cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 4124: Chronic estrogen and NNK stimulate small airway epithelial cells via modulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Small airway epithelial cell-derived adenocarcinoma is the most common human lung cancer and is particularly prevalent in women. We have previously reported that the proliferation of immortalized human small airway epithelial cells HPL1D is stimulated by a single dose of the tobacco carcinogen NNK via cAMP signaling activated by binding of NNK to the beta-1-adrenergic receptor (β1-AR) and that estrogen enhances this response. In the current study we show that γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) blocks this cooperative signaling of NNK and estrogen in HPL1D cells by inhibiting the activation of adenylyl cyclase. In addition, HPL1D cells produced the stress neurotransmitters noradrenaline and adrenaline in response to binding of a single dose of NNK to the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR). Since both stress neurotransmitters are beta-adrenergic agonists, this response further enhanced cAMP-dependent stimulatory signaling. On the other hand, GABA production by these cells was reduced by a single dose of NNK via desensitization of the α4β2 nAChR. Exposure to NNK, estrogen or the combination of both agents for 7 days upregulated and sensitized the α7nAChR, resulting in an enhanced noradrenergic response to agonist. At the same time, chronic NNK and estrogen suppressed the production of GABA by desensitizing its regulatory α4β2nAChR. The resulting predominance of stimulatory cAMP signaling over inhibitory GABA signaling may contribute to the development and progression of small airway-derived adenocarcinoma in women who smoke and offer a novel target for the marker-guided prevention of this cancer. Supported by a grant from the National Lung Cancer Partnership and LUNGevity Foundation. Note: This abstract was not presented at the AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010 because the presenter was unable to attend. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4124.
Renal Amyloidosis Associated With a Novel Sequence Variant of Gelsolin

We present a case of a 75-year-old woman who presented with progressive kidney failure. Kidney biopsy performed to determine the cause of kidney failure showed amyloidosis of undetermined type. Laser microdissection of the Congo Red–positive glomeruli followed by mass spectrometry studies showed a large number of spectra matching apolipoprotein E, serum amyloid P component, and gelsolin, consistent with a diagnosis of gelsolin-associated renal amyloidosis. Sequencing of the gelsolin gene revealed a previously undescribed sequence variant, a guanine to adenine substitution at nucleotide 580 of the coding sequence, corresponding to a predicted glycine to arginine mutation at amino acid 194. Gelsolin amyloidosis typically involves the nerves and skin, with only rare reported involvement of the kidney. An atypical finding on electron microscopy was that of a swirling pattern of the amyloid fibrils. The novel gelsolin variant may be responsible for the unusual clinical and pathologic presentation. The report also highlights the usefulness of laser microdissection and mass spectrometry in the typing of difficult cases of amyloidosis.
Genetic variation of introduced Hawaiian and native Costa Rican populations of an invasive tropical shrub, Clidemia hirta (Melastomataceae).

Clidemia hirta is one of the most common woody invasive plants in mesic to wet forests in Hawaii, where it was introduced around 1940. The species is relatively uncommon by comparison in its native range of Central and South America and some Caribbean Islands. We examined genetic variation in allozymes of 20 C. hirta populations on four Hawaiian Islands to determine the introduction history. For comparison, we measured genetic variation in 20 native populations across Costa Rica. Mean levels of genetic variation in Hawaiian and Costa Rican populations were low compared to other woody or introduced plants (11.5‐12.5% polymorphic loci, 2.05‐2.50 alleles per polymorphic locus, and 0.045‐0.063 expected heterozygosity). Most genetic diversity was held within rather than among populations in both areas (GST 5 0.120 and 0.271 in Hawaii and Costa Rica, respectively). Hawaiian populations had a high degree of genetic similarity, and no genetic differentiation was found among the four Hawaiian Islands sampled. These patterns of genetic variation in Hawaii suggest that no intraspecific hybridization of genotypes from different parts of the native range has occurred and that introductions to the different islands came from the same or similar source populations. The low levels of genetic diversity in parts of both the native and introduced ranges suggest that genetic variation is unrelated to invasiveness in C. hirta.
Recent progress on relativistic magnetrons

We present experimental and simulation results from research on the 6-cavity, UM/L-3 relativistic magnetron, focusing on techniques to improve mode selection, power, and pulselength. Performance enhancements utilize magnetic priming, triple-point cathodes and mitigation of window flashover.
Mechanisms of Governance of Environmental Sustainability

In this paper we incorporate the interdisciplinary New Institutional and Transaction Costs Economics (combining Economics, Organization, Law, Sociology, Behavioral and Political Sciences), and suggest a framework for analyzing the mechanisms of governance of environmental sustainability. The agricultural sector is used to illustrate the approach, test the framework, and support with examples. Firstly, we discuss the modern concepts and the economics of sustainability. Secondly, we present a new framework for analysis and improvement of the governance of sustainable development. This new approach takes into account the role of specific institutional environment; and the behavioral characteristics of individual agents; and the transaction costs associated with the various forms of governance; and the critical factors of economic activity and exchanges; and the comparative efficiency of market, private, public and hybrid modes; and the potential of production structures for adaptation; and the comparative efficiency of alternative modes for public intervention. Finally, we identify specific modes for environmental governance in Bulgarian agriculture; and access the efficiency of market, private and public modes; and estimate the prospects for evolution of environmental governance in the conditions of EU CAP implementation. Agrarian development is associated with specific (different from other European states) environmental challenges such as degradation and contamination of farmland, pollution of surface and ground waters, loss of biodiversity, significant greenhouse gas emissions etc. That is a result of the specific institutional and governing structure evolving in the sector during the past 20 years. Implementation of the common EU policies will have unlike results in “Bulgarian” conditions enlarging income, technological, social and environmental discrepancy between different farms, sub-sectors and regions. Dominating subsistence farming, production cooperatives, small-scale commercial farms, and large business firms will be highly sustainable in years to come.
Arsenic exposure is associated with diminished insulin sensitivity in non‐diabetic Amish adults

Background Substantial evidence supports an association between diabetes and arsenic at high exposure levels, but results are mixed at low exposure levels. The aetiology of diabetes involves insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction. However, only a few epidemiologic studies have examined measures of insulin resistance and β-cell function in relation to arsenic exposure, and no studies have tested for associations with the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). We examined the association between urinary total arsenic and OGTT-based markers of insulin sensitivity and β-cell function. Methods We studied 221 non-diabetic adults (mean age = 52.5 years) from the Amish Family Diabetes Study. We computed OGTT-based validated measures of insulin sensitivity and β-cell function. Generalized estimating equations accounting for sibship were used to estimate associations. Results After adjusting for age, sex, waist-to-hip ratio and urinary creatinine, an interquartile range increase in urinary total arsenic (6.24 µg/L) was significantly, inversely associated with two insulin sensitivity measures (Stumvoll metabolic clearance rate = -0.23 mg/(kg min), (95% CI: -0.38, -0.089), p = 0.0015; Stumvoll insulin sensitivity index = -0.0029 µmol/(kg min pM), (95% CI: -0.0047, -0.0011), p = 0.0015). Urinary total arsenic was also significantly associated with higher fasting glucose levels (0.57 mg/dL (95% CI: 0.06, 1.09) per interquartile range increase, p = 0.029). No significant associations were found between urinary total arsenic and β-cell function measures. Conclusions This preliminary study found that urinary total arsenic was associated with insulin sensitivity but not β-cell function measures, suggesting that low-level arsenic exposure may influence diabetes risk through impairing insulin sensitivity. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Structural damage detection using signal-based pattern recognition

Deterioration significantly affects the structure performance and safety. A signal-based pattern-recognition procedure is applied for structural damage detection with a limited number of input/output signals. The method is based on extracting and selecting the sensitive features of the structure response to form a unique pattern for any particular damage scenario, and recognizing the unknown damage pattern against the known database to identify the damage location and level (severity). In this study, two types of transformation algorithms are implemented separately for feature extraction: (1) Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT); and (2) Wavelet Packet Transform (WPT). Three pattern-matching algorithms are also implemented separately for pattern recognition: (1) correlation, (2) least square distance, and (3) Cosh spectral distance. To demonstrate the validity and accuracy of the procedure, experimental studies are conducted on a simple three-story steel structure. The results show that the features of the signal for different damage scenarios can be uniquely identified by these transformations, and correlation algorithms can best perform pattern recognition to identify the unknown damage pattern. The proposed method can also be used to possibly detect the type of damage. It is suitable for structural health monitoring, especially for online monitoring applications.
SPRINT: To Whom Do the Results Apply?

For the past several years, many physicians have been puzzled by the rapidly changing recommendations for the treatment of hypertension. The belief that “lower is better” has been challenged, and emphasis has been placed upon the risks accompanying excessive blood pressure (BP) reduction. In
The Voltage Activation of Cortical KCNQ Channels Depends on Global PIP2 Levels

The slow afterhyperpolarization (sAHP) is a calcium-activated potassium conductance with critical roles in multiple physiological processes. Pharmacological and genetic data suggest that KCNQ channels partly mediate the sAHP. However, these channels are not typically open within the observed voltage range of the sAHP. Recent work has shown that the sAHP is gated by increased PIP2 levels, which are generated downstream of calcium binding by neuronal calcium sensors such as hippocalcin. Here, we examined whether changes in PIP2 levels could shift the voltage-activation range of KCNQ channels. In HEK293T cells, expression of the PIP5 kinase PIPKIγ90, which increases global PIP2 levels, shifted the KCNQ voltage activation to within the operating range of the sAHP. Further, the sensitivity of this effect on KCNQ3 channels appeared to be higher than that on KCNQ2. Therefore, we predict that KCNQ3 plays an essential role in maintaining the sAHP under low PIP2 conditions. In support of this notion, we find that sAHP inhibition by muscarinic receptors that increase phosphoinositide turnover in neurons is enhanced in Kcnq3-knockout mice. Likewise, the presence of KCNQ3 is essential for maintaining the sAHP when hippocalcin is ablated, a condition that likely impairs PIP2 generation. Together, our results establish the relationship between PIP2 and the voltage dependence of cortical KCNQ channels (KCNQ2/3, KCNQ3/5, and KCNQ5), and suggest a possible mechanism for the involvement of KCNQ channels in the sAHP.
Energy Recovery from Acid–Base Neutralization Process through pH-Sensitive Polymeric Ion Exchangers

Globally speaking, waste acid neutralization is a widely used industrial pollution control process. In principle, acid–base neutralization is a thermodynamically favorable reaction that involves th...
Cytotoxicity of adrenal cortex hormones on normal and malignant lymphocytes of man and rat.

SummaryCortisol succinate, Cortisol, and corticosterone in small doses were toxic to lymphocytes from rat blood and rabbit thymus. The toxicity was indicated by a reduction in in vitro survival time of the lymphocytes, according to a slide-chamber method. Minimal toxic effects were produced by 0.01 μg/ml of Cortisol succinate and Cortisol and by 0.1 μg/ml of corticosterone. In contrast, lymphocytes from the blood of normal individuals and from non-leukemic patients were resistant to 10 μg/ml of Cortisol succinate. These experiments suggest a species difference in the sensitivity of lymphocytes from man as compared to those from the rat and rabbit.Similar tests were done on the lymphocytes from the blood of 13 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia or with lymphosarcoma in leukemic phase. In general, the leukemic lymphocytes were more sensitive to Cortisol succinate (10 μg/ml) than normal lymphocytes. Two of the 13 patients had lymphocytes which were very sensitive to the corticosteroid.
Biology of Florilegus condignus (Hymenoptera: Anthophoridae), with a Description of Its Larva, and Remarks on Its Importance in Alfalfa Pollination

The nesting activity and behavior of Florilegus condignus (Cresson) on alfalfa flowers are described, as are the mature larva and cocoon, and comparisons are made with related genera of bees. It is suggested that artificial nesting sites be established by introducing males and females of this bee into large cages over alfalfa plants.
Surgical Repair of 115 Patients With Anomalous Aortic Origin of a Coronary Artery From a Single Institution

Objectives:Anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery (AAOCA) has been associated with myocardial ischemia and sudden death. The past decade has provided important insights into the natural histo...
Endocrine Therapy for Bladder Outlet Obstruction from Carcinoma of the Prostate

AbstractThe optimum treatment of bladder outlet obstruction from prostatic cancer is controversial. Although transurethral resection of the prostate may provide immediate relief of the obstruction, there are attendant surgical and anesthetic risks, as well as accumulating clinical evidence to suggest that transurethral resection of the prostate may cause tumor dissemination and diminish patient survival. Orchiectomy, which can be performed safely with local anesthesia, provides definitive endocrine therapy and has been used at our institution in preference to transurethral resection to relieve bladder outlet obstruction from carcinoma of the prostate.There were 35 patients between 51 and 96 years old in urinary retention from carcinoma of the prostate. Patients were treated with orchiectomy and suprapubic or urethral catheter drainage, and subsequently were given voiding trials. If a patient failed to void satisfactorily within 60 days transurethral resection of the prostate was performed. Over-all, 24 of...
The Effect of Decrease in Cardiac Output on End-Tidal CO2 and Difference between Arterial and End-Tidal CO2 Tension

Capnogram, monitoring of end-tidal CO2, has been a popular tool for assessment of ventilatory status during modern anesthesia. A normal curve on capnogram suggests normal CO2 production, adequate circulation, and adequate ventilation. Level of end-tidal CO2. is different from that of arterial CO2 even in normal individual. The difference is originated from alveolar dead space gas which dilute concentration of CO2 from normal alveoli. In clinical situation, the major factor which determines alveolar dead space is low pulmonary blood flow. Decrease of alveolar capillary perfusion from low cardiac output is the most important cause of low measure of end-tidal CO and large difference between arterial CO2 and end-tidal CO2 concentration in perioperative period. To understand the effect of cardiac output on end-tidal CO2 tension and the difference between arterial CO2 tension and end-tidal CO2 tension, We measured cardiac output before and dutiag administration of nitroglycerine and sodium nitropruside for relieve of myocardial load before aortic clamping in 30 male patients undergoing aortic recontructive surgery under endotracheal anesthesia for repair of infrarenal aortic obstruction. We also measured arterial CO2 tension, and end-tidal CO2 tension at the time of 10% decrease(phasel), 15% decrease(phase2)and 20% decrease(phase3) of cardiac output respectively. Measured values were statistically analyzed to evaluate correlation between cardiac output and end-tidal CO2 tension. The results are as follows: 1) Decreases of cardiac output brought about significant decrease in end-tidal CO2 in all phases compared to control value(p<0,05). 2) Decreases of cardiac output brought about significant increase in the difference between arterial- end-tidal CO2. tension in all phases compared to control value(p<0.05). 3) Changes in cardiac ourput correlated with changes in end-tidal CO2 tension significantly(p=0.0001, r=0.61, slope=2.01). 4) Changes in cardiac ourput correlated with changes in differences between arterial-end-tidal CO2 tension significantly(p=0.0001, r=-0.59, slope=-1.63). In conclusion we suggest that measurement of end-tidal CO2 tension, especially difference between arterial and end-tidal CO2 tension, may be a useful indicator for detection of cardiac output change during operation.(Korean J Anesthesiol 1995; 29: 495~500)
Research Domain Criteria: toward future psychiatric nosologies.

The Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) project was initiated by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in early 2009 as the implementation of Goal 1.4 of its just-issued strategic plan. In keeping with the NIMH mission, to “transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research,” RDoC was explicitly conceived as a research-related initiative. The statement of the relevant goal in the strategic plan reads: “Develop, for research purposes, new ways of classifying mental disorders based on dimensions of observable behavior and neurobiological measures.” Due to the novel approach that RDoC takes to conceptualizing and studying mental disorders, it has received widespread attention, well beyond the borders of the immediate research community. This review discusses the rationale for the experimental framework that RDoC has adopted, and its implications for the nosology of mental disorders in the future.
Hereditary disorders of the erythrocyte.

Diagnosis and management of the most common hereditary disorders of the erythrocyte are discussed. These congenital defects may continue to present problems through infancy and childhood. These problems may be anticipated and ameliorated or prevented if the diagnosis is made early.
Electron Spin Echo Modulation Studies of Doxylstearic Acid Nitroxide Spin Probe Locations in Micelles

Electron spin echo modulation spectrometry has been used to probe the weak electron-nuclear hyperfine interactions of x-doxylstearic acid spin probes in frozen micellar systems prepared in D2O or with specifically deuterated surfactant molecules. Spin probes with x = 5, 7, 10, 12, and 16 were used. The surfactant molecules were synthesized with deuterium labels in the polar headgroup or counterion and at the terminal methyl group of the nonpolar alkyl tail. Anionic micelles were prepared from sodium and tetramethylammonium dodecylsulfate surfactants. Cationic micelles were prepared from dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide and hexadecyltrimethyl- ammonium bromide. It is concluded that the sodium dodecylsulfate micelles have a reasonably compact headgroup structure with a low degree of water penetration and relatively well organized alkyl chains with the terminal alkyl groups concentrated near the center region of the micelle. In contrast, the tetramethylammonium dodecylsulfate micelles show a more open headgroup structure with significant water penetration into the Stern region and a locus of terminal alkyl groups that is broadly distributed throughout the micelle. Nitroxide spin probe molecules can have a folded conformation in both anionic and cationic micelles.
Seasonal Variations of Mercury's Magnesium Dayside Exosphere from MESSENGER Observations

Abstract The Ultraviolet and Visible Spectrometer channel of the Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer instrument aboard the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging spacecraft made near-daily observations of solar-scattered resonant emission from magnesium in Mercury's exosphere during the mission's orbital phase (March 2011–April 2015, ∼17 Mercury years). In this paper, a subset of these data (March 2013–April 2015) is described and analyzed to illustrate Mg's spatial and temporal variations. Dayside altitude profiles of emission are used to make estimates of the Mg density and temperature. The main characteristics of the Mg exosphere are (a) a predominant enhancement of emission in the morning (6 am–10 am) near perihelion, (b) a bulk temperature of ∼6000 K, consistent with impact vaporization as the predominant ejection process, (c) a near-surface density that varies from 5 cm −3 to 50 cm −3 and (d) a production rate that is strongest in the morning on the inbound leg of Mercury's orbit with rates ranging from 1 × 10 5 cm −2 s −1 to 8 × 10 5 cm −2 s −1 .
PHENOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES OF HEAVILY DUSTED CREOSOTE BUSH (LARREA TRIDENTATA) TO SUMMER IRRIGATION IN THE MOJAVE DESERT

Summary In the Mojave Desert, numerous human activities damage soil structure, often resulting in increased wind erosion and deposition of dust on plant leaves. Especially susceptible to dust coating are the resinous, evergreen leaves of the dominant creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) wherever these shrubs grow along unpaved roads and trails and at the margins of dry playas. A yearlong field study was conducted, begun during summer drought, to investigate effects of summer irrigation on heavily dusted plants of L. tridentata. Plant water relations, quantitative phenology, and gas exchange were monitored for sets of five plants under three conditions: dusted nonirrigated, dusted irrigated, and undusted nonirrigated (control). Following watering, dusted irrigated plants experienced rapid shoot growth and had significantly higher predawn shoot water potentials (Ψ = −2.5 MPa) than dusted nonirrigated plants (−5.5 MPa), and midday values were −3.1 to −4.1 MPa versus −5.5 to −6.4 MPa, respectively. For dusted plants, irrigation resulted in marked increases of assimilation (14.0 versus 1.24μmol m−2 s−1), stomatal conductance (0.19 versus 0.03 mol m−2 s−1), and linear growth, and accompanying new growth the old, dusted leaves were mostly abscised. All measures of water-use efficiency (WUE) were higher in controls than in dusted plants, and during the summer, dust was associated with a 40–90% reduction in shoot growth. Nonirrigated controls showed much greater water stress than dusted irrigated plants, but when irrigation was discontinued, the formerly irrigated plants rapidly converged on the physiological and phenological characteristics of not watered control plants. Dust deposition may reduce plant carbon gain by decreasing WUE and impairing tolerance of water stress. This experiment demonstrated that creosote bushes can recover rapidly from acute heavy dust deposition if irrigation, simulating heavy summer rainfall, is provided, and these results may be useful in measures to minimize the ecological impact of human activities in desert ecosystems.
Hyaluronic Acid Injections for Treatment of Advanced Osteoarthritis of the Knee: Utilization and Cost in a National Population Sample.

Background: The prevalence of knee osteoarthritis is increasing in the aging U.S. population. The efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the use of hyaluronic acid (HA) injections for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis are debated. In this study, we assessed the utilization and costs of HA injections in the 12 months preceding total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and evaluated the usage of HA injections in end-stage knee osteoarthritis management in relation to other treatments. Methods: MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters and Medicare Supplemental and Coordination of Benefits databases (Truven Health Analytics) were reviewed to identify patients who underwent TKA from 2005 to 2012. The utilization of patient-specific osteoarthritis-related health care (including medications, corticosteroid injections, HA injections, imaging, and office visits) and payment information were analyzed for the 12 months preceding TKA. Results: A total of 244,059 patients met the inclusion criteria. Of those, 35,935 (14.7%) had ≥1 HA injection in the 12 months preceding TKA. HA injections were responsible for 16.4% of all knee osteoarthritis-related payments, trailing only imaging studies (18.2%), and HA injections accounted for 25.2% of treatment-specific payments, a rate that was higher than that of any other treatment. Patients receiving HA injections were significantly more likely to receive additional knee osteoarthritis-related treatments compared with patients who did not receive HA injections. Conclusions: Despite numerous studies questioning the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of HA injections for osteoarthritis of the knee, HA injections are still utilized for a substantial percentage of patients. Given the paucity of data supporting the effectiveness of HA injections and the current cost-conscious health-care climate, decreasing their use among patients with end-stage knee osteoarthritis may represent a substantial cost reduction that likely does not adversely impact the quality of care.
Variation in the TAS2R31 bitter taste receptor gene relates to liking for the nonnutritive sweetener Acesulfame-K among children and adults.

The nonnutritive sweetener (NNS) acesulfame potassium (Ace-K) elicits a bitter off-taste that varies among adults due to polymorphisms in a bitter taste receptor gene. Whether polymorphisms affect liking for Ace-K by children, who live in different sensory worlds, is unknown. We examined hedonic response to Ace-K among children compared to adults, and whether response was related to common variants of the TAS2R31 bitter taste receptor gene and to NNS intake. Children (N = 48) and their mothers (N = 34) rated liking of Ace-K, and mothers reported whether they or their children ever consume NNSs via questionnaire. Participants were genotyped for TAS2R31 variant sites associated with adult perception of Ace-K (R35W, L162M, A227V, and V240I). Regardless of age, more participants with 1 or no copies than with 2 copies of the TAS2R31 WMVI haplotype liked Ace-K (p = 0.01). NNS-sweetened products were consumed by 50% and 15% of mothers and children, respectively, with no association between intake and TAS2R31. The TAS2R31 WMVI haplotype was partly responsible for children’s hedonic response to Ace-K, highlighting a potential role for inborn differences in vulnerability to overconsumption of Ace-K-containing products. Currently available methods to measure NNS intake yield crude estimates at best, suggesting self-reports are not reflective of actual intake.
The Associations of Fetuin-A With Subclinical Cardiovascular Disease in Community-Dwelling Persons: The Rancho Bernardo Study

Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the association of fetuin-A with subclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) in community-living individuals. Background Fetuin-A is a hepatic secretory protein that inhibits arterial calcium deposition in vitro. Lower fetuin-A levels are associated with arterial calcification and death in end-stage renal disease populations. The association of fetuin-A with subclinical CVD in the general population is unknown. Methods Among 1,375 community-living individuals without prevalent clinical CVD, we measured plasma fetuin-A concentrations. Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) was defined by ankle brachial index aamp;amp;amp;lt;0.90, coronary artery calcification (CAC) was measured by computed tomography, and common and internal intima-media thickness (cIMT) were measured by carotid ultrasound. PAD was measured concurrent with fetuin-A, and CAC and cIMT were measured 4.6 years (mean) later. Results Mean age was 70 ± 11 years, and 64% were women. Fetuin-A levels were inversely associated with CAC severity. When evaluated as CAC categories (0, 1 to 100, 101 to 300, aamp;amp;amp;gt;300) with ordinal logistic regression, each SD higher fetuin-A was associated with 31% lower odds of CAC severity (proportional odds ratio: 0.69; 95% confidence interval: 0.46 to 0.92; p = 0.008) in models adjusted for demographic data, lifestyle factors, traditional CVD risk factors, and kidney function. In contrast, no association of fetuin-A was observed with PAD or high common or internal cIMT in adjusted models. Conclusions Lower fetuin-A levels are independently associated with greater CAC severity but not PAD or cIMT. If confirmed, fetuin-A might mark calcium deposition within the vasculature but not atherosclerosis per se.
Maternal acculturation and the growth of impoverished Mexican American infants

Objective Identification of early life risk factors that predispose low-income Hispanic children to obesity is critical. For low-income Mexican American mothers, the cultural context may influence maternal experience and behaviors relevant to infant weight and growth. Methods In a longitudinal study of 322 low-income Mexican American mother-infant dyads, linear growth modeling examined the relation of maternal acculturation to infant weight gain across the first year and evaluated birth outcomes, breastfeeding, and maternal BMI as mediators. Results There was a high prevalence (36% >95th percentile) of infants with obesity at 1 year. Higher maternal acculturation was associated with lower birth weight, higher infant weight at 6 weeks, and a lower prevalence of breastfeeding. Mediation analyses supported formula-feeding as a mediator of the relation between higher maternal acculturation and an increasing slope of infant weight gain across the first year. Conclusions Breastfeeding may have measurable benefits for Mexican American child obesity status in this high-risk population, particularly among those with more acculturated mothers.
Do Judges Have Tastes for Discrimination? Evidence from Criminal Courts

Numerous studies find that criminal court judges issue racially disparate sentences, but whether these patterns reflect tastes for discrimination remains unclear. An alternative explanation is statistical discrimination, which implies that judges rely on race to predict a felon’s latent criminality in the absence of perfect information. This paper uses an empirical approach that distinguishes between taste-based and statistical discrimination. The intuition is that if the rank order of judicial incarceration rates depends on race, then this is symptomatic of taste-based discrimination. The rank-order test results imply that we cannot reject the null hypothesis of no taste-based discrimination.
Fragmentation in the ion transfer optics after differential ion mobility spectrometry produces multiple artifact monomer peaks

Abstract Differential ion mobility spectrometry (DIMS) can be used to separate isomeric and isobaric ions, which are difficult to distinguish with mass spectrometry alone. Three peaks were observed while performing DIMS-MS for both lithium cationized glucose and lithium cationized levoglucosan. Glucose has a large number of potential structures for its small size. The different peaks could be caused by differences in glucose anomericity, pyranose versus furanose forms, ring conformation, or the lithium cation binding site. However, the bicyclic structure of levoglucosan is more constrained and less likely to result in different structures than glucose. The three peaks for both compounds were found to originate from the monomer, post-DIMS fragmentation of a homodimer, and post-DIMS fragmentation of a heterodimer with a common contaminant, erucamide. This post-DIMS fragmentation occurs in the ion transfer optics and can lead to erroneous conclusions about the peaks in a DIMS spectrum where dimers are present. Dimers are commonly observed when using metal cationization, where over 10% of the glucose and levoglucosan was observed as a lithium cation bound dimer, even at concentrations as low as 0.1 μM.
Analysing Foreign Language Instructional Materials through the Lens of the Multiliteracies Framework.

Literacy, understood as a socially situated process of making meaning from texts, has been offered as a conceptual solution to collegiate foreign language curricular divisions, and multiliteracies ...
Linear and Nonlinear Physical Models

This chapter is devoted to treatments of linear and nonlinear particular applications that appear in applied sciences. A wide variety of physically significant problems modeled by linear and nonlinear partial differential equations has been the focus of extensive studies for the last decades. A huge size of research and investigation has been invested in these scientific applications. Several approaches have been used such as the characteristics method, spectral methods and perturbation techniques to examine these problems.
Squamous and Basal Cell Carcinomas with Perineural Invasion

Perineural invasion (PNI) occurs in 2–6 % of cutaneous head and neck basal and squamous cell carcinomas. It is associated with mid-face location, recurrent tumors, high histologic grade, and increasing tumor size. Although PNI may be associated with skin cancers arising in any location, it is a particular problem for those arising in the head and neck because of the proximity of cranial nerves and the increased difficulty obtaining wide margins. Patients may be asymptomatic with PNI appreciated on histopathologic examination (incidental) or may present with cranial nerve (CN) deficits (clinical); usually CNs V and VII. Magnetic resonance imaging may be obtained to detect and define the extent of PNI; computed tomography (CT) may assist with detecting or excluding regional lymph node metastases. Patients with apparently resectable cancers undergo surgery, often followed by postoperative radiotherapy (RT). Patients with unresectable cancers are treated with definitive RT. The 5-year outcomes after treatment for incidental vs. clinical PNI are: local control, 80 % and 55 %; cause-specific survival, 75 % and 65 %; and overall survival, 55 % and 50 %, respectively. The incidence of grade ≥3 complications is higher after treatment for clinical PNI vs. microscopic (incidental) PNI; approximately 35 % compared with 15 %, respectively. Proton beam RT may be used to reduce the risk of late complications by reducing RT dose to the visual apparatus and central nervous system.
Psychology and Pediatrics

It was my assignment in this chapter to provide comments about how the field of clinical behavioral pediatrics is likely to develop in the future. The chapter was difficult to plan for two reasons. One, it was a bit unclear whether the particular term clinical behavioral pediatrics would communicate most accurately what I hoped to say. This field is still unsettled enough in its terminology that a variety of labels are used for overlapping parts of it: developmental pediatrics, pediatric psychology, and behavioral pediatrics, to name a few. And not all people who use the same terms mean the same things by them. The second reason the chapter was hard to plan was that it called for predicting the future of a rather fast-changing interdisciplinary field. I realize that psychologists are supposed to be experts at predicting behavior, but my track record in predicting the course of the relationship between psychology and pediatrics is no better than anyone else’s (e.g., Routh, 1980b). What I have done in the chapter, therefore, is to try to describe some of the different models that have been discussed for the relationship of the two disciplines. Table 1 outlines the main models that have been proposed. In discussing each model, I note certain predictions that have been made about the development of the field as a whole and try to evaluate the extent to which these have actually come to pass.
Star clusters, self-interacting dark matter halos, and black hole cusps: The fluid conduction model and its extension to general relativity.

We adopt the fluid conduction approximation to study the evolution of spherical star clusters and self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) halos. We also explore the formation and dynamical impact of density cusps that arise in both systems due to the presence of a massive, central black hole. The large N-body, self-gravitating systems we treat are ``weakly collisional'': the mean free time between star or SIDM particle collisions is much longer than their characteristic crossing (dynamical) time scale, but shorter than the system lifetime. The fluid conduction model reliably tracks the ``gravothermal catastrophe'' in star clusters and SIDM halos without black holes. For a star cluster with a massive, central black hole, this approximation reproduces the familiar Bahcall-Wolf quasistatic density cusp for the stars bound to the black hole and shows how the cusp halts the ``gravothermal catastrophe'' and causes the cluster to re-expand. An SIDM halo with an initial black hole central density spike that matches onto to an exterior NFW profile relaxes to a core-halo structure with a central density cusp determined by the velocity dependence of the SIDM interaction cross section. The success and relative simplicity of the fluid conduction approach in evolving such ``weakly collisional,'' quasiequilibrium Newtonian systems motivates its extension to relativistic systems. We present a general relativistic extension here.
Pernicious Particles: Subatomic Particles as Villains

In the Star Trek universe, the Enterprise’s warp engines are powered by the annihilation of deuterium (heavy hydrogen atoms in which the nucleus consists of a proton and neutron) and antideuterium. So-called dilithium crystals (an invented element, as opposed to two lithium atoms bonded together) control the reaction [1]. However, antimatter is also used as a weapon, for example in the Star Trek: Voyager episode “Dreadnought”. The title refers to a Cardassian self-guided missile made of 100 kg each of matter and antimatter, said to be able to destroy a small moon. Non “Trekkers” may have first come across the term antimatter in Dan Brown’s novel Angels & Demons or Ron Howard’s film adaptation of the same name. In the novel father/daughter scientists the Vetras keep their antimatter experiments at CERN secret, citing safety concerns. Daughter Vittoria explains that while antimatter is an “important technology” that she hopes will ultimately provide limitless, pollution-free energy that could “save the planet”, it also has the potential to destroy the planet (in large enough quantities) [2].
Robust clinical and laboratory response to hydroxyurea using pharmacokinetically guided dosing for young children with sickle cell anemia

Hydroxyurea is FDA-approved and now increasingly used for children with sickle cell anemia (SCA), but dosing strategies, pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles, and treatment responses for individual patients are highly variable. Typical weight-based dosing with step-wise escalation to maximum tolerated dose (MTD) leads to predictable laboratory and clinical benefits, but often takes 6 to 12 months to achieve. The Therapeutic Response Evaluation and Adherence Trial (TREAT, NCT02286154) was a single-center study designed to prospectively validate a novel personalized PK-guided hydroxyurea dosing strategy with a primary endpoint of time to MTD. Enrolled participants received a single oral 20 mg/kg dose of hydroxyurea, followed by a sparse PK sampling approach with three samples collected over three hours. Analysis of individual PK data into a population PK model generated a starting dose that targets the MTD. The TREAT cohort (n = 50) was young, starting hydroxyurea at a median age of 11 months (IQR 9-26 months), and PK-guided starting doses were high (27.7 ± 4.9 mg/kg/d). Time to MTD was 4.8 months (IQR 3.3-9.3), significantly shorter than comparison studies (p < 0.0001), thus meeting the primary endpoint. More remarkably, the laboratory response for participants starting with a PK-guided dose was quite robust, achieving higher hemoglobin (10.1 ± 1.3 g/dL) and HbF (33.3 ± 9.1%) levels than traditional dosing. Though higher than traditional dosing, PK-guided doses were safe without excess hematologic toxicities. Our data suggest early initiation of hydroxyurea, using a personalized dosing strategy for children with SCA, provides laboratory and clinical response beyond what has been seen historically, with traditional weight-based dosing.
Multi-tenant FPGA Security: Challenges and Opportunities

An emerging trend in the data center is the at-scale deployment of Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) which combine multi-gigabit and ultra-low latency workload acceleration with hardware-level reconfigurability. In particular, for applications such as Deep Learning where techniques and algorithms are rapidly changing, the inherent flexibility of FPGAs grants them an edge over hardened data processing units such as ASICs or GPUs. Inevitably, Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) will seek to maximize resource utilization for their FPGA investments as they currently do for general-purpose computing resources. Current FPGA deployments in the data center tend to be single-tenant or support multiple tenants through time multiplexing (temporal multi-tenancy) which can result in resource underutilization. This approach does not scale and presents challenges for elastic workloads whose properties are not fully known ahead of time. Instead, we expect that closing the resource utilization gap will require efficient spatial allocation of FPGA resources across multiple tenants while maintaining security and QoS guarantees. In particular, new usage models such as FPGA-as-a-Service, where resources are exposed directly to the cloud tenant, present unique challenges on the security and QoS side. In this talk we review the threat landscape and trust models associated with FPGA multi-tenancy, highlight future research challenges and examine the unique opportunities that FPGA multi-tenancy enables given adequate guarantees on security and QoS.
Reduction of Y90 radiation exposure using modified leaded glasses.

2154 Purpose: Reduction of Y90 radiation exposure using modified leaded glasses. Objectives: The use of Yittrium-90 (Y90) for selective internal radiation therapy for liver cancer is growing. In the US, most institution’s Interventional Radiologist have the task of administering these Y90 spheres. Devices such as lead aprons and lead eyeglasses are used to lower the radiation exposure on a daily bases for these doctors. However, when handling beta emitters like Y90 acrylic is the most effective to lower radiation exposure. The objective of this study is to evaluate how effective eyewear using a combination of lead and acrylic is compared to the standard lead eyeglasses when using Y90. Materials A vial of 56mCi of Y90 was placed at a set distance of 16 cm from a Geiger counter. A standard pair of lead glassed eyewear was placed directly in front of the vial. A piece of (add thickness) acrylic was added to the lead glasses. Six measurements were taken and recorded with lead glasses only and lead glasses + acrylic. Results Data show a clear reduction in exposure rates with average exposure rates reduced from 1.2 mR/hr with lead only glasses to an average of 0.167 ± 0.03 mR/hr with the addition of acrylic to the lead glass surface. The differences between values were statistically significant with p Conclusions: The addition of a layer of acrylic to leaded glasses may help in reducing radiation dose to the eyes in the instances during radioembolization therapy. This is most useful when the physicians experience enhanced exposure during infusion and in the instance where stasis is reached and Y90 beads are trapped in the catheter tubing with minimal shielding and distance from the physicians and staff.
Identifying Victims of Sex Trafficking: Assessing Medical Student Knowledge and Confidence After a Brief Workshop

Background Sex trafficking is a public health problem in the United States. Although most victims of sex trafficking do come into contact with a healthcare provider during the time in which they are trafficked, the majority of physicians are not trained to recognize victims of sex trafficking, intervene on their behalf, or refer victims to appropriate psychiatric, legal, and social services. While medical professionals agree that knowledge about sex trafficking is important to their clinical practice, they acknowledge a lack of knowledge and confidence regarding …
Confined Immersion Cooling in Microscale Gaps

Thermal management is one of the major operational concerns for data centers and accounts for a significant fraction of total power consumption. Passive immersion cooling solutions have been explored owing to their potential for offering low overall thermal resistance in very dense rack configurations where there is no room for conventional heat sinks between printed circuit boards. Further, in practice, regions of high heat flux are localized to where processing units are positioned. Non-uniform heating, as well as local hot spots, could affect thermal performance as a result of the need for rewetting of the surface with liquid during boiling. This work explores immersion cooling in submillimeter confined liquid filled gaps with localized heat sources. Specifically, this work investigates the thermofluidic characteristics of highly confined boiling surfaces. A camera is used to visualize the two-phase flow regimes and instabilities that occur prior to critical heat flux (CHF) limits. Two distinct boiling regimes are observed (namely, intermittent boiling and partial dryout). Both the heated fraction of the area within the confined region and the gap spacing affect the CHF values and thermal performance prior to CHF. The optimum thermal performance, in terms of the surface superheat, is experimentally observed for a confinement corresponding to a Bond number of 0.2. However, at this optimum condition based on surface superheat, the CHF is significantly reduced to 27% of the unconfined CHF limit. Significant additional reductions in the CHF are also experimentally observed when the adiabatic confinement surface is extended beyond the heater edge. This additional fundamental understanding of the impact of spatial confinement on the thermal performance of immersion cooling has broad implications for two-phase thermal management solutions.