cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the Short-Form Survey 12 and the MacNew Heart Disease Health-Related Quality of Life Survey among Patients with Cardiac Disease

Background:Heallh-relaled quality or lire (HRQL) is an important outcome, especially for chronic diseases with no cure such as cardiovascular diseases.Objective:To investigate the comparability of 2 HRQL instalments, the Short Form-12 (SF-12) survey and the MacNew Heart Disease HRQL survey (MacNew) in patients with cardiac diseases.Methods:A nonexperimental cross-sectional study was conducted in a lipid clinic in the Houston metropolitan area. Patients with a prior cardiac disease were requested to complete the SF-12 and the MacNew scales while waiting to see the physician during their regular clinic visit, Cronbach's u values were estimated to evaluate internal consistency. Spearman's correlation was performed to examine the correlation between the SF-12 and the MacNew scale domains,Results:A total of 118 patients were enrolled in this study. High Cronbach's a (from 0.89 to 0.94) were observed from all component scores in the MacNew scales. Physical component scores from the SF-12 and from the MacNew wer...
Local identifiability of a receptor-binding radiopharmacokinetic system having measured parameters of known uncertainty

Local identifiability was determined for a receptor-binding radiopharmacokinetic system that included measured parameters of known uncertainty. Healthy subjects and patients with severe liver disease were studied with [/sup 99m/Tc] galactosylneoglycoalbumin (TcNGA). Measurements during the 30-min dynamic imaging study included the count rate over liver and heart, the quantity of TcNGA injected L/sub 0/, and the fraction-of-injected dose per liter of sampled plasma f~. Typical relative standard deviations for these measurements were 1, 0.2, and 5 percent, respectively. A four-state nonlinear model describing the hepatic and plasma time-activity data was then used to calculate the standard error se(p/sub j/) for model parameters representing receptor concentration [R]/sub 0/, the TcNGA-receptor forward binding rate constant k/sub b/, extrahepatic plasma volume V/sub e/, hepatic plasma volume V/sub h/, and hepatic plasma flow F. Accounting for the measurement uncertainties of L/sub 0/ and f~ did not significantly increase the standard errors for parameters [R]/sub 0/, k/sub b/, V/sub e/, V/sub h/ and F. When the relative errors of L/sub 0/ and f~ were increased to 40%, the change in Se(p/sub j/) ranged from 10 to 100%, with parameter V/sub h/ being the most sensitive. The exception was se(k/sub i/), the increase of which was less than 1%, Imaging studies with reduced [R]/sub 0/, typically associated with patients with liver disease, resulted in greater increases in all estimated parameter errors except se(k/sub b/) which had a lower increase. Lastly, the error propagation introduced by direct measurement of the liver observational coefficients /spl sigma//sub 12/ and /spl sigma//sub 13/ was investigated by simulating changes in the relative standard deviation in parameters /spl sigma//sub 12/ and /spl sigma//sub 13/ from 0 to 40%. Imaging studies from healthy subjects showed no increase in se(p/sub j/). Local identifiability calculations using TcNGA imaging data from patients with liver disease resulted in parameter estimates of lower precision; standard errors increased by a factor of three when the relative standard deviation of /spl sigma//sub 12/ and /spl sigma//sub 1/3 reached 40%. >
Progenitor Cell Dysfunctions Underlie Some Diabetic Complications

Stem cells and progenitor cells are integral to tissue homeostasis and repair. They contribute to health through their ability to self-renew and commit to specialized effector cells. Recently, defects in a variety of progenitor cell populations have been described in both preclinical and human diabetes. These deficits affect multiple aspects of stem cell biology, including quiescence, renewal, and differentiation, as well as homing, cytokine production, and neovascularization, through mechanisms that are still unclear. More important, stem cell aberrations resulting from diabetes have direct implications on tissue function and seem to persist even after return to normoglycemia. Understanding how diabetes alters stem cell signaling and homeostasis is critical for understanding the complex pathophysiology of many diabetic complications. Moreover, the success of cell-based therapies will depend on a more comprehensive understanding of these deficiencies. This review has three goals: to analyze stem cell pathways dysregulated during diabetes, to highlight the effects of hyperglycemic memory on stem cells, and to define ways of using stem cell therapy to overcome diabetic complications.
Mid-infrared nonlinear optics in silicon photonic wire waveguides

We demonstrate a broadband silicon mid-infrared optical parametric amplifier operating near λ = 2200 nm. The amplifier exhibits a maximum gain as large as 25 dB, and net off-chip gain greater than 13 dB.
Violence and Social Orders

Serving as the inaugural speech for the Upton Forum, as well as a brief summary of the new book Professor Douglass North has just finished, the article treats of not only the fundamentals of how society has evolved through time, but also the ways in which contemporary social science should develop to incorporate advanced attitudes and approaches. In the first part, the author sheds light on the underlying logics of two different social orders - limited access society and opens access society, and the three conditions in which the former transforms into the later. The second part examines the possible implications of this recognition, that in a continually-changing world, we also need an adaptive and ever-evolving perspective to look at it.
An overview of the risk factors that contribute to child labor in Turkey: Implications for research, policy, and practice

Child labor is a serious issue in Turkey. This article provides a review of the current literature on risk factors associated with child labor in Turkey. Emphasizing their multilayered nature, the ...
The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ in children with heart disease

Abstract Objective : To determine the feasibility, reliability and validity of the pediatric quality of life inventory (PedsQL™) in children with heart disease. Participants and setting: The study sample was comprised of parents of children with heart disease between the ages of 2 and 18 years including 250 child-respondents 5–18 years of age followed at a large, hospital-based pediatric cardiology clinic. Procedure/design : Parents and children completed the PedsQL™ 4.0 Generic Core Scales and the newly developed PedsQL™ 3.0 Cardiac Module during a pediatric cardiology outpatient visit. Child and parent scores on the PedsQL™ Generic Core Scales were compared to known healthy children/parents. Measurement properties were computed for the PedsQL™ Cardiac Module Scales. Cross-informant variance between children and parents was assessed. Results : The percentage of missing item responses was less than 2% for both parent and child-respondents, supporting the feasibility of PedsQL™ administration in the outpatient setting. Comparisons between all PedsQL™ Generic Core Scales for healthy children and children with heart disease revealed a significant difference ( P P =0.114). There was a significant difference in self-reported physical functioning between children with complex heart disease and the healthy sample ( P Conclusions : Results support the feasibility, reliability and validity of the PedsQL™ Generic Core Scales and Cardiac Module to assess health-related quality of life in children with heart disease.
Plasma Lipidomic Profile Signature of Hypertension in Mexican American Families

See related article, p 621–626 The article, “Plasma Lipidomic Profile Signature of Hypertension in Mexican-American Families: Specific Role of Diacylglycerols,” appears in the current issue of Hypertension. 1 This original work further illuminates the exciting potential of a new millennial science, first appearing in the literature in 2003.2 Building on prior studies of lipidomics in hypertension,3–5 Kulkarni et al1 found that diacylglycerols, generally, and diacylglycerols 16:0/22:5 and 16:0/22:6, specifically, together accounted for ≈2.5% to 3.0% of variance in systolic, diastolic, and mean blood pressure and risk for incident hypertension in Mexican American families. The fact that the diacylglycerols noted were related to incident hypertension suggests an important risk factor or risk marker role in disease progression. The article raises several intriguing points, 3 of which will be addressed in this commentary. First, the variance in blood pressure and incident hypertension explained by the 2 diglycerides noted above and others listed in Table 1 seem quite modest. However, when considering these relationships are based on blood pressure measured at 1 time point, the variability of blood pressure, and the multiplicity of factors regulating blood pressure, the estimates for variance explained are likely …
WALK WITH ME IN WHITE

This article argues that Americans operate with a concept and practice of political autonomy centered on a notion of “mastery,” which is inextricably linked to race, gender, and class hierarchy. I adopt Max Weber's concept of mastery and use it to broaden the construct of a Herrenvolk democracy beyond its traditional association with White supremacy. I then use this theoretical framework to illuminate the emergence of segregation in Atlanta between 1880 and 1910. This period marks a crucial transformation in the concept of race in the United States, as the paternalism of Southern agricultural relations is transposed by Southern Progressives into more urban and industrial settings. I conclude by raising the possibility that the concept of political autonomy currently operative in the United States shares important common ground with the ideological achievements of the Southern Progressives, confounding institutional attempts to foster citizen autonomy.
Newton's method for fractional combinatorial optimization

The authors considers Newton's method for the linear fractional combinatorial optimization. He proves a strongly polynomial bound on the number of iterations for the general case. He considers the maximum mean-weight cut problem, which is a special case of the linear fractional combinatorial optimization. This problem is closely related to the parametric flow problem and the flow problem when the maximum arc cost is being minimised. He proves that Newton's method runs in O(m) iterations for the maximum mean-weight cut problem. One iteration is dominated by the maximum flow computation. This gives the best known strongly polynomial bound of O(m/sup 2/n) for all three problems mentioned. >
El Programa CITI: Una alternativa para la capacitación en ética de la investigación en América Latina

El Programa CITI (Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative) es un curso basado en Internet y desarrollado por voluntarios, que brinda material educacional sobre proteccion de sujetos humanos en investigaciones biomedicas y de conducta, buenas practicas clinicas, conducta responsable de la investigacion y trato humanitario a animales de laboratorio. Es un esfuerzo conjunto del Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center y la Universidad de Miami.Con la colaboracion de expertos locales, gran parte del contenido se ha adaptado para America Latina, se ha traducido al espanol y portugues y se han establecido acuerdos de colaboracion con instituciones especializadas en bioetica en Chile, Brasil, Costa Rica y Peru. Los autores presentan una metodologia accesible para la capacitacion en etica de la investigacion y una justificacion de su uso y difusion en America Latina.
COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE OF HUMAN MEMORY

Current knowledge is summarized about long-term memory systems of the human brain, with memory systems defined as specific neural networks that support specific mnemonic processes. The summary integrates convergent evidence from neuropsychological studies of patients with brain lesions and from functional neuroimaging studies using positron emission tomography (PET) or functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Evidence is reviewed about the specific roles of hippocampal and parahippocampal regions, the amygdala, the basal ganglia, and various neocortical areas in declarative memory. Evidence is also reviewed about which brain regions mediate specific kinds of procedural memory, including sensorimotor, perceptual, and cognitive skill learning; perceptual and conceptual repetition priming; and several forms of conditioning. Findings are discussed in terms of the functional neural architecture of normal memory, age-related changes in memory performance, and neurological conditions that affect memory such as amnesia, Alzheimeris disease, Parkinsonis disease, and Huntingtonis disease.
Laryngoceles and Saccular Cysts in Infants and Children

• Laryngoceles and saccular cysts are an unusual cause of respiratory obstruction in infants and children. Laryngoceles in particular are less common in the pediatric population than in adults. They typically produce intermittent upper airway obstruction and hoarseness (due to episodic filling with air), and are, therefore, difficult to diagnose. Saccular cysts produce similar symptoms but are not episodic. While smaller anterior saccular cysts are readily managed by endoscopic excision, larger saccular cysts tend to recur repeatedly. Review of experience with 20 infants and children having saccular pathologic changes (17 saccular cysts and three laryngoceles) suggests that saccular lesions are more troublesome than is generally appreciated. The clinical course is typically a lengthy one, with multiple endoscopic procedures. Most patients required tracheotomy, some under emergent conditions. Three patients acquired subglottic stenosis; one was clinically significant. A fourth patient had a congenital subglottic stenosis. Saccular cysts can be managed endoscopically in many cases, but if persistent after two or three endoscopic procedures, a prolonged course can be anticipated. Complete excision, endoscopically or through an external surgical approach, may shorten the clinical course. ( Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1992;118:296-300)
Population genetics and gene variation in primary and secondary screwworm (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

Allozyme variation in screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel), and secondary screwworm, C. macellaria (F.), populations from northwest Costa Rica was examined. Variability was observed in 11 of 13 enzyme loci and the frequency of the most common allele was <0.95 for 5 loci in screwworm. In secondary screwworm, 12 of 13 loci were variable and the frequency of the most common allele was <0.95 for 6 loci. Expected heterozygosities were 0.149 and 0.160 for screwworm and secondary screwworm, respectively. Goodness-of-fit statistics for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and Wrights F statistics indicated that both species are panmictic with no evidence of population substructuring. Nei's genetic distances were 0.000–0.001 for intraspecific comparisons and 0.899–0.916 for interspecific comparisons. The data indicate a high level of gene flow between populations within each species.
New Observations and Modelling of a QBO-Like Oscillation in Jupiter's Stratosphere

Abstract We present a new analysis of the “quasi-quadrennial” oscillation (QQO), a quasi-periodic oscillation of longitude-mean temperatures and winds occurring at low latitudes in Jupiter's stratosphere that may be a phenomenon closely related to Earth's quasi-biennial oscillation (Leovy et al. 1991, Nature 354, 380–382). Measurements of 7.8-μm thermal emission from the jovian stratosphere acquired during the period 1991–1995 extend observations of this oscillation for an additional cycle beyond those presented in Orton et al. (1991, Science 252, 537–542), showing that this ∼4-yr-period signal has persisted for at least 15 yr. Numerical simulations of the QQO are performed to compare the brightness temperature patterns obtained to the groundbased measurements. By coupling these simulations with a radiative transfer model, we find that the amplitude of the oscillation must be significantly larger than previously estimated by Leovy et al. (1991). Long-period, large-scale equatorial waves on Jupiter are found to be ineffective in driving a QQO that produces the observed amplitude of the brightness temperature oscillations. Simulations in which the wave driving occurs through the interaction of small-scale, short-period gravity waves with their critical levels produce a QQO whose associated brightness temperature variations are in much better agreement with the observations. The amplitude of the QQO predicted by these simulations is large, suggesting that it may have a very significant effect on Jupiter's stratospheric thermal structure at low latitudes, some of which may be apparent in the vertical temperature profiles measured by the Galileo Atmospheric Structure Instrument and by the Voyager 1 radio occultation experiment.
Model atmospheres for neutron stars

While the presence of an atmosphere on a neutron star will not significantly modify its total thermal emission, it may change the emission in the sensitivity bands of detectors such as Einstein or ROSAT so that the inferred surface temperature (from a blackbody curve) may be quite different from the actual surface temperature. This in turn may affect deduced cooling curves.
Material and process limits in silicon VLSI technology

The integrated circuit (IC) industry has followed a steady path of shrinking device geometries for more than 30 years. It is widely believed that this process will continue for at least another ten years. However there are increasingly difficult materials and technology problems to be solved over the next decade if this is to actually occur, and beyond ten years there is great uncertainty about the ability to continue scaling metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) structures. This paper describes some of the the most challenging materials and process issues to be faced in the future and where possible solutions are known, describes these potential solutions. The paper is written with the underlying assumption that the basic metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor will remain the dominant switching device used in ICs and it further assumes that silicon will remain the dominant substrate material.
Protein kinase C-dependent mobilization of the alpha6beta4 integrin from hemidesmosomes and its association with actin-rich cell protrusions drive the chemotactic migration of carcinoma cells.

We explored the hypothesis that the chemotactic migration of carcinoma cells that assemble hemidesmosomes involves the activation of a signaling pathway that releases the α6β4 integrin from these stable adhesion complexes and promotes its association with F-actin in cell protrusions enabling it to function in migration. Squamous carcinoma-derived A431 cells were used because they express α6β4 and migrate in response to EGF stimulation. Using function-blocking antibodies, we show that the α6β4 integrin participates in EGF-stimulated chemotaxis and is required for lamellae formation on laminin-1. At concentrations of EGF that stimulate A431 chemotaxis (∼1 ng/ml), the α6β4 integrin is mobilized from hemidesmosomes as evidenced by indirect immunofluorescence microscopy using mAbs specific for this integrin and hemidesmosomal components and its loss from a cytokeratin fraction obtained by detergent extraction. EGF stimulation also increased the formation of lamellipodia and membrane ruffles that contained α6β4 in association with F-actin. Importantly, we demonstrate that this mobilization of α6β4 from hemidesmosomes and its redistribution to cell protrusions occurs by a mechanism that involves activation of protein kinase C-α and that it is associated with the phosphorylation of the β4 integrin subunit on serine residues. Thus, the chemotactic migration of A431 cells on laminin-1 requires not only the formation of F-actin–rich cell protrusions that mediate α6β4-dependent cell movement but also the disruption of α6β4-containing hemidesmosomes by protein kinase C.
THE EFFECT OF ADENOSINE, INOSINE, AND ADENINE ON THE CONCENTRATIONS OF ORGANIC PHOSPHATE AND AN ELECTROPHORETIC COMPONENT (B) OF HUMAN RED CELLS DURING STORAGE OF BLOOD IN ACID-CITRATE-DEXTROSE AND CITRATE-PHOSPHATE-DEXTROSE.

Bloods, collected in ACD and CPD supplemented with varying amounts of adenosine, inosine, adenine, inosine-adenosine, inosine-adenine, and adenosine-adenine, were stored anaerobically at 4 C for five weeks. At weekly intervals, the Porg, and an electrophoretic boundary (Component B) of the washed red cells were assayed. Generally, these values were higher in the CPD than in the respective ACD bloods during storage. The Porg, and Component B concentrations were maintained at high levels for the - longest periods with CPD bloods supplemented: with 2.0 mmoles adenosine per 100 ml blood and with 1.0 mmole adenosine plus 0.25 or 0.5 mmole adenine. The most rapid decreases in Porg, and Component B were observed in ACD and CPD bloods containing comparatively small amounts of adenine. The relative changes of Porg, and Component B occasionally varied markedly when bloods from different individuals were stored in a given supplemented preservative. A high degree of correlation between Porg, and Component B was noted.
Bertrand & Cournot Mean Field Games

We study how continuous time Bertrand and Cournot competitions, in which firms producing similar goods compete with one another by setting prices or quantities respectively, can be analyzed as continuum dynamic mean field games. Interactions are of mean field type in the sense that the demand faced by a producer is affected by the others through their average price or quantity. Motivated by energy or consumer goods markets, we consider the setting of a dynamic game with uncertain market demand, and under the constraint of finite supplies (or exhaustible resources). The continuum game is characterized by a coupled system of partial differential equations: a backward HJB PDE for the value function, and a forward Kolmogorov PDE for the density of players. Asymptotic approximation enables us to deduce certain qualitative features of the game in the limit of small competition. The equilibrium of the game is further studied using numerical solutions, which become very tractable by considering the tail distribution function instead of the density itself. This also allows us to consider Dirac delta distributions to use the continuum game to mimic finite N-player nonzero-sum differential games, the advantage being having to deal with two coupled PDEs instead of N. We find that, in accordance with the two-player game, a large degree of competitive interaction causes firms to slow down production. The continuum system can therefore be used qualitative as an approximation to even small player dynamic games.
Pregnancy in a noncommunicating rudimentary horn. Report of a case.

Abstract The obstetrical literature has numerous reports concerning the association of malformation of the female genital tract and pregnancy. The complications arising from pregnancies in anomalous uteri are rarely diagnosed. This communication reports a case in which a pregnancy occurred in a noncommunicating rudimentary horn of a uterus bicornis unicollis.
Observations on the characteristics of an unusual circulating anticoagulant.

Abstract In a patient with subacute bacterial endocarditis and cryoglobulinemia, the whole blood clotting time was prolonged at 25 ° C. but was usually normal at 37 ° C. The prolonged clotting time was attributed to the presence of a circulating anticoagulant which was active in whole blood at 25 ° C. but not at 37 ° C. However, the anticoagulant was demonstrable at both temperatures in the absence of the formed elements of the blood. The anticoagulant appeared to inhibit the conversion of prothrombin, an effect opposed by thromboplastin and by the formed elements of the blood.
Constitutive Activation of mTORC1 in Endothelial Cells Leads to the Development and Progression of Lymphangiosarcoma through VEGF Autocrine Signaling

Angiosarcoma/lymphangiosarcoma is a rare malignancy with poor prognosis. We generated a mouse model with inducible endothelial-cell-specific deletion of Tsc1 to examine mTORC1 signaling in lymphangiosarcoma. Tsc1 loss increased retinal angiogenesis in neonates and led to endothelial proliferative lesions from vascular malformations to vascular tumors in adult mice. Sustained mTORC1 signaling was required for lymphangiosarcoma development and maintenance. Increased VEGF expression in tumor cells was seen, and blocking autocrine VEGF signaling abolished vascular tumor development and growth. We also found significant correlations between mTORC1 activation and VEGF, HIF1α, and c-Myc expression in human angiosarcoma samples. These studies demonstrated critical mechanisms of aberrant mTORC1 activation in lymphangiosarcoma and validate the mice as a valuable model for further study.
The cohomology of classifying spaces of compact groups

This Chapter is of a more expository character and serves the purpose of making our later discussions of the cohomology of classifying spaces of compact abelian groups a little more self-contained. For the more experienced reader it will suffice to peruse this Chapter in order to be familiarized with our notation and definitions. The first Section discusses Milnor’s construction of the universal and the classifying space of a compact group, and our definition of the functor h (—,R). The second Section briefly discusses the fact that for finite groups there is a natural isomorphism between h (—, R) and H(—, R), where H is the algebraic cohomology with trivial action discussed in Chapter II. The reader may read Chapter VI (the appendix by E. Nummela) in conjunction with the current material; there he will find an alternate functorial construction of a classifying space.
Topology control of tactical wireless sensor networks using energy efficient zone routing

Abstract The US Department of Defense (DoD) routinely uses wireless sensor networks (WSNs) for military tactical communications. Sensor node die-out has a significant impact on the topology of a tactical WSN. This is problematic for military applications where situational data is critical to tactical decision making. To increase the amount of time all sensor nodes remain active within the network and to control the network topology tactically, energy efficient routing mechanisms must be employed. In this paper, we aim to provide realistic insights on the practical advantages and disadvantages of using established routing techniques for tactical WSNs. We investigate the following established routing algorithms: direct routing, minimum transmission energy (MTE), Low Energy Adaptive Cluster Head routing (LEACH), and zone clustering. Based on the node die out statistics observed with these algorithms and the topological impact the node die outs have on the network, we develop a novel, energy efficient zone clustering algorithm called EZone. Via extensive simulations using MATLAB, we analyze the effectiveness of these algorithms on network performance for single and multiple gateway scenarios and show that the EZone algorithm tactically controls the topology of the network, thereby maintaining significant service area coverage when compared to the other routing algorithms.
Rotating Gravity Currents

Gravity currents in the ocean and atmosphere are constrained by Earth's rotation if they are both wider than a certain size and of duration greater than a day. In the ocean, such currents are driven by density differences arising from turbidity, salinity, or temperature variations; and in the atmosphere from temperature, dust, snow, or pyroclastic suspensions. The most widely studied examples are found in oceanography, with major large currents propagating along coastlines, down bathymetric slopes, and through gaps between basins with waters of different surface density. The scaling laws that govern width and speed of such currents are reviewed here and implications for some major ocean currents are described.
Abstract B03: PVT1 exon 9 is a potential non-invasive biomarker that regulates apoptosis and the cell cycle in aggressive prostate cancer in black males

Prostate cancer (PCA) is the most common non-skin cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death for men in the U.S. Black males have a higher incidence of PCA, compared to White males. In fact, Black race is a confirmed, non-modifiable risk factor for PCA with a 2.5 fold greater risk of lethal PCA compared to Caucasian males. Discovery of effective early detection strategies are necessary to address the profound health disparity. The chromosomal region 8q24 is associated with aggressive PCA in Black men and variants of this region have been identified to interact with the PVT1 non-protein coding gene in PCA. PVT1 is located at 8q24 and is transcribed into a long non-protein coding RNA that has been implicated in PCA. Using a panel of eight prostate epithelial cell lines modeling a variety of clinical characteristics of PCA, we investigated the expression of 12 exons of PVT1 in PCA. We discovered that exon 9 of PVT1 is consistently significantly upregulated (by about 2-folds) in aggressive PCA cell lines derived from Black males (MDA PCa 2b and E006AA-hT) in comparison to indolent PCA cells from a Black male E006AA, and both indolent and aggressive PCA cell lines derived from White males. Cell-free PVT1 exon 9 was detectable in cell culture medium, and found to be detectable at significantly higher levels from the aggressive E006AA-hT cell line in comparison to the indolent E006AA cell line from which it was derived. PVT1 exon 9 was efficiently silenced by a custom-designed siRNA. We observed that silencing of PVT1 exon 9 expression resulted in apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at G1 phase in the MDA PCa 2b cell line derived from a Black male. Consequently, PVT1 exon 9 may regulate apoptosis and the cell cycle in aggressive PCA in Black males. Our ability to detect cell-free PVT1 exon 9 indicates that PVT1 exon 9 may have potential future role in non-invasive early detection of aggressive PCA in Black males. Citation Format: Adeodat Ilboudo, Dibash Das, Olorunseun O. Ogunwobi. PVT1 exon 9 is a potential non-invasive biomarker that regulates apoptosis and the cell cycle in aggressive prostate cancer in black males. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eighth AACR Conference on The Science of Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; Nov 13-16, 2015; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2016;25(3 Suppl):Abstract nr B03.
Fungal Infections of the Central Nervous System: A Pictorial Review

Fungal infections of the central nervous system (CNS) pose a threat to especially immunocompromised patients and their development is primarily determined by the immune status of the host. With an increasing number of organ transplants, chemotherapy, and human immunodeficiency virus infections, the number of immunocompromised patients as susceptible hosts is growing and fungal infections of the CNS are more frequently encountered. They may result in meningitis, cerebritis, abscess formation, cryptococcoma, and meningeal vasculitis with rapid disease progression and often overlapping symptoms. Although radiological characteristics are often nonspecific, unique imaging patterns can be identified through computer tomography as a first imaging modality and further refined by magnetic resonance imaging. A rapid diagnosis and the institution of the appropriate therapy are crucial in helping prevent an often fatal outcome.
Anti-forensics

Anti-forensic tools, techniques and methods are becoming a formidable obstacle for the digital forensic community. Thus, new research initiatives and strategies must be formulated to address this growing problem. In this work we first collect and categorize 308 anti-digital forensic tools to survey the field. We then devise an extended anti-forensic taxonomy to the one proposed by Rogers (2006) in order to create a more comprehensive taxonomy and facilitate linguistic standardization. Our work also takes into consideration anti-forensic activity which utilizes tools that were not originally designed for anti-forensic purposes, but can still be used with malicious intent. This category was labeled as Possible indications of anti-forensic activity, as certain software, scenarios, and digital artifacts could indicate anti-forensic activity on a system. We also publicly share our data sets, which includes categorical data on 308 collected anti-forensic tools, as well as 2780 unique hash values related to the installation files of 191 publicly available anti-forensic tools. As part of our analysis, the collected hash set was ran against the National Institute of Standards and Technology's 2016 National Software Reference Library, and only 423 matches were found out of the 2780 hashes. Our findings indicate a need for future endeavors in creating and maintaining exhaustive anti-forensic hash data sets.
INFORMATION ACQUISITION UNDER RISKY CONDITIONS ACROSS REAL AND HYPOTHETICAL SETTINGS

I collect data on how subjects acquire information about risky choices in both real and hypothetical settings using process-tracing software called Mouselab. On average, there are no significant differences across settings in the amount of time subjects take to make a choice or the completeness of the information they acquire. Subjects also acquire information in sequences consistent with an integration model of decision-making, such as expected utility theory or prospect theory. I do not find significant differences in risk preferences across settings, on average, but I do find that subjects' risk preferences are related to the completeness of the information that they acquire and where they start their information acquisition. (JEL C91, D80, D83)
Controlling BaZrO3 nanostructure orientation in YBa2Cu3O films for a three-dimensional pinning landscape

The orientation phase diagram of self-assembled BaZrO3 (BZO) nanostructures in c-oriented YBa2Cu3O (YBCO) films on flat and vicinal SrTiO3 substrates was studied experimentally with different dopant concentrations and vicinal angles and theoretically using a micromechanical model based on the theory of elasticity. The organized BZO nanostructure configuration was found to be tunable, between c-axis to ab-plane alignment, by the dopant concentration in the YBCO film matrix strained via lattice mismatched substrates. The correlation between the local strain caused by the BZO doping and the global strain on the matrix provides a unique approach for controllable growth of dopant nanostructure landscapes. In particular, a mixed phase of the c-axis-aligned nanorods and the ab-plane-aligned planar nanostructures can be obtained, leading to a three-dimensional pinning landscape with single impurity doping and much improved J c in almost all directions of applied magnetic field.
Emotion regulation strategies and childhood obesity in high risk preschoolers

The current study examined the relationships between the specific strategies that preschool children use to regulate their emotions and childhood weight status to see if emotion regulation strategies would predict childhood weight status over and above measures of eating self-regulation. 185 4- to 5-year-old Latino children were recruited through Head Start centers in a large city in the southeastern U.S. Children completed both a delay of gratification task (emotion regulation) and an eating in the absence of hunger task (eating regulation). Eating regulation also was assessed by maternal reports. Four emotion regulation strategies were examined in the delay of gratification task: shut out stimuli, prevent movement, distraction, and attention to reward. Hierarchical linear regressions predicting children's weight status showed that both measures of eating regulation negatively predicted child obesity, and the use of prevent movement negatively predicted child obesity. Total wait time during the delay of gratification tasks was not a significant predictor. The current findings are consistent with studies showing that for preschool children, summary measures of emotion regulation (e.g., wait time) are not concurrently associated with child obesity. In contrast, the use of emotion regulation strategies was a significant predictor of lower child weight status. These findings help identify emotion regulation strategies that prevention programs can target for helping children regulate their emotions and decrease their obesity risk.
Contemporary Negative Assessments of Alcoholics Anonymous: A Response

ABSTRACTThis article is a response to unfounded assessments of the value and effectiveness of Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) as an agent of recovery from alcohol/other drug disorders. Three recent examples are identified: Dodes and Dodes (2014), Glaser (2015), and Mohammad (2016). To challenge these assessments, three publications offering scientific support for AA are presented: Emrick et al. (1993); Vaillant (2012); and Humphreys, Blodgett, and Wagner (2014). A detailed examination is then undertaken of how Dodes and Dodes arrive at the conclusion that AA’s long-term sobriety rate is between 5% and 8%. Our review of the studies cited by Dodes and Dodes reveals that long-term abstinence rates for actively involved members of AA and other 12-Step groups are impressively high.
Rethinking Strategies to Select Antibiotic Therapy in Clostridium difficile infection

In recent years, Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has become a global public health threat associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and economic burden, all of which are exacerbated with disease recurrence. Current guidelines informing treatment decisions are largely based on definitions of disease severity at diagnosis, with subjective components not well delineated across treatment algorithms and clinical trials. Furthermore, there is little evidence linking severity at onset to outcome. However, reducing the risk of recurrence may offer both a better outcome for the individual and decreased downstream economic impact. The authors present data supporting the opinion that patients deemed at low risk for recurrence should receive vancomycin (or metronidazole when cost is an issue), while those at higher risk of recurrence would benefit from fidaxomicin treatment. Although further prospective studies are needed, choosing treatment with the goal of preventing recurrent CDI may offer a better guide than disease severity.
Heavy quarkonium production in pQCD factorization

We present a factorization formalism for inclusive production of heavy quarkonia of large transverse momentum, pT at collider energies, including leading power (LP) and next-to-leading power (NLP) behavior in pT. We demonstrate that both LP and NLP contributions can be factorized in terms of perturbatively calculable short-distance partonic coefficient functions and universal non-perturbative fragmentation functions, and derive the evolution equations that are implied by the factorization. We evaluate the first non-trivial order of evolution kernels for all relevant fragmentation functions, and discuss the role of NLP contributions.
Interactions between Oxidized Lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)], Monocytes and Endothelial Cells

Lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] is a subclass of low density lipoproteins (LDL) whose elevated blood concentrations constitute an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). Lipoprotein (a) derives its uniqueness from an appendage, apolipoprotein (a), which is linked to the apolipoprotein B-100 portion of LDL. Apolipoprotein (a) has been found to display a remarkable homology with plasminogen. This homology has lead to suggestions that there may be competition between Lp(a) and plasminogen for binding to fibrin, and to cell membranes. Consequently, much attention has been paid to interactions between fibrin, Lp(a), and plasmin and to the linkage of thrombosis and atherogenesis.
The Surface Chemistry of Metal-Based Hydrogenation Catalysis

The promotion of hydrogenation reactions by transition-metal-based heterogeneous catalysts was established many decades ago but is still quite common in the chemical industry. Because of their importance, these processes have been studied in great detail from both fundamental and practical points of view, and much has been learned about them. However, some key questions remain unanswered, and solutions to specific industrial needs are still pending. In this Perspective, we discuss the state-of-the-art of our understanding of some of the fundamental issues associated with hydrogenation catalysis. From the mechanistic point of view, we use the example of olefin hydrogenation to assess the status of our knowledge on the adsorption of the organic reactants, the role that the strongly adsorbed carbonaceous deposits that form during reaction play in defining the catalytic kinetics, the mechanistic details of the hydrogen dissociative uptake and surface mobility during reaction, and the dynamic changes of the st...
Efficient Numerical Techniques for Analyzing Microstrip Circuits and Antennas Etched on Layered Media via the Characteristic Basis Function Method

The first part of this chapter presents an efficient technique for the electromagnetic analysis of planar microstrip structures, called the Characteristic Basis Function Method (CBFM). In this method, the original problem geometry is segmented into smaller regions called blocks, and high-level basis functions are generated to represent the electromagnetic characteristics of these sections. These basis functions are referred to as the Characteristic Basis Functions (CBFs), and their use leads to a reduced matrix equation system. Since the method only requires the solution a relatively of small-size matrix equations, associated with isolated domains, the computational burden is relieved, and an acceleration of the solve time is achieved. In the second part of the chapter, the Characteristic Basis Function Method is combined with the Equivalent Medium Approach (EMA) for fast and efficient design of microstrip circuits etched on layered media. In particular, the developed EMA method substitutes the stratified environment with an equivalent “homogeneous” medium whose Dyadic Green’s Functions (DGF’s) can be evaluated analytically. The above technique yields reliable results and reduces the computational time in comparison with the conventional Method of Moments (MoM). Some examples that demonstrate the accuracy and the efficiency of the described procedures are included.
Review: Somatostatin or octreotide reduces transfusion needs but not other outcomes in acute bleeding esophageal varices

Source Citation Gotzsche PC. Somatostatin or octreotide vs placebo or no treatment in acute bleeding oesophageal varices. In: The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. In the Cochrane Library [d...
Efficacy and Safety of Lumen-Apposing Metal Stents in Management of Pancreatic Fluid Collections: Are They Better Than Plastic Stents? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided transmural drainage has been increasingly utilized as a first-line therapeutic modality for drainage of pancreatic fluid collections (PFC). Recently, lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS) have been utilized for management of PFCs. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the cumulative efficacy and safety of LAMS in the management of PFC (primary outcome). We also compared the efficacy and safety of LAMS with multiple plastic stents (MPS) in the management of PFC (secondary outcome). We searched Medline, Embase and Cochrane databases from inception to November 5, 2016, to identify studies (with ≥ 10 patients) reporting technical success, clinical success, and adverse events (AE) of EUS-guided transmural drainage of PFC using LAMS. Weighted pooled rates (WPR) were calculated for technical success, clinical success and AE. Risk ratios (RR) were calculated and pooled to compare LAMS with MPS in terms of technical success, clinical success, and AE. Pooled mean difference (MD) was calculated to compare the number of endoscopic sessions required by each type of stent to achieve clinical success. All analyses were done using random effects model. Eleven studies with 688 patients were included in this meta-analysis. WPR for technical success of LAMS in PFC management was 98% (96, 99%), (I 2 = 15%). WPR for clinical success was 93% (89, 96%) with moderate heterogeneity (I 2 = 50%). There was no difference in clinical success for pseudocysts (PP) versus walled-off pancreatic necrosis (WON) (P = 0.51). WPR for AE was 13% (9, 20%), (I 2 = 64%). AE were 10% more in WON as compared to PP (P = 0.009). Most common AE requiring intervention was stent migration (4.2%), followed by infection (3.8%), bleeding (2.4%), and stent occlusion (1.9%). Six studies with 504 patients compared the performance of LAMS with MPS. Pooled RR for technical success was 1.71 (0.38, 7.37). Pooled RR for clinical success was 0.37 (0.20, 0.67) in favor of LAMS. Pooled RR for AE was 0.39 (0.18, 0.84), (I 2 = 50%). Pooled MD for number of endoscopic sessions was − 0.84 (− 1.69, 0.01). LAMS seem to have excellent efficacy and safety in the management of PFCs. They may be preferred over plastic stents as they are associated with better clinical success and lesser adverse events.
Small Talk and the Cinema: Conversation, Philosophy and the Case of Sullivan's Travels

This article seeks to bring small talk about cinema – the type of conversation that can begin with the question “Have you seen any good movies lately?” – into the analytical ambit of cinema and med...
On credit and output: Is the supply of credit relevant?

Abstract The consensus that changes in the supply of credit were irrelevant to making monetary policy decisions existed among macroeconomists during the second half of the twentieth century. Transmission of shocks to the real economy through changes in the supply of credit, however, played an important role in the recent U.S. financial crisis. This paper explores the extent to which policymakers should consider changes in the supply of credit when making forecasts and monetary policy decisions. More specifically, it considers whether a measure of real credit balances offers consistent and stable information, beyond that of a real interest rate and real money balances, about future output gaps during the U.S. post-war era. Results yield evidence that changes in real credit balances are the only variable, among those considered, to provide consistent and stable information about future output gaps over the entire sample period. Each information variable, however, provides relatively little value added for forecasting future output gaps, beyond a simple autoregressive model. To improve upon forecasts and monetary policy decisions, policymakers therefore should consider a broader range of information variables and occasionally reassess the relative weightings assigned to each.
Challenges and rewards of distance Education in Alaska: experience in teaching web-based courses in mathematics in Alaska

This paper will discuss the issues of quality and current trends in distance web-based delivery models of mathematics courses in Alaska. Electronically distributed (web-based) delivery system (Distance "eDucation") is considered and evaluated in the modern Alaska setting (its cultural and geographical context). Challenges and needs of new technological approaches will be discussed. Valuable insight from the experienced faculty and students will be shared. This paper will clearly show that although distance education does have certain obstacles, they can be overcome without significant difficulties.