cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Zinc and Cell Signaling During Inflammation: Implications in Atherosclerosis

Zinc has multiple roles in maintaining the physiological conditions of the cardiovasculature. Because atherosclerosis is a disease marked by chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of zinc are of obvious importance in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. The anti-inflammatory properties of zinc are not well understood. Zinc is involved in multiple cell signaling pathways, implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. The fact that inflammation itself affects zinc by changing intracellular zinc concentrations and distributions makes the role of zinc in inflammation even more complex. In addition, zinc protects the cardiovasculature from oxidative damage by preventing the formation of free radicals and the oxidation of macromolecules. Thiol groups of proteins, for example are protected from oxidation by zinc. Zinc chelated by thiol groups however, can be replaced by small reactive molecules during inflammation and oxidative stress. In certain cell signaling molecules this process appears to be the mechanism of activation/inactivation in response to inflammation. In addition, zinc also plays a crucial role in gene expression acting on the DNA, RNA and protein level. Zinc is required by transcription factors, RNA processing enzymes, as well as by protein folding chaperones. The response of cells and organisms to zinc supplementation or deprivation is therefore complex and further complicated during inflammatory processes such as atherosclerosis.
Degradation and sorption of commonly detected PPCPs in wetland sediments under aerobic and anaerobic conditions

Purpose Wetlands are a popular tool to treat/polish wastewater by reducing nutrient loading into the environment. In addition to nutrients, organic contaminants, such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), are commonly detected in treated wastewater. Treatment wetlands may reduce concentrations of PPCPs before the treated effluent enters rivers and streams. Oxygen status may greatly affect the attenuation of PPCPs in wetland sediments by influencing microbial makeup and activity. An understanding of the effect of redox conditions on the degradation of PPCPs and the factors influencing PPCP sorption to wetland sediments is needed to maximize PPCP removal in treatment wetlands.
Eigenshapes for 3D object recognition in range data

Much of the recent research in object recognition has adopted an appearance-based scheme, wherein objects to be recognized are represented as a collection of prototypes in a multidimensional space spanned by a number of characteristic vectors (eigen-images) obtained from training views. In this paper, we extend the appearance-based recognition scheme to handle range (shape) data. The result of training is a set of 'eigensurfaces' that capture the gross shape of the objects. These techniques are used to form a system that recognizes objects under an arbitrary rotational pose transformation. The system has been tested on a 20 object database including free-form objects and a 54 object database of manufactured parts. Experiments with the system point out advantages and also highlight challenges that must be studied in future research.
Load emphasizes muscle effort minimization during selection of arm movement direction

Directional preferences during center-out horizontal shoulder-elbow movements were previously established for both the dominant and non-dominant arm with the use of a free-stroke drawing task that required random selection of movement directions. While the preferred directions were mirror-symmetrical in both arms, they were attributed to a tendency specific for the dominant arm to simplify control of interaction torque by actively accelerating one joint and producing largely passive motion at the other joint. No conclusive evidence has been obtained in support of muscle effort minimization as a contributing factor to the directional preferences. Here, we tested whether distal load changes directional preferences, making the influence of muscle effort minimization on the selection of movement direction more apparent. The free-stroke drawing task was performed by the dominant and non-dominant arm with no load and with 0.454 kg load at the wrist. Motion of each arm was limited to rotation of the shoulder and elbow in the horizontal plane. Directional histograms of strokes produced by the fingertip were calculated to assess directional preferences in each arm and load condition. Possible causes for directional preferences were further investigatedby studying optimization across directions of a number of cost functions. Preferences in both arms to move in the diagonal directions were revealed. The previously suggested tendency to actively accelerate one joint and produce passive motion at the other joint was supported in both arms and load conditions. However, the load increased the tendency to produce strokes in the transverse diagonal directions (perpendicular to the forearm orientation) in both arms. Increases in required muscle effort caused by the load suggested that the higher frequency of movements in the transverse directions represented increased influence of muscle effort minimization on the selection of movement direction. This interpretation was supported by cost function optimization results. While without load, the contribution of muscle effort minimization was minor, and therefore, not apparent, the load revealed this contribution by enhancing it. Unlike control of interaction torque, the revealed tendency to minimize muscle effort was independent of arm dominance.
Relationship between the accuracy of classifier error estimation and distribution complexity

Error estimation is a crucial part of any classification problem and it becomes problematic with small samples. In this paper, we analyze the performance of some widely used error estimation methods relative to the complexity of the feature-label distribution: resubstitution, 10-fold cross validation with repetition (CV10r), leave-one-out (LOO), bootstrap .632, and bolstered resubstitution. Our definition of complexity takes into account both the complexity of the Bayes decision surface and the Bayes error. We define the complexity of distribution for a class of Gaussian mixture models. In this class, the Bayes classifier is a piecewise linear classifier and its complexity is included in our definition. Based on the defined measure of complexity, we perform experiments for 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional problems and apply different error estimation methods for distributions of different complexities. The Bias and root-mean-squared (RMS) error of the error estimators are used to analyze their performances. The simulation results show that all the estimation methods lose accuracy as the complexity increases and this performance loss is quantified as a function of distribution complexity.
Reduced Sensitivity to Ethanol Reward, But Not Ethanol Aversion, in Mice Lacking 5=HT1B Receptors

Various serotonergic receptor systems are thought to influence the motivational effects of ethanol. This experiment characterized the acquisition of ethanol-induced conditioned taste aversion and ethanol-induced conditioned place preference in mutant knockout mice lacking 5-HT 1b receptors. In the taste conditioning procedure, adult homozygous knockout mice (-/-) and homozygous wild-type mice (+/+) received access to 0.2 M NaCl solution, followed immediately by intraperitoneal injection of 0 to 4 g/kg of ethanol. Ethanol produced dose-dependent conditioned taste aversion that was the same in both genotypes. In the place conditioning procedure, knockout and wild-type mice received six pairings of a tactile stimulus with ethanol (2 g/kg, ip). A different tactile stimulus was paired with saline. Ethanol produced increases in locomotor activity, with wild-type mice showing higher levels of ethanol-stimulated activity than knockout mice during conditioning trials 5 and 6. Wild-type mice demonstrated conditioned place preference for the ethanol-paired stimulus. In contrast, knockout mice showed no evidence of place conditioning. These results are generally consistent with an important role for serotonergic systems in ethanol reward and specifically indicate that 5-HT 1b receptors are important for ethanol's rewarding effects but not for ethanol's aversive effects.
Preface: The Role of the Epidemiologist in Injury Prevention and Control—An Unmet Challenge

More young people in the United States aged 1–34 years die from injuries than from all other causes of death combined. Injuries, the fourth leading cause of death, kill nearly 150,000 US residents each year (1). They account for approximately 25 percent of all premature deaths before age 65 years in this country, 10 times the number of premature deaths from the human immunodeficiency virus. As outlined by Segui-Gomez and MacKenzie (2) in this volume of Epidemiologic Reviews, injuries are responsible for an even greater burden when morbidity and disability are measured. For example, 30 million US citizens are treated in emergency departments annually for injuries, and injuries account for nearly 8 percent of hospital discharges. The World Health Organization projects that by the year 2020, traffic injuries alone will become the sixth leading contributor to disability-adjusted life-years worldwide (3).
Synthesis of both possible isomers of the northwest quadrant of altromycin B.

The synthesis of the northwest quadrant of Altromycin B is described. The preparation of the two epimers at the quaternary carbon of the 6-deoxy-C-altrose moiety in the northwest quadrant is accomplished starting from d-glucose. A key step of our synthetic sequence is the formation of the C-glycoside linkage via the Ramberg−Backlund reaction. Two different routes are explored, which differ mainly on the timing of the conversion of glucose to altrose, either before or after the preparation of the C-glycoside. The conformation behavior of variously substituted C-altropyranoside rings is also discussed.
Metallothionein induction by bismuth in neonatal rat primary astrocyte cultures.

Abstract Metallothionein (MT) proteins and mRNA levels were determined following exposure of neonatal rat primary astrocyte cultures to bismuth. MT mRNA were probed on Northern blots with [α- 32 P]dCTP labeled synthetic cDNA probes specific for rat MT-I and MT-II mRNA. The probes for MT-I and MT-II mRNA hybridize to a single mRNA with a size appropriate for MT, approximately 550 and 450 base pairs for MT-I and MT-II, respectively. Expression of MT-I and MT-II mRNA in astrocyte monolayers exposed to 2 and 10 μM bismuth for 6 h was increased in a dose-dependent manner over MT-I and MT-II mRNA levels in control cells. Western-blot analysis revealed a time-dependent increase in MT protein synthesis through 72 h of exposure to bismuth (2–10 μM). Consistent with the bismuth-induced increase in MTs at the mRNA and protein levels, a time- (24–72 h) and dose-dependent (2–10 μM) increase in astrocytic MT-immunoreactivity was noted.
Big Cypress regional ecosystem conceptual ecological model

The Big Cypress region of southwest Florida is a diverse mosaic of upland pine flatwoods and hardwood hammocks, herbaceous wet prairies and marshes, and forested wetlands. Besides large natural landscapes, it includes extensive areas of residential and agricultural development. Dominant natural controlling factors are hydrology on the low relief land surface and fire in a subtropical environment with a strong wet-dry seasonal cycle of rainfall. Human influences on the Big Cypress ecosystem are all associated with extensive residential and agricultural development. Lowered water levels and shortened hydroperiods cause shifts to drier communities, which leads to habitat loss and more intense fires. Higher nutrient concentrations associated with agriculture and more mineralized ground-water inputs from a variety of sources favor nuisance and exotic plant species. Fragmentation of the plant community mosaic interferes with seasonal expansion and contraction of wetland water bodies and associated seasonal movements of animal populations. Fragmentation also interferes with wildlife movements and the natural spread of fire across the landscape. Disturbed environments along edges created by fragmentation facilitate invasion of natural plant and animal communities by exotic species. Efforts to eradicate fire have eliminated large areas of early successional communities, while creating high fuel loads that ultimately result in very destructive fires. The spread of exotic plants is resulting in the replacement of large areas of native plant communities, but the effects of exotic animal invasions on native animal populations are poorly known. The objective of this paper is to present a conceptual model of the major human influences on the Big Cypress region, and how they affect natural processes and selected components of the ecosystem.
Locally linear low-rank tensor approximation

Recently, collecting and storing higher order data has become more feasible with the use of methods from multilinear algebra. High order data usually lies in a low dimensional subspace or manifold along each mode and its intrinsic structure can be revealed by linear methods such as higher order SVD. However, these linear approaches may not capture the local nonlinearities in the data that may occur due to moving sensors or other nonlinearities in the measurements. In this paper, we propose to use a piecewise linear model to better identify the non-linearities in higher order data. The proposed approach decomposes the higher-order data into subtensors and fits a low rank model to each subtensor. The proposed approach is applied to simulated datasets and a video sequence captured across different angles to show its robustness to non-linear structures.
Layer-by-Layer Coatings as Infection-Resistant Biomaterials

We discuss the use of layer-by-layer (LbL) films as a powerful platform for engineering multifunctional antibacterial coatings for biomedical devices. These coatings can be designed to incorporate a variety of bioactive antimicrobial molecules, including antibiotics, cationic peptides, biofilm-disrupting and Q-sensing agents, and immunoregulatory cytokines. Here, we focus on active rather than passive delivery of antimicrobials from the coatings achieved through temperature or pH variations, as well as through the application of electric field. Of particular interest are “self-defensive” coatings which are activated in the presence of pathogens by pathogen-specific molecules or by acidification of the immediate environment by pathogenic bacteria. We describe several types of these coatings, which can carry high payloads of antimicrobials but do not release them at normal physiological conditions at pH 7.5 until the arrival of a bacterial trigger. Importantly, these coatings inhibit bacterial colonization while simultaneously promoting a healthy tissue response.
Nonequilibrium Linear Response Theory: Application to Onsager–Stefan–Maxwell Diffusion

The original regression hypothesis of Onsager contains more physics than the fluctuation–dissipation theorem. A discrepancy in a prior derivation of the reciprocal relation for Stefan–Maxwell coefficients through fluctuation theory is resolved. Along with a demonstration of the correct reciprocal relation, it is shown how to use the regression hypothesis to analyze data from an equilibrium simulation and determine values of the transport coefficients.
SP0139 Predictors for Outcome of Juvenile SLE

Approximately 20% of patients withy systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have disease which begins in childhood. Several series have reported that childhood-onset SLE (cSLE) is often more severe than adult disease with more pronounced clinical, immunologic and serologic abnormalities. In particular, renal and central nervous system (CNS) involvement tend to be more severe in pediatric than in adult patients. The morbidity and mortality associated with SLE result from a combination of severe organ damage from disease, infection or side effects and complications of treatment. Since neither disease activity nor disease damage in SLE can be measured directly with any clinical sign or laboratory value, a number of disease indices have been developed that allow standardized comparison of SLE cohorts. Disease activity indices including SLEDAI, SLAM, BILAG and ECLAM have been validated in cSLE and none appears superior. The SLICC damage index was developed to measure permanent disease damage in adults with SLE and was subsequently validated in cSLE. It has been suggested that pediatric version should include additional domains addressing pediatric specific issues such as growth failure and delayed puberty, but both indices are reversible and they do not fulfil the definition of nonreversible organ damage. Several predictors (risk factors) have been linked with poor prognosis in cSLE. Using the SLICC-DI scoring system for damage, it has been demonstrated that renal and/or CNS disease represent major determinants of morbidity and mortality in cSLE. Diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis is most consistently linked with a poor prognosis if associated with hypertension. Other suggested risk factors associated with poor prognosis in cSLE include acute thrombocytopenia, young age at diagnosis, male sex and nonwhite (black, Asian and Hispanic) ethnicity. The presence of antiphospholipid antibodies may predispose to disease damage by increasing the risk for recurrent venous thrombosis, stroke and thrombocytopenia. Similar to previous adult studies, it has been shown in cSLE that cumulative disease activity over time results in increased damage, and early introduction of therapy with immunosuppressive drugs might improve the outcome by preventing permanent damage. The exact impact of corticosteroid therapy on increased disease damage is still controversial, but patients may benefit from judicious use of corticosteroid with refined tapering schedules and early introduction of steroid-sparing drugs. It has been also demonstrated that frequent occurrence of severe, major disease flares requiring intravenous cyclophosphamide treatment represent a risk factor for damage, but not mild or moderate flares. Disclosure of Interest None Declared
Metabolism of 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) by monoamine oxidase.

SummaryOn the basis of: (1) Comparable rates of 5HTA and tyramine metabolism in tissues of 3 different animals; (2) comparable inhibition of metabolism of both amines by IIH7 a potent monoamine oxidase inhibitor; (3) a demonstration that 5HTA is metabolized by the mitochondrial portion of the liver cell; and (4) a prolongation of the effects of 5HTA in vivo following pretreatment with IIH; it is concluded that monoamine oxidase is the major pathway of 5HTA metabolism in animals.
Initial Reaction Probability and Dynamics of Ozone Collisions with a Vinyl-Terminated Self-Assembled Monolayer

The gas–surface reaction dynamics of ozone with a model unsaturated organic surface have been explored through a series of molecular beam scattering experiments. Well-characterized organic surfaces were reproducibly created by adsorption of C═C-terminated long-chain alkanethiols onto gold, while the incident molecular beams were created by supersonic expansion of ozone seeded in an inert carrier gas to afford control over collision energy. Time-of-flight distributions for the scattered molecules showed near complete thermal accommodation of ozone for incident energies as high as 70 kJ/mol. Reflection–absorption infrared spectroscopy, performed in situ with ozone exposure, revealed that oxidation of the double bond depends significantly on the translational energy of O3. For energies near room temperature, 5 kJ/mol, the initial reaction probability (γ0) for the formation of the primary ozonide was determined to be γ0 = 1.1 × 10–5. As translational energy increased to 20 kJ/mol, the reaction probability dec...
Understanding the Self-Assembly of Proteins onto Gold Nanoparticles and Quantum Dots Driven by Metal-Histidine Coordination

Coupling of polyhistidine-appended biomolecules to inorganic nanocrystals driven by metal-affinity interactions is a greatly promising strategy to form hybrid bioconjugates. It is simple to implement and can take advantage of the fact that polyhistidine-appended proteins and peptides are routinely prepared using well established molecular engineering techniques. A few groups have shown its effectiveness for coupling proteins onto Zn- or Cd-rich semiconductor quantum dots (QDs). Expanding this conjugation scheme to other metal-rich nanoparticles (NPs) such as AuNPs would be of great interest to researchers actively seeking effective means for interfacing nanostructured materials with biology. In this report, we investigated the metal-affinity driven self-assembly between AuNPs and two engineered proteins, a His7-appended maltose binding protein (MBP-His) and a fluorescent His6-terminated mCherry protein. In particular, we investigated the influence of the capping ligand affinity to the nanoparticle surface...
A stimulus generalization explanation of the serial position effect

Two experiments were run using either circles of different diameters or lines of different lengths as stimulus terms in PA learning. Those responses associated with the stimuli at the end positions of the stimulus dimensions of circle diameter and line length were learned first, producing the serial position effect. Analyses of intrusions supported a stimulus generalization explanation of the data. This explanation was extended to encompass the serial position effect in serial and PA learning.
Can Progress in Race Relations be Measured

determined traits, however, are not to be confused with, nor equated with an individual's relative position in a social configuration. For while race remains a constant, the effects of social experience -education, division of labor, and dispersion of populations-tend to produce a mobile social order and to alter social statuses interracially as well as intraracially. What is equally as important, the importation of the concept from a different cultural setting only beclouds the issue and hinders straight thinking on a race situation which is indigenous and calls for analysis in terms of its own historical and cultural setting. Two such cultural distinctions will point this up:
Increased HIV Testing among Men Who Have Sex with Men from 2008 to 2012, Nanjing, China.

Background HIV testing is the first point of HIV treatment entry for HIV-infected individuals and an avenue to engage persons at risk in prevention. In China, where the prevalence of HIV among men who have sex with men (MSM) has been rising over the last decade, uptake of HIV testing has been low. Methods We examined changes in HIV testing in the preceding 12 months through two cross-sectional surveys conducted among MSM in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China in 2008 and 2012. Respondent-driven sampling (RDS) was used to recruit participants. Questionnaire interviews and venous blood were collected to measure HIV testing, risk behaviors, and prevalence of HIV, syphilis, and HSV-2. Results A total of 430 and 589 MSM were surveyed in 2008 and 2012, respectively, with comparable samples in each round with respect to demographic characteristics. HIV testing in the past 12 months increased significantly from 20.1% (95% CI 13.3–26.8) in 2008 to 46.0% (95% CI 39.3–51.4, p < 0.001) in 2012. HIV prevalence was stable, at 6.6% (95% CI 2.5–11.3) in 2008 and 10.1% (95% CI 6.6–13.9, p = 0.240) in 2012, as was syphilis (14.3% in 2008 vs. 9.9% in 2012, p = 0.240). HSV-2 prevalence (18.6% in 2008 vs. 10.2% in 2012, p = 0.040) and self-reported STI in the last year (24.3% in 2008 vs. 14.3% in 2012, p = 0.020) significantly decreased. Changes in reported sexual behaviors were mixed and the profiles of who did and did not test varied between 2008 and 2012. Conclusions HIV testing uptake more than doubled among MSM in Nanjing from 2008 to 2012 –a period of massive promotion and scale up of testing programs for MSM. However, additional efforts are still needed to further increase the proportion of men being not only tested but also undergoing repeat testing if they engage in continued risk taking behavior.
Pro-decentralization Strategies for the Future

To meet the challenge of promoting decentralization under a two-party political system, Dominican pro-municipal advocates might consider action in five areas: craft ing and communicating clear messages justifying power-diff usion; undertaking innovative policy eff orts in the municipal arena, perhaps through well-defined pilot programs; strengthening ties with infl uential interest groups in business, religion, and the NGO sector; promoting regional institutions as a buff er between the central state and municipalities; and sponsoring additional research that might identify new paths to decentralization or aid in removing obstacles to its progress. The municipalista coalition has shown a penchant for deft utilization of the existing political system in order to promote reform, and continuing that inventive tradition offers promise for the future.
Structural and electrical properties of InN nanowires grown by chemical vapor deposition

InN is one of the most interesting materials among all group III–V nitrides for semiconductor device and sensor applications due to its direct band gap in the infrared range, smallest effective mass and highest electron drift velocity. Although several studies on InN NW growth [1], optical [1], and electronic [2] properties have been reported in recent days, there are issues with low growth rates (a few microns per hour), nonuniform cross-sections, and large variations in the material properties. Also planar growth of InN NWs has been difficult to achieve which results expensive, and complicated device fabrication process limiting the applications of these NWs. This has motivated researchers worldwide to explore controlled growth of high quality InN NW, and simple, yet effective, device fabrication process.
Sickle Cell Trait, Oral Contraceptives, and the Risk of Venous Thromboembolism.

We recently reported that sickle-cell trait (SCT) is a risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE) among African Americans (1). Since current usage of oral contraceptives (OC’s) is an established risk factor for VTE in women of European descent, we investigated the joint effect of OC’s and SCT on VTE risk in the Genetic Attributes and Thrombosis Epidemiology (GATE) study. This case-control study included 57 African American women with an idiopathic, first deep-vein thrombosis and/or pulmonary embolism and 185 controls between the ages of 18 and 49. Subjects were genotyped at codon 6 (E>V) for the hemoglobin S mutation and were interviewed about OC usage. The distribution of cases and controls according to current OC use and SCT is displayed below: The odds ratio of VTE among OC users versus women not currently using OC’s is 2.7 (95% CI: 1.4, 5.1; P = 0.003). However, among subjects with SCT, the odds ratio for OC use is considerably higher (OR = 7.0; 1.1, 45; P = 0.04) than is the odds ratio for OC use among women without SCT (OR = 2.1; 1.0, 4.3; P = 0.05), although the difference in these two odds ratios is not statistically significant (P > 0.20). Nonetheless, the findings indicate that overall, current OC use is a strong risk factor for VTE among African American women. The observation that there is synergy between current OC use and SCT provides some additional support for the finding that SCT is a risk factor for VTE. However, a limitation of this analysis is small numbers and the resultant imprecision. Replication of these findings is thus required before causation can be established.
On exact and near optimal power flow solutions for microgrid applications

Control of inverter-based microgrids is typically accomplished through a hierarchical control architecture, where the lower level controllers are designed to ensure convergence to a desired equilibrium determined by the upper level controller. Selecting the equilibrium can be cast as an optimal power flow (OPF) problem. The OPF problems associated with microgrid applications often involve non-monotone cost functions and nontrivial reactive power cost, posting new challenges for OPF problems that have not been completely addressed in the literature. In this paper, we formulate a distributed OPF problem motivated by microgrid control applications. We first derive new conditions on the exact SDP convex relaxation on the OPF problems with quadratic cost functions on the active and reactive power. For microgrids with tree topology, we show that under mild conditions on the reactive power bounds, a near global optimal solution can always be found for the OPF problem with those nontrivial cost functions. Such results are not only important for microgrid applications, but also provide new perspectives and insights for general OPF problems. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated through numerical examples.
Measures of Agricultural Purchasing Power

One result of the post-war disparity between agricultural and non-agricultural prices has been an emphasis on the fact that the economic welfare of any group in society depends upon the exchange value of its goods and services for the goods and services of other groups. This idea has been expressed in a variety of loose comments and rough comparisons. The three phrases, "the purchasing power of the farmer's dollar," "the purchasing power of the farmer's product," and "the purchasing power of the farmer, or the farmer's income," have been used interchangeably. Much publicity has been given to the first two of these phrases without recognizing that it is the third concept, namely, the purchasing power of the farmer, which is of greatest importance. This brief paper will attempt to deal only with the outstanding differences between these three forms of agricultural purchasing power and to indicate briefly the practical significance of the purchasing power of the farmer's income as a measure of agricultural welfare and as an element in the business activity of the country as a whole.
Perspectives on the Overall Risks of Living With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common genetic heart disease, unique in many respects among cardiovascular conditions, including its extreme clinical heterogeneity. Through the years, HCM has acquired the unfortunate reputation as an unrelenting disease with a highly unfavorable and generally grim prognosis, and largely without effective treatment strategies or acceptable expectation for longevity and quality of life.1 Many patients with HCM, based on evaluation in general cardiology practices, have come to mistakenly believe that their diagnosis is among the least favorable that could confront them. This highly negative perception, created in part by early reports of cohorts impacted by patient referral bias, persists despite recent major advances in diagnosis and treatment, including advanced imaging, contemporary risk stratification, and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators for sudden death prevention2; surgical septal myectomy, alcohol ablation, and heart transplant to reverse progressive heart failure; prophylactic anticoagulation to prevent embolic stroke; and defibrillation and targeted temperature management for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.1 …
Lightning over Three Large Tropical Lakes and the Strait of Malacca: Exploratory Analyses

AbstractLightning stroke density measured by the Global Lightning Dataset (GLD360) has shown several strong maxima around the globe. Several of these extremes are located over large tropical water bodies surrounded by terrain features. Four prominent maxima are examined and compared in this study: Lake Maracaibo in South America, the Strait of Malacca in equatorial Asia, Lake Victoria in East Africa, and Lake Titicaca in South America. Specifically, the authors observe that all four water bodies exhibit sustained maxima in lightning occurrence all night, the peak lightning frequency occurs very late at night or the following morning at three of the four sites, and the nocturnal maxima are out of phase at the four locations even though the afternoon maxima over the surrounding terrain all occur between 1500 and 1700 local solar time. The meteorological factors affecting the diurnal cycle of lightning occurrence over these four water bodies, which are all adjacent to mountains, are explored in this study.
Binding host proteins to the M protein contributes to the mortality associated with influenza-Streptococcus pyogenes superinfections.

The mortality associated with influenza A virus (IAV) is often due to the development of secondary bacterial infections known as superinfections. The group A streptococcus (GAS) is a relatively uncommon cause of IAV superinfections, but the mortality of these infections is high. We used a murine model to determine whether the surface-localized GAS M protein contributes to the outcome of IAV–GAS superinfections. A comparison between wild-type GAS and an M protein mutant strain (emm3) showed that the M3 protein was essential to virulence. To determine whether the binding, or recruitment, of host proteins to the bacterial surface contributed to virulence, GAS was suspended with BALF collected from mice that had recovered from a sub-lethal infection with IAV. Following intranasal inoculation of naive mice, the mortality associated with the wild-type strain, but not the emm3 mutant strain, was greater compared to mice inoculated with GAS suspended with either BALF from uninfected mice or PBS. Further analyses showed that both albumin and fibrinogen (Fg) were more abundant in the respiratory tract 8 days after IAV infection, that M3 bound both proteins to the bacterial surface, and that suspension of GAS with either protein increased GAS virulence in the absence of antecedent IAV infection. Overall, the results showed that M3 is essential to the virulence of GAS in an IAV superinfection and suggested that increased abundance of albumin and Fg in the respiratory tract following IAV infection enhanced host susceptibility to secondary GAS infection.
Unions of left-separated spaces

A space is left-separated if it has a well ordering for which initial segments are closed. We explore when the union of two left-separated spaces must be left-separated. We prove that if X and Y are left-separated and $${X \cup Y}$$ is locally countable, then whenever $${{\rm ord}_\ell(Y ) \leq \omega_{1}, X \cup Y}$$ is left-separated. In 1986, Fleissner [2] proved that if a space has a point-countable base, then it is left-separated if and only if it is $${\sigma}$$ -weakly separated. We provide a new proof of this result using elementary submodels and add an additional characterization.
Victimization-Precipitated Residential Mobility Among Women Offenders:

Victims of crime are likely to move residence following their victimization. However, the reasons for and the outcomes of victimization-precipitated moves remain unclear. The current study uses lif...
The syndromic nature of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Let me start with a confession, I do not believe in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This used to bother me, but now I recognize this disbelief as an advance and an advantage. It is an advance because it explains things previously unexplainable like the clinical variations in presentation, duration, and severity of the disorder, the occasional remissions and improvements and the unusual cases that are due to a definite cause. It is an advantage because it enables me to initiate a detailed evaluation of each patient, with a clear conscience that I am not wasting time or money and with reasonable expectation of success. I conduct the investigation as if the patient’s life depended on the outcome, as it often does. My motto is to spend as much time and money evaluating each patient with ALS as I would have spent if that patient had cancer or leukemia or some other usually serious and often fatal condition.
The Effect of Bacillus Coagulans and Galactomannans on the Quality of Life of Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of probiotics and prebiotics (LactoWise®) on the quality of life (QOL) of morbidly obese patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) using the Gastrointestinal Quality of Index (GIQLI). Study was made of 60 consecutive patients undergoing LSG, who were randomized into two groups, one of which took LactoWise® and the other a placebo. The LactoWise® group received 4.5 billion live cells of Bacillus coagulans and galactomannans (300 mg) in capsule form, and the placebo group received 600 mg of calcium citrate yielding 126 mg of elemental calcium, in identical capsules, daily for 3 months post-surgery. The participants completed the GIQLI prior to surgery at their pre-operation consultation and 3 times post-surgery, at 2 and 6 weeks and at 3 months. A total of 40 patients, with a mean age of 48.0±12.7 years and body mass index (BMI) of 46.2 ±8.0 kg/m2 completed the study. In both the group taking LactoWise® and the placebo group, following surgery a significant improvement in QOL, according to the median scores on GIQLI was recorded over time (p<0.001). Pairwise comparison showed a significant difference between the baseline and each time point (weeks 2 and 6 and month 3). No difference in GIQLI score was detected between the two groups. Bariatric surgery has a positive impact on the QOL of morbidly obese patients, as assessed by their scores on the GIQLI. No difference in GIQLI scores was demonstrated with the use of probiotics and prebiotics.
Service Management and Model Driven Management

The traditional model management and the service system, which is the key element of DSS, only support the single format model in the special application field. Based on the decision requirements assisted by several models, this article designs the general model and the service management system that provides general administration and service for different models of format in the network. The system proposes the solution to manage different format models by providing a framework generator model that aims to analyze the top-down framework of the decision problem and the application of the model that aims to integrate the bottom-up model function.
3 New generation hydrogel endovascular aneurysm treatment (HEAT) trial

Introduction Recurrence remains a limitation of endovascular aneurysm treatment. The Hydrogel Coil (Microvention, Aliso Viejo, CA) that constitutes a platinum core surrounded by a hydrogel coat was developed to enhance packing density and healing within an aneurysm, with the ultimate goal of improving durability rates. The first-generation HydroCoil showed positive results in terms of aneurysm recurrence; however, widespread adoption was limited by technical challenges. For this purpose, a second-generation Hydrogel Coil (HES – HydroCoil Embolic System) was developed. Its design allows for longer working times (20–30 min), and an ease of use which seems to parallel platinum coils. The New Generation Hydrogel Endovascular Aneurysm Treatment (HEAT) Trial aimed to compare the second generation HydroCoil Embolic System with bare platinum coils in a study of 600 subjects. Methods This is a randomized, controlled, multicenter, post-market clinical trial. Subjects between 18 and 75 years of age with ruptured or unruptured intracranial aneurysms (3–14 mm in size) who were amenable to endovascular treatment were randomized in a 1:1 fashion to each of the treatment arms in 46 participating sites. The protocol stipulated that subjects randomized to the HES arm be treated with at least 90% second-generation hydrogel coils and subjects randomized to the bare platinum arm strictly receive bare platinum coil. The primary endpoint of the trial was aneurysm recurrence over an 18 month follow-up period. Secondary endpoints included packing density, initial occlusion, retreatment, hemorrhage from the treated aneurysm, mortality, and aneurysm occlusion stability. Results Enrollment began on June 20, 2012 and ended in January 15, 2016. Among screened subjects (n=3971), 600 patients were randomized (HES n=297 and bare platinum n=303). Aneurysm size was similar in both arms with a mean of 6.86 mm in the HES group and 6.93 mm in the bare platinum group. Recanalization rates were 4.4% for the HES arm and 15.4% for the bare platinum arm (p Conclusion In the HEAT trial, the second-generation Hydrogel Coil is found to be superior to the bare platinum coil in reducing aneurysm recurrence rates. In addition, long-term clinical assessment was similar between both arms. Our study results support the preferential use of Hydrogel coils for the endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms. Disclosures K. Abi-Aad: 1; C; MicroVention, Inc. J. Ward: 1; C; MicroVention, Inc. J. Kniss: 1; C; MicroVention, Inc. R. Aoun: None. C. Krishna: None. M. Welz: None. F. Tian: None. B. Bendok: 1; C; MicroVention, Inc.
The Rate Of Complications Associated With Concomitant Use Of Dabigatran With Cryoballoon Ablation For Atrial Fibrillation.

Introduction: Catheter ablation is an evolving therapeutic strategy for the management of atrial fibrillation (AF). It is associated with a risk of thromboembolic events. The peri-procedural anticoagulation management with warfarin has been successful in mitigating this risk. However, introduction of novel oral anticoagulants like dabigatran offers more flexibility in anticoagulation approaches. Previous studies had evaluated the safety and efficacy of dabigatran in the radiofrequency ablation, but data related to cryoballoon ablation is lacking. Methods and Results: We performed a retrospective observational study involving patients who underwent cryoballoon ablation for drug-refractory, symptomatic AF while on dabigatran in periprocedural period. Thromboembolic, hemorrhagic or other complications occurring within the first 30 days after the ablation procedure were analyzed. Our study population comprised of 50 patients with mean age of 58.96 ± 3.54 years with 76% (n=38) being male. We found 3 (6%) minor complications in peri-procedural period including 2 groin hematomas and 1 trace asymptomatic pericardial effusion. There were no major intraprocedural or post procedural hemorrhagic or thromboembolic events. None of patients with the minor complications required significant additional workup or extended hospital stay. All the patients were able to continue dabigatran for 30 days without any additional side effects or complications. Conclusion: Dabigatran is a safe and efficacious agent in patients undergoing cryoballoon AF ablation.
2018: A watershed year for psychedelic science

While interest in the study of psychedelic drugs has increased over much of the last decade, in this article, we argue that 2018 marked the true turning point for the field. Substantive advances in...
Well posed formulations of holonomic mechanical system dynamics and design sensitivity analysis

Manifold theoretic ordinary differential equations of motion for holonomic mechanical systems that depend on problem data, or design variables, are shown to be well posed; i.e., they have a unique ...
Addition of Steroids Improves Outcomes in Children and Adults with CAP.

Adding corticosteroid treatment to the management of CAP is beneficial for children and adults. Treatment decreases clinical failures, time in the hospital, and the risk of death in adults with severe pneumonia.
Market Share of US Catholic Hospitals and Associated Geographic Network Access to Reproductive Health Services

Importance Access to reproductive health services is a public health goal. It is unknown how geographic and health plan network availability of Catholic and non-Catholic hospitals may be associated with access to reproductive health services in the United States. Objective To characterize the market share of Catholic hospitals in the United States, both overall and within Marketplace health insurance plans’ hospital networks. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study of US counties used data on hospitals’ Catholic affiliation and discharges, hospital networks in Marketplace health insurance plans, and US Census population data to construct a national, county-level data set. The Catholic hospital market share overall in each county and in Marketplace plans’ hospital networks in each county were calculated. The study examined whether the Catholic hospital market share was different within Marketplace networks compared with the counties they served. Data analysis was conducted in May and June 2018. Main Outcomes and Measures The overall Catholic hospital market share was calculated on the basis of the share of discharges in Catholic hospitals in a county compared with all hospital discharges. Overall market share was categorized as minimal (≤2%), low (>2% to ≤20%), high (>20% to ≤70%), or dominant (>70%). The Catholic hospital market share in Marketplace networks was calculated as the share of Catholic hospital discharges in each Marketplace network. Results The sample included 4450 hospitals in 3101 counties. Overall, 26.1% of US counties had minimal Catholic hospital market share, 38.6% had low Catholic hospital market share, and 35.3% had high or dominant Catholic hospital market share; 38.7% of US reproductive-aged women resided in counties with high or dominant Catholic hospital market share. Among counties with Catholic hospital market share greater than 2%, the distribution of the median Marketplace network’s Catholic hospital market share (median [interquartile range], 4.6% [0%-24.3%]) was lower than overall Catholic hospital market share (median [interquartile range], 18.5% [8.1%-36.5%]). The median Marketplace hospital network had a lower Catholic hospital market share than the county overall in 68.0% of US counties with Catholic hospital market share greater than 2%. Conclusions and Relevance In this national study, 35.3% of counties had high or dominant Catholic hospital market share serving an estimated 38.7% of US women of reproductive age. Marketplace health insurance plans’ hospital networks included a lower share of Catholic hospitals than the counties they serve.
Renal Core Biopsy from the Pathologist’s Point of View

Syringes or syringe-like devices have been used to aspirate collections of fluids since as early as the fifteenth century. Medicine has come a long way since that era. Tumors continue to be defined, and procedures continue to be refined. While there is no doubt that there are advantages with the renal biopsy procedure, there are also potential pitfalls and limitations that one needs to be aware of in clinical practice. Certain key aspects of the histopathologic interpretation process are deeply embedded in nuance; hence, the art of the science is derived. Much has been learned by pathologists with regard to specimen triage and appropriate immunohistochemical employment and, importantly, limitations associated with histologic evaluation. In this chapter, we endeavor to present salient practical, clinical points regarding pathologic diagnostic interpretation, limitations, and pitfalls associated with renal mass biopsy.
Transferable Policies for Large Scale Wireless Networks with Graph Neural Networks

We consider the problem of finding optimal power allocations subject to system constraints in ad-hoc wireless networks. The resulting optimization problem has the form of a constrained learning problem, motivating the use of a function parameterization such as a neural network. While such a policy can be trained with a primal-dual learning method, traditional neural network architectures are unsuitable for execution in wireless networks, as such networks change frequently in practice, rendering the learned neural network ineffective. To learn a transferable policy that can generalize to varying and growing networks, we propose the use of so-called random edge graph neural networks (REGNNs). Such REG-NNs are shown to exhibit an essential permutation invariance property for the power allocation problem that suggest transference capabilities. In numerical simulations, we validate this suggestion by showing how REGNNs trained on a single ad-hoc network outperform baselines in new randomly drawn networks of growing size.