cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pharmacological Effects and Mechanisms of Action of Agents Blocking B Cells

Spearheaded by the development of anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies capable of effectively killing B cells, the FDA approval in 1999 of the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab for the treatment of B cell malignancies and reassurance about the overall safety of B cell depletion, the field of anti-B cell therapies has expanded over the last decade to the treatment of multiple autoimmune diseases. Moreover, growing knowledge of the biology of B cells and their functional and phenotypic heterogeneity combined with advances in biotechnology have enabled investigators and pharmaceutical companies to develop new agents that target different types of B cells through multiple mechanisms of action. Together with improved understanding of the heterogeneous nature of autoimmune diseases and better approaches to their segmentation, these developments should provide in the near future multiple choices for the rationale design of clinical trials and eventually, multiple choices for safer and more effective modalities that allow clinicians to use different agents, either combined or sequentially, to induce and maintain disease remission. In this chapter, we shall discuss the rationale for B cell therapies, the different strategies that can be used to target B cells and the mechanisms of action of drugs currently used for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.
Clinical Behavior Therapy and the Male Sex Role

Men rarely present themselves for treatment because they have identified problems associated with their roles as men. Yet such problems may often be at the core of the difficulties they do present with: difficulties they are experiencing in their marriages, problems with excessive use of alcohol, sexual dysfunctioning, stress-related problems, as well as the full array of psychological difficulties one is likely to encounter clinically. Behavior therapy, while having relevance to an increasingly more diverse set of clinical phenomena, has had little to say directly about problems centered around men’s issues. However, behavior therapy does have a history of flexibility in areas of application, as it provides the clinician with more of a technology than a direction for specific areas of applicability. Behavioral procedures originally developed for one specific purpose have often later been applied to a wide variety of other clinical problems. The newly emerging field of “behavioral medicine” has drawn extensively on behavioral intervention methods for purposes of dealing with various physical disorders. And assertion training, while originally developed with no thought whatsoever as to its utility in dealing with problems associated with the female sex role, has nonetheless been used to help women become more instrumental in their functioning.
Careers in Science and Grant Administration: View from the National Institutes of Health

Scientist administrators at the National Institutes of Health fall into two categories: program officers and scientific review officers. Program officers provide advice to applicants and grantees, make funding recommendations, oversee grantees' research progress, and facilitate research opportunities in emerging areas of science. Scientific review officers oversee all aspects of the initial (peer) review of grant applications.
Experiencing Organizational Change Through the Change Management Simulation: Power and Influence:

This resource review describes the web-based Change Management Simulation: Power and Influence by Harvard Business Publishing and discusses its application in both undergraduate and graduate course...
The importance of rheological behavior in the additive manufacturing technique material extrusion

Material extrusion (ME), sometimes called Fused Deposition Modeling® or Fused Filament Fabrication, is an additive manufacturing technique that places order 300 μm diameter molten polymer filaments sequentially onto a moving substrate to build an object. The feed material is a solid fiber that acts like a continuous piston in a heated barrel, which plasticates itself to push molten material through a nozzle. The barrel pressure is substantial, of order 30 MPa ( ≈4000 psi), and similar to that developed in contemporary polymer processing. The similarity does not end here with all the non-Newtonian and viscoelastic effects and heat transfer limitations that challenge extrusion operations coming to bear in the ME. These will be discussed in this review with suggestions of areas of study.
Cigarette smoke activates the parthanatos pathway of cell death in human bronchial epithelial cells

Tobacco smoke negatively affects human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells and is directly implicated in the etiology of smoking related respiratory diseases. Smoke exposure causes double-stranded DNA breaks and DNA damage activates PARP-1, the key mediator of the parthanatos pathway of cell death. We hypothesize that smoke exposure activates the parthanatos pathway in HBE cells and represents a cell death mechanism that contributes to smoking related lung diseases. We exposed fully differentiated, primary HBE cells grown at the air liquid interface to cigarette smoke and evaluated them for parthanatos pathway activation. Smoke exposure induced mitochondrial to nuclear translocation of Apoptosis-Inducing Factor (AIF) and Endonuclease G (EndoG) within the first three hours characteristic of the parthanatos pathway. Exposing cells to an increasing number of cigarettes revealed that significant activation of the parthanatos pathway occurs after exposure to higher levels of smoke. Use of the specific PARP-1 inhibitor, BMN673, abrogated the effect of smoke induced activation of the parthanatos pathway. Smoke-mediated activation of the parthanatos pathway is increased in HBE cells originating from habitual smokers compared to non-smokers. This suggests that chronic smoke exposure leads to an increase in smoke-mediated activation of the parthanatos pathway and implicates its contribution in the pathogenesis of smoke-related lung diseases.
Accelerometer Physical Activity is Associated with Greater Gray Matter Volumes in Older Adults Without Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment

Objectives Physical activity (PA) is a modifiable health behavior that can protect against age-related gray matter atrophy and cognitive dysfunction. Current studies of PA and gray matter failed to utilize device measures of PA and do not focus on adults >80 years. Thus, the purpose of this secondary analysis was to examine cross-sectional associations between accelerometer lifestyle PA and (a) gray matter volumes and (b) cognitive function, controlling for demographics, and health status. Method Participants were 262 older adults without dementia or mild cognitive impairment from Rush Memory and Aging Project, an epidemiological cohort study. Participants wore an accelerometer to assess total daily lifestyle PA, and completed anatomical magnetic resonance imaging to assess gray matter volumes and a neurocognitive test battery to assess cognitive function. Results Multivariate linear regression indicated that higher levels of total daily lifestyle PA was significantly related to larger gray matter volumes, F(2, 215) = 3.61, p = .027, including subcortical gray matter (β = 0.17, p = .007) and total gray matter (β = 0.11, p = .049), with no significant associations between lifestyle PA and cognitive function. Discussion These findings may inform future lifestyle PA interventions in order to attenuate age-related gray matter atrophy.
Asymptotically Stabilizing Model Predictive Control for Hybrid Dynamical Systems

We present a model predictive control (MPC) algorithm for hybrid dynamical systems. The proposed algorithm relies on a terminal constraint and a cost function, as well as a set-based notion of prediction horizon, reminiscent of free end-time optimal control problems. When the terminal cost is a control Lyapunov function (CLF) on the terminal constraint set, and the prediction horizon has a certain geometry, under standard assumptions from conventional MPC, the closed-loop system governed by MPC is shown to have an asymptotically stable compact set using the value function. A numerical example using the prototypical hybrid model of a bouncing ball demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
What Is the Impact of Positive Margins in the Liver

In this chapter, we will discuss what is the impact of positive margin and the optimal width after hepatectomy for CRLM. Several clinicopathological factors have been found to be independent predictors of survival. Resection margin status and width have been historically an important prognostic factor. Yet, more recent studies have challenged the oncologic impact of close or microscopically positive (R1) resection. This is particularly important to understand, as this is one factor which is potentially under the control of the surgeon.
Opinion Mining and Sentiment Analysis

In Chap. 9, we studied the extraction of structured data from Web pages. The Web also contains a huge amount of information in unstructured texts. Analyzing these texts is of great importance as well and perhaps even more important than extracting structured data because of the sheer volume of valuable information of almost any imaginable type contained in text. In this chapter, we only focus on mining opinions which indicate positive or negative sentiments. The task is technically challenging and practically very useful. For example, businesses always want to find public or consumer opinions on their products and services. Potential customers also want to know the opinions of existing users before they use a service or purchase a product.
Rapid Implementation and Innovative Applications of a Virtual Intensive Care Unit During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Case Study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a rapid increase of space in highly infectious disease intensive care units (ICUs). At Houston Methodist Hospital (HMH), a virtual intensive care unit (vICU) was used amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Objective: The aim of this paper was to detail the novel adaptations and rapid expansion of the vICU that were applied to achieve patient-centric solutions while protecting staff and patients’ families during the pandemic. Methods: The planned vICU implementation was redirected to meet the emerging needs of conversion of COVID-19 ICUs, including alterations to staged rollout timing, virtual and in-person staffing, and scope of application. With the majority of the hospital critical care physician workforce redirected to rapidly expanded COVID-19 ICUs, the non–COVID-19 ICUs were managed by cardiovascular surgeons, cardiologists, neurosurgeons, and acute care surgeons. HMH expanded the vICU program to fill the newly depleted critical care expertise in the non–COVID-19 units to provide urgent, emergent, and code blue support to all ICUs. Results: Virtual family visitation via the Consultant Bridge application, palliative care delivery, and specialist consultation for patients with COVID-19 exemplify the successful adaptation of the vICU implementation. Patients with COVID-19, who were isolated and separated from their families to prevent the spread of infection, were able to virtually see and hear their loved ones, which bolstered the mental and emotional status of those patients. Many families expressed gratitude for the ability to see and speak with their loved ones. The vICU also protected medical staff and specialists assigned to COVID-19 units, reducing exposure and conserving personal protective equipment. Conclusions: Telecritical care has been established as an advantageous mechanism for the delivery of critical care expertise during the expedited rollout of the vICU at Houston Methodist Hospital. Overall responses from patients, families, and physicians are in favor of continued vICU care; however, further research is required to examine the impact of innovative applications of telecritical care in the treatment of critically ill patients.
Developing irrigation water conservation strategies for hybrid bermudagrass using an evapotranspiration-based smart irrigation controller in inland southern California

Abstract A three-year (2017–2019) irrigation research trial was conducted to evaluate the response of hybrid bermudagrass to a wide range of irrigation scenarios and assess the efficacy of Weathermatic Evapotranspiration-based (ET-based) smart controller for autonomous landscape irrigation management during dry seasons in inland southern California. The irrigation levels applied throughout the experiment ranged between 39% and 103% reference ET (ETo) and the irrigation frequency restrictions imposed were 3, 5 and 7 d/wk. Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data were continuously collected to evaluate the response of hybrid bermudagrass [‘Tifgreen’ Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. × C. transvaalensis Burtt‐Davy] to irrigation treatments. Plots were also visually assessed and scaled from 1 (dead plot) to 9 (ideal turfgrass) following the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) standards. Turfgrass water response function (TWRF) was introduced as a statistical regression model to estimate hybrid bermudagrass quality response (NDVI values) to irrigation levels over time. In the years 2018 (p
Same-sex sexual behaviour: US frequency estimates from survey data with simultaneous misreporting and non-response

Survey-based research concerning sexual behaviour almost inevitably confronts the simultaneous problems of misreporting and non-response. These problems lead to disparities among estimates of the number and characteristics of those who engage in same-sex sexual behaviour. This paper proposes a statistical model to consistently estimate the frequency of same-sex sexual behaviour in the presence of non-ignorable misreporting and non-response. The model is fitted using 1991–2000 General Social Survey data. Frequency estimates corrected for simultaneous misreporting and non-response are reported. According to the model, 7.1% of US males and 4.1% of females – 15.8 million individuals – are not exclusively heterosexual. Allowing for misreporting and non-response increases the estimated same-sex frequency by more than four million. The model reveals new patterns between misreporting and non-response probabilities and standard demographic variables such as age and income.
COVID-19 outbreaks follow narrow paths: A computational phase portrait approach based on nonlinear physics and synergetics

From the perspective of mathematical epidemiology, COVID-19 epidemics emerge due to instabilities in epidemiological systems. It is shown that the COVID-19 outbreaks follow highly specified paths i...
Questions for the Camelid Consultant

This question and answer presentation will deal with a wide variety of subjects including reproductive, castration, herd health, some routine as well as special procedures and my approach to some various clinical presentations. Attendees are encouraged to share their opinions and experiences and we will have adequate time for some questions unrelated to my presentation.
Fronto-parietal network function during cued visual search in the first-episode schizophrenia spectrum

Cognitive impairments account for significant morbidity in schizophrenia and are present at disease onset. Controlled processes are particularly susceptible and may contribute to pervasive selective attention deficits. The present study assessed fronto-parietal attention network (FPAN) functioning during cue presentation on a visual search task in first-episode schizophrenia spectrum patients (FE) and its relation to symptom burden and community functioning. Brain activity was recorded with magnetoencephalography from 38 FE and 38 healthy controls (HC) during blocks of pop-out and serial search target detection. Activity during cue presentation was compared between groups across bilateral FPAN regions (frontal eye fields (FEF), inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), midcingulate cortex (MCC), and intraparietal sulcus (IPS)). FE exhibited greater right hemisphere IFG activity despite worse performance relative to HC. Performance and FPAN activity were not correlated in HC. Among FE, however, stronger activity within right hemisphere FEF and IFG was associated with faster responses. Stronger right IPS and left IFG activity in patients was also associated with reduced negative symptoms and improved community functioning, respectively. Increased reliance on the FPAN for task completion suggests an inefficient cognitive control network and might reflect a compensation for impaired attentional deployment during target detection, a strategy employed by those with less severe illness. These findings represent a critical step towards identifying the neural substrates of negative symptoms and impaired neurocognition at disease onset.
Using Trauma Video Review to Assess EMS Handoff and Trauma Team Non-Technical Skills.

ObjectiveHandoffs by emergency medical services (EMS) personnel suffer from poor structure, inattention, and interruptions. The relationship between the quality of EMS communication and the non-technical performance of trauma teams remains unknown.MethodsWe analyzed 3 months of trauma resuscitation videos (highest acuity activations or patients with an Injury Severity Score [ISS] of ≥15). Handoffs were scored using the mechanism-injury-signs-treatment (MIST) framework for completeness (0-20), efficiency (category jumps), interruptions, and timeliness. Trauma team non-technical performance was scored using the Trauma Non-Technical Skills (T-NOTECHS) scale (5-15).ResultsWe analyzed 99 videos. Handoffs lasted a median of 62 seconds [IQR: 43-74], scored 11 [10-13] for completeness, and had 2 [1-3] interruptions. Most interruptions were verbal (85.2%) and caused by the trauma team (64.9%). Most handoffs (92%) were efficient with 2 or fewer jumps. Patient transfer during handoff occurred in 53.5% of the videos; EMS providers giving handoff helped transfer in 69.8% of the Primary surveys began during handoff in 42.4% of the videos. Resuscitation teams who scored in the top quartile on the T-NOTECHS (>11) had higher MIST scores than teams in lower quartiles (13 [11.25-14.75] vs. 11 [10-13]; P < .01). There were no significant differences in ISS, efficiency, timeliness, or interruptions between top- and lower-quartile groups.ConclusionsThere is a relationship between EMS MIST completeness and high performance of non-technical skill by trauma teams. Trauma video review (TVR) can help identify modifiable behaviors to improve EMS handoff and resuscitation efforts and therefore trauma team performance.
Bridging Upper Ontology and Modular Ontology Modeling: a Tool and Evaluation.

Ontologies are increasingly used as schema for knowledge graphs in many application areas. As such, there are a variety of different approaches for their development. In this paper, we describe and evaluate UAO (for Upper Ontology Alignment Tool), which is an extension to CoModIDE, a graphical Protege plugin for modular ontology modeling. UAO enables ontology engineers to combine modular ontology modeling with a more traditional ontology modeling approach based on upper ontologies. We posit – and our evaluation supports this claim – that the tool does indeed makes it easier to combine both approaches. Thus, UAO enables a best-of-both-worlds approach. The evaluation consists of a user study, and the results show that performing typical manual alignment modeling tasks is relatively easier with UAO than doing it with Protege alone, in terms of the time required to complete the task and improving the correctness of the output. Additionally, our test subjects provided significantly higher ratings on the System Utilization Scale for UOA.
The Older Adult

This case is about a 66-year-old Caucasian woman who was widowed three years prior to starting therapy, after having been a caregiver for a spouse with Alzheimer’s disease. Her presenting concerns involved very negative views and fears about her retirement, which had happened about a year prior to seeking treatment. This situation seemed to be exacerbated by her tendency to devalue herself due to her socioeconomically deprived background earlier in life. Mrs. A. also reported two other problems: (a) intense feelings of distance from her grown children, and (b) worries about her health. She had both hypertension and arthritis, but these were under good medical control. Her worries seemed more focused on what could happen in the future in terms of declining health if she had a stroke, a fall, or some other event that could cause a decrement in her functional ability. She began therapy with a diagnosis of primary major depressive disorder, and after 30 sessions of individual treatment was no longer clinically depressed. She maintained these gains consistently over a two-year follow-up period with no relapses, despite additional life Stressors during that time (e.g., family emergencies).
CONSTRAINTS ON SUBDUCTION GEODYNAMICS FROM SEISMIC ANISOTROPY

[1] Much progress has been made over the past several decades in delineating the structure of subducting slabs, but several key aspects of their dynamics remain poorly constrained. Major unsolved problems in subduction geodynamics include those related to mantle wedge viscosity and rheology, slab hydration and dehydration, mechanical coupling between slabs and the ambient mantle, the geometry of mantle flow above and beneath slabs, and the interactions between slabs and deep discontinuities such as the core-mantle boundary. Observations of seismic anisotropy can provide relatively direct constraints on mantle dynamics because of the link between deformation and the resulting anisotropy: when mantle rocks are deformed, a preferred orientation of individual mineral crystals or materials such as partial melt often develops, resulting in the directional dependence of seismic wave speeds. Measurements of seismic anisotropy thus represent a powerful tool for probing mantle dynamics in subduction systems. Here I review the observational constraints on seismic anisotropy in subduction zones and discuss how seismic data can place constraints on wedge, slab, and sub-slab anisotropy. I also discuss constraints from mineral physics investigations and geodynamical modeling studies and how they inform our interpretation of observations. I evaluate different models in light of constraints from seismology, geodynamics, and mineral physics. Finally, I discuss some of the major unsolved problems related to the dynamics of subduction systems and how ongoing and future work on the characterization and interpretation of seismic anisotropy can lead to progress, particularly in frontier areas such as understanding slab dynamics in the deep mantle.
Clustering Methodologies in Exploratory Data Analysis

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews cluster analysis and related topics or the formal study of classification schemata, whereby objects are grouped, or clustered, according to measured or perceived intrinsic characteristics. The objective of a cluster analysis is to uncover natural groupings, or types, to prod one's creativity and ingenuity, and initiate hypotheses about the phenomenon being studied. Cluster analysis has a heuristic nature that encourages the exploration of data. Taxonomists, social scientists, psychologists, biologists, statisticians, mathematicians, engineers, computer scientists, medical researchers, and others who handle real data have all contributed to clustering methodology. The chapter presents cross-disciplinary communication so that one application area can profit from the experiences of others. The literature of cluster analysis straddles all quantitative, scientific disciplines, as demonstrated by the remarkable variety. Emphasis is on new developments, especially in the verification and validation of clustering results. The intent is to provide an applications-oriented treatment of cluster analysis in the spirit of exploratory data analysis. The chapter focuses on the four operations highlighted by reviewing techniques for assessing the tendency of the data to cluster, performing the clustering itself, and evaluating the validity of the results. Data representation includes recognition of data type and scale, measures of proximity and affinity, normalization, various two-dimensional projections of data, methods of visualizing multidimensional data, techniques for creating scales to describe data, and related matters. The chapter introduces the concept of intrinsic dimensionality that helps determine an appropriate number of factors for representing data. The chapter recommends that a serious data analyst be conversant with as broad a range of data analysis techniques and programs as possible and be aware of the assumptions on which the techniques are based.
Improved survival for fallopian tube cancer: a comparison of clinical characteristics and outcome for primary fallopian tube and ovarian cancer.

BACKGROUND. Fallopian tube cancers are rare neoplasms. These malignancies are thought to behave biologically and clinically like ovarian cancer. The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical behavior and outcome of fallopian tube and ovarian cancer. METHODS. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was reviewed to identify women with tumors of the fallopian tube (FT) and ovary (OV) diagnosed between 1988 and 2004. Demographic and clinical data were compared, and the impact of tumor site on survival was analyzed using Cox models and the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS. A total of 55,825 patients were identified, 1576 (3%) with FT and 54,249 (97%) with OV cancer. FT patients were more likely to present with early stage tumors (P < .001). Among FT patients, 47% had stage I/II tumors compared with 29% of OV cancers. In an adjusted Cox model of all patients, cancer-specific mortality was 48% lower in FT patients (hazard ratio, 0.52; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.48-0.56) compared with OV cancer. Among patients with FT tumors, advanced age and stage were independent predictors of decreased survival. When stratified by stage, survival was similar for stage I and II tumors, but stage III and IV FT patients had an improved survival. The 5-year survival for stage III FT cancer was 54% (95% CI, 48%-60%), compared with 30% (95% CI, 29%-31%) for OV. CONCLUSIONS. Fallopian tube cancers present earlier and at advanced stage have a better overall survival than primary ovarian malignancies. Future clinical trials should recognize the possible distinct clinical behavior of fallopian tube cancers. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.
Nonlinear Optical Techniques for Surface Studies

Second-order nonlinear optical effects have recently been proven to be an extremely versatile analytical tool for surface studies. They are forbidden in media with centrosymmetry and hence, highly surface specific. Being coherent optical techniques, they have high temporal, spatial, and spectral resolution, and are useful for experiments requiring in-situ probing and remote sensing. They also have the advantage of being applicable to any interface accessible by light. In these lectures, we shall give a general review on the development of such techniques. We first present the underlying theory of a second-order optical process at an interface. We then discuss, with examples, the various possible applications of second harmonic and sum-frequency generation for surface studies.
Sweet taste and intake of sweet foods in normal pregnancy and pregnancy complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND Dietary compliance in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is poor. Changes in sweet taste perception might alter food preferences in GDM, making dietary compliance difficult to achieve. These indexes have never been studied in GDM. OBJECTIVES This study documented changes in sweet taste perception and dietary intakes in pregnant women with and without GDM and determined whether these differences persisted postpartum. DESIGN Subjects were 30 pregnant women without GDM, 25 pregnant women with recently diagnosed GDM, and 12 nonpregnant control subjects. Pregnant women were tested at 28-32 wk gestation and retested 12 wk postpartum. Subjects evaluated the taste of strawberry-flavored milks with different sucrose (0-10%) and fat (0-10%) contents and glucose solutions (10-160 mmol/L). RESULTS Women with GDM showed no differences in liking for the milk samples across test sessions and their liking ratings were not significantly different from those of nonpregnant control subjects. Women without GDM liked the 10% sucrose-sweetened milk samples less during pregnancy than at 12 wk postpartum (P </= 0.01), at which time their ratings were not significantly different from those of nonpregnant control subjects. In women with GDM, plasma glucose after a 50-g glucose load was correlated with both increased liking for the taste of glucose (r = 0.64, P </= 0.001) and higher consumption of fruit and fruit juices (r = 0.45, P </= 0.02). CONCLUSIONS Normal pregnancy was associated with a lower preference for 10% sucrose-sweetened milk samples late in gestation than postpartum, whereas GDM was associated with no such differences. Plasma glucose in women with GDM was related to a higher preference for the sweet taste of glucose and higher dietary sweet-food intakes from fruit and fruit juices. These findings have important implications for the dietary management of GDM.
Comparison of different vasodilators in a model of secondary pulmonary hypertension (PH): Desaturation effects

Approved therapies for arterial PH when applied in secondary forms can cause desaturation. Therefore we established an animal model to evaluate PH-therapeutics under experimental conditions of heterogeneous lung injury in respect to oxygenation. Single-lung ventilation was induced in minipigs (4-5 kg BW). Hemodynamics (e.g. mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP), blood pressure (BP)) and arterial hemoglobin saturation (SaO2) were monitored. We compared 5 groups (n=6 each): vehicle control, the endothelin antagonist bosentan, the PDE5 inhibitor sildenafil, and the sGC stimulators BAY 41-8543 and riociguat. Cumulative doses were applied before successive unilateral ventilation, chosen to achieve equal BP reduction. Effects on desaturation (area under the SaO2 curve, AUCSaO2) and mPAP during single-lung ventilation were compared to vehicle. Single-lung ventilation resulted in transient increases in mPAP and desaturation. The vasodilators were compared in respect to their ability to decrease mPAP and the unwanted increase in AUCSaO2. All drugs dose-dependently decreased mPAP (Fig. 1) and increased AUCSaO2. Maximal changes in both parameters are shown in Fig. 2 (mean±SEM, n=6). The sGC stimulators and bosentan effectively reduced mPAP; the sGC stimulators caused less desaturation. Future investigations will have to confirm these findings in patients.
Quantifying synergistic information

Within the microcosm of information theory, I explore what it means for a system to be functionally irreducible. This is operationalized as quantifying the extent to which cooperative or “synergistic” effects enable random variables X1. . .,Xn to predict (have mutual information about) a single target random variable Y. In Chapter 1, we introduce the problem with some emblematic examples. In Chapter 2, we show how six different measures from the existing literature fail to quantify this notion of synergistic mutual information. In Chapter 3, we take a step towards a measure of synergy which yields the first nontrivial lowerbound on synergistic mutual information. In Chapter 4, we find that synergy is but the weakest notion of a broader concept of irreducibility. In Chapter 5, we apply our results from Chapters 3 and 4 towards grounding Giulio Tononi's ambitious p measure, which attempts to quantify the magnitude of consciousness experience.
Evaluating nonindigenous species management in a Bayesian networks derived relative risk framework for Padilla Bay, WA, USA

Many coastal regions are encountering issues with the spread of nonindigenous species (NIS). In this study, we conducted a regional risk assessment using a Bayesian network relative risk model (BN-RRM) to analyze multiple vectors of NIS introductions to Padilla Bay, Washington, a National Estuarine Research Reserve. We had 3 objectives in this study. The 1st objective was to determine whether the BN-RRM could be used to calculate risk from NIS introductions for Padilla Bay. Our 2nd objective was to determine which regions and endpoints were at greatest risk from NIS introductions. Our 3rd objective was to incorporate a management option into the model and predict endpoint risk if it were to be implemented. Eradication can occur at different stages of NIS invasions, such as the elimination of these species before being introduced to the habitat or removal of the species after settlement. We incorporated the ballast water treatment management scenario into the model, observed the risk to the endpoints, and compared this risk with the initial risk estimates. The model results indicated that the southern portion of the bay was at greatest risk because of NIS. Changes in community composition, Dungeness crab, and eelgrass were the endpoints most at risk from NIS introductions. The currents node, which controls the exposure of NIS to the bay from the surrounding marine environment, was the parameter that had the greatest influence on risk. The ballast water management scenario displayed an approximate 1% reduction in risk in this Padilla Bay case study. The models we developed provide an adaptable template for decision makers interested in managing NIS in other coastal regions and large bodies of water. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2015;X:000–000. ©2015 SETAC
Influences of Zirconia and Silicon Nucleating Agents on the Devitrification of Li2O · Al2O3· 6SiO2 Glasses

In this paper, the effects of Si and ZrO{sub 2} dopants on the crystallization and phase transformation process in Li{sub 2}O {center dot} Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} {center dot} 6SiO{sub 2} glasses were investigated using differential thermal analysis, x-ray powder diffractometry (XRD), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) interactively. Phase separation was observed in the studied glasses prior to substantial crystallization. Elemental Si (1 mol%) significantly aided in glass devitrification. Droplet-like phase-separated regions in the as-quenched or heat-treated glass devitrified at {approximately}760{degrees} C, which in turn provided sites for the heterogeneous nucleation and growth of {beta}-quartz(ss) (solid solution), which transformed to {beta}-spodumene(ss) at higher temperature. Low-temperature surface crystallization in these glasses occurred as low as 760{degrees} C. ZrO{sub 2} has limited solubility in this glass system. Small ZrO{sub 2} crystallites ({approximately}5 nm) in the as-quenched glass acted as sites for the heterogeneous nucleation and subsequent growth of large ({gt}5 {mu}m) {beta}-quartz(ss) crystals in glasses containing 1.0 mol% or more ZrO{sub 2}. The transformation from {beta}-quartz(ss) to {beta}-spodumene(ss) was increasingly inhibited with ZrO{sub 2} additions. The nucleating efficiency of Si was significantly greater than that of ZrO{sub 2} in this glass system.
C1-C2 arthrodesis after transoral odontoidectomy and suboccipital craniectomy for ventral brain stem compression in Chiari I patients.

Chiari I malformations are often associated with congenital craniocervical anomalies such as platybasia, basilar invagination, and retroflexion of the odontoid process. Management of ventral brain stem compression associated with Chiari I malformations remains controversial, but several authors report a significant rate of failure with suboccipital decompression alone in the presence of pronounced ventral brain stem compression (VBSC). Treatment options described in the literature for these patients involve anterior, posterior, or combined decompressions with or without concurrent arthrodesis. A combined anterior and posterior approach provides a definitive circumferential decompression but also significantly disrupts the stability of the occipitocervical junction usually necessitating occipitocervical fixation. We describe an alternative surgical treatment for Chiari I patients with significant ventral brain stem compression where a combined anterior and posterior decompression was considered necessary. We report two patients who underwent transoral odontoidectomy with preservation of the anterior arch of the atlas and suboccipital craniectomy with C1 laminectomy followed by C1–C2 arthrodesis. Preservation of the anterior arch of the atlas in conjunction with C1–C2 arthrodesis stabilizes the occipito–atlanto-axial segments while conserving more cervical mobility as compared to an occipitocervical fusion.
A comparison of nitric acid and particulate nitrate measurements by the penetration and denuder difference methods

Measurements of ambient nitric acid and particulate nitrates were made by the dual-filter, denuder difference and penetration methods for 53 days during the summer of 1981 in Warren, Michigan. Nitric acid average concentrations determined by the penetration method (3.71 μg m−3) and the denuder difference method (3.11 μg m−3) were significantly lower than the dual-filter measurements (4.52 μg m−3). Similarly, nonvolatile particulate nitrate averaged 0.95 μg m−3 by penetration and 1.10 μg m−3 by denuder difference compared to 1.53 μg m−3 by the dual-filter method. These comparisons indicated that the penetration and denuder difference methods achieve significant reductions in nitric acid and nonvolatile particulate nitrate interferences. Based upon its operational simplicity, the denuder difference method is recommended.
Natural antibodies and innate-like B cells

The range of mechanisms available for the molecular diversification of human and murine antibody genes can mold a limited set of germline elements into a total potential repertoire of distinct antigen receptors that approximates Avogadro’s number (i.e., ~10), and as a consequence it is generally believed that as long as it is accessible in the aqueous environment, an Ig-based receptor can be made for any possible ligand. With the further superimposition of somatic hypermutation, a receptor, which initially has functional properties as attractive as those of a “sow’s ear”, can subsequently be refined into something akin to a “silk purse”. While such broad engineering capabilities are especially attractive to those with the perspectives of the structural chemist, immunologists have instead found that lymphocytes with only a relative parsimony of BCR types are expressed in vivo. Moreover, the immune systems of different individuals commonly include clonal sets of lymphocytes expressing antigen receptors that are encoded by gene rearrangements that are nearly identical, or even identical, complete with the same somatically generated gene splices (see Chapters 1 and 2). Such findings, which in part reflect inherent molecular biases that yield the recurrent somatic production of conserved canonical receptors, yield the repertoire of natural antibodies made by B cells that initially arise and expand without specific immunization. The limited diversity of natural antibodies has also led to the designation of their B cell clonal sources as innate-like B cells, because their BCR repertoires harness only a small proportion of the full combinatorial power of the lymphocyte antigen receptor system (see Chapter 3). However, in only a few cases have specific candidate self ligands involved in the antigenic selection of these clonal sets been identified, or even implicated (Chapters 3 and 4). The best available evidence suggests that these putative ligands include non-protein antigens like the carbohydrates that are post-translational modifications on some cell surface molecules. In another case, they have been linked to neo-antigens, like phosphoryl choline and maledialdehyde, which can be generated by the oxida-
Growth rate models: emphasizing growth rate analysis through growth curve modeling

To emphasize growth rate analysis, we develop a general method to reparametrize growth curve models to analyze rates of growth for a variety of growth trajectories, such as quadratic and exponential growth. The resulting growth rate models are shown to be related to rotations of growth curves. Estimated conveniently through growth curve modeling techniques, growth rate models have advantages above and beyond traditional growth curve models. The proposed growth rate models are used to analyze longitudinal data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth (NLSY) on children's mathematics performance scores including covariates of gender and behavioral problems (BPI). Individual differences are found in rates of growth from ages 6 to 11. Associations with BPI, gender, and their interaction to rates of growth are found to vary with age. Implications of the models and the findings are discussed.
A single center review of the use of mycophenolate mofetil in the treatment of autoimmune hepatitis.

Background & Aims: Standard treatment for autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) involves immune suppression by using prednisone alone or in combination with azathioprine (AZA). Although this regimen achieves remission in approximately 80%, some patients are intolerant or do not respond. Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is a potent immunosuppressant. However, its utility in AIH is not well-defined. Methods: We performed a retrospective longitudinal analysis of patients with AIH. Results: We identified 128 patients with AIH: mean age, 42.8 years; 83% female; 69% white. At presentation, median AST and ALT were 227 and 261 U/L, respectively, and bridging fibrosis and cirrhosis were present in 38% and 22%, respectively. Overall, 29 patients received MMF; 12 were switched to MMF after intolerance or nonresponse to prednisone ± AZA, whereas 17 received MMF ± prednisone as initial therapy. The main reasons for switching to MMF were nausea/vomiting (n = 4) and failure to normalize liver enzymes (n = 3). Ten of the 29 patients who received MMF therapy (34%) discontinued MMF as a result of side effects. Sixteen (84%) of the remaining 19 patients on MMF achieved remission, which closely matched the remission rate of those who remained on prednisone ± AZA (82%). The only independent clinical factor that predicted the eventual need for the use of MMF was absence of cirrhosis (P = .0067). Conclusions: (1) MMF was associated with a high rate of intolerance (34%). (2) In those who could tolerate it, it was associated with a high rate of remission (84%). (3) Absence of cirrhosis on presentation was the only independent factor associated with eventual need for MMF.
Atrioventricular node reentry : current concepts and new perspectives

With the advent of RF catheter modification of AV node conduction for the treatment of AV node reentrant tachycardia, considerable advances have been made with better understanding of the AV junctional anatomy, electrophysiology, and mechanism responsible for AV node reentrant tachycardia. Future studies should be designed to uncover the basic cellular electrophysiological mechanisms responsible for fast and slow AV node conduction, to define the exact tissue components of the reentrant circuit in order to make ablative procedures safer, and to study the long-term effects of RF catheter ablation on AV conduction. Special caution should be directed toward pediatric patients with more stringent indications for catheter ablation of the AV junctional area in these patients.
Effect of H2O2 on Nafion® properties and conductivity at fuel cell conditions

Abstract During PEM fuel cell operation, formation of H 2 O 2 and material corrosion occurs, generating trace amounts of metal cations (i.e., Fe 2+ , Pt 2+ ) and subsequently initiating the deterioration of cell components and, in particular, PFSA membranes (e.g., Nafion). However, most previous studies of this have been performed using conditions not relevant to fuel cell environments, and very few investigations have studied the effect of Nafion decomposition on conductivity, one of the most crucial factors governing PEMFC performance. In this study, a quantitative examination of properties and conductivities of degraded Nafion membranes at conditions relevant to fuel cell environments (30–100%RH and 80 °C) was performed. Nafion membranes were pre-ion-exchanged with small amounts of Fe 2+ ions prior to H 2 O 2 exposure. The degradation degree (defined as loss of ion-exchange capacity, weight, and fluoride content), water uptake, and conductivity of H 2 O 2 -exposed membranes were found to strongly depend on Fe content and H 2 O 2 treatment time. SEM cross-sections showed that the degradation initially took place in the center of the membrane, while FTIR analysis revealed that Nafion degradation preferentially proceeds at the sulfonic end group and at the ether linkage located in the pendant side chain and that the H-bond of water is weakened after prolonged H 2 O 2 exposure.
EFFECT OF COOLING DELAY AT HARVEST ON BROCCOLI QUALITY DURING POSTHARVEST STORAGE

Broccoli (cv ‘Green Duke’) was grown, harvested and cooled prior to simulated handling and storage. Delays of cooling were 0.5 and 3.0 h in one experiment and 0.5, 1 and 2 h in a subsequent experiment. Significant losses in market life of fresh broccoli were noted within the 3 h cooling delay period. Floret opening was the limiting visual quality characteristic in most treatments. Turgor was more limiting than color in all observed treatments. Using a systems approach a vertically-integrated broccoli handler could project the effects of cooling delays on shelf-life expectations within the prescribed handling system.
Sodium and blood pressure 2003.

Purpose of reviewIn view of the ongoing controversy about the importance of dietary sodium intake in blood pressure control, consideration of the most recent findings in this area is useful.Recent findingsNew observations regarding the relation between salt intake and its reduction on blood pressure
Theoretical study of radar polarization parameters obtained from cirrus clouds

Abstract A theoretical investigation of radar polarization parameters that characterize cloud ice backscattering is presented. The parameters considered were those commonly used in radar polarimetrics such as differential reflectivity (ZDR), linear depolarization ratio (LDR), circular depolarization ratio (CDR), intrinsic degree of orientation (ORTT) as well as conventional reflectivities. Experimental data on the shapes of ice crystals and their orientations are taken into account. Results suggest that prolate-shaped scatterers can be distinguished from those having oblate shapes by analyzing the depolarization ratio dependence on the elevation angle. Calculations suggest that circular polarization parameters provide stronger signals in a cross-polar channel and also show a 1esser dependence on scatterer orientation in comparison with linear polarization parameters. Propagation effects do not significantly affect the polarization parameters for equivalent water contents and cloud thicknesses that are typ...
Bioprosthetic Versus Mechanical Valve Replacement in Patients with Infective Endocarditis

Abstract During the 5-year period, 1979–1984, at the Texas Heart Institute, 4,598 patients underwent cardiac valve replacement procedures of which 185 were for acute infective endocarditis. Staphylococcus and streptococcus accounted for 80% of the cases and congestive heart failure was a leading indication in 63%. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the recurrence of endocarditis dependent upon whether the patient had an lonescu-Shiley bioprosthetic pericardial valve or a mechanical valve (St. Jude Medical). Actuarial freedom from both early and late reoperation was higher for prosthetic valves than bioprosthetic valve patients. We conclude that mechanical valves are the valves of choice in acute infective endocarditis which apparently is the result of less biologic tissue available for exposure to infection by the offending organisms.