cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of aspirin on platelet aggregation in smokers and nonsmokers

OBJECTIF: Evaluer les effets antiplaquettaires de l'aspirine chez une population de sujets volontaires sains fumeurs et non-fumeurs. METHODOLOGIE: Dix-huit volontaires sains mâles fumeurs (n = 9) et non-fumeurs (n = 9) ont ete recrutes pour participer a cette etude prospective. Chaque volontaire a complete les deux phases de l'etude, soit un traitement de 7 jours d'aspirine 325 mg bid et un traitement d'une duree similaire de ticlopidine 250 mg bid. Chaque traitement assigne de facon aleatoire en chasse-croise etait separe par une periode de 4 semaines. Les tests d'aggregation plaquettaire etaient evalues a quatre occasions, soit deux fois pretraitement puis une fois apres le septieme jour de chacun des deux traitements. MESURE DE L'EFFET: Les tests d'aggregation plaquettaire effectues ex-vivo comprenaient la mesure d'impedance et les techniques de liberation d'ATP. RESULTATS: Le traitement d'aspirine a ete associe avec une liberation moindre d'ATP chez les fumeurs (p = 0.003) et les non-fumeurs (p = 0.011) par rapport a la periode pretraitement. Cependant, aucune difference significative au niveau de l'aggregation plaquettaire telle que mesuree par le changement d'impedance n'a ete documentee entre le groupe fumeur et le groupe non-fumeur pour chacun des traitements evalues. Soixante-six pourcent et 17% des sujets recevant respectivement la ticlopidine et l'aspirine ont manifeste des effets indesirables. CONCLUSIONS: L'administration bi-quotidienne d'aspirine pour 7 jours semble reduire l'aggregation plaquettaire chez une population de volontaires sains independamment de leur etat fumeur ou non-fumeur.
A Pulse EPR 25 mT magnetometer with 10ppm resolution.

A magnetometer designed for permanent magnet manufacturing and operated around 25 mT with 10 ppm absolute accuracy is described. The magnetometer uses pulse electron paramagnetic resonance methodology. The use of a pulsed broadband acquisition allowed reliable measurements in the presence of the magnetic field gradient and in relatively inhomogeneous magnetic fields of un-shimmed magnets.
Canonic FFT flow graphs for real-valued even/odd symmetric inputs

Canonic real-valued fast Fourier transform (RFFT) has been proposed to reduce the arithmetic complexity by eliminating redundancies. In a canonic N-point RFFT, the number of signal values at each stage is canonic with respect to the number of signal values, i.e., N. The major advantage of the canonic RFFTs is that these require the least number of butterfly operations and only real datapaths when mapped to architectures. In this paper, we consider the FFT computation whose inputs are not only real but also even/odd symmetric, which indeed lead to the well-known discrete cosine and sine transforms (DCTs and DSTs). Novel algorithms for generating the flow graphs of canonic RFFTs with even/odd symmetric inputs are proposed. It is shown that the proposed algorithms lead to canonic structures with $\frac {N}{2}+1$ signal values at each stage for an N-point real even symmetric FFT (REFFT) or $\frac {N}{2}-1$ signal values at each stage for an N-point RFFT real odd symmetric FFT (ROFFT). In order to remove butterfly operations, several twiddle factor transformations are proposed in this paper. We also discuss the design of canonic REFFT for any composite length. Performances of the canonic REFFT/ROFFT are also discussed. It is shown that the flow graph of canonic REFFT/ROFFT has less number of interconnections, less butterfly operations, and less twiddle factor operations, compared to prior works.
miR-204 Controls Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Receptor Expression and Agonist Function

Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP1R) agonists are widely used to treat diabetes. However, their function is dependent on adequate GLP1R expression, which is downregulated in diabetes. GLP1R is highly expressed on pancreatic β-cells, and activation by endogenous incretin or GLP1R agonists increases cAMP generation, which stimulates glucose-induced β-cell insulin secretion and helps maintain glucose homeostasis. We now have discovered that the highly β-cell-enriched microRNA, miR-204, directly targets the 3' UTR of GLP1R and thereby downregulates its expression in the β-cell-derived rat INS-1 cell line and primary mouse and human islets. Furthermore, in vivo deletion of miR-204 promoted islet GLP1R expression and enhanced responsiveness to GLP1R agonists, resulting in improved glucose tolerance, cAMP production, and insulin secretion as well as protection against diabetes. Since we recently identified thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) as an upstream regulator of miR-204, we also assessed whether in vivo deletion of TXNIP could mimic that of miR-204. Indeed, it also enhanced islet GLP1R expression and GLP1R agonist-induced insulin secretion and glucose tolerance. Thus, the present studies show for the first time that GLP1R is under the control of a microRNA, miR-204, and uncover a previously unappreciated link between TXNIP and incretin action.
Unified Analysis of Grid Turbulence

The deficiencies of the conventional power laws for the decay of grid turbulence, i.e., the discontinuous change from an initial to a final zone and the undefined range of validity, have been successfully overcome by analyzing grid flow as the plane-source counterpart of flows past point and line sources of turbulence energy. A comparison of the analytical results with experimental data on turbulence intensity, dissipation length, and integral scale for a great variety of grid geometries and Reynolds numbers reveals good agreement for all down-stream zones. The data used include those of Baines and Peterson, Batchelor and Townsend, Comte-Bellot and Corrsin, Dryden, Stewart and Townsend, Uberoi, van der Hegge-Zijnen, von Karman, and Wyatt. Functional relationships between the constants of the resulting analytical expressions, including the position of the virtual origin, and the grid-flow parameters have been deduced to facilitate prediction of turbulence characteristics and their downstream development for any given grid flow.
Power distribution system equipment failure identification using machine learning algorithms

In this paper, an approach for identifying equipment failure faults in distribution systems is explored. This task is considered as a binary classification problem in which outages are categorized into two classes of equipment failure and non-equipment failure types. To carry out this study, actual outage data collected by Duke Energy are utilized. First, different variables that make contributions to equipment failures are described and their relationships are examined. Afterward, the presence of imbalanced classes, as a common issue in outage data set, is addressed. Then, to assure that all features are relevant, their importance is examined by employing a novel feature selection algorithm. At the end, three classification algorithms, namely decision tree, logistic regression, and naive Bayesian classifier are trained and tested and their performances are evaluated.
Processes and electron flow in a microbial electrolysis cell bioanode fed with furanic and phenolic compounds

Furanic and phenolic compounds are problematic compounds resulting from the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass for biofuel production. Microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) is a promising technology to convert furanic and phenolic compounds to renewable H2. The objective of the research presented here was to elucidate the processes and electron equivalents flow during the conversion of two furanic (furfural, FF; 5-hydroxymethyl furfural, HMF) and three phenolic (syringic acid, SA; vanillic acid, VA; 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, HBA) compounds in the MEC bioanode. Cyclic voltammograms of the bioanode demonstrated that purely electrochemical reactions in the biofilm attached to the electrode were negligible. Instead, microbial reactions related to the biotransformation of the five parent compounds (i.e., fermentation followed by exoelectrogenesis) were the primary processes resulting in the electron equivalents flow in the MEC bioanode. A mass-based framework of substrate utilization and electron flow was developed to quantify the distribution of the electron equivalents among the bioanode processes, including biomass growth for each of the five parent compounds. Using input parameters of anode efficiency and biomass observed yield coefficients, it was estimated that more than 50% of the SA, FF, and HMF electron equivalents were converted to current. In contrast, only 12 and 9% of VA and HBA electron equivalents, respectively, resulted in current production, while 76 and 79% remained as fermentation end products not further utilized in exoelectrogenesis. For all five compounds, it was estimated that 10% of the initially added electron equivalents were used for fermentative biomass synthesis, while 2 to 13% were used for exoelectrogenic biomass synthesis. The proposed mass-based framework provides a foundation for the simulation of bioanode processes to guide the optimization of MECs converting biomass-derived waste streams to renewable H2.
PERIODIC SOLUTIONS TO HAMILTONIAN SYSTEMS WITH INFINITELY DEEP POTENTIAL WELLS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses periodic solutions to Hamiltonian systems within finitely deep potential wells. Variational techniques have recently been used to obtain information concerning the existence of periodic solutions to conservative Hamiltonian systems with convex potential wells. The chapter presents an account of similar results that have been obtained for Hamiltonian systems with infinitely deep potential wells. In order to extend the theorem to higher dimensional configuration spaces Rn, it is necessary that the set S of singularities satisfy a certain geometric condition.
On the Measurement and Interpretation of Surface Growth Strains

An important stimulus to growth stress research has been the development in recent years of a number of growth strain measurement techniques. A whole range of techniques have been used for different purposes. The need for simple nondestructive measurements of surface strain in standing trees has been met by mechanical and electrical methods carried out on small isolated elements. The methods of plank-stripping and disk-cutting previously used to estimate internal residual strain distributions have been extended to obtain far more specific information. The data obtained indicate that residual growth strains and stresses over the tree surfaces are the result of regular and systematic induction of growth strains in the developing cambial zone. It will be seen that growth strains are closely related to variations of elastic modulus, basic density, shrinkage, fiber class, and other factors connected with tree form and crown positioning. Thus, for some species where severe growth stress problems are encountered, it may be possible to combine genetic selection and silvicultural practices based on a knowledge of growth stresses to produce a more uniform and homogeneous wood product. A recent review (Kubler 1986) gives a very complete discussion of the literature on growth strain measurements in trees.
Time Domains in Membrane Kinetics

My interest in the dynamic properties of membranes concerns the small effects on the rates of enzymatic reactions that are observed in “membrane transitions” in the Arrhenius profile in the temperature range from 10°C to 40°C. Alternatively, there may be shifts of the rate-limiting step from one process to another of a different energy of activation--a real possibility in the more complicated enzymatic sequences; hence, we find support from the general idea that nature avoids a single rate-limiting step or “master reaction” and employs instead multi-enzyme sequences with a distribution of the rate-limiting steps over the reaction pathway.
Risk Communication in Families of Children with Familial Hypercholesterolemia: Identifying Motivators and Barriers to Cascade Screening to Improve Diagnosis at a Single Medical Center.

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is severely underdiagnosed in the USA; yet, factors influencing family notification about risk for FH in the US pediatric setting have not been well elucidated. Most previous research on these factors has occurred in adult patient populations in European countries with organized cascade screening programs; therefore, we sought to characterize parent experiences with cascade screening in the US pediatric setting. A quantitative survey measuring family notification of FH risk information was administered to 38 parents of children with FH identified within a pediatric cardiology clinic. Participants were also asked if family notification was impacted by intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional, community, and public policy factors identified previously in other populations. Notification of at least one of the proband’s living grandparents or aunts/uncles was reported by 76% (n = 25/33) and 71% (n = 24/34) of participants, respectively. The most common reason for notification was to protect relatives from heart disease. Two of the most common reasons participants did not notify relatives were a lack of information about FH and concern that the relative would have difficulty understanding the information. Yet, only a minority of participants (39%) accessed institutional resources such as educational materials to share with relatives or assistance drafting a family letter that could address these barriers. Based on the identified barriers and motivators for family communication, we suggest facilitators to improve implementation of cascade screening.
A hybrid approach for standardized Dictionary-based knowledge extraction for Arabic morpho-semantic retrieval

We propose in this paper to exploit Arabic dictionaries to enhance Arabic Information Retrieval (IR). We use standardized LMF dictionaries. We first put forward to mine such dictionaries and to represent them into graph-based representation. This graph will also be mined with a hybrid approach that combines both linguistic and statistical techniques to extract useful knowledge for IR. We study how extracted knowledge from such resource and added to the initial queries can attentively affect the retrieval process and results. Several query expansion strategies are carried based on morphological, semantic and morpho-semantic queries terms relations.
Fibromyalgia and Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Female Pelvic Pain

Fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome are common disorders which often coexist in women with chronic pelvic pain. Like pelvic pain, these disorders describe symptoms without pathologic findings. Women with chronic pelvic pain have a higher prevalence of fibromyalgia (4-31%) and irritable bowel syndrome (8-41%) than the general population. Aberrant pain processing and psychosocial stressors are implicated in the co-occurrence of these pain syndromes (chronic overlapping pain conditions), but active epidemiologic, psychosocial, and neurobiologic research is ongoing. Given the higher prevalence of fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome in women with chronic pelvic pain, gynecologists should have more education in diagnosis and treatment of these and other chronic overlapping pain conditions to improve care for women.
Evaluation of a Medium-Voltage Grid-Tied Cascaded H-Bridge for Energy Storage Systems Using SiC Switching Devices

This paper presents the study and evaluation of a medium-voltage grid-tied cascaded H-bridge (CHB) three-phase inverter for battery energy storage systems using SiC devices as an enabling technology. The high breakdown voltage capability of SiC devices provide the advantage to significantly minimize the complexity of the CHB multilevel converter, with less power loss compared to when Silicon (Si) devices are used. The topology in this study has been selected based on high voltage SiC devices. In order to reach 13.8 kV, a nine-level CHB is needed when using 6.5 kV SiC MOSFETs. However, if 10 kV SiC MOSFETs are used, only five-levels of the CHB are required. The controls were developed, simulated and verified through an experimental prototype. The results from the scaled-down prototype proved the controls and the verification of the performance of five-level CHB three-phase inverter. For the system reliability, both open-loop and short-circuit faults are analyzed.
Reactions to tobacco warning labels: predictors and outcomes of adaptive and maladaptive responses

Background: The Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) responses that emerge from spontaneous reactions to cigarette warning labels remain understudied. We identified the EPPM responses in reaction...
Antioxidant and anticancer effects in human hepatocarcinoma (HepG2) cells of papain-hydrolyzed sorghum kafirin hydrolysates

Abstract Peptide antioxidants are becoming increasingly popular in the food industry. This study reported antioxidant and anticancer properties of papain-hydrolyzed sorghum kafirin. The optimum hydrolysis conditions were determined to be 360 kU/g enzyme-to-substrate ratio, and 4 h of reaction time. After ultrafiltration, the 1–3 kDa hydrolysate fraction demonstrating promising antioxidative activities as well as yield was selected for further analyses. In an oil-in-water emulsion system, the incorporation of the selected fraction of hydrolysates at 10 mg/mL resulted in an average inhibition of primary and secondary oxidation products by 53.7% and 43.0%, respectively, without significantly changing emulsion turbidity or stability. In a ground meat system, an average of 32.1% inhibition towards lipid peroxidation was also detected when incorporated at 1.0 mg/g. The kafirin hydrolysates also effectively reduced HepG2 cell growth via non-toxic mechanisms, indicating its anticancer potential. Further, the 1–3 kDa peptides were fractionated and 13 peptide sequences were identified using RP-HPLC analysis followed by MALDI-TOF/TOF MS from the most potent fraction.
Stamped multilayer graphene laminates for disposable in-field electrodes: application to electrochemical sensing of hydrogen peroxide and glucose

A multi-step approach is described for the fabrication of multi-layer graphene-based electrodes without the need for ink binders or post-print annealing. Graphite and nanoplatelet graphene were chemically exfoliated using a modified Hummers’ method and the dried material was thermally expanded. Expanded materials were used in a 3D printed mold and stamp to create laminate electrodes on various substrates. The laminates were examined for potential sensing applications using model systems of peroxide (H2O2) and enzymatic glucose detection. Within the context of these two assay systems, platinum nanoparticle electrodeposition and oxygen plasma treatment were examined as methods for improving sensitivity. Electrodes made from both materials displayed excellent H2O2 sensing capability compared to screen-printed carbon electrodes. Laminates made from expanded graphite and treated with platinum, detected H2O2 at a working potential of 0.3 V (vs. Ag/AgCl [0.1 M KCl]) with a 1.91 μM detection limit and sensitivity of 64 nA·μM−1·cm−2. Electrodes made from platinum treated nanoplatelet graphene had a H2O2 detection limit of 1.98 μM (at 0.3 V), and a sensitivity of 16.5 nA·μM−1·cm−2. Both types of laminate electrodes were also tested as glucose sensors via immobilization of the enzyme glucose oxidase. The expanded nanographene material exhibited a wide analytical range for glucose (3.7 μM to 9.9 mM) and a detection limit of 1.2 μM. The sensing range of laminates made from expanded graphite was slightly reduced (9.8 μM to 9.9 mM) and the detection limit for glucose was higher (18.5 μM). When tested on flexible substrates, the expanded graphite laminates demonstrated excellent adhesion and durability during testing. These properties make the electrodes adaptable to a variety of tests for field-based or wearable sensing applications.
Targeted endodontic microsurgery and endodontic microsurgery: a surgical simulation comparison.

AIM To compare surgical time, bevel angle and site volumetric profiles of osteotomy and resection accomplished by targeted endodontic microsurgery (TEMS) and traditional endodontic microsurgery (EMS) in a surgical simulation model. METHODOLOGY An 80x80-mm cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) file was imported into Mimics software where artificial periapical lesions were created encompassing twelve root apices. Maxillary and mandibular models were 3D-printed. TEMS surgical guides were designed and 3D-printed for each surgical site. Three board-certified endodontists used the original CBCT to plan and perform EMS on models of six maxillary and six mandibular teeth. Next, the same endodontists performed TEMS on duplicate 3D-printed models for the same teeth. All surgeries were timed. Postoperative CBCT images of experimental models were made and imported into Amira software for measurement of bevel angle and site volumetric profiles. Paired t-tests compared the mean differences between EMS and TEMS groups. A Bonferroni correction determined data to be significant at P < 0.004. RESULTS TEMS significantly reduced surgical time (P < 0.00001), had bevel angles more closely approaching zero degrees (P < 0.01) and had significantly less volume of over-resection (P < 0.001) and length of root resection (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS In this surgical simulation scenario, TEMS provided more efficient completion of osteotomy and resection, with a more appropriate root-end resection volume and bevel angle.
Thyroid Eye Disease-Related Epiblepharon: A Comparative Case Study.

PURPOSE This study describes the clinical features and management of epiblepharon as a manifestation of thyroid eye disease (TED). In addition, we compare the frequency and age in Asian and non-Asian patients, and discuss pathophysiologic implications. DESIGN Retrospective case-control study. METHODS This is a single-center retrospective review that identified 172 adult patients (age 19 to 83) with TED that were consecutively evaluated by 1 author (T.J.M.) between December 2015 and July 2018. Diagnosis of TED and epiblepharon was based upon clinical assessment as documented in the medical record. RESULTS In a cohort of 172 patients (mean age 52; 138 female), 3 patients with acquired epiblepharon were identified, all of whom were Asian. The proportion of affected Asian patients (3/of 17, 17.6%) was significantly higher than that of non-Asian patients (0/155, P < 0.001). Patients with epiblepharon were also significantly younger than those without epiblepharon, 29.7 ± 2.1 versus 48.7 ± 13 years of age (P = 0.026). All 3 patients underwent surgical correction with lateral canthoplasty and anterior lamellar pretarsal fixation with successful outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Lower eyelid epiblepharon may occur in TED. In our clinic-based population, this finding was significantly more frequent in Asian patients and in younger patients. Relieving horizontal tension in conjunction with anterior lamella pretarsal fixation is an effective method of correcting TED-associated epiblepharon.
MECHANICAL MITRAL VALVE THROMBOSIS SUCCESSFULLY TREATED WITH CATHETER-DIRECTED TPA

Prosthetic valve thrombosis can be a life threatening scenario. We present a case of mitral mechanical valve thrombosis that was successfully treated with catheter-directed thrombolytics. A 40 year old male with a history of atrial fibrillation on coumadin and mechanical mitral valve replacement
Domains and Topological Defects in Layered FerrielectricMaterials: Implications for Nanoelectronics

Topological defects in materials present unique opportunities for nanoelectronics, as they allow us to harness new functionalities unavailable in the pristine bulk. However, their study in layered ...
Endovascular interventions for claudication do not meet minimum standards for the Society for Vascular Surgery efficacy guidelines.

Abstract Objective Because the treatment of intermittent claudication (IC) is elective, good short- and long-term outcomes are imperative. The objective of the present study was to examine the outcomes of endovascular management of IC reported in the Vascular Quality Initiative and compare them with the Society for Vascular Surgery guidelines for IC treatment to determine whether real-world results are within the guidelines. Methods Patients undergoing peripheral vascular intervention for IC from 2004 to 2017 with complete data and >9 month follow-up were included. The primary outcome measures were IC recurrence and repeat procedures performed ≤2 years after the initial treatment. Results A total of 16,152 patients met the inclusion criteria, with a mean age of 66 years. Of the 16,152 patients, 61% were men, 45% were current smokers, and 28% had been discharged without antiplatelet or statin medication. Adjusted analyses revealed that treatment of more than two arteries was associated with a shorter time to IC recurrence (hazard ratio [HR], 1.19; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09-1.31) and a shorter time to repeat procedures (HR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.09-1.45). The use of atherectomy was also associated with a shorter time to IC recurrence (HR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.08-1.33) and a shorter time to repeat procedures (HR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.13-1.52). Discharge with antiplatelet and statin medications was associated with a longer time to IC recurrence (HR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.78-0.91) and a longer time to repeat procedures (HR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.69-0.87). Life-table analysis at 2 years revealed that only 32% of patients were free from IC recurrence, although 76% had not undergone repeat procedures. Stratified by anatomic treatment level, 37% of isolated aortoiliac interventions, 22% of aortoiliac and femoropopliteal interventions, 30% of isolated femoropopliteal interventions, and 20% of femoropopliteal and tibial interventions had remained free from IC recurrence at 2 years. Conclusions Most patients treated with an endovascular approach to IC did not meet the Society for Vascular Surgery guidelines for long-term freedom from recurrent symptoms of >50% at 2 years. Many lacked preprocedure optimization of medical management. The use of atherectomy and treatment of more than two arteries were associated with poor outcomes after peripheral vascular intervention for IC, because only 32% of these patients were free from recurrent symptoms at 2 years. Even when risk factor modification is optimized before the procedure, vascular specialists should be aware of the association between atherectomy and multivessel interventions with poorer long-term outcomes and counsel patients appropriately before intervention.
Advantages of Tyrosine Kinase Anti-Angiogenic Cediranib over Bevacizumab: Cell Cycle Abrogation and Synergy with Chemotherapy

Angiogenesis plays a crucial role in tumor development and metastasis. Both bevacizumab and cediranib have demonstrated activity as single anti-angiogenic agents in endometrial cancer, though subsequent studies of bevacizumab combined with chemotherapy failed to improve outcomes compared to chemotherapy alone. Our objective was to compare the efficacy of cediranib and bevacizumab in endometrial cancer models. The cellular effects of bevacizumab and cediranib were examined in endometrial cancer cell lines using extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) phosphorylation, ligand shedding, cell viability, and cell cycle progression as readouts. Cellular viability was also tested in eight patient-derived organoid models of endometrial cancer. Finally, we performed a phosphoproteomic array of 875 phosphoproteins to define the signaling changes related to bevacizumab versus cediranib. Cediranib but not bevacizumab blocked ligand-mediated ERK activation in endometrial cancer cells. In both cell lines and patient-derived organoids, neither bevacizumab nor cediranib alone had a notable effect on cell viability. Cediranib but not bevacizumab promoted marked cell death when combined with chemotherapy. Cell cycle analysis demonstrated an accumulation in mitosis after treatment with cediranib + chemotherapy, consistent with the abrogation of the G2/M checkpoint and subsequent mitotic catastrophe. Molecular analysis of key controllers of the G2/M cell cycle checkpoint confirmed its abrogation. Phosphoproteomic analysis revealed that bevacizumab and cediranib had both similar and unique effects on cell signaling that underlie their shared versus individual actions as anti-angiogenic agents. An anti-angiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitor such as cediranib has the potential to be superior to bevacizumab in combination with chemotherapy.
Emerging Career Realities during the Pandemic: What Does it Mean for Women’s Career Development?

The ProblemWomen must often overcome inequitable workplace policies and unsupportive family for career development. Although remote work allows women the freedom to manage both work and family doma...
A Stochastic Alternating Balance k-Means Algorithm for Fair Clustering.

In the application of data clustering to human-centric decision-making systems, such as loan applications and advertisement recommendations, the clustering outcome might discriminate against people across different demographic groups, leading to unfairness. A natural conflict occurs between the cost of clustering (in terms of distance to cluster centers) and the balance representation of all demographic groups across the clusters, leading to a bi-objective optimization problem that is nonconvex and nonsmooth. To determine the complete trade-off between these two competing goals, we design a novel stochastic alternating balance fair $k$-means (SAfairKM) algorithm, which consists of alternating classical mini-batch $k$-means updates and group swap updates. The number of $k$-means updates and the number of swap updates essentially parameterize the weight put on optimizing each objective function. Our numerical experiments show that the proposed SAfairKM algorithm is robust and computationally efficient in constructing well-spread and high-quality Pareto fronts both on synthetic and real datasets. Moreover, we propose a novel companion algorithm, the stochastic alternating bi-objective gradient descent (SA2GD) algorithm, which can handle a smooth version of the considered bi-objective fair $k$-means problem, more amenable for analysis. A sublinear convergence rate of $\mathcal{O}(1/T)$ is established under strong convexity for the determination of a stationary point of a weighted sum of the two functions parameterized by the number of steps or updates on each function.
Suicidal Ideation among Youths at Risk of School Dropout: Impact of Student Demographics, Stressors, and Academic Self-Concept.

In the United States, suicidal ideation is an issue for high school-age youths. Research supports that youths who have learning difficulties and who are at risk of high school dropout are at greater risk for suicidal ideation. Although alternative high schools address both student academics and emotional health, they are underused, nonclinical settings for understanding and addressing suicidal ideation. This study aimed to examine the impact of student identity, external stressors, and academic self-concept on suicidal ideation among sexual and ethnic minority and underserved students enrolled in an alternative education public high school. The student sample (N = 103) completed a onetime survey comprised of the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire-Junior, the Cultural Assessment of Risk of Suicide, the Coddington Life Events Scale for Adolescents, and the Piers Harris 2. Results of hierarchical linear regression indicated that identifying as nonheterosexual and experiencing discrimination were associated with greater student reporting of suicidal ideation. Identifying as Latino and other non-White was associated with lower reporting of suicidal ideation. Controlling for student demographics and external stressors, positive academic self-concept was associated with a lower reporting of suicidal ideation. Findings have future implications for health social work, suicide prevention and intervention, and education policy.
Cannabis Use and Brain Volume in Adolescent and Young Adult Cannabis Users: Effects Moderated by Sex and Aerobic Fitness.

Objectives: Studies examining the impact of adolescent and young adult cannabis use on structural outcomes have been heterogeneous. One already-identified moderator is sex, while a novel potential moderator is extent of aerobic fitness. Here, we sought to investigate the associations of cannabis use, sex, and aerobic fitness levels on brain volume. Second, we explored brain–behavior relationships to interpret these findings. Methods: Seventy-four adolescents and young adults (36 cannabis users and 38 controls) underwent 3 weeks of monitored cannabis abstinence, aerobic fitness testing, structural neuroimaging, and neuropsychological testing. Linear regressions examined cannabis use and its interaction with sex and aerobic fitness on whole-brain cortical volume and subcortical regions of interests. Results: No main-effect differences between cannabis users and nonusers were observed; however, cannabis-by-sex interactions identified differences in frontal, temporal, and paracentral volumes. Female cannabis users generally exhibited greater volume while male users exhibited less volume compared to same-sex controls. Positive associations between aerobic fitness and frontal, parietal, cerebellum, and caudate volumes were observed. Cannabis-by-fitness interaction was linked with left superior temporal volume. Preliminary brain–behavior correlations revealed that abnormal volumes were not advantageous in either male or female cannabis users. Conclusions: Aerobic fitness was linked with greater brain volume and sex moderated the effect of cannabis use on volume; preliminary brain–behavior correlations revealed that differences in cannabis users were not linked with advantageous cognitive performance. Implications of sex-specific subtleties and mechanisms of aerobic fitness require large-scale investigation. Furthermore, present findings and prior literature on aerobic exercise warrant examinations of aerobic fitness interventions that aimed at improving neurocognitive health in substance-using youth.
Exploiting Structure: Location Problems on Trees and Treelike Graphs

Posing location problems on graphs or networks has sharpened our understanding of what underlying structures can be exploited to prove theorems and to develop efficient algorithms. The construction of efficient algorithms for network location problems has been greatly aided by the work of computer scientists who have devised algorithms and data structures that allow efficient traversal and storage of graphs. In this chapter the contributions of three early location analysis papers are examined in detail. Key ideas are identified and their effects traced forward through the literature. In addition, natural extensions of these key ideas are included. However, no attempt is made to be encyclopedic when surveying the literature. The chapter concludes with comments on future research directions.
Gone FISHing: Clinical Lessons Learned in Brain Tumor Molecular Diagnostics over the Last Decade

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is a powerful, morphology-based technique to assess targeted copy number alterations or gene rearrangements in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues. It has a wide range of applications in routine clinical contexts to identify cytogenetic biomarkers for more accurate diagnosis and prognostic stratification. This review and update addresses practical uses of FISH as a molecular diagnostic tool in the setting of brain tumors, including gliomas, embryonal neoplasms, ependymomas and meningiomas, focusing on key genetic biomarkers, such as 1p19q codeletion, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene amplification, BRAF rearrangement and many others. Also discussed are lessons learned over the past decade, including common technical issues to consider when implementing and interpreting FISH results in a clinical setting.
An in vitro screen employing human neonatal dendritic cells identifies distinct synergy between Toll-like receptor and C-type lectin receptor agonists (VAC10P.966)

Due to impairments in cell-mediated immunity, newborns are markedly susceptible to infection with intracellular pathogens. Impaired newborn immunity includes a reduced response to Toll-like Receptor agonists (TLRAs) by dendritic cells (DCs), placing them at risk for infection and limiting Th1-responses to many vaccines. Our hypothesis was that dual stimulation with TLRAs and C-type Lectin Receptor agonists (CLRAs) may overcome the reduced response of newborn DCs to common vaccine formulations. We screened TLRAs, CLRAs and their combinations for their ability to induce Th1-polarizing cytokine production from neonatal dendritic cells. Human adult- and cord blood monocyte-derived DCs (MoDCs) were generated in the presence of autologous plasma and stimulated for 18 hours. Cytokines and markers for cellular toxicity were measured to assess correlates of immunogenicity and reactogenicity. Dual activation of newborn DCs with a TLR8 agonist (R848) and a Mincle agonist (TDB) or with a TLR4 agonist (MPLA or GLA) and a Dectin-1 agonist (alkali-treated Zymosan) synergistically enhanced the production of the T-cell activating and -polarizing cytokines TNF-α, IL-12p70 and IL-1β. Our data suggest that targeting vaccinal antigens to the endocytic receptors Mincle or Dectin-1 is a powerful approach to induce Th1-mediated immunity in newborns. This study has the potential to inform development of novel adjuvanted neonatal vaccines and reduce infections in infants.
Immunoprevention of Chemical Carcinogenesis through Early Recognition of Oncogene Mutations

Prevention of tumors induced by environmental carcinogens has not been achieved. Skin tumors produced by polyaromatic hydrocarbons, such as 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA), often harbor an H-ras point mutation, suggesting that it is a poor target for early immunosurveillance. The application of pyrosequencing and allele-specific PCR techniques established that mutations in the genome and expression of the Mut H-ras gene could be detected as early as 1 d after DMBA application. Further, DMBA sensitization raised Mut H-ras epitope–specific CTLs capable of eliminating Mut H-ras+ preneoplastic skin cells, demonstrating that immunosurveillance is normally induced but may be ineffective owing to insufficient effector pool size and/or immunosuppression. To test whether selective pre-expansion of CD8 T cells with specificity for the single Mut H-ras epitope was sufficient for tumor prevention, MHC class I epitope–focused lentivector-infected dendritic cell– and DNA-based vaccines were designed to bias toward CTL rather than regulatory T cell induction. Mut H-ras, but not wild-type H-ras, epitope-focused vaccination generated specific CTLs and inhibited DMBA-induced tumor initiation, growth, and progression in preventative and therapeutic settings. Transferred Mut H-ras–specific effectors induced rapid tumor regression, overcoming established tumor suppression in tumor-bearing mice. These studies support further evaluation of oncogenic mutations for their potential to act as early tumor-specific, immunogenic epitopes in expanding relevant immunosurveillance effectors to block tumor formation, rather than treating established tumors.
The State-of-the-Art in Conic Optimization Software

This work gives an overview of the major codes available for the solution of linear semidefinite (SDP) and second-order cone (SOCP) programs. Many of these codes also solve linear programs (LP). Some developments since the 7th DIMACS Challenge [10, 18] are pointed out as well as some currently under way. Instead of presenting performance tables, reference is made to the ongoing benchmark webpage [20] as well as other related efforts.
Chapter 4 – Applications of the Increment Approximation: f[t+δt]−f[t]=f′[t]δt+ε.δtf[t+δt]−f[t]=f′[t]δt+ε.δt

This chapter reviews the project of applications of the increment approximation. Evidence of an expanding universe is one of the most important astronomical observations of this century. Light received from a distant galaxy is “old” light, generated years ago at a time t e when it was emitted. When this old light is compared to light generated at the time received t r it is found that the characteristic colors or spectral lines do not have the same wavelengths. Another project — functional linearity — is also discussed in the chapter.
Observations of low-luminosity X-ray sources in Vela-Puppis

Results of a study of the X-ray emission from a small portion of the galactic plane near galactic longitude 260 deg are presented. This region contains at least six low luminosity X-ray sources within approximately 10 deg. of PSRO833-45, which is near the center of the Gum Nebula. The X-ray source associated with the Vela pulsar, 4U0833-45, is observed at twice its 4U catalogue intensity. The lack of X-ray pulsations at the pulsar period, the non thermal power law spectrum, and models of the X-ray come from an extended source approximately 1 deg in radius. The observation of a high temperature spectrum in a field of view containing only Puppis A among known sources has led to the discovery of a new OSO-8 source, OSO752-39. Other spectra from this region are discussed.
Equivalence of mirror families constructed by toric degenerations of flag varieties

Batyrev et al. constructed a family of Calabi–Yau varieties using small toric degenerations of the full flag variety G/B. They conjecture this family to be mirror to generic anticanonical hypersurfaces in G/B. Recently, Alexeev and Brion, as a part of their work on toric degenerations of spherical varieties, have constructed many degenerations of G/B. For any such degeneration we construct a family of varieties, which we prove coincides with Batyrev’s in the small case. We prove that any two such families are birational, thus proving that mirror families are independent of the choice of degeneration. The birational maps involved are closely related to Berenstein and Zelevinsky’s geometric lifting of tropical maps to maps between totally positive varieties.
Anaerobic Growth of Bacillus mojavensis and Bacillus subtilis Requires Deoxyribonucleosides or DNA

Bacillus mojavensis strains JF-2 (ATCC 39307), ROB2, and ABO21191 T and Bacillus subtilis strains 168 (ATCC 23857) and ATCC 12332 required four deoxyribonucleosides or DNA for growth under strict anaerobic conditions. Bacillus licheniformis strains L89-11 and L87-11, Bacillus sonorensis strain TG8-8, and Bacillus cereus (ATCC 14579) did not require DNA for anaerobic growth. The requirement for the deoxyribonucleosides or DNA did not occur under aerobic growth conditions. The addition of a mixture of five nucleic acid bases, four ribonucleotides, or four ribonucleosides to the basal medium did not replace the requirement of B. mojavensis JF-2 for the four deoxyribonucleosides. However, the addition of salmon sperm DNA, herring sperm DNA, Escherichia coli DNA, or synthetic DNA (single or double stranded) to the basal medium supported anaerobic growth. The addition of four deoxyribonucleosides to the basal medium allowed aerobic growth of B. mojavensis JF-2 in the presence of hydroxyurea. B. mojavensis did not grow in DNA-supplemented basal medium that lacked sucrose as the energy source. These data provide strong evidence that externally supplied deoxyribonucleosides can be used to maintain a balanced deoxyribonucleotide pool for DNA synthesis and suggest that ribonucleotide reductases may not be essential to the bacterial cell cycle nor are they necessarily part of a minimal bacterial genome.
Acute branch occlusion after Pipeline embolization of intracranial aneurysms

Flow-diverters are used in the treatment of large and complex intracranial aneurysms. One major concern with this concept is the potential for compromise of side branches and perforators covered by the device. We describe three patients treated with the Pipeline embolization device (PED; ev3 Endovascular, Plymouth, MN, USA) who developed immediate compromise of flow into an eloquent side branch covered by the device. Three patients, two with giant posterior circulation aneurysms and one with recurrence of a previously clipped and subsequently coiled middle cerebral artery aneurysm, were each treated by placement of a single PED. Shortly after placement of the devices, despite adequate antiplatelet and anticoagulation regimens, partial or complete occlusion of a major side branch occurred. In all three patients, the occlusion was promptly reversed with intra-arterial administration of abciximab with no clinical sequelae. These cases are concerning because branch occlusion occurred even in the setting of patients appropriately premedicated with dual antiplatelet therapy and in whom genetic testing suggested clopidogrel responsiveness. Close monitoring of patients treated with these devices is critical to establish the frequency of this and other unanticipated complications.
The Use of an Automated Nowcasting System to Forecast Flash Floods in an Urban Watershed

Abstract Flash flooding represents a significant hazard to human safety and a threat to property. Simulation and prediction of floods in complex urban settings requires high-resolution precipitation estimates and distributed hydrologic modeling. The need for reliable flash flood forecasting has increased in recent years, especially in urban communities, because of the high costs associated with flood occurrences. Several storm nowcast systems use radar to provide quantitative precipitation forecasts that can potentially afford great benefits to flood warning and short-term forecasting in urban settings. In this paper, the potential benefits of high-resolution weather radar data, physically based distributed hydrologic modeling, and quantitative precipitation nowcasting for urban hydrology and flash flood prediction were demonstrated by forcing a physically based distributed hydrologic model with precipitation forecasts made by a convective storm nowcast system to predict flash floods in a small, highly ur...
Quantifying the effect of plasma irradiation on internal properties of living cells

Application of dielectric barrier discharges for wound and disease therapies-plasma medicine-is one of the fastest-growing fields in non-thermal, low temperature plasma research. It remains unclear of how particles and fields produced by the plasma source induce changes internally within the cell. This effort aims to elucidate the effect of an atmospheric pressure plasma on internal properties of the cell. This effort presents plasma source conditions incident on the cell and the internal chemical changes in cell response.
Biomechanics of reactions to impending falls

Responses of 11 young adult males, initially standing, to support surface forward accelerations of 0.18 g were investigated. In response to the impending falls this stimulus initiated, body segment motions and myoelectric activities in six muscles were measured. These measurements were then input to 9 or 12 segment whole body biomechanical models and the reaction joint torques needed to produce the motions were calculated. Mean relative joint rotations were as large as 92.8 degrees and calculated relative joint angular accelerations as large as 29.7 rad s-2. Mean myoelectric signal latencies in the six muscles monitored ranged from 135 ms at the ankles to 176 ms at the shoulders with intermediate values at intermediate joints. Mean values of calculated maximum joint torques ranged to 70 Nm at the ankles, 82 Nm at the knees, 73 Nm at the hips, and 19 Nm at the shoulders. Language: en
Erratum to: Diethylene Glycol in Health Products Sold Over-the-Counter and Imported from Asian Countries

Erratum to: J. Med. Toxicol. DOI 10.1007/s13181-010-0111-9 Dietary supplements are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA), dietary supplements can be marketed without pre-approval by the FDA. The dietary supplement manufacturer is responsible for ensuring that a dietary supplement is safe before it is marketed. FDA is authorized to take enforcement action against any unsafe dietary supplement product.