cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genome-Wide DNA Methylation Analysis and Epigenetic Variations Associated with Congenital Aortic Valve Stenosis (AVS)

Congenital heart defect (CHD) is the most common cause of death from congenital anomaly. Among several candidate epigenetic mechanisms, DNA methylation may play an important role in the etiology of CHDs. We conducted a genome-wide DNA methylation analysis using an Illumina Infinium 450k human methylation assay in a cohort of 24 newborns who had aortic valve stenosis (AVS), with gestational-age matched controls. The study identified significantly-altered CpG methylation at 59 sites in 52 genes in AVS subjects as compared to controls (either hypermethylated or demethylated). Gene Ontology analysis identified biological processes and functions for these genes including positive regulation of receptor-mediated endocytosis. Consistent with prior clinical data, the molecular function categories as determined using DAVID identified low-density lipoprotein receptor binding, lipoprotein receptor binding and identical protein binding to be over-represented in the AVS group. A significant epigenetic change in the APOA5 and PCSK9 genes known to be involved in AVS was also observed. A large number CpG methylation sites individually demonstrated good to excellent diagnostic accuracy for the prediction of AVS status, thus raising possibility of molecular screening markers for this disorder. Using epigenetic analysis we were able to identify genes significantly involved in the pathogenesis of AVS.
America and Europe after 9/11: The Great Divide

Nothing explains the long-term impact of 9/11 on United States-European relations better than two headlines from the French daily newspaper Le Monde. “We Are All Americans,” was the headline in the newspaper the day after 9/11. “In this tragic moment, when words seem so inadequate to express the shock people feel, the first thing that comes to mind is this: We are all Americans,” wrote Jean-Marie Colombani, reflecting the massive European outpouring of sympathy and support for America. But, just a few months later, on March 9, 2004, Colombani wrote an editorial for the Wall Street Journal that was headlined: “Are We Still Americans?” This time, he wasn’t so sure.
The unknown mechanism of the overtraining syndrome: clues from depression and psychoneuroimmunology.

When prolonged, excessive training stresses are applied concurrent with inadequate recovery, performance decrements and chronic maladaptations occur. Known as the overtraining syndrome (OTS), this complex condition afflicts a large percentage of athletes at least once during their careers. There is no objective biomarker for OTS and the underlying mechanism is unknown. However, it is not widely recognised that OTS and clinical depression [e.g. major depression (MD)] involve remarkably similar signs and symptoms, brain structures, neurotransmitters, endocrine pathways and immune responses. We propose that OTS and MD have similar aetiologies. Our examination of numerous shared characteristics offers insights into the mechanism of OTS and encourages testable experimental hypotheses. Novel recommendations are proposed for the treatment of overtrained athletes with antidepressant medications, and guidelines are provided for psychological counselling.
Considerations in the development of generic disease therapies for multiple sclerosis

Abstract Purpose of review: Medication prices are a major contributor to the high cost of care for multiple sclerosis (MS). The patents for some of the initial injectable therapies for relapsing MS recently expired, permitting development, regulatory approval, and marketing of generic alternatives with the potential for lower prices and cost savings to payers and patients. Recent findings: A generic version of glatiramer acetate 20 mg administered by daily subcutaneous injection recently received regulatory approval in the United States. Two additional generic versions of glatiramer acetate have been submitted for regulatory review. The development and testing of generic disease-modifying therapies for MS such as glatiramer acetate, which are complex molecules, present several complicating factors. Summary: This article provides background on the development of generics and reviews the status of generic glatiramer acetate.
The Nature of the Shamanic Teacher

Transcendent teachers may engage in what is described below as shamanic teaching. All shamanic teachers are also transcendent teachers by virtue of the transcendent atmosphere and interaction they create. Both transcendent and shamanic teachers deliberately act to remove barriers, overcome limitations for, and with, the learner.
Comparing soil carbon estimates in glaciated soils at a farm scale using geospatial analysis of field and SSURGO data

Abstract Soil carbon is a key soil property related to ecosystem services and it is often used in soil carbon content estimates at various scales. Uncertainties in soil carbon estimates often arise from variability in field, laboratory, and/or geospatial data at a farm scale. The objectives of this study were to quantify and compare levels of soil organic carbon (SOC), soil inorganic carbon (SIC), and total soil carbon (TC) for a 147-hectare field site in upstate New York based on three alternative analysis procedures: a) using carbon concentrations reported by the Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) spatial databases for each soil map unit (SMU) present at the field site and applying that value across each SMU; b) averaging the carbon contents of soil cores collected within a specific SMU boundary and applying the averaged value across each SMU; and c) interpolating carbon contents across the field site based on the individual soil cores. Maps of SOC, SIC, and TC contents based on the interpolated core samples were different from maps created by applying averaged core results or SSURGO values across the SMUs. Differences in the magnitudes and spatial distributions of carbon can be attributed to several factors. For example, SSURGO soil carbon values are frequently measured for a selected pedon(s) from a “type location” and not from the actual study location. These “type locations” can be located far from study sites and even in different states. Also, SSURGO soil carbon values may overestimate the actual contents when compared to systematic field measurements because the SSURGO values at lower depths are often extrapolated from upper soil horizons. Such extrapolations affect inorganic carbon to a much greater extent than organic carbon, therefore better agreement is observed in the present study between SOC estimates from the SSURGO database and field measurements. Because regional and/or global carbon estimates are rarely made with detailed field data due to the high costs of field and laboratory measurements, additional field sampling is needed to constrain and improve these estimates and also to assess the potential variability present.
‘Dialectics’, Historicity and the Logic of Capital

Invested with canonical authority by Marx’s imprimatur, the historicist model contained in the Kaufman extracts has exerted great power over the Marxist tradition. This power can best be gauged by reviewing some citations from other authors. I do not want here to consider in detail any of the cited passages. I want simply to show by way of exemplification how the historicist model has in fact come to provide the norms of what we could call an entire methodological discourse: the norms, that is to say, of a sort of discourse about method, though not, I am suggesting, of any analytical discourse which actually employs the ‘method’ in question.
What Is the Form of a City, and How Is It Made?

Three branches of theory endeavor to explain the city as a spatial phenomenon. One, called “planning theory,” asserts how complex public decisions about city development are or should be made. Since these understandings apply to all complex political and economic enterprises, the domain of this theory extends far beyond the realm of city planning, and it has been well developed in those other fields. So it has a more general name: “decision theory.” The second branch, which I call “functional theory,” is more particularly focussed on cities, since it attempts to explain why they take the form they do and how that form functions. This is a reasonably thick theoretical limb—if not as robust as decision theory—and engages renewed interest today. I have summarized its leading ideas in appendix A, and there, from a safe distance, point to some of the more common blemishes on this limb. The third branch, spindly and starved for light, but on which so many actions are hung, is what I would call “normative theory.” It deals with the generalizable connections between human values and settlement form, or how to know a good city when you see one. This is our concern. As on any healthy tree, the three branches should spring securely from a common trunk. Unlike the branches of trees we know, they should not diverge. They should interconnect and support each other at many points. A comprehensive theory of cities would be a mat of vegetation, and some day the branches will no longer exist in separate form. While working perilously far out on the weakest branch, we must be aware of the other two and look for favorable places to insert a graft. So this chapter scans planning theory and functional theory, the two companion branches to our own. It also sets forth what I mean by the “form” of the city. Otherwise, what are we talking about?
The Road to the Revolución Ciudadana

The spaces of oil extraction in Ecuador are dynamic sites of negotiation, contestation, acquiescence, and resistance. Since the election of Rafael Correa in 2006, the uneasy coexistence of state, firm, and indigenous peoples in these spaces has shifted to reflect an explicitly anti-neoliberal and anti-imperialist platform. This chapter examines the conditions of this shift, and asks the question at the heart of this book: what is the possibility for a new political economy of oil in Ecuador? We use the concept of “entanglements” to frame this emerging direction, to move beyond a dualistic understanding of power relations, and to ask about the transformative promises that emerge out of the messy and intersecting relationships shaping life in Ecuador’s twenty-first-century oil frontier. In Ecuador’s Amazon region, crude entanglements take on a multiplicity of forms and have changed dramatically since the discovery of oil in 1967. A brief political economic history of oil boom, indebtedness, neoliberal policies, and tumult provides necessary context to understand the rise of President Correa and his party, Alianza Pais. Correa’s platform is encapsulated by the Revolucion Ciudadana, a developmentalist project of governance introduced by his administration in 2007. As we discuss, the term Revolucion Ciudadana can be interpreted in many ways, and these multiple meanings and valences possess a utility in describing and justifying the suite of policies and practices of the Correa administration. The project of the Revolucion Ciudadana is made possible via public spending using revenue generated by extractive activities disproportionally impacting socio-ecological communities in the Amazon region, an area of high biological and cultural diversity.
Introduction—General methods for proximate and mineral analysis

Proximate analysis is defined by H. Bennett in the Concise Chemical and Technical Dictionary as the “determination of a group of closely related components together, e. g. total protein, fat.” It conventionally includes determinations of the amount of water, protein, fat (ether extract), ash and fiber, with nitrogen-free extract (sometimes termed Nifext) being estimated by subtracting the sum of these five percentages from 100. In order to emphasize the group nature of the percentage of protein, fat and fiber, many chemists use the word “crude” before these three terms.
Divorce among Macrosocial Units: A Reexamination

This study revisits fairly well-established theoretical assumptions. in order to reexamine the variation in aggregate measures of divorce among the 50 American states. Four hypotheses (i.e. social integration. women's economic independence, socioeconomic status. and proportion of the population that is black) are derived as potential explanations. Regression analysis indicates that social integration is inversely related to divorce, whereas women's economic independence is positively related to divorce. Socioeconomic status is found to be negatively related to divorce. whereas proportion of the population that is black has no effect.
NASH: Novel therapeutic strategies targeting ASK1 in NASH

Currently, no pharmacological therapies are approved for the treatment of NASH. A new study now identifies CASP8 and FADD-like apoptosis regulator (CFLAR) as a novel suppressor of NASH and its associated disorders in a process dependent on the activation of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1).
Annotated Bibliography: 18 Statement Surveys

The studies summarized below were based on survey research conducted by Robert W. McGee, sometimes with coauthors. The studies usually consisted of 18 statements beginning with the phrase, “Tax evasion is ethical if ….” The first 15 statements are based on arguments used in prior studies over the last 500 years to justify tax evasion. The last three statements were added to survey views on three human rights issues that had not been addressed in prior research.
Health and energy preferences: Rethinking the social acceptance of energy systems in the United States

Abstract Does a person’s health impact their opinions about energy sources? This article tests whether people with health problems prefer less physically harmful energy sources using data from a 2011 survey of 1382 U.S. residents. 19% of respondents reported their health as “only fair” or worse, and a smaller proportion of these people supported coal, natural gas, and nuclear energy than of respondents who had “good” or “excellent” health. The analysis finds significant differences in opinion by gender, age, and other demographic characteristics. These findings are consistent with previous U.S. studies on energy preferences. After controlling for political party, ideology, sex, age, education, race, religion, and geographical region, this article shows that people with health problems are not more likely to back renewable energy, but that they are significantly less likely to support coal, natural gas, and nuclear power. These results may be utilized by a variety of policy-oriented groups. They can help shape interest groups’ advocacy strategies, advise decisions about what communities to avoid when developing energy facilities, and guide policymakers’ attempts to initiate energy policy that will be supported by the public by increasing understanding about how energy preferences are formed.
Acute Lung Failure — Our Evolving Understanding of ARDS

Since Laennec described the gross pathology of idiopathic anasarca of the lungs in 1821, mortality due to the acute respiratory distress syndrome has been vastly reduced. Yet the poor subsequent condition of ARDS survivors indicates that much more needs to be done.
Optimization of data acquisition in axial CT under the framework of sampling on lattice for suppression of aliasing artifacts with algorithmic detector interlacing

Purpose We present the methodology for analyzing and optimizing the sampling structure of projection data acquisition in axial multi-detector CT (MDCT) and cone beam CT (CBCT) under the framework of sampling on lattice. Specifically, we propose and evaluate the scheme of interlaced detector cell binning for suppression of longitudinal aliasing artifacts. In addition, we investigate the proposed scheme's capability of mitigating shift-variation in spatial resolution and possibility of improving CB image reconstruction accuracy. Methods Under the framework of sampling on lattice, the proposed scheme is evaluated using an axial MDCT with its architecture similar to that of state-of-the-art CT scanners for diagnostic imaging in the clinic. The widely-used FDK algorithm is adopted for image reconstruction, in which either horizontal/latitudinal or vertical/longitudinal interpolation is used for lining-up of data between interlaced detector cells. Using a spiral clock phantom, the capability of suppressing aliasing artifacts and possibility of improving reconstruction accuracy is quantitatively investigated. The in-plane spatial resolution, as assessed by the modulation transfer function (MTF), and its shift-variant property are quantitatively assessed using wire phantoms, while the through-plane spatial resolution and its shift-variant behavior are assessed by the slice sensitivity profile (SSP) using thin foil phantoms. Results The preliminary results show that the interlaced detector cell binning can suppress longitudinal aliasing artifacts effectively, while the shift-variation in spatial resolution and reconstruction inaccuracy can be mitigated moderately. In addition, the direction, along which the interpolation is carried out to line up projection data between the interlaced detector cells for image reconstruction, plays a significant role in determining the in-plane and through-plane spatial resolution. Conclusions The scheme of interlaced detector cell binning with longitudinal interpolation for data lining-up is an effective solution for suppression of longitudinal aliasing artifacts in axial MDCT and CBCT. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Parametric Analysis of a Compliant Hinge Mechanism for a Shape Memory Alloy Actuated Arm

A compliant hinge is proposed to replace conventional revolute joints for a shape memory alloy actuated arm-like mechanism. The arm-like mechanism is designed to replicate the articulation of the elbow joint, linking the humerus and radius, while being able to lift a dead load using a shape memory alloy wire as the biceps muscle. A parametric analysis on hinge geometry and Young’s modulus is performed to determine if a feasible geometric and material solution exists based on the application requirements. The results indicate optimum solutions are logarithmically correlated between modulus of elasticity and width-to-thickness ratio. Overlaying the results of the parametric study onto an Ashby chart indicates that large hinge widths are necessary. These results indicate more complex geometries are needed for arm-like manipulator applications.Copyright © 2017 by ASME
Events and Aspectual Verb-Types: Activities, Accomplishments, Achievements, States, and Series

It has been amply demonstrated that a comprehensive description of aspectualizers requires an analysis of the complement structures with which they occur. A determination of the aspectual nature of these complement sentences and verbs constitutes an important part of such an analysis. Viewing events as consisting of various temporal parts, as well as being distinguishable into several different types, provides us with a means by which we may classify event-naming verbal expressions into different aspectual types. That is, different classes of verbs can be distinguished according to the type of event named by the members of that particular class.
Association between Adolescent School Climate and Perceived Quality of Life

Evaluations that incorporate students’ perceptions of school climate and their quality of life are receiving increased interest. This study investigated the magnitude of relationships between 10 school climate domains, and three subjective quality of life measures, specifically overall life satisfaction, school-specific satisfaction, and self-rated health (SRH) among a large, diverse sample of public high school adolescents (N = 1643) from Arizona. Structural equation modeling techniques determined model fit. The model fit the data well: χ2 (n = 1643, 34) = 117.83, CFI = .98, TLI = .96, RMSEA = .039). Consistent with expectations, students’ perceptions of school climate predicted school satisfaction most strongly (β = .40, p < .001), followed by overall life satisfaction (β = .15, p < .001), and SRH (β = .15, p < .001). School connectedness (λ = .74, p < .001), positive student-teacher relationships (λ = .70, p < .001), academic support (λ = .68, p < .001), order and discipline (λ = .68, p < .001), and opportunities for school engagement (λ = .66, p < .001) had the highest loadings. Furthermore, tests of moderator effects revealed that the associations between school climate and school satisfaction and SRH were stronger for females whereas the association between school climate and overall life satisfaction was stronger for males. Results suggest higher levels of positive perceptions school climate are associated with higher levels of positive perceptions of quality of life, which provides additional support for the notion of more comprehensive assessments of school processes and outcomes.
Non Transplant Surgical Considerations: Hepatic Surgery and Liver Trauma

Surgery represents one of the main options for the management of liver related conditions, including benign or malignant tumors, biliary abnormalities, and trauma. Liver resections are major operations and carried a significant mortality risk until recently. Within the last 30 years the results have significantly improved, with a post-operative mortality below 3% in specialized centers around the world. At the same time, surgery for liver trauma has become quite rare and the majority of patients are managed non-operatively. When an operation is necessary, most are treated with peri-hepatic packing and a staged operation. While there are significant differences between these two groups with liver disease, the complexity of their treatment results in their admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). Caring for postoperative liver patients or those with liver trauma requires a thorough understanding of each disease process, and almost every intensivist will encounter several of these patients throughout a career.
Unilateral Tubo-ovarian Actinomycosis in the Presence of an Intrauterine Device

A case of unilateral tubo-ovarian abscess due to Actinomyces in the presence of an intrauterine device is presented. The gross and microscopic features are described. As the diagnosis of this potentially serious infection is usually made by the histologic demonstration of sparsely distributed sulfur granules, the pathologist should approach every case of IUD-associated pelvic inflammation with a high index of suspicion.
Apophyseal injuries in the young athlete

Apophyseal injuries, which are unique in the adolescent athlete, cause inflammation at the site of a major tendinous insertion onto a growing bony prominence. These injuries typically occur in active adolescents between the ages of eight and 15 years and usually present as periarticular pain associated with growth, skeletal immaturity, repetitive microtrauma and muscle-tendon imbalance. Common apophyseal injuries, and their sites, include Sever's disease (posterior calcaneus), Osgood-Schlatter disease (tibial tuberosity), Sindig-Larsen-Johansson syndrome (inferior patella), medial epicondylitis (humeral medial epicondyle) and apophysitis of the hip (iliac crest, ischial tuberosity). Conservative therapy, including rest, ice, compression, elevation, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, modification of the athlete's activity level and exercises for increased flexibility and strengthening, is usually effective.
Development of Hormonal Control of Histidase

ABSTRACT The nature and mechanisms underlying postnatal development and endocrine control during development of the rat hepatic and epidermal enzyme, histidase, are under study. Although identical by several physiologic and immunologic criteria, histidase in these two tissues differs markedly in developmental pattern and hormonal regulation. Histidase emerges at different times independently pre- and post-natally in skin and liver and undergoes further sex-specific multiphasic developmental specific to each tissue. Estrogen, glucocorticoid and glucagon/cAMP are inducers of hepatic, but not epidermal, histidase. Androgen suppresses histidase in both tissues; hypophyseal hormones (ACTH and GH) and thyroid hormone are suppressors in liver. Competence of the liver to respond to the three hormonal inducers of histidase varies during development. Glucagon is capable of hepatic histidase induction throughout postnatal life. However, natural and synthetic estrogens are incapable of histidase induction until after the first neonatal month. Conversely, glucocorticoid effectively induces this enzyme only during the first two postnatal months; at maturity, a time when other hepatic enzymes continue to be inducible by glucocorticoids, liver histidase fails to respond to this hormone. Tissue specific developmental alterations in histidase catalytic activity, its enhancement in liver by estrogen, glucocorticoid, glucagon, cAMP and hypophysectomy and its suppression by triiodothyronine are all attributable to corresponding alterations in amounts of identical enzyme protein, as determined by immunotitration. These changes, in turn, are the result of selective and proportionate alterations in the rates of de novo histidase synthesis, as determined by pulse incorporation of radioactive amino acids in vivo into immunoprecipitated enzyme. That, unlike in other enzymes, corticol-inducible increases in the biosynthetic rate of histidase, wane at the attainment of maturity would seem to reflect neither significant alterations in cytosolic glucocorticoid receptors nor histidase degradative rates, but rather modifications in receptor interactions with specific nuclear receptor sites, or transcriptional, transcript processing, or translational events during postnatal development.
Sensitive issues, religion, and respect in the gender and communication course

At my university, instructors are told that they should be prepared to consider making alternative readings and assignments available to students who express concerns that relevant features of the ...
Variability of blood eosinophils in patients in a clinic for severe asthma.

Background Blood eosinophils are used to determine eligibility for agents targeting IL-5 in patients with uncontrolled asthma. However, little is known about the variability of blood eosinophil measures in these patients before treatment initiation. Objective To characterize variability and patterns of variability of blood eosinophil levels in a real-world clinic for severe asthmatics. Methods Retrospective review of blood eosinophils measured over a 5-year period in patients enrolled in an urban clinic. Repeated measures of blood eosinophil levels in individuals were evaluated, and cluster analysis was performed to characterize patients by eosinophil patterns. Clinical characteristics associated with eosinophil levels and patterns of variability were analysed. Results Patients treated in the Bellevue Hospital Asthma Clinic within a 3-month period were identified (n = 219). Blood eosinophil measures were obtained over the previous 5 years. Only 6% (n = 13) of patients had levels that were consistently above 300 cells/μL. Nearly 50% (n = 104) had eosinophil levels that traversed the threshold of 300 cells/μL. In contrast, 102 (46%) had levels that never reached the threshold of 300 cells/μL. Cluster analyses revealed three clusters with differing patterns of levels and variability. There was a suggestion of decreased clinical control and increased atopy in the cluster with the greatest variability in blood eosinophil measures. Conclusion In an urban clinic for patients referred for uncontrolled asthma, blood measures of eosinophils were variable and showed differing patterns of variability. These data reinforce the need to perform repeated eosinophil blood measures for appropriate designation for therapeutic intervention.
The Arts as Coastal Cultural Resilience

Discussions have occurred around how creative work applies to scholarly contexts. In an effort to add to the ongoing conversation, the contributors to this chapter offer their response to the call for art and poetry. The humanities and the humanistic sciences, together with creative works, can offer unique approaches to help audiences understand and communities adapt to issues. Whether through painting, photography, poetry, songs, or stories, coasts and the oceans invite our curiosities. What we offer below is a glimpse into how the coast affects our own resilience, personal and public.
Islamic banking system: a credit channel of monetary policy – evidence from an emerging economy

Since its inception, Islamic banking in Pakistan has shown remarkable growth and development. Most recent statistics reveal that industry has captured around 13% of the total banking market in Pakistan. This outstanding growth of the industry highlights the crucial role of Islamic banks for monetary policy considerations. This study aimed to evaluate the role of Islamic banks in the monetary transmission process in Pakistan. The study examined the role of two most crucial balance sheet items of Islamic banks in the monetary transmission process: (1) Islamic deposits and (2) Islamic financing. The paper employed time series techniques such as the J.J. co-integration test, Vector Auto Regression, Variance Decomposition Analysis and Impulse Response Function to investigate the role of Islamic banks in the monetary transmission process. The study sample covered the time period 2007–2017. The results revealed the significant role of Islamic banks in transmitting monetary decisions to the real economy. ...
Targeted Cancer Next-Generation Sequencing as a Primary Screening Tool for Microsatellite Instability and Lynch Syndrome in Upper Gastrointestinal Tract Cancers.

Background: No consensus guideline has been established for microsatellite instability testing in upper gastrointestinal tract cancers. This study aims to determine whether targeted cancer next generation sequencing can accurately detect microsatellite instability in upper gastrointestinal tract cancers and screen for patients with Lynch syndrome. Methods: In a cohort of 645 upper gastrointestinal tract cancers, targeted next generation sequencing assessed microsatellite instability by identifying characteristic insertion and deletion mutations. Sequencing classification was compared to mismatch repair protein immunohistochemistry. Cancers with microsatellite instability by sequencing were analyzed using a testing protocol to identify patients with Lynch syndrome. Results: Sequencing identified microsatellite instability in 3.6% (23 of 645) of upper gastrointestinal tract cancers, including 28% (8 of 29) of small intestinal and 9% (9 of 97) of gastric carcinomas. In 20 cancers classified as having microsatellite instability, 19 demonstrated loss of expression of MLH1, PMS2, MSH2, or MSH6, and one cancer was indeterminate by immunohistochemistry. In contrast, 52 control cancers demonstrated retained expression of all mismatch repair proteins. Using targeted sequencing as the initial screening test, 1.1% (7 of 645) of patients were identified to have pathogenic germline variants confirming a diagnosis of Lynch syndrome. Conclusions: Targeted cancer next generation sequencing is an accurate first-line test to detect microsatellite instability in upper gastrointestinal tract cancers. Impact: This study provides a proof of concept for the use of targeted next generation sequencing to detect microsatellite instability and screen for Lynch syndrome.
Control of skunk-vine (Paederia foetida L.) with preemergence and postemergence herbicides in central Florida during the winter season

Skunk-vine (Paederia foetida L.) is an invasive vine native to eastern and southern Asia and is widely distributed in Florida, Hawaii, and other southeastern U.S. states; however, little research has focused on herbicide control. Greenhouse and field experiments were conducted to determine efficacy of aminocyclopyrachlor, aminopyralid, fluroxypyr, glyphosate, imazapic, triclopyr amine, and triclopyr ester at low and high labeled rates when foliar applied to P. foetida at various growth stages in greenhouse experiments. Longer-term control was evaluated in field experiments in central Florida using the same herbicides. PRE herbicides labeled for use in landscape plantings, including dimethenamid-P, flumioxazin, indaziflam, isoxaben, and prodiamine, were also evaluated in greenhouse trials by seeding containers with P. foetida seed. In greenhouse experiments, POST herbicides, including aminocyclopyrachlor, aminopyralid, glyphosate, both triclopyr formulations, and the high rate of fluroxypyr (0.24 kg ae ha-1), provided >90% control across all growth stages at 4 mo after treatment with no regrowth observed. Imazapic provided 49% to 89% control, with efficacy decreasing with P. foetida size, and generally provided less control than other treatments. Field experiments confirmed results from greenhouse studies. In PRE trials, flumioxazin and prodiamine provided better control than all other PRE herbicides evaluated, reducing shoot weights by 99% and 84%, respectively, compared with nontreated controls. Our data suggest all herbicides evaluated POST could potentially be used to manage P. foetida, although less control was achieved with imazapic compared with other herbicides. Further research is needed to determine herbicide efficacy on more mature plants and to develop application methods that would be less injurious to non-target vegetation. In landscapes, flumioxazin or prodiamine could be used for PRE control, but POST options that are labeled for landscape use should be identified in future research.
The measurement invariance of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 for American Indian adults.

Abstract Background American Indian people have high suicide rates. However, little epidemiological data is available on depression prevalence, a suicide risk factor, in this population. Some research suggests that depression scales may perform differently for American Indian people. However, the Patient Health Questionnnaire-9 (PHQ-9), a depression scale widely-used in clinical practice, had not been assessed for cross-cultural measurement invariance with American Indian people. Methods In this retrospective study of existing electronic health record (EHR) data in an upper Midwestern healthcare system, we assessed the measurement invariance of the standard one-factor PHQ-9 and five previously identified two-factor models for 4443 American Indian and 4443 Caucasian American adults (age >= 18) with a PHQ-9 in the EHR from 12/1/2005 to 12/31/2017. We also conducted subgroup analyses with adults ages >= 65. Results Models showed good fits (e.g., CFI > 0.99, RMSEA 0.80). All models displayed measurement invariance between racial groups. Factor correlation was high for two-factor models, providing support for the one-factor model. American Indian adults had significantly higher odds of PHQ-9 total scores >= 10 and >= 15 than Caucasian American adults. Limitations Data came from a single healthcare system. Conclusions The PHQ-9 exhibited cross-cultural measurement invariance between American Indian and Caucasian American adults, supporting the PHQ-9 as a depression screening tool in this clinical care population. American Indian adults also had higher levels of depression than Caucasian Americans. Future research could confirm the generalizability of our findings to other American Indian populations.
Populations of Small Solar System Bodies

Asteroids are objects that are mainly composed of rocky and metallic material, are generally accepted to be debris left over from the formation of the solar system. The exact composition varies with the asteroid, but in addition to rocky material, asteroids may contain metals and volatiles including organic material. A volatile is a substance with a significantly lower boiling point than rocky material. A substance with a higher boiling point is called a refractory.
1579. Multidrug-Resistant Candida auris Isolates From New York Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities Are Susceptible to Antifungal Combinations

Background Candida auris outbreak continues unabated in New York with the current case counts exceeding 300 patients. We used a modification of standard CLSI broth microdilution method (BMD) if two-drug combinations are efficacious against C. auris isolates with high-resistance to fluconazole (FZ, MIC50 >256 mg/L), and variable resistance to other broad-spectrum antifungal drugs.
Anti-PD-1 for patients with leptomeningeal metastasis from advanced solid tumors: Efficacy, safety, and biomarkers of response.

e14506Background: Leptomeningeal metastasis (LMM) from solid tumors are rare and often refractory to standard therapies. Pembrolizumab (anti-PD-1) has efficacy in patients (pts) with brain metastas...
“I’m In!”: Hillary Clinton’s 2008 Democratic Primary Campaign on You Tube

In 2008, during the Democratic Primary, Hillary Clinton posted 353 campaign videos to YouTube. Each of these campaign videos demonstrated the candidate’s attempts to negotiate the complexities of e...
Social psychiatry in the era of sustainable development

We currently live in an era when sustainable development is a high priority. Inclusion of mental health and well-being in the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals presents an unprecedented opportunity to bring mental health out of shadows into the larger arena of development. Social psychiatry can play a large role in ensuring that that these opportunities are utilized fully by working more closely with professionals from other areas within and outside health sectors as well as with communities including people with lived experience.
Meta‐analysis: antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent peristomal infection following percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy

Summary Background Despite numerous guidelines recommending prophylactic antibiotics prior to percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy, their use remains controversial. Aim To conduct a systematic literature review and performed meta-analyses to determine the benefit of antibiotic prophylaxis for percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy placement. Methods We performed a systematic literature review by searching healthcare databases and grey literature for randomized-controlled trials of antibiotic prophylaxis against wound infection after percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy. Relative risks were calculated for individual trials and data pooled using fixed-effects model. Relative risk reduction, absolute risk reduction and number needed to treat were calculated and are reported with 95% confidence intervals. Results Ten randomized-controlled trials met the inclusion criteria and 1059 cases were pooled. Overall findings indicated that antibiotic prophylaxis resulted in a relative risk reduction of 64% and an absolute risk reduction of 15%. Number needed to treat to prevent one wound infection was 8. Cephalosporin prophylaxis was associated with a relative risk reduction of 64%, absolute risk reduction of 10% and number needed to treat of 10, whereas penicillin-based prophylaxis was associated with a relative risk reduction of 62%, absolute risk reduction of 13% and number needed to treat of 8. Conclusions Antibiotic prophylaxis prior to percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy is effective in reducing the incidence of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy site wound infection. Based on sensitivity analyses, penicillin-based prophylaxis should be the prophylaxis of choice.
Qüestionari d'estil d'atribucions: Propietats Psicomètriques

We describe the Catalan version of the Attributional Style Questionnaire. We report means, reliabilities and intercorrelations for a sample of 112 undergraduates. The Catalan version promises to be a reliable and valid instrument.
Optimum wire shaping of an RLC interconnect

The optimum wire shape for minimum signal propagation delay across an RLC line is shown to have a general exponential form. The line inductance makes exponential tapering more attractive for RLC lines than for RC lines. For RLC lines, optimum wire tapering achieves a higher reduction in the signal propagation delay as compared to uniform wire sizing. Wire tapering can reduce both the propagation delay and power dissipation. A reduction of 15% in the propagation delay and of 16% in the power is achieved for an example circuit.
Natural Experiments in the Social Sciences: Regression-discontinuity designs

In this chapter and the next, I consider two specific kinds of natural experiments: regression-discontinuity designs in this chapter, and instrumental-variables designs in the next. When appropriately invoked, both kinds of designs meet the key definitional criterion of natural experiments—namely, random or as-if random assignment. Yet they differ in other ways, and their use tends to raise characteristic issues of discovery, analysis, and interpretation that are specific to each kind of design. This makes it valuable to discuss these two kinds of natural experiments separately in various chapters, where they can each be given more detailed attention. The regression-discontinuity design was proposed by Thistlethwaite and Campbell (1960) and discussed extensively by Trochim (1984). Yet, for somewhat unclear reasons—and despite the extensive efforts that Donald Campbell’s research team at Northwestern University put into studying it—this research design was relatively underutilized for several decades after Campbell and his team originally proposed it. However, empirical applications have exploded in the social sciences over the past decade or so. In this chapter, I survey many recent applications, as a way to shed some light on the art of discovering productive opportunities for these modes of research. Issues of analysis and interpretation are mostly postponed for Parts II and III of this book, though some mention of them is also made here.
Protecting and securing networked medical devices.

Abstract Designing, building, and maintaining a secure environment for medical devices is a critical component in health care technology management. This article will address several avenues to harden a health care information network to provide a secure enclave for medical devices.
Floral scent in Annonaceae

Many species of Annonaceae are known for their distinctive, penetrating floral aromas. Numerous pollination studies have documented floral scents which probably play a key role in specialized pollination strategies. In particular, floral scents appear to play crucial roles in deceptive pollination strategies, contributing to floral mimicry of ripe or decaying fruits, fungi and, potentially, carrion or faeces. Occasionally, floral scent may advertise genuine floral rewards, as is the case for two species of Unonopsis pollinated by male euglossine bees. To date, ten studies have chemically characterized floral scent for 24 species representing 11 genera of Annonaceae. In this review, I discuss the chemical composition and diversity of the analysed floral scents in Annonaceae. I also summarize and discuss a wide range of (human) perceptual descriptions of floral scent found throughout the literature on Annonaceae. I have framed discussions of floral scent in Annonaceae in ecological and evolutionary contexts whenever possible. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 169, 262–279.
Examining legal authoritarianism in the impact of punishment severity on juror decisions

Recent Supreme Court decisions point to an increased reliance on juries to determine a defendant's sentence. Evidence is mixed on whether jurors are more likely to convict when the potential punishment is mild. The current study examined this issue, as well as the impact of legal authoritarianism (LA) (Kravitz, D. A., Cutler, B. L., & Brock, P. 1993. Reliability and validity of the original and revised legal attitudes questionnaire. Law and Human Behavior, 17, 661–677. doi: 10.1007/BF01044688), on jurors’ decisions. An ethnically diverse sample of participants completed the individual difference measure prior to viewing a videotaped, reenacted criminal trial. We manipulated the severity of the punishment the defendant would receive if convicted. Results indicated LA moderated the effect of punishment severity on verdict. Specifically, at higher levels of punishment severity, civil libertarians convicted less, while legal authoritarians convicted more. That is, the severity-leniency effect held for civil l...
Calcium sparks and [Ca2+]i waves in cardiac myocytes

Local elevations in intracellular calcium ("Ca2+ sparks") in heart muscle are elementary sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+)-release events. Ca2+ sparks occur at a low rate in quiescent cells but can also be evoked by electrical stimulation of the cell to produce the cell-wide Ca2+ transient. In this study we investigate how Ca2+ sparks are related to propagating waves of elevated cytosolic Ca2+ induced by "Ca2+ overload." Single ventricular myocytes from rat were loaded with the Ca(2+)-sensitive indicator fluo 3 and imaged with a confocal microscope. After extracellular Ca2+ concentration was increased from 1 to 10 mM to produce Ca2+ overload, the frequency of spontaneous Ca2+ sparks, which occur at the t tubule/SR junction, increased approximately 4-fold, whereas the spark amplitude and spatial size increased 4.1-and 1.7-fold, respectively. In addition, a spectrum of larger subcellular events, including propagating Ca2+ waves, was observed. Ca2+ sparks were seen to occur at the majority (65%) of the sites of wave initiation. For slowly propagating Ca2+ waves, discrete Ca(2+)-release events, similar to Ca2+ sparks, were detected in the wave front. These Ca2+ sparks appeared to recruit other sparks along the wave front so that the wave progressed in a saltatory manner. We conclude that Ca2+ sparks are elementary events that can explain both the initiation and propagation of Ca2+ waves. In addition, we show that Ca2+ waves and electrically evoked Ca2+ transients have the same time course and interact with each other in a manner that is consistent with both phenomena having the same underlying mechanism(s). These results suggest that SR Ca2+ release during Ca2+ waves, like that during normal excitation-contraction coupling, results from the spatial and temporal summation of Ca2+ sparks.
Metlife Integration Project – A Case Study

MetLife Inc. is a leading life insurance company with 90 million customers in more than 50 countries around the globe. They have established a strong presence in these over 50 countries through organic growth, acquisitions, joint ventures and other partnerships. Their 2012 revenue was $68 billion with 64,000 worldwide employees. The company founded in 1863 and is based in New York.In 2006, MetLife was on the verge of committing to acquire Travelers Life and Annuity from Citigroup for more than $11 billion. The IT due-diligence team initially estimated that the time to integrate the two companies’ technology in about 3 years. With some project crunching, they felt they could complete the project in 18 months. MetLife CEO Robert Benmosche, thought for a moment and told CIO Steven Sheinheit, do it by November 1st -- in seven months! (O’ Donnell, 2006)
Task Cycle Theory: A Learning-Based View of Organization Behavior

Those of us who practice Industrial-Organizational Psychology for a living outside of academia don’t get--or don’t take--the opportunity to interface with our academic colleagues as often as we should. Accordingly, this chance to present my thoughts is especially welcome.