cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Health care provider knowledge of drug formulary status in ambulatory care settings

PURPOSE: Health care providers' knowledge of whether the medications they prescribed were on the formulary of their patients' insurance plan and factors associated with this knowledge were examined. METHOD: The 2000 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey was used to construct a nationally representative sample of outpatient prescription drugs and determine providers' knowledge of the formulary status of the drugs they prescribed. In addition to univariate analysis, random-effects logistic regression models were conducted to examine the association between providers' knowledge of whether a patient's medication was on the formulary, payment types, and provider and medication characteristics. RESULTS: Providers did not know whether the drug they prescribed was on the formulary for over 64% of the prescriptions. Physicians were more likely to know whether HMO patients' medications were on the formulary. Internal medicine physicians were significantly less likely to know if their patients' medications were on the formulary than general and family practice physicians. Among HMO-paid outpatient visits, providers practicing in the West were significantly less likely to know if their patients' medications were on the formulary than those practicing in the Northeast. CONCLUSION: In over half of cases, health care providers did not know whether the medications they prescribed were on the formulary.
Abstract P4-09-18: Characterization of circulating myeloid derived suppressor cells and cytokines in patients undergoing neo-adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer

Myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSC) are immature immune cells that expand in patients (pts) with cancer and suppress anti-tumor immunity. MDSC are also known to support angiogenesis. Higher circulating MDSC levels are seen in patients with greater tumor burden. Therefore, circulating MDSC levels could be affected by chemotherapy and could correlate with response. In this prospective pilot trial, peripheral blood (PB) levels of granulocytic (G-MDSC) and monocytic (M-MDSC) MDSC were measured in pts with operable breast cancer (BC) treated with neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) to study their association with pathologic complete response. It was hypothesized that MDSC % would show an association with complete pathologic response (pCR). The association of 10 different cytokine levels (IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, IFN-γ, TNF-α) with pCR was also explored. Linear mixed models tested the associations between MDSC % or cytokines across time points with pCR. Levels of MDSC were measured by flow cytometry as a % of PB mononuclear cells prior to cycle (C) 1 and 2 of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (AC) and 1st and last administration of paclitaxel (T) or T and anti-HER2 therapy (in HER2+ pts). For other regimens, MDSC were measured prior to 1st, 2nd and last cycle. MDSC were defined as HLA-DR-, CD11b+, CD33+ cells with G-MDSC and M-MDSC cells expressing CD15 and CD14, respectively. Plasma cytokine levels were measured using a multiplex assay (Bio-Rad). Of 24 enrolled pts, 1, 20 and 3 had clinical stage I, II, IIIA, respectively. Median age was 48 (range 32-70). 11, 6 and 7 pts were triple negative (TN), HER2+ and hormone receptor (HR)+, respectively. PCR rate was 45.8% (46%, 50%, 43%, 20% for TN, HER2+, HR+ and >10% HR+ pts). Rate of residual cancer burden (RCB) class 0-1 was 58.3% (63.6%, 50%, 57.1%, 40% in TN, HER2+, HR+ and >10% HR+ pts). Mean M-MDSC % were Citation Format: Wesolowski R, Duggan M, Stiff A, Trikha P, Schoenfield L, Abdel-Rasoul M, Layman R, Ramaswamy B, Macrae E, Lustberg MB, Mrozek E, Carson WE. Characterization of circulating myeloid derived suppressor cells and cytokines in patients undergoing neo-adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-09-18.
Local-Community Interests and South Carolinian Newspapers’ Coverage of Smoke-Free Policies

ABSTRACTIn this quantitative content analysis, we assess how smoke-free policies are presented in South Carolinian newspapers. In particular, this study examines the extent to which newspapers’ coverage of smoke free-policies has represented the interests of their local communities. We compare newspapers in the communities whose economy relies heavily on the tourism and hospitality industry (The Post & Courier in Charleston and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach) and newspapers elsewhere (The State in Columbia and The Greenville News in Greenville), and see whether there are meaningful differences between the newspapers in the way they portray smoke-free policies, particularly in terms of their selective uses of news sources and key arguments. Our findings indicate that South Carolinian newspapers portrayed smoke-free policies largely as a political issue. Many political reasons to either support or oppose the policies were found in almost two out of three articles. We also found that The Post & Courier and The...
Cartilage-specific knockout of the mechanosensory ion channel TRPV4 decreases age-related osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive degenerative disease of articular cartilage and surrounding tissues, and is associated with both advanced age and joint injury. Biomechanical factors play a critical role in the onset and progression of OA, yet the mechanisms through which physiologic or pathologic mechanical signals are transduced into a cellular response are not well understood. Defining the role of mechanosensory pathways in cartilage during OA pathogenesis may yield novel strategies or targets for the treatment of OA. The transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) ion channel transduces mechanical loading of articular cartilage via the generation of intracellular calcium ion transients. Using tissue-specific, inducible Trpv4 gene-targeted mice, we demonstrate that loss of TRPV4-mediated cartilage mechanotransduction in adulthood reduces the severity of aging-associated OA. However, loss of chondrocyte TRPV4 did not prevent OA development following destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM). These results highlight potentially distinct roles of TRPV4-mediated cartilage mechanotransduction in age-related and post-traumatic OA, and point to a novel disease-modifying strategy to therapeutically target the TRPV4-mediated mechanotransduction pathway for the treatment of aging-associated OA.
Policing Gangs in America: Form, Function, and Management of the Police Gang Unit

Specialized units pose special risks for corruption. They have traditionally operated independently from the ordinary chain of command, target offenders who are perceived as “bad or dangerous,” often engage in dangerous operations, and may work together as a cohesive group for many years resulting in the development of strong internal loyalties. Because of these factors, specialized units risk the development of a subculture, with their values separate and apart from those of the department, that will resist oversight and supervision by the department. Further, specialized units pose special risks that are inherent in their missions, including the use of excessive force, other civil rights violations (such as selective enforcement), and corruption (such as theft and bribery). – Erwin Chemerinsky, Report of The Rampart Independent Review Panel-Executive Summary, (unpublished manuscript), 2000b: 17. In this chapter we explore the police response to gangs by examining the organizational structures, operational functions, and management of specialized police gang units. First, we describe how police departments structure or organize their resources to control gangs, focusing on where the gang units were placed within the police departments, administratively and physically. Second, we describe the functions or operational strategies of the gang units. In other words, with a broad stroke, we describe what the gang units were doing, or at least what they were supposed to be doing, according to departmental guidelines and expectations.
Radial Junction Silicon Nanowire Photovoltaics With Heterojunction With Intrinsic Thin Layer (HIT) Structure

Single-wire radial p-i-n heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer nanowire solar cell devices were fabricated by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of thin intrinsic and n-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) shell layers on p-type silicon nanowires synthesized by vapor–liquid–solid growth. The thin intrinsic a-Si:H layer provided an effective passivation of the crystalline Si nanowire surface, and the corresponding device exhibits a dark current density of ${1.6 \times 10}^{-7}\,{\text {A}/ \text{cm}}^{2}$ . Under one-sun illumination, the device shows a short-circuit current ( $I_{\rm{sc}}$ ) of ${ 2.66 \times 10}^{- 7}$ mA, open-circuit voltage ( $V_{\rm{oc}}$ ) of 0.46 V, fill factor (ff) of 0.52, and energy conversion efficiency ( η ) of 6.3%. Indium tin oxide (ITO) contacts were also deposited on the n-type shell as an antireflection layer to improve light absorption in the nanowire device. After ITO deposition, the device exhibited a larger $I_{\rm{sc}}$ of 2.75 × 10–7 mA, but the overall efficiency decreased due to a larger leakage current and lower $V_{\rm{oc}}$ .
TCT-135 Increased circulating plasma-free hemoglobin levels, not lactate dehydrogenase, levels identify hemolysis among patients with cardiogenic shock treated with an Impella micro-axial flow catheter

Hemolysis is a complication of micro-axial impeller pumps (Impella). Markers of hemolysis among LVADs include lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) >2.5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN) and plasma-free hemoglobin (pf-Hb) >20mg/dL. We studied the predictive value of LDH or pf-Hb as hemolytic markers in
Extending the frontiers of Data Envelopment Analysis

This chapter provides the formulations for the basic DEA models and the editors' introduction to the chapters which follow.
Outcomes of Salvage Percutaneous Biliary Drainage after Occlusion of Endoscopic Stents.

Abstract Purpose To describe outcomes of patients with malignant biliary obstruction who undergo salvage percutaneous biliary drainage after occlusion of endoscopic biliary stents. Materials and Methods A single-center retrospective review was performed of 47 patients (25 men, 22 women) who underwent percutaneous biliary drainage for recurrent obstruction after endoscopic stent placement between 2005 and 2015. Primary malignancies were bile duct (n = 13), colorectal (n = 11), gallbladder (n = 7), pancreas (n = 5), hepatocellular (n = 4), and other (n = 7). Indication for salvage drain placement was infection (n = 19) and jaundice or need to decrease bilirubin (n = 28). Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression methods were used for survival analysis. Logistic and multivariate regressions were employed to identify factors associated with survival. Results Median survival after salvage biliary drain placement was 1.8 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3–2.7). Elevated international normalized ratio (INR) ≥ 1.5 before drainage was associated with poorer survival after drainage (median survival 0.7 months vs 2.4 months, P P P = .02; OR 0.18, 95% CI, 0.05–0.69, P = .01; OR 0.10, 95% CI, 0.01–0.90, P = .04). Conclusions Survival is limited for most patients who undergo salvage percutaneous biliary drainage. Elevated bilirubin and INR before drainage portend a poor prognosis.
Making the Strange Familiar

From studying Pagan festivals as a graduate student to writing about Burning Man, Hare Krishna hardcore music, ecstatic dance and so-called eco-terrorists twenty years later, this essay describes my journey as an academic through what many other religious studies scholars might consider the fringe of our academic purview. In the essay I consider the ways in which the concerns that emerged in my earliest work in Pagan Studies—sacred space, the role of memory in identity construction, relationships with the more-than-human world, ritual creativity, religious freedom, childhood experience and religious improvisation—continue to be central to my scholarship over two decades later.
Human Growth Hormone Gene Regulation in Somatotroph Cell Cultures

The somatotroph tumor cell is an ideal model for studying the chain of polypeptide gene expression from gene structure through transcription, processing, translation, protein structure and secretion. Studies in rat GH cells are examples of how these studies have led to important insights into the biology of pituitary tumors (1).
Dietary saccharides and sweet tastants have differential effects on colonization of Drosophila oocytes by Wolbachia endosymbionts.

Wolbachia bacteria are widespread, maternally transmitted endosymbionts of insects. Maintenance of sufficient Wolbachia titer in maternal germline cells is required for transmission efficacy. The mechanisms that regulate Wolbachia titer are not well understood; however, dietary sucrose was reported to elevate oocyte Wolbachia titer in D. melanogaster whereas dietary yeast decreased oocyte titer. To further investigate how oocyte Wolbachia titer is controlled, this study analyzed the response of w Mel Wolbachia to diets enriched in an array of natural sugars and other sweet tastants . Confocal imaging of D. melanogaster oocytes showed that food enriched in dietary galactose, lactose, maltose and trehalose elevated Wolbachia titer. However, oocyte Wolbachia titers were unaffected by exposure to the sweet tastants lactulose, erythritol, xylitol, aspartame and saccharin as compared to the control. Oocyte size was generally non-responsive to the nutrient-altered diets. Ovary size, however, was consistently smaller in response to all sugar- and sweetener-enriched diets. Furthermore, most dietary sugars administered in tandem with dietary yeast conferred complete rescue of oocyte titer suppression by yeast. All diets dually enriched in yeast and sugar also rescued yeast-associated ovary volume changes. This indicates oocyte colonization by Wolbachia to be a nutritionally sensitive process regulated by multiple mechanistic inputs.
Pragmatism, Praxis, and the Technological

It is difficult to explain the sense in which a theory of technology constitutes a theory of knowledge or inquiry — the sense in which it is not merely a theory of contingent interests or objectives that an already cognitively competent society applies its powers to. In a large sense, ‘technology’ signifies the conditions of existence (the ‘existential’ conditions) under which human beings minimally function as cognitively competent. In this regard, a theory of technology collects: (1) the empirically specifiable skills humans exhibit in manipulating and altering actual things relative to the tacit conditions of survival as well as to the explicit testing of particular claims; (2) the nesting of these first-order skills within second-order reflections about the matching of cognitive powers and cognized world congruent with man’s empirical achievements; and (3) the nesting of that nesting in further reflections on what kind of existent being man (generic sense) must be in order to accomplish what we take to be accomplished in (1) and (2). A theory of technology seeks to penetrate to an understanding of what in the very nature of man: (a) makes it possible for him to achieve a science vis-a-vis the things of the world, and (b) also accounts for that capacity’s being effective within whatever preformative conditions we suppose it to function. The theory of technology is the theory of how man’s distinctive mode of existence both enables and constrains his effective science. To address the question need not be to pretend to any privileged or hierarchically ordered forms of cognitive access to information about any of the issues (1–3).
Distal Radius and Ulna Fractures

Distal radius and ulna fractures are one of the most commonly encountered injuries in orthopedics in all age groups. Their management varies based on the fracture pattern, associated injuries, and host characteristics. These fractures can be managed both nonoperatively and operatively with various techniques. However, it is crucial to understand the indications for each and their associated outcomes and complications.
Tunneling, Current Gain, and Transconductance in Silicon-Germanium Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors Operating at Millikelvin Temperatures

In quantum computing, metrology, single-photon counting, and nanomechanics, weak electronic signals at extremely low temperatures need amplification. To this end, the authors build and study silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors, which offer excellent amplifier characteristics, integrability with silicon quantum electronics, low cost, and manufacturability. Their research at the junction of physics and electrical engineering is a step toward next-generation integrated circuits at the 90-nm scale for this temperature regime.
Endoscopic Ultrasound-guided Specimen Collection and Evaluation Techniques Affect Diagnostic Accuracy.

Background & Aims Outcomes of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) evaluation vary with technique, needles, and methods of specimen evaluation. We performed a direct comparison of diagnostic yields of EUS-FNA samples collected using different gauge needles (22- vs 25-gauge), with or without suction. Methods We performed a randomized controlled study of 352 patients with suspected pancreatic masses, referred for EUS-FNA at a tertiary referral center. Patients were randomly assigned to 22-gauge needles with or without suction or 25-gauge needles with or without suction. Specimens were evaluated offsite by cell block and rapid onsite cytologic evaluation (ROSE). Final diagnoses were made based on histologic analyses or 12-month follow-up evaluations. The primary outcome was diagnostic adequacy of cell blocks. Secondary outcomes were operating characteristics of ROSE and EUS-FNA, number of passes required for accurate onsite diagnosis, and amount of blood in specimens. Results The final diagnoses were malignancy (81.5% of patients) and benign disease (17.0% of patients); 1.4% of patients were lost during follow up. Cell block, ROSE, and EUS-FNA led to diagnostic accuracies of 71.9%, 95.5%, and 96.6%, respectively. A 22-gauge needle with suction was associated with more passes for adequate onsite diagnosis (P = .003) and specimens contained more blood (P = .01). Diagnostic accuracy of specimens collected by transduodenal EUS-FNA was lower with 22-gauge needles with suction compared to other techniques (P = .004). Conclusion In a randomized trial of patients undergoing EUS-FNA for pancreatic masses, samples collected with 22-gauge vs 25-gauge needles performed equally well for offsite specimen evaluation. Use of suction appears to increase number of passes needed and specimen bloodiness. Specimen collection techniques should be individualized based on method of evaluation. ClinicalTrials.gov no: NCT02424838 .
Pharmacist-Physician Collaboration at a Family Medicine Residency Program: A Focus Group Study

Background: In response to transforming healthcare and pursuit of the Triple Aim, many health systems have added team members to expand the capabilities and effectiveness of the team to facilitate these aims. The objective of this study was to explore knowledge and perceptions of pharmacist-physician collaboration among family medicine residents (FMR), family medicine faculty (FMF), and pharmacist faculty and residents in a practice where clinical pharmacy services were relatively new. Understanding the nuances of pharmacist-physician interactions will provide insight into how to improve FMR education to prepare learners for patient-centered, team-based practice. Methods: An exploratory descriptive qualitative study design was used to articulate perceptions of professional roles and team-based care in an interprofessional family medicine community-based clinical practice. Five, 60-minute focus groups were conducted in a clinical training setting that focuses on preparing family medicine physicians for collaborative rural primary care practice. Results: Twenty-one FMRs, eight FMF, and six clinical pharmacists participated. Three themes emerged from the focus groups and were consistent across the groups: 1) roles of pharmacists recognized by physicians in different settings, 2) benefits to collaboration, and 3) keys to successful pharmacist-physician collaboration which include a) developing the relationship, b) optimizing communication, c) creating beneficial clinical workflow, d) clarifying roles and responsibilities, and e) increasing opportunities for meaningful interactions. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that by co-locating physicians and pharmacists in the same environment, and providing a basic structure for collaboration, a collaborative working relationship can be initiated. Practices looking to have more effective collaborative working relationships should strive to increase the frequency of interactions of the professions, help the physicians understand the abilities of pharmacists, and help the pharmacists articulate to the physicians the value of what they provide to patients. The five keys identified in this study are building blocks to advance a successful collaborative working relationship that positively benefits patient care and achieves the Quadruple Aim. Conflict of Interest We declare no conflicts of interest or financial interests that the authors or members of their immediate families have in any product or service discussed in the manuscript, including grants (pending or received), employment, gifts, stock holdings or options, honoraria, consultancies, expert testimony, patents and royalties Treatment of Human Subjects: IRB exemption granted Type: Original Research
On virtual pathwidth of virtual graphs of a virtual link

Abstract The geometric representation of a knot is not too dissimilar from a graph and this interaction has helped mathematicians to solve many problems. In this paper, we apply graph theory tools to study the classification of virtual knots and links. We define virtual planar graphs and compute virtual path width of an associated graph of a virtual link. We show that the virtual path width of an associated graph is equal to the virtual bridge number of a pseudo prime knot.
Two-Stage Exchange Knee Arthroplasty: Static Spacers

Antibiotic spacers are an important tool in the management of periprosthetic joint infection. The concept of spacers has evolved from a static block in which the knee is immobilized in full extension to more conforming articulating surfaces that allow more knee motion, in an attempt to improve patients’ quality of life before and after reimplantation. Static spacers are still indicated in knees with significant bone and soft tissue compromise to avoid complications related to mobility in the absence of the proper amount of constraint. Increasing the amount of antibiotics added to the cement results in a higher and longer elution but could lead to potential systemic toxicity. It also reduces the mechanical strength of cement which becomes a concern if mobility and weight bearing are to be permitted. The ideal dose of antibiotics to be mixed with cement remains unclear. Large doses have been demonstrated to be clinically safe, but have not shown to be cost-effective in providing better infection control.
Design of an Enterprise Architecture for Electronic Patient Care Record (ePCR) Information Exchange in EMS

EMS is an organized and collaborative effort between several organizations providing different levels or tiers of care designed to transport sick or injured patients to the hospital. Significant challenges to efficient, accurate, and integrated interorganizational information exchange exist for communicating pre-hospital EMS patient information to hospital emergency departments. The goal of this research was to investigate the requirements and design of a business process-oriented interorganizational enterprise architecture for EMS from a multi-stakeholder perspective. This paper describes an action-design research effort aimed at improving information exchange across pre-hospital and hospital organizations in the Santa Clara County, CA Health and Hospital System. In this paper, we discuss challenges with integrated EMS information exchange, the research approach and process, resulting architecture, and implications for multi-organizational emergency health systems.
Building rapport with a 3D conversational agent

While embodied conversational agents improve a user's experience with a system, systems meant for repeated use may need agents that build a relationship with the user. Anita is a low-cost 3D agent capable of talking, displaying emotions, gesturing, and postural mimicry, all of which may increase the rapport between agent and user. Motion capture and pressure sensors were used to create an agent capable of realistic, responsive motions.
H1N1 RELATED ACUTE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME IN A PATIENT WITH SEVERE MITRAL STENOSIS: EXTRA CORPOREAL MEMBRANE OXYGENATION AND BALLOON MITRAL VALVULOPLASTY TO THE RESCUE

Use of Venovenous Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (VVECMO) in treatment of influenza related Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) remains controversial. Severe Mitral Stenosis (MS) complicating the clinical picture of ARDS, puts a spin on utility of ECMO is such cases. 51 year old female
Conservation reliance of a threatened snake on rice agriculture

Abstract Conservation-reliant species require perpetual management by humans to persist. But do species that persist largely in human-dominated landscapes actually require conditions maintained by humans? Because most extant populations of giant gartersnakes (Thamnophis gigas) inhabit the highly modified rice agricultural regions of the Sacramento Valley, we sought to evaluate whether giant gartersnakes are indeed a conservation-reliant species dependent on maintenance of rice agriculture and its infrastructure for their continued existence. Specifically, we examined the extent to which giant gartersnakes use rice fields themselves, and whether survival of adult giant gartersnakes was influenced by the amount of rice grown near their home ranges and daily movements. We found that although giant gartersnakes only use rice fields minimally and then only between mid-June and early September, their survival was lower when less rice agriculture was available near the areas they inhabited. Survival was particularly low in early spring, when giant gartersnakes emerge from brumation but rice fields are not yet flooded. The incongruity between the phenology of rice growing and giant gartersnake foraging requirements suggests that although giant gartersnakes are reliant on the rice agroecosystem, rice agriculture is likely suboptimal habitat for giant gartersnakes. Giant gartersnakes’ reliance on the rice agroecosystem challenges the notion of preservation-based conservation, but provides opportunities for win-win scenarios benefitting both rice farmers and giant gartersnakes. Our study highlights that in addition to land use, the timing of land management might be crucial for conservation-reliant species.
Isobutane Infrared Bands: Partial Rotational Assignments, ab Initio Calculations, and Local Mode Analysis.

High-resolution infrared spectra of the symmetric top isobutane CH(CH3)3 were assigned with the help of ab initio calculations. The strong parallel band ν5(a1) with an origin at 1396.54741(76) cm–1 and the ν4(a1) mode, the CH2 scissors, at 1478.20363(41) cm–1 were rotationally analyzed. The bands in the C–H stretching region were assigned with the help of an anharmonic calculation and a local mode analysis.
Maternal Age Patterns of Preterm Birth: Exploring the Moderating Roles of Chronic Stress and Race/Ethnicity.

BACKGROUND Despite the suggested contribution of cumulative chronic stress to the racial/ethnic disparities in preterm birth (PTB), it is unclear how chronic stress, maternal age, and race/ethnicity are linked underlying PTB. PURPOSE We investigated the moderating effect of chronic stress on the maternal age-PTB association among non-Hispanic (N-H) White, N-H Black, Hispanic, and Asian women. METHODS We analyzed the Washington State's Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System data linked with birth certificates. The sample included women aged 18 years or older who birthed the first, singleton baby without birth defects. Chronic stress was measured by race/ethnicity-specific chronic stress indices. A maternal age-chronic stress interaction was modeled to predict PTB by logistic regression stratified by race/ethnicity. In subanalysis, the moderating role of racism was investigated in the maternal age-chronic stress interaction among three minority groups combined. RESULTS Women's maternal age trajectory of PTB varied by their race/ethnicity and chronic stress level. N-H White and N-H Black women showed a steeper maternal age-related increase in PTB (weathering) under higher chronic stress, indicating a chronic stress' cumulative effect with maternal age. Besides, the extent of weathering was amplified by racism on top of chronic stress, particularly among N-H Black women. CONCLUSIONS These results show that both chronic stress and racism may develop accelerated PTB risk among minority women. Future research should use more objective and accurate chronic stress measures to ascertain the complex relationships among chronic stress, racial discrimination, and maternal age underlying the racial/ethnic differentials in PTB.
Autoregulation of Many Yeast Ribosomal Proteins Discovered by Efficient Search for Feedback Regulation

Abstract Post-transcriptional autoregulation of gene expression is common in bacterial systems but many fewer examples are known in eukaryotes. We used the yeast collection of genes fused to GFP as a rapid screen for examples of feedback regulation in ribosomal proteins by overexpressing a non-regulatable version of a gene and observing the effects on the expression of the GFP-fused version. We tested 95 ribosomal protein genes and found that 21 of them showed at least a three-fold repression. Two genes, RPS22B and RPL1B, showed over a 10-fold repression. In both cases the cis-regulatory segment resides in the 5’ UTR of the gene as shown by placing that segment of the mRNA upstream of GFP alone and demonstrating it is sufficient to cause repression of GFP when the protein is over-expressed. Further analyses showed that the intron in the 5’ UTR of RPS22B is required for regulation, presumably because the protein inhibits splicing that is necessary for translation. The 5’ UTR of RPL1B contains a sequence and structure motif that is conserved in the binding sites of Rpl1 orthologs from bacteria to mammals, and mutations within the motif eliminate repression.
Silent myocardial ischemia: Current concepts and management

Even when severe, myocardial ischemia may occur and symptoms be absent (1). In the same individual and at differing times, myocardial ischemia may occur with symptoms and at other times with apparently equivalent degrees of ischemia, symptoms are absent (2).
Anti-Müllerian hormone in African-American women with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective Women with SLE may experience ovarian insufficiency or dysfunction due to treatment or disease effects. Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), a marker of ovarian reserve, has been examined in small populations of women with SLE with conflicting results. To date, these studies have included very few African-American women, the racial/ethnic group at greatest risk of SLE. Methods We enrolled African-American women aged 22–40 years diagnosed with SLE after age 17 from the Atlanta Metropolitan area. Women without SLE from the same area were recruited from a marketing list for comparison. AMH was measured in serum using the Ansh Labs assay (Webster, Texas, USA). We considered AMH levels Results Our sample included 83 comparison women without SLE, 68 women with SLE and no history of cyclophosphamide (SLE/CYC−) and 11 women with SLE and a history of cyclophosphamide treatment (SLE/CYC+). SLE/CYC+ women had a greater prevalence of AMH Conclusions Treatment with CYC is associated with low AMH in African-American women with SLE. SLE itself may also be associated with reduced AMH, but to a lesser extent.
Chromophore‐Free Sealing and Repair of Soft Tissues Using Mid‐Infrared Light‐Activated Biosealants

The simultaneous absorption of mid‐infrared (midIR) laser energy and concomitant conversion to heat by biosealants resulting in the rapid sealing of soft tissues is described. The use of nonionizing midIR light leads to efficacious tissue sealing, improves cosmesis, lowers propensity for scarring, dispenses the use of chromophores, and allows for the use of a wide diversity of biomaterials as light‐activated sealants for tissue repair.
Exceptional Points of Degeneracy in a Transmission Line Periodically Loaded with Gain and Radiation Loss

We demonstrate that a periodic transmission line consisting of uniform lossless segments together with discrete gain and radiation-loss elements supports exceptional points of degeneracy (EPDs). We provide analytical expressions for the conditions that guarantee the coalescence of eigenvalues and eigenvectors. We show the dispersion diagram and discuss the tunability of the EPD frequency. Additionally, a special case is shown where the eigenvectors coalesce for all frequencies when a specific relationship between transmission line characteristic impedance, and gain/loss elements holds; in other words, in this situation, exceptional points merge to a line of frequency. The class of EPDs proposed in this work is very promising in many of applications that incorporate radiation losses.
Clinical Features, Management, and Molecular Characteristics of Familial Small Bowel Neuroendocrine Tumors

Small bowel neuroendocrine tumors are rare tumors with an increasing incidence over the last several decades. Early detection remains challenging because patients commonly develop symptoms late in the disease course, often after the tumors have metastasized. Although these tumors were thought to arise from sporadic genetic mutations, large epidemiological studies strongly support genetic predisposition and increased risk of disease in affected families. Recent studies of familial small bowel neuroendocrine tumors have identified several novel genetic mutations. Screening for familial small bowel neuroendocrine tumors can lead to earlier diagnosis and improved patient outcomes. This review aims to summarize the current knowledge of molecular changes seen in familial small bowel neuroendocrine tumors, identify clinical features specific to familial disease, and provide strategies for screening and treatment.
Case Report: Breast cancer-associated paraneoplastic stiff person syndrome: anastrozole monotherapy insufficient for symptom improvement

Stiff person syndrome (SPS) is a rare clinical disorder presenting with progressive muscle stiffness and painful spasms. Its ill-defined mechanism and variable presentation make diagnosis a challenge, though it is associated with a range of specific auto-antibodies. One particular antibody, anti-amphiphysin, is found in the presence of breast or lung malignancy and leads to a disorder termed paraneoplastic SPS (PSPS). Our patient, an 83-year-old woman, presented with bilateral leg weakness, spasms, and left clubfoot over a period of three months. She also reported a lump in her left breast for which she had not sought treatment over the past 10 years. Her ankle radiograph was negative for fractures and dislocations, while an MRI of the left leg was negative for plexopathies. Electromyography was suggestive of an SPS disorder and a positive anti-amphiphysin test indicated a diagnosis of PSPS. Her symptoms were managed with baclofen, diazepam, and five cycles of therapeutic plasma exchange (TPEX) over 10 days. Breast imaging revealed a 4.5-cm left breast lesion, later biopsy-confirmed as invasive ductal carcinoma (ER+, PR+, HER2−). The patient declined definitive surgical management, opting instead for once-daily anastrozole 1 mg as hormonal therapy. This regimen was not sufficient to lead to symptomatic improvement over a period of more than 30 days, and the patient expired less than 45 days after discharge. To our knowledge, this is the first case of PSPS to be treated in this manner. Our report illustrates that conservative management with anastrozole monotherapy was not sufficient to lead to symptomatic improvement in this form of paraneoplastic syndrome, suggesting the need for more aggressive pharmacological or definitive surgical intervention in order to produce symptom improvement and/or resolution.
Quick Yield Impact Assessment Using Silicon-design Correlation to Address Design Systematics

At sub 14nm technology nodes, the ability to design, verify, and manufacture integrated circuits (IC) with high yield gain has become a major challenge. With the shrinking of semiconductor process technology, it is imperative for foundries to identify design systematics at the early stages of the product lifecycle. As a result, the complex interactions between the design and manufacturing process, as well as the ability for critical pattern yield analysis, become more and more important [1, 2]. Design for Manufacturability (DFM) brings silicon manufacturing variability awareness on design configurations to address yield limitations using various techniques such as DFM rule checking and fixing guide, silicon validation (Sival) deck monitoring, machine learning enabled design rule checking (ML-DRC) and auto fixing, etc. The demand to identify and predict potential silicon fails has become unprecedentedly high as technology node advances, however, through all existing industry and commercial offerings, it is extremely hard to rank and intelligently determine which defects should be fixed with priority in order to efficiently speed up yield improvement. In this paper, we proposed an efficient analysis workflow to identify, rank design weakness based on silicon data, and provide guidance of confidence for yield-loss mitigation. The implementation is made possible by large scale data analytics using silicon-design correlations, which further provides a quick yield impact assessment shortly after tape-out. With this, a faster yield ramp becomes possible.
Class actions: The impact of CEO social class origin on firm competitive repertoires

We build on upper-echelons theory to argue that CEO social class impacts firm competitive repertoires. Specifically, we suggest that CEO social class origin impacts whether CEOs favor complex versu...
Some Fundamentals of the Economic Role of Government

The objective of this chapter is to answer the question, ‘What are the most fundamental things that can be said about the economic role of government?’ The question should be understood, first, to ask what can be said of government at the truly most fundamental level and, second, to require a positive, non-normative answer. The chapter constitutes a precis, as it were, of my answer. The answer is subjective, but it is intended to be non-normative.
Analyzing Riboswitches as a Function of Genome Size and Genus Ancestry in Gammaproteobacteria

Riboswitches are RNA molecules that regulate gene expression, without the need for protein factors, at the mRNA level in the bacterial kingdom. This paper focuses on nine riboswitches: TPP, FMN, SAM, Lysine, Cobalamine, Glycine, Molybdenum, Mg, and SAH, and whether or not there exists a relationship between genome size and riboswitch existence. The hypothesis of this paper is that there does exist a direct relationship because it is assumed that the more basepairs (bp) in a genome, the higher the chance that an old characteristic, such as a riboswitch, is conserved. Three hundred twenty members of the gammaproteobacteria class were selected using the Rfam and NCBI databases, and grouped by genome size. Each group was then analyzed via direct counting correlation and one way ANOVA for correlation and covariance. To check ANOVA assumptions, the gammaproteobacteria were grouped according to their respective genus ancestry, and statistics similarly ran. The Method of Most Likelihood was run for both sets via SPSS. The hypothesis of this paper was wrong. A direct, highly correlative relationship between genus ancestry and riboswitch existence was determined; whether or not each riboswitch was present or absent in the gammaproteobacteria analyzed was dependent upon whether the individual bacteria belonged to a genus that had that characteristic. A potential, stricter relationship between species and riboswitch existence was discovered, leaving room for further movement in this research. Question: Is there a relationship between genome size and riboswitch existence in gammaproteobacteria? If so, what is the relationship?
Maximum Likelihood Estimation of Asymmetric Laplace Parameters

Maximum likelihood estimators (MLE's) are presented for the parameters of a univariate asymmetric Laplace distribution for all possible situations related to known or unknown parameters. These estimators admit explicit form in all but two cases. In these exceptions effective algorithms for computing the estimators are provided. Asymptotic distributions of the estimators are given. The asymptotic normality and consistency of the MLE's for the scale and location parameters are derived directly via representations of the relevant random variables rather than from general sufficient conditions for asymptotic normality of the MLE's.
Reduced-complexity turbo equalizer for high-density magnetic recording channels

In this paper, we propose a soft out put BAD(S-BAD) which takes advantage of the original structure. The new equalizer produces soft information interms of extrinsic information suitable for iterative decoding when used with outer codes such as turbo/ turbo-like codes.
Computer diagnosis of fetal heart rate patterns.

Abstract A simple FHR pattern diagnostic program has been developed with the use of the IBM graphic terminal and an IBM 360 computer. The program is designed to provide the background for the development of a simple specialized analogue or hybrid device to interface with a fetal monitor. Of 171 fetal heart rate/uterine contraction patterns selected, the accuracy of the computer diagnosis was 84.0 per cent, which was quite adequate for clinical application.
Spectral studies of bovine dopamine beta-hydroxylase. Absence of covalently bound pyrroloquinoline quinone.

Abstract Bovine dopamine beta-hydroxylase was examined spectroscopically for the presence of covalently bound pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ). Pure dopamine beta-hydroxylase had a featureless UV-visible spectrum above 300 nm. An equimolar solution of dopamine beta-hydroxylase and exogenously added PQQ (1 PQQ/active site) had a strong absorption maximum at 333 nm. Dialysis removed the added PQQ, indicating that dopamine beta-hydroxylase does not bind PQQ irreversibly. Reaction of dopamine beta-hydroxylase with 6 mM phenylhydrazine in the presence of 15 mM ascorbate caused 96% inactivation within 20 min and did not produce any spectrally detectable amounts of the phenylhydrazone adduct of PQQ, as reported by van der Meer et al. (van der Meer, R.A., Jongejan, J.A., and Duine, J.A. (1988) FEBS Lett. 231, 303-307). The peptide profile of phenylhydrazine inactivated dopamine beta-hydroxylase was monitored at 316 nm and did not reveal any peptides that might contain a PQQ-phenylhydrazone adduct. Thus, the absence of any spectrally detectable PQQ-phenylhydrazone adducts under these conditions demonstrates that the mechanism of phenylhydrazine inactivation does not involve covalent modification of PQQ at the active site of dopamine beta-hydroxylase and provides strong evidence that the native enzyme does not contain PQQ.
Policymaking in Red and Blue: Asymmetric Partisan Politics and American Governance

Scholars use the same theories of the policy process to explain American policymaking regardless of the party in charge of government and have largely ignored differences between the goals and governing styles of Democrats and Republicans. We argue that the Republican Party is united by ideological goals whereas the Democratic Party is a coalition of social groups. The demands of the two parties’ bases and the sources of their public support differ, leading Republican politicians to discuss policy in broad strokes and Democratic politicians to emphasize particular policies aimed at each constituency. Democratic governance brings forward a coalition of diverse interest groups with programmatic demands, leading to more extensive policymaking. Republican governance breeds skepticism within a base opposed to expanded government. This divergence necessitates revisions to each of the major theories of the policy process, especially to enable scholars to explain the intransigence of the contemporary Republican Party.
Postmortem Acetaminophen Pharmacokinetics: An Experimental Study of Site and Time-Dependent Concentration Changes

Postmortem blood drug concentrations are obtained routinely for assessment of the cause of mortality. However, the relationship of postmortem drug concentration to blood concentrations at the time of death remains poorly characterized. Using Ketamine sedation, 10 New Zealand white rabbits were sacrificed 20 minutes after oral gavage with liquid acetaminophen 160 mg/kg as a model drug. Blood samples were obtained from peripheral (femoral vein) and central sites (heart & inferior cava) over time and compared with heart blood concentrations obtained at the time of sacrifice. The mean +/- SE antemortem acetaminophen concentration was 63.1 +/- 14.6 mcg/ml. Postmortem central blood concentrations were as follows: T = 3 h: 200.8 +/- 129.2 micrograms/mL, T = 6 h: 100.8 +/- 39.6 micrograms/mL and T = 12 h: 480.8 +/- 128.8 micrograms/mL. Postmortem peripheral site results were: T = 3 h: 50.2 +/- 21.4 micrograms/mL, T = 6 h: 100.8 +/- 18.1 and T = 12 h: 117.7 +/- 37.2 micrograms/mL. Overall, blood acetaminophen concentrations increased significantly over time for central sampling sites. Drug concentration increases seen in the central sampling sites were several times higher than that seen in peripheral blood. Blood samples taken from peripheral sites did not alter significantly. The results of this controlled study were consistent with previous autopsy case series and case reports suggesting that postmortem drug concentrations do not reflect premortem values. Variables affecting postmortem drug concentrations include both postmortem sampling time and anatomic blood collection site.
Structure and inference in annotated networks

For many networks of scientific interest we know both the connections of the network and information about the network nodes, such as the age or gender of individuals in a social network. Here we demonstrate how this 'metadata' can be used to improve our understanding of network structure. We focus in particular on the problem of community detection in networks and develop a mathematically principled approach that combines a network and its metadata to detect communities more accurately than can be done with either alone. Crucially, the method does not assume that the metadata are correlated with the communities we are trying to find. Instead, the method learns whether a correlation exists and correctly uses or ignores the metadata depending on whether they contain useful information. We demonstrate our method on synthetic networks with known structure and on real-world networks, large and small, drawn from social, biological and technological domains.
Nonuniversality of the localization length in a quantum chaotic system.

We show that the presence of Kramers' degeneracy plays an important role in determining the localization length of a dynamically localizing quantum chaotic system. Based on the existence of mappings between dynamically localizing systems and tight binding models of disordered strongly localizing solids we conjecture that the localization length is not a universal function of the symmetry class.