cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimal Recall Period and Response Task for Self-Reported HIV Medication Adherence

Self-reported measures of antiretroviral adherence vary greatly in recall time periods and response tasks. To determine which time frame is most accurate, we compared 3-, 7-day, and 1-month self-reports with data from medication event monitoring system (MEMS). To determine which response task is most accurate we compared three different 1-month self-report tasks (frequency, percent, and rating) to MEMS. We analyzed 643 study visits made by 156 participants. Over-reporting (self-report minus MEMS) was significantly less for the 1-month recall period (9%) than for the 3 (17%) or 7-day (14%) periods. Over-reporting was significantly less for the 1-month rating task (3%) than for the 1-month frequency and percent tasks (both 12%). We conclude that 1-month recall periods may be more accurate than 3- or 7-day periods, and that items that ask respondents to rate their adherence may be more accurate than those that ask about frequencies or percents.
Polymyositis and dermatomyositis: Disease spectrum and classification

Muscle inflammation and weakness are the key features of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs). In addition IIMs are frequently associated with cutaneous and pulmonary involvement. In clinical practice the three common inflammatory myopathies we come across are polymyositis (PM), dermatomyositis (DM) and inclusion body myositis (IBM). The Bohan and Peter criteria combine clinical, laboratory, and pathologic features to define PM and DM. They did not recognize inclusion body myositis (IBM) or other inflammatory myopathies, such as granulomatous and eosinophilic myositis. Thus the disease spectrum is wide and IIMs are a heterogeneous group of autoimmune disorders. To address these issues in this article we have discussed the currently developing newer classifications of IIMs.
The Electrostatic Interaction of Two Arbitrary Charge Distributions

Certain features of the interaction energy of two nonoverlapping but otherwise arbitarary charge distributions are examined. This problem arises in the study of Van der Waals interactions and in that application it is advantaneous to express the energy operator as a multipole expansion. Some speciai results which were given in this connection by Margenau are generalized. It is found possible to express the complete interaction as a sum of coupling terms between the multipole moments describing the two charge distributions. For this purpose the algebra of irreducible tensors is employed and in so doing the interaction energy can be expressed in very simple form and a relatively simple interpretation of the result can be obtained. Finally, a comparison of this result with that conventionally employed permits the deduction of an interesting type of addition (or displacement) theorem for solid spherical harmonics. (auth)
Biomedical applications of single molecule detection

The search for increased sensitivity of bio-analytical techniques has recently shifted from signal generation to detection. While enzyme amplifiers and chemiluminescent reporters developed by chemists over the last two decades gradually moved detection limits to the attomol level, it has taken engineers only a few years to reach single- molecule sensitivity with the development of new instrumentation. A number of different approaches have successfully achieved single-molecule fluorescence detection including confocal and near-field scanning optical microscopy, photon-counting cameras, fluorescence- correlation and time-gated spectroscopy. They detect labels immobilized on substrates, diffusing in solution and flowing in electro-osmotic and hydrodynamically focused streams. Biotechnology has created numerous application s for single- molecule detection. In research labs, it can dramatically increase the rate of DNA sequencing, screen libraries for products of directed evolution, and characterize compounds in drug discovery programs. In medical diagnostics, ultra- sensitive detection technologies can be used for genetic screening, detection of infectious diseases, or multi- analyte profiles. It can be applied to immunoassays as well as DNA or RNA hybridization assays.
Predicting Ice Jams With Discriminant Function Analysis

Breakup ice jam prediction methods are desirable to provide early warning and allow rapid, effective ice jam mitigation due to the suddenness with which breakup jams and related flooding occur. However, prediction models are limited to empirical or stochastic models rather than deterministic models because of the difficulties in using deterministic models to forecast the formation of breakup ice jams. Existing ice jam prediction methods range from empirical single-variable threshold-type analyses to statistical methods such as logistic regression and discriminant function analysis. Empirical methods are highly site-specific and tend to over predict jam occurrence. In addition, existing models do not provide quantitative information regarding the risk of errors in prediction, which limits their usefulness in emergency situations. In this paper, existing methods are reviewed and a three-step process to predict breakup ice jams is proposed.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Thalamic components of the ascending vestibular system.

Abstract A combined anatomical and physiological approach was used to identify the thalamic nuclei that relay vestibular activity to the cerebral cortex at short latency in the cat. For the anatomical experiments, electrical stimulation was applied to the vestibular nerve, the cortical sites showing maximal amplitude responses were defined, and horseradish peroxidase was injected in these sites. Two days later, the animals were killed and brain sections were processed to localize enzyme reaction products in thalamic neurons. After either anterior suprasylvian injection or posterior cruciate region injection, most labeled neurons were in the ventral posterolateral nucleus. A few labeled neurons were found in the intralaminar and posterior groups of nuclei. In separate physiological experiments, responses to vestibular nerve stimulation and cerebral cortical stimulation were recorded from the thalamus. Short-latency (
Stamm Gastrostomy for Postoperative Gastric Decompression in Gynecologic Oncology Patients

Abstract Objective. The aim of this study was to report our experience with Stamm gastrostomy for postoperative gastric decompression on a gynecologic oncology service. Methods. This was an observational study over the 9-year period ending in October 2000. A 24 French MIC gastrostomy with the Stamm technique was used. Criteria for a gastrostomy are outlined in the text and tubes placed for palliation were excluded. Patients were followed to determine length of open drainage, time to removal, related complications, and those who may have benefited. Results. A total of 167 patients had 174 nonpalliative gastrostomy tubes placed. Nine percent of the patients had related complications with a major complication rate of 2%. Overall, approximately one-third of the patients appeared to benefit from the gastrostomy tube. Conclusion. The results support the safety and efficacy of the MIC gastric tube in patients undergoing extensive gynecologic cancer surgery which is likely to impact the function of the gastrointestinal tract.
Effect of intraarterial infusion of the ketoanalogue of leucine on amino acid release by forearm muscle

Abstract α-Ketoanalogues of most essential amino acids can be converted to the corresponding amino acids in man and appear to be useful dietary supplements in protein-intolerant patients. Recently, the branchedchain amino acids, especially leucine, have been found to promote protein synthesis in isolated muscle. The present studies were designed to assess the capacity of skeletal muscle to aminate the keto-analogue of leucine and determine if the metabolism of the ketoacid promotes protein synthesis. Six normal postabsorptive males received a 30-min brachial intraarterial infusion of ketoleucine (34.4 μmoles/min). Changes in ipsilateral muscle balance were estimated from whole blood concentrations and flow for 1 hr. Brachial arterial blood ketoleucine concentration increased by an average of 1.02 m M . In a single passage across forearm muscle, 52% of the ketoacid was extracted. Leucine was the only amino acid released in increased amounts, accounting for 31% of ketoleucine extracted. The remainder was apparently oxidized. No one donor capable of supplying all the nitrogen needed for leucine production could be identified, but significant reductions in the release of alanine, glycine, and histidine, and changes from release to uptake of valine and isoleucine, suggest possible contributions from these amino acids. Glutamine-asparagine release did not change. Lysine, tyrosine, and phenylalanine balances were also unchanged, suggesting no anabolic effect of ketoleucine on muscle protein under these conditions. The results demonstrate rapid transamination and utilization of ketoleucine by skeletal muscle in postabsorptive man.
Some actions of catechol on synaptic transmission in the isolated spinal cord of the frog.

The isolated frog spinal cord was used to investigate the synaptic effects of the convulsant agent catechol. Addition of the compound to the superfusate consistently enhanced orthodromic reflex activity recorded from ventral roots and augmented primary affarent depolarization. Concomitantly catechol altered the polarization changes produced in ventral and dorsal roots by putative neurotransmitter amino acids when these compounds were applied in Mg2+-containing Ringer. Catechol reduced the hyperpolarizations induced in motoneurons by the neutral amino acids, GABA, β-alanine, taurine and glycine, but did not affect the depolarizations produced by the dicarboxylic amino acids, l-glutamate and l-aspartate. In contrast, catechol increased the dorsal root depolarizations elicited by both neutral and dicarboxylic amino acids and also the depolarizations produced by elevated potassium concentrations. Catechol did not bring about significant changes in the passive electrical properties of motoneurons or dorsal root fibers. In addition, it did not alter either the high affinity uptake or the depolarization-evoked release of tritiated GABA, glycine,l-glutamate and l-aspartate. It appears that the postsynaptic actions of catechol explain its ability to enhance spinal reflexes.
Survivable Routing for Segment Protection under Multiple Failures

This paper considers the problem of survivable routing for segment protection under multiple failures. We propose an efficient algorithm to select working routes and backup segments to maximize the end-to-end survivability. Corresponding cost are investigated.
Prognostication in 3-Vessel Coronary Artery Disease Based on Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction During Exercise Influence of Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Background—Previous data indicate that left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) provides prognostic information among patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), but the value of such testing specifically for defining benefits of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) may relate to severity of exercise-inducible ischemia measured noninvasively before surgery. Methods and Results—To determine the independent prognostic importance of preoperative ischemia severity for predicting outcomes of CABG among patients with extensive CAD, we monitored 167 stable patients with angiographically documented 3-vessel CAD (average follow-up of 9 years in event-free patients) who previously had undergone rest and exercise radionuclide cineangiography. Their course was correlated with data obtained during initial radionuclide testing, coronary arteriography, and clinical evaluation at study entry. Fifty-two patients received medical treatment only, and 115 underwent CABG (44 early [≤1 month after initial study]). Multivar...
Big Data Analytics: Perspective Shifting from Transactions to Ecosystems

Understanding the flow and interrelated nature of institutions and business entities' processes and exchanges helps researchers develop and apply big data analytics techniques more effectively from an ecosystem-based perspective (rather than individual transactions and components).
Structural and chemical properties of highly oriented cadmium sulfide (CdS) cauliflower films

Cadmium sulfide (CdS) films have been produced by sputter-deposition varying the sputtering-power (P) in the range of 60–120 W. The crystal structure, morphology and chemical quality of the CdS films has been investigated employing X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray spectrometry (EDS). Structural characterization indicates that all the CdS layers exhibit cauliflower morphology. Highly oriented, single phase hexagonal-CdS films can be produced at P = 75–105 W while the films at other power contain mixed phases. Characterization using XPS and EDS indicate that the CdS layers are nearly stoichiometric at P = 75–105 W, at which point S-deficiency is induced resulting in Cd-rich-CdS layers.
Narrative reflections — After After Virtue

Alasdair MacIntyre played a large role in alerting those outside literature departments to the central role of narrative in very aspect of experience. In this he shares certain assumptions with Bakhtin. Both argue that we cannot think without putting events — especially the ongoing event of our lives — into a sequence of some kind. Bakhtin differs from MacIntyre in recognizing that there is a problem in thus universalizing narrative: If everything is narrativized, how can we discriminate between good and bad stories? Bakhtin’s concept of ‘novelness’ is a general theory of narrative, not just a theory of the genre of the novel. Novelness stresses the importance of openness, shared authorship, and other features that provide a set of categories for distinguishing between stories that are faithful to the dialogic nature of human existence and those that seek to deny that nature through various strategies that insure premature closure in a false unity. In an age when the Humanities are little valued by society at large, the in depth knowledge of narrative that defines the textual humanities can provide help to other disciplines that are only now beginning to sense the importance of story.
Using crowns to prevent tooth fracture

Placing crowns to prevent tooth fracture is thought to be a common but infrequently documented treatment procedure. Two studies are described that provide information about dentists' use of crowns to prevent tooth fracture. North Carolina general dentists indicated that 44% of the crowns they placed were for the principal reason of fracture prevention. However, when groups of dentists examined the same patients, there was little agreement about which teeth should be crowned due to risk of fracture. These results suggest that the placing of crowns to prevent fracture merits a careful determination of effectiveness and appropriateness.
Game-Theoretic Models of Information Overload in Social Networks

We study the effect of information overload on user engagement in an asymmetric social network like Twitter. We introduce simple game-theoretic models that capture rate competition between celebrities producing updates in such networks where users non-strategically choose a subset of celebrities to follow based on the utility derived from high quality updates as well as disutility derived from having to wade through too many updates. Our two variants model the two behaviors of users dropping some potential connections (followership model) or leaving the network altogether (engagement model). We show that under a simple formulation of celebrity rate competition, there is no pure strategy Nash equilibrium under the first model. We then identify special cases in both models when pure rate equilibria exist for the celebrities: For the followership model, we show existence of a pure rate equilibrium when there is a global ranking of the celebrities in terms of the quality of their updates to users. This result also generalizes to the case when there is a partial order consistent with all the linear orders of the celebrities based on their qualities to the users. Furthermore, these equilibria can be computed in polynomial time. For the engagement model, pure rate equilibria exist when all users are interested in the same number of celebrities, or when they are interested in at most two. Finally, we also give a finite though inefficient procedure to determine if pure equilibria exist in the general case of the followership model.
Optimal End Points for Acute Stroke Therapy Trials Best Ways to Measure Treatment Effects of Drugs and Devices

Background and Purpose—Over the past decade, analysis of completed actual trials, model population studies, and theoretical work have improved approaches to selecting and analyzing end points in acute stroke treatment trials. Methods—Narrative review. Results—Because stroke affects persons in their biological, functional, social, and experiential dimensions, measures of impairment, disability, handicap, and quality of life are all desirable in pivotal trials, with disability being most important. Scales that are valid, reliable, responsive, and easy to administer are preferred; consequently, the modified Rankin Scale has become the most widely used single clinical efficacy measure. Because stroke cripples and kills, most outcome scales array patient outcome in ordered ranks, spread over the entire range from normal to disabled to dead. Generally, shift analysis, analyzing all health state transitions concurrently, is the most efficient analytic technique to detect treatment effects, with sliding dichotomy...
Marine scientific research and marine pollution in China

Abstract In recent years coastal states everywhere in the world have paid attention to the preservation of the marine environment and the conduct of marine scientific research. The scope and nature of China's marine scientific research have been expanded and diversified since the late 1970s because of the growing importance of the ocean for the “Four Modernization “ programs. More and more programs have been designed and executed to find fishing resources, search for offshore oil and gas, promote maritime defense, help alleviate the marine pollution problems, reinforce China's territorial claim in the South China Sea, participate in Antarctic scientific research, and to better understand the whole marine environment. This article first examines China's attitude toward the legal regimes of marine pollution and marine scientific research. It depicts China's marine scientific research activities from the early 1950s. Finally it suggests that more scientific research programs will be designed in support of Ch...
Service-dominant logic: reactions, reflections and refinements

As one of its own foundational premises implies, the value of service-dominant (S-D) logic is necessarily in its open, collaborative effort. Thus, the authors invite and welcome both elaborative an...
A structured approach for cooperative query answering

This paper proposes the use of a type abstraction hierarchy as a framework for deriving cooperative query answers. The type abstraction hierarchy integrates the abstraction view with the subsumption (is-a) and composition (part-of) views of a type hierarchy. Such a framework provides multilevel object representation, which is an important aspect of cooperative query answering. The concept of pattern that specifies one or more conditions on an object is also proposed. Patterns have smaller granularity than types, and thus provide more specific semantic information. Cooperative query answering consists of query relaxation, generalization, specialization, and association on patterns. Query relaxation can be explicitly specified by the user or implicitly performed by the system. The implicit and explicit relaxations can also be combined and performed interactively by both the system and the user. CSQL, an extension of SQL for cooperative query answering, is also proposed. Preliminary experimental results reveal that the proposed type abstraction hierarchy provides an organized structure representing concepts at different knowledge levels in various domains, and provides a systematic and efficient method for cooperative query answering. >
Network virtualization: A tutorial

█ Introduction and Historical Perspective █ Reference Model, Architectural Principles and Objectives █ Network Virtualization Projects █ Challenges and Future Directions
Determination of heat generation in double layer shields

Abstract In this paper theoretical and experimental calculation of direct heat generation from the penetration of 6.12 MeV photons energy, emitted from an N-16 disk source, through double shielding layers combined of concrete, steel and lead shields is described. This work is a continuation of the work reported by Bakos (Bakos G.C., 1999. Ann. Nucl. Energy 26, 69–73) and is based on the analysis of experimentally determined photon flux spectra and the use of build up factor method.
LACK OF ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PREFERENCE FOR AND DEPENDENCE ON ETHANOL

Abstract Tests were performed on 60 HS mice to determine preference for ethanol before and after a period of forced ethanol ingestion via a liquid diet treatment. Seizure scores measured 4, 5, and 6 h after the end of the liquid diet treatment showed that moderate degrees of physical dependence had developed. Statistical analyses revealed a significant sex difference only for the amount of ethanol consumed during the liquid diet treatment, with females drinking more than males (on a g/kg basis). Correlational analyses indicated that preference for ethanol was not related to seizure severity or to amount consumed during the liquid diet treatment. A significant drop in preference after ethanol withdrawal was observed when pre- and post-withdrawal preference ratios were compared. These findings are discussed in the context of the usefulness of preference for ethanol as a predictor of alcoholism.
A powerful test for multiple rare variants association studies that incorporates sequencing qualities

Next-generation sequencing data will soon become routinely available for association studies between complex traits and rare variants. Sequencing data, however, are characterized by the presence of sequencing errors at each individual genotype. This makes it especially challenging to perform association studies of rare variants, which, due to their low minor allele frequencies, can be easily perturbed by genotype errors. In this article, we develop the quality-weighted multivariate score association test (qMSAT), a new procedure that allows powerful association tests between complex traits and multiple rare variants under the presence of sequencing errors. Simulation results based on quality scores from real data show that the qMSAT often dominates over current methods, that do not utilize quality information. In particular, the qMSAT can dramatically increase power over existing methods under moderate sample sizes and relatively low coverage. Moreover, in an obesity data study, we identified using the qMSAT two functional regions (MGLL promoter and MGLL 3′-untranslated region) where rare variants are associated with extreme obesity. Due to the high cost of sequencing data, the qMSAT is especially valuable for large-scale studies involving rare variants, as it can potentially increase power without additional experimental cost. qMSAT is freely available at http://qmsat.sourceforge.net/.
A genome-wide association study in catfish reveals the presence of functional hubs of related genes within QTLs for columnaris disease resistance

Columnaris causes severe mortalities among many different wild and cultured freshwater fish species, but understanding of host resistance is lacking. Catfish, the primary aquaculture species in the United States, serves as a great model for the analysis of host resistance against columnaris disease. Channel catfish in general is highly resistant to the disease while blue catfish is highly susceptible. F2 generation of hybrids can be produced where phenotypes and genotypes are segregating, providing a useful system for QTL analysis. To identify genes associated with columnaris resistance, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using the catfish 250 K SNP array with 340 backcross progenies derived from crossing female channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) with male F1 hybrid catfish (female channel catfish I. punctatus × male blue catfish I. furcatus). A genomic region on linkage group 7 was found to be significantly associated with columnaris resistance. Within this region, five have known functions in immunity, including pik3r3b, cyld-like, adcyap1r1, adcyap1r1-like, and mast2. In addition, 3 additional suggestively associated QTL regions were identified on linkage groups 7, 12, and 14. The resistant genotypes on the QTLs of linkage groups 7 and 12 were found to be homozygous with both alleles being derived from channel catfish. The paralogs of the candidate genes in the suggestively associated QTL of linkage group 12 were found on the QTLs of linkage group 7. Many candidate genes on the four associated regions are involved in PI3K pathway that is known to be required by many bacteria for efficient entry into the host. The GWAS revealed four QTLs associated with columnaris resistance in catfish. Strikingly, the candidate genes may be arranged as functional hubs; the candidate genes within the associated QTLs on linkage groups 7 and 12 are not only co-localized, but also functionally related, with many of them being involved in the PI3K signal transduction pathway, suggesting its importance for columnaris resistance.
A novel fiber composite ingredient incorporated into a beverage and bar blunts postprandial serum glucose and insulin responses: a randomized controlled trial

Previous research supports that consumption of resistant starch and guar gum independently influences insulin-mediated glucose responses to meals. This research assessed a novel co-processed fiber composite (FC) ingredient comprising whole-grain high-amylose maize flour and viscous guar gum on glucose and insulin responses to co-consumed and subsequent meals in humans. It was hypothesized that a smoothie-type beverage or a cold-pressed snack bar containing the FC would blunt and sustain serum glucose and insulin postprandial responses compared with maltodextrin (MD). The beverage and bar were assessed in 2 separate studies using identical protocols. Young, nondiabetic, nonobese adults participated in 2 testing days (randomized crossover design) separated by at least 1 week for both food forms. On each testing day, the FC or MD product was consumed with a low-fiber standardized breakfast followed by a low-fiber standardized lunch (with no FC or MD) 4 hours later. Blood samples were collected at baseline and incrementally throughout the 8-hour testing day. One-tailed paired t tests were performed to compare treatment areas under the curve, and a doubly repeated-measures analysis of variance was performed to compare treatment responses at individual time points (P< .05, Bonferroni corrected). The FC blunted the postprandial glucose and insulin responses compared with MD, including a robust glucose and insulin response reduction after breakfast and a continued modest glycemic second-meal reduction after lunch in both the beverage and the bar. These findings support the use of this novel whole-grain FC ingredient in a beverage or bar for insulin-mediated glucose control in young healthy adults.
The Atmospheric Water Vapor Cycle in South America and theTropospheric Circulation

Abstract The main characteristics of the atmospheric water vapor cycle over the South American continent and the adjacent oceans are investigated using the 22-yr period, from 1976 to 1997, of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction–National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP–NCAR) 40-Year Reanalysis Project database. Precipitation rate and water vapor content fields obtained from this dataset are compared over the region with newly available observed datasets, which combine ground-based and satellite-derived observations. The temporal variation and spatial distribution of the atmospheric water vapor balance equation terms (precipitation rate, evaporation rate, and water vapor flux convergence) are examined with regard to their consistency and relative importance. The net effect of the atmospheric water vapor transport, represented in the last term of the balance equation, is decomposed into the horizontal and vertical convergence terms. The analysis of the latter highlights those regions wher...
A Woman With Chronic Postprandial Abdominal Pain and Vomiting

Question: A 35-year-old woman presented with a 3-month history of postprandial abdominal discomfort and vomiting. The patient’s history included left jugular foramen schwannoma with involvement of the vagus and spinal accessory nerves (cranial nerves X and XI) treated with left level II/III neck dissection 4 months before presentation; intraoperatively, electromyography (EMG) monitoring confirmed transection of both nerves in the process of tumor resection. Physical examination yielded a soft, nondistended abdomen with bowel sounds present; no guarding, rebound, or bruits were found. The only laboratory abnormality included a mildly elevated leukocyte count of 11.7 10/L (normal range, 3.5-10.5 10/L). Abdominal computed tomographic imaging demonstrated pronounced gallbladder contraction (Figure A [transverse plane] and Figure B [coronal plane]; arrows) without additional intra-abdominal pathology. Subsequent abdominal ultrasound performed in the fasting state also demonstrated gallbladder contraction (Figure C). The patient proceeded to cholecystectomy for diagnostic and therapeutic intent. Postoperative surgical pathology revealed chronic inflammation and thickened muscularis mucosa of the gallbladder (Figure D; star indicates thickened muscularis mucosa). After cholecystectomy, the patient reported complete symptomatic resolution. What are the diagnosis and the likely etiology? Look on page 47 for the answer and see the Gastroenterology web site (www.gastrojournal.org) for more information on submitting your favorite image to Clinical Challenges and Images in GI.
Data Management for the Nonhuman Primate Nursery

In any facility that manages the health and welfare of nonhuman primates, it quickly becomes obvious that record keeping, and therefore data management, is required. In fact, increasing levels of record keeping and data management are now required by various facility-monitoring organizations. Much less concern has been placed on the uses for such data beyond the legal and immediate, day-to-day needs. Furthermore, many data-management systems have been built gradually, and no standards currently exist for what information such systems should contain. Our goal in this chapter is to describe the dimensions of data-management systems for nonhuman primate colonies, to provide a brief history of previous efforts to develop some structure and standards for these systems, and then to bring these efforts up to date with suggestions that have worked to satisfy the more modern, multiple needs of clinicians, researchers, and administrators.
Legal and policy interventions to improve patient safety

Twenty years ago, few systematic efforts to make health care safer existed. Today, patient safety is a priority for patients, providers, payers, and policy makers. The Institute of Medicine’s 1999 report on medical error prompted a flurry of activity, including widespread adoption of error detection and reporting programs, movement toward systems approaches for addressing error, development of new clinical interventions to reduce error, and efforts to foster stronger safety cultures within healthcare organizations.1 Although there are some indications that these activities have yielded benefits, it is also evident that much of health care, including cardiovascular medicine, remains too unsafe.2,3 Mirroring the heterogeneity and complexity of errors in health care, the myriad initiatives underway to improve safety are multifaceted and wide ranging, which makes it difficult to overview them. However, many of the initiatives that involve legal and policy-based interventions may be characterized according to their alignment with 1 of the following 4 general approaches: greater transparency; financial incentives; new forms of regulation emanating from both inside and outside the provider community; and reform of the liability system. As patient safety improvement initiatives grow in scope and impact, understanding their precise role, effects, and limitations will become increasingly important for physicians and hospitals. Cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, and health services and policy researchers working on cardiovascular disease are especially likely to encounter these initiatives. Cardiac conditions are highly visible, frequently associated with substantial morbidity and mortality, and expensive, which helps to explain why cardiovascular care is often targeted for improvement efforts. In this article, we review the leading approaches to patient safety improvement, addressing both their rationale and available evidence of their effectiveness. We conclude with discussion of some implications for clinical practice. Health care is an opaque enterprise. Its machinery is understood best and controlled largely by …
DIFFERENTIATION OF MALE SOCIAL TRAITS IN FEMALE RHESUS MACAQUES BY PRENATAL TREATMENT WITH ANDROGENS: VARIATION IN TYPE OF ANDROGEN, DURATION, AND TIMING OF TREATMENT,,

Publisher Summary This chapter summarizes experimental studies on the expression of play, mounting, and presenting behavior by juvenile rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) in a social context. These patterns of behavior of the two sexes are unlike coital behaviors in several important respects. First, they do not require either sexually specialized peripheral organs or specialized hormonal environments for their display by males or females at the post-differentiation stages of development. Second, unlike coital behaviors, these behavioral patterns are displayed throughout the life of the individual even though their functions and frequencies of display may change with age. For example, during juvenile development, mounting and presenting responses function primarily in social communication. In adulthood, however, these responses serve sexual and reproductive as well as social functions. The chapter presents a comparison of behavior changes induced in female offspring through the injection of testosterone propionate or dihydrotestosterone propionate into their mothers during pregnancy.
Cooperative description of type cultures of Streptomyces.: II. Species descriptions from first study

ABSTRACT Confusion exists in taxonomy and nomenclature of the genus Streptomyces (Actinomycetales) and related genera because of inadequate descriptions for the species or lack of uniformity in criteria and methods for their characterization. More than 40 collaborating laboratories representing 18 nations are joined in an international effort to assemble and redescribe authentic type strains or neotype strains for the named species in the genera Streptomyces and Streptoverticillium. Uniform descriptive criteria and standardized methods and media, developed under the supervision of the Subcommittee on Taxonomy of Actinomycetes, American Society for Microbiology and the Subcommittee on Taxonomy of Actinomycetes of the International Committee on Bacteriological Nomenclature, have been officially adopted for this purpose. The type strain for each species (identified only by code number) is studied under these standard procedures in cooperating laboratories in 3 different nations. Data returned by these collaborators, including photo micrographs and electron micrographs, were used to prepare the illustrated standardized emendations to descriptions for 100 Streptomyces (Actinomyces) or Streptoverticillium species included in this report. Emendations to descriptions for additional species will be included in reports to follow. Type specimens (strains) of the 100 species for which emended characterizations have been completed, are now deposited in the American Type Culture Collection and the Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures for distribution to other culture collections of the world as reference cultures.
A structured, model-based systems engineering methodology for operations system design

This paper describes a methodology for the development of mission operations systems (MOS) that leverages model-based system engineering (MBSE) techniques to make the system engineering process more rigorous and repeatable and, ultimately, to lower the cost and risk associated with MOS development. It does so by casting many of the conventional system engineering products such as requirements, interface designs and specifications, and operations processes in a structured, reusable form. This paper begins (Sect. 2) by contrasting this structured methodology with more conventional practice of system engineering in the formulation and design phases. Section 3 reviews key architectural concepts that enable the approach and that arise from considering the development of mission operations systems from a product-line perspective, rather than as singular, unique creations in the context of a single flight project. Sections 4 and 5 describe (respectively) the structure of a multi-mission operations system (MMOS) model and the methods used to adapt the MMOS for use in a particular project context. Section 6 describes adoption by a number of diverse flight projects to date, challenges they face, and advantages that they have or expect to accrue as they continue development or begin flight operations.
Partial Amino Acid Sequence of Spinach Chloroplast Fructose-1,6-Bisphosphatase

Chloroplast fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FbPase) is an essential enzyme in the photosynthetic pathway of carbon dioxide fixation into sugars. The properties of the chloroplast enzyme are clearly distinct from cytosolic gluconeogenic FbPases. Light-dependent activation via a ferredoxin/thioredoxin system and insensitivity to inhibition by AMP are unique characteristics of the chloroplast enzyme (for refs. see 1–3). However, preliminary amino acid sequence data has demonstrated that a significant degree of amino acid sequence similarity exists between spinach chloroplast and mammalian gluconeogenic fructose-1,6-bisphospha-tase. This conclusion (4) was based on the sequence analysis of one cyanogen bromide peptide and three tryptic peptides obtained from S-car-boxymethylated spinach chloroplast FbPase and the data provided sequence information for a total of 78 amino acid residues.
Transposon-mediated activation of the Escherichia coli glpFK operon is inhibited by specific DNA-binding proteins: Implications for stress-induced transposition events

Escherichia coli cells deleted for the cyclic AMP (cAMP) receptor protein (Crp) gene (Δcrp) cannot utilize glycerol because cAMP-Crp is a required activator of the glycerol utilization operon, glpFK. We have previously shown that a transposon, Insertion Sequence 5 (IS5), can insert into the upstream regulatory region of the operon to activate the glpFK promoter and enable glycerol utilization. GlpR, which represses glpFK transcription, binds to the glpFK upstream region near the site of IS5 insertion and inhibits insertion. By adding cAMP to the culture medium in ΔcyaA cells, we here show that the cAMP-Crp complex, which also binds to the glpFK upstream regulatory region, inhibits IS5 hopping into the activating site. Control experiments showed that the frequencies of mutations in response to cAMP were independent of parental cell growth rate and the selection procedure. These findings led to the prediction that glpFK-activating IS5 insertions can also occur in wild-type (Crp+) cells under conditions that limit cAMP production. Accordingly, we found that IS5 insertion into the activating site in wild-type cells is elevated in the presence of glycerol and a non-metabolizable sugar analogue that lowers cytoplasmic cAMP concentrations. The resultant IS5 insertion mutants arising in this minimal medium become dominant constituents of the population after prolonged periods of growth. The results show that DNA binding transcription factors can reversibly mask a favored transposon target site, rendering a hot spot for insertion less favored. Such mechanisms could have evolved by natural selection to overcome environmental adversity.
Extended Kalman Filtering to estimate temperature and irradiation for maximum power point tracking of a photovoltaic module

Abstract This paper develops an algorithm for estimating photovoltaic (PV) module temperature and effective irradiation level. The power output of a PV system depends directly on both of these states. Estimating the temperature and irradiation allows for improved state-based control methods while eliminating the need of additional sensors. Thermal models and irradiation estimators have been developed in the literature, but none incorporate feedback for estimation. This paper outlines an Extended Kalman Filter for temperature and irradiation estimation. These estimates are, in turn, used within a novel state-based controller that tracks the maximum power point of the PV system. Simulation results indicate this state-based controller provides up to an 8.5% increase in energy produced per day as compared to an impedance matching controller. A sensitivity analysis is provided to examine the impact state estimate errors have on the ability to find the optimal operating point of the PV system.
IL-33 dysregulates regulatory T cells and impairs established immunologic tolerance in the lungs

Background Airway exposure to environmental antigens generally leads to immunologic tolerance. A fundamental question remains: Why is airway tolerance compromised in patients with allergic airway diseases? IL-33 promotes innate and adaptive type 2 immunity and might provide the answer to this question. Objective The goal of this study was to investigate the roles played by IL-33 in altering regulatory T (Treg) cells in the lungs and in affecting previously established airway immunologic tolerance. Methods We analyzed CD4 + forkhead box P3 (Foxp3) + Treg cells that were isolated from the lungs of naive BALB/c mice and those treated with IL-33. Airway tolerance and allergen-induced airway inflammation models in mice were used to investigate how IL-33 affects established immunologic tolerance in vivo . Results CD4 + Foxp3 + Treg cells in the lungs expressed the IL-33 receptor ST2. When exposed to IL-33, Treg cells upregulated their expression of the canonical T H 2 transcription factor GATA3, as well as ST2, and produced type 2 cytokines. Treg cells lost their ability to suppress effector T cells in the presence of IL-33. Airway administration of IL-33 with an antigen impaired immunologic tolerance in the lungs that had been established by prior exposure to the antigen. Dysregulated Foxp3 + Treg cells with distinct characteristics of T H 2 cells increased in the lungs of mice undergoing IL-33–dependent allergen-driven airway inflammation. Conclusions IL-33 dysregulated lung Treg cells and impaired immunologic tolerance to inhaled antigens. Established airway tolerance might not be sustained in the presence of an innate immunologic stimulus, such as IL-33.
Abstract 5347: Molecular barcoding improves confidence in variant calling with low input FFPE tissue samples

FFPE tissue archiving is the most widely used method for clinical sample preservation, and provides a valuable source of diverse genetic information for cancer biomarker discovery. NGS library preparation is often challenging, however, as FFPE-derived DNAs exhibit varying degrees of fragmentation and chemical modification depending on how tissues were handled and processed. Moreover, the presence of low allele frequency variants because of tumor heterogeneity, sample degradation, and high rate of formalin-induced mutations make SNV calling a challenging task. To improve variant calling and consistency across FFPE samples of varying quality, we developed a complete workflow solution that features DNA pre-qualification, molecular barcodes for uniquely tagging each DNA fragment, pre-capture indexing for tracking up to 192 samples, accelerated hybrid capture, and one-tube library prep, to enable the preparation of complex enriched libraries in less than 8 hours from 10-200ng of FFPE-derived DNA. We incorporate molecular barcodes at the ligation step to enable de-duplication and generation of consensus reads using SureCall software, which significantly improves confidence of variant calling (99% of calls >150 variant call quality threshold) at low allelic frequencies. Using ClearSeq Comprehensive Cancer Panel which targets 151 genes frequently mutated in solid and hematological cancers, we routinely obtain high quality libraries (with 1000X sequencing depth and after deduplication) with >99% of the targeted region covered at 20X for high quality gDNA (FF tissue), and greater than 95% and 90% covered at 20X for medium and low quality FFPE samples, respectively. Using multiplex reference samples, we demonstrate detection of low frequency variants (at 1-5%) including SNVs, small indels, and RET and ROS1 translocations. As we will further show, FFPE integrity scores determined by qPCR and TapeStation (ddCq and DIN) enable researchers to choose the appropriate quantification method, PCR cycling, and sequencing depth for optimal sequencing coverage. Citation Format: Bahram Arezi, Bilan Hsue, Keith Chen, Brenda Rogers, Christian Lecocq, Ashutosh Ashutosh, Jayati Ghosh, Gilbert Amparo, Madhuvanthi Ramaiah, Carlos Pabon, Holly Hogrefe. Molecular barcoding improves confidence in variant calling with low input FFPE tissue samples [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5347. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-5347
Electrical properties of metal-doped pyridine-derived polyimide films

A series of polyimide films containing pyridine coordinating groups doped with cobalt or nickel ions has been examined. Using 3,3′,4,4′-benzophenonetetracarboxylic acid dianhydride, films were prepared in combination with 4,4′-oxydianiline, 4,4′-dianiline sulfide, 3,3′-bis(aminopyridine)sulfide and 2,2′dioxyphenelenebis(5,5′-aminopyridine). Room temperature volume resistivities have been found to decrease slightly with sulfur and pyridine containing diamines relative to diamines which do not contain these functionalities. Doping with cobalt and nickel additives results in further lowering of room temperature volume resistivity. Preliminary temperature profiling experiments have shown that volume resistivity decreases as Tg is approached.