cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PCR for Everything—Seeking Value in Speed: With faster and more comprehensive diagnostic tests becoming widely available, we need to think more carefully about whether they truly improve patient care

In the summer of 2013, a patient arrived in our emergency department with complaints of high fever and abdominal pain. She came to us straight from the airport following her return from a 3-month visit to India. Identified as septic, she was “pan-cultured,” meaning readily obtained fluids and substances were sent immediately to begin cultures. Due to concerns for bacterial gastroenteritis, she received ceftriaxone in the emergency department and ciprofloxacin after admission. Fevers continued and blood cultures yielded Escherichia coli, which was phenotypically resistant to most antibiotics, including ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin, but susceptible to “last-resort” carbapenems, which were then used to treat her.
Structural analysis of CGRP receptors on gastric smooth muscle and pancreatic acinar cells

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) immunoreactivity is widely distributed in the central nervous system and gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and specific receptors have been described on many GI tissues. In the present study, we compared CGRP receptors on gastric smooth muscle cells with those on pancreatic acini from guinea pig with the use of chemical cross-linking techniques combined with various enzymatic digestions. 125I-labeled rat CGRP-I demonstrated temperature-dependent saturable binding to both acinar and gastric smooth muscle cell membranes. After binding, membranes were incubated with 1 mM disuccinimidyl suberate (DSS), solubilized with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and subjected to SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Cross-linked radioactivity was analyzed by autoradiography. A single broad radioactive band [molecular weight (M(r)) 57,000] was seen on cell membranes from both tissues and after cross-linking to intact cells. These bands were not altered by addition of dithiothreitol. This radioactive band was not detected without DSS present or with addition of 10 microM rCGRP-I. rCGRP-I inhibited cross-linking with half-maximal inhibition of 32 nM with membranes from both tissues, and there was a close correlation between its ability to inhibit binding and to inhibit cross-linking. Cross-linking was not inhibited by non-CGRP related peptides. With membranes from both tissues, N-glycanase digestion increased the mobility of the original band. Neuraminidase digestion only slightly increased the mobility of the original band; however, the subsequent addition of O-glycanase showed no additional effect on both membranes. Endoglycosidase H digestion had no effect in either tissue. The present results demonstrate that on both tissues the cell membrane receptor for CGRP is an N-linked sialoglycoprotein. The apparent M(r) of this sialoglycoprotein is 57,000, and this polypeptide does not contain disulfide-linked subunits or O-linked carbohydrates.
Fatum und Idee Zu Kleists Erdbeben in Chili

Die Erzahlung vom Abgrund zwischen Ungluck und Deutung erschopft sich nicht mit der Blosstellung des Menschenbildes eines bigotten Staatskatholizismus des 17. Jahrhunderts, sondern setzt sich gleichzeitig mit zentralen Kategorien zeitgenossischer “idealistischer” Menschenbilder auseinander. Zahlreiche Motive der klassisch-romantischen Literatur werden vom konservativen Erzahler zitiert, jedoch nur um auf einer ubergeordneten Erzahlebene, nicht zuletzt aus einem asthetischen Widerstand heraus, ironisiert oder trivialisiert zu werden.
Fractional changes in elemental mass (Ω) and relative variation curves: Unravelling elemental mass redistribution patterns within the regolith

Abstract Within the arid climate of southern California, USA, we uncovered through trenching a granodioritic-tonalitic corestone, a partially encircling fractured rind, and an overlying Ah2 horizon composed of sandy soil. Using the geometric mean of chemical data derived from an adjacent erosionally exhumed corestone as a proxy for unweathered bedrock, the compositional linear trend derived from weathering was calculated. Average weathering intensities ( t -values) and 95% confidence intervals are as follows: uncovered corestone = 0.56 (± 0.13), inner fractured rind = 0.93 (± 0.08), outer fractured rind = 1.5 (± 0.05), and Ah2 = 1.7 (± 0.09). Ti was used as a reference frame for calculating Ω, the modeled fractional change in a given elements mass. Resulting relative variation curves plotted on 10 bivariate graphs, where the x-axis represents t -values and the y-axis is Ω, show that with the exception of P 2 O 5 , samples from each of the above textural groups, cluster and plot closely about the 10 relative variation curves. The clustering and ordering of samples analyzed from the uncovered corestone, inner rind, outer rind, and Ah2 horizon about the relative variation curves suggests that weathering of the section of regolith uncovered by trenching occurred in an orderly and sequential manner as the result of increasing pH and decreasing surface area for fluid/rock reactions. Mass balance calculations are consistent with the modeled relative variation curves, and the weathering of plagioclase to smectite and kaolinite, and biotite and chlorite to vermiculite.
Origin and Phylogeny of Microbes Living in Permanent Antarctic Lake Ice.

The phylogenetic diversity of bacteria and cyanobacteria colonizing sediment particles in the permanent ice cover of an Antarctic lake was characterized by analyses of 16S rRNA genes amplified from environmental DNA. Samples of mineral particles were collected from a depth of 2.5 m in the 4-m-thick ice cover of Lake Bonney, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. A rRNA gene clone library of 198 clones was made and characterized by sequencing and oligonucleotide probe hybridization. The library was dominated by representatives of the cyanobacteria, proteobacteria, and Planctomycetales, but also contained diverse clones representing many other microbial groups, including the Acidobacterium/Holophaga division, the Green Non-Sulfur division, and the Actinobacteria. Six oligonucleotide probes were made for the most abundant clades recovered in the library. To determine whether the ice microbial community might originate from wind dispersal of the algal mats found elsewhere in Taylor Valley, the probes were hybridized to 16S rDNAs amplified from three samples of terrestrial cyanobacterial mats collected at nearby sites, as well as to bacterial 16S rDNAs from the lake ice community. The results demonstrate the presence of a diverse microbial community dominated by cyanobacteria in the lake ice, and also show that the dominant members of the lake ice microbial community are found in terrestrial mats elsewhere in the area. The lake ice microbial community appears to be dominated by organisms that are not uniquely adapted to the lake ice ecosystem, but instead are species that originate elsewhere in the surrounding region and opportunistically colonize the unusual habitat provided by the sediments suspended in lake ice.
Transfusion Support: Indications, Efficacy, and Complications

Transfusion medicine is an increasingly important cross-disciplinary field that pertains to clinical hematology and diagnostic pathology, as well as to surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine, pediatrics, and emergency medicine.
Understanding Close Relationships: An Attributional Perspective

Social psychologists became concerned with the study of cognition shortly after the first social psychological experiment conducted by Triplett in 1897 and this cognitive emphasis was reaffirmed and expanded in the founding of modern social psychology (cf. Lewin, 1951; Heider, 1958). Although the interest in cognition has remained constant, the dominant conceptual framework has changed regularly. For example, attribution theory replaced cognitive dissonance theory in the late 1960s and it is apparent that the information processing approach has now replaced attribution theory as the guiding theoretical framework in social psychology. Such changes are natural and healthy developments. However, in their enthusiasm to embrace new conceptual frameworks, social psychologists tend to overlook the untapped potential of the conceptual framework that is replaces. This is certainly the case for attribution theory, a theoretical framework that is still proving fruitful in the study of close relationships, particularly marriage.
Development of a novel algorithm to determine adherence to chronic pain treatment guidelines using administrative claims

Objective To develop a claims-based algorithm for identifying patients who are adherent versus nonadherent to published guidelines for chronic pain management. Methods Using medical and pharmacy health care claims from the MarketScan® Commercial and Medicare Supplemental Databases, patients were selected during July 1, 2010, to June 30, 2012, with the following chronic pain conditions: osteoarthritis (OA), gout (GT), painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (pDPN), post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), and fibromyalgia (FM). Patients newly diagnosed with 12 months of continuous medical and pharmacy benefits both before and after initial diagnosis (index date) were categorized as adherent, nonadherent, or unsure according to the guidelines-based algorithm using disease-specific pain medication classes grouped as first-line, later-line, or not recommended. Descriptive and multivariate analyses compared patient outcomes with algorithm-derived categorization endpoints. Results A total of 441,465 OA patients, 76,361 GT patients, 10,645 pDPN, 4,010 PHN patients, and 150,321 FM patients were included in the development of the algorithm. Patients found adherent to guidelines included 51.1% for OA, 25% for GT, 59.5% for pDPN, 54.9% for PHN, and 33.5% for FM. The majority (~90%) of patients adherent to the guidelines initiated therapy with prescriptions for first-line pain medications written for a minimum of 30 days. Patients found nonadherent to guidelines included 30.7% for OA, 6.8% for GT, 34.9% for pDPN, 23.1% for PHN, and 34.7% for FM. Conclusion This novel algorithm used real-world pharmacotherapy treatment patterns to evaluate adherence to pain management guidelines in five chronic pain conditions. Findings suggest that one-third to one-half of patients are managed according to guidelines. This method may have valuable applications for health care payers and providers analyzing treatment guideline adherence.
Pterins and Related Enzymes

Tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) cofactor is essential for various enzyme activities, including phenylalanine-4-hydroxylase, tyrosine-3-hydroxylase, tryptophan-5-hydroxylase, nitric oxide synthase, and glyceryl-ether monooxygenase. Measuring of pterins in different biological fluids is the most common method for screening and diagnosis of inborn errors of BH4 metabolism. In addition, neopterin is widely used as a marker of T helper cell 1 derived cellular immune activation. BH4 deficiency can be caused by mutations in genes encoding the enzymes involved in its biosynthesis or regeneration. BH4 deficiency due to autosomal recessive mutations in BH4-metabolizing enzymes (except SR) has been described as a cause of hyperphenylalaninemia. Screening for a BH4 deficiency should be done in all newborns with high plasma phenylalanine levels. The following tests are recommended: 1) analysis of pterins in urine, 2) measurement of DHPR activity in blood from Guthrie card. Analysis of neopterin, biopterin, 5-methyl-tetrahydrofolic acid, and the neurotransmitter metabolites, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid and homovanillic acid, enables differentiation between severe and mild forms of BH4 deficiencies. All enzyme defects can be confirmed by enzyme activity measurement in different cells or tissue.
The Case of Colonial New Jersey’s Paper Money: The Redemption Theory's Resurrection or Its Death Rattle

Farley Grubb has recently published a series of papers addressing the monetary and financial history of colonial New Jersey. These papers purport that the best way to explain the value of colonial currencies in general, and New Jersey’s colonial currency in particular, is to consider them discount bonds. Grubb’s work revises and restates the redemption theory championed by other economists before him. This paper argues that there is no historical, theoretical, or empirical basis for the claim and that Grubb’s work highlights the inescapable shortcomings of redemption theories.
“Epimemetic” Landscape Relationship of Organizational Culture, Performance, and Compliance Versus Engagement

Understanding the components of organizational performance in general and organizational performance in the healthcare arena in particular has been a critical yet elusive task. We believe that important insights can be gained from prior work on a seemingly universal role of scaling in which an underlying attribute is transformed according to a power law process. In biologic organisms, that attribute is body mass. In cities it is population. We have constructed an agent-based model that uses organizational knowledge as the underlying attribute that is transformed through a complex function comprised of organizational culture (the pattern and capacity for adaptation based upon shared history, values, purpose, and future). This model, though imperfect, fits what has been found in real-world empiric investigation and demonstrates both the positive effects of engagement and negative responses to forced compliance.
Crossing the Streams: Fuzz testing with user input

Testing is an integral part of all software systems. In human/machine teaming systems, user inputs must be included in testing. For interactive streaming analytic systems, the user inputs must be contextualized in the dynamic data environment. We introduce a test harness for handling interacting human and machine data streams within interactive streaming analytic systems. We define the four key processes that comprise the test harness: Clock, Journal, Replay, and Database. We define a working library of replay patterns, which are modified human input streams. These can be leveraged to characterize the system behaviors and performance. Implications and applications of the test harness for test and evaluation of human/machine systems are identified. Test harness introduces a modeling and simulation approach for broader test and evaluation of human/machine systems to bootstrap costly user studies in support of validation and verification efforts.
Membership Satisfaction and Decision Making in Six Member and Twelve Member Simulated Juries

An experimental study of student simulated juries of six members and twelve members failed to discover any significant differences between the two sizes of juries in terms of satisfaction with (a) ...
Abstract 18338: Genomics-metabolomics Integrative Approach Reveals Novel Biomarkers In DPYS Associated With Higher Glucose Change After Treatment With Atenolol

Introduction: β-blockers, including atenolol, are among the most widely prescribed antihypertensive drug classes. However, their use has been associated with hyperglycemia and incident diabetes, which poses concern for prescribers and patients. The Pharmacogenomic Evaluation of Antihypertensive Responses (PEAR) study is a multicenter clinical trial with one of its objectives to identify genetic influences on adverse metabolic events in patients treated with atenolol. Here we report a genomics-metabolomics integrative approach to identify biomarkers associated with atenolol-induced glucose change. Methods: PEAR participants were genotyped using the Illumina Omni 1M-Quad Chip. Metabolite profiles were acquired through GC-TOF-MS. Association between baseline levels of metabolites and glucose change was conducted using a multivariate linear regression model adjusted for age, gender and baseline fasting glucose. Genomics-metabolomics integration included selecting SNPs within genes involved in the synthesis and degradation of top metabolites and testing their effect on glucose change in 234 atenolol-treated Caucasians in PEAR, adjusting for age, gender, baseline glucose and principal components 1 and 2. A false discovery rate (FDR) of .05 was used to adjust for multiple comparisons. Replication of significant SNPs was conducted in an additional 228 participants treated with atenolol in PEAR. Results: Metabolomics analysis revealed 3 metabolites associated with glucose change that passed FDR adjustment. The top metabolite signal was beta-alanine. Increasing levels of baseline beta-alanine was significantly correlated with greater glucose increases after atenolol treatment (p=.0003). A total of 79 SNPs in 12 genes in the beta-alanine pathway were explored. SNP rs2669429 in DPYS was significantly associated with glucose change, after FDR adjustment. We found that G allele carriers had significantly greater glucose change compared with non-carriers (p=.0006; β=+2.76 mg/dL). This finding was successfully replicated in the other 228 patients who received atenolol (p=.04; β=+1.86 mg/dL). Conclusions: These results suggest that beta alanine and DPYS rs2669429 SNP might be an important predictor of atenolol-induced dysglycemia.
Mendelssohn Versus Herder on the Vocation of Man

Undoubtedly, one of the most interesting philosophical exchanges of Mendelssohn’s entire career was his brief correspondence with Johann Gottfried Herder in 1769.
Boson Physics and Vortex Pinning Via Splayed Columnar Defects in Superconductors

Concepts from many particle nonrelativistic quantum mechanics can be used to understand vortex line fluctuations in high-temperature superconductors. Flux lines are essentially classical objects, described by a string tension, their mutual repulsion, and interactions with pinning centers. The classical partition function, however, is isomorphic to the imaginary time path integral description of boson quantum mechanics. Recent double-sided decoration experiments in BSCCO compounds in a frozen flux liquid state have now revealed the “phonon-roton” spectrum which describes the decay of density fluctuations along the field direction. Parallel columnar pins lead to a low temperature “Bose glass” phase. Controlled splay of artificial columnar defects in cuprate superconductors can enhance transport properties in a field compared to parallel columns. The theory predicts a new “splayed glass” characterized by a greatly reduced flux creep and an entangled ground state similar to dislocation tangles in a work hardened metal. Recent experiments suggest that controlled splay leads to significant improvements in critical currents.
Obesity takes center stage.

Introduction to the April 2010 Virtual Mentor issue on the topic of obesity. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Statistical Mechanics of Lattice Boson Field Theory

A lattice approximation to Euclidean, Boson quantum field theory is expressed in terms of the thermodynamic properties of a classical statistical mechanical system near its critical point in a sufficiently general way to permit the inclusion of an anomalous dimension of the vacuum. Using the thermodynamic properties of the Ising model, one can begin to construct non-trivial (containing scattering) field theories in 2, 3 and 4 dimensions. It is argued that, depending on the choice of the bare coupling constant, there are three types of behavior to be expected (i) the perturbation theory region, (ii) the renormalization group fixed point region, and (iii) the Ising model region.
Fast and slow light

Experimental demonstrations of superluminal as well as highly subluminal group velocities have rekindled interest in an old subject and might also lead to useful applications. Some basic physical considerations relating to these developments are revisited.
Striving and Dreaming: A Grounded Theory of the Transition to Adulthood for Cross-Systems Youth:

The transition to adulthood is an underresearched topic for cross-systems youth, defined as young people who have experienced homelessness, child welfare system involvement, and educational challenges. This qualitative study explored processes of resilience in the transition to adulthood for cross-systems youth aged 18 to 24 (n = 20). Analysis of in-depth interviews using a grounded theory open coding process revealed two thematic concepts, striving and dreaming. As illustrated in two case studies, striving was characterized by participants having specific educational and career goals and making strategic choices about programs and resources. In contrast, the dreaming concept indicated participants having little understanding of the steps and resources needed to achieve their goals. Implications for practice include the importance of helping cross-systems youth maintain supportive relationships with families of origin and peers to enhance striving, and the use of motivational interviewing to assist emergi...
Influence of Magnitude and Duration of Altered Gravity and Readaptation to 1 g on the Structure and Function of the Utricle in Toadfish, Opsanus tau .

Gravity has remained constant during animal evolution and the neural sensory systems detecting acceleration forces have remained remarkably conserved among vertebrates. The utricular organ senses the sum of inertial force due to head translation and head tilt relative to gravitational vertical. Change in gravitational force would be expected to have profound effects on how an organism maintains equilibrium. We characterize the physiology of utricular afferents to applied accelerations in the oyster toadfish, Opsanus tau, in normal 1 g to establish benchmarks, after 1-32-day exposures to 2.24 g (resultant) via centrifugation (hypergravity, HG), after 4- and 16-day exposures to 1.12 g (resultant), and following 1-8 days recovery to HG exposures to study re-adaptation to 1 g. Afferents were also examined during activation of efferent vestibular pathway. Centrifugation at 2.24 g included 228°/s constant angular velocity component, and thus horizontal canal afferent responses to yaw rotation were recorded as an internal control in each fish. Afferents studied after 228°/s rotation for 4 and 16 days without centripetal acceleration, called On-Center-Control, were indistinguishable from their control counterparts. Principal response to HG was an adjustment of afferent sensitivity as a function of magnitude and duration of exposure: an initial robust increase at 3-4 days followed by a significant decrease from 16 to 32 days. Initial increase observed after 4 days of HG took >4 days in 1 g to recover, and the decrease observed after 16 days of HG took >2 days to readapt to 1 g. Hair cells in striola and medial extrastriola macula regions were serially reconstructed in 3D from thin sections using transmission electron microscopy in control fish and fish exposed to 4 and 16 days of HG. Despite the highly significant differences in afferent physiology, synaptic body counts quantified in the same fish were equivalent in their inter-animal variability and averages. No clear role of the efferent pathway as a feedback mechanism regulating afferent behavior to HG was found. Transfer from 1 g to HG imparts profound effects on gravitational sensitivity of utricular afferents and the accompanying transfer from the HG back to the 1 g resembles in part (as an analog) the transfer from 1 g to the micrograms.
Inter-relationships among physical dimensions, distal–proximal rank orders, and basal GCaMP fluorescence levels in Ca2+ imaging of functionally distinct synaptic boutons at Drosophila neuromuscular junctions

GCaMP imaging is widely employed for investigating neuronal Ca2+ dynamics. The Drosophila larval neuromuscular junction (NMJ) consists of three distinct types of motor terminals (type Ib, Is and II...
A comparative study of pomegranate Sb@C yolk–shell microspheres as Li and Na-ion battery anodes

Alloy-based nanostructure anodes have the privilege of alleviating the challenges of large volume expansion and improving the cycling stability and rate performance for high energy lithium- and sodium-ion batteries (LIBs and SIBs). Yet, they face the dilemma of worsening the parasitic reactions at the electrode–electrolyte interface and low packing density for the fabrication of practical electrodes. Here, pomegranate Sb@C yolk–shell microspheres were developed as a high-performance anode for LIBs and SIBs with controlled interfacial properties and enhanced packing density. Although the same yolk–shell nanostructure (primary particle size, porosity) and three-dimensional architecture alleviated the volume change induced stress and swelling in both batteries, the SIBs show 99% capacity retention over 200 cycles, much better than the 78% capacity retention of the LIBs. The comparative electrochemical study and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy characterization revealed that the different SEIs, besides the distinct phase transition mechanism, played a critical role in the divergent cycling performance.
Robust Phase Offset Estimation for IEEE 1588 PTP in Electrical Grid Networks

This paper addresses the problem of robust clock phase offset estimation for the IEEE 1588 precision time protocol in the presence of unknown asymmetric path delays in electrical grid networks. Assuming the availability of multiple master-slave communication paths, new lower bounds on the mean square estimation error for this problem were recently derived by the authors. In this paper, we present a novel phase offset estimation scheme that uses robust M-estimators for identifying the asymmetric master-slave communication paths. After discarding observations from the paths identified as asymmetric, we employ the computationally efficient L-estimators, which are linear combinations of order statistics, to estimate the phase offset from the symmetric master-slave communication paths. Simulation results show that the proposed phase offset estimation scheme exhibits performance close to the lower bounds in different network scenarios.
Technology Meets Opportunity: High-Sensitivity Troponin Testing for Screening Apparently Healthy Adults

Featured Article. de Lemos JA, Drazner MH, Omland T, Ayers CR, Khera A, Rohatgi A, et al. Association of troponin T detected using a highly sensitive assay with cardiac structure and mortality risk in the general population. JAMA 2010;304:2503–12.2 I moved from the Brigham and Women's Hospital to UT Southwestern in 2000, with an interest in the role of neurohormones and inflammatory biomarkers for cardiovascular disease risk assessment. Our fledgling research team engaged in a collaboration with Roche Diagnostics to perform measurements of N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in our Dallas Heart Study (DHS)3 population-based cohort. Because we would have additional sample left, we added measurement of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) using Roche's standard 4th generation assay, almost as an afterthought. At that time, there was little interest in measuring troponin outside the hospital setting by clinicians or researchers. In 2006, we reported our findings from the DHS (1). As expected, cTnT was rarely detectable in the general population (<1% of participants). However, we observed a clearly adverse phenotype among the small subset with detectable concentrations, characterized by diabetes, renal dysfunction, and abnormal …
Applying Product Manufacturing Techniques to Teach Data Analytics in Industrial Engineering: A Project Based Learning Experience

The amount of data generated from industrial processes has dramatically increased in recent times. As a result, data analytics skill has become an essential requirement for industrial engineering jobs. To meet this requirement, universities and colleges are beginning to integrate data analytics into industrial engineering curriculum. However, teaching and learning data analytics to industrial engineering students is by no means an easy task, since both programs have diverging focus. Industrial engineering focuses on process and systems optimization while data analytics focus on the application of information technology and mathematical models to visualize and extract useful information from raw data. To support teaching and learning of data analytics to industrial engineering students, this innovative practice full paper reports a pedagogical method that extrapolates product manufacturing processes to teaching and learning data analytics. We selected product manufacturing because it is a core course in the industrial engineering curriculum. The proposed pedagogical method is developed by first analyzing and comparing product manufacturing processes and data analytics techniques. Afterwards, we used the result of this analogy to develop a teaching and learning method for data analytics. For implementation and validation purposes, we adopt a project-based learning approach where students used our methodology to complete real-world data analytics projects. Data from students’ grades shows that this approach improved their performance.
“I Liked Girls and I Thought They Were Pretty”: Initial Memories of Same-Sex Attraction in Young Lesbian and Bisexual Women

There is little research on what is meant by the concept of “feeling attracted” and even less about what same-sex attraction looks and feels like for individuals. Without insight into the phenomenon of same-sex attraction, researchers risk misunderstanding the role of sexual attraction in sexual identity development and risk mis-categorizing individuals in research designs that compare LGBTQ and heterosexual samples. The current study draws from semi-structured interviews (n = 30) with young lesbian-, bisexual-, and queer-identified women (ages 18–24) about their initial memories of same-sex attraction. Two questions were pursued using qualitative analytic strategies. We examined the age that participants remembered first experiencing same-sex attraction using content analysis. Two age groups emerged as distinct: those with experiences of same-sex attraction in childhood and those with initial attractions in later adolescence. We also examined key elements in participants’ descriptions of early same-sex attraction using thematic analysis. The role of embodied feelings, relationships with other young women, and social environments including media images emerged as central to initial experiences of attraction. Findings highlight how early experiences of same-sex attraction produced different types of interpretations within individuals and, in turn, these interpretations informed how participants did or did not take up LGBTQ identity labels. These findings may help guide the development of more refined measurement tools for researchers hoping to sample sexual minorities and can contribute to developing more effective supports for individuals who experience same-sex attraction but may not adopt LGBTQ identity labels and, as a result, are routinely missed in outreach efforts.
What does Vibration do to Your SSD

Vibration generated in modern computing environments such as autonomous vehicles, edge computing infrastructure, and data center systems is an increasing concern. In this paper, we systematically measure, quantify and characterize the impact of vibration on the performance of SSD devices. Our experiments and analysis uncover that exposure to both short-term and long-term vibration, even within the vendor-specified limits, can significantly affect SSD I/O performance and reliability.
Trade Integration and Growth : Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa

This paper examines the growth effects of different dimensions of international trade integration -- notably, volume, diversification, and natural resource dependence -- in Sub-Saharan Africa. First, the paper documents the recent trends in these foreign trade dimensions for the region and the traditional sources of growth. Second, it empirically estimates the impact of trade integration on growth per worker and the sources of growth; that is, growth of capital per worker and total factor productivity growth. To accomplish this task, the analysis uses a sample of non-overlapping five-year period observations for 173 countries from 1975 to 2014. The econometric evidence shows that increased trade openness, greater export production diversification, and reduced export dependence from natural resources will have a positive causal impact on economic growth. These effects will be mainly transmitted through faster capital accumulation or enhanced total factor productivity growth. Finally, the paper finds that, despite the progress exhibited in trade openness and diversification over the past decade, there are still potential benefits that can be accrued if countries were to deepen their integration to world trade.
Comb and Bottlebrush Graft Copolymers in a Melt

We have studied properties of comb-like and bottlebrush-like graft copolymers made of chemically different backbones and side chains in a melt. A diagram of states for this class of copolymers was calculated in terms of architectural parameters (degree of polymerization of the side chains, nsc, and the number of backbone bonds between grafting points of side chains, ng) and structural parameters (backbone and side-chain monomer projection lengths, excluded volumes, and Kuhn lengths). We apply the concept of the crowding parameter, Φ, describing overlap between neighboring macromolecules for classification of graft copolymers into combs and bottlebrushes. In this classification, the sparsely grafted side chains of comb-like macromolecules allow interpenetration of both side chains and backbones belonging to neighboring macromolecules (Φ < 1). However, in the case of bottlebrush-like macromolecules, the densely grafted side chains preclude molecular interpenetration because of steric repulsion, resulting in...
Basic Chemical Concepts and Tables

Written as a quick reference to the many different concepts and ideas encountered in chemistry, Basic Chemical Concepts and Tables presents important subjects in a concise format that makes it a practical resource for any reader. The author covers multiple subjects including general chemistry, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, and spectral analysis. Separate chapters offer physical constants and unit measurements commonly encountered and mathematical concepts needed when reviewing or working with basic chemistry concepts. Other features include: Tables that are useful as for the interpretation of ultra-violet (UV), infra-red (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectroscopy (MS) spectra. Physical constants and unit measurements that are commonly encountered throughout the application of chemistry. Sections devoted to the concept of isomers and polymer structures. Graduate and undergraduate chemistry students, professionals, or instructors looking to refresh their understanding of a chemistry topic will find this ready reference indispensable in their daily work. Written as a quick reference to the many different concepts and ideas encountered in chemistry, Basic Chemical Concepts and Tables presents important subjects in a concise format that makes it a practical resource for any reader. The author covers multiple subjects including general chemistry, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, and spectral analysis. Separate chapters offer physical constants and unit measurements commonly encountered and mathematical concepts needed when reviewing or working with basic chemistry concepts. Other features include: Tables that are useful as for the interpretation of ultra-violet (UV), infra-red (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectroscopy (MS) spectra. Physical constants and unit measurements that are commonly encountered throughout the application of chemistry. Sections devoted to the concept of isomers and polymer structures. Graduate and undergraduate chemistry students, professionals, or instructors looking to refresh their understanding of a chemistry topic will find this ready reference indispensable in their daily work.
Direct Retrograde Bypass is Preferable to Antegrade Bypass for Open Mesenteric Revascularization.

Background Mesenteric bypass grafts can be constructed either antegrade or retrograde. There is debate regarding which is the optimal approach. We have modified the technique for retrograde mesenteric revascularization using a direct open retrograde revascularization (DORR) technique. This report is a retrospective single-institution study that describes the DORR technique and compares it with antegrade mesenteric bypass. Methods The medical records of patients undergoing open mesenteric bypass between January 2001 and December 2017 for mesenteric ischemia were reviewed. Patients who underwent mesenteric thromboembolectomy, retrograde stenting, or bypass for aneurysmal disease were excluded. Patient demographics, operative details, and follow-up data were recorded. Antegrade bypasses were constructed using a polyester, collagen-coated, knitted, (Maquet, Getinge Group)- bifurcated graft. The supraceliac aorta was exposed, and the Dacron graft limbs were tunneled to the celiac and/or superior mesenteric artery (SMA). The DORR was constructed by anastomosing a vein graft to an iliac artery. The vein was tunneled through the base of the small bowel mesentery to create a direct course to the SMA. When revascularization to both the SMA and celiac vessels was indicated, the vein was anastomosed to the SMA in a side-to-side fashion with the distal vein tunneled through the mesocolon and anastomosed in a end-to-side fashion to the hepatic artery. Statistical analysis was done using Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, Fisher's exact test, and log-rank test with a P ≤ 0.05 considered significant. Results Forty-one patients underwent open mesenteric bypass: 16 antegrade and 25 retrograde. Patient age, gender, and body mass index were similar. Indication for operation was acute ischemia in a greater portion of patients undergoing retrograde bypass (P = 0.025). For antegrade bypasses, Dacron was used in 15 and saphenous vein in 1. The DORR bypass originated from an iliac artery (21), limb of an aortofemoral graft (2), or infrarenal aorta (2). All DORR were constructed using veins (19 femoral veins and 6 greater saphenous veins). In DORR configurations, the bypass was created to only the SMA in 23 cases (92%). By comparison, in antegrade bypasses, the bypass was constructed to both the SMA and celiac arteries in all but 1 case (P Conclusions Direct tunneling of the graft under the mesentery with the DORR technique avoids concern for kinking and has shorter operative time despite the need for vein harvest. No differences were noted in long-term survival between patient groups. The use of a venous conduit makes DORR adaptable for both chronic and acute mesenteric ischemia. These factors have resulted in the DORR technique to be our preferred method for open mesenteric revascularization.
Time Series Adjustment Enhancement of Hierarchical Modeling of Arabidopsis Thaliana Gene Interactions

Network models of gene interactions, using time course gene transcript abundance data, are computationally created using a genetic algorithm designed to incorporate hierarchical Bayesian methods with time series adjustments. The posterior probabilities of interaction between pairs of genes are based on likelihoods of directed acyclic graphs. This algorithm is applied to transcript abundance data collected from Arabidopsis thaliana genes. This study extends the underlying statistical and mathematical theory of the Norris-Patton likelihood by including time series adjustments.
Assessing the effectiveness of vehicle emission regulations on improving perinatal health: a population-based accountability study.

BACKGROUND Since the 1990s, extensive regulations to reduce traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) have been implemented, yet the effectiveness of these regulations has not been assessed with respect to improving infant health. In this study, we evaluate how infant health risks associated with maternal residences near highways during pregnancy have changed over time. METHODS We created a population-based retrospective birth cohort with geocoded residential addresses in Texan metropolitan areas from 1996 through 2009 (n = 2 259 411). We compared term birthweight (37-42 weeks of gestation) among maternal residences <300 m from a highway (high TRAP exposure) (n = 394 346) and 500-3500 m from a highway (comparison group) (n = 1 865 065). We implemented linear regressions to evaluate interactions between high TRAP exposure and birth year, adjusting for demographics, socioeconomic status and neighbourhood context. In addition, we used propensity score matching to further reduce residual confounding. RESULTS From 1996 to 2009, outdoor NO2 decreased by 51.3%, based on regulatory monitoring data in Texas. Among pregnant women who resided in the high TRAP zone during pregnancy, interaction terms between residential location and birth year show that birthweight increased by 1.1 g [95% confidence interval CI): 0.7, 1.5) in unadjusted models and 0.3 g (95% CI: 0.0, 0.6) in matched models. Time-stratified models also show decreasing impacts of living in high TRAP areas on birthweight when comparing infants born in 1996-97 with 2008-09. Sensitivity analyses with alternative exposure and control groups show consistent results. CONCLUSIONS Infant health risks associated with maternal residence near highways have reduced over time, paralleling regulatory measures to improve exhaust pipe emissions.
Metabolic Symbiosis Facilitates Species Coexistence and Generates Light-Dependent Priority Effects

Metabolic symbiosis is a form of symbiosis in which organisms exchange metabolites, typically for mutual benefit. For example, acquired phototrophs like Paramecium bursaria obtain photosynthate from endosymbiotic green algae called Chlorella. In addition to facilitating the persistence of P. bursaria by providing a carbon source that supplements P. bursaria’s heterotrophic digestion of bacteria, symbiotic Chlorella may impact competitive interactions between P. bursaria and other bacterivores, with cascading effects on community composition and overall diversity. Here, we tested the effects of metabolic symbiosis on coexistence by assessing the impacts of acquired phototrophy on priority effects, or the effect of species arrival order on species interactions, between P. bursaria and its competitor Colpidium. Our results suggest light-dependent priority effects. The acquired phototroph benefited from metabolic symbiosis during sequential arrival of each organism in competition, and led to increased growth of late-arriving Colpidium. Our findings suggest that understanding the consequences of priority effects for species coexistence requires consideration of metabolic symbiosis.
Wildness without Naturalness

Some fear the Anthropocene heralds the end of nature, while others argue that nature will persist throughout the Anthropocene. Still others worry that acknowledging the Anthropocene grants humanity...
Characterizing Maternal Apology Attitudes and Behaviors

Parenting is a stressful and difficult endeavor, and even the most skillful parents are apt to make mistakes that warrant an apology to their child. However, little is known regarding parents’ overall willingness to apologize to their child or the content of parental apologies when provided. Informed by research on apology outside the parenting context, the current exploratory study aimed to characterize maternal apology attitudes and behavior. A sample of mothers (N = 186) was recruited from the community, and they self-reported their proclivity to apologize to their child, as well as their proclivity to apologize generally. Mothers were also asked to model a skillful parental apology through an open-ended text response to a vignette, and these responses were coded for the presence of effective apology components. Mothers reported a high proclivity to apologize to their child, and this was associated with their willingness to apologize generally. However, the majority of mothers’ written apologies included few of the elements recommended for effective apologies. Similar to other literature on apology, this finding suggests that although mothers may be willing to apologize when needed, knowing and implementing an effective apology is challenging.
Pushback: The Growth of Expressions of Resistance to Constant Online Connectivity

As a result of the increasing connectivity provided by smartphones, wireless Internet availability, and portable devices such as laptops and tablets, technology users can and often are continuously connected to the Internet and its communication services. However, many technology users who first embraced constant connectivity are now pushing back, looking for ways to resist the constant call to be permanently connected. This pushback behavior is starting to appear in the popular press, in personal blogs, and in a small number of academic studies. “Pushback” is a growing phenomenon among frequent technology users seeking to establish boundaries, resist information overload, and establish greater personal life balance. This study examines a growing body of both academic and non-academic literature in which we identified five primary motivations and five primary behaviors related to pushback by communication technology users. Primary pushback motivations include emotional dissatisfaction, external values, taking control, addiction, and privacy. Primary pushback behaviors are behavior adaptation, social agreement, no problem, tech control, and back to the woods. The implications of these motivations and behaviors surrounding pushback to communication technology are discussed.
Colostomy closure promotes cell proliferation and dimethylhydrazine-induced carcinogenesis in rat distal colon

The influence of adaptive cell proliferation on colonic carcinogenesis was studied in male Fischer rats with a defunctioning transverse colostomy that was closed 4 wk later. Control observations were made in other rats after colonic transection, repeated at 4 wk, after laparotomy alone, or after permanent colostomy. Tumors were induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (total dose, 300 mg/kg) over 11 wk, starting 2 days after the second operation. After creation of the colostomy, amounts of protein, RNA, and DNA in the distal colon halved in 4 wk (p less than 0.001), but returned to normal 7 days after restoration of colonic continuity. This reactive hyperplasia promoted the development of distal colonic carcinomas, as compared with rats having repeated transection of the bowel (incidence 32% vs. 6%; p less than 0.03). Although the amounts of protein and nucleic acid in the proximal colon were unchanged by transverse colostomy, values increased by 18%-59% 4 wk after colostomy closure (p = 0.05-0.002); nonetheless, the yield of tumors in this segment was unaltered. Suture-line cancers were commoner after repeat transection than after colostomy closure (76% vs. 39%; p less than 0.01). These data confirm the promotional effect of increased cell proliferation on intestinal carcinogenesis.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for primary cutaneous γδ T-cell lymphoma and refractory subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma.

Background The panniculitic T-cell lymphomas (TCLs) comprise 2 distinct entities, αβ subcutaneous panniculitis-like TCL (SPTCL) and the γδ cutaneous TCLs with pannicular involvement primary cutaneous γδ (PCGD)-TCL. Although outcomes for most patients with SPTCL are favorable, those with PCGD-TCLs generally have an inferior outcome, and treatment strategies have not been well defined. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has been shown to be a potentially curative strategy in aggressive TCLs and in refractory and advanced-stage mycosis fungoides. Objective We sought to analyze the outcomes of HSCT for panniculitic cutaneous TCL. Results Fourteen patients (4 SPTCL, 10 PCGD-TCL) presented with primarily pannicular T-cell infiltrates. Seven patients underwent allogeneic HSCT from matched-related donors and matched-unrelated donors of which 4 (57%) are alive (1 SPTCL, 3 PCGD-TCL) at 7.8, 6.9, 6.2, and 0.25 years. Two patients underwent autologous HSCT (1 SPTCL, 1 PCGD-TCL) and both are alive at a median follow-up of 1.91 years. Limitations This study is limited by its retrospective nature and small sample size because of the rarity of SPTCL and PCGD-TCL. Conclusion Aggressive therapy followed by allogeneic HSCT is a promising treatment modality for patients with PCGD-TCL.