cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Statin use and risk of prostate cancer in the prospective Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) Study

Background: Statins are a common medication for cholesterol control that may also have effects on cancer-related pathways. The evidence of an association between statins and prostate cancer risk remains ambiguous. Methods: We examined statin use in a prospective cohort of 5,069 elderly U.S. men and the risk of incident total, low/high stage, and low/high grade prostate cancer diagnosed between 2000 and 2008. We used multivariate logistic regression models to estimate relative risks and 95% confidence intervals, adjusting for demographic and lifestyle characteristics. Results: There was no evidence of an association between statin use and any of the prostate cancer endpoints (total, low/high stage, low/high grade prostate cancer), adjusting for age, study site, race, body mass index, marital status, family history of prostate cancer, number of comorbidities, physical activity, and smoking history. Conclusions and Impact: In this study of elderly U.S. men, we observed a null association between statin use and risk of prostate cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 00(00); 1–3. ©2012 AACR .
La macroeconomía básica de los intercambios (SW APS) de deuda

Introduccion. La practica de los intercambios de deuda por acciones o de deuda por deuda a fin de reducir el endeudamiento excesivo de los paises en desarrollo ha provocado una animada controversia. Los economistas academicos han contribuido al debate analizando las caracteristicas de bienestar de tales intercambios, su potencial para reducir sus salidas de capital netas y el grado en que puedan aminorar los efectos de incentivo negativos de un arrastre de deuda. La atencion se ha centrado en la determinacion de los precios de la deuda en el mercado secundario y en los efectos que los intercambios puedan tener en estos precios. Vease por ejemplo los trabajos de Helman(1988 y 1989), Ffrench-Davis(1987), Krugman(1988a y b), Bulow y Rogoff(1988a y b) y Rodriguez(1989)...
State of the Art Reviews: Development of Fitness in Children: The Influence of Gender and Physical Activity

The influences of gender and physical activity on the development of fitness are reviewed from early childhood to late adolescence. Changes in parameters of fitness prior to puberty are driven predominantly by neuroendocrine-mediated factors, although physical activity level may be influenced largely by sociocultural factors prior to and following puberty. Thus, it is still unclear to what extent environment versus genetics accounts for gender differences in fitness. Future studies need to account for all factors known to explain gender differences in fitness to better differentiate intrinsic versus environmental causes. Consequently, one must consider if and to what extent a gender comparison study actually reveals true, inherent gender differences compared with sociocultural and/or cultural influences. Nevertheless, differences in fitness between girls and boys that are influenced by sociocultural factors should be considered when devising programs to promote physical activity and enhance fitness in you...
Polynomic Nonlinear Dynamical Systems: A Residual Sensitivity Method for Model Reduction

The motivation for using polynomic combinations of system states and inputs to model nonlinear dynamical system is founded upon the classical theories of analysis and function representation. A feature of such representations is the need to make available all possible monomials in these variables, up to the degree specified, so as to provide for the description of widely varying functions within a broad class. For a particular application, however, certain monomials may be quite superfluous. This paper examines the possibility of removing monomials from the model in accordance with the level of sensitivity displayed by the residuals to their absence. Critical in these studies is the effect of system input excitation, and the effect of discarding monomial terms, upon the model parameter set. Therefore, model reduction is approached iteratively, with inputs re-designed at each iteration to ensure sufficient excitation of remaining monomials for parameter approximation. Examples are reported to illustrate the performance of such model reduction approaches.
African American females: a potential link between vitamin d insufficiency and type-2 diabetes

African American females are a high-risk population for both vitamin D insufficiency and type-2 diabetes. Numerous comparison studies have been conducted between African Americans and other racial groups, regarding vitamin D insufficiency and type 2-diabetes. African Americans, especially African American females, are at a higher risk for becoming insufficient in vitamin D when compared to other ethnic groups. The prevalence of hypovitaminosis D among African American women is ten times higher than white women. In addition, African Americans, especially African American females, have a higher prevalence of type-2 diabetes. African American females surpass white females with 100% prevalence. Although many factors may contribute to the onset of type-2 diabetes, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations have been found to have a positive association with insulin sensitivity. In this article, we review the effects of diet and subcutaneous vitamin D synthesis on vitamin D status as well as type-2 diabetes prevalence in the most vulnerable population of both conditions, African American females. We further focus on the mechanistic studies in cell cultures and animal models, as well as cohort, intervention, and clinical studies in human subjects. In conclusion, development of vitamin D assessment in the prevention of type-2 diabetes for African American females may provide further insight for intervention and education. Adequate vitamin D intake should be promoted and recommended to decrease disparities within this population.
Low-Volume Nodal Metastases Detected at Retroperitoneal Lymphadenectomy for Testicular Cancer: Pattern and Prognostic Factors for Relapse

PURPOSE: To determine the incidence, pattern, and predictive factors for relapse in patients with low-volume nodal metastases (stage pN1) at retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy (RPLND) and identify who may benefit from chemotherapy in the adjuvant or primary setting. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-four patients with testicular nonseminomatous germ cell tumor had low-volume retroperitoneal metastases (pathologic stage pN1, 1997 tumor-node-metastasis classification) resected at RPLND, 50 of whom were managed expectantly without adjuvant chemotherapy. The dissection was bilateral in 12 and was a modified template in 38 patients. Retroperitoneal metastases were limited to microscopic nodal involvement in 14 patients. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 106 months (median, 31.4 months). RESULTS: Eleven patients (22%) suffered a relapse at a median follow-up of 1.8 months (range, 0.6 to 28 months). The most frequent form of recurrence was marker elevation in nine (18%) patients. Persistent marker elevation after orchiectomy an...
THE EFFECT OF INSULIN AND GLUCOSE ON PLASMA LIPIDS DURING PREGNANCY AND THE PUERPERIUM.

Summary 1. Evidence was presented that confirmed the hyperlipidemia of pregnancy and showed that with the exception of esterified cholesterol, significant decrements occurred in the fasting levels of plasma lipids by the fourth postpartum day. 2. The mean changes in plasma levels of triglycerides, free cholesterol, and lipid phosphorus in nonpregnant, pregnant, and puerperal subjects differed significantly in their responses to insulin and/or glucose. 3. Mean changes in cholesterol ester were not attributed to the differential response of the 3 groups to insulin and glucose, but appeared to be related to the free cholesterol levels. 4. Analysis of variance revealed that with the exception of lipid phosphorus levels, the mean changes in the plasma lipids were attributable to factors other than the group × treatment interaction. 5. Glucose metabolism during pregnancy was altered in favor of cholesterolgenesis, and it was indicated this difference was due to impaired carbohydrate metabolism through the dissociation of the effect of insulin on extrahepatic tissue. 6. The relative amounts of insulin and glucose were reflected in the plasma levels of free cholesterol in pregnant and puerperal subjects.
Graphs in Scientific Visualization: A Survey

Graphs represent general node-link diagrams and have long been utilized in scientific visualization for data organization and management. However, using graphs as a visual representation and interface for navigating and exploring scientific data sets has a much shorter history, yet the amount of work along this direction is clearly on the rise in recent years. In this paper, we take a holistic perspective and survey graph-based representations and techniques for scientific visualization. Specifically, we classify these representations and techniques into four categories, namely partition-wise, relationship-wise, structure-wise and provenance-wise. We survey related publications in each category, explaining the roles of graphs in related work and highlighting their similarities and differences. At the end, we reexamine these related publications following the graph-based visualization pipeline. We also point out research trends and remaining challenges in graph-based representations and techniques for scientific visualization.
Early Outcomes of Revision Surgery for Taper Corrosion of Dual Taper Total Hip Arthroplasty in 187 Patients.

Abstract Background Modular dual taper femoral neck designs have been associated with taper corrosion requiring revision surgery. However, outcomes after revision dual taper total hip arthroplasty in patients with symptomatic adverse local tissue reaction due to taper corrosion remain largely unknown. Methods A total of 198 revision surgeries in 187 patients with dual taper femoral stem total hip arthroplasty with minimum 12-month follow-up were evaluated. Results At mean follow-up of 18 months, at least 1 complication had occurred in 39 patients (20%) of 198 revisions. Single episode of dislocation, treated with close reduction, occurred in 16, whereas 2 patients required rerevision due to multiple dislocations. Infection requiring rerevision occurred in 3 patients. Adverse local tissue reaction recurrence requiring reoperation occurred in 6 patients. Implant survivorship for revision for any cause was 86% at 30 months. The reoperation rate of revised dual taper was 8% (16 out of 198 hips). The median serum levels of cobalt, chromium, and cobalt/chromium ratio decreased (P Conclusion This pilot study demonstrates that intraoperative tissue necrosis was associated with a high rate of early complications (20%) and revisions (8%), suggesting the importance of a systematic evaluation of these patients including metal ion levels and metal artifact reduction sequence magnetic resonance imaging in optimizing revision outcome, as early diagnosis will facilitate the initiation of appropriate treatment before significant adverse tissue necrosis.
Aspirin Use and Incident Cardiovascular Disease, Kidney Failure, and Death in Stable Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Post Hoc Analysis of the Folic Acid for Vascular Outcome Reduction in Transplantation (FAVORIT) Trial

Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in kidney transplant recipients. Whether aspirin may reduce the risk for CVD, death, and kidney failure outcomes is uncertain. Study Design Post hoc cohort analysis of FAVORIT, a randomized trial examining the effect of homocysteine-lowering vitamins on CVD in kidney transplant recipients. Setting & Participants Prevalent adult kidney transplant recipients with hyperhomocysteinemia and stable kidney function from the United States, Canada, and Brazil participating in FAVORIT, with no known history of CVD. Predictor Aspirin use, with aspirin users matched to nonusers using a propensity score. Outcomes Incident CVD events, kidney failure, all-cause mortality, a composite of CVD events or mortality, and a composite of kidney failure or mortality. Cox proportional hazards models with a robust variance to account for the correlation in outcomes within matched pairs were sequentially adjusted for demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics to assess the association between aspirin use and events. Results 981 aspirin users were matched to 981 nonusers. During a 4-year mean follow up, there were 225 CVD events, 200 deaths, 126 kidney failure events, 301 composite kidney failure or mortality events, and 324 composite CVD or mortality events. Adjusted models showed no significant difference associated with aspirin use in risk for CVD events, all-cause mortality, kidney failure, composite of kidney failure or mortality, or composite of primary CVD events or mortality (HRs of 1.20 [95% CI, 0.92-1.58], 0.92 [95% CI, 0.69-1.23], 1.19 [95% CI, 0.81-1.74], 1.03 [0.82-1.31], and 1.11 [95% CI, 0.88-1.38], respectively). Limitations We did not examine dose or continued use of aspirin after randomization. CVD history is dependent on participant report at baseline. Aspirin use was non–randomly assigned. Conclusions Aspirin use is not associated with reduced risk for incident CVD, all-cause mortality, or kidney failure in stable kidney transplant recipients with no history of CVD.
A Solution to the Binding Problem

Visual information about an object is widely distributed over the cortex. The problem of how this information gets reassembled in consciousness is the “binding problem”. It is assumed in this paper that consciousness reads the distributed information as a laser reads a barcode; and that this solves the binding problem without resorting to oscillations, or synchronous signals, or any other form of mechanical association. Cortical distributions are made intelligible by consciousness that learns from childhood to recognize cortical arrays of single objects and project them onto the external world. An example shows how consciousness exercises its influence in the case of a well-known line drawing. When an object is constructed by consciousness there is no guarantee that the resulting image will be anything like the original object of observation. However, there is reason to believe that most of the visual images of our surroundings reflect real properties of those surroundings. These images have a constancy about them that is not always conveyed by the sensory input, but consistency in the external world can be learned by consciousness that is able to override the incongruities of the senses.
A Postscript to Panel Discussion of Gianni Nebbiosi’s “The Smell of Paper: On the Usefulness of Musical Thought in Psychoanalytic Practice”

Gianni Nebbiosi’s paper, “The Smell of Paper: On the Usefulness of Musical Thought in Psychoanalytic Practice,” explores many levels of the analyst’s clinical sensibility. These include the finding of a patient in the mind of the psychoanalyst, the discovery of new points of creative inflexion in developing metaphors with a patient who is frightened of symbolic meaning, the use of countertransference analysis to explore the analyst’s points of resistance to helping his or her patient, and the development of a creative shared frame of reference between patient and analyst that emerges from the patient’s unconscious life.
Structural Characterization of Thick Gan Films Grown by Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy

The structural quality of GaN films grown by hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Films were grown up to 40um on sapphire with either a GaCl pretreatment prior to growth or on a ZnO buffer layer. Dislocation densities were found to decrease with increasing film thickness. This is attributed to the mixed nature of the defects present in the film which enabled dislocation annihilation. The thickest film had a defect density of 5×l07 dislocations/cm2.
On-orbit tuning with mixed H2/H-infinity control

Recent experiences have shown the need to tune spacecraft control systems once they become operational. A procedure is developed for tuning the parameters of a fixed-order mixed H^/Hoo compensator on-orbit. A method is presented to obtain an open loop model from closed loop on-orbit measurement data. An example of the closed loop system identification procedure is given.
The Value and Protection Suggestions of Daur Rap Art Wu Chun

Wu Chun is an ancient rap art form created by the Daur ethnic group,and it has important historical value,artistic value and cultural value.The heritage Wu Chun and protection should reflect the principle of "government leadership,social participation";to further improve the deeper survey,identification and registration;the file of the inheritors of Wu chun should be established and provide funding;to strengthen the teaching talents and academic research of Wu Chun.
Research of expression of p16 gene in K562/A02 cell line

Objective To discuss the expression of p16 gene in K562/A02 cell line and the relationship between the expression of p16 gene and multidrug resistance.Method Polymerase chain reaction method was used to detect the expression of p16 gene.Result After PCR,both K562 and K562/A02 cell line had not been found to have amplified stripes.Conclusion Both K562 and K562/A02 cell line show deletion of p16 gene.
Vacuum Compatibility of 3-D-Printed Parts

We present the design and preliminary results of a mass spectrometry system to assess the vacuum compatibility of 3-D-printed parts. The setup consists of a sectional vacuum chamber with a residual gas analyzer, a radiation heater, windows, and an access port for quick sample exchange. The vacuum chamber is set up in such a way that the samples can be inserted and retrieved with minimal contamination to the vacuum system. We perform this by having two connected chambers with independent vacuum pumps, and using one for sample access at atmospheric pressure, and then transferring the sample to the main chamber once vacuum is equalized. The equipment will be used as part of the dusty plasma experiment at UMBC, since many of the plasma-facing parts are 3-D-printed.
Semantic Functions of the Modal verb "を"

The writer tries to discuss the different meanings and specific features of the modal verb"を"when used with various groups of verbs.The purpose of the paper is to help the Japanese learners with Chinese as their moth- er tongue to have a better understanding of the uses and functions of the modal verb"を".
Renal immaturity causes taurine depletion in very low birth weight infants fed with prolonged total parenteral nutrition

Taurine is a s amino acid, whose functions include neuromodulation, cell membrane stabilization, antioxidation, detoxification, bile acid conjugation and osmoregulation [1], and is regarded as essential for normal brain and retinal development [2]. Taurine depletion in early life causes degeneration of retinal photoreceptors, CNS abnormalities and growth depression in young animals [1] and atypical electroretinograms in children [3] and auditory brainstem evoked responses in preterm infants [4].
Electrical performance enhancement of 20 nm scale graphene nanoribbon field-effect transistors with dipolar molecules

Graphene Nanoribbons (GNR) are been being investigated as they possess a bandgap in contrast to graphene sheets which have zero bandgap [1, 2]. Therefore, GNR might be more suitable as a channel material in field-effect transistors (FETs) which requires a high on/off ratio. The other electrical properties of GNR FETs apart from on/off ratio, however, are not as good as those of corresponding graphene sheet FETs. Most GNR FETs have a larger hysteresis, a lower mobility and a larger Dirac voltage than those of graphene sheet FETs. The critical factor that results in degraded performance of GNR FET is edge defects, since GNR due to their geometry have a larger number of edges per active channel width. Moreover, edges of patterned GNR from chemical vapor deposition (CVD) grown graphene do not have a perfect chirality and inevitably have more broken bonds. Thus defect passivation or amelioration assumes considerable importance if the excellent potential of GNR as a semiconducting material is to be realized. In this abstract we report the effect of polar vapors on the electrical characteristics of GNR FET, which is fabricated via patterning from CVD grown graphene monolayer sheet. Our goal is to use these as model studies in designing suitable cap layers that both protect the nanoribbons from the ambient and favorably influence, to a considerable degree, their electrical properties.
Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Modeling Have the Same Problem

Cognitive modelers attempting to explain human intelligence share a puzzle with artificial intelligence researchers aiming to create computers that exhibit human-level intelligence: how can a system composed of relatively unintelligent parts (such as neurons or transistors) behave intelligently? I argue that although cognitive science has made significant progress towards many of its goals, that solving the puzzle of intelligence requires special standards and methods in addition to those already employed in cognitive science. To promote such research, I suggest creating a subfield within cognitive science called intelligence science and propose some guidelines for research addressing the intelligence puzzle.
Extraperitoneal vs. transperitoneal robot-assisted radical prostatectomy in patients with a history of prior inguinal hernia repair with mesh

Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) may be performed via an extraperitoneal (eRARP) or transperitoneal (tRARP) approach. There are no published studies comparing these two methods in patients with a history of prior inguinal hernia repair with mesh (IHRm), but the latter is often advocated in this setting. A retrospective review of patients who underwent RARP with prior IHRm who had a minimum follow-up of 3 months from July 1, 2003 to December 31, 2014 was undertaken. Of 2927 patients who underwent RARP for primary treatment of adenocarcinoma of the prostate, 286 patients had a clear history of IHRm. Of these, 116 patients underwent eRARP and 170 patients underwent tRARP. No differences were noted between the groups with respect to age, body mass index or American Society of Anesthesiology score. Patients in the tRARP group had higher D'Amico risk classification scores (p < 0.0001) and as such, underwent less nerve-sparing procedures (p < 0.0001) and had a higher rate of concomitant pelvic lymph node dissections (p < 0.0001). The tRARP group had a higher incidence of laparoscopic and bilateral IHRm. On univariate analysis, EBL was lower in the tRARP group (172.41 vs. 201.98, p = 0.05) but all other parameters were similar. After controlling for covariates using regression analysis with model selection, a trend was noted towards lower operating room time in the tRARP group (p = 0.0624) but no other differences were noted. The presence of prior IHRm does not seem to be a contraindication to eRARP. OR time may be lower with tRARP (trend) but all other quality indicators studied were similar.
L'Oréal: Global Brand, Local Knowledge

Worldwide, and in the U.S. marketplace in particular, the French cachet of L'Oreal was one of its most powerful marketing tools. However, with the opening up of emerging markets, L'Oreal had to cater to a diverse customer base: an aging population in the West, ethnic groups, aspiring and younger customers in the East, emerging markets, and growing interest in health and beauty care among men all over the world. Employing both traditional and innovative marketing techniques, L'Oreal worked to double its customer base to two billion by 2020 and increase to half from a third its share of sales from emerging markets.Learning Objective: To learn from and analyze the best practices of L'Ore al with regard to marketing. To examine how they use their strong brand, traditional media, digital media, celebrity endorsements and interactive marketing contests to reach a diverse array of loyal and potential consumers. Also to examine how a large company shifts marketing and messaging efforts around a changing world view and changing global economics.
Feminist Philosophy of Law, Legal Positivism, and Non-Ideal Theory

Feminist philosophy of law has been shaped by debates between liberal feminists who emphasize non-discrimination and equality of opportunity and more radical feminists who offer a variety of far-reaching criticisms of the law as a structure of patriarchal power. This chapter provides a brief methodological note about non-ideal theory. It provides an account of the conceptual separation between law and morality advocated by legal positivists. The chapter then explores the feminist philosophy of law and illustrates two examples such as, sexual harassment and abortion. The development of the tradition of utilitarian liberalism in Britain was an early setting for the fuller development of legal positivism, particularly in the writings of Jeremy Bentham and John Austin. Feminist philosophy of law has been informed by different approaches to feminism itself. The so-called "first-wave" feminism of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries attempted to achieve political rights for women.
The impact of mitral stenosis on outcomes of aortic valve stenosis patient undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement or transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Background The concomitant presence of mitral stenosis (MS) in the setting of symptomatic aortic stenosis represent a clinical challenge. Little is known regarding the outcome of mitral stenosis (MS) patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) or surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). Therefore, we sought to study the outcome of MS patients undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR). Method Using weighted data from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database between 2011 and 2014, we identified patients who were diagnosed with MS. Patients who had undergone TAVR as a primary procedure were identified and compared to patients who had SAVR. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed for the outcomes of in-hospital mortality, length of stay (LOS), blood transfusion, postprocedural hemorrhage, vascular, cardiac and respiratory complications, permanent pacemaker placement (PPM), postprocedural stroke, acute kidney injury (AKI), and discharge to an outside facility. Results A total of 4524 patients were diagnosed with MS, of which 552 (12.2%) had TAVR and 3972 (87.8%) had SAVR. TAVR patients were older (79.9 vs 70.0) with more females (67.4% vs 60.0%) and African American patients (7.7% vs 7.1%) (P Conclusion In patients with severe aortic stenosis and concomitant mitral stenosis, TAVR is a safe and attractive option for patients undergoing AVR with less complications compared with SAVR.
Vaccine Development for Epstein-Barr Virus

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the primary cause of infectious mononucleosis and is associated with several malignancies, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma, gastric carcinoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, Burkitt lymphoma, and lymphomas in immunocompromised persons, as well as multiple sclerosis. A vaccine is currently unavailable. While monomeric EBV gp350 was shown in a phase 2 trial to reduce the incidence of infectious mononucleosis, but not the rate of EBV infection, newer formulations of gp350 including multimeric forms, viruslike particles, and nanoparticles may be more effective. A vaccine that also includes additional viral glycoproteins, lytic proteins, or latency proteins might improve the effectiveness of an EBV gp350 vaccine. Clinical trials to determine if an EBV vaccine can reduce the rate of infectious mononucleosis or posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease should be performed. The former is important since infectious mononucleosis can be associated with debilitating fatigue as well as other complications, and EBV infectious mononucleosis is associated with increased rates of Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple sclerosis. A vaccine to reduce EBV posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease would be an important proof of principle to prevent an EBV-associated malignancy. Trials of an EBV vaccine to reduce the incidence of Hodgkin lymphoma, multiple sclerosis, or Burkitt lymphoma would be difficult but feasible.
Viruses, Cancer and Immunity

The main theme of this book is on the interactions of viruses with the immune system. As a tumor immunologist, I would like to address this chapter to the many analogies between interactions of the immune system with viruses on the one hand and cancer on the other. As a framework for specific discussion of such interactions, two main questions might be identified: (i) What effects do cancer and viruses have on the immune system? and (ii) What effects does the immune system have on cancer and on virus infections? There is abundant information about the reciprocal nature of these interactions. The presence of tumors or viruses in the host can have profound effects on the immune system and, conversely, the immune system can play a key role in defense against cancer and virus infections.
Invariants for Darboux Transformations of Arbitrary Order for \mathcal{D}_x\mathcal{D}_y+a\mathcal{D}_x+b\mathcal{D}_y+c

We develop the method of regularized moving frames of Fels and Olver to obtain explicit general formulas for the basis invariants that generate all the joint differential invariants, under gauge transformations, for the operators \(\mathcal{L}=\mathcal{D}_x\mathcal{D}_y+a(x,y)\mathcal{D}_x+b(x,y)\mathcal{D}_y+c(x,y)\) and an operator of arbitrary order.
High Tc superconductivity in Y-Ba-Cu-O system

The superconducting properties of twenty-one Y(La)-Ba(Sr)-Cu-O compositions were studied resistively and magnetically. Systematic dc susceptibility data were used to establish part of the phase diagram. Doping and annealing conditions are shown to have a significant effect on superconductivity in this system. Important parameters which characterize the superconducting phase YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-{delta}} were derived based on resistivity, magnetization and critical field measurements.
Irradiation of polymethylmethacrylate. In vitro gamma radiation effect.

Data resulting from gamma radiation of polymethylmethacrylate indicate that the clinical use of Co60 irradiation of neoplastic disease in bone is not affected by the presence of polymethylmethacrylate, nor is the polymethylmethacrylate affected at the level of gamma radiation in clinical use today.
Building an Adult Congenital Heart Program: Critical Components and Important Allies

The purpose of this review is to illustrate specific challenges and opportunities in the building of an adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) program and to highlight critical components and important allies. With more than 1.4 million adults with congenital heart disease in the USA alone, access to specialized, compassionate, high-quality comprehensive care requires a shift toward more aggressive expansion of ACHD care, especially in the context of sparse ACHD provider representation in the vast majority of adult medical centers. The effective build of an ACHD program requires measured escalation in management of ACHD complexity matched with cultivation of key resources and clinical services ranging from congenital cardiac surgery and interventional cardiology to acquired heart disease as well as partnerships with non-cardiac specialists. By reframing ACHD care as a shared goal between patients, providers, hospitals, pharmaceutical and device industry, and payers, a potent business model can be built around the developing ACHD program to facilitate acquisition of these key resources.
The New AskTech: Implementing a Ticketing System Platform for Technical Services Resource Troubleshooting

Duke University Libraries’ Technical Services department recently completed a project to transition AskTech, its resource troubleshooting support service, from working over email to working within ...
Using machine learning and an ensemble of methods to predict kidney transplant survival.

We used an ensemble of statistical methods to build a model that predicts kidney transplant survival and identifies important predictive variables. The proposed model achieved better performance, measured by Harrell’s concordance index, than the Estimated Post Transplant Survival model used in the kidney allocation system in the U.S., and other models published recently in the literature. The model has a five-year concordance index of 0.724 (in comparison, the concordance index is 0.697 for the Estimated Post Transplant Survival model, the state of the art currently in use). It combines predictions from random survival forests with a Cox proportional hazards model. The rankings of importance for the model’s variables differ by transplant recipient age. Better survival predictions could eventually lead to more efficient allocation of kidneys and improve patient outcomes.
Animal Punishment and the Conditions of Responsibility

In this essay I distinguish categories of animals by their mental capacities. I then discuss whether punishment can be appropriate for animals of each category, and if so what form punishment may a...
Coronavirus genomic RNA packaging.

Abstract RNA viruses carry out selective packaging of their genomes in a variety of ways, many involving a genomic packaging signal. The first coronavirus packaging signal was discovered nearly thirty years ago, but how it functions remains incompletely understood. This review addresses the current state of knowledge of coronavirus genome packaging, which has mainly been studied in two prototype species, mouse hepatitis virus and transmissible gastroenteritis virus. Despite the progress that has been made in the mapping and characterization of some packaging signals, there is conflicting evidence as to whether the viral nucleocapsid protein or the membrane protein plays the primary role in packaging signal recognition. The different models for the mechanism of genomic RNA packaging that have been prompted by these competing views are described. Also discussed is the recent exciting discovery that selective coronavirus genome packaging is critical for in vivo evasion of the host innate immune response.
Williams' Gang: A Notorious Slave Trader and his Cargo of Black Convicts

William H. Williams operated a slave pen in Washington, DC, known as the Yellow House, and actively trafficked in enslaved men, women, and children for more than twenty years. His slave trading activities took an extraordinary turn in 1840 when he purchased twenty-seven enslaved convicts from the Virginia State Penitentiary in Richmond with the understanding that he could carry them outside of the United States for sale. When Williams conveyed his captives illegally into New Orleans, allegedly while en route to the foreign country of Texas, he prompted a series of courtroom dramas that would last for almost three decades. Based on court records, newspapers, governors' files, slave manifests, slave narratives, travelers' accounts, and penitentiary data, Williams' Gang examines slave criminality, the coastwise domestic slave trade, and southern jurisprudence as it supplies a compelling portrait of the economy, society, and politics of the Old South.
Retooling Primary Care in the COVID-19 Era.

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic exposed numerous deficiencies of the U.S. primary care infrastructure. The system is overstretched with little to no surge capacity to deal with crisis situations, its reach restrained due to overreliance on brick and mortar clinics, and its behavior overwhelmingly more reactive than preventive. As delivery systems reorganize on the fly to fight COVID-19, many are turning to tools like telemedicine, pre-visit planning, and centralized population health programs. We propose how these rapid transformations happening across the country, born out of necessity, present a silver lining opportunity to fix primary care. We describe how integrating telemedicine, patient-generated data, and preventive care into a retooled intake and care optimization process is achievable through an approach powered by humans and augmentable with artificial intelligence. Primary care must retool to meet the challenge of COVID-19 and emerge in the post-crisis world better equipped to care for a wounded nation. Our collective willingness to invest in primary care teams, relaxation of rules around telemedicine reimbursement and patient-generated data sharing, workforce training, and movement to value-based payments are necessary to achieve this vision.
Persistent Postprandial Angina in a Patient With Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: A Diagnostic Dilemma

Chest pain (CP) is a common reason for visits to the emergency department (ED). The underlying etiology of a good number of cases of CP can be diagnosed with adequate history taking and routine laboratory testing. However, atypical presentations of CP, in the settings of other causes of CP such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), can sometimes be tricky to diagnose with only routine lab tests and electrocardiogram (EKG). Herein, we present a 73-year-old male with a history of GERD and coronary artery disease who presented to our ED complaining of postprandial CP unaffected by exertion or rest. Initially, his symptoms were thought to be GERD-related but other heart-related causes of CP were considered due to the persistence of his CP postprandially. A cardiac stress test was subsequently done to rule out possible cardiac causes of his CP. His stress test was abnormal prompting heart catheterization that showed almost complete occlusion of his left anterior descending (LAD) and left circumflex (LCx) arteries. His symptoms resolved post-catheterization/stenting of his LAD and LCx arteries. He was later discharged unconditionally. His presentation highlights the required vigilance physicians must maintain when interrogating CP, even when other non-cardiac-related causes seem more plausible.
Environmental Impact and Environmental Values

This chapter completes coverage of environmental risks begun in Chap. 6, which emphasized both the philosophical rationale for expected-value risk analysis, along with weaknesses in the way that approach has been applied to agrifood gene technology. This chapter discusses ethical objections to expected value analysis and takes up classical questions in environmental ethics. These include the basis for associating moral value with non-sentient entities such as plants, collectivities such as species or ecosystems and also for nature or the environment itself. The chapter proposes a novel approach to these problems based on the standpoint or attitude of the valuing subject. Classic approaches that stress intrinsic or instrumental valuation presume that valuation proceeds from the perspective of a spectator standing aloof from nature. Although classic approaches have not presumed that this spectator is a human being, the good of any entity derives from the spectator’s gaze. This is consistent with the notion of value as a consumption activity. In contrast, a more engaged, involved or truly environed approach can be elicited by taking the perspective of a producer. This is an especially fortuitous approach for developing an environmental ethics for agriculture and food.
Acorus calamus mediated green synthesis of ZnONPs: A novel nano antioxidant to future perspective

Abstract Green synthesis of Nanoparticles gained much momentum because of its therapeutic uses and also has environmental benefits over traditional chemical methods. The present study describes the cost-effective eco-friendly synthesis of Zinc oxide nanoparticles from Acorus Calamus aqueous extract widely used as medicine in the traditional ayurvedic system of Kerala. The SEM analysis shows the synthesized ZnONPs are spherical and hexagonal wurtzite in structure and it was confirmed by the XRD data. The FTIR spectra revealed the role of Chemical moieties in the formation and stabilization of ZnONPs. The Acorus Calamus ZnONPs shows promising antioxidant activity and it shed light upon the role of phenolic compounds transferred from the plant during synthesis. The in vivo application of ZnONPs was very limited in the literature. The Acorus calamus ZnONPs may expect to serve as an alternative antioxidant supplement against disorders caused by oxidative stress and infections.
2003 – MDMX ACTS AS A PERVASIVE PRELEUKEMIC-TO-ACUTE MYELOID LEUKEMIA SWITCH MECHANISM

The p53 inhibitor MDMX is overexpressed in the vast majority of patients with AML; however, a causative role of MDMX in leukemogenesis has not yet been investigated. Mdmx transgenic mice (Mdmx-Tg) displayed increased number, proliferation and competitive advantage of hematopoietic stem cells compared to WT littermates. Crossing Mdmx-Tg with preleukemic mouse models representing frequent alterations in human AML, we generated three distinct compound models. We found that Mdmx overexpression triggered progression of each of the different chronic/asymptomatic preleukemic conditions to overt AML, and thereby markedly shortened survival. RNA sequencing revealed that Mdmx overexpression exerted this function through activation of Wnt/b-Catenin signaling in pre-LSC. Mechanistically, we found that MDMX bound CK1a, a canonical degrader of b-Catenin, and led to accumulation and nuclear translocation of b-Catenin. WNT/b-Catenin inhibitors or exogenous overexpression of CK1a were both effective in reversing Mdmx-induced pre-LSC properties, and showed further synergism in combination with MDMX inhibitor treatment. Competitive advantage and accumulation of b-Catenin upon Mdmx overexpression were still seen upon crossing into a p53-/- background, demonstrating that Mdmx-driven WNT/b-Catenin activation and its functional consequences are, at least part, independent of p53. Lastly, upregulation of WNT/b-Catenin pathways correlated with MDMX overexpression in large cohorts of patients with MDS and was associated with increased risk of progression to AML and poor survival. Our work identifies MDMX overexpression as a pervasive preleukemic-to-AML switch mechanism effective in different genetically-driven disease subtypes, and reveals WNT/b-Catenin as a novel, non-canonical p53-independent MDMX-driven pathway with therapeutic potential for progression prevention and cancer interception.
An Analysis-Agnostic System Model of the Intel Minifab

What if, instead of trying to model production systems using a simulation language, we first formally specified them by creating an analysis-agnostic system model (AASM) which could be developed collaboratively with the stakeholders and then be used as a simulation model requirements document, the benchmark for simulation model verification and a valuable asset for validation? This paper demonstrates an approach for creating an AASM for a wafer fab, using as the demonstration vehicle a famously simple yet intriguingly complex case study, the Intel Minifab case developed by Karl Kempf 25 years ago.
Ecological factors affecting Infant at Work policies and programs in university settings

Objectives This study identifies the ecological (ie, policy, environment, intrapersonal, and interpersonal) factors affecting the implementation of an Infant at Work program in a university setting. Methods Data were collected among faculty, staff, and graduate students at a large Midwestern university from February to July 2020 via focus group (FG) discussions with university employees (n = 22) and semistructured interviews with university administrators (n = 10). We used techniques from expanded grounded theory, allowing for a constant comparative approach to data contextualization and theme identification. Results Three themes emerged from the FG data: (i) program and policy scope, (ii) employee and employer benefits, and (iii) workplace concerns. Onsite daycares, flexible schedules and participation, and expanded childcare options were some of the programs and policies employees desired. However, barriers to implementing these types of programs include cost, safety, and structure of the work environment. Conclusions Findings offer practical recommendations and strategies to improve work/life balance among parents transitioning back to work in a university environment. Findings also provide insight into the feasibility of family-friendly workplace policies and environments. Additionally, findings provide a framework for other organizations to implement similar Infant at Work programs to improve employee work/life balance.
A OneStep Solution to Fix and Stain Cells for Correlative Live and Fixed Microscopy

Correlating the location of subcellular structures with dynamic cellular behaviors is difficult when working with organisms that lack the molecular genetic tools needed for expressing fluorescent protein fusions. Here, we describe a protocol for fixing, permeabilizing, and staining cells in a single step while imaging on a microscope. In contrast to traditional, multi-step fixing and staining protocols that take hours, the protocol outlined here achieves satisfactory staining within minutes. This approach takes advantage of well-characterized small molecules that stain specific subcellular structures, including nuclei, mitochondria, and actin networks. Direct visualization of the entire process allows for rapid optimization of cell fixation and staining, as well as straightforward identification of fixation artifacts. Moreover, live imaging prior to fixation reveals the dynamic history of cellular features, making it particularly useful for model systems without the capacity for expressing fluorescent protein fusions. © 2021 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol: Fixing, permeabilizing, and staining mammalian cells in one step on the microscope.
Variational, stable, and self-consistent coupling of 3D electromagnetics to 1D transmission lines in the time domain

Abstract This work presents a new multiscale method for coupling the 3D Maxwell's equations to the 1D telegrapher's equations. While Maxwell's equations are appropriate for modeling complex electromagnetics in arbitrary-geometry domains, simulation cost for many applications (e.g. pulsed power) can be dramatically reduced by representing less complex transmission line regions of the domain with a 1D model. By assuming a transverse electromagnetic (TEM) ansatz for the solution in a transmission line region, we reduce the Maxwell's equations to the telegrapher's equations. We propose a self-consistent finite element formulation of the fully coupled system that uses boundary integrals to couple between the 3D and 1D domains and supports arbitrary unstructured 3D meshes. Additionally, by using a Lagrange multiplier to enforce continuity at the coupling interface, we allow for an absorbing boundary condition to also be applied to non-TEM modes on this boundary. We demonstrate that this feature reduces non-physical reflection and ringing of non-TEM modes off of the coupling boundary. By employing implicit time integration, we ensure a stable coupling, and we introduce an efficient method for solving the resulting linear systems. We demonstrate the accuracy of the new method on two verification problems, a transient O-wave in a rectilinear prism and a steady-state problem in a coaxial geometry, and show the efficiency and weak scalability of our implementation on a cold test of the Z-machine MITL and post-hole convolute.