cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Accelerated Infliximab Dosing Increases 30-Day Colectomy in Hospitalized Ulcerative Colitis Patients: A Propensity Score Analysis.

Background Standard outpatient induction dosing of infliximab (IFX) may not be effective in hospitalized ulcerative colitis (UC) patients with higher inflammatory burden and colectomy risk. Our aim was to determine whether initial IFX induction dose affects 30-day colectomy rate and other disease-related outcomes. Methods IFX-naive hospitalized UC patients receiving at least 1 inpatient 5 mg/kg (SD) or 10 mg/kg (HD) IFX induction dose were included. Baseline demographics and admission-related characteristics were documented. Propensity score based matching was used to control for provider bias introduced due to nonprotocolized choice of IFX dose. The primary outcome was 30-day colectomy; secondary outcomes included the need for an accelerated induction IFX (AD), length of stay (LOS), 90-day and 1-year colectomy, and complications. Results Of 146 (120 SD/26 HD) patients included, 25 (17.1%) underwent colectomy by 30 days, 33 (22.6%) by 90 days, and 41 (28.1%) by 1 year. In 21 propensity score matched dyads (n = 42) treated with SD or HD, colectomy rates and LOS were similar. SD patients more often needed AD (23.8% vs. 0%, P = 0.048) and AD patients progressed to colectomy more rapidly within 30 days compared to non-AD (P = 0.001). Female sex and hypoalbuminemia were associated with significantly increased odds of needing AD on both univariate and multivariate analyses. Conclusions In our propensity score based analysis, receiving accelerated IFX dosing after an initial SD infusion was associated with significantly higher 30-day colectomy rates in hospitalized acute UC patients. The most effective dosing strategy in this population remains unclear and prospective randomized studies are needed.
Left-corner unification-based natural language processing

In this paper, we present an efficient algorithm for parsing natural language using unification grammars. The algorithm is an extension of left-corner parsing, a bottom-up algorithm which utilizes top-down expectations. The extension exploits unification grammar's uniform representation of syntactic, semantic, and domain knowledge, by incorporating all types of grammatical knowledge into parser expectations. In particular, we extend the notion of the reochcsbility table, which provides information as to whether or not a top-down expectation can be realized by a potential subconstituent, by including all types of grammatical information in table entries, rather than just phrase structure information. While our algorithm's worstcase computational complexity is no better than that of many other algorithms, we present empirical testing in which average-case linear time performance is achieved. Our testing indicates this to be much improved average-case performance over previous leftcorner techniques.
Purification of Rabies Virus and Its Subunits

This chapter describes basic techniques for the purification of rabies virus (RABV) particles and their subunits. Small- and large-scale purification methods are presented that allow the purification of RABV particles from tissue culture supernatants to near homogeneity. In addition, methods are described to separate and purify biologically active viral subunits such as the nucleoprotein (N) and the glycoprotein (G) from purified virus particles or from cells expressing the N or the G. Because the antigenicity of RABV-associated G or N is largely retained in the recombinant expressed G or N, these proteins have great utility for the detection and quantification of RABV-specific antibodies.
Microstructural Evolution and Mechanical Behavior of Heat Treated Ti-6Al-4V Powders

Plasma-atomized Ti-6Al-4V powder is widely used in a variety of powder-based manufacturing technologies due to its attractive properties. In many cases there is a desire to modify the microstructure of the as-atomized powder via heat treatment, to improve manufacturing characteristics (e.g., deformability in the case of cold spray deposition). Microstructure characterization of as-received and heat treated plasma-atomized Ti-6Al-4V powder was performed using optical microscopy and x-ray diffraction. Additionally, heat treated powder was characterized using back-scatter electron imaging and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. The as-received powder was characterized by martensitic alpha grain structures, while the heat treated powder was characterized by either equiaxed alpha or lamellar alpha phase grains, with intergranular beta phase structures. Bulk Ti-6Al-4V was heat treated similar to powders to establish a control, for effective comparison. Microstructure characterization of bulk Ti-6Al-4V using optical microscopy revealed a bright oxygen-rich region, also known as alpha case, near the surface with microstructures resembling heat treated powder. Hardness of the powder and bulk sample was evaluated using Vickers microhardness testing. The hardness values for the alpha case in bulk Ti-6Al-4V correlated with the hardness of heat treated powder and were twice as hard when compared to as-received powder. Overall, this study demonstrated the conversion of powders to alpha case, even during heat treatment in argon with close oxygen control.
A Systematic Review in Support of the National Consensus Project Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care, Fourth Edition

Abstract Context Palliative care continues to be a rapidly growing field aimed at improving quality of life for patients and their caregivers. Objectives The purpose of this review was to provide a synthesis of the evidence in palliative care to inform the fourth edition of the National Consensus Project Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care. Methods Ten key review questions addressing eight content domains guided a systematic review focused on palliative care interventions. We searched eight databases in February 2018 for systematic reviews published in English from 2013, after the last edition of National Consensus Project guidelines was published, to present. Experienced literature reviewers screened, abstracted, and appraised data per a detailed protocol registered in PROSPERO. The quality of evidence was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations criteria. The review was supported by a technical expert panel. Results We identified 139 systematic reviews meeting inclusion criteria. Reviews addressed the structure and process of care (interdisciplinary team care, 13 reviews; care coordination, 18 reviews); physical aspects (48 reviews); psychological aspects (26 reviews); social aspects (two reviews); spiritual, religious, and existential aspects (11 reviews); cultural aspects (three reviews); care of the patient nearing the end of life (grief/bereavement programs, six reviews; final days of life, two reviews); ethical and legal aspects (36 reviews). Conclusion A substantial body of evidence exists to support clinical practice guidelines for quality palliative care, but the quality of evidence is limited.
Improving CHA2DS2-VASc stratification of non-fatal stroke and mortality risk using the Intermountain Mortality Risk Score among patients with atrial fibrillation

Background Oral anticoagulation (OAC) therapy guidelines recommend using CHA2DS2-VASc to determine OAC need in atrial fibrillation (AF). A usable tool, CHA2DS2-VASc is challenged by its predictive ability. Applying components of the complete blood count and basic metabolic profile, the Intermountain Mortality Risk Score (IMRS) has been extensively validated. This study evaluated whether use of IMRS with CHA2DS2-VASc in patients with AF improves prediction. Methods Patients with AF undergoing cardiac catheterisation (N=10 077) were followed for non-fatal stroke and mortality (mean 5.8±4.1 years, maximum 19 years). CHA2DS2-VASc and IMRS were calculated at baseline. IMRS categories were defined based on previously defined criteria. Cox regression was adjusted for demographic, clinical and treatment variables not included in IMRS or CHA2DS2-VASc. Results In women (n=4122, mean age 71±12 years), the composite of non-fatal stroke/mortality was stratified (all p-trend 2: 48.1%) and IMRS (low: 17.8%, moderate: 40.9%, high risk: 64.5%), as it was for men (n=5955, mean age 68±12 years) by CHA2DS2-VASc ( 2: 51.8%) and IMRS (low: 19.0%, moderate: 42.0%, high risk: 65.9%). IMRS stratified stroke/mortality (all p-trend Conclusions Using IMRS jointly with CHA2DS2-VASc in patients with AF improved the prediction of stroke and mortality. For example, in patients at the OAC treatment threshold (CHA2DS2 -VASc = 2), IMRS provided ≈4-fold separation between low and high risk. IMRS provides an enhancing marker for risk in patients with AF that reflects the underlying systemic nature of this disease that may be considered in combination with the CHA2DS2-VASc score.
A case of incidental endometrial adenocarcinoma diagnosed in early pregnancy and managed conservatively

Abstract We report a 29-year old nulliparous woman diagnosed with a grade 1 endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the endometrium arising from an atypical polypoid adenomyoma, while being investigated for a suspected threatened miscarriage at 7 weeks gestation. She presented complaining of vaginal bleeding and a small amount of soft tissue in the cervical os was found and sent for histology. An ultrasound scan was performed, which confirmed an intrauterine ongoing pregnancy. The patient had no further episodes of unscheduled bleeding. After the confirmed histological diagnosis an MRI scan was requested, and there were no evidence of myometrial invasion or distant metastasis. The patient was seen at each trimester, remained asymptomatic throughout the pregnancy and had a normal delivery at term. There was no evidence of any residual endometrioid adenocarcinoma in the post-delivery specimen. Six weeks post-natally an endometrial biopsy was performed, which was normal. She is still in remission over a period of 8 years follow-up. Endometrial adenocarcinoma in young pregnant women is a rare clinical circumstance. This case shows that conservative management in young women is possible including in a case of an incidental diagnosis in pregnancy.
Label-independent flow cytometry and unsupervised neural network method for de novo clustering of cell populations

Abstract Image-based cell classification has become a common tool to identify phenotypic changes in cells. To date, these approaches are limited to model organisms with species-specific reagents available for cell phenotype identification, clustering and neural network training. Here we present Image3C (Image-Cytometry Cell Classification), a tool that enables cell clustering based on their intrinsic phenotypic features, combining image-based flowcytometry with cell cluster analysis and neural network integration. Using Image3C we recapitulated zebrafish hematopoietic cell lineages and identified cells with specific functions (phagocytes), whose abundance is comparable between treatments. To test Image3C versatility, we performed the same analyses on hemocytes of the snail Pomacea canaliculata obtaining results consistent with those collected by classical histochemical approaches. The convolutional neural network, then, uses Image3C clusters and image-based flowcytometry data to analyze large experimental datasets in an unsupervised high-throughput fashion. This tool will allow analysis of cell population composition on any species of interest.
Shock Compression of Ductile Polycrystals

Modeling of shock compression of isotropic, polycrystalline elastic-plastic solids that deform by dislocation glide is undertaken. General governing equations are presented in forms referred to the thermoelastically unloaded intermediate configuration. Internal energy density of the material depends on a thermoelastic Eulerian strain tensor, entropy, and an internal state variable representative of dislocation density. Dislocation glide is incompressible, but inelastic volume changes arising from residual local strain fields and core effects of dislocations are captured. A numerical method is advanced for extracting inelastic constitutive response information from particle velocity histories of polycrystalline samples under planar shock loading. The only parameters entering the procedure are fundamental thermoelastic properties and assumed bounds on the fraction of plastic work corresponding to energy storage of generated dislocations in the lattice. Densities of statistically stored and geometrically necessary dislocations, in addition to shear stress, plastic strain, plastic strain rate, and temperature, are an outcome of the analysis. The model is implemented for polycrystalline aluminum and copper. Certain results are compared with others in the literature obtained under different kinematic and thermodynamic assumptions.
Emotion socialization, social connectedness and internalizing symptoms in emerging adults

Abstract Internalizing disorders represent a substantial public health burden in the United States, and recent studies have focused on identifying factors related to internalizing symptoms (IS) in emerging adults (EA). The current study utilizes Structural Equation Modeling to examine the associations between parental psychopathology, recalled parent emotion socialization (ES), EA perception of social connectedness (SC), and EA IS in a comprehensive model with a single informant EA sample (N = 249). The current investigation considers the impact of parent gender on the models predicting EA IS. Results suggest that parental psychopathology is associated with specific ES behaviors, and SC serves as a mediator of the relation between some parental ES responses (i.e., paternal neglect) and EA IS. By incorporating these important elements in a parsimonious model, this study has identified potentially malleable factors related to EA IS, which have important implications for intervention and prevention programming in the family context.
What Does Self-Care Look like for Online Graduate Mental Health Counseling Students?

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this article is to highlight what self-care looks like for online graduate mental health counseling students and implications for counselor educators. Results come from a pro...
Sluggish Cognitive Tempo and Depressive Symptoms in Children and Adolescents Predict Adulthood Psychopathology.

Sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) is characterized by behavioral symptoms reflecting slowness and lethargy (e.g., sluggishness, appearing sleepy) and inconsistent alertness/mental confusion (e.g., daydreaming, fogginess). SCT is substantially correlated with the inattentive symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and may be part of that domain, but in cross-sectional data, SCT is also strongly associated with both inattention and depression. To date, no study has examined the prospective associations of SCT symptoms in childhood/adolescence with symptoms of ADHD and internalizing problems in adulthood. Using a sample of 449 twin children and adolescent pairs, prospective multiple regression analyses examined whether self- and parent-reported SCT, depression, and parent-reported symptoms of ADHD predicted symptoms in adulthood 12 years later. SCT and depression at time one were strongly correlated (self-reported SCT and depression r = 0.84; parent-reported SCT and depression r = 0.78). When adult outcomes were separately regressed on each youth symptom dimension, self-reported SCT (β = 0.26, p < 0.0001) and depression (β = 0.13, p < 0.0001) each predicted adult symptoms of depression and self-reported SCT predicted inattention (β = 0.12, p = 0.0026). Parent-reported depression, but not parent-reported SCT, predicted self-reported adult depression symptoms (β = 0.17, p = 0.0003). In contrast, when each adult outcome was regressed simultaneously on youth self-reported SCT and depression, neither predicted adulthood inattention or depression. These findings indicate that SCT in childhood and adolescence is strongly associated concurrently and predictively with both inattention and depression. Theoretical and clinical applications of the construct of SCT must take its robust association with both inattention and depression into account.
Detection and Localization of Facial Expression Manipulations.

Concern regarding the wide-spread use of fraudulent images/videos in social media necessitates precise detection of such fraud. The importance of facial expressions in communication is widely known, and adversarial attacks often focus on manipulating the expression related features. Thus, it is important to develop methods that can detect manipulations in facial expressions, and localize the manipulated regions. To address this problem, we propose a framework that is able to detect manipulations in facial expression using a close combination of facial expression recognition and image manipulation methods. With the addition of feature maps extracted from the facial expression recognition framework, our manipulation detector is able to localize the manipulated region. We show that, on the Face2Face dataset, where there is abundant expression manipulation, our method achieves over 3% higher accuracy for both classification and localization of manipulations compared to state-of-the-art methods. In addition, results on the NeuralTextures dataset where the facial expressions corresponding to the mouth regions have been modified, show 2% higher accuracy in both classification and localization of manipulation. We demonstrate that the method performs at-par with the state-of-the-art methods in cases where the expression is not manipulated, but rather the identity is changed, thus ensuring generalizability of the approach.
Frankfort Mandibular Plane Angle: Critically Appraised Topic (CAT).

Purpose The objective of this Critically Appraised Topic was to determine the level of evidence relative to the usefulness of the Frankfort mandibular plane angle in prosthodontic treatment. Materials and methods The Patient Intervention Comparison Outcome (PICO) mesh heading received zero PubMed references, as did Frankfort Mandibular Plane Angle (FMA) as a determinant for dental occlusion and Frankfort Mandibular Plane Angle as a determinant of the occlusal scheme. Frankfort Mandibular Plane Angle alone received 168 PubMed citations that highlighted 2 DiPietro articles and a third from the orthodontics literature which was a Randomized Controlled Trial not relevant to the PICO. Four others, three prosthodontic and one orthodontic publication, were related to the PICO. A Google search revealed one additional article, which was a narrative review. Results Nine articles were related to the search, 2 of which were clinical trials that revealed no evidence to support the use of FMA as a diagnostic test. Conclusion Based on the limited data presented above, there is a lack of evidence to support the use of FMA as a diagnostic procedure to predict outcomes, or dictate prosthodontic treatment.
Is Work a Burden? The Role of the Living Standard

Many mainstream schools of economics argue that work is a burden, while nonmainstream schools argue that this might not be entirely true. This paper aims to reconcile the differences by suggesting that individuals will balance income and leisure only after the necessary expense for their current living standard is met. Thus, whether work is a burden depends upon two criteria. (1) In terms of marginal utility, before (after) such expense is met, the marginal utility per labor hour is positive (negative), i.e., work is not (is) a burden. (2) In terms of total utility, the total utility provided by labor is positive, i.e., work is not a burden. Three applications show that the above explanation can reconcile different historical perspectives, explain various discrepancies about labor supply between neoclassical theory predictions and empirical findings, and reconcile the different interpretations about lottery winners’ labor supply.
Study of Association Between Different Coronary Artery Disease Presentations and Its Effect on Short-Term Mortality, Readmission, and Cost in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Interventions.

Introduction Atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD) is the major cause of mortality in the USA. CAD requiring percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) can have a wide spectrum of presentations. We reviewed the cost of admission and PCI at the tertiary care center stratified for different CAD presentation types. Methods We performed a retrospective study of 7,389 patients undergoing coronary angiogram at our facility from 2015 to 2017. Patients were selected from CathPCI registry. Chart review was done for readmission and death data. Cost data were provided by the finance department. Patients going for coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) were excluded. We split the patients based on their need for PCI. Cost analysis was based on CAD presentation types (No symptoms, atypical symptoms, stable angina, unstable angina, NSTEMI [non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction], STEMI [ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction]). Adjusted linear regression was run for the outcomes. Primary outcomes were 30-day readmission and death. The secondary outcome was cost of admission. Results The final sample size was 6,403. The mean age was 65.6 years (SD: 12.5; male: 63.8%). 2444 required PCI (38%; p < 0.001). PCI group had lower mean age (62.5 years; SD: 12.3, p<0.001) with lower BMI (30.6 vs 31.1, p=0.015). PCI group had significantly lower odds for 30-day readmission (OR: 0.63; CI: 0.45-0.89; p=0.009) and 30-day mortality (OR:0.60; CI: 0.41-0.89; p = 0.011). A severe presentation increased the odds of getting PCI. Cost of admission was higher in all groups receiving PCI. Conclusions PCI group had better 30-day readmission and mortality rates. PCI increases the cost of admission in all CAD types.
Development of a Pulse-Echo Ultrasonic Squirter for Detection of First Layer Delamination in Composite Structures

Inspection of advanced composite structures often requires the use of ultrasonic water squirter systems. These systems usually utilize through-transmission techniques to detect delaminations and other internal flaws. Through-transmission techniques are useful in detecting the presence of these flaws but cannot provide information as to the through-wall thickness location of the flaw. A pulse-echo squirter system can provide the capability to both detect and locate in the through-wall dimension the presence of delaminations. However, in the past, the turbulence usually generated in water squirter systems has made it impossible to do pulse-echo inspections. This was especially true for finding near-surface defects.
Polysemy, sovereignty, and global discourse: a response to Filippo Costa-Buranelli

This is a reply to:Costa-Buranelli, Filippo. 2015. “‘Do you know what I mean?’ ‘Not exactly’: English School, Global International Society and the Polysemy of Institutions.” Global Discourse 5 (3): 499–514. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1080/23269995.2015.1053195
High volume applications for GaAs microwave and millimeter-wave ICs in military systems

An assessment of the military need for the various systems and the requisite affordability threshold is discussed. Existing military systems can be modified to benefit from GaAs IC insertion. The modifications can be accomplished by either of two methods. Both can present problems to slow the insertion process and to add unexpected cost. On the other hand, insertion into systems under development can be accomplished in a relatively straightforward manner. Experience acquired from current insertion activities is described for both retrofit and development efforts. >
Selective inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 suppresses growth and induces apoptosis in human esophageal adenocarcinoma cells

Adenocarcinoma in Barrett's esophagus has been increasing in incidence at a rapid rate for more than two decades. Cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 appears to play an important role in gastrointestinal carcinogenesis, and COX-2 overexpression has been demonstrated both in esophageal adenocarcinomas and in the metaplastic epithelium of Barrett's esophagus. The aim of our study was to determine whether selective inhibition of COX-2 by NS-398 would alter the rates of cell growth and apoptosis in human Barrett's-associated esophageal adenocarcinoma cell lines. COX-1 and COX-2 expression in adenocarcinoma cell lines was determined using reverse transcription-PCR and Western blotting for mRNA and protein, respectively. Esophageal adenocarcinoma cell lines were treated with various concentrations of NS-398 (selective for COX-2 inhibition) and flurbiprofen (selective for COX-1 inhibition). Cell growth was compared in flurbiprofen-treated and untreated tumor cell lines; cell growth and apoptosis were compared in NS-398-treated and untreated tumor cell lines. COX-2 mRNA and protein were detected in two of three cell lines (SEG-1 and FLO); the third cell line, BIC-1, did not express COX-2 mRNA or protein under basal conditions or after stimulation with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. Treatment with COX-1-selective concentrations of flurbiprofen did not affect cell growth in any of the three tumor cell lines. In contrast, treatment with COX-2-selective concentrations of NS-398 significantly suppressed cell growth and increased apoptosis in the cell lines that expressed COX-2 (SEG-1 and FLO), but not in the cell line that did not express COX-2 (BIC-1). We conclude that the administration of a selective inhibitor of COX-2 significantly decreases cell growth and increases apoptosis in Barrett's-associated adenocarcinoma tumor cells that express COX-2. These observations suggest a potential role for selective COX-2 inhibitors in the prevention and treatment of esophageal adenocarcinoma for patients with Barrett's esophagus.
Genetic diversity and structure in two spotted hyena populations reflects social organization and male dispersal

Populations of large carnivores are particularly vulnerable to demographic changes that can reduce genetic diversity and threaten the persistence of these species. Although the spotted hyena Crocuta crocuta is the most abundant large carnivore in Africa, it has been extirpated locally from many areas. In this study, we compare genetic diversity, patterns of relatedness and genetic structure in spotted hyenas, in order to investigate whether social structure and male dispersal patterns may serve to buffer this species from potential losses of genetic diversity. Using 10 microsatellite markers, we compared two Kenyan populations of spotted hyenas that have experienced different recent population histories. The Masai Mara population has remained large and stable, whereas the Amboseli population has recently recovered from a demographic bottleneck. Despite these historical differences, we found no difference in genetic diversity between the two populations (HO, Mara: 0.598! 0.060; Amboseli: 0.577! 0.071; P=0.76). Patterns of relatedness within and between clans were similar in both populations, except that immigrant males appeared to be more closely related to one another in Amboseli than in the Mara. This difference in relatedness among immigrant males appears to reflect differences between populations in patterns of immigration. Hierarchical analysis of the population genetic structure revealed significant genetic differentiation among spotted hyena clans within populations (FSC=0.055, FST=0.108) and among spotted hyena study populations (FCT=0.057). We suggest that behavioral traits of the spotted hyena, particularly the predominance of male dispersal, were important in the maintenance of genetic variation in the Amboseli population.
Bleeding Associated With Feeding Tube Placement in Critically Ill Oncology Patients With Thrombocytopenia

Background: Existing trials have not evaluated the feasibility of oral or nasal feeding tube (FT) placement in the critically ill thrombocytopenic oncology population. Thrombocytopenia (TCP) may be considered a contraindication to FT placement due to the potential risk of bleeding complications. Methods: Medical intensive care unit (ICU) adult oncology patients with attempted nasal or oral FT placement were evaluated in a 52-bed ICU at a comprehensive cancer center. End points were compared between patients with and without TCP (platelet count <150,000/μL). Primary outcomes of overt and clinically important bleeding (gastrointestinal and point of entry) were evaluated within 72 hours of FT placement. Results: Fifty-nine patients were enrolled (TCP, n = 42; no TCP, n = 17; baseline platelet count, 41 ± 48 vs 249 ± 85 [× 103/μL], P < .001). Patients with TCP were more likely to have a hematologic malignancy and lower baseline hemoglobin and platelet count (P < .01). More patients with TCP received blood pro...
In Defense of Prometheus: Some Ethical, Economic, and Regulatory Issues of Sports Doping

A chapter in The Case Against Perfection: Ethics in the Age of Genetic Engineering,1 a book by Michael Sandel, the well-known Harvard political philosopher, provides a convenient stepping-off place for an analysis of the social issues involved in sports doping. The chapter is entitled "Bionic Athletes," and despite the reference in the subtitle of the book to genetic engineering the chapter is mainly about doping rather than about genetic alteration; the author returns to the topic of doping in a later chapter, "Mastery and Gift."2 By "sports doping" I mean, of course, the use of performance-enhancing drugs by athletes, though professional athletes will soon resort to genetic alteration as well or instead, because it will be harder to detect.3 There are other methods of athletic performance enhancement as well. Some of them, such as taking up temporary residence at a very high altitude in order to increase one's red blood corpuscles,4 tremble on the edge between tolerated and reprobated methods of improving one's athletic performance. I will focus on
Directions in object-oriented databases

Distinctions between the object-oriented view in programming languages and that in databases are examined. Query optimization in object-oriented databases is discussed. The specification of constraints is examined. Areas in which research is needed are identified. >
Veneziano models for virtual Compton scattering

Recently proposed Veneziano-type models for Compton scattering of neutral and charged currents are studied. Current commutators, sum rules, large-q2 behavior and factorizability are investigated. A new model is proposed which has good behavior in all these respects. Electroproduction phenomenology and electromagnetic-mass differences are discussed.
Experience-dependent activation patterns in human brain during visual-motor associative learning

Multiple brain regions, including parietal and frontal cortical areas, seem to participate in learning and rehearsing associations between spatially defined visual cues and appropriate motor responses. However, because most previous studies have related learning to changes in brain activation according to elapsed time or number of trials but not categories based on performance, it remains unclear how and when areas implicated in learning sensory-motor associations actually participate in the process. The current experiment used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine changes in brain activation when participants learned to associate an arbitrarily located visual cue with a finger movement. Associative trials were categorized as incorrect, first correct, or subsequent correct. Participants also performed a spatially compatible visual-motor control task. A group analysis revealed four major findings addressing the behavioral processes occurring during forming and rehearsing visual-motor rules. First, brain networks related to processing associative information, through initial learning to rehearsal, yielded more activation in a myriad of neocortical structures than did a simple motor task. Second, we revealed frontal and parietal areas that differentially processed errors and correct responses. Third, we found frontal-parietal networks that seemed to mediate the transition of learning to rehearsing arbitrary visual-motor associations and that this activation exhibited dynamic characteristics. Last, we found a frontal-parietal network that appeared to have a key role in expressing the learned sensory-motor association. The current results provide a foundation for understanding how neocortical structures participate in the various behavioral processes that combine to form and consolidate novel and arbitrary sensory-motor associations.
Stochastic processes: their nature and use in the study of sport and physical activity.

(1970). Stochastic Processes: Their Nature and use in the Study of Sport and Physical Activity. Research Quarterly. American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 41, No. 2, pp. 205-213.
Radiation Dosimetry of Intratumoral Injection of Radionuclides into Human Breast Cancer

Abstract : This study has been designed to evaluate the spatial and temporal distribution as well as the radiation dosimetry of intratumoral injection of proprietary radiopharmaceuticals Ga-67 and Ga-68 Galium Iron Macroaggregates (GIMA). While the refinement of the human protocol is ongoing, we continued on basic studies of in vivo imaging and therapy using other drugs under revised versions of our approved rat tumor protocols. We gained approval of our canine tumor model protocol by the Army Animal Research Committee. Seven canine studies have confirmed the prolonged loculation of tumors after injection of Ga-67 GIMA. However, we also encountered organ- specific technical challenges that may not be relevant to human breast cancer. In preparation of the clinical trial, we gained approval of our human protocol 2005-0219 by our institutional IRB, pending final approval of federal regulatory processes. Initial contact with the FDA officials indicated that RDRC route was not the preferred route. We have therefore engaged our institutional IND committee to assist our application for IND/eIND. We have developed specific QA procedures for Ga-67 GIMA and engaged an outside radiopharmaceutical vendor for manufacturing, quality control as well as toxicology testing. We expect to be able to provide the necessary data for regulatory approval within the next year.
Software Profiling for Deterministic Replay Debugging of User Code

Significant time is spent by companies in trying to reproduce and fix bugs in their software. The process of testing and debugging can immensely benefit from a tool that supports Deterministic Replay Debugging (DRD). A tool that supports DRD will allow a user to record a program's execution in a log, and to deterministically replay every single instruction executed as part of the application using the log. In this paper, we present the BugNet software tool which can support DRD. It can handle all forms of non-determinism, including the non-determinism due to thread interactions in a multi-threaded application. Since the BugNet tool is operating system independent, a program execution that fails in a particular user's environment can be easily captured by the user in a log, and later reproduced by a developer working in a completely different environment. We also empirically quantify certain variables relevant to the DRD process. This includes anempirical analysis, that quantifies how much of a program execution has to belogged and replayed in order to understand the root cause of a bug. Further, we examine the potential benefit of using dynamic slicing along with our deterministic replay debugger.
Assessing the safety of outpatient ventral hernia repair: a NSQIP analysis of 7666 patients.

Given the paucity of literature on outpatient ventral hernia repair (VHR), and that assessment of the safety of outpatient surgical procedures is becoming an active area of investigation, we have performed a multi-institutional retrospective analysis benchmarking rates of 30-day complications and readmissions and identifying predictive factors for these outcomes. National surgical quality improvement project data files from 2011 to 2012 were reviewed to collect data on all patients undergoing outpatient VHR during that period. The incidence of 30-day peri-operative complication and unplanned readmission was surveyed. We created a multivariate regression model to identify predictive factors for overall, surgical, and medical complications and unplanned readmissions with proper risk adjustment. 30-day complication and readmission rates in outpatient VHR were acceptably low. 3 % of the queried outpatients experienced an overall complication, 2.1 % a surgical complication, and 1.1 % a medical complication. 3.3 % of all patients were readmitted within 30 days. Upon multivariate analysis, predictors of overall complications included age, BMI, history of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and total operation time, predictors of surgical complications included age, BMI, total operation time, predictors of medical complications included total operation time, and predictors of unplanned readmissions included history of COPD, bleeding disorder, American Society of Anesthesiologists Class 3, 4, or 5, total operation time, and use of the laparoscopic technique. We have demonstrated that the risk of peri-operative morbidity in VHR as granularly defined in our study is low in the outpatient setting. Identification of predictive factors will be important to patient risk stratification.
Crystal structure of a hepatitis delta virus ribozyme

The self-cleaving ribozyme of the hepatitis delta virus (HDV) is the only catalytic RNA known to be required for the viability of a human pathogen. We obtained crystals of a 72-nucleotide, self-cleaved form of the genomic HDV ribozyme that diffract X-rays to 2.3 A resolution by engineering the RNA to bind a small, basic protein without affecting ribozyme activity. The co-crystal structure shows that the compact catalytic core comprises five helical segments connected as an intricate nested double pseudoknot. The 5′-hydroxyl leaving group resulting from the self-scission reaction is buried deep within an active-site cleft produced by juxtaposition of the helices and five strand-crossovers, and is surrounded by biochemically important backbone and base functional groups in a manner reminiscent of protein enzymes.
Role of CXCR5 and CCR7 in Follicular Th Cell Positioning and Appearance of a Programmed Cell Death Gene-1High Germinal Center-Associated Subpopulation

Th cell access to primary B cell follicles is dependent on CXCR5. However, whether CXCR5 induction on T cells is sufficient in determining their follicular positioning has been unclear. In this study, we find that transgenic CXCR5 overexpression is not sufficient to promote follicular entry of naive T cells unless the counterbalancing influence of CCR7 ligands is removed. In contrast, the positioning of Ag-engaged T cells at the B/T boundary could occur in the absence of CXCR5. The germinal center (GC) response was 2-fold reduced when T cells lacked CXCR5, although these T cells were able to access the GC. Finally, CXCR5(high)CCR7(low) T cells were found to have elevated IL-4 transcript and programmed cell death gene-1 (PD-1) expression, and PD-1(high) cells were reduced in the absence of T cell CXCR5 or in mice compromised in GC formation. Overall, these findings provide further understanding of how the changes in CXCR5 and CCR7 expression regulate Th cell positioning during Ab responses, and they suggest that development and/or maintenance of a PD-1(high) follicular Th cell subset is dependent on appropriate interaction with GC B cells.
THE CHANGING FACE OF U.S. LABOR, 1983–2008

We review annual, nationally representative data from the Current Population Survey for the years 1983 (the earliest year for which comparable data are available) to 2008 on union members and workers covered by union contracts. Over the period, the composition of the unionized workforce changed dramatically. In 1983, more than half of all union workers were white men, few union workers had a college degree, and almost one-third were in manufacturing. By 2008, over 45 percent of unionized workers were women and, if at current growth rates, women will be a majority of union workers before 2020. Over one-third of union workers in 2008 had a four-year college degree or more—a higher percentage than for the workforce as a whole. And, in 2008, only about one-in-ten union workers was in manufacturing, with almost half in the public sector. Latinos and Asia-Pacific Americans, two groups that include substantial numbers of immigrants, are the fastest growing ethnic groups in the labor movement, though both are less represented in organized labor than they are in the overall workforce.
Identification of critical cis elements involved in mediating Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen 2-dependent activity of an enhancer located upstream of the viral BamHI C promoter.

Abstract The six genes encoding the Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigens (EBNAs) are transcribed from one of two promoters, BamHI C promoter (Cp) or BamHI W promoter (Wp), located near the left end of the viral genome. During the establishment of viral latency in B lymphocytes, Wp is used exclusively before a switch to Cp usage. We and others have previously identified an enhancer in the region upstream of Cp which requires EBNA 2 for activity (M. Woisetschlaeger, X. W. Jin, C. N. Yandava, L. A. Furmanski, J. L. Strominger, and S. H. Speck, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88:3942-3946, 1991; N. S. Sung, S. Kenney, D. Gutsch, and J. S. Pagano, J. Virol. 65:2164-2169, 1991). Infection of B lymphocytes with a mutant virus lacking the EBNA 2 gene results in prolonged usage of Wp and failure to switch to Cp usage, indicating that EBNA 2 transactivation of the enhancer upstream of Cp may be critical for promoter switching. In this study, we have defined the minimal EBNA 2-dependent enhancer by using a series of deletion mutants. The results of site-directed mutagenesis revealed that there are three regions of the enhancer that are important for activity, two of which appear to bind B-lymphocyte-specific factors.
Early Diagenesis of Organic Matter: The Dynamics (Rates) of Cycling of Organic Compounds

Major changes in the concentration and composition of organic matter occur in the upper layers of aquatic sediments [see chapters by Hedges and Prahl (Chapter 11), Macko, Engel, and Parker (Chapter 9), and Meyers and Ishiwatari (Chapter 8) in this volume]. The remineralization and most of the transformations of organic matter occur because of the energy these processes yield to sediment organisms. Certain transformations yield specific organic compounds required for growth and reproduction. Others occur because of changes in sediment chemistry resulting from organic matter oxidation. Much of the organic matter diagenesis in sediments is rapid compared to geologic time scales, occurring in less than 1000 years. Study of rates of organic matter decomposition can help to identify which characteristics of the environment, the sediment, or the deposited organic matter are important in determining whether an organic substance is remineralized, altered, or preserved unchanged during early diagenesis. Results of such studies have numerous broader implications and potential applications.
Characterization and prediction of the heat-affected zone in a laser-assisted mechanical micromachining process

Abstract Laser-assisted mechanical micromachining (LAMM) is a micro-cutting method that employs highly localized thermal softening of the material by continuous wave laser irradiation focused in front of a miniature cutting tool. However, since it is a heat-assisted process, it can induce a detrimental heat-affected zone (HAZ) in the part. This paper focuses on characterization and prediction of the HAZ produced in a LAMM-based micro-grooving process. The heat-affected zone generated by laser heating of H-13 mold steel (42 HRC) at different laser scanning speeds is analyzed for changes in microstructure and microhardness. A 3-D transient finite element model for a moving Gaussian laser heat source is developed to predict the temperature distribution in the workpiece material. The model prediction error is found to be in the 5–15% range with most values falling within 10% of the measured temperatures. The predicted temperature distribution is correlated with the HAZ and a critical temperature range (840–890 °C) corresponding to the maximum depth of the HAZ is identified using a combination of metallography, hardness testing, and thermal modeling.
Linkages between Work and Health of Parents and Children in the Florida Wages Program

The State of Florida implemented its welfare reform program entitled Work and Gain Economic Self Sufficiency (WAGES) in October, 1996. Key elements of the program are a two-year limit on cash benefits with a lifetime limit of four years. Within a year, that program's philosophy was emulated at the federal level, and within two years, the State reported that more than 60,000 families had moved off of welfare. This article attempts to discern whether these families are more likely to obtain ‘quality health care’ as a result of these changes.
Increased MHC Class II and CD25 expression on lymphocytes in the absence of persistent lymphocytosis in cattle experimentally infected with bovine leukemia virus

We recently observed that a group of cattle experimentally infected with bovine leukemia virus (BLV) had enhanced antibody responses to recall antigens. None of the cattle in this group were classified as persistently lymphocytotic, but they did have significantly increased numbers of circulating T and B cells. In order to investigate the potential mechanisms of BLV-induced immune activation, dual-color flow cytometry was used to compare the expression of MHC class II (MHC II) molecules and the inducible IL-2 receptor alpha chain, CD25, on lymphocyte subsets in freshly isolated and cultured PBMC from these same BLV-infected cattle (n=5) with that of age-matched, uninfected controls (n=3). Freshly isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from BLV-infected cattle were found to contain a significantly higher percentage of B cells that expressed MHC II molecules (p<0.01). In addition, an increased proportion of CD4+ T cells from BLV-infected cattle expressed MHC II molecules after 20 h of Concanavalin A (Con A) stimulation (p<0.05), and MHC II expression was increased on both CD4+ (p<0.01) and CD8+ (p<0.05) T cells from BLV-infected cattle after 68 h in vitro, even in the absence of exogenous mitogen. Although CD25 expression was not increased on freshly isolated lymphocytes from BLV-infected cattle, an increased percentage of B cells from BLV-infected cattle expressed CD25 after 20 h of culture, either in the presence (p<0.05) or absence (p<0.01) of Con A. Thus, in addition to causing alterations in absolute numbers of circulating lymphocytes, BLV infection appears to cause a functional activation of both B and T cells, even in cattle that are non-lymphocytotic. It is likely that these BLV-induced alterations in lymphocyte activation status contributed to the previously observed enhancement of antibody responses in vivo.
The Mute Speaks: Oral Narrative in Gomberville's Polexandre

(2006). The Mute Speaks: Oral Narrative in Gomberville's Polexandre. Seventeenth-Century French Studies: Vol. 28, No. 1, pp. 91-101.
Geographic Information Systems and Health: An Educational Resource.

Abstract The use of geographic information systems to analyze spatial dimensions of health care and disease ecology is becoming a realistic prospect for investigators in the social sciences. This review of the literature, bringing together a diverse collection of professional and academic journals, can be grouped into four categories: potential, cautionary, preliminary, and application. Enough references have been collected and reviewed to provide instructors with material for a classroom unit about 1) using GIS in a medical geography class: 2) medical applications in a GIS class; or 3) using GIS in classes which have a health and disease component.