cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Water Tunnel Velocimetry Results for the 1303 UCAV Configuration

The sharp leading edge version of the “1303” UCAV configuration was tested in water with traditional qualitative and quantitative visualization methods, to explore the option of such subscale testing as a lower-cost alternative to large wind tunnels. The model, generated by a 3D printer, was tested principally at Reynolds number 32,000, which is some 150 times lower than that of the benchmark wind tunnel test. Particle image velocimetry, supported by traditional dye injection, was used to elucidate regions of flow separation over the leeward side. Tip stall was demonstrated as the principal source of the so-called pitch break phenomenon, with good qualitative correspondence to the wind tunnel result. The leading edge vortex system, as observed from the measurements, was very weak, and unlikely to be a strong contributor to the pitch break. Velocity data in streamwise sectional cuts showed laminar separation bubbles quite akin to what is found in 2D airfoil flows, suggesting that the role of three-dimensionality and spanwise flow was perhaps of modest significance.
Library-based scalable refinement checking for contract-based design

Given a global specification contract and a system described by a composition of contracts, system verification reduces to checking that the composite contract refines the specification contract, i.e. that any implementation of the composite contract implements the specification contract and is able to operate in any environment admitted by it. Contracts are captured using high-level declarative languages, for example, linear temporal logic (LTL). In this case, refinement checking reduces to an LTL satisfiability checking problem, which can be very expensive to solve for large composite contracts. This paper proposes a scalable refinement checking approach that relies on a library of contracts and local refinement assertions. We propose an algorithm that, given such a library, breaks down the refinement checking problem into multiple successive refinement checks, each of smaller scale. We illustrate the benefits of the approach on an industrial case study of an aircraft electric power system, with up to two orders of magnitude improvement in terms of execution time.
A 500 MW, 1 /spl mu/s pulse length, high current relativistic klystron

This paper describes the experimental development of a long pulse high current relativistic klystron amplifier (RKA). The desired performance parameters are 1 GW output power and 1 /spl mu/s pulse length with an operating frequency of 1.3 GHz. Peak powers approaching 500 MW have been achieved in pulses of 1 /spl mu/s nominal baseline-to-baseline duration. The half power pulse width is 0.5 /spl mu/s. These pulses contain an energy of about 160 J. RF output rises linearly in concert with the beam current pulse, and terminates abruptly just before the highest part of the pulsed voltage curve is reached. A possible explanation, not yet experimentally confirmed, for the premature termination of the RF pulse is an output cavity gap voltage that is too high, causing electron reflection at the gap and RF breakdown across the gap. A new output cavity has been designed with a much lower shunt impedance and a loaded Q of 4. >
Estradiol Up-Regulates Estrogen Receptor-α Messenger Ribonucleic Acid in Sheep Endometrium by Increasing Its Stability

During the preovulatory period, estrogen up-regulates estrogen receptor-alpha (ER) gene expression in endometrium in female mammals of all species examined. The purpose of this study was to determine directly whether estradiol up-regulates ER mRNA by increasing the stability of the message. Endometrial tissue was collected from ovariectomized ewes 18 h after the ewes were injected with 50 microg estradiol. Previous work indicated rapid accumulation of ER mRNA at this time. Estradiol increased uterine weights (to 157 +/- 15%) as well as steady-state concentrations of ER (to 309 +/- 37%), progesterone receptor (PR; to 165 +/- 19%), and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH; to 374 +/- 32%) mRNAs in endometrium, compared to control levels of 100%. The effects of estradiol on ER mRNA stability in endometrium were measured in explants cultured with the transcription inhibitor 5, 6-dichloro-1-beta-D-ribofuranosylbenzimidazole, as well as by labeling RNA in vivo with 4-thiouridine. Both assays indicated that estradiol enhanced ER mRNA stability (half-life increased from 9 h to >/= 24 h). The estradiol effect was specific, because the stabilities of PR, GAPDH, and c-fos mRNAs were unaffected by treatment. Thus, estradiol up-regulates steady-state concentrations of ER mRNA in endometrium by a novel posttranscriptional mechanism.
Chronic nitrogen deposition and the composition of active arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

a b s t r a c t A growing body of evidence indicates that atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition can alter the composition and function of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) associated with plant roots. We studied the com- munity of AMF actively transcribing ribosomal genes in the forest floor of northern hardwood forests dominated by sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) that have been exposed to experimental N deposi- tion since 1994 (30 kg NO3 − -N ha −1 year −1 ). Our objective was to evaluate whether previously observed declines in AM root infection and mycelial production resulted in a compositional shift in the AM fungi actively providing resources to plant symbionts under chronic N deposition. To accomplish this task, we cloned and sequenced the LSU of reverse-transcribed AM fungal rRNA extracted from the forest floor under ambient and experimental N deposition treatments. We found that experimental N deposition did not alter the active community of AMF or AMF diversity, but we did observe a significant decrease in rare taxa under chronic N deposition. Our results indicate that chronic N deposition, at levels expected by the end of this century, can exert a moderate influence on the composition and abundance of AMF associated with plant roots in a wide-spread forest ecosystem in the northeastern North America.
Polyimide copper thin film redistribution on glass ceramic/copper multilevel substrates

The first-level package developed for Models 820 and 900 of the IBM ES9000 system family combines polymide copper thin-film technology with glass-ceramic technology to provide high wiring density and excellent electrical performance. The realization of the design application of the technology of the IBM ES9000 resulted in the development of several thin-film technologies for packaging. Some of these are: a photolith expose strategy to match the irregular image of a sintered ceramic substrate to a regular photolithographic grid; a reliable, planar layer interconnection structure based on an application of projection laser ablation technology; a novel redundant wiring structure which provides both high yield wiring and terminal metal structures; and a comprehensive, reliable repair strategy. >
Antimicrobial agent triclosan is a proton ionophore uncoupler of mitochondria in living rat and human mast cells and in primary human keratinocytes.

Triclosan (TCS) is an antimicrobial used widely in hospitals and personal care products, at ~10 mm. Human skin efficiently absorbs TCS. Mast cells are ubiquitous key players both in physiological processes and in disease, including asthma, cancer and autism. We previously showed that non-cytotoxic levels of TCS inhibit degranulation, the release of histamine and other mediators, from rat basophilic leukemia mast cells (RBL-2H3), and in this study, we replicate this finding in human mast cells (HMC-1.2). Our investigation into the molecular mechanisms underlying this effect led to the discovery that TCS disrupts adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production in RBL-2H3 cells in glucose-free, galactose-containing media (95% confidence interval EC50 = 7.5-9.7 µm), without causing cytotoxicity. Using these same glucose-free conditions, 15 µm TCS dampens RBL-2H3 degranulation by 40%. The same ATP disruption was found with human HMC-1.2 cells (EC50 4.2-13.7 µm), NIH-3 T3 mouse fibroblasts (EC50 4.8-7.4 µm) and primary human keratinocytes (EC50 3.0-4.1 µm) all with no cytotoxicity. TCS increases oxygen consumption rate in RBL-2H3 cells. Known mitochondrial uncouplers (e.g., carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone) previously were found to inhibit mast cell function. TCS-methyl, which has a methyl group in place of the TCS ionizable proton, affects neither degranulation nor ATP production at non-cytotoxic doses. Thus, the effects of TCS on mast cell function are due to its proton ionophore structure. In addition, 5 µm TCS inhibits thapsigargin-stimulated degranulation of RBL-2H3 cells: further evidence that TCS disrupts mast cell signaling. Our data indicate that TCS is a mitochondrial uncoupler, and TCS may affect numerous cell types and functions via this mechanism. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Place-Bound Jobs at the Intersection of Policy and Management: Comparing Employer Practices in U.S. and Canadian Chain Restaurants

Debate about the United States’ minimum wage spiked several years ago at a time when its role in influencing employment conditions had become complicated by firms’ increasing use of job outsourcing and “offshoring.” Yet the latter labor strategies are not obviously applicable to employment revolving around in-person transactions between workers and customers, or “place-bound” work. Such jobs present an opportunity for studying human resource management, and the capacity of public policy to shape it, when policy may be at its most influential over employer practices. The current article considers such a case, investigating how minimum wage rates, other public policies and programs associated with work, and firms’ human resource practices interact in the place-bound position of restaurant waiter. Using new data collected from managers of a sample of 21 sites of two low-end, full-service restaurant chains, the author examined the relationships between management practices for wages and tips, fringe benefits,...
Cross-Equatorial Flow and Seasonal Cycle of Precipitation over South America

The relationship between South American precipitation and cross-equatorial flow over the western Amazon is examined using the 15-yr (1979‐93) European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) reanalysis dataset. A meridional wind index, the V index, is constructed to represent the variability of the crossequatorial flow, based on area-averaged (5 8S‐58N, 658‐758W) daily 925-hPa meridional winds. The V index displays large submonthly, seasonal, and interannual variabilities, and correlates well with precipitation over South America. Two circulation regimes are identified, that is, a southerly regime and a northerly regime. Linear regression shows that when the V index is southerly, precipitation is mainly located to the north of the equator. When the V index is northerly, precipitation shifts toward the Amazon basin and subtropical South America. The V index is predominately southerly in austral winter and northerly in summer. The onset (demise) of the Amazon rainy season is led by an increase in the frequency of the northerly (southerly) V index. The relation between the V index and upper-level circulation is consistent with the seasonal cycle of the South American monsoon circulation. Hence, the V index is a good indicator for precipitation change over tropical and subtropical South America. The singular value decomposition (SVD) analysis suggests that the V-index-related variation represents 92% of the total covariance between the low-level meridional wind and precipitation over South America. It also represents 37% of the seasonal variance of precipitation. On the seasonal timescale, the V index appears to correlate well with the meridional migration of the Hadley cell globally. On submonthly timescales, the change of V index is not correlated with the meridional wind over the adjacent oceans except in the South Atlantic convergence zone, suggesting a control by more localized and higher-frequency dynamic processes. The SVD analysis also suggests that during spring and fall precipitation changes over the equatorial eastern Amazon are associated with the seasonal variations of sea surface temperature in the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans.
Clustering Model for Correlated Load Processes

Many loading on structures (such as wind, wave, snow, and rain-on-snow) may be due to a common source and have a tendency to cluster around common points in time so that the occurrence dependence may be an important factor in load combination analysis. Based on a multivariate point process, an analytical model is presented to take such occurrence dependence into consideration. Methods for analysis of mean rate of load coincidence and probability of combined load are developed as an extension of the load-coincidence method previously proposed. Approximate solutions are obtained in simple, closed form. The accuracy of the method is verified by Monte-Carlo simulations. The load coincidence rate is extremely sensitive to occurrence clustering. As a result, when such dependence exists and is not considered, the estimate of the probabilty of combined maximum, as well as the reliability of structure could be seriously in error.
The impact of age, gender, race, and ethnicity on the diagnosis and treatment of depression.

OBJECTIVE: To review issues related to culture and ethnicity that influence diagnosis, treatment, and response for patients who have major depressive disorder (MDD). SUMMARY: People from different ethnic and cultural groups may present with MDD differently. Communication, clarity, and collaboration are key to successful patient-provider relationships. Often, patients’ presentation involves somatic complaints, or symptoms that have not traditionally been associated with a diagnosis of depression. People from minority groups may be less trusting, less adherent, and more skeptical than others. Further, chronic medical illnesses may result in MDD, and patients from ethnic minorities often respond to medications differently from whites. Each patient’s culture and ethnicity must be addressed when they present. Clinicians should always ask, “Are there any cultural issues at work here?” CONCLUSION: Cultural competence is a journey, not a destination, and every provider must learn to question carefully, appreciate culture’s role, and help patients work with them to achieve a better mental and physical health status.
Low-threshold Terahertz quantum-cascade lasers with one-well injector operating up to 174 K

We report operation of v ∼ 2.7 THz quantum-cascade lasers (QCLs) up to 174 K. A new three-well active region, one-well injector scheme is utilized to lower the operating current densities. While the temperature performance of this design is comparable to that of the best published THz QCLs, lower operating current densities make this design a viable alternative.
Pregnancy Plans of First‐time Mothers and Their Children's Outcomes: An Examination of Mechanisms

Unintended pregnancy is prevalent in the United States and has been linked to challenges for both mothers and their children over time. However, studies have not yet identified mechanisms through which pregnancy intention is associated with children's outcomes. Identification of mechanisms among families at risk for negative outcomes will inform early clinical intervention. This current study examined the association between mothers' pregnancy plans reported during pregnancy and children's externalizing, internalizing, dysregulation, and social–emotional competence outcomes at 3 years old among an at-risk sample of 682 first-time mothers from the Predicting and Preventing Neglect in Teen Mothers Study. Further, this study identified mechanisms in the association that can be targeted in clinical intervention. Mediation analyses revealed that mothers' parenting stress when children were 24 months old served as a mechanism in the association between unplanned pregnancy and children's low social–emotional competence at 36 months. Implications for research and clinical practice are discussed. Specifically, early intervention with mothers experiencing unplanned pregnancies may help to promote healthy outcomes among their children over time. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Counseling Services: A Possible Introduction to Self Care

At our medical school, Counseling Services is an area of service for students organized under Student Affairs. It is available to current medical and graduate students at no additional cost. While some students see it as a resource they will never need, many have discovered Counseling Services, whether for academic or personal adjustments, to be a tool for self care that may be both protective and productive for their time in medical/graduate school and even beyond.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Osteochondritis Dissecans: Validation Study for the ICRS Classification System

Rationale and Objectives In this retrospective case series, we utilize arthroscopy as the gold standard to determine if magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the knee can predict osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) lesion stability, the most important information to guide patient treatment decisions. It is hypothesized that the classification system of the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) will allow for improved assessment of lesion grade and stability in OCD. Materials and Methods Routine MRI studies of 46 consecutive patients with arthroscopically proven OCD lesions (mean age: 23.7 years; 26 male, 16 female) were assessed by three radiologists who were blinded to arthroscopic results. Arthroscopic images were evaluated by two orthopedic surgeons in consensus. The OCD criteria of the ICRS were applied to arthroscopy and imaging interpretations. Inter-rater correlation statistics and accuracy of magnetic resonance (MR) grading with respect to arthroscopy were determined. Results Only 56% of the available MR reports assigned a label of stable or unstable to the lesion description. Of these, 58% of the lesions were deemed unstable and 42% were stable. Accuracy was 53% when reports addressed stability. Utilizing the ICRS classification system, for all three readers combined, the respective sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of MR imaging to determine lesion stability were 70%, 81%, and 76%. When compared to the original MRI report, the overall accuracy increased from 53% to 76% when readers were given the specific criteria of the OCD ICRS classification. However, inter-reader variability remained high, with Krippendorf's alpha ranging from 0.48 to 0.57. Conclusions In this paper, we utilize arthroscopy as the gold standard to determine if MRI can predict OCD lesion stability, the most important information to guide patient treatment decisions. To our surprise, the analysis of the existing radiology reports that addressed stability revealed an overall accuracy in defining OCD lesion stability of about 53%. The classification system of the ICRS, created by an international multidisciplinary, multi-expert consortium, did markedly improve the accuracy, but consistency among different readers was lacking. This retrospective study on OCD reporting and classification highlights the inadequacy of existing classification schemes, and emphasizes the critical need for improved diagnostic MRI protocols in musculoskeletal radiology in order to propel it toward evidence-based medicine.
Humanitarianism, Development, and Security in the 21st Century: Lessons from the Syrian Refugee Crisis

The term humanitarianism finds its roots in 19th-century Europe and is generally defined as the “impartial, neutral, and independent provision of relief to victims of conflict and natural disasters.” Behind this definition lies a dynamic history. According to political scientists Michael Barnett and Thomas G. Weiss, this history can be divided into three phases. From the 19th century to World War II, humanitarianism was a reaction to the perceived breakdown of society and the emergence of moral ills caused by rapid industrialization within Europe. The era between World War II and the 1990s saw the emergence of many of today's nongovernmental and intergovernmental organizations. These organizations sought to address the suffering caused by World War I and World War II, but also turned their gaze toward the non-Western world, which was in the process of decolonization. The third phase began in the 1990s, after the end of the Cold War, and witnessed an expansion of humanitarianism. One characteristic of this expansion is the increasing prominence of states, regional organizations, and the United Nations in the field of humanitarian action. Their increased prominence has been paralleled by a growing linkage between humanitarian concerns and the issue of state, regional, and global security. Is it possible that, in the 21st century, humanitarianism is entering a new (fourth) phase? And, if so, what role have events in the Middle East played in ushering it in? I seek to answer these questions by focusing on regional consultations that took place between June 2014 and July 2015 in preparation for the first ever World Humanitarian Summit (WHS), scheduled to take place in Istanbul in May 2016.
Development of Spontaneous Synaptic Transmission in the Rat Spinal Cord

Gao, Bao-Xi, Gong Cheng, and Lea Ziskind-Conhaim. Development of spontaneous synaptic transmission in the rat spinal cord. J. Neurophysiol. 79: 2277–2287, 1998. Dorsal root afferents form synaptic ...
Substance use disorders: Relationship with intermittent explosive disorder and with aggression, anger, and impulsivity.

Background A relationship between substance use and aggression has been noted for decades. While substance use appears to be associated with an increased risk of aggressive behavior, no study has yet reported on the pattern of comorbidity and temporal relationship between impulsive aggression (i.e., intermittent explosive disorder) and substance use disorders (SUD), specifically.
Cutting without Cursing: A Successful Cancellation Project

The Salisbury University Libraries embarked on a serials and database cancellation project in the 2014–2015 academic year, eventually cutting nearly 20% of journals without causing any faculty protests. Picking up ideas from numerous other libraries, the three-person project task force developed a three-stage process: 1) preparation—gathering data and laying the groundwork for getting feedback; 2) getting feedback from liaisons, faculty, and departments; and 3) making decisions about what to cut and sharing the results. This article details the steps taken and key recommendations for other libraries undertaking similar projects.
Extreme rainfall from landfalling tropical cyclones in the eastern united states: Hurricane irene (2011)

AbstractHurricane Irene produced catastrophic rainfall and flooding in portions of the eastern United States from 27 to 29 August 2011. Like a number of tropical cyclones that have produced extreme flooding in the northeastern United States, Hurricane Irene was undergoing extratropical transition during the period of most intense rainfall. In this study the rainfall distribution of landfalling tropical cyclones is examined, principally through analyses of radar rainfall fields and high-resolution simulations using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model. In addition to extratropical transition, the changing storm environment at landfall and orographic precipitation mechanisms can be important players in controlling the distribution of extreme rainfall. Rainfall distribution from landfalling tropical cyclones is examined from a Lagrangian perspective, focusing on times of landfall and extratropical transition, as well as interactions of the storm circulation with mountainous terrain. WRF simulatio...
Dendritic Cells Regulate Extrafollicular Autoreactive B Cells via T Cells Expressing Fas and Fas Ligand

The extrafollicular (EF) plasmablast response to self-antigens that contain Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands is prominent in murine lupus models and some bacterial infections, but the inhibitors and activators involved have not been fully delineated. Here, we used two conventional dendritic cell (cDC) depletion systems to investigate the role of cDCs on a classical TLR-dependent autoreactive EF response elicited in rheumatoid-factor B cells by DNA-containing immune complexes. Contrary to our hypothesis, cDC depletion amplified rather than dampened the EF response in Fas-intact but not Fas-deficient mice. Further, we demonstrated that cDC-dependent regulation requires Fas and Fas ligand (FasL) expression by T cells, but not Fas expression by B cells. Thus, cDCs activate FasL-expressing T cells that regulate Fas-expressing extrafollicular helper T (Tefh) cells. These studies reveal a regulatory role for cDCs in B cell plasmablast responses and provide a mechanistic explanation for the excess autoantibody production observed in Fas deficiency.
Post-Graduation Plans of International Science and Engineering Doctoral Students Attending U.S. Universities.

This study examines the post-graduation plans of international science and engineering doctoral students at a public research-intensive university, and the extent to which graduate school experiences influence post-graduation plans. The study is grounded in Tinto’s Integration Model as well as Berry’s Acculturation Model. Study findings highlight the variety of challenges international doctoral students go through such as adapting to a new culture, experiencing English language difficulties, and cultural, social, and academic adjustment barriers. Using survey data collected in 2013-2014, this study reveals the complexity of factors that affect post-graduation plans and need for institutional initiatives to provide socio-cultural and academic support, and recommends changes in immigration policies to sustain the retention of talented international scientists and engineers upon degree completion.
Association of Spinal Manipulative Therapy With Clinical Benefit and Harm for Acute Low Back Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Importance Acute low back pain is common and spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) is a treatment option. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and meta-analyses have reported different conclusions about the effectiveness of SMT. Objective To systematically review studies of the effectiveness and harms of SMT for acute (≤6 weeks) low back pain. Data Sources Search of MEDLINE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, EMBASE, and Current Nursing and Allied Health Literature from January 1, 2011, through February 6, 2017, as well as identified systematic reviews and RCTs, for RCTs of adults with low back pain treated in ambulatory settings with SMT compared with sham or alternative treatments, and that measured pain or function outcomes for up to 6 weeks. Observational studies were included to assess harms. Data Extraction and Synthesis Data extraction was done in duplicate. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane Back and Neck (CBN) Risk of Bias tool. This tool has 11 items in the following domains: randomization, concealment, baseline differences, blinding (patient), blinding (care provider [care provider is a specific quality metric used by the CBN Risk of Bias tool]), blinding (outcome), co-interventions, compliance, dropouts, timing, and intention to treat. Prior research has shown the CBN Risk of Bias tool identifies studies at an increased risk of bias using a threshold of 5 or 6 as a summary score. The evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria. Main Outcomes and Measures Pain (measured by either the 100-mm visual analog scale, 11-point numeric rating scale, or other numeric pain scale), function (measured by the 24-point Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire or Oswestry Disability Index [range, 0-100]), or any harms measured within 6 weeks. Findings Of 26 eligible RCTs identified, 15 RCTs (1699 patients) provided moderate-quality evidence that SMT has a statistically significant association with improvements in pain (pooled mean improvement in the 100-mm visual analog pain scale, −9.95 [95% CI, −15.6 to −4.3]). Twelve RCTs (1381 patients) produced moderate-quality evidence that SMT has a statistically significant association with improvements in function (pooled mean effect size, −0.39 [95% CI, −0.71 to −0.07]). Heterogeneity was not explained by type of clinician performing SMT, type of manipulation, study quality, or whether SMT was given alone or as part of a package of therapies. No RCT reported any serious adverse event. Minor transient adverse events such as increased pain, muscle stiffness, and headache were reported 50% to 67% of the time in large case series of patients treated with SMT. Conclusions and Relevance Among patients with acute low back pain, spinal manipulative therapy was associated with modest improvements in pain and function at up to 6 weeks, with transient minor musculoskeletal harms. However, heterogeneity in study results was large.
Low circulating levels of the mitochondrial-peptide hormone SHLP2: novel biomarker for prostate cancer risk

// Jialin Xiao 1 , Lauren Howard 2, 3 , Junxiang Wan 1 , Emily Wiggins 3 , Adriana Vidal 4 , Pinchas Cohen 1 and Stephen J. Freedland 3, 4 1 Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA 2 Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA 3 Division of Urology, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA 4 Department of Surgery, Center for Integrated Research on Cancer and Lifestyle, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA Correspondence to: Pinchas Cohen, email: hassy@usc.edu Keywords: health disparity, mitochondria, humanin-like-peptide, aging, retrograde signaling Received: June 10, 2017 Accepted: July 31, 2017 Published: August 10, 2017 ABSTRACT Context: Mitochondrial DNA mutations and dysfunction are associated with prostate cancer (PCa). Small humanin-like peptide-2 (SHLP2) is a novel mitochondrial-encoded peptide and an important mitochondrial retrograde signaling molecule. Objective: To determine whether serum SHLP2 concentration is associated with PCa risk and whether associations are race-specific. Design, Setting and Participants: Patients undergoing prostate biopsy were recruited from the Durham Veterans Affairs hospital. Serum was collected prior to biopsy and SHLP2 measured by ELISA. We selected 200 men for analysis (100 negative biopsies and 100 PCa cases; 100 black and 100 white). Results: Mean SHLP2 levels were significantly higher in white controls versus black controls and SHLP2 was significantly higher in white controls versus white PCa cases. In contrast, there was no significant difference in SHLP2 levels between black controls and black cases. SHLP2 levels > 350-pg/ml ruled out PCa with ≥ 95% accuracy in both races. Conclusions: Lower SHLP2 was linked with increased PCa risk in white men, but no significant association was observed in black men. While SHLP2 > 350-pg/ml ruled out PCa in both races with high accuracy, SHLP2 was unrelated to PCa grade. These data suggest the circulating mitochondrial-derived peptide hormone, SHLP2 plays a key role in the development and racial disparity of prostate cancer.
Immigration: Consequences for Fiscal Developments in the Receiving Population

A substantial fraction of the populations of many nations is foreign born, and flows of immigrants remain heavy in many countries. Some analysts believe immigrants ease the tax burden for supporting aging populations; others believe immigrants impose net tax burdens due to costly public assistance, health, and education. Some nations select immigrants expected to have a positive impact. Most empirical analysis takes a cross-sectional perspective, examining taxes and benefits for immigrant individuals or immigrant households. However, a longitudinal approach is to be preferred; it is important to view the whole life cycle of immigrants and their descendents. Careful longitudinal analysis for the US indicates that immigrant characteristics matter: immigrants arriving young have a positive long-term impact, old ones are very costly; highly educated immigrants have a large positive impact, while those with little education have little impact. Overall, immigrants are beneficial for transfer programs to the elderly (health and pensions), and in the US benefit the federal budget which funds these programs. They are costly for programs which provide services for children (mainly education), which in the US are funded by state and local governments. Averaging across immigrant characteristics, the net present value of the fiscal impact of an immigrant and descendants is +$105,000 at the federal level, −$25,000 at the state/local level, and +$80,000 overall. Initially, the average immigrant in total is costly, but after a decade or two the impact turns increasingly positive.
Key Factors Inhibiting Legislative Progress Toward Smoke-Free Coverage in Appalachia.

The Appalachian Region has among the highest rates of smoking and smoking-related illness in the United States. Strong smoke-free legislation could help protect nonsmoking residents from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke. However, there is a dearth of state, county, city, and subcounty smoke-free law coverage throughout Appalachia.As of July 2016, only 21% of Appalachian residents were covered by comprehensive smoke-free laws (i.e., 100% coverage for workplaces, restaurants, and bars). Only 46% of Appalachians lived in places with 100% smoke-free workplace laws, only 30% lived in places with 100% smoke-free restaurant laws, and only 29% lived in places with 100% smoke-free bar laws. Reasons for this lack of smoke-free law coverage include socioeconomic disadvantage, the historical importance of tobacco in Appalachian economies, and preemptive state legislation.By understanding the contextual issues that have inhibited smoke-free legislation, smoke-free advocates will be better prepared to lead effor...
Stress, Spiritual Coping, and Bulimia: Feeling Punished by God/Higher Power

This study investigated the relationship between stress, spiritual coping, and bulimic symptoms in college students (N = 605). Participants who felt punished by God/Higher Power during difficult times reported more symptoms. This spiritual coping strategy also partly mediated the link between stress and bulimic symptoms; the link was partly explained by a coping style that involved beliefs about punishment by God/Higher Power. These findings have implications for mental health counseling in terms of addressing spiritual coping strategies with clients who identify as having faith beliefs and who struggle with bulimic symptoms.
Evaluation of Resident and Faculty Performance in Routinely Addressing Unmet Reproductive Health Needs in a Teaching Health Center.

Background and objectives High rates of unintended pregnancy and poor pregnancy outcomes can be ameliorated by improved access to contraceptive and preconception care. Little data exists regarding application of routine pregnancy intention (PI) screening to reduce unintended pregnancy and optimize preconception health in family medicine residency education. This quality improvement (QI) project evaluated the rate at which family medicine residents and providers (attending physicians and nurse practitioners) addressed women's unmet reproductive health needs identified through PI screening. Methods In April 2015 routine PI screening was implemented at a teaching health center. From April through July chart review was performed of patient encounters for eligible women age 12 to 45 to assess the rate of addressing unmet reproductive health needs, including contraception and/or preconception care, based on provider documentation. Individual resident and provider performance feedback was given monthly. Follow-up chart review was performed in February 2016 to evaluate postintervention performance. Results Residents and providers had 1,676 eligible patient visits, and respectively increased their rates of addressing unmet reproductive health care needs from 47% to 48% in April to 66% to 67% in July 2015. Residents had a sustained increased rate of 62% in February 2016 (P=0.0139), while providers did not. Conclusions Resident and provider rates of addressing women's unmet reproductive health needs increased with a simple QI intervention. Residents, but not providers, sustained these rates at 6-month follow-up. Routine PI screening combined with performance evaluation is a promising approach to promote preventive reproductive health education in family medicine residency teaching clinics, but requires further study of long-term outcomes.
Identifying nonalcoholic fatty liver disease from quantitative ultrasound measures

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease in the United States, affects 30% of adult Americans, may progress to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and end-stage liver disease, and is a risk factor for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The diagnosis, grading, and staging of NAFLD currently is based on liver biopsy with histologic analysis. Noninvasive image-based methods to evaluate the liver in adults with NAFLD are urgently needed. The objective is to identify the relationships between quantitative ultrasound (QUS) outcomes [backscatter coefficient, BSC, and attenuation coefficient, AC] and tissue properties to validate the diagnosis and/or grading of NAFLD. 83 participants with known or suspected NAFLD (thus few uncompromised liver samples expected) received contemporary QUS and MRI (proton density fat fraction) PDFF to estimate liver fat fraction. Of this group, 74 participants also received liver biopsy. Participant recruitment is continuing. Curren...
Microphysics studies for direct-drive inertial confinement fusion

Accurate and self-consistent knowledge of material properties under high-energy-density (HED) conditions is crucial to reliably understand and design inertial confinement fusion (ICF) targets through radiation–hydrodynamic simulations. For direct-drive ICF target designs, the fuel deuterium–tritium mixtures and ablator materials can undergo a wide range of density and temperature conditions. Their properties under extreme HED conditions, including the equation of state, thermal conductivity, opacity, and stopping power, are the necessary inputs for ICF simulations. To improve the predictive capability of radiation–hydrodynamic codes for direct-drive ICF simulations, we have performed systematic ab initio studies on the static, transport, and optical properties of deuterium (D2) and ablator materials such as polystyrene (CH), beryllium (Be), and silicon (Si), using first-principles methods. The obtained material properties, being favorably compared with existing experimental data, have been implemented into radiation–hydrodynamic codes. This article gives a brief review on how these microphysics studies affect the 1-D radiation–hydrodynamic predictions of direct-drive ICF implosions on the OMEGA Laser System.
Surface Reconstruction via L1-Minimization

A surface reconstruction technique based on the L 1- minimization of the variation of the gradient is introduced. This leads to a non-smooth convex programming problem. Well-posedness and convergence of the method is established and an interior point based algorithm is introduced. The L 1-surface reconstruction algorithm is illustrated on various test cases including natural and urban terrain data.
Energy Myth Thirteen - Developing Countries are not Doing Their Part in Responding to Concerns About Climate Change

One of the most persistent controversies about energy-related climate change mitigation policies and actions by “developed” countries is whether they make sense without analogous actions by rapidly growing developing country economies. Embedded in this controversy is a myth that developing countries are not doing enough without their agreement to mandatory emission reduction targets, and that global action is futile until they agree to do more. This view underlies such statements as the following:
Molybdenum(vi) tris(amidophenoxide) complexes.

Tris(2-(arylamido)-4,6-di-tert-butylphenoxo)molybdenum(VI) complexes (Rap)3Mo can be prepared either from (cycloheptatriene)Mo(CO)3 and the N-aryliminoquinone, or from MoO2(acac)2 and the aminophenol. In contrast to all other reported unconstrained transition metal tris(amidophenoxide) complexes, the molybdenum complexes show a facial geometry in the solid state. In solution, the fac isomer predominates, though a small amount of mer isomer is detectable at room temperature. At elevated temperature the two species interconvert through Rây-Dutt trigonal twists, which are faster than Bailar twists in this system, presumably because of steric effects of the N-aryl groups. Substituents on the N-aryl ring shift the fac/mer equilibrium of the complex, with more electron-withdrawing substituents generally increasing the proportion of the mer isomer. The preference for fac over mer geometry is thus suggested to be due to enhanced π bonding in the fac isomer. In contrast to analogous catecholate complexes, the tris(amidophenoxide) complexes are not Lewis acidic and are inert to nucleophilic oxidants such as amine-N-oxides.
Narrowband Shear Wave Generation Using Sinusoidally Modulated Acoustic Radiation Force

Most transient ultrasound elastography methods use high-intensity ultrasound “push” pulses that generate a shear wave with a wide frequency spectrum. However, it is difficult to control how the energy of the wave is distributed within that spectrum. For this reason, the shear-wave group velocity may not match that of harmonic methods like magnetic resonance elastography (MRE). The objective of this study was to introduce a narrowband shear wave generation method produced by “push” pulses with sinusoidally modulated intensity. The method, named harmonic shear wave imaging (HSWI), successively transmits a series of push pulses with a periodic change in duration. The excited shear waves form a continuous shear wave with a known main frequency that can be controlled by the user. Push pulses are interleaved with imaging pulses so only one clinical transducer is used to generate and record the shear waves. The proposed method was compared to MRE and a transient shear wave elastography method using phantoms and in vivo measurements. It was found that HSWI produces narrowband waves with a speed that closely matches that measured by MRE. Measurement of the acoustic output parameters indicated that the acoustic intensities in HSWI are suitable for clinical applications. The ability of HSWI to generate narrowband shear waves using a single linear array transducer makes it amenable for clinical translation. HSWI can potentially use the same thresholds as MRE for diagnosis of diseases affecting the stiffness of soft tissues.
Cyber-Field Experiences: Using a Web-Based Behavior Management Bulletin Board to Support Teachers and Assist in Special Education Teacher Preparation

Graduate students in special education were directed to use the bulletin board feature of a behavior management Web site (www.behavioradvisor.com) as part of their course assignments. They were required to read and respond to posted disciplinary concerns by school personnel. The graduate students, the majority of whom are practicing teachers, were surveyed regarding their perceptions of this assignment as an instructional tool. The results of the survey are presented. Information is also presented on the development of the Web site.
Long-term Hospital Readmissions After Surgical Vs Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Background Limited data exist for rates and causes of readmission beyond short-term follow-up for patients undergoing surgical and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (SAVR and TAVR) Methods Patients undergoing isolated SAVR and TAVR between 2011 and 2017 at our institution were included in this study. The primary outcome was 5-year hospital readmission. The readmission cohort was identified from index readmission. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the risk-adjusted impact of TAVR vs SAVR on outcomes. Results A total of 2379 patients were included: 1034 TAVR (43.5%) and 1345 SAVR (56.5%). Patients undergoing TAVR were on average older (81.8 ± 7.8 years vs 69.1 ± 11.85 years, P Conclusions There is a disproportionately high rate of long-term hospital readmissions for cardiac causes, including heart failure, in patients who underwent TAVR. These data may support aggressive medical management of patients with careful follow-up in patients undergoing TAVR.
Granulomatous inflammation diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration biopsy

Introduction Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is a minimally invasive biopsy technique and an important tool for diagnosing infectious diseases. Rapid onsite evaluation allows for triage for ancillary testing, including microbiologic cultures. We aimed to determine the etiology of granulomatous inflammation diagnosed by FNAB by correlating with culture results and clinical history. Materials and methods A 16-year retrospective review of cases diagnosed as “granulomatous inflammation” or “granuloma” was performed at the Departments of Pathology at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center and University of California, San Francisco. Results A total of 339 FNABs diagnosed as granulomatous inflammation were identified. Necrotizing granulomatous inflammation was present in 117 of 339 cases (34.5%) and non-necrotizing granulomatous inflammation was present in 222 of 339 cases (65.5%). A pathogen was detected in 100 of 339 (29.5%) FNABs by either cytomorphology, special stains, or culture, or a combination of more than one test. Of the 100 pathogen-positive cases, necrotizing granulomatous inflammation was seen in 50 of 100 (50%) and non-necrotizing granulomatous inflammation was identified in 50 of 100 (50%) cases. Culture results were available in 239 cases and positive in 70 (29%). Positive culture results included 40 of 239 (17%) cases with Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, 15 of 239 (6.3%) with atypical mycobacterial species, 6 of 239 (3%) with Coccidioides immitis, 2 of 239 ( Conclusions Granulomatous inflammation is a nonspecific finding and suggests a broad range of disease processes, ranging from infection to malignancy. FNAB is an excellent minimally invasive technique that allows for ancillary testing critical for definitive diagnosis.
An Experimental Study of the Effect of Water Ingestion upon Athletic Performance

Abstract Thirty-three collegiate track and field men, divided into three random groups, ran 27 individual 220-yard time trials under three alternating conditions: (1) no liquid consumption within the hour preceding the trial; (2) consumption of one pint of water five minutes prior to the trial; and (3) free consumption of water five minutes before the recorded run. Differences in performance under the three conditions were discovered to be insignificant statistically as well as inconsistent in their direction. Thus the null hypothesis concerning the effect of water ingestion upon performance was supported.