cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evolution of Human Language Circuits Revealed With Comparative Diffusion Tensor Imaging

Among primates, only humans communicate by combining thousands of symbols according to a defined set of rules to generate phrases with a nearly infinite variety of meanings. Comparative neuroimaging can be used to identify unique features of the human brain that support language. Comparative diffusion tractography shows that while nonhuman primates possess white matter connections linking the homologues of Broca's and Wernicke's areas, only humans additionally possess a very prominent and consistent projection to the cortex ventral to Wernicke's area that has displaced visual system pathways. This specialization of human brain anatomy may partially explain our capacity for language.
Synthesis, purification, and crystal growth of perovskite semiconductor CsPbBr3 as a new candidate for gamma-ray detector(Conference Presentation)

CsPbBr3 has direct band gap (orange color, 2.25 eV), high density (4.85 g/cm3), attenuation coefficient comparable to CZT, and high resistivity ~10^9 ohm∙cm. These fundamental physical properties of CsPbBr3well meet the requirements for gamma-ray detector materials. CsPbBr3 exhibits the carrier mobility-lifetime product in the order of 10^-4 cm2/V promising enough to be further developed for practical applications. The major challenge in the process to further enhance the detection performance is the carrier traps present at a deep level of the energy gap which should be minimized. We report the synthesis, purification, crystal growth and physical characterization of the CsPbBr3 crystals obtained by new processes we developed for highly pure materials with reduced carrier traps. The starting binary materials were prepared by reaction of Cs2CO3/HBr and Pb(ac)2/HBr in aqueous solution. Purification of materials was performed by sublimation, bromination with HBr gas, and filtration of molten materials. Large single crystals were grown by the vertical Bridgman and EelectroDynamic Gradient method and cut to the dimensions appropriate for assessment of the material for gamma-ray detector applications. All characterization including optical characteristics, charge transport properties, photoconductivity, and gamma-ray spectroscopy from the new single crystals of CsPbBr3 will be presented. In addition, the charge carrier traps profile has been studied for this compound by Deep-Level Transient Spectroscopy (DLTS), Thermally Stimulated Luminescence (TSL), and Photoluminescence (PL) and will be presented.
Enhanced boiling heat transfer on plain and featured surfaces using acoustic actuation

Abstract Two-phase thermal management based on submerged boiling heat transfer has received considerable attention in recent years because of its potential to achieve high heat fluxes along with its relatively simple hardware and system-level coupling. However, this attractive heat transfer approach has been hampered by the critical heat flux (CHF) limit on the maximum heat transfer, which is caused by the dynamics of the vapor bubbles that form on the heated surface and the subsequent transition to film boiling that produces a large increase in the surface temperature. Recent work at Georgia Tech has exploited low-power ultrasonic acoustic forcing to enhance boiling heat transfer and increase the CHF limit by controlling the formation and evolution of the vapor bubbles and inhibiting the instabilities that lead to film boiling. These effects are investigated with plain and textured (surface-embedded microchannels) boiling heat transfer base surfaces. Even without acoustic actuation, the transfer of makeup fluid to the boiling sites in the presence of surface microchannels passively decreases the surface superheat and increases in the CHF by 218% compared to plain surfaces. Acoustic actuation has a profound effect on the onset and evolution of boiling by inducing interfacial forces that affect the bubbles’ contact line with the surface and lead to bubble detachment. Heat transfer measurements with acoustic actuation demonstrate a significant increase in the CHF as the acoustic field impedes the formation of large vapor columns and inhibits the instability that results in the collapse of these columns into a vapor film. The improvements in the CHF in stagnant bulk fluid exceed 66% for the plain surface (up to 183 W/cm2), and 31% for the textured surface (up to 460 W/cm2 with a 7 °C reduction in surface superheat).
Bystander Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Is Clustered and Associated With Neighborhood Socioeconomic Characteristics: A Geospatial Analysis of Kent County, Michigan.

OBJECTIVES Geographic clustering of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is associated with demographic and socioeconomic features of the community where out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) occurred, although this association remains largely untested in rural areas. With a significant rural component and relative racial homogeneity, Kent County, Michigan, provides a unique setting to externally validate or identify new community features associated with bystander CPR. Using a large, countywide data set, we tested for geographic clustering of bystander CPR and its associations with community socioeconomic features. METHODS Secondary analysis of adult OHCA subjects (2010-2015) in the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES) data set for Kent County, Michigan. After linking geocoded OHCA cases to U.S. census data, we used Moran's I-test to assess for spatial autocorrelation of population-weighted cardiac arrest rate by census block group. Getis-Ord Gi statistic assessed for spatial clustering of bystander CPR and mixed-effects hierarchical logistic regression estimated adjusted associations between community features and bystander CPR. RESULTS Of 1,592 subjects, 1,465 met inclusion criteria. Geospatial analysis revealed significant clustering of OHCA in more populated/urban areas. Conversely, bystander CPR was less likely in these areas (99% confidence) and more likely in suburban and rural areas (99% confidence). Adjusting for clinical, demographic, and socioeconomic covariates, bystander CPR was associated with public location (odds ratio [OR] = 1.19; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.03-1.39), initially shockable rhythms (OR = 1.48; 95% CI = 1.12-1.96), and those in urban neighborhoods (OR = 0.54; 95% CI = 0.38-0.77). CONCLUSIONS Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and bystander CPR are geographically clustered in Kent County, Michigan, but bystander CPR is inversely associated with urban designation. These results offer new insight into bystander CPR patterns in mixed urban and rural regions and afford the opportunity for targeted community CPR education in areas of low bystander CPR prevalence.
Longitudinal Network Centrality Using Incomplete Data

How do individuals’ influence in a large social network change? Social scientists have difficulty answering this question because measuring influence requires frequent observations of a population of individuals’ connections to each other, while sampling that social network removes information in a way that can bias inferences. This paper introduces a method to measure influence over time accurately from sampled network data. Ranking individuals by the sum of their connections’ connections—neighbor cumulative indegree centrality—preserves the rank influence ordering that would be achieved in the presence of complete network data, lowering the barrier to measuring influence accurately. The paper then shows how to measure that variable changes each day, making it possible to analyze when and why an individual’s influence in a network changes. This method is demonstrated and validated on 21 Twitter accounts in Bahrain and Egypt from early 2011. The paper then discusses how to use the method in domains such as voter mobilization and marketing.
Materialized View Selection for Multidimensional Datasets

This dissertation describes techniques for speeding up Online Analytical Processing or OLAP queries. OLAP systems allow users to quickly obtain the answers to complex business queries. Quickly answering these queries which aggregate large amounts of data, calls for various specialized techniques. One technique used by OLAP systems to speed up multidimensional data analysis is to precompute aggregates on some subsets of dimensions and their corresponding hierarchies. We first address the problem of efficiently estimating aggregate sizes. Precomputation of aggregate data improves query response time. However, the decision of what and how much to precompute is a difficult one. It is further complicated by the fact that precomputation in the presence of hierarchies can result in an unintuitively large increase in the amount of storage required by the database. Hence, it is interesting and useful to estimate the storage blowup that will result from a proposed set of precomputations without actually computing them. We propose three strategies to solve this problem, and investigate the accuracy of these algorithms in estimating the blowup for different data distributions and database schemas. Another intriguing problem that we are faced with is which aggregates to precompute. The more that is precomputed, the faster queries can be answered; however, it is often difficult to determine which are the best aggregates to be precomputed given a fixed amount of space. We study the structure of the precomputation problem and show that under certain broad conditions on the multidimensional data, a simple and fast algorithm, PBS achieves good performance bounds. We present an empirical study of PBS that demonstrates that PBS picks a surprisingly good set of aggregates even when the conditions do not hold. Queries in real world applications frequently require aggregations over multiple cubes (in a star schema, this corresponds to there being multiple fact tables). Unfortunately, most research into aggregate selection has assumed that queries are over a single cube. We analyze aggregate selection in the context of multicube queries, and propose algorithms that perform significantly better than previously proposed algorithms for multicube workloads, without any deterioration in performance for single cube query workloads.
Response by vertical strata to catastrophic wind in restored Pinus palustris stands.

Pinus palustris Mill. (longleaf pine) ecosystems support a diversity of rare plants and animals, but have been substantially degraded by historical human impacts. A suite of natural disturbances influence development and succession in P. palustris ecosystems, ranging from frequent, low-intensity events such as surface fires to infrequent, catastrophic events such as hurricanes. Like hurricanes, tornadoes may produce catastrophic winds that create canopy openings necessary for regeneration of P. palustris and other shade-intolerant species. Despite their pervasiveness in some P. palustris ecosystems, we know relatively little about the impacts of tornadoes. Our study, conducted July–August 2015 in fire-restored P. palustris stands of the Alabama Fall Line Hills, applied a nested sampling design to compare dead trees, live trees, saplings, seedlings, and herbaceous plants in plots either undisturbed or directly impacted by an Enhanced Fujita scale 3 tornado on April 27, 2011. Most wind-killed trees were uprooted or snapped, and consisted primarily of large P. palustris stems. Pinus palustris persisted, however, with increased relative densities in the tree, sapling, and seedling strata of wind-disturbed neighborhoods. The relative densities of Quercus L. (oak) trees and saplings also increased. Combined with an herbaceous stratum composition typical of other restored P. palustris stands, desirable woody species recovery indicated that the stands surveyed here were resilient to the 2011 tornado. Contrary to expectations, the tornado reduced woody stem diversity and herbaceous cover. These results may serve as a benchmark for tracking species-specific changes in P. palustris communities and guide management decisions, including those designed to promote native forest diversity.
To transform or to reproduce: Critical examination of teacher inquiry within early childhood teacher preparation

The purpose of this research is to examine how and to what extent preservice teachers (PSTs) who engage in teacher inquiry develop a critical reflective stance towards their teaching practices in e...
Tai Chi Beyond Balance and Fall Prevention: Health Benefits and Its Potential Role in Combatting Social Isolation in the Aging Population

Tai Chi (TC) is expanding as a holistic intervention. The purpose of this paper is to provide a historical perspective on TC and how its original preventative tenants can be applied today. TC can go far beyond its accepted use for balance and falls prevention and has benefits for a wide variety of physical, mental, and social health conditions common with aging. Using current (last 5 years) evidence from PubMed (meta-analyses and systematic reviews), the merits of TC as an integrative intervention and preventative tool are analyzed by key causes of mortality and morbidity found in older adults. TC is a readily adaptable exercise accessible to a wide variety of ages and skill levels. Traditional free-standing TC can be modified to seated, standing with side support, and or walker support versions. TC can be used in individual or group community-based settings to promote wellness.
Identification of adeno-associated virus capsid proteins using ZipChip CE/MS.

Abstract A simple and rapid identity test of adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotypes is important for supporting the AAV gene therapy development, as it relates to its efficacy and safety. The current mass spectrometry-based identity tests require extensive sample preparation steps, relatively large sample quantities and long analysis time. Herein, we describe a simple and novel microfluidic ZipChip CE/MS method used to characterize AAV capsid proteins. The three capsid proteins of AAV2 were separated and identified within 4 min using 5 nL of sample directly from a polysorbate-containing formulation buffer. This rapid method can be suitable to confirm AAV serotype identity.
Assessment of the prodromal questionnaire-brief child version for measurement of self-reported psychoticlike experiences in childhood

Importance Childhood psychoticlike experiences (PLEs) are associated with greater odds of a diagnosis of a psychotic disorder during adulthood. However, no known, well-validated self-report tools have been designed to measure childhood PLEs. Objective To examine the construct validity and psychometric properties of a measure of PLEs, the Prodromal Questionnaire–Brief Child Version (PQ-BC). Design, Setting, and Participants This validation study used data from the first wave of the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, a prospective longitudinal study aimed at assessing risk factors associated with adverse physical and mental health outcomes from ages 9 to 10 years into late adolescence and early adulthood. The population-based sample of 3984 children within the ABCD data set was recruited from 20 research sites across the United States. Data for this study were collected from June 1, 2016, through August 31, 2017. Main Outcomes and Measures The PQ-BC Total and Distress scores were analyzed for measurement invariance across race/ethnicity and sex, their associations with measures of PLEs, and their associations with known correlates of PLEs, including internalizing and externalizing symptoms, neuropsychological test performance, and developmental milestones. Results The study analyses included 3984 participants (1885 girls [47.3%] and 2099 boys [52.7%]; mean [SE] age, 10.0 [0.01] years). The results demonstrated measurement invariance across race/ethnicity and sex. A family history of psychotic disorder was associated with higher mean (SE) PQ-BC Total (3.883 [0.352]; β = 0.061; 95% CI, 0.027-0.094) and Distress (10.210 [1.043]; β = 0.051; 95% CI, 0.018-0.084) scores, whereas a family history of depression or mania was not. Higher PQ-BC scores were associated with higher rates of child-rated internalizing symptoms (Total score: β range, 0.218 [95% CI, 0.189-0.246] to 0.273 [95% CI, 0.245-0.301]; Distress score: β range, 0.248 [95% CI, 0.220-0.277] to 0.310 [95% CI, 0.281-0.338]), neuropsychological test performance deficits such as working memory (Total score: β = −0.042 [95% CI, −0.077 to −0.008]; Distress score: β = −0.051 [95% CI, −0.086 to −0.017]), and motor and speech developmental milestone delays (Total score: β = 0.057 [95% CI, 0.026-0.086] for motor; β = 0.042 [95% CI, 0.010-0.073] for speech; Distress score: β = 0.048 [95% CI, 0.017-0.079] for motor; β = 0.049 [95% CI, 0.018-0.081] for speech). Conclusions and Relevance These results provide support for the construct validity and demonstrate adequate psychometric properties of a self-report instrument designed to measure childhood PLEs, providing evidence that the PQ-BC may be a useful measure of early risk for psychotic disorders. Furthermore, these data suggest that PLEs at school age are associated with many of the same familial, cognitive, and emotional factors associated with psychotic symptoms in older populations, consistent with the dimensionality of psychosis across the lifespan.
Phallic Reconstruction in Cloacae Exstrophy

AbstractDuring the last 25 years 8 genotypic male subjects with cloacal exstrophy have undergone phallic reconstruction» All 8 patients had phallic inadequacy after completion of the reconstruction with penile lengths at or below 2 standard deviations below the mean. Of the patients 4 have reached puberty and 2 have documented physiological impotence by nocturnal penile tumescence testing. Three patients have required intensive psychiatric counseling, ranging from 18 months to 3 years because of feelings of sexual inadequacy. Of 2 patients who have attempted sexual relations 1 is unable to penetrate the vagina because of phallic size and 1 is presently engaged in successful vaginal intercourse. As a consequence of phallic inadequacy and its associated psychological trauma in these individuals we strongly recommend sexual conversion as part of the initial management plan.
Accommodation and ciliary muscle muscarinic receptors after echothiophate.

Twice daily topical administration of echothiophate for 2 weeks to the eyes of living cynomolgus monkeys produced profound subsensitivity of the accommodative response to pilocarpine and an approximately 50% decrease in the number of specific binding sites for 3 H-quinuclidinyl benzilate ( 3 HQNB) in the ciliary muscle without a change in their affinity. When echothiophate treatment was discontinued, functional cholinergic sensitivity and the number of QNB binding sites both returned to normal over a similar 4-8 week period. Most animals had a modest overshoot of both functional sensitivity and number of binding sites for at least several weeks thereafter. The treated to control eye ratios for the number of binding sites and accommodative response to pilocarpine were correlated and the plot of log treated to control binding site ratio versus treated to control accommodation ratio resembled a dose-response curve. Similarly, the treated versus control eye differences for the two parameters were correlated, with the regression line passing through the 0-0 axis intercept. Collectively, these findings suggest that agonist-induced modulation of functional cholinergic sensitivity in the parasympathetically innervated (as opposed to denervated) ciliary muscle occurs by a muscarinic receptor-mediated mechanism. This system appears to provide a useful model to study the regulation of ciliary muscle cholinergic sensitivity. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 32:3288-3297,1991 Chronic topical treatment of the nonhuman primate eye with the long-acting cholinesterase (ChE) inhibitor echothiophate (PI, Phospholine Iodide; Wyeth-Ayerst, Philadelphia, PA) induces the loss of the outflow facility 1 and accommodative 23 responses to pilocarpine HC1 (PILO). These responses, which are both mediated by ciliary muscle contraction, 4 re
Dose escalation results of a phase 1b study of the MDM2 inhibitor AMG 232 with or without trametinib in patients (Pts) with relapsed/refractory (r/r) acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

7027Background: The ubiquitin ligase MDM2 inhibits the tumor suppressor p53. In preclinical AML models, MDM2 inhibitors have antitumor activity as monotherapy that is synergistic when combined with...
Comment on “Activation of methane to CH3+: A selective industrial route to methanesulfonic acid”

Diaz-Urrutia and Ott (Reports, 22 March 2019, p. 1326) report a selective conversion of methane to methanesulfonic acid that is proposed to occur by a cationic chain reaction in which CH3+ adds to sulfur trioxide (SO3) to form CH3–S(O)2O+. This mechanism is not plausible because of the solvent reactivity of CH3+, the non-nucleophilicity of the sulfur atom of SO3, and the high energy of CH3–S(O)2O+.
Some Estimated Likelihoods for Computational Complexity

The editors of this LNCS volume asked me to speculate on open problems: out of the prominent conjectures in computational complexity, which of them might be true, and why?
Viewing experience of augmented reality objects as ambient media - a comparison of multimedia devices

Augmented reality objects as ambient media (i.e., media embedded in everyday contexts) are being deployed in diverse contexts, such as home, mobile, and work. Because media experience is mediated by the medium, the viewing experience of augmented reality objects should depend on the type of viewing device. In this paper, we report on a user study with 18 participants and three state-of-the-art devices (i.e., HoloLens, iPad Pro tablet, and iPhone X smartphone), comparing the influence of these mobile viewing devices on feelings of presence and workload during ambient media consumption. Study results include a significant main effect of device on participants ratings of Possibility to examine an AR object, which demonstrates that ambient media consumption experiences are determined by the choice of viewing device.
Drug Eluting Versus Covered Metal Stents in Malignant Biliary Strictures-Is There a Clinical Benefit?: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Goals/background Patients with malignant biliary obstruction (MBO) often require transpapillary stenting for symptomatic relief and biliary decompression. Plastic stents and uncovered metal stents are now replaced by covered self-expanding metal stents (SEMS). However, stent occlusion from tumor overgrowth and chronic inflammation continues to be an issue. Drug-eluting stents (DES), through an antitumor paclitaxel membrane, have been used to combat this problem. The aim of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis comparing DES to SEMS in MBO. Study Multiple databases were searched to identify studies that compared the clinical outcomes of SEMS and DES in patients with MBO. Random-effects model was used to calculate the pooled odds ratio and the pooled individual outcomes. Our primary goals were to assess the stent patency and overall survival in days. Secondary outcomes assessed the individual reported adverse events and/or complications. Results Five studies including 348 patients (175 males and 173 females) were included. The pooled odds ratio of stent patency was 1.03 (95% confidence interval: 0.68-1.54, P=0.9) and overall survival was 1.16 (95% confidence interval: 0.63-2.11, P=0.6). The pooled rate of stent patency was 168.3 (95% 140.7-196.4) days for DES and 149.4 (117.6-181.2) days for SEMS. The pooled rate of overall survival was 267.2 (206.2-328.2) days for DES and 218.2 (148.5-287.8) days for SEMS. Conclusion On the basis of this meta-analysis, DES and SEMS seem to demonstrate comparable clinical outcomes in patients with malignant biliary strictures. Reported adverse events and/or complications were comparable as well.
Glanzmann's Thrombasthenia: How Listening to the Patient Is Sometimes the Simple Key to Good Medicine!

Introduction. Glanzmann’s thrombasthenia is a rare clotting disorder caused by impaired platelet function. Lack of awareness of the appropriate management of rare medical conditions may lead to patient dissatisfaction and potentially poor treatment outcome. Case Report. A 78-year-old male with a history of Glanzmann’s thrombasthenia was admitted to the trauma service following a fall in which he sustained a facial laceration as well as maxillary sinus and nasal fractures. He received DDAVP 20 mcg and tranexamic acid upon presentation to the emergency department (ED). In the ED, the patient requested administration of platelet transfusion but was refused due to a normal platelet count. During the course of his hospital stay, he complained of epistaxis and was noted to have a downtrending hemoglobin from 11.0 g/dl to 9.0 g/dl. The patient and his family were not comfortable when the discharge plan was finalized and demanded platelet transfusion (due to history of needing platelets in association with injuries or procedures in the past) was refused by the primary team as they continued to state that his platelet count is normal. On hospital day 3, hematology was consulted as the patient and his family were extremely angry and hematology recommended platelet transfusion. Further clinical information was not available as the patient was transferred to another facility per family request as they wanted to be at a center which had the patient’s primary hematologist. Discussion. A delay in specialist consultation resulted in patient dissatisfaction and extended the length of stay. Patients with rare medical conditions and potential for major complications should be managed aggressively with appropriate specialist consultation to promote patient satisfaction and improve the overall quality of care. This case shows that as physicians it our duty to listen to our patient’s concerns and involve them in the medical decision-making to provide optimal patient-centered care.
General vs Neuraxial Anesthesia in Direct Anterior Approach Total Hip Arthroplasty: Effect on Length of Stay and Early Pain Control.

Abstract Background Recent literature has suggested some benefits for neuraxial anesthesia (NA) as an alternative for general anesthesia (GA) for primary total hip arthroplasty patients. We examined the impact of NA vs GA on outcomes for patients undergoing direct anterior (DA) approach total hip arthroplasty (THA) in an institution with established rapid recovery protocols. Methods A retrospective review was conducted for 500 consecutive THA patients from a single institution. Univariate analysis and multivariate linear regression were used to compare outcomes for THA patients receiving NA and GA. Results There was a significant difference in length of stay with NA patients having a shorter length of stay (NA 32.7 hours vs GA 38.1 hours, P = .003). Patients receiving NA had significantly lower PACU morphine milligram equivalents (MME) (NA 10.2 MME vs GA 15.6 MME, P Conclusion Neuraxial anesthesia is associated with decreased LOS, decreased PACU MME, and a lower PACU pain score for patients undergoing primary DA THA. These trends remained consistent when controlling for age, gender, BMI, and ASA.
The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI): An Early Cross-Sectional Analysis of PRAMS Phase 8 Data on Hospital Practices and Breastfeeding Outcomes in Utah and Wyoming.

Introduction Breastfeeding has immediate and long-term benefits for both maternal and child health. This study examines the association between Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) experiences and breastfeeding outcomes in the Mountain West region. Methods A cross-sectional (retrospective secondary data analysis) was performed using the 2016 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) data. The participants were derived from a stratified random sample of 2,013 women living in Utah and Wyoming who recently had a live birth and who were surveyed on BFHI practices. The association between BFHI experiences and breastfeeding duration were assessed using crude and adjusted Poisson regression models, controlling for other BHFI experiences and maternal age, pre-pregnancy BMI, household income, smoking, alcohol, delivery method, and number of days spent in the hospital post delivery. Results 82.4% and 82.3% of women from Utah and Wyoming, respectively, reported breastfeeding for 2 months or longer. After controlling for other BFHI experiences and potential confounders, the one shared BFHI experience that was associated with breastfeeding for 2 months or longer vs less than 2 months was starting breastfeeding in the hospital (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR]=1.49, 95% CI (1.12, 1.98) in Utah and aPR=2.03, 95% CI (1.13, 3.64) in Wyoming. Among women in Utah and Wyoming, only 5 of 7 BFHI steps were significant for breastfeeding duration in at least one state. Conclusion There is substantial epidemiological support for health benefits to both mother and infant for exclusive breastfeeding to 6 months and prolonged breastfeeding until at least 1-year. Our findings suggest that women who initiate breastfeeding in the hospital may be more likely to breastfeed for a longer duration.
Fetal ECG improvement due to selective signal addition

Abstract Electrocardiographic examination of cardiac potentials about the maternal torso has previously revealed fetal cardiac signals of relatively similar configuration and maternl cardiac signals of relatively dissimilar configuration. A selective combination of signals obtained from several abdominal sites largely attenuates random noise and the maternal ECG due to averaging of these incoherent signals. The relative improvement in fetal signal amplitude resulting from selective addition is demonstrated by obtaining a useful fetal ECG from maternal abdominal sites where signals were devoid of overt fetal energy.
Meal Composition Effects on the Oral Bioavailability of Indinavir in HIV-Infected Patients

Purpose. To study the influence of large-volume high-calorie protein, fat, and carbohydrate meals and a non-caloric hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose (HPMC) viscous meal on the oral bioavailability of indinavir in HIV-infected subjects.
Abstract 3778: Glioblastoma multiforme utilizes system Xc- in survival under oxidative stress and chemoresistance

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive malignant primary brain tumor in humans, with a median survival rate of 10-15 months and a five year survival rate of 2.9% from initial diagnosis. Characteristically, GBM exhibits high proliferation and metabolism rates as well as low reactive oxygen species (ROS) production that is sustained using a sodium-independent, electro-neutral transporter known as system XC-. System XC- is composed of a regulatory heavy subunit (4F2hc) linked to a catalytic light subunit (xCT). This protein complex mediates the uptake of L-cystine into the cell, and L-glutamate out of the cell, at a 1:1 ratio. Imported cystine is reduced to L- cysteine, the rate limiting substrate in glutathione (GSH) synthesis. Glutathione is an essential antioxidant in the central nervous system that is responsible for maintaining intracellular redox homeostasis by neutralizing ROS. High intracellular GSH levels in cancer cells are associated with drug resistance and detoxification of alkylating agents such as temozolomide (TMZ). Therefore, system XC- expressed in glioma cells may be used as a target to reduce glioma survival and tumor burden. Sulfasalazine inhibits system Xc- and demonstrated a strong antitumor potential in preclinical models of malignant glioma. However, the first clinical trial using sulfasalazine to treat GBM patients was terminated due to off-target effects. To further elucidate the protective role of system XC- in GBM, we generated stable xCT knock-down and over-expressing U251 glioma cells. These lines were characterized for survival, proliferation, apoptosis and resistance to insult. The xCT-over-expressing cells were more resistant to hydrogen peroxide treatment and GSH depletion. Interestingly, over-expression of system XC- in U251 cells also resulted in decreased sensitivity to TMZ treatment compared to parental and empty vector controls. As expected, xCT-knock-down cells exhibited increased intracellular ROS after treatment. Using glioma lines stably transduced to over-express or knock-down xCT, we demonstrate for the first time that system XC- over-expression in GBM not only promotes survival under oxidative stress but may also modulate sensitivity to chemotherapy treatment. Therefore, therapeutic manipulation of this transporter either alone or in combination with other treatments may improve clinical outcome in patients diagnosed with GBM. Citation Format: Rosyli F. Reveron, Monika D. Polewski, Karen S. Aboody. Glioblastoma multiforme utilizes system Xc- in survival under oxidative stress and chemoresistance. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3778. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3778
Transport of Biosynthetic Intermediates: Homoserine and Threonine Uptake in Escherichia coli

Although amino acid transport has been extensively studied in bacteria during the past decade, little is known concerning the transport of those amino acids that are biosynthetic intermediates or have multiple fates within the cell. We have studied homoserine and threonine as examples of this phenomenon. Homoserine is transported by a single system which it shares with alanine, cysteine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, threonine, tyrosine, and valine. The evidence for this being the sole system for homoserine transport is (i) a linear double-reciprocal plot showing a homoserine K(m) of 9.6 x 10(-6) M, (ii) simultaneous reduction by 85% of homoserine and branched-chain amino acid uptake in a mutant selected for its inability to transport homoserine, and (iii) simultaneous reduction by 94% of the uptake of homoserine and the branched-chain amino acids by cells grown in millimolar leucine. Threonine, in addition to sharing the above system with homoserine, is transported by a second system shared with serine. The evidence for this second system consists of (i) incomplete inhibition of threonine uptake by any single amino acid, (ii) only 70% loss of threonine uptake in the mutant unable to transport homoserine, and (iii) only 40% reduction of threonine uptake when cells are grown in millimolar leucine. In this last case, the remaining threonine uptake can only be inhibited by serine and the inhibition is complete.
ANTIVIBRATION GLOVES: EFFECTS ON VASCULAR AND SENSORINEURAL FUNCTION, AN ANIMAL MODEL

Anti-vibration gloves have been used to block the transmission of vibration from powered hand tools to the user, and to protect users from the negative health consequences associated with exposure to vibration. However, there are conflicting reports as to the efficacy of gloves in protecting workers. The goal of this study was to use a characterized animal model of vibration-induced peripheral vascular and nerve injury to determine whether antivibration materials reduced or inhibited the effects of vibration on these physiological symptoms. Rats were exposed to 4 h of tail vibration at 125 Hz with an acceleration 49 m/s(2). The platform was either bare or covered with antivibrating glove material. Rats were tested for tactile sensitivity to applied pressure before and after vibration exposure. One day following the exposure, ventral tail arteries were assessed for sensitivity to vasodilating and vasoconstricting factors and nerves were examined histologically for early indicators of edema and inflammation. Ventral tail artery responses to an α2C-adrenoreceptor agonist were enhanced in arteries from vibration-exposed rats compared to controls, regardless of whether antivibration materials were used or not. Rats exposed to vibration were also less sensitive to pressure after exposure. These findings are consistent with experimental findings in humans suggesting that antivibration gloves may not provide protection against the adverse health consequences of vibration exposure in all conditions. Additional studies need to be done examining newer antivibration materials.
Performance modeling for entity-level simulations

Advances across many fields of study are driving changes in the basic nature of scientific computing applications. Scientists have recognized a growing need to study phenomena by explicitly modeling interactions among individual entities, rather than by simply modeling approximate collective behavior. This entity-level approach has emerged as a promising new direction in a number of scientific fields. One of the challenges inhibiting the entity-level approach is the substantial resource requirements it entails. Unfortunately, such applications exhibit characteristics and behaviors which render traditional parallel computing techniques ineffective. Well-defined methodologies for achieving scalable performance on distributed computing platforms are needed. As an important first step, we present an abstract application model for entity-level applications, and we instantiate it for a case-study immunology application. Our experiments confirm that this model tracks application performance trends sufficiently well to study scheduling issues pertaining to entity-level applications. We identify a scalability problem inherent to the entity-level approach and use our model to quantify the potential performance improvements that remapping strategies may yield.
Genetic testing practices in infants with congenital heart disease.

Objective Clinical genetic testing is expanding rapidly, but the application of new testing has not been reported in an unselected, comprehensive congenital heart disease (CHD) patient population. This study aims to identify cytogenetic testing practices and diagnostic yield in infants with CHD as an important first step toward understanding clinical utility of dedicated cytogenetic testing. We hypothesized that chromosome microarray analysis (CMA) would identify genetic abnormalities underlying both syndromic and isolated CHD. Design This is a single institution retrospective study that characterizes cytogenetic testing practices and diagnostic yield for all cytogenetic testing in each infant identified with CHD over a 32-month period. CHD was classified by type, complexity, and presence or absence of extracardiac anomalies. Results Among the 1087 infants identified with CHD by echocardiogram, 277 infants (25%) had some form of cytogenetic testing, including karyotype, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and/or CMA. Forty-one percent of infants who had cytogenetic testing had more than one test. CMA was performed in 121 patients (11%), and abnormalities (both clinically significant and variants of unknown significance) were identified in 35/121 (29%). Forty-nine percent of CMA abnormalities were in patients with apparently isolated nonsyndromic CHD. Conclusions This single institution study identified that only 25% of infants with CHD underwent cytogenetic testing, indicating possible underutilization of testing in this age group. The high multiple testing rate indicates a need for improved guidelines for cost effective testing approaches. The diagnostic yield in this study suggests that CMA is a particularly useful first screening test when a specific syndrome is not clinically identifiable. Larger studies investigating cardiac lesion-specific diagnostic yield in isolated CHD are warranted.
IL-12 Suppression During Experimental Endotoxin Tolerance: Dendritic Cell Loss and Macrophage Hyporesponsiveness

Endotoxin tolerance, the transient, secondary down-regulation of a subset of endotoxin-driven responses after exposure to bacterial products, is thought to be an adaptive response providing protection from pathological hyperactivation of the innate immune system during bacterial infection. However, although protecting from the development of sepsis, endotoxin tolerance also can lead to fatal blunting of immunological responses to subsequent infections in survivors of septic shock. Despite considerable experimental effort aimed at characterizing the molecular mechanisms responsible for a variety of endotoxin tolerance-related phenomena, no consensus has been achieved yet. IL-12 is a macrophage- and dendritic cell (DC)-derived cytokine that plays a key role in pathological responses to endotoxin as well as in the induction of protective responses to pathogens. It recently has been shown that IL-12 production is suppressed in endotoxin tolerance, providing a likely partial mechanism for the increased risk of secondary infections in sepsis survivors. We examined the development of IL-12 suppression during endotoxin tolerance in mice. Decreased IL-12 production in vivo is clearly multifactorial, involving both loss of CD11c high DCs as well as alterations in the responsiveness of macrophages and remaining splenic DCs. We find no demonstrable mechanistic role for B or T lymphocytes, the soluble mediators IL-10, TNF-α, IFN-αβ, or nitric oxide, or the NF-κB family members p50, p52, or RelB.
Longitudinal detection of prion shedding in saliva and urine by chronic wasting disease-infected deer by real-time quaking-induced conversion.

ABSTRACT Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an emergent, rapidly spreading prion disease of cervids. Shedding of infectious prions in saliva and urine is thought to be an important factor in CWD transmission. To help to elucidate this issue, we applied an in vitro amplification assay to determine the onset, duration, and magnitude of prion shedding in longitudinally collected saliva and urine samples from CWD-exposed white-tailed deer. We detected prion shedding as early as 3 months after CWD exposure and sustained shedding throughout the disease course. We estimated that the 50% lethal dose (LD 50 ) for cervidized transgenic mice would be contained in 1 ml of infected deer saliva or 10 ml of urine. Given the average course of infection and daily production of these body fluids, an infected deer would shed thousands of prion infectious doses over the course of CWD infection. The direct and indirect environmental impacts of this magnitude of prion shedding on cervid and noncervid species are surely significant. IMPORTANCE Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an emerging and uniformly fatal prion disease affecting free-ranging deer and elk and is now recognized in 22 U.S. states and 2 Canadian provinces. It is unique among prion diseases in that it is transmitted naturally through wild populations. A major hypothesis to explain CWD9s florid spread is that prions are shed in excreta and transmitted via direct or indirect environmental contact. Here we use a rapid in vitro assay to show that infectious doses of CWD prions are in fact shed throughout the multiyear disease course in deer. This finding is an important advance in assessing the risks posed by shed CWD prions to animals as well as humans.
Crystal structure of a DNA polymerase sliding clamp from a Gram-positive bacterium.

Background Sliding DNA clamps are processivity factors that are required for efficient DNA replication. DNA polymerases maintain proximity to nucleic acid templates by interacting with sliding clamps that encircle DNA and thereby link the polymerase enzyme to the DNA substrate. Although the structures of sliding clamps from Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli), eukaryotes, archaea, and T4-like bacteriophages are well-known, the structure of a sliding clamp from Gram-positive bacteria has not been reported previously.
Parameterizing a Groundness Analysis of Logic Programs

We present a parametric groundness analysis whose input and output are parameterized by a set of groundness parameters. The result of the analysis can be instantiated for different uses of the program. It can also be used to derive sufficient conditions for safely removing groundness checks for built-in calls in the program. The parametric groundness analysis is obtained by generalizing a non-parametric groundness analysis that uses the abstract domain Con. It is shown to be as precise as the non-parametric groundness analysis for any possible values for the groundness parameters. Experimental results of a prototype implementation of the parametric groundness analysis are given.
Microsurgical Anatomy of the Terminal Hypoglossal Nerve Relevant for Neurostimulation in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Background Neurostimulation of the hypoglossal nerve has shown promising results in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. This anatomic study describes the detailed topography of the hypoglossal nerve's motor points as a premise for super-selective neurostimulation in order to optimize results and minimize the risk of complications related to main nerve trunk manipulation. Methods Thirty cadaveric hypoglossal nerves were dissected and characterized by number of branches, arborization pattern, and terminal branch motor point location. For each motor point, the distance to cervical midline (x axis), distance to posterior aspect of the symphysis (y axis), and depth from the plane formed by the inferior border of symphysis and anterior border of hyoid (z axis) were recorded. Results The average number of distal branches for each hypoglossal nerve was found to be 9.95 ± 2.28. The average number of branches per muscle was found to be 3.3 ± 1.5 for the hyoglossus muscle, 1.8 ± 0.9 for the geniohyoid muscle, and 5.0 ± 1.6 for the genioglossus muscle. It was found that branches to the genioglossus and geniohyoid muscles were located closer to midline (relative lengths of 0.19 ± 0.07 and 0.19 ± 0.05, respectively) while hyoglossus branches were located more laterally (0.38 ± 0.10 relative length). On the y-axis, the branches to the genioglossus were the most anterior and therefore closest to the posterior symphysis of the mandible (relative length of 0.48 ± 0.11), followed by the geniohyoid (0.66 ± 0.09), and the hyoglossus (0.76 ± 0.16). The branches to the geniohyoid were the most superficial (relative length of 0.26 ± 0.06), followed by the genioglossus (0.36 ± 0.09), and finally, the hyoglossus branches (0.47 ± 0.11), which were located deeply. Conclusion A topographical map of the hypoglossal nerve terminal motor points was successfully created and could provide a framework for the optimization of the neurostimulation techniques.
Modeling Postearthquake Fire Ignitions Using Generalized Linear (Mixed) Models

This paper presents a rigorous approach to statistical modeling of postearthquake fire ignitions and to data collection for such modeling and applies it to late 20th century California. Generalized linear and generalized linear mixed models are used for this application for the first time. The approach recognizes that ignition counts are discrete, examines many possible covariates, and uses a small unit of study to ensure homogeneity in variable values for each area unit. Two data sets were developed to explore the effect of missing ignition data, each with a different assumption about the missing data. For one data set, the recommended model includes instrumental intensity; percentage of land area that is commercial, industrial, or transportation; total building area; percentage of building area that is unreinforced masonry; and people per square kilometer. The other includes the same, except area of high-intensity residential development replaces total building area, and median year built over all housing units is also included. The models should be useful in estimating the number and locations of postearthquake ignitions in future earthquakes.
Microscopic and macroscopic calculations of the breathing mode state

Abstract The energy of the breathing mode in nuclei can be calculated both from a macroscopic point of view via the nuclear compressibility and from a microscopic point of view in the TDA and RPA formalisms. We compare results of both types of calculation for 16 O using several self-consistent effective interactions and a couple of more traditional interactions motivated by nuclear structure. We comment on the degree of consistency between the results of both types of calculation, some of the technical considerations in carrying out the calculations, and some of the extremes to which the effective interaction can be pushed without changing the breathing mode energy.