cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Whole-rock geochemistry of upper Paleozoic loessite, western Pangaea: Implications for paleo-atmospheric circulation

Abstract Average bulk (major and trace-element) chemical composition of upper Paleozoic loessite (lithified loess) from several widely scattered sites in western equatorial Pangaea (western North America) approximates Upper Continental Crust (UCC), but is more similar to the bulk composition of Precambrian basement coring uplifts of the Ancestral Rocky Mountains. However, distinct compositional signatures occur among the various loessite deposits, controlled primarily by differences in Al 2 O 3 , MgO, Na 2 O, K 2 O and Rb. Furthermore, values of the Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) of these loessites are low (55–63, skewed toward lower values), closely matching values for North American loess and Precambrian basement. Although diagenesis can account for some of the compositional differences (e.g. local SiO 2 or K 2 O enrichment), it fails to explain the major differences among the sites. Rather, these differences are best explained as a result of variations in regional basement that sourced the loess, coupled with transport (wind) pathways, which varied from zonal easterlies to monsoonal westerlies in this region of tropical Pangaea from late Carboniferous to early Permian time. The low CIA values generally reflect first-cycle derivation from regional basement uplifts of the ARM and, for younger deposits, a variable contribution from the suture zone uplifts and volcanism of the Appalachian–Ouachita–Marathon collisional belt. The variations in bulk chemical composition of the loessite, coupled with previously collected detrital zircon geochronology, suggest that these low-latitude loessites are not simply the result of deflation of mid-latitude erg deposits or coastal alluvial plain sediments. These data represent a first attempt at geochemical characterization of pre-Quaternary loess, and demonstrate the utility of loess geochemistry as a proxy for paleoatmospheric circulation in Earth′s deep-time past.
Habitat selection by a generalist mesopredator near its historical range boundary

The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana Kerr, 1792) has expanded its geographic range northward since European settlement, which has been attributed to its ability to exploit anthropogenic resou...
Replacing East Canyon Dam While Operations Continue

Replacing the 50-yr-old East Canyon Dam northeast of Salt Lake City, Utah, by constructing a new, double-curvature, thin-arch dam 240 ft high immediately downstream–without interrupting irrigation ...
Measuring Dissaving Out of Retirement Wealth

The approaching retirement of the baby boomers, accelerating trend from DB to DC pension plans, and growing uncertainty over the solvency of Social Security all raise important questions about the ability of households to finance their retirement years with liquid assets, rather than annuities. We use data from four waves of the HRS to investigate how households spend down their retirement wealth, and, in particular, whether they appear to run down their retirement accounts too quickly. We find no evidence of excessive dissaving over the period 1998 to 2004. Indeed, the annuitized value of total wealth rose for most households over this period, suggesting that households are not running down their assets too fast, given their remaining life expectancies.
Abstract T MP111: Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy Is Associated With Arteriolar Sclerosis And Microinfarcts, But Not Overt Ischemic Stroke Or Hemorrhage In A Large Autopsy Series

Introduction: Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) has been associated with various types of cerebrovascular pathology independent of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), including atherosclerosis, arteriosclerosis, ischemic and hemorrhagic infarction. Available studies have frequently produced conflicting results in regards to specific cerebrovascular associations, likely due to confounds of subject selection biases, small sample sizes, and incomplete pathologic analyses. The present study represents one of the largest and most comprehensive clinical-pathologic series to date focused on examining clinical, genetic, and pathologic associations in CAA. Hypothesis: As CAA represents a vasculopathy of the small arterioles and capillaries, we hypothesized that cerebrovascular associations with CAA would include small vessel pathologies and microinfarcts rather than large or medium vessel pathologies. Methods: Cases were derived from the University of Kentucky brain bank (n=741). Vascular pathology was graded on semiquantitative scale or as present/absent. Cases were grouped by presence (n=414) or absence of CAA (n=327). Standard descriptive and comparative statistics were used for the analysis. Results: ApoE status (p Conclusions: CAA across the cognitive continuum, appears independent of age, and is a significant contributor to small vessel ischemic changes that may have a profound effect on brain health, including risk for stroke and cognitive impairment. Comprehensive treatment strategies for small vessel ischemic disease need to acknowledge and potentially address the role of CAA as therapeutic treatments for this unique vasculopathy become available in the future.
Landsat 8 and ICESat-2: Performance and potential synergies for quantifying dryland ecosystem vegetation cover and biomass

Abstract The Landsat 8 mission provides new opportunities for quantifying the distribution of above-ground carbon at moderate spatial resolution across the globe, and in particular drylands. Furthermore, coupled with structural information from space-based and airborne laser altimetry, Landsat 8 provides powerful capabilities for large-area, long-term studies that quantify temporal and spatial changes in above-ground biomass and cover. With the planned launch of ICESat-2 in 2017 and thus the potential to couple Landsat 8 and ICESat-2 data, we have unprecedented opportunities to address key challenges in drylands, including quantifying fuel loads, habitat quality, biodiversity, carbon cycling, and desertification. In this study, we explore the strengths of Landsat 8's Operational Land Imager (OLI) in estimating vegetation structure in a dryland ecosystem, and compare these results to Landsat 5's Thematic Mapper (TM). We also demonstrate the potential of OLI when coupled with light detection and ranging (lidar) in estimating vegetation cover and biomass in a dryland ecosystem. The OLI and TM predictions were similarly positive, indicating data from these sensors may be used in tandem for long-term time-series analysis. Results indicate shrub and herbaceous cover are well predicted with multi-temporal OLI data, and a combination of OLI and lidar derivatives improves most of these estimates and reduces uncertainty. For example, significant improvements were made for shrub cover (R2 = 0.64 and 0.78 using OLI only and both OLI and lidar data, respectively). Importantly, a time series of OLI, with some improvement from lidar, provides strong estimates of herbaceous cover (68% of the variance is explained with OLI alone). In contrast, OLI data explain roughly 59% of the variance in total shrub biomass, however approximately 71% of the variance is explained when combined with lidar derivatives. To estimate the potential synergies of OLI and ICESat-2 we used simulated ICESat-2 photon data to predict vegetation structure. In a shrubland environment with a vegetation mean height of 1 m and mean vegetation cover of 33%, vegetation photons are able to explain nearly 50% of the variance in vegetation height. These results, and those from a comparison site, suggest that a lower detection threshold of ICESat-2 may be in the range of 30% canopy cover and roughly 1 m height in comparable dryland environments and these detection thresholds could be used to combine future ICESat-2 photon data with OLI spectral data for improved vegetation structure. Overall, the synergistic use of Landsat 8 and ICESat-2 may improve estimates of above-ground biomass and carbon storage in drylands that meet these minimum thresholds, increasing our ability to monitor drylands for fuel loading and the potential to sequester carbon.
DNA methylation: A mechanism linking environmental chemical exposures to risk of autism spectrum disorders?

There is now compelling evidence that gene by environment interactions are important in the etiology of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). However, the mechanisms by which environmental factors interact with genetic susceptibilities to confer individual risk for ASD remain a significant knowledge gap in the field. The epigenome, and in particular DNA methylation, is a critical gene expression regulatory mechanism in normal and pathogenic brain development. DNA methylation can be influenced by environmental factors such as diet, hormones, stress, drugs, or exposure to environmental chemicals, suggesting that environmental factors may contribute to adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes of relevance to ASD via effects on DNA methylation in the developing brain. In this review, we describe epidemiological and experimental evidence implicating altered DNA methylation as a potential mechanism by which environmental chemicals confer risk for ASD, using polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), lead, and bisphenol A (BPA) as examples. Understanding how environmental chemical exposures influence DNA methylation and how these epigenetic changes modulate the risk and/or severity of ASD will not only provide mechanistic insight regarding gene-environment interactions of relevance to ASD but may also suggest potential intervention strategies for these and potentially other neurodevelopmental disorders.
Quantum nanophotonics in diamond [Invited]

The past two decades have seen great advances in developing color centers in diamond for sensing, quantum information processing, and tests of quantum foundations. Increasingly, the success of these applications as well as fundamental investigations of light–matter interaction depend on improved control of optical interactions with color centers—from better fluorescence collection to efficient and precise coupling with confined single optical modes. Wide ranging research efforts have been undertaken to address these demands through advanced nanofabrication of diamond. This review will cover recent advances in diamond nano- and microphotonic structures for efficient light collection, color center to nanocavity coupling, hybrid integration of diamond devices with other material systems, and the wide range of fabrication methods that have enabled these complex photonic diamond systems.
New Algorithm of Energy Savings Measurement and Verification for Replacement Projects of Distribution Transformers

At present,State Grid Corporation is building Smart Grid which is robust,self-healing and interactiveto reach a safe and economical power system.In the process of establishment of Smart Grid,distribution transformers which are dissatisfied with the demand of increasing load must be reformed or replaced.However,economic costs and loss reduction and energy savings should be taken into account when a transformer is selected.According to existing calculation methods of energy savings,this paper proposes a new method for the calculation of distribution transformer after the original transformer is reformed or replaced.The energy saved of distribution transformer projects can be calculated scientifically and easily,and the parameters for the calculation can be easily obtained,which offers a new idea and method for measurement and verification of distribution transformer.
Application of real time fluorescent PCR technique in typing and screening of staphylococcal enterotoxin

Objective:Using real time PCR method to screen and detect Staphylococcal enterotoxin.Methods: Primers designed according to Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin SEA～SEQ genes with SYBR Green I fluorescent dye to establish real-time PCR system.There were 191 Staphylococcus aureus isolated from 2006 to 2009 to detect enterotoxin by real-time PCR.Results: There were 97 samples to be positive of Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin.The positive rate was 50.8%.The distribution of enterotoxin type from high to low were A,C,B,D,E and G.The sensitivity and specificity were 100% and 97.9% compared with ELISA.Conclusion: SYBR Green I incorporation assay of real time PCR can be used in gene typing of Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin,which is more rapid,sensitive and specific.
Pulmonary Heart Disease

Cor pulmonale has received little attention in the pediatric literature, but is being recognized with increasing frequency in children. The author presents a rather simple classification of the etiology and discuss some of the more common causes of pulmonary heart disease in children, stressing in particular those conditions which can be reversed by proper therapy.
Normal Head Ultrasound in the Preterm and Term Newborn

Familiarity with the normal brain anatomy and its age-dependent normal variation/evolution is essential for proper interpretation of neonatal head ultrasonography studies. In a preterm neonate, the brain surface is smooth, while a complex gyration and sulcation pattern is expected in term neonates. In newborns, persistent fetal fluid-filled spaces such as the cavum septum pellucidum, cavum Vergae, and cavum veli interpositi, asymmetry in size of the lateral ventricles, and variable morphology of the choroid plexus are physiological.
The typology of the American metropolis: monocentricity, polycentricity, or generalized dispersion?

ABSTRACTAlthough the spatial structure of employment in large US metropolitan regions is a well-researched topic, few studies focus on medium-sized and small US metropolitan regions. Consequently, there is no overall typology relating small-to-medium urban form to employment distribution. We address this gap by investigating the spatial structure of employment in 356 metropolitan regions. We conceptualize six typologies based on three categories that have overlapping properties: “monocentricity,” “polycentricity,” and “generalized dispersion.” The study has three main findings. First, the three types of urban form that we identify as “hybrid” outnumber the three “pure” types by almost four to one. Second, job dispersion is a dominant characteristic in almost 70% of all metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) (including the hybrid types), and polycentricity (56.7% of MSAs) is somewhat more common than monocentricity. Third, there is a strong relationship between population size and density. The population of...
Effects of Cholesterol Ester Transfer Protein Inhibition on HDL Metabolism

Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) facilitates the transfer of cholesteryl ester from high lipoproteins (HDLs) to triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRLs) in exchange for triglyceride. CETP forms a channel or tube between HDL and TRL allowing for this exchange. High levels of HDL cholesterol have been shown to be protective of the development of coronary heart disease (CHD). Patients with CETP deficiency have been reported, who have high levels of HDL cholesterol, and apparently enhanced longevity. Such findings prompted pharmaceutical companies to develop CETP inhibitors, and these agents are very effective in raising HDL cholesterol. Metabolic studies have documented that CETP inhibition in humans delays the fractional catabolism of HDL apolipoproteins (apo) A-I and A-II, while enhancing the fractional catabolism of TRL apoB-100 and apoE. CETP inhibition in humans dramatically increases HDL cholesterol and large HDL particles, while decreasing TRL cholesterol. No significant effects of CETP inhibition of fecal cholesterol excretion were noted. The CETP inhibitor torcetrapib has been tested in clinical trials evaluating carotid intimal medial thickness, coronary atherosclerosis as assessed by intravascular ultrasound, as well clinical endpoints. Excess mortality was observed in a large clinical trial in which torcetrapib and atorvastatin were compared with placebo and atorvastatin in patients with established CHD. Moreover, torcetrapib has been reported to form an unproductive“ complex with HDL and CETP,” as well as increasing aldosterone and blood pressure levels, while decreasing serum potassium concentrations. Other CETP inhibitors, specifically dalcetrapib and ancetrapib, have not been noted to have these latter effects. Clinical trials are going forward with dalcetrapib to determine whether this agent will reduce CHD risk in addition to statin therapy alone in patients with acute coronary syndrome. If clinical trials are positive, then CETP inhibitors will have an important place in the prevention of CHD.
Neues Konzept des Produktmodells

Ein grundlegendes Konzept ist das des Produktmodells. Dieses soll: als allgemeines genetisches Referenzmodell zur Klassifizierung von CAD-Systemen dienen bei der Gestaltung des rechnerinternen Modells von CAD-Systemen eine Hilfe darstellen die Integration zwischen den unterschiedlichen CA-Techniken ermoglichen.
The Industrious Revolution: The Transformation of Consumer Desire in the Long Eighteenth Century

On April 20, 1697, an advertisement appeared in the Amsterdamsche Courant for a new product: the zak-aardebol , or pocket globe. This globe was no more than two inches (five cm.) in diameter and was encased in a leather cover on the inside of which was presented the heavens with constellations – one of the earliest geocentric representations of celestial space. The producers of this pocket globe, the mapmakers Abraham van Ceulen and Gerrit Drogenham, recommended their new product as “Very appropriate for all devotees of astronomy and other sciences, as well as [all those] who would customarily carry a pocket watch with them.” The pocket watch was then a recent development of the clockmaking industry, which had extended its markets from church towers and other public structures to private homes with the invention by Christiaan Huygens of the pendulum clock in 1657. Its diffusion through bourgeois and even middling and farm families was remarkably rapid, and the new pocket watches, adding mobility to the science of time keeping, met with a very positive reception among those who could afford the steep price. Van Ceulen and Drogenham presented their pocket globe as the logical companion to the pocket watch – something that the well-equipped modern man would find essential. The owner of both instruments would always know where he or she was – both in time and in space. The appeal will not be lost on those who move about today with mobile phones and BlackBerrys always on their person.
On the Computational Complexity of Sensor Network Localization

Determining the positions of the sensor nodes in a network is essential to many network functionalities such as routing, coverage and tracking, and event detection. The localization problem for sensor networks is to reconstruct the positions of all of the sensors in a network, given the distances between all pairs of sensors that are within some radius r of each other. In the past few years, many algorithms for solving the localization problem were proposed, without knowing the computational complexity of the problem. In this paper, we show that no polynomial-time algorithm can solve this problem in the worst case, even for sets of distance pairs for which a unique solution exists, unless RP = NP. We also discuss the consequences of our result and present open problems.
Reliability design of p/sup +/-pocket implant LDD transistors

It is shown that the reliability design of p/sup +/-pocket LDD (lightly doped drain) transistors is dependent on the pocket implant energy, which controls the positions of the peak field and breakdown regions. A optimum of 60 keV implant in this example gives fairly good ESD (electrostatic discharge) reliability and excellent hot carrier immunity, while preventing transistor punchthrough effects. It is also shown that it is the electric field gradient at the surface rather than the substrate current level that can have a major impact on hot carrier degradation. In fact, for future VLSI transistors this technique can be used to improve the hot carrier reliability. Finally, further insight into the poor ESD performance of LDD transistors is obtained which indicates that the junction breakdown design is important for the ESD performance of LDD or DDD (double diffused drain) transistors. >
Young Adults’ and Industry Experts’ Subjective and Objective Knowledge of Beer and Food Pairings

ABSTRACTFood and wine pairings are commonly seen in empirical research. Little research exists on beer and food pairings, yet food analysts are taking note of higher rates of beer and food pairings occurring. This exploratory study examines expert and novice knowledge of beer and food pairings. A survey was used to identify both subjective and objective knowledge along with determining appropriateness of expert and novice choices. Findings indicated males had greater objective knowledge of beer and food pairing compared to females, although both have similar subjective scores, and industry experts more accurately paired beers with foods than novices.
A preliminary examination of willingness and importance as moderators of the relationship between statistics anxiety and performance

Abstract Statistics coursework presents a significant challenge for college students, often associated with anxiety, which further inhibits performance. Applied to statistics anxiety and performance, the psychological flexibility model suggests that statistics anxiety may not inhibit performance when it is approached willingly in service of important values. The current study offered a preliminary consideration of statistics-related willingness and importance as moderators of the relationship between statistics anxiety and performance. Undergraduate students completed a measure of statistics anxiety, willingness to engage statistics, and the importance attributed to statistics engagement, then took a short statistics quiz. Results provided preliminary evidence that both willingness and importance moderate the relationship between statistics anxiety and performance on a statistics quiz.
Analysis of two production inventory systems with buffer, retrials and different production rates

This paper considers the comparison of two $$\left( {s,S} \right)$$ production inventory systems with retrials of unsatisfied customers. The time for producing and adding each item to the inventory is exponentially distributed with rate $$\beta$$ . However, a production rate $$\alpha \beta$$ higher than $$\beta$$ is used at the beginning of the production. The higher production rate will reduce customers’ loss when inventory level approaches zero. The demand from customers is according to a Poisson process. Service times are exponentially distributed. Upon arrival, the customers enter into a buffer of finite capacity. An arriving customer, who finds the buffer full, moves to an orbit. They can retry from there and inter-retrial times are exponentially distributed. The two models differ in the capacity of the buffer. The aim is to find the minimum value of total cost by varying different parameters and compare the efficiency of the models. The optimum value of $$\alpha$$ corresponding to minimum total cost is an important evaluation. Matrix analytic method is used to find an algorithmic solution to the problem. We also provide several numerical or graphical illustrations.
An implementation of fast memset() using hardware accelerators: extended abstract

Multicore systems with large caches and huge main memories have become ubiquitous. They provide an attractive opportunity to maximize performance of big-memory applications such as in-memory databases, key-value stores, and graph analytics. However, these big-memory applications require many virtual-to-physical address translations, which increase TLB miss rate and hurt performance. To address this problem, modern hardware and OSes introduced support for huge pages. For example, on SPARC M7, Linux supports 8MB, 2GB, and 16GB huge pages (in addition to the default 8KB). Likewise, Linux supports 2MB and 1GB huge pages on Intel Xeon (E5-2630) platforms.
Solution Loss and Reducing Power of Blast Furnace Gas

A study is made of the amount of solution loss necessary to maintain the reducing power of the gas stream in the blast furnace. Curves are presented to show the effect of solution loss, moisture in the blast, and carbon dioxide from the flux on the nitrogen in the top gas.
Colonial Transatlantiques: The French Line in Algeria, 1880-1940

France’s largest and most prestigious company, the Compagnie Generale Transatlantique—known colloquially as the French Line—is best-known for its North Atlantic ocean liners. However, after 1880, it added the Mediterranean to its sphere of operations connecting Marseille with Algeria—the jewel in the crown of the French empire. The French Line’s move into colonial waters at first glance seems a strange move given its sphere of operations on the North Atlantic. However, the company founders, the Pereire brothers, and succeeding presidents that hailed from Marseille were deeply interested in Algeria as a market from the company’s founding and it formed a significant sphere of operations within the French Line and an important institution of colonial Algeria. This article brings to light the hidden colonial history of the French Line and its experience as a servant and shaper of empire.
Bladder cancer staging in CT urography: effect of stage labels on statistical modeling of a decision support system

In bladder cancer, stage T2 is an important threshold in the decision of administering neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Our long-term goal is to develop a quantitative computerized decision support system (CDSS-S) to aid clinicians in accurate staging. In this study, we examined the effect of stage labels of the training samples on modeling such a system. We used a data set of 84 bladder cancers imaged with CT Urography (CTU). At clinical staging prior to treatment, 43 lesions were staged as below stage T2 and 41 were stage T2 or above. After cystectomy and pathological staging that is considered the gold standard, 10 of the lesions were upstaged to stage T2 or above. After correcting the stage labels, 33 lesions were below stage T2, and 51 were stage T2 or above. For the CDSS-S, the lesions were segmented using our AI-CALS method and radiomic features were extracted. We trained a linear discriminant analysis (LDA) classifier with leave-one-case-out cross validation to distinguish between bladder lesions of stage T2 or above and those below stage T2. The CDSS-S was trained and tested with the corrected post-cystectomy labels, and as a comparison, CDSS-S was also trained with understaged pre-treatment labels and tested on lesions with corrected labels. The test AUC for the CDSS-S trained with corrected labels was 0.89 ± 0.04. For the CDSS-S trained with understaged pre-treatment labels and tested on the lesions with corrected labels, the test AUC was 0.86 ± 0.04. The likelihood of stage T2 or above for 9 out of the 10 understaged lesions was correctly increased for the CDSS-S trained with corrected labels. The CDSS-S is sensitive to the accuracy of stage labeling. The CDSS-S trained with correct labels shows promise in prediction of the bladder cancer stage.
Treating and repatriating: an unacceptable policy.

Physicians have a responsibility to advocate for each patient’s best care, even when doing so entails opposing hospital policy, seeking legal help, and making the case public. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Stock Markets: A Gateway for Growth?

On the heels of literature stressing the importance of developing financial markets to enhance growth, a large number of countries opened stock markets during the 1990s. While it is possible that opening a stock market can facilitate growth, I argue that underlying characteristics are important and that a blanket policy of opening stock markets has little impact on growth. Using two Bayesian econometric methods – Extreme Bounds Analysis and Bayesian Model Averaging – no statistical difference in growth rates are found between countries that opened a formal stock market in the 1990s versus those lacking a stock market.
Extending Groupware for OLAP

While applications built on top of groupware systems are capable of managing mundane tasks such as scheduling and email, they are not optimised for certain kinds of applications, for instance generating aggregated summaries of scheduled activities. Groupware systems are primarily designed with online transaction processing in mind, and are highly focused on maximizing throughput when clients concurrently access and manipulate information on a shared store. In this paper, we give an overview and discuss some of the implementation details of a system that transforms groupware Calendaring & Scheduling (C&S) data into a relational OLAP database optimised for these kinds of analytical applications. We also describe the structure of the XML documents that carry incremental update information between the source groupware system and the relational database, and show how the generic structure of the documents enables us to extend the infrastructure to other groupware systems as well.
Humanized mouse models of HIV infection

Because of the limited tropism of HIV, in vivo modeling of this virus has been almost exclusively limited to other lentiviruses, such as simian immunodeficiency virus, that reproduce many important characteristics of HIV infection. However, there are significant genetic and biological differences among lentiviruses and some HIV-specific interventions are not effective against other lentiviruses in nonhuman hosts. For these reasons, much emphasis has recently been placed on developing alternative animal models that support HIV replication and recapitulate key aspects of HIV infection and pathogenesis in humans. Humanized mice, CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cell transplanted immunodeficient mice, and in particular mice also implanted with human thymus/liver tissue (bone marrow liver thymus mice) that develop a functional human immune system, have been the focus of a great deal of attention as possible models to study virtually all aspects of HIV biology and pathogenesis. Humanized mice are systemically reconstituted with human lymphoid cells, offering rapid, reliable, and reproducible experimental systems for HIV research. Peripheral blood of humanized mice can be readily sampled longitudinally to assess reconstitution with human cells and to monitor HIV replication, permitting the evaluation of multiple parameters of HIV infection such as viral load levels, CD4+ T-cell depletion, immune activation, as well as the effects of therapeutic interventions. Of high relevance to HIV transmission is the extensive characterization and validation of the reconstitution with human lymphoid cells of the female reproductive tract and of the gastrointestinal tract of humanized bone marrow liver thymus mice that renders them susceptible to both vaginal and rectal HIV infection. Other important attributes of all types of humanized mice include: (i) their small size and cost that make them widely accessible; (ii) multiple cohorts of humanized mice can be made from multiple human donors and each cohort has identical human cells, permitting control of intragenetic variables; (iii) continuous de novo production of human immune cells from the transplanted CD34+ cells within each humanized mouse facilitates long-term experiments; (iv) both primary and laboratory HIV isolates can be used for experiments; and (v) in addition to therapeutic interventions, rectal and vaginal HIV prevention approaches can be studied. In summary, humanized mice can have an important role in virtually all aspects of HIV research, including the analysis of HIV replication, the evaluation of HIV restriction factors, the characterization of successful biomedical HIV prevention strategies, the evaluation of new treatment regimens, and the evaluation of novel HIV eradication strategies.
Utility of routine methemoglobin laboratory assays in critically ill pediatric subjects receiving inhaled nitric oxide.

Abstract Purpose Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) has been associated with safety risks including reports of methemoglobinemia. While standard of care recommends routine monitoring of methemoglobin in subjects on iNO therapy, the utility of this practice remains unknown. Materials and methods This retrospective chart review aimed to determine the frequency of methemoglobinemia in pediatric patients receiving iNO. Included subjects were under 18 years of age receiving iNO therapy with at least one methemoglobin concentration measured from 10/18/2014 to 11/18/2016. Results In total, 1809 methemoglobin concentrations were collected in 247 subjects during the study period. Median age was 0.33 (0.04–0.83) years. The mean methemoglobin concentration was 1.33% (±0.42) while receiving a mean iNO dose of 11.71 ppm (±7.97). Twenty-nine subjects had a total of 131 methemoglobin concentrations analyzed while receiving iNO doses above 20 ppm which were similar to the entire cohort at 1.33% (±0.42); (p = .95). Conclusions Pediatric patients receiving iNO at doses below 40 ppm have minimal risk of developing clinically significant methemoglobinemia. Routine, ongoing monitoring of metHb levels in all pediatric subjects receiving iNO therapy at doses
Deep brain stimulation improves restless legs syndrome in patients with Parkinson disease.

Objective To study the effect of subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) and moderate to severe restless legs syndrome (RLS) on their RLS symptoms. Methods Patients undergoing STN DBS surgery for PD completed the International RLS Study Group Rating Scale (IRLS) and RLS Quality of Life (QoL) questionnaires preoperatively and postoperatively at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years. The primary outcome measure was IRLS sum score and subscales (severity and impact) and the secondary measure was RLS QoL scores. Differences among the mean scores over time were analyzed using mixed model regression. Results Twenty-two patients were enrolled. The preoperative IRLS sum scores were 19.59 ± 6.95, severity subscale 12.91 ± 4.33, impact subscale 4.45 ± 2.72, and transformed RLS QoL score 68.30 ± 20.26. The differences between preoperative and averaged postoperative scores were IRLS sum score −7.80, severity subscale −5.50, impact subscale −1.20, and RLS QoL 4.73. The overall F tests demonstrated differences among the times for the means of the IRLS sum and subscales: p Conclusions STN DBS significantly decreased RLS symptoms in patients with PD despite a decrease in dopaminergic treatment. This improvement was sustained over a 2-year period. Classification of evidence This study provides Class IV evidence that for patients with PD and moderate to severe RLS, STN DBS improves RLS symptoms.
Similar relative risks of seizures following measles containing vaccination in children born preterm compared to full-term without previous seizures or seizure-related disorders.

BACKGROUND Febrile seizures are associated with the first dose of measles-containing vaccines and the risk increases with chronologic age during the second year of life. We used the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) to determine if the relative increase in risk of seizures following receipt of measles-containing vaccine differs by gestational age at birth. METHODS Children were eligible if they received their first dose of measles-containing vaccine at age 12 through 23 months from January 2003 through September 2015. Children were excluded if they had a history of seizure or conditions strongly related to seizure prior to 12 months of age. Seizures were identified by diagnostic codes in the inpatient or emergency department settings. Using risk-interval analysis, we estimated the incidence rate ratio (IRR) for seizures in the 7 through 10 days (risk period) vs 15 through 42 days (control period) following receipt of measles-containing vaccines in children born preterm (<37 weeks gestation age) and those born full-term (≥37 weeks). RESULTS There were 532,375 children (45,343 preterm and 487,032 full-term) who received their first dose of measles-containing vaccine at age 12 through 23 months. The IRRs of febrile seizures 7 through 10 days compared with 15 through 42 days after receipt of measles-containing vaccine were 3.9 (95% CI: 2.5-6.0) in preterm children and 3.2 (2.7-3.7) in full-term children; the ratio of IRRs: was 1.2 (0.76-1.9), p = 0.41. IRRs were also similar across gestational age groups, by vaccine type received (measles-mumps-rubella [MMR] or measles-mumps-rubella-varicella [MMRV]) and age at vaccination (12-15 or 16-23 months). CONCLUSION Vaccination with a measles-containing vaccine in the second year of life is associated with a similar relative risk of a first seizure in children born preterm as in those who were born full-term.
Photo-Seebeck Effects in Doped P3HT Composites

As the global energy and environmental preservation needs continue to grow, the demand for renewable and clean energy conversion materials and devices continues to rise as well. Thermoelectric (TE) materials and devices can convert waste heat into electricity and therefore it can be a potential renewable and clean energy source. Organic and polymeric materials typically exhibit low electrical conductivities, high Seebeck coefficients, and orders of magnitude lower thermal conductivities as compared to their inorganic counterparts. However, the electrical conductivities of organic/polymeric materials are tunable via doping or molecular engineering. In this study, a series of carefully doped P3HT composites are systematically evaluated for heat as well as light modulated devices. Along with a high absorption coefficient, when the polymer film thickness is less than the penetration depth of the incoming photons, the photo effects are significant and could be very useful for light modulations of thermoelectric functions. With further systematic studies and a better understanding of the mechanisms behind the photo-Seebeck effect, the development of potential high-efficiency multi-function materials and devices appears feasible.
ICU Utilization for Patients With Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Receiving Noninvasive Ventilation

Objectives:We investigated whether patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease could safely receive noninvasive ventilation outside of the ICU.Design:Retrospective cohort study.Setting:Twelve states with ICU utilization flag from the State Inpatient Database from 2014.Patients:Patients great
What Do U.S. Catholics Think About Women Deacons

What do U.S. Catholics think about women in the renewed diaconate? The Catholic Church’s recovery of the concept of “synodality” encourages an answer to the question. This article examines the possible cultural acceptance of women deacons and the consequent organizational factors and concerns surrounding its implementation. It reviews three studies: a professional study conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) of the attitudes of Catholic women in the United States (commissioned by America Media); an unscientific online poll conducted by the magazine U.S. Catholic; and a second CARA study of the attitudes of the leaders of men’s and women’s religious institutes and orders in the United States. The examination concludes with a discussion on the diaconal tasks women already perform in the Catholic Church and the manner in which the restoration of women to the ordained office of deacon could occur in this global institution.
Performance evaluation of dereferencing methods for estimating information flow in laminar connectivity models

Multi-layered brain structures contain canonical microcircuits that specialize in region-specific function. Information flow across the layers is typically inferred using multivariate techniques that operate on local field potentials (LFPs). These methods (e.g., Granger Causality (GC)) are sensitive to the presence of a common reference that corrupts LFPs recorded with a multi-contact electrode and introduces spurious covariations. Using models of reference-noise corrupted signals with laminar interactions, we evaluated the efficacy of three dereferencing methods - bipolar subtraction, current source density (CSD), and common average referencing. We examined which method best recovered the underlying functional interactions between layers. Each dereferencing method introduced different types of error, often to alarming levels of false prediction. While CSD and bipolar subtraction methods performed best, they often predicted spurious connections, exhibited GC power in incorrect frequency bands, and/or missed salient relationships between layers. Though the confounds in this model may not be present in evaluations of functional connectivity between brain areas, these findings call for a reassessment of dereferencing methods used in the context of evaluating information flow within laminar neural tissue.
Mucosectomy Versus Stapled Ileal Pouch-Anal Anastomosis

Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) is the procedure of choice to alleviate the need for permanent ostomy creation in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) who have exhausted medical therapy. Controversies remain regarding the optimal anastomotic approach. While the original description by Parks and Nicholls in 1978 suggested complete mucosectomy to the dentate line and hand-sewn anastomosis, stapling devices over the last three decades have become the default practice [1–3]. Several historical randomized trials [4, 5] compared mucosectomy and stapled IPAA in the nineties, but none demonstrated the superiority of either technique. Small sample size and single institutional methods may account for such findings. Recent evidence as reviewed in this chapter revealed equal long term functional results comparing both anastomotic techniques, while short-term morbidity was consistently lower after stapled IPAA.
Re-Examination of Quality of Life Indicators in US - Mexico Border Cities: a Critical Review

This paper explores quality of life (QoL) in the US–Mexico Border region by revisiting The Border Observatory Project (BOP). The BOP collected and analyzed survey-response data derived from four pairs of border sister cities (Mexicali, Baja and Calexico, California; San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora and San Luis/Somerton, Arizona; Juarez, Chihuahua and El Paso, Texas; Tijuana, Baja and San Diego, California) over time. This paper adds to the literature on QoL by identifying the social and QoL indicators particularly pertinent to U.S.–Mexico border cities and significant differences between cities. The BOP and recent literature on U.S.-Mexico border QoL and social indicators are described and leveraged to propose a border-rooted bi-national, multi-community, and multi-indicator social indicators framework for use in future QoL and social indicator studies regarding border cities. The commentary and proposed framework in this paper help inform future research, policy, and practice concerning residents and migrants found in border communities.
The Life and Afterlife of a Western Han “Covered Mirror” from the Tomb of Marquis of Haihun (59 BCE)

This article provides a contextual analysis of an enigmatic object—dubbed the “Confucius Dressing Mirror” (Kongzi yijing 孔子衣鏡)—recently unearthed from the tomb of Liu He 劉賀 (Marquis of Haihun 海昏侯, d. 59 BCE) in 2015. I raise questions about the prevailing identification of this object as a “dressing mirror” and a “lived object,” used by Liu He for moral self-cultivation or political self-preservation in his volatile life as the deposed ninth emperor of Han. Instead, I treat the object as an assemblage and analyze its complete material composition and physical placement in Liu He's tomb in the broader context of funerary material culture and burial practice in early imperial China. I propose that the entombed object can be considered as a composite talisman to protect the deceased against baleful and harmful influences in the tomb and in his afterlife. Methodologically, this article stresses the importance of contextual analysis in shedding light on the traditional conceptual categories such as “lived object” (shengqi 生器) and “funerary objects” (mingqi 明器) in actual funerary ritual processes.
Statin Use in the U.S. for Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease Remains Suboptimal

Background: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) remains the leading cause of mortality in the United States. The purpose of this study is to examine the rates of statin use for secondary prevention of ASCVD events in the United States over the last decade and determine whether disparities in the treatment of ASCVD still persist among women and racial/ethnic minorities. Methods: We conducted a trend analysis using data from 2008 through 2016 to describe age-adjusted trends in the use of statins for secondary prevention using the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. We also conducted a multivariable logistic regression analysis to determine whether sociodemographic characteristics are associated with statin use during the 3 years that followed the publication of the 2013 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guideline (2014 through 2016). Results: The prevalence of statin use among those with a history of ASCVD remained unchanged from 2008 through 2016. In 2014 to 2016, more than 40% of those aged 40 years and older with a history of ASCVD did not use statins, corresponding to approximately 9.5 million Americans. Increasing age and having been diagnosed with high cholesterol (odds ratio [OR], 6.22; P Conclusions: Our study found there was no increase in the national rates of statin use following the ACC/AHA 2013 secondary prevention guideline and the availability of generic statins. Significant gender and ethnic disparities in ASCVD treatment remained in the United States.
The Externalization of Anorexia Nervosa in Narrative Family Therapy with Adolescents

The purpose of this article is to describe and illustrate through a hypothetical case example how the narrative technique of externalization can be utilized in family therapy with an adolescent mem...
Hydrogen bonding promotes diversity in nitrite coordination modes at a single iron(II) center

A low-valent [FeN5(OTf)2] complex and its bisnitrite adduct, [FeN5(NO2)2], have been synthesized in the interest of extending the reactivity of Fe complexes featuring redox-active ligands with seco...
Visualizing the full depth of the human uterine wall through three-dimensional mosaic Optical Coherence Tomography

We propose a method to construct a three-dimensional volumetric representation of uterine tissue through the full thickness of the uterine wall using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). Uterine tissue blocks from human donors were cut into ~4 mm thin slices and imaged on both sides using a commercial OCT system with 2 mm imaging depth. Attenuation compensation, rigid registration, image blending techniques were used to combine the OCT mosaic volumes from each side of the tissue into a single volume. Initial results suggest this method yields a representative 3D view of uterine collagen fiber architecture through the full tissue thickness.
Comparison of Japanese and U.S. Environmental Regulations Impacting Shipbuilding

Environmental standards of Japan are reviewed and compared with United States' standards. Ambient air quality standards for criteria pollutants, water quality (stream quality) standards, and the effluent standards for wastewater discharges are compared From this study, it is understood that some standards are more stringent in Japan while others are more stringent in the US. Comparisons are made for several water quality and air quality parameters which provide some understanding of the level of environmental compliance that may be required of a typical Japanese shipyard.