cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MAnorm: a robust model for quantitative comparison of ChIP-Seq data sets

ChIP-Seq is widely used to characterize genome-wide binding patterns of transcription factors and other chromatin-associated proteins. Although comparison of ChIP-Seq data sets is critical for understanding cell type-dependent and cell state-specific binding, and thus the study of cell-specific gene regulation, few quantitative approaches have been developed. Here, we present a simple and effective method, MAnorm, for quantitative comparison of ChIP-Seq data sets describing transcription factor binding sites and epigenetic modifications. The quantitative binding differences inferred by MAnorm showed strong correlation with both the changes in expression of target genes and the binding of cell type-specific regulators.
Complications of enteral access.

The perceived health benefits of enteral feeding have placed increasing demands on endoscopists to acquire the expertise needed to establish enteral access, to monitor patients undergoing enteral feeding, and to manage the complications arising from the initial access procedure. In the setting of acute critical care, the provision of enteral feeding is seen as therapy that reduces systemic bacterial challenge to the host, attenuates the stress response, downregulates both innate and acquired immune responses, and improves outcomes for the patient. 1 In long-term chronic care, achieving enteral access may serve to decrease the risk of aspiration by diverting the feeding stream to more distal segments of the GI tract, 2 to reduce the morbidity that accompanies protein-calorie malnutrition, to provide an effective bridge for patients expected to regain neurologic function, and to facilitate efficient supportive management and utilization of health care resources. Complications are inherent to the moderately invasive endoscopic procedures for achieving enteral access. Older age and the existence of comorbid conditions increase this risk. Proper patient selection and appropriate modification of endoscopic technique to suit the peculiarities to the individual case may decrease risk during initial tube placement. Proper monitoring, early recognition of impending complications, and quick, often simple, endoscopic solutions can reduce the frequency and the severity of enteral access‐associated complications.
Up and Out: Journalism, Social Media, and Historical Sensibility:

Much of the modern theorizing about journalism and communication attained its robustness due to a powerful convergence of distinct middle-range scholarly findings that emerged primarily in the 1970s and 1980s. In the present day, when we turn our analytical gaze to the relationship between journalism and social media, we thus need to strike a delicate balance between conducting new qualitative research, re-conceptualizing and re-interrogating the classic conclusions of political communication scholarship, and linking these two aspects of research together. However, we might also wish to extend our analytical gaze “out,” interrogating the movement of journalistic technology across history, as well as “up,” looking at how journalism fits within larger structural explanations regarding the shape of political life.
Attending to patients' stories: reframing the clinical task

Communication between patients and physicians is currently a significant topic in medical training programmes and in research on clinical practice. Physicians are encouraged, for example, to attend to patients' stories as ways of providing their concerns and understandings of their illnesses. However, there is little research on how storytelling is actually accomplished in the context of clinical encounters. Drawing on studies of medical discourse, conversational storytelling, and narrative, we present a comparative analysis of two encounters. Both revolve around the same clinical tasks, but in one the patient's story is prominent and in the other it is unheard. We follow the course of successful storytelling in one and its interruption in the other showing how the encounters unfold through patients' attempts to negotiate a story topic, set the scene, and clarify the action and its consequences. The physicians adopt distinctive alignments with respect to the emerging story. These differences appear to be related to the outcomes of the encounters, including the framing of clinical decisions and the maintenance of cooperative patient-physician relationships. Focusing on the patients' attempts to tell a story illuminates the exercise of authority in clinical encounters, and the way in which clinical tasks are embedded in the social process of authoring the accounts of patients' illnesses.
Opaque-white phenotype transition: a programmed morphological transition in Candida albicans.

This paper reports that the opaque and white phenotypes of Candida albicans constitute a true high-frequency reversible transition system. The rDNA restriction fragment and orthogonal field alternating gel electrophoresis profiles of opaque and white phenotypes are indistinguishable, and a genetic marker introduced into a white strain is present in all opaque derivatives of this strain. Opaque and white derivatives appear markedly different on a bismuth indicator medium and differ in a number of other respects. We have used bismuth medium to examine the spontaneous and temperature-induced frequencies of transition from opaque to white. The temperature-induced transition from opaque to white does not occur when opaque cells are held in water. Images
ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL FACTORS INFLUENCING WILDFIRES IN THE UPPER MIDWEST, UNITED STATES

Although the vast majority of contemporary wildfires in the Upper Midwest of the United States have a human origin, there has been no comprehensive analysis of the roles played by abiotic, biotic, and human factors in determining the spatial patterns of their origins across the region. The Upper Midwest, a 2.8 X 105 km2 area in the northern, largely forested parts of the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, contains regions of varied land cover, soil type, human settlement densities, and land management strategies that may influence differences in the observed spatial distribution of wildfires. Using a wide array of satellite- and ground-based data for this region, we investigated the rela- tionship between wildfire activity and environmental and social factors for > 18 000 reported fires of all sizes between 1985 and 1995. We worked at two spatial scales to address the following questions: (1) Which abiotic, biotic, and human variables best explained decade- scale regional fire activity during the study period? (2) Did the set of factors related to large fires differ from the set influencing all fires? (3) Did varying the spatial scale of analysis dramatically change the influence of predictive variables? (4) Did the set of factors influencing the number of fires in an area differ from the set of factors influencing the probability of the occurrence of even a single fire? These data suggest that there is no simple "Lake States fire regime" for the Upper Midwest. Instead, interpretation of modern fire patterns depends on both the fire size con- sidered and the measurement of fire activity. Spatial distributions of wildfires using two size thresholds and viewed at two spatial scales are clearly related to a combination of abiotic, biotic, and human factors: no single factor or factor type dominates. However, the significant factors for each question were readily interpretable and consistent with other analyses of natural and human influences on fire patterns in the region. Factors seen as significant at one scale were frequently also significant at the other, indicating the robustness of the analysis across the two spatial resolutions. The methods for conducting this spatially explicit analysis of modern fire patterns (generalized linear regression at multiple scales using long-term wildfire data and a suite of environmental and social variables) should be widely applicable to other areas. Results of this study can serve as the basis for daily, seasonal, or interannual studies as well as the foundation for simulation models of future wildfire distribution.
Hole properties of a-Si:H and a-Si,Ge:H,F alloys

We present a study of the temperature and intensity dependence of the (μτ)p for Schottky barriers on an a-Si:H and a 1.3eV aSi,Ge:H,F alloy. Measured values for the activation energy of (μτ)p, and the generation rate exponent of the (μτ)p, φ, show good agreement with calculated values. We also relate the (μτ)p with the mid-gap defect density, Na.
Scaling of resolution with photon number in superresolution microscopy

We demonstrate the universality of the $\lambda/\sqrt{\text{photon count}}$ limit in superresolution microscopy. Our limit applies to any experiment with classical light and fluorophores that can be modeled with rate equations.
Structural Reassignment of a Marine Metabolite from a Binaphthalenetetrol to a Tetrabrominated Diphenyl Ether

The structure of a reported natural product isolate has been revised from (S)-2,2′-dimethoxy-[1,1′-binaphthalene]-5,5′,6,6′-tetraol to a known tetrabrominated diphenyl ether. After total synthesis of the reported binaphthalenetetrol was accomplished via a key reduction of a binaphtho-ortho-quinone, comparison of the physical properties and NMR spectroscopic data of the synthetic material indicated that the structure of the natural product isolate was incorrect. Evaluation of the authentic natural product suggested the structure is a tetrabrominated diphenyl ether, likely 3,5-dibromo-2-(3,5-dibromo-2-methoxyphenoxy)phenol.
Beyond the target pathogen: ecological effects of the hospital formulary.

Purpose of review Antibiotic therapy has the potential for intended as well as unintended consequences due to ecological effects that extend beyond the target pathogen. This review examines some of the collateral damage and collateral benefit that may occur when using antibiotic therapy. Recent findings Antibiotics excreted in the gastrointestinal tract cause alterations of the indigenous flora. Such disruptions may increase the risk of colonization and overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria, including resistant species, with the potential for serious infection for an individual patient as well as possible hospital-wide dissemination resulting in local outbreaks of infection. For example, Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), and particularly associated diarrhea and colitis, is a potentially serious and growing problem in hospitals worldwide, and is associated with disruption of gut flora through use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, especially those with antianaerobic activity. Infection control measures and improved antibiotic stewardship are key measures for CDI prevention. Another example is the risk of intestinal colonization and overgrowth with resistant bacteria, which is heightened in surgical patients requiring antimicrobial therapy for intraabdominal infections. Results from two Optimizing Intra-Abdominal Surgery with Invanz studies (OASIS-I and OASIS-II) suggested emergence of resistant Enterobacteriaceae was less likely in these patients treated with ertapenem than in those treated with ceftriaxone/metronidazole or piperacillin/tazobactam. Finally, recent studies have reported that increased use of a nonpseudomonal carbapenem such as ertapenem does not reduce the susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to pseudomonal carbapenems, for example, imipenem or meropenem. In fact, data from one study showed increased ertapenem/decreased imipenem use was associated with improved susceptibility of P. aeruginosa to imipenem, probably due to decreased selective pressure for resistant species. Summary Improper antibiotic use can be associated with detrimental effects related to the ecological impacts of these drugs. Improved antibiotic stewardship and appropriate infection control measures are key to minimization of the collateral damage associated with antibiotic therapy and may even have collateral benefits.
Interdependency analysis of communications and control in networked cyber physical systems: An entropy framework

Communications and control are of key importance in the analysis and design in cyber physical systems (CPSs). The interdependency of communications and control is described by studying the entropy evolution law in networked CPSs. Both descriptions in terms of ODEs and PDEs are derived, which integrates both the key quantities of communications and control.
Characteristics and Comparison of Large-scale Electric Energy Storage Technologies

The classification of energy storage technologies and its application in the electric power system are introduced.And the characteristics of energy storage technologies involving pumped hydroelectric storage,compressed air,flywheel,superconducting magnet,supercapacitors,secondary batteries,redox flow batteries,sodium-sulphur batteries are analyzed and compared.The applicable fields of various storage technologies are elaborated.
Study on Relationship Between Body Mass Index,Waist Circumference and Prevalence of Hypertension Among Urban and Rural Inhabitants in Guangxi

Objective To explore the relationship between body mass index (BMI),waist circumference(WC) and the prevalence of hypertension among urban and rural residents in Guangxi,and to provide for reference for the expansion of the confirmed intervention measures.Methods According to the multi - stepwise stratified randomized cluster sampling meth- od confirmed in“The Nutrition and Health Status of the Chinese People”,1,487 urban residents and 1,532 rural residents aged 18 years and over were selected from 4 city - points and 4 country - points in Guangxi respectively.Body height,weight, waist circumference,blood pressure were assessed by physical examination.The relationship between BMI,WC and the prevalence of hypertension was analyzed.Results When BMI groups were 18.5,18.5～23.9,24～27.9,and≥28,the prevalence rates of hypertension were 11.1%,15.3 %,30.1%,and 46..5 % respectively,the difference showed significant (P＜0.01).The male WC from 85,8.5～89,and≥90,the prevalence rates of hypertension were 19.1%,28%,and 41.2 % respectively and increased parallelly with the WC;while the female WC from＜75,75～79,and＞80,the preva- lence rates of hypertension were 10.3 %,16.0 %,and 37.8 % respectively and increased parallelly with WC too,and both demonstrated significant difference (P＜0.01).The increase in the prevalence of hypertension was parallel to BMI groups in different age groups,and also increase in the prevalence of hypertension was parallel to the age groups in different BMI groups.Except the≥60 years old group in male and 30～45 age group in female,the prevalence of hypertension increased parallelly with WC groups significantly in the other age groups.The prevalence of hypertension in double obesity (BMI≥28 and with WC≥90cm in male or WC≥80cm in female) was up to 49.6 %.The prevalence of hypertension with double obesity in rural areas was up to 58.3 %,it was 2.1 times than adult residents was in Guangxi.Conclusion The increase in preva- lence of hypertension is parallel to BMI significantly in residents of urban and rural areas in Guangxi,except one or two age groups,and also to WC,BMI and WC are all the important risk factors.The people who in double obesity have more risk to suffer from hypertension.It is a very important way by controlling and keeping BMI and WC to the normal scope for effectively prevention and control of hypertension.
Abstract 31: Metabolic reprogramming in ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is currently the most lethal gynecologic malignancy, with no new significant changes in treatment options for these patients in the last 30 years. Importantly, ovarian cancer patients have increased levels of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a bioactive phospholipid in ascites and serum that has been linked to driving oncogenesis and progression of ovarian cancer. Accumulating evidence has implicated Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) as a critical mediator of the glycolytic shift observed in cancer cells. However, the precise biological role of LPA in regulating HIF-1α-mediated glycolytic shift is largely unknown. Therefore, we were interested in examining the potential role of LPA in promoting metabolic reprogramming in ovarian cancer via HIF-1α signaling. In this study, we identified a novel mechanism by which LPA upregulates HIF-1α expression via Gαi2 (the gip2 oncogene) in human ovarian cancer cells. This study demonstrates that LPA induces a glycolytic shift via LPA-mediated activation of Gαi2, which causes a subsequent upregulation of HIF-1α in ovarian cancer cells. Additionally, we show that LPA-signaling via Gαi2 induces an increase in the expression of Hexokinase-2 (HK2) and Glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1), which are known targets of HIF-1α. We also demonstrate that LPA induces an increase in extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) in a dose dependent manner in both ovarian cancer cell lines and in patient-derived cells taken from the ascites fluid of ovarian cancer patients using an XFe96 analyzer. Furthermore, we found that inhibition of Rac signaling caused a reduction in LPA-induced ECAR, identifying Rac as a critical downstream component of Gαi2-medidated increase of ECAR. Moreover, using NAC, an inhibitor of redox signaling, we found that this caused a decrease in LPA-induced ECAR in SKOV3-ip cells, indicating that inhibition of redox signaling abolishes LPA-induced ECAR in ovarian cancer cells. Similarly, the use of EUK-134, a scavenger of superoxide and H2O2, also decreased LPA-induced increase in ECAR. Altogether, these results indicate that LPA regulates glycolysis through redox signaling via a Gαi2-Rac-HIF1α-dependent signaling pathway. Most importantly, the Gαi2-Rac-dependent pathway identified in this study more than likely serves as a potential driver of HIF-1α-mediated metabolic changes in ovarian cancer cells and represents a potential target for therapy in these patients. Citation Format: JI HEE HA, Rangasudhagar Radhakrishnan, Jeremy D. Ward, Muralidharan Jayaraman, Danny N. Dhanasekaran. Metabolic reprogramming in ovarian cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 31.
The Social Bases of Climate Change Knowledge, Concern, and Policy Support in the U.S. General Public

This Article analyzes the social bases of climate change knowledge, concern, and policy support, with an emphasis on examining the role of political identification (political ideology and party affiliation). Using survey data from eight nationally representative samples from 20012008, this study tests the generalizability of earlier results in this literature. Several findings from past research receive support, though a few—primarily those dealing with demographic characteristics—are challenged here. Of particular interest, political liberals and Democrats express more scientifically accurate beliefs and greater concern about climate change than do political conservatives and Republicans. Also, greater self-reported understanding translates into increased knowledge and concern for liberals and Democrats and decreased knowledge and concern for conservatives and Republicans. Political ideology and party affiliation have both direct and indirect effects on climate policy support, with liberals and Democrats expressing greater support for several climate policy proposals than conservatives and Republicans. This Article ends with a brief discussion of the implications of these trends in climate change public opinion for implementing effective climate policy.
Action potential influences spatial perception: Evidence for genuine top-down effects on perception

The action-specific account of spatial perception asserts that a perceiver's ability to perform an action, such as hitting a softball or walking up a hill, impacts the visual perception of the target object. Although much evidence is consistent with this claim, the evidence has been challenged as to whether perception is truly impacted, as opposed to the responses themselves. These challenges have recently been organized as six pitfalls that provide a framework with which to evaluate the empirical evidence. Four case studies of action-specific effects are offered as evidence that meets the framework's high bar, and thus that demonstrates genuine perceptual effects. That action influences spatial perception is evidence that perceptual and action-related processes are intricately and bidirectionally linked.
Advance on curvelet application to prostate cancer tissue image classification

The approach of multi-resolution curvelet transform has been applied in our study of computer-aided classification of four critical Gleason patterns in prostate histological images. In the current study, we consider the maximum curvelet coefficients for the texture feature extraction to obtain more discriminative capability. A two-level classifier is re-designed, its excellent performance has been demonstrated.
Variability in the Prevalence of Microsatellite Instability in Colon Cancer

BACKGROUND – Microsatellite instability is an important contributor to sporadic and familial colon cancer. Dysfunction of DNA mismatch-repair proteins by mutation or promoter methylation is a well-recognized cause of microsatellite instability. We conducted a study to identify variations in the prevalence of mismatch-repair protein deficiency in colon cancer and analyze clinical characteristics that may contribute to differences among ethnic subgroups of a community hospital-based patient population.METHOD – A retrospective analysis of 272 cases was performed.RESULTS – Reduced prevalence of mismatch-repair protein dysfunction was found in all non-Latino ethnicities (3.6%) compared to the Latino (13.1%) portion of our patient population (p=0.007). Mismatch repair protein deficient colon cancer was found to show significant correlation with right side location (p=0.017), young age in non-Latino ethnicities (p=0.030), tumor stage IIIC or greater (p=0.006), and high-grade histology (p=0.003). Colon cancer patients of Latino descent appear to have an increased rate of germline mutations within mismatch repair genes.CONCLUSION – The prevalence of mismatch repair protein dysfunction in the non-Latino ethnicities of our patient population are less than reported in literature, while the rate of germline mutations within mismatch repair genes appears increased in those of Latino descent.
Chest Wall and Diaphragm Injury

Despite improvements in body armor, chest wall injuries are still common enough in combat settings that the surgeon must have more than passing familiarity with the management of them. The injuries can range from simple rib fractures, which every general surgeon has dealt with multiple times by the end of residency, to massive tissue and rib loss with eviscerated and injured lung, scapula or shoulder girdle involvement, hemorrhage, and open pneumothorax (Fig. 17.1). The vast majority of chest wall injuries can be temporized with damage control measures until other pressing injuries and physiologic needs can be addressed and stabilized. The reconstruction of chest wall defects from tissue loss can and should be delayed until the patient is evacuated to higher echelons of care, or at least until hemorrhage is well controlled, the patient resuscitated, and contamination/infection cleared up.
Teaching Conflict Resolution in Medicine: Lessons From Business, Diplomacy, and Theatre.

Introduction Disagreement and conflict are inevitable among members of clinical teams, as well as with patients and families during the course of medical care. Despite the importance of physicians ...
The Color of Transcendence: Whiteness, Sovereignty, and the Theologico-Political

ABSTRACTThis essay reads Jacques Derrida’s analysis of the death penalty – which he interprets as the most fundamental instantiation of sovereign, theologico-political power over life and death – i...
Reliability of International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Edition, Codes to Detect Morbid Obesity in Patients Undergoing Total Hip Arthroplasty.

Abstract Background Although the impact of coding errors, with respect to obesity, has been previously reported, it is unclear whether morbid obesity is prone to similar coding inaccuracies. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability of coding for morbid obesity in patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty (THA). Methods A total of 10,475 primary THAs performed at a single institution from 2004 to 2014 were identified. The presence of International Classification of Diseases, ninth edition diagnosis codes denoting any grade of obesity or morbid obesity during the admission was noted. The sensitivity of coding was evaluated along with the effect of morbid obesity (defined by body mass index or coding) on complications within 90 days of THA. Results The sensitivity of obesity coding was 28.3%, while that of morbid obesity was 27.9% (area under the curve: 0.63 vs 0.63, P = .765). Among the 882 surgeries performed in morbidly obese patients, a code for any obesity was present in 467 (53%) surgeries, but only 53% (246) of these patients had a code specific for morbid obesity, while 47% (221) had a code for obesity not specifying morbid obesity. Nevertheless, the effects of morbid obesity on complications were similar regardless of how it was defined (coding or body mass index). Conclusion Although morbidly obese patients are likely to be easily identified as obese using codes, these patients may not be receiving a specific code. Researchers and clinicians should be aware that coding errors are prevalent even among higher grades of obesity in patients undergoing THA which may lead to suboptimal reimbursements and affect the results of studies using codes.
Label free process monitoring of 3D bioprinted engineered constructs via dielectric impedance spectroscopy

Biofabrication processes can affect biological quality attributes of encapsulated cells within constructs. Currently, assessment of the fabricated constructs is performed offline by subjecting the constructs to destructive assays that require staining and sectioning. This drawback limits the translation of biofabrication processes to industrial practice. In this work, we investigate the dielectric response of viable cells encapsulated in bioprinted 3D hydrogel constructs to an applied alternating electric field as a label-free non-destructive monitoring approach. The relationship between β-dispersion parameters (permittivity change-Δe, Cole-Cole slope factor-α, critical polarization frequency-f c ) over the frequency spectrum and critical cellular quality attributes are investigated. Results show that alginate constructs containing a higher number of viable cells (human adipose derived stem cells-hASC and osteosarcoma cell line-MG63) were characterized by significantly higher Δe and α (both p < 0.05). When extended to bioprinting, results showed that changes in hASC proliferation and viability in response to changes in critical bioprinting parameters (extrusion pressure, temperature, processing time) significantly affected ∆e, α, and f c . We also demonstrated monitoring of hASC distribution after bioprinting and changes in proliferation over time across the cross-section of a bioprinted medial knee meniscus construct. The trends in ∆e over time were in agreement with the alamarBlue assay results for the whole construct, but this measurement approach provided a localized readout on the status of encapsulated cells. The findings of this study support the use of dielectric impedance spectroscopy as a label-free and non-destructive method to characterize the critical quality attributes of bioprinted constructs.
The Renal and Epithelial Actions of Adenosine

Adenosine acts to modulate a complex array of physiologic processes in a wide variety of cell types. Perhaps no other organ demonstrates the diverse cellular action of adenosine better than the kidney. With its numerous types of tubular epithelia, endothelium, vascular smooth muscle, nerves, and hormonal secretory cells, the kidney has become an interesting model in which to develop a unified hypothesis to explain the diverse actions of adenosine as a cellular regulator. Recent technical advances allowing the isolation of large numbers of specific renal cell types have provided a means of identifying which renal cell types have adenosine receptors and what postreceptor mechanisms are involved in mediating the actions of adenosine.
Across‐Channel Spectral Processing

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of the various ways in which the processing of acoustic information across frequencies can be understood, and describes some of the auditory phenomena that reflect across frequency analysis. The wideband analysis results in unitary percepts—namely, the spectral integration of complex signals and virtual pitch. The concepts of across-channel processing are introduced using the phenomenon of monaural envelope correlation perception. The chapter then provides an overview of the processes that are in some sense disadvantageous for signal detection. These include overshoot, modulation detection interference, comodulation detection differences, across-channel masking, and informational masking. Advantageous across-channel processes are examined, including profile analysis and comodulation masking release. The chapter also focuses on modeling issues related to across-channel processing, and discusses how across-channel processing relates to perceptual organization. A striking characteristic of the across-frequency auditory processes is that they can be influenced markedly by stimulus presentation parameters that influence auditory perceptual organization.
Analytical models for simulating hydrogen transport in reactor containment atmospheres

Presentation de modeles analytiques, incorpores dans le programme de calcul LIMIT, decrivant le transport d'hydrogene dans les confinements de reacteurs a eau legere en cas d'accident. Discussion de 2 calculs de demonstration. Presentation de la simulation d'une experience a grande echelle et de la reproduction d'un resultat analytique
e-Aminocaproic Acid Does Not Inhibit Outflow Resistance Washout in Monkeys

Purpose. To determine whether the anti-fibrinolytic agent e-aminocaproic acid (EACA) inhibitsthe washout of resistance to aqueous humor outflow during anterior chamber perfusion incynomolgus monkeys, as it does in rabbits.Methods. Nine adult ocular normotensive cynomolgus monkeys underwent bilateral anteriorchamber perfusion with Barany's solution, containing 3.8 mM EACA unilaterally. Total outflowfacility was determined in both eyes simultaneously for approximately 4 hours by the two-level constant pressure method. The data were analyzed using a linear regression model thattested treated versus control eye differences over time against a slope and intercept of 0.0.Results. Outflow facility increased and resistance decreased significandy over time similarly inboth EACA-treated and control eyes; i.e., neither the slopes nor the intercepts for facility orresistance, respectively, differed between the eyes over the entire 4-hour measurement periodor for the initial 90 minutes considered separately. The facility increase and resistance decreaseas functions of perfusion volume also were similar in EACA-treated and control eyes.Conclusions. EACA at this dose does not prevent resistance washout in the cynomolgus monkey,in contrast to the rabbit. This species difference may relate to the vastly different anatomyand physiology of their outflow pathways. Invest Ophthalmo 1995l Vi 36:1745-1749; s Sci. .
Development of a Congenital Heart Surgery Composite Quality Metric: Part 2—Analytic Methods

Background We describe the statistical methods and results related to development of the first congenital heart surgery composite quality measure. Methods The composite measure was developed using The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Congenital Heart Surgery Database (2012 to 2015), Bayesian hierarchical modeling, and the current Society of Thoracic Surgeons risk model for case-mix adjustment. It consists of a mortality domain (operative mortality) and morbidity domain (major complications and postoperative length of stay). We evaluated several potential weighting schemes and properties of the final composite measure, including reliability (signal-to-noise ratio) and hospital classification in various performance categories. Results Overall, 100 hospitals (78,425 operations) were included. Each adjusted metric included in the composite varied across hospitals: operative mortality (median, 3.1%; 10th to 90th percentile, 2.1% to 4.4%) major complications (median 11.7%, 10th to 90th percentile, 6.4% to 17.4%), and length of stay (median, 7.0 days; 10th to 90th percentile, 5.9 to 8.2 days). In the final composite weighting scheme selected, mortality had the greatest influence, followed by major complications and length of stay (correlation with overall composite score of 0.87, 0.69, and 0.47, respectively). Reliability of the composite measure was 0.73 compared with 0.59 for mortality alone. The distribution of hospitals across composite measure performance categories (defined by whether the 95% credible interval overlapped The Society of Thoracic Surgeons average) was 75% (same as expected), 9% (worse than expected), and 16% (better than expected). Conclusions This congenital heart surgery composite measure incorporates aspects of both morbidity and mortality, has clinical face validity, and greater ability to discriminate hospital performance compared with mortality alone. Ongoing efforts will support the use of the composite measure in benchmarking and quality improvement activities.
“Resorting to Authoritarian Habits”: Anti-terrorism Laws, State Violence, and Human Rights Prosecutions in Democratic Spain

This chapter examines the violence between Euskadi Ta Askatasuna and the Spanish government during the early years of Spanish democracy. Protections for state actors who engaged in torture were built into anti-terrorism laws through the legalization of lengthy, unmonitored detention periods, known as incommunicado detention. While legal reforms established during Spain’s democratic transition helped to facilitate prosecutions for state-sponsored killings during the 1980s and early 1990s, investigations and prosecutions of torture allegations were crippled by anti-terrorism laws that normalized and legitimized ill-treatment at the hands of the state.
Common bile duct dilation after bariatric surgery.

Biliary dilation suggests obstruction and prompts further work up. Our experience with endoscopic ultrasound and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in the symptomatic post-bariatric surgery population revealed many patients with radiographically dilated bile ducts, but endoscopically normal studies. It is unclear if this finding is phenomenological or an effect of surgery. Additionally, it is unknown whether the type of bariatric surgery alters biliary pathophysiology. Thus, we studied whether a change occurs in biliary diameter following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG). A single-center retrospective study assessing biliary diameter before and after RYGB or SG based on radiographic imaging. All adult patients undergoing RYGB or SG from January 2010 to December 2013 who had imaging studies before and > 3 months after surgery were included. Those with known obstructive etiologies and those without post-operative imaging were excluded. Common bile duct (CBD) diameter was re-read by a radiologist at the same location in the CBD for pre- and post-operative imaging. Baseline clinical factors and cholecystectomy status were collected. 269 patients met inclusion criteria (193 RYGB;76 SG). Between the groups, there were no significant differences in pre-operative characteristics. Average time from surgery to repeat imaging was 24.1 months. After adjusting for pre-operative factors, subjects who underwent an RYGB had an increase in CBD diameter of 1.4 mm (95% CI 0.096, 0.18), which was greater than the change following SG 0.5 mm(95% CI − 0.007, 0.11). The magnitude of this change did not depend on prior cholecystectomy in the RYGB cohort. Within the SG group, for patients without a prior cholecystectomy, there was a significant increase in post-operative CBD diameter of 0.8 mm(95% CI 0.02, 0.14). Bariatric surgery results in CBD dilation, with changes more pronounced after RYGB. Biliary dilation occurs irrespective of cholecystectomy status. Further work is necessary to determine the cause and clinical implications of this phenomenon.
Epigenetic Drift in Colorectal Cancer-It's Probably Later Than You Think.

The analysis of age-related methylation changes in patients with colorectal cancer indicates that tumors have their origins earlier in life than previously suspected. The implication is that healthy lifestyle modifications designed to prevent colorectal cancer should be adopted early in life. See related article by Luebeck et al., p. 495
Association of Clinical Rejection Versus Rejection on Protocol Biopsy With Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy in Pediatric Heart Transplant Recipients.

BACKGROUND Two or more early rejections ( 1 y) have been associated with coronary artery vasculopathy (CAV) in pediatric heart transplant (HT) recipients. We hypothesized that clinical rejection defined by concurrent new-onset heart failure or left ventricular systolic dysfunction is more strongly associated with future CAV than rejection diagnosed on protocol biopsy. METHODS We identified all subjects <21 years old who received first HT at Boston Children's Hospital during 1986-2015 with at least 1 post-HT coronary angiogram. CAV was diagnosed using 2010 International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation guidelines. Time to CAV diagnosis was assessed using a Cox model with occurrence of clinical rejection analyzed as a time-varying covariate. RESULTS Of 228 study subjects, 106 remained rejection-free, 77 had rejection diagnosed only on protocol biopsy (≥2R cellular or antibody-mediated), and 45 had a clinical rejection. Subjects with rejection diagnosed only on protocol biopsy were not at higher risk of CAV (hazard ratio [HR] 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.54-2.09). In contrast, clinical rejection was significantly associated with risk of CAV (HR 4.84, 95% CI: 2.99-7.83). Late rejection was associated with a higher risk of CAV (HR 4.27, 95% CI: 2.42-7.51) if it was clinical rejection but not if it was diagnosed on protocol biopsy (HR 0.83, 95% CI: 0.51-1.37). CONCLUSIONS Clinical rejection poses a far greater risk for future CAV than rejection on protocol biopsy in pediatric HT recipients. Preventing CAV should therefore become the focus of medical management after initial treatment and resolution of clinical rejection.
Elevated nutrient inputs to marshes differentially impact carbon and nitrogen cycling in two northern Gulf of Mexico saltmarsh plants

Salt marsh biogeochemical processes are regulated by ecosystem structure (e.g. plant community composition). However, plant-specific responses to stressors such as elevated nutrient inputs can have differing impacts on nitrogen (N) removal and carbon (C) sequestration. We conducted a field manipulation to investigate the impact of elevated nutrient loading on ecosystem C dynamics and nitrate reduction pathways (denitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA)) in plots dominated by either Juncus roemerianus or Spartina alterniflora that were collocated in a northern Gulf of Mexico salt marsh. We increased N and phosphorus (P) inputs by two- and three-times current levels in the region. Nutrient enrichment had no effect on net ecosystem exchange. However, a three-fold increase in nutrient input resulted in nearly one-third increases in gross primary productivity ($$GPP$$) and ecosystem respiration in S. alterniflora plots, whereas there was no impact in J. roemerianus plots. Denitrification increased in S. alterniflora plots tenfold at both treatment levels relative to controls, but as with $$GPP$$, there was no response in J. roemerianus plots to higher nutrient inputs. In contrast, a three-fold increase in nutrients reduced DNRA by half in J. roemerianus plots. This work demonstrates that plant species-specific responses in marshes need to be considered for determining the impact of higher nutrient inputs on plant productivity and N-removal and retention.
The Roles of Gender Affirmation and Discrimination in the Resilience of Transgender Individuals in the US.

Transgender individuals face severe stigma-driven health inequities structurally, institutionally, and interpersonally, yielding poor individual-level outcomes. Gender affirmation, or being recogni...
Jewish Boston, Athens, and Jerusalem

Samuel Heilman, professor of sociology at Queens College of the City University of New York, tried to break down silos and bridge (“synthesize”) interrelated disciplines throughout his career.
Modeling sparse longitudinal data in early neurodevelopment.

Early childhood is a period marked by rapid brain growth accompanied by cognitive and motor development. However, it remains unclear how early developmental skills relate to neuroanatomical growth across time with no growth quantile trajectories of typical brain development currently available to place and compare individual neuroanatomical development. Even though longitudinal neuroimaging data have become more common, they are often sparse, making dynamic analyses at subject level a challenging task. Using the Principal Analysis through Conditional Expectation (PACE) approach geared towards sparse longitudinal data, we investigate the evolution of gray matter, white matter and cerebrospinal fluid volumes in a cohort of 446 children between the ages of 1 and 120 months. For each child, we calculate their dynamic age-varying association between the growing brain and scores that assess cognitive functioning, applying the functional varying coefficient model. Using local Frechet regression, we construct age-varying growth percentiles to reveal the evolution of brain development across the population. To further demonstrate its utility, we apply PACE to predict individual trajectories of brain development.
Modeling the EdNet Dataset with Logistic Regression.

Many of these challenges are won by neural network models created by full-time artificial intelligence scientists. Due to this origin, they have a black-box character that makes their use and application less clear to learning scientists. We describe our experience with competition from the perspective of educational data mining, a field founded in the learning sciences and connected with roots in psychology and statistics. We describe our efforts from the perspectives of learning scientists and the challenges to our methods, some real and some imagined. We also discuss some basic results in the Kaggle system and our thoughts on how those results may have been improved. Finally, we describe how learner model predictions are used to make pedagogical decisions for students. Their practical use entails a) model predictions and b) a decision rule (based on the predictions). We point out how increased model accuracy can be of limited practical utility, especially when paired with simple decision rules and argue instead for the need to further investigate optimal decision rules.
Future of work and employee empowerment and satisfaction: Evidence from a decade of technological change

Abstract Increasing evidence suggests that technological change will significantly affect interactions in the workplace. Even if technological change displaces some jobs, it may have positive effects among the employees’ who remain employed and subsequent new hires. We introduce a new measure of technological change at the county-level using the growth in the stock of intellectual property (IP) across industries. Using new individual-level data between 2008 and 2018 from Gallup, we quantify the effects of technological change on employee empowerment and well-being. Our results suggest that technological change is associated with positive effects on employee empowerment and life satisfaction. The results are strongest in workplaces with trust and more directive managers, suggesting that structured management may be help mediate the emergence of AI and automation.
The Emergence of Populist Nationalism and 'Illiberal' Peacebuilding in Sri Lanka

This article examines Sri Lanka’s ‘illiberal’ peacebuilding through the lens of what is referred to as populist nationalism, a distinct form of post-war political order characterised by nationalist...
Dexamethasone signaling is required to establish the postmitotic state of adipocyte development

The clonal expansion phase of 3T3-L1 adipose conversion is a distinct mitotic period during which the initiation of differentiation occurs concomitant with a discrete set of mitotic divisions. During clonal expansion, a cocktail of adipogenic hormones, including the glucocorticoid dexamethasone, induced 3T3-L1 cells to progress from postconfluent adipoblasts to postmitotic adipocytes. It is reported here that expression of the growth arrest-associated gene 2 (gas2) discriminated reversible, postconfluent growth arrest from irreversible, postmitotic growth arrest. In the absence of dexamethasone, 3T3-L1 cells underwent mitoses but failed to establish postmitotic growth arrest, as evidenced by the persistence of elevated GAS2 mRNA. Moreover, the dexamethasone-deprived 3T3-L1 cells appeared to revert to postconfluent growth arrest, as judged by (a) their ability to reenter logarithmic growth under permissive conditions, and (b) their ability to undergo adipose conversion when subsequently challenged with a complete cocktail of adipogenic hormones. The growth potentiating factor-encoding gene, gas6, was shown to be an immediate-early target of dexamethasone. These findings reveal the requirement for dexamethasone in establishing the postmitotic state that accompanies differentiation. In addition, the results suggest that dexamethasone signaling influences the mitotic divisions of clonal expansion by determining the nature of the growth arrest state assumed upon exit from the cell cycle.
On-Line Detection & Correction of Kalman Filter Divergence by Fuzzy Logic

This paper explores the application of fuzzy logic to detect and contain Kalman filter divergence. The use of exponential-weighting for filter divergence control is investigated and incorporated in fuzzy control algorithms. The soundness of the fuzzy logic design concept for divergence control is demonstrated through computer simulations which are shown to comply with theoretical results.
Politicians and Poachers: Unkept Promises and Party Largesse: The Politics of Wildlife in the Independence Period

The man who looks at an animal and sees beauty is a man who has eaten well. University of Zambia employee Contrary to promises made by future President Kenneth Kaunda and other Zambian nationalists during Zambia's independence movement, the government of the ruling United National Independence party (UNIP) did not revoke the much-despised wildlife policy they inherited from their British predecessors. In fact, immediately after independence in October 1964 Kaunda began to make radio broadcasts and public speeches about the need to protect wild animals as an integral part of Zambian history. His government submitted a new wildlife bill to the National Assembly in 1968 that closely followed the proscriptions of the colonial ordinances while conferring even more authority over wildlife on the central government. By the end of 1971 the UNIP government had declared eight statutory instruments that detailed the laws regarding trophies, hunting license requirements, protected animals, and legal methods of hunting. That same year President Kaunda signed an order that created thirty-two game management areas, and his minister of lands and natural resources introduced a motion into the National Assembly to declare a system of eighteen national parks within Zambia. Like their colonial predecessors, the new government's administrators shunted aside calls for granting locals access to wildlife. Despite the widespread dislike for their similar colonial-style wildlife conservation policies, politicians in Kenya and Zimbabwe also chose to maintain the status quo.