cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Geometrical Repeatability and Motion Blur Analysis of a New Multi-projection X-ray Imaging System

We report on the reproducibility and tests for possible motion blur artifacts of a new high frame-rate prototype X-ray multi-projection system recently installed in the Radiology Department of Duke University. The system, which has a translating X-ray tube but a stationary detector, is capable of acquiring oblique-angled full field projection images along both the vertical and horizontal axes at variable speeds and acquisition frame rates. The angular span of the tube movement is +7.5deg to -7.5deg about the posterior-anterior (PA) orientation. To analyze the effect of possible blurring artifact due to motion of the X-ray tube, multi-angled projection images of an edge device were acquired. The modulation transfer function (MTF) determined from the PA projection acquired with and without the tube in motion was compared to investigate blur artifacts that may be introduced due to motion of the X-ray tube. Geometrical precision of the system was assessed at two tube speeds by evaluating the recorded position coordinates as well as edge positions in repeated acquisitions. Excellent geometrical consistency was found in the tube motion. The positional errors at tube speeds of 1 and 2 in/sec were found to be within 1%. The possible effect on the MTF due to motion of the tube was found to be inconsequential. The system was deemed ready for actual clinical trials with these acquisition parameters.
Network traffic behavior analysis by decomposition into control and data planes

In this paper, we analyze network traffic behavior by decomposing header traffic into control and data planes to study the relationship between the two planes. By computing the cross-correlation between the control and data traffics, we observe a general 'similar' behavior between the two planes during normal behavior, and that this similarity is affected during abnormal behaviors. This allows us to focus on abnormal changes in network traffic behavior. We test our approach on the Network Intrusion Dataset provided by the Information Exploration Shootout (IES) project and the 1999 DARPA Intrusion detection Evaluation Dataset from the MIT Lincoln Lab. We find that TCP control and data traffic have high correlation levels during benign normal applications. This correlation is reduced when attacks that affect the aggregate traffic are present in the two datasets.
The observation of quantum confinement enhancement of the luminescence of nanocystalline (Y0.95Tb0.05)2O3 synthesized by alkalide reduction

Nanocrystalline (Y0.95Tb0.05)2O3 has been synthesized by sub-ambient homogenous reduction using alkalide solutions, subsequent oxidation and annealing. As synthesized, the material consists of free flowing, agglomerates of ill-defined, amorphous or subnanocrystalline nanoparticles. Samples annealed at 500 °C or greater are crystalline, consisting of agglomerated nanocrystals. The nanocrystals grow from an average of ∼1–2 nm to 19 nm and the agglomerates break-up as the annealing temperature is raised from 500 to 1000 °C. The nanocrystalline product displays luminescence typical of the Tb3+ ion. The photoluminescence intensity of the green 5D4–7F4 transition increases with increasing annealing temperature, reaching a maximum of 4% for the nanophosphor annealed at 1000 °C. Evidence of quantum confinement luminescence enhancement is observed for the nanocrystallites annealed at 500 °C, but the quantum efficiency is low, presumably due to their very small size and consequent rapid surface recombination. The results of this study suggest that nanocrystallites of (Y0.95Tb0.05)2O3 with a large quantum confinement fluorescence enhancement may be accessible by appropriate annealing in the temperature range 500–600 °C.
Reliability of clinically relevant 3D foot bone angles from quantitative computed tomography.

Background Surgical treatment and clinical management of foot pathology requires accurate, reliable assessment of foot deformities. Foot and ankle deformities are multi-planar and therefore difficult to quantify by standard radiographs. Three-dimensional (3D) imaging modalities have been used to define bone orientations using inertial axes based on bone shape, but these inertial axes can fail to mimic established bone angles used in orthopaedics and clinical biomechanics. To provide improved clinical relevance of 3D bone angles, we developed techniques to define bone axes using landmarks on quantitative computed tomography (QCT) bone surface meshes. We aimed to assess measurement precision of landmark-based, 3D bone-to-bone orientations of hind foot and lesser tarsal bones for expert raters and a template-based automated method.
Reduced switching delay in wavelength division multiplexed two-dimensional multiple-plane optical interconnections using multiple-wavelength VCSEL arrays

We calculate the expected number of internodal hops for a network established with a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) two-dimensional (2-D) multiple-plane optical interconnection. This WDM optical interconnection incorporates WDM pixels consisting of multiple-wavelength vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) arrays and wavelength-selective detectors. The WDM interconnection can support simultaneous and reconfigurable communication among a network of nodes, Using the expected number of hops as a measure of internodal switching delay, we show that the integration of WDM into the interconnection results in a significantly reduced delay as compared to single-wavelength systems. Substantial delay reduction results even when the number of wavelengths is small relative to the number of 2-D planes. We analyze the bus, dual-bus, and ring architectures since they define the means of communication between pixels. For each architecture, we analyze three configurations which provide each node access to (i) an entire plane of pixels, (ii) a row (or column) of pixels, or (iii) an individual pixel. When each network node has access to an entire plane of pixels, the proposed WDM interconnection incurs substantially shorter delay than single-wavelength optical interconnections. By allowing a node to access an entire row or column of pixels, the interconnection benefits from the incorporation of spatial division multiplexing (SDM) and the number of nodes connected can grow substantially, with negligible added delay. Finally, when a node can access only a single pixel, a large number of independent processors can be interconnected exhibiting far less switching delay than other electronic or optical interconnections of comparable size.
Is the presence of microalbuminuria a relevant marker of kidney disease

Levels of urinary albumin excretion that are below the usual limit of detection by qualitative testing, but are above normal levels (microalbuminuria; MA), can be readily identified by simple measures, such as the urinary albumin to creatinine ratio in untimed urine samples. Such measurements, particularly when combined with assessment of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), have utility as biomarkers for enhanced risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular events, progressive chronic kidney disease, and end-stage renal disease in diabetic and nondiabetic subjects. However, it is controversial whether “isolated” MA (MA in the absence of a clear reduction in eGFR, urine sediment abnormalities, or structural renal disease) should be regarded as kidney disease. Such MA could also be regarded as a manifestation of a diffuse endothelial (microvascular) injury and thereby collateral kidney damage. This article reviews the current evidence concerning MA as a marker of kidney disease or kidney damage.
CRYSTALLINE TRYPSIN : II. GENERAL PROPERTIES.

A method is described for isolating a crystalline protein of high tryptic activity from beef pancreas. The protein has constant proteolytic activity and optical activity under various conditions and no indication of further fractionation could be obtained. The loss in activity corresponds to the decrease in native protein when the protein is denatured by heat, digested by pepsin, or hydrolyzed in dilute alkali. The enzyme digests casein, gelatin, edestin, and denatured hemoglobin, but not native hemoglobin. It accelerates the coagulation of blood but has little effect on the clotting of milk. It digests peptone prepared by the action of pepsin on casein, edestin or gelatin. The extent of the digestion of gelatin caused by this enzyme is the same as that caused by crystalline pepsin and is approximately equivalent to tripling the number of carboxyl groups present in the solution. The activity of the preparation is not increased by enterokinase. The molecular weight by osmotic pressure measure is about 34,000. The diffusion coefficient in (1/2) saturated magnesium sulfate at 6 degrees C. is 0.020 +/-0.001 cm.(2) per day, corresponding to a molecular radius of 2.6 x 10(-7) cm. The isoelectric point is probably between pH 7.0 and pH 8.0. The optimum pH for the digestion of casein is from 8.0-9.0. The optimum stability is at pH 1.8.
Effects of Different Fixatives on β-Galactosidase Activity:

β-Galactosidase (β-Gal) staining is widely used to demonstrate specific gene expression during evaluation of gene targets in vivo. This technique is extremely sensitive to fixation. Optimal fixation conditions are necessary to obtain the maximal β-Gal activity. In this experiment, Carnoy's and three different aldehyde fixatives were used at different temperatures and over different time points. Kidneys from LacZ-stop-human alkaline phosphatase (ZA/P) double reporter mice were used to generate positive material for the experiment. The results show that glutaraldehyde combinative solution (LacZ) produced the most consistent and reliable results. Paraformaldehyde and formaldehyde were effective as fixatives only at 4C for a period of less than 4 hr, and Carnoy's solution destroyed β-Gal activity.
2015 Commencement Address Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons

On May 20, I gave the commencement address at the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. It was a particular honor because the Dean, Lee Goldman, was my medical school advisor and an influential mentor. Lee is a pioneer in outcomes research, with a legacy of contributions that have impacted clinical practice. It was so meaningful to share the stage with him and reflect on all that has occurred in the intervening years. In an off-script moment, I expressed how fortunate I felt and suggested that the graduates imagine having a mentor who would truly influence the course of their career, and then imagine 30 years on being invited by him to give the commencement address at the school where he was Dean. With this in mind, I wanted to provide them with words that might help them on their path. My speech, which can also be found online at http://livestream.com/accounts/7252613/events/4014859, follows. I hope that it might be helpful to others. Graduates, let’s take a moment to honor this occasion and celebrate the love that surrounds you, what you have achieved, and the promise of your future. Today is a day not only for congratulations but also one for welcoming you into the community of medicine, with all the responsibilities that implies. You are imbued now with not only the knowledge but also the influence, trust, and yes, power, of your position. You were selected not only for your brains but also for your heart. Being a doctor means stepping forward, not back, when someone needs you. By accepting your diploma, you agree to step forward and make the world better, not only by relieving suffering but by also preventing it. You have power; the challenge is to understand how to use it. Growing up in Dayton, Ohio, I …
Selection of oligonucleotide aptamers with enhanced uptake and activation of human leukemia B cells.

The clinical use of oligonucleotide (ODN) therapeutics has been hampered by their limited ability to penetrate intact cells. To identify ODN properties that would facilitate cellular uptake, we developed a repetitive selection procedure using an ODN library containing at least 1014 different molecules and human B lymphoma cells as a target. Natural phosphodiester single-stranded DNA ODNs (R-aptamers) were obtained after 10 rounds of selection. A common feature in the R-aptamers was guanine-rich 3′ terminal sequences, and many also contained potential immunostimulatory (ISS) CpG sequence motifs. Two R-aptamers (R10-60 and D-R15-8) with the predominant shared characteristics were selected for further study on primary human chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) B cells, which are well known to be difficult to transfect and activate. Flow cytometry analysis of the CLL cells demonstrated that the fluorochrome-labeled R-aptamers were internalized much more efficiently than nonselected random sequence ODN. Studies ...
Interference of Palmer amaranth in corn

Abstract Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) is a major weed in corn (Zea mays) fields in the southern Great Plains of the United States. Field studies were conducted in 1996, 1997, and 1998 near Garden City, KS, to evaluate the effects of Palmer amaranth density and time of emergence on grain yield of irrigated corn and on seed production of Palmer amaranth. Palmer amaranth was established at densities of 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 8 plants m−1 of corn row both concurrently at corn planting and when corn was at the three- to six-leaf stage. The control plots were weed free. The Palmer amaranth planted with corn emerged with corn, whereas that planted later emerged at the four-, six-, and seven-leaf stages of corn. The Palmer amaranth emerging with corn reduced yield from 11 to 91% as density increased from 0.5 to 8 plants m−1 of row. In contrast, yield loss from Palmer amaranth emerging later than corn was observed only when the emergence occurred at the four- and six-leaf stages. The corn leaf area index (LAI) ...
New Insights in Plant Biology Gained from Research in Space

Recent space flight experiments have provided many new insights into the role of gravity in plant growth and development. Scientists have been taking seeds and plants into space for decades in an effort to understand how the stressful environment of space affects them. The resultant data have yielded significant advances in the development of advanced life-support systems for long-duration space flight and a better understanding of the fundamental role of gravity in directing the growth and development of plants. Experiments have improved as new spaceflight hardware and technology paved the way for progressively more insightful and rigorous plant research in space. The International Space Station (ISS) provided an opportunity for scientists to both monitor and control their experiments in real-time. Experiments on the ISS have provided valuable insights into endogenous growth responses, light-responses, and transcriptomic and proteomic changes that occur in the microgravity environment. In recent years most studies of plants in space have used Arabidopsis thaliana, but the single-celled, Ceratopteris richardii spore is also a valuable model system that has been used to understand plant gravity response. Experiments using these fern spores have revealed a dynamic and gravity-responsive trans-cell Ca2+ current that directs polarization of these spores, and a possible role of extracellular nucleotides in establishing or contributing to this current. As technology continues to improve, space flight experiments will provide many new insights into the role and effects of gravity on plant growth and development.
Suicide and Substance Use Disorder Prevention for Rural American Indian and Alaska Native Youth

Rural American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) community efforts addressing youth suicide and substance use disorders (SUD) represent some of the most innovative recent work in the field of prevention science. Epidemiological data identify AIAN youth suicide and SUD as a significant public health concern and health disparity, and important contextual factors inform these findings. An emergent literature describes several rural AIAN community responses that seek to address youth suicide and SUD. This existing rural AIAN youth suicide and SUD prevention literature highlights a number of major, recurrent findings. It also identifies a set of approaches sharing a key grouping of intervention processes and characteristics. This chapter discusses effective practices and approaches in suicide and SUD prevention with rural AIAN youth, critical shortcomings in current work, and promising practices and directions for future work.
Pulsed Partial-Brain Irradiation for Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma: Feasibility and Preliminary Results of a Prospective Clinical Trial

There were no factors on multivariate analysis that were predictive of local failure or distant brain failure. For melanoma, progressive/unknown systemic disease status was predictive of neurologic death (pZ0.0334). Conclusion: This is the largest reported cohort of patients treated with SRS for radioresistant histologies and independently confirms the prognostic value of the DS-GPA as the dominant prognostic factor for OS in both RCC and melanoma. Author Disclosure: C.A. Smith: None. E. McTyre: None. S. Isom: None. V.E. Kennedy: None. G. Luo: None. M. Morales-Paliza: None. W. Hinson: None. A. Cmelak: None. S.B. Tatter: None. M.D. Chan: None. A. Attia: None.
Short-term Quality-of-Life Outcomes following Transoral Diverticulotomy for Zenker's Diverticulum: A Prospective Single-Group Study.

ObjectiveTo prospectively analyze quality-of-life outcomes following transoral diverticulotomy with cricopharyngeal myotomy (DCPM) for Zenker’s diverticulum (ZD).Study DesignProspective single-grou...
Development of Axonal Connections in the Central Olfactory System

Elucidation of the ontogeny of olfactory-mediated behavior must include consideration of the development of the central representation of the olfactory system, including the olfactory bulb and the structures of the ventral forebrain which are innervated by the bulb and which are collectively termed the olfactory cortex (including the piriform cortex, anterior olfactory nucleus, olfactory tubercle and lateral entorhinal area) (Schwob and Price 1978).
ORIGIN OF THE GOLGI SYSTEM IN AMOEBAE.

An electron microscopic study of the Golgi apparatus in the giant amoeba, Pelomyxa illinoisensis, has been presented. Studies of normally feeding, dividing, starving, and refeeding amoebae were made. The major finding is that plasmalemma vesicles, formed via pinocytosis and phagocytosis, either flatten or invaginate and form the cisternae of the Golgi apparatus. Plasmalemma vesicles are also a source of new cisternae during the lifetime of a given Golgi apparatus. The cisternae migrate through the Golgi system, but before being released they either inflate, or segment into smaller vesicles. It is postulated that they later empty into the contractile vacuole and into certain other vacuoles. No evidence was found for the fusion of smooth Golgi vesicles or fringed vesicles of any kind with the plasmalemma.
MK-2206 sensitizes BRCA-deficient epithelial ovarian adenocarcinoma to cisplatin and olaparib

Platinum resistance is a major obstacle in the treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Activation of the AKT pathway promotes platinum resistance while inhibition of AKT sensitizes chemoresistant cells. Patients with BRCA mutant EOC, and thus a defect in the homologous recombination (HR) repair pathway, demonstrate greater clinical response to platinum and olaparib therapy than patients with BRCA wild-type EOC. MK-2206, an allosteric inhibitor of AKT phosphorylation, sensitizes a variety of cell types to various anticancer agents and is currently undergoing phase II trials as monotherapy for platinum-resistant ovarian, fallopian tube, and peritoneal cancer. This study examines the differential effects of AKT inhibition with cisplatin and olaparib therapy in BRCA1/2-deficient versus wild-type EOC. PEO1, a chemosensitive BRCA2-mutant serous ovarian adenocarcinoma, and PEO4, a reverted BRCA2-proficient line from the same patient after the development of chemotherapeutic resistance, were primarily used for the study. In PEO1, MK-2206 demonstrated moderate to strong synergism with cisplatin and olaparib at all doses, while demonstrating antagonism at all doses in PEO4. Baseline phospho-AKT activity in untreated cells was upregulated in both BRCA1- and 2-deficient cell lines. MK-2206 prevented cisplatin- and olaparib-induced AKT activation in the BRCA2-deficient PEO1 cells. We propose that BRCA-deficient EOC cells upregulate baseline AKT activity to enhance survival in the absence of HR. Higher AKT activity is also required to withstand cytotoxic agent-induced DNA damage, leading to strong synergism between MK-2206 and cisplatin or olaparib therapy in BRCA-deficient cells. MK-2206 shows promise as a chemosensitization agent in BRCA-deficient EOC and merits clinical investigation in this patient population.
Distribution, seasonal abundance, and pest status of the oriental cockroach (Orthoptera: Blattidae) and an evaniid wasp (Hymenoptera: Evaniidae) in urban apartments.

From May to September 1984, oriental cockroach, Blatta orientalis L., and evaniid wasp, Proseoonia punctatal (Brulle), populations were sampled to determine their abundance and distribution in apartments in Roanoke, Va. Concurrently, 151 residents were interviewed to assess their knowledge and attitudes toward these insects. Life cycles of oriental cockroaches and evaniid wasps were synchronized. The three population peaks of the evaniid wasp population in May, June, and July occurred during rise, peak, and decline of the adult oriental cockroach population. Residents were intolerant of oriental cockroaches found indoors. Of 136 residents who had seen oriental cockroaches, 90% found them indoors, 60% considered one oriental cockroach indoors a problem, and 77% had taken steps to control these cockroaches. Residents were more tolerant of evaniid wasps. Of 91 residents who had seen evaniid wasps, 70% did not consider them a problem, and 70% would not have killed them after learning about the wasp life cycle. Observations by residents on distribution and seasonal abundance of both species were well correlated with field collection data. These results are important for designing an effective oriental cockroach pest management program.
ACETOHEXAMIDE AND TOLBUTAMIDE EFFECTS IN NON-DIABETIC AND DIABETIC ADULTS.

Summary and conclusions1. Intravenous injection of one gram of the sodium salt of acetohexamide or of tolbutamide produced the same degree of hypoglycemia in human adults without diabetes mellitus but the acetohexamide-induced hypoglycemia was more prolonged. 2. In patients with diabetes mellitus the blood sugar and inorganic phosphorus decreases following acetohexamide and tolbutamide were of the same order of magnitude, though in some patients one or the other drug had a greater effect.
Third-party reimbursement for clinical pharmacy services: philosophy and practice

A step-by-step approach is outlined for obtaining third-party reimbursement for clinical pharmacy services separate from dispensing fees. The program is based on a patient-care philosophy rather than a cost-conscious philosophy. The steps in implementation of the program were: (1) a total commitment to the patient's health, (2) identification of patient needs that require clinical pharmacy expertise, (3) development of a patient training program, (4) presentation of a written proposal to the hospital administration, (5) presentation of the proposal to third-party agencies, (6) initiation of charges for the services, and (7) preparation of reports on the progress of the program. Third-party reimbursement covers pharmacist instruction of home therapy patients receiving antihemophilic factor, cytarabine, parenteral nutrition, calcitonin-salmon and injectable analgesics. Financial data based on one year's experience with the program show that savings far outweight the charges.
Health disparities education - the time is now.

1The National Institutes of Health’s definition in 2000 was: “differences in the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of diseases and other adverse health conditions that exist among specific pop ulation groups in the United States.” The Institute of Medicine’s 2002 definition included “racial or ethnic differences in the quality of health care that are not due to access-related factors or clinical needs, preferences and appropriateness of intervention.” In an updated definition, Healthy People 2020 defines a health disparity as “a particular type of health difference that is closely linked with social, economic, and/or environmental disadvantage. Health disparities adversely affect groups of people who have systematically experienced greater obstacles to health based on their racial or ethnic group; religion; socioeconomic status; gender; age; mental health; cognitive, sensory, or physical disability; sexual orientation or gender identity; geographic location; or other characteristics historically linked to discrimination or exclusion.” 2 Despite these differences in definitions, medical schools have a responsibility to work towards reducing health disparities by graduating culturally competent students who receive appropriate education around health disparities and social determinants of health, and are involved in community-based programs that stress an understanding of these principles and include training in a setting that truly affects outcomes. It is, therefore, imperative for medical schools to develop curricula to improve students’ understanding of health disparities and provide the tools to help them engender change. In this issue of the Rhode Island Medical Journal focused on medical education, we have devoted the entire section to highlight curricular innovations and future directions at the Warren Alpert Medical School around health disparities, and to elucidate selected initiatives at the Brown University School of Public Health. These innovative curricular approaches have exposed our medical students to the societal implications of health disparities, especially for patient populations that lack access to health care or encounter barriers that prevent them from taking advantage of existing opportunities. However, there is a need for additional student experiences with vulnerable patient populations that may also include those patients for whom there may be a lack of regional expertise to provide appropriate care. Further efforts are needed to foster these ideals in our students. This will include initiatives to further promote inter-professional education and engage students in field experi ences with patient populations in whom positive outcomes can be assessed and challenges can be overcome. Physicians must assume a role as champions of social justice, which must begin during medical school and be maintained throughout their careers.
Opinion: Big data biomedicine offers big higher education opportunities.

I like to tell my students a story about a time back in the “olden days” of the early 1990s when I was a newly minted postdoctoral fellow at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Our laboratory conducted brain imaging studies using positron emission tomographic imaging and would routinely obtain 6–12 functional image volumes per subject in our experiments. The director of our neuroimaging laboratory asked me to explore the purchase of a new computer hard drive capable of storing our growing collection of brain imaging data files. At that time, we had already accumulated quite a number of subjects and wanted to easily access their data for a variety of different statistical analyses—and we expected to obtain much more data.
From Current Algebra to Quantum Chromodynamics: Structural realism and the construction of QCD

The importance of underlying fundamental entities in theoretical sciences, which in most cases are hypothetical, unobservable, or even speculative in nature, such as quarks and gluons in QCD, from the realist perspective, and also from the hypothetic-deductive methodology, is clear and understandable. It has deep roots in human desire for explanation. However, it might be argued that the stress on the importance of underlying entities, which ground a reductive analysis of science, is in direct opposition to the holistic stance of structuralism. According to this stance, the empirical content of a scientific theory lies in the global correspondence between the theory and the phenomena in the domain under investigations at the structural level, which is cashed out with mathematical structures without any reference to the nature of the phenomena, either in terms of their intrinsic properties, or in terms of the underlying unobservable entities. Thus for structuralists no ontological interpretation of structure would be possible or even desirable. A structuralist, such as Bas van Fraassen (1997), would argue that if you insist to interpret the mathematical structure anyway, then different ontological interpretations would make no difference to science. That is, no ontological interpretation should be taken seriously.
Political Economy and Christian Theology

“Political economy” and Christian theology coexisted happily in the intellectual world of eighteenth-century Britain. During the nineteenth century they came to be seen as incompatible, even mutually hostile. In the twentieth century they went their separate ways and are no longer on speaking terms. These essays are snapshots of the history of this estrangement.
Kenneth Negus, E. T. A. Hoffmann’s Other World: The Romantic Author and his “New Mythology”: Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1965. Pp. 179

(1966). Kenneth Negus, E. T. A. Hoffmann’s Other World: The Romantic Author and his “New Mythology”. The Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory: Vol. 41, No. 2, pp. 145-146.
Chirplet Transform Signal Decomposition for Echo Detection and Estimation

Decomposition and analysis of nonstationary signals is a challenging problem common to radar, sonar, EEG, speech processing, and ultrasound. The chirplet transform signal decomposition (CTSD) algorithm described in this work presents a computationally efficient method for separating overlapping echoes through successive detection. Performance of this algorithm is evaluated for different signals typical in ultrasound and target detection and ranging. As part of algorithm characterization, a system on a chip (SoC) hardware implementation has been developed.
Norm Change in Genetic Services. How the Discourse of Choice Replaced the Discourse of Prevention

Nos anos 1960 e 1970 era geralmente suposto que as escolhas reprodutivas tinham consequencias e, assim, eram uma questao de interesse social. O comportamento reprodutivo socialmente responsavel, por sua vez, era presumido como capaz de minimizar o risco de transmitir doencas geneticas graves. Com o tempo, tal visao veio a ser cada vez mais rotulada de "eugenia", um termo que adquiriria na maior parte do mundo conotacoes fortemente negativas. A partir dos anos 1990, este velho ponto de vista tornou-se amplamente substituido no Ocidente pelo principio de que a reproducao e uma questao privada e que nao haveria certo ou errado nas decisoes reprodutivas. O principal proposito deste artigo e explicar e interpretar esta transformacao, que foi um produto principalmente dos anos 1980. Baseando-se na teoria das normas sociais, na qual supoe-se que as normas sao sempre contestaveis em alguma medida, discute-se como aqueles com um interesse nas mudancas das atitudes predominantes sao capazes de alcancar tal sucesso aparente rapidamente.
Current and cutting-edge interventions for the treatment of obese patients.

The number of people classified as obese, defined by the World Health Organization as having a body mass index ≥30, has been rising since the 1980s. Obesity is associated with comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The current treatment paradigm emphasizes lifestyle modifications, including diet and exercise; however this approach produces only modest weight loss for many patients. When lifestyle modifications fail, the current “gold standard” therapy for obesity is bariatric surgery, including Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, duodenal switch, and placement of an adjustable gastric band. Though effective, bariatric surgery can have severe short- and long-term complications. To fill the major gap in invasiveness between lifestyle modification and surgery, researchers have been developing pharmacotherapies and minimally invasive endoscopic techniques to treat obesity. Recently, interventional radiologists developed a percutaneous transarterial catheter-directed therapy targeting the hormonal function of the stomach. This review describes the current standard obesity treatments (including diet, exercise, and surgery), as well as newer endoscopic bariatric procedures and pharmacotherapies to help patients lose weight. We present data from two ongoing human trials of a new interventional radiology procedure for weight loss, bariatric embolization.
The Government Legislative Index and Stock Market Outcomes

We develop an index, termed the Government Legislative Index (GLX), that measures the ability of the US Government to execute legislation. In essence, the GLX measures the ability of the President and the ruling party to successfully convert proposed legislation into rules and regulations. Additionally, the index provides important insights about stock market movements. One, the GLX comoves positively with stock market performance, and two, for high values of GLX, it comoves negatively with stock market volatility. It also outperforms related indexes in these contexts. Three, we find that the relationship between the GLX and financial markets varies by industry sector and stock market capitalization (deciles). Four, within the context of presidential terms, the GLX is higher during the second-term of a presidency, and for Democratic presidents, vis-a-vis Republican presidents, the GLX is higher by as much as 6.4%, thus, contributing insight into the presidential puzzle. In sum, the GLX enhances our understanding of overall market uncertainty and is a valuable predictor of financial market performance.
Borel Sets and Baire Category

Every Borel sot has the BP, and every Borel function is Baire measurable. We will calculate next the complexity of the property of being meager for Borel sets.
Promoting Healthy Lifestyles in Urban and Rural Elders

The daily or frequent practice of health promotion activities by elders is critical to maximize health, decrease disabilities, and enhance well-being. The purposes of this descriptive correlational study was to (a) determine differences in 244 urban and rural elders and (b) relationships among health promotion activities, perceived health, functional health, perceived level of social support, and demographic characteristics. Data were analyzed using descriptive and linear regression to determine that the perceived level of social support was the significant predictor variable for the overall practice of health promotion. Race and functional health were significant predictors of lesser degree. The activities of exercise, nutrition, safety, and substance use were significant to urban and rural elders with different predicator variables for each activity. Keywords: health promotion, perceived health, functional health, social support, urban, rural, elders http://dx.doi.org/10.14574/ojrnhc.v1i2.490
Ultrasound localization microscopy to assess the microvasculature in moving tissues, application in a rat kidney

The recent development of ultrafast ultrasound localization microscopy (Errico et al., Nature, 2015) provides new opportunities for imaging the vasculature with sub-diffraction resolution. However, the large number of images to be recorded requires acquisitions lasting several minutes. Therefore, physiological motion far larger than the achievable resolution presents challenges for moving tissues. In this work, single microbubbles (MB) were localized in vivo in a rat kidney using a dedicated imaging sequence allowing MB tracking and motion correction. Blood velocity in small vessels (<2 mm/s) was estimated demonstrating the potential of this technique to improve vascular characterization.
Talking on the Telephone—Volume One: Blues, RB Talking on the Telephone—Volume Two: Hillbilly Music

Telephones have dominated America’s soundscape for decades. From the big-screen film Dial M for Murder to the comedic stage and television performances of Bob Newhart and Lily Tomlin, conversations...
OxyContin, the FDA, and Drug Control.

The FDA's decision not to approve generic versions of original-formula OxyContin may keep drug costs high for patients with pain, but the benefits of the newer, abuse-resistant formulation outweigh this harm.
Analyzing Microdomains in Biological Membranes Using Fluorescence Techniques

It is becoming increasingly clear that various lipids and proteins in the plasma membrane are not distributed homogeneously but are organized in compositionally and functionally variable “microdomains.” Fluorescence techniques have contributed significantly to our understanding of membrane structure and function. Here we review recent studies using fluorescence methods to detect membrane domains in intact cells. We also discuss the current limitations in the available techniques and the models used to interpret experimental data.
Enhanced Higgs boson to τ(+)τ(-) search with deep learning.

The Higgs boson is thought to provide the interaction that imparts mass to the fundamental fermions, but while measurements at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) are consistent with this hypothesis, current analysis techniques lack the statistical power to cross the traditional $5\ensuremath{\sigma}$ significance barrier without more data. Deep learning techniques have the potential to increase the statistical power of this analysis by automatically learning complex, high-level data representations. In this work, deep neural networks are used to detect the decay of the Higgs boson to a pair of tau leptons. A Bayesian optimization algorithm is used to tune the network architecture and training algorithm hyperparameters, resulting in a deep network of eight nonlinear processing layers that improves upon the performance of shallow classifiers even without the use of features specifically engineered by physicists for this application. The improvement in discovery significance is equivalent to an increase in the accumulated data set of 25%.
A FAMILY OF BIVARIATE LIFE DISTRIBUTIONS

Abstract. A characteristic function equation and an equivalent compounding scheme are studied. The equation arises from a model for a compartmental system and the compounding scheme arises from a shock model. The class of distributions satisfying the equation and the scheme contain the bivariate exponential distributions of Marshall and Olkin, Downton, Hawkes, and Paulson, as well as the bivariate geometric distributions of Hawkes, Paulson and Uppuluri, Esary and Marshall, and Arnold. The scheme is shown to generalize the univariate shock model of Esary, Marshall and Proschan. Properties of the distributions are derived by studying the equation and the compounding scheme which they satisfy.
Natural Resistance Mechanisms in Herpes Simplex Virus Infections

The normal host has a series of defense mechanisms that participate in sequestering and clearing invading viral pathogens (Allison, 1974). The defense systems involved fall into two major categories: Natural resistance mechanisms are immediately available to respond to the microorganism and require no prior exposure to foreign antigen in order to be operative; adaptive immune mechanisms require presensitization and are not active until several days after primary virus infection. The adaptive immune response against herpesvirus infections consists of the antibody response (discussed in Chapter 3 by Norrild) and the cell-mediated immune response (discussed in Chapter 4 by Nash, Leung, and Wildy). This chapter will focus on the role of natural resistance mechanisms in defense against herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections. The specific systems to be discussed include macrophages, natural killer (NK) cells, and interferon (IFN).
The continuing relevance of “older” mycorrhiza literature: insights from the work of John Laker Harley (1911–1990)

To new generations of scientists beginning their careers in research, we strongly recommend the practice of reading older literature. To illustrate the value of doing so, we highlight six insights of one of the most influential mycorrhiza researchers of the twentieth century, Jack Harley. These insights concerning mycotrophy, the new niche, the sheath, C cycling, N cycling, and mutualism were published prior to 1975 and so may have escaped the notice of many, but they laid the groundwork for some of the most important research of today.
Maximal viral information recovery from sequence data using VirMAP

Accurate classification of the human virome is critical to a full understanding of the role viruses play in health and disease. This implies the need for sensitive, specific, and practical pipelines that return precise outputs while still enabling case-specific post hoc analysis. Viral taxonomic characterization from metagenomic data suffers from high background noise and signal crosstalk that confounds current methods. Here we develop VirMAP that overcomes these limitations using techniques that merge nucleotide and protein information to taxonomically classify viral reconstructions independent of genome coverage or read overlap. We validate VirMAP using published data sets and viral mock communities containing RNA and DNA viruses and bacteriophages. VirMAP offers opportunities to enhance metagenomic studies seeking to define virome-host interactions, improve biosurveillance capabilities, and strengthen molecular epidemiology reporting.
Utilizing Thermo-Mechanical CPI Simulation to Define a 7nm Package Envelope

The objective of this work is to use simulation results of a back end of line (BEOL) construction known to be susceptible to white bump failure to predict Chip package interaction (CPI) failure risk of other designs, prior to running a reliability qualification. This learning is applied to new 7nm chip and package configurations for a wide range of design points. Key attributes include bump pattern, core versus coreless substrate effects, use of a jig during the reflow process, different substrate prepeg materials, impact of additional TEOS dielectric layers in the BEOL stack, and different die thicknesses. Simulations were carried out using the structural analysis module – Ansys MechanicalTM. Thermal boundary conditions were applied to mimic the chip reflow process. The simulation methodology predicted the lowest CPI risk for a 7nm qualification. An optimized package with a lower CTE substrate, additional TEOS layers and a thicker die was found to be the best case scenario with respect to white bump risk.
Pairing 6D SCFTs

In this note, we discuss families of orbifolds underlying 6D SCFT F-theory models and find a novel pairing structure in the SCFT landscape. Inspection of the rational functions defining models with a common F-theory endpoint leads us to naturally to pair them and find compatible extended groupings matching endpoint collections recently characterized in correspondence with homomorphisms of the ADE subgroups of $SU(2)$ into $E_8.$ We confirm this proposed pairing closely links the proposed SCFT family pairs via explicit computation of gauge algebras. We find these typically pair precisely by a fixed additional gauge summand. The underlying $\mathbb{C}^2$ orbifold pairing is distinct from the lattice/overlattice orbifold duality which lacks closure on the set of SCFT endpoints. The previously established partial order on endpoints is respected by this pairing as is the distinguished role of certain theories allowing M5-brane fraction reassembly which appear here as self-dual endpoints. This duality manifests in the known tower structure of endpoints to a mirror in a tower below which we show exists naturally as an infinite chain of endpoints extrapolated to negative valuations of the rational functions defining endpoints. We also detail a related simple combinatorial prescription for all rational functions defining endpoint families.
En route to the total synthesis of tashironin: on the exercise of stereochemical control by a methyl group in mediating remote cyclization reactions

Abstract The synthesis of the [2.2.2]-bicyclic core ( 23 ) of the neurotrophic factor 11-O-debenzoyltashironin ( 1 ) has been achieved by an oxidative dearomatization-transannular Diels–Alder cascade. We have shown that the reaction sequence is also valuable for the efficient construction of related, complex [2.2.2]-bicyclic compounds (vide infra).
Predictive Value of Clonality Assays in Patients With Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Undergoing Autologous Bone Marrow Transplant: A Single Institution Study

Recent studies have documented an increased risk of therapy-related myelodysplastic syndrome or acute myelogenous leukemia (t-MDS/AML) after autologous bone marrow transplant (ABMT) for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). To develop methods to identify patients at risk for this complication, we have investigated the predictive value of clonal bone marrow (BM) hematopoiesis for the development of t-MDS/AML, as defined by an X-inactivation based clonality assay at the human androgen receptor locus (HUMARA), in a group of patients undergoing ABMT for NHL from a single institution (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA). One hundred four female patients were analyzed. At the time of ABMT, the prevalence of polyclonal hematopoiesis was 77% (80/104), of skewed X-inactivation pattern (XIP) was 20% (21/104), and of clonal hematopoiesis was 3% (3/104). To determine the predictive value of clonality for the development of t-MDS/AML, a subgroup of 78 patients with at least 18 months follow-up was analyzed. As defined by the HUMARA assay, 53 of 78 patients had persistent polyclonal hematopoiesis, 15 of 78 had skewed XIP, and 10 of 78 (13.5%) either had clonal hematopoiesis at the time of ABMT or developed clonal hematopoiesis after ABMT. t-MDS/AML developed in 2 of 53 patients with polyclonal hematopoiesis and in 4 of 10 with clonal hematopoiesis. We conclude that a significant proportion of patients have clonal hematopoiesis at the time of ABMT and that clonal hematopoiesis, as detected by the HUMARA assay, is predictive of the development of t-MDS/AML ( P = .004).
Changes in membrane potential associated with cyclic and non-cyclic electron transport in photochemical system 1 in Nitella translucens

Abstract Light-induced changes in the electrical potential of cytoplasmic membranes of opposite polarity occur in single Nitella cells in the presence of DCMU with DCPIP and ascorbate, and with PMS. Relative efficiencies of 670 and 703 nm quanta, suggest an association with photo-chemical reactions in system 1. The light-driven depolarization in the presence of DCPIP + ascorbate which is inhibited by FCCP and stimulated by phlorizin, is suggested to be associated with H + -movement coupled to non-cyclic electron transport. The light-driven hyperpolarization in the presence of PMS which is inhibited by FCCP and phlorizin, is suggested to be associated with phosphorylation coupled cyclic electron transport.
Mitochondria fragments fuel the fire of neuroinflammation

Mitochondrial fragmentation in glial cells appears to induce an inflammatory state capable of propagating.
Cultural Traces and Traces of Culture: Problems of Studying Corporate Culture Over Time

The primary purpose of this paper is to illuminate some of the problems of developing a company history. Through analysis of British Airways’ histories, an organizational culture focus is used to tease out some of the problems of tracing organizational influences over time.