cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predictors of Waitlist Mortality in Portopulmonary Hypertension

BACKGROUND The current Organ Procurement Transplantation Network policy grants Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) exception points to patients with portopulmonary hypertension (POPH), but potentially important factors, such as severity of liver disease and pulmonary hypertension, are not included in the exception score, and may affect survival. The purpose of this study was to identify significant predictors of waitlist mortality in patients with POPH. METHODS We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients in the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network database with hemodynamics consistent with POPH (defined as mean pulmonary arterial pressure >25 mm Hg and pulmonary vascular resistance [PVR] ≥240 dynes·s·cm) who were approved for a POPH MELD exception between 2006 and 2014. Using a Cox proportional hazards model, we identified predictors of waitlist mortality (or removal for clinical deterioration). RESULTS One hundred ninety adults were included. Age (hazard ratio [HR], 1.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-1.08; P = 0.0499), initial native MELD score (HR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.05-1.17; P < 0.001), and initial PVR (HR, 1.12 per 100 dynes·s·cm; 95% CI, 1.02-1.23; P = 0.02) were the only significant univariate predictors of waitlist mortality and remained significant predictors in a multivariate model, which had a c-statistic of 0.71. PVR and mean pulmonary arterial pressure were not significant predictors of posttransplant mortality. CONCLUSIONS Both the severity of liver disease and POPH (as assessed by MELD and PVR, respectively) were significantly associated with waitlist, but not posttransplant, mortality in patients with approved MELD exceptions for POPH. Both factors should potentially be included in the POPH MELD exception score to more accurately reflect waitlist mortality risk.
Multifaceted Applications of Chitosan in Cancer Drug Delivery and Therapy

Chitosan is a versatile polysaccharide of biological origin. Due to the biocompatible and biodegradable nature of chitosan, it is intensively utilized in biomedical applications in scaffold engineering as an absorption enhancer, and for bioactive and controlled drug release. In cancer therapy, chitosan has multifaceted applications, such as assisting in gene delivery and chemotherapeutic delivery, and as an immunoadjuvant for vaccines. The present review highlights the recent applications of chitosan and chitosan derivatives in cancer therapy.
The Effects of Decision-Aid Design on Auditor Performance in Internal Control Evaluation Tasks

ABSTRACT: Independent auditors evaluate internal controls (IC) using internal control questionnaires (ICQs). The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) recommends that rather than using generic ICQs, auditors should consider using ICQs customized for each audit client. Based on Silver's (1988, 1990) decision-aid design principles and dilution effect research, we hypothesize that the presence of irrelevant task cues in an ICQ decision aid will negatively affect auditors' task performance and that task performance will be positively affected by an ICQ decision aid in which task cues are presented one at a time (directed search) rather than all together (non-directed). We conduct an experiment with practicing auditors as participants who complete an ICQ decision-aid with either few or many irrelevant questions presented all at once or a question at a time. We find partial support for the PCAOB's recommendation, in that participants were more accurate with a directed versus non-directed search ICQ ...
Repeated threat (without direct harm) alters metabolic capacity in select regions that drive defensive behavior

Abstract To understand the behavioral consequences of intermittent anticipatory stress resulting from threats without accompanying physiological challenges, we developed a semi-naturalistic rodent housing and foraging environment that can include threats that are unpredictable in timing. Behavior is automatically recorded while rats forage for food or water. Over three weeks, the threats have been shown to elicit risk assessment behaviors, increase defensive burying and increase adrenal gland weight. To identify brain regions activated by this manipulation, we measured cytochrome c oxidase (COX), which is tightly coupled to neural activity. Adolescent male Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly assigned to control (CT) or unpredictable threat/stress (ST) housing conditions consisting of two tub cages, one with food and another with water, separated by a tunnel. Over three weeks (P31–P52), the ST group received randomly timed (probability of 0.25), simultaneous presentations of ferret odor, an abrupt light, and sound at the center of the tunnel. The ST group had consistently fewer tunnel crossings than the CT group, but similar body weights. Group differences in COX activity were detected in regions implicated in the control of defensive burying. There was an increase in COX activity in the hypothalamic premammillary dorsal nucleus (PMD) and lateral septum (LS), whereas a decrease was observed in the periaqueductal gray (PAG) and CA3 region of the hippocampus. There were no significant differences in the anterior cingulate cortex, prefrontal cortex, striatum or motor cortex. The sites with changes in metabolic capacity are candidates for the sites of plasticity that may underlie the behavioral adaptations to intermittent threats.
Self vs. Parent: Factors Influencing Likelihood of Hiring a Healthcare Advocate

Objective : To determine how the factors that may lead an individual to hire a healthcare advocate to aid him/herself in navigating the healthcare system when dealing with chronic or complex health issues differ from the factors that are considered when deciding to hire a healthcare advocate for one’s parent. Methods : 1,740 randomly selected participants completed a brief vignette-based questionnaire that indicated their likelihood of hiring an HCA for oneself or a parent. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used to test the effects of predisposing, enabling, and illness factors on the predicted likelihood. Results : Although neither model fit well statistically, both fit well descriptively. The direct path from predisposing to enabling factors and the indirect path from predisposing factors to illness level were significant in both models. Discussion : Understanding the factors that influence the decision to hire an HCA could help health providers target patients who are most likely to use HCA services, thereby reducing the burden on the healthcare system and improving quality of care.
LOCUST BORER (COLEOPTERA: CERAMBYCIDAE) ATTACK IN RELATION TO PULSED ELECTRIC CURRENT IN BLACK LOCUST TREES

Resistance to pulsed electric current (ER) applied to the cambium layer was studied in black locust trees, Robinia pseudoacacia L., in relation to tree thrift indices, and particularly to intensity...
Changes in utilization and peri-operative outcomes of bariatric surgery in large U.S. hospital database, 2011-2014

Background With the epidemic of morbid obesity, bariatric surgery has been accepted as one of the most effective treatments of obesity. Objective To investigate recent changes in the utilization of bariatric surgery, patients and hospital characteristics, and in-hospital complications in a nationwide hospital database in the United States. Setting This is a secondary data analysis of the Premier Perspective database. Methods ICD-9 codes were used to identify bariatric surgeries performed between 2011 and 2014. Descriptive statistics were computed and regression was used. Results A total of 74,774 bariatric procedures were identified from 436 hospitals between 2011 and 2014. During this time period, the proportion of gastric bypass (from 44.8% to 31.3%; P for trend < 0.0001) and gastric banding (from 22.8% to 5.2%; P for trend < 0.0001) decreased, while the proportion of sleeve gastrectomy (from 13.7% to 56.9%; P for trend < 0.0001) increased substantially. The proportion of bariatric surgery performed for outpatients decreased from 17.15% in 2011 to 8.11% in 2014 (P for trend < 0.0001). The majority of patients undergoing surgery were female (78.5%), white (65.6%), younger than 65 years (93.8%), and insured with managed care (53.6%). In-hospital mortality rate and length of hospital stay remained stable. The majority of surgeries were performed in high-volume (71.8%) and urban (91.6%) hospitals. Conclusions Results based on our study sample indicated that the popularity of various bariatric surgery procedures changed significantly from 2011 to 2014. While the rates of in-hospital complications were stable, disparities in the use of bariatric surgery regarding gender, race, and insurance still exist.
A model-based approach for estimating local speed of sound in tissue using pulse echo ultrasound

Speed of sound (SoS) could prove useful as a biomarker for detecting and staging non-alcoholic fatty liver disease due to its dependence on fat concentration in the liver. However, current ultrasound SoS estimators yield poor accuracy and/or are difficult to implement on traditional pulse-echo scanner architectures. We propose a model and a method to estimate speed of sound in a localized region of tissue with high accuracy that can be implemented on commercial ultrasound systems.
Regulation of the Cell Biology of Antigen Cross-Presentation

Antigen cross-presentation is an adaptation of the cellular process of loading MHC-I molecules with endogenous peptides during their biosynthesis within the endoplasmic reticulum. Cross-presented peptides derive from internalized proteins, microbial pathogens, and transformed or dying cells. The physical separation of internalized cargo from the endoplasmic reticulum, where the machinery for assembling peptide–MHC-I complexes resides, poses a challenge. To solve this problem, deliberate rewiring of organelle communication within cells is necessary to prepare for cross-presentation, and different endocytic receptors and vesicular traffic patterns customize the emergent cross-presentation compartment to the nature of the peptide source. Three distinct pathways of vesicular traffic converge to form the ideal cross-presentation compartment, each regulated differently to supply a unique component that enables cross-presentation of a diverse repertoire of peptides. Delivery of centerpiece MHC-I molecules is the...
GRB and blazar jets shining through their stripes

Black-hole driven relativistic astrophysical jets, such as blazars and gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), are powerful sources of electromagnetic radiation. Their emission is powered by some energy dissipation and particle acceleration mechanism operating in-situ at large distances from the black hole. We propose that the formation of the dissipative structures in the jet is controlled by the time variability of the accretion disc. We argue that the open magnetic field lines through the black hole, which drive a strongly magnetized jet, may have their polarity reversing over time-scales related to the growth of the magneto-rotational dynamo in the disc. Consequently, the jet is characterized by an alternating toroidal field polarity along its propagation axis, i.e., it is a "striped jet". Magnetic reconnection in the current sheets that form between the stripes dissipates the alternating-field energy and thus powers further jet acceleration. Here, we consider a jet with a broad distribution of stripe widths $l>l_{\rm min}$, above a dominant scale $l_{\rm min}$. We find that the bulk acceleration of the jet, driven by the annihilation of the stripes, is very gradual. The dissipation rate peaks at a distance $z_{\rm peak}\sim 10^6 R_g\, (\Gamma_\infty/30)^2\, (l_{\rm min}/1000R_g)$, where $R_{g}$ is the black-hole's gravititional radius and $\Gamma_{\infty}$ the jet's asymptotic Lorentz factor, and exhibits a very broad plateau extending by $\sim 4-5$ orders of magnitude in distance. The prolonged energy dissipation accounts for the flat-to-inverted long-wavelength spectra commonly observed in jets. The model can also account for the broad range of flaring timescales of blazars and the fact that their bulk acceleration appears to continue out to ~100 pc scales. In GRB jets, the model predicts comparable power for the photopsheric and Thomson-thin emission components.
Naturalizing Peirce's Semiotics: Ecological Psychology's Solution to the Problem of Creative Abduction

The study of model-based reasoning (MBR) is one of the most interesting recent developments at the intersection of psychology and the philosophy of science. Although a broad and eclectic area of inquiry, one central axis by which MBR connects these disciplines is anchored at one end in theories of internal reasoning (in cognitive science), and at the other, in C.S. Peirce’s semiotics (in philosophy). In this paper, we attempt to show that Peirce’s semiotics actually has more natural affinity on the psychological side with ecological psychology, as originated by James J. Gibson and especially Egon Brunswik, than it does with non-interactionist approaches to cognitive science. In particular, we highlight the strong ties we believe to exist between the triarchic structure of semiotics as conceived by Peirce, and the similar triarchic stucture of Brunswik’s lens model of organismic achievement in irreducibly uncertain ecologies. The lens model, considered as a theory of creative abduction, provides a concrete instantiation of at least one, albeit limited, interpretation of Peirce’s semiotics, one that we believe could be quite fruitful in future theoretical and empirical investigations of MBR in both science and philosophy.
Abstract 2733: Association of Psychological Disorders and Structural Coronary Arterial Disease

Background : Growing numbers of American Veterans are diagnosed with psychological disorders and myocardial infarctions without known preexisting cardiac risk factors. Confronted with this information, we studied the association between psychological disorders and the presence of coronary artery calcium. High risk coronary calcification [Agatston method coronary artery calcium score (CAC) >100] is associated with a striking increase in cardiovascular events (hazard ratio>10) making it an excellent surrogate marker. Methods : From a database of VA patients who have undergone cardiac computed tomography, 483 were studied (age 59±12 years, 86% male). Regression analysis was utilized for comparison of CAC score for individuals with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse.. Results : After adjustment for age, gender and cardiac risk factors, the odds ratio of CAC≥100 vs. CAC=0 was 1.24 (95% CI 1.02–2.08, p=0.044) for depression, 2.04 (95% CI 1.11– 6.17, p=0.027) for anxiety, 2.28 (95% CI 1.15–5.76, p=0.026) for PTSD and 2.61 (95% CI 1.14 – 6.03, p=0.022) for substance abuse as compared to normal cohort. Conclusion : Veterans with psychological disorders were found to have a significantly higher coronary artery calcification score than those without such disorders. These findings are independent of age, gender and other traditional cardiac risk factors.
De la Mujer Invisible al Feminismo Ineludible: Política y Antropología en la Historiografía de la Mujer

The historiography of women since the beginning of its contemporary wave in the 1970s is analyzed along two related dimensions: First, its politicization on behalf of the social movement in favor of women’s rights that gave birth to it; second, the central role that the anthropological question, 'What is a woman?', and the diversity of responses that this question has generated. The author argues that an intensive politicization and the development of an increasingly materialistic anthropology are two interdependent tendencies that have come to characterize women's history. The same trends can now be seen in other historical specialties, owing in great part to the influence of women's history. In the last decade, on the other hand, a 'new feminism' has emerged based on a realist anthropology that promises to launch a 'new historiography of women'. The Anglo-American literature is the principal but not the exclusive focus of the article.
A method for quantifying the number of U.S. lakes with cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms using satellite remote sensing

Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms are the most common form of harmful algal blooms in freshwater systems throughout the world. However, in situ sampling of cyanobacteria in inland lakes is limited both spatially and temporally. Satellite data has proven to be an effective tool to monitor cyanobacteria in freshwater lakes across the United States. This study uses data from the European Space Agency MEdium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer and the Sentinel-3 Ocean and Land Color Instrument to provide a national overview of the percentage of lakes experiencing a cyanobacterial bloom on a weekly basis for 2008-2011 and 2017. A total of 2,370 lakes across the contiguous United States were included in the analysis. Bloom percentage was calculated for nine United States climate regions to examine regional patterns. Changes in cyanobacterial bloom percentage followed the well-known temporal pattern of freshwater blooms. The percentage of lakes experiencing a bloom increased throughout the year, reached a peak around October, and decreased through the winter. Wintertime data, particularly in the northern latitude regions, was consistently limited due to snow and ice cover. With the exception of the Southeast and South climate regions, regional patterns mimicked patterns found at the national scale. The Southeast and South regions exhibited an unexpected pattern as cyanobacterial bloom percentage peaked in the winter rather than the summer. Several environmental factors and potential satellite limitations can possibly explain these findings. Results from this research can help establish a baseline of annual occurrence of cyanobacterial blooms in inland lakes across the United States.
Introducing a performance-based component into Jakarta's school grants: What do we know about its impact after three years?

Abstract Using administrative data, this paper evaluates the early impact of introducing a performance-based component into Jakarta's long-standing school grant program on learning outcomes. The authors use difference-in-differences and regression discontinuity approaches to identify the component's impact on both government primary and junior secondary schools. Learning outcomes improved in primary schools at the bottom of the performance distribution, which narrowed the performance gaps between schools. However, the component had a negative impact on the better performing primary schools. Overall, primary examination scores fell slightly but this effect was only temporary. In contrast, the performance-based component improved examination scores in junior secondary schools. This impact seems to have been greatest among better-performing schools, thus widening the performance gap between these schools and those whose performance was worse. The data suggest that the main impact of the performance-based grant in terms of learning outcomes operated through an increase in competition among schools to earn the performance-based grant rather than through receipt of the actual grant funds.
Development of vegetation mapping with deep convolutional neural network

The Precision Agriculture (PA) plays a crucial part in the agricultural industry about improving the decision-making process. It aims to optimally allocate the resources to maintain the sustainable productivity of farmland and reduce the use of chemical compounds. [17] However, the on-site inspection of vegetations often falls to researchers' trained eye and experience, when it deals with the identification of the non-crop vegetations. Deep Convolution Neural Network (CNN) can be deployed to mitigate the cost of manual classification. Although CNN outperforms the other traditional classifiers, such as Support Vector Machine, it is still in question whether CNN can be deployable in an industrial environment. In this paper, we conducted a study on the feasibility of CNN for Vegetation Mapping on lawn inspection for weeds. We would like to study the possibility of expanding the concept to the on-site, near realtime, crop site inspections, by evaluating the generated results.
A continuum dislocation-based model of wedge microindentation of single crystals

Abstract Recent Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) experiments have revealed the emergence of heterogeneous dislocation microstructures forming under a wedge indenter in fcc crystals, where micro-meter dislocation patterns challenge the predictions of traditional models of plasticity. In order to explain the formation of these features and develop a relationship between the force-displacement curve and the dislocation substructure, we present here a model of wedge indentation based on the continuum theory of dislocations. The model accounts for large deformation kinematics through the multiplicative split of the deformation gradient tensor, where the incompatible plastic component of deformation results from the flux of dislocations on different and interacting slips systems. Constitutive equations for dislocation fluxes are determined from a dissipative variational principle. As a result, each dislocation density satisfies an initial-boundary value problem with convective-diffusive character, which is coupled to the macroscopic stress and displacement fields governing the deformation process. Solution to the self-consistent continuum formulation is found using the finite element method. Computer simulations mimic the experimental conditions of wedge micro-indentation experiments into Ni single-crystals used by Kysar et al. (2010a). A comparison of overall dislocation density distribution and macroscopic mechanical response shows good overall agreement with the experimental results in terms of the detailed features of dislocation patterns and lattice rotations as well as the macroscopic force-displacement response.
The Evolution of Comparative Advertising Law: Has the Lanham Act Gone Too Far?:

The law of comparative advertising has evolved from providing virtually no legal remedy for misleading claims to enjoining most advertising challenged by competitors under Section 43(a) of the Lanh...
Six domains of self-care: Attending to the whole person

Self-care has long been of concern to helping professionals at risk for burnout or vicarious traumatization. In this paper we argue that the need for self-care is broader than preventing these outc...
Embedded Neoliberalism and Its Discontents: The Uncertain Future of Trade and Investment Law

An era marked by an uneasy truce between developed countries and the developing world is coming to an end. This era, which reached its apogee in the 1990s, could be characterized as “embedded” neoliberalism, where developing countries signed on to an international economic law (IEL) system premised on neoliberal tenets but softened by de jure and de facto exceptions and derogations ostensibly to accommodate developmental needs and policies. Initially, developing countries resisted rules that imposed unwanted restrictions and that limited growth options. But it was the best they could secure at the time so they accepted much of the regime thus creating a temporary truce. With this truce between market-oriented globalization and state-based developmentalism unraveling, we look at how things might evolve and ask if there is another set of relations that would address changing conditions, manage conflicting interests and restore some stability.
Neurocomputational Changes in Inhibitory Control Associated With Prolonged Exposure Therapy

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with inhibitory control dysfunction that extends beyond difficulties inhibiting trauma-related intrusions. Inhibitory learning has been proposed as a potential mechanism of change underlying the effectiveness of extinction-based therapies such as prolonged exposure (PE), a first-line treatment for PTSD. To identify neurocognitive markers of change in inhibitory learning associated with PE, we applied a Bayesian learning model to the analysis of neuroimaging data collected during an inhibitory control task, both before and after PE treatment. Veterans (N = 20) with combat-related PTSD completed a stop-signal task (SST) while undergoing fMRI at time points immediately before and after PE treatment. Participants exhibited a small, significant improvement in performance on the SST, as demonstrated by longer reaction times and improved inhibition accuracy. Amplitude of neural activation associated with a signed prediction error (SPE; i.e., the discrepancy between actual outcome and model-based expectation of needing to stop) in the right caudate decreased from baseline to posttreatment assessment. Change in model-based activation was modulated by performance accuracy, with a decrease in positive SPE activation observed on successful trials, d = 0.79, and a reduction in negative SPE activation on error trials, d = 0.74. The decrease in SPE-related activation on successful stop trials was correlated with PTSD symptom reduction. These results are consistent with the notion that PE may help broadly strengthen inhibitory learning and the development of more accurate model-based predictions, which may thus facilitate change in cognitions in response to trauma-related cues and help reduce PTSD symptoms.
Photovoltaic Fleet Aggregation and High Penetration: A Feeder Test Case

The Intermittency in photovoltaic (PV) systems power output is always a concern for power utility companies especially at high level of penetration. Spatial distribution of PV could provide a reduced Intermittency usually referred to as geographic smoothing. This paper presents a case study of six PV systems using the weather parameters from six locations in Florida. A simple correlation study of the global horizontal irradiance (GHI) and ambient temperature of PV systems location is done and pairs of PV as well as the aggregation of the entire six fleet is integrated to an IEEE 13 bus distribution feeder. The voltage profile, and the voltage regulator switching were analysed with different combinations of pairs of PV aggregation and also the aggregation of the entire PV fleet. The results show a significant reduction in the fluctuations in the voltage profile and switching of the voltage regulator control for different combination of aggregated PVs. This study is expected to provide insight on how the aggregation of PV in different locations (with differing GHI and temperature correlation values) can be used to achieve a reduction in voltage fluctuations as well the switching of the voltage regulating devices in high PV penetration scenarios
Results on Semileptonic and Hadronic Charm Decays

Experiments are now able to address detailed questions in charm decay by studying difficult decay modes that were inaccessible earlier. The important features of the two experiments discussed here, E-691 and NA-32, are high rates and silicon vertex detectors. The Fermilab photoproduction experiment E-691 used tagged photons of energy 80–230 GeV, and recorded 108 events from which 104 charm events were reconstructed. The beam for CERN hadroproduction experiment NA-32 was 230 GeV/c π-. The trigger selected events with a pK- or K+K- pair and led to a sample of 1200 reconstructed charm events in 20 decay modes.
Changes in the Order of Cigarette and Marijuana Initiation and Associations with Cigarette Use, Nicotine Vaping, and Marijuana Use: U.S. 12th Grade Students, 2000–2019

This study (a) examined changes in marijuana and cigarette initiation sequencing and (b) considered implications of such changes for prevention efforts by examining associations between initiation sequencing and current adolescent substance use. Analyses used 2000-2019 cross-sectional data from the national Monitoring the Future (MTF) study (78,252 U.S. 12th grade students). Models examined trends in six distinct patterns of initiation order, and multivariable associations between order of initiation and 30-day cigarette and marijuana use prevalence, cigarette and marijuana use frequency among users, and nicotine and marijuana vaping prevalence. While the percentage of students initiating neither cigarettes nor marijuana increased, increases also were observed in marijuana-only initiation (the fastest-growing pattern) and initiation of marijuana before cigarettes; these increases were accompanied by a significant decrease in cigarette-only initiation. Cigarette use prevalence and frequency were highest among students initiating cigarettes before marijuana; marijuana use prevalence and frequency were highest among students initiating marijuana before cigarettes. Cigarette and marijuana prevalence, as well as marijuana frequency, were lowest among students initiating only a single substance. Nicotine vaping was less prevalent among students initiating a single substance versus both substances, but no significant differences were observed in nicotine vaping prevalence between those initiating only cigarettes versus only marijuana. Implications of these findings for prevention efforts are discussed in the frameworks of both the common liability model and route of administration model.
Transplantation and Adherence: Evaluating Tacrolimus Usage in Pediatric Patients With Cancer

Background Researchers have estimated that about 50% of pediatric patients with chronic illness adhere to tacrolimus therapy, a medication responsible for preventing critical side effects in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Objectives The purpose of this study was to describe patient adherence to tacrolimus by reviewing documentation from the electronic health record and therapeutic drug levels. Methods This retrospective descriptive study examined 357 clinic visits by 57 patients undergoing HSCT. Direct (tacrolimus levels) and indirect (subjective reporting) measures were evaluated. Findings The authors found that, in 51% of visits, adherence was not documented. The overall nontherapeutic drug level rate was 60%. Because of the small sample size, nonadherence did not statistically correlate with nontherapeutic levels. The findings highlight the need for adherence awareness, assessment, and documentation in clinical practice.
Selection Rules for Two Channel Kondo Models of U and Ce ions in Metals

Symmetry based selection rules are developed providing minimal criteria for the existence of two-channel Kondo interactions between conduction electrons and the low energy degrees of freedom on U$^{4+}$ and Ce$^{3+}$ in a metal host, assuming that the underlying microscopics are regulated by the Anderson Hamiltonian. An additional dynamic selection rule is imposed on Ce$^{3+}$ ions. The selection rules restrict the two-channel quadrupolar Kondo effect to U$^{4+}$ ions in cubic, tetragonal, and hexagonal symmetry. For hexagonal and tetragonal symmetry, the Kondo effect for a U$^{4+}$ ion will always be quadrupolar. The selection rules for Ce$^{3+}$ ions restrict the two-channel magnetic Kondo effect to one of three possible doublet ionic ground states in hexagonal symmetry and the lone doublet ionic ground state in cubic symmetry. The dynamical selection rule apparently excludes two-channel Kondo behavior for Yb$^{3+}$ ions.
Counteracting Environmental Chemicals with Coenzyme Q10: An Educational Primer for Use with "Antioxidant CoQ10 Restores Fertility by Rescuing Bisphenol A-Induced Oxidative DNA Damage in the Caenorhabditis elegans Germline".

Environmental toxicants are chemicals that negatively affect human health. Although there are numerous ways to limit exposure, the ubiquitous nature of certain environmental toxicants makes it impossible to avoid them entirely. Consequently, scientists are continuously working toward developing strategies for combating their harmful effects. Using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, a model with many genetic and physiological similarities to humans, researchers in the Colaiacovo laboratory have identified several molecular mechanisms by which the toxic agent bisphenol A (BPA) interferes with reproduction. Here, we address their recent discovery that a widely available compound, Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), can rescue BPA-induced damage. This work is significant in that it poses a low-cost method for improving reproductive success in humans. The goal of this primer is to assist educators and students with navigating the paper entitled "Antioxidant CoQ10 Restores Fertility by Rescuing Bisphenol A-Induced Oxidative DNA Damage in the Caenorhabditis elegans Germline." It is ideally suited for integration into an upper-level undergraduate course such as Genetics, Cell and Molecular Biology, Developmental Biology, or Toxicology. The primer provides background information on the history of BPA, the utility of the C. elegans germ line as a model for studying reproductive toxicity, and research methods including assessment of programmed cell death, fluorescent microscopy applications, and assays to quantify gene expression. Questions for deeper exploration in-class or online are provided.Related article in GENETICS: Hornos Carneiro MF, Shin N, Karthikraj R, Barbosa F Jr, Kannan K, Colaiacovo MP. Antioxidant CoQ10 restores fertility by rescuing bisphenol A-induced oxidative DNA damage in the Caenorhabditis elegans Germline. Genetics 214:381-395.
The Incidence of Erosive Esophagitis as a Complication of Pediatric Diabetic Ketoacidosis.

Introduction. Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms commonly occur during diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and typically resolve with treatment. However, GI complications can persist after DKA resolves. The incidence of upper GI bleeding during DKA in adults has been described, with erosive esophagitis one of the most common lesions. The incidence of GI bleeding or erosive esophagitis in children with DKA has not been previously reported. We performed a retrospective chart review of DKA admissions in children 0 to <18 years with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) at a pediatric hospital between January 2009 and July 2016. Among 395 episodes of DKA over 7.5 years, erosive esophagitis occurred during two DKA admissions (0.5%) and there were no episodes of GI bleeding. Case presentations. Both episodes of erosive esophagitis occurred in adolescent males with known T1DM who presented with severe DKA. Both developed odynophagia after resolution of DKA and were readmitted for DKA recurrence. Upper endoscopy for both patients showed erosive esophagitis. Biopsies were negative for infection, though candida was found during one patient’s endoscopy. Both had resolution of their esophagitis symptoms with medication management; neither has had recurrence. Conclusion. Erosive esophagitis, a rare complication of pediatric DKA, can manifest with odynophagia or substernal chest pain. This complication can lead to DKA recurrence, likely due to increased insulin resistance from inflammation and pain and from reduced oral intake and insulin administration. Patients with odynophagia associated with DKA should be monitored closely to allow timely evaluation and treatment of esophagitis.
Holodomor: Implications on a Neo-Soviet Ukraine

This paper delves behind the Holodomor as genocide, its ties to the lingering tensions between the Ukrainian and Jewish communities, and proposed introduction of its history into modern classrooms.
Effects of dietary macronutrient profile on apparent total tract macronutrient digestibility and fecal microbiota, fermentative metabolites, and bile acids of female dogs after spay surgery

Obesity and estrogen reduction are known to affect the gut microbiota and gut microbial-derived metabolites in some species, but limited information is available in dogs. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of dietary macronutrient profile on apparent total tract macronutrient digestibility, fecal microbiota, and fecal metabolites of adult female dogs after spay surgery. Twenty-eight adult intact female beagles (age: 3.02 ± 0.71 yr, BW: 10.28 ± 0.77 kg; BCS: 4.98 ± 0.57) were used. After a 5-wk baseline phase (week 0), 24 dogs were spayed and randomly allotted to one of three experimental diets (n = 8 per group): 1) control (CO) containing moderate protein and fiber (COSP), 2) high-protein, high-fiber (HPHF), or 3) high-protein, high-fiber plus omega-3 and medium-chain fatty acids (HPHFO). Four dogs were sham-operated and fed CO (COSH). All dogs were fed to maintain BW for 12 wk after spay and then allowed to consume twice that amount for 12 wk. Fecal samples were collected at weeks 0, 12, and 24 for digestibility, microbiota, and metabolite analysis. All data were analyzed using repeated measures and linear mixed models procedure of SAS 9.4, with results reported as a change from baseline. Apparent organic matter and energy digestibilities had greater decreases in HPHF and HPHFO than COSH and COSP. Increases in fecal acetate, total short-chain fatty acids, and secondary bile acids were greater and decreases in primary bile acids were greater in HPHF and HPHFO. Principal coordinates analysis of weighted UniFrac distances revealed that HPHF and HPHFO clustered together and separated from COSH and COSP at weeks 12 and 24, with relative abundances of Faecalibacterium, Romboutsia, and Fusobacterium increasing to a greater extent and Catenibacterium, Bifidobacterium, Prevotella 9, Eubacterium, and Megamonas decreasing to a greater extent in HPHF or HPHFO. Our results suggest that high-protein, high-fiber diets alter nutrient and energy digestibilities, fecal metabolite concentrations, and fecal gut microbiota, but spay surgery had minor effects. Future research is needed to investigate how food intake, nutrient profile, and changes in hormone production influence gut microbiota and metabolites of dogs individually and how this knowledge may be used to manage spayed pets.
A machine-learning Strategy for Generating Pollen Estimates and Forecasts in North America

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Pollen information is important for risk communication, diagnosis of allergic disease, medical management, and surveillance. Pollen observations are sparse, however, and existin...
The Meaning of Touch to Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy

Purpose/objectives To explore the experience of being touched in people diagnosed with cancer and undergoing IV chemotherapy. Research approach Qualitative, phenomenologic. Setting Central New York and northern Pennsylvania, both in the northeastern United States . Participants 11 Caucasian, English-speaking adults. . Methodologic approach Individual interviews used open-ended questions to explore the meaning of being touched to each participant. Meanings of significant statements, which pertained to the phenomenon under investigation, were formulated hermeneutically. Themes were derived from immersion in the data and extraction of similar and divergent concepts among all interviews, yielding a multidimensional understanding of the meaning of being touched in this sample of participants . Findings Participants verbalized awareness of and sensitivity to the regard of others who were touching them, including healthcare providers, family, and friends. Patients do not classify a provider's touch as either task or comfort oriented. Meanings evolved in the context of three primary themes. Conclusions The experience of being touched encompasses the quality of presence of providers, family, or friends. For touch to be regarded as positive, patients must be regarded as inherently whole and equal. The quality of how touch is received is secondary to and flows from the relationship established between patient and provider . Interpretation This study adds to the literature in its finding that the fundamental quality of the relationship between patient and provider establishes the perceived quality of touch. Previous studies have primarily divided touch into two categories.
THE SWALLOWING MECHANISM OF THE NEONATE. I. ESOPHAGEAL AND GASTRIC MOTILITY.

Patterns of esophageal motility are presented from 30 infants who were studied before and after the initiation of feeding and from 15 premature infants who were studied only after they had fed several days. Sucking occurs in only small bursts of 3 to 4 sucks in the neonate who has never fed, but in longer efficient bursts of 10 to 30 sucks in the neonate who has taken feedings for several days. The infant under 12 hours old and the premature infant have frequent simultaneous contractions of the esophagus and many biphasic peristaltic waves which probably represent an incoordination of the esophageal response to deglutition and neuronal immaturity. These abnormalities occur less frequently in the 3-day-old infant. In the majority of term and premature infants the inferior esophageal sphincter mechanism is located at or above the effective diaphragmatic hiatus and its tone is poor.
METHOD FOR PREDICTING INITIAL SETTLEMENT

A method of analysis is developed for predicting initial settlement, i.e., settlement due to strains which occur within soil that remains at constant volume. The method employs finite element analysis and includes the following effects: (1) Stress and displacement boundary conditions; (2) soil nonlinearity, nonhomogeneity, and anisotropy; and (3) initial gravity stress in the soil. An example problem is used as a vehicle for qualitatively indicating the importance of initial anisotropic gravity stresses and undrained strength anisotropy with rotation of principal planes to settlement prediction and actual settlement behavior. Also considered is the sensitivity of load-deformation predictions to uncertainties in soil modulus and shear strength. The load-settlement behavior of a footing on clay strongly depends on the stress-strain modulus and the initial state of stress in the soil. The soil modulus in laboratory tests is subject to major uncertainties.
Carnitine Decarboxylase: THE CONVERSION OF CARNITINE TO β-METHYLCHOLINE

Abstract A urinary metabolite of dl-carnitine has been identified as β-methylcholine, a decarboxylation product of the parent compound. An enzymatic assay for the decarboxylation of carnitine-1-14C to β-methylcholine and 14CO2 in vitro has been developed. The enzyme has been found in rat liver, kidney, muscle, and adrenals, and in largest amount in the heart. Intact mitochondria have the highest activity, and the enzyme has been purified about 30-fold from a soluble fraction of sonically treated mitochondria. Initial velocities of the reaction have shown an apparent Km for dl-carnitine of 2.4 x 10-4. Acetyl- and palmitylcarnitine seem to have higher Km values. Adenosine triphosphate and Mg++ are essential for activity; nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, biotin, and pyridoxal phosphate are not. The activity of carnitine decarboxylase appears to be increased in vivo under conditions of increased fatty acid oxidation. The possible physiological significance of this decarboxylation is discussed.
Fast Spherical Mapping for Genus-0 Meshes

Parameterizing a genus-0 mesh onto a sphere means assigning a 3D position on the unit sphere to each of the mesh vertices, such that the spherical mapping induced by the mesh connectivity is not too distorted and does not have overlapping areas. Satisfying the non-overlapping requirement sometimes is the most difficult and critical component of many spherical parametrization methods. In this paper we propose a fast spherical mapping approach which can map any closed genus-0 mesh onto a unit sphere without overlapping any part of the given mesh. This new approach does not try to preserve angles or edge lengths of the given mesh in the mapping process, however, test cases show it can obtain meaningful results. The mapping process does not require setting up any linear systems, nor any expensive matrix computation, but is simply done by iteratively moving vertices of the given mesh locally until a desired spherical mapping is reached. Therefore the new spherical mapping approach is fast and consequently can be used for meshes with large number of vertices. Moreover, the iterative process is guaranteed to be convergent. Our approach can be used for texture mapping, remeshing, 3D morphing, and can be used as input for other more rigorous and expensive spherical parametrization methods to achieve more accurate parametrization results. Some test results obtained using this method are included and they demonstrate that the new approach can achieve spherical mapping results without any overlapping.
Embrittlement of titanium by liquid cadmium

Liquid cadmium severely embrittles commercially pure titanium (titanium-55A), by reducing the elongation at fracture by about a factor of ten. A ductile-brittle transition is observed as the temperature is increased, with the transition temperature increasing as the strain rate is increased. At high temperatures and low strain rates the titanium is ductile; while it is brittle at low temperatures and high strain rates. Fracture in the embrittled condition occurs intergranularly. The dependence of the ductile-brittle transition temperature on strain rate correlates reasonably well with the dependence of flow stress on temperature and strain rate, using published theories of the ductile-brittle transition.
Role of β-Amyloidosis and Neurodegeneration in Subsequent Imaging Changes in Mild Cognitive Impairment

Importance To understand how a model of Alzheimer disease pathophysiology based on β-amyloidosis and neurodegeneration predicts the regional anatomic expansion of hypometabolism and atrophy in persons with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Objective To define the role of β-amyloidosis and neurodegeneration in the subsequent progression of topographic cortical structural and metabolic changes in MCI. Design, Setting, and Participants Longitudinal, observational study with serial brain imaging conducted from March 28, 2006, to January 6, 2015, using a population-based cohort. A total of 96 participants with MCI (all aged >70 years) with serial imaging biomarkers from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging or Mayo Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center were included. Participants were characterized initially as having elevated or not elevated brain β-amyloidosis (A+ or A−) based on 11 C-Pittsburgh compound B positron emission tomography. They were further characterized initially by the presence or absence of neurodegeneration (N+ or N−), where the presence of neurodegeneration was defined by abnormally low hippocampal volume or hypometabolism in an Alzheimer disease–like pattern on 18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)–positron emission tomography. Main Outcomes and Measures Regional FDG standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) and gray matter volumes in medial temporal, lateral temporal, lateral parietal, and medial parietal regions. Results In the primary regions of interest (ROI), the A+N+ group (n = 45) had lower FDG SUVR at baseline compared with the A+N− group (n = 17) (all 4 ROIs; P P P P P P P Conclusions and Relevance Persons with MCI who were A+N+ demonstrated volumetric and metabolic worsening in temporal and parietal association areas, consistent with the expectation that the MCI stage in the Alzheimer pathway heralds incipient isocortical involvement. The A−N+ group, those with suspected non-Alzheimer pathophysiology, lacked a distinctive longitudinal volumetric or metabolic profile.
A Bayesian up-down estimator of the 80% effective defibrillation dose

An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) can prevent sudden cardiac death. However, the ICD stimulus strength must be set appropriately for each patient. Current protocols for estimating the appropriate stimulus strength require many attempts at defibrillation (VF episodes), and/or estimate relatively ineffective doses, such as the ED50 (the 50% effective defibrillation dose). A new optimum, Bayesian up-down procedure is presented which accurately estimates the ED80 (the 80% effective defibrillation dose) using only four VF episodes. Because the ED80 is more effective than the ED50, it should be a better clinical tool for setting the stimulus strength of an ICD. Data from 23 humans show that stimuli given at the Bayesian up-down estimated ED80 were effective 79.3% of the time. These results suggest the Bayesian up-down protocol is an accurate means of estimating the ED80 in humans. >