cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improved targeting of miRNA with antisense oligonucleotides.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of 20–24 nt noncoding RNAs that regulate target mRNAs post-transcriptionally by binding with imperfect complementarity in the 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR) and inhibiting translation or RNA stability. Current understanding of miRNA biology is limited, and antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) inhibition is a powerful technique for miRNA functionalization in vitro and in vivo, and for therapeutic targeting of miRNAs. Identification of optimal ASO chemistries for targeting miRNAs is therefore of great interest. We evaluated a number of 2′-sugar and backbone ASO modifications for their ability to inhibit miR-21 activity on a luciferase reporter mRNA. ASO modifications that improved target affinity improved miRNA ASO activity, yet the positioning of high-affinity modifications also had dramatically different effects on miRNA activity, suggesting that more than affinity determined the effectiveness of the miRNA ASOs. We present data in which the activity of a modified miRNA ASO was inversely correlated to its tolerability as an siRNA passenger strand, suggesting that a similar mechanism could be involved in the dissociation of miRNA ASOs and siRNA passenger strands. These studies begin to define the factors important for designing improved miRNA ASOs, enabling more effective miRNA functionalization and therapeutic targeting.
Is protein kinase substrate efficacy a reliable barometer for successful inhibitor design

We have addressed the question of whether protein kinase substrate efficacy is a reliable barometer for successful inhibitor design by assessing the dependence of kcat and kcat/Km for eight separate alcohol-bearing residues on solvent viscosity. We have found that the Km for three structurally distinct primary alcohol-containing peptides overestimates the affinity that these species exhibit for the cAMP-dependent protein kinase. In all three cases, the rate-determining step is product release, and substrate binding is best described as rapid equilibrium. In contrast, peptides containing the following phosphorylatable residues all provide Km values that are accurate assessments of substrate affinity for the protein kinase: a secondary alcohol, a simple phenol, and a primary alcohol with a relatively long side chain. In the latter three instances, the rate-determining step is phosphoryl transfer. Finally, two aromatic alcohol-containing residues that possess lipophilic side chains exhibit Michaelis constants that underestimate enzyme affinity. These results demonstrate that while it may be tempting to employ structural elements from the most efficient substrates (e.g. primary alcohols) for inhibitor design, less effective substrates may serve as a more accurate assessment of inhibitory success.
An Interview with APPLE Lecture Speaker Professor Mary McGroarty

On Friday, April 19, 2013, our journal (represented by Catherine Box and Victoria Parra-Moreno) had the fortunate opportunity to speak one-on-one with the Teachers College, Columbia University 2013 Applied Linguistics and Language Education (APPLE) speaker, Professor Mary McGroarty. She graciously agreed to take time out of her quite packed schedule, which included two talks with the Teachers College community, to converse about her thoughts on language policies in education, teacher training, bilingualism in the schools, and the progression of the applied linguistics field.
A strategy for single nucleotide polymorphism analysis of chimerism for somatic cell therapy

Abstract Background aims Chimerism is an important outcome measure in hematopoietic cell transplantation as well as somatic cell therapy. Commonly used methods to estimate chimerism are restricted by either gender or inefficient sensitivity. In principle, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assays can be used to assess single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP), which are a vast resource of molecular markers, and such assays demonstrate a substantially higher sensitivity (0.001%), but the specificity is unclear because of a low-level signal from mismatched sequences. Methods In this study, we cloned 14 pairs of SNP selected from the SNP HapMap database and examined the specificity and sensitivity of their detection by real-time PCR using two primer/fluorescent probe pairs to allow genotyping of the two possible variant alleles. Clinical donor–recipient pairs from 18 families were used to explore the efficacy of using SNP assays to measure chimerism. Results We found that the polymorphic nucleotide influences the ability to distinguish the signal generated by the target and mismatched sequences. Moreover, the specific fluorescent reporter probe can affect the difference in signal intensity between the target and mismatched sequences. Real-time PCR SNP assays can attain a sensitivity of 0.1–0.5% with 100% specificity. When comparing possible clinical donor–recipient pairs, we found an average 3.3 out of 14 SNP were informative. Conclusions By optimal selection of the polymorphic sequences and fluorescent reporter, the real-time PCR SNP assay is superior to the short-tandem repeat chimerism assay and broadly applicable. This strategy may be applied in future clinical trials of bone marrow cell therapy.
Utilizing Navigational Capability to Control Cooperating Robotic Swarms in Reconnaissance-Based Operations

This paper focuses on the development of a methodology by which multiple, heterogeneous units can deliver discontinuous capability (such as that from a computer vision system) to a specified set of targets. The centralized coordination controller commands the units such that a specified level of capability is delivered to a set of target locations while accommodating obstacle avoidance and a spectrum of additional secondary objectives. The efficacy of the controller is demonstrated through simulation.
Politics and the Social Order in the Work of John O'Hara

Classic works of fiction almost always raise “penetrating questions about the foundations and effects of the political regime, i.e. human nature and its implications for society.” But popular fiction, too, can be an instrument of social and political understanding. As Gore Vidal has argued:Writers of fiction, even more than systematic philosophers, tend to reveal unconscious presuppositions. One might even say that those writers who are the most popular are the ones who share the largest number of common assumptions with their audience, subliminally reflecting prejudices and aspirations so obvious that they are never stated and, never stated, never precisely understood or even recognized. John O'Hara is an excellent example of this kind of writer.
Development of a spreadsheet-based capital investment model with sensitivity analysis

Abstract The Economic Analysis and Sensitivity Evaluation (EASE) model was designed to assist in the study of multiple parameter capital investment decisions. While written specifically for the Macro command structure of Borland QUATTRO, features of the model can be converted for use with other popular spreadsheets.
Topical antibiotic prophylaxis for bacteremia after dental extractions.

Abstract Objective: Current prophylaxis for endocarditis in patients undergoing dental procedures consists of oral administration of amoxicillin. There is concern that the risk of anaphylaxis from systemically administered antibiotics might approach the incidence of endocarditis. Emergence of resistance among bacteria is also favored by systemically administered antibiotics. The present study was designed to assess the efficacy of topical amoxicillin given prophylactically as a mouthwash in reducing the incidence of bacteremia after dental extraction. Study Design: Thirty-six outpatients in a dental clinic were randomized in a 3:2:2 ratio to experimental prophylaxis of topical amoxicillin (3 g per mouthwash rinse; 15 patients), standard prophylaxis of oral amoxicillin (3 g in a single dose; 11 patients), or no prophylaxis (10 patients), respectively. Patients were stratified by severity of periodontal disease and number of teeth extracted. Data were analyzed for differences in the incidence of bacteremia by means of the 2-tailed Fisher exact test. Results: Breakthrough bacteremia after dental extraction was observed in 60% (6 of 10 patients) who received topical amoxicillin and in 89% (8 of 9 patients) who received no prophylaxis (P = .30). By comparison, breakthrough bacteremia after dental extraction was observed in 10% (1 of 10 patients) who received standard prophylaxis with oral amoxicillin (60% vs 10%; P = .05). Conclusions: Topical amoxicillin decreased the incidence of bacteremia in comparison with no prophylaxis, but statistical significance was not achieved (P = .30). Topical amoxicillin was significantly less effective than standard prophylaxis with oral amoxicillin in decreasing the incidence of bacteremia after dental extractions. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2001;91:162-5)
Isolation and Maintenance-Free Culture of Contractile Myotubes from Manduca sexta Embryos

Skeletal muscle tissue engineering has the potential to treat tissue loss and degenerative diseases. However, these systems are also applicable for a variety of devices where actuation is needed, such as microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and robotics. Most current efforts to generate muscle bioactuators are focused on using mammalian cells, which require exacting conditions for survival and function. In contrast, invertebrate cells are more environmentally robust, metabolically adaptable and relatively autonomous. Our hypothesis is that the use of invertebrate muscle cells will obviate many of the limitations encountered when mammalian cells are used for bioactuation. We focus on the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta, due to its easy availability, large size and well-characterized muscle contractile properties. Using isolated embryonic cells, we have developed culture conditions to grow and characterize contractile M. sexta muscles. The insect hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone was used to induce differentiation in the system, resulting in cells that stained positive for myosin, contract spontaneously for the duration of the culture, and do not require media changes over periods of more than a month. These cells proliferate under normal conditions, but the application of juvenile hormone induced further proliferation and inhibited differentiation. Cellular metabolism under normal and low glucose conditions was compared for C2C12 mouse and M. sexta myoblast cells. While differentiated C2C12 cells consumed glucose and produced lactate over one week as expected, M. sexta muscle did not consume significant glucose, and lactate production exceeded mammalian muscle production on a per cell basis. Contractile properties were evaluated using index of movement analysis, which demonstrated the potential of these cells to perform mechanical work. The ability of cultured M. sexta muscle to continuously function at ambient conditions without medium replenishment, combined with the interesting metabolic properties, suggests that this cell source is a promising candidate for further investigation toward bioactuator applications.
The Stability of Motion in a Periodic Cubic Force Field

Motion stability in periodic cubic force field, using nonliner differential equation integration with time periodic square wave function and Jacobian table
Differentiation of rodent behavioral phenotypes and methylphenidate action in sustained and flexible attention tasks

Methyphenidate (MPH) is the primary drug treatment of choice for ADHD. It is also frequently used off-label as a cognitive enhancer by otherwise healthy individuals from all age groups and walks of life. Military personnel, students, and health professionals use MPH illicitly to increase attention and improve workplace performance over extended periods of work activity. Despite the frequency of its use, the efficacy of MPH to enhance cognitive function across individuals and in a variety of circumstances is not well characterized. We sought to better understand MPH׳s cognitive enhancing properties in two different rodent models of attention. We found that MPH could enhance performance in a sustained attention task, but that its effects in this test were subject dependent. More specifically, MPH increased attention in low baseline performing rats but had little to no effect on high performing rats. MPH exerted a similar subject specific effect in a test of flexible attention, i.e. the attention set shifting task. In this test MPH increased behavioral flexibility in animals with poor flexibility but impaired performance in more flexible animals. Overall, our results indicate that the effects of MPH are subject-specific and depend on the baseline level of performance. Furthermore, good performance in in the sustained attention task was correlated with good performance in the flexible attention task; i.e. animals with better vigilance exhibited greater behavioral flexibility. The findings are discussed in terms of potential neurobiological substrates, in particular noradrenergic mechanisms, that might underlie subject specific performance and subject specific responses to MPH. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Noradrenergic System.
Programmed Genome Processing in Ciliates

The ciliates are a group of protists distinguished by the hair-like cilia on their cell surfaces. Ciliates also possess two types of nuclei, a germline micronucleus and a somatic macronucleus. The micronuclear genome contains segmented genes divided by spacer sequences of DNA that are removed to generate the macronuclear genome during development. For some species, certain micronuclear gene segments can be reordered and/or inverted with respect to their final gene sequence in the macronucleus. This chapter explores the similarities of and differences between micronuclear genomes and the processes of macronuclear development across different ciliate species.
Nondestructive Assessment of Engineered Cartilage Composition by Near Infrared Spectroscopy

Tissue engineering presents a strategy to overcome the limitations of current tissue healing methods. Scaffolds, cells, external growth factors and mechanical input are combined in an effort to obtain constructs with properties that mimic native tissues. However, engineered constructs developed using similar culture environments can have very different matrix composition and biomechanical properties. Accordingly, a nondestructive technique to assess constructs during development such that appropriate compositional endpoints can be defined is desirable. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) analysis is a modality being investigated to address the challenges associated with current evaluation techniques, which includes nondestructive compositional assessment. In the present study, cartilage tissue constructs were grown using chondrocytes seeded onto polyglycolic acid (PGA) scaffolds in similar environments in three separate tissue culture experiments and monitored using NIRS. Multivariate partial least squares (PLS) analysis models of NIR spectra were calculated and used to predict tissue composition, with biochemical assay information used as the reference data. Results showed that for combined data from all tissue culture experiments, PLS models were able to assess composition with significant correlations to reference values, including engineered cartilage water (at 5200 cm(-1), R = 0.68, p = 0.03), proteoglycan (at 4310 cm(-1), R = 0.82, p = 0.007), and collagen (at 4610 cm(-1), R = 0.84, p = 0.005). In addition, degradation of PGA was monitored using specific NIRS frequencies. These results demonstrate that NIR spectroscopy combined with multivariate analysis provides a nondestructive modality to assess engineered cartilage, which could provide information to determine the optimal time for tissue harvest for clinical applications.
Range of Thermal Treatment Upon the Mechanical Characteristics of PLLA Coiled Stents

Stents have been used as a medical device to restore blood flow in stenosed vessels. During this process of stent expansion, the balloon and stent could damage the endothelial lining of the vascular wall [Grewe, Farb] and alter the mechanical stress states of various tissue components. The subsequent tissue re-growth and vascular remodeling have been implicated among the causes leading to restenosis. Stent designs vary over a wide range from materials used, geometric shapes, fabrication methods, treatments, among many other parameters. There are many different stent designs. We have developed an internally coiled, furled helical PLLA fiber stent at our institution [Su 03, Zilberman 02, 04, 05]. We have previously shown the effect of 62°C thermal annealing on the expansive characteristics of this stent [Welch 08].Copyright © 2009 by ASME
The predictive roles of neural oscillations in speech motor adaptability

The human speech system exhibits a remarkable flexibility by adapting to alterations in speaking environments. While it is believed that speech motor adaptation under altered sensory feedback involves rapid reorganization of speech motor networks, the mechanisms by which different brain regions communicate and coordinate their activity to mediate adaptation remain unknown, and explanations of outcome differences in adaption remain largely elusive. In this study, under the paradigm of altered auditory feedback with continuous EEG recordings, the differential roles of oscillatory neural processes in motor speech adaptability were investigated. The predictive capacities of different EEG frequency bands were assessed, and it was found that theta-, beta-, and gamma-band activities during speech planning and production contained significant and reliable information about motor speech adaptability. It was further observed that these bands do not work independently but interact with each other suggesting an underlying brain network operating across hierarchically organized frequency bands to support motor speech adaptation. These results provide novel insights into both learning and disorders of speech using time frequency analysis of neural oscillations.
Transonic Flutter Characteristics of Advanced Fighter Wings

A study of the flutter characteristics of three different wing planforms representative of present and future generations of fighters is presented. The main objective is to obtain a better understanding of complex transonic flutter behaviors involving LCOs triggered by natural mode instabilities at low dynamic pressures, followed by transitions to strong bending-torsion or multi-mode flutter at higher dynamic pressures. Two of the wings have flutter boundaries with deep "chimneys" in the vicinity of Mach 1. Inside the chimneys, the LCO amplitudes are insensitive to dynamic pressure or density and persist down to very low densities representative of altitudes in the high stratosphere. The Mach number freeze or transonic stabilization phenomenon plays an important role in determining the shape of the SDOF and chimney regions. Near the freeze Mach number, the unsteady aerodynamic forces show rapid reversals in amplitude and phase, which have a profound influence on the flutter boundary and the observed flutter characteristics. The transonic stabilization mechanism appears responsible for the rapid quenching of natural mode LCOs and the creation of deep chimneys in the flutter boundary near Mach 1, as observed in several wind tunnel tests.
The Agaricaceae of Tropical North America—II

(1918). The Agaricaceae of Tropical North America—VIII. Mycologia: Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 62-85.
Fractionation Spares Mice From Radiation-Induced Reductions in Weight Gain But Does Not Prevent Late Oligodendrocyte Lineage Side Effects

Purpose To determine the late effects of fractionated versus single-dose cranial radiation on murine white matter. Methods and Materials Mice were exposed to 0 Gy, 6 × 6 Gy, or 1 × 20 Gy cranial irradiation at 10 to 12 weeks of age. Endpoints were assessed through 18 months from exposure using immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, and electrophysiology. Results Weight gain was temporarily reduced after irradiation; greater loss was seen after single versus fractionated doses. Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells were reduced early and late after both single and fractionated irradiation. Both protocols also increased myelin g-ratio, reduced the number of nodes of Ranvier, and promoted a shift in the proportion of small, unmyelinated versus large, myelinated axon fibers. Conclusions Fractionation does not adequately spare normal white matter from late radiation side effects.
CADRE: AN ALGORITHM FOR NUMERICAL QUADRATURE

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the program CADRE—an algorithm for numerical quadrature. The program employs an adaptive scheme whereby CADRE is found as the sum of estimates for the integral of F ( x ) over suitably small subintervals of a given interval of integration. Starting with the interval of integration itself as the first such subinterval, the program attempts to find an acceptable estimate on a given subinterval by cautious Romberg extrapolation. If this attempt fails, the subinterval is divided into two subintervals of equal length. For the sake of economy, values of F ( x ), once calculated, are saved until they are successfully used in estimating the integral over some subinterval to which they belong. The program CADRE uses the composite trapezoid sum. For certain classes of integrands, the composite trapezoid sum exhibits a known and characteristic convergence behavior that the algorithm attempts to detect and to exploit through cautious extrapolation.
Toward an alternative notion of information systems ontologies: Information engineering as a hermeneutic enterprise: Research Articles

In this paper we discuss the construction of information systems ontologies. We summarize and discuss Barry Smith's review (2003a) of the field in the paper, “Ontology.” In that essay Smith concludes with a plea for ontologies that reflect the categories of current scientific theories because they represent our best knowledge of the world. In this context, we develop an argument for a hermeneutic approach to ontologies—one compatible with the orientation introduced into information science by Winograd and Flores (1986) and later developed by many others. To do this, we argue that the literature in the philosophy and history of science supports a hermeneutic interpretation of the nature and growth of science. This, given Smith's argument, shows the relevance of hermeneutics to the creation of information system ontologies. The problems associated with understanding and creating information systems ontologies are addressed fruitfully only if one begins by acknowledging that databases are mechanisms for communication involving judgments and interpretations by intelligent and knowledgeable users. The main contributions of this paper are our conclusions that (a) information system ontologies should take into consideration a perspective of the philosophy and history of science, and (b) hermeneutics as construed by Gadamer (1975, 1979) constitutes a place from which we can understand the tasks of information ontologists and database users. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Association of Minority Self-Rated Health with Black versus White Gentrification

There exists controversy as to the impact gentrification of cities has on the well-being of minorities. Some accuse gentrification of causing health disparities for disadvantaged minority populations residing in neighborhoods that are changing as a result of these socioeconomic shifts. Past scholarship has suggested that fears of displacement and social isolation associated with gentrification lead to poorer minority health. However, there is a lack of research that directly links gentrification to minority health outcomes. We address this gap with individual data from the 2008 Philadelphia Health Management Corporation’s Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey and census tract data from the 2000 Decennial Census and the 2006–2010 American Community Survey. We implement logistic multilevel models to determine whether and how a resident’s self-rated health is affected by gentrification of their neighborhoods. We find that while gentrification does have a marginal effect improving self-rated health for neighborhood residents overall, it leads to worse health outcomes for Blacks. Accounting for racial change, while gentrification leading to increases in White population has no measurable effect on minority health, “Black gentrification” leads to marginally worse health outcomes for Black respondents. These results demonstrate the limitations that improvements of neighborhood socioeconomic character have in offsetting minority health disparities.
Mobius domain wall fermion method on QUDA

Mobius Domain Wall Fermion (DWF) method is an extended form of Shamir’s domain wall fermion action, which provides the same overlap action correspondence in the limit of Ls → ∞. Furthermore, Mobius DWF has an advantage in smaller size of chiral violation effect coming from residual mass compared with Shamir’s DWF. At α = O(Ls), O(1/Ls) of Mres error in Shamir’s DWF can be significantly reduced in Mobius DWF method[8]. This chiral enhancement on Mobius operator enables us to use the smaller 5th dimensional size of lattice data without scarifying the precision. Furthermore, smaller size of lattice data is very helpful to compute the DWF algorithm on GPU environment. In last 5 years, GPU has been widely used in lattice QCD applications and succeeded in high performance computation. However, limited size of available device memory is still a weak point of GPU and which makes the DWF computation especially difficult. By using the Mobius DWF method on GPU, we can relieve this limit and this is the reason why we have implemented the Mobius DWF operator on the QUDA library. For preconditioned conjugate gradient (CG) update, 4D even-odd preconditioning method is used but the detail of the algorithms are modified for GPU optimization.
Peer Perceptions of Media Elites and Hierarchical Differentiation Among Financial Journalists

Existing research has demonstrated how media elites influence journalistic practices, but much less has been done to help explain why journalists grant such a high status to select peers in the fir...
LIQUi|> and SoLi|>: Simulation and Compilation of Quantum Algorithms

Languages, compilers, and computer-aided design tools will be essential for scalable quantum computing, which promises an exponential leap in our ability to execute complex tasks. LIQUi|> and SoLi|> provide a modular software architecture for the simulation of quantum algorithms and control of quantum hardware. They provide a high level interface and are independent of a specific quantum architecture. This talk will focus on simulation of quantum algorithms in Quantum Chemistry and Materials as well as Factoring, Quantum Error Correction and compilation for hardware implementations (http://arxiv.org/abs/1402.4467).
Dietary Supplements Advertised in Muscle Enthusiast Magazines: A Content Analysis of Marketing Strategies

Men’s muscle enthusiast magazines play a role in conveying nutrition information through articles and advertisements to those who focus on bodybuilding and competitive weightlifting. Often, readers are presented with conflicting health information, making it difficult to distinguish between reliable and inaccurate content. Advertisements for dietary supplements including pills, nutrition bars and drinks were analyzed in 32 issues of popular muscle enthusiast magazines. Prevalence and specific marketing characteristics of advertisements were assessed. Of the 3,311 supplement ads identified, the type of product was most often not identifiable (n = 1,556). The majority of ads (79%, n = 2621) did not indicate primary ingredient. Almost 80 percent (n = 2,630) included health claims. Of these ads, only 70 percent included a notation that their statement was not evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Further research is needed to assess how much these marketing strategies influence consumers’ development of unrealistic fitness goals and dietary supplement purchases.
The Status of Bering Sea Pollock and the Effect of the “Donut Hole” Fishery

Abstract A U.S. pollock fishery developed in the Bering Sea in the 1980s, which lead to a phase out of foreign fishing and processing. The displaced foreign fleet began fishing in the central Bering Sea in waters outside of the U.S. and Russian exclusive economic zones, and catches rapidly increased to exceed 1 million tonnes. These removals caused concern that coastal stocks would be adversely impacted. Research has shown that pollock harvested in the central Bering Sea move from the adjacent shelf populations, and the amount moving appears proportional to year-class size. The central Bering Sea fishery primarily harvested a strong 1978 year-class, and catches declined as the year-class aged. Currently, the fishery is closed through a multinational agreement.
Inhalation of α-Gal/Sialic Acid Liposomes for Decreasing Influenza Virus Infection

This chapter describes a hypothetical treatment of symptomatic patients at early stages of influenza (flu) virus infection, by inhalation of aerosol-containing liposomes presenting multiple α-gal epitopes and sialic acid (SA) epitopes (referred to as α-gal/SA liposomes). These liposomes bind flu virus via the interaction between their SA epitopes and envelope hemagglutinin (HA) of the virus. The α-gal/SA liposomes also bind the natural anti-Gal antibody via their α-gal epitopes, which are the ligand for this antibody. It is hypothesized that inhalation of α-gal/SA liposomes by patients at early stages of flu virus infection may slow and possibly help to eliminate the infecting virus, as a result of the following processes: (1) Inhaled α-gal/SA liposomes landing in the mucus and surfactant lining the respiratory tract bind the virus via the interaction of HA of the virus with SA epitopes on the liposomes. (2) Anti-Gal antibody molecules released into mucus and surfactant binds to the α-gal epitopes on α-gal/SA liposomes. This interaction activates the complement system and generates the chemotactic complement peptides C5a and C3a that induce recruitment of macrophages to the liposomes. (3) The recruited macrophages internalize via Fc/Fc receptors interaction the anti-Gal opsonized α-gal/SA liposomes and the flu virus attached to them. (4) These macrophages destroy the internalized virus and transport the virus antigenic peptides to the regional lymph nodes where they present the peptides for activation of CD4+ and CD8+ flu virus specific T cells. This T cell activation results in induction of protective humoral and cellular immune responses against the infecting flu virus, thereby halting the progression of the virus infection and preventing further progression of the disease into lethal stages.
Room for Improvement: The HIV-Diabetes Care Continuum Over 15 Years in the Women's Interagency HIV Study.

Background Gains in life expectancy through optimal control of HIV infection with antiretroviral therapy (ART) may be threatened if other comorbidities, such as diabetes, are not optimally managed. Methods We analyzed cross-sectional data of the Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) from 2001, 2006, and 2015. We estimated the proportions of HIV-positive and HIV-negative women with diabetes who were engaged in care and achieved treatment goals (hemoglobin A1c [A1c] <7.0%, blood pressure [BP] <140/90 mmHg, low-density lipoprotein [LDL] cholesterol <100 mg/dL, not smoking) and viral suppression. Repeated-measures models were used to estimate the adjusted prevalence of achieving each diabetes treatment goal at each time point, by HIV status. Results We included 486 HIV-positive and 258 HIV-negative women with diabetes. In 2001, 91.8% visited a health care provider, 60.7% achieved the A1c target, 70.5% achieved the BP target, 38.5% achieved the LDL cholesterol target, 49.2% were nonsmokers, 23.3% achieved combined ABC targets (A1c, BP, and cholesterol), and 10.9% met combined ABC targets and did not smoke. There were no differences by HIV status, and patterns were similar in 2006 and 2015. Among HIV-positive women, viral suppression increased from 41% in 2001 to 87% in 2015 compared with 8% and 13% achieving the ABC goals and not smoking. Viral suppression was not associated with achievement of diabetes care goals. Conclusions Successful management of HIV is outpacing that of diabetes. Future studies are needed to identify factors associated with gaps in the HIV-diabetes care continuum and design interventions to better integrate effective diabetes management into HIV care.
Identifying Patients for Whom Lung Cancer Screening Is Preference-Sensitive: A Microsimulation Study

Background Many health systems are exploring how to implement low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening programs that are effective and patient-centered. Objective To examine factors that influence when LDCT screening is preference-sensitive. Design State-transition microsimulation model. Data Sources Two large randomized trials, published decision analyses, and the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) cancer registry. Target Population U.S.-representative sample of simulated patients meeting current U.S. Preventive Services Task Force criteria for screening eligibility. Time Horizon Lifetime. Perspective Individual. Intervention LDCT screening annually for 3 years. Outcome Measures Lifetime quality-adjusted life-year gains and reduction in lung cancer mortality. To examine the effect of preferences on net benefit, disutilities (the "degree of dislike") quantifying the burden of screening and follow-up were varied across a likely range. The effect of varying the rate of false-positive screening results and overdiagnosis associated with screening was also examined. Results of Base-Case Analysis Moderate differences in preferences about the downsides of LDCT screening influenced whether screening was appropriate for eligible persons with annual lung cancer risk less than 0.3% or life expectancy less than 10.5 years. For higher-risk eligible persons with longer life expectancy (roughly 50% of the study population), the benefits of LDCT screening overcame even highly negative views about screening and its downsides. Results of Sensitivity Analysis Rates of false-positive findings and overdiagnosed lung cancer were not highly influential. Limitation The quantitative thresholds that were identified may vary depending on the structure of the microsimulation model. Conclusion Identifying circumstances in which LDCT screening is more versus less preference-sensitive may help clinicians personalize their screening discussions, tailoring to both preferences and clinical benefit. Primary Funding Source None.
The Enterprise as the Experiential Design Platform

Individuals are autonomously designing, creating, and operating their own complex, idiosyncratic information systems. These systems are designed in an experiential and emergent way. This growing individual technological autonomy creates dynamic bindpoints where formerly there were relatively static user endpoint interfaces across an air gap. This enables the organization to adjust the location of its enterprise system bindpoints in relation to the individual system endpoints.
Automated platelet counts. Accuracy, precision, and range

The automation of platelet counting is essential in laboratories performing a large number of procedures with high precision. Maintaining this precision and establishing accuracy require an understanding of the special problems of counting platelets, including: (1) the large dynamic range of the measurement, (2) the variable size and aggregability of platelets, and (3) the specific requirements of a quality-control method. In evaluating these problems, we designed experiments that measured the linearity and precision of two types of platelet counters, light scattering and electronic aperture impedance, and that evaluated the suitability of commercially available reference materials. The results show that the instrumentation is excellent and the reference materials are good; such that, given a well-planned quality-control method as presented here, the automated platelet count gives a rapid result with precision and accuracy.
Shared Tax Sources in a Leviathan Model of Federalism

Separation of the tax sources is often advanced as a norm for the fiscal organization of a federal system of government. This article examines the analytical properties of the separation norm within the context of the Leviathan model of revenue-maximizing government. If two revenue-maximizing units of government at different levels in a federal system share a common tax base, combined tax rates applied to that base will lie on the backward-bending portion of the Laffer curve. A challenge of sorts is presented to the Brennan-Buchanan hypothesis that a federal as opposed to a unitary system of government can act as a constraint on Leviathan. They base their proposition on the existence of competing governments at a single level. However, the essence of federalism is multiple levels of government. This layering needs to be more carefully considered with respect to the implications for restraining Leviathan.
Friendly Resistance: Narratives from a Preservice Teacher of Color Navigating Diversity Courses

This qualitative study case study explicates how a preservice teacher of color in an urban teacher education program (TEP) peripherally engages critical pedagogy with perceived content irrelevancy ...
Academic Cardiology and Social Media: Navigating the Wisdom and Madness of the Crowd.

It was a sleepy Thursday morning at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics conference, typical for the final morning of a conference; exhibitor booths had been disassembled, and most attendees had long since departed. But for one Late Breaking Clinical Trial session that remained, promising the presentation of a 200-patient trial that was relatively unknown in the months preceding the meeting, the size of the live audience was hardly relevant. Within 72 hours of the presentation, the #ORBITA trial became Twitter’s most discussed cardiology trial perhaps ever, illustrating the potential of social media to disseminate, amplify, refine, and distort the products of academic cardiology. If cardiology’s Fifth Estate was not born on that day, it felt at the least as if it had come of age, newly armed with twice the allowable character count and the ability to tag an ever increasing number of individuals on a tweet. #CardioTwitter had gone viral. Since then, academic discourse on Twitter has thrived. A stream of study results, visuals, and interpretations can be counted on to run alongside every major academic meeting, creating a bridge between conference attendees and those following along digitally. In many ways, what occurs in this virtual sphere is more than a mere reflection of what is occurring in its physical counterpart. As an academic platform, social media has created an offering that is distinct from, and at times superior to, traditional mechanisms by which cardiologists disseminate, consume, critique, and integrate research into their practices. However, these interactions carry their own unique challenges and risks, many of which participants may discover by trial and error against a background of evolving norms. Perhaps the most notable difference between discussions at conferences at major meetings and those occurring on social media have been the number of individuals who have been given a public …
Still Asking "Which Rate Is Right?" Years Later.

In 1986, Wennberg ([1][1]), the influential founder of the Dartmouth Atlas project on geographic differences in health care, wrote a piece entitled “Which rate is right?,” in which he described the great variability in health care delivery that existed at the time. He posited that such
Missionaries as bridge builders in Buddhist kingdoms: Amity amid radical difference:

Buddhism and Christianity are major world religions that both make universal and often competing claims about the nature of the world and ultimate reality. These claims are difficult to reconcile a...
Personal and Professional Reactions to Blindness From Diabetic Retinopathy.

The author, a blind psychiatric nurse who offers professional counseling to newly blinded individuals, discusses adjustment to blindness from both professional and personal points of view. She cons...
Yttrium Manganese Oxide Phase Stability and Selectivity Using Lithium Carbonate Assisted Metathesis Reactions

In solid-state chemistry, stable phases are often missed if their synthesis is impractical, such as when decomposition or a polymorphic transition occurs at relatively low temperature. In the preparation of complex oxides, reaction temperatures commonly exceed 1000 °C with little to no control of the reaction pathway. Thus, a prerequisite for exploring the synthesis of complex oxides is to identify reactions with intermediates that are kinetically competent at low temperatures, as provided by assisted metathesis reactions. Here, we study the assisted metathesis reaction Mn2O3 + 2.2YCl3·6H2O + 3Li2CO3 → 2YMnO3 + 5.8LiCl + 0.2LiYCl4 + 3CO2 using in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction. By changing the atmosphere, oxygen vs inert gas, the reaction product changes from the overoxidized perovskite YMnO3+δ to the hexagonal YMnO3 polymorph at the reaction temperature of 850 °C, respectively. Analysis of the reaction pathways reveals two parallel reaction pathways in forming YMnO3 phases: (1) the slow reaction of metal oxides in a LiCl flux (Y2O3 + Mn2O3 [Formula: see text] 2YMnO3) and (2) the fast reaction from ternary intermediates (YOCl + LiMnO2 → LiCl + YMnO3). Control reactions reveal that both proposed pathways in isolation result in product formation, but the direct preparation of ternary intermediates (YOCl + LiMnO2 → LiCl + YMnO3) occurs at lower temperatures (500 °C) and shorter times (<24 h) and forms nominally stoichiometric orthorhombic YMnO3. These ternary intermediates react at a faster rate than the slow stepwise oxygenation of yttrium chloride to Y2O3 (YCl3 → YOCl → Y3O4Cl → Y2O3), which is relatively inert. These results support a kinetically controlled reaction pathway to form YMnO3 phases in assisted metathesis reactions with phase selectivity achievable through changes to reaction atmosphere.
Chapter 17 – Brain Templates

Publisher Summary The terms “atlas” and “template” are interchangeable, and the term “brain template” is often used to describe a deformable neuroanatomic atlas. A template is something that establishes or serves as a pattern; therefore, a brain template may be seen as an abstract representation that serves as a pattern for comparing brains. A major advantage of the application of deformable templates is that large numbers of subjects and numerous areas of the brain can be automatically measured. The creation of a template is carried out in two steps: creation of a provisory template and estimation of an average template. A template that encompasses neuroanatomic variation may be described as a probability measure or distribution of the population of transformations from the stereotypical to the individual. Template comparisons are in the form of transformations of one template to the other. Dependent variables are operationally defined as displacement vectors for the a priori selected volume of interest. Thus, changes or differences between one template and another may be described and visualized in terms of the magnitude and direction of vector displacement in the transformation of one atlas to another. An example of the application of brain templates is the morphometric measurement of MR images.
Phased Array With Low-Angle Scanning and 46:1 Bandwidth

An extremely wideband (EWB) antenna array is presented that covers the UHF to $C$ -bands (0.13–6 GHz). The array has dual-linear polarization and is capable of wide-angle scanning. Notably, this array achieves a 46:1 contiguous impedance bandwidth at broadside with VSWR $12\times12$ array prototype was fabricated and tested to verify the bandwidth and gain performance of a finite array. The simulated radiation efficiency was demonstrated to be 72% on average across the band.
Impact of Resident Participation During Surgery on Neurosurgical Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis.

Background There has been much attention recently on whether the involvement of neurosurgical residents during surgery impacts patient outcomes. Our goal was to perform a meta-analysis of all existing studies in order to determine the true effect of resident involvement. Methods We performed a systematic review and identified studies that compared resident involvement during surgery to attending neurosurgeons alone. Event rates and adjusted odds ratios were collected and pooled to generate estimates. Results Eleven studies were identified, of which 9 reported adjusted odds ratios. Meta-analysis showed that there were no significant differences in patient baseline characteristics (age, gender, the majority of medical comorbidities). Analysis of operative variables showed increases in a number of complications. However, adjustment of odds ratios for confounders eliminated most of these effects but continued to show a mild increase in overall complications with an odds ratio of 1.14 (P = 0.02). Notably, for both adjusted and unadjusted estimates, no significant differences were seen in 30-day mortality. Conclusions We found that, when adjusted for comorbidities, complexity, and procedure type, there was no difference in outcomes in terms of surgical complications, reoperation, length of stay more than 5 days, and mortality. While these results suggest that our apprenticeship teaching model is safe for developing independent physicians, using new educational modalities such as simulation and resident-directed labs may be useful to attenuate potential patient complications in higher-risk procedures and in patients with comorbidities.
The Ethnography of Rhythm: Orality and Its Technologies: By Haun Saussy. New York: Fordham University Press, 2016. 274 pp. ISBN 978-0-8232-70477, hardcover, $100.00; ISBN 978-0-8232-70460, softcover, $32.00; ISBN 0823370475, Kindle, $31.99.

French comparative literature theoretician Haun Saussy has written a text that contributes significantly to the documentation of embodied knowledge through oral accounts. As Olga Solivieva comments...
Ovarian Cyclicity and Prolactin Status of African Elephants (Loxodonta Africana) in North American Zoos May Be Influenced by Life Experience and Individual Temperament

Abstract Hyperprolactinemia is an endocrine disorder associated with infertility in many species, including elephants. In a recent survey of zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), over half of African elephant females (N = 101) were not cycling normally, 30% of which exhibited hyperprolactinemia. We examined whether life experience and temperament predict ovarian cyclicity and circulating prolactin status in individual African elephant females. We hypothesized that, similar to humans, acyclicity and hyperprolactinemia in elephants will be associated with an apprehensive or fearful, anxious temperament, and an increased number of potentially challenging life events (transfers, deaths and births). Ninety-five adult African elephant females housed at 37 AZA institutions were included in this study. Blood samples were collected twice a month for 1 year to determine ovarian cycle (cycling, n = 44; irregular, n = 13; non-cycling, n = 38) and prolactin (normal, n = 44; low; n = 23; high; n = 28) status. Keeper ratings on a 6-point scale were obtained on 32 temperament traits in 85 of these elephants. We determined that giving birth and being exposed to herd mates entering the facility were positively associated with normal ovarian cycle and prolactin profiles. By contrast, age, serum cortisol, and an increased number of herd mates leaving a facility were negatively associated with both. Contrary to our hypothesis, hyperprolactinemia was associated with a popular and caring temperament rating, whereas consistently low prolactin was associated with a fearful, apprehensive temperament. These findings indicate that pituitary-ovarian function may be impacted by life history (cyclicity) and temperament (prolactin), which should be taken into consideration when making management decisions.