cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A computer model of normal conduction in the human atria.

Although considerable progress has been made in understanding the process of wavefront propagation and arrhythmogenesis in human atria, technical concerns and issues of patient safety have limited experimental investigations. The present work describes a finite volume-based computer model of human atrial activation and current flow to complement these studies. Unlike previous representations, the model is three-dimensional, incorporating both the left and right atria and the major muscle bundles of the atria, including the crista terminalis, pectinate muscles, limbus of the fossa ovalis, and Bachmann's bundle. The bundles are represented as anisotropic structures with fiber directions aligned with the bundle axes. Conductivities are assigned to the model to give realistic local conduction velocities within the bundles and bulk tissue. Results from simulations demonstrate the role of the bundles in a normal sinus rhythm and also reveal the patterns of activation in the septum, where experimental mapping has been extremely challenging. To validate the model, the simulated normal activation sequence and conduction velocities at various locations are compared with experimental observations and data. The model is also used to investigate paced activation, and a mechanism of the relative lengthening of left versus right stimulation is presented. Owing to both the realistic geometry and the bundle structures, the model can be used for further analysis of the normal activation sequence and to examine abnormal conduction, including flutter. The full text of this article is available at http://www.circresaha.org.
The dual reciprocity boundary element method for spontaneous ignition

This paper studies the non-linear heat conduction problem of spontaneous ignition of a reactive solid by using the dual reciprocity formulation of the boundary element method. First, critical values of the Frank-Kamenetskii parameter δ are computed for some common geometrical shapes. Then, transient analyses are carried out for values of δ below and above δc, producing the expected behaviour, with ignition occurring for δ > δc.
EvoS: A Prescription for What Ails Pre-Medical Education?

Pre-medical students are certainly a widely varied group, with different motivations and experiences, different skills sets and interests. However, they often tend to approach their undergraduate education as a necessary evil that they must endure in order to achieve their ultimate goals. This article summarizes recent literature addressing some of the questions that have been raised regarding pre-medical education programs. Are students prepared for the intellectual, emotional, and even physical challenges of medical training? What deficiencies are commonly seen in entering medical students? What are students’ perceptions of how well their pre-medical studies helped them? Many of these studies have resulted in a call for more science training, while some have advocated for less, but with an enhanced focus on humanistic studies. We supply a brief outline of our Evolutionary Studies (EvoS) program and reflect upon how participation in this program can enhance pre-medical students’ education. Importantly, we argue that EvoS can expand students’ depth of understanding of science, as well as nurture their ability to think about the needs of their patients and the context of their medical practice.
Mechanosensing via cell-matrix adhesions in 3D microenvironments

The extracellular matrix (ECM) microenvironment plays a central role in cell migration by providing physiochemical information that influences overall cell behavior. Much of this external information is accessed by direct interaction of the cell with ECM ligands and structures via integrin-based adhesions that are hypothesized to act as mechanosensors for testing the surrounding microenvironment. Our current understanding of these mechanical complexes is derived primarily from studies of cellular adhesions formed on two-dimensional (2D) substrates in vitro. Yet the rules of cell/ECM engagement and mechanosensing in three-dimensional (3D) microenvironments are invariably more complex under both in vitro and in vivo conditions. Here we review the current understanding of how cellular mechanosensing occurs through adhesion complexes within 3D microenvironments and discuss how these mechanisms can vary and differ from interactions on 2D substrates.
A Theoretical Method of Using Heart Rate to Estimate Energy Expenditure During Exercise

The American College of Sports Medicine advocates prescribing aerobic exercise intensities based upon target heart rate (THR); however, it advocates estimating oxygen uptake (VO2) using metabolic equations. Derivations from metabolic equations presume metabolic responses for a given intensity and volume of exercise is exact for each athlete. Conversely, HR enables the coach to better estimate intensity and energy expenditure relative to an individual athlete's aerobic capacity. To develop estimates of VO2 and subsequent energy expenditure during exercise at THR, the coach must have actual or estimated rest and maximal HR and VO2 values, respectively. This methodological paper describes step-by-step procedures for calculating energy expenditure during exercise at a given THR. Procedures for estimating rest and maximal HR and VO2 values are provided to enable the coach an immediate means of implementing this technique into their practice. Quantification of energy expenditure aids the coach in monitoring ind...
Model for Fatigue Crack Growth in Grain‐Bridging Ceramics

A model for fatigue crack propagation based on sliding wear of bridging grains is analyzed for polycrystalline ceramics. Taking into account damage development and crack tip energy balance, we have obtained rigorous solutions for equilibrium and compatibility equations in the crack wake under monotonic and cyclic loading/unloading conditions. Fatigue mechanics in ceramics is found to be formally similar to elastic-plastic mechanics of a path-dependent hardening material, due to the frictional resistance to reverse sliding. It features a load-displacement hysteresis causing energy dissipation and wear, and a longer cohesive zone required for supporting the same peak load with the wear-reduced bridging stresses. The unloading crack opening displacement is more strongly dependent on Kmax than on DeltaK; such displacement causes wear on the bridging grains. Meanwhile, incremental crack growth brings in new bridging grains that has a shielding effect on the crack tip stress field; such an effect is strongly dependent on Kmax but independent of DeltaK. At steady state, when shielding accumulation and shielding degradation are balanced, the fatigue crack growth rate has a form da/dN=A(Kmax)b(DeltaK)c, where A, b, and c are material-dependent parameters. Fatigue is predicted to have a very high b, a modest c, a higher fatigue resistance for tougher ceramics, and a stronger Kmax dependence for less tough ceramics. These predictions are in agreement with experimental observations.
Epidemiology of noncomplex left ventricular outflow tract obstruction malformations (aortic valve stenosis, coarctation of the aorta, hypoplastic left heart syndrome) in Texas, 1999-2001.

BACKGROUND The left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) malformations aortic valve stenosis (AVS), coarctation of the aorta (CoA), and hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) contribute significantly to infant mortality due to birth defects. Previous epidemiology data showed rate differences between male and female and white and black ethnic groups. The Texas Birth Defects Registry, an active surveillance program, enables study in a large, diverse population including Hispanics. METHODS Records of children up to 1 year old with AVS, CoA, and HLHS born in Texas from 1999 to 2001, were collected from the registry. Those including additional heart defects or a chromosomal anomaly were excluded. Multivariate analysis included: infant sex; United States–Mexico border county residence; and maternal age, race/ethnicity, birthplace, and education. RESULTS There were 910 cases among 1.08 million live births, of which 499 met inclusion criteria. Multivariate modeling of all LVOT malformations combined demonstrated lower prevalence rate ratios (PRRs) for black males (0.26) and Hispanic males (0.70). Similar results were found for CoA but not AVS or HLHS. Higher PRRs were noted for increased maternal age for LVOT (1.3 for 24–34 years; 1.7 for >34 years), AVS, and HLHS, but not CoA, and higher PRRs across all diagnoses for males (LVOT PRR, 2.4) were noted. CoA PRRs were higher in border county vs. non–border county residents (PRR, 2.1). Maternal education and birthplace were not significant factors. CONCLUSIONS There are rate differences for males among all 3 ethnic groups. Sex and ethnic differences suggest genetic etiologies, where the ethnic differences could be used to find susceptibility loci with mapping by admixture linkage disequilibrium. Increased CoA rates along the U.S.–Mexico border suggest environmental causes that will require further monitoring. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Comparison of consumers' views on electronic data sharing for healthcare and research.

New models of healthcare delivery such as accountable care organizations and patient-centered medical homes seek to improve quality, access, and cost. They rely on a robust, secure technology infrastructure provided by health information exchanges (HIEs) and distributed research networks and the willingness of patients to share their data. There are few large, in-depth studies of US consumers’ views on privacy, security, and consent in electronic data sharing for healthcare and research together. Objective This paper addresses this gap, reporting on a survey which asks about California consumers’ views of data sharing for healthcare and research together. Materials and Methods The survey conducted was a representative, random-digit dial telephone survey of 800 Californians, performed in Spanish and English. Results There is a great deal of concern that HIEs will worsen privacy (40.3%) and security (42.5%). Consumers are in favor of electronic data sharing but elements of transparency are important: individual control, who has access, and the purpose for use of data. Respondents were more likely to agree to share deidentified information for research than to share identified information for healthcare (76.2% vs 57.3%, p < .001). Discussion While consumers show willingness to share health information electronically, they value individual control and privacy. Responsiveness to these needs, rather than mere reliance on Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), may improve support of data networks. Conclusion Responsiveness to the public’s concerns regarding their health information is a pre-requisite for patient-centeredness. This is one of the first in-depth studies of attitudes about electronic data sharing that compares attitudes of the same individual towards healthcare and research.
Resistance Status of House Flies (Diptera: Muscidae) from Southeastern Nebraska Beef Cattle Feedlots to Selected Insecticides

The status of resistance to three insecticides (permethrin, stirofos, and methoxychlor), relative to a laboratory-susceptible colony, was evaluated in field populations of house flies, Musca domestica L., collected from two beef cattle feedlots in southeastern Nebraska. Topical application and residual exposure to treated glass surfaces were suitable methods for determining the resistance status of house flies to permethrin, stirofos, or methoxychlor. However, in most cases, residual exposure was more sensitive in resistance detection (i.e., higher resistance ratios). The field populations tested were moderately resistant to permethrin (RR = 4.9-fold and RR = 7.3-fold, for topical application and residual exposure, respectively) and extremely resistant to stirofos and methoxychlor (not accurately quantifiable because of low mortality at the highest possible concentrations or doses). Probable explanations for the resistance status of these house fly populations and implications for global feedlot fly management are discussed.
New Dynamic Rotamer Libraries: Data-Driven Analysis of Side-Chain Conformational Propensities

Most rotamer libraries are generated from subsets of the PDB and do not fully represent the conformational scope of protein side chains. Previous attempts to rectify this sparse coverage of conformational space have involved application of weighting and smoothing functions. We resolve these limitations by using physics-based molecular dynamics simulations to determine more accurate frequencies of rotameric states. This work forms part of our Dynameomics initiative and uses a set of 807 proteins selected to represent 97% of known autonomous protein folds, thereby eliminating the bias toward common topologies found within the PDB. Our Dynameomics derived rotamer libraries encompass 4.8 × 10(9) rotamers, sampled from at least 51,000 occurrences of each of 93,642 residues. Here, we provide a backbone-dependent rotamer library, based on secondary structure ϕ/ψ regions, and an update to our 2011 backbone-independent library that addresses the doubling of our dataset since its original publication.
Parameter Sensitivity of Primitive Equation Ocean General Circulation Models

Abstract Experiments with a low resolution, primitive equation ocean general circulation model with idealized basin geometry and surface forcing have been carried out in order to identify the processes controlling the climatically important aspects of the circulation. Emphasis was placed on the sensitivity of the model solutions to the magnitude of the vertical diffusivity. Scaling arguments suggest, and the numerical experiments confirm, that the solutions are most sensitive to the magnitudes of the wind stress curl and the vertical diffusivity. For small vertical diffusivity, wind forcing dominates the solution. The vertical scale of the thermocline is set by the strength of the Ekman pumping, and there is a multiple gyre circulation in the upper layers. For large vertical diffusivity, diabatic surface forcing dominates the solution. Vertical diffusion controls the vertical scale of the thermocline, and there is a single large anticyclonic gyre in the upper layers. Both the meridionally and zonally inte...
Observations on the laboratory diagnosis of granulomatous inflammation of the lung.

Even though the treatment of tuberculosis is largely relegated to specialized institutions, the increasing use of exploratory thoracotomy has made the diagnosis of granulomatous lesions of the lung a significant problem in the laboratories of general hospitals. A definite diagnosis should be based on the demonstration of causative organ­ isms. In most laboratories, an attempt is made to accomplish this objective by means of using all 4 of the usually available technics, namely, (1) ex­ amination of smears prepared from sputum, gastric washings, or tissue, (2) special staining of sections of tissue, (3) implantation on artificial mediums, and (4.) inoculation of animals. A series of resected pulmonary granulomas was reviewed in order to determine the relative effectiveness of these methods and study the feasibility of dis­ continuing nonproductive procedures.
Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy studies on the oxide formation of molybdenum in a water vapor environment

Abstract To evaluate the feasibility of molybdenum as light water reactor nuclear fuel cladding, the oxidation behavior was tested in water vapor at elevated temperatures. In this study, we present experimental results on the oxidation and volatilization of molybdenum using various characterization techniques including grazing incidence X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. After oxidation testing in water vapor at 600 °C, experiment results show the formation of both MoO3 and MoO2. With the increasing temperature, MoO2 is the final oxidation product between 800 and 1200 °C, and MoO3 is volatile at these temperatures.
The detection of Panton-Valentine leukocidin gene of Staphylococcus aureus clinically isolated from children

Objective To understand the infection distribution of Staphylococcus aureus carring Panton-Valentine leukocidin gene(PVL gene) isolated from children. Method The 16S rRNA gene,PVL gene and mecA gene of Staphylococcus aureus were determined by multiplex PCR.The SCCmec gene of MRSA was also determined by multiplex PCR. Result In the total sixty-six strains of Staphylococcus aureus,7 isolates were MRSA(10.6%),59 were MSSA(89.4%);31 isolates were Staphylococcus aureus carring PVL gene;the overall positive rate was 47.0%.Among the 31 isolates,2 isolates were MRSA,29 were MSSA.The two isolates of MRSA carring PVL gene were all SCCmecIV.The thirty-one stains carrying PVL gene were isolated from abscess(21 isolates),blood(7 isolates) and sputum(1 isolates). Conclusion The MSSA from children are the main strains carring PVL gene.Staphylococcus aureus carring PVL gene is associated with suppurative infection and sepsis primarily.
Design of Vibration Detecting System for Rolling Bearing of Shearer Based on DSP

The paper briefly described mathematics model of vibration of rolling bearing of shearer and structure and basic working principle of eddy-current vibration displacement sensor,proposed a design scheme of vibration detecting system for rolling bearing of shearer,which takes TMS320F2812 as core controller and eddy-current vibration displacement sensor as front signal collecting part,and gave hardware design and software flow of the system.The underground testing result showed that the system has high reliability and strong real-time performance.
Brief Introduction of the Application of Stamping Simultaneous Engineering in Automobile Development Process

With the rapid development of the domestic economy,the auto industry competition is becoming increasingly fierce,to improve product competitiveness,automobile enterprises only by improve quality,reduce cost,shorten the product development cycle,Simultaneous Engineering is the effective method to solve products' Q.C.D(quality,cost,cycle).the application of this analysis tools play an important role in improving the quality of the products and it can shorten the development cycle of the parts' dies,reduced tooling,sheet metal,post production costs.
Spectroscopic Characterization of the 3+ and 2+ Oxidation States of Europium in a Macrocyclic Tetraglycinate Complex

The 3+ and 2+ oxidation states of europium have drastically different magnetic and spectroscopic properties. Electrochemical measurements are often used to probe EuIII/II oxidation state changes, but a full suite of spectroscopic characterization is necessary to demonstrate conversion between these two oxidation states in solution. Here, we report the facile conversion of an europium(III) tetraglycinate complex into its EuII analogue. We present electrochemical, luminescence, electron paramagnetic resonance, UV–visible, and NMR spectroscopic data demonstrating complete reversibility from the reduction and oxidation of the 3+ and 2+ oxidation states, respectively. The EuII-containing analogue has kinetic stability within the range of clinically approved GdIII-containing complexes using an acid-catalyzed dissociation experiment. Additionally, we demonstrate that the 3+ and 2+ oxidation states provide redox-responsive behavior through chemical-exchange saturation transfer or proton relaxation, respectively. ...
Use of radionuclide bone scans in multicenter clinical trials: Opportunities for quality improvement

e17534 Background: Radionuclide bone scans are widely utilized to screen for osseous metastases given their high sensitivity for detection of metastatic disease. However, the variance in image qual...
TU-AB-204-03: Research Activities in Medical Physics

The responsibilities of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have increased since the inception of the Food and Drugs Act in 1906. Medical devices first came under comprehensive regulation with the passage of the 1938 Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. In 1971 FDA also took on the responsibility for consumer protection against unnecessary exposure to radiation-emitting devices for home and occupational use. However it was not until 1976, under the Medical Device Regulation Act, that the FDA was responsible for the safety and effectiveness of medical devices. This session will be presented by the Division of Radiological Health (DRH) and the Division of Imaging, Diagnostics, and Software Reliability (DIDSR) from the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) at the FDA. The symposium will discuss on how we protect and promote public health with a focus on medical physics applications organized into four areas: pre-market device review, post-market surveillance, device compliance, current regulatory research efforts and partnerships with other organizations. The pre-market session will summarize the pathways FDA uses to regulate the investigational use and commercialization of diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy medical devices in the US, highlighting resources available to assist investigators and manufacturers. The post-market session will explain the post-market surveillance and compliance activities FDA performs to monitor the safety and effectiveness of devices on the market. The third session will describe research efforts that support the regulatory mission of the Agency. An overview of our regulatory research portfolio to advance our understanding of medical physics and imaging technologies and approaches to their evaluation will be discussed. Lastly, mechanisms that FDA uses to seek public input and promote collaborations with professional, government, and international organizations, such as AAPM, International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), Image Gently, and the Quantitative Imaging Biomarkers Alliance (QIBA) among others, to fulfill FDA's mission will be discussed. Learning Objectives: 1.Understand FDA's pre-market and post-market review processes for medical devices 2.Understand FDA's current regulatory research activities in the areas of medical physics and imaging products 3.Understand how being involved with AAPM and other organizations can also help to promote innovative, safe and effective medical devices J. Delfino, nothing to disclose
Calcium Pyrophosphate Deposition Disease

CPPD disease (also called pseudogout) is common, especially among persons older than 60 years of age, but it is underrecognized and undertreated. This review summarizes the diagnosis and treatment of the acute and chronic forms of this crystal-induced arthritis.
Machine Perfusion for the Assessment and Resuscitation of Marginal Donors in Liver Transplantation

A limited supply of donor livers has led many centers to use marginal liver allografts for transplantation with increasing frequency. These allografts are at increased risk for both primary non-function, early allograft dysfunction, and other recipient complications following transplantation. Machine perfusion preservation is an emerging technology that limits the ischemia-reperfusion injury sustained during allograft preservation and may lead to improved outcomes following liver transplantation. While several clinical series has shown a benefit of machine perfusion in both standard and extended criteria donors, no guidelines exist on how to assess the viability high-risk organs that might otherwise be turned down for transplantation. In this review, we highlight the current state of the art in allograft preservation using machine perfusion in liver transplantation. We explore the various methods available to assess allograft viability during machine perfusion. As the transplant community continues to push the boundaries and include allografts traditionally unfit for transplantation, it will be important to establish clear criteria to distinguish transplantable from non-transplantable allografts.
Development and Evaluation of the Tigriopus Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience: Impacts on Students' Content Knowledge, Attitudes, and Motivation in a Majors Introductory Biology Course.

This paper presents the development and evaluation of a novel course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) for use in introductory biology contexts. Results indicate statistically signific...
HPV-Related Knowledge Among Dentists and Dental Hygienists.

Dental providers, such as dentists and dental hygienists, play an important role in HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer prevention. Dental professional organizations recommend dental providers educate patients about HPV and oral cancers. The objective of this study was to assess HPV knowledge among dental providers. Dentists (n = 36) and dental hygienists (n = 146) attending a professional conference completed a continuing education post-test survey, which included socio-demographics, an HPV knowledge scale, and measure of HPV discussion with patients (“no,” “yes,” and “yes, but only with some patients”). Chi-square tests, t tests, and ANOVA tests were used for this analysis. Although dental hygienists (35.4%) reported less discussion with patients about HPV than dentists (52.8%), these differences were not significant. The mean knowledge score was 24.7 (SD = 3.8) with no significant differences by profession. Among dentists, knowledge did not significantly differ by discussion category (p = 0.28). In contrast, dental hygienists who did not discuss HPV with patients had significantly lower mean knowledge scores (mean = 23.4) than those who discussed with patients (mean = 26.5, p < 0.01) or discussed only with some patients (mean = 26.0, p = 0.01). Knowledge deficits included outcomes associated with HPV, HPV in men, and curability. Specifically, participants incorrectly answered that HPV can affect a women’s ability to get pregnant (81.9%), that one can never get rid of HPV once they have it (69.2%), and that HPV can cause herpes (43.4%). This study identified HPV knowledge deficits among dental providers. Given the recommendation for dental providers to discuss HPV prevention with their patients, additional education and training on this emerging topic may benefit these professionals.
Prostate Cancer Screening - A Perspective on the Current State of the Evidence.

Controversy continues to roil around the role of PSA screening in prostate cancer. The authors review the available data and its quality and conclude that the evidence does not indicate that the benefits outweigh the harms.
The Impact of Body Contouring Procedures on Urologic Outcomes in Massive Weight Loss Patients.

BACKGROUND Post-massive weight loss body contouring is a growing area of plastic surgery. Studies have shown preexisting urinary incontinence amelioration in patients undergoing abdominal body-contouring procedures. These studies are small, focus on cosmetic abdominoplasties, and lack use of standardized surveys. The purpose of this study was to evaluate urinary incontinence endpoints in massive weight loss patients undergoing body-contouring procedures. METHODS A retrospective review was conducted over a 6-year period. Patients excluded had previous body-contouring procedures or previously treated urinary incontinence. Participants completed validated surveys to catalogue preoperative and postoperative urinary habits. Patients were then subdivided based on presence of preoperative incontinence. Outcomes were compared within and between cohorts using the t test and chi-square test. RESULTS A total of 102 patients completed the survey. Of those, 44 had preoperative urinary incontinence. Patients with incontinence were found to be significantly older than those who did not. Postoperatively, patients with preoperative incontinence had significant decreases in incidence and severity of symptoms (p < 0.01, respectively), and significantly improved their quality of life (p < 0.02). Over 20 percent noted symptom resolution, and 67 percent were mostly or completely satisfied with the outcome. CONCLUSIONS This study is the first to document amelioration of urinary incontinence symptoms in massive weight loss patients undergoing body-contouring procedures. It adds to the literature suggesting that abdominoplasties in select patients may improve incontinence symptoms. Future work will focus on evaluating the mechanism of this outcome and documenting improvement in an objective, prospective manner. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic, IV.
Caenorhabditis elegans PRMT-7 and PRMT-9 Are Evolutionarily Conserved Protein Arginine Methyltransferases with Distinct Substrate Specificities

Caenorhabditis elegans protein arginine methyltransferases PRMT-7 and PRMT-9 are two evolutionarily conserved enzymes, with distinct orthologs in plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates. Biochemical characterization of these two enzymes reveals that they share much in common with their mammalian orthologs. C. elegans PRMT-7 produces only monomethylarginine (MMA) and preferentially methylates R-X-R motifs in a broad collection of substrates, including human histone peptides and RG-rich peptides. In addition, the activity of the PRMT-7 enzyme is dependent on temperature, the presence of metal ions, and the reducing agent dithiothreitol. C. elegans PRMT-7 has a substrate specificity and a substrate preference different from those of mammalian PRMT7, and the available X-ray crystal structures of the PRMT7 orthologs show differences in active site architecture. C. elegans PRMT-9, on the other hand, produces symmetric dimethylarginine and MMA on SFTB-2, the conserved C. elegans ortholog of human RNA splicing fac...
SOME COMPUTATIONAL PROPERTIES OF TREE ADJOINING GRAMMERS

Tree Adjoining Grammar (TAG) is a formalism for natural language grammars. Some of the basic notions of TAG's were introduced in [Joshi, Levy, and Takahashi 1975] and by [Joshi, 1983]. A detailed investigation of the linguistic relevance of TAG's has been carried out in [Kroch and Joshi, 1985]. In this paper, we will describe some new results for TAG's, especially in the following areas: (1) parsing complexity of TAG's, (2) some closure results for TAG's, and (3) the relationship to Head grammars.
Secondary acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a distinct clinical entity with prognostic significance

The effect of prior malignancy on the risk of developing, and prognosis of, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is unknown. This observational study utilized the California Cancer Registry to estimate the risk of developing ALL after a prior malignancy using standardized incidence ratios (SIRs, 95% confidence intervals). ALL occurring after a malignancy with an SIR>1 (increased-risk (IR) malignancies) was considered secondary ALL (s-ALL). Adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs, 95% confidence intervals) compared the effect of s-ALL with de novo ALL on overall survival. A total of 14 481 patients with ALL were identified (1988-2012) and 382 (3%) had a known prior malignancy. Any prior malignancy predisposed patients to developing ALL: SIR 1.62 (1.45-1.79). Hematologic malignancies (SIR 5.57, 4.38-6.98) and IR-solid tumors (SIR 2.11, 1.73-2.54) increased the risk of developing ALL. s-ALL increased the risk of death compared with de novo ALL (aHR 1.38 (1.16-1.63)) and this effect was more pronounced among younger patients (age<40 years: aHR 4.80 (3.15-7.30); age⩾40 years: aHR 1.40 (1.16-1.69)) (interaction P<0.001). This population-based study demonstrates that s-ALL is a distinct entity that occurs after specific malignancies and carries a poor prognosis compared with de novo ALL, particularly among patients <40 years of age.
Failures of American Methods of Lawmaking in Historical and Comparative Perspectives

In this book, James R. Maxeiner takes on the challenge of demonstrating that historically American law makers did consider a statutory methodology as part of formulating laws. In the nineteenth century, when the people wanted laws they could understand, lawyers inflicted judge-made, statute-destroying, common law on them. Maxeiner offers the cure for common law, in the form of sensible statute law. Building on this historical evidence, Maxeiner shows how rule-making in civil law jurisdictions in other countries makes for a far more equitable legal system. Sensible statute laws fit together: one statute governs, as opposed to several laws that even lawyers have trouble disentangling. In a statute law system, lawmakers make laws for the common good in sensible procedures, and judges apply sensible laws and do not make them. This book shows how such a system works in Germany and how it would be a solution for the American legal system as well.
Caffeine Consumption in First-Degree Relatives of Essential Tremor Cases: Evidence of Dietary Modification Before Disease Onset.

BACKGROUND Caffeine can exacerbate tremor. Reducing caffeine intake or switching to decaffeinated beverages can lessen tremor. Unaffected relatives of essential tremor (ET) cases often have mild, subclinical tremor. One question is whether the coffee and tea consumption pattern in these individuals differs from that of controls (Co). METHODS We ascertained the patterns of coffee and tea intake using a structured questionnaire, and compared the use in unaffected first-degree relatives of ET cases (FD-ET) to the use in age-matched Co. Three measures of relative caffeinated coffee + tea to decaffeinated coffee + tea were constructed. Caffeine index 1 = (cups of caffeinated coffee + tea) - (cups of decaffeinated coffee + tea) consumed on the day of evaluation. Caffeine index 2 = (cups of caffeinated coffee + tea) - (cups of decaffeinated coffee + tea) consumed in a typical month. The percentage of coffee and tea that was caffeinated in a typical month was also calculated. RESULTS There were 263 individuals (190 FD-ET, 73 Co). Caffeine index 1 in FD-ET was less than 1-half that of Co (p = 0.001). Caffeine index 2 was similarly lower in FD-ET than Co (p = 0.027). The percentage of coffee and tea that was caffeinated in a typical month was also significantly lower in FD-ET than Co (p = 0.018). CONCLUSION The balance of caffeinated to decaffeinated beverages is different in FD-ET than Co. These data raise several intriguing questions. Among these is whether relatives of ET cases modify their caffeine consumption before disease onset.
Cerebral blood flow and metabolism in hemorrhagic shock in baboons.

The effects of hemorrhagic shock on cerebral hemodynamics and metabolism have been studied in baboons in an attempt to understand better the pathophysiology of shock in primates.
Spinal Cord Ganglioglioma

Ganglioglioma of the spinal cord is a rare tumor that affects predominately the pediatric population. This type of intramedullary spinal cord neoplasm is generally considered benign, corresponding to WHO grade II. Common presenting symptoms include pain, neurologic deficits, and spinal deformity. Because of the indolent clinical course, risk of recurrence, and relative ineffectiveness of additional treatment modalities, early diagnosis with imaging as well as early surgical intervention are highly recommended. Complete, or near complete, resection usually results in long-term progression-free survival, and improvement of neurological status is achievable despite aggressive surgery. Improved microsurgical techniques, preoperative planning with MRI, and intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring have made a significant impact on the management of all spinal cord tumors including gangliogliomas.
Discontinuous Galerkin methods for nonlinear elasticity

In this talk we present a general formulation for discontinuous Galerkin methods for nonlinear elasticity. We discuss the efficiency, implementation, and stabilization of the method, and illustrate the results with numerical examples, including convergence rates, behavior under nearly incompressible conditions and under severely large deformations. We illustrate the performance of the method with applications to biomechanics problems.
SOFIA's choice: an AI approach to scheduling airborne astronomy observations

We describe an innovative solution to the problem of scheduling astronomy observations for the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, an airborne observatory. The problem contains complex constraints relating the feasibility of an astronomical observation to the position and time at which the observation begins, telescope elevation limits and available fuel. Solving the problem requires making discrete choices (e.g. selection and sequencing of observations) and continuous ones (e.g. takeoff time and setting up observations by repositioning the aircraft). The problem also includes optimization criteria such as maximizing observing time while simultaneously minimizing total flight time. We describe a method to search for good flight plans that satisfy all constraints. This novel approach combines heuristic search, biased stochastic sampling, continuous optimization techniques, and well-founded approximations that eliminate feasible solutions but greatly reduce computation time.
Targeting ROS1 rearrangements in non-small cell lung cancer with crizotinib and other kinase inhibitors

The discovery of molecular subtypes of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with oncogenic driver mutations and translocations/rearrangements has led to successful development of targeted therapies and improvement in outcomes of advanced lung cancer patients.
Impact of information about health and academic benefits on parent perception of the feasibility of active transportation to school

Abstract The percentage of students walking or biking to school in the United States has fallen drastically over the past decades. This decline has important implications for children’s health, as walking and biking to school result in health benefits, including more physical activity and lower risk of obesity. Influencing parents to consider active transportation to school (ATS) is a necessary step in behavior change. Our research examines the impact of providing parents with information about the health and academic benefits of ATS on parent perception of ATS feasibility. Parents given information about ATS benefits were hypothesized to perceive ATS as more feasible, as measured by responding that there is an additional morning or afternoon during the week when their child could walk or bike to or from school. Treatment and control surveys were distributed to parents with children attending elementary school in Alameda County and Richmond, California. Discrete choice models developed from this data indicated that information about ATS benefits did not have a significant effect on parent perception of ATS feasibility. The two models provided further insight into ATS behavior and parent perception of ATS feasibility. Greater walk time to school, higher parent education levels, lack of sidewalks along the route to school, and child participation in after-school activities located outside the school campus decreased perception of ATS feasibility. Walk time to school, vehicle ownership, and lack of sidewalks decreased ATS behavior, while having an adult in the home with flexible work hours increased it. Minorities were less likely to participate in ATS every day. Based on these results, providing more after-school activities on school grounds, constructing sidewalks along routes to school, and locating schools in dense, mixed-use areas are supported as strategies to increase ATS behavior.
The combined impact of maternal age and body mass index on cumulative live birth following in vitro fertilization.

Background It is critical to evaluate the combined impact of age and body mass index on the cumulative likelihood of live birth following in vitro fertilization, as achieving a lower body mass index before infertility treatment often is recommended for women with overweight and obesity. It is important to consider whether achieving a particular body mass index, thus resulting in an older age at in vitro fertilization cycle start, is beneficial or harmful to the likelihood of live birth. Objectives To evaluate the combined impact of age and body mass index on the cumulative live birth rate following in vitro fertilization to inform when delaying in vitro fertilization treatment to achieve a lower body mass index may be beneficial or detrimental to the likelihood of live birth. Study Design This is a retrospective study using linked fresh and cryopreserved/frozen cycles from January 2014 to December 2015 from the Society for Reproductive Technology Clinic Outcome Reporting System, representing >90% of in vitro fertilization cycles performed in the United States. The primary outcome was live birth as measured by cumulative live birth rate. Secondary outcomes included implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, and miscarriage rate. Poisson and logistic regression were used to calculate risk and odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals to determine differences in implantation, clinical pregnancy, and miscarriage, as appropriate, among first fresh in vitro fertilization cycles compared across age (years) and body mass index (kg/m2) categories. Cox regression was used to calculate hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals to determine differences in the cumulative live birth rate using fresh plus linked frozen embryo transfer cycles. Results There were 51,959 first fresh cycles using autologous eggs and 16,067 subsequent frozen embryo transfer cycles. There were 21,395 live births, for an overall cumulative live birth rate of 41.2% per cycle start. The implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, and cumulative live birth rate decreased with increasing body mass index and age, and the miscarriage rate increased with increasing body mass index and age (linear trend P Conclusions Age-related decline in fertility has a greater impact than body mass index on the cumulative live birth rate at older ages, suggesting that taking time to achieve lower body mass index before in vitro fertilization may be detrimental for older women with overweight or obesity. Delaying conception to lose weight before in vitro fertilization should be informed by the combination of age and body mass index.
Atoms and molecules in the search for time-reversal symmetry violation

New fundamental particles at the mass scale of a few TeV c–2 could account for observed phenomena that cannot be explained by the standard model (SM) of particle physics, including the microscopic origin of dark matter and the macroscopic imbalance of matter over antimatter in the Universe. However, no beyond-the-SM (BSM) particles at the TeV scale have yet been detected at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). With recent innovations, searches for time-reversal symmetry (T) violation through low-energy precision measurements of electric dipole moments (EDMs) of atoms and molecules have attained the sensitivity to detect indirect signatures of certain particles with masses of more than 10 TeV c–2. In this Perspective, we discuss recent developments in the measurement and interpretation of EDMs, and assess proposed techniques for future experiments that could push experimental limits on T-violating BSM physics to the PeV scale. Electric dipole moments (EDMs) of atoms and molecules are a sensitive probe for sources of time-reversal symmetry violation beyond the standard model. In this Perspective, we review recent progress in EDM searches with atoms and molecules and survey proposed next-generation experiments.
Cognition may link cortical IGFBP5 levels with motor function in older adults

Alzheimer's disease and related disorders (ADRD) may manifest cognitive and non-cognitive phenotypes including motor impairment, suggesting a shared underlying biology. We tested the hypothesis that five cortical proteins identified from a gene network that drives AD and cognitive phenotypes are also related to motor function in the same individuals. We examined 1208 brains of older adults with motor and cognitive assessments prior to death. Cortical proteins were quantified with SRM proteomics and we collected indices of AD and other related pathologies. A higher level of IGFBP5 was associated with poorer motor function proximate to death but AK4, HSPB2, ITPK1 and PLXNB1 were unrelated to motor function. The association of IGFBP5 with motor function was unrelated to the presence of indices of brain pathologies. In contrast, the addition of a term for cognition attenuated the association of IGFBP5 with motor function by about 90% and they were no longer related. These data lend support for the idea that unidentified cortical proteins like IGFBP5, which may not manifest a known pathologic footprint, may contribute to motor and cognitive function in older adults.
1-Methylnicotinamide stimulates cell growth, causes DNA hypermethylation and inhibits induced differentiation of Friend erythroleukemia cells.

Formation of 1-methylnicotinamide (1-MN) occurs via enzymatic methylation of excess nicotinamide (NA) by nicotinamide methyltransferase, a phase II detoxification enzyme which is found predominantly in the liver and kidney (1,2). Although 1-MN is known to be the primary metabolite of excess NA, the cellular functions of this compound are not well understood. 1-MN was found to stimulate DNA synthesis and cell growth of cultured hepatocytes (2). We have previously noted (3) that 1-MN has an unique effect of causing DNA hypermethylation in Friend erythroleukemia cells (FELCs). Induced erythroid differentiation of FELCs, as determined by increased hemoglobin expression, has been correlated with a transient genome-wide DNA hypomethylation using a variety of chemical inducers including NA (4-9). However, direct evidence for a causal involvement of DNA hypomethylation in the process of FELC differentiation is lacking. In this study, 1-MN was combined in FELC culture with several chemical inducers which are known to cause DNA hypomethylation, in an effort to reverse the induction of differentiation by antagonism of the DNA hypomethylation.
Dose-dependent alcohol effects on electroencephalogram: Sedation/anesthesia is qualitatively distinct from sleep.

Abstract Alcohol is commonly used as a sleep inducer/aid by humans. However, individuals diagnosed with alcohol use disorders have sleep problems. Few studies have examined the effect of ethanol on physiological features of sedation and anesthesia, particularly at high doses. This study used polysomnography and a rapid, unbiased scoring of vigilance states with an automated algorithm to provide a thorough characterization of dose-dependent acute ethanol effects on sleep and electroencephalogram (EEG) power spectra in C57BL/6J male mice. Ethanol had a narrow dose-response effect on sleep. Only a high dose (4.0 g/kg) produced a unique, transient state that could not be characterized in terms of canonical sleep-wake states, so we dubbed this novel state Drug-Induced State with a Characteristic Oscillation in the Theta Band (DISCO-T). After this anesthetic effect, the high dose of alcohol promoted NREM sleep by increasing the duration of NREM bouts while reducing wake. REM sleep was differentially responsive to the circadian timing of ethanol administration. EEG power spectra proved more sensitive to ethanol than sleep measures as there were clear effects of ethanol at 2.0 and 4.0 g/kg doses. Ethanol promoted delta oscillations and suppressed faster frequencies, but there were clear, differential effects on wake and REM EEG power based on the timing of the ethanol injection. Understanding the neural basis of the extreme soporific effects of high dose ethanol may aid in treating acute toxicity brought about by patterns of excessive binge consumption commonly observed in young people.
Experimenting with Light in a Manual Skills Shop

This article reviews experiments with lighting for low-vision clients in the Manual Skills Department, Blind Rehabilitation Clinic, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Northampton, Massachusetts.