cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An integrative method for scoring candidate genes from association studies: application to warfarin dosing

Background A key challenge in pharmacogenomics is the identification of genes whose variants contribute to drug response phenotypes, which can include severe adverse effects. Pharmacogenomics GWAS attempt to elucidate genotypes predictive of drug response. However, the size of these studies has severely limited their power and potential application. We propose a novel knowledge integration and SNP aggregation approach for identifying genes impacting drug response. Our SNP aggregation method characterizes the degree to which uncommon alleles of a gene are associated with drug response. We first use pre-existing knowledge sources to rank pharmacogenes by their likelihood to affect drug response. We then define a summary score for each gene based on allele frequencies and train linear and logistic regression classifiers to predict drug response phenotypes.
Sleep and fatigue symptoms in women before and 6 weeks after hysterectomy.

ABSTRACT Objective To compare sleep and fatigue experiences of women before hysterectomy and at 3 and 6 weeks after surgery, to compare symptoms by type of surgical procedure, and to examine the biopsychosocial contextual factors related to symptoms. Design A descriptive repeated measures study assessed sleep and fatigue using questionnaires and objective wrist actigraphy monitoring for sleep. Setting Data were collected in women's homes at least 2 days before surgery, and at 3 and 6 weeks postoperatively. Participants A convenience sample of 25 women scheduled for hysterectomy. Results There was significantly higher self-reported sleep disturbance 3 weeks after surgery compared with baseline. Women who had vaginal hysterectomy continued to experience sleep disturbance and fatigue 6 weeks after surgery, while those who had abdominal hysterectomy reported better sleep and less fatigue at 6 weeks compared with baseline. The number of awakenings recorded with actigraphy increased postoperatively for both groups, and younger women experienced more wake time during the night than older women. Level of education was positively related to preoperative fatigue severity. Conclusions Findings suggested poor sleep and fatigue during the postoperative period should be evaluated in light of women's ages, level of education, and type of surgical procedure.
Conservative surgery and radiation therapy for macroscopically multiple ipsilateral invasive breast cancers.

Abstract Background: The presence of macroscopically multiple ipsilateral invasive breast cancer (MMIIBC) has been considered a contraindication for breast conservation. Early series reported high rates of local recurrence. A treatment regimen was developed to accommodate patient requests for breast conservation in MMIIBC. Methods: We reviewed medical records of the 15 MMIIBC patients who underwent partial mastectomy followed by radiation between 1989 and 1997. All patients had 2 or more separate macroscopic tumors greater than 2 mm in diameter. After tumor excision, all specimens were evaluated; the protocol required surgical margins of at least 2 mm. Results: As of June 2000 (median follow-up 76 months), 14 patients (93%) were alive without evidence of disease. One patient died of systemic disease without local recurrence. Conclusions: In selected cases, the combination of breast conservative surgery and radiation therapy with systemic therapy results in acceptable local-regional control. Patients who present with MMIIBC with clear surgical margins should be considered for breast conservation.
Effect of number of home exercises on compliance and performance in adults over 65 years of age.

Background and Purpose. There is limited research on the effects of the number of exercises a person is told to perform on compliance and performance, as defined by cueing requirements, correct alignment, and quality of movement. Some studies of medication suggest that compliance decreases as the number of medications increases. The purpose of this study was to determine whether older adults comply and perform better (ie, requiring less cueing, exhibiting correct alignment, and exhibiting controlled, coordinated, and continuous movements) when they are asked to do 2, 5, or 8 exercises. Subjects. Subjects were 11 women and 4 men, aged 67 to 82 years (X=72.8), who were living independently in their communities. Methods. Subjects were randomly prescribed 2, 5, or 8 general strengthening home exercises. They were instructed on their exercises at an initial session and asked to record the number of repetitions performed each day in a self-report exercise log. At a return session 7 to 10 days later, subjects were scored on their performance of the prescribed exercises using a newly designed assessment tool. Results. The group that was prescribed 2 exercises performed better, as defined by their performance tool score, than the group that was prescribed 8 exercises. The group that was prescribed 5 exercises was not different from the groups that performed 2 or 8 exercises. No differences were found among groups regarding the self-report measurement of compliance. There was a moderate correlation between performance scores and the self-report percentage rates. Conclusion and Discussion. Subjects who were prescribed 2 exercises performed better than subjects who were prescribed 8 exercises. The question of an optimal number of exercises to prescribe to elderly people warrants further study.
Scaling in Charge-Density-Wave Relaxation: Time-Resolved X-Ray Scattering Measurements

In many highly anisotropic materials, the equilibrium state at low temperatures is the charge-density-wave (CDW) state. The CDW state consists of a periodic modulation of the conduction electron density and a concomitant lattice-distortion wave (LDW) [1]. A few of these materials also exhibit non-Ohmic conduction due to a collective motion or “sliding” of the CDW. Sliding is not observed for electric fields below a threshold field due to pinning from impurities and other lattice defects [2‐ 4]. A detailed understanding of the transition between the pinned and the sliding states requires new insight into the competition between elastic interactions and quenched random pinning fields in nonequilibrium systems. The approaches used to model this transition can be placed into two general categories: (i) scaling solutions to statistical models and (ii) solutions of the microscopic equations of motion. In this Letter, we report time-resolved x-ray scattering measurements of the evolution of the transverse structure of the CDW as it relaxes from the sliding to the pinned state and demonstrate that the relaxation kinetics are consistent with the general predictions of both approaches. X-ray scattering is a nearly ideal probe of the CDW structure. In the simplest case, the LDW is assumed to have the form usr, td › u0 sinfQ ? r 1f s r , tdg. Here, Q › 2kF ˆ n is the CDW wave vector, kF is the Fermi wave number, and f is the phase of the CDW. This periodic distortion produces satellite peaks in the scattering near the Bragg peaks of the unperturbed crystal lattice. Near these CDW satellites, the intensity of the scattered x rays is given by
Equivariant isotopy of unknots to round circles

Abstract Suppose that γ 0 is an unknotted simple closed curve contained in the 3-sphere which happens to be invariant under a subgroup G of the Mobius group of S 3 = the group (generated by inversions in 2-spheres). It is shown that there is an equivariant isotopy γ t , 0 ⩽ t ⩽ 1, from γ 0 to a round circle γ 1 .
Prediction of Logic Product Failure Due To Thin-Gate Oxide Breakdown

Gate oxide breakdown is a key mechanism limiting IC lifetime. Breakdown is typically characterized on test capacitors, but estimating product reliability from such results requires making a number of often-untested assumptions. This work compares the predictions of capacitor-based models to results from accelerated lifetest of logic CPU products. For the technology studied, lifetest failure rate was somewhat lower than model prediction, and failure analysis indicated that an important factor was the different sensitivities of logic circuits vs. cache cells and of n and p transistors in the cache. Analysis of the factors involved in determining oxide-breakdown reliability and of the statistical uncertainties in capacitor-based models indicates that it is important to calibrate models to product data including these effects. Once a model is validated, the paper discusses how it can be used to assess the reliability impact of changes in processing, use conditions, and circuit design.
Determinants of Serum Adiponectin in Persons with and without Type 1 Diabetes

Low levels of adiponectin have been related to coronary heart disease, but adiponectin is higher in persons with type 1 diabetes who have an increased rate of coronary disease. In the Coronary Artery Calcification in Type 1 Diabetes Study (2000-2002), the authors investigated potential determinants of elevated adiponectin levels in persons with type 1 diabetes and whether a difference exists compared with nondiabetic persons. Serum adiponectin was measured in 1,393 persons (sex: 48% male; age: 38 (standard deviation: 9) years; diabetes duration: 23 (standard deviation: 9) years; 54% nondiabetic and 46% with type 1 diabetes). Determinants of log-transformed adiponectin levels were evaluated by multiple linear regression analysis with interaction terms to determine whether predictors of adiponectin levels differed by diabetes status. Adiponectin levels were higher in type 1 diabetic than nondiabetic persons (13.5 (standard deviation: 1.0) vs. 8.8 (standard deviation: 1.0) microg/ml; p < 0.0001), adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, and glomerular filtration rate. The final regression model explained 67% of the difference in adiponectin levels between type 1 diabetic and nondiabetic persons. The variables explaining this difference included high density lipoprotein cholesterol, albumin excretion rate, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, and hemoglobin A1c level. Adiponectin is higher in type 1 diabetic than nondiabetic persons. Although some of the difference can be explained, further study is needed to better understand the relation between elevated adiponectin levels and patient outcomes, including coronary heart disease.
Secular Trends in Mortality from Asthma in Japan, 1979–1988: Comparison with the United States

To determine whether mortality from asthma in Japan has increased, and to examine the age-, sex-, and race-specific mortality rates from this disease and their secular trends in both Japan and the US, vital statistics from 1979 through 1988 were studied. Overall, rates were highest among Japanese and decreased from 1979 to 1988, while rates in the US were lower and increased somewhat, especially among Blacks (whose rates were intermediate, in general, between Japanese and US Whites). Age-specific rates showed the greater asthma mortality in Japan to be due to deaths at ages greater than 50 or 60 years. The downward trend in the Japanese, unlike US Blacks and Whites, was due specifically to decreasing rates among the youngest and the oldest age group between the earlier and later years of the period, 1979-1988.
Antimicrobial therapy of acute otitis media: review of treatment recommendations.

Abstract Objective This paper reviews 3 previously published articles that provided recommendations for antimicrobial therapy of acute otitis media (AOM) and combines them to provide revised recommendations. Background AOM is one of the most common pediatric infections requiring a prescription for an antimicrobial agent. The optimal approach to treatment of AOM requires early, efficacious, and practical therapy. Several experts and organizations have developed recommendations for the management of AOM, but the number of these may overwhelm the busy primary care practitioner. A MEDLINE® search of the pediatric and infectious disease literature on AOM treatment recommendations was used to select 3 representative, previously published articles for this review. When selecting an agent, physicians should consider in vitro activity, particularly against drug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae; pharmacokinetics; adverse events; palatability of the suspension; and cost. In addition, physicians' clinical experience is an important determinant. Conclusions Amoxicillin is recommended as the first-line agent to treat uncomplicated AOM. For clinical treatment failures after 3 days of amoxicillin, recommended antimicrobial agents include oral amoxicillin/clavulanate, cefuroxime axetil, cefprozil, cefpodoxime proxetil, and intramuscular (IM) ceftriaxone. IM ceftriaxone should be reserved for severe cases or patients in whom noncompliance is expected. Tympanocentesis for identification of pathogens and susceptibility to antimicrobial agents is recommended for selection of third-line agents.
Mindfulness-based meditation to decrease stress and anxiety in college students: A narrative synthesis of the research

Abstract Objective The primary purpose of this paper was to narratively review the research testing the effects of mindfulness meditation on stress and anxiety in the college students; reviewing the inclusion of mindfulness was a secondary purpose. Methods A literature search resulted in 57 studies on the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation in reducing stress and anxiety in college students. Conclusions Researchers examined anxiety in 40 studies, self-reported stress in 34, physiological stress in 11, and mindfulness in 24. Thirty-three of 40 and 25 of 34 studies showed significant decreases in anxiety and stress respectively; 22 of 24 showed an increase in mindfulness. Physiological stress had inconsistent results indicating a need for further research. Overall, mindfulness meditation shows promise in reducing stress and anxiety in college students. Additionally, there are a number of differences in mindfulness interventions including frequency, duration, instructional method, and inclusion of yoga, that need quantitative examination (meta-analysis) to determine which is most effective.
Parasitism in Thailand: an evaluation by various concentration technics and its importance in the United States.

This study was designed to compare the effectiveness of various concentration technics for detecting parasitic infections in fecal specimens and to obtain incidence levels of various parasites in the Thai population. These parasites may be transmitted to American troops visiting or assigned to Thailand. The merthiolate-iodine-formalin concentration procedure yielded the highest number of parasites. None of the technics employed was 100% effective, however. Results are compared with the results of similar studies done by others. A 42.4% incidence of parasitism was found in the “healthy” Thai population of Bangkok. Helminths of the hookworm species accounted for the greatest proportion of parasitism. Parasites of the Opisthorchis species, endemic in Thailand, were also found in many patients.
Nanotextured Shrink Wrap Superhydrophobic Surfaces by Argon Plasma Etching

We present a rapid, simple, and scalable approach to achieve superhydrophobic (SH) substrates directly in commodity shrink wrap film utilizing Argon (Ar) plasma. Ar plasma treatment creates a stiff skin layer on the surface of the shrink film. When the film shrinks, the mismatch in stiffness between the stiff skin layer and bulk shrink film causes the formation of multiscale hierarchical wrinkles with nano-textured features. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images confirm the presence of these biomimetic structures. Contact angle (CA) and contact angle hysteresis (CAH) measurements, respectively, defined as values greater than 150° and less than 10°, verified the SH nature of the substrates. Furthermore, we demonstrate the ability to reliably pattern hydrophilic regions onto the SH substrates, allowing precise capture and detection of proteins in urine. Finally, we achieved self-driven microfluidics via patterning contrasting superhydrophilic microchannels on the SH Ar substrates to induce flow for biosensing.
Carbon limitation of sediment bacterial production and denitrification in high nitrate low carbon systems

The concentrations and ratios of carbon and nitrogen may affect bacterial denitrification through changes in enzyme or bacterial production, but short-term laboratory and field assays may not account for changes over longer periods. Drainage from agricultural landscapes can have different ratios of C:N depending on the water source, i.e., surface runoff has elevated C:N relative to agriculture tile drainage water. We hypothesized that differences in C:N ratios limit bacterial production and reduce denitrification rates. Sediment cores collected from surface or tile water fed wetlands were incubated in low C:N (1:1) and high C:N (4:1) ratios keeping nitrogen concentrations at 10 mg L−1 NO3-N. We used replicated laboratory incubations that were destructively sampled on days 0, 1, 3, 5, 10, and 20 to represent pulsed water inputs to wetlands to test for potential increases in denitrification over time with elevated C:N (4:1) ratios. Bacterial production and denitrification were estimated using [3H] leucine incorporation and the acetylene block method. Bacterial production and denitrification increased (p < 0.0001) in response to elevated C:N (4:1). Carbon was likely preferentially allocated for bacterial production at low C:N as explained by the lack of change in denitrification at the 1:1 C:N ratio, but facilitated a significant increase in bacterial production throughout the 20 day incubation. The results suggest that if labile carbon were to be increased in subsurface tile drainage, prolonged seasonal water inputs would likely increase nitrate removal as shown by the increased denitrification throughout the 20 day study period. New agricultural conservation practices such as the implementation of cover crops have the indirect benefit of restoring soil organic matter and may improve allochthonous inputs of labile carbon.
Pulmonary Tuberculosis following Treatment with Corticosteroids.

Summary Four cases of pulmonary tuberculosis are reported and one case of generalised miliary dissemination. In each tuberculosis occurred following treatment with corticosteroids for some other complaint. The roentgenographic control previous to the treatment was negative for tuberculosis. In our cases the time elapse between the institution of corticosteroids treatment and the development of tuberculosis varied between one month and a year. In every case but one (which terminated in generalised miliary dissemination) the tuberculous lesions responded favourably to tuberculostatic treatment. The cortisone treatment was continued in two cases even after the development of tuberculosis, in association with tuberculostatic drugs.
Combining all forces: abdominoperineal resection in an obese male

Background: In patients with rectal cancer, pelvic dissection is challenging. A complete total mesorectal excision (TME) is particularly difficult in a narrow and long pelvis often encountered in males. This difficulty is compounded in the obese. In addition to the open approach being morbid, laparoscopy has often proven difficult secondary to rigid instruments along with a steep learning curve. Robot assistance offers an advantage, however limitations are observed in abdominal colon dissection outside of the pelvis. As these individual modalities have their disadvantages, they each can contribute unique aspects in a combined or a hybrid approach to rectal tumors. Therefore, a multi-modal, combined approach, involving hand assist, laparoscopic, and robotic assistance, to a 5-cm tumor at the anal verge was applied to an abdominoperineal resection in an obese, male patient. Methods: An obese 58-year-old male, BMI of 36 kg/m 2 , with a 5-cm anal canal squamous cell carcinoma which recurred after Nigro protocol treatment, underwent a multi-modal abdominoperineal resection. Results: The approach to recurrent anal cancer is as that for rectal cancer. Hence, a hand port was placed to assist in colon mobilization, visceral mesenteric dissection, and to facilitate the laparoscopic division of the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) at its origin. The robot was used for deep pelvic dissection and TME. The levators were divided in the perineal phase. A complete mesorectal excision was achieved and a cylindrical specimen was extracted. Conclusions: An abdominoperineal resection with a multi-modal approach (hand assist, laparoscopic, and robotic) is safe and effective in resection of low rectal cancers especially in the narrow, obese, and male pelvis.
The Discourse on the Off-line Training for Manual Spraying

Normative training on manual spraying which is based on Off-line training could improve the stability of operator's paint skill.This paper will discuss aboat the grading standards of manual spraying training and the methods of operation.
Green Technology as a Sustainable and Feasible Approach: A Case of Developing Countries

Challenges facing humanity on the environmental front have become truly global and pressing. Apprehensions are expressed that without remedial measures, we may face the bleak prospect of the collapse of the lifestyles that different societies enjoy presently. On the other hand, never before has history seen an attempt of the Third World Countries on the same scale in seeking to usher in socio-economic development. The main aim is to reuse self-fulfillment of the people and create a society that is genuinely harmonious and free from want and deprivation. It is increasingly realized that the human race stands at the crossroads in choosing the options it has in the areas of environment and development. The industrial countries having enjoyed their share of development, have achieved a decent standard of living. This has given to the earth pollution and eco degradation as a result of affluence and underlying greed which make it clear that such patterns of development and quality of life are unsustainable. On the contrary, the developing countries are still struggling for a decent level of sustenance. So the responsibility now lies on the shoulders of these countries to take the sustainable path from the very beginning. The process now requires basic rethinking and tangible steps are to be adopted to follow a road that leads to sustainability.
Pediatric Dentists' Knowledge Concerning the Physician Payments Sunshine Act and Their Predictions of its Effects on Their Interactions with the Industry and its Impact on Patient Care.

PURPOSE This study surveyed pediatric dentists' knowledge of the Physician Payments Sunshine Act (PPSA) and their impressions of its effect on their future interactions with the dental products industry and on their clinical practice. METHODS Seven hundred seventy four practicing dentists responded to a survey, with 13 responding to a follow-up survey. RESULTS Most respondents were unfamiliar (43 percent) or only vaguely familiar (33 percent) with the PPSA. In response to the required PPSA disclosures, 62 percent said they would see company representatives less often (37 percent indicated no change); 50 percent said they would attend fewer industry-sponsored continuing education events (49 percent indicated no change); and 57 percent indicated they would attend fewer promotional speaking events (43 percent indicated no change). Respondents indicated that self-banning detailing (68 percent), samples (72 percent), industry-sponsored continuing education events (81 percent), and promotional speaking (82 percent) would negatively impact the quality of care they are able to provide their patients. CONCLUSION Pediatric dentists anticipate reducing or severing their existing ties to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and device manufacturers in response to the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, despite believing that interactions with the dental products' industry enhance the quality of patient care they are able to provide their patients.
Resources for Grading the Evidence, Appraisal, Writing, and Publishing

Evidence-based medicine helps guide current practice. In this chapter, we will discuss which databases are best for evidence-based medicine searches, take note of popular evidence-grading schemas, and review standards for reporting of evidence. We will review resources for critical appraisal and a number of writing and publishing resources for your research project. Finally, we review journals which have a quality improvement focus.
Spectroscopy of reacted surfaces

Explosives were driven to the brink of ignition by shock or impact. I he microscopic sites of early reaction in the damaged materials were investigated by scanning electron microscopy for their physical structure and by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for their chemistry. Morphological defects of micrometre or smaller size were observable on the surfaces and edges of the crystals. Near these defects chemically altered debris from the explosive was found, these contained reaction products which are more sensitive than the original explosive or have suffered exothermic reaction. The combination of morphological defects, sensitized products and exothermic energy would qualify these sites as hot spots where reaction could restart, at a lower stimulus. This provides us with an explanation for the sensitization of roughly handled explosives and gives us some insight into the early steps of the ignition process.
Outsourcing Services in Partial Digital Environments: Assessing Management Preferences Where Paper is King

The drive to achieve consistency and reliability of information across healthcare organizations has resulted in highly publicized standardization mandates by government regulators. The risk of funding loss, accreditation revocation, and financial penalties has led to speculation that disparity in management practices by healthcare organizations would largely disappear, as a result of government mandated initiatives to standardize and computerize patient information. This study seeks to examine how institutional forces influence the degree of outsourcing adoption in healthcare organizations, using a national survey of all accredited U.S. health information managers. Results suggest that significant non-adoption of information technology continues to occur across organizations, despite the risk of penalties designed to enforce reliability of medical patient information. We further examine how management varies across levels of incremental electronic record adoption and across organizations. We find signific...
Hot flashes and midlife symptoms in relation to levels of salivary cortisol.

Abstract Objectives This study examined the relationship between salivary cortisol levels and hot flashes during midlife. Previous studies have shown that cortisol levels increase with hot flashes in the laboratory, and higher cortisol levels have been associated with more severe hot flashes. Salivary cortisol levels were also examined in relation to total number of midlife symptoms. Methods Women aged 40–60 years (n = 109) reported the presence or absence of 23 symptoms, including hot flashes, during the previous 2 weeks. Salivary samples were collected at waking, 30 min after waking, 1 h before bedtime, and at bedtime. The cortisol awakening response (CAR), cortisol daily decline (CDD), log transformed salivary cortisol levels at each time point, and mean cortisol levels were compared by hot flash report using t -tests. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the association between each cortisol measure and the presence or absence of hot flashes, after controlling for potential covariates. Results Salivary cortisol levels were not significantly associated with hot flashes or sum of symptoms. Hot flash report did not differentiate women who had a positive CAR from those who did not, or women who showed strong CDD from those who did not. Conclusion Symptomatic women – defined by hot flash report or symptom total – were not found to have higher salivary cortisol levels.
Absorption of 5′-Deoxy-5-fluorouridine from Colon

Rectally administered 5′-deoxy-5-fluorouridine (dFUR) is active against transplanted dimethylhydrazine-induced colon tumor in rats. This study investigated the disposition of dFUR in normal non-tumor-bearing rats after rectal administration (350 or 700 mg/kg). An intravenous (iv) bolus injection of [5′-3H]dFUR (28.2 µCi, 0.43 µg) was given 5 min after the rectal dose (700 mg/kg) to determine the dFUR clearance (CL). Blood and fecal samples were analyzed by high-pressure liquid chromatography and liquid scintillation. After the iv tracer dose, the CL was 19 ml/min/kg and the terminal half-life was 50 min. After a 700-mg/kg rectal dose, the terminal half-life was 430 min, the bioavailability was 30%, and the fraction of the dose recovered in 24-hr feces was 34%. After a 350-mg/kg dose, absorption was apparently not completed at 12 hr, as indicated by a lack of decline in blood concentration. The bioavailability of the 350-mg/kg dose exceeded 16%. The absorption of dFUR (700 mg/kg) from the colon was analyzed by the Loo–Riegelman method; the absorption half-life was 550 min. The terminal half-life after the rectal dose was much slower than that after the iv tracer dose but similar to the absorption half-life. These data indicate that dFUR was absorbed from the colon, that the absorption process was the rate-limiting step of its disposition after rectal administration, and that the slow absorption gave a sustained drug concentration in blood.
Imaging review of lipomatous musculoskeletal lesions

Lipomatous lesions are common musculoskeletal lesions that can arise within the soft tissues, bone, neurovascular structures, and synovium. The majority of these lesions are benign, and many of the benign lesions can be diagnosed by radiologic evaluation. However, radiologic differences between benign and malignant lipomatous lesions may be subtle and pathologic correlation is often needed. The use of sonography, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is useful not only in portraying fat within the lesion, but also for evaluating the presence and extent of soft tissue components. Lipomas make up most soft tissue lipomatous lesions, but careful evaluation must be performed to distinguish these lesions from a low-grade liposarcoma. In addition to the imaging appearance, the location of the lesion and the patient demographics can be utilized to help diagnose other soft tissue lipomatous lesions, such as elastofibroma dorsi, angiolipoma, lipoblastoma, and hibernoma. Osseous lipomatous lesions such as a parosteal lipoma and intraosseous lipoma occur less commonly as their soft tissue counterpart, but are also benign. Neurovascular and synovial lipomatous lesions are much rarer lesions but demonstrate more classic radiologic findings, particularly on MRI. A review of the clinical, radiologic, and pathologic characteristics of these lesions is presented.
Historical Perspective on Numerical Techniques for Modeling Joints

One of the primary research efforts of the interfacial mechanics community is developing predictive models of energy dissipation for jointed structures. These models, such as the Iwan model, are typically nonlinear constitutive models that are used to regularize the interface mechanics for use in system level simulations. In order to advance the state of the art and to develop predictive models in which multiple interfaces are able to be modeled efficiently without the use of regularization in dynamic simulations, numerical methods for implementing these models in finite element codes must be concurrently developed with the constitutive models. Currently, without the regularization assumption (in which a jointed interface is modeled with a single degree of freedom constitutive model that approximates the dynamics of the entire interface), the computational costs of transient simulations are prohibitively expensive. In fact, the computational costs are prohibitively expensive even for many complex structures with regularized jointed interfaces. As a result, analysts typically rely on ad hoc modeling approaches to represent the interfacial energy dissipation characteristics without realizing the significant implications that this simplification has on the validity of the predicted response. This chapter develops a framework for engaging the numerical methods community in order to encourage the concurrent development of numerical techniques and constitutive models. The ultimate goal of the community is for an accessible, efficient constitutive model of interfacial energy dissipation to be available readily in finite element software for analysts to use instead of ad hoc methodologies.
Antibody 27F3 Broadly Targets Influenza A Group 1 and 2 Hemagglutinins through a Further Variation in VH1-69 Antibody Orientation on the HA Stem

Antibodies that target both group 1 and group 2 influenza A viruses are valuable for therapeutic and vaccine development, but only a few have been reported to date. Here, we describe a new VH1-69 antibody 27F3 that broadly recognizes heterosubtypic hemagglutinins (HAs) from both group 1 and group 2 influenza A viruses. Structural characterization of 27F3 Fab with A/California/04/2009 (H1N1) hemagglutinin illustrates that 27F3 shares the key binding features observed in other VH1-69 antibodies to the HA stem. Compared to other VH1-69 antibodies, the 27F3 VH domain interacts with the HA stem in a distinct orientation, which alters its epitope and may have influenced its breadth. The diverse rotations of VH1-69 antibodies on the HA stem epitope highlight the different ways that this antibody family can evolve to broadly neutralize influenza A viruses. These results have important implications for understanding how to elicit broad antibody responses against influenza virus.
Spatial Variation of Pneumonia Hospitalization Risk in Twin Cities Metro Area, Minnesota

Fine resolution spatial variability in pneumonia hospitalization may identify correlates with socioeconomic, demographic and environmental factors. We performed a retrospective study within the Fairview Health System network of Minnesota. Patients 2 months of age and older hospitalized with pneumonia between 2011 and 2015 were geocoded to their census block group, and pneumonia hospitalization risk was analyzed in relation to socioeconomic, demographic and environmental factors. Spatial analyses were performed using Esri's ArcGIS software, and multivariate Poisson regression was used. Hospital encounters of 17 840 patients were included in the analysis. Multivariate Poisson regression identified several significant associations, including a 40% increased risk of pneumonia hospitalization among census block groups with large, compared with small, populations of ⩾65 years, a 56% increased risk among census block groups in the bottom (first) quartile of median household income compared to the top (fourth) quartile, a 44% higher risk in the fourth quartile of average nitrogen dioxide emissions compared with the first quartile, and a 47% higher risk in the fourth quartile of average annual solar insolation compared to the first quartile. After adjusting for income, moving from the first to the second quartile of the race/ethnic diversity index resulted in a 21% significantly increased risk of pneumonia hospitalization. In conclusion, the risk of pneumonia hospitalization at the census-block level is associated with age, income, race/ethnic diversity index, air quality, and solar insolation, and varies by region-specific factors. Identifying correlates using fine spatial analysis provides opportunities for targeted prevention and control.
MnTE-2-PyP (T2E) protects the prostate from radiation-induced fibrosis (RIF)

Prostate cancer is frequently treated with radiation therapy, which can be accompanied by damage to normal healthy tissue, resulting in fibrosis. Radiation-induced fibrosis (RIF) is caused by an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and epigenetic remodeling of fibroblast cells mediated by ROS. MnTE-2-PyP (T2E), a scavenger of superoxide, prevents the development of RIF. We hypothesize that T2E prevents radiation-induced epigenetic reprogramming of fibroblast cells and expression of pro-fibrotic components. Results Animals examined 6 months post-irradiation had significantly higher collagen deposition in skin and bladder tissue (24% ± 4.3% and 10.4% ± 1.6%, n=7) after 6 months. In an ex-vivo experiment (2 months post-irradiation), fibroblasts isolated from animals treated with T2E were significantly less activated in comparison to radiation treatment group (p Conclusion T2E inhibits radiation-induced changes in fibroblasts, which may be caused by the ability of T2E to enhance NAD+ levels and sirtuin activity in these irradiated cells.
MusiteDeep: A deep-learning framework for protein post-translational modification site prediction

Computational methods for post-translational modification (PTM) site prediction play important roles in protein function studies and experimental design. Most existing methods are based on feature extraction, which may result in incomplete or biased features. Deep learning as the cutting-edge machine learning method has the ability to automatically discover complex representations of PTM patterns from the raw sequences, and hence it provides a powerful tool for improvement of post-translational modification site prediction. In our previous work, we proposed MusiteDeep, the first deep-learning framework for predicting the phosphorylation, one of the well-studied PTMs. The previous MusiteDeep takes protein raw sequence as the input and uses convolutional neural networks with a two-dimensional attention mechanism. It achieved over a 50% improvement in the area under the precision-recall curve in general phosphorylation site prediction and obtains competitive results in kinase-specific prediction compared to other well-known tools on the benchmark data. In this work, we extended to explore more types of PTMs, including acetylation, methylation and glycosylation. New deep-learning architecture and new training strategy are proposed for better performance. Web server for more PTM site predictions and complex motif visualization will be developed in the future.
MST1R/RON and EGFR in a complex with syndecans sustain carcinoma S-phase progression by preventing p38MAPK activation

Syndecan-4 (Sdc4) organizes a complex of receptors consisting of its homologue, Sdc2, the receptor tyrosine kinases EGFR and MST1R/RON, and the laminin-binding alpha3beta1 and alpha6beta4 integrins that depends on a docking site within its extracellular domain. A peptide mimetic of the extracellular docking site, synstatin-EGFR (SSTN-EGFR), disrupts the receptor complex and prevents the invasion of non-transformed or carcinoma cells that relies on active EGFR. However, the peptide also prevents DNA replication that relies on active MST1R/RON and c-Abl kinase within the complex, resulting in rapid S-phase arrest of head & neck (HN) and breast carcinoma cells. SSTN-EGFR does not affect DNA replication in non-transformed oral or breast epithelial cells, but it does block their EGF-dependent invasion. Although EGFR is required as a component of the complex, its kinase activity is not required to sustain S-phase progression in the carcinoma cells, perhaps explaining why many HN and breast carcinomas that overexpress EGFR are nonetheless refractory to EGFR inhibitors. The syndecan-organized receptor complex (Sdc:RTK:ITG complex) appears to suppress stress signals that would otherwise disrupt the replisome engaged in DNA synthesis. SSTN-EGFR treatment of carcinoma cells, or normal oral epithelial cells expressing stress-inducing HPV oncogenes, causes rapid activation of the p38 stress MAPK leading to loss of PCNA from the chromatin and cessation of DNA synthesis. This arrest is independent of the common DNA damage response (DDR) known to activate an S-phase checkpoint, revealing a novel arrest mechanism and a novel receptor complex that is activated on tumor cells to suppress stress-induced proliferation arrest.
"Trans-nonachlor increases extracellular free fatty acid accumulation and de novo lipogenesis to produce hepatic steatosis in McArdle-RH7777 cells".

Recent studies suggest there may be an environmental exposure component to the development and progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) involving the organochlorine (OC) pesticides or their metabolites. However, the roles of OC compounds in the development of NAFLD has not been fully elucidated. Therefore, the current study was designed to determine if exposure to trans-nonachlor, a prevalent OC compound, could promote hepatocyte lipid accumulation and determine potential pro-steatotic mechanisms. McArdle-RH7777 (McA) hepatoma cells were incubated with trans-nonachlor for 24 h then neutral lipid accumulation was determined by Oil Red O staining. Exposure to trans-nonachlor produced a concentration dependent increase in neutral lipid accumulation. Trans-nonachlor also increased extracellular free fatty acid-induced neutral lipid accumulation which appears to be due at least in part to increased free fatty acid accumulation as evident by increased accumulation of Bodipy labeled dodecanoic acid. Additionally, 14C-acetate incorporation into total cellular lipids was increased by trans-nonachlor implicating increased de novo lipogenesis (DNL) as a potential mediator of trans-nonachlor-induced neutral lipid accumulation. Taken together, the present data indicate exposure to trans-nonachlor has a direct, pro-steatotic effect on hepatocytes to increase lipid accumulation through the combinatorial actions of extracellular free fatty acid accumulation and increased DNL.
Beta-2 transferrin is detectable for 14 days whether refrigerated or stored at room temperature.

Background The effect of time and temperature on beta-2 transferrin stability in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is not well established. After collecting nasal CSF for testing, beta-2 transferrin has been found to be stable and detectable for 1 week, whether being refrigerated or stored at room temperature. The purpose of this study was to determine if beta-2 transferrin remained detectable longer than 1 week and whether refrigeration improved its detectability. Methods In patients undergoing therapeutic CSF diversion, 2-mL CSF samples were collected from 18 patients. The samples were divided and stored either at room temperature, or at 4°C, and tested for beta-2 transferrin at 7 and 14 days. CSF was collected from external ventricular drains (EVDs) (n = 15), lumbar drains (n = 2), and subdural drains (n = 1). Results Of the 18 CSF samples originally testing positive for beta-2 transferrin, none turned negative at 7 or 14 days, in both the refrigerated and room temperature groups (95% confidence interval [CI], 0% to 18.5%). Conclusion Beta-2 transferrin remained detectable for 14 days in all CSF samples, regardless of being stored at 4°C or room temperature.
An Unusual Tale of Falls: a Modern Mad Hatter (P2.207)

Objective: To present an unusual case of peripheral neuropathy. Background: Falls are the leading cause of emergency room visits and accidental deaths in people over the age of 65. This mandates an evaluation of home safety, ambulatory status, acute vs. chronic illnesses and medications. Design/Methods: 81 year old male with Alzheimer’s dementia presented with new onset falls, unsteady gait and lower extremity fasciculations for 6 months. Noted was a gradual decline in memory and executive functioning. There was no syncope, weakness, numbness, pain or incontinence. There was no history of sleep disturbances, agitation, appetite problems, alcohol intake or exposure to chemicals. Intake of turmeric powder and coconut oil tablets was reported. He was alert and awake with MMSE 20/30, strength 4/5 in hip flexors, reflexes diminished at ankles and plantar responses mute. Vibration, cold, pinprick, joint position sense were impaired in lower extremities. The remainder of the systemic and neurological examination was unremarkable. Nerve conduction study and electromyography (EMG) revealed bilateral, axonal type sensorimotor neuropathy, affecting the sural and peroneal nerves, with absent bilateral soleus H responses. MRI of thoracic spine did not show any compression. An endocrine, infectious, nutrition and auto-immune workup was negative. High levels of mercury in blood and high levels of mercury, arsenic and cadmium in urine. Results: Turmeric powder and coconut oil tablets were discontinued. Frequency of falls reduced in the next 3 months, with improvement in ambulation. Repeat nerve conduction studies and EMG showed improvement in conduction velocities and amplitudes of the previously affected nerves. Repeat heavy metal screening revealed declining levels of mercury in blood. Conclusions: Intake of herbal supplements has increased over the past decade warranting an extensive medication history as part of a full neurological evaluation. Clinicians should be wary of rare causes like chronic heavy metal exposure in patients with unexplained neurological symptoms. Disclosure: Dr. Grewal has nothing to disclose. Dr. Nanjundaswamy has nothing to disclose.
The Third Party Beneficiary Rule in the New York Court of Appeals

This paper addresses leading New York Court of Appeals decisions on third party beneficiary law from its beginnings in Lawrence v. Fox, through its developmental stages, and culminating with the modern Court’s adoption of the Restatement (Second) of Contracts (1981) in Fourth Ocean Putnam Corp. v. Interstate Wrecking Co., Inc. Subsequent developments in the Second Circuit are then addressed, notable for the intersection of third party beneficiary law with priority among secured creditors.The goal of this paper is to trace the development of the Court’s varied approaches to the unique problems presented by these cases, and outline some of the equitable solutions and guidelines used by the Court of Appeals in its leading decisions on the topic. Throughout, this paper will attempt to draw a thematic thread through these decisions, and close in a reprise attempting to follow the thread backwards to the early Court of Appeals, analyzing whether and to what extent the Court has evolved in its view on the topic.
Quantitative Reverse Transcription–Polymerase Chain Reaction Based Assessment of the Candidate Biomarkers for Tongue Cancer Metastasis

Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (QPCR), also known as real-time polymerase chain reaction or kinetic polymerase chain reaction, is a technique used to simultaneously quantify and amplify a specific part of a given DNA molecule. QPCR follows the general procedure of PCR reaction, but the DNA is quantified after each PCR amplification cycle, making the quantification “real-time”. It is used to determine whether or not a specific sequence is present in a specific sample; and if present, the number of copies in the sample. When the QPCR technique is combined with the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), known as quantitative reverse ­transcription-polymerase chain reaction (QRT-PCR), it enables researchers to quantify low abundance messenger RNA (mRNA) at a particular time, or in a particular cell or tissue type.
The Course of Fibroplasia per SMC over Time in Aging Arteries

Total frbroplastic intimai thickness, F, comprises the two independent aspects, the aspect related to thickness per SMC, FC, and the aspect imparted by numbers of SMC’s, CT. Data on CT can therefore serve to measure its associated aspect of total intimai fibroplastic thickness, F. The two aspects of fibroplasia are here denoted the FC-linked component and the CT-linked component of arterial intimai fibroplasia, where F = CT*FC.