cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Moneimsin Effects on Digestibility, Ruminal Protein Escape and Microbial Protein Synthesis on High-Fiber Diets

The influence of monensin level (0, 6.1, 12.2, 18.3 and 36.6 ppm) on diet fiber digestibility, microbial protein synthesis and ruminal escape of dietary protein was evaluated in two steer metabolism trials. A growth trial was conducted to study possible interactions of forage quality and monensin level. In metabolism trial 1, four ruminal-cannulated steers were assigned to four monensin levels in a 4 X 4 Latin square design to measure fiber digestibility, rate of passage and protein metabolism. In metabolism trial 2, five duodenal-cannulated steers were assigned to five monensin levels in a 5 X 5 Latin square design to measure fiber digestibility, bacterial N flow and plant N flow. In the two metabolism trials, the level of monensin influenced organic matter (OM) digestibility, neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility and ruminal NDF digestibility quadratically, with the intermediate levels of monensin being superior either to the high level of monensin or no monensin. A quadratic increase in particulate disappearance rate (P = .09) and no effect (P = .95) on liquid disappearance were also observed in trial 1. In trial 1, monensin level quadratically decreased (P = .10) the bacterial protein concentration and increased (P = .02) the ratio of total N:diaminopimilic acid in whole rumen contents. In trial 2, no overall difference in duodenal N flow (P = .64) or flow of individual amino acids (P = .46) was observed. In the growth trial, no interaction of cornstalk quality and monensin was observed (P less than .38).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Aerogels as Platforms for Chemical Sensors

Sensing of chemical species in air, in water and in other solvents is important for a wide variety of applications, including but not limited to monitoring chemical species that might have environmental, health, forensic, manufacturing, or security implications. The unusual properties of aerogels – very high surface area, high porosity, low density – render them particularly appealing for sensing applications. In this chapter, we survey the published reports of the application of aerogels to chemical sensing. These include sensors based on silica, silica composite, titania, carbon and clay aerogels, with spectroscopic and conductimetric detection methods.
Distal Radius Fracture Complicated by Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a well-described complication following distal radius fractures. Onset of symptoms can vary from hours to years after injury. It is important to identify the risks of median nerve compression such as local anesthetic hematoma-block injection, immobilization in a Cotton-Loder position, or malunion. Delayed carpal tunnel syndrome can be treated similar to chronic carpal tunnel in the general population. Although prophylactic carpal tunnel release at the time of distal radius fixation has not been recommended by the AAOS, it is important to recognize and treat acute carpal tunnel syndrome when symptoms occur. Lack of early recognition can lead to a delay in diagnosis and treatment, which can cause permanent nerve dysfunction.
Parents of Children With Food Allergy: Gender Differences in Perceived Impact and Perceived Food Allergy Severity.

Objective To compare fathers' and mothers' perceptions of the impact and severity of their child's food allergy and their levels of involvement in allergy-related care. Methods One hundred parents of children with food allergy (50 mother-father pairs) rated the severity of their child's food allergies and completed the Food Allergy Impact Scale. A subset of 52 parents reported how often they engaged in food allergy-related care. Results Mothers reported more impact than fathers for meal preparation, family social activities, and stress and free time, and significantly greater involvement in allergy-related care. Fathers who reported more frequent medical appointment attendance perceived meal preparation as being significantly more impacted by food allergy than fathers who were less involved. Conclusions Fathers who are less involved may be buffered from experiencing the impact of their child's health condition. Differences in involvement rather than other gender differences may explain discrepancies in mothers' and fathers' illness perceptions.
Attacking the tobacco industry: A rhetorical Analysis of advertisements by the campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

This essay analyzes a campaign of 40 print advertisements designed to attack the tobacco industry for trying to addict children to this deadly habit and to influence the U.S. Congress via campaign contributions. These advertisements elaborated the attack with multiple strategies for enhancing the offensiveness of the tobacco industry's alleged acts and increasing its responsibility for these actions. These messages attend to form and substance and effectively integrate visual and verbal elements, as well as arguments and evidence. Appeals are embedded in these messages for both casual readers (headlines and visual elements) and careful readers (textual claims and evidence). Central ideas are repeated, forming motifs that ran throughout the campaign and reinforced important appeals made during the campaign. Several features of the discourse (order, repetition, details, imperative form, and present tense) enact Perelman and Olbrechts‐Tyteca's (1969) concept of presence and thereby augment the persuasiveness...
Molecular Correlates of Sleep and Wake: From Flies to Mammals

Abstract Several studies have assessed the extent to which brain gene expression is modulated by changes in behavioral states—sleep, wake, short or long sleep deprivation—independent of circadian time. Genes whose expression is increased during sleep code for proteins involved in protein synthesis, synaptic depression and/or memory consolidation, lipid metabolism, and in membrane trafficking and maintenance. Through this molecular analysis, we can better understand why sleep is beneficial for the brain.
Functional photoacoustic microscopy in vivo

Functional photoacoustic microscopy is a hybrid imaging technique that detects laser induced photoacoustic waves to image biological tissues in three dimensions. Its imaging depth exceeds the fundamental depth limit of the existing high resolution optical imaging modalities while maintaining a comparable ratio of imaging depth to axial resolution. The amplitude of photoacoutic waves is related to tissue's optical absorption and, therefore, functional imaging can be achieved by acquiring spectroscopic information. We demonstrate here the capabilities of functional photoacoustic microscopy by volumetric imaging a skin melanoma tumor and functional imaging of hemoglobin oxygen saturation in single vessels in vivo.
More performance results and implementation of an object oriented track reconstruction model in different OO frameworks

This is an update of the report about an Object Oriented (OO) track reconstruction model, which was presented in the previous AIHENP'99 at Crete, Greece. The OO model for the Kalman filtering method has been designed for high energy physics experiments at high luminosity hadron colliders. It has been coded in the C++ programming language and successfully implemented into a few different OO computing environments of the CMS and ATLAS experiments at the future Large Hadron Collider at CERN. We shall report: (1) more performance result: (2) implementing the OO model into the new SW OO framework “Athena” of ATLAS experiment and some upgrades of the OO model itself.
Seasonal foraging strategies of Alaskan gray wolves (Canis lupus) in a salmon subsidized ecosystem

Despite frequent observations of gray wolves (Canis lupus L., 1758) using nonungulate prey, the seasonal and interannual variation in the use and relative importance of alternative prey sources to ...
Remodeling the Iron Cage: Micro-level Effects of Institutional Collisions

Though institutions are typically described as immutable forces that dictate behaviors and desires, they nevertheless evolve through time. Questions remain about the antecedents, characteristics an...
Rater Reliability of the Hardy Classification for Pituitary Adenomas in the Magnetic Resonance Imaging Era

Objectives The Hardy classification is used to classify pituitary tumors for clinical and research purposes. The scale was developed using lateral skull radiographs and encephalograms, and its reliability has not been evaluated in the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) era. Design Fifty preoperative MRI scans of biopsy-proven pituitary adenomas using the sellar invasion and suprasellar extension components of the Hardy scale were reviewed. Setting This study was a cohort study set at a single institution. Participants There were six independent raters. Main Outcome Measures The main outcome measures of this study were interrater reliability, intrarater reliability, and percent agreement. Results Overall interrater reliability of both Hardy subscales on MRI was strong. However, reliability of the intermediate scores was weak, and percent agreement among raters was poor (12–16%) using the full scales. Dichotomizing the scale into clinically useful groups maintained strong interrater reliability for the sellar invasion scale and increased the percent agreement for both scales. Conclusion This study raises important questions about the reliability of the original Hardy classification. Editing the measure to a clinically relevant dichotomous scale simplifies the rating process and may be useful for preoperative tumor characterization in the MRI era. Future research studies should use the dichotomized Hardy scale (sellar invasion Grades 0–III versus Grade IV, suprasellar extension Types 0–C versus Type D).
Tibial shaft fracture: A large-scale study defining the injured population and associated injuries☆

This is the first large-scale study to define the injured population and examine associated injuries for patients with tibial shaft fractures. Patients over 18 years of age in the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) who presented with tibial shaft fractures during 2011 and 2012 were identified. Modified Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), mechanism of injury (MOI), injury severity score (ISS), and specific associated injuries were described. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify predictors of mortality.
Role of Bilirubin Oxidation Products in the Pathophysiology of DIND Following SAH

Despite intensive research efforts, by our own team and many others, the molecules responsible for acute neurological damage following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and contributing to delayed ischemic neurological deficit (DIND) have not yet been elucidated. While there are a number of candidate mechanisms, including nitric oxide (NO) scavenging, endothelin-1, protein kinase C (PKC) activation, and rho kinase activation, to name but a few, that have been investigated using animal models and human trials, we are, it seems, no closer to discovering the true nature of this complex and enigmatic pathology. Efforts in our laboratory have focused on the chemical milieu present in hemorrhagic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) following SAH and the interaction of the environment with the molecules generated by SAH and subsequent events, including NO scavenging, immune response, and clot breakdown. We have identified and characterized a group of molecules formed by the oxidative degradation of bilirubin (a clot breakdown product) and known as BOXes (bilirubin oxidation products). We present a synopsis of the characterization of BOXes as found in human SAH patients’ CSF and the multiple signaling pathways by which BOXes act. In summary, BOXes are likely to play an essential role in the etiology of acute brain injury following SAH, as well as DIND.
Diagnostic Wrist Arthroscopy

After reviewing this article, readers should have a comprehensive understanding of the indications for diagnostic arthroscopy, technical considerations in performing a systematic evaluation of the wrist, and limitations of this technique.
Autoimmune Pancreatitis Type 2: Case Report:

A middle-aged man presents with acute pancreatitis of unknown etiology and is found to have a presentation consistent with the diagnosis of type 2 autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP). AIP is a group of rare heterogeneous diseases that are challenging to diagnose. There are 2 types of AIP. Type 1 disease is the more common worldwide than type 2 AIP. While type 1 AIP is associated with IgG4-positive antibodies, type 2 AIP is IgG4 antibody negative. Both types of AIP are responsive to corticosteroid treatment. Although type 1 AIP has more extrapancreatic manifestations and more commonly relapses, this is a case of a patient with type 2 AIP with inflammatory bowel disease and relapsing course.
Metabolic shift in density-dependent stem cell differentiation.

Vascular progenitor cells (VPCs) derived from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are a valuable source for cell- and tissue-based therapeutic strategies. During the optimization of endothelial cell (EC) inductions from mouse ESCs using our staged and chemically-defined induction methods, we found that cell seeding density but not VEGF treatment between 10 ng/mL and 40 ng/mL was a significant variable directing ESCs into FLK1+ VPCs during stage 1 induction. Here, we examine potential contributions from cell-to-cell signaling or cellular metabolism in the production of VPCs from ESCs seeded at different cell densities. Using 1D 1H-NMR spectroscopy, transcriptomic arrays, and flow cytometry, we observed that the density-dependent differentiation of ESCs into FLK1+ VPCs positively correlated with a shift in metabolism and cellular growth. Specifically, cell differentiation correlated with an earlier plateauing of exhaustive glycolysis, decreased lactate production, lower metabolite consumption, decreased cellular proliferation and an increase in cell size. In contrast, cells seeded at a lower density of 1,000 cells/cm2 exhibited increased rates of glycolysis, lactate secretion, metabolite utilization, and proliferation over the same induction period. Gene expression analysis indicated that high cell seeding density correlated with up-regulation of several genes including cell adhesion molecules of the notch family (NOTCH1 and NOTCH4) and cadherin family (CDH5) related to vascular development. These results confirm that a distinct metabolic phenotype correlates with cell differentiation of VPCs.
A note on growth processes in random environment

The purpose of this note is to discuss certain features of population growth models carlier proposed and to construct an alternative diffusion model for regulated growth in random environment. This model is shown to be the analogue of the Malthusian one, although it is a generalization of the latter due to the presence of regulation.
Constitutionalism in Nigeria: A Conceptual Analysis of Ethnicity and Politics

In the 1999 Federal Constitution of Nigeria contentious issues are examined within the context of politicized ethnicity. Given that ethnic identities are part of all social formations, the question is -- when is ethnicity a contentious aspect of politics in Nigeria? Let us begin with the following propositions: First, in multiethnic states like Nigeria, the role of the state and government are critical in the management of ethnic relations. Second, as a political variable in Nigeria ethnicity is a colonial phenomenon. Third, unless politicized, ethnicity is not inherently conflictual. Fourth, ethnicity, a basis for communal organization of identity is a positive variable; therefore, fifth, ethnic-based conflicts in Nigeria are an outcome of various situational group competitions for saliency within a political platform managed by the government. However, since ethnicity mutates, it is not a fixed political category. This means that we must understand the situational context of ethnic relations in Nigeria’s constitutional experience. Contentious issues in the Nigerian State and Constitution are traceable to Nigeria’s colonial history and promises to remain an aspect of future Nigerian politics.
Inner-Product Spaces, Euclidean Spaces

As in Chap.2, the term “linear space” will be used as a shorthand for “finite dimensional linear space over ℝ”. However, the definitions of an inner-product space and a Euclidean space do not really require finite-dimensionality. Many of the results, for example the Inner-Product Inequality and the Theorem on Subadditivity of Magnitude, remain valid for infinite-dimensional spaces. Other results extend to infinite-dimensional spaces after suitable modification.
Phase- Variable Canonical State-Space Realizations and Initializations for Linear Time-Invariant Multi-term Fractional Differential Equations

This paper is devoted to realizing and initializing state-space realizations for linear time-invariant multi-term fractional differential equations. For this purpose, two types of companion state-space realizations are proposed for linear time-invariant multi-term fractional-order systems: a) commensurate phase-variable canonical state space, and b) incommensurate phase-variable canonical state space. Furthermore, a method of initializing the proposed state-space representations is proposed for dynamical systems subject to feasible initial conditions. The advantages of the proposed representations are shown in an illustrative example.
The Effects of Road Mortality on Small, Isolated Turtle Populations

Roads impact wildlife in a variety of direct and indirect ways. Roads may act as barriers to dispersal, lead to decreasing population size and genetic diversity, change animal behavior, result in direct mortality, and increase habitat disturbance. Road mortality is especially detrimental to long-lived species, such as freshwater turtles, whose population persistence relies on high adult and subadult survivorship to counter high egg and hatchling mortality. The Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata) is a small-bodied, freshwater turtle species that is listed as endangered in Canada and proposed for federal listing in the United States. We used a population viability analysis to attempt to quantify the impact that road mortality has on two distinct populations of Spotted Turtles. The baseline model for the North Wetland Complex (NWC) population predicted a probability of quasi-extinction within 150 yr of 20%. The baseline model for the South Wetland Complex (SWC) predicted a probability of quasi-extinction within 150 yr of 24%. Including an estimate of road mortality (modeled as a reduction in adult survival through annual catastrophic events) into the models, the probability of quasiextinction within 150 yr changed to 93% for the NWC and 94% for the SWC. Our results highlight the critical importance that anthropogenic additive adult mortality has on small populations of turtles and the necessity of detailed demographic studies to detect potential declines in populations of long-lived species.
Goodness‐of‐fit testing in sparse contingency tables when the number of variables is large

Abstract The Pearson and likelihood ratio statistics are commonly used to test goodness of fit for models applied to data from a multinomial distribution. When data are from a table formed by the c...
Reducing Unnecessary Laboratory Evaluation in Gastroschisis Infants

Purpose: Gastroschisis is an abdominal wall defect with low mortality and increasing incidence. After surgical correction, patients require prolonged parenteral nutrition (PN) from persistent gastrointestinal dysfunction. Development of PN-related complications (PNRC), specifically PN-associated liver disease, is a cause of morbidity in these patients. Our NICU screens for PNRC with a standardized laboratory protocol. The appropriate frequency of laboratory surveillance is not well appreciated. We hypothesize: 1) PNRC occur only after several weeks of PN, 2) decreased laboratory surveillance does not delay diagnosis of PNRC, and 3) decreased lab frequency will reduce costs without …
Academia and Technology Transfer in the U.S.

Universities have made a significant contribution to innovation in the U.S. University research is continuously translated into technologies with an enormous impact on the American economy and society. Technology transfer from 1996 to 2015 has contributed over $1.3 trillion to the U.S. gross industrial output and resulted in millions of new jobs. During the past 25 years, more than 400,000 inventions have been disclosed to over 200 academic technology transfer offices across the U.S., resulting in approximately 80,000 patents. In 2017, for example, universities and research institutions executed about 8,000 license and option agreements and contributed to the creation of 755 products [1]. The wide-ranging influence of technologies created at universities cannot be overstated: technologies such as life-saving therapeutics and medical devices, materials, the computer, the internet, GPS, 3-D printing, genome editing, and artificial intelligence were all originally developed at U.S. universities.
Vessel-specific coronary perfusion territories using a CT angiogram with a minimum cost path technique and its direct comparison to the American Heart Association 17-segment model

This study compared the accuracy of an automated, vessel-specific minimum cost path (MCP) myocardial perfusion territory assignment technique as compared with the standard American Heart Association 17-segment (AHA) model. Six swine (42 ± 9 kg) were used to evaluate the accuracy of the MCP technique and the AHA method. In each swine, a dynamic acquisition, comprised of twenty consecutive whole heart volume scans, was acquired with a computed tomography scanner, following peripheral injection of contrast material. From this acquisition, MCP and AHA perfusion territories were determined, for the left (LCA) and right (RCA) coronary arteries. Each animal underwent additional dynamic acquisitions, consisting of twenty consecutive volume scans, following direct intracoronary contrast injection into the LCA or RCA. These images were used as the reference standard (REF) LCA and RCA perfusion territories. The MCP and AHA techniques’ perfusion territories were then quantitatively compared with the REF perfusion territories. The myocardial mass of MCP perfusion territories (MMCP) was related to the mass of reference standard perfusion territories (MREF) by MMCP = 0.99MREF + 0.39 g (r = 1.00; R2 = 1.00). The mass of AHA perfusion territories (MAHA) was related to MREF by MAHA = 0.81MREF + 5.03 g (r = 0.99; R2 = 0.98). The vessel-specific MCP myocardial perfusion territory assignment technique more accurately quantifies LCA and RCA perfusion territories as compared with the current standard AHA 17-segment model. Therefore, it can potentially provide a more comprehensive and patient-specific evaluation of coronary artery disease. • The minimum cost path (MCP) technique accurately determines left and right coronary artery perfusion territories, as compared with the American Heart Association 17-segment (AHA) model. • The minimum cost path (MCP) technique could be applied to cardiac computed-tomography angiography images to accurately determine patient-specific left and right coronary artery perfusion territories. • The American Heart Association 17-segment (AHA) model often fails to accurately determine left and right coronary artery perfusion territories, especially in the inferior and inferoseptal walls of the left ventricular myocardium.
Mitigating the global expansion of harmful cyanobacterial blooms: Moving targets in a human- and climatically-altered world

Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CyanoHABs) are a major threat to human and environmental health. As global proliferation of CyanoHABs continues to increase in prevalence, intensity, and toxicity, it is important to identify and integrate the underlying causes and controls of blooms in order to develop effective short- and long-term mitigation strategies. Clearly, nutrient input reductions should receive high priority. Legacy effects of multi-decadal anthropogenic eutrophication have altered limnetic systems such that there has been a shift from exclusive phosphorus (P) limitation to nitrogen (N) limitation and N and P co-limitation. Additionally, climate change is driving CyanoHAB proliferation through increasing global temperatures and altered precipitation patterns, including more extreme rainfall events and protracted droughts. These scenarios have led to the "perfect storm scenario"; increases in pulsed nutrient loading events, followed by persistent low-flow, long water residence times, favoring bloom formation and proliferation. To meet the CyanoHAB mitigation challenge, we must: (1) Formulate watershed and airshed-specific N and P input reductions on a sliding scale to meet anthropogenic and climatic forcings. (2) Develop CyanoHAB management strategies that incorporate current and anticipated climatic changes and extremes. (3) Make nutrient management strategies compatible with other physical-chemical-biological mitigation approaches, such as altering freshwater flow and flushing, dredging, chemical applications, introduction of selective grazers, etc. (4) Target CyanoHAB toxin production and developing management approaches to reduce toxin production. (5) Develop broadly applicable long-term strategies that incorporate the above recommendations.
Estimates of European American Ancestry in African Americans Using HFE p.C282Y

Background: HFE p.C282Y (chromosome 6p22.2; exon 4, c.845G>A; rs1800562), a hemochromatosis-associated polymorphism in European Americans, is absent in sub-Saharan West African blacks. Methods: We ...
The use of legal and social sanctions as a norming influence on texting while driving

Laws banning texting while driving in the United States have not been highly successful in curbing the target behaviour. The aim of the current study was to explore the influence of normative campa...
Research Note: Potential usage of DF-1 cell line as a new cell model for avian adipogenesis.

Current research of avian adipogenesis has been dependent on primary preadipocytes culture due to the lack of commercially available immortal preadipocyte cell lines in avian species. In addition to primary stromal vascular cells, primary chicken embryonic fibroblasts (CEF) were suggested as new in vitro models for adipogenesis study, because CEF can be differentiated into adipocytes by a combination of fatty acids and insulin (FI), or all-trans retinoic acid (atRA) alone in the media containing chicken serum (CS). However, there are decreases in differentiation of primary cells due to diverse population of cell types and low adipogenic potential of cells after passages. In the present study, adipogenic differentiation of DF-1 cells, immortal fibroblasts derived from an embryonic chicken, was tested with 4 different medium; 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS), 10% CS, 10% CS with FI, and 10% CS with FI and atRA. Lipid droplets stained with Oil Red O were not shown in DF-1 cells under 10% FBS, appeared with very small sizes under 10% CS, significantly increased under 10% CS with FI, and most significantly accumulated under 10% CS with FI and atRA. In addition, expressions of markers for adipogenesis (Znf423, C/ebpβ, Pparγ, and Fabp4), fatty acid uptake (CD36), triglyceride synthesis (Gpd1, Dgat2), and lipid droplet stabilization (Plin1) were significantly upregulated by supplementation of 10% CS with FI and atRA. Morphological evidence for formation of lipid droplets and dramatic induction of adipogenic marker genes support the adipogenic potential of DF-1 cells, offering DF-1 cells as a new cell model to investigate various research studies involving avian adipogenesis.
Extrinsic Calibration of Camera and Motion Capture Systems

When working with camera sensors, especially in research and development efforts, it is often important to be able to locate the camera optical coordinate frame with reference to a global coordinate frame. In this work, we use a motion capture system and fiducial markers to estimate the translational and rotational offsets between the camera frame relative to a tracked motion capture (MoCap) marker frame. The solution provides tools critical for creation, validation, experimentation and deployment of imaging systems with far reaching applications in vision systems and mobile robotics. The proposed calibration protocol uses three pose estimates: thepose of camera w.r.t fiducial markers, the pose of fiducial marker w.r.t MoCap defined global frame and the pose of camera marker w.r.t. MoCap defined global frame to produce a real-time stream of the calibration parameters. The Robot Operating System (ROS) serves to interpolate sensed pose data to create time-synchronous pose estimates from which the extrinsic parameters can be directly calculated. We provide detailed analysis of our results and demonstrate the consistency and robustness of this approach. The link to the open-source code and detailed documentation is also provided11GitHub Repository.
Using health information technology to improve collection of family cancer history: prospective randomized trial of web-based tool in a gynecologic oncology outpatient clinic

Objectives: In the US there are approximately 4 million individuals with a genetic cancer predisposition syndrome, however, the majority are not aware and cannot benefit from genetically-targeted cancer prevention. Family cancer history (FCH) can identify high risk patients and triage them to genetic assessment, however there is wide variability in accuracy, breadth and strategies for FCH collection. We aim to evaluate whether a web-based tool (WBT) can result in improved quality of FCH versus standard FCH collection via face-to-face interview. Methods: All patients scheduled for a gynecologic oncology new patient visit between 9/2019-9/2020 were offered enrollment in an institutional review board-approved prospective trial. Patients were randomized to one of three arms: 1) standard of care FCH collection during the interview, 2) WBT administered at home prior to the visit, 3) WBT administered in the office prior to the visit. The primary endpoint was evaluation of FCH quality based on established quality measures. Chi-square test was used to compare FCH quality between intervention arms and ANOVA test for the number of relatives/generations in the pedigree. A Bonferroni correction was used to account for multiple comparison testing. Results: A total of 100 patients were enrolled. The mean age was 56.2 years (SD 15.2). The WBT was completed successfully by 67% (22) of patients randomized to home administration vs 94% (31) randomized to office administration (P=0.01). Patients cited the following reasons for failure to complete the WBT at home: difficulty with technology, concern about privacy and forgetting about the WBT invitation. In the intention-to-treat analysis, office WBT collection resulted in significantly higher quality FCH vs the control and home arms (Table 1). The WBT resulted in significantly greater mean number of relatives included in the pedigree (Arm 1 - 3.9 [SD 3.0], Arm 2 - 32.4 [SD 16.8], Arm 3 - 29.0 [SD 18.3], P Download : Download high-res image (102KB) Download : Download full-size image Conclusions: FCH collection is an exciting application of information technology in the current healthcare setting with a growing emphasis on cancer genetics, disease prevention and thoughtful use of WBTs. In our cohort of gynecologic-oncology patients, a WBT resulted in significantly higher quality and more comprehensive family cancer pedigrees. With the COVID-19 pandemic inspired drive to minimize in-office time, future studies must assess strategies to improve patient engagement with WBT at home prior to the visit.
Local SARS-CoV-2 peptide-specific Immune Responses in Convalescent and Uninfected Human Lung Tissue Models

Multi-specific and long-lasting T cell immunity have been recognized as indicators for long term protection against pathogens including the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of the COVID-19 pandemic. Functional significance of peripheral memory T cell subsets in COVID-19 convalescents (CONV) are beginning to be appreciated;but little is known about lung resident memory T cell (lung TRM) responses and their role in limiting the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we utilize a perfusion three dimensional (3D) human lung tissue model and identify pre-existing local T cell immunity against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and structural antigens in the lung tissues. We report ex vivo maintenance of functional multi-specific IFN-gamma secreting lung TRM in CONV and their induction in lung tissues of vaccinated CONV. Importantly, we identify SARS-CoV-2 spike peptide-responding B cells in lung tissues of CONV in ex vivo 3D-tissue models. Our study highlights a balanced and local anti-viral immune response in the lung and persistent induction of TRM cells as an essential component for future protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Further, our data suggest that inclusion of multiple viral antigens in vaccine approaches may broaden the functional profile of memory T cells to combat the severity of coronavirus infection.
Marijuana and tobacco use and co-use among African Americans: results from the 2013, National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

Abstract Background Although studies have identified an increased likelihood of marijuana and tobacco co-use among African Americans as compared to other racial groups, few studies have specifically examined the prevalence and substance use characteristics of co-users among African Americans in a national survey. Methods The current secondary analysis examined the prevalence rates and substance use characteristics (e.g., marijuana dependence) of 2024 African American past month marijuana and tobacco users and co-users participating in the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Results Findings revealed that 18.5%, 53.8% and 27.7% of African Americans smoked marijuana only, tobacco only and marijuana and tobacco in the past 30 days, respectively. Relative to participants who smoked marijuana only, African Americans who smoked marijuana and tobacco were more likely to be marijuana dependent in the past year and report more days of marijuana use in the past month. Further, relative to participants who smoked tobacco only, African Americans who smoked marijuana and tobacco were less likely to be dependent on nicotine, reported fewer days of cigarette use in the past month, and began smoking cigarettes, cigars and marijuana at a younger age, but were more likely to be marijuana dependent in the past year and reported more days of cigar use in the past month. Conclusions Marijuana and tobacco co-use is a significant public health problem, especially among African Americans. Additional research on effective prevention and treatment interventions for African Americans who smoke marijuana and tobacco is warranted.
Elliptic Curves: Function Theory, Geometry, Arithmetic

1. First ideas: complex manifolds, Riemann surfaces, and projective curves 2. Elliptic functions and elliptic integrals 3. Theta functions 4. Modular groups and molecular functions 5. Ikosaeder and the quintic 6. Imaginary quadratic fields 7. The arithmetic of elliptic fields.
Book Value, Residual Earnings, and Equilibrium Firm Value with Asymmetric Information

The residual income valuation model (RIM) by Ohlson (1995) and Feltham and Ohlson (1995) assumes that investors are risk-neutral with homogenous beliefs. Thus, the present value of expected dividends represents firm value. The purpose of the present study is to derive a RIM in a market setting of the Kyle (1985) type. Since traders are asymmetrically informed in the Kyle setting, firm value is no longer equivalent to the present value of the firm's expected dividends. In the present model, the informed investor observes a signal about the firm's profitability, which the market maker (who sets the price) is unable to observe. The market maker infers the informed investor's private signal based on the total order flow, which is an informative but noisy signal. The analysis identifies the equilibrium firm value as a linear function of current book value, current residual income, and the aggregate order flow.
Multiple disease (fault) diagnosis with applications to the QMR-DT problem

In this paper, we present three classes of computationally efficient algorithms that can handle cases with hundreds of positive findings in QMR-DT(Quick Medical Reference, Decision-Theoretic) Network. These include Lagrangian Relaxation Algorithm (LRA), Primal Heuristic Algorithm (PHA), and Approximate Belief Revision Algorithm (ABR). These algorithms solve the QMR-DT problem by finding the most likely set of diseases given the findings. Extensive computational experiments have shown that LRA obtains the best solutions among the three algorithms proposed within a relatively small processing time. We also show that the Variational Probabilistic Inference method is a special case of our LRA. The solutions are generic and have application to multiple fault diagnosis in complex industrial systems.
A radioimmunoassay for HBcAg in the sera of HBsAg carriers: Serum HBcAg, serum DNA polymerase activity, and liver HBcAg immunofluorescence as markers of chronic liver disease

Abstract A procedure was developed to detect Dane particle-associated HB c Ag in blood of HB s Ag carriers with high titers of anti-HB c . Dane particles were separated from anti-HB c by gel filtration (Sepharose 4B) and centrifugation of the eluate through 20% (wt/ vol) sucrose at 40,000 rpm for 5 h, and the pellet was assayed for HB c Ag by a microtiter solid-phase radio-immunoassay (RIA). Despite a significant loss of antigenic activity throughout the procedure, the RIA for serum HB c Ag was a more sensitive and specific indicator of productive HBV infection than DNA polymerase assay of blood or 20-fold Dane particle concentrates from blood. HB c antigenemia correlated positively with HB c Ag in the liver by immunofluorescence and prevailed in patients with chronic hepatitis of the aggressive and persistent type; HB s Ag membrane fluorescence was prominent in the liver of patients with high serum concentrations of HB c Ag. HB c antigenemia was undetectable in 7 patients with chronic hepatitis and HB c Ag in the liver. This finding and lack of correlation between the amount of HB c Ag expressed in the liver and that circulating in the blood, indicates that under circumstances related to development of chronic liver disease, HB antigens synthetized in the liver may not be released into the blood. A negative serum HB c Ag by RIA is of limited clinical value, but a positive test is significant and can provide useful information on synthesis of HB c Ag in the absence of a liver biopsy data.
Power and sensor semiconductors driving automotive applications

Cars are increasingly driven by electronics to reduce human error, improve traffic flow and to meet environmental regulations. The semiconductor components that enable this functionality range from medium voltage discretes to replace relays to integrated, high-voltage motor drivers with re-programmability at high temperature. In this talk we will review the technology trends underlying the improvements in power discretes, such as IGBTs and GaN HEMT devices, the scaling trends and integration needs of high-voltage BCD CMOS flows, as well as the adjacent assembly challenges of power devices and power integrated modules.
A graphics-based system that supports the program understanding process

A visual system called PEEC (program execution environment configuration) that is designed to support the program understanding process through the use of the program's flow model represented in three-dimensional space is described. PEEC augments the control model by localizing source code and displaying identifiers based on their scope definition. The building blocks, tiers, used to construct a graphical model of the program's execution flow are defined. The format of the flow model in three-dimensional space is also defined. The tiers and the three-dimensional configuration of these tiers form the basis for the graphical representation of the program's execution environment. Examples of the flow model are provided that demonstrate the user's options as he/she browses the flow model. >
The triumph of regulatory politics: Benefit–cost analysis and political salience

While benefit–cost analysis (BCA) is now a permanent part of the regulatory process in the United States, and many other countries around the world as well as the European Union have adopted it or are moving toward it, there have been few empirical attempts to assess either whether its use improves regulations or how BCA interacts with the political environment. We use a unique US database of the costs and benefits of 109 economically significant regulations issued between 2000 and 2009 to examine whether the amount of information provided in the BCA or political factors surrounding the regulation better correlate with the net benefits of the regulation. We find that there is little correlation between the information provided by the analysis and the net benefits. However, we find that regulations that receive few public comments and are not issued at the end of an administration, have the highest net benefits. These are the regulations that are the least politically salient. This interaction between the political environment and the economic performance of a regulation has been under-examined and deserves further study.
Principals and student outcomes: Evidence from U.S. high schools

Abstract This paper presents an empirical analysis of the effects of principals on public high school students' academic achievement, using High School and Beyond . Despite policy relevance, previous qualitative and quantitative research provides little systematic evidence on principal effects, at least for high schools. Principal characteristics and variables designed to capture less tangible aspects of the principal's role are included in educational production functions. The results suggest principals do have a measurable impact on student achievement, through the selection of teachers and setting of academically oriented school goals.
Zinc dithizonate staining in the cat hippocampus: relationship to the mossy-fiber neuropil and postnatal development.

Abstract The formation of a colored dithizonate complex in the vicinity of the mossy-fiber axons in the hippocampus was investigated in the cat. Two histochemical tests indicate that the dithizonate complex which is formed is zinc dithizonate. Comparison of Golgi-impregnated material with dithizonate-labeled material indicates that the zinc dithizonate staining is coextensive with the mossy-fiber neuropil throughout the hippocampus. Also, studies using the dithizone reaction with kittens show that the mossy-fiber region contains small but detectable amounts of zinc at 1 week of age and that the adult concentration of zinc in the region is not attained until 13 weeks of age or later. Taken together, the results support the notion that there is a pool of chelatable zinc uniquely associated with the mossy-fiber system of the hippocampus.
The role of personality in cognitive-behavioral therapies

Trait-based theories of personality explain behavior across situations based on a set of broad personality attributes or dimensions. In contrast, recent social-cognitive theories of personality emphasize the importance of context and take a combined nomothetic/idiographic approach to personality. The social-cognitive perspective on personality resembles cognitive-behavioral therapies, which explain behavior in particular situations based on interactions of specific cognitions, mood states, and stimulus conditions. This article considers how contemporary personality theory and research might be integrated into the study of the outcomes and processes associated with cognitive-behavioral therapies. We propose that applying the social-cognitive perspective on personality to the study of how cognitive-behavioral therapies work provides both validation of current theories and promising directions for additional research. We review the research literatures on cognitive theories of psychopathology and cognitive-behavioral treatments to examine how the topic of personality has been addressed in those literatures to date. We then explore some commonalities between cognitive theories of psychopathology and psychotherapy and recent social-cognitive approaches to personality, suggesting that an integration of the two areas is overdue.
Correlation of Chest Roentgenograms With Pulmonary Function and Bronchoalveolar Lavage in Interstitial Lung Disease

We used the ILO classification for occupational lung disease to determine whether there was any correlation between the type and/or severity of pulmonary infiltration on chest roentgenograms and either pulmonary function tests or the types of inflammatory cells present in BAL fluid in patients with interstitial lung disease. Of the 62 patients evaluated (27 with sarcoidosis, 18 with IPF, and 17 with a CV disease and lung involvement), 49 had irregular linear opacities and 13 had normal chest x-rays. There were no significant correlations between the types of cells present in BAL fluid and the various categories of infiltrate or profusion of the infiltrates within each disease group. In patients with sarcoidosis, more extensive infiltration (profusion) was associated with lower FEV 1 (p
Stochastic model of autocrine and paracrine signals in cell culture assays.

Autocrine signaling systems are commonly studied under cell culture conditions. In a typical cell culture assay, a layer of liquid medium covers a random two-dimensional dispersion of cells, which secrete ligands. In a growing number of experiments, it is important to characterize the spatial range of autocrine and paracrine cell communication. Currently, the spatial distribution of diffusing signals can be analyzed only indirectly, from their effects on the intracellular signaling or physiological responses of autocrine cells. To directly characterize the spatial range of secreted ligands, we propose a stochastic model for autocrine cell cultures and analyze it using a combination of analytical and computational tools. The two main results derived within the framework of this model are 1), an expression for the fraction of autocrine trajectories, i.e., the probability for a ligand to be trapped by the same cell from which it has been secreted; and 2), an expression for the spatial distribution of trapping points of paracrine trajectories. We test these analytical results by stochastic simulations with efficient Brownian dynamics code and apply our model to analyze the spatial operation of autocrine epidermal growth factor receptor systems.
Practice Trends of American Urologists in the Treatment of Impotence, Incontinence and Infertility

AbstractPurpose: Trends of urologist practice patterns in evaluating and treating impotence, incontinence and infertility in the United States were assessed.Materials and Methods: In July 1995 the executive interviewing branch of the Gallup Organization selected randomly and interviewed by telephone 533 practicing urologists in the United States who had provided urological patient care for more than 20 hours per week, practiced in 1994 and completed a urological residency program.Results: Treatment of male sexual dysfunction and female urinary incontinence comprises a significant portion of the professional activity of United States urologists. However, evaluation and management of male infertility occupy a small portion of the average urological work load. While more than half of United States urologist office clinical laboratories were inspected in 1994, only 2 percent failed evaluation due to major deficiencies.Conclusions: Male sexual dysfunction and female urinary incontinence are major areas of urol...