cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
When Parents Refuse a Septic Workup for a Newborn

Sometimes, parents refuse medical intervention for philosophical reasons. Pediatricians have an obligation to protect children from medical neglect on the part of their parents. Often, it is not clear where exactly to draw the line between parental rights and the best interest of the child. The law is clear, however. If the doctor suspects medical neglect, he or she has an obligation to notify child protective services (CPS). CPS, and eventually a judge, will then determine if the parental behavior is or is not legally acceptable. For doctors, however, there is often a trade-off between protecting the child and preserving a therapeutic alliance with the parents. We present here a case of a newborn at risk for sepsis whose parents do not want standard medical evaluation and treatment. Two general pediatricians, Elizabeth Simpson, MD, director of the general care nursery at Truman Medical Center, and Margaret Moon, MD, MPH, a bioethicist and pediatrician at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, offer their responses to the case. A 30-year-old woman presented to labor/delivery at term gestation after a failed home delivery with a lay midwife. Her membranes had ruptured 38 hours before delivery. One hour before presentation, she had developed a temperature to 102°F. The pregnancy had been uncomplicated. She had early prenatal care and a negative screen result for group B streptococcal infection 1 week before delivery. Her white blood cell count was 49 000/μL with 18% bands. The woman and her husband refused fetal monitoring. They insisted on carrying out their plan for a natural birth and said that, right after delivery, they wanted to be discharged and take the child home. The obstetrician recommended that the mother receive intravenous antibiotics. She agreed to this treatment. The pediatric service was consulted 1 hour before delivery. The parents were informed that … Address correspondence to John D. Lantos, MD, Children's Mercy Bioethics Center, Children's Mercy Hospital, 2401 Gillham Rd, Kansas City, MO 64108. E-mail: jlantos{at}cmh.edu
Dimethyl Fumarate Protects Brain From Damage Produced by Intracerebral Hemorrhage by Mechanism Involving Nrf2

Background and Purpose— Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) represents a devastating form of stroke for which there is no effective treatment. This preclinical study was designed to evaluate dimethyl fumarate (DMF), a substance recently approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, as therapy for ICH. We hypothesized that DMF through activating the master regulator of cellular self-defense responses, transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (Nrf2), would act as effective treatment for ICH-mediated damage. Methods— Male rats and mice, including Nrf2 knockouts, were subjected to intracerebral injection of blood (to mimic ICH) and then treated with DMF. Neurological deficit, brain edema, gene induction profile and hematoma resolution were evaluated. Phagocytic functions of primary microglia in culture were used to study hematoma resolution. Results— Treatment with DMF induced Nrf2-target genes, improved hematoma resolution, reduced brain edema, and ultimately enhanced neurological recovery in rats and wild-type, but not Nrf2 knockout, mice. Most importantly, the treatment of ICH with DMF showed a 24 h window of therapeutic opportunity. Conclusions— A clinically relevant dose of DMF demonstrates potent therapeutic efficacy and impressive 24 h therapeutic window of opportunity. This study merits further evaluation of this compound as potential treatment for ICH in humans.
Changes in glycemic control from 1996 to 2006 among adults with type 2 diabetes: a longitudinal cohort study

Our objectives were to examine temporal changes in HbA1c and lipid levels over a 10-year period and to identify predictors of metabolic control in a longitudinal patient cohort. We identified all adults within our hospital network with T2DM who had HbA1c's measured in both 1996 and 2006 (longitudinal cohort). For patients with no data in 2006, we used hospital and social security records to distinguish patients lost to follow-up from those who died after 1996. We compared characteristics of the 3 baseline cohorts (longitudinal, lost to f/u, died) and examined metabolic trends in the longitudinal cohort. Of the 4944 patients with HbA1c measured in 1996, 1772 (36%) had an HbA1c measured in 2006, 1296 (26%) were lost to follow-up, and 1876 (38%) had died by 2006. In the longitudinal cohort, mean HbA1c decreased by 0.4 ± 1.8% over the ten-year span (from 8.2% ± 1.7% to 7.8% ± 1.4%) and mean total cholesterol decreased by 49.3 (± 46.5) mg/dL. In a multivariate model, independent predictors of HbA1c decline included older age (OR 1.41 per decade, 95% CI: 1.3-1.6, p < 0.001), baseline HbA1c (OR 2.9 per 1% increment, 2.6 - 3.2, p < 0.001), and speaking English (OR 2.1, 1.4-3.1, p < 0.001). Despite having had diabetes for an additional 10 years, patients in our longitudinal cohort had better glycemic and cholesterol control in 2006 than 1996. Greatest improvements occurred in patients with the highest levels in the baseline year.
Characteristics of finite ground coplanar waveguide lumped elements

This paper presents the measured characteristics of lumped elements in coplanar waveguide with narrow width ground planes. It is shown for the first time that lumped elements may be placed in the ground planes of the Finite Ground Coplanar (FGC) waveguide to obtain enhanced electrical characteristics.
Applications of Diffusion Maps in Gene Expression Data-Based Cancer Diagnosis Analysis

Early detection of a tumor's site of origin is particularly important for cancer diagnosis and treatment. The employment of gene expression profiles for different cancer types or subtypes has already shown significant advantages over traditional cancer classification methods. One of the major problems in cancer type recognition-oriented gene expression data analysis is the overwhelming number of measures of gene expression levels versus the small number of samples, which causes the curse of dimension issue. Here, we use diffusion maps, which interpret the eigenfunctions of Markov matrices as a system of coordinates on the original data set in order to obtain efficient representation of data geometric descriptions, for dimensionality reduction. The derived data are then clustered with Fuzzy ART to form the division of the cancer samples. Experimental results on the small round blue-cell tumor data set demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed method in addressing multidimensional gene expression data and identifying different types of tumors.
New directions in the neoadjuvant treatment of HER2+ breast cancer

Approximately 20% of breast cancer demonstrates amplification of the HER2 gene resulting in overexpression of the HER2 protein on the cell surface. Effective targeting with anti-HER2 monoclonal antibodies (trastuzumab, pertuzumab, trastuzumab-emtansine) and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (lapatinib) dramatically improves the natural history of this aggressive disease. Patients with HER2-overexpressing breast cancer (HER2+) achieve higher rates of pathologic complete response (pCR) to cytotoxic chemotherapy and HER2-targeted therapy in neoadjuvant trials compared with less aggressive subtypes. Moreover, a trend toward a positive correlation between pCR and improved long-term survival appears to be emerging in neoadjuvant clinical trials. This article reviews the various definitions of pCR as an end point in neoadjuvant clinical trials and summarizes the use of anti-HER2-targeted agents in the neoadjuvant setting for HER2+ disease.
A Transgressive Realist Aesthetics

In a number of pieces I have written over the last few years, I have been exploring a view I call Transgressive Realism. This view avoids what I consider to be certain problematic aspects of realist and anti-realist theories while incorporating some of their strengths. While primarily a metaphysical and epistemological theory, it also has interesting implications for other branches of philosophy. In this paper, after setting out the outlines of the theory, I will briefly discuss how it might apply to aesthetics.
Evidence for pancreatic pacemaker for insulin oscillations in low-frequency range

Circulating insulin concentrations oscillate in regular fashion, with periods that fall into a high-frequency (period of 5-17 min) or low-frequency (period of 50-150 min) range. Only the high-frequency oscillations have so far been reported in vitro, suggesting that these derive from a primary pancreatic source. This study tested whether the low-frequency insulin oscillations could also be identified in vitro. Rat islets of Langerhans were perifused for 20 h using RPMI medium with 5.5 mM glucose. Perifusate fractions were collected at 9.9-min intervals. Mean insulin concentrations at the outset were 21.4 +/- 2.9 microU/ml, increased to 32.5 +/- 4.6 (P < 0.05) between 13 and 17 h after the start of perifusion, and then either leveled off or decreased to baseline. Superimposed on this general trend, we found sustained insulin oscillations with a period of 50-100 min. The mean amplitude was 14.2 +/- 4.2 microU/ml, and the amplitude/mean ratio was 64.6 +/- 12%. Spectral analysis revealed significant peaks at periods that were close to either 50 or 100 min and a smaller peak at 24-37 min. These data, using in vitro methodology and constant glucose concentrations, indicate the presence of sustained, spontaneous, low-frequency, ultradian insulin oscillations in the pancreatic islets. This provides evidence for a pancreatic component that may participate in the previously described in vivo ultradian insulin oscillations. This finding may also provide a mechanism for the apparent escape from glucose entrainment of serum insulin oscillations in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
Quantitative planar temperature imaging in turbulent non-premixed flames using filtered Rayleigh scattering.

The paper presents results demonstrating the application of filtered Rayleigh scattering (FRS) for quantitative temperature measurements within turbulent non-premixed jet flames. Through targeted fuel tailoring, i.e., the selection of a specific fuel mixture, temperature measurements are made under non-premixed fueling conditions with a single FRS measurement. For this to be feasible, the instantaneous measured FRS signal is uniquely proportional to the local temperature for all thermo-chemical states of the targeted fuel–oxidizer system. Simulated results using laminar, counterflow flame calculations show that for select CH4/H2/Ar fuel mixtures issuing into air, a unique relationship between the local FRS signal and temperature is achieved for all mixture fraction values over a full range of operating conditions from near-equilibrium to near-extinction flames. Furthermore, for the selected FRS-optimized fuel, the local mixture-averaged Rayleigh scattering cross section is nearly constant from fuel to oxidizer to products. Thus, traditional laser Rayleigh scattering (LRS) can be used to determine the temperature as a “standard” to which to compare and assess the FRS-based temperature results. Simultaneous LRS–FRS temperature measurements from Re=10,000, 20,000, and 30,000 turbulent non-premixed jet flames are presented that show good agreement between the two techniques in terms of instantaneous temperature fields and statistical quantities at various spatial locations within the flame. These results provide confidence that the current approach of FRS thermometry allows for accurate temperature measurements within the selected set of turbulent non-premixed flames.
Experimental Comparison of Supersonic Jets Exhausting from Military Style Nozzles with Interior Corrugations and Fluidic Inserts

This paper describes the development and analysis of fluidic inserts for supersonic jet noise suppression. The study uses scale model experiments of jets that simulate the exhaust jets from typical lowbypass ratio military jet aircraft engines during takeoff. The fluidic inserts use distributed blowing in the divergent section of the nozzle to simulate mechanical corrugations, while having the advantage of being an active control method. Measurements with simulated forward flight are important early in the analysis of noise reduction methods. The current design of the delivery piping is not streamlined enough for forward flight measurements. Therefore, forward flight acoustic measurements were first conducted with hardwall corrugation nozzles. The noise reduction of the hardwall corrugation nozzles was not affected by simulated forward flight. Mean flow field measurements of the jet plume were conducted with both hardwall corrugation and fluidic insert nozzles. This led to the development of a newer fluidic insert nozzle fabrication technique. The new nozzles, along with supplying varying injection pressures to upstream and downstream injection ports, have produced the most noise reduction to date. Noise reduction has been optimized for two different overexpanded jet conditions and is near 5 dB in the peak noise emission direction at low polar angles and 3 dB off of the broadband shock associated noise in the sideline direction. These results were obtained with injection mass flow rates less than 4% of the core jet flow rate.
Insulin action upon insulin-insensitive tissue following impaired degradation of the hormone.

SummaryRetardation of the rate of insulin degradation results in a highly significant insulin effect upon glucose utilization by the rat kidney. Insulin inactivation may be inhibited by lowered incubation temperature or the in vivo and in vitro administration of alloxan. These observations suggest that under appropriate conditions, tissues heretofore believed to be insulin-insensitive may be shown to respond to insulin.
Identification of multiple nursery habitats of skates in the eastern Bering Sea

The use of more than a single nursery habitat type is examined for oviparous elasmobranchs using data summarized from studies conducted on the Alaska skate Bathyraja parmifera and the Aleutian skate Bathyraja aleutica in the eastern Bering Sea. The eastern Bering Sea skate species use two discrete areas as nurseries, one for egg deposition and a second for newly emergent juveniles. Egg deposition sites were located along the outer shelf and upper slope near canyons in the eastern Bering Sea. Newly emergent juveniles were found along the outer and middle shelf for B. parmifera and deep-slope for B. aleutica, suggesting that habitat used by newly emergent juvenile skates is distinct from habitat used for egg deposition and embryo development. In reviewing many studies on oviparous elasmobranchs, similar patterns emerge of habitat use during their early life history. To distinguish these distinct habitats, appropriate terminology is proposed. Egg case nursery is suggested for areas of egg deposition and juvenile nursery is suggested for areas where juveniles aggregate after emergence. Criteria to describe each habitat type are outlined.
Inborn Errors of Metabolism Combined with External Ophthalmoplegia in 9 Children

Objective To explore the clinical features,laboratory tests and diagnosis in children with inborn erorrs of metabolism combined with external ophthalmoplegia. Methods The clinical data of 9 patients with inborn errors of metabolism combined with external ophthalmoplegia were retorspectively analyzed,including history taking,clinical symptom,medical examination,blood analysis,gaschromato graphy-mas spectrometry(GC/MS),muscle biopsy,chondriogene detection,imageology and electrophysiological examination. Results Only 1 case was admissed according to the history of seeing not pure provided by parents.Mental retardation was found in all patients,seizures in 5 patients,comas in 3 patients,abnormal walking posture in 2 patients,behavior disorder in 1 patient.The laboratory findings showed metabolic acidosis in 3 cases,elevated plasma lactic acid in 4 cases,elevated cardiac enzymes in 3 cases,high plasma levels of very long chain fatty acids in 2 patients,abnormal ceruloplasmin and urinary copper excretion in 1 case.MRI of 9 patients showed changes in different forms.Video electroencephalogrram was performed in 8 cases,2 cases of them showed normal results and 6 cases of them showed abnormal results.Ectrocardiographic findings were abnormal in 3 patients.Muscle biopsys were abnormal in 2 patients,mitochondrial gene of 2 cases were positive. Conclusions External ophthalmoplegia is one of the signs of inborn errors of metabolism.We should consider metabolic disorder when this sympotom appeared and carry out the screeing early to avoid missed diagnosis.
Long-term results of microvascular free-tissue transfer reanimation of the paralyzed face: Three cases:

We conducted a retrospective case review at our tertiary care academic medical center to assess the long-term results of microvascular free-tissue transfer to achieve facial reanimation in 3 patients. These patients had undergone wide-field parotidectomy with facial nerve resection. Upper facial reanimation was accomplished with a proximal facial nerve-sural nerve graft, and lower facial movement was achieved through proximal facial nerve-long thoracic (serratus muscle) nerve anastomosis. Outcomes were determined by grading postoperative facial nerve function according to the House-Brackmann system. All 3 patients were able to close their eyes independent of lower facial movement, and all 3 had achieved House-Brackmann grade III function. We conclude that reanimating the paralyzed face with microvascular free-tissue transfer provides anatomic coverage and mimetic function after wide-field parotidectomy. Synkinesis is reduced by separating upper- and lower-division reanimation.
Chapter 20 – Analysis of the Organic Substance of Coals: Problems Posed by the Presence of Mineral Matter

Publisher Summary Coal may be defined as an organic rock composed of an assembly of macerals, minerals, and inorganic elements held molecularly by the organic matter. This chapter discusses the reactivity of coal mineral matter, information required for a dry mineral-matter-free (dmmf) analysis, and optimum and approximate procedures for computing dmmf analyses. The chapter discusses methods of determining oxygen directly. The oxygen is present in coals in various functional groups that play important roles in the chemistry and geochemistry of the fuel. Thus, part of the oxygen is phenolic. The chapter also discusses the participation by mineral matter in reactions of the organic substance of coals to alert users of hazards that may be anticipated, and to indicate how the hazards may be avoided or eliminated.
Active-type solar heating systems for houses: a technology in ferment

We are still in the romantic, wide-open inventing stage. Every month, new solar heating systems are invented and proclaimed. Some appear successful technically and economically. Most are too expensive
Compound 49b Restores Retinal Thickness and Reduces Degenerate Capillaries in the Rat Retina following Ischemia/Reperfusion

We have recently reported that Compound 49b, a novel β-adrenergic receptor agonist, can significantly reduce VEGF levels in retinal endothelial cells (REC) grown in diabetic-like conditions. In this study, we investigated whether Compound 49b could protect the retina under hypoxic conditions using the ischemia-reperfusion (I/R)-induced model in rats, as well REC cultured in hypoxic conditions. Some rats received 1mM topical Compound 49b for the 2 (5 rats each group) or 10 (4 rats in each group) days post-I/R. Analyses for retinal thickness and cell loss in the ganglion cell layer was done at 2 days post-I/R, while numbers of degenerate capillaries and pericyte ghosts were measured at 10 days post-I/R. Additionally, REC were cultured in normal oxygen or hypoxia (5% O2) only or treated with 50 nM Compound 49b for 12 hours. Twelve hours after Compound 49b exposure, cells were collected and analyzed for protein levels of insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3), vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor (KDR), angiopoietin 1 and its receptor Tie2 for Western blotting. Data indicate that exposure to I/R significantly decreased retinal thickness, with increasing numbers of degenerate capillaries and pericyte ghosts. Compound 49b treatment inhibited these retinal changes. In REC cultured in hypoxia, levels of IGFBP-3 were reduced, which were significantly increased by Compound 49b. Hypoxia significantly increased protein levels of VEGF, KDR, Angiopoiein 1, and Tie2, which were reduced following Compound 49b treatment. These data strongly suggested that Compound 49b protected the retina against I/R-induced injury. This provides additional support for a role of β-adrenergic receptor actions in the retina.
Optical gradient force assist maneuver

We describe an energy transfer process whereby a moving particle loses (or gains) kinetic energy upon interacting with the moving optical potential of a swept beam of light. This approach is akin to a gravitational assist maneuver for interplanetary satellite propulsion. Special consideration is given to the stopping condition. For analytical convenience, we examine the Rayleigh scattering regime, providing examples at small and large scattering angles. A 5% uncertainty in the initial particle speed and position has negligible effect on the slowing/speeding ability when the beam size is much larger than the particle.
Domain-Z: 28 Registrations Later Measuring the Exploitation of Residual Trust in Domains

Any individual that re-registers an expired domain implicitly inherits the residual trust associated with the domain's prior use. We find that adversaries can, and do, use malicious re-registration to exploit domain ownership changes -- undermining the security of both users and systems. In fact, we find that many seemingly disparate security problems share a root cause in residual domain trust abuse. With this study we shed light on the seemingly unnoticed problem of residual domain trust by measuring the scope and growth of this abuse over the past six years. During this time, we identified 27,758 domains from public blacklists and 238,279 domains resolved by malware that expired and then were maliciously re-registered. To help address this problem, we propose a technical remedy and discuss several policy remedies. For the former, we develop Alembic, a lightweight algorithm that uses only passive observations from the Domain Name System (DNS) to flag potential domain ownership changes. We identify several instances of residual trust abuse using this algorithm, including an expired APT domain that could be used to revive existing infections.
An interactive telemedicine system for remote speech-language pathology treatment

There is significant potential for delivering speech-language pathology services using telemedicine methods. However, current telemedicine and videoconferencing equipment has limitations that constrain the speech-language therapeutic interventions that can be delivered remotely. This work aimed to develop a telemedicine system that would extend the capabilities of existing videoconferencing equipment and integrate an array of clinically relevant and validated therapeutic tools and techniques. Through a user-centered iterative design framework, an earlier prototype system was expanded and enhanced to enable greater interaction between a speech-language clinician and client during a telemedicine session. The final system utilizes H.323 Internet-based videoconferencing with integrated T.120 data sharing features and allows for a wide range of treatment material and therapeutic interventions to be delivered to a remote client. The protocol for a case-study evaluation designed to evaluate the system as a means for providing comprehensive speech-language treatment has been developed and testing is underway. Preliminary results indicate that the system is a viable alternative to face-to-face treatment for adult clients with neurological impairments.
Sodium leak through K2P potassium channels and cardiac arrhythmia, an emerging theme

In this issue of EMBO Molecular Medicine , Decher et al ([2017][1]) identify a point mutation in the K2P2 (TREK‐1) potassium (K+) channel that changes function in just those ways expected to predispose to right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) ventricular tachycardia (VT) in the patient they study. Whereas wild‐type channels are selective for K+ and inhibited by β‐adrenergic stimulation, mutant I267T channels pass sodium (Na+) into the cells, even during β‐adrenergic stimulation, and are more active in response to membrane stretch, changes predicted to enhance cardiac myocyte excitability. The report contributes to accumulating evidence for Na+ leak via K2P channels in association with normal development (Thomas et al , [2008][2]), acquired arrhythmia (Ma et al , [2011][3]), and now a missense mutation. Decher et al ([2017][1]) both inform and direct us toward interesting opportunities for further investigation. [1]: #ref-4 [2]: #ref-11 [3]: #ref-8
Medical Management of Patients With a Left Ventricular Assist Device for the Non-Left Ventricular Assist Device Specialist.

More than 2,400 continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are implanted each year in the United States alone. Both the number of patients living with LVADs and the life expectancy of these patients are increasing. As a result, patients with LVADs are increasingly encountered by non-LVAD specialists who do not have training in managing advanced heart failure for general medical care, cardiovascular procedures, and other subspecialty care. An understanding of the initial evaluation and management of patients with LVADs is now an essential skill for many health care providers. In this State-of-the-Art Review, we discuss current LVAD technology, summarize our clinical experience with LVADs, and review the current data for the medical management of patients living with LVADs.
Effects of Increased Arterial Stiffness on Atherosclerotic Plaque Amounts

Increased arterial stiffness is associated with atherosclerosis in humans, but there have been limited animal studies investigating the relationship between these factors. We bred elastin wildtype (Eln+/+) and heterozygous (Eln+/-) mice to apolipoprotein E wildtype (Apoe+/+) and knockout (Apoe-/-) mice and fed them normal diet (ND) or Western diet (WD) for 12 weeks. Eln+/- mice have increased arterial stiffness. Apoe-/- mice develop atherosclerosis on ND that is accelerated by WD. It has been reported that Apoe-/- mice have increased arterial stiffness and that the increased stiffness may play a role in atherosclerotic plaque progression. We found that Eln+/+Apoe-/- arterial stiffness is similar to Eln+/+Apoe+/+ mice at physiologic pressures, suggesting that changes in stiffness do not play a role in atherosclerotic plaque progression in Apoe-/- mice. We found that Eln+/-Apoe-/- mice have increased structural arterial stiffness compared to Eln+/+Apoe-/- mice, but they only have increased amounts of ascending aortic plaque on ND, not WD. The results suggest a change in atherosclerosis progression but not end stage disease in Eln+/-Apoe-/- mice due to increased arterial stiffness. Possible contributing factors include increased blood pressure and changes in circulating levels of interleukin-6 (IL6) and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) that are also associated with Eln+/- genotype.
Comparison of 4 different gamma cameras in pinhole collimator imaging of a thyroid phantom with I-131 and Tc-99m

2535 Objectives Pinhole collimators (PC) are considered standard for imaging of small skeletal structures, organs and research animals. Manufacturer differences in PC design (aperture, length of cone and amount/composition of material) require specific acquisition parameters to ensure standard quality images. This study’s goal was to evaluate PC images of thyroid phantoms for Technetium-99m (Tc) and Iodine-131 (RI) with 4 different gamma camera systems. Methods A Picker Nuclear thyroid phantom with a hot nodule (12mm) and cold nodules (6, 9 and 12mm) was filled with an aqueous solution of 9.5MBq of Tc and at another time, 2.22MBq of RI. Four gamma cameras were used with similar aperture size: Philips BrightView(BV) (4mm), Hitachi RZ1024(RZ) (4.5mm), GE Infinia(IF) and Millennium(MG) (both 4.45mm). Images of the phantom were acquired with parameters used clinically: 128x128 matrix, a count level consistent with patient data, 6cm collimator to phantom distance and appropriate zoom to yield similar magnification. Image profiles were placed across each nodule to obtain minimum and maximum counts (CNT) for contrast analysis: Contrast = (CNTmax - CNTmin)/(CNTmax + CNTmin). Average contrast of the cold spheres was calculated for Tc and RI. Results RZ image contrast was best for RI for all nodules followed by BV. BV had the best overall contrast for Tc with RZ being a close second. The IF and MG systems had lowest contrast for both RI and Tc. Conclusions RZ and BV gamma camera PC systems provided better contrast compared to either IF or MG systems. These differences demonstrate that the evaluation of contrast in PC images is necessary to ensure appropriate selection of PC gamma camera systems for any desired radionuclide
Some Bayesian and multivariate analysis methods in statistical machine learning and applications

The local curvature characterizes a smooth function’s shape. For the purpose of sampling a target distribution, the local curvature of the corresponding probability density function is particularly informative. We propose an adaptive Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm based on the Metropolis-Hastings (MH) probability transition kernel and the local curvature of a target density. A bounded Gaussian calibration strategy for the proposed algorithm is motivated by the relationship between the acceptance rate and the tuning parameter of the proposal distribution in an MH algorithm for sampling a standard normal distribution. The proposed algorithm balances the expected acceptance rate against the mobility of the algorithm across the state space. Simulation studies demonstrate that the proposed algorithm provides good performance when sampling densities with highly variable local curvatures (such as mixture distributions). Theoretical convergence results are presented for the proposed algorithm.
Hydraulics of Subglacial Cavities

A theoretical model is developed to describe the steady-state behavior of interconnected, water-filled cavities at the glacier bed. Physically plausible cavities should contain constrictions along the flow path, with flow in the wider sections being relatively sluggish. Mean flow rates in cavities may be at least one order of magnitude less than in channels incised into the basal ice (R channels). Melting due to viscous dissipation - the process that allows R channels to exist - probably plays a minor or negligible role, as compared to glacier sliding, in determining the size of cavities. Furthermore, a system of subglacial cavities should not show a tendency for localization of flow in a few main conduits, as does an R-channel system. If water pressure rises to within several bars of overburden pressure, the rate of cavity closure by creep falls below the rate of cavity opening by sliding and melting, with cavities then becoming unstable. Subsequent evolution of the drainage system should depend upon the total melt-water flux. Circumstances may arise in which cavities and channels act as conduits for melt water; such a configuration would probably show unusual transient behavior.
Family Language Policy from the Children’s Point of View: Bilingualism in Place and Time

Studies in family language policy (FLP) point to the important role children play in negotiating and shaping parents’ language ideologies and practices. This chapter focuses on how adult children perceive themselves as agents in shaping FLP and how they represent their own processes of becoming bilingual with an emphasis on experiences children had outside of the home that shaped their bilingual identities.
Education for Direct Practice

The current state of education far practice is explored. The tension that has existed between the educational system and the profession is reviewed historically and in its current expression. The a...
Concomitant variability in high-latitude aerosols, water isotopes and the hydrologic cycle

The interpretation of ice-core records rests on understanding the processes affecting trace constituents of the atmosphere that are preserved in ice. Stable-isotope ratios of ice are widely used as a palaeothermometer, an interpretation backed by well-established theory. In contrast, the interpretation of aerosols such as mineral dust and sea salts has remained a topic of debate. Here, we demonstrate that both the fractionation of water isotopes and the scavenging of aerosols are fundamentally driven by the same process, the condensation of water from the atmosphere. Water isotope ratios and aerosol concentrations in ice cores are remarkably coherent on all timescales longer than a few centuries. This shared low-frequency variability is dominated by the essential physics of the hydrologic cycle, which also accounts for the difference in variability between marine- and terrestrial-sourced aerosols in ice cores, as well as the global spatial pattern of aerosol changes recorded in both marine sediments and ice. These results have implications for past changes in radiative forcing and other fundamental aspects of climate, such as polar amplification, which are imprinted on the relationships between these proxy records. On timescales of centuries and longer, aerosol concentrations in Antarctic ice are controlled by changes in the nature of mid- and high-latitude precipitation, according to analyses of palaeoclimate data.
Jewish Population in the United States, 2012

This chapter provides estimates of the Jewish population for about 900 American Jewish communities as well as estimates for the country as a whole, states, regions and Metropolitan Statistical Areas. It documents a major shift of American Jewry over the past four decades from the Northeast to the West and the South, with little change in the Midwest. These changes are due to significant decreases in Jewish population in New York and Pennsylvania and significant increases in California, Florida, Georgia, and other southern and western states. Also, presented are major findings from a recent study in Richmond (VA), comparisons about Jewish communities on percentage Jewish and geographic concentration, and maps of Jews in Illinois and the Maryland/Delaware area.
Contrasting effects of high‐intensity photosynthetically active radiation on two bloom‐forming dinoflagellates

While light limitation can inhibit bloom formation in dinoflagellates, the potential for high-intensity photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) to inhibit blooms by causing stress or damage has not been well-studied. We measured the effects of high-intensity PAR on the bloom-forming dinoflagellates Alexandrium fundyense and Heterocapsa rotundata. Various physiological parameters (photosynthetic efficiency Fv /Fm , cell permeability, dimethylsulfoniopropionate [DMSP], cell volume, and chlorophyll-a content) were measured before and after exposure to high-intensity natural sunlight in short-term light stress experiments. In addition, photosynthesis-irradiance (P-E) responses were compared for cells grown at different light levels to assess the capacity for photophysiological acclimation in each species. Experiments revealed distinct species-specific responses to high PAR. While high light decreased Fv /Fm in both species, A. fundyense showed little additional evidence of light stress in short-term experiments, although increased membrane permeability and intracellular DMSP indicated a response to handling. P-E responses further indicated a high light-adapted species with Chl-a inversely proportional to growth irradiance and no evidence of photoinhibition; reduced maximum per-cell photosynthesis rates suggest a trade-off between photoprotection and C fixation in high light-acclimated cells. Heterocapsa rotundata cells, in contrast, swelled in response to high light and sometimes lysed in short-term experiments, releasing DMSP. P-E responses confirmed a low light-adapted species with high photosynthetic efficiencies associated with trade-offs in the form of substantial photoinhibition and a lack of plasticity in Chl-a content. These contrasting responses illustrate that high light constrains dinoflagellate community composition through species-specific stress effects, with consequences for bloom formation and ecological interactions within the plankton.
Cholesterol Biosynthesis and Uptake in Developing Neurons

Brain cholesterol biosynthesis, a separate and distinct process from whole-body cholesterol homeostasis, starts during embryonic development. To gain a better understanding of the neuronal and glial contributions to the brain cholesterol pool, we studied this process in control, Dhcr7-/-, and Dhcr24-/- cell cultures. Our LC-MS/MS method allowed us to measure several different sterol intermediates and cholesterol during neuronal differentiation. We found that developing cortical neurons rely on endogenous cholesterol synthesis and utilize ApoE-complexed cholesterol and sterol precursors from their surroundings. Both developing neurons and astrocytes release cholesterol into their local environment. Our studies also uncovered that developing neurons produced significantly higher amounts of cholesterol per cell than the astrocytes. Finally, we established that both neurons and astroglia preferentially use the Bloch sterol biosynthesis pathway, where desmosterol is the immediate precursor to cholesterol. Overall, our studies suggest that endogenous sterol synthesis in developing neurons is a critical and complexly regulated homeostatic process during brain development.
Comprehensive nursinginterventions during perioperation period of renal biopsy in children

：Objective To explore theimpact of nursing interventions during perioperation period of renal biopsy in children.Methods 120 patients were divided to intervention group and control group. Patients ofintervention group received comprehensive interventions including health education, touch,psychological intervention and behavior intervention while those of control group receivedusual nursing intervention.Psychological state before operation, puncture success rate,co-operation level, and complications after operation were observed and compared betweentwo groups. Results Compared with the control group, the intervention group had fewerpsychological problems and fewer complications after operation while the puncture successrate and co-operation level were higher than those in the control group. Co-operationlevel of patients was significantly related to age but was not significantly related togender. Conclusions Effective comprehensive nursing intervention during perioperationperiod of renal biopsy in childrencan improve the puncture success rate and decreaseaccident of complications after operation.
Abstract 6077: The role of STAT3 and Snai2 in ovarian cancer metastasis

Ovarian cancer remains a deadly disease due in part to ovarian cancer metastasis. Recent work has demonstrated that ovarian cancer forms clusters of cells (spheroids) that attach to the peritoneum by clearing the mesothelial cell layer and then invade the underlying matrix to metastasize. Understanding the key pathways and downstream transcription factors that are driving ovarian cancer metastasis may allow us to develop new therapies to treat metastatic ovarian cancer. Importantly, we have found that the STAT3 transcription factor is necessary for mesothelial clearance by ovarian spheroids. To identify key downstream STAT3 target genes involved in ovarian cancer metastasis, we analyzed publicly available STAT3 chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-seq datasets for genes associated with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. One of the genes that we identified was the transcriptional modulator Snai2 (Slug). To verify that Snai2 was downstream of STAT3, we transfected ovarian cancer cells with siRNA to STAT3 and analyzed Snai2 gene expression. We found reduced expression of Snai2 with siRNA to STAT3 suggesting that STAT3 upregulates Snai2 expression. To determine the effects of Snai2 on mesothelial clearance by ovarian spheroids, we transfected ovarian cancer cells with siRNA to Snai2 or control, generated spheroids, and performed a mesothelial clearance assay. We found that reduced expression of Snai2 decreased the ability of the ovarian cancer cells to clear the mesothelial cell layer suggesting that Snai2 plays an important role in the early stages of ovarian cancer metastasis. Recognizing that Snai2 is a transcriptional modulator, we were interested in determining if Snai2 affected STAT3 activity. Analysis of available Snai2 ChIP-seq data identified three putative Snai2 binding sites associated with the STAT3 gene, suggesting that Snai2 may also regulate STAT3 gene expression. To determine if Snai2 affects STAT3 gene expression, ovarian cancer cells were transfected with siRNA to Snai2 and STAT3 mRNA expression was analyzed. From this, we found that reducing Snai2 expression also reduced STAT3 expression. Taken together, our data suggests that STAT3 and Snai2 form a feedforward loop promoting upregulation of each other and together they promote the early stages of ovarian cancer metastasis. Therefore, developing an inhibitor to one of these transcription factors would affect both proteins and may be beneficial to prevent or treat metastatic ovarian cancer. Citation Format: David F. Walker, Sarah J. Lacroix, Yuri Makar, Sarah R. Walker. The role of STAT3 and Snai2 in ovarian cancer metastasis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 6077.
The Iraq war, partisanship, and candidate attributes: variation in partisan swing in the 2006 U.S. House elections

Although partisan swing is often assumed to be uniform across congressional districts, our analysis of the 2006 House elections demonstrates that systematic variation exists. In addition to incumbency status, partisanship, spending, and scandal, variation in the local salience of national issues across districts affects vote shifts in these districts. Notably, partisan swing in Republican districts proved highly sensitive to the number of Iraq war deaths from that district and, to a lesser degree, to the roll-call vote of Republican House members on the war resolution. These findings have implications for theories of anticipatory representation, retrospective voting, and electoral accountability.
Nanopore Flongle Sequencing as a Rapid, Single-Specimen Clinical Test for Fusion Detection

The identification of gene fusions is a cornerstone of diagnosis and treatment decision making for tumors of many forms and primary sites. Diverse molecular approaches are currently used for the molecular diagnosis of fusions, but few permit broad, partner agnostic detection of fusions over multiple potential targets. We previously described the combination of nanopore sequencing with the anchored multiplex PCR technique to permit a rapid testing paradigm. Recently, a new platform for nanopore sequencing has become publicly available, the Flongle flow cell from Oxford Nanopore Technologies, which offers lower throughput, but lower price testing. Here, we describe the results of retesting of 15 specimens previously tested with both Illumina and Oxford Nanopore Technologies MinION sequencing. Furthermore, we additionally blindly tested 13 specimens that had undergone clinical Illumina-based sequencing. The Flongle sequencing pipeline removed key complexities of a multiplexed nanopore sequencing protocol, reduced sequencing turnaround time, and showed excellent concordance with Illumina results. It was particularly strong in identifying notoriously difficult to detect CIC-DUX4 translocations. The Flongle sequencing pipeline may be the assay of choice for deployment in small- to medium-sized molecular laboratories.
Career pathways, part 5.

In this instalment of Career pathways, Kivanc Birsoy and Sarah Lessard recount their roads to scientific research and reflect on how each step in their training prepared them for life as a group leader.
Flights-to-Safety and Macroeconomic Adjustment in Emerging Markets: The Role of U.S. Monetary Policy

Sudden, asymmetric shifts in investor sentiment known as 'flights-to-safety' typically emanate from center economies but propagate globally. In the absence of policy intervention, these financial shocks can spill over and destabilize macroeconomic conditions in many countries. This paper explores these issues systematically over the 2000-2019 period, implementing a two-stage approach for measuring flights-to-safety originating in developed markets. First, tail realizations in asset returns are recovered from an asymmetric time-varying volatility model. Second, sign restrictions are imposed across assets to identify flights-to-safety from general changes in financial conditions. Estimates from a multi-country VAR show that flights-to-safety exhibit significant spillovers to emerging markets, inducing a rise in sovereign risk premia and exchange market pressure, and a drop in economic activity. Expansionary U.S. monetary policy shocks reduce these spillovers, suggesting that U.S. policy responses play an outsized role in shaping financial stability abroad.
Direct intercalation of MoS2 and WS2 thin films by vacuum filtration

In the development of next-generation electronics and energy devices, intercalation compounds of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are gaining attention for their unique properties that result from synergistic interactions between guest species and host materials. Nowadays, intercalation compounds of MoS2 and WS2 are commonly prepared by a two-step process: (1) exfoliation to form single-layer and/or few-layer nanosheets and (2) restacking the nanosheets with the guest species by vigorously mixing the exfoliated suspension with the solution of guest species. While a wide variety of intercalation compounds have been synthesized using this approach, the intercalation process is often time-consuming, and the product slurry limits material quality and impedes characterization and applications. Herein, we report a versatile method for preparing intercalated TMDCs in a thin-film morphology. Using this approach, we successfully prepared a range of existing intercalation compounds of MoS2 and WS2 (e.g., ferrocene and amine intercalated MoS2 and WS2). Additionally, by leveraging the versatility of this intercalation method, we intercalated phenazine and benzoquinone into MoS2 and WS2 for the first time.