cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increased Postoperative Glucose Variability Is Associated with Adverse Outcomes Following Total Joint Arthroplasty

BACKGROUND Increased glucose variability during hospitalization has been associated with a longer length of stay in the hospital and a higher mortality rate following non-orthopaedic surgical procedures. Our aim was to investigate the association between glucose variability and postoperative complications following total joint arthroplasty. METHODS We analyzed data on 21,487 patients who had undergone total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA) at a single center from 2001 to 2017. Patients with a minimum of 2 postoperative glucose values per day or >3 values overall were included in the study. Glucose variability was assessed using a coefficient of variation. Adverse outcomes included an increased length of stay in the hospital, 90-day mortality, reoperations, periprosthetic joint infection, and surgical site infection. Periprosthetic joint infection was defined using the Musculoskeletal Infection Society criteria. RESULTS The final cohort included 2,360 patients who had undergone THA and 2,698 who had undergone TKA; 1,007 (19.9%) had diabetes. Higher glycemic variability was associated with an increased length of stay, 90-day mortality, periprosthetic joint infection, and surgical site infection. Adjusted analysis indicated that for every 10-percentage-point increase in the coefficient of variation, the length of stay increased by 6.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.1% to 7.2%; p < 0.001), the risk of mortality increased by 26% (odds ratio [OR] = 1.26, 95% CI = 0.98 to 1.61; p = 0.07), and the risks of periprosthetic joint infection and surgical site infection increased by 20% (OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.02 to 1.41; p = 0.03) and 14% (OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.00 to 1.31; p = 0.06), respectively. These associations were independent of the year of surgery, age, body mass index, Elixhauser comorbidity index, diagnosis of diabetes, in-hospital use of insulin or steroids, and mean glucose values during hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS Higher glucose variability in the postoperative period is associated with increased rates of surgical site and periprosthetic joint infections and may be a useful predictor of the risk of mortality following THA and TKA. Efforts should be made to control the glucose variability in the early postoperative period, and future studies should examine the role of continuous glucose monitoring in a subset of patients with high glucose fluctuations. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Prognostic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Psychoanalysis, the Life Story, and Aging

Datan et al. (1987), extending Neugarten’s (1984) earlier observation regarding the significance of the manner in which persons recount the story of their lives, well portray both the manner in which contemporary psychoanalysis understands the course of life and emphasize the goal of psychoanalytic study of adult lives as a search for factors accounting for a presently constructed story of experience and the determinant of wish and action. The present chapter focuses on the significance of contemporary clinical theory within psychoanalysis, additionally informed by study within the human sciences, as a means for understanding the management of lived experience reflected in the successively rewritten life story from childhood to oldest adulthood. These life stories, told by the analysand to the analyst, provide the foundation for a shared effort at remaking accounts of lived experience in an effort to provide the analysand with increased sense of personal integrity and vitality.
Expanding the electrical phenotype of NKX2-5 mutations: Ventricular tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, and complete heart block within one family.

NKX2-5 is a cardiac homeobox gene that is pivotal in the development of the myocardium and conduction system.1 Cardiac structural abnormalities and conduction disturbances have been described in the pediatric population with NKX2-5 mutations in recent years.2 Of the structural abnormalities, atrial septal defect (ASD) is the signature phenotype, although conotruncal defects, systemic and pulmonary outflow obstructions, and cardiomyopathies have also been reported.3, 4 Additionally, sudden death has been reported in patients with these mutations.5 Adult literature has demonstrated the presence of NKX2-5 mutations in patients with lone atrial fibrillation presenting in their early 40s.6 However, there are no current reports of patients with NKX2-5 mutations presenting with atrial fibrillation in teenage years or young adulthood. A recent study described the presence of ventricular tachycardia found incidentally on a pacemaker check in a patient with a strong family history of sudden death and NKX2-5 mutations.7 We previously published a paper describing a novel mutation in the NKX2-5 gene in a family with a history of sudden death.8 Our initial report described 2 male siblings with familial NKX2-5 mutation who had congenital heart defects, left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathy, and bradyarrhythmias as children. We now present an update on these 2 patients as young adults who went on to develop tachyarrhythmias prompting implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) therapy, highlighting the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion and considering increased surveillance for potentially dangerous rhythm abnormalities in this patient population.
Not all lightweight lead aprons and thyroid shields are alike.

Abstract Objective With the explosion of minimally invasive surgery, the use of fluoroscopy has significantly increased. Concurrently, there has been a demand for lighter weight aprons. The industry answered this call with the development of lightweight aprons. Our goal was to see whether lighter weight garments provide reduced protection. Methods Dry laboratory testing was performed in a standard X-ray room, using a standard fluoroscopy table and standard acrylic blocks. A commercial-grade pressurized ion chamber survey meter (Ludlum Model 9DP; Ludlum Measurements, Inc, Sweetwater, Tex) was used to detect gamma rays and X-rays above 25 keV. Nonlead aprons from several manufacturers were tested for scatter radiation penetration above the table at a fixed distance (3 feet) and compared with two standard 0.5-mm lead aprons of different manufacturers. Results Scatter measurements were made at 60 kVp and 70 kVp for pure lead (0.5 mm), mixed, and nonlead protective garments. Scatter penetration for the nonlead blends and barium aprons was 292% and 258%, respectively, at 60 kVp compared with the pure lead apron. At the higher beam quality of 70 kVp, the scatter penetration was 214% and 233% for the blend and barium aprons, respectively, compared with the pure lead apron. Our measurements demonstrate a noticeable difference in scatter reduction between pure lead and nonlead garments. Pure barium aprons and nonlead aprons from certain companies demonstrated scatter penetration that is inconsistent with the 0.5 mm of lead equivalence as claimed on the label. In addition, there was an incidental finding of a handful of lightweight aprons with significant tears along the seams, leaving large gaps in protection. Our study also demonstrates that several companies rate their lightweight garments as 0.5 mm lead equivalent, when actually only a small area on the chest and abdomen where the garment overlapped was 0.5 mm, leaving the rest of the garment with half the protection at 0.25 mm. Conclusions Our reliance on protective lead garments to shield us from the biologic effects of radiation exposure and the inferiority of some lightweight garments necessitate a streamlining of the testing methods and transparency in data reporting by manufacturers.
Short-term exposure to ambient air pollution and circulating biomarkers of endothelial cell activation: The Framingham Heart Study

Abstract Background Short-term exposure to air pollution has been associated with cardiovascular events, potentially by promoting endothelial cell activation and inflammation. A few large-scale studies have examined the associations and have had mixed results. Methods We included 3820 non-current smoking participants (mean age 56 years, 54% women) from the Framingham Offspring cohort examinations 7 (1998–2001) and 8 (2005–2008), and Third Generation cohort examination 1 (2002–2005), who lived within 50 km of a central monitoring station. We calculated the 1- to 7-day moving averages of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), black carbon (BC), sulfate (SO42-), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and ozone before examination visits. We used linear mixed effect models for P-selectin, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), intercellular adhesion molecule 1, lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 activity and mass, and osteoprotegerin that were measured up to twice, and linear regression models for CD40 ligand and interleukin-18 that were measured once, adjusting for demographics, life style and clinical factors, socioeconomic position, time, and meteorology. Results We found negative associations of PM2.5 and BC with P-selectin, of ozone with MCP-1, and of SO42- and NOx with osteoprotegerin. At the 5-day moving average, a 5 µg/m3 higher PM2.5 was associated with 1.6% (95% CI: − 2.8, − 0.3) lower levels of P-selectin; a 10 ppb higher ozone was associated with 1.7% (95% CI: − 3.2, − 0.1) lower levels of MCP-1; and a 20 ppb higher NOx was associated with 2.0% (95% CI: − 3.6, − 0.4) lower levels of osteoprotegerin. Conclusions We did not find evidence of positive associations between short-term air pollution exposure and endothelial cell activation. On the contrary, short-term exposure to higher levels of ambient pollutants were associated with lower levels of P-selectin, MCP-1, and osteoprotegerin in the Framingham Heart Study.
Coping strategies among immigrant women who have experienced intimate partner violence in North America: A narrative review

Abstract Intimate partner violence (IPV) is experienced in every society. IPV can cause severe mental, physical, social, and economic consequences for survivors, and impact their interpersonal relationships in their families, communities and broader society. Coping strategies may be utilized to minimize or tolerate the internal and external difficulties of such stressful situations. A significant number of IPV victims are immigrants in the U.S. and Canada. This study explores what is known about these victims' coping strategies to develop a better understanding of existing studies in the literature. We systematically reviewed qualitative studies on immigrant female IPV survivor coping strategies that were published in peer-reviewed journals between the year 2007 and 2017. We sought to answer the question, “What is known about coping strategies utilized by female immigrant survivors' of IPV in the US and Canada?” Eight qualitative studies were reviewed, and the results showed that survivors utilized multiple formal and informal coping strategies. We critically explored and summarized the eight studies to understand how immigrant women utilize coping strategies.
Identifying best practices in electronic health record documentation to support interprofessional communication for the prevention of central line-associated bloodstream infections.

Background There is a paucity of research on best practices for communication through the electronic health record (EHR) to support shared decision-making and to prevent adverse events. To explore this issue, this study focused on interprofessional communication around a specific clinical issue, the prevention of central line–associated bloodstream infections. Methods The Delphi technique was used to describe what information is needed to support decisions regarding central venous catheter (CVC) management, and best practices for communicating this information among the interprofessional team. Results The expert panel, 4 physicians and 6 nurses, identified 12 information types necessary for decisions regarding CVC management and the removal of unnecessary lines. For each of the 12 information types, the panel reached agreement regarding the best channel to communicate this information, including asynchronous EHR formats and synchronous oral channels. Conclusions Findings address 2 important aspects of postinsertion CVC practices and a gap in the literature by moving beyond a description of current practices to a description of how the EHR ought to be used to support collaboration and interprofessional communication. Future research should examine how the communication practices identified in this study contribute to a reduction in central line–associated bloodstream infections.
Characterization of Fiber Alignment and Mechanical Properties of Printed Cellulose Nanofibril Films

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) are a naturally abundant polymer with exceptional mechanical properties for their low density. Neat CNF materials have been reported with moduli ranging from 4 to 86 GPa, where the variation in moduli results from several preparation parameters, one of which is the fiber alignment. Because of their high aspect ratio (>100), CNFs form an entangled network in the absence of mechanisms for fiber alignment. In this study, the alignment of CNF fibers in films is achieved via control of printing and drying processes used to manufacture neat CNF films from aqueous suspensions containing low volume fractions of CNFs. The alignment of the CNFs is determined both globally and locally within printed CNF thin films and the effect of orientation on mechanical properties is characterized. Polarized light microscopy is used to characterize the orientation of CNFs through the bulk of the material (i.e., over areas >4 mm2) and shows that propagation of drying fronts can significantly impact alignment. The alignment of CNFs at the surface of the materials is imaged and quantified via atomic force microscopy (AFM). Both topographic and phase imaging, as well as different image processing techniques were evaluated for alignment characterization via AFM.
High Accuracy Low Precision QR Factorization and Least Square Solver on GPU with TensorCore

Driven by the insatiable needs to process ever larger amount of data with more complex models, modern computer processors and accelerators are beginning to offer half precision floating point arithmetic support, and extremely optimized special units such as NVIDIA TensorCore on GPU and Google Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) that does half precision matrix-matrix multiplication exceptionally efficiently. In this paper we present a large scale mixed precision linear least square solver that achieves high accuracy using the low precision TensorCore GPU. The mixed precision system consists of both innovative algorithms and implementations, and is shown to be up to 14x faster than single precision cuSOLVER at QR matrix factorization at large scale with slightly lower accuracy, and up to 10x faster than double precision direct QR least square solver with comparable accuracy.
Neuroscientific Approaches Toward Understanding Rituals

The basis of this chapter is to provide a phenomenological and scholarly foundation for understanding the rituals and practices associated with various religious and spiritual systems. Thus, we hope to provide scholars, clinicians, and researchers with valuable descriptions of different rituals with a focus on cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and experiential elements. In addition to communicating information about religious rituals and practices across disciplinary lines, the book will hopefully inspire new research studies to better assess the physiological, psychological, and clinical effects of these practices and rituals. While much of this book specifically focuses on rituals and practices, it is important to reflect on how this information can be utilized in a multidisciplinary approach incorporating scientific methods alongside scholarly analysis. This chapter provides an introduction to some of the primary methods and questions involved in the neuroscientific approach to religious rituals and practices.
Iron Deficiency Anemia: An Unexpected Cause of an Acute Occipital Lobe Stroke in an Otherwise Healthy Young Woman

A 29-year-old caucasian woman who presented to the hospital with an acute onset of right eye visual disturbance and headache was found to have an acute left occipital lobe infarction. Past medical history was significant for iron deficiency anemia (IDA) secondary to menorrhagia. Her initial hemoglobin level was 7.8 G/DL, and her symptoms improved after iron and blood transfusions. Hypercoagulable studies were completed in the outpatient setting, and the results were unremarkable. Her acute stroke was most likely related to IDA as she had low cardiovascular risk factors along with a negative complete stroke workup.
Adjuvant Radiation Therapy Versus Surveillance After Surgical Resection of Atypical Meningiomas.

PURPOSE The optimal timing of adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) in the management of atypical meningiomas remains controversial. We compared the outcomes of atypical meningiomas managed with upfront adjuvant RT versus postoperative surveillance. METHODS AND MATERIALS Patients with intracranial atypical meningiomas who underwent resection between 2000 and 2015 at a single institution were identified. Patients receiving adjuvant RT (n = 51), defined as RT within the first year of surgery before tumor progression/recurrence (P/R), were compared with those undergoing initial surveillance (n = 179). The primary endpoints were radiographic evidence of P/R and time to P/R from surgery. RESULTS A total of 230 patients were identified. Fifty-one (22%) patients received upfront adjuvant RT, and 179 (78%) underwent surveillance. Compared with the surveillance group, patients who received adjuvant RT had larger tumors (5.2 cm vs 4.6 cm; P = .04), were more likely to have undergone subtotal resection (65% vs 26%; P < . 01), and more often had bone invasion (18% vs 7%; P = .02). On multivariable analysis, receipt of adjuvant RT was associated with a lower risk of P/R compared with surveillance (hazard ratio, 0.21; 95% confidence interval, 0.11-0.41; P < .01). Patients who initially underwent surveillance and then received salvage RT at time of P/R had a shorter median time to local progression after RT compared with patients who developed local P/R after upfront adjuvant RT (19 vs 64 months, respectively; P < . 01). CONCLUSION Upfront adjuvant RT was associated with improved local control in atypical meningiomas irrespective of extent of initial resection compared with surveillance. Early adjuvant RT should be strongly considered after gross total resection of atypical meningiomas.
A global meta-analysis of livestock grazing impacts on soil properties.

Grazing effects on soil properties under different soil and environmental conditions across the globe are often controversial. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate the overall magnitude and direction of the grazing effects on soils. This global meta-analysis was conducted using the mixed model method to address the overall effects of grazing intensities (heavy, moderate, and light) on 15 soil properties based on 287 papers published globally from 2007 to 2019. Our findings showed that heavy grazing significantly increased the soil BD (11.3% relative un-grazing) and PR (52.5%) and reduced SOC (-10.8%), WC (-10.8%), NO3- (-23.5%), and MBC (-27.9%) at 0–10 cm depth, and reduced SOC (-22.5%) and TN (-19.9%) at 10–30 cm depth. Moderate grazing significantly increased the BD (7.5%), PR (46.0%), and P (18.9%) (0–10 cm), and increased pH (4.1%) and decreased SOC (-16.4%), TN (-10.6%), and P (-23.9%) (10–30 cm). Light grazing significantly increased the SOC (10.8%) and NH4+ (28.7%) (0–10 cm). Heavy grazing showed much higher mean probability (0.70) leading to overgrazing than the moderate (0.14) and light (0.10) grazing. These findings indicate that, globally, compared to un-grazing, heavy grazing significantly increased soil compaction and reduced SOC, NO3-, and soil moisture. Moderate grazing significantly increased soil compaction and alkalinity and reduced SOC and TN. Light grazing significantly increased SOC and NH4+. Cattle grazing impacts on soil compaction, SOC, TN, and available K were higher than sheep grazing, but lower for PR. Climate significantly impacted grazing effects on SOM, TN, available P, NH4+, EC, CEC, and PR. Heavy grazing can be more detrimental to soil quality based on BD, SOC, TN, C: N, WC, and K than moderate and light grazing. However, global grazing intensities did not significantly impact most of the 15 soil properties, and the grazing effects on them had insignificant changes over the years.
What Does “Successful Aging” Mean to you? — Systematic Review and Cross-Cultural Comparison of Lay Perspectives of Older Adults in 13 Countries, 2010–2020

Successful aging is a concept that has gained popularity and relevance internationally among gerontologists in recent decades. Examining lay older adults' perspectives on successful aging can enhance our understanding of what successful aging means. We conducted a systematic review of peer reviewed studies from multiple countries published in 2010-2020 that contained qualitative responses of lay older adults to open-ended questions such as "What does successful aging mean to you?" We identified 23 studies conducted in 13 countries across North America, Western Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Oceania. We identified no studies meeting our criteria in Africa, South America, Eastern Europe, North Asia, or Pacific Islands. Across all regions represented in our review, older adults most commonly referred to themes of social engagement and positive attitude in their own lay definitions of successful aging. Older adults also commonly identified themes of independence and physical health. Least mentioned were themes of cognitive health and spirituality. Lay definitions of successful aging varied by country and culture. Our findings suggest that gerontology professionals in fields including healthcare, health psychology, and public health may best serve older adults by providing services that align with older adults' priority of maintaining strong social engagement as they age. Lay perspectives on successful aging acknowledge the importance of positive attitude, independence, and spirituality, in addition to physical and cognitive functioning.
NGSS Engineering Practices in Physics Instruction: Building a Night Light

Many physics teachers have experienced the challenges of implementing the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in their high school curricula. These standards, based upon the Framework for K-12 Science Education, were intended to shift science instruction towards an interdisciplinary focus on three-dimensional learning, phenomena anchored explorations, and developing solutions for technological problems. The present paper describes a collaboration between electrical and computer engineers and physics educators, whereby a physics unit was created to embed engineering practices in the design of a night light. Although the project also incorporates aspects of crosscutting concepts and disciplinary core ideas, we focused on engineering practices since more educational resources are needed that illustrate this aspect of NGSS-aligned teaching and learning. The unit was piloted with over 1500 high school students in an informal outreach program, as well as professional development workshops for 100 secondary science teachers, with the intent that teachers would incorporate this and other engineering projects in their physical science classrooms.
Two Regimes of Confinement in Tension: Partial Prison Reform in the Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic created a new prison system in 2003, with new buildings, staff, and programs and a human rights ethos. It now holds a third of prisoners and operates in parallel with the “traditional” penal regime. The new system can be materially more comfortable for some, but can be more restrictive for others. In dialogue with Birkbeck’s concept of “regimes of confinement,” this chapter describes key facets of each regime and explores prisoners’ perceptions of the advantages and drawbacks of each. This chapter interrogates assumptions about standards and rights inside prisons, particularly in settings with severe inequality and constrained resources. The Dominican example illustrates the benefits and unintended consequences of progressive prison reforms and offers insights into what matters most to prisoners.
Low-volume lymphatic metastasis (isolated tumor cells) in endometrial cancer: management and prognosis.

We discussed with the patient that the first step towards management of her endometrial cancer would be surgical staging. This includes a total hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and bilateral sentinel pelvic lymph node excision. We discussed the possibility of requiring a full pelvic node dissection if the sentinel nodes were not detected bilaterally. We discussed that we will plan to perform this via a minimally invasive approach. Risks, benefits, and alternatives to surgery were discussed. She was also made aware that she might require adjuvant treatment based on the final surgical stage.
Heat-inactivated modified vaccinia virus Ankara boosts Th1-biased cellular and humoral immune responses as a vaccine adjuvant by activating the STING-mediated cytosolic DNA-sensing pathway

BackgroundProtein or peptide-based subunit vaccines are promising platforms for combating human cancers and infectious diseases. However, one primary concern regarding subunit vaccines is the relatively weak immune responses induced by proteins or peptides. Therefore, developing novel and effective vaccine adjuvants is critical for the success of subunit vaccines. Modified vaccinia virus (MVA) is a safe and effective vaccine against smallpox and monkeypox. In this study, we explored the potential of heat-inactivated MVA (heat-iMVA) as a novel vaccine adjuvant. MethodsWe co-administered heat-iMVA with a model antigen, chicken ovalbumin (OVA), either intramuscularly or subcutaneously twice, two weeks apart, and analyzed anti-OVA specific CD8+ and CD4+ T cells in the spleens and skin draining lymph nodes (dLNs) and serum anti-OVA IgG1 and IgG2c antibodies. We also compared the adjuvanticity of heat-iMVA with several known vaccine adjuvants, including complete Freunds adjuvant (CFA) and AddaVax, an MF59-like preclinical grade nano-emulsion. In addition, we tested whether co-administration of heat-iMVA plus tumor neoantigen peptides or irradiated tumor cells improves antitumor efficacy in a B16-F10 therapeutic vaccination model. Using Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING) or Batf3-deficient mice, we evaluated the contribution of the STING pathway and Batf3-dependent CD103+/CD8 DCs in heat-iMVA-induced immunity. ResultsCo-administration of protein- or peptide-based immunogens with heat-iMVA dramatically enhances Th1-biased cellular and humoral immune responses. This adjuvant effect of heat-iMVA is dependent on the STING-mediated cytosolic DNA-sensing pathway, and the antigen-specific CD8+ T cell response requires Batf3-dependent CD103+/CD8+ dendritic cells (DCs). Heat-iMVA infection of bone marrow-derived DCs (BMDCs) promoted antigen cross-presentation, whereas live MVA infection did not. RNA-seq analyses revealed that heat-iMVA is a more potent activator of the STING pathway than live MVA. Additionally, combining tumor neoantigen peptides or irradiated tumor cells with heat-iMVA delayed tumor growth and extended the median survival in B16-F10 therapeutic vaccination models. ConclusionsHeat-iMVA induces type I interferon (IFN) production and antigen cross-presentation via a STING-dependent mechanism in DCs. Co-administration of heat-iMVA with peptide antigen generates strong Th1-biased cellular and humoral immunity. Collectively, our results demonstrate that heat-iMVA is a safe and potent vaccine adjuvant.
Vehicle To Vehicle System For Congestion Control And Performance Validation

The vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication is the inter vehicle communication model which is not more applied and systematize by governments. The important attribute of the V2V communication is that it does not depend on other reliable network like cellular network to communicate between other vehicles. It is an ad hoc communication spans up to 1km with 360 view of the near vehicles. Despite the wide range of benefit that V2V offered, it had to face a number of challenges in deployment. Due to the good rated by operator of V2V communication capability to solve road traffic critical safety around the world, increases interest in these technologies. However, in dense traffic conditions as the V2V deployment scales up, the resultant channel load increases and leads to channel congestion and may adversely affect the performance of the safety applications. The primary contribution of this paper is that using a congestion generation test bed that emulates channel congestion including a large number of remote vehicles. In this regard V2V communication is VANET is designed for automobile to interact with each other automatically, using a wireless network and increase the reach around the world.
Comparison of probiotic and antibiotic intramammary therapy of cattle with clinical mastitis

The effects of treating clinical mastitis with intramammary infusions of either a Lactobacillus or an antibiotic preparation on intramammary infection cure rate and on milk somatic cell count (SCC) were compared during a 10-month study. A total of 75 clinical quarters were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments. Quarter foremilk samples were obtained from all quarters at days 0, 7 and 14 following infusion to determine the microbiological status and SCC. Monthly composite milk SCC were obtained from the DHIA. The majority of pathogens isolated were Gram-negative bacilli and environmental streptococci. Treatment of quarters with Lactobacillus cured 35.3% of infected quarters, while 57.7% of infections treated with antibiotic were eliminated. Correspondingly, av. SCC remained unchanged for Lactobacillus-treated quarters for 14 days after infusion while av. SCC of antibiotic-treated quarters decreased during the same time-period. Although there was no treatment difference in monthly DHIA composite SCC prior to and following treatment, there was an increase in composite SCC for Lactobacillus-treated quarters. The results indicate that this Lactobacillus product was not effective as an intramammary treatment for mastitis.
The extensible computational chemistry environment: a problem solving environment for high performance theoretical chemistry

The Extensible Computational Chemistry Environment (Ecce) is a suite of distributed applications that are integrated as a comprehensive problem solving environment for computational chemistry. Ecce provides scientists with an easily used graphical user interface to the tasks of setting up complex molecular modeling calculations, distributed use of high performance computers, and scientific visualization and analysis. Ecce's flexible, standards-based architecture is an extensible framework that represents a significant milestone in production systems, both in the field of computational chemistry and problem solving environment research. Its base problem solving architecture components and concepts are applicable to problem solving environments beyond the computational chemistry domain.
Coeficiente de concordancia para variables continuas

En las notas estadisticas anteriores, se hizo referencia a medidas de asociacion entre dos variables. En el caso particular de dos variables continuas, se estudio el coeficiente de correlacion de Pearson y su forma de calculo. Una situacion diferente surge cuando se desea medir la misma variable, en las mismas muestras o pacientes, con dos metodos, equipos o personas diferentes, para determinar si ambos metodos, equipos o personas producen resultados equivalentes. En ese caso lo que interesa es determinar si ambas mediciones son similares en magnitud, no si estan asociadas, de hecho deben estarlo, ya que son dos mediciones de la misma caracteristica en los mismos individuos o muestras. No obstante, si una de las mediciones tiene un error sistematico, por ejemplo si una de las mediciones tiene sistematicamente cinco unidades menos que la otra medicion, el coeficiente de correlacion puede ser muy elevado aunque las diferencias en las mediciones sean importantes, es decir, las mediciones pueden no ser concordantes.
Temporal Reasoning with Generalized Relations

James Allen formulated an interval-based calculus for maintaining temporal knowledge which is widely applied to temporal reasoning in AI-systems. In this paper we present an extension of existing interval based representations of time which is motivated by requirements stemming from the natural language text understanding project LILOG. For covering temporal quantificational phenomena we introduce the notion of plural intervals, i.e. sets of intervals. The main novelty is the definition of generalized relations as primitives for describing relationships between sets of intervals. Generalized relations are derived from standard interval relations by implicit ”generalized” quantification. Furthermore, we specify inference rules which allow for temporal reasoning with generalized relations. We demonstrate how they can be reduced to Allens’s transitivity rules for interval relations.
TR4 Nuclear Receptor Different Roles in Prostate Cancer Progression.

Nuclear receptors are important to maintain the tissue homeostasis. Each receptor is tightly controlled and under a very complicated balance. In this review, we summarize the current findings regarding the nuclear receptor TR4 and its role in prostate cancer (PCa) progression. In general, TR4 can inhibit the PCa carcinogenesis. However, when PPARγ is knocked out, activation of TR4 can have an opposite effect to promote the PCa carcinogenesis. Clinical data also indicates that higher TR4 expression is found in PCa tissues with high Gleason scores compared to those tissues with low Gleason scores. In vitro and in vivo studies show that TR4 can promote PCa progression. Mechanism dissection indicates that TR4 inhibits PCa carcinogenesis through regulating the tumor suppressor ATM to reduce DNA damages. On the other hand, in the absence of PPARγ, TR4 tends to increase the stem cell population and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) via regulating CCL2, Oct4, EZH2, and miRNA-373-3p expression that results in increased PCa carcinogenesis. In opposition to PCa initiation, TR4 can increase PCa metastasis via modulating the CCL2 signals. Finally, targeting TR4 enhances the chemotherapy and radiation therapy sensitivity in PCa. Together, these data suggest TR4 is a key player to control PCa progression and targeting TR4 with small molecules may provide us a new and better therapy to suppress PCa progression.
Evolutionarily Divergent Proteins Utilize the G(alpha)-Binding and Activating Motif as a Conserved Module for Trimeric G Protein Activation

Classical activation of trimeric G proteins occurs via guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) activity of GPCRs. However, it has become recently evident that a set of non-receptor proteins can also activate G proteins. Among these non-receptor GEFs, GIV was the first one for which the GEF activity was ascribed to a defined sequence , i.e., the Gα-Binding and Activating (GBA) motif. However, the GBA motif of GIV appears only in its orthologues in vertebrates but not in invertebrates, posing the question of whether the GBA motif appeared only late in evolution as a mechanism of G protein modulation. Our bioinformatics searches revealed a putative GBA sequence in an uncharacterized protein in the model invertebrate organism C. elegans. This protein has no similarity to GIV or any known protein in vertebrates. By using a combination of biochemistry, site directed-mutagenesis and homology modeling we demonstrate that this protein, that we call ceGBA, utilizes its GBA motif to bind and activate the C. elegans...
Physical-Chemical Characterization and Formulation Considerations for Solid Lipid Nanoparticles

Pure glyceryl mono-oleate (GMO) (lipid) and different batches of GMO commonly used for the preparation of GMO-chitosan nanoparticles were characterized by modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC), cryo-microscopy, and cryo-X-ray powder diffraction techniques. GMO-chitosan nanoparticles containing poloxamer 407 as a stabilizer in the absence and presence of polymers as crystallization inhibitors were prepared by ultrasonication. The effect of polymers (polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), Eudragits, hydroxyl propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), polyethylene glycol (PEG)), surfactants (poloxamer), and oils (mineral oil and olive oil) on the crystallization of GMO was investigated. GMO showed an exothermic peak at around −10°C while cooling and another exothermic peak at around −12°C while heating. It was followed by two endothermic peaks between 15 and 30 C, indicative of GMO melting. The results are corroborated by cryo-microscopy and cryo-X-ray. Significant differences in exothermic and endothermic transition were observed between different grades of GMO and pure GMO. GMO-chitosan nanoparticles resulted in a significant increase in particle size after lyophilization. MDSC confirmed that nanoparticles showed similar exothermic crystallization behavior of lipid GMO. MDSC experiments showed that PVP inhibits GMO crystallization and addition of PVP showed no significant increase in particle size of solid lipid nanoparticle (SLN) during lyophilization. The research highlights the importance of extensive physical-chemical characterization for successful formulation of SLN.
Selective Patch Angioplasty and Intraoperative Shunting in Carotid Endarterectomy: A Single-Center Review of 141 Procedures.

Open surgical treatment of carotid artery stenosis, namely, carotid endarterectomy (CEA), has evolved since its inception in 1953. Despite improvements in the treatment of carotid occlusive disease through technological and surgical innovations, the use of patch grafting in CEA's remains controversial. We evaluate the durability of the primary closure and the safety of selective shunting during carotid endarterectomy (CEA) as determined by intraoperative EEG and postoperative outcomes.A consecutive series of CEA's performed by the senior author at a single academic medical center from 2001 to 2012 were reviewed. All cases were performed under continuous intraoperative electroencephalography (EEG). Patch angioplasty was used in cases where there was tortuosity of the vessel within the region of the endarterectomy and narrow vessel diameter at the distal end of the arteriotomy. Shunting was used when intraoperative EEG showed a > 50% reduction in a waveform in any lead. Patients were evaluated for restenosis via imaging or ultrasound at six months and subsequently annual follow-up.One hundred and forty-one CEA's were performed on 132 (76 male, 56 female) patients with an average age of 71 years (range: 40-95 years). Four (3%) cases required patch angioplasty and three (2%) required intraoperative shunts. The cross-clamp time ranged from 22 to 74 minutes, and the duration increased with the use of shunts and patches. Complications were rare and included recurrent stenosis (n=2), postoperative transient ischemic attack (n=1), ischemic stroke in (n=1), temporary hypoglossal nerve weakness (n=2), temporary marginal mandibular nerve weakness (n=6), and neck hematoma (n=1).Intraoperative EEG data suggests that primary closure and selective shunting in CEA can result in outcomes comparable with routine patch angioplasty and shunting.
Why is isotropy so prevalent in spatial statistics

There are many reasons for the popular use of the isotropic or geometrically anisotropic covariance function and variogram in spatial statistics. A less known reason demonstrated in this paper is that an isotropic or geometrically anisotropic model would be the only choice in certain circumstances, for instance, when the underlying random field is smooth enough.
Crystal fingerprinting: elucidating the crystals of Cheddar, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Gouda, and soft washed-rind cheeses using powder x-ray diffractometry

Crystals in cheese may be considered defects or positive features, depending on the variety and mode of production (industrial, artisanal). Powder x-ray diffractometry (PXRD) offers a simple means to identify and resolve complex combinations of crystals that contribute to cheese characteristics. The objective of the present research was to demonstrate the application of PXRD to study crystals from a range of different cheese types, specifically Cheddar, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Gouda, and soft washed-rind (smear ripened) cheeses. In studies of Parmigiano-Reggiano and long-aged Gouda, PXRD has confirmed that hard (crunchy) crystals that form abundantly within these cheeses consist of tyrosine. Furthermore, PXRD has tentatively identified the presence of an unusual form of crystalline leucine in large (up to 6 mm in diameter) spherical entities, or “pearls”, that occur abundantly in 2-year-old Parmigiano Reggiano and long-aged Gouda cheeses, and on the surface of rindless hard Italian-type cheese. Ongoing investigations into the nature of these “pearls” are providing new insight into the roles that crystals play in the visual appearance and texture of long-aged cheeses. Crystals also sometimes develop profusely in the eyes of long-aged Gouda, which have been shown by PXRD to consist of tyrosine and the aforementioned presumptive form of crystalline leucine. Finally, crystals have been shown by PXRD to form in the smears of soft washed-rind cheeses. These crystals may be associated in some cheeses with gritty mouth feel and with zonal body softening that occurs during ripening. Heightened interest in artisanal cheeses highlights the need to better understand crystals and their contributions to cheese characteristics.
A low-power 64×64 ASIC 2-bit digital correlator

The massively parallel high-speed correlators required for Fourier aperture synthesis can be among the primary drivers of power consumption in synthetic thinned-aperture radiometers. Power consumption by digital correlation operations among upwards of thousands of input pairs using FPGA architecture is a significant burden for existing ground-based systems and prohibitively high for satellite-based systems. For example, the ALMA telescope correlates among 66 antennas. The proposed Geostationary Synthetic Thinned Aperture Radiometer (GeoSTAR) for atmospheric microwave sounding would correlate a Y-array with 128 receivers per arm, which necessitates efficiency on the order of hundreds of microwatts per correlator element. A 2-bit digital correlator using an ASIC platform has been designed for use in a GeoSTAR prototype. An efficiency of less than 800 µW/correlation cell over a 64×64 cross-correlation matrix in a 21mm × 21mm BGA package makes the chip adaptable to variety of synthetic aperture radiometry applications where very low power consumption is required.
Program synthesis: opportunities for the next decade

Program synthesis is the contemporary answer to automatic programming. It innovates in two ways: First, it replaces batch automation with interactivity, assisting the programmer in refining the understanding of the programming problem. Second, it produces programs using search in a candidate space rather than by derivation from a specification. Searching for an acceptable program means that we can accommodate incomplete specifications, such as examples. Additionally, search makes synthesis applicable to domains that lack correct-by-construction derivation rules, such as hardware design, education, end-user programming, and systems biology. The future of synthesis rests on four challenges, each presenting an opportunity to develop novel abstractions for "programming with search." Larger scope: today, we synthesize small, flat programs; synthesis of large software will need constructs for modularity and stepwise refinement. New interaction modes: to solicit the specification without simply asking for more examples, we need to impose a structure on the candidate space and explore it in a dialogue. Construction: how to compile a synthesis problem to a search algorithm without building a compiler? Everything is a program: whatever can be phrased as a program can be in principle synthesized. Indeed, we will see synthesis advance from synthesis of plain programs to synthesis of compilers and languages. The latter may include DSLs, type systems, and modeling languages for biology. As such, synthesis could help mechanize the crown jewel of programming languages research --- the design of abstractions --- which has so far been done manually and only by experts.
Correlates of personal concerns about developing Alzheimer's disease among middle-aged persons.

We examine correlates of personal concerns about developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) among (1) adult children, 40 to 60 years of age, who have a living pare n t with a diagnosis of probable AD (N =...
Model geoid anomalies due to subduction of inextensible lithosphere

We compute geoid slopes from models of subduction in which the subducted lithosphere is much stronger than the surrounding mantle. Geoid slope contributions from both the lithospheric slab and mantle boundary deformations are computed from finite element analysis of mantle flow. The finite element model includes a slab of finite length and a depth dependent Newtonian rheology for the surrounding mantle. We find that observed geoid anomalies at subduction zones, which are positive, cannot be matched by models with uniform mantle viscosity. However, even with a strong subducted lithosphere, the ratio of driving load to boundary deformation is significantly increased by a ten-fold increase of viscosity with depth, resulting in a geoid high. We find that the sign of the geoid slopes within 3000 km of the trench are independent of maximum depth of the slab for maximum depths from 700 km to 2800 km. copyright American Geophysical Union 1987
Seasonality and Hormonal Control of Territorial Aggression in Female Song Sparrows (Passeriformes: Emberizidae: Melospiza melodia)

Male and female song sparrows perform similar aggressive behaviors including flights, wing-wave threat displays, and growls. Females very rarely sing, however. To investigate the seasonal variation and hormonal control of territorial aggression in females, we simulated female intrusions during the pre-breeding, breeding and post-molt seasons in the field. Circulating levels of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, estradiol, progesterone and corticosterone in females experiencing simulated intrusion were compared to those of passively netted females matched for breeding stage. Female aggressive responses to female intrusion dropped from the pre-breeding to the post-molt seasons. Levels of circulating androgens were significantly higher in control females than in females experiencing a simulated intrusion. There were no significant differences in any of the other hormones measured. Although song sparrow female-female aggression appears to be behaviorally similar to male-male aggression, the seasonal variation and hormonal support of aggression differ between the sexes.
State of the art of international marketing research: directions for the future

This paper presents a critical evaluation of the field of international marketing from the viewpoint of academic research. Research in the field has been limited to three areas: (a) country of origin; (b) standardisation/adaptation of marketing strategy; (c) entry strategy. Recommendations are made for future research on the subject.