cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Helminth Infracommunities of the Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina serpentina) From Westhampton Lake, Virginia

Abstract Patterns of infracommunity similarity were examined for 27 male and 6 female common snapping turtles, Chelydra serpentina serpentina, collected from Westhampton Lake on the campus of the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia, during the summer months of 1979 and 1980. Patterns of infracommunity similarity based on parasite abundance emphasized differences between years and between host sexes. Patterns of similarity based on parasite presence or absence emphasized differences among the months sampled. This suggests that there were consistent seasonal changes across both years in terms of which parasites were present, but that there were differences between years in terms of the abundances of those parasites.
Deciding When To Initiate Social Security Benefits

People nearing retirement face a well-known decision: When should to begin taking social security benefits? The answer may not seem obvious since there are key trade-offs involved. The retiree can choose low benefits for a longer period of time, or high benefits for a shorter period of time, or something in between. The optimal initiation date that maximizes social security wealth is a quantitative question and it depends on the life expectancy of the person and on the real rate of return they expect to earn on their investments, among other things. We attempt to provide some answers to this practical and important question. Our focus throughout is on relatively high-wealth individuals who will receive the maximum social security benefits. We show how the government’s social security benefit calculator can be very misleading. We also include how the decision may be different for a married couple. We conclude with the following rough guideline. If you expect to make a good return on your investments, you should take the benefits early (i.e. at age 62). If you expect to make modest investment returns and you expect to live a long time, you should take the benefits later, (i.e. at age 70).
Suppression of Akt-mTOR pathway-a novel component of oncogene induced DNA damage response barrier in breast tumorigenesis.

DNA damage has been thought to be directly associated with the neoplastic progression by enabling mutations in tumor suppressor genes and activating/and amplifying oncogenes ultimately resulting in genomic instability. DNA damage causes activation of the DNA damage response (DDR) that is an important cellular mechanism for maintaining genomic integrity in the face of genotoxic stress. While the cellular response to genotoxic stress has been extensively studied in cancer models, less is known about the cellular response to oncogenic stress in the premalignant context. In the present study, by using breast tissues samples from women at different risk levels for invasive breast cancer (normal, proliferative breast disease and ductal carcinoma in situ) we found that DNA damage is inversely correlated with risk of invasive breast cancer. Similarly, in MCF10A based in vitro model system where we recapitulated high DNA damage conditions as seen in patient samples by stably cloning in cyclin E, we found that high levels of oncogene induced DNA damage, by triggering inhibition of a major proliferative pathway (AKT), inhibits cell growth and causes cells to die through autophagy. These data suggest that AKT-mTOR pathway is a novel component of oncogene induced DNA damage response in immortalized ‘normal-like’ breast cells and its suppression may contribute to growth arrest and arrest of the breast tumorigenesis.
Modeling, validation and system identification of a natural gas engine

In this paper, a model of a central fuel injected natural gas engine with transmission is developed and linear system identification is carried out to identify key model parameters that could lead to automated identification of transmission dynamics. The paper has two major components. First, the natural gas engine is modeled with an extension of the mean value engine model having three state variables: intake manifold pressure, fuel fraction in the intake manifold and the engine rotational speed. The model is validated in steady state and transient regimes over the whole range of engine speed. Second, a linear system identification algorithm is implemented in simulation on the engine model with perturbation in throttle opening and the speed to throttle transfer function is identified. Effective engine/driveline inertia can be found from the denominator coefficients of the identified model.
Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass for treatment of symptomatic paraesophageal hernia in the morbidly obese: medium-term results.

Abstract Background The ideal surgical approach for treatment of symptomatic paraesophageal hernias (PEH) in obese patients remains elusive. The objective of this study was to assess the safety, feasibility, and effectiveness of combined laparoscopic PEH repair and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) for the management of symptomatic PEH in morbidly obese patients. Methods Fourteen patients with symptomatic PEH and morbid obesity (body mass index [BMI]>35 kg/m 2 ) underwent laparoscopic PEH repair with RYGB between 2008 and 2011. Demographic characteristics and preoperative and perioperative details were analyzed. Patients were contacted in October 2013 for follow-up. BMI, reflux symptoms, and disease-specific quality of life (QoL) data were obtained. Results There were 11 females (79%). Median age and preoperative BMI were 48 years and 42 kg/m 2 , respectively. Mean operative time was 180 minutes, with median length-of-stay of 4 days. There were no perioperative deaths, and 5 patients experienced postoperative complications including 1 gastrojejunostomy leak. Complete follow-up with a median follow-up interval of 35 months was available in 9 (64%) patients. The median % excess weight loss was 67.9%. Thirty-three percent required antisecretory medications for reflux control, compared to 89% preoperatively. Seventy-eight percent of patients reported good to excellent QoL outcomes assessed by the Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Health-Related Quality of Life questionnaire. Overall, 89% of patients were satisfied with their operation and would undergo the procedure again. Conclusion Combined laparoscopic PEH repair and RYGB is a safe, feasible, and effective treatment option for morbidly obese patients with symptomatic PEH, and offers good to excellent disease-specific quality-of-life outcomes at medium-term follow-up. To date, this is the largest series with the longest follow-up in this unique patient population.
Study of microstrip step discontinuities on bianisotropic substrates using the method of lines and transverse resonance technique

A hybrid approach, combining the method of lines (MoL) and transverse resonance technique (TRT), is presented for the analysis of microstrip step discontinuities that are printed on uniaxial or biaxial bi-anisotropic substrates. The method of lines, formulated in terms of Kronecker products, is used to determine the characteristic equation for the resonant length. The transverse resonance technique is applied to obtain the S-parameters of the junction by casting the discontinuity problem as a microwave equivalent network. Good agreement is found between results of the MoL/TRT approach and those obtained by other methods. Effects of individual tensor elements of the substrate on the scattering parameters of the discontinuity are investigated at selected frequencies. The proposed MoL/TRT approach is found to converge very fast and does not require excessive computer memory, with all computations performed on a 486DX-50 MHz PC. >
Collaboration With Urban Parents to Deliver a Community-Based Youth HIV Prevention Program.

This article draws on the unified theory of behavior change to examine adult community members’ participation in a collaborative, community-based HIV prevention program for inner-city youth. Specifically, the impact of a training and mentorship process is examined with a sample of parent facilitators hired to deliver an evidence-based HIV prevention program in Bronx, New York. Findings indicate that the training program impacted four of five key constructs (environmental constraints, habitual behavior, social norms, and self-concept) expected to be related to parents’ ability to deliver the program constructs significantly beyond any increase evidenced by the control group (HIV knowledge increased in both groups). Community-level training programs may therefore be an effective medium for increasing caregivers’ intention to collaborate in community-based prevention programs.
LightTyper™ platform for high-throughput clinical genotyping

DNA sequence variations due to single nucleotide changes or polymorphisms (SNPs) have demonstrated an association with certain diseases as causative agents or surrogate biomarkers. Identification and genotyping of SNPs requires reliable and robust technologies. Multiple genotyping platforms are available to detect SNPs. Although many of these platforms meet the requirements of the research environment, technologies have also emerged for high-throughput clinical genotyping as well. The LightTyper™ is one such platform, providing SNP identification by employing melting curve analysis of fluorescently labeled probes. The LightTyper has been used to identify SNPs associated with myocardial infarction, developing and validating assays for approximately 100 SNPs in 30 candidate genes. The LightTyper is also amenable to the use of assays already developed for the LightCycler™, which is widely used in clinical laboratories. The initial experience presented here suggests the potential use of the LightTyper for hig...
Integration of the Extranuclear and Nuclear Actions of Estrogen

Estrogen receptors (ERs) are localized to many sites within the cell, potentially contributing to overall estrogen action. In the nucleus, estrogen mainly modulates gene transcription, and the resulting protein products determine the cell biological actions of the sex steroid. In addition, a small pool of ERs localize to the plasma membrane and signal mainly though coupling, directly or indirectly, to G proteins. In response to steroid, signal transduction modulates both nontranscriptional and transcriptional events and impacts both the rapid and more prolonged actions of estrogen. Cross-talk from membrane-localized ERs to nuclear ERs can be mediated through growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases, such as epidermal growth factor receptor and IGF-I receptor. Growth factor receptors enact signal transduction to kinases such as ERK and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase that phosphorylate and activate nuclear ERs, and this can also occur in the absence of sex steroid. A complex relationship between the membrane and nuclear effects of estrogen also involves membrane-initiated phosphorylation of coactivators, recruiting these proteins to the nuclear transcriptosome. Finally, large pools of cytoplasmic ERs exist, and some are localized to mitochondria. The integration of sex steroid effects at distinct cellular locations of its receptor leads to important cellular physiological outcomes and are manifest in both reproductive and nonreproductive organs.
Solid amine-boranes as high performance hypergolic hybrid rocket fuels

An experimental study is conducted to evaluate amine–borane materials in solid fuels that create hypergolic combustion with nitric acid. Ignition delays as short as 3.3 ms have been measured for fuels containing amine–boranes in an epoxy binder: one of the fastest ignition delays ever recorded for a hypergolic hybrid fuel. The heats of formation of the amine–boranes were measured and theoretical (ideal) performance calculated. Some amine–boranes exhibit a double peak performance allowing for a range of oxidizer/fuel combinations resulting in high performance. Amine–borane/fuel binder combinations can produce a 3.8 and 8.2% increase in Isp and ρIsp, respectively, over monomethylhydrazine and a 4–11% increase in Isp and a 17% decrease to 5% increase in ρIsp over other hypergolic hybrid rockets that use similar oxidizers. Amine–boranes also exhibit trends of being less toxic and more air stable than their base amines. In addition to the hypergolic properties, performance alone motivates the use of these mate...
Hypercholesterolaemia, atherosclerosis and release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor by aggregating platelets

In pig coronary arteries atherosclerosis developed progressively after an experimental mechanical injury to the endothelium, despite its regeneration. The atherosclerotic process can be considerably accelerated by a high cholesterol diet In arteries with regenerated endothelium, there is a reduction of endothelium-dependent relaxations mediated by (a) pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein(s). As this includes the response to platelet-derived serotonin, the ability of the regenerated endothelium to prevent abnormal vasoconstrictions (and presumably to feedback on platelet aggregation) in response to aggregating platelets is seriously curtailed. These changes are exacerbated in atherosclerotic arteries. Bioassay studies demonstrate that reduced endothelium-dependent relaxations are due mainly to a reduced release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor. Thus, endothelial dysfunction, in particular the reduced ability to release endothelium-derived relaxing factor, is a key factor in determining the abnormal responsiveness of the atherosclerotic blood vessel wall.
A theoretical study of the hydrolysis of some sterically hindered phenolic esters

The hydrolysis of sterically hindered phenolic esters is of practical importance. The influence of the steric bulk of 2,6-substituents (R) in various esters and the volume of the acyl group (R1) on these reactions have been studied theoretically. The differences (ΔΔHf) between semiempirical heats of formation (ΔHf) of the products and reactants were calculated for the formation of the tetrahedral intermediates—the rate-determining step of a base-catalyzed process. An analysis of the ΔΔHf values and of the calculated optimized low-energy geometries indicated that the reactivity of esters generally decreased with the increase of the bulk of R, while the size of R1 had less influence. However, electronic (resonance) effects of R1 were noticed in the case of unsubstituted phenolates. On the other hand, calculated global enthalpy changes for the reactions do not correctly reflect the influence of the steric factors over the hydrolysis of the hindered esters. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Habitat light and dewlap color diversity in four species of Puerto Rican anoline lizards

Closely related species often have signals that differ dramatically in design. The evolution of such differences may be important in the process of speciation. Selection for signal detectability under different habitat conditions has been proposed as a mechanism leading to the evolution of signal diversity. We examined dewlap color in four closely related species of Anolis lizards that occupy habitats with different light conditions. Initially, we tested the hypothesis that lizards choose specific light conditions within each habitat in which to signal. We rejected this hypothesis for all four species. We next calculated the detectability of the dewlap color of all four species at display locations in each habitat. If selection for detectability under the different light conditions explained the divergence in signal design, the occupant of a given habitat was predicted to have the highest signal detectability in that habitat. However, the rank order of detectability of the four dewlap colors was nearly the same in all four habitats. We concluded that divergent selection for signal detectability does not, by itself, explain the evolution of dewlap color diversity. We hypothesize that the evolution of dewlap color diversity results from simultaneous selection for multiple functions of dewlap color.
Previous Infection Protects House Finches from Re-Infection with St. Louis Encephalitis Virus

Abstract Antibody titers against St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLE) measured by a plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) decreased rapidly in house finches (Capodacus mexicanus) after initial infection, whereas antibodies measured by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) remained detectable in all birds for the length of the experiment, indicating long-term persistence and greater assay sensitivity of the EIA. After 52 wk, birds were challenged by subcutaneous inoculation with the same strain of SLE virus. Virus was not detected for 1–4 d postchallenge in blood samples tested by plaque assay and RT-PCR or by xenodiagnosis in Culex tarsalis fed concurrently and then held for 11 d at 26°C. Virus was detected by all three methods in control birds infected concurrently for the first time. Challenge with SLE produced a rapid and marked ananmestic rise in both neutralizing and EIA antibody titers that exceeded the primary response in the same birds or in concurrently inoculated control birds. At necropsy 4 wk postchall...
The Path to Influence: Necessary Conditions for Social Science Research to Affect Policy Decisions

Only a small subset of policy-related academic research is used by policymakers and affects policy content. In this paper, we draw on previous studies to address the imbalance between the supply of policy-related academic research and congressional policymakers’ demand for it. We discuss the types of influence academic research has on policy decisions. We examine how research gets to the point at which it can exert a concrete influence on policy decisions. Four conditions usually must be met before research will have an impact: 1) the right information is presented, 2) it is communicated in the right way, 3) the right people champion it, and 4) they champion it at the right time. We conclude by discussing next steps for this project.
Top Ten Guiding Questions for Critical Digital Literacy

Introduction As mobile technology, social media, and converged web content drive the new information economy, critical media education for a digital generation has become paramount. As a critical cultural studies educator committed to fostering critical thinking and informed engagement at all levels of ICT, I have created a framework of key questions and issues to formulate a critical pedagogy of digital media literacy education. The goal of my paper is to advocate for the use of this framework to lead us forward into the 21 century by providing meaning and purpose in our classrooms and communities for citizens and individuals to engage in transformative communication in the information age. As part of a longstanding globalized movement, critical media education for a digital citizenship is predicated upon the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and produce media content and communication in a variety of forms. Rather than teach one-dimensional approaches for using media platforms, critical media education offers us a way to become digitally literate by providing us with the tools through which to examine the political, cultural, historical, economic and social ramifications of all media in a holistic way. While many media literacy approaches overemphasize the end-goal of accessing digital media content through the acquisition of various software, apps and analytics, I argue that the goal for comprehensive and critical digital literacy requires grasping the means through which communication is created, deployed, used, and shared, regardless of which platforms or tools are used for meaning making and social interaction. Drawing upon the intersecting matrices of digital literacy, media literacy, and information literacy, I provide a framework for developing critical multi-literacies by exploring the necessary skills and competencies for engaging as citizens of the digital world. Specifically, I will present a “TopTen” list of questions that effectively propel our pedagogical efforts for critical digital literacy forward.
Persistent Proteinuria in Recurrent Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis From Arteriovenous Fistula Recirculation and Improvement With Aneurysm Repair

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a leading cause of end-stage renal disease and tends to recur after kidney transplantation. A circulating permeability factor, possibly serum-soluble urokinase receptor, has been proposed to account for the rapid recurrence. …
Earth, World, and Globe: Phenomenological Considerations of the Contemporary Planetary Landscape

This essay discusses several post- Earthrise images of the Earth from space and considers how these profoundly dislocating views might be reconciled with a phenomenological account of embodied earthly perception. I discuss Heidegger's anxieties about technology and leaving the Earth as the scene of the human, and consider what insights Edmund Husserl, Renaud Barbaras, and Jan Patocka may provide in anchoring the perceiver in/on the Earth. Throughout, technological apparatuses act as a foil to easily reconciling these images with a phenomenological understanding embodiment, and I assert that our contemporary images of the Earth (Google Earth, GPS) might not really function as images at all, but rather as more complex media objects, whose technological affordances interpenetrate our sense of earthly perception.
Colonialism and Gender

The relationship of colonialism and gender is complex and mutually impactful. Colonial texts and histories show us how gender redefined the boundaries and structures of imperial rule and how in turn colonialism and globalization reshaped notions of femininity and masculinity. The structures and institutions of empire were influenced, upheld, and organized through gender relations and representations. Reading colonialism through the lens of gendered difference reveals the complexity of these terms and the highlights the boundaries and vulnerabilities of colonial order. This entry considers the textual, material, and theoretical aspects of colonialism and gender, and traces key critical texts that have helped to shape our understanding of the dynamics of this relationship. Keywords: colonialism; culture; feminisms; gender; postcolonial/postcolonialism
Age-Related Variation in DNA Methylation

Methylation is a ubiquitous, naturally occurring modification of DNA in mammalian cells that mediates stable repression of gene expression in epigenetically regulated genes, and plays diverse other roles such as regulation of chromosome structure and silencing of endogenous retrotransposons. DNA methylation patterns are generally stable in the short term but show prominent changes in aging cells and tissues including gains of methylation at previously protected promoter regions and losses of methylation genome wide. These age-related methylation changes remain mechanistically mysterious but are conserved from mouse to man, and are likely caused by infidelity in replication of the epigenome over time. Because of the link between DNA methylation and gene expression, these changes result in a mosaic epigenome in aged cells that could underlie diseases of aging such as cancer and atherosclerosis. Maintaining the health of the epigenome is worth investigating as a strategy to prevent age-related diseases.
Open Letter to the DSM-5:

In October 2011, the Open Letter to the DSM-5 was posted as an online petition at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/dsm5/. To the surprise of its authors, the petition garnered the endorsements of...
The Impact of Litigation Risk on Auditor Pricing Behavior: Evidence From Reverse Mergers

We use reverse mergers to examine the impact of litigation risk on audit fees. In a reverse merger, a private company merges with a public company, and the private company's management takes over the resulting publicly traded firm. Reverse mergers create a unique test setting to provide estimates on the litigation risk premium because, while the litigation risk for formerly private firms whose equity becomes publicly traded increases, the remaining auditee- and auditor-related characteristics remain virtually unchanged. We document a litigation risk premium of approximately 27 percent. Moreover, we document that equity dispersion impacts the audit fee pricing of litigation risk and this relation is dramatically magnified in the publicly traded realm. Finally, we find that institutional investors demand higher audit effort in the form of higher audit fees in both the private- and public-equity settings.
Developing Criteria to Establish Trusted Digital Repositories

This paper details the drivers, methods, and outcomes of the U.S. Geological Survey’s quest to establish criteria by which to judge its own digital preservation resources as Trusted Digital Repositories. Drivers included recent U.S. legislation focused on data and asset management conducted by federal agencies spending $100M USD or more annually on research activities. The methods entailed seeking existing evaluation criteria from national and international organizations such as International Standards Organization (ISO), U.S. Library of Congress, and Data Seal of Approval upon which to model USGS repository evaluations. Certification, complexity, cost, and usability of existing evaluation models were key considerations. The selected evaluation method was derived to allow the repository evaluation process to be transparent, understandable, and defensible; factors that are critical for judging competing, internal units. Implementing the chosen evaluation criteria involved establishing a cross-agency, multi-disciplinary team that interfaced across the organization.
Arginase 1 Is Negatively Regulated By β-Catenin Signaling In The Lung

We previously demonstrated that mice lacking the Wnt co-receptor, Lrp5, had attenuated pulmonary fibrosis in the bleomycin model. We found that Arginase 1 (Arg1), an enzyme that converts L-arginine to urea and ornithine, was markedly elevated in Lrp5-/- lungs compared with wild-type mice after bleomycin injury. We show that this induction is not apparently due to the expression of Th2 cytokines, IL-4 and IL-13, but instead is due to Wnt/β-catenin signaling, which negatively regulates Arg1 expression in lung macrophages. Although Arg1 expression in macrophages has been used to define an alternatively activated phenotype, flow cytometry analysis of alveolar and interstitial macrophage sub-populations in Lrp5-/- lungs 14 days after bleomycin injury revealed no clear evidence of skewing from a classical to an alternatively activated phenotype. Upregulation of Arg1 expression and arginase activity might diminish lung arginine levels with consequent alterations in collagen or cytokine production. However, dietary supplementation of bleomycin-treated Lrp5-/- mice with the Arg1 substrate, L-arginine, failed to alter lung collagen content or cytokine levels 21 days after bleomycin injury. These findings demonstrate that Arg1 is negatively regulated by β-catenin signaling in macrophages, raising the possibility that Wnt signaling directs alterations in immune cell metabolism that may be relevant to lung repair after injury.
An Invariant on Primary Abelian Groups with Applications to Their Projective Dimensions

Nunke’s Problem asks when the torsion product of two abelian p-groups is a dsc group of length λ ≤ ω1. For countable values of λ this was completely solved by the author in previous work, where a new invariant was defined using transfinite induction on filtrations of subgroups. Though the natural extension of these ideas to the case of groups of length ω1 does not tell us when the torsion product is a dsc group, it is shown to be sufficient to describe when the product is a \(C_{\omega _{1}}\)-group of \(p^{\omega _{1}}\)-projective dimension at most one.
Unquiet Things: Secularism in the Romantic Age / Imagined Sovereignties: Toward a New Political Romanticism

One of the most legible and resonant of the concerns shared by Colin Jager’s Unquiet Things: Secularism in the Romantic Age and Kir Kuiken’s Imagined Sovereignties: Toward a New Political Romantici...
Prosocial Leadership Development in Organizational Life

This chapter seeks to understand the development and presence of prosocial leadership in leaders of small to medium enterprises (SME), endeavoring to determine to what degree the prosocial leadership development model and the identified four-stage model—antecedent awareness and empathic concern; community and group commitment; courage and action; and, finally, reflection and growth—apply to SME leaders. The research on SME leaders of social enterprises produced a fifth stage of development, which emerged with two corresponding subthemes or steps. Specifically, this chapter reviews the components of stage five, then discusses the development process and the nature of the relationship between steps in stage five and in the preceding four stages.
Genome Editing for the β-Hemoglobinopathies

The β-hemoglobinopathies are diverse set of disorders caused by mutations in the β-globin (HBB) gene. Because HBB protein is a critical component (along with α-globin, heme, and iron) of hemoglobin, the molecule essential for oxygen delivery to tissues, mutations in HBB can result in lethal diseases or diseases with multi-organ dysfunction. HBB mutations can be roughly divided into two categories: those that cause a dysfunctional protein (such as sickle cell disease but also including varied diseases caused by high-affinity hemoglobins, low-affinity hemoglobins, and methemoglobinemia) and those that cause the insufficient production of HBB protein (β-thalassemia). Sickle cell disease and β-thalassemia are both the most prevalent and the most devastating of the β-hemoglobinopathies.
Early Changes in Health Insurance Coverage under the Trump Administration.

Changes in Health Insurance Coverage in 2017 Survey data showed that the percentage of uninsured adults, 18 to 64 years of age, decreased by 6.3 percentage points between the fourth quarter of 2013 and the fourth quarter of 2016 and increased by 1.3 percentage points from January through December 2017.
Defining Diversity: an analysis of student stakeholders’ perceptions of a diversity-focused learning outcome

ABSTRACTThis study investigates stakeholder perceptions of a communication studies department’s diversity-focused learning outcome. Drawing from critical communication pedagogy and based on themati...
Designing Size Consistent Statistics for Accurate Anomaly Detection in Dynamic Networks

An important task in network analysis is the detection of anomalous events in a network time series. These events could merely be times of interest in the network timeline or they could be examples of malicious activity or network malfunction. Hypothesis testing using network statistics to summarize the behavior of the network provides a robust framework for the anomaly detection decision process. Unfortunately, choosing network statistics that are dependent on confounding factors like the total number of nodes or edges can lead to incorrect conclusions (e.g., false positives and false negatives). In this article, we describe the challenges that face anomaly detection in dynamic network streams regarding confounding factors. We also provide two solutions to avoiding error due to confounding factors: the first is a randomization testing method that controls for confounding factors, and the second is a set of size-consistent network statistics that avoid confounding due to the most common factors, edge count and node count.
Against Medical Advice Discharges: Pediatric Considerations

Discharges against medical advice are a common phenomenon accounting for 1–2% of discharges of general medical inpatients in the United States and Canada. They are more common in certain patient populations, but targeted interventions have been limited. Many institutional policies focus on conveying the potential risks of discharge and documenting that patients understand them. Focusing on the medical risks unfortunately ignores the varied reasons patients have for requesting discharge, including family obligations and financial concerns. Principled negotiation is a potential strategy to address requests for discharge that providers consider premature. This negotiation method seeks to develop wise outcomes efficiently by explicitly addressing the relationship, focusing on the underlying interests, considering a wide range of options, and seeking objective criteria. Providers of adult patients have an obligation to assure that patients discharged against medical advice possess medical decision-making capacity and do not fulfill the criteria for civil commitment. In addition, providers of pediatric patients should assure that discharge does not constitute medical neglect, i.e., patients are not at imminent risk of serious, preventable harm. If an agreement cannot be reached, providers should still assure that an adequate discharge plan is in place. Having patients sign the discharge plan may encourage their adherence.
Sensory Contributions to Spatial Knowledge of Real and Virtual Environments

Most sensory systems are able to inform people about the spatial structure of their environment, their place in that environment, and their movement through it. We discuss these various sources of sensory information by dividing them into three general categories: external (vision, audition, somatosensory), internal (vestibular, kinesthetic) and efferent (efference copy, attention). Research on the roles of these sensory systems in the creation of environmental knowledge has shown, with few exceptions, that information from a single sensory modality is often sufficient for acquiring at least rudimentary knowledge of one’s immediate environment and one’s movement through it. After briefly discussing the ways in which sources of sensory information commonly covary in everyday life, we examine the types and quality of sensory information available from contemporary virtual environments, including desktop, CAVE, and HMD-based systems. Because none of these computer mediated systems is yet able to present a perfectly full and veridical sensory experience to its user, it is important for researchers and VE developers to understand the circumstances, tasks, and goals for which different sensory information sources are most critical. We review research on these topics, as well as research on how the omission, limitation, or distortion of different information sources may affect the perception and behavior of users. Finally, we discuss situations in which various types of virtual environment systems may be more or less useful.
Integrating Order and Distance Relationships from Heterogeneous Maps

There is no automatic mechanism to integrate information between heterogeneous genome maps. Currently, integration is a difficult, manual process. We have developed a process for knowledge base design, and we use this to integrate order and distance relationships between genetic linkage, radiation hybrid, and physical maps. Until now, the only way to develop a persistent, knowledge-intensive application was to either develop a new knowledge base from scratch or coerce the application to fit an existing knowledge base. This was not from lack of interest by the knowledge base or database community, but merely from a lack of theoretical tools powerful enough to tackle the problem. We import formalisms from knowledge representation, natural language semantics, programming language research, and databases. These form a strong, theoretical foundation for knowledge base design upon which we have implemented the knowledge base design tool called WEAVE.
Ecosystem Modelling of a River Basin

An approach adopted in ecosystem modelling of the Nam Pong river basin in northeast Thailand is described. In this context, a river basin is seen as a highly complex ecosystem, comprising numerous interactive and interrelated factors, including human activities. In order to assess the response of the ecosystem to resource management actions, therefore, its functional components and their linkages have to be defined. Furthermore, objectives and instruments of resource management have to be specified, in order to identify management options. The consecutive steps of ecosystem analysis and modelling are illustrated as examplified by the Nam Pong river basin in which a multipurpose reservoir was constructed. The predictive simulation model developed for this river basin illustrates the ecological implications of resource management actions and serves as a decision-making tool.
Why We Should Abandon the Semantic Subset Principle.

In a recent article published in this journal, Moscati and Crain (M&C) showcase the explanatory power of a learnability constraint called the Semantic Subset Principle (SSP) (Crain et al. 1994). If...
Characterization of Australian Labradoodle dystrophinopathy

In humans, dystrophin mutations cause the X-linked recessive disorder known as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). These mutations result in skeletal and cardiac muscle damage with mortality increasingly associated with cardiomyopathy. We have identified a novel dystrophin mutation in exon 21 in a line of Australian Labradoodles; affected dogs develop progressive clinical signs including poor weight gain and weight loss, gait abnormalities, exercise intolerance, skeletal muscle atrophy, macroglossa, ptyalism, dysphagia, kyphosis, and a plantigrade stance. Echocardiographic abnormalities include hyperechoic foci in the left ventricular papillary muscles, septal hypokinesis, and decreased left ventricular systolic and diastolic volume and internal diameter. Holter recordings found a Mobitz type II second-degree atrioventricular (AV) block in one affected dog. Analysis of phosphocreatine-to-ATP ratios (PCr/ATP) (obtained via cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy evaluation), found no statistically significant difference in the mean PCr/ATP between groups. Histopathologic skeletal muscle changes included fibrofatty infiltration, myocyte degeneration, necrosis, and regeneration, lymphohistiocytic inflammation, and mineralization; cardiac changes were limited to a focal area of mineralization adjacent to the sinoatrial node in the dog with a second-degree AV block. Due to rapidly progressive clinical signs, a severe phenotype, and potential for cardiac involvement, Australian Labradoodle dystrophinopathy may be a useful model to further study DMD pathogenesis.
Latent class analysis of the association between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposures and body mass index.

BACKGROUND People experience multiple co-occurring exposures to environmental pollutants, but analyses of multiple exposures have rarely been reported. OBJECTIVES We used latent class analysis to estimate co-exposures to multiple polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and tested the associations of latent classes to body mass index. METHODS We analyzed National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013-2014 data. The sample included 2354 people aged 6-80 years. Measures included seven urinary PAH metabolites, BMI, and demographic and behavioral covariates. People were classified into mutually exclusive latent classes characterized by unique profiles of multiple PAH exposures. These classes were used as categorical independent variables in weighted multiple regression models with BMI as the dependent measure. Models were analyzed overall and by age groups (6-19, 20-59, and 60 and over.) We compared results using latent classes to results using a summed PAH exposure measure. RESULTS Five latent classes were identified. Two of these classes were significantly associated with higher BMI overall (p < .0001) and for the two youngest age groups. One of these classes was characterized by high multiple exposures across all PAHs, and one by moderate exposures but relatively high naphthalene and phenanthrene. The summed PAH score was associated with higher BMI only for the youngest age group. CONCLUSIONS Persons experience multiple co-exposures to PAHs that are related to BMI and obesity across age groups. Latent class analysis provides information on higher order interactions among multiple chemicals that a summed score does not. Future work may apply this approach to other outcomes or types of co-exposures.
"Rainbow Draws" in the Emergency Department: Clinical Utility and Staff Perceptions.

Background: Collecting a predefined set of blood tubes (the “rainbow draw”) is a common but controversial practice in many emergency departments (EDs), with limited data to support it. We determined the actual utilization of rainbow draw tubes at a single facility and evaluated the perceptions of ED staff regarding the utility of rainbow draws. Methods: We analyzed 2 weeks of ED visits (1326 visits by 1240 unique patients) to determine blood tube utilization for initial and add-on testing, as well as the incidence of additional venipunctures. We also surveyed ED staff regarding aspects of ED phlebotomy and test ordering. Utilization data analysis was structured to satisfy specific concerns addressed in the ED staff survey. Results: Observed tube utilization data showed that fluoride/oxalate, citrate, and serum separator tubes were frequently discarded unused, and that the actual utility of the rainbow draw for add-on testing and avoiding additional venipunctures was low. ED staff perceived that the rainbow draw was highly valuable, both to expedite add-on testing and to avoid additional venipunctures. Contrasting the objective (utilization data) and subjective (survey results) to drive changes in the standard ED blood collection reduced the estimated waste blood by 175 L/year. Conclusions: Comparison of perceptions and objective utilization data drove process changes that were mutually agreeable to ED and laboratory staff. Although specifics of ED and laboratory work flows vary between institutions, the principles and strategy of this study are widely applicable.
An all Natural Slip Resistant & Absorbent Fibrous Material

ABSTRACT PVC-based exercise mats are the de facto standard practice surface for the millions of regular American hatha yoga practitioners. The ‘sticky mat’ provides a lightweight slip- resistant surface in dry conditions. However, this mat has inherent performance drawbacks and longstanding biocompatibility concerns. ‘Postures’ or asana-styles demand different properties from the standard exercise mat. The amount of perspiration generated by practitioners varies by style and athletic ability. In both cases the individual requires a slip-resistant practice surface. Standard foamed closed-cell PVC mats and cotton rugs provide insufficient properties in wet and dry conditions. This study investigates changes in the ability of a mat to resist slippage upon absorption of water for the PVC mat, cotton rug and a novel slip-resistant and absorbent fibrous material. Dynamic coefficients of friction as a function of absorbed water are examined. The efficacy of each mat to resist slippage with absorbed water is correlated to expected sweat generation during practice. A prior predictive sweat loss response model to metabolic rate, environment and clothing is used.
Three-dimensional encapsulation of adult mouse cardiomyocytes in hydrogels with tunable stiffness

Abstract Numerous diseases, including those of the heart, are characterized by increased stiffness due to excessive deposition of extracellular matrix proteins. Cardiomyocytes continuously adapt their morphology and function to the mechanical changes of their microenvironment. Because traditional cell culture is conducted on substrates that are many orders of magnitude stiffer than any environment encountered by a cardiomyocyte in health or disease, alternate culture systems are necessary to model these processes in vitro. Here, we employ photo-clickable thiol-ene poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogels for three-dimensional cell culture of adult mouse cardiomyocytes. PEG hydrogels serve as versatile biocompatible scaffolds, whose stiffness can be precisely tuned to mimic physiological and pathological microenvironments. Compared to traditional culture, adult cardiomyocytes encapsulated in PEG hydrogels exhibited longer survival and preserved sarcomeric and T-tubular architecture. Culture in PEG hydrogels of varying stiffnesses regulated the subcellular localization of the mechanosensitive transcription factor, YAP, in adult cardiomyocytes, indicating PEG hydrogels offer a versatile platform to study the role of mechanical cues in cardiomyocyte biology.
Geometrical and Electronic Structure, Stability, and Optical Absorption Spectra Comparisons between Thiolate- and Chloride-Stabilized Gold Nanoclusters.

Thiolate-stabilized gold nanoclusters have drawn significant attention for their extraordinary properties and their applications in many fields such as catalysis, sensing, biomedicine, etc. However, due to the size, complexity, and conformational flexibility of thiolate ligands, accurate structure prediction can be a challenge using computational approaches. Substitution of thiolate ligands with chloride ligands provides a possible alternative. In this work, the stabilities of a series of gold thiolate and chloride clusters with 1:1 stoichiometry (AunLn; L = SH, Cl; n = 2-9) and the analogs of some experimentally observed gold nanoclusters (AunLm; L = SH, Cl; n = 18-133) are examined, and binding energies, HOMO-LUMO gaps, and absorption spectra are determined using density functional theory (DFT). We observed that the optimized geometries of gold nanoclusters for both types of ligands converged to the same local minimum structure as the experimentally observed structures. The average binding energy per gold atom in gold clusters converges after Au4L4. The binding energies of chloride-stabilized gold clusters and nanoclusters average 87.5% and 95.7% of the binding energies of thiolate-stabilized systems for the clusters and nanoclusters, respectively. Typically, thiolates are found to be more stable than the chlorides. However, higher HOMO-LUMO gaps in Au2Cl2, Au38Cl24, and Au102Cl44 compared to their thiolate analogs suggest systems of particular interest for investigating the possible existence of chloride-based gold nanoclusters. Absorption spectra are very similar regardless of the ligand used. This study also demonstrates that in theoretical studies on large nanoclusters, complex thiolate ligands can be replaced by Cl ligands to predict structural and electronic properties with reasonable accuracy and reduced computational effort.
Homocysteine Disrupts Balance between MMP-9 and Its Tissue Inhibitor in Diabetic Retinopathy: The Role of DNA Methylation

High homocysteine is routinely observed in diabetic patients, and this non-protein amino acid is considered as an independent risk factor for diabetic retinopathy. Homocysteine biosynthesis from methionine forms S-adenosyl methionine (SAM), which is a major methyl donor critical in DNA methylation. Hyperhomocysteinemia is implicated in increased oxidative stress and activation of MMP-9, and in diabetic retinopathy, the activation of MMP-9 facilitates capillary cell apoptosis. Our aim was to investigate the mechanism by which homocysteine activates MMP-9 in diabetic retinopathy. Human retinal endothelial cells, incubated with/without 100 μM homocysteine, were analyzed for MMP-9 and its tissue inhibitor Timp1 expressions and interactions, and ROS levels. Timp1 and MMP-9 promoters were analyzed for methylated and hydroxymethylated cytosine levels (5mC and 5hmC respectively) by the DNA capture method, and DNA- methylating (Dnmt1) and hydroxymethylating enzymes (Tet2) binding by chromatin immunoprecipitation. The results were confirmed in retinal microvessels from diabetic rats receiving homocysteine. Homocysteine supplementation exacerbated hyperglycaemia-induced MMP-9 and ROS levels and decreased Timp1 and its interactions with MMP-9. Homocysteine also aggravated Dnmts and Tets activation, increased 5mC at Timp1 promoter and 5hmC at MMP-9 promoter, and suppressed Timp1 transcription and activated MMP-9 transcription. Similar results were obtained from retinal microvessels from diabetic rats receiving homocysteine. Thus, hyperhomocysteinemia in diabetes activates MMP-9 functionally by reducing Timp1-MMP-9 interactions and transcriptionally by altering DNA methylation-hydroxymethylation of its promoter. The regulation of homocysteine could prevent/slow down the development of retinopathy and prevent their vision loss in diabetic patients.