cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transforming Medical Care: Case Study of an Exemplary, Small Medical Group

PURPOSE Most published descriptions of organizations providing or improving quality of care concern large medical groups or systems; however, 90% of the medical care in the United States is provided by groups of no more than 20 physicians. We studied one such group to determine the organizational and cultural attributes that seem related to its achievements in care quality. METHODS A 15–family physician medical group was identified from comparative public performance scores of 27 medical groups providing most of the primary care in our metropolitan area. Semistructured interviews were conducted with diverse personnel in this group, operations were observed, and written documents were reviewed. Four primary care physician researchers and a consultant then reviewed transcriptions, field notes, and materials during semistructured sessions to identify the main attributes of this group and their probable origins. RESULTS This medical group ranked first in a composite measure of preventive services and fourth and sixth, respectively, in composite scores for coronary artery disease and diabetes care. Our analysis identified 12 attributes of this group that seemed to be associated with its good care quality, with patient-centeredness being the foundational attribute for most of the others. Historical factors important to most of these attributes included small size, physician ownership, and a high value on practice consistency among the clinicians in the group. CONCLUSIONS The identified 12 attributes of this medical group seem to be associated with its superior care quality, and most of them might be replicable by other small groups if they choose to work toward that end.
Contingent Capital Instruments for Large Financial Institutions: A Review of the Literature

As the recent financial crisis unfolded, a new financial instrument—contingent convertible (coco) bonds—was widely considered as a mechanism for promptly recapitalizing overlevered financial institutions. Essentially, the conversion feature of coco bonds would replace supervisory discretion about banks’ capital adequacy with rules specifying when new equity was required. Academics and regulators conjectured that including sufficient cocos in a bank’s capital structure could substantially insulate taxpayers from private investment losses. This potential fostered a literature evaluating the effect of cocos on bank and financial sector stability, risk-taking incentives, and corporate governance. I review this literature and suggest that regulatory capital definitions should be expanded to include substantial amounts of carefully designed coco bonds as a partial substitute for common equity in regulatory capital requirements.
The Etiology of a Syndrome of Factitious Mineralocorticoid Excess: A Steroid-Containing Nasal Spray*

A syndrome of hypertension and hypokalemic alkalosis with low PRA and low aldosterone levels was found in users of an Italian proprietary steroid-containing nasal spray. There was complete remission of these abnormalities when use of the spray was discontinued. The steroidal component of the spray was thought to be 6α-fluoroprednisolone, but when the steroid hormone receptor affinity of a reference sample was evaluated, its properties, which were found to be predominantly glucocorticoid, did not explain the observed biological effects. Isolation of the active steroidal component in the spray was therefore undertaken. Chromatographic properties and mass spectrometry established its identity as 9α-fluoroprednisolone (llβ,17α,21-trihydroxy-9α-fluoro-l,4- pregnadiene-3,20-dione). This steroid was found to be as potent a mineralocorticoid as aldosterone in terms of its affinity for the kidney cytoplasmic mineralocorticoid receptor and its effect on the urinary Na to K ratio in the adrenalectomized rat. Patient...
E(7) symmetric area of the black hole horizon.

Extreme black holes with 1/8 of unbroken {ital N}=8 supersymmetry are characterized by the nonvanishing area of the horizon. The central charge matrix has four generic eigenvalues. The area is proportional to the square root of the invariant quartic form of E{sub 7(7)}. It vanishes in all cases when 1/4 or 1/2 of supersymmetry is unbroken. The supergravity nonrenormalization theorem for the area of the horizon in the {ital N}=8 case protects the unique {ital U}-duality invariant. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}
Adaptive sigma delta ADC for WiMAX fixed point wireless applications

The increasing demand for wireless broadband connection emerged in worldwide interoperability microwave access (WiMAX) system which is revolutionizing the broadband wireless world by providing it with a specific standard and ensures the inter-operability among different providers. WiMAX systems support different signal bandwidths (1.25 MHz-20 MHz) and different modulation schemes (BPSK to 64 QAM). For such a multi-mode system, a sigma delta ADC is proposed that provides variable requirements of WiMAX. The sigma delta ADC uses an innovative technique called adaptive line enhancer (ALE) to boost the performance of the analog to digital conversion in the digital post-processing section of the sigma delta ADC
Capitalism in colonial Puerto Rico : Central San Vicente in the late nineteenth century

A micro-level analysis of the first mill established in the late 19th-century Puerto Rico, this work locates the island's economic trajectory in the Caribbean context of sugar, and suggests a re-evaluation of Puerto Rico's industrialization under US auspices from a historical perspective.
QT Prolongation, Torsade de Pointes, Myocardial Ischemia From Coronary Vasospasm, and Headache Medications. Part 2: Review of Headache Medications, Drug–Drug Interactions, QTc Prolongation, and Other Arrhythmias

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine)(1B/1D) agonists can vasoconstrict coronary and cerebral arteries. Chest, jaw, and arm discomfort, so-called "triptan sensations," are often felt to be noncardiac. In Part 1 of this review, the relationship of triptans, coronary artery narrowing, and spasm was discussed, along with a case of a 53-year-old woman without cardiac risk factors who developed polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and cardiac ischemia with acquired corrected QT (QTc) interval prolongation following oral sumatriptan. In Part 2 of this review, headache medications, drug-drug interactions, QTc prolongation, and cardiac arrhythmias are appraised and discussed. Triptans, cardiac arrhythmias, and ischemia by prescribing information are summarized. The reader is provided tables on QTc prolongation by medication. The problem of QTc prolongation with a variety of headache medications at conventional doses, including triptans, serotonin reuptake inhibitors (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors), other antidepressants, antihistamines, and antinauseants should lead to proactively obtaining electrocardiograms and more vigilant surveillance of headache patients. This may be the place to start in protecting patients from these cardiac adverse events.
Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B Antagonizes Signalling by Oncoprotein Tyrosine Kinase p210 bcr-abl In Vivo

The p210 bcr-abl protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) appears to be directly responsible for the initial manifestations of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). In contrast to the extensive characterization of the PTK and its effects on cell function, relatively little is known about the nature of the protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) that may modulate p210 bcr-abl-induced signalling. In this study, we have demonstrated that expression of PTP1B is enhanced specifically in various cells expressing p210 bcr-abl, including a cell line derived from a patient with CML. This effect on expression of PTP1B required the kinase activity of p210 bcr-abl and occurred rapidly, concomitant with maximal activation of a temperature-sensitive mutant of the PTK. The effect is apparently specific for PTP1B since, among several PTPs tested, we detected no change in the levels of TCPTP, the closest relative of PTP1B. We have developed a strategy for identification of physiological substrates of individual PTPs which utilizes substrate-trapping mutant forms of the enzymes that retain the ability to bind to substrate but fail to catalyze efficient dephosphorylation. We have observed association between a substrate-trapping mutant of PTP1B (PTP1B-D181A) and p210 bcr-abl, but not v-Abl, in a cellular context. Consistent with the trapping data, we observed dephosphorylation of p210 bcr-abl, but not v-Abl, by PTP1B in vivo. We have demonstrated that PTP1B inhibited binding of the adapter protein Grb2 to p210 bcr-abl and suppressed p210 bcr-abl-induced transcriptional activation that is dependent on Ras. These results illustrate selectivity in the effects of PTPs in a cellular context and suggest that PTP1B may function as a specific, negative regulator of p210 bcr-abl signalling in vivo.
Describing and Accounting for the Trends in US Protest Policing, 1960−1995

Numerous scholars have observed a decline in more coercive police tactics used to control demonstrations since the 1960s in North America and Western Europe. Such claims, however, are largely based...
Empowering Communities through Deliberation The Model of Community Benefits Agreements

This article presents some insights into making participatory processes meaningful. It argues that these processes need to expressly empower communities through grassroots organizing, coalition building, and democratic deliberation. Community benefits agreements are new models of this power process. These are private agreements between community coalitions and developers. Case studies of two large projects in California, the Los Angeles International Airport expansion in Los Angeles and the Ballpark Village in San Diego, are presented. These studies demonstrate certain unique features that make participation an exercise in the redistribution of power.
Microscopic fracture characterization of gas shale via scratch testing

Abstract We investigate the fracture properties of organic-rich shale at the microscopic scale by coupling advanced imaging techniques, fracture mechanics and micro-scale mechanical testing methods. We study three shale systems: Toarcian (Paris Basin, France), and Lower and Upper Woodford shale (Oklahoma, US). A material preparation procedure is designed so as to visualize the microstructure. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy reveal a porous granular fabric with the grain size ranging from 30 to 100 μm as well as micron-sized air voids. Microscopic scratch tests are carried out, during which a stylus is pushed across the surface of a material under a prescribed monotonically increasing vertical load. We develop a fracture mechanics approach that takes into account the heterogeneity and anisotropy of gas shale. The microscopic scratch toughness predicted by the scratch fracture model is 2.35–2.98 MPa m , which is two times higher than the macroscopic fracture toughness. A microscopic examination of the fracture surface reveals toughening mechanisms such as particle pull out, crack front roughening and crack bridging. The methodology presented is new and will pave the way toward a mechanistic physics-based understanding of the fracture behavior of gas shale at multiple length scales. In turn, this will accelerate the design of optimum and efficient schemes to extract natural gas from unconventional shale.
Nonmedical prescription pain reliever and alcohol consumption among cannabis users

Abstract Background This study examined poly-drug use involving the use of cannabis with nonmedical prescription pain reliever use (NMPR) and alcohol use. Methods Computer-assisted survey data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health were examined. The NSDUH is an annual, cross-sectional survey of non-institutionalized citizens in the United States (ages 12+). Replicate analyses were conducted using the 2013 and 2003 survey waves. Results Higher levels of cannabis use were consistently associated with more frequent consumption of prescription pain relievers, with findings replicating in both 2013 and 2003. While the prevalence of dual users declined from 2003 (2.5%) to 2013 (2.3%), the average number of days used among dual users increased by an average of 20 days over that period. These changes largely occurred among those aged 35 or older, males, whites, and non-illicit drug users. Past-year marijuana use increased by 16% (10.8–12.6%, p-value Conclusions Clinical efforts and public health interventions should consider the possible co-ingestion of cannabis with NMPR and alcohol, as concomitant use may portend negative health effects in the short and long-term.
Rationally combining anti-VEGF therapy with checkpoint inhibitors in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a fatal disease with rising incidence in the world. For advanced HCC, sorafenib, a multikinase inhibitor, is the only systemic therapy with proven survival benefits. Sorafenib is a pan-VEGF receptor inhibitor, and thus many studies have focused its antivascular effects. But VEGF also acts as an immunosuppressive molecule. VEGF can inhibit maturation of dendritic cells, promote immune suppressive cell infiltration and enhance immune checkpoint molecules expression. On the other hand, potent VEGF inhibition may increase tumor hypoxia, which could hinder antitumor immunity or immunotherapy. Thus, achieving synergy when combining anti-VEGF therapy with immunotherapy may require proper polarization of the tumor microenvironment by dose titration or combination with other immunomodulating agents.
Investigation of potential health effects associated with well water chemical contamination in Londonderry Township, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

ABSTRACT A community health survey was conducted by the Pennsylvania Department of Health in Londonderry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, in response to concerns about potential health effects associated with residential exposure to chemical contaminants in well water. The data indicate that there were no observable adverse health effects in the exposed group of residents, compared with the control group, which could be ascribed to long-term, low-level exposure to trichloroethylene (TCE) and other volatile organic chemicals. Significantly more individuals in the exposed group than in the control group experienced eye irritation, diarrhea, and sleepiness during the 12-month period prior to the survey. This indicated the possibility of an association of contaminated water with the manifestation of symptoms. It is hypothesized that the increased rate of symptoms observed in the exposed group, when compared to the control group, may have been caused by one or more of the following factors: (1) effect o...
Applying the Gale-Shapley Stable Matching Algorithm to Peer Human-Robot Task Allocation

When human and robotic agents work together, the challenge in assigning tasks lies in exploiting human strengths, such as expertise and intuition, while still managing the heterogeneous agent team in a near-optimal way. An extension to the Gale-Shapley stable matching algorithm that combines a sequential greedy approach is proposed to apply to task allocation missions. Conventional task features are modeled in the form of task preferences; agent inputs are modeled in the form of agent preferences. The algorithm is applied to a bomb defusal scenario, where bomb location is known but time for each agent to defuse each bomb is supplied through agent preferences. Simulation results are presented, and the sequential greedy Gale-Shapley algorithm is compared to a corresponding sequential single-item auction algorithm under three evaluation criteria — mission completion time, agent-task pair regret, and evenness of task distribution among agents.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Parasitism of Rhinocyllus conicus in Virginia

Flower heads and peduncles of musk thistle, Carduus thoermeri Weinmann, and flower heads of plumeless thistle, Carduus acanthoides L., infested with Rhinocyllus conicus Froelich were collected to study parasitism of the different developmental stages of the weevil in 1978 and 1979. No parasites of eggs or adults were found. Major larval-pupal parasites were Bracon mellitor (Say) (Braconidae), Nealiolus curculionis (previously known as Aliolus curculionis ) (Fitch) (Braconidae), Zatropis sp. (Pteromalidae), and Neocatolaccus sp. (Pteromalidae). B. mellitor , N. curculionis , and Zatropis sp. attacked R. conicus over a 4-week period; parasitism was greatest during the first 2 weeks of July. Rate of parasitization differed between locations on thistle plants, thistle species, sites with different periods of weevil establishment, years of collections, and sample date. Although high levels of parastization sometimes occurred, the overall rate was low.
Psychophysical Judgement in Electronic Part Centering

Inspection of printed circuit boards frequently requires a judgement of whether an electronic component, such as a resistor or diode, is properly centered. The present study investigated observers'...
Determination of chromium in dairy products by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

Objective To establish a method for direct determination of chromium in diluted diary products samples by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Methods Different diary products samples were diluted with solution of HNO 3 and TritonX-100 to determine chromium content. Duration of uniformity and stability of sample suspension,temperature programming based on temperature and absorbancy,as well as the accuracy,precision and detection limit of the method were also analyzed. Results The duration of uniformity and stability of sample suspension was available. Without matrix modifier,the ashing temperature was 1000 ℃ 30 s and the atomization temperature was 2300 ℃ 5 s for temperature programming. The standard curve was linear within the concentration range of 0 μg / L ~ 20 μg / L( r = 0. 9995). RSD of samples was 2. 5% ~ 2. 9%. The detection limit of the method was 0. 43 μg / kg. Conclusion This method has the advantages of furnace interior direct injection,high sensitivity,good accuracy and convenience,it is suitable for routine samples detection.
Arthritis and infections of bones and joints in children.

Conditions that may cause or simulate childhood arthritis—most commonly rheumatic diseases, infectious diseases, and malignancies—are considered, and evaluation of the patient with arthritis, osteomyelitis, or musculoskeletal complaints is detailed.
The laser electron accelerator project at stanford university

The Laser Electron Accelerator Project (LEAP) is a proof-of principle experiment for a novel particle acceleration technique that takes advantage of the high damage threshold of dielectric materials under ultra-short pulse laser radiation.
Label-Free Intramolecular Chemical Microscopy of a Protein-RNA Complex

Obtaining structural information from single biomolecules using imaging methods is challenging due to resolution limitations and difficulties in labelling specific sites of biomolecules. Atomic force microscopy based imaging of interaction forces between a specially designed probe molecule and a biomolecular complex of interest can, in principle, allow determining the locations of various regions within the complex, if the probe is designed to exhibit affinity to these regions. Here we demonstrate this concept with protein-RNA complex by targeting specific segments of the RNA with a DNA probe having sequence complementarity with these segments. To map the interaction forces between the probe and the sample, we used T-shaped cantilevers that allow mapping interaction forces during the tapping mode imaging process [1]. We worked with stem loop binding proteins in complex with RNA [2] and we targeted the flanking RNA regions adjacent to the stem loop. We show that locations and sequence identities of the RNA segments can be imaged with this approach. Repeated measurements of the same protein-RNA complex showed the consistency of the images. Our results show that it is possible obtain chemically-specific structural information from single biomolecules in physiologically relevant conditions without using labels.1. Kim, D., Sahin, O. Nature Nanotechnology 10, 264-269 (2015).2. Tan, D., Mazluff, W. F., Dominski, Z., Tong, L. Science 339, 318-321 (2013).
Proposed Routing Algorithms for the U.S. Army Mobile Subscriber Equipment (MSE) Network

The U.S. Army Mobile Subscriber Equipment (MSE) Network consists of a large number of geographically dispersed, mobile radio terminals which require secure communications. The network is also subject to attacks by the enemy. In this paper, we propose and analyze alternative network routing algorithms for the MSE.
"Hey Big Boy!": Characteristics of Women Who Initiate Intimate Relationships with Men

Analysis of survey data from 692 undergraduate women at a large southeastern university revealed 10 statistically significant differences between the almost 40% who had asked a new guy to go out compared to those who had not. Characteristics of these "relationship initiators" included those who did not believe in there being only one true love, who had experienced love at first sight, who had used the Internet to look for a new partner, who did not view themselves as religious, who had non traditional sexual values, and who would cohabit with a partner before marriage. Initiators were also more likely to be white and reported that they had been faithful in previous relationships, had not been involved in a "friends with benefits" relationship, and had used a form of birth control (other than withdrawal) the last time they had intercourse. Implicit theories of relationships is the theoretical framework used to interpret the data. Implications and/imitations of the data are suggested.
Survival of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) in thermally treated feed ingredients and on surfaces.

Infection with Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV) causes vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration in young pigs. The virus made its first appearance in the U.S. in 2013, where it caused substantial neonatal mortality and economic losses in the U.S. pork industry. Based on outbreak investigations, it is hypothesized that the virus could be transmitted through contaminated feed or contaminated feed surfaces. This potential risk created a demand for research on the inactivation kinetics of PEDV in different environments. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the survival of PEDV in 9 different feed ingredients when exposed to 60, 70, 80, and 90 °C, as well as the survival on four different surfaces (galvanized steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and plastic). Overall, there were no differences (P > 0.05) in virus survival among the different feed matrices studied when thermally processed at 60 to 90 °C for 5, 10, 15, or 30 min. However, the time necessary to achieve a one log reduction in virus concentration was less (P < 0.05) when ingredients were exposed to temperatures from 70 °C (3.7 min), 80 °C (2.4 min), and 90 °C (2.3 min) compared with 60 °C (4.4 min). The maximum inactivation level (3.9 log) was achieved when heating all ingredients at 90 °C for 30 min. There were no differences in the amount of time necessary to cause a one log reduction in PEDV concentration among the different surfaces. The results of this study showed that PEDV survival among the 9 feed ingredients evaluated was not different when exposed to thermal treatments for up to 30 min. However, different combinations of temperature and time resulted in achieving a 3 to 4 log reduction of PEDV in all feed ingredients evaluated. Finally, PEDV survival was similar on galvanized steel, stainless steel, aluminum and plastic.
A Fast Schur–Euclid-Type Algorithm for Quasiseparable Polynomials

In this paper, a fast \(\mathscr {O}(n^2)\) algorithm is presented for computing recursive triangular factorization of a Bezoutian matrix associated with quasiseparable polynomials via a displacement equation. The new algorithm applies to a fairly general class of quasiseparable polynomials that includes real orthogonal, Szego polynomials, and several other important classes of polynomials, e.g., those defined by banded Hessenberg matrices. While the algorithm can be seen as a Schur-type for the Bezoutian matrix it can also be seen as a Euclid-type for quasiseparable polynomials via factorization of a displacement equation. The process, i.e., fast Euclid-type algorithm for quasiseparable polynomials or Schur-type algorithm for Bezoutian associated with quasiseparable polynomials, is carried out with the help of a displacement equation satisfied by Bezoutian and Confederate matrices leading to \(\mathscr {O}(n^2)\) complexity.
Improving Care for Women With Urinary Incontinence in Primary Care

Abstract Urinary incontinence (UI) is highly prevalent in primary care, disproportionately impacts women, and is associated with poor quality of life related to significant psychological, physical, social, and financial burdens. UI places significant economic burden on the United States health care system. Cost-effective, first-line UI treatments improve continence and can be successfully offered in primary care. Unfortunately, UI is largely untreated, in part because health care providers fail to inquire about involuntary urine leakage and are uncomfortable with UI diagnosis and treatment. The aim of this article is to familiarize clinicians with UI risk factors and effective nonpharmacologic management strategies for primary care.
High Current Testing and Simulation for Land Grid Array Sockets

Abstract Land grid array (LGA) sockets are commonly used for industry standard and custom microprocessors to meet the increased performance challenges for a variety of server applications. Along with the need for increased high speed signaling capabilities comes the challenge to support lower voltages and higher currents. Typical testing that is conducted by the LGA socket suppliers does not provide an accurate assessment of the maximum current capabilities in a real product application due to the test card design and construction limitations. Typical test card designs use daisy chain connections to wire multiple LGA socket contacts in series. The daisy chain wiring in the test card adds to the resistive heating and results in an inaccurate maximum current rating. Also, the test cards typically do not have a cross section construction that is representative of a real product application with multiple ground planes that provide improved thermal dissipation of the heat generated by the LGA socket interface....
Evaluation of a method to measure HHV-6B infection in vitro based on cell size

Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6A and HHV-6B) infection of cell cultures can be measured by different methods, including immunofluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, or quantification of virus DNA by qPCR. These methods are reliable and sensitive but require long processing times and can be costly. Another method used in the field relies on the identification of enlarged cells in the culture; this method requires little sample processing and is relatively fast. However, visual inspection of cell cultures can be subjective and it can be difficult to establish clear criteria to decide if a cell is enlarged. To overcome these issues, we explored a method to monitor HHV-6B infections based on the systematic and objective measurement of the size of cells using an imaging-based automated cell counter. The size of cells in non-infected and HHV-6B-infected cultures was measured at different times post-infection. The relatively narrow size distribution observed for non-infected cultures contrasted with the broader distributions observed in infected cultures. The average size of cultures shifted towards higher values after infection, and the differences were significant for cultures infected with relatively high doses of virus and/or screened at longer times post-infection. Correlation analysis showed that the trend observed for average size was similar to the trend observed for two other methods to measure infection: amount of virus DNA in supernatant and the percentage of cells expressing a viral antigen. In order to determine the performance of the size-based method in differentiating non-infected and infected cells, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to analyze the data. Analysis using size of individual cells showed a moderate performance in detecting infected cells (area under the curve (AUC) ~ 0.80-0.87), while analysis using the average size of cells showed a very good performance in detecting infected cultures (AUC ~ 0.99). The size-based method proved to be useful in monitoring HHV-6B infections for cultures where a substantial fraction of cells were infected and when monitored at longer times post-infection, with the advantage of being relatively fast and easy. It is a convenient method for monitoring virus production in-vitro and bulk infection of cells.
Differences in midterm outcomes in infants with hypoplastic left heart syndrome diagnosed with necrotizing enterocolitis: NPCQIC database analysis

Introduction Neonates with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) are at increased risk for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Initial hospital outcomes are well described, but minimal midterm data exist. Goal of this study was to compare outcomes of HLHS infants with NEC (HLHS-NEC) to HLHS without NEC (HLHS-nNEC) during the interstage period. Methods Data were reviewed from 55 centers using the NPC-QIC database. Case-control study with one HLHS-NEC matched to HLHS-nNEC neonates in a 1:3 ratio based on institutional site, type of surgical repair, and gestational age ±1 week was performed. Baseline demographics as well as outcome data were recorded. The t tests or chi-square tests were performed as appropriate. Results There were 57 neonates in the HLHS-NEC (14 Norwood-BT, 37 Norwood-RVPA, and 6 hybrid) and 171 neonates in the HLHS-nNEC group. There were significant differences between the HLHS-NEC versus HLHS-nNEC for presence of atrioventricular valve regurgitation (7% vs 2%), use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (11% vs 2%), hospital stay (60.4 ± 30.0 vs 36.3 ± 33.6 days), Z-score weight at discharge (−2.1 vs −1.6), incidence of no oral intake (33% vs 14%), and use of formula only nutrition at discharge (61% vs 29%), respectively. There were no significant differences between groups in readmission rates due to adverse gastrointestinal events, use of gastrointestinal medications, interstage deaths, or Z-score weight at time of second surgery. HLHS-NEC continued to be more likely to be entirely tube dependent for enteral intake at time prior to the second procedure (39% vs 15%). Conclusions Despite similar baseline characteristics, HLHS-NEC infants had significant differences in hospital course compared with HLHS-nNEC neonates. In addition, HLHS-NEC infants were less likely to be fed orally during the entire interstage period. Future studies are needed minimize NEC in this high risk population to possibly improve oral feeds.
Barrett Esophagus Length, Nodularity, and Low-grade Dysplasia are Predictive of Progression to Esophageal Adenocarcinoma

Goals To investigate factors predictive of progression from nondysplastic Barrett esophagus (NDBE) or low-grade dysplasia (LGD) to high-grade dysplasia (HGD) or esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) using a large, prospective cohort of patients, wherein all esophageal biopsies undergo expert gastrointestinal pathologist review. Background Efficacy and cost-effectiveness of endoscopic surveillance to detect incident EAC in the setting of Barrett esophagus (BE), particularly in NDBE patients, is questioned. Previous studies have reported factors predictive of progression to EAC to guide surveillance intervals, but their strength is limited by small sample size and absence of expert gastrointestinal pathologist involvement in esophageal biopsy review. Study NDBE and LGD subjects were identified from a prospective registry in a tertiary care center. "Progressors" were BE subjects who developed HGD/EAC>12 months after the initial NDBE or LGD diagnosis. Cox proportional hazards model were used to identify predictors of progression. Results In total, 318 with NDBE and 301 with BE-LGD (mean age, 62.6 y, 85% male) were included. The mean follow-up was 5.3 years. The 7 NDBE and 21 LGD subjects progressed to HGD/EAC. BE length [hazards ratio (HR), 1.16; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.03-1.29], presence of nodularity (HR, 4.98; 95% CI, 1.80-11.7), and baseline LGD (HR, 2.57; 95% CI, 1.13-6.57) were significant predictors of progression on multivariate analysis. Conclusions In this well-defined cohort of NDBE and BE-LGD subjects, BE length, presence of LGD, and nodularity were independent predictors of progression to HGD/EAC. These factors may aid in identifying high-risk patients who may benefit from closer endoscopic surveillance/therapy.
Commutators of bounded operators

A few general references for this work are Akhiezer and Glazman [1], Berberian [2], Dunford and Schwartz [1], Halmos [3,7], Naimark [1], von Neumann [7], Riesz and Sz.-Nagy [1], Stone [1], Sz.-Nagy [1, 6], Taylor [2], Wintner [2], Zaanen [1].
Automatic generation of XSS and SQL injection attacks with goal-directed model checking

Cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection errors are two prominent examples of taint-based vulnerabilities that have been responsible for a large number of security breaches in recent years. This paper presents QED, a goal-directed model-checking system that automatically generates attacks exploiting taint-based vulnerabilities in large Java web applications. This is the first time where model checking has been used successfully on real-life Java programs to create attack sequences that consist of multiple HTTP requests. QED accepts any Java web application that is written to the standard servlet specification. The analyst specifies the vulnerability of interest in a specification that looks like a Java code fragment, along with a range of values for form parameters. QED then generates a goal-directed analysis from the specification to perform session-aware tests, optimizes to eliminate inputs that are not of interest, and feeds the remainder to a model checker. The checker will systematically explore the remaining state space and report example attacks if the vulnerability specification is matched. QED provides better results than traditional analyses because it does not generate any false positive warnings. It proves the existence of errors by providing an example attack and a program trace showing how the code is compromised. Past experience suggests this is important because it makes it easy for the application maintainer to recognize the errors and to make the necessary fixes. In addition, for a class of applications, QED can guarantee that it has found all the potential bugs in the program. We have run QED over 3 Java web applications totaling 130,000 lines of code. We found 10 SQL injections and 13 cross-site scripting errors.
On Deriving Indicators from Texts

This paper presents and explores the idea of deriving numerical indicators from texts, that is, converting text data to numerical data that has predictive or diagnostic value. One application of such a general capability is to the provisional identification of networks, or rather, of associations within networks. Conversely, given a network structure among entities that are associated with various texts, the network structure can itself contribute usefully to construction of indicators derived from texts. The focus of the paper is on basic concepts and methods for deriving indicators from texts. Much research remains to be done.
Immunology and Immunotherapy of Human Breast Cancer

The discovery of tumor-specific antigens and tumor-specific immune responses in both animals and humans with malignant disease has increased understanding of the host defense mechanisms in the etiology and pathogenesis of cancer. However, before these tumor-specific immunological phenomena were clearly documented in man, it was strongly suspected that host defense mechanisms or their failure played a role in the etiology and pathogenesis of tumors. As these tumor-specific immune mechanisms were discovered in man, the concept of immunological surveillance was developed.(1)
“Ghosts” in the womb: A mentalizing approach to understanding and treating prenatal attachment disturbances during pregnancies after loss.

Pregnancies after loss are often characterized by feelings of depression, anxiety, trauma-like symptoms, and problems bonding to the fetus. Difficulties bonding to the unborn baby during pregnancy are of clinical importance because they are predictive of problems in the mother-infant attachment relationship, perhaps explaining why some studies show a higher risk of insecure attachment for babies born after loss. O'Leary (2004) has proposed that problems in prenatal bonding during pregnancies after loss are the result of the challenge these mothers face of having to grieve the loss of one baby while bonding to another. This article argues that the theory of mentalization helps to explain why some parents successfully resolve this central challenge during pregnancies after loss and go on to develop a secure attachment to the next infant, whereas others continue to experience long-term attachment problems. Specifically, pregnancies after loss are conceptualized as a potentially traumatic experience in which mentalization may decrease and, at the same time, serve as a protective factor against attachment problems with infants born after loss due to unresolved trauma and grief. Several aspects of mentalization, including the capacity to mentalize: (a) affect associated with trauma and loss, (b) attachment relationships as distinct, (c) multiple and conflicting mental states, and (d) early inadequate attachment experiences related to trauma and loss, are proposed to help mothers pregnant after loss to mourn the loss of one baby while attaching to another, ameliorating potential attachment problems postpartum. Clinical interventions for facilitating these mentalizing capacities are suggested. (PsycINFO Database Record
Determining the effects of depositional processes on consolidation behavior of sediment using shear-wave velocity

AbstractCompression behavior of sediments is crucial to geological engineering applications for ascertaining the deformation characteristics of the particular depositional environments. Unfortunate...
Studies on the pathogenesis of monkey pox. II. Dose-response and virus dispersion.

Monkey pox virus (MPV), titrated intramuscularly in cynomolgus monkeys provided a 50 per cent infectivity endpoint of 10−5.8. All infected animals developed monkey pox. Three of 4 sentinel control monkeys developed monkey pox; one experienced subclinical infection. Viremia intervenes between the 4th and 7th days, and may persist for 4 or 5 days post-eruption, even after appearance of HI antibodies. MPV multiplies in the substance of the inoculated muscle. During the pre-eruptive stage of infection this virus is detected earliest in tonsil and spleen, and shortly thereafter in bone marrow and regional lymph nodes. During the early post-eruptive period, in addition to large concentrations of MPV in these same tissues, the virus is regularly found in cutaneous lesions, some-what less regularly in kidney, and very much less regularly in other tissues. Specific antibodies are raised during infection; HI antibodies are less enduring than CF or neutralizing antibodies. Monkeys convalescent from MPV are immune to challenge with vaccinia, but are fully susceptible to Yaba tumor virus.
Mechanical properties of the wave-swept kelp Egregia menziesii change with season, growth rate and herbivore wounds

ABSTRACT The resistance of macroalgae to damage by hydrodynamic forces depends on the mechanical properties of their tissues. Although factors such as water-flow environment, algal growth rate and damage by herbivores have been shown to influence various material properties of macroalgal tissues, the interplay of these factors as they change seasonally and affect algal mechanical performance has not been worked out. We used the perennial kelp Egregia menziesii to study how the material properties of the rachis supporting a frond changed seasonally over a 2 year period, and how those changes correlated with seasonal patterns of the environment, growth rate and herbivore load. Rachis tissue became stiffer, stronger and less extensible with age (distance from the meristem). Thus, slowly growing rachises were stiffer, stronger and tougher than rapidly growing ones. Growth rates were highest in spring and summer when upwelling and long periods of daylight occurred. Therefore, rachis tissue was most resistant to damage in the winter, when waves were large as a result of seasonal storms. Herbivory was greatest during summer, when rachis growth rates were high. Unlike other macroalgae, E. menziesii did not respond to herbivore damage by increasing rachis tissue strength, but rather by growing in width so that the cross-sectional area of the wounded rachis was increased. The relative timing of environmental factors that affect growth rates (e.g. upwelling supply of nutrients, daylight duration) and of those that can damage macroalgae (e.g. winter storms, summer herbivore outbreaks) can influence the material properties and thus the mechanical performance of macroalgae.
OII-B-4

BACKGROUND/AIMS Efflux transporters in the ATP binding cassette (ABC) superfamily have been implicated in multidrug resistance (MDR). Characterization of ABC transporters at the site of drug action is essential to overcoming MDR. In the current study, we examined the expression of seven ABC transporters in humanPBMCs in response to administration of the HIV protease inhibitors atazanavir (ATZ) and saquinavir (SQV). METHODS Fourteen healthy volunteers received 1500 mg SQV and 200 mg ATZ orally twice daily for 11 days. PBMCs were isolated from each subject at baseline and on the 11th day of treatment. Quantitative RT-PCR was used to measure PBMC expression of ABCB1, ABCC1, ABCC2, ABCC3, ABCC4, ABCC6, and ABCG2. RESULTS Preliminary results show an overall increase in ABCB1 mRNA expression following SQV-ATZ administration. Interestingly, 86% of subjects demonstrated an increase in ABCB1 mRNA expression, while the remaining subjects exhibited a decrease. The effect of SQV-ATZ treatment on mRNA expression of ABCC1, ABCC2, ABCC3, ABCC4, ABCC6, and ABCG2 was variable, with induction of any gene observed in no more than 63% of individuals. (Table) Effect of SQV-ATZ administration on ABCB1 mRNA expression ABCB1 expression change N Mean change (%) Range (%) P-value Upregulated 12 55 1 to 131 <0.01 Downregulated 2 −33 −51 and −7 <0.05 Total 14 36 −51 to 131 <0.05 CONCLUSIONS Coadministration of the HIV protease inhibitors SQV and ATZ induced ABCB1 mRNA expression in the majority of individuals tested. The effect of this induction on P-glycoprotein function is being assessed. The variability in response to treatment may be due to genetic differences in these ABC genes or their regulatory partners. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2005) 79, P6–P6; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2005.12.017
O28 Variability in liver anatomy and physiology in children participating in pharmacokinetic studies

Background Obesity-related changes in liver anatomy and physiology (e.g., hepatic fat infiltration) may be important sources of interindivdual variability in hepatic drug metabolism and relevant covariates for physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models. The aim of this investigation was to quantify variability in hepatic fat fraction (HFF) and hepatic volume in children participating in PK studies, utilizing a novel, non-invasive, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequence.1 Methods Children, without a known diagnosis of fatty liver disease, enrolled in a PK study for hepatic CYP2C19 and CYP3A4 substrates, had hepatic volume and total HFF estimated using MRI proton density fat fraction (PDFF) and HFF assessed via conventional MRI spectroscopy (MRSFF) using a region of interest in the right upper hepatic lobe (LiverLab, Siemens Healthcare). Patient anthropometrics, laboratories and LiverLab outcomes were compared between obese and non-obese children, using independent student t-test, and associations explored via Spearman’s correlation (ρ); SPSSv24, α=0.05. Obesity was defined by body mass index (BMI)≥95th percentile for age; clinically significant liver adiposity defined as HFF>5%. Results 25 children (7–20 years; 56% obese) had evaluable MRI data. Liver volume ranged 911–2227cm3, MRSFF 1.6–34.8% and PDFF 2.1–31.1%. Liver volume and HFF significantly correlated with BMI (both ρ=0.6, p 0.11). Liver volume (1574.5±367.1 vs 1284.8±216.3, p=0.04), MRSFF (8.9±8.4 vs 2.8±1.2, p=0.02), PDFF (8.9±7.0 vs 3.4±1.3, p=0.07) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT; 37.7±15.8 vs 26.8±3.6 IU/L, p=0.02) were higher in obese vs non-obese children. HFF>5% and ALT> 40 were only observed in obese children. Conclusion Liver volume and adiposity varied substantially among children and may be important covariates for pediatric PBPK models, especially for obese children. HFF> 5% and ALT> 40 were only observed in obese children. Recently, 24% reduction in clearance of azithromycin, a CYP3A4 substrate, was reported for children with ALT> 40.2 Our PK analyses are in progress. References Caussy C, Reeder SB, Sirlin CB, et al. Noninvasive, quantitative assessment of liver fat by MRI-PDFF as as endpoint in NASH trials. Haptology 2018;68(2):763–72. Zheng Y, Liu SP, Xu BP, et al. Population Pharmacokinetics and Dosing Optimization of Azithromycin in Children with Community-Acquired Pneumonia. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2018;62 (9):e00686–18. Disclosure(s) Nothing to disclose
Fast Online Segmentation of Activities from Partial Trajectories

Augmenting a robot with the capacity to understand the activities of the people it collaborates with in order to then label and segment those activities allows the robot to generate an efficient and safe plan for performing its own actions. In this work, we introduce an online activity segmentation algorithm that can detect activity segments by processing a partial trajectory. We model the transitions through activities as a hidden Markov model, which runs online by implementing an efficient particle-filtering approach to infer the maximum a posteriori estimate of the activity sequence. This process is complemented by an online search process to refine activity segments using task model information about the partial order of activities. We evaluated our algorithm by comparing its performance to two state-of-the-art activity segmentation algorithms on three human activity datasets. The proposed algorithm improved activity segmentation accuracy across all three datasets compared with the other two approaches, with a range from 11.3% to 65.5%, and could accurately recognize an activity through observation alone for 31.6% of the initial trajectory of that activity, on average. We also implemented the algorithm onto an industrial mobile robot during an automotive assembly task in which the robot tracked a human worker’s progress and provided the worker with the correct materials at the appropriate time.