cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A conceptual framework for dryland aeolian sediment transport along the grassland–forest continuum: Effects of woody plant canopy cover and disturbance

ARTICLE I NFO Aeolianprocesses are of particular importance in dryland ecosystems where ground cover is inherently sparse because of limited precipitation. Dryland ecosystems include grassland, shrubland, savanna, woodland, and forest, and can be viewed collectively as a continuum of woody plant cover spanning from grasslands with no woody plant cover up to forests with nearly complete woody plant cover. Along this continuum, the spacing and shape of woody plants determine the spatial density of roughness elements, which directly affects aeolian sediment transport. Despite the extensiveness of dryland ecosystems, studies of aeolian sediment transport have generally focused on agricultural fields, deserts, or highly disturbed sites where rates of transport are likely to be greatest. Until recently, few measurements have been made of aeolian sediment transport over multiple wind events and across a variety of types of dryland ecosystems. To evaluate potential trends in aeolian sediment transport as a function of woody plant cover, estimates of aeolian sediment transport from recently published studies, in concert with rates from four additional locations (two grassland and two woodlandsites),arereportedhere.Thesynthesisofthesereportsleadstothedevelopmentofanewconceptual framework for aeolian sediment transport in dryland ecosystems along the grassland-forest continuum. The findings suggest that: (1) for relatively undisturbed ecosystems, shrublands have inherently greater aeolian sediment transport because of wake interference flow associated with intermediate levels of density andspacingofwoodyplants;and(2)fordisturbedecosystems,theupperboundforaeoliansedimenttransport decreases as a function of increasing amounts of woody plant cover because of the effects of the height and density of the canopy on airflow patterns and ground cover associated with woody plant cover. Consequently, aeolian sediment transport following disturbance spans the largest range of rates in grasslands and associated systems with no woody plants (e.g., agricultural fields), an intermediate range in shrublands, and a relatively small range in woodlands and forests. These trends are consistent with previous observations relating large rates of wind erosion to intermediate values for spatial density of roughness elements. The framework for aeolian sediment transport,which isalso relevanttodust fluxes,wind erosion,andrelatedaeolianprocesses,is applicable to a diverse suite of environmental challenges, including land degradation and desertification, dust storms, contaminant transport, and alterations of the hydrological cycle.
Spirituality as a Change Mechanism in 12-Step Programs: A Replication, Extension, and Refinement

This National Institutes of Health funded study investigated spiritual growth as a change mechanism in 12-step programs. A total of 130 people, early 12-step affiliates with limited Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) histories, were recruited from 2007 to 2008 from AA, treatment, and community centers in a Southwestern city in the United States. A majority of the sample was alcohol dependent. Participants were interviewed at baseline and at 3, 6, and 9 months. Lagged General Linear Modeling analyses indicated that spiritual change as measured by the Religious Background and Behavior (RBB) self-report questionnaire were predictive of increased abstinence and decreased drinking intensity, and that the magnitude of this effect varied across different RBB scoring algorithms. Future research should address study limitations by recruiting participants with more extensive AA histories and by including assessments of commitment to, and practice of, AA prescribed activities. The study's limitations are noted.
Preventing Alcohol Use with a Voluntary After-School Program for Middle School Students: Results from a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial of CHOICE

There are many mandated school-based programs to prevent adolescent alcohol and drug (AOD) use, but few are voluntary and take place outside of class time. This cluster randomized controlled trial evaluates CHOICE, a voluntary after-school program for younger adolescents, which reduced both individual- and school-level alcohol use in a previous pilot study. We evaluated CHOICE with 9,528 students from 16 middle schools. The sample was 51% female; 54% Hispanic, 17% Asian, 15% white, 9% multiethnic and 3% African American. Fifteen percent of students attended CHOICE. All students completed surveys on alcohol beliefs and use at baseline and 6–7 months later. We conducted intention-to-treat (ITT) school-level analyses and propensity-matched attender analyses. Lifetime alcohol use in the ITT analysis (i.e., school level) achieved statistical significance, with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.70 and a NNT of 14.8. The NNT suggests that in a school where CHOICE was offered, 1 adolescent out of 15 was prevented from initiating alcohol use during this time period. Although not statistically significant (p = .20), results indicate that past month alcohol use was also lower in CHOICE schools (OR = 0.81; NNT = 45). Comparisons of attenders versus matched controls yielded results for lifetime use similar to school-wide effects (OR = 0.74 and NNT = 17.6). Initial results are promising and suggest that a voluntary after-school program that focuses specifically on AOD may be effective in deterring alcohol use among early adolescents; however, further research is needed as program effects were modest.
The effect of interface pressure on thermal joint conductance for flexible graphite materials: analytical and experimental study

Increasingly, thermal interstitial materials (TIM), such as metallic foils, solder, metallic coatings, polymeric matrices loaded with highly conducting filler particles (i.e., elastomers), greases, and phase-change (PCM) materials are being employed to a greater extent in power generating systems. With greater use, follow an increased interest in the thermal transport and mechanical properties of these materials. These properties include thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, and the thermal resistance at the interface between the interstitial material with the substrate material. To provide information on the thermal joint conductance of an important interstitial material employed in microelectronic components, an experimental investigation has been conducted for flexible graphite. The experimental data were compared to an analytical model developed for elastic layers. The model and data are found to be in good agreement over the pressure range within the investigation. The proposed model can be used to predict the lower bound on the joint conductance.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae Is Capable of de Novo Pantothenic Acid Biosynthesis Involving a Novel Pathway of β-Alanine Production from Spermine

Pantothenic acid and β-alanine are metabolic intermediates in coenzyme A biosynthesis. Using a functional screen in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a putative amine oxidase, encoded by FMS1, was found to be rate-limiting for β-alanine and pantothenic acid biosynthesis. Overexpression ofFMS1 caused excess pantothenic acid to be excreted into the medium, whereas deletion mutants required β-alanine or pantothenic acid for growth. Furthermore, yeast genes ECM31 andYIL145c, which both have structural homology to genes of the bacterial pantothenic acid pathway, were also required for pantothenic acid biosynthesis. The homology of FMS1 to FAD-containing amine oxidases and its role in β-alanine biosynthesis suggested that its substrates are polyamines. Indeed, we found that all the enzymes of the polyamine pathway in yeast are necessary for β-alanine biosynthesis; spe1Δ , spe2Δ ,spe3Δ , and spe4Δ are all β-alanine auxotrophs. Thus, contrary to previous reports, yeast is naturally capable of pantothenic acid biosynthesis, and the β-alanine is derived from methionine via a pathway involving spermine. These findings should facilitate the identification of further enzymes and biochemical pathways involved in polyamine degradation and pantothenic acid biosynthesis in S. cerevisiae and raise questions about these pathways in other organisms.
Use of prothrombin complex concentrates and activated prothrombin complex concentrates as prophylactic therapy in haemophilia patients with inhibitors

Haemophilia patients with inhibitors are treated for acute bleeding with prothrombin complex concentrates (PCCs) or activated prothrombin complex concentrates (aPCCs). Despite this therapy, patients with high-level inhibitors are at increased risk of developing devastating joint disease. This paper examines available information that supports the study of PCCs and/or aPCCs as prophylactic therapy for haemophilia patients with inhibitors. This strategy would require that PCCs or aPCCs be administered repetitively in a dose that is sufficient to prevent haemarthrosis without causing thrombogenic events, or causing anamnestic response in inhibitor titre. PCC doses ranging from 30 to 50 U kg-1 every other day for up to 8 months have resulted in subjective improvement both in bleeding associated with target joints and in the management of chronic joint inflammation. aPCC doses as low as 50-100 U kg-1 every other day have been useful in postsurgical prophylaxis. The risk of developing a myocardial infarction or clinically relevant disseminated intravascular coagulation is linked to total dosages of either PCCs or aPCCs greater than 200 U kg-1 day-1. It is uncertain what anamnestic response would result from prophylaxis, but with typical therapy the aPCCs cause such a response in only a small percentage of patients. Based on these findings, a clinical trial of these products used in doses of 50-100 U kg-1 every other day would appear to be warranted in patients who have permanent inhibitors and frequent joint bleeding.
Potential impacts of contemporary changing climate on Caribbean coastlines

Abstract The threat of man-induced global change on the nations of the wider Caribbean region varies from place to place because of differences in exposure to storms, differences in local tectonics and subsidence, and variations in land-use practices. Because of the large number of nations involved, many having only subsistence budgets, and the cost of deriving independently a comprehensive response to global change, the similarities and differences between national settings must be identified soon. These comparisons will form the basis for local response strategies; the common elements between nations provide a basis for responses similar to those other nations, whereas the differences mandate local adaptation. That the Caribbean will be impacted by climate change is certain: its environment, land uses, and economies are dictated in large part by this marine influence. Accompanying global change will be changes in sea level, differences in storm climate, and altered precipitation patterns; science cannot define today what form these changes will take. Because global change is inevitable—although its magnitude, timing, and geographic distribution are unknown—the wider Caribbean should begin the appropriate research and planning studies to set forth a response to global change, for implementation when scientific evidence for global change is more quantitative.
Just Say No Sequential Parent Management Training and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for a Child With Comorbid Disruptive Behavior and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Psychiatric comorbidity is common in pediatric patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and may negatively affect treatment outcome. In particular, comorbid disruptive behavior disorders have been associated with attenuated treatment response in youth undergoing cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for OCD. This article presents the case of a 10-year-old female with a primary diagnosis of OCD and secondary diagnosis of oppositional defiant disorder who was successfully treated with parent management training (PMT) prior to initiation of CBT. PMT was effective in reducing oppositional behaviors and resulted in improved adherence to the treatment protocol. The current report provides preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of PMT in youth with OCD and comorbid disruptive behavior. Clinical recommendations are provided to foster improved outcomes in this population.
Autoantibodies to GM1 ganglioside: different reactivity to GM1-liposomes in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and lower motor neuron disorders.

Abstract We studied the ability of anti-GM1 ganglioside antibodies to bind to GM1 in a lipid, “membrane-like” environment. Liposomes containing GM1 were synthesized to simulate this environment. We then compared the binding of anti-GM1 a autoantibodies to GM1-liposomes and to purified GM1. Antibody binding was quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methodology. Our results showed a 250-fold variation in the ability of anti-GM1 antibodies to bind to GM1-liposomes. There was no correlation between GM1-liposome binding and the carbohydrate specificities of the anti-GM1 antibodies. However, anti-GM1 antibodies from patients with amyotophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) showed a 4 fold greater binding to GM1-liposomes than antibodies from patients with lower motor neuron (LMN) syndromes. We conclude that a lipid, presumably “membrane-like”, environment may greatly influence the degree of anti-GM1 antibody binding to GM1. The low levels of anti-GM1 antibody binding to GM1-liposomes in patients with LMN syndromes may provide a diagnostic means for distinguishing these patients from those with ALS. Anti-GM1 antibodies from patients with ALS may bind especially well to neuronal membranes containing GM1 in vivo.
A unified approach to generating series for nonlinear cascade systems

The goal of the paper is to describe in a unified fashion the generating series for the cascade connection of any two analytic nonlinear input-output systems. In particular, it will be shown that a single general definition of a composition product can be formulated in terms of formal power series to describe any possible cascade connection of Fliess operators or memoryless maps provided that the composite system is well defined and resides in one of these two classes.
Case 45: Postoperative Respiratory Arrest

A 14-year-old boy (72 kg) with idiopathic scoliosis is scheduled for spinal instrumentation with Harrington rod placement. His history and physical examination are unremarkable. The patient has had no previous anesthesia/surgery, and his family history is negative for anesthesia-related complications. The patient is taking no medication and is classified as American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I (ASA 1). General anesthesia is induced with propofol, fentanyl, and vecuronium after all necessary monitoring equipment is placed. After the boy is asleep, the trachea is intubated with a cuffed endotracheal tube (ETT). Breath sounds are equal bilaterally, and the ETT is securely taped. Anesthesia is maintained with isoflurane and nitrous oxide in oxygen, meperidine, and vecuronium. A blood salvage system is used throughout the operation. During the procedure, he loses approximately 1l of blood. One unit of directed blood is given intraoperatively. The operation proceeds uneventfully and, at the end of the surgery, the neuromuscular blockade is reversed. Spontaneous respiration returns and the patient follows commands. The ETT is removed and he is transported to the postanesthesia care unit (PACU). On arrival in the PACU, he is alert and vital signs are stable. Because his hematocrit (Hct) is 30%, the surgeons ask that you to retransfuse the 500ml of salvaged blood cells.
The roles of maternal alpha-catenin and plakoglobin in the early Xenopus embryo

Catenins (alpha-, beta- and gamma- or plakoglobin) are cytoplasmic cadherin-associated proteins. Studies on cultured cells have suggested that both alpha-catenin and plakoglobin are important for the adhesive function of cadherins. alpha-catenin binds to both beta-catenin and plakoglobin and may link the cadherin/catenin complex to actin filaments. Separate domains of plakoglobin bind to cadherin and alpha-catenin, suggesting it may act as a bridge between these molecules. However, plakoglobin may have other activities: it is expressed in both desmosomal junctions in association with desmogleins and the cytoplasm in conjunction with APC, and previous work suggests it may act in a dorsal signalling pathway when overexpressed in Xenopus embryos. Here, we have studied the roles of alpha-catenin and plakoglobin directly, by depleting the maternal mRNAs coding for each of them in developing Xenopus embryos. We find that depletion of maternal alpha-catenin causes the loss of intercellular adhesion at the blastula stage, similar to that reported previously for EP cadherin. Depletion of plakoglobin results in a partial loss of adhesion, and a loss of embryonic shape, but does not affect dorsal signalling.
Blood Pressure Norms and Definition of Hypertension in Children

Prior to the 1970s, measurement of blood pressure was not a standard practice in asymptomatic healthy children. Detection of high blood pressure in children occurred when blood pressure was measured in symptomatic and clinically ill children. In the absence of reference data on blood pressure levels in healthy children, adult criteria were used. Early preliminary data on blood pressure levels in healthy children indicated that the normal range of blood pressure was considerably lower than in adults. It was also recognized that there was progressive increase in blood pressure levels in healthy children that corresponded to childhood growth and development. Subsequently, several large observational studies were conducted on healthy children and adolescents. These studies applied uniform methods in blood pressure measurement along with growth measures of height and weight. Data from these studies have been combined and analyzed to determine the normal distribution of blood pressure levels in healthy children and adolescents. The resulting normal blood pressure range in healthy children from 1 to 17 years of age has become the blood pressure norms on which current definitions of hypertension and prehypertension in children and adolescents are based.
Responses of the Single Sympathetic Ganglionic Neurones to Acetylcholine and to Dopamine

The responses of the single superior cervical ganglion cells of the rabbits to acetylcholine (ACh) and to dopamine (DA) applied iontophoretically and in bulk were studied by the intracellular recording techniques. ACh elicited both nicotinic fast (f-) and muscarinic slow (s-) depolarization (DP) in about 30% of the principal ganglion cells perfused with d-tubocurarine. ACh elicited f-DP alone in about 20% of cells and s-DP in about 50%. ACh could elicit two forms of hyperpolarizing (HP) responses in the same cells that responded with f-DP and/or s-DP. Pretreatment with bethanechol (BCh) tended to reduce the short-latency HP response to ACh; pretreatment with bretylium eliminated the longer-latency HP response, while pretreatment with both BCh and bretylium essentially eliminated all HP responses to ACh. Neither f-DP nor longer-latency HP responses were observed in cells tested with BCh. It is suggested that the short-latency HP response is mediated by a muscarinic release of DA from SIF cell interneurones, and the longer-latency HP response is mediated by a non-muscarinic release of noradrenaline probably from dendrodendritic junctions between principal ganglion cells.
Active commuting to school: a test of a modified integrative model.

OBJECTIVE To test a modified integrative model (IM) in explaining parents' intention toward active commuting to school (ACS) and children's ACS. METHODS Parents of fourth graders (N = 857) completed a survey assessing factors associated with ACS. A modified IM was developed and tested using structural equation modeling. RESULTS The IM demonstrated good model fit (RMSEA = .04, CFI = .97, TLI = .97). Perceived barriers, self-efficacy, and health beliefs/outcome evaluation predicted parents' intention directly and children's ACS indirectly, with self-efficacy as the strongest predictor. Intention, in turn, predicted children's ACS. Similar findings emerged in a replication using the urban subsample data. CONCLUSIONS The IM may enable health behavior researchers to design effective interventions to promote ACS.
Kinetics of Alloantigen-Specific Regulatory CD4 T Cell Development and Tissue Distribution After Donor-Specific Transfusion and Costimulatory Blockade.

BackgroundThe influence of donor-side regulation toward recipient antigens on graft outcome is poorly understood.MethodsBecause this influence might be due in part to the accumulation of tissue-resident memory T cells in the donor organ, we used a standard murine tolerization model (donor-specific t
Improving Student Understanding with Video Grading

It is known that students exhibit different learning styles. Good instructors adapt their teaching style to target the appropriate style(s) for their students, and by doing so achieve significant improvements in student outcomes. The same approach, however, does not hold true for submitted assignments. Due to logistics, most submitted assignments are graded in the same fashion: providing numeric feedback (i.e. a grade) and written comments. This article describes a different approach, an approach which is designed to aid visual and audible learners to obtain better feedback from submitted assignments.
Estimation of Median Lethal Concentration of Three Isolates of Beauveria bassiana for Control of Megacopta cribraria (Heteroptera: Plataspidae) Bioassayed on Solid Lygus spp. Diet.

The kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria (F.), is an urban nuisance and significant agricultural pest. The median lethal concentrations of three strains of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo), including the Mississippi Delta native strain (NI8) isolated from Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), the commercial strain BotaniGard® (GHA) (Victor, NY, USA), and the B. bassiana strain isolated from M. cribraria (KUDSC), were estimated on kudzu bug adults. A technique developed to evaluate B. bassiana against L. lineolaris was used. Younger adults (eight days after collection) were treated with NI8 and GHA and older adult (50 days after collection) were treated with NI8, GHA and KUDSC. Higher concentrations (n × 106, n × 107) of NI8 and GHA caused kudzu bug mortality two days after treatment in younger adults and similar concentrations of NI8, GHA, and KUDSC caused mortality one day after treatment in older adults. Lower concentrations (n × 104, n × 105) were not significantly different in mortality between strains. LS50 values of the KUDSC were significantly lower than NI8 and GHA values in older adults. This is the first available information on median lethal concentration of B. bassiana on kudzu bug adults bioassayed on artificial diet. It was determined that B. bassiana (KUDSC and NI8) are highly effective for young adults at very low doses (LC50 1.98–4.98 viable spores per mm2).
Aqueous pores created in thin lipid membranes by the antibiotics nystatin, amphotericin B and gramicidin A: implications for pores in plasma membranes

Since the days of Barlund and Collander (see Collander, 1937), physiologists have suggested that ions, water, and small hydrophilic non-electrolytes cross the lipoidal plasma membrane through polar pores or channels.’ Recent work with model membranes has established that indeed unmodified lipid bilayers are so poorly permeable to polar non-electrolytes and especially to small ions that these species require parallel pathways via either carriers or pores for significant transport (Mueller & Rudin, 1969). On the other hand, water permeability coefficients of unmodified lipid bilayers span almost the entire range of values reported for plasma membranes, making it unnecessary to invoke aqueous pores in explanation of large water permeabilities of some cells. In point of fact, however, the assumption that water crosses plasma membranes through aqueous pores depends less on the magnitude of the water permeability than on two other factors: first, the significant differences between the osmotic permeability coefficient (Pf) and the tagged water permeability coefficient (Pd) (for example, Prescott & Zeuthen, 1953; Nevis, 1958) and secondly, the occurrence of water—solute interaction during osmosis (for example, Koefoed-Johnsen & Ussing, 1953; Goldstein & Solomon, 1960). These two findings, however, have been challenged as artifactual, because of the presence of unstirred aqueous layers in the experiments (Dainty, 1963).
‘NuMex Sandia Select’ New Mexican Chile Pepper

Heirloom vegetables are becoming more appreciated by the public for their unique colors, shapes, and superior flavor unavailable in modern cultivars (Klee, 2010). The increased popularity of heirloom vegetables began in the late 20th century and has been attributed to the return to the organic, local, and ‘‘authentic’’ foods movement (Weaver, 2000). However, experimenting with and cultivating heirlooms has been a popular pastime for centuries. Even Thomas Jefferson grew heirlooms at his Monticello plantation. In his 1000-foot long garden terrace, Jefferson tended to a number of heirloom cultivars, taking meticulous notes on the growth and cultivation of each species in his Garden Kalendar (Hatch, 2012). Heirloom cultivars are ideal for home gardeners and can be used in the commercial processing industry to improve sales. A potential problem with heirloom varieties is that the consumer and the processing industry needs and desires can change through time (McLaughlin, 2010). Some heirlooms have fallen from favor because they are not widely adapted or they fail to satisfy commercial production standards or mainstream tastes (Gettle et al., 2011). These factors limit the ability of the old cultivars to compete against newer introduced cultivars whose general or specific attributes have broader appeal. So even with their perceived benefits, heirloom cultivars can be improved. Selection for improvement within an heirloom cultivar can enhance the consumer and/ or horticultural value of heirloom cultivars.
Chapter 14 – Mass spectrometry of infectious pathogens

Publisher Summary The soft ionization mass spectrometry (MS) techniques such as matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) and electrospray ionization (ESI) are making new inroads into a number of new MS applications in life sciences and medicine. The current paradigm for rapid MS identifications of pathogens relies on the detection and identification of unique biomarker molecules from experimental mass spectra. Structural elucidation of the unique chemical biomarkers from different organisms has been achieved by MS. The signature composition and abundances allowed taxonomic distinctions between the microorganisms to be made. MS is an emerging biosensor technology for diagnosis of infectious diseases with several practical advantages such as speed, sensitivity, and specificity. MS can be interfaced to a variety of sample collection and sample processing modules to allow versatile sampling from different environments. MS can be automated and it is also computer-friendly such as the latest developments in bioinformatics can be coupled to MS experimental data for robust pathogen diagnosis. Furthermore, MS instruments can be miniaturized and deployed in the field. This chapter discusses MALDI MS for rapid identification of intact Bacillus spore species, as well as LD MS for detection in blood of Plasmodium parasites (the causative agent of malaria).
Sales Training and Impression Management

AbstractThe potential usefulness of impression management concepts both to salespersons and to sales managers is explored. Impression management is defined as the way people manipulate their communications to create a certain type of impression. Some specific techniques and sales examples are provided. A method by which sales managers may determine if their salespeople use impression management techniques in sales presentations is provided, along with the results obtained when the method was implemented in a small-scale pilot study. The paper concludes by recommending that sales managers consider impression management techniques in their personal selling training programs.
Enhancing Evaluation of Potential Romantic Partners Online

Online dating systems are a common way to discover romantic partners. Yet there persists a gap in knowledge regarding how users of these systems determine which potential partners are worthy of in-person meetings, as well as the outcomes of these in-person meeting decisions. The objective of this dissertation is two-fold: 1) to understand how online dating system users make decisions to meet or not meet potential romantic partners in-person, and 2) to understand how online dating system designs currently support--and could better support--predictions of initial in-person attraction to potential romantic partners.
Statins and Venous Thromboembolism In Lung Cancer

Abstract Abstract 5122 Background: Dyslipidemia plays a major role in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis which may also contributed to an increased risk of and thromboembolism from the injury of the vascular endothelium and its activation of platelets, thereafter, the coagulation cascade. It has been well-established that the use of statins in patients with dyslipidemia reduces cardiovascular events and mortality, therefore, improves survival. In addition to a cholesterol-lowering effect, statins exhibit antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory properties that may confer a protective benefit to an increased risk of thromboembolism in cancer patients. Several case-controlled studies reported that cancer patients receiving long-term statins, but not other non-statin lipid lowering treatment, had a lower incidence of venous thromboembolism. Methods: To investigate any protective benefit from statin use in lung cancer patients, we have conducted this retrospective, case-controlled study. Total of 1548 patients with lung cancer were included from the tumor registery at Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan, between January 1999 and December 2004. The data were extracted from available electronic medical records of these patients. Statistical analyses were performed and stratified for statin users versus non statin users. Results: Out of 1,548 patients, 315 patients (average age was 68, range 46–90) were statin users at the time of their lung cancer diagnosis. The remaining 1233 patients (average age was 65.9, range 29–94) were non- statin users. After stratifying for statin use, 25 of the 315 statin users developed DVT/PE (7.9%), while 100 of the 1233 non-statin users developed DVT/PE (8.1%). This potential benefit from statin use can also be better visualized from comparing the development of DVT/PE between the statin and non-statin groups in a Kaplan-Meier curve for the probability of freedom from DVT/PE across time. Though statistical significance was not reached (log-rank p-value = 0.377), a trend towards a slightly decreased incidence of DVT/PE onset in the patients who receiving statin as the lipid-lowering agent has been observed. Conclusion: Based on our preliminary data, statin use in patients with lung cancer has demonstrated a weak but favorable protective effect on the development of a venous thromboembolism. The nature as a retrospective study and not well-balanced two group of patients (e.g., the average age of statin users were 2 years older than the non-statin users) may limit our results from reaching statistical significance. In addition, some of the patients who had no clear documentation of their home medications had also been categorized as non-statin users in our study. The results from our final data analysis will be presented. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Impact of Gleason Subtype on Prostate Cancer Detection Using Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Correlation with Final Histopathology

Purpose: We determined whether Gleason pattern 4 architecture impacts tumor visibility on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging and correlates with final histopathology.Materials and Methods: A total of 83 tumor foci were identified in 22 radical prostatectomy specimens from patients with a prior negative biopsy who underwent magnetic resonance/ultrasound fusion biopsy followed by radical prostatectomy from January 2015 to July 2016. A genitourinary pathologist rereviewed tumor foci for Gleason architectural subtype. Each prostate imaging reporting and data system category 3 to 5 lesion on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging was paired with its corresponding pathological tumor focus. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to determine predictors of tumor visibility.Results: Of the 83 tumor foci identified 26 (31%) were visible on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging, 33 (40%) were Gleason score 3+3 and 50 (60%) were Gleason score 3+4 or greater. Among tumor foci containing...
Massive gastrointestinal bleeding after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS).

A patient with end-stage liver disease secondary to haemochromatosis was transferred to our hospital for variceal bleeding. During the previous 5 months, she underwent 10 oesophagogastroduodenoscopies (EGD) with repeated endoscopic band ligations (EBL). Following the most recent EBL, she was transferred to our hospital for emergent transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) procedure. The patient arrived on mechanical ventilator support with continuous infusion of intravenous inotropes. After multiple blood transfusions and supportive measures, she had a successful TIPS procedure (mean portal-systemic gradient decreased from 11 mm Hg to 4 mm Hg). She recovered and was transferred to the general medical ward. Six days after the TIPS, she had another episode of hematochezia, …
A stroke prediction score in the elderly: validation and Web-based application.

The objective of this study was to construct a prediction model for predicting stroke in an elderly U.S. population, and to assess the accuracy in this population of other previously published prediction models. The subjects were participants in the Cardiovascular Health Study: 2,495 men and 3,393 women age 65 years and older at baseline, and followed for 6.3 years. Among 5,711 participants free of baseline stroke, 399 strokes occurred. Sex-specific prediction equations were constructed using study variables that were most importantly related to incident stroke: age, systolic blood pressure, diabetes, ECG diagnosis of atrial fibrillation or left ventricular hypertrophy, confirmed history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, time to walk 15 ft, and serum creatinine. The prediction rule was implemented as a risk score and in a Web-based interactive Java applet. Overall, the model predicted 5-year stroke risks ranging from less than 1 to 59%. The 20% of subjects in the highest predicted risk group had a 5-year actual stroke incidence rate of 15%, while the 20% lowest risk group had a 1% incidence. Risk scores from two other studies performed well in these study participants. Effective discrimination between low and high stroke risk in the elderly was possible in this cohort with data that are easy to obtain. Evaluation of the generalizability and clinical usefulness of this prediction model requires further research.
Creativity in design–Science to engineering model

Abstract This paper is written in honor of my long term friend and mentor Professor Bernard Roth who spent over six decades in Academic contributions devoted to Kinematics, Dynamics, Control, and design of computer controlled mechanical devices. He is continuing actively in his work from the famous school Hasso Plattner Institute of Design cofounded at Stanford (popularly known as d.school). As an Academic Director he is active in Creativity in Design. This paper explores the idea of Creativity directly from Science of 17th–18th centuries in place of Engineering evolved by Professor Timoshenko at Stanford in early 20th century at the time of rapid expansion of rotating machinery from de Laval in 1882. An example of design that involves extreme temperature ranges, magneto hydrodynamics and optimization in a fusion reactor to produce tritium fuel will be described.
Becoming the Loon: Queer Pedagogies and Female Masculinity

“Becoming the Loon” is interested in the intersections between the embodied life of the teacher as he or she is understood in relation to students, to departments, and to the larger gendered world. With particular attention to the female masculine (or butch) professor of writing, the chapter weaves together several theoretical questions through narrative (the stories of my classroom, the stories and images of the loon, and the story of my gender) and through some theoretical tenets themselves (primarily work by Kristeva, Bourdieu, Butler and Halberstam). The chapter participates in a larger discussion of queer pedagogy as it is beginning to be defined and explored by scholars in education, philosophy, and composition pedagogy. It explores legitimacy in terms of the ways students might imagine their teacher’s body and moves on to consider the “abjection” (to use Kristeva’s term) and “melancholia” (to use Butler’s) students can experience when both the materials of their courses and the very bodies who are teaching these materials disrupt and confuse their prior notions of one of the most sacred binaries: gender. Finally, the chapter argues for a kind of performance pedagogy as the lens through which all teachers (traditionally gendered and genderqueer alike) might benefit from a discussion of my own particular teaching body. As many have argued about gender, pedagogy also is quite tied to performance; and it is the theoretical and practical nature of that performance that is the final concern of this chapter. How do we teach in an impossible body? Are teaching bodies even possible given the disembodied position of academia? Whose bodies enter this discussion? What can our bodies say or teach? Finally, I will say that this chapter, formally, might be called a collage. And it is my hope that its form communicates a great deal about its content—about the inextricable links between the forms and ideas of the chapter.
Letter by Lipshultz Regarding Article, "Anthracycline Cardiotoxicity: Worrisome Enough to Have You Quaking?"

The important editorial by Bernstein1 in the January 19, 2018, issue of Circulation Research on preclinical models of anthracycline cardiotoxicity and cardioprotection, contains errors that should be corrected, lest they adversely affect clinical care. Dr Bernstein states that “Current prevention strategies involve limiting total exposure to anthracycline to the lowest possible dose and use of the iron chelator dexrazoxane. However, as a result of the potential for an increased risk of secondary malignancies, the European Medicines Agency has limited the indication for dexrazoxane to adult patients with advanced disease and contraindicated its use in children. Thus, the search for a more effective preventive therapeutic is critical, and the contribution of Gupta et al suggests a new pathway that is worth investigating.” Dr Bernstein is of course correct in encouraging the use of preventive measures to reduce anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. Dexrazoxane provides substantial protection against anthracycline cardiotoxicity without reducing its oncological efficacy, even allowing safer anthracycline dose escalation.2,3 He is also correct in saying that dexrazoxane is approved for women with breast cancer. However, in 2014, the US Food and Drug Administration granted dexrazoxane pediatric orphan drug status,4 and dexrazoxane has never been contraindicated in the pediatric population in the United States.4 Further, in 2017, the European Medicines Agency …
Challenges in Visual Analysis of Ensembles

Modeling physical phenomena through computational simulation increasingly relies on generating a collection of related runs, known as an ensemble. This article explores the challenges we face in developing analysis and visualization systems for large and complex ensemble data sets, which we seek to understand without having to view the results of every simulation run. Implementing approaches and ideas developed in response to this goal, we demonstrate the analysis of a 15K run material fracturing study using Slycat, our ensemble analysis system.
Designing Culturally Authentic Pedagogical Agents

Ethnicity has been defined primarily by the physical appearance of pedagogical agents. Research has shown that shared ethnicity between the agent and the user reflects in a positive perception of the agent's capabilities and provides motivation for learning tasks for students of color (Baylor, 2005; Nass et al., 2000). However, research has failed to examine what kinds of implementations of pedagogical agents are the most authentic representations. As designers of educational technology, pedagogical agents should be designed to reflect authentic portrayals of ethnic groups. I argue that ethnicity includes more than physical appearance but encompasses verbal and nonverbal behaviors as well. I observe verbal and nonverbal behaviors of African American preschool children as they participate in storytelling. I have adapted Cassell’s (2000) methodology to the construction of ethnically authentic pedagogical agents. My research goal is to design culturally authentic agents that bridge the gap between language skills practiced outside the classroom setting and those language skills required in the classroom.
Laser Blank Welding and Stamping of Sheet Metal Parts

This lecture is focused upon the use of Laser Welded Steel Blanks as applied to the body components and assemblies of automotive vehicle bodies; however, equivalent applications can be applied to the appliance industries, and those industries using sheet metal components, i.e., electrical, aerospace, computer industries, etc. The integrated subjects covered include the following: 1. Description and benefits of Laser Welded/Tailored Blanks; 2. Structural analysis of Laser Welded Blanks; 3. Benefits and impact on product design utilizing Laser Welded Blanks; 4. Facilities for Laser Welding Systems; 5. Metallurgical characteristics, strain analysis and formability of Laser Welded Blanks; and, 6. Actual applications of in-production Laser Welded Blanks in the Automotive Industry.
Variable paths to early word production

Variability, within and across subjects, provides a basis for the "selection" of a path into language use. Illustration of the extent of variation is drawn from children learning four languages and compared with analyses of the mothers' speech for one group. The organization of early word production patterns into an initial phonological system is traced for one of the children. It is hypothesized that an "articulatory filter" based on a child's familiarity with the auditory consequences of his or her own vocal patterns provides a mechanism for the first production of speech forms; a mechanism supporting the shift from babble to intentional vocal communication is also suggested.
Occurrence of the O-phosphodiester of L-serine and ethanolamine in turtle tissue.

Numerous two-dimensional paper chromatograms made of tissues of the developing chick embryo and of several strains of mice during prenatal and postnatal development1 revealed that the spot presumed to be ethanolamine O-phosphoric acid (EP) decreased rapidly with age (see references (l-6) for studies of EP and glycerylphosphorylethanolamine (GPE) in mammalian tissues). It was conjectured that the rate of decrease of EP might be slower in species possessing a longer life span and that tissues from such animals might furnish a more suitable material for further study of the possible relationships of EP with other cellular constituents. As expected, alcoholic extracts of tissues of young alligator and turtle revealed much larger amounts of a ninhydrin-reactive material behaving like EP on conventional paper chromatograms than had been noted previously in extracts from any other species. However, further study revealed that the chief component of the chromatographic spot was not EP. The present communication describes the isolation and characterization of the substance as the 0-phosphodiester of L-serine and ethanolamine.
Sustainable Globally Integrated Enterprise (GIE)

In this chapter, we present the globally integrated enterprise (GIE) as an emerging business model with strong implications for how companies run and operate their global supply-and-demand chains. The GIE shifts the focus from an efficiency-driven model to a value-driven one which leverages and integrates global capabilities to deliver value speedily, seamlessly, and in a flexible way, while maximizing profits. A GIE is a complex organization that faces many challenges. The evolution of the supply chain in the last 20 years has paved the way for the Operation Research (OR)-enabled Sense-and-Respond Value Net that supports today’s GIE needs. We present a GIE case study of a business transformation journey. We then describe the next steps for GIEs to become more socially, economically, and environmentally responsible through the use of OR, business analytics, and IT.
The Mentality of Man’s Brain

The scientific topics that are discussed elsewhere in this symposium are fascinating enough in their own right; but they have a further significance also. For they represent the particular contributions of our own generation to a larger, more longstanding debate which, throughout the last three centuries, has lain near the heart of men’s philosophical inquiries as well as of their science. Every generation has come at this problem from a fresh angle, and has redefined it in its own terms; yet their central preoccupations have remained very much the same, whatever different abstract terms and general nouns they have used in formulating it. So, on the present occasion our own discussion of “The Brain and Human Behavior” may be recognized as the natural heir and successor to our predecessors’ discussions of “The Mind-Body Problem”, in all its various transformations.
Did covenants distort risk signals from bank subordinated debt yields before the financial crisis

Abstract Restrictive covenants on bank debt require a bank to take or refrain from specific actions that affect the riskiness of that debt. Although covenants all but disappeared in the 1990s, they re-emerged after 2004 with an increase in bank risk leading up to the financial crisis. Subordinated debt yields potentially enable better risk monitoring by supervisors, but covenants can shift risk from bondholders to stockholders without reducing overall bank risk. This can distort the risk signal used by market participants to discipline excessive risk taking. Because covenants are endogenous and increase during periods of bank stress, the yield signal is dampened the most precisely when regulators most need accurate risk monitoring.