cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Competition on Stereotypes about Sex-Role and Marital Satisfaction

Summary Sex-role stereotypes attributed to descriptions of married couples were examined. Ratings of the “femininity” or “masculinity” of couples were made by 259 male and female undergraduates. In the competitive conditions, couples were described as attending medical or law school. Their performance was described as successful or unsuccessful. In the noncompetitive conditions, they enacted traditional roles. “Masculine” traits were associated with achievement and “feminine” traits with nonachievement, for both female and male stimulus persons. The low-achieving female and the housewife were rated as equally “feminine.” When the couple were in the same field, the husband was rated as more “masculine” than when they were in different fields. Male raters tended to see the husband as less “masculine” when his wife was successful; female raters saw him as less “masculine” when his wife was unsuccessful. When the husband was rated second, he was rated as more “masculine” than when he was rated first. Marital ...
Added utility of gadolinium in the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) workup of seizures in children younger than 2 years.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the added utility of gadolinium administration in the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) workup of seizures in children younger than 2 years. A computerized retrospective search of the radiology information system identified all brain MRI examinations performed at the authors' institution from 1995 to 2002 for children younger than 2 years. Review of the clinical records revealed that 437 of a total 1466 brain magnetic resonance examinations performed on this subset of the pediatric population were performed as part of an initial seizure workup. Magnetic resonance reports and clinical notes were reviewed. MRI studies with enhancing lesions as well as those with equivocal findings were also reviewed in a consensus fashion by 2 senior neuro-radiologists and 2 radiology residents. Contrast administration was rated as essential, helpful, or not helpful for each study. Administration of contrast medium was felt to be essential in formulating a diagnosis in a total of 8 (...
High frequency of somatic frameshift BHD gene mutations in Birt-Hogg-Dubé-associated renal tumors.

The Birt-Hogg-Dube (BHD) syndrome is an inherited genodermatosis characterized by a predisposition to hamartomatous skin lesions, pulmonary cysts, and renal carcinoma. Seventy-seven renal tumors from 12 patients with germline BHD mutations were examined by DNA sequencing to identify somatic mutations in the second copy of BHD. Sequence alterations were detected in the majority of renal tumors (41 of 77, 53%), with loss of heterozygosity at the BHD locus in a minority of additional tumors (14 of 77, 17%). The somatic mutations were distributed across the entire gene, and the majority resulted in frameshifts that are predicted to truncate the BHD protein. These results support a role for BHD as a tumor suppressor gene that predisposes to the development of renal tumors when both copies are inactivated.
A piglet model of acute gastroenteritis induced by Shigella dysenteriae Type 1.

Background The lack of a standardized laboratory animal model that mimics key aspects of human shigellosis remains major obstacle to addressing questions on pathogenesis, screening therapeutics and evaluating vaccines.
Emerging Evidence for MicroRNAs as Regulators of Cancer Stem Cells

Cancer stem cells are defined as a subpopulation of cells within a tumor that are capable of self-renewal and differentiation into the heterogeneous cell lineages that comprise the tumor. Many studies indicate that cancer stem cells may be responsible for treatment failure and relapse in cancer patients. The factors that regulate cancer stem cells are not well defined. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate translational repression and transcript degradation. miRNAs play a critical role in embryonic and inducible pluripotent stem cell regulation and emerging evidence supports their role in cancer stem cell evolution. To date, miRNAs have been shown to act either as tumor suppressor genes or oncogenes in driving critical gene expression pathways in cancer stem cells in a wide range of human malignancies, including hematopoietic and epithelial tumors and sarcomas. miRNAs involved in cancer stem cell regulation provide attractive, novel therapeutic targets for cancer treatment. This review attempts to summarize progress to date in defining the role of miRNAs in cancer stem cells.
A Hybrid Computer Time Code Reader Used to Digitize Sounding Rocket Data

A technique is described for utilizing a hybrid computer as a time code reader and digitizer. The NASA 36-bit time code is an absolute time reference for digitizing analog signals to 1 mV resolution at a 1 kHz sampling rate. The analog computer circuit and the operation of the merged analog and digital computer systems is described. A result of this digitization process applied to analog signals recorded on magnetic tape during an Auroral sounding rocket flight is given as an example. This is a general technique that could be applied to other areas such as geology, meteorology, oceanography, and seismology.
Representation and Reasoning Under Uncertainty in Deception Detection: A Neuro-Fuzzy Approach

An analysis of the process and human cognitive model of deception detection (DD) shows that DD is infused with uncertainty, especially in high-stake situations. There is a recent trend toward automating DD in computer-mediated communication. However, extant approaches to automatic DD overlook the importance of representation and reasoning under uncertainty in DD. They represent uncertain cues as crisp values and can only infer whether deception occurs, but not to what extent deception occurs. Based on uncertainty theories and the analyses of uncertainty in DD, we propose a model to represent cues and to reason for DD under uncertainty, and address the uncertainty due to imprecision and vagueness in DD using fuzzy sets and fuzzy logic. Neuro-fuzzy models were developed to discover knowledge for DD. The evaluation results on five data sets showed that the neuro-fuzzy method not only was a good alternative to traditional machine-learning techniques but also offered superior interpretability and reliability. Moreover, the gains of neuro-fuzzy systems over traditional systems became larger as the level of uncertainty associated with DD increased. The findings of this paper have theoretical, methodological, and practical implications to DD and fuzzy systems research.
Summary of the Conference

In this summary of the 1982 Taniguchi Symposium on Topological Disorder in Condensed Matter I shall essay brief abstracts of each talk, using approximately a 20 to 1 time compression, on average. I shall try to group related contributions to elicit themes, and to make constructive criticism. It will not be possible to quote details. Before doing so, I shall report a few general impressions and give an overview of the Symposium.
A model of functional epistasis and linkage disequilibrium in populations with overlapping generations.

ABSTRACT A model of functional epistasis is proposed in which it is assumed that coupling and repulsion genotypes differ in metabolic efficiency and thus in development time and net fecundity. The implications of this model are investigated for iteroparous populations with fluctuating rates of increase. It is found that the fluctuations in rate of increase can lead to large fluctuations in gamete frequency and D , the coefficient of linkage disequilibrium, but that D will almost always have a value of zero at some point during the populations9 demographic cycle. Some of the model populations would be expected to be in a state of linkage disequilibrium only fleetingly: others would exhibit D -cycles interpretable as random fluctuation. Implications of the model for interpretations of existing data on linkage disequilibrium among enzyme loci in Drosophila are discussed.
Comment on A procedure for the estimation of the numerical uncertainty of CFD calculations based on grid refinement studies (L. Eça and M. Hoekstra, Journal of Computational Physics 262 (2014) 104-130)

Eca and Hoekstra [1] proposed a procedure for the estimation of the numerical uncertainty of CFD calculations based on the least squares root (LSR) method. We believe that the LSR method has potential value for providing an extended Richardson-extrapolation solution verification procedure for mixed monotonic and oscillatory or only oscillatory convergent solutions (based on the usual systematic grid-triplet convergence condition R). Current Richardson-extrapolation solution verification procedures [2–7] are restricted to monotonic convergent solutions 0 < R < 1. Procedures for oscillatory convergence simply either use uncertainty estimate based on average maximum minus minimum solutions [8,9] or arbitrarily large factors of safety (F S ) [2]. However, in our opinion several issues preclude the usefulness of the presented LSR method: five criticisms follow.
Amount of Testosterone on Laundered Clothing After Use of Testosterone Topical 2% Solution by Healthy Male Volunteers

Abstract Introduction Testosterone 2% solution (Axiron) applied to armpit(s) is used for replacement therapy in men with a deficiency of endogenous testosterone. Aim To determine the amount of testosterone on subjects' T-shirts 12 hours after applying testosterone solution, the residual testosterone on subjects' T-shirts after laundering, and the testosterone transferred to unworn textile items during laundering with worn T-shirts. Methods Healthy males ≥18 years old applied 2 × 1.5 mL of testosterone 2% solution to both axillae (total testosterone dose: 120 mg) and dressed in cotton long-sleeved T-shirts after a ≥3-minute waiting period. T-shirts were worn 12 hours before being removed and cut into halves, after which a 10 × 10 cm sample of each armpit area was excised for testosterone quantification before or after laundering with samples of unworn textiles. Main Outcome Measures Testosterone on worn T-shirts before and after laundering, and on unworn textiles laundered with the worn T-shirts. Results Twelve subjects enrolled and completed, with only minor adverse events. Mean testosterone in unwashed worn T-shirts was 7603 μg, with high between-subject variability (3359 μg to 13,069 μg), representing 13% of the dose to 1 armpit. Mean testosterone in worn, laundered T-shirts was 260 μg (7.55 μg to 1343 μg), representing 3% of the dose to 1 armpit. Mean transferred testosterone to other textiles during laundering ranged from 69 μg on texturized Dacron 56T Double to 10,402 μg on 87/13 nylon/Lycra knit, representing 0.0382% to 5.78% of the dose to 1 armpit. Conclusion Thirteen percent of the testosterone applied to axillae was transferred to T-shirts during wear. Ninety-seven percent of the transferred testosterone was removed from the T-shirts during washing, some of which was then absorbed to various degrees by other textiles. Clinical implications of these findings and biological activity of the remaining/transferred testosterone are unknown.
What's a Regulator to Do? Mandatory Consumer Arbitration, Dodd-Frank, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act addressed fundamental consumer protection issues involving securities, banking, and indeed the US economy. The act, known as Dodd-Frank, also contains language governing the use of predispute arbitration agreements (PDAAs) in consumer financial and investor contracts. Dodd-Frank created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and charged the new bureau with studying the use of PDAAs in consumer financial transactions and addressing PDAAs “if the Bureau finds that such a prohibition or imposition of conditions or limitations is in the public interest and for the protection of consumers…” This article examines the CFPB’s mission under Dodd-Frank as it relates to mandatory use of PDAAs in consumer financial contracts. Often called “mandatory arbitration” and more recently “forced arbitration,” the subject is perhaps more nuanced than the reader may realize. The article covers what CFPB must do under Dodd-Frank, what it may do if it so chooses, and what the author thinks the CFPB should do. Predicting what CFPB will do and whether it will succeed will not be easy. As that great philosopher Yogi Berra said, “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.”
Content matching for short duration speaker recognition

This work attempts to tackle the problem of content mismatch for short duration speaker verification. Experiments are run on both text-dependent and text-independent protocols, where a larger amount of enrollment data is available in the latter. We recently proposed a framework based on a deep neural network that explicitly utilizes phonetic information, and showed increased performance on long duration utterances. We show how this new framework can also yield significant improvements for short duration. We then propose an innovative approach to perform content matching, i.e. transforming a textindependent trial into a text-dependent one by mining content from a speaker’s enrollment data to match the test utterance. We show how content matching can be effectively done at the statistics level to enable the use of standard verification backends. Experiments – run on the RSR2015 and NIST SRE 2010 data sets – show relative improvements of 50% for cases where the content has been said during enrollment. While no significant improvements were observed for the general text-independent case, we believe that this work might pave the way for new research for speaker verification with very short utterances.
Natalizumab Discontinuation: Observational Study of University of Colorado Patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (P06.170)

Objective: Evaluate disease activity among relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis patients during transition off natalizumab therapy. Background Natalizumab (NTZ) is an effective disease modifying drug (DMD) for treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS)¹. Patients discontinue NTZ for many reasons, including increased risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML)². Many studies have demonstrated marked increases in gadolinium enhancing (Gd+) lesions and clinical activity among a subset of patients after NTZ withdrawal³. In our retrospective study, we characterized disease activity among patients with RRMS who transitioned off of NTZ. Design/Methods: Seventy-six patients were followed clinically and radiographically over 6 months following NTZ withdrawal. Decision to discontinue NTZ included increased or continued disease activity, adverse events, JCV seropositive status, and the decision to become pregnant. Alternative treatments were initiated after NTZ discontinuation (interferon-β 1a or -β 1b, glatiramer acetate, fingolimod, rituximab, pulsed steroids, or none). Intervals between NTZ discontinuation and start of alternative therapies were documented. Results: Thirty-seven subjects had return of clinical activity (relapse) following NTZ withdrawal. Median time to relapse after NTZ discontinuation was 3 months. Among relapses, the median time between NTZ discontinuation and initiation of an alternative DMD was 0.5 months. Nine severe relapses, defined as disease activity more than 2-fold higher than pre-NTZ were observed (MRI: average pre-NTZ = 0.5 Gd+ lesions; average post-NTZ withdrawal = 7.6 Dd+ lesions). Conclusions: Return of disease activity was noted clinically and radiographically. Disease activity increases within the first 3 months after NTZ discontinuation and is associated with increased time to alternative therapy. More studies are needed to identify patients at risk for increased disease activity in order to develop protocols that minimize disease burden following NTZ discontinuation. We will continue to evaluate the association of disease activity and choice of alternative DMD, duration of NTZ therapy, and interval between discontinuation of NTZ and initiation of alternative therapy. Disclosure: Dr. Nnunukwe has nothing to disclose. Dr. Schreiner has nothing to disclose.
Three Additional Specimens of The Eared Poor-Will from The State of Guerrero, México

On 6 May 1970, I observed a White-tailed Hawk (Buteo albicaudatus) and a Harris Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus) attack and kill a six-day-old wild Turkey poult (Meleagris gallopavo intermedia). The incident occurred at 11:35 CDT on King Ranch, Inc., Kleberg County, Texas. The events prior to and after the incident are as follows. While observing a Turkey hen with poults, I noticed a White-tailed Hawk diving for the ground. It spread its wings and extended its feet just before landing on the Turkey poult. Two or three seconds after the White-tailed Hawk hit the poult, a Harris Hawk also landed on the poult. The hawks were facing each other on the ground with their feet grasping the young bird. The Turkey hen left her hiding place, some 25 m away, and flew directly toward the two hawks. As she approached, the hawks released the poult and took to the air with the Turkey hen in close pursuit. After chasing the hawks for some 20 m and flying to a height of approximately 45 m, at one time almost straight up, the hen glided to the ground and promptly returned to her previous hiding place. I believe this incident is of scientific interest for the following reasons: (1) it increases our knowledge of the White-tailed Hawk, a relatively unstudied species; (2) it illustrates an instance of direct competition between two species of raptors; and (3) it adds to the knowledge of predation on very young wild Turkeys.
A determinant role for progesterone in the development of uterine sensitivity to decidualization and ovo-implantation.

The development of uterine sensitivity to decidualization and ovo-im plantation and the role of progesterone is reviewed. The synchronization of interactions between the ovum and endometrium the decidual cell response of the uterus uterine sensitivity and receptivity to the ovum decidual cell response as a model of the mechanism of the action of progesterone uterine receptivity to ovo-implantation the nature of estrogen activity during prenidation and the role of steroid hormone receptors in the development of uterine sensitivity and receptivity are discussed.
Writing Conferences in a Second Language Writing Classroom: Instructor and Student Perspectives

Teacher–student writing conferences are considered a valuable teaching method in composition courses, used mostly with the purpose of discussing students’ progress in their writing. This article presents an exploratory study on student and instructor expectations and perceptions of writing conferences in a semester-long writing course for multilingual students. The sample consists of 100 students who were enrolled in this course and eight instructors who were teaching it. The course examined here was designed to offer one lecture and one writing conference per week to each student, resulting in two writing conferences for each of the five writing tasks. The factors examined are teacher preparation time and strategy, format (individual and group writing conferences), length, frequency, topics discussed, and overall satisfaction. The authors collected data through extensive surveys that included Likert-type scales, item ranking, and open-ended questions. The results show that the students and their instructors regarded individual conferences of 10 minutes to be more effective than longer group conferences; however, participants voiced weaknesses of both types of conferences. The results and implications inform writing instructors and administrators about possible uses of such a course design and potential improvements for the use of writing conferences in second language writing courses.
De-differentiation of parotid acinar cells in vitro.

DE-DIFFERENTIATION OF PAROTID ACINAR CELLS IN VITRO Andrew S. Currie July 16, 2010 Background: When rat salivary gland cells are cultured in vitro, they dedifferentiate within 24 h. Hypothesis: Growth factors will prevent de-differentiation of primary cultures of parotid gland cells, and they will induce differentiation of ParC5 cells. DNA methylation drives de-differentiation and the loss of expression in cultured parotid cells. Methods: Rat parotid glands were collected and cultured in media using different combinations of growth factors. DNA was evaluated for methylation at various time points. Results: No media tested prevented the de-differentiation of parotid cells, and none induced differentiation of ParC5 cells. Limited variation in methylation of CpG sites was seen. Conclusion: Growth factors do not prevent de-differentiation in primary cell culture, nor do they activate differentiation in ParC5 cells. Global methylation of Mist1 does not cause de-differentiation; evidence supports that methylation of PSP increases over time.
The Toxicant Influence of the Ions in Solution on the Leaching Bacteria.

The mechanisms of bio-leaching and the toxicant influence coming from some kinds of ions during bioleaching of ore were expatiated,based on research work in recent years on this field.Because the poison of metallic ions(As~(3+),Ag~+,Hg~(2+),Mo~(3+)) affects the growth of bacteria,bacteria growth phase of the Lagwas prolonged and the metallic extraction efficiency was reduced.Because the poison of negative ions(Cl~(-)、SCN~(-)) affects the growth of bacteria during the biological oxidation.the inner structure of the bacteria was destroyed.
Evolution of Heart Transplantation

Heart transplantation has evolved from preliminary animal experimentation in the early part of this century to an accepted orthodox therapy for many patients with end-stage cardiac disease in the 1980s. The development of successful heart transplantation is traced from the laboratory to early clinical attempts and the subsequent validation of this therapy, principally by the Stanford group in the 1970s. The dramatic worldwide impact of the use of cyclosporine for immunosuppression in the practice of heart transplantation is reviewed. Resultant changes in the practice of heart transplantation are discussed as well as the future developments of totally implantable circulatory support systems and xenografting.
ANOVA models for Brownian motion

ABSTRACTWe investigate longitudinal models having Brownian-motion covariance structure. We show that any such model can be viewed as arising from a related “timeless” classical linear model where sample sizes correspond to longitudinal observation times. This relationship is of practical impact when there are closed-form ANOVA tables for the related classical model. Such tables can be directly transformed into the analogous tables for the original longitudinal model. We in particular provide complete results for one-way fixed and random effects ANOVA on the drift parameter in Brownian motion, and illustrate its use in estimating heterogeneity in tumor growth rates.
Primary Care Providers Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Related to Hepatitis C Screening and Treatment in the Oral Direct Acting Antiviral Agents Era.

Background: There are over 3 million Americans infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Despite recent advances in HCV treatment, a major barrier to care remains a limited number of treaters. HCV therapy provision by primary care providers (PCPs) could expand access by increasing the pool of HCV treating clinicians. Objective: To characterize current HCV care practices, willingness and self-efficacy of PCPs to become HCV treaters. Design, participants and main measures: Two hundred and seventy one PCPs were identified from community clinics affiliated with a large academic center and 4 large federally qualified health centers in Baltimore, MD. An internet-based survey was administered to assess provider demographics, clinical practice site and willingness to provide HCV care. Factors associated with willingness to provide HCV care were examined using odds ratios (OR). Key results: Among 129 (48%) PCPs who responded, the majority (70%) had an MD/DO degree and were white (60%). Only a few PCPs, 12 (10%), had treated at least 1 patient for HCV in the prior year. Although only 22% agreed that HCV treatment should be provided by PCPs, 84% were interested in more HCV training. Willingness to provide treatment was strongly linked to having a high proportion of HCV-infected patients (>20% versus <20%; OR 3.9; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.5-10) and availability of other services at the primary care site including HIV treatment (OR 6.5; 95% CI 2.5- 16.5), substance abuse treatment (OR 3.3; 95% CI 1.3-8.4) and mental health services (OR 4.9; 95% CI 2.0-12.1). Conclusion: These data suggest that efforts to expand HCV medical provider capacity will be most impactful if they initially focus HCV training on PCPs with a high prevalence of HCV among their patients and existing systems to support HCV care.
Patient Hospital Experience Improved Modestly, But No Evidence Medicare Incentives Promoted Meaningful Gains

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has played a leading role in efforts to improve patients’ experiences with hospital care. Yet little is known about how much patient experience has changed over the past decade, and even less is known about the impact of CMS’s most recent strategy: tying payments to performance under the Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) program. We examined trends in multiple measures of patient satisfaction in the period 2008–14. We found that patient experience has improved modestly at US hospitals—both those participating in the VBP program and others—with the majority of improvement concentrated in the period before the program was implemented. While certain subsets of hospitals improved more than others, we found no evidence that the program has had a beneficial effect. As policy makers continue to promote value-based payment as a way to improve patient experience, it will be critical to ensure that payment is structured in ways that actually drive improvement.
Hyaluronan synthase assembles hyaluronan on a [GlcNAc(β1,4)]n-GlcNAc(α1→)UDP primer and hyaluronan retains this residual chitin oligomer as a cap at the nonreducing end

Class I hyaluronan synthases (HAS) assemble [GlcNAc(β1,4)GlcUA(β1,3)]n-UDP at the reducing end and also make chitin. Streptococcus equisimilis HAS (SeHAS) also synthesizes chitin-UDP oligosaccharides, (GlcNAc-β1,4)n-GlcNAc(α1→)UDP (Weigel et al. 2015). Here we determined if HAS uses chitin-UDPs as primers to initiate HA synthesis, leaving the non-HA primer at the nonreducing (NR) end. HA made by SeHAS membranes was purified, digested with streptomyces lyase, and hydrophobic oligomers were enriched by solid phase extraction and analyzed by MALDI-TOF MS. Jack bean hexosaminidase (JBH) and MS/MS were used to analyze 19 m/z species of possible GnHn ions with clustered GlcNAc (G) residues attached to disaccharide units (H): (GlcNAcβ1,4)2-5[GlcUA(β1,3)GlcNAc]2-6. JBH digestion sequentially removed GlcNAc from the NR-end of GnHn oligomers, producing successively smaller GnH2-3 series members. Since lyase releases dehydro-oligos (dHn; M-18), only the unique NR-end oligo lacks dehydro-GlcUA. Hn oligomers were undetectable in lyase digests, whereas JBH treatment created new H2-6m/z peaks (i.e. HA tetra- through dodeca-oligomers). MS/MS of larger GnHn species produced chitin (2-5 GlcNAcs), HA oligomers and multiple smaller series members with fewer GlcNAcs. All NR-ends (97%) started with GlcNAc, as a chitin trimer (three GlcNAcs), indicating that GlcNAc(β1,4)2GlcNAc(α1→)-UDP may be optimal for initiation of HA synthesis. Also, HA made by live S. pyogenes cells had G4Hn chitin-oligo NR-ends. We conclude that chitin-UDP functions in vitro and in live cells as a primer to initiate synthesis of all HA chains and these primers remain at the NR-ends of HA chains as residual chitin caps [(GlcNAc-β1,4)3-4].
Closing Persistent Gaps in Knowledge About Edge Ecology

Edge effects are one of the most extensively studied ecological phenomena of the past 100 years. Despite the still-common perception that edge effects are overly complex and idiosyncratic, we do know a lot about the mechanisms that underlie them. A major review from 2004 described four fundamental mechanisms that cause most edge patterns. In general, altered resource distributions due to often-predictable gradients in the edge environment as well as access to multiple resources across edges accounts for the fundamental differences between habitat edges and interiors. However, altered species interactions near edges are another fundamental component of edge ecology and remain difficult to predict. Here, we follow up on that 2004 review and show that the same four mechanisms described there remain sufficient to explain most edge responses, but we highlight some new developments. Notably, we find that edge studies have widened to include many new habitat types, a more diverse taxa and broader regions of the world. Yet, even recent studies were often not designed to quantify critical metrics such as the depth or magnitude of edge influence. Further, sample sizes and study design continue to contribute to spurious variability and make comparing results difficult. These problems make extrapolation to larger scales problematic and a lack of effective tools for extrapolation complicate this goal even further. We offer suggestions on a set of best practices for designing edge studies and propose that future research should shift more towards extrapolation across landscapes.
Determination of Collision Cross Sections Using a Fourier Transform Electrostatic Linear Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer

Collision cross sections (CCSs) were determined from the frequency-domain linewidths in a Fourier transform electrostatic linear ion trap. With use of an ultrahigh-vacuum precision leak valve and nitrogen gas, transients were recorded as the background pressure in the mass analyzer chamber was varied between 4× 10-8 and 7 × 10-7 Torr. The energetic hard-sphere ion–neutral collision model, described by Xu and coworkers, was used to relate the recorded image charge to the CCS of the molecule. In lieu of our monoisotopically isolating the mass of interest, the known relative isotopic abundances were programmed into the Lorentzian fitting algorithm such that the linewidth was extracted from a sum of Lorentzians. Although this works only if the isotopic distribution is known a priori, it prevents ion loss, preserves the high signal-to-noise ratio, and minimizes the experimental error on our homebuilt instrument. Six tetraalkylammonium cations were used to correlate the CCS measured in the electrostatic linear ion trap with that measured by drift-tube ion mobility spectrometry, for which there was an excellent correlation (R 2 ≈ 0.9999). Although the absolute CCSs derived with our method differ from those reported, the extracted linear correlation can be used to correct the raw CCS. With use of [angiotensin II]2+ and reserpine, the corrected CCSs (334.9 ± 2.1 and 250.1 ± 0.5, respectively) were in good agreement with the reported ion mobility spectrometry CCSs (335 and 254.3, respectively). With sufficient signal-to-noise ratio, the CCSs determined are reproducible to within a fraction of a percent, comparable to the uncertainties reported on dedicated ion mobility instruments.
Synthetic approach to tailored physical associations in peptide-polyurea/polyurethane hybrids

Nature has achieved diverse functionality via hierarchical organization driven by physical interactions such as hydrogen bonding. Synthetically, polymer–peptide hybrids have been utilized to achieve these architectural arrangements and obtain diverse mechanical properties, stimuli responsiveness, and bioactivity. Here, we explore the impact of peptide ordering and soft/hard phase interactions in PEG-based non-chain extended and chain extended peptidic polyurea (PU) and polyurea/polyurethane (PUU) hybrids towards tunable mechanics. Increasing the peptide content of poly(e-carbobenzyloxy-L-lysine) (PZLY) revealed an increase in α-helical formation and modulation in amine/ether hydrogen bonding, suggesting enhanced intermolecular hydrogen bonding between peptide segments and soft/hard blocks. A balance of phase mixing and microphase segregation was observed depending on competitive hydrogen bonding and the hybrid architecture. This phase behaviour strongly modulated the mechanical response, particularly modulus and extensibility. We anticipate that this solid-state, synthetic framework will expand the reach of our peptide hybrids into biointerfacing materials, including scaffolds and responsive actuators via peptide selection.
Factors Associated With Frequency of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption Among US Adults With Diabetes or Prediabetes

Purpose:This study assessed the associations between sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake among US adults with diabetes or prediabetes.Design:Qu...
Incentivizing the direction of multi-capital toward inclusive capitalism

The financial system has been extraordinarily successful at moving capital to where it can create more financial value. But it has not been successful at moving capital to create social or environm...
Familial Cancer Risk Assessment Using BayesMendel

BayesMendel is an open-source software program created to provide individuals with personalized risk for carrying an inherited mutation of a cancer-causing gene and for developing cancer related to this mutation. BayesMendel is freely available as an R package (http://astor.som.jhmi.edu/BayesMendel/) or within the CancerGene software program (http://www4.utsouthwestern.edu/breasthealth/cagene/). Documentation for the R package is available on the web (http://astor.som.jhmi.edu/BayesMendel/BayesMendel.pdf) and questions can be directed to BayesMendel@jhu.edu.
Developing consumer-centered, nonprescription drug labeling: A study in acetaminophen

Background In the U.S., acetaminophen overdose has surpassed viral hepatitis as the leading cause of acute liver failure, and misuse contributes to more than 30,000 hospitalizations annually. Half to two thirds of acetaminophen overdoses are unintentional, suggesting the root cause is likely poor understanding of medication labeling or failure to recognize the consequences of exceeding the recommended maximum daily dosage. Purpose Elicit subject feedback about active ingredient and dosing information on over-the-counter (OTC) acetaminophen and elicit feedback on proposed plain-language text and icons. Methods Six focus groups, preceded by individual interviews, were conducted in April 2010 among 45 adults in two cities from two clinics and an adult basic education center. The individual interviews evaluated knowledge of OTC pain relievers, attention to product label information and literacy level while the group discussion elicited preference for label messages and icons. Analyses were conducted from April to June 2010. Results Forty-four percent read at or below the 6th-grade level. Individual interviews revealed that ® . The groups achieved consensus on a preferred icon for acetaminophen, desired explicit statement of potential liver damage in the warning against simultaneous use of acetaminophen products, and indicated preference for an icon and wording for maximum dose. Conclusions With the high prevalence of OTC use, a consumer-centered approach to developing icons and messages to promote awareness and safe use of acetaminophen could benefit consumers.
The Field Implementation of Bioremediation: An EPA Perspective

As we approach the treatment of hazardous wastes, which are increasingly more diverse with respect to the contaminants and the contaminated matrices, we will be more reliant on innovative technologies for improved treatment efficiencies and lower costs. To meet these objectives, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Administrator, William Reilly, has sought to develop an agenda for the 1990’s to identify strategies for increasing the use of bioremediation for the treatment of hazardous wastes. To develop this agenda, assistance has been received from biotreatment companies, site cleanup contractors, industry, academia, environmental organizations, and other Federal agencies, in addition to the various offices within EPA.
Text messaging to motivate walking in older African Americans: a randomized controlled trial.

Background Older minority populations can benefit from increased physical activity, especially walking. Text messaging interventions have the potential to encourage positive changes in health behavior in these groups. Purpose To examine if a 6-week program of motivational text messaging increases physical activity (step count) among older African Americans in an urban setting. Design RCT pilot study with assignment to motivational text messaging group or a control group. Setting/participants Thirty-six African Americans aged 60–85 years. Intervention The intervention group received motivational text messages three times a day, 3 days a week, for 6 weeks. Both groups received pedometers and walking manuals to record step counts. The study was conducted and data were analyzed in 2011. Main outcome measures The primary outcome measure was step count. The secondary outcome measure was perceived activity levels assessed by the Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire (LTEQ). Results The group who received motivational text messages had greater improvements in step count (+679 vs +398; p p Conclusions Motivational text messaging three times a week for 6 weeks was effective in increasing step count and self-reported leisure time exercise behavior among older African Americans. Registration This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT01697475.
Course and outcome of bipolar disorder — focusing on depressive aspects

The prognosis of an illness is perhaps relatively more valuable in psychiatry than in other therapeutic areas, because the lack of a laboratory-based diagnostic test and poor biological markers in mental disorders limit outcome predictions based mostly on the information from the psychiatric interview and examination. This is particularly true in bipolar disorder. In this chapter the authors summarize the main factors predicting course and outcome in bipolar disorder with a focus on depressive symptoms. The natural course, the impact of first episode, the impact of depressive phase, cycle length, onset, age, gender, type of illness, personality traits and temperament, co-morbidity, family history, life events, and outcome features will be reviewed. Conceptual models and their prognostic value will be discussed as well.
Application of MR-derived cross-sectional guideline of cervical spine muscles to validate neck surface electromyography placement

Abstract The importance of surface-EMG placement for development and interpretation of EMG-assisted biomechanical models is well established. Since MR has become a reliable noninvasive cervical spine musculoskeletal diagnostic tool, this investigation attempted to illustrate the anatomical relationships of individual cervical spine muscles with their paired surface-EMG electrodes. The secondary purpose of this investigation was to provide an MR cross-sectional pictorial and descriptive guideline of the cervical spine musculature. MR scans were performed on a healthy adult male subject from skull to manubrium of the sternum. Prior to scanning, MR safe markers were placed over neck muscles following surface EMG placement recommendations. Twenty-three neck muscles were traced manually in each of 267 scan slices. 3-D models of the neck musculoskeletal structure were constructed to aid with understanding the complex anatomy of the region as well as to identify correct EMG electrode locations and to identify muscles’ curved lines-of-action. 3D models of the MR-safe markers were constructed relative to the target muscles. Based on the findings of this study, muscle palpation and bony landmarks can be used to effectively identify appropriate surface EMG electrode locations to record upper trapezius, middle trapezius, semispinalis capitis, splenius capitis, levator scapulae, scalenus, sternocleidomastoid and hyoid muscles activities.
GRAM: graph processing in a ReRAM-based computational memory

The performance of graph processing for real-world graphs is limited by inefficient memory behaviours in traditional systems because of random memory access patterns. Offloading computations to the memory is a promising strategy to overcome such challenges. In this paper, we exploit the resistive memory (ReRAM) based processing-in-memory (PIM) technology to accelerate graph applications. The proposed solution, GRAM, can efficiently executes vertex-centric model, which is widely used in large-scale parallel graph processing programs, in the computational memory. The hardware-software co-design used in GRAM maximizes the computation parallelism while minimizing the number of data movements. Based on our experiments with three important graph kernels on seven real-world graphs, GRAM provides 122.5X and 11.1x speedup compared with an in-memory graph system and optimized multithreading algorithms running on a multi-core CPU. Compared to a GPU-based graph acceleration library and a recently proposed PIM accelerator, GRAM improves the performance by 7.1X and 3.8X respectively.
Future Computing Hardware for AI

Hardware has taken on a supporting role in the maturation and proliferation of narrow AI, but will take a leading role to enable the innovation and adoption of broad AI. The concurrent evolution of broad AI with purpose-built hardware will shift traditional balances between cloud and edge, structured and unstructured data, and training and inference. Heterogeneous system architectures are already being delivered where varied compute resources, including high-bandwidth CPUs, specialized AI accelerators, and high-performance networking are infused in each node to yield significant performance improvements. Looking to the future, we envision a roadmap of specialized technologies to accelerate AI, starting with heterogeneous digital von Neumann machines, exploring reduced-precision accelerator approaches, finding the limits of conventional device power-performance with analog AI devices, and finishing with quantum computing for AI.
Upregulation of miR-130b Contributes to Risk of Poor Prognosis and Racial Disparity in African-American Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer incidence and mortality rates are higher in African-American (AA) than in European-American (EA) men. The main objective of this study was to elucidate the role of miR-130b as a contributor to prostate cancer health disparity in AA patients. We also determined whether miR-130b is a prognostic biomarker and a new therapeutic candidate for AA prostate cancer. A comprehensive approach of using cell lines, tissue samples, and the TCGA database was employed. We performed a series of functional assays such as cell proliferation, migration, invasion, RT2-PCR array, qRT-PCR, cell cycle, luciferase reporter, immunoblot, and IHC. Various statistical approaches such as Kaplan-Meier, uni-, and multivariate analyses were utilized to determine the clinical significance of miR-130b. Our results showed that elevated levels of miR-130b correlated with race disparity and PSA levels/failure and acted as an independent prognostic biomarker for AA patients. Two tumor suppressor genes, CDKN1B and FHIT, were validated as direct functional targets of miR-130b. We also found race-specific cell-cycle pathway activation in AA patients with prostate cancer. Functionally, miR-130b inhibition reduced cell proliferation, colony formation, migration/invasion, and induced cell-cycle arrest. Inhibition of miR-130b modulated critical prostate cancer-related biological pathways in AA compared with EA prostate cancer patients. In conclusion, attenuation of miR-130b expression has tumor suppressor effects in AA prostate cancer. miR-130b is a significant contributor to prostate cancer racial disparity as its overexpression is a risk factor for poor prognosis in AA patients with prostate cancer. Thus, regulation of miR-130b may provide a novel therapeutic approach for the management of prostate cancer in AA patients.
Walter Benja-Memes

This paper aims to unlock the potential for the politicization of art in the age of the meme. Drawing on Walter Benjamin’s ideas, we suggest that technologies of viral reproduction create the tools...
Varying Effects of Unethical Pro-group Behavior on Team and Individual Performances

The current study hypothesizes and tests how unethical pro-group behavior (UPB) of individual employees predict individual and team performance in a heterologous way. Drawing on the behavioral ethi...
Use of hexapod frame to gradually correct congenital and acquired forearm deformity

Introduction: Forearm deformity affects patients with Multiple Hereditary Exostosis (MHE), Ollier's disease, and other various congenital deformities as well as those with physeal growth arrest secondary to trauma. Acute correction of such deformities is complicated by risk of neurovascular compromise and as such, techniques that allow for gradual deformity correction are of great interest in this clinical setting. We hypothesized that the use of hexapod frame would allow for reliable correction without neurovascular compromise. Methods: This retrospective, case series reviewed all patients who underwent osteoplasty of the radius and ulna between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2017, among two surgeons. Patient demographics, comorbidities, radiographic parameters, external fixation index (EFI), and complications were recorded from chart review. Six patients presented with a diagnosis of MHE, two patients with a diagnosis of Ollier's disease, one with short stature homeobox (SHOX) deletion, and one with physeal growth arrest. Results: Of the ten patients identified, the rate of lengthening proceeded between 0.5 and 1 mm/day with an average EFI of 3.7 months/cm for the radius and 7.4 months/cm for the ulna. Average radius and ulna lengthening were 1.5 cm and 2.7 cm, respectively. Average radial bow preoperatively was 1.7 cm with a location of the maximal radial bow at an average of 61% from the radial tuberosity. Radial bow was corrected to 0.6 cm on average with a location of the maximal radial bow at an average of 64%. Neither patients exhibited nerve deficit nor neurapraxia at the conclusion of treatment. One fracture occurred after frame removal, which was treated with open reduction and internal fixation. Conclusion: Hexapod frames can be used to safely correct forearm deformities without neurovascular compromise.
Interventions to Improve Sexual and Reproductive Health in US Active Duty Military Service Members: A Systematic Review.

Objective:To identify and describe behavioral interventions to promote sexual and reproductive health among US active duty military service members.Data Sources:Systematic searches of PubMed, CINAH...
Chapter 16 – Cervicogenic Headache

Cervicogenic headache is an unrecognized yet relatively common chronic headache disorder that is often misdiagnosed as migraine or tension-type headache. Cervicogenic headache typically presents as an occipital headache with pain radiating to one side of the head. Physical examination may show restricted range of motion to the affected side, and focal tenderness to cervical facets or other structures. Diagnostic imaging is commonly normal or non-specific, but may identify areas of clinical concern such as C2/3 or C3/4 facet hypertrophy. Physiotherapy may be an effective treatment. Although there are no FDA approved medications for cervicogenic headache, medications such as gabapentin, topiramate, or duloxetine may have a clinical role. Interventional treatments, such as occipital nerve anesthetic blockade or cervical neurotomy, may be considered. Early diagnosis and management can significantly decrease the duration, cost, and disability of this often challenging pain disorder.