cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pharmacologic Effects of 2-Methoxyestradiol on Angiotensin Type 1 Receptor Down-Regulation in Rat Liver Epithelial and Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells

Abstract Background Delayed onset of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in female patients is not well understood, but could be due in part to the protective effect of estrogen before menopause. Experimental studies have identified the angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1R) as a key factor in the progression of CVD. Objective We examined the effects of the estrogen metabolite 2-methoxyestradiol (2ME2) on AT1R expression. Methods Rat liver cells were exposed to 2ME2 for 24 hours, and angiotensin II (AngII) binding and AT1R mRNA expressions were assessed. Results In the presence of 2ME2, cells exhibited significant down-regulation of AngII binding that was both dose and time dependent, independent of estrogen receptors (ERα/ERβ). Down-regulation of AngII binding was AT1R specific, with no change in receptor affinity. Under similar conditions, we observed lower expression of AT1R mRNA, significant inhibition of AngII-mediated increase in intracellular Ca 2+ , and increased phosphorylation of ERK1/2. Pretreatment of cells with the MEK inhibitor PD98059 prevented 2ME2-induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation and down-regulation of AT1R expression, which suggests that the observed inhibitory effect is mediated through ERK1/2 signaling intermediates. Similar analyses in stably transfected CHO (Chinese hamster ovary) cell lines with a constitutively active cytomegalovirus promoter showed no change in AT1R expression, which suggests that 2ME2-mediated effects are through transcriptional regulation. The effects of 2ME2 on AT1R down-regulation through ERK1/2 were consistently reproduced in primary rat aortic smooth muscle cells. Conclusions Because AT1R has a critical role in the control of CVD, 2ME2-induced changes in receptor expression may provide beneficial effects to the cardiovascular and other systems.
Computer-assisted videokeratography to measure changes in astigmatism induced by sutureless cataract surgery

Abstract Purpose: To compare the visual outcome, change in surgically induced astigmatism, and corneal thickness after sutureless cataract surgery through either a scleral tunnel or clear corneal incision. Setting: Department of Ophthalmology, Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic University Medical College, Seoul, Korea. Methods: This retrospective study evaluated 79 eyes of 64 patients who had cataract surgery using a 6.0 mm scleral tunnel incision (Group 1, n=20 eyes), 3.1 mm clear corneal incision at the 12 o'clock position (Group 2, n=35 eyes), or 3.1 mm clear corneal incision at the 10 o'clock position (Group 3, n=24 eyes). Changes in surgically induced astigmatism were analyzed using computer-assisted videokeratography (CVK) 1 day, 8 weeks, and 6 months postoperatively. Results: Eleven eyes (55.0%) in Group 1, 15 (42.8%) in Group 2, and 11 (48.5%) in Group 3 had an uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better 1 day postoperatively. The CVK measurements showed significantly more flattening at radial distances of 0.75, 1.50, and 2.50 mm along the 90 degree semimeridian in Group 2 than in Group 1 ( P P > .05). In the CVK pattern, corneal flattening along the incisional meridian was narrower and longer in Groups 2 and 3 than in Group 1. Conclusion: Localized flattening along the incisional meridian was prominent temporally after clear corneal incision surgery. However, there was no difference in early visual rehabilitation between the clear corneal and scleral tunnel incision groups.
An Intelligent System for Reaction Kinetic Modeling and Catalyst Design

The continuing development of high throughput experiments (HTEs) in catalysis has dramatically increased the amount of data that can be collected in relatively short periods of time. Even when HTEs can afford “Edisonian” discovery, how can the increasing amounts of data be converted to knowledge to guide the next search in the vast design space of catalytic materials? To address this question, we recently proposed a catalyst design architecture that uses detailed kinetic models. In this paper, we describe Reaction Modeling Suitea rational, automated, and intelligent environment, based on systems, artificial intelligence, and optimization techniques that aid the development of kinetic models. We demonstrate its utility in developing a kinetic model for propane aromatization on zeolite. We also show the proof-of-concept of how a genetic algorithm-based search strategy can be used to search for kinetic parameters that correspond to an improved catalyst.
An evaluation of value based dispatching rules in a flow shop

Abstract Although investment in inventory has been of primary concern in job shops, little attention has been paid to using value-based dispatching rules in an effort to attain satisfactory on-time performance while reducing inventory investment. This paper compares performance based on both time and value measures of three usual time-based rules with six rules which directly incorporate value information in setting priorities. The results indicate that the value-based rules perform their intended function quite well with only slight sacrifice in on-time performance in light to moderately loaded shops. In addition, some of these values rules outperform the best time-based rules on both dimensions in heavily loaded shops.
Stem cell transplantation in multiple myeloma: impact of response failure with thalidomide or lenalidomide induction

Autologous stem cell transplantation as a platform for multiple myeloma treatment is the standard of care for patients who can safely withstand the procedure. Before novel agents were introduced, one-third to one-half of patients did not achieve partial response at transplantation. Previous medical literature has shown that in this past era, absence of initial response to induction therapy had no impact on progression-free survival and overall survival after high-dose therapy. Lack of response to initial induction did not preclude a good response after stem cell transplantation. With the introduction of novel agents-immunomodulatory drugs and proteasome inhibitors-response rates with initial therapy are now between 70% and 100%. This retrospective study analyzes progression-free survival and overall survival in patients who do not have a partial response (never responded or progressed during continuous therapy) after induction therapy with a regimen that contains thalidomide or lenalidomide. Unlike patients in reports published previously-before immunomodulatory drugs-patients who do not achieve partial remission have a significantly shorter overall survival from transplantation (73.5 vs 30.4 months) and a shorter progression-free survival (22.1 vs 13.1 months; P < .001). Absence of a response to induction therapy with thalidomide or lenalidomide predicts a poorer outcome after high-dose therapy.
Maternal use of baby walkers with young children: recent trends and possible alternatives

Objectives—To examine recent trends in baby walker and exersaucer use, and to assess maternal motivations for choosing to use or not use these devices with children. Setting—Small, Midwestern city in the United States. Methods—Retrospective telephone survey with a sample of 329 mothers who provided information about their use of walkers and exersaucers with 463 children born in Columbia, Missouri between January 1994 and April 1999. Results—Baby walker use in the sample declined fairly steadily from 1994 to 1999, whereas exersaucer use increased during the same period. Altogether 88% of mothers were aware of the injury risks associated with walkers, and this knowledge was the most commonly reported reason for abstaining from walker use. Remarkably, 38% of participants with knowledge of walker risks nevertheless used these devices. Participants reported many reasons for using walkers and exersaucers, including child entertainment, perceived developmental benefit, easy availability, and improved safety of exersaucers. Conclusions—Public knowledge of the hazards of walkers seems to be high, and this awareness is a likely factor in many caregivers' decisions not to use them. Future interventions should focus particular attention on those caregivers who continue to use walkers despite knowledge of the associated risks. In addition to persuasive interventions, alternatives to walkers should be encouraged. Exersaucers represent one viable alternative, and should be promoted as such by the media, pediatricians, and other child care professionals.
A CRITICAL REVIEW OF LASER ABLATION-SYNTHESIS OF HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTING FILMS

ABSTRACT Laser ablation-deposition has become one of the most widely used techniques for synthesizing high temperature superconducting thin films. Therefore, it is important to understand the basic phenomena involved in laser-solid target interaction, and ablation, transport, and deposition of material onto appropriate substrates. Basic phenomena related to these processes are discussed in view of recent experimental and theoretical work performed by several groups, with the ultimate goal of optimizing this deposition technique and scaling up for application in technologies such as microelectronics
Protein intrinsic disorder and oligomericity in cell signaling

Receptor-mediated signaling plays an important role in health and disease. Recent reports have revealed that many proteins that do not adopt globular structures under native conditions, thus termed intrinsically disordered, are involved in cell signaling. Intriguingly, physiologically relevant oligomerization of intrinsically disordered proteins has been recently observed and shown to exhibit unique biophysical characteristics. On the other hand, ligand-induced or -tuned receptor oligomerization is known to be a general feature of various cell surface receptors and to play a crucial role in signal transduction. In this work, I summarize several distinct features of protein disorder that are especially important as related to signal transduction. Further, I suggest signaling-related functional connections between intrinsic disorder, receptor and protein oligomericity and hypothesize that receptor oligomerization induced or tuned upon ligand binding outside the cell is translated across the membrane into protein oligomerization inside the cell, thus providing a general platform for receptor-mediated signaling. This structures our current multidisciplinary knowledge and views of the mechanisms governing the coupling of recognition to signal transduction and cell response. Importantly, this approach not only reveals previously unrecognized striking similarities in the basic mechanistic principles of function of numerous functionally diverse and unrelated surface membrane receptors, but also suggests the similarity between therapeutic targets, thus opening new horizons for both fundamental and clinically relevant studies.
Evolutionary Dynamics of Drug Resistant Mutants in Targeted Treatment of CML

This chapter discusses the basic evolutionary dynamics of cells that are resistant to small molecule inhibitors in the context of an exponentially growing population of cells, as typically observed in the treatment of CML blast crisis. The basic principles of resistance emergence is discussed. Mathematical models clearly indicate that the pre-treatment tumor growth phase is crucial for the generation of resistant mutants, and that the treatment phase itself does not significantly contribute to the generation of resistant mutants. In this respect, the growth kinetics of the tumor plays an important role. Tumors characterized by a higher turnover of cells have a higher probability to harbor resistant cells at any given tumor size, compared to low-turnover tumors. These insights are then applied to calculate the probability that a tumor of a given size is simultaneously resistant to a number of \(m\) drugs that can be given in combination, based on the parameters of the system. These calculations suggest that in the absence of cross-resistance, a combination of three drugs can prevent resistance-induced treatment failure in CML blast crisis.
The inactivation of estrone by rats in relation to dietary effects on the liver.

THE recognition of a relationship between the nutritional status of the animal and the ability of the liver to inactivate estrogen was initiated by Biskind and Biskind (1942). These authors reported that the ability to inactivate estrogen coming to the liver from an intrasplenic pellet was lost when the rats were placed on a diet deficient in the vitamin B complex. Other investigators (Shipley and Gyorgy, 1944; Segaloff and Segaloff, 1944; Singher et al., 1944) obtained confirmatory data with various vitamin deficient diets, especially thiamine and riboflavin deficiencies. These results were shown by Drill and Pfeiffer (1946) and later by Jailer (1948) to be due to the decreased food intake that accompanies an acute deficiency of these particular vitamins. It has further been shown that the inanition effect is due to a decreased protein intake rather than a caloric restriction (Jailer, 1950). The importance of an adequate protein intake in the diet was first demonstrated by Unna et al., 1944, who found th...
Brown adipose tissue development and metabolism in ruminants

We conducted several experiments to better understand the relationship between brown adipose tissue (BAT) metabolism and thermogenesis. In Exp. 1, we examined perirenal (brown) and sternum s.c. adipose tissue in 14 Wagyu x Angus neonates infused with norepinephrine (NE). Perirenal adipocytes contained numerous large mitochondria with well-differentiated cristae; sternum s.c. adipocytes contained a few, small mitochondria, with poorly developed cristae. Lipogenesis from acetate was high in BAT but barely detectable in sternum s.c. adipose tissue. In Exp. 2, we compared perirenal and tailhead adipose tissues between NE-infused Angus (n = 6) and Brahman (n = 7) newborn calves. Brahman BAT contained two-to-three times as many total beta-receptors as Angus BAT. The mitochondrial UCP1:28S rRNA ratio was greater in Brahman BAT than in BAT from Angus calves. Lipogenesis from acetate and glucose again was high, but lipogenesis from palmitate was barely detectable. Tail-head s.c. adipose tissue from both breed types contained adipocytes with distinct brown adipocyte morphology. In Exp. 3, three fetuses of each breed type were taken at 96, 48, 24, 14, and 6 d before expected parturition, and at parturition. Lipogenesis from acetate and glucose in vitro decreased 97% during the last 96 d of gestation in both breed types, whereas the UCP1 gene expression tripled during gestation in both breed types. At birth, palmitate esterification was twice as high in Angus than in Brahman BAT and was at least 100-fold higher than in BAT from NE-infused calves from Exp. 2. Uncoupling protein-1 mRNA was readily detectable in tailhead s.c. adipose tissue in all fetal samples. In Exp. 4, male Brahman and Angus calves (n = 5 to 7 per group) were assigned to 1) newborn treatment (15 h of age), 2) 48 h of warm exposure (22 degrees C) starting at 15 h of age, or 3) 48 h of cold exposure (4 degrees C) starting at 15 h of age. Brahman BAT adipocytes shrank with cold exposure, whereas Angus BAT adipocytes did not. Similarly, BAT from neonatal lambs (Exp. 5; n = 6 per group) was depleted of lipid in response to cold exposure, although UCP1 gene expression persisted. In Exp. 4, NE stimulated lipogenesis from palmitate in BAT incubated in vitro. Lipogenesis from palmitate was higher in Angus than in Brahman BAT, and increased with both warm and cold exposure. These studies suggest that BAT from Brahman calves may be exhausted of lipid shortly after birth during times of cold exposure.
Development and validation of a consistency based multiple structure alignment algorithm

Summary: We introduce an algorithm that uses the information gained from simultaneous consideration of an entire group of related proteins to create multiple structure alignments (MSTAs). Consistency-based alignment (CBA) first harnesses the information contained within regions that are consistently aligned among a set of pairwise superpositions in order to realign pairs of proteins through both global and local refinement methods. It then constructs a multiple alignment that is maximally consistent with the improved pairwise alignments. We validate CBA's alignments by assessing their accuracy in regions where at least two of the aligned structures contain the same conserved sequence motif. Results: CBA correctly aligns well over 90% of motif residues in superpositions of proteins belonging to the same family or superfamily, and it outperforms a number of previously reported MSTA algorithms. Availability: CBA is available at http://cba.stanford.edu/ and the source code is freely available at http://brutlag.stanford.edu/software/ Contact: brutlag@stanford.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Nitrous oxide emissions during establishment of eight alternative cellulosic bioenergy cropping systems in the North Central United States

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from soils are a key sustainability metric of cropping systems. During crop establishment, disruptive land-use change is known to be a critical, but under reported period, for determining GHG emissions. We measured soil N2O emissions and potential environmental drivers of these fluxes from a three-year establishment-phase bioenergy cropping systems experiment replicated in southcentral Wisconsin (ARL) and southwestern Michigan (KBS). Cropping systems treatments were annual monocultures (continuous corn, corn–soybean–canola rotation), perennial monocultures (switchgrass, miscanthus, and poplar), and perennial polycultures (native grass mixture, early successional community, and restored prairie) all grown using best management practices specific to the system. Cumulative three-year N2O emissions from annuals were 142% higher than from perennials, with fertilized perennials 190% higher than unfertilized perennials. Emissions ranged from 3.1 to 19.1 kg N2O-N ha � 1 yr � 1 for the annuals with continuous corn > corn–soybean–canola rotation and 1.1 to 6.3 kg N2O-N ha � 1 yr � 1 for perennials. Nitrous oxide peak fluxes typically were associated with precipitation events that closely followed fertilization. Bayesian modeling of N2O fluxes based on measured environmental factors explained 33% of variability across all systems. Models trained on single systems performed well in most monocultures (e.g., R 2 = 0.52 for poplar) but notably worse in polycultures (e.g., R 2 = 0.17 for early successional, R 2 = 0.06 for restored prairie), indicating that simulation models that include N2O emissions should be parameterized specific to particular plant communities. Our results indicate that perennial bioenergy crops in their establishment phase emit less N2O than annual crops, especially when not fertilized. These findings should be considered further alongside yield and other metrics contributing to important ecosystem services.
Recruitment Is Not Enough: Retaining African American Students in Gifted Education:

In public school systems all around the country, educators—teachers, counselors, and administrators—have made significant progress in identifying and recruiting diverse populations in gifted and en...
Prenatal diagnosis of congenital diaphragmatic hernia: how should the babies be delivered?

Abstract Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) in many patients is diagnosed in utero. In these patients, the delivery can be planned as an elective cesarean, induced vaginal, or spontaneous vaginal delivery. The optimal method has yet to be determined. The aim of this study was to compare the outcome of patients with CDH delivered by different methods. Methods The Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Study Group was formed in 1995 to compile data on liveborn babies with CDH. Beginning in 2001, data concerning delivery were collected. By October 2005, delivery data were available on 1039 term and near-term infants without cardiac malformations. Five hundred forty-eight had a prenatal diagnosis and complete data on delivery (194 delivered by elective cesarean delivery, 121 by induced vaginal delivery, and 233 by spontaneous vaginal delivery). Patients delivered by a nonelective cesarean delivery were assigned to the delivery group for which they were originally planned. Results The overall survival among the 548 patients was 69%. It was highest in patients delivered by cesarean delivery (71%) followed by those delivered through induced vaginal delivery (70%) and spontaneous vaginal delivery (67%). The difference was not statistically significant. Fifty-three percent of all patients survived without extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). This was significantly higher after cesarean delivery (60%) than after induced vaginal delivery (49%) or spontaneous vaginal delivery (49%) ( P At 30 days of age, 45% of the patients delivered by cesarean delivery had survived and were on room air. This was slightly lower after induced vaginal delivery (37%) or after spontaneous vaginal delivery (37%), although not statistically significant. Conclusion Cesarean delivery was associated with a slightly better outcome in terms of a significantly higher survival without the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, although there was no significant difference in total survival. Because this study was not randomized, it is not possible to determine if the elective cesarean delivery was the cause for the better outcome or if centers favoring elective cesarean delivery by protocol are more skillful in the management of patients with CDH. Mode of delivery for term and near-term infants with CDH deserves further prospective study.
Delayed Southern Hemisphere Climate Change Induced by Stratospheric Ozone Recovery, as Projected by the CMIP5 Models

Stratospheric ozone is expected to recover by the end of this century because of the regulation of ozonedepleting substances by the Montreal Protocol. Targeted modeling studies have suggested that the climate response to ozone recovery will greatly oppose the climate response to rising greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, the extent of this cancellation remains unclear since only a few such studies are available. Here, a much larger set of simulations performed for phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project is analyzed, which includes ozone recovery. It is shown that the closing of the ozone hole will cause a delay in summertime [December‐February (DJF)] Southern Hemisphere climate change between now and 2045. Specifically, it is found that the position of the jet stream, the width of the subtropical dry zones, the seasonality of surface temperatures, and sea ice concentrations all exhibit significantly reduced summertime trends over the first half of the twenty-first century as a consequence of ozone recovery. After 2045, forcing from GHG emissions begins to dominate the climate response. Finally, comparing the relative influences of future GHG emissions and historic ozone depletion, it is found that the simulated DJF tropospheric circulation changes between 1965 and 2005 (driven primarily by ozone depletion) are larger than the projected changes in any future scenario over the entire twenty-first century.
53 Gbps Native ${\rm GF}(2 ^{4}) ^{2}$ Composite-Field AES-Encrypt/Decrypt Accelerator for Content-Protection in 45 nm High-Performance Microprocessors

Abstract-This paper describes an on-die, reconfigurable AES encrypt/decrypt hardware accelerator fabricated in 45 nm CMOS, targeted for content-protection in high-performance microprocessors. 100% round computation in native GF(24)2 composite-field arithmetic, unified reconfigurable datapath for encrypt/decrypt, optimized ground & composite-field polynomials, integrated affine/bypass multiplexer circuits, fused Mix/InvMixColumn circuits and a folded ShiftRow datapath enable peak 2.2 Tbps/Watt AES-128 energy efficiency with a dense 2-round layout occupying 0.052 mm2, while achieving: (i) 53/44/38 Gbps AES-128/192/256 performance, 125 mW, measured at 1.1 V, 50 °C, (ii) scalable AES-128 performance up to 66 Gbps, measured at 1.35 V, 50 °C, (iii) wide operating supply voltage range with robust subthreshold voltage performance of 800 Mbps, 409 μW, measured at 320 mV, 50 °C (iv) 37% Sbox delay reduction and 25% area reduction with a compact Sbox layout occupying 759 μm2 (v) 67% reduction in worst-case interconnect length and 33% reduction in ShiftRow wiring tracks and (vi) 43 % reduction in Mix/InvMixColumn area with no performance penalty.
Quality tetrahedral mesh smoothing via boundary-optimized Delaunay triangulation

Despite its great success in improving the quality of a tetrahedral mesh, the original optimal Delaunay triangulation (ODT) is designed to move only inner vertices and thus cannot handle input meshes containing ''bad'' triangles on boundaries. In the current work, we present an integrated approach called boundary-optimized Delaunay triangulation (B-ODT) to smooth (improve) a tetrahedral mesh. In our method, both inner and boundary vertices are repositioned by analytically minimizing the L^1 error between a paraboloid function and its piecewise linear interpolation over the neighborhood of each vertex. In addition to the guaranteed volume-preserving property, the proposed algorithm can be readily adapted to preserve sharp features in the original mesh. A number of experiments are included to demonstrate the performance of our method.
The involved field is back: issues in delineating the radiation field in Hodgkin's disease

During the last century, the role of radiation therapy in the treatment of Hodgkin's disease (HD) has changed drastically. From a palliative treatment reserved for bulky lymph nodes of an incurable disease at the beginning of the century, to an exciting primary treatment used alone to cure most stages in the 1960s and 1970s, to the present more limited role as consolidation treatment after chemotherapy. Interestingly, the radiation field size has always influenced the evolution of treatment principles of HD. Over several decades, large or extended field radiotherapy has become synonymous with the successful treatment of HD. But the critical transformation from a single-modality to a combined-modality therapy, together with improvement in imaging and radiation planning techniques, mandates a reassessment of the delineation of appropriate radiation fields in HD. In this manuscript we review the comeback of the involved field, address design questions and offer field borders for common disease sites.
Plasma glucose and insulin responses to mixed meals: impaired fasting glucose re-visited.

Background: In individuals with varying glucose tolerance, glucose and insulin comparisons are usually made based on response to oral glucose challenge. However, an oral glucose tolerance test may not reflect daylong glucose and insulin excursions in response to meals. To better understand individuals with impaired fasting glucose (IFG), we compared insulin action as well as plasma glucose and insulin responses to mixed meals in individuals with normal fasting glucose (NFG; n = 141) and IFG (n = 148) concentrations.Methods: Insulin action was quantified by determining steady-state plasma glucose (SSPG) concentrations during the insulin suppression test. Plasma glucose and insulin concentrations were measured before and hourly after two mixed meals.Results: SSPG concentrations were significantly higher in the IFG group (11.8 ± 3.6 vs. 9.1 ± 3.8 mmol/l). Mean hourly daylong glucose (6.4 ± 0.07 vs. 5.5 ± 0.04 mmol/l) and insulin (390 ± 20 vs. 279 ± 15 pmol/l) concentrations were also higher in those with IFG...
Flapping and Bending Bodies Interacting with Fluid Flows

The flapping or bending of a flexible planar structure in a surrounding fluid flow, which includes the flapping of flags and the self-streamlining of flexible bodies, constitutes a central problem in the field of fluid-body interactions. Here we review recent, highly detailed experiments that reveal new nonlinear phenomena in these systems, as well as advances in theoretical understanding, resulting in large part from the rapid development of new simulation methods that fully capture the mutual coupling of fluids and flexible solids.
Quantification of adipose transfer viability using a novel, bioluminescent murine model

Fat grafting has highly variable long-term results. Research efforts to improve the reliability of fat grafting are limited by inefficient methods for evaluation of fat engraftment. In this work, we describe a novel animal model for the quantitative evaluation of fat grafting using in vivo bioluminescence of adipocytes from luciferase-expressing mice. Subcutaneous adipose tissue from GFP and luciferase-expressing FVB mice were obtained. The samples were homogenized, decanted, and injected into the dorsal skin folds of wild-type FVB mice. Viability of the transferred tissue was examined over a 28-day time period with quantitative bioluminescence after luciferin injection. All animals demonstrated viable adipose transfer with bioluminescence detectable on days 0, 1, 7, 14, and 28. This animal model may be used for noninvasive, longitudinal studies for quantification of the fat engraftment process.
Abstract P344: Hypothetical Interventions on Fish Consumption in Mid and Later Life and the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Women: An Application of the Parametric G-formula

Background_Long-term randomized trials of interventions on fish and primary prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD) are unavailable. The parametric g-formula uses observational data to estimate the effect of changes on fish consumption that would have been observed under hypothetical interventions. Methods and Results_Among 53,799 women from the Nurses’ Health Study aged 39-67 and free of CHD at baseline in 1986, 1,891 developed incident CHD (1,145 non fatal, 830 fatal) by 2008. Women provided information on risk factors and medical conditions every 2 years and on diet every 4 years. We used the parametric g-formula to evaluate hypothetical interventions from baseline forward on fish intake. Specifically, we estimated the CHD risks if all women had changed their fish intake to zero servings per week, and if all women had changed their fish intake to at least 1, 2, 3 and 5 servings per week during the entire follow-up. We adjusted for age and family history of CHD, and for baseline and time-varying menopausal status, use of oral contraceptives, postmenopausal hormone therapy, aspirin, multivitamin and vitamin E supplements, diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, stroke, angina or CABG, BMI, physical activity, smoking and intake of calories, trans fatty acids, cereal fiber and red meat. The estimated CHD risk was 4.13 if fish intake had been changed to zero after 1986, and 3.77, 3.53, 3.32 and 3.35, if all women had changed their fish intake to at least 1, 2, 3 and 5 servings per week, respectively. Compared with changing fish intake to zero, the risk ratio of CHD was 0.85 (95% CI 0.75, 0.91) for changing intake to at least 2 servings/week, and 0.80 (95% CI 0.71, 0.97) for changing intake to at least 3 servings. This estimated protective effect of increased fish consumption was restricted to fatal CHD. Results were not appreciably altered when we specified that red meat was replaced by fish intake. Conclusion_Our results suggest that increasing fish consumption in mid or later life may lower the 22-year risk of CHD in women by 20%. Using the parametric g-formula allowed to explicitly specify hypothetical interventions to evaluate the effectiveness of diet change over a long period. Like all observational estimates, the parametric g-formula estimates may be affected by unmeasured confounding, model misspecification, and measurement error.
Psychological capital: A new tool for driver retention

Purpose – A number of studies have identified a relationship between the positive psychological capital (PsyCap) of employees and desirable outcomes. Given current and projected shortages of truck drivers that could become the “Achilles heel” of the global supply chain, the purpose of this paper is to test whether and how drivers’ attitudes and PsyCap relates to their intentions to quit. Design/methodology/approach – Using survey data from truckload drivers (n=251) from two major transportation firms, correlation, regression, and path analysis were conducted to assess the relationship between job satisfaction, organizational commitment, PsyCap, and intentions to quit. Findings – Results of this study indicate strong positive relationships between PsyCap and job satisfaction and organizational commitment and a strong negative correlation with intentions to quit. Structural equation modeling suggests that job satisfaction and organizational commitment mediate the relationship between PsyCap and turnover intentions. Practical implications – Managerial implications for recognizing, understanding, and developing PsyCap in the transportation industry are derived from this study. Specific training guidelines are provided. Originality/value – The major contribution of this paper is that it provides, for the first time, empirical evidence that PsyCap can be utilized to improve retention rates for truckload drivers.
Psychiatric Diagnoses among an HIV-Infected Outpatient Clinic Population:

As individuals with HIV infection are living longer, the management of psychiatric disorders has increasingly been incorporated into comprehensive care. Individuals were recruited from an outpatient HIV clinic to assess the prevalence and related associations of current psychiatric disorders and biomarkers. Of the 201 participants who completed the interviews, the median age was 43.5 years, and the majority was male and African American. Most were receiving HIV therapy and 78% of those had achieved virologic suppression. Prevalent psychiatric diagnoses included major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety, and agoraphobia. Alcohol and cocaine/crack abuse and dependence were common substance use disorders. Current receipt of HIV therapy was less common among those diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. Agoraphobia was the only disorder associated with unsuppressed viral load. Psychiatric and substance use disorders are highly prevalent among an urban HIV clinic population, although we identified fe...
Comparison of Demographic Parameters for Wild and Laboratory-Adapted Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Aspects of the life history and demography of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), were compared in a laboratory-adapted strain and four wild strains from the islands of Kauai, Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii. Duration of the larval stage and preoviposition period differed significantly between laboratory-reared and wild lines. Growth rates, growth times, and population structure also differed significantly. Intrinsic rates of increase, mean generation times, and mean ages of reproduction differed: 0.14 versus 0.09-0.11 females per d, 31.7 versus 40.9-43.9 d, and 58.5 versus 73.1-79.2 d, respectively. Among wild populations, birth rates, death rates, and age distributions differed significantly with island. Results are discussed with respect to rearing procedure, host, habitat, and geography.
Synovial Fluid Analysis

Category A-1 continuing education credit is available to anyone who studies a CIE Update series and completes a written exam (prepared and distributed by the ASCP). For further information see page 139 in this issue.
Buffering the savanna: fire regimes and disequilibrium ecology in West Africa

According to contemporary ecological theory, the mechanisms governing tree cover in savannas vary by precipitation level. In tropical areas with mesic rainfall levels, savannas are unstable systems in which disturbances, such as fire, determine the ratio of trees to grasses. Precipitation in these so-called “disturbance-driven savannas” is sufficient to support forest but frequent disturbances prevent transition to a closed canopy state. Building on a savanna buffering model we argue that a consistent fire regime is required to maintain savannas in mesic areas. We hypothesize that the spatiotemporal pattern of fires is highly regular and stable in these areas. Furthermore, because tree growth rates in savannas are a function of precipitation, we hypothesize that savannas with the highest rainfall levels will have the most consistent fire pattern and the most intense fires—thus the strongest buffering mechanisms. We analyzed the spatiotemporal pattern of burning over 11 years for a large subset of the West African savanna using a moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer active fire product to document the fire regime for three savanna belts with different precipitation levels. We used LISA analysis to quantify the spatiotemporal patterns of fires, coefficient of variance to quantify differences in peak fire dates, and center or gravity pathways to characterize the spatiotemporal patterns of the fires for each area. Our analysis confirms that spatiotemporal regularity of the fire regime is greater for mesic areas that for areas where precipitation is lower and that areas with more precipitation have more regular fire regimes.
Simulations of the Tropical General Circulation with a Multiscale Global Model

AbstractCloud processes play a central role in the dynamics of the tropical atmosphere, but for many years the shortcomings of cloud parameterizations have limited our ability to simulate and understand important tropical weather systems such as the Madden–Julian oscillation. Since about 2001, “superparameterization” has emerged as a new path forward, complementing but not replacing studies based on conventional parameterizations. This chapter provides an overview of work with superparameterization, including a discussion of the method itself and a summary of key results.
Factors predicting desired autonomy in medical decisions: Risk-taking and gambling behaviors

This study investigated factors that influence patients’ desired level of autonomy in medical decisions. Analyses included previously supported demographic variables in addition to risk-taking and gambling behaviors, which exhibit a strong relationship with overall health and decision-making, but have not been investigated in conjunction with medical autonomy. Participants (N = 203) completed measures on Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, including two measures of autonomy. Two hierarchical regressions revealed that the predictors explained a significant amount of variance for both measures, but the contribution of predictor variables was incongruent between models. Possible causes for this incongruence and implications for patient–physician interactions are discussed.
Oxygen Vacancy Formation and Migration in CexTh1–xO2 Solid Solution

A local-density approximation with the Hubbard U correction (LDA+U) method has been employed to investigate oxygen vacancy formation and migration in CexTh₁_xO₂. The addition of CeO₂ into ThO₂ significantly decreases the oxygen vacancy formation and migration energies. ThO₂ containing 50% CeO₂ exhibits the lowest calculated formation energy, 3.7 eV, and the lowest calculated migration energy, 0.2 eV, occurs for a CeO₂ content of 75%, suggesting that introducing CeO2 into ThO2 promotes the formation of mobile oxygen vacancies. If the ceria content is less than about 35%, the reduced CexTh₁_xO₂ becomes antiferromagnetic (AFM), whereas the ferromagnetic (FM) state dominates for x values above about 35%, which may allow the tailoring of magnetic properties by varying the CeO₂ content.
Appendicular osteology of Dreadnoughtus schrani, a giant titanosaurian (Sauropoda, Titanosauria) from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia, Argentina

ABSTRACTThe postcranial anatomy of giant titanosaurians remains poorly known because of a combination of preservational and collection biases. Dreadnoughtus schrani, a recently described, large titanosaur from the Campanian–Maastrichtian Cerro Fortaleza Formation of Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, offers the first opportunity for detailed study of appendicular anatomy of a truly giant titanosaurian. The entire appendicular skeleton is represented except the manus and portions of the pes. Comparisons with related titanosauriforms reveal that the holotype skeleton (MPM-PV 1156) exhibits three appendicular autapomorphies: (1) a cranioventrally-caudodorsally oriented ridge across the medial surface of the cranial end of the scapular blade; (2) a distinct concavity on the caudomedial surface of the proximal radius; and (3) the distal end of the radius is subrectangular with subequal craniocaudal and mediolateral dimensions. Appendicular synapomorphies shared between Dreadnoughtus and other titanosauriforms enc...
Chemotherapy Versus Hypomethylating Agents for the Treatment of Relapsed Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Myelodysplastic Syndrome Following Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant: A Retrospective Review

Allogeneic stem cell transplant (allo-SCT) is a potentially curative option for high risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Disease relapse after transplant is the major cause of treatment failure and is associated with a poor outcome. Intensive chemotherapy followed by donor lymphocytes infusion (DLI) or a second SCT may result in a durable response in some patients, but is associated with increased toxicity. More recently, a less aggressive therapy with hypomethylating agents (HA) has been reported to have activity in treatment of post-SCT relapse. We compared the treatment outcomes of intensive chemotherapy with that of HA. The primary end points were overall response rate (ORR) and overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints were complete remission (CR) rate and progression free survival (PFS). A total of 100 patients with AML in morphological evidence of relapse were included: 73 patients received chemotherapy and 27 patients received a HA. Fifty-six percent of patients in the chemotherapy group and 33% of patients in the HA group received at least one DLI after treatment. Treatment with chemotherapy resulted in a higher ORR (51% vs. 18.5%, p = 0.004) and a higher CR rate (40% vs. 7%, p= 0.002). The median OS (6 months vs. 4 months, p = 0.024) and PFS (8 months vs. 2.3 months, p = 0.053) were longer in chemotherapy group. The overall survival (OS) at one year was 32% in the chemotherapy group compared with 4% in the HA group (p = 0.024). Similar benefit of chemotherapy over HA was maintained in all treatment outcomes after controlling for the use of DLI. The use of chemotherapy followed by DLI may offer the greatest benefit ( ORR of 68%; 1-year OS of 44%; and median OS of 18 months). Conclusion: our results suggest that intensive chemotherapy may result in a better response rate and a better overall survival compared with hypomethylating therapy in patients with morphological relapse of AML after SCT. We propose prospective studies before the use of hypomethylating agents in this setting for medically fit patients. Disclosures Off Label Use: Rituximab is a genetically engineered monoclonal antibody that targets a specific protein, known as CD20 found on the surface of normal and malignant B-lymphocytes.Use of Rituximab treatment for other than FDA approved indications include a rare condition of acquired factor VIII inhibitors in individuals without inherited hemophilia as an autoimmune phenomenon that may lead to life-threatening bleeding. Due to the low incidence rate of acquired inhibitors, published data consists of only case reports, and reviews.. Vij: celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding.
Virtual Worlds in Health Care Higher Education

Advances in information technology bring progress in distance education. Online education programs are pervasive, however, only recently has the Web 2.0 brought about interactive, dynamic distance based health care education in virtual worlds (VWs). VWs allow for real time representations of environments, manipulable objects and interactions between avatars or bots, creating a sense of realism and presence that is absent in traditional, flat online education. Presence has been linked to knowledge transfer and better learning. Second Life®, currently the largest virtual world, has been used in higher education, including health care education at the Duke University School of Nursing. Students have indicated higher levels of satisfaction with the learning environment and quality of instruction in this VW compared to other online learning systems. There is a need for further research in online education in VWs, and room for growth in applications of VWs in education.
Detection and segmentation of underwater archaeological sites surveyed with stereo-vision platforms

This paper proposes a method for automating detection and segmentation of archaeological structures in underwater environments. Underwater archaeologists have recently taken advantage of robotic or diver-operated stereo-vision platforms to survey and map submerged archaeological sites. From the acquired stereo images, 3D reconstruction can be performed to produce high-resolution photo-mosaic maps that are metrically accurate and contain information about depth. Archaeologists can then use these maps to manually outline or sketch features of interest, such as building plans of a submerged city. These features often contain large rocks that serve as the foundation to buildings and are arranged in patterns and geometric shapes that are characteristic of human-made structures. Our proposed method first detects these large rocks based on texture and depth information. Next, we exploit the characteristic geometry of human-made structures to identify foundation rocks arranged along lines to form walls. Then we propose to optimize the outlines of these walls by using the gradient of depth to seek the local minimum of the height from the seafloor to identify the ground plane at the base of the rocks. Finally, we output contours as geo-referenced layers for geographic information system (GIS) and architectural planning software. Experiments are based on a 2010 stereo reconstruction survey of Pavlopetri, a submerged city off the coast of Greece. The results provide a proof-of-concept for automating extraction of archaeological structure in underwater environments to produce geo-referenced contours for further analysis by underwater archaeologists.
When the Analyst Suffers Illness and Loss

This paper describes my struggle to retain my personal and professional identity while undergoing treatment for breast cancer. It would have been easy to slip into being “the tumor in the left breast.” A circumscribed writing project helped, since writing has always been part of my life. Some interactions with patients in treatment were also crucial to my sense of ongoing personhood.
Random Nonhomologous Recombination

Summary The totally random insertion of phage Mu-1 into the Escherichia coli chromosome is described. Its significance for tumor viruses and genetic engineering is discussed.
A Comprehensive Review and Analysis of Solutions for Different Layers ofthe TCP/IP Layer Stack and Security Issues for Cognitive Radio Networks

A cognitive radio network (CRN) is composed of both the secondary users with CRenabled radios and the primary users whose radios need not be CR-enabled. In this paper, we provide an exhaustive analysis of the issues and the state-of-the-art literature solutions available for the following four layers of the TCP/IP protocol stack, in the context of CRNs: physical layer (spectrum sensing), medium access control, routing, and transport layers. We discuss the various techniques/mechanisms/protocols proposed for each of these four layers, in the context of CRNs. In addition, we discuss several security attacks that could be launched on CRNs and the countermeasure solutions proposed to avoid or mitigate them. This paper would serve as a good comprehensive review and analysis of all the critical aspects for CRNs as well as would lay a strong foundation for someone to further delve onto any particular aspect in greater depth.