cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tissue distribution of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in the adult Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica, Gmelin) and its effect on egg and larval survival

Abstract Laboratory distribution studies examining accumulation of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in the Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica), following a bolus injection into the mantle cavity, revealed that by day 28 of TCDD elimination the highest dioxin concentration was reached in the digestive gland followed by the mantle, gonad, hemolymph, gill, adductor muscle, and the kidney/heart, on a mass weight basis. However, the gonad, having a lower lipid content (1.58% wet wt. lipid content), was able to accumulate a dioxin concentration higher than that of other tissues on a lipid basis. This observation suggested that dioxin distribution was not being driven by the lipid content in the gonad but possibly by a binding receptor. In a separate set of studies TCDD exposure resulted in a poor fertilization rate (52.2–99.0% unfertilized eggs). Eggs that were fertilized had 3.2–0.0% survival, and did not develop beyond the zygote stage. In contrast, the control eggs had 80.3% survival to the straight hinge stage. TCDD concentrations in the gonadal tissue from day 28 of the distribution study (9.69 pg+5.28), corresponded with the range of TCDD detected in the gametes on day 28 of the larval study (1.58 pg+0.038). These studies support the hypothesis that dioxin is incorporated into the developing eggs and/or sperm of the Eastern oyster during gametogenesis.
The Database for Inventory, Monitoring, and Assessment (DIMA)

Land managers increasingly need to collect, store, and analyze monitoring and assessment data sets that include multiple methods and occur over multiple years. For this reason, databases are becoming increasingly important for managing large monitoring and assessment data sets. The Database for Inventory, Monitoring, and Assessment (DIMA) is a highly customizable software tool for data collection, management, and interpretation. DIMA is a free Microsoft Access database that can be used easily without extensive knowledge of Access. i All that is needed to run DIMA is a PC computer with a copy of Microsoft Access. Data can be entered for common, nationally accepted, vegetation- and soilmonitoring methods in the fi eld using a tablet PC (touchscreen entry) or in the offi ce on a standard computer (keyboard entry) with user-specifi ed choice lists. DIMA can easily be customized to suit the user’s needs. DIMA was originally designed as an accompaniment to the Monitoring Manual for Grassland, Shrubland, and Savanna Ecosystems 1,2 (i.e., the Monitoring Manual). Just as the Monitoring Manual outlined a consistent approach to many fi eld methods, DIMA provides a consistent approach to the data collection of those methods. Initially, DIMA supported only a few core vegetation- and soil-monitoring methods, but it has since grown to hold the quantitative data collected according to the standard methods outlined in the Monitoring Manual, the qualitative data collected according to Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health, 3 and data collected using other nationally recognized methods (Table 1). Finally, data for developing Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) ecological site descriptions can be collected using DIMA starting at a low intensity (e.g., general site characteristics, waypoints, and photos) and building to a high intensity (e.g., detailed soil and vegetation data). In this article, we explain how DIMA facilitates the collection, management, and interpretation of fidata (Fig. 1), helping users make informed decisions, think about data in new ways, and link that data to other sources.
Increased D allele frequency of the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene in pulmonary fibrosis.

Abstract An insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme has previously been studied extensively in relationship to cardiovascular and renal disease. The deletion/deletion (D/D) genotype is associated with a poor outcome in immunoglobulin (Ig) A nephropathy. However, the association of this genetic marker in cardiovascular and renal disease has generated controversy, with the exception of the rate of progression and therapeutic responsiveness in IgA nephropathy. Many of the same cytokines and polypeptide mediators involved in fibrosis of the cardiovascular and renal systems have been shown to be involved in pulmonary fibrosis. We examined the I/D polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme in a group of 24 patents with interstitial pneumonia and moderate to severe pulmonary fibrosis defined by radiographic studies, pulmonary function tests, and histologic findings. The incidence of the D allele in this study population was 69.0%, which is approximately 15.0% higher than the incidence in the general population of 54.0%. The incidence of the D/D genotype was 42.0%, which is approximately 11.0% greater than that in the general population (31.0%). The distribution of the D/D, I/D, and insertion/insertion genotypes of these 24 patients was not significantly different from that of historical controls ( P =.1; χ 2 test); there were marginally significantly more D alleles among the 48 observed alleles than would be expected ( P =.04). HUM PATHOL 32:521-528. Copyright © 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company
Clinical conference: methemoglobinemia due to benzocaine.

Dr. Wolfe: I shall discuss two cases of methemoglobinemia which we have seen in the past 2 years produced by the application of benzocaine ointment. These are, as far as I have determined, the first reported cases of methemoglobinemia due to benzocaine (ethyl aminobenzoate), and indeed the first cases of methemoglobinemia due to the application of an ointment. The first of these patients was admitted in 1954 at the age of 7 weeks. Birth and neonatal history were normal. Eczema began at the age of 4½ weeks. The baby was treated with a variety of ointments and dietary changes without improvement. The infant was admitted to the Babies Hospital at 7½ weeks of age on the day the parents had been given an ointment, which they were told contained coal tar. At 7 o9clock that evening the ointment was applied widely to the baby9s skin. Approximately 45 minutes later the mother heard the baby screaming. On entering the infant9s room she found that the color of his skin was black. She rushed the baby to the hospital where the diagnosis of methemoglobinemia was suggested. Blood was obtained and was found to appear chocolate brown. The baby was given 3 ml of a 1% solution of methylene blue, intravenously. This brought about a prompt change in the color; within 10 minutes the baby was no longer cyanotic. Marked tremors had been noted on admission. These continued throughout most of the evening but by the next morning had entirely disappeared. The baby was discharged home the following morning without further laboratory investigation. Neither the concentration of methemoglobin in the blood nor any other laboratory data were obtained.
Achieving a Healthy Weight Gain During Pregnancy

This review uses the 1990 U.S. Institute of Medicine (IOM) gestational weight gain recommendations to examine the question, what is a healthy pregnancy weight gain? The relationship of gestational weight gain to infant size at birth; pregnancy, labor, and delivery complications; neonatal, infant, and child outcomes; and maternal weight and health outcomes in U.S. and European populations are discussed. Pregnancy weight gains within the IOM recommendations are associated with better outcomes. The possible exception is very obese women, who may benefit from weight gains less than the 7 kg (15 pounds) recommended. Only about 33% to 40% of U.S. women gain within IOM recommendations. Excessive gestational weight gain is more prevalent than inadequate gain. Women's gestational weight gains tend to follow the recommendations of health care providers. Current interventions demonstrate efficacy in influencing gestational weight gain in low-income women with normal and overweight body mass index in the United States and obese women in Scandinavia.
Self-Management: Its Control and Relationship to Other Organizational Properties

Current models on self-management in organizations generally have taken a bivariate perspective. This paper proposes a more complex conceptualization of self-management in which its control mechanisms are examined. It is argued that the self-managed employee is far from loosely supervised; such employee is closely controlled. It is argued further that the clientele's active participation in the operation of the organization mediates the widely held relationship between self-management and structure.
The Role of Messenger RNA Sequences and Structures in Eukaryotic Translation

Translation of messenger RNA (mRNA) into proteins on ribosomes is a universal process that occurs in all organisms. While the overall process is more or less similar, there are significant differences between prokaryotes and eukaryotes and possibly between lower and higher eukaryotes. In contrast to prokaryotic mRNA, eukaryotic mRNAs undergo extensive modifications, including the addition of a 5′-terminal cap, internal methylation, and the addition of a polyadenylated tail. The translational machinery in eukaryotic translation involves more initiation factors as well as an association with protein as a ribonucleoprotein particle. The vast majority of eukaryotic mRNAs are monocistronic, and binding of the ribosomes appears to begin at the beginning of the message. In contrast, prokaryotic mRNAs are usually polycistronic, and ribosomes can bind internally.
China's Defence Industrial Base in 1985

This essay assesses various dimensions of China's defence industrial enterprises. It argues that the defence industrial system should be divided into two tiers: tier one, composed of weapons and equipment producers for the military, and tier two, composed of “civilian” industrial enterprises that provided critical inputs for tier one enterprises, and which in national emergencies could be mobilized to produce weapons themselves. In 1985, there were 1,158 tier one defence enterprises and 827 tier two enterprises among China's 8,285 large- and medium-scale enterprises. Additional information is provided on defence enterprise shares of the economy at the provincial and the national levels, on enterprise distribution by industrial sector, and on when enterprises were built. The article attempts to estimate the total number of workers, output value and fixed assets of the defence industrial sector, and their weight in the national economy.
My stent is better than your stent...Or is it

Before coronary stents, balloon angioplasty was limited by arterial dissection, acute closure, Q-wave myocardial infarction (MI), a 5% risk for emergency coronary artery bypass graft surgery, the need for repeat procedures to treat restenosis, and sometimes procedural death. Coronary stents
Growth and characterization of CdMnTe by the vertical Bridgman technique

Abstract We grew Cd 1− x Mn x Te crystals with a nominal Mn concentration of 5% by the vertical Bridgman growth technique. The structural quality of the crystal was evaluated by white beam X-ray topography in the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) facility at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). We observed that the crystal was free from a sub-grain boundary network, as revealed by X-ray topography and verified by our etching study. The concentration of the secondary phases, averaged over the entire ingot, was 2–3 times lower than in conventional Bridgman grown cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) crystals.
Palliative Care Teams as Advocates for Adults with Sickle Cell Disease

Medical advances have improved the overall life expectancy of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Unfortunately, the quality of life for patients with SCD remains a struggle. As the goal of palliative care (PC) is to improve quality of life for patients with serious illnesses, many PC teams are now asked to be involved in the care of these patients and may have variable levels of experience with SCD. Caring for patients with SCD is a complex and difficult task that often causes a reflexive "groan" from health care providers, which usually signifies a negative health care provider attitude stemmed from feeling uncomfortable in treating this complex patient population. It is important to be aware of these implicit biases and to overcome these feelings by becoming more familiar with the lives and experiences of those with SCD. This report provides an overview of SCD, context for the complexity of caring for this patient population, and areas for partnering in care.
Robust Bayesian Portfolio Choices

We propose a Bayesian-averaging portfolio choice strategy with excellent out-of-sample performance. Every period a new model is born that assumes means and covariances are constant over time. Each period we estimate model parameters, update model probabilities, and compute robust portfolio choices by taking into account model uncertainty, parameter uncertainty, and non-stationarity. The portfolio choices achieve higher out-of-sample Sharpe ratios and certainty equivalents than rolling window schemes, the 1/N approach, and other leading strategies do on a majority of 24 datasets.
A Generalization of Zolotarev's Theorem

(1979). A Generalization of Zolotarev's Theorem. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 86, No. 5, pp. 374-375.
Microbodies in Monoblepharella Sp.

The ultrastructure of microbodies in zoospores, hyphae and developing sporangia was studied in Monoblepharella sp. Catalase activity in these organelles was demonstrated with the diaminobenzidine c...
Solution-liquid-solid growth of semiconductor quantum-wire films.

We report the growth of cadmium-selenide (CdSe) quantum-wire (QW) films on a variety of substrates by the solution–liquid–solid (SLS) method. Our SLS syntheses employ size-controlled, near-monodisperse bismuth (Bi) nanoparticles (NPs) as the catalysts for QW growth, which offers several advantages over Bi NPs thermally generated from thin Bi films, including mean QW diameter control, narrow diameter distributions, small diameters in the quantum-confinement regime, and control of the QW density on the substrates. The Bi NPs are deposited on the substrates via drop casting of a Bi-NP solution and subsequently annealed in a reducing atmosphere, a key step to ensure firm attachment of the Bi NPs onto the substrates and maintenance of their catalytic activity for the QW-film growth. The QW growth density is proportional to the Bi-NP coating density, which is determined by the concentration of the Bi-NP deposition solution. Lower concentrations are used for small Bi NPs to reduce their high tendency for agglome...
Preoperative experience for public hospital patients with gynecologic cancer: Do structural barriers widen the gap?

BACKGROUND Widespread disparities in care have been documented in women with gynecologic cancer in the United States. This study was designed to determine whether structural barriers to optimal care were present during the preoperative period for patients with gynecologic cancer. METHODS A retrospective review was conducted for patients undergoing surgery for a gynecologic malignancy at a public hospital or a private hospital staffed by the same team of gynecologic oncologists between July 1, 2013 and July 1, 2014. RESULTS Two hundred fifty-seven cases were included for analysis (public hospital, 69; private hospital, 188). Patients treated at the private hospital were older (58 vs 52 years; P = .004) and had similar medical comorbidities (median Charlson comorbidity index at both hospitals, 6) but required fewer hospital visits in preparation for surgery (2 vs 4; P < .001). Public hospital patients had a longer wait time from the diagnosis of disease to surgery (63 vs 34 days; P < .001). According to a multiple linear regression model, the public hospital setting was associated with a longer interval from diagnosis to surgery with adjustments for the insurance status, age at diagnosis, cancer stage, and number of preoperative hospital visits (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS Patients at the public hospital were subject to a greater number of preoperative visits and had to wait longer for surgery than patients at the private hospital. Attempts to reduce health care disparities should focus on improving efficiency in health care delivery systems once contact has been established. Cancer 2016;122:859–67. © 2016 American Cancer Society.
MAIN PROBLEMS OF MODERN POWER QUALITY

Along with the rapid development of technology and national economy, the demands of electric energy largely increase, correspondingly the power qual ity becomes more and more important and close attention is increasingly paid to power quality by both electric industry and consumers. The basic problems of mod ern power quality are outlined in this paper. First the various concepts of powe r quality are discussed, then the main reasons leading to the close attention to power quality are summarized, finally the relevant problems, including the inde xes of power quality, the harm of power quality deterioration, the monitoring an d measurement of power quality, the method of power quality analysis and calcul ation, the approach to improve power quality, the standard and management of pow er quality, etc., are summed up.
Chronic corticosterone-mediated dysregulation of microRNA network in prefrontal cortex of rats: relevance to depression pathophysiology

Stress plays a major role in inducing depression, which may arise from interplay between complex cascades of molecular and cellular events that influence gene expression leading to altered connectivity and neural plasticity. In recent years, microRNAs (miRNAs) have carved their own niche owing to their innate ability to induce disease phenotype by regulating expression of a large number of genes in a cohesive and coordinated manner. In this study, we examined whether miRNAs and associated gene networks have a role in chronic corticosterone (CORT; 50 mg kg(-1) × 21 days)-mediated depression in rats. Rats given chronic CORT showed key behavioral features that resembled depression phenotype. Expression analysis revealed differential regulation of 26 miRNAs (19 upregulated, 7 downregulated) in prefrontal cortex of CORT-treated rats. Interaction between altered miRNAs and target genes showed dense interconnected molecular network, in which multiple genes were predicated to be targeted by the same miRNA. A majority of altered miRNAs showed binding sites for glucocorticoid receptor element, suggesting that there may be a common regulatory mechanism of miRNA regulation by CORT. Functional clustering of predicated target genes yielded disorders such as developmental, inflammatory and psychological that could be relevant to depression. Prediction analysis of the two most prominently affected miRNAs miR-124 and miR-218 resulted into target genes that have been shown to be associated with depression and stress-related disorders. Altogether, our study suggests miRNA-mediated novel mechanism by which chronic CORT may be involved in depression pathophysiology.
Collective Care: Multiple Caregivers and Multiple Care Recipients in Mexican American Families.

Purpose: Specific stressors associated with caregiving in Mexican American (MA) families are not well documented, yet caregiving issues are paramount because informal care for parents is central to...
Medication Treatment Efficacy and Chronic Orofacial Pain

Chronic pain in the orofacial region has always been a vexing problem for dentists to diagnose and treat effectively. For trigeminal neuropathic pain, there are 3 medications (gabapentinoids, tricyclic antidepressants, and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) to use plus topical anesthetics that have therapeutic efficacy. For chronic daily headaches (often migraine in origin), 3 prophylactic medications have reasonable therapeutic efficacy (β-blockers, tricyclic antidepressants, and antiepileptic drugs). The 3 Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs for fibromyalgia (pregabalin, duloxetine, and milnacipran) are not robust, with poor efficacy. For osteroarthritis, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have therapeutic efficacy and when gastritis contraindicates them, corticosteriod injections are helpful.
Combining Non-randomized and Randomized Data in Clinical Trials Using Commensurate Priors.

Randomization eliminates selection bias, and attenuates imbalance among study arms with respect to prognostic factors, both known and unknown. Thus, information arising from randomized clinical trials (RCTs) is typically considered the gold standard for comparing therapeutic interventions in confirmatory studies. However, RCTs are limited in contexts wherein patients who are willing to accept a random treatment assignment represent only a subset of the patient population. By contrast, observational studies (OSs) often enroll patient cohorts that better reflect the broader patient population. However, OSs often suffer from selection bias, and may yield invalid treatment comparisons even after adjusting for known confounders. Therefore, combining information acquired from OSs with data from RCTs in research synthesis is often criticized due to the limitations of OSs. In this article, we combine randomized and non-randomized substudy data from FIRST, a recent HIV/AIDS drug trial. We develop hierarchical Bayesian approaches devised to combine data from all sources simultaneously while explicitly accounting for potential discrepancies in the sources’ designs. Specifically, we describe a two-step approach combining propensity score matching and Bayesian hierarchical modeling to integrate information from non-randomized studies with data from RCTs, to an extent that depends on the estimated commensurability of the data sources. We investigate our procedure’s operating characteristics via simulation. Our findings have implications for HIV/AIDS research, as well as elucidate the extent to which well-designed non-randomized studies can complement RCTs.
Empathic Joy in Positive Intergroup Relations

Research on empathy focuses almost exclusively on its negative variety, empathic sorrow, either by defining empathy as a state involving negative emotions or by confining its empirical study to the negative. In contrast, we investigate empathy's positive variety, empathic joy. We do so in the context of intergroup relations. A total of 1,216 predominantly White teachers participated in a yearlong investigation of whether their attitudes toward, and empathy for, their predominantly ethnic minority students affected their teaching style and the students’ learning. Consistent with expectations, we found that teachers’ experience of empathic joy predicted better student outcomes and that it did so by leading to more allophilia toward students and, in turn, toward more proactive and positive interactions with students. Implications are considered for the role of empathic joy in positive intergroup relations more generally.
Risk Factors for Readmission after Shock Wave Lithotripsy for Urinary Stones

Abstract Introduction Cost saving measures have put an increased emphasis on reducing complications and rehospitalization. We analyzed the rate of readmission and presentation to emergency departments within 90 days of shock wave lithotripsy to identify prognostic risk factors for this outcome. Methods We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent shock wave lithotripsy at our institution from January 2011 to May 2013 using the Modulith® SLX-F2 lithotripter for solitary ureteral or renal stones 2.0 cm or smaller. The primary outcome was readmission or presentation to the emergency department within 90 days. Secondary end points included stone-free rates at 30 and 90 days. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for primary and secondary outcomes. Results The study population consisted of 307 patients with renal and 270 with ureteral stones. Mean stone size was 9.2 mm. The 90-day readmission rate was 11.6%. Of analyzed metrics only urgency of procedure predicted readmission. Among patients who were readmitted renal colic was the most common chief complaint (67%), followed by infection (10%) and postoperative hematoma or hematuria (7.5%). Stone-free rates were 57% and 78% at 30 and 90 days, respectively. Stone size and nonurgent shock wave lithotripsy status predicted stone-free status. Conclusions The 90-day readmission rate following shock wave lithotripsy was 11.6%. Urgency of shock wave lithotripsy was predictive of this outcome. Stone centers should monitor their readmission rates following shock wave lithotripsy to establish national standards and guide decision making when considering other endourological methods if these outcomes are considered unacceptable.
Curved radiation detector

As vertex detectors for smaller for smaller inner beam pipe diameters are required, the planar nature of the detector becomes more and more of a problem. We present a curved silicon vertex detector, whose radius of curvature can be adjusted to the beam pipe. The advantage of these curved detectors over conventional planar ones is twofold: The first advantage is that these detectors are curved to a specific curvature and shaped directly for the specific application (e.g. beam pipe radius), and second, the curvature of the backside is independent from the front surface, which allows thinning of the detector using standard semiconductor processing. Both strip detectors and pixel arrays (with Indium bump bonds) have been realized on the curved topography. The key micro-fabrication technique for curved topography, so called “gray-tone lithography”, will be introduced and discussed. We demonstrated low-noise performance by successfully detecting low-energy gamma-rays with a curved strip detector. The energy resolution was ∼ 1.73 keV FWHM at 59.5 keV for the pixel detector. There is excellent charge collection at the curved surface. The general fabrication method could also be applied for curved focal plane arrays to improve optical systems.
Regional regression models of percentile flows for the contiguous US: Expert versus data-driven independent variable selection

Abstract. Percentile flows are statistics derived from the flow duration curve (FDC) that describe the flow equaled or exceeded for a given percent of time. These statistics provide important information for managing rivers, but are often unavailable since most basins are ungauged. A common approach for predicting percentile flows is to deploy regional regression models based on gauged percentile flows and related independent variables derived from physical and climatic data. The first step of this process identifies groups of basins through a cluster analysis of the independent variables, followed by the development of a regression model for each group. This entire process hinges on the independent variables selected to summarize the physical and climatic state of basins. Distributed physical and climatic datasets now exist for the contiguous United States (US). However, it remains unclear how to best represent these data for the development of regional regression models. The study presented here developed regional regression models for the contiguous US, and evaluated the effect of different approaches for selecting the initial set of independent variables on the predictive performance of the regional regression models. An expert assessment of the dominant controls on the FDC was used to identify a small set of independent variables likely related to percentile flows. A data-driven approach was also applied to evaluate two larger sets of variables that consist of either (1) the averages of data for each basin or (2) both the averages and statistical distribution of basin data distributed in space and time. The small set of variables from the expert assessment of the FDC and two larger sets of variables for the data-driven approach were each applied for a regional regression procedure. Differences in predictive performance were evaluated using 184 validation basins withheld from regression model development. The small set of independent variables selected through expert assessment produced similar, if not better, performance than the two larger sets of variables. A parsimonious set of variables only consisted of mean annual precipitation, potential evapotranspiration, and baseflow index. Additional variables in the two larger sets of variables added little to no predictive information. Regional regression models based on the parsimonious set of variables were developed using 734 calibration basins, and were converted into a tool for predicting 13 percentile flows in the contiguous US. Supplementary Material for this paper includes an R graphical user interface for predicting the percentile flows of basins within the range of conditions used to calibrate the regression models. The equations and performance statistics of the models are also supplied in tabular form.
Introduction to Armed Forces & Society: Special Issue on Women in the Military

This Armed Forces & Society issue is on women in the contemporary armed forces in the United States and other nations to include the South African National Defense Force and the Australian Defense ...
Technical Modifications for Motility Disorders: Dimensions of Dissection

Achalasia is an uncommon esophageal motility disorder defined as incomplete LES relaxation and aperistalsis of the esophageal body without a structural explanation (e.g., tumor, stricture) for these abnormalities [1]. The patients often present with dysphagia to solids and liquids. Symptoms may also include chest pain, heart burn, and regurgitation. There is no curative treatment that reverses the pathophysiology of achalasia and therefore treatment is geared towards optimizing the passage of solids and liquids through the gastroesophageal junction (GEJ.) [2]. Treatment options for achalasia traditionally involve both endoscopic and surgical options. Endoscopic options include injection of botulinum toxin to the GEJ and endoscopic balloon dilation [3]. Laparoscopic Heller myotomy (LHM) with partial fundoplication is the surgical gold standard for achalasia [4]. Campos et al. [3] performed a meta-analysis to look at treatment success of achalasia using 105 articles reporting on 7855 patients. Botox injections have a reported initial success in 78.7% of patients, but over time this percentage has declined to 40.6% of patients at 12 months, which correlates with the temporary effects of botox. Balloon dilation improved symptoms in 84.8% of patients at 1 month; however, by 1 year, only 58.4% of patients continued to have symptomatic improvement. Additionally, 25% of patients required repeat pneumatic balloon dilation. Treatment success with laparoscopic Heller myotomy was the highest with 89.3% of patients reporting improvement in symptoms. These patients continued to have relief at 1- and 2-year follow-up.
Profiling of cellular microRNA responses during the early stages of KSHV infection

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) causes a variety of cancers, including Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS), primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), and multicentric Castleman disease (MCD). Host cellular microRNAs (miRNAs) play important post-transcriptional regulatory roles in gene expression and can greatly influence virus-host cell interactions. This study investigated cellular miRNA expression profiles operating in response to early stages of KSHV infection of human Burkitt lymphoma B cells (BJAB). We employed deep sequencing to analyze miRNA expression in KSHV-infected BJAB cells 15 min post infection (PI) and compared this to uninfected BJAB cells. A total of 32 known miRNAs and 28 novel miRNA candidates were differentially expressed in KSHV-infected compared to uninfected BJAB cells. Interestingly, miRNA expression profiles during the early stages of viral infection yielded comparable results when UV-inactivated KSHV was used. The deep sequencing results were further confirmed by performing real-time reverse transcription PCR. The target genes predicted to be regulated by both the known and novel miRNAs are mainly involved in assisting virus entry, inducing critical cell signaling, initiating transcription of immediate early genes, promoting latent infection, and modulating the host immune response. For the first time, we provide insight into the host cellular miRNA expression profiles in response to early stages of KSHV infection of human B cells. Furthermore, this study offers a valuable basis for further investigation on the roles of cellular miRNAs in the KSHV entry process.
Do Public Corruption Convictions Influence Citizens’ Trust in Government? The Answer Might Not Be a Simple Yes or No:

The influence of corruption convictions on government trust is complicated. On one hand, they may reflect the severity of corruption in a jurisdiction. On the other hand, they might indicate the degree of anticorruption efforts. Existing literature has suggested the severity of corruption’s negative effects and the positive effect of anticorruption efforts on institutional trust. This research synthesized existing studies, identified the intellectual puzzle in the literature, and developed open hypotheses to investigate the way in which corruption convictions systematically affect citizens’ trust in government. State-level panel data merged from different sources were used for the empirical analyses. The results showed a positive influence of corruption convictions on public trust in government.
Toward Over 15% Power Conversion Efficiency for Organic Solar Cells: Current Status and Perspectives

Significant improvement in the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of organic solar cells (OSCs) is achieved by developing novel donor and acceptor materials, optimizing the phase-separation morphology via diversified strategies, and using interfacial materials for better charge-carrier collection. For state-of-the-art devices, a PCE of over 13% is reported. However, simulations indicate that an efficiency of ≈19% could be realized, assuming a total energy loss of 0.5 eV with an external quantum efficiency of 90% and a fill factor of 70%. This large difference between the theoretical calculations and the actual performance of the state-of-the-art devices shows that OSCs have significant potential for the future. Here, the energy loss is discussed, which determines the PCE limit, and then different systems are reviewed, such as small-molecule (SM)/fullerene blends, polymer/fullerene blends, SM/nonfullerene blends, polymer/nonfullerene blends, and multicomponent systems. After highlighting the factors that have limited the device efficiency to date, an outlook on the most important challenges to guide OSCs toward the 15% PCE regime is provided.
Distributed solutions of convex feasibility problems with sparsely coupled constraints

In this paper, distributed algorithms for solving the convex feasibility problem with sparse constraints are proposed. The proposed algorithms exploit the sparsity of the constraints to reduce the storage and communication requirements for individual agents: each agent only maintains its own variable together with its desired values for the variables of those neighboring agents whose valuations help determining its feasibility; at each iteration, each agent carries out projection and consensus operations based on information received from only the relevant neighboring agents. We show that the proposed algorithms converge asymptotically to a feasible solution starting from any initial guess and, under some further assumptions, the convergence speed is exponential. The algorithms' effectiveness is demonstrated through the simulation results on several application examples.
Relating Activity and Participation Levels to Glycemic Control, Emergency Department Use, and Hospitalizations in Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes

IN BRIEF Participation in domestic, leisure, work, and community-based activities may relate to glycemic control, emergency department use, and hospitalizations in individuals with type 2 diabetes and low socioeconomic status. This study sought to determine how such role-related activity levels relate to A1C, emergency department use, and hospitalizations.
Authoring Expert Knowledge Bases for Intelligent Tutors through Crowdsourcing

We have developed a methodology for constructing domain-level expert knowledge bases automatically through crowdsourcing. This approach involves collecting and analyzing the work of numerous students within an intelligent tutor and using an intelligent algorithm to coalesce data to construct the domain model. This evolving expert knowledge base (EEKB) is then utilized to provide expert coaching and tutoring with future students. We can compare the knowledge created in human crafted expert knowledge bases (HEKB) with knowledge resulting from our knowledge acquisition algorithm to judge quality. We find that our EEKB models have qualities that rival that of the human crafted knowledge bases and can be generated in significantly less time. We have built four unique knowledge bases using this methodology. This paper provides a pithy high-level overview of our approach along with some findings.
THERMAL STRESSES IN EXTERNALLY CLAD CYLINDRICAL FUEL ELEMENTS

Equations for the thermal stresses developed in externally clad cylindrical fuel elements with radially symmetric temperature distribution are presented. The stresses developed in both a solid and a hollow fuel element under a given set of conditions are calculated and shown as an application of the equations. (auth)
Implications of a Country Work Force’s Perceptions of Occupations on Work Force Mix and Macro Manpower Plans

Using data obtained from a mail panel of households, this paper examines subject’s perceptions of different occupations, and studies the relationship between these perceptions and preferences for occupations. Perceptions can be summarized into two dimensions, the personal satisfaction associated with the occupation, and the occupation’s orientation toward people. The respondent’s most preferred occupation for a son is found to be closely related to these dimensions, but the most preferred occupation for a daughter is found to be more closely related to the percentage of women already in the occupation. The findings suggest certain serious implications on work force mix and macro manpower planning.
Acquiring Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Across a Lifetime by Transferring to One’s Own Practice

The issue of lifelong learning for professionals is of interest from boardrooms to factories to the halls of higher learning. Billions of dollars are spent annually for continuing professional education. Add to the basic cost the additional funding for maintenance training and more training to stay competitive in the global market and organizations are looking at large investments for educating their employees. The American Society for Training & Development’s (ASTD) Trend Report of 2006 estimates that organizations spend $190 billion annually on workplace learning. When all costs, direct and indirect, are combined, the range goes even higher. Management expectations from training and education programs are high.
Spatial Heterogeneity of Lung Strain and Aeration and Regional Inflammation During Early Lung Injury Assessed with PET/CT.

Introduction Spatial heterogeneity of lung aeration and strain (change volume/resting volume) occurs at microscopic levels and contributes to lung injury. Yet, it is mostly assessed with histograms or large regions-of-interest. Spatial heterogeneity could also influence regional gene expression. We used positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) to assess the contribution of different length-scales to mechanical heterogeneity and to direct lung injury biological pathway identification. Materials and Methods Sheep exposed to mild (n = 5, supine and n = 3, prone) and moderate (n = 6, supine) systemic endotoxemia were protectively ventilated. At baseline, 6 hours and 20 hours length-scale analysis was applied to aeration in CT (mild groups) and PET transmission (moderate group) scans; and voxel-level strain derived from image registration of end-inspiratory and end-expiratory CTs (mild). 2-deoxy-2-[(18)F]fluoro-d-glucose (18F-FDG)-PET kinetics parameters in ventral and dorsal regions were correlated with tissue microarray gene expression (moderate). Results While aeration and strain heterogeneity were highest at 5–10 mm length-scales, larger length-scales contained a higher fraction of strain than aeration heterogeneity. Contributions of length-scales >5–10 mm to aeration and strain heterogeneity increased as lung injury progressed (p Conclusion Normal spatial heterogeneity of aeration and strain suggest larger anatomical and functional determinants of lung strain than aeration heterogeneity. Lung injury and supine position increase the contribution of larger length-scales. 18F−FDG-PET-based categorization of gene expression results in known and novel biological pathways relevant to lung injury.
Agreement about end-of-life (EOL) care among advanced cancer patients and their caregivers: Associations with care received.

10021Background: Patients with advanced cancer and their caregivers often have different preferences regarding patients’ EOL care. Disagreement in a patient-caregiver dyad can increase stress and r...
Association Between Hospital Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement Volume and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Outcomes.

Importance The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services national coverage determination for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) includes volume requirements for surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) for hospitals seeking to initiate or continue TAVR programs. Evidence regarding the association between SAVR volume and TAVR outcomes is limited. Objective To examine the association of hospital SAVR and combined SAVR and TAVR volumes with patient outcomes of TAVR procedures performed within 1 year, 2 years, and for the entire period after initiation of TAVR programs. Design, Setting, and Participants This observational cohort study included 60 538 TAVR procedures performed in 438 hospitals between October 1, 2011, and December 31, 2015, among Medicare beneficiaries. Main Outcomes and Measures The associations between SAVR volume, SAVR and TAVR volumes, and risks of death, death or stroke, and readmissions within 30 days were determined using a hierarchical logistic regression model adjusting for patient and hospital characteristics. The association between SAVR and SAVR and TAVR volumes and 1-year and 2-year mortality after TAVR procedures was determined using a multivariable proportional hazard model with a robust variance estimator. The associations for procedures performed within 1 year, 2 years, and for the entire period after initiation of TAVR programs were examined. Results Among the 60 538 patients, 29 173 were women and 31 365 were men, with a mean (SD) age of 82.3 (8.0) years. Hospitals with high SAVR volume (mean annual volume, ≥97 per year) were more likely to adopt TAVR early and had a higher growth in TAVR volumes over time (median TAVR volume by hospitals with high SAVR volume and low SAVR volume: year 1, 32 vs 19; year 2, 48 vs 28; year 3, 82 vs 38; year 4, 118 vs 54;P Conclusions and Relevance Hospitals with high SAVR volume are most likely to be fast adopters of TAVR. Hospital SAVR volume alone is not associated with better TAVR outcomes. Accumulating high volumes of TAVR is associated with lower mortality after TAVR, particularly when hospitals have high SAVR volumes. Hospitals with high caseloads of both SAVR and TAVR are likely to achieve the best outcomes.
Strength of Recluse Spider’s Silk Originates from Nanofibrils

Spider silk exhibits a combination of outstanding tensile strength and extensibility unique among all synthetic and biogenic polymer fibers. It has thus generated great interest to understand protein-based high-toughness materials and inspired the design of similar synthetic materials. The unrivaled properties of silk fibers have been recognized to be intimately related to their hierarchical structure. However, in the absence of unambiguous experimental evidence, competing and incompatible structural models of natural silk fibers have been proposed, some of them including various types of fibrillar components. Here we show that the fibers of the recluse (Loxosceles) spider exhibit the typical tensile properties of a very good spider silk and are entirely composed of 20 nm diameter protein fibrils that are more than 1 μm long. Based on these findings, we developed the most detailed structural model for any silk directly supported by experimental evidence. Our work suggests that all the key properties of a ...
Mitochondrial Respiration in Outer Retina Contributes to Light-Evoked Increase in Hydration In Vivo.

Purpose To test the hypothesis that mitochondrial respiration contributes to local changes in hydration involved in phototransduction-driven expansion of outer retina, as measured by structural responses on optical coherence tomography (OCT) and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods Oxygen consumption rate and mitochondrial reserve capacity of freshly isolated C57BL/6 and 129S6/SvEvTac mouse retina were measured using a Seahorse Extracellular Flux Analyzer. Light-stimulated outer retina layer water content was determined by proton density MRI, structure and thickness by ultrahigh-resolution OCT, and water mobility by diffusion MRI. Results Compared with C57BL/6 mice, 129S6/SvEvTac retina demonstrated a less robust mitochondrial respiratory basal level, with a higher reserve capacity and lower oxygen consumption in the light, suggesting a relatively lower production of water. C57BL/6 mice showed a light-triggered surge in water content of outer retina in vivo as well as an increase in hyporeflective bands, thickness, and water mobility. In contrast, light did not evoke augmented hydration in this region or an increase in hyporeflective bands or water mobility in the 129S6/SvEvTac outer retina. Nonetheless, we observed a significant but small increase in outer retinal thickness. Conclusions These studies suggest that respiratory-controlled hydration in healthy retina is linked with a localized light-evoked expansion of the posterior retina in vivo and may serve as a useful biomarker of the function of photoreceptor/retinal pigment epithelium complex.
Morpholinos Do Not Elicit an Innate Immune Response during Early Xenopus Embryogenesis.

Summary It has recently been reported that a common side effect of translation-blocking morpholino antisense oligonucleotides is the induction of a set of innate immune response genes in Xenopus embryos and that splicing-blocking morpholinos lead to unexpected off-target mis-splicing events. Here, we present an analysis of all publicly available Xenopus RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data in a reexamination of the effects of translation-blocking morpholinos on the innate immune response. Our analysis does not support the authors’ general conclusion, which was based on a limited number of RNA-seq datasets. Moreover, the strong induction of an immune response appears to be specific to the tbxt/tbxt2 morpholinos. The more comprehensive study presented here indicates that using morpholinos for targeted gene knockdowns remains of considerable value for the rapid identification of gene function.