cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Usefulness of Positron Emission Tomography in Evaluating Patients for Pulmonary Malignancies

Study objective: Positron emission tomography (PET) can contribute to diagnosing and staging lung cancer, but it has not been determined whether this information influences patient care. Design: We reviewed the effects of thoracic PET scan results during an 11-month period. For each patient, physicians ordering these scans reported how PET specifically altered management, and graded the ease of interpretation and overall usefulness of PET on a 5-point scale. In addition, to appraise general attitudes about PET, we surveyed 488 national American Thoracic Society (ATS) members and 44 physicians at our comprehensive cancer center. Results: One hundred twenty-six questionnaires regarding patients were mailed to 37 ordering physicians, and 98 responses (78%) were returned, primarily by cardiothoracic surgeons (35%) and pulmonologists (47%). Respondents reported that PET provided new information in 83 patients (85%) and altered patient management in 64 cases (65%). Major effects on management included decisions regarding biopsy (n 5 16), surgery (n 5 16), and palliative treatment (n 5 16). Chest clinicians found PET to be more helpful (4.4 vs 3.9, p 5 0.007) and easier to interpret (4.2 vs 3.7, p 5 0.025) than other specialists. Among 139 ATS members (28%) responding to the general survey, 51 members (39%) had access to PET. PET was more frequently available to university-based (49%) than community-based (27%) physicians (p 5 0.016). The majority of physicians without current access to PET (69%) indicated that they would like to have it available. ATS members with access to PET reported that PET results generally affect decisions regarding biopsy or surgery most often, but found the procedure less helpful than physicians at our center (2.77 vs 3.56, p 5 0.003) and ordered it less often for lung cancer staging (60% vs 96%, p 5 0.002). Conclusion: PET scanning is useful in the management of patients with suspected thoracic malignancies, but impressions about its roles vary, with PET regarded more highly where, as at our center, it is used more often. Whether PET alters patient outcomes requires investigation. (CHEST 2000; 118:1610‐1615)
Parameters, Predictions, and Evidence in Computational Modeling: A Statistical View Informed by ACT–R

Model validation in computational cognitive psychology often relies on methods drawn from the testing of theories in experimental physics. However, applications of these methods to computational models in typical cognitive experiments can hide multiple, plausible sources of variation arising from human participants and from stochastic cognitive theories, encouraging a “model fixed, data variable” paradigm that makes it difficult to interpret model predictions and to account for individual differences. This article proposes a likelihood-based, “data fixed, model variable” paradigm in which models are treated as stochastic processes in experiments with participant-to-participant variation that can be applied to a broad range of mechanistic cognitive architectures. This article discusses the implementation and implications of this view in model validation, with a concrete focus on a simple class of ACT-R models of cognition. This article is not intended as a recipe for broad application of these preliminary, proof-of-concept methods, but as a framework for communication between statisticians searching for interesting problems in the cognitive modeling sphere, and cognitive modelers interested in generalizing from deterministic to stochastic model validation, in the face of random variation in human experimental data.
Criteria and Transfer of Training

Using a new matrix learning task an attempt is made to determine the basis of transfer by observing the effect of using criterion measures at different points in time during the transfer sequence. It was found that for “easy” transfer situations the effect of an independent variable is apparent early in the transfer sequence and on a more “difficult” task the effect of the independent variable is apparent later in the transfer sequence. The effectiveness of the transfer of task approach is discussed within the framework of task difficulty. From these findings some implications for training and some hypotheses concerning the validation of personality tests are suggested.
Enzyme-Carrying Polymeric Nanofibers Prepared via Electrospinning for Use as Unique Biocatalysts

Improvement of catalytic efficiency of immobilized enzymes via materials engineering was demonstrated through the preparation of bioactive nanofibers. Bioactive polystyrene (PS) nanofibers with a typical diameter of 120 nm were prepared and examined for catalytic efficiency for biotransformations. The nanofibers were produced by electrospinning functionalized PS, followed by the chemical attachment of a model enzyme, alpha-chymotrypsin. The observed enzyme loading as determined by active site titration was up to 1.4% (wt/wt), corresponding to over 27.4% monolayer coverage of the external surface of nanofibers. The apparent hydrolytic activity of the nanofibrous enzyme in aqueous solutions was over 65% of that of the native enzyme, indicating a high catalytic efficiency as compared to other forms of immobilized enzymes. Furthermore, nanofibrous alpha-chymotrypsin exhibited a much-improved nonaqueous activity that was over 3 orders of magnitude higher than that of its native counterpart suspended in organic solvents including hexane and isooctane. It appeared that the covalent binding also improved the enzyme's stability against structural denaturation, such that the half-life of the nanofibrous enzyme in methanol was 18-fold longer than that of the native enzyme.
Quantitative evaluation of the upper airway during nasopharyngoscopy with the Müller maneuver.

Objective: To quantitatively examine changes in the upper airway caliber of normal subjects at graded negative inspiratory pressures generated during nasopharyngoscopy with a Muller maneuver. Study Design: Eighteen normal subjects prospectively underwent nasopharyngoscopy with Muller maneuvers. Subjects performed graded and maximal effort Muller maneuvers while sitting upright, and maximal-effort Muller maneuvers in the supine position. Two regions of the upper airway—the retropalatal and retroglossal—were examined. Methods: Images from the endoscopic examination were objectively analyzed by adjusting manually traced airway contours using full-width, half-maximum edge detection algorithm software. The adjusted tracings' area and dimensions through the airway centroid were measured. Results: Muller maneuvers performed at -40 cm H2O resulted in a 64% ± 17% (P = .0001) reduction in upper airway area that consisted of a 51% ± 20% (P = .0001) reduction in the lateral dimension and a 21% ± 24% (P = .0026) reduction in antero-posterior dimension. Muller maneuvers in the retroglossal region did not significantly reduce airway area (P = .575), but demonstrated an altered airway conformation that consisted of lateral narrowing and an increase in antero-posterior dimension. Changes in body position did not result in significant differences in either airway caliber or airway dimension. Conclusions: Airway caliber during forced inspiration is mediated primarily through changes in the lateral pharyngeal walls. This study has also shown that antero-posterior and lateral airway structures are largely independent in their response to Muller maneuvers. Similarly, the retropalatal and retroglossal regions of the upper airway respond differently to forced negative intraluminal pressure. Key Words: Nasopharyngoscopy, Muller maneuver, normal subjects, upper airway, obstructive sleep apnea.
Is There a Right to Die

To speak of rights in the very troubling matter of medically managed death is ill suited both to sound personal decisionmaking and to sensible public policy. There is no firm philosophical or legal argument for a "right to die."
Evolution styles: Foundations and tool support for software architecture evolution

As new market opportunities, technologies, platforms, and frameworks become available, systems require large-scale and systematic architectural restructuring to accommodate them. Today's architects have few tools and techniques to help them plan this architecture evolution. In particular, they have little assistance in planning alternative evolution paths, trading off various aspects of the different paths, or knowing best practices for particular domains. In this paper we describe an approach for assisting architects in developing and reasoning about architectural evolution paths. The key insight of our approach is that, architecturally, many system evolutions follow certain common patterns — or evolution styles. We define what we mean by an evolution style, and show how it can be used to provide automated assistance for expressing architectural evolution, and for reasoning about both the correctness and quality of evolution paths.
Self‐reports by alcohol and drug abuse inpatients: factors affecting reliability and validity

The reliability and validity of self-report data regarding substance abuse has often been questioned. To determine how best to enhance the veracity of self-report, three factors which might affect self-report veracity were examined: alcohol status at time of interview; level of cognitive functioning; and method of self-report data collection. Subjects were 234 admissions to an inpatient substance abuse treatment unit. Self-report data were collected via both personal interview on the day of admission and and questionnaire within the first week of stay. Self-reports concerned use of alcohol, cocaine, and marijuana in the days preceding admission. Test-retest reliability for the questionnaire data produced reliability coefficients of 0.88, 0.91, and 0.88, for alcohol, cocaine, and marijuana, respectively. Variation in inter-test interval had virtually no effect upon reliability coefficients. Interview data were compared to toxicologic analyses of blood and urine samples collected on admission. Overall, this comparison showed self-reports to be valid, with a 97% agreement between verbal report and laboratory data for alcohol, 93% for cocaine, and 84% for marijuana. The comparison of interview data with questionnaire responses also showed self-reports to be valid: 90% agreement for alcohol, 93% for cocaine, and 81% for marijuana. Level of cognitive function did not influence the validity of self-reports for any of the three substances. Recent consumption of alcohol also had no statistically significant effect on the validity of self-reported marijuana use, regardless of the operational form of validity tested. However, BAC-negative subjects produced a significantly greater validity coefficient for self-reported cocaine use (kappa = 0.87) than did BAC-positive patients (kappa = 0.43), when interview data were compared with toxicologic measures. A similar finding was not uncovered when interview and questionnaire data were compared. An interaction between admission alcohol status and cognitive function was uncovered for cocaine self-reports when interview data was compared with toxicologic measures. The rate of agreement for alcohol-negative subjects is quite high for both cognitively impaired and unimpaired subjects (M = 93% and M = 94%, respectively) as well as for alcohol-positive, cognitively unimpaired subjects (M = 94%), but not for alcohol-positive, cognitively impaired subjects (M = 67%). Results are discussed in terms of threats to the validity of self-report and strategies for the optimization of response accuracy.
Challenges With the Diagnosis and Treatment of Cerebral Radiation Necrosis

The incidence of radiation necrosis has increased secondary to greater use of combined modality therapy for brain tumors and stereotactic radiosurgery. Given that its characteristics on standard imaging are no different that tumor recurrence, it is difficult to diagnose without use of more sophisticated imaging and nuclear medicine scans, although the accuracy of such scans is controversial. Historically, treatment had been limited to steroids, hyperbaric oxygen, anticoagulants, and surgical resection. A recent prospective randomized study has confirmed the efficacy of bevacizumab in treating radiation necrosis. Novel therapies include using focused interstitial laser thermal therapy. This article will review the diagnosis and treatment of radiation necrosis.
Oral Prostacyclin Therapy for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Another Step Forward

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by vascular remodeling and cellular proliferation that leads to narrowing and obstruction of small pulmonary arteries. The arteriopathy is clinically manifest as increased pulmonary vascular resistance and elevation of pulmonary arterial pressures. PAH is considered a progressive vasculopathy that ultimately leads to right heart failure and death. Although there is no cure for PAH, current pharmacological therapies have improved morbidity, and in some cases, mortality. The current 3-year survival for patients with PAH managed with state-of-the-art multiple drug therapy remains troubling at ≈58%.1 This is slightly better than in the 1980s, when there were no approved treatments. Article see p 624 In PAH endothelial dysfunction and platelet activation causes an imbalance of arachidonic acid metabolites with reduced prostacyclin levels and increased thromboxane A2 production. Prostacyclin has both vasodilatory and antiproliferative affects on vascular smooth muscle and inhibits platelet aggregation. Prostacyclin synthase levels are decreased in pulmonary arteries of patients with PAH.2 An imbalance between these two arachidonic acid metabolites favoring thromboxane A2 plays an important role in the pathogenesis of PAH.3 This imbalance is addressed by the exogenous administration of prostanoids as therapy in advanced PAH. Epoprostenol was the first prostacyclin used in the treatment of PAH. Intravenous epoprostenol improves hemodynamics, functional capacity, and survival.4–7 The second-generation prostanoid, Treprostinil, which has a considerably longer half-life (4.5 hours versus 4–6 minutes for epoprostenol),8 can be administered subcutaneously, intravenously, or by inhalation, and also improves pulmonary hemodynamics, symptoms, exercise capacity, and survival in PAH.9–11 Prostacyclin remains a mainstay of PAH therapy and is the only therapy with a proven survival …
Modeling Nymphoides architecture: A morphological analysis of Nymphoides aquatica (Menyanthaceae).

 Premise of the study : Species in the aquatic genus Nymphoides have infl orescences that appear to arise from the petioles of fl oating leaves. The infl orescence-fl oating leaf complex can produce vegetative propagules and/or additional infl orescences and leaves. We analyzed the morphology of N. aquatica to determine how this complex relates to whole plant architecture and whether whole plant growth is sympodial or monopodial.  Methods : We used dissections, measurements, and microscopic observations of fiplants and plants cultivated for 2 years in outdoor tanks in south Florida, USA.  Key results : Nymphoides aquatica had a submerged plagiotropic rhizome that produced fl oating leaves in an alternate/spiral phyllotaxy. Rhizomes were composed of successive sympodial units that varied in the number of leaves produced before the apex terminated. The basic sympodial unit had a prophyll that subtended a renewal-shoot bud, a short-petioled leaf (SPL) with fl oating lamina, and an infl orescence; the SPL axillary bud expanded as a vegetative propagule. Plants produced either successive basic sympodial units or expanded sympodia that intercalated long-petioled leaves between the prophyll and the SPL.  Conclusions : Nymphoides aquatica grows sympodially, forming a rhizome composed of successive basic sympodia and expanded sympodial units. Variations on these types of sympodial growth help explain the branching patterns and leaf morphologies described for other Nymphoides species. Monitoring how these two sympodial phases are affected by water depth provides an ecologically meaningful way to assess N. aquatica ’ s responses to altered hydrology.
Spatial Variation in Breeding Habitat Selection by Cerulean Warblers (Setophaga cerulea) Throughout the Appalachian Mountains

ABSTRACT. Studies of habitat selection are often of limited utility because they focus on small geographic areas, fail to examine behavior at multiple scales, or lack an assessment of the fitness consequences of habitat decisions. These limitations can hamper the identification of successful site-specific management strategies, which are urgently needed for severely declining species like Cerulean Warblers (Setophaga cerulea). We assessed how breeding habitat decisions made by Cerulean Warblers at multiple scales, and the subsequent effects of these decisions on nest survival, varied across the Appalachian Mountains. Selection for structural habitat features varied substantially among areas, particularly at the territory scale. Males within the least-forested landscapes selected microhabitat features that reflected more closed-canopy forest conditions, whereas males in highly forested landscapes favored features associated with canopy disturbance. Selection of nest-patch and nest-site attributes by female...
Whispery speech recognition using adapted articulatory features

This paper describes our research on adaptation methods applied to articulatory feature detection on soft whispery speech recorded with a throat microphone. Since the amount of adaptation data is small and the testing data is very different from the training data, a series of adaptation methods is necessary. The adaptation methods include: maximum likelihood linear regression, feature-space adaptation, and re-training with downsampling, sigmoidal low-pass filter, and linear multivariate regression. Adapted articulatory feature detectors are used in parallel to standard senone-based HMM models in a stream architecture for decoding. With these adaptation methods, articulatory feature detection accuracy improves from 87.82% to 90.52% with corresponding F-measure from 0.504 to 0.617, while the final word error rate improves from 33.8% to 31.2%.
Traumatic Pseudoaneurysm in an In-Situ Femoro-Popliteal Bypass Graft — A Case Report

Anastomotic false aneurysm is a commonly reported complication of bypass surgery, but blunt trauma has been a rare etiologic mechanism. An unusual case of a traumatic false aneurysm arising in the distal anastomosis of an in-situ femoro-popliteal bypass graft is presented and the pathophysiology of the entity is discussed.
Interaction of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor with insulin in the control of hepatic glucose uptake in conscious dogs.

Whether hyperinsulinemia is required for stimulation of net hepatic glucose uptake (NHGU) by a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) was examined in four groups of conscious 42-h-fasted dog...
Learning to Control in Operational Space

One of the most general frameworks for phrasing control problems for complex, redundant robots is operational-space control. However, while this framework is of essential importance for robotics and well understood from an analytical point of view, it can be prohibitively hard to achieve accurate control in the face of modeling errors, which are inevitable in complex robots (e.g. humanoid robots). In this paper, we suggest a learning approach for operational-space control as a direct inverse model learning problem. A first important insight for this paper is that a physically correct solution to the inverse problem with redundant degrees of freedom does exist when learning of the inverse map is performed in a suitable piecewise linear way. The second crucial component of our work is based on the insight that many operational-space controllers can be understood in terms of a constrained optimal control problem. The cost function associated with this optimal control problem allows us to formulate a learning algorithm that automatically synthesizes a globally consistent desired resolution of redundancy while learning the operational-space controller. From the machine learning point of view, this learning problem corresponds to a reinforcement learning problem that maximizes an immediate reward. We employ an expectation-maximization policy search algorithm in order to solve this problem. Evaluations on a three degrees-of-freedom robot arm are used to illustrate the suggested approach. The application to a physically realistic simulator of the anthropomorphic SARCOS Master arm demonstrates feasibility for complex high degree-of-freedom robots. We also show that the proposed method works in the setting of learning resolved motion rate control on a real, physical Mitsubishi PA-10 medical robotics arm.
Near Optimal Power and Rate Control of Multi-Hop Sensor Networks With Energy Replenishment: Basic Limitations With Finite Energy and Data Storage

Renewable energy sources can be attached to sensor nodes to provide energy replenishment for extending the battery life and prolonging the overall lifetime of sensor networks. For networks with replenishment, conservative energy expenditure may lead to missed recharging opportunities due to battery capacity limitations, while aggressive usage of energy may result in reduced coverage or connectivity for certain time periods. Thus, new power allocation schemes need to be designed to balance these seemingly contradictory goals, in order to maximize sensor network performance. In this paper, we study the problem of how to jointly control the data queue and battery buffer to maximize the long-term average sensing rate of a wireless sensor network with replenishment under certain QoS constraints for the data and battery queues. We propose a unified algorithm structure and analyze the performance of the algorithm for all combinations of finite and infinite data and battery buffer sizes. We also provide a distributed version of the algorithm with provably efficient performance.
Pathophysiology of Erectile Dysfunction Following Radiation Therapy

The development of erectile dysfunction (ED) after definitive prostate radiotherapy is multi-factorial in nature, and the major pathophysiologic injuries differ from those that affect patients after radical prostatectomy (RP). There is now compelling evidence that endothelial cell damage in nearby erectile tissue as a direct result of radiotherapy contributes significantly to the relatively delayed onset of post-treatment ED. Conversely, the injury to the neurovascular bundles that is central to the onset of ED after RP does not appear to be a major causative force in the setting of radiotherapy. Whether damage to the penile bulb contributes to the onset of radiation-associated impotence (RAI) is highly controversial and remains unclear. This review will examine the various functional and observational studies that have helped to highlight the injuries relevant to the development of RAI.
Dogs lap using acceleration-driven open pumping

Dogs lap because they have incomplete cheeks and cannot suck. When lapping, a dog’s tongue pulls a liquid column from the bath, suggesting that the hydrodynamics of column formation are critical to understanding how dogs drink. We measured lapping in 19 dogs and used the results to generate a physical model of the tongue’s interaction with the air–fluid interface. These experiments help to explain how dogs exploit the fluid dynamics of the generated column. The results demonstrate that effects of acceleration govern lapping frequency, which suggests that dogs curl the tongue to create a larger liquid column. Comparing lapping in dogs and cats reveals that, despite similar morphology, these carnivores lap in different physical regimes: an unsteady inertial regime for dogs and steady inertial regime for cats.
Methods for Producing Perceptual Maps from Data

This note is designed for use in an MBA-level marketing research course. The note provides students with an overview of how to construct perceptual maps from data. It concentrates on the attribute-rating method and overall-similarity method for constructing the maps. It also describes preference regressions and basic multidimensional-scaling procedures and includes examples from the automotive and movie industries.
Lithium Augments GM-CSA Generation in Canine Cyclic Hematopoiesis

Cyclic hematopoiesis in gray collie dogs can be cured by lithium treatment. We examined the mechanism of lithium's effect by developing an assay for the canine equivalent of GM-CSF (called GM-CSA). Phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated canine blood mononuclear cells produce GM-CSA in a dose-dependent manner; this GM-CSA stimulates more neutrophil-containing colonies than does endotoxin-treated dog serum. Production of GM-CSA by PHA-stimulated normal dog cells was not altered by lithium. However, cells from gray collies during their neutrophilic period increased their GM-CSA when lithium (2 mEq/L) was added to low doses of PHA, whereas neutropenic gray collie cells did not. These data suggest that lithium could modulate cyclic hematopoiesis by increasing intramedullary GM-CSA at the time when marrow neutrophilic progenitor cells are at their nadir.
Two Computer Programs for Probit Analysis

A statistical technique called “probit analysis” to aid in the interpretation of dose-mortality data has become common practice, not only among entomologists but also among other biologists conducting tests that involve dose and response when the response is quantal. An adequate summarization of dose-mortality data consists of the LD50, its confidence (fiducial) limits, and the slope of the probit regression line or that dose which will cause 50% of the population to respond (die) and the standard deviate of the distribution of tolerances (reciprocal of the slope). However, in practice, the tedious, extensive, and often baffling calculations associated with probit analysis have deterred many biologists from obtaining an adequate summarization of dose-mortality data. The increasing number and availability of electronic computers and their ability to process routinely large volumes of calculations present the biologist with the opportunity of obtaining a much more adequate summary of his dose-mortality data.
Physiology of Taste Disorders

Taste is integrated with retronasal olfaction in the brain to form flavor. Taste nerves are vulnerable to peripheral damage (e.g., otitis media, tonsillectomy, head injury, chemotherapy, radiotherapy), which can affect other oral sensations because of central interactions. Inhibition exerted by taste input governs this process, but individual differences make whole-mouth outcomes of regional nerve damage extremely variable: some individuals are unaffected, others experience severe loss, and some encounter intensified sensations that may elevate sweet-fat palatability and body mass. Patients may also report phantom taste (e.g., dysgeusia), touch, or pain sensations (e.g., burning mouth syndrome). To diagnose and treat these conditions effectively, emerging clinical tests measure regional versus whole-mouth sensation, phantoms, and oral anatomy. Scaling methods allowing valid group comparisons figure prominently in these efforts. Overall, advances in measuring oral sensory variation show strong potential for understanding clinical dysfunction.
Spider Egg Chorion Sphere Size and Density

The surface of eggs from 18 species of spiders belonging to 10 families were examined with a scanning electron microscope. The eggs were in one of the following different states: (a) freshly laid; (b) old, unhatched, and desiccated; (c) egg chorions only; and (d) air-dried after alcohol preservation. All eggs had minute spheres covering the outer surface of the chorion. These spheres varied in size, shape, density, and distribution among different species. Most mean sphere sizes and densities were significantly different between spider species. Although the patterns of variation in sphere size and density are not useful for grouping species within families, the two characters may prove to be extremely useful in separating otherwise indistinguishable species of spiders.
Searching the Internet for medical information: practical tips.

The Internet can be useful for physicians, but beginning users are apt to encounter two problems: too much irrelevant information, and difficulty finding the desired information, This paper offers some practical tips that can prevent frustration and wasted time when searching for medical information on the Internet.
Gene expression in epithelial ovarian carcinoma

We analysed the mRNA levels corresponding to 12,600 transcripts in primary cultures of ovarian epithelial cells derived from nine normal ovaries and 21 epithelial ovarian carcinoma. The class distinction and hierarchical clustering of expression data revealed a clear distinction in gene expression between normal and carcinoma-derived ovarian epithelial cells. Comparison of expression levels revealed 111 genes with mean expression values of >2.5-fold higher in carcinoma cells. Similarly, 62 genes were expressed at >2.5-fold higher levels in normal ovarian epithelial cells. For a few selected genes, we demonstrate that the pattern of differential expression observed in cultured epithelial cells is present in the normal ovaries and epithelial ovarian carcinoma. Use of cultured epithelial cells represents a novel strategy to study gene expression in a cell-type specific manner.
Inhibitors of sterol synthesis. Chromatography of acetate derivatives of oxygenated sterols

The separation of the acetate derivatives of a number of oxygenated sterols was achieved by medium pressure liquid chromatography on silica gel columns and by normal and reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography. We have explored the application of these chromatographic systems for the analysis of oxygenated sterols of plasma samples from two normal human subjects. The addition of highly purified [14C]cholesterol to plasma permitted the detection and quantitation of oxygenated sterols formed by autoxidation of cholesterol during processing of the samples. Special attempts to suppress autoxidation of cholesterol included the use of an all-glass closed system for saponification and extraction under argon followed by rapid removal of cholesterol from the polar sterols by reversed phase medium pressure liquid chromatography. Chromatographic analyses of the [3H]acetate derivatives of the polar sterols provided a sensitive approach for the detection and quantitation of the individual oxygenated sterols. Oxygenated sterols detected in plasma included cholest-5-ene-3 beta,26-diol, (24S)-cholest-5-ene-3 beta,24-diol, and cholest-5-ene-3 beta,7 alpha-diol. After correction for their formation by autoxidation of cholesterol during processing of the samples, very little or none of the following sterols were observed: cholest-5-ene-3 beta,7 beta-diol, 5 alpha,6 alpha-epoxy-cholestan-3 beta-ol, 5 beta,6 beta-epoxy-cholestan-3 beta-ol, and cholestane- 3 beta, 5 alpha,6 beta-triol, and the 25-hydroxy, 22R-hydroxy, 21-hydroxy, 20 alpha-hydroxy, and 19-hydroxy derivatives of cholesterol.
Outcomes of kidney transplants and risk of infection transmission from increased infectious risk donors.

Concern over transmission of viral infections has been reported to result in higher discard rates of high infectious risk kidneys (HIR) although data on actual viral transmission rates are lacking. At our center, we performed 89 HIR and 533 non-HIR kidney transplants (KTs) between 2004 and 2011. Follow-up screening labs in recipients of HIR kidneys tested for human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis C virus, and hepatitis B virus did not reveal any cases of viral transmission over median follow-up of 4.3 years. Patient and graft outcomes were similar at 5 years between HIR and non-HIR KTs. An updated analysis of the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network (OPTN) registry of deceased-donor kidney transplants between 2008 and 2012 included 57 526 transplants was performed. Retrospective calculation of KDRI (kidney donor risk index) differed (P<.001) between all groups with median KDRI of 0.99 for HIR kidneys, 1.07 for non-HIR standard criteria donor kidneys, and 1.81 for non-HIR expanded criteria donor (ECD) kidneys. This was reflected in the significantly improved 5-year graft survival for HIR KTs when compared with non-HIR ECD KTs (84% vs 78%; P<.001). Our data can guide counseling of KT candidates about the safety and benefits of HIR kidneys.
Qualitative Study of Self-identity Development of University Students Who were Adopted during Early Years

Objective:To explore the self-identity development of adoptees to be affected by their adoption experiences.Methods:Qualitative research method and in-depth interviews with two female undergraduates about their subjective experience.Conclusion:(1) self-identity was accompanied with adoptees' entire development process,separation with parents after birth,awareness of adoption in childhood,and continued involvement in traumatic life events related with original and adoptive families when adolescence so that the adoptees have inherent self-doubt and insecurity;(2)Adoption happened in close families so adoptees were troubled by self identity of"whose daughter I am",such as title confusion,disliking filling out forms about family relationship and the feeling of belonging to two families;(3)The adoptees had feelings of self-denial and were mal-treated in adoptive families as nemesis because of her gender,which also inspired their unceasing efforts and good academic achievement;(4) The adoptive and original families have blood ties so the adoptee's self-identity shows the characteristics of family identity.
Lack of Evidence for Adrenergic Innervation of the External Urethral Sphincter

AbstractCatecholamine histofluorescence studies of the external urethral sphincter in 11 normal dogs, 4 dogs treated with tranylcypromine and 4 humans have demonstrated that this striated muscle does not possess adrenergic innervation. This finding suggests that the sympathetic nervous system affects outlet resistance only through its influence on the smooth musculature of the bladder neck and urethra.
Research and the (Future) TESOL Instructor

A chapter devoted to research may seem unwarranted in a text designed for beginning MA students, especially if, like many students, you believe that research is the exclusive domain of doctoral students. Before we can decide whether that is the case, let’s take a moment to think about what research is. What does the term ‘research’ mean to you? Who does research and why? What are the goals of research? What kinds of activities might you engage in when you ‘do research’? What are the outcomes or products that result from ‘doing research’? What kinds of research have you done? What makes a piece of research believable to you? In other words, what counts as good evidence? Is this the same for research in TESOL as it is for other areas of your life?
Vibrio cholerae LeuO Links the ToxR Regulon to Expression of Lipid A Remodeling Genes

Vibrio cholerae is an intestinal pathogen that causes the diarrheal disease cholera. Colonization of the intestine depends upon the expression of genes that allow V. cholerae to overcome host barriers, including low pH, bile acids, and the innate immune system. ToxR is a major contributor to this process. ToxR is a membrane-spanning transcription factor that coordinates gene expression in response to environmental cues. In previous work we showed that ToxR upregulated leuO expression in response to bile salts. LeuO is a LysR family transcription factor that contributes to acid tolerance, bile resistance, and biofilm formation in V. cholerae Here, we investigated the function of ToxR and LeuO in cationic antimicrobial peptide (CAMP) resistance. We report that ToxR and LeuO contribute to CAMP resistance by regulating carRS transcription. CarRS is a two-component regulatory system that positively regulates almEFG expression. AlmEFG confers CAMP resistance by glycinylation of lipid A. We found that the expression of carRS and almEFG and the polymyxin B MIC increased in mutants lacking toxRS or leuO Conversely, leuO overexpression decreased the polymyxin B MIC. Furthermore, we found that LeuO directly bound to the carRS promoter and that ToxR-dependent activation of leuO transcription regulated carRS transcription in response to bile salts. Our results suggest that LeuO functions downstream of ToxR to modulate carRS expression in response to environmental cues. This study extends the functional role of ToxR and LeuO in environmental adaptation to include cell surface remodeling and CAMP resistance.
Vibrotactile cuing revisited to reveal a possible challenge to sensorimotor adaptation

Motor responses to unexpected external perturbations require the adjustment of the motor commands driving the ongoing activity. Strategies can be learned with practice to compensate for these unpredictable perturbations (e.g., externally induced slips and trips). It has been hypothesized that response improvements reflect the adaptation of motor commands through updates of an internal model. This hypothesis may be nuanced when a pre-existing motor response could be used. In that case, since a relatively adequate response is known, only the timing of the command needs to be determined. If so, then it could be inferred that the timing of movement initiation and the specific sequence of motor commands can be dissociated. Previously, we quantified the benefits of cuing vs. learning on recovery motor responses resulting from a trip induced by the abrupt stop of one side of a split belt treadmill. Trip occurrence was randomized within a series of strides. Two groups of young adults participated to two distinct experiments (learning, cuing). In the learning experiment, trip recovery improved progressively from the 4th to the 8th trial to reach an “adapted response”. In the cuing experiment, trip recovery was immediate (from 1st trial). Expanding from these results, the aim of the present work was to differentiate the processes underlying the generation of motor compensation strategies in response to an external perturbation under time uncertainty. A supplementary analysis revealed that “cued” responses were kinematically similar to the “adapted response” and remained invariant regardless of cue lead time (250, 500 ms before trip) and application location of the cue (arm, trunk, lower leg). It is posited that all responses (cued and non-cued) are the expression of a pre-existing motor program derived from life experiences. Here, the cue significantly reduces time uncertainty and adaptation consists primarily in resolving time uncertainty based on the trial-by-trial learning of the stochastic property of trip occurrence in order to reduce the response delay. Hence, response time delay and motor program parameters appear to stem from two distinct processes.
Anemia Associated with Lamotrigine

Two cases of anemia associated with lamotrigine adjunctive therapy for intractable epilepsy, one a 17-year-old with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, are reported from Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX.
Medication usage, patient health practices, and healthcare accessibility in the community of Tirrases, San José, Costa Rica

A survey regarding medication use and health care accessibility was distributed to residents of the urban marginalized community of Tirrases, San Jose, Costa Rica. Individual interviews were conducted with selected patients and medical practitioners to add detail and perspective to the survey responses. One hundred and ninety four individuals responded to the survey, and five individuals were interviewed, four patients and one medical practitioner. Sixteen percent of the surveyed population did not have medical insurance, and comparisons between insured and uninsured populations showed that the uninsured population reported lower levels of chronic illness, use of medication prescribed by doctors, anddecreased frequency of doctor visits. Patients were comfortable overall discussing their medications with their doctors, and the majority used natural medicine. Medical practitioners should be made aware of these medication habits and patient responses to better design patient treatment plans and make medical care and clinic services more accessible for both insured and uninsured patients.
Abstract 16584: Association of Lower Height and Higher LDL-c in a Statewide Schoolchild Cholesterol Screening Program

Introduction: The Coronary Artery Risk Detection in Appalachian Communities (CARDIAC) Project has screened West Virginia 5th graders since 1998 to facilitate primordial prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD) in WV. LDL-c levels above 175 mg/dl in children suggest Familial Hyperlipidemia (FH) in the child’s family and a level above 160 mg/dl with history of CHD in relatives can also establish a diagnosis. Hypothesis: Based on previous adult literature, the association of lower height with higher LDL level observed in adults begins in childhood and is prominent in children with LDL in FH range. Methods: Fifth graders are screened yearly in WV schools with parental consent for Body Mass Index and lipid panel. Lipids were analyzed with respect to either short stature Results: 59,386 children had lipid and height data. Mean LDL-c for 1st vs. 4th quartile of height was 94.08 mg/dl (95% Confidence Interval-CI 93.66-94.51) vs. 90.03 mg/dl (CI 89.65-90.42). First quartile of height students had average 4.05 mg/dl higher LDL-c (95% CI 3.48 -4.62 mg/dl). 4398 children had an LDL level above 130 g/dl, 632 above 160 mg/dl and 247 above 175 mg/dl. The Chi square analysis of short stature (height 130 g/dl was also significant (p=0.013) with increased odds of LDL-c above 130 g/dl compared to non-short stature (OR= 1.37, CL 1.07-1.75). Table 1 shows odds ratio for varying levels of elevated LDL-c for the first (shortest) vs. 4th (tallest) quartile of students. Conclusions: Shorter stature is associated with higher LDL-c level in WV 5th graders generally and in those children with increased risk for genetic dyslipidemia. The trend to increasing odds ratio in strata of higher LDL-c supports a recent report of association of single nucleotide polymorphisms selecting for lower genetic height and higher LDL-c.
Lymphedema: From diagnosis to treatment

Lymphedema is a chronic and progressive disorder resulting from impaired lymphatic system function. In developed countries, upper extremity lymphedema is mainly the consequence of breast cancer surgery in which axillary lymph node dissection and radiation alter upper extremity lymphatic flow. Diagnosis of lymphedema is made clinically. Nevertheless, there are numerous diagnostic tools available for disease staging. Recently, a new technology namely magnetic resonance lymphangiography has emerged in the medical field to assist in both diagnosis and management. There are non-surgical and surgical treatment options available. Non-surgical methods are always the first-line treatment; however, surgical options can be explored in appropriate patients. Recent studies focus on the prevention of lymphedema using surgical techniques utilizing axillary reverse mapping to delineate arm lymphatics from axillary lymphatics. Finding the most suitable technique for each type of lymphedema with variable stages is one of the most complicated decisions for practitioners. More studies are needed to reveal the exact biology of lymphedema to ensure complete understanding of the disease and improve outcomes.
Using Digital Media Advertising in Early Psychosis Intervention

Objective:Identifying and engaging youth with early-stage psychotic disorders in order to facilitate timely treatment initiation remains a major public health challenge. Although advertisers routinely use the Internet to directly target consumers, limited efforts have focused on applying available technology to proactively encourage help-seeking in the mental health community. This study explores how one might take advantage of Google AdWords in order to reach prospective patients with early psychosis.Methods:A landing page was developed with the primary goal of encouraging help-seeking individuals in New York City to contact their local early psychosis intervention clinic. In order to provide the best opportunity to reach the intended audience, Google AdWords was utilized to link more than 2,000 selected search terms to strategically placed landing page advertisements. The campaign ran for 14 weeks between April 11 and July 18, 2016 and had a total budget of $1,427.Results:The ads appeared 191,313 times ...
Best Practices in Local Animal Control Ordinances

Inadequate animal control ordinances can lead to increased health risks from dog bites, lawsuits from dog attacks, complaints about nuisance issues, improper care of and lack of protection for comp...
Latinx: ¡Estamos aquí!, or being “Latinx” at UNC-Chapel Hill:

This essay theorizes the specific use of the term “Latinx” at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill during 2016–2017, which emanated in the context of the Tar Heel State’s election year p...
Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension: Advances in Therapy.

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension is a progressive disease characterized by obstruction of the pulmonary vascular bed by insufficient resolution of thromboemboli leading to increased pulmonary vascular resistance with resultant right heart dysfunction and poor long-term survival. Estimates of cumulative incidence after an acute pulmonary embolism range from 1 to 4% within 2 years of an initial event. Current recommendations focus on screening patients being evaluated for pulmonary hypertension with ventilation/perfusion scans and then considering them for potentially curative surgery consisting of a pulmonary endarterectomy. Outcomes at high-volume surgical centers continue to improve and overall perioperative mortality is close to 2 to 4% with excellent reported long-term survival. Unfortunately, adherence with guidelines remains poor and patients with this potentially remediable disease are being missed. In addition, a significant number of patients who are diagnosed are not felt to be operative candidates based on location of disease, hemodynamics, or comorbidities. Several new advances may improve outcomes for such patients who are not operative candidates or who have persistent pulmonary hypertension after surgery, including medical therapy and balloon pulmonary angioplasty. Further studies are needed to answer questions about how best to incorporate these advances into our overall treatment algorithm.
Avoiding Theoretical Optimality to Efficiently and Privately Retrieve Security Updates

This work demonstrates the feasibility of building a PIR system with performance similar to non-PIR systems in real situations. Prior Chor PIR systems have chosen block sizes that are theoretically optimized to minimize communication. This (ironically) reduces the throughput of the resulting system by roughly 50x. We constructed a Chor PIR system called upPIR that is efficient by choosing block sizes that are theoretically suboptimal (from a communications standpoint), but fast and efficient in practice. For example, an upPIR mirror running on a threeyear- old desktop provides security updates from Ubuntu 10.04 (1.4 GB of data) fast enough to saturate a T3 link. Measurements run using mirrors distributed around the Internet demonstrate that a client can download software updates with upPIR about as quickly as with FTP.
Structural plasticity of the adult brain

The adult brain has long been considered stable and unchanging, except for the inevitable decline that occurs with aqinq. This view is now being challenged with clear evidence that structural changes occur in the brain throughout life, including the generation of new neurons and other brain cells, and connections between and among neurons. What is as remarkable is that the changes that occur in the adult brain are influenced by the behaviors an individual engages in, as well as the environment in which an individual lives, works, and plays. Learning how behavior and environment regulate brain structure and function will lead to strategies to live more effective lives and perhaps protect from, or repair, brain damage and brain disease.