cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CAPL: a novel association test using case-control and family data and accounting for population stratification

The recent successes of GWAS based on large sample sizes motivate combining independent datasets to obtain larger sample sizes and thereby increase statistical power. Analysis methods that can accommodate different study designs, such as family-based and case-control designs, are of general interest. However, population stratification can cause spurious association for population-based association analyses. For family-based association analysis that infers missing parental genotypes based on the allele frequencies estimated in the entire sample, the parental mating-type probabilities may not be correctly estimated in the presence of population stratification. Therefore, any approach to combining family and case-control data should also properly account for population stratification. Although several methods have been proposed to accommodate family-based and case-control data, all have restrictions. Most of them require sampling a homogeneous population, which may not be a reasonable assumption for data from a large consortium. One of the methods, FamCC, can account for population stratification and uses nuclear families with arbitrary number of siblings but requires parental genotype data, which are often unavailable for late-onset diseases. We extended the family-based test, Association in the Presence of Linkage (APL), to combine family and case-control data (CAPL). CAPL can accommodate case-control data and families with multiple affected siblings and missing parents in the presence of population stratification. We used simulations to demonstrate that CAPL is a valid test either in a homogeneous population or in the presence of population stratification. We also showed that CAPL can have more power than other methods that combine family and case-control data. Genet. Epidemiol. 34:747-755, 2010.© 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
PPAR-beta/delta agonists for Type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia: an adopted orphan still looking for a home.

Background: The identification of small molecule agonists for the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor beta/delta (PPAR-β/δ, NR1C2) has enabled the characterization of this receptor's functions in preclinical models. Subsequently, a number of small molecule agonists of PPAR-β/δ have been progressed into clinical trials. Objective: This review will examine the major preclinical findings that underpin the hypothesis that PPAR-β/δ agonists may be beneficial in treating dyslipidemia and Type 2 diabetes, as well as emerging clinical data with a variety of PPAR-β/δ agonists. Methods: The literature concerning preclinical experiments that combine in vivo and in vitro mechanistic studies are reviewed and compared with the results of the early clinical trials. Conclusions: Thus far, the activities of the agonists seen in the clinic are broadly similar to those seen in preclinical models. However, it is still not known if PPAR-β/δ agonists will truly be differentiated enough from current trea...
Cocaine inhibits GABA release in the VTA through endogenous 5-HT

The ventral tegmental area (VTA) is thought to be involved in the addictive properties of many drugs, including cocaine. It has been hypothesized that cocaine exerts its actions in the VTA by blocking the reuptake of dopamine released from the dendrites of the A10 dopamine neurons, thus prolonging the actions of dopamine at D2 autoreceptors. However, cocaine also blocks the reuptake of the other monoamines, including serotonin (5-HT). Using intracellular recordings from midbrain dopamine neurons in a brain slice preparation, we have found that cocaine (0.1–10 microM) inhibited the GABAB IPSP in a dose- dependent manner. This effect was observed in the presence of the D2 dopamine receptor antagonists sulpiride (1 microM) and eticlopride (0.1 microM). 5-HT mimicked this effect, as did the selective 5-HT1D receptor agonist sumatriptan and the 5-HT-releasing agent fenfluramine. The actions of both 5-HT and cocaine were attenuated by the 5-HT1C/D antagonist metergoline. Pretreatment of slices with the 5-HT-depleting agent p-chloroamphetamine (pCA; 10 microM) abolished the inhibition of the GABAB IPSP by cocaine but failed to affect the actions of sumatriptan. We conclude that cocaine acts to modulate the GABA input to A10 dopamine neurons via inhibition of the 5-HT transporter, increasing the concentration of 5-HT at presynaptic 5-HT1D receptors. These actions of cocaine were apparent at lower concentrations than those required to act via inhibition of the dopamine transporter. This reduction of inhibitory synaptic input into the VTA would be expected to attenuate the GABA-mediated feedback inhibition from the nucleus accumbens, thus leading to increased activation of dopamine neurons.
Ephedra Use in a Select Group of Adolescent Athletes

Ephedra-containing dietary supplements are consumed to improve sports performace, but may carry risks of cardiac and neurological adverse events. Little is known of their use by young athletes. Our aim was to determine the prevalence and patterns of ephedra use among high school athletes. An anonymous survey was performed in Rochester, Minnesota on high school athletes who participated in fall sports during 2003-04. Parental consent was obtained for athletes under age 18 years. Surveys were distributed at preparticipation examinations and in- school survey stations. The response rate to the survey was 68.2%, or 311 respondents out of a possible 456 with consent (or 26% of all 1197 athletes eligible prior to the consent process). Seven of 311 (2.3%) respondents used dietary supplements containing ephedra. Only one of seven users (14.3%) knew that the supplements they used contained ephedra. Ephedra use was more common in boys (five) than girls (two). Ephedra use was only found in 17 and 18-year-olds. The most common sports among ephedra users were football, track and field, and weightlifting. This study suggests that Ephedra use was infrequent among the young athletes in this population. However, ephedra users were generally unaware that the dietary supplements they consumed contained ephedra. Users were more likely to participate in football, track and field, and weightlifting. Ephedra users were likely to obtain supplements from their peers, and were largely uninformed of the content of their supplements. Key PointsEphedra is an herbal stimulant used as an ergogenic aide.Adolescent ephedra users most commonly obtain it from their friends.Adolescent athletes are likely to take ephedra unknowningly.
HSP70-2 is required for desynapsis of synaptonemal complexes during meiotic prophase in juvenile and adult mouse spermatocytes

Spermatogenic cells synthesize a unique 70-kDa heat shock protein (HSP70-2) during prophase of meiosis I, and targeted disruption of the Hsp70-2 gene has shown that this protein is required for spermatogenic cell differentiation in adult mice. HSP70-2 is associated with synaptonemal complexes formed between paired homologous chromosomes during meiotic prophase. The present study focuses on the nearly synchronous first wave of spermatogenesis in 12- to 28-day old juvenile mice to determine more precisely when HSP70-2 is required and what meiotic processes are affected by its absence. Spermatogenesis in homozygous mutant mice (Hsp70-2[-/-]) proceeded normally until day 15 when increasing numbers of pachytene spermatocytes became apoptotic and differentiation of cells beyond the pachytene stage began to falter. Synaptonemal complexes assembled in Hsp70-2(-/-) mice and spermatocytes developed through the final pachytene substage. However, synaptonemal complexes failed to desynapse and normal diplotene spermatocytes were not observed. Metaphase spermatocytes were not seen in tissue sections from testes of Hsp70-2(-/-) mice, and expression of mRNAs and antigens characteristic of late pachytene spermatocytes (e.g., cyclin A1) and development of spermatids did not occur. Thus, HSP70-2 is required for synaptonemal complex desynapsis, and its absence severely impairs the transition of spermatogenic cells through the late meiotic stages and results in apoptosis beginning with the first wave of germ cell development in juvenile mice.
Phase shift switching scheme for DC/DC boost converter with switches in parallel

In general, the interleaved structures in boost converters are able to reduce input current ripple and output voltage ripple leading to smaller size of input/output filters, to have fault tolerance, to take higher bandwidth, and to minimize EMI from reverse recovery current in output rectifier by adopting discontinuous inductor current mode in each interleaved converter. In this paper, a phase shift switching scheme of paralleled switches for boost converter is proposed in which one inductor, two paralleled switches, and one output rectifier comprise the boost converter and provide doubled ripple frequency in current through the inductor, which can contribute to higher system bandwidth, fault tolerance, and reduction in the size of the inductor and input/output filter.
Use of conditional probabilities for determining relationships between amino acid sequence and protein secondary structure

The conditional probability, P(sigma/x), is a statement of the probability that the value of sigma will be found given the prior information that a value of x has been observed. Here sigma represents any one of the secondary structure types, alpha, beta, tau, and rho for helix, sheet, turn, and random, respectively, and x represents a sequence attribute, including, but not limited to: (1) hydropathy; (2) hydrophobic moments assuming helix and sheet; (3) Richardson and Richardson helical N-cap and C-cap values; (4) Chou-Fasman conformational parameters for helix, P alpha, for sheet, P beta, and for turn, P tau; and (5) Garnier, Osguthorpe, and Robson (GOR) information values for helix, I alpha, for sheet, I beta, for turn, I tau, and for random structure, I rho. Plots of P(sigma/x) vs. x are demonstrated to provide information about the correlation between structure and attribute, sigma and x. The separations between different P(sigma/x) vs. x curves indicate the capacity of a given attribute to discriminate between different secondary structural types and permit comparison of different attributes. P(alpha/x), P(beta/x), P(tau/x) and P(rho/x) vs. x plots show that the most useful attributes for discriminating helix are, in order: hydrophobic moment assuming helix greater than P alpha much greater than N-cap greater than C-cap approximately I alpha approximately I tau. The information value for turns, I tau, was found to discriminate helix better than turns. Discrimination for sheet was found to be in the following order: I beta much greater than P beta approximately hydropathy greater than I rho approximately hydrophobic moment assuming sheet. Three attributes, at their low values, were found to give significant discrimination for the absence of helix: I alpha approximately P alpha approximately hydrophobic moment assuming helix. Also, three other attributes were found to indicate the absence of sheet: P beta much greater than I rho approximately hydropathy. Indications of the absence of sigma could be as useful for some applications as the indication of the presence of sigma.
Face modeling and analysis in Stony Brook University

In this paper, we present our latest work on facial expression analysis, synthesis and face recognition. The advent of new technologies that allow the capture of massive amounts of high resolution, high frame rate face data, leads us to propose data-driven face models that accurately describe the appearance of faces under unknown pose and illumination conditions as well as to track subtle geometry changes that occur during expressions. In this paper, we also demonstrate our results for expression transfer among different subjects. We reduce the dimensionality of our data onto a lower dimensional space manifold and then decompose it into style and content parameters. This allows us to transfer subtle expression information (in the form of a style vector) between individuals to synthesize new expressions, as well as smoothly morph geometry and motion. Finally, we demonstrate the accuracy of our face modeling methods through an integrated example of image-driven re-targeting and relighting of facial expressions, where transfer of expression and illumination information between different individuals is possible.
Performance of deterministic workplace exposure assessment models for various contaminant source, air inlet, and exhaust locations.

Contaminant concentration estimates from simple models were compared with concentration fields obtained by computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations for various room and source configurations under steady-state conditions. Airflow and contaminant distributions in a 10×3×7-m room with a single contaminant source on a 1-m high table were simulated using CFD for steady, isothermal conditions. For a high wall jet inlet, simulations were performed for nine room air exhaust locations and eight source locations. For a ceiling diffuser inlet the impact of two exhaust locations and eight source locations were investigated. Because CFD treats determinants of contaminant transport explicitly and agreed well with experimental results, it was used as the standard for comparison. Parameters of the one- and two-zone completely mixed models (CM-1 and CM-2) and the uniform turbulent diffusivity model (UD) were determined from CFD simulation results. Concentration estimates from these were compared with CFD results in ...
On the robustness of sampled-data control to unmodeled high-frequency dynamics

Robustness of sampled-data control designs to unmodeled high-frequency dynamics is studied using singular perturbation theory. It is argued that when the plant is preceded by a zero-order hold, a direct transmission term of the reduced-order model, which results from neglecting high-frequency dynamics, should be modeled as a delay element in order to ensure robustness. >
Naturalistic Intervention Design for Young Children: Foundations, Rationales, and Strategies

Naturalistic intervention design may lead to an expanded range of promising interventions for young children. Interventions described as naturalistic are (a) generalized from developmental studies of competent caregivers, (b) founded on the realities of settings, and (c) based on the predicted success of the least intrusive intervention likely to accomplish the desired goals. Naturalistic intervention design stresses the need for assessment and intervention to occur within significant settings and with caregivers (and peers) who have the greatest opportunity to interact with children experiencing learning or behavioral difficulties. Thus, the focus of the analysis is on (a) environments; (b) experiences provided to children; and, as critical features, (c) evident, emerging, and accessible skills of caregivers that facilitate learning or the development of alternative responses for maladaptive behaviors. Naturalistic intervention design may help achieve acceptability, generality of behavioral change, and e...
The status of R&D for the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider at Brookhaven

The following aspects of the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) R&D program are discussed in detail: machine R&D, hardware development, detector R&D, and other R&D issues. Prototype superconducting magnets and cryostats have been tested. Detailed designs have been prepared for the arc sections, the insertion regions, and injection and ejection systems. The RF system has undergone significant revisions in order to enhance the experimental capability of the RHIC. Progress has been made with the design of detectors. A management information system is being put in place in anticipation of an expeditious start of construction. >
The Civil Commitment of Sex Offenders in Light of Foucha v. Louisiana

The United States Supreme Court has ruled that an individual who has been judged insane and committed to a mental facility and who has regained his sanity but remains dangerous cannot continue to be confined. In a dissenting opinion, Justice Kennedy stated that the majority's decision might have put in doubt the civil commitment of persons other than insanity acquittees. The author of this essay contends that the Court's decision indeed did so and argues that dangerous or predatory sex offenders cannot now be civilly committed to mental institutions. The author argues also that the criminal justice system, rather than the mental health system, is more appropriate for controlling sex offenders.
Extensive valley glacier deposits in the northern mid-latitudes of Mars: Evidence for Late Amazonian obliquity-driven climate change

Understanding spin orbital parameter-driven climate change on Mars prior to ~ 20 Ma ago requires geological evidence because numerical solutions for that period are chaotic and non-unique. We show geological evidence that lineated valley fill at low midlatitudes in the northern hemisphere of Mars (~ 37.58 N) originated through regional snow and ice accumulation and underwent glacial-like flow. Breached upland craters and theater-headed valleys reveal features typical of erosion in association with terrestrial glaciers. Parallel, converging and chevron-like lineations in potentially ice-rich deposits on valley floors indicate that flow occurred through constrictions and converged from different directions at different velocities. Together, these Martian deposits and erosional landforms resemble those of intermontaine glacial systems on Earth, particularly in their major morphology, topographic shape, planform and detailed surface features. An inferred Late Amazonian age, combined with predictions of climate models, suggest that the obliquity of Mars exceeded a mean of 458 for a sustained period. During this time, significant transfer of ice occurred from icerich regions (e.g., the poles) to mid-latitudes, causing prolonged snow and ice accumulation there and forming an extensive system of valley glaciers. D 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Gateway Controlled Content Caching and Retrieval for Cache-and-Forward Networks

The Cache-and-Forward (CNF) architecture has recently been proposed as a "clean-slate" solution for efficient content delivery in the future Internet. The CNF architecture is based on the concept of hop-by-hop transport and in-network storage of content. In this paper, we investigate a gateway centric method for efficient content caching and routing in the CNF network. In this method, a content copy can get cached within an autonomous system (AS) while it is routed towards the destination, and thus subsequent requests can be satisfied faster. The caching location within an AS is determined by the gateway node, through a hashing function. We discuss the two alternatives of this method: one with uniform caching level for every content, and the other with varying caching levels. Through simulation studies, we show that the gateway-controlled CNF caching method can greatly improve content retrieval latencies over traditional solutions, such as three levels of caches placed by Hierarchical Caching, and mirror servers deployed by Content Distribution Networks (CDNs). This gateway-controlled caching method also outperforms a baseline CNF caching method that was discussed in earlier papers. Additionally, we study and compare the detailed performances of the two alternatives of this method. Finally we develop a mathematical model which gives an optimal solution to how the gateway makes caching decisions within an AS.
Editorial: Preparing for a Nanotechnological Future

This PDF file contains the editorial “Editorial: Preparing for a Nanotechnological Future” for JNP Vol. 2 Issue 01
An influenza B epidemic among children in day-care.

An outbreak of influenza virus type B infections occurred in the Frank Porter Graham Day Care Center from February to April, 1974. During the epidemic there were 27 isolations of influenza B virus from 20 children. One half of these were obtained from children who were well at the time of culturing. Attack rates as determined by virus isolation and seroconversion for most age groups approximated the 40% rate for the entire population. Clinical and microbiological data from this study were compared to those obtained in the center during the same three months in 1973. Increases in the incidence of otitis media and temperatures over 38 C were seen during the 1974 study. Intensive continuous microbiological surveillance for bacteria, viruses, and mycoplasmas failed to reveal predominance of any other potential pathogen to account for these clinical findings. The analysis permitted by the nature of this study design in a day care setting revealed several unexpected findings: high attack rates unrelated to age; common inapparent infections; and frequent association with otitis media.
Ludwig von Mises as currency school free banker

The centennial of the publication of the first German edition of Ludwig von Mises’s The Theory of Money and Credit offers an excellent opportunity to reconsider a long-standing controversy within modern Austrian economics. This revolves around the question of whether Ludwig von Mises favored 100-percent gold reserve banking imposed by law or free banking based on gold as the ideal monetary system. In this paper, I suggest that this debate is fundamentally misfocused and conflates means and ends. I argue that Mises advocated free banking as the most suitable means for achieving the goal of suppressing the issue of fiduciary media, in the form of bank notes and demand deposits. This goal was first enunciated by the nineteenth-century British currency school and embodied in its famous «currency principle.» My thesis is that Mises was a proponent of both the currency principle and free banking and that he viewed the latter as the indispensable means to regulate the behavior of the money supply according to the former. In defending this thesis, I seek to reframe the debate on Mises’s monetary views in a more meaningful way and to contribute to its resolution. Key words: Mises, Currency School, Free Banking, Currency Principle, Monetary Equilibrium. JEL Classification: B31, B53, E42, E52. Resumen: El centenario de la publicacion de la primera edicion alemana de The Theory of Money and Credit de Ludwig von Mises, ofrece una exce-lente oportunidad para reconsiderar una controversia duradera dentro de la economia austriaca moderna. Esta gira en torno a la cuestion de si Ludwig von Mises apoyo una banca de reserva en oro del 100% impues-ta por ley o una banca libre basada en el oro como su sistema monetario ideal. En este trabajo, sugiero que este debate esta fundamentalmente mal enfocado y confunde medios y fines. Sostengo que Mises defendio un siste-ma de banca libre como el medio mas adecuado para lograr el objetivo de suprimir la emision de dinero fiduciario en forma de billetes bancarios y depositos a la vista. Este objetivo fue inicialmente enunciado por la Escue-la Monetaria del siglo XIX e incorporado en su famoso «principio mone-tario.» Mi tesis es que Mises fue proponente del principio monetario y de la banca libre, y que observo a esta ultima como el medio indispensable para regular el comportamiento de la oferta monetaria conforme al prime-ro. En la defensa de esta tesis, trato de replantear el debate sobre las ideas monetarias de Mises de una forma mas relevante y contribuir de este modo a su resolucion. Palabras clave: Mises, Escuela Monetaria, Banca Libre, Principio Monetario, Equilibrio Monetario. Clasificacion JEL: B31, B53, E42, E52.
The Feasibility of an Infection Control “Safe Zone” in a Spinal Cord Injury Unit

We report on healthcare worker use of a safe zone (outside a 3-foot perimeter around the patient’s bed) and personal protective equipment in 2 inpatient spinal cord injury/disorder units. Workers remained within the safe zone during 22% of observations but were less compliant with personal protective equipment inside the zone. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;37:714–716
Modeling Phase Stability in a(B1/3B'2/3)O3 Perovskites

Order-disorder phenomena on the simple-cubic B-site sublattice in A(B1/3B’2/3)O3 perovskites is examined. A simple cubic groundstate analysis in the cube approximation reveals that this approximation is inadequate for A(B1/3B’2/3)O3 perovskites, because it cannot predict a common experimentally-observed [111] superstructure. A partial vertex enumeration technique is used to demonstrate that a 12 interaction subset of the cube + linear triplet approximation is sufficient. First-principles calculations were performed for Ba(Zn1/3Ta2/3)O3 (BZT) and Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 (PMN), two technologically interesting materials, in an effort to construct generalized Ising model Hamiltonians to enable simulations of these materials. Both ionic model (SSCAD) and pseudopotential (PP) calculations were done, enumerating the relative energies of a series of B-site superstructures. Structural hierarchies are reasonble and predict the [111] groundstate for both BZT and PMN, despite the fact that it is not observed in the latter. The pseudopotential results also indicate the possibility of metal-insulator transitions in BZT as a function of B-site configuration.
Higher Rates of Misdiagnosis in Pediatric Patients versus Adults Hospitalized with Imported Malaria

ObjectivesDespite the availability of effective antimalarial prophylaxis, imported adult and pediatric malaria occurs in the United States, and this can pose diagnostic issues. We examined the clinical characteristics and diagnostic challenges of imported malaria requiring adult or pediatric inpatie
Hematein-its Advantages for General Laboratory Usage

The advantages of hematein over hematoxylin are that it is easy to prepare, easy to use, and saves time; while it gives equally good results. The writer has been employing for some time a pre-war imported hematein and until within the last few months has been unable to locate a satisfactory product of recent manufacture, either domestic or foreign. At the request of the Biological Stain Commission, however, an American manufacturer has at last put on the market a C. P. hematein which gives splendid results. The technic is as follows:Paraffin or celloidin sections of Bouin or Zenker-formol material are run down to water and stained about 5 minutes in Mayer's hemalum (0.5 g. hematein ground up in a glass mortar with 10 cc. 95% alcohol and added to 500 cc. of 5% aqu. sol. potassium alum.) Rinse 1 to 3 seconds in tap water. Dip 1 to 3 seconds in eosin B (1 part 0.5% sol. in 20% alc. added to 2 pats dist. water; filtered from time to time). Wash several minutes in running water or in several changes of tap wat...
Diagnosis and treatment of true hermaphroditism （Report of 13 cases）

Purpose: To summarize the diagnostic point and therapeutic experience of 13 cases of true hermaphroditism.Method: The diagnostic means and surgical methods and the therapeutic results were reviewed in 13 cases.Results: In 7 cases，the pudendum were rectified as male， and the others were rectified as female. The appearances of the pudendum were satisfactory，with good sense and a happy life.Conclusions: Earlier diagnosis and earlier treatment are very important to the therapeutic results and the life quality. Before the gender was chosen，sucb factors must be considered，as the predominance of the pudendum and the reproductive tract and gonad， the nuclear type of sex chromosome， the will of the patients and their relatives. And the social gender should be also considered.
Abductive inference and its applications in program analysis, verification, and synthesis

Abductive inference is a form of backwards logical reasoning that infers likely hypotheses from a given conclusion. In other words, given an invalid implication of the form A => B, abduction asks the question "What formula C do we need to conjoin with the antecedent A so that (i) A & C => B is logically valid and (ii) C is consistent with A?" Abductive reasoning has found many applications in program verification and synthesis, particularly in modular program analysis, invariant generation, and automated inference of missing program expressions. This tutorial will give an overview of logical abduction and algorithms for performing abductive inference. We will also survey several use cases of abductive inference in the context of program analysis, verification, and synthesis.
Perceptions of telepractice pedagogy in speech-language pathology: A quantitative analysis.

Introduction Despite the growth of telecommunication applications to provide clinical healthcare services, there has been little attention to the pedagogical framework needed to train healthcare students to deliver these services. Methods In this exploratory investigation, perceptions of speech-language pathology/therapy (SLP/SLT) faculty ( n = 31), graduate students ( n = 16), and telehealth ("telepractice") clinicians ( n = 16) were examined with a 15-item survey regarding the 1) comparative pedagogical importance of four skills common to telepractice and face-to-face service (f2f) delivery, and 2) relative pedagogical value of seven skills and competencies unique to telepractice. Results Statistical analyses revealed nonverbal communication skills and knowledge of the literature related to service delivery methods were more important in telepractice than in f2f service delivery. Among seven skills unique to telepractice, participants believed the most important was solving problems related to the Internet and recommended at least two hours of instruction each in telepractice technology, patient confidentiality, and role-playing telepractice. Results suggest that SLP/SLT students may need additional and/or focused academic training in nonverbal communication, telepractice literature, and in solving connectivity issues to enter the telepractice marketplace with sufficient preparation. Discussion Further study is needed to compare the relative importance of additional SLP/SLT skills and competencies, describe components of effective healthcare training telepractice programs, and explore effective pedagogical strategies for healthcare telepractice instruction.
Optimization of oestradiol assays to improve utility in an in vitro fertilization setting.

BackgroundThe measurement of oestradiol is an integral component for the management of ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization. Automated immunoassays offer fast assay times and high throughput, with less sensitivity and specificity. The aim of this study is to optimize the oestradiol assay in patients undergoing ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization via comparison of oestradiol values obtained using two immunoassays compared with mass spectrometry.MethodsPatients undergoing ovarian stimulation were prospectively recruited. Serum samples were analysed with ADVIA Centaur® CP Immunoassay, Abbott Architect i1000® immunoassay and AB Sciex 5500 liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) systems. Per cent bias was determined for each system to report the average tendency of the values to be larger or smaller than the LC-MS/MS value. Linear regression of total follicular volume and oestradiol was computed.ResultsThe ADVIA Centaur® CP assay had a positive bias of 20% compared with L...
Little Evidence Exists To Support The Expectation That Providers Would Consolidate To Enter New Payment Models

Provider consolidation has been associated with higher health care prices and spending. The prevailing wisdom is that payment reform will accelerate consolidation, especially between physicians and...
INFECTIVE ENDOCARDITIS AFTER TRANSCATHETER AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT: INSIGHTS FROM THE NATIONWIDE READMISSIONS DATABASE

Background: Infective endocarditis (IE) is a serious complication in patients with prosthetic heart valves. There are limited available data on the incidence, clinical predictors, and outcomes of IE after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in the United States. Methods: Patients
Child soldiering on trial: an interdisciplinary analysis of responsibility in the Lord's Resistance Army

‘How can we tell what happened to us? There are no words to describe what we have witnessed. What we saw, what we heard, what we did, and how it changed our lives, is beyond measure. We were murdered, raped, amputated, tortured, mutilated, beaten, enslaved and forced to commit terrible crimes.’ (Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report for the Children of Sierra Leone)
Lymphoma classification update: B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Lymphomas are classified based on the normal counterpart, or cell of origin, from which they arise. Because lymphocytes have physiologic immune functions that vary both by lineage and by stage of differentiation, the classification of lymphomas arising from these normal lymphoid populations is complex. Recent genomic data have contributed additional complexity.Areas covered: Lymphoma classification follows the World Health Organization (WHO) system, which reflects international consensus and is based on pathological, genetic, and clinical factors. A 2016 revision to the WHO classification of lymphoid neoplasms recently was reported. The present review focuses on B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas, the most common group of lymphomas, and summarizes recent changes most relevant to hematologists and other clinicians who care for lymphoma patients.Expert commentary: Lymphoma classification is a continually evolving field that needs to be responsive to new clinical, pathological, and molecular ...
Bundles Prevent Surgical Site Infections After Colorectal Surgery: Meta-analysis and Systematic Review

Colorectal surgeries (CRS) have one of the highest rates of surgical site infections (SSIs) with rates 15 to >30%. Prevention “bundles” or sets of evidence-based interventions are structured ways to improve patient outcomes. The aim sof this study is to evaluate CRS SSI prevention bundles, bundle components, and implementation and compliance strategies. A meta-analysis of studies with pre- and post-implementation data was conducted to assess the impact of bundles on SSI rates (superficial, deep, and organ/space). Subgroup analysis of bundle components identified optimal bundle designs. Thirty-five studies (51,413 patients) were identified and 23 (17,557 patients) were included in the meta-analysis. A SSI risk reduction of 40% (p < 0.001) was noted with 44% for superficial SSI (p < 0.001) and 34% for organ/space (p = 0.048). Bundles with sterile closure trays (58.6 vs 33.1%), MBP with oral antibiotics (55.4 vs 31.8%), and pre-closure glove changes (56.9 vs 28.5%) had significantly greater SSI risk reduction. Bundles can effectively reduce the risk of SSIs after CRS, by fostering a cohesive environment, standardization, and reduction in operative variance. If implemented successfully and complied with, bundles can become vital to improving patients’ surgical quality of care.
The First Automatic Method for Mapping the Pothole in Seagrass

There is a vital need to map seagrass ecosystems in order to determine worldwide abundance and distribution. Currently there is no established method for mapping the pothole or scars in seagrass. Detection of seagrass with optical remote sensing is challenged by the fact that light is attenuated as it passes through the water column and reflects back from the benthos. Optical remote sensing of seagrass is only possible if the water is shallow and relatively clear. In reality, coastal waters are commonly turbid, and seagrasses can grow under 10 meters of water or even deeper. One of the most precise sensors to map the seagrass disturbance is side scan sonar. Underwater acoustics mapping produces a high definition, two-dimensional sonar image of seagrass ecosystems. This paper proposes a methodology which detects seagrass potholes in sonar images. Side scan sonar images usually contain speckle noise and uneven illumination across the image. Moreover, disturbance presents complex patterns where most segmentation techniques will fail. In this paper, the quality of image is improved in the first stage using adaptive thresholding and wavelet denoising techniques. In the next step, a novel level set technique is applied to identify the pothole patterns. Our method is robust to noise and uneven illumination. Moreover it can detect the complex pothole patterns. We tested our proposed approach on a collection of underwater sonar images taken from Laguna Madre in Texas. Experimental results in comparison with the ground-truth show the efficiency of the proposed method.
Zika virus infection dysregulates human neural stem cell growth and inhibits differentiation into neuroprogenitor cells.

The current outbreak of Zika virus-associated diseases in South America and its threat to spread to other parts of the world has emerged as a global health emergency. A strong link between Zika virus and microcephaly exists, and the potential mechanisms associated with microcephaly are under intense investigation. In this study, we evaluated the effect of Zika virus infection of Asian and African lineages (PRVABC59 and MR766) in human neural stem cells (hNSCs). These two Zika virus strains displayed distinct infection pattern and growth rates in hNSCs. Zika virus MR766 strain increased serine 139 phosphorylation of histone H2AX (γH2AX), a known early cellular response proteins to DNA damage. On the other hand, PRVABC59 strain upregulated serine 15 phosphorylation of p53, p21 and PUMA expression. MR766-infected cells displayed poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and caspase-3 cleavage. Interestingly, infection of hNSCs by both strains of Zika virus for 24 h, followed by incubation in astrocyte differentiation medium, induced rounding and cell death. However, astrocytes generated from hNSCs by incubation in differentiation medium when infected with Zika virus displayed minimal cytopathic effect at an early time point. Infected hNSCs incubated in astrocyte differentiating medium displayed PARP cleavage within 24–36 h. Together, these results showed that two distinct strains of Zika virus potentiate hNSC growth inhibition by different mechanisms, but both viruses strongly induce death in early differentiating neuroprogenitor cells even at a very low multiplicity of infection. Our observations demonstrate further mechanistic insights for impaired neuronal homeostasis during active Zika virus infection.
Lymph Node Metastases in Colon Cancer Are Polyclonal

Purpose: Recent studies have highlighted the existence of subclones in tumors. Lymph nodes are generally the first location of metastasis for most solid epithelial tumors, including colorectal cancer. We sought to understand the genetic origin of lymph node metastasis in colorectal cancer by evaluating the relationship between colorectal cancer subclones present in primary tumors and lymph nodes.Experimental Design: A total of 33 samples from seven colorectal cancers, including two or three spatially disparate regions from each primary tumor and one to four matched lymph nodes for each tumor, underwent next-generation whole-exome DNA sequencing, Affymetrix OncoScan SNP arrays, and targeted deep confirmatory sequencing. We performed mapping between SNPs and copy number events from the primary tumor and matched lymph node samples, allowing us to profile heterogeneity and the mutational origin of lymph node metastases. The computational method PyClone was used to define subclones within each tumor. The method Clonality Inference in Tumors Using Phylogeny (CITUP) was subsequently used to infer phylogenetic relationships among subclones.Results: We found that there was substantial heterogeneity in mutations and copy number changes among all samples from any given patient. For each patient, the primary tumor regions and matched lymph node metastases were each polyclonal, and the clonal populations differed from one lymph node to another. In some patients, the cancer cell populations in a given lymph node originated from multiple distinct regions of a tumor.Conclusions: Our data support a model of lymph node metastatic spread in colorectal cancer whereby metastases originate from multiple waves of seeding from the primary tumor over time. Clin Cancer Res; 24(9); 2214-24. ©2017 AACRSee related commentary by Gerlinger, p. 2032.
Pathologic and biochemical characterization of PrP Sc from elk with PRNP polymorphisms at codon 132 after experimental infection with the chronic wasting disease agent

The Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) prion protein gene (PRNP) is polymorphic at codon 132, with leucine (L132) and methionine (M132) allelic variants present in the population. In elk experimentally inoculated with the chronic wasting disease (CWD) agent, different incubation periods are associated with PRNP genotype: LL132 elk survive the longest, LM132 elk are intermediate, and MM132 elk the shortest. The purpose of this study was to investigate potential mechanisms underlying variations in incubation period in elk of different prion protein genotypes. Elk calves of three PRNP genotypes (n = 2 MM132, n = 2 LM132, n = 4 LL132) were orally inoculated with brain homogenate from elk clinically affected with CWD. Elk with longer incubation periods accumulated relatively less PrPSc in the brain than elk with shorter incubation periods. PrPSc accumulation in LM132 and MM132 elk was primarily neuropil-associated while glial-associated immunoreactivity was prominent in LL132 elk. The fibril stability of PrPSc from MM132 and LM132 elk were similar to each other and less stable than that from LL132 elk. Real-time quaking induced conversion assays (RT-QuIC) revealed differences in the ability of PrPSc seed from elk of different genotypes to convert recombinant 132 M or 132 L substrate. This study provides further evidence of the importance of PRNP genotype in the pathogenesis of CWD of elk. The longer incubation periods observed in LL132 elk are associated with PrPSc that is more stable and relatively less abundant at the time of clinical disease. The biochemical properties of PrPSc from MM132 and LM132 elk are similar to each other and different to PrPSc from LL132 elk. The shorter incubation periods in MM132 compared to LM132 elk may be the result of genotype-dependent differences in the efficiency of propagation of PrPSc moieties present in the inoculum. A better understanding of the mechanisms by which the polymorphisms at codon 132 in elk PRNP influence disease pathogenesis will help to improve control of CWD in captive and free-ranging elk populations.
Computational design optimization of concrete mixtures: A review

Abstract A comprehensive review of optimization research concerning the design and proportioning of concrete mixtures is presented herein. Mixture design optimization is motivated by an ever-increasing need for designers and decision-makers to proportion concrete mixtures that satisfy multiple – oftentimes competing – performance requirements, including cost, workability, mechanical properties, durability, and environmental sustainability. In this review, we first discuss common mathematical problem formulations, decisions, objectives, and constraints pertaining to concrete mixture design optimization. Subsequently, we examine the types of models employed to approximate properties of concrete, which include a variety of linear combination, statistical, machine learning, and physics-based models that are required to optimize the proportions of a mixture. We then review and discuss computational methods used to optimize concrete mixtures in the context of surveyed literature. Finally, we highlight and discuss current trends and opportunities for advancing the field of concrete mixture design optimization in context of the current state of the art.
Domitian's Lightning Bolts and Close Shaves In Pliny

Pliny’s portrayal of his public life under Domitian has often come under fire from both those who approach Pliny’s Letters from a historical perspective and those who study them as a literary production. This article reevaluates Pliny’s experiences in five significant areas: public speaking, amicitia, political promotion, threats of political persecution, and survival and reconciliation. In all of these circumstances, Pliny is found to be an honest narrator of his own political struggles under Domitian and an eloquent voice for his generation’s endurance. lthough Pliny consistently portrays his political life under Domitian as fraught with peril, his account has fared rather poorly when scrutinized by scholars. Pliny’s self-assured earnestness has won him critics both old and new. His old critics have generally operated along historical and biographical lines, questioning Pliny’s chronology at times and points of fact at others. Syme, summarizing Pliny’s career under Domitian beginning with the year 93, is illustrative: The praetor avows only one other action in this momentous year. He visited Artemidorus in the suburbs when an edict removed philosophers from the city. That called for courage, so he avers. The thunderbolts had fallen in near vicinity to his person (3.11). Pliny survived unscathed. Indeed he prospered, for all his declaration that he now called a halt to this career (Pan. 95.3f). The inscription contradicts. Pliny was one of the prefects put in charge of the Aerarium Militare (presumably from 94 to 96, inclusive). That fact discredits another allegation: the incriminating document from the hand of Mettius Carus (his opponent in the prosecution of Massa) found among the state papers after the assassination of Domitian (7.27.14). Finally, by an astute stratagem in 97 (the attack on Publicius Certus), Pliny gained the Aerarium Saturni, which led in a straight run to a consulship.1 * I would like to thank the editor and the anonymous referees who provided many helpful comments. A version of this paper was presented at the 2011 CAMWS conference in Grand A
Understanding NIEM and rules needs

The National Information Exchange Model (NIEM) approach is being adopted for government information sharing applications in the United States, Canada and Mexico. While these XML based message exchanges themselves solve the mechanics of moving data electronically there exists a whole raft of other challenges on both sides of the exchange equation. Senders need help determining when, if and how to distribute information and similarly receivers need to understand how to utilize the information with effective analysis and decision making. Also associated with these information transfers are legal issues of control, privacy, security and auditing. All these are areas where rule agents and rule technologies can be effectively applied to automate aspects of the exchange handling, provide alerts and information checking and then analysis to guide human decision makers. In the arena of healthcare exchanges rule agent participation can alert medical staff to potential life threatening situations and help guide patient care processes to avoid common mistakes and omissions.
Trapping of charged and dust particles in the rf field of a superconducting cavity

We suggest an explanation of the observations of the glowing filaments in a superconducting cavity. We show that the motion of a charged particle in a multicell rf cavity and of a dust particle in a single-cell rf cavity can be stable. The analysis of stability is illustrated by numerical calculations. This effect may also explain the possible failure of high gradient tests of superconducting cavities, which are planned to be used in the linear accelerators for XFEL.