cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preliminary evidence that light through the eyelids can suppress melatonin and phase shift dim light melatonin onset

A previous study reported a method for measuring the spectral transmittance of individual human eyelids. A prototype light mask using narrow-band “green” light (λmax = 527 nm) was used to deliver light through closed eyelids in two within-subjects studies. The first study investigated whether an individual-specific light dose could suppress melatonin by 40% through the closed eyelid without disrupting sleep. The light doses were delivered at three times during the night: 1) beginning (while subjects were awake), 2) middle (during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep), and 3) end (during non-REM sleep). The second study investigated whether two individual-specific light doses expected to suppress melatonin by 30% and 60% and delivered through subjects’ closed eyelids before the time of their predicted minimum core body temperature would phase delay the timing of their dim light melatonin onset (DLMO). Compared to a dark control night, light delivered through eyelids suppressed melatonin by 36% (p = 0.01) after 60-minute light exposure at the beginning, 45% (p = 0.01) at the middle, and 56% (p < 0.0001) at the end of the night. In the second study, compared to a dark control night, melatonin was suppressed by 25% (p = 0.03) and by 45% (p = 0.009) and circadian phase, as measured by DLMO, was delayed by 17 minutes (p = 0.03) and 71 minutes (ns) after 60-minute exposures to light levels 1 and 2, respectively. These studies demonstrate that individual-specific doses of light delivered through closed eyelids can suppress melatonin and phase shift DLMO and may be used to treat circadian sleep disorders.
Pulmonary Hypertension in Mitral Regurgitation

Mitral regurgitation (MR) is the most common valvular lesion in the United States and the second-most common valvular lesion requiring surgery in Europe.[1][1]–[2][2] In the United States, over 2.5 million people are estimated to have moderate-to-severe MR, and this number is expected to double by
High resolution image formation from low resolution frames using Delaunay triangulation

An algorithm based on spatial tessellation and approximation of each triangle patch in the Delaunay (1934) triangulation (with smoothness constraints) by a bivariate polynomial is advanced to construct a high resolution (HR) high quality image from a set of low resolution (LR) frames. The high resolution algorithm is accompanied by a site-insertion algorithm for update of the initial HR image with the availability of more LR frames till the desired image quality is attained. This algorithm, followed by post filtering, is suitable for real-time image sequence processing because of the fast expected (average) time construction of Delaunay triangulation and the local update feature.
Teaching Motivational Interviewing to First-Year Medical Students to Improve Counseling Skills in Health Behavior Change

Objective To examine the effectiveness of motivational interviewing training on improving medical students' knowledge of and confidence in their ability to counsel patients regarding health behavior change. Subjects and Methods In the spring of 2002, 42 first-year medical students participated in a counseling course on health behavior change. Three small groups focused on learning and practicing motivational interviewing techniques using brief lectures, interactive class activities, student role-plays, and simulated patients. Students completed an identical precourse and postcourse questionnaire that measured their confidence and knowledge regarding counseling skills in health behavior change. Results The medical students reported improved confidence in their understanding of motivational interviewing after participation in the course (very confident, 77%) compared with before the course (very confident, 2%). Each of the 8 confidence items were compared before and after the course using a signed rank test. All comparisons indicated a significant improvement ( P P =.004). Conclusion These results show that teaching motivational interviewing techniques to first-year medical students can enhance student confidence in and knowledge of providing counseling to patients regarding health behavior change.
Seasonal Clemency Revisited: An Empirical Analysis

While the notion of 'Christmas pardons' has been around for some time, there has been almost no empirical research on whether federal executive clemency is in any way patterned in a manner that would legitimize the notion of 'Christmas' or even 'seasonal' pardons. Furthermore, previous research on clemency from 1789 to 1933 suggests the months of May and June have been the favored months when it comes to the granting of presidential pardons. This analysis explores 'seasonal clemency' in monthly data from January of 1931 to November of 2008. The 12 presidents covered have granted 10,626 individual pardons across 19 four year terms. The data show the largest number of pardons (2,453) has been granted in the month of December (more than two times the figure associated with the second highest month) and it is especially clear that more recent presidents (including George W. Bush) have skewed grants of clemency toward this part of the year. Having presented the data, some discussion is provided regarding possible explanations for these trends and troubling ramifications for federal executive clemency in the United States.
On estimating the angle parameters of an exponential signal at high SNR

It is shown that at high signal-to-noise ratio, phase data alone constitute a sufficient statistic for the estimation of the angle parameters of a single exponential signal in Gaussian noise. The threshold effect, which occurs when estimating frequency based on phase only, can be deduced by examining the joint probability distribution function of the phase and amplitude. >
Somatic embryogenesis in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.): improving culture initiation with abscisic acid and silver nitrate

Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) culture initiation was improved by the addition of abscisic acid (ABA) (3.7 µM), silver nitrate (20 µM), and guanosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate, 8-bromo-, sodium salt (10 µM) to the medium and by raising cytokinin levels in the presence of 50 mg/l activated carbon (AC). Basal medium contained modified 1/2-P6 salts, 50 mg/l AC, Cu and Zn added to compensate for adsorption by AC, 1.5% maltose, 2% myo-inositol, 500 mg/l casamino acids, 450 mg/l glutamine, 2 mg/l α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), 0.55 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine (BA), 0.53 mg/l kinetin, and 2 g/l Gelrite. Across 32 open-pollinated families initiation ranged from 0 to 53.4%, with an average of 17.9%. Further optimization of cytokinins to 0.63 mg/l BA and 0.61 mg/l kinetin along with the removal of ABA maintained initiation at 18.2% across 19 families. Survival of 2001 new initiations was tracked for 4–6 months. Survival averaged 28.8%. A test of 68 new initiations tracked closely for 4 months demonstrated that at least 80% of the cultures lost did not grow after transfer to the multiplication media, suggesting that many new initiations abort during the initiation process.
Elastic, permeability and swelling properties of human intervertebral disc tissues: A benchmark for tissue engineering

The aim of functional tissue engineering is to repair and replace tissues that have a biomechanical function, i.e., connective orthopaedic tissues. To do this, it is necessary to have accurate benchmarks for the elastic, permeability, and swelling (i.e., biphasic-swelling) properties of native tissues. However, in the case of the intervertebral disc, the biphasic-swelling properties of individual tissues reported in the literature exhibit great variation and even span several orders of magnitude. This variation is probably caused by differences in the testing protocols and the constitutive models used to analyze the data. Therefore, the objective of this study was to measure the human lumbar disc annulus fibrosus (AF), nucleus pulposus (NP), and cartilaginous endplates (CEP) biphasic-swelling properties using a consistent experimental protocol and analyses. The testing protocol was composed of a swelling period followed by multiple confined compression ramps. To analyze the confined compression data, the tissues were modeled using a biphasic-swelling model, which augments the standard biphasic model through the addition of a deformation-dependent osmotic pressure term. This model allows considering the swelling deformations and the contribution of osmotic pressure in the analysis of the experimental data. The swelling stretch was not different between the disc regions (AF: 1.28±0.16; NP: 1.73±0.74; CEP: 1.29±0.26), with a total average of 1.42. The aggregate modulus (Ha) of the extra-fibrillar matrix was higher in the CEP (390kPa) compared to the NP (100kPa) or AF (30kPa). The permeability was very different across tissue regions, with the AF permeability (64 E(-16)m(4)/Ns) higher than the NP and CEP (~5.5 E(-16)m(4)/Ns). Additionally, a normalized time-constant (3000s) for the stress relaxation was similar for all the disc tissues. The properties measured in this study are important as benchmarks for tissue engineering and for modeling the disc's mechanical behavior and transport.
DeW: a dependable Web services framework

Web services (WSs) correspond to conceptual entities with well defined interfaces published by different organizations. For example, with businesses, a WS might correspond to a business process to be invoked by other WSs and Internet applications. To increase availability of a WS, an organization might replicate it across different nodes. This study focuses on data intensive applications that: (a) expose a conceptual entity as a Web service (WS); and (b) disperse copies of their WSs across the nodes of a distributed environment to enhance both performance and availability. We describe the design and implementation of a dependable Web services (DeW) framework to realize physical-location-independence. Physical-location-independence means a plan will execute as long as a copy of its referenced WSs is available. This concept enables the client proxy objects to continue operation in the presence of both failures and WS migrations that balance system load.
Intranasal Mupirocin does not Prevent Exit-Site Infections in Children Receiving Peritoneal Dialysis:

← ObjectiveExit-site infections (ESI) in patients receiving peritoneal dialysis (PD) often progress to tunnel infections and peritonitis, sometimes requiring PD catheter removal. Staphylococcus aur...
Audit and legal implications of PCAOB’s inspections among BRIC

Purpose – This paper aims to analyze Public Companies Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) inspection reports on audit reports of those inspected accounting firms in Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC). In meeting the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the PCAOB conducts inspections on audit reports of firms listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Design/methodology/approach – The reports include those submitted by both the US audit parent firms and their secondary firms located outside the USA. In each PCAOB report, it unravels the nature of audit deficiencies. The focus is on Big Four because they play a dominant role in the marketplace and issuers’ market capitalization. All the seven-year deficiencies are documented since publications of the reports from 2004 to 2012. Findings – Of the 37 reports, 19 (51 per cent) were issued relating to audits conducted by the Big Four. Out of these 19 reports, 10 (53 per cent) contain inspection criticism. These include audit quality and common recurring audit ...
Oh: One View of the World

This self-assessment instrument is designed to measure something called "Orientation to Hierarchy" (OH). Orientation to hierarchy affects the way one looks at the world. People vary in their orientation to hierarchy: some people are more likely than other people to look for and create hierarchies in their social settings. If one has a strong OH, one is likely to look for and create hierarchies in one's social interactions, especially in business. If one has a low OH, one is more likely to be open to the input of a variety of people. Further, a person with a high OH is likely to resist changes in organizational structure and, in particular, those changes that lead to flatter, more accountable, more expertise-based systems. There are 50 questions in this assessment, a score chart, and data interpretation. The goal of this instrument is to detect and measure the differences between low OH and high OH.
Emotion Regulation in Relation to Emerging Adults’ Mental Health and Delinquency: A Multi-informant Approach

Relative to the merits of authoritative parenting, potential adverse outcomes are well documented for authoritarian and permissive parenting. However, conclusions are typically drawn from single informants. The ability of youths’ emotion regulation skills to mediate outcomes in emerging adults has also not been fully explored. This study investigated whether emotion regulation mediated parenting style history and potential outcomes of mental health and delinquency. Parenting style history and emerging adults’ emotion regulation ability were reported by 110 youth and their caregivers; youth reported on mental health functioning and delinquency. Emerging adults’ emotion regulation ability partially mediated the association between authoritative parenting history and mental health functioning and authoritative parenting history was indirectly related to delinquency through emotion regulation; however, based on all reporters, emotion regulation ability was not associated with authoritarian or permissive parenting style history. Results support that the merits of authoritative parenting may lie in fostering better emotion regulation skills.
Smokeless tobacco use and fractional exhaled nitric oxide in men in a national survey

Abstract Background Tobacco use is an important risk for asthma and increases asthma severity. Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is used as a noninvasive biomarker of eosinophilic airway inflammation. Substantial numbers of men use smokeless tobacco. The effect of use of smokeless tobacco on FeNO is not known. Objective To estimate the association between use of smokeless tobacco and FeNO among US men. Methods The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007–2012 was analyzed to assess association of use of smokeless tobacco and FeNO levels in parts per billion in US men. Participants were categorized by smoking status and use of snuff or chewing tobacco in the previous 5 days. FeNO was measured using a device that relies on an electrochemical sensor. Results In 3,791 male nonsmokers without asthma, weighted mean natural logarithm FeNO by exposure to smokeless tobacco was 2.81 (geometric mean FeNO, 16.59 ppb; 95% CI, 2.77–2.85) in unexposed and 2.66 (geometric mean, 14.30 ppb; 95% CI, 2.55–2.77) in the exposed. In weighted linear regression analyses, use of smokeless tobacco was associated with significantly lower natural logarithm FeNO after controlling for age and race (black vs nonblack) (coefficient, −0.124; SE, 0.056; P = .03; 95% CI, −0.237 to −0.011). Results were unchanged after additionally controlling for recent nitric oxide–rich vegetable consumption and upper respiratory tract infection (coefficient, −0.118; SE, 0.055; P = .04; 95% CI, −0.228 to −0.007). Conclusions Use of smokeless tobacco was associated with lower mean natural logarithm FeNO levels in nonsmokers with no history of asthma. Interpretation of FeNO should consider all forms of tobacco use.
Receiver-Initiated Spectrum Management for Underwater Cognitive Acoustic Network

Cognitive acoustic (CA) is emerging as a promising technique for environment-friendly and spectrum-efficient underwater communications. Due to the unique features of underwater acoustic networks (UANs), traditional spectrum management systems designed for cognitive radio (CR) need an overhaul to work efficiently in underwater environments. In this paper, we propose a receiver-initiated spectrum management (RISM) system for underwater cognitive acoustic networks (UCANs). RISM seeks to improve the performance of UCANs through a collaboration of physical layer and medium access control (MAC) layer. It aims to provide efficient spectrum utilization and data transmissions with a small collision probability for CA nodes, while avoiding harmful interference with both “natural acoustic systems”, such as marine mammals, and “artificial acoustic systems”, like sonars and other UCANs. In addition, to solve the unique challenge of deciding when receivers start to retrieve data from their neighbors, we propose to use a traffic predictor on each receiver to forecast the traffic loads on surrounding nodes. This allows each receiver to dynamically adjust its polling frequency according to the variation of a network traffic. Simulation results show that the performance of RISM with smart polling scheme outperforms the conventional sender-initiated approach in terms of throughput, hop-by-hop delay, and energy efficiency.
RELAXATION IN GLYCERINATED CARDIAC FIBERS.

SummaryThe effects of the nonphysio-logical relaxing agents EDTA and EGTA on contraction induced by ATP and magnesium in glycerol extracted dog cardiac fibers were investigated. Both EDTA (2 mM) and EGTA (2 mM) produced a 47% and 35% inhibition of contraction respectively as compared to the maximum tension developed when calcium (2 mM) was subsequently added. It was concluded that since these chelating agents produce a calcium reversible relaxation in glycer mated cardiac fibers, measurements of inhibition of Mg-activated ATPase in cardiac myofibrils under similar conditions is not a model for relaxation as suggested in the literature. Cardiac myofibrils may therefore contain a contaminating Mg-activated ATPase which is not Ca dependent and not associated with contraction.
53 EARLY EXPOSURE TO BUTYRATE INCREASES FETAL HEMOGLOBIN DURING ADULT ERYTHROID DEVELOPMENT IN VITRO.

Introduction Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDIs) like butyrates increase fetal hemoglobin (Hb F) in b-thalassemia major and sickle cell disease patients through a mechanism that is not well understood. Since HDIs act globally and may activate silenced oncogenes, it is necessary to determine how these compounds increase Hb F in order to design targeted therapeutics to increase Hb F and at the same time minimize potentially harmful side effects. Purpose To examine the developmental window during which sodium butyrate (NaBut) maximally increases Hb F in adult-derived hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs), and to determine the effect of NaBut on histone acetylation patterns across the b-like globin gene cluster. Hypotheses There is a particular window of opportunity during which NaBut optimally up-regulates Hb F and increases g-globin expression. In addition, the NaBut-mediated increase in Hb F involves a change in occupancy of acetylated histones (acH) at specific sites of the b-like globin cluster. Methods HPCs isolated from adult peripheral blood are treated with 0.5 mM NaBut on day 1, 2, or 7 of in vitro culture and harvested for protein and total RNA on day 10. Control cells are cultured without NaBut. Cell morphology is determined by Giemsa staining, and ELISA and spectrophotometric measurements are performed to determine percent Hb F. Transcription of g-globin is assessed by RT-PCR. Occupancy of acH across the b-like globin cluster is examined by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) with anti-acH4 antibody, followed by hybridization of ChIP products to custom-made arrays (chip) containing tiled PCR products spanning the 70 kb b-like globin gene cluster. Results NaBut treatment of HPCs on day 1, 2, or 7 of culture resulted in Hb F levels of 14% (7-fold increase compared to control cells), 11% (5.5-fold), and 5% (2.5-fold), respectively. Results of g-globin mRNA analyses showed a similar trend, with fold induction decreasing with later exposures to NaBut. Preliminary results of ChIP-chip in control cells showed areas of enrichment and depletion of acH4 across the b-like globin cluster during differentiation. Conclusion The earlier stages of adult erythroid maturation are more amenable to NaBut-mediated increase in Hb F protein and g-mRNA compared to later stages. Further studies will compare and contrast the histone acetylation pattern seen in adult-derived HPCs with that of NaBut-treated adult cells in order to determine and further examine candidate regions and signal pathways involved in drug-mediated increase in Hb F.
Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors Flt-1 and KDR /Flk-1 in patients with white lesions of vulva

Objective To investigate the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors( Flt-1 and KDR / Flk-1) in the tissue of white lesion of vulva,and to explore its significance in the pathogenesis of white lesions of vulva. Methods Biopsies from 39 patients with white lesions of vulvar( 11 cases with LS,19 cases with SH,9 cases with SH and LS) were collected and the level of Flt-1 and KDR / Flk-1 were detected by immunohistochemistry.And normal vulgar tissues from 11 healthy patients were recruited as control. Results The immno-positive of Flt-1and KDR / Flk-1 were positive correlative relationship. Conclusion The abnormal of VEGF receptors( Flt-1 and KDR / Flk-1) in the tissue of white lesions of the vulva maybe play an important role in the etiology of this disease.
Understanding Deviations in Hydrogen Solubility Predictions in Transition Metals through First-Principles Calculations

Hydrogen solubility in ten transition metals (V, Nb, Ta, W, Ni, Pd, Pt, Cu, Ag, and Au) has been predicted by first-principles based on density functional theory (DFT) combined with chemical potential equilibrium between hydrogen in the gas and solid-solution phases. Binding energies and vibrational frequencies of dissolved hydrogen in metals are obtained from DFT calculations, and the sensitivity of solubility predictions with respect to the DFT-calculated variables has been analyzed. In general, the solubility increases with increasing binding strength and decreasing vibrational frequencies of hydrogen. The solubility predictions match experimental data within a factor of 2 in the cases of V, Nb, Ta, and W and within a factor of 3 in the cases of Ni, Cu, and Ag. In Pd, the deviation in solubility predictions is mainly attributed to the errors involved in the calculated vibrational frequencies of dissolved hydrogen. In Pt and Au, hydrogen in the octahedral interstitial site is less stable than in the tet...
Situated influences on perceived barriers to health behavior change: cultural identity and context in Kazakhstan

ABSTRACTObjective: The objective of this study was to identify the perceived barriers to lifestyle changes citizens of Kazakhstan suffering from cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes were experiencing.Design: 14 focus groups were conducted with patients across two regions of Kazakhstan. Topics of discussion included accessing medical care, communicating with health care providers, and following doctor’s recommendations. The text of the discussions were analysed for trends and themes across the different groups.Results: Patients identified a series of external and internal barriers to lifestyle changes, including the environment, a dependency on health care providers, a health care system they feel powerless to change, and a low level of self-efficacy. Most notable, however, was a constructed ethnic identity whose boundaries included unhealthy behaviors, specifically diet and untimely access of health care. This identity both was blamed as a cause for the patient’s condition and seen as an unchangeab...
SPHINGOSINE-1 PHOSPHATE IS A NOVEL BIOMARKER THAT CORRELATES WITH STEM CELL MOBILIZATION AND CLINICAL OUTCOMES IN PATIENTS WITH ST-ELEVATION MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION

Background: Acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) initiates multiple signaling mechanisms between the injured myocardium and bone marrow culminating in stem cell (BMSC) mobilization. These signaling pathways and their clinical significance are poorly understood. We have recently
NOD2 Suppresses Colorectal Tumorigenesis via Downregulation of the TLR Pathways.

Summary Although NOD2 is the major inflammatory bowel disease susceptibility gene, its role in colorectal tumorigenesis is poorly defined. Here, we show that Nod2-deficient mice are highly susceptible to experimental colorectal tumorigenesis independent of gut microbial dysbiosis. Interestingly, the expression of inflammatory genes and the activation of inflammatory pathways, including NF-κB, ERK, and STAT3 are significantly higher in Nod2 −/− mouse colons during colitis and colorectal tumorigenesis, but not at homeostasis. Consistent with higher inflammation, there is greater proliferation of epithelial cells in hyperplastic regions of Nod2 −/− colons. In vitro studies demonstrate that, while NOD2 activates the NF-κB and MAPK pathways in response to MDP, it inhibits TLR-mediated activation of NF-κB and MAPK. Notably, NOD2-mediated downregulation of NF-κB and MAPK is associated with the induction of IRF4. Taken together, NOD2 plays a critical role in the suppression of inflammation and tumorigenesis in the colon via downregulation of the TLR signaling pathways.
Physician Employment and Compensation

Physicians are the key and primary element in any medical business or practice. The practice of medicine cannot occur without a physician, and physicians need to be compensated for their work. There are numerous ways in which a physician can be compensated, and these methods should be understood by both the physician and the administrator of the healthcare business. A physician can be compensated as an independent contractor or as an employee of a hospital, health system, insurance company, or other types of business. Compensation plans will vary depending on the type of business, the position held by the physician, and the structure of the employer. The monetary value or cash paid to a physician is only one aspect of compensation. There other key factors of compensation including vacation time, continuing education, fringe benefit packages, payments for licenses, journals, and hospital dues, etc. Many physicians have been leaving private practice and becoming employed, and this trend has increased in the last few years. Whether a physician chooses to be an independent contractor or an employee, they should know the similarities and differences, as well as the pros and cons of both opportunities. The physician and the administration should understand the basics of the employment contract or independent contractor agreement in order to both benefit and protect the physician and the employer.
Failure of coatings over joints and gaps: finite-element models

Painting over joints and the narrow gaps around fasteners is extremely common. When the joint or gap is stressed, the gap opens and the coating over it is subject to very large strains that may immediately or eventually cause it to fail and thus permit corrosion, etc. Improving the design or selection of coatings to overcome this problem requires quantification of the imposed elongation of the coating. A simple coated butt joint geometry, in tension and in bending, is modeled by finite-element analysis to examine how coatings of different modulus respond to the opening of a joint, particularly showing regions where strain distributions may provoke failure. More loci of possible initial failure occur when the gap is filled by a material that is different from the coating over the gap because there is an added interface.
Heat treatment, structure, and mechanical properties of Ti-Mn alloys

Ti-Mn alloys were studied in order to determine the factors affecting the mechanical properties of β-stabilized titanium alloys. The principal compositional factors have been found to be solid-solution strengthening, the martensitic transformation, and instability of the β phase. Structural factors, such as grain size and shape, were found to have more influence on ductility and toughness than on strength.
Endoscopic Management of Barrett’s Esophagus

Barrett’s esophagus (BE) is a well-recognized premalignant condition for development of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). It is defined as the displacement of the squamo-columnar junction proximal to the gastroesophageal junction, with the presence of intestinal metaplasia (IM) on biopsies (Wang and Sampliner 2008; Sharma et al. 2004). Chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the most frequent identifiable risk factor for Barrett’s esophagus (Wang and Sampliner 2008; Sharma et al. 2004). In Western populations, BE may be present in approximately 0.4–1.6% of adults, whereas in patients with chronic GERD, the prevalence is approximately 10–15% (Pondugula et al. 2007; Wani and Sharma 2007a). The frequency of EAC in the United States is gradually rising. It has been estimated that 14,550 new cases of esophageal cancer were diagnosed in 2006, with 13,770 deaths related to esophageal cancer, the majority diagnosed at an advanced stage (American Cancer Society 2006). Barrett’s esophagus is considered to be one of the most important identifiable risk factors leading to development of EAC (Menke-Pluymers et al. 1993; Solaymani-Dodaran et al. 2004). Progression of BE to esophageal cancer involves a series of pathological changes, from early nondysplastic columnar epithelium (ND BE) to low-grade dysplasia (LGD), high-grade dysplasia (HGD), and finally to cancer. The mortality associated with EAC is high, with a 5-year survival rate of only 15% (Pondugula et al.2007; Cossentino and Wong 2003; Devesa et al.1998).
The effect of single mismatches on primer extension

BACKGROUND: Allele-specific PCR is an important diagnostic tool that identifies single-nucleotide variants by preferential amplification of a particular allele, using primers that are mismatched to all but one allele variant. METHODS: We applied a fluorescent stopped-flow polymerase assay to measure extension rates from oligonucleotide hairpins to simulate primer–template pairs. Under PCR-applicable conditions, reaction rates were recorded in nucleotides per second per polymerase (nt/s/poly). The effects of temperature, potassium chloride, mismatch type, and position were studied with primarily a deletion mutant of Thermus aquaticus (Taq) DNA polymerase and 135 oligonucleotide sequences. RESULTS: Rates at 65 °C were between 205 ± 11 and 177 ± 8 nt/s/poly for matched templates and between 4.55 ± 0.21 and 0.008 ± 0.005 nt/s/poly for 3′-mismatched templates. Although extension rates progressively increased with mismatches further away from the 3′ end, rates were still reduced by as much as 84% with a C · C mismatch 6 bases from the 3′ end. The optimal extension temperature for matched sequences was 70 °C, shifting to 55–60 °C for 3′ mismatches. KCl inhibited mismatch extension. The Michaelis constant (Km) was increased and the apparent unimolecular rate constant (kcat) decreased for 3′ mismatches relative to matched templates. CONCLUSIONS: Although primer extension of mismatches depends on mismatch type and position, variation also depends on local sequence, KCl concentration, and the type of polymerase. Introduction of 3′ mismatches reduces the optimal temperature for extension, suggesting higher annealing temperatures for better allele discrimination. Quantitative descriptions of expected specificity in allele-specific PCR provide additional design direction and suggest when other methods (e.g., high-resolution melting analysis) may be a better choice.
Functional Neurocircuits and Neuroimaging Biomarkers of Tobacco Use Disorder

Drug abuse and addiction remain major public health issues, exemplified by the opioid epidemic currently devastating the United States. Treatment outcomes across substance use disorders remain unacceptably poor, wherein drug discovery/development for this multifaceted neuropsychiatric disorder focuses on single molecular-level targets. Rather, our opinion is that a systems-level neuroimaging perspective is crucial for identifying novel therapeutic targets, biomarkers to stratify patients, and individualized treatment strategies. Focusing on tobacco use disorder, we advocate a brain systems-level perspective linking two abuse-related facets (i.e., statelike withdrawal and traitlike addiction severity) with specific neurocircuitry (insula- and striatum-centered networks). To the extent that precise neurocircuits mediate distinct facets of abuse, treatment development must adopt not only a systems-level perspective, but also multi-intervention rather than mono-intervention practices.
Standardizing SEM Beam Current for EDS Without Use of a Current Meter

If you do not have a Faraday-type incident beam current meter on your SEM, use the following procedure to set up a calibrated, reproducible beam current when doing EDS. Of course, you won't know the actual vaiue of the beam current in picoamps, but at least you'll know you can set the same value from sample to sample and day to day. Mount a small, clean metal foil, 2x3 mm, aluminum or copper, onto the edge of each stub that the samples and standards are mounted on using colloidal graphite paint or double stick tape (after carbon or other evaporative conductive coatings have been applied to sample). Run a little colloidal graphite around an edge or two to provide additional adhesive support and a conductive bridge between the foil and the stub. Before taking sample or standards spectra, move the electron beam to the foil and as you accumulate its spectrum, set a region of interest, or window, on the principle K-shell peak of the aluminum or copper spectrum.
Post-fire debris flows delay recovery and create novel headwater stream macroinvertebrate communities

Wildfire is one of the most important global agents of disturbance affecting terrestrial and riparian vegetation. Post-fire vegetation changes can alter stream resource pathways and cause channel reorganization and sediment-laden debris flows. Yet, little is known about macroinvertebrate community recovery following wildfire and debris flows and how these communities fit into the broader stream community mosaic. We examined the effects of wildfire and debris flows on relative resource availability and macroinvertebrate assemblages at 31 streams in Idaho, USA using a space-for-time study design. Wildfire and debris flows had no apparent effects on resource standing crop. However, macroinvertebrate communities among unburned, burned, and debris flow streams were quite different. Compared to unburned streams, biomass and density were higher at streams which experienced debris flows ~ 10 years post fire, but exhibited the near-complete absence of macroinvertebrates at streams with more recent debris flows. Stream macroinvertebrate communities impacted by debris flows were distinct compared to unburned and burned streams which did not experience debris flows. When found, differences in macroinvertebrate biomass, density, richness, and community structures were largely due to the incidence of debris flows. Debris flows removed the riparian vegetation, slowing its recovery, cascading to affect macroinvertebrate community structure into the long term.
Anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects of GILZ analogs. (THER7P.951)

Increased activation of the p65 subunit of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) upregulate inflammatory and apoptotic factors that mediate neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in chronic neurological diseases, suggesting that activated p65 is an excellent therapeutic target. Glucocorticoid induced leucine zipper (GILZ) is a p65 interacting protein, that sequesters activated p65 in the cytoplasm and suppresses NF-κB. The GILZ:p65 interaction is localized to the proline rich region at the carboxy terminus of GILZ. Previously we reported that a synthetic peptide (GILZ-P) derived from the p65 binding domain of GILZ ameliorated experimental encephalomyelitis. To determine the potential application of GILZ-P in humans, we evaluated the toxicity and efficacy of the peptide drug in mature human neuroblastoma cells, macrophage like THP-1 cells and fetal neuronal cells. Treatment with GILZ-P at a wide range of concentrations commonly used for peptide drugs was non-toxic as determined by the cell viability and apoptosis assays in THP-1 cells. Functionally GILZ-P suppressed pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion by proteolipid protein or amyloid-β (Aβ1-42) stimulated mature neuroblastoma cells and suppressed glutamate secretion by activated macrophages by inhibiting nuclear translocation of p65. Collectively, GILZ-P exhibits therapeutic potential for chronic diseases wherein persistent inflammation precipitates neurodegeneration such as progressive multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease.
Extraction of amino acids using supercritical carbon dioxide for in situ astrobiological applications

The detection of organic molecules that are indicative of past or present biological activity within the Solar System bodies and beyond is a key research area in astrobiology. Mars is of particular interest in this regard because of evidence of a (perhaps transient) warm and wet climate in its past. To date, space missions to Mars have primarily used pyrolysis technique to extract organic compounds from the Martian regolith, but it has not enabled a clear detection of unaltered native Martian organics. The elevated temperatures required for pyrolysis extraction can cause native Martian organics to react with perchlorate salts in the regolith, possibly resulting in the chlorohydrocarbons that have been detected by mass spectrometry, a commonly used in situ technique for space applications. Supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO2) extraction technique is a powerful alternative to pyrolysis that may be capable of extracting and delivering unaltered native organic species to an analyser. In this study, we report the SCCO2 extraction of unaltered amino acids (AAs) with simple laboratory analyses of extracts by capillary electrophoresis laser-induced fluorescence (CE/LIF) and liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (LC/MS) techniques. The extraction efficiencies of several representative AAs using SCCO2 with small amounts of pure water (~1–5%) as a co-solvent were determined. Glass beads were used as a model substrate to examine the effects of several experimental parameters and Johnson Space Center (JSC) Mars-1A Martian regolith simulant was used to study the effect of complex matrix on extraction efficiencies. With optimized experimental conditions (75C and 5% of water), extraction efficiencies from doped JSC Mars-1A were found to be ~40% for glycine, alanine and serine and ~10% for lysine. Extraction of native organics from undoped JSC Mars-1A suggests that SCCO2/water solvent system can extract both organics extractable with pure SCCO2 and those extractable with pure water. Additionally, species not extracted by either pure SCCO2 or pure water were extracted with SCCO2/water solvent. Despite the preliminary nature of this work, it paves the path for more comprehensive extraction studies of astrobiologically relevant samples with thorough analyses of resulting extracts.
Distributed Scheduling and Power Control for Predictable IoT Communication Reliability

Mission-critical IoT applications such as wirelessnetworked industrial control require reliable wireless communication. Due to co-channel interference and wireless channel dynamics (e.g., multi-path fading), however, wireless communication is inherently dynamic and subject to complex uncertainties. Joint scheduling and power control has been explored for reliable wireless communication, but existing solutions are mostly centralized or do not consider real-world challenges such as fast channel fading. Towards a foundation for mission-critical IoT communication, we develop a distributed, field-deployable approach to joint scheduling and power control that adaptively regulates cochannel interference and ensures predictable IoT communication reliability in the presence of wireless communication dynamics and uncertainties. Our approach effectively leverages the Perron-Frobenius theory, physical-ratio- K (PRK) interference model, and feedback control for PRK model adaptation and transmission power update. Through simulation analysis, we have shown that our approach improves concurrency by 70% than state-of-art fixed scheduling while ensuring successful SINR tracking over time. To the best of our knowledge, our approach is the first distributed scheduling and power control scheme that ensures predictable wireless communication reliability while considering real-world challenges such as fast channel fading, and it is expected to serve as a foundation for real-world deployment of mission- critical IoT systems.
Social work-based transitional care intervention for super utilizers of medical care: a retrospective analysis of the bridge model for super utilizers

The present study was a retrospective evaluation of a social worker-led transitional care intervention that addresses the medical and social needs of inpatient super utilizers with ≥5 inpatient admissions in a 12-month period. Bivariate analyses revealed significant reductions in the total number of hospital admissions, 30-day readmission rates, number of emergency department visits, average hospital charges per episode, and total hospital charges per person after the intervention. This social work intervention may be of interest to providers and payers, particularly regarding addressing the psychosocial needs of complex patients who account for most of health care costs.
Role of ultrasound contrast agent in a tertiary cancer center: Experience in 75 patients with liver biopsy.

e14671Background: The sensitivity of B-mode ultrasound (US) in detecting hepatic lesions has been reported to be between 55-85%. A recently FDA approved US contrast agent has been shown to increase...
Dripping with blood and dirt

Macchu Picchu, did you placestone upon stone, and at the base tattered clothes?Coal upon coal and at the bottom, tears?Fire to gold, and within it, trembling, the redlarge drop of blood?Pablo Nerud...
Evaluation of Implementation Outcomes After Initiation of a Shared Decision-making Program for Men With Prostate Cancer

Abstract Objective To evaluate barriers to implementation of patient decision aids (PDAs) issued in an electronic medical record (EMR). We undertook an implementation outcomes analysis focused on what proportion of men eligible for the PDA received it (penetration), and of the men who received it, how many used it as intended (fidelity). We also evaluated various patient centered outcomes related to decision making. Materials and Methods Men with incident localized prostate cancer were recruited from at UCLA from 2013-2017. PDA eligibility was determined via weekly EMR review. We also performed a retrospective chart review of all patients seen in clinic for one sample week to identify patients that were missed by the initial eligibility algorithm, and investigated the cause for mis-categorization. We analyzed differences in patient centered outcomes between those who did and did not receive the PDA. Results 314/374 men with incident prostate cancer completed the PDA conferring 84% fidelity. PDA penetration under initial identification prospective algorithm was assessed at 100% (n=2/n=2). However, penetration assessed by manual retrospective chart review was 20% (n=2/n=10). Improvements to the identification algorithm, including new EMR visit types, were identified. PDA completion was associated with less decisional conflict and higher perceived SDM (all p Conclusions No previous studies have investigated the challenges of implementing a PDA facilitated by the EMR. We identified modifiable system and EMR-related factors that limited program penetration. Our PDA showed decisional quality benefits.
Busting up binaries: encounters between compact binaries and a supermassive black hole

Close encounters between compact object binaries and a supermassive black hole are plausible at galactic centers. We present results from a numerical study of close to 13 million such encounters. Consistent with previous studies, we found that disrupted binaries produce bound extreme-mass-ratio binaries with eccentricities of $$\sim 0.97$$ which circularize dramatically by the time they enter the classical LISA sensitivity band. We also investigated the regions of parameter space for binary survival and estimated the distribution of orbital parameters post-encounter. Our results showed that the semi-major axis of the population of surviving binaries is not significantly affected by the encounter. On the other hand, the eccentricity does; it increases in most cases. As a consequence, the encounter with the super-massive black hole accelerates the merger of the surviving binary, increasing the predicted merger rates by up to $$1\%$$ .
Acupuncture in Adult and Pediatric Headache: A Narrative Review

Headaches in children and adolescents remain a very common problem with migraine being the most common headache disorder to present to medical attention. The approach to the treatment of migraine in children has consisted of treatment with acute and preventive medications, combined with lifestyle modification and behavioral interventions, such as cognitive behavioral therapy. With increasing frequency, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) approaches, including acupuncture, are often recommended in the pediatric population to address significant disability with limited evidence-based treatment options. In this article, the authors conduct a review of acupuncture in pediatric headache, including neurobiological mechanisms, adult headache studies, pediatric headache studies, safety, and use of acupuncture in other conditions in children. This article aims to summarize the currently available evidence with which to recommend acupuncture in children for the adjunctive treatment of headache. Acupuncture appears to be safe and effective for the treatment of migraine in children.
Tumor volume dynamics and tumor growth rate in ALK-rearranged advanced non-small-cell lung cancer treated with crizotinib.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of the study is to investigate volumetric tumor burden dynamics and tumor growth rates in ALK-rearranged advanced NSCLC patients during crizotinib monotherapy. Methods The study included 44 ALK-rearranged advanced NSCLC patients treated with crizotinib monotherapy as their initial ALK-directed therapy, who had at least one measurable lung lesion and at least two follow-up CT scans, and experienced tumor volume increase while on crizotinib. The tumor volume (in mm3) of the dominant lung lesion was measured on serial CT scans during therapy for analysis of tumor growth rates after the volume nadir. Results A total of 231 volume measurements from the nadir to the end of crizotinib therapy or the last follow-up in 44 patients were analyzed in a linear mixed-effects model, fitting time (in months since baseline) as a random effect. When measured from the volume nadir, the tumor growth rate of the logarithm of tumor volume (logeV) was 0.04/month (SE = 0.012, P = 0.0011) in the unadjusted model. When adjusted for the baseline volume (logeV0), the growth rate was again 0.04/month (SE = 0.011, P = 0.0004). When adjusted for clinical variables and logeV0, the growth rate was 0.045/month (SE = 0.012, P = 0.0002), indicating that the tumor growth rate after nadir in this cohort remains very close to 0.04/month regardless of logeV0 or clinical factors. Conclusions Tumor volume growth rate after nadir in ALK-rearranged NSCLC patients treated with crizotinib was obtained, providing objective reference values that can inform physicians when deciding to keep their patients on ALK directed therapy with slowly progressing lung cancer.