cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pragmatic clinical trials: Emerging challenges and new roles for statisticians

Patients, clinicians, and policymakers alike need access to high-quality scientific evidence in order to make informed choices about health and healthcare, but the current national clinical trials enterprise is not yet optimally configured for the efficient creation and dissemination of such evidence. However, new technologies and methods hold significant potential for accelerating the rate at which we are able to translate raw findings gathered from both patient care and clinical research into actionable knowledge. We are now entering a period in which the quantitative sciences are emerging as the critical disciplines for advancing knowledge about health and healthcare, and statisticians will increasingly serve as critical mediators in transforming data into evidence. In this new, data-centric era, biostatisticians not only need to be expert at analyzing data but should also be involved directly in diverse efforts, including the review and analysis of research portfolios in order to optimize the relevance of research questions, the use of "quality by design" principles to improve reliability and validity of each individual trial, and the mining of aggregate knowledge derived from the clinical research enterprise as a whole. In order to meet these challenges, it is imperative that we (1) nurture and build the biostatistical workforce, (2) develop a deeper understanding of the biological and clinical context among statisticians, (3) facilitate collaboration among biostatisticians and other members of the clinical trials enterprise, (4) focus on communication skills in training and education programs, and (5) enhance the quantitative capacity of the research and clinical practice worlds.
Self-healing composites

Publisher Summary Fiber-Reinforced Polymer [“FRP―] products offer multiple advantages over the metal components they are replacing in many market segments including aerospace, marine, automotive, civil infrastructure, construction, oil and gas, sports and recreation, electronics, and telecommunications. FRPs for exterior structural panels, hoods, fuel storage tanks, composite driveshafts, and floor panels are being increasingly introduced into new vehicle models. Some of the advantages of using FRPs include vastly improved specific strength and stiffness, part count reduction, corrosion resistance, electromagnetic transparency and design flexibility. FRPs for structural applications typically consist of long fiber reinforcement (such as carbon, glass, or Kevlar) surrounded by a continuous polymer matrix. FRPs are especially susceptible to matrix microcracking when subjected to repeated thermomechanical loading. When these matrix microcracks coalesce, other damage modes, including fiber/matrix debonding and ply delamination, develop within the composite. The result is a long term degradation of material properties. This damage is difficult to detect and even more difficult to repair because it often forms deep within the structure. Once this damage has developed, the integrity of the structure is greatly compromised.
Pierre Nora’s Les Lieux de mémoire 30 Years After

French historian Pierre Nora’s edited collection Les Lieux de memoire (1984–1992) is the signature text in the emergence of the memory phenomenon as manifestation of the crisis of modern historiography. I analyze the way Nora shaped the structure and content of this project as a genealogy of the French national memory. I discuss Nora’s perspective on the study 30 years after its inception, together with that of his critics.
Organization of the axon initial segment: Actin like a fence.

What prevents the movement of membrane molecules between axonal and somatodendritic domains is unclear. In this issue, Albrecht et. al. (2016. J. Cell Biol. ) demonstrate via high-speed single-particle tracking and superresolution microscopy that lipid-anchored molecules in the axon initial segment are confined to membrane domains separated by periodically spaced actin rings.
Latino/Hispanic Alzheimer's caregivers experiencing dementia-related dressing issues: corroboration of the Preservation of Self model and reactions to a "smart dresser" computer-based dressing aid.

ObjectiveTo gain an understanding of Latino/Hispanic caregivers’ dementia-related dressing issues, their impressions of using a “smart” context-aware dresser to coach dressing, and recommendations to improve its acceptability.MethodThe same Latina moderator conducted all the caregiver focus groups. She followed a semi-structured interview guide that was previously used with White and African American family caregivers who experienced Alzheimer’s disease related dressing challenges. From that study, the Preservation of Self model emerged. Using a deductive qualitative analytic approach, we applied the thematic domains from the Preservation of Self model to ascertain relevance to Latino/Hispanic caregivers.ResultsTwenty Latino/Hispanic experienced caregivers were recruited, enrolled, and participated in one of three focus groups. The majority were female (75%) and either the spouse (25%) or adult child (35%). Striking similarities occurred with the dressing challenges and alignment with the Preservation of ...
Two new genera of big-eyed minute litter bugs (Hemiptera, Schizopteridae, Hypselosomatinae) from Brazil and the Caribbean.

Charismatic Hypselosomatinae (currently 14 extant and fossil genera; 72 species), the "big-eyed minute litter bugs", are characterized among Schizopteridae (Dipsocoromorpha) by the large eyes, four-segmented labium, and distinctive wing venation. A recent molecular phylogenetic analysis confirmed the monophyly of Hypselosomatinae that were recovered as the sister taxon to the Ogeriinae + Schizopterinae (Weirauch and Stys 2014). Hypselosomatinae occur in the Old and New Worlds, but described species diversity is biased towards the Oriental and Australian regions: only three monotypic genera are currently known from the New World (Glyptocombus Heidemann, Ommatides Uhler, and Williamsocoris Carpintero & Dellape). Based on 28 male, female, and juvenile specimens from Cuba and the Dominican Republic and a single male specimen from Brazil we here describe two new monotypic genera of Hypselosomatinae, Hypselosomops peckigen. n. and sp. n., and Hypsohapsis takiyaegen. n. and sp. n. We provide habitus images, digital illustrations (light, scanning electron, and/or confocal microscope) of wing and male genitalic structures, line drawings of genitalic structures, and distribution maps. Bizarre morphologies, a worldwide distribution with small endemic species ranges, and a fossil record that dates back to the mid-Cretaceous make the Hypselosomatinae a fascinating group to explore in an effort to understand the evolutionary history of Dipsocoromorpha.
Genomic binding of PAX8-PPARG fusion protein regulates cancer-related pathways and alters the immune landscape of thyroid cancer.

// Yanxiao Zhang 1, 4 , Jingcheng Yu 2 , Vladimir Grachtchouk 2 , Tingting Qin 1 , Carey N. Lumeng 3 , Maureen A. Sartor 1 , Ronald J. Koenig 2 1 Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA 2 Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA 3 Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA 4 Current address: Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, La Jolla, CA 92093-0653, USA Correspondence to: Ronald J. Koenig, email: rkoenig@umich.edu Keywords: peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, follicular thyroid cancer, pioglitazone, differentiation, gene fusion Received: August 25, 2016 Accepted: December 13, 2016 Published: December 20, 2016 ABSTRACT PAX8-PPARG fusion protein (PPFP) results from a t(2;3)(q13;p25) chromosomal translocation, is found in 30% of follicular thyroid carcinomas, and demonstrates oncogenic capacity in transgenic mice. A PPARG ligand, pioglitazone, is highly therapeutic in mice with PPFP thyroid cancer. However, only limited data exist to characterize the binding sites and oncogenic function of PPFP, or to explain the observed therapeutic effect of pioglitazone. Here we used our previously characterized transgenic mouse model of PPFP follicular thyroid carcinoma to identify PPFP binding sites in vivo using ChIP-seq, and to distinguish genes and pathways regulated directly or indirectly by PPFP with and without pioglitazone treatment via integration with RNA-seq data. PPFP bound to DNA regions containing the PAX8 and/or the PPARG motif, near genes involved in lipid metabolism, the cell cycle, apoptosis, and cell motility; the binding site distribution was highly concordant with our previous study in a rat PCCL3 cell line. Most strikingly, pioglitazone induced an immune cell infiltration including macrophages and T cells only in the presence of PPFP, which may be central to its therapeutic effect.
On robust spectrum assignability: There are limits to pole placement theorem for systems with infinitesimal perturbations

It is proved that, by using state feedback, it is not possible to place the poles of a linear time invariant system to the left of a certain critical negative real number if the system matrix is subject to uncertainties (perturbations) of a given (small) magnitude.
Improving Care of Transgender Patients

The recent publication, Is It Okay To Ask: Transgender Patient Perspectives on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Collection in Healthcare, is significant in its discussion of circumstances affecting willingness of transgender patients to disclose gender identity and sexual orientation as well as the participants’ focus on the need for improved LGBT education for medical staff. The authors also emphasize the importance of safe environments in primary care settings and emergency departments where providers may pose questions regarding intimate issues1. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Genomic Medicine and Lipid Metabolism: LDL Targets and Stem Cell Research Approaches

Abstract The hepatocyte regulates cholesterol homeostasis since it can both add and remove cholesterol from the bloodstream. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) carries a high content of cholesterol, and elevated LDL is associated with heart disease. Human genetic approaches and genome-wide association studies have been informative for understanding the genetic basis of dyslipidemias, but do not directly provide functional insights into cellular and molecular bases of dyslipidemia. Recently, stem cell research strategies have been applied to study elevated LDL. Hepatocytes can be produced by the differentiation of embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, which can be derived from specific patients. Hepatocytes derived from pluripotent cells exhibit remarkable cellular cholesterol functionality. This chapter reviews the significance of LDL biology and dyslipidemias, and emerging uses of pluripotent cells as a personalized medicine platform to study dyslipidemias.
Irrigation and farm water management in Pakistan

Present irrigation practices and water management techniques in Pakistan are the result of a long process. Through a cultural-historical approach, generic relationships of some present patterns are traced to their origin. The origin of irrigation was probably in small alluvial valleys of Southwest Asia, which is also considered the hearth of seed agriculture. From a simple beginning the irrigation and water management systems have become extremely complicated to support Pakistan's largest irrigation network in the world.
The art of extracting circuit transfer functions with SuTra analyses

All circuit transfer functions are obtained when the two fundamental node admittance and voltage gain transfer functions are calculated. The numerator of the node admittance is obtained by Suspendance analysis and the numerator of the voltage gain is obtained by Trajectance analysis. The denominator of both transfer functions are obtained by Suspendance analysis when the input node of the circuit is shorted to ground. Suspendance and Trajectance (SuTra) analyses generate redundant free results without the requirement to apply Ohm's and KirchhofPs laws to the circuit.
An HS-MRM Assay for the Quantification of Host-cell Proteins in Protein Biopharmaceuticals by Liquid Chromatography Ion Mobility QTOF Mass Spectrometry

The analysis of low-level (1-100 ppm) protein impurities (e.g., host-cell proteins (HCPs)) in protein biotherapeutics is a challenging assay requiring high sensitivity and a wide dynamic range. Mass spectrometry-based quantification assays for proteins typically involve protein digestion followed by the selective reaction monitoring/multiple reaction monitoring (SRM/MRM) quantification of peptides using a low-resolution (Rs ~1,000) tandem quadrupole mass spectrometer. One of the limitations of this approach is the interference phenomenon observed when the peptide of interest has the "same" precursor and fragment mass (in terms of m/z values) as other co-eluting peptides present in the sample (within a 1-Da window). To avoid this phenomenon, we propose an alternative mass spectrometric approach, a high selectivity (HS) MRM assay that combines the ion mobility separation of peptide precursors with the high-resolution (Rs ~30,000) MS detection of peptide fragments. We explored the capabilities of this approach to quantify low-abundance peptide standards spiked in a monoclonal antibody (mAb) digest and demonstrated that it has the sensitivity and dynamic range (at least 3 orders of magnitude) typically achieved in HCP analysis. All six peptide standards were detected at concentrations as low as 0.1 nM (1 femtomole loaded on a 2.1-mm ID chromatographic column) in the presence of a high-abundance peptide background (2 µg of a mAb digest loaded on-column). When considering the MW of rabbit phosphorylase (97.2 kDa), from which the spiked peptides were derived, the LOQ of this assay is lower than 50 ppm. Relative standard deviations (RSD) of peak areas (n = 4 replicates) were less than 15% across the entire concentration range investigated (0.1-100 nM or 1-1,000 ppm) in this study.
Two Sided DQBD Process and Solutions to the Tail Decay Rate Problem and Their Applications to the Generalized Join Shortest Queue

We are concerned with a two sided doubly quasi-birth-and-death process. Under a discrete time setting, this is a two dimensional skip free random walk on the half space whose second component is a nonnegative integer valued while its first component may take positive or negative integers. Our major interest is in the tail decay rate of the stationary distribution of this two sided process as either one of the components goes either to infinity or to minus infinity, provided the stationary distribution exists. The author [1] recently obtained two kinds of decay rates, called weak and exact for the doubly QBD, DQBD for short, in terms of the transition kernel of the DQBD. We extends those results to the two sided DQBD, and apply to the generalized shortest queue. The tail decay rate problem for this queueing model has been only partially answered in the literature. We show that a weak decay rate, that is, the decay rate in the logarithmic sense, is completely specified in terms of the primitive data for the generalized shortest queue. This refines results in Miyazawa [2] and corrects some results in Li, Miyazawa and Zhao [3].
Investigation of the Essential Oils of Bidens pilosa var. minor, Bidens alba and Flaveria linearis

Abstract Essential oils of fresh plant parts of Bidens pilosa var. minor (Bl.), Bidens alba (L.) DC. (Tribus Heliantheae, Asteraceae) and Flaveria linearis Lag. (Tribus Helenieae, Asteraceae) were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC, GC/MS and HPLC. Forty-three compounds were identified in the oils of B. pilosa var. minor and B. alba, which represents 83–94 % of the total components detected. Qualitatively, the compositions of the two oils were similar. In addition to the usual terpenes (α-pinene, β-caryophyllene, β-copaene, germacrene D), three polyacetylenic compound were identified in the oils of each species. In the aerial parts of both B. pilosa and B. alba, 1-phenylhepta-1,3,5-triyne (PHT) was the most abundant component of the oils (30–50%). The other two polyacetylenes were 1-phenylhept-5-ena-1, 3-diyne and 7-phenylhept-2-ena-4,6-diynyl acetate. The latter, which was absent in flower and leaf oils, was predominant in the root oils of both plants. The root oil of B. alba also contained...
The value of near infrared reflectance measurement of feedgrain nutrient composition

To determine the value of near infrared reflectance (NIR) measurement of corn nutrient composition to livestock feeders, sequential decision models of beef cattle and swine feeding were developed. Corn composition data from the National Feedstuff Composition Data Bank (NFCDB) were used to derive probability density functions for crude protein, fat, and lysine content. Expected values of profit and other variables were computed by numerical integration. Means of crude protein and lysine of the NFCDB sample were lower and higher, respectively, than National Research Council estimates. These differences caused errors in diet formulations which resulted in losses due to imperfect information of up to 47 per year per head of one-time capacity in feeding yearling steers, up to 41 per year per head of one-time capacity in feeding steer calves and up to 6.50 per year per head of one-time capacity in feeding swine;The difference between the expected values of NIR-generated information and of NFCDB sample means was very small. One-time capacities of approximately 40,000 yearling cattle, 12,500 calves of 2,200 swine were necessary to justify investment in an analyzer based on net present value when NIR-generated information (versus NFCDB sample means) was used to formulate diets to meet recommended nutrient allowances. Minimum one-time capacities declined to 2,550 yearling cattle, 1,700 calves or 1,080 swine when diets were formulated to meet nutrient requirements;NIR-generated information was more valuable to yearling steer feeders than to steer calf feeders on an annual basis, given continuous production. This result was due to yearling steers' requiring fewer days to reach market weight thereby allowing more animals to be fed per year;Losses due to imperfect knowledge in beef cattle feeding were largest when corn had low crude protein content and high fat content. Losses incurred by swine feeders were highest when crude protein content was high and fat content was low;The use of NIR results to reject corn with low crude protein and/or fat content increased the expected value of NIR-generated information by roughly ten percent for both species. This gain in expected value does now, however, account for costs that may be incurred by feeders in finding corn that meets their specified standards.
A practical guide to Papanicolaou smear rescreens: how many slides must be reevaluated to make a statistically valid assessment of screening performance?

BACKGROUND The question of the minimum number of Papanicolaou (Pap) smear slides that must be rescreened to draw statistically valid conclusions regarding the accuracy of screening often is raised. No method for generating answers in varying laboratory circumstances has achieved widespread application; standard statistical sample size calculations may represent such a resource. METHODS A series of tables was constructed to display minimum required numbers of rescreens, with each table representing differing hypothetical laboratory circumstances. To use each table, assumptions must be specified in advance as to prevalence of abnormality, definition of error, baseline false-negative proportions (FNPs) of performance, and a degree of increase in FNPs that is considered a departure from baseline warranting concern, among others. RESULTS The authors constructed four sample tables displaying minimum numbers of slides that must be rescreened in differing specified laboratory scenarios. Depending on assumed conditions and predetermined levels of satisfactory and unsatisfactory accuracy, the range of numbers is very broad (38-10,000). One example representing likely conditions indicates that 1040 slides must be reexamined; in another scenario, a sample size of 300 is sufficient. CONCLUSIONS The minimum number of rescreened slides needed to draw statistically valid conclusions regarding Pap smear screening accuracy can be calculated using standard statistical methods. However, a number of assumptions must be detailed in advance. The authors offer this as a practical guide and a continuation of a general inquiry regarding Pap smear error rate measurement and display. The use of these tables raises at least as many questions as it answers, but still may represent a significant advance. Future efforts at further numeric characterization of aspects of Pap smear screening performance are warranted to enable rational decision making when performance is examined in the course of quality assurance, and during quality control and regulatory activities. [See editorial on pages 127-9, this issue.]
A World Without Law; A World Without Politics

Text-based, voluntary cloud-based communities can sustain the values of civil-society, but it is difficult to imagine how they can generate laws that are involuntary and that operate on the bodies of participants.
Bedrock erosion and changes in bed sediment lithology in response to an extreme flood event: The 2013 Colorado Front Range flood

Abstract In this study, we use before and after flood observations of bed sediment lithology to determine how the lithological composition of bed sediment changes in response to an extreme flood event and use the post-flood measurements and observations to estimate values of critical shear stresses needed to erode shale bedrock and protective bank vegetation in the study streams. We present results from measurements of bed sediment lithology taken after the 2013 Colorado Front Range flood and compare these results with the same measurements taken before the flood. These two data sets provide a unique opportunity to determine how bed sediment lithology changes following an extreme flood event and allows insight into sources of channel bed sediment. After the flood, bed sediment lithology shifted distinctly towards the lithological distribution of the total catchment. Before the flood, bed sediment in most locations was primarily composed of granitic material, while after the flood, the streams were more likely to have metamorphic, volcanic, or sedimentary rocks in the bed sediment, reflecting more input from more non-local hillslopes compared to before the flood. Our post-flood measurements and observations allowed us to estimate threshold critical shear stress for the plucking of shale bedrock (212 Pa) and the removal of large cottonwood trees (364 Pa) in downstream sections of the study streams. Bank vegetation plays a critical role in protecting bedrock banks from lateral erosion, such that only the largest flood events can remove vegetation and expose bedrock on channel banks to potential erosion. We found that this large flood event plucked shale bedrock from both the channel bed and banks and that the shale bed sediment then quickly breaks down and is transported away by small flows. As such, this data set allowed us to make conclusions about the effect of large flood events on the long-term evolution of lateral and vertical erosion in bedrock rivers.
Effects of a Pathfinding Program Visualization on Algorithm Development

Program Visualizations (PVs) have been used as educational tools to allow students to visually inspect the runtime behavior of their code. However, many of these systems act as low-level visual debuggers not high-level abstractions of program behavior. Additionally, evaluations of these systems tend to focus more on student engagement or opinion in using the system and not on artifacts produced using the system. This paper discusses the effectiveness of a PV developed to aide students in an undergraduate Artificial Intelligence class on a pathfinding homework assignment. Students in 4 semesters of the course were tasked to develop pathfinding algorithms for an agent to navigate worlds in cases of both certain and uncertain world information. Students in 2 semesters of the course were given access to a PV that allowed them to see a visual representation of their agent navigating the world in either information condition. The final agents developed by these students were compared with those developed by students who never received the PV. Comparisons were made on the performance of these agents in both cases of uncertain and certain world information on several test worlds. Student written reports for the Experimental condition were also analyzed. The results showed significant differences in the performance of the algorithms developed in both certain and uncertain world information. Student reflections on using the PV within the written reports provide insight into how the PV informed the design and development of their submission.
Perinatal Outcomes Associated with Early Diabetes Testing in Pregnancies Complicated by Obesity.

Objective This study aimed to determine whether early diabetes testing is associated with differences in perinatal outcomes among pregnant women with obesity (body mass index ≥30 kg/m2). Study Design We conducted a retrospective cohort study of singleton pregnancies from 2012 to 2014 at a large academic medical center which examined the association of diabetes testing (HBA1c, 50 g glucose challenge test, or 100 g oral glucose tolerance test) before 24 weeks with perinatal outcomes using propensity score modeling and logistic regression. Results Among women with obesity, 790 out of 2,698 (29.3%) underwent early diabetes testing. Propensity score modeling demonstrated that early testing was associated with higher rates of diabetes diagnosis (odds ratio [OR]: 1.62, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10–2.37, p = 0.01) and a trend toward small for gestational age birth weight (OR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.00–1.90, p = 0.05) and neonatal composite morbidity (OR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.00–1.57, p = 0.05) compared with routine testing. Women with inadequate weight gain were more likely a small for gestational age (SGA) infant if they underwent early testing compared with those with routine testing alone (19.8 vs. 11.6%, p = 0.01). Conclusion Early testing targets higher risk women and yields a higher diabetes diagnosis rate, but inadequate weight gain in these women may increase risk SGA birth weight and neonatal morbidity. Randomized clinical trials are urgently needed to assess whether early diabetes testing improves outcomes in women with obesity.
Late Pleistocene and Holocene Planktonic Foraminifera from the Red Sea

Late Pleistocene and Holocene climatic fluctuations in the Red Sea are reflected in distributional patterns among planktonic foraminifera studied in 20 deep sea cores. Fluctuating percentages in two species, Globigerinoides ruber and G. sacculifer, have allowed the recognition of four biostratigraphic assemblage zones spanning the past 80,000 years. The youngest Zone, A, corresponds to the Holocene (base dated at ca. 11,000 years B.P.) is characterized by the dominance of Globigerinoides sacculifer, and represents the establishment of a normal Indian Ocean fauna following the Wurm glaciation.
Integrated Regional Modeling of Ozone, Particulate Matter, and Deposition over the Eastern United States: Comparisons over Wet and Dry Episodes

A “One-Atmosphere” modeling approach has been taken to help assess the impact of control strategies on air quality in the Southern Appalachians. The modeling system, consisting of RAMS, EMS-95 and URM, simulates gaseous and condensed phase pollutants, and uses a sectional approach to provide size distributions of the aerosol. It is also used to simulate dry and wet deposition. In this paper, the model’s results were compared against a suite of observations for ozone and PM concentrations, as well as wet deposition, for four episodes.Two of those episodes were relatively wet, and two drier. While the results tended to be good for both sets of episodes,there was a tendency to overestimate ozone and underestimate aerosols during the wet episodes.
LDL Cholesterol: What Is the Best Way to Measure It?

In this issue of the journal, H. Ikezaki and colleagues, a group led by Dr. Ernst Schaefer, describe an interesting study in which they compare 2 direct LDL cholesterol (dLDL-C)2 tests and 2 equations for calculating LDL-C (Friedewald and Martin) for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk prediction in the Framingham Offspring Study (1). Besides the important observation that 1 dLDL-C assay (Denka-Seiken) showed a much stronger association with CVD than the other dLDL-C test (Kyowa-Medex) or calculated LDL-C, the study raises several important issues that if resolved could improve our ability to predict CVD in the future. Although there is much controversy about the clinical utility of various CVD risk markers, there is almost universal agreement that LDL plays a central role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Despite this agreement, the pooled-cohort risk equations for calculating CVD risk in the most recent 2018 ACC/AHA guidelines (2) use total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) as the only 2 lipid measures for CVD risk. Age, sex, gender, race, blood pressure, hypertension treatment, diabetes, and smoking status are the other inputs into the equation, but age is the predominant factor. LDL-C over 190 or <70 mg/dL are also used to identify at the outset very high-risk and low-risk individuals, who do not need to have their CVD risk calculated. If LDL is so central to the development of CVD, why then is LDL-C not used more directly to calculate CVD risk? As will be discussed below and as described in the report by H. Ikezaki et al. (1), analytical issues related to the accurate measurement of LDL-C constitute one likely explanation but probably not the only one. In this study of 3147 participants from Framingham Offspring Study with a median follow-up of 16 years, there were 677 CVD events. By univariate analysis, all …
The InsP7 phosphatase Siw14 regulates inositol pyrophosphate levels to control localization of the general stress response transcription factor Msn2

The environmental stress response (ESR) is critical for cell survival. Yeast cells unable to synthesize inositol pyrophosphates (PP-InsPs) are unable to induce the ESR. We recently discovered a diphosphoinositol pentakisphosphate (PP-InsP5) phosphatase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae encoded by SIW14. Yeast strains deleted for SIW14 have increased levels of PP-InsPs. We hypothesized that strains with high inositol pyrophosphate levels will have an increased stress response. We examined the response of the siw14Δ mutant to heat shock, nutrient limitation, osmotic stress, and oxidative treatment using cell growth assays and found increased resistance to each. Transcriptional responses to oxidative and osmotic stresses were assessed using microarray and reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR. The ESR was partially induced in the siw14Δ mutant strain, consistent with the increased stress resistance, and the mutant strain further induced the ESR in response to oxidative and osmotic stresses. The levels of PP-InsPs increased in WT cells under oxidative stress but not under hyperosmotic stress, and they were high and unchanging in the mutant. Phosphatase activity of Siw14 was inhibited by oxidation that was reversible. To determine how altered PP-InsP levels affect the ESR, we performed epistasis experiments with mutations in rpd3 and msn2/4 combined with siw14Δ. We show that mutations in msn2Δ and msn4Δ, but not rpd3, are epistatic to siw14Δ by assessing growth under oxidative stress conditions and expression of CTT1. Msn2-GFP nuclear localization was increased in the siw14Δ. These data support a model in which the modulation of PP-InsPs influence the ESR through general stress response transcription factors Msn2/4.
Space Situational Awareness through Blockchain technology

Abstract Kessler Syndrome is a well-known consequence of high-density constellations in Low Earth Orbits (LEO). The rate of satellites being placed in LEO is increasing drastically, whereas the rate of decay of orbital debris is still the same. The current system that predicts collisions is time consuming and complex. At Earth level, it is difficult to maintain everything by a single system, which makes us move towards decentralized systems. This paper explores a self-organizing decentralized network of ground stations and satellites. The current system for tracking satellites and debris, takes a lot of computing power, and does not provide an accurate result. One of those systems, SOCRATES, predicted a close approach of 584 m, between Iridium 33 and Cosmos 2251 [1] . Those two satellites ended up colliding and creating debris. It is discussed how the new proposed system will aid towards the safety of the space tourism and satellite constellations. A collision could be better sensed locally, instead of being predicted by distant systems. Just like blockchains, any information about new objects will spread from the node that detected it. A few types of nodes will exist in the network based on their task priorities. Possibility of “Consensus” utilization between Alpha nodes in the network, is discussed along with crowd sourcing. The Bitcoin or Ethereum, which are based on blockchain consensus, have a delay of about 30 seconds, which includes sharing and processing of the information by almost the whole network. Unlike this, the satellite network will take much less time, as the information is not to be processed by all nodes and it can use broadcasting features over wireless network. Also, all the nodes in the network will not require the whole blockchain in their memory, which will reduce the complexity of the electronics required on the satellites. Potentially, all the new satellites are supposed to carry this small electronic system which can be part of the network if required. Several uses for adding this block, like giving up its location if the orbital debris removal comes into picture, are also discussed. The network will prioritize the information about the current positions of the orbital debris and satellites but will also share the predicted impacts or close pass-by. This data will improve the statistical analysis for the conjunction assessment by making it more accurate and less complex than the current situation.
Abstract PR10: PIK3CA mutations in plasma cell-free DNA predict survival and treatment outcomes in patients with advanced cancers

Background: Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis from plasma offers a minimally invasive detection of genomic alterations in personalized cancer therapy. PIK3CA is an actionable gene, which can be targeted with PI3K, AKT and mTOR inhibitors. We hypothesized that common hot-spot PIK3CA mutations can be detected in small amount of plasma cfDNA from patients with progressing advanced cancers. Methods: PIK3CA mutations (p.H1047R, p.H1047L, p.E542K and p.E545K) were detected by droplet digital PCR (QX 200, BioRad) using 16 ng of unamplified cfDNA from plasma of 68 patients with advanced cancer. Results were compared to the clinical molecular testing of archival tumor tissue performed by next-generation sequencing or PCR during the clinical care. Results: Of 68 patients (breast cancer, n=41; colorectal cancer, n=13; other tumor types, n=14), 58 patients (85%) had a PIK3CA mutation in the tumor. Testing of plasma cfDNA was in agreement with tumor tissue in 72% of samples (kappa 0.38), sensitivity 67% and specificity 100%. Of 19 falsely negative plasma cfDNA samples, 6 were found to be collected from patients not having disease progression. Additional 9 samples with available cfDNA were retested with increased DNA input (22-247 ng) and 4 had a PIK3CA mutation resulting in agreement for patients with progressing cancers of 85% (kappa 0.61), sensitivity 83% and specificity 100%. Patients with plasma PIK3CA-mutant cfDNA variant-allele frequency (VAF) Conclusion: Common PIK3CA mutations can be detected in plasma cfDNA with high sensitivity and specificity in patients with progressing cancer if the cfDNA input is sufficient. Low amount of PIK3CA-mutant cfDNA is associated with longer survival. Changes in PIK3CA VAF could be an early surrogate biomarker for time to treatment failure to PI3K-targeted therapies. This abstract is also being presented as Poster B16. Citation Format: Ecaterina E. Ileana Dumbrava, Helen J. Huang, Ana Stuckett, Kiran Madwani, Abha Adat, David S. Hong, Sarina A. Piha-Paul, Vivek Subbiah, Daniel D. Karp, Siqing Fu, Aung Naing, Apostolia M. Tsimberidou, Stacey Moulder, Kimberly Koenig, Carlos H. Barcenas, Bryan Kee, David Fogelman, Scott Kopetz, Funda Meric-Bernstam, Filip Janku. PIK3CA mutations in plasma cell-free DNA predict survival and treatment outcomes in patients with advanced cancers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Targeting PI3K/mTOR Signaling; 2018 Nov 30-Dec 8; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2020;18(10_Suppl):Abstract nr PR10.
The Spatial Transformation of First-Tier Suburbs, 1970-2000: The Case of Metropolitan Baltimore

The evolution of first-tier suburbs has emerged as an important topic of scholarly and popular attention in the past decade, yet little is known about the diversity of neighborhood spatial structure. This article analyzes data on 152 census tracts in 21 first-tier suburban census designated places in metropolitan Baltimore. A total of 49 socioeconomic variables are used to measure the population, income dynamics, nature of the housing, and structure of the labor force.The analysis provides evidence of spatial restructuring in 1970 and 2000. The racial composition, socioeconomic status, occupation, and nature of the housing stock differentiate the spatial structure of Baltimore’s first-tier suburban neighborhoods from one another over time. A typology of five neighborhoods in 1970 and six in 2000 is derived from a partitional clustering procedure that groups principal components analysis scores. The policy implications of suburban diversity and decline are discussed.
Carlo Emilio Gadda and the Siglo de Oro: Translation as “open work”

This article examines Carlo Emilio Gadda's translations of two Spanish texts from the Siglo de Oro. In the first section, by situating Gadda's translations in the context of the “rediscovery” of th...
Introduction: The Multilingual Prism

Each year the TESOL & Applied Linguistics programs invite internationally-renowned researchers to give lectures at Teachers College. This year, we had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Jasone Cenoz and Dr. Durk Gorter, two prominent scholars in the field of multilingualism. In their talk, Cenoz and Gorter re-evaluated the previously dominant understanding of multilingualism and proposed a new approach to investigating multilingualism, which they termed Focus on Multilingualism (henceforth, FOM). While earlier treatments of multilingualism ignored dynamic interactions between the different linguistic systems that multilinguals know, this new perspective stresses the importance of a holistic approach to understanding multilingual speakers and their linguistic repertoires. Stemming from this new definition, multilingualism may be examined as a social and an individual phenomenon, keeping in mind, however, that “individual and societal multilingualism are not completely separated” (Cenoz, 2013, p. 5).
Post—paracervical block bradycardia: Its prediction and preventability

The fetal heart rate recordings of 100 parturients given PCB with less than 200 mg. of lidocaine were reviewed. No PCB bradycardia occurred if there were no pre-PCB FHR decelerations (92 per cent accuracy). In an effort to prevent post-PCB bradycardia, atropine was given in the maternal paracervical area and also intravenously. The most effective dose was 1.0 mg. intravenously, but the prophylactic efficiency of atropine was uncertain in preventing the post-PCB bradycardia.
L' Appétit Vient en Mangeant

We Are What We Eat: Ethnic Foods and the Making of Americans. Donna R. Gabaccia. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1998.288 pp. No Foreign Foods: The American Diet in Time and Place. Richard Pillsbury. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1998.262 pp. Sociology on the Menu: An Invitation to the Study of Food and Society. Alan Beardsworth and Teresa Keil. New York: Routledge, 1997. 278 pp. Food Preferences and Taste: Continuity and Change. Helen Macbeth. ed. Providence, RI: Berghahn Books, 1997.218 pp.
Impact of Exposure to Childhood Maltreatment on Transitions to Alcohol Dependence in Women and Men.

BACKGROUND: Childhood maltreatment decreases age of first use and speeds the transition from first use to dependence (i.e., telescoping) for alcohol use, however, it is currently unknown whether this influence is the same for men and women. METHOD: Analyses were conducted with the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (n = 34,653). Outcome variables included age of alcohol initiation and time to onset of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition alcohol dependence. Predictor variables included gender and childhood maltreatment. Linear and Poisson regression analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Results demonstrated that in regard to age of drinking initiation, individuals who experienced childhood maltreatment initiated 1 year earlier than those without maltreatment, however, there was no interaction of this relationship with gender. Regarding the time to dependence, it was found that women who experienced childhood maltreatment demonstrated telescoping (shorter time between onset and dependence) compared to women without maltreatment and men (both with and without maltreatment). CONCLUSION: Women with a history of childhood maltreatment are particularly vulnerable to an accelerated time from initiation of alcohol use until dependence, a pattern indicative of increased negative alcohol-related outcomes. FINDINGS highlight the need for development of gender-specific prevention efforts and behavioral treatments to aid in early intervention of problematic alcohol use in women. Language: en
Brain cortical thickness in male adolescents with serious substance use and conduct problems.

AbstractBackground: Adolescents with substance use disorder (SUD) and conduct problems exhibit high levels of impulsivity and poor self-control. Limited work to date tests for brain cortical thickness differences in these youths. Objectives: To investigate differences in cortical thickness between adolescents with substance use and conduct problems and controls. Methods: We recruited 25 male adolescents with SUD, and 19 male adolescent controls, and completed structural 3T magnetic resonance brain imaging. Using the surface-based morphometry software FreeSurfer, we completed region-of-interest (ROI) analyses for group cortical thickness differences in left, and separately right, inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and insula. Using FreeSurfer, we completed whole-cerebrum analyses of group differences in cortical thickness. Results: Versus controls, the SUD group showed no cortical thickness differences in ROI analyses. Controlling for age and IQ, no regions with cortical thickness dif...
Reliability of two novel methods, alamar and E test, for detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

E test strips (AB Biodisk, Culver City, Calif.) tested on 2% NaCl-supplemented Mueller-Hinton agar and Alamar panels (Alamar, Sacramento, Calif.) correctly characterized 127 of 127 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates and 100 of 100 methicillin-susceptible S. aureus isolates. These overnight antimicrobial susceptibility test systems reliably detect this clinically important resistance.
Superconductivity and the c Axis Spectral Weight of High-Tc Superconductors

The temperature dependence of the c axis spectral weight (frequency integral of the interplane conductivity) of high transition temperature (high-Tc) superconductors is shown to be a probe of thermal and quantal fluctuations of the phase of the superconducting order parameter. The behavior of underdoped cuprates is shown to be a natural consequence of superconducting pairing without long-ranged phase coherence. Very underdoped cuprates are found to have strong phase fluctuations, even for temperatures much less than the transition temperature.
11B imaging with field-cycling NMR as a line narrowing technique

Abstract NMR imaging of 11B in a boric acid, B(OH)3, phantom has been done using a field-cycling NMR technique to narrow the 11B resonance. Field-cycling NMR combines the sensitivity of high-field detection with the narrow resonance of a pure NQR transition. In zero magnetic field, a very small rf coil is used as the method for spatially encoding the image by saturating the | ± 1 2 > → ||3/2 > transition for a selected region of the sample. In successive cycles the zero-field rf coil is translated step-wise along the sample.
What's the Delay? Managing e and p Publication Dates

This case study describes the challenges of acquiring eBooks on an approval plan due to publication delays between print and electronic formats. The purpose of this analysis was to determine the average delay between print and eBook publication dates so that appropriate hold periods could be built into the libraries' approval plan. Print publication dates were compared to eBook publication dates for approximately 30,000 eBooks to calculate the average delay between print and eBook availability. The data was further analyzed to calculate average delays for select publishers and subjects.
Performance of the facility instruments on the Hobby-Eberly telescope

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) is a revolutionary large telescope of 9.2 meter aperture, located in West Texas at McDonald Observatory. Early scientific operations started on October 8, 1999. The HET operates with a fixed segmented primary and has a tracker which moves the four-mirror corrector and prime focus instrument package to track the sidereal and non-sidereal motions of objects. As of two years ago, the HET was taking science data but the image quality and primary mirror stability were far from specifications. We established the HET Completion Project to identify and fix these problems, and here we describe the current performance of the HET relative to its goals, focusing on progress made in the past two years. The first phase of HET instrumentation includes three facility instruments: the Low Resolution Spectrograph (LRS) and High Resolution Spectrograph (HRS), which are in operation, and the Medium Resolution Spectrograph (MRS), which will be commissioned in the summer and autumn. The current status of the instruments is described in detail with performance measures.
Money, the Mountain, and State Power in a Naxi Village

This a study of daily life in Yulong, a Naxi village, and the nearby market town of Lijiang in northern Yunnan Province.' It is also a response to recent calls to put time and space at the center of social analysis (Giddens, 1984; Harvey, 1989). It concentrates on space, taking its production and manipulation in Lijiang county as fundamental to the daily experience of such varied phenomena as money, reciprocity, the power of the state, and the news of rebellion. Social analysts who understand it as more than merely the environment of social action have generally followed one of two approaches to space. One approach identifies conceptual orders, cosmologies or ideologies embodied in space. Anthropologists often attempt to demonstrate that conceptual orders are built on skeletons of spatial metaphors and that these metaphors are embedded in the spaces of ritual action or daily life. For instance, basic attributes of the cosmos are represented in the architecture of shrines or churches (Middleton, 1960; Gossen, 1972), the structure of houses (Cunningham, 1972; McKhann, 1989), or the topography of mountains (Nash, 1979). The body is understood in terms of analogies to houses (Daniel, 1984) or