cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of Internet exchange points on Internet topology evolution

The recent uncovering of a high number of peering links at Internet eXchange Point (IXP) locations across the world has made these exchange switches a critical component of the Internet Autonomous System (AS) level ecosystem. Studies concentrating on the Internet topology evolution have surmised that numerous links hidden at these exchange points hold the key towards solving the missing links problem in studying the evolution of the AS-level topology of the Internet. In this work, we study the effect of this set of hitherto unseen peering links on the visible Internet topology. Starting from a simple visual analysis and continuing with a more advanced graph based metric analysis, we conclude that IXP links follow power law increase characteristics while exhibiting definitive clustering characteristics. Moreover, these additional links affect the joint degree distributions of nodes with higher degrees while leaving most other types of nodes unchanged. We conclude that the currently inferred AS-level maps of the Internet demonstrate considerable variations with the incorporation of these new links and could eventually provide us a better understanding of Internet topology evolution.
Predictors of Extubation Success in Patients with Middle Cerebral Artery Acute Ischemic Stroke

Introduction. Stroke patients often meet respiratory guidelines for extubation, but uncertainty exists if patients will protect their airway due to impaired mental status. Patients with middle cerebral artery (MCA) acute ischemic stroke (AIS) might have specific predictors of successful extubation. Methods. Retrospective cohort of MCA AIS patients requiring intubation. Results. Thirty-seven MCA AIS patients were extubated successfully and ten failed extubation. Those who successfully extubated had higher extubation composite and eye response Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores compared to those who failed (median 10T (IQR 9T-11T) versus 9.5T (8T-10T), P = 0.047, and 4 (3-4) versus 2.5 (1-3), P < 0.01). When adjusted for age, admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score and laterality, patients with a GCS score ≥8T trended toward extubating successfully (OR 23.30 (CI 0.94-580.27), P = 0.055). Conclusions. The GCS score might be important in predicting successful extubation in MCA AIS patients. Further prospective study is warranted to better assess factors predictive of extubation outcome in stroke and other brain-injured patients.
Computing the Discrete Fourier Transform on a Hexagonal Lattice

The computation of the Discrete Fourier Transform for a general lattice in ? d can be reduced to the computation of the standard 1-dimensional Discrete Fourier Transform. We provide a mathematically rigorous but simple treatment of this procedure and apply it to the DFT on the hexagonal lattice.
Clostridium perfringens in Dehydrated Soups and Sauces

SUMMARY– Fifty-five samples of nationally advertised dehydrated sauce and gravy mixes, soup mixes, spaghetti sauce mixes, and cheese sauce mixes were examined for the presence of Clostridium perfringens. The organism was found in 18.2% of the samples. Spaghetti sauce mixes had the highest incidence of C. perfringens and the soup mixes had the lowest incidence. One strain possessed heat-resistant spores that were able to withstand boiling at 97.4°C for one hour prior to isolation. The presence of preservatives in the food products did not influence the presence of C. perfringens in these food preparations. No common ingredient was detected as the source of contamination. The general presence of this organism in dehydrated soups and sauces may have epidemiological significance in C. perfringens food poisoning, especially since these products are exposed to short besting periods.
Tamoxifen antagonizes the effects of estradiol on energy balance and estrous behavior in Syrian hamsters

Ovariectomized Syrian hamsters were treated with estradiol benzoate (5 micrograms/day for 4 wk), tamoxifen (500 micrograms/day), an antiestrogen that competes with estradiol for central and peripheral estrogen receptors, or both estradiol benzoate and tamoxifen. As expected, estradiol treatment caused significant decreases in body weight and fat content without affecting food intake. Given alone, tamoxifen had no effect on body weight or composition, but when given concurrently, tamoxifen significantly attenuated the effects of estradiol. These results stand in contrast to findings in rats where nonsteroidal antiestrogens, including tamoxifen, mimic the effects of estradiol on body weight and energy metabolism and are completely devoid of any antiestrogenic actions. As in rats, tamoxifen was a potent inhibitor of estrous behavior, whether induced with estradiol alone or with sequential treatment with estradiol and progesterone. Again, as in rats, tamoxifen acted as an antagonist and a weak estrogen agonist on uterine weight. These findings support the notion that the relative agonistic and antagonistic actions of tamoxifen, and other antiestrogens, vary with species and with the estrogen-sensitive endpoint being investigated.
Matrix metalloproteinases as input and output signals for post-myocardial infarction remodeling

Despite current optimal therapeutic regimens, approximately one in four patients diagnosed with myocardial infarction (MI) will go on to develop congestive heart failure, and heart failure has a high five-year mortality rate of 50%. Elucidating mechanisms whereby heart failure develops post-MI, therefore, is highly needed. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are key enzymes involved in post-MI remodeling of the left ventricle (LV). While MMPs process cytokine and extracellular matrix (ECM) substrates to regulate the inflammatory and fibrotic components of the wound healing response to MI, MMPs also serve as upstream signaling initiators with direct actions on cell signaling cascades. In this review, we summarize the current literature regarding MMP roles in post-MI LV remodeling. We also identify the current knowledge gaps and provide templates for experiments to fill these gaps. A more complete understanding of MMP roles, particularly with regards to upstream signaling roles, may provide new strategies to limit adverse LV remodeling.
State DOT Personnel Administration

The need for improved construction manpower management of the nonprofessional staff within state highway agencies has led to a number of extensive research efforts. These studies have recognized that a sophisticated system of planning and scheduling is only a partial solution. This paper compiles and evaluates current practices related to personnel administration that have been identified in a number of key states. These practices include policies regarding personnel classification, training, temporary employees, off-season assignments, overtime and travel. By reviewing the research studies, it is shown how each of these factors influences manpower usage. The measures taken by each state to remedy certain problems are also presented and evaluated. Several alternatives for meeting both short-term and long-term peak workload demands are presented. These include the hiring of temporary employees and civil engineering cooperative students, personnel transfers or loans, overtime, and transfer of project administrative responsibilities.
La Interpretación Débil De La Autoridad En La Teoría Pura Del Derecho De Hans Kelsen (The Weak Reading of Authority in Hans Kelsenʼs Pure Theory of Law)

Autoridad qua habilitacion es la interpretacion debil de la autoridad en los escritos de Hans Kelsen. Por un lado, esta interpretacion parece no responder al problema de la autoridad como se conoce en la tradicion. Por otro lado, ella se ajusta al positivismo juridico. ?Es Kelsen un positivista? No sin reservas. El defiende la tesis de la normatividad junto con la tesis de la separacion, pero es en todo caso discutible si la tesis de la normatividad obliga a una interpretacion mas fuerte de la autoridad que aquella modelada sobre la habilitacion. En el ensayo, yo ofrezco un argumento prima facie en favor de una interpretacion mas fuerte de la autoridad en Kelsen. Argumento, sin embargo, que la evidencia textual tiene mucho peso en favor de la interpretacion debil. Tanto la perspectiva estatica como aquella dinamica de las normas son puntos de vista omnipresentes en la Teoria Pura del Derecho, y ambos reflejan diversas especies de habilitacion como puntos conclusivos de las reconstrucciones de Kelsen. Authority qua empowerment is the weak reading of authority in Hans Kelsenʼs writings. On the one hand, this reading appears to be unresponsive to the problem of authority as we know it from the tradition. On the other hand, it squares with legal positivism. Is Kelsen a legal positivist? Not without qualification. For he defends a normativity thesis along with the separation thesis, and it is at any rate arguable that the normativity thesis mandates a stronger reading of authority than that modelled on empowerment. I offer, in the paper, a prima facie case on behalf of a stronger reading of authority in Kelsen. I go on to argue, however, that the textual evidence weighs heavily in favour of the weak reading. Both nomostatics and nomodynamics are pervasive points of view in the Pure Theory of Law, and both reflect species of empowerment as the endpoint of Kelsenʼs reconstructions.
What Consititutes an Adequate Sputum Specimen?: Comparison of Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes and Alveolar Macrophages

We studied the correlation between microbiologic and cytologic specimen adequacy and compared the presence of polymorphonuclear cells with that of alveolar macrophages. We stained 60 expectorated specimens consecutively submitted for cytological examination with Papanicolaou’s and Gram’s stains. Classically, the cytological criteria for an unsatisfactory expectorated specimen is less that 5 alveolar macrophages per slide. The presence of polymorphonuclear cells seen on Gram’s stain did not correlate with alveolar macrophages seen on Papanicolaou’s stain from the same specimen. Of 30 specimens with more than 9 polymorphonuclear cells per × 100 microscopic field on Gram’s stain, only 14 (47%) had 5 or more alveolar macrophages per slide on Papanicolaou’s stain. Of 30 specimens with less than 10 polymorphonuclear cells per × l00 field, 19 (63%) had 5 or more alveolar macrophages per slide. When results of cytologically unsatisfactory expectorated specimens were compared with bronchoscopy specimens on the same patient, the number and quantity of inflammatory cells other than alveolar macrophages agreed in 94% of the cases. These data suggest that useful information is available on expectorated specimens judged cytologically unsatisfactory.
Abstract 362: Comparison of Mig-6 and hormone receptor expression to BMI as predictors of responsiveness to progestin therapy for endometrial hyperplasia and cancer

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Objectives: Mitogen-inducible gene 6 (Mig-6) is an immediate early response gene that can be induced by stressful stimuli and mitogens, including hormones and growth factors. Ablation of Mig-6 leads to epithelial hyperplasia and adenocarcinomas in a variety of organs, including the endometrium. Mig-6 has been identified as a downstream target of the progesterone receptor (PR) in the uterus. Thus, our goal was to compare Mig-6 and hormone receptor expression to BMI as predictors of responsiveness to progestin therapy for endometrial hyperplasia and cancer. Methods: Women were identified who underwent progestin treatment (oral or IUD) for either endometrial hyperplasia or cancer. Expression of Mig-6 and the hormone receptors, G-protein coupled receptor 30 (GPR30), estrogen receptor (ER) and PR were evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in 58 paired formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded endometrial biopsy specimens before and after progestin treatment. Tissue microarrays were constructed, and three cores were analyzed for each patient. IHC staining was scored according to the intensity (1+ to 3+) and qualitative percent cells staining per core. A “histoscore” was calculated, based on multiplying these two determinants ranging from 0 to 300 (i.e. intensity x % labeled). Results were analyzed using the Student t-test and ANOVA. Results: There were 41 responders to progestin therapy and 17 non-responders. The majority had endometrial hyperplasia (56/58) but 2 women had grade I endometrial carcinomas. The BMI between the two groups was statistically different at 40.2 for the responders and 49.9 for the non-responders (p=0.0008). There was no difference in age or ER/PR status between the two groups. Mig-6 expression prior to treatment did not predict response to progestin therapy (183.5 = responders, 196.6 = non-responders, p=0.47). GPR30 expression prior to progestin treatment was 118.8 for the responders and 68.9 for the non-responders but was not statistically significant (p=0.06). Neither post-treatment Mig-6 (179.1 = responders, 204.0 = non-responders) or GPR30 (103.6 = non-responders, 108.6 = responders) histoscores or change in histoscores pre- and post-treatment predicted response to progestin therapy. Conclusions: BMI but not Mig-6 expression or hormone receptor expression predicted response to progestin therapy in women with endometrial hyperplasia and cancer. GPR30 may have potential as a biomarker of progestin responsiveness but needs to be evaluated in a larger cohort of women. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 362. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-362
Metabolism of strobilurins by wheat cell suspension cultures.

Strobilurin fungicides are a leading class of antifungal chemicals used today in agricultural applications. Although degradation of some strobilurin fungicides has been assessed in plant residues, little information has appeared in the literature concerning the rates of metabolism of these fungicides in plants. In this study, we explored plant metabolism of three strobilurin fungicides, azoxystrobin, kresoxim-methyl, and trifloxystrobin, using wheat cell suspension cultures. Trifloxystrobin and kresoxim-methyl were completely metabolized within 24 h, whereas the metabolism of azoxystrobin was relatively slow with half-lives up to 48 h depending on specific experimental conditions. Metabolic rates of these fungicides were affected by the amounts of compound and cells added to the media. Structural analysis of metabolites of trifloxystrobin and kresoxim-methyl by high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) indicated that trifloxystrobin was first demethylated f...
Development of a Novel Flash Ironmaking Technology with Greatly Reduced Energy Consumption and CO2 Emissions

Despite the dominance of the blast furnace ironmaking process, increasing attention is being paid to the development of new technologies with lower energy consumption and CO2 emissions. At the University of Utah, a novel flash ironmaking technology to meet these demands is under development. This technology eliminates the highly problematic cokemaking and pelletization/sintering steps by directly utilizing iron ore concentrate, which is currently produced in large quantities in North America and elsewhere. This transformative technology is expected to allow significant energy saving and reduced CO2 emissions compared with the blast furnace process. It has been demonstrated that iron of more than 95 % metallization can be obtained by reduction with hydrogen or a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen in 2–7 s at temperatures of 1473–1823 K. The development of the technology has gone through the stages of proof-of-concept and small laboratory flash reactor tests. A large prototype bench reactor that has most of the features of an eventual industrial reactor has been commissioned. In this paper, some details of advances made in the development are discussed.
Solid-State Redox Switching of Magnetic Exchange and Electronic Conductivity in a Benzoquinoid-Bridged MnII Chain Compound

We demonstrate that incorporation of a redox-active benzoquinoid ligand into a one-dimensional chain compound can give rise to a material that exhibits simultaneous solid-state redox switching of optical, magnetic, and electronic properties. Metalation of the ligand 4,5-bis(pyridine-2-carboxamido)-1,2-catechol (N,OLH4) with MnIII affords the chain compound Mn(N,OL)(DMSO). Structural and spectroscopic analysis of this compound show the presence of MnII centers bridged by N,OL2– ligands, resulting partially from a spontaneous ligand-to-metal electron transfer. Upon soaking in a solution of the reductant Cp2Co, Mn(N,OL)(DMSO) undergoes a ligand-centered solid-state reduction to [Mn(N,OL)]−, as revealed by a suite of techniques, including Raman and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The ligand-based reduction engenders a dramatic modulation of the physical properties of the chain compound. An electrochromic response, evidenced by a color change from dark green to dark purple is accompanied by a nearly 40-fold inc...
Characteristics and Applications of Acid Zn-Ni Alloy Electroplating Process

Nowadays alkaline Zn-Ni alloy electroplating system has gradually been recognized and widely used in this industry.However,acid Zn-Ni alloy electroplating process has not been used in a large scale due to traditional control convenience.With various influencing factors in acidic system as object and by using test means,the corresponding relations have been found so that the readers can have a more profound understanding of it.In addition,with the aid of its applications in some fields you can get some inspirations.
Research of taxation problems in on constructing saving society

This thesis embarks the advanced policy for the economical taxation from the western developed countries,then analyzes such problems as the omission of the environment taxation system that exists in the taxation policy of our country,the transforation of the resource tax which is not good for the economical growth,the problem that taxation preferential policy is not good for the industrial structure adjustment,the problem that the backwardness of the taxation restraint mechanism is not good for the energy conservation and the platoon reduction.In conclusion,it puts forward the corresponding proposals.
Children of cerebral palsy 308 cases with high risk factors and clinical analysis

Objective: By analysis of cerebral palsy children of the main risk factors,children with cp treatment timing and imaging characteristics.Methods:The children's hospital were retrospectively analyzed urumqi all-around-doctors rehabilitation on December 30,2010-December 30,2011 308 cases of cerebral palsy were children of the material.Results:Risk factors in premature birth,asphyxia,low birth weight and most common,most children in after the age of 1 doctor,doctor before the age of 1 in 16 cases,accounting for 5.2%,6 months without medical patients,hospitalized patients with main type spasm,accounting for 75%,imaging examination,abnormal rate is as high as 93.5%,the people of han than 22.2:1.Conclusion:Cerebral palsy causes complex,but to a premature birth,asphyxia,low birth weight and other risk factors in children to early diagnosis and early recovery,treatment timing is especially important,improve the level and the newborn emergency medical personnel business level and reduce invalid rate is of great significance.
Secure array synthesis for encryption key establishment in multipath channels

This paper explores optimal array beamforming for establishing secret encryption keys through bidirectional channel estimation in multipath propagation environments. The problem is cast as a convex optimization of the average secure key rate achieved in the presence of a passive eavesdropper, and the optimization is performed using semi-definite programming. Representative results demonstrate that, compared to a conventional but suboptimal beamforming solution, the optimal solution achieves significantly higher key establishment performance, with the relative performance improvement increasing with the transmit correlation.
Adherence to approved drug use as a predictor of length of hospital stay

The relationship between adherence to approved drug labeling and patient length of stay in hospitals was studied. The records of 200 patients at a 175-bed, short-term, pediatric hospital were reviewed to determine if the actual drug therapy agreed with the officially approved indications, contraindications, age restrictions and dosages. The average length of patient stay was nine days. Only 19% of the observed variation in length of stay could be correlated to the number of doses per drug per patient. The variable dose, indications, contraindications and age agreement could not be correlated to length of stay.
Introduction: Redemption through Reconstruction

No institution stirred more passionate debates in Germany’s post–World War II years than did the school system. In the Soviet Occupation Zone in particular—the region that would officially become the German Democratic Republic (GDR) in 1949— German and Soviet decisions about how to educate young people after twelve years of a National Socialist (Nazi) dictatorship became part of a broader social and political discussion about the future of the German nation. At a critical time in the state’s development, its educational system both reflected and contributed to a nascent antifascist national consciousness that was uniquely East German.1 For a half-century, seventeen million residents of the GDR attended a school system that in form and content differed radically from its partner across the border in the Federal Republic (West Germany) and from all previous German educational systems. For the first time, German educators promised all citizens an education that was coeducational, secular, comprehensive, and free. This revolutionary “antifascist-democratic unity school” was neither a product of Moscow nor a tool of hard-line communists in East Berlin.
The role of plant cues in mediating host and food searching behavior of parasitoids: importance to biological control

Parasitic wasps of plant-feeding insects are important tools in the quest for safe and effective means of crop protection. The parasitic wasps rely on plants as sources of nectar and pollen as adult food as well as insect hosts. An understanding of the mechanisms that govern how the parasitoids locate their host and food resources is important to their reliable use. Wind tunnel and small field-plot studies with the larval parasitoids, Microplitis croceipes (Cresson) and Cotesia marginiventris (Cresson), have served as model systems to elucidate how chemical and visual cues from the plant aid the parasitoid in locating hosts and food (Tumlinson et al., 1992). The studies showed that plant chemicals induced by the host’s feeding and by-products of the host derived from the plant are vital to the parasitoid’s host-finding success (Lewis & Martin, 1990; Turlings et al., 1990). Visual cues associated with the host are also important (Wackers et al., 1992). Moreover, learning by the parasitoid serves a crucial role in their ability to exploit these chemical and visual cues (Lewis & Tumlinson, 1988; Lewis et al., 1990; Vet et al., 1990).
Loose Change: Cyrenaica, Tripolitania, and the Council of Foreign Ministers

In September 1944, Major A. W. Schmidt of the Office of Strategic Services tendered his assessment of the future importance of Africa to American policymakers. As an OSS mission chief in British West Africa, his wartime travels had included Egypt, Morocco, Senegal, Portuguese Guinea, Liberia and the Belgian Congo. Because Africa ceased to be an active theater of war in 1943, Schmidt felt that he and his fellow officers of the OSS African Division were forced to consider, sooner than others, the direction of post-war intelligence-gathering and the character of US policy through the region. Believing that the State Department had not yet formulated its policy agenda for Africa, Schmidt presented his own analysis in the shape of two poles: isolationism versus internationalism. He noted that US-African trade had been very limited before the war, largely because most African raw materials could be gotten more cheaply else-where, usually from the Netherlands East Indies. However, wartime needs had prompted increased US imports of bauxite, manganese, copper, uranium and industrial diamonds. Schmidt then argued forcefully for the internationalist viewpoint: ‘simply that the United States, having finally emerged as a major world power … must of necessity be interested and continue to be interested in important developments in every nook and cranny of the world’.
Association of Kidney Function Biomarkers with Brain MRI Findings: The BRINK Study.

BACKGROUND Chronic kidney disease (CKD) studies have reported variable prevalence of brain pathologies, in part due to low inclusion of participants with moderate to severe CKD. OBJECTIVE To measure the association between kidney function biomarkers and brain MRI findings in CKD. METHODS In the BRINK (BRain IN Kidney Disease) study, MRI was used to measure gray matter volumes, cerebrovascular pathologies (white matter hyperintensity (WMH), infarctions, microhemorrhages), and microstructural changes using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). We performed regression analyses with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urine albumin to creatinine ratio (UACR) as primary predictors, and joint models that included both predictors, adjusted for vascular risk factors. RESULTS We obtained 240 baseline MRI scans (150 CKD with eGFR <45 in ml/min/1.73 m2; 16 mild CKD: eGFR 45-59; 74 controls: eGFR≥60). Lower eGFR was associated with greater WMH burden, increased odds of cortical infarctions, and worsening diffusion changes throughout the brain. In eGFR models adjusted for UACR, only cortical infarction associations persisted. However, after adjusting for eGFR, higher UACR provided additional information related to temporal lobe atrophy, increased WMH, and whole brain microstructural changes as measured by increased DTI mean diffusivity. CONCLUSIONS Biomarkers of kidney disease (eGFR and UACR) were associated with MRI brain changes, even after accounting for vascular risk factors. UACR adds unique additional information to eGFR regarding brain structural and diffusion biomarkers. There was a greater impact of kidney function biomarkers on cerebrovascular pathologies and microstructural brain changes, suggesting that cerebrovascular etiology may be the primary driver of cognitive impairment in CKD.
Reduced scattering rate in nanopore structures

Enhanced photoluminescence emission from higher subbands of nanopore lattices compared to a quantum well is presented. Increasing pore diameter enhances the excited state emission implying reduced intersubband scattering rate, consistent with theoretical calculations.
Biofidelic mechanical ageing of ethylene vinyl acetate running footwear midsole foam

Simple manipulation of force–time input is a potential strategy to increase the biofidelity of running footwear mechanical ageing. The purpose of this study was to compare a Dwell protocol, which i...
An Interview with Julian Agyeman: Just Sustainability and Ecopedagogy

This interview with Julian Agyeman, a key originator of the concept of just sustainability, engages Agyeman in discussion of how just sustainability evolved, and how its theoretical and practical dimensions relate to the principles of ecopedagogy.
Virtual Reality for Management of Pain in Hospitalized Patients: Results of a Controlled Trial

Background: Improvements in software and design and reduction in cost have made virtual reality (VR) a practical tool for immersive, three-dimensional (3D), multisensory experiences that distract patients from painful stimuli. Objective: The objective of the study was to measure the impact of a onetime 3D VR intervention versus a two-dimensional (2D) distraction video for pain in hospitalized patients. Methods: We conducted a comparative cohort study in a large, urban teaching hospital in medical inpatients with an average pain score of ≥3/10 from any cause. Patients with nausea, vomiting, dementia, motion sickness, stroke, seizure, and epilepsy and those placed in isolation were excluded. Patients in the intervention cohort viewed a 3D VR experience designed to reduce pain using the Samsung Gear Oculus VR headset; control patients viewed a high-definition, 2D nature video on a 14-inch bedside screen. Pre- and postintervention pain scores were recorded. Difference-in-difference scores and the proportion achieving a half standard deviation pain response were compared between groups. Results: There were 50 subjects per cohort (N=100). The mean pain reduction in the VR cohort was greater than in controls (−1.3 vs −0.6 points, respectively; P=.008). A total of 35 (65%) patients in the VR cohort achieved a pain response versus 40% of controls (P=.01; number needed to treat=4). No adverse events were reported from VR. Conclusions: Use of VR in hospitalized patients significantly reduces pain versus a control distraction condition. These results indicate that VR is an effective and safe adjunctive therapy for pain management in the acute inpatient setting; future randomized trials should confirm benefit with different visualizations and exposure periods. Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02456987; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02456987 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6pJ1P644S) [JMIR Ment Health 2017;4(1):e9]
Dynamically Active Compartments Coupled by a Stochastically Gated Gap Junction

We analyze a one-dimensional PDE-ODE system representing the diffusion of signaling molecules between two cells coupled by a stochastically gated gap junction. We assume that signaling molecules diffuse within the cytoplasm of each cell and then either bind to some active region of the cell’s membrane (treated as a well-mixed compartment) or pass through the gap junction to the interior of the other cell. We treat the gap junction as a randomly fluctuating gate that switches between an open and a closed state according to a two-state Markov process. This means that the resulting PDE-ODE is stochastic due to the presence of a randomly switching boundary in the interior of the domain. It is assumed that each membrane compartment acts as a conditional oscillator, that is, it sits below a supercritical Hopf bifurcation. In the ungated case (gap junction always open), the system supports diffusion-induced oscillations, in which the concentration of signaling molecules within the two compartments is either in-phase or anti-phase. The presence of a reflection symmetry (for identical cells) means that the stochastic gate only affects the existence of anti-phase oscillations. In particular, there exist parameter choices where the gated system supports oscillations, but the ungated system does not, and vice versa. The existence of oscillations is investigated by solving a spectral problem obtained by averaging over realizations of the stochastic gate.
Upper limit to the thermal penetration depth during modulated heating of multilayer thin films with pulsed and continuous wave lasers: A numerical study

In this study, we present a method to calculate the temperature and heat flux profiles as a function of depth and radius for bulk, homogeneous materials and samples with layered thin-film structures, including geometries supporting bidirectional heat fluxes, during pulsed and continuous wave (CW) laser heating. We calculate the temperature profiles for both modulated and unmodulated heating events to reveal that the thermal penetration depth (defined as the depth at which temperature decays to 1/e of the surface temperature) for a pulsed laser is highly dependent on time and repetition rate. In the high repetition rate limit, the temperature profile relaxes to that of a CW source profile, while in the opposite extreme, a single pulse response is observed such that the concept of the thermal penetration depth loses any practical meaning. For modulated heating events such as those used in time- and frequency-domain thermoreflectance, we show that there is a limit to the thermal penetration depth obtainable ...
The Companions We Keep: A Situational Analysis and Proposed Typology of Companion Animal Cruelty Offenses

ABSTRACTAbuse and neglect of nonhuman companion animals (i.e., pets) are not well understood as crime phenomena even though the keeping of animals as companions is relatively commonplace, reports of abuse and neglect are not at all rare, and the media generally serves to reinforce this notion that cruelty is a frequently occurring and widespread problem. This study is a typological content analysis of situational factors in 179 cases of companion animal cruelty featured in news media reported in the United States during the first six months of 2013.
Measures of metabolism provide insights into hippocampal sclerosis.

This scientific commentary refers to ‘FDG-PET in tau-negative amnestic dementia resembles that of autopsy-proven hippocampal sclerosis’, by Botha et al. (doi: 10.1093/brain/awy049 ).
Adaptive Expertise and Cognitive Readiness: A Perspective from the Expert-Performance Approach

The concept of cognitive readiness implies the acquisition of mechanisms that can guide performance in complex, unfamiliar and unpredictable environments. This chapter traces the history of previously introduced concepts involving similar mechanisms, such as insightful learning and adaptive expertise. These concepts emerged as criticisms of routine expertise and the associated traditional models of skill acquisition that emphasize the role of matched patterns and extensive experience to lead to effortless habitual performance. More recently research on reproducibly superior performance of experts has demonstrated transfer of skill to new and not previously seen situations within the domain of expertise. This new theoretical framework emphasizes the acquisition of mechanisms for increased cognitive control of performance permitting planning and self-monitoring. The same mechanisms mediate improvements and refinements of performance through the engagement in deliberate practice. This new model is shown to be able to accommodate many characteristics of attained cognitive readiness, such as understanding of new situations, flexible performance, and complex learning.
Drug Shortage Impacts Patient Receipt of Induction Treatment

OBJECTIVE Examine the impact of the 2011 shortage of the drug cytarabine on patient receipt and timeliness of induction treatment for Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). STUDY DESIGN A retrospective cohort was utilized to examine odds of receipt of inpatient induction chemotherapy and time to first dose across major (N = 105) and moderate (N = 316) shortage time periods as compared to a nonshortage baseline (N = 1,147). DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS De-identified patient data from 2008 to 2011 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) were linked to 2007-2013 Medicare claims and 2007-2013 Hospital Characteristics. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Compared to prior nonshortage time period, patients diagnosed during a major drug shortage were 47 percent less likely (p < .05) to receive inpatient chemotherapy within 14 days of diagnosis. Patients who were younger, had a lower Charlson Comorbidity score, and for whom AML was a first primary cancer were prioritized across all periods. CONCLUSIONS Period of major shortage of a generic oncolytic, without an equivalent therapeutic substitute, reduced timely receipt of induction chemotherapy treatment. More favorable economic and regulatory policies for generic drug suppliers might result in greater availability of essential, older generic drug products that face prolonged or chronic shortage.
Early adoption of digital breast tomosynthesis in the United States.

e13543Background: Although digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) may improve cancer detection and decrease recall rate, major guidelines do not recommend DBT for screening because of an absence of lon...
Wellness in business education: The convergence of theory, practice, and lifestyle

The authors provide an initial integrative framework for understanding the large, diverse, and growing domain of wellness literature related to business education. The terminology, research, and ty...
Hip joint muscle forces during gait in patients with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome are associated with patient reported outcomes and cartilage composition.

Abstract Femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) consists of abnormal hip joint morphology and pain during activities of daily living. Abnormal gait mechanics and potentially abnormal muscle forces within FAI patients leads to articular cartilage damage. Therefore, there is a necessity to understand the effects of FAI on hip joint muscle forces during gait and the link between muscle forces, patient reported outcomes (PRO) and articular cartilage health. The purposes of this study were to assess: (1) hip muscle forces between FAI patients and healthy controls and (2) the associations between hip muscle forces with PRO and cartilage composition (T1ρ/T2 mapping) within FAI patients. Musculoskeletal simulations were used to estimate peak muscle forces during the stance phase of gait in 24 FAI patients and 24 healthy controls. Compared to controls, FAI patients ambulated with lower vasti (30% body-weight, p = 0.01) and higher sartorius (4.0% body-weight, p
Introduction to the 2018 Midterm, NY-19, NY-22, and NY-24

This chapter introduces the book and the three districts examined in relation to the 2018 election: NY-19, NY-22, and NY-24.
Examination of Other Independent Variables

In addition to educational attainment, 5 other variables are examined in this book to determine their relationship with race/Hispanic origin and all-cause mortality risk as follows: BMI US birthplace region total years played Major League Baseball player position handedness.
Modeling ultrasound attenuation in porous structures with mono-disperse random pore distributions using the independent scattering approximation: A 2D simulation study

The validity of the Independent Scattering Approximation (ISA) to predict the frequency dependent attenuation in 2D models of simplified cortical bone is studied. Attenuation of plane waves at central frequencies ranging from 1 to 8 MHz propagating in geometries with mono-disperse random pore distributions having pore diameter and pore density in the range of those of cortical bone are evaluated by Finite Difference Time Domain numerical simulations. An approach to assess the multiple scattering of waves in random media is discussed to determine the pore diameter ranges at which the ISA is applicable. A modified version of ISA is proposed to more accurately predict the attenuation in porosity ranges where it would traditionally fail. The results show that the modified ISA can model the frequency-dependent attenuation of ultrasonic wave with pore diameter and density ranges comparable to those of cortical bone with less than 10% error.
Coordinated inhibition of actin-induced platelet aggregation by plasma gelsolin and vitamin D-binding protein

Actin is an abundant intracellular protein that is released into the blood during tissue injury and its injection into rats causes microthrombi to form in the vasculature. This report and others have shown that actin filaments are able to aggregate platelets in an adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-dependent manner. The effects on this process of two plasma actin-binding proteins, vitamin D-binding protein (DBP) and gelsolin, were examined separately and together. The addition of DBP, a monomer-binding protein, to actin filaments did not affect their ability to induce platelet aggregation. However, severing of actin filaments with gelsolin resulted in an increased degree of platelet aggregation. Preincubation of F-actin with both gelsolin and DBP resulted in a significant inhibition of aggregation. The effects of DBP and gelsolin on actin-induced aggregation paralleled their effects on exchange of actin-bound adenine nucleotides. DBP inhibited 1, N6-ethenoadenosine 5' triphosphate (epsilon-ATP) exchange with G-actin but not with F-actin. Gelsolin increased epsilon-ATP exchange with F-actin, which was largely abrogated by the addition of DBP. These results suggest that gelsolin's severing (and subsequent capping) of actin filaments not only results in an increase in the number of pointed filament ends but also in the dissociation of actin monomers containing ADP. Phalloidin, which stabilizes actin filaments while decreasing both monomer and nucleotide exchange, inhibited actin-induced aggregation, as well, indicating that depolymerization of actin filaments is not required to inhibit aggregation. Platelet activation by either G- or F-actin may thus be regulated by the local concentrations of the plasma actin-binding proteins gelsolin and DBP. Together, these proteins inhibit platelet aggregation in a manner that can be explained by their effects on actin's filament structure and the accessibility of its bound ADP. Depletion of DBP or gelsolin may allow actin released from injured tissues to stimulate purinergic receptors on platelets, and perhaps other cells, via its bound adenine nucleotides.
Abstract 3993: Programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) and CD8 expression profiling identifies an immunologic subtype of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas with favorable survival

Unselected cases of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) have not shown clinical benefit from single agent immune checkpoint therapy, but a subset of PDAC are known to upregulate pathways involved in acquired immune suppression. Further delineation of immunologic subtypes of PDAC is key to smarter trial designs and progress toward improved immunotherapy strategies. To accomplish this, we first employed clinical survival and RNA expression data from 155 patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to investigate the relationship between immune modulating checkpoints and immune subset marker, CD8A, and their impact on survival in PDAC patients. Among the markers explored, overexpression of PD-L1 (HR=2.55, p=0.001) and IDO1 (HR=2.24, p Citation Format: Won Jin Ho, Ludmila Danilova, Qingfeng Zhu, Teena Vithayathil, Ana De Jesus-Acosta, Nilo Azad, Daniel Laheru, Elana Fertig, Robert Anders, Elizabeth Jaffee, Mark Yarchoan. Programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) and CD8 expression profiling identifies an immunologic subtype of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas with favorable survival [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3993.
Analysis of iatrogenic and in-hospital medication errors reported to United States poison centers: a retrospective observational study

Medication errors are common in healthcare settings. Previous poison-center studies have evaluated medication errors, but not specifically iatrogenic or in-hospital errors. The purpose of this study was to describe errors attributed to healthcare professionals or occurring in a healthcare facility reported to poison centers. This was a retrospective study of medication errors reported to the US National Poison Data System from 2000 through 2017. Inclusion criteria were reason for exposure coded “unintentional, therapeutic error”, error scenario of health professional/iatrogenic error, or the location of exposure was in a healthcare facility. Variables assessed for each case included age, medication class, error scenario, medical outcome, and day of week and time case initiated. Descriptive statistics were performed. There were 99,431 cases included. Median age was 20 years (interquartile range: 3–53), with ages ranging from 1 day to 108 years; 50.0% of cases were female. The most frequently reported medication categories were antimicrobials (13.6%), followed by analgesics (10.1%), then sedatives/hypnotics (8.9%), although the classes of drugs varied by age group. The most common error scenarios were “wrong medication taken or given,” “other incorrect dose,” and “incorrect dosing route,” although these differed by age group with more “other incorrect dose” reported in 0–5 years and “wrong medication taken or given” predominating in the other age groups. Serious effects (death and major effect) occurred at a higher frequency in the 65 + years age group than in all other age groups. The time of day with the most cases was 7–9 pm, with the lowest around 3–5 am. Fewer cases were reported on weekends than during the other days of the week. This study provides a more detailed evaluation of iatrogenic and in-hospital errors reported to poison centers and their related scenarios. Prevention efforts should continue to focus on reducing the incidence of errors with an emphasis on reducing the most frequent errors.
FDG-PET analysis of amygdalar-cortical network covariance during pre- versus post-menopausal estrogen levels: potential relevance to resting state networks, mood, and cognition

Objectives 1.) Expand the scope of neuroendocrine applications of functional neuroimaging techniques. 2.) Compare the covariance of amygdalar activity with that of the rest of the brain during pre- and post-menopausal levels of estrogen (E2). Based on the distribution of cortical E2 receptors and the neocortical regions where E2 has been shown to preferentially accumulate, we predict that E2 infusion will increase covariance of amygdalar activity with that of the temporal and frontal cortices. Design This basic physiology study employed a within-subject design. All participants were post-menopausal women (n =7). Analysis of covariance between whole brain and amygdalar regional cerebral glucose consumption (CMRglc) was conducted in a voxel-wise manner by means of the basic regression option in SPM2 and was applied to FDG-PET scans acquired at baseline and after a 24 hour graded E2 infusion. Setting An academic medical center; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. Results E2 levels (mean +/- sem) were significantly greater at 24 hours (257.9 pg/mL +/- 29.7) than at 0 hours (28.1 pg/mL +/- 3.4). Right amygdalar CMRglc showed a significant covariance with activity of three different regions of the temporal cortex during E2 infusion, but none at baseline. In addition, right amygdalar CMRglc covaried with that of the right medial and superior frontal gyri only during E2 infusion. Conclusions In addition to suggesting changes in amygdalar-cortical network connectivity as a result of short-term E2 exposure, these analyses provide evidence that basic neuroendocrine research may benefit from further use of FDG-PET and other functional neuroimaging modalities for network level analyses.