cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Culture of bovine mammary epithelial cells in D-valine modified medium: Selective removal of contaminating fibroblasts

Bovine mammary epithelial cells were cultured in nutrient medium containing D-valine substituted for L-valine in an attempt to control fibroblast overgrowth. Contamination of epithelial cell cultures with fibroblasts was prevented in cultures maintained in D-valine but not in control cultures containing L-valine. Microscopic examination of cells cultured in the D-valine medium demonstrated similar morphology as controls after 27 days in culture. Concentration of alpha-lactalbumin in the D-valine medium was similar to levels found in control medium. Results suggest D-valine modified medium controls fibroblast overgrowth of cell cultures, but doesn't impair epithelial cell morphology or function.
Minimal Markov chain embeddings of pattern problems

The Markov chain embedding technique is commonly used to study the distribution of statistics associated with regular patterns (i.e. set of strings described by a regular expression) in random strings. In this extended abstract, we formalize the concept Markov chain embedding for random strings produced by a possibly non-stationary Markov source. A notion of memory conveyed by the states of a deterministic finite automaton is introduced. This notion is used to characterize the smallest state-space size Markov chain required to specify the distribution of the count statistic of a given regular pattern. The research finds applications in problems associated with regular patterns in random strings that demand exponentially large state spaces.
THE ORIGIN OF BINARY STARS

▪ Abstract Although we have a general understanding of the manner in which individual stars form, our understanding of how binary stars form is far from complete. This is in large part due to the f...
Autism and 15q11‐q13 disorders: Behavioral, genetic, and pathophysiological issues

New insights into biological factors that underlie autism may be gained by comparing autism to other neurodevelopmental disorders that have autistic features and relatively well-delineated genetic etiologies or neurobiological findings. This review moves beyond global diagnoses of autism and instead uses an endophenotypic approach to compare specific clusters of autistic symptomatology to features of chromosome 15q11-q13 disorders. Paternally or maternally derived deficiencies of 15q11-q13 result in Prader-Willi or Angelman syndromes, and we first use a global approach to review potential autism susceptibility genes in the 15q11-q13 region. We then use a more trait-based approach to suggest possible ties between specific phenotypic characteristics of autism and Prader-Willi syndrome, namely savant-like skills. We conclude with insights from pathophysiological studies that implicate altered development of specific neuron types and circuits in the cerebral cortex as part of the pathophysiological processes associated with autism and mental retardation.
A bio-inspired kinematic controller for obstacle avoidance during reaching tasks with redundant robots

This paper describes a redundant robot arm that is capable of learning to reach for targets in space while avoiding obstacles in a self-organized fashion. Self-generated movement commands that activate correlated visual, spatial and motor information are used to learn forward and inverse kinematic control models while moving in obstacle free space using the direction-to-rotation transform (DIRECT). The DIRECT based kinematic controller is fault tolerant and can handle a wide range of perturbations such as joint locking and the use of tools despite not experiencing them during learning. We have developed a DIRECT-based reactive obstacle avoidance controller (DIRECT-ROAC) that enables the redundant robot arm to avoid obstacles in environments with simple obstacle configurations. However, certain configurations of obstacles in the environment prevent the robot from reaching the target with purely reactive obstacle avoidance. To address this complexity, we model a self-organized process of mental rehearsals of movements inspired by human and animal experiments on reaching to generate plans for movement execution using DIRECT-ROAC in complex environments. These mental rehearsals or plans are self generated by utilizing perceptual information in the form of via-points extracted from attentional shrouds around obstacles in its environment. Computer simulations show that the proposed novel controller is successful in avoiding obstacles in environments with complex obstacle configurations.
Why Does Pandemic Influenza Virus Kill

The most terrifying aspect of pandemic influenza A infection is its ability to cause respiratory failure and death in young adults. There is a major debate in the literature regarding whether such severe outcomes result from more robust viral infection in the lung and associated cellular injury or from lung injury caused by a pathogenic immune response to some extent uncoupled from viral replication (eg, cytokine storm). The article by Gao et al1 in this issue makes useful contributions in this regard. The authors made use of an important resource of lung tissue obtained from 48 subjects who died of infection with the 2009 H1N1 pandemic virus (2009 pH1N1). Although the pandemic did not result in such massive death and morbidity as was caused by the 1918 H1N1 pandemic, it was clearly associated with a disturbing incidence of pneumonia and respiratory death in young adults.2 In the group reported by Gao et al,1 the mean age was 37.33 years. As in other influenza A pandemics and seasonal epidemics,3 a significant proportion of the deaths in 2009 were associated with bacterial superinfection (28%). There was a relatively high incidence (68%) of underlying medical conditions in this cohort of patients, including factors known to predispose to more severe influenza infection, such as asthma, obesity, pregnancy, or immunosuppression. An important finding in these fatal cases was the demonstration of protracted viral replication in lung tissue. Notably, the viral load was positively correlated with duration of illness and with elevated levels of some key proinflammatory cytokines in the lung (ie, MIP-1β, MCP-1, IP-10, and RANTES). Other proinflammatory cytokines were also elevated, although these were not correlated with viral load. Of interest, however, was the significantly greater elevation of IL-6 and TNF-α in patients who had bacterial superinfection. Other researchers have shown an association of severe outcomes with 2009 pH1N1 in humans with high serum levels of IL-6,4 although these studies did not assess the association of viral load or bacterial superinfection with cytokine induction. The association between viral replication and expression of proinflammatory cytokines was further substantiated by pathological analysis showing that viral antigen and cytokine expression occurred in the same areas of the lung. An additional important finding of the Gao et al1study is a marked elevation of Fas ligand mRNA and a decrease in Fas antigen mRNA in patient lungs, compared with controls. Thus, there was an imbalance between the levels of Fas ligand and Fas antigen. The Fas ligand levels also positively correlated with viral load. Pathological studies confirmed the presence of extensive apoptosis in areas of viral infection. Overall, the findings of Gao et al1 support the concept of linkage among sustained viral infection, immune response, and cellular damage.
Biomechanics of the Lumbar Spine

The magnitude of low back pain in terms of its occurrence and cost is reviewed. The biomechanics of the lumbar spine are related to the functional anatomy. The disparate functional mechanical requirements of the spine, support, mobility, housing, protection and control are reviewed. Typical forces one applies to the spine in activities of daily living as well as in mechanical overloads are discussed. The loads are broken down into tensile, compressive, shear and torsional loads. The posterior elements, the vertebral body and the intervertebral disc are reviewed separately and some implication in terms of the aetiology of low back pain is given. Finally, the behavior of the unit (the functional spinal unit) is discussed.
Rapid algorithm verification for cooperative analog-digital imaging systems

An algorithm verification methodology for cooperative analog-digital signal processing imaging system is presented, and a simulation tool for software and hardware co-verification is developed for rapid algorithm verification. Unlike traditional behavioral simulation, the behavior of the architectural structure includes the characteristics of sensor and circuit mismatch and parasitic effects so that algorithm-level simulation can predict the performance of a true physical system. A case study of gradient- based optical flow estimation algorithm is demonstrated.
THE APPLICATION OF FILTRATION THEORY TO FOOD GATHERING IN ORDOVICIAN CRINOIDS

Food gathering of some adult Upper Ordovician crinoids was modeled by means of filtration theory. The arm-branching patterns of the 13 species examined range from nonpinnulate isotomous arms to uniserial and biserial arms with numerous pinnules. Most taxa are roughly equivalent with respect to ambient current velocities and the nutrient contents needed from seawater. Two species with extensively branched arms have markedly higher nutritional requirements at any one ambient current velocity. The results are somewhat correlated with environment in the form of differential current velocities, water flow patterns, and food abundance and composition. The data are generally compatible with filtration theory and the environmental distributions of many Ordovician and other Paleozoic crinoids, and they reveal that Upper Ordovician crinoids had at least partially developed the ecological patterns seen in later Paleozoic crinoids. Various morphological, physiological, and behavioral changes can be employed by crinoids to alter their nutritional balance. The size distributions of food particles that are caught by the crinoids are modeled. These food particle distributions for the Ordovician fossils resemble those of modern crinoids. Relative to the population of food items, the distributions of particles that are trapped are shifted towards larger items because the crinoid filtration nets are more efficient at catching larger particles. Crinoids with relatively open filtration nets and large food-catching tube feet are generalized and feed on a wide range of food particles of a relatively large mean size. The more specialized taxa with extensively branched arms bearing small and closely packed food-catching tube feet are restricted to a more narrow range of smaller food particles.
Sjögren–Larsson syndrome: accumulation of free fatty alcohols in cultured fibroblasts and plasma

Sjogren-Larsson syndrome (SLS) is an inherited disorder associated with deficient oxidation of long-chain aliphatic alcohols. Previous studies have reported modest elevations in total (free 1 esterified) fatty alcohols in SLS, but free fatty alcohols have not been selectively measured, in part because of their low concentrations in most tissues and the presence of trace fatty alcohol contaminants in some solvents used for their analysis. We adapted methods to measure free fatty alcohols in cultured cells and plasma that minimize exogenous alcohol contamination. Fatty alco- hols were analyzed as acetate derivatives, using capillary column gas chromatography. By this method, cultured skin fibroblasts from SLS patients were found to have 7- and 8-fold elevations in the mean content of hexadecanol (16:0- OH) and octadecanol (18:0-OH), respectively. The mean plasma 16:0-OH and 18:0-OH concentrations in SLS pa- tients (n 5 11) were 9- and 22-fold higher than in normal controls, respectively. In SLS fibroblasts, most of the fatty alcohol (59%) that accumulated was free rather than esteri- fied alcohol, whereas free alcohol accounted for 23% of the total alcohol in normal cells. These results indicate that elevations in free fatty alcohols provide a sensitive marker for the enzymatic defect in SLS. The ability to measure free fatty alcohols in cultured cells and plasma should prove use- ful for investigations of normal fatty alcohol metabolism and the deranged metabolism in SLS. —Rizzo, W. B., and D. A. Craft. Sjorgren-Larsson syndrome: accumulation of free fatty alcohols in cultured fibroblasts and plasma . J. Lipid Res . 2000. 41: 1077-1081.
Dissolution de l’oxyde de thorium : cinétique et mécanisme

Des recherches sur de nouvelles sources energetiques ont ete initiees pour faire face a la hausse de la demande mondiale. Dans le domaine nucleaire, la filiere Th-U est envisagee pour completer ou remplacer la filiere U-Pu. Toutefois, des ameliorations technologiques sont necessaires avant l’aboutissement industriel de ce projet, notamment sur l’adaptation du procede de retraitement du combustible U-Pu a celui du cycle Th-U, qui consiste a dissoudre le combustible en milieu acide nitrique, suivi d’une extraction liquide-liquide. Or, contrairement a l’uranium, l’oxyde de thorium n’est pas soluble dans HNO₃ concentre. Un ajout de petites quantites de fluorures est necessaire a l’obtention d’une dissolution totale. Cependant, la dissolution reste lente et le milieu HNO₃-HF est tres corrosif. L’objectif de cette etude est de comprendre les reactions mises en jeu afin d’optimiser la composition de la solution pour diminuer la corrosion et ameliorer la cinetique de dissolution. La poudre d’oxyde de thorium synthetisee en laboratoire est solubilisee dans des conditions experimentales et selon un protocole predefinis. L’effet des caracteristiques du solide, de la methode de dissolution et du milieu de dissolution ont ete etudies. La morphologie de l’oxyde a une forte influence sur la vitesse de dissolution. L’impact majeur des ultrasons de puissance est l’augmentation de la temperature, qui ameliore considerablement la vitesse de dissolution. Le remplacement des fluorures par d’autres complexants du thorium n’a pas permis d’atteindre une dissolution quantitative de l’oxyde. L’augmentation des concentrations de HF et de HNO₃ accelere la dissolution, mais une concentration trop importante de fluorure mene a la formation d’un precipite blanc qui passive la surface. Sur la base de cette etude, un mecanisme reactionnel a ete propose. L’etape limitante est la formation d’un complexe active. L’ecriture et la resolution des equations cinetiques et des equilibres thermodynamiques a permis d’etablir une relation analytique exprimant le taux de dissolution de ThO₂ en fonction des parametres experimentaux. La simulation des resultats experimentaux a l’aide de cette relation a ensuite permis de determiner les constantes thermodynamiques et cinetiques rendant compte de tous les phenomenes observes, validant ainsi le mecanisme propose.
Attitudes of older adults with serious competing health risks toward their implantable cardioverter-defibrillators: a pilot study

In elderly heart failure patients, the survival benefit of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) may be attenuated due to competing health risks, and the risk of adverse outcomes magnified. Our objective was to examine older adults’ attitudes towards ICD implantation in the context of competing health risks, exploring the determinants of ICD decision-making among a group of patients who had faced the decision in the past. Telephone survey with a qualitative component. Patients were age ≥70 with single- or dual-chamber ICDs from a single academic cardiac device clinic. Health status was assessed with the Vulnerable Elders Survey (VES-13). Responses to open-ended questions were transcribed verbatim; an “editing analysis” approach was used to extract themes. Forty-four ICD recipients participated (mean age 77.5 years). Nineteen participants (43 %) had VES-13 scores ≥3, indicating a 50 % likelihood of death or functional decline within 2 years. Twenty-one participants (48 %) had received prior ICD shocks. Forty participants (91 %) said they would “definitely” choose to get an ICD again in their current health. By and large, patients revealed a strong desire to extend life, expressed complete confidence in the lifesaving capabilities of their ICDs, and did not describe consideration of competing health risks. In this pilot telephone survey with a qualitative component, nearly all older adults with ICDs would still choose to get an ICD despite high short-term risk of death or health deterioration. These findings suggest the need to partner more effectively with patients and families to decide how best to use medical technologies, particularly for older adults with competing risks.
The use of in situ simulation to detect latent safety threats in paediatrics: a cross-sectional survey

Background In situ simulation (ISS) has been reported as an innovative method to identify and mitigate latent safety threats (LSTs) in healthcare. Little is known about the current utilisation of ISS across academic simulation programmes. Objective This study aims to describe the use of ISS to identify LST across paediatric academic simulation programmes. Methods A 25-question cross-sectional survey was conducted at two simulation meetings in January 2014 to recruit leaders from paediatric simulation programmes. The total eligible sample was 82 individuals representing 48 distinct academic medical centres. The 25 survey questions were created to describe the constructs of: (1) utilisation of ISS (location, participants, cancellations and coordination) and (2) the outcomes of ISS (detection of and response to safety threats). Descriptive statistics were carried out using SPSS V.21.0 (IBM Corp released 2012). Results The response rate was 68% (56/82), representing 79% (38/48) of the eligible academic medical centres. The majority of respondents (52/56) reported that their programmes utilised ISS. ISS was most commonly conducted in acute care settings. Almost all respondents (48/52) detected an LST during ISS. More than half of the respondents (28/52) utilised a formal reporting process after ISS sessions to feedback the LST to other individuals within their institution. 23% (12/52) of respondents reported the detection of a serious LST in ISS that was not resolved and subsequently led to a safety event during real patient care. Conclusions The use of ISS to identify and mitigate LST is common in this cross-sectional survey of paediatric simulation programmes. Diverse processes and organisational structures exist for reporting and mitigating LSTs identified in ISS. A more integrated and systematic approach to ISS and LST could help ensure the mitigation of LSTs before they impact on patients.
Effects of Air Ions on Trachea of Primates.

ConclusionPositive air ions depress ciliary activity of trachea of monkeys and man, while negative ions increase it.
Ethnocultural sensitivity and measurement of consumer satisfaction.

Stemming from the diversity in the U.S. population, ethnocultural factors no longer can be ignored when defining and assessing consumer satisfaction. Likewise, there is a critical need for process models that consider consumer heterogeneity. Continuous quality improvement (CQI) programs must look beyond whether or not services are accessible and cost-effective. The processes must also measure if services are acceptable and appropriate for a target population. This article describes how the discipline of anthropology can provide useful tools to obtain critically needed ethnocultural information.
Innovations in Public Defense as an Investment in Better Sentencing

The Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (NDS) opened its doors in 1990, hoping to demonstrate the benefits of a community-based, team-based public defender that began representation from the moment of arrest, or even earlier. Although pretrial detention time was not statistically different for NDS clients compared with similar defendants, NDS clients ultimately received significantly shorter sentences, and the savings to the government in terms of jail and prison time were substantial. More than twenty years after its debut, NDS continues to show that high-quality public defense can play an important role in any strategy to unwind mass incarceration while improving the quality of criminal justice generally.
Effects of Hypertonic Glucose and Mannitol on Plasma Volume.

SummaryThe influence of hyper tonic glucose and mannitol on blood volume was tested in normovolemic-normotensive and hypovo-lemic-hypotensive dogs. Neither glucose nor mannitol had any effect on th...
Reading the Democratic Writing on the Wall: Comparative Insights from Ghana's Democratic Trajectory

The African continent experienced a period of significant change following the end of the Cold War, with no less than 28 countries experiencing democratic openings between 1990 and 1994. Nearly twenty years later, however, approximately half of these countries could still be listed as nominally democratic. Why is it that some countries remained democratic while others took different courses? The case of Ghana provides a puzzling yet insightful case of democracy in Sub-Saharan Africa. Despite experiencing an inauspicious democratic opening in 1992, the country has since developed into a widely-recognized liberal democracy. Although Ghana has previously been considered an idiographic case of democratization in Africa, the Ghanaian experience contains insights that aid in explaining the broader patterns of democratization on the continent after the Cold War. By combining structural conditions of domestic and international pressure with executive agency in the period following the democratic opening, the lessons from the Ghanaian experience provide a means for explaining the divergence of African regimes since their democratic openings after the Cold War.
Quality Assurance of Disease Control Agency Laboratory in Chengde City

This paper explore the measures for quality assurance of disease control agency laboratory,so as to guarantee the test results accurate and reliable.The establishment of quality management system is the key to quality assurance.Quality control on affecting factors (personnel,equipment and reference materials,samples,testing standards,testing environment,recording and inspection reports,etc) and the results can make the quality management system operating continuously and effectively,improve the testing capability and levels continuously,and guarantee the data accurate and reliable.
ID: 51: CHEMOTHERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL OF LIPOXINS IN KAPOSI'S SARCOMA AND PRIMARY EFFUSION LYMPHOMA

Current treatments for Kaposi9s Sarcoma (KS) and Primary Effusion Lymphoma (PEL) rely on systemic chemotherapeutics developed for non-virus-associated cancers that target DNA replication of all dividing cells. Other treatment methods aim at keeping immune system healthy and infection under control through surgery. All of the above approaches have low efficacy, high cost, and high risk of secondary malignancies especially in immuno-compromised patients. Hence, there is an emerging need to look for alternative treatment focused on KS or PEL host molecules, such as Lipoxins. Lipoxins are anti-inflammatory molecules that can target a variety of pro-inflammatory pathways of KS and PEL. Previous results from our lab have shown that level of ALX receptor (ALXR) does not change after Kaposi9s Sarcoma Herpes Virus (KSHV) infection, leading to the potential use of Lipoxins to trigger anti-inflammatory and pro-apoptotic pathways as treatment of KS and PEL. In this study, we investigated downstream signaling in KSHV harboring body cavity B cell lymphoma (BCBL-1) cells induced by Lipoxin treatment to assess its pro-apoptotic effect. We treated 5–10×106 BCBL-1 cells with solvent control (EtOH), Lipoxin (100 mM), or Epilipoxin (100 mM) for 48 and 72 hrs. Downstream phosphorylation of Akt, NF-kB p65, and ERK were assessed using Western blotting and pro-apoptotic gene changes were detected using Real-Time PCR. Cell survival and cell cycle progression was assessed using BrdU FACS analysis. We found that Lipoxin and Epilipoxin treatment downregulated NF-kB and ERK activation via ALXR binding while Akt signaling was not affected. We also found that Lipoxin successfully upregulated pro-apoptotic genes such as BIM-1, BAX, BCL-10, and p53 compared to control. Lipoxin treatment also led to decreased S-phase progression and induction of apoptosis. In conclusion, our study suggests that Lipoxins have therapeutic potential for PEL and should be explored in KS and other PEL cell types.
Technology, Performance, and Intended Use: Glaze Ware Jars in the Pueblo IV Rio Grande

ABSTRACTThe introduction of glaze-decorated pottery in the Pueblo IV Period (A.D. 1300–;1540) Rio Grande signaled widespread changes in Puebloan social, political, and ritual organization. Archaeological evidence strongly suggests that glaze-decorated bowls were used in public ritual feasts, but the role of glaze-decorated jars is less certain. Current interpretations of glaze-decorated jar use include maize storage and ceremonial water carrying. In the Salinas area, these uses overlap with uses proposed for white ware and utility ware jars. This study compares the full suite of Salinas jar technologies to assess the relative distinctiveness of glaze ware jars in Pueblo IV assemblages. A division of labor is proposed for the suite of Salinas jars, with glaze ware jars better suited to both long-term liquids storage and dry goods storage than either utility or white ware jars. Utility jars are better suited for cooking, and white ware jars are better for short-term water storage and transport. The technolo...
Mode of Delivery in Premature Neonates: Does It Matter?

Objective Despite the current prevalence of preterm births, no clear guidelines exist on the optimal mode of delivery. Our objective was to investigate the effects of mode of delivery on neonatal outcomes among premature infants in a large cohort. Study Design We applied a retrospective cohort study design to a database of 6,408 births. Neonates were stratified by birth weight and a composite score was calculated to assess neonatal outcomes. The results were then further stratified by fetal exposure to antenatal steroids, birth weight, and mode of delivery. Results No improvement in neonatal outcome with cesarean delivery (CD) was noted when subjects were stratified by mode of delivery, both in the presence or absence of antenatal corticosteroid administration. In the 1,500 to 1,999 g subgroup, there appears to be an increased risk of respiratory distress syndromes in neonates born by CD. Conclusion In our all-comers cohort, replicative of everyday obstetric practice, CD did not improve neonatal outcomes in preterm infants.
Supernova–Cataclysm in the Sky

In this chapter I give an overview of our contemporary understanding of supernovae, as well as the 1054 supernova’s effects outside of the Americas. Finally, I briefly consider the nature of time, and reflect on how a society’s conception of time affects its understanding of astronomy.
Data Analytics Skills and the Corporate Value of Social Media

Despite the rapid adoption of and increased spending on social media in the recent years, there is little existing research on the economic value of corporate social media investment or the factors that affect this value. In this study, we first provide empirical evidence using a large sample of firms across industries to show that firm market value increases with active social media usage, not just adoption. However, the return on using social media depends on having a larger number of employees with data analytics skills (rather than just IT skills), and this complementarity is increased if employees with data analytics skills are dispersed throughout the firm. Overall, these results suggest that the value of social media for firms lies in the firm’s ability to facilitate the gathering and use of external data, and that the use of social media becomes more valuable if a firm adjusts its human resource and organizational structure to facilitate data analysis and decision making.
Monitoring Oxygen Status

Although part of a common "blood gas" test panel with pH and pCO2, the pO2, %O2Hb, and related parameters are independently used to detect and monitor oxygen deficits from a variety of causes. Measurement of blood gases and cooximetry may be done by laboratory analyzers, point of care testing, noninvasive pulse oximetry, and transcutaneous blood gases. The specimen type and mode of monitoring oxygenation that are chosen may be based on a combination of urgency, practicality, clinical need, and therapeutic objectives. Because oxygen concentrations in blood are extremely labile, there are several highly important preanalytical practices necessary to prevent errors in oxygen and cooximetry results. Effective utilization of oxygen requires binding by hemoglobin in the lungs, transport in the blood, and release to tissues, where cellular respiration occurs. Hydrogen ion (pH), CO2, temperature, and 2,3-DPG all play important roles in these processes. Additional measurements and calculations are often used to interpret and locate the cause and source of an oxygen deficit. These include the Hb concentration, Alveolar-arterial pO2 gradient, pO2:FIO2 ratio, oxygenation index, O2 content and O2 delivery, and pulmonary dead space and intrapulmonary shunting. The causes of hypoxemia will be covered and, to illustrate how the oxygen parameters are used clinically in the diagnosis and management of patients with abnormal oxygenation, two clinical cases will be presented and described.
Early Detection of Heart Failure Using Electronic Health Records: Practical Implications for Time Before Diagnosis, Data Diversity, Data Quantity, and Data Density.

Background— Using electronic health records data to predict events and onset of diseases is increasingly common. Relatively little is known, although, about the tradeoffs between data requirements and model utility. Methods and Results— We examined the performance of machine learning models trained to detect prediagnostic heart failure in primary care patients using longitudinal electronic health records data. Model performance was assessed in relation to data requirements defined by the prediction window length (time before clinical diagnosis), the observation window length (duration of observation before prediction window), the number of different data domains (data diversity), the number of patient records in the training data set (data quantity), and the density of patient encounters (data density). A total of 1684 incident heart failure cases and 13 525 sex, age-category, and clinic matched controls were used for modeling. Model performance improved as (1) the prediction window length decreases, especially when <2 years; (2) the observation window length increases but then levels off after 2 years; (3) the training data set size increases but then levels off after 4000 patients; (4) more diverse data types are used, but, in order, the combination of diagnosis, medication order, and hospitalization data was most important; and (5) data were confined to patients who had ≥10 phone or face-to-face encounters in 2 years. Conclusions— These empirical findings suggest possible guidelines for the minimum amount and type of data needed to train effective disease onset predictive models using longitudinal electronic health records data.
CO2-dependent carbon isotope fractionation in the dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense

Abstract The carbon isotopic composition of marine sedimentary organic matter is used to resolve long-term histories of p CO 2 based on studies indicating a CO 2 -dependence of photosynthetic carbon isotope fractionation (e P ). It recently was proposed that the δ 13 C values of dinoflagellates, as recorded in fossil dinocysts, might be used as a proxy for p CO 2 . However, significant questions remain regarding carbon isotope fractionation in dinoflagellates and how such fractionation may impact sedimentary records throughout the Phanerozoic. Here we investigate e P as a function of CO 2 concentration and growth rate in the dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense . Experiments were conducted in nitrate-limited chemostat cultures. Values of e P were measured on cells having growth rates (μ) of 0.14–0.35 d −1 and aqueous carbon dioxide concentrations of 10.2–63 μmol kg −1 and were found to correlate linearly with μ/[CO 2(aq) ] ( r 2 = 0.94) in accord with prior, analogous chemostat investigations with eukaryotic phytoplankton. A maximum fractionation (e f ) value of 27‰ was characterized from the intercept of the experiments, representing the first value of e f determined for an algal species employing Form II RubisCO—a structurally and catalytically distinct form of the carbon-fixing enzyme. This value is larger than theoretical predictions for Form II RubisCO and not significantly different from the ∼25‰ e f values observed for taxa employing Form ID RubisCO. We also measured the carbon isotope contents of dinosterol, hexadecanoic acid, and phytol from each experiment, finding that each class of biomarker exhibits different isotopic behavior. The apparent CO 2 -dependence of e P values in our experiments strengthens the proposal to use dinocyst δ 13 C values as a p CO 2 proxy. Moreover, the similarity between the e f value for A. tamarense and the consensus value of ∼25‰ indicates that the CO 2 -sensitivity of carbon isotope fractionation saturates at similar CO 2 levels across all three ecologically prominent clades of eukaryotic phytoplankton. This continuity of e f across taxa may help to explain why there is no coherent signature of phytoplankton evolutionary succession in Phanerozoic carbon isotope records.
Direct EM reconstruction of parametric images from list-mode brain PET using a novel model based on logan graphical analysis

Direct reconstruction of parametric images from raw dynamic PET data has the potential of producing lower noise images than obtained using intermediate frame-based reconstructed images, due to the accurately characterized statistical properties of raw PET data. The goal of this study was to extend a previous direct parametric reconstruction algorithm (PMOLAR). PMOLAR uses the Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm to estimate the parametric maps. Previous versions of PMOLAR were based on the one-tissue (1T) compartment model (PMOLAR-1T). The 1T model is suitable for some PET tracers, but most reversible PET radioligand kinetics are better described by more complex models, mainly the two-tissue (2T) compartment model. Alternatively, Logan Graphical Analysis (GA) can be applied to all reversible PET tracers. In this study PMOLAR was adapted to a new model based on GA. Two versions of the new reconstruction algorithm were investigated. PMOLAR-GA was evaluated on human data acquired on the High Resolution Research Tomograph (HRRT) after injection of [11C]PBR28, a radiotracer used to study neuroinflammation. The new model derived from GA was first compared to previous modeling methods (MA1, LEGA, 2T) suitable for [11C]PBR28 on fits of region of interest time-activity curves. Then the two new versions of PMOLAR were evaluated on a human 4D PET data set. PMOLAR-GA parametric maps were compared to frame-based parametric maps. Using routine reconstruction settings, frame based parametric maps were visually very noisy and biased (between 27±4% and 222±121% on a regional level, depending on the modeling method). While the PMOLAR-GA mean regional values were very close to reference values (11%±9% or 8%±9%), with visually lower noise at the voxel level.
Big Law Today and Tomorrow

This chapter discusses the different meanings of Big Law in relation to the external forces that affect the operation of the legal profession. The first meaning refers to the large size of the firms as professional organizations of lawyers; the second meaning of Big Law refers to the rules, regulations and laws; to the astonishing increase in the sheer volume of law: the cases, statutes, decrees, ordinances, rules, and regulations, in every modern society. In its third meaning, law is also “big” in the sense that it touches the lives of more and more people, perhaps everybody in society. The chapter suggests that Big Law in sense two and sense three have a long history; they may be, in a way, centuries old. But Big Law two and Big Law three have exploded in the modern period.
Preparing Bilingual Teachers on the U.S./Mexico Border: Including the Voices of Emergent Bilinguals.

Language policies in the U.S., including matters relating to bilingual education, are tangled up with political tensions and ideology. All too often, the dialogue among educators and policymakers a...
When Do Strongly Coupled Diradicals Show Strongly Coupled Reactivity? Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Hydrogen Atom Transfer Reactions of Palladium and Platinum Bis(iminosemiquinone) Complexes

The 2,2′-biphenylene-bridged bis(iminosemiquinone) complexes (tBuClip)M [tBuClipH4 = 4,4′-di-tert-butyl-N,N′-bis(3,5-di-tert-butyl-2-hydroxyphenyl)-2,2′-diaminobiphenyl; M = Pd, Pt] can be reduced to the bis(aminophenoxide) complexes (tBuClipH2)M by reaction with hydrazobenzene (M = Pd) or by catalytic hydrogenation (M = Pt). The palladium complex with one aminophenoxide ligand and one iminosemiquinone ligand, (tBuClipH)Pd, is generated by comproportionation of (tBuClip)Pd with (tBuClipH2)Pd in a process that is both slow (0.06 M–1 s–1 in toluene at 23 °C) and only modestly favorable (Kcom = 1.9 in CDCl3), indicating that both N–H bonds have essentially the same bond strength. The mono(iminoquinone) complex (tBuClipH)Pt has not been observed, indicating that the platinum analogue shows no tendency to comproportionate (Kcom < 0.1). The average bond dissociation free energies (BDFE) of the complexes have been established by equilibration with suitably substituted hydrazobenzenes, and the palladium bis(imino...
The Garden in the machine: Gender relations, the Processes of Science, and Feminist Epistemological Strategies

Feminist inquiry in the natural and social sciences has challenged science at three levels.* In the first place, many beliefs claimed to be well-supported by research in biology and the social sciences now appear as androcentric. Thus the processes of inquiry which have supported the androcentric claims no longer appear to be gender-free — and in that sense value-neutral, objective, disinterested, dispassionate, and so forth.1 In the second place, critics have pointed to constant historical alliances between fledgling sciences and local projects of sexual politics. New sciences have appealed to sexual politics as support for their legitimacy; and men, when threatened by the possibility of shifting social relations between the sexes, have appealed to the new sciences to support the legitimacy of subjugating women. Each has provided moral and political resources for the other.2 Furthermore, while the processes of inquiry in physics — the model of objective inquiry — escape incriminating challenges at the first level, they are not so lucky at the second. The conceptions of nature and inquiry central both to classical and contemporary physics now appear as suspiciously androcentric as do those central to biology and the social sciences.3 Thus it should not be surprising to find clear signs of androcentrism in heretofore well-supported scientific beliefs. Sexual politics as old as the Garden of Eden appear to have been omnipresent in the purportedly objective ‘mechanisms’ of scientific inquiry.
CHAPTER 5 – The Ecological Context of Reproductive Behavior

This chapter focuses on the reproductive behavior of coral reef fishes. Over the past 20 years, population-level studies of coral reef fishes have shifted from simple comparisons between coral reefs and terrestrial systems, to the patterns unique to marine and coral reef communities. This shift in attention of coral reef ecologists is reflected in the development of marine ecological theory that currently emphasizes the dynamics of open populations and the sources of recruitment fluctuations, including the possibility of recruitment limitation on population size. Coral reef fishes add some interesting variations and confirmations to the basic rules of mating systems as there can be dramatic differences within species from place to place because of changes in resource distribution and population density, and individuals often have the option of changing sex or sexual allocation over the course of their lives. One of the first generalizations to come out of studies in behavioral ecology of reef fishes was the importance of local density in determining mating systems. It demonstrated the importance of density in spawning site defense by individual males, and the switch from monogamous to more polygynous mating systems with increasing density. Population density also appears to interact with female spawning locations, especially whether females migrate to spawn or spawn within feeding territories. For small reef fishes that free-spawn (release pelagic eggs), two general patterns emerge. For many species, individuals migrate daily to the downcurrent edge of the reef to spawn for a limited time, determined by tide, time of day, or both. For some species, especially on patch reefs, if the number of individuals is relatively small, this group operates as a harem, with one dominant male and a group of females. Moreover, in families capable of hermaphroditism, protogyny—sex change from female to male—is often observed.
Recent trends over time in vascular disease in type 1 diabetes: insights from the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications study.

Aims To evaluate recent trends, by diagnosis year, in the cumulative incidence of vascular type 1 diabetes (T1D) complications and their risk factors up to 35 years duration. Methods Participants from the Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications study of childhood-onset T1D were categorized into three calendar year onset cohorts: 1965-69, 1970-74, and 1975-80. All-cause, cardiovascular and renal mortality were determined both on the complete cohort (n=440) as well as in the subset with clinical examinations (n=363). Coronary artery disease (CAD, CAD death, myocardial infarction, revascularization, angina and ischemic ECG abnormalities); lower extremity arterial disease (LEAD, abnormal Ankle Brachial Index/amputation/intermittent claudication); distal symmetric polyneuropathy (DSP, clinical exam); cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN, abnormal heart rate response to deep breathing); overt nephropathy (ON, albumin excretion rate>200 μg/min) and proliferative retinopathy (PR, fundus photography) were assessed on the subset with clinical examinations. Results While all-cause, cardiovascular and renal mortality improved with a more recent diagnosis in the overall cohort, no univariate differences were observed for complications requiring examination (CAD, DSP, CAN, ON), although a borderline trend toward improved complication-free survival with a more recent onset was observed for PR (p=0.06). LEAD incidence showed an anomalous pattern, being highest in the 1975-80 and lowest in the 1970-74 cohort (p=0.009). Allowing for risk factors over time did not materially change these results. Conclusions Despite declines in all-cause, cardiovascular and renal mortality in the total cohort, no improvements were observed in either mortality or complication incidence with a more recent onset in the examined cohort.
The Strategy of Combining Products and Services: A Literature Review

This article provides the analyses of the academic literature on offering a combination of products and services. Trend analyses were performed from 1995 through the end of 2016 on the various para...
Chronic Pulmonary Hypertension

This chapter discusses the anatomical and physiological basis for chronic pulmonary arterial hypertension, its diagnosis and management. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) can lead to significant cardiac dysfunction and is associated with an increased risk of perioperative cardiovascular complications [1]. The selection of appropriate therapies is complex, requiring familiarity with the underlying disease process, complicated delivery systems, dosing regimens, and medication complications [2]. Recent therapeutic and surgical advances in the management of PAH have led to an improvement in prognosis.
MCF-7 as a Model for Functional Analysis of Breast Cancer Risk Variants.

Background: Breast Cancer (BCa) genetic predisposition is governed by more than 142 loci as revealed by genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The functional contribution of these risk loci to BCa remains unclear and additional post-GWAS analyses are required. Methods: We identified active regulatory elements (enhancers, promoters, and chromatin organizing elements) by histone H3K27 acetylation and CTCF occupancy and determined the enrichment of risk variants at these sites. We compared these results to previously published data and for other cell lines, including HMEC cells, and related these data to gene expression. Results: In terms of mapping accuracy and resolution, our data augments previous annotations of the MCF-7 epigenome. After intersection with GWAS risk variants we found 39 enhancers and 15 CTCF occupancy sites that, between them, overlapped 96 BCa credible risk variants at 42 loci. These risk enhancers likely regulate the expression of dozens of genes, which are enriched for GO categories including estrogen and prolactin signaling. Conclusions: Ten (of 142) BCa risk loci likely function via enhancers which are active in MCF-7 and are well suited to targeted manipulation in this system. In contrast, risk loci cannot be mapped to specific CTCF binding sites and the genes linked to risk CTCF sites did not show functional enrichment. The identity of risk enhancers and their associated genes suggest that some risk may function during later processes in cancer progression. Impact: Here we report how the ER+ cell line MCF-7 can be used to dissect risk mechanisms for BCa.
Lavender Products Associated With Premature Thelarche and Prepubertal Gynecomastia: Case Reports and Endocrine-Disrupting Chemical Activities

Author(s): Ramsey, J Tyler; Li, Yin; Arao, Yukitomo; Naidu, Ajanta; Coons, Laurel A; Diaz, Alejandro; Korach, Kenneth S | Abstract: ContextPrevious case reports associated prepubertal gynecomastia with lavender-containing fragrances, but there appear to be no reports of premature thelarche.ObjectiveTo add to a case series about lavender-fragranced product use and breast growth in children and to measure endocrine-disrupting chemical activity of essential oil components.Design, setting, and patientsPatients experiencing premature thelarche or prepubertal gynecomastia with continuous exposure to lavender-fragranced products were evaluated in the pediatric endocrinology departments of two institutions. Mechanistic in vitro experiments using eight components of lavender and other essential oils were performed at National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.Main outcome measuresCase reports and in vitro estrogen and androgen receptor gene expression activities in human cell lines with essential oils.ResultsThree prepubertal girls and one boy with clinical evidence of estrogenic action and a history of continuous exposure to lavender-containing fragrances were studied. Breast growth dissipated in all patients with discontinuation of the fragranced products. Some of the components tested elicited estrogenic and antiandrogenic properties of varying degrees.ConclusionWe report cases of premature thelarche that resolved upon cessation of lavender-containing fragrance exposure commonly used in Hispanic communities. The precise developmental basis for such conditions could be multifactorial. In vitro demonstration of estrogenic and antiandrogenic properties of essential oil components suggests essential oils in these cases could be considered a possible source and supports a possible link with idiopathic prepubertal breast development. Whether the level of lavender oil estrogenic potency is sufficient to cause these effects is unknown.