cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Factors Associated With HIV Testing in Teenage Men Who Have Sex With Men

BACKGROUND: Adolescent men who have sex with men (AMSM) have a high rate of HIV diagnoses. An estimated 14.5% of HIV infections in the United States are undiagnosed; but among 13- to 24-year-olds, the rate is 51.4%. We describe HIV testing rates and identifies salient individual, family, school, and health care influences among AMSM. METHODS: Data were collected as part of SMART, an ongoing pragmatic trial of an online HIV prevention intervention for AMSM (N = 699). Measures included lifetime HIV testing, demographics, sexual behaviors, condom use, HIV education from school and family, sexual health communication with doctors, HIV knowledge, and risk attitudes. RESULTS: Only 23.2% of participants had ever had an HIV test. Rates of testing increased with age (5.6% in 13- to 14-year-olds; 15.8% in 15- to 16-year-olds; 37.8% in 17- to 18-year-olds), and sexual experience was a strong predictor of testing (odds ratio: 6.54; 95% confidence interval: 3.95–11.49; P CONCLUSIONS: Despite higher risk, few participants reported ever having received an HIV test. Data indicate pediatricians are an important, but largely untapped, source of testing and could be integral to achieving testing rates needed to end the epidemic.
Interpatient Similarities in Cardiac Function: A Platform for Personalized Cardiovascular Medicine

Abstract Objectives The authors applied unsupervised machine-learning techniques for integrating echocardiographic features of left ventricular (LV) structure and function into a patient similarity network that predicted major adverse cardiac event(s) (MACE) in an individual patient. Background Patient similarity analysis is an evolving paradigm for precision medicine in which patients are clustered or classified based on their similarities in several clinical features. Methods A retrospective cohort of 866 patients was used to develop a network architecture using 9 echocardiographic features of LV structure and function. The data for 468 patients from 2 prospective cohort registries were then added to test the model’s generalizability. Results The map of cross-sectional data in the retrospective cohort resulted in a looped patient network that persisted even after the addition of data from the prospective cohort registries. After subdividing the loop into 4 regions, patients in each region showed unique differences in LV function, with Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrating significant differences in MACE-related rehospitalization and death (both p Conclusions Patient similarity analysis integrates multiple features of cardiac function to develop a phenotypic network in which patients can be mapped to specific locations associated with specific disease stage and clinical outcomes. The use of patient similarity analysis may have relevance for automated staging of cardiac disease severity, personalized prediction of prognosis, and monitoring progression or response to therapies.
Towards Value-Adaptive Instruction: A Data-Driven Method for Addressing Bias in Argument Evaluation Tasks

As the media landscape is increasingly populated by less than reputable sources of information, educators have turned to argument evaluation training as a potential solution. Unfortunately, the bias literature suggests that our ability to objectively evaluate an argument is, to a large extent, determined by the relationship between our own beliefs and the beliefs latent in the argument we are evaluating. If the argument supports our worldview, we are much more likely to overlook logical errors. Teachers recognize this need to adapt argument evaluation instruction to the specific beliefs of students. For instance, a teacher might intentionally assign a student an argument that the student disagrees with. Unfortunately, this kind of value-adaptive instruction is infrequent due to its unscalability. We propose a novel method for data-driven value-adaptive instruction in instructional technologies. This method can be used to combat bias in real-world contexts and support human reasoning during media consumption.
“I am a Fighter”: Recognizing and Responding to Cancer Metaphors

This chapter outlines how clinicians can approach metaphorical statements, like “I am a fighter,” expressed by patients and families in describing their experiences with illness.
Tumor suppressive activities of solvatochromic 3,3’‐azadimethylene dinaphthospiropyran in colon cancer model

Spiropyrans have been extensively investigated because of their thermo- and photochromic characteristics, but their biotherapeutic properties have not been explored much. We report anti-proliferative properties of a novel 3,3'-azadimethylene dinaphthospiropyran 11. Dibenzospiropyrans and dinaphthospiropyrans were synthesized by a simple and expedient method using acid-catalyzed aldol condensation of salicylaldehyde and 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde, respectively, with cyclic ketones. Together with structural elucidation by 2D NMR and X-ray crystallography studies, we provide a putative mechanism for their formation. Compound 11 showed solvatochromism and exhibited altered spectral characteristics depending on the pH. In acidic conditions, 11 remains in open form, whereas upon alkalinization it reverts back to closed form. Based on the in vitro anti-proliferative activity in H441, HCT-116, MiaPaCa-2, and Panc-1 cancer cell lines, 11 was submitted to further investigation. It reduced HCT116 colonosphere formation and demonstrated induction of caspase cascade, suggesting apoptosis. In vitro proliferation assays also suggested that HCl and trifluoroacetate salts of 11 are more effective. Treatment of mice carrying HCT-116 xenografts with 11 (5 µg/day, intraperitoneal for 3 weeks) suppressed tumor growth by 62%. Overall, the results reveal a new series of structurally complex, but relatively easy to synthesize molecules of which compound 11 represents a lead for anticancer development.
The X-Ray Outburst of H1743–322 in 2003: High-Frequency QPOs with a 3:2 Frequency Ratio

The 2003 X-ray outburst of the candidate black hole binary, H1743-322, was investigated in frequent pointed observations (2-250 keV) with the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer (RXTE). One particular program of 130 observations is organized into 111 time intervals and searched for the presence of high-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (HFQPOs) in the range 50-2000 Hz. Only a single observation (2003 June 13) yields a detection above 4 σ. The central frequency of 239 ± 4 Hz is consistent with the 240 Hz QPO reported for this source on 2003 May 28 (Homan and coworkers). We group the observations in several different ways and compute average power-density spectra (PDS) in a search for further evidence of HFQPOs. Significant results are found for two groups defined by the presence of low-frequency QPOs (0.1-20 Hz) and an absence of "band-limited" power continua. (1) The nine time intervals with the highest X-ray flux yield a QPO at 166 ± 5 Hz. (4.1 σ; 3-35 keV). (2) The group with lower X-ray flux (24 time intervals) produces a QPO at 242 ± 3 Hz (6.0 σ; 7-35 keV). The ratio of these two frequencies is 1.46 ± 0.05. This finding is consistent with results obtained for three other black hole systems that exhibit commensurate HFQPOs in a 3 : 2 ratio. Furthermore, the occurrence of H1743-322's slower HFQPO at times of higher X-ray luminosity closely resembles the behavior of XTE J1550-564 and GRO J1655-40. We discuss our results in terms of resonance models that invoke frequencies set by general relativity.
APCNN: Explore Multi-Layer Cooperation for CNN Optimization and Acceleration on FPGA

In this paper, we introduce APCNN, which explores algorithm-hardware co-design and provides a CNN acceleration framework with multi-layer cooperative optimization and customized design on FPGA. In terms of the algorithm design, the pooling layer is moved before the non-linear activation function and normalization in APCNN, which we prove causes negligible accuracy loss; the pooling layer is then co-optimized with the convolutional layer by means of redundant multiplication elimination, local addition reuse, and global addition reuse. We further design a dedicated accelerator to take full advantage of convolutional-pooling cross-layer optimization to not only accelerate computation but also reduce on-off chip data communication on FPGA. We demonstrate that our novel APCNN can achieve 75% multiplication and 75% addition reduction in the best case. For on-off chip data communication, a max{Row,Col} /(Row x Col) percent of memory footprint can be eliminated, where Row and Col are the number of rows and columns in the activation feature map respectively. We have implemented a prototype of APCNN and evaluated its performance on LeNet-5 and VGG16 using both an accelerator-level cycle and energy model and an RTL implementation. Our experimental results show that APCNN achieves a 2.5× speedup and 4.7× energy efficiency compared with the dense CNN. (This research was supported in part by NSF grants CCF-1563750, OAC-2017564, and CNS-2037982.)
Critical Tokunaga model for river networks

The hierarchical organization and self-similarity in river basins have been topics of extensive research in hydrology and geomorphology starting with the pioneering work of Horton in 1945. Despite significant theoretical and applied advances however, the mathematical origin of and relation among Horton laws for different stream attributes remain unsettled. Here we capitalize on a recently developed theory of random self-similar trees to introduce a one-parametric family of self-similar critical Tokunaga trees that elucidates the origin of Horton laws, Hack's laws, basin fractal dimension, power-law distributions of link attributes, and power-law relations between distinct attributes. The proposed family includes the celebrated Shreve's random topology model and extends to trees that approximate the observed river networks with realistic exponents. The results offer tools to increase our understanding of landscape organization under different hydroclimatic forcings, and to extend scaling relationships useful for hydrologic prediction to resolutions higher that those observed.
The Fading Bright Line of Physical Presence: Did KFC Corporation v. Iowa Department of Revenue GiveStates the Secret Recipe for Repudiating Quill ?

The Supreme Court has long held that the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution prohibits states from imposing salesor use-tax collection requirements on vendors that do not have a physical presence within their jurisdictions.2 That limitation on state power was challenged as an anachronism in the early 1990s, but the Supreme Court affi rmed the continued validity of its physical-presence mandate in Quill Corporation v. North Dakota.3 Since that case, the legitimacy of the physicalpresence test has been largely accepted for purposes of state sales and use taxes.4 However, states’ frustrations with that rule have only increased during that time. States’ growing frustrations with the physical-presence rule are due in large part to the explosive growth of the Internet in the two decades since Quill. That technological development has expanded the pool of vendors that are protected by the physical-presence rule from a relatively small group of retailers (principally mail-order vendors) to a much larger group that is buoyed signifi cantly by Internet retailers. That expanded pool of protected vendors, together with widespread consumer use-tax noncompliance, has
Prevalence and the factors associated with oral anticoagulant use among nursing home residents

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE Anticoagulants are indicated for treatment and prevention of several clinical conditions. Prior studies have examined anticoagulant utilization for specific indications and in community-dwelling populations. Decision-making regarding anticoagulant prescribing in the nursing home setting is particularly challenging because advanced age and clinical complexity places most residents at increased risk for adverse drug events. To estimate the prevalence of oral anticoagulant (OAC) use (overall, warfarin, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs)) and identify factors associated with oral anticoagulant use among the general population of residents living in nursing homes. METHODS This point prevalence study was conducted among 506,482 residents in US nursing homes on 31 October 2016 who were enrolled in Medicare fee-for-service. Covariates including demographics, clinical conditions, medications, cognitive impairment and functional status were obtained from Minimum Data Set 3.0 assessments and Medicare Part A and D claims. Oral anticoagulant use was identified using dispensing dates and days supply information from Medicare Part D claims. Robust Poisson models estimated adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) for associations between covariates and 1) any anticoagulant use, and 2) DOAC versus warfarin use. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Overall, 11.8% of residents used oral anticoagulants. Among users, 44.3% used DOACs. Residents with body mass index (BMI) ≥40 kg/m2 (aPR: 1.66; 95% CI: 1.61 -1.71), with functional dependency in activities of daily living, polypharmacy and higher CHA2 DS2 -VASc risk ischaemic stroke scores, had a higher prevalence of oral anticoagulant use. Women (aPR: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.76-0.79), residents with limited life expectancy (aPR 0.80; 95% CI: 0.76-0.83), those with moderate-to-severe cognitive impairment (aPR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.65-0.68), those using NSAIDs or antiplatelets, and non-white racial/ethnic groups had a lower prevalence of anticoagulant use. Residents with higher levels of polypharmacy, BMI and age had a lower prevalence of DOAC use (versus warfarin). WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION Approximately one in eight general nursing home residents use oral anticoagulants and among oral anticoagulant users, only slightly more residents used warfarin than DOACs. The lower prevalence of anticoagulation among women and non-white racial/ethnic groups raises concerns of potential inequities in quality of care. Lower oral anticoagulant use among residents with limited life expectancy suggests possible deprescribing at the end of life. Further research is needed to inform resident-centred shared decision-making that explicitly considers treatment goals and individual-specific risks and benefits of anticoagulation at all stages of the medication use continuum.
Agility Metrics in the ARIAC Competition

A thriving manufacturing sector is the essential heart of a vibrant and balanced economy in the United States (U.S.). Small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) constitute an important sector in the U.S. manufacturing but they are currently facing increasing competition due to economic globalization. To survive and thrive in this highly competitive environment, SMMs have to rely on automation and robotics, which bring with them a whole series of techniques to improve the quality and productivity of a manufacturing process. However, robotic systems need to be agile for them to be useful to SMMs so they can offer more automated customization of high-mix/low-volume production. This paper focuses mainly on the metrics used in the Agile Robotics for Industrial Automation Competition (ARIAC). The goal of the competition along with its associated metrics is to promote advances in research by assessing the performance of industrial robotic systems in manufacturing settings.
Brain-in-the-Loop Learning Using fNIR and Simulated Virtual Reality Surgical Tasks: Hemodynamic and Behavioral Effects

Functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIR) is a noninvasive, portable optical imaging tool to monitor changes in hemodynamic responses (i.e., oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO)) within the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in response to sensory, motor or cognitive activation. We used fNIR for monitoring PFC activation during learning of simulated laparoscopic surgical tasks throughout 4 days of training and testing. Blocked (BLK) and random (RND) practice orders were used to test the practice schedule effect on behavioral, hemodynamic responses and relative neural efficiency (EFFrel-neural) measures during transfer. Left and right PFC for both tasks showed significant differences with RND using less HbO than BLK. Cognitive workload showed RND exhibiting high EFFrel-neural across the PFC for the coordination task while the more difficult cholecystectomy task showed EFFrel-neural differences only in the left PFC. Use of brain activation, behavioral and EFFrel-neural measures can provide a more accurate depiction of the generalization or transfer of learning.
Some critical experimental tests of the MATMOD constitutive equations with respect to directional hardening and cyclic deformation

Cyclic torsion data on pure aluminum and Type 304 stainless steel have been generated recently that test several assumptions and predictions of the MATMOD equations (a unified, broad, phenomenological model for nonelasticdeformation). Generally the new data support the model, but in at least one area they suggest a needed improvement. Firstly, the data show that when back stresses are measured by a Bauschinger effect technique (as opposed to the usual stress-drop method) the ratio of the steady-state back stress to flow stress is essentially a constant, independent of the flow stress level; this helps confirm a key assumption in the equations, but also suggests the need for an additional directionally-hardenable contribution to the strain rate. Secondly, strain softening is observed within some of the hysteresis loops, especially at large strain ranges after cyclic hardening; this is in agreement with predictions of the model. Finally, the peak back stresses observed at a given strain range are observed to increase along with the isotropic strength level; this behavior differs from that predicted by the constitutive equations.
WikiQuery -- An Interactive Collaboration Interface for Creating, Storing and Sharing Effective CNF Queries

Conjunctive Normal Form (CNF) expansion can effec- tively address the vocabulary mismatch problem, a problem that current retrieval techniques have very limited ability to solve. Meanwhile, expert searchers are found to spend large amounts of time carefully creating manual CNF queries. These CNF queries are highly effective, and can outperform bag of word queries by a large margin. However, not many effective tools exist that can facilitate the efficient manual creation of effective CNF queries. We describe such a publicly available search tool, WikiQuery, which can efficiently assist the users to create CNF queries through easy query editing and immediate access to search results. Experiments show that ordinary search users, with limited prior knowledge of Boolean queries, can use this intuitive tool to create effective CNF queries. We argue that tools like WikiQuery can attract and retain certain users from the commercial Web search engines, and may be a good starting point to build a research Web search engine.
Multitrait–Multimethod Analysis

Multitrait–multimethod (MTMM) analysis is based on the assumption that every measurement in psychology is a trait–method unit, and so contains both trait-related and method-related variance. If each of a set of traits is measured using each of a set of methods, an MTMM matrix of correlations among measures can be calculated. Convergent validation is supported if measures of purportedly the same trait correlate highly across different methods of measurement, discriminant validation is supported if measures of different traits correlate at relatively low levels, and method variance is shown if measures obtained with the same method of measurement correlate highly. Initially, informal rules involving comparisons of correlations within an MTMM were employed to evaluate convergent and discriminant validation. These methods have been supplanted by statistical approaches using confirmatory factor analysis to represent and test patterns of relations among measures. Keywords: data analysis in psychology; psychometric testing; methodology; modeling
Genetic strategies to study TDP-43 in rodents and to develop preclinical therapeutics for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

The neuropathological hallmark of the majority of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and a class of frontotemporal lobar degeneration is ubiquitinated cytoplasmic aggregates composed of transactive response DNA binding protein 43 kDa (TDP-43). Genetic manipulation of TDP-43 in animal models has been used to study the protein's role in pathogenesis. Transgenic rodents for TDP-43 have recapitulated key aspects of ALS such as paralysis, loss of spinal motor neurons and muscle atrophy. Viral vectors are an alternate approach to express pathological proteins in animals. Use of the recombinant adeno-associated virus vector serotype 9 has permitted widespread transgene expression throughout the central nervous system after intravenous administration. Expressing TDP-43 in rats with this method produced a phenotype that was consistent with and similar to TDP-43 transgenic lines. Increased levels of TDP-43 in the nucleus are toxic to neurons and sufficient to produce ALS-like symptoms. Animal models based on TDP-43 will address the relationships between TDP-43 expression levels, pathology, neuronal loss, muscle atrophy, motor function and causative mechanisms of disease. New targets that modify TDP-43 function, or targets from previous ALS models and other models of spinal cord diseases, could be tested for efficacy in the recent rodent models of ALS based on TDP-43. The vector approach could be an important therapeutic channel because the entire spinal cord can be affected from a one-time peripheral administration.
Moving target morphology in SAR images

Moving targets appear smeared in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. We present quantitative relationships between the positioning errors and the velocities of moving targets in monostatic SAR images. The analysis is valid under arbitrary imaging geometries. Numerical simulations show that the measured positioning errors from reconstructed images agree with the errors predicted by our analysis. Our analysis may be used to estimate target motion parameters and to focus SAR images.
Regional and National Issues for Forest Wildlife Research and Management

Biologists and managers face a broad range of issues related to research and management of forest wildlife. To assess current trends in research, I reviewed 12 scientific journals (1992-2001) that published articles on wildlife, general ecology, and forestry and summarized articles by location, topic, issue, and species. To assess management concerns and issues, I interviewed professional biologists from across the United States, asking their opinions on important forest wildlife topics, approaches to improve research design, how management differs on public versus private lands, and which species they thought were underrepresented, overrepresented, or of special concern in their region. Most scientific articles focused on habitat selection, effects of forest alteration, and demography of birds and mammals. Herpetofauna (i.e., amphibians and reptiles) and invertebrates, although the subjects of some studies, made up only 10% each of all research papers. Biologists were most concerned with the alteration of forest vegetative structure due to timber harvest and its effects on wildlife populations and communities, but also recognized other issues such as changes in natural disturbance patterns such as fire, effects of road building, and loss of early successional vegetative communities as well as fragmentation of older forests. Most biologists agreed that long-term, large-scale, experimental studies, which document the demographic response of forest wildlife to alterations in forest cover, are needed.
Transfer of Human Skills to Robots: Learning from Human Demonstrations for Building an Adaptive Control System

A new method for building a task-level robot adaptive controller is presented. Based on human demonstration data, an adaptive control law that elucidates skillful human behavior is extracted and used for building a robot control system. This allows us to transfer, directly from the human to the robot, the ability to adapt to unknown, varying environments by monitoring changes and modifying control parameters accordingly. A functional relationship is formulated and identified from demonstration data that represents the relationship between what the human monitors in the task environment and what changes in control are made in response to the change in the task environment. A critical problem in identifying this adaptation law is to determine what a human detects in the task environment in order to make a control decision. Namely, the input space of human perception must be determined. In this paper, an efficient method for determining a sufficient set of input variables is presented. The method, based on the Lipschitz quotient, allows us to detect any lack of essential quantities in the input space without assuming any model or representation of the input-output relationship. The method is applied to robotic deburring, in which feedrate and compliance must be varied depending on the task environment, e.g., burr size and hardness. Data acquired from human deburring demonstrations are analyzed by using the Lipschitz quotient.
Contrast radiography: still the "Gold Standard" for assessment of swallowing and esophageal disorders in children

A number of congenital of acquired abnormalities of the esophagus may prevent esophagus from functioning normally, including disorders of swallowing and phonation. Symptoms most often include dysphagia, regurgitation or vomiting, feeding difficulty, present a history of aspiration. In infants, symptoms may include irritability, poor weight gain and sleep disturbance. Despite newer cross-sectional modalities, esophagogram or an upper gastrointestinal series (UGI) is to the present day the most common and useful radiological method to image the esophagus. This relatively simple radiographic study is often sufficient to diagnose patient’s underlying condition, and is able to identify a potential need for further imaging evaluation and treatment options. Since the isolated esophagogram typically focuses on the upper gastrointestinal tract between the mouth and body of the stomach, an UGI provides a more complete evaluation of the upper gastrointestinal tract extending from the mouth through the proximal jejuCommentary
Controlling error propagation in mobile-infrastructure based localization

Iterative localization is one of the common schemes for obtaining locations of unknown sensor nodes when anchor nodes are relatively sparse in the network. The key idea is for a node to localize itself using its anchor neighbors, and then become an anchor for other unknown neighbors. The process continues until all nodes are localized or no nodes left can be localized. The major problem of the iterative localization scheme is that it suffers from the negative effect of error propagation, where sensor noise results in estimation errors which then get accumulated and amplified over localization iterations. This paper proposes a computationally efficient error control mechanism to mitigate the error propagation effect for mobile-infrastructure based localization. In particular, we show how the error can be characterized and controlled in a mobile-assistant localization framework with angle-of-arrival type of sensing modality. Both simulation on a large scale and real experiments on a small scale have been conducted. Results have shown that our error control mechanism achieves comparable location accuracy as global optimization-based localization methods and has the advantage of being much more computationally efficient.
Health characteristics and predicted 10-year risk for a first atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) event using the Pooled Cohort Risk Equations among US adults who are free of cardiovascular disease.

Abstract Background No study has used the recently developed Pooled Cohort Equations to examine the associations of various health behaviors and health characteristics on 10-year risk of a first atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) event. Methods Data from the 2003–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used. 10-year risk of a first ASCVD event was assessed from the Pooled Cohort Equations. Physical activity was assessed via accelerometry; weight status was assessed via measured body mass index; smoking was assessed via cotinine levels; and dietary behavior was calculated from the healthy eating index. Results After adjustments, and compared to those with 0 positive health characteristics, those with 1, 2, 3, and 4 health characteristics, respectively, had a 87% (OR = 0.13, p Conclusions A dose–response association was observed between number of positive health characteristics and the 10-year risk of a first ASCVD event.
Tagging of Biomedical Articles on CiteULike: A Comparison of User, Author and Professional Indexing

This paper examines the context of online indexing from the viewpoint of three different groups: users, authors, and professional indexers. User tags, author keywords and descriptors were collected from academic journal articles, which were both indexed in Pubmed and tagged on CiteULike, and analysed. Descriptive statistics, informetric measures, and thesaural term comparison shows that there are important differences in the use of keywords between the three groups in addition to similarities which can be used to enhance support for search and browse. While tags and author keywords were found that matched descriptors exactly, other terms which did not match but provided important expansion to the indexing lexicon were found. These additional terms could be used to enhance support for searching and browsing in article databases as well as to provide invaluable data for entry vocabulary and emergent terminology for regular updates to indexing systems. Additionally, the study suggests that tags support organisation by association to task, projects and subject while making important connections to traditional systems which classify into subject categories.
Fluoride induces oxidative damage and SIRT1/autophagy through ROS-mediated JNK signaling

Fluoride is an effective caries prophylactic, but at high doses can also be an environmental health hazard. Acute or chronic exposure to high fluoride doses can result in dental enamel and skeletal and soft tissue fluorosis. Dental fluorosis is manifested as mottled, discolored, porous enamel that is susceptible to dental caries. Fluoride induces cell stress, including endoplasmic reticulum stress and oxidative stress, which leads to impairment of ameloblasts responsible for dental enamel formation. Recently we reported that fluoride activates SIRT1 and autophagy as an adaptive response to protect cells from stress. However, it still remains unclear how SIRT1/autophagy is regulated in dental fluorosis. In this study, we demonstrate that fluoride exposure generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the resulting oxidative damage is counteracted by SIRT1/autophagy induction through c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling in ameloblasts. In the mouse-ameloblast-derived cell line LS8, fluoride induced ROS, mitochondrial damage including cytochrome-c release, up-regulation of UCP2, attenuation of ATP synthesis, and H2AX phosphorylation (γH2AX), which is a marker of DNA damage. We evaluated the effects of the ROS inhibitor N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and the JNK inhibitor SP600125 on fluoride-induced SIRT1/autophagy activation. NAC decreased fluoride-induced ROS generation and attenuated JNK and c-Jun phosphorylation. NAC decreased SIRT1 phosphorylation and formation of the autophagy marker LC3II, which resulted in an increase in the apoptosis mediators γH2AX and cleaved/activated caspase-3. SP600125 attenuated fluoride-induced SIRT1 phosphorylation, indicating that fluoride activates SIRT1/autophagy via the ROS-mediated JNK pathway. In enamel organs from rats or mice treated with 50, 100, or 125 ppm fluoride for 6 weeks, cytochrome-c release and the DNA damage markers 8-oxoguanine, p-ATM, and γH2AX were increased compared to those in controls (0 ppm fluoride). These results suggest that fluoride-induced ROS generation causes mitochondrial damage and DNA damage, which may lead to impairment of ameloblast function. To counteract this impairment, SIRT1/autophagy is induced via JNK signaling to protect cells/ameloblasts from fluoride-induced oxidative damage that may cause dental fluorosis.
Some interrelations between carboxymethylation and heme reactions in sperm whale myoglobin.

Abstract The effect of carboxymethylation of sperm whale ferrimyoglobin on the conversion of the protein to the deoxymyoglobin (ferromyoglobin), oxymyoglobin, and carboxymyoglobin forms was studied. Judged by observations on the absorption spectra and on optical rotation at 233 mµ, the conversions to the other heme states were largely unaffected by carboxymethylation to the extent of an average of 7 out of the 12 histidine residues; this left an average of 5 histidine residues unchanged. If the carboxymethylation reaction was carried farther, however, clear evidence of altered properties was obtained. Some evidence was obtained which implied that formation of the carboxymyoglobin derivative could drive the somewhat altered structure back to a form close to the native structure. The course of carboxymethylation of ferromyoglobin and carboxymyoglobin was also followed. In both cases the reaction followed much the same course as that with ferrimyoglobin. Under comparable conditions slightly more histidine residues proved to be modified in the reaction with carboxymyoglobin than with ferrimyoglobin, an observation reflected in a higher content of 1-carboxymethylhistidine. It is suggested that the difference in content of 1-carboxymethylhistidine may imply a greater reactivity of the E7 histidme residue. With the exception of the possibility raised above of a slightly higher reactivity at the nitrogen 1 of a histidine residue in the carboxymyoglobin form, the results indicate very similar reactivity patterns of exposed histidine residues in ferrimyoglobin and in ferromyoglobin.
EUS is still superior to multidetector computerized tomography for detection of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

Background The role of EUS for detection of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) is not clearly defined in institutions that use multidetector CT for pancreatic imaging. Objective The aims of this study were to (1) compare the detection rates of EUS and CT by type and size of PNET and calculate the incremental benefit of EUS over CT, (2) evaluate the CT detection rate for PNETs adjusted for improved CT technology over time, and (3) determine the factors associated with CT-negative PNETs. Design Retrospective single-center cohort study. Setting Johns Hopkins Hospital. Patients Patients with pathologically proven PNETs with preoperative CT. Incidentally found PNETs (resection specimens) and those without Johns Hopkins Hospital CT imaging were excluded. Main Outcome Measurement Detection rates of CT and EUS were compared by using pathology as the reference standard. Results In 217 patients (with 231 PNETs) studied, CT detected 84% of tumors (54.3% of insulinomas). The sensitivity of CT for the detection of PNETs significantly increased with improvement in CT technology ( P = .02; χ 2 for trend). CT was more likely to miss lesions P = .005) and insulinomas ( P P = .0002), particularly for insulinomas (84.2% vs 31.6%; P = .001). EUS detected 20 of 22 CT-negative tumors (91%). Limitations Retrospective nonrandomized design and referral bias. Conclusions The detection rate of CT has significantly improved over time. CT-negative tumors are small and more likely to be insulinomas. A sequential approach of CT followed by EUS can detect most PNETs. EUS is a more sensitive initial test for the detection of suspected insulinomas.
Barium granuloma of the rectum.

Clinical and experimental evidence indicates that barium sulfate causes minimal foreign-body reaction and generally is well tolerated when injected into the lungs, peritoneal cavity, and subcutaneous and retroperitoneal tissues. That this is also true when it is injected accidentally into the wall of the rectum during administration of barium enemas is revealed by a review of the 15 cases reported in medical literature and our two cases. Depending on the degree of bacterial contamination, host resistance, and the site and mechanics of injection, barium introduced into the wall of the rectum may present as perianal or retrorectal abscesses which require drainage, or as ulcerated or nonulcerated tumors of the rectal wall. In the latter instances, only biopsy is required for diagnosis, and this is well tolerated. Attempts to eliminate the barium from the tissues by surgical means are futile and unnecessary. Barium granuloma of the rectum can be avoided by care and diligence while introducing tubes into the rectum prior to administration of barium enemas, by avoiding excessive pressure in the rectum when a balloon is used, and by avoiding administration of barium enemas soon after biopsy of the rectal mucosa.
Improvements to the EPA industrial source complex dispersion model

Air quality models are a key component in determining air pollution control requirements. The Industrial Source Complex (ISC2) model is a steady-state Gaussian plume model that is used for modeling point, area, volume, and line sources. Since its development in the 1970s by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, this widely used model has undergone several updates as state-of-the-science techniques have become available. Some of the recent modifications to the ISC2 model include a numerically efficient area-source algorithm tested in wind tunnel experiments, a dry-deposition algorithm that can account for a full range of particle size distributions, an algorithm for calculating wet-deposition flux using the scavenging coefficient approach, and an algorithm for modeling open-pit sources. These modifications, which are part of the current ISCST3 model, are described in detail within this paper. In addition, a plume depletion model demonstration was performed to compare observed and estimated crosswind integrated concentrations of a depositing tracer as functions of travel time and stability.
The effects of stress, vulnerability, and appraisals on the psychological well-being of the elderly

A conceptual model was developed and tested that examined the relationships between respondent characteristics, stressors, psychological well-being measures, and intervening life domain appraisals. The model was tested using data from elderly members of a Detroit area HMO. An innovative focus of the study was comprehensive consideration of the array of stressors impinging on the elderly. Stressors examined included recent negative life events, cumulative life crises, living with an ill family member, and social isolation. Domain appraisals in the model concerned satisfaction with activities, relationships, health, and income. Support was found for the hypothesis that stressors affect well-being indirectly through domain satisfactions.
National trends in utilization and in-hospital outcomes of mechanical versus bioprosthetic aortic valve replacements

Abstract Objective Substantial controversy surrounds the choice between a mechanical versus bioprosthetic prosthesis for aortic valve replacement (AVR), based on age. This study aims to investigate national trends and in-hospital outcomes of the 2 prosthesis choices. Methods All patients aged >18 years in the National Inpatient Sample who received an AVR between 1998 and 2011 were considered. Valve-type use was examined by patient, procedural, and hospital characteristics, after which we matched patients based on their propensity score for receiving a bioprosthetic valve and compared their in-hospital outcomes. Results Bioprosthetic valves comprised 53.3% of 767,375 implanted valves, an increase in use from 37.7% in the period 1998 to 2001 to 63.6% in the period 2007 to 2011. The median age was 74 years for patients receiving bioprosthetic valves, and 67 years for those receiving mechanical valves. Use of bioprosthetic valves increased across all age groups, most markedly in patients age 55 to 64 years. Compared with patients receiving mechanical valves, these patients had a higher incidence of renal disease (8.0% vs 4.2%), coronary artery disease (58.5% vs 50.5%), concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting (46.7% vs 41.9%), and having surgery in a high-volume (>250 cases per year) center (31.3% vs 18.5%). Patients receiving bioprosthetic valves had a higher occurrence of in-hospital complications (55.9% vs 48.6%), but lower in-hospital mortality (4.4% vs 4.9%) than patients receiving mechanical valves. This difference was confirmed in propensity-matched analyses (complications: 52.7% vs 51.5%; mortality: 4.3% vs 5.2%). Conclusions Use of bioprosthetic valves in AVR increased dramatically from 1998 to 2011, particularly in patients age 55 to 64 years. Prosthesis selection varied significantly by facility, with low-volume facilities favoring mechanical valves. Aortic valve replacement with a bioprosthetic valve, compared with a mechanical valve, was associated with lower in-hospital mortality.
GROWTH IN THE DIABETIC CHILD

Insulin has an important role in the GH:IGF-I axis, and its absence leads to major endocrine disturbances, particularly during puberty. Rapid growth in the prediabetic phase occurs and may be a risk factor. Final height reflects gender and the age of onset more than specific growth factors. The influence of hepatic insulin on IGF-I bioactivity has important implications in diabetic adolescents.
Some consequences of suspension models for nonviscometric flows

Abstract Constitutive behavior of a dilute suspension of drops is affected by drop shape. It is known that this shape is determined by both the rate of deformation and the vorticity of the bulk flow field. The effect of these variables on emulsion rheology is determined for an eccentric-disk rheometer, an instrument in which vorticity and rate of deformation are independent variables. It is shown why, at small eccentricities, the emulsion behaves as a linear viscoelastic fluid. Elastic and viscous moduli are related to emulsion properties. Suggestions are offered for the use of an emulsion model to represent the behavior of other viscoelastic liquids in the regime of nonlinear response.
Temporomandibular joint disk position as determined by a simple recorder.

Abstract A method that will determine the condyle position necessary to keep the disk in place during splint fabrication has been described. The equipment used is simple and relatively inexpensive, and the entire procedure can be accomplished chairside in a matter of minutes. In those instances in which splint therapy does not result in significant improvement in symptoms, the Quick Set recorder can be used to repeat the initial condyle path recordings. A comparison of these sets of recordings can be used to determine whether the disk is in place. If doubt exists about the diagnosis, arthrography can be done to determine whether a closed locked disk position exists.
On the Dynamics of Gas Lubricated Triboelements

Gas lubricated triboelements are ubiquitous in many applications, from gas turbines seals, high speed dental drills, cryogenic refrigerators, oil-free bearings for turbo chargers, to read-write self acting heads in magnetic recording. In all these application the film must be maintained sufficiently precise especially in the presence of disturbances. Hence, it is insufficient to analyze such triboelements quasi statically, where a complete dynamic analysis of the system is needed. Numerous techniques have been developed over the past five decades, some are purely numerical, and others are semi-analytical. Complete analytical methods are practically non-existent because of the non-linear nature of the Reynolds equation. This work discusses a few of the common techniques, explores their intricate, and highlights limitations and flaws in implementation. Particularly: (1) in the so called “orbit codes” the equations of motion and the Reynolds equation must be solved simultaneously (and not “side-by-side”), (2) a common representation of linearized stiffness and damping is shown to be produce unrealistic results even in the simplest application, and (3) for the first time a mathematical justification is given for the use of Prony series representation of the hereditary stiffness in the so called “step-jump” method.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
1,3-Dithioles and 1,3-dithiole-s-oxides†

1,3-Dithioles have been prepared by a new route from α-haloketones and a gem-dithiol. The reaction was carried out with aliphatic and aromatic α-haloketones, which were condensed with 1,3-diphenylpropane-2,2-dithiol to give 2,2-dibenzyl-4-hydroxy-1,3-dithiolanes. These intermediates were dehydrated in the presence of acids to 2,2-dibenzyl-1, 3-dithioles. Two of the 2,2-dibenzyl-1,3-dithioles were oxidized with hydrogen peroxide to the corresponding S-dioxides, S-trioxides, and S-tetroxides, which were separated by preparative thin layer chromatography. The condensation of 1,3-diphenylpropane-2, 2 - dithiol with oxalyl chloride gave 2, 2-dibenzyl-1, 3-dithiolane-4, 5-dione. Infrared and n.m.r. data of these compounds confirm the structural assignments.
Design of single-mode photonic crystal optical waveguides

Summary form only given. Photonic crystals have inspired a lot of interest recently due to their potential for controlling the propagation of light. Photonic crystals with line defects can be used for guiding light. A conventional method for making a two-dimensional (2D) dielectric-core photonic crystal (or PBG) waveguide is to remove one row of air columns. This usually results in a multimode waveguide. We present a more systematic way of making single-mode dielectric-core 2D PBG waveguides. It was recently shown that the main guiding mechanisms in dielectric-core PBG waveguides are total internal reflection and distributed Bragg reflection (DBR). The confinement of the guided mode in the center slab of the waveguide suggests that the properties of such modes can be modified by modifying the guiding structure in the vicinity of the center slab.
Congenital vascular malformation of the uterus in a stillborn: A case report

A case of a rare condition of uterine vascular malformation is reported in a stillborn fetus. No other vascular lesion was identified in the fetus during autopsy. The finding of a uterine vascular malformation in a stillborn fetus confirms the congenital nature of some uterine vascular lesions. Congenital uterine vascular malformations warrant clinical and pathomorphological differentiation from acquired arteriovenous fistulas of the uterus.
Simulating the Effects of Erosion on Corn Productivity

Soil erosion effects on corn (Zea mays L.) production are sparsely documented for the Corn Belt. Simulation of these effects would help identify important information gaps for the region and elsewhere and help in the understanding of basic soil-plant processes and interactions that occur. The N Tillage Residue Management model was tested on nine field sites across the north-central USA. The 119 site-years of data simulated 78% (R 2 of 0.78) of observed corn yield variability for a wide range of eroded soils. Slightly better predictions were made (R 2 values of 0.82 and 0.80) for loess-derived soils and soils in the eastern (wetter) study areas, respectively. Till-derived soils and soils in the western (drier) areas had R 2 values of 0.75 and 0.77, respectively. Crop yield predictions were most responsive to soil physical properties.