cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The biological, immunological, and physicochemical characterization of a transmissible agent capable of inducing DNA and thymine degradation in cultured human cells.

Experiments designed to characterize an unidentified transmissible agent brought forth the following findings: The cytopathology consisted of the formation of intranuclear globules, collapse of the involved nuclei, and the extrusion of nuclear materials. The relatively dormant primary human amnion cells were less susceptible than the rapidly growing cell lines. Similarly, the slowly multiplying ribose variants were less susceptible than their corresponding parent cell lines. Interferon-like activity was released from infected cells. Infectivity was readily demonstrated following storage at 0–4°C for at least 8 months or at 37°C for at least 2 weeks. Freeze-thawing, however, markedly reduced or completely destroyed its infectivity. Infectivity was destroyed completely by ether and chloroform; partially by desoxycholate, and not affected by trypsin, papain, RNAse, DNAse, hyaluronidase, lysozyme, lecithinase, or pancreatic lipase. The rate of inactivation by 0.025 per cent formalin was much slower than that of vaccinia and herpes viruses. Its synthesis was suppressed by 5-fluorodeoxyuridine. This suppression was not reversed by thymidine and/or uracil. Heat-stable neutralizing antibody could not be demonstrated in 379 human and animal serums, in human gamma globulins, or in serums from animals "immunized" with this agent. Heat-labile inhibitors (lipoprotein-like) capable of inhibiting the infectivity of this agent were demonstrated in 154 of the 157 serums tested. Experimental evidence indicated the non-identity of this ubiquitous inhibitor and the properdin system. The non-infectious complex between this agent and the ubiquitous serum inhibitor may be dissociated (hence, become infectious) by simple dilution. Repeated attempts to reisolate a similar agent have not been successful. We have hypothesized that this agent is a virus consisting of DNA wrapped in a surface coat rich in lipid, and suggest that this virus be referred to tentatively as a lipovirus.
Situations of Contested Legitimacy in Morocco: an Alternative Framework

In its broadest sense, the theory of segmentation provides an analytic approach to the study of the interaction of political units under conditions of minimal or no regulation by a central authority. Under such circumstances, the groups that inhabit a given territory must devise alternative means of managing conflict within and among themselves, for allocating resources, selecting leaders, and for meeting outside threats. They can neither expect nor rely upon a state apparatus endowed with sufficient coercive means to enforce its decisions and to undertake the functions of regulation, allocation, and protection. Consequently, these functions must be performed through autonomous, internally generated mechanisms arising from the structures and interplay of the groups themselves. There is no need here to explore in detail the theory of segmentation as it has been presented by numerous anthropologists. Suffice it to say that we view segmentary tribal organization as a means of conflict and resource management in the absence of a strong central authority.1 The principles guiding its operation can be extended to analogous, albeit non-tribal, situations of political competition, and it is precisely this extension that we propose to make.
A hybrid reality environment and its application to earthquake engineering

In this paper, an interactive 2D and 3D (hybrid) environment, which facilitates collaborative learning and research and utilizes techniques in visualization and VR, is described. The new environment incorporates both a specially designed lecture room and laboratory integrating both 2D and 3D spatial learning by coupling a series of interactive projection display boards (touch sensitive white boards) and a semi-immersive 3D wall display. The hardware architecture designed for this new hybrid environment as well as an initial application within the environment to the study of a case history building subjected to a variety of earthquakes are discussed in the paper.
Enhanced thermal contact conductance using carbon nanotube array interfaces

Heat-conduction interfaces that employ carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays have been fabricated and studied experimentally using a reference calorimeter testing rig in a vacuum environment with infrared temperature measurements. Arrays of multiwalled CNTs are grown directly on silicon substrates with microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Iron and nickel were used as CNT catalysts. CNT arrays grown under different synthesis conditions exhibit different pressure-contact conductance characteristics. The thermal contact resistance of CNTs with a copper interface exhibits promising results with a minimum value of 19.8mm2K/W at a pressure of 0.445MPa
Low-power adaptive filter architectures and their application to 51.84 Mb/s ATM-LAN

We present low-power and high-speed algorithms and architectures for complex adaptive filters. These architectures have been derived via the application of algebraic and algorithm transformations. The strength reduction transformation is applied at the algorithmic level as opposed to the traditional application at the architectural level. This results in a power reduction by 21% as compared with the traditional cross-coupled structure. A fine-grained pipelined architecture for the strength-reduced algorithm is then developed via the relaxed lookahead transformation. This technique, which is an approximation of the conventional lookahead computation, maintains the functionality of the algorithm rather than the input-output behavior. Convergence analysis of the proposed architecture is presented and supported via simulation results. The pipelined architecture allows high-speed operation with negligible hardware overhead. It also enables an additional power savings of 39 to 69% when combined with power-supply reduction. Thus, an overall power reduction ranging from 60-90% over the traditional cross-coupled architecture is achieved. The proposed architecture is then employed as a receive equalizer in a communication system for a data rate of 51.84 Mb/s over 100 m of UTP-3 wiring in an ATM-LAN environment. Simulation results indicate that speedups of up to 156 can be achieved with about a 0.8-dB loss in performance.
Approximate Learning of Dynamic Models

Inference is a key component in learning probabilistic models from partially observable data. When learning temporal models, each of the many inference phases requires a traversal over an entire long data sequence; furthermore, the data structures manipulated are exponentially large, making this process computationally expensive. In [2], we describe an approximate inference algorithm for monitoring stochastic processes, and prove bounds on its approximation error. In this paper, we apply this algorithm as an approximate forward propagation step in an EM algorithm for learning temporal Bayesian networks. We provide a related approximation for the backward step, and prove error bounds for the combined algorithm. We show empirically that, for a real-life domain, EM using our inference algorithm is much faster than EM using exact inference, with almost no degradation in quality of the learned model. We extend our analysis to the online learning task, showing a bound on the error resulting from restricting attention to a small window of observations. We present an online EM learning algorithm for dynamic systems, and show that it learns much faster than standard offline EM.
Prevention of acute pulmonary edema during isolated perfusion for 24 hours.

Fifty-nine canine lungs were perfused with cryoprecipitated plasma, silica gel fraction, or modified silica gel fraction (MSGF) at different perfusate pressures for periods up to 24 hours under hypothermic conditions. High perfusate pressures accounted for all poor perfusion results. The use of MSGF at a low perfusate pressure protected all the lungs from the appearance of pulmonary edema during perfusion, and the morphology was consistently maintained for 24 hours.
Stochastic barriers for the Wiener process and a mathematical model

Let {W(t), 0≤t p0≤t≤TW(t)−[f(t)+X(t)]≧0 when X(t) is a stochastic process. By taking a compound Poisson process as X(t), an interesting mathematical model is created.
Fourier Analysis and Sturm-Liouville Theory

The principal method for solving the boundary value problems of mathematical physics is the method of separation of variables. The method will be developed and applied to a variety of problems in this chapter and Chapter 9.
The Federal Trade Commission, Clinical Integration, and the Organization of Physician Practice

This article examines Federal Trade Commission (FTC) policy--in particular, the agency's controversial 1996 statements on clinical integration--toward joint negotiations for nonrisk contracts with health plans by physicians organized into independent practice associations (IPAs) and (with hospitals) into physician-hospital organizations (PHOs). The article concludes that the policy is consistent with anti-trust principles, consistent with current thinking on the use of organized processes to improve medical care quality, specific enough to provide guidance to physicians wanting to integrate clinically, and general enough to encourage ongoing innovations in physician organization. The FTC should consider stronger sanctions for IPAs and PHOs whose clinical integration is nothing more than a sham intended to provide cover for joint negotiations, should give the benefit of the doubt to organizations whose clinical integration appears to be reasonably consonant with the statements, and should clarify several ambiguities in the statements. Health plans should facilitate IPA and PHO efforts to improve care by rewarding quality and efficiency and by providing clinically integrated organizations with claims information on individual patients. Though creating clinically integrated organizations is difficult and expensive, physicians should recognize that clinical integration can help them both to gain some negotiating leverage with health plans and to improve the quality of care for their patients.
A comparison of white and black targets under conditions of masking by a patterned stimulus

When the onset of a target field was followed in time by the onset of a patterned mask, white letters on a dark field were more accurately reported than black letters located on a white field. Presenting the letters to one side of the point of fixation caused observer performance to deteriorate, but white letters continued to be reported more accurately than black letters. For each constant interval measured from target onset to mask onset, letter recognition was facilitated by introducing a dark interval between target offset and mask onset.
Implementing the academic discipline of information technology to be inclusive of computer science

The workplace is looking for well-educated information technology professionals, yet universities are still educating students using out-dated computer science and information systems curricula. This paper looks at how a small university transformed its undergraduate computing programs into a single integrated information technology program with concentrations in computer science, computer forensics, and information systems, housed in a school of business. It discusses the problems that the university identified with its current program offerings, the process of making the changes in a single academic year, the resulting curriculum, and the progress to date. Both the criteria from the accrediting organization ABET and workplace requirements from the Department of Commerce were considered in developing the program.
Virtual Reality Platforms for Integrated Systems Health Management in a Portable Rocket Engine Test Stand

Integrated systems health management (ISHM) consists of processes managing erroneous conditions that systems may encounter during their operational life by either designing out failures early on, or the ability to defend and mitigate any possible failures. A successful implementation of ISHM consists of the following four components: data sensor, computations, data sinks, and visualization modules. In this paper we explore the use of virtual reality (VR) platforms as candidate for developing ISHM visualization modules. VR allows for a complete and spatially accurate 3D model of a system to be displayed in real time. It provides a medium for improved data assimilation and analysis through its core attributes of immersion, interaction and navigation. Furthermore, VR allows for integrating graphical, functional and measurement data in the same platform - this allows for the development of subsequent risk-analysis modules. The effectiveness of deploying VR as a key component in an ISHM environment is demonstrated using an example of a multi-sensor rocket-engine portable test stand at NASA - Stennis Space Center's E-3 test facility.
Analysis and Design of Lifting Pole Made of Carbon-Fiber Reinforced Resin Matrix Composites

As a special lifting device, the lifting pole is widely used in construction of transmission line powers. Due to the special working environment, a new-type lifting pole made of carbon-fiber reinforced resin matrix composites is designed to facilitate transportation and usage. It is shown by comparison of material properties that new materials can greatly reduce structural self-weight on the condition of ensuring mechanical properties. In order to ensure the equipment is used safely and reliably, this paper carries out mechanical calculation and ANSYS finite element analysis by setting up a mechanical model, and the results show that the design is reasonable and accords with national relevant specifications.
Calcium Dependence and Recovery Kinetics of Presynaptic Depression at the Climbing Fiber to Purkinje Cell Synapse

Short-term depression is a widespread form of use-dependent plasticity found in the peripheral and central nervous systems of invertebrates and vertebrates. The mechanism behind this transient decrease in synaptic strength is thought to be primarily the result of presynaptic "depletion" of a readily releasable neurotransmitter pool, which typically recovers with a time constant of a few seconds. We studied the mechanism and dynamics of recovery from depression at the climbing fiber to Purkinje cell synapse, where marked presynaptic depression has been described previously. Climbing fibers are well suited to studies of recovery from depression because they display little, if any, facilitation (even under conditions of low-release probability), which can obscure rapid recovery from depression for hundreds of milliseconds after release. We found that recovery from depression occurred in three kinetic phases. The fast and intermediate components could be approximated by exponentials with time constants of 100 msec and 3 sec at 24 degrees C. A much slower recovery phase was also present, but it was only prominent during prolonged stimulus trains. The fast component was enhanced by raising extracellular calcium and was eliminated by lowering presynaptic calcium, suggesting that, on short time scales, recovery from depression is driven by residual calcium. During regular and Poisson stimulus trains, recovery from depression was dramatically accelerated by accumulation of presynaptic residual calcium, maintaining synaptic efficacy under conditions that would otherwise deplete the available transmitter pool. This represents a novel form of presynaptic plasticity in that high levels of activity modulate the rate of recovery as well as the magnitude of depression.
Social Capital and the Diffusion of Innovations Within Organizations: The Case of Computer Technology in Schools

Although the educational community has learned much about better educational practices, less is known about processes for implementing new practices. The standard model of diffusion suggests that people change perceptions about the value of an innovation through communication, and these perceptions then drive implementation. But implementation can be affected by more instrumental forces. In particular, members of a school share the common fate of the organization and affiliate with the common social system of the organization. Thus, they are more able to gain access to each others' expertise informally and are more likely to respond to social pressure to implement an innovation, regardless of their own perceptions of the value of the innovation. This article characterizes informal access to expertise and responses to social pressure as manifestations of social capital. Using longitudinal and network data in a study of the implementation of computer technology in six schools, the authors found that the effects of perceived social pressure and access to expertise through help and talk were at least as important as the effects of traditional constructs. By implication, change agents should attend to local social capital processes that are related to the implementation of educational innovations or reforms.
Tyrosine phosphorylation of the orphan receptor ESDN/DCBLD2 serves as a scaffold for the signaling adaptor CrkL

A quantitative proteomics screen to identify substrates of the Src family of tyrosine kinases (SFKs) whose phosphorylation promotes CrkL-SH2 binding identified the known Crk-associated substrate (Cas) of Src as well as the orphan receptor endothelial and smooth muscle cell-derived neuropilin-like protein (ESDN). Mutagenesis analysis of ESDN's seven intracellular tyrosines in YxxP motifs found several contribute to the binding of ESDN to the SH2 domains of both CrkCT10 regulator of kinase Crk-Like (CrkL) and a representative SFK Fyn. Quantitative mass spectrometry showed that at least three of these (Y565, Y621 and Y750), as well as non-YxxP Y715, are reversibly phosphorylated. SFK activity was shown to be sufficient, but not required for the interaction between ESDN and the CrkL-SH2 domain. Finally, antibody-mediated ESDN clustering induces ESDN tyrosine phosphorylation and CrkL-SH2 binding.
Electronic and Vibrational Properties of Single Crystal Surfaces of NiAl

Surface and bulk electronic structure of the ordered NiAl alloy were measured using angle resolved photoelectron spectroscopy. The measured bulk d-bands (Ni like) were observed to be narrower than theoretically calculated d band widths which are 20 to 40% wider (depending upon what is used as a measure of the width). At least two surface states were observed on both the (110) and (111) surfaces. The nature of these surface states and their relationship to the bulk band structure is discussed. Dispersion of bulk phonons was measured by neutron scattering and fitted with a fourth nearest neighbor Born-von Karman model. Dipole active surface phonons on the (110) and (111) surfaces were observed by inelastic electron scattering and the frequencies also calculated assuming a truncated bulk surface. The calculated surface modes present a qualitative picture of the atomic displacement at each surface and also show that the surface phonon energy and intensity depends upon the structure of the surface.
Daoism and Science

This chapter addresses relations or connection between early Daoist philosophy and science. It addresses three issues. The first section asks what we mean by Daoism and what we mean by science. The second addresses Daoist approaches to health and well-being in the broadest possible sense, including self-cultivation practices, medicine, and longevity techniques, focusing on theories of qi and their applications to medicine and techniques for longevity and “nurturing life” (yang sheng). The third turns to the association of early Daoism with various technical disciplines such as astronomy, mathematics, and cosmology.
Robotic Partial Nephrectomy in the Treatment of Renal Angiomyolipoma.

Abstract Purpose: To present the experience and efficacy of Robotic Partial Nephrectomy (RPN) for the management of renal angiomyolipomas (AMLs) with regard to renal function preservation and perioperative outcomes. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively searched our RPN database for pathologically confirmed renal AML patients between 2006 and 2014. Clinical presentation, perioperative complications, and postoperative outcomes of the patients were analyzed. Preoperative imaging findings were reviewed to examine their ability to predict pathology of AML. Results: From 1005 RPN performed in our center during the study period, 53 patients met our inclusion criteria. The mean age at presentation was 54.1 (±13) years, and 42 (79.2%) patients were female. Median tumor size was 2.8 (interquartile range [IQR], 1.8–4.6) cm. The indication for RPN was suspicious radiologic features for malignancy in 42 (79.2%) patients and acute retroperitoneal hemorrhage risk and pain in 11 (20.8%) patients who were found to hav...
Current Status of Oxide Dielectric Materials for Terahertz Applications–An Overview

Terahertz electromagnetic radiation, its generation, detection and material interaction is an emerging field of study. Diverse range of researches is going on to explore and understand this frequency range and its potential applications. Situated between microwave and optical frequency domain, THz radiation is non-responding to the techniques commonly used for these two domains, thus insufficiency of supporting technology, high atmospheric absorption, lack of high power source have kept this spectrum away from technical and commercial interest for a long time. Advancements in Photonics like high power ultrafast lasing devices, high-power THz generation by means of nonlinear effects, band-engineered hetero-structures have greatly extended its potential. In order to explore all its merits and realize it as a full-fledged functional frontier, more high power sources, more sensitive sensors and efficient waveguides need to be developed. In order to achieve that, the main focus of the research world has moved ...
COLLISION PROBABILITIES IN CYLINDRICAL LATTICES

First-collision probabilities for a regular lattice of cylindrical fuel rods and moderator are calculated using the assumption that neutrons reaching the outer boundary of the unit cell are returne...
Biodegradable Polymer Microfluidics for Tissue Engineering Microvasculature

In this work, we present for the first time, the fabrication of a fully biodegradable microfluidic device with features of micron-scale precision. This implantable MEMS device is a transition from poorly defined porous scaffolds to reproducible precision scaffolds with built-in convective conduits. First, conventional photolithography is used to create a master mold by bulk micromachining silicon. Next, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) silicone elastomer is replica molded to form a flexible inverse mold. The commonly used biodegradable polymer Poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA 85:15) is then compression micromolded onto the PDMS to form micropatterned films of the biodegradable polymer. Finally, a thermal fusion bonding process is used to seal the biodegradable PLGA films, forming closed microfluidic channels at the capillary size-scale. Film thicknesses from 100µm-1mm are demonstrated with features having 2µm resolution and 0.2µm precision. Scanning electron micrographs of bonded biodegradable films reveal no observable bond interface and no significant pattern deformation. Bonded microfluidic channels are capable of supporting more than 30psi during flow studies, and we have used the processes to develop complex microfluidic networks for cell culture and implantation as well as simple channels to verify the fluid dynamics in the degradable microchannels. The processes described here are high resolution and fully biodegradable. In addition, they are fast, inexpensive, reproducible, and scalable, making them ideal for both rapid prototyping and manufacturing of tissue engineering scaffolds.
Borderline Personality Disorder: Implications in Family and Pediatric Practice

The diagnosis and management of Borderline Personality Disorder can be a particularly complicated problem in family and pediatric practice. This disorder, while highly prevalent, receives little attention outside the mental health specialties. The current review article examines the scope of the problem from a public health perspective, educates the reader regarding common clinical presentations of Borderline Personality Disorder and describes methods to address issues surrounding these patients
Evaluating planktonic diatom response to climate change across three lakes with differing morphometry

We applied a diatom-based thermal stratification index to sediment cores from three lakes in the northeast USA to evaluate the influence of lake morphometry and within-lake processes on diatom responses to climate change. The three lakes all had surface area >5 km2 and experienced the same regional declines in wind speed and progressively earlier ice-out dates, but differed in morphometry, particularly surface area and mean depth. We coupled this paleolimnological approach with contemporary ecological measurements to validate the use of two indicator species (Aulacoseira subarctica (O. Muller) Haworth and Discostella stelligera (Cleve & Grunow) Houk & Klee) in the stratification index. D. stelligera was abundant during stratified conditions in Tunk Lake and Sebago Lake, but not in Lobster Lake. Diatom-inferred stratification shifted to shallower and/or longer duration in Tunk Lake starting in the late nineteenth century, and continued to become shallower over much of the twentieth century. A shift to shallower and/or longer duration was also apparent in Sebago Lake starting around 1850, after which the index suggested little change, even though ice-out occurred 30 days earlier in 2000 than in 1807 and wind speed began to decline in the 1960s. This lake has very slow sedimentation rates, experiences regular seiches, and has D. stelligera present during circulation and stratified periods. These factors may smooth stratification-driven diatom responses. Contemporary ecological measurements did not support the application of the stratification index in Lobster Lake because D. stelligera bloomed only during spring turnover. In Lobster Lake, the relative abundances of D. stelligera in the sediment record showed some variation over time, were generally lower in periods with earlier ice-out in the region, and have been lower since the 1980s. Our results highlight the different responses recorded in the sediments of three large lakes in the same region to climate-driven changes and support the use of indicator species in reconstructing lake thermal stratification patterns when paired with site-specific morphometric and ecological data.
Abstract ED02-01: Prevention of cancer in patients and survivors: Epidemiology of survivorship, late effects burden, setting the stage

There are almost 12 million cancer survivors in the US today, and this number will increase dramatically with the aging of the population. The first baby-boomers turned 65 years old in 2011 and their generation will be diagnosed with common age-related malignancies such as breast, colorectal and prostate cancers. The vast majority of these individuals will have disease detected through screening, and thus can expect long-term survival; however, in addition, the presence of comorbid condition such as hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, and cardiopulmonary disease may synergistically affect their function and outcomes after cancer treatment. In addition, pre-existing comorbid conditions may influence the choice of cancer directed therapies. Obesity and physical inactivity increase with aging and may predispose to the initial cancer diagnosis, as well as second cancers. This talk will focus on the clinical epidemiology of cancer survivorship, and the set the stage for the other talks in this session. We will use this opportunity to address cancer prevention strategies in cancer survivors who are a high risk population, vulnerable for second cancers and other late effects of cancer treatment. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2011;4(10 Suppl):ED02-01.
Effects of intrinsic noise on a cubic autocatalytic reaction-diffusion system.

Starting from our recent chemical master equation derivation of the model of an autocatalytic reaction-diffusion chemical system with reactions $U+2V\stackrel{{\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{0}}{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}3V$ and $V\stackrel{\ensuremath{\mu}}{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}P$, $U\stackrel{\ensuremath{\nu}}{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}Q$, we determine the effects of intrinsic noise on the momentum-space behavior of its kinetic parameters and chemical concentrations. We demonstrate that the intrinsic noise induces $n\ensuremath{\rightarrow}n$ molecular interaction processes with $n\ensuremath{\ge}4$, where $n$ is the number of participating molecules of type $U$ or $V$. The momentum dependences of the reaction rates are driven by the fact that the autocatalytic reaction (inelastic scattering) is renormalized through the existence of an arbitrary number of intermediate elastic scatterings, which can also be interpreted as the creation and subsequent decay of a three body composite state $\ensuremath{\sigma}={\ensuremath{\phi}}_{u}{\ensuremath{\phi}}_{v}^{2}$, where ${\ensuremath{\phi}}_{i}$ corresponds to the fields representing the densities of $U$ and $V$. Finally, we discuss the difference between representing $\ensuremath{\sigma}$ as a composite or an elementary particle (molecule) with its own kinetic parameters. In one dimension, we find that while they show markedly different behavior in the short spatiotemporal scale, high-momentum (UV) limit, they are formally equivalent in the large spatiotemporal scale, low momentum (IR) regime. On the other hand, in two dimensions and greater, due to the effects of fluctuations, there is no way to experimentally distinguish between a fundamental and composite $\ensuremath{\sigma}$. Thus, in this regime, $\ensuremath{\sigma}$ behaves as an entity unto itself, suggesting that it can be effectively treated as an independent chemical species.
Simple modification of Compton polarimeter to redirect synchrotron radiation

Synchrotron radiation produced as an electron beam passes through a bending magnet is a significant source of background in many experiments. Using modeling, we show that simple modifications of the magnet geometry can reduce this background by orders of magnitude in some circumstances. Specifically, we examine possible modifications of the four dipole magnets used in Jefferson Lab’s Hall A Compton polarimeter chicane. This Compton polarimeter has been a crucial part of experiments with polarized beams and the next generation of experiments will utilize increased beam energies, up to 11 GeV, requiring a corresponding increase in Compton dipole field to 1.5 T. In consequence, the synchrotron radiation (SR) from the dipole chicane will be greatly increased. Three possible modifications of the chicane dipoles are studied; each design moves about 2% of the integrated bending field to provide a gentle bend in critical regions along the beam trajectory which, in turn, greatly reduces the synchrotron radiation within the acceptance of the Compton polarimeter photon detector. Each of the modifications studied also softens the SR energy spectrum at the detector sufficiently to allow shielding with 5 mm of lead. Simulations show that these designs are each capable of reducing the background signal duemore » to SR by three orders of magnitude. The three designs considered vary in their need for vacuum vessel changes and in their effectiveness.« less
Tracheostomy Following Surgery for Congenital Heart Disease: A 14-year Institutional Experience.

Background Tracheostomy following congenital heart disease (CHD) surgery is a rare event and associated with significant mortality. Hospital survival has been reported from 20% to 40%. Late mortality for these patients is not well characterized. Methods We performed a retrospective observational study of patients who had a tracheostomy following CHD surgery (excluding isolated patent ductus arteriosus ligation) between January 2000 and December 2013. Patients were categorized into single-ventricle or biventricular physiology groups. Demographics, genetic syndromes, pulmonary disease, and comorbidities were collected. Outcomes including hospital survival, long-term survival, and weaning from positive pressure ventilation are reported. Bivariate and time-to-event models were used. Results Over a 14-year period, 61 children (0.9% incidence) had a tracheostomy placed following CHD surgery. There were 12 single-ventricle patients and 49 biventricular patients. Prematurity, genetic syndromes, lung/airway disease, and other comorbidities were common in both CHD groups. Gastrostomy tubes were used more frequently in biventricular physiology patients (91.8%) versus single-ventricle patients (66.7%, P = .04). Survival to hospital discharge was 50% in the single-ventricle group compared to 86% in biventricular patients (P = .01). Long-term survival continued to be poor in the single-ventricle group comparatively (three years, 27.8% vs 64.8%, P = .01). Gastrostomy tube placement was independently associated with survival in both groups (P = .002). Conclusion Tracheostomy is performed following many types of surgery for CHD and is commonly associated with other comorbidities. Both hospital and long-term survival are substantially lower in children with single-ventricle physiology as compared to patients with biventricular physiology.
Analysis on Influence of Load Rate on Power System Self-organized Criticality

A self-organized criticality model is given to simulate power system blackout process when the power flow limits of all system components are relatively fixed.It is used to investigate the faults of the IEEE 39-bus power system with different load rates.The influences of the distribution of load rates on power system self-organized criticality are analyzed.The results indicate that the dispatchers should pay attention to both the degree of overall system load rate and the slope for each component load rate in double logarithmic plot at the same time.Under the same system load rate,larger absolute value of the slope of distribution curve indicates higher probability that a large-scale cascading failure may happen in the power system.
Risk of self-reported symptoms or diagnosis of active tuberculosis in relationship to low body mass index, diabetes and their co-occurrence.

Objective Globally, tuberculosis prevalence has declined, but its risk factors have varied across place and time – low body mass index (BMI) has persisted while diabetes has increased. Using India's National Family Health Survey (NFHS), wave 3 and World Health Survey (WHS) data, we examined their relationships to support projection of future trends and targeted control efforts. Methods Multivariate logistic regressions at the individual level with and without diabetes/BMI interactions assessed the relationship between tuberculosis, diabetes and low BMI and the importance of risk factor co-occurrence. Population-level analyses examined how tuberculosis incidence and prevalence varied with diabetes/low-BMI co-occurrence. Results In NFHS, diabetic individuals had higher predicted tuberculosis risks (diabetic vs. non-diabetic: 2.50% vs. 0.63% at low BMI; 0.81% vs. 0.20% at normal BMI; 0.37% vs. 0.09% at high BMI), which were not significantly different when modeled independently or allowing for risk modification with diabetes/low-BMI co-occurrence. WHS findings were generally consistent. Population-level analysis found that diabetes/low-BMI co-occurrence may be associated with elevated tuberculosis risk, though its predicted effect on tuberculosis incidence/prevalence was generally ≤0.2 percentage points and not robustly statistically significant. Conclusions Concerns about the additional elevation of tuberculosis risk from diabetes/low-BMI co-occurrence and hence the need to coordinate tuberculosis control efforts around the nexus of co-occurring diabetes and low BMI may be premature. However, study findings robustly support the importance of individually targeting low BMI and diabetes as part of ongoing tuberculosis control efforts. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
The Role of Modularity in Providing Corporation-To-Corporation Solutions: A Knowledge-Based View

The pervasive move by industrial suppliers toward solutions has captured the attention of consultants and academics alike. Scholars have explored the transition of manufacturers to solutions providers and the role of the sales force in the transition to solutions. The notion of service-dominant logic has guided a theoretical understanding of solutions (Sawhney 2006) and exploratory research has provided a fundamental understanding of solutions from the customer’s perspective (Tuli, Kohli, and Bharadwaj 2007).
Oral exposure to Listeria monocytogenes in aged IL-17RKO mice: A possible murine model to study listeriosis in susceptible populations.

Foodborne Listeria monocytogenes (LM) is a cause of serious illness and death in the US. The case-fatality rate of invasive LM infection in the elderly population is >50%. The goal of this study is to establish a murine model of oral LM infection that can be used as a surrogate for human foodborne listeriosis in the geriatric population. Adult C57BL/6 (wild-type, WT) and adult or old IL17R-KO (knock-out) mice were gavaged with a murinized LM strain (Lmo-InlAm) and monitored for body-weight loss and survivability. Tissues were collected and assayed for bacterial burden, histology, and cytokine responses. When compared to WT mice, adult IL17R-KO mice are more susceptible to LM infection and showed increased LM burden and tissue pathology and a higher mortality rate. Older LM-infected KO-mice lost significantly (p < 0.02, ANOVA) more body-weight and had a higher bacterial burden in the liver (p = 0.03) and spleen as compared to adult mice. Uninfected, aged KO-mice showed a higher baseline pro-inflammatory response when compared to uninfected adult-KO mice. After infection, the pro-inflammatory cytokine, IFN-γ, mRNA in the liver was higher in the adult mice as compared to the old mice. The anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10, mRNA and regulatory T-cells (CD4+CD25+h or CD4+Foxp3+) cells in the aged mice increased significantly after infection as compared to adult mice. Expression of the T-cell activation marker, CD25 (IL-2Rα) in the aged mice did not increase significantly over baseline. These data suggest that aged IL17R-KO mice can be used as an in vivo model to study oral listeriosis and that aged mice are more susceptible to LM infection due to dysregulation of pro- and anti-inflammatory responses compared to adult mice, resulting in a protracted clearance of the infection.
326. Improving CRISPR-Cas9 Precision Through Directly or Indirectly Tethered DNA-Binding Domains

Type II CRISPR-Cas9 systems provide a robust and versatile platform to study gene function in complex genomes, but the standard CRISPR-Cas9 system is sub-optimal for many clinical-level genome editing applications due to insufficient precision. To establish a Cas9-based system that will cut at only a single site within a genome, we have developed an attenuated CRISPR-Cas9 platform fused to a programmable DNA-binding domain. This combination adds an extra specificity determinant to the engagement of a DNA sequence prior to cleavage. The appended DNA-binding domain increases the design density of Cas9 target sites and provides dramatically improved on- vs off-target selectivity as assessed by targeted deep sequencing based on GUIDE-seq analysis. In addition, the DNA-binding domain provides a tunable system that can be used to eliminate residual off-target activity to increase the precision of our nuclease system. We have extended the functionality of this platform through the incorporation of drug-dependent dimerization domains that facilitate the temporal control of gene editing via the presence of a small molecule. This novel platform has the potential to generate regulatable site-specific nucleases with single-site precision for targeted-genome editing, bringing programmable nuclease technology one step closer toward the ultimate goal of facilitating gene therapy-based therapeutics for a multitude of diseases.
Off-Ramp Opportunities in Material Support Cases

While domestic programs to counter violent extremism (CVE) focus on preventing extremism before it takes root, important counterterrorism opportunities exist further along the radicalization trajectory. By considering a more holistic model for CVE, American policymakers could work within the criminal justice system to develop innovative approaches for disengagement and deradicalization. Prosecutions under the statutes prohibiting material support for terrorism are well-suited for such efforts. Indeed, focusing on individuals who have engaged in non-violent criminal conduct rather than entire communities would address some concerns of civil liberties advocates that CVE programs disproportionately target Muslim Americans and are triggered by constitutionally protected behavior. This paper traces the status and foundations of CVE in United States policy, and then provides an overview of the material support statutes, the wide-ranging conduct they proscribe, and the substantial penalties they trigger. The paper proceeds to summarize existing disengagement and deradicalization programs internationally, identifying major themes for data-driven study. Finally, the paper outlines domestic opportunities to apply CVE principles when charging and sentencing defendants in material support cases, and describes the innovative program that Judge Michael Davis, of Minnesota federal district court, instituted on March 2, 2016 to begin the pursuit of just such efforts.
Cardiovascular disease and perceived weight, racial, and gender discrimination in U.S. adults.

Abstract Objective To date, most research on perceived discrimination and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has examined racial discrimination although other forms of discrimination may also impact physical and mental health. The current study investigated the relationship between three forms of discrimination (weight, race, and gender) and 3-year incidence of CVD in a large national sample of U.S. adults. Methods 26,992 adults (55.5% women) who participated in the 2001–2002 and 2004–2005 National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) were included in this study. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to calculate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for three forms of perceived discrimination (simultaneously included in equations after adjusting for relevant potential confounds) for predicting CVD incidence at Wave 2. Results Perceived weight and racial discrimination were associated with significantly greater likelihood of reporting myocardial infarction (OR = 2.56 [95% CI = 1.31–4.98], OR = 1.84 [95% CI = 1.19–2.84], respectively) and minor heart conditions (OR = 1.48 [95% CI = 1.11–1.98], OR = 1.41 [95% CI = 1.18–1.70], respectively). Perceived racial discrimination was also significantly associated with greater likelihood of reporting arteriosclerosis (OR = 1.61 [95% CI = 1.11–2.34]). Odds ratios for diagnoses of arteriosclerosis, myocardial infarction, and other minor heart disease were largest for individuals reporting multiple forms of discrimination. Conclusions Adults who experience weight and racial discrimination, and especially multiple forms of discrimination, may be at heightened risk for CVD. Perceived discrimination may be important to consider during assessment of life stressors by health providers. Future research should address the mechanisms that link discrimination and CVD to assist public health and policy efforts to reduce discrimination.
Is Instantaneous Wave-Free Ratio a New Standard of Care for Physiologic Assessment of Coronary Lesions? More Questions Than Answers.

After >20 years since the proof of concept, fractional flow reserve (FFR) has become an invasive standard for lesion assessment in the cath laboratory. The fundamental premise that allowed for the transition from traditional coronary flow reserve to a pressure-only flow reserve (ie, fraction of normal flow or FFR) required maximal hyperemia to create a linear relationship between pressure and flow.1 Compared with resting pressure ratios, hyperemia produces better separation of the families of pressure/flow curves characterizing obstructive from nonobstructive stenotic lesions. Validation of FFR against multiple stress test modalities demonstrated that regionally specific myocardial ischemia could be identified. The proof of clinical value came from favorable randomized trial results with reduced adverse event rates and costs for FFR-directed PCI (FAME I [Fractional Flow Reserve versus Angiography for Guiding PCI in Patients with Multivessel Coronary Artery Disease trial I]) and the superiority of FFR-guided revascularization over medical therapy for FFR obstructive lesions (FAME II [Fractional Flow Reserve versus Angiography for Guiding PCI in Patients with Multivessel Coronary Artery Disease trial II]). Despite its strengths for lesion assessment over angiography alone, the interventional community was slow to adopt FFR for reasons, either perceived or real, that included additional time, cost, loss of procedural reimbursement, and use of adenosine. Nonetheless, FFR use has continued to grow as clinical studies covered new areas such as non–ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction …
Contextualizing Pediatric Decision Making Within an Ethics of Families.

Olszewski and Goldkind assert that children should be routinely involved in medical decision making, to the extent of their ability and interest in doing so (Olszewski and Goldkind 2018). They prop...
Diabetes in Youth-Looking Backwards to Inform the Future: Kelly West Award Lecture 2017.

The Kelly West Award for Outstanding Achievement in Epidemiology is presented in honor of the memory of Kelly M. West, widely regarded as the “father of diabetes epidemiology.” Harry Keen described West as characterized by “generosity of spirit, deeply human and humorous, deliberate of address, modest, conciliatory and untiringly persevering. Few people have done so much to change the landscape of diabetes” (1). The award and lecture recognize a leading epidemiologist in the field of diabetes. Dana Dabelea, MD, PhD, received this award at the American Diabetes Association’s 77th Scientific Sessions, 9–13 June 2017, in San Diego, CA. She presented the Kelly West Award Lecture, “Diabetes in Youth—Looking Backwards to Inform the Future,” on Sunday, 11 June 2017.
IS OBESITY CAUSALLY LINKED WITH CARDIOVASCULAR OUTCOMES? A META-ANALYSIS OF MENDELIAN RANDOMIZATION STUDIES

While dyslipidemia has been consistently shown to be related to atherogenesis, the causal link between obesity and cardiovascular outcomes (CVD) remains controversial with “obesity paradox” further complicating the issue. A meta-analysis of Mendelian randomization studies investigating obesity
Mechanisms and Treatment of Radiation-Induced Nausea and Vomiting

Vomiting is perhaps the most characteristic symptom of radiation sickness and often the first overt sign of radiation toxicity. The nausea and vomiting associated with radiation therapy are widely known in the lay community. In the scientific and medical community, the harmful biological effects of radiation have been the subject of concern since the late 1890s. Scientific investigation has defined the basic physiology of radiation-induced emesis, but the underlying mechanisms and the definition of an effective anti-emetic regimen remain unresolved. Within that context, this paper will review the radiobiology of emesis and the implications of the current research (see Fig. 1).