cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamic assessment of mitral annular force profile in an ovine model.

Background Limited knowledge exists regarding the forces that act on devices implanted in the mitral annulus. Determining the peak magnitudes, directions, rates, variation throughout the cardiac cycle, and change with left ventricular pressure (LVP) will aid in device development and evaluation. Methods Novel transducers with the ability to measure forces in the septal-lateral and transverse directions were implanted in six healthy ovine subjects. Forces were measured for cardiac cycles reaching a peak LVP of 90, 125, 150, 175, and 200 mm Hg. Results The septal-lateral force was observed to significantly increase from 3.9 ± 0.8 N (90) to 5.2 ± 1.0 N (125) p p p p p p p p p p p p Conclusions Annular forces and their variations with LVP through the cardiac cycle are described. The results demonstrate differences in force magnitude and rate for increasing levels of LVP between the septal-lateral and transverse directions. These directional differences have strong implications in the development of future mitral devices.
Coalescent-based species delimitation in an integrative taxonomy

The statistical rigor of species delimitation has increased dramatically over the past decade. Coalescent theory provides powerful models for population genetic inference, and is now increasingly important in phylogenetics and speciation research. By applying probabilistic models, coalescent-based species delimitation provides clear and objective testing of alternative hypotheses of evolutionary independence. As acquisition of multilocus data becomes increasingly automated, coalescent-based species delimitation will improve the discovery, resolution, consistency, and stability of the taxonomy of species. Along with other tools and data types, coalescent-based species delimitation will play an important role in an integrative taxonomy that emphasizes the identification of species limits and the processes that have promoted lineage diversification.
Fingerprints of Fluid Flow: Chemical Diagenetic History of the Jurassic Navajo Sandstone, Southern Utah, U.S.A.

Colorful outcrop exposures of diagenetic iron oxide, clay, and carbonate cements in the Jurassic Navajo Sandstone reflect a mul- ti-phase history of fluid-rock interactions. Characteristic mineralogical and geochemical variability occurs on microscopic and outcrop scales throughout southern Utah. We identify six common diagenetic facies and evaluate formation mechanisms, paragenetic relationships, and relative timing between alteration events. The diagenetic facies have distinctive visual characteristics, variations in mineralogy, major ox- ides, trace elements, and carbon and oxygen isotopes. They include red and bleached sandstone, diffuse and concretionary iron oxide precip- itates, and carbonate concretions. Development of these facies requires changes in the interstitial fluid environment and an open geochemical system with basinwide fluid flow and variations in redox conditions. Spatial and temporal changes in paleohydrologic and diagenetic con- ditions indicate complex coupling and feedbacks between stratigraphic architecture, fluid flow, and basin evolution.
Relationships between Large-Scale Regime Transitions and Major Cool-Season Precipitation Events in the Northeastern United States

Abstract This observational study investigates statistical and synoptic–dynamic relationships between regime transitions, defined as a North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) or Pacific–North American pattern (PNA) index change from at least a 1 standard deviation anomaly to at least a 1 standard deviation anomaly of opposite sign within 7 days, and cool-season (November–April) northeastern U.S. (NE) precipitation. A statistical analysis is performed of daily cool-season NE precipitation during all NAO and PNA transitions for 1948–2003, and a composite analysis and case study of a major cool-season NE precipitation event occurring during a positive-to-negative NAO transition are conducted. Datasets used are the 0.25° NCEP Unified Precipitation Dataset, the 2.5° NCEP–NCAR reanalysis, and the 1.125° 40-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-40). Results of the statistical analysis suggest that cool-season NE precipitation tends to be enhanced during positive-to-negative NAO and negative-to-positive PNA transitions, and suppres...
Bandgap narrowing and emitter efficiency in heavily doped emitter structures revisited

The developments of heavy doping effects and of bandgap narrowing (BGN) concepts during the last two decades are critically discussed. The differences between the real bandgap reduction Delta E/sub g/ and the apparent electrical bandgap reduction Delta G are once more set forth, showing the precise meaning of the density-of-states and degeneracy contributions to Delta G. From these concepts, the author indicated previously that for negligible recombination the minority-carrier emitter current (J/sub pe/) is given by a Mertens-type results. It is shown in this work that in the presence of surface and (or) bulk recombination (Auger and SRH) the result of C.R. Selvakumar and D.J. Roulston is recovered; however, the electrical field in the emitter and the effective intrinsic density of carriers are not those used by Selvakumar and Roulston (1987) but, on the contrary, these quantities are given by the detailed expressions of the author's previous work (see A.H. Marshak and C.M. Van Vliet, 1984). >
Incidence of and risks associated with Giardia infections in herds on dairy farms in the New York City Watershed.

The primary aims of this study were to determine the incidence of Giardia infections in dairy herds on farms in the New York City Watershed region and to evaluate risk factors associated with infections. Because co-infections of Giardia and Cryptosporidium spp. are common in this population, we also evaluated the effect of herd infection status on Giardia infections. Farms were grouped into three cohorts based on their prior infection status with Giardia and/or Cryptosporidium spp. The sampling plan included collecting fecal samples from all calves below 30 days of age and proportional sampling of calves, young stock, and adults. A total of 10,672 fecal samples were collected and analyzed for the presence of Giardia cysts using zinc sulfate flotation. Herds enrolled in the study were sampled seasonally for a study period of two years. The probability of shedding cysts past a certain age and the factors that influenced the likelihood of shedding were evaluated using survival analysis. Linear regression was used to evaluate factors that were associated with the intensity of shedding. The majority of Giardia infections occurred in calves within their first 180 days of age, with the most number of calves shedding Giardia cysts between 11 and 20 days of age. The incidence of shedding of Giardia cysts ranged from 0.0004 per animal day for cattle in the low risk cohort to 0.0011 per animal day for cattle in the high risk cohort. The likelihood of shedding was influenced by the prior infection status of the herd and the season of collection. Infected animals shed on average 9,658 cysts/gram and the intensity of shedding Giardia cysts varied significantly with the age (p < 0.0001) and the season of collection (p = 0.0151 for Spring). Giardia infections are common in dairy herds in the New York City watershed, particularly in calves less than 6 months of age. Seasonality may be an important factor in the perpetuation of infections based on changes in management practices corresponding to weather patterns of a particular season. A dairy herd's prior infection status with Cryptosporidium influences the likelihood of infection with Giardia.
Quetiapine has a direct effect on the negative symptoms of schizophrenia

Second-generation 'atypical' antipsychotics appear to be more effective than first-generation 'typical' antipsychotics in improving negative symptoms in schizophrenia; it is unclear, however, if this greater improvement represents a direct beneficial effect or is mediated indirectly by an antidepressant effect or the absence of extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS). To address this issue with reference to quetiapine ('Seroquel'), data were evaluated from four randomized, controlled clinical studies involving 1106 patients employing a path analysis model. The total effect of quetiapine on negative symptoms was measured using the Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) total score. Indirect effects on negative symptoms via positive, depressive and EPS were assessed using appropriate instruments. Effect sizes were calculated by path analysis for the difference between treatment groups in change from baseline to endpoint in SANS total score. Analysis confirmed that quetiapine produced a greater overall improvement in negative symptoms than placebo (effect size 1.96); this was explained by a significant direct effect (p = 0.001; 44.2% of total improvement), and a secondary effect of improved positive symptoms (p < 0.001; 47.5% of total improvement), but was not a consequence of changes in depressive symptoms or EPS. Within the constraints of the path analysis methodology, these results indicate that quetiapine has a substantial direct effect on improving the negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
Factors Associated with Travel Time and Distance to Access Hospital Care Among Infants with Spina Bifida

Using geographic information systems (GIS), we examined travel time and distance to access hospital care for infants with spina bifida (SB). This study was a statewide, population-based analysis of Florida-born children with SB, 1998–2007, identified by the Florida Birth Defects Registry and linked to hospitalizations. We geocoded maternal residence at delivery and identified hospital locations for infants ( 30 min/miles (reference)], including presence of hydrocephalus and SB type [isolated (no other major birth defect) versus non-isolated SB]. For 612 infants, one-way mean (median) travel time was 45.1 (25.9) min. Infants with both non-isolated SB and hydrocephalus traveled longest to access hospitals (mean 60.8 min/48.5 miles; median 34.2 min/26.9 miles). In adjusted results, infants with non-isolated SB and whose mothers had a rural residence were less likely to travel ≤30 min to hospitals. Infants born to mothers in minority racial/ethnic groups were more likely to travel ≤30 min. Birth defects registry data and GIS-based methods can be used to evaluate geographic accessibility to hospital care for infants with birth defects. Results can help to identify geographic barriers to accessing hospital care, such as travel time and distance, and inform opportunities to improve access to care for infants with SB or other special needs.
Using space-based remote sensing for improved global navigation and communication

In an effort to improve global navigation and the availability of radio frequency (RF) communication, the U.S. Department of Defense is deploying a series of experimental and operational ultraviolet remote sensing sensors on satellite platforms. These sensors are used to measure airglow radiances from the upper atmosphere and ionosphere to help specify the global distribution of the densities in the neutral atmosphere and ionosphere. The Earth's ionosphere can affect the propagation of electromagnetic radiation in a number of ways including reflection, refraction, frequency dispersion, time delay and Faraday rotation. These effects are stronger at lower frequencies but variations in ionospheric electron density can be important for RF propagation at frequencies up to about 10 GHz. For quiet ionospheric conditions, refraction, time delay and frequency dispersion provide the dominant source of error for single frequency GPS navigation. Under disturbed conditions, these effects can combine to produce scintillation on GPS and communication signals (HF, UHF) and can cause communication outages, and occasionally, GPS outages. To mitigate these environmental effects and provide advance warning of outages, the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) begins this year to fly a series of ultraviolet limb and nadir imagers and spectrometers for their next Block of polar orbiting satellites. The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is sponsoring the development of a geosynchronous ultraviolet imager to provide real-time ionospheric monitoring with high spatial structure. These and other upcoming remote sensing ionospheric instruments provide improved specification of the global ionosphere and feed a new generation of assimilating ionospheric models to help provide a forecast capability for environmental impacts on global navigation and communication.
Introduction: molecular marker maps of major crop species

Until very recently genetic maps of higher plants were based almost entirely on morphological and biochemical traits. These maps are rapidly being replaced and/or supplemented with DNA-based marker maps formulated on the use of powerful new molecular techniques.
AGSOA - Agile Governance for Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) Systems: A Methodology to Deliver 21 st Century Military Net-Centric Systems of Systems

This paper describes AGSOA, an agile governance for service oriented architectures (SOAs) that is intended to address many of the inherent challenges faced by implementing the DoD's 21s' Century agile net-centric warfare systems using SOAs. The complex interdependencies within SOA-based systems, when combined with DoD's desired agile change capabilities, creates a very complex and open-ended system of systems environment that cannot simply modeled, simulated, verified and/or validated. The AGSOA framework is designed to blend elements of proven agile- style project management methodologies with contemporary SOA governance strategies used in other, less complex industries to yield a more appropriate governance strategy for life- and mission-critical DoD SOA projects.
Multiple Structure Analysis To Support Multi-Level User Feedback

Even though spreadsheets are among the most widely used end-user programming environments [4], they are notoriously prone to errors [3]. In this context, it is very important to provide good tool support to end users working with spreadsheets, especially those who are disadvantaged by their background, education, learning style, environment, or physical ability.
RESPONSE OF RETICULOENDOTHELIAL SYSTEM TO EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGIC ORCHITIS IN A GENETICALLY SUSCEPTIBLE AND RESISTANT MOUSE GENOTYPE.

Summary1) BSVS and BRVR mice received an i.p. injection of pertussis vaccine followed 4 and 11 days later by an intra-cutaneous injection of lyophilized testicle in Freund's adjuvant with or without acid fast bacteria. BSVS mice treated with BSVS testicle developed orchitis, regardless of whether the adjuvant contained acid-fast bacteria or not. BSVS mice treated with BRVR testicle or BRVR mice treated with BRVR testicle failed to develop disease. 2) Development of orchitis was accompanied by a statistically significant rise of RES activity as measured by the carbon clearance test of Halpern et al(5). A slower and smaller rise of activity occurred in all those animals which failed to develop orchitis. The smallest rise in activity, by comparison, was observed in BRVR mice treated with BRVR testicle. The group which developed orchitis differed significantly from those 2 which did not, only during the second half of the experiment. 3) A similar response of the RES was noted after administration of antigen i...
Diversion and Crime Prevention: A Tim-Series Analysis

The following study was aimed at assessing the impact of juvenile diversion program. A time-series analysis was wed to examine the hypothesized systems level change for each of the programs. Reported crime levels and arrest rates for targeted offense categories are analyzed for each jurisdiction, and implementation evaluations are discussed in an attempt to clarify the findings.
Prostate carcinoma skeletal metastases: Cross-talk between tumor and bone

The majority of men with progressive prostate cancer develop metastases with the skeleton being the most prevalent metastatic site. Unlike many other tumors that metastasize to bone and form osteolytic lesions, prostate carcinomas form osteoblastic lesions. However, histological evaluation of these lesions reveals the presence of underlying osteoclastic activity. These lesions are painful, resulting in diminished quality of life of the patient. There is emerging evidence that prostate carcinomas establish and thrive in the skeleton due to cross-talk between the bone microenvironment and tumor cells. Bone provides chemotactic factors, adhesion factors, and growth factors that allow the prostate carcinoma cells to target and proliferate in the skeleton. The prostate carcinoma cells reciprocate through production of osteoblastic and osteolytic factors that modulate bone remodeling. The prostate carcinoma-induced osteolysis promotes release of the many growth factors within the bone extracellular matrix thus further enhancing the progression of the metastases. This review focuses on the interaction between the bone and the prostate carcinoma cells that allow for development and progression of prostate carcinoma skeletal metastases.
Knowledge and Attitudes of Doctor of Pharmacy Students Regarding the Appropriate Use of Antimicrobials

Pharmacists are key partners in antimicrobial stewardship efforts, yet their degree of education on and attitudes toward this topic during training are not well documented. An electronic survey measuring knowledge and attitudes regarding antimicrobial use and resistance was administered to graduating pharmacy students at 12 US schools of pharmacy. Of 1445 pharmacy students, 579 (40%) completed the survey. The vast majority (94%) believed that strong knowledge of antimicrobials was important for their pharmacy careers, and 89% desired more education on appropriate antimicrobial use. Most students (84%) considered their pharmacy education regarding antimicrobials useful or very useful, but there was significant variability on perceptions of preparation for most antimicrobial stewardship activities according to the students' school. The mean number of correct answers on a section of 11 knowledge questions was 5.8 (standard deviation 2.0; P value for score between schools <.001). On multivariable linear regression analysis, significant predictors of a higher knowledge score were pharmacy school attended, planned postgraduate training, completion of a clinical rotation in infectious diseases, perception of pharmacy school education as useful, use of resources to answer the knowledge questions, and use of Infectious Diseases Society of America guidelines and smartphone applications as frequent resources for learning about antimicrobials. Pharmacy students perceive antimicrobial stewardship to be an important healthcare issue and desire more education on the subject. Student perceptions of antimicrobial coursework and actual antimicrobial knowledge scores significantly varied by the school of pharmacy attended. Sharing of best practices among institutions may enhance the preparation of future pharmacists to contribute to effective antimicrobial stewardship.
Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding: What Radiologists Need to Know

The article provides an overview of the techniques and systems used in laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, describes normal postoperative imaging appearances and imaging features that are suggestive or indicative of complications, and briefly discusses the most appropriate method for managing each complication.
A censored beta mixture model for the estimation of the proportion of non-differentially expressed genes

Motivation: The proportion of non-differentially expressed genes (π0) is an important quantity in microarray data analysis. Although many statistical methods have been proposed for its estimation, it is still necessary to develop more efficient methods. Methods: Our approach for improving π0 estimation is to modify an existing simple method by introducing artificial censoring to P-values. In a comprehensive simulation study and the applications to experimental datasets, we compare our method with eight existing estimation methods. Results: The simulation study confirms that our method can clearly improve the estimation performance. Compared with the existing methods, our method can generally provide a relatively accurate estimate with relatively small variance. Using experimental microarray datasets, we also demonstrate that our method can generally provide satisfactory estimates in practice. Availability: The R code is freely available at http://home.gwu.edu/~ylai/research/CBpi0/. Contact: ylai@gwu.edu Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
The European patient with Dravet syndrome: Results from a parent-reported survey on antiepileptic drug use in the European population with Dravet syndrome

Dravet syndrome is a rare form of epilepsy largely refractory to current antiepileptic medications. The only precedents of randomized placebo-controlled trials in Dravet syndrome are the two small trials that led to the approval of stiripentol. With the arrival of new clinical trials for Dravet syndrome, we sought to determine the characteristics of the patient population with Dravet syndrome in Europe today, which has possibly evolved subsequent to the approval of stiripentol and the ability to diagnose milder clinical cases via genetic testing. From May to June 2014, we conducted an online parent-reported survey to collect information about the demographics, disease-specific clinical characteristics, as well as current and past use of antiepileptic medications by European patients with Dravet syndrome. We present data from 274 patients with Dravet syndrome from 15 European countries. Most patients were between 4 and 8years of age, and 90% had known mutations in SCN1A. Their epilepsy was characterized by multiple seizure types, although only 45% had more than 4 tonic-clonic seizures per month on average. The most common drug combination was valproate, clobazam, and stiripentol, with 42% of the total population currently taking stiripentol. Over a third of patients with Dravet syndrome had taken sodium channel blockers in the past, and most had motor and behavioral comorbidities. Our study helps define the current typical European patient with Dravet syndrome. The results from this survey may have important implications for the design of future clinical trials that investigate new treatments for Dravet syndrome.
Three-dimensional macro-scale assessment of regional and temporal wall shear stress characteristics on aortic valve leaflets

The aortic valve (AV) achieves unidirectional blood flow between the left ventricle and the aorta. Although hemodynamic stresses have been shown to regulate valvular biology, the native wall shear stress (WSS) experienced by AV leaflets remains largely unknown. The objective of this study was to quantify computationally the macro-scale leaflet WSS environment using fluid-structure interaction modeling. An arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian approach was implemented to predict valvular flow and leaflet dynamics in a three-dimensional AV geometry subjected to physiologic transvalvular pressure. Local WSS characteristics were quantified in terms of temporal shear magnitude (TSM), oscillatory shear index (OSI) and temporal shear gradient (TSG). The dominant radial WSS predicted on the leaflets exhibited high amplitude and unidirectionality on the ventricularis (TSM>7.50 dyn/cm(2), OSI 325.54 dyn/cm(2) s) but low amplitude and bidirectionality on the fibrosa (TSM 0.38, TSG 0.25). This study provides new insights into the role played by leaflet-blood flow interactions in valvular function and critical hemodynamic stress data for the assessment of the hemodynamic theory of AV disease.
Can fragmented QRS help in risk-stratifying patients with coronary artery disease and a relatively preserved ejection fraction?

For decades it has been a nightmare to identify the myocardial pathophysiology in patients with preserved left ventricular (LV) function despite the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD) or cardiomyopathy such as amyloidosis. Neither 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) nor routine echocardiography was usually very helpful in risk stratification of these patients who are at a low, but definite, risk for adverse cardiac events. The LV function measured by echocardiography and other common imaging modalities can provide the number values of LV volume ratio of systole and diastole, which is defined as ejection fraction (EF). These modalities have a major limitation in identifying the underlying myocardial dysfunction quantitatively or qualitatively in patients with preserved EF. With the advent of echocardiographic tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), diastolic dysfunction measurement is possible. Nevertheless, TDI can estimate strain only along the ultrasound beam and cannot reliably measure strain in the azimuth or perpendicular plane. Recently, the 2-dimensional (2D)–strain imaging has been developed and validated in measuring the LV dysfunction. In speckle-tracking 2D-strain echocardiographic imaging, the quantification of LV function has moved beyond the simple EF measurements. In patients with chronic ischemic LV dysfunction, a combined assessment of long-axis and short-axis functions by using 2Dstrain imaging is useful in identifying the transmural extent of myocardial infarction (MI). The value of these measurements may be more when other routine parameters do not help to identify underlying pathophysiology, especially in patients with mildly reduced or normal EF. The abnormal values of the 3 components of LV deformation (longitudinal, circumferential, and radial strains) and strain rate measurements have been shown to be sensitive indicators for subclinical myocardial diseases related to arterial hyperten-
Amplification in Technical Manuals: Theory and Practice:

Amplification is the set of rhetorical techniques by which a discourse is elaborated and extended to enhance its appeal and information value. Even in the manual, long considered the most laconic of the genres of technical communication, amplification has its place. Drawing on the theory of classical and modern rhetoric, this article shows how amplification tends to increase and improve the coverage, rationale, warnings, behavioral alternatives, examples, previews, reviews, and general emphasis of technical manuals.
Intraluminal polypoid metastasis of renal cell carcinoma in gallbladder mimicking gallbladder polyp

Abstract Context.—Metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in gallbladder is rare with only 18 cases published in the English literature. Objectives.—To review the clinicopathologic characteristics of metastatic RCC in gallbladder and to correlate the findings with clinical outcomes. Design.—We report 4 additional cases of intraluminal polypoid metastasis of RCC in gallbladder and reviewed all reported cases, to our knowledge, of metastatic RCC in gallbladder in the English literature. Results.—Most of the patients (19 of 22; 86%) were men. The ages at presentation ranged from 39 to 84 years with a median age of 61.5 years. All cases showed an intraluminal polypoid/pedunculated mucosal mass mimicking a gallbladder polyp. Histologically, all cases were clear cell RCC with most of the tumors either confined to gallbladder mucosa (67%) or involved both mucosa and muscular layer (27%). The longest interval between nephrectomy and the development of gallbladder metastasis was 27 years. Conclusions.—Metastatic cle...
Using the Gamera framework for the recognition of cultural heritage materials

This paper presents a new toolkit for the creation of customized structured document recognition applications by domain experts. This open-source system, called Gamera, allows a user, with particular knowledge of the documents to be recognized, to combine image processing and recognition tools in an easy-to-use, interactive, graphical scripting environment. Gamera is one of the key technology components in a proposed international project for the digitization of diverse types of humanities documents.
Specific hapten binding activity in normal sera.

The successful separation of Hapten binding proteins (HBPs) from the sera of unimmunized rabbits is described. Evidence is presented indicating that each HBP is constituted of relatively homogeneous globulins which exhibit both specificity towards, and a high affinity for, the haptenic moieties to which they are directed. Electrophoresis on cellulose acetate reveals that the bulk of the protein in each of the HBPs moved in two very narrow bands and that this composition is independent of the source of the normal serum. Barbital buffer made 0.02 M p-aminobenzenesulfonate accelerates the slowest main band derived from the benzenesulfonate directed HBP, suggesting that the two main bands represent hapten dissociated and undissociated HBP. Double diffusion studies yield evidence for the presence of IgG only. There is approximately 1 μg/ml of each HBP in normal sera. We find it significant that only a single homogeneous protein represents each HBP even though the isolation was done from large serum pools.
Potential adaptations to acute hypoxia: Hct, stress proteins, and set point for temperature regulation

Severe, intermittent hypoxia (hypoxic conditioning, HC) increases survival time during subsequent lethal hypoxia in mice. This protective effect was blocked by naloxone, suggesting an opioid-dependent mechanism. We proposed and evaluated three potential mechanisms of this acute adaptation: 1) increased hematocrit (Hct), 2) protein synthesis, and 3) decreased set point for temperature regulation (set point). Increased hematocrit is a well-studied adaptation to chronic hypoxia and could be acutely initiated by sympathetically mediated splenic contraction. Survival during stress can be prolonged by synthesis of stress proteins. We tested this hypothesis using two protein synthesis inhibitors, anisomycin and cycloheximide. Our third hypothesis is that set point is decreased after HC. A regulated decrease in body temperature would lower oxygen demand during hypoxia. Our studies indicate that hematocrit and protein synthesis are not dominant mechanisms of acute adaptation to hypoxia. However, we have observed a naloxone blockable decrease in set point after HC, supporting a mechanism in which acute adaptation involves an endogenous opioid-dependent decrease in set point. These studies also demonstrate that set point could be a more dominant contributor than body temperature to hypoxic tolerance.
Abstract B92: The interaction of parity with genetic factors in relation to breast cancer incidence in African American women

We recently reported a differential association of parity with breast cancer incidence according to hormone receptor status among African American (AA) women, with higher parity associated with a reduced risk of estrogen receptor positive (ER+)/ progesterone receptor positive (PR+) breast cancer and an increased risk of ER−/PR− breast cancer. To elucidate mechanisms for the difference by breast cancer subtype, we examined interactions of parity status with specified genetic polymorphisms that have been identified as breast cancer loci in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). SNPs in three loci were assessed: intron 2 in the FGFR2 gene, which was the most strongly associated of all breast cancer GWAS loci and appears to be most important for ER+ breast cancer; the chromosome 5p12 region, which may also be restricted to ER+ cancer and was replicated in our study of AA women; and the TOX3/LOC643714 locus, which was also replicated in our study. We analyzed data from the Black Women9s Health Study, a prospective follow-up study of 59,000 AA women from across the US who enrolled in 1995 and have been followed since then by biennial questionnaires. Incident breast cancer cases are confirmed and characterized as to ER/PR status by review of pathology data. Saliva samples were provided by approximately 27,000 participants through the mouthwash-swish method. Genotyping was conducted on the Sequenom Mass-Array iPLEX technology as part of a project to test index SNPs from European ancestry GWAS as well as other tagSNPs in each region. An average reproducibility of 99% was obtained among blinded duplicates; all SNPs with calling rate Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2011;4(10 Suppl):B92.
Physiology of Sleep

IN BRIEF Far from a simple absence of wakefulness, sleep is an active, regulated, and metabolically distinct state, essential for health and well-being. In this article, the authors review the fundamental anatomy and physiology of sleep and its regulation, with an eye toward interactions between sleep and metabolism.
Long-term Operation of Microbial Electrosynthesis Systems Improves Acetate Production by Autotrophic Microbiomes

Microbial electrosynthesis is the biocathode-driven production of chemicals from CO2 and has the promise to be a sustainable, carbon-consuming technology. To date, microbial electrosynthesis of acetate, the first step in order to generate liquid fuels from CO2, has been characterized by low rates and yields. To improve performance, a previously established acetogenic biocathode was operated in semi-batch mode at a poised potential of −590 mV vs SHE for over 150 days beyond its initial development. Rates of acetate production reached a maximum of 17.25 mM day–1 (1.04 g L–1 d–1) with accumulation to 175 mM (10.5 g L–1) over 20 days. Hydrogen was also produced at high rates by the biocathode, reaching 100 mM d–1 (0.2 g L–1 d–1) and a total accumulation of 1164 mM (2.4 g L–1) over 20 days. Phylogenetic analysis of the active electrosynthetic microbiome revealed a similar community structure to what was observed during an earlier stage of development of the electroacetogenic microbiome. Acetobacterium spp. dom...
Calculation of the Water Consumption and Analysis on Water Saving for the Wet Flue Gas Desulfurization System of Limestone & Gypsum

The Wet Flue Gas Desulfurization System of Limestone Gypsum(WFGD) is the main reason for high water consumption in a power plant.Taking with the material balance method,the water consumption of WFGD system and its composition like wastewater discharge,gypsum carrying,mist carried by flue gas and evaporation in tower in a 600MW unit have been calculated.The result shows that water evaporation is the main reason for high water consumption in WFGD system.Based on the calculation,some propositions like reducing flue gas volume,lowering boiler exhaust temperature and adjusting water source reasonably have been put forward in the article.
Spectrum of genomic alterations in FGFR3: current appraisal of the potential role of FGFR3 in advanced urothelial carcinoma

Molecular analysis has identified subsets of urothelial carcinoma (UC) expressing distinct genetic signatures. Genomic alterations in the oncogenic fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) pathway are among the most well described in UC and have led to extensive and ongoing investigation of FGFR3-targeted therapies in this disease, although no new drugs have yet been approved. Given the unmet need for effective treatments in advanced and metastatic UC, a better understanding of the known molecular alterations of FGFR3 and of the previous and ongoing clinical investigations of this promising target in UC deserves attention. The objective of the present review is to describe the landscape of alterations and biology of FGFR3 in UC, comprehensively summarize the current state of UC clinical trials of FGFR3 inhibitors, and discuss future therapeutic applications. Using the Pubmed and Clinicaltrials.gov databases, articles describing the spectrum and biological activity of FGFR3 genomic alterations and trials of FGFR3 inhibitors in UC were identified. Search terms included 'FGFR3 genomic alterations' and 'urothelial cancer' or 'bladder cancer'. Genomic alterations, including translocations and activating mutations, are increasingly described in advanced and metastatic UC. The majority of clinical trials have been performed in unselected populations; however, recent studies have reported encouraging preliminary data. We argue that routine use of molecular genomic tumour analysis in UC may inform selection of patients for appropriate trials and we further investigate the potential of FGFR3 as a meaningful clinical target for this difficult disease.
Reliability and validity of a smartphone pulse rate application for the assessment of resting and elevated pulse rate

ABSTRACTPurpose/hypothesis: This study was designed to investigate the test–retest reliability, concurrent validity, and the standard error of measurement (SEm) of a pulse rate assessment application (Azumio®’s Instant Heart Rate) on both Android® and iOS® (iphone operating system) smartphones as compared to a FT7 Polar® Heart Rate monitor. Number of subjects: 111. Materials/methods: Resting (sitting) pulse rate was assessed twice and then the participants were asked to complete a 1-min standing step test and then immediately re-assessed. The smartphone assessors were blinded to their measurements. Results: Test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC 2,1] and 95% confidence interval) for the three tools at rest (time 1/time 2): iOS® (0.76 [0.67–0.83]); Polar® (0.84 [0.78–0.89]); and Android® (0.82 [0.75–0.88]). Concurrent validity at rest time 2 (ICC 2,1) with the Polar® device: IOS® (0.92 [0.88–0.94]) and Android® (0.95 [0.92–0.96]). Concurrent validity post-exercise (time 3) (ICC) w...
The Development and Psychometric Analysis of the Women's Experience in Childbirth Survey.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE A woman's perception of the childbirth experience has not been adequately measured. The purpose of the Women's Experience in Childbirth Survey (WECS) is to provide a comprehensive measure of the experience for women having a vaginal birth. METHODS A cross-sectional design with 302 postpartum women analyzed the psychometric properties of the WECS. Validity was assessed using exploratory factor analysis and correlation to a self-rating of the overall experience. RESULTS Exploratory factor analysis identified four subscales consistent with the organizing framework. WECS scores and self-rated experience were significantly correlated r = .51, p < .01. Internal consistency α = .86 and temporal stability (r = .88, p < .001) are adequate. CONCLUSION Initial analysis indicates sufficient reliability and validity for further development and testing.
Closing matters: Alignment and misalignment in sequence and call closings in institutional interaction:

Using data from American emergency call centers, this article focuses on the coordination, and mutual relevance, of participants’ effort to manage two forms of unit completion – sequence closing (a...
Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis Presenting as Pyrexia of Unknown Origin, Leukocytosis, and Microangiopathic Haemolytic Anemia.

A 66-year-old woman presented to the Emergency Department with a florid sepsis-like picture, a two-week history of fever, relative hypotension with end organ ischemia (unexplained liver enzyme and troponin elevations), and nonspecific constitutional symptoms. She was initially found to have a urinary tract infection but, despite appropriate treatment, her fever persisted and her white blood cell count continued to rise. During her hospitalization the patient manifested leukocytosis to 47,000 WBC/μL, ESR 67 mm/hr (normal range 0-42 mm/hr), CRP 17.5 mg/dL (normal range 0.02-1.20 mg/dL), and microangiopathic haemolytic anemia, with declining haemoglobin and haematocrit. An infectious aetiology was not found despite extensive bacteriologic studies and radiographic imaging. The patient progressed to acute kidney injury with "active" urinary sediment and proteinuria. Kidney biopsy results and serological titres of myeloperoxidase positive perinuclear-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (MPO+ p-ANCA) led to a diagnosis of granulomatosis with polyangiitis. Immunosuppressive treatment with high dose methylprednisolone and rituximab led to resolution of the leukocytosis and return of the haemoglobin and haematocrit values toward normal without further signs of hemolysis.
Long Cold Ischemia Times in Same Hospital Deceased Donor Transplants.

BACKGROUND Recent changes in deceased donor organ allocation for livers (Share-35) and kidneys (kidney allocation system) have resulted in broader sharing of organs and increased cold ischemia time (CIT). Broader organ sharing however is not the only cause of increased CIT. METHODS This was a retrospective registry study of CIT in same-hospital liver transplants (SHLT, n = 4347) and same-hospital kidney transplants (SHKT, n = 9707) between 2004 and 2014. RESULTS In SHLT, median (interquartile range) CIT was 5.0 (3.5-6.5) hours versus 6.6 (5.1-8.4) hours in other-hospital LT. donation after circulatory death donors, donor biopsy, male recipient, recipient obesity, and previous transplant were associated with increased CIT. Model for End-Stage Liver Disease at transplant of 29+ or status 1a was associated with decreased CIT. SHLT CIT varied by Organ Procurement Organization and transplant-center (P < 0.01), with center median CIT ranging from 2.0 to 7.8 hours across 118 centers. In SHKT, CIT was 13.0 (8.5-19.0) hours versus 16.5 (11.3-22.6) hours in other-hospital KT. Overweight donors, donation after cardiac death donors, right-kidney, donor biopsy, recipient obesity, use of mechanical perfusion, additional KT procedures on the same day, and transplant center annual volume were associated with increased CIT. Older donor age, extended criteria donors, and underweight recipients were associated with decreased CIT. SHKT CIT varied by Organ Procurement Organization and transplant-center (P < 0.001), with center median CIT ranging from 3.3 to 29 hours across 206 centers. Transplant centers with longer SHKT also had longer SHLT (P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Same-hospital transplants already have a significant amount of CIT, even without transporting the organ to another hospital.
Parallel k-truss decomposition on multicore systems

We discuss our submission to the HPEC 2017 Static Graph Challenge on k-truss decomposition and triangle counting. Our results use an algorithm called PKT (Parallel k-truss) designed for multicore systems. We are able to process almost all Graph Challenge datasets in under a minute on a 24-core server with 128 GB memory. For a synthetic Graph500 graph with 17 million vertices and 523 million edges, triangle counting takes 16 seconds and truss decomposition takes 29 minutes on the 24-core server.
Assessing Acid-Base Status in Circulatory Failure: Relationship Between Arterial and Peripheral Venous Blood Gas Measurements in Hypovolemic Shock.

Background and Objectives:In severe circulatory failure agreement between arterial and mixed venous or central venous values is poor; venous values are more reflective of tissue acid–base imbalance...
Teaching Communicative Responses with a Speech-Generating Device Via Telehealth Coaching

Caregivers need support with teaching augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The purpose of this study was to coach caregivers via telehealth (i.e., live video conferencing with Google Hangout) to implement communication assessments, functional communication training (FCT), and/or navigation training to address either idiosyncratic or problem behavior exhibited by two young boys with developmental delay (age 5.5 years) and autism (age 7 years) who were non-verbal. An adapted multiple probe design and a multiple probe design across three contexts (play, break from demands, help) were used to evaluate acquisition of communicative requests using high tech aided AAC on a speech-generating device (SGD; a Tobii Dynavox T10 device). A forward chain was also introduced to teach symbol selection and navigation on the SGD. Both children acquired the communicative alternatives across each context. Caregiver implementation fidelity was measured with procedural checklists and was acceptable across baseline and intervention sessions for both children. Children with developmental disabilities face many barriers to accessing needed communication intervention and may not have access to interventionists with the expertise in AAC with a SGD. Our findings have potential research implications for the use of telehealth to improve access to expertise in high tech aided AAC communication assessment and intervention.
Novel insights into renal mineralization and stone formation through advanced imaging modalities.

Purpose/Aim: The most common kidney stone composed of calcium oxalate forms on interstitial calcium phosphate mineral known as a Randall’s plaque (RP). Due to limited information about events leadi...
Community participation as a tool for conservation planning and historic preservation: the case of “Community As A Campus” (CAAC)

The objective of this article is to examine a community planning approach to urban conservation and rehabilitation. In Chicago, like in many other cities across the USA, there has been an unequal distribution of school closures in minority neighbourhoods with higher than average poverty rates. The closure of school buildings, most with historical value, has destabilizing effects in communities, including the loss of public assets, vacancies, and disinvestment. In neighbourhoods experiencing rent increases, such as with Humboldt Park, the use of historic properties can provide an opportunity to develop affordable housing and avoid displacement. This case study seeks to demonstrate how a grassroots organization in a gentrifying neighbourhood created their own participatory planning process to obtain a surplus school building and reuse it as a “teacher’s village”. The reuse plan includes affordable housing targeted primarily at school teachers, office space dedicated to educational-community-related uses, a cafe open to the public, and a number of other amenities. The overall development plan seeks to make significant upgrades to allow the building to operate sustainably for years to come. The building is expected to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places and will require a unique and sensitive approach to creating an inspiring, collaborative, and community-oriented development. The methodology employed in this article is based on Participatory Action Research and includes field notes and interviews. The researcher engaged as a participant–observer and committee member for about 1.5 years with “Community As A Campus”—the initiative dedicated to envisioning and planning the redevelopment project.
Navigating the Challenges of Student-Centered Mathematics Teaching in an Urban Context

Guided by the “constructivism in practice” dilemmas framework developed by Windschitl (Rev Educ Res 72(2):131–175, 2002) we investigated the conceptual, pedagogical, cultural, and political barriers that 24 K-12 mathematics teachers working in a high-poverty urban school district in Texas encountered when trying to implement student-centered teaching practices learned through a rigorous professional development program. Themes that emerged from this qualitative analysis included barriers concerning lack of awareness of constructivist theory, difficulties facilitating student-centered activities in the classroom, poverty, lack of instructional autonomy, and high-stakes testing. Identifying a wide breadth of barriers to student-centered teaching may inform teacher educators and school administrators working in urban contexts in developing strategies to overcome these obstacles.