cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improved Transplant Survival in Failed Fontan Patients With Preserved Ventricular Function in the Current Era

s S37 IL; 3University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL; 4Primary Children’s Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT; 5Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI; 6Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, United Kingdom; 7Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC; 8Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA. Purpose: Current knowledge of antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) after heart transplantation (HT) stems largely from adult data with only a few small single-center pediatric studies. Using the multi-institutional Pediatric Heart Transplant Study (PHTS) database, we aimed to report the incidence of AMR, describe contemporary treatment, and evaluate outcomes for treated AMR in children after HT. Methods: We queried the PHTS database for patients < 18 yrs undergoing primary HT between 1/10 12/13. An AMR episode was defined as either a biopsy (bx) with histology and/or complement staining consistent with pathologic AMR or a rejection event attributed to donor specific antibodies based on immunotherapy augmentation directed against antibody production. Biopsy data, treatment strategies, and survival were analyzed. Results: AMR was reported in 118/1217 (10%) HT recipients and accounted for 142/467 (30%) rejection episodes. AMR was diagnosed by bx in 108 episodes and by Ab-directed therapy in 27 with negative bx and 7 with no bx performed. 106 episodes had concurrent acute cellular rejection (ACR) by bx. 91% and 88% of patients were free from AMR at 1 and 3 years, respectively. AMR therapies included IVIG (n= 81, 57%), plasmapheresis (n= 61, 43%), rituximab (n= 55, 39%), bortezomib (n= 16, 11%), and eculizumab (n= 1, 1%). 19 patients (16%) died after developing AMR. Mortality did not differ between the AMR, AMR+ACR, and no AMR groups. (Fig. 1) The 1 and 3 year patient survival after initial AMR diagnosis was 89% and 72%, respectively. Conclusion: This is the largest multi-institutional assessment to date of AMR in pediatric HT recipients. AMR was common and often occurred concurrently with ACR. This study highlights wide variability in both the diagnosis and treatment of AMR. The outcomes of those with AMR were comparable to those with rejection not due to AMR. Ongoing collaborative studies are needed to better characterize AMR and determine treatment effects specific to pediatric HT.
The Fiscal Advisory Functions of United Nations Technical Assistance

Economic development involves the whole society of the developing country. The help that foreign countries can give in the process of development is necessarily limited, both in amount and in character. The United Nations has concentrated its aid to developing countries on â€œtechnical assistanceâ€ â€”a term that covers a wide range of activities. Along with help and instruction in particular techniques of industry and other such activities, UN technical assistance has also encompassed help and advice in matters of public administration and the execution of public policy in matters affecting development. Public finance is a field of special importance in this connection, both because of its direct importance to the process of development and because its complexity provides the need and opportunity for international assistance. The process of financing is intimately linked with every single activity in the economy and, therefore, the study of these problems affects every phase of economic development. Moreover, in countries which are still at the early stages of development, public finance must necessarily be used to support a nascent private enterprise sector. There is a need for providing social overhead and a necessity for adjusting the revenue system to the requirements of productive investment without eroding the base to an extent which would make it impossible to mobilize the funds needed for economic expansion.
Synthesis of high-charge capacity triarylamine–thiophene redox electrodes using electrochemical copolymerization

Growing interest in electric transportation and renewable energy generation places a high burden on the development of new materials and devices capable of storing and delivering energy at high rates. We have previously shown that efficient, reversible redox couples can be incorporated in conventional conducting polymers to increase the energy and power density of redox electrodes; and furthermore, that molecular variations can be used to influence the molecular structure thereby enhancing Faradaic charge storage capacity. Here, we show that the energy storage capacity of these conducting polymer electrodes can be increased using electrochemical polymerization of multiple monomers with similar oxidation potentials. Low-cost thiophene monomers are incorporated with triarylamine-derivatives to vary the number of thiophenes and conjugation length between redox-centers. The composition of each monomer is systematically varied to identify the optimal composition that provides the highest charge capacity with reduced cost. Compared to the pure homopolymers, a factor of 2 increase in charge capacity is achieved for copolymers prepared with 10 mol% triarylamine groups using simple electrochemical synthesis. These results indicate that a simple building block approach to conducting polymer electrode design can be achieved when proper consideration is given to the polymer precursors.
Augmentation Pressure and Subendocardial Viability Ratio are associated with microalbuminuria and with poor renal function in type 1 diabetes

This report explores the hypothesis that arterial stiffness indices, which predict cardiovascular disease, might also correlate with microalbuminuria (MA) in type 1 diabetes (T1D), and thus have potential for risk assessment. Three pulse wave analysis indices, measured using the SphygmoCor device, were evaluated on 144 participants with childhood-onset T1D. These variables, augmentation index (AIx) and augmentation pressure (AP), and subendocardial viability ratio (SEVR, an estimate of myocardial perfusion) were each analyzed cross-sectionally in relation to both prevalent MA (defined as albumin excretion rate (AER)=20–199 μg/min) and renal function (assessed by both estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and serum cystatin C). AP and SEVR were each univariately associated with AER, eGFR and cystatin C. Lower SEVR was also independently related to the presence of microalbuminuria and degree of albuminuria within normo- and microalbuminuric participants. SEVR, not AP, was independently and negatively associated with both measures of renal function. SEVR is a better predictor of AER than brachial blood pressure measures in those without clinical proteinuria, indicating a potential use for pulse wave analysis in the early detection of individuals at risk for cardiovascular and renal complication of T1D.
A simple model for flux weakening in surface PM synchronous machines using back-to-back thyristors

Flux weakening in surface permanent magnet (PM) synchronous machines is revisited in this letter. The condition for achieving infinite constant power speed ratio (CPSR) is explained from the machine equivalent circuit and phasor diagram point of view. Back-to-back thyristors, or triac, switches feeding the three phases of a surface PM synchronous machine will be shown to be equivalent to a simple series reactance with respect to fundamental component behavior. Using such switches is equivalent to adding a series inductance to the machine. This additional inductance helps extend the CPSR of surface PM synchronous machines. This is significant because extending the CPSR of surface PM machines is usually a challenging task due to the presence of low-permeability surface magnets and the resulting low machine inductance.
GroupMedia: distributed multi-modal interfaces

In this paper, we describe the GroupMedia system, which uses wireless wearable computers to measure audio features, head-movement, and galvanic skin response (GSR) for dyads and groups of interacting people. These group sensor measurements are then used to build a real-time group interest index. The group interest index can be used to control group displays, annotate the group discussion for later retrieval, and even to modulate and guide the group discussion itself. We explore three different situations where this system has been introduced, and report experimental results.
An efficient 21.56 Gbps AES implementation on FPGA

This paper presents novel high-speed architectures for the hardware implementation of the advanced encryption standard (AES) algorithm. Unlike previous works, which rely on look-up tables to implement the subbytes and invsubbytes transformations of the AES algorithm, the proposed design employs combinational logic only. As a direct consequence, the unbreakable delay incurred by look-up tables in the conventional approaches is eliminated and the advantage of subpipelining can be further explored. Furthermore, composite field arithmetic is employed to reduce the area requirements and different implementations for the inversion in subfield GF(2/sup 4/) are compared. In addition, efficient key expansion architecture suitable for the subpipelined round units is also presented. Using the proposed architecture, a fully subpipelined encryptor with 7 substages in each round unit can achieve a throughput of 21.56 Gbps on a Xilinx XCV 1000e-8bg560 device in nonfeedback modes, which is faster and is 79% more efficient than the fastest previous FPGA implementation known to date.
2-D invariant object recognition using distributed associative memory

Complex-log conformal mapping is combined with a distributed associative memory to create a system that recognizes objects regardless of changes in rotation or scale. Information recalled from the memorized database is used to classify an object, reconstruct the memorized version of the object, and estimate the magnitude of changes in scale or rotation. The system response is resistant to moderate amounts of noise and occlusion. Several experiments using real gray-scale images are presented to show the feasibility of the approach. >
Artifacts, Habituation and P300-Based Brain Machine Interfaces

We investigated to what degree the detection rate of the P300 in single trial event-related potentials is affected by short-term and long-term habituation effects, and we present an algorithm to eliminate eye-movement artifacts. Data from 26 subjects were collected using a visual oddball paradigm. P300 components were detected using a threshold algorithm operating on the delta band (0-4 Hz). Using data from four subjects, collected over a 7 to 12 week period, it was observed that the P300 amplitude tended to decrease within a session, and also between successive sessions. However, this decrease did not affect the detection rate. The eye-movement removal algorithm was tested on simulated and actual data, and resulted in a significant increase in detection rate
Why Humans Have Sex

Historically, the reasons people have sex have been assumed to be few in number and simple in nature-to reproduce, to experience pleasure, or to relieve sexual tension. Several theoretical perspectives suggest that mo- tives for engaging in sexual intercourse may be larger in number and psychologically complex in nature. Study 1 used a nomination procedure that identified 237 expressed reasons for having sex, ranging from the mundane (e.g., ''I wanted to experience physical pleasure'') to the spiritual (e.g., ''I wanted to get closer to God''), from altruistic (e.g., ''I wanted the person to feel good about himself/herself'') to vengeful (e.g., ''I wanted to get back at my partner for having cheated on me''). Study 2 asked participants (N = 1,549) to evaluate the degree to which each of the 237 reasons had led them to have sexual intercourse. Factor analyses yielded four large factors and 13 subfactors, producing a hierarchical taxonomy. The Physical reasons subfactors included Stress Reduction, Pleasure, Physical Desirability, and Experience Seeking. The Goal Attainment subfactors included Resources, Social Status, Revenge, and Utilitarian. The Emotional subfactors included Love and Commitment and Expression. The three Insecurity subfac- tors included Self-Esteem Boost, Duty/Pressure, and Mate Guarding. Significant gender differences supported several previously advanced theories. Individual differences in expressed reasons for having sex were coherently linked with personality traits and with individual differences in sexual strategies. Discussion focused on the complexity of sexual motivation and directions for future research.
Microstructural Characterization and Fracture Toughness of Cordierite-ZrO2 Glass-Ceramics

Crystallization of an MgO-Al2O3-SiO2-ZrO2 sintered glass frit was studied. Heat treatment at 850° or 900°C caused initial crystallization of μ-cordierite and tetragonal (t) ZrO2. The t-ZrO2 crystallized with an irregular dendritic morphology and could be transformed to monoclinic (m) symmetry under certain conditions; the cordierite underwent the μ→α a transformation with extended annealing. Heat treatments at 1000°C caused crystallization of t-ZrO2 rods and spheroids in an α-cordierite matrix; these ZrO2 crystals, however, are resistant to transformation to m-ZrO2. The beneficial effects of ZrO2 on the fracture toughness of cordierite-based glass-ceramics are described.
The Status of Microwave Applications of Ferrites and Semiconductors

The recent developments in the field of ferrite devices are reviewed. Emphasis is placed on the extension of nonreciprocal devices to lower microwave frequencies. and high powers. The design considerations and achievements of broad banding also are covered. Fundamental principles leading to the applications of non-linear properties of ferrites are described briefly. Preliminary experimental accomplishments in the construction of frequency doublers, mixers, and ferromagnetic resonance amplifiers are summarized. The possible role of the new ferromagnetic garnet material is indicated. Although no significant new semiconductor devices have been developed at microwave frequencies, possibilities are considered for doing this with use of cyclotron resonance and spin resonance phenomena and their related properties in semiconductors.
Voriconazole hepatotoxicity in severe liver dysfunction

Summary There are no studies regarding to these effects in patients with severe liver dysfunction. Objectives The aims of this study were to characterize voriconazole hepatotoxicity in patients with severe liver dysfunction and to compare it with a matched cohort treated with liposomal amphotericin B. Methods This is an observational study, in which adults patients treated with at least 4 doses of voriconazole were included. Patients treated with liposomal amphotericin B were used as control group. Results Sixty nine percent of patients treated with voriconazole showed changes in liver function tests (LFTs) during therapy. They showed elevated transaminases in 35%, cholestasis in 15% or a combination of both in 45%. According to the CTC classification, all patients with hepatotoxicity had a severe reaction. The Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method score in all patients with hepatotoxicity was greater than 8. There was a correlation between initial loading dose greater than 300 mg (4.5 mg/kg) and the risk of hepatotoxicity ( p Conclusion Voriconazole should be used with caution in patients with severe liver dysfunction and following liver transplantation, with frequent monitoring of LFTs or using liposomal amphotericin B instead.
Interactive effects of steroids and β-agonists on accumulation of type 2 T cells

Background Airway inflammation associated with asthma has been reported to be either unaffected or slightly increased by inhaled β-agonist monotherapy, and concerns regarding disease exacerbations with continuous long-acting β-agonist monotherapy have prompted the recommendation of concomitant steroid treatment. Objectives Using peripheral blood lymphocytes from asthmatic subjects, we aimed to determine (1) whether short- or long-acting β-agonists increase IL-13–producing (IL-13 + ) or IFN-γ–producing (IFN-γ + ) T-cell numbers and (2) the ability of the corticosteroid budesonide to reverse these effects. Methods Peripheral blood lymphocytes from asthmatic subjects were cultured 6 days ex vivo with IL-2 and various concentrations of albuterol, formoterol, and budesonide. Numbers of IL-13 + and IFN-γ + T cells were determined by means of flow cytometric analysis. Results Both albuterol and formoterol increased IL-2–stimulated accumulation of IL-13 + T cells, and this increase was highest at concentrations approximating the dissociation constant of each β-agonist for the β 2 -adrenergic receptor. Budesonide at greater than 1 nmol/L reversed the augmenting effects of β-agonists on IL-13 + T-cell accumulation, and budesonide at greater than 10 nmol/L inhibited increases in IL-13 + T cells stimulated by IL-2. Budesonide decreased, whereas β-agonist did not affect, numbers of total and IFN-γ + T cells in IL-2–stimulated cultures. Conclusion β-Agonists at physiologically and clinically relevant concentrations stimulate increased antigen-independent, cytokine-stimulated accumulation, specifically of type 2 T cells from asthmatic subjects. The corticosteroid budesonide potently reverses this effect.
Toward Evidence-Based Medical Statistics. 1: The P Value Fallacy

An important problem exists in the interpretation of modern medical research data: Biological understanding and previous research play little formal role in the interpretation of quantitative results. This phenomenon is manifest in the discussion sections of research articles and ultimately can affect the reliability of conclusions. The standard statistical approach has created this situation by promoting the illusion that conclusions can be produced with certain "error rates," without consideration of information from outside the experiment. This statistical approach, the key components of which are P values and hypothesis tests, is widely perceived as a mathematically coherent approach to inference. There is little appreciation in the medical community that the methodology is an amalgam of incompatible elements, whose utility for scientific inference has been the subject of intense debate among statisticians for almost 70 years. This article introduces some of the key elements of that debate and traces the appeal and adverse impact of this methodology to the P value fallacy, the mistaken idea that a single number can capture both the long-run outcomes of an experiment and the evidential meaning of a single result. This argument is made as a prelude to the suggestion that another measure of evidence should be used--the Bayes factor, which properly separates issues of long-run behavior from evidential strength and allows the integration of background knowledge with statistical findings.
Influence of Livestock Grazing Strategies on Riparian Response to Wildfire in Northern Nevada

In 1999–2001 wildfires burned 1.13 million ha across northern Nevada, burning through many grazed riparian areas. With increases in wildfire frequency and extent predicted throughout the Great Basin, an understanding of the interactive effects of wildfire, livestock grazing, and natural hydrologic characteristics is critical. A comparison of pre- and postfire stream surveys provided a unique opportunity to statistically assess changes in stream survey attributes at 43 burned and 38 unburned streams. Livestock grazing variables derived from an extensive federal grazing allotment inventory were used to identify interactive effects of grazing strategies, fire, and natural stressors across 81 independent riparian areas. Differences between baseline and “postfire” stream survey attributes were evaluated for significance using the nonparametric Mann–Whitney test for paired data. Binary logistic regression models evaluated the influence of fire, grazing, and hydrologic characteristics on observed stream survey attribute changes. Grazing attributes contributed most significantly to the bankfull width increase and bank stability rating decrease models. The odds of bankfull width degradation (increase in bankfull width) decreased where there had been rest is some recent years compared to continuous grazing. As the number of days grazed during the growing season increased, the odds of bank stability degradation also increased. The occurrence of fire was not significant in any model. Variation in the riparian width model was attributed primarily to hydrologic characteristics, not grazing. For the models in which grazing variables played a role, stream survey attributes were more likely to improve over time when coupled with a history of rotational grazing and limited duration of use during the growing season. This supports long-term riparian functional recovery through application of riparian complementary grazing strategies.
Making Pay-For-Performance Work In Medicaid

Findings from a Medicaid pay-for-performance (P4P) demonstration suggest that “money talks” only sometimes, when supportive program elements give it voice. In this paper we examine five Medicaid-focused health plans that implemented new financial incentives for physicians to improve the timeliness of well-baby care. By contrasting the experiences of plans with better and worse outcome trends, we identify key program features—including strong communication with providers and placing enough dollars at stake to compensate providers for the effort required to obtain them—taking into account the starting point. The findings also highlight barriers to improvement that future Medicaid P4P efforts should consider.
The New Science

The Republic, that turned clerks into magistrates, skippers into naval heroes, schoolteachers into scholars and painting apprentices into artists also turned the Orange princes, who in their old country probably would never have been more than petty serenissimi, into generals and statesmen of the first rank. All have contributed by their intense interest in military technique to the development of those sciences and engineering practices connected with warfare — and the Republic, during the whole Golden Century, knew only a few years of peace. Maurice, of all these princes, achieved much more in this respect than we can conclude from his relation to Stevin alone. He was interested in the University of Leiden where he was a student at the time of his father’s assassination, and in 1600 he sponsored, as already mentioned, the “Dutch” engineering school at Leiden with able men as teachers. We also noted his interest in Plancius and scientific navigation in general. Several books dedicated or referring to him bear witness to the respect he enjoyed in scientific circles. He had a reputation of being the ablest general of his time, and men from all parts came to his army to learn the novel art of warfare. True, among those men were plenty of swashbuckling characters of the kind immortalized by Dumas in his Three Musketeers, but also serious students like Maurice’s youthful relative Johan Maurits, the later “Brazilian”, and the young Rene Descartes.
Patient preferences for prenatal testing of microdeletion and microduplication syndromes.

OBJECTIVE To assess pregnant women's preferences regarding prenatal testing for microdeletion and microduplication conditions, and to identify what factors might influence their decisions. METHOD A written questionnaire was administered to pregnant women presenting for prenatal ultrasound. The questionnaire described the salient features of six microdeletion and microduplication syndromes of varying penetrance. Women were asked to indicate whether they would choose to test for each condition via an invasive diagnostic procedure, a non-invasive blood test, or not at all. Demographic and obstetrical data were also obtained. RESULTS One hundred twenty-four women returned the questionnaire (response rate 89.2%). More than half of women (50.8%) made distinctions between conditions and would choose a mixture of invasive testing, non-invasive testing, and no testing, depending on the condition. Testing preferences differed based on penetrance and features of the conditions. Prior prenatal testing, ethnicity, and education level were significantly associated (p < 0.05) with testing decisions. CONCLUSION Pregnant women do not perceive all microdeletion and microduplication conditions to be equal, and prenatal testing for such conditions is not always considered an all or none process. A test menu or filtering process may be a more optimal method of offering prenatal testing for microdeletion and microduplication conditions.
Characterization of the crosslinking kinetics of multi-arm poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels formed via Michael-type addition

Tunable properties of multi-arm poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogel, crosslinked by Michael-type addition, support diverse applications in tissue engineering. Bioactive modification of PEG is achieved by incorporating integrin binding sequences, like RGD, and crosslinking with tri-functional protease sensitive crosslinking peptide (GCYKNRGCYKNRCG), which compete for the same reactive groups in PEG. This competition leads to a narrow range of conditions that support sufficient crosslinking density to provide structural control. Kinetics of hydrogel formation plays an important role in defining the conditions to form hydrogels with desired mechanical and biological properties, which have not been fully characterized. In this study, we explored how increasing PEG functionality from 4 to 8-arms and the concentration of biological moieties, ranging from 0.5 mM to 3.75 mM, affected the kinetics of hydrogel formation, storage modulus, and swelling after the hydrogels were allowed to form for 15 or 60 minutes. Next, human bone marrow stromal cells were encapsulated and cultured in these modified hydrogels to investigate the combined effect of mechano-biological properties on phenotypes of encapsulated cells. While the molar concentration of the reactive functional groups (-vinyl sulfone) was identical in the conditions comparing 4 and 8-arm PEG, the 8-arm PEG formed faster, allowed a greater degree of modification, and was superior in three-dimensional culture. The degrees of swelling and storage modulus of 8-arm PEG were less affected by the modification compared to 4-arm PEG. These findings suggest that 8-arm PEG allows a more precise control of mechanical properties that could lead to a larger spectrum of tissue engineering applications.
Clinical relevance of the discrepancy in phenylalanine concentrations analyzed using tandem mass spectrometry compared with ion-exchange chromatography in phenylketonuria.

Abstract Introduction Metabolic control of phenylketonuria (PKU) and compliance with the low-phenylalanine (phe) diet are frequently assessed by measuring blood phe concentrations in dried blood spots (DBS) collected by patients instead of plasma phe concentrations. Objective Our objective was to investigate the difference in blood phe concentrations in DBS collected by subjects and analyzed using either a validated newborn screening tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) protocol or ion-exchange chromatography (IEC) compared to plasma phe concentrations obtained simultaneously and analyzed using IEC. Design Three to four fasting blood samples were obtained from 29 subjects with PKU, ages 15–49 years. Capillary blood was spotted on filter paper by each subject and the DBS analyzed using both MS/MS and IEC. Plasma was isolated from venous blood and analyzed using IEC. Results Blood phe concentrations in DBS analyzed using MS/MS are 28% ± 1% (n = 110, p 600 μmol/L. Due to the large variability across subjects of 13.2%, a calibration factor to adjust blood phe concentrations is not recommended. Analysis of DBS using IEC reduced the discrepancy to 15 ± 2% lower phe concentrations compared to plasma analyzed using IEC (n = 38, p = 0.0001). This suggests that a major contributor to the discrepancy in phe concentrations is the analytical method. Conclusion Use of DBS analyzed using MS/MS to monitor blood phe concentrations in individuals with PKU yields significantly lower phe levels compared to plasma phe levels analyzed using IEC. Optimization of current testing methodologies for measuring phe in DBS, along with patient education regarding the appropriate technique for spotting blood on filter paper is needed to improve the accuracy of using DBS to measure phe concentrations in PKU management.
Early arthritis clinic: a USA perspective.

An early art h ritis clinic (EAC) wa s established to identify early rheuma toid arthritis (RA) patients for clinical trials and to create a facile method of early patient referral from the practi tioner to the rheumatologist. With mini mal adve rtising and pro m o t i o n , p a tients with less than 12 months of symptoms were easily referred if the primary care physician suspected a rheumatic condition. Of those patients who wer e ap p ro p ri at e ly re fe rred one-third had s y n ov i t i s , 20% had diagnostic cuta neous fi n d i n g s , 20% we re diag n o s e d with lupus (or lupus-like disease),1 2 . 5 % had RA, and 10% were diagnosed with a spondy l o a rt h ro p at hy. An EAC wa s e a s i ly establ i s h e d, implemented and staffed and resulted in the prompt diag nosis and early tre atment of many patients who may have otherwise wait ed months for appropriate rheumatologic diagnosis and treatment.
Effect of cell size on in vitro fatty acid and glyceride-glycerol biosynthesis in rat adipose tissue.

SummaryGlucose-U-14C conversion into triglycerides (in the presence of insulin) decreased as rat fat cells enlarged (and/or aged). The results of this study show that the diminished lipogenic capacity results from the marked decrease in glyceride-fatty acid biosynthesis while glucose conversion into glyceride-glycerol was unaltered by fat cell size.The authors thank Diane Dowd for her excellent technical assistance.
Redefining the Political System of the USSR: Mass Support for Political Change

Using data from a national public opinion survey carried out in the Soviet Union during November and December 1989, we explore two attitudes relevant to the revolutionary changes there: (1) attitudes toward change and political democracy and (2) attitudes toward a core component of socialist ideology, the locus of responsibility for social well-being (the state or individuals?). These variables are unrelated, with the sample relatively evenly divided among the intersecting cells of a cross tabulation. While social conflict may be mitigated by the small sizes of absolutely opposing groups, consensus may also be hard to reach. Ethnicity, education, income, age, party membership, and life satisfaction have important effects on these attitudes. We discuss how attitude patterns in our data may be related to the disintegration of the Soviet Union and to problems faced by the independent successor states as they develop new institutions and foster new values.
Controlled Synthesis of Compositionally Tunable Ternary PbSexS1–x as Well as Binary PbSe and PbS Nanowires

High-quality compositionally tunable ternary PbSexS1–x (x = 0.23, 0.39, 0.49, 0.68, and 0.90) nanowires (NWs) and their binary analogues have been grown using solution–liquid–solid growth with lead(II) diethyldithiocarbamate, Pb(S2CNEt2)2, and lead(II) imido(bis(selenodiisopropylphosphinate)), Pb((SePiPr2)2N)2, as single-source precursors. The alloyed nature of PbSexS1–x wires was confirmed using ensemble X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS). Single NW EDXS line scans taken along the length of individual wires show no compositional gradients. NW compositions were independently confirmed using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. Slight stoichiometric deviations occur but never exceed 13.3% of the expected composition, based on the amount of introduced precursor. In all cases, resulting nanowires have been characterized using transmission electron microscopy. Mean diameters are between 9 and 15 nm with accompanying lengths that range from 4 to 10 μm. Associa...
Ergosterol Content of Salt-Marsh Fungi: Effect of Growth Conditions and Mycelial Age

Species of the ascomycete genera Phaeosphaeria, Leptosphaeria, and Buergenerula from the Spartina alterniflora decomposition system were analyzed for ergosterol content of their mycelium. Bacterial and algal members of the system were also tested. A standard laboratory liquid medium, a complex, semi-natural liquid medium, and a semi-natural solid medium were used to grow the microorganisms. Ergosterol contents of fungal mycelium ranged from 1.9-2.5 mg g 'dry organic mass in the standard medium, and were 3.4-16.4 mg g- ' in the semi-natural liquid medium. For any single growth medium, ergosterol content of mycelium was less variable with mycelial age than has been previously found for glucosamine. For Leptosphaeria obiones, ergosterol content in solid medium was estimated to be similar to that in semi-natural liquid, but for Phaeosphaeria typharum, solid medium yielded much higher (x 5) ergosterol estimates, possibly due to underestimated mycelial mass. Partial mycelial autolysis led to low estimates of ergosterol content (1.1 mg-g-' dry organic). Bacteria had negligible ergosterol contents, but there was evidence that green-microalgal ergosterol content might not be negligible in some decomposition systems.
Surveillance of antibody level of measles among healthy population in Dalian City 2012

Objective To understand the measles antibody level of healthy population in Dalian City and immunization status of people,and provide an instruction for the effective implementation of measles prevention and control strategies.Methods The ELISA test was used to detect IgG antibody of measles,analysis with excel and description.Results 1224 people were tested,The positive rate of measles antibody was 91.99%.GMC is 1290.83mUI/ml The positiverate of measles antibody was significantly different between different districts.Conclusion The measles antibody level in healthy population is higher than average in this city.enhance and sustain high measles antibody level in some area.
A Note on Compressed Sensing for Low Latency

With the intention of contributing to the ongoing debate on ultra-low latency within the context of 5G networked control systems, this short note highlights one example of how increased computation capabilities can soften up demands for ultra-low latency.One fundamental problem in control theory is the state observation: in a networked system, the latency for transporting signals delays the samples of inputs and outputs and consequently degrades the accuracy of the estimator of the hidden state. Though, in broad classes of systems the state vector is known to be sparse under some representation. Compressed sensing can exploit this sparseness and this note presents a quantitative analysis of the possibilities offered by compressed sensing to largely reduce latency and increase accuracy of state estimators for systems bearing sparse states.
Preconception Alcohol Increases Offspring Vulnerability to Stress

The effect of preconception drinking by the mother on the life-long health outcomes of her children is not known, and therefore, in this study using an animal model, we determined the impact of preconception alcohol drinking of the mother on offspring stress response during adulthood. In our preconception alcohol exposure model, adult female rats were fed with 6.7% alcohol in their diet for 4 weeks, went without alcohol for 3 weeks and were bred to generate male and female offspring. Preconception alcohol-exposed offsprings' birth weight, body growth, stress response, anxiety-like behaviors, and changes in stress regulatory gene and protein hormone levels were evaluated. In addition, roles of epigenetic mechanisms in preconception alcohol effects were determined. Alcohol feeding three weeks prior to conception significantly affected pregnancy outcomes of female rats, with respect to delivery period and birth weight of offspring, without affecting maternal care behaviors. Preconception alcohol negatively affected offspring adult health, producing an increased stress hormone response to an immune challenge. In addition, preconception alcohol was associated with changes in expression and methylation profiles of stress regulatory genes in various brain areas. These changes in stress regulatory genes were normalized following treatment with a DNA methylation blocker during the postnatal period. These data highlight the novel possibility that preconception alcohol affects the inheritance of stress-related diseases possibly by epigenetic mechanisms.
An ED pilot intervention to facilitate outpatient acute care for cancer patients

Abstract Introduction Unplanned hospitalizations are common in patients with cancer, and most hospitalizations originate in the emergency department (ED). Methods We implemented an ED-based pilot intervention designed to reduce hospitalizations among patients with solid tumors. The intervention, piloted at a single academic medical center, involved a medical oncologist embedded in the ED during evening hours. We used a quasiexperimental preimplementation/postimplementation study design to evaluate the proportion of ED visits that resulted in inpatient hospital admission, before and after pilot implementation. General estimating equations were used to evaluate the association between the intervention and hospital admission. Results There were 390 ED visits by eligible cancer patients in the preintervention period and 418 visits in the intervention period. During the intervention period, 158 (38%) of 418 ED visits were identified by the embedded oncologist during the evening intervention shift. The proportion of ED visits leading to hospitalization was 70% vs 69% in the preintervention and intervention periods (odds ratio, 0.93 [95% confidence interval, 0.69-1.24]; P = .62). There were no differences between periods in ED length of stay or subsequent use of acute care. Among patients with initial ED presentation during the operating hours of the intervention, the proportion of ED visits leading to hospitalization was 77% vs 67% in the preintervention and intervention periods (odds ratio, 0.62 [0.36-1.08]; P = .08). Conclusion Embedding an oncologist in the ED of an academic medical center did not significantly reduce hospital admissions. Novel approaches are needed to strengthen outpatient acute care for patients with cancer.
New Women Writing Beyond the Novel: Short Stories

The popular association between 1880s and 1890s British feminism and the novel as its chief literary expression has become an indelible and, it would seem, inevitable one. ‘Above all’, declares Talia Schaffer in Literature and Culture at the Fin de Siecle (2007), ‘the New Women novels were the first, most recognizable, and bestselling corpus of explicitly feminist literature’; thus they ‘deserve attention as an attempt to articulate women’s needs in a tumultuous time’. She makes this argument for the centrality of a genre outside the boundaries of her own anthology, even as she offers selections of significant journalism, poetry, and works of short fiction by and about New Women that are not, in fact, extracts from novels or works responding to novels of the period. Clearly, the linkage of turn-of-the-century feminist history and politics with a single literary genre has become so well established that it must be reaffirmed everywhere, even in volumes that offer evidence of important New Woman writing in alternative forms. Indeed, the words ‘New Woman’ sometimes have been absent where they might otherwise have been expected, if genres other than the novel are involved, as though these other types of literature have not quite earned their right to bear this label. Perhaps that is why, in 1993, Elaine Showalter explicitly described the contents of her Daughters of Decadence: Women Writers of the Fin de Siecle as ‘New Woman stories’ and their authors as ‘New Woman writers’, when composing the Introduction to this collection of short fiction, yet chose not to use the phrase ‘New Woman’ in the anthology’s title.
Acid Evolution of Escherichia coli K-12 Eliminates Amino Acid Decarboxylases and Reregulates Catabolism

Acid-adapted strains of Escherichia coli K-12 W3110 were obtained by serial culture in medium buffered at pH 4.6 (M. M. Harden, A. He, K. Creamer, M. W. Clark, I. Hamdallah, K. A. Martinez, R. L. Kresslein, S. P. Bush, and J. L. Slonczewski, Appl Environ Microbiol 81:1932-1941, 2015, https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.03494-14). Revised genomic analysis of these strains revealed insertion sequence (IS)-driven insertions and deletions that knocked out regulators CadC (acid induction of lysine decarboxylase), GadX (acid induction of glutamate decarboxylase), and FNR (anaerobic regulator). Each acid-evolved strain showed loss of one or more amino acid decarboxylase systems, which normally help neutralize external acid (pH 5 to 6) and increase survival in extreme acid (pH 2). Strains from populations B11, H9, and F11 had an IS5 insertion or IS-mediated deletion in cadC, while population B11 had a point mutation affecting the arginine activator adiY The cadC and adiY mutants failed to neutralize acid in the presence of exogenous lysine or arginine. In strain B11-1, reversion of an rpoC (RNA polymerase) mutation partly restored arginine-dependent neutralization. All eight strains showed deletion or downregulation of the Gad acid fitness island. Strains with the Gad deletion lost the ability to produce GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) and failed to survive extreme acid. Transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) of strain B11-1 showed upregulated genes for catabolism of diverse substrates but downregulated acid stress genes (the biofilm regulator ariR, yhiM, and Gad). Other strains showed downregulation of H2 consumption mediated by hydrogenases (hya and hyb) which release acid. Strains F9-2 and F9-3 had a deletion of fnr and showed downregulation of FNR-dependent genes (dmsABC, frdABCD, hybABO, nikABCDE, and nrfAC). Overall, strains that had evolved in buffered acid showed loss or downregulation of systems that neutralize unbuffered acid and showed altered regulation of catabolism.IMPORTANCE Experimental evolution of an enteric bacterium under a narrow buffered range of acid pH leads to loss of genes that enhance fitness above or below the buffered pH range, including loss of enzymes that may raise external pH in the absence of buffer. Prominent modes of evolutionary change involve IS-mediated insertions and deletions that knock out key regulators. Over generations of acid stress, catabolism undergoes reregulation in ways that differ for each evolving strain.
MuItiscale medial analysis of medical images

Abstract The Multiscale Medial Axis is a means for detecting and representing object shape at multiple scales simultaneously. One of its key characteristics is that the scale used to measure object properties (and hence to represent the object) is proportional to the local width of the object. This allows it to separate fine-scale detail from larger-scale gross shape properties of the object in a manner dictated by the object itself. It works directly from image intensities and does not require a prior segmentation of the image or explicit determination of object boundaries. Fuzzy (non-binary) boundary measures are used to compute fuzzy medial measures, and axis points are identified as ridges in this fuzzy medial space. This paper presents some of the basic concepts of the Multiscale Medial Axis, describes ils computation, and demonstrates some preliminary results of its application to medical images from variety of imaging modalities.
Are there risk factors for scleroderma-related calcinosis?

Objectives: Pathogenesis and risk factors of scleroderma associated calcinosis is poorly understood and there is no effective treatment. This study was performed to better understand the prevalence...
P3.34 Congenital syphilis in the state of são paulo: “a problem that concerns us all”

Introduction To analyse congenital syphilis (CS) between 2007 and 2014, and case profile in 2014 in the state of Sao Paulo (SSP). Methods Ecological descriptive study; sources: SINAN (cases) and Fundacao Seade (live births-LB population). Results 24 684 cases of syphilis in pregnancy (PS) and 12 479 of CS reported in the period. PS detection rate and CS incidence rate increased 2.8 times (3.5 to 9.9/1,000 LB) and 2.4 times (2.0 to 4.8/1,000 LB) in 2010 and 2014, respectively. There were 132 infant deaths and 1051 stillbirths and miscarriages by syphilis, about 9.5% (1,183) of total cases. In 2014, 29% (870/2,989) of CS cases did not complete clinical and laboratory protocol (no long bone x-ray or CSF) and 17% (499/2,989) did not comply with treatment protocol. About 20% (612/2,989) of mothers were ≤19 years old, 75% (2,244/2,989) underwent antenatal care (AN) and of these, 71% (1,597/2,244) were diagnosed with syphilis. Although most mothers had access to AN diagnosis of syphilis during pregnancy, the vertical transmission chain was not interrupted. It is emphasised that 55% (1,632/2,989) of the mother’s treatment was considered inadequate, because the sexual partner was not treated (74%, 2,203/2,989). Conclusion Albeit preventable, CS remains a public health problem with failures, especially during AN. Early diagnosis and treatment up to the 20th week of pregnancy can reduce fetal loss and prevent infant deaths. The case definition is sensitive considering the treatment of sexual partner in the mother’s treatment classification. The public health challenge is to increase coverage and quality of AN, expand diagnosis and treatment of women and sexual partners in primary care services, and prevent STDs, especially in vulnerable women. To identify determinants of transmission and foster interventions, CS cases have been investigated using specific protocols and discussed in regional and municipal committees. The SSP proposed using Mother and Child Mortality Committees to discuss the cases, given they have already been established and are operating regularly.