cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Branched endovascular repair of aortic arch aneurysm with a modular stent-graft system.

A 60-year-old man with new-onset chest and back pain was found at computed tomography to have a 6-cm pseudoaneurysm of the aortic arch at the site of open surgical repair of an arch aneurysm 6 years previously. The history was notable for severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, previous coronary artery stenting, and type IV thoracoabdominal aneurysm repair. An arch aortogram showed a wide-necked, saccular pseudoaneurysm of the aortic arch, originating opposite the left common carotid artery (A). Because of poor cardiopulmonary function and previous arch surgery, the patient was considered at prohibitive risk for traditional open aneurysm repair. Endovascular repair of the aortic arch pseudoaneurysm was performed with the patient under general anesthesia, with a branched modular stent-graft device and insertion procedure, described in an accompanying article in this issue of the Journal. The bifurcated stent graft directed all flow from the ascending aorta into the innominate artery and descending thoracic aorta while excluding flow to the aneurysm. Preparatory reconstruction of the brachiocephalic circulation included carotid-carotid bypass grafting, transposition of the left subclavian artery, and implantation of the left vertebral artery into the left subclavian artery. The operation required 6 hours. Completion angiograms revealed proper graft placement, with perfusion of all brachiocephalic arteries and no endoleak (B). These findings were confirmed on postoperative computed tomography scans (C, Cover). Recovery was complicated by a week-long period of ventilatory support and an episode of atrial flutter. There were no cardiac or neurologic complications. The patient was discharged home with warfarin for prophylaxis against cerebral thromboembolism. Conventional repair of aortic arch aneurysm or dissection requires sternotomy and graft replacement, usually with deep hypothermic circulatory arrest, with high morbidity and mortality. Despite the appeal of less invasive techniques, development of an endovascular system has been slowed by site-specific challenges such as the need to maintain uninterrupted cerebral perfusion. We believe that this case illustrates the advantages of a modular approach that combines well-tried stentgraft components and techniques in a new application. The only previously reported case of endovascular arch repair involved deployment of a complicated unibody, branched stent graft. Its successful deployment reflected a level of technical skill that has not been replicated. If our method of aortic arch repair proves both durable and reproducible, potential applications might include not only aneurysms of the arch, but also some type A dissections.
Kinetic modeling and exploratory numerical simulation of chloroplastic starch degradation

Higher plants and algae are able to fix atmospheric carbon dioxide through photosynthesis and store this fixed carbon in large quantities as starch, which can be hydrolyzed into sugars serving as feedstock for fermentation to biofuels and precursors. Rational engineering of carbon flow in plant cells requires a greater understanding of how starch breakdown fluxes respond to variations in enzyme concentrations, kinetic parameters, and metabolite concentrations. We have therefore developed and simulated a detailed kinetic ordinary differential equation model of the degradation pathways for starch synthesized in plants and green algae, which to our knowledge is the most complete such model reported to date. Simulation with 9 internal metabolites and 8 external metabolites, the concentrations of the latter fixed at reasonable biochemical values, leads to a single reference solution showing β-amylase activity to be the rate-limiting step in carbon flow from starch degradation. Additionally, the response coefficients for stromal glucose to the glucose transporter kcat and KM are substantial, whereas those for cytosolic glucose are not, consistent with a kinetic bottleneck due to transport. Response coefficient norms show stromal maltopentaose and cytosolic glucosylated arabinogalactan to be the most and least globally sensitive metabolites, respectively, and β-amylase kcat and KM for starch to be the kinetic parameters with the largest aggregate effect on metabolite concentrations as a whole. The latter kinetic parameters, together with those for glucose transport, have the greatest effect on stromal glucose, which is a precursor for biofuel synthetic pathways. Exploration of the steady-state solution space with respect to concentrations of 6 external metabolites and 8 dynamic metabolite concentrations show that stromal metabolism is strongly coupled to starch levels, and that transport between compartments serves to lower coupling between metabolic subsystems in different compartments. We find that in the reference steady state, starch cleavage is the most significant determinant of carbon flux, with turnover of oligosaccharides playing a secondary role. Independence of stationary point with respect to initial dynamic variable values confirms a unique stationary point in the phase space of dynamically varying concentrations of the model network. Stromal maltooligosaccharide metabolism was highly coupled to the available starch concentration. From the most highly converged trajectories, distances between unique fixed points of phase spaces show that cytosolic maltose levels depend on the total concentrations of arabinogalactan and glucose present in the cytosol. In addition, cellular compartmentalization serves to dampen much, but not all, of the effects of one subnetwork on another, such that kinetic modeling of single compartments would likely capture most dynamics that are fast on the timescale of the transport reactions.
Mean-squared-error Calculations for Average Treatment Eects ⁄

This paper develops a new ecient estimator for the average treatment eect, if selection for treatment is on observables. The new estimator is linear in the first-stage nonparametric estimator. This simplifies the derivation of the means squared error (MSE) of the estimator as a function of the number of basis functions that is used in the first stage nonparametric regression. We propose an estimator for the MSE and show that in large samples minimization of this estimator is equivalent to minimization of the population MSE.
Reinventing Brussels: Urban Profiles of Ideology, Power and Politics

With the waning of bipolar international relations because of the demise of the former Soviet Union, a new world order is emerging in which, certain once thought unassailable, political and economic regimes in Central and Eastern Europe have come under scrutiny and are being swept away. Whereas, Europe in whole as a fragmented polity and economy appeared to be taking the back seat to the superpowers, Japan and the rapidly growing economies of the Pacific rim basin, it is today the most politically dynamic region in the world and once again an increasingly influential one. The dynamism of New Europe stems from a set of schemes of regional cooperation forged in the 1950s, originally, the European Coal and Steel Community, and eventually the European Community. Having learned a bitter lesson from the Treaty of Versailles on post-war reconstruction, European nations focused this time on conciliation, cooperation and interdependence as safeguards of their peace and prosperity. Brussels, the capital of Belgium, has become synonymous with this effort.
Time to Leave Substantiation Behind: Findings From A National Probability Study

Data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being, a national probability study of children and families investigated for child maltreatment, were analyzed to answer the question: Do substantiated and unsubstantiated cases differ in rates of recidivism over 36 months? Recidivism was classified as (a) any re-reports, (b) substantiated re-reports and (c) subsequent foster care placements. Bivariate (survivor functions estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method) and multivariate (Cox regression modeling) analyses were conducted. The results revealed that risk of recidivism was similar regardless of substantiation status of the index investigation. We suggest that the substantiation label be removed from field use. Instead, we suggest that agencies record service needs in the families they serve, and also record whether or not the family meets criteria for referral to the family court. These would be far more practical and meaningful ways to measure child welfare services.
Cardiovascular consequences of obstructive sleep apnea.

Sleep disorders are common, with an estimated prevalence of approximately 40 million cases in the United States alone. Fifteen million persons in the United States are believed to have sleep apnea, which is defined as recurrent episodes of cessation of respiratoryairflowduringsleep,withaconsequentdecrease in oxygen saturation. Sleep apnea can be considered as central or obstructive. Central sleep apnea (CSA) is characterized by periodic apneas and hypopneas secondary to diminution or cessation of respiratory efforts. In contrast, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is secondary to upper airway collapse during inspiration and is accompanied by strenuous breathing efforts. CSA and OSA often may coexist. There is an increasing recognition of the widespread prevalence of OSA and its potential cardiovascular consequences. CSA also has been implicated in cardiovascular disease, primarily in patients with heart failure. This article addresses the association between OSA and specific cardiovascular disease conditions and examines the evidence that implicates OSA in the pathophysiology and progression of these disorders.
Opportunity Meets Planning: An Assessment of the Physical Activity Emphasis in State Obesity-Related Plans

BACKGROUND: In the United States health promotion efforts often begin with state-level strategic plans. Many states have obesity, nutrition, or other topic-related plans that include physical activity (PA). The purpose of this study was to assess PA content in these state plans and make recommendations for future plan development. METHODS: Publically available plans were collected in 2010. A content analysis tool was developed based on the United States National PA Plan and included contextual information and plan content. All plans were double coded for reliability and analyzed using SPSS. RESULTS: Forty-three states had a statewide plan adopted between 2002 and 2010, none of which focused solely on PA. Over 80% of PA-specific strategies included policy or environmental changes. Most plans also included traditional strategies to increase PA (e.g., physical education, worksite). Few plans included a specific focus on land use/community design, parks/recreation, or transportation. Less than one-half of plans included transportation or land use/community design partners in plan development. CONCLUSIONS: Though the majority of states had a PA-oriented plan, comprehensiveness varied by state. Most plans lacked overarching objectives on the built environment, transportation, and land use/community design. Opportunities exist for plan revision and alignment with the National PA Plan sectors and strategies. Language: en
Regulation of Insulin-Stimulated Glycogen Synthase Activity by Overexpression of Glutamine: Fructose-6-Phosphate Amidotransferase in Rat-1 Fibroblasts

High glucose concentrations such as are seen in diabetes mellitus are known to have deleterious effects on cells, but the pathways by which glucose induces these effects are unknown. One hypothesis is that metabolism of glucose to glucosamine might be involved. For example, it has been shown that glucosamine is more potent than glucose in inducing insulin resistance in cultured adipocytes and in regulating the transcription of the growth factor transforming growth factor alpha in smooth muscle cells. The rate-limiting step in glucosamine synthesis is the conversion of fructose-6-phosphate to glucosamine-6-phosphate by the enzyme glutamine:fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase. To test the hypothesis that this hexosamine biosynthesis pathway is involved in the induction of insulin resistance, we have overexpressed the enzyme glutamine:fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase in Rat-1 fibroblasts and investigated its effects on insulin action in those cells. We electroporated Rat-1 fibroblasts with expression plasmids that did and did not contain the gene for glutamine:fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase and measured glycogen synthase activity at varying insulin concentrations. Insulin stimulation was blunted in the glutamine:fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase-transfected cells, resulting in decreased insulin sensitivity reflected by a rightward shift in the dose-response curve for activation of synthase (ED 50 = 7.5 nM vs. 3.4 nM insulin, in glutamine:fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase and control cells, respectively). Rat-1 fibroblasts incubated with 5.0 mM glucosamine for 3 days exhibited a similar shift in the dose-response curve. The rightward shift in the dose-response curve is seen as early as 2 days after poration. Overexpression of glutamine:fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase also induced an increase in basal activity of glycogen synthase. The increase in basal glycogen synthase activity in glutamine:fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase cells developed later than the shift in the dose-response curve; by 4 days after transfection, a 61 ± 14.5% increase in basal glycogen synthase activity had been reached. Overexpression of glutaminerfructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase did not affect total glycogen synthase activity or glucose uptake in these cells. Furthermore, no change occurred in the number or affinity of insulin receptors in the glutamine:fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase–transfected cells, indicating that the insulin resistance induced by glutamine:fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase occurs distal to insulin binding.
Comments on: Cooperative games and cost allocation problems

The area of game theoretic models of cost allocation problems is a very large one and the authors have made the, in my eyes wise, choice to highlight a few areas of application. The paper provides an excellent overview of applications of game theory to the areas of transportation, natural resources, and the power industry, and it includes a wealth of references. Rather than trying to add to this overview or discussing other areas of application, I address the more general issues of why one might want to use cooperative games to study cost allocation problems and what we can learn from using cooperative games in such problems.
An Active Teaching Approach to Business Management: Gender and Ethnic Service Learning Self-Reflections

College business students, as part of a requisite undergraduate business management course, were assigned a service learning project. A component of the service-learning project was to teach business and management related curriculum to at-risk high school students. The undergraduate students, consisting of gender and ethnic mixes were then assessed in their perceptions of the following service learning position: leadership to at-risk students, relationships to at-risk students, making a difference to at-risk students, teamwork effectiveness, service learning effectiveness, and role modeling to at-risk students. A repeated measures ANOVA and factorial ANOVA were used to assess effects. Significant differences were noted.
“That’s When We Became a Nation” Urban Latino Adolescents and the Designation of Historical Significance

This study investigates how high-achieving Latino adolescents at an urban high school designate significance to events, people, and documents in American history. Survey and interview data of 70 high school students and their advanced placement history teacher document how students attach their own meanings to the history of the nation and employ concepts of freedom and unity as criteria for attributing significance. Unlike other ethnic minority students, however, these almost exclusively Cuban American students complemented and reinforced the official narrative of national uniqueness and progress.
Wife beating and cultural context: Prevalence in an Aboriginal and Islander community in Northern Australia

Wife beating is generally condemned in Western society, but may be viewed differently by other cultures. The frequency of battered women in a small urban Australian Aboriginal population was studied through reports of indigenous paraprofessional behavioral health workers of the community. The findings indicated battering was a regular, routine occurrence not only of women referred for mental health problems, but for women of the entire community. The practice seems to have its origin in tribal traditions and is supported by social sanctions, and there are social pressures for women to remain with the men who beat them. It is also currently related to alcohol ingestion and a pervasive jealously and suspicion usually existing between conjugal couples. Intervention strategies should be based on understanding of the cultural context in which the beatings occur.
IN VITRO HYPERGLYCEMIA OR A DIABETIC INTRAUTERINE ENVIRONMENT REDUCES NEONATAL ENDOTHELIAL COLONY FORMING CELL NUMBERS AND FUNCTION

OBJECTIVE— Emerging data demonstrate that maternal diabetes has long-term health consequences for offspring, including the development of hypertension. In adults, circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) participate in vascular repair, and EPC numbers and function inversely correlate with the risk of developing vascular disease. Therefore, our objectives were to determine whether hyperglycemia or exposure to a diabetic intrauterine environment alters EPC function. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS— We used well-established clonogenic endothelial colony-forming cell (ECFC) assays and murine transplantation experiments to examine human vasculogenesis. RESULTS— Both in vitro hyperglycemia and a diabetic intrauterine environment reduced ECFC colony formation, self-renewal capacity, and capillary-like tube formation in matrigel. This cellular phenotype was linked to premature senescence and reduced proliferation. Further, cord blood ECFCs from diabetic pregnancies formed fewer chimeric vessels de novo after transplantation into immunodeficient mice compared with neonatal ECFCs harvested from uncomplicated pregnancies. CONCLUSIONS— Collectively, these data demonstrate that hyperglycemia or exposure to a diabetic intrauterine environment diminishes neonatal ECFC function both in vitro and in vivo, providing potential mechanistic insights into the long-term cardiovascular complications observed in newborns of diabetic pregnancies.
Thermal Transition and Relaxation Behavior of Polybutadiene Polyurethanes Based on 2,6-Toluene Diisocyanate

Abstract The thermal transition and relaxation behavior of a series of segmented polyurethanes based on 2,6-toluene diisocyanate-butanediol hard segments and polybutadiene soft segments have been studied via differential scanning calorimetry and rheovibron measurements. Both techniques show a constant low temperature transition at −54°C corresponding to the Tg of the soft butadiene phase and a hard segment transition at about 62°C, both of which are independent of hard segment content. At higher temperatures, a melting endotherm, Tm1, appears between 140 to 150°C followed by recrystallization and then a final melting process, Tm2, between 190 and 210°C. The positions of the melting peaks and the corresponding heats of fusion, ΔHm, show a strong dependence on hard segment content, annealing temperature and, to a lesser degree, on heating rate. The data indicate that crystals of varying stability are formed at different annealing temperatures. Moreover, only those segments involved in the initial crystal di...
Discussion, Summary, and Conclusions

Within the Apicomplexan order Eucoccidiorida, four families of parasitic protists have been found to parasitize marsupials. A general overview of what we now know—and more importantly do not know—about the parasites in each of these families is summarized below. Following those summaries, I have included sections on type specimens, the value of archiving types, molecular tools, revisionary trends, and the future of taxonomy of the Apicomplexa as they seem germane to the topics presented.
Super-resolution imaging reveals distinct chromatin folding for different epigenetic states

Metazoan genomes are spatially organized at multiple scales, from packaging of DNA around individual nucleosomes to segregation of whole chromosomes into distinct territories. At the intermediate scale of kilobases to megabases, which encompasses the sizes of genes, gene clusters and regulatory domains, the three-dimensional (3D) organization of DNA is implicated in multiple gene regulatory mechanisms, but understanding this organization remains a challenge. At this scale, the genome is partitioned into domains of different epigenetic states that are essential for regulating gene expression. Here we investigate the 3D organization of chromatin in different epigenetic states using super-resolution imaging. We classified genomic domains in Drosophila cells into transcriptionally active, inactive or Polycomb-repressed states, and observed distinct chromatin organizations for each state. All three types of chromatin domains exhibit power-law scaling between their physical sizes in 3D and their domain lengths, but each type has a distinct scaling exponent. Polycomb-repressed domains show the densest packing and most intriguing chromatin folding behaviour, in which chromatin packing density increases with domain length. Distinct from the self-similar organization displayed by transcriptionally active and inactive chromatin, the Polycomb-repressed domains are characterized by a high degree of chromatin intermixing within the domain. Moreover, compared to inactive domains, Polycomb-repressed domains spatially exclude neighbouring active chromatin to a much stronger degree. Computational modelling and knockdown experiments suggest that reversible chromatin interactions mediated by Polycomb-group proteins play an important role in these unique packaging properties of the repressed chromatin. Taken together, our super-resolution images reveal distinct chromatin packaging for different epigenetic states at the kilobase-to-megabase scale, a length scale that is directly relevant to genome regulation.
Role of Pharmacogenomics in Kidney Disease and Injury

There has been considerable excitement in the kidney community surrounding the research findings on the genetic contributions to kidney diseases. However, positive outcomes of personalized therapeutic interventions can be circumvented by unpredictable pharmacokinetics of prescribed drugs. Furthermore, unpredictable drug disposition can result in toxicities such as kidney injury. Patient covariates, disease covariates, and pharmacogenetics all contribute to variability in drug disposition. Further treatment personalization and avoidance of drug- and biologic- induced kidney injury will require extensive knowledge and expertise in renal clinical pharmacology. The current review will focus on the pharmacogenetics of drugs and biologics used in the treatment of glomerular kidney diseases and drugs implicated in inducing kidney injury phenotypes.
Near-infrared optical imaging of tissue phantoms with measurement in the change of optical path lengths.

The possibility to non-invasively image hypoxic tissue volumes based upon oxyand deoxy-hemoglobin absorbance exists with the development of near-infrared (NIR) biomedical optical imaging. However, image reconstruction presents problems for biomedical optical imaging since the direct correlation between incident and detected light is destroyed by multiple scattering. Using pulsed time measurements, Hebden and Kruger1,2 and Andersson-Engels, et al. 3 have attempted to minimize the loss of correlation in their optical images by monitoring the intensity of scattered light that has travelled short distances within various “time-of-flight” windows between 37 and 320 picoseconds in duration. Upon integrating I(t) over time windows bounded by varying T1 and T2, $$ {I^*} = \smallint _{{T_1}}^{{T_2}}I\left( t \right)dt$$ (1) they reported I* images of 5 mm diam. absorbers located at varying depths within three to four centimeter thick tissue phantoms. These measurements were conducted using single source/single detector transillumination scanning measurements. In each of their studies, greater resolution was achieved upon using “time-of-flight” windows of smaller duration, as low as 37 picoseconds.
COMMENTARY ON RETHINKING RIGOR IN CALCULUS : THE ROLE OF THE MEAN VALUE THEOREM

(1997). Commentary on Rethinking Rigor in Calculus: The Role of the Mean Value Theorem. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 104, No. 3, pp. 241-245.
318 A MOUSE MODEL OF HEREDITARY HEMOCHROMATOSIS EXHIBITS INCREASED INSULIN SENSITIVITY AND RESISTANCE TO DIET-INDUCED OBESITY, WHILE WILD-TYPE MICE FED EXCESS IRON ARE INSULIN RESISTANT.

Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) is a common genetic disorder characterized by iron overload and diabetes, although the mechanism underlying the diabetes remains controversial. We have previously demonstrated that mice with knockout of the human gene most commonly mutated in HH (Hfe-/-) exhibit decreased beta cell mass and insulin secretion secondary to beta cell apoptosis and a desensitization of glucose stimulated insulin secretion. In the Hfe-/- mice and HH humans the decreased insulin secretion is partially compensated by increased insulin sensitivity. In contrast, iron overload has also been reported in insulin-resistant humans with the metabolic syndrome and/or type 2 diabetes. To study the mechanisms underlying these different phenotypes, we have created a model of mice that are fed excess dietary carbonyl iron in combination with a high-fat diet and compared them to the HH (Hfe-/-) mice also fed a high-fat diet. On high fat, the Hfe-/- mice are resistant to diet-induced obesity (Hfe-/-, 31.9 g, wild type 36.8 g, p NIH DK 59512.
Understanding Employee Motivation and Organizational Performance: Arguments for a Set-Theoretic Approach

Abstract Empirical evidence demonstrates that motivated employees mean better organizational performance. The objective of this conceptual paper is to articulate the progress that has been made in understanding employee motivation and organizational performance, and to suggest how the theory concerning employee motivation and organizational performance may be advanced. We acknowledge the existing limitations of theory development and suggest an alternative research approach. Current motivation theory development is based on conventional quantitative analysis (e.g., multiple regression analysis, structural equation modeling). Since researchers are interested in context and understanding of this social phenomena holistically, they think in terms of combinations and configurations of a set of pertinent variables. We suggest that researchers take a set-theoretic approach to complement existing conventional quantitative analysis. To advance current thinking, we propose a set-theoretic approach to leverage employee motivation for organizational performance.
Scapular flap for maxillectomy defect reconstruction and preliminary results using three‐dimensional modeling

Objectives/Hypothesis Discuss current techniques utilizing the scapular tip and subscapular system for free tissue reconstruction of maxillary defects and highlight the impact of medical modeling on these techniques with a case series. Study Design Case review series at an academic hospital of patients undergoing maxillectomy + thoracodorsal scapula composite free flap (TSCF) reconstruction. Three-dimensional (3D) models were used in the last five cases. Methods 3D modeling, surgical, functional, and aesthetic outcomes were reviewed. Results Nine patients underwent TSCF reconstruction for maxillectomy defects (median age = 43 years; range, 19–66 years). Five patients (55%) had a total maxillectomy (TM) ± orbital exenteration, whereas four patients (44%) underwent subtotal palatal maxillectomy. For TM, the contralateral scapula tip was positioned with its natural concavity recreating facial contour. The laterally based vascular pedicle was ideally positioned for facial vessel anastomosis. For subtotal-palatal defect, an ipsilateral flap was harvested, but inset with the convex surface facing superiorly. Once 3D models were available from our anatomic modeling lab, they were used for intraoperative planning of the last five patients. Use of the model intraoperatively improved efficiency and allowed for better contouring/plating of the TSCF. At last follow-up, all patients had good functional outcomes. Aesthetic outcomes were more successful in patients where 3D-modeling was used (100% vs. 50%). There were no flap failures. Median follow-up >1 month was 5.2 months (range, 1–32.7 months). Conclusions Reconstruction of maxillectomy defects is complex. Successful aesthetic and functional outcomes are critical to patient satisfaction. The TSCF is a versatile flap. Based on defect type, choosing laterality is crucial for proper vessel orientation and outcomes. The use of internally produced 3D models has helped refine intraoperative contouring and flap inset, leading to more successful outcomes. Level of Evidence 4. Laryngoscope, 127:E8–E14, 2017
Connecting virulence pathways to cell-cycle progression in the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans

Proliferation and host evasion are critical processes to understand at a basic biological level for improving infectious disease treatment options. The human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans causes fungal meningitis in immunocompromised individuals by proliferating in cerebrospinal fluid. Current antifungal drugs target "virulence factors" for disease, such as components of the cell wall and polysaccharide capsule in C. neoformans. However, mechanistic links between virulence pathways and the cell cycle are not as well studied. Recently, cell-cycle synchronized C. neoformans cells were profiled over time to identify gene expression dynamics (Kelliher et al., PLoS Genet 12(12):e1006453, 2016). Almost 20% of all genes in the C. neoformans genome were periodically activated during the cell cycle in rich media, including 40 genes that have previously been implicated in virulence pathways. Here, we review important findings about cell-cycle-regulated genes in C. neoformans and provide two examples of virulence pathways-chitin synthesis and G-protein coupled receptor signaling-with their putative connections to cell division. We propose that a "comparative functional genomics" approach, leveraging gene expression timing during the cell cycle, orthology to genes in other fungal species, and previous experimental findings, can lead to mechanistic hypotheses connecting the cell cycle to fungal virulence.
Multicolor Genetically-Encoded Calcium-Sensitive Bioluminescent Reporters of Neural Activity for Brain-Machine Interfaces

Adeno-associated virus was used to express a mix of different colored, aequorin-fluorescent proteins in mouse cortex. Neural activity produced bioluminescence with spectral properties that changed with different stimulation.
Temporary mechanical circulatory support after orthotopic heart transplantation: a single-centre experience.

OBJECTIVES There are various strategies in the use of temporary mechanical circulatory support following orthotopic heart transplant (OHT). We sought to examine the outcomes following different temporary mechanical circulatory support strategies for acute graft failure. METHODS Patients who received an OHT between 2001 and 2015 at a single institution were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on the need for temporary mechanical circulatory support (TMCS). RESULTS A total of 9.9% (19 of 192) of patients required TMCS following OHT. There were no significant differences in the preoperative demographics between groups. Six patients (32%) required a biventricular assist device, 9 patients (47%) required a right ventricular assist device and 4 patients (21%) required a veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenator. Perioperative morbidity was comparable between all groups. Our entire TMCS cohort had 94.7% 30-day and 61.1% 1-year survival. When compared with the OHT patients with no TMCS (97.1% at 30 days and 92.8% at 1 year), survival was inferior in TMCS patients ( P = 0.01 at 30 days, P < 0.001 at 1 year, P < 0.001 overall). CONCLUSIONS Acute graft failure requiring TMCS has inferior overall survival. Larger, multi-institutional studies are needed to further elucidate these differences and identify the best TMCS mode.
Combined interpretation of NMR and TGA measurements to quantify the impact of relative humidity on hydration of clay minerals

Abstract Reliability of core measurement and analysis can be highly dependent on the humidity of measurement environment. However, impact of humidity on core measurements is often assumed to be negligible. This paper quantified the influence of relative humidity on the hydration of clay minerals (i.e., montmorillonite, illite, chlorite, and kaolinite) using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The influence of clay hydration on the assessment of fluid volume in organic-rich mudrocks was also investigated. The NMR T 2 (spin-spin relaxation) magnetic decay of the clay samples showed existence of water even after the samples were dried in an oven at 95 °C. The TGA measurements in clay minerals confirmed the weight loss between 95 °C and dehydroxylation temperature, which is approximately the same volume as that recorded by NMR measurement in dried samples. This recorded water volume corresponded to desorption of water molecules bound to interlayer cations (i.e., interlayer water). In the case of the hydration water, the NMR-based water vapor adsorption experiments showed that the volume of water accumulated on the surface of clay minerals increased significantly as the relative humidity increased. The cation exchange capacity (CEC) measurements of clay minerals demonstrated that the volume of hydration water was strongly related to the CEC. The volume of interlayer water was, however, not related to the CEC. In the case of organic-rich mudrocks, water vapor adsorption experiments showed > 250% change in water volume when relative humidity varies in the range of 0% to 95%, which further verified the significant impact of humidity on core measurements and the necessity of applying corrections for such an impact.
Introduction to Plasma

A plasma is an electrically conducting quasi-neutral gas mainly composed of charged particles that exhibit collective motion. The vast majority of observable universe consists of plasma. Closer to Earth, i.e., in the solar-terrestrial environment, the solar wind, the magnetosphere, and the ionosphere are the most studied plasma environments. Plasma processes are greatly influenced by ambient electromagnetic fields and, in analogy with neutral planetary atmospheres, waves are continuously generated in plasmas and their propagation and interaction influence the structure and the evolution of plasma. A naturally occurring magnetic field environment is the geomagnetic field, which has already been detected four centuries ago. In this introductory chapter, a conceptual discussion of plasma is first presented. Then, various space plasma environments are discussed along with a brief introduction to the history of space research. Finally, some key plasma parameters such as density, gyrofrequency, and temperature, and characteristics (collective motion, quasi-neutrality) are discussed concisely.
Catastrophic Flood Flushing of Sediment, Western Himalaya, Pakistan

Catastrophic flooding in the Himalaya is an all too common phenomenon (Hewitt 1968; Goudie et al., 1984) that produces considerable hazard to residents. In recent years we have recognized that such massive movement of water is also a significant factor in eroding sediment from areas of active tectonism. In the Nanga Parbat project, in which a large international group of scientists is focusing on the relations between rapid uplift and deep denudation, we are attempting to map and measure erosion produced by slope failures, glaciers, rivers, and catastrophic flooding throughout Quaternary time. This paper includes information on these processes from both the Nanga Parbat region as well as from Hunza where collateral data have been collected (Figure 1). In this paper we differentiate floods from within glaciers, floods from behind glacier dams, floods from behind slope failure dams, and debris-flow floods induced by torrential rains.
A 20,000 word automatic speech recognizer

In this article we describe the adaptation to the French language of the Tangora system, developed by the IBM Yorktown Speech Group for American English. This work is a continuation of the activity of our group which developed the PARSYFAL system [1], a 200,000 word speaker-dependent syllable based dictation system which word recognition accuracy is about 90%. The French Tangora system uses exactly the same hardware as its US counterpart. It is a single box autonomous system running on an IBM PC AT machine with 4 signal processing cards (Albert) and an INTEL 80386 processor [2]. It handles a vocabulary of 20,000 words and is designed to take down dictated press agency dispatches. The dictation and training are done in isolated word mode.
Penile replantation: current concepts.

AbstractWe describe the microvascular repair of a traumatically lacerated penis (the fifth such case in the literature) and outline a uniform plan of management with which one can expect restoration of function and an adequate cosmetic appearance. Microvascular repair represents the most physiological method of reconstruction, with a lower incidence of urethral stricture disease, skin loss and sensory impairment.
Problem-Solving Strategies to Overcome Common Challenges Associated With Tourette Syndrome

Abstract Tics, and the associated symptoms of chronic tic disorders, cause problems in day to day life. Clinician-assisted training and practice in evidence-based problem-solving strategies are very useful for many children with tic disorders; particularly, those children who struggle to solve problems independently due to difficulties with emotion and behavior regulation, poor impulse control, and/or deficits in executive functioning. This chapter offers a detailed description of specific evidence-based approaches to problem solving across development, includes special considerations for working with youth with impairment in executive functioning, and describes detailed case examples to illustrate the intervention components. The research is mixed on the specific executive functioning deficits associated with Tourette syndrome, largely due to the high frequency of comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. However, interventions including problem-solving skills training are valuable for youth with Tourette syndrome, to overcome the social, academic, and interpersonal challenges associated with Tourette syndrome and other tic disorders.
Phosphate-control adherence in hemodialysis patients: current perspectives.

Objectives This review summarizes factors relevant for adherence to phosphate-control strategies in dialysis patients, and discusses interventions to overcome related challenges. Methods A literature search including the terms "phosphorus", "phosphorus control", "hemo-dialysis", "phosphate binder medications", "phosphorus diet", "adherence", and "nonadherence" was undertaken using PubMed, PsycInfo, CINAHL, and Embase. Results Hyperphosphatemia is associated with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in dialysis patients. Management of hyperphosphatemia depends on phosphate binder medication therapy, a low-phosphorus diet, and dialysis. Phosphate binder therapy is associated with a survival benefit. Dietary restriction is complex because of the need to maintain adequate protein intake and, alone, is insufficient for phosphorus control. Similarly, conventional hemodialysis alone is insufficient for phosphorus control due to the kinetics of dialytic phosphorus removal. Thus, all three treatment approaches are important contributors, with dietary restriction and dialysis as adjuncts to the requisite phosphate binder therapy. Phosphate-control adherence rates are suboptimal and are influenced directly by patient, provider, and phosphorus-control strategy-related factors. Psychosocial factors have been implicated as influential "drivers" of adherence behaviors in dialysis patients, and factors based on self-motivation associate directly with adherence behavior. Higher-risk subgroups of nonadherent patients include younger dialysis patients and non-whites. Provider attitudes may be important - yet unaddressed - determinants of adherence behaviors of dialysis patients. Conclusion Adherence to phosphate binders, low-phosphorus diet, and dialysis prescription is suboptimal. Multicomponent strategies that concurrently address therapy-related factors such as side effects, patient factors targeting self-motivation, and provider factors to improve attitudes and delivery of culturally sensitive care show the most promise for long-term control of phosphorus levels. Moreover, it will be important to identify patients at highest risk for lack of control, and for programs to be ready to deliver flexible person-centered strategies through training and dedicated resources to align with the needs of all patients.
Health Impacts of Heat Waves of 2007 in Hungary – Background and Experiences

In the second half of July 2007 a record breaking heat wave arrived in Central–Eastern Europe. For Hungary it was the ever recorded longest and hottest heat wave concerning both daily maximum, minimum, and mean temperature. During the summer 2007 there was a milder heat wave between June 19 and 23, between July 16 and 24 an extremely intensive heat wave affected the country, and the last heat wave affecting only some parts of the country arrived to Hungary between August 23 and 26.
Laboratory-Developed Tests in Molecular Diagnostics

One of the fastest growing areas in clinical laboratory testing is molecular diagnostics. This growth has been in part the result of the tremendous amount of knowledge gained in the last decade from the Human Genome Project regarding organization, regulation, and expression of genomic information in humans and microbes. This knowledge has allowed us to better understand the pathogenesis of many diseases at the molecular level. As a consequence, diseases are being increasingly defined in terms of their molecular pathogenesis. This has lead to the development of new clinical molecular assays for diagnosis, prognosis, selection of therapeutic modalities, and monitoring of diseases. Until a few years ago, practical laboratory methods for detecting differences in nucleic acid sequences were not sufficiently simple or robust for the clinical laboratory. Recent advances in new technology, instrumentation, and efforts in standardization have overcome many of these limitations. The development and introduction of new technologies that allow automation of the testing process, as well as higher-throughput testing, have improved the diagnosis of diseases and patient care. In addition to the increasing number of kits and reagents used for molecular diagnostics approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a large number of molecular tests are still manufactured in-house by different clinical laboratories. In its role supporting US science and industry, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a nonregulatory agency of the US Department of Commerce, provides physical and chemical standards in support of national commerce, manufacturing, and science (3). These materials are available internationally as Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) for use by industry developing assays and/or technology platforms for diagnostic use, by regulatory agencies ensuring the quality and efficacy of these assays, and by clinical laboratories providing diagnostic tests for patients. Traditionally, NIST responds to standard needs as defined by these communities. Consensus is developed through NIST workshops attended by representatives of these communities as well as direct request by other governmental agencies. Specific examples of ongoing programs within the Biotechnology Division at NIST are described in this chapter.
A complex choristoma presenting as a salmon patch lesion in the bulbar conjunctiva.

Abstract Purpose We describe a rare case of a complex choristoma appearing as a salmon-patch lesion in the nasal conjunctiva. While benign, complex choristomas are grossly indistinguishable from malignant lesions, and an excisional biopsy is warranted to confirm the diagnosis. Observations A 31-year-old man presented with an elevated glistening pink mass on the conjunctiva. An excisional biopsy with a “no-touch” technique was performed, followed by placement of an amniotic membrane graft without postoperative complications. No subsequent medical treatment was pursued after the biopsy and histopathologic evaluation. Histopathology confirmed a diagnosis of a complex choristoma with sections consisting of fibroadipose tissue with cartilage, smooth muscle, and nerves. Histopathology was negative for malignant cells without morphologic evidence of a lymphoma. Conclusions and Importance Conjunctival tumors are difficult to distinguish clinically, and a differential diagnosis often includes the possibility of a malignancy. Histopathologic diagnosis may be required to distinguish between various entities. In our case, a salmon-patch conjunctival tumor was biopsied and confirmed to be a benign complex choristoma.
Tumour-specific Causal Inference Discovers Distinct Disease Mechanisms Underlying Cancer Subtypes

Cancer is a disease mainly caused by somatic genome alterations (SGAs) that perturb cellular signalling systems. Furthermore, the combination of pathway aberrations in a tumour defines its disease mechanism, and distinct disease mechanisms underlie the inter-tumour heterogeneity in terms of disease progression and responses to therapies. Discovering common disease mechanisms shared by tumours would provide guidance for precision oncology but remains a challenge. Here, we present a novel computational framework for revealing distinct combinations of aberrant signalling pathways in tumours. Specifically, we applied the tumour-specific causal inference algorithm (TCI) to identify causal relationships between SGAs and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) within tumours from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) study. Based on these causal inferences, we adopted a network-based method to identify modules of DEGs, such that the member DEGs within a module tend to be co-regulated by a common pathway. Using the expression status of genes in a module as a surrogate measure of the activation status of the corresponding pathways, we divided breast cancers (BRCAs) into five subgroups and glioblastoma multiformes (GBMs) into six subgroups with distinct combinations of pathway aberrations. The patient groups exhibited significantly different survival patterns, indicating that our approach can identify clinically relevant disease subtypes.