cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Base excision repair enzymes protect abasic sites in duplex DNA from interstrand cross-links.

Hydrolysis of the N-glycosyl bond between a nucleobase and deoxyribose leaves an abasic site within duplex DNA. The abasic site can react with exocyclic amines of nucleobases on the complementary strand to form interstrand DNA–DNA cross-links (ICLs). We find that several enzymes from the base excision repair (BER) pathway protect an abasic site on one strand of a DNA duplex from cross-linking with an amine on the opposing strand. Human alkyladenine DNA glycosylase (AAG) and Escherichia coli 3-methyladenine DNA glycosylase II (AlkA) accomplish this by binding tightly to the abasic site and sequestering it. AAG protects an abasic site opposite T, the product of its canonical glycosylase reaction, by a factor of ∼10-fold, as estimated from its inhibition of the reaction of an exogenous amine with the damaged DNA. Human apurinic/apyrimidinic site endonuclease 1 and E. coli endonuclease III both decrease the amount of ICL at equilibrium by generating a single-strand DNA nick at the abasic position as it is lib...
Membership functions representing a number vs. representing a set: Proof of unique reconstruction

In some cases, a membership function μ(x) represents an unknown number, but in many other cases, it represents an unknown crisp set. In this case, for each crisp set S, we can estimate the degree μ(S) to which this set S is the desired one. A natural question is: once we know the values μ(S) corresponding to all possible crisp sets S, can we reconstruct the original membership function? In this paper, we show that the original membership function μ(x) can indeed be uniquely reconstructed from the values μ(S).
Simultaneous Determination of Six Glucocorticoid Drugs in Chinese Traditional Medicine by High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

A high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(HPLC-MS/MS) method was established for the determination of six glucocorticoid drugs,prednisone,dexamethasone,betamethasone,triamcinolone,beclomethasone,and clobetasol in Chinese traditional medicine.The sample was extracted with acetonitrile,and cleaned up by dispersive solid-phase extraction with PSA sorbent.The separation of six glucocorticoids was achieved on Zobax SB C18 column(4.6 mm×150 mm,5 μm).Identification of glucocorticoid was based on retention time and characteristic fragment ions.Under the optimal conditions,the assay was linear over the range of 1.5-300 mg/kg.The spiked recoveries were in the range of 85%-102%.The method has obvious advantages of simplicity,sensitivity and good repeatibility,and was suitable for simultaneous determination of six glucocorticoids in the Chinese traditional medicine.
Prevalence and Causes of Visual Impairment and Blindness in Chinese American Adults: The Chinese American Eye Study

Importance Visual impairment (VI) and blindness continue to be major public health problems worldwide. Despite previously published studies on VI in Chinese and other racial/ethnic populations, there are no data specific to Chinese American adults. Objectives To determine the age- and sex-specific prevalence and causes of VI and blindness in adult Chinese Americans and to compare the prevalence to other racial/ethnic groups. Design, Setting, and Participants In this population-based, cross-sectional study of 10 US Census tracts in the city of Monterey Park, California, 4582 Chinese American adults 50 years and older underwent complete ophthalmologic examinations, including measurement of presenting and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) for distance using the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study protocol from February 1, 2010, through October 31, 2013. Main Outcomes and Measures Age-specific prevalence and causes of VI and blindness for presenting and BCVA. Results Of the 5782 eligible adults, 4582 (79.2%) completed an in-clinic eye examination. Of the 4582 participants, most were born in China (3149 [68.7%]), female (2901 [63.3%]), and married (3458 [75.5%]). The mean (SD) age was 61 (9) years. The prevalence of presenting VI was 3.0% (95% CI, 2.5%-3.5%), with 60.0% of this prevalence being attributed to uncorrected refractive error. The overall age-adjusted prevalence for VI (BCVA of ≤20/40 in the better eye) was 1.2% (95% CI, 0.9%-1.5%). The overall age-adjusted prevalence of blindness (BCVA of ≤20/200 in the better-seeing eye) was 0.07% (95% CI, 0%-0.2%). The prevalence of VI and blindness was higher in older Chinese Americans compared with younger. The primary causes of VI were cataracts and myopic retinopathy; the primary cause of blindness was myopic retinopathy. Conclusions and Relevance The prevalence of VI in Chinese Americans is similar to that of non-Hispanic white and Latino individuals in the United States and similar to or lower than the prevalence previously reported for Chinese adults from non-US studies. The prevalence of blindness is lower than that noted in other US or non-US studies. Myopic retinopathy is a frequent cause of VI and blindness in Chinese Americans that has not been commonly observed in other racial/ethnic groups. Because myopia frequently develops at a young age, Chinese Americans should be educated regarding the importance of regular screening of preschool and school-aged children to reduce the development and progression of myopia.
[Observation the clinical curative effect of children's laryngopharyngeal reflux and sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome]

Objective To observe the clinical curative effect of anti-reflux treatment for obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome （OSAHS） in children. Methods Twenty children with sleep-disordered breathing were included in this study .There were 15 males and 5 females, aged 3-9 years old, median 6 years old.The electronic laryngoscope, polysomnography （PSG） monitoring, Reflux symptom index （RSI） questionnaire and Reflux finding score （RFS） were used to establish the initial diagnosis of OSAHS with LPRD,preclud adenoid hypertrophy and tonsil hypertrophy and nasal disorderes .Oral Domperidone and Omeprazole were given for treatment .For children under 3-year-old, the dosage of Domperidone was 0.6 ml ＆#183; kg -1 ＆#183; day -1 .For children over 3-year-old, Domperidone combined with Omeprazole were given with the dosage of 0.3 mg＆#183; kg-1 ＆#183; day -1. Results After 4 weeks of treatment,19 patients symptoms of OSAHS include disturbed sleep, dyspnoes and apneic attack improved .After 8 weeks of treatment, 20 cases with OSAHS symptoms improved than before treatment.Under the electronic laryngoscope, the decrease in pharyngeal lymphoid follicles, the epiglottis, aryepiglottic fold and scoop intergenic region erythema shallow, edema lessened.After treatment of 4 weeks and 8 weeks, there was statistically significant （P＆lt;0.05）. Before and after treatment, the difference of RFS was statistically siginificant （P＆lt;0.05）; PSG monitoring proved significant effect in 3 cases（15.0%）, effective in 11 cases （55.0%） and 6 cases were ineffective （30.0%）.Twenty patients with obstructive apnea index change was not obvious （P ＆gt;0.05）, apnea hypopnea index and lowest artery oxygen saturation better , differences were statistically significant （ Z of 2.819 and 2.733 respectively, P＆lt;0.05）. Conclusion The treatment of LPRD can improve the symptoms of OSAHS, these two diseases may coexist in mutual relations . Key words: Sleep apnea,obstructive; Laryngopharyngeal reflux; Child; Drug therapy
The current status of the diagnosis of chlamydial respiratory infections.

Chlamydial pneumonitis is primarily a disease of infancy. The link between adult and infant chlamydial infections is through vertical transmission from cervically infected pregnant women. Chlamydial culture and serologic tests are described; however, specific chlamydial diagnosis can be difficult, labor intensive, and require highly trained technicians. New methods of immunologic diagnosis are currently under investigation.
The Prestige of Special Education Teaching

A study of the prestige attributed to teachers of exceptional children was conducted. The subjects were 138 practicing teachers and college undergraduates completing a paired comparisons questionnaire. The results revealed that all teachers of exceptional children are judged to possess higher prestige than teachers of the nonexceptional. Teachers of the blind, deaf, gifted, emotionally disturbed, and severely mentally retarded are seen as possessing especially high standing.
Bitcoin and entrepreneurship: breaking the network effect

This paper explores the question of whether the market process is capable of bringing about a spontaneous monetary switch to a new currency in the presence of strong network effects of the incumbent currency as well as the absence of contingencies such as extreme inflation or political instability. It does so by examining current happenings around Bitcoin. It finds that two mechanisms stand out: the coordinating efforts of the profit-maximizing entrepreneur as well as the ability to use the old and the new currency simultaneously. Specifically, it finds that marginal decisions made by rational agents merely seeking to maximize net private benefit irrespective of the network effect, be it entrepreneurs or users of the new currency, are capable of setting in motion a switch to a new currency. Whether or not these mechanisms play out fully in the case of Bitcoin still remains to be seen.
Literacy at School

We now continue our journey through the continuum of school education and track literacy demands through the phases of schooling, as students move from the language of everyday experience to the technical and abstract language of educational knowledge. This phase of the journey begins in the early years of school with initial instruction in reading and writing. It then follows students as they navigate two critical literacy-dependent transitions: the first during the middle years of the primary school as teaching and learning increasingly revolves around learning in the subject areas, followed by the transition into the secondary school where the curriculum and the school day is organised in terms of educational disciplines (Shanahan & Shanahan 2014b). There is no clear pathway visible through the tangle of perspectives, theories, methodologies, evidence, claims and practices that is the terrain of research into literacy at school. Sometimes the most strategic tactic is to pause and look around carefully before deciding which direction to choose when taking the next tentative step. Such a tactic has guided the path taken through the field of school literacy in the chapter to follow. The path taken in this chapter, of course, is just one of the many possible ways through this crowded and at times disorienting terrain.
Composite fermion duality for half-filled multicomponent Landau levels

We study the interplay of particle-hole symmetry and fermion-vortex duality in multicomponent half-filled Landau levels, such as quantum Hall gallium arsenide bilayers and graphene. For the $\ensuremath{\nu}=1/2+1/2$ bilayer, we show that particle-hole-symmetric interlayer Cooper pairing of composite fermions leads to precisely the same phase as the electron exciton condensate realized in experiments. This equivalence is easily understood by applying the recent Dirac fermion formulation of $\ensuremath{\nu}=1/2$ to two components. It can also be described by Halperin-Lee-Read composite fermions undergoing interlayer ${p}_{x}+i{p}_{y}$ pairing. A renormalization group analysis showing strong instability to interlayer pairing at large separation $d\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$ demonstrates that two initially decoupled composite Fermi liquids can be smoothly tuned into the conventional bilayer exciton condensate without encountering a phase transition. We also discuss multicomponent systems relevant to graphene, derive related phases including a ${Z}_{2}$ gauge theory with spin-half visons, and argue for symmetry-enforced gaplessness under full $\mathrm{SU}({N}_{f})$ flavor symmetry when the number of components ${N}_{f}$ is even.
Development of an Instrument to Assess Capacity for Systems Thinking

Abstract With the rapid growth and integration in technology and information, the behavior and structure of complex systems presents escalating challenges. Complex systems are marked by high level of ambiguity, uncertainty, and emergence. These conditions impose challenges and difficulties for practitioners responsible to successfully manage and design complex systems. There is a fundamental need to have a cadre of individuals who are capable of dealing with increasingly complex systems and their problems. One response is Systems Thinking, which can provide a holistic thinking paradigm that opens new channels and opportunities to think differently about complex systems as a whole unit. This paradigm will enable individuals to avoid solving the wrong problems. The emphasis of this paper is to explore possible applications of a research-based instrument developed to capture the level of systems thinking for individuals who engage and design complex systems. The Systems Thinking Profiles produced by the instrument represent individual inclination to adapt a systemic perspective for engaging and solving complex system problems, and reflects a state that can be enhanced through training and/or education to improve capacity for systems thinking.
Abstract 345: The Thrombotic Reactivity of Endothelial Cells from Deep Vein and Pulmonary Artery Venous Beds in Response to Thrombin

BackgroundPulmonary embolism (PE) is thought to occur largely due to deep venous thrombosis from the lower extremities. A portion of PEs however may result from primary pulmonary artery thrombosis....
Conclusion: Schools for Scandal

This chapter summarizes the book, argues for a single, consistent standard around the use and identification of gossip, and suggests social practices that facilitate good gossip.
Psychological Distress Among Smokers in the United States: 2008-2014.

Introduction Decline in smoking in the United States has slowed over the past 25 years. Mental health problems are common among smokers, and may be an impediment to quitting and remaining abstinent. The study investigated the relationship between serious (past-30-day) psychological distress (SPD) and smoking, estimated trends in the prevalence of SPD among current, former, and never smokers in the United States from 2008 to 2014, and investigated whether heterogeneity in these trends varied by sociodemographic characteristics. Methods Data were drawn from the National Household Survey on Drug Use (NSDUH), an annual cross-sectional study of persons ages 12 and over (N = 270 227). SPD and smoking in the past 30 days were examined using logistic regression models among adults 18 and older. The prevalence of SPD was examined annually among current, former, and never smokers from 2008 to 2014. Results SPD increased among smokers in the United States from 2008 to 2014. An increase in SPD was more rapid among non-daily smokers than daily smokers. The prevalence of SPD was higher among younger smokers, those with less formal education and lower annual family income and higher among current smokers than former and never smokers. The relationships between SPD and smoking were stronger among smokers with higher education levels and annual family income. Conclusions Our findings suggest an increase in SPD among smokers over time and that as smoking has declined, those with SPD are comprising a greater proportion of the remaining smokers. Results suggest that mental health must be integrated into mainstream tobacco control efforts. Implications The greater prevalence and increasing rate of Serious Psychological Distress among smokers, relative to former- and never-smokers, from 2008 to 2014 provides support that the greater mental health burden among smokers may be contributing to the slowed reduction in smoking prevalence in the United States. In addition, relationships between SPD and smoking were consistently stronger among smokers with higher levels of education and annual family income. Such results suggest the necessity of incorporating mental health treatments in tobacco use reduction efforts.
Obese asthmatic patients have decreased surfactant protein A levels: Mechanisms and implications.

Background Eosinophils are prominent in some patients with asthma and are increased in the submucosa in a subgroup of obese patients with asthma (OAs). Surfactant protein A (SP-A) modulates host responses to infectious and environmental insults. Objective We sought to determine whether SP-A levels are altered in OAs compared with a control group and to determine the implications of these alterations in SP-A levels in asthmatic patients. Methods Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from 23 lean, 12 overweight, and 20 obese subjects were examined for SP-A. Mouse tracheal epithelial cells grown at an air-liquid interface were used for mechanistic studies. SP-A −/− mice were challenged in allergen models, and exogenous SP-A therapy was given after the last challenge. Eosinophils were visualized and quantitated in lung parenchyma by means of immunostaining. Results Significantly less SP-A ( P = .002) was detected in samples from OAs compared with those from control subjects. A univariable regression model found SP-A levels were significantly negatively correlated with body mass index ( r = −0.33, P = .014), whereas multivariable modeling demonstrated that the correlation depended both on asthma status ( P = .017) and the interaction of asthma and body mass index ( P = .008). Addition of exogenous TNF-α to mouse tracheal epithelial cells was sufficient to attenuate SP-A and eotaxin secretion. Allergen-challenged SP-A −/− mice that received SP-A therapy had significantly less tissue eosinophilia compared with mice receiving vehicle. Conclusions SP-A functions as an important mediator in resolving tissue and lavage fluid eosinophilia in allergic mouse models. Decreased levels of SP-A in OAs, which could be due to increased local TNF-α levels, might lead to impaired eosinophil resolution and could contribute to the eosinophilic asthma phenotype.
Answer Set Programming and Its Applications in Planning and Multi-agent Systems

The paper presents some applications in planning and multi-agent systems of answer set programming. It highlights the benefits of answer set programming based techniques in these applications. It also describes a class of multi-agent planning problems that is challenging to answer set programming.
Using "Broken" Lotteries to Check the Validity of Charter School Evaluations Using Matching Designs.

We consider situations in which public charter school lotteries are neither universally conducted nor consistently documented. Such lotteries produce “broken” Randomized Control Trials, but provide...
Magnetic resonance imaging, unstable intracranial pressure and clinical outcome in patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus.

To identify features on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans that are associated with unstable intracranial pressure (ICP) and outcome after CSF shunting in patients with NPH, we reviewed MRI scans of 17 patients who had continuous ICP monitoring performed prior to ventriculo-peritoneal shunt insertion. We evaluated the association between periventricular/deep white matter lesion burden, focal impingement of the corpus callosum, aqueductal CSF flow void, and B-waves with outcome after shunting. The change in neurological function between pre- and post CSF shunting evaluation was scored according to a standard scale (range -3 or +3). Patients were divided into those with clinical improvement (score > 0) or without improvement (score ≤ 0) after shunt surgery. Focal impingement of the corpus callosum was more frequent in patients who improved after CSF shunting compared to those without improvement (8 of 13 vs 0 of 4, p = 0.05). Patients with focal impingement of corpus callosum had more B-wave time than those without impingement (60.5% vs 24.7%, p = 0.02). Focal impingement of corpus callosum on MRI may be associated with unstable intracranial pressure in patients with NPH and may be useful in identifying patients who will benefit from CSF shunting.
Downstream Migration of Silver-Phase Anguillid Eels

Downstream migration of adult anguillid eels in freshwater habitats marks the end of a long, generally slow growth phase, abandonment of a home range, and initiation of a seaward spawning migration. Although different species of Anguilla exhibit variation in characteristics of this migratory phase, some generalized traits in migration are common to most species. For temperate and subtropical species of Anguilla,migratory periods are usually associated with times of year when water temperatures are decreasing and flows are increasing. Species of Anguilla in the northern hemisphere usually emigrate between the months of August and December, while those of the southern hemisphere leave freshwater habitats between January and March. In the northern hemisphere, A. rostrata tends to emigrate earlier at higher latitudes (Fig. 1). However, Tesch (1977) concluded that the migration date of A. anguilla could not be predicted on the basis of geography alone. Onset of the silver migratory phase is generally morphologically characterized in most species of Anguilla as a darkening of dorsal surfaces and fin margins, silvering of lateral integument, enlargement of eye diameter, and an increase in gonad development (Lecomte-Finiger 1990). Other endocrinological changes also occur during metamorphosis (Durif et al. 2000).
Proceedings of the First ACM International Conference on Bioinformatics and Computational Biology

The 2010 ACM International Conference on Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (ACM-BCB-2010) is the first ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) conference in the areas of bioinformatics, computational biology, and biomedical informatics. The ACM-BCB-2010 is aimed to bridge interdisciplinary research areas in computer science, mathematics, statistics, biology, bioinformatics, and biomedicine and to provide an interactive forum for professional researchers, practitioners, and graduate students from around the world to discuss latest advances in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology. Over the past ten years, we have witnessed a dramatic acceleration in biological and biomedical research due to advent of new high-throughput technologies and next generation sequencing. Novel massive data stored in fast growing databases has called for more powerful algorithms that could identify genes and proteins, infer their function, predict protein structures, and identified protein-protein interactions. Clearly, the ability to analyze all these data concurrently will lead to greater understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying heredity and disease. Bioinformatics and Computational Biology cut across a broad range of research topics from genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics to systems biology, tissue engineering, and medical image analysis. Development of efficient computational methods in all these areas is critically important for solving biological and biomedical problems that holds keys for improving human health. ACM-BCB annual conferences are dedicated to develop interactions between experienced and junior researchers in the fields of computer science, computer engineering, applied computing, biology, medicine, biophysical sciences and life sciences. It assembles research workshops, keynote and tutorial lectures, as well as special interest research sessions into a coordinated research meeting. To promote interdisciplinary research and training the conference agenda includes two keynote speeches, two tutorial lectures, and one panel discussion. In addition to the main conference, ACM-BCB-2010 also features four workshops: (1) Gene Networks and Pathway Analysis, (2) Graph Theoretic Approaches for Biological Network Analysis, (3) Immunoinformatics and Computational Immunology, and (4) Protein-protein Interaction Data: Management, Querying and Analysis. In preparation for ACM-BCB-2010, we received 164 paper submissions. The conference program features 37 regular papers, 27 short papers, and 30 poster papers. The conference concludes on August 4, 2010 with nominations and selections of awards for best paper, best student paper, and best poster.
The management of older adults with pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic cancer is the eleventh most common cancer, yet it is the third leading cause of mortality. It is also largely a disease of older adults, with the median age of 71 at diagnosis in the US, with 80. This article summarizes the available evidence in current literature in regards to the best treatment options for older adults, who represent the majority of pancreatic cancer diagnoses.
The Academic Library and Social Justice: Exploring Librarian Attitudes at One HSI.

Librarians have the potential to influence the university’s representation of knowledge, making it important to understand the attitudes they bring to work each day. Results of this Q study indicat...
Evidence to Practice Review: Best Practices in Patellar Tendinopathy Management

Patellar tendinopathy (PT) is a degenerative condition that is common in sporting populations due to the loads placed on the tendon during dynamic activity. PT often occurs in overtraining situations; however, it may also occur in conjunction with and/or worsen through poor biomechanics, persistent inflammation, and altered movement patterns. Although we have evidence to support the prevalence of this injury, we do not have a clear understanding of the contributing factors and pathophysiology that lead the pain and disability reported in athletes with PT. The purpose of this evidence to review manuscript was to review and summarize a systematic review on interventions to treat PT. The authors aimed to include any randomized controlled trial that treated patients with PT and used the VISA-P as an outcome measure. Seven different PT interventions were described and summarized by the authors in this review. On the conservative end of the treatment spectrum, eccentric loading programs and extracorporeal shockwave therapy were found to be effective at reducing pain. More invasive approaches often utilized after failed conservative treatment such as platelet-rich plasma injections and arthroscopic tenotomy were also deemed effective. Therapeutic ultrasound and sclerosing treatments were found to be ineffective treatments, and corticosteroid injections were labeled as contraindicated against in patients with PT. This review has shown that both conservative and invasive treatment approaches can reduce pain in patients with PT. However, there is still no consensus on the optimal treatment protocols for patients with PT due to the variability in treatments and lack of consistency in protocols. Thus, we recommend utilizing an individualized approach and appropriate clinical judgement to guide treatments derived from a thorough patient history and physical/biomechanical examination to identify interventions with the highest likelihood of resolving symptoms.
An evaluation of dehydrated human amnion/chorion membrane allografts for pressure ulcer treatment: a case series

Objective: Pressure ulcers (PU; also known as pressure injuries) affect about three million adults in the US and cost an estimated $11 billion dollars annually to treat. Prevention is most desirabl...
The role of emotional eating in the links between racial discrimination and physical and mental health

The environmental affordances (EA) model posits that maladaptive self-regulatory strategies (e.g., emotional eating) directly and indirectly heighten African Americans' risk for downstream medical morbidities while also potentially mitigating the psychological impact of stressors. We empirically tested the full EA model. In doing so, we investigated the associations among racial discrimination, depressive symptomatology, and physical health proxies as well as the intervening role of emotional eating in these associations among 150 African Americans aged 18-27. The increased frequency of experiencing racial discrimination was significantly associated with poorer self-reported health, greater depressive symptomatology, and more emotional eating. There was no significant association between emotional eating and physical health and emotional eating did not mediate the relation between racial discrimination and physical health. Finally, racial discrimination was associated with depressive symptomatology, but only among African Americans with mean or high levels of emotional eating.
HBV/HCV Coinfection in the Era of HCV-DAAs

Epidemiologic studies suggest that 10% to 15% of patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) are coinfected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) in the United States as a result of the shared modality of transmission, but the true prevalence is not known. The progression of liver disease to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma is generally faster in patients who are coinfected, and HCV is usually more predominant. Immunosuppression of the host or eradication of hepatitis C can change this paradigm, causing hepatitis B reactivation. This review describes HCV-HBV viral interactions, risks for reactivation, screening, and society guidelines for surveillance and treatment.
Dynamic Rerouting of Cyber-Physical Production Systems in Response to Disruptions Based on SDC Framework

The world is in the midst of a new industrial revolution driven by Smart Manufacturing (SM). Though this new paradigm promises increased flexibility, product customization, improved quality, efficient energy consumption, and improved productivity, SM systems are more susceptible to small faults that could cascade into major failures or even cyber-attacks that enter the plant. Flexibility and reactivity/proactivity represent important means to enhance SM systems' reliability, efficiency, and robust response to faults. Within this context, this paper focuses on dynamic rerouting of parts in response to a fault or attack that can change the system's behavior. The method is based on the use of our recently proposed Software-Defined Control (SDC) framework [1], which consolidates data from the different levels of the automation pyramid to provide a global view of the entire SM system. To solve the rerouting problem, a rerouting application accesses the global view of the system through a set of digital twins hosted in the SDC central controller, and provides new route alternatives to a decision maker that prioritizes these routes based on an optimization function. The new route alternatives are then sent to the operator as reconfiguration recommendations to be deployed to the plant floor. The proposition is illustrated using a small manufacturing system example.
Exact bound rovibrational spectra of the neon tetramer

Exact quantum dynamics calculations are performed for the bound rovibrational states of the neon tetramer (Ne4) in its ground electronic state, using pair-wise Lennard-Jones potentials and the ScalIT suite of parallel codes. The vibrational states separate into a low-lying group mostly localized to a single potential well and a higher-energy delocalized group lying above the isomerization threshold—with such a structure serving as a testament to the “intermediate” quantum nature of the Ne4 system. To accurately and efficiently represent both groups of states, the phase-space optimized discrete variable representation (PSO-DVR) approach was used, as implemented in the ScalIT code. The resultant 1D PSO effective potentials also shed significant light on the quantum dynamics of the system. All vibrational states were computed well up into the isomerization band and labeled up to the classical isomerization threshold—defined as the addition of the classical energy of a single bond, ϵ = 24.7 cm−1, to the quantum ground state energy. Rovibrational energy levels for all total angular momentum values in the range J = 1–5 were also computed, treating all Coriolis coupling exactly.Exact quantum dynamics calculations are performed for the bound rovibrational states of the neon tetramer (Ne4) in its ground electronic state, using pair-wise Lennard-Jones potentials and the ScalIT suite of parallel codes. The vibrational states separate into a low-lying group mostly localized to a single potential well and a higher-energy delocalized group lying above the isomerization threshold—with such a structure serving as a testament to the “intermediate” quantum nature of the Ne4 system. To accurately and efficiently represent both groups of states, the phase-space optimized discrete variable representation (PSO-DVR) approach was used, as implemented in the ScalIT code. The resultant 1D PSO effective potentials also shed significant light on the quantum dynamics of the system. All vibrational states were computed well up into the isomerization band and labeled up to the classical isomerization threshold—defined as the addition of the classical energy of a single bond, ϵ = 24.7 cm−1, to the quant...
Technical Adequacy of Chest X-Ray

When initially evaluating any type of radiographic study, the difference between a good-quality scan and one which demonstrates underexposure/overexposure, motion artifact, or even slight changes in position can heavily influence a diagnosis given by the radiologist. It is crucial for anyone laying eyes on a study to be able to see what its limitations are before committing to a certain applied diagnosis. There are a variety of limitations and boundaries one must consider for even the simplest of radiographs, even seemingly simple as a frontal view chest x-ray, for which the only way of identifying them is through practice.
23 – Alcoholic Liver Disease

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the major clinical forms of alcoholic liver disease. In most patients with fatty liver, the only histological abnormality is a widely dispersed fatty infiltration of the hepatic parenchymal cells. The large cytoplasmic vacuoles may displace the nucleolus to the periphery of the cell. Predominantly, the vacuoles contain triglyceride. Occasionally, these vacuoles coalesce to produce fatty cysts or an extruded extracellular collection of lipid. In some patients, nonspecific inflammatory exudate may accompany the fatty change. However, hepatocellular necrosis or fibrosis are not characteristic of alcoholic fatty liver. The degree of fatty infiltration is usually greater in alcoholism than in most of the other known causes. It is apparently correlated with the amount and duration of alcohol ingestion, and may be affected by individual genetic, environmental, hormonal, or dietary factors. The liver function abnormalities recorded in alcoholic fatty liver are usually minimal.
The psychosocial work environment, musculoskeletal disorders and their functional consequences among pediatric healthcare providers.

ABSTRACT Objective The goal of this study was to examine the association between aspects of the psychosocial work environment and prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and associated functional consequences among pediatric healthcare providers. Background The psychosocial work demands make pediatric care providers susceptible to MSDs and subsequent functional consequences, but research on this at-risk group is lacking. Methods Randomly selected pediatric registered nurses, behavioral health specialists, and patient care assistants (N = 569) completed a survey assessing psychosocial factors, MSDs, and functional consequences (e.g., missing work). Logistic regression was used to assess associations between psychosocial factors and outcomes. Results The analysis yielded moderate-to-strong, significant associations between psychosocial environment factors and MSDs and their functional consequences. The odds of MSDs increased nearly three-fold in the highest quartile of the psychosocial summary score vs. the lowest (OR: 2.7, 95% CI: 1.6–4.5). The highest quartiles of the psychosocial environment measures were significantly associated with functional consequences of MSDs. Conclusion Results confirm knowledge about the association between the psychosocial environment and MSDs and demonstrates the association also exists among pediatric providers. Our study highlights the importance of studying the functional consequences of MSDs, which characterize the impact of MSD burden at work and elsewhere.
Disparities are Present in Multiple Listing of Lung Transplant Candidates

Purpose Studies have shown in solid organ transplantation that multiple listing is advantageous. We therefore performed this study to determine if disparities in multiple listing exist and if differences in LAS between multiple listed (ML) and single listed (SL) candidates affect transplantation and survival rates. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study utilizing de-identified data provided by the OPTN's Standard Transplant Analysis and Research files. Subjects in this study consisted of adult patients listed between 2005 and 2018 for lung transplant, excluding multi-visceral and repeat lung transplants. Multiple listing was defined as registration at two or more transplant centers, where the subsequent listings occurred within 750 days of the first listing. Results 30,879 subjects were included in the final analysis, 7.61% of whom were determined to be ML candidates. Mean LAS for ML was lower at initial listing (Fig 1a). Female gender, white race, cystic fibrosis diagnosis, higher level of education, and private insurance were each independently associated with multiple listing (Fig 1a). Despite multiple listing, ML candidates were less likely to be transplanted (OR 0.22 [0.20, 0.25], p=0.001). SL candidates displayed quicker transplantation rates at 90, 180, and 365 days from initial listing (log rank p Conclusion ML groups have significantly different demographics than SL groups. ML groups appear to have higher education, are younger, and are less likely to be underrepresented minorities. Lower LAS was also noted in ML candidates which may explain why they wait longer. Further investigation of disparities in access to transplant and multiple listing is further warranted.
Privacy Amplification for Federated Learning via User Sampling and Wireless Aggregation

In this paper, we study the problem of federated learning over a wireless channel with user sampling, modeled by a fading multiple access channel, subject to central and local differential privacy (DP/LDP) constraints. It has been shown that the superposition nature of the wireless channel provides a dual benefit of bandwidth efficient gradient aggregation, in conjunction with strong DP guarantees for the users. Specifically, the central DP privacy leakage has been shown to scale as $\mathcal {O}(1/K^{1/2})$ , where $K$ is the number of users. It has also been shown that user sampling coupled with orthogonal transmission can enhance the central DP privacy leakage with the same scaling behavior. In this work, we show that, by jointly incorporating both wireless aggregation and user sampling, one can obtain even stronger privacy guarantees. We propose a private wireless gradient aggregation scheme, which relies on independently randomized participation decisions by each user. The central DP leakage of our proposed scheme scales as $\mathcal {O}(1/K^{3/4})$ . In addition, we show that LDP is also boosted by user sampling. We also present analysis for the convergence rate of the proposed scheme and study the tradeoffs between wireless resources, convergence, and privacy theoretically and empirically for two scenarios when the number of sampled participants are $(a)$ known, or $(b)$ unknown at the parameter server.
Resonant Ultrasound Applied to Additively Manufactured Alloys

With the steep growth of metal Additive Manufacturing (or 3D printing), evaluating and fine-tuning its fabrication process has become a crucial part of its development. Mapping of elastic properties of additively manufactured samples was successfully performed with the highly adaptable Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy technique. The general method used so far for elastic moduli measurements of additively manufactured alloys (stress-strain tensile testing) only allows the finding of the Young's modulus, and that, with moderate accuracy. Here, we report on elastic constants of additively manufactured Ti64 and CL 80CU alloys measured with resonant ultrasound. The moduli found are generally slightly lower than those for their wrought version. As expected, the elastic properties are more or less uniform within a given volume, depending on the fabrication parameters or location with respect of the build direction. The behavior of the alloys with heat treatment and proton irradiation was also tested and will be reported elsewhere.
Disguised Writing: Chronic or Acute

Questioned document cases are reviewed wherein reasons for changes in request writings transcend questions of authorship. Disguised writing is subclassified into acute disguised and chronic disguised writing. Expert testimony is critiqued.
Immunoglobulin D Multiple Myeloma With Rapidly Progressing Renal Failure

Immunoglobulin D (IgD) multiple myeloma (MM) is a very rare form of myeloma affecting less than 2% of all myeloma patients. It has a multiorgan involvement with renal failure being the key feature. We present here a case of IgD MM in a 62-year-old white male, smoker with past medical history of hypertension, who presented to emergency department with complaints of lower abdominal pain, constipation and decreased urination. Physical exam was unremarkable. Laboratory investigation showed S.Cr 5.99 mg/dL, hemoglobin 8.7 g/dL and corrected S.Ca 10.6 mg/dL. Urine dipstick showed 100 protein and TP/Cr ratio was 23. Serology was positive for serum free lambda chain level of 8,947.6 mg/L as well with free κ/λ ratio < 0.01. The results of serum and urine electrophoresis and immunofixation were also supportive of diagnosis of IgD MM. IgD level was remarkably elevated (27,300 mg/L) too. CT scan of abdomen/pelvis was negative for obstructive uropathy. Skeletal survey showed a solitary lytic lesion in the iliac crest. His kidney function deteriorated next day requiring hemodialysis. The bone marrow biopsy was positive for plasma cell hypercellularity (70-80%) and flow cytometry showed 8% monoclonal IgD lambda plasma cells. The patient was started on bortezomib and dexamethasone and he underwent bone marrow transplant 6 months later. He is doing well hematologically now but he remains dialysis-dependent. IgD MM is a very rare disease affecting younger population with poor prognosis; patients often end up on hemodialysis despite better control of the hematological component.
Hsp56: a novel heat shock protein associated with untransformed steroid receptor complexes.

The recently-described p59 protein has been shown to be associated with untransformed steroid receptors present in rabbit uterus and rat liver cytosols (Tai, P. K., Maeda, Y., Nakao, K., Wakim, N. G., Duhring, J. L., and Faber, L. E. (1986) Biochemistry 25, 5269-5275; Renoir, J.-M., Radanyi, C., Faber, L. E., and Baulieu, E.-E. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 10740-10745), while a smaller version of this protein (p56) interacts with glucocorticoid receptors in human IM-9 cell cytosols (Sanchez, E. R., Faber, L. E., Henzel, W. J., and Pratt, W. B. (1990) Biochemistry 29, 5145-5152). In addition to interacting with glucocorticoid receptors, the p56 protein of IM-9 cell cytosol is also found as part of a large heteromeric complex that contains both the 70-kDa and 90-kDa heat shock proteins (hsp70 and hsp90, respectively). Given this association of p56 with the two major stress proteins, I have speculated that p56 may itself be a heat shock protein. In this paper, the effect of heat stress on the rate of synthesis of p56 is determined. Intact IM-9 cells were exposed to 37 or 43 degrees C for 4 h, followed by pulse-labeling with [35S]methionine. Analysis of whole cytosolic extracts by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography reveal an increased rate of radiolabeling for hsp70, hsp90, hsp100, ad hsp110, but no heat-inducible protein of smaller relative molecular mass is detected. However, immune-purification of p56 from normal and heat-stressed cytosols with the EC1 monoclonal antibody results in the presence of a 56-kDa protein that exhibits an increased rate of synthesis in response to heat stress. The results of two-dimensional gel Western blots employing the EC1 antibody demonstrate that this heat-inducible protein is indeed the EC1-reactive p56 protein and that the induction effect is not due to unequal yields of p56 during immune-purification. Heat stress has no effect on the composition of the p56.hsp.70.hsp90 complex, except that the complex derived from heat shocked-cells contains both the constitutive and heat-inducible forms of hsp70. Induction of p56 also occurs in IM-9 cells subjected to chemical stress (sodium arsenite). It is proposed that p56 is a steroid receptor-associated heat shock protein which can now be termed hsp56. Like hsp90, hsp56 likely serves in some vital cellular role apart from any specific function it provides in steroid receptor action.
Active Agents Programming in HARNESS

HARNESS is an experimental Java-centric metacomputing system based on distributed object oriented technolgy. Its main features are the capability to dynamically assemble, manage and dismantle virtual machines that are reconfigurable both in terms of resources enrolled and in therms of services offered, and the capability to mix and match heterogeneous programming models on demand. In this paper we describe how the HARNESS system supports the active, mobile agents programming model.
Nutrient-stimulated insulin secretion in mouse islets is critically dependent on intracellular pH

Many mechanistic steps underlying nutrient-stimulated insulin secretion (NSIS) are poorly understood. The influence of intracellular pH (pHi) on insulin secretion is widely documented, and can be used as an investigative tool. This study demonstrates previously unknown effects of pHi-alteration on insulin secretion in mouse islets, which may be utilized to correct defects in insulin secretion. Different components of insulin secretion in mouse islets were monitored in the presence and absence of forced changes in pHi. The parameters measured included time-dependent potentiation of insulin secretion by glucose, and direct insulin secretion by different mitochondrial and non-mitochondrial secretagogues. Islet pHi was altered using amiloride, removal of medium Cl-, and changing medium pH. Resulting changes in islet pHi were monitored by confocal microscopy using a pH-sensitive fluorescent indicator. To investigate the underlying mechanisms of the effects of pHi-alteration, cellular NAD(P)H levels were measured using two-photon excitation microscopy (TPEM). Data were analyzed using Student's t test. Time-dependent potentiation, a function normally absent in mouse islets, can be unmasked by a forced decrease in pHi. The optimal range of pHi for NSIS is 6.4–6.8. Bringing islet pHi to this range enhances insulin secretion by all mitochondrial fuels tested, reverses the inhibition of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) by mitochondrial inhibitors, and is associated with increased levels of cellular NAD(P)H. Pharmacological alteration of pHi is a potential means to correct the secretory defect in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), since forcing islet pHi to the optimal range enhances NSIS and induces secretory functions that are normally absent.
A New Hybrid DCT and Contourlet Transform Based JPEG Image Steganalysis Technique

In this paper, a universal steganalysis scheme for JPEG images based upon hybrid transform features is presented. We first analyzed two different transform domains (Discrete Cosine Transform and Discrete Contourlet Transform) separately, to extract features for steganalysis. Then a combination of these two feature sets is constructed and employed for steganalysis. A Fisher Linear Discriminant classifier is trained on features from both clean and steganographic images using all three feature sets and subsequently used for classification. Experiments performed on images embedded with two variants of F5 and Model based steganographic techniques reveal the effectiveness of proposed steganalysis approach by demonstrating improved detection for hybrid features.