cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Screen Media and Parent–Child Interactions

Screen media can indirectly shape children’s developmental outcomes by affecting the nature of everyday parent–child interactions. We highlight research conducted at the University of Massachusetts Amherst that has focused on how coviewing television influences both parent and child behaviors. This influence is largely in the direction of reducing parent–child interactions and parent language directed at young children compared to no media use. The impact, however, differs depending on whether TV program content is adult- or child-directed. Additionally, parent–child interactions differ when coviewing television relative to shared reading. In general, parent–child interactions are substantially different depending on context and media content. These findings readily extend to recent research on the impact of mobile screen technology on family interactions. Our working conclusion is that, in addition to media’s direct effects on children through both its form and content, there are likely important indirect effects of media on parent–child interactions as well.
Abstract 31: Regulation of Acetylation Restores Proteolytic Function in Diseased Myocardium

RATIONALE: Proteasome complexes play essential roles in maintaining cardiac protein homeostasis in normal and stressed conditions. However, proteasomal function is often compromised in diseased myocardium; and the regulation of proteasomal dynamics remains poorly understood. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied cardiac proteolytic function and its regulation by acetylation in murine and human models of heart disease. Proteasomes, from both normal and diseased myocardium, were treated with histone de-acetylases (HDACs) inhibitors and they exhibited enhanced proteolytic capacity in vitro and in vivo. This unique regulatory paradigm was first examined in a murine model of ischemic injury (n=5); where diminished proteolytic function in the ischemic hearts was restored by HDACs inhibition (either by SAHA or by Sodium Valproate) in a dose-dependent fashion. Importantly, this phenomenon was validated in human samples, where inhibition of HDACs augmented proteolytic functions in the diseased myocardium (n=5). Using high resolution LC-MS/MS coupled with a combined collision-induced dissociation and electron-transfer dissociation approach, the acetylome (N-terminal and lysine) of cardiac 20S proteasomes was delineated. Targeted enrichment strategy of the posttranslationally modified peptides enabled the capture of eight lysine and nine N-terminal acetylation sites in the murine heart, contributing to the first comprehensive acetylome map for the cardiac 20S proteasomes. Among them, at least six lysine acetylation sites were inducible by HDACs inhibitors. Furthermore, parallel investigations using cardiac 20S proteasomes pinpointed the functional impact of HDAC inhibitions to specific acetylation sites on the 20S proteasomal subunits. CONCLUSIONS: Proteasomal biology is modulated by acetylation modifications in the heart. This regulatory mechanism is punctual and potent; and it was observed both in an acutely pathological murine model of ischemia-reperfusion injury as well as in a chronic human disease of end-stage heart failure. These findings demonstrate the utility of pharmacological interventions (e.g., HDAC inhibition) to restore damaged proteolytic function in diseased myocardium.
Long-term Recovery From Hurricane Sandy: Evidence From a Survey in New York City.

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to examine a range of factors influencing the long-term recovery of New York City residents affected by Hurricane Sandy. METHODS In a series of logistic regressions, we analyzed data from a survey of New York City residents to assess self-reported recovery status from Hurricane Sandy. RESULTS General health, displacement from home, and household income had substantial influences on recovery. Individuals with excellent or fair health were more likely to have recovered than were individuals with poor health. Those with high and middle income were more likely to have recovered than were those with low income. Also, individuals who had not experienced a decrease in household income following Hurricane Sandy had higher odds of recovery than the odds for those with decreased income. Additionally, displacement from the home decreased the odds of recovery. Individuals who applied for assistance from the Build it Back program and the Federal Emergency Management Agency had lower odds of recovering than did those who did not apply. CONCLUSIONS The study outlines the critical importance of health and socioeconomic factors in long-term disaster recovery and highlights the need for increased consideration of those factors in post-disaster interventions and recovery monitoring. More research is needed to assess the effectiveness of state and federal assistance programs, particularly among disadvantaged populations. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:172-175).
Vaccine Therapy in Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is an aggressive malignancy associated with poor overall survival. There is a dire need for novel targeted agents to add to the armamentarium of therapeutics for this disease. Vaccines represent an important method to train the body’s own immune system to attack pancreatic cancer cells. Despite a number of unique targets on pancreatic cancer cells, vaccines have been largely ineffective at prolonging survival in pancreatic cancer patients due to poor immunogenicity and failure to translate an immune response into a clinical response. Numerous attempts have been made to augment vaccine administration using different vaccine constructs, adjuvants, growth factors, and chemotherapy combinations, but durable clinical benefit remains elusive. New vaccine combinations with checkpoint inhibitors offer hope of unleashing the full potential of vaccine therapy. We highlight the scientific rationale and clinical experience and discuss ongoing trials using pancreatic cancer vaccines.
Gino Moretti at GASL, Brooklyn Poly, and the Later Years

In June 2000 a meeting of the “Friends of Ferri” was convened in Melville, NY to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the death of the esteemed aerodynamicist Antonio Ferri.
Editor's corner: the Euclidean algorithm strikes again

(1990). Editor's Corner: The Euclidean Algorithm Strikes Again. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 97, No. 2, pp. 125-129.
Severe arthritic syndrome due to ibrutinib use for chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Although newer targeted agents improve survival in cancer patients, they have also been linked with unusual side effects. The most common side effects of Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors include fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, bruising, and cytopenias. We describe herein a case of an unusually severe articular syndrome with the use of ibrutinib in a patient with 17 p minus chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The severity of this side effect led to permanent discontinuation of this agent. As the causality ibrutinib-arthralgia seems legitimate, we expect further similar cases to surface in patients treated with Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
Challenge of the Ineffable: Concerning Mechner’s “a Behavioral and Biological Analysis of Aesthetics”

Meticulously organized and comprehensive as it is, Mechner’s account doesn’t quite capture the quicksilverish nature of aesthetic events and reactions. He is not alone in this, for the grammatical constraints of language are often mismatched with behavioral/psychological phenomena. A possible solution here would be to invoke adverbial forms when aesthetic reactions do not reach the threshold of overt expression: thus, one might listen serenely, watch excitedly, run fluently. Consistent with other traditions, Mechner invokes “expectation” in addressing the aesthetic interplay between pattern and variation. However, expectation suggests a role of awareness that in many cases is inapplicable. Thus, the term, “complex invariance,” may provide a better way to address this issue. Like Mechner’s article, complex invariance applies in a broad range of domains, including behavioral arrangements and the products of workmanship as well as explicitly artistic endeavors.
How Does Organizational Form Matter? Distance, Communication and Soft Information

This paper empirically examines how both soft and hard information are transmitted and used within an organization. For this purpose I explore the hierarchical decision-making approval process of corporate loans in a foreign bank in Argentina. Results suggests that loans that go to higher levels in the organization for approval embed more hard relative to soft information in explaining credit availability. These results are robust to alternative measures of vertical dimension such as the level of approval, total number of signatures and total time to approve the loan. I also analyze whether geographical location of the ultimate person approving the loan impacts the results. I find that loans that are approved inside the branch rely significantly more on soft information compared to those loans that are approved elsewhere. Direct communication with the ultimate layer approving the loan implies that soft is relatively more used than hard information. Transmission of soft information is easier if direct personal communication is feasible. I use several credit complexity measures to analyze alternative channels that could explain the previous results and find that results are robust to the inclusion of such measures. Finally, I question the definition of both hard and soft information measures. Results show that soft information can be transmitted and used along the hierarchical levels and that further qualifying hard information matters. Namely, I find higher reliance on soft information even at higher hierarchical levels when hard information is not reliable. These last results raise questions regarding the validity of the main assumptions for non-transmission of soft information used by current theoretical models of organizational structure.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Webliography

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic autoimmune disorder that disturbs the digestive tract with fluctuating periods of active disease and remission. Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis ...
Population genetics, speciation, and hybridization in Dicerandra (Lamiaceae), a North American Coastal Plain endemic, and implications for conservation

Understanding patterns of speciation and subsequent gene flow can clarify the evolutionary origins and history of species endemic to a specific geographic region and reveal genetic patterns important for conservation and management of rare species. We chose Dicerandra from the North American Coastal Plain biodiversity hotspot as a model to explore these concepts because of its endemism and the threatened status of most of its species. Using microsatellite-based population-level analyses of 32 populations from four of the annual species (D. linearifolia var. linearifolia, D. linearifolia var. robustior, D. fumella, D. odoratissima, and D. radfordiana), we addressed questions of genetic diversity, population structure, and hybridization. Strong support was found for the species-level recognition of the recently described D. fumella from the Florida panhandle. Dicerandra linearifolia var. linearifolia showed some regional cohesion of populations, but there was no consistent geographic pattern to the clustering of populations. Dicerandra radfordiana showed consistent clustering with proximate populations of D. odoratissima. Given that D. radfordiana is found at the southeastern extreme of the range of D. odoratissima, these populations may represent the early stages of speciation by isolation. While there are morphological and bioclimatic niche distinctions between D. odoratissima and D. radfordiana, there is no molecular support for a distinct D. radfordiana. Overall, there is modest genetic diversity found at the population level for all Dicerandra annuals. Microsatellite data support previously proposed hypotheses of hybridization between D. linearifolia var. linearifolia and D. odoratissima, but do not support such hypotheses for D. fumella and D. linearifolia var. robustior.
Urban Green Space at the Nexus of Environmental Justice and Health Equity

Social equity is a key component of sustainable development. The environmental justice movement recognizes the challenges faced by low-income and racially/ethnically diverse communities. As an amenity that can potentially support the quality of the environmental, social, and health of cities, urban green spaces have also been at the forefront of modern discussions on environmental justice. Specifically, inequitable access to urban green spaces often overlaps race/ethnicity and various measures for socioeconomic status in ways that prompt environmental injustice concerns. Such inequities can contribute to reduced access to ecosystem services from green spaces for marginalized groups and to increased health disparities. In this chapter, we provide a historical context to this environmental justice challenge and highlight key findings from the academic literature and recommendations for future work in this area.
Temperature-Sensitive Mutant

A temperature-sensitive mutant is one whose phenotype depends on the ambient temperature. Most commonly, the mutant is viable at low temperatures but unable to grow (reproduce) at higher temperatures.
Publish-pay-subscribe protocol for payment-driven edge computing

IoT applications are starting to rely heavily on edge computing due to the advent of low-power and high data-rate wireless communication technologies such as 5G and the processing capability of GPU-driven edge platforms. However, the computation and the data communication model for the edge computing applications are quite diverse, which limits their interoperability. An interoperable edge computing architecture with a versatile communication model would lead to the development of innovative and incentive-driven edge computing applications by combining various data sources from a wide array of devices. In this paper, we present an edge computing architecture by extending the publish-subscribe protocol with support for incentives. Our novel publish-pay-subscribe protocol enables the data producers (publishers) to sell their data with data consumers and service providers (subscribers). The proposed architecture not only allows the device owners to gain incentive but also enable the service providers to sell the processed data with one or more data consumers. Our proof-of-concept implementation using AEDES publish-subscribe broker and Ethereum cryptocurrency shows the feasibility of publish-pay-subscribe broker and its support for data-driven and incentive-based edge computing applications.
A convenient synthesis of the muscarinic cholinergic antagonist (R)‐[N‐methyl‐3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate methiodide

A useful synthesis of (R)-[N-methyl-3 H]quinuclidinyl benzilate methiodide is described with the product characterized by thin-layer chromatography (TLC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), tritium nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and mass spectrometry (MS). Several methods are provided to purify the radioligand, and its storage and stability are also discussed.
A Novel Filter for Tracking Real-World Cognitive Stress using Multi-Time-Scale Point Process Observations

Determining the relationship between neurocognitive stress and changes in physiological signals is an important aspect of wearable monitoring. We present a state-space approach for tracking stress from skin conductance and electrocardiography measurements. Individual skin conductance responses (SCRs) are a primary source of information in a skin conductance signal and their rate of occurrence is related to psychological arousal. Likewise, heart rate too varies with emotion. We model SCRs and heartbeats as two different stress-related point processes linked to the same sympathetic nervous system activation. We derive Kalman-like filter equations for tracking stress and use both expectation-maximization and maximum likelihood estimation for parameter recovery. Our preliminary results show that stress is high when a task is unfamiliar, but reduces gradually with familiarity, albeit in the presence of other external stressors. The method demonstrates the feasibility of tracking real-world stress using skin conductance and heart rate measurements. It also serves as a novel state estimation framework for multiple point process observations on different time scales.
Novel Nanoenergetic Materials: Emerging trends and applications

Nanoenergetic Materials have a broad area of development that is rapidly growing and has emerging applications in many areas, including high-power linear actuators, solid fuels micropropulsion systems, and biocidal agent defeat formulations. These nanomaterials are produced at the heterogeneous form, and typically, their reactions are highly exothermic. The use of nanostructured particles instead of microparticles increases the intimate contact between the fuel and oxidizer, which decreases mass transport limitations and increases the reaction rate and reactivity of the energetic formulations. Thermodynamic calculations of the nanoenergetic reactions revealed maximum adiabatic temperature up to 3,827 K. This article describes the development and principles of novel nanoenergetic systems comprising high pressure-volume (PV) values and energy densities.
Obesity and Incident Prescription Opioid Use in the U.S., 2000-2015.

Introduction Prior studies have identified associations between obesity and numerous conditions that increase risks for chronic pain. However, the impact of obesity on prescription opioid use is not well known. This study investigates the association between obesity and incidence of long-term prescription opioid use. Methods Fifteen panels of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey from 2000 to 2015 were pooled to generate a sample of civilian non-institutionalized adults aged 30–84 years who were prescription opioid–naive for approximately 9 months. Incident long-term prescription opioid use was defined as reporting use at 2 of 3 interviews during a 15-month follow-up. BMI was reported at baseline. Analyses were completed in 2019. Results Among opioid–naive adults (n=89,629), obesity was strongly associated with incident long-term prescription opioid use. The association increased at progressively higher BMI values, with 24% elevated odds (95% CI=7%, 44%) in adults with overweight (25–29.9 kg/m2) and 158% increased odds (95% CI=106%, 224%) among adults with Class III obesity (40–49.9 kg/m2). These associations grew with higher-dosage opioids. Of the reasons for opioid use, joint pain, back pain, injury, and muscle/nerve pain contributed the most to the excess use observed among adults with obesity. At the population level, 27.0% of incident long-term prescription opioid use (95% CI=19.0%, 34.8%) was attributable to adults having a BMI above normal weight (25–49.9 kg/m2). Conclusions These findings suggest that obesity has contributed to prescription opioid use in the U.S. Future investments in chronic pain reduction may benefit from increased integration with obesity prevention and treatment.
Status of Huanglongbing (HLB) outbreaks in Florida, California and Texas

Nowhere in the U.S. is Huanglongbing (HLB) under adequate control due to the lack of effective tools to reduce spread of the vector, Diaphorina citri (Asian citrus psyllid), and transmission of the associated pathogen, Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, in the absence of disease resistance in commercial citrus varieties. In Florida, Asian citrus psyllid was well established by the time of HLB discovery and growers did not remove trees to eliminate inoculum, so there was no chance of controlling the epidemic. Based on the Florida experience, Texas proactively controlled the vector by implementing area-wide management and disease spread was slower than in Florida, however, they also did not remove infected trees. California controlled both ACP and tree inoculum and have delayed the development of an epidemic in the Central Valley. This situation is aided by topographic isolation from the Los Angeles basin where ACP and HLB are endemic and a climate distinctly different from other citrus growing regions in the U.S.
Calibrate, emulate, sample

Abstract Many parameter estimation problems arising in applications can be cast in the framework of Bayesian inversion. This allows not only for an estimate of the parameters, but also for the quantification of uncertainties in the estimates. Often in such problems the parameter-to-data map is very expensive to evaluate, and computing derivatives of the map, or derivative-adjoints, may not be feasible. Additionally, in many applications only noisy evaluations of the map may be available. We propose an approach to Bayesian inversion in such settings that builds on the derivative-free optimization capabilities of ensemble Kalman inversion methods. The overarching approach is to first use ensemble Kalman sampling (EKS) to calibrate the unknown parameters to fit the data; second, to use the output of the EKS to emulate the parameter-to-data map; third, to sample from an approximate Bayesian posterior distribution in which the parameter-to-data map is replaced by its emulator. This results in a principled approach to approximate Bayesian inference that requires only a small number of evaluations of the (possibly noisy approximation of the) parameter-to-data map. It does not require derivatives of this map, but instead leverages the documented power of ensemble Kalman methods. Furthermore, the EKS has the desirable property that it evolves the parameter ensemble towards the regions in which the bulk of the parameter posterior mass is located, thereby locating them well for the emulation phase of the methodology. In essence, the EKS methodology provides a cheap solution to the design problem of where to place points in parameter space to efficiently train an emulator of the parameter-to-data map for the purposes of Bayesian inversion.
Surgical removal of a spinal intrathecal projectile led to a significant improvement of cauda equina syndrome.

Background Penetrating gunshot wounds of the spine are common and can cause severe neurological deficits. However, there are no guidelines as to their optimal treatment. Here, we present a penetrating injury to the lower thoracic spine at the T12 level that lodged within the canal at L1, resulting in a cauda equina syndrome. Notably, the patient's deficit resolved following bullet removal. Case description A 29-year-old male sustained a gunshot injury. The bullet entered the right lower chest, went through the liver, entered the spinal canal at T12, fractured the right T12/L1 facet, and settled within the canal at the L1 level. The patient presented with severe burning pain in the right leg, and perineum. On exam, he had right-sided moderate weakness of the iliopsoas and quadriceps femoris muscles, a right-sided foot drop, decreased sensation throughout the right leg, and urinary retention. Computed tomography myelography showed the bullet located intrathecally at the L1 level causing compression of the cauda equina. The patient underwent an L1 laminectomy with durotomy for bullet removal. Immediately postoperatively, the patient improved; motor power returned to normal, the sensory exam significantly improved; and he was left with only mild residual numbness and burning pain in the right leg. Conclusion With gunshot injuries, there is a direct correlation between the location/severity of the neurological injury and the potential for recovery. In patients with incomplete cauda equina syndromes, bullet extraction may prove beneficial to neurological outcomes.
Raman cryomicroscopic imaging and sample holder for spectroscopic subzero temperature measurements

Raman spectroscopy has been gaining in popularity for noninvasive analysis of single cells. Raman spectra and images deliver meaningful information regarding the biochemical, biophysical, and structural properties of cells in various states. Low-temperature Raman spectroscopy has been applied to verify the presence of ice inside a frozen cell and to illustrate the distribution of both penetrating and non-penetrating cryoprotectants. This chapter delineates Raman cryomicroscopic imaging of single cells as well as sample handling for spectroscopic measurements at subzero temperature. The experimental setup is depicted with a special emphasis on a custom-built temperature-controlled cooling stage. The use of Raman cryomicroscopic imaging is demonstrated using Jurkat cells cryopreserved in a sucrose solution. Moreover, strategies for determining intracellular ice formation (IIF) and analysis of sucrose partitioning across the cell membrane are presented.
Oncogenic fusion protein FGFR2-PPHLN1: Requirements for biological activation, and efficacy of inhibitors

Abstract Aim of study Chromosomal translocations such as t(10;12)(q26,q12) are associated with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, a universally fatal category of liver cancer. This translocation creates the oncogenic fusion protein of Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 2 joined to Periphilin 1. The aims of this study were to identify significant features required for biological activation, analyze the activation of downstream signaling pathways, and examine the efficacy of the TKIs BGJ398 and TAS-120, and of the MEK inhibitor Trametinib. Methods These studies examined FGFR2-PPHLN1 proteins containing a kinase-dead, kinase-activated, or WT kinase domain in comparison with analogous FGFR2 proteins. Biological activity was assayed using soft agar colony formation in epithelial RIE-1 cells and focus assays in NIH3T3 cells. The MAPK/ERK, JAK/STAT3 and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways were examined for activation. Membrane association was analyzed by indirect immunofluorescence comparing proteins altered by deletion of the signal peptide, or by addition of a myristylation signal. Results Biological activity of FGFR2-PPHLN1 required an active FGFR2-derived tyrosine kinase domain, and a dimerization domain contributed by PPHLN1. Strong activation of canonical MAPK/ERK, JAK/STAT3 and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways was observed. The efficacy of the tyrosine kinase inhibitors BGJ398 and TAS-120 was examined individually and combinatorially with the MEK inhibitor Trametinib; heterogeneous responses were observed in a mutation-specific manner. A requirement for membrane localization of the fusion protein was also demonstrated. Concluding statement Our study collectively demonstrates the potent transforming potential of FGFR2-PPHLN1 in driving cellular proliferation. We discuss the importance of sequencing-based, mutation-specific personalized therapeutics in treating FGFR2 fusion-positive intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.
Exploring correlates of improved depression symptoms and quality of life following tai chi exercise for patients with heart failure.

AIMS Tai chi exercise has been shown in a prior randomized controlled trial to improve depression symptoms and quality of life (QoL) in patients with heart failure (HF), but correlates of these improvements are not well known. The purpose of this secondary analysis was to explore whether tai chi is associated with improvements in biopsychosocial and behavioural measures and whether such improvements are correlated with improved depression and QoL. METHODS AND RESULTS Participants were n = 100 adults with chronic systolic HF (mean age = 67.4, SD = 12.0; 64% male; 96% White; New York Heart Association class = 1-3) randomized to a 12 week tai chi exercise intervention or health education control. Constructs of interest included social support, exercise self-efficacy, activity engagement, sense of coherence, and inflammatory biomarkers. Tai chi was associated with increased everyday activity engagement compared with the health education group (P < 0.05), but there were no group differences in social support or sense of coherence. Among tai chi participants, improved self-efficacy was correlated with QoL (r = 31, P = 0.05), and there was a trend toward improved depression symptoms and social support (r = -0.22, P = 0.13). Among all participants, controlling for intervention group, improved sense of coherence, and inflammation (C-reactive protein) were associated with improved depression symptoms, and improved self-efficacy, sense of coherence, and frequency of activity engagement were associated with improved QoL. CONCLUSIONS Tai chi exercise promotes inter-related psychosocial improvements for patients with HF. A range of biopsychosocial and behavioural variables are relevant to mood management in patients with HF.
Pustulonodular cytomegalovirus infection

Abstract The cutaneous manifestations of cytomegalovirus (CMV) vary and may be difficult to identify histopathologically. Cutaneous CMV lesions are relatively rare and may be overlooked as infection usually presents in visceral organs, particularly the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract. Cutaneous manifestations of CMV infection are heterogeneous, with ulceration in the genital area occurring most commonly. This case highlights an unusual pustular presentation of CMV infection to aid in the recognition and diagnosis of cutaneous lesions. We report a 52-yearold male, with a history of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, who presented with multiple, generalized, tender, erythematous, draining papules and nodules in the skin. Histopathology revealed a dense, pustular infiltrate with characteristic cytomegalic inclusions in the deep dermis. This highlights the importance of considering CMV infection in the differential diagnosis of pustulonodular skin lesions, particularly in immunocompromised patients.
SPATIAL DIFFERENCES IN FRESH VEGETABLE SPENDING: A CASE STUDY IN GUILFORD COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA

Abstract. This paper investigates the spatial differences in fresh vegetable spending in Guilford County, North Carolina. We create a geo-coded spatial-temporal database for both human factors and natural factors to understand why food deserts have become a serious issue in a county with many farming activities. We find that residents living in food deserts do not buy enough fresh vegetables compared with their counterparts, even when they are shopping at full-service grocery stores. Social-economic factors are most sensitive and are important determinants of fresh food demand. Using an agent-based toy model, we find that fresh vegetable demand in each census tract in Guilford County varies to a large extent. The results suggest that the formation of food deserts may root from the demand side.
Response to Comment on Burrows et al. Declining Rates of Hospitalization for Selected Cardiovascular Disease Conditions Among Adults Aged ≥35 Years With Diagnosed Diabetes, U.S., 1998–2014. Diabetes Care 2018;41:293–302

As noted by de Miguel-Yanes et al. (1), we reported a decline in hospitalization rates from 1998 to 2014 for several cardiovascular disease (CVD) conditions in the U.S. population with diabetes (2). Similar to their report on cardiovascular events in people with diabetes in Spain (3), we found that during the study period hospitalization rates for acute coronary …
Patient and provider characteristics associated with retention in HIV medical care and viral suppression among in care patients in Hawaii.

The percentages of retention in care and viral suppression among persons living with HIV (PLWH) in the United States from 2015 to 2018 were far below the 2020 national goals. This study aims to exa...
Predicting the behavior of reinforced concrete columns confined by fiber reinforced polymers using data mining techniques

Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) usage to wrap reinforced concrete (RC) structures has become a popular technology. Most studies about RC columns wrapped with FRP in literature ignored the internal steel reinforcement. This paper aims to develop a model for the axial compressive strength and axial strain for FRP confined concrete columns with internal steel reinforcement. The impact of FRP, Transverse, and longitudinal reinforcement is studied. Two non-destructive analysis methods are explored: Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) and Regression Analysis (RA). The database used in the analysis contains the experimental results of sixty-four concrete columns under the compressive concentric load available in the literature. The results show that both models can predict the column's compressive stress and strain reasonably with low error and high accuracy. FRP has the highest effect on the confined compressive stress and strain compared to other materials. While the longitudinal steel actively contributes to the compressive strength, and the transverse steel actively contributes to the compressive strain.
Cytoreduction status and platinum sensitivity in women with recurrent ovarian cancer

Objectives: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and interval cytoreduction (IDS) is an increasingly used treatment modality for women with advanced ovarian cancer not amenable to primary cytoreduction. Clinical trials have demonstrated decreased perioperative morbidity and mortality with similar overall survival (OS) with NACT-IDS. However, controversy regarding initial management is ongoing. This study aims to determine the association between cytoreduction status and time to second recurrence (TTSR) in women with ovarian cancer treated with NACT-IDS; and explore associations between platinum sensitivity, BRCA1/2 status, homologous recombination deficiency (HRD), and TTSR. Methods: Women diagnosed with advanced ovarian, tubal, and peritoneal cancer who received NACT-IDS from 2000-2020 were included. Patients were enrolled in a prospective NACT database from 9/2013. Demographics and cancer-specific data, including germline/somatic BRCA1/2 status; HRD status defined based on genomic instability scoring; platinum sensitivity (sensitive [PS]/resistant [PR]) at first and second recurrences; TTSR, and survival were abstracted from medical records. Residual disease after cytoreduction was classified as optimal ( 1 cm) as R0 was not consistently reported. Kaplan Meier (KM) curves and log-rank tests were used to estimate TTSR based on cytoreduction status and platinum sensitivity. Patients achieving complete remission were included in the PS cohort. Results: 187 women were included in the study, the majority had optimal cytoreductive surgery (81.8%). Overall, 39.6% (74/187) of patients did not have germline/somatic testing. Of those tested, 30.9% (35/113) had ≥1 positive test (18 germline BRCA, 8 somatic BRCA, 9 HRD). Women with optimal cytoreduction experienced a longer median TTSR or death compared to those who underwent suboptimal debulking (24.2 vs 15.6 months; p Download : Download high-res image (81KB) Download : Download full-size image Conclusions: Platinum sensitivity at first recurrence may have a greater association with survival than cytoreductive status for women receiving NACT for advanced ovarian cancer. Cytoreductive status is associated with TTSR. Genetic evaluation has evolved into critical knowledge in the care of these patients; further analysis is warranted to define the association between genetic mutational burden, TTSR, and OS to individualize adjuvant therapy.
THE IMPACT OF TELEMEDICINE AS A DISRUPTIVE INNOVATION ON ALLERGY/IMMUNOLOGY PRACTICE

Abstract Background: Urban minority preschool children are disproportionately affected by asthma with increased asthma morbidity and mortality. It is important to understand how families manage asthma in preschool children in order to improve asthma control. Objective: This study examines family asthma management and asthma outcomes among a low-income urban minority population of Head Start preschool children. Methods: The Family Asthma Management System Scale (FAMSS) assesses how families manage a child's asthma. 388 caregivers completed the FAMSS at baseline. Asthma outcomes were assessed at baseline and prospectively at 6 months, including asthma control (based on the Test for Respiratory and Asthma Control in Kids), courses of oral corticosteroids required, and caregiver health-related quality of life (Pediatric Asthma Caregiver's Quality of Life Questionnaire (PACQLQ)). Multiple regression models assessed the relationship between the FAMSS Total Score, FAMSS subscales, and asthma outcomes. Results: Higher FAMSS Total scores were associated with fewer courses of oral corticosteroids required (b=-0.23, p Conclusion: Among this population of low-income minority preschool children, understanding how a family manages their child's asthma may help identify gaps for education to possibly improve caregiver asthma-related quality of life and reduce courses of oral corticosteroids.
Cognitive outcomes in children who present with a first unprovoked seizure

Summary Purpose: To determine the long-term cognitive and educational outcomes in children prospectively identified at the time of a first unprovoked seizure. Methods: A cohort of children with a first unprovoked seizure was enrolled and followed for a mean of 15 years. Cognitive function and educational outcomes were determined 10 or more years after the first seizure via standardized neuropsychological tests, school records, and structured interviews. Children with symptomatic etiology were excluded from the analysis. When available, siblings of study subjects were recruited as normal controls. Primary educational outcome was defined as enrollment into special education services or grade repetition. Results: Twenty-eight percent of (43 of 153) of children with a single seizure and 40% (42 of 105) of children with epilepsy received special education service or repeated a grade (p = 0.05). There was a statistically significant trend in which the children with more seizures tended to require special education or repeat a grade more often (28% in single seizure group vs. 34% in 2–9 seizure group vs. 64% in ≥10 seizure group; p = 0.004). Of 163 subjects who completed neuropsychological testing, children with single seizures tended to score higher than children with epilepsy on Wide Range Achievement Test-3 (WRAT) reading (p = 0.08), Test of Non-Verbal Intelligence-II (TONI-II) (p = 0.02), and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC)/Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) (p = 0.07). There was no statistically significant difference between children with a single seizure and sibling controls. Conclusion: The results suggest that children with a single seizure represent a group that is distinctly different from children with epilepsy and are more similar to sibling controls. In contrast, even children with very mild epilepsy have significantly worse educational outcomes.
A method for identifying combinations of transistors that can be replaced with a single transistor when applying the Nielsen-Willson theorem

A general method is given for finding conditions guaranteeing that when a single transistor is replaced by a small subcircuit, the uniqueness of the circuit's operating point will be retained. Use of this method is illustrated on circuits containing compound transistors (Darlington pairs), current mirrors and cascodes. With this method it is possible to build a "library" of subcircuits that can be replaced by a single transistor for purposes of applying the Nielsen-Willson Theorem.
Thought is a material: Talking with mel bochner about space, art, and language

ion (and categorization) served as a precursor for the development of language in proximate cortical areas (see Postma & Laeng, 2006, for
Holocene landscape evolution and geoarcheology of low-order streams in the Rio Grande basin, San Juan Mountains, Colorado, USA

Abstract This geoarcheological study investigates soil stratigraphy and geochronology of alluvial deposits to determine Holocene landscape evolution within the Hot Creek, La Jara Creek, and Alamosa River drainage basins in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. Geomorphic mapping and radiocarbon dating indicate synchronicity in patterns of erosion, deposition, and stability between drainage basins. In all three basins, the maximum age of mapped alluvial terraces and fans is ~ 3300 cal yr BP. A depositional period seen at both Hot Creek and the Alamosa River begins ~ 3300 to 3200 cal yr BP. Based on soil development, short periods of stability followed by alluvial fan aggradation occur in the Alamosa River basin ~ 2200 cal yr BP. A period of landscape stability at Hot Creek before ~ 1100 cal yr BP is followed by a period of rapid aggradation within all three drainages between ~ 1100 and 850 cal yr BP. A final aggradation event occurred between ~ 630 and 520 cal yr BP at La Jara Creek. These patterns of landscape evolution over the past ~ 3300 yr provide the framework for an archeological model that predicts the potential for buried and surficial cultural materials in the research area.
Integration of developmental signals and the initiation of sporulation in B. subtilis.

Department of Biology Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 Early during sporulation, the gram-positive bacterium Ba- cillus subtilis generates two cell types with different devel- opmental fates: the larger mother cell and the smaller fore- spore. The formation of these distinct cell types is the culmination of changes in cellular physiology and gone expression induced by nutritional and cell cycle-related signals. One challenge is to identify the signals required to initiate this developmental process and to understand how cells sense, transduce, and integrate multiple signals. New insights into mechanisms of signal transduction have come from the identification of protein kinases (Anto- niewski et al., 1990; Perago et al., 1989) and, more re- cently, a signaling pathway (Burbulys et al., 1991) that lead to the activation of a transcription factor essential for sporulation. These exciting findings have suggested how multiple signals might be integrated to ensure appropriate regulatory and developmental responses. The signaling pathway involves the sequential and stoichiometric trans- fer of phosphate from one protein to another (the phospho- transfer pathway or phosphorelay) and is not an amplifying cascade (Burbulys et al., 1991). The central components of the phosphorelay and the proteins that seem to modu- late the activity of the pathway are similar to gene products found in many other organisms, both prokaryotic and eu- karyotic. In the following summary, I describe the early stages of the developmental process in B. subtilis and discuss how the multicomponent phosphorelay might pro- vide a mechanism for the integration of multiple signals. Initiation of Sporulation and spoO Genes Endospore formation in B. subtilis requires the integration of both external and internal stimuli, including starvation, cell density, and cell cycle signals. The primary internal indication of nutrient limitation may be a drop in the intra- cellular concentration of GTP. Conditions of nutrient depletion that cause efficient sporulation (limitation of a carbon, nitrogen, or phosphate source) cause a drop in the intracetlular concentration of GTP (Lopez et al., 1981), and conditions that cause a drop in GTP (e.g., inhibition of GTP biosynthesis) can cause efficient sporulation even in the presence of excess nutrients (including glucose) that otherwise inhibit sporulation (Freese et al., 1979; Lopez et al., 1979). While nutrient limitation is probably the most important signal for the initiation of sporulation, B. subtilis must also be at a high cell density and at a particular stage in the cell cycle to enter the developmental pathway. The cell density signal comes from at least one pheromone-like factor that is produced by cells and accumulates at high cell density (Grossman and Losick, 1988). The nature of the cell cycle signals is unclear. Seven genetic loci
Letter to the Editor: Probabilistic models and uncertainty quantification for the ionization reaction rate of atomic Nitrogen

The objective in this paper is to analyze some stochastic models for estimating the ionization reaction rate constant of atomic Nitrogen (N+e^-->N^++2e^-). Parameters of the models are identified by means of Bayesian inference using spatially resolved absolute radiance data obtained from the Electric Arc Shock Tube (EAST) wind-tunnel. The proposed methodology accounts for uncertainties in the model parameters as well as physical model inadequacies, providing estimates of the rate constant that reflect both types of uncertainties. We present four different probabilistic models by varying the error structure (either additive or multiplicative) and by choosing different descriptions of the statistical correlation among data points. In order to assess the validity of our methodology, we first present some calibration results obtained with manufactured data and then proceed by using experimental data collected at EAST experimental facility. In order to simulate the radiative signature emitted in the shock-heated air plasma, we use a one-dimensional flow solver with Park's two-temperature model that simulates non-equilibrium effects. We also discuss the implications of the choice of the stochastic model on the estimation of the reaction rate and its uncertainties. Our analysis shows that the stochastic models based on correlated multiplicative errors are the most plausible models among the four models proposed in this study. The rate of the atomic Nitrogen ionization is found to be (6.2+/-3.3)x10^1^1cm^3mol^-^1s^-^1 at 10,000K.
Immune Network Theory

Theoretical ideas have played a profound role in the development of idiotypic network theory. Mathematical models can help in the precise translation of speculative ideas into quantitative predictions. They can also help establish general principles and frameworks for thinking. Using the idea of shape space, criteria were introduced for evaluating the completeness and overlap in the antibody repertoire. Thinking about the distribution of clones in shape space naturally leads to considerations of stability and controllability. An immune system which is too stable will be sluggish and unresponsive to antigenic challenge; one which is unstable will be driven into immense activity by internal fluctuations. This led us to postulate that the immune system should be stable but not too stable. In many biological contexts the development of pattern requires both activation and inhibition but on different spatial scales. Similar ideas can be applied to shape space. The principle of short-range activation and long-range inhibition translates into specific activation and less specific inhibition. Application of this principle in model immune systems can lead to the stable maintenance of non-uniform distributions of clones in shape space. Thus clones which are useful and recognize antigen or internal images of antigen can be maintained at high population levels whereas less useful clones can be maintained at lower population levels. Pattern in shape space is a minimal requirement for a model. Learning and memory correspond to the development and maintenance of particular patterns in shape space. Representing antibodies by binary strings allows one to develop models in which the binary string acts as a tag for a specific molecule or clone. Thus models with huge numbers of cells and molecules can be developed and analyzed using computers. Using parallel computers or finite state models it should soon be feasible to study model immune systems with 10(5) or more elements. Although idiotypic networks were the focus of this paper, these modeling strategies are general and apply equally well to non-idiotypic models. Using bit string or geometric models of antibody combining sites, the affinity of interaction between any two molecules, and hence the connections in a model idiotypic network, can be determined. This approach leads to the prediction of a phase transition in the structure of idiotypic networks. On one side of the transition networks are small localized structures much as might be predicted by clonal selection and circuit ideas.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)