cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy/Dysplasia (ARVC/D): Review of 16 Pediatric Cases and a Proposal of Modified Pediatric Criteria

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia (ARVC/D) is a heritable cardiomyopathy characterized by fibro-fatty replacement of right ventricular myocardium. Diagnostic criteria, established in 1994 and modified in 2010, are based on predominately adult manifestations of ARVC/D. The goal of this paper is to review a single-center experience with pediatric ARVC/D and propose modifications of current diagnostic criteria to appropriately include pediatric ARVC/D. We identified 16 pediatric cases of ARVC/D from our tertiary care center. Patient demographics, presentation, course, genetic testing, and family history were reviewed. Sixteen patients were diagnosed with ARVC/D through the modified diagnostic criteria, genetic testing, and pathology. Five patients had positive family histories. Five patients presented with cardiac arrest, and six were found to have ventricular tachycardia. Two patients presented with heart failure. Six autopsies, six explanted hearts, and three biopsies found massive fibro-fatty infiltration of the right ventricular wall. Six patients underwent heart transplantation, and two have received automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator. Two patients had identifiable genetic mutations previously noted in the literature. One patient had a novel mutation of a known ARVC/D gene. Many pediatric patients do not meet the current ARVC/D diagnostic criteria, resulting in delays in diagnosis and treatment. The current criteria need further revision to encompass pediatric manifestations of ARVC/D. In our opinion, pathological and clinical findings alone are sufficient for accurate diagnosis of pediatric ARVC/D. Creating modified pediatric criteria would facilitate prompt diagnosis and management of ARVC/D and facilitate structured research with the goal of improving outcomes.
Crystal structure of 2,3-di-methyl-maleic anhydride: continuous chains of electrostatic attraction.

In the crystal structure of 2,3-di­methyl­maleic anhydride, C6H6O3, the closest non-bonding inter­molecular distances, between the carbonyl C and O atoms of neighboring mol­ecules, were measured as 2.9054 (11) and 3.0509 (11) A, which are well below the sum of the van der Waals radii for these atoms. These close contacts, as well as packing motifs similar to that of the title compound, were also found in the crystal structure of maleic anhydride itself and other 2,3-disubstituted maleic anhydrides. Computational modeling suggests that this close contact is caused by strong electrostatic inter­actions between the carbonyl C and O atoms.
Diphtheria carriers among Massachusetts school children

A study of nose and throat cultures from over 8,000 school children of Massachusetts, from 5 to 15 years of age, has been made during the past year and a half. The cultures were taken in 35 cities and towns throughout the state, as a rule, under the direction of the school physicians. Nose and throat cultures were taken from each child. They were taken because a noticeable number of cases of diphtheria had occurred in the schools. They would, therefore, be considered contact cultures although probably many of the pupils did not come in contact with the cases. In some instances cultures were taken from all the pupils in a school, in others, from the pupils in a single room, when the cases were limited to one room.
Processing of Organic/Inorganic Composites by Stereolithography

Ceramic StereoLithography (CSL) is used to fabricate complex shaped ceramic powder compacts by laser photocuring a concentrated ceramic dispersion in photocuring solutions layer-by-layer. The main processing parameters in CSL such as layer thickness, resolution, hatch spacing, and overcure depend on knowledge of the light propagation in a concentrated dispersion. In studies dealing with the processing of ceramic-filled organics, we investigated the depth of curing for model resin systems as a function of photoinitiator concentration. An optimal photoinitiator concentration that maximized the gel cure depth was observed The study showed that photoinitiator plays a significant role in controlling the quality and performance of the formed gel network, with special regard to thickness of cured layers. This has potential application to fields as diverse as industrially cured coatings and dental fillings, and more generally, 3-dimensional fabrication techniques.
Develop Vocational Education Exploit Human Resources

We should have a lot of labors with high qualities in developing economics in our country.According to the situation of workers in our country,I found we should develop the education of vocational technology and reinforce the usage of labor resource and promote the whole qualities of the work forces.
[Epidemiological characteristic of first case of locally identified A/H1N1 secondary cases caused by imported source of infection in China].

Objective To study the first locally identifcd A/HINI secondary cases outbreak in China. Methods Interview and field investigation were integrated to describe the whole process of transmission on each case and to illustrate the relationships between the onset of the disease and the retated factors. Results Two contact persons appearanced fever and whose throat swabs were tested positive to H1N1 viral nucleic acid. The two had a history of contact in a short distance with the initial imported case without any protective measure in the poor air ventilation. The patients clinical situation was slight. The incubation was between 37 hours and 57 hours. No other new case was found after intervention as isolation and antisepsis were taken. Conclusion This event was proved to be an outbreak of local A/H1N1 secondary cases caused by the imported case. The main mode of transmission was personal contact in a short distance without protection, through air and droplet. The locus with poor air ventilation was high risk place. Contact persons should be observed seven days and tested continuously.Infectivity and pathogenicity of the A/H1N1 virus were limited and appeared weakened by generations. Patient's condition was related with persistence and frequency of contact with the infection sources. Enhancing management of contact persons, health education, early diagnose, early treatment and early insulation were effective measures of controling and prenventing the spread A/H1N1. Key words: A/H1N1 ; Autochthonous infection; Epidcmiologic feature
Intramural lymphatic cyst of bovine heterograft

An intramural lymphatic cyst of a bovine heterograft is described. This previously unreported complication presented as a pulsatile mass in the thigh of an 84-year-old woman who had undergone vascular reconstruction 12 months previously. The clinical presentation, operative findings, and pathological findings are described, and the management of the case is discussed.
Reactive species and signal transduction

free radicals such as superoxideand nitric oxide and reactive species such as peroxides and peroxynitrite have been traditionally studied as mediators of cellular and tissue pathology. However, free radicals and reactive species generated enzymatically or through chemical interactions, usually
Chronic Effects of Blast-Related TBI on Subcortical Functional Connectivity in Veterans

Objectives Blast explosions are the most frequent mechanism of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in recent wars, but little is known about their long-term effects. Methods Functional connectivity (FC) was measured in 17 veterans an average of 5.46 years after their most serious blast related TBI, and in 15 demographically similar veterans without TBI or blast exposure. Subcortical FC was measured in bilateral caudate, putamen, and globus pallidus. The default mode and fronto-parietal networks were also investigated. Results In subcortical regions, between-groups t tests revealed altered FC from the right putamen and right globus pallidus. However, following analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with age, depression (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale), and posttraumatic stress disorder symptom (PTSD Checklist - Civilian version) measures, significant findings remained only for the right globus pallidus with anticorrelation in bilateral temporal occipital fusiform cortex, occipital fusiform gyrus, lingual gyrus, and cerebellum, as well as the right occipital pole. No group differences were found for the default mode network. Although reduced FC was found in the fronto-parietal network in the TBI group, between-group differences were nonsignificant after the ANCOVA. Conclusions FC of the globus pallidus is altered years after exposure to blast related TBI. Future studies are necessary to explore the trajectory of changes in FC in subcortical regions after blast TBI, the effects of isolated versus repetitive blast-related TBI, and the relation to long-term outcomes in veterans. (JINS, 2016, 22, 631-642).
IR studies of carbons—V Effects of nacl on cellulose pyrolysis and char oxidation

The pyrolysis in vacuum of cellulose containing 5 wt.% of NaCl (NCC) was followed by i.r. photothermal beam deflection spectroscopy, and compared observations made with pure cellulose (PC) [Carbon21, 238 (1983)]. Although the overall aspects of NCC and PC pyrolysis were similar, NaCl accelerated the cellulose decomposition, the relative amounts of aliphatic and aromatic residues were changed, and i.r.-detectable species disappeared about 100°C lower than with PC, all implying changes in the decomposition and charring mechanisms. The reactions of NCC chars with O2 was also followed and compared with those of PC chars. NaCl caused the ratios of oxidation products to change (some band assignments are discussed) but the behavior of NCC chars produced at 650°C, when NaCl evaporated, was similar to high-temperature PC chars.
Role of simulation in the design of the rapid force projection initiative (RFPI) early version demonstration (EVD)

This paper discusses the simulation activities used to support the planning and implementation of the Rapid Force Projection Initiative (RFPI) Early Version Demonstration (EVD) exercise, the particular uses of a variety of simulations, and the relation of the EVD simulation program to the overall RFPI program simulation architecture. In addition to these topics, a brief description is presented of the U.S. Army Missile Command simulation facilities used in support of the RFPI program.
A new non-radioactive deoxyhypusine synthase assay adaptable to high throughput screening

Deoxyhypusine synthase (DHS) catalyzes the post-translational modification of eukaryotic translation factor 5A (eIF5A) by the polyamine, spermidine, that converts one specific lysine residue to deoxyhypusine [N e -4-aminobutyl(lysine)], which is subsequently hydroxylated to hypusine [N e -4-amino-2-hydroxybutyl(lysine)]. Hypusine synthesis represents the most critical function of polyamine. As eIF5A has been implicated in various human diseases, identification of specific inhibitors of hypusine modification is of vital importance. DHS catalyzes a complex reaction that occurs in two stages, first, the NAD-dependent cleavage of spermidine to form an enzyme-butylimine intermediate and enzyme-bound NADH, and second, the transfer of the butylimine moiety from the enzyme intermediate to the eIF5A precursor and subsequent reduction of the eIF5A-butylimine intermediate by enzyme-bound NADH to form deoxyhypusine [N e -4-aminobutyl(lysine)]. Our data demonstrate that there is a measurable release of enzyme-bound NADH in the absence of eIF5A precursor and that the DHS activity can be determined by coupling the first phase reaction with the NADH-Glo assay in which the generation of luminescence is dependent on NADH derived from the DHS partial reaction. The conventional DHS assay that measures the incorporation of radioactivity from [1,8-3H]spermidine into the eIF5A precursor in the complete reaction cannot be readily adapted for high throughput screening (HTS). In contrast, the non-radioactive DHS/NADH-Glo coupled assay is highly specific, sensitive and reproducible and could be configured for HTS of small molecule libraries for the identification of new inhibitors of DHS. Furthermore, the coupled assay provides new insights into the dynamics of the DHS reaction especially regarding the fate of NADH.
Refining Immunotherapy Approvals.

This issue of Clinical Cancer Research includes a CCR Focus on immunotherapy, appearing 10 years after Drs. Zang and Allison in a Focus article introduced our readers to the idea that blocking the PD-L1/PD-1 interaction could enhance antitumor immunity and reverse the poor prognosis conferred by
Maintenance of photosynthesis by Betula populifolia in metal contaminated soils.

Abstract Improving our understanding of plant responses to elevated trace metal concentrations under field conditions will enhance restoration and urban greening practices in settings with contaminated soils. This study examined the effects of trace metal pollution on the leaf gas exchange rates of mature, field-grown Betula populifolia Marsh. (gray birch) trees, additionally assessing whether elevated temperature and drought compounded the effects of trace metal contamination. The study compared B. populifolia growing in areas of comparatively high and low trace metal loads (HML and LML, respectively) within a former rail yard at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA. Gas exchange parameters were determined monthly from May through September in 2014 and 2015 using a portable photosynthesis system. The effects of drought and high temperature were assessed during a short heat wave in July 2015 and via a manipulative experiment, respectively. During a few of the measurement months, some parameters differed significantly between the LML and HML groups. However, when considered over the entire study period, no significant differences in biophysical parameters were observed between groups. The photosynthetic capacity of B. populifolia thus appears to be fairly robust across this site's steep gradient of trace metal contamination. Nonetheless, leaf mass per unit area was significantly lower in the HML group, indicating that metal loads affected resource allocation within trees. Also, immediately following the heat wave in 2015, intrinsic water use efficiency declined significantly in the HML group, suggesting that extreme climatic conditions can have a disproportionate effect on the physiological performance of plants growing in metal contaminated soils.
Assaying Repair at DNA Nicks

Nicks are the most common form of DNA damage, but they have only recently been shown to initiate damage that requires repair. Analysis of the pathways of nick repair in human cells has benefited from the development of enzymes that target nicks to specific sites in the genome and of reporters that enable rapid analysis of homology-directed repair and mutagenic end joining. Nicks undergo efficient repair by single-stranded oligonucleotide donors complementary to either the nicked or intact DNA strand, via pathways that are normally suppressed by RAD51. Here we discuss the details of reporter assays that take advantage of the convenience and sensitivity of flow cytometry to analyze pathways of repair at targeted DNA nicks. These assays are readily carried out in 96-well format cell culture plates, enabling mechanistic questions to be addressed by determining the contributions of specific factors by depletion and/or ectopic expression.
The Role of FRET in Non-Fullerene Organic Solar Cells: Implications for Molecular Design.

Non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) have been demonstrated to be promising candidates for highly efficient organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices. The tunability of absorption characteristics of NFAs can be used to make OPVs with complementary donor–acceptor absorption to cover a broad range of the solar spectrum. However, both charge transfer from donor to acceptor moieties and energy (energy) transfer from high-bandgap to low-bandgap materials are possible in such structures. Here, we show that when charge transfer and exciton transfer processes are both present, the coexistence of excitons in both domains can cause a loss mechanism. Charge separation of excitons in a low-bandgap material is hindered due to exciton population in the larger bandgap acceptor domains. Our results further show that excitons in low-bandgap material should have a relatively long lifetime compared to the transfer time of excitons from higher bandgap material in order to contribute to the charge separation. These observations provide si...
“You Can Never Give Up Siyez If You Taste It Once”: Local Taste, Global Markets, and the Conservation of Einkorn, an Ancient Wheat

Einkorn ( Triticum monococcum ), locally known as siyez in northwest Turkey, is a hulled wheat variety. It is a semi-wild relative of wheat and is considered one of the Neolithic founder crops of agriculture, along with emmer and barley. Grown in the ancient Near East for at least eight thousand years, its production today is limited to marginal mountainous and isolated communities in different countries of the Mediterranean region. This article examines the expansion of einkorn markets in Turkey, an important wheat exporting and processing country, which has created increased income opportunities for small farmers in Ihsangazi, Kastamonu. Although einkorn already fits into the broad dietary habits of Turkish consumers, gradual market expansion has occurred as urban middle-class consumers acquire a taste for it. While the emergence of health niche markets has been one factor, the interventions of multiple actors have also helped to create and sustain these markets that connect local producers to both local and global consumers.
Biosynthesis of the Amanita Cyclic Peptide Toxins

To a scientist in 1986, the prospects of ever identifying the enzymatic pathway, much less the genes, involved in the biosynthesis of the Amanita peptide toxins must have seemed remote. The organisms are intractable to culture, the molecules are uniquely complex, gene cloning was in its infancy, and high-throughput genomic sequencing was not yet invented. Several indirect approaches to gain at least some insight into the pathway were attempted in the author’s and other’s laboratories in the first decade of the twenty-first century, including feeding radiolabeled amino acids to mushroom slices, in vitro assays for nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) using the ATP/PPi exchange assay (Walton 1987), DNA hybridization with heterologous NRPS probes, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based on conserved motifs in NRPSs. All these attempts were unsuccessful.
Thermal Properties of Mullite-Cordierite Composites

The thermal conductivity and specific heat of mullite-cordierite composites have been measured in the temperature range 90 K to 420 K. The sound velocity, as determined from a fit to the specific heat data, agrees well with velocities determined from mechanical measurements. The temperature and composition dependence of the phonon mean free path is established. The thermal conductivity as a function of composition passes through a minimum for the mullite-rich compositions due to a minimum in the upper limit of the phonon mean free path. Solid solution formation is a possible cause.
Perception And Control Of Self-Motion: Implications For Visual Simulation Of Vehicular Locomotion

Few pedestrians have ever died by running into another pedestrian or a tree. Vehicles travel faster than people can run and people do die. Curiously, the perceived speed of self-motion may be alarmingly slow such as experienced in a high flying jet. Further, the same physical speed may be experienced differently, for example, when traveling in a car versus a truck. Still further, the same speed in the same vehicle may appear quite different after traveling several hours on a high-speed road. Because the discrepancy between physical and perceived speeds presumably does lead to fatal accidents, human factors researchers are actively trying to achieve a fundamental understanding of the problem of the perception and control of self-motion. This includes the control of altitude and heading as well as speed. The researchers are also studying ways to prevent accidents during real self-motion by better use of vehicle simulators. Better simulator use refers to their design, to the information they provide, and to the training programs. The general review in this chapter indicates that we do not yet have a sufficient knowledge of the principles of the perception and control of self-motion to satisfactorily deal with the problems at hand. However, several studies are presented in detail from an aviation psychology program which is achieving a union of basic and applied research.
Investigation of Proteolytic Activity in Bovine Lenses with Age I. the Exopeptidases

Bovine lens exopeptidases including an esterase, leucine aminopeptidase and a triglycinpeptidase were assayed in lenses ranging in age from a few days old to eighteen years of age. Esterase activity increased in lenses in excess of 15 years. Leucine aminopeptidase showed significant increase during the early postnatal growth phase and again after 15 years of age. Triglycinpeptidase gave similar activities, however, on a much lower level of magnitude.
Correlation of Group Frequencies with Molecular Conformation

Since biological molecules are often of high molecular weight with many unknown structural features, the study of smaller molecular weight organic molecules having known structures of variable geometry can be very useful. Several examples of correlations of this type are known and are usually directly applicable to the larger systems in providing the desired relationship. Some of the strategy and tactics in Raman spectroscopy of biological molecules was presented in a recent article by Lord [1]. Group frequencies provide the vast amount of Raman information used to correlate the observed frequency with molecular conformation. Two examples of potentially useful correlations of this type will be given in the section which follows immediately. The first shows the dependence of the frequency of the carbonyl stretch on the C-C-C angle at the carbonyl carbon. The second relates frequency of the OH-vibration in strongly hydrogen bonded crystals with the O-O distance determined by x-ray diffraction. Subsequent sections will include correlations of other vibrational frequencies of proteins with molecular geometries as illustrated by group frequencies of amides, sulfides, and phosphates. This will provide a basis for the comtemporary work on the interpretation of Raman spectra of biological molecules.
The role of theory in teaching supportive psychotherapy.

Supportive therapy is a “shell” of specific techniques, based on explicit rationales, used within some theoretical framework that guides the therapist. Supportive therapy is not inherently related ...
Psycho-oncology and Palliative Care: Two Concepts That Fit into Comprehensive Cancer Care

For a variety of different tumor entities, early diagnosis and multimodal cancer treatments have markedly improved survival rates during the last years, resulting in the fact that cancer is increasingly regarded as a chronic disease (Globocan 2012). Nevertheless, for many patients, the diagnosis of cancer is associated with significant limitations on their quality of life and a shortened lifetime. Research has shown that early integration of palliative care leads to significant improvements in quality of life and even enhances survival rates among patients with advanced cancer (Temel et al. 2014). These developments have been addressed in models of comprehensive cancer care where palliative care begins at diagnosis or at an early disease stage and is integrated throughout the course of cancer care (Irwin and von Gunten 2010). It is recommended that clinicians increase their focus on the patient’s experience of illness to improve congruence of treatment with patient goals and preferences (Hartenstein 2002; Griffin et al. 2003; Cooley et al. 2010). Palliative care should be integrated as a component of assessment of goals of treatment and treatment planning. Thus, according to a patient’s disease status, his or her goals and priorities should determine which treatment approaches and care plans might be the most valuable and should be negotiated within an interdisciplinary health-care team. Along the palliative care continuum including acute illness, chronic illness, end-of-life and hospice care, as well as bereavement care, within this approach, abrupt transitions are avoided. Early palliative care models adequately reflect the course of psychosocial distress in patients and their families and indicate patients’ and families’ psychosocial supportive care needs.
Mitochondrial – nuclear genetic interaction modulates whole body metabolism, adiposity and gene expression in vivo

We hypothesized that changes in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) would significantly influence whole body metabolism, adiposity and gene expression in response to diet. Because it is not feasible to directly test these predictions in humans we used Mitochondrial-Nuclear eXchange mice, which have reciprocally exchanged nuclear and mitochondrial genomes between different Mus musculus strains. Results demonstrate that nuclear-mitochondrial genetic background combination significantly alters metabolic efficiency and body composition. Comparative RNA sequencing analysis in adipose tissues also showed a clear influence of the mtDNA on regulating nuclear gene expression on the same nuclear background (up to a 10-fold change in the number of differentially expressed genes), revealing that neither Mendelian nor mitochondrial genetics unilaterally control gene expression. Additional analyses indicate that nuclear-mitochondrial genome combination modulates gene expression in a manner heretofore not described. These findings provide a new framework for understanding complex genetic disease susceptibility.
Adenoma mimicking hyponatremia of SIAD

Hyponatremia is a common electrolyte disorder, with prevalence as high as 20% in inpatient settings. It is classified based on volume status, urine sodium and osmolality results. While this approach might help narrow down the differential diagnoses, it can leave other diagnoses unentertained. In this case, we report recurrent and refractory hyponatremia secondary to hypocortisolism due to non-functioning pituitary macroadenoma. Interestingly, urine studies mimicked syndrome of inappropriate antidiuresis, but exclusively responded to hydrocortisone replacement. Hospital course was also complicated by hyponatremia-induced rhabdomyolysis, which is a rare complication of severe hyponatremia. We also discuss the role of anchoring heuristics and how they influence the physician's decision leading to possible diagnostic errors. One way to minimise the effect of anchoring bias on physicians is their cognitive awareness of such bias. In addition, discussing complicated cases with all members of medical team can highlight the clinician's thought processes, share uncertainty and help broaden differential diagnoses.
Effects of fructose-containing sweeteners on fructose intestinal, hepatic, and oral bioavailability in dual-catheterized rats

Objective Fructose is commonplace in Western diets and is consumed primarily through added sugars as sucrose or high fructose corn syrup. High consumption of fructose has been linked to the development of metabolic disorders, such as cardiovascular diseases. The majority of the harmful effects of fructose can be traced to its uncontrolled and rapid metabolism, primarily within the liver. It has been speculated that the formulation of fructose-containing sweeteners can have varying impacts on its adverse effects. Unfortunately, there is limited data supporting this hypothesis. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of different fructose-containing sweeteners on the intestinal, hepatic, and oral bioavailability of fructose. Methods Portal and femoral vein catheters were surgically implanted in male Wistar rats. Animals were gavaged with a 1 g/kg carbohydrate solution consisting of fructose, 45% glucose/55% fructose, sucrose, glucose, or water. Blood samples were then collected from the portal and systemic circulation. Fructose levels were measured and pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated. Results Compared to animals that were gavaged with 45% glucose/55% fructose or sucrose, fructose-gavaged animals had a 40% greater fructose area under the curve and a 15% greater change in maximum fructose concentration in the portal circulation. In the systemic circulation of fructose-gavaged animals, the fructose area under the curve was 17% and 24% higher and the change in the maximum fructose concentration was 15% and 30% higher than the animals that received 45% glucose/55% fructose or sucrose, respectively. After the oral administration of fructose, 45% glucose/55% fructose, and sucrose, the bioavailability of fructose was as follows: intestinal availability was 0.62, 0.53 and 0.57; hepatic availability was 0.33, 0.45 and 0.45; and oral bioavailability was 0.19, 0.23 and 0.24, respectively. Conclusions Our studies show that the co-ingestion of glucose did not enhance fructose absorption, rather, it decreased fructose metabolism in the liver. The intestinal, hepatic, and oral bioavailability of fructose was similar between 45% glucose/55% fructose and sucrose.
Acculturative stress and binge drinking among international students in the United States: Resilience and vulnerability approaches.

Objective: While international students frequently face behavioral health risks due to the stress of adjusting to new cultures, many demonstrate effective coping skills that minimize negative outco...
Exercise for Depression: A Feasibility Trial Exploring Neural Mechanisms

ABSTRACT Objective The aim of this study was to test the feasibility of an exercise augmentation to pharmacotherapy in depressed younger and older adults while exploring neural mechanisms. Methods A randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial was conducted in 15 inactive younger (20–39 years) and older (60–79 years) adults meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, criteria for a major depressive episode ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02407704 ). Participants were randomized to receive a 12-week regimen of venlafaxine XR or venlafaxine XR plus supervised exercise. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed using a submaximal V o 2 test, and neuroimaging assessments were conducted using a Siemans MAGNETOM 7-Tesla magnetic resonance scanner at the University of Pittsburgh. Results Attrition was 38% and 14% for the medication and exercise groups, respectively. Attendance was 91% for the exercise intervention. Exploratory analyses revealed an association between improvement in fitness and increased cortical thickness in the anterior cingulate cortex. Conclusion Exercise augmentation to pharmacotherapy is feasible for depressed younger and older adults and may have neural benefits in a core brain region implicated in depression.
Comparing abundance‐based and tag‐based estimates of coho salmon marine survival

Obtaining reliable estimates of marine survival is essential for understanding anadromous salmon population dynamics. Two common approaches to estimating marine survival are (a) dividing abundance of returning adult salmon abundance by abundance of smolts from the same cohort, or (b) tagging a portion of the migrating smolts and estimating the return rate of tagged adults. This study compared these two approaches to estimating marine survival for coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch (Walbaum), across multiple years in three California streams. Abundance‐based survival estimates were higher than tag‐based estimates; average estimates for the two techniques differed from 1.5‐fold to 7.4‐fold across streams. One likely cause for these divergent estimates is migration of juveniles from natal habitat before smolt trapping begins, resulting in an underestimate of smolt abundance and an overestimate of marine survival rate for the abundance‐based method. Estimates of marine survival obtained from abundance estimates and tag returns are not directly comparable.
Multi-fidelity modeling in sequential design for stability identification in dynamic time-delay systems

Time delay arises in a variety of real-world complex systems. A high-fidelity simulation generally renders high accuracy to simulate the dynamic evolution of such complex systems and appraise quantity of interest for process design and response optimization. Identification of limit states exemplifies such applications, which outlines the boundary that separates distinct regions (e.g., stability region) in parameter space. While design of experiments is the common procedure to evaluate decision functions to sketch the boundary, it crucially relies on the quantity and quality of sampling points. This has made it infeasible to explore a large parameter design space with expensive-to-evaluate high-fidelity simulations. Furthermore, the complex contour of stability region in time-delay systems nullifies most existing sequential design paradigms, including adaptive classification approaches. On the other hand, low-fidelity surrogate modeling efficiently emulates a high-fidelity simulation, albeit at the expense of accuracy, not ideal to inspect the system behavior near the critical boundary. In this study, we investigate a multifidelity approach to delineate the stability region in a sequential fashion: sampling points are first evaluated by the low-fidelity surrogate modeling, and only those selected according to the exploration-exploitation trade-off principle are then assessed by a high-fidelity simulation to approximate the stability boundary. The application in a numerical case study of the delayed Mathieu equation as well as a real-world machining process corroborates the proposed approach.
Risk of Ventricular Tachyarrhythmic Events in Patients Who Improved Beyond Guidelines for a Defibrillator in MADIT-CRT

Abstract Objectives This study assessed the arrhythmic risk of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) patients who improved beyond Heart Rhythm Society/European Society of Cardiology guidelines for an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) (ischemic cardiomyopathy: left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] >35% or New York Heart Association [NYHA] functional class I and if LVEF was 31% to 35%; nonischemic cardiomyopathy: LVEF >35% or NYHA functional class I and if LVEF was ≤35%). Background It is currently unknown whether protection with a defibrillator is still warranted in patients who respond to CRT. Methods This study compared the risk of ICD therapy for any ventricular tachyarrhythmia (VTA) and for fast VTA (≥200 beats/min) among patients implanted with a CRT with a defibrillator (CRT-D) in the MADIT-CRT (Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial with Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy) (N = 734) who improved at 1 year beyond guideline recommendations for primary ICD therapy (group A) with those who remained within guideline recommendations for an ICD at 1 year (group B). Results Most patients implanted with a CRT-D device improved at 1 year beyond guideline indications for an ICD (90%). Multivariate analysis showed lower risks for any VTA and fast VTA among group A patients versus group B patients (57% risk reduction; p = 0.0006 and 46% risk reduction; p = 0.068, respectively). However, the 2-year rates of any VTA and fast VTA among CRT patients who improved beyond guidelines indications for an ICD was still substantial (VTA: 13% and 29%, and fast VTA: 7% and 16%, respectively). Conclusions Most patients with mild heart failure implanted with a CRT device experience an improvement in left ventricular function and/or NYHA functional class beyond guideline recommendations for primary ICD therapy. However, despite this pronounced CRT response, there remains a substantial VTA risk, and protection with a defibrillator may still be warranted in this population.
Optimal Dynamic Carbon Taxes in a Climate–Economy Model with Distortionary Fiscal Policy

How should carbon be taxed as a part of fiscal policy? The literature on optimal carbon pricing often abstracts from other taxes. However, when governments raise revenues with distortionary taxes, carbon levies have fiscal impacts. While they raise revenues directly, they may shrink the bases of other taxes (e.g. by decreasing employment). This article theoretically characterizes and then quantifies optimal carbon taxes in a dynamic general equilibrium climate–economy model with distortionary fiscal policy. First, this article establishes a novel theoretical relationship between the optimal taxation of carbon and of capital income. This link arises because carbon emissions destroy natural capital: they accumulate in the atmosphere and decrease future output. Consequently, this article shows how the standard logic against capital income taxes extends to distortions on environmental capital investments. Second, this article characterizes optimal climate policy in sub-optimal fiscal settings where income taxes are constrained to remain at their observed levels. Third, this article presents a detailed calibration that builds on the seminal DICE approach but adds features essential for a setting with distortionary taxes, such as a differentiation between climate change production impacts (e.g. on agriculture) and direct utility impacts (e.g. on biodiversity existence value). The central quantitative finding is that optimal carbon tax schedules are 8–24% lower when there are distortionary taxes, compared to the setting with lump-sum taxes considered in the literature.
Fatigue and Its Association With Social Participation, Functioning, and Quality of Life in Systemic Sclerosis.

Objective Fatigue is consistently ranked as one of the most problematic symptoms of systemic sclerosis (SSc), but the impact of fatigue on daily life is not well characterized. The purpose of this study was to examine the contribution of fatigue to deficits in social participation, functioning, and quality of life. Methods Baseline data from a sample undertaking a clinical trial were utilized (n = 267). Fatigue, pain interference, depressive symptoms, physical function, and social participation were assessed by measures from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System. Hierarchical linear regressions were performed to determine the unique contribution of fatigue to social participation, physical function, and quality of life above and beyond the effects of demographic and clinical variables, pain interference, and depressive symptoms. Results The sample was predominantly female (91%), with an average age of 53.7 years, average disease duration of 9 years, and a mean fatigue T score of 58.7. Of all outcomes, fatigue was most strongly associated with deficits in social participation, explaining 48% of the variance beyond demographic and clinical factors, which is similar to the amount of variance contributed by pain interference and depressive symptoms combined (49%). Fatigue also accounted for significant amounts of variance in physical function and quality of life (R2 = 0.27 and 0.33, respectively) above and beyond the effects of demographic and clinical factors. Conclusion Fatigue is an important clinical problem in SSc and is strongly associated with decreased participation in social roles and activities. Rehabilitation interventions that focus on fatigue management may be necessary to maximize participation.
Patient Reported Outcomes in Surgical Research

Patient reported outcomes (PROs) are defined as the outcomes of treatment reported directly by patients and thereby reflect the results of treatment that are most meaningful to patients. As a critical component of Patient Centered Care, PROs are increasingly important to clinical care, quality assessment and improvement, and health services research (HSR). Most of the formative assessment of PROs focuses on accuracy and validity—most importantly, does the instrument measure what it is intended to measure? Does it comprehensively measure the critical domains in the area of inquiry, is it as parsimonious as possible to reduce respondent burden, do the results generalize to the represented population? In short, how close does the PRO come to truly answering the research question? The current chapter explores such questions and offers keys to selection and management of PROs, establishment of internal and external validity, and interpretation of findings.
Distribution of sugar-sweetened beverage sales volume by sugar content in the United States: implications for tiered taxation and tax revenue.

This study draws on data on sales volume, brand-level market shares, and sugar content to calculate the distribution of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) sales volume by sugar content, propose sugar content thresholds for a tiered tax structure, and estimate tax revenue. The most common SSBs sold had 26 g of sugar/8-oz serving; 70.8% had ≥ 25 g of sugar/8-oz serving, 16.9% were in the 10–15 g range, and 8.7% were in the 16–20 g range. A tiered tax with cut points at < 20 g and < 5 g of sugar/8-oz serving is proposed. A tax of 1¢/oz for SSBs in the second tier and 2¢/oz in third tier is projected to raise $18.2 billion in tax revenue similar to the 1.5¢/oz flat tax projection ($18.0 billion) but would yield 9% lower SSB volume. Understanding the distribution of SSB sales volume by sugar content informs policymakers on tiered tax structures, which may discourage consumption of SSBs with high levels of sugar and incentivize reformulation.
El Futuro Es Multilingüe: Moving from Monolingual Resistance to Engagement with Multilingual Texts

Discussions regarding the use of multicultural and multilingual texts in classrooms often focus on representation and students’ right to their own language in culturally and linguistically diverse ...
More Diverse Dialogue Datasets via Diversity-Informed Data Collection.

Automated generation of conversational dialogue using modern neural architectures has made notable advances. However, these models are known to have a drawback of often producing uninteresting, predictable responses; this is known as the diversity problem. We introduce a new strategy to address this problem, called Diversity-Informed Data Collection. Unlike prior approaches, which modify model architectures to solve the problem, this method uses dynamically computed corpus-level statistics to determine which conversational participants to collect data from. Diversity-Informed Data Collection produces significantly more diverse data than baseline data collection methods, and better results on two downstream tasks: emotion classification and dialogue generation. This method is generalizable and can be used with other corpus-level metrics.
Exploring the Associations of Chronically Ill Patients’ Listening Styles and Medical Communication Competence in Patient–Doctor Interactions

Listening skills are invaluable in health care settings to reduce medical errors and miscommunications, and to facilitate health care interactions and patient–physician relationships. The aim of this study was to explore the relationships between patients’ listening styles and the four components of medical communication competence. Regression analyses were used to examine and identify the associations between listening styles and medical communication competence among 522 self-identified chronically ill patients. Findings revealed associations between the four listening styles, information giving, information seeking, information verifying, and socioemotional communication. Implications suggest listening style preferences may affect patients’ medical communication competence in medical consultation visits.
Human Embryonic Expression Identifies Novel Essential Gene Candidates

Disruption of essential genes leads to pregnancy loss, early lethality, or severe disease. Current methods to predict genes that underlie severe phenotypes include knockout animal model systems, evolutionary conservation, and variation intolerance metrics. With existing methods, human lethal genes are missed due to interspecies differences or paucity of gene characterization. We analyzed global gene expression in stages of early human development (1-cell to the blastocyst). These data were integrated with all 4049 current murine knockout phenotypes, genome-wide evolutionary gene conservation, and human genic intolerance metrics. We found that currently established human essential genes and orthologs of murine essential genes demonstrate higher gene expression across developmental stages compared to non-essential genes (Wilcoxon rank sum test, p
It Is Important to Take All Available Information into Account When Making a Decision: Case of the Two Envelopes Problem

In situations when we know the probabilities of all possible consequences, traditional decision theory recommends selecting the action that maximizes expected utility. In many practical situations, however, we only have partial information about the corresponding probabilities. In this case, for different possible probability distributions, we get different values of expected utility. In general, possible values of expected utility form an interval. One way to approach this situation is to use the optimism-pessimism approach proposed by Nobelist Leo Hurwicz. Another approach is to select one of the possible probability distributions – e.g., the one that has the largest possible entropy. Both approaches have led to many good practical applications. Usually, we get reasonable conclusions even when we ignore some of the available information – e.g., because this information is too vague to be easily formalized. In this paper, we show, on the example of the two envelopes problem, that ignoring available information can lead to counter-intuitive recommendations.
Caffeine Increases the Reinforcing Efficacy of Alcohol, an Effect that is Independent of Dopamine D2 Receptor Function

Abstract The rising popularity of alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AmEDs) has become a significant public health concern, with AmED users reporting higher levels of alcohol intake than non-AmED users. One mechanism proposed to explain heightened levels of alcohol intake in AmED users is that the high levels of caffeine found in energy drinks may increase the reinforcing properties of alcohol, an effect which may be dependent on interactions between adenosine signaling pathways and the dopamine D2 receptor. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to confirm whether caffeine increases the reinforcing efficacy of alcohol using both fixed ratio (FR) and progressive ratio (PR) designs, and to investigate a potential role of the dopamine D2 receptor in caffeine’s reinforcement-enhancing effects. Male Long Evans rats were trained to self-administer a sweetened alcohol or sucrose solution on an FR2 schedule of reinforcement. Pretreatment with caffeine (5-10 mg/kg) significantly increased operant responding for the sweetened alcohol reinforcer, but not sucrose. PR tests of motivation for alcohol or sucrose likewise confirmed a caffeine-dependent increase in motivation for a sweetened alcohol solution, but not sucrose. However, the D2 receptor antagonist eticlopride did not block the reinforcementenhancing effects of caffeine using either an FR or PR schedule of reinforcement. Taken together, these results support the hypothesis that caffeine increases the reinforcing efficacy of alcohol, which may explain caffeine-induced increases in alcohol intake. However, the reinforcement-enhancing effects of caffeine appear to be independent of D2 receptor function.