cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Self-reported Vitamin Supplementation in Early Pregnancy and Risk of Miscarriage

Miscarriage is a common and poorly understood adverse pregnancy outcome. In this study, the authors sought to evaluate the relation between self-reported use of prenatal vitamins in early pregnancy and the risk of miscarriage. Between 2000 and 2008, 4,752 US women were prospectively enrolled in Right From the Start. Information about vitamin use was obtained from a first-trimester interview. Discrete-time hazard models were used, candidate confounders were assessed, and the following variables were included in the model: study site, maternal age, gravidity, marital status, education, race/ethnicity, smoking, and use of progesterone in early pregnancy. Approximately 95% of participants reported use of vitamins during early pregnancy. A total of 524 women had a miscarriage. In the final adjusted model, any use of vitamins during pregnancy was associated with decreased odds of miscarriage (odds ratio = 0.43, 95% confidence interval: 0.30, 0.60) in comparison with no exposure. These results should be viewed in the context of a potentially preventive biologic mechanism mitigated by possible confounding by healthy behaviors and practices that are also associated with vitamin supplement use during pregnancy.
Quantitative Neurochemical Histology

The uniquely complex histological structure of the vertebrate CNS poses serious problems for interpretation of data on the biochemical composition and metabolism of normal and pathological tissue. Although nervous tissue is comprised of only three principal types of cells, its complexity differs from that of other tissues by several orders of magnitude. First, the neuron population shows enormous variety in morphology. Neuronal processes have unique elaborative tendencies and may extend for long distances from the cell body. In particular, the wealth of neuronal interrelationships through synaptic contacts, which are the basis of the highly organized function of the nervous system, represents a structural and metabolic variant of a complexity without parallel in nonnervous tissues. Second, the glial population, both oligodendroglial and astroglial, also shows some variety in morphology and function. Finally, the absolute numbers and proportions of these three cell types and their varieties differ greatly in regional distribution in the CNS.
Resiliency and Vulnerability in the HER2-HER3 Tumorigenic Driver

About 25% of breast cancers harbor the amplified oncogene human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and are dependent on HER2 kinase function, identifying HER2 as a vulnerable target for therapy. However, HER2-HER3 signaling is buffered so that it is protected against a nearly two-log inhibition of HER2 catalytic activity; this buffering is driven by the negative regulation of HER3 by Akt. We have now further characterized HER2-HER3 signaling activity and have shown that the compensatory buffering prevents apoptotic tumor cell death from occurring as a result of the combined loss of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and Akt signaling. To overcome the cancer cells' compensatory mechanisms, we coadministered a phosphoinositide 3-kinase-mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor and a HER2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). This treatment strategy proved equivocal because it induced both TKI-sensitizing and TKI-desensitizing effects and robust cross-compensation of MAPK and Akt signaling pathways. Noting that HER2-HER3 activity was completely inhibited by higher, fully inactivating doses of TKI, we then attempted to overcome the cells' compensatory buffering with this higher dose. This treatment crippled all downstream signaling and induced tumor apoptosis. Although such high doses of TKI are toxic in vivo when given continuously, we found that intermittent doses of TKI administered to mice produced sequential cycles of tumor apoptosis and ultimately complete tumor regression in mouse models, with little toxicity. This strategy for inactivation of HER2-HER3 tumorigenic activity is proposed for clinical testing.
Foreign Interest Rates in American Financial Markets: A Revised Series of Dollar-Sterling Exchange Rates, 1833–1900

This paper offers a revised series of nineteenth-century Anglo-American foreign exchange rates. The new series is based partly on the reinterpretation of data presented earlier by other scholars and partly on a recently rediscovered source of continuous information on sterling-dollar rates after 1869. The pioneering work in this area was done by Lance Davis and Jonathan Hughes. They published in 1960 a quarterly dollar-sterling exchange rate series (1835 to 1895) based on the actual prices paid for approximately 3,000 sterling bills by Nathan Trotter's Philadelphia-based metals importing firm.
Frequency and complications of inguinal hernia repair in giant omphalocele

Abstract Purpose Giant omphalocele (GO) is a challenging problem owing to aberrant anatomy and complex comorbidities. Large inguinal hernias (IH) are known to occur in this population, but have not been well described in the literature. We sought to characterize rates and complications of IH in GO patients. Methods A retrospective chart review was performed on all patients with the diagnosis of GO from 2004 to 2012, with a minimum follow-up period of 12months. Statistical significance was calculated using Fisher's exact test and Mann–Whitney test (p Results A total of 51 giant omphalocele patients were born during the 8-year study period, with IH diagnosed in 21 patients (41%). IH was not associated with gestational age, birth weight, or method of GO closure, but was significantly associated with male gender (p Conclusions Our study suggests a high incidence of IH in GO patients. The prevalance of incarceration and recurrences in these patients support a role for inguinal herniorrhaphy via a Bassini repair prior to initial hospital discharge.
Clinical Manifestations and Risk Factors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection in Patients with AIDS

Fifty-eight patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection were analyzed for clinical manifestations and potential risk factors for Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection by use of case-control methodology. Most had AIDS. Of 73 episodes of P. aeruginosa infection, 45 (62%) were bacteremias primarily associated with central venous catheters (16), pneumonia (12), soft tissue (4), or urinary tract infections (4). Twenty-eight episodes (38%) were nonbacteremic, with pneumonia (13), soft tissue infections (6), and sinusitis (4) accounting for the majority of infections. Fifty episodes (68%) were community-acquired. The recurrence rate was 23%. The overall mortality attributable to P. aeruginosa infection was 22%. Central venous and urinary catheter use and steroid therapy were significantly more frequent in cases than controls (P < .05). Thus, P. aeruginosa infection in patients with advanced human immunodeficiency virus disease is often community-acquired and associated with substantial mortality and, in some cases, specific risk factors.
Visualization of PKA activity in plasma membrane microdomains

Membrane rafts are sphingolipid- and cholesterol-rich microdomains that contain dynamic arrangements of signaling proteins. Notably, various components of the ubiquitous cAMP/Protein Kinase A (PKA) pathway, including β-adrenergic receptors (β-ARs), G proteins, and adenylyl cyclases (ACs), have been shown to localize differentially between membrane rafts and non-raft regions of the plasma membrane. As PKA participates in regulating diverse fundamental cellular functions, a number of which require membrane rafts, it is important to understand how PKA activity is specifically regulated in these membrane microdomains. To this end, we developed an improved FRET-based PKA activity biosensor, and targeted it to both membrane raft and non-raft regions of the plasma membrane to examine PKA activity dynamics in different plasma membrane microdomains. Disruption of membrane raftsviacholesterol depletion was shown to enhance β-AR stimulated PKA activity at the plasma membrane, suggesting that membrane rafts play a negative role in β-AR stimulated PKA activation. Furthermore, we found that membrane rafts possess higher basal PKA activity in the resting state compared to non-raft regions, which depends on the integrity of membrane rafts and proper localization of PKA. This study shows that membrane rafts play an important role in regulating the activity of PKA at the plasma membrane, and demonstrates the ability of live-cell FRET-based assays to reveal dynamic differences amongst plasma membrane microdomains, laying a foundation for further dissection of membrane regulated signal transduction.
Considerations for Recommending Extended Use and Limited Reuse of Filtering Facepiece Respirators in Health Care Settings

Public health organizations, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are increasingly recommending the use of N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) in health care setting...
Faceting of Stepped Silicon (113) Surfaces: Step Unbinding, Dynamic Scaling, and Nano-Scale Grooves

X-ray scattering studies are reviewed of the faceting kinetics of stepped silicon (113) surfaces misoriented towards [001]. Following a quench from the one-phase region of the orientational phase diagram into the coexistence region, initially-uniformly-distributed steps rearrange to form a grooved superstructure. Our measurements reveal the behavior of the grooved surface morphology as a function of time. The surface is found to be self-similar in time, with a characteristic groove size ( L ) varying as a power-law versus time ( t ): L = L 0 t o with a coarsening exponent of o = 0.164 ± 0.021 ≃ 1/6, consistent with a theory for the kinetics of faceting which focuses on thermally fluctuating step bunches and their collisions. At later times, the groove size approaches a limiting value which depends on the stepped phase misorientation angle, as expected for faceted surfaces in the case that elastic effects are important.
Mechanisms of paradoxical sleep as revealed by neurophysiologic and pharmacologic approaches in the rabbit

With the use of the Computer of Average Transients a study has been made of evoked responses in the central nervous system (CNS) of rabbits during paradoxical sleep and other stages of sleep and alertness. In “chronically implanted” animals responses evoked in the frontal cortex by stimulating the midbrain reticular formation were averaged and used as a guide to the state of wakefulness. During the alert state the averaged evoked responses show consistently a major peak at a latency of about 20–25 msec, which disappears during ordinary sleep. During paradoxical sleep (PS) the peak reappears with a latency and amplitude comparable to the response evoked during hyperalertness. Enhanced responses similar to the evoked potentials during PS are seen following treatment with amphetamine, LSD-25 and reserpine, all of which induce an aroused EEG. Reserpine also fosters PS behavior. A group of central depressant drugs including pentobarbital, morphine, chlorpromazine and atropine all markedly reduce the amplitude and increase the latency of the evoked response in dosages which prevent the appearance of PS. The conclusion is reached that PS is not a deep stage of sleep. The results suggest, rather, that PS represents a hyperactive condition of the limbic midbrain component of the brainstem reticular system and that the behavioral depression in PS results from an active inhibition of afferent synapses and/or enhanced activity in the descending bulbar inhibitory system.
Cognitive penetration and the perception of art

There are good, even if inconclusive reasons to think that cognitive penetration of perception occurs: that cognitive states like belief causally affect, in a relatively direct way, the contents of perceptual experience. The supposed importance of—indeed as it is suggested here, what is definitive of—this possible phenomenon is that it would result in important epistemic and scientific consequences. One interesting and intuitive consequence entirely unremarked in the extant literature concerns the perception of art. Intuition has it that knowledge about art changes how one aesthetically evaluates artworks. A profound explanation of this intuitive fact is that perceptual experiences vary with artistic expertise. Cognitive penetration provides an explanatory mechanism for this latter effect. What one knows or otherwise thinks about art may affect, in one of two ways sketched below, how one perceives art. Differences in aesthetic evaluation may follow, either because high-level aesthetic properties can be perceptually represented or because they causally depend on low-level perceptible properties. All of this lends credence to the hypothesis that the expert better judges art because she better perceives art. And she better perceives art because she better knows art.
Rubber-Thermoplastic Compositions. Part IX. Blends of Dissimilar Rubbers and Plastics with Technological Compatibilization

Abstract From this work, one can conclude that compositions which have excellent mechanical properties can be prepared by melt-mixing thermoplastic vulcanizates. (A thermoplastic vulcanizate is a composition containing vulcanized rubber particles dispersed in a thermoplastic. Such a composition is usually prepared by vulcanizing the rubber during its melt-mixing with a thermoplastic.) The excellent mixed TPV compositions can be obtained even though the rubbers and plastics are mutually grossly incompatible with respect to thermodynamic considerations. In such cases, however, it appears to be necessary that a compatibilizing agent be present in the mixture to promote the interaction between the thermoplastic materials. Block copolymers whose molecules contain blocks common to each of the thermoplastic blend components are good technological compatibilizing agents (e.g., polypropylene-nylon block copolymers to compatibilize mixtures containing polypropylene and nylon). Compatibilizing block copolymers can f...
A method for quantified confidence of DEVS validation

The Discrete Event System Specification (DEVS) framework provides a formal approach for defining a conceptual model that represents a source system. To use the model in analyzing that system, it must be validated. Generally DEVS models are validated in terms of behavior and structure, utilizing the experimental frame. Although there has been discussion on approaches to build valid DEVS models, and techniques for validating the model, we currently cannot quantify our confidence in the model's validity. We propose a technique to quantify our confidence in the validity of DEVS models. This metric can be utilized to discuss the level of validity of a model and compare competing models. Our metric continues the DEVS trend of making modeling and simulation more formal, and increasing standardization of the modeling and simulation process.
The effect of late preterm birth on mortality of infants with hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

Objectives We evaluated the effect of late preterm (34 to 36 weeks' gestation) delivery on hospital mortality of infants with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). Study Design Retrospective review of records of infants born at or after 34 weeks with no other lethal anomalies, cared for in a single tertiary perinatal center between 2002 and 2009. Factors associated with death prior to discharge from the hospital were ascertained using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results Of the 243 infants with HLHS, 35 were late preterm and 208 were ≥37 weeks (term). Using logistic regression analysis, late preterm delivery (odds ratio [OR] 2.95; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.35 to 6.45), the presence of other major cardiac defects (OR 3.76; 95% CI 1.31 to 10.81), and the presence of noncardiac congenital anomalies (OR 6.13; 95% CI 1.43 to 26.22) were independently associated with hospital death. Conclusion Late preterm birth of infants with HLHS was independently associated with an increased risk of hospital death compared with those delivered at term.
Endotracheal intubation and oral gavage in the domestic chicken.

The domestic chicken (Gallus gallus) is increasing in popularity as a laboratory animal, as it is useful in multiple fields of biomedical research and has the practical benefits of being relatively inexpensive, easy to handle and able to adapt to various settings1. Here, we describe two procedures commonly used with chickens in research: endotracheal intubation and oral gavage.
Simulation-Based Assessment of ECMO Clinical Specialists.

ObjectiveThe aims of the study were (1) to create multiple scenarios that simulate a range of urgent and emergent extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) events and (2) to determine whether these scenarios can provide reliable and valid measures of a specialist’s advanced skill in managing ECMO e
College Students' AIDS Risk Perception

1. Students in this study appraised their AIDS risk using their sexual and drug-use behavior as criteria, which accurately reflects their knowledge of HIV transmission. 2. AIDS risk perceptions were not always congruent with the students' self-reported sexual and drug use behavior. Some students reporting high-risk behavior perceived their AIDS risk as "nil" or "small." 3. Perceived riskiness of behavior increased as distance from the students increased. The students viewed their friends' AIDS risk as moderately greater than their own risk and their peers' risk even greater.
Defining Key Terms and Concepts

Defining terms sets the theoretical and conceptual parameters for this study. In this chapter, transitional justice, conflict resolution, gender, gender mainstreaming, sexual violence and gender-based violence are introduced, along with some of the debates related to these concepts, and other key terminology that falls under these topics, which are pertinent to the arguments presented in this book.
P184 Efficacy of patient transferring devices in reducing low back injuries to nursing personnel

Low-back (LB) injuries, are major problems for nursing personnel. Patient transferring devices offer engineering solutions to reduce biomechanical stressors; however, there is large variation in the reported reduction in LB injuries with use of these devices. The objective of this paper was to conduct a comprehensive literature review to determine the efficacy of patient lifting and transferring devices in reducing low back injuries to nursing personnel in long-term care facilities and/or hospitals. Thirteen studies were identified that used mechanical lifts to reduce LB injuries to nursing personnel. A few studies also utilised other assistive devices such as transfer boards, walking belts, repositioning devices, shower chairs and shower gurneys. Pre- and post-intervention LB injury outcomes were compared. Nine of the 13 studies were conducted in a single nursing facility and/or for a short term (often ≤ 1 year). Only one study utilised a control group (quasi control group performing non-patient transfer tasks). Decreases in post-intervention LB injury rates as compared to pre-intervention rates ranged from 18% to 63% (mean = 35.8%). Six studies reported decreases in lost-time injury rates ranging from 30% to 64% (mean = 44.6%). Eight studies reported decreases in lost workdays ranging from 18% to 100% (mean = 68.4%). Four studies reported a decrease in restricted workdays ranging from 20% to 78% (mean = 48.1%). These intervention studies suggest that patient lifting and transferring devices are effective in reducing LB injury outcomes to nursing personnel. These devices appear more effective at reducing severity (eg, lost workdays) than incidence of LB injuries (i.e. 68.4% decrease in lost workdays versus 35.8% decrease in LB injuries). Large variations in% deceases in LB injury outcomes between studies suggests there are important factors other than patient transferring devices that play a role in reducing LB injuries to nurses.
“Little More than Minutes”: How Two Wyoming Community Newspapers Covered the Construction of the Heart Mountain Internment Camp

Abstract This article explores how two Wyoming community newspapers—the Cody Enterprise and the Powell Tribune—covered the internment of more than 6,000 Japanese Americans at the Heart Mountain relocation camp from the day the announcement was made that the camp would be constructed to Heart Mountain's official opening in August 1942. Journalists for the Tribune and Enterprise clearly shied away from the controversial, “unpleasant”1 aspects of the internment—chief among them, the blatant violation of the internees' civil rights. The newspapers relied on sources who conveyed the “official, “positive version of events. Journalists for these papers endeavored to build what Schudson would call “a community of sentiment”2 about the coming of the camp. They conveyed the impression that the internees would become another significant community group. They humanized the internees by running photos of them happily arriving at Heart Mountain, and, later, of the milestones in their lives. Editors and reporters for th...
Return to illicit drug use post-incarceration among formerly incarcerated Black Americans.

Aims: The number of drug-dependent individuals incarcerated in the USA is exceptionally high, and reportedly up to 60% of incarcerated Black Americans have a substance abuse disorder. The purpose o...
Cardiovascular Abnormalities and in-Hospital All-Cause Mortality in Patients with Spontaneous Sub-Arachnoid Hemorrhage: An Observational Study

Patients with spontaneous sub-arachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) might develop various cardiac abnormalities, however; the prognostic implications of these cardiac abnormalities are not well known. This study aimed to detect the cardiac abnormality that correlates best with in-hospital all-cause mortality in patients with SAH. In this retrospective study, all patients admitted to our institution with a primary diagnosis of SAH, and underwent a transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) from July 2011 until May 2014, were enrolled. Data gathered included patients’ demographics, Hunt and Hess clinical grading, computed tomography SAH Fisher grading, troponin T level, electrocardiographic (ECG) changes, TTE, and in-hospital all-cause mortality. Multivariate logistic regression of the cardiac abnormalities and in-hospital all-cause mortality was performed. A total of 247 patients were included in our analysis. In-hospital all-cause mortality was 15.6% (38 patients). The presence of elevated troponin T levels, resting segmental wall motion abnormalities, reduced ejection fraction (<35%), and prolonged corrected QT interval (QTc) on ECG were associated with increased in-hospital all-cause mortality on univariate analysis. On multivariable regression, QTc prolongation was the only independent predictor for in-hospital all-cause mortality (p = 0.04). Prolonged QTc interval on ECG was independently associated with in-hospital all-cause mortality in patients presenting with spontaneous SAH. Whether this is a causative association or a marker of underlying severe clinical presentation of SAH remains unknown.
Icephobic Surfaces Induced by Interfacial Nonfrozen Water

It is known that smooth, hydrophobic solid surfaces exhibit low ice adhesion values, which have been shown to approach a lower ice adhesion strength limit (∼150 kPa) defined by the water receding contact angle. To overcome this limit, we have designed self-lubricating icephobic coatings by blending polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) amphiphilic copolymers into a polymer matrix. Such coatings provide low ice adhesion strength values (∼50 kPa) that can substantially reduce the lower bound of the ice adhesion strength achieved previously on smooth, hydrophobic solid surfaces. Different molecular mechanisms are responsible for the low ice adhesion strength attained by these two approaches. For the smooth hydrophobic surfaces, an increased water depletion layer thickness at the interface weakens the van der Waals’ interactions between the ice and the polymeric substrate. For the self-lubricating icephobic coatings, the PEG component of the amphiphilic copolymer is capable of strongly hydro...
Chiral Thioureas Promote Enantioselective Pictet–Spengler Cyclization by Stabilizing Every Intermediate and Transition State in the Carboxylic Acid-Catalyzed Reaction

An investigation of the mechanism of benzoic acid/thiourea co-catalysis in the asymmetric Pictet–Spengler reaction is reported. Kinetic, computational, and structure–activity relationship studies provide evidence that rearomatization via deprotonation of the pentahydro-β-carbolinium ion intermediate by a chiral thiourea·carboxylate complex is both rate- and enantioselectivity-determining. The thiourea catalyst induces rate acceleration over the background reaction mediated by benzoic acid alone by stabilizing every intermediate and transition state leading up to and including the final selectivity-determining step. Distortion–interaction analyses of the transition structures for deprotonation predicted using density functional theory indicate that differential π–π and C–H···π interactions within a scaffold organized by multiple hydrogen bonds dictate stereoselectivity. The principles underlying rate acceleration and enantiocontrol described herein are expected to have general implications for the design o...
More Data and Tools for More Languages and Research Areas: A Progress Report on LDC Activities.

This presentation reports on recent progress the Linguistic Data Consortium has made in addressing the needs of multiple research communities by collecting, annotating and distributing, simplifying access and developing standards and tools. Specifically, it describes new trends in publication, a sample of recent projects and significant improvements to LDC Online that improve access to LDC data especially for those with limited computing support.
The Development and Public Health Implications of Food Preferences in Children.

Food preferences are a primary determinant of dietary intake and behaviors, and they persist from early childhood into later life. As such, establishing preferences for healthy foods from a young age is a promising approach to improving diet quality, a leading contributor to cardiometabolic health. This narrative review first describes the critical period for food preference development starting in utero and continuing through early childhood. Infants’ innate aversion to sour and bitter tastes can lead them to initially reject some healthy foods like vegetables. Infants can learn to like these foods through exposures to their flavors in utero and through breastmilk. As solid foods are introduced through toddlerhood, children’s food preferences are shaped by parent feeding practices and environmental factors like food advertising. Next, we discuss two key focus areas to improve diet quality highlighted by the current understanding of food preferences: 1) promoting healthy food preferences through breastfeeding and early exposures to healthy foods and 2) limiting the extent to which innate preferences for sweet and salty tastes lead to poor diet quality. We use an ecological framework to summarize potential points of intervention and provide recommendations for these focus areas, such as worksite benefits that promote breastfeeding, and changes in food retail and service environments. Individuals’ choices around breastfeeding and diet may ultimately be influenced by policy and community-level factors. It is thus crucial to take a multilevel approach to establish healthy food preferences from a young age, which have the potential to translate into lifelong healthy diet.
Progress on the transistor-injected quantum-cascade laser

Progress on the modeling, fabrication, and characterization of the transistor-injected quantum-cascade laser (TI-QCL) is presented. As a novel variant of the quantum cascade laser, the TI-QCL has been projected to have advantages over conventional QCLs in certain applications because of its 3-terminal nature. The separation of field and current is expected to allow separate amplitude and frequency modulation, and the location of the cascade structure in a p-n junction depletion region is expected to reduce free carrier absorption and improve efficiency. At the same time, the added complexity of the structure creates challenges in the realization of working devices. An overview of the basic operating principles of the TI-QCL is first given, and projected advantages discussed. Next, work on modeling GaAsbased TI-QCLs is presented, and a design for devices in this system is presented. Finally, work on fabrication and characterization of devices is examined and ongoing challenges are discussed. The role of quantum state alignment in the QCL region on electron-hole recombination in the base is also examined, showing the capability of using basecollector voltage to modulate the optical output from the direct-bandgap transistor base.
Are Evidence-Based, Community-Engaged Energy Balance Interventions Enough for Extremely Vulnerable Populations?

Well-documented associations between lifestyle behaviors and disease outcomes necessitate evidence-based health promotion interventions. To enhance potential efficacy and effectiveness, interventionists increasingly respond to community priorities, employ comprehensive theoretical frameworks, invest heavily to ensure cultural fit, implement evidence-based programming, and deploy research gold standards. We describe a project that followed all of these recommended strategies, but did not achieve desired outcomes. This community-based participatory research (CBPR) energy balance (diet and physical activity) intervention, conducted in Appalachian Kentucky among 900+ residents, employed a wait list control cluster randomized design. We engaged faith institutions, took an intergenerational approach, and modified two existing evidence-based interventions to enhance cultural relevance. Despite these efforts, fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity did not change from baseline to post-test or differed significantly between intervention and wait list control groups. Barriers to engaging in optimal energy balance focused more on motivation and attitude than on structural and material barriers. The complex interplay of psychosocial, structural, and physiological processes offers significant challenges to groups with entrenched health challenges.
Microscopic and Molecular Evidence of the First Elasmobranch Adomavirus, the Cause of Skin Disease in a Giant Guitarfish, Rhynchobatus djiddensis

Only eight families of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) viruses are known to infect vertebrate animals. During an investigation of papillomatous skin disease in an elasmobranch species, the giant guitarfish (Rhynchobatus djiddensis), a novel virus, distinct from all known viral families in regard to particle size, morphology, genome organization, and helicase phylogeny was discovered. Large inclusion bodies containing 75-nm icosahedral viral particles were present within epithelial cell nuclei in the proliferative skin lesions. Deep metagenomic sequencing revealed a 22-kb circular dsDNA viral genome, tentatively named guitarfish "adomavirus" (GAdoV), with only distant homology to two other fish viruses, Japanese eel endothelial cell-infecting virus (JEECV) and a recently reported marbled eel virus. Phylogenetic analysis of the helicase domain places the guitarfish virus in a novel clade that is equidistant between members of the Papillomaviridae and Polyomaviridae families. Specific PCR, quantitative PCR, and in situ hybridization were used to detect, quantify, and confirm that GAdoV DNA was localized to affected epithelial cell nuclei. Changes in the viral titer, as well as the presence of a hybridization signal, coincided with the progression and then final resolution of gross and microscopic lesions. The results indicate that GAdoV is the causative agent of the proliferative skin lesions.IMPORTANCE Cartilaginous fish, including the sharks and rays, evolved from ancestral fish species at least 400 million years ago. Even though they are the descendants of one of the most ancient vertebrate lineages, reports of viral diseases in these species are rare and poorly documented. Deep sequencing revealed a highly divergent virus, tentatively named guitarfish adomavirus, that is distantly related to known papillomaviruses and polyomaviruses. Out of the eight predicted viral genes, only the helicase could be identified as viral by sequence homology searches (BLAST), exemplifying the difficulties of discovering novel viruses within seas of unidentifiable "dark matter" associated with deep sequencing data. The novel adomavirus represents the first viral genome shown to cause clinical disease in a cartilaginous fish species, the giant guitarfish. Our findings demonstrate that emerging fish viruses are fertile ground to expand our understanding of viral evolution in vertebrates.
Sex differences in patients with high risk HPV-associated and HPV negative oropharyngeal and oral cavity squamous cell carcinomas.

Human papilloma virus (HPV)-associated head and neck cancer is now recognized as a distinct clinical entity from HPV-negative tumors, which are primarily associated with tobacco and alcohol exposure.Little is known, however, about the behavior of HPV-associated oropharynx (OP) and oral cavity (OC) SCCs as two distinct cancers and how sex affects the overall survival (OS) in these two cancers. The objective of our study is to determine if sex is associated with overall survival (OS) in patients with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive and HPV-negative squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) in the oropharynx and oral cavity sites. This is a retrospective cohort study using a national database. Data were extracted from the National Cancer Database (NCDB) of patients diagnosed with OP or OC SCC from 2010 to 2014. Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were conducted with chi-square tests, Kaplan-Meier estimates, log-rank tests, and Cox proportional hazards multivariable modeling. A total of 30,707 patients (13,694 OP HPV-associated, 7933 OP HPV-, 1220 OC HPV-associated, 7860 OC HPV-) were identified. In all four groups, women tended to be older and have lower T and N clinical classification than men. Though there were no significant differences in OS between the sexes in OP HPV-associated cancers, female sex was associated with worse OS in OP HPV- cancers (HR: 1.15; 95% CI 1.04–1.28, p = 0.004), whereas it was associated with improved OS in OC HPV-associated and HPV- cancers (HPV-associated: HR: 0.71; 95% CI 0.50–0.99, p = 0.048; HPV-: HR: 0.87; 95% CI 0.78–0.95, p = 0.004). The effect of sex on OS in OC and OP SCC appears to vary based on tumor location and HPV status. While the source of this difference in prognostic association is unclear, it may be related to an emerging difference in the biology of HPV carcinogenesis in these locations.
The Political Potency of the Prophets

Amos, Micah and the other classical prophets must not be seen as poor peasants, hermits, or eccentrics outside the mainstream of Israelite life, but as intellectuals competing for the support of the affluents in the sphere of public policy.
The Effectiveness of Biodiversity Law

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) has generated a heated debate between those who believe that the law has succeeded and those who believe that the law has failed. The resolution to that debate depends upon whether the law’s stated purposes or some other criteria provide the basis for judging a law’s effectiveness. Meanwhile, since the enactment of the ESA in 1973, biodiversity protection has received growing attention in the nations of southeastern Asia. So far, the law has been much less effective in protecting Asian biodiversity from habitat loss, commercial exploitation, and other threats, yet southeastern Asia’s biodiversity law has not faced the heated debate that characterizes discussions of the ESA in the United States. The ESA is far more successful in preserving biodiversity than its Asian counterparts. But we expect our laws to be far more successful. So the real question is not whether our laws have succeeded, but whether our expectations of the law are appropriate. This article considers these questions by comparing the legal protection of biodiversity in the United States, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia.
Strategies that ruminal bacteria use to handle excess carbohydrate

When ruminal bacteria have insufficient nitrogen and other nutrients, excess carbohydrate can be toxic. Pure cultures that are nitrogen-limited can convert only some of the excess carbohydrate to intracellular polysaccharide, but this pool can be quickly saturated. Fibrobacter succinogenes cultures that have excess cellobiose secrete glucose and cellotriose into the culture medium, and Prevotella ruminicola produces methylglyoxal, a highly toxic substance that causes a dramatic decrease in viability. Some ruminal bacteria (e.g., Streptococcus bovis and Selenomonas ruminantium) have mechanisms to decrease ATP production or spill the ATP that has already been produced. These mechanisms of decreasing intracellular ATP seem to protect the cell. Most ruminal bacteria can use ammonia as a nitrogen source, but amino nitrogen increases the growth efficiency of mixed ruminal bacteria. Amino nitrogen-dependent improvements in growth efficiency can be explained by an increase in growth rate and a decrease in energy spilling. Amino nitrogen is only beneficial if the rate of carbohydrate fermentation is rapid and carbohydrate is in excess.
National Coverage Analysis of CAR-T Therapies — Policy, Evidence, and Payment

National Coverage Analysis of CAR-T Therapies Even if CMS concludes that CAR-T therapy provides a net benefit for Medicare patients, it could limit who can provide the therapy, require collection of further outcome data, limit coverage to clinical trials, and design a payment approach promoting price competition.
Correction to: Metabolic Abnormalities in the Pathogenesis of Type 1 Diabetes.

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake in the author group section. Shuyao Zhang’s family name was misspelled as “Zheng”.
Are State Telehealth Policies Associated With The Use Of Telehealth Services Among Underserved Populations

Using four years of data from a nationally representative consumer survey, we examined trends in telehealth usage over time and the role state telehealth policies play in telehealth use. Telehealth...
Pedestrian Detection for Autonomous Vehicle Using Multi-Spectral Cameras

Pedestrian detection is a critical feature of autonomous vehicle or advanced driver assistance system. This paper presents a novel instrument for pedestrian detection by combining stereo vision cameras with a thermal camera. A new dataset for vehicle applications is built from the test vehicle recorded data when driving on city roads. Data received from multiple cameras are aligned using trifocal tensor with pre-calibrated parameters. Candidates are generated from each image frame using sliding windows across multiple scales. A reconfigurable detector framework is proposed, in which feature extraction and classification are two separate stages. The input to the detector can be the color image, disparity map, thermal data, or any of their combinations. When applying to convolutional channel features, feature extraction utilizes the first three convolutional layers of a pre-trained convolutional neural network cascaded with an AdaBoost classifier. The evaluation results show that it significantly outperforms the traditional histogram of oriented gradients features. The proposed pedestrian detector with multi-spectral cameras can achieve 9% log-average miss rate. The experimental dataset is made available at http://computing.wpi.edu/dataset.html .
Coexisting renal artery stenosis and metabolic syndrome magnifies mitochondrial damage, aggravating poststenotic kidney injury in pigs.

OBJECTIVE Renovascular disease (RVD) produces chronic underperfusion of the renal parenchyma and progressive ischemic injury. Metabolic abnormalities often accompany renal ischemia, and are linked to poorer renal outcomes. However, the mechanisms of injury in kidneys exposed to the ischemic and metabolic components of RVD are incompletely understood. We hypothesized that coexisting renal artery stenosis (RAS) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) would exacerbate mitochondrial damage, aggravating poststenotic kidney injury in swine. METHODS Domestic pigs were studied after 16 weeks of either standard diet (Lean) or high-fat/high-fructose (MetS) with or without superimposed RAS (n = 6 each). Single-kidney renal blood flow (RBF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were assessed in vivo with multidetector-CT, and renal tubular mitochondrial structure, homeostasis and function and renal injury ex vivo. RESULTS Both RAS groups achieved significant stenosis. Single-kidney RBF and GFR were higher in MetS compared with Lean, but decreased in Lean+RAS and MetS+RAS vs. their respective controls. MetS and RAS further induced changes in mitochondrial structure, dynamics, and function, and their interaction (diet × ischemia) decreased matrix density, mitophagy, and ATP production, and lead to greater renal fibrosis. CONCLUSION Coexisting RAS and MetS synergistically aggravate mitochondrial structural damage and dysfunction, which may contribute to structural injury and dysfunction in the poststenotic kidney. These observations suggest that mitochondrial damage precedes loss of renal function in experimental RVD, and position mitochondria as novel therapeutic targets in these patients.
Investigating the Sources of Uncertainty in Capacity Estimation of Li-Ion Batteries

Li-ion batteries have shown great potential due to their numerous advantages and therefore, have been established as the main power source in various mobile applications such as consumer electronics and electrified transportation. In stationary energy storage applications, Li-ion batteries have emerged as a reliable solution; furthermore, they can facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources into the power grid. To achieve an efficient and reliable performance, Li-ion batteries need to be managed carefully, especially, battery aging effects should be accurately monitored over the battery lifetime. Capacity is one of the most important indicators of battery aging which can also be used to predict the run-time of the battery-powered application. Therefore, in this paper, some of the less-frequently explored sources of uncertainty, such as hysteresis, temperature, and polarization, which can significantly impact Li-ion battery capacity estimation are investigated. The investigations are based on experimental laboratory tests conducted on a Li-ion battery cell. The insights provided by this work can be used towards establishing confidence bounds on battery capacity estimates.
Predicting risk of developing invasive breast cancer in the African American female population

11080 Background: African Americans (AA) have a lower incidence of breast cancer with a poorer prognosis than Caucasians. It is unclear whether AA women have fewer known risk factors for breast can...
Effects of vitamin D3 release from 3D printed calcium phosphate scaffolds on osteoblast and osteoclast cell proliferation for bone tissue engineering

Vitamin D3 is a hydrophobic micronutrient and is known for inhibiting osteoclastic bone resorption in vivo via suppression of the Receptor Activator of Nuclear factor-Kappa B (RANK ligand) expression in osteoblasts. Although vitamin D is well-known for its promotion in bone health, little is known on its effects directly on bone cells. The objective of this study was to understand the effects of vitamin D3 release from 3D printed calcium phosphate scaffolds towards bone cell proliferation. In this study, cholecalciferol, a common intake form of vitamin D3, was successfully able to release from the scaffold matrix via the use of polyethylene glycol. Results showed a decrease in osteoclast resorption pits and healthier osteoblast cellular morphology compared to the control. Additively manufactured tricalcium phosphate scaffolds with designed porosity were loaded with vitamin D3 and showed controlled release profiles in phosphate buffer and acetate buffer solutions. The release kinetics of vitamin D3 from calcium phosphate scaffolds enabling osteoblast proliferation and inhibiting osteoclastic resorption can enhance healing for low load bearing applications for bone defects or permeate voids left by tumor resection.
Pottery, practice, and place: A communities of practice approach to commoner interaction in the Late to Terminal Classic Belize River Valley

Abstract Non-elite populations in the Maya lowlands interacted with one another across spatial boundaries. However, documenting this interaction at the local level is difficult because households are often constructed of similar materials and contain a similar suite of locally produced artifacts. This paper focuses on stylistic and technological analysis of pottery from Late to Terminal Classic (600–900 CE) Baking Pot in the Belize River Valley to reconstruct interaction networks among non-elite potters within the communities of practice theoretical framework. Our data suggests that most potters conceived of and engaged with the landscape in a similar fashion and created technologically and morphologically similar ceramic vessels. While shared technological traditions certainly suggests some form of information exchange among potters, there is enough variability in paste recipe to argue against a single community of practice. Potters living across the region were part of a constellation of practice. They are linked by practice through a shared taskscape in which habitation, farming, and resource acquisition occurred in similar locations.
Epidemiological analysis of imported malaria in Zhejiang Province from 2007 to 2016

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of imported malaria in Zhejiang Province from 2007 to 2016, in order to provide a scientific basis for further improving the level of imported malaria control. Methods Data on malaria cases in Zhejiang Province from 2007 to 2016 were collected through the China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention (CISDCP). Descriptive epidemiological method was used to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of the imported malaria cases reported (including time distribution, regional distribution and population distribution). Results A total of 1 298 imported malaria cases were reported in Zhejiang Province from 2007 to 2016, including 988 falciparum malaria cases, 237 vivax malaria cases, 45 ovale malaria cases, 12 quartan malaria cases, 7 mixed infection and 9 unclassified cases. Most cases were 20 to 49 years old, accounting for 82.43% (1 070/1 298) of the total and the male to female ratio of the cases was 9.30: 1.00. The main groups of imported malaria cases were labor export staff, accounted for 46.92% (609/1 298); followed by business services, accounted for 38.91% (505/1 298). The cases mainly distributed in Jinhua, Hangzhou, Wenzhou, Lishui and Taizhou, which accounted for 75.96% (986/1 298) of the total. Totally 87.21% (1 132/1 298) of cases were imported from Africa, and 12.63% (164/1 298) were from Asian. Imported malaria cases were reported every month in the whole year without seasonal peaks. Conclusion Imported malaria cases in Zhejiang Province are given priority to with labor export and business services, so it is necessary to strengthen monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment of imported malaria cases among overseas workers and businessmen from the malaria prevalent areas in Africa and Asian countries. Key words: Malaria; Imported cases; Epidemiological characteristics