cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Protective association of MTHFR polymorphism on cervical intraepithelial neoplasia is modified by riboflavin status.

Abstract Objectives We previously reported that women polymorphic for the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene were less likely to have cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2 or 3 (odds ratio [OR] 0.40, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.21–0.78, P = 0.007). In the present study, we tested whether this protective association is modified by circulating riboflavin status in the same study population. Methods Riboflavin status was assessed by the erythrocyte glutathione reductase assay and expressed in terms of an erythrocyte glutathione reductase activity coefficient. The status of MTHFR polymorphism, riboflavin, and circulating concentrations of folate, vitamins B12, A, E, and C, and total carotene were ascertained in 170 White and 265 African-American women positive for the cervical presence of high-risk human papilloma virus. Presence/absence of CIN 2 or 3 was determined histologically, and associations with risk factors were examined using multiple logistic regression. Eighty women with CIN 2 or 3 lesions were compared with 355 women without cervical lesions. Based on the median erythrocyte glutathione reductase activity coefficient of 1.4, women were grouped into low (>1.4) and high (≤1.4) riboflavin status. Results Women with MTHFR polymorphism and low riboflavin status were significantly less likely to have CIN 2 or 3 than was the referent group of women without the polymorphism and high riboflavin status (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.13–0.92, P = 0.034). MTHFR polymorphism was not associated with CIN 2 or 3 in women with high riboflavin status (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.22–1.19, P = 0.119), nor were any of the associations influenced by folate levels. Conclusion A further inactivation of polymorphic MTHFR by low riboflavin status and a resulting shift in the folate metabolic pathway toward DNA synthesis may explain these observations. The practical implications of this complex gene-nutrient-disease interaction will require further investigation.
Childbearing motivation and its measurement

This paper conceptualises the motive force behind human childbearing as originating in two broad traits which have biological bases, are shaped by experiences during early life and are expressed through their effect on desires and intentions. An instrument for measuring childbearing motivation, the Childbearing Questionnaire (CBQ), is presented. Using a sample of 401 married couples two main scales, nine subscales, and several independent items are described. Evidence for the reliability and validity of this instrument is presented. The versatility of the CBQ as a research instrument and the usefulness of the conceptualisation from which it is derived as a way of integrating social, behavioural, and biological science approaches to childbearing motivation are discussed.
A table driven database and applications generator for accelerator control systems

The proposed system of describing ring data should make it easy for the user to do high-level application development by hiding details behind logical naming schemes. It will guarantee system-wide configuration data integrity by keeping it defined in one place, in the central database. The decrease in dependence on skilled computer personnel to maintain this information is well worth the added cost in computer hardware required to support it. >
Immunolocalization of gastrin-dependent histidine decarboxylase activity in rat gastric mucosa during feeding

The localization of histidine decarboxylase (HDC) activity in the enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells of the oxyntic mucosa was studied during fasting and refeeding using monoclonal (CURE no. 44178) ...
Whither motor drives: A case study in switched reluctance motor drives

Variable speed motor drives and power electronics are at crossroads as their engineering and technology have matured, and products have found wide acceptance in world markets. A debate is going on about the future of both in academic and to a smaller extent in industrial circles with a broad consensus and agreement that there is no more fundamental work possible or breakthrough required in these disciplines. During this time American industries have almost decimated R&D in these disciplines indirectly reinforcing the notion that current technologies are sufficient to address the existing or emerging market needs. This is happening at a time when the energy crisis is at full blast and environmental concern is on upswing. It is illusory to think that these challenges can be faced by incremental work in product development as is the general trend and not by fundamental work. By reviewing the past it is demonstrated that the root cause of present situation and how the challenges of emerging market and societal demands can be met through a case study. This paper presents the rise of power electronics and motor drives from late 1950s to present. The developments in semiconductor devices, power electronic converters and motor drives progressed from fundamental concepts and breakthroughs to tackling secondary problems and that path is briefly traced. In turn, this has contributed to the notion that the engineering in this field has matured. Many of these fundamental developments have come about due to market pressure and demands (a fact usually overlooked in academia) and that correlation is derived. The same market and environmental concerns can and do open up opportunities for fundamental work. A case study of recent work in switched reluctance motor drives is presented highlighting emerging newer directions in motor drives research and development driven primarily by the emerging markets and applications. It is demonstrated that there is no paucity of fundamental problems (but may be a lack of attention to market needs) that can provide the keys to happy kingdom of research and development for a newer generation of engineers, scientists and professors.
An alternative strategy for field oriented control

A new control strategy based on optimal control theory is developed in this paper and applied to an induction motor drive. The distinguished feature of the proposed control design is that it achieves the same performances as the field oriented control without the need for heavy and expensive gain tuning. The idea of LQ design of the control rule is interesting and useful, as the PH) controller tuning for induction machine control is quite difficult task. The proposed strategy minimizes the energy used for the control and ensures the stabilization and excellent tracking performance of the system. Simplicity of the overall scheme, minimization of the required energy and the elimination of the need for gain tuning are the main positive features of the proposed approach.
A Case of Late-Onset MELAS

We describe a 60-year-old man with MELAS syndrome (mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and strokelike episodes) and discuss the mitochondrial DNA point mutation 3243. A diagnosis of MELAS should be considered in the appropriate clinical setting at any age.
An integrated air-gap-capacitor process for sensor applications

Several MOS-compatible techniques and processes for fabricating diaphragms for use in capacitive sensors have been developed and incorporated with a unique capacitance detection scheme. Surface and bulk micromachining are used to produce a flexible, conductive diaphragm after MOS device structures for circuits are built. The wafer surface forms the bottom plate of a variable air-gap capacitor, and the diaphragm constitutes the top plate that deforms under pressure. KOH etching of small holes through the silicon substrate and subsequent HF etching of a sacrificial dielectric layer through these holes form the diaphragm after circuit processing. Special one-sided etching techniques are used to protect the frontside from etchant attack. A test chip containing doped-polysilicon diaphragm air-gap capacitors and NMOS readout circuits has been successfully fabricated and tested, demonstrating the compatibility of the diaphragm sensor structure with MOS circuitry. The thicknesses of the poly diaphragms range from 0.5 to 1 mu m, and they are 100 mu m*100 mu m in size. >
Using the bootstrap method to evaluate image noise for investigation of axial collimation in hybrid PET

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the use of the bootstrap method to evaluate noise in three-dimensional (3-D) ordered-subsets expectation-maximization list-mode iterative reconstructions from data simulated on a hybrid positron emission tomography (PET) system. In addition, image noise from reconstructions acquired with various levels of axial collimation was investigated. A warm cylinder (20-cm diameter and 70-cm long) was simulated using the GEANT 3.21 Monte Carlo simulation code for different collimator designs: open-frame (OPEN), parallel (PAR) axial, and hybrid parallel fan-beam (HPF) axial collimators. Twenty noisy sets of list-mode data were simulated for each collimator. In addition, events from the first noisy list-mode data set of each category (OPEN, PAR axial, and HPF axial collimators) were chosen at random with replacement to produce twenty new sets of the same size. List-mode data were reconstructed using a 3-D ordered-subsets expectation-maximization (OSEM) list-mode iterative reconstruction algorithm using two subsets and up to 10 iterations. The standard deviations within volumes of interest (VOIs) were computed, and the mean value of this estimate over noise realizations was evaluated. The results indicate that there is no statistical significant difference in the standard deviation of VOI estimates from noisy realizations and bootstrap samples when using the OPEN, the PAR axial, and the HPF axial collimators. The results showed that the precision of VOI estimates varies with the axial spatial location within the object and the axial collimator. In addition, noise variation within list-mode reconstructed images appears to be related to the 3-D sensitivity map.
A flow model of the HF laser

A quasi one-dimensional coupled-fluid-chemistry model of the HF laser is developed. It includes the state of the reservoir gases, non-ideal expansions, base flow regions, pressure balancing, and entrainment into linearly growing layers with heat release and instantaneous mixing. Values of parameters characterizing the flow are chosen and closed-cavity power sensitivity explored by systematic variations. Laser performance is found to depend on all of the processes, and all must be consistently treated. Experiments in a coupled shock tube/Ludwieg tube facility provide initial validation of the model.
Modernism and the antimodern in the “Men of 1914”

The modernism of the “Men of 1914”—that group of writers so named by Wyndham Lewis that includes himself, T. S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, and James Joyce (and to which is added here T. E. Hulme as one in total continuity with its orientations)—has long posed a conceptual challenge in that an aesthetic praxis of radical experimentation prevails in their work, but alongside a socio-cultural positioning often thought to be “reactionary” in the extreme. There have been many attempts throughout the history of modernist studies at reconciling these two apparently contradictory tendencies, with varying results, none of which could be considered definitive. The present article seeks to bring to bear the theoretical model of the “antimodern” articulated by Antoine Compagnon in his study of post-Revolution French literary history as a framework for re-conceiving modernism’s relationship to modernity. Understanding the “Men of 1914” to be a manifestation in the Anglophone context of Compagnon’s “antimodern” enables us to see, without oversimplification or unnecessary politicization, how the modernist aesthetic of these authors, far from contradicting, actually follows from their socio-cultural attitudes. This analytical lens can also provide a richer account of the unity of the “Men of 1914” as an authentic literary group largely by demonstrating more profound connections (on this very question of modernity) between Joyce and the other members.
Whole-animal functional and developmental imaging with isotropic spatial resolution

Imaging fast cellular dynamics across large specimens requires high resolution in all dimensions, high imaging speeds, good physical coverage and low photo-damage. To meet these requirements, we developed isotropic multiview (IsoView) light-sheet microscopy, which rapidly images large specimens via simultaneous light-sheet illumination and fluorescence detection along four orthogonal directions. Combining these four views by means of high-throughput multiview deconvolution yields images with high resolution in all three dimensions. We demonstrate whole-animal functional imaging of Drosophila larvae at a spatial resolution of 1.1-2.5 μm and temporal resolution of 2 Hz for several hours. We also present spatially isotropic whole-brain functional imaging in Danio rerio larvae and spatially isotropic multicolor imaging of fast cellular dynamics across gastrulating Drosophila embryos. Compared with conventional light-sheet microscopy, IsoView microscopy improves spatial resolution at least sevenfold and decreases resolution anisotropy at least threefold. Compared with existing high-resolution light-sheet techniques, IsoView microscopy effectively doubles the penetration depth and provides subsecond temporal resolution for specimens 400-fold larger than could previously be imaged.
Maximizing ORC performance with optimal match of working fluid with system design

Abstract This article compares constrained system design to non-constrained system design for the basic Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC). The 12 working fluids studied include eight dry-type, three isentropic, and one wet-type fluids. The ORC model was developed using Aspen HYSYS® and validated with data obtained from the literature. The constrained design compared the performance of working fluids for a fixed heat exchanger and turbine configuration. A non-constrained design was studied by altering the design specifications for the heat exchangers and turbine to match the working fluid. An energy and exergy analysis was performed using first and second law efficiency. The exergy analysis was also used to study exergy destruction across the ORC components. Cost analysis was performed by comparing the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for each working fluid in both designs. It was observed that non-constrained design favored working fluids with higher critical temperatures. Switching from constrained to non-constrained design lowered the LCOE for higher critical temperature working fluids such as R601, R601a, R123, R245ca, R245fa, R600, and R236ea. R245ca, R601, and R236ea show 11%, 10%, and 9% decrease in LCOE, respectively. No significant change in efficiency is observed for lower critical temperature working fluids such as R236fa and R134a. Also, no increase in net power was observed for lower critical temperature working fluids, suggesting that modifying design does not affect the performance of ORC. LCOE increased for R600a, R152a, and R227ea and remained unchanged for R236fa and R134a.
Completely recyclable biopolymers with linear and cyclic topologies via ring-opening polymerization of γ-butyrolactone

Ring-opening polymerization (ROP) is a powerful synthetic methodology for the chemical synthesis of technologically important biodegradable aliphatic polyesters from cyclic esters or lactones. However, the bioderived five-membered γ-butyrolactone (γ-BL) is commonly referred as ‘non-polymerizable’ because of its low strain energy. The chemical synthesis of poly(γ-butyrolactone) (PγBL) through the ROP process has been realized only under ultrahigh pressure (20,000 atm, 160 °C) and only produces oligomers. Here we report that the ROP of γ-BL can, with a suitable catalyst, proceed smoothly to high conversions (90%) under ambient pressure to produce PγBL materials with a number-average molecular weight up to 30 kg mol–1 and with controlled linear and/or cyclic topologies. Remarkably, both linear and cyclic PγBLs can be recycled back into the monomer in quantitative yield by simply heating the bulk materials at 220 °C (linear polymer) or 300 °C (cyclic polymer) for one hour, which thereby demonstrates the complete recyclability of PγBL. Bio-derived γ-butyrolactone (γ-BL) is commonly referred to as ‘non-polymerizable’ due to its low strain energy. Now it has been shown that ring-opening polymerization of γ-BL can in fact proceed to high conversions under ambient pressure with a suitable catalyst, producing high-molecular-weight polymers with controlled topologies and complete recyclability.
Ten steps to peace

This month's “Breaking the Nuclear Deadlock” presents two brief essays offering frameworks for maintaining peace and a more specific article on nuclear-weapon-free zones. Abraham Keller suggests unilateral actions by the United States to set a momentum for reversing the arms race. Thomas Saaty proposes an international center for conflict resolution. Finally, Sverre Lodgaard outlines the advantages of nuclear, and eventually conventional, disengagement in northern, central and southern Europe. — The Editors
Review of Paraffin Deposition Research under Multiphase Flow Conditions

Paraffin deposition in subsea pipelines is one of the flow assurance problems for oil and gas production. A reliable paraffin deposition prediction tool is needed to develop mitigation strategies. Most of the studies address single-phase paraffin deposition. However, in practice, multiphase flow is a common occurrence during oil and gas production. Paraffin deposition prediction under multiphase flowing conditions is largely ignored. The current practice is to use single-phase paraffin deposition models in conjunction with multiphase flow hydrodynamic and thermal models. Thermal models used mostly do not consider the flow pattern effects rigorously. The use of a single-phase paraffin deposition model for multiphase flow is not proper and may lead to significant uncertainty in predictions. Thus, there is a need to better understand paraffin deposition under multiphase flow conditions. A limited number of research studies has been conducted. This paper reviews the current state-of-the-art in multiphase para...
Mg chelatase in chlorophyll synthesis and retrograde signaling in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: CHLI2 cannot substitute for CHLI1

The oligomeric Mg chelatase (MgCh), consisting of the subunits CHLH, CHLI, and CHLD, is located at the central site of chlorophyll synthesis, but is also thought to have an additional function in regulatory feedback control of the tetrapyrrole biosynthesis pathway and in chloroplast retrograde signaling. In Arabidopsis thaliana and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, two genes have been proposed to encode the CHLI subunit of MgCh. While the role of CHLI1 in A. thaliana MgCh has been substantially elucidated, different reports provide inconsistent results with regard to the function of CHLI2 in Mg chelation and retrograde signaling. In the present report, the possible functions of both isoforms were analyzed in C. reinhardtii Knockout of the CHLI1 gene resulted in complete loss of MgCh activity, absence of chlorophyll, acute light sensitivity, and, as a consequence, down-regulation of tetrapyrrole biosynthesis and photosynthesis-associated nuclear genes. These observations indicate a phenotypical resemblance of chli1 to the chlh and chld C. reinhardtii mutants previously reported. The key role of CHLI1 for MgCh reaction in comparison with the second isoform was confirmed by the rescue of chli1 with genomic CHLI1 Because CHLI2 in C. reinhardtii shows lower expression than CHLI1, strains overexpressing CHLI2 were produced in the chli1 background. However, no complementation of the chli1 phenotype was observed. Silencing of CHLI2 in the wild-type background did not result in any changes in the accumulation of tetrapyrrole intermediates or of chlorophyll. The results suggest that, unlike in A. thaliana, changes in CHLI2 content observed in the present studies do not affect formation and activity of MgCh in C. reinhardtii.
A Low-Carbon Power Dispatch Model Based on Policy Mechanisms Corresponding to Different Stages

Carbon capture technology is one of the most important means to achieve low-carbon target in power sector at the present stage,meanwhile carbon capture power plants also possess good operating characteristics.At present,too high construction cost and operation cost of carbon capture technology are just the key points,which restrict the application of carbon capture technology in power sector,so it is the key problem for the development of low-carbon electricity to draft incentive measures and mechanism matching with the development of carbon capture technology.In this paper,firstly the remarkable operating characteristics of carbon capture power plant and its ability to provide backup resource for intermittent power generation such as wind power generation and so on are analyzed;secondly,the impacts of cost structure of carbon capture system installed in power plant on both energy consumption and generation cost of thermal power plant are analyzed,and corresponding administrative means and certain market mechanisms that should be taken by government at different development stages of carbon capture technology to enhance the economic competitiveness of carbon capture power plant are summarized;thirdly,according to different development stages of carbon capture technology the low-carbon dispatch decision models adapting to different policy mechanisms adopted in different stages are built respectively and in these models the unit output and carbon capture amount are taken as optimization variables;finally,the effectiveness and adaptability of the built models are verified by simulation results of IEEE 30-bus 6-machine system.
The development of a cable insulation

The rapid pace of our changing society results in continued demands for new or improved insulations. To meet these demands, insulation formulations must be revised, and occasionally entirely new insulations are needed to fit a particular application. Development of such new or revised insulations requires a high degree of skill and creativity. The obvious goal is a balance of the many properties required to satisfy the end use of the cable, but the methods or means employed to achieve this goal are far from obvious, even to the skilled insulation chemist. The selection of one or more additives may be critical in achieving the desired property; therefore, both the additives and their quantities must be chosen judiciously. Frequently new compounding techniques must be devised to insure the best blending of the ingredients. To illustrate some principles of creative insulation development, a specific example has been selected.
What Is the Rationale for New Treatment Strategies in Alzheimer's Disease?

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the abnormal extracellular accumulation of amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) into neuritic plaques and the intraneuronal aggregation of the microtubule-associated protein tau to form neurofibrillary tangles. These molecular events are implicated in the selective damage to neural systems critical for the brain functions that are impaired in AD. Impairment of cholinergic neurotransmission may be an important factor underlying the defects in cognition and memory that characterize AD. Cholinesterase (ChE) inhibitors, such as donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine, cause symptomatic improvement by inhibiting the breakdown of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine to increase its synaptic availability and, in the case of galantamine, by also allosterically potentiating nicotinic cholinergic receptors. Other agents, including vitamin E, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and statins, have shown some benefit in epidemiological studies and clinical trials although compelling evidence of their efficacy is lacking. Memantine, shown to cause cognitive and functional improvement, is not an ChE inhibitor and does not interact with marketed ChE inhibitors. While the mechanism of action of memantine in AD is not known, the principal pharmacologic actions at therapeutic dose are inhibition of ionotropic neurotransmitter receptors, specifically N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), 5-HT3, and nicotinic receptors. Like other NMDA antagonists, memantine causes behavioral activation associated with enhanced cerebral glucose utilization. Studies have shown that memantine can reverse the decreased metabolic activity associated with AD, possibly accounting for its beneficial effects on cognition and global functioning. Memantine also has neuroprotective properties and can inhibit Aβ-induced neurodegeneration.
Personal health and consumer informatics. The impact of health oriented social media applications on health outcomes.

Personal Health and Consumer Informatics. The Impact of Health Oriented Social Media Applications on Health Outcomes -
Cardiac Action Potentials

Action potentials (APs) in the heart are generated by the complex time-dependent interplay of several currents carried primarily by Na + , K + and Ca 2+ ions. Ventricular APs have very long duration compared to nerve and skeletal muscle APs, due to a plateau phase during which there is an approximate balance between depolarizing and repolarizing currents. Some cardiac cells display automaticity, due to the presence of a cyclical spontaneous depolarization. The cells of the sinoatrial node normally exhibit the fastest spontaneous depolarization of automatic cells in the heart and are therefore the normal pacemaker cells. Automaticity in nodal cells is initiated by several currents, including a hyperpolarization-activated cation current (the “funny current”), a small background Na + current, the delayed rectifier K + current and Ca 2+ currents. The sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves play important (and opposite) roles in regulating the force of myocardial contraction and heart rate via their effects on several currents. Mutations in a number of ion channels can lead to arrhythmias.
Comparative Fat and Fatty Acid Intestinal Absorption Test Utilizing Radioiodine Labeling—Results in Normal Subjects.

SummaryA test has been proposed for evaluation of intestinal malabsorption states. It involves administration of isotopically tagged whole fat on one day and fatty acid on a separate occasion. By comparison of resultant radioactivity in blood and urine one can judge whether an abnormality found is due primarily to lack of proper digestive enzymes or to intrinsic difficulty with the absorption process. Normal figures with standard deviations are given for serum levels of radioactivity and for urinary and fecal loss. It was found that in normal subjects serum concentrations of radioactivity were lower following ingestion of tagged fatty acid than whole fat and the possible significance of this difference is discussed.The authors wish to gratefully acknowledge the technical assistance of Mr. Raimond Hernits, Mrs. Shirley Barber, Mrs. Bernice Osborne, Mr. Paul Tocci, and Mrs. Lois Smith.
Emma and the Inept Reader

Emma is a story about reading and misreading, about textual manipulations and readers’ resistance, about false information and puzzling event.1 In the twentieth century, critical agreement about the riddling nature of the novel has allowed, even demanded, ongoing reinterpretations, responding, perhaps, to Virginia Woolf’s famous formulation that ‘while twelve readings of “Pride and Prejudice” give you twelve periods of pleasure repeated, as many reading of “Emma” give you that pleasure, not repeated only, but squared and squared again with each perusal, till at every fresh reading you feel anew that you never understood anything like the widening sum of its delights’.2 It is perhaps not possible, in the 1990s, to recapture Woolf’s sense of progressive understanding any more than it is possible. for a critic to recover the experience of first reading Emma. In fact, the ‘widening... delights’ are apt to turn into increasing perplexities, until we begin to feel very much like inept readers.
Orthodeoxia and Platypnea

Platypnea and orthodeoxia describe a syndrome of dyspnea induced by upright posture, associated with arterial hypoxemia, which is subsequently relieved by recumbency. Platypnea-orthodexia is a rare clinical syndrome which can arise in protean clinical settings. Diagnosis requires a heightened sense of clinical suspicion with a careful assessment of the underlying cause. There is a wide variety of potential causes. Correction of the underlying problem with device closure, medical therapy, or rarely with surgery often leads to a resolution of symptoms.
Bone Marrow Hematopoietic Stem Cell Therapy in Stroke

Mammalian bone marrow is host to an active stem cell population with the responsibility of maintaining and replenishing a variety of high turnover cells that are vital for survival, regeneration, and support of the rest of the body. The major outputs of this hematopoietic system are the erythrocytes and platelets of the blood and the granulocytes and macrophages of the immune system. These stem cells also give rise to antibody-producing B-lymphocytes and antibody-producing T-lymphocytes that consume foreign or inflammatory substrates in the body. As all of these substituent cell types have a very limited life span, they must be constantly and consistently replenished. This rapid turnover of up to 100 billion new cells from progenitors forms the hematopoietic system (Mohammadi et al. Int J Stem Cell Res Transplant, 2014 2(02), 59–62). In recent years, bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells have drawn increasing attention for their therapeutic potential used in cell transplantation therapy for neurological disorders including stroke and traumatic brain injury. This review article is to summarize recent progress in basic and preclinical investigations on these cells including hematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cells.
Abstract 16339: Heparin Bridging in Atrial Fibrillation Patients After Temporary Interruption of Warfarin: Evidence From Meta-analysis

Background: Patients with atrial fibrillation often require temporary interruption of warfarin for procedures. However, the efficacy of periprocedural heparin bridging in clinical practice is still...
Timely reminder interventions to improve annual Papanicolaou (Pap) smear rates among HIV-infected women in an outpatient center of southern Nevada: a short report

ABSTRACTCurrent guidelines recommend annual Papanicolaou (Pap) smears for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected women for cervical cancer screening. Rates for such screening in Nevada are below the national rate. Our cohort includes 485 eligible HIV-infected adult women from an outpatient center in Southern Nevada of which only 12 women had obtained a Pap smear in the past year. An intervention was conducted from June 2015 to September 2015, in which reminders to schedule a Pap smear were sent to the remaining cohort of 473 women via sequential text messaging, followed by phone call attempts. Of all subjects, 94% contacted by text messages and 41% contacted by phone calls were successfully reached. There was an increase in the rate of completed Pap smears from 2.5% (12/485) at baseline to 11.8% (56/473) after interventions (p < 0.0001) in a period of three months. Out of the 68 Pap smear results, 20 (29.4%) were abnormal. Our intervention, utilizing methods of communication such as text messaging an...
SMITten for KCNQ Channels

Over the last two decades, members of the KCNQ channel family of potassium channels (KCNQ1–5) have emerged as critical regulators of cardiac and neuronal excitability (1,2). KCNQ1 channels are the molecular determinants of the cardiac slow potassium current, IKS (1), which is partly responsible for the repolarization of the cardiac action potential. Loss-of-function variants of KCNQ1 channels lead to a rare heart condition, long QT syndrome, and gain-of-function variants lead to atrial fibrillation.
Erratum to: Modified Atkins diet in advanced malignancies-final results of a safety and feasibility trial within the Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System.

The online version of the original article can be found under doi: 10.1186/s12986-016-0113-y .
Introduction to a Comprehensive Guide to Your Prostate

Abstract Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and its sequela lower urinary tract symptoms are nondiscriminatory chronic conditions affecting approximately 50% of men as they reach their 50th decade of life. Treatments include medical therapy, surgery, or alternative methods. A Comprehensive Guide to the Prostate: Eastern and Western Approaches for Management of BPH is a complete and multidisciplinary guide toward the diagnosis, management, and treatment modalities associated with BPH.
Alcohol: Use, Abuse, and Issues with Blood Alcohol Level

This chapter provides an overview of U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines on drinking in moderation versus hazardous drinking. Moderate alcohol consumption can reduce the risk of various diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, stroke, certain cancers, age-related dementia, and neurodegenerative diseases. Red wine may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. However, such benefits are lost with alcohol abuse—the risks of all these diseases are markedly higher in heavy drinkers and alcoholics in comparison with nondrinkers and moderate drinkers. This chapter also discusses how the number of drinks consumed on one occasion is translated into blood alcohol level (Widmark formula) and how much alcohol can be consumed by individuals who want to drive home safely (blood alcohol <0.08%).
A FUZZY SET BASED ENVIRONMENT FOR DESIGN OPTIMIZATION

An important aspect of design involves the unification of criteria for design evaluation into a global goal in which conflicting design objectives are balanced. This paper focuses on methods to represent this goal in an operational form, suitable for computations within the format of optimization algorithms. The methodology relies on fuzzy set models for design evaluation.
Creating space to discuss end-of-life issues in cancer care

Abstract Objectives Analyze entire oncology clinical visits and examine instances in which oncologists have to break the bad news that patients’ treatments are no longer effective. Methods Using conversation analysis we examine 128 audio recorded conversations between terminal cancer patients, their caregivers, and oncologists. Results When oncologists break the bad news that a patient’s treatment is no longer effective, they often use a conversational device we call an “exhausted current treatment” (ECT) statement, which avoids discussing prognosis in favor of further discussing treatment options. Analysis suggests that improving and prioritizing patient-centered care and shared decision making is possible if we first understand the social organization of clinical visits. Conclusions ECT statements and their movement towards discussing treatment options means that opportunities are bypassed for patients and caregivers to process or discuss scan results, and their prognostic implications. Practice Implications When oncologists and patients, by fixating on treatment options, bypass opportunities to discuss the meaning of scan results, they fail to realize other goals associated with prognostic awareness. Talking about what scans mean may add minutes to that part of the clinic visit, but can create efficiencies that conserve overall time. We recommend that oncologists, after delivering scan news, ask, “Would you like discuss what this means?”.
Imaging of Meniscus Pathology

Meniscal pathology is one of the most common orthopedic diagnoses. Physical examination and basic radiographic evaluation play an important role in the evaluation of knee pain. The diagnosis of and characterization of meniscal tears and associated findings is conducted via the utilization of magnetic resonance imaging. This imaging technique enables a surgeon to associate a prognosis with the pathology and determine a treatment plan. In special circumstances, MR or CT arthrography can also serve as valuable diagnostic tools.
Autonomous programmable nanorobotic devices using DNAzymes

A major challenge in nanoscience is the design of synthetic molecular devices that run autonomously and are programmable. DNA-based synthetic molecular devices have the advantage of being relatively simple to design and engineer, due to the predictable secondary structure of DNA nanostructures and the well-established biochemistry used to manipulate DNA nanostructures. We present the design of a class of DNAzyme based molecular devices that are autonomous, programmable, and further require no protein enzymes. The basic principle involved is inspired by a simple but ingenious molecular device due to Mao et al [25]. Our DNAzyme based designs include (1) a finite state automata device, DNAzyme FSA that executes finite state transitions using DNAzymes, (2) extensions to it including probabilistic automata and non-deterministic automata, (3) its application as a DNAzyme router for programmable routing of nanostructures on a 2D DNA addressable lattice, and (4) a medical-related application, DNAzyme doctor that provide transduction of nucleic acid expression: it can be programmed to respond to the underexpression or overexpression of various strands of RNA, with a response by release of an RNA.
Construct validity for Blacks of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.

The study employed confirmatory and exploratory factor analytic methods to test the hypothesis that Spielberger's model of anxiety was valid for characterizing the anxiety of Blacks.
Scale-up of biomass conversion using 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate as the solvent

Abstract This scale-up study demonstrated the feasibility of an ionic liquid (IL) pretreatment process at 40 kg scale, using the IL 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([C2C1Im][OAc]) as the solvent. The pretreatment was followed by enzymatic hydrolysis through which the process efficiency for biomass conversion to monomeric sugars was determined. The results show that 43 wt% of switchgrass was dissolved in IL after 2 h of pretreatment at 160 °C with 15 wt% solid loading. A 120 h enzymatic hydrolysis of the pretreated switchgrass results in 96% glucan and 98% xylan conversion. [C2C1Im][OAc] pretreatment has been successfully scaled up to 40 kg with improved sugar titers and yields relative to bench scale (6 kg). The mass flow of the overall process was established and the major scale-up challenges of the process were identified.
Dimethyl fumarate treatment induces lipid metabolism alterations that are linked to immunological changes.

Objective Identify metabolic changes produced by dimethyl fumarate (DMF) treatment and link them to immunological effects. Methods We enrolled 18 MS patients and obtained blood prior to DMF and 6 months postinitiation. We also enrolled 18 healthy controls for comparison. We performed global metabolomics on plasma and used weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) to identify modules of correlated metabolites. We identified modules that changed with treatment, followed by targeted metabolomics to corroborate changes identified in global analyses. We correlated changes in metabolite modules and individual metabolites with changes in immunological parameters. Results We identified alterations in lipid metabolism after DMF treatment - increases in two modules (phospholipids, lysophospholipids and plasmalogens) and reduction in one module (saturated and poly-unsaturated fatty acids) eigen-metabolite values (all P < 0.05). Change in the fatty acid module was greater in participants who developed lymphopenia and was strongly associated with both reduction in absolute lymphocyte counts (r = 0.65; P = 0.005) and change in CD8+ T cell subsets. We also noted significant correlation of change in lymphocyte counts with multiple fatty acid levels (measured by targeted or untargeted methods). Interpretation This study demonstrates that DMF treatment alters lipid metabolism and that changes in fatty acid levels are related to DMF-induced immunological changes.
Strategies for understanding dynamic, personalized profiles of host-derived proteins and microbes from human stool

Measuring host proteins through noninvasive stool-based assays opens new avenues for characterizing states of gastrointestinal health. However, the extent to which these proteins vary over time and between healthy subjects is poorly characterized. Here, we characterize technical and biological sources of variability in mass spectrometry-based measurements of host proteins in stool. We identify the proteins that most vary over time within an individual, and among different individuals. Finally, we examine and compare temporal and inter-individual variation in host protein and bacterial taxonomic profiles of the same fecal specimens. To address these issues, five self-reported healthy individuals were each sampled eight times over four weeks. First, we demonstrate that mass spectrometry-based identification and label-free quantification of stool proteins exhibit non-significant variability (p>0.05) between both technical and preparative replicates for a subset of 78 proteins, supporting the utility of this method for biomarker measurement. Second, although 13 human stool proteins varied significantly in relative abundance over time within individuals, 58 proteins varied significantly (at least four-fold) between subjects. The average pair-wise difference between individuals was greater than the average within-subject difference for both the proteome and microbiome datasets (p<0.0001). Fecal host proteins, like the traditional fecal protein marker, calprotectin, unambiguously pointed to innate and adaptive immune responses. For example, one subjects fecal protein profile suggested a sub-clinical inflammatory state. From these data, we conclude that host-centric protein measurements in stool reveal a wide range of variation during states of apparent health, and add a valuable complementary insight into host-microbiota relationships.
Dynamic discriminant model for predicting respiratory distress at birth based on mass volume ratio in fetuses with congenital lung malformation.

Objectives The congenital lung malformation volume ratio (CVR) is a prenatal ultrasound measurement that parameterizes congenital lung malformation (CLM) size. The aims of this study were to use serial measurements to create estimated growth curves of fetal CVR for asymptomatic and symptomatic neonates with CLM and to investigate whether a discriminant prognostic model based on these measurements could predict accurately which fetuses with CLM will require invasive respiratory support at delivery and should therefore be delivered at a tertiary-care facility. Methods This was a retrospective study of fetuses diagnosed prenatally with CLM at three tertiary-care children's hospitals between 2009 and 2016. Those with two or more sonographic measurements of CVR were included. Serial fetal CVR measurements were used to create estimated growth curves for neonates with and those without respiratory symptoms at delivery, defined as requiring invasive respiratory support for the first 24 h after delivery. A discriminant model based on serial CVR measurements was used to calculate the dynamic probability of the need for invasive respiratory support. The performance of this model overall and in preterm and term neonates was compared with those using maximum CVR thresholds of 1.0 and 1.6. Results Of the 147 neonates meeting the inclusion criteria, 16 (10.9%) required postnatal invasive respiratory support. The estimated CVR growth curve models showed different growth trajectories for asymptomatic and symptomatic neonates, with significantly higher CVR in symptomatic neonates, and values peaking late in the second trimester at around 25 weeks' gestation in asymptomatic neonates. All prognostic methods had high accuracy for the prediction of the need for invasive respiratory support in term neonates, but the discriminant model had the best performance overall (area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve (AUC) = 0.88) and in the preterm population (AUC = 0.85). Conclusions The estimated CVR growth curves showed different growth patterns in asymptomatic and symptomatic neonates with CLM. The dynamic discriminant model performed well overall and particularly in neonates that were carried to term. Development of an externally validated clinical tool based on this analysis could be useful in determining the site of delivery for fetuses with CLM. Copyright © 2019 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Analysis of Control Arm Quality in Randomized Clinical Trials Leading to Anticancer Drug Approval by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Importance To date, an empirical evaluation of the quality of control arms in randomized clinical trials (RCTs) leading to anticancer drug approvals by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not been undertaken. Objective We sought to estimate the percentage of RCTs that used a control arm deemed suboptimal and led to FDA approval of anticancer drugs from January 1, 2013, to July 31, 2018. Design, Setting, and Participants This quality improvement study included 143 anticancer drug approvals granted by the FDA from January 1, 2013, to July 31, 2018. All approvals based on single-arm studies (48 approvals) were excluded. Approvals based on RCTs were further investigated and each trial was analyzed for design, time of patient accrual, control arm, and primary end point. Standard-of-care therapy was determined by evaluating the literature and published guidelines 1 year prior to the start of trial enrollment. The percentage of approvals based on RCTs that used suboptimal control arms was then calculated. The quality of the control arm was deemed suboptimal if the choice of control agent was restricted to exclude a recommended agent, the control arm was specified but the recommended agent was unspecified, and if prior RCT data had demonstrated that the control agent was inferior to an available alternative. Main Outcomes and Measures Estimated percentage of RCTs that used suboptimal control arms that led to FDA approval of anticancer agents between January 1, 2013, to July 31, 2018. Results A total of 145 studies that led to 143 drug approvals between January 1, 2013, and July 31, 2018, were included. Of these studies, 48 single-arm studies were excluded. The remaining 97 studies led to 95 drug approvals. Of these 95 approvals, 16 (17%) were based on RCTs with suboptimal control arms; 15 were international trials, and 1 was conducted in the United States. The type of approval was regular in 15 trials and accelerated in 1 trial. When categorized by the nature of suboptimal control, 4 (25%) trials omitted active treatment in control arm by limiting investigator’s choice, 11 (63%) trials omitted active treatment in the control arm by using a control agent known to be inferior to other available agents or not allowing combinations, and 1 (13%) trial used a previously used treatment in the control arm with a known lack of benefit associated with reexposure. Conclusions and Relevance Although anticancer drug approvals are increasing, a proportion of these drugs are reaching the market without proven superiority to what is considered the standard of care at the time of patient enrollment in pivotal trials. The choice of control arm should be optimized to ensure that new anticancer agents being marketed are truly superior to what most clinicians would prescribe outside a clinical trial setting.