cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Developing a Clinically Representative Model of Periprosthetic Joint Infection

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) following total joint arthroplasty of the hip or knee is one of the most devastating complications that can affect this otherwise successful surgical procedure. Although the risk of PJI following primary total joint arthroplasty has been reported to be as low as
Upgrade to the ECH System on the DIII-D Tokamak

A significant upgrade to the 110 GHz DIII-D ECH system was begun in 2005. Two short pulse (< 2 s) GYCOM gyrotrons were replaced by CPI diode gyrotrons having acceptance parameters of 1.0 MW, 5 s and designed pulse length of 10 s. In addition, a CPI gyrotron with depressed collector, which has demonstrated 1.3 MW for short pulses, was installed and is being tested. Two CPI gyrotrons, which have experienced collector failures, are being repaired.
El Dorado and the Promise of Cryonic Suspension

In the autumn of 1983, at Johns Hopkins University Medical School in Baltimore, Maryland, a group of doctors, by lowering the body temperature of a cancer patient 32 degrees from the usual 98.6 degrees for 40 minutes, stopping his heartbeat, and inducing a state of hypothermia approximating suspended animation, while performing surgery to remove a kidney growth which had spread through the vena cava into his heart, unwittingly advanced the possibility for medical science, at some time in the future, to achieve a total body suspension in order to combat physical degeneration caused by such occurrences as cancer, heart disease, and a plethora of other debilitating or fatal diseases.1 The implications of this process have not only intrigued the medical-scientific community, but have also touched the popular imagination with the distinct possibility of making the dream of immortality by holding illness at bay more tangible, if perhaps not a reality.
Differences in dopamine release in Tourette's syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder

1283 Objectives Dopaminergic abnormalities in frontal-subcortical circuits have been hypothesized as the underlying pathophysiology in both patients with Tourette9s syndrome (TS) and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Work from our lab showed greater dopamine (DA) release (ΔBP) in the putamen (Singer et al 2002) and ventral striatum (Wong et al 2008) of adults with TS vs. healthy control subjects (HC) after a pharmacologic amphetamine challenge. Additionally, in subjects with both TS and OCD, we found a significant ΔBP increase in the right ventral striatum (Wong et al 2008) compared to controls, suggesting the underlying pathobiology in both disorders is phasic dysfunction of DA transmission. Methods We expanded this research by examining a further 28 age-matched subjects; 1 HC, 3 subjects with TS, 10 subjects with OCD and 7 subjects with both TS and OCD (making a total of 24 TS subjects). All subjects received two PET scans with high specific activity [11C]raclopride-the 1st scan after IV saline, the 2nd after IV amphetamine, as well as extensive neuropsychological/psychiatric testing. The relative ΔBP was estimated as the percentage change in binding potential (BPND). Results We found a significant differences in: 1) ΔBP between TS and HC in the right ventral striatum (t=-2.749, p=0.010), 2) ΔBP between TS and TS+OCD in the left posterior putamen (t=2.146, p=0.047) and right posterior putamen (t=2.435, p= 0.024). ΔBP in OCD was not significantly different than HC. Conclusions These results confirm our earlier work and also suggest that there may be regional differences between TS and OCD in terms of DAergic dysfunction. Simultaneous serotonin receptor (5HT2A) and 5HT transporter (SERT) PET were obtained in 11 of these new subjects, and will be presented, as this is an additional key component of our DA/5HT model. Research Support R01MH07817
The Role of County-Level Contextual Predictors in Multiple Myeloma Mortality

Background: Myeloma is the second most common hematologic malignancy in the US.. Prior studies elucidate that lower socio economic status (SES) and other social predictors such as education, poverty-line, income inequality and unemployment influence all-cause mortality and survival outcomes. We have explored the independent association of county-level contextual predictors on mortality among myeloma patients. Methods: Using SEER data from 18 registries across the US, with ICD-O-3 and morphologic (9732/3) codes, mortality data was examined from 1973-2012. Analysis was done on individual (race, sex and age of diagnosis) and county-level (SES, high school education, poverty level and unemployment). Differences in baseline characteristics at diagnosis across racial groups were analyzed using two-sided t-tests and ANOVA tests. Crude incidence and mortality rates and regression models were used for analysis. Statistics were computed using the National Cancer Institute SEER*Stat software, version 8.2.0. and SAS software, version 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC). Results: The study population consisted of 89, 867 cases (68701 white, 16364 black and 4,802 other patients). Median age at diagnosis was lower for blacks vs. whites (66 vs. 71 years, P Conclusions : To our knowledge, no previous studies have analyzed the independent association of county-level contextual predictors on mortality. Black patients have higher crude mortality rates compared to whites and other myeloma patients. After controlling for county-level contextual variables; blacks had comparatively lower mortality rates signifying the role of confounders between race and myeloma mortality. Lower SES is an independent risk factor for increased mortality. Further studies examining both, the racial biological disease variants in conjunction with contextual factors, are needed to bridge the gap. Disclosures Lonial: Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Millennium: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Onyx: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Research Funding. Nooka: Onyx Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Spectrum Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy.
Optimization of Structural Systems under Reserve and Residual Reliability Requirements

Most researchers interested in optimal structural designs based on system reliability requirements consider only the reserve capacity of the systems [5]. The reserve capacity is quantified in the sense of probability by structural system reliability, along with the assumption that system collapse is initiated from the intact state. However, damages will exist in virtually all structural systems [2]. The system residual reliability, referring to the system reliability of structures with damages, should be also included in the optimization process. This is because optimizations considering only the reserve reliability requirement may result in a dramatic reduction in residual capacities of these systems induced by global or partial loss of component capacities.
Influence of excess nitrogen deposition on a white spruce (Picea glauca) stand in southern Alaska

Excess N delivered to forest ecosystems has been shown to alterinternal ecosystem biogeochemical cycles, contribute to forestdecline, and negatively affect the health of receiving waters.In the vicinity of the Nikiski Industrial Complex, Kenai Peninsula,Alaska, there has been recent concern about the influence ofNH3 emissions that have occurred for over twodecades on local soils and vegetation. The study site representedan opportunity to examine the influence of elevated N depositionon a northern coniferous ecosystem in an area with a low backgroundof N deposition. Overstory vegetation in the area is dominated bywhite spruce (Picea glauca Moench. Voss) and paper birch (Betulapapyrifera Marsh.). Mortality of both species has occurred adjacent(<2 km) to the industrial complex. Average annual Ndeposition rates ranged from 0.7 to 21.0 kg ha-1 y-1in the area, with the highest rates closest to the complex. Sulfatedeposition at the site was low. Due to the high NH3deposition, precipitation near the complex was less acidic thanprecipitation in general; bulk precipitation pH ranged from 5.51to 7.06. Within 1.80 km of the facility there was an increase inKCl- and resin- extractable soil NH4+ andNO3- in the O horizon, and a decrease in soil pHcompared to soils further from the facility. Spruce near thefacility had chlorotic foliage and thinning crowns, higherconcentrations of N, but lower foliar Ca and Mg. Foliar Mglevels approached deficiency levels, but foliar Ca was wellabove reported deficiency levels at all sites. Both Mg:N andCa:N ratios, however, suggest nutrient imbalances in the highN deposition zone. Canopy death and fertilization by N appearto have encouraged growth of the native bluejoint grass. Thepresence of elevated NO3- in O horizon soilextracts, elevated NO3- in resin bags placed betweenthe O and E horizons, and nutritional imbalances in the foliagesuggest that N saturation may be occurring in soils adjacent to thefacility.
Distributive Justice and Priority Setting in Health Care

Resnik, MacDougall, and Smith (2018) defend accountability for reasonableness (AFR) for priority setting in both general and susceptible populations. Other theories of justice provide broad distrib...
What Is the Evidence for “Food Addiction?” A Systematic Review

The diagnostic construct of “food addiction” is a highly controversial subject. The current systematic review is the first to evaluate empirical studies examining the construct of “food addiction” in humans and animals. Studies were included if they were quantitative, peer-reviewed, and in the English language. The 52 identified studies (35 articles) were qualitatively assessed to determine the extent to which their findings indicated the following addiction characteristics in relation to food: brain reward dysfunction, preoccupation, risky use, impaired control, tolerance/withdrawal, social impairment, chronicity, and relapse. Each pre-defined criterion was supported by at least one study. Brain reward dysfunction and impaired control were supported by the largest number of studies (n = 21 and n = 12, respectively); whereas risky use was supported by the fewest (n = 1). Overall, findings support food addiction as a unique construct consistent with criteria for other substance use disorder diagnoses. The evidence further suggests that certain foods, particularly processed foods with added sweeteners and fats, demonstrate the greatest addictive potential. Though both behavioral and substance-related factors are implicated in the addictive process, symptoms appear to better fit criteria for substance use disorder than behavioral addiction. Future research should explore social/role impairment, preoccupation, and risky use associated with food addiction and evaluate potential interventions for prevention and treatment.
A case of oligodendroglioma and multiple sclerosis: Occam’s razor or Hickam’s dictum?

Tumefactive appearing lesions on brain imaging can cause a diagnostic dilemma. We report a middle-aged man who presented with right-sided optic neuritis. A brain MRI showed enhancement of the right optic nerve, and non-enhancing white matter lesions including a 3 cm right frontal lesion with adjacent gyral expansion. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis showed five oligoclonal bands not present in serum. Glatiramer acetate was started for suspected tumefactive multiple sclerosis (MS). A follow-up brain MRI 6 months later showed persistence of the frontal gyral expansion. A brain biopsy led to the diagnosis of an oligodendroglioma, isocitrate dehydrogenase-mutant and 1 p/19q co-deleted (WHO grade II), managed with surgical resection and radiotherapy. Postoperative brain MRI showed a new enhancing periventricular lesion, making the choice of optimal disease-modifying therapy for MS challenging. This case highlights the possibility of coexistence of MS and oligodendroglioma, and emphasises the importance of a tissue diagnosis when atypical MS imaging features are present.
Computational Modeling and Visualization in the Biological Sciences

Discoveries in computational molecular cell biology and bioinformatics promise to provide new therapeutic interventions to disease. With the rapid growth of sequence and structural information for thousands of proteins, and hundreds of cell types computational processingare a restricting factor in obtaining quantitative understanding of molecular-cellular function. Processing and analysis is necessary both for input data (often from imaging) and simulation results. To make biological conclusions, this data must be input to and combined with results from computational analysis and simulations. Furthermore, as parallelism is increasingly prevalent, utilizing the available processing power is essential to development of scalable solutions needed for realistic scientific inquiry. However, complex image processing and even simulations performed on large clusters, multi-core CPU, GPU-type parallelization means that nave cache unaware algorithms may not efficiently utilize available hardware. Future gains thus require improvements to a core suite of algorithms underpinning the data processing, simulation, optimization and visualization needed for scientific discovery. In this talk, I shall highlight current progress on these algorithms as well as provide several challenges for the scientific community.
Hormones controlling insect metamorphosis.

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the control of postembryonic growth and metamorphosis. It highlights the chemistry, biochemistry, and regulation of prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH), juvenile hormone, and molting hormone (20-hydroxyecdysone, ecdysterone) in the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta, and deals only in a cursory manner with hormone action. Under the controlled environmental conditions of the laboratory, almost synchronously developing insects can be obtained. As the larva grows and reaches the boundaries of its cuticular exoskeleton, its epidermal cells secrete a new and larger cuticle, and enzymes that partially digest the original cuticle, and the insect molts. This process is continued with the resulting second, third, and fourth instar larva until the insect is a fifth instar larva, almost identical in shape and form to the first instar animal, but several thousand times its mass. During the fifth instar, the animal is hormonally re-programed so that it undergoes metamorphosis to the pupa at the next molt. The relatively immobile and nonfeeding pupa ultimately molts into an adult hawk moth, at which time mating occurs, eggs are oviposited, and the cycle begins anew. The process of molting, which consists of retraction of the epidermis from the old cuticle, secretion of new cuticle, and ultimate shedding of the partially digested old cuticle, is controlled by hormones.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute Pulmonary Thromboembolism and Fat Emboli

Pulmonary embolism and infarction are often associated phenomena, but the terms should not be used synonymously. Although pulmonary infarction may follow embolism, many emboli are not followed by infarction. The probability of infarction is increased in the presence of elevated pressures in the pulmonary circulation, such as is seen with left ventricular failure or mitral stenosis. Thrombi may originate in the venous channels of the lower extremities, pelvis, right atrial appendage, or a malignant organ. The venous disease and/or stasis as seen with congestive failure, infectious diseases, malignancies, blood dyscrasias, toxic agents, and convalescent periods for surgical procedures, childbirth, or fracture, may predispose to venous thrombi and potential pulmonary emboli.
Acoustic nonlinearity parameter induced by extended dislocations

Excess acoustic nonlinearity is a signature of microstructural defects on a propagating ultrasound. By measuring the excess acoustic nonlinearity parameter, defect characteristics can be inferred nondestructively through ultrasonic techniques. To this end, proper models are needed to relate the excess acoustic nonlinearity parameter with defect characteristics. In this study, an analytical model for extended dislocations is developed that relates the excess acoustic nonlinearity parameter with characteristics of the extended dislocation including dislocation density, stacking fault energy, and equilibrium distance between the two partial dislocations that form the extended dislocation. According to this model, the excess acoustic nonlinearity parameter induced by extended dislocations consists of a stress-independent term and a stress-dependent term. Both terms are scaled with (Lchar/b)n, where Lchar is the equilibrium distance between the two partials, b is the magnitude of Burgers vector, and n is 3 and 4 for the stress-independent and stress-dependent terms, respectively. The model will be useful for interpreting results from ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation of material defects.
Towards Realistic Predictors

A new class of predictors, denoted realistic predictors, is defined. These are predictors that, like humans, assess the difficulty of examples, reject to work on those that are deemed too hard, but guarantee good performance on the ones they operate on. In this paper, we talk about a particular case of it, realistic classifiers. The central problem in realistic classification, the design of an inductive predictor of hardness scores, is considered. It is argued that this should be a predictor independent of the classifier itself, but tuned to it, and learned without explicit supervision, so as to learn from its mistakes. A new architecture is proposed to accomplish these goals by complementing the classifier with an auxiliary hardness prediction network (HP-Net). Sharing the same inputs as classifiers, the HP-Net outputs the hardness scores to be fed to the classifier as loss weights. Alternatively, the output of classifiers is also fed to HP-Net in a new defined loss, variant of cross entropy loss. The two networks are trained jointly in an adversarial way where, as the classifier learns to improve its predictions, the HP-Net refines its hardness scores. Given the learned hardness predictor, a simple implementation of realistic classifiers is proposed by rejecting examples with large scores. Experimental results not only provide evidence in support of the effectiveness of the proposed architecture and the learned hardness predictor, but also show that the realistic classifier always improves performance on the examples that it accepts to classify, performing better on these examples than an equivalent nonrealistic classifier. All of these make it possible for realistic classifiers to guarantee a good performance.
Breast is BEST: Increasing Health-Care Provider Knowledge and Confidence.

Background Breastfeeding is recognized as the ideal source of nutrition for infants. However, several barriers to successful breastfeeding have been identified. Possibly one of the most significant barriers is the lack of health-care provider-related support and promotion of breastfeeding. Objective The purpose of this study was to recognize the barriers to breastfeeding, ways health-care providers can assist patients in overcoming those barriers, and increase breastfeeding knowledge and confidence of health-care providers to better promote and manage breastfeeding clients. Methods Study participants included: physicians, advanced practice nurses, and nurses. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Breastfeeding Residency Curriculum was utilized in the study, and participants were also educated on and encouraged to apply ACOG's Perinatal Practice Guidelines. Results There was an overall increase of 19.2% in health-care provider knowledge scores and a 23% increase in confidence scores. There was also a 15.6% increase in documentation of early prenatal breastfeeding counseling. Conclusions The results and significance of the study provide evidence that once health-care providers are knowledgeable and confident in promoting breastfeeding, clients will be better equipped to successfully breastfeed. Implications for nursing Breastfeeding success rates among mothers can be greatly improved through active support from health-care providers.
Application of a Defender-Attacker-Defender Model to the U.S. Air Transportation Network

Modeling, assessing and improving infrastructural resilience has been of increasing importance to national security in recent years. The U.S. air transportation sector, spanning approximately 500 airports and heliports, and hundreds of thousands of routes is of notable significance among transportation modes. This paper develops and solves a tri-level defender-attacker-defender optimization model to plan the optimal defense and operation of the US air transportation network against an intelligent attack. The tri-level aspect of the program refers to the defender first using available defensive assets to secure the system’s connections, the attacker next using available offensive assets to attack unsecured connections, and finally, the defender guiding system operation to minimize operational cost. Different disruption and defense scenarios are explored, as well as the resulting passenger rerouting operations in the aftermath of each disruption. Results show that through the application of an optimal configuration combining route protection and flight rerouting, the effects of worst-case attacks on the network can be largely mitigated.
Nonmonotonic inconsistency

Nonmonotonic consequence is the subject of a vast literature, but the idea of a nonmonotonic counterpart of logical inconsistency--the idea of a defeasible property representing internal conflict of an inductive or evidential nature--has been entirely neglected. After considering and dismissing two possible analyses relating nonmonotonic consequence and a nonmonotonic counterpart of logical inconsistency, this paper offers a set of postulates for nonmonotonic inconsistency, an analysis of nonmonotonic inconsistency in terms of nonmonotonic consequence, and a series of results showing that nonmonotonic inconsistency conforms to these postulates given the analysis of nonmonotonic inconsistency presented here and certain postulates for nonmonotonic consequence.The results presented here establish the interest of certain previously undiscussed postulates of nonmonotonic consequence. These results also show that nonmonotonicity, which has never seemed useful in the formulation of general principles governing nonmonotonic reasoning, is relevant to the positive characterization of nonmonotonic inference after all.
Disrupted Oxytocin-Appetite Signaling in Females With Anorexia Nervosa

CONTEXT In healthy females, oxytocin levels decrease postmeal, corresponding to increased satiety. The postprandial response of oxytocin in females with anorexia nervosa (AN)/atypical AN is unknown. OBJECTIVES To determine the pattern of postprandial serum oxytocin levels in females with AN/atypical AN, relationship with appetite, and effect of weight, eating behavior, and endogenous estrogen status. DESIGN Cross-sectional. SETTING Clinical research center. PARTICIPANTS 67 women (36 with AN [<85% expected body weight (EBW)]; 31 with atypical AN [≥ 85% EBW)]), age 22.4 ± 0.9 (mean ± SEM) years, categorized by weight, restricting vs binge/purge behavior, and estrogen status. INTERVENTIONS Standardized mixed meal. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS Blood sampling for oxytocin occurred fasting and 30, 60, and 120 minutes postmeal. Subjective appetite was assessed using visual analog scales. RESULTS In females with AN/atypical AN, oxytocin levels decreased from fasting to 60 (P = 0.002) and 120 (P = 0.005) minutes postmeal. The decrease in oxytocin from fasting to 120 minutes was greater in females with atypical AN than AN (P = 0.027) and did not differ by restricting vs binge/purge behavior or estrogen status. Controlling for caloric intake, the decrease in oxytocin was inversely related to the decrease in hunger postmeal in females with atypical AN (P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS In females with AN/atypical AN, oxytocin levels decrease postmeal, as established in healthy females. Weight, but not restricting vs binge/purging nor endogenous estrogen status, affects postprandial oxytocin levels. The postprandial change in serum oxytocin levels is related to appetite in females with atypical AN only, suggesting a disconnect between oxytocin secretion and appetite in the undernourished state.
Debris cover and the thinning of Kennicott Glacier, Alaska, Part B: ice cliff delineation and distributed melt estimates

Abstract. The mass balance of many valley glaciers is enhanced by the presence of ice cliffs within otherwise continuous debris cover. We assess the effect of debris and ice cliffs on the thinning of Kennicott Glacier in three companion papers. In Part A we report in situ measurements from the debris-covered tongue. Here, in Part B, we develop a method to delineate ice cliffs using high-resolution imagery and use empirical relationships from Part A to produce distributed mass balance estimates. In Part C we describe feedbacks that contribute to rapid thinning under thick debris. Ice cliffs cover 11.7 % of the debris-covered tongue, the most of any glacier studied to date, and they contribute 19 % of total melt. Ice cliffs contribute an increasing percentage of melt the thicker the debris cover. In the lowest 4 km of the glacier, where debris thicknesses are greater than 20 cm, ice cliffs contribute 40 % of total melt. Surface lake coverage doubled between 1957 and 2009, but lakes do not occur across the full extent of the zone of maximum glacier thinning. Despite abundant ice cliffs and expanding surface lakes, average melt rates are suppressed by debris, the pattern of which appears to reflect the debris thickness-melt relationship (or Ostrem’s curve). This suggests that, in addition to melt hotspots, the decline in ice discharge from upglacier is an important contributor to the thinning of Kennicott glacier under thick debris.
An Experimental Study of an Organic Rankine Cycle Utilizing HCFO-1233zd(E) as a Drop-In Replacement for HFC-245fa for Ultra-Low-Grade Waste Heat Recovery

Abstract The use of Organic Rankine Cycles (ORCs) for waste heat recovery can reduce energy consumption in data centers, which in turn benefits the environment through the reduction of carbon-based fuels. However, data center applications exist in the ultra-low temperature range (40 − 80℃), making efficient and economical operation challenging. The operating fluids that are viable in this temperature range are limited, so it can be a challenge to identify a suitable drop-in replacement for a proven fluid. In this study, the use of HCFO-1233zd(E) is explored to determine its suitability as a low Global Warming Potential and zero Ozone Depletion Potential alternative to the more common HFC-245fa in ultra-low temperature data center applications. This study features the first known comprehensive comparison between the alternative working fluid HCFO-1233zd(E) and HFC-245fa in a lab-scale experimental ORC under ultra-low-grade waste heat temperatures. The results of this study show that the lower HFCO-1233zd(E) saturated pressures impact the ORC operation by reducing the mass flow rate by 3–21%, thereby reducing the heat transfer across the evaporator and condenser. However, the peak thermal efficiency of the lab-scale system is seen to increase with the use of HCFO-1233zd(E) to a high of 5.0% from 4.6% with HFC-245fa. This work also identifies the minimum feasible waste heat temperature as 55 °C for a successful ORC application with both working fluids.
When the Risk Premium Is Negative

A recent successful literature derives non-parametric time-varying lower bounds on the risk premia of asset returns in real time. The implicit restriction is that equilibrium risk premia of assets positively correlated with the market must be strictly positive. Such strong requirement is not supported by the data, especially in most recent years, and investors can profit from it. There exist states of the world, identified by recessionary periods and times where consumption and production growth is low and volatility is high, causing the violations of the Euler equations, implying non-monotonic Stochastic Discount Factors and possibly the violation of the no-arbitrage condition for a non-trivial class of models.
Effects of Social Determinants of Health Care on Pediatric Thyroid Cancer Outcomes in the United States

ObjectiveTo identify social determinants of health care that are associated with poorer pediatric well-differentiated thyroid cancer (WDTC) outcomes and increased stage at presentation.Study Design...
Infrared thermal processing history of a Ti-based bulk metallic glass matrix composite manufactured via semi-solid forging

Abstract A method for using non-contact infrared thermal imaging for determining the processing history of bulk metallic glass matrix composites (BMGMCs) during semi-solid forging is presented. The technique allows for the first estimations of the relevant parameters associated with semi-solid forging, including the heating profile, forging temperatures, cooling rates, and formability parameters. The processing parameters are correlated with microstructure and a new forging viscosity estimation is developed and compared with other techniques. The research offers a new strategy for thermal measurements that is widely applicable to other manufacturing processes.
5,5′-Dichloro-2,2′-dimeth­oxy­biphen­yl

In the title mol­ecule, C14H12Cl2O2, the dihedral angle between the least-square planes of the benzene rings is 62.17 (6)°. Both meth­oxy groups are slightly out of the plane of the benzene rings to which they are attached, making dihedral angles of 4.22 (18) and 18.82 (16)°.
Abstract P012: Hypertension and Alterations in Left Ventricular Geometry in African Americans: The Jackson Heart Study

Introduction: Compared with whites, African Americans (AAs) have a higher risk for hypertension-related cardiovascular disease outcomes, which may be related to alterations in left ventricular geometry. Scarce data exist on how the left ventricle remodels in response to hypertension among AAs. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that among AAs, hypertension will be associated with abnormal echocardiographic–derived left ventricular geometric patterns defined as concentric remodeling (CR), concentric hypertrophy (CH), and eccentric hypertrophy (EH). Methods: We analyzed data from the Jackson Heart Study, a community-based AA cohort who completed a baseline exam that included clinic blood pressure (CBP) and 2D echocardiography (n=5,301). CR, CH, EH, and normal patterns were defined according to left ventricular mass index and relative wall thickness defined using standard American Society of Echocardiography recommendations. The analysis was restricted to 4,572 participants with complete CBP, information on antihypertensive medication, and echocardiographic data. Results: Mean ± SD age was 55.5 ± 12.7 years; 64% were female. Mean ± SD systolic and diastolic CBP was 127 ± 18 and 79 ± 11 mmHg, respectively; 2,785 (61%) of participants had hypertension (CBP ≥140/90 mmHg and/or taking antihypertensive medications). The prevalence of CR, CH, and EH were 10.1%, 5.2%, and 8.2%, respectively. In a multivariable-adjusted model with a normal pattern as the referent group, hypertension was associated with a greater risk of CR, CH, and EH: odds ratio 1.85 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.43-2.38), 4.16 (95% CI 2.53-6.86), and 1.67 (95% CI: 1.26-2.23) respectively. Among hypertensive participants, older age was significantly associated with CR, CH, and EH after multivariable adjustment. Higher systolic CBP, current smoking and a higher number of classes of antihypertensive medications were additionally significantly associated with CH and EH. Male sex, and heavy and moderate alcohol consumption versus none were also significantly associated with CR. Conclusions: In conclusion, abnormal left ventricular geometry was present in almost 25% of AAs. Hypertension was associated with each abnormal geometric pattern, with approximately a four-fold greater odds for CH. Future studies should examine whether abnormal left ventricular geometric patterns, particularly CH, explains the increased risk of cardiovascular disease outcomes associated with hypertension in AAs.
Transport of amino acids by confluent and nonconfluent 3T3 and polyoma virus-transformed 3T3 cells growing on glass cover slips.

Abstract Transport of amino acids into 3T3 and Py3T3 (polyoma virus-transformed 3T3 cells) was measured at pre- and post-confluent stages of their growth on glass coverslips. The 3T3 line is from mouse embryo and selected because of its strong "contact inhibition". These cells, respectively, are and are not sensitive to density-dependent inhibition of growth, a phenomenon characterized by inhibition of cell multiplication soon after cells reach confluency on a solid substratum. The nonmetabolizable amino acids α-aminoisobutyric acid and cycloleucine (1-aminocyclopentane 1-carboxylic acid) were accumulated about 30% less rapidly by confluent than by nonconfluent 3T3 cells. 3T3 cells grown in a medium containing a high concentration of serum failed to exhibit either density-dependent inhibition of growth or reduction in the transport of aminoisobutyric acid upon attainment of confluency. The rates of accumulation of metabolizable amino acids such as glutamic acid, glutamine, and arginine were not lower in confluent than in nonconfluent 3T3 cells. No differences between confluent and nonconfluent Py3T3 cells in rates of accumulation of either metabolizable or nonmetabolizable amino acids were observed. Py3T3 cells accumulated α-aminoisobutyric acid, cycloleucine, and glutamine about twice as rapidly as nonconfluent 3T3 cells, but glutamic acid and arginine were accumulated at the same rate by both 3T3 and Py3T3 cells. The growth regulation apparently exemplified by density-dependent inhibition of growth in vitro seems not to be due to general alterations in membrane permeability and transport.
Binding of calcium by liver mitochondria of rats treated with steroid hormones.

1. Prior treatment of rats with certain steroid hormones affects the binding of calcium to subsequently isolated liver mitochondria in vitro. Mitochondria isolated from animals treated with cortisol bind less calcium than do mitochondria from control animals under conditions in which binding is supported either by adenosine triphosphate alone or primarily by a respiratory substrate. Treatment with other glucocorticoids (prednisone and cortisone) likewise diminishes substrate-dependent calcium binding to mitochondria in vitro. 2. Prior treatment with deoxycorticosterone enhances the binding of calcium to subsequently isolated mitochondria in both ATP- and substrate-dependent systems. Treatment with aldosterone and 17β-estradiol also increases calcium binding under respiratory substrate-dependent conditions in vitro. Treatment with testosterone or progesterone is ineffective in altering mitochondrial calcium binding in vitro. 3. The results suggest that treatment of rats with cortisol or deoxycorticosterone affects the ATPase activity of subsequently isolated mitochondria and that this effect may be responsible for alterations in the ATP-dependent binding of calcium in vitro. The effect of cortisol treatment on diminishing ATP-dependent calcium binding is potentiated by the addition of oligomycin in vitro. 4. Antimycin inhibits the substrate-dependent binding of calcium to mitochondria in vitro. This effect is potentiated by cortisol treatment of the animal, probably by virtue of a steroid-induced block in the electron transport sequence at or near the antimycin-sensitive step. 5. It is suggested that cortisol treatment interferes with the utilization of ATP or respiratory substrate necessary to support mitochondrial calcium binding in vitro.
Development of Membrane Properties in Taste Cells of Fungiform Papillae: Functional Evidence for Early Presence of Amiloride-Sensitive Sodium Channels

Behavioral and physiological studies have demonstrated a reduced sensitivity to several taste stimuli early in development. It has been suggested that this reduced sensitivity results from a late maturation of underlying transduction mechanisms. Little is known, however, about maturation of membrane properties of taste cells early in development. We have obtained whole-cell recordings from single fungiform taste cells of rat pups to examine the development of the NaCl transduction system. Although taste buds undergo a considerable increase in size during development, membrane capacitance measurements revealed no change in membrane surface area of individual taste cells, suggesting that the increase in size results from an increase in the total number of cells per bud. Whole-cell recordings showed that taste cells from very young pups [postnatal day 2 (PND2)] already possessed voltage-activated Na+ and K+currents with no apparent differences in size or kinetics compared with adults. Surprisingly, amiloride-sensitive Na+responses, important for Na+ transduction, were found as early as PND2. The magnitude of responses to amiloride and the percentage of amiloride-sensitive cells remained the same throughout all age groups. Furthermore, the similarity of amiloride inhibition constants suggested that the channel in neonates is the same channel that is expressed in adult taste buds. Our results indicate that taste cells at PND2 already have acquired the transduction elements necessary for signaling NaCl responses to the afferent nerve. We hypothesize that complete functionality of the salt taste transduction system, however, may not be reached until amiloride-sensitive Na+channels become selectively localized at the apical membrane. This would explain previous studies indicating that amiloride sensitivity cannot be detected before PND12 in the intact tongue. Apical clustering of channels along with the opening of the taste pore and an increase in the total number of taste cells per bud likely constitute additional important steps toward a fully functional sensory system.
Collaborative behavioral management among parolees: drug use, crime and re-arrest in the Step'n Out randomized trial.

Aims—To determine whether collaborative behavioral management (CBM) reduces substance use, crime and re-arrest among drug-involved parolees. Design—Step’n Out was a randomized behavioral trial of CBM versus standard parole (SP) during 2004-2008. CBM adapted evidence-based role induction, behavioral contracting, and contingent reinforcement to provide parole officer/treatment counselor dyads with positive tools in addition to sanctions to manage parolees’ behavior over 12 weeks. Setting—Six parole offices in five states in the U.S.A. Participants—Parolee volunteers with a mandate for addiction treatment and a minimum of three months of parole (N=476). Follow-up was 94% at 3- and 86% at 9-months. Measurements—Drug use and crime in a given month from calendar interviews 3- and 9months after parole initiation, and re-arrests from criminal justice administrative data. Findings—The CBM group had fewer months in which they used their primary drug (adjusted risk ratio (ARR) 0.20, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.78, p = .02) and alcohol (ARR 0.38, 95% CI: 0.22, 0.66, p=.006) over follow-up. CBM had its greatest effects among parolees who reported marijuana or another “non-hard” drug as their primary drug; parolees who preferred stimulants or opiates did not benefit. No differences were seen in total crime, re-arrests or parole revocations. Conclusions—Collaborative behavioral management may reduce substance use among primary marijuana or other “non-hard” drug-using parolees without increasing revocations. Since the majority of drug violation arrests in the U.S. are for marijuana, these findings have important implications for the management of a substantial proportion of the U.S. community correctional population.
Understanding the relative impacts of natural processes and human activities on the hydrology of the Central Rift Valley lakes, East Africa

Significant changes have been observed in the hydrology of Central Rift Valley (CRV) lakes in Ethiopia, East Africa as a result of both natural processes and human activities during the past three decades. This study applied an integrated approach (remote sensing, hydrologic modelling, and statistical analysis) to understand the relative effects of natural processes and human activities over a sparsely gauged CRV basin. Lake storage estimates were calculated from a hydrologic model constructed without inputs from human impacts such as water abstraction and compared with satellite-based (observed) lake storage measurements to characterize the magnitude of human-induced impacts. A non-parametric Mann–Kendall test was used to detect the presence of climatic trends (e.g. a decreasing or increasing trends in precipitation), while the Standard Precipitation Index (SPI) analysis was used to assess the long-term, inter-annual climate variability within the basin. Results indicate human activities (e.g. abstraction) significantly contributed to the changes in the hydrology of the lakes, while no statistically significant climatic trend was seen in the basin, however inter-annual natural climate variability, extreme dryness, and prolonged drought has negatively affected the lakes. The relative contributions of natural and human-induced impacts on the lakes were quantified and evaluated by comparing hydrographs of the CRV lakes. Lake Abiyata has lost ~6.5 m in total lake height between 1985 and 2006, 70% (~4.5 m) of the loss has been attributed to human-induced causes, whereas the remaining 30% is related to natural climate variability. The relative impact analysis utilized in this study could potentially be used to better plan and create effective water-management practices in the basin and demonstrates the utility of this integrated methodology for similar studies assessing the relative natural and human-induced impacts on lakes in data sparse areas. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Phase diagram for the ternary system LiClCaCl2CaCrO4

Abstract The phase diagram for the system LiClCaCl 2 CaCrO 4 has been studied using differential thermal analysis. LiClCaCl 2 CaCrO 4 has been shown by X-ray diffraction to be a stable, diagonal section of the Li, Ca//Cl, CrO 4 reciprocal ternary system. The three binary systems are: LiClCaCl 2 which exhibits a double salt (LiCaCl 3 ), which decomposes without melting at 439°C and a eutectic at 36.3 mole % CaCl 2 (m.p. 487°C); CaCl 2 CaCrO 4 which shows a eutectic at 23.4 mole % CaCrO 4 (m.p. 660°C); and LiClCaCrO 4 with a eutectic at 14.3 mole % CaCrO 4 (m.p. 538°C). In the ternary system, a eutectic exists at 63.2 mole % LiCl32.9% CaCl 2 3.9% CaCrO 4 (m.p. 479°C). In addition, a four-phase equilibrium, involving all solid phases, exists at nearly all compositions at 435°C. Isotherms are shown for the liquidus surface (primary crystallization) and for the secondary crystallization surface. Isothermal and vertical sections through the ternary phase diagram are shown.
Non-Abelian gauge field dynamics on matrix D-branes in curved space and two-dimensional σ-models

A survey is given of the formulation of a σ-model describing an open string moving in general target space background fields and coupling to both a matrix-valued D-brane position and a matrix-valued gauge field on the D-brane. The equations of motion for the D-brane and the gauge field are derived from the conformal invariance condition on the string world sheet in lowest order of α′. The ordering problem of the involved matrices is solved. In addition to our previous work we discuss a con ict between the classical T-duality rules and renormalization. The calculation of the RG β-functions does not yield the mass term obtained by formal application of these rules in the case of target space separated D-brane copies.
Scaling Laws for Unstable Interfaces Driven by Strong Shocks in Cylindrical Geometry

The Richtmyer-Meshkov (RM) instability is an interfacial interface between two fluids of different densities driven by shock waves and plays an important role in the studies of inertial confinement fusion and of supernovas. So far, most of the studies are for RM unstable interfaces driven by weak or intermediate shocks in planar geometry. For experiments conducted at the Nova laser, the unstable material interface is accelerated by very strong shocks. In this Letter, we present scaling laws for the RM unstable interface driven by strong imploding and exploding shocks.
Modeling topic trends on the social web using temporal signatures

The Social Web makes visible the ebb and flow of popular interest in topics both newsworthy ("GulfSpill") and trivial ("Lolcat"). Understanding this emergent behavior is a fundamental goal for Social Web research. Key problems include discovering emergent topics from online text sources, modeling burst activity, and predicting the future trajectory of a given topic. Past work has addressed such problems individually for specific applications, but has lacked a generalizable framework for performing both classification and prediction of topic usage. Our approach is to model a topic as a temporally ordered sequence of derived feature states and capture characteristic changes in the topic trend. These sequences are drawn from a dynamic segmentation of frequency data based on change point analysis. We employ Partitioning Around Medoids clustering on these segments to produce signatures which highlight characteristic patterns of usage growth and decay. We demonstrate how this signature model can be used to define distinctive classes of topics in multiple online contexts, including tagging systems and web-based information retrieval. Additionally, we show how the model can predict the general trajectory of interest in a particular topic.
Experiences with Guillain-Barré syndrome in a pediatric intensive care unit.

During a 10-year period 16 children with acute Guillain-Barre syndrome were seen. Eleven were admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, either because of difficulty of breathing and swallowing or because of symptoms of autonomic disturbance. Six patients were mechanically ventilated for a mean period of 17 days. Symptoms of autonomic disturbance were frequently seen especially in the mechanically ventilated patients. Two patients died because of cardiac arrhythmia. Methods of detecting patients at risk for cardiac dysrhythmia are suggested.
Noise-limited resolution of the advanced helicopter pilotage helmet-mounted display and image-intensified camera

The Advanced Helicopter Pilotage (AHP) program is developing a wide field-of-view, night and adverse weather vision system for helicopter navigation and obstacle avoidance. THe AHP hardware consists of a second generation thermal sensor, a high definition image intensified camera, and a helmet mounted display (HMD). The specifications for next generation night vision sensor require through the system performance measures. As such, particular importance is given to the quantification of limiting resolution at operationally relevant illumination levels rather than measures performed under typical laboratory illumination.In this paper, descriptions of the AHP HMD and image intensified camera are given, and the measured modulation transfer function of the HMD is reported. Also covered are the results of noise limited resolution testing of the AHP HMD and image intensified camera. A comparison of MTF and noise limited resolution measures, made under the appropriate illumination, using a Dage HR-2000 is presented.