cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evidence for disease-related amphibian decline in Colorado

The recent discovery of a pathogenic fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) associated with declines of frogs in the American and Australian tropics, suggests that at least the proximate cause, may be known for many previously unexplained amphibian declines. We have monitored boreal toads in Colorado since 1991 at four sites using capture–recapture of adults and counts of egg masses to examine the dynamics of this metapopulation. Numbers of male toads declined in 1996 and 1999 with annual survival rate averaging 78% from 1991 to 1994, 45% in 1995 and 3% between 1998 and 1999. Numbers of egg masses also declined. An etiological diagnosis of chytridiomycosis consistent with infections by the genus Batrachochytrium was made in six wild adult toads. Characteristic histomorphological features (i.e. intracellular location, shape of thalli, presence of discharge tubes and rhizoids) of chytrid organisms, and host tissue response (acanthosis and hyperkeratosis) were observed in individual toads. These characteristics were indistinguishable from previously reported mortality events associated with chytrid fungus. We also observed epizootiological features consistent with mortality events associated with chytrid fungus: an increase in the ratio of female:male toads captured, an apparent spread of mortalities within the metapopulation and mortalities restricted to post metamorphic animals. Eleven years of population data suggest that this metapopulation of toads is in danger of extinction, pathological and epizootiological evidence indicates that B. dendrobatidis has played a proximate role in this process Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.
Steroid Treatment of Eosinophilic Esophagitis in Adults

Topical steroid therapy has been used to treat eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) for more than 15 years. We review the treatment trials of topical steroid therapy in adult patients with EoE. Currently, there is no commercially available preparation designed to deliver the steroid to the esophagus. Current regimens consist of swallowing steroid preparations designed for inhalation treatment for asthma. In the short term, steroids are associated with an approximately 15% to 25% incidence of asymptomatic esophageal candidiasis, but otherwise appear to be well tolerated.
Flow Simulations within Induced Magnetic and Electric Fields

During the June 2008 AIAA meeting a paper 1 was presented describing a numerical method for solving the Navier- Stokes equations coupled to Maxwell's equations for ionized flows within strong electric and magnetic fields. The set of Maxwell's equations is difficult to solve because of the large magnitude of their eigenvalues, being equal to the speed of light, relative to those of the equations describing fluid flow. An algorithm and boundary condition procedures were presented for solving these equations that used a scaling of the Maxwell flux vectors to balance the numerical dissipation of the method. This novel scaling procedure enabled both stable and accurate solutions to be found for these equations. This fully implicit numerical method was tested first on the Hartmann flow problem and then by simulating the flow within an MFD accelerator, generator and simplified scramjet engine. The method solved the set of Navier-Stokes and Maxwell's equations in their usual form, shown below in Section (1). The present paper will now present a method for solving the "scalar and vector potential" form of Maxwell's equations, shown in Section (2) below. This set requires a completely different numerical approach but has two distinct advantages: 1) fewer equations need to be solved, and 2) the constraint that the solution of the magnetic field be "divergence free" is automatically satisfied. The new procedure is applied to the same test problems as the June 2008 paper for validation. The main thrust of the present effort, however, is on algorithm development for realistic hypersonic MFD simulations.
First Record of a Least Weasel, Mustela nivalis, on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

western North Sea between 1930 and the present day. ICES Journal of Marine Science 55:392^102. Zar JH. 1996. Biostatistical Analysis. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. 662 p. zeiner SJ, Wolf P. 1993. Growth characteristics and estimates of age at maturity of two species of skates (Raja binoculata and Raja rhina) from Monterey Bay, California. In: Branstetter, S, editor. Conservation biology of elasmobranchs. NOAA Technical Report NMFS 115. p 87-99. zenger HH. 2004. Data report: 2002 Aleutian Islands bottom trawl survey. Springfield, VA: USDC National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra tion (NOAA). NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-AFSC-143. 247 p.
QUALITY OF LIFE IN MEN WITH LOCALIZED PROSTATE CANCER TREATED BY RADICAL PROSTATECTOMY OR RADIOTHERAPY

Radical prostatectomy and radiotherapy are the most commonly utilized modalities for managing patients with localized prostate cancer. Each has effects on quality of life that are important in decision making. Long term side effects of these treatment modalities include urinary, bowel and sexual dysfunction, and have been documented. Comparison of the side effects of these different modalities continues to be explored, emphasizing their effects on quality of life (QOL) from the patient's viewpoint. Questionnaires were mailed to 224 eligible patients and a response was elicited in 161 men (72%). The final number of patients who completed all the questionnaires was 151. Of these, 73 (48%) had radical prostatectomy and 78 (52%) had radiotherapy. General well being measures demonstrated a definite advantage favoring men treated with radical prostatectomy. Prostate cancer specific QOL measures were similar among men treated with surgery or radiotherapy. Radiotherapy treated men were slightly more likely to report bowel-related problems than surgically treated men. Urinary QOL measures were no different between treated groups. Surgically treated men reported lower level of sexual function than radiotherapy treated men.
Dynamics of high-temperature materials delivered by jets to the outer solar nebula

The presence of high-temperature materials in the Stardust collection that are isotopically similar to those seen in chondritic meteorites argues for the outward transport of materials from the hot, inner region of the solar nebula to the region where comets formed. A number of mechanisms have been proposed to be responsible for this transport, with a number of models being developed to show that such outward transport is possible. However, these models have not examined in detail how these grains are transported after they have been delivered to the comet formation region or how they may be distributed in the cometary nuclei that form. Here, the dynamical evolution of crystalline silicates injected onto the surface of the solar nebula as proposed by jet models for radial transport is considered. It is generally found that crystalline grains should be heterogeneously distributed within the population of comets and within individual cometary nuclei. In order to achieve a homogeneous distribution of such grains, turbulence must be effective at mixing the crystalline silicates with native, amorphous grains on fine scales. However, this turbulent mixing would serve to dilute the crystalline silicates as it would redistribute them over large radial distances. These results suggest that it is difficult to infer the bulk properties of Wild 2 from the Stardust samples, and that the abundance of crystalline grains in these samples cannot alone be used to rule out or in favor of any of the different radial transport models that have been proposed.
Thrombopathic thrombocytopenia; successful transfusion of blood platelets.

Abstract 1. A case of thrombopathic thrombocytopenia, a variant of chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenia is described. 2. In addition to the customary studies, the prothrombin consumption test of Quick was used in a study of the physiology of the platelets. 579 3. The patient's platelets were not only reduced in number but were morphologically abnormal and physiologically defective. Their abnormality was presumably related to the lack of granularity in the cytoplasm of the platelet-producing cells, namely, the megakaryocytes. 4. Because of the uniformly abnormal appearance of the patient's platelets, the success of a transfusion of normal platelets could be readily evaluated from inspection of stained blood smears. 5. Transfusion of blood from a polycythemic donor whose platelet count was about eight times the normal level resulted in the recovery of a detectable proportion of these platelets in the patient. Possible mechanisms leading to their relatively low recovery are discussed. 6. The donor platelets survived for five to six days and retained their normal physiologic activity throughout that time.
Nanopillar array band-edge laser cavities on silicon-on-insulator for monolithic integrated light sources

A simple and unique laser scheme comprised of a finite-size nanopillar array on a silicon-on-insulator grating layer is introduced for realizing an on-chip monolithically integrated light source. A photonic band-edge mode, confined by the grating substrate in the vertical direction, shows a quality factor as high as 4000. We show that the proposed laser cavity allows direct coupling into a waveguide, which is essential for monolithic integration. In addition, III-V semiconductornanopillars are grown on a silicon-on-insulator grating substrate in order to demonstrate the feasibility of epitaxy on 3D surfaces. These results provide a practical solution for on-chip integration of a monolithic light source.
Interference Mediated by a Variant of Sindbis Virus. II. Actinomycin D-Sensitive Interference in the Absence of Interferon

An avirulent large-plaque (ALP) variant of Sindbis virus interfered in murine embryonic cell cultures with a virulent small-plaque (VSP) variant without inducing large amounts of detectable interferon. However, the properties of this interference were consistent with the interferon mechanism. (1) The interference could be inhibited by actinomycin D. (2) It extended to a heterologous virus, such as vesicular stomatitis virus. (3) No interference was demonstrated with Vero cells, a line known to be genetically defective for production of interferon. (4) When large doses of challenge virus were given together with ALP, interference was not observed. Thus, while the mechanism of interference by ALP has not been elucidated, we suggest that it is mediated by an intracellular precursor of interferon (preinterferon), which has the antiviral properties of interferon but is not detectable extracellularly.
Isolation and characterization of temperature-sensitivelethal (2) giant larva alleles : I. Mutagenesis and larval pathology.

EMS induced temperature-sensitivelethal (2) giant larva, 1(2)gl, alleles were isolated by screening against a knownl(2)gl allele. Analysis of the lethal phase of thel(2)gl ts-deficiency heterozygotes demonstrated: (1) the majority of thel(2)gl tslarvae survive to late third instar, (2) at 29°C the majority of thel(2)gl tslarvae failed to pupate and only rarely did they differentiate adult cuticular structures, (3) at 15°C the majority of the larvae pupated and frequently differentiated adult cuticular structures. Examination of the imaginal discs ofl(2)gl tslarvae reared at 29°C revealed the presence of morphologically abnormal wing, haltere and leg imaginal discs. No morphologically abnormal discs were found in thel(2)gl tslarvae reared at 15°C. Studies on both the histology and the developmental capacity of the morphologically normal and abnormall(2)gl tsdiscs were performed. The morphologically normal discs are histologically normal and produce a full complement of adult cuticular structures. However, the morphologically abnormal discs contained both regions that maintained the normal monolayer epithelium and regions that had lost the normal tissue architecture. The implants obtained when the morphologically abnormal discs are injected into metamorphosing larvae contained only a limited number of the normal complement of adult structures and usually only structures found in the ventral wing hinge region were recovered. In addition, the "metamorphosed" morphologically abnormal discs contained undifferentiated tissue that gave rise to transplantable neoplasms when cultured in adults. The results of the studies on the pathology of thel(2)gl tslarvae are discussed with respect to the role of thel(2)gl tsfunction during normal development, the autonomy of the neoplastic development of thel(2)gl tstissues, and similarities between neoplastic development inDrosophila and mammals.
Beyond 1 Pb/s serial optical transport over SMFs based on orthogonal-division multiplexing (ODM)

An orthogonal-division multiplexing (ODM) scheme is proposed employing Slepian sequences as impulse responses, which are mutually orthogonal regardless of sequence order, while occupying fixed bandwidth. Proposed scheme enables beyond 1 Pb/s serial optical transport.
Cladistic Analysis of Nearctic Deltocephalus-Like Leafhoppers (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) Using Morphological and Molecular Data

The Deltoceplialus -like leafhoppers form a group of genera that share a linear connective fused with the aedeagus. A cladistic analysis of 25 Nearctic Deltocephalus -like leafhopper genera was conducted based on 76 adult morphological characters. Outgroup genera include seven Deltocephalinae that have a linear connective articulated with the aedeagus (group 2); two Deltocephalinae with a Y-shaped aedeagus articulated with the aedeagus (group 3); and one genus of a related tribe, Macrostelini. Results indicate that the Deltocaphalus -like leafhoppers are monophyletic, even though the fusion of the connective with the aedeagus evolved more than once. A series of possible phytogenies is presented.
Analysis of Elastomer Vulcanizate Composition by TG-DTG Techniques

Abstract Two common problems and probable solutions in the TG-DTG analysis of unknown elastomer vulcanizates have been discussed. The first problem concerns the difficulty in quantitatively determi...
Synthesis by solid state reaction and electromagnetic loss property of nanometer Ni_(0.5)Zn_(0.5)Fe_2O_4 ferrite

The precursors of Zn_3(OH)_4CO_3·H_2O,Ni_3(OH)_4CO_3·4H_2O and Fe(OH)_3 for Ni_(0.5)Zn_(0.5)Fe_2O_4 ferrite were prepared by solid-state reaction at room temperature and characterized by TG-DSC.The nanometer spinel Ni_(0.5)Zn_(0.5)Fe_2O_4 ferrite with the average size of 62nm was obtained by microwave heating and thermolysis at 550℃ and studied by laser granularity analyzer,XRD,SEM and TEM.The electromagnetic loss property was studied by the relative dielectric constant and relative magnetic permeability of Ni_(0.5)Zn_(0.5)Fe_2O_4 and ZnFe_2O_4.The results show that the composite ferrite Ni_(0.5)Zn_(0.5)Fe_2O_4 has a better magnetic loss property than ZnFe_2O_4 at 100～1800MHz.
Surface Shear Stress Measurements

The measurement of surface shear stress has received a great deal of attention since the first measurements were made over 100 years ago. The continuing interest in the measurement of shear stress is a result of its importance to the fundamental understanding of wall-bounded flows and the significance of viscous drag in real systems such as aircraft and ship transportation. Measurement techniques that have been developed recently include several that use optical methods. These optical shear stress measurement methods are the focus of this chapter. For a detailed discussion of other shear stress measurement techniques, see the reviews by Winter,1 Haritonidis,2 and Naughton and Sheplak.3
A quantitative risk assessment framework for adaptive Intrusion Detection in the cloud

Cloud computing has significantly transformed the way businesses and governments approach information technology. Although the shift to cloud computing has brought many benefits in terms of cost and efficiency, new security challenges have emerged. A recent study has identified a number of critical security issues for cloud, including advanced persistent threats, malicious insiders, and data breaches. In general, cyber threats have become more sophisticated and malicious actors have devised a variety of different tools to circumvent traditional defenses. Intrusion Detection Systems have been traditionally employed to mitigate these threats by attempting to identify the onset of malicious activities. However, Intrusion Detection Systems are often monolithic solutions that offer very little flexibility in dynamic environments where resources can be elastically provisioned and deprovisioned and defensive priorities and threats can change over time and across different subsystems. To address these limitations and develop a principled approach to elastically deploy intrusion detection capabilities, we propose a quantitative risk assessment framework to enable defenders to deploy fine-grained intrusion detection mechanisms across network domains so as to minimize overall risk to the network infrastructure while prioritizing defensive objectives. Simulation results confirm that our approach can efficiently and effectively reduce risk by selectively deploying intrusion detection mechanisms that address current priorities. With its lightweight architectural design, this framework serves as the foundation for an adaptive approach to intrusion detection in the cloud.
Ligament Injuries of the Knee

Complete workup for ligament injuries of the knee (Fig. 45.1) includes evaluation of open versus closed injury, neurovascular status, associated injuries, and spontaneous versus manual reduction.
WebGestalt 2017: a more comprehensive, powerful, flexible and interactive gene set enrichment analysis toolkit

Functional enrichment analysis has played a key role in the biological interpretation of high-throughput omics data. As a long-standing and widely used web application for functional enrichment analysis, WebGestalt has been constantly updated to satisfy the needs of biologists from different research areas. WebGestalt 2017 supports 12 organisms, 324 gene identifiers from various databases and technology platforms, and 150 937 functional categories from public databases and computational analyses. Omics data with gene identifiers not supported by WebGestalt and functional categories not included in the WebGestalt database can also be uploaded for enrichment analysis. In addition to the Over-Representation Analysis in the previous versions, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis and Network Topology-based Analysis have been added to WebGestalt 2017, providing complementary approaches to the interpretation of high-throughput omics data. The new user-friendly output interface and the GOView tool allow interactive and efficient exploration and comparison of enrichment results. Thus, WebGestalt 2017 enables more comprehensive, powerful, flexible and interactive functional enrichment analysis. It is freely available at http://www.webgestalt.org.
Prevalence and predictors of pain and opioid analgesic use following total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation for pancreatitis.

Abstract Background & objectives Total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation (TPIAT) is employed for the management of refractory pain in chronic pancreatitis (CP) with the prospect of partial beta cell preservation. The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence and predictors of abdominal pain and opioid use following TPIAT. Methods A single center cohort study of all adult patients who underwent TPIAT from 2011 to 2015 for CP. Postoperative pain outcomes included: opioid use, ongoing abdominal pain and new characteristic abdominal pain. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate known and potential predictors of postoperative pain outcomes. Results During the study period, 46 patients underwent TPIAT. Following surgery, 89% of patients had resolution of their pre-operative abdominal pain; however, 83% of patients developed a new characteristic abdominal pain. Opioid independence was achieved in 46% of patients. Acute recurrent pancreatitis (ARP) (OR: 11.66; 95%CI: 1.47–92.39; p = 0.02) but not pain duration >3 years or ≥ 5 ERCPs was independently associated with resolution of pre-operative abdominal pain on multiple logistic regression. None of these factors were associated with cessation of opioid use. Conclusion While the majority of patients have resolution of their initial abdominal pain following TPIAT, many will also develop a new characteristic abdominal pain and only half of all patients achieve opioid independence. ARP is the only independent factor associated with positive postoperative pain outcomes and should be considered a standard criterion for patient selection.
FROST: Anti-Forensics Digital-Dead-DROp Information Hiding RobuST to Detection & Data Loss with Fault tolerance

Covert operations involving clandestine dealings and communication through cryptic and hidden messages have existed since time immemorial. While these do have a negative connotation, they have had their fair share of use in situations and applications beneficial to society in general. A "Dead Drop" is one such method of espionage trade craft used to physically exchange items or information between two individuals using a secret rendezvous point. With a "Dead Drop", to maintain operational security, the exchange itself is asynchronous. Information hiding in the slack space is one modern technique that has been used extensively. Slack space is the unused space within the last block allocated to a stored file. However, hiding in slack space operates under significant constraints with little resilience and fault tolerance.In this paper, we propose FROST -- a novel asynchronous "Digital Dead Drop" robust to detection and data loss with tunable fault tolerance. Fault tolerance is a critical attribute of a secure and robust system design. Through extensive validation of FROST prototype implementation on Ubuntu Linux, we confirm the performance and robustness of the proposed digital dead drop to detection and data loss. We verify the recoverability of the secret message under various operating conditions ranging from block corruption and drive de-fragmentation to growing existing files on the target drive.
Multiphase Flow in Porous Media: Cake Formation During Extreme Drilling Processes

The successful completion of a wellbore requires a low-permeable filter cake to be deposited on the wellbore walls to seal the porous formation exposed by the drill bit. The filtration processes triggered by the differential pressure between the drilling fluid in the borehole and the pore spaces of formation rocks are well known in both drilling operations and, of greater importance, in the subsequent production of oil. The filter cake acts as a barrier to prevent excessive drilling fluid loss into formation, and invasion of formation fluid. The presence of a filter cake also provides wellbore stability and reduces damage to the formation. Understanding cake formation and fluid flow through porous media is necessary for a successful drilling process. This need becomes even more important during extreme drilling, when pressure and temperature may exceed 35,000 psi and 500 °F. This work presents our effort to simulate the fluid flow and cake formation in extreme drilling processes. Earlier investigations were focused on single-phase flow phenomena in porous media; recent studies have emphasized multiphase (thermo-fluid) flow in porous media to closely mimic the actual drilling fluid composed of fine particles and viscous fluid. In the present study, the Eulerian–Eulerian approach for multiphase flow is employed to evaluate the fluid flow and cake formation patterns during ultra-deep drilling at high-temperature, high-pressure conditions. The rheology of the fluid has been published previously [14] and is repeated here for completeness. Two competitive sub-models were considered: the power-law and the Herschel–Bulkley models. The Herschel–Bulkley rheological model appears superior and best describes the non-Newtonian rheological behavior of drilling fluid due to the yield stress term present in this model.
Molecular insights into the enhanced rate of CO2 absorption to produce bicarbonate in aqueous 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol.

2-Amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP), a sterically hindered amine, exhibits a much higher CO2 absorption rate relative to tertiary amine diethylethanolamine (DEEA), while both yield bicarbonate as a major product in aqueous solution, despite their similar basicity. We present molecular mechanisms underlying the significant difference of CO2 absorption rate based on ab initio molecular dynamics simulations combined with metadynamics. Our calculations predict the free energy barrier for base-catalyzed CO2 hydration to be lower in aqueous AMP compared to DEEA. Further molecular analysis suggests that the difference in free energy barrier is largely attributed to entropic effects associated with reorganization of H2O molecules adjacent to the basic N site. Stronger hydrogen bonding of H2O with N of DEEA than AMP, in addition to the presence of bulky ethyl groups, suppresses the thermal rearrangement of adjacent H2O molecules, thereby leading to lower stability of the transition state involving OH− creation and CO2 polarization. Moreover, the hindered reorganization of adjacent H2O molecules is found to facilitate migration of OH− (created via proton abstraction by DEEA) away from the N site while suppressing CO2 approach. This leads us to speculate that catalyzed CO2 hydration in aqueous DEEA may involve OH− migration through multiple hydrogen-bonded H2O molecules prior to reaction with CO2, whereas in aqueous AMP it seems to preferentially follow the one H2O-mediated mechanism. This study highlights the importance of entropic effects in determining both mechanisms and rates of CO2 absorption into aqueous sterically hindered amines.
Test-enhanced learning in health professions education: A systematic review: BEME Guide No. 48.

Background: Cognitive psychology studies demonstrate that subjects who attempt to recall information show better learning, retention, and transfer than subjects who spend the same time studying the...
Abstract TP154: A Qualitative Study on a Telehealth System for Home-Based Stroke Rehabilitation

Purpose: This abstract reports a qualitative study on a home-based stroke telerehabilitation system. The telerehabilitation system delivers treatment sessions in the form of daily guided rehabilita...
A Brief History of the Geophysical Turbulence Program at NCAR

The history of the turbulence research at NCAR is divided in three periods and discussed. The periods are: 1960-1972, 1972-1984, and 1984 to the present.
A systemic scheme for improving microgrids' reliability under distribution network fault condition by adopting microgrids-interconnection

A systemic scheme of electric distribution network restoration using microgrids' interconnection is put forward in this paper. The quantitative feasibility analysis of the proposed scheme mainly contains the judgment based on the risk of low frequency and the discharging time limit of battery energy storage system (BESS). The automatic generation control (AGC) is also applied in the control of interconnection and two control modes, which are FFC-TBC (flat frequency control — tie-line bias frequency control) and TBC-TBC (tie-line bias frequency control — tie-line bias frequency control), based on different operation conditions are put forward. Finally, a simulation example developed in PSCAD/EMTDC proved the correctness and efficiency of the detailed restoration process and control strategy.
Commentary by W. W. Sharkey

The natural gas pipeline industry is a textbook case of natural monopoly. It is also an industry in which the virtues of deregulation are readily apparent. This is the tension that underlies the current debate over the proper role of regulation not only of pipelines but in other regulated industries as well, notably telecommunications. Economists have devoted substantial effort to questions such as the behavior of firms in regulated industries, desirable forms of regulation, the definition of natural monopoly, and related issues. Relatively little effort has been expended on the analysis of deregulatory scenarios. That is, arguments in favor of deregulation are typically based upon the desirable properties of perfectly competitive markets and the known inefficiencies of the regulatory process. Yet the introduction of competition into formerly regulated markets, particularly those once thought to be natural monopolies, is likely to lead to an equilibrium that can be characterized at best as a form of imperfect competition and at worst as an unpredictable hybrid of regulated competition.
Understanding behavior using consolidation

In this paper, we wish to make three contributions to Naive Physics in the context of reasoning about devices. (1) We discuss some limitations of current qualitative simulation approaches with regard to a number of issues in understanding device behavior and point to the need for additional processes. (2) We introduce a new approach to deriving the behavior of devices called consolidation. In this approach, the behavior of a device is derived from the behavior of its components by inferring the behavior of selected substructures of the device. (3) We present an ontology of behavior and structure which is well-suited to the consolidation process. This ontology makes it possible to state rules of behavior composition, i.e., simple patterns of behavior and structure are used to infer additional behaviors.
Pomegranate prevents binge alcohol-induced gut leakiness and hepatic inflammation by suppressing oxidative and nitrative stress.

Abstract Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a major chronic liver disease worldwide and can range from simple steatosis, inflammation to fibrosis/cirrhosis possibly through leaky gut and systemic endotoxemia. We investigated whether pomegranate (POM) protects against binge alcohol-induced gut leakiness, endotoxemia, and inflammatory liver damage. After POM pretreatment for 10 days, rats were exposed to 3 oral doses of binge alcohol (5 g/kg/dose) or dextrose (as control) at 12-h intervals. Binge alcohol exposure induced leaky gut with significantly elevated plasma endotoxin and inflammatory fatty liver by increasing the levels of oxidative and nitrative stress marker proteins such as ethanol-inducible CYP2E1, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and nitrated proteins in the small intestine and liver. POM pretreatment significantly reduced the alcohol-induced gut barrier dysfunction, plasma endotoxin and inflammatory liver disease by inhibiting the elevated oxidative and nitrative stress marker proteins. POM pretreatment significantly restored the levels of intestinal tight junction (TJ) proteins such as ZO-1, occludin, claudin-1, and claundin-3 markedly diminished after alcohol-exposure. In addition, the levels of gut adherent junction (AJ) proteins (e.g., β-catenin and E-cadherin) and desmosome plakoglobin along with associated protein α-tubulin were clearly decreased in binge alcohol-exposed rats but restored to basal levels in POM-pretreated rats. Immunoprecipitation followed by immunoblot analyses revealed that intestinal claudin-1 protein was nitrated and ubiquitinated in alcohol-exposed rats, whereas these modifications were significantly blocked by POM pretreatment. These results showed for the first time that POM can prevent alcohol-induced gut leakiness and inflammatory liver injury by suppressing oxidative and nitrative stress.
Synthesizing Speech and Imaging Findings During the Assessment of Velopharyngeal Function

Purpose Individuals with velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD) often present with hypernasality and airflow distortions during speech that negatively affect communication skills. Direct imaging allows f...
Gap Analysis in Cost Estimation, Risk Analysis, and Contingency Computation of Transportation Infrastructure Projects: A Guide to Resource and Policy–Based Strategy Establishment

AbstractPractitioners and researchers involved in DOT projects frequently face challenges associated with cost overruns that lead to disagreements between stakeholders and decrease the accuracy of ...
A Novel and Reproducible Classification of the Vertebral Artery in the Subaxial Cervical Spine.

BACKGROUND An injury of the vertebral artery (VA) is one of the most catastrophic complications in the setting of cervical spine surgery. Anatomic variations of the VA can increase the risk of iatrogenic lacerations. OBJECTIVE To propose a novel and reproducible classification system that describes the position of the VA based on a 2-dimensional map on computed tomography angiographs (CTA). METHODS This cross-sectional retrospective study reviewed 248 consecutive CTAs of the cervical spine at a single academic institution between 2007 and 2018. The classification consists of a number that characterizes the location of the VA from the medio-lateral (ML) aspect of the vertebral body. In addition, a letter describes the VA location from the anterior-posterior (AP) aspect. The reliability and reproducibility were assessed by 2 independent raters on 200 VAs. RESULTS The inter- and intrarater reliability values showed the classification's reproducibility. The inter-rater reliability weighted κ-value for the ML aspect was 0.93 (95% CI: 0.93-0.93). The unweighted κ-value was 0.93 (95% CI: 0.86-1.00) for "at-risk" positions (ML grade ≥1), and 0.87 (95% CI: 0.75-1.00) for "high-risk" positions (ML grade ≥2). The weighted κ-value for the intrarater reliability was 0.94 (95% CI: 0.95-0.95). The unweighted κ-values for the intrarater reliability were 0.95 (95% CI: 0.91-0.99) for "at-risk" positions, and 0.87 (95% CI: 0.78-0.96) for "high-risk" positions. CONCLUSION The proposed classification is reliable, reproducible, and independent of individual anatomic size variations. The use of this novel grading system could improve the understanding and interdisciplinary communication about VA anomalies.
Parent Engagement and Support, Physical Activity, and Academic Performance (PESPAAP): A Proposed Theoretical Model

An emerging area of research within public health is the interaction between parents and their children for the promotion of physical activity. Higher levels of daily physical activity may not only improve physical health but also yield better academic performance by improving cognitive skills, classroom behavior, and academic achievement within the pediatric population. However, no theoretical model has yet been proposed to interrelate constructs of parental engagement and support, physical activity, and academic performance within the pediatric population. Here, we: 1) summarize salient research related to pediatric physical activity and academic performance, parents’ physical activity engagement with their children, and the role of parental support in child academic performance; 2) propose a theoretical model interrelating parent physical activity engagement and support, physical activity, and academic performance (PESPAAP); 3) identify features of the proposed model that support its potential merit; and 4) provide potential future research directions and potential analyses that can be undertaken to support, modify, or disprove the proposed theoretical model. The proposed PESPAAP model provides a logically sound model that can be modified or expanded upon to improve applicability and generalizability and can be used as a framework to help align testable hypotheses for studies examining these interrelationships.
Pictorial Cigarette Pack Warnings Increase Some Risk Appraisals But Not Risk Beliefs: A Meta-Analysis.

Pictorial warnings on cigarette packs motivate smokers to quit, and yet the warnings' theoretical mechanisms are not clearly understood. To clarify the role that risk appraisals play in pictorial warnings' impacts, we conducted a meta-analysis of the experimental literature. We meta-analyzed 57 studies, conducted in 13 countries, with a cumulative N of 42,854. Pictorial warnings elicited greater cognitive elaboration (e.g., thinking about the risks of smoking; d = 1.27; p < .001) than text-only warnings. Pictorial warnings also elicited more fear and other negative affect (d = .60; p < .001). In contrast, pictorial warnings had no impact on perceived likelihood of harm (d = .03; p = .064), perceived severity (d = .16; p = .244), or experiential risk (d = .06; p = .449). Thus, while pictorial warnings increase affective and some cognitive risk appraisals, they do not increase beliefs about disease risk. We discuss the role of negative affect in warning effectiveness and the implications for image selection and warning implementation.
Recursos humanos y responsabilidad social corporativa

Resena de la obra de: ENA VENTURA, B. y DELGADO GONZALEZ, S. (2012) Recursos humanos y responsabilidad social corporativa, Madrid, Paraninfo, 224 pp.
Association of Red Blood Cell Distribution Width With Mortality Risk in Hospitalized Adults With SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Importance Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute respiratory illness with a high rate of hospitalization and mortality. Biomarkers are urgently needed for patient risk stratification. Red blood cell distribution width (RDW), a component of complete blood counts that reflects cellular volume variation, has been shown to be associated with elevated risk for morbidity and mortality in a wide range of diseases. Objective To investigate whether an association between mortality risk and elevated RDW at hospital admission and during hospitalization exists in patients with COVID-19. Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study included adults diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection and admitted to 1 of 4 hospitals in the Boston, Massachusetts area (Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, North Shore Medical Center, and Newton-Wellesley Hospital) between March 4, 2020, and April 28, 2020. Main Outcomes and Measures The main outcome was patient survival during hospitalization. Measures included RDW at admission and during hospitalization, with an elevated RDW defined as greater than 14.5%. Relative risk (RR) of mortality was estimated by dividing the mortality of those with an elevated RDW by the mortality of those without an elevated RDW. Mortality hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs were estimated using a Cox proportional hazards model. Results A total of 1641 patients were included in the study (mean [SD] age, 62[18] years; 886 men [54%]; 740 White individuals [45%] and 497 Hispanic individuals [30%]; 276 nonsurvivors [17%]). Elevated RDW (>14.5%) was associated with an increased mortality risk in patients of all ages. The RR for the entire cohort was 2.73, with a mortality rate of 11% in patients with normal RDW (1173) and 31% in those with an elevated RDW (468). The RR in patients younger than 50 years was 5.25 (normal RDW, 1% [n = 341]; elevated RDW, 8% [n = 65]); 2.90 in the 50- to 59-year age group (normal RDW, 8% [n = 256]; elevated RDW, 24% [n = 63]); 3.96 in the 60- to 69-year age group (normal RDW, 8% [n = 226]; elevated RDW, 30% [104]); 1.45 in the 70- to 79-year age group (normal RDW, 23% [n = 182]; elevated RDW, 33% [n = 113]); and 1.59 in those ≥80 years (normal RDW, 29% [n = 168]; elevated RDW, 46% [n = 123]). RDW was associated with mortality risk in Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for age, D-dimer (dimerized plasmin fragment D) level, absolute lymphocyte count, and common comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension (hazard ratio of 1.09 per 0.5% RDW increase and 2.01 for an RDW >14.5% vs ≤14.5%;P Conclusions and Relevance Elevated RDW at the time of hospital admission and an increase in RDW during hospitalization were associated with increased mortality risk for patients with COVID-19 who received treatment at 4 hospitals in a large academic medical center network.
Genome-wide DNA methylation profiling in human breast tissue by Illumina TruSeq methyl capture EPIC sequencing and infinium methylationEPIC beadchip microarray.

A newly-developed platform, the Illumina TruSeq Methyl Capture EPIC library prep (TruSeq EPIC), builds on the content of the Infinium MethylationEPIC Beadchip Microarray (EPIC-array) and leverages ...
Some thoughts about intraflagellar transport in reproduction.

Cilia/flagella are cell organelles that protrude from the surface of many eukaryotic cells and perform various functions. They are assembled and maintained by a conserved mechanism called intraflagellar transport (IFT), a bi-directional transportation process originally discovered in Chlamydomonas. Twenty-two core IFT components have been identified so far, and these complexes, together with the BBSome components, further form IFT particles that lie in close proximity to the basal body. They move from the base to the tip of the flagellum, and then back to the base. Like cilia defects, disruption of IFT/BBSome also gives rise to various genetic and developmental disorders, also called ciliapathies. Global disruption of IFT components causes embryonic lethality, which makes it impossible to study the role of IFT in reproduction. We summarize recent findings and the strategy to study the role of IFT in reproduction using mouse models. Finally, we show some examples of human IFT mutations and discuss the potential roles of IFT components in non-ciliated cells.
Continuously graded doped semiconducting polymers enhance thermoelectric cooling

Spatial control of thermoelectric (TE) material properties through functional grading is a promising strategy in improving cooling performance. Notably, studies on organic-based functionally graded materials for thermoelectrics have been limited compared to their inorganic-based counterparts. In this Letter, we demonstrate how the inherent processability of semiconducting polymers coupled with molecular doping provides a facile approach in fabricating continuously graded (CG) thin films beneficial for thermoelectric (Peltier) cooling. We achieve CG thin films with 1D profiles in conductivity (σ) and Seebeck coefficient (α) through spatial compositional control of the molecular p-dopant 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane in semiconducting poly[2,5-bis(3-tetradecylthiophen-2-yl) thieno [3,2-b]thiophene]. Using the experimentally derived σ and α spatial profiles, linear constitutive relations coupled with conservation of charge and energy are used to model the cooling performance of the CG thin films. In comparison to their equivalent uniform conditions, the CG thin films yield higher cooling temperature (ΔTc = TH − Tc) and higher coefficient of performance. The enhanced performance arises from efficient redistribution of the Joule heating and Peltier cooling effects. Moreover, the model calculations reveal that the magnitude of the σ profile and the slope of the α profile are specific attributes leading to the enhanced cooling in CG thin films. Overall, this study highlights a simple yet powerful strategy to improve the cooling performance of thermoelectric materials through functionally graded doped semiconducting polymers.
DisCovER: distance- and orientation-based covariational threading for weakly homologous proteins.

Threading a query protein sequence onto a library of weakly homologous structural templates remains challenging, even when sequence-based predicted contact or distance information is used. Contact- or distance-assisted threading methods utilize only the spatial proximity of the interacting residue pairs for template selection and alignment, ignoring their orientation. Moreover, existing threading methods fail to consider the neighborhood effect induced by the query-template alignment. We present a new distance- and orientation-based covariational threading method called DisCovER by effectively integrating information from inter-residue distance and orientation along with the topological network neighborhood of a query-template alignment. Our method first selects a subset of templates using standard profile-based threading coupled with topological network similarity terms to account for the neighborhood effect and subsequently performs distance- and orientation-based query-template alignment using an iterative double dynamic programming framework. Multiple large-scale benchmarking results on query proteins classified as weakly homologous from the Continuous Automated Model Evaluation (CAMEO) experiment and from the current literature show that our method outperforms several existing state-of-the-art threading approaches; and that the integration of the neighborhood effect with the inter-residue distance and orientation information synergistically contributes to the improved performance of DisCovER. DisCovER is freely available at https://github.com/Bhattacharya-Lab/DisCovER. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Colorectal Cancer Screening and Yield in a Mailed Outreach Program in a Safety-Net Healthcare System.

Screening with fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) reduces colorectal cancer mortality; however, screening remains low in underserved populations. Mailed outreach, including an invitation letter, FIT, and test instructions, is an evidence-based strategy to improve screening. To examine screening completion and yield in a mailed outreach program in a safety-net healthcare system. We identified and mailed outreach invitations to patients due for screening in a large safety-net system between September 1, 2018, and August 31, 2019. We examined: (1) screening completion, the proportion of patients completing FIT or screening colonoscopy within 6 months of the mailed invitation; and (2) timely diagnostic colonoscopy, the proportion of patients completing colonoscopy within 6 months of positive FIT. We mailed 14,879 invitations to 13,190 patients. Nearly half (n = 6098, 46.2%) of patients completed screening: 4,896 (80.3%) completed FIT through mailed outreach; 1,114 (18.3%) FIT through usual care; and 88 (1.4%) screening colonoscopy through usual care. Of patients with a positive FIT (n = 289), 50.5% completed diagnostic colonoscopy within 6 months, 10.7% within 6–12 months, and 4.8% after 12 months. A total of 8 cancers and 83 advanced adenomas were detected in the 191 patients completing diagnostic colonoscopy. After implementing and scaling up mailed outreach in a safety-net system, about half of patients completed screening, and the majority did so through mailed outreach. However, many patients failed to complete diagnostic colonoscopy after positive FIT. Results highlight the importance of adapting mailed outreach programs to local contexts and constraints of healthcare systems, in order to support efforts to improve CRC screening in underserved populations.
BANKING AND FINANCE Credit Cards: Provide for Deregulation

The Act deregulates banking laws governing bank credit cards issued in Georgia. Deregulation is accomplished by eliminating the eighteen percent ceiling on interest rates, the twelve dollar annual fee limit, and other rate and fee limitations on credit cards issued in Georgia. The Act also permits out-of-state financial institutions to establish limited purpose credit card banks in Georgia. March 19, 1987
A Pattern Recognition Approach to Diagnose Foot Plant Pathologies: From Segmentation to Classification

Some foot plant diseases such as flat foot and cave foot are usually diagnosed by a human expert. In this paper we propose an original method to diagnose these diseases by using optical color foot plant images. A number of modern image processing and pattern recognition techniques have been employed to configure a system that can dramatically decrease the time in which such analysis are performed, besides delivering robust and reliable results to complement efficiently the specialist's task. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of building such automatic diagnosis systems that can be used as massive first screening methods for detecting foot plant pathologies.