cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Consequences on β-Cell Function and Reserve After Long-Term Pancreas Transplantation

beta-Cell replacement in diabetes using pancreatic islets or beta-cell surrogates is a research area undergoing intense scrutiny. Once this approach is demonstrated to be reproducibly successful, the next major issue will be the length of time that success will be sustained. Whole and segmental pancreas transplants are now successful for up to two decades. Study of these grafts can provide insight into and predictions about beta-cell function and reserve when islet transplantation becomes a routine. The studies described herein investigated 102 human whole and segmental transplant recipients and control subjects to address the following five questions. 1) Is the usual reciprocal relationship between the acute insulin response to intravenous glucose (AIR(gluc)) and the level of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) maintained in pancreas transplant recipients? 2) Do recipients who have no AIR(gluc) have an acute insulin response to intravenous arginine (AIR(arg))? 3) Do recipients of whole pancreata from cadaveric donors have twice the amount of insulin secretory reserve as that found in recipients of 50% segmental grafts from living, related donors? 4) What clinically accessible measure of insulin secretion best correlates with glucose potentiation of arginine-induced insulin secretion (GPAIS)? 5) Do successful pancreas transplant recipients evince time-dependent declines in beta-cell function and glycemic regulation when studied long term and longitudinally? The results demonstrate that 1) the normal relationship between AIR(gluc) and fasting glucose levels is maintained despite systemic venous drainage of allografts and consequent hyperinsulinemia; 2) AIR(gluc) and AIR(arg) decrease in parallel as fasting glucose levels rise, although AIR(arg) is still present after AIR(gluc) disappears; 3) AIR(arg) and AIR(gluc) are strongly predictive of beta-cell mass; 4) AIR(arg) and AIR(gluc) are strongly predictive of insulin secretory reserve; and 5) transplant recipients who have successfully maintained normoglycemia for an average of 10 years and up to 22 years nonetheless experience time-related declines in beta-cell function.
A history of gap junction structure: hexagonal arrays to atomic resolution

Gap junctions are specialized membrane structures that provide an intercellular pathway for the propagation and/or amplification of signaling cascades responsible for impulse propagation, cell growth, and development. Prior to the identification of the proteins that comprise gap junctions, elucidation of channel structure began with initial observations of a hexagonal nexus connecting apposed cellular membranes. Concomitant with technological advancements spanning over 50 years, atomic resolution structures are now available detailing channel architecture and the cytoplasmic domains that have helped to define mechanisms governing the regulation of gap junctions. Highlighted in this review are the seminal structural studies that have led to our current understanding of gap junction biology.
International and American medical graduates in a U.S. pediatric residency program: A qualitative study about challenges during post-graduate year 1

Background: In the United States (U.S.), international medical graduates (IMGs) and American medical graduates (AMGs) confront work-related and adjustment challenges during post-graduate year one (PGY-1) of residency.Aim: To understand the challenges that IMGs and AMGs confronted during PGY-1 of a U.S. pediatric residency program from the perspective of the residents themselves.Methods: A purposive sample of PGY-1, PGY-2, and PGY-3 residents participated in three semi-structured focus groups (N = 18). The data were analyzed inductively using a grounded theory approach to identify and verify emergent themes.Results: IMGs confronted work-related and adjustment challenges during PGY-1 that included practicing medicine in the U.S., communicating with medical supervisors and nursing staff, communicating with patients, and relocating to the U.S. AMGs confronted work-related challenges that included medical decision-making and medical licensing.Conclusion: The work-related and adjustment challenges that IMGs and...
On the natural radioactivity of rainfall

Measurements by the authors of the natural radioactivity of rain water are reported. The radioactivity varied from one to 60 millimicrocuries per liter of rain water and was due primarily to RaB+C, The activities due to ThB and RaD were less than 10−10 and 10−11 curie per liter each, respectively. RaA is present in rain water at the time it reaches the Earth's surface. The mechanism for the accumulation of decay products in rain water is discussed. The total activity (per unit area and time) increases toward the limiting value determined by the supply of RaA from Rn. An average atmospheric Rn concentration within the cloud system of approximately 0.2×10−13 curie per liter is sufficient to supply the rain water with the observed radioactivity. The natural radioactivity of the atmosphere can be used as a tracer to study meteorological phenomena.
Optimizing Intramuscular Adaptations to Aerobic Exercise: Effects of Carbohydrate Restriction and Protein Supplementation on Mitochondrial Biogenesis

Mitochondrial biogenesis is a critical metabolic adaptation to aerobic exercise training that results in enhanced mitochondrial size, content, number, and activity. Recent evidence has shown that dietary manipulation can further enhance mitochondrial adaptations to aerobic exercise training, which may delay skeletal muscle fatigue and enhance exercise performance. Specifically, studies have demonstrated that combining carbohydrate restriction (endogenous and exogenous) with a single bout of aerobic exercise potentiates the beneficial effects of exercise on markers of mitochondrial biogenesis. Additionally, studies have demonstrated that high-quality protein supplementation enhances anabolic skeletal muscle intracellular signaling and mitochondrial protein synthesis following a single bout of aerobic exercise. Mitochondrial biogenesis is stimulated by complex intracellular signaling pathways that appear to be primarily regulated by 5′AMP-activated protein kinase and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase mediated through proliferator-activated γ receptor co-activator 1 α activation, resulting in increased mitochondrial DNA expression and enhanced skeletal muscle oxidative capacity. However, the mechanisms by which concomitant carbohydrate restriction and dietary protein supplementation modulates mitochondrial adaptations to aerobic exercise training remains unclear. This review summarizes intracellular regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis and the effects of carbohydrate restriction and protein supplementation on mitochondrial adaptations to aerobic exercise.
Esthetic reconstruction after mastectomy for inflammatory breast cancer: is it worthwhile?

Abstract Background: Because inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) has been viewed as a malignancy with a poor likelihood of longterm survival, few women have been offered esthetic reconstruction after mastectomy for IBC. Recent advances in multimodality therapy have improved the outcomes for women with this disease. The purpose of this review was to assess the results of esthetic breast reconstruction in the population with IBC. Study Design: Review of medical records at the City of Hope National Medical Center for the 10-year period ending in May 1997, revealed 23 women who underwent elective esthetic breast reconstruction after mastectomy for IBC. The records of these patients were reviewed retrospectively. Patients requiring reconstruction for large surgical chest wall defects were not included in the review. Results: Treatment for IBC included mastectomy in all patients, chemotherapy in 22, and chest wall radiation therapy in 14. Immediate reconstruction was performed at the time of mastectomy (n = 14) or was delayed (n = 9). The types of reconstruction included transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap (n = 18), latissimus dorsi flap (n = 2), or prosthetic mammary implant reconstruction (n = 3). Seven women chose to undergo additional reconstruction procedures (ie, nipple reconstruction) after their initial reconstruction. With a median followup of 44 months for survivors, 16 patients developed recurrence after reconstruction. Of these, 6 were local recurrences and 10 were distant failures. Seven patients are currently alive with no evidence of disease, 4 are currently alive with disease, and 12 have died as a result of breast cancer. The median disease-free survival after reconstruction was 19 months. The median overall survival after reconstruction for all patients was 22 months. The only negative predictor of survival was a positive surgical margin at mastectomy. Conclusions: The significant emotional and esthetic benefits of breast reconstruction should be available to women with IBC. In light of the improving prognosis of IBC with current aggressive multimodality treatment, reconstructive procedures should be offered as part of comprehensive therapy.
Sex differences in mental test scores, variability, and numbers of high-scoring individuals

Sex differences in central tendency, variability, and numbers of high scores on mental tests have been extensively studied. Research has not always seemed to yield consistent results, partly because most studies have not used representative samples of national populations. An analysis of mental test scores from six studies that used national probability samples provided evidence that although average sex differences have been generally small and stable over time, the test scores of males consistently have larger variance. Except in tests of reading comprehension, perceptual speed, and associative memory, males typically outnumber females substantially among high-scoring individuals.
Geriatric acute myocardial infarction: a challenge to recognition, prompt diagnosis, and appropriate care.

Care of geriatric acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients requires careful attention due to several departures from the classic presentation and diagnostic parameters. With increasing age, atypical presentation becomes the norm. The meaning of atypical geriatric AMI presentation is explored in light of age-related cardiovascular changes and concurrent chronic conditions that may impede accurate diagnosis and delay treatment. Geriatric AMI patients offer a special challenge to critical care nurses to adapt current care standards to the needs of a particular segment of the adult population.
Integrating the Chemical Engineering Curriculum via a Recurring Laboratory

A recurring framework has been integrated throughout the curriculum via a Continuously Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR) platform. This laboratory is introduced during the material and energy balance course, and subsequent courses can use these results when explaining more advanced concepts. Further, this laboratory gives students practical experience and the opportunity to think critically about design early in the curriculum. Results are qualitatively discussed along with recommendations for further integration and improvement.
Building a Coarse-Grained Model Based on the Mori-Zwanzig Formalism

We present a novel method to build a coarse-grained (CG) model based on the Mori-Zwanzig (MZ) formalism that reproduces kinetics. Our approach leads to the computation of a generalized Langevin equation (GLE), which includes the memory kernel and the fluctuation that are consistent with brute force molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Our CG model based on the MZ formalism successfully reproduces kinetics, i.e. the distribution of first passage times (FPT) and velocity autocorrelation functions (VACF), for alanine dipeptide. In addition, we show that the memory part of the CG model of GLE is essential to reproduce kinetics. In other words, the Markovian model fails to reproduce brute force MD results, whereas the GLE model succeeds.
Dual modulation faraday rotation spectroscopy of HO2 for combustion diagnostics

Dual modulation Faraday rotation spectroscopy (DM-FRS) is used for sensitive measurements of HO2 from an atmospheric flow reactor with a 3σ detection limit of 0.4 ppmv Hz−1/2.
Toxicity of Rose Bengal to Various Instars of Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus and Aedes triseriatus

Treatment of water containing mosquito larvae with rose bengal and subsequent exposure to visible light causes mortality within hours. The light-initiated mortality is a function of dye concentration and exposure time. The larvae of the Culex species are more susceptible to rose bengal than the larvae of the Aedes species, i.e., 4th-instar Aedes LT50 values were from 5–10 times higher than those for Culex over all concentrations. Earlier instar larvae exhibited a higher degree of response to rose bengal than the later instars. First-instar larvae are up to 20 times more quickly killed than 4th-instar larvae. Physiological and morphological abnormalities occurred resulting from larval treatment with rose bengal which appeared to involve the improper formation of chitin in the pupal stage.
The map is not the territory: medical records and 21st century practice

Summary Documentation of care is at risk of overtaking the delivery of care in terms of time, clinician focus, and perceived importance. The medical record as currently used for documentation contributes to increased cognitive workload, strained clinician–patient relationships, and burnout. We posit that a near verbatim transcript of the clinical encounter is neither feasible nor desirable, and that attempts to produce this exact recording are harmful to patients, clinicians, and the health system. In this Viewpoint, we focus on the alternative constructions of the medical record to bring them back to their primary purpose—to aid cognition, communicate, create a succinct account of care, and support longitudinal comprehensive care—thereby to support the building of relationships and medical decision making while decreasing workload.
Expression of an Oncogenic BARD1 Splice Variant Impairs Homologous Recombination and Predicts Response to PARP-1 Inhibitor Therapy in Colon Cancer

BRCA1-associated RING domain protein 1 (BARD1) stabilizes BRCA1 protein by forming a heterodimeric RING-RING complex, and impacts function of BRCA1, including homologous recombination (HR) repair. Although colon cancer cells usually express wild type BRCA1, presence of an oncogenic BARD1 splice variant (SV) in select cancers may render BRCA1 dysfunctional and allow cells to become sensitive to HR targeting therapies. We previously reported association of loss of full-length (FL) BARD1 with poor prognosis in colon cancer as well as expression of various BARD1 SVs with unknown function. Here we show that loss of BARD1 function through the expression of a BARD1 SV, BARD1β, results in a more malignant phenotype with decreased RAD51 foci formation, reduced BRCA1 E3 ubiquitin ligase activity, and decreased nuclear BRCA1 protein localization. BARD1β sensitizes colon cancer cells to poly ADP ribose polymerase 1 (PARP-1) inhibition even in a FL BRCA1 background. These results suggest that expression of BARD1β may serve as a future biomarker to assess suitability of colon cancers for HR targeting with PARP-1 inhibitors in treatment of advanced colon cancer.
Supernova Neutrino Detection

Abstract This talk will briefly survey the capabilities of current detectors sensitive to supernova neutrino bursts. It will then cover recent progess in development of supernova neutrino detection techniques as well as prospects for specific future experiments.
Multiparametric evaluation of preoperative MRI in early stage breast cancer: prognostic impact of peri-tumoral fat

Obesity is associated with adverse outcomes in breast cancer patients. Fat-specific cytokines (adipokines) have been proposed as key drivers of breast cancer progression, invasion, and metastasis. We aimed at assessing correlations between peri-tumoral fat, quantified on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and pathologic factors potentially impacting therapy recommendations. We retrospectively reviewed records of 63 patients with early stage breast cancer who underwent preoperative MRI imaging using appropriately weighted series for breast and tumor contouring. Fat volumes were generated through voxel intensity filtering. The peri-tumoral region was defined as the intersection of a 1-cm spherical extension around the tumor and the breast contour. Peri-tumoral fat was defined as the fraction of a fat content in this volume. Surgical pathology records were used to extract clinical data. Statistical analyses were conducted using Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients. Among reviewed patients, 45 had T1 tumors (1.22 ± 0.85 cm diameter) and 18 had T2 tumors (2.08 ± 1.06 cm). Axillary lymph nodes were dissected in 31 and positive in 17 patients analyzed. Peri-tumoral fat ratio ranged between 25 and 99 %. Peri-tumoral fat ratio significantly correlated with the nodal-positive ratio of positive axillary lymph nodes (r = 0.532). Peri-tumoral fat ratio demonstrated optimally prominent correlation among obese patients upon body mass index categorical stratification. In women with early stage breast cancer, peri-tumoral fat correlates positively with the ratio of pathologically involved axillary nodes. This work highlights a novel method for quantitating peri-tumoral fat content. Preoperative breast MRI may be utilized to predict extent of axillary disease.
Galaxy Workflows for Web-based Bioinformatics Analysis of Aptamer High-throughput Sequencing Data

Development of RNA and DNA aptamers for diagnostic and therapeutic applications is a rapidly growing field. Aptamers are identified through iterative rounds of selection in a process termed SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment). High-throughput sequencing (HTS) revolutionized the modern SELEX process by identifying millions of aptamer sequences across multiple rounds of aptamer selection. However, these vast aptamer HTS datasets necessitated bioinformatics techniques. Herein, we describe a semiautomated approach to analyze aptamer HTS datasets using the Galaxy Project, a web-based open source collection of bioinformatics tools that were originally developed to analyze genome, exome, and transcriptome HTS data. Using a series of Workflows created in the Galaxy webserver, we demonstrate efficient processing of aptamer HTS data and compilation of a database of unique aptamer sequences. Additional Workflows were created to characterize the abundance and persistence of aptamer sequences within a selection and to filter sequences based on these parameters. A key advantage of this approach is that the online nature of the Galaxy webserver and its graphical interface allow for the analysis of HTS data without the need to compile code or install multiple programs.
Biomarkers for glioblastoma: MMP2 and NGAL.

e13516Background: Pseudoprogression and necrosis makemagnetic resonance imaging (MRI) interpretation challenging in glioblastoma (GBM). We hypothesized that matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) would correlate with tumor burden in urine and serum of patients with GBM, allowing improved MRI interpretation and prediction of overall survival (OS). Methods: NGAL and MMP2 were analyzed by immunohistochemistry in GBM (N = 13) and non-tumor epileptic control (N = 10) tissues taken during surgery. Serum and urine samples were collected pre and postoperatively and at each MRI for GBM patients. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to evaluate MMP2 and NGAL. MRI results, calculated tumor volumes (Olea Sphere 2.3), and survival were recorded. Results: NGAL expression was higher in GBM versus control tissues. Preoperative serum MMP2 was significantly higher in GBM versus controls (p = 0.0112) and was highest in patients who only underwent biopsy (p = 0.0038). Se...
The Historic Evolution of Intestinal and Multivisceral Transplantation

This chapter focuses on the multifaceted historic evolution of visceral transplantation, with special reference to the pioneer experimental and clinical work triggered by the introduction of new premises, the availability of novel immunosuppressive drugs, and the innovation of surgical techniques. In addition, the current status of the different types of visceral transplantation is highlighted, with new insights for future consideration.
Effects of out of field-of-view activity on imaging performance in a 1mm3 resolution clinical PET system

We are building a dual panel PET system dedicated to breast imaging. The edge-on layout of the crystal arrays provides 1mm resolution in all 3 dimensions, while the dense packing of crystal elements provides high sensitivity. The dual panel breast-specific geometry, and the close proximity to the chest wall of our system, makes it susceptible to out-of-field-of-view (OFOV) activity from body uptake, particularly from highly vascular organs like heart and liver. OFOV increases dead time and results in increased random coincidence rates. Good coincidence timing resolution is crucial to mitigate the effects of randoms on the final image. The degradation due to OFOV activity is investigated by imaging a micro-Derenzo phantom in the system with and without OFOV activity from a hot source, which was designed to mimic uptake in the nearby heart. The system timing resolution is measured for both scans, and the spatial resolution and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) from the resulting MLEM-reconstructed images are quantified and compared. Randoms rate is estimated using the delayed coincidence window method. In the presence of OFOV activity, the 1.2mm diameter rods are resolvable, the CNR degrades by roughly 4.37%, the system timing resolution degrades by about 9.65%, and the randoms fraction increases by 75%. The results show that our system is able to preserve good spatial resolution, CNR, and timing resolution in the presence of OFOV activity from a hot source mimicking the heart.
Risk Factors Leading to Complications in Early-Stage Breast Cancer Following Breast-Conserving Surgery and Intraoperative Radiotherapy.

The aim of this study was to evaluate outcomes after breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT), and to identify risk factors associated with complications. We evaluated patients with early-stage breast cancer treated from January 1, 2011 to January 31, 2014 with BCS and IORT at a single institution. The presence of breast cancer recurrences, complications, or fat necrosis were assessed at subsequent follow-up visits using physical examination and breast imaging. Overall, 113 patients, of whom three were undergoing bilateral treatments, were identified. The median length of time for IORT was 29 min and 36 s (range 15:50–59:00). Fifteen patients received additional external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), and the median follow-up was 40.3 months (range 1.6–58.3) for all patients. To date, one biopsy-proven ipsilateral recurrence has been noted (0.9%), for which the patient elected to undergo a mastectomy. Nine patients were found to have wound complications (7.7%) and two had fat necrosis (1.7%) on follow-up. Of all the evaluated risk factors, only applicator size (p < 0.01) had a statistically significant association with an increase in complications. With a short follow-up, IORT appears to be a safe treatment modality for a select group of patients, leading to a reasonable increase in operating room time and complication rates following BCS. The utilization of larger applicators at the time of IORT was associated with an increase in wound complications and fat necrosis.
Theoretical analysis of nBn infrared photodetectors

The depletion and surface leakage dark current suppression properties of unipolar barrier device architectures such as the nBn have been highly beneficial for III–V semiconductor-based infrared detectors. Using a one-dimensional drift-diffusion model, we theoretically examine the effects of contact doping, minority carrier lifetime, and absorber doping on the dark current characteristics of nBn detectors to explore some basic aspects of their operation. We found that in a properly designed nBn detector with highly doped excluding contacts the minority carriers are extracted to nonequilibrium levels under reverse bias in the same manner as the high operating temperature (HOT) detector structure. Longer absorber Shockley–Read–Hall (SRH) lifetimes result in lower diffusion and depletion dark currents. Higher absorber doping can also lead to lower diffusion and depletion dark currents, but the benefit should be weighted against the possibility of reduced diffusion length due to shortened SRH lifetime. We also briefly examined nBn structures with unintended minority carrier blocking barriers due to excessive n-doping in the unipolar electron barrier, or due to a positive valence band offset between the barrier and the absorber. Both types of hole blocking structures lead to higher turn-on bias, although barrier n-doping could help suppress depletion dark current.
Making Sense of the Public Stigma of Suicide.

Abstract. Background: Research suggests that stigma is a barrier to care for individuals who have attempted suicide. While extensive work has examined the stigma of mental illness, less research has focused on the public stigma of suicide. Existing measures of suicide stigma have lacked a conceptual foundation or have failed to include the perspectives of suicide stakeholders. Aims: This research draws on previous qualitative research with suicide stakeholders to create a measure of public suicide stigma. Method: This study used a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to define a factor structure for suicide stigma. The CBPR team used focus groups to generate items for each component of stigma (stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination). Two online surveys (N = 372; N = 243) asked members of the public to rate candidate items for stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination. Results: Analyses revealed three factors for stereotypes (weak, crazy, distressed), two factors for prejudice (fear/...
Actions for Strong, Brave Women and Men

Marie Curie (2001–2016) prompts us to recognize that women will not be moved to action if we are afraid as, “Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less” (p. 1). Now is our time, for as human beings we know we must seek respect across all ages, nationalities, and gender. We all want to earn economically the same, as our husbands, brothers and sons, for doing the same job. We do not want to be threatened or murdered by parents, husbands, brothers, or communities where patriarchal customs insist we are something less powerful than they are. See Photo 6.1.
Economics: From the Dismal Science to the Moral Science. The Moral Economics of Kendall P. Cochran

This is an edited collection of sixteen papers and four book reviews, most not previously published, by longtime University of North Texas economist Kendall Cochran. The papers are prefaced by comm...
Prospects for the scientific observer of perceptual consciousness

It would seem that the prospects for the “scientific observer” of brain and behavior are excellent, given the extraordinary advance of twentieth-century science. Until the level of investigation descends to the quantum domain, where peculiar difficulties in observation arise (Bohm, 1951), there do not appear to be clear-cut conceptual barriers that limit the scientific observation of brain and behavior and the concomitant advance of empirical knowledge about them.
Effects of the Blob on settlement of spotted sand bass, Paralabrax maculatofasciatus, to Mission Bay, San Diego, CA.

The West Coast of the United States experienced variable and sometimes highly unusual oceanographic conditions between 2012 and 2015. In particular, a warm mass of surface water known as the Pacific Warm Anomaly (popularly as “The Blob”) impinged on southern California in 2014, and warm-water conditions remained during the 2015 El Nino. We examine how this oceanographic variability affected delivery and individual characteristics of larval spotted sand bass (Paralabrax maculatofasciatus) to an estuarine nursery habitat in southern California. To quantify P. maculatofasciatus settlement patterns, three larval collectors were installed near the mouth of Mission Bay, San Diego CA, and retrieved weekly from June–October of 2012–2015. During ‘Blob‘ conditions in 2014 and 2015, lower settlement rates of spotted sand bass were associated with higher sea surface temperature and lower wind speed, chlorophyll a (chl a) and upwelling. Overall, the number of settlers per day peaked at intermediate chl a values across weeks. Individual characteristics of larvae that settled in 2014–2015 were consistent with a poor feeding environment. Although settlers were longer in length in 2014–15, fish in these years had slower larval otolith growth, a longer larval duration, and a trend towards lower condition, traits that are often associated with lower survival and recruitment. This study suggests that future settlement and recruitment of P. maculatofasciatus and other fishes with similar life histories may be adversely affected in southern California if ocean temperatures continue to rise in the face of climate change.
Prostate cancer: Race and prostate cancer personalized medicine: the future.

Most genetic analyses of prostate cancer have studied white men. A new study compares the genetic landscape of prostate cancer in Chinese men, reporting both similarities and differences. This finding highlights the need for studies to include all races and paves the way for future personalized medicine approaches for prostate cancer across races.
Introduction: Beyond the Identification Problem

The term “cohort” was in common use during Roman antiquity, when it referred to a division within a legion. Since then, cohort has come to refer to considerably more, and in fact the original meaning of the word has been lost in everyday colloquy. The use of cohorts to refer to groups or aggregates defined by point of entry into a social system has long been present in the social sciences, but cohort analysis as a focus in its own right has fluctuated in its visibility, due, perhaps, to swings of interest in the study of social change.
Evolutionary-Concordance Lifestyle and Diet and Mediterranean Diet Pattern Scores and Risk of Incident Colorectal Cancer in Iowa Women

Background: Whereas diet and lifestyle are strongly implicated in the etiology of colorectal cancer, single exposures generally are weakly and inconsistently associated with the disease. Exposure patterns may be more helpful for investigating diet and lifestyle-colorectal cancer associations. Evolutionary-concordance diet and Mediterranean diet pattern scores were previously found to be inversely associated with colorectal adenoma.Methods: To investigate associations of these diet scores and an evolutionary-concordance lifestyle score (comprising smoking status, physical activity, and body mass index) with incident colorectal cancer, we analyzed data from the prospective Iowa Women's Health Study. Diet and lifestyle scores were calculated for each participant and categorized into quintiles, and associations estimated using Cox proportional hazards models.Results: Of the 35,221 55- to 69-year-old cancer-free women at baseline, 1,731 developed colorectal cancer during follow-up. The multivariable-adjusted HR comparing persons in the highest relative to the lowest quintile of the lifestyle score was 0.66 (95% confidence interval, 0.56-0.78; P trend < 0.01). Although the estimated associations of the evolutionary-concordance diet and Mediterranean diet scores alone with colorectal cancer were null, relative to those in the lowest tertiles of both the evolutionary-concordance diet and lifestyle scores, those in the highest tertiles of both scores were at the lowest risk (P interaction < 0.01).Conclusions: Our findings suggest that a more evolutionary-concordant lifestyle, alone and in interaction with a more evolutionary-concordant diet pattern, may be inversely associated with colorectal cancer risk.Impact: These results support further investigation of colorectal cancer etiology using evolutionary-concordance dietary and lifestyle pattern scores. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 27(10); 1195-202. ©2018 AACR.
College instructors and the digital red pen: An exploratory study of factors influencing the adoption and non-adoption of digital written feedback technologies

Abstract This exploratory study examined a diverse set of college instructors' (N = 215) perceptions regarding the pedagogical use of digital written feedback, via a mixed-methodological online survey. The majority of the sample were adopters of digital written feedback, providing eight strengths and six weaknesses for doing so, as well as additional insight on digital written feedback “diets” (i.e., amount, frequency, and duration). Adopters differed from non-adopters in their preferences for digital written feedback to email, handwritten, and video feedback. Adoption decisions were significantly predicted by instructors' perceived ease of use of the technology and by perceived benefits to students.
Anomalous Stoichiometry, 3-D Bridged Triangular/Pentagonal Layered Structured Artificial Antiferromagnet for the Prussian Blue Analogue A3MnII5(CN)13 (A = NMe4, NEtMe3). A Cation Adaptive Structure

The size of the organic cation dictates both the composition and the extended 3-D structure for hybrid organic/inorganic Prussian blue analogues (PBAs) of AaMnIIb(CN)a+2b (A = cation) stoichiometry. Alkali PBAs are typically cubic with both MC6 and M′N6 octahedral coordination sites and the alkali cation content depends on the M and M′ oxidation states. The reaction of MnII(O2CCH3)2 and A+CN– (A = NMe4, NEtMe3) forms a hydrated material of A3MnII5(CN)13 composition. A3MnII5(CN)13 forms a complex, 3-D extended structural motif with octahedral and rarely observed square pyramidal and trigonal bipyramidal MnII sites with a single layer motif of three pentagonal and one triangular fused rings. A complex pattern of MnIICN chains bridge the layers. (NMe4)3MnII5(CN)13 possesses one low-spin octahedral and four high-spin pentacoordinate MnII sites and orders as an antiferromagnet at 11 K due to the layers being bridged and antiferromagnetically coupled by the nonmagnetic cyanides. These are rare examples of intri...
The Intriguing Case of a Double Pituitary Adenoma.

Background When distinct pituitary hypersecretory manifestations coexist, the differential diagnosis includes plurihormonal or double pituitary adenomas. We describe a rare case of hypercortisolemia and hyperprolactinemia caused by 2 noncontiguous adenomas that required 2 surgeries. Case Description A 37-year-old woman presented with 6 months of weight gain, amenorrhea, joint pain, leg swelling, and skin changes. She received prednisone for possible systemic lupus erythematosus. Four months later, she presented with headaches and new-onset diabetes with glucose >1000 mg/dL. Work-up revealed a right-sided 1.1-cm pituitary adenoma and prolactin level of 152.9 ng/mL (normal: 3–27 ng/mL). She was advised to stop the prednisone, start bromocriptine, and see a pituitary specialist. Examination revealed centripetal obesity, supraclavicular and dorsocervical fat pads, violaceous wide striae, bilateral leg edema, and galactorrhea. Workup confirmed adrenocorticotrophic hormone−dependent Cushing syndrome, with a central-to-peripheral gradient on inferior petrosal sinus sampling bilaterally. Transsphenoidal adenenomectomy yielded an adenoma diffusely positive for prolactin. Postoperatively prolactin normalized, hypercortisolemia persisted, and magnetic resonance imaging findings raised suspicion for a 2-mm microadenoma. The patient underwent a second operation when an adrenocorticotrophic hormone−positive adenoma was identified. After 4 years, both hypersecretory syndromes remain in biochemical remission. Conclusions A complete clinical and biochemical evaluation is necessary in patients with pituitary adenomas. Repeat surgery may be necessary for noncontiguous double adenomas.
Polyphenol Microbial Metabolites Exhibit Gut and Blood–Brain Barrier Permeability and Protect Murine Microglia against LPS-Induced Inflammation

Increasing evidence supports the beneficial effects of polyphenol-rich diets, including the traditional Mediterranean diet, for the management of cardiovascular disease, obesity and neurodegenerative diseases. However, a common concern when discussing the protective effects of polyphenol-rich diets against diseases is whether these compounds are present in systemic circulation in their intact/parent forms in order to exert their beneficial effects in vivo. Here, we explore two common classes of dietary polyphenols, namely isoflavones and lignans, and their gut microbial-derived metabolites for gut and blood–brain barrier predicted permeability, as well as protection against neuroinflammatory stimuli in murine BV-2 microglia. Polyphenol microbial metabolites (PMMs) generally showed greater permeability through artificial gut and blood–brain barriers compared to their parent compounds. The parent polyphenols and their corresponding PMMs were evaluated for protective effects against lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in BV-2 microglia. The lignan-derived PMMs, equol and enterolactone, exhibited protective effects against nitric oxide production, as well as against pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α) in BV-2 microglia. Therefore, PMMs may contribute, in large part, to the beneficial effects attributed to polyphenol-rich diets, further supporting the important role of gut microbiota in human health and disease prevention.
Protocol for DNA Microarrays on Glass Slides

The DNA microarray is a powerful, flexible, nonbiased discovery technology. Microarrays can be used to assess processes from gene expression to long noncoding RNAs to specific pathologies, as well as many others. This chapter describes the protocol for DNA microarray analysis of differential gene expression using DNA sequences spotted on microscope slides.
Vowel shifts in Cantonese?: Toronto vs. Hong Kong

This paper addresses Labov’s Principles of Vowel Chain Shifting in Toronto and Hong Kong Cantonese based on sociolinguistic interview data from the Heritage Language Variation and Change in Toronto Project. The analysis is based on the F1 and F2 values of a total of 33,179 vowel tokens from 11 monophthong categories produced by 32 speakers (8 from Hong Kong and 24 from Toronto). Results show the retraction of [y] among Toronto speakers when generational group (immigrated to Canada vs. grew up in Canada) is modeled as a main effect. When age is modeled instead, [i] is shown to be fronting in apparent time. In the Hong Kong group, age is a significant predictor for the lowering of [ɪ], [ʊ], [ɔ], and for the fronting of [ɔ] and [i]. Overall, results show more vowel shifting in Hong Kong than in Toronto as well as vowel shifting consistent with Labov’s Principles.
Lifecourse epidemiology matures: Commentary on Zhang et al. "Early-life socioeconomic status, adolescent cognitive ability, and cognition in late midlife"

The effect of education on late life cognition has attracted substantial attention in lifecourse epidemiology, in part because of its relevance for understanding the effect of education on dementia. Although numerous studies document an association between education and later life cognition, these studies are potentially confounded by early life socioeconomic position and cognition. Good measures of these early life constructs are rarely available in data sets assessing cognition in late life. A further body of evidence has taken advantage of compulsory schooling law (CSL) instrumental variables (IV), although these estimates have been criticized based on questions about the validity of CSL IVs. In this issue of the Journal, Zhang et al. took advantage of the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study to control for both prospectively measured adolescent IQ and early life socioeconomic status in an analysis evaluating the effect of education on cognitive scores in late middle age (Zhang et al., 2019; IN THIS ISSUE). Their results indicate a moderate effect of each additional year of education on later life cognition, of approximately 0.1-0.15 standard deviations per year of schooling. These estimates are remarkably aligned with findings from prior observational designs and from the CSL IV studies. Although criticisms of any individual study are plausible, this new study complements the body of prior evidence to provide compelling evidence for the benefits of education on late life cognition.
Thermal degradation rate and kinetic modeling of CO2 loaded amine solvent blends of 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol and 1-amino 2-propanol

Employing experimental kinetics data collected in this study, a power law rate equation for the thermal degradation of 1-amino-2-propanol (A2P) and 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP) in CO2-loaded blended solutions are investigated. The rate experiments were carried out at 120, 135 and 150 °C to accelerate thermal degradation. Kinetic data was collected to extract the initial rate equation from aqueous blended solutions of 0.0, 0.5, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, and 3.5 M, AMP and A2P with CO2 loadings from 0.1 to 0.6, molCO2/molAMP+A2P. The power law rate equations for each amine in the solutions, along with pre-exponential factors and activation energies for each reaction are provided. For both AMP and A2P degradation, the activation energies for the reaction between AMP, A2P and CO2 presented lower values, while the pre-exponential factors were orders of magnitude higher. The presence of the second amine in these solutions has little impact on the degradation rate of the individual amines.
Maternal Cotinine Levels and Red Blood Cell Folate Concentrations in the Periconceptual Period.

Objectives Studies have examined the association between tobacco use and folate levels in pregnancy, yet few have assessed this relation using objective and accurate measures of both smoking and folate. In this study, we evaluated the association between maternal cotinine levels and periconceptional red blood cell (RBC) folic acid reserves in a cohort of low-income pregnant mothers. Methods Smoking information, based on salivary cotinine, a highly sensitive and specific tobacco smoke exposure biomarker, was used. Furthermore, folate was assessed using RBC folate, an indicator of long-term folate storage. Participants were early to mid-trimester pregnant women who received antenatal care between 2011 and 2015 at the Genesis Clinic of Tampa (Florida). A total of 496 women were enrolled in the study. Associations between smoking status/maternal salivary cotinine concentrations, sociodemographic factors, and folate concentrations were investigated using Tobit regression analyses. Results The mean folate level of the participants was 718.3 ± 183.2 ng/mL, and only 2 (0.4%) participants were deficient in folate. We observed no significant difference in folate levels by smoking status. In contrast, salivary cotinine levels were significantly associated with decreased RBC folate concentrations (β -11.43, standard error 5.45, P = 0.032). Prepregnancy maternal body mass index, gestational age, stress, and depression also were associated with folate levels. Conclusions Low RBC folate is associated with perinatal factors, including high maternal cotinine levels, body mass index, stress, and depression. The effect of low folate levels among smokers cannot be overemphasized, considering that tobacco products not only reduce folate levels but also decrease the bioutilization of folate.
Synchronization of a Pair of Opposed Facing Oscillators in a Side-by-Side Configuration

Abstract This study considers two opposed facing fluidic oscillators in a side-by-side layout. Each fluidic oscillator shares one of its feedback channels with the other oscillator thus this configuration provides a mean for communication between fluidic oscillators. As a result of this communication through the shared feedback channel, the exiting jets of the fluidic oscillator pair are synchronized. The details of this synchronization are revealed by means of hot-wire measurements, flow visualizations and validated numerical simulations. The oscillation frequencies for both jets were the same and varied from 123 Hz to 476 Hz for a flow rate range from 5 SLPM to 25 SLPM per inlet corresponding to Reynolds number range of 2,125 to 10,625. The calculated cross-correlation coefficients were over 0.88 for the considered flow rate range. The flow visualizations exposed that the exiting jet of each fluidic oscillator move away from the shared feedback channel and move toward the shared feedback channel simultaneously indicating motion in the same direction. Numerical results indicated that the shared feedback channel plays a pressure balancing role while allowing inter-oscillator flow through each side of the shared feedback channel thus controlling the flow direction of each exiting jet yielding a synchronized output from the fluidic oscillator nozzles.
Optimal Operation of a Hybrid Hydraulic Electric Architecture (HHEA) for Off-Road Vehicles over Discrete Operating Decisions

Most off-highway construction and agriculture equipment use hydraulics, which has unmatched power density, for power transmission and throttling as a means for control. Trends towards better efficiency and electrification motivated a novel Hybrid Hydraulic-Electric Architecture (HHEA) which could significantly reduce energy consumption even in high power machines that would be too costly to electrify directly. This is achieved by using a set of common pressure rails to transmit the majority of power hydraulically and modulating the power with small electric motor-drives to achieve precise control. This paper proposes a computationally efficient, Lagrange multiplier method for computing the optimal sequence of pressure rail selections to minimize energy use. This is needed to evaluate HHEA's energy saving potential and for iterative architecture design and sizing. An interesting complication is that the cost function is not fully defined until the candidate control sequence is fully specified. This issue is dealt with by decomposing the original problem into a set of subproblems with inequality constraints that can be solved efficiently. A case study of an off-road construction machine demonstrates that the HHEA reduces energy consumption by 2/3 compared to the baseline load sensing architecture.
Impact of Radial Reflector Fidelity on Neutronics and Vessel Fluence Simulations

The Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors is developing the Virtual Environment for Reactor Applications (VERA), and the MPACT code, which is the primary deterministic neutron ...
CompDrone: Towards Integrated Computational Model and Social Drone Based Wildfire Monitoring

Forest fires cause irreversible damages worldwide every year. Monitoring wildfire propagation is thus a vital task in mitigating forest fires. While computational model-based wildfire prediction methods provide reasonable accuracy in monitoring wildfire behavior, they are often limited due to the lack of constant availability of real-time meteorological data. In contrast, social-media-driven drone sensing (SDS) is emerging as a new sensing paradigm that detects the early signs of forest fires from online social media feeds and drives the drones for reliable sensing. However, due to the scarcity of social media data in remote regions and limited flight times of drones, SDS solutions often underperform in large-scale forest fires. In this paper, we present CompDrone, a wildfire monitoring framework that exploits the collective strengths of computational wildfire modeling and SDS for reliable wildfire monitoring. Two critical challenges exist to integrate computational modeling and SDS together: i) limited availability of social signals in the regions of a forest fire; and ii) predicting the regions of fire where the drones should be dispatched to. To solve the above challenges, the CompDrone framework leverages techniques from cellular automata, constrained optimization, and game theory. The evaluation results using a real-world wildfire dataset show that CompDrone outperforms the state-of-the-art schemes in effectively predicting wildfire propagation.