cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immediate vs delayed diagnosis of heart failure: is there a difference in outcomes? results of a harris interactive® Patient Survey

Background: Heart failure remains a compelling problem with morbidity rates as high as 50% within 5 years of diagnosis and a hospitalization burden of over 1 million episodes per year. Problem: It is unclear if the time delay between the onset of symptoms and the initiation of medical therapy for heart failure [HF] contributes to excess morbidity from HF. Method: Patients were identified through a Chronic Illness Panel managed by Harris Interactive . We evaluated a cohort of 261 patients, invited by email solicitation to participate in a self-administered online survey. The patient sample was adjusted to approximate the U.S. adult CHF population. Statistical significance was determined at a p value 0.05 with a confidence limit of 95%. Demographics: Gender M:F59%/41%; Race W/other92%/8%; NYHA Class I/II/III/IV 31%/29%/32%/8%. Results: With the onset of symptoms 45% of the patients received an immediate diagnosis of HF and 43% experienced a delayed diagnosis. 33% of the overall population was diagnosed in a hospital emergency room and 21% after hospital admission. Thus greater than 50% of cases were diagnosed as an acute event. 12% were uncertain regarding the onset of symptoms. Delayed diagnosis resulted from patients not seeking treatment at the onset of symptoms or being misdiagnosed. Of those surveyed with a delayed diagnosis 18% were diagnosed in a year, 15% in 1–5 years, 10% 5 years after the onset of symptoms. The mean number of prescription medications taken by patients with a delayed diagnosis vs. immediate diagnosis was 3.6 vs. 2.9 [p 0.05]. Patients with a delayed diagnosis had more shortness of breath, fatigue, palpitations and cough [p 0.05]. See Table for additional between group characteristics. Conclusions: We conclude that patients with a delayed diagnosis have more morbidity than those with an immediate diagnosis. Patients with a delayed diagnosis suffer more symptoms, take more medications, and tend to utilize more hospital resources and are likely to suffer from other comorbidities such as diabetes and depression that may affect their symptom presentation or health care seeking behavior. Over 50% of patients are diagnosed during an acute event which represents the best moment for patient education, thus yielding an opportunity to improve heart failure related morbidity, as well as reducing the number of healthcare resources consumed by a delayed diagnosis of heart failure.
Statistics of Nadaraya-Watson estimator errors in surrogate-based optimization

For the optimization under uncertainty problem, there has been recent interest in coupling trust-region methods with surrogate surfaces or function approximations. There are many theoretical and statistical issues that must be carefully considered in following such an approach. Herein, the Nadaraya-Watson estimator is used for the smooth function approximation, and the effects of observation noise and random sampling on estimator error are examined. For the fundamental optimization problem where the exact function is quadratic, analytical results are derived for the mean-square error of the difference and gradient of the function. It is also shown how these statistics are related to the trust-region method, how the analytical results can be used to determine the bandwidth of the kernel of the estimator, and how third-order terms can affect the error statistics.
High-Temperature Magnetic Susceptibility of Interacting Electrons in a Solid. II

A new alternative expression for the third virial coefficient for fermions is derived. It is used to deduce an expression for the high-temperature magnetic susceptibility of electrons which interact according to the Hubbard Hamiltonian. The work extends a previous calculation which considered only the second virial coefficient. The results are compared with the Stoner theory of the ferromagnetism of itinerant electrons. The inclusion of the third virial coefficient modifies the usual expression for the susceptibility and indicates an increased tendency toward ferromagnetism.
Synthesis and Interface Structure of Sol Gel YBa2Cu3Ox Thin Films for Conductor Development

In our previous work we have obtained YBCO thick films on silver alloy substrate via the peritectic solidification. To further develop grain-textured YBCO thin films for conductor development, in this study, we have used a sol gel approach to deposit YBCO thin films on two different substrates, namely, yttrium-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and a silver alloy containing 10 % of palladium (Ag -10%Pd). We have found that the sol gel film on YSZ exhibits an epitaxial growth. This is confirmed by both x-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). XRD data also indicate that the YBCO film on Ag-10%Pd has a c-axis grain orientation. The details are reported on sol gel synthesis and XRD and HRTEM characterization of the YBCO thin films.
Body affects mind? Preoperative behavioral and biological predictors for postoperative symptoms in mental health.

The study examined differential effects of preoperative biomarkers (cotisol, C-reactive protein/CRP, and interleukin-6/IL-6) on postoperative symptoms in mental health (depressed mood, anxiety and hostility) 1 month following open-heart surgery, controlling for known predictors. Preoperative and postoperative interviews were conducted on 162 patients. Peripheral venous blood samples were collected between 8 and 10 a.m. prior to surgery. Cardiac indices were obtained from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons’ national database. Preoperative anxiety contributed to all outcomes about 1 month postoperatively. Patients with high preoperative plasma IL-6 used more avoidant coping and experienced greater depressed mood. Patients with increased plasma CRP and with hope were less depressed. Elevated plasma cortisol predicted hostility. Finally, medical comorbidities predicted anxiety and hostility. The combination of anxiety and stress-sensitive biomarkers may be one way to predict postoperative symptoms following open-heart surgery. Our findings emphasize the importance of investigating the mind–body interplay to come up with better interventions.
Results of airborne vector (3-d) gravimetry

Gravity field modeling using airborne vertical component gravimetry has made significant strides over the last decade. We demonstrate the feasibility of extending this to three-dimensions using data from inertial navigation systems (INS) and the Global Positioning System (GPS). A significant advantage of measuring the horizontal gravity components is that the geoid can be determined in profiles by direct along-track integration, thus not only adding strength to conventional methods, but reducing the required area of survey support, especially along model boundaries. As such, the ultimate limitation of the method is in the quality of the INS and GPS sensors. In our test case, all three components of the gravity vector were determined over a profile in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Differences between available truth data and the computed gravity components have standard deviations of 7–8 mGal (horizontal) and 3 mGal (vertical). These standard deviations include uncertainties in the truth data (<5 mGal, for horizontal; 1.3 mGal, for vertical). The resolution in the computed values is about 10 km. These analyses have demonstrated for the first time that the total gravity vector can be determined from airborne INS and GPS to reasonable accuracy and resolution, without any external orientation information, nor prior statistical hypothesis on the gravity signature, using medium-accuracy INS and geodetic quality GPS receivers.
Young children's reasoning in games of nonsocial and social logic: “Tic Tac Toe” and a “Guessing Game”

Abstract These are the results of a developmental comparison of children's play and reasoning in games of mathematical logic (Tic Tac Toe) and social logic (a Guessing Game), exploring a distinction posed in Selman (1980) . Eighty-seven children, 3- to 7-years old, played a series of each game with an experimenter and then participated in an exploratory interview. Children's sophistication in reasoning was positively related across the two games, suggesting a common three level progression from mastery of procedures to a competitive attitude to advanced strategy. At the same time, the unique demands of each game were evident in the earlier appearance of a competitive attitude in Tic Tac Toe (TTT) and in a ceiling effect found for Guessing Game (GG) performance. Curricular implications are drawn using a constructivist framework.
Comparison of the experimental performance of ferroelectric CPW circuits with method‐of‐moment simulations and conformal mapping analysis

Experimental measurements of coplanar waveguide (CPW) circuits atop thin films of ferroelectric Ba(x)Sr(1-x)TiO3 (BST) were made as a function bias from 0 to 200 V and frequency from 0.045 to 20 GHz. The resulting phase shifts are compared with method of moments electromagnetic simulations and a conformal mapping analysis to determine the dielectric constant of the BST films. Based on the correlation between the experimental and the modeled data, an analysis of the extent to which the electromagnetic simulators provide reliable values for the dielectric constant of the ferroelectric in these structures has been performed. In addition, to determine how well the modeled data compare with experimental data, the dielectric constant values were also compared to low frequency measurements of interdigitated capacitor circuits on the same films. Results of these comparisons will be presented.
On the dominance of the singular dynamic crack tip stress field under high rate loading

The dynamic stress field near a running crack tip is investigated using photoelasticity and caustics. Both quasistatic and dynamic impact loads were considered. Under impact loading, it was found that the range of dominance of the singular term in the asymptotic crack tip stress field expansion was very small. The need for considering higher order transient terms in interpreting the isochromatic fringes is demonstrated. Also, the importance of considering the effect of the higher order transient terms in the characterization of failure criteria is discussed.
Prestimulus EEG alpha oscillations modulate task-related fMRI BOLD responses to auditory stimuli

EEG alpha-band activity is generally thought to represent an inhibitory state related to decreased attention and play a role in suppression of task-irrelevant stimulus processing, but a competing hypothesis suggests an active role in processing task-relevant information - one in which phase dynamics are involved. Here we used simultaneous EEG-fMRI and a whole-brain analysis to investigate the effects of prestimulus alpha activity on the event-related BOLD response during an auditory oddball task. We separately investigated the effects of the posterior alpha rhythm's power and phase on activity related to task-relevant stimulus processing and also investigated higher-level decision-related processing. We found stronger decision-related BOLD activity in areas late in the processing stream when subjects were in the high alpha power state prior to stimulus onset, but did not detect any effect in primary sensory regions. Our phase analysis revealed correlates in the bilateral thalamus, providing support for a thalamo-cortical loop in attentional modulations and suggesting that the cortical alpha rhythm acts as a cyclic modulator of task-related responses very early in the processing stream. Our results help to reconcile the competing inhibition and active-processing hypotheses for ongoing alpha oscillations and begin to tease apart the distinct roles and mechanisms underlying their power and phase.
Large decrease in zymogen granule size in the postnatal rat pancreas

The volume density of zymogen granules in rat pancreas decreased dramatically after birth, from about 45% of cytoplasmic volume at birth to 23% by 1 week, and then gradually fell to about 18% by 3 weeks. The decrease in volume density was primarily due to a decrease in granule size from an average of 1.5 μm (range 0.7 to 2.8 μm) in the newborn to about 0.85 μm (range 0.5–1.4 μm) at 3 weeks. This corresponds to a six-fold reduction in granule volume. The distribution of granule diameters was unimodal, relatively normal (lognormal), and maintained this configuration as size decreased over time. The size distribution in the newborn was rather broad and narrowed substantially during the following 3 weeks as it shifted to a lower size range. The condensing vacuole size distribution at birth was within the lower half of the zymogen granule distribution. This and other data suggest that granules prenatally are not formed solely by a reduction in size from condensing vacuoles but increase in size. There was a linear relationship between the mean zymogen granule diameter and the standard deviation around the mean for the different time intervals. This suggests that the same controlling factors produce the broad range of large granules seen in the newborn as the narrow range of much smaller granules seen at 3 weeks. The present data, as well as evidence from other sources, indicate that the zymogen granule is a single structural entity whose size varies as a continuous function with changing physiological state.
Hourglass multimedia content and service composition framework for smart room environments

Pervasive environments with their ubiquitous multimedia devices such as video-enabled cell-phones, laptops, PC tablets, digital cameras, HDTV plasma displays are becoming integral part of our workplaces and homes. Furthermore, these digital multimedia devices make it easier and easier to create and view volumes of content that can be stored throughout the Internet. The big challenge is to organize the distributed content, get the distributed multimedia content composed, produced and distributed to users in customized fashion according to users' preference, and their resource availabilities in pervasive environments. Basically, the challenge is to create Internet Interactive Television where the user/interest group, residing in a pervasive environment, corresponds to the TV program director who decides and/or influences what content(s) will be viewed, how it will be composed, presented and delivered. In this paper, we present a vision how this challenge can be solved. We propose a novel hourglass-based system that delivers composite multimedia content to users in pervasive environments, which considers both users' interest in the content and the presentation capabilities of various display devices. This hourglass-based system relies on our content and service composition framework that allows for customized production, distribution and presentation of multimedia content for pervasive environments. We present the hourglass design, possible solutions for some content composition scenarios and validate the solutions via selected experiments.
Transient, reversible apnoea following ablation of the pre-Bötzinger complex in rats.

1In some anaesthetized preparations, eupnoea is eliminated following a blockade or destruction of neurons in a rostral medullary pre-Botzinger complex. 2Neurons in this region might underlie the neurogenesis of eupnoea, or be the source of an input which is necessary for eupnoea to be expressed. If the latter, any apnoea following ablation of the pre-Botzinger complex might be reversed by an augmentation in ‘tonic input.’ Contrariwise, this apnoea should be permanent if the neuronal activities of the pre- Botzinger complex are an exclusive generator of the eupnoeic rhythm. 3Decerebrate, vagotomized, paralysed and ventilated adult rats were studied. Efferent activity of the phrenic nerve was recorded as an index of ventilatory activity. 4Blockade or destruction of neuronal activities of the pre-Botzinger complex by unilateral and/or bilateral injections of muscimol or kainic acid eliminated eupnoea only transiently. Eupnoea returned following activation of the peripheral chemoreceptors and spontaneously over time. 5Results do not support the concept that neuronal activities of the pre-Botzinger complex play an exclusive role in the neurogenesis of eupnoea in vivo. Rather, these neuronal activities appear to provide a tonic input to the ponto-medullary circuit which generates eupnoea and/or appear to be one component of this circuit.
Avoiding Anscombe's paradox

Pour N votants et K propositions et 0<α, β<1 quand les coalitions predominantes opposees aux propositions comportent en moyenne au moins (1-αβ)N votants, l'ensemble des votants en desaccords avec plus de αK des resultats ne peut depasser βN
Anger Is an Approach-Related Affect: Evidence and Implications.

The authors review a range of evidence concerning the motivational underpinnings of anger as an affect, with particular reference to the relationship between anger and anxiety or fear. The evidence supports the view that anger relates to an appetitive or approach motivational system, whereas anxiety relates to an aversive or avoidance motivational system. This evidence appears to have 2 implications. One implication concerns the nature of anterior cortical asymmetry effects. The evidence suggests that such asymmetry reflects direction of motivational engagement (approach vs. withdrawal) rather than affective valence. The other implication concerns the idea that affects form a purely positive dimension and a purely negative dimension, which reflect the operation of appetitive and aversive motivational systems, respectively. The evidence reviewed does not support that view. The evidence is, however, consistent with a discrete-emotions view (which does not rely on dimensionality) and with an alternative dimensional approach.
From Insurrection to Revolution in Mexico: Social Bases of Agrarian Violence, 1750-1940

The description for this book, From Insurrection to Revolution in Mexico: Social Bases of Agrarian Violence, 1750-1940, will be forthcoming.
QUANTITATIVE INVESTIGATIONS OF IDIOTYPIC ANTIBODIES : IV. INHIBITION BY SPECIFIC HAPTENS OF THE REACTION OF ANTI-HAPTEN ANTIBODY WITH ITS ANTI-IDIOTYPIC ANTIBODY

Myeloma proteins (1) and antibodies from individual animals (2, 3) have been shown to possess individually specific or "idiotypic" (4) antigenic determinants. For example, anti-salmonella antibodies from an individual rabbit have determinants that are not detectable in other immunoglobulins of that rabbit nor, ordinarily, in antibodies of the same specificity from other rabbits (3). Quantitative studies have shown that various fractions (up to 80%) of purified anti-benzoate antibodies, designated D (5), from a given donor rabbit are reactive with anti-idiotypic (anti-D) antisera (6, 7). Precipitin lines in the Ouchterlony test were obtained when as little as 2 % of the donor (D) population was precipitable. Our present investigations indicate that the reactions of anti-p-azobenzoa te antibodies (D) with their anti-idiotypic antisera are strongly inhibited by benzoate derivatives, i.e. by specific haptens, whereas the reactions of D with anti-Fab antibodies are affected to a much smaller extent. The possible relationship of idiotypic determinants to the antigen-combining site of a donor antibody is discussed.
Learning to extract chemical names based on random text generation and incomplete dictionary

Automatically extracting chemical names from text has significant value to biomedical and life science research. A major barrier in this task is the difficulty of getting a sizable good quality training set to train a reliable entity extraction model. Leveraging the well-studied random text generation techniques based on formal grammars, we explore the idea of automatically creating training sets for the task of chemical named entity extraction. Assuming the availability of an incomplete list of chemical names, we are able to generate well-controlled, random, yet realistic chemical-like training documents. Compared to state-of-the-art models learned from manually labeled data and rule-based systems using real-world data, our solutions show comparable or better results, with least human effort.
Band lineup and in-plane effective mass of InGaAsP or InGaAlAs on InP strained-layer quantum well

We describe the band lineups of InGaAlAs on (001) InP as well as InGaAsP on (001) InP system with strain effects, based on the Harrison model. We show that the compressive strain does not affect the band position so much, and tensile strain raises the band position in the InGaAsP system. It is also shown that both compressive and tensile strains raise the band positions in the InGaAlAs system. The conduction and valence band positions of InGaAs, InGaAsP, and InGaAlAs relative to InP valence band are given in approximate formulas as a function of the strain. We calculate the energy versus in-plane wave vector relationship of the InGaAsP/InGaAs(P) InGaAlAs/InGa(Al)As on InP strained quantum-well systems. We obtain the in-plane effective mass of the strained quantum-well system by fitting the dispersion relationship to a parabolic curve. The in-plane effective masses of several kinds of strained quantum-well systems are listed. >
Empyema Necessitatis Due to Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Empyema necessitatis is a rare complication of empyema in which the pleural infection spreads outside of the pleural space to involve the soft tissues of the chest wall. Most cases of empyema necessitatis are related to Mycobacterium tuberculosis and, less commonly, to Actinomyces spp. and Streptococcus spp. Staphylococcus aureus has rarely been reported as the causative agent of empyema necessitatis, with the majority of S. aureus isolates being methicillin sensitive. Only two cases of empyema necessitatis due to methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) have been reported in the medical literature. We report the case of a 59-year-old Caucasian male who presented to our institution with complaints of pain in and swelling of his left upper chest of 2-months duration. A computed tomography scan of the chest showed an 8.1- by 6.5-cm lesion which extended from the left upper lobe of the lung into the extrathoracic soft tissues beneath the left upper pectoralis muscle. A wedge resection of the left upper lung lobe revealed lung tissue with an organized pneumonia-like pattern associated with marked acute pleuritis. Blood and urine cultures and cultures of the left chest soft tissue mass grew MRSA. The patient was successfully treated with vancomycin followed by a 10-day outpatient course of ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. This case represents an extremely rare manifestation of an increasingly dangerous bacterial pathogen.
The Abrogation of Allosensitization Following the Induction of Mixed Allogeneic Chimerism

The association of preformed anti-donor Abs with the hyperacute rejection of bone marrow and solid organ allografts and the persistence of the anti-donor immune response secondary to immunologic memory make allosensitization an absolute contraindication to transplantation. Mixed allogeneic (A + B-->A) bone marrow chimerism has been demonstrated to confer donor-specific tolerance in nonsensitized recipients, but has not been evaluated in the setting of allosensitization. The current study documents that despite significant anti-donor sensitization, mixed allogeneic engraftment is possible and provides a marked advantage over fully allogeneic (B-->A) models. Moreover, the acceptance of donor skin grafts and loss of circulating anti-donor Abs suggest that allosensitization can be abrogated with the induction of stable mixed allogeneic chimerism.
Intelligent energy management agent for a parallel hybrid vehicle-part I: system architecture and design of the driving situation identification process

This two part paper proposes an intelligent energy management agent (IEMA) for parallel hybrid vehicles. IEMA incorporates a driving situation identification component whose role is to assess the driving environment, the driving style of the driver and the operating mode of the vehicle using long and short term statistical features of the drive cycle. This information is subsequently used by the torque distribution and charge sustenance components of IEMA to determine the power split strategy, which is shown to lead to enhanced fuel economy and reduced emissions. In Part I, the overall architecture of IEMA is presented and the driving situation identification process is described. It is specifically shown that a learning vector quantization (LVQ) network can effectively determine the driving condition using a limited duration of driving data. The overall performance of the system under a range of drive cycles is discussed in the second part of this paper.
Wireless multimedia sensor networks: A survey

In recent years, the growing interest in the wireless sensor network (WSN) has resulted in thousands of peer-reviewed publications. Most of this research is concerned with scalar sensor networks that measure physical phenomena, such as temperature, pressure, humidity, or location of objects that can be conveyed through low-bandwidth and delay-tolerant data streams. Recently, the focus is shifting toward research aimed at revisiting the sensor network paradigm to enable delivery of multimedia content, such as audio and video streams and still images, as well as scalar data. This effort will result in distributed, networked systems, referred to in this paper as wireless multimedia sensor networks (WMSNs). This article discusses the state of the art and the major research challenges in architectures, algorithms, and protocols for wireless multimedia sensor networks. Existing solutions at the physical, link, network, transport, and application layers of the communication protocol stack are investigated. Finally, fundamental open research issues are discussed, and future research trends in this area are outlined.
Evolution of complex fruiting–body morphologies in homobasidiomycetes

The fruiting bodies of homobasidiomycetes include some of the most complex forms that have evolved in the fungi, such as gilled mushrooms, bracket fungi and puffballs (‘pileate-erect’) forms. Homobasidiomycetes also include relatively simple crust-like ‘resupinate’ forms, however, which account for ca. 13‐ 15% of the described species in the group. Resupinate homobasidiomycetes have been interpreted either as a paraphyletic grade of plesiomorphic forms or a polyphyletic assemblage of reduced forms. The former view suggests that morphological evolution in homobasidiomycetes has been marked by independent elaboration in many clades, whereas the latter view suggests that parallel simplie cation has been a common mode of evolution. To infer patterns of morphological evolution in homobasidiomycetes, we constructed phylogenetic trees from a dataset of 481 species and performed ancestral state reconstruction (ASR) using parsimony and maximum likelihood (ML) methods. ASR with both parsimony and ML implies that the ancestor of the homobasidiomycetes was resupinate, and that there have been multiple gains and losses of complex forms in the homobasidiomycetes. We also used ML to address whether there is an asymmetry in the rate of transformations between simple and complex forms. Models of morphological evolution inferred with ML indicate that the rate of transformations from simple to complex forms is about three to six times greater than the rate of transformations in the reverse direction. A null model of morphological evolution, in which there is no asymmetry in transformation rates, was rejected. These results suggest that there is a ‘driven’ trend towards the evolution of complex forms in homobasidiomycetes.
The Influence of Developments in Dynamical Systems Theory on Experimental Fluid Mechanics

An experimenter can use the tools of his trade in much the same way a theoretician can use analysis. An enriched background permitting new directions in experimental fluid mechanics has been provided by significant advances in the theory of differential equations in the last few decades. In this review we outline some of the concepts which are of special importance, and include a discussion of the possible kinds of behavior to be expected in actual measurements. Examples in which the support of theoretical developments has contributed to the experimental discovery of new results are used as illustrations.
Paradoxical triiodothyronine suppression of S14 transcription in permanent hepatic cell lines

Both in vivo and in primary rat hepatocyte culture, carbohydrate and triiodothyronine (T(3)) rapidly induce transcription of the rat S14 gene. To determine if regulation of this gene by T(3) is similar in human liver cells, we transfected the S14 upstream region into HepG2 cells. We chose this cell line because many others have used this cell line to study the effect of thyroid hormone on hepatic gene expression. We found that changing media glucose concentration did not affect S14 transcription. Furthermore, addition of T(3) to HepG2 cells caused a marked reduction of rat S14 transcription. This paradoxical reduction was dependent on cotransfection of the T(3) receptor. We obtained similar results in the other human hepatoma cell lines, HuH-7 and Hep3B. The paradoxical response was not limited to human cells. We found a similar response in the nonmalignant permanent mouse liver cell line, AML-12. This paradoxical response was specific to the S14 gene because transfection of all the cell lines with a CAT or luciferase reporter driven by a mouse mammary tumor virus promoter containing 1 or 4 copies of a palindromic thyroid hormone response element (TRE) showed marked induction by T(3). Our results show that T(3) abnormally regulates the S14 gene in proliferating liver cell lines of diverse origins. This paradoxical regulation by T(3) is caused by an interaction between T(3) and the thyroid hormone receptor. The factors that lead to this paradoxical response are not active in primary hepatocytes and normal intact liver.
Interpretation of electronystagmographic results.

This preliminary communication presents 1,101 electronystagmographic results and correlates them with the final diagnosis. The aim of the study is to investigate the contribution made by electronystagmography to the final diagnosis. The diagnostic conclusions were classified into four groups. Within the “Central” group were included all diseases of the central nervous system, acute, chronic or congenital, and also concussion and skull fractures. In the “Peripheral” group, only peripheral vestibular diseases were included. Patients who complained of dizziness and were diagnosed on a purely clinical basis, while all other examinations were within normal limits, were classified in the “Diagnosis Deferred” group. The “Normal” group included only patients free of true vertigo with their physical examination, hearing test and mastoid X-ray, that were considered within normal limits. Bithermal caloric irrigation was used for stimulation, and the speed of the slow component at culmination was the representative of the intensity of the nystagmic response.
Data Management Tools for Scientific Applications: Framework, Status, and Genomic Applications

Data management systems for scientific (e.g., genomic) applications provide scientists with facilities for maintaining, manipulating and analyzing data. These systems usually employ capabilities provided by database management systems (DBMSs) for storing, accessing, and manipulating data, and often need facilities for handling application-specific constructs and operations that are not supported by DBMSs. The mismatch between the application and DBMS constructs and operations is the main cause for the difficulty of developing and maintaining data management systems for scientific applications, as well as adapting these systems to structural changes entailed by the evolution of the underlying applications.
ShortStack: Comprehensive annotation and quantification of small RNA genes

Small RNA sequencing allows genome-wide discovery, categorization, and quantification of genes producing regulatory small RNAs. Many tools have been described for annotation and quantification of microRNA loci (MIRNAs) from small RNA-seq data. However, in many organisms and tissue types, MIRNA genes comprise only a small fraction of all small RNA-producing genes. ShortStack is a stand-alone application that analyzes reference-aligned small RNA-seq data and performs comprehensive de novo annotation and quantification of the inferred small RNA genes. ShortStack’s output reports multiple parameters of direct relevance to small RNA gene annotation, including RNA size distributions, repetitiveness, strandedness, hairpin-association, MIRNA annotation, and phasing. In this study, ShortStack is demonstrated to perform accurate annotations and useful descriptions of diverse small RNA genes from four plants (Arabidopsis, tomato, rice, and maize) and three animals (Drosophila, mice, and humans). ShortStack efficiently processes very large small RNA-seq data sets using modest computational resources, and its performance compares favorably to previously described tools. Annotation of MIRNA loci by ShortStack is highly specific in both plants and animals. ShortStack is freely available under a GNU General Public License.
Prediction of minimum UO2 particle size based on thermal stress initiated fracture model

An analytic study was employed to determine the minimum UO2 particle size that could survive fragmentation induced by thermal stresses in a UO2Na fuel-coolant interaction (FCI), based on a brittle fracture mechanics approach. Solid and liquid UO2 droplets were considered, with perfect wetting by the sodium or finite heat transfer coefficient. The analysis indicated that particles below the range of 50 μm in radius could survive an FCI under the most severe temperature conditions without thermal stress fragmentation, and seemed to verify the experimental observations as to the range of the minimum particle size due to thermal stress fragmentation by FCI. The basic complexities in fracture mechanics make further investigation in this area interesting but not necessarily fruitful for the immediate future.
Controversies in the Therapy of Early Stage Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among U.S. women, with more than 200,000 new cases diagnosed annually. In the U.S., mortality from breast cancer has declined in recent years as a result of more widespread screening, leading to earlier detection, as well as advances in the adjuvant treatment of earlystage disease. It is widely accepted that the appropriate use of adjuvant chemotherapy and endocrine therapy improves the disease-free and overall survival of patients with early-stage breast cancer. It is, therefore, standard clinical practice to administer adjuvant systemic therapy to patients with node-positive and high-risk, node-negative breast cancer. There remain, however, many controversies in the primary systemic therapy of breast cancer, which are discussed in this review. The Oncologist 2005;10:766–779
Radiological Reasoning: Dilated Coronary Arteries

Conclusion Anomalous origin of the RCA from the pulmonary artery is a rare congenital anomaly that can rarely be asympto matic and can be detected for the first time in adulthood. Anomalous origin of the RCA from the pulmonary artery—instead of from the aorta—with dilatation and tortuosity and the intercoronary communications help to conclusively establish the diagnosis of anomalous origin of the RCA from the pulmonary artery and to exclude other differential diagnostic considerations for coronary artery dilatation. Case History A 68-year-old man with a history of dementia and hypertension was admitted to the hospital for the treatment of pneumonia. Chest radiography showed normal heart size with right upper lobe consolidation compatible with pneumonia. The patient was hypertensive and had no other specific cardiac complaints. He was taking medications for atrial fibrillation and heart failure, but he had no previous medical records and had no significant findings pertaining to the heart on physical examination. A baseline transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) examination was performed; TTE showed a coronary artery abnormality. Retrospectively gated 64-MDCT coronary angiography was then performed for better delineation of the coronary anatomy.
Genistein induces maturation of cultured human breast cancer cells and prevents tumor growth in nude mice.

Results of recent studies in animal models of mammary carcinogenesis showed that the soybean isoflavone genistein is a chemopreventive agent. The objective of the present study was to determine whether soybean isoflavones can be used for the prevention of human breast carcinogenesis. Human adenocarcinoma cells that are either estrogen-receptor positive (such as MCF-7) or estrogen-receptor negative (such as MDA-MB-468) were used as our model system. Treatment of these cells with genistein concentrations of 15, 30, and 45 μmol/L resulted in cell growth inhibition, which was accompanied by the expression of maturation markers. Maturation was monitored by the induction of intracytoplasmic casein and lipids and the membrane protein intercellular adhesion molecule-1, These maturation markers were optimally expressed after 9 d of treatment with 30 mmol genistein/L. Both estrogen receptor-positive and -negative cells became differentiated in response to genistein treatments, suggesting that the antiestrogenic function of genistein is unrelated to the mechanism of cell differentiation. Daidzein, the other major isoflavone component of soybeans, did not induce differentiation in either MCF-7 or MDA-MB-468 cells. To explore the potential applications of this result, we used the nude mouse xenograft model of carcinogenesis. Treatment of either cell line with genistein before implantation into nude mice diminished the cells' tumorigenic potential. These data suggest that initiation of the differentiation program provides a protective effect against tumor growth in mouse xenografts.
Two Chemotherapy-Based Conditioning Regimens Compared To TBI-Based Conditioning Secure Consistent Engraftment Of T-Cell Depleted Allogeneic HSCT, Similarly Low Incidences Of Gvhd and Favorable Rates Of Disease-Free Survival (DFS)

To ascertain the therapeutic potential of non-TBI-based conditioning for CD34+ HPC-selected , T cell-depleted allografts, we conducted a trial comparing our standard regimen, arm (A) 1375cGy HFTBI+ thiotepa,5 mg/kg/day x 2 days + cyclophosphamide 60 mg/kg/day x 2 days vs. arm (B) Busulfex 0.8 mg/kg/6h x12 (dose adjusted) + melphalan 70 mg/kg/day x 2 + fludarabine 25 mg/m2/day x5 and arm (C) Clofarabine 20 mg/m2/day x 5 + melphalan 70 mg/m2/day x 2 + thiotepa 5 mg/kg/day x2, as preparation for T-cell depleted CD34+ PBSC transplants from GCSF-mobilized leukocytes fractionated with the CliniMACS device. Primary endpoints were engraftment, GVHD, transplant-related mortality (TRM) and 2 yr OS and DFS (Confer [Table][1]). Stratification of pts to arms A (standard), B or C was based on the patient’s disease, disease stage and clinical factors such as age, prior therapy or comorbidities enhancing risks of TBI. Arm B was the non-TBI arm predominantly used for myeloid and Arm C for lymphoid malignancies. Prior to transplant, recipients of HLA-matched or non-identical transplants received rabbit thymoglobulin at 2.5 mg/kg/day x2 or 3 days respectively, to prevent graft failure. No GVHD drug prophylaxis was given post transplant. A total of 181 consecutive patients, accrued between 5/13/2010 and 6/12/2013, were analyzed (81 in arm A, 78 in arm B, 22 in arm C). These pts have been followed for a median of 12.1 months. Donors were related or unrelated and HLA-matched for 74% of the patients and 1-2 HLA allele disparate for 26%. Median age for the entire group was 50.5 years, with older pts predominating in the non-TBI groups (medians arm A ,31.9 yrs; arm B , 61.9 yrs; arm C, 44.6 yrs). The CD34+ PBSC transplants provided a mean dose of 9.7x106 CD34+ progenitors/Kg (range 1.4-89.7) and 4.5x103 CD3+ T-cells/Kg (range 0.6-25.3). All pts engrafted; but 2 pts (2.5%) in arm B experienced late graft failure, one of whom was reconstituted after a secondary graft. Overall the incidence of grade II-IV acute GVHD was 18%, and 14% for recipients of HLA-matched grafts. TRM at 1 year was 10% in Arm A, and 15% in Arms B and C. Two year OS and DFS for each arm are: arm A, 66.7% and 58.4%; arm B 62.3% and 59.5%; arm C 52% and 53%. For the 101 pts who received standard risk transplants (i.e., pts with high risk forms of AML, ALL or NHL in 1o CR, AML in 2o CR, MDS RA/RCMD, CML in 1o CP or MM in CR1, VGPR or first PR ), 2 year OS and DFS are: arm A 68% and 62%; arm B 67% and 66%; arm C 86% and 86%, with relapse rates at 2 yrs of: arm A 23%, arm B 15%, and arm C 14%. These results thus identify two non-TBI-based conditioning regimens that secure consistent engraftment of rigorously T-cell depleted allogeneic HSCT and can yield favorable long-term DFS and OS with low incidences of GVHD and relapse. View this table: Table 1 Overall Results Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare. [1]: #T1
Damage Control Vascular Surgery in the Austere Environment

Managing vascular trauma in an austere environment with limited resources will challenge even the most seasoned surgeon. Successful management requires immediate hemorrhage control, and then, the surgeon must make critical decisions for limb salvage to be successful. This chapter highlights the principles of vascular management and provides damage control techniques that can be applied in a wide array of trauma settings.
Advanced Network Graphics

As the previous two chapters demonstrate, both statnet and igraph have sophisticated plotting capabilities that can produce a very wide variety of network graphics. However, these plotting functions cannot meet all of the analytic or presentation needs. In particular, network scientists may wish to produce more specialized network graphics. Also, while statnet and igraph excel at producing high-quality publication ready network graphics, these graphics are static. Fortunately, developers have started exploring how to take network graphics and deliver them to web-based platforms where users can interact with the diagrams. This chapter explores a few of these more specialized network graphic techniques, as well as demonstrating how to produce some simple web-based interactive network diagrams.
Writing as an Act of Self-Embodiment: Hurston, Moody, and Angelou Combat Systemic Racial and Sexual Oppression

African-American autobiographers, Zora Neale Hurston, Anne Moody, and Maya Angelou engage a feminine quest in order to develop their self-awareness and overcome oppression. The writers present the trope of patriarchal domination by describing their father-daughter relationships, which affect their involvement with the larger society. The women describe their battle with not only the Caucasian patriarchy, which would restrict them, but also African-American men adhering to its standards as well. The women must overcome both races’ stereotypical pretenses in order to be represented not only physically but also intellectually. The authors offset their fathers’ negative presences by locating role models in their mothers and other women in order to establish their identities and pursue the American Dream on their own terms. Refusing a male paradigm, the writers invent their own forms and cease to be bodies without voices as they attempt to forge a society devoid of sexism and racism.
The Mystery of Chopin’s Preludes, by Anatole Leikin

The Mystery of Chopin’s Preludes is an effulgent example of stellar research and eloquent writing. The high level of scholarship should not come as a surprise. Anatole Leikin, professor of music at...
Prevalence and Predictors of Utilization of Community Pharmacy Generic Drug Discount Programs

BACKGROUND: Since 2006, select pharmacies in the United States have been offering programs where prescriptions for certain generic medications can be filled at very low cost (e.g., a 30-day supply for $4). However, limited knowledge exists on the characteristics of patients who have used these services. OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence of use of community pharmacy generic drug discount programs and the characteristics of patients using these programs. METHODS: Two cross-sectional surveys of patients in a university-affiliated health system general medicine clinic were conducted over an approximately 4-week period in the summers of 2008 and 2010. The survey measured self-reported information in 3 parts: a listing of current medications, questions about program use, and patient demographics. The survey was administered to patients as they were waiting to see their physicians with a research assistant on-site for assistance and to collect the completed surveys. Medications listed by patients were classif...
Sylow Theory for Quasigroups II: Sectional Action

The first paper in this series initiated a study of Sylow theory for quasigroups and Latin squares based on orbits of the left multiplication group. The current paper is based on so-called pseudo-orbits, which are formed by the images of a subset under the set of left translations. The two approaches agree for groups, but differ in the general case. Subsets are described as sectional if the pseudo-orbit that they generate actually partitions the quasigroup. Sectional subsets are especially well behaved in the newly identified class of conflatable quasigroups, which provides a unified treatment of Moufang, Bol, and conjugacy closure properties. Relationships between sectional and Lagrangean properties of subquasigroups are established. Structural implications of sectional properties in loops are investigated, and divisors of the order of a finite quasigroup are classified according to the behavior of sectional subsets and pseudo-orbits. An upper bound is given on the size of a pseudo-orbit. Various interactions of the Sylow theory with design theory are discussed. In particular, it is shown how Sylow theory yields readily computable isomorphism invariants with the resolving power to distinguish each of the 80 Steiner triple systems of order 15.
Ipilimumab-Induced Enteritis without Colitis: A New Challenge.

Introduction: Ipilimumab is an immune checkpoint inhibitor targeting cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated antigen 4 (CTLA4), approved to treat metastatic melanoma. It was the first therapy shown to prolong survival in a large, randomized clinical trial. However, immune-related adverse events are common and can be severe. Enterocolitis is a common adverse event with ipilimumab, but enteritis without colitis has not been previously described. Case Report: An 83-year-old man presented to our hospital with grade 3 diarrhea for 5 days. One month prior, he had started treatment with ipilimumab for metastatic melanoma. On presentation, he was found to have severe electrolyte disturbances, including hyponatremia, hypokalemia, and acute kidney injury. Causes of infectious diarrhea were excluded, and he was treated with corticosteroids for presumed ipilimumab-associated enterocolitis. However, colonoscopy revealed normal mucosa, both grossly and on pathology of random biopsies. Steroids were weaned but his symptoms recurred. He then underwent upper endoscopy with enteroscopy. Biopsy of the duodenum was notable for acute inflammation, villous blunting, and other changes consistent with ipilimumab-associated injury. He was restarted on high-dose steroids and his symptoms resolved. Discussion: Ipilimumab-induced enteritis is a serious and potentially life-threatening immune related adverse event that warrants prompt recognition and aggressive management. As in cases of ipilimumab-associated enterocolitis, steroids are an effective therapy. Enteritis without colitis should be suspected in patients on ipilimumab who present with severe diarrhea but have a normal colonoscopy.