cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinicopathologic features of early adenocarcinoma of the cervix initially managed with cervical conization

Abstract Objective. To evaluate the clinicopathologic features of microinvasive adenocarcinoma of the cervix in order to guide the management of patients with this disease. Materials and methods. A retrospective review was conducted of patients diagnosed with early invasive, ≤5 mm stromal invasion, adenocarcinoma of the cervix by a cervical conization between 1992 and 1999 at our institution. Information was abstracted on tumor histopathologic type, grade, and depth of invasion as well as presence or absence of disease at the margins of conization, lymphovascular spread, and the presence of disease in subsequent pathology specimens including the parametrium and pelvic lymph nodes (PLNs). Results. Thirty-three patients were identified. The mean age of the patients in the study population was 41.6 years (range, 29–53 years). Fifteen women were age 35 years or younger. Six patients had invasion ≤1 mm, 9 patients had invasion >1 mm and ≤2 mm, 6 patients had invasion >2 mm and ≤3 mm, 6 patients had invasion >3 mm and ≤4 mm, and 6 patients had invasion >4 mm and ≤5 mm. Three patients were treated with a conization only, 4 patients were treated with a simple hysterectomy, 25 patients were treated with a radical hysterectomy (RH) and PLN dissection (PLND), and 1 patient was treated with a radical trachelectomy and PLND. Ten patients had positive conization margins for invasive cancer, 3 patients had margins positive for adenocarcinoma in situ, 14 patients had negative margins, and in 6 patients the margin status could not be evaluated. Of the 10 patients with positive margins, 5 of 10 (50%) had residual disease in the subsequent surgical specimen. Three patients who underwent definitive management with conization alone originally had positive margins, underwent a second repeat conization, and are included in this group. Of the 16 patients with negative margins, no patient had residual disease in a subsequent surgical specimen. Of the 25 patients who underwent a RH and PLND, none had parametrial involvement and none had PLN involvement. All patients remained without evidence of disease at median follow-up of 30 months. Conclusions. Historically, the standard management of early invasive adenocarcinoma of the cervix has been controversial, and some clinicians continue to favor radical treatments. Based on the absence of parametrial spread and PLN involvement in early lesions, physicians and patients should consider treatment with conization with negative margins (when future fertility is desired) or simple hysterectomy. Prospective studies are required to document the safety of this approach.
Displacive transformations and their applications in structural ceramics

The current status of knowledge of first order, potentially displacive transformations in ceramics is reviewed. Those proven to be martensitic in bulk, single phase materials are the tetragonal to monoclinic transformation in zirconia (ZrO 2 ) and the cubic to tetragonal symmetry change in lead titanate (PbTiO 3 ). Numerous transformations in a variety of other ceramic materials have been reported and the incompleteness of the data is here indicated. The relevance of displacive and martensitic transformations to toughening mechanisms for reducing brittleness has been demonstrated. The mechanisms are : (i) transformation toughening of composites ; (ii) transformation weakening of critical interphases in composites ; and (iii) mechanical rearrangement of domains arising from ferroelastic transformations in monoliths. Another potential application lies in their use as large force actuators in adaptive (smart) systems. Transformations mechanisms need to be elucidated in the context of the sequential loss or gain of symmetry on cooling or heating. The coupling of mechanical forces to induce nucleation, as well as their interaction with the crystallographic volume and shape changes accompanying transformation, need to be understood and controlled. This fundamental knowledge will guide the microstructural tailoring of monoliths and composites to achieve useful coupling, and thus enhanced mechanical properties.
State estimation of a walking humanoid robot

This paper compares two approaches to designing Kalman Filters for walking systems. The first design uses Linear Inverted Pendulum Model (LIPM) dynamics, and the other design uses a more complete Planar dynamics. The filter based on the simpler LIPM design is more robust to modeling error. The more complex design estimates center of mass height and joint velocities, and tracks horizontal center of mass translation more accurately. We also investigate different ways of handling contact states and using force sensing in state estimation. In the LIPM filter, force sensing is used to determine contact states and tune filter parameters. In the Planar filter, force sensing is used to select the proper measurement equation.
Recursive Procedures for the Spatial Structuring of Christaller Hierarchies

Previous research efforts demonstrate the use of location covering in the spatial structuring of central places within a single-good context. In a multilevel context, a mathematical programming approach is developed to the siting of central places for Christaller hierarchies. The primary model expresses the basic spatial relations between centers and hinterland locations in the form of coverage constraints. The objective function maximizes both market coverage of demand and market overlap. A unique feature of this model is the upper bound on market overlap, which allows the formation of different market structures consistent with the various K-valued central place systems.After the problem has been formulated as a hierarchical program, it is decomposed into a number of subproblems which are solved as a series of linear programs within a simple recursive algorithm. A Christaller construct which is crucial to this decomposition is the ‘range of region’. Indeed, its relationship to the nearest neighbor dista...
Building local program evaluation capacity toward a comprehensive evaluation

This chapter presents a state agency's approach to developing and improving the self-assessment and accountability of local progams overseen and funded by a large statewide program. Specifically, a self-assessment approach to evaluating local tobacco control programs and projects in California is introduced as an example of “empowerment evaluation” in action.
Sleep in post-traumatic stress disorder and panic: convergence and divergence.

Disturbed sleep is a common clinical problem in anxiety disorders, particularly in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and panic disorder (PD). Several studies have attempted to validate the subjective sleep complaints of these disorders using laboratory polysomnography. These attempts, typically focusing on PTSD or PD independently, have demonstrated inconsistent results. To our knowledge, no such studies have attempted to directly compare and contrast sleep disturbances in PTSD and PD together. Our review of the studies of subjective sleep disturbances, sleep architecture, and sleep-related biologic phenomena suggests that a comparative characterization of sleep disturbances in these two disorders is timely. Such an inference is based on our identification of several areas of convergence and divergence between PTSD and PD found in the published literature, as well as our own preliminary investigations. Specifically, PTSD and PD seem to converge on several sleep-related parameters, namely, sleep quality, presence of episodic parasomnias, and movement time. They also appear to diverge in other important sleep-related areas such as respiratory disturbances and the particular phenomenological nature of episodic parasomnias, namely nightmares or nocturnal panic attacks. Investigations focusing on such overlapping phenomena may provide groundwork for further elucidation of central fear systems underlying these two disorders. Additionally, such sleep studies have the potential to provide important insights into ongoing efforts to develop a cohesive conceptual framework into the pathophysiologies of these disorders. Depression and Anxiety 18:187–197, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Factors Affecting Fidelity of DNA Synthesis During PCR Amplification of d(C-A)n•d(G-T)n Microsatellite Repeats

The susceptibility of microsatellite DNA sequences to insertions and deletions in vivo makes them useful for genetic mapping and for detecting genomic instability in tumors. An in vitro manifestation of this instability is the production of undesirable frameshift products during amplification of (dC-dA)n x (dG-dT)n microsatellites in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). These products differ from the primary product by multiples of 2 nucleotides. We have tested the hypothesis that factors known to affect the fidelity of DNA synthesis may affect (dC-dA)n x (dG-dT)n frameshifting during the PCR. Neither modifications of pH, dNTP concentration, and Mg++ concentration using Amplitaq, nor the use of thermophilic DNA polymerases including UITma, Pfu, Vent and Deep Vent significantly decreased the production of frameshift products during amplification. However, 3'-->5' exonuclease activity in thermophilic DNA polymerases inhibited the accumulation of PCR products containing non-templated 3' terminal nucleotides. Most interestingly, extension temperatures of 37 degrees C during amplification using the thermolabile DNA polymerases Sequenase 1.0, Sequenase 2.0, and 3'-->5' exonuclease-deficient Klenow fragment greatly decreased the production of frameshift products. This method can improve the resolution of heterozygous or mutant (dC-dA)n x (dG-dT)n alleles differing in size by one or two repeat units.
Fluorocarbon Aerosol Propellants XI: Pharmacokinetics of Dichlorodifluoromethane in dogs following single and multiple dosing

Abstract A three‐compartment open model was proposed for the disposition of dichlorodifluoromethane in dogs with average half‐lives of 1.47, 7.95 and 58.5 min for the three disposition phases. This proposal is contrary to several studies that monitored blood levels for a shorter period. An analysis of the tissue compartment distribution following a single dose showed that about 1.5 hr was required to achieve pseudodistribution equilibration, following which more than 90% of the dose remaining in the body was retained in the tissue compartments. The pulmonary clearance and volumes of distribution were calculated considering the first‐pass effect through the lungs. The volume of distribution after reaching pseudodistribution equilibrium was approximately 10 times the body weight in terms of the blood concentration and about 68% of the propellant was cleared from the blood passing through the lungs in each cycle. Disposition of the propellant followed dose‐independent kinetics after multiple dosing. No volatile metabolites were detected in the blood using GC.
Ventricular Dynamics in Atrial Fibrillation

During atrial fibrillation there are beat-to-beat changes of ventricular rate, end-diastolic volume, end-diastolic pressure, and arterial pressure or resistance to ventricular ejection. The effect of these variables on left ventricular dynamics in man has been approached by studying single sequences of beats in patients with atrial fibrillation. An index of changes of left ventricular volume has been determined from the electrokymogram of left cardiac border. Left ventricular pressures have been measured at surgery or by the transbronchial technic. These studies provide a better understanding of the hemodynamics of the left ventricle during atrial fibrillation and demonstrate another approach to the study of left ventricular function in man.
Head trauma in children.

Head injury, either alone or in association with multiple other injuries, is extremely common. The initial assessment and management of children who have a head injury is an important topic for all pediatricians. Epidemiology Table 1 lists definitions of minor, moderate, and severe head injuries as determined by the initial neurologic presentation. The most common method to assess a child9s neurologic status initially is to assign a score based on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS). The GCS is determined by eye opening and best verbal and motor responses (Tables 2 and 3). Mild-to-moderate head injuries are far more common than severe injuries in the pediatric population. More than 90% of children requiring admission to a hospital following head injury have a GCS score of 13 to 15; severe head injury (GCS≤ 8) accounts for approximately 5% of admissions. Motor vehicle accidents, bicycle accidents, falls, sporting accidents, assaults, and child abuse are the most common causes of pediatric head injury. Despite a significant reduction in the number of pediatric fatalities due to implementation of the 55 mile/hour speed limit, motor vehicle accidents still result in a large number of hospital admissions and deaths each year. Many of these accidents are associated with drug or alcohol abuse.
Relation of Nutrition to Bone Lead and Blood Lead Levels in Middle-aged to Elderly Men The Normative Aging Study

The relations of nutritional factors to lead accumulation in the body were examined cross-sectionally among 747 men aged 49-93 years (mean 67 years) in the Normative Aging Study in 1991-1995. Means (standard deviations) for blood lead, tibia lead, and patella lead were 6.2 (4.1) μg/dl, 21.9 (13.3) μg/g, and 32.0 (19.5) μg/g, respectively. In multiple regression models adjusting for age, education level, smoking, and alcohol consumption, men in the lowest quintile of total dietary intake levels of vitamin D (including vitamin supplements) (<179 lU/day) had mean tibia and patella lead levels 5.6 μg/g and 6.0 μg/g higher than men with intake in the highest quintile (≥589 lU/day). Higher calcium intake was associated with lower bone lead levels, but this relation became insignificant when adjustment was made for vitamin D. The authors also observed inverse associations of blood lead levels with total dietary intake of vitamin C and iron. When analyses were controlled for patella lead, age, smoking, and alcohol consumption, men in the lowest vitamin C intake quintile (<109 mg/day) had a mean blood lead level 1.7 μg/dl higher than men in the highest quintile (≥339 mg/day), while men in the lowest iron intake quintile (<10.9 mg/day) had a mean blood lead level 1.1 μg/dl higher than men in the highest quintile (≥23.5 mg/day). This study suggests that low dietary intake of vitamin D may increase lead accumulation in bones, while lower dietary intake of vitamin C and iron may increase lead levels in the blood.
Benders decomposition technique for support vector regression

The theory of the support vector machine (SVM) algorithm is based on the statistical learning theory. Training of SVMs leads to either a quadratic programming (QP) problem, or linear programming (LP) problem. This depends on the specific norm that is used when the distance between the convex hulls of two classes are computed. The l/sub 1/ norm distance leads to a large scale linear programming problem in the case where the sample size is very large. We propose to apply the Benders decomposition technique to the resulting LP for the regression case. Preliminary results show that this technique is much faster than the QP formulation.
Invasibility and compositional stability in a grassland community: relationships to diversity and extrinsic factors

We present results from an ongoing field study conducted in Kansas grassland to examine correlates of invasibility and community stability along a natural gradient of plant diversity. Invasibility was evaluated by sowing seeds of 34 plant species into 40 experimental plots and then measuring colonization success after two growing seasons. Compositional stability, defined as resistance to change in species relative abundances over two growing seasons and in response to experimental disturbance, was measured in a separate set of 40 plots. We found that community susceptibility to invasion was greatest in high diversity microsites within this grassland. Multiple regression analyses suggested that the positive correlation between invasibility and plant diversity was due to the direct influences of the extrinsic factors that contribute to spatial variation in diversity (soil disturbances; light availability), not to any direct impact of diversity. In addition, we found that compositional stability in response to disturbance was greatest within low diversity microsites and was strongly related to the dominance (evenness) component of diversity.
Designing Flexible Resource Rental Models for Implementing HPC-as-a-Service in Cloud

Due to its ability of delivering virtually unlimited computing power as a metered service, the emerging cloud computing paradigm becomes an attractive option for scientific communities to experiment large-scale resource-demanding applications traditionally deployed in high performance computing (HPC) centers. Planning resource rental is difficult in cloud environment because various parties may have fundamentally different interests. To accommodate such diverse heterogeneity, designing flexible resource rental models for multiple parties in the cloud market becomes a challenging issue. In this study, we investigate the problem of designing flexible resource rental models for implementing HPC-as-a-Service in cloud market. First, from the perspective of resource customers, we present cost-effective resource rental planning models to better utilize on-demand and spot resources in cloud. Next, we approach the problem from the perspective of resource providers, and propose a novel service scheduling model for a multi-tenant cloud resource sharing platform. The remaining work to complete the PhD dissertation is then presented. The proposed research highlights flexibility for resource rental planning in the following two aspects. (1)~Flexibility for resource customers ensures them to deploy elastic HPC applications taking most advantage of both fixed-price on-demand resources and dynamic spot resources. (2)~Flexibility for resource providers accommodates differentiated service requirements from various customers and achieves efficient HPC service scheduling. We believe that the proposed work presented in this paper offers a novel means to address the need for flexible resource rental models in cloud, and sheds light on future research in the broad area of resource management in cloud computing.
Community‐based Assessment of Adjuvant Hormone Therapy in Women with Breast Cancer, 1991–1997

This study used population-based tumor registry data to describe the patterns of adjuvant hormone therapy and to examine the correlates of hormone therapy for women with breast cancer. The study population included 5101 women (age 20 years) who were diagnosed with breast cancer in 1991 through 1997 in the entire state of New Mexico. Overall, 32% of women with stage I, II, or IIIA breast cancer received adjuvant hormone therapy. The likelihood of receiving adjuvant hormone therapy increased with tumor stage at diagnosis. Women less than 50 years of age were significantly less likely to receive adjuvant hormone therapy compared to those age 50 to 54 years, but there was no significant difference in the use of adjuvant hormone therapy for women age 55 years and older. The use of adjuvant hormone therapy was influenced by hormone receptor status and lymph node status. Patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy were also more likely to receive adjuvant hormone therapy than those who did not. The use of adjuvant hormone therapy alone was relatively stable over time and the use of adjuvant chemotherapy alone increased, but the receipt of chemotherapy combined with hormone therapy decreased from 1991 to 1997. There was no significant difference with age in the use of adjuvant hormone therapy among 55-year-old women compared to those age 50 to 54 years, whereas women less than 50 years of age were significantly less likely to receive this therapy. The use of adjuvant hormone therapy varied significantly by tumor stage, lymph node status, hormone receptor status, and the receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy.
REPOSSESSING THE COZZENS–MACDONALD IMBROGLIO: MIDDLEBROW AUTHORSHIP, CRITICAL AUTHORITY, AND AUTONOMOUS READERS IN POSTWAR AMERICA

Dwight Macdonald's 1958 attack on James Gould Cozzens's novel By Love Possessed posited that the book's popularity was an “episode” in “The Middlebrow Counter-Revolution” then under way among American critics. That conclusion neglected the strategies of publishing, advertising, and authorial stance that Cozzens and his wife, the agent Sylvia Baumgarten, wielded to create a best seller. Macdonald also did not see how he and Cozzens shared a high-culture aesthetic and competed for power over readers threatening to make criticism irrelevant. Each tried to consolidate that power by depicting his adversary as socially inferior: as Jew, queer, or feminized “middlebrow.” Although Macdonald's appropriation of Cozzens's own values succeeded in damaging Cozzens's reputation, the authority that Macdonald hoped to preserve was likewise about to collapse under pressure from mass culture and postmodern relativism. The Macdonald–Cozzens imbroglio thus provides a useful example of the provisional nature of cultural hierarchy at any given historical moment.
Photoredox Chemistry of Two-Electron Mixed Valence Systems

The chemistry of two-electron mixed valence dimers Mn-1—Mn+1 provides a unique foundation for the design of multielectron photochemical activation schemes. We have recently prepared a homologous Rh2 fluorophosphine series that is based on a Rh0RhII two-electron mixed valence complex, which features a trigonal bipyramidal coordination geometry about a Rh0 center, an octahedral coordination about a RhII center and a Rh···Rh separation characteristic of a single metal-metal bond. This novel compound exhibits long-lived luminescence, and steady state and time-resolved spectroscopic studies reveal a metal localized excited state of dσ* character. The reactivity of the Rh0RhII compound provides a benchmark for two-electron mixed valence bimetallic cores in that two-electron oxidations are promoted at the Rh0 center and two-electron reductions are effected at the RhII center. Within this framework, the strategy for the development of parallel reactivity of electronically excited binuclear complexes can be elaborated. Transient absorption spectroscopy of the quadruply bonded M2X4(PBu3)4 complexes (M = Mo(II), W(II); X = Cl) provides strong evidence for the generation of a two-electron mixed valence MIMIII excited state complex upon δ2 → δδ* excitation. The smooth reaction of electronically excited W2Cl4(dppm)4 with methyl iodide to a W2Cl4(dppm)4(CH3)(I) photoproduct with direct addition of the organic substrate to the metal-metal core is consistent with the reactivity pattern established by the mixed valence Rh0RhII dimer.
Charged Device Model Reliability of Three-Dimensional Integrated Circuits

The interdie signal interfaces in a three-dimensional (3-D) integrated circuit are vulnerable to overvoltage stress induced by charged device model (CDM) ESD, although they do not necessarily lie on any of the main ESD current paths. Circuit simulation shows that the magnitude of the stress is highly sensitive to the design of the ground distribution network on both the die and package levels. The placement of TSVs also impacts the stress generated at the interdie interfaces. If excessive, the voltage stress can be mitigated by placing a small ESD clamp at the interdie signal interface. A power supply domain may span multiple dies in a 3-D stack; this work investigates whether it is possible to remove the clamps from some of the dies in the stack to save silicon area without severely impacting the CDM reliability of the interdie interface circuits.
Depression and Suicidal Ideation During Two Psychosocial Treatments in Older Adults with Major Depression and Dementia.

BACKGROUND: Depression is prevalent in dementia and contributes to poor outcomes for patients and their families. Antidepressants have limited efficacy in older adults with major depression and dementia, and psychosocial interventions are under-investigated. OBJECTIVE: To examine the course, predictors and moderators of depression and suicidal ideation during 12 weeks of home-delivered Problem Adaptation Therapy (PATH) versus Supportive Therapy for Cognitively Impaired Older Adults (ST-CI) in 39 older adults with major depression and dementia. METHODS: Thirty-nine older adults with major depression, mild or moderate dementia, and disability participated in a randomized controlled trial that compared the efficacy of PATH versus ST-CI. Depression and suicidal ideation were assessed with Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia Total Score and Suicide Item. RESULTS: PATH participants had significantly greater reduction in depression than ST-CI participants over 12 weeks of treatment. PATH participants with high social support had the greatest reduction in depression. Both treatments had comparable reduction in suicidal ideation. CONCLUSION: PATH is more effective in reducing depression in older adults with major depression and dementia compared to ST-CI. These results are clinically significant as antidepressants have limited efficacy in this population. Home-delivered psychosocial treatments may reduce suicidal ideation in this population. Language: en
Evolution of Childhood Narcolepsy and Cataplexy

Investigators at University of Bologna and other centers in Italy, Finland, USA, and UK, performed clinical, polysomnographic, and cataplexy-video assessments at diagnosis (mean age of 10 +/- 3 years) and after a median follow-up of 3 years.
CRISPR-Based Methods for Caenorhabditis elegans Genome Engineering

The advent of genome editing techniques based on the clustered regularly interspersed short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 system has revolutionized research in the biological sciences. CRISPR is quickly becoming an indispensible experimental tool for researchers using genetic model organisms, including the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Here, we provide an overview of CRISPR-based strategies for genome editing in C. elegans. We focus on practical considerations for successful genome editing, including a discussion of which strategies are best suited to producing different kinds of targeted genome modifications.
pHi regulation in alveolar macrophages: relative roles of Na(+)-H+ antiport and H(+)-ATPase.

In rabbit alveolar macrophages, recovery of intracellular pH (pHi) from acid loads to pHi values > or = 6.8 at an extracellular pH (pHo) of 7.4 (nominal absence of CO2-HCO3-) is insensitive to amiloride, an inhibitor of Na(+)-H+ exchange, and abolished by bafilomycin A1, an inhibitor of vacuolar-type H(+)-ATPase [A. Bidani, S.E.S. Brown, T.A. Heming, R. Gurich, and T.D. Dubose, Jr. Am. J. Physiol. 257 (Cell Physiol. 26): C65-C76, 1989; A. Bidani and S. E. S. Brown. Am. J. Physiol. 259 (Cell Physiol. 28): C586-C598, 1990]. To further evaluate the roles of Na(+)-H+ exchange and H(+)-ATPase activity in pHi regulation in rabbit alveolar macrophages, we have investigated the effects of amiloride and bafilomycin over a greater range of pHi (6.3-7.0) and pHo (5.0-7.4). The results indicate that rabbit alveolar macrophages possess H(+)-ATPase and a Na(+)-H+ antiporter, both of which are activated by decrements in pHi. However, in all cases, H(+)-ATPase activity exclusively determined basal pHi and was the principal mechanism (> 50%) for pHi recovery from intracellular acid loads. The pHi set point for activation of Na(+)-H+ exchange was approximately 6.8 at pHo of 7.4 and approximately 6.5 at pHo of 6.8. Na(+)-H+ exchange did not contribute significantly to pHi recovery at acid-loaded pHi above these set points. At pHo of 7.4 and pHi > or = 6.8, pHi recovery displayed an activation energy of approximately 11,000 kcal/mol and temperature coefficient of approximately 2.1, which are consistent with an energy-dependent process (i.e., H+ pump).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Thought-Time: Immediacy and Live Theory

Chapter 2 concerns the impact of immediacy on publicly engaged cultural and political thought, as manifest within online journals, social media and other digital engagements with the occupation movement. While developing a concept of “live theory,” its central concern is questioning what is thinkable when realtime temporality restrains interrogation of the past and consideration of the future alike, such that thought is restricted only to the actual of the possible rather than the actual of the virtual event. Briefly, if memory and imagination alike are curtailed in such an environment as Virilio suggests, the concern of the chapter is the manner in which theorists are resisting such effects by rendering the virtual within the actual perceptible, even amidst difficult circumstances.
Selection and tuning of a reduced parameter set for a turbocharged diesel engine model

This paper presents an approach for systematic reduced-parameter-set adaption applicable to internal combustion engine models. The presented idea is to detect the most influential parameters in an engine air-charge path model and then use them as a reduced-parameter-set for further calibration to improve the model accuracy. Since only most influential parameters (in comparison with a complete set of parameters) are tuned at the final calibration process, this approach helps reducing over-parameterization associated with tuning highly nonlinear engine models. Detection of the influential parameters is done using the sensitivity analysis followed by the principle component analysis. Accuracy of the reduced-parameter-set tuned model is compared to a model with a tuned full-parameter-set developed following commercially available OnRAMP Design Suite [1] methodology. Results from experiments on a heavy duty diesel (HDD) engine show that although tuning the full-parameter-set (with over 70 parameters) creates higher accuracy, an average of 50% improvement of the model accuracy is attained using the proposed reduced-parameter-set approach (which tunes only 2 parameters).
The U.S. Net International Investment Position: Misstated and Misunderstood

According to official figures, the United States in the 1980s has experienced persistently large and unprecedented deficits in its current account in the balance of international payments and a depletion of its Net International Investment Position (NIIP).
The Idaho Results-Based Model: Implementing Response to Intervention Statewide

Response to intervention (RTI) is receiving significant national attention. For many schools and districts, and even a few states, RTI has been “in the works” for several years. While empirical evidence regarding RTI continues to be collected and reviewed, its popularity with parents and educators can be viewed as a function of dissatisfaction with the traditional approach (i.e., achievement— ability discrepancy) and a desire for more immediate and meaningful solutions for struggling students. Questions surrounding RTI implementation at the building level are practical in nature. What are the time and resource requirements to carry out effective interventions? What constitutes research-based interventions and practices? What is the relevant definition of “response”? How does RTI impact regular education? And how does RTI impact special education resources within a building? At the district and state levels, RTI raises additional issues, including how it will impact the percentage of students who qualify for special education, how to provide large-scale trainings and support, and how to ensure proper and uniform practice within schools. This chapter provides insights to the questions posed regarding implementation and ongoing practice of RTI, both at the state and local levels. It provides a description of Idaho’s statewide implementation of RTI, also known in Idaho as the Results-Based Model (RBM). This chapter emphasizes the major lessons learned at the local and state levels as a result of experience, program evaluation, and school feedback. Cautionary recommendations along with implications for practice are offered.
Partial support for the central-marginal hypothesis within a population: reduced genetic diversity but not increased differentiation at the range edge of an island endemic bird.

Large-scale population comparisons have contributed to our understanding of the evolution of geographic range limits and species boundaries, as well as the conservation value of populations at range margins. The central–marginal hypothesis (CMH) predicts a decline in genetic diversity and an increase in genetic differentiation toward the periphery of species’ ranges due to spatial variation in genetic drift and gene flow. Empirical studies on a diverse array of taxa have demonstrated support for the CMH. However, nearly all such studies come from widely distributed species, and have not considered if the same processes can be scaled down to single populations. Here, we test the CMH on a species composed of a single population: the Island Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma insularis), endemic to a 250 km2 island. We examined microsatellite data from a quarter of the total population and found that homozygosity increased toward the island’s periphery. However, peripheral portions of the island did not exhibit higher genetic differentiation. Simulations revealed that highly localized dispersal and small total population size, but not spatial variation in population density, were critical for generating fine-scale variation in homozygosity. Collectively, these results demonstrate that microevolutionary processes driving spatial variation in genetic diversity among populations can also be important for generating spatial variation in genetic diversity within populations.
Book Review: Geochemical Rate Models: An Introduction to Geochemical Kinetics by J. Donald Rimstidt

Book Review: Geochemical Rate Models: An Introduction to Geochemical Kinetics. By J. Donald Rimstidt (2013) Cambridge University Press, 232 p. $84.99 Hardback, ISBN: 9781107029972. The book Geochemical Rate Models: An Introduction to Geochemical Kinetics by Don Rimstidt is a delight to read and fills an urgent need for students of geochemistry. Over the last two decades, there has been a tremendous increase in the literature on the topic of reaction kinetics. For example, a search on the Web of Science database using the keyword “kinetics” shows that over the last 25 years, there has been an increased number of articles in the leading journal Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (GCA), totaling 1193 publications (Fig. 1). In contrast, only a total of 176 articles published in GCA used keyword “thermodynamics” between 1990 and 2015. As evidenced, a book on the topic of geochemical kinetics is timely and relevant. Figure 1 Search statistic of articles published in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta that used the key word “kinetics.” Data are arranged in five year intervals. Search was made in August 2015. (Color online.) The surge in kinetics studies reflects the fact that many reactions in …
Human pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthesis as a target for antiviral chemotherapy

The development of broad-spectrum, host-acting antiviral therapies remains an important but elusive goal in anti-infective drug discovery. To replicate efficiently, viruses not only depend on their hosts for an adequate supply of pyrimidine nucleotides, but also up-regulate pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthesis in infected cells. In this review, we outline our understanding of mammalian de novo and salvage metabolic pathways for pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthesis. The available spectrum of experimental and FDA-approved drugs that modulate individual steps in these metabolic pathways is also summarized. The logic of a host-acting combination antiviral therapy comprised of inhibitors of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase and uridine/cytidine kinase is discussed.
Intra and postischemic mild hypothermia : Effects on inducible nitric oxide synthase and peroxynitrite in experimental stroke

P86 Background: Mild hypothermia is protective even when delayed hours after stroke onset. Because metabolic depletion and glutamate release occur early after ischemia onset, other mechanisms may underlie the protection, particularly when cooling is delayed. Inflammation and free radicals mediate delayed ischemic injury. We examined whether mild hypothermia alters induction and activity of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS, found primarily in inflammatory cells) and peroxynitrite generation. Methods: Rats were subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion for 2 hours. Mild hypothermia began immediately (intraischemic, 33OC-I, n=8) or 2 h (delayed, 33OC-D, n=8) after ischemia onset during the reperfusion phase. Hypothermia was maintained for 2 h. Normothermic animals were maintained at 37OC (n=8). Brains were examined 1 and 3 days later for infarction, NOS activity (NADPH diaphorase), iNOS induction and peroxynitrite (nitrotyrosine) production. Results: Mild hypothermia attenuated infarct size in both groups compared to normothermia (33OC-I: 26.8±7.7%, 33OC-D: 30.4±4.8%, 37OC: 70.8±3.3%, P<0.001). iNOS-positive cells appeared 1 d after ischemia in the infarct area and increased in number by 3 d, but NOS activity was only seen at 3 d. Nitrotyrosine-positive cells also increased by 3 d. Positive cells in all cases appeared microglia/monocyte/macrophage-like with ameboid morphology. Mild hypothermia significantly decreased NADPH diaphorase, iNOS and peroxynitrite densities at 3 d, but not 1 d. NADPH diaphorase-positive cells per hemisphere were: 37OC: 1028±68, 33OC-I: 152±12, 33OC-D: 101±1 (P<0.001). Densities of iNOS-positive cells were: 37OC: 1265±83/mm2, 33OC-I: 435±93/mm2, 33OC-D: 688±59/mm2 (P<0.001). Densities of nitrotyrosine-positive cells were: 37OC: 585±14/mm2, 33OC-I: 214±23/mm2, 33OC-D: 106±12mm2 (P<0.001). No differences in any of the parameters were seen at 1 d. Conclusion: Mild hypothermic neuroprotection is related to attenuation of iNOS and peroxynitrite in inflammatory cells at 3 d but not earlier. This is evident even when cooling is delayed by 2 h.
Decreased relapsed rate and treatment‐related mortality contribute to improved outcomes for pediatric acute myeloid leukemia in successive clinical trials

BACKGROUND Outcomes for children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have improved over the past 20 years even though the medications used for induction therapy have not changed. METHODS This study analyzed data from patients with AML who were enrolled in successive protocols (AML97 and AML02) to determine the contributors to the improved outcomes of the latter clinical trial. RESULTS There were significant improvements in 5-year overall survival (48.9% vs 71.2%; P < .0001) and event-free survival (43.5% vs 61.8%; P = .002) from AML97 to AML02. The 5-year cumulative incidence of early death (ED)/treatment-related mortality (TRM) was reduced for patients treated in AML02 (18.5% vs 7.9%; P = .007). Although the overall incidence of refractory disease (6.5% vs 5.6%; P = .736) and relapse (29.3% vs 21.0%; P = .12) did not differ between the 2 studies, patients with low-risk AML who were treated in AML02 had a reduced incidence of relapse (27.3% vs 8.8%; P = .036). CONCLUSIONS The improved outcomes of the AML02 trial resulted from improved disease control for low-risk patients and overall decreased ED/TRM. These results emphasize the importance of supportive-care measures throughout chemotherapy courses and hematopoietic cell transplantation and the value of treatment intensity for patients with low-risk AML while underscoring the need for novel therapy, rather than increased therapy intensity, for children with high-risk AML. Cancer 2017. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
Two Subpopulations of Noradrenergic Neurons in the Locus Coeruleus Complex Distinguished by Expression of the Dorsal Neural Tube Marker Pax7.

Central noradrenergic neurons, collectively defined by synthesis of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine, are a diverse collection of cells in the hindbrain, differing in their anatomy, physiological and behavioral functions, and susceptibility to disease and environmental insult. To investigate the developmental basis of this heterogeneity, we have used an intersectional genetic fate mapping strategy in mice to study the dorsoventral origins of the En1-derived locus coeruleus (LC) complex which encompasses virtually all of the anatomically defined LC proper, as well as a portion of the A7 and subcoeruleus (SubC) noradrenergic nuclei. We show that the noradrenergic neurons of the LC complex originate in two different territories of the En1 expression domain in the embryonic hindbrain. Consistent with prior studies, we confirm that the majority of the LC proper arises from the alar plate, the dorsal domain of the neural tube, as defined by expression of Pax7Cre. In addition, our analysis shows that a large proportion of the En1-derived A7 and SubC nuclei also originate in the Pax7Cre-defined alar plate. Surprisingly, however, we identify a smaller subpopulation of the LC complex that arises from outside the Pax7Cre expression domain. We characterize the distribution of these neurons within the LC complex, their cell morphology, and their axonal projection pattern. Compared to the broader LC complex, the newly identified Pax7Cre-negative noradrenergic subpopulation has very sparse projections to thalamic nuclei, suggestive of distinct functions. This developmental genetic analysis opens new avenues of investigation into the functional diversity of the LC complex.
Evolution of protein specificity: insights from ancestral protein reconstruction

Specific interactions between proteins and their molecular partners drive most biological processes, so understanding how these interactions evolve is an important question for biochemists and evolutionary biologists alike. It is often thought that ancestral proteins were systematically more promiscuous than modern proteins and that specificity usually evolves after gene duplication by partitioning and refining the activities of multifunctional ancestors. However, recent studies using ancestral protein reconstruction (APR) have found that ligand-specific functions in some modern protein families evolved de novo from ancestors that did not already have those functions. Further, the new specific interactions evolved by simple mechanisms, with just a few mutations changing classically recognized biochemical determinants of specificity, such as steric and electrostatic complementarity. Acquiring new specific interactions during evolution therefore appears to be neither difficult nor rare. Rather, it is likely that proteins continually gain and lose new activities over evolutionary time as mutations cause subtle but consequential changes in the shape and electrostatics of interaction interfaces. Only a few of these activities, however, are incorporated into the biological processes that contribute to fitness before they are lost to the ravages of further mutation.
Jewish Mysticism Wrestles with Language

This paper analyzes the kabbalistic conception of language with special concern for the issue of ineffability. It argues that, in contradistinction to the other major mystical traditions of the world, kabbalists did not believe that language was altogether inadequate for their purposes. The main reason for this is rooted in the traditional Jewish conception of the Torah as the literal “word of God to Moses at Sinai.” Therefore the secrets of creation, which are embedded in the mystical interpretation of the Torah text, can be learned and passed from teacher to disciple. That is, kabbalists have an authentic and unerring language, provided by God Himself, in which to talk about the secret matters of the upper and lower worlds. If in possession of the correct hermeneutical methods, they can: (a) interpret the Torah text to reveal the true nature of creation as a process of emanation, rather than accepting the more usual interpretation of “creatio ex nihilo”; (b) decipher and appreciate the role of human activity in restoring the “great chain of being” and the unity of the cosmos; and (c) perhaps most importantly, come to comprehend the theurgical role of the mitzvot (God’s commandments). Also of fundamental importance, this conception of the Hebrew text of the Torah makes it possible to create a tradition, i.e., to pass doctrines and interpretations from generation to generation. Not everything can be said in language but, if in possession of the mystical keys, more can be said than is usually thought.
Psychological Management of Pain

Pain is a multifaceted experience, including both sensory and emotional components. For many with persistent pain, a solely biomedical approach to treatment is insufficient, for it fails to address the psychosocial factors that drive pain and disability. It is often necessary to include a biopsychosocial approach that may include exercise/physical reconditioning, education (of the patient and family members), and psychological approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness-/acceptance-based therapies, behavior modification, and biofeedback training. Treatment of comorbid psychiatric illness is also essential to appropriately manage the patient with pain. Some patients require a more intensive, comprehensive interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation program (IPRP). These programs have been shown to be cost-effective and efficacious; however, their availability is extremely limited.
LEFT VENTRICULAR ASSIST DEVICE-RELATED INFECTIONS ARE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED TRANSPLANT REJECTION

In patients who had left ventricular assist device (LVAD) prior to heart transplant, device infections are associated with worse survival at 1-year and 10-year after transplant. We hypothesize that LVAD-related infections are associated with higher risk of transplant rejection. We performed a
Prevalence of children walking to school and related barriers-United States, 2017.

Abstract Children and adolescents can engage in an active lifestyle by walking to school; however, several barriers may limit this behavior. This study estimates the prevalence of walking to school and related barriers as reported by U.S. parents. Data from the 2017 SummerStyles, a Web-based survey conducted on a nationwide sample of U.S. adults, were analyzed in 2017. Parents of children aged 5–18 years (n = 1137) were asked whether their youngest child walked to or from school during a usual school week and what barriers make this difficult. Frequencies are presented overall and by parent characteristics. About 1 in 6 parents (16.5%) reported their youngest child walks to or from school at least once during a usual week. Prevalence differed by parental race/ethnicity, marital status, region, and distance from school. The most common barrier was living too far away (51.3%), followed by traffic-related danger (46.2%), weather (16.6%), “other” barrier (14.7%), crime (11.3%), and school policy (4.7%). The frequency at which parents reported certain barriers varied by their child's walking status, distance to school, age of youngest child, race/ethnicity, education level, household income, and metropolitan statistical area status. However, the relative ranking of barriers did not differ by these characteristics. Prevalence of walking to school is low in the U.S., and living too far away and traffic-related danger are common barriers reported by parents. Implementing Safe Routes to School programs and other initiatives that utilize strategies to overcome locally-relevant barriers could help increase the prevalence of children walking to school.
Response-Ability and the Trauma of Animal Rescue.

“We live our lives in the companionship of a certain collection of stories, both as individuals and in groups.” — Arthur Frank (Neile, 2013, p. 271)Figure 1. We seek to rehome dogs through adoption...