cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Early Formation of Ettringite in Tricalcium Aluminate–Calcium Hydroxide–Gypsum Dispersions

The formation of hydrates in dispersions of cubic tricalcium aluminate (C3A)–calcium hydroxide–gypsum was observed using soft X-ray transmission microscopy. This technique allows the continuous imaging of the hydration process without the introduction of drying artifacts. Within minutes, microcrystalline hydrates covered the C3A particles but over time large prismatic ettringite crystals are precipitated suppressing the microcrystalline hydrates. Within the resolution of the technique, no protective hydrated layer on the surface of C3A particles was observed.
Information Bounds for Decentralized Sequential Detection

The main purpose of this paper is to develop an asymptotic theory for the decentralized sequential hypothesis testing problems under the frequentist framework. Sharp asymptotic bounds on the average sample numbers or sample sizes of sequential or fixed-sample tests are provided in the decentralized decision systems in different scenarios subject to error probabilities constraints. Asymptotically optimal tests are offered in the system with full local memory. Optimal binary quantizers are also studied in the case of additive Gaussian sensor noises.
Multicriteria Analysis in an Irrigation District in Mexico

The Alto Rio Lerma Irrigation District, located in the state of Guanajuato in Mexico, is an agricultural area whose sustainability depends partially upon groundwater withdrawal for crop irrigation. Because of high pumping demands and current land-management practices, groundwater levels have declined severely, resulting in aquifer overdraft. In order to analyze economic, environmental, and water use problems in this region, 12 potential cropping patterns were generated for different groundwater withdrawals using linear programming. Then, simulation of the agricultural system was performed using GLEAMS to estimate the amounts of water, nitrate, and pesticides in both runoff and percolation for each cropping pattern. Pumping costs and an aquifer exploitation coefficient account for the economic and environmental impacts of aquifer overdraft. Finally, the Range of Value Method (multicriteria method) was applied to rank and identify the best cropping pattern. The results show the best alternative for effectiv...
Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Plays a Key Role in the Pathogenesis of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

Endoplasmic reticulum stress resulting from abnormal folding of newly synthesized proteins impairs metabolism, transcriptional regulation, and gene expression, and it is a key mechanism of cell injury. Endoplasmic reticulum stress plays an important role in cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and diabetes. We evaluated the role for this phenomenon in diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Endoplasmic reticulum stress manifest in upregulation of multiple components of unfolded protein response was identified in neural tissues (sciatic nerve, spinal cord) of streptozotocin diabetic rats and mice. A chemical chaperone, trimethylamine oxide, administered for 12 weeks after induction of diabetes (110 mg⋅kg−1⋅d−1, a prevention paradigm) attenuated endoplasmic reticulum stress, peripheral nerve dysfunction, intraepidermal nerve fiber loss, and sciatic nerve and spinal cord oxidative-nitrative stress in streptozotocin diabetic rats. Similar effects on diabetes-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress and peripheral nerve dysfunction were observed with a structurally unrelated chemical chaperone, 4-phenylbutyric acid (100 mg⋅kg−1⋅d−1, intraperitoneal). CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP)−/− mice made diabetic with streptozotocin displayed less severe sciatic nerve oxidative-nitrative stress and peripheral neuropathy than the wild-type (C57Bl6/J) mice. Neither chemical chaperones nor CHOP gene deficiency reduced diabetic hyperglycemia. Our findings reveal an important role of endoplasmic reticulum stress in the development of diabetic peripheral neuropathy and identify a potential new therapeutic target.
Pyriform sinus perforation secondary to traumatic intubation in a difficult airway patient

Pyriform sinus perforation is a relatively rare complication of endotracheal intubation in anesthesia. It can occur after traumatic intubation and is potentially lethal. We recently encountered a patient who developed perforation of the left pyriform sinus when intubation was performed emergently by an inexperienced person in a difficult situation outside the operating room. Clinical manifestations and implications of this complication are discussed.
Amphidorini Leconte (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) of Arizona: Keys and Species Accounts

Abstract The tenebrionid tribe Amphidorini LeConte from the state of Arizona is herein reviewed. Amphidorini is represented in Arizona by four genera. Trogloderus LeConte and Neobaphion Blaisdell are each represented by a single species, Embaphion Say by three species, and Eleodes Eschscholtz by 34 species. Keys for genus and species identification are provided along with species accounts containing diagnoses, distributional ranges, and images. A complementary on—line dynamic checklist, available on the Symbiota Collections of Arthropods Network (SCAN), is presented.
Recovering Structured Signals in Noise: Least-Squares Meets Compressed Sensing

The typical scenario that arises in most “big data” problems is one where the ambient dimension of the signal is very large (e.g., high resolution images, gene expression data from a DNA microarray, social network data, etc.), yet is such that its desired properties lie in some low dimensional structure (sparsity, low-rankness, clusters, etc.). In the modern viewpoint, the goal is to come up with efficient algorithms to reveal these structures and for which, under suitable conditions, one can give theoretical guarantees. We specifically consider the problem of recovering such a structured signal (sparse, low-rank, block-sparse, etc.) from noisy compressed measurements. A general algorithm for such problems, commonly referred to as generalized LASSO, attempts to solve this problem by minimizing a least-squares cost with an added “structure-inducing” regularization term (l1 norm, nuclear norm, mixed l2/l1 norm, etc.). While the LASSO algorithm has been around for 20 years and has enjoyed great success in practice, there has been relatively little analysis of its performance. In this chapter, we will provide a full performance analysis and compute, in closed form, the mean-square-error of the reconstructed signal. We will highlight some of the mathematical vignettes necessary for the analysis, make connections to noiseless compressed sensing and proximal denoising, and will emphasize the central role of the “statistical dimension” of a structured signal.
The non–Huntington disease choreas: Five new things

Abstract Purpose of review: Chorea can be due to a wide variety of causes. In this review, I provide updates on several recently identified genetic and autoimmune causes of chorea, and review evidence supporting the use of deep brain stimulation in chorea. Recent findings: New genes that may cause chorea include ADCY5 (encoding for adenylate cyclase 5) C9ORF72 (in addition to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia), and those responsible for the neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation disorders. Novel autoantibodies are increasingly being identified as associated with a variety of neurologic syndromes, including chorea, in both paraneoplastic and non-paraneoplastic settings. Deep brain stimulation can be a useful intervention in patients with chorea who do not respond to oral medications, whether due to neurodegenerative or nondegenerative causes. Summary: New causes of chorea continue to be identified. Correct diagnosis is essential for prognostication and treatment.
ASSOCIATION OF HIGH CLOT BURDEN IN PULMONARY EMBOLISM WITH RIGHT HEART STRAIN AND IMMEDIATE ADVERSE CLINICAL EVENTS

CT Pulmonary Angiogram (CTPA) provides a volumetric assessment of clot burden associated with acute pulmonary embolism (PE). However, it is unclear if clot burden is associated with right heart strain (RHS) or clinical deterioration. We prospectively enrolled Emergency Department patients with PE
Declaring War: Congress, the President, and What the Constitution Does not Sayby Hallett, Brien: New York, Cambridge University Press, 2012. ISBN: 978-1-60857-3

Hallett's book provides a fascinating and novel interpretation of Congress's war powers and the American constitutional authority to declare war. The author's overriding theme is that Congress is u...
Gearing up for survival - HSP-containing granules accumulate in quiescent cells and promote survival.

INTRODUCTION The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae proliferates in a logarithmic fashion when growing in glucose-containing rich media. When all carbon sources in the environment are depleted, the yeast cells enter the stationary phase. There are two types of stationary cells: the quiescent (Q) cells, which temporarily cease dividing before nutrition replenishes, and the nonquiescent (NQ) cells that keep proliferating [1]. Both physical and biochemical differences exist between the Q and NQ cell types. For example, Q cells have a higher density and the mRNA and protein profiles in the two cell types are also profoundly different [2, 3]. Apart from these features, Q cells have been reported to have higher resistance to stress and a longer chronological lifespan.
A simple screening test for chronic granulomatous disease.

Leukocytes from 42 normal subjects were consistently stimulated to reduce nitroblue-tetrazolium (NBT) when incubated with heparin in a concentration of 100 units per ml. of whole blood. The same concentration of heparin did not cause NBT reduction by leukocytes from three patients with chronic granulomatous disease. Heparin-stimulated NBT reduction may prove useful as a simple screening procedure for chronic granulomatous disease.
Effects of Coarse Woody Debris and Soil Depth on the Density and Diversity of Soil Invertebrates on Clearcut and Forested Sites on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington

Arthropod density and species richness were determined using high-gradient extraction for soil on clearcut and late successional forests on the Olympic Peninsula, WA. Study objectives were to compare the effects of harvesting at different soil depths and distances from coarse woody debris. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was used to determine the effects of soil moisture, CO2 evolution, and 0 and A horizon depth on species composition. Soil depth had a greater effect on changes in density than did distance to woody debris. Densities of Acari, as well as total species richness, were significantly higher at 0–5 cm depths than at 5–10 cm despite significantly lower moisture content at the soil surface. Density of Acari and Coleoptera and species richness were significantly higher on forested sites than on clearcuts. There was a trend toward higher Collembolan density on clearcuts, but the difference was not significant because of the very different responses on dry and wet clearcuts sites. The results of CCA suggests moisture and O and A horizon depths were the most important quantitative environmental factors we measured in determining differences in species composition. Clearcutting appeared to have site specific-effects on wet and dry site locations. Low moisture and temperature extremes did not appear to limit microarthropod density. High rainfall accentuated by clearcutting was associated with lower O and A horizon depths and appeared to decrease Collembola and Coleoptera density on the wet clearcut.
Not Even Cold in Her Grave: How Postbereavement Remarried Couples Perceive Family Acceptance

ABSTRACTFollowing the interviews of 24 participants concerning the death of their spouse and subsequent remarriage, a pattern of unsolicited responses concerning perceived acceptance of family emerged. Through grounded theory qualitative analysis, a continuum of acceptance was developed ranging from welcoming acceptance to active disapproval. Themes that influenced the perceived level of acceptance were (a) the length of time between death and courtship; (b) the length of the courtship itself; and (c) the level of family involvement in the courtship. Findings support and enhance current literature on remarital adjustment, suggesting it is critical to not only include children, but also the extended family in which the family resides. Provisional hypotheses and clinical implications are provided to help clinicians navigate these complex family dynamics and potentially increase family support.
Molecular Epidemiological Survey on Vibrio cholerae in Chongqing City

Objective To determine the genetic relationships between different Vibrio cholerae isolates in Chongqing from 1992 to 2006. Method Chromosomal DNA from 94 isolates was digested in seakem gold agrose with restriction enzyme NotⅠ and plugs were then analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis(PFGE) patterns of V.cholerae isolates were clustered using BioNumerics software. Result 94 strains were clustered into 44 PFGE patterns when digested with NotⅠ. Most PFGE patterns were divided into cluster A or cluster B or cluster C. The patterns of toxigenic O139 strains isolated from turtles in the markets were identical with the patterns of strains appeared in the outbreaks. Conclusion The closely related pandemic clone clusters of V.cholerae strains did exist in Chongqing. Strains from turtle are highly homology with epidemic strains, which points out turtle might be one of the major sources of outbreaks. Sea food surveillance is one of important parts of cholera control strategy. PFGE of V.cholerae could be used for active surveillance and tracking for the source of cholerae.
Study on Characteristics of Maximum Power Frequency Electric Field Gradient on Ground and Maximum Sag of Bundle Conductor for UHVAC Transmission Line

The relation between geometric parameters of bundle conductor for UHVAC transmission line and the maximum power frequency electric field gradient on ground as well as the characteristic of the maximum power frequency electric field gradient on ground are studied; and the minimum heights of conductors above the ground and the widths of corridors for two basic conductor arrangements are given. The characteristics of operating temperature and the maximum sag of bundle conductors for UHVAC transmission line are also researched. From two respects, i.e., the variation of maximum sag of bundle conductors and the operating modes of power transmission for UHVAC transmission line, the reasonableness of security and economy of the limited range from 10kV/m to 12kV/m for maximum power frequency electric field gradient on ground is discussed. Finally, the geometric parameters for two basic kinds of UHVAC power transmission towers, i.e., the cathead tower and cup tower, are proposed.
HER2 status and disparities in luminal breast cancers.

National Comprehensive Care Network guidelines for adjuvant treatment of invasive breast cancer are based on HER2 and hormone receptor (HR) status, where HR+ disease encompasses all estrogen receptor (ER)+ and/or progesterone receptor (PR)+ tumors. We sought to explore clinical and demographic differences among patients with HR+ breast cancer subtypes, and the role of HER2 status, age, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (SES) in disease risk. We evaluated breast cancer subtype distribution, defined by HR and HER2 status, using patient clinical, demographic, and socioeconomic characteristics. Differences in HR categories by demographic and tumor characteristics were examined using chi-squared tests. Multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) to quantify associations between breast cancer HR status and demographic factors. We found that differences in HR+ (ER-/PR+ vs. ER+/PR- or ER+/PR+) tumor biology are likely clinically significant and may play a role in breast cancer, regardless of HER2 status. While clinical and patient characteristics differed within each luminal subtype, we found disparities in SES only among Luminal A (HR+/HER2-) tumors. Among HR+/HER2- cases, we observed that ER-/PR+ patients tend to live in areas of higher poverty (OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.03-1.40) and are 70% more likely to be aged 50 years or older. However, this pattern was not found in women with Luminal B (HR+/HER2+) disease (Poverty OR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.76-1.27; Age OR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.81-1.26). Racial/ethnic disparities among non-Hispanic black and Hispanic women persisted across HR+/HER2- cases compared to non-Hispanic white women. Our findings suggest that while race/ethnicity and SES are correlated, each plays an independent role in contributing to disease among Luminal A tumors. Further study is needed to investigate how tumor biology, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic disparities among HR+/HER2- cases may contribute to poorer patient prognosis.
Irreducible spaces of modular units

We give a representation-theoretic decomposition of the group of modular units of prime level. Apart from the formulation, the results obtained are contained in those of Gross [3].
Low Birth Weight and Risk of Later-Life Physical Disability in Women

Background There is strong evidence that low and high birth weight due to in-utero programming results in elevated risk for adult diseases, though less research has been performed examining the influence of birth weight and physical disability later in life. Methods Baseline data from 76,055 postmenopausal women in the Women's Health Initiative, a large multi-ethnic cohort, were used to examine the association between self-reported birth weight category (<6 lbs, 6-7 lbs 15 oz, 8-9 lbs 15 oz, and ≥10 lbs) and the self-reported physical functioning score on the RAND 36-item Health Survey. Linear regression models were adjusted for age, education, race/ethnicity, body mass index, and a comorbidity score. Results Unadjusted models indicate that women born in the lowest and highest birth weight categories have significantly lower physical functioning scores as compared to women born in the normal weight category (β = -2.22, p < .0001 and β = -3.56, p < .0001, respectively). After adjustments, the relationship between the lowest birth weight category and physical functioning score remained significant (β = -1.52, p < .0001); however, the association with the highest birth weight category dissipated. Conclusions Preconception and prenatal interventions aimed at reducing the incidence of low birth weight infants may subsequently reduce the burden of later-life physical disability.
Radium Ra 223 Dichloride Therapy in the Private Practice Environment.

Independent urology groups are currently availing themselves of the numerous life-extending therapies that have been US Food and Drug Administration–approved for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). As they bolster their groups’ capabilities to impact and extend patient lives, they are expanding their account offerings by integrating infusion suites (sipuleucel-T), dispensing pharmacies (abiraterone, enzalutamide), and hot laboratories (radium-223 [223Ra]). Each of these medicines has a unique mechanism of action that allows physicians to tailor treatment to an individual’s disease characteristics.
Electoral Incentives and the Costs of Indiscipline in the Ukrainian Rada

Does indiscipline hurt the electoral prospects of legislators? Using electoral and roll-call data from the Ukrainian Rada between 1994 to 2014, I test whether shirking affects the likelihood of Rada deputies running as partisan candidates and winning seats in the next election. I argue that the costs of indiscipline vary by electoral systems. I analyze the impact of ill-discipline on the electoral prospects of both single-member district (SMD) and proportional-representation (PR) deputies. The analysis shows that indiscipline has little cost for SMD deputies and modest costs for PR deputies.
The Scope of Intention: Action, Conduct, and Responsibility

Intention takes various forms. Must its objects be acts or activities? How much can be encompassed in the content of a single intention? Can intentions can have the content: to A for R, where ‘A’ ranges over act-types and ‘R’ over reasons for action, for instance to keep my promise? The question is particularly important on the widely accepted assumption that, for concrete actions (act-tokens) that are rational and have moral worth, both their rationality and their moral worth depend on the reason(s) for which they are performed. If intentions can have content of the form of ‘to A for R’, should we conclude that (contrary to the position of many philosophers) we have direct voluntary control of the reason(s) for which we act? If intentions cannot have such content, how can we intend to do, not just what we ought to do, but to do it with ‘moral worth’? This question is also raised by the idea that we can be commanded to treat others as ends in themselves – which presumably has moral worth. If the commandable is intendable, then, to understand commands and other directives, we need a theory of the scope of intention. This paper explores kinds and objects of intention, outlines an account of its scope, and brings out some implications of the account for moral responsibility.
Lemonade for Life—A pilot study on a hope-infused, trauma-informed approach to help families understand their past and focus on the future

Abstract The Adverse Childhood Experiences' (ACEs) research provided groundbreaking evidence that events that occur early in life can impede core life capabilities and lead to significant negative social, behavioral, and physical outcomes. While the research is widely known, the translation and application for use with families has been lacking. In response to this gap, Lemonade for Life was developed to help professionals who work directly with families understand how to use the ACEs research as a tool to build hope and resilience. A developmental evaluation was conducted to learn about how Lemonade for Life participants integrate ACEs in their work with families, as well as whether and how the Lemonade for Life training and materials influenced their work. Focus group and survey data were collected from 24 home visitors and parent educators and parent educators, who participated in a Lemonade for Life training. Findings indicate that Lemonade for Life may be a useful tool for translating ACEs research into practice with families. Participants perceived that following the integration of what they learned through Lemonade for Life into their work, the families they served were more engaged in services and better able to understand their past experiences and current life circumstances. Results suggest a continued need to assess and focus on the hope and mindset of professionals who work directly with families to optimize opportunities for change.
A Shared Authority: Essays on the Craft and Meaning of Oral and Public History. By Michael Frisch

Michael Frisch’s A Shared Authority: Essays on the Craft and Meaning of Oral and Public History was published in 1990. It was followed the next year by three other seminal collections of essays in ...
P4.108 Increasing hiv testing of emergency department (ED) patients with increased risk for hiv and their partners and peers through provision of home hiv self-testing kits and linkage to internet-based recruitment for hiv testing – a pilot randomization study of a novel ed intervention

Introduction Many emergency department (ED) patients with significant risks for HIV accept testing when offered in the ED but otherwise do not test for HIV on a regular basis. EDs could potentially serve as a portal for increasing HIV testing for this population beyond the ED. We conducted a pilot study to determine the acceptability of home HIV self-testing (HIVST) after the ED visit. Methods In 2016, a pilot randomised study was conducted in an urban ED in Baltimore where an HIV screening program operated. Patients who accepted ED testing and were identified as having increased risk for HIV were enrolled. Consented patients were randomised to the HIVST group (received an oral fluid HIV home test kit), or control group (received a pamphlet regarding the importance of regular HIV testing). Participants in the HIVST group were encouraged to report self-testing results using an established online HIV/STI screening website, ”IWantTheKit (IWTK)”. Enrollees in the HIVST group also received 5 referral cards for their partners/peers to request HIV self-testing kit from IWTK. Phone follow-up was conducted at 1 and 3 months. Increase in HIV testing proportion was estimated as a rate ratio (RR) using a chi-square test. Results Overall, 100 patients were enrolled and randomised. At 3 month follow-up, 20 (40%) patients in the HIVST group reported testing for HIV vs. 7 (14%) in the control group [RR: 2.9 (95% CI: 1.3, 6.1) or 3.2 (1.6, 6.6) excluding 30 patients lost to follow-up]. 95% of patients in the HIVST group who reported testing for HIV used the provided kit. 9 of 19 (47%) patients who self-tested at home reported their results to IWTK. None reported a reactive result for HIV. 54% of enrollees in the HIVST group reported that they distributed referral cards to their partners/peers; 6 used the referral card to request HIV and/or STI testing kits. Conclusion This novel approach to providing HIVST kits for home testing to ED patients could increase overall HIV testing rates for patients who are at high risk, but not regularly tested, and for their partners and peers.
Physical Activity and Consumption Patterns of Reproductive-Aged Women by BMI Category

Objectives Obesity before and during pregnancy is associated with adverse effects for mother and child, but little is known about physical activity and consumption patterns among reproductive-aged women. The goal of this study is to identify behaviors of nonpregnant reproductive-aged women associated with normal weight, overweight, and obesity. Methods Data from the nationally representative National Eating Trends survey (2003-2011) were analyzed, comparing number of days of exercise in a 1-week period and consumption of fruits/vegetables, sugar sweetened beverages (SSB), and concentrated sweets by BMI. Behaviors were compared using analysis of variance and Chi square test across groups. Ordinal logistic regression was used to compare behaviors across groups controlling for demographic factors. Multivariable Poisson regression was used to identify demographic factors associated with behaviors among obese women. Results Among 5941 18-45-year-old women, exercise and fruit/vegetable consumption were associated with healthy weight controlling for demographic factors. Reporting any exercise or fruit/vegetable consumption was associated with decreased odds of overweight or obesity (aOR 0.73, 95% CI 0.64-0.83 and aOR 0.74, 95% CI 0.58-0.95, respectively). Consuming SSBs was associated with increasing BMI category while consuming concentrated sweets was unexpectedly associated with normal weight. Among obese women, being on any diet was associated with increased exercise frequency and fruit/vegetable consumption and decreased SSB consumption. Conclusions for Practice Physical activity and consumption behaviors are associated with weight among reproductive-aged women in ways similar to those in the general population. Promoting exercise and fruit/vegetable consumption has the potential to reduce obesity.
Pro- and anti-inflammatory biomarkers and traumatic brain injury outcomes: A review

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) triggers a cascade of secondary biological and physiological effects that are variable, depending on the severity, location, and complexity of the injury. Improved diagnosis and prognosis of brain injury may be possible by examining changes in protein biomarker concentrations and, determining their role in long-term outcomes may improve treatment. One promising direction for biomarker research surrounds pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines which may have utility for predicting short and long-term prognosis after TBI, and may also be therapeutic targets in shaping neuronal recovery following a TBI. The purpose of this review is to examine the relationship between TBI symptoms and changes in pro- and anti- inflammatory biomarkers. Eighteen (18) published articles met criteria for inclusion. Fourteen studies focused on individuals with severe TBI. Increased levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1, IL-8, IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) were associated with worse outcomes, with most studies focusing on morbidity and mortality. It is important to identify the biochemical changes that may influence or initiate the presentation of health outcomes after a TBI. Earlier identification of symptoms associated with these biochemical changes can be used to support better treatment planning, targeted interventions and ultimately, improvement in patient outcomes.
Relationship of beef sire expected progeny difference to maternal performance of crossbred daughters.

Cumulative milk production of crossbred daughters of sires of several breeds was estimated using weigh-suckle-weigh procedures. Pooled-across-breed analyses were conducted to determine, in retrospect, relationships of sire EPD values for milk and total maternal value to daughter milk yield and daughter's offspring weaning weight. The pooled coefficient for regression of daughter 214-d milk yield on sire milk EPD was 13.4 kg/kg (residual correlation was .14). The overall mean estimated milk yield was 1,262 kg, suggesting that a difference in sire milk EPD of 1 kg corresponded to a difference of approximately 1% in cumulative daughter milk yield. The pooled coefficient for regression of daughter's offspring 214-d weight on sire total maternal EPD was 1.18 kg/kg (residual correlation was .17). All regression and correlation coefficient stated above were significantly greater than zero. Breeders who use sire milk and total maternal EPD values as selection tools should expect such selection to be effective, on average, but should also expect that a substantial proportion of individuals or small groups may not rank as predicted.
The Ponseti Method of Treatment for Congenital Clubfoot: Importance of Maximal Forefoot Supination in Initial Casting

The correction of cavus deformity requires further supination of the forefoot. In the Ponseti method, the initial cast is applied with the forefoot supinated such that the plane of the metatarsal heads is parallel to the long axis of the tibia. This study reviewed Pirani scores of 27 patients with 38 clubfeet treated over an 18-month period by the Ponseti method to evaluate changes in midfoot deformity after the initial cast. Initial average scores for severity of the lateral border deformity, medial crease, and talonavicular joint reducibility decreased from 0.92, 0.75, and 0.75, respectively, to 0.73, 0.25, and 0.5, respectively, after the first cast. The improvement in Pirani scores provides support for the efficacy of the initial cast to reduce the cavus and also increase the reducibility of the midfoot. Failure to address the cavus deformity with the initial cast as described by Ponseti may lead to persistent rigidity and incomplete correction.
INTERACTIONS OF HUMAN NEONATAL T AND B LYMPHOCYTES AND EVIDENCE FOR FUNCTIONAL IMMATURITY

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the interactions of human neonatal T and B lymphocytes and evidence for functional immaturity. In a study described in the chapter, cord and adult blood were defibrinated and the leucocytes harvested from Ficoll–Hypaque gradients. Phagocytes were depleted by incubation on plastic. T lymphocytes were prepared by separation of E-rosette forming cells on a Ficoll–Hypaque gradient. B cells were obtained by incubating the T-depleted fraction with EAC, followed by Ficoll–Hypaque centrifugation. E and EAC were removed from rosetted cells by NH 4 Cl lysis. Fewer than 1% of the T cells stained for surface Ig, while 30–40% of the B-enriched fraction had surface IgM. Cells were cultured at 10 6 per ml in triplicate 0.2 ml aliquots in flat-bottomed microwells to which 5 μl pokeweed Mitogen (PWM) was added; mixed cultures had 0.1 ml of each cell suspension. After 7 days, the cells were harvested and counted, and cytocentrifuge preparations were made for staining with fluorescent antibodies. PWM-stimulated cord and adult blood lymphocytes proliferated equally, but fewer plasma cells differentiated in cord blood cultures.
Chronic kidney disease is independently associated with increased mortality in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and chronic kidney disease share similar pathophysiologic features. Our aim was to assess the association between different stages of chronic kidney disease and mortality in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. METHODS Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey-linked mortality files were utilized. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease was diagnosed by hepatic ultrasound and chronic kidney disease was defined according to the Kidney Disease Improving Global outcomes guideline. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess the effect of chronic kidney disease on overall and cardiovascular mortality. RESULTS Total cohort included 11 695 adult participants; mean age 43.3 years, 48.4% male, 76.4% white, 18.6% had nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and 9.3% had chronic kidney disease. 5.6% had diabetes, 21.3% had hypertension, 4.3% had cardiovascular disease. Compared to subjects without chronic kidney disease or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease patients with chronic kidney disease were more likely to be older, had less income, and higher prevalence of comorbidities (all P < 0.001). Prevalence of chronic kidney disease among nonalcoholic fatty liver disease cohort was 11.31%. Compared to non-nonalcoholic fatty liver disease group, patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease had higher rates of stage 1, 2 and 3a chronic kidney disease, but similar rates for stage 3b, 4 and 5. Mortality rate was 18.5% in 17 years. Among nonalcoholic fatty liver disease cohort, the presence of chronic kidney disease stages 2-3a (HR = 2.31, 95% CI: 1.70-3.15) and stages 3b-5 (HR = 4.83, 95% CI: 2.40-9.71) were independently associated with increased overall mortality. CONCLUSIONS Among patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, moderate to advanced stages of chronic kidney disease are associated with overall mortality. Identification of chronic kidney disease in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease has important prognostic implications.
Chapter 16 – Plant Epigenomics

Epigenomics and epigenetics have drawn significant attention recently in order to understand the regulation of gene function specifically in organisms. The advent of the latest genomic tools and other high-throughput technologies have enabled further exploration of the mechanisms involved in plant epigenomics. These methods have been developed to further understand and unravel the effects of environmental factors and the regulation of gene expression. Targeted epigenome editing in plants is still at the initial stages but its potential application to turn on/off gene expression precisely represents a very exciting area for plant molecular genetics and breeding. Precise modulation of gene expression is an efficient strategy that holds the enticing promise of creating new varieties for enhanced crop performance, however, if this change is targeted to the regulatory mechanisms, the effect may perhaps be sustained. This review is an attempt to provide a further understanding of how plant genomes are regulated by epigenetic mechanisms.
The Road to Somewhere: Why Health Care Reform Happened, or Why Political Scientists Who Study Public Health Policy Shouldn't Assume They Know How to Shape It

Why did comprehensive health care reform pass in 2010? Why did it take the form it did - a form that, while undeniably ambitious, was also more limited than many advocates wanted, than health policy precedents set abroad, and than the scale of the problems it tackled? And why was this legislation, despite its limits, the subject of such vigorous and sometimes vicious attacks? These are the questions I tackle in this essay, drawing not just on recent scholarship on American politics but also on the somewhat-improbable experience that I had as an active participant in this fierce and polarized debate. My conclusions have implications not only for how political scientists should understand what happened in 2009-10, but also for how they should understand American politics. In particular, the central puzzles raised by the health reform debate suggest why students of American politics should give public policy - what government does to shape people's lives - a more central place within their investigations. Political scientists often characterize politics as a game among undifferentiated competitors, played out largely through campaigns and elections, with policy treated mostly as an afterthought - at best, as a means of testing theories of electoral influence and legislative politics. The health care debate makes transparent the weaknesses of this approach. On a range of key matters at the core of the discipline - the role and influence of interest groups; the nature of partisan policy competition; the sources of elite polarization; the relationship between voters, activists, and elected officials; and more - the substance of public policy makes a big difference. Focusing on what government actually does has normative benefits, serving as a useful corrective to the tendency of political science to veer into discussions of matters deemed trivial by most of the world outside the academy. But more important, it has major analytical payoffs - and not merely for our understanding of the great health care debate of 2009-10.
Naturaleza amena, naturaleza agreste en un estudio ecofeminista de La Isla de la Pasión (1989) de Laura Restrepo

The ecofeminist approach explores a link between an idyllic nature of the western philosophical aesthetic and an aggressive nature inherent in its apocalyptic and monstrous side. This approach serves as a bridge between two competing forces to model and negotiate the potentiality represented by political ecology and the quest for social justice. This study examines the costs of aggression, domination and competition by reclaiming a story from Mexican history and reformulating it in the alternative narrative, The Isle of Passion, written by Colombian novelist Laura Restrepo. The novel discovers both the power of nature and women to dismantle social and natural hierarchies and recreate more open systems relying, in their place, on their inherent values. This transformation is ironically achieved on an almost deserted island, which was ignored by the Mexican government but desired by numerous multinational powers since the beginning of the twentieth century. It is here in this microcosm of society where the two worlds of savage and idyllic nature collide to yield a figure of nature as partner and collaborator that aides in the battle against the decaying of the earth and human moral life.
Impact of exponential technologies on global supply chain management

Abstract Technology has been rapidly evolving over the last several decades, revolutionizing all industries, such as communication, transportation, education, health care, life sciences, energy, retail, among many others. This momentum has created many opportunities for companies in their supply chain to expand their business globally to gain competitive advantages and as a result to increase their profit. Several leading technologies including blockchain, Internet of Things, virtual/augmented/extended reality, machine learning, and 3D printing, among others, have been identified as having a significant influence on global supply chain operations. In this study, we survey the literature on the implications of technologies in terms of their potential value creation, such as increasing profit, improving efficiency and agility, reducing cost and lead times, increasing visibility, and eliminating waste on global supply chain management. Based on the findings, we identify the challenges and limitations of these technologies within global supply chain operations.
Endoscopy in the coagulopathic patient.

Purpose of review The presence of coagulopathy in patients profoundly affects the performance of gastrointestinal endoscopy. However, the coagulopathy in chronic liver disease (CLD) and therapeutic anticoagulation to lower thromboembolic risk are different. In this review, we briefly discuss the hemostatic alterations in CLD leading to coagulopathy and the periprocedure management of antithrombotic medications in patients needing emergency or elective gastrointestinal endoscopy. Recent findings Prothrombin time (PT) and international normalized ratio (INR) are unreliable measures of bleeding risk and hemostasis in CLD. Therefore, expert opinion advises no preprocedure fresh frozen plasma (FFP) infusion to correct the INR. There has been a proliferation of and increasing use of antithrombotic medications for therapeutic anticoagulation. Their management depends on the gastrointestinal endoscopy procedure bleeding risk, the acuity of the procedure, and the underlying thromboembolic risk of the patient. Summary Cirrhotic coagulopathy features a rebalancing of procoagulant and anticoagulant factors. PT and INR do not accurately measure this rebalanced hemostasis. Thus, expert opinion does not recommend FFP infusion to correct the PT or INR before performing gastrointestinal endoscopy. Management of therapeutic anticoagulation in endoscopy depends on the acuity of the indication, the procedure bleeding risk, and the thromboembolic risk of stopping anticoagulation. At present, there are only expert opinion recommendations concerning periendoscopy coagulopathy management in CLD and in therapeutic anticoagulation. More controlled clinical studies will clarify bleeding risks when performing gastrointestinal procedures in these patients and better direct patient care. Until then, clinical management of antithrombotic medications are based an individual patient's medical conditions and available options for treatment.
Enhanced Capture of Aerosol Particles on Resonator-Based PM Mass Sensors Using Staggered Arrays of Micro-Pillars

This work presents the effect of addition of micro-pillars with different array configurations on the particle collection efficiency (CE) of resonators for gravimetric airborne particulate matter (PM) sensors. Inline and radially staggered arrays of micro-pillars with rectangular and circular cross sections were 3D-printed on a surface of fused silica glass using 2-photon stereolithography and the particle collection efficiency of these pillar-covered surfaces due to impaction was evaluated. The experimental results show that in some cases the CE is highly dependent on the angle of incidence and array configuration of the pillars. The CE of inline array of rectangular micro-pillars (60%) was similar to the CE of the bare surface with no pillar. However, the radially staggered arrangement of the same pillar size and geometry improved CE by 25% on average. The presented result shows the strong significance of the incident angle, array configuration, and pillar shape on particle capture behavior of the pillared-enhanced impaction surfaces. The results pave the way for highly sensitive real-time gravimetric PM mass sensors. [2020-0124]
Tagraxofusp followed by combined azacitidine and venetoclax in blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm: A case report and literature review:

IntroductionBlastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a rare and aggressive hematologic malignancy that originates from plasmacytoid dendritic cells. It can involve skin, bone marrow,...
Automatic hand gesture recognition using hybrid meta-heuristic-based feature selection and classification with Dynamic Time Warping

Abstract Of late, the research world has been vigorously involved in, inventing strategy and techniques to improve the spontaneity of Human Computer Interaction (HCI). Gesture recognition is one of the most probable techniques in this area. The eventual aim here is to introduce an intelligent system for hand gesture recognition in both static and dynamic area, which is still a challenging point due to the lag of valuable beneficial methods. The main intent of this paper is to implement an efficient hand gesture recognition model considering both static and dynamic datasets for Indian Sign Languages (ISL). In static type, images are taken for processing, whereas video frames are used for processing the dynamic type. The proposed recognition model involves five main steps “(a) Image pre-processing, (b) gesture segmentation, (c) Feature extraction, (d) Optimal Feature Selection, and (e) Recognition”. In the pre-processing phase, greyscale conversion and histogram equalization are performed. The pre-processed image is subjected to the segmentation process, where the Active Contour model and Canny Edge Detection is implemented. In the feature extraction phase, both the contour image, and the edge detected image is deployed, in which Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG) features are extracted from the contour image, and Edge Oriented Histogram (EOH) features are extracted from edge detected images. To reduce the dimension of HOG, and EOH features, Principle Component Analysis (PCA) is applied. Further, the region props features are extracted for both contour and edge detected image. Finally, all these features are summed, and the optimal feature selection process performs here to select the unique feature giving different information with less correlation. Finally, the recognition classifier called Neural Network (NN) is adopted, where the new training algorithm is used to update network weight. Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) method helps to remove the repeated frames in the video and to reduce the time consumption of testing. In both feature selection and classification, a hybrid algorithm Deer Hunting-based Grey Wolf Optimization (DH-GWO) is used for selecting the features and weight update in NN as well. Hence, the integration of a hybrid meta-heuristic algorithm is highly efficient for recognizing the characters for images and words for videos with high recognition accuracy.