cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Stochastic Primal-Dual Algorithm for Joint Flow Control and MAC Design in Multi-hop Wireless Networks

We study stochastic rate control for joint flow control and MAC design in multi-hop wireless networks with random access. Most existing studies along this avenue are based on deterministic convex optimization and the corresponding distributed algorithms developed therein involve deterministic feedback control. In a multi-hop wireless network, however, the feedback signal is obtained using error-prone measurement mechanisms and therefore noisy in nature. A fundamental open question is that under what conditions these algorithms would converge to the optimal solutions in the presence of noisy feedback signals, and this is the main subject of this paper. Specifically, we first formulate rate control in multi-hop random access networks as a network utility maximization problem where the link constraints are given in terms of the persistence probabilities. Using the Lagrangian dual decomposition method, we devise a distributed primal-dual algorithm for joint flow control and MAC design. Then, we focus on the convergence properties of this algorithm under noisy feedback information. We show that the proposed primal-dual algorithm converges (almost surely) to the optimal solutions only if the estimators of gradients are asymptotically unbiased. We also characterize the corresponding rate of convergence, and our findings reveal that in general the limit process of the interpolated process, corresponding to the normalized iterate sequence generated from the primal-dual algorithm, is a reflected linear diffusion process, not necessarily the Gaussian diffusion process.
The Research Queueing Package Modeling Environment (resqme)

The Research Queueing Package Modeling Environment (RESQME) provides a graphical environment for constructing, solving, and analyzing the results of extended queueing network models of resource contention systems. It has been used to improve the performance of existing and planned systems in such application areas as computer Systems, communications networks, manufacturing processes, transportation systems, customer service facilities. RESQME provides the capability to specify a queueing model by drawing a network diagram and attaching attribute information to each object in the diagram. It then evaluates the model using its general-purpose, discrete event simulation software and produces graphical and tabular performance results, along with animation on the original model diagram. Confidence interval methods are incorporated to insure that the results of a simulation meet the desired level of accuracy.
Helping students develop higher-level thinking: use of the Perry model

This paper reports data on how well an experiential curriculum helps students mature intellectually. It also reports on-going experiments with teaching methods designed to accelerate students' intellectual development. The data collection, curriculum design and experimental teaching approaches are based on William Perry's model of intellectual development which describes the stages people progress through in their understanding of knowledge, the use of evidence and their ability to understand open-ended problem solving. Our data show that one quarter of CSM students do mature to an acceptable level by graduation, but fully one third are still at a troublingly low level as seniors. The current efforts of some of our faculty center on refining our teaching approaches to help more students make significant progress in their thinking. The approach is basically one of putting students into the middle of an open-ended situation and then mentoring them through their misconceptions. We use our role as authority to coax them beyond the "single right answer" mentality. Our experience in trying to implement this teaching approach is discussed.
Western-style diet, with and without chronic androgen treatment, alters the number, structure, and function of small antral follicles in ovaries of young adult monkeys.

Objective To examine the small antral follicle (SAF) cohort in ovaries of adult rhesus monkeys after consumption of a Western-style diet (WSD), with or without chronically elevated androgen levels since before puberty. Design Cholesterol or T (n = 6 per group) implants were placed SC in female rhesus macaques beginning at 1 year of age (prepubertal), with addition of a WSD (high fat/fructose) at 5.5 years (menarche approximately 2.6 years). Ovaries were collected at 7 years of age. One ovary per female was embedded in paraffin for morphologic and immunohistochemical analyses. The SAFs ( Setting Primate research center. Animal(s) Adult, female rhesus monkeys ( Macaca mulatta ). Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measures Histologic analyses, SAF counts and morphology, protein localization and abundance in SAFs, transcriptome in SAFs (messenger RNAs [mRNAs]). Result(s) Compared with controls, consumption of a WSD, with and without T treatment, increased the numbers of SAFs per ovary, owing to the presence of more atretic follicles. Numbers of granulosa cells expressing cellular proliferation markers (pRb and pH3) was greater in healthy SAFs, whereas numbers of cells expressing the cell cycle inhibitor (p21) was higher in atretic SAFs. Intense CYP17A1 staining was observed in the theca cells of SAFs from WSD with or without T groups, compared with controls. Microarray analyses of the transcriptome in SAFs isolated from WSD and WSD plus T–treated females and controls consuming a standard diet identified 1,944 genes whose mRNA levels changed twofold or more among the three groups. Further analyses identified several gene pathways altered by WSD and/or WSD plus T associated with steroid, carbohydrate, and lipid metabolism, plus ovarian processes. Alterations in levels of several SAF mRNAs are similar to those observed in follicular cells from women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Conclusion(s) These data indicate that consumption of a WSD high in fats and sugars in the presence and absence of chronically elevated T alters the structure and function of SAFs within primate ovaries.
Pragmatic Clinical Trials: Implementation Opportunity, or Just Another Fad?

Clinical trials have been characterized as either explanatory or pragmatic in nature based on whether the major objective of the trial is to prioritize internal or external validity.1 Explanatory trials prioritize internal validity by minimizing clinician and patient biases, but, in doing so, they are generalizable only to “ideal” conditions. In contrast, pragmatic trials prioritize external validity by studying interventions in the context of broadly based and routine clinical practice conditions. The term pragmatic was coined for research trials in the 1960s2; however, since that time, alternative descriptors have been used to define trial designs in which generalizability is the primary goal, including practical trials, large simple trials, real-world trials, management trials, and effectiveness trials.1 Although there is considerable overlap in these labels, “pragmatic” has come to the forefront primarily for 2 reasons: (1) the advent of the Pragmatic Explanatory Continuum Indicator Summaries (PRECIS),3,4 an intuitive tool to characterize a clinical trial on an explanatory-pragmatic spectrum, and (2) reporting standards for pragmatic clinical trials that have been formalized through an extended version of the Consolidated Reporting Trials (CONSORT).5 The PRECIS tool comprehensively dissects a clinical trial by eligibility criteria, recruitment methods, settings, clinician expertise, intervention delivery flexibility, adherence strategies, intensity of follow-up, relevancy of outcomes, and primary analysis strategies and characterizes each category on an explanatory-pragmatic spectrum. Although lack of detail in trial reporting makes true quantitative analyses difficult,6 attempts at quantifying the percentage of published trials that are pragmatic indicate that pragmatic trials are infrequent—less than 2% of trials, according …
Isometry and convexity in dimensionality reduction

In this dissertation we study two current state of the art dimensionality reduction methods, Maximum Variance Unfolding (MVU) and Non-Negative Matrix Factorization (NMF). These two dimensionality reduction methods do not fit under the umbrella of Kernel PCA. MVU is cast as a Semidefinite Program, a modern convex nonlinear optimization algorithm, that offers more flexibility and power compared to KPCA. Although MVU and NMF seem to be two disconnected problems, we show that there is a connection between them. Both are special cases of a general nonlinear factorization algorithm that we developed. Two aspects of the algorithms are of particular interest: computational complexity and interpretability. In other words computational complexity answers the question of how fast we can find the best solution of MVU/NMF for large data volumes. Since we are dealing with optimization programs, we need to find the global optimum. Global optimum is strongly connected with the convexity of the problem. Interpretability is strongly connected with local isometry1 that gives meaning in relationships between data points. Another aspect of interpretability is association of data with labeled information. The contributions of this thesis are the following: (1) MVU is modified so that it can scale more efficient. Results are shown on 1 million speech datasets. Limitations of the method are highlighted. (2) An algorithm for fast computations for the furthest neighbors is presented for the first time in the literature. (3) Construction of optimal kernels for Kernel Density Estimation with modern convex programming is presented. For the first time we show that the Leave One Cross Validation (LOOCV) function is quasi-concave. (4) For the first time NMF is formulated as a convex optimization problem. (5) An algorithm for the problem of Completely Positive Matrix Factorization is presented. (6) A hybrid algorithm of MVU and NMF the isoNMF is presented combining advantages of both methods. (7) The Isometric Separation Maps (ISM) a variation of MVU that contains classification information is presented. (8) Large scale nonlinear dimensional analysis on the TIMIT speech database is performed. (9) A general nonlinear factorization algorithm is presented based on sequential convex programming. Despite the efforts to scale the proposed methods up to 1 million data points in reasonable time, the gap between the industrial demand and the current state of the art is still orders of magnitude wide. 1Preservation of local distances.
Price Theory, Vote Scores, and Campaign Expenditures: Signaling or Ideology?

The empirical literature on legislator behavior attributes significant explanatory power to interest group vote scores. The literature has also dichotomized the interpretation of these scores as either ideological shirking or market signaling. Most studies simply regress a residualized vote score on a left-hand roll call vote. This paper innovates a new way of discriminating between signaling and ideology on the basis of residualized vote scores. The structural model considers a congressional seat as a unique, non-divisible good, and candidates' campaign expenditures as the unit price bid for the good. Introducing exogenous control variables, and executing 2SLS, the reduced form model yields a convenient test: if a more extreme voting record is negatively related to the bid, this indicates a substitution relationship and supports the market signaling hypothesis. This paper finds support of this kind in the 1994 House elections.
A Hybrid Grasp Matrix for Cooperative Robotic Object Manipulation

When several robots work cooperatively to manipulate an object, redundancies naturally arise due to the increased number of applied contact forces, and as a result, many sets of joint torques exist that will realize the same motion. If the cooperating robots are kinematically deficient, their inability to directly control all of their applied forces presents difficulty in determining the optimal set of torques. To address this difficulty, two concepts from the robotic hand community are utilized: the grasp matrix and the stiffness matrix. These concepts are briefly reviewed with particular focus on the shortcomings of each. In order to solve the problem of choosing optimal joint torques, the grasp matrix and stiffness matrix are combined into a hybrid grasp matrix which resolves the indeterminacies caused by the kinematic deficiencies of the robots while maintaining a form that readily allows for a straightforward choice among the many possible torques. This concept is then applied to an example of four mobile robots cooperatively supporting a single object.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
An applied research analysis of telework programmes as an environmentally friendly policy and a viable sustainability development leadership practice

This article discusses telework as an environmentally friendly policy and its role as a convenient way for governments and businesses to encourage sustainable development leadership practices as effective employee retention and recruiting tools. Telework is a technological advancement, which allows employees to work in approximation to their home or any accessible location. Telework policy innovations allow employers to cut costs, increase communication, tailor to employee needs, and have an effective framework for disaster recovery and business continuity organisational plans. With the use of telework governments can tap into new labour markets such as single parents or the disabled. Telecommunication allows for flexibility in employees schedules. Telework enables firms to lower direct and indirect green gas house emissions through not only the use of less resources at the work site but further reducing CO 2 by travelling less miles to work. Telework is an important way for the government to be the leader in showing all businesses how to cut cost and promote sustainability. The continual improvement of technologies within the business community can benefit firms both financially and environmentally through the use of telework.
Beyond “Dual”: Multi-Material Decomposition of Spectral CT Images

Spectral CT’s ability to determine material concentration drives its clinical application, but the complex make up of the human body poses a challenge. We developed methods for quantifying N > 3 materials, expanding spectral CT’s utility.
Constraining Presentation Pace and Using Multimodal Materials: Intertwined Design Considerations?

Presentations using a mixture of media can keep observers interest and increase the likelihood that people will retain information. When verbal and visual media are used together, offloading text for narration in the presence of visual materials often improves learning. However, recent research has pointed to the fact that this effect might be dependent on constraining the pace of presentation and that the effect is reduced when time to study static visual materials is increased. The present experiment extends this research to animated visual materials, by manipulating the verbal presentation modality and pace of presentation. There was a main effect of presentation pace and no main effect of verbal presentation modality. This lack of a modality effect was unexpected and possibly came about due to interactions with presentation pace. This suggests that designers need to consider the effects of verbal presentation modality and study time in tandem rather than as discrete design elements. This also points t...
Identification of Eastern Oyster Crassostrea virginica Larvae Using Polarized Light Microscopy in a Mesohaline Region of Chesapeake Bay

Understanding the population dynamics and complete life cycle of bivalves is important for effective management of these commercially and ecologically important organisms. Most of the literature and research on bivalves to date has focused on juvenile and adult bivalves, but much less is known about larvae. The larval stage has been difficult to study due to the lack of a rapid automated approach for identifying the species. A new technique, called ShellBi, utilizes color patterns on the larval shell under polarized light to identify bivalve larvae. The objective of our research was to review the scientific basis for ShellBi and to apply it to bivalve larvae from the Choptank River in mesohaline Chesapeake Bay, with the goal of distinguishing larvae of the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) from seven other species that spawn at the same time. A digital camera and polarized light microscope was used to capture images of the larval shells of the eight species under standard and cross-polarized light. Images of C. virginica were distinguishable from those of other species based on color patterns, especially at later stages of development. These images could serve as a visual guide to distinguish larvae of C. virginica from other bivalves inhabiting mesohaline tributaries of Chesapeake Bay.
ESTIMATION OF CASUALTY AREAS IN SUBWAY STATION SUBJECTED TO TERRORIST BOMB

When a subway station subjected to a terrorist bomb,the damage should be serious.By using the numerical simulation finite element software LS-DYNA,the dynamite explodes inside a typical subway station has been simulated.The results have given the flow field distribution of blast wave inside the station,and the isobar of blast wave overpressure at the station platform.Comparing all the criteria about people subjected to blast loading,casualties in the subway station are estimated.Different areas are divided according to corresponding injured levels.The research may be useful for subway station anti-explosion design.
Using a Lexical Analysis of Student's Self-Explanation to Predict Course Performance.

Numerous studies have shown that self-explanation can lead to improved learning outcomes. Here we examine how the words which students use in their self-explanations correlate with their performance in the course as well as with the effort they expend on their homework assignments. We compute two types of numerical features to characterize students’ work: vocabulary-based features and effort-based features. The vocabulary-based features capture the frequency with which individual words and n-grams appear within students’ self-explanation. The effort-based features estimate the effort expended on each assignment as the amount of time spent writing a homework solution or self-explanation response. We use the most predictive vocabulary-based and effortbased features to train a linear regression model to predict students’ overall course grade. This model explains up to 19.4% of the variance in students’ performance. Furthermore, the underlying parameters of this model provide valuable insights into the ways students explain their own work, and the cognitive processes students employ when asked to self-explain. Additionally, we use the vocabulary-based features to train linear regression models to predict each of the effort-based features. In doing so we demonstrate that the vocabulary employed by a student to self-explain his or her solution to an assignment correlates with the amount of effort that student expends on that particular assignment. Both of these findings serve as a basis for a novel automated assessment technique for evaluating student performance.
Chronic high‐dosage androgen administration to ovulatory women does not alter adrenocortical steroidogenesis

Objective To evaluate the role of chronic long-term exogenous androgen administration to normal ovulatory women on adrenal steroidogenesis. Design Prospective study of four consecutive female-to-male transsexuals before and during chronic testosterone (T) therapy. Setting Clinical Research Center of the Mount Sinai Medical Center. Patients Four female-to-male transsexuals were studied before and during 6 to 12 months of chronic T enanthate therapy for desired virilization. All four subjects were ovulatory before treatment. Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) testing was performed before, and 6 and 12 months of androgen therapy and various adrenal androgens as well as precursor:product pairs were evaluated as an index of specific adrenocortical biosynthetic defects. Results Baseline and 1 hour after 0.25mg ACTH intravenously, adrenal androgen levels as well as adrenal precursor/product pairs demonstrated no difference before and during chronic T treatment. Studies included determinations of plasma 17-hydroxypregnenolone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, androstenedione, 11-deoxycortisol, and cortisol. Conclusion It is concluded that chronic hypertestosteronemia does not alter adrenal steroidogenesis.
Seat Value in Stadiums and Theaters: An Empirical Investigation

We study how the seat value perceived by consumers, after attending an event in a theater/stadium, depends on the location of their seat relative to the stage/field. We develop a measure of perceived seat value, called Seat Value Index, and relate it to seat location characteristics and consumer characteristics. We apply our analysis to a proprietary dataset collected by a professional baseball franchise in Japan, from its customers during a weeknight game. Most surprisingly, we find that customers seated in symmetric seats on left and right fields might derive very different valuations from the game. Thus, commonly followed simple pricing mechanisms in baseball stadiums might be inefficient from a revenue perspective. Furthermore, customers perceive higher net valuations at distantly located upper deck seats and some outfield seats, possibly because of easy availability and low prices. We also find that the customers who have visited the baseball stadium more often experience lower variance in their valuations as compared to first time visitors. This implies that repeated visits to the ballpark in help customers "learn" the "true value" of a seat.Thus, our research quantifies the significant influence of the location of the seat and frequency of visits on the ex-post seat value perceived by customers. Understanding the heterogeneity in seat values across different seat locations provides theaters and stadiums an opportunity to systematically adjust ticket prices based on customer seat value perceptions.
Repeated ketamine treatment induces sex-specific behavioral and neurochemical effects in mice

One of the most striking discoveries in the treatment of major depression was the finding that infusion of a single sub-anesthetic dose of ketamine induces rapid and sustained antidepressant effects in treatment-resistant depressed patients. However, ketamine's antidepressant-like actions are transient and can only be sustained by repeated drug treatment. Despite the fact that women experience major depression at roughly twice the rate of men, research regarding the neurobiological antidepressant-relevant effects of ketamine has focused almost exclusively on the male sex. Importantly, knowledge regarding the sex-differentiated effects, the frequency and the dose on which repeated ketamine administration stops being beneficial, is limited. In the current study, we investigated the behavioral, neurochemical and synaptic molecular effects of repeated ketamine treatment (10mg/kg; 21days) in male and female C57BL/6J mice. We report that ketamine induced beneficial antidepressant-like effects in male mice, but induced both anxiety-like (i.e., decreased time spent in the center of the open field arena) and depressive-like effects (i.e., enhanced immobility duration in the forced swim test; FST) in their female counterparts. Moreover, repeated ketamine treatment induced sustained sex-differentiated neurochemical and molecular effects, as it enhanced hippocampal synapsin protein levels and serotonin turnover in males, but attenuated glutamate and aspartate levels in female mice. Taken together, our findings indicate that repeated ketamine treatment induces opposite behavioral effects in male and female mice, and thus, present data have far-reaching implications for the sex-oriented use of ketamine in both experimental and clinical research settings.
Optoelectronic Switching for Radar Steering

We describe the use of fiber delay lines for radar steering and the implementation of laser switching to achieve true time delay steering of a dual band phased array transmitter.
The Phenomenon of Power

The concept of power is ubiquitous in the history of religions. In Edward B. Tylor’s Primitive Culture (1871), power is associated with animism, a belief in a spiritual soul animating nature. By 1909, R. R. Maretts work entitled The Threshold of Religion, borrowing insights from the work of R. H. Codrington, rejected Tylor’s rationalistic scheme and advocated that mana, a power believed to be inherent in all things by the Melanesians, was an earlier stage of religion. Other anthropologists discovered power in the tribal religions of North American Indians: manitou among the Algonquian, orenda among the Iroquois, and wakan among the Sioux. Due to the vague nature of these terms, it is not certain to what extent they specifically designate power. As Hultkrantz observes, manitou and wakan are best rendered supernatural, whereas orenda means supernatural power.1
Predictive Validity of Curriculum-Embedded Measures on Outcomes of Kindergarteners Identified as At Risk for Reading Difficulty

This study examined the predictive validity of formative assessments embedded in a Tier 2 intervention curriculum for kindergarten students identified as at risk for reading difficulty. We examined when (i.e., months during the school year) measures could predict reading outcomes gathered at the end of kindergarten and whether the predictive validity of measures changed across the kindergarten year. Participants consisted of 137 kindergarten students whose reading development was assessed four times from October to February. Measures aligned with content taught in the curriculum and assessed a range of phonologic, alphabetic, and word-reading skills. Results from structural equation modeling indicate that 36.3% to 65.2% of the variance was explained on the latent decoding outcome and 62.0% to 86.8% on the latent phonological outcome across the four time points. Furthermore, the predictive validity of specific skills increased over the kindergarten year, with more complicated tasks (e.g., word segmentation) becoming more predictive at subsequent measurement occasions. Results suggest that curriculum-embedded measures may be viable tools for assessing and predicting reading performance.
Not a Routine Case of Recurrent Cellulitis: Well’s Syndrome

When a 28-year-old man with suspected recurrent right forearm cellulitis did not respond to anti-microbial therapy, a dermatological consultation with cutaneous biopsy was obtained. Histopathology along with correlation of his clinical course confirmed a diagnosis of Well’s syndrome (eosinophilic cellulitis) and he was successfully treated with oral anti-histamines and topical corticosteroids. This case emphasizes the importance of consideration for non-infectious etiologies of recurrent cellulitic lesions that do not respond to typical anti-microbial therapy. J Med Cases. 2016;7(11):506-507 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jmc2680w
A 3D model-based simulation of demyelination to understand its effects on diffusion tensor imaging

Demyelination is the progressive damage to the myelin sheath, a protective covering that surrounds a nerve's axon. Due to its high sensitivity to microscopic tissue changes, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a powerful means of detecting signs of demyelination and axonal injury. In this paper, we present a 3D virtual model capable of simulating the complex Brownian motion of water molecules in a bundle of myelinated axons and glial cells for the purpose of synthesizing DTI data, characterizing and verifying the impact of demyelination on DTI. Our model consists of a highly detailed and realistic 3D representation of biological fiber bundles, with a myelin sheath covering the axons and glial cells in between them. The system simulates the Brownian motion of molecules to extract diffusion data. We perform our experiment for progressive stages of demyelination and demonstrate its effect on DTI measurements.
Frequency, Morbidity, and Mortality of Bone Metastases in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background: Bone metastases are common in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but their incidence, morbidity, and mortality are not well defined. Methods: The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center database was queried for all patients with HCC and metastases seen from 2002 to 2014. The prevalence of bone metastasis was determined and cumulative incidence function was used to estimate the probability of developing a bone metastasis. Regression models were created to identify risk factors for osseous metastasis. The frequency of skeletal-related events (SREs), defined as pathologic fracture, spinal cord compression, need for radiation therapy to bone, and/or surgical resection of bone, was determined and cumulative incidence function was used to estimate the probability of SRE development. Regression models were created to identify SRE risk factors. Correlation of clinicopathologic parameters, including bone metastases and SREs, with overall survival was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier methodology. Results: A total of 459 patients with HCC and extrahepatic metastases were identified; 151 patients (32.9%) had or developed bone metastases: 128 (27.9%) as a primary site and 23 (4.6%) as a secondary site of extrahepatic disease. Among the 331 patients without bone metastasis at presentation, the yearly incidence of bone metastasis was 6.4% (95% CI, 3.6%-9.2%). Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection increased the chance of developing a bone metastasis (P=.02). The cumulative incidence of SREs was 50% at 6 months. Univariate analysis showed that patients with HBV-related HCC had a significantly higher incidence of SREs (P=.02). Sorafenib and bisphosphonates each protected against SREs. The presence of SREs was independently associated with a worse overall survival (hazard ratio, 2.13; 95% CI, 1.52-2.97; P<.01) in the multivariable model. Conclusions: Patients with AJCC stage IV HCC and bone metastases that are clinically evident on routine radiography or on clinical examination at presentation are apt to develop frequent, morbid, and mortal SREs, whereas those without evident bone metastasis at presentation are unlikely to develop these complications.
The Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone GRP78 Also Functions as a Cell Surface Signaling Receptor

Abstract The Glucose Regulated Protein 78,000 (GRP78) is a member of the heat shock protein family in the endoplasmic reticulum to regulate protein quality control and degradation. We and others demonstrated that GRP78 is preferentially translocated onto the cell surface (CS-GRP78) and plays a novel role in cellular signaling, proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, inflammation, and immunity which have major implications in cancer progression. CS-GRP78 acts as a multifunctional receptor by interacting with various ligands and other cell surface proteins to control key oncogenic signaling pathways. Activated α2-macroglobulin (α2M*) signals predominately through CS-GRP78 to regulate transcriptional activation of target genes, and, modulates metabolic regulation which might be an adaptive mechanism in rapidly proliferating cancer cells. Therapeutic agents against CS-GRP78 have the potential to target tumor cells with minimal harmful effects on normal cells. This review will focus on our understanding of CS-GRP78 and their influence on fundamental biological processes as well as its targeting agents which hold great therapeutic promise.
Lectin binding patterns in developing rat colon.

To evaluate qualitative changes in brush-border and goblet cell glycoconjugates during colonic development, rhodamine-conjugated lectins were applied to tissue from fetal (18–22 day), suckling (1–20 day), and weanling (22–26 day) rats. Tissue from the proximal and distal colon of each animal was incubated with Triticum vulgaris, Arachis hypogaea, Glycine max, or Ulex europeus agglutinin 1. Formalin- fixed paraffin sections and unfixed frozen sections were coded, read blindly, and graded from negative (-) or weak (+) to intensely positive (4+). The results showed a unique developmental pattern for each lectin, although in all cases the adult binding pattern was established by weaning. Alterations in the binding pattern between paraffin and frozen sections were noted only for Arachis hypogaea and Glycine max. Minimal Glycine max binding was seen at any age in paraffin sections, although in frozen sections a weak but consistent supranuclear binding was seen in goblet cells of postnatal animals. In contrast, both the brushborder and goblet cells were intensely fluorescent after exposure to Triticum vulgaris. This fluorescence was present in both regions at all ages studied. Ulex europeus agglutinin I also labeled goblet cells in the fetal and neonatal colon, but late in the suckling period regional differences appeared. This resulted in a significant loss of labeled goblet cells distqlly and a restriction of Ulex europeus agglutinin I-positive cells to the base of the crypts proximally. Finally, Arachis hypogaea showed a transient brush-border binding in paraffin sections of the proximal colon before weaning, whereas frozen sections revealed a supranuclear localization in goblet cells in both regions after birth. These studies indicate significant changes in membrane-associated and goblet cell secretory glycoconjugates in the developing rat colon.
Ion Channels as Targets for Disease

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses ion channels as targets for disease. The chapter emphasizes on pertinent examples of disease for each of the general families of channels. The chapter is organized by channel type (that is, Cl-, Na+ Ca2+ K+ and neurotransmitter gated) rather than by disease. Some disease entities (for example, trinucleotide repeats in myotonia) may be caused by mutations that affect transcription or translation. Such diseases are discussed under each of the channel type headings. Neurotransmitter-gated channels discuss nicotinic acetylcholine receptor “Myasthenia Gravis,” and glycine receptor “hyperekplexia.” It is mentioned that identification of genes involved in ion channel diseases involves two principal search strategies—functional or expression cloning and positional cloning. Ion channels are often targets of disease, either directly through a mutation in the gene coding for some critical part of the channel protein structure, or indirectly through autoimmune disease or by defective coding of a critical ion channel regulator. When ion channel function is abnormal, malfunction of excitable cells occurs in the myotonias, periodic paralyses and episodic ataxias, or problems with ion transport occur in cystic fibrosis and malignant hyperthermia. No region of the channel protein appears to be immune to the effects of mutation. Effects are seen on gating, selectivity, and unit conductance. Often a change in a single amino acid accounts for the altered function of a channel or of its regulator. Ion channel diseases are often called channelopathies. Modern electrophysiological methods, including the patch-clamp method, have made the monitoring of channel function very direct and convenient. Combining the new electrophysiology with the new molecular biology has been successful in offering us a staggering amount of information on normal and diseased channels in a remarkably short period of time. Common methods are evolving for the study of familial diseases. The chapter discusses the two basic strategies that are used are positional cloning and the candidate gene strategy.
Increased calpain expression is associated with apoptosis in rat spinal cord injury: calpain inhibitor provides neuroprotection.

Calpain content was investigated in the lesion of rat spinal cord at 1, 4, 24, and 72 h following injury induced by the weight-drop (40 g-cm force) technique. Calpain content was increased in the lesion, and was highest at 24 h following injury. μCalpain mRNA level in the lesion was increased by 58.4% (p = 0.0135) at 24 h following trauma, compared to sham. Alterations in mRNA expression in the lesion increased bax/bcl-2 ratio by 20.8% (p = 0.0395) at this time point, indicating a commitment to apoptosis. Therapeutic effect of the calpain inhibitor E-64-d (1 mg/kg) was studied in SCI rats follwing administration for 24 h. Internucleosomal DNA fragmentation (apoptosis) was observed in SCI rats, but not in sham or E-64-d treated rats. These results indicate a new information that E-64-d has the therapeutic potential for inhibiting apoptosis in SCI.
Assessment and effect of a gap between new-onset epilepsy diagnosis and treatment in the US.

Objective To estimate the treatment gap between a new epilepsy diagnosis and antiepileptic drug (AED) initiation in the United States. Methods Retrospective claims-based cohort study using Truven Health MarketScan databases (commercial and supplemental Medicare, calendar years 2010–2015; Medicaid, 2010–2014) and a validation study using PharMetrics Plus Database linked to LRx claims database (2009–2014). Persons met epilepsy diagnostic criteria, had an index date (first epilepsy diagnosis) with a preceding 2-year baseline (1 year for persons aged 1 to Results In the primary study, 59,970 persons met selection (or inclusion) criteria; 36.7% of persons with newly diagnosed epilepsy remained untreated up to 3 years after diagnosis. In the validation study (N = 30,890), 31.8% of persons remained untreated up to 3 years after diagnosis. Lack of AED treatment was associated with an adjusted incidence rate ratio (95% confidence interval) of 1.2 (1.2–1.3) for medical events, 2.3 (2.2–2.3) for hospitalizations, and 2.8 (2.7–2.9) for emergency department visits. Conclusions One-third of newly diagnosed persons remain untreated up to 3 years after epilepsy diagnosis. The increased risk of medical events and health care utilization highlights the consequences of delayed treatment after epilepsy diagnosis, which might be preventable.
Evolution in practice patterns of axillary management following mastectomy in patients with 1–2 positive sentinel nodes

The optimal management of breast cancer patients with a positive sentinel lymph node (SLN) who undergo mastectomy remains controversial. This study aimed to describe treatment patterns of patients with positive SLNs who undergo mastectomy using a large population-based database. The NCDB was queried for cT1–2N0 breast cancer patients treated with mastectomy between 2006 and 2014 who had 1-2 positive SLNs. Patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy were excluded. Axillary management included SLN dissection (SLND) alone, axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), post-mastectomy radiation (PMRT) alone, and ALND + PMRT. Trends of axillary management and patient characteristics were examined. Among 12,190 patients who met study criteria, the use of ALND dropped with a corresponding increase in other approaches. In 2006, 34% of patients had SLND alone, 47% ALND, 8% PMRT and 11% ALND + PMRT. By 2014, 37% had SLND, 23% ALND, 27% PMRT and 13% ALND + PMRT. Patients who underwent SLND alone were older (mean 60.6 years) with more comorbidities (Charlson–Deyo score > 2), smaller primary tumors (mean 2.1 cm), well-differentiated histology, hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative tumors, without lymphovascular invasion (all P values < 0.01). Treatment with SLND alone was more likely if patients had only one positive SLN (P < 0.001) or micrometastatic disease (P < 0.001), and were treated at community centers compared with academic centers (P < 0.001). The management of breast cancer patients undergoing mastectomy with positive SLNs has evolved over time with decreased use of ALND and increased use of radiation. Some patient subsets are underrepresented in recent clinical trials, and therefore, future trials should focus on these patients.
Intersectionality in Action: Gun Ownership and Women's Political Participation

Objective We hypothesize that gun ownership among women is an important determinant of political engagement. Methods First, using 2013 Pew Research Center data, we examine different types of political participation concerning gun policy. Next, we examine data from a survey experiment embedded in a unique June 2017 national survey of nearly 900 gun owners. Finally, we analyze 2016 American National Election Studies data of behavioral and cognitive forms of political participation. Results Gun‐owning women exhibit levels of political participation about gun policy and a greater willingness to engage in political discussions about gun control than nonowning women. We also find greater levels of political engagement among gun‐owning women on measures of participation not related to gun policy. Conclusion We discuss the implications of our findings for research on political participation as well as for gun policy.
Validity of Mobility Lab (version 2) for gait assessment in young adults, older adults and Parkinson's disease

Objective: Gait provides a sensitive measurement for signs of aging and neurodegenerative conditions. Measurement of gait is transitioning from the laboratory environment to the clinic with the use of inertial measurement units, providing a simple and cost-effective assessment tool. However, such assessments first need validation against reference systems. The aim of this study was to validate the APDM Mobility Lab (ML) system (version 2) against a pressure sensor walkway in younger adults (n = 18), older adults (n = 18) and people with mild Parkinson's disease (n = 21) in the laboratory. Approach: Participants completed a two-minute walk over a pressure sensor walkway whilst wearing three sensors (strapped to the lumbar spine and both feet). Comparison of output from the systems was then performed. Main results: Overall, we identified that ML provided good to excellent agreement (ICC > 0.75) for gait velocity, stride length, stride length SD, cadence, stride time and stride time SD. Measures of double support time, single support time and swing time had moderate to poor agreement (ICC 0.213–0.725), particularly for younger adults and PD. Significance: Overall, Mobility Lab provides a valid system for gait data collection for clinical and research application.
Survival of elderly Medicare patients after standard chemotherapy for advanced lung and gastrointestinal cancers in the real world.

1605 Background: Elderly cancer patients are under-represented on clinical trials that determine standards of treatment, thus survival of such patients following standard treatment in the real worl...
Electronic Fetal Monitoring Credentialing Examination: The First 4000.

Objective Recognized variability in fetal heart rate interpretation led the Perinatal Quality Foundation (PQF) to develop a credentialing exam. We report an evaluation of the 1st 4000 plus PQF Fetal Monitoring Credentialing (FMC) exams. Study Design The PQF FMC exam is an online assessment for obstetric providers and nurses. The exam contains two question types: traditional multiple-choice evaluating knowledge and Script Concordance Theory (SCT) evaluating judgment. Reliability was measured through McDonald's Total Omega and Cronbach's Alpha. Pearson's correlations between knowledge and judgment were measured. Results From February 2014 through September 2018, 4,330 different individuals took the exam. A total of 4,057 records were suitable for reliability analysis: 2,105 (52%) physicians, 1,756 (43%) nurses, and 196 (5%) certified nurse midwives (CNMs). As a measure of test reliability, total Omega was 0.80 for obstetric providers and 0.77 for nurses. There was only moderate correlation between the knowledge scores and judgment scores for obstetric providers (0.38) and for nurses (0.43). Conclusion The PQF FMC exam is a reliable, valid assessment of both Electronic Fetal Monitoring (EFM) knowledge and judgment. It evaluates essential EFM skills for the establishment of practical credentialing. It also reports modest correlation between knowledge and judgment scores, suggesting that knowledge alone does not assure clinical competency.
Organic dissolved copper speciation across the U.S. GEOTRACES equatorial Pacific zonal transect GP16

Abstract Samples for organic copper (Cu)-binding ligand characterization were collected along the 2013 U.S. GEOTRACES Pacific (GP16) cruise transect from Peru to Tahiti. Full depth profiles of Cu speciation were collected across a dynamic range in oceanographic conditions including a highly productive coastal region, an oxygen deficient zone, a high nutrient low chlorophyll (HNLC) region, an oligotrophic region and a hydrothermal vent plume. Surface waters from Peru to Tahiti exhibited elevated dissolved Cu and ligand concentrations near Peru and then decreased in concentration (
Prospective Teachers' Attention to Realism and Consistency with Negative Integers, Addition, and Temperature.

Writing and evaluating contextual problems is an important task in the work of teaching, and thus is part of the knowledge that prospective teachers must develop. In dealing with word problems pose...
Assuring Adequate Treatment for Persons Diagnosed With Gonorrhea in New York State.

Background From November 2014 to May 2016, 57 local health departments in New York State (NYS) excluding New York City were offered a performance incentive (PI) to promote adherence to federally recommended treatment guidelines for gonorrhea. The rationale of the PI was to delay antibiotic resistance and disrupt transmission through attaining a high percentage of treatment adherence. Methods Surveillance data from the NYS Communicable Disease Electronic Surveillance System were used for analysis. We evaluated adherence per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sexually transmitted diseases treatment guidelines for persons 12 years and older reported with uncomplicated gonorrhea during 4 time frames: Pre-PI, PI One, PI Two, and Post-PI. We measured adherence per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sexually transmitted disease treatment guidelines during each respective time frame and conducted χ tests to test for the association between treatment adequacy and time frame. Results During the Pre-PI, treatment was adequate in 82.0% of persons diagnosed with gonorrhea. After program implementation, treatment adequacy increased significantly (92.1% of diagnosed persons during PI One, 90.4% during PI Two, and 90.5% during the Post-PI; P ≤ 0.0001). The most common reason for inadequate or missing treatment was patient lost to follow-up. Conclusions Public health intervention by the NYS Department of Health improved local health department adherence to federally recommended gonorrhea treatment guidelines, and improvements were maintained after the completion of the PI.
Understanding Smart City Projects and Priorities across Large, Medium and Small Cities in the United States

Building smart city systems has become a popular strategy for urban planners and developers. Applying the perspectives of social informatics to a dataset comprising 12 cities in the USA, this paper explores the adoption of smart city initiatives in small, medium and large cities. Complementing previous studies, the analysis builds on a comprehensive conceptualization of the smart city concept that includes the dimensions of government, physical environment and society. Our findings suggest that all cities in the sample experience significant pressures from population growth, and that smaller cities have less complex approaches to smart city adoption. In addition, medium cities appear to emphasize more on the social dimension of smart cities.