually. We have examined the clinical characteristics of our study cohort and are currently examining the genetic characteristics of the tumors in our cohort. At the time of the conference we will have updated genomic and radiographic data in addition to the current detailed clinical data. Citation Format: Marcin Dragan, Matthew Carli, Mark Malkin, Victor Yazbeck. Predictive biomarkers for Bevacizumab activity in recurrent glioblastoma: A single institution study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 807.