cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
When combination therapy isn’t working: Emerging therapies for the management of inflammatory bowel disease

Although antagonists of tumor necrosis factor have resulted in major therapeutic benefits in inflammatory bowel disease, the magnitude and durability of response are variable. Similar to previously available drugs such as 5-aminosalicylates and immunomodulators, the therapeutic effect is not universal leaving many people searching for options. The development of newer agents has benefited from advances in the understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease. Uncontrolled activation of the acquired immune system has an important role, and lymphocytes, cytokines, and adhesion molecules are broadly targeted for therapeutic intervention. There is increasing evidence of an important role of the innate immune system and the intestinal epithelium, and the therapeutic paradigm is also shifting from immunosuppression to the reinforcement of the intestinal barrier, and modification of the disease process. In this review, we explore the limitation of current therapy as well as mechanisms of actions of new drugs and the efficacy and adverse events from data from clinical trials.
Patellar Maltracking Correlates With Vastus Medialis Activation Delay in Patellofemoral Pain Patients

Background: Delayed onset of vastus medialis (VM) activity compared with vastus lateralis activity is a reported cause for patellofemoral pain. The delayed onset of VM activity in patellofemoral pain patients likely causes an imbalance in muscle forces and lateral maltracking of the patella; however, evidence relating VM activation delay to patellar maltracking is sparse. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between VM activation delay and patellar maltracking measures in pain-free controls and patellofemoral pain patients.Hypothesis: Patellar tilt and bisect offset, measures of patellar tracking, correlate with VM activation delay in patellofemoral pain patients classified as maltrackers.Study Design: Case control study; Level of evidence, 3.Methods: Vasti muscle activations were recorded in pain-free (n = 15) and patellofemoral pain (n = 40) participants during walking and jogging. All participants were scanned in an open-configuration magnetic resonance scanner in an upright weight...
Extended viral shedding of a low pathogenic avian influenza virus by striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis).

Background: Striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) are susceptible to infection with some influenza A viruses. However, the viral shedding capability of this peri-domestic mammal and its potential role in influenza A virus ecology are largely undetermined. Methodology/Principal Findings: Striped skunks were experimentally infected with a low pathogenic (LP) H4N6 avian influenza virus (AIV) and monitored for 20 days post infection (DPI). All of the skunks exposed to H4N6 AIV shed large quantities of viral RNA, as detected by real-time RT-PCR and confirmed for live virus with virus isolation, from nasal washes and oral swabs (maximum #10 6.02 PCR EID50 equivalent/mL and #10 5.19 PCR EID50 equivalent/mL, respectively). Some evidence of potential fecal shedding was also noted. Following necropsy on 20 DPI, viral RNA was detected in the nasal turbinates of one individual. All treatment animals yielded evidence of a serological response by 20 DPI. Conclusions/Significance: These results indicate that striped skunks have the potential to shed large quantities of viral RNA through the oral and nasal routes following exposure to a LP AIV. Considering the peri-domestic nature of these animals, along with the duration of shedding observed in this species, their presence on poultry and waterfowl operations could influence influenza A virus epidemiology. For example, this species could introduce a virus to a naive poultry flock or act as a trafficking mechanism of AIV to and from an infected poultry flock to naive flocks or wild bird populations.
The effect of union type on psychological well-being: depression among cohabitors versus marrieds.

Marital status is a key determinant of psychological well-being. I use data from both waves of the National Survey of Families and Households to evaluate the effect of union type (i.e., cohabitation versus marriage) on depression. Cohabitors report higher levels of depression than their married counterparts, net of sociodemographic factors. The greater depression characterizing cohabitors is primarily due to their higher relationship instability relative to marrieds. Cohabitors' reports of relationship instability are about 25 percent higher than marrieds' reports. High levels of relationship instability are especially detrimental for cohabitors who have been in their union for a long period of time. Additionally, cohabitors' depression scores are exacerbated by the presence of biological and step children, whereas marrieds' depression scores are impervious to children. Longitudinal analyses that correct for selection bias confirm that the lower levels of well-being characterizing cohabitors are not due to the types of people who choose to cohabit.
Posets of ordered compactifications

If (X′, τ′, ≤′) is an ordered compactification of the partially ordered topological space (X, τ, ≤) such that ≤′ is the smallest order that renders (X′, τ′, ≤′) a T2-ordered compactification of X, then X′ is called a Nachbin (or order-strict) compactification of (X, τ, ≤). If (X′, τ′, ≤*) is a finite-point ordered compactification of (X, τ, ≤), the Nachbin order ≤′ for (X′, τ′) is described in terms of (X, τ, ≤) and X′. When given the usual order relation between compactifications (ordered compactifications), posets of finite-point Nachbin compactifications are shown to have the same order structure as the poset of underlying topological compactifications. Though posets of arbitrary finite-point ordered compactifications are shown to be less well behaved, conditions for their good behavior are studied. These results are used to examine the lattice structure of the set of all ordered compactifications of the ordered topological space (X, τ, ≤).
Effect of anthropogenically developed areas on spatial distribution of island foxes

Virtually no information exists on the impacts of urban areas on island endemics. We examined the spatial distribution of island foxes (Urocyon littoralis clementae) associated with 3 small anthropogenically developed (i.e., ‘‘urban’’) areas and nonurban areas on San Clemente Island, California. Annual home range size averaged 0.84 km 2 (n ¼ 25, SE ¼ 0.07). Our top model indicated that foxes that spent a greater proportion of time in urban areas had significantly smaller home ranges (bPUrb ¼� 0.009, 95% confidence interval [CI] ¼� 0.0180–� 0.0002). We found no effect of sex (bSex ¼ 0.0135, 95% CI ¼� 0.1430–0.1700), age (bAge ¼ 0.0502, 95% CI ¼� 0.2730– 0.3734), or whether or not a fox was considered a ‘‘road’’ fox (bRoad ¼� 0.0063, 95% CI ¼� 0.2638–0.2513) on home range size. We noted considerable overlap of home ranges of foxes that used urban areas. Foxes used urban areas a greater proportion of time during the night than during the day (t24 ¼� 6.13, P , 0.001); however, foxes did not spend a greater proportion of time in urban areas than expected overall (t24 ¼� 0.59, P ¼ 0.560). We observed 13 of 25 (52%) foxes that utilized urban areas feeding on anthropogenic food resources. Foxes that used urban areas were heavier (n ¼ 35, ¯ X ¼ 1.98, SE ¼ 0.05) than foxes that did not use urban areas (n ¼ 26, ¯ X ¼ 1.81, SE ¼ 0.04; t59 ¼� 2.69, P ¼ 0.009). Our study is the first to demonstrate the effects urban areas on islands may have on canid populations. Our findings were similar to those reported for urban canid populations on the mainland, suggesting that future conservation and management of carnivores on islands may benefit from strategies that have been successful with mainland species.
Silica‐Nanoparticle Coatings by Adsorption from Lysine–Silica‐Nanoparticle Sols on Inorganic and Biological Surfaces

synthesizing small, monodispersed silica nanoparticles in an aqueous environment in the presence of lysine or other basic amino acids. The approach allows for fine-tuning particle size resulting in silica-nanoparticle sols (hereafter referred to as lys–sil sols) that are stable for months, and also resist aggregation after being dispersed in other solvents including certain cell culture media. [14] It has also been demonstrated that lys–sil sols can form colloidal crystal arrays [20] and thin films by convective assembly. [17] In combination with their tuneable particle size, this translates to capability for precise pore size control. However, convective methods, including evaporationinduced self-assembly (EISA), do not allow manipulation of deposit microstructure since they strongly favor close packing. Moreover, they are not compatible with applications where the substrate cannot be dried, such as living cell encapsulation. In this respect, it is desirable to develop functionalization techniques [21] that enable deposition by adsorption. Here, we report new lys–sil sol syntheses that allow for adjustment of particle charge by surface functionalization. We also report on the inclusion of a fluorescent dye in the silica nanoparticles to be rendered observable by optical microscopy. We then demonstrate tuneable and predictable deposition behavior on inorganic surfaces, as well as layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly for living cell encapsulation. The findings reported here further establish lys–sil sols as a simple and flexible tool for precise colloidal assembly. To create stable, positively charged silica particles, surface modification was performed with N-trimethoxysilylpropylN,N,N-trimethylammonium chloride (TMAPS) [22] as well as other functionalizing agents. The modification was assessed with zeta potential measurements as a function of the lys–sil sol pH (Supporting Information, Figure S1). The unmodified silica nanoparticles show slightly negative surface potential at
On the complexity of multicovering radii

The multicovering radius is a generalization of the covering radius. In this correspondence, we show that lower-bounding the m-covering radius of an arbitrary binary code is NP-complete when m is polynomial in the length of the code. Lower-bounding the m-covering radius of a linear code is /spl Sigma//sub 2//sup P/-complete when m is polynomial in the length of the code. If P is not equal to NP, then the m-covering radius of an arbitrary binary code cannot be approximated within a constant factor or within a factor n/sup /spl epsi// where n is the length of the code and /spl epsi/<1, in polynomial time. Note that the case when m=1 was also previously unknown. If NP is not equal to /spl Sigma//sub 2//sup P/,then the m-covering radius of a linear code cannot be approximated within a constant factor or within a factor n/sup /spl epsi// where n is the length of the code and /spl epsi/<1, in polynomial time.
The natural history of carotid fibromuscular dysplasia

Although graduated internal dilatation has proved to be an effective, safe, and durable operation for the treatment of symptomatic patients with fibromuscular dysplasia of the extracranial internal carotid artery, the role of surgical treatment in this entity remains unclear because the natural history is not well defined. Forty-nine patients, aged 29 to 82 years (mean, 58.5 years), with angiographically proven fibromuscular dysplasia of 88 internal carotid arteries have been evaluated since 1969. Twenty patients showed symptoms of focal cerebral or retinal ischemia, 10 patients had nonlateralizing neurologic symptoms, three patients sustained intracerebral hemorrhage, five patients complained of nonischemic symptoms, and 11 patients were asymptomatic. The three patients with intracranial hemorrhage and one person who suffered a massive stroke after angiography died within weeks of admission; no surgical therapy was performed. Initial management of the other patients included four internal carotid endarterectomies in four patients for associated atherosclerosis, one with simultaneous graduated internal dilatation; seven graduated internal dilatations in five patients; and one extracranial-to-intracranial bypass in a patient with occlusion occurring after graduated internal dilatation. Seventy-three nondilated arteries in 42 patients have been followed for up to 16 years (mean, 6.8 years). During this time only three patients have undergone surgical therapy; one carotid endarterectomy was done for an asymptomatic atherosclerotic lesion and two graduated internal dilatations in patients with nonfocal ischemia. Through follow-up of all 49 patients, none has had a new neurologic deficit. Fourteen patients who initially presented with focal ischemia were not treated surgically and all but one are now asymptomatic.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Pregnancy-Associated Osteoporosis With a Heterozygous Deactivating LDL Receptor-Related Protein 5 (LRP5) Mutation and a Homozygous Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (MTHFR) Polymorphism

Pregnancy-associated osteoporosis (PAO) is a rare, idiopathic disorder that usually presents with vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) within 6 months of a first pregnancy and delivery. Spontaneous improvement is typical. There is no known genetic basis for PAO. A 26-year-old primagravida with a neonatal history of unilateral blindness attributable to hyperplastic primary vitreous sustained postpartum VCFs consistent with PAO. Her low bone mineral density (BMD) seemed to respond to vitamin D and calcium therapy, with no fractures after her next successful pregnancy. Investigation of subsequent fetal losses revealed homozygosity for the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism associated both with fetal loss and with osteoporosis (OP). Because her neonatal unilateral blindness and OP were suggestive of loss-of-function mutation(s) in the gene that encodes LDL receptor-related protein 5 (LRP5), LRP5 exon and splice site sequencing was also performed. This revealed a unique heterozygous 12-bp deletion in exon 21 (c.4454_4465del, p.1485_1488del SSSS) in the patient, her mother and sons, but not her father or brother. Her mother had a normal BMD, no history of fractures, PAO, ophthalmopathy, or fetal loss. Her two sons had no ophthalmopathy and no skeletal issues. Her osteoporotic father (with a family history of blindness) and brother had low BMDs first documented at ages ∼40 and 32 years, respectively. Serum biochemical and bone turnover studies were unremarkable in all subjects. We postulate that our patient's heterozygous LRP5 mutation together with her homozygous MTHFR polymorphism likely predisposed her to low peak BMD. However, OP did not cosegregate in her family with the LRP5 mutation, the homozygous MTHFR polymorphism, or even the combination of the two, implicating additional genetic or nongenetic factors in her PAO. Nevertheless, exploration for potential genetic contributions to PAO may explain part of the pathogenesis of this enigmatic disorder and identify some at-risk women.
Optimal Control of Stochastic Hybrid Systems Based on Locally Consistent Markov Decision Processes

This paper applies a known approach for approximating controlled stochastic diffusion to hybrid systems. Stochastic hybrid systems are approximated by locally consistent Markov decision processes that preserve local mean and covariance. A randomized switching policy is introduced for approximating the dynamics on the switching boundaries. The validity of the approximation is shown by solving the optimal control problem of minimizing a cost until a target set is reached using dynamic programming. It is shown that using the randomized switching policy, the solution obtained based on the discrete approximation converges to the solution of the original problem
A study of boundary layer behavior associated with high NO concentrations at the South Pole using a minisodar, tethered balloon, and sonic anemometer

Abstract This paper focuses on the use of an acoustic sounder, or sodar, during the 2003 Antarctic Tropospheric Chemistry Investigation (ANTCI), to document the behavior of very shallow (
The High Affinity Binding Site on Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) for the Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor-related Protein (LRP1) Is Composed of Four Basic Residues.

Plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) is a serpin inhibitor of the plasminogen activators urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and tissue plasminogen activator, which binds tightly to the clearance and signaling receptor low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) in both proteinase-complexed and uncomplexed forms. Binding sites for PAI-1 within LRP1 have been localized to CR clusters II and IV. Within cluster II, there is a strong preference for the triple CR domain fragment CR456. Previous mutagenesis studies to identify the binding site on PAI-1 for LRP1 have given conflicting results or implied small binding contributions incompatible with the high affinity PAI-1/LRP1 interaction. Using a highly sensitive solution fluorescence assay, we have examined binding of CR456 to arginine and lysine variants of PAI-1 and definitively identified the binding site as composed of four basic residues, Lys-69, Arg-76, Lys-80, and Lys-88. These are highly conserved among mammalian PAI-1s. Individual mutations result in a 13–800-fold increase in Kd values. We present evidence that binding involves engagement of CR4 by Lys-88, CR5 by Arg-76 and Lys-80, and CR6 by Lys-69, with the strongest interactions to CR5 and CR6. Collectively, the individual binding contributions account quantitatively for the overall PAI-1/LRP1 affinity. We propose that the greater efficiency of PAI-1·uPA complex binding and clearance by LRP1, compared with PAI-1 alone, is due solely to simultaneous binding of the uPA moiety in the complex to its receptor, thereby making binding of the PAI-1 moiety to LRP1 a two-dimensional surface-localized association.
Clear cell sarcoma of soft tissues.

Clear cell sarcoma (CCS) is a rare but highly malignant tumor of soft tissues often appearing as a small tender mass in the deep tissues of the distal extremities. We have studied 17 patients with such lesions treated since 1986 and have a high incidence of local recurrence and metastasis with a survival rate of only 47% despite surgery and for many of the patients, adjuvant therapy. The purpose of this article is to warn the readers of the dangers related to treating this seemingly benign lesion and urge them to perform wide surgery and utilize adjuvant therapy. J. Surg. Oncol. 2007; 95: 519–522. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
New Coraebini Bedel, 1921 from West Africa (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Agrilinae)

One new genus and two new species are described from central West Africa: Camerunadora bifasciata, new genus & new species from the Republic of Cameroon and Holubia gabonica, new species from Gabon are described and illustrated.
Trans Fats Replacement Solutions for Frying and Baking Applications, Shortenings, Margarines, and Spreads

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on trans fats replacement solutions for frying and baking applications, shortenings, margarines, and spreads. The food, oil processing, and agribusiness sectors have overcome many technical issues to bring healthier products to the market place in spite of working with just a few fats and oils, such as, palm, soybean, canola, sunflower, corn, cottonseed, and animal fats. The re-emergence of the trait-modified oils industry will continue to grow and provide Trans Fatty Acid (TFA)-free oils. The aforementioned technologies of oleogels for structuring baking fats and improved emulsifier/surfactant blends with liquid oils are very promising as TFA replacements. The time-honored fat modifications, including hydrogenation, interesterification, and fractionation are still valuable and further research may extend their usefulness as food formulation methods. Only time will tell if the expense and time required to meeting labeling regulations are merited.
Poetic Bodies: Female Body Image, Sexual Identity and Arts-Based Research

This article reviews the use of a poetic form of analysis and representation of interview data collected on the topic of women’s body image and sexual identity. The researcher developed a tri-voiced poetic method that merges participant, researcher and literature voices. In this article the author advocates tri-voiced poems as a way of sharing researcher viewpoints, opening up dialogue, challenging stereotypes, and reaching and educating broad audiences.
Quantum Monte Carlo simulations of tunneling in quantum adiabatic optimization

We explore to what extent path-integral quantum Monte Carlo methods can efficiently simulate quantum adiabatic optimization algorithms during a quantum tunneling process. Specifically we look at symmetric cost functions defined over $n$ bits with a single potential barrier that a successful quantum adiabatic optimization algorithm will have to tunnel through. The height and width of this barrier depend on $n$, and by tuning these dependencies, we can make the optimization algorithm succeed or fail in polynomial time. In this article we compare the strength of quantum adiabatic tunneling with that of path-integral quantum Monte Carlo methods. We find numerical evidence that quantum Monte Carlo algorithms will succeed in the same regimes where quantum adiabatic optimization succeeds.
The Evolution and Comparative Physiology of Endothelin Regulation of Sodium Transport

The endothelins are a family of peptide paracrine/autocrine signaling molecules that function in a vareity of physiological processes including regulation of vascular tone and in the mammalian kidney they function to inhibit sodium reabsorption. Much of our understanding of endothelin-1 (ET1) signaling comes from studies in rodents; however, the endothelins and the endothelin receptors have an interesting evolutionary history, having evolved in the common ancestor to the vertebrates. The purpose of this chapter is to summarize our current understanding of the evolution and physiology of the endothelin signaling system in a comparative physiological context. Unlike therian mammals, which express two endothelin receptors, non-therian vertebrates express at least three endothelin receptors. Yet, similarly to the mammals, ET1 has hemodynamic effects leading to acute changes in blood pressure in a variety of non-mammalian vertebrates. Moreover, in teleost fishes, where the gills are the main site for sodium excretion, ET1 can inhibit ion transport and may act to fine-tune adjust ion excretion to maintain homeostasis. Although the mechanisms of how ET1 inhibits ion transport in non-mammalian vertebrates is not clear, evidence suggests that ET1 stimulates nitric oxide and prostaglandin production. This signaling cascade is conserved from fishes to man. Although many questions still remain about ET1 signaling in non-mammalian vertebrates, it is clear that endothelins evolved 400–500 million years ago highlighting their importance as paracrine/autocrine signaling peptides in all vertebrates.
Sequential Multilinear Subspace Based Event Detection in Large Video Data Sequences

A major portion of the big data that is produced comprises of videos coming from surveillance cameras deployed to view streets, buildings, offices etc. The surveillance videos are mainly used for monitoring day to day activities. The video sequences are long and the events of interest occur only over a short duration. Hence, there is a pressing need to analyze and detect events to avoid continuous manual monitoring of entire video sequence. The first step towards that is to extract the foreground information. In this paper we present an effective online multilinear subspace learning algorithm which incrementally learns and models the background as a low-rank tensor. This background modeling combined with appropriate post processing steps is useful to detect anomalous events, thus in turn the foreground, in the video. The efficacy of the proposed method is also brought out in the simulation results provided.
Water Splitting Processes on Mn4O4 and CaMn3O4 Model Cubane Systems.

Catalytic conversion of solar energy into chemical energy has been frequently investigated to develop clean energy sources in the last few decades. Metal oxide complexes show high potential for the catalytic conversion process, but the biochemical process in green plants has better efficiency than artificial photocatalysts consisting of metal oxides. In this work, the water splitting process is theoretically investigated using two synthetic model complexes whose structures are similar to the manganese-based oxygen evolving complex in photosystem II. Model A consists of four Mn atoms, and model B consists of three Mn atoms and a Ca atom in the core. Model A shows a better ability for water splitting than model B when comparing the highest reaction energy. The highest reaction energies are 2.56 and 2.99 eV for models A and B, respectively. In model B, the first oxidation in the water splitting process is exothermic, which is different from model A. In both models, the molecular oxygen generation step is end...
Applications of a Macroscopic Model for En Route Sector Capacity

Airspace capacity estimates are important both for airspace design and for operational air traffic management. Considerable effort has gone into understanding the complexity factors that reduce sector capacity by increasing controller workload. Yet no analytical means is available for accurately estimating the maximum capacity of an en route sector. The Monitor Alert Parameter (MAP) values that determine the operational traffic limit of en route sectors in the United States account only for workload from inter-sector coordination tasks. We propose a more complete sector capacity model that also accounts for workload from conflict avoidance and recurring tasks. We use mean closing speeds and airspace separation standards to estimate aircraft conflict rates. We estimate the mean controller service times for all three task types by fitting the model against observed peak traffic counts for hundreds of en route airspace volumes in the Northeastern United States. This macroscopic approach provides numerical capacity predictions that closely bound peak observed traffic densities for those airspace volumes. This paper reviews recent efforts to improve the accuracy of the bound by replacing certain global parameters with measured data from individual sectors. It also compares the model capacity with MAP values for sectors in the New York Center. It concludes by illustrating the use of the model to predict the capacity benefits of proposed technological and operational improvements to the air traffic management system.
Developmental venous anomaly: a rare cause of cerebellar ataxia

The most common causes of acute cerebellar ataxia are vascular disorders resulting in cerebellar ischaemia or haemorrhage. Most cerebellar haemorrhages are midline and therefore present with gait ataxia, truncal ataxia, dysmetria of lower extremities, saccadic intrusions and vertigo. Symptoms for cerebellar hemisphere lesions include dysdiadochokinesis, dysmetria of upper extremities, limb ataxia, intention tremor and scanning speech. Chronic progressive ataxias are most commonly degenerative and frequently hereditary in origin; they account for half the cases of adult onset ataxia.1 Developmental venous anomalies are commonly encountered congenital anatomical variations of the cerebral vasculature—a malformation of …
The Role of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant in Follicular Lymphoma

Substantial progress has been made in the clinical management of patients with follicular lymphoma over the past 2 decades. However, the role of autologous and allogeneic stem cell transplantation in these patients remains controversial. Myeloablative chemotherapy or radioimmunotherapy supported by autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation has been shown to lead to a longer progression-free survival and, in some studies, improved survival over standard therapy. However, in the era of rituximab-based therapies used as part of induction or salvage, these historical trials may not be representative. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation offers the advantages of a tumor-free graft and some immunologic graft-versus-lymphoma effects. However, fully myeloablative transplants have high morbidity and mortality rates. Dose-reduced conditioning regimens followed by allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation have substantially reduced treatment-related mortality and perhaps will produce better outcomes long-term. This article outlines some historical information regarding stem cell transplantation for follicular lymphoma and discusses recent modifications that may improve outcomes, such as adding radioimmunotherapy to autologous stem cell transplantation or using alternative dose-reduced regimens that could benefit patients with reduced toxicities.
Long Term Trends in New York: PM2.5 Mass and Particle Components

Measurements of PM2.5 mass and particle components over a 14-15 year period are used to explore trends at urban and rural locations across New York State. Such data are used to determine compliance with national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS), as well as track the effectiveness of reductions in source pollutant emissions. Since 2000 annual mean PM2.5 mass shows a downward trend with decreases of 4-7 μg m^(-3) in urban areas versus 3-4 μg m^(-3) for rural background sites. Much of this change can be attributed to particle sulfate (SO_4) and nitrate (NO_3) which showed annual decreases of 2-3 μg m^(-3) and 0.5-1.0 μg m^(-3), respectively. Determining accurate trends for the carbonaceous particle material is challenging due to the changes in the carbon sampling and analysis methods which impact the measurements. Analysis of the data indicate some decreases in particle elemental carbon (EC) but little change in the organic carbon fraction (OC). Significant improvements in air quality are observed since 2000, when New York City metropolitan area exceeded the 1997 annual PM_(2.5) standard of 15 μg m^(-3), to the present conditions where it meets the current standard of 12 μg m^(-3). Further improvements in air quality may benefit from controls on carbonaceous material which is currently the major component of PM_(2.5).
Assessment of Surgery Residents’ Interpersonal Communication Skills: Validation Evidence for the Communication Assessment Tool in a Simulation Environment

Objectives Although development of trainees’ competency in interpersonal communication is essential to high-quality patient-centered surgical care, nontechnical skills present assessment challenges for residency program directors. The Communication Assessment Tool (CAT) demonstrated internal reliability and content validity for general surgery residents, though the tool has not yet been applied in simulation. The study provides validation evidence for using the CAT to assess surgical residents’ interpersonal communication skills in simulation scenarios. Design Simulations of delivering bad news were completed by 21 general surgery residents during a mandatory communication curriculum. Upon completion of the 10-minute scenario, standardized participants (SPs) assessed performance using the 14-item CAT rating scale and individually provided feedback to residents. Discrete communication behaviors were recorded on video review by a trained blinded observer. The traits emotional intelligence questionnaire short form (TEIQue-SF) was completed by the residents 6 months later. SP-CAT ratings are evaluated with respect to learner characteristics, observed behaviors, and TEIQue results. Setting Surgical simulation center in a 900-bed tertiary care hospital. Participants General surgery residents were targeted learners. Trauma survivors network volunteers served as SPs, acting as a family member of a patient who developed an intracerebral hemorrhage following a small bowel procedure. Results Discrete communication behaviors were reliably assessed by the observer (interrater reliability with trainer: 89% agreement, κ = 0.77). SP-CAT ratings ranged from 34 to 61. Higher SP-CAT ratings were correlated with positive communication behaviors (Spearman ρ = 0.42, p = 0.056). Total TEIQue was positively related to SP-CAT ratings ( ρ = 0.42, p = 0.061). The TEIQue emotionality factor was strongly correlated with SP-CAT ratings ( ρ = 0.52, p = 0.016). Conclusions The CAT demonstrates content validity in a simulation environment with former patients acting as SPs. This study provides validation evidence relating the SP-CAT to discrete observations of communication behaviors by a trained, reliable observer as well as residents’ self-reported emotional intelligence traits.
Completeness and timeliness of electronic vs. conventional laboratory reporting for communicable disease surveillance--Oklahoma, 2011.

Objectives.The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act encourages the meaningful use of certified electronic health record technology. A HITECH-compliant core co...
Abstract 3823: Staphylococcal nuclease and tudor domain containing 1 (SND1) in development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma

Staphylococcal nuclease and tudor domain containing 1 (SND1) is identified as an oncogene in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and overexpression of SND1 has been correlated with HCC progression. Here, we present effect of liver specific overexpression of human SND1 in a novel transgenic mouse model. We observe greater tumor load and tumor volume in transgenic mice than wildtype mice, when subjected to chemical carcinogenesis. Approximately 30% of transgenic animals manifest spontaneous tumorigenesis with age. Liver specific expression of cancer stem cell markers such as EpCAM and CD133 as well as inflammatory markers was found to be higher in transgenic mice. SND1 overexpressing hepatocytes show increased activation of insulin and NFκB signaling pathways compared to wildtype hepatocytes. However, no significant differences in liver weight or liver function was noted among transgenic and wildtype animals. Overall, our findings confirm that overexpression of SND1 in vivo plays a vital role in development and progression of HCC. Thus, molecular targeting of SND1 seems to be potential therapeutic intervention for HCC management in patients. Citation Format: Nidhi Jariwala, Devaraja Rajasekaran, Rachel Gredler, Maaged Akiel, Chadia Robertson, Paul Fisher, Arun Sanyal, Devanand Sarkar. Staphylococcal nuclease and tudor domain containing 1 (SND1) in development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3823.
Invasion in patchy landscapes is affected by dispersal mortality and mate-finding failure.

Range expansions are a function of population growth and dispersal, and nascent populations often must overcome demographic Allee effects (positive density dependence at low population densities) driven by factors such as mate-finding failure. Given the importance of individual movement to mate finding, links between landscape structure and movement may be critical to range expansion; however, landscape effects on other factors including mortality may be equally or more important. In one of the most comprehensive investigations of the interactions of these processes to date, we combined field experiments, simulation modeling, and analysis of empirical spread patterns to investigate how landscape structure affected the spread of the gypsy moth in Virginia and West Virginia. In experiments designed to assess how landscape attributes affect mate finding, we found adult males resisted leaving forest patches and the probability of locating a pheromone source declined more rapidly over distance in non-forest matrix than in forest. We used these findings to develop individual-based simulation models of gypsy moth population dynamics and spread in complex patch-matrix landscapes. The models produced an Allee effect that strengthened with reductions in forested area, but owing more so to dispersal mortality than to effects on mate location. Predicted maximum rates of population spread grew with increases in forest area due to increasing success of long-distance transport events. Evaluations of empirical data showed relationships between spread rates and landscape structure largely consistent with model predictions. We conclude rates of spread were largely driven by long-distance dispersal events, the success of which was influenced primarily by dispersal mortality of larvae in unsuitable matrix, and that landscape effects on mate location played a secondary role. Though influences of landscape structure on mate location appear to be unimportant to the spread of the gypsy moth, we predict they would have stronger effects on more dispersive species. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Decentralized allocation of tasks with temporal and precedence constraints to a team of robots

We propose an auction-based method for a team of robots to allocate and execute tasks that have temporal and precedence constraints. The robots use our priority-based iterated sequential single-item auction algorithm to allocate tasks among themselves and keep track of their individual schedules. The key idea is to decouple precedence constraints from temporal constraints and deal with them separately. In this paper we demonstrate how the allocation scheme can be extended to handle failures and delays during task execution. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method in simulation and with real robot experiments.
Localization of Health Center Assets Through an IoT Environment (LoCATE)

The rapid advances in modern wireless technology opens the door for new applications using the Internet of Things (IoT) technology. In the medical field, staff members of a certain hospital are in need for a system that tracks where patients/medical staff/devices are at any given time. LoCATE, which is Localization of Health Center Assets Through an IoT Environment, provides a near-real time tracking tool for medical systems using the existing 802.11 WiFi infrastructure. The primary goal of this system is to track assets and personnel at any hospital (e.g., Sentara® RMH hospital) and continuously log a real-time location data on a cloud computing platform such as Amazon Web Services (AWS). Using LoCATE, administrators can view the location of doctors, patients, and assets in real-time via a web UI or a mobile app, within the organization. The collected data, stored and processes on a Cloud Storage platform, is then analyzed to expose inefficiencies in daily operations and improve the health care system. Low-level functionality of the LoCATE system is unlike that of typical Radio-frequency identification (RFID) technologies. The spirit of the IoT paradigm employed by LoCATE makes the system both flexible and scalable, by leveraging collaboration between embedded and cloud systems. This flexibility will allow for the future support of additional applications such as hardware integration (e.g., New hardware components). This can include data acquisition such as usage statistics and historical patient health data. Compiling this data might pave the way for future research into disease vectors or could be used to optimize care delivered for specific conditions. While implications for an IoT system such as LoCATE are wide-ranging; its primary objective is to provide an easy to use, low-cost solution to track the location of medical assets in real-time.
Transgender students in pharmacy school, part 1: What academic administrators need to know

While gender transition is a very exciting time for most students embarking upon this personal journey, it is not without its stressors as well. For students choosing to further their education and become pharmacists, the complexity and demands of pharmacy education during the transition period can be one such additive stressor. As pharmacy educators and administrators, we have the ability to help shape this professional journey and alleviate stress by maintaining our obligation to provide a safe and non-discriminatory learning environment for all students. Therefore, this two-part commentary will serve as a means to provide information and insights to administrators and faculty advisors in order to ensure transgender students, including those actively undergoing gender transition, achieve both a successful transition and pharmacy school career.
Possible UIP pattern on high-resolution computed tomography is associated with better survival than definite UIP in IPF patients.

Abstract Background Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive fibrosing lung disease of unknown etiology. Inter-society consensus guidelines on IPF diagnosis and management outline radiologic patterns including definite usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP), possible UIP, and inconsistent with UIP. We evaluate these diagnostic categories as prognostic markers among patients with IPF. Methods Included subjects had biopsy-proven UIP, a multidisciplinary team diagnosis of IPF, and a baseline high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT). Thoracic radiologists assigned the radiologic pattern and documented the presence and extent of specific radiologic findings. The outcome of interest was lung transplant-free survival. Results IPF patients with a possible UIP pattern on HRCT had significantly longer Kaplan-Meier event-free survival compared to those with definite UIP pattern (5.21 and 3.57 years, respectively, p = 0.002). In a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model adjusted for baseline age, gender, %-predicted FVC, and %-predicted DLCO via the GAP Stage, extent of fibrosis (via the traction bronchiectasis score) and ever-smoker status, possible UIP pattern on HRCT (versus definite UIP) was associated with reduced hazard of death or lung transplant (HR = 0.42, CI 95% 0.23–0.78, p = 0.006). Conclusions Radiologic diagnosis categories outlined by inter-society consensus guidelines is a widely-reported and potentially useful prognostic marker in IPF patients, with possible UIP pattern on HRCT associated with a favorable prognosis compared to definite UIP pattern, after adjusting for relevant covariates.
A Parallel Scheme Using the Divide-and-Conquer Method

A parallel scheme using the divide-and-conquer method is developed. This partitions the input set of a problem into subsets, computes a partial result from each subset, and finally employs a merging function to obtain the final answer. Based on a linear recursive program as a tool for formalism, a precise characterization for problems to be parallelized by the divide-and-conquer method is obtained. The performance of the parallel scheme is analyzed, and a necessary and sufficient condition to achieve linear speedup is obtained. The parallel scheme is generalized to include parameters, and a real application, the fuzzy join problem, is discussed in detail using the generalized scheme.
CO(2→1) / CO(1→0) Observations of Luminous Infrared Galaxies

CO(2→1) spectra of several luminous infrared galaxies have been obtained with the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO). For those galaxies distant enough to be unresolved with the CSO beam, we have compared the CO(2→1) profile with the corresponding, unresolved CO(1→0) profile in order to investigate the contribution of optically thin CO to the total CO emission.
Data Fusion Applied to Feature Based Stereo Algorithms

In this chapter we describe a theoretical formulation for stereo (this was first proposed by Yuille, Geiger and Bulthoff in [169]) in terms of the Bayesian approach to vision outlined in chapters 2 and 3, in particular in terms of coupled Markov Random Fields. We show that this formalism is rich enough to contain most of the elements used in standard stereo theories.
Biomass production and related characters in the core collection of Pisum germplasm

Retention of residue on the soil surface following harvest is an effective method of reducing soil erosion from both wind and water. The pea crop produces small amounts of residue to effectively reduce soil erosion. Severe erosion occurs in pea production areas such as the Palouse Region of the US Pacific Northwest (PNW) when low residue crops such as spring pea or lentil are followed by fall-sown wheat. The current study was conducted to determine the range of total aboveground biomass (TAB), seed yield, and straw (residue) production from the plant identification (PI) accessions that comprise the core collection of Pisum germplasm. In addition, the potential for increasing seed yield and straw production simultaneously was evaluated. Three hundred and ninety PI accessions were screened in the field in 1996 and 1997. The variation for TAB, seed yield and straw production among the PI accessions exceeded that of the controls both years. Seed yield was positively correlated with straw production (r = 0.81, p< 0.01) indicating that seed and straw production can be increased simultaneously through positive selection for both traits. Significant favorable variation is present among accessions in the USDA core collection of Pisum germplasm which could be used to increase both seed yield and total biomass production of adapted breeding lines.
BrainWorks: A Comparative Effectiveness Trial to Examine Alzheimer's Disease Education for Community-Dwelling African Americans

Objectives To test a culturally tailored intervention to improve Alzheimer's disease (AD) literacy among African Americans. Design A 3-arm randomized comparative effectiveness trial. Setting Community sites in Los Angeles, CA. Participants 193 African American community-dwelling adults, ages 45 to 95 years old. Intervention All groups attended BrainWorks Live, a culturally tailored, 60-minute talk show and received standard printed educational materials on AD. From there: a) the BrainWorks Live group received no further contact until the post-test; b) one intervention group received a 1-month, culturally tailored, unidirectional, daily text-message program; and c) a second intervention group received daily text messages based on the printed educational materials that the general public would receive. AD literacy was measured at baseline and one month post intervention. Measurements Alzheimer's disease literacy and demographic and health covariates. Results At one month, participants who received culturally tailored text messages had the highest increase in AD literacy levels, followed by those in the BrainWorks Live arm. Participants who received general text messages had a lower overall increase in AD literacy levels compared to the other arms, but had higher mean AD literacy levels than the BrainWorks Live arm. There was a significantly greater increase in AD literacy levels among participants who received culturally tailored text messages compared with those who attended BrainWorks Live only. There were no other statistically significant differences between arms. Conclusions AD literacy among African Americans can be improved after only one month through culturally competent, economically feasible educational formats.
Acute necrotizing esophagitis presenting with severe lactic acidosis and shock.

Acute necrotizing esophagitis, also known as “black esophagus,” is typically characterized by a circumferential, friable black mucosal surface and preferentially involves the distal esophagus. It predominantly affects elderly men and presents as an upper gastrointestinal bleed. We describe a 60-year-old man with an acute upper gastrointestinal bleed and sepsis and subsequently acute necrotizing esophagitis.