cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Age-Associated Gene Expression in Normal Breast Tissue Mirrors Qualitative Age-at-Incidence Patterns for Breast Cancer

Background: Age is the strongest breast cancer risk factor, with overall breast cancer risk increasing steadily beginning at approximately 30 years of age. However, while breast cancer risk is lower among younger women, young women's breast cancer may be more aggressive. Although, several genomic and epidemiologic studies have shown higher prevalence of aggressive, estrogen-receptor negative breast cancer in younger women, the age-related gene expression that predisposes to these tumors is poorly understood. Characterizing age-related patterns of gene expression in normal breast tissues may provide insights on etiology of distinct breast cancer subtypes that arise from these tissues. Methods: To identify age-related changes in normal breast tissue, 96 tissue specimens from patients with reduction mammoplasty, ages 14 to 70 years, were assayed by gene expression microarray. Results: Significant associations between gene expression levels and age were identified for 802 probes (481 increased, 321 decreased with increasing age). Enriched functions included “aging of cells,” “shape change,” and “chemotaxis,” and enriched pathways included Wnt/beta-catenin signaling, Ephrin receptor signaling, and JAK/Stat signaling. Applying the age-associated genes to publicly available tumor datasets, the age-associated pathways defined two groups of tumors with distinct survival. Conclusion: The hazard rates of young-like tumors mirrored that of high-grade tumors in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program, providing a biologic link between normal aging and age-related tumor aggressiveness. Impact: These data show that studies of normal tissue gene expression can yield important insights about the pathways and biologic pressures that are relevant during tumor etiology and progression. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 21(10); 1735–44. ©2012 AACR . This article is featured in Highlights of This Issue, [p. 1611][1] [1]: /lookup/volpage/21/1611?iss=10
Passive coherent scatter radar interferometer implementation, observations, and analysis

[1] We have recently extended the passive radar technique to permit interferometric observation of ionospheric irregularities. We discuss the implementation of a passive radar interferometer at VHF frequencies and show observations of field-aligned irregularities in the high-latitude E region ionosphere. The interferometer achieves very fine azimuthal resolution (as fine as 0.1°, or 2 km at a range of 1000 km); thus we can form two-dimensional spatial images of the target volume. Many E region scatterers are compact, with transverse extent no greater than 10 km; this is significantly smaller than the beam width of most coherent radars. By tracking interferometric position, we can estimate the transverse drift of the scattering region. By coupling this information with the line of sight Doppler shift and using the dispersion relation for meter scale irregularities, we estimate electric fields and velocity shears within the scattering volume.
Fetal and neonatal atrial arrhythmias: an association with maternal diabetes and neonatal macrosomia.

Objective To determine if the incidence of maternal diabetes mellitus or neonatal macrosomia is more frequent in fetuses and neonates with atrial arrhythmias than the general population. Methods Fetuses and neonates <30 days of age with atrial flutter or ectopic atrial tachycardia and structurally normal hearts were identified retrospectively through the cardiology databases. Electrocardiograms, echocardiograms, and medical records of mothers and infants were reviewed. Results Thirty-one patients (15 fetuses, 12 diagnosed in-utero) were identified. Infants with atrial flutter or ectopic atrial tachycardia were more likely to be macrosomic or to be born to diabetic mothers than the general population. Two had left atrial dimension z-scores above +2, and two had interventricular thickness z-scores above +2. Eighteen of 19 had abnormal mitral E/A ratios, suggesting left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. Conclusions Fetuses and neonates with atrial flutter or ectopic atrial tachycardia were more likely to be macrosomic or be born to diabetic mothers than the general population. Postnatal echocardiography suggests that there may be abnormal diastolic left ventricular filling in some babies with these arrhythmias. Independent of ventricular hypertrophy, we speculate that isolated, non-recurrent fetal or neonatal atrial flutter, or ectopic atrial tachycardia may be caused by cardiac diastolic dysfunction and atrial stretch in utero. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Developmental Academic Advising Revisited

Developmental academic advising has become a widely used descriptive term about which a great deal has been presented and written. Recent scrutiny of this concept, however, has prompted us to exami...
Physician agreement with US Preventive Services Task Force recommendations.

BACKGROUND No large-scale work has yet assessed the reactions of physicians to the report of the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), despite its potential for fostering a consensus among practitioners. This study undertook a survey of family physicians to assess their agreement with the recommendations of the Task Force. METHODS A survey containing the verbatim summary recommendations of the USPSTF was mailed to all 1784 active members of the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians. RESULTS No evidence of selection bias was found among the 898 responding physicians. The average physician agreed with 88% of the recommendations. For a number of recommendations, however, particularly those in which the Task Force differed with the American Cancer Society, there was a high level of disagreement. Physician disagreement with the recommendations was associated with older age, not having completed a residency, male sex, less prior exposure to the USPSTF guidelines, and greater perception of the impracticality of applying them. CONCLUSIONS The high level of agreement with most USPSTF recommendations implies that they represent an emerging consensus about which preventive services should be delivered. Attempts at USPSTF guideline dissemination should focus on recommendations with high agreement. Additional research is needed to assess the reasons for disagreement.
Challenges and Growth of Indian Telecom Sector

India has emerged as one of the youngest and fastest growing economies in the world today. One of the sectors that has shown the signs of profitability and contributed significantly to the country's economy is the telecom industry. In fact, the Indian telecom market has gained recognition as one of the most lucrative markets globally. The vast rural market holds a huge potential to drive the future growth of the telecom companies. Further, the government's initiatives for increasing the telecom connectivity in rural areas are also likely to aid the telecom service providers to extend their services in the unconnected rural areas. The Indian Telecommunications network with 621 million connections (as on March 2010) is the third largest in the world. The sector is growing at a speed of 45% during the recent years. This rapid growth is possible due to various proactive and positive decisions of the Government and contribution of both by the public and the private sectors. The rapid strides in the telecom sector have been facilitated by liberal policies of the Government that provides easy market access for telecom equipment and a fair regulatory framework for offering telecom services to the Indian consumers at affordable prices. Presently, all the telecom services have been opened for private participation. The paper examines the changing landscape of telecom sector in the terms of challenges and opportunities.The Indian mobile subscriber base is likely to sustain the rapid growth recorded in the past few years. Presence of skilled labour pool, improving telecom infrastructure, favourable demographics, rising disposable incomes of consumers, declining tariffs, increasing demand, growing attraction for mobiles with new features and greater availability of handsets at lower prices, are expected to continue driving the growth of the telecom sector, going forward.The growth of India as a knowledge based economy will not be possible without the growth and expansion of the Indian telecommunications and IT sectors. This symbiotic relationship is not lost on the government which has attempted to back the telecommunications sector by fostering an encouraging regulatory scenario. This has not only helped the telecommunications sector to evolve in a dynamic manner but has enabled it to attract foreign investments.Telecom spectrum is a scarce resource and with so many scams happening right under the government’s nose, it is no surprise that the situation looks quite grim. But despite all the hiccups, the future is fresh with promise as each day; the mobile is finding more acceptances and becoming an inevitable part of our lives. Perhaps, that is a single shimmer of hope that is keeping the sector going. The area which needs immediate attention is the need for flexibility in the regulatory mechanism. The telecom legislation at present seems to be archaic laws and the need of the industry right now is a mechanism that can continuously adapt itself to the changing needs of the industry. There is no doubt at all that the coming years are going to be exciting years for the Indian telecom sector.
KinoHaptics: An Automated, Wearable, Haptic Assisted, Physio-therapeutic System for Post-surgery Rehabilitation and Self-care

A carefully planned, structured, and supervised physiotherapy program, following a surgery, is crucial for the successful diagnosis of physical injuries. Nearly 50 % of the surgeries fail due to unsupervised, and erroneous physiotherapy. The demand for a physiotherapist for an extended period is expensive to afford, and sometimes inaccessible. Researchers have tried to leverage the advancements in wearable sensors and motion tracking by building affordable, automated, physio-therapeutic systems that direct a physiotherapy session by providing audio-visual feedback on patient's performance. There are many aspects of automated physiotherapy program which are yet to be addressed by the existing systems: a wide classification of patients' physiological conditions to be diagnosed, multiple demographics of the patients (blind, deaf, etc.), and the need to pursue patients to adopt the system for an extended period for self-care. In our research, we have tried to address these aspects by building a health behavior change support system called KinoHaptics, for post-surgery rehabilitation. KinoHaptics is an automated, wearable, haptic assisted, physio-therapeutic system that can be used by a wide variety of demographics and for various physiological conditions of the patients. The system provides rich and accurate vibro-haptic feedback that can be felt by the user, irrespective of the physiological limitations. KinoHaptics is built to ensure that no injuries are induced during the rehabilitation period. The persuasive nature of the system allows for personal goal-setting, progress tracking, and most importantly life-style compatibility. The system was evaluated under laboratory conditions, involving 14 users. Results show that KinoHaptics is highly convenient to use, and the vibro-haptic feedback is intuitive, accurate, and has shown to prevent accidental injuries. Also, results show that KinoHaptics is persuasive in nature as it supports behavior change and habit building. The successful acceptance of KinoHaptics, an automated, wearable, haptic assisted, physio-therapeutic system proves the need and future-scope of automated physio-therapeutic systems for self-care and behavior change. It also proves that such systems incorporated with vibro-haptic feedback encourage strong adherence to the physiotherapy program; can have profound impact on the physiotherapy experience resulting in higher acceptance rate.
In the Shadow of Giants: A Section of American Mathematicians, 1925–1950

(2005). In the Shadow of Giants: A Section of American Mathematicians, 1925–1950. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 78, No. 3, pp. 175-191.
Nearly regular $p$-groups

A finite p-group G is said to be regular if for every pair of elements a, b in G, 1 where c is an element of the derived group of the subgroup generated by a and b. We shall say that G is nearly regular if (i) there is a central element z of order p such that G/⧼z⧽ is regular, and (ii) the subgroup generated by x and y is regular whenever x ∈ G and y ∈ G′, the derived group of G.
Institutional Subscriptions to Met Opera on Demand and the Berlin Philharmonic Digital Concert Hall

During the Fall 2015 semester, our library trialed two digital resources: Met Opera on Demand and the Berlin Philharmonic Digital Concert Hall. We examined their contents and usability, promoted th...
The labor force status of transgender men and women

ABSTRACTThis study uses data from the National Transgender Discrimination Survey to explore the labor force status of transgender men and women. The data suggest that transgender individuals tend to have higher unemployment rates than those reported elsewhere for the general U.S. population. Differences in the distributions of labor force statuses of transgender men and women were found; women were more likely to be out of the labor force, while men were more likely to be employed. Multinomial logit analysis revealed both similarities and differences in the effects of characteristics that influence labor force status of transgender men and women. In particular, the ability of other people to identify transgender individuals as such increased the odds of both transgender men and women being out of the labor force rather than employed. State laws prohibiting employment discrimination against transgender individuals increased the odds of transgender men being out of the labor force rather than employed, whil...
Synopsis and Examples of State-Flux Transport Network Models

The SF transport network models are summarized for four different extensives: bulk mixture of mass; thermal energy; component mass such as contaminant species; and momentum. The governing equations as well as the driving potentials, fluxes and transport admittances are generalized for emphasizing similarities between transport processes. Examples are included for demonstrations of SF network models in steady state and time dependent applications.
Abstract PR01: The heat shock protein-CD91 pathway is necessary for tumor immunosurveillance

Many tumors are capable of generating immune response in the bearing host. Since tumors lack the typical (foreign) PAMPs that provide signal 2 for T cell priming, the mechanism of how concomitant immunity is established remains a mystery. We provide evidence here that, heat shock proteins (HSPs), when released into the tumor microenvironment, is the immunogen necessary for tumor immunosurveillance. This response requires CD91- the endocytic and signaling receptor for the immunogenic HSPs. In our study, we generated CD11c-specific CD91 knockout mice and showed that transplantable tumors grew faster in those knockout mice, compared to wild type mice. In addition, we abrogated the interaction of tumor-derived HSP with CD91 in vivo by over-expression of Receptor Associated Protein (RAP), an endogenous inhibitor of CD91. The loss of CD91 funtion through antagonism or its deletion was shown to negatively affect cross-priming. While initial studies were performed on transplantable tumors, these experiments have now been carried out in chemically induced tumor models. In summary, our study demonstrates that the HSP-CD91 pathway is critical for establishment tumor immunity. Considering that elevated RAP levels have been reported in colon cancer patients, we propose a novel mechanism of immune evasion for tumors expressing competing ligands for immune receptors such as CD91. Citation Format: Yu Jerry Zhou, Robert J. Binder. The heat shock protein-CD91 pathway is necessary for tumor immunosurveillance. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy: A New Chapter; December 1-4, 2014; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2015;3(10 Suppl):Abstract nr PR01.
Seattle’s Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) Program

For repeat drug offenders, homelessness, unemployment, and lack of access to legitimate income and benefits are obstacles to community integration and quality-of-life improvement. Seattle’s Law Enf...
Toward Human-Scale Brain Computing Using 3D Wafer Scale Integration

The Von Neumann architecture, defined by strict and hierarchical separation of memory and processor, has been a hallmark of conventional computer design since the 1940s. It is becoming increasingly unsuitable for cognitive applications, which require massive parallel processing of highly interdependent data. Inspired by the brain, we propose a significantly different architecture characterized by a large number of highly interconnected simple processors intertwined with very large amounts of low-latency memory. We contend that this memory-centric architecture can be realized using 3D wafer scale integration for which the technology is nearing readiness, combined with current CMOS device technologies. The natural fault tolerance and lower power requirements of neuromorphic processing make 3D wafer stacking particularly attractive. In order to assess the performance of this architecture, we propose a specific embodiment of a neuronal system using 3D wafer scale integration; formulate a simple model of brain connectivity including short- and long-range connections; and estimate the memory, bandwidth, latency, and power requirements of the system using the connectivity model. We find that 3D wafer scale integration, combined with technologies nearing readiness, offers the potential for scaleup to a primate-scale brain, while further scaleup to a human-scale brain would require significant additional innovations.
Contents and Chapter Abstracts, The Poverty of Privacy Rights

The U.S. Constitution is supposed to bestow rights equally. Yet the poor are subject to invasions of privacy that suggest that they live in a world where the government has few, if any, limits on its power. Khiara M. Bridges investigates poor mothers' experiences with the state -- both when they receive public assistance and when they do not. The result of this investigation is an argument that turns popular thinking on its head. Bridges argues that poor mothers' lack of privacy is not a function of their reliance on government assistance; nor is their lack of privacy a function of their bearing "weak versions" of the privacy rights everyone else enjoys. Rather, their lack of privacy is a function of their not bearing familial, informational, and reproductive privacy rights in the first place. Bridges argues that until we disrupt the cultural narratives that equate poverty with immorality, poor mothers will continue to be denied these rights.
The Effects of Precious Metals on the Oxidation and Hot Corrosion of Coatings

Conventional and platinum modified diffusion aluminide coatings on nickel base superalloys have been compared in tests designed to establish conditions representative of those existing in gas turbines operating over a range of applications. The resistances of these coatings to oxidation, high temperature hot corrosion, and low temperature hot corrosion have been compared. Platinum has been found to significantly improve the resistance of diffusion aluminides to all these forms of degradation. Substrate composition is also a factor affecting coating lives in oxidation attack and high temperature hot corrosion. Platinum improves diffusion aluminide coating performances by causing such coatings to more effectively utilize aluminum in the selective oxidation process.
Determinants of Accounting Change: An Industry Analysis of Depreciation Change

This study examines whether the large number of depreciation-related accounting changes made by oil and gas drilling firms during the early eighties can be explained by changes in earnings prospects and related changes in agency cost variables. Empirical evidence, based on all thirty contract drilling firms for which data were available, shows that a model consisting of variables representing changes in sales, rig utilization rate and income before accounting change has significant explanatory and predictive power. Compared to a model consisting only of changes in sales, leverage or dividend constraint, models containing income change and rig usage change have better identification and prediction performance. The results imply that the dramatic declines in rig utilization during the early eighties, combined with related changes in income, led to the observed accounting changes in this industry.
Flow Volume Loops

Flow volume loops (FLVs) are a type of pulmonary test used to help evaluate respiratory diseases. Familiarity with FVLs is important because they help quantify respiratory decrements and also responses to treatment. For example, an asthmatic patient can be evaluated before and after bronchodilator treatment. Historically, flow volume loops were used to help identify key characteristics of a respiratory lesion and to assess its severity. With the advent of MRI and CT scan, there has been less reliance on FVLs for these purposes. Despite this, understanding of FVLs helps the consultant to understand fundamental respiratory physiology.
2010 Annual Report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers' National Poison Data System (NPDS): 28th Annual Report.

AbstractBackground: This is the 28th Annual Report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers’ (AAPCC) National Poison Data System (NPDS). All US poison centers upload case data automatically with a median time interval of 19.0 [11.9, 40.6] (median [25%, 75%]) minutes, creating a near real-time national exposure and information database and surveillance system.Methodology: We analyzed the case data tabulating specific indices from NPDS. The methodology was similar to that of previous years. Where changes were introduced, the differences are identified. Poison center cases with medical outcomes of death were evaluated by a team of 33 medical and clinical toxicologist reviewers using an ordinal scale of 1 (Undoubtedly responsible) – 6 (Unknown) to determine Relative Contribution to Fatality (RCF) of the exposure to the death.Results: In 2010, 3,952,772 closed encounters were logged by NPDS: 2,384,825, human exposures, 94,823 animal exposures, 1,466,253 information calls, 6537 human confirmed none...
Early Detection and Chemoprevention of Lung Cancer

Despite advances in targeted treatments, lung cancer remains a common and deadly malignancy, in part owing to its typical late presentation. Recent developments in lung cancer screening and ongoing efforts aimed at early detection, treatment, and prevention are promising areas to impact the mortality from lung cancer. In the past several years, lung cancer screening with low-dose chest computed tomography (CT) was shown to have mortality benefit, and lung cancer screening programs have been implemented in some clinical settings. Biomarkers for screening, diagnosis, and monitoring of response to therapy are under development. Prevention efforts aimed at smoking cessation are as crucial as ever, and there have been encouraging findings in recent clinical trials of lung cancer chemoprevention. Here we review advancements in the field of lung cancer prevention and early malignancy and discuss future directions that we believe will result in a reduction in the mortality from lung cancer.
What Else Can We Learn from a Diffraction Experiment Besides the Average Structure

So far we have been centering our considerations on the characterization of crystal structures. This is an important aspect of diffraction studies and it has enabled us to learn most of the fundamental concepts. We have in fact come across a great many uses for diffraction in addition to structure determination as the following list indicates: 1. Chemical analysis (in selected regions with the electron microscope, as well as in larger areas with standard x-ray fluorescence techniques) (a) From the diffraction pattern from a substance. (Sect. 4.7) (b) From the lattice parameter (Sect. 4.7) (c) From absorption (Sect. 3.7) 2. Phase boundaries (a) From lattice parameters (Sect. 4.7) (b) From integrated intensities (Sect. 4.9) (c) From absorption (Sect. 3.7) 3. Volume fraction of a phase (Sect. 4.9) 4. Residual stresses (Sect. 4.7) 5. Theoretical densities (Sect. 4.7) 6. Coefficients of thermal expansion (Sect. 4.7) 7. Indexing microscopic features of deformation, precipitation (Sect. 1.4) 8. Texture (Sect. 4.7)
Family quality of life (FQOL) of patients with cancer and caregivers.

e21568Background: There are no validated tools assessing FQOL in the cancer population. We developed a 32-item cancer specific tool (CFQOL) comprised of general and cancer specific subscales direct...
Characteristics of Sustainable Bioeconomy in the CEE Macro-Region

In the coming decades to achieve further progress in sustainable growth of agriculture, aquaculture, forestry and food industry in the CEE countries there is a need to face specific challenges through the lens of bioeconomy, thus by shifting the emphasis to research, innovation and transnational cooperation for knowledge-based development. A shared strategic research and innovation framework that has already been offered by the Central-Eastern European Initiative for Knowledge-based Agriculture, Aquaculture and Forestry in the Bioeconomy, i.e. by the BIOEAST Initiative might enable these countries to work towards the development of a sustainable bioeconomy while effectively joining the European Research Area. The study is aimed at conceptualizing bioeconomy, analysing key socio-economic indicators of the ‘BIOEAST countries’ bioeconomy and describing the implications for policymakers based on the results of the ‘BIOEAST Bioeconomy Capacity Building Survey’. Based on the results of the survey the major findings of the research verify and strengthen the objectives of the BIOEAST Initiative. The individual results of the survey in terms of major bottlenecks in the supply chain, missing elements hindering competitiveness, the opportunities to raise competitiveness and functions of the intervention system led to the conclusion that the creation of sustainable bioeconomy explicitly requires triple-helix stakeholders to find efficient collaboration mechanisms and build synergies.
An Interactive Algorithmic Music System for EDM

Artiin is an interactive computer music system for live performance and composition of EDM. Artiin is able to function as an autonomous musical creator with no human-input, or can generate one or more streams in response to human input: for example creating a ride cymbal pattern influenced by an incoming bass pattern. The system shows how developments in interactive music can be repurposed for a system designed to meet a DJs workflow. This article explores the design of Artiin as well as musical concepts that underpin this work and other systems that influenced its development. Artiin was designed by the author in Max for Live, with multiple custom externals written in Java. While the system is currently used by multiple musicians, it is not publicly available.
Molecular Origins of Complex Heritability in Natural Genotype-to-Phenotype Relationships.

Summary The statistical complexity of heredity has long been evident, but its molecular origins remain elusive. To investigate, we charted 90 comprehensive genotype-to-phenotype maps in a large population of wild diploid yeast. In contrast to long-standing assumptions, all types of genetic variation contributed similarly to phenotype. Causal synonymous and regulatory variants exhibited distinct molecular signatures, as did nonlinearities in heterozygote fitness that likely contribute to hybrid vigor. Highly pleiotropic variants altered disordered sequences within signaling hubs, and their effects correlated across environments—even when antagonistic—suggesting that large fitness gains bring concomitant costs. Natural genetic networks defined by the causal loci differed from those determined by precise gene deletions or protein-protein interactions. Finally, we found that traits that would appear omnigenic in less powered studies do in fact have finite genetic determinants. Integrating these molecular principles will be crucial as genome reading and writing become routine in research, industry, and medicine.
Measuring the Effects of a RESEARCH-BASED Field Experience on Undergraduates and K - 12 Teachers

During the summer of 1999, a new type of field course was taught in five of eastern Utah's National Parks and Monuments. The course was unique because it targeted a combination of university undergraduates and K-12 teachers, emphasized development of participants' problem-solving skills, and assessed the effectiveness of several non-traditional teaching methods. The course's primary goal was to teach participants to develop and test their own ideas. The course also was designed to help participants learn to use tools and methods employed by research scientists. A mix of undergraduates and teachers was targeted so that the course could be used to introduce undergraduates to the concept of teaching as a career. A blend of pedagogical components was employed and tested during the course. Pre- and post-course attitudinal surveys, instruments designed to measure lower- and higher-order cognitive skills, diagnostic learning logs, and post-course interviews were used to assess the course's success at achieving s...
Comparing Observations and Perceptions of Mother-adolescent Conflict: Youth with Typical Development, Intellectual Disability, or Autism Spectrum Disorders

Introduction: While transitioning to adulthood presents challenges for youth with developmental disabilities (DD), opportunities to develop adult social roles and communication skills may foster mo...
P439 Insurance coverage, financial strain, and adherence to pre-exposure prophylaxis among gay/bisexual men in the united states

Background Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly effective in preventing HIV infection, but many at-risk patients have difficulty adhering to the drug over time. Past studies suggest that financial factors, including health insurance coverage, high out-of-pocket expenses, and more general financial strain, may be key factors in PrEP care utilization particularly in the United States, where PrEP is not covered by all insurance plans. However, to date, few studies have explored whether these factors co-occur with disruptions in adherence that are long enough to reduce PrEP’s effectiveness. Methods We recruited 40 PrEP-experienced patients from a sexual health clinic in the northeastern US and instructed them to dispense their PrEP from an internet-connected pill bottle over a 6-month study period. During the study period, participants were also asked to complete monthly surveys assessing insurance coverage, type, and financial strain. Results GEE models showed that the odds of having a lapse in PrEP adherence of 3+ days were also nearly three times higher in months when participants had incomplete insurance coverage (OR=2.94, p Conclusion Our results suggest that insurance coverage plays a vital role in ensuring patients maintain protective levels of PrEP over time. Although having any coverage is critical, our findings also show that those with private insurance may have more difficulty adhering to PrEP at protective levels, possibly due to restrictions these providers place on obtaining PrEP. Disclosure No significant relationships.
IMPLICATIONS OF UNSUSTAINABLE DIVIDENDS

In this article, we examine the wealth effects of unsustainable dividend payments and explore the economic forces that may explain why they exist. We find that the larger the dividend–earnings differential, the lower the short‐ and long‐run wealth effects to shareholders. In addition, the dividend–earnings differential increases not only the probability of a subsequent dividend cut over the next four quarters but also the likelihood that the cut will be greater than 5%. Overall, our findings suggest that although investors are not fooled by unsustainable dividend payments, the negative announcement effects are in anticipation of protracted poor performance.
Line Current Ripple Minimization PWM Strategy With Reduced Zero-Sequence Circulating Current for Two Parallel Interleaved Three-Phase Converters

This article proposes a line-current ripple minimization pulsewidth modulation strategy with reduced zero-sequence circulating current (ZSCC) for two parallel three-phase two-level converters. We split each 60° sector into six subsectors, each applies the nearest three vectors to ensure minimal line-current ripple. To reduce the ZSCC, we further investigate all vector sequences of the nearest three vectors and derive an optimal vector sequence for each of the six subsectors. We unify all carrier sequences under a carrier-based modulation scheme with the assistance of voltage injections. The injected voltage can be computed by a simple algorithm that allows easy implementation in mainstream microcontrollers. The experimental results validate that the proposed method maintains the minimal line-current ripple while significantly reducing the ZSCC compared to the existing line current ripple minimization methods.
Aberrant Cortical Ensembles and Schizophrenia-like Sensory Phenotypes in Setd1a+/- Mice.

Abstract Background A breakdown of synchrony within neuronal ensembles leading to destabilization of network “attractors” could be a defining aspect of neuropsychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia, representing a common downstream convergence point for the diverse etiological pathways associated with the disease. Using a mouse genetic model, we demonstrated that altered ensembles are associated with pathological sensory cortical processing phenotypes resulting from loss of function mutations in the Setd1a gene, a recently identified rare risk genotype with very high penetrance for schizophrenia. Methods We used fast two-photon calcium imaging of neuronal populations (calcium indicator GCaMP6s, 10 Hz, 100-250 cells, layer 2/3 of primary visual cortex, i.e., V1) in awake head-fixed mice (Setd1a+/− vs. wild-type littermate control) during rest and visual stimulation with moving full-field square-wave gratings (0.04 cycles per degree, 2.0 cycles per second, 100% contrast, 12 directions). Multielectrode recordings were analyzed in the time-frequency domain to assess stimulus-induced oscillations and cross-layer phase synchrony. Results Neuronal activity and orientation/direction selectivity were unaffected in Setd1a+/− mice, but correlations between cell pairs in V1 showed altered distributions compared with wild-type mice, in both ongoing and visually evoked activity. Furthermore, population-wide “ensemble activations” in Setd1a+/− mice were markedly less reliable over time during rest and visual stimulation, resulting in unstable encoding of basic visual information. This alteration of ensembles coincided with reductions in alpha and high-gamma band phase synchrony within and between cortical layers. Conclusions These results provide new evidence for an ensemble hypothesis of schizophrenia and highlight the utility of Setd1a+/− mice for modeling sensory-processing phenotypes.
Regulation of Nucleotide Metabolism and Germline Proliferation in Response to Nucleotide Imbalance and Genotoxic Stresses by EndoU Nuclease

Summary Nucleotide deprivation and imbalance present detrimental conditions for animals and are thus expected to trigger cellular responses that direct protective changes in metabolic, developmental, and behavioral programs, albeit such mechanisms are vastly underexplored. Following our previous finding that Caenorhabditis elegans shut down germ cell proliferation in response to pyrimidine deprivation, we find in this study that endonuclease ENDU-2 regulates nucleotide metabolism and germ cell proliferation in response to nucleotide imbalance and other genotoxic stress, and that it affects mitotic chromosomal segregation in the intestine and lifespan. ENDU-2 expression is induced by nucleotide imbalance and genotoxic stress, and ENDU-2 exerts its function in the intestine, mostly by inhibiting the phosphorylation of CTPS-1 through repressing the PKA pathway and histone deacetylase HDA-1. Human EndoU also affects the response to genotoxic drugs. Our work reveals an unknown role of ENDU-2 in regulating nucleotide metabolism and animals’ response to genotoxic stress, which may link EndoU function to cancer treatment.
Epigenome-Wide Association Study Using Prediagnostic Bloods Identifies New Genomic Regions Associated With Pancreatic Cancer Risk.

Background Epigenome-wide association studies using peripheral blood have identified specific sites of DNA methylation associated with risk of various cancers and may hold promise to identify novel biomarkers of risk; however, few studies have been performed for pancreatic cancer and none using a prospective study design. Methods Using a nested case-control study design, incident pancreatic cancer cases and matched controls were identified from participants who provided blood at baseline in 3 prospective cohort studies. DNA methylation levels were measured in DNA extracted from leukocytes using the Illumina MethylationEPIC array. Average follow-up period for this analysis was 13 years. Results Several new genomic regions were identified as being differentially methylated in cases and controls; the 5 strongest associations were observed for CpGs located in genes TMEM204/IFT140, MFSD6L, FAM134B/RETREG1, KCNQ1D, and C6orf227. For some CpGs located in chromosome 16p13.3 (near genes TMEM204 and IFT140), associations were stronger with shorter time to diagnosis (eg, odds ratio [OR] = 5.95, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.52 to 23.12, for top vs bottom quartile, for <5 years between blood draw and cancer diagnosis), but associations remained statistically significantly higher even when cases were diagnosed over 10 years after blood collection. Statistically significant differences in DNA methylation levels were also observed in the gastric secretion pathway using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) analysis. Conclusions Changes in DNA methylation in peripheral blood may mark alterations in metabolic or immune pathways that play a role in pancreatic cancer. Identifying new biological pathways in carcinogenesis of pancreatic cancer using epigenome-wide association studies approach could provide new opportunities for improving treatment and prevention.
Impact of Temporal Artery Biopsy on Clinical Management of Suspected Giant Cell Arteritis

Background Temporal arteritis (TA) is a systemic inflammatory vasculitis of unclear etiology that affects medium-sized vessels. The gold standard for diagnosis has traditionally been histological, by temporal artery biopsy. Improved imaging modalities have been increasingly used to aid diagnosis and are recommended in the newest 2018 European (EULAR) guidelines. 1 We hypothesize that a negative TA biopsy result does not change management in patients for whom TA is strongly suspected and that duplex ultrasound can be successfully used as a screening tool. Methods This is a retrospective review of patients who underwent TA biopsy between May 1, 2012 and June 1, 2017. We reviewed patient's demographics, comorbidities, symptoms, histology, and treatment. We also present a small series of patients for whom ultrasound of the bilateral temporal arteries was performed. Radiology and pathology reports on these 7 patients were reviewed. Results A total of 264 patients underwent temporal artery biopsies over the study period. Histology was positive in 21 (8.0%) and negative in 243 (92%) patients. In 74 (41%) patients with negative biopsies on steroids preoperatively, steroids were continued despite negative biopsy result. In prospective series, 7 patients underwent duplex ultrasound evaluation before scheduling for biopsy. Biopsy followed ultrasound in 4 cases, and in all 4 cases, histology was congruent with ultrasound findings. Conclusions The yield of temporal artery biopsy is low, and a negative biopsy alone often does not lead to termination of steroid therapy. Ultrasound may present a viable diagnostic tool to reduce the number of unnecessary temporal artery biopsies performed.
How do electricity pricing programs impact the selection of energy efficiency measures? – A case study with U.S. Medium office buildings

Abstract Building owners usually select energy efficiency measures (EEMs) by referring to return on investment (ROI). Current studies tend to apply static energy price to estimate ROI. However, more and more buildings are adopting dynamic electricity pricing programs. To understand how electricity pricing programs impact the selection of EEMs, this paper presents an analysis of the ROIs of EEMs under different pricing programs using U.S. medium office buildings as an example. Eight EEMs in four typical cities are selected as case studies. Considering five electricity pricing programs scenarios (one static program and four dynamic programs), EEMs are selected based on their ROIs. The main findings are: (1) The ROIs of EEMs change under different pricing programs. (2) In Honolulu, Buffalo, and Denver, replacing interior fixtures with higher-efficiency fixtures has a significantly higher ROI than the rest EEMs under all five pricing programs. However, the ROI of this EEM in Honolulu ranges from 28% to 47% for different pricing programs. (3) Similarly, in Fairbanks, replace heating coil with higher-efficiency coil produce higher ROI than the rest under all five pricing programs. (4) For other EEMs, their ROI rankings vary according to electricity pricing programs.
Minority Populations: There Are More Than Meets the Eye

This precis contends that hitherto unnoticed minority populations, subject to an even more systemic and tenuous dynamic of domination, oppression, and privilege, have appeared in the wake of globalization. The precis suggests that critical psychology can advocate justice-focused policy making better across an even larger constituency if it integrates concern for class, gender, race, and other identity categories more constitutively. The precis reasons that the existing and evolving institutional infrastructure of the United Nations System can help offset iniquities provided the binarism of realpolitik does not undercut far-sighted vision. Referencing Prilleltensky (2012) in particular, the precis flags core concepts at the intersection of critical psychology and globalization.
Faster Lumbar Spine Bone Loss in Midlife Predicts Subsequent Fracture Independent of Starting Bone Mineral Density

Context Bone mineral density (BMD) decreases rapidly during the menopause transition (MT), and continues to decline in postmenopause. Objective To examine whether faster BMD loss during the combined MT and early postmenopause is associated with incident fracture, independent of starting BMD, before the MT. Design and setting The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN), a longitudinal cohort study. Patients or participants 451 women, initially pre- or early perimenopausal, and transitioned to postmenopause. Main outcome measures Time to first fracture after early postmenopause. Results In Cox proportional hazards regression, adjusted for age, body mass index, race/ethnicity, study site, use of vitamin D and calcium supplements, and use of bone--detrimental or beneficial medications, each SD decrement in lumbar spine (LS) BMD before the MT was associated with a 78% increment in fracture hazard (p=0.007). Each 1% per year faster decline in LS BMD was related to a 56% greater fracture hazard (p=0.04). Rate of LS BMD decline predicted future fracture, independent of starting BMD. Women with a starting LS BMD below the sample median, and a LS BMD decline rate faster than the sample median had a 2.7-fold greater fracture hazard (p=0.03). At the FN, neither starting BMD nor rate of BMD decline was associated with fracture. Conclusions At the LS, starting BMD before the MT and rate of decline during the combined MT and early postmenopause are independent risk factors for fracture. Women with below-median starting LS BMD and faster-than-median LS BMD decline have the greatest fracture risk.
Systematic review of the effectiveness of caregiver training with functional mobility tasks for informal caregivers assisting patients with neurological diagnoses.

PURPOSE To complete a systematic review to identify evidence of the effectiveness of informal caregiver training with functional mobility tasks for patients with neurological diagnoses routinely completed by physical therapists (PTs). METHODS Databases searched: PubMed, PEDro, CINAHL, Web of Science, Proquest Health and Medical, and Scopus. Authors included studies with adult patients requiring assistance with functional mobility due to a neurological diagnosis, with the care provided by informal caregivers. Authors excluded studies with paid caregivers, or patient diagnoses of human immunodeficiency virus, dementia, or cancer. Data extracted included type of study, methodological quality review (using Downs and Black scale), number of subjects, outcome measures, interventions, and main results. RESULTS Of 2372 total articles screened, 36 full-text articles were analyzed, with seven articles identified for inclusion in the review. All studies showed variability in number of subjects, methods, interventions, outcome measures, and results. Four of the studies showed positive results from the training of informal caregivers. CONCLUSIONS While there is initial evidence that training informal caregivers in physical mobility tasks may help to lessen caregiver burden, further investigation is warranted. The topics typically addressed by PTs with informal caregiver training, such as transfers and ambulation, have not been extensively studied in the literature.Implications for rehabilitationPhysical therapists routinely complete training for caregivers on functional mobility tasks, with some initial evidence of the effectiveness of this training.Training for informal caregivers assisting individuals with neurological conditions has the potential to reduce injuries and decrease caregiver burden.Rehabilitation professionals should implement effective training methods for caregivers, resulting in a safer home environment for individuals with neurological diagnoses.
Validation of a Large Custom-Designed Pharmacogenomics Panel on an Array Genotyping Platform.

BACKGROUND Pharmacogenomics has the potential to improve patient outcomes through predicting drug response. We designed and evaluated the analytical performance of a custom OpenArray® pharmacogenomics panel targeting 478 single-nucleotide variants (SNVs). METHODS Forty Coriell Institute cell line (CCL) DNA samples and DNA isolated from 28 whole-blood samples were used for accuracy evaluation. Genotyping calls were compared to at least 1 reference method: next-generation sequencing, Sequenom MassARRAY®, or Sanger sequencing. For precision evaluation, 23 CCL samples were analyzed 3 times and reproducibility of the assays was assessed. For sensitivity evaluation, 6 CCL samples and 5 whole-blood DNA samples were analyzed at DNA concentrations of 10 ng/µL and 50 ng/µL, and their reproducibility and genotyping call rates were compared. RESULTS For 443 variants, all samples assayed had concordant calls with at least 1 reference genotype and also demonstrated reproducibility. However, 6 of these 443 variants showed an unsatisfactory performance, such as low PCR amplification or insufficient separation of genotypes in scatter plots. Call rates were comparable between 50 ng/µL DNA (99.6%) and 10 ng/µL (99.2%). Use of 10 ng/µL DNA resulted in an incorrect call for a single sample for a single variant. Thus, as recommended by the manufacturer, 50 ng/µL is the preferred concentration for patient genotyping. CONCLUSIONS We evaluated a custom-designed pharmacogenomics panel and found that it reliably interrogated 437 variants. Clinically actionable results from selected variants on this panel are currently used in clinical studies employing pharmacogenomics for clinical decision-making.