cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Parity and parents' health in later life: The gendered case of Ismailia, Egypt

We investigate the relationship between reproduction and functional health in later life among women and men in the resource-poor and gender-stratified setting of Ismailia governorate, Egypt. Analyses of survey data collected in 2003 show a statistically significant positive association between parity and difficulty with activities of daily living (ADLs), controlling for demographic and socio-economic factors and other co-morbid conditions. We also find that the number of daughters (but not sons) is associated with worse physical functioning, and this association is more pronounced for older fathers than for older mothers. Our results indicate that both biological and social pathways link fertility and later-life health in this context, and that prescribed familial roles may underlie the differential impact of sons and daughters on the health of mothers and fathers in later life.
International capital mobility: Evidence from panel cointegration tests

Abstract Panel cointegration techniques applied to pooled data for 50 developed and developing economies for the period 1970–2000 indicate that savings and investment are non-stationary and cointegrated, that there are marked differences in saving–retention ratios between different country groups, and that retention ratios have fallen.
Tafazzins from Drosophila and mammalian cells assemble in large protein complexes with a short half-life.

Abstract Tafazzin is a transacylase that affects cardiolipin fatty acid composition and mitochondrial function. Mutations in human tafazzin cause Barth syndrome yet the enzyme has mostly been characterized in yeast. To study tafazzin in higher organisms, we isolated mitochondria from Drosophila and mammalian cell cultures. Our data indicate that tafazzin binds to multiple protein complexes in these organisms, and that the interactions of tafazzin lack strong specificity. Very large tafazzin complexes could only be detected in the presence of cardiolipin, but smaller complexes remained intact even upon treatment with phospholipase A2. In mammalian cells, tafazzin had a half-life of only 3–6 h, which was much shorter than the half-life of other mitochondrial proteins. The data suggest that tafazzin is a transient resident of multiple protein complexes.
Evaluation of Fermentative Bacteria in a Model Low Salt Cucumber Juice Brine

Bifidobacterium bifidum, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactococcus diacetylactis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Leuconostoc oenos, Pediococcus pentosaceus and a mixed culture of Propionibacterium shermanii and P. pentosaceus were used to ferment a model low salt (2.5% NaCl) cucumber juice brine at 22–26°C for 39 days. Percent sugar fermented ranged from 16.2 to 87.7. Substrates were citric acid, fructose, glucose and malic acid. Fermentation products quantitated were acetic acid, acetoin, ethanol, lactic acid, mannitol, and propionic acid with percent carbon recovery varying from 71.1 to 101.1. Final pH ranged 3.24 to 4.12. Each fermentation differed quantitatively in substrates and products formed suggesting use of these bacteria as cultures to ferment low salt brined cucumbers and generate a variety of unique organoleptic properties.
Patients' satisfaction with hospitalization in a mixed psychiatric and somatic care unit.

A patient satisfaction survey was undertaken in a mixed psychiatric and somatic care unit. An anonymous self-report questionnaire covering setting and satisfaction with care was completed by 60 patients. Median age was 42 (range 20–64), and the majority female (63%). Main ICD-10 diagnostic categories were depressive disorders (51.7%), substance-related disorders (33%) and personality disorders (25%). Somatic comorbidity was present in 60% of patients. Overall satisfaction with care and setting was high. Higher satisfaction was significantly associated with a history of previous hospitalizations in a psychiatric hospital and with being referred to the program by a psychiatrist. These findings emphasize the perceived advantages of mixed units, such as decreased stigmatization of psychiatric inpatients and opportunity to receive adequate treatment for both physical and mental problems during a single hospital stay.
Anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody effects cellular hyporesponsiveness and prolongs renal allograft survival in the rat.

Abstract LEW strain rats received BN strain renal allografts and were treated with daily injections of 100 μg BWH-4, a new IgG2a mouse anti-rat CD4 monoclonal antibody, intravenously for 5 to 10 days. These animals had a median actuarial survival of 28 days. Control animals rejected their grafts and died of uremia between day 6 and 8 post transplant. Animals treated with BWH-4 did not suffer acute graft loss and had stable renal function throughout the follow-up period of 5 weeks. Peripheral blood, lymph node, and splenic lymphocytes showed 60–80% decrease in the CD4+ subset which normalized by 4 weeks after transplantation. There was depressed proliferative response of lymph node cells to alloantigen and mitogen which persisted up to 4 weeks after cessation of therapy. Treated animals produced anti-BN antibodies as well as antibodies to the infused BWH-4. There was no correlation, however, between these humoral responses and allograft function. We conclude that low-dose monotherapy with the BWH-4 anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody effects cellular hyporesponsiveness, prevents acute renal allograft rejection, and prolongs survival.
Periodic planar disc packings.

Several conditions are given when a packing of equal discs in a torus is locally maximally dense, where the torus is defined as the quotient of the plane by a two-dimensional lattice. Conjectures a...
Geothermal exploration in the azores: 180/160 in calcites from volcanic rocks

Abstract The oxygen isotope composition of calcite veins and vugs in basalts from a drill site on the island of Sao Miguel show near-equilibration with fresh water at observed temperatures only at a depth of 600–700 m. This is interpreted to mean that the greatest flow of hot water may be occurring in this depth interval.
A new technique for surgical correction of bronchial stenosis

Bronchial stenosis in children presents an even more challenging reconstructive procedure than does tracheal stenosis because of the smaller luminal diameter of the bronchus. Multiple techniques have been used, with varying success. Pericardium is readily available and can be used as a bronchial patch; however, it is floppy and tends to collapse, resulting in luminal narrowing and eventual scarring leading to restenosis. We devised a technique that uses glutaraldehyde-soaked pericardium with a rib cartilage stent to reconstruct the bronchus in two children who had main-stem bronchial stenosis.
The electronic structure and spectra of UO

Abstract Relativistic effective potentials are used to calculate the electronic structure and spectroscopic properties of UO + . The lowest-energy states are very ioinc and the molecular orbitals substantially localized so that the molecule is described by the ionic fragments, U 3+ (f 3 , 4 I) and O 2- ( 1 S).The R e and ω e of the ground Ω = 9/2 state have been determined to be 3.48 bohr and 925 cm −3 . The vibrational and electronic states are interleaved with the lowest excited electronic state, Ω = 7/2, at 1315 cm −3 . The excitation energies of the excited states of UO + were calculated using a restricted valence configuration interaction. Strong radiative transitions are predicted in the red part of the visible.
Downsizing of valve allografts for use as right heart conduits

Abstract In recent years, there has been a worsening shortage of small and intermediate-sized aortic and pulmonary allografts for use as right ventricular-to-pulmonary artery conduits in infants and children. However, there is a surfeit of large pulmonary and aortic allografts from adult donors. The feasibility of reducing a large allograft to a more useful size was examined using human pulmonary and aortic allografts. Eleven pulmonary allografts (11 to 26 mm in diameter) and nine aortic allografts (5 to 27 mm in diameter) were studied. Valve competence before downsizing was tested with a column of saline to a static pressure equivalent to the normal pulmonary pressure (20 mm Hg). Regurgitant flow was measured for 15 minutes. One complete cusp of the valve was excised, together with a longitudinal strip of the arterial wall. A bicuspid valved conduit was created by suturing the allograft longitudinally. The diameter of the bicuspid valve was measured with a dilator. A nomogram was constructed that predicts the size of the bicuspid allograft based on the size of the original allograft. The competence of the bicuspid allograft was tested and the regurgitant flow was compared with that of the original tricuspid allograft. The transvalvular systolic pressure gradient was measured with the bicuspid allograft placed in a pulsatile extracorporeal perfusion circuit at a flow rale of 1 L/min and a mean pressure of 20.5 ± 2.6 mm Hg. The regurgitant Sow before and after downsizing was 242.9 ± 297.9 mL/15 min and 7.3 ± 9.5 mL/15 min ( p = 0.016), respectively, for pulmonary allografts and 113.6 ± 149.5 mL/15 min and 1.5 ± 2.1 mL/15 min ( p = 0.039), respectively, for aortic allografts. The pressure gradient after downsizing was 1.1 ± 1.3 mm Hg for pulmonary allografts and 2.5 ± 2.1 mm Hg for aortic allografts. The diameter after downsizing ranged from 7 to 18 mm for pulmonary allografts and from 4 to 18 mm for aortic allografts. The linear regression equation with respect to the diameter before downsizing was Y=0.713X − 1.338 ( r = 0.986) for pulmonary allografts and Y=0.640X + 0.460 ( r = 0.995) for aortic allografts. Bicuspid allografts were found to be significantly more competent than the original allografts and to have minimal pressure gradients in an in vitro system. We conclude that it is feasible to downsize allografts for use as right ventricular-to-pulmonary artery conduits.
Improving accuracy and confidence in distal radius volar plate screw placement through supplemental radiography: examining specialty, education, and experience levels

Background The purpose of this study was to assess the extent to which a supplemental radiographic view increases accuracy and confidence ratings when determining screw placement in volar plating of distal radius fractures for evaluators of different specialties and experience levels.
Enhancing the estimation of continental-scale snow water equivalent by assimilating MODIS snow cover with the ensemble Kalman filter

[1] High-quality continental-scale snow water equivalent (SWE) data sets are generally not available, although they are important for climate research and water resources management. This study investigates the feasibility of a framework for developing such needed data sets over North America, through the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) approach, which assimilates the snow cover fraction observed by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) into the Community Land Model (CLM). We use meteorological forcing from the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) to drive the CLM and apply a snow density-based observation operator. This new operator is able to fit the observed seasonally varying relationship between the snow cover fraction and the snow depth. Surface measurements from Canada and the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) estimates (in particular regions) are used to evaluate the assimilation results. The filter performance, including its ensemble statistics in different landscapes and climatic zones, is interpreted. Compared to the open loop, the EnKF method more accurately simulates the seasonal variability of SWE and reduces the uncertainties in the ensemble spread. Different simulations are also compared with spatially distributed climatological statistics from a re-gridded data set, which shows that the SWE estimates from the EnKF are most improved in the mountainous west, the northern Great Plains, and the west and east coast regions. Limitations of the assimilation system are analyzed, and the domain-wide innovation mean and normalized innovation variance are assessed, yielding valuable insights (e.g., about the misrepresentation of filter parameters) as to implementing the EnKF method for large-scale snow properties estimation.
The communication disorder in dialysis dementia: A case report

Abstract The communication disorder in dialysis dementia is an integral feature of the syndrome. This report describes the communication disorder in a 67-year-old man over a period of 4 months from his admission to the hospital to his death. In the early stage of the syndrome, the most prominent feature was a speech problem, the characteristics of which may vary among cases. In the middle stage, it was difficult to distinguish among aphemia, aphasia, or a combination of dysarthria and confusional state. The severity of the problems in these stages was temporally related to the dialysis treatments. The final stage was characterized by constant mutism and was unrelated to the dialysis treatments. Death occurred 10 months after the communication problems emerged. Communication studies of dialysis dementia patients may offer a systematic method to monitor the course of the syndrome, its response to therapeutic trials, and a clinical model for the study of communication disorders in general.
Correlated insulated phase suggests bond order between band and mott insulators in two dimensions.

We investigate the ground state phase diagram of the half-filled repulsive Hubbard model in two dimensions in the presence of a staggered potential $\ensuremath{\Delta}$, the so-called ionic Hubbard model, using cluster dynamical mean-field theory. We find that for large Coulomb repulsion, $U\ensuremath{\gg}\ensuremath{\Delta}$, the system is a Mott insulator (MI). For weak to intermediate values of $\ensuremath{\Delta}$, on decreasing $U$, the Mott gap closes at a critical value ${U}_{c1}(\ensuremath{\Delta})$ beyond which a correlated insulating phase with possible bond order is found. Further, this phase undergoes a first-order transition to a band insulator (BI) at ${U}_{c2}(\ensuremath{\Delta})$ with a finite charge gap at the transition. For large $\ensuremath{\Delta}$, there is a direct first-order transition from a MI to a BI with a single metallic point at the phase boundary.
Important Therapeutic Targets in Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia

Purpose: Review the state-of-art knowledge of the biology and therapy of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Experimental Design: A review of the literature was undertaken to summarize current information on the pathophysiology of CML and to update data of imatinib mesylate therapy, mechanisms of resistance, and in vitro and clinical data with the new tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Results: Imatinib, which targets the ABL kinase activity of BCR-ABL, has prolonged survival in CML. Despite the efficacy of imatinib, some patients in chronic phase and more in advanced phases of CML develop resistance, frequently as a result of BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase domain mutants that impair imatinib binding but retain enzymatic activity. New tyrosine kinase inhibitors inhibit BCR-ABL more potently than imatinib and maintain activity against an array of imatinib-resistant BCR-ABL mutants. The IC 50 values of nilotinib and dasatinib are at least 10- to 100-fold lower for BCR-ABL compared with imatinib. Phase I-II trials of nilotinib and dasatinib showed high activity in imatinib-resistant CML and Philadelphia chromosome–positive ALL. Dasatinib also inhibits members of the Src family of kinases (SFKs); nilotinib does not. Whether SFKs have a critical role in imatinib resistance or BCR-ABL–mediated oncogenesis is unresolved. Agents that target signals downstream of BCR-ABL (e.g. Ras/Raf and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase) are under investigation. Conclusions: Understanding the pathophysiology of CML and mechanisms of resistance has produced effective targeted strategies for imatinib-resistant CML.
Analysis of application heartbeats: learning structural and temporal features in time series data for identification of performance problems

Grids promote new modes of scientific collaboration and discovery by connecting distributed instruments, data and computing facilities. Because many resources are shared, application performance can vary widely and unexpectedly. We describe a novel performance analysis framework that reasons temporally and qualitatively about performance data from multiple monitoring levels and sources. The framework periodically analyzes application performance states by generating and interpreting signatures containing structural and temporal features from time-series data. Signatures are compared to expected behaviors and in case of mismatches, the framework hints at causes of degraded performance, based on unexpected behavior characteristics previously learned by application exposure to known performance stress factors. Experiments with two scientific applications reveal signatures that have distinct characteristics during well-performing versus poor-performing executions. The ability to automatically and compactly generate signatures capturing fundamental differences between good and poor application performance states is essential to improving the quality of service for Grid applications.
A derivative of amiloride blocks both the light-regulated and cyclic GMP-regulated conductances in rod photoreceptors

Vertebrate rod photoreceptors in the dark maintain an inward current across the outer segment membrane. The photoresponse results from a light-induced suppression of this dark current. The light-regulated current is not sensitive to either tetrodotoxin or amiloride, potent blockers of Na+ channels. Here, we report that a derivative of amiloride, 3',4'-dichlorobenzamil (DCPA), completely suppresses the dark current and light response recorded from rod photoreceptors. DCPA also blocks a cyclic GMP-activated current in excised patches of rod plasma membrane and a cGMP-induced Ca++ flux from rod disk membranes. These results are consistent with the notion that the Ca++ flux mechanism in the disk membrane and the light-regulated conductance in the plasma membrane are identical. DCPA also inhibits the Na/Ca exchange mechanism in intact rods, but at a 5-10-fold-higher concentration than is required to block the cGMP-activated flux and current. The blocking action of DCPA in 10 nM Ca++ is different from that in 1 mM Ca++, which suggests either that the conductance state of the light-regulated channel may be modified in high and low concentrations of Ca++, or that there may be two ionic channels in the rod outer segment membrane.
Minireview: Nuclear Receptor and Coregulator Proteomics—2012 and Beyond

The focus of our decade-long National Institutes of Health-sponsored NURSA Proteomics Atlas was to catalog and understand the composition of the steady-state interactome for all nuclear receptor coregulator complexes in a human cell. In this Perspective, we present a summary of the proteomics of coregulator complexes with examples of how one might use the NURSA data for future exploitation. The application of this information to the identification of the coregulator proteins that contribute to the molecular basis of polygenic diseases is emphasized.
New Insights in the Role of Cardiac Myosin Binding Protein C As a Regulator of Cardiac Contractility

See related article, pages 884–890 Myosin Binding Protein C is a large multidomain protein that is found in the A-band region of the sarcomere where it associates with the thick filament.1 Mutations in cardiac myosin binding protein C (cMyBP-C) are a major cause of familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy2 but the functions of cMyBP-C are not well resolved. In this issue Moss and colleagues (Stelzer et al3) provide important new insights in the role of cMyBP-C in the regulation of cardiac muscle contraction. A binding site for the light meromyosin (LMM) domain of myosin is found near the C-terminus of MyBP-C and a second site that binds the S2 domain of myosin is present near the N-terminus of MyBP-C.4 The cardiac MyBP-C isoform contains protein kinase A (PKA) phosphorylation sites within the S2 binding site that are absent in skeletal muscle isoforms. Although phosphorylating these residues abolishes binding to myosin S2,4 the functional role of this phosphorylation is not well understood. Stelzer et al3 examined the effect of PKA on stretch activation in skinned cardiac myocytes of wildtype and cMyBP-C KO mice. Their findings provide an important piece of the puzzle—cMyBP-C slows crossbridge cycling kinetics (confirming earlier results5) and, importantly, this effect can be relieved by PKA-based phosphorylation of cMyBP-C. It is well known from work initiated by Professor Pringle mid last century that stretch activation is most pronounced in asynchronous flight muscle, where it gives rise to wing beat frequencies that far exceed the capacity of the sarcoplasmic reticulum to activate and relax myofilaments.6 Although cardiac muscle largely relies on calcium cycling for activation and relaxation, several decades ago Steiger and colleagues7 and more recently Moss and colleagues8 have shown that stretch activation …
Epigenetic transgenerational actions of vinclozolin on the development of disease and cancer.

Exposure to an environmental endocrine disruptor (e.g., vinclozolin) dur- ing embryonic gonadal sex determination appears to alter the male germ line epigenome and subsequently promotes transgenerational adult onset disease. The epigenetic mecha- nism involves the induction of new imprinted-like genes/DNA sequences in the germ line that appear to transmit disease phenotypes. The disease phenotypes include testis abnor- malities, prostate disease, kidney disease, immune abnormalities, and tumor development. This epigenetic transgenerational disease mechanism provides a unique perspective from which to view inheritable adult onset disease states, such as cancer, and ultimately offers new insights into novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
The Tennessee State University Automatic Spectroscopic Telescope: Data Processing and Velocity Variation of Cool Giants

This paper discusses data reduction for an echelle spectrograph we have developed for an automatic telescope at Tennessee State University and are using to monitor radial velocities and line profiles of cool giant and supergiant stars. Although our approach to data reduction is rather conventional, we discuss flat-fielding and extraction of velocities in ways that should be of general interest, establish a transformation to the IAU radial velocity system (+0.35 ± 0.09 km s–1), and determine the external precision for measured velocities (0.10-0.11 km s–1). Also, we present results of the first 2-3 years of monitoring radial velocities in about 120 cool giants and compare those results with the level of variability found with photometry. These new data confirm the widely held understanding that K and M giants are all radial velocity variables at the level of 0.1 km s–1.
Nucleolar Separation from Chromosomes during Aspergillus nidulans Mitosis Can Occur Without Spindle Forces

How the nucleolus is segregated during mitosis is poorly understood and occurs by very different mechanisms during closed and open mitosis. Here we report a new mechanism of nucleolar segregation involving removal of the nucleolar-organizing regions (NORs) from nucleoli during Aspergillus nidulans mitosis. This involves a double nuclear envelope (NE) restriction which generates three NE-associated structures, two daughter nuclei (containing the NORs), and the nucleolus. Therefore, a remnant nucleolar structure can exist in the cytoplasm without NORs. In G1, this parental cytoplasmic nucleolus undergoes sequential disassembly releasing nucleolar proteins to the cytoplasm as nucleoli concomitantly reform in daughter nuclei. By depolymerizing microtubules and mutating spindle assembly checkpoint function, we demonstrate that a cycle of nucleolar "segregation" can occur without a spindle in a process termed spindle-independent mitosis (SIM). During SIM physical separation of the NOR from the nucleolus occurs, and NE modifications promote expulsion of the nucleolus to the cytoplasm. Subsequently, the cytoplasmic nucleolus is disassembled and rebuilt at a new site around the nuclear NOR. The data demonstrate the existence of a mitotic machinery for nucleolar segregation that is normally integrated with mitotic spindle formation but that can function without it.
Martian fluidized crater morphology: Variations with crater size, latitude, altitude, and target material

The paper investigates the influence of crater latitude, target material, and elevation on the morphology of the ejecta facies and crater interiors as a function of crater diameter. It is shown that only pancake craters exhibit latitudinal variation in their distribution. It is also shown that several crater types are associated with specific target materials: radial textured craters are found primarily on Tharsis and Elysium lavas, and pancake craters are found on fractured terrain, old lavas, and channel materials. Craters formed on recent lavas more frequently possess secondary craters, central peaks, and terraces than primary craters found on other geological units. The maximum radial extent of fluidized ejecta is demonstrated to be a function of crater altitude and latitude.
Hyperactivation of Signal Transduction Systems in Alzheimer's Diseasea

A compromise or deregulation in signal transduction cascades could adversely affect cellular functions and possibly contribute to cell death. In recent years, it has become increasingly apparent that pronounced activation of neuronal signal transduction systems is a characteristic of AD brain. There is evidence that signal transduction systems play a role in the formation or development of these pathological features of AD. Aberrant activity and localization of components of signaling mechanisms (growth factors, their receptors, protein kinases, phosphoprotein phosphatases, and phosphoproteins) are closely associated with the intracellular accumulation of PHF, the extracellular deposition of amyloid, and the formation of neuritic plaques in AD brain. In particular, immunohistochemical studies reveal increased levels of neuronal staining for APP, possibly an important growth factor in AD, both in frontal cortex and hippocampus. Anti-APP immunostaining is also associated with the neuritic component of plaques. Additionally, PKC(beta II) immunostaining is increased in the neuronal cell body and neuropil of AD samples, particularly in association with plaques, suggesting a postsynaptic involvement of this enzyme. On the other hand, PKC(beta I) immunostaining is associated with axonal staining particularly in the sprouting neurites of plaques. Sprouting neuritic components of plaques are immunopositive with other growth-associated proteins, such as GAP43, MARCKS, and spectrin. Immunoreactivity of other members of signal transduction systems such as Fos and stathmin are all increased in AD hippocampal neurons. On the other hand, several protein kinases and phosphoproteins were immunolocalized to tangles. Thus, the hyperactivation and dysfunction of signal transduction systems could be involved in the pathogenesis of AD.
Lack of Evidence for Laboratory and Natural Vertical Transmission of Bluetongue Virus in Culicoides sonorensis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

Culicoides sonorensis (Wirth & Jones) is the principal North American vector of bluetongue virus (BTV). BTV infection of livestock is distinctly seasonal (late summer and fall) in temperate regions of the world such as California, which has led to speculation regarding vertical transmission of the virus within the midge vector as a potential mechanism for interseasonal maintenance ("overwintering") of the virus. To evaluate potential vertical transmission of BTV in its midge vector, we fed adult midges BTV-spiked blood and used a BTV-specific quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay to evaluate parent, egg, and progeny stages of laboratory-reared C. sonorensis for the presence of viral nucleic acid. Whereas BTV nucleic acid was weakly detected in egg batches of virus-fed female midges, virus was never detected in subsequent progeny stages (larvae, pupae, and F1 generation adults). Similarly, BTV was not detected in pools of larvae collected from the waste-water lagoon of a BTV-endemic dairy farm in northern California during the seasonal period of virus transmission. Collectively, these results indicate that BTV is not readily transmitted vertically in C. sonorensis, and that persistence of the virus in long-lived parous female midges is a more likely mechanism for overwintering of BTV in temperate regions.
Model testing for causal models

Finding cause-effect relationships is the central aim of many studies in the physical, behavioral, social and biological sciences. We consider two well-known mathematical causal models: Structural equation models and causal Bayesian networks. When we hypothesize a causal model, that model often imposes constraints on the statistics of the data collected. These constraints enable us to test or falsify the hypothesized causal model. The goal of our research is to develop efficient and reliable methods to test a causal model or distinguish between causal models using various types of constraints. For linear structural equation models, we investigate the problem of generating a small number of constraints in the form of zero partial correlations, providing an efficient way to test hypothesized models. We study linear structural equation models with correlated errors focusing on the graphical aspects of the models. We provide a set of local Markov properties and prove that they are equivalent to the global Markov property. For causal Bayesian networks, we study equality and inequality constraints imposed on data and investigate a way to use these constraints for model testing and selection. For equality constraints, we formulate an implicitization problem and show how we may reduce the complexity of the problem. We also study the algebraic structure of the equality constraints. For inequality constraints, we present a class of inequality constraints on both nonexperimental and interventional distributions.
Prosthetic Joint Infection Diagnosis using Broad-Range PCR of Biofilms Dislodged from Knee and Hip Arthroplasty Surfaces using Sonication

Periprosthetic tissue and/or synovial fluid PCR has been previously studied for prosthetic joint infection (PJI) diagnosis; however, few studies have assessed the utility of PCR on biofilms dislodged from the surface of explanted arthroplasties using vortexing and sonication (i.e., sonicate fluid PCR). We compared sonicate fluid 16S rRNA gene real-time PCR and sequencing to culture of synovial fluid, tissue, and sonicate fluid for the microbiologic diagnosis of PJI. PCR sequences generating mixed chromatograms were decatenated using RipSeq Mixed. We studied sonicate fluids from 135 and 231 subjects with PJI and aseptic failure, respectively. Synovial fluid, tissue, and sonicate fluid culture and sonicate fluid PCR had similar sensitivities (64.7, 70.4, 72.6, and 70.4%, respectively; P > 0.05) and specificities (96.9, 98.7, 98.3, and 97.8%, respectively; P > 0.05). Combining sonicate fluid culture and PCR, the sensitivity was higher (78.5%, P < 0.05) than those of individual tests, with similar specificity (97.0%). Thirteen subjects had positive sonicate fluid culture but negative PCR, and 11 had negative sonicate fluid culture but positive PCR (among which 7 had prior use of antimicrobials). Broad-range PCR and culture of sonicate fluid have equivalent performance for PJI diagnosis.
156: Hypercholesterolemia in Heart Transplant Patients on Proliferation-Signal Inhibitors: Is Statin Therapy Effective?

various cardiac operations. We initiated a study to determine feasibility and safety of IE in orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT). Methods and Materials: From 1/2004 to 5/2007 a protocol was implemented with intention to perform IE in OHT. A retrospective analysis of 34 preoperative and 10 intraoperative variables was performed to identify factors leading to IE and outcomes were analyzed for safety. Results: 42 of 90 (46.7%) consecutive patients undergoing OHT by a single anesthesiologist underwent IE. Preoperative variables associated with IE included first operation, non-ischemic etiology and Status IB/2. Intraoperative factors associated with IE included shorter surgical (244 67vs.342 167 min,p 0.001) and cardiopulmonary bypass (138 35vs.164 48 min,p 0.005) duration, less use of inotropes and transfusions. On arrival to the ICU, vital signs and blood gases were not clinically different except for a lower arterial oxygen and higher respiratory rate in the non-ventilated patients. Patients not undergoing IE were initially ventilated for 29.4 35.6 hr(median 13.4). Significant complications in the IE group included mortality 0%, stroke 2.3%, septicemia 2.3% renal failure 7% and bleeding 11.6%; none related to IE. Two patients were briefly ventilated after returning to the OR for postoperative bleeding. Patients undergoing IE had shorter ICU (5.4vs.7.7days,p 0.02) and hospital (10.1vs.14.1 days,p 0.03) length of stays. Conclusions: Immediate extubation after OHT by an experienced anesthesiologist is feasible for select patients sparing them the experience of postoperative intubation and ventilation without complications. Further studies are needed to confirm IE safety and identify other advantages.
Adivasi Insurgencies and Power in Colonial India

Dramatic or mundane, passive or active, confrontations and negotiations, over natural resources, between the colonizer and the colonized manifest repudiation, uprisings, rebellions and even organized violent confrontationist movements. The basis of scientific forestry that allowed the state to commercially exploit the forests, putting curbs on the local use of subsistence, led to the formation of covert and unfair colonial forest management policies which were the reasons for Adivasi retaliation. The discourses on Adivasi resistance and scientific forestry have constituted a major concern for historians, sociologists, political thinkers and critical geographers, particularly those who are keen to delve into the universal urge of the oppressed towards liberation. Departing from the conventional understanding of resistance, I am keen to re-think the notions of resistance that can be applied to a much wider range of socio-cultural practices, taking into account the ways in which the subjectivity of the dominated is constrained, modified and conditioned by power relations. Therefore, through a detailed archival analysis of Adivasi insurgencies and colonial power, I conceptualize the entangled nature of power, knowledge and resistance. The rich variety of Adivasi (everyday) modes of resistance and unwillingness to submit to colonial exploitation/modernization contradicts the political conclusions derived from Foucault’s analysis of power. What Adivasi struggles demonstrate is that power, in producing the people that we are, is both productive and repressive.
To Activate or Not to Activate: The Existential Dilemma of an Enhancer

In a recent study, Watanabe et al identify a novel enhancer in the fgf10 locus that is necessary and sufficient for expression in anterior second heart field. Their results suggest a competitive mechanism in which Isl1 and Nkx2-5 bind the enhancer to activate or repress this enhancer, respectively. In the last decade, new insights into heart development have demonstrated the existence of a second heart field, which gives rise to the second heart lineage.1,2 The first heart lineage is defined as the first cells to differentiate within the early cardiac crescent and forming heart tube, gives rise to a majority of cells within the left ventricle, and contributes to both atria. The second heart field progenitors actively proliferate and are progressively added to the heart to give rise to the right ventricle, outflow tracts, and to a majority of cells within the atria. As second heart field progenitors enter the heart, proliferation is downregulated concomitant with differentiation. Gene networks which regulate the transition from second heart field progenitor to differentiated myocyte have been the subject of intense scrutiny, particularly for anterior second heart field progenitors, which will contribute to the anterior pole of the heart.3–5 Pioneering work with an nLacZ transgene fortuitously integrated into the Fgf10 locus revealed the mammalian anterior second heart field.6 Expression of endogenous Fgf10 occurs first in the second heart field medial to the differentiating cells of the first lineage in the cardiac crescent. Its expression was later observed in the anterior second heart field comprising pharyngeal mesoderm dorsal and anterior to the heart, including core mesoderm of the first 2 pharyngeal arches.7,8 Fgf10 cooperates with Fgf8 to drive proliferation of the second heart field.3 To shed new light on gene networks regulating the transition …
Optimum data quantization in microwave imagery and its effect upon image quality

An optimum quantization scheme for compressing the aperture data in a microwave antenna array is derived. The optimization criterion is maximization of the quality of the output image from the system. The procedure can be applied to a quantizer designed for any number of bits per sample. It is shown that hard limiting the input to a phased array while leaving the phase unaltered preserves much of the image integrity. Amplitude-only information destroys it. Hard limiting plus one bit of phase information sometimes suffices. Hard limiting plus two bits of signal phase per sample often results in acceptable imagery. A minimum of 4 bits of information per complex signal sample guarantees a relatively good image, provided that 3 bits are used to represent the phase and 1 bit is used to represent the amplitude. Eight bits are required to assure a high-fidelity image. When the number of bits per data sample is no more than 8, the number of bits assigned to phase should be two larger than the number of bits assigned to amplitude. For finer quantization, equal numbers of bits should be assigned to amplitude and phase. >
ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF COORDINATING HUMAN SERVICE TRANSPORTATION AND TRANSIT SERVICES

In many communities, multiple public and private agencies and organizations provide transportation services to people who have special transportation needs. These providers often receive funding from many sources, including federal, state, and local government programs as well as charitable and nonprofit programs. Program-specific funds are often accompanied by service objectives for specific clienteles and by unique rules and requirements. If such transportation services operate separately, independently, and in an uncoordinated fashion, they frequently demonstrate serious economic and service problems. Coordination can address such problems. Coordination strives to maximize the efficient use of resources such as vehicles, personnel, and funding. It attempts to reduce service duplication, increase vehicle sharing, and improve service quality. It can lower the cost of providing transportation, and communities can apply the cost savings to increase service or simply reduce costs. New research has found tha...
Factors in the physician practice location puzzle: a survey of New York State residency-trained family physicians.

Background: For the past 5 years fewer medical students have selected primary care specialties, and one-third of all physicians have indicated they will move in the next 5 years. These two factors make family physicians one of the most recruited specialties in medicine. Methods: A questionnaire about practice profiles and factors that have an impact on a physician’s location decision was mailed to all physicians who graduated from New York State family medicine residencies between 1970 and 1989. Data from completed responses were analyzed by year of graduation from residency, community size, and whether the responder remained in New York State or chose to locate outside New York State. Results: There were 711 (46 percent) physicians who responded. The number of minorities remained stable at 14 percent during these years, but women graduates increased from 12 percent to 21 percent. The graduates in the 1980s, when compared with those in the 1970s, were more likely to be salaried, make less money, and to believe employment for the physician’s spouse to be important in practice location. The 38 percent of responders from communities of fewer than 25,000 were less likely to be salaried, were more likely to practice in a group, worked more hours, offered a broader range of services including obstetrics, made less money, and placed less importance on availability of hospital consultants. Extended family, previous negotiated obligations, and geographic or climate issues were the reasons 64 percent of out-of-state responders gave for leaving New York. Spouse’s opinion, hospital consultants, hospital services, colleague interaction, and after-hours coverage were most frequently rated as important factors for family physician practice location. Conclusions: Factors important in attracting new physicians to a community include the spouse’s opinion, institutional and colleague support, and lifestyle issues.
Serologic Evidence for Fecal–Oral Transmission of Helicobacter pylori

Helicobacter pylori infection is among the most prevalent infections in the world and a key cause of gastric diseases; however, its route of transmission remains unclear. This study aimed to assess the potential for fecal-oral transmission of H. pylori by leveraging its association with a disease with known etiology. Utilizing serology data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 1999; N = 6,347), the association between H. pylori and hepatitis A virus (HAV), a sensitive indicator for fecal-oral exposure, was assessed. Survey-weighted kappa and multiple logistic regression were used to quantify the association between H. pylori and HAV after controlling for age, sex, race, poverty, birthplace, crowding, smoking, and alcohol use. Concordant serological results were found among 69.8% of participants (survey-weighted κ = 0.30, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.26, 0.35). The adjusted odds of H. pylori seropositivity were over two times higher after adjusting for confounders (odds ratio = 2.27, 95% CI = 1.79, 2.87). Results from this study suggest H. pylori and HAV infections are strongly associated. Since HAV is primarily transmitted through the fecal-oral route, fecal-oral transmission may be an important pathway for H. pylori spread.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Their Impact on Prostate Cancer Risk

Omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FAs) are thought to have many health benefits, among them are prevention of heart disease, depression, and various types of cancer, including prostate cancer. Basic and animal research studies have established that treatment with, or diets high in, n-3 FAs inhibit the progression of prostate cancer. Although several human epidemiological studies have come to the same conclusion, the results between epidemiological studies are not consistent. Some epidemiological studies have even found a positive correlation between prostate cancer and n-3 FAs, although the majority of epidemiological studies and meta-analyses have found no correlation. This discrepancy has a number of potential causes, the foremost being that human studies have considerably more variables to contend with than studies involving cell cultures or animals. The variations between epidemiological studies point to the need for better controlled, larger-scale, epidemiological studies, and more preclinical studies to elucidate the mechanism of action of n-3 FAs.
Role of Metal–Ligand Bond Strength and Phase Separation on the Mechanical Properties of Metallopolymer Films

This work studies the properties of poly(n-butyl acrylate) functionalized with 2,6-bis(1′-methylbenzimidazolyl)pyridine ligand and cross-linked with either copper(II), zinc(II), or cobalt(II) metal ions. Because of phase separation between the metal–ligand complex and the polymer matrix, these polymers have a rubbery plateau modulus that is 10 times higher than expected based on the theory of rubber elasticity. Differences in the metal–ligand bond strength influence the mechanical behavior at high temperature and strains. Because of the particularly weak bond strength associated with the copper–ligand bond, the metallopolymer containing copper degrades at a lower temperature and has lower yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and creep resistance than polymers containing cobalt and zinc. To tune the properties of the polymer further, a polymer is made with both copper and cobalt ions. The hybrid polymer combines the properties of the stiffer cobalt-containing polymer with the more compliant copper-co...
Terahertz spectroscopy of the explosive taggant 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane.

The terahertz spectrum of the crystalline explosive taggant 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane (C6H12N2O4) has been investigated as an alternative means of detecting solid-state explosives. The room-temperature spectrum exhibits two broad absorption features centered at 38.3 and 49.2 cm–1. Once the sample is cooled to liquid-nitrogen temperatures, the resolution of three additional peaks occurs, with absorption maxima now appearing at 40.1, 47.5, 56.6, 63.9, and 73.6 cm–1. Solid-state density functional theory simulations, both with and without London force dispersion corrections, have been used for the assignment of the experimental cryogenic THz spectrum to specific molecular motions in the crystalline solid. The B3LYP hybrid density functional paired with the 6-311G(2d,2p) basis set provides an excellent reproduction of the experimental data revealing that the THz spectrum arises from a mixture of intramolecular torsional vibrations localized primarily in the nitro groups and intermolecular lattice vibrati...
Delineating RBM20 Regulation of Alternative Splicing in Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a progressive disease of heart muscle characterized by chamber enlargement and wall dilatation, resulting in reduced systolic function. DCM is the most common form of nonischemic cardiomyopathy, and up to 30% of cases are estimated to be familial in nature.1 The majority of identified causative genes encode proteins responsible for muscle contraction or cellular architecture, yet DCM genes may be quite functionally distinct. An intriguing example is RBM20 , which encodes RNA-binding motif protein 20 (RBM20), a pre-mRNA splicing factor that is highly expressed in striated muscle, particularly the heart.2 Genetic association between DCM and this post-transcriptional RNA processing protein was established in 2009 when missense mutations from 2 large families with autosomal-dominant DCM were mapped to RBM20 . Subsequent profiling of a large cohort of idiopathic DCM patients identified additional missense mutations, all of which cluster within an arginine/serine–rich protein domain between amino acids 634 and 638.3 RBM20-dependent DCM (CMD1DD, OMIM #613172) occurs in ≈3% of DCM patients,4 and disease pathology recapitulated in RBM20 loss-of-function and deletion models involves altered splicing of numerous genes, including several linked to cardiomyopathy, ion transport, and contractile function.2,5,6 Presumably, these splice variants are directly regulated by RBM20 activity; however, TTN remains the only validated direct mRNA target.2 In a recent study in the …