cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of dietary polyenylphosphatidylcholine on metabolism of cholesterol and triglycerides in hypertriglyceridemic patients

This study was carried out primarily to determine whether the feeding of lecithin (polyenylphosphatidylcholine) has systemic effects on metabolism of cholesterol and triglycerides in patients with endogenous hypertriglyceridemia (type 4 hyperlipoproteinemia). Ten patients were studied during control periods and lecithin feeding. In the former period, 7 g of safflower oil were added to the diet to balance the addition of 10 g of lecithin in the latter period. Lecithin feeding had no influence on levels of plasma cholesterol and triglycerides, or lipoprotein-cholesterol, transport of VLDL-triglycerides, or total steroid balance. However, lecithin feeding did significantly increase the molar percent of bile acids and decrease the molar percent lecithin in gallbladder bile suggesting that it has a systemic effect. In addition, it had a small but significant inhibitory effect on intestinal absorption of cholesterol.
LEFT VENTRICULAR REMODELING AFTER ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION

▪ Abstract The loss of myocytes as a consequence of myocardial infarction results in a prompt reduction in regional wall motion and often leads to more protracted and progressive changes in ventricular architecture. The recognition that the process of ventricular enlargement following myocardial infarction is modifiable provided the initial rationale for the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors as therapy to prevent deterioration in ventricular size and function following infarction. Experimental and clinical studies have documented the effectiveness of this therapy in preventing this late enlargement following infarction. Increasing clinical evidence indicates that this new use of ACE inhibitor therapy in survivors of acute myocardial infarction will lead to an improvement in clinical outcome.
Multifunction array lidar network for intruder detection, tracking, and identification

This paper describes a novel lidar sensor network based on a small, flat, optical phase array laser aperture. The network of array lidars provides collaborative automatic detection, tracking, acquisition cueing, and intruder type identification, as well as free space optics communication. The lidar consists of four optical phased arrays, each with about 1 million radiating elements in a 1-cm2 aperture that enable electronic beam steering analogous to microwave array antennas. The four arrays are mounted on four sides of a stalk and have a full 360° field of view. A small number of such stalks can perform target detection over a large area.
Diverse cellular responses elicited from human colon carcinoma cells by transforming growth factor-β

We have recently characterized the growth-inhibitory and cellular responses [carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) secretion, protein secretion, protein expression, fibronectin and laminin synthesis] of the human colon carcinoma MOSER cell line to transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) (Cancer Res., 47: 2950, 1987; 48: 4059, 1988). We have also recently isolated a subline (MOSER R2) from the parental MOSER cells which, unlike the parental line, is relatively resistant to the growth-inhibitory effect of TGF-β (Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 150: 711, 1988). We now report on the characterization of the cellular responses of this resistant MOSER R2 subline to TGF-β and compare its responses to that of the highly growth-inhibition-sensitive MOSER cell line. In view of the reported relationship between CEA expression and differentiation in colon cancer and the ability of colon-derived substrata material to modulate the phenotypic properties of colon cancer cells, additional characterization and direct comparison of the effects of TGF-β on the two cell lines were also performed with respect to ( a ) cellular expression of CEA and CEA cross-reactive glycoproteins; and ( b ) colon-derived substrata material. Unlike the growth-inhibition-sensitive MOSER cells, TGF-β had no effects on fibronectin/laminin synthesis nor on the cellular morphology of the resistant MOSER R2 cells. TGF-β was also unable to modulate protein secretion and deposition of substrata material by these cells. However, several other responses of the resistant cells to TGF-β were found to be similar to that of the sensitive MOSER cells. These responses include: ( a ) a prolonged and stable secretion of CEA; ( b a prolonged and stable induction of elevated cellular expression of CEA and CEA cross-reactive glycoproteins; and ( c ) enhancement of the expression of three cellular proteins with molecular weights corresponding to 52,000, 48,000, and 42,000. We further report that the differences observed in the responses to TGF-β in the two cell lines were not due to differences in TGF-β binding or other receptor parameters such as the expression of distinct TGF-β receptor subspecies.
Simulation optimization with hybrid golden region search

Simulation Optimization (SO) is a class of mathematical optimization techniques in which the objective function could only be numerically evaluated through simulation. In this paper, a new SO approach called Golden Region (GR) search is developed for continuous problems. GR divides the feasible region into a number of (sub) regions and selects one region in each iteration for further search based on the quality and distribution of simulated points in the feasible region and the result of scanning the response surface through a metamodel. The experiments show the GR method is efficient compared to three well-established approaches in the literature. We also prove the convergence in probability to global optimum for a large class of random search methods in general and GR in particular.
College students, through problem-based learning, develop a summer camp menu and snacks.

Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is an instructional method characterized by the use of “real world” problems as a context for students to learn critical thinking and problem solving skills, and acquire knowledge of fundamental course concepts. Through PBL, quantity food production students act as the nutrition educator for a summer day camp and plan next year’s menu and snacks (Table 1). In doing so, students think critically; apply problem solving techniques; communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; apply food and nutrition principles to the selection and production of quality food in quantity; develop menus; standardize and cost recipes; select products to be purchased; maintain records; verify food amounts and costs; market products; and integrate technologies into professional practice. Students work in groups of four. They submit portions of their PBL project throughout the semester and a completed portfolio at the semester’s end. An evaluation rubric and submission deadlines guide students through the process. Completed portfolios are used by the camp director and nutrition educator to develop the final camp menu and to solicit snacks from food service vendors. Menu and snack ideas from portfolios also are distributed to camp participants’ families to promote healthful eating throughout a 12-month follow-up program. This PBL project facilitates learning in context, builds on existing knowledge and experience, enhances interpersonal skills and team work, and develops self-directed learning skills that are expected of professionals. Most students find this project to be challenging, realistic, stimulating, professional, and rewarding. NOTE: Educators who wish to use this project may contact the corresponding author for an evaluation rubric and additional information.
Multiplex PCR and Emerging Technologies for the Detection of Respiratory Pathogens

Molecular methods are becoming more widely used for the detection of respiratory pathogens, in part because of their superior sensitivity, relatively rapid turnaround time, and ability to identify pathogens that are slow growing or difficult to culture. The recent novel H1N1 influenza A pandemic served to underscore how quickly new molecular tests can become available for clinical use. Over the years PCR has been the dominant amplification method. Recently, modifications of this technology have emerged, some of which allow for the rapid detection of multiple pathogens in a single test. This review will focus on emerging multiplex molecular technologies and their clinical utility for the detection of respiratory pathogens.
STOP-BANG Questionnaire as a Screening Tool for Diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea by Unattended Portable Monitoring Sleep Study

The Snoring, Tiredness, Observed apnea, high blood Pressure (STOP)-Body mass index (BMI), Age, Neck circumference, and Gender (BANG) questionnaire is a well validated screening tool for diagnosis of Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) by an in- lab sleep study. However, performance of STOP-BANG as a screening tool for diagnosis of OSA in patients undergoing portable monitoring (PM) sleep study has not been well validated. We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients older than 18 years who had unattended portable monitoring sleep study done at a VA medical center between June 2012 and October 2014. STOP-BANG questionnaire and Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) were routinely done prior to study. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value (PPV) various STOP-BANG score thresholds were calculated for diagnosis of OSA defined by Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI) ≥5. Out of 502 unattended portable monitoring sleep studies, there were 465 males and 37 females. STOP-BANG thresholds of ≥2 and 3 have high sensitivity of 99.8 and 98.9 %, respectively, but very low specificity. Higher score thresholds of ≥7 and 8 have high specificity of 95 and 98.3 %, and PPV of 98.1 and 98.5 %, respectively, but very low sensitivity. A threshold of ≥7 in patients with BMI ≥30 was 100 % specific. The false negative rate for unattended portable monitoring sleep study compared to in-lab study was 80 %. STOP-BANG score thresholds of ≥7 and 8 are highly specific and have high PPV and therefore can potentially reduce need of diagnostic sleep studies in selected patients. Score thresholds of ≤2 or 3 are highly sensitive for AHI ≥5 by unattended portable monitoring sleep study but have high false negative rates. Therefore, in-lab sleep study should be performed to rule out OSA.
The slow infection caused by visna virus.

In 1954, the late Bjorn Sigurdsson drew attention to an unusual class of slow infection distinguished by a prolonged incubation period and a protracted symptomatic phase. Sigurdsson’s concept of slow infection resulted from his observations on the natural history of a group of diseases of Icelandic sheep. In this review, the focus is on one of these diseases, visna, as a prototype of slow infections caused by viruses, and as a paradigm of the challenging questions raised by slow infections: the persistence of virus in the face of the host’s defensive response, the strikingly slow pace of replication of virus, and the basis of the tissue lesions. Because visna virus is closely related to RNA tumor viruses, these central issues are discussed against the background of the structure and replication of RNA tumor viruses. In particular, the hypothesis is advanced here that the persistence of visna virus is the consequence of its ability, held in common with RNA tumor viruses, to transfer its genetic information to a DNA replica, or provirus, that resides in the cell and allows the virus to elude the host defensive response.
Topological Spaces with Special Properties

This chapter discusses topological spaces with special properties. Topological spaces play an important role in a variety of applications if they exhibit certain special structural properties. Connectedness, separability, compactness, and completeness are the most important special properties. A topological space is connected if it cannot be represented as the union of two separated sets. Any singleton subset {x} of an arbitrary space is connected because it does not contain any proper subset, so that the condition on connectedness is vacuously fulfilled. Homotopy is an equivalence relation for the collection of paths with specified common beginning and endpoints. A connected space is said to be simply connected if all loops at all points are contractable. A connected space is called n -fold connected if each point has exactly n connections to itself, that is, if at each point, the loop system has n distinct equivalence classes. Separability plays an important role in the theory of Hilbert spaces.
Nuclear Assessment of Shielding Configuration Options for Final Optics of HAPL Laser Fusion Power Plant

The High Average Power Laser (HAPL) power plant has targets that are directly driven by forty KrF laser beams. Three-dimensional neutronics calculations were performed directly in the exact CAD model of the HAPL final optics system to assess the impact of the biological shielding configuration on the nuclear environment at the GIMM and dielectric focusing and turning mirrors. In the initial configuration, the biological shield fully encloses the GIMMs and associated dielectric mirrors. We assessed another configuration where the shield is moved farther from the target to fully enclose the dielectric mirrors leaving the GIMM in the open space between the chamber and the biological shield. A variation of this configuration utilizes 40 neutron traps attached to the inner surface of the biological shield behind the GIMMs. It is concluded that the shielding configuration with all optics including the GIMM being fully enclosed in the biological shield is the preferred option since it results in the lowest nuclear environment at the dielectric mirrors, provides better GIMM support, reduces the volume to be maintained under vacuum, and requires the least amount of concrete shield.
An Evaluation of the Expectancy Value Model of Attitude Measurement for Physician Prescribing Behavior

Presented are findings from research using expectancy value and normative belief measures to predict physician drug brand preference and purchases. Physician prescribing using group depth interview...
Firm Engagement and Social Issue Salience, Consensus, and Contestation:

Facing an increasing number and variety of issues with social salience, firms must determine how to engage with issues that likely have a significant impact on them. Integrating issues management (...
The measurement of antibodies to extractable nuclear antigen.

By the use of a combination of Ouchterlony immunodiffusion and hemagglutination, it was found that 30 of 81 sera (37%) from patients who had systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) had antibody to the ribonucleoprotein component of extractable nuclear antigen, and 37 (46%) had antibody to the Sm antigen. Immunodiffusion was more sensitive for detection of anti-ribonucleoprotein, while hemagglutination detected more anti-Sm. Both technics are necessary to define qualitatively the types of antibodies present in SLE sera.
Analysis of Impact to Damage State of One Span with Hinge in Different Longitudinal Spacings of Hinge

One span of California Yuba Bridge,which has a hinge,is simulated to be a Fiber Element model by OpenSess in order to obtain the impact to damage state of one span with a hinge in different longitudinal spacings of hinge. And the detailed model and simplified model are analyzed by Pushover. Through the above simulations and the comparison of modes with different longitudinal spacings on the two sides of hinge,the conclusion shows that the detailed model is better to simulate the hinge accompanying by longitudinal pounding,the longitudinal spacing has a great impact to the process of pounding and process of structural yield. The smaller spacing is good to prolong the linear working state of girder in the position of pier-beam consolidation. When the girder in this position begins to yield,the smaller spacing can also control the declining rate of girder stiffness effectively.
COMMENTS ON JAMES QUIRK'S ARTICLE

Publisher Summary This chapter presents comments on James quirk's article. One disadvantage of the type of Walrasian analysis is that it is timeless. The goods considered can be taken to include bonds, money, or other claims. Graduate programs in economics cover a lot of economics and a good deal of mathematical and statistical technique, and leaves very less time for students to develop outside interests. There exists a platonic idea—the professional economist; the common aim of graduate schools is to approximate it as closely as they can. It is difficult to model the behavior of firms in a time-laden uncertain world without getting very far from Walrasian analysis.
Making the Case for Artaban: Robert Leigh, Katherine Philips and the Court of Claims

ABSTRACTBetween October 1662 and February 1663, Katherine Philips relied on a friend in Dublin to make fair copies of her play Pompey and deliver them to Sir Charles Cotterell in London. Robert Leigh is a likely candidate for Philips’s unknown transcriber. Though Leigh was Catholic and a descendant of Old Irish royalists, he was an undersecretary to Henry Bennet, moved within the same social circles as Philips, and often travelled between Dublin and London. As Bennet's Irish land agent, Leigh was also deeply involved in the kingdom's settlement process and attended hearings of the Court of Claims. By describing Leigh's work as a clerk and copyist at Dublin Castle and Whitehall, tracking his movements between the two courts, and detailing the personal connections he shared with Philips, this essay provides new insights into Philips's activities during the period when she translated Corneille's play and appeared at the Court of Claims.
Adolescent cortical thickness pre- and post marijuana and alcohol initiation.

Cortical thickness abnormalities have been identified in youth using both alcohol and marijuana. However, limited studies have followed individuals pre- and post initiation of alcohol and marijuana use to help identify to what extent discrepancies in structural brain integrity are pre-existing or substance-related. Adolescents (N=69) were followed from ages 13 (pre-initiation of substance use, baseline) to ages 19 (post-initiation, follow-up). Three subgroups were identified, participants that initiated alcohol use (ALC, n=23, >20 alcohol use episodes), those that initiated both alcohol and marijuana use (ALC+MJ, n=23, >50 marijuana use episodes) and individuals that did not initiate either substance regularly by follow-up (CON, n=23, ALC+MJ). Minimal neurocognitive differences were observed in this sample. Findings suggest pre-existing neural differences prior to marijuana use may contribute to initiation of use and observed neural outcomes. Marijuana use may also interfere with thinning trajectories that contribute to morphological differences in young adulthood that are often observed in cross-sectional studies of heavy marijuana users.
Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study of Solvent and State of Charge Effects on Solid-Phase Structure and Counterion Binding in a Nitroxide Radical Containing Polymer Energy Storage Material

We performed molecular dynamics simulations to understand the effects of solvent swelling and state of charge (SOC) on the redox active, organic radical cathode material poly(2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyloxy methacrylate) (PTMA). We show that the polar solvent acetonitrile primarily solvates the nitroxide radical without disrupting the packing of the (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-yl)oxyl (TEMPO) pendant groups of PTMA. We also simulated bulk PTMA in different SOC, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%, by converting the appropriate number of TEMPO groups to the cation charge state and adding BF4– counterions to the simulation. At each SOC the packing of PTMA, the solvent, and the counterions were examined. The binding of the anion to the nitroxide cation site was examined using the potential of mean force and found to be on the order of tens of meV, with a binding energy that decreased with increasing SOC. In addition, we found that the cation state is stabilized by the presence of a nearby anion by more than 1 eV, ...
Synergistic killing of bacteria and phage by polystyrene and ultraviolet radiation

Far-ultraviolet (254 nm) irradiation of bacteria and bacteriophage in polystyrene containers resulted in lower number of survivors, compared with irradiation in glass containers. This effect was not observed with near UV (300-400 nm) irradiation.
Pharmacokinetics of the Antiviral Lectin Griffithsin Administered by Different Routes Indicates Multiple Potential Uses

Griffithsin (GRFT) is a red alga-derived lectin with demonstrated broad spectrum antiviral activity against enveloped viruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome–Coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2). However, its pharmacokinetic profile remains largely undefined. Here, Sprague Dawley rats were administered a single dose of GRFT at 10 or 20 mg/kg by intravenous, oral, and subcutaneous routes, respectively, and serum GRFT levels were measured at select time points. In addition, the potential for systemic accumulation after oral dosing was assessed in rats after 10 daily treatments with GRFT (20 or 40 mg/kg). We found that parenterally-administered GRFT in rats displayed a complex elimination profile, which varied according to administration routes. However, GRFT was not orally bioavailable, even after chronic treatment. Nonetheless, active GRFT capable of neutralizing HIV-Env pseudoviruses was detected in rat fecal extracts after chronic oral dosing. These findings support further evaluation of GRFT for pre-exposure prophylaxis against emerging epidemics for which specific therapeutics are not available, including systemic and enteric infections caused by susceptible enveloped viruses. In addition, GRFT should be considered for antiviral therapy and the prevention of rectal transmission of HIV-1 and other susceptible viruses.
Does the FDA Owe Us an Explanation

The approval process for new medications sometimes appears to require pharmacokinetic data in some circumstances and clinical trial data in others. This editorial calls for more clarity and transparency in the process and uses three examples to raise the issue.
Genomic DNA Interactions Mechanize Peptidotoxin-Mediated Anticancer Nanotherapy

Host defense peptides (HDPs) are a class of evolutionarily conserved substances of the innate immune response that have been identified as major players in the defense system in many living organisms. Some of the HDPs are also referred to as peptidotoxins, which offer immense potential for anticancer therapy. However, their therapeutic potential is yet to be fully translated mainly due to their off-target toxicity. Here we show that their nanoenabled delivery may become beneficial in controlling their delivery in intracellular space. We introduced an amphiphilic polymer to synthesize a well-defined, self-assembled, rigid-cored polymeric nanoarchitecture for controlled delivery of three model peptidotoxins, i.e., melittin, TSAP-1, and a negative control peptide of synthetic origin. Interestingly, our results revealed strong interaction of peptidotoxins with duplex plasmid DNA. Extensive biophysical characterization (UV–vis spectroscopy, gel electrophoresis, MTT assay, and flow assisted cell sorting) experi...
Situationism, Manipulation, and Objective Self-Awareness

Among those taking the implications of situationism seriously, some have suggested exploiting our tendency to be shaped by our environments toward desirable ends. The key insight here is that if experimental studies produce reliable, probabilistic predictions about the effects of situational variables on behavior—for example, how people react to the presence or absence of various sounds, objects, and their placement—then we should deploy those variables that promote prosocial behavior, while avoiding or limiting those that tend toward antisocial behavior. Put another way, some have suggested that we tweak situations to nudge or influence others toward good behavior. A question arises: Isn’t this manipulative? In this paper, I describe some existing proposals in the literature and consider the manipulation worry. Drawing on classical Confucian ethics, I argue that, when all is considered, it is chimerical to think we can refrain from influencing or manipulating others. We must rather accept that influence (whether intended or not) is part of social existence. Once we accept this, the only remaining question is how to influence others. I suggest that this should make us conceive ourselves in an objective fashion.
Contesting Justice in Global Forest Governance: The Promises and Pitfalls of REDD+

For more than 30 years, diverse actors in global forest governance have sought to address the justice concerns of forest peoples—concerns about displacement, marginalisation, and loss of identity—related to forest interventions. Despite the mainstreaming of justice obligations into the global forest governance architecture and the proliferation of justice practices across multiple scales of governance, claims of injustice persist. The growing prominence of Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation plus the enhancement of carbon stocks (REDD+) as a primary mechanism for addressing global forest loss and degradation has again directed attention to the justice effects of global forest policies on forest peoples across the Global South. While REDD+ proponents argue that safeguard procedures and participatory processes will promote justice, opponents argue REDD+ will exacerbate injustices. To generate new insights into the persistent justice debates in REDD+, this paper draws attention to the role of norms in constraining and shaping policy designs and outcomes. It asks: to what extent and how does REDD+ as articulated in UNFCCC decisions respond to the established justice trajectory in global forest governance? How do current approaches in REDD+ create and constrain opportunities for justice for forest peoples? An empirical analysis of justice norms in global forest governance, including REDD+, demonstrate that while justice possibilities under REDD+ could narrow, opportunities for norm contestation are expanding. These additional opportunities can create conditions conducive to broader norm shifts in global forest governance.
MT-LQG: Multi-agent planning in belief space via trajectory-optimized LQG

Belief space planning is concerned with the problem of finding the control policy under process and measurement uncertainties. Formulated as a stochastic control problem, the solution of a general Decentralized Partially Observed Markov Decision Process (Dec-POMDP) is a collection of feedback policies for individual agents, maximizing a joint value function. In this paper, we design (m) number of Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) policies for (m) number of agents maximizing the joint performance of the team. Casting the problem as a NonLinear Program (NLP), we propose a framework that reduces the optimization dimension from ((mn)2 + mn) to (mn) with (n) referring to the dimension of each individual agent's state space. As a result, the proposed method reduces the formidable generic Dec-POMDP to a computationally tractable multi-agent planning under uncertainty. Our results in 2D and 3D environments demonstrate the performance of the algorithm and its ability to predict and avoid inter-agent collisions.
Overstability of G-Modes in ZZ Ceti Variables

Many types of variable stars have convection zones in the pulsation driving regions. To study the driving of pulsations, we need to consider how convection reacts to pulsation. A physically consistent treatment of time-dependent convection is not available. The conventional way around this difficulty is to use the ‘frozen-in’ approximation, valid in the limit that the pulsation time scale is much shorter than the time scale for convective re-adjustment. Following Brickhill, we introduce an approximation that is valid in the opposite limit: an instantaneously adjusting convection zone that keeps its isentropic profile during the pulsation cycle.
Automatic Classification of Married Couples' Behavior using Audio Features

In this work, we analyzed a 96-hour corpus of married couples spontaneously interacting about a problem in their relationship. Each spouse was manually coded with relevant session-level perceptual observations (e.g., level of blame toward other spouse, global positive affect), and our goal was to classify the spouses’ behavior using features derived from the audio signal. Based on automatic segmentation, we extracted prosodic/spectral features to capture global acoustic properties for each spouse. We then trained gender-specific classifiers to predict the behavior of each spouse for six codes. We compare performance for the various factors (across codes, gender, classifier type, and feature type) and discuss future work for this novel and challenging corpus. Index Terms: behavioral signal processing, human behavior analysis, couples therapy, prosody, emotion recognition
Designing an emergency medicine pharmacy rotation

Emergency medicine (EM) pharmacy, practiced since the 1970s, has expanded into many institutions across the United States over the past decade.[1][1]–[4][2] The workflow in the emergency department (ED) is substantially different than in other pharmacy services. There are no daily
Twenty‐Year Trends in the American Heart Association Cardiovascular Health Score and Impact on Subclinical and Clinical Cardiovascular Disease: The Framingham Offspring Study

Background Data on the temporal trends in ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) as well as on their association with subclinical/overt cardiovascular disease (CVD) and death are limited. Methods and Results This study included 3460 participants attending ≥1 of 4 consecutive exams of the Framingham Heart Study (1991–2008, mean age 55.4 years, CVH score ranged 0–14). We created 4 groups describing changes in CVH score between examination cycles 5 and 8, using first and last exams attended (high‐high: starting CVH score ≥8, last score of ≥8, referent; high‐low: ≥8 start and ≤7 last; low‐high: ≤7 start and ≥8 last; and low‐low: ≤7 start and ≤7 last) and related them to subclinical CVD cross‐sectionally, and incident CVD and death. Fewer people have ideal CVH scores over the past 20 years (8.5% for 1991–1995, 5.9% for 2005–2008, P =0.002), because of decreases in those with ideal status of body mass index, blood glucose, and serum cholesterol levels ( P Conclusions The decreased presence of ideal CVH scores over the past 20 years resulted in increasing odds of subclinical disease and risk of CVD and death, emphasizing the importance of maintaining ideal CVH over the life course.
Activity-dependent synaptic integration and modulation of bilateral excitatory inputs in an auditory coincidence detection circuit

Key points Binaural excitatory inputs to coincidence detection neurons in nucleus laminaris (NL) play essential roles in interaural time difference coding for sound localization. Here, we show that the two excitatory inputs are physiologically nearly completely segregated. Synaptic integration shows linear summation of EPSPs, ensuring high efficiency of coincidence detection of the bilateral excitatory inputs. We further show that the two excitatory inputs to single NL neurons are symmetrical in synaptic strength, kinetics and short-term plasticity. Modulation of the EPSCs by metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) is identical between the two excitatory inputs, maintaining balanced bilateral excitation under neuromodulatory conditions. Unilateral hearing deprivation reduces synaptic excitation and paradoxically strengthens mGluR modulation of EPSCs, suggesting activity-dependent anti-homeostatic regulation, a novel synaptic plasticity in response to sensory manipulations. Abstract Neurons in the avian nucleus laminaris (NL) receive bilateral excitatory inputs from the cochlear nucleus magnocellularis, via morphologically symmetrical dorsal (ipsilateral) and ventral (contralateral) dendrites. Using in vitro whole-cell patch recordings in chicken brainstem slices, we investigated synaptic integration and modulation of the bilateral inputs to NL under normal and hearing deprivation conditions. We found that the two excitatory inputs onto single NL neurons were nearly completely segregated, and integration of the two inputs was linear for EPSPs. The two inputs had similar synaptic strength, kinetics and short-term plasticity. EPSCs in low but not middle and high frequency neurons were suppressed by activation of group I and II metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR I and II), with similar modulatory strength between the ipsilateral and contralateral inputs. Unilateral hearing deprivation by cochlea removal reduced the excitatory transmission on the deprived dendritic domain of NL. Interestingly, EPSCs evoked at the deprived domain were modulated more strongly by mGluR II than at the counterpart domain that received intact input in low frequency neurons, suggesting anti-homeostatic regulation. This was supported by a stronger expression of mGluR II protein on the deprived neuropils of NL. Under mGluR II modulation, EPSCs on the deprived input show transient synaptic facilitation, forming a striking contrast with normal hearing conditions under which pure synaptic depression is observed. These results demonstrate physiological symmetry and thus balanced bilateral excitatory inputs to NL neurons. The activity-dependent anti-homeostatic plasticity of mGluR modulation constitutes a novel mechanism regulating synaptic transmission in response to sensory input manipulations.
Predicting and Preventing Anthracycline-Related Cardiotoxicity.

Anthracyclines (doxorubicin, daunorubicin, epirubicin, and idarubicin) are among the most potent chemotherapeutic agents and have truly revolutionized the management of childhood cancer. They form the backbone of chemotherapy regimens used to treat childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, Hodgkin lymphoma, Ewing sarcoma, osteosarcoma, and neuroblastoma. More than 50% of children with cancer are treated with anthracyclines. The clinical utility of anthracyclines is compromised by dose-dependent cardiotoxicity, manifesting initially as asymptomatic cardiac dysfunction and evolving irreversibly to congestive heart failure. Childhood cancer survivors are at a five- to 15-fold increased risk for congestive heart failure compared with the general population. Once diagnosed with congestive heart failure, the 5-year survival rate is less than 50%. Prediction models have been developed for childhood cancer survivors (i.e., after exposure to anthracyclines) to identify those at increased risk...
Predictive Modeling on Multiple Marketing Objectives Using Evolutionary Computation

Predictive models find wide use in marketing for customer segmentation, targeting, etc. Models can be developed to different objectives, as defined through the dependent variable of interest. While standard modeling approaches embody single performance objectives, actual marketing decisions often need consideration of multiple performance criteria. Multiple objective problems typically characterize a range of solutions, none of which dominate the others with respect to the different objectives - these specify the Pareto-frontier of non-dominated solutions, each offering a different level of tradeoff. This chapter examines the use of evolutionary computation to obtain a set of such non-dominated models. An application using a real-life problem and data-set is presented, with results highlighting how such multi-objective models can yield advantages over traditional approaches.
Transformation of the Filamentous Cyanobacterium Fremyella diplosiphon

One of the most thoroughly studied signal transduction pathways in cyanobacteria controls a process known as complementary chromatic adaptation (CCA). During CCA, cells sense the spectral distribution of ambient light and adjust the pigmentprotein composition of their photosynthetic light harvesting antennae structure, which is termed a phycobilisome, to maximize light absorbance. Thus, the pigmentation of the cells is linked to the spectral quality of the light in which the cells are grown; specifically, cells are red when grown in green light, when the phycobilisome contains high levels of the red pigmented protein phycoerythrin, and blue-green when grown in red light, when the phycobilisome contains high levels of the blue pigmented protein phycocyanin.
Yale Swallow Protocol Administration and Interpretation: Passing and Failing

How to administer and interpret the Yale Swallow Protocol is discussed. Three forms necessary for administration and interpretation of the protocol are included. Specifically, exclusion criteria, administration and instructions, and pass or fail consequences are discussed. Instructions direct the clinician regarding when to defer and when to administer the protocol as well as procedures to follow with either passing or failing the protocol.
Realtime Planning for High-DOF Deformable Bodies Using Two-Stage Learning

We present a method for planning the motion of arbitrarily-shaped volumetric deformable bodies or robots through complex environments. Such robots have very high-dimensional configuration spaces and we compute trajectories that satisfy the dynamics constraints using a two-stage learning method. First, we train a multitask controller parameterized using dynamic movement primitives (DMP), which encodes various locomotion or movement skills. Next, we train a neural-network controller to select the DMP task to navigate the robot through environments while avoiding obstacles. By combining the finite element method (FEM), model reduction, and contact invariant optimization (CIO), the DMP controller's parameters can be optimized efficiently using a gradient-based method, while the neural-network's parameters are optimized using Deep Q-Learning (DQL). This two-stage learning algorithm also allows us to reuse the trained DMP controller for different navigation tasks, such as moving through different environmental types and to different goal positions. Our results show that the learned motion planner can navigate swimming and walking deformable robots with thousands of DOFs at realtime.
A direct approach to imaging in a waveguide with perturbed geometry

Abstract We introduce a direct, linear sampling approach to imaging in an acoustic waveguide with sound hard walls. The waveguide terminates at one end and has unknown geometry due to compactly supported wall deformations. The goal of imaging is to determine these deformations and to identify localized scatterers in the waveguide, using a remote array of sensors that emits time harmonic probing waves and records the echoes. We present a theoretical analysis of the imaging approach and illustrate its performance with numerical simulations.
Ideology and Extremism of Interest Groups: Evidence from Lobbyist Declarations in Three States

What are the ideological positions of private interests? Valid measurements of interest group and legislator preferences on the same scale enable a closer examination of the role of private interests in the legislative process. In this paper, I exploit lobbying disclosure requirements in Iowa, Nebraska, and Wisconsin to provide a new measure of interest group ideology. These states' legislatures either permit or require lobbyists to declare their principals' positions on lobbied bills. I combine these data with roll call votes and candidate survey responses to estimate, via an item-response model, the ideal points of legislators and interest groups in the same space. Although the interest groups' position-based ideal points correlate strongly with contribution-based measures, there is more extremism in the former, which is primarily driven by conservative-leaning groups. In addition to providing a new measure of interest group ideology, the analysis suggests that private interests, including corporations and trade groups, cannot be ruled out as a source of partisan polarization.
Clinical Pathological Correlation

Careful correlation of the clinical presentation and the microscopic findings in the skin biopsy is essential for accurate classification of cutaneous lymphomas. Similar histopathologic findings may be observed in different lymphomas as well as benign mimics. Ignoring clinical or pathologic findings will often lead to misdiagnosis. In addition to the need for adequate communication between the clinician and the pathologist, it is important for the pathologist to be familiar with clinical terms.
Methane emissions from oil and gas production on the North Slope of Alaska

Abstract Recent warming of the Arctic has motivated assessments of methane (CH4) release from the North Slope Region of Alaska (NSRA). This study examines the contributions of thermogenic emissions from the Prudhoe Bay Oil Field (PBOF) to the elevated concentrations of atmospheric CH4 observed across the NSRA. We report high precision atmospheric measurements of CH4 and ethane (C2H6) within and downwind of the PBOF. Biogenic CH4 emissions, due to methanogenic processes within the Arctic tundra, are not co-emitted with C2H6. We show that the thermogenic gas emanating from oil and gas extraction point sources contains on average 1 mol of C2H6 for every 16 mol of CH4. We use a mass balance approach to estimate total emissions of thermogenic CH4 from two days in the summer of 2016 and find 2–5 times greater emissions than the sum of all sources in the PBOF reported to the EPA Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program in 2016. Although higher than reported, these emissions are much smaller than estimates of CH4 emissions from other oil and natural gas production areas in the US, and they make a very small contribution to total CH4 emissions from the North Slope.
Increased Smooth Muscle Kv11.1 Channel Expression in Pulmonary Hypertension and Protective Role of Kv11.1 Channel Blocker Dofetilide

Kv11.1 potassium channels are essential for heart repolarization. Prescription medication that blocks Kv11.1 channels lengthens the ventricular action potential and causes cardiac arrhythmias. Surprisingly little is known about the Kv11.1 channel expression and function in the lung tissue. Here we report that Kv11.1 channels were abundantly expressed in the large pulmonary arteries (PAs) of healthy lung tissues from humans and rats. Kv11.1 channel expression was increased in the lungs of humans affected by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-associated pulmonary hypertension and in the lungs of rats with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). In healthy lung tissues from humans and rats, Kv11.1 channels were confined to the large PAs. In humans with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-associated pulmonary hypertension and in rats with PAH, Kv11.1 channels were expressed in both the large and small PAs. The increase in Kv11.1 channel expression closely followed the time-course of the development of pulmonary vascular remodeling in PAH rats. Treatment of PAH rats with dofetilide, an Kv11.1 channel blocker approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in the treatment of arrythmia, inhibited PAH-associated pulmonary vascular remodeling. Taken together, the findings from this study uncovered a novel role of Kv11.1 channels in lung function and their potential as new drug targets in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension. The protective effect of dofetilide raises the possibility of repurposing this antiarrhythmic drug for the treatment of patients with pulmonary hypertension.
Creativity in Counselor Education: More than Case Studies.

Counseling embraces creativity. As counselor educators, creativity is an opportunity to model vulnerability, identity, integrity, and connectedness (Palmer 2017) for students. McCarthy Journal of Asia Pacific Counseling, 7(1), 37–45 (2017) posited questions about the infusion of creativity into the counselor education classroom. This article attempts to address his questions regarding faculty views of creativity in counselor education, and how educators can enhance their knowledge and practice of innovative pedagogical classroom practices. Throughout this manuscript, the authors seek to engage with the reader about why creativity is important in the classroom, how creativity may enhance student learning, and also to provide examples for creative interventions in the classroom and in assignments.
3D ultrasound biomicroscopy (3D-UBM) imaging of the eye for unique 3D assessment of ciliary body

We developed a methodology for 3D assessment of ciliary body of the eye, an important, but understudied tissue, using our new 3D ultrasound biomicroscopy (3D-UBM) imaging system. The ciliary body produces aqueous humor, which if not drained properly, can lead to increased intraocular pressure and glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness. Most medications and some surgical procedures for glaucoma target the ciliary body. Ciliary body is also responsible for focusing-accommodation by muscle contraction and relaxation. UBM is the only imaging modality which can be used to visualize structures behind the opaque iris, such as ciliary body. Our 3D-UBM acquires several hundred high resolutions (50 MHz) 2D-UBM images and creates a 3D volume, enabling heretofore unavailable en face visualizations and quantifications. In this study, we calculated unique 3D biometrics from automated segmentation using deep learning (UNet). Our results show accuracy of 0.93 ± 0.01, sensitivity of 0.79 ± 0.07 and dice score of 0.72 ± 0.07 on deep learning segmentation of ciliary muscle. For an eye, volume of ciliary body was 67.87 mm3, single ciliary process volumes were 0.234 ± 0.093 mm3 with surface areas adjacent to aqueous humor of 3.02 ± 1.07 mm2. Automated and manual measurements of ciliary muscle volume and cross-sectional area are compared which show overestimation in volume measurement but higher agreeability in cross-sectional area measurements.
Plant extracts as antimicrobials in food products: Mechanisms of action, extraction methods, and applications

Plants contain a wide variety of active compounds that exhibit antimicrobial activity. Even though the antimicrobial activity of plant extracts is well documented, the exact mechanism of action is not fully understood. The antimicrobial effectiveness of plant extracts depends on effective methods of extraction. Direct extract or juice could provide an effective method to obtain maximized levels of antimicrobial activity. In addition, due to the fairly recent surge in the antibiotic resistance of pathogenic microorganisms and increasing consumer concerns regarding the negative health impact of synthetic preservatives, there has been a dramatic increase in the application of natural antimicrobials of plant origin. This chapter summarizes current research on the various antimicrobial mechanisms of action of plant extracts, development of extraction techniques, and how the extract affects Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Finally, the chapter outlines potential applications of plant extracts as antimicrobials in food systems.
A New Interpretive Pedagogy

One of the most prominent debates related to interpretation lies in the approach that this informal education process takes—in essence its pedagogy. At its core, personal interpretation's goal is t...