cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of Liver Biopsy in the Evaluation of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in HIV Coinfection

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfection is common in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), because the viruses share common routes of transmission. With the marked increase in life expectancy of HIV-infected patients associated with the use of highly active antiretroviral therapy, HCV infection has become a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in coinfected patients. As a result, there has been increasing attention to adequate assessment of HCV infection during the last several years. Unlike liver enzymes and HCV RNA levels, which can fluctuate widely and do not correlate with the severity of disease, liver biopsy has become the cornerstone in the evaluation of chronic HCV infection. However, there remain important questions and controversies related to adequately determining the histological severity of liver disease and the role of liver biopsy in HIV-HCV-coinfected patients.
Families in Apartment Buildings Sad Storeys for Children

In this article, it is suggested that apartment dwellings may become a realistic housing choice for a growing number of American families. Some consequences of this possibility are explored. Specifically, results from previous research on the effects of apartment living on children are reviewed. Some problems limiting the reliability and validity of findings to date are identified, and a number of suggestions are made to overcome these difficulties.
Ambidentate H-bonding of NO and O2 in heme proteins.

The affinity and reactivity of the gaseous molecules CO, NO and O2 (XO) in heme protein adducts are controlled by secondary interactions, especially by H-bonds donated from distal protein residues. Vibrational spectroscopy, supported by DFT (Density Functional Theory) modeling, has revealed that for NO and O2, but not for CO, a critical issue is whether the H-bond is donated to the outer or inner atom of the bound diatomic ligand. DFT modeling shows that bound NO and O2 are ambidentate, both atoms separately acting as H-bond acceptors. This is not the case for CO, whose π* orbital acts as a delocalized H-bond acceptor. Vibrational spectra of heme-XO adducts reveal a general pattern of backbonding variations, marked by families of negative correlations between frequencies associated with FeX and XO bond stretches. For heme-CO adducts, H-bonding increases backbonding, the νFeX/νXO points moving up the backbonding correlation established with model compounds. For NO and O2 adducts, however, increased backbonding is only observed when the outer atom is the H-bond acceptor. H-bonding to the inner (X) atom instead produces a positive νFeX/νXO correlation. This effect can be reproduced by DFT modeling. Its mechanism is polarization of the sp2 orbital on the X atom, on the back side of the bent FeXO unit, drawing electrons from both the FeX and XO bonds and weakening them together. Thus, the positioning of H-bond donors in the protein differentially affects bonding and reactivity in heme adducts of NO and O2.
Incidence of Near-Death Experiences Following Attempted Suicide.

Near-death experiences (NDEs), profound subjective experiences occurring during a close brush with death and containing transcendental or mystical elements, have been reported to reduce suicidal ideation, despite their "romanticization" of death. Among 61 consecutive hospital admissions for attempted suicide, 16 patients (26.2%) reported NDEs precipitated by the attempt. NDEs were not significantly associated with any demographic factors. In light of the frequency of NDEs following attempted suicide, further studies are indicated in regard to the effect of those experiences on subsequent suicidal behavior.
Signature-Tagged Mutagenesis of Klebsiella pneumoniae To Identify Genes That Influence Biofilm Formation on Extracellular Matrix Material

Klebsiella pneumoniae causes urinary tract infections, respiratory tract infections, and septicemia in susceptible individuals. Strains of Klebsiella frequently produce extended-spectrum beta-lactamases, and infections with these strains can lead to relatively high mortality rates (approximately 15%). Other virulence factors include production of an antiphagocytic capsule and outer membrane lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which mediates serum resistance, as well as fimbriae on the surface of the bacteria. Type 1 fimbriae mediate adherence to many types of epithelial cells and may facilitate adherence of the bacteria to the bladder epithelium. Type 3 fimbriae can bind in vitro to the extracellular matrix of urinary and respiratory tissues, suggesting that they mediate binding to damaged epithelial surfaces. In addition, type 3 fimbriae are required for biofilm formation by Klebsiella pneumoniae on plastics and human extracellular matrix; thus, they may facilitate the formation of treatment-resistant biofilm on indwelling plastic devices, such as catheters and endotracheal tubing. The presence of these devices may cause tissue damage, allowing Klebsiella to grow as a biofilm on exposed tissue basement membrane components. Though in vivo biofilm growth may be an important step in the infection process, little is known about the genetic factors required for biofilm formation by Klebsiella pneumoniae. Thus, we performed signature-tagged mutagenesis to identify factors produced by K. pneumoniae strain 43816 that are required for biofilm formation. We identified mutations in the cps capsule gene cluster, previously unidentified transcriptional regulators, fimbrial, and sugar phosphotransferase homologues, as well as genetic loci of unknown function, that affect biofilm formation.
Should the Distal Splenorenal Shunt be Combined with Gastric Disconection and Transection

Background: This study was aimed at evaluating advantages of distal splenorenal shunt (DSRS) with splenopancreatic and gastric disconnection (DSRS-SPGD) over DSRS with splenopancreatic disconnection (DSRS-SPD) and standard DSRS (S-DSRS).
Field stimulation of 2-D sheets of excitable tissue

This paper develops equations for the transmembrane potentials (V/sub m/) that occur in two-dimensional (2-D) sheets of tissue in response to field stimulation from an electrode near but not on the surface of the tissue. Comparison of results with those for one dimension shows that an additional term is present in the 2-D equations that influences the evolution of V/sub m/ in the interval between the end of the stimulus and the active propagation that may follow. The results provide an analytical framework for understanding V/sub m/ in response to field stimulation in two dimensions, both during the tissue's critical linear phase and thereafter.
Identities and Behavior

Since the early works of such influential scholars as (1890), (1934), and (1902), research within the tradition of symbolic interactionism has focused on the various ways the self produces meaningful behavior. While two distinct perspectives on the self and how it is related to behavior currently exist (Demo 1992; Gecas and Burke 1995), both share the general idea that in interaction, individuals seek to project an identity and consequently, that behavior reflects that identity.
Shifting Standards and the Inference of Incompetence: Effects of Formal and Informal Evaluation Tools

The authors distinguish between minimum and confirmatory standards of incompetence and hypothesize that for groups stereotyped as relatively competent (or deficient in incompetence), minimum standards of incompetence are lower (suspicion of incompetence is triggered sooner) but confirmatory standards are higher, relative to groups stereotyped as relatively incompetent. An initial study demonstrated this evidentiary pattern for male versus female targets. In Studies 2 and 3, participants were exposed to a poor-performing male or female (Study 2) or Black or White male (Study 3) trainee and were asked to record “notable” behaviors in either their “informal notes” (instantiating a minimum standard) or a “formal performance log” (instantiating a confirmatory standard). Consistent with predictions, fewer incompetent behaviors were recorded in the formal log than in informal notes for White male trainees. Firing decisions generally mimicked these patterns and in Study 3 were partially mediated by the accessibil...
High Moisture Storage Effects on Cotton Stickiness

Studies are conducted to examine the feasibility of using high cotton moisture content during storage to reduce cotton stickiness. Initially, water alone is added to bring the moisture content up to 15, 30, and 40%. The cottons are stored for 5, 11, and 15 days at 10°C. Reflectance and strength decreased and yellowness increases over time with the 30% and 40% moisture content cottons. But cottons with a moisture content of 15% are not only less sticky, but also suffer no significant deterioration of cotton quality. Possibly these conditions can be used in a stickiness reduction treatment pro gram. A second set of cottons is brought up to 30% moisture content using water augmented with urea or ammonia in an attempt to minimize microbial effects, then these cottons are stored for 15 days at room temperature. The urea and ammonia treat ments do not appear to offset the quality deterioration of the cottons by the 30% high moisture content, although both sugar content and stickiness are reduced. Heavy pro cess...
Accommodation and chromatic aberration: effect of spatial frequency

When subjects view an edge in white light, a colour fringe, produced by longitudinal chromatic aberration (LCA) of the eye, is formed at the edge. The colour fringe changes with changes in focus, and serves as a complex colour-coded cue for reflex accommodation. Fincham found that 60% of his subjects failed to accommodate appropriately when the colour fringe was removed with an achromatizing lens or by the use of monochromatic light. Our experiment sought to determine the spatial frequencies at which LCA is most effective. We monitored accommodation in 10 subjects while they viewed sinusoidally moving sine-wave gratings (1-3 D at 0.2 Hz; 1-10.5 c/deg) in a Badal optometer. The targets were 'white' gratings with LCA normal, doubled, neutralized or reversed. Doubling the aberration has minimal effect, removing the aberration reduces gain and increases phase-lag, and reversing the aberration severely disrupts accommodation. Sensitivity to these chromatic cues exists at all spatial frequencies tested, but is most prominent between 3 and 5 c/deg. These results support the view that the system monitors focus by comparing contrast in red-green and perhaps blue-yellow colour-opponent mechanisms.
Recent weapon carrying and substance use among United States Virgin Islands youth.

The objective of the present study was to estimate the strength of the associations between recent weapon carrying and alcohol, cigarette, and illicit drug use among US Virgin Islands (USVI) youth. Data from 1,124 students in Grades 7–12 were analyzed using the conditional form of multiple logistic regression. Compared with youth who did not carry a weapon, youth who carried a weapon were more likely to be male and recent cigarette, alcohol, and illicit drug users. After matching on school and controlling for age, sex, race, neigborhood characteristics, and affiliation with friends who use alcohol and illegal drugs, the associations with cigarette smoking and illicit drug use remained both moderate and statistically significant (odds ratio [OR] =4.31, p <. 001; OR = 2.99, p <.001, respectively). These findings identify a potentially high-risk population that could be targeted for interventions to reduce weapon carrying among youth.
Fluorescence imaging study of extracellular zinc at the hippocampal mossy fiber synapse

Although synaptically released, vesicular Zn(2+) has been proposed to play a neuromodulatory or neuronal signaling role at the mossy fiber-CA3 synapse, Zn(2+) release remains controversial, especially when detected using fluorescent imaging. In the present study, we investigated synaptically released Zn(2+) at the mossy fiber (MF) synapse in rat hippocampal slices using three chemically distinct, fluorescent Zn(2+) indicators. The indicators employed for this study were cell membrane impermeable (or extracellular) Newport Green [K(DZn2+) approximatelly 1 microM] , Zinpyr-4 K(DZn2+) approximately 1 nM and FluoZin-3 K(DZn2+) approximately 15 nM, chosen, in part, for their distinct dissociation constants. Among the three indicators, FluoZin-3 was also sensitive to Ca(2+) K(DCa2+) approximately 200-300 microM which was present in the extracellular medium ([Ca(2+)](o)>2mM). Hippocampal slices loaded with either Newport Green or FluoZin-3 showed increases in fluorescence after electrical stimulation of the mossy fiber pathway. These results are consistent with previous studies suggesting the presence of synaptically released Zn(2+) in the extracellular space during neuronal activities; however, the rise in FluoZin-3 fluorescence observed was complicated by the data that the addition of exogenous Zn(2+) onto FluoZin-3 loaded slices gave little change in fluorescence. In the slices loaded with the high-affinity indicator Zinpyr-4, there was little change in fluorescence after mossy fiber activation by electrical stimulation. Further study revealed that the sensitivity of Zinpyr-4 was mitigated by saturation with Zn(2+) contamination from the slice. These data suggest that the sensitivity and selectivity of a probe may affect individual outcomes in a given experimental system.
Understanding the MOD Process Between Decomposition and YBCO Formation

This paper reviews the application of trifluoroacetate (TFA)-based metalorganic deposition (MOD) for the production of thin film YBCO superconductors. A brief review of relevant studies leading to modern processing techniques is followed by a description of the present understanding of chemical and physical changes between decomposition and YBCO formation.
Effect of network topology on nanocluster film transport

The effects of network topology on electron transport is studied using Monte Carlo simulations of tunnel junction networks with transport governed by Coulomb blockade. Both the threshold voltage shift and the nonlinearity of the I-V curves are sensitive to lateral fluctuations of the conduction paths due to random voids. The nonlinearity is found to be maximized for aspect ratios of the network of unity or larger and for random void networks with 50% horizontal connections. Comparisons are made with Au nanocluster I-V measurements.
Adsorption and diffusion energetics of hydrogen atoms on Fe(1 1 0) from first principles

Abstract Spin-polarized density functional theory (DFT) has been used to characterize hydrogen atom adsorption and diffusion energetics on the Fe(1 1 0) surface. The Kohn-Sham equations are solved with periodic boundary conditions and within the all-electron projector-augmented-wave (PAW) formalism, using a generalized gradient approximation (GGA) to account for electron exchange and correlation. We investigate the site preference of H on Fe(1 1 0) for 0.25, 0.50, and 1.0 ML coverages and find that the quasi three-fold site is the only stable minimum (in agreement with experiment). We find the long and short bridge sites to be transition states for H diffusion on Fe(1 1 0), while the on top site is a rank-2 saddle point. The preference of the three-fold site is rationalized via an analysis of the site- and orbital-resolved density of states. An analysis of charge density differences suggests that the H–Fe interaction is quite covalent, with only ∼0.1 electron transferred from Fe atoms to H in the three-fold site of Fe(1 1 0). We also compare two experimentally observed 0.50 ML phases for H/Fe(1 1 0): a graphitic (2 × 2)-2H and a (2 × 1) phase. We confirm the LEED data that the Fe(1 1 0)-(2 × 2)-2H superstructure is more stable at low temperature. The predicted adsorption structure and weak substrate reconstruction for the Fe(1 1 0)-(2 × 2)-2H phase roughly agree with experiment, though discrepancies do exist regarding the H-surface height and the H–H distance. Moreover, trends in work function with coverage are predicted to be qualitatively different than older measurements, with even the sign of the work function changes in question. Lastly, a zig–zag diffusion path for H atoms on Fe(1 1 0) is proposed, involving a very low (
Amyloid disease of the stomach simulating gastric carcinoma.

Summary A case of amyloidosis with macroglossia secondary to multiple myeloma and gastric involvement causing complete pyloric obstruction has been presented. The clinical features and the clinical similarity to gastric carcinoma have been briefly discussed. The importance of searching for multiple myeloma in every case of primary amyloidosis with macroglossia, hyperglobulinemia, albuminuria (in the absence of nephrosis) and anemia is emphasized.
Metamaterial-based perfect absorbers for efficiently enhancing near field radiative heat transfer

The fascinating capability of manipulating light using metamaterials (MMs) has inspired a significant amount of studies of using MMs for energy related applications. In this work we investigate MM-based perfect absorbers for enhancing near field radiative heat transfer, which is described by the fluctuation dissipation theorem. MM structures designed at two wavelengths are analyzed, corresponding to two working temperatures. Both electric and magnetic surface polaritons are found to contribute to heat transfer, while natural materials support only electric polaritons. The near-perfect absorption is demonstrated to be related to the modification of effective optical properties, which is important for enhancing radiative heat transfer efficiently. By comparing different designs, the bandwidth of the heat flux spectrum is found to increase with the absorption bandwidth, which is originated from the spatial field distributions. This study will contribute to the understanding of surface polaritons in near field radiative heat transfer and facilitate the optimization of MMs for near field heat transfer applications.
Extensive Lower-Extremity Deep Venous Thrombosis Following Arthroscopic Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Related to May-Thurner Syndrome: A Case Report.

Case: An extensive iliofemoral-popliteal deep venous thrombosis following arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction presented on the ninth postoperative day as the result of underlying May-Thurner syndrome. The patient was managed with therapeutic anticoagulation and mechanical disruption of the thrombus. The focal stenosis of the left common iliac vein was addressed with angioplasty and stent placement. Repeat venography demonstrated no residual stenosis of the vein. Conclusion: A multidisciplinary approach remains necessary for treating and reducing the risk of post-thrombotic syndrome. The present case further emphasizes the need for aggressive workup and response when a patient presents with left-sided deep venous thrombosis associated with underlying May-Thurner syndrome.
Mapping multi-day GPS data: a cartographic study in NYC

Multi-day GPS data is increasingly being used in research-including in the field of spatial epidemiology. We present several maps as ways to present multi-day GPS data. Data come from the NYC Low-Income Housing, Neighborhoods and Health Study (n=120). Participants wore a QStarz BT-Q1000XT GPS device for about a week (mean: 7.44, SD= 2.15). Our maps show various ways to visualize multi-day GPS data; these data are presented by overall GPS data, by weekday/weekend and by day of the week. We discuss implications for each of the maps.
Analyzing time- and temperature dependent responses of NARloy-Z

Abstract In this study, we investigate the mechanical responses of copper based alloy, NARloy-Z, under cyclic loadings at different strain rates and strain amplitudes, and also creep at different levels of stresses. We examine the effect of temperature changes, as a result of energy dissipation during loading, on the overall cyclic and creep responses of NARloy-Z. A phenomenological viscoplastic model, developed by Freed et al. (1994), is adopted and modified in order to incorporate the effect of energy dissipation on the viscoplastic response of NARloy-Z. An adiabatic process is assumed to convert the dissipated energy into temperature increase, and the resulting temperature changes alter the elastic modulus and plastic flow of NARloy-Z during loading. A numerical method is also presented in order to implement the above nonlinear constitutive model. Experimental data reported by Conway et al. (1975) for cyclic loading and Ellis and Michal (1996) for creep loading are used to examine the viscoplastic responses of NARloy-Z. From the analyses, it is concluded that the amount of energy dissipation is much more pronounced under cyclic loading, especially for long-term duration of cyclic loading, while it is negligible under creep loading. Higher strain rates result in higher energy dissipation, which is expected as higher strain rates accumulate more hysteretic cycles at the same loading duration. Large amount of energy dissipation leads to a pronounced stress softening behavior due to significant increases in temperatures. The stress softening is one of the sources for material failures. It is also seen that the energy dissipation, and its corresponding temperature increase, is an important component in determining fatigue failure of NARloy-Z.
Internal and External Determinants of Foreign Policy: West Germany and Great Britain During the Two-Track Missile Controversy

The recognition of a theoretical link between the foreign policies of different states provides the basis for this study. A framework suitable for analyzing comparative foreign policy formulation is used to examine the years immediately following NATO's dual-track missile decision of 1979. It is hypothesized that the Soviet Union is capable of penetrating and influencing the foreign policy-making process in West Germany and Great Britain by affecting public attitudes in both countries. Soviet actions directed toward West Germany and Great Britain between 1979 and 1983 are added to models that explain public support for incumbent leaders. By demonstrating a causal link between public support and external variables, this study presents evidence that the policy process in the West can be affected by Soviet actions directed toward it.
Human Placenta Does Not Reduce AZT (Zidovudine) to 3′-Amino-3′-Deoxythymidine

AbstractHuman placental tissue and human trophoblast cells (JAr) were examined after exposure to the anti-HIV nucleoside analog AZT (Zidovudine) for the presence of 3′-amino-3′-deoxythymidine (AMT), a toxic catabolite. Placental cells were exposed to 7.6 mM AZT for 48 hr, and placental lobular tissue was perfused with 3.8 mM AZT for 14 hr. Cell homogenates were prepared, and supernatants were subjected to HPLC analysis. Despite large cellular concentrations of AZT, AMT was not detected in any of the samples analyzed. Exposure of JAr cells to this concentration of AZT produces a 72% inhibition of cell proliferation when compared with unexposed controls. Based upon the results of the current study, AMT was not formed by placental cells exposed to AZT and, thus, not a mechanism for toxicity after in vitro exposure to AZT.
Kinetics of the Icosahedral -to- Approximant Transformation in Al-Cu-Fe

The kinetics of an icosahedral to approximant phase transformation were investigated in cast alloys in the composition range Al(63-65)Cu(20-25)Fe(12-15). Perfect icosahedral crystals are stable in the temperature range below the peritectic melting temperature and above approximately 700°C, below which they transform to a textured polycrystalline mixture of small microcrystals of an icosahedral approximant. The transformation is isocompositional and does not appear to occur by nucleation and growth. The kinetics of the transformation under continuous cooling and isothermal conditions were investigated using conventional and high resolution electron microscopy. The transformation is reversible, takes place over a range of compositions, temperatures and times and results in distinctive strain contrast in the electron microscope.
Vibrational Entropy and Local Structures of Solids

There is now widespread evidence that vibrational entropy must be included in an understanding of solid state phase transitions. While the basic principles are known, the individual phenomena that contribute to differences in vibrational entropy of solid phases require much more investigation.
The Use of Microwawes to Evaluate the Temporal Hydration Behavior of Cement Paste

AbstractThis work reports preliminary results of a microwave diagnostic study of the temporal hydration behavior of cement paste. It was observed that two different reactions seem to occur in distinct time intervals: 0 ≤ t 10 hours. The study was confined to the first interval, which can be described by the form exp (−t/τ), where τ is the time constant. For a cement paste (type III) with a water cement ratio of 0.25, τ can be estimated to be about 7 hours.
Consensus guided unsupervised feature selection

Feature selection has been widely recognized as one of the key problems in data mining and machine learning community, especially for high-dimensional data with redundant information, partial noises and outliers. Recently, unsupervised feature selection attracts substantial research attentions since data acquisition is rather cheap today but labeling work is still expensive and time consuming. This is specifically useful for effective feature selection of clustering tasks. Recent works using sparse projection with pre-learned pseudo labels achieve appealing results; however, they generate pseudo labels with all features so that noisy and ineffective features degrade the cluster structure and further harm the performance of feature selection; besides, these methods suffer from complex composition of multiple constraints and computational inefficiency, e.g., eigen-decomposition. Differently, in this work we introduce consensus clustering for pseudo labeling, which gets rid of expensive eigen-decomposition and provides better clustering accuracy with high robustness. In addition, complex constraints such as non-negative are removed due to the crisp indicators of consensus clustering. Specifically, we propose one efficient formulation for our unsupervised feature selection by using the utility function and provide theoretical analysis on optimization rules and model convergence. Extensive experiments on several real-world data sets demonstrate that our methods are superior to the most recent state-of-the-art works in terms of NMI.
Schema-Driven Security Filter Generation For Distributed Data Integration

With the prevalence of loosely coupled web service composition in the service oriented infrastructure, distributed security management has become important to offer flexible web security. In our project1 affiliated with NatureServe [19], we developed a XACML [11] policy-oriented security system to provide trusted data service to 75 network partners in the Natural Heritage Program [24]. In our model, a security filter based on a data integration schema is generated dynamically and applied to the returned document to satisfy the security constraints defined both by each partner and by the NatureServe service mediator. Challenges of resolving the policy conflicts in the distributed environment are addressed.
Growth response of Photinia and Thuja and nutrient concentration in tissues and potting medium as influenced by composted sewage sludge, peat, bark and sawdust in potting media

Composted sewage sludge was blended with pumice and either bark, peat moss, or sawdust to form 6 potting media. Increasing the proportion of compost in media from 25 to 50% caused increased initial...
"The five-minute check-in" intervention to ease the transition into professional education: A descriptive analysis.

Abstract Background Students can have problems transitioning into nursing education, and nursing instructors can have an impact on this transition by using an active coaching role. Objectives The objective of this study was to evaluate how early an academic coaching intervention helped students progress during the beginning of their first nursing semester. Student perceptions of the intervention were also explored. Design This study followed a descriptive non-experimental design. A nonprobability convenience sample was used. Settings A four-year Bachelor's nursing program at a private college in central Pennsylvania. Participants The sample included 22 first semester students enrolled in their first nursing course. Method For the first five weeks of the semester students were asked to meet with their nursing course instructors for “five minute check-ins”. Students were coached on time management, study skills, access to resources, stress management, upcoming assignments, and grades. An online survey was also sent to students regarding their check-in experience. Results The student coaching needs changed throughout the five week intervention. At first students heavily needed time management coaching. Study skill coaching was a steady need through the second through fifth week, and stress management coaching increased during the last week of data collection, which was along the same time as their first exams. Students who attended four to five of the weekly visits had higher first test scores and higher overall course grades. The majority of students reported benefits for attending check-in visits including organization, study skills, and feeling more connected to the instructor. Conclusions Students reported an overall benefit to attending check-in visits. Course instructors were able to intervene early with students' academic problems, and help students gain access to resources. Although the check-ins were to be brief visits, there was an impact on instructors time during the check-in weeks.
Untangling Genetic Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a genetically heterogeneous neurodegenerative disorder caused by fully penetrant single gene mutations in a minority of cases, while the majority of cases are sporadic or show modest familial clustering. These cases are of late onset and likely result from the interaction of many genes and the environment. More than 30 loci have been implicated in AD by a combination of linkage, genome-wide association, and whole genome/exome sequencing. We have learned from these studies that perturbations in endolysosomal, lipid metabolism, and immune response pathways substantially contribute to sporadic AD pathogenesis. We review here current knowledge about functions of AD susceptibility genes, highlighting cells of the myeloid lineage as drivers of at least part of the genetic component in late-onset AD. Although targeted resequencing utilized for the identification of causal variants has discovered coding mutations in some AD-associated genes, a lot of risk variants lie in noncoding regions. Here we discuss the use of functional genomics approaches that integrate transcriptomic, epigenetic, and endophenotype traits with systems biology to annotate genetic variants, and to facilitate discovery of AD risk genes. Further validation in cell culture and mouse models will be necessary to establish causality for these genes. This knowledge will allow mechanism-based design of novel therapeutic interventions in AD and promises coherent implementation of treatment in a personalized manner.
From sound to symbol: orthographic semantization in Maya hieroglyphic writing

Scholars have been aware for some time of the linguistic and orthographic processes through which phonograms, signs that communicate an established phonetic value but have no inherent semantic cont...
Diffuse Splenic Uptake

Normal FDG uptake in the spleen is equal to, or slightly less than, liver intensity. In a patient undergoing chemotherapy, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and erythropoietin can stimulate FDG uptake in the spleen, as well as the bone marrow. PET/MR imaging can easily demonstrate diffuse splenic uptake that is expected during chemotherapy, whereas MRI by itself cannot as the spleen will be morphologically unchanged.
Intelligently Designing a Course in Intelligent Design

Intelligent Design is consistent with creationism or evolution. Evolution (the opposite of creationism) could have occurred with or without an intelligent designer. The opposite of intelligent design is atheism. A course that explores the probabilities of intelligent design and atheism, indoctrinating neither but exploring and testing on both neither favors nor disfavors religion, and thus is constitutional. It is wise to teach such a course in the senior year of high school because it will teach students to think.
Natural History and Outcomes of Cytologically Benign Thyroid Nodules in Children.

Context Most pediatric thyroid nodules are cytologically benign, but few data exist to guide treatment. Objective To describe the natural history and outcomes of cytologically benign, pediatric thyroid nodules. Design Cohort study. Setting Multidisciplinary thyroid clinic at an academic medical center. Patients Consecutive pediatric patients (≤18 years old) with cytologically benign thyroid nodules evaluated between 1998 and 2016. Results Cytologically benign nodules (N = 237) in 181 patients were followed by ultrasound (median follow-up, 3.4 years; range, 0.5 to 13.9 years) or to resection. Thyroid cancer was diagnosed in six nodules (2.5%), and all six patients were disease free after median follow-up of 4.9 years. Malignancy was more common in nodules >4 cm (15.4%; P = 0.037) or that grew during follow-up (6.0%; P = 0.048). The likelihood of nodule growth (±SE) was 15% ± 3%, 24% ± 4%, and 49% ± 10% at 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively. Among nodules >2 cm, those with ≥25% cystic content grew more slowly than nodules Conclusion Benign cytology in pediatric thyroid nodules has a low false-negative rate similar to that in adults, and prognosis is excellent in the rare cases of malignancy. Resection of nodules >4 cm, combined with surveillance of smaller nodules and repeated aspiration for growth, detects most false-negative results. Follow-up ultrasound in 12 months is appropriate for most cytologically benign pediatric nodules, but delaying surveillance up to 24 months may be reasonable in large, predominantly cystic nodules.
Accumulation of protein-loaded long-circulating micelles and liposomes in subcutaneous Lewis lung carcinoma in mice

Purpose. The purpose of our work was to compare the biodistribution and tumor accumulation of a liposome- or micelle-incorporated protein in mice bearing subcutaneously-established Lewis lung carcinoma.
Introduction: The Body Fights Back – Degradation of Materials in the Biological Environment

The biological environment, seemingly a mild, aqueous salt solution at 37°C, is, in fact, surprisingly aggressive and can lead to rapid or gradual breakdown of many materials. Some mechanisms of biodegradation have evolved over millennia specifically to rid the living organism of invading foreign substances – these same mechanisms now attack our contemporary biomaterials. Other breakdown mechanisms have their basis in well-understood chemical and physical principles, and will occur in a living organism or in a beaker on a laboratory bench. After this introduction, four chapters (II.4.2, II.4.3, II.4.4, and II.4.5) Chapter II.4.2 Chapter II.4.3 Chapter II.4.4 Chapter II.4.5 ) directly address degradation. The first three of these consider breakdown in the biological environment. Chapter II.4.5 describes another type of degradation, calcification, which can lead to device failure and can exacerbate other degradation mechanisms. In addition, many of the textbook chapters address degradation in other contexts. Chapter I.2.6 reviews the chemistry of polymers designed to be biodegradable. Chapter III.1.3 addresses device failure, sometimes related to unintentional degradation. Most of the device-specific chapters consider degradation issues. Biodegradation as a subject is broad in scope, and critical to device performance. It rightfully should command considerable attention for the biomaterials scientist. This section introduces biodegradation issues for a number of classes of materials, and provides a basis for further study on this complex but critical subject.
Recent Quarkonia Studies from the PHENIX Experiment

Quarkonia suppression in nucleus-nucleus collisions is a powerful tool to probe the density and temperature of the medium created in heavy ion collisions. Forward rapidity measurements in $p(d)$+Au collisions are essential to understand how quarkonia states are affected by initial state effects, formation time, and local particle multiplicity. Earlier measurements in Au+Au collisions showed a stronger suppression of forward $J/\psi$ compared to mid-rapidity results, indicating the possibility of a smaller contribution of regenerated quarkonia states at forward rapidity. These proceedings report on the latest quarkonia studies performed by the PHENIX collaboration in the rapidity range $1.2<|y|<2.2$.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Prevalence Among Adults Who Have Never Smoked, by Industry and Occupation — United States, 2013–2017

Tobacco smoking is a major risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a debilitating respiratory condition with high mortality and morbidity (1,2). However, an estimated 24% of adults with COPD have never smoked (3,4). Among these persons, 26%-53% of COPD can be attributed to workplace exposures, including dust, fumes, gases, vapors, and secondhand smoke exposure (4-6). To assess industry-specific and occupation-specific COPD prevalence among adults aged ≥18 years who have never smoked and who were employed any time during the past 12 months, CDC analyzed 2013-2017 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data. Among an estimated 106 million workers who had never smoked, 2.2% (2.4 million) have COPD. Highest prevalences were among workers aged ≥65 years (4.6%), women (3.0%), and those reporting fair/poor health (6.7%). Among industries and occupations, the highest COPD prevalences were among workers in the information industry (3.3%) and office and administrative support occupations (3.3%). Among women, the highest prevalences were among those employed in the information industry (5.1%) and in the transportation and material moving occupation (4.5%), and among men, among those employed in the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industry (2.3%) and the administrative and support, waste management, and remediation services industry (2.3%). High COPD prevalences in certain industries and occupations among persons who have never smoked underscore the importance of continued surveillance, early identification of COPD, and reduction or elimination of COPD-associated risk factors, such as the reduction of workplace exposures to dust, vapors, fumes, chemicals, and exposure to indoor and outdoor air pollutants.
Using the value of β to help determine γ from B decays

Abstract It has been pointed out by Gronau and Rosner that the angle γ of the unitarity triangle could be determined by combining future results on Bs and Bd decays to Kπ. Here we show that it is important to include in the analysis the information on the phase β which will be determined in the near future. Omitting this information could lead to an error as large as 8° in γ.
Accelerating Limited-Memory Quasi-Newton Convergence for Large-Scale Optimization

Quasi-Newton methods are popular gradient-based optimization methods that can achieve rapid convergence using only first-order derivatives. However, the choice of the initial Hessian matrix upon which quasi-Newton updates are applied is an important factor that can significantly affect the performance of the method. This fact is especially true for limited-memory variants, which are widely used for large-scale problems where only a small number of updates are applied in order to minimize the memory footprint. In this paper, we introduce both a scalar and a sparse diagonal Hessian initialization framework, and we investigate its effect on the restricted Broyden-class of quasi-Newton methods. Our implementation in PETSc/TAO allows us to switch between different Broyden class methods and Hessian initializations at runtime, enabling us to quickly perform parameter studies and identify the best choices. The results indicate that a sparse Hessian initialization based on the diagonalization of the BFGS formula significantly improves the base BFGS methods and that other parameter combinations in the Broyden class may offer competitive performance.
Geometric constraints on the space of N $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 2 SCFTs. Part I: physical constraints on relevant deformations

We initiate a systematic study of four dimensional $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 2 superconformal field theories (SCFTs) based on the analysis of their Coulomb branch geometries. Because these SCFTs are not uniquely characterized by their scale-invariant Coulomb branch geometries we also need information on their deformations. We construct all inequivalent such deformations preserving $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 2 supersymmetry and additional physical consistency conditions in the rank 1 case. These not only include all the ones previously predicted by S-duality, but also 16 additional deformations satisfying all the known $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 2 low energy consistency conditions. All but two of these additonal deformations have recently been identified with new rank 1 SCFTs; these identifications are briefly reviewed. Some novel ingredients which are important for this study include: a discussion of RG-flows in the presence of a moduli space of vacua; a classification of local $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 2 supersymmetry-preserving deformations of unitary $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 2 SCFTs; and an analysis of charge normalizations and the Dirac quantization condition on Coulomb branches. This paper is the first in a series of three. The second paper [1] gives the details of the explicit construction of the Coulomb branch geometries discussed here, while the third [2] discusses the computation of central charges of the associated SCFTs.
Brain Organoids as Tools for Modeling Human Neurodevelopmental Disorders.

Brain organoids recapitulate in vitro the specific stages of in vivo human brain development, thus offering an innovative tool by which to model human neurodevelopmental disease. We review here how...
Regional Headquarters Subsidiary Governance, Int'l Corporate Income Tax Rates, & Subsidiary Survival

Multinational enterprises (MNEs) utilize various ways to govern their foreign subsidiaries. We draw on agency theory, regional strategy and structure, and international corporate income tax literat...
Pellagra in the USA: unusual manifestations of a rare entity

The case involves a 62-year-old female native of the USA with a history of bipolar disorder and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who presented with intractable diarrhoea. Prior to the index admission, she was admitted to the intensive care unit and required pericardiocentesis for an idiopathic pericardial effusion with tamponade physiology. Following discharge, she suffered intractable diarrhoea and represented for medical evaluation. She had a painful, swollen tongue as well as persistent hypoglycaemia and required glucose infusions. She had adrenal function testing which revealed adrenal insufficiency. Vitamin testing revealed normal B12 and folate levels but undetectable levels of thiamine, riboflavin and niacin. Her symptoms and signs resolved entirely with appropriate vitamin supplementation. Niacin (vitamin B3) is essential for multiple metabolic pathways, and severe deficiency may cause clinical syndrome of pellagra which is most commonly associated with diarrhoea, delirium and dermatitis. Additional physiological derangements may include adrenal insufficiency, insulin hypersensitivity and pericarditis.
SMARTtest: A Smartphone App to Facilitate HIV and Syphilis Self- and Partner-Testing, Interpretation of Results, and Linkage to Care

Acceptability of rapid HIV self-testing is high but potential users remain concerned about correct use, interpretation of test results, and linkage to care. This article describes user preferences for a smartphone app to mitigate these challenges and how these were integrated into the SMARTtest app to support self- and partner-testing using the INSTI Multiplex®. Sixty men and transgender women who have sex with men self-tested for HIV and syphilis while guided by a prototype app that provided a video, pictorial step-by-step instructions, and sample test results presented textually (“positive,” “negative”). Subsequently, participants provided feedback on revisions and additional app content. Participants recommended offering different user modes (self, partner, both), and retaining the video, step-by-step instructions, and textual test results. They strongly favored the ability to save and send test results to sexual partners or providers. These features were integrated into the SMARTtest app to facilitate HIV/syphilis self- and partner-testing, HIV/syphilis status awareness and disclosure, and linkage to care.
Exit and Voice: The Paradox of Cross-Border Politics in Mexico

Exit and Voice is a compelling account of how Mexican migrants with strong ties to their home communities impact the economic and political welfare of those they leave behind. In many decentralized democracies like Mexico, migrants step in to supply public goods when local or state government cannot. Though migrants’ cross-border investments often improve citizens’ access to these goods and create a more responsive local government, their work allows them to unintentionally exert political engagement and power, undermining the influence of those still living in their hometowns. Exit and Voice sheds light on how migrant transnational engagement refashions the meaning of community, democratic governance, and practices of citizenship in the era of globalization. “An extraordinary analysis of what it means to be a migrant. Duquette-Rury gives us a text that goes well beyond the familiar, and situates the migrant in a complex set of vectors, both local and transnational, opening up the meaning of migration itself.” SASKIA SASSEN, author of Expulsions: Brutality and Complexity in the Global Economy “How do people who move to another country sometimes become more influential in the place they left? Exit and Voice combines surveys and lively details from original fieldwork to explore this paradox and identify the fragile pillars sustaining efforts to live in two worlds.” DAVID FITZGERALD, author of Refuge beyond Reach: How Rich Democracies Repel Asylum Seekers “Despite distance and difficulties, migrants around the world reach down into their pockets to help out the communities they left behind. Hoping that migration can spur development and possibly even democracy, scholars and policy makers find the effort laudable. But as Duquette-Rury demonstrates in this brilliant, beautifully written book, engaging from abroad is a challenging enterprise. A book to be savored by scholars and students alike.” ROGER WALDINGER, Distinguished Professor and Director of the UCLA Center for the Study of International Migration LAUREN DUQUETTE-RURY is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Wayne State University.
State-Level Changes in Firearm Laws and Workplace Homicide Rates: United States, 2011 to 2017

Objectives. To test whether year-over-year strengthening of state-level firearm laws is associated with decreases in workplace homicide rates.Methods. In this time-series ecological study of workin...
Inflammatory Cytokines and Biomarkers in Aging Type 2 Diabetic Rats

Aging, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and cardiovascular disease are all associated with systematic low grade inflammation. Accordingly, these conditions alter circulating concentrations of cytok...