cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Small bowel transit and gastric emptying after biliodigestive anastomosis using the uncut jejunal loop.

Abstract Background The Roux-en-Y loop is an effective procedure for biliodigestive drainage. However, up to 15% of patients suffer from postoperative cholangitis or blind loop syndrome. A new technique to prevent motility abnormalities has been developed. Methods Male Lewis rats were used to compare gastric emptying and transit in the small bowel after either a standard Roux-en-Y anastomosis or a new biliodigestive anastomosis technique which involves creating an “uncut” jejunal loop with luminal occlusion. Unoperated rats served as controls. 99Technetium HIDA and 111Indium-tagged amberlite were respectively used to investigate small bowel transit and gastric emptying. Results Histopathology showed distinctive abnormalities only in the liver of conventional Roux-en-Y animals. No recanalization of the obliterated gut lumen occurred in uncut Roux animals. Distribution of 99Tc-HIDA and 111In showed were similar in both groups. Gastric emptying is slowed in both groups. Conclusions The uncut proximal jejunum loop is a good alternative to the conventional Roux-en-Y loop and showed preserved small bowel motility and adequate jejunal transit. Gastric emptying is slowed in both groups.
Object-oriented simulation

Object-oriented simulation languages provide simulationists with the tools to produce modular, reusable simulation models. In this tutorial, the authors discuss the major features of object-oriented languages and their application in simulation. They also discuss some of the problems with and areas of special potential for object-oriented simulation. >
Light-evoked responses of the retinal pigment epithelium: changes accompanying photoreceptor loss in the mouse.

Mutations in genes expressed in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) underlie a number of human inherited retinal disorders that manifest with photoreceptor degeneration. Because light-evoked respo...
Differential Induction of Interleukin-10 and Interleukin-12 in Dendritic Cells by Microbial Toll-Like Receptor Activators and Skewing of T-Cell Cytokine Profiles

Dendritic cells (DCs) discriminate different microbial pathogens and induce T-cell responses of appropriate effector phenotypes accordingly. Microbial recognition and differentiation are mediated in part by pattern recognition receptors such as Toll-like receptors (TLRs), whereas the development of T-cell effector functions is critically dependent on DC-derived cytokines such as interleukin-12 (IL-12) and IL-10. However, it is not entirely clear to what extent various microbial TLR activators could induce different functional states of DCs that favor different T-cell effector phenotypes. Toward a better understanding of this issue, we examined IL-10 and IL-12 production and T-cell-polarizing potentials of murine bone marrow-derived DCs after stimulation by three microbial TLR activators, namely, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), peptidoglycan (PGN), and zymosan. We found that the three stimuli induced drastically different profiles of IL-10 and IL-12 production in DCs. Further, these stimuli differentially conditioned CD40-dependent IL-10 and IL-12 production by DCs. Finally, LPS-, PGN-, and zymosan-stimulated DCs primed distinct T-cell cytokine profiles. Our results support the notion that microbe-specific information sensed through different TLRs by DCs is linked to differential Th priming through DC-derived cytokines.
A publication power approach for identifying premier information systems journals

Stressing that some universities have adopted unrealistic requirements for tenure of information systems (IS) faculty members, a recent editorial in MIS Quarterly contends that the group of premier IS journals needs to be generally recognized as having more than just two members. This article introduces the publication power approach to identifying the premier IS journals, and it does indeed find that there are more than two. A journal's publication power is calculated from the actual publishing behaviors of full-time, tenured IS faculty members at a sizable set of leading research universities. The underlying premise is that these researchers produce excellent work, collectively spanning the IS field's subject matter, and that the greatest concentrations of their collective work appear in highest visibility, most important journals suitable for its subject matter. The new empirically based approach to identifying premier IS journals (and, more broadly, identifying journals that figure most prominently in publishing activity of tenured IS researchers) offers an attractive alternative to promulgations by individuals or cliques (possibly based on outdated tradition or vested interests), to opinion surveys (subjective, possibly ill-informed, vague about rating criteria, andsor biased in various ways), and to citation analyses (which ignore semantics of references and, in the case of ISI impact factors, have additional problems that cast considerable doubt on their meaningfulness within the IS field and its subdisciplines). Results of the publication power approach can be applied and supplemented according to needs of a particular university in setting its evaluation standards for IS tenure, promotion, and merit decisions. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Diskless workstation traffic characterization in a university environment

This study seeks to provide a traffic characterization of a network consisting of diskless workstations. Traffic is characterized hierarchically as intra-LAN, inter-LAN, and LAN-to-WAN and compared at the application, transport, and medium access layers. Traffic is also compared with the traffic on a network with diskfull workstations. The results provide a quantitative measure of the network behavior and a basic qualitative understanding of some of the possible network management problems that might occur in practice.
Performance guidelines for WDM interconnects based on silicon microring resonators

We derive fundamental performance tradeoffs that determine bandwidth and optical power budget in large-scale WDM links or networks utilizing silicon microresonators. Bandwidth per waveguide scales to >lTHz, but nonlinearities limit optical power to milliwatt levels.
Influence of plastids on light signalling and development

In addition to their contribution to metabolism, chloroplasts emit signals that influence the expression of nuclear genes that contribute to numerous plastidic and extraplastidic processes. Plastid-to-nucleus signalling optimizes chloroplast function, regulates growth and development, and affects responses to environmental cues. An incomplete list of plastid signals is available and particular plastid-to-nucleus signalling mechanisms are partially understood. The plastid-to-nucleus signalling that depends on the GENOMES UNCOUPLED (GUN) genes couples the expression of nuclear genes to the functional state of the chloroplast. Analyses of gun mutants provided insight into the mechanisms and biological functions of plastid-to-nucleus signalling. GUN genes contribute to chloroplast biogenesis, the circadian rhythm, stress tolerance, light signalling and development. Some have criticized the gun mutant screen for employing inhibitors of chloroplast biogenesis and suggested that gun alleles do not disrupt significant plastid-to-nucleus signalling mechanisms. Here, I briefly review GUN-dependent plastid-to-nucleus signalling, explain the flaws in the major criticisms of the gun mutant screen and review the influence of plastids on light signalling and development.
Supporting timeliness and security in real-time database systems

Data management and transaction processing for real-time systems are essential in supporting time-critical applications, and hence they have been investigated over the years. However, there has not been much work in supporting security in real-time database systems, although sensitive information must be safeguarded in real-time systems as well. It is clear that a more rigorous model to capture the characteristics and semantics of transactions and data is necessary to improve the timeliness of the system. In addition, new approaches to supporting both requirements in scheduling and concurrency control that can make trade-offs if necessary, need to be developed and analyzed. In this paper, we address issues real-time database systems should consider for supporting both requirements of timeliness and security, and present an adaptive policy to achieve it.
Linear Ordering and Application to Placement

Given a set of interconnected elements, linear ordering generates a linear sequence of elements of the set, which is the basis for most constructive initial-placement methods. This paper presents a new strategy for linear ordering. The important difference of the new technique from the previous ones is that it starts the ordering process from the most lightly connected seed. It was applied to various placement problems including standard cell and gate array and produced very good results.
Cost effectiveness of liposomal doxorubicin vs. paclitaxel for the treatment of advanced AIDS-Kaposi's sarcoma.

AbstractObjective:Epidemic Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) is one of the most common acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) defining malignancies, a disease with stigmatized clinical features that characterizes the diagnosis of AIDS. This study aims to perform a cost-effectiveness analysis between liposomal doxorubicin and paclitaxel in treating AIDS-KS.Methods:A 21 week decision tree analysis was created using a hospital perspective to compare treatment patterns with liposomal doxorubicin and paclitaxel. All costs were calculated in 2011 US dollars and obtained from an academic treatment center. Acquisition costs were obtained from public estimates using wholesale acquisition cost (WAC). Effectiveness was estimated based on a Phase 3 study of liposomal doxorubicin and paclitaxel (Von-Roenn et al.). Adverse events (AEs) associated with treatment and not the disease were included in the analysis. One-way sensitivity analysis was performed to test the robustness of the results.Results:Cost minimization analysis s...
Feeling Lonely: A Parse Method Study With Children

Feeling lonely is a phenomenon experienced by all humans. The purposes of this research study were to discover the structure of the experience of feeling lonely, to contribute to nursing knowledge, and to expand the knowledge of feeling lonely. The Parse research method was used to guide this study and answer the research question: What is the structure of the lived experience of feeling lonely? Participants were 10 children ages 7 to 10 years. The central finding of this study was the following structure: The lived experience of feeling lonely is distressing isolation amid contentedness arising with cherished engagements. New knowledge extended the theory of humanbecoming and enhanced understanding of the experience of feeling lonely.
Structure of an Amorphous FePC Alloy

The structure of an amorphous Fe80P13C7 alloy obtained by rapid quenching from the liquid state has been studied by X-ray diffraction. An analysis of the radial distribution function indicates that the first four nearest neighbors are located at distances of 2.6, 4.3, 5.1, and 6.7 A. The number of the first nearest neighbors is 13.1 and is dominated by FeFe atom pairs. The structure of the alloy can be described by a randomized b.b.c. iron in which the iron atoms have the first nearest neighbor number 13.6 at a distance of 2.6 A. Die Struktur einer amorphen Fe80P13C7 Legierung, die durch Abschrecken aus dem flussigen Zustand hergestellt wurde, wurde mittels Rontgen-Beugung untersucht. Die Auswertung der Strahlungsverteilungsfunktion zeigt, das sich die ersten vier Nachbarn in einer Entfernung von 2,6, 4,3, 5,1 und 6,7 A befinden. Die Anzahl der nachsten Nachbarn, die hauptsachlich aus FeFe Atompaaren bestehen, ist 13,1. Die Struktur der Legierung kann man mit ungeordnetem, kubisch-raumzentriertem Eisen bezeichnen, in dem die Eisenatome 13,6 nachste Nachbarn in einem Abstand von 2,6 A haben.
Hydrosilylation reactions of 1,3-diynes and bis(silyl hydrides): Model studies and polymerizations

The first examples of polymers made from the bis-hydrosilylation reaction of 1,3-diynes and bis-silylhydrides are reported. These polymers exhibit modest molecular weights and possess a cis,cis-2,3-disubstituted-1,3-butadiene structure as determined NMR analysis of model compounds. SEC and MALDI analysis of reaction mixtures suggest that cyclic dimers and higher order oligomers are also formed. Model reactions indicate that very sterically hindered diynes or silyl hydrides give only the 1,3-eneyne mono-addition products.
The effects of residential locality on parental and alloparental investment among the Aka foragers of the central African Republic

In this paper I examine the intracultural variability of parental and alloparental caregiving among the Aka foragers of the Central African Republic. It has been suggested that maternal kin offer higher frequencies of allocare than paternal kin and that maternal investment in infants will decrease when alloparental assistance is provided. Behavioral observations were conducted on 15 eight- to twelve-monthold infants. The practice of brideservice and the flexibility of Aka residence patterns offered a means to test the effect of maternal residence on parental and alloparental investment. There was significant variation in the frequency of investment and who supplied care to infants depending on whether mothers resided with their kin or their husbands’ kin. However, in spite of the variation in allocare, when all categories of caregivers were examined collectively, infants received similar overall levels of care.
Corpus Studies of Harmony in Popular Music: A Response to Gauvin

This paper responds to the research presented in Gauvin’s paper on the evolution of harmonic syntax in popular music from the 1960s. I begin by situating the findings from his second study (on flat-side harmonies) within the context of my corpus work with David Temperley on harmony in popular music. Gauvin’s results are similar to ours, although some important differences are worth noting. I also provide an interpretation of the results from his first study (on modulation), which Gauvin found to be inconsistent with his proposed hypothesis. Specifically, I conjecture that modulation and harmonic palette may be in balance with one another, in that listeners may prefer songs where harmonic content is at a medium level of complexity. Gauvin’s study also brings forth some basic issues with regard to harmonic encoding, in terms of both the subjectivity of the analytical process as well as the ease by which harmonic analyses are shared with and verified by other researchers.
Evidence for two distinct phosphatidylinositol kinases in fibroblasts. Implications for cellular regulation.

Phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) kinase activities from non-transformed and polyoma-middle-T-transformed murine fibroblasts were examined. Both normal and transformed 3T3 fibroblasts have two PtdIns kinases, which can be separated by anion-exchange chromatography. One of these activities (Type I) has a Km for ATP of 10 microM, is resistant to inhibition by adenosine, AMP or ADP, and is inhibited by non-ionic detergents. The other activity (Type II) has a somewhat higher Km for ATP (35 microM) and is inhibited competitively by ADP, AMP and adenosine at concentrations suggesting regulation of this activity by the energy charge of the cell. The Type II PtdIns kinase is activated by non-ionic detergents. We have previously reported the specific association of a PtdIns kinase activity with polyoma-middle-T immunoprecipitates [Whitman, Kaplan, Schaffhausen, Cantley & Roberts (1985) Nature (London) 315, 239-242; Kaplan, Whitman, Schaffhausen, Raptis, Garcea, Pallas, Roberts & Cantley (1986) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 83, 3624-3628]. Comparison of the immunoprecipitated PtdIns kinase with the activities identified by ion-exchange chromatography indicates that it is the Type I enzyme which specifically associates with the middle-T/pp60c-src complex. This PtdIns kinase activity is separable from both middle T and pp60c-src. Type I PtdIns kinase also associates with pp60v-src immunoprecipitates from Rous-sarcoma-virus-transformed cells. Furthermore, this PtdIns kinase appears to co-precipitate with partially purified platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor. The amount of this activity found in anti-phosphotyrosine immunoprecipitates or in wheat-germ-lectin-agarose precipitates is increased 50-fold by stimulation of quiescent Balb/C 3T3 fibroblasts with PDGF. These results suggest that the Type I PtdIns kinase is regulated by agents which affect cell growth and transformation, whereas the Type II PtdIns kinase may be regulated by the local [ATP]/[ADP] ratio.
How Much Do Minority Lives Matter

There are many well-known data sets that can be used to illustrate Simpson's Paradox. The Stand Your Ground data presented here shows Simpson's Paradox. In these data, race plays the key role – and not in the way that some students expect.
Simulation von Auswahlverfahren zur Nierentransplantation

In einem gemeinsamen Forschungsprojekt (TRAINS) der IBM (Wissenschaftliches Zentrum Heidelberg) und der Universitat Fleidelberg Institut fur Immunologic) wurde eine Simulationsumgebung entwickelt, in der verschiedene Algorithmen zur Empfangerauswahl bei Nierentransplantationen getestet werden konnen. Neben einem Vergleich von Auswahlalgorithmen, die in Europa -und den USA benutzt werden, konnte ein im TRAINS-Projekt entwickeltes Auswahlverfahren in der Simulationsumgebung weiter verbessert werden. Bei der abschliesenden Bewertung erzielte dieses Verfahren bei wichtigen Zielkriterien die besten Ergebnisse.
In Vivo Evaluation of the Pulmonary Toxicity of Cellulose Nanocrystals: A Renewable and Sustainable Nanomaterial of the Future.

The use of cellulose as building blocks for the development of novel functional materials is rapidly growing. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), with advantageous chemical and mechanical properties, have gained prominence in a number of applications, such as in nanofillers in polymer composites, building materials, cosmetics, food, and the drug industry. Therefore, it becomes critical to evaluate the potential health effects associated with CNC exposures. The objective of this study was to compare pulmonary outcomes caused by exposure of C57BL/6 mice to two different processed forms of CNC derived from wood, i.e., CNCS (10 wt %; gel/suspension) and CNCP (powder), and compare to asbestos induced responses. Pharyngeal aspiration with CNCS and CNCP was found to facilitate innate inflammatory response assessed by an increase in leukocytes and eosinophils recovered by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). Biomarkers of tissue damage were elevated to a higher extent in mice exposed to CNCP. Compared to CNCP, CNCS caused a significant increase in the accumulation of oxidatively modified proteins. The up-regulation of inflammatory cytokines was higher in the lungs after CNCS treatments. Most importantly, CNCP materials were significantly longer than CNCS. Taken together, our data suggests that particle morphology and nanosize dimensions of CNCs, regardless of the same source, may be critical factors affecting the type of innate immune inflammatory responses. Because various processes have been developed for producing highly sophisticated nanocellulose materials, detailed assessment of specific health outcomes with respect to their physical–structural–chemical properties is highly warranted.
Mode Competition and Output Power from Regular and Chaotic Dielectric Cavity Lasers

Using a new formalism for calculating multi-mode lasing intensities both inside and outside the laser cavity, we determine the dependence of the output power and emission pattern on the shape of the laser cavity.
Atomic Layer Deposition of Gallium Sulfide Films Using Hexakis(dimethylamido)digallium and Hydrogen Sulfide

Gallium sulfide (GaSx) was synthesized for the first time via atomic layer deposition (ALD), using hexakis(dimethylamido)digallium and hydrogen sulfide. The growth characteristics and surface reaction mechanism for the GaSx ALD were investigated using in situ quartz crystal microbalance, quadrupole mass spectrometry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy measurements. The as-deposited films were analyzed for their surface morphology, elemental stoichiometry, chemical states and stability, and crystallinity, using a variety of characterization techniques. These measurements revealed that the GaSx growth was self-limiting in the temperature range of 125–225 °C and the growth per cycle decreased linearly with increasing temperature, from ∼1.0 A/cycle at 125 °C to ∼0.5 A/cycle at 225 °C. The S/Ga ratio was between 1.0 and 1.2 in the temperature range of 125–200 °C, but decreased to 0.75 at 225 °C. The GaSx films were amorphous and the refractive index increased from ∼1.8 to 2.5 with increasing temperatu...
Abstract 4543: High-throughput combination screening identifies novel drug-drug pairings for a Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor against the ABC subtype of diffuse large B-cell lymphomas.

The vast majority of cancer treatments currently administered to patients consist of combinations of more than one drug via routine infusions that adhere to specific dosing schedules. It is thought that this multi-arm and time dependent approach will kill not only the tumor cells within the primary site, but also any metastatic lesions, and importantly, any circulating tumor cells (CTCs) which may still exist in the blood. Combination therapies have also been developed as a means to reduce general cytotoxic side effects and prevent resistance and recurrence. Our labs have recently developed a high throughput screening platform to test compounds in pair-wise combinations to rapidly and systematically identify additive, synergistic and antagonistic drug combinations. This HTS capability can easily generate hundreds of dose response matrices in a single study and can increase significantly when applied to multiple cell lines. We are using this combination screening platform with in vitro models from both established cell lines and primary patient material, and we expect it will serve as a very valuable tool and a starting point when designing clinical trials after these combinations show promise within in vivo models. In a proof of concept study, we tested combinations of compounds that effectively kill 2 established lines of the ABC sub-type of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL); TMD8 and HBL1. We will present the infrastructure and methods that we have developed to implement the combination screens, visualize data from the combination dose response comparisons and numerically compare combinations in terms of their response matrices. We will also describe how this approach allows us to investigate putative polypharmacological effects that play a role in compound combination responses. Finally, we will show the results of a combination screen with TMD8 and HBL1 cells, including the identification of a novel drug-drug combination for the BTK inhibitor ibrutinib (PCI-32765) which is of both basic and translational interest for the treatment of DLBCL. Citation Format: Lesley A. Mathews, Rajarshi Guha, Paul Shinn, Ryan M. Young, Kian-Huat Lim, Jonathan Keller, Dongbo Liu, Adam Yasgar, Crystal McKnight, Matthew B. Boxer, Damien Y. Duveau, Jian-kang Jiang, Sam Michael, Bryan T. Mott, Paresma R. Patel, William Leister, David J. Maloney, Christopher A. LeClair, Ganesha Rai, Ajit Jadhav, Brian D. Peyser, Christopher P. Austin, Scott Martin, Anton Simeonov, Marc Ferrer, Louis Staudt, Craig J. Thomas. High-throughput combination screening identifies novel drug-drug pairings for a Bruton9s tyrosine kinase inhibitor against the ABC subtype of diffuse large B-cell lymphomas. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4543. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-4543
Inducing Grain Alignment in Metals, Compounds and Multicomponent Thin Films

Several methods to induce grain alignment in polycrystalline thin films are discussed, in which directional effects can dominate over the normal evolution of fiber texture during thin film growth. Early experiments with ion beam assisted deposition showed the importance of channeling directions in selecting grain orientations with low sputtering yield or low ion damage energy density. Examples of this approach include the formation of biaxial fiber textures in Nb, Al and AlN. Grain orientations may also be selected by the release of stored energy during abnormal grain growth initiated by solute precipitation (Cu-Co) or phase transformation (TiSi2). Other energy sources such as mechanical deformation, crystallization or compound formation may also contribute to producing desired grain alignments. In multicomponent thin films, combinations of these mechanisms provide opportunities for more specific control of grain orientations.
Estimated genetic parameters for palatability traits of steaks from Brahman cattle

Heritabilities and genetic and phenotypic correlations were estimated from carcass and beef palatability data collected from Brahman calves (n = 504) born in central Florida from 1996 to 2000. Traits evaluated included Warner-Bratzler shear force (after 7, 14, and 21 d of aging), panel tenderness score, connective tissue amount, juiciness, flavor intensity, and off flavor (after 14 d of aging), percentages of raw and cooked lipids, and milligrams per gram of muscle calpastatin activity. Parameters were estimated using an animal model and derivative-free restricted maximum likelihood procedures. Estimated heritabilities for d 7, 14, and 21 shear force were 0.14,0.14, and 0.06, respectively, indicating that improvement in these traits by selection would be slow. Estimated heritabilities of sensory panel attributes were 0.11, 0.12, 0.05, 0.04, and 0.01 for tenderness, connective tissue amount, juiciness, flavor intensity, and off flavor, respectively. The estimated heritabilities for percentages of raw and cooked lipids, and calpastatin activity were 0.34, 0.17, and 0.07, respectively. Most of the estimated genetic correlations among palatability traits and for palatability traits with fat thickness, marbling score, and loin muscle area were consistent with other estimates from the literature. Results indicated that improvement in tenderness based on selection for favorable shear force, sensory panel tenderness, or calpastatin activity would be slow; therefore, postslaughter intervention programs should also be considered.
Immunopathology of persistent viral infections

One of the most remarkable facts about persistent viral infections is that they persist at all—that they escape immune surveillance and the infected cells are not destroyed. Such viruses can eventu...
Palliative care--evolution of a vision.

MEDICINE & HEALTH/RHODE ISLAND Dame Cicely Saunders, MD, OM, DBE, established the first modern hospice, St Christopher’s, in 1967 in London. Prior to that time, terminally ill hospitalized patients did not “fit” the mission of hospitals – to cure. Physicians equated terminal illness with failure; thus terminally ill patients were often “placed... at the end of the hall.” Dame Cicely took it upon herself to help these patients, usually suffering from advanced cancer, with the goal of facilitating dignity and comfort as death approached. She founded St. Christopher’s Hospice, believing that dying people have the right to an improved quality of life, using pain control and social and emotional support to achieve psychological and spiritual contentment. Dame Cicely’s vision for end of life care soon spread to the United States where it became known as “palliative care.” Dame Cicely’s apprentice at St. Christopher’s, Florence Wald, MN, brought the new vision for end of life care to the United States, establishing the Connecticut Hospice in 1974. Known thereafter as “the mother of the American hospice movement,” Ms. Wald not only established an inpatient hospice similar to St. Christopher’s, but also developed the first home care program for terminally ill patients in the United States. From these small beginnings the American hospice movement grew rapidly. By the year 2000, hospice organizations in the US were serving an estimated 105,500 patients annually — 18,500 inpatients, and 87,000 home care clients.3 Since its articulation at St. Christopher’s four decades ago, the basic, comprehensive approach to palliative care has not changed, but the definition of palliative care has evolved – it has broadened significantly – as have unresolved issues of palliative care.
Priority Setting in Denmark in the Future in Connection with the Expected Amendment of the Danish Act on Contaminated Sites

The future system for setting the priority for actions in contaminated sites is expected to come into force together with the amendment of the Contaminated Sites Act. As regards the risk of contamination of groundwater, highest priority will be given to sites situated in “areas of special interest for supply of drinking water”. Regarding possible conflicts with land use, residential houses will get the highest priority, and regarding the risk of surface water contamination, highest priority will be given to sites with an established effect on the surface water.
Identification of Therapeutic CPAP for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Key Major Topics and Clinical Implications

The most appropriate continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) level to correct obstructive respiratory disorders during sleep can be identified by polysomnography during a single-night with manual or automatic titration. However, unassisted monitoring for multiple nights with an auto-CPAP device may often be more convenient. Evaluation of subjective and clinical findings after initiation of CPAP treatment may be recommended to confirm the CPAP level prescription.
Agricultural Animal Welfare

Abstract This chapter discusses the history of farm animal welfare, definitions of farm animal welfare, assessments of welfare for farmed species, and identification and assessment of pain in farmed animals. Subsequent chapter sections are devoted to individual domestic species including ruminants, both large and small, swine, and poultry. Although the horse is not considered a “farmed species” in the United States, a discussion of the welfare of the horse is also included. And finally, since research animal welfare is of clear concern, the chapter ends with a discussion of some common issues associated with research farmed species. The history of farm animal welfare diverges significantly in several ways from the history of animal welfare in general. These differences were a result of the industrial revolution and the economies of food production. Contemporary changes in social ethic, however, have affected what and how we think about the welfare of farmed animals and the horse. The assessment of farmed animal welfare depends upon the definition of welfare, for which no consensus definition exits. Nevertheless, the section on the assessment of farm animal welfare describes current methods used for assessing farmed animal welfare on both an individual and a group or farm basis. Since pain is directly associated with the concept of welfare, there is also a discussion on the identification and the assessment of pain per species. Significant differences exist not only within species but also within breeds and among individuals.
Soft Neurological Signs in Malnourished Children

The relation of abnormal soft neurologic signs and EEG abnormalities to the severity of malnutrition was investigated in 208, 8-10 year old male school children at the Nutrition Section, Department of Paediatrics, and the Section of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.
P131 Telomere Dysfunction in Alveolar Epithelial Cells Causes Pulmonary Fibrosis: Role for TRF1

Rationale: The telomeres in type II alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) are reportedly short in patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). It is unknown whether telomere shortening or telomere dysfunction directly leads to pulmonary fibrosis. The objective of this study was to investigate whether telomere dysfunction in type II AECs leads to pulmonary fibrosis in mice. Methods: To examine the consequences of type II AEC-specific telomere dysfunction, we crossed TRF1Flox/Flox (TRF1F/F) mice with mice inducibly expressing Cre recombinase …
Common Randomization Restrictions

The examples presented in Chapters 1 and 2 were either unreplicated full factorial designs with random assignment of treatment combinations to runs or they were replicated experiments obtained without any restriction to run order. Some experiments are too large to be run effectively in this manner. Hence, they are divided into several smaller experiments, commonly called blocks. Having some difficult-to-change factors is a second reason for restricting the assigned order for treatment combinations. In such cases, the assignment is restricted to make the experiment more convenient to conduct. This chapter presents the details of how to construct such designs, and how to analyze the resulting data.
An artificial neural network approach to predicting arm movements from ECoG

There are three specific aims. First, demonstrate the practicality of using an artificial neural network based approach to correlate these cortical signals with actual and imagined arm movements. Second, to identify areas of the cortical surface that provide the most useful command information. Third, quantify the information content and information transfer rate of the signals obtained from the subdural grids relative to a set of relevant arm movements. This work presents progress toward these aims.
Seq-ing Markers of Midbrain Dopamine Neurons

Transplantation of human pluripotent stem cell-derived dopaminergic neurons is a promising approach to treating Parkinson's disease. In this issue of Cell Stem Cell, Kee et al. (2017) and Kirkeby et al. (2017) identify specific markers of midbrain dopaminergic progenitors to improve their derivation and predict dopamine neuron content after engraftment.
Medicare Part D's effects on elderly patients' drug costs and utilization.

OBJECTIVE To analyze Medicare Part D's net effect on elderly patients' use of and out-of-pocket (OOP) costs for prescription drugs and to compare these with standardized results from prior studies. STUDY DESIGN Our dataset contains 1.4 billion prescriptions from Wolters Kluwer Health from December 2004 through December 2007 for patients whose age as of 2007 was more than 57 years. METHODS Days' supply per capita, OOP cost per day's supply, and number of individuals filling prescriptions were compared before and after January 2006 for those over age 66 years versus those age 58-64 years. Adjustment was made for under-reporting of pure cash prescriptions in the data. RESULTS Elderly patients' utilization in the first year of Part D increased compared with that of near-elderly patients by 8.1% for days' supply and 4.8% for the number of individuals filling prescriptions, and their OOP costs declined by 17.2%. Although elderly patients' OOP costs in the second year were reduced an additional 5.8%, days' supply increased by only an additional 1.0%. Correcting for the under-reporting of pure cash prescriptions yielded effects of 8.1% and -3.5% for days' supply and -15.6% and -7.2% for OOP costs in 2006 and 2007, respectively. A standardized comparison with previous estimates from Walgreens data showed that our utilization estimates were 2.6 times larger. CONCLUSION Part D lowered elderly patients' OOP costs and increased utilization, primarily during the first year of the program. Magnitudes vary substantially across studies because of differences in data and methods.
Analysis of Deep Sequencing Data: Insights and Challenges

Abstract Modern biomedical research demands that investigators become familiar with deep sequencing data analysis, yet the vast nature of deep sequencing data creates a variety of roadblocks for biologists not familiar with the analysis of such large datasets. In this chapter, we provide an introduction to data analysis for biologists, review first principles, point out areas of concern, and suggest software tools that are becoming standards for analysis of deep sequencing data. Perhaps the biggest challenge in the analysis of deep sequencing data will be data management and storage and repeating complex, multitier computational analyses. The future of deep sequencing data analysis will be likely data-driven and rely on principles gleaned from “big data” analysis.
Data-driven generation of rubric criteria from an educational programming environment

We demonstrate that, by using a small set of hand-graded student work, we can automatically generate rubric criteria with a high degree of validity, and that a predictive model incorporating these rubric criteria is more accurate than a previously reported model. We present this method as one approach to addressing the often challenging problem of grading assignments in programming environments. A classic solution is creating unit-tests that the student-generated program must pass, but the rigid, structured nature of unit-tests is suboptimal for assessing the more open-ended assignments students encounter in introductory programming environments like Alice. Furthermore, the creation of unit-tests requires predicting the various ways a student might correctly solve a problem - a challenging and time-intensive process. The current study proposes an alternative, semi-automated method for generating rubric criteria using low-level data from the Alice programming environment.
The global overlap of bioenergy and carbon sequestration potential

Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) is a negative emissions technology that is a largely untested but prominent feature of ambitious climate change mitigation scenarios. This strategy involves capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) from stationary bioenergy facilities and sequestering it in suitable geological formations, effectively removing CO2 from the atmosphere. Many factors potentially limit BECCS deployment including obstacles to building pipeline networks that move large quantities of liquefied CO2 over long distances. Here, we examine the BECCS opportunity that exists in regions overlapping storage basins. Under current conditions, the equivalent of 22.9 GtCO2 y−1 of net primary production (NPP), a measure of biomass growth, overlies highly prospective CO2 storage basins, representing a sustainably harvestable total of approximately 7.6 GtCO2 y−1. Most land overlying basins is either forested or linked to food production. If only marginal agricultural lands, those inconsistently under agricultural production, are used to source biomass, the scale of the available resource is approximately 1 GtCO2 y−1. If transportation of biomass or CO2 is constrained, and if BECCS is not developed on forests or prime croplands, then BECCS deployments will be limited to a small, but meaningful fraction (~10%) of the levels typical in cost-optimized model trajectories that stabilize warming at 2 °C or less above pre-industrial temperatures. Marginal agricultural lands over storage basins can be an entry point for maturing the engineering technologies and financial markets needed for BECCS.
Combinatorics: Trends and Examples

Combinatorics is currently a very active branch of mathematics, and there is good reason to believe that it will become even more active in the future. One trend in combinatorics is the increasing use of methods from other branches of mathematics to solve purely combinatorial questions. A wellknown example of this situation is the field of algebraic topology where topological questions are converted into algebraic ones and vice versa, an idea which has been used quite effectively in combinatorics, and which we will illustrate with two examples.
Empowering independent living for people with autism: designing supportive, low-cost, interactive e-health environments

An investigation of the Caregiver Autism Residential E-health (CARE) system, a low-cost, end-user deployable smart home technology, has been evaluated for its potential as an empowering assistive technology for adults living with autism. It allows adults living with autism and their caregivers to create personalized smart home interventions that provide motivational support for activities of daily living, social relationships, and safer behaviors. This is achieved through the use of a ubiquitous computing system composed of off-the-shelf consumer electronic technologies. The Environmental Rating Scale (ERS), designed to assess residential interventions for people living with autism, guided the development and evaluation of CARE/ERS heuristics and interaction scenarios. The contributions of this investigation, advanced through an iterative design process involving expert reviewers, caregivers, and end-users in a patient centered approach for the design of actualizing e-health interventions, can be readily applied to a broad range of residential circumstances that improve quality of life.
The box mover problem.

We show that the optimization problem is NP-hard for a wide class of motion planning puzzles, including classical SOKOBAN. We investigate a new problem, the Box Mover Problem (BMP), in which the agent is allowed to lift and carry boxes on a rectilinear grid in order to rearrange them. Some classical motion planning puzzles are special cases of BMP. We also identify a natural class of BMP instances, for which optimization is in NP, making the optimization problems from the class NP-complete.
Outcomes After Treatment of ATOS

Although the least common form of the group, without recognition and timely treatment the ischemic complications of arterial thoracic outlet syndrome (ATOS) can lead to tissue loss and thus may cause the most severe and disabling sequelae of all. ATOS can present as a single ischemic event due to acute thrombotic occlusion of the subclavian or axillary artery or it may present more insidiously with extremity pain and fatigue or subtle signs and symptoms of digital ischemia. Effective and successful treatment of arterial TOS and its direct relative, positional axillary artery compression or its branches, requires a high level of suspicion and early recognition. As demonstrated in numerous series as well as our own, excellent outcomes are achieved with prompt correction of the compressive mechanism and appropriate adjunctive revascularization as needed. Failures arise with the delay in diagnosis and treatment due to the development of fixed occlusive lesions in the runoff arterial beds. Results are excellent in patients with subclavian arterial lesions at the first rib, but poorer in those with positional axillary artery compression due to non-first rib pathology.
Liquid-cell scanning transmission electron microscopy and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy of DNA-directed gold nanoparticle assemblies.

Abstract In the use of solution-based 3D nanoarchitectures for optics, drug delivery, and cancer treatment, the precise nanoparticle architecture morphologies, architecture sizes, interparticle distances, and the assembly stability are all critical to their functionality. 3D nanoparticle architectures in solution are difficult to characterize, as few techniques can provide individualized information on interparticle spacing (defined by linkage molecule), nanoparticle assembly size, morphology, and identification of false aggregation. Bulk characterization techniques, including small angle x-ray scattering, can provide architecture sizes, though they are unable to precisely measure differences within interparticle spacings for individual architectures and can falsely measure assemblies caused by non-linkage grouped nanoparticles. Two solution-based characterization techniques were used to determine which assembly type and linkage length would produce the fastest assembly rate for large DNA-directed gold nanoparticle assemblies. In-situ liquid-cell scanning transmission electron microscopy (LC-STEM), measured interparticle spacings between DNA-functionalized nanoparticles, and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy provided the bulk volume fraction of large and small assemblies for nanoparticle architectures that were assembled using two different types: (1) the hybrid assemblies join two complementary single-stranded DNA linkages, and (2) the bridged assemblies are comprised of single-stranded DNA (bridging component) that is double the length of two different complementary single-stranded DNA-functionalized gold nanoparticles. Assembly times were tested at 24-hrs intervals over 3 days. Statistics derived from the in-situ LC-STEM images provided data for interparticle distance measurements, which identified the fraction of nanoparticles within the images acquired that were at the expected double-stranded DNA-binding distance of the linkages (varied in three distances for each of the two different architectures). In general, longer linkage lengths assembled in the shortest amount of time. The bridged assemblies formed fewer large architectures at 24-hrs but ultimately assembled a greater fraction of nanoparticles, which was due to the longer functionalized DNA lengths for individual nanoparticles. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy provided a bulk average of the gold nanoparticle assembly sizes over time, which supported the conclusions drawn from the in-situ LC-STEM data. The microscopy provided sub-2 nm precision in the interparticle distances between gold nanoparticles in a solution environment. This coupled microscopy and spectroscopy characterization approach can provide more detailed information than bulk characterization methods.
A One-Step Enzymatic Digestion Procedure for Pvdf-Bound Proteins that Does Not Require PVP-40

Publisher Summary This chapter describes a one-step enzymatic digestion procedure for polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF)-bound proteins that does not require PVP-40. In a study described in the chapter, several standard proteins were analyzed by SDS-PAGE, electrophoretically transferred to PVDF, and enzymatically digested using both procedures. Three factors were examined in comparing the two techniques including the reproducibility of peptide maps, the quantity of peptide recovery, and the presence of artifact peaks in the chromatogram. The amido black peak can be eliminated by staining the membrane with Ponceau S. The chapter highlights the reproducibility of peptide maps. The profiles for PVDF-bound transferrin digested with trypsin using the one-step procedure were virtually identical to those obtained from the PVP-40 procedure. Similar peptide map reproducibility was observed for bovine serum albumin and B-lactoglobulin. The results demonstrated that peptide maps from the one-step procedure are comparable if not identical to those from the PVP-40 procedure except for the PVP-40 contaminant.
American Joint Committee on Cancer eighth edition human papilloma virus positive oropharyngeal cancer staging system: Discordance between clinical and pathological staging systems

BACKGROUND The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) eighth edition introduces a staging system specific for human papilloma virus positive oropharyngeal cancer with separate clinical (AJCC 8c) and pathological (AJCC 8p) criteria. METHODS In this retrospective cohort study, preoperative imaging and pathology reports were used to stage patients based on the AJCC 8c and AJCC 8p criteria, respectively. The primary endpoint was agreement between AJCC 8c and AJCC 8p. RESULTS A total of 213 patients met inclusion criteria. Kappa statistics showed poor agreement (κ = 0.3275) between AJCC 8c and AJCC 8p. In total, 30.3% of patient's preoperative AJCC 8c stage changed based on the postoperative pathologic staging (AJCC 8p) with 73.4% of those being upstaged. CONCLUSION These data suggest that disagreement exists between AJCC 8c and AJCC 8p, in part due to the separate clinical and pathological staging criteria. This discrepancy should be considered as the new system is implemented.