cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficacy and safety of sildenafil citrate in men with erectile dysfunction and stable coronary artery disease

This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, flexible-dose study of the efficacy and safety of sildenafil in men with erectile dysfunction (ED) and clinically stable coronary artery disease (CAD). Patients were randomized to receive sildenafil or placebo for 12 weeks. Primary outcomes were questions 3 and 4 of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF). Secondary outcomes included the other IIEF questions and functional domains, the Life Satisfaction Checklist, the Erectile Dysfunction Inventory of Treatment Satisfaction, 2 global efficacy assessment questions, and intercourse success rate. By week 12, sildenafil-treated patients (n = 70) showed significant improvements on questions 3 and 4 compared with placebo-treated patients (n = 72; p <0.01). Larger percentages of sildenafil-treated patients reported improved erections (64%) and improved intercourse (65%) compared with placebo-treated patients (21% and 19%, respectively). Sildenafil-treated patients were highly satisfied with treatment and their sexual life compared with placebo-treated patients. Forty-seven percent of sildenafil- and 32% of placebo-treated patients experienced adverse events, including transient headache, hypertension, flushing, and dyspepsia. There were no serious drug-related cardiovascular effects. Thus, sildenafil is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for ED in men with CAD. Sildenafil was not associated with additional safety risks in this patient population.
Slow degradation of ATP in simulated martian environments suggests long residence times for the biosignature molecule on spacecraft surfaces on Mars

Abstract Prelaunch planetary protection protocols on spacecraft are designed to reduce the numbers and diversity of viable bioloads on surfaces in order to mitigate the forward contamination of planetary surfaces. In addition, there is a growing appreciation that prelaunch spacecraft cleaning protocols will be required to reduce the levels of biogenic signature molecules on spacecraft to levels that will not compromise life-detection experiments on landers. The biogenic molecule, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) was tested for long-term stability under simulated Mars surface conditions of high UV flux, low temperature, low pressure, Mars atmosphere, and clear-sky dust loading conditions. Data on UV-induced ATP degradation rates were then extrapolated to a diversity of global conditions using a radiative transfer model for UV on Mars. The UV-induced degradation of ATP tested at 4.1 W m−2 UVC (200–280 nm), −10 °C, 7.1 mb, 95% CO2 gas composition, and an atmospheric opacity of τ = 0.1 yielded a half-life for ATP of 1342 kJ m−2; or extrapolated to approximately 22 sols on equatorial Mars with an atmospheric opacity of τ = 0.5 . Temperature was found to moderately affect ATP degradation rates under martian conditions; tests at −80 or 20 °C yielded ATP half-lives of 2594 or 1183 kJ m−2, respectively. The ATP degradation rates reported here are over 10 orders of magnitude slower than the UV-induced biocidal rates reported in the literature on the inactivation of strongly UV-resistant bacterial spores from Bacillus pumilus SAFR-032 [Schuerger, A.C., Richards, J.T., Newcombe, D.A., Venkateswaran, K.J., 2006. Icarus 181, 52–62]. Extrapolating results to global Mars conditions, residence times for a 99% reduction of ATP on spacecraft surfaces ranged from 158 sols on Sun-exposed surfaces to approximately 32,000 sols for the undersides of landers similar to Viking. However, spacecraft materials greatly affected the survival times of ATP under martian conditions. Stainless steel was found to enhance the UV degradation of ATP by over 2 orders of magnitude compared to ATP-doped iridited aluminum, graphite, and astroquartz coupons. Extrapolating these results to global conditions, ATP on stainless steel might be expected to persist between 2 and 320 sols for upper and lower surfaces of landers. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry data supported the conclusion that UV irradiation acted to remove the γ-phosphate group from ATP, and no evidence was observed for the UV-degradation of d -ribose or adenine moieties. Long residence times for ATP on spacecraft materials under martian conditions suggest that prelaunch cleaning protocols may need to be strengthened to mitigate against possible ATP contamination of life-detection experiments on Mars landers.
The Prosodic and Paralinguistic Features of Reading and Telling Stories.

Four teachers read and told preschool children well-known stories which were recorded. Two composite tapes were prepared from the recordings. Ten-second sections of tape were spliced together to fo...
Comparison of Clinical Assays for Serum Corticosteroids

We compared results obtained by ( a ) chemical (spectrophotometric) and competitive protein-binding assays for serum corticosteroids, and ( b ) competitive proteinbinding and radioimmunoassay, with and without CCl4 extraction, for serum cortisol. The two corticosteroid methods gave identical results. Radioimmunoassay with and without a CCl4 extraction step gave identical results for cortisol. Competitive protein-binding assays for cortisol (with and without CCl4 extraction) and radioimmunoassay for cortisol gave similar results. Specimens with above-normal corticosterone or 11-deoxycortisol concentrations are an exception: only methods that included CCl4 extraction gave correct values for cortisol; methods without such an extraction step overestimated cortisol. The normal serum corticosteroid concentration (mean ± SD) was 175 ± 53 µg/liter for morning specimens, and 103 ± 40 µg/liter for specimens collected in the afternoon. For cortisol, the corresponding values were 162 ± 44 and 82 ± 29 µg/liter.
Mesenchymal stromal cells for treatment of arthritis

Patients with refractory inflammatory arthritis can still respond favourable to autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. However, this treatment has a high morbidity and even 5% mortality. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC), a subset of the non-haematopoietic stromal cells obtained from bone marrow, were found to have a strong immunosuppressive effect. MSC treatment is explored in many diseases like diabetes, SLE, MS and RA. This review covers all relevant literature regarding MSC treatment of inflammatory arthritis (RA and JIA). This review contains data of in vitro studies, animal studies and clinical studies. The following subjects will be discussed in detail: properties of MSC, presence of MSC in the joint, intra-articular versus intravenous route, autologous versus allogeneic, ideal source of MSC, distribution, transdifferentiation, engraftment, rejection, efficacy and toxicology. After reading this review the reader will be totally updated in this quickly evolving field of MSC therapy.
Turbidites of the Aleutian abyssal plain: Mineralogy, provenance, and constraints for Cenozoic motion of the Pacific plate

The Aleutian abyssal plain is a fossil abyssal plain of Paleogene age in the western Gulf of Alaska. The plain is a large, southward-thinning turbidite apron now cut off from sediment sources by the Aleutian Trench. Turbidite sedimentation ceased about 30 m.y. ago, and the apron is now buried under a thick blanket of pelagic deposits. Turbidites of the plain were recovered at site 183 of the Deep Sea Drilling Project on the northern edge of the apron. The heavy-mineral fraction of sand-sized samples is mostly amphibole and epidote with minor pyroxene, garnet, and sphene. The light-mineral fraction is mostly quartzose debris and feldspars. Subordinate lithic fragments consist of roughly equal amounts of metamorphic, plutonic, sedimentary, and volcanic grains. The sand compositions are arkoses in many sandstone classifications, although if fine silt is included with clay as matrix, the sand deposits are feldspathic or lithofeldspathic graywacke. The sands are apparently first-cycle products of deep dissection into a plutonic terrane, and they contrast sharply with arc-derived volcanic sandstones of similar age common on the adjacent North American continental margin. The turbidite sands are stratigraphically remarkably constant in composition, which indicates derivation from virtually the same terrane through a time span approaching 20 m.y. Comparison of Aleutian plain data with the compositions of coeval sedimentary rocks from the northeast Pacific margin shows that the Kodiak shelf area includes possible proximal equivalents of the more distal turbidites. Derivation from the volcaniclastic Mesozoic flysch of the Shumagin-Kodiak shelf is unlikely; more probably the sediments were derived from primary plutonic sources. The turbidites also resemble deposits in the Chugach Mountains and the younger turbidites of the Alaskan abyssal plain and could conceivably have been derived from the coast ranges of southeastern Alaska or western British Columbia. The Aleutian plain sediment most likely was not derived from as far south as the Oregon-Washington continental margin, where coeval sedimentary deposits are dominantly volcaniclastic. This work lends some support to earlier suggestions that the fan-shaped turbidite body originated on the continental margin in the Gulf of Alaska, and it supports models of little or modest motion of the Pacific plate relative to North America. The mineralogy alone cannot refute more ambitious motion models, but when combined with previously published evidence on size of the plain, sediment thicknesses, and nan-nofossil species diversity, the data seriously constrain models requiring large-scale northwestward motion of the Pacific plate in post-Eocene time.
Spatial organization of binocular disparity sensitivity

Abstract The range of sensitivity to spatial modulation of disparity in a vertical line was investigated. The function obtained was not greatly altered by conditions of fixed aperture, constant number of cycles, high resolution, foveal or eccentric presentation. The simplest hypothesis to account for the observed disparity scaling of the upper disparity limit was a correlation between preferred sizes and disparities of cortical receptive fields. Binocular fusion shows a disparity scaling effect for sinusoidal variations in a vertical line, but little change for sinusoidal variations in a horizontal line or for rectangular variations in either direction. Fusion thus exhibits vertical/horizontal anisotropy but the effects are not explained by a sizedisparity correlation in cortical receptive fields.
Spontaneous growth of freestanding Ga nanoribbons from Cr2GaC surfaces

Herein we report on the room-temperature spontaneous growth of Ga freestanding nanoribbons from Cr2GaC surfaces. An oxidation-based model is proposed to explain the growth of the nanostructures. The nanoribbons present a unique opportunity to study the behavior of electrons confined to two dimensions. The production of these Ga nanostructures could be the first step in the manufacture of gallium arsenide or nitride devices with enhanced characteristics for photonic, electronic, and catalytic applications.
Trade, development and converging growth rates Dynamic gains from trade reconsidered

Abstract Within an endogenous growth framework, we examine dynamic gains from trade for parametrically distinct countries. In the absence of international spillovers or factor mobility, previous endogenous growth models generally imply that trade in goods must amplify differences in (1) factor endowments, (2) rates of technical change and (3) economic growth. Even the dynamic HOS model suggests that trade intensifies differences in endogenous factor endowments. In contrast, we present a model where trade in goods alone is sufficient to reduce differences in rates of growth, technological change and factor endowments between leader and laggard economies. The key to the reduction in the gap in growth rates is that both human capital and technological change are not just endogenous, but that their respective costs of accumulation interact. Since skilled and unskilled labor is endogenous, we can also derive implications for cross-country relative wage movements.
The role of the insulin control element and RIPE3b1 activators in glucose-stimulated transcription of the insulin gene.

The most important regulator of insulin expression in islet beta-cells is glucose, which stimulates insulin gene transcription, protein synthesis, and secretion. Glucose-induced insulin gene transcription is regulated by cis-acting elements found within the 5'-flanking region of the insulin gene. We previously demonstrated that the insulin control element (ICE, -100 to -91) and RIPE3b1 (-115 to -107) elements mediated this response in the HIT T-15 beta-cell line. In this study, we examined more closely how these insulin gene control elements regulate glucose-induced transcription. RIPE3b1 element binding was shown to be induced by glucose in both mouse beta TC-6 and beta TC-3 cell lines, although higher glucose concentrations were necessary in the beta-cells (beta TC-6) that responded to physiological glucose concentrations. RIPE3b1 binding was also regulated in glucose-stimulated beta- cells by various effectors of this response. The RIPE3b1 or ICE elements were shown to independently direct glucose-stim...
Trends in bilateral oophorectomy at the time of hysterectomy for benign disease.

OBJECTIVE: To identify patient characteristics associated with bilateral oophorectomy or removal of remaining ovary at the time of benign hysterectomy, and to estimate trends in the performance of oophorectomy from 2001 to 2006. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional analysis using the New York State Department of Health Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System. Women aged 18 years or older undergoing hysterectomies for benign gynecologic conditions were included. We evaluated factors associated with oophorectomy on both univariable and multivariable analyses and assessed for changes in performance of oophorectomy over the course of the study. RESULTS: Forty-seven percent of 144,877 hysterectomies included oophorectomy. Women who underwent oophorectomy were older and were more likely to have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, a personal history of breast cancer, ovarian cysts, or endometriosis. Women who underwent vaginal or laparoscopic hysterectomy or had uterine prolapse were less likely to undergo oophorectomy. Both race and insurance status were associated with performance of oophorectomy. From 2001 to 2006, there was an 8% absolute decrease in the performance of oophorectomy at the time of benign hysterectomy for women of all ages, with a 10.4% decrease in women aged younger than 55 (P for trend <.001).
Modulation of Intestinal Functions Following Mycotoxin Ingestion: Meta-Analysis of Published Experiments in Animals

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of fungi that can cause serious health problems in animals, and may result in severe economic losses. Deleterious effects of these feed contaminants in animals are well documented, ranging from growth impairment, decreased resistance to pathogens, hepato- and nephrotoxicity to death. By contrast, data with regard to their impact on intestinal functions are more limited. However, intestinal cells are the first cells to be exposed to mycotoxins, and often at higher concentrations than other tissues. In addition, mycotoxins specifically target high protein turnover- and activated-cells, which are predominant in gut epithelium. Therefore, intestinal investigations have gained significant interest over the last decade, and some publications have demonstrated that mycotoxins are able to compromise several key functions of the gastrointestinal tract, including decreased surface area available for nutrient absorption, modulation of nutrient transporters, or loss of barrier function. In addition some mycotoxins facilitate persistence of intestinal pathogens and potentiate intestinal inflammation. By contrast, the effect of these fungal metabolites on the intestinal microbiota is largely unknown. This review focuses on mycotoxins which are of concern in terms of occurrence and toxicity, namely: aflatoxins, ochratoxin A and Fusarium toxins. Results from nearly 100 published experiments (in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo) were analyzed with a special attention to the doses used.
Trade-ins, Mental Accounting, and Product Replacement Decisions

When a consumer who already owns a durable‐type product in a category faces the opportunity to upgrade to a new, higher‐quality product, the replacement purchase decision is driven by both normative economic factors and psychological factors. As a normative decision maker, s/he considers the purchase price of the new alternative, but s/he additionally considers the mental cost of retiring the old product before s/he has gotten his/her money’s worth out of it. During ownership of a product, a consumer mentally depreciates the initial purchase price, thus creating a “mental book value” for the product. The write‐off of this mental book value is felt as the mental cost of a replacement purchase. Based on the principles of mental accounting and mental depreciation, I provide a theoretical explanation for this mental cost and why an individual’s replacement purchase decision may be more sensitive to the mental cost than the marginal cost. When applied appropriately, mental accounting can serve a useful purpose...
Applications of polyconvexity and strong ellipticity to nonlinear elasticity and elastic plate theory

These notes consist of two main parts. In the first are described some recent results on the practical adaptation of polyconvexity criteria to models of nonlinearly elastic isotropic and transversely isotropic solids. The second part is concerned with the application of strong ellipticity in three dimensions to the construction of two-dimensional models for the combined bending and stretching of thin plates.
The 2 + 1 paradigm: an efficient algorithm for central reading of Mayo endoscopic subscores in global multicenter phase 3 ulcerative colitis clinical trials

Despite its importance and potential impact in clinical trials, central reading continues to be an under-represented topic in the literature about inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) clinical trials. Although several IBD studies have incorporated central reading to date, none have fully detailed the specific methodology with which the reads were conducted. Here we outline key principles for designing an efficient central reading paradigm for an ulcerative colitis (UC) study that addresses regulatory, operational and clinical expectations. As a step towards standardization of read methodology for the growing number of multicenter phase 3 clinical trials in IBD, we have applied these principles to the design of an optimal read methodology that we call the ‘2 þ 1 paradigm.’ The 2 þ 1 paradigm involves the use of both site and central readers, validated scoring criteria and multiple measures for blinding readers, all of which contribute to reducing bias and generating a reliable endoscopic subscore that reflects endoscopic disease severity. The paradigm can be utilized while maintaining a practical workflow compatible with an operationally feasible clinical trial. The 2 þ 1 paradigm represents a logical approach to endoscopic assessment in IBD clinical trials, one that should be considered attractive to prospective sponsors, contract research organizations, key opinion leaders and regulatory authorities and be ready for implementation and further evaluation.
Penalized or Protected? Gender and the Consequences of Nonstandard and Mismatched Employment Histories:

Millions of workers are employed in positions that deviate from the full-time, standard employment relationship or work in jobs that are mismatched with their skills, education, or experience. Yet, little is known about how employers evaluate workers who have experienced these employment arrangements, limiting our knowledge about how part-time work, temporary agency employment, and skills underutilization affect workers' labor market opportunities. Drawing on original field and survey experiment data, I examine three questions: (1) What are the consequences of having a nonstandard or mismatched employment history for workers' labor market opportunities? (2) Are the effects of nonstandard or mismatched employment histories different for men and women? and (3) What are the mechanisms linking nonstandard or mismatched employment histories to labor market outcomes? The field experiment shows that skills underutilization is as scarring for workers as a year of unemployment, but that there are limited penalties for workers with histories of temporary agency employment. Additionally, although men are penalized for part-time employment histories, women face no penalty for part-time work. The survey experiment reveals that employers' perceptions of workers' competence and commitment mediate these effects. These findings shed light on the consequences of changing employment relations for the distribution of labor market opportunities in the "new economy."
Towards a Model of Positive Youth Development Specific to Girls of Color: Perspectives on Development, Resilience, and Empowerment

This paper presents a feminist theoretical model of adolescent development for girls of color, a model that can be used to critique and resist the dominant deficit-oriented perspectives about girls of color that appear in research and educational contexts. We integrate ecological, phenomenological, and critical race feminist perspectives on development and socialization and emphasize that girls’ emerging identities are complexly heterogeneous. Our model adapts the competencies of the existing positive youth development model (Lerner et al. in J Early Adolesc 25(1):10–16, 2005) by infusing them with a critical feminist lens that emphasizes critical consciousness, resistance, and resilience and allows us to specify the model to fit the experiences of and contexts in which girls of color develop. This paper includes a presentation of our conceptual model and uses qualitative data to examine how components of our model map on to the everyday experiences of Black and Latina adolescent girls and their development.
Erratum to “Temperature Dependence of the Elastic Constants of Doped Silicon” [Jun 15 730-741]

There is an error in one set of values listed in Table III, page 735. The cell in the 4th row from the bottom (Ring ) and rightmost column (P6.6) should read “-3.05 / -58.10 / 19.46”, not “-58.10 / -30.99 / 19.46”.
Ribonucleic acid synthesis by spermatozoa from the rat and hamster.

Abstract Spermatozoa from the cauda of the epididymis of the hamster and rat were incubated with [5-3H]uridine and glucose. By using a procedure avoiding bacterial and other cellular contamination, sonic extracts were prepared and digested with deoxyribonuclease and Pronase. Radioactive RNA of high molecular weight was isolated by two methods: (a) gel filtration on Sephadex G-75 columns and (b) polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis in which it migrated in the region of 28S and 23S RNA markers. The macromolecules were alkali-labile and hydrolysed by ribonuclease. From 3H radioactivity and E260 of the isolated RNA the rate of incorporation of uridine into RNA of spermatozoa was calculated to be 0.1–0.5nmol/h per mg of RNA.
A comparison between physical education majors and nonmajors in certain personality traits.

Abstract This study was designed to investigate possible differences between physical education majors and nonmajors in certain personality traits, and between freshman and sophomore majors in these same traits. The Guilford-Zimmerman Temperament Survey was administered to 22 freshman women physical education majors, 22 sophomore physical education majors, and 77 freshman and sophomore nonmajors. The comparison between physical education majors and nonmajors showed that the majors scored significantly higher at the .01 level on only one trait, that of General Activity. In comparing freshman majors and sophomore majors, there was a significant difference only in Sociability, the freshman majors scoring higher.
The Recuperation of Hindu Manhood:Echoes of the Past in Present Day Hindu Nationalism

作者在此文中阐明印度的民族主义话语和特有的男子气质的使用之间的密切关系。根据肯尼斯·伯克(Kenneth:Burke)的代表人物轶事的概念,作者研究了两个来自不同历史时期的著名印度民族主义领袖斯瓦米·维韦卡南达(Swami Vivekananda)和考沃卡(M.S.Golwalkar)。首先,作者确认这两个领袖的核心言论中具有代表性的轶事,并讨论这两个领袖如何通过强化印度男子身上某一种特定的男子气概的办法来试图抵抗英国殖民统治中将印度作为效果(effect)的建构;然后指出这两个领袖所依靠的这些代表性的轶事揭示了他们各自领导的民族主义运动的差异,而这些差异仍影响着当代印度的民族主义运动。
Laser application in the tracheobronchial tree.

The treatment of airway obstruction has been advanced by the use of lasers. The otolaryngologist must be familiar with the laser wavelengths available presently. He or she should be aware of the precautions and contraindications for laser surgery of the airway. This article reviews the necessary information for the surgeon to perform safe, effective laser surgery of the tracheobronchial tree.
Cloud Adoption by Fine-Grained Resource Adaptation: Price Determination of Diagonally Scalable IaaS

Cloud computing is a suitable solution for addressing the uncertainty of resource demand by allowing dynamic resource adjustment. However, most IaaS cloud providers offer their services with a limited granularity at rather slow scaling speeds and flat pricing schemes. Diagonal scaling techniques can offer a more adaptive and fine-grained service with a likewise granular pricing model. Before offering such an adaptive service, cloud providers need a comparison between horizontal and diagonal scaling models to estimate how resource prices can be increased while still staying competitive. In this paper we examine the resource reduction potential of diagonal scaling in comparison to conventional horizontal approaches. Given an empirical load pattern of a web application provider we find a CPU allocation reduction potential of 8.05 % compared to the conventional service. Given a more fine-grained pricing model, we find an additional revenue potential for diagonal scaling of 9.01 % when following a competitor based pricing regime.
Effects of Hepcidin, Ferritin, and Iron Deprivation on Erythroid Colony Formation in Vitro.

The anemia of chronic disease (ACD) results from a combination of three pathologic processes. In ACD, a modest shortening of red cell survival creates an increased demand for red cell production, which is not met because of an impaired erythropoietic response and defects in reticuloendothelial iron mobilization and utilization. The impaired erythropoietic response, in turn, has two components: a blunted erythropoietin response, and an impaired response of erythroid progenitors to erythropoietin. Recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) can reverse this impaired progenitor response in vitro, and can also correct ACD in patients. These processes have generally been considered effects of the cytokines which mediate the immune and inflammatory response, such as tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-1, and the interferons. It has recently been proposed that hepcidin, a mediator of innate immunity with the iron regulatory properties, is the factor responsible for ACD. If this is the case, then hepcidin should be able to induce the pathophysiologic mechanisms implicated in ACD. We therefore evaluated the effects of hepcidin and associated phenomena on human CFU-E colony formation in vitro. All CFU-E cultures were performed in plasma clots in serum-containing medium with rhEPO 1 U/mL. Hepcidin at concentrations 10 ng/mL -10 μg/mL had no effect on CFU-E colony formation. A number of studies have demonstrated that increased hepcidin message expression and protein production are strongly associated with increases in serum ferritin concentrations, and so the effect of added ferritin on erythroid colony formation was studied. Neither ferritin nor apo-ferritin 10 – 1000 ng/mL had inhibitory effects on CFU-E colony formation. The effect of iron deprivation on erythroid colony formation was evaluated with using desferrioxamine. Desferrioxamine 0.01mM decreased CFU-E colony formation to 60% of control values, while higher concentrations completely ablated colony growth. In summary, hepcidin does not appear to inhibit CFU-E colony formation directly or indirectly through ferritin. It may exert such an effect by decreasing availability of iron for erythropoiesis; however, such a finding would be difficult to reconcile with the observed clinical response of ACD to rhEPO, given that iron availability is typically a limiting factor in the erythropoietic response to rhEPO. The role of hepcidin in the overall pathogenesis of ACD remains to be fully determined.
A retrospective study of anti‐inflammatory use in dogs with pulmonary blastomycosis: 139 cases (2002–2012)

Objective To determine the effect of anti-inflammatory medications on 30-day survival of dogs treated for pulmonary blastomycosis. Design Retrospective study. Setting University teaching hospital. Animals One hundred thirty nine client-owned dogs with confirmed pulmonary blastomycosis. Measurements and Main Results The medical records of dogs diagnosed with pulmonary blastomycosis between May 2002 and October 2012 were identified. Of 139 dogs, 85 (61%) survived to 30 days, 38 (27%) were euthanized due to progressive clinical disease, 13 (10%) died secondary to respiratory or cardiac arrest, and 3 (2%) did not survive to 30 days but had an unknown cause of death. Cases were classified based on the anti-inflammatory therapy that was used: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), corticosteroids, both, or none. Controlling for the effects of itraconazole dose, sex, age, and pretreatment with anti-inflammatory medication, the odds for survival to 30 days was not statistically different between dogs who received no anti-inflammatory medication and the dogs who received NSAIDs (P = 0.86), corticosteroids (P = 0.65), or both (P = 0.27). The need for supplemental oxygen was associated with decreased survival (P < 0.0001). Conclusions In this population of dogs with pulmonary blastomycosis, the use of anti-inflammatory medications during therapy did not impact 30-day survival; however, the need for oxygen supplementation was associated with significantly lower survival.
Fracture Problems in a Nonhomogeneous Medium

Most materials one has to deal with in problems relating to geophysics are generally nonhomogeneous. For example, in the lower end of the scale rocks, which are generally assumed to be homogeneous in bulk, usually consist of grains of relatively very high modulus and grain boundary filling material of lower modulus. In the higher end of the scale the layered and stacked big bulks of materials forming the earth’s crust may obviously have very different mechanical properties. Thus, from the grain boundary separation in rocks to the propagation of large cracks in the crust running into or going through the interfaces separating two different materials one is basically dealing with fracture of a nonhomogeneous medium.
Lecture 6 – Resolution and Reconstitution of Oxidative Phosphorylation

If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time–a tremendous whack.
Mermitian Matrix Models with Nonholomorphic Potential

Hermitian matrix models with general potential are considered. We obtainVirasoro constraints for such models and show that, in the case of polynomialpotential, they are equivalent to standard Virasoro constraints. Scalingproperties of such models are discussed.
Human papillomavirus vaccine initiation in Asian Indians and Asian subpopulations: a case for examining disaggregated data in public health research.

Abstract Objectives Vaccine disparities research often focuses on differences between the five main racial and ethnic classifications, ignoring heterogeneity of subpopulations. Considering this knowledge gap, we examined human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine initiation in Asian Indians and Asian subpopulations. Study design National Health Interview Survey data (2008–2013), collected by the National Center for Health Statistics, were analyzed. Methods Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted on adults aged 18–26 years ( n = 20,040). Results Asian Indians had high income, education, and health insurance coverage, all positive predictors of preventative health engagement and vaccine uptake. However, we find that Asian Indians had comparatively lower rates of HPV vaccine initiation (odds ratio = 0.41; 95% confidence interval = 0.207–0.832), and foreign-born Asian Indians had the lowest rate HPV vaccination of all subpopulations (2.3%). Conclusions Findings substantiate the need for research on disaggregated data rather than evaluating vaccination behaviors solely across standard racial and ethnic categories. We identified two populations that were initiating HPV vaccine at abysmal levels: foreign-born persons and Asian Indians. Development of culturally appropriate messaging has the potential to improve these initiation rates and improve population health.
Ultrasensitive Detection of Chimerism by Single-Molecule Molecular Inversion Probe Capture and High-Throughput Sequencing of Copy Number Deletion Polymorphisms.

BACKGROUND: Genomic chimerism, the co-occurrence of cells from different genetic origins, provides important diagnostic information in diverse clinical contexts, including graft injury detection and longitudinal surveillance of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients, but existing assays are limiting. Here we applied single-molecule molecular inversion probes (smMIPs), a high-throughput sequencing technology combining multiplexed target capture with read quantification mediated by unique molecular identifiers, to detect chimerism based on the presence or absence of polymorphic genomic loci. METHODS: We designed a 159-smMIP panel targeting 40 autosomal regions of frequent homozygous deletion across human populations and 2 sex-linked loci. We developed methods for detecting and quantitating loci absent from 1 cell population but present in another, which could be used to sensitively identify chimeric cell populations. RESULTS: Unrelated individuals and first-degree relatives were highly polymorphic across the loci examined. Using synthetic DNA mixtures, limits of detection of at least 1 in 10000 chimeric cells were demonstrated without prior knowledge of genotypes, and mixtures of up to 4 separate donors could be deconvoluted. Quantitative linearity over 4 orders of magnitude and false-positive rates CONCLUSIONS: smMIPs are scalable to high sensitivity and large numbers of informative markers, enabling ultrasensitive chimerism detection for many clinical purposes.
Claiming a hybrid language, seeking a hybrid form: From the vernacular to digital media in Robert Antoni’s As Flies to Whatless Boys (2013)

Starting with reflections on the genealogical and formal issues surrounding Caribbean fiction, Robert Antoni provides in this article an introduction to his latest book, As Flies to Whatless Boys (...
The Rebuilding of an Outdoor Identity

This chapter explores the metamorphosis of outdoorswomen’s identity when becoming mothers. Using a feminist lens, informal interviews, and anecdotal circles, the chapter focuses on women who have been in the outdoor industry and their transition within or out of jobs and lifestyles that include adventure, risk, and time in remote settings. Primary and secondary sources inform the research. Whilst the author’s positionality fits squarely in heteronormative paradigms, this chapter may appeal to single and married women, both lesbian and straight. Using the voices of the mothers themselves, three aspects of identity are explored: physical fitness, independence, and adventure. This chapter celebrates the positive learnings that emanate from sometimes challenging transitions.
Physiology and therapy of bacteremic shock: Experimental and clinical observations

OR THE past few years we have studied irreversible shock in the dog caused by prolonged hemorrhage, endotoxins or vasopressor agents. The dog has been used exclusively in these studies in an attempt to make a continuing study in one species; although there are many individual differences between the various species of mammals, the general physiologic principles are surprisingly constant among the mammals. Gram-negative bacterial shock or bacteremic shock was first described over 50 years ago in the German literature.’ Much has since been learned about this type of shock; but most important is the fact that the lipopolysaccharide or endotoxin within the cell wall is responsible for the hypotensive effects of these gram-negativ,e bacteria; hence the term endotoxin shock.2 Endotoxin causes shock by its sympathomimetic-like effect resulting in intense vasospasm in small arteries and veins in selected areas of the body, more particularlyin the I-isceral organs of a variety of species of
The Vascular Ornithine Decarboxylase/Polyamine System in Deoxycorticosterone Acetate-Salt Hypertension

The present study was conducted to assess the time course of alterations in vascular polyamines and the associated changes in vascular structure and function in the deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt (DOCA-salt) rat. Cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in these alterations were examined in mesenteric resistance arteries at 1, 3, and 6 weeks of DOCA-salt treatment. Blood pressure increased progressively over the 6 week treatment period. Vascular polyamine contents and ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity were increased at all 3 time points in DOCA-salt rats. In contrast to ODC activity, ODC mRNA content was unaltered at 1 and 3 weeks and was significantly decreased at 6 weeks in DOCA-salt rats. Significant alterations in vascular structure and function accompanied the changes in the ODC/polyamine system. Coupled with previous reports from our laboratory, these data suggest that alterations in the ODC/polyamine system and the subsequent elevation in polyamines are required for the vascular changes observed in DOCA-salt hypertension.
Easily interpretable bulk flows: continuing tension with the standard cosmological model

We present an improved Minimal Variance (MV) method for using a radial peculiar velocity sample to estimate the average of the three-dimensional velocity field over a spherical volume, which leads to an easily interpretable bulk flow measurement. The only assumption required is that the velocity field is irrotational. The resulting bulk flow estimate is particularly insensitive to smaller scale flows. We also introduce a new constraint into the MV method that ensures that bulk flow estimates are independent of the value of the Hubble constant $H_o$; this is important given the tension between the locally measured $H_o$ and that obtained from the cosmic background radiation observations. We apply our method to the \textit{CosmicFlows-3} catalogue and find that, while the bulk flows for shallower spheres are consistent with the standard cosmological model, there is some tension between the bulk flow in a spherical volume with radius $150$\hmpc\ and its expectations; we find only a $\sim 2\%$ chance of obtaining a bulk flow as large or larger in the standard cosmological model with \textit{Planck} parameters
Abstract TP456: Code Brain or Code Cluster: The Significance of Stroke Education for In-House Patients

Background: The AHA/ASA guidelines for acute stroke management recommends stroke education. Rapid recognition and response to acute stroke warning signs is linked to improved functional outcome. De...
Enantioselective Copper Catalyzed Alkyne-Azide Cycloaddition by Dynamic Kinetic Resolution

The copper(I) catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition (CuAAC), a click reaction, is one of the most powerful catalytic reactions developed during the last two decades. Conducting CuAAC enantioselectively would add a third dimension to this reaction and would enable the direct synthesis of α-chiral triazoles. Doing so is demanding because the two precursors have linear geometries, and the triazole product is a flat heterocycle. Designing a chiral catalyst is further complicated by the complex mechanism of CuAAC. We report an enantioselective CuAAC (E-CuAAC), enabled by dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR). The E-CuAAC is high yielding and affords up to 99:1 er. The E-CuAAC can directly generate α-chiral triazoles in a complex molecular environment.
G2G Marketing from Crisis to Resolution: Marketing for when the Government must Target the Government: An Abstract

In public policy marketing (PPM), government agencies play dual roles as both clients and suppliers to each other at times. Just as with business-to-business (B2B) marketing, government segments must solicit funds from other government agencies and distribute funds to other government agencies. Examples include state interactions with federal agencies (as clients) when requesting competitively distributed disaster funding from the federal government (e.g., for flood mitigation after a hurricane), the US Department of Transportation funding to State Departments of Transportation for highway construction, US Department of Housing and Urban Development funding to state and local governments for housing assistance, or federal government funding to state universities (grants from SBA, NSF, NIH, etc.). States also act as suppliers distributing funds to local governments for housing assistance, health and welfare systems, etc. When a catastrophe spreads across several states, states essentially compete to receive as much as possible of the federal funds pie. Just as with for-profit industries and social profit enterprises, governments are in competition for market share. We denote the process of facilitating this dual solicitation/distribution role involving governmental entity’s exchange is called “Government to Government Marketing” (G2G marketing for short).
Practical Guidance to Implementing Quality Management Systems in Public Health Laboratories Performing Next-Generation Sequencing: Personnel, Equipment, and Process Management (Phase 1).

ABSTRACT Quality standards as part of an effective quality management system (QMS) are the cornerstone for generating high-quality test results. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has the potential to improve both clinical diagnostics and public health surveillance efforts in multiple areas, including infectious diseases. However, the laboratories adopting NGS methods face significant challenges due to the complex and modular process design. This document summarizes the first phase of quality system guidance developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) NGS Quality Workgroup. The quality system essentials of personnel, equipment, and process management (quality control and validation) were prioritized based on a risk assessment using information gathered from participating CDC laboratories. Here, we present a prioritized QMS framework, including procedures and documentation tools, to assist laboratory implementation and maintenance of quality practices for NGS workflows.
Engaging Youth (Adolescents and Young Adults) to Change Frequent Marijuana Use: Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) in Primary Care

Abstract Purpose To characterize information elicited from adolescent/young adults with frequent cannabis use in Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET), and determine whether differences exist across stages of change (SOC) for reducing use. Design and methods Primary care patients 15–24 years old using cannabis ≥3 times/week enrolled in a pilot randomized intervention trial. All youth were offered two 1-hour MET sessions. Content analysis was used to code and categorize main reasons for use, alternative behaviors, goals, values, pros and cons of change, and compared results between youth in Pre-Contemplation vs. Contemplation SOC. Results Fifty-six youth completed MET session 1, 46 completed session 2. Most reported their main reason for use was related to emotional coping, negative feelings were a top-3 trigger, and distraction was an alternative way to meet their needs. Youth most frequently described progress in education or career/job as 1-year goals. More than half identified family as a very important value. They most frequently reported pros of using less related to achieving goals, self-improving, and saving money, and a con related to stress/coping. Compared to youth in Pre-Contemplation SOC, those in Contemplation were more likely to identify relationships as both a pro and con of using less cannabis. Conclusions MET can reveal developmentally appropriate goals, healthy values, and ambivalence about cannabis use that can be used to facilitate movement along the stages of behavior change toward reduction/cessation. Practice implications Brief motivational therapy can be used in primary care to gather information important in helping youth to reduce cannabis use.
Sex-specific transgenerational plasticity in threespined sticklebacks

Transgenerational plasticity (TGP) - when parental environments alter the phenotype of future generations - can influence how organisms cope with environmental change. An intriguing, underexplored possibility is that sex - of both the parent and the offspring - plays an important role in driving the evolution of transgenerational plasticity in both adaptive and nonadaptive ways. Here, we evaluate the potential for sex-specific TGP in a freshwater population of threespined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) by independently and jointly manipulating maternal and paternal experiences and separately evaluating their phenotypic effects in sons versus daughters. We tested the adaptive hypothesis that daughters are more responsive to cues from their mother, while sons are more responsive to cues from their father. We exposed mothers, fathers, or both parents to visual cues of predation risk and measured offspring antipredator traits and brain gene expression. Predator-exposed fathers produced sons that were more risk-prone, while predator-exposed mothers produced more anxious sons and daughters. Further, maternal and paternal effects on offspring survival were nonadditive: offspring with a predator-exposed father, but not two predator-exposed parents, had lower survival against live predators. There were also strong sex-specific effects on brain gene expression: exposing mothers versus fathers to predation risk activated different transcriptional profiles in their offspring, and sons and daughters strongly differed in the ways in which their brain gene expression profiles were influenced by parental experience. We found little evidence to support the hypothesis that offspring prioritize their same-sex parent9s experience. TGP varied with both the sex of the parent and the offspring in complicated and nonadditive ways. Failing to account for these sex-specific patterns (e.g., by pooling sons and daughters) would have underestimated the magnitude of TGP. Altogether, these results draw attention to the potential for sex to influence patterns of TGP and raise new questions about the interface between transgenerational plasticity and sex-specific selective pressures, sexual conflict, and sexual selection.