cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diastolic dysfunction in patients undergoing cardiac surgery: the role of gender and age-gender interaction.

Objectives To test the hypothesis that females presenting for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery are at a higher risk of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) and that age and gender interact to influence this risk. Design Retrospective observational study. Setting Tertiary university hospital. Participants Eight hundred-ninety-five adult patients undergoing CABG surgery. Interventions None. Measurements and Main Results Baseline diastolic function was graded according to a predefined Doppler-based algorithm, which defined LVDD as a binary variable (grades 2 and 3 only) and as a continuous variable (E/e’ ratio). The authors found that women were more likely to present with LVDD in 2 multivariate regression models using both LVDD definitions (odds ratio = 2.7; p Conclusions The authors confirmed that women undergoing CABG surgery are at higher risk of LVDD compared to men with a significant age-gender interaction suggesting a possible age-related differential effect on LVDD between the genders, a phenomenon previously demonstrated in preclinical studies. Therapies aimed at amelioration of diastolic dysfunction additionally should consider the higher risk in females, especially within the older subset of the patient population.
Displacement of phenytoin from serum protein carriers by antibiotics: studies with ceftriaxone, nafcillin, and sulfamethoxazole.

Increased concentrations of free phenytoin in serum, attributable to the displacement of this anticonvulsant by other drugs, e.g., valproic acid and salicylic acid, have been reported. We observed in vitro and in vivo displacement of phenytoin by the antibiotics ceftriaxone, nafcillin, and sulfamethoxazole. In vitro studies demonstrated statistically significant (P less than 0.05) increases in free phenytoin after the addition of specific antibiotics to patients' sera and to phenytoin-supplemented sera from controls. Concentrations of free phenytoin in vivo, predicted by an equation we have found to be accurate for albumin concentrations greater than or equal to 32 g/L, were consistently underestimated in patients receiving concomitant therapy with the antibiotics studied. The concentrations of free phenytoin decreased towards the predicted values when the antibiotic therapy was discontinued. We conclude that ceftriaxone, nafcillin, and sulfamethoxazole can displace phenytoin from the usual protein carriers found in serum, in vitro and in vivo.
Waggle dance behavior associated with seasonal absconding in colonies of the African honey bee, Apis mellifera scutellata

Waggle dance activity associated with seasonal absconding (migration) was investigated in two colonies of the African honey bee. Prior to absconding, waggle dances regularly communicated distances up to 10–20 km from the nests. However, compared to waggle dances observed during nonabsconding periods, those occurring prior to migration were less associated with food sources, occurred during periods of little or no flight activity, and exhibited great variability in the communication of distance by consecutive waggle runs of individual bees. It is therefore unlikely that “migration dances” communicated the locations of, or stimulated immediate recruitment for, specific foraging or nesting sites. Rather, the dances may have functioned to establish a general route of travel. The majority of migration dances observed were oriented in an easterly direction, and upon departure both colonies traveled towards the E-SE. The orientation of migration dances occurred independently of the directions communicated by waggle dances associated with past foraging success or the sampling of alternate foraging areas. Migration dance orientation may have been affected by prevailing wind directions, because during the migration period winds blew primarily from the east. However, it is unlikely that wind direction was the only factor influencing migration dance orientation. The lack of immediate flight activity associated with migration dance performance suggests the dances may have gradually prepared colonies for migratory movement by conveying a message to fly for a long, but unspecified distance in a certain direction. Waggle dances associated with migration may therefore function differently from those associated with foraging and nest site selection, which convey both the distance and direction to specific locations.
Effects of Public and Private R&D on Private-Sector Performance in the United States:

This study analyzes the effects of public and private research and development (R&D) on private-sector output, employment, and investment using a multivariate time-series approach. This approach fo...
Cyclic AMP Regulates Social Behavior in African Trypanosomes

ABSTRACT The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei engages in surface-induced social behavior, termed social motility, characterized by single cells assembling into multicellular groups that coordinate their movements in response to extracellular signals. Social motility requires sensing and responding to extracellular signals, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Here we report that T. brucei social motility depends on cyclic AMP (cAMP) signaling systems in the parasite9s flagellum (synonymous with cilium). Pharmacological inhibition of cAMP-specific phosphodiesterase (PDE) completely blocks social motility without impacting the viability or motility of individual cells. Using a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based sensor to monitor cAMP dynamics in live cells, we demonstrate that this block in social motility correlates with an increase in intracellular cAMP levels. RNA interference (RNAi) knockdown of the flagellar PDEB1 phenocopies pharmacological PDE inhibition, demonstrating that PDEB1 is required for social motility. Using parasites expressing distinct fluorescent proteins to monitor individuals in a genetically heterogeneous community, we found that the social motility defect of PDEB1 knockdowns is complemented by wild-type parasites in trans. Therefore, PDEB1 knockdown cells are competent for social motility but appear to lack a necessary factor that can be provided by wild-type cells. The combined data demonstrate that the role of cyclic nucleotides in regulating microbial social behavior extends to African trypanosomes and provide an example of transcomplementation in parasitic protozoa. IMPORTANCE In bacteria, studies of cell-cell communication and social behavior have profoundly influenced our understanding of microbial physiology, signaling, and pathogenesis. In contrast, mechanisms underlying social behavior in protozoan parasites are mostly unknown. Here we show that social behavior in the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei is governed by cyclic-AMP signaling systems in the flagellum, with intriguing parallels to signaling systems that control bacterial social behavior. We also generated a T. brucei social behavior mutant and found that the mutant phenotype is complemented by wild-type cells grown in the same culture. Our findings open new avenues for dissecting social behavior and signaling in protozoan parasites and illustrate the capacity of these organisms to influence each other9s behavior in mixed communities.
The costs and benefits of refuge requirements: The case of Bt cotton

Abstract Refuge requirements have been the primary regulatory tool to delay pest resistance to Bt crops. This paper presents a simple method to estimate the annual cost of refuges to producers, applying it to Bt cotton. It also examines broader welfare impacts, estimating how Bt cotton acreage restrictions affect producer surplus, consumer surplus, seed supplier profits, and commodity program outlays. The implications of grower adoption behavior — partial adoption, aggregate adoption, and refuge choice — for regulatory costs are examined. Empirical examples illustrate how providing multiple refuge options significantly reduces regulatory costs.
Improved 3D reconstruction algorithm for ultrasound B-scan image with freehand tracker

EM algorithm for the reconstruction of freehand B-Scan ultrasound image was developed by Joao M. Sanches et al. The reconstruction has a parameter K which can be adjusted so that the results can be smoother or sharper depending to the value of K . In order to make the image smoother inside the organs but sharper in their boundaries simultaneously, we introduced a improved EM algorithm: EM algorithm with a diffusion filer or is referred as EMD algorithm. There was a cubic average filter inside the loop of the iteration of the EM algorithm. This average filter is replaced by a diffusion filter in the EMD algorithm. The diffusion filter offers an additional parameter K d which can be used to adjust the reconstructed image with better optimization in both smoothness insider the human organ and sharpness in its boundary. Two above mentioned reconstruction algorithms for the freehand B-scan ultrasound image are compared through the simulation and the phantom measurements. In the simulation, strong noises are added to the ultrasound frame data. The parameters of two algorithms are optimized to get smallest errors. The errors are compared between two algorithms with optimized parameters. For the measurement with phantom, the Eigen's tracker system is used to continuously measure the coordinates of the ultrasound probe. The ultrasound B-scan frame is synchronously recorded with the probe coordinates. Zonare ultrasound machine is used to acquire the 2D frame images. The segmentation of the reconstruction results is done. The segmentation volumes of the prostate phantoms are compared. The results shows that EMD algorithm is better at reducing the noises and keeping the image edge comparing to EM algorithm. Eigen's tracker is cacaple to acquire freehand ultrasound data for a 3D image reconstruction with high quality.
Movement Patterns and Population Structure of the Brown Pelican

Abstract. Interest in monitoring the population viability of the Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) has recently risen in the context of the species' 2009 delisting as endangered, rapid degradation of nesting habitat, and recent oil spills. To assess the Brown Pelican's patterns of movement (across natal colony, nonnatal colony, and noncolony islands), age and sex structure, and survival probabilities, we banded 1177 chicks in Louisiana from 2007 to 2009. In band-resighting surveys within the Isles Dernieres archipelago from 2008 to 2010, we detected 92 of our banded birds. Neither age nor sex appeared to influence where we observed pelicans resting on beaches across the islands, and we found the highest proportions of pelicans at their natal island. Yet few observations of banded birds suggest either movement outside our study area or mortality. Conditions at colonies and proximity to other sites of loafing or colonies may in part explain the disparity in proportions of resightings of individuals ban...
PROLACTIN ASSAY BY A COMPARISON OF THE TWO CROP-SACS OF THE SAME PIGEON AFTER LOCALINJECTION11,

RECENTLY, data were presented (Hall, 1944) suggesting that consistent assay results, within the limits of error desired, were not obtained when prolactin preparations were compared with the international standard using the systemic crop-sac weight method and groups of 10 to 12 pigeons. Bates and Riddle (1941) had a similar experience with this assay method in comparing their preparation No.657 with the Standard. This completely objective method was the best available, and improvements in the manner of comparing prolactin preparations by it have been suggested (Hall, 1944). In the hope of 4 obtaining more accuracy in prolactin assay, the ‘micro’ methods originating with Lyons and Page (1935), have also been investigated. The present work adds nothing to the original ideas on which the method was based. The inherent possibilities in this unique method have, perhaps, been more fully explored.
Studies of the mechanism for the formation of the self-trapped exciton in quasi-one-dimensional systems

Summary form only given. We present studies of the vibrational coherence properties of the self-trapped exciton in a quasi-one-dimensional system using femtosecond impulsive excitation techniques.
Capacitive techniques to monitor anchoring energy in liquid crystal-based sensors

Using the orientation order of the liquid crystal molecules in chemical and biological sensors has been widely investigated. In this paper, a technique using capacitive transduction to monitor the anchoring energy of liquid crystal alignment layers is presented. Sensing changes in the anchoring energy of a liquid crystal film can significantly improve sensitivity of liquid crystal based sensors. The method and theory is presented. Preliminary experimental results are provided using UV irradiation to alter the anchoring energy of known alignment structures.
Cellular vitamin A binding proteins.

Publisher Summary This chapter elaborates the different aspects of cellular vitamin A binding proteins. The mechanism of uptake of retinol by the cell from the circulating complex of retinol–retinol-binding protein (RBP)-prealbumin is of importance because the plasma membrane is very likely one of the points of regulation of vitamin A action. The data suggest complexity of the receptor site, containing a carboxypeptidase responsible for inactivation of RBP by removing the terminal arginine, which renders it incapable of interacting with retinol, prealbumin, and the receptor. RBP not only appears to be important for transport of retinol in blood but is also the indispensable entity for the recognition by the target cell and consequently for penetration of retinol through the plasma membrane. Incubation of serum with radioactive retinol and subsequent sucrose gradient centrifugation gives rise to a single peak in the 5 S region of the gradient. Excess nonradioactive retinol, retinal, or retinoic acid does not abolish the peak, indicating that retinol binds to this component nonspecifically. It is shown that when α-retinyl acetate is added directly to serum-free organ cultures of hamster trachea with keratinized squamous lesions induced by vitamin A deficiency, it is virtually as effective as all-trans-retinyl acetate in reversing the metaplasia.
Photochemical degradation of the UV filter octyl methoxycinnamate in solution and in aggregates

The photodegradation of the ultraviolet (UV) filter octyl methoxycinnamate (OMC) is investigated in both dilute solution and in aggregated form. In dilute solution, the ratio of trans and cis isomers achieved at the photostationary state is solvent-dependent because of variations in the isomerization quantum yield. The two isomeric forms at the photostationary state are highly resistant to further photodegradation and no other UVA-absorbing species are formed. Aggregation of OMC, either in a neat film or in aqueous colloidal suspensions, leads to irreversible photodegradation of the molecule and the formation of multiple photoproducts. In addition to previously identified photoproducts like the UVB-absorbing cis and trans isomers and photodimers, we find photoproduct species whose absorption extends into the UVA. Characterization of the photophysical properties of these species indicates that they have long-lived excited-states (τf > 1 ns, 400 nm), unlike the isomeric forms of OMC (τf < 30 ps, 266 nm), and that excitation at 405 nm can sensitize the formation of singlet oxygen. These results show that the environment of OMC affects the photochemistry of the molecule and that the environmental conditions must be taken into account when considering the molecule's stability. In particular, aggregation of OMC molecules results in complex photochemistry that can produce species whose absorption extends into UVA and are capable of generating reactive oxygen species.
Legionella feeleii Serotype 2 Pneumonia in a Man with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: a Challenging Diagnosis

Legionella feeleii has rarely been reported as causing pneumonia in patients with hematologic malignancies. We present a case of Legionella feeleii serotype 2 pneumonia with empyema in a man with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and describe the methods of identifying this organism using both standard methods and newer diagnostic techniques.
Long-range visibility of greater sage grouse leks: a GIS-based analysis

We investigated whether male greater sage grouse, Centrocercus urophasianus, select lek locations on the basis of topographic features that affect their visibility to both conspecific females and a major avian predator, the golden eagle, Aquila chrysaetos. We mapped locations of displaying males at all leks in a local population and used a Geographic Information System (GIS) and digital elevation model (DEM) to generate ‘viewsheds’ around male locations within a boundary set by the estimated maximal visual acuity of the viewer. Areas visible around leks were compared to those visible around random sites with the same conformation of displaying males. Male sage grouse displayed at sites where surrounding topography both diminished long-range visibility (>1000 m) and enhanced short-range visibility (<500 m) to ground observers. These characteristics could (1) force eagles to monitor lek activity from the air, where they may be more visible to their prey, (2) make displaying males more visible to females and (3) allow males to monitor predators approaching the lek more easily. These results suggest that, in open habitats, visually signalling animals may exploit local topography to control both their visibility to receivers and the visibility of their immediate surroundings.
Teaching PubMed in Cyberspace: The Development of a Self-Learning Package

This article discusses the development of a series of online modules for learning the PubMed version of MEDLINE. Funded by a National Library of Medicine grant and targeted initially to physician assistants practicing in New Hampshire, the project is approved for CE credit nationally by the American Association of Physician Assistants. The development of the project is described, the tutorial modules are reviewed, and issues encountered with technology and human factors are discussed and evaluated.
Assessment of Range Planting as a Conservation Practice

ABSTRACT Natural Resource Conservation Service Range Planting — Conservation Practice Standards provide guidelines for making decisions about seedbed preparation, planting methods, plant materials selection, seeding rate, seeding depth, timing of seeding, postplanting management, and weed control. Adoption of these standards is expected to contribute to successful improvement of vegetation composition and productivity of grazed plant communities. Also expected are some specific conservation effects, such as improved forage for livestock; improved forage, browse, or cover for wildlife; improved water quality and quantity; reduced wind or water erosion; and increased carbon sequestration. The success of specific conservation practices and the magnitude of conservation effects are highly dependent on ecological-site characteristics, the initial degree of deviation from desired site characteristics, and weather, all of which are highly variable in both time and space. Previous research has produced few studie...
Effect of Lung and Gut Heparin on Experimental Arterial Thrombosis

The most widely used form of heparin for the treatment of thromboembolism has for many years been a preparation derived from porcine intestinal mucosa (hereafter referred to as gut heparin). Recently, a preparation of heparin extracted from bovine lung (hereafter referred to as lung heparin) was made available commercially for therapeutic purposes. Novak et al. (2), in 1972, reported that blood samples obtained after intravenous administration of gut heparin to human volunteers showed a tendency toward shorter platelet aggregation time and longer aggregate dispersion time in response to ADP, whereas volunteers given lung heparin exhibited changes in the opposition direction. They also demonstrated that platelet thrombus formation in vitro using Chandler’s loop technique was accelerated in the blood samples obtained after injection of gut heparin, compared with that after injection of lung heparin. Goldberg et al. (1) reported that the incidence of loss of radial arterial pulse that followed brachial arterial catheterization with gut heparin as an anticoagulant was significantly reduced when lung heparin was used.
Transverse optical and atomic pattern formation

The study of transverse optical pattern formation has been studied extensively in nonlinear optics, with a recent experimental interest in studying the phenomenon using cold atoms, which can undergo real-space self-organization. Here, we describe our experimental observation of pattern formation in cold atoms, which occurs using less than 1 μW of applied power. We show that the optical patterns and the self-organized atomic structures undergo continuous symmetry breaking, which is characteristic of nonequilibrium phenomena in a multimode system. To theoretically describe pattern formation in cold atoms, we present a self-consistent model that allows for tight atomic bunching in the applied optical lattice. We derive the nonlinear refractive index of a gas of multilevel atoms in an optical lattice, and we derive the threshold conditions under which pattern formation occurs. We show that by using small detunings and sub-Doppler temperatures, one achieves intensity thresholds for pattern formation that are reduced by two orders of magnitude compared to warm atoms.
Cardinal Antonelli, the Papal States, and the Counter-Risorgimento

The pontificate of Pius IX, the longest in history, has been one of the least studied. English historiography of the Risorgi mento, for example, has preferred to dwell upon the activities of Mazzini, Garibaldi, and Cavour, respectively the heart, sword, and brains of Italian unification—to the neglect of Pio Nono, con sidered the cross of liberals and nationalists alike. Only one figure in Rome rivaled Pio Nono in earning the contempt of the liberal camp, the alleged power behind the throne, the man who supposedly dominated the thoughts and deeds of the pliant pope, the secretary of state, Giacomo Antonelli. Despite the accusations hurled against Antonelli, his position vis-a-vis Pius IX has not been objectively studied. Unquestion ably Antonelli was the key spokesman of the court of Rome and the most talented opponent of the Risorgimento. Beyond this little is certain. It is still not clear what part Cardinal Antonelli played in the spectacular reversion which transformed the pope from the acknowledged leader of Italy in the years from 1846 to 1848 to the central figure of the restoration after 1849. To determine the role of Antonelli in the Counter-2?worgf mento, one must examine the conduct of the pontiff he served, not only assaying his apostasy from the national cause but plumbing the depth of his commitment to liberalism during his "golden years." Undeniably the fifty-five year old bishop of Imola who assumed the name of Pius IX in 1846 came to the throne convinced that he could concede no less than contemporary sovereigns.1 His amnesty2 and benedictions melted the hearts
Dichromatism in Michigan Rodents

Specimens exhibiting albinistic tendencies, partial or complete, are not uncommon in most groups of mammals, and have been reported for nearly all families of rodents. To my knowledge, however, there is no published account of albinism in the bog lemming, Synaptomys cooperi cooperi Baird, a situation perhaps reflecting the relative scarcity of …
Influence of pH on distribution of bilirubin between albumin and mitochondria.

SummaryThe distribution of bilirubin between albumin and mitochondria suspended in isotonic aqueous media was investigated between the range of 6.5-7.4. It was found that more bilirubin is associated with the mitochondrial phase as the hydrogen ion concentration of the medium increased. Salicylate was additive to the influence of pH on bilirubin distribution, and the combined effects of salicylate and pH 6.5 displaced bilirubin from albumin even at molar ratios of bilirubin to albumin less than one.
Management and complications of acute bacterial meningitis.

In acute bacterial meningitis, antibiotic therapy should be started even before infecting organisms are identified. Specific therapy, based on antimicrobial sensitivities, should then be continued until cerebrospinal fluid shows normal glucose and near normal protein concentrations and no viable organisms. Systematic management, based on a daily checklist of necessary information, will help to prevent complications or to detect them as early as possible.
Modeling and real-time optimization adaptations for gold cyanidation leaching process

Based on the gold cyanidation leaching process,a dynamic mechanism model is established according to material balance equations.The kinetic reaction rates are estimated by the Tikhonov regularization method,which reduces the propagation of measurement noise effectively.And then the estimated results are used to identify the unknown parameters.To reduce the influence of model uncertainty on real-time optimization(RTO) results,the constraint adaptation method is applied to RTO of leaching process.The simulation results show that this method can track the optimal set point of the actual process under model uncertainty.Moreover,the measurement gradients are unnecessary,which is less influenced by measurement noise and more available for practical applications and has laid an important foundation for the successful implementation of the optimization and control for hydrometallurgy process.
Research on Reliability Level of Transmission Towers for UHVAC Transmission Projects

Based on the design specification of 500 kV transmission tower in China, i.e., technical code for designing 110-500 kV overhead transmission line (DL/T 5092—1999) and technical regulation of design for tower and pole structures of overhead transmission line (DL/T 5154 — 2002), and choosing several representative specifications abroad for the design of transmission tower such as design criteria of overhead transmission lines (IEC 60286—2003), overhead electrical lines exceeding AC 45kV (EN 50341-1), Eurocode3:Design of steel structures (EN 1993), design of latticed steel transmission structures (ASCE 10-97) and guidelines for electrical transmission line structural loading, through a series of deduction the values of comprehensive safety coefficients of axial-compressed members in these specifications for the design of transmission towers are solved. On the basis of analyzing these values of comprehensive safety coefficients and comparing them with these values of comprehensive safety coefficients specified in specifications of China, the quantitative data characterizing the difference between reliability levels in the specifications for the design of transmission towers home and abroad are obtained, thus the suggestions on the setting of reliability of transmission tower for 1 000 kV transmission line, which are available for reference to the design of UHV transmission tower, are given.
OCT Technique – Past, Present and Future

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has become the cornerstone technology in clinical and research imaging in the past two decades. OCT performs in vivo, real-time, noncontact scanning and provides cross-sectional and volumetric images with a resolution approaching that of histology. The technology is used in various medical disciplines, but it is still most profoundly used in the field of ophthalmology where it was initially applied. OCT is continuously evolving with newly developed applications.
Restricted diffusion of macromolecules by endothelial monolayers and small-pore filters.

We studied the size-selective permeability and restricted diffusion (Rd) properties of macromolecules across bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cell (BPAEC) or epithelial (LLC-PK1) monolayers grown on polycarbonate (PC) filter supports using fluorescein isothiocyanate-hydroxyethyl starch (FITC-HES, 16 A less than ae less than 180 A). Most BPAEC seeded at subconfluent density and grown for 3–6 days produced barriers with marked Rd. This characteristic was similar to that measured across PC filters with pore radii (rp) of 150 and 250 A without cells. Rd of LLC-PK1 monolayers was consistent with a transport pathway rp of much less than 75A. BPAEC monolayers prepared by supraconfluent seeding showed convective solute transport due to a significant number of incompletely formed intracellular junctions. Most monolayers grown to confluence, or a thin layer of collagen type I prevented this effect, Rd was enhanced when BPAEC monolalyers were grown on this collagen network. These data suggest that the subendothelial layers, which includes basal lamina, pericyte, and interstitial collagen, may act as series resistors with the endothelium to provide the Rd observed in the microvascular wall in vivo. This may explain why BPAEC monolayers grown to confluence without subendothelial layers in vitro showed Rd consistent with large (150–250 A) rp that was significantly greater than those modeled as the small (approximately 50 A) “pore” or 6-A fiber matrix of the in vivo capillary wall.
Thermal response of additive manufactured Aluminum

The thermal response of a liquid-cooled, 3D-printed aluminum heat sink is compared to that for a conventionally-manufactured aluminum 6061 heat sink of identical geometry. Differences in thermal response were observed; however, the employed 3D-printed aluminum composition could be annealed to produce equivalent thermal characteristics to that of Al 6061. The achievement of that thermal equivalency indicates that the attractive attributes of 3D-printing can be exploited for heat exchangers with a simple and additional processing step.
Continuous Crystallization with Impurity Complexation and Nanofiltration Recycle

For crystal-impurity systems with similar structures and molecular weights, the impurity has a strong tendency to incorporate into the crystal lattice, making it difficult to obtain high purity with a single crystallization or even multiple crystallizations. In such cases, complexation of the impurity with an additive can be used to sterically prevent impurity incorporation in the host lattice. A nanofiltration membrane can be used to preferentially reject the higher molecular weight impurity complex in solution, while allowing the lower molecular weight API to permeate through. This permeate stream can be concentrated and recycled to operate the crystallization in a continuous mode with the aim of enhancing both yield and crystal purity simultaneously. In the present work, this strategy was applied to the continuous cooling crystallization of two systems in a mixed-suspension mixed-product removal (MSMPR) crystallizer from their solutions in 50:50 (by volume) water–ethanol mixed solvent. The first system...
Small Molecule Aptamers for Biosensing

In this work, we used modified Synthetic Evolution of Ligands through Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) to discover a DNA aptamer recognizing azole class antifungal drugs. This aptamer undergoes a secondary structural change upon binding its target molecule as shown through fluorescence anisotropy based binding measurements. Using circular dichroism spectroscopy, we found a unique double G-quadruplex structure that was essential for binding to the target: azole antifungal drugs. This type of aptamer has the potential to be used as a small molecule captor component of a device for therapeutic drug monitoring.
NOVA-Fortis: A Fault-Tolerant Non-Volatile Main Memory File System

Emerging fast, persistent memories will enable systems that combine conventional DRAM with large amounts of non-volatile main memory (NVMM) and provide huge increases in storage performance. Fully realizing this potential requires fundamental changes in how system software manages, protects, and provides access to data that resides in NVMM. We address these needs by describing an NVMM-optimized file system called NOVA-Fortis that is both fast and resilient in the face of corruption due to media errors and software bugs. We identify and propose solutions for the unique challenges in adding fault tolerance to an NVMM file system, adapt state-of-the-art reliability techniques to an NVMM file system, and quantify the performance and storage overheads of these techniques. We find that NOVA-Fortis' reliability features consume 14.8% of the storage for redundancy and reduce application-level performance by between 2% and 38% compared to the same file system with the features removed. NOVA-Fortis outperforms DAX-aware file systems without reliability features by 1.5x on average. It outperforms reliable, block-based file systems running on NVMM by 3x on average.
Spatial Uncertainty Challenges in Location Modeling with Dispersion Requirements

Geographic information systems provide the capacity to digitally create, store, manipulate, analyze and display various types of spatial information. While these functionalities enable handling of spatial data in a much more rapid and precise way than traditional paper-based approaches, uncertainties nevertheless remain in digital information and are not likely to ever be completely eliminated. Location modeling, as an important spatial analytical approach, must therefore confront the various uncertainties and errors in spatial data. In this chapter we detail multi-objective models structured to account for data uncertainty in support of location siting when spatial dispersion is a prerequisite. These models explicitly incorporate facets of data uncertainty and can be applied in a manner that enables evaluation of uncertainty impacts with statistical confidence. Solution approaches are discussed, along with the case study setting, to demonstrate how these models address spatial uncertainty in a context supporting facility location planning.
Variability of Radio AGN in the CHILES Field

It is clear from previous and ongoing surveys that there are many sources that change in brightness over time. There is a wide range of extragalactic phenomena that create events with time-varying brightness. Variable sources have regular changes in brightness, such as the steady accretion of matter onto a super massive black hole at the center of a galaxy, known as active galactic nuclei (AGN). Despite strongly emitting in radio wavelengths, the radio sky is nearly completely unexplored in terms of these variable events. Most radio surveys on AGN variability have not been deep enough, include a small sample, and only have a few observations to understand how AGN are changing on timescales between weeks and months. Improving our understanding of the fundamental nature these sources requires a deep radio continuum survey with extension data to observe changes happening on timescales longer than days and less than years. The combination of the COSMOS HI Large Extragalactic Survey (CHILES) and 14 hours of extension observations, I will begin to answer: what is the variability of radio AGN and can it be used to predict and classify future events?
[A cohort study on the characteristics of the recurrent epidemics on hand, foot and mouth disease, in Fujian province].

Objective To explore the recurrent epidemiological characteristics of hand,foot and mouth disease （HFMD） among children aged 〈4 years to provide evidence for HFMD prevention and control. Methods Principles on historical cohort study were followed when analyzing data related to HFMD surveillance in Fujian province. All the research objects were restricted to patients aged〈4,with HFMD and who were permanent residents in Fujian province. Characteristics of the study objects were extracted as potential factors when the patients first showed symptoms of HFMD. These factors might cause the recurrence of HFMD and were filtered by the logistic stepwise regression with SAS 9.0. Results A total of 82 949 children were included. Among them,2 612 had repetitiously suffered from HFMD （occupied 3.15%）,including 2 510 who had the histories of suffering twice,98 suffering three times,3 suffering four times,and 1 even suffering five times. Comparing with the objects who had the first onset at the age of 3,also with the risk increased to 4.39 （95%CI：3.80-5.07）times,when compared to those who had the first onset at the age below 2. Again, the risk among children whose first onset was at the age of 2 had increased to 2.73 （95%CI：2.35-3.18）times. According to the current residents areas,the morbidities of patients under 6 years old were below 2%when the symptoms first started,but the risk of the objects whose morbidities were higher than 4%,had increased 2.15（95%CI：1.88-2.45） times. Again,risk of the objects whose morbidities were between 3%and 4%had increased to 2.10（95%CI：1.85-2.38）times. Among those whose specific morbidities were between 2% and 3%,the risk had increased to 1.65（95%CI：1.44-1.89） times. Comparing with the objects who never visited any maternal/child care settings when started the first onset,the risk among the ones who had been to the maternal/child care settings, had increased to 1.64（95%CI：1.51-1.78）times. Boys had the risk 1.34（95%CI：1.23-1.46）times increase than girls. The preponderant pathogen causing HFMD recurrence was EV71 （33/60）. Recurrence might cause more severe symptoms or signs （8/2 612）. Pathogens causing the initial infection and recurrence might both belonged to the same-EV71（3/6）. Conclusion Recurrence of the disease were closely related to the opportunities of contacting the pathogens. Interventions should be imposed on patients in time as soon as the disease initiated,especially at the younger age. Key words: Hand, foot and mouth disease; Recurrence; Cohort study; Epidemiology
Representing and Solving Asymmetric Decision Problems Using Valuation Networks

This paper deals with asymmetric decision problems. We describe a generalization of the valuation network representation and solution technique to enable efficient representation and solution of asymmetric decision problems. The generalization includes the concepts of indicator valuations and effective frames. We illustrate our technique by solving Raiffa’s oil wildcatter’s problem in complete detail.
Immunogenicity of Endotoxin

Endotoxin or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is one of the most extraordinary bacterial products because of the variety of biologic effect it engenders in susceptible animals. Some of these reactions are undesirable, since they may be associated with pathologic changes and even with death. Others are beneficial when the result is enhanced resistance or immunity to toxemia and/or infection. It must be emphasized, however, that, depending upon the degree of reaction and the particular circumstances, one and the same effect may be either beneficial or harmful. Thus, high fever may have undesirable results or, as utilized some time ago, may be curative when used in patients to cure certain diseases or to enhance resistance. Pyrogenicity has been studied for more than two centuries, as reviewed in depth by Westphal et al. (1977). Similarly, an immune response to a given antigenic determinant may have either beneficial, harmful, or indifferent effects.
Language Disorders and Problem Behaviors: A Meta-analysis

CONTEXT: A large number of studies have shown a relationship between language disorders and problem behaviors; however, methodological differences have made it difficult to draw conclusions from this literature. OBJECTIVE: To determine the overall impact of language disorders on problem behaviors in children and adolescents between the ages of birth and 18 years and to investigate the role of informant type, age, and type of problem behavior on this relationship. DATA SOURCES: We searched PubMed, EBSCO, and ProQuest. STUDY SELECTION: Studies were included when a group of children with language disorders was compared with a group of typically developing children by using at least 1 measure of problem behavior. DATA EXTRACTION: Effect sizes were derived from all included measures of problem behaviors from each study. RESULTS: We included 47 articles (63 153 participants). Meta-analysis of these studies revealed a difference in ratings of problem behaviors between children with language disorders and typically developing children of moderate size (g = 0.43; 95% confidence interval 0.34 to 0.53; P LIMITATIONS: There was considerable heterogeneity in the measures of problem behaviors used across studies. CONCLUSIONS: Children with language disorders display greater rates of problem behaviors compared with their typically developing peers, and this difference is more pronounced in older children.
Sensitivity of Resource Adequacy to Sample Error in Systems with Dependent Renewable Generation

Weather-dependent renewable generation creates new challenges in generation capacity investment planning models and system adequacy studies. The statistical interdependence of renewable generation and customer demand for electricity means that more data are needed than previously necessary for systems based on thermal generators with independent outages. This paper investigates how relationships between load, wind, and solar profiles, together with sample error due to using too few years of data, can distort optimal capacity mix, system cost and system reliability. An optimization model is used to compare results from analyses using perfect information (ten years of hourly matched data) to results when different subsamples of the overall data set are used to determine the capacity investment mix. When computational time requires data reductions, although single years can vary significantly, choosing the best single year of actual matched profile data has significantly less distortion than using typical data sets based on longer historical data averaging.
Abstract 421: Improved detection and identification of microsatellite instability features in colorectal cancer: Implications for immunotherapy

Colorectal cancers with loss of DNA mismatch repair display microsatellite instability (MSI). These tumors have a better prognosis and an improved response rate to immune check point therapies compared to non-MSI tumors. MSI-positive tumors demonstrate a surprising range of somatic alterations in repetitive sequence tracts. For example, elevated microsatellite alterations at selected tetranucleotide repeats (EMAST) that may be related to functional loss of MSH3. Current MSI tests are based on PCR and capillary electrophoresis. This conventional approach is suboptimal because i) only a small number of microsatellite markers are interrogated per assay, and ii) sensitivity is insufficient for low allelic fraction alleles in heterogeneous tumors. Next generation sequencing permits the inclusion of more microsatellite markers, but these NGS method still rely on PCR methods, which is the major source of artifacts that obscure the true somatic alterations. In this study, we analyzed a series of colorectal cancers using a new sequencing technology that sequences in parallel more than 200 microsatellite regions - we evaluate mono-, di- , tri- and tetranucleotide repeats to provide a broader spectrum of MSI events. This deep sequencing technology provides greater than 2,000X coverage, uses in vitro CRISPR-Cas9 segmentation, and eliminates the need for PCR amplification. Because every read corresponded to a single DNA molecule, we eliminated the artifacts introduced by PCR that obscured true MSI events. Moreover, we improved the sensitivity of detecting minor allele fractions to as low as 0.1% by measuring microsatellite haplotypes. Included in our analysis was new method for somatic copy number changes in 82 cancer genes, by which we can infer chromosomal instability (CIN) status. Among our cases, 10 cancers had MSI when considering both mononucleotide and tetranucleotide repeats. Interestingly, diagnostic testing of two of these tumors were false negatives and were demonstrated to be MSI-high. There were three major types among the 10 MSI cancers: MSI-high, EMAST, and the cancers having both. However, such types were distinguishable only by microsatellites with intermediate length (10 - 20 bp). MSI-high tumors (n = 3) showed no sign of CIN while all the EMAST tumors (n = 4) also showed CIN phenotype. Our results suggest that the current gold standard MSI diagnostic test may have issues with both false negatives and false positives, indicating that NGS approaches are better suited for evaluating MSI status of tumors and consideration of immunotherapy. Citation Format: Giwon Shin, HoJoon Lee, Susan M. Grimes, Matthew A. Kubit, Hanlee P. Ji. Improved detection and identification of microsatellite instability features in colorectal cancer: Implications for immunotherapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 421.
Disruption of the yeast nuclear PET54 gene blocks excision of mitochondrial intron aI5 beta from pre-mRNA for cytochrome c oxidase subunit I.

Abstract The nuclear PET54 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was cloned and a pet54::LEU2 gene disruption strain was constructed. Analysis of the phenotype of this strain revealed a defect in expression of two mitochondrial genes: COX1, which encodes cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, and COX3, which encodes cytochrome c oxidase subunit III. The defect in COX1 gene expression in the pet54 mutant was shown to be the result of inefficient excision of COX1 intron aI5 beta. Two lines of evidence indicate that inefficient excision of intron aI5 beta is the sole defect in COX1 gene expression. First, a pet54::LEU2 cytoductant bearing the 'short' mitochondrial genome that lacks both COX1 introns aI5 alpha and aI5 beta is defective only in COX3 gene expression and not in COX1 mRNA splicing or mRNA translation. Second, Northern analysis of COX1 transcipts from the pet54 mutant showed that a 3.8 kb COX1 transcript containing unexcised intron aI5 beta and lacking intron aI5 alpha is accumulated while the amount of 2.2 kb mature COX1 mRNA is diminished. In an effort to relate the role of the PET54 gene product in splicing of COX1 pre-mRNA to the previously characterized role for PET54 in translation of mitochondrial COX3 mRNA, the sequence of the PET54-responsive portion of the COX3 5' untranslated leader region was compared to the COX1 intron aI5 beta sequence. Two blocks of RNA sequence present in COX3 have similar counterparts within intron aI5 beta of COX1. The possibility that the PET54 protein binds to one or the other of these blocks of RNA sequence and the potential consequences of this interaction are discussed.
Adaptive Uses of Microcomputers: A Case Study.

The University of New Orleans has begun a program to teach microcomputers to blind and visually impaired persons. Twenty-three have been served so far. A software solution was chosen, rather than t...
The Relationship Between Discrimination and Missed HIV Care Appointments Among Women Living with HIV

Receiving regular HIV care is crucial for maintaining good health among persons with HIV. However, racial and gender disparities in HIV care receipt exist. Discrimination and its impact may vary by race/ethnicity and gender, contributing to disparities. Data from 1578 women in the Women’s Interagency HIV Study ascertained from 10/1/2012 to 9/30/2016 were used to: (1) estimate the relationship between discrimination and missing any scheduled HIV care appointments and (2) assess whether this relationship is effect measure modified by race/ethnicity. Self-reported measures captured discrimination and the primary outcome of missing any HIV care appointments in the last 6 months. Log-binomial models accounting for measured sources of confounding and selection bias were fit. For the primary outcome analyses, women experiencing discrimination typically had a higher prevalence of missing an HIV care appointment. Moreover, there was no statistically significant evidence for effect measure modification by race/ethnicity. Interventions to minimize discrimination or its impact may improve HIV care engagement among women.
Workforce development strategies: a model for preparing the workforce to support transformational systems in child welfare

ABSTRACTCalls for transformational systems change that lead to improved outcomes for children in child welfare can only be answered by preparing an effective workforce and building an agency climat...