cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Induction of the FK506-binding protein, FKBP13, under conditions which misfold proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum

In order to determine whether the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) luminal FK506-binding protein, FKBP13, shares properties of ER molecular chaperones, MDCK cells were treated with either tunicamycin or Ca2+ ionophores. By Northern-blot analysis, tunicamycin resulted in a 2-fold rise in FKBP13 mRNA, whereas ionophores (A23187 and ionomycin) caused a more impressive rise in FKBP13 mRNA (up to 5-fold with ionomycin). Actinomycin D chase experiments in ionomycin-treated cells revealed no change in the half-life of FKBP13 mRNA, indicating that the increase in FKBP13 mRNA observed was not due to greater message stability. Moreover, sequencing of the 5' flanking region of the gene for murine FKBP13 revealed significant similarity to similar regions in human BiP (immunoglobulin-binding protein) and the human glucose-regulated protein grp94, including a 37 bp sequence in FKBP13 with approximately 50% identity with the unfolded protein response element of the BiP gene. Together, these data suggest a role for FKBP13 in ER protein folding.
Ninety-six-hour infusional paclitaxel as salvage therapy of ovarian cancer patients previously failing treatment with 3-hour or 24-hour paclitaxel infusion regimens.

PURPOSETo test the hypothesis that prolonged infusion of paclitaxel (96 hours) might overcome resistance to shorter infusion schedules (3 or 24 hours) in ovarian cancer.PATIENTS AND METHODSA total of 30 patients with advanced ovarian cancer (24 patients), primary carcinoma of the peritoneum (four patients), or fallopian tube cancer (two patients) who previously had received paclitaxel administered on either a 3-hour or 24-hour schedule were treated with the agent delivered as a 96-hour infusion (30 to 35 mg/m2/d x 4 days) on an every 3-week program.RESULTSAlthough the regimen generally was well tolerated, no objective responses were observed.CONCLUSIONIn patients with ovarian cancer who have shown resistance to shorter paclitaxel infusion schedules, ninety-six hour infusional paclitaxel is an inactive treatment strategy. This makes it less likely that protracted infusion of paclitaxel will improve outcome when used as part of primary therapy of ovarian cancer. An ongoing randomized study will answer that ...
Penetration of Sized-Particle Barriers by Field Populations of Subterranean Termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

Barriers of seven single-sized and two mixed-sized particles were exposed to field populations of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, and the eastern subterranean termite, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) for 1-3 mo. Compared with previous laboratory results, field populations of subterranean termites were generally more successful in penetration of sand barriers composed of sized particles. Barriers of particles in sizes 2.00-2.36 and 2.36–2.80 mm were least penetrated by soilborne colonies of C. formosanus . Three single-sized barriers (1.70–2.00, 2.00–2.36, and 2.36–2.80 mm) and two mixed-sized barriers (1.18–2.80 and 1.70–2.36 mm) were most effective against field populations of R. flavipes . In areas where both C. formosanus and Reticulitermes spp. occur, the two single-sized particle barriers (2.00–2.36 and 2.36–2.80 mm) appeared to be the most effective exclusion devices against field populations of these subterranean termites.
Evaluation of new geological reference materials for uranium-series measurements: Chinese Geological Standard Glasses (CGSG) and macusanite obsidian.

Recent advances in high-resolution, rapid, in situ microanalytical techniques present numerous opportunities for the analytical community, provided accurately characterized reference materials are available. Here, we present multicollector thermal ionization mass spectrometry (MC-TIMS) and multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) uranium and thorium concentration and isotopic data obtained by isotope dilution for a suite of newly available Chinese Geological Standard Glasses (CGSG) designed for microanalysis. These glasses exhibit a range of compositions including basalt, syenite, andesite, and a soil. Uranium concentrations for these glasses range from ∼2 to 14 μg g–1, Th/U weight ratios range from ∼4 to 6, 234U/238U activity ratios range from 0.93 to 1.02, and 230Th/238U activity ratios range from 0.98 to 1.12. Uranium and thorium concentration and isotopic data are also presented for a rhyolitic obsidian from Macusani, SE Peru (macusanite). This glass can also be used as ...
Turbulence measurements in wing-body juncture flow

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation of turbulence characteristics of flow in the wing-body junctures of straight, forward, and backswept wings. Measurements were made at a momentum thickness-based Reynolds number of about 5000 in three planes (i.e. the plane of symmetry and transverse planes at maximum thickness and 80 percent of the chord) using a three-component LDV in coincident mode. The forward-swept wing-body juncture exhibited the lowest turbulent kinetic energy (TKE). The influence of sweep was observed in the form of higher levels in the flow field in the transverse plane at the trailing edge. The multiple-vortex structure of the system was clearly brought out by analyzing the turbulent transport of TKE. The maximum u-turbulence intensity level was observed to be farther upstream as compared to earlier reported results for the straight wing-body juncture. (Author)
Age-friendly cities: The role of churches

ABSTRACTAlthough the role of religion and spirituality in the lives of older adults is well documented, more research is needed to better understand the role of churches within the context of “age-friendly” cities. Qualitative data were collected (N = 60) from six ethnically diverse focus groups and individual interviews of homebound older adults. Study participants emphasized the importance of churches as a source of social connectivity, volunteering, and as a provider of health-related education and informal services. Findings underscore the importance of churches in age-friendly cities and address a critical gap in the literature.
Teatro Pós-dramático e Performance Pós-dramática

Este ensaio inicia com o conceito de teatro pos-dramatico conforme formulado pelo teorico alemao Hans- Thies Lehmann e nele se consideram as obras recentes de varios diretores internacionais relevantes – Ivo van Hove, Punchdrunk, Signa, entre outros – como exemplos de performance pos-dramatica. Argumenta-se que o ponto comum a essas obras desafia o conceito tradicional de mimese e do universo teatral como construto ficticio claramente separado da vida cotidiana e de suas circunstâncias.
Dentin bond strengths as a function of solvent and glutaraldehyde content.

PURPOSE To evaluate the effect of the inclusion of glutaraldehyde on the shear bond strength of new ethanol-based adhesives (Gluma Comfort Bond & Desensitizer, GCBD and Gluma Comfort Bond, GCB) versus acetone-based Gluma One Bond (GOB) and a conventional three-step adhesive as a control. MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty bovine incisors were mounted in acrylic, polished to 600-grit, and randomly assigned to four groups (n=10). Dentin was etched for 15 s using 35% phosphoric acid, rinsed, and lightly dried. After adhesive application and curing, Charisma composite was applied in a #5 gelatin capsule and light-cured. Specimens were loaded in shear using an Instron at 5 mm/min. Shear bond strengths were calculated by dividing failure load by bonded surface area. ANOVA showed a significant difference in means at P< 0.01, so Tukey's test was used for pairwise comparisons. RESULTS Mean SBS (+/- SD, MPa) were: GOB: 8 (4.4)ab; GCB: 10 (4.4)ab; GCBD: 14 (6)bc; SBMP: 17.7 (6.4)c. Superscript letters indicate Tukey's homogeneous subsets (P< 0.05).
Photoresponsive Chiral Liquid Crystal Materials: From 1D Helical Superstructures to 3D Periodic Cubic Lattices and Beyond

Stimuli-responsive self-organized chiral architectures with functional properties hold great promise in design and fabrication of smart soft materials. Chiral liquid crystals (LCs) represent such a promising class of materials due to their unique chiral superstructures and properties as a result of chirality transfer from molecular level to macroscopic liquid crystalline phases. Introducing photochromic molecules into chiral LCs results in self-organized superstructures whose properties can be tuned by light and therefore open the door for their applications in several new directions. For example, the helical superstructure of chiral nematic phase can reflect light selectively according to Bragg's law. The photo-tuning of the reflection wavelength has substantial significance for applications in reflection displays, tunable lasers, photonics, etc. This chapter focus is on the recent progress in photoresponsive chiral LCs such as chiral nematic phases, chiral smectic phases, and blue phases (BPs). We especially discuss their structures, important properties and feasible applications. Photomodulation of chiral nematic phases such as phase transition, handedness inversion, and reflection color change is introduced based on different types of photochromic molecules. For the chiral smectic phase, photomodulation mainly focuses on their ferroelectric nature such as magnitude and sign of spontaneous polarization. BPs as a novel type of three dimensional (3D) photonic crystals are receiving increasing attention, and the light-induced phase transitions and reflection color tuning are also presented.
Variation of Blunt Traumatic Injury with Age in Older Adults: Statewide Analysis 2011-14.

Introduction Traumatic injury is a leading cause of death and disability in adults ≥ 65 years old, but there are few epidemiological studies addressing this issue. The aim of this epidemiological study was to assess how characteristics of blunt traumatic injuries in adults ≥ 65 vary by age. Methods Using data from the a single-state trauma registry, this retrospective cohort study examined injured patients ≥ 65 admitted to all level I and level II trauma centers in Pennsylvania between 2011 and 2014 (n=38,562). Patients were stratified by age into three subgroups (age 65-74; 75-84; ≥85). Demographics, injury, and system-level variables were compared across groups using the Kruskal-Wallis test for continuous variables and the Cochran–Armitage test for categorical variables. Results Female sex (48.6% vs. 58.7% vs. 67.7%), white race (89.1% vs. 92.6% vs. 94.6%), and non-Hispanic ethnicity (97.5% vs. 98.6% vs. 99.4%) increased significantly with age across age groups. As age increased, the proportion of falls (69.9% vs. 82.1% vs. 90.3%), in-hospital mortality (4.6% vs. 6.2% vs. 6.8%), and proportion of patients arriving to the hospital via ambulance also increased (73.6% vs. 75.8% vs. 81.1%), while mean injury severity (10.3 vs. 10.1 vs. 9.6) and the proportion of level one trauma alerts (10.6% vs. 8.2% vs. 6.7%) decreased. No trend was seen between age and patient transfer status. The five most common diagnoses were vertebral fracture, rib fracture, head contusion, open head wound, and intracranial hemorrhage.Conclusions This study highlights several new areas for further exploration such as the decrease in trauma alert level with age, the increase in mortality with age, and the decrease in demographic diversity with age among older adults receiving care at a trauma center. This descriptive study provides a framework for future research on the relationship between age and blunt traumatic injury in older adults.
T-cell-rich B-cell lymphoma

We analyzed 23 cases of T-cell-rich B-cell lymphomas (BCL) to determine if the clinical features are characteristic of a discrete entity. Cases encoded as T-cell-rich BCL in the hematopathology archives of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center between 1988 and 1991 formed the basis of this study. At least 50% of the total population of cells were required to be of T-cell phenotype. Actually, all but one patient had more than 70% T cells in the total population. Sixty-five percent of all cases were referred with other diagnosis such as Hodgkin's mixed cellularity, peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL), or diffuse mixed lymphoma, and had received therapy accordingly. With the exception of splenomegaly, which occurred in 35% of cases, the other clinical characteristics and the response to therapy did not indicate that this entity represents a distinct type of lymphoma. Ann Arbor stage I-II presentations were seen in 10 of 23 (43%) T-cell-rich BCLs. Serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was elevated in eight of 19 patients. Age, sex, and beta 2-microglobulin were not significantly different from classical B-cell large cell lymphoma. The clinical presentation and clinical outcome of T-cell-rich BCL did not differ from that of common B-cell large cell lymphoma, except for the higher proportion of splenomegaly seen in patients with T-cell-rich BCL. The presence of the T-cell-rich infiltrate varied: it frequently was not seen at relapse or at other sites of disease at presentation. It was thus considered an unstable parameter. The major importance of identifying this entity is to distinguish it pathologically from other disorders such as Hodgkin's disease and PTCL, which would be treated in a different manner.
Integrated photonics engineered around exceptional points

Exceptional point is a fundamental notion in quantum field theories and enables new functionalities in photonics. In this talk, I will discuss harnessing parity-time (PT) symmetry to realize optical exceptional points using the state-of-the-art integrated nanophotonics technology for novel optoelectronic functionalities. I will present unidirectional light transport and coherent light control at PT exceptional points on a passive silicon platform and effective control of cavity resonant modes for stable lasing performances on a III–V semiconductor platform.
I Don’t Want to Want to: Intentionality and Craving in Addiction

What does it mean to crave something? And what is the relationship between desire and choice? These questions lie at the heart of the vast field of addiction research. Clinicians and researchers from many different theoretical schools ask why substance abusers focus on the immediate positive short-term effects of the substance rather than the devastating long-term effects they know will follow. Less attention is paid, however, to the subjective experience of the craving or urge associated with this addictive behavior, or to the context of attitudes and decisions required for it to occur. Perhaps, this is why Marlatt and Witkiewitz (2005) describe craving as “possibly the most widely studied and the most poorly understood concept in the study of drug addiction” (p. 18).
Emergency Planning for Nuclear Power Plants

This book provides a history of emergency planning with respect to nuclear power plant accidents from the 1950’s to the 2000’s. It gives an overview of essential concepts that a working emergency planner should know, including brief overviews of the health physics and plant engineering that applies to emergency planning. Each chapter covers topics unique to radiological planning that distinguish it from planning for natural disasters. Some of the topics include processes that damage fuel, reactor source terms, basic dispersion theory, protective measures for the public and emergency worker, environmental surveys, and the essential elements of a drill and exercise program. Emergency Planning for Nuclear Power Plants is not intended as a guide to meeting regulatory requirements but provides an understanding of the essential concepts and language of radiological planning, so the planner can apply those concepts to their particular situation.
Impulse Control Disorders and Related Complications of Parkinson's Disease Therapy

Impulsive and compulsive behaviors in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients are most often attributed to dopamine agonist therapy; dysregulation of the mesocorticolimbic system accounts for this behavioral phenotype. The clinical presentation is commonly termed impulse control disorder (ICD): Behaviors include hypersexuality, compulsive eating, shopping, pathological gambling, and compulsive hobby participation. However, not all PD individuals taking dopamine agonists develop these behavioral changes. In this review, the authors focus on the similarities between the phenotypic presentation of ICDs with that of other reward-based behavioral disorders, including binge eating disorder, pathological gambling, and substance use disorders. With this comparison, we emphasize that the transition from an impulsive to compulsive behavior likely follows a ventral to dorsal striatal pattern, where an altered dopaminergic reward system underlies the emergence of these problematic behaviors. The authors discuss the neurobiological similarities between these latter disorders and ICDs, emphasizing similar pathophysiological processes and discussing treatment options that have potential for translation to PD patients.
Antimicrobial Activity of Nitric Oxide-Releasing Ti-6Al-4V Metal Oxide

Titanium and titanium alloy materials are commonly used in joint replacements, due to the high strength of the materials. Pathogenic microorganisms can easily adhere to the surface of the metal implant, leading to an increased potential for implant failure. The surface of a titanium-aluminum-vanadium (Ti-6Al-4V) metal oxide implant material was functionalized to deliver an small antibacterial molecule, nitric oxide. S-nitroso-penicillamine, a S-nitrosothiol nitric oxide donor, was covalently immobilized on the metal oxide surface using self-assembled monolayers. Infrared spectroscopy was used to confirm the attachment of the S-nitrosothiol donor to the Ti-Al-4V surface. Attachment of S-nitroso-penicillamine resulted in a nitric oxide (NO) release of 89.6 ± 4.8 nmol/cm2 under physiological conditions. This low concentration of nitric oxide reduced Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis growth by 41.5 ± 1.2% and 25.3 ± 0.6%, respectively. Combining the S-nitrosothiol releasing Ti-6Al-4V with tetracycline, a commonly-prescribed antibiotic, increased the effectiveness of the antibiotic by 35.4 ± 1.3%, which allows for lower doses of antibiotics to be used. A synergistic effect of ampicillin with S-nitroso-penicillamine-modified Ti-6Al-4V against S. epidermidis was not observed. The functionalized Ti-6Al-4V surface was not cytotoxic to mouse fibroblasts.
HOW DO THE PROPERTIES OF WATER IN CONFINED VOLUMES DIFFER FROM THOSE IN THE NORMAL LIQUID

What we are trying to do in our laboratory is to combine pico- and femtosecond experiments with theory and computational molecular dynamics for the study of condensed phase chemical reactions, primarily, but not entirely, in the water solvent. More recently, we have become interested in these types of reactions near surfaces. The paper will mainly concern this latter aspect.
Educational Problem-solving: Planning and Research

This chapter discusses progress made in the Peruvian education sector toward the ability to systematically study problems and seek their solution. When the Peruvian educational planning experience, since its origin in 1949, is compared with related planning activities in other Latin American countries, a number of striking interrelated commonalities become apparent in the collective experience. These are: (1) plans often become an end in themselves and have little operational value; (2) planning lacks continuity, skilled staff, cooperation and collaboration among planning components, essential data, statistics, and research; and (3) educational decision-makers rarely value or use plans. They most frequently base decisions not on factual data, but on political necessity and vested interests. Educational research as a means of studying educational problems to improve educational practice and decision-making is a relatively neglected activity in all of Latin America. The scientific problem-solving approach has been consistently either rejected as a sort of foreign irritant, or the approach has been adapted, that is, turned to intellectual and humanistic concerns.
A Floor, Not a Ceiling: Federalism and Remedies for Violations of Constitutional Rights in Danforth v. Minnesota

Few doubt that states can provide greater protection for individual rights under state constitutions than is available under the Supreme Court's interpretation of the federal Constitution. More difficult issues arise, however, when state courts seek to provide greater protection than the Court requires for federal constitutional rights. Can state courts impose remedies for violations of federal constitutional rights that are more generous than those required by the federal Supreme Court? That is the issue raised by the Court's recent decision in Danforth v. Minnesota. By a 7-2 vote, the Court decided that state courts could indeed provide victims of constitutional rights violations broader remedies than those mandated by federal Supreme Court decisions. I contend that this outcome is correct, despite the seeming incongruity of allowing state courts to deviate from the Supreme Court's interpretation of the federal Constitution. The Supreme Court should establish a floor for remedies below which states cannot fall. But there is no reason for it to also mandate a ceiling. Part I briefly describes the facts and background to Danforth. In Part II, I provide a doctrinal justification for the Supreme Court's decision. It makes sense to allow state courts to provide more generous remedies than those mandated by the federal courts in cases where restrictions on the scope of remedies are not imposed by the Constitution itself, but are instead based on policy grounds. State courts can legitimately conclude that these policy grounds are absent or outweighed by other considerations within their state systems, even if they are compelling justifications for restricting the scope of remedies available in federal courts. State courts are in a better position to weigh the relevant tradeoffs in a state legal system than federal courts are. Part III explains the potential policy advantages of allowing interstate diversity in remedies, most importantly inter-jurisdictional competition and an increased ability to provide for diverse citizen preferences and local conditions across different parts of the country. The optimal remedy for a constitutional rights violation in New York may well be different from the optimal remedy for one that occurs in Mississippi.
A lesson from GW170817: most neutron star mergers result in tightly collimated successful GRB jets

The joint detection of gravitational waves (GWs) and $\gamma$-rays from a binary neutron-star (NS) merger provided a unique view of off-axis GRBs and an independent measurement of the NS merger rate. Comparing the observations of GRB170817 with those of the regular population of short GRBs (sGRBs), we show that an order unity fraction of NS mergers result in sGRB jets that breakout of the surrounding ejecta. We argue that the luminosity function of sGRBs, peaking at $\approx 2\times 10^{52}\, \mbox{erg s}^{-1}$, is likely an intrinsic property of the sGRB central engine and that sGRB jets are typically narrow with opening angles $\theta_0 \approx 0.1$. We perform Monte Carlo simulations to examine models for the structure and efficiency of the prompt emission in off axis sGRBs. We find that only a small fraction ($\sim 0.01-0.1$) of NS mergers detectable by LIGO/VIRGO in GWs is expected to be also detected in prompt $\gamma$-rays and that GW170817-like events are very rare. For a NS merger rate of $\sim 1500$ Gpc$^{-3}$ yr$^{-1}$, as inferred from GW170817, we expect within the next decade up to $\sim 12$ joint detections with off-axis GRBs for structured jet models and just $\sim 1$ for quasi-spherical cocoon models where $\gamma$-rays are the result of shock breakout. Given several joint detections and the rates of their discoveries, the different structure models can be distinguished. In addition the existence of a cocoon with a reservoir of thermal energy may be observed directly in the UV, given a sufficiently rapid localisation of the GW source.
Spinal anesthesia performed for cesarean delivery after external ventricular drain placement in a parturient with symptomatology from an intracranial mass

Abstract We describe a case in which spinal anesthesia was undertaken in a pregnant patient with a space-occupying tumor and significant symptomatology. The collaborative efforts of all medical disciplines involved and the willingness of the neurosurgeon to discuss and help determine the safety of neuraxial anesthesia, culminated in placing an external ventricular drain to help monitor and manage intracranial pressure, so that we could proceed with spinal anesthesia and more easily monitor neurologic status.
Silicon-rich silicon nitride thin films for subwavelength grating metalens

In this work, high performance subwavelength grating metalens is demonstrated with high-refractive-index silicon-rich silicon nitride material compatible with CMOS fabrication processes. Conventional metalens materials namely TiO2 and GaN require expensive and time-consuming deposition processes such as atomic layer deposition (ALD) and metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). In order to improve the cost efficiency of metalens and its performance, the trade-offs between refractive index, fabrication difficulty and metalens performance is studied. We propose a feasible approach that is silicon-rich nitride (SiNx) as metalens material, which balance the trade-offs between refractive index and fabrication difficulty to large extent. With the advantage of ultra-high refractive index SiNx (n = 2.74) at 685 nm incidence, we are able to shrink the pitch size to unprecedented 220 nm. A propagation-phase-based grating metalens is fabricated and characterized for proof of concept. In addition, the optical parameters (n & k) can easily be adjusted through the deposition process. Our work has also promised a new degree of freedom for future optimization of metalens.
Abstract 529: Increased 18F-FDG Uptake in the Aortic Wall of β-aminopropionitrile Exposed Rats May be Predictive of AAA Rupture

Objectives: Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is associated with a uniformly high mortality rate, and a noninvasive method is necessary to detect vascular wall inflammation that may assist in predicting AAA rupture. The ability of 18F-FDG positron emission tomography to identify increased inflammation in the porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE) perfusion model in Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to β-aminopropionitrile (BAPN) to stimulate AAA rupture was evaluated. Methods: BAPN (300mg/kg subcutaneous) was administered daily starting 3d prior to infrarenal abdominal aortic exposure to PPE and daily until AAA harvest or rupture (BAPN, n=10). Control rats only underwent PPE exposure (n=8). Aortic diameter was evaluated at 3, 7, and 14d post PPE exposure utilizing ultrasound (US, 12MHz). Both groups were imaged with 18F-FDG microPET. AAA maximum to mean muscle 18F-FDG uptake ratios (AMR) were determined. AAA rupture sites were identified at post rupture harvest. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 2 and 9 zymogramatic activities, in terms of integrated optical density (IOD), were assessed at 7d (control n=3, BAPN n=4) and 14d post PPE exposure (control n=3, rupture n=3). Results: Mean 7d aortic diameter increases of 251 ± 29.4% and 340 ± 56.0% (p=0.20) were observed in control and rupture groups, respectively. Four BAPN exposed rats ruptured within 24h after 18F-FDG microPET. Considering the entire AAA, mean AMRs for control and ruptured groups were not significantly different at 15.3 ± 1.6 and 15.5 ± 1.9, respectively. However, considering the 18F-FDG uptake at known rupture sites, the mean AMR for ruptured AAAs was significantly greater than that of control AAAs (AMR 13.2 ± 1.1 vs. 8.4 ± 1.3, p=0.02). IOD values of 8373 ± 827 and 4655 ± 1851 (p=0.14) were observed for MMP9 activity in 14d control and ruptured AAA tissue, representing an 80% increase in ruptured AAA tissue. IOD values of 4760 ± 647 and 1190 ± 87 (p=0.03) were observed for MMP2 activity in 14d control and ruptured AAA tissue, respectively, representing a 75% decrease in ruptured AAA tissue. No differences in MMP2 or 9 activities for control and BAPN exposed rats were appreciated at 7d post PPE exposure. Conclusions: Increased MMP9 activity in ruptured rat AAA tissue parallels what has been observed in ruptured human AAA tissue. Decreased MMP2 activity in ruptured AAA tissue may represent decreased smooth muscle cell presence. Increased 18F-FDG uptake by rat AAA walls, in regions of known rupture, suggests that FDG-PET may be used to predict AAA rupture.
Quantitation of muscle mass and muscle protein synthesis rate: documenting a response to myoblast transfer.

The goal of treatment in muscular dystrophy is to provide a favorable effect on the natural history of muscle strength. Such an effect can be produced by improvement in strength, by arrest of progression, or by slowing in the rate of progression. All laboratory measurements which assess muscle histology or electrophysiology, muscle mass, or measure muscle components in serum (e.g. creatine kinase) are indirect and of value in a therapeutic trial only to the extent that they either predict or substantiate a clinical response. If myoblast transfer treatment is to be used, it will be studied initially in one muscle or at most, a small number of individual muscles. There is currently no documented way of establishing a change in the natural history of strength for individual muscles in Duchenne dystrophy. Indirect, laboratory measures of “success” of myoblast transfer treatment applied to individual muscles are therefore of potential importance since they may: (1) predict the ultimate clinical success of the treatment; (2) establish a mechanism of action for myoblast transfer; (3) provide clues as to other approaches which could be combined with myoblast transfer to improve results.
SUN-396 Subclinical Cushing's Syndrome: Should We Treat?

Background: Subclinical (mild) Cushing’s syndrome (SCS) is a common finding in incidental adrenal masses. Recent studies have shown there is increased morbidity and mortality with SCS. We present two cases that illustrate the importance of aggressive treatment of SCS. Clinical Case: A 66-yr-old female with multiple sclerosis and HTN presented to the ER with a 3-week history of hypertensive paroxysms >200/110. HTN previously has been well controlled with metoprolol and olmesartan. Evaluation for pheochromocytoma was negative. ACTH was <5 pg/mL, AM cortisol 14.6 mcg/dL, 24-hr-urine cortisol 108.4 mcg/d (RR <50), and 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test showed plasma cortisol 1.9 mcg/dL (RR <1.8). Patient was maintained on Toprol XL, amlodipine, amiloride, clonidine patch, and clonidine tablets. She continued to experience hypertensive paroxysms in addition to fatigue, hypersomnolence, proximal muscle weakness and developed pre-diabetes (HbA1c 6.1%). CT abdomen showed left adrenal thickening; 8 AM cortisol 23.4 mcg/dL (RR 6-18.4) and 11 pm salivary cortisol 0.145 mcg/d (RR <0.112). Mifepristone 300 mg QD and spironolactone 50 mg QD were initiated. Within 2 months, patient had resolution of hypertensive swings, was off clonidine, had a 25-50% improvement in muscle strength, and HbA1c 5.9%. Clinical Case: A 67-yr-old male with coronary disease and HTN presented with a BP of 240/130. Work up revealed left adrenal mass of 1.5 x 2.9 x 1.4cm. Endocrine work up was negative except for 24-hr-urine cortisol 100 mcg/day (RR <50). Patient maintained on 4 antihypertensive medications. He continued to have borderline HTN, weight gain, and developed pre-diabetes (FBG 116). CT scan at 6 months showed decreased L adrenal adenoma of 1.7 cm. Two years after initial presentation, 1 mg dexamethasone test showed AM cortisol 1.9 mcg/dL (RR <1.8), 11 pm salivary cortisol x2 negative, and repeat 24-hour urine cortisol 58 mcg/d (RR <50). Physical exam was negative for Cushingoid features. Patient was pretreated with mifepristone and underwent L adrenalectomy. Pathology was consistent with nodular adrenal hyperplasia with positive ACTH staining. Six months following surgery, improved blood pressure and glycemic control were noted allowing medication dose reduction. Discussion: It is important to recognize that patients with adrenal SCS are at increased risk for metabolic disease, cardiovascular incidents, and mortality. Patients should be monitored closely, and treatment can result in improved metabolic parameters and quality of life. Reference: Di Dalmazi, G., et al. (2014). Cardiovascular events and mortality in patients with adrenal incidentalomas that are either non-secreting or associated with intermediate phenotype or subclinical Cusing’s syndrome: 15-year retrospective study. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, Vol 2, Issue 5, 396-405.
Objects, Places and Cyber-Spaces Post-Carpenter: Extending The Third-Party Doctrine Beyond CSLI: A Consideration of IoT and DNA

Ostensibly, Carpenter v. United States is only about cell-site location information (CSLI). However, the Supreme Court’s reasoning behind why the third-party doctrine should not apply is broadly applicable: the information was involuntarily exposed, incidental to merely having a cell phone, which is an item necessary for functioning in modern society. Indeed, technology’s constant forward march leads one to wonder, what privacy issue awaits around the next corner? What technological innovation will pose yet another Fourth Amendment challenge? Smart devices and private DNA testing seem vastly different from each other and from cell phones, and yet both are increasingly popular consumer technologies whose functioning, by design, necessitates a third party. Like CSLI, the data sent to third parties by smart devices and genomic testing services involves no voluntary act, let alone affirmative sharing. This lack of voluntariness was a significant part of the Carpenter Court’s basis for holding—in a decision lauded by privacy advocates—that the cell phone owner has an expectation of privacy in CSLI, despite the fact that the data is owned by a third party. Thus, notwithstanding its limiting language, Carpenter opens the door to a slew of questions about consumers’ privacy expectations in multitudes of other burgeoning technologies that, like cell phones and the location data they produce, also necessitate a third party. This Article, therefore, proposes extending the third-party doctrine in Carpenter’s wake to reflect the realities of the digital age, both to protect privacy and provide some limits to the third-party doctrine. Given that a third party has control over a consumer’s personal data, a meaningful test for whether an expectation of privacy remains or has been forfeited should include two inquiries: first, whether the consumer understands that the technology’s very design necessitates a third party; and second, whether the consumer has a meaningful opportunity to opt out of sharing data with that third party.
A Comparison of Boosted Deep Neural Networks for Voice Activity Detection

Voice activity detection (VAD) is an integral part of speech processing for real world problems, and a lot of work has been done to improve VAD performance. Of late, deep neural networks have been used to detect the presence of speech and this has offered tremendous gains. Unfortunately, these efforts have been either restricted to feed-forward neural networks that do not adequately capture frequency and temporal correlations, or the recurrent architectures have not been adequately tested in noisy environments. In this paper, we investigate different neural network configurations for voice activity detection. More specifically, we explore solutions that incorporate multi-resolution stacking and ensemble learning using convolutional, long short-term memory (LSTM), and dilated convolutional neural network architectures. We evaluate our approach using various speech signals that are captured in different amounts of noise. Our results show that a multi-resolution ensemble approach using LSTM recurrent neural networks performs best. This is demonstrated for seen and unseen testing scenarios.
Monitored Anesthesia Care versus General Anesthesia for Intrauterine Fetal Interventions: Analysis of Conversions and Complications for 480 Cases.

INTRODUCTION Fetal intervention/surgery constitutes a relatively new field of maternal-fetal medicine in which monitored anesthesia care (MAC) or general anesthesia (GA) are utilized as anesthetic techniques when feasible. In this study, we sought to calculate the usage of MAC and GA in various fetal procedures as well as investigate any anesthetic complications and conversions from MAC to GA. METHODS All intrauterine fetal intervention cases performed at the Texas Children's Hospital Pavilion for Women from 2012 to 2016 were retrospectively analyzed and categorized by mode of anesthesia. Anesthetic complications, conversions to GA, preoperative patient physical status, average number of intraoperative medications required, and average duration of procedure were compared between the MAC and GA groups. RESULTS A total of 480 fetal interventions were performed with 432 under MAC (90%) and 37 under GA (7.7%). There were 11 conversions from MAC to GA (2.3%). These conversions were due to poor visualization with ultrasound and change of surgical approach to laparoscopic-assisted technique (n = 5), inability to lay flat due to back pain (n = 3), persistent vomiting (n = 2), and unresponsiveness after a spinal block (n = 1). One anesthetic complication occurred due to a medication administration error and did not require conversion to GA. The average preoperative American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classification was 1.97 for the MAC group and 1.87 for the GA group (p = 0.23). Duration of the interventions averaged 129 min under MAC and 138 min under GA (p = 0.23). An average of 7.8 different medications were administered during MAC cases compared to 13.1 during GA cases (p < 0.0001). DISCUSSION This analysis suggests that MAC is the most commonly used anesthetic option for fetal interventions with a low complication rate and minimal conversion rates to GA. It is therefore preferable to use MAC when feasible due to the low complication rate and decreased drug exposure.
Accuracy of rib palpation for dry needling of deep periscapular musculature, measured with ultrasound

Abstract Introduction Dry needling of the periscapular musculature is a procedure commonly performed by physical therapists. Needling of the deep musculature may be challenging, and use of a thoracic rib as a “backstop” is often applied to prevent inadvertent puncture of the pleura. The aim of this study was to: 1) To examine the accuracy rate of experienced physical therapists in identifying a mid-scapular thoracic rib using palpation, 2) to understand patient characteristics that affect the accuracy rate, and 3) to examine if therapist confidence levels were associated with palpatory accuracy. Methods Two experienced physical therapists attempted to palpate a thoracic rib in the mid-scapular region of healthy participants (n = 101 subjects, 202 ribs), and self-reported their level of confidence in an accurate palpation. Their accuracy was verified with ultrasonography. Results The two physical therapists were accurate on 73.3% of palpations and did not differ in accuracy (72.0% vs. 75.0%, p = 0.747). The only ultrasonographic or subject characteristic measurement that correlated with improved accuracy was a reduced muscle thickness (p = 0.032). Therapists’ self-reported confidence levels did not correlate to actual accuracy (p = 0.153). Discussion Physical therapists should be aware that palpation of a thoracic rib may not be as accurate as it may seem. The greater thickness of muscle in the area reduces the accuracy of accurate palpation. Conclusion Dry needling of the periscapular muscles should be done with caution if using a rib as a “blocking” technique.
CoPTA: Contiguous Pattern Speculating TLB Architecture

With the growing size of real-world datasets running on CPUs, address translation has become a significant performance bottleneck. To translate virtual addresses into physical addresses, modern operating systems perform several levels of page table walks (PTWs) in memory. Translation look-aside buffers (TLBs) are used as caches to keep recently used translation information. However, as datasets increase in size, both the TLB miss rate and the overhead of PTWs worsen, causing severe performance bottlenecks. Using a diverse set of workloads, we show the PTW overhead consumes an average of 20% application execution time.
Data-Driven Prescriptive Maintenance: Failure Prediction Using Ensemble Support Vector Classification for Optimal Process and Maintenance Scheduling

Maintenance can improve the availability of aging production systems and prevent process safety incidents. However, because of system complexity, resource allocation is nontrivial. This research de...
High-precision measurement of phenylalanine and glutamic acid δ 15 N by coupling ion-exchange chromatography and purge-and-trap continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry

Rationale Nitrogen isotopic compositions (δ15 N) of source and trophic amino acids (AAs) are crucial tracers of N sources and trophic enrichments in diverse fields including archeology, astrobiochemistry, ecology, oceanography, and paleo-sciences. The current analytical technique using gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS) requires derivatization which is not compatible with some key AAs.. Another approach using the high-performance liquid chromatography-elemental analyzer-IRMS (HPLC/EA/IRMS) may experience co-elution issues with other compounds in certain types of samples and the highly sensitive Nano-EA/IRMS instrumentations are not widely available. Methods We present a method for high-precision δ15 N measurements of amino acids (δ15 N-AA) optimized for canonical source AA-phenylalanine (Phe) and trophic AA-glutamic acid (Glu). This offline approach entails a purification and separation step via high-pressure ion-exchange chromatography (IC) with automated fraction collection, followed by sequential chemical conversion of AA to nitrite and then to nitrous oxide (N2 O), and final determination of δ15 N of the produced N2 O via purge-and-trap continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry (PT/CF/IRMS). Results The cross-plots of δ15 N of Glu and Phe standards (four different natural abundance levels) generated by this method and their accepted values have a linear regression slope of 1 and small intercepts demonstrating high accuracy. The precisions were 0.36~0.67‰ for Phe standards, and 0.27~0.35‰ for Glu standards. Our method and the GC/C/IRMS approach produced equivalent δ15 N values for two lab standards (McCarthy Lab AA mixture and cyanobacteria) within error. We further tested our method on a wide range of natural sample matrices and obtained reasonable results. Conclusions Our method provides a reliable alternative to the current methods for δ15 N-AA measurement as IC or HPLC-based techniques that can collect underivatized AAs are widely available. Our chemical approach that converts AA to N2 O can be easily implemented into laboratories currently analyzing δ15 N of N2 O using PT/CF/IRMS. This method will help promote the use of δ15 N-AA in important studies of N cycling and trophic ecology in a wide range of research areas.
Record-Keeping and Cooperation in Large Societies

We introduce a new model of repeated games in large populations with random matching, overlapping generations, and limited records of past play. We prove that steady-state equilibria exist under general conditions on records. When the updating of a player’s record can depend on the actions of both players in a match, any strictly individually rational action can be supported in a steady-state equilibrium. When record updates can depend only on a player’s own actions, fewer actions can be supported. Here, we focus on the prisoner’s dilemma and restrict attention to strict equilibria that are coordination-proof, meaning that matched partners never play a Pareto-dominated Nash equilibrium in the one-shot game induced by their records and expected continuation payoffs. Such equilibria can support full cooperation if the stage game is either “strictly supermodular and mild” or “strongly supermodular,” and otherwise permit no cooperation at all. The presence of “supercooperator” records, where a player cooperates against any opponent, is crucial for supporting any cooperation when the stage game is “severe.”
Symbolic Representation, Expectancy Disconfirmation, and Citizen Complaints Against Police:

The theory of symbolic representation expects that citizens will view the actions of government as more legitimate when administrators share their characteristics. Although there is support for thi...
Fragile X syndrome

Pragmatic language is a characteristic weakness in the language profile of individuals with fragile X syndrome (FXS), the most frequent inherited cause of intellectual disability and among the most common known genetic causes of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, pragmatic language profiles in FXS are known to be highly heterogeneous, and influenced by other cognitive factors, sex, and ASD status. In this chapter, we review pragmatic strengths and weaknesses across males and females with FXS, including comparisons with individuals with Down syndrome (another form of intellectual disability) as well as the impact of ASD status on pragmatics in FXS. We also consider the role of related underlying mechanisms (e.g. theory of mind, hyperarousal) that may importantly impact pragmatic language profiles, and discuss sex-specific differences. We conclude this chapter with directions for continued investigation and clinical considerations for assessment and intervention.
Marginal to Mainstream: Physicians: Learning New Ways

As late as 1990, the AMA was still battling the incursion of unconventional practitioners in American health care. It had set up a Committee on Quackery in 1963 to condemn the practice of chiropractic and invoked Section 3 of the AMA's Principles of Medical Ethics to impede medical physicians from associating professionally with unscientific practitioners. By the 1970s, chiropractors had gained a sufficiently strong national organization to sue the AMA on antitrust grounds. The AMA began to make some concessions soon after the lawsuit was first filed in 1976 – begrudgingly, according to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit – such as permitting medical physicians to refer patients to chiropractors and officially admitting that some chiropractic treatments are not without therapeutic value. However, these concessions did not satisfy chiropractors. They finally won their lawsuit in 1987, after ten years of legal maneuvering by the AMA. There were more appeals, but the decision was upheld for the last time in 1990. Although the AMA eventually allowed that physicians could make their own judgments, it has never conceded that chiropractic services might be based on scientific standards. The AMA has frequently used words such as “sorcery” and “voodoo” to refer to unconventional modalities (Cohen 1998, 21); in 1955, the organization was still claiming that osteopathy was a form of “cultist healing.”