cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Door-to-Balloon Times in Hospitals Within the Get-With-The-Guidelines Registry After Initiation of the Door-to-Balloon (D2B) Alliance

To improve hospital performance in door-to-balloon (DTB) times nationally, the American College of Cardiology D2B Alliance recently enrolled approximately 1,000 hospitals that perform percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) across the United States in a large national quality improvement effort. We evaluated recent changes in DTB times in hospitals within the Get-With-The-Guidelines (GWTG) Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) program, a partner in the D2B Alliance. Within GWTG-CAD participating hospitals, we studied DTB in nontransferred patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction treated with primary PCI from July 2006 to March 2008. We evaluated the percentage of patients treated within 90 minutes and used multivariable models with generalized estimating equations to examine trends over time after accounting for changes in patients' characteristics. A total of 5,801 patients at 167 hospitals were included in our analysis, with 3,567 patients at 98 hospitals that joined the D2B Alliance. From July to September 2006, 54.1% of patients received primary PCI within 90 minutes. This number increased significantly during the study period: 335 (74.1%) of 452 patients at GWTG-CAD participating hospitals were treated within 90 minutes from January to March 2008, including 229 of 304 patients (75.3%) treated at hospitals that joined the D2B Alliance and 106 of 148 patients (71.6%) treated at other GWTG-CAD participating hospitals (p <0.001 for all comparisons over time). No statistically significant differences were noted in the rate of change between hospitals that joined the D2B Alliance and other GWTG-CAD participating hospitals. In conclusion, the percentage of patients treated with 90 minutes has dramatically increased at hospitals participating within the GWTG-CAD program, coinciding with the launch of the D2B Alliance. These improvements were broad and not limited to hospitals that joined the D2B Alliance.
GALEX catalogue of UV point sources in M33

The hottest stars ($>$10,000 K), and by extension typically the most massive ones, are those that will be prevalent in the ultraviolet (UV) portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, and we expect numerous B, O, and Wolf-Rayet stars to be bright in UV data. In this paper, we update the previous UV catalog of M33, created using the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT), using data from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX). We utilize PSF photometry to better handle the crowded regions in the galaxy, and benefit from GALEX's increased sensitivity compared to UIT. We match our detections with data from the Local Group Galaxies Survey (LGGS) to create a catalog with photometry spanning from the far-UV through the optical for a final list of 24738 sources. All of these sources have far-UV (FUV; 1516A), near-UV (NUV; 2267A), and V data, and a significant fraction also have U, B, R, and I data as well. We compare these sources to a catalog of known Wolf-Rayet stars in M33 and find that we recover 114 of 206 stars with spatially-coincident UV objects. Additionally, we highlight and investigate those sources with unique colors as well as a selection of other well-studied sources in M33.
Capturing maximal coronary vasodilation for myocardial perfusion imaging: is timing everything?

Positron emission tomography (PET)–derived noninvasive quantification of hyperemic myocardial blood flow and flow reserve in absolute terms extends the scope of conventional single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging from the detection of advanced and flow-
Damaged Self III: Work Place Stress

Your ability to cope with stress is the lifeline to your survival on most jobs. A repeated dosage of trauma dosages of trauma for first responders shows up in their wellbeing. Most people that come from the inner-city have already been exposed to traumas, so their ability to cope is better than those who have not. This paper will explore the best practices to help cope with the job related stress.
Impaired Switching from Self-Prepared Actions in Mild Parkinson Disease.

BACKGROUND Planned and initiated actions frequently need to be terminated in favor of another action. It is known that many individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) have more difficulty self-initiating movement (i.e., endogenously evoked movement)than moving in response to environmental stimuli (i.e., exogenously evoked movement). However, it is not known if individuals with PD display this same endogenous-exogenous asymmetry when needing to terminate, disengage, and reprogram movements. OBJECTIVE This study used a novel reaction time (RT) paradigm to test whether patients with mild PD have subclinical deficits of endogenous movement initiation and endogenous movement reprogramming. METHODS Twelve non-demented individuals with PD on medication and 15 demographically similar healthy control (HC)participants completed an experimental paradigm that examined their RTs (key press) following self-selected valid action preparation (endogenous cues) versus valid exogenously presented cues. The paradigm also assessed participants' ability to rapidly stop their endogenous or exogenous preparation following an invalid cue and execute an alternative action (key press). RESULTS Participants with PD produced similar RTs as controls following endogenous and exogenous valid cues, and following invalid exogenous cues. However, following invalid endogenous cues, PD participants were slower than HC participants to stop an endogenous preparation and execute an alternative action. CONCLUSIONS Despite having mild disease and being on dopaminergic medication, these individuals with PD displayed deficits in motor disengagement and reprograming of self-selected actions. Future studies should examine how this phenomenon influences every day actions, as well as possible treatments for this deficit.
Reverse Brain Drain: New Strategies by Developed and Developing Countries

Historically, advanced economies, such as the United States, have thrived through visa regimes that are geared towards drawing the best and the brightest to their shores. With increasing opportunities now available in many developing Asian countries such as India, China, South Korea and Singapore, the global recession in the United States, as well as stricter immigration laws, has increased the phenomenon of ‘returnees’ as thousands of professionals return to their home countries. This research is an attempt at understanding both the roles played by developed countries, in particular the United States in retaining talented immigrants in their countries, and developing countries (Asian in particular) in making their countries more attractive for return. The Startup Visa Bill in the Senate represents the most aggressive attempt yet to both attract and retain the best of entrepreneurship and talent on American shores. On the other hand, the creation of many EduCities and other strategies in different developing Asian countries reflects their grand strategy in becoming centres for Western education retaining their national talent as well as attracting many others. The chapter will reflect on these strategies to gain a broader understanding of the many nuances in the debate on brain drain and brain gain in the twenty-first century.
A histone-binding protein, nucleoplasmin, stimulates transcription factor binding to nucleosomes and factor-induced nucleosome disassembly.

The binding of a GAL4-AH, USF or Sp1 to nucleosome cores was stimulated by the presence of the histone-binding protein, nucleoplasmin. Stimulation of factor binding by nucleoplasmin was specific for nucleosome reconstituted DNA and was not mimicked by non-specific histone sinks (i.e. polyglutamate or RNA). Upon GAL4-AH binding, nucleoplasmin specifically removed histones H2A and H2B from the nucleosome which enhanced the subsequent loss of the H3/H4 tetramers onto competing DNA. Thus, nucleoplasmin participated in the complete conversion of nucleosome cores to transcription factor-DNA complexes. These data indicate that proteins which bind histones can increase transcription factor binding to nucleosomal DNA and that transcription factor binding can initiate nucleosome disassembly. Similar activities of histone-binding proteins may participate in the displacement of nucleosomes at enhancers and promoters in vivo.
Axenic cultivation of Caenorhabditis briggsae (Nematoda: Rhabditidae). V. Maturation on synthetic media.

Summary1. Newly hatched larvae of Caenorhabditis briggsae can grow to adulthood and F1 larvae can be produced on a completely defined synthetic medium (GM-8) consisting of 18 L-amino acids, D-glucose, 4 ribonucleotides plus thymine, choline, i-inositol, ascorbic acid, 17 “trace” vitamins and growth factors, and a mixture of salts. 2. Media (GM-9 and −11) like GM-8 except for certain omissions (and minor additions to restore acid-base balance and salt levels) also support maturation and reproduction. 3. In the case of GM-11, omitted substances include the 8 “non-essential” amino acids. 4. The presence of a trace amount of the standard liver medium used for the indefinite axenic cultivation of C. briggsae is markedly stimulatory to the synthetic media, and some F1 larvae mature and produce F2 larvae when liver medium is present at only 0.032% of its standard strength. 5. For sustained growth, however, C. briggsae requires the presence of much higher levels of liver medium—between 10 and 50% of the standard ...
A Wide-Range Variable Temperature Cabinet for Bio-Ecological Studies

A brief description is given of the construction and performance of a variable temperature cabinet. The cabinet offers outstanding program reproducibility and a broad temperature range at low cost.
A Child of One’s Own: parental stories, Rachel Bowlby

In A Child of One’s Own: parental stories, Rachel Bowlby (currently a professor of comparative literature at Princeton) contextualizes ‘forms of contemporary parenthood that may seem to be quite ne...
Off pump concomitant coronary revascularization and carotid endarterectomy

AIM Off pump coronary revascularization has emerged as a viable option in the treatment of coexisting clinically significant carotid and coronary artery disease. To this end, we report our recent experience with combined carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and off pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB). METHODS Our prospectively updated database was queried to identify all patients who underwent combined OPCAB/CEA between January 1, 1999 and December 31, 2002. A total of 38 patients were identified. They were subsequently compared to a contemporaneous cohort of isolated off-pump patients divided into those with and without cerebrovascular disease (CVD). RESULTS Mean age of the study population was 71+/-7.0 years, 23 patients (58%) had significant left main disease, 5 (13%) suffered a previous stroke and 5 (13%) had ejection fractions <or=30%. The study group had 1 postoperative myocardial infarction and no postoperative cerebrovascular accidents (CVA). There was 1 in-hospital death (3%) however, there were no significant differences noted in mortality between the study groups. CONCLUSION The optimal management of the multifocal atherosclerotic patient remains controversial and this dilemma is further clouded by the recent introduction of OPCAB, and more recently, carotid stenting. Our results suggest that combined OPCAB/CEA is safe and may reduce the risk of postoperative stroke. An economic benefit may also be inferred from shorter hospitalization as well as eliminating the need for another procedure. Randomization and long term follow-up are now required to verify these encouraging early findings.
Enhancing cytotoxicity of immunotoxins in AML

In this issue of Blood , [Vasu et al][1] show that a novel, Fc-engineered CD33 antibody, BI 836858, promotes natural killer (NK) cell–mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) with in vitro activity against both acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines and primary AML blasts.[1][2
INTERNET RESOURCES: Horticulture: Sources for gardeners

L'article indique une serie de sites web gratuits sur l'horticulture et le jardinage specifiquement nord-americains, en s'axant sur les plantes a croissance, le jardinage a la maison, la production de fruits et de legumes, les plantes ornementales et les fleurs. Les sites sont repertories en tant que sources generalistes, source de reference, sources gouvernementales et sources regionales.
Restoring the Shining Waters: Superfund Success at Milltown, Montana. By David Brooks.

Restoring the Shining Waters: Superfund Success at Milltown, Montana. By David Brooks. (Norman: University of Oklahoma, 2015. xvi + 263 pp. Illustrations, map, notes, bibliography, index. $34.95.) R estoring the Shining Waters , by David Brooks, offers a refreshingly optimistic narrative of environmental restoration in a watershed beset by toxic smelting pollution. He accomplishes this through the story of the Milltown Dam. The dam had been constructed in the 1920s by the Anaconda Copper Mining Company to power a nearby sawmill. Power came from the fall of water trapped in a reservoir behind the dam. After sixty years of operation, water samples showed nearby well water to contain excessive levels of arsenic, which was leaching from the sediments that had collected behind the dam. Montana Power Company (MPC), the dam’s owner, … kip.curtis{at}gmail.com
Design and use of managed overlay networks

As the role of the Internet has been steadily gaining in importance, overlays are increasingly being used to provide new services and to deploy older ones. Some of the services for which overlays have been proposed include multicast, quality of service (QoS), search, and resilient networks. The use of overlays, in turn, has led to more interest in improving their performance. The performance of an overlay network depends significantly on how the network is structured, i.e., the placement of the nodes in the underlying network topology, the links between the overlay nodes and the access links of these nodes. This thesis focuses on algorithms for improving the performance of managed overlays, in which the capabilities and locations of the participating nodes are known. Managed overlay networks allow for greater optimization and design than unmanaged overlays due to this increased knowledge of the network. Our first technique applies to managed overlays that are used for streaming real-time content. Many such networks are composed of end-systems with a single access link to the rest of the network. We propose Time Division Streaming (TDS) as a technique to schedule the serial access to these links. We show that overlays constructed using TDS reduce the average delay experienced by the participating nodes as compared to previous designs. Our second technique focuses on the placement of nodes in service overlay networks. We propose RouteSeer, an algorithm to place nodes in service overlays to create resilient paths between overlay nodes. RouteSeer works by examining local routing information at the overlay nodes to place a few intermediate nodes such that the overlay links are protected by a disjoint path through an intermediate node. We extend RouteSeer to topologies with incomplete and dynamic routing information and demonstrate its ability to protect overlay links in such cases as well. Finally, we propose and evaluate a managed overlay network for a highly reliable, multi-attribute query service. As opposed to previous designs, our architecture ensures bounded query response times and can handle dynamically updated data.
Bmp15 Is an Oocyte-Produced Signal Required for Maintenance of the Adult Female Sexual Phenotype in Zebrafish

Although the zebrafish is a major model organism, how they determine sex is not well understood. In domesticated zebrafish, sex determination appears to be polygenic, being influenced by multiple genetic factors that may vary from strain to strain, and additionally can be influenced by environmental factors. However, the requirement of germ cells for female sex determination is well documented: animals that lack germ cells, or oocytes in particular, develop exclusively as males. Recently, it has been determined that oocytes are also required throughout the adult life of the animal to maintain the differentiated female state. How oocytes control sex differentiation and maintenance of the sexual phenotype is unknown. We therefore generated targeted mutations in genes for two oocyte produced signaling molecules, Bmp15 and Gdf9 and here report a novel role for Bmp15 in maintaining adult female sex differentiation in zebrafish. Females deficient in Bmp15 begin development normally but switch sex during the mid- to late- juvenile stage, and become fertile males. Additionally, by generating mutations in the aromatase cyp19a1a, we show that estrogen production is necessary for female development and that the function of Bmp15 in female sex maintenance is likely linked to the regulation of estrogen biosynthesis via promoting the development of estrogen-producing granulosa cells in the oocyte follicle.
A Pilot Study Using Mixed GPS/Narrative Interview Methods to Understand Geospatial Behavior in Homeless Populations

Tracking the movements of homeless populations presents methodological difficulties, but understanding their movements in space and time is needed to inform optimal placement of services. This pilot study developed, tested, and refined methods to apply global positioning systems (GPS) technology paired with individual narratives to chronicle the movements of homeless populations. Detail of methods development and difficulties encountered and addressed, and geospatial findings are provided. A pilot sample of 29 adults was recruited from a low-demand homeless shelter in the downtown area of Fort Worth, Texas. Pre- and post-deployment interviews provided participant characteristics and planned and retrospectively-reported travels. Only one of the first eight deployments returned with sufficient usable data. Ultimately 19 participants returned the GPS device with >20 h of usable data. Protocol adjustments addressing methodological difficulties achieved 81 % of subsequent participants returning with sufficient usable data. This study established methods and demonstrated feasibility for tracking homeless population travels.
Benefit of Measuring Anterior Segment Structures Using an Increased Number of Optical Coherence Tomography Images: The Chinese American Eye Study

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the benefit of analyzing an increased number of anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) images on measurement values of various anterior segment parameters. Methods Subjects for this cross-sectional study were recruited from the Chinese American Eye Study (CHES), a population-based study in Los Angeles, CA. Thirty-two AS-OCT images were acquired from one eye each of 83 consecutive subjects. Sixteen parameters were analyzed in each image, including angle opening distance (AOD), angle recess area (ARA), trabecular iris space area (TISA), trabecular iris angle (TIA), scleral spur angle (SSAngle), lens vault (LV), pupillary diameter (PD), anterior chamber depth (ACD), anterior chamber width (ACW), iris area (IA), and anterior chamber area (ACA). Data from 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, or 32 OCT images were averaged across subjects to calculate the range and mean of measurement values for each parameter. Results Anatomical variations were poorly captured with fewer OCT images for AOD, ARA, TISA, SSAngle, IA, and LV. For these parameters, the range and mean of measurement values obtained from one OCT image deviated from 32-image values by up to 43.9% and 13.3% of the 32-image mean, respectively. These deviations decreased when additional OCT images were analyzed. Deviations from 32-image range and mean values were less pronounced regardless of image number for PD, ACD, ACW, and ACA, measuring up to 3.5% and 5.0%, respectively. Conclusions A multi-image approach should be the standard in OCT-based studies of AOD, ARA, TISA, TIA, SSAngle, IA, and LV.
207 BITTEN AND FORGOTTEN: A CASE OF EARLY LYME ENCEPHALITIS.

Introduction Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. We report a confirmed case of early Lyme disease presenting with meningitis and encephalopathic changes, an uncommon finding. Case Report This 16-year-old Puerto Rican male from New Jersey was on summer vacation visiting the Grand Canyon when he developed a 2-week history of intermittent headaches, nausea, bilateral facial weakness, and facial paresthesias for 6 days. He denied diplopia, hearing deficits, ataxia, rash, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or illicit drug use. Physical examination revealed that he was afebrile, with neurologic findings of bilateral facial weakness and upward gaze nystagmus. His CBC was normal, but his ESR was 77 mm/hr and his CRP was 35 mg/dL. CSF results were WBC 125/mm3 with 95% mononuclear cells, RBC 90/mm3, protein 63 mg/dL, and glucose 51 mg/dL CT scan and MRI with and without contrast of the brain were normal. IV acyclovir and ceftriaxone were given. After 2 days a maculopapular rash over lower extremities developed. CSF Lyme IgM and IgG titers confirmed the diagnosis. The facial paralysis partially resolved after 6 days, and his panencephalitis panel was negative for other etiologies. He was discharged home to complete 4 weeks of IV ceftriaxone. Discussion Lyme disease is caused by the transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi, a spirochete, through the bite of the Ixodes tick. Even though the majority of cases reported in the United States occur in the Atlantic and Pacific Coast states, Lyme disease has been reported in 49 of the 50 states. Neurologic presentations include headache, aseptic meningitis, papilloedema (25-30%) and facial nerve paralysis. Conclusion This patient presented with disseminated Lyme disease with meningoencephalitis and facial nerve paralysis as the presenting features prior to the appearance of cutaneous manifestations. The diagnosis of Lyme disease should be considered in patients who present with a combination of meningoencephalitis and facial nerve paralysis.
Use of exam wrappers to enhance students' metacognitive skills in a large introductory food science and human nutrition course.

Research shows that students struggle to develop higher order thinking skills and effective study strategies during the transition from high school to college. Therefore, in addition to teaching course content, effective instructors should assist students in developing metacognitive skills, that is, the practice of thinking about their thinking. An effective assignment that assists students in thinking about their exam performance is the exam wrapper. The objectives of this study were to examine students’ metacognitive skills, evaluate the correlation between study behaviors and student performance, and assess student perception of exam wrappers. Exam wrapper assignments were offered as extra credit after the first 3 exams in a large introductory Food Science and Human Nutrition course, and student responses and exam performance were analyzed. Many students with poor exam performance overestimated their exam scores, indicating students’ self-assessment skills could be sharpened. However, students demonstrated the ability to make and implement goals to improve study strategies throughout the semester. A modest relationship between use of study strategies and improved exam performance was observed, particularly for students with a B exam average, suggesting that students in the middle of the grade distribution may benefit most from this type of intervention. Finally, most students expressed a belief that exam wrappers helped them improve their study habits and exam scores, and that they planned to use the exam wrapper process in future classes. In summary, this study shows that the exam wrapper is a valued and effective postexam reflection tool for improving students’ self-reported study habits.
Beyond leading-order perturbative QCD corrections to γγ→ M + M − (M=π,K)

Next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD predictions are obtained for the two-photon exclusive channels \ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${M}^{+}$${M}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ (M=\ensuremath{\pi},K) at large momentum transfer. The calculation is carried out in the Feynman gauge. The dimensional-regularization method is used to control both ultraviolet and infrared divergences. The model meson distribution amplitude ${\ensuremath{\Phi}}_{M}$\ensuremath{\propto}\ensuremath{\delta}(x-(1/2)) is utilized as a candidate form for the nonperturbative dynamical input. In order to reduce the effect of the particular choice of ${\ensuremath{\Phi}}_{M}$, similarity between \ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${M}^{+}$${M}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ and ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}^{\mathrm{*}}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${M}^{+}$${M}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ (timelike meson electromagnetic form factor) is employed. In the modified minimal-subtraction (MS\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}) scheme definition of ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{s}$, renormalized at ${W}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{\gamma}}$ (total center-of-mass energy of the \ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{\gamma} system), and with the present estimates of ${\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{\mathrm{MS}\mathrm{\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}}}$ (\ensuremath{\sim}150 MeV), it is found that next-to-leading-order corrections become sufficiently small (l25%) only for ${W}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{\gamma}}$g10 GeV, which is much larger than the highest ${W}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{\gamma}}$ for which experimental data exist.
Genome-wide DNA methylation reprogramming in response to inorganic arsenic links inhibition of CTCF binding, DNMT expression and cellular transformation

Chronic low dose inorganic arsenic (iAs) exposure leads to changes in gene expression and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transformation. During this transformation, cells adopt a fibroblast-like phenotype accompanied by profound gene expression changes. While many mechanisms have been implicated in this transformation, studies that focus on the role of epigenetic alterations in this process are just emerging. DNA methylation controls gene expression in physiologic and pathologic states. Several studies show alterations in DNA methylation patterns in iAs-mediated pathogenesis, but these studies focused on single genes. We present a comprehensive genome-wide DNA methylation analysis using methyl-sequencing to measure changes between normal and iAs-transformed cells. Additionally, these differential methylation changes correlated positively with changes in gene expression and alternative splicing. Interestingly, most of these differentially methylated genes function in cell adhesion and communication pathways. To gain insight into how genomic DNA methylation patterns are regulated during iAs-mediated carcinogenesis, we show that iAs probably targets CTCF binding at the promoter of DNA methyltransferases, regulating their expression. These findings reveal how CTCF binding regulates DNA methyltransferase to reprogram the methylome in response to an environmental toxin.
A phase II trial evaluating weekly docetaxel and capacitabine in patients with metastatic or advanced, locally, recurrent head and neck cancer

6051 Background: Docetaxel has documented clinical efficacy in head and neck cancer and the synergy between docetaxel and capacitabine has been shown in preclinical studies. Phase I studies combining docetaxel and capacitabine demonstrated anti-tumor effects in breast, colon, and bladder cancers. We therefore test this combination in patients with metastatic or locally advanced head and neck cancer. Methods: To be eligible for this single arm safety/efficacy phase II study, patients must have documented measurable advanced, locally recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancers, which were untreatable by surgical resection or radiation therapy, a Zubrob performance status of 0–2, adequate marrow, hepatic and kidney functions. Prior chemotherapy with non-docetaxel containing regimen was allowed. Docetaxel 30 mg/m2 was given on day 1, 8 and 15, while capecitabine 1,000 mg bid was given on days 5–18 of the 28 days cycle. Response to treatment was assessed after every 2 cycles. Patients with complete response ...
Determination of optimal cut-off grade policy to optimize NPV using a new approach with optimization factor

One very important aspect of mining is deciding what material in a deposit is worth mining and processing, versus what material should be considered waste. This decision is summarized by the cutoff grade policy. The cut-off grade strategy for an open pit mine influences the annual cash flows and affects the net present value of a project. The optimization of cut-off grade strategy requires the knowledge of detailed operational costs, mining sequence, mining operation, processing, and product constraints, as well as the grade distribution of a given deposit defined by pit, phase, and different material types. Cut-off grade optimization algorithms have been developed in the past. The most common criteria used in cut-off grade optimization is to maximize the net present value (NPV). This paper descriptionbes the determination of a cut-off grade strategy based on Lanei?½s algorithm adding an optimization factor based on the generalized reduced gradient (GRG) algorithm to maximize the projecti?½s NPV. The introduced algorithm is a windows based program developed at Virginia Tech that is based on a series of Visual Basic routines within a spreadsheet environment (Excel). The benefits of the methodology are demonstrated using a hypothetical case study. Keywords: Cut-off grade optimization, net present value maximization, generalized reduced gradient algorithm method.
Comparing water-level policies in a boreal reservoir: How wave and ice energy can help maintain walleye spawning habitat

ABSTRACTPapenfuss JT, Cross T, Venturelli PA. 2017. Comparing water-level policies in a boreal reservoir: how wave and ice energy can help maintain walleye spawning habitat. Lake Reserve Manage. 00:00–00.Water levels in reservoirs affect the timing and depth of wave and ice forces that help maintain walleye (Sander vitreus) spawning habitat. We studied how changes in a water-level management policy (“rule curve”) in 2000 affected these forces on 3 lakes of the Namakan Reservoir, a large boreal reservoir on the border of Canada and the United States. The 2000 rule curve increased mean water levels (0.1 m) during open-water seasons and caused a significant increase in the amount of time each year that wave energy over suitable spawning substrates suspended <0.2 mm sediments at known spawning locations (6–18%, P < 0.01). Conversely, a decrease in the mean range (0.7 m) of water-level elevations during winter seasons caused an 11% decrease (P < 0.01) in the interaction of ice with spawning substrates at known...
Quality improvement, implementation, and dissemination strategies to improve mental health care for children and adolescents: a systematic review

Some outcomes for children with mental health problems remain suboptimal because of poor access to care and the failure of systems and providers to adopt established quality improvement strategies and interventions with proven effectiveness. This review had three goals: (1) assess the effectiveness of quality improvement, implementation, and dissemination strategies intended to improve the mental health care of children and adolescents; (2) examine harms associated with these strategies; and (3) determine whether effectiveness or harms differ for subgroups based on system, organizational, practitioner, or patient characteristics. Sources included MEDLINE®, the Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, and CINAHL, from database inception through February 17, 2017. Additional sources included gray literature, additional studies from reference lists, and technical experts. Two reviewers selected relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. Dual analysis, synthesis, and grading of the strength of evidence for each outcome followed for studies meeting inclusion criteria. We also used qualitative comparative analysis to examine relationships between combinations of strategy components and improvements in outcomes. We identified 18 strategies described in 19 studies. Eleven strategies significantly improved at least one measure of intermediate outcomes, final health outcomes, or resource use. Moderate strength of evidence (from one RCT) supported using provider financial incentives such as pay for performance to improve the competence with which practitioners can implement evidence-based practices (EBPs). We found inconsistent evidence involving strategies with educational meetings, materials, and outreach; programs appeared to be successful in combination with reminders or providing practitioners with newly collected clinical information. We also found low strength of evidence for no benefit for initiatives that included only educational materials or meetings (or both), or only educational materials and outreach components. Evidence was insufficient to draw conclusions on harms and moderators of interventions. Several strategies can improve both intermediate and final health outcomes and resource use. This complex and heterogeneous body of evidence does not permit us to have a high degree of confidence about the efficacy of any one strategy because we generally found only a single study testing each strategy. PROSPERO, CRD42015024759 .
Structural and Functional Characterization of the Histidine Phosphatase Domains of Human Sts-1 and Sts-2.

The suppressor of T cell signaling (Sts) proteins, Sts-1 and Sts-2, are homologous phosphatases that negatively regulate signaling pathways downstream of the T cell receptor. Functional inactivation of Sts-1 and Sts-2 in a murine model leads to resistance to systemic infection by the opportunistic pathogen, Candida albicans. This suggests that modulation of the host immune response by inhibiting Sts function may be a viable strategy for treating these deadly fungal pathogen infections. To better understand the molecular determinants of function and structure, we characterized the structure and steady-state kinetics of the histidine phosphatase domains of human Sts-1 (Sts-1HP) and Sts-2 (Sts-2HP). We determined the X-ray crystal structures of unliganded Sts-1HP and Sts-1HP in complex with sulfate to 2.5 and 1.9 A, respectively, and the structure of Sts-2HP with sulfate to 2.4 A. The steady-state kinetic analysis shows, as expected, that Sts-1HP has a phosphatase activity significantly higher than that of S...
Data And Phenomena: A Distinction Reconsidered

Bogen and Woodward (1988) advance adistinction between data and phenomena. Roughly, theformer are the observations reported by experimentalscientists, the latter are objective, stable featuresof the world to which scientists infer based onpatterns in reliable data. While phenomena areexplained by theories, data are not, and so theempirical basis for an inference to a theory consistsin claims about phenomena. McAllister (1997) hasrecently offered a critique of their version of thisdistinction, offering in its place a version on whichphenomena are theory laden, and hence on which theempirical support for inferences to theories is also,unavoidably, theory laden. In this commentary I arguethat McAllister and Bogen and Woodward are mistaken inthinking that the distinction is necessary, and thatthe empirical support for inferences to theories isnot necessarily theory laden in the way McAllister'saccount entails they are.
Improving screening for alcohol consumption during pregnancy with phosphatidylethanol.

Abstract Objective The study objective was to compare rates of alcohol use between urine ethanol testing and self- reporting (Method: 1) and Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) dried blood spot testing and self-reporting (Method: 2). Methods This was a prospective observational study in an obstetric clinic with universal alcohol screening. Results Method: 1 identified 11 patients with alcohol use (5 urine and 6 self-reported); Method: 2 identified 28 (22 PEth and 6 self-reported) out of 315 patients (one patient positive for both urine and PEth). The six patients with self-reported use had negative urine and PEth testing. We had fair agreement between the two methods (282 negative and 7 positive; 289/314 = 92.0%; Kappa 0.32, p Conclusion Method: 2 identified more alcohol users than Method: 1. Combining both methods: identified the most alcohol consumption.
Stitching Stories: Re-Membering Human Enslavement in the Elementary Classroom.

ABSTRACTIn this article, I explore this question: How can teachers, especially new teachers, create school spaces that present humanizing images and stories of people who were enslaved, particularly people of African descent in the United States? To explore this question, drawing from an ethnographic study of teachers at an elementary school in the U.S. South, I focus on two teachers, a new teacher and an experienced teacher. The concept of re-membering—reconnecting knowledge of the past that has been silenced or distorted (King & Swartz, 2015)—is centered in the analysis, in which the I propose the idea of stitching stories as a way to re-member knowledge of human enslavement in the United States.
Mathematical modeling of tumor-associated macrophage interactions with the cancer microenvironment.

Immuno-oncotherapy has emerged as a promising means to target cancer. In particular, therapeutic manipulation of tumor-associated macrophages holds promise due to their various and sometimes opposing roles in tumor progression. It is established that M1-type macrophages suppress tumor progression while M2-types support it. Recently, Tie2-expressing macrophages (TEM) have been identified as a distinct sub-population influencing tumor angiogenesis and vascular remodeling as well as monocyte differentiation. This study develops a modeling framework to evaluate macrophage interactions with the tumor microenvironment, enabling assessment of how these interactions may affect tumor progression. M1, M2, and Tie2 expressing variants are integrated into a model of tumor growth representing a metastatic lesion in a highly vascularized organ, such as the liver. Behaviors simulated include M1 release of nitric oxide (NO), M2 release of growth-promoting factors, and TEM facilitation of angiogenesis via Angiopoietin-2 and promotion of monocyte differentiation into M2 via IL-10. The results show that M2 presence leads to larger tumor growth regardless of TEM effects, implying that immunotherapeutic strategies that lead to TEM ablation may fail to restrain growth when the M2 represents a sizeable population. As TEM pro-tumor effects are less pronounced and on a longer time scale than M1-driven tumor inhibition, a more nuanced approach to influence monocyte differentiation taking into account the tumor state (e.g., under chemotherapy) may be desirable. The results highlight the dynamic interaction of macrophages within a growing tumor, and, further, establish the initial feasibility of a mathematical framework that could longer term help to optimize cancer immunotherapy.
Multimodal Approach to the Management of Locally Advanced and Metastatic Penile Cancer

Metastatic penile cancer is characterized by a prolonged locoregional phase. Patients with bulky inguinal and pelvic lymph node involvement have poor survival outcomes with surgery alone. Those at highest risk can be selected for multimodal treatment with curative intent. The most active drug therapy has been cisplatin-containing chemotherapy. Data from retrospective and prospective phase II studies suggest that surgical consolidation among responding patients can lead to prolonged disease-free survival. The role of radiotherapy for advanced penile cancer is not as well defined, however, due to limited data. High risk patients include those with stage N2 or N3, including nodes that are ≥4 cm or fixed. For these patients, neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery is a reasonable standard of care. The use of chemoradiotherapy should be explored further in clinical trials. The discovery of novel molecular targets and introduction of targeted therapy in the neoadjuvant setting could potentially improve survival.
An International Consultation on Multiaxial Diagnosis

Essen-Moller and Wohlfahrt1 in Sweden in 1947 and Leme Lopes2 in Brazil in 1954 inaugurated a new approach to diagnostic formulation in psychiatry. This approach, currently known as the multiaxial model, attempts to articulate in an explicit and formal manner the key elements of the patient’s condition. These elements, termed axes, are evaluated separately from each other and basically include clinical syndromes and etiological or associated factors. During the past decade at least 13 other multiaxial systems, originating from ten different countries, have been published.3 A variety of axes have been included in these systems, with the common intentions of providing a more comprehensive representation of the clinically pertinent factors of a psychiatric condition and of making the formulation more useful for the various basic diagnostic purposes (i.e., clinical description, treatment, prognosis, and etiological and theoretical research).
Pharmacokinetics and brain distribution of amitraz and its metabolites in rats

Amitraz is an acaricide and insecticide widely used in agriculture and veterinary medicine. Although central nervous system (CNS) toxicity is one of major toxicities following oral ingestion of amitraz, the understanding of the cause of the toxicity is limited. This study evaluated the systemic and brain exposure of amitraz and its major metabolites, BTS27271, 2',4'-formoxylidide, and 2,4-dimethylaniline following administration of amitraz in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Significant metabolism of amitraz was observed following the intravenous and oral administration. Amitraz related metabolites were majority of the total exposure observed, especially following oral administration. BTS27271 had higher brain exposure than amitraz and its other metabolites, which was due to low plasma protein binding but high brain tissue binding of BTS27271. Since BTS27271 has similar or higher toxicity and α2-adrenoreceptor agonist potency than amitraz, its exposure in brain tissues may be the major cause of CNS toxicity of amitraz in animals and humans.
Doubly nonlinear waveguides with self-switching functionality selection capabilities

In this article, we investigate the effects of the interplay between quadratic and cubic nonlinearities on the propagation of elastic waves in periodic waveguides. Through this framework, we unveil an array of wave control strategies that are intrinsically available in the response of doubly nonlinear systems and we infer some basic design principles for tunable elastic metamaterials. The objective is to simultaneously account for two sources of nonlinearity that are responsible for distinct and complementary phenomena and whose effects are therefore typically discussed separately in the literature. Our study explicitly targets the intertwined effects that the two types of nonlinearity exert on each other, which modify the way in which their respective signatures are observed in the dynamic response. Through two illustrative examples we show how the dispersion correction caused by cubic nonlinearity can be used as an internal switch, or mode selector, capable of tuning on or off certain high-frequency response features that are generated through quadratic mechanisms. To this end, a multiple scale analysis is employed to obtain a full analytical solution for the nonlinear response that includes a complete description of the dual frequency-wave number dispersion correction shifts induced on all the branches, and elucidates the conditions necessary for the establishment of phase matching conditions.
A phase II study of loratidine (L) and naproxen (N) to prevent pegfilgrastim-induced pain (PIP).

e19510 Background: We have previously demonstrated the efficacy of N in terms of preventing the incidence, severity and duration of PIP (ASCO 2010; JCO, in press). Last year at ASCO, we reported th...
Allele-Specific Expression and High-Throughput Reporter Assay Reveal Functional Variants in Human Brains with Alcohol Use Disorders

Abstract Transcriptome studies can identify genes whose expression differs between alcoholics and controls. To test which variants associated with alcohol use disorder (AUDs) may cause expression differences, we integrated deep RNA-seq and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) data from four postmortem brain regions of 30 AUDs subjects and 30 controls (social/non-drinkers) and analyzed allele-specific expression (ASE). We identified 90 genes with differential ASE in subjects with AUDs compared to controls. Of these, 61 genes contained 437 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 3’ untranslated regions (3’UTR) with at least one heterozygote among the subjects studied. Using a modified PASSPORT-seq (parallel assessment of polymorphisms in miRNA target-sites by sequencing) assay, we identified 25 SNPs that showed affected RNA levels in a consistent manner in two neuroblastoma cell lines, SH-SY5Y and SK-N-BE(2). Many of these are in binding sites of miRNAs and RNA binding proteins, indicating that these SNPs are likely causal variants of AUD-associated differential ASE.
Efficacy and safety of generic imatinib after switching from original imatinib in patients treated for chronic myeloid leukemia in the United States.

Introduction Imatinib is standard therapy for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). In February 2016, a generic formulation entered the US market. Physicians and patients are frequently concerned about whether switching from original to generic drugs may affect the efficacy and/or safety. Materials and methods This is an observational retrospective study using medical charts of patients diagnosed with CML in the chronic phase who were treated with original imatinib from the year 2000 to 2017 and who were subsequently switched to generic imatinib. Results In this study, 38 patients have switched to generic imatinib. Before the switch, responses were assessed on all patients, all of them were in CCyR and 36 (95%) were in MMR, including 28 (74%) with MR4.5. Patients have received generic imatinib for a median of 19.4 (range, 3.4-46.3) months. Molecular responses after switching were stable in 89%, improved in 8%, and worsened in 3% of patients. After switching, 15 (39%) patients reported new or worsening adverse events, including 5 (13%) patients with edema, 8 (21%) muscle cramps, 7 (18%) nausea, 6 (16%) diarrhea, and 5 (13%) fatigue. Discussion Bioequivalence studies demonstrated the same rate and extent of absorption of generic imatinib compared to the original form, which led to the FDA approval. In our observational series, most of the patients maintained their responses and none lost MMR. Adverse events noted were mild and well tolerated. Conclusion A change from original to generic imatinib appears to maintain efficacy and be generally safe. More patients and longer follow-up are required to confirm these observations.
Issues of Privilege in University Service-Learning

Service-learning activities, such as development projects organized under the Engineers Without Borders USA organization, are popular on many university campuses as a mechanism for providing applied, global learning experiences for both engineering and non-engineering students. Existing studies have found that these experiences are meaningful for students and help them to apply what they learn in the classroom to the “real world” while learning valuable teamwork, communication, project management, and other skills. In this paper, we report on our ongoing research about EWB-USA participation and outcomes and, using case studies from our ethnographic research, discuss barriers to EWB-USA project participation among less privileged students. The implications this issue has for institutions interested in using service-learning to meet core learning outcomes as well as the need to diversify service-learning will be considered.