cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dietary patterns predict the development of overweight in women: The Framingham Nutrition Studies

Abstract Objective To investigate relationships between dietary patterns and the development of overweight. Design Longitudinal analyses during 12 years of follow-up involved the identification of dietary patterns at baseline using cluster analysis applied to a 145-item semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Subjects/setting 737 non-overweight women in the Framingham Offspring/Spouse cohort (mean age, 45 years). Main Outcome Measure Development of overweight (BMI≥25) at follow-up. Statistical Analyses Relative risks were calculated using Proc Genmod and multivariate models comprehensively considered potential confounders. Results Five dietary patterns were identified among the cohort at baseline: Heart Healthy, Light Eating, Wine and Moderate Eating, High Fat, and Empty Calorie. Over 12 years, the crude risk of becoming overweight was 29% overall, ranging from 22% of women in the Wine and Moderate Eating cluster to 41% of women in the Empty Calorie cluster. Compared with women who ate a lower-fat, nutritionally varied Heart Healthy diet, women who ate an Empty Calorie diet that was rich in sweets and fats with fewer servings of nutrient-dense fruits, vegetables, and lean food choices were at higher risk for developing overweight [RR 1.4, 95% CI (0.9, 2.2)] after adjusting for age, smoking status, physical activity, menopausal status, energy intake, intentional dieting, and usual weight pattern. Women who ate an Empty Calorie dietary pattern were also younger and were more likely to smoke. Conclusions Behavioral interventions for weight management and obesity prevention may be enhanced by creatively targeting differences in eating patterns, dietary quality, and other lifestyle behaviors of distinct subgroups of the population. J Am Diet Assoc. 2002;102:1240-1246.
T-ray imaging: new possibilities in the far infrared

Since the initial demonstrations of T-ray imaging in 1995, there has been considerable progress in the development of this field. Many possible applications have been explored, and a commercial terahertz time-domain spectrometer is now operating in a manufacturing environment. In addition, several new imaging techniques which exploit the unique properties of the THz system have been developed. We describe one technique, which permits time-of-flight imaging with depth resolution well below the Rayleigh limit. We demonstrate the capability to resolve two reflecting surfaces separated by only a few percent of the coherence length of the THz radiation.
The cost of dispersal: predation as a function of movement and site familiarity in ruffed grouse

This work was funded by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife and supported by the Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology and the Aquatic Ecology Laboratory at the Ohio State University.
Design of the front-end readout electronics for ATLAS tile calorimeter at the sLHC

We present a detailed design for the upgrade of the analog front-end electronics for the ATLAS Tile Calorimeter (TileCal) at the sLHC by using the latest deep-micron-technology based, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components. We believe that with the latest technology based analog devices, the significant improvements in radiation tolerance are possible. The front-end analog electronics presents a 17-bit dynamic range in readout of PMT signals. The PMT output signal is processed with a 7-pole passive LC shaper, followed by a pair of bi-gain amplifiers and two 40Msps sampling ADCs. The readout system is capable of measuring energy deposition in a single calorimeter cell from ∼220MeV to 1.3TeV with full digital Level-1 trigger capability for the ATLAS experiment at the sLHC. The other on-board features include slow current integrator used for detector calibration with cesium source to normalize the PMT gains and the charge injection for calibrating linearity and dynamic range for the readout electronics. A total of ∼10,000 channels of readout electronics are needed in the upgrade to replace the current system at the LHC.
Application-level checkpointing for shared memory programs

Trends in high-performance computing are making it necessary for long-running applications to tolerate hardware faults. The most commonly used approach is checkpoint and restart (CPR) - the state of the computation is saved periodically on disk, and when a failure occurs, the computation is restarted from the last saved state. At present, it is the responsibility of the programmer to instrument applications for CPR.Our group is investigating the use of compiler technology to instrument codes to make them self-checkpointing and self-restarting, thereby providing an automatic solution to the problem of making long-running scientific applications resilient to hardware faults. Our previous work focused on message-passing programs.In this paper, we describe such a system for shared-memory programs running on symmetric multiprocessors. This system has two components: (i) a pre-compiler for source-to-source modification of applications, and (ii) a runtime system that implements a protocol for coordinating CPR among the threads of the parallel application. For the sake of concreteness, we focus on a non-trivial subset of OpenMP that includes barriers and locks.One of the advantages of this approach is that the ability to tolerate faults becomes embedded within the application itself, so applications become self-checkpointing and self-restarting on any platform. We demonstrate this by showing that our transformed benchmarks can checkpoint and restart on three different platforms (Windows/x86, Linux/x86, and Tru64/Alpha). Our experiments show that the overhead introduced by this approach is usually quite small; they also suggest ways in which the current implementation can be tuned to reduced overheads further.
FIGHTING FIRE WITH FIRE: USING RANDOMIZED GOSSIP TO COMBAT STOCHASTIC SCALABILITY LIMITS

SUMMARY The mechanisms used to improve the reliability of distributed systems often limit performance and scalability. Focusing on one widely-used definition of reliability, we explore the origins of this phenomenon and conclude that it reflects a tradeoff arising deep within the typical protocol stack. Specifically, we suggest that protocol designs often disregard the high cost of infrequent events. When a distributed system is scaled, both the frequency and the overall cost of such events often grow with the size of the system. This triggers an O(n 2 ) phenomenon, which becomes visible above some threshold sizes. Our findings suggest that it would be more effective to construct large-scale reliable systems where, unlike traditional protocol stacks, lower layers use randomized mechanisms, with probabilistic guarantees, to overcome low-probability events. Reliability and other end-to-end properties are introduced closer to the application. We employ a back-of-the-envelope analysis to quantify this phenomenon for a class of strongly reliable multicast problems. We construct a non-traditional stack, as described above, that implements virtually synchronous multicast. Experimental results reveal that virtual synchrony over a nontraditional, probabilistic stack helps break through the scalability barrier faced by traditional implementations of the protocol. Copyright  2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Towards efficient hierarchical designs by ratio cut partitioning

A partitioning approach called ratio cut is proposed. The authors demonstrate that the ratio cut algorithm can locate the clustering structures in the circuit. Finding the optimal ratio cut is NP-complete. However, in certain cases the ratio cut can be solved by linear programming techniques via the multicommodity flow problem. They also propose a fast heuristic algorithm running in linear time with respect to the number of pins in the circuit. Experiments show good results in all tested cases, and as much as 70% improvement over the Kernighan-Lin algorithm in terms of the proposed ratio metric. >
Nontarget and ecological effects of transgenically altered disease resistance in crops ‐possible effects on the mycorrhizal symbiosis

The ability to increase crop disease resistance by using transgenic (TG) means has recently been demonstrated for several crops. The current TG procedures alter the temporal expression of transgene pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins, so that the usually inducible PR proteins are expressed constitutively in the foreign host. The constitutive expression of the transgene PR protein chitinase is believed to increase the host's nonspecific basic resistance to pathogens. A potential nontarget effect of constitutively expressing chitinase may be a decrease in the activity of beneficial microbes, especially vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. The decrease in activity of mycorrhizal fungi is related to reduced susceptibility of TG plant roots to colonization by these fungi, which is in turn associated with lysis of fungal cell walls by the constitutively expressed chitinase. An argument is presented that use of TG means to alter the temporal expression of PR proteins ignores a legacy of past evolutionary trade-offs in vascular plants. A major nontarget effect of expressing transgene chitinase is a reduction in the susceptibility of roots to colonization by mycorrhizal fungi. This reduction in mycorrhizal susceptibility occurs without alteration of the mycorrhizal dependence of the host on symbiont-supplied nutrients. Data are presented in support of this contention that demonstrate a strong negative association between host pathogen resistance and mycorrhizal colonization. An ecological consequence of reducing mycorrhizal colonization is a decrease in the soil's mycorrhizal propagule reserve that diminishes the next crop's production, especially under low-input cropping practices. A further consequence that has both ecological and evolutionary outcomes is the escape of the transgene for improved pathogen resistance into wild populations. By increasing a crop's disease resistance by TG means, we may inadvertently be creating a ‘super weed’ when the TG plant or the transgene escapes into wild relatives through hybridization. Hybridization of wild relatives with TG plants would be especially relevant for crops, such as sugar beet, rapeseed, and many modern cereal cultivars that have close relatives in the wild but have a relatively low requirement for symbiont supplied nutrients or are nondependent.
Culture-independent microbiological analysis of foley urinary catheter biofilms.

Background: Prevention of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), a leading cause of nosocomial disease, is complicated by the propensity of bacteria to form biofilms on indwelling medical devices [1,2,3,4,5]. Methodology/Principal Findings: To better understand the microbial diversity of these communities, we report the results of a culture-independent bacterial survey of Foley urinary catheters obtained from patients following total prostatectomy. Two patient subsets were analyzed, based on treatment or no treatment with systemic fluoroquinolone antibiotics during convalescence. Results indicate the presence of diverse polymicrobial assemblages that were most commonly observed in patients who did not receive systemic antibiotics. The communities typically contained both Gram-positive and Gramnegative microorganisms that included multiple potential pathogens. Conclusion/Significance: Prevention and treatment of CAUTI must take into consideration the possible polymicrobial nature of any particular infection.
Quantitative Elemental Analysis of Individual Microparticles with Electron Beam Instruments

Chemical characterization of individual microparticles is of importance to a number of applications including air pollution and occupational health research, pathology, geology and cosmochemistry (e.g., background tropospheric aerosols and interplanetary dust particles), experimental petrology, corrosion and pigments research, forensic chemistry, fallout and explosives studies, and a variety of materials research areas. A number of microbeam analysis techniques have proven useful for such chemical characterization (e.g., optical microscopy, laser Raman spectroscopy, LAMMA, ion microprobe analysis). One of the most commonly used techniques is x-ray emission analysis with electron microbeam instruments (electron microprobe, SEM, analytical electron microscope). Size distribution, morphometric, electron diffraction and qualitative elemental analysis of microparticles have become straightforward applications for electron microbeam instruments; however, quantitative elemental analysis of individual microparticles has remained one of the most difficult applications for these instruments and has been seriously pursued by relatively few researchers. This paper will consider analytical techniques and correction procedures to enable quantitative analysis of individual microparticles and the magnitude of analytical error to be expected in using these procedures.
Low-cost solution to the grid reliability problem with 100% penetration of intermittent wind, water, and solar for all purposes

This study addresses the greatest concern facing the large-scale integration of wind, water, and solar (WWS) into a power grid: the high cost of avoiding load loss caused by WWS variability and uncertainty. It uses a new grid integration model and finds low-cost, no-load-loss, nonunique solutions to this problem on electrification of all US energy sectors (electricity, transportation, heating/cooling, and industry) while accounting for wind and solar time series data from a 3D global weather model that simulates extreme events and competition among wind turbines for available kinetic energy. Solutions are obtained by prioritizing storage for heat (in soil and water); cold (in ice and water); and electricity (in phase-change materials, pumped hydro, hydropower, and hydrogen), and using demand response. No natural gas, biofuels, nuclear power, or stationary batteries are needed. The resulting 2050–2055 US electricity social cost for a full system is much less than for fossil fuels. These results hold for many conditions, suggesting that low-cost, reliable 100% WWS systems should work many places worldwide.
Self-dual Codes, Lattices, and Invariant Theory

One of the most interesting fields in all of mathematics concerns the interaction between the fields of integral lattices, modular forms, invariant theory, and error-correcting codes. There are several excellent presentations in the literature of this subject, for example, Conway and Sloane (Sphere Packings, Lattices and Groups, 3rd edn. Springer, Berlin, 1999), Ebeling (Lattices and codes, 2nd edn. Vieweg, 2002), Elkies (Not. Am. Math. Soc. 47:1238–1245, 2000) Sloane (Proc. Symp. Pure Math., vol. 34, pp. 273–308. AMS, Providence, 1979), and Brualdi, Huffman, and Pless (Handbook of Coding Theory. Elsevier, New York, 1998). Therefore, this chapter will be brief and refer to these works for details.
Strategy of arm movement control is determined by minimization of neural effort for joint coordination

Optimality criteria underlying organization of arm movements are often validated by testing their ability to adequately predict hand trajectories. However, kinematic redundancy of the arm allows production of the same hand trajectory through different joint coordination patterns. We therefore consider movement optimality at the level of joint coordination patterns. A review of studies of multi-joint movement control suggests that a 'trailing' pattern of joint control is consistently observed during which a single ('leading') joint is rotated actively and interaction torque produced by this joint is the primary contributor to the motion of the other ('trailing') joints. A tendency to use the trailing pattern whenever the kinematic redundancy is sufficient and increased utilization of this pattern during skillful movements suggests optimality of the trailing pattern. The goal of this study is to determine the cost function minimization of which predicts the trailing pattern. We show that extensive experimental testing of many known cost functions cannot successfully explain optimality of the trailing pattern. We therefore propose a novel cost function that represents neural effort for joint coordination. That effort is quantified as the cost of neural information processing required for joint coordination. We show that a tendency to reduce this 'neurocomputational' cost predicts the trailing pattern and that the theoretically developed predictions fully agree with the experimental findings on control of multi-joint movements. Implications for future research of the suggested interpretation of the trailing joint control pattern and the theory of joint coordination underlying it are discussed.
Embryonic Membranes, Yolk Cells, and Morphogenesis of the Stonefly Pteronarcys Proteus Newman (Plecoptera: Pteronarcidae)

In an earlier paper (Miller, 1939) on the embryology of the stonefly Pteronarcys proteus Newman, the author described the egg, oogenesis, oviposition, and incubation, provided a synoptic table of the entire embryonic development, and dealt in detail with the early stages up to the formation of the embryonic rudiment (ventral plate or germ disc). The present paper continues the account with a description of the embryonic membranes, the yolk cells, changes in the yolk, and details of embryonic morphogenesis. Included under the latter head is an account of the pleuropodia.
Noncompliance in younger adults on hemodialysis.

Abstract Study of noncompliance with maintenance hemodialysis by 111 patients revealed that 88% of the younger patients (ages 19 to 34) were noncompliant, as compared with 41% of the others (ages 35 to 79). Furthermore, the mean noncompliance score in the younger group was higher (23% vs 15%). Interviews and ratings showed that the younger patients had more difficulty with restrictions and less tolerance for frustration. Their problems of compliance may be intensified by the combination of the need to cope with chronic disease and the developmental pressures of early adult years. Timely psychiatric intervention should be undertaken to aid in better adjustment to a life-threatening illness.
Low Leukocyte Counts with Blast Cells in Cerebrospinal Fluid of Children with Newly Diagnosed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Background Treatment of the central nervous system is crucial to the successful treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children. The intensity and timing of the therapy are based on the presence or predicted risk of central nervous system leukemia as assessed according to criteria that remain controversial. Methods The clinical importance of leukemic blast cells detected in cerebrospinal fluid at the time of diagnosis was evaluated in 351 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in a randomized trial of intensive chemotherapy. All patients received intrathecal chemotherapy during the first year. Patients considered to be at high risk of relapse because of their clinical and cytogenetic features also received cranial irradiation and intrathecal chemotherapy one year after remission. Patients were considered to have central nervous system leukemia at diagnosis if they had at least 5 leukocytes per microliter of cerebrospinal fluid, with leukemic blast cells apparent in cytocentrifuged preparations, ...
Effect of Seizure Morbidity on Neurocognitive Outcome, Quality of Life, and Social Attainment in Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancers (P4.244)

Objective: To correlate seizure morbidity with functional outcomes in adult survivors of childhood cancer. Background: Adult survivors of childhood cancer are at risk for seizures and reduced functional outcomes. Direct impact of seizures on functional outcomes in cancer survivors has not been well explored. Methods: We examined seizure characteristics among 2,022 cancer survivors (48.3[percnt] female; median [range] age=31.5[18.4-65.9] years; time since diagnosis=23.6[10.4-51.1] years). Seizure frequency and seizure medications following cancer diagnosis were abstracted from medical records, and reviewed by board-certified neurologists. Survivors completed neurocognitive testing and surveys to assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and social attainment. Neurocognitive performance was converted to age-adjusted z-scores (M=0, SD=1.0) based on population norms. Multiple logistical regression and Poisson regression with robust variance were used to correlate seizure characteristics and functional outcomes, stratified by CNS tumor diagnosis and adjusting for age, gender, and prior cancer therapy. Results: Seizures following diagnosis/treatment were identified in 232 (11.5[percnt]) survivors, and were most frequent among survivors of CNS tumors (29.9[percnt]) and leukemia (12.6[percnt]) compared to lymphomas (4.1[percnt]) and solid tumors (4.5[percnt]). Seizures were persistent in 36.2[percnt] of survivors at long-term follow-up. Adjusting for age, gender, CRT and anti-metabolites, seizures were associated poorer performance on cognitive flexibility (CNS tumor effect size [ES]=-0.74, p=0.02; non-CNS tumor ES=-0.68, p<0.001), fluency (non-CNS tumor ES=-0.37, p<0.001) and short-term memory (CNS tumor ES=-0.63, p=0.001; non-CNS tumor ES=-0.46, p<0.001). Attention and processing speed had similar effects. HRQOL was generally not associated with seizures. Less than full-time employment was associated with seizures in survivors of CNS (ES=1.09, p=0.03) and non-CNS (ES=1.11, p=0.001) tumors. Among seizure characteristics, whether or not seizures resolved was the single most common predictor of poor outcome. Conclusions: Seizures in cancer survivors impact neurocognitive outcome and employment, independent of prior cancer therapy, and should be a focus of clinical management. Disclosure: Dr. Sadighi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Khan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Zabrowski has nothing to disclose. Dr. Li has nothing to disclose. Dr. Brinkman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Srivastava has nothing to disclose. Dr. Robison has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hudson has nothing to disclose. Dr. Krull has nothing to disclose.
Evaluating diagnostic tests

Although much has been written on the role of randomized controlled trials and mechanistic reasoning in the evaluation of therapeutic treatments, philosophers of medicine have not yet turned their attention to the question of how diagnostic tests and procedures should be evaluated. I aim to begin to fill this gap by examining each of the following questions: What is the best way to determine the accuracy of a diagnostic test? What is the best way to determine the clinical effectiveness of a diagnostic test? Can an accurate diagnostic test be considered medically valuable even if it is not clinically effective? I argue that while diagnostic accuracy is a minimum requirement for both clinical effectiveness and medical value, accuracy and effectiveness are not sufficient for determining the value of a diagnostic test, because diagnostic value extends beyond patient outcomes.
Abstract 5049: Checkpoint kinase 2 is a novel regulator of prostate cancer cell growth

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, and the cure for metastatic disease remains a significant challenge. While nearly all patients with disseminated PCa initially respond to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), virtually every patient will relapse and develop incurable castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Androgen receptor (AR) signaling pathways continue to play a crucial role in CRPC progression. Previous studies have shown that signal transduction pathways can stimulate AR activation, suggesting that the ability of signaling cascades to influence AR function may have a significant role in CRPC progression, and that CRPC may not be effectively treated by ligand-directed therapy alone. A high-throughput RNAi screen identifying signaling pathways that regulate PCa cell growth led to our discovery that knockdown of Checkpoint Kinase 2 (CHK2) dramatically increased PCa proliferation in the presence and absence of androgen. Furthermore, CHK2 depletion hypersensitized cells to castrate androgen levels. These CHK2-mediated effects on growth were dependent on the downstream signaling proteins CDC25C and CDK1 and could be blocked by the AR antagonist MDV3100. Immunohistochemical analysis of CHK2 in patient samples demonstrated that reduced CHK2 expression significantly correlated with increased Gleason score indicating the clinical relevance of CHK2 in PCa. Moreover, CHK2 expression is lower in castration-resistant C4-2 and CWR22Rv1 cells compared to androgen-sensitive LNCaP cells consistent with loss of CHK2 expression during PCa progression. CHK2 depletion increased AR transcriptional activity on both androgen-activated and androgen-repressed genes, substantiating that CHK2 affects PCa growth through the AR. Remarkably, quantitative PCR, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and western blot analyses revealed that CHK2 is a novel AR-repressed gene, suggesting a negative feedback loop between CHK2 and the AR. Furthermore, we show that CHK2 physically associates with the AR, and that cellular stress, such as DNA damage and serum starvation, increases this association. Based on these data, we propose that CHK2 is a negative regulator of androgen sensitivity and PCa growth. Thus, alterations to CHK2 signaling may sensitize CRPC to ADT and radiation. Citation Format: Huy Q. Ta, Melissa L. Ivey, Henry F. Frierson, Mark R. Conaway, Jaroslaw Dziegielewski, James M. Larner, Daniel Gioeli. Checkpoint kinase 2 is a novel regulator of prostate cancer cell growth. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 5049. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-5049
Analysis on Epidemiological and Pathogenic Characteristics of Post-Vaccination Mumps Cases

Objective To understand the situation of mumps epidemic in Guangzhou city and epidemiological and pathogenic characteristics of post-vaccination in mumps cases. Method The mumps cases were investigated and SH gene of mumps virus strains were amplified and sequenced. Result In 178 mumps cases, there are 82 cases were vaccinated, accounted for 46.1%. There are no differences in sex and symptom between the vaccinated cases and the un-vaccinated cases. There is significant difference in age between the vaccinated cases and the un-vaccinated cases. The homology of SH gene between the mumps cases and vaccine strains (Jeryl-Lynn) was 100%. Conclusion The post-vaccination mumps cases were caused probably by the failure in vaccination. So the vaccine's storage and shipment is very important.
The FDA Surveillance Index for Pesticides: establishing food monitoring priorities based on potential health risk.

Through an approach called the Surveillance Index (SI), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is systematically evaluating the potential health risk of pesticides that may be present as residues in foods. The SI is being used as a primary tool in the establishment of monitoring priorities. Each pesticide is classified and assigned to one of 5 levels of potential risk. The SI documents that are prepared for individual pesticides summarize the information used to assess potential dietary exposure and health risk, provide the rationale for the assigned classification, and identify needs and actions necessary to accomplish appropriate monitoring of the food supply. Reasons are described for the development of the SI, the content of the SI Documents, and the use of the SI in planning and redirecting FDA pesticide monitoring activities.
Pleocytosis after Status Epilepticus

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings in 138 of 217 patients with status epilepticus (SE) seen by the Neurology Service in a 3-year period are reported from the Columbia-Prebyterian Medical Center, New York, NY.
Exosomes and Neuroregulation

Exosomes are extracellular vesicles and regulators of tissue homeostasis, immune effectors, disease biomarkers and drug delivery vehicles. Primarily they serve as vesicular carriers for intercellular communication by bringing nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates and drugs to injury action sites. As such, by acting as vesicles for tissue repair and delivery for disease combating therapies they can ameliorate tissue injuries and attenuate microbial infections. On balance, they can perpetuate disease by serving as carriers for infectious agents. In contrast, they can control inflammatory responses through the delivery of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6, ultimately affecting survival during a myriad of infectious, inflammatory and degenerative diseases. Exosomes may also speed engulfment of apoptotic cells and clearance of debris, and reduce systemic inflammatory responses. How exosomes are synthesized, secreted and regulate cellular and tissue function is a key part of understanding immunity and the nervous system. To such ends this review devotes itself to an understanding of the biology and function of exosomes in both health and disease with a special focus on their role as new therapeutic delivery vehicles.
591. The OTTC Plasmid Manager: A Comprehensive Database for Archiving Plasmid DNA Sequence

A freely available plasmid database that is interoperable with popular freeware (such as a Plasmid Editor, or ApE [1]) has been developed for our research group. Our group has accrued a wealth of data that can no longer be efficiently analyzed without a comprehensive cataloging system. The OTTC Plasmid Manager provides an intuitive plasmid database with analytical and search capabilities, offering a versatile platform for the storage and organization of plasmid sequences and their associated metadata. The database has been designed with informatics and visualization support to enhance the efficiency and analytic capabilities of the user, with a user-friendly interface. Annotations performed in ApE can be imported directly into the database, and unlike most commercially available and free DNA editing software, the Plasmid Manager also includes a mechanism to standardize the annotations of uploaded sequences, facilitating the direct comparison of multiple plasmids at the feature level. The visualization component generates a graphic representation of the plasmid map together with its features and annotations, allowing the visual comparison of multiple plasmids side-by-side. The contents of the database can be browsed and searched using a variety of criteria, including plasmid name, database accession number and associated features. This innovative plasmid database presents a new platform for molecular biologists to catalog plasmids relevant to their laboratory, saving time and enhancing the analytical capabilities of researchers.[1] Davis W. A Plasmid Editor. Retrieved September 9, 2014, from http://biologylabs.utah.edu/wayned/ape/
Latino adolescent substance use: A mediating model of inter-parental conflict, deviant peer associations, and parenting

Abstract Substance use among Latino adolescents continues to be a growing concern for researchers and clinicians. This paper reviews relevant literature regarding the impact of inter-parental conflict (IPC), deviant peer associations (DPA) and parenting behaviors, namely as parental support, psychological control, and parental monitoring knowledge on substance use among Latino adolescents. Although mediating models of IPC and similar parenting behaviors on adolescent externalizing behaviors have been represented in empirical studies, none have included the influence of peer associations or have analyzed these factors with substance use among Latino adolescents in the U.S. This study investigated direct relationships of IPC and DPA with adolescent substance use, and tested parental support, psychological control and parental monitoring knowledge as mediators between those relationships in Latino adolescents. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze direct and indirect relationships of the variables mentioned among 744 Latino adolescents. Results indicated that DPA was positively associated with substance use, parental monitoring knowledge was negatively associated with substance use and that parental monitoring knowledge partially mediated the relationship between DPA and substance use. Implications of the findings are discussed in terms of areas of focus for interventions.
Very Low Probability Precipitation-Frequency Estimates — A Perspective

Attempts to quantitatively evaluate the level of risk associated with nuclear power plants have led to an increasing desire to assign probabilities to rare precipitation events. Because it was felt that purely statistical estimates of events with return periods greatly in excess of the period of record susceptible to potentially unacceptable levels of uncertainty, an approach that combined statistical analysis with meteorological interpretation was taken to determine a 24-hr point precipitation amount judged to be associated with a 0.001 annual exceedance probability of occurrence (1000-yr event). The paper also considers the possibility of using joint probabilities associated storm centering, depth-area reduction and storm intensity to determine the probability of average depths of precipitation over larger areas.
Rate of seeding with biopsies and ablations of hepatocellular carcinoma: A retrospective cohort study.

Biopsies of liver masses that prove to be hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) are associated with a risk of seeding the abdominal or chest wall with tumor cells. The reported frequency of seeding varies greatly in the literature. We performed a retrospective cohort study in a large integrated health care system to examine rates of seeding in patients with HCC who had targeted liver biopsies, ablations, or both performed by community radiologists. We reviewed pathology and radiology records to determine the occurrence of wall seeding, defined as a chest or abdominal wall lesion along a definite or probable needle tract. A total of 1,015 patients had targeted liver biopsies (795), ablations (72), or both (148). Multiple procedures were done in 284 patients (28%). Six cases of seeding were identified. The rate of wall seeding was 2/795 patients (0.13%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.00%-0.60%) if only biopsies were done versus 4/220 (1.82%; 95% CI, 0.05%-3.58%) if ablations were performed (P = 0.01). The rate was 0/72 (0.00%; 95% CI, 0.00%-0.04%) with ablations alone and 4/148 (2.70%; 95% CI, 0.74%-6.78%) if both procedures were done (P = 0.31). Of those with 1 year follow-up (n = 441), the rate of seeding was 2/269 (0.74%; 95% CI, 0.00%-1.77%) if biopsies alone were done and 4/172 (2.33%; 95% CI, 0.07%-4.58%) if ablations were done. In none of the cases was the seeding a proximate cause of death. Conclusion: Biopsies of liver masses are associated with a low rate of wall seeding when performed in a community setting and when they are the sole procedures. Ablations may have a higher rate of seeding, particularly if done with biopsies, but are still rare. (Hepatology Communications 2017)
CD38-NAD+Axis Regulates Immunotherapeutic Anti-Tumor T Cell Response

Heightened effector function and prolonged persistence, the key attributes of Th1 and Th17 cells, respectively, are key features of potent anti-tumor T cells. Here, we established ex vivo culture conditions to generate hybrid Th1/17 cells, which persisted long-term in vivo while maintaining their effector function. Using transcriptomics and metabolic profiling approaches, we showed that the enhanced anti-tumor property of Th1/17 cells was dependent on the increased NAD+-dependent activity of the histone deacetylase Sirt1. Pharmacological or genetic inhibition of Sirt1 activity impaired the anti-tumor potential of Th1/17 cells. Importantly, T cells with reduced surface expression of the NADase CD38 exhibited intrinsically higher NAD+, enhanced oxidative phosphorylation, higher glutaminolysis, and altered mitochondrial dynamics that vastly improved tumor control. Lastly, blocking CD38 expression improved tumor control even when using Th0 anti-tumor T cells. Thus, strategies targeting the CD38-NAD+ axis could increase the efficacy of anti-tumor adoptive T cell therapy.
Methyl-CpG-Binding Domain Sequencing: MBD-seq

Detailed biological knowledge about the potential importance of the methylome is typically lacking for common diseases. Therefore, methylome-wide association studies (MWAS) are critical to detect disease relevant methylation sites. Methyl-CpG-binding domain sequencing (MBD-seq) offers potential advantages compared to antibody-based enrichment, but performance depends critically on using an optimal protocol. Using an optimized protocol, MBD-seq can approximate the sensitivity/specificity obtained with whole-genome bisulfite sequencing, but at a fraction of the costs and time to complete the project. Thus, MBD-seq offers a comprehensive first pass at the CpG methylome and is economically feasible with the samples sizes required for MWAS.
Joint Virtual Machine Placement and Path Selection in a Virtualized Datacenter Environment

Today's multi-tenant shared datacenter environments guarantee compute resources over a best-effort intra-datacenter network. Bursty traffic in such a network implies higher delays and losses for tenants. This may result in unpredictable network performance, potentially hurting the tenant's overall application performance. Motivated by these concerns, in this work we propose a Service Level Agreement (SLA) that along with compute capacity, explicitly guarantees intra-datacenter network bandwidth to the tenants in a virtualized, multi-tenant datacenter environment. We design a modified greedy approach that uses virtual machine placement and path selection to solve the joint resource allocation problem. In recent years, several algorithms have been proposed for resource allocation problems to meet a specific SLA. However they do not provide any practical recommendations for the realization of these solutions from a datacenter designer's standpoint. Another main contribution of our work is the design of a rigorous simulation setup to derive a definitive set of guidelines for the datacenter designer implementing the proposed SLA. The guideline answers questions of key practical importance to datacenter designers and enables derivation of effective estimates about the switch fabric and server capacity to be bought and installed, as a function of tenant demands.
Retention of cricothyrotomy skills by paramedics using a wire guided technique.

Abstract Introduction Cricothyrotomy may be necessary for airway management when a patient's airway cannot be maintained through standard techniques such as oral airway placement, blind insertion airway device, or endotracheal intubation. Wire-guided cricothyrotomy is one of many techniques used to perform a cricothyrotomy. Although there is some controversy over which cricothyrotomy technique is superior, there is no published data regarding long term retention rates. The purpose of this study is to determine whether ground based paramedics can be taught and are able to retain the skills necessary to successfully perform a wire-guided cricothyrotomy. Methods This retrospective study was performed in a suburban county with a population of 160,000 with 23,000 EMS calls per year. Participants were ground-based paramedics who were taught wire-guided cricothyrotomy as part of a standardized paramedic educational update program. After viewing an instructional video, the paramedics were shown each the steps of the procedure on a simulation model, using a low fidelity task trainer previously developed to train emergency medicine residents. Using a 16 step procedural checklist, participants were allowed open-ended practice using the task trainer. Critical steps in the checklist were marked in bold lettering indicating automatic failure. Each paramedic was then individually supervised performing a minimum of 5 successful simulations. Retention was assessed using the same 16 step checklist 6 to 12 weeks following the initial training. Results A total of 55 paramedics completed both the initial training and reassessment during the time period studied. During the initial training phase 100% (55 of 55) of the paramedics were successful in performing all 16 steps of the wire-guided cricothyrotomy. During the retention phase, 87.3% (48 of 55) of paramedics retained the skills necessary to successfully perform the wire-guided cricothyrotomy. On the 16 step checklist, most steps were performed successfully by all the paramedics or missed by only 1 of the 55 paramedics. The step involving removal of the needle prior to advancing the airway device over the guide wire was missed by 34.5% (19 of 55) of the participants. This was not an automatic failure since most participants immediately self-corrected and completed the procedure successfully. Conclusion Paramedics can be taught and can retain the skills necessary to successfully perform a wire-guided cricothyrotomy on a simulator. Future research is necessary to determine if paramedics can successfully transfer these skills to real patients.
IMPACT OF EMPLOYEE PERCEPTIONS OF JOB INSECURITY ON ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE AMONG SELECTED BANKS IN ANAMBRA STATE, SOUTH-EAST NIGERIA

This study examined the impact of perceived job insecurity on organizational performance among selected Old and New Generation Banks in Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi Business Districts of Anambra State, South-East Nigeria. 250 respondents selected through stratified random sampling participated in the study. Three hypotheses were stated: There will be no significant relationship between perceptions of job insecurity due to renewal and change in Technology and organizational performance among employees of Old and New Generation Banks; There will be no significant relationship between perceptions of job insecurity due to change in organization design/structure and organizational performance among employees of Old and New Generation Banks; There will be no significant relationship between perceptions of job insecurity due to unfavorable government policies and organizational performance among employees of Old and New Generation Banks. Results of analysis indicated a rejection of all three null hypotheses. The findings of this study are expected to be of immense utility to Bank Managements and other sundry authorities within the Banking sub-sector of the Nigerian economy. The study limitations and recommendations were discussed.
Advocacy: The Push and Pull of Psychiatrists

In the area of mental illness, advocacy has been neither a unitary concept nor a simple activity. The methods by which individuals and groups advocate in general are many and have been largely consistent through American history (after accounting for changes in technology). Methods of advocacy by those treating, suffering from, or caring about mental illness show a distinct evolution:
GABA-drug interactions

γ-Aminobutyric acid is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system and is widely utilized in virtually all anatomic regions of the brain and spinal cord [1,2]. In recent years, pharmacological evidence at all levels (organismal, tissue, cellular, and molecular) have implicated GABA in a variety of human clinical problems and, correspondingly, in the action of numerous drugs showing general excitatory or depressant action on the central nervous system [3–5]. These include convulsants like picrotoxin [6], bicuculline [7], cage convulsants [8], pentylenetetrazol [9], and convulsant benzodiazepines [10, 11], as well as depressants like benzodiazepines (used for anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, sedative-hypnotic, or muscle relaxant activity [12], barbiturates (used today as anticonvulsants and general anesthetics, and formerly as sedative-hypnotics [13]), other general anesthetics [14, 15], including ethanol [16, 17], and a variety of related substances [18]. Because of the widespread function of GABA in the brain, interactions with virtually all neuropharmacological agents and other neurotransmitters have been described. However, increasing bodies of evidence suggest that the drugs mentioned above act by modifying the postsynaptic response to GABA directly at the GABA receptor-chloride ion channel complex [19,20].
Prion Strain Interference

Prions are transmissible agents that comprised of a misfolded protein PrPSc that is posttranslationally derived from the normal isoform PrPC. Prion strains are operationally defined by differences in the distribution and intensity of spongiform degeneration and distribution of PrPSc in the CNS. The mechanism by which prion strains are encoded is not known; however, current evidence suggests that the conformation of PrPSc encodes prion strain diversity. In natural prion disease, more than one prion strain can exist in an individual. Prion strains, when present in the same host, can interfere with each other, a process that may be important during prion adaptation following interspecies transmission. While the parameters that influence prion strain interference are beginning to be described, the mechanism responsible for strain interference is not known.
Integration of SmartParks in a Power System with Utility-Scale PV Plant

This paper demonstrates integration of aggregate Plug-in Electric Vehicle parking lots known as SmartParks, adjacent to a MW-scale Photovoltaic (PV) plant for mitigation of loading on synchronous generators during peak hours as well as enhancing the Available Transfer Capability of area tie-lines. Simulations are carried out in the real-time digital simulator, where the PV plant and aggregate SmartParks are connected to a benchmark two-area multi-machine power system, equipped with secondary frequency controllers i.e. Automatic Generation Controllers and benefiting from Phasor Measurement Units data. The results conclude that cost-effective energy storage technologies such as SmartParks bring the potential in coping with one of the open challenges impeding PV penetration growth.
Parent perspectives on oncology team communication regarding neurocognitive impacts of cancer therapy and school reentry.

Background Neurocognitive deficits are common after childhood cancer and impact academic performance. Parents need to be knowledgeable of long-term complications impacting school and the resources necessary to support educational achievement. The oncology team plays an important role in preparing parents for the challenges of returning to school after treatment. Methods An online survey developed by parents and stakeholders was used to assess parent experiences and preferences associated with oncology team support around neurocognitive deficits and school transition. Recruitment included social media sites, foundation contacts, and clinic/event flyers. Topics included information content, timing, and frequency of information; and utility or perceived value of information. Inclusion criteria included respondent identifying as a parent (caregiver) of child treated for cancer who has returned to school. Results Surveys from 203 parents were completed representing diverse geographic locations. Nearly half (48%) did not recall receiving information about neurocognitive deficits. The most frequently reported time to receive this information was at diagnosis, but parents reported a need for conversations throughout the cancer trajectory, especially at transition to survivorship and school reentry. In addition, half of the parents (51%) felt inadequately prepared for the return to school. Information about neuropsychological testing, resources for learning difficulties, educational terms, and legal rights related to school services were the topics most inadequately provided. Conclusions Parents feel inadequately prepared by their oncology team for their child's return to school. Research is needed to identify effective oncology team approaches to fill the gaps in knowledge around school reentry after cancer treatment.