cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Current status, strategies, and potential for the metabolic engineering of heterologous polyketides in Escherichia coli

Heterologous natural product biosynthesis has emerged as a strategy to produce medicinal compounds that pose challenges to conventional production routes. Polyketide compounds, an important class of natural products with wide-ranging therapeutic value, have been heterologously produced through Escherichia coli, presenting new opportunities to realize the medicinal potential of polyketide natural products. However, current production levels are often suboptimal when compared to native strain producers or heterologous theoretical yields. This problem provides an excellent opportunity to apply and further develop current metabolic engineering tools.
Mexican-American Women in the Colonias : Effects of Cultural and Environmental Stressors

Abstract This study examined stressors experienced by a group of Mexican‐American women living in rural areas along the Texas/Mexico border, as well as the methods employed to cope with the identified stressors. Major stressors were related to financial issues, with primary coping mechanisms including: involvement with others, spiritual involvement, as well as various activities (physical, creative, soothing). Implications for allied health professionals working with this population and intervention strategies are also discussed.
Suppression of Epstein-Barr virus reactivation in lymphoblastoid cells cultured in simulated microgravity.

Rotating-wall vessels allow for the growth of cells in simulated microgravity. Lymphoblastoid cells cultured in rotating-wall vessels exhibited significant differences in the expression of both early and late Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) antigens. Viral protein expression (as measured by indirect immunofluorescence) was significantly suppressed in cells cultured in simulated microgravity. A significantly greater percentage of P3HR-1 cells and Daudi cells were positive for the expression of BamH1-Z-DNA fragment of Epstein-Barr replication activator (ZEBRA), early antigen restricted (EA-R), and viral capsid antigen (VCA) in cells cultured in static tissue culture flasks as compared to cells cultured in rotating-wall vessels. We observed a 7, 11, and 25-fold reduction, respectively, for EA-R, VCA, and ZEBRA protein in P3HR-1 cells cultured in simulated microgravity. Additionally, suspension cultures of P3HR-1 cells exhibited significantly greater ZEBRA antigen expression than cells cultured in rotating-wall vessels. As an independent confirmation of the reduction in ZEBRA-protein production in simulated microgravity in P3HR-1 cells, ZEBRA-mRNA was quantitated by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. We observed between a 4 to 10-fold reduction in ZEBRA-mRNA in cells cultured in simulated microgravity as compared to cells cultured at 1 ×g in tissue culture flasks. Rotating-wall vessels, by virtue of providing a simple culture environment triggering marked differences in viral activation, provide a model whereby both host and viral factors involved in regulating the maintenance of EBV latency can be examined.
Minimally invasive surgery for thoracolumbar spinal deformity: initial clinical experience with clinical and radiographic outcomes.

Object Adult degenerative scoliosis can be a cause of intractable pain, decreased mobility, and reduced quality of life. Surgical correction of this problem frequently leads to substantial clinical improvement, but advanced age, medical comorbidities, osteoporosis, and the rigidity of the spine result in high surgical complication rates. Minimally invasive surgery is being applied to this patient population in an effort to reduce the high complication rates associated with adult deformity surgery. Methods A retrospective study of 23 patients was undertaken to assess the clinical and radiographic results with minimally invasive surgery for adult thoracolumbar deformity surgery. All patients underwent a lateral interbody fusion followed by posterior percutaneous screw fixation and possible minimally invasive surgical transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion if fusion near the lumbosacral junction was necessary. A mean of 3.7 intersegmental levels were treated (range 2–7 levels). The mean follow-up was 13.4 mo...
Prospector: Multiscale Energy Measurement of Networked Embedded Systems with Wideband Power Signals

Today’s wirelessly networked embedded systems underlie a vast array of electronic devices, performing computation,communication, and input/output. A major design goal of these systems is energy efficiency. To achieve this goal, these systems are based on processors with numerous power and clock domains, variable clock rates, voltage scaling, and multiple hibernation states. These processors are designed into systems with sophisticated wireless transceivers and a diverse array of off-chip peripherals, and are linked through regulators to increasingly complexenergy supplies. As a result, modern networked embeddedsystems are characterized by myriad power consumption statesand significant power signal transients. Moreover, their power demands are multiscale in both magnitude and time, combining short bursts of high demand with long intervals of power-sipping sleep states. Thus the power supply signals have wideband spectra. In addition, due to noise, uniform relative precision across magnitude scales requires that measurement time increases with decreasing power. Tools are needed that support modeling, hardware/software optimization, and debugging for energy-centric embedded systems. This paper describes Prospector, an energy data acquisition system architecture for embedded systems thatallows rapid, accurate, and precise assessment of system-level power usage. Prospector uses a distributed control architecture; each component contributes efficiently to control, precision and accuracy, analysis, and visualization. It is based on computer-based control of multimeters to maximize accuracy, precision,?exibility, and minimize target system overhead. Experimental results for a prototype Prospector system with a contemporary 16-bit ultra-low power microcontroller show that it can effectivelymeasure power over the extreme time and magnitude scales found in today’s embedded systems.
Congenital mesoblastic nephroma: cytogenetic comparison to leiomyoma.

We report the karyotype analysis of a congenital mesoblastic nephroma (CMN), a usually benign renal tumor occurring most commonly during early infancy. The tumor was composed of interlacing bundles of spindle-shaped cells and it displayed both the classic and cellular histologic patterns. Immunoperoxidase studies showed reactivity for vimentin and actin. The tumor cell karyotype included additional chromosomes 11 and an altered chromosome 12. Trisomy or tetrasomy of chromosome 11 is present in five of six reported cases and may represent a frequent alteration in the karyotype of the CMN. Furthermore, breakpoints in the q13–15 region of chromosome 12 are commonly seen in leiomyomas, which are histologically similar to the CMN. Thus, the karyotype described here illustrates another similarity between the two tumor types.
Through a Glass Darkly What Do People Learn in Videoconferences

Interactive video communication, both in conference rooms and on desktop computers, is becoming an increasingly attractive technology, in large measure for economic reasons. In a longitudinal field study, the authors demonstrate, as have others, positive first-order efficiency effects of this technology. That is, people can achieve the same levels of performance in video interaction as they do in face-to-face interaction. However, the authors also demonstrate some second-order differences between face-to-face and video interaction. They show that the impressions people form of remote others are different from and less positive than the impressions they form of face-to-face others, starting from an equal baseline. The authors also show that people make use of different kinds of information informing their impressions. They frame their results within the context of growing use of interactive video to suggest implications for research and organizational practice.
A Multiple Sensor Fault Detection Method based on Fuzzy Parametric Approach

This paper presents a new approach for the model-based diagnosis. The model is based on an adaptation with a variable forgetting factor. The variation of this factor is managed thanks to fuzzy logic. Thus, we propose a design method of a diagnosis system for the sensor defaults. In this study, the adaptive model is developed theoretically for the Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) systems. We present the design stages of the fuzzy adaptive model and we give details of the Fault Detection and Isolation (FDI) principle. This approach is validated with a benchmark: a hydraulic process with three tanks. Different defaults (sensors) are simulated with the fuzzy adaptive model and the fuzzy approach for the diagnosis is compared with the residues method. The method is efficient to detect and isolate one or more defaults. The results obtained are promising and seem applicable to a set of MIMO systems.
Iodine-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine scintigraphic assessment of the transplanted human heart: Evidence for late reinnervation

Objectives. This study attempted to determine whether cardiac sympathetic reinnervation occurs late after orthotopic heart transplantation. Background. Metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) is taken up by myocardial sympathetic nerves. Iodine-123 (I-123) MIBG cardiac uptake reflects intact myocardial sympathetic innervation of the heart. Cardiac transplant recipients do not demonstrate I-123 MIBG cardiac uptake when studied 1 year after transplantation. Methods. We performed serial cardiac I-123 MIBG imaging in 23 cardiac transplant recipients early ( 1 year) after operation. In 16 subjects transmyocardial norepinephrine release was measured late after transplantation. Results. No subject had visible I-123 MIBG uptake on imaging Conclusions. Sympathetic reinnervation of the transplanted human heart can occur >1 year after operation, as assessed by I-123 MIBG imaging and the transmyocardial release of norepinephrine. Reinnervation is less likely to occur in patients with a pretransplantation diagnosis of idiopathic cardiomyopathy than in those with other etiologies of congestive heart failure.
PAID: A Probabilistic Agent-Based Intrusion Detection system

In this paper we describe architecture and implementation of a Probabilistic Agent-Based Intrusion Detection (PAID) system. The PAID system has a cooperative agent architecture. Autonomous agents can perform specific intrusion detection tasks (e.g., identify IP-spoofing attacks) and also collaborate with other agents. The main contributions of our work are the following: our model allows agents to share their beliefs, i.e., the probability distribution of an event occurrence. Agents are capable to perform soft-evidential update, thus providing a continuous scale for intrusion detection. We propose methods for modelling errors and resolving conflicts among beliefs. Finally, we have implemented a proof-of-concept prototype of PAID.
Group Work, Interlanguage Talk,and Second Language Acquisition.

The use of group work in classroom second language learning has long been supported by sound pedagogical arguments. Recently, however, a psycholinguistic rationale for group work has emerged from second language acquisition research on conversation between non-native speakers, or interlanguage talk. Provided careful attention is paid to the structure of tasks students work on together, the negotiation work possible in group activity makes it an attractive alternative to the teacher-led, “lockstep” mode and a viable classroom substitute for individual conversations with native speakers.
Protracted Withdrawal from Alcohol and Drugs of Abuse Impairs Long-Term Potentiation of Intrinsic Excitability in the Juxtacapsular Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis

The juxtacapsular bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (jcBNST) is activated in response to basolateral amygdala (BLA) inputs through the stria terminalis and projects back to the anterior BLA and to the central nucleus of the amygdala. Here we show a form of long-term potentiation of the intrinsic excitability (LTP-IE) of jcBNST neurons in response to high-frequency stimulation of the stria terminalis. This LTP-IE, which was characterized by a decrease in the firing threshold and increased temporal fidelity of firing, was impaired during protracted withdrawal from self-administration of alcohol, cocaine, and heroin. Such impairment was graded and was more pronounced in rats that self-administered amounts of the drugs sufficient to maintain dependence. Dysregulation of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system has been implicated in manifestation of protracted withdrawal from dependent drug use. Administration of the selective corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 (CRF 1 ) antagonist R121919 [2,5-dimethyl-3-(6-dimethyl-4-methylpyridin-3-yl)-7-dipropylamino-pyrazolo[1,5- a ]pyrimidine)], but not of the CRF 2 antagonist astressin 2 -B, normalized jcBNST LTP-IE in animals with a history of alcohol dependence; repeated, but not acute, administration of CRF itself produced a decreased jcBNST LTP-IE. Thus, changes in the intrinsic properties of jcBNST neurons mediated by chronic activation of the CRF system may contribute to the persistent emotional dysregulation associated with protracted withdrawal.
A Framework for Learning to Recognize and Segment Object Classes Using Weakly Supervised Training Data

The continual improvement of object recognition systems has resulted in an increased demand for their application to problems which require an exact pixel-level object segmentation. In this paper, we illustrate an example of an object class recognition and segmentation system which is trained using weakly supervised training data, with the goal of examining the influence that different model choices can have on its performance. In order to achieve pixel-level labeling for rigid and deformable objects, we employ regions generated by unsupervised segmentation as the spatial support for our image features, and explore model selection issues related to their representation. Numerical results for pixel-level accuracy are presented on two challenging and varied datasets.
Why some workers remain in the labor force beyond the typical age of retirement

This study explored the ways in which race, gender, and age moderated the effects of several determinants of labor force participation among people ages 60 to 80. The role of race, gender, and age in moderating the effect of various factors on labor force participation was examined using the 1998 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) data. Binomial logistic regression models were used to evaluate the interaction between race, gender, age and other determinants of labor force participation. The effects of various factors on labor force participation differed by gender, race, and age. The negative effects of low education and poor health, respectively, were stronger for women and blacks. Also, the positive effect of low non-wage income was weaker for older workers, probably due partly to poorer health. Our findings suggest that different types of policies would help to encourage labor force participation among different groups. Because lack of access to employment may deter continued work among subgroups such as blacks and women with low education, job training or job search programs might provide incentives for employment in these groups. Additionally, employer flexibility regarding part-time work and work demands might make continued work attractive for more older workers.
Effects of Spectral Resolution on Satellite Ground Surface Temperature Retrieval

Ground surface temperatures play a large role in determining surface energy fluxes by way of their effects on sensible, latent, and radiative energy transfer. It is therefore necessary to estimate surface temperatures when studying atmospheric processes, such as mesoscale circulations, that depend heavily on surface fluxes. Short-range forecasts and climatological analyses can be particularly reliant on surface temperature estimation.
Flux vacua attractors in type II on SU(3) × SU(3) structure

We summarize and extend our work on flux vacua attractors in generalized compactifications. After reviewing the attractor equations for the heterotic string on SU(3) structure manifolds, we study attractors for N = 1 vacua in type IIA/B on SU(3) × SU(3) structure spaces. In the case of vanishing RR flux, we find attractor equations that encode Minkowski vacua only (and which correct a previous normalization error). In addition to our previous considerations, here we also discuss the case of nonzero RR flux and the possibility of attractors for AdS vacua.
The Impact of Trade Secrecy on Public Transparency

Trade secret law is fixed at the intersection of government and the private sector. Private businesses are increasingly displacing government in providing and operating public infrastructure, but utilizing commercial law standards and norms to do so, including the key tool of trade secrecy. Regulated industries, like the defense and energy worlds, are using trade secret exemptions in open government laws to prevent the public from accessing basic information about the use of taxpayer money. Governments are funding private-sector research, or even providing the facilities in which the research is conducted, and the public cannot access the results of that research because of trade secrecy doctrine. Indeed, countless examples of modern infrastructure, from telecommunications in the form of the Internet, to traditional government operations in the form of voting machines, are now being provided by the private sector, and the list of industries that are regulated by or in direct partnership with government continues to expand. Because of these shifts, trade secrecy doctrine has intruded into activities that traditionally have been conducted in the relatively open realm of public institutions like government. This chapter examines the specific impact of trade secrecy law on public transparency. The impact of trade secrecy on transparency manifests itself primarily in three particular scenarios: (a) the private provision of public infrastructure (its arguably most significant impact), (b) through publicly-funded research conducted by the private sector and its related contracting, and (c) the use of trade secrecy as an exemption to the Freedom of Information Act by regulated entities. Through analysis of specific examples, this chapter seeks to show that meaningful public debate, the ability of government officials to explain their decisions based upon evidence (and for the public to demand same), and the resultant benefits of full and informed consideration and implementation of policy options and alternatives, is suppressed when trade secrecy is utilized in contexts for which the doctrine was not designed.
Experiences of Intimate Partner and Neighborhood Violence and Their Association With Mental Health in Pregnant Women

Both intimate partner violence and neighborhood crime have been associated with worse mental health outcomes, but less is known about cumulative effects. This association was studied in a sample of pregnant women who were enrolled in a study of disaster exposure, prenatal care, and mental and physical health outcomes between 2010 and 2012. Women were interviewed about their exposure to intimate partner violence and perceptions of neighborhood safety, crime, and disorder. Main study outcomes included symptoms of poor mental health; including depression, pregnancy-specific anxiety (PA), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Logistic regression was used to examine predictors of mental health with adjustment for confounders. Women who experienced high levels of intimate partner violence and perceived neighborhood violence had increased odds of probable depression in individual models. Weighted high cumulative (intimate partner and neighborhood) experiences of violence were also associated with increased odds of having probable depression when compared with those with low violence. Weighed high cumulative violence was also associated with increased odds of PTSD. This study provides additional evidence that cumulative exposure to violence is associated with poorer mental health in pregnant women.
Crowd-sourced assessment of technical skills: an adjunct to urology resident surgical simulation training

Abstract Background: Crowdsourcing is the practice of obtaining services from a large group of people, typically an online community. Validated methods of evaluating surgical video are time-intensive, expensive, and involve participation of multiple expert surgeons. We sought to obtain valid performance scores of urologic trainees and faculty on a dry-laboratory robotic surgery task module by using crowdsourcing through a web-based grading tool called Crowd Sourced Assessment of Technical Skill (CSATS). Methods: IRB approval was granted to test the technical skills grading accuracy of Amazon.com Mechanical Turk™ crowd-workers compared to three expert faculty surgeon graders. The two groups assessed dry-laboratory robotic surgical suturing performances of three urology residents (PGY-2, -4, -5) and two faculty using three performance domains from the validated Global Evaluative Assessment of Robotic Skills assessment tool. Results: After an average of 2 hours 50 minutes, each of the five videos received 50...
Microstructural maturation of white matter tracts in encephalopathic neonates.

Abstract Purpose This study aims to apply neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) to measure white matter microstructural features during early development. Methods NODDI parameters were measured in twelve newborns and thirteen 6-month infants, all with perinatal clinical encephalopathy. Results Between 0 and 6 months, there were significant differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) for all tracts; in neurite density for internal capsules, optic radiations, and splenium; and in orientation dispersion for anterior limb of internal capsule and optic radiations. There were no appreciable differences in NODDI parameters related to outcome. Conclusion NODDI may allow more detailed characterization of microstructural maturation than FA.
Distributed Authorization in Vanadium

In this tutorial, we present an authorization model for distributed systems that operate with limited internet connectivity. Reliable internet access remains a luxury for a majority of the world's population. Even for those who can afford it, a dependence on internet connectivity may lead to sub-optimal user experiences. With a focus on decentralized deployment, we present an authorization model that is suitable for scenarios where devices right next to each other such as a sensor or a friend's phone should be able to communicate securely in a peer-to-peer manner. The model has been deployed as part of an open-source distributed application framework called Vanadium. As part of this tutorial, we survey some of the key ideas and techniques used in distributed authorization, and explain how they are combined in the design of our model.
Providing Informed Consent: A Standardized Case

Abstract Introduction From the first day of residency, residents may be required to consent patients for interventions, procedures, or tests. The ability to perform an informed consent is considere...
Freezing of Listeria monocytogenes and Other Microorganisms: A Review.

When the temperature of microbes is lowered rapidly, some are injured through thermal shock. Frozen cells can be injured mechanically by intra- and extracellular ice crystals. During freezing, as water is removed, there is a concentration of cell solutes which can lead to dissociation of cellular lipoprotein. Warming of frozen cells can be accompanied by growth of ice crystals which then can physically affect cells. Freeze-thaw injury of microbes is manifested by an increase in fastidiousness and by changes in cellular morphology, release of materials from the micro- and macrostructure of cells, and denaturation of macromolecules. Given the proper environmental conditions, cells can repair such injury. Cryoprotectants minimize damage to cells during freezing and frozen storage. Death and injury of Listeria monocytogenes were greater when cells were frozen and stored at -18°C rather than -198°C. Tryptose broth was more protective of cells than a phosphate buffer solution when freezing and storage were at -18°C; the reverse was true at -198°C. Repeated freezing (-18°C) and thawing (35°C) were more detrimental to cells of L. monocytogenes than were repeated freezing at -198°C and thawing at 35°C. Freezing cells at -198°C and storing them at -18°C caused more injury and death than did freezing and storage at -198°C. Glycerol was an effective cryoprotectant for L. monocytogenes . Less effective were milk fat, lactose, and casein. The extent of injury and death varied among strains of L. monocytogenes given the same treatment. Freezing and thawing increased susceptibility of L. monocytogenes to effects of lipase and lysozyme.
66th Annual Meeting Program, October 16–18, 1994, Columbia, South Carolina

66th ANNUAL MEETING OF THE EASTERN SECTION OF THE SEISMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA October 16–18, 1994 Coker Life Sciences Building University of South Carolina Columbia, South Carolina | Sunday, October 16, 1994 | || | 8:00 am–6:30 pm | FIELD TRIP to see 1886 Earthquake Effects at Summerville and Paleoliquefaction Sites in Georgetown County | | 7:00–9:00 pm | ICE BREAKER at USC Faculty House Sponsored by Kinemetrics, Inc., Nanometrics, Inc., Refraction Technology, Inc. and Teledyne Brown Engineering—Geotech Instruments | | Monday, October 17, 1994 | || | Monday Morning Schedule | | SEISMICITY, SOURCES AND STRUCTURES | | (Session Chairs: Tim Long—Georgia Institute of Technology and Christine Powell—University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) | | INTRODUCTION TO POSTERS BY AUTHORS | | 8:00–8:05 am | DRYSDALE , Janet A., CAJKA, Mary G. and WETMILLER, Robert J., The Napierville, Quebec, Earthquake of November 16, 1993. (POSTER) | | 8:05–8:10 am | HOPPER, Margaret G., Computer Atlas and Database of Earthquake Intensities for the Central United States. (POSTER) | | 8:10–8:15 am | SABATIER, G.J.E., The Possibility of an Electro-Magnetic Explanation for Certain Great Earthquakes (Mb > 6). (POSTER) | | 8:15–8:30 am | WETMILLER, Robert J., HERD, Richard K. and CARON, Pierre F., Seismic Data for the Montreal Fireball of June 14, 1994. | | 8:30–8:45 am | SCHARNBERGER, Charles K., The Berks County, Pennsylvania, Earthquake of 1994: Intensities and Damage. | | 8:45–9:00 am | CHAPMAN, Martin C., POWELL, Christine A. and CASTLE, Ginger, The August 6, 1994 Coastal North Carolina Earthquake: Large High-Frequency Spectral Amplitudes From an Event in a Region of Low Seismicity. | | 9:00–9:15 am | *CHEN, Xiuqi and . . . |
Applying Water Quality Models

The Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 and its Amendments of 1986 (SDWAA) requires that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) establish maximum contaminant level goals (MCLGs) for each contaminant which may have an adverse effect on the health of persons. Each goal is required to be set at a level at which no known or anticipated adverse effects on health occur, allowing for an adequate margin of safety (Clark, et al., 1987). Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) must be set as near to MCLGs as feasible.
Critical Experiments with Homogeneous PuO2-Polystyrene at 5H/Pu

The results and analyses are presented from the latest series of experiments in a continuing program for determining the critical parameters of plutonium mixtures having concentrations that are typ...
Correlating Nanoscopic Energy Transfer and Far-Field Emission to Unravel Lasing Dynamics in Plasmonic Nanocavity Arrays

Excited-state interactions between nanoscale cavities and photoactive molecules are critical in plasmonic nanolasing, although the underlying details are less-resolved. This paper reports direct visualization of the energy-transfer dynamics between two-dimensional arrays of plasmonic gold bowtie nanocavities and dye molecules. Transient absorption microscopy measurements of single bowties within the array surrounded by gain molecules showed fast excited-state quenching (2.6 ± 1 ps) characteristic of individual nanocavities. Upon optical pumping at powers above threshold, lasing action emerged depending on the spacing of the array. By correlating ultrafast microscopy and far-field light emission characteristics, we found that bowtie nanoparticles acted as isolated cavities when the diffractive modes of the array did not couple to the plasmonic gap mode. These results demonstrate how ultrafast microscopy can provide insight into energy relaxation pathways and, specifically, how nanocavities in arrays can sh...
Accuracy of Predicted Resection Weights in Breast Reduction Surgery.

Background Many insurance carriers continue to deny coverage for reduction mammaplasty unless a minimum amount of resected breast tissue per breast is achieved during surgery. This study investigates the accuracy of preoperative prediction that a minimum weight of 500 g can be resected and evaluates potential risk factors for not meeting this insurance requirement. Methods A retrospective review was performed on 445 patients with bilateral symptomatic macromastia who sought consultation for breast reduction surgery from 2007 to 2012. Women were included for analysis if they had documented predicted resection weights and underwent small-to-moderate breast reduction (< 1,000 g per side; n = 323). Relevant demographic information, mean predicted resection weight, and the mean actual resection weight were collected for analysis. Results Surgeon prediction of resection weight being over 500 g had a positive predictive value of 73%. In 61 patients (19%), the predicted weights were ≥ 500 g, but the actual weights were < 500 g. Thirty percentage of these 61 patients did not meet either Schnur or minimum weight requirements. Women with a body mass index < 30 were at significantly increased odds (odds ratio, 3.76; 95% confidence interval, 1.89-7.48; P = 0.002) of not meeting the minimum weight requirement at surgery compared with patients with a body mass index ≥ 30. Conclusions The common insurance criterion of removing ≥ 500 g per breast during breast reduction surgery are not met in a distinct cohort of women who are clinically appropriate candidates. This risk is particularly increased in nonobese women possibly due to proportionately smaller breast mass compared with obese women.
Transfusion Reactions in Patients with Cancer

In general, the true incidence of transfusion reactions is difficult to determine with certainty. In patients with cancer, it becomes even more complex to define. During a four-year study period in which 100,177 units of red blood cell transfusions were given to 25,744 cancer patients, 245 episodes of transfusion reactions were reported. The incidence of overall reaction was 0.3% of all transfused units, which is significantly lower than other studies. Febrile nonhemolytic reactions and allergic urticarial reactions were the most frequently noted, constituting 51.3% and 36.7%, respectively, of total reactions. There were only 17 hemolytic reactions (four immediate and 13 delayed-type). The incidence of delayed hemolytic reactions in cancer patients is significantly lower than that reported for patients in non-oncology hospital settings. This could result from the inability of cancer patients to produce alloantibodies against blood group antigens as frequently and efficiently as can those with non-neoplastic conditions.
Gender, Adult Development, and Aging

The subject of gender in adulthood is, on its face, too large for a single chapter. In an attempt to define it so that it is feasible to address, we narrow our focus to three broad issues: gender and lifespan developmental approaches to studying adult personality; gender and the aging mind and body across adulthood; and the implications of gendered social roles for adult development and aging. We chose these issues for several reasons. First, we wanted to highlight the differences between a “lifespan developmental” approach to understanding gender in adulthood and an “aging” approach (see also Elder & Shanahan, 2006; Fuller-Iglesias, Antonucci, & Smith, 2008). The first emphasizes growth across the lifespan, often includes qualitatively distinct periods or stages, and does not focus on decline or decrements. This approach emphasizes ways that adults of different ages (e.g., in their 20s vs. their 40s) may differ from each other in important ways. The second approach nearly always includes attention to processes of decline and decrements in functioning, but also increasingly notes functions that do not decline or that might even increase. These two approaches are both important and have both been used to study some phenomena, but in many cases only one of them has been employed. For that reason, we have quite different impressions of aging itself according to these different views, and those differences have consequences for our understanding of gender. For example, personality has been examined most thoroughly in developmental terms in adulthood, is often understood in terms of continuities or lack of change, but has rarely been examined in terms of decline or “aging.” In contrast, the cognitive and physical changes associated with adulthood are nearly always conceptualized in terms of broad processes rather than stages and, indeed, usually in terms of decline. Individual researchers who take both approaches to understanding gender in adulthood have advocated attention to contextual issues such as culture, class, or race/ethnicity, but most research has failed to incorporate it. We examine social roles as one set of contextual issues that have been studied in some depth and are often gendered, though men and women both occupy many of them. Finally, in this chapter we pay attention to those aspects of the psychology of adult persons that seem to be inflected by gender, though we note with interest areas where there has been little research. We assume that some aspects of adult psychology are general to both women and men (e.g., that responsibilities for work and other people generally increase until old age, that there is a switch in focus to “time left” after mid-life), and we do not focus on those. Instead we consider evidence that gender matters in certain psychological experiences of adulthood in the three areas mentioned above: personality, cognitive and physical changes, and social roles. Thus, for example,
PGG2, 11R-HPETE and 15R/S-HPETE are formed from different conformers of arachidonic acid in the prostaglandin endoperoxide H synthase-1 cyclooxygenase site.

Prostaglandin endoperoxide H synthases-1 and -2 (PGHS-1 and -2) catalyze the committed step in the formation of prostanoids (prostaglandins, thromboxane A2 (l-6). PGHSs catalyze two separate reactions: a cyclooxygenase reaction in which arachidonate is converted to prostaglandin G2 (PGG2) and a peroxidase reaction in which PGG2undergoes a two-electron reduction to PGH2. The cyclooxygenase reaction begins with a rate-limiting abstraction of the 13-proS hydrogen from arachidonate to yield an arachidonyl radical (7,8). This is followed by sequential oxygen additions at C-11 and C-15 to yield the prostaglandin endoperoxide PGG2. PGHSs exhibit some lipoxygenase activity producing small amounts of 11-hydroperoxy-5Z,8Z,12E,14Z-eicosatetraenoic acid (11-HPETE) and 15-hydroperoxy-5Z,8Z,11Z,13E-eicosatetraenoic acid (15-HPETE) from arachidonic acid (9, 10). Aspirin-acetylated PGHS-2, which has no cyclooxygenase activity, synthesizes 15R-HPETE (10,11). Studies comparing native and aspirinacetylated PGHS-2 have raised the possibility that arachidonate can bind in distinct orientations in the PGHS-2 active site to produce either PGG2, 1 l R-HPETE or 15RHPETE (10). Here we develop the concept that arachidonate can be bound in the cyclooxygenase active site of ovine (o)PGHS-1 in at least three different, catalytically competent arrangements that lead to PGG2, 11R-HPETE, and 15R/S-HPETE, respectively, and that these three arrangements of arachidonate occur subsequent to its entry into the cyclooxygenase active site.
Scattering model approximations for neutron thermalization problems

In this paper a variety of scattering model approximations are devised and evaluated. One such scattering model, designated the balanced single collision thermalization (BSCT) approximation, has proven to be very effective. It assumes that neutrons attain a thermalized distribution with only a single collision within the moderating material, independent of incident energy. This approximation leads to separability of the incident and outscattering energies and to significant simplification of the neutron scattering kernel for thermalization problems. The BSCT approximation is particularly useful in thermalization problems involving cold neutron sources, for which it yields flux predictions to within a few percent of exact solutions of theoretical problems. The BSCT approximation also predicts cold neutron fractions to within 10% of measured values for a cold neutron thermalization experiment done at Argonne National Laboratory.
From the trimer, through the pentamer, to liquid water

Abstract High resolution spectra, obtained for small water clusters in the Vibrational-Rotational-Tunneling spectroscopy experiments in Saykally's group, provide invaluable data that should guide us in untangling the quite elusive properties of liquid water [PNAS 98 (2001) 10533]. Recently, we suggested that the bifurcation splittings in cyclic water trimers originate from the tunneling of hydrogen bonded protons in a mean field, double well potential between two oxygen neighbors [Chem.Phys.Lett. 661 (2016) 263]. Based on the similar/corresponding pattern of splittings in cyclic water pentamers, the model developed for the trimer should be also applicable to pentamers. Assuming that pentamers are major transient components in the fluctuating hydrogen bonded network of water, the model is applied to liquid water. In this paper, we show that our 1-D model gives surprisingly good agreement with experimental 2-D spectra in the O H stretch region of liquid water, reported by Tokmakoff's group [JCP 145 (2016) 094501]. Our results strengthen the hypothesis that cyclic pentamers should be considered as transiently present in the liquid, and that their fused structures form low density liquid. We also postulate that the higher energy isomers of the pentamer contribute to high density liquid water.
Activities of daily living influence tibial cartilage T1rho relaxation times

Quantitative T1rho magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can potentially help identify early-stage osteoarthritis (OA) by non-invasively assessing proteoglycan concentration in articular cartilage. T1rho relaxation times are negatively correlated with proteoglycan concentration. Cartilage compresses in response to load, resulting in water exudation, a relative increase in proteoglycan concentration, and a decrease in the corresponding T1rho relaxation times. To date, there is limited information on changes in cartilage composition resulting from daily activity. Therefore, the objective of this study was to quantify changes in tibial cartilage T1rho relaxation times in healthy human subjects following activities of daily living. It was hypothesized that water exudation throughout the day would lead to decreased T1rho relaxation times. Subjects underwent MR imaging in the morning and afternoon on the same day and were free to go about their normal activities between scans. Our findings confirmed the hypothesis that tibial cartilage T1rho relaxation times significantly decreased (by 7%) over the course of the day with loading, which is indicative of a relative increase in proteoglycan concentration. Additionally, baseline T1rho values varied with position within the cartilage, supporting a need for site-specific measurements of T1rho relaxation times. Understanding how loading alters the proteoglycan concentration in healthy cartilage may hold clinical significance pertaining to cartilage homeostasis and potentially help to elucidate a mechanism for OA development. These results also indicate that future studies using T1rho relaxation times as an indicator of cartilage health should control the loading history prior to image acquisition to ensure the appropriate interpretation of the data.
The Firebird: Integration of Folktale and Folk Song:

Literature provides a wonderful impetus for both meaningful integration and music study, as it can be used to guide students to understanding the relationships between music and other disciplines, ...
Nab-paclitaxel (nab-P) combined with FOLFOX for advanced pancreatic cancer: A phase I study.

4123 Background: The contribution of irinotecan to the efficacy of FOLFIRINOX in pancreatic cancer is uncertain. The addition of irinotecan to gemcitabine was not superior to gemcitabine alone in p...
Insufficiency in airway interferon activation defines clinical severity to infant RSV infection

Abstract Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of severe respiratory disease in infants. Other than age at the time of infection, the causes and correlates of severe illness in infants lacking known risk factors are poorly defined. We recruited a cohort of confirmed RSV-infected infants and simultaneously assayed the presence of resident airway microbiota and the molecular status of their airways using a novel method. Rigorous statistical analyses identified a molecular airway gene expression signature of severe illness dominated by excessive chemokine expression. Global 16S rRNA sequencing confirmed an association between H. influenzae and clinical severity. Interestingly, adjusting for H. influenzae in our gene expression analysis revealed an association between severity and airway lymphocyte accumulation. Exploring the relationship between airway gene expression and the time of onset of clinical symptoms revealed a robust, acute activation of interferon (IFN) signaling, which was absent in subjects with severe illness. Finally, we explored the relationship between IFN activity, airway gene expression and productive RSV infection using a novel in vitro model of bona fide pediatric human airway epithelial cells. Interestingly, blocking IFN signaling, but not IFN ligand production, in these cells leads to increased viral infection. Our data reveal that acute airway interferon responses are physiologically relevant in the context of infant RSV infection and may be a target for therapeutic intervention. Additionally, the airway gene expression signature we define may be useful as a biomarker for efficacy of intervention responses.
Granulomatous amoebic encephalitis caused by Acanthamoeba in a patient with AIDS: a challenging diagnosis.

Introduction: Acanthamoeba spp. is a ubiquitous free-living amoeba that causes human infections affecting predominantly the cornea and central nervous system. The diagnosis and treatment of Acantha...
Molecular simulations of kinetic stable calcium isotope fractionation at the calcite-aqueous interface

Abstract The measurement of calcium stable isotope fractionation during crystal growth can provide insights into the dominant pathways and mechanisms of crystal growth, but these interpretations require a detailed understanding of mass dependent reaction rates and free energy states at the molecular scale. Here we report the results of free energy calculations used to determine the rate-limiting step controlling kinetic stable isotope fractionation during calcium ion attachment to active growth sites – kink sites – at the calcite surface. The free energy profile for attachment is combined with ion coordination states to reconstruct the multi-step molecular pathway for the ion attachment process. Dissociative desolvation of a water molecule coordinating the calcium ion approaching the kink is identified as the rate-limiting step, with a free energy barrier of ∼18 kJ/mol, which is equal to the energetic cost of water molecule leaving Ca2+ coordination shell in the aqueous phase. Molecular dynamics simulations were used to investigate the dependence of this desolvation step on calcium ion mass. Both brute force MD and an analysis of mass dependent water exchange coefficients (kwex) give identical kinetic stable isotope fractionation factor values αf44/40 = 0.992, which corresponds to Δ44/40Ca of ∼ -8‰, originating from a mass-dependent transition frequency for the Ca-bound solvation water at the kink. This value is significantly higher than the fractionation factor associated with water exchange dynamics around Ca2+ in bulk aqueous solution determined here (αf44/40 = 0.999). Our results confirm that the growing calcite surface should be depleted in 44Ca with respect to the aqueous phase due to kinetically preferred desolvation of the lighter isotope. We conclude that the maximum kinetic stable isotope fractionation associated with calcium attachment to surfaces is not constant but can vary due to changes in the interfacial environment that affect local solvent dynamics during desolvation.
Use of Surface Electromyography to Measure Muscle Fatigue in Patients in an Acute Care Hospital.

Background Functional outcomes with early rehabilitation in the acute care setting have improved; however, an improved understanding of muscle fatigue using surface electromyography (sEMG) is warranted to better guide patient-centered exercise prescription. Objectives The objectives of this study were to assess the safety and feasibility of collecting sEMG at the acute care bedside and to determine differences in muscle fatigue during isometric and dynamic submaximal contractions among patients in the hospital, healthy younger participants, and healthy older participants. Design The study used an observational cohort design. Methods There were 37 participants. Median frequency (Fmed) of the myoelectric signal of the quadriceps femoris muscles and time to task failure (TTTF) were measured using sEMG during an isometric and dynamic fatiguing contraction. Primary analysis compared TTTF between groups for both types of contractions. Secondary analysis compared Fmed at initiation and termination of fatiguing contraction. Results High-quality sEMG measures were safe and feasible to collect at the acute care bedside with no adverse events. There was a statistically significant difference in TTTF between groups after isometric and dynamic contractions; hospitalized patients fatigued faster than healthy younger and healthy older participants after both contractions. With the exception of the vastus lateralis during a dynamic contraction in healthy younger and hospitalized patients, there was a statistically significant difference between Fmed at initiation and termination of contraction, indicating that subjects' muscles did truly fatigue. Limitations A limitation of the study was the small sample size of patients who were hospitalized without matched controls. Conclusions sEMG is a lab quantitative technique that was found to be safe and feasible to assess muscle fatigue in the acute care environment. The protocol yielded similar results to previously published literature for healthy younger and healthy older people. Further research is needed to better understand how to integrate sEMG findings into patient-centered exercise prescriptions.
A Randomized Algorithm for Generalized Accelerated Projection Method

We consider the convex feasibility problem, which is to determine a point in the intersection of a finite number of closed convex sets. It was shown in the past literature a so-called generalized acceleration method converges to a feasible point in the intersection of all the sets, assuming the intersection set has a nonempty interior. In this letter, we establish the same convergence result without any assumption on the interior of the feasible set. In particular, we devise a randomized accelerated projection algorithm and prove its linear convergence rate when all the convex sets are half-spaces in a finite-dimensional Euclidean space. Numerical experiments comparing the generalized acceleration method with the classic cyclic projection methods are presented, which justify the fast convergence rate and the out-performance of the proposed algorithm.