cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Virus-templated visible spectrum active perovskite photocatalyst

Abstract In this study, photocatalytically active perovskite strontium titanate (SrTiO3) nanowires are fabricated for the first time using genetically engineered AEEE-M13 phage and metal alkoxide precursors. One newly developed doping approach with an ammonia gas treatment efficiently produced strontium titanate nanowires, which split water and produce hydrogen under visible-light irradiation. The optical absorption of nitrogen-doped strontium titanate can be tuned by varying the processing conditions and lies in the visible spectrum range when treated at 625 °C–650 °C. The excellent hydrogen evolution rate of these nanomaterials is correlated with both optical absorption and nitrogen doping level.
Effect of Pellet Size and Drug Concentration on the Efficacy of Romet-Medicated Feed for Controlling Edwardsiella ictaluri Infections in Channel Catfish Fingerlings

Abstract Channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus fingerlings in 30 net-pens in three ponds were naturally infected with Edwardsiella ictaluri. The fish were then treated by feeding Romet®-medicated feed of two different pellet sizes at two different Romet premix formulations. Fish fed any of the four Romet feeds had significantly (P < 0.05) higher percent survival than the nonmedicated controls. Fish fed small pellets of Romet-medicated feed formulated at 5 kg of Romet-30 premix per tonne of feed had significantly higher survival than fish fed large pellets of Romet-medicated feed formulated at 5 kg of Romet-30 premix per tonne of feed or fish fed large or small pellets at 15 kg of Romet-30 premix per tonne. The reduced level of Romet-30 premix (5 kg/ tonne) allowed fingerlings to be legally fed at 3% body weight; hence, more medicated pellets were available to more fish. Fish fed Romet-medicated feed formulated to be fed at 3% body weight (5 kg Romet-30 premix/tonne) gained significantly (P < 0.05) more weig...
The paradox of multidisciplinary care.

During my time as a junior attending physician in suburban New York in the early 1990s, many Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center cancer patients received care close to home in our community hospital department. Little was I aware, that 5 years later, I would be their employee as part of a strategic plan to “take back” suburban patients under the auspices of multidisciplinary care by opening regional network treatment facilities. Fast-forward to 2006, when I received an apologetic call from a referring urologist with whom I had worked closely for over a decade. He informed me that he was joining a urology-radiation oncology practice (URO) and would no longer be sending me patients for seed implants. Instead, he would be sending his patients for intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) at a center he now co-owned. Additionally, he was directing his patients across an entire county, past 3 radiation oncology departments to the facility owned by his new integrated URO practice. Both of these ventures represent multidisciplinary cancer care with physician experts and state-of the-art equipment. Also, both are based on lucrative “bottom lines.” So, why has the URO practice model become a lightning rod for the abuses of self-referral and medical overuse while the academic model remains less affected by the discussion of self-referral? One paradigm for good cancer care is based on multidisciplinary patient management by aligning physicians with the needs
Cell biology of plant gravity sensing.

Abstract The debate about whether gravity sensing relies upon statoliths (amyloplasts that sediment) has intensified with recent findings of gravitropism in starchless mutants and of claims of hydrostatic gravity sensing. Starch and significant plastid sedimentation are not necessary for reduced sensing in mutant roots, but plastids might function here if there were a specialized receptor for plastid mass e.g. in the ER. Alternatively, components in addition to amyloplasts might provide mass for sensing. The nucleus is dense and its position is regulated, but no direct data exist for its role in sensing. If the weight of the protoplast functioned in sensing, why would there be specific cytological specializations favoring sedimentation rather than cell mass? Gravity has multiple effects on plants in addition to gravitropism. There may be more than one mechanism of gravity sensing.
3′ terminal diversity of MRP RNA and other human noncoding RNAs revealed by deep sequencing

Background Post-transcriptional 3′ end processing is a key component of RNA regulation. The abundant and essential RNA subunit of RNase MRP has been proposed to function in three distinct cellular compartments and therefore may utilize this mode of regulation. Here we employ 3′ RACE coupled with high-throughput sequencing to characterize the 3′ terminal sequences of human MRP RNA and other noncoding RNAs that form RNP complexes.
Effect of acute fatigue of the hip abductors on control of balance in young and older women.

Abstract Bellew JW, Panwitz BL, Peterson L, Brock MC, Olson KE, Staples WH. Effect of acute fatigue of the hip abductors on control of balance in young and older women. Objective To examine the effects of acute fatigue of the hip abductors on the control of balance in young and older women. Design Pretest-posttest. Setting University research laboratory. Participants Healthy young women (n=20; age, 23.0±1.5y; height, 166.52±4.5cm; mass, 65.33±10.5kg) and community-dwelling older women (n=20; age, 71.65±7.2y; height, 162.31±3.8cm; mass, 71.16±11.6kg) without a fall history. Intervention Measurements of control of single-limb balance before and after fatiguing the hip abductors of the dominant leg. Main Outcome Measure Performance on 3 clinical assessments of control of balance: the modified Functional Reach Test in the forward, left, and right directions; the Lower-Extremity Reach Test in forward and lateral directions; and the Single-Limb Stance Time Test (SLSTT). Results Although the younger subjects showed a significantly greater control of balance than the older women in most tests, control of balance after acute fatigue failed to show a significant decline in either age group. The only exception to this was the SLSTT in the younger women in whom a significant 26% decline was noted ( P Conclusions Acute fatigue of the hip abductors did not result in a decreased control of balance in healthy young or older women without fall history. Despite considerable changes in movement strategies used to complete the postfatigue tests of balance, quantitative measures of balance did not decrease.
Diffusing and Colliding: The Atomic Level Folding/Unfolding Pathway of a Small Helical Protein

Proteins with ultra-fast folding/unfolding kinetics are excellent candidates for study by molecular dynamics. Here, we describe such simulations of a three helix bundle protein, the engrailed homeodomain (En-HD), which folds via the diffusion-collision model. The unfolding pathway of En-HD was characterized by seven simulations of the protein and 12 simulations of its helical fragments yielding over 1.1 micros of simulation time in water. Various conformational states along the unfolding pathway were identified. There is the compact native-like transition state, a U-shaped helical intermediate and an unfolded state with dynamic helical segments. Each of these states is in good agreement with experimental data. Examining these states as well as the transitions between them, we find the role of long-range tertiary contacts, specifically salt-bridges, important in the folding/unfolding pathway. In the folding direction, charged residues form long-range tertiary contacts before the hydrophobic core is formed. The formation of HII is assisted by a specific salt-bridge and by non-specific (fluctuating) tertiary contacts, which we call contact-assisted helix formation. Salt-bridges persist as the protein approaches the transition state, stabilizing HII until the hydrophobic core is formed. To complement this information, simulations of fragments of En-HD illustrate the helical propensities of the individual segments. By thermal denaturation, HII proved to be the least stable helix, unfolding in less than 450 ps at high temperature. We observed the low helical propensity of C-terminal residues from HIII in fragment simulations which, when compared to En-HD unfolding simulations, link the unraveling of HIII to the initial event that drives the unfolding of En-HD.
Acute carbon dioxide avoidance in Caenorhabditis elegans

Carbon dioxide is produced as a by-product of cellular respiration by all aerobic organisms and thus serves for many animals as an important indicator of food, mates, and predators. However, whether free-living terrestrial nematodes such as Caenorhabditis elegans respond to CO2 was unclear. We have demonstrated that adult C. elegans display an acute avoidance response upon exposure to CO2 that is characterized by the cessation of forward movement and the rapid initiation of backward movement. This response is mediated by a cGMP signaling pathway that includes the cGMP-gated heteromeric channel TAX-2/TAX-4. CO2 avoidance is modulated by multiple signaling molecules, including the neuropeptide Y receptor NPR-1 and the calcineurin subunits TAX-6 and CNB-1. Nutritional status also modulates CO2 responsiveness via the insulin and TGFβ signaling pathways. CO2 response is mediated by a neural circuit that includes the BAG neurons, a pair of sensory neurons of previously unknown function. TAX-2/TAX-4 function in the BAG neurons to mediate acute CO2 avoidance. Our results demonstrate that C. elegans senses and responds to CO2 using multiple signaling pathways and a neural network that includes the BAG neurons and that this response is modulated by the physiological state of the worm.
Morphogenesis of Mimivirus and Its Viral Factories: an Atomic Force Microscopy Study of Infected Cells

Amoebas infected with mimivirus were disrupted at sequential stages of virus production and were visualized by atomic force microscopy. The development of virus factories proceeded over 3 to 4 h postinfection and resulted from the coalescence of 0.5- to 2-μm vesicles, possibly bearing nucleic acid, derived from either the nuclear membrane or the closely associated rough endoplasmic reticulum. Virus factories actively producing virus capsids on their surfaces were imaged, and this allowed the morphogenesis of the capsids to be delineated. The first feature to appear on a virus factory surface when a new capsid is born is the center of a stargate, which is a pentameric protein oligomer. As the arms of the stargate grow from the pentamer, a rough disk the diameter of a capsid thickens around it. This marks the initial emergence of a protein-coated membrane vesicle. The capsid self-assembles on the vesicle. Hillocks capped by different pentameric proteins spontaneously appear on the emerging vesicle at positions that are ultimately occupied by 5-fold icosahedral vertices. A lattice of coat protein nucleates at each of the 5-fold vertices, but not at the stargate, and then spreads outward from the vertices over the surface, merging seamlessly to complete the icosahedral capsid. Filling with DNA and associated proteins occurs by the transfer of nucleic acid from the interior of the virus factory into the nearly completed capsids. The portal, through which the DNA enters, is sealed by a plug of protein having a diameter of about 40 nm. A layer of integument protein that anchors the surface fibers is acquired by the passage of capsids through a membrane enriched in the protein. The coating of surface fibers is similarly acquired when the integument protein-coated capsids pass through a second membrane that has a forest of surface fibers embedded on one side.
Botulinum toxin for achalasia: long-term outcome and predictors of response.

Abstract BACKGROUND & AIMS: Botulinum toxin injection into the lower esophageal sphincter of patients with achalasia results in effective short-term relief of symptoms. The aims of this study were to examine the long- term outcome of these patients and to determine the predictors of response to this therapy. METHODS: Thirty-one patients with achalasia treated with botulinum toxin were followed up prospectively for a median duration of 890 days. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients improved initially, but only 20 patients had sustained improvement beyond 3 months; the latter patients were classified as responders. The response rate was greater in patients older than 50 years of age (82% vs. 43% in younger patients; P = 0.03) and in patients with vigorous achalasia (100% vs. 52% with classic achalasia; P = 0.03). Duration of illness, previous dilation, and baseline radiological characteristics did not influence outcome. Nineteen responders eventually had relapse after a median duration of 468 days (range, 153 - 840 days). Fifteen of these patients received a second injection with satisfactory results obtained in the majority of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Botulinum toxin is an effective treatment for achalasia in about two thirds of patients, with a duration of response averaging 1.3 years. Age and type of achalasia seem to be important predictors of response. (Gastroenterology 1996 May;110(5):1410-5)
Knowledge, Perceptions, and Motivations for Contraception Influence on Teens' Contraceptive Consistency

Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health the authors examine the association between contraceptive use patterns in teens first sexual relationships and their knowledge of perceptions of and motivations for contraception and pregnancy prevention. Results from logistic regression analyses show that knowledge perceptions and motivations surrounding sexual activity and contraception are indeed important predictors of contraceptive outcomes and they influence males and females differently. For both genders perceived ease of access to contraceptives is associated with increased odds of ever using contraception and using contraception consistently. For males greater perceived condom knowledge is associated with increased odds of ever using contraception. For females higher levels of actual reproductive health knowledge is associated with increased odds of ever using contraception and holding negative views of pregnancy and having greater contraceptive self-efficacy are both associated with increased odds of consistent contraceptive use. (authors)
Building bridges across electronic health record systems through inferred phenotypic topics

Display Omitted A topic modeling strategy to translate EHR data into phenotypic topics.Approaches to assess consistency of phenotypic topics across healthcare systems.An evaluation on over 32,000 inpatient events from two disparate environments. ObjectiveData in electronic health records (EHRs) is being increasingly leveraged for secondary uses, ranging from biomedical association studies to comparative effectiveness. To perform studies at scale and transfer knowledge from one institution to another in a meaningful way, we need to harmonize the phenotypes in such systems. Traditionally, this has been accomplished through expert specification of phenotypes via standardized terminologies, such as billing codes. However, this approach may be biased by the experience and expectations of the experts, as well as the vocabulary used to describe such patients. The goal of this work is to develop a data-driven strategy to (1) infer phenotypic topics within patient populations and (2) assess the degree to which such topics facilitate a mapping across populations in disparate healthcare systems. MethodsWe adapt a generative topic modeling strategy, based on latent Dirichlet allocation, to infer phenotypic topics. We utilize a variance analysis to assess the projection of a patient population from one healthcare system onto the topics learned from another system. The consistency of learned phenotypic topics was evaluated using (1) the similarity of topics, (2) the stability of a patient population across topics, and (3) the transferability of a topic across sites. We evaluated our approaches using four months of inpatient data from two geographically distinct healthcare systems: (1) Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH) and (2) Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). ResultsThe method learned 25 phenotypic topics from each healthcare system. The average cosine similarity between matched topics across the two sites was 0.39, a remarkably high value given the very high dimensionality of the feature space. The average stability of VUMC and NMH patients across the topics of two sites was 0.988 and 0.812, respectively, as measured by the Pearson correlation coefficient. Also the VUMC and NMH topics have smaller variance of characterizing patient population of two sites than standard clinical terminologies (e.g., ICD9), suggesting they may be more reliably transferred across hospital systems. ConclusionsPhenotypic topics learned from EHR data can be more stable and transferable than billing codes for characterizing the general status of a patient population. This suggests that EHR-based research may be able to leverage such phenotypic topics as variables when pooling patient populations in predictive models.
Influence of Acetylcholine and Biogenic Amines on Branchial, Pulmonary and Systemic Vascular Resistance in the African Lungfish, Protopterus Aethiopicus

The effects of acetylcholine and biogenic amines on the main vascular beds in lungfish were studied in intact animals and in isolated preparations perfused with physiological solution. Acetylcholine, histamine and serotonin increased the branchial as well as the pulmonary and the systemic vascular resistance. The sensitivity to acetylcholine was highest in the branchial blood vessels. Adrenaline and noradrenaline caused increased resistance in pulmonary and systemic blood vessels, whereas the branchial vascular bed usually responded by dilatation. The results are discussed in relation to the vascular responses obtained with the same pharmacological agents in other species of fish.
Potential role of the formyl peptide receptor-like 1 (FPRL1) in inflammatory aspects of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progres- sive, neurodegenerative disease characterized by the presence of multiple senile plaques in the brain tissue, which are also associated with considerable inflam- matory infiltrates. Although the precise mechanisms of the pathogenesis of AD remain to be determined, the overproduction and precipitation of a 42 amino acid form of amyloid (A 42) in plaques have impli- cated A in neurodegeneration and proinflammatory responses seen in the AD brain. Our recent studies revealed that the activation of formyl peptide recep- tor-like 1 (FPRL1), a seven-transmembrane, G-pro- tein-coupled receptor, by A 42 may be responsible for accumulation and activation of mononuclear phagocytes (monocytes and microglia). We further found that upon binding FPRL1, A 42 was rapidly internalized into the cytoplasmic compartment in the form of A 42/FPRL1 complexes. Persistent expo- sure of FPRL1-expressing cells to A 42 resulted in intracellular retention of A 42/FPRL1 complexes and the formation of Congo-red-positive fibrils in mononuclear phagocytes. Our observations suggest that FPRL1 may not only mediate the proinflamma- tory activity of A 42 but also actively participate in A 42 uptake and the resultant fibrillar formation. Therefore, FPRL1 may constitute an additional mo- lecular target for the development of therapeutic agents for AD. J. Leukoc. Biol. 72: 628-635; 2002.
VLSI design of a custom ASIC using VHDL for converting 12-bit binary to BCD

Very large scale integration (VLSI) and hardware description languages, such as VHDL, are rapidly becoming an integral part of the tools used for advanced digital design. VLSI can reduce numerous TTL parts and hundreds of connecting wives to a single chip saving valuable space while increasing reliability. Hardware description languages allow complex circuits to be described as a function of circuit behavior and structure. Advances in synthesis tools and standard cell libraries make it possible to create custom application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) from the behavioral and structural descriptions of digital circuits. The paper presents a VLSI design of a custom ASIC to convert 12-bit binary values to BCD format using the hardwave description language VHDL. Included are the design steps and methodology necessary to synthesize a VHDL model for fabrication through MOSIS. >
A Novel Metric for Interconnect Architecture Performance

We propose a new metric for evaluation of interconnect architectures. This metric is computed by optimal assignment of wires from a given wire length distribution (WLD) to a given interconnect architecture (IA). This new metric, the rank of an IA, is a single number that gives the number of connections in the WLD that meet a specific target delay when embedded in the IA. A dynamic programming algorithm is presented to exactly compute the rank of an IA with respect to a given WLD within practical runtimes. We use our new IA metric to quantitatively compare impacts of geometric parameters as well as process and material technology advances. For example, we observe that 42% reduction in Miller coupling factor achieves the same rank improvement as a 38% reduction in inter-layer dielectric permittivity for a 1 M gate design in the 130 nm technology.
Temperature Dependence of Shear Modulus and Density of Nylon-6

Results of measurements of the shear modulus and density of a sample of nylon-6 in the temperature range -50° to 250° C are discussed. The modulus-temperature curve obtained indicated several distinct types of viscoelastic behavior. As in the case of poly ethylenes and polypropylenes studied earlier, annealing increased the modulus and density. Vacuum drying the nylon-6 samples was found to increase the shear modulus.
A multiple-method approach reveals a declining amount of chloroplast DNA during development in Arabidopsis

A decline in chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) during leaf maturity has been reported previously for eight plant species, including Arabidopsis thaliana. Recent studies, however, concluded that the amount of cpDNA during leaf development in Arabidopsis remained constant. To evaluate alternative hypotheses for these two contradictory observations, we examined cpDNA in Arabidopsis shoot tissues at different times during development using several methods: staining leaf sections as well as individual isolated chloroplasts with 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI), real-time quantitative PCR with DNA prepared from total tissue as well as from isolated chloroplasts, fluorescence microscopy of ethidium-stained DNA molecules prepared in gel from isolated plastids, and blot-hybridization of restriction-digested total tissue DNA. We observed a developmental decline of about two- to three-fold in mean DNA per chloroplast and two- to five-fold in the fraction of cellular DNA represented by chloroplast DNA. Since the two- to five-fold reduction in cpDNA content could not be attributed to an artifact of chloroplast isolation, we conclude that DNA within Arabidopsis chloroplasts is degraded in vivo as leaves mature.
High School Grades and Achievement: Evidence of Grade Inflation

Although much speculation has been devoted to concerns over the existence and degree of grade inflation at the high school level, there exists a lack of current empirical data documenting the extent, if it exists, of this phenomenon. The current study was designed to investigate evidence of the existence, persistence and degree of grade inflation by monitoring a large sample of schools, over a five year period, whose graduates were planning to attend college. The results of this study not only provide evidence supporting the grade inflation hypothesis, but also that the phenonmenon appears to be especially substantial at the higher end of the grade
The broad autism phenotype questionnaire: prevalence and diagnostic classification.

The Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ) was administered to a large community-based sample of biological parents of children with autism (PCAs) and comparison parents (CPs) (n = 1,692). Exploratory factor analysis and internal consistency parameters confirmed a robust three-factor structure of the BAPQ, corresponding to the proposed aloof, pragmatic language and rigidity subscales. Based upon the distribution of Broad Autism Phenotype (BAP) features in the general population, new normative cutoff values for BAPQ subscales were established that provide increased specificity relative to those previously reported, and thus enhance the utility of the BAPQ for diagnostically classifying the BAP. These cutoffs were also used to estimate prevalence of the BAP and its three components, with rates ranging between 14-23% for PCAs and between 5-9% for CPs. Analysis of patterns of BAP characteristics within family members revealed that BAP features were more likely to co-occur in PCAs relative to CPs. Collectively, these findings extend the utility of the BAPQ and provide additional evidence that it is an efficient and reliable tool for disaggregating the heterogeneity of autism through the identification of meaningful subgroups of parents. Autism Res 2013, 6: 134-143. © 2013 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
On noninvertible mappings of the plane: Eruptions.

In this paper we are concerned with the dynamics of noninvertible transformations of the plane. Three examples are explored and possibly a new bifurcation, or ‘‘eruption,’’ is described. A fundamental role is played by the interactions of fixed points and singular curves. Other critical elements in the phase space include periodic points and an invariant line. The dynamics along the invariant line, in two of the examples, reduces to the one‐dimensional Newton’s method which is conjugate to a degree two rational map. We also determine, computationally, the characteristic exponents for all of the systems. An unexpected coincidence is that the parameter range where the invariant line becomes neutrally stable, as measured by a zero Lyapunov exponent, coincides with the merging of a periodic point with a point on a singular curve.
Mesoscale Weather Prediction with the RUC Hybrid Isentropic–Terrain-Following Coordinate Model

Abstract A mesoscale atmospheric forecast model configured in a hybrid isentropic–sigma vertical coordinate and used in the NOAA Rapid Update Cycle (RUC) for operational numerical guidance is presented. The RUC model is the only quasi-isentropic forecast model running operationally in the world and is distinguished from other hybrid isentropic models by its application at fairly high horizontal resolution (10–20 km) and a generalized vertical coordinate formulation that allows model levels to remain continuous and yet be purely isentropic well into the middle and even lower troposphere. The RUC model is fully described in its 2003 operational version, including numerics and physical parameterizations. The use of these parameterizations, including mixed-phase cloud microphysics and an ensemble-closure-based cumulus parameterization, is fully consistent with the RUC vertical coordinate without any loss of generality. A series of experiments confirm that the RUC hybrid θ–σ coordinate reduces cross-coordinate...
Low-loss arrayed waveguide grating at 760 nm

An arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) at 760 nm is demonstrated with an insertion loss smaller than 0.5 dB. Interface roughness and waveguide length errors contribute much more to scattering loss and phase errors at 760 nm than at longer wavelengths, thus requiring improved design and fabrication. This Letter details how this is achieved by minimizing interfacial scattering, grating side-order excitation, and phase errors in the AWG. With silicon nitride core and silicon dioxide clad waveguides on silicon, this AWG is compatible with heterogeneously integrated lasers for on-chip spectral beam combining.
New Routes to Nanocomposite Materials

New composite materials were prepared by using aerogel as a matrix for gas phase decomposition. Various gases were infiltrated into the open pore aerogel structure which were subsequently decomposed thermally by the catalytic action of the aerogel. Composites of silica aerogel with carbon, silicon, iron, and iron oxides were prepared. The method is applicable to a wide range of new composite materials. Materials produced this way contain nanometer-sized deposits that can give rise to size induced quantum effects.
Efficient Solution Techniques for High-Order Methods on 3D Anisotropic Hybrid Meshes

Recently a differential discontinuous formulation for conservation laws named the Correction Procedure via Reconstruction (CPR) was developed. CPR is inspired by several other discontinuous methods such as the discontinuous Galerkin, spectral volume and spectral difference methods. In fact, all of them can be unified under the CPR framework, which is relatively simple to implement. The aim of the present work is to investigate and develop an efficient solution algorithm for high speed viscous flows using the high-order CPR discretization. A p-multigrid solver and an implicit line solver are developed and tested on several test cases to show the performance.
A New Genus (Plumerella) and a New Species of Grass Feeding Leafhopper from Mexico

The specimens from which the following genus and species are described seem to live at a quite definite and limited ecological range. They occur only in the alpine flora at altitudes of 10,000 to 10,500 feet in the tropical portion of the Sierra Madre Mountains. A large series of specimens were collected from tall, thick tufts of bunch grass growing under the pines and firs on the slopes at the tops of the range at Rio Frio, some 30 miles from Mexico City. Extensive collecting at different altitudes and in many associations indicates that this species occurs only at this altitude and under these specific conditions.
End of the bare metal stent era

Second-generation drug eluting stents (2g-DES) have lower rates of stent thrombosis (ST) than bare metal stents (BMS). Second-generation DES have exceedingly low rates of very late ST, significantly improving on first-generation drug eluting stents (1g-DES) and similar to BMS. Emerging drug-coated stent (DCS) technology appears superior to BMS in patients unable to tolerate prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT).
Weight Gain Trajectories Associated With Elevated C‐Reactive Protein Levels in Chinese Adults

Background Recent longitudinal work suggests that weight change is an important risk factor for inflammation across the full range of BMI. However, few studies have examined whether the risk of inflammation differs by patterns of weight gain over time. Using latent class trajectory analysis, we test whether patterns of weight gain are associated with elevated high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hs‐CRP 2–10 mg/L). Methods and Results Data come from China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) participants (n=5536), aged 18 at baseline to 66 years in 2009, with measured weight over 18 years. Latent class trajectory analysis was used to identify weight‐change trajectories in 6 age and sex strata. Multivariable general linear mixed‐effects models fit with a logit link were used to assess the risk of elevated hs‐CRP across weight trajectory classes. Models were fit within age and sex strata, controlling for baseline weight, adult height, and smoking, and included random intercepts to account for community‐level correlation. Steeper weight‐gain trajectories were associated with greater risk of elevated hs‐CRP compared to more moderate weight‐gain trajectories in men and women. Initially high weight gain followed by weight loss was associated with lower risk of elevated hs‐CRP in women aged 18 to 40. Conclusions Latent class trajectory analysis identified heterogeneity in adult weight change associated with differential risk of inflammation independently of baseline weight and smoking. These results suggest that trajectories of weight gain are an important clinical concern and may identify those at risk for inflammation and the development of cardiometabolic disease.
Research in Afghanistan: Innovative Strategies for Overcoming Methodological Challenges

This paper examines challenges associated with conducting social science research in third world, conflict settings. Employing a qualitative, case study approach, we highlight the methodological barriers confronted by administration of Afghanistan Research Services (a Division of Afghanistan Holding Group) Mortgage Market Assessment, a study conducted in five major Afghanistan cities. While these barriers may be viewed through the lens of western social science as threatening the validity of legitimate research, innovative accommodations in the areas of sampling, quality control and mitigation of fear and mistrust led to successful data collection efforts. This case study of research in Afghanistan, offers lessons for ambitious researchers interested in adapting standard research techniques to future work with non-western peoples living under conflict conditions
Prescriptive analytics for understanding of out-of-plane deformation in additive manufacturing

Geometric accuracy control is crucial to fulfill the promise of additive manufacturing (AM). The control of the out-of-plane deformation has been a challenge task for AM due to its complex underlying physics. We have been establishing a generic and prescriptive methodology to represent, predict and compensate 3D geometric deformation of AM built products based on a limited number of test cases. Built upon our previous study, this work aims at developing a prescriptive approach to better understand the out-of-plane deformation due to complex inter-layer interactions. Experimental investigation is conducted to validate the prescriptive model through a stereolithography process.
Global Brand Building in the Digital Age

With the explosion of Internet users, growing from 360 million (5.9 % of the world’s population) in 2000 to 3.4 billion (46.4 %) in 2016, the digital space is reshaping how organizations go global with their brands. Any chapter written about digital branding strategies runs the risk of obsolescence before it hits the printer. Specific digital platforms and tools for global brand building change rapidly over time. Just look at the rollout of social media: LinkedIn in 2003, Facebook in 2004, YouTube in 2005, Twitter in 2006, Tumblr in 2007, Weibo in 2009, and Instagram and Pinterest in 2010, to name but a few. New digital platforms might soon replace these familiar global media brands. What will not change quickly are the underlying trends, such as the expansion of digital global distribution channels, co-creation of global brand components with your customers, market transparency of your global brand’s activities, global connectivity among your brand’s customers, and the Internet of Things. Therefore, in this chapter, I focus on how these fundamental shifts in the marketing environment affect global brand strategy, and the implications of such shifts.
Changing Light Bulbs (a): Westinghouse Super Bulb

This is the first of a four-part case charting the influence of technological shifts on decision making in the light bulb industry. After years of a stable industry, with little change in products or distribution, Westinghouse introduces a bulb with markedly longer life, which calls attention to prevailing cost factors. The case provides opportunities for analyzing the interplay of demands among consumers, retailers, and manufacturers. Excerpt UVA-M-0821 Rev. Oct. 8, 2013 Changing Light Bulbs (A): Westinghouse Super Bulb In 1971, the light bulb category had produced few innovations if any since the introduction of soft white bulbs in the 1950s. So it was with great hopes of increasing share and reducing a growing emphasis on price competition that Westinghouse introduced the Super Bulb that year. A premium bulb, the Super Bulb provided light for an average of 3,000 hours, three times the duration of competing bulbs. Westinghouse invested a considerable amount in promoting the Super Bulb, producing it in three standard wattages (60, 75, and 100) as well as a three-way version. With an ad campaign featuring the slogan, “Three times the life at two times the cost,” Westinghouse believed it had a product that would lead to share gains in the competitive U.S. lighting market. Compared to traditional A-line bulbs, the Super Bulb also had a distinctive appearance (Figure 1). Figure 1. The Westinghouse Super Bulb. . . .
Faith and Doubt in the Nineteenth Century

Though the extent of the so-called Victorian “crisis of faith” is still in dispute, it was, nevertheless, a phenomenon rooted in the previous century. Confronted with unsettling discoveries in science, new academic approaches to scripture, and a church bitterly divided over how best to worship, many of England’s most influential thinkers lost their faith in traditional Christianity. This chapter explores a topical approach to teaching the literature produced by the Victorian faith conflict. It surveys a diverse group of texts: novels by Trollope and Hardy; poems by Arnold, Tennyson, Hopkins, Swinburne, and Rossetti; autobiographies by Newman, Oliphant, Gosse and others; works of science by Darwin, Huxley, Lyell and others; works of theology by Jowett, Colenso, and Strauss; along with contemporary hymns and paintings; and a 1992 novel—Graham Swift’s Ever After—that looks back on the faith conflicts of the age. The chapter also reflects on the politics of teaching matters of faith in today’s academic climate.
Global Health and Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality & Outcomes.

Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality & Outcomes has always been interested in outcomes research from around the world. As the founding editor of CQO Harlan Krumholz has aptly put it—the desire to improve outcomes and quality of care for our patients “knows no borders.” Fittingly, this month’s issue of CQO is focused exclusively on articles highlighting a diverse set of health-related challenges outside of the United States with a specific focus on disparities. One might reasonably ask—why should CQO care about global health with so many concerns at home? I see several reasons. First, cardiovascular diseases remain the single most common cause of death worldwide, outpacing even cancer, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and malaria. The World Health Organization estimates that nearly 18 million deaths occurred in 2015 as a result of cardiovascular disease with ≈7.4 million attributed to coronary heart disease and 6.7 million to stroke.1 These conditions are a particular threat to developing countries as they often strike individuals during their most productive years by causing premature death and disability. Yet despite its large presence on the global stage, the amount of attention paid to cardiovascular disease (and noncommunicable diseases overall) is suboptimal.2 Work published in this journal and by others can continue to draw attention to this …
Why can’t I trade? Exchange discretion in calling halts

Stock exchanges are important intermediaries in how firm information enters price. Trading halts are a key tool, often exercised at the exchanges’ discretion, to prevent extraordinary price volatility when new information arrives. However, the decision making behind the halt remains a “mystery” (WSJ, 2018). We investigate how exchanges use discretion and whether the discretion alters the effectiveness of the halts. We show halts reflect the preferences of listed firms rather than the stated exchange objectives (i.e., minimizing excess volatility and off-equilibrium trades). Furthermore, when exchanges exercise more discretion (unexplained by firm and information characteristics) the halts are less effective.
Factors Impacting Ticket Price Paid by Consumers on the Secondary Market for a Major Sporting Event

In an era of dynamically priced tickets, sport marketers benefit from a greater understanding of factors impacting the price consumers are willing to pay. Past research has investigated external factors affecting ticket price on the secondary market, but little work has investigated internal factors and no prior research has utilized actual price paid as a dependent variable. The current study found age, income, prior attendance, timing of purchase, and seat location influenced secondary ticket price paid, explaining 44.9% of the variance, while fan identification and alumni status did not impact the amount patrons paid for tickets to a major college men’s basketball tournament. Subscribe to JASM
Chemical Waves in the Iodate-Arsenous Acid System

Chemical waves were observed in the iodate oxidation of arsenous acid over 25 years ago by EPIC and SHUB [1]. In a recent study [2], the existence of the waves was confirmed and a qualitative explanation was proposed. In addition, an electrochemical method for initiating waves in a thin film of solution was developed.
Analysis of Retinal Thinning Using Spectral-domain Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging of Sickle Cell Retinopathy Eyes Compared to Age- and Race-Matched Control Eyes.

Purpose To determine whether the retina is thinner in sickle cell patients than in race- and age-matched controls, and, if it is thinner, whether there is any association with systemic diseases. Methods Sickle cell and control (age- and race-matched) patients were prospectively enrolled from a university retina clinic into this observational study. Participants underwent visual acuity testing, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, dilated ophthalmoscopy, and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography imaging. Sickle cell retinal lesions, degree of vascular tortuosity, caliber of arteriovenous anastomosis, and stage of retinopathy were noted. Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) subfield measurements were compared between sickle cell and control subjects and also among sickle cell hemoglobin subtypes. Associations between ETDRS subfield measurements and hemoglobin subtype, retinopathy stage, and systemic diseases were assessed. Results A total of 513 sickle cell eyes (260 patients) and 75 control eyes (39 patients) had median visual acuities of 20/20. ETDRS central ( P = .002), inner (nasal P = .009, superior P = .021, temporal P P = .017), and temporal outer ( P = .012) subfield measurements were thinner in sickle cell eyes compared to control eyes. Hemoglobin SS eyes had significantly thinner inner ETDRS subfield measurements compared to SC and SThal eyes. Retinal thinning in all subfields was associated with age ( P = .017) for sickle cell and control eyes. No association was found between retinal thinning and hydroxyurea use or arteriovenous anastomosis caliber. Conclusions The macula is thinner in sickle cell eyes compared to control eyes; retinal thickness decreases with increasing age and sickle cell retinopathy stage and is most severe in hemoglobin SS subtypes.
Features of atrial fibrillation in wild-type transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis: a systematic review and clinical experience.

AIMS Wild-type transthyretin (ATTRwt) cardiac amyloidosis has emerged as an important cause of heart failure in the elderly. Atrial fibrillation (AF) commonly affects older adults with heart failure and is associated with reduced survival, but its role in ATTRwt is unclear. We sought to explore the clinical impact of AF in ATTRwt. METHODS AND RESULTS Patients with biopsy-proven ATTRwt cardiac amyloidosis (n = 146) were retrospectively identified, and clinical, echocardiographic, and biochemical data were collected. Patients were classified as AF or non-AF and followed for survival for a median of 41.4 ± 27.1 months. Means testing, univariable, and multivariable regression models were employed. A systematic review was performed. AF was observed in 70% (n = 102). Mean age was similar (AF, 75 ± 6 vs. non-AF, 74 ± 5 years, P = 0.22). Anticoagulant treatment of patients with AF was as follows: 78% warfarin, 17% novel anticoagulant, and 6% no anticoagulation. Amiodarone was prescribed to 24%. There were no differences in left ventricular ejection fraction (P = 0.09) or left atrial volume (P = 0.87); however, mean diastolic dysfunction grade was higher in AF (mean 2.7 ± 0.5 vs. 2.4 ± 0.5, P = 0.01). While creatinine (P = 0.52) and B-type natriuretic peptide (P = 0.48) were similar, patients with AF had lower serum transthyretin concentrations (221 ± 51 vs. 250 ± 52 μg/mL, P < 0.01). Survival between groups was similar (P = 0.46). CONCLUSIONS These data provide an evidence basis for clinical management and demonstrate that AF in ATTRwt does not negatively impact survival. Further analysis of the relationship between transthyretin concentration and AF development is warranted.
Growth from the Vapor

Growth from the vapor for preparing materials, particularly in the form of thin films, has become an extremely important technique. Probably the best example is its extensive use in the fabrication of silicon semiconductor devices and integrated circuits. Chemical vapor deposition is used to prepare the high-purity polycrystalline silicon, which is then melt-grown into single crystals. Thin silicon films, in which the actual devices and circuits are formed, are grown on slices of these crystals by chemical vapor deposition. Thin layers of silicon dioxide and silicon nitride are vapor-deposited for insulation and surface passivation. Finally, metal interconnect patterns are deposited, generally by vacuum evaporation. Chemical vapor deposition is also used for preparing high-purity metals, such as titanium, zirconium, hafnium, thorium, and chromium, and for a wide variety of other materials. Vacuum evaporation is used for depositing thin layers of many materials for surface coatings. The important present and potential uses of vapor deposition have spurred extensive research on these processes during the past decade. This chapter will discuss the general principles of growth from the vapor. Particular emphasis will be placed on the relative contributions of thermodynamic and kinetic factors to vapor deposition processes. Application of these principles will be illustrated using vapor-phase epitaxial growth as an example.
Citizen Teacher: Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't

The recent Supreme Court case of Garcetti v. Ceballos is now just over a year old. That case denies to public employees the protection of the First Amendment when speaking in their official duties. In reviewing the cases both leading up to and then relying on Garcetti, one is struck by the inherent conflict that now permeates some school board employee relationships. Whereas preceding cases attempted to reach a balance between the school board and its employees' speech rights, bad management practices now seem to trump the First Amendment. Such practices have school boards discharging teachers and administrators for speaking out - truthfully - on matters of fiscal mismanagement, student discipline, and similar school district problems. In the context of those cases, this Article posits that being seduced by the weapon of Garcetti's absolute power will create unanticipated and legal consequences to both school boards and the educational institution itself.