cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
What Is a Falls Risk Factor? Factors Associated with Falls per Time or per Step in Individuals with Glaucoma

Objectives To determine whether visual field (VF) damage or other factors confer a similar risk of falling when falls are ascertained as a rate over time (falls/year) as when ascertained over activity (falls/step). Design Prospective, observational cohort study. Setting Clinic‐based recruitment with real‐world monitoring of falls and physical activity. Particpants Individuals with glaucoma or suspected glaucoma (N=230). Measurements Participants recorded falls using daily calendars, with injuries identified in a follow‐up questionnaire. Annual 1‐week accelerometer trials were used to estimate steps. VF results from both eyes were merged to determine integrated VF sensitivity, with lower sensitivity indicating greater VF damage. Other potential risk factors for falls (age, sex, race, comorbid illness, polypharmacy) were determined using questionnaires. Results The cumulative probability of falls was 45.2% at 12 months and 61.6% at 24 months; cumulative probability of injurious falls was 23.3% at 12 months and 40.0% at 24 months. Greater VF damage was associated with higher rates of falls/steps (incident rate ratio = 1.40/5 dB decrement in sensitivity; p = .004) but not with more falls/year (incident rate ratio = 1.25/5 dB decrement in sensitivity; p = .07). Several additional variables (older age, female sex, more comorbid disease) were also associated with a higher rate of falls/step (p 0.10). Black participants had fewer falls/year than whites (p = .002) but did not differ in falls/step (p = .07). Similar results were obtained when injurious falls were analyzed. Conclusions Risk factors associated with frequent falls when walking (falls/step) are not properly identified when analyzing falls as a rate over time (falls/year). Given the clinical importance of preventing falls while preserving physical activity, falls assessment integrated with activity measurement is recommended when determining whether a risk factor is associated with falls. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:87–92, 2019.
Urobiome updates: advances in urinary microbiome research.

Since the discovery and confirmation of the human urobiome, highly influential studies to characterize this microbial community and understand how it relates to human health and disease have been undertaken. Technological advances will improve information about the status of the urobiome for clinicians.
Impact of Implementation of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition Model for Parenteral Nutrition Order Writing and Review on Competency, Attitudes, and Perceptions

BACKGROUND The American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) parenteral nutrition (PN) safety consensus recommendations advise a comprehensive education program and competency assessment for all healthcare professionals involved in the care of patients receiving PN. The ASPEN-model papers provide guidance for designing PN competencies for prescribers, pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the impact of a comprehensive educational program that aligns with the ASPEN model on PN competency, attitudes, and perceptions in a multidisciplinary healthcare professional audience. METHODS Dietitians, pharmacists, and physicians attended a 3-hour ASPEN model-based educational program focused on PN order writing and review. Matched preeducation and posteducation competency assessments were completed by attendees. Attitudes and perceptions were also assessed before and after the educational program using 5-point Likert scales. RESULTS Ninety-seven subjects were included in the analysis. The majority of attendees were dietitians (53.6%), followed by pharmacists (45.4%). Overall, multidisciplinary competency assessment scores improved by an average of 12.6% (preassessment average of 62.7%, postassessment average of 75.3%, P < 0.0001). Nine out of 10 statements regarding PN attitudes and perceptions significantly improved on the 5-point Likert scales (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION A comprehensive PN educational program in alignment with the ASPEN model positively impacted multidisciplinary healthcare professional PN competency, attitudes, and perceptions. To optimize patient safety, local organizations and institutions should implement formalized training as outlined by the ASPEN model for healthcare professionals involved in the care of patients receiving PN.
Universal Adversarial Perturbation for Text Classification.

Given a state-of-the-art deep neural network text classifier, we show the existence of a universal and very small perturbation vector (in the embedding space) that causes natural text to be misclassified with high probability. Unlike images on which a single fixed-size adversarial perturbation can be found, text is of variable length, so we define the "universality" as "token-agnostic", where a single perturbation is applied to each token, resulting in different perturbations of flexible sizes at the sequence level. We propose an algorithm to compute universal adversarial perturbations, and show that the state-of-the-art deep neural networks are highly vulnerable to them, even though they keep the neighborhood of tokens mostly preserved. We also show how to use these adversarial perturbations to generate adversarial text samples. The surprising existence of universal "token-agnostic" adversarial perturbations may reveal important properties of a text classifier.
The Context of Plant Breeding

Abstract Like most applied sciences, plant breeding does not exist in a void. The plant breeder must consider many intrinsic and extrinsic factors in planning and executing strategies to be successful in the broad sense. The evolutionary history of the species targeted for improvement is one such factor. This information suggests what useful genes may be present in wild relatives and where these genes may be found. The plant breeder must understand how plants are related to each other and address the limitations in access to genes via sexual hybridization. In most cases, crop species have been relocated geographically from their locus of origin to new sites never inhabited by their ancestors. They may have no innate ability to withstand the unique set of biotic and abiotic stresses that characterize the new location. The phenotype results from a series of genetically programmed and adapted developmental steps; an understanding of these developmental processes is paramount in the ability to translate phenotype into underlying genotype. The plant breeder uses the plant's reproductive system to combine and separate genes; a thorough knowledge of the natural mating system is immensely important for success. After unique genetic combinations are realized, the plant breeder is challenged with the deployment of these new genotypes in a population structure that will maximize value. As the world has changed and technology has advanced, the plant breeder is confronted with socio-political factors as well, for example geopolitical limitations on germplasm flow and lack of public support for biotechnology. If the plant breeder can keep all of these factors in balance, the stage is set for sustained success.
INVITED: Slow manifold reduction for plasma science

Abstract The classical Chapman–Enskog procedure admits a substantial geometrical generalization known as slow manifold reduction. This generalization provides a paradigm for deriving and understanding most reduced models in plasma physics that are based on controlled approximations applied to problems with multiple timescales. In this Review we develop the theory of slow manifold reduction with a plasma physics audience in mind. In particular we illustrate (a) how the slow manifold concept may be used to understand breakdown of a reduced model over sufficiently-long time intervals, and (b) how a discrete-time analogue of slow manifold theory provides a useful framework for developing implicit integrators for temporally-stiff plasma models. For readers with more advanced mathematical training we also use slow manifold reduction to explain the phenomenon of inheritance of Hamiltonian structure in dissipation-free reduced plasma models. Various facets of the theory are illustrated in the context of the Abraham–Lorentz model of a single charged particle experiencing its own radiation drag. As a culminating example we derive the slow manifold underlying kinetic quasineutral plasma dynamics up to first-order in perturbation theory. This first-order result incorporates several physical effects associated with small deviations from exact charge neutrality that lead to slow drift away from predictions based on the leading-order approximation n e = Z i n i .
Effect of Suvorexant vs Placebo on Total Daytime Sleep Hours in Shift Workers: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance Many shift workers have difficulty sleeping during the daytime owing to an inappropriately timed circadian drive for wakefulness. Objective To determine whether a dual hypocretin receptor antagonist would enable shift workers to have more daytime sleep. Design, Setting, and Participants This double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial included 2 weeks of baseline data and 3 weeks of intervention data, from March 2016 to December 2018. Individuals were recruited through poster advertisements in the broader San Francisco Bay area in California. From an initial voluntary recruitment cohort of 38 shift workers, 19 individuals with self-reported difficulty sleeping during the daytime following night work shift were included. Data were analyzed from Janaury to March 2019. Interventions 1 week of 10 mg suvorexant or placebo, titrated upward to 20 mg suvorexant or placebo for 2 additional weeks. Main Outcomes and Measures Objective (ie, actigraphy) and subjective (ie, sleep logs) measures of sleep. Results Among 19 participants who completed the study (mean [SD] age, 37.7 [11.1] years; 13 [68%] men), 8 participants (42%) were assigned to the suvorexant group and 11 participants (58%) were assigned to the placebo group. Compared with individuals in the placebo group, individuals in the suvorexant group increased their objective total sleep time by a mean (SE) of 1.04 (0.53) hours (P = .05) at the end of 1 week of 10-mg doses and by 2.16 (0.75) hours (P = .004) by the end of the 2 weeks of 20-mg doses. Subjective sleep was similarly improved as, compared with the placebo group, individuals in the suvorexant group increased their subjective total sleep time by a mean (SE) of 2.08 (0.47) hours (P Conclusions and Relevance This pilot study found that the use of a dual hypocretin receptor antagonist in shift workers under real-world conditions resulted in more than 2 extra hours of daytime sleep per episode. Future research should confirm this pilot finding in a larger sample size and examine whether, over the long term, use of this medication has a concomitant improvement in medical and psychiatric health as well as workplace performance and safety. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:NCT02491788
The role of asparagine synthetase on nutrient metabolism in pancreatic disease

The pancreas avidly takes up and synthesizes the amino acid asparagine (Asn), in part, to maintain an active translational machinery that requires incorporation of the amino acid. The de novo synthesis of Asn in the pancreas occurs through the enzyme asparagine synthetase (ASNS). The pancreas has the highest expression of ASNS of any organ, and it can further upregulate ASNS expression in the setting of amino acid depletion. ASNS expression is driven by an intricate feedback network within the integrated stress response (ISR), which includes the amino acid response (AAR) and the unfolded protein response (UPR). Asparaginase is a cancer chemotherapeutic drug that depletes plasma Asn. However, asparaginase-associated pancreatitis (AAP) is a major medical problem and could be related to pancreatic Asn depletion. In this review, we will provide an overview of ASNS and then describe its role in pancreatic health and in the exocrine disorders of pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. We will offer the overarching perspective that a high abundance of ASNS expression is hardwired in the exocrine pancreas to buffer the high demands of Asn for pancreatic digestive enzyme protein synthesis, that perturbations in the ability to express or upregulate ASNS could tip the balance towards pancreatitis, and that pancreatic cancers exploit ASNS to gain a metabolic survival advantage.
Correlates of Differences in Interactional Patterns among Black and White Respondents

Features of the survey measurement process may affect responses from respondents in various racial, ethnic, or cultural groups in different ways. When responses from multiethnic populations are combined, such variability in responding could increase variable error or bias results. The current study examines the survey response process among Black and White respondents answering questions about trust in medical researchers and participation in medical research. Using transcriptions from telephone interviews, we code a rich set of behaviors produced by respondents that past research has shown to be associated with measurement error, including long question-answer sequences, uncodable answers, requests for repetition or clarification, affective responses, and tokens. In analysis, we test for differences between Black and White respondents in the likelihood with which behaviors occur and examine whether the behaviors vary by specific categorizations of the questions, including whether the questions are racially focused. Overall, we find that White respondents produce more behaviors that indicate cognitive processing problems for racially focused questions, which may be interpreted as demonstrating a “cultural” difference in the display of cognitive processing and interaction. Data are provided by the 2013–2014 Voices Heard Survey, a computer-assisted telephone survey designed to measure respondents’ perceptions of barriers and facilitators to participating in medical research.
Abstract 16259: Gemella Morbillorum Infective Endocarditis: A Systematic Review

Introduction: Gemella morbillorum is a facultative anaerobic gram positive bacterium that resides as normal flora in the oral cavity and gastrointestinal system. This organism has uncommonly presen...
Is Better Patient Knowledge Associated with Different Treatment Preferences? A Survey of Patients with Stable Coronary Artery Disease.

Background In stable coronary artery disease (CAD), shared decision-making (SDM) is encouraged when deciding whether to pursue percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) given similar cardiovascular outcomes between PCI and medical therapy. However, it remains unclear whether improving patient-provider communication and patient knowledge, the main tenets of SDM, changes patient preferences or the treatment chosen. We explored the relationships between patient-provider communication, patient knowledge, patient preferences, and the treatment received. Methods We surveyed stable CAD patients referred for elective cardiac catheterization at seven hospitals from 6/2016 to 9/2018. Surveys assessed patient-provider communication, medical knowledge, and preferences for treatment and decision-making. We verified treatments received by chart review. We used linear and logistic regression to examine relationships between patient-provider communication and knowledge, knowledge and preference, and preference and treatment received. Results Eighty-seven patients completed the survey. More discussion of the benefits and risks of both medical therapy and PCI associated with higher patient knowledge scores (β=0.28, p<0.01). Patient knowledge level was not associated with preference for PCI (OR=0.78, 95% CI 0.57–1.03, p=0.09). Black patients had more than four times the odds of preferring medical therapy to PCI (OR=4.49, 1.22–18.45, p=0.03). Patients preferring medical therapy were not significantly less likely to receive PCI (OR=0.67, 0.16–2.52, p=0.57). Conclusions While communicating the risks of PCI may improve patient knowledge, this knowledge may not affect patient treatment preferences. Rather, other factors such as race may be significantly more influential on a patient’s treatment preferences. Furthermore, patient preferences are still not well reflected in the treatment received. Improving shared decision-making in stable CAD therefore may require not only increasing patient education but also better understanding and including a patient’s background and pre-existing beliefs.
The Relationship, If Any, Between Marriage and Infidelity

SUMMARY Infidelity has been hypothesized to be caused by any number of factors, including unhappy marriages. The current article explores the myths about infidelity and its treatment. Advice is offered to those treating affairs, and to those interested in successful marriages.
Nucleocytoplasmic partitioning as a mechanism to regulate Arabidopsis signaling events

The nucleus is the site of transcription events - compartmentalization of transcription in eukaryotes allows for regulated access to chromatin. The nucleopore, a complex of many intrinsically disorder proteins, acts as the gatekeeper for nuclear entry and exit, and receptors for nuclear localization signals and nuclear export signals interact with both cargo and nucleopore components to facilitate this movement. Thus, regulated occlusion of the nuclear localization signal or nuclear export signal, tethering of proteins, or sequestration in biomolecular condensates can be used to regulate nucleocytoplasmic partitioning. In plants, regulated nucleocytoplasmic partitioning is a key mechanism to regulate signaling pathways, including those involved in various phytohormones, environmental stimuli, and pathogen responses.
Beneficiation of concrete wash water with carbon dioxide

Wash water is generated as a by-product of ready mixed concrete production. Reuse of the water as mixture water is limited, in practice, by the negative material performance impacts associated with the water chemistry and suspended solids (i.e. hydrating binder phases and very fine aggregate); the effects are intensified with increasing content of suspended solids and water age. A novel carbon dioxide treatment to allow the use of high solids wash water as mixture water was examined through mortar and concrete testing. An industrially sourced wash water with a specific gravity of over 1.20 was treated with CO2. Seven batches of concrete were produced and compared: a reference mixture at three different w/b, and four batches with a 6% reduction in cement where wash water was used as mixture water (diluted to a specific gravity of 1.08, comparing untreated versus CO2 treated conditions, aged either 1 day or 5 days). The treatment mineralized CO2 at 27% by weight of the cement in the solids and reduced or eliminated negative aspects associated with the untreated water (set acceleration, workability loss, strength reduction with water age). The CO2-treated solids displayed latent hydraulicity. The approach allows three waste streams (CO2, wash water and wash water solids) to be reused to produce more sustainable concrete.
Hidden Town in 3D: Teaching and Reinterpreting Slavery Virtually at a Living History Museum

This article presents a case of collaborative pedagogy of digital humanities involving a virtual version of historic Salem, North Carolina. “Hidden Town in 3D” is a partnership between Middle Tennessee State University’s Public History, Animation, and Aerospace programs, and Old Salem Museums and Gardens. The object of Hidden Town in 3D is to use digital technologies to recover and represent the stories of the African Americans of Salem. The anticipated outputs for this project are an augmented reality application that can be used on-site at Old Salem, allowing visitors to see slave dwellings where they once stood and a virtual tour using gaming technology of the entire town in the year 1860 with African-American stories and homes reintegrated. Along with enhancing the museum’s visitor experience, these outputs enhance the educational experiences of undergraduate and graduate students through interdisciplinary, project-based learning. Thus, the technical work of modeling, animating, and augmented reality benefits teaching, historical scholarship, and museum offerings.
The Sleep Regularity Questionnaire: development and initial validation.

Abstract Background/objective Sleep is a critically important behavior which influences diverse aspects of health, functioning, and longevity. An increasing literature suggests the importance of sleep regularity, also referred to as sleep inconsistency, sleep variability, or intraindividual variability in sleep. Given there is no brief, subjective measure of sleep regularity, the purpose of this study was to develop the Sleep Regularity Questionnaire (SRQ) and to begin the process of examining its psychometric properties using a construct-validation approach. Participants/methods In an online study of sleep and health, participants (n = 3249; Mage (SD) = 42.77 (16.73); 48.5% female; 77.3% white) completed the in-development SRQ, as well as the Insomnia Severity Index and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Results An exploratory factor analysis followed by a confirmatory factor analysis revealed a two factor structure, represented by circadian regularity and sleep continuity regularity, with good model fit indices (X2 = 50.9, df = 7, p Conclusions Preliminary psychometrics suggest that the SRQ is a valid and stable instrument for the assessment of sleep regularity in adults that is related to, but distinct from, other established sleep constructs. Future research will benefit from assessing the validity of the SRQ in various clinical samples and how it compares to measures of sleep regularity calculated from prospective daily assessments.
Indirect accountability of political appointees

This paper explores the indirect accountability of political appointees. The appointee’s quality is uncertain, and voters hold the politician accountable for the appointee’s performance. The politi...
mTOR pathway in colorectal cancer: an update

// Maria Giovanna Francipane 1,2 and Eric Lagasse 1 1 McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. 2 Ri.MED Foundation, Palermo, Italy. Correspondence: Eric Lagasse, email: // Keywords : mTOR, colorectal cancer, cancer stem-like cells, personalized medicine. Received : October 28, 2013 Accepted : December 3, 2013 Published : December 5, 2013 Abstract The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) has emerged as a potential target for drug development, particularly due to the fact that it plays such a crucial role in cancer biology. In addition, next-generation mTOR inhibitors have become available, marking an exciting new phase in mTOR-based therapy. However, the verdict on their therapeutic effectiveness remains unclear. Here we review phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mTOR signaling as one of the primary mechanisms for sustaining tumor outgrowth and metastasis, recent advances in the development of mTOR inhibitors, and current studies addressing mTOR activation/inhibition in colorectal cancer (CRC). We will also discuss our recent comparative study of different mTOR inhibitors in a population of colon cancer stem cells (CSCs), and current major challenges for achieving individualized drug therapy using kinase inhibitors.
Architectural Frameworks: Defining the Contents of Architectural Descriptions

This paper describes experiences with several architectural frameworks. An "architectural framework" specifies what is included in the description of an architecture, independent of the specific system being described. The three frameworks are the U.S. DoD C4ISR Architecture Framework, the associated Core Architecture Data Model and the emerging IEEE Recommended Practice on Architecture Description. From these experiences, we speculate on the further evolution of architecture frameworks and architectural descriptions.
The role of the endothelium in acute pulmonary edema; an electron microscopic study.

Abstract An abundant secretion of ciliated and nonciliated epithelial cells in the smallest air ducts has been demonstrated in the rabbit in experimental acute pulmonary edema. Such secretion is present normally too but in a much lesser degree.
Potentially Serious Drug Interactions Secondary to High‐Dose Diltiazem Used in the Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension

Two patients had potentially serious drug interactions (phenytoin, digoxin) that were probably attributable to changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics caused by high-dose calcium channel blocker therapy (diltiazem) in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension. Even in the approved normal dosages for the treatment of angina and hypertension, calcium channel blockers are known to cause significant changes in the metabolism of other drugs. Currently, no data exist on the effects of the very high dosages of these drugs, administered to patients with pulmonary hypertension, on the metabolism and clearance of other agents, although, based on our experience and literature reports, recommendations for monitoring therapy can be made.
Fellows' Forum in Dialysis edited by Mark A. Perazella: Cardiac Troponins: Utility in Renal Insufficiency and End‐Stage Renal Disease

Currently available serum markers of cardiac injury in patients with renal insufficiency suffer from impaired sensitivity and specificity. Cardiac troponins (cTnI, cTnT) are relatively new diagnostic markers of myocardial injury and have gained widespread application in the non-renal-failure population to diagnose myocardial infarction. Over the past few years the specificity and sensitivity of cardiac troponins for diagnosing acute myocardial infarction in patients with renal dysfunction have been examined. Most data indicate that cardiac troponin I has an excellent specificity, but until more studies are available this marker should be consdiered a useful but imperfect serum marker of an acute coronary syndrome in patients with underlying renal dysfunction.
BK channel activation by brief depolarizations requires Ca2+ influx through L- and Q-type Ca2+ channels in rat chromaffin cells.

BK channel activation by brief depolarizations requires Ca2+ influx through L- and Q-type Ca2+ channels in rat chromaffin cells. Ca2+- and voltage-dependent BK-type K+ channels contribute to action...
A multi-access scheme for UWB radio using pseudo-chaotic time hopping

Pseudo-chaotic time hopping (PCTH) is an encoding/modulation scheme proposed for UWB (ultra-wide band) impulse radio. PCTH exploits concepts from symbolic dynamics to generate aperiodic spreading sequences. We present a multiple access technique suitable for the pseudo-chaotic time hopping scheme.
Ifosfamide dose-intensification for patients with metastatic Ewing sarcoma.

Background Outcomes for patients with metastatic Ewing sarcoma (ES) remain poor. We investigated whether the intensification of ifosfamide improved survival for patients with metastatic ES. Procedure We conducted a retrospective chart review of 30 patients with metastatic ES treated with the MSKCC “EFT regimen.” The regimen included an intensification of ifosfamide dosing from 1,800 mg/m2/day × 5 days per cycle to 2,800 mg/m2/day × 5 days per cycle. Results Twenty six of the 30 patients completed planned chemotherapy. Two patients experienced disease progression during therapy. There were no toxic deaths. One patient developed secondary leukemia. The 4-year event free survival (EFS) was 27% and the overall survival (OS) was 39%. Conclusions Intensification of ifosfamide was tolerated and did not increase toxicity in patients with metastatic ES. The intensification did not improve outcomes for these patients with metastatic disease. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015;62:594–597. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Emergency contraception in Iowa pharmacies before and after over-the-counter approval

Objectives: To compare availability of emergency contraception in Iowa pharmacies, before and after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved over-the-counter sales and identify reasons why over-the-counter, emergency contraception might still not be available in some Iowa pharmacies. Design and Sample: Secondary analysis of data collected for an existing, descriptive study. A total of 906 pharmacies were identified; 405 (56.8%) pharmacies participated before, and 308 (43.2%) after the FDA policy change. Measures: Data collected via a scripted telephone survey. Results: After the FDA changed its policy and allowed over-the-counter sales of emergency contraception, the percentage of Iowa pharmacies offering emergency contraception increased from 57.8% to 70%. In the before sampling, 67.5% reported a perceived lack of demand as the primary reason for not carrying emergency contraception 66.7% reported this rationale in the after group. Other reasons included store policy, and moral, religious, or personal reasons. Pharmacists were surprisingly uninformed about the action of emergency contraception; before the FDA approved over-the-counter sales 53% believed the drugs primarily worked by blocking implantation of a fertilized egg. Indeed, even after FDA approved over-the-counter sales, 38% of pharmacists still believed that emergency contraception was comparable to an abortifacient. In addition, before the policy changed, 43.8% of pharmacists accepted emergency contraception as safe for teenagers; this percentage fell to 27.9% after the policy change. Conclusions: Significant increases in the carrying of emergency contraception suggest the policy did succeed in increasing access. Despite this, barriers to access exist. Further research should explore why pharmacies might not carry emergency contraception.
Human immunodeficiency virus nephropathy.

Varying components of the syndrome of human immunodeficiency virus nephropathy (HIVN) have been described, the most pertinent including proteinuria/nephrotic syndrome, progressive azotemia, normal blood pressure, enlarged and hyperechoic kidneys, rapid progression to end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and no response to treatment regimens. The diagnosis of HIVN requires identification of excessive proteinuria or albuminuria, determined by a total protein excretion on a timed urine collection or a high protein/creatinine ratio in a random specimen. Various pathological lesions have been found in HIVN. The lesion of focal and segmental sclerosis (FS/FSS) is most characteristic in adults and usually is associated with a rapid demise. FS/FSS also has been described in approximately one-half of the pediatric patients reported in the literature (31/64). Despite progression to ESRD, the clinical course in children with HIVN is less fulminant than in adults. Other reported histological findings include primarily mesangial hyperplasia as well as minimal change, focal necrotizing glomerulonephritis or lupus nephritis, and hemolytic uremic syndrome. In addition to glomerular pathology, interstitial findings of dilated tubules filled with a unique proteinaceous material, atrophied tubular epithelium, and interstitial cell infiltration are very common. On electron microscopy, most investigators have found tubuloreticular inclusion bodies in endothelial cells of glomerular capillaries. Treatment of patients who develop ESRD remains highly controversial. Most adult patients treated with hemodialysis have succumbed rapidly; peritoneal dialysis has been better tolerated. Transplantation in patients with HIV infection must be considered to be tentative, with reports of acceleration towards full blown acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in some and uneventful 5-year survival in others. The situation of the pediatric patient with HIVN remains unclear and awaits the benefit of experience.
Risk factors associated with 30-day readmission after primary debulking surgery for epithelial ovarian cancer

Objectives: Readmission after epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) surgery consumes valuable healthcare resources and entails high physical and emotional demands. To facilitate early recognition of patients at risk for postoperative morbidities, we evaluated factors associated with 30-day readmission after EOC surgery. Methods: Patients who underwent primary debulking for EOC between 1/2/2003 and 12/29/2008 were evaluated. Follow-up duration was calculated from the date of dismissal after primary surgery to the date of first readmissionwithin 30 days. Cox regressionmodels were fit to take into account the timing of readmissions and those with b30 days of clinical follow-up. Demographic and perioperative clinical factors (preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative variables) were first assessed univariately for an association with 30-day readmission. A parsimonious multivariable model was identified using backwards and stepwise variable selection. Results: Of 538 eligible patients, 107 (19.9%) were readmitted within 30 days. In total, 324 (60.2%) were stage III and 91 (16.9%) were stage IV. Optimal debulking (≤1 cm residual disease) was achieved in 467 (86.8%) patients. The most common indications for readmission were dehydration/nausea and vomiting, surgical site infection, bowel complications, urinary tract infection, pleural effusion and thromboembolic events. Nine (8.4%) of readmitted patients required reoperation at the time of readmission. ASA score ≥3 was the only preoperative factor associated with 30-day readmission on univariate analysis, while intraoperative factors predictive of readmission included ascites, residual disease, estimated blood loss, and small bowel serosal involvement. Time to first postoperative flatus, postoperative complications, and length of initial hospital stay were suggestive of higher readmission rates on univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis identified ASA score ≥3 (HR 1.67 (95% CI 1.13–2.45), small bowel serosal involvement (1.51 (1.02–2.24)), and ascites (1.58 (1.04–2.41)) (p= 0.009, 0.04 and 0.03, respectively) to be independently associated with 30-day readmission (c-index= 0.617). Conclusions: Patients with severe underlying comorbidities (based on ASA score) are at risk for readmission and should be closely assessed prior to dismissal. Due to lack of clinical significance, all other perioperative factors are relatively poor predictors of the need for readmission after EOC surgery. Thus, 30-day readmissions after EOC surgery may be unavoidable.
Change in hue of spectral colors by dilution with white light (Abney effect)

Monochromatic light, when mixed with white light, not only becomes desaturated but also changes in hue (Abney effect). This effect was studied in three observers by using three unique hues (blue, green, and yellow) and four compound (intermediate) hues. The whites used for desaturation (desaturants) included Abney’s white (3890 K), two bluish whites (10,000 and 20,000 K), and each observer’s own, perceptually neutral white (6200–6980 K). Test stimuli of 0.5° diameter were presented to the dark-adapted fovea for 1 sec in a dark surround. Abney’s results were confirmed, except in the shortwave and middle-wave parts of the spectrum. At short wavelengths we always observed a hue shift toward increasing redness, whereas Abney reported a shift toward blue. At middle wavelengths (500–556 nm), we found smaller effects than did Abney. Here Abney’s white produced an increase in perceived yellow, whereas all other desaturants produced an increase in perceived green. Two colors, blue-green and yellow, changed least. In general, the hue shifts increased with decreasing colorimetric purity (from 1.0 to 0.5). The results are discussed in relation to color additivity, constant-hue loci, and the Benzold–Brucke effect.
Otolith Trace Element Chemistry as an Indicator of Anadromy in Yukon River Drainage Coregonine Fishes

Abstract Eight coregonine species have been documented in the Yukon River drainage. They include inconnu Stenodus leucichthys, broad whitefish Coregonus nasus, humpback whitefish C. pidschian, Alaska whitefish C. nelsonii, least cisco C. sardinella, Bering cisco C. laurettae, round whitefish Prosopium cylindracium, and pygmy whitefish P. coulterii. Personal use, sport, and commercial fisheries within the drainage target several of these species. Some species are capable of anadromous life histories, as evidenced by their presence in estuaries, yet few studies have investigated the upstream migrations of anadromous components of these populations. Only inconnu migrations have been previously examined in the Yukon River drainage. We investigated the distribution of anadromous coregonine fish in the Yukon River drainage in Alaska using sampling and otolith chemistry procedures. Six species were identified in sample collections from eight regions of the drainage between 1,200 and 2,000 km upstream from the Be...
Nitric oxide-releasing chitosan oligosaccharides as antibacterial agents

Secondary amine-functionalized chitosan oligosaccharides of different molecular weights (i.e., ~2500, 5000, 10,000) were synthesized by grafting 2-methyl aziridine from the primary amines on chitosan oligosaccharides, followed by reaction with nitric oxide (NO) gas under basic conditions to yield N-diazeniumdiolate NO donors. The total NO storage, maximum NO flux, and half-life of the resulting NO-releasing chitosan oligosaccharides were controlled by the molar ratio of 2-methyl aziridine to primary amines (e.g., 1:1, 2:1) and the functional group surrounding the N-diazeniumdiolates (e.g., polyethylene glycol (PEG) chains), respectively. The secondary amine-modified chitosan oligosaccharides greatly increased the NO payload over existing biodegradable macromolecular NO donors. In addition, the water-solubility of the chitosan oligosaccharides enabled their penetration across the extracellular polysaccharides matrix of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms and association with embedded bacteria. The effectiveness of these chitosan oligosaccharides at biofilm eradication was shown to depend on both the molecular weight and ionic characteristics. Low molecular weight and cationic chitosan oligosaccharides exhibited rapid association with bacteria throughout the entire biofilm, leading to enhanced biofilm killing. At concentrations resulting in 5-log killing of bacteria in Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) biofilms, the NO-releasing and control chitosan oligosaccharides elicited no significant cytotoxicity to mouse fibroblast L929 cells in vitro.
SU‐E‐J‐87: Imaging Biomarkers of Treatment Response: A Roadmap to Validation

Purpose: Quantitative imaging measures are essential for assessment of tumor response to therapy; however, systematic validation is required before imaging biomarkers can be successfully implemented. We performed preliminary validation of the optimal image reconstruction parameters to maximize the accuracy of PET‐based imaging biomarkers. Methods: Optimal PETreconstruction parameters were determined using four spheres of various sizes (10–22mm) containing 168 kBq/cc of [18F]FDG. Spheres were placed inside a NEMA IEC body phantom. Scans were acquired on a GE VCT PET/CT scanner in both 2D and 3D mode. Multiple images were reconstructed using OSEM by varying matrix dimensions, iteration number, and post‐filtration. For each sphere, the recovery coefficient (RC) was used to measure quantitative image accuracy. Robustness of reconstruction parameters to sphere size changes was measured as the coefficient of variation (CV) of the RCs of the individual spheres within an image. Optimal reconstruction parameters were those which resulted in the highest average RC and lowest CV. Results: RC averaged over all four spheres ranged from 0.72 – 0.95 for the image reconstructions investigated. Higher RCs were observed for 2D acquisition mode than 3D (0.91 vs. 0.80), and for 22mm spheres than 10mm spheres (0.99 vs. 0.74). No such trends were observed for CVs. CV values varied by a factor of two across the reconstructions investigated, ranging from 9% to 17%. Image accuracy and robustness to lesion size changes were highest for 2D acquisition, 256×256 matrix, 2 iterations, and 3mm post‐filtration, yielding an RC of 0.92 and CV of ±9%. Conclusions: We successfully optimized image reconstruction parameters to maximize quantitative imaging accuracy, which will increase reproducibility of biomarkers. Future work will include test‐retest imaging of biomarkers in patients to quantify remaining uncertainties. This study represents a critical first step towards validation of imaging biomarkers of treatment response.
Sharing Responsibility for Conserving Diversity: The Complementary Roles of Conservation Biologists and Public Land Agencies

In a recent editorial (Salwasser 1987), a biologist working for the U.S. Forest Service challenged conservation biologists to reject the twin "dogmas" that government agencies controlling public lands be considered the primary guardians of biological diversity, and that the exploitation of these lands to produce economic goods be considered incompatible with maintaining their original diversity. Similarly, the director of the National Park Service recently stressed how important surrounding landscapes and coordinated planning are in maintaining overall diversity (Mott 1988). While both statements appear reasonable on the surface, they deserve scrutiny in the current context of controversy surrounding the management of diversity by these agencies (Chase 1986,1987; Task Force 1986; O'Toole 1988). They also raise important questions concerning the role public lands and the agencies that oversee them should play in preserving the biological diversity of the United States, and the role independent conservation biologists should play in conjunction with the agencies in setting these policies. Protecting natural resources and biological diversity is, of course, a matter of legislated priority for the Park Service, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the Forest Service. Ironically, to support his view that government should not assume primary responsibility for maintaining biological diversity, Salwasser invoked the "Round River" essay of conservation biology's patron saint, Aldo Leopold. While Leopold did urge widespread private involvement in conservation, he also clearly envisioned that National Forest and Park lands should play a crucial leading role in conserving natural diversity, a role he realized they were failing: The National Parks do not suffice.... The parks are certainly too small for such a far-ranging species as the wolf. Many animal species for reasons unknown, do not seem to thrive as detached islands of populations. The most feasible way to enlarge the area available for wilderness fauna is for the wilder parts of the National Forests, which usually surround the Parks, to function as parks in respect to threatened species. That they have not so functioned is tragically illustrated in the case of the Grizzly Bear. (Leopold 1953)
The Land Question in Amazonia: Cadastral Knowledge and Ignorance in Brazil's Tenure Regularization Program

In the Brazilian Amazon, a questao fundiaria (the land question) has been asked and answered in a variety of ways since the region was opened up to large-scale migration and development projects in the 1960s. The question of who is entitled to land and under what conditions is at the heart of most debates concerning the region's future, but recent attempts to reform and simplify rural land tenure in Amazonia confront a history of contradictory land-use policies and a legacy of impunity. In response to economic and demographic pressures, the Brazilian state aims to combat the illicit occupation, sale, and transformation of lands. This article presents an ethnographic approach to the land question in Amazonia by studying the knowledge-making practices associated with the Programa Terra Legal (Legal Land Program), Brazil's effort to create a cadastral registry for rural holdings in the region. It argues that tenure regularization dedicated to securing smallholders’ rights and to instituting environmental regulations is being used by rural elites as a mechanism to accumulate land and power. By showing how a reform program gets remade in the thrall of local interests and vernacular dispositions of property, this article reveals how knowledge both illuminates and obscures subjects of governance.
Test morphology of benthic foraminifera as a discriminator of biofacies

Abstract Six morphological groups, defined on the basis of the external test morphologies of 45 species of Texas coast benthic foraminifera, were able to distinguish four biofacies using canonical variate analysis. The morpho-groups are straight-cylindrical, plano-convex, elongate-flattened, biconvex-keeled, tapered, and rounded-planispiral. The four biofacies, bay, 0–30 m, 30–60 m, and 60–110 m, are the same as those recognized by previous workers on the basis of species occurrences. In general, test morphologies become more angular and asymmetric with increasing water depth. This trend may be due to a decrease in sediment turbulence with increasing water depth. The use of morpho-groups instead of species has several advantages. Because morpho-groups are independent of species level taxonomy, they are not sensitive to changes in habitat of individual species or to taxonomic differences among researchers. Species need not be identified, thus samples may be sorted quickly in the laboratory. Data reduction and analysis are much simpler when done using a small number of morpho-groups than when using a large number of species. Analyses using morpho-groups may be adaptable to computer image processing.
Alcohol state-dependent cues in avoidance learning

Rats trained under alcohol in shuttlebox avoidance responding showed decrements in retention 24 h later when compared to controls or to animals given pyrazole prior to the alcohol treatments. Since pyrazole inhibits alcohol oxidation, the results were interpreted in support of the notion of cue properties of alcohol as a basis for asymmetrical dissociation.
Male Heliothis virescens maintain upwind flight in response to experimentally pulsed filaments of their sex pheromone (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Aspects of the intermittent fine structure of an odor plume were mimicked and experimentally modified in the wind tunnel using an air-pulsing device. Filaments of a behaviorally active blend of six sex-pheromone components created by the device in a temporally regular fashion elicited sustained upwind flight and source location in male Heliothis virescens.Males did not exhibit sustained upwind flight in significant numbers until a frequency of 4 filaments/s was delivered, at a loading of 1 μg of the major component, Z11-16: Ald, with the other components loaded at their appropriate ratios. A loading of 10 μg Z11-16: Ald was found to be optimal at this filament delivery rate. Electroantennogram recordings to different filament delivery rates of the complete blend indicated that a stationary male antenna can respond to the pulse rates used in this study. Importantly, when a main component necessary for upwind flight, Z9-14:Ald, was isolated into its own filaments and pulsed alternately against filaments of the five other components (including the other component essential for upwind flight, Z11-16: Ald), upwind flight to the source was significantly reduced (9%) compared to upwind flight and source location in response to filaments composed of the entire blend (30%), indicating that the complete pheromone blend must arrive on the antenna simultaneously for optimal evocation of sustained upwind progress. Neurophysiological evidence from other studies suggests that higher-order interneurons whose phasic response is enhanced when the entire blend is presented simultaneously may be of importance in explaining this behavioral difference stemming from synchronous vsasynchronous arrival of the components.