cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 57: Adipocyte oxidative stress promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) related gene expression and estrogen receptor (ER) negative phenotype in breast cancer cells

Epidemiological studies have linked obesity with basal-like breast cancer risk in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women, suggesting that obesity may affect tumor phenotype by skewing the microenvironment toward support of more aggressive tumor cell phenotypes (typically ER/PR−, HER-2−). In order to study the interactions between adipocytes and breast tumor cells, we developed an adipocyte-breast cancer cell co-culture system. The adipocytes SGBS (Simpson-Golabi-Behmel Syndrome) and human ER positive breast cancer MCF7 cells were co-cultured for 24 hours. Following co-culture, the cells from the inserts (MCF7 cells) and wells (SGBS cells) were collected separately and total RNA was then isolated. The mRNA levels of the NADPH oxidase subunit NOX4 and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α) were determined by RT-PCR and normalized to 18S RNA levels. When SGBS cells were co-cultured with MCF7 cells, SGBS NOX4 and HIF1α mRNA levels increased more than 10 fold and 3 fold, respectively, while there were no changes in NOX4 and HIF1α expression detected in co-cultured MCF7 cells. We also compared several epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process-related gene expression levels. Expression in MCF7 cells of the EMT-inducing transcription factors FOXC2 and Twist1 were increased more than 8 fold and 5 fold respectively, after co-culture with SGBS. E-cadherin mRNA level was decreased 2 fold, while N-cadherin mRNA level was increased more than 6 fold in co-cultured MCF7. We also found that mRNA levels of ER-α were significantly (p Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 57. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-57
Student reflections of psychiatric/mental health: Using journals and creative expressions

Second semester undergraduate nursing students in their psychiatric/mental health clinical rotation express an array of emotions as they frequently view the setting as foreign. Two assignments, reflective journaling and a form of expression were incorporated into clinical to provide students an opportunity to reflect and convey their thoughts and feelings concerning their clinical experiences. Thematic analysis was used to analyze 10 journals and 10 art forms with a written description. Two content themes emerged: A Change in Perspective and Insight. Exemplars of the students’ perspectives are provided. As evidenced by students’ submissions, reflective journaling and creative expression can be an effective and beneficial assignment for students grappling with the complexities of psychiatric/mental health nursing.
Theories of the pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis.

The basic defect in cystic fibrosis is not known, but current evidence points to action of a humoral substance on cells of the exocrine glands. The resulting interaction increases metabolic activity within the cell, altering cell membrane permeability, changing electrolyte concentrations, and increasing mucopolysaccharide synthesis.
Performance comparison of several optimization algorithms in matched field inversion

Optimization efficiencies and mechanisms of simulated annealing, genetic algorithm, differential evolution and downhill simplex differential evolution are compared and analyzed. Simulated annealing and genetic algorithm use a directed random process to search the parameter space for an optimal solution. They include the ability to avoid local minima, but as no gradient information is used, searches may be relatively inefficient. Differential evolution uses information from a distance and azimuth between individuals of a population to search the parameter space, the initial search is effective, but the search speed decreases quickly because differential information between the individuals of population vanishes. Local downhill simplex and global differential evolution methods are developed separately, and combined to produce a hybrid downhill simplex differential evolution algorithm. The hybrid algorithm is sensitive to gradients of the object function and search of the parameter space is effective. These algorithms are applied to the matched field inversion with synthetic data. Optimal values of the parameters, the final values of object function and inversion time is presented and compared.
Chlamydia and Mycoplasma Infection in Genital Tracts of 416 Infertile Female Patients and Drug sensitivity

OBJECTIVE To investigate the status of ureaplasma urealyticum(Uu),mycoplasmahominis(Mh) and chlamydia trachomatis(Ct) infection in genital tract of infertile female patients,and to analyze the drug sensitivity of mycoplasma.METHODS The mycoplasma was detected by using chlamydia antigen detection card(VEDA LAB) and its drug sensitivity was performed.RESULTS Among 416 cases of samples,there were 322 Uu,127 Mh and 107 Ct positive samples,accounting for 77.4%,30.5% and 25.7%,respectively.The results of drug sensitivity experiment showed that Uu was most sensitive to josamycin,with a high sensitive rate of 98.5%,secondly was clarithromycin(98.0%),and thirdly was doxycycline(96.5%).Uu+Mh were most sensitive to josamycin,with the sensitive rate of(94.0%),followed by doxycycline(92.5%) and minomycin(74.6%).These indicated that josamycin,clarithromycin,doxycycline and minomycin could be used as effective antibiotics to treat mycoplasma infection in the area.CONCLUSION To conduct the detection of mycoplasma and chlamydia in genital tracts of infertile female patients and the drug susceptibility test can improve the cure rate of chlamydia and mycoplasma infection by targeted treatment.
Hemodynamic, metabolic, and hematologic effects of pulsatile cardiopulmonary bypass.

The advantages of delivering pulsatile rather than continuous flow during extracorporeal circulation have not been completely established. The present study was performed to determine the effects of pulsatile flow during cardiopulmonary bypass with a new, simple, and safe modified roller pump. Normothermic cardiopulmonary perfusion with either pulsatile or nonpulsatile flow was performed on 20 dogs. The duration of bypass was 1½ to 3 hours. Cardiopulmonary bypass with pulsatile flow was found to offer the following statistically significant advantages: lower systemic vascular resistance (p
An extensible text-to-html translator

An extensible translator from text to HTML called t2h is described and its utility is illustrated. t2h takes text files that contain clues as to how the text is to be formatted and translates such files into HTML. There are several aspects novel to the approach taken here. The input must satisfy a grammar and therefore is well-formed. Formatting clues within a line are pre-processed by the front-end script. The system is extensible in the sense that users can provide external scripts for formatting situations not anticipated by the tool. These features support the generation of web pages in a variety of ways and can save time creating websites primarily aimed at the dissemination of information, as is the case when producing web pages for classes.
Laceration of the ascending branch of the uterine artery: A complication of therapeutic abortion

Perforation of the uterine cervix combined with laceration of the ascending branch of the uterine artery is one of the potential complications of therapeutic abortion. The evidence suggests that the injury occurs during the course of serial dilatation of the cervix, is easily overlooked, and may be accompanied by either internal or external hemorrhage which is often intermittent, delayed, and temporarily controlled by measures that ultimately are proved ineffective.
Mitochondrial Networking in T Cell Memory

T-lymphocytes show large changes in ATP demand and nutrient utilization, imposed by their different roles as T memory and T effector cells. Therefore, T cell remodeling represents a bioenergetic challenge to mitochondria. New work from Buck et al. links changes in mitochondrial shape to T cell fate choice.
Marine Ecosystems, Biogeochemistry, and Climate

Abstract Ocean physics plays a central role in structuring the large-scale patterns and functioning of ocean ecosystems, and climate variability impacts marine biota in a wide variety of ways. Primary production by phytoplankton forms the base of the pelagic-ocean food web and is modulated by temperature, nutrient supply, light, and mixed layer depth. Temperature influences a host of organism physiological rates, and temperature and circulation are determining factors in the geographic ranges of many marine species. Climate variations alter predator–prey interactions, interspecies competition, the seasonal timing of biological events or phenology, the spread of diseases, parasites and invasive species, and the biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nutrients, and many trace chemicals. Ocean biology, in turn, can affect climate by influencing the atmospheric composition of radiatively important trace gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and dimethyl sulfide; chlorophyll also modifies the vertical absorption profile of solar radiation and thus influences sea-surface temperature and mixed layer depth. Based on historical observations, biological effects are already evident in response to anthropogenic ocean warming and sea-ice melt. Future climate change impacts are expected to grow in magnitude due to further warming and other physical changes as well as synergistic effects with other human stressors such as ocean acidification, deoxygenation, and coastal nutrient eutrophication.
Experiments for Obtaining Cohesive-Zone Parameters for Copper-Mold Compound Interfacial Delamination

Interfacial delamination due to mismatch of coefficient of thermal expansion is a prominent failure mechanism of multilayer microelectronic packaging. Current methods for investigating and preventing interfacial delamination rely heavily on interfacial fracture mechanics. Such techniques are effective but also limited because they rely on assumptions about existing cracked geometry. Cohesive-zone modeling is an alternative technique for modeling interfacial delamination that is capable of simulating both crack initiation and crack propagation. This paper presents a methodology for developing a cohesive-zone model for an interface between the copper leadframe and the epoxy molding compound (EMC). Through experiments, the interfacial strength is characterized quantitatively, and load versus displacement data are collected for each experiment. By mimicking these results with a cohesive-zone model, mixed-mode cohesive-zone parameters are obtained. The fully defined mixed-mode cohesive-zone model can be used to simulate interfacial delamination between the copper leadframe and the EMC in any microelectronic package that contains such an interface. Furthermore, the procedure demonstrated here may be employed to characterize a cohesive-zone model for other interfaces in microelectronic packages.
From Antenna Stents to Wireless Geiger Counters: The Promise of Electrical Micro-Discharges in the Fabrication and Operation of Microsensors

Micro-scale electrical discharges can be useful in both manufacturing contexts and sensing modalities. With regard to manufacturing, they provide structural and material diversity: microplasmas ignited between thin film metal patterns permit localized etching and deposition, whereas micro-arcs permit stainless steel and other bulk metals. Micro-electrodischarge machining has been used for the lithography-compatible fabrication of "smart stents" that are integrated with pressure sensors. It has also been used to embed sensors at the tip of biopsy needles. With regard to sensing modalities, spectroscopic detection of chemicals in both gas and liquid phase has been explored. For example, discharge spectroscopy has been used to detect inorganic contaminants such as lead and chrome in water. The converse application has also been reported: salts dissolved in aqueous sample are used to tune the emission spectrum, which is subsequently filtered and used as an inexpensive UV source for the fluorescent detection of biochemicals. Gas-phase discharges are used for radiation sensing by Geiger counters and related micromachined devices. It has been shown that the RF emissions associated with these discharges are in the UWB spectrum, and can be detected by common AM/FM radios, creating some interesting opportunities for wireless networking.
Human systems integration: process to help minimize human errors, a systems engineering perspective for human space exploration missions

Abstract This review article highlights the importance of human systems integration (HSI) in human space exploration. One may think of these terms as common sense, some companies even have some regulations in place for something that sounds similar. However, there is still some work to do in order to fully incorporate the human aspect into our aerospace systems, especially today when we are working with complex and multidisciplinary system of systems. For that reason, this article brings the concepts that different programs are using and integrates them, to put into perspective how different disciplines have similar concepts and goals, bringing opportunities for collaboration. Definition of system, system of systems, systems engineering, human systems integration, human error are provided, and how all these come together. Then an assessment is made of various human reliability analysis techniques used in non-aerospace industries, and how they can be applicable to space systems. The use of error prevention HSI tools is discussed, including human in the loop evaluations, usability tests, and workload evaluations. The article dives into the human systems integration domains at the Department of Defense (DoD) and at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). A comparison graph was created showing HSI activity across mission lifecycle phases and reviews for a commercial product, the DoD, and NASA, using the SEBoK System Life Cycle Process Model, ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288 Systems and Software Engineering International Standard for System Life Cycle Processes, NRC Human-System Integration in the System Development Process, and the Human Systems Integration Practitioner’s Guide NASA/SP-2015-3709. Learning about these tools and processes will aid the architecting and engineering of habitats, vehicles, and simply put systems for deep space missions, for which human limitations and capabilities must be accounted during the design phase and continue throughout the product lifecycle to help minimize human error, hence increasing human and product safety.
Visualizing single-stranded nucleic acids in solution

Single-stranded nucleic acids (ssNAs) are ubiquitous in many key cellular functions. Their flexibility limits both the number of high-resolution structures available, leaving only a small number of protein-ssNA crystal structures, while forcing solution investigations to report ensemble averages. A description of the conformational distributions of ssNAs is essential to more fully characterize biologically relevant interactions. We combine small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) with ensemble-optimization methods (EOM) to dynamically build and refine sets of ssNA structures. By constructing candidate chains in representative dinucleotide steps and refining the models against SAXS data, a broad array of structures can be obtained to match varying solution conditions and strand sequences. In addition to the distribution of large scale structural parameters, this approach reveals, for the first time, intricate details of the phosphate backbone and underlying strand conformations. Such information on unperturbed strands will critically inform a detailed understanding of an array of problems including protein-ssNA binding, RNA folding and the polymer nature of NAs. In addition, this scheme, which couples EOM selection with an iteratively refining pool to give confidence in the underlying structures, is likely extendable to the study of other flexible systems.
Deterrence and Dissuasion in Cyberspace

Understanding deterrence and dissuasion in cyberspace is often difficult because our minds are captured by Cold War images of massive retaliation to a nuclear attack by nuclear means. The analogy to nuclear deterrence is misleading, however, because many aspects of cyber behavior are more like other behaviors, such as crime, that states try (imperfectly) to deter. Preventing harm in cyberspace involves four complex mechanisms: threats of punishment, denial, entanglement, and norms. Even when punishment is used, deterrent threats need not be limited to cyber responses, and they may address general behavior as well as specific acts. Cyber threats are plentiful, often ambiguous, and difficult to attribute. Problems of attribution are said to limit deterrence and dissuasion in the cyber domain, but three of the major means—denial by defense, entanglement, and normative taboos—are not strongly hindered by the attribution problem. The effectiveness of different mechanisms depends on context, and the question of...
Regularization After Marginal Learning for Ultra-High Dimensional Regression Models

Regularization is a popular variable selection technique for high dimensional regression models. However, under the ultra-high dimensional setting, a direct application of the regularization methods tends to fail in terms of model selection consistency due to the possible spurious correlations among predictors. Motivated by the ideas of screening (Fan and Lv, J R Stat Soc Ser B Stat Methodol 70:849–911, 2008) and retention (Weng et al, Manuscript, 2013), we propose a new two-step framework for variable selection, where in the first step, marginal learning techniques are utilized to partition variables into different categories, and the regularization methods can be applied afterwards. The technical conditions of model selection consistency for this broad framework relax those for the one-step regularization methods. Extensive simulations show the competitive performance of the new method.
Rapid compressed sensing reconstruction of 3D non-Cartesian MRI.

Purpose Conventional non-Cartesian compressed sensing requires multiple nonuniform Fourier transforms every iteration, which is computationally expensive. Accordingly, time-consuming reconstructions have slowed the adoption of undersampled 3D non-Cartesian acquisitions into clinical protocols. In this work we investigate several approaches to minimize reconstruction times without sacrificing accuracy. Methods The reconstruction problem can be reformatted to exploit the Toeplitz structure of matrices that are evaluated every iteration, but it requires larger oversampling than what is strictly required by nonuniform Fourier transforms. Accordingly, we investigate relative speeds of the two approaches for various nonuniform Fourier transform kernel sizes and oversampling for both GPU and CPU implementations. Second, we introduce a method to minimize matrix sizes by estimating the image support. Finally, density compensation weights have been used as a preconditioning matrix to improve convergence, but this increases noise. We propose a more general approach to preconditioning that allows a trade-off between accuracy and convergence speed. Results When using a GPU, the Toeplitz approach was faster for all practical parameters. Second, it was found that properly accounting for image support can prevent aliasing errors with minimal impact on reconstruction time. Third, the proposed preconditioning scheme improved convergence rates by an order of magnitude with negligible impact on noise. Conclusion With the proposed methods, 3D non-Cartesian compressed sensing with clinically relevant reconstruction times (<2 min) is feasible using practical computer resources. Magn Reson Med, 2017. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
Barriers to care for chronic hepatitis C in the direct-acting antiviral era: a single-centre experience.

Background Cure rates for chronic hepatitis C have improved dramatically with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), but treatment barriers remain. We aimed to compare treatment initiation rates and barriers across both interferon-based and DAA-based eras. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all patients with chronic hepatitis C seen at an academic hepatology clinic from 1999 to 2016. Patients were identified to have chronic hepatitis C by the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes, and the diagnosis was validated by chart review. Patients were excluded if they did not have at least one visit in hepatology clinic, were under 18 years old or had prior treatment with DAA therapy. Patients were placed in the DAA group if they were seen after 1 January 2014 and had not yet achieved virological cure with prior treatment. All others were considered in the interferon group. Results 3202 patients were included (interferon era: n=2688; DAA era: n=514). Despite higher rates of decompensated cirrhosis and medical comorbidities in the DAA era, treatment and sustained virological response rates increased significantly when compared with the interferon era (76.7% vs 22.3%, P Conclusions Despite higher rates of medical comorbidities in the DAA era, considerable treatment challenges remain including cost, loss to follow-up and ethnic disparities.
Mental health in New Zealand.

New Zealand’s healthcare system has undergone significant changes in recent times, among them being the establishment in 1993 of a purchaser/provider split and the specific attention given to the development of mental health services. Funding for mental health services (Fig. 1) increased from NZ$270 million in 1993/94 to NZ$866.6 million per annum in 2004/05, a real increase (adjusted for inflation) of 154% (Mental Health Commission, 2006). The bi-partisan political commitment sustaining this funding has had a major impact on the development of recovery-based and culturally specific models of care unrivalled by few countries in the world. However, recent reports (Mental Health Commission, 2006) indicate that, particularly with regard to access, much still remains to be done to address the mental health needs of New Zealanders. Open in a separate window Fig. 1 Real cumulative percentage increase in public funding for mental health services in New Zealand, 1993/94 (NZ$270 million baseline) to 2004/05. Source: Mental Health Commission (2006). New Zealand is a Pacific country of 4.15 million people. At the last census (2001), with three responses allowed per person, 80% identified themselves as being European, 15% as being indigenous Maori, 6.5% Pacific Island and 6.6% Asian, with other ethnicities accounting for less than 1% of the population. These categories are very broad and only partially describe the situation that exists in New Zealand. For example, while 91% identified with one ethnicity, 44% of Maori identified with multiple ethnicities (Ministry of Social Development, 2006). The median age of the population is 36 years. The overall male/female gender ratio is 0.99. The unemployment rate currently stands at around 4%.
Indiscipline and Safety in Public Schools: Teachers and Principals at Odds.

This report summarizes analyses of survey responses of approximately 101,310 teachers and principals who, between 1999-00 and 2011-12, answered the School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) and the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), two national surveys. Their responses to most recurrent discipline incidents and to most serious problems facing schools were cross-referenced with their responses to safety initiatives, programs, and other practices that were implemented to curb indiscipline and crime. The findings reflect efforts underway nationwide to transition from zero tolerance policies to non-retributive, non-exclusionary discipline practices. For teachers, indiscipline incidents and major problems facing schools continue plaguing schools, and increasingly put their careers at risk. By contrast, compliance requirements of the transition period seem to have pushed principals to under-report the incidents and problems. It appears that a genuine dialogue is needed between administrators and teachers to agree on the overarching implications of indiscipline and safety in schools. Non-retributive and non-exclusionary discipline policies can only be effectively implemented when teachers and administrators are equally committed to their success, and when parents and students are provided opportunities to support initiatives .
Minding the Gap: A Comparison Between Pre-service and Practicing High School Teachers’ Geometry Teaching Knowledge

This study compares the Geometry Teaching Knowledge of pre-service teachers with that of current high school geometry teachers. Data was collected using items from the Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching Geometry (MKT-G) assessment described by Herbst and Kosko (Mathematical knowledge for teaching and its specificity to high school geometry instruction. Research trends in mathematics teacher education. Springer, New York, pp. 23–45, 2014), and a post-assessment survey. The study focuses on the differences found in responses to items belonging to four domains: Common Content Knowledge-Geometry (CCK-G), Specialized Content Knowledge-Geometry (SCK-G), Knowledge of Content and Students-Geometry (KCS-G), and Knowledge of Content and Teaching-Geometry (KCT-G). Data was analyzed using t-tests for independent groups. Practicing high school geometry teachers outperformed the pre-service teachers on the MKT-G assessment in all four domains. Awareness of geometry instructional techniques and methods used in the current high school geometry classrooms was investigated as well. Practicing high school geometry teachers reported using and learning different instructional techniques and methods in their classrooms and professional development when compared to pre-service teachers’ techniques and methods used or learned in their education and mathematics courses.
A Quantum Dot-Protein Bioconjugate That Provides for Extracellular Control of Intracellular Drug Release

The ability to control the intracellular release of drug cargos from nanobioconjugate delivery scaffolds is critical for the successful implementation of nanoparticle (NP)-mediated drug delivery. This is particularly true for hard NP carriers such as semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) and gold NPs. Here, we report the development of a QD-based multicomponent drug release system that, when delivered to the cytosol of mammalian cells, is triggered to release its drug cargo by the simple addition of a competitive ligand to the extracellular medium. The ensemble construct consists of the central QD scaffold that is decorated with a fixed number of maltose binding proteins (MBPs). The MBP binding site is loaded with dye or drug conjugates of the maltose analogue beta-cyclodextrin (βCD) to yield a QD–MBP−βCD ensemble conjugate. The fidelity of conjugate assembly is monitored by Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) from the QD donor to the dye/drug acceptor. Microplate-based FRET assays demonstrated that the β...
Marketing Strategies of Bars in the United States and Canada

Abstract This exploratory study investigates the marketing strategies implemented by bars and lounges in Canada and the United States to meet the needs of their customers. A census of 75 bars in three contiguous regions of Quebec, Ontario, and Northern New York was visited. Systematic observations using a detailed grid of variables were compiled for each establishment. More similarities than differences were found, indicating that similar marketing strategies are used by bars in these regions.
Fractal Analysis of Heterochromatin Nuclear Domains in Lymphocytes

In this study we analyse the chromatin contour in electron microscopic images of human peripheral lymphocytes by fractal dimension (FD), in order to demonstrate the different FD values in different nuclear domains. Fractal analysis shows that the heterochromatin associated with the nuclear envelope (NEHC) has an FD value of 1.248, lower than the other heterochromatic regions, such as nuclear heterochromatin scattered in the nucleoplasm (NHC) with an FD value of 1.33, and nucleolus-associated heterochromatin (NUHC), whose FD value is 1.31. The peculiar structural organisation of the NEHC could be related to the absence of active gene sequences in this region characterised by higher condensation.
Second Fundamental Form and Mean Curvature

Let (M,gM) be a Riemannian manifold. For a submanifold L ⊂ M, and vector fields X,X′ tangent to L, the second fundamental form α(X,X′) takes values in the normal bundle, and is given by $$ \alpha (X,X') = \pi (\nabla_X^MX') $$ (6.1) where π is the projection onto the normal bundle. For a foliation F on (M,gM) this formula yields a bundle map α : L ⊗ L → Q. The involutivity of L shows that α is symmetric. In fact the definition α = - ∇π for π ∈ Ω1 (M,Q) yields even a more general symmetric form TM ⊗ TM → Q, that restricts to the α above (see [KT6, p. 94]). But here we use α in the restricted sense (6.1). Note that for Z ∈ ΓL⊥ $$ {g_Q}(\alpha (X,X'),Z) = {g_M}(\nabla_X^MX',Z) = - {g_M}(X',\nabla_X^MZ) $$ (6.2) From this we conclude that F is totally geodesic exactly when α = 0.
Second Law Aspects of Solar Energy Conversion

The thermodynamics of solar thermal energy conversion installations is reviewed in the spirit of second law analysis, where the mission of such installations is to extract exergy from solar thermal radiation. The paper begins with a review of the equilibrium thermodynamics of radiation as a photon gas system, and with an outline of benchmark reversible and irreversible processes involving thermal radiation. The controversy regarding the exergy content of enclosed blackbody radiation is elucidated in a new unifying theory that shows the relationship between “radiation” as an exergy source, and the “sun & ambient temperature reservoirs” as the combination that is ultimately responsible for the production of exergy.
A Qualitative Assessment to Understand the Barriers and Enablers Affecting Contraceptive Use Among Adolescent Male Emergency Department Patients

Early fatherhood is common in the United States (U.S.). The emergency department (ED) plays a disproportionate role in serving patients with unmet reproductive and sexual health needs. With 8 million adolescent males visiting U.S. EDs annually, the ED is a potential site to implement interventions to minimize early fatherhood and unintended teenage pregnancy. Little is known about how adolescent male ED patients perceive and behave in sexual relationships and how they influence contraceptive decision making. The objective of this study was to identify the barriers and enablers affecting contraceptive and condom use among adolescent male ED patients. Semistructured interviews were conducted with males aged 14-19 in one urban ED. Enrollment continued until saturation of key themes. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded based on thematic analysis using NVivo 10. The Social Ecological Model was used to organize and understand themes. Participants ( n = 24) were predominantly 18-19 years (63%) and Hispanic (92%). Most (71%) had sex ≤3 months prior but infrequently used a condom at last intercourse (42%). The primary barrier influencing contraceptive use was lack of knowledge of effective contraceptives. Other barriers consisted of perceived gender roles, poor partner communication, and little relationship with a primary provider. Enablers included intention not to get a partner pregnant, school-based sexual health education, normalcy to use condoms, and a trustworthy confidante. The identified barriers and enablers influencing adolescent males' perspectives toward contraceptives should be addressed if designing future ED-based pregnancy prevention interventions targeting teen males.
Effect of Near Work on Intraocular Pressure in Emmetropes.

Objective. To determine whether accommodation induced by reading alters intraocular pressure (IOP) in healthy, young, emmetropic adults and to document the duration and magnitude of this effect. Design. Cross-sectional study. Participants. Fifteen healthy, emmetropic young adults. Methods. Subjects performed 20 minutes of near work (reading at 33 cm) followed by 20 minutes of far work (reading at 520 cm) while IOP was measured using an iCare tonometer at baseline and every 5 minutes thereafter. Statistical analysis was performed using repeated measures ANOVA. Main Outcome Measures. Intraocular pressure. Results. IOP decreased significantly compared to baseline IOP after 10 minutes of near work (average change of −1.60 ± 2.2 (SD) mm Hg, ). IOP remained lower than baseline IOP throughout all subsequent near and far work. The difference in IOP at the end of experimentation compared to baseline IOP was −1.87 ± 1.81 mm Hg ( ). The minimum IOP reached during experimentation compared to baseline was on average −3.8 ± 2.2 (SD) mm Hg (range: 0 to −8.0 mm Hg). 13 of 15 subjects (87%) and 9 of 15 subjects (60%) had at least one IOP measurement of at least 2 mm Hg and 4 mm Hg less than their baseline IOPs, respectively. Conclusions. Near work decreases IOP in healthy emmetropes, and this effect is sustained for at least 20 minutes after discontinuing prolonged near work. Providers may need to consider this effect when measuring IOP in clinical practice.
Mechanism of sequence-based separation of single-stranded DNA in capillary zone electrophoresis

Separation of DNA by length using CGE is a mature field. Separation of DNA by sequence, in contrast, is a more difficult problem. Existing techniques generally rely upon changes in intrinsic or induced differences in conformation. Previous work in our group showed that sets of ssDNA of the same length differing in sequence by as little as a single base could be separated by CZE using simple buffers at high ionic strength. Here, we explore the basis of the separation using circular dichroism spectroscopy, fluorescence anisotropy, and small angle X-ray scattering. The results reveal sequence-dependent differences among the same length strands, but the trends in the differences are not correlated to the migration order of the strands in the CZE separation. They also indicate that the separation is based on intrinsic differences among the strands that do not change with increasing ionic strength; rather, increasing ionic strength has a greater effect on electroosmotic mobility in the normal direction than on electrophoretic mobility of the strands in the reverse direction. This increases the migration time of the strands in the normal direction, allowing more time for the same-length strands to be teased apart based on very small differences in the intrinsic properties of the strands of different sequence. Regression analysis was used to model the intrinsic differences among DNA strands in order to gain insight into the relationship between mobility and sequence that underlies the separation.
Cardiovascular Screening in the U.S. Military: Time to Reconsider the Electrocardiogram.

Introduction The US Department of Defense (DoD) has adopted a model concept of the warrior athlete. Identifying latent disease that could compromise the military operator is critical to the warrior athlete concept. Cardiovascular complaints are the important problem recognized in service members evacuated from combat zones, and the incidence of sudden cardiac death in U.S. military recruits is comparable to or greater than that among National Collegiate Athletic Association Athletes. Nevertheless, the mandatory electrocardiogram (ECG) was removed from official U.S. military accession screening policy in 2002. Inclusion of ECG screening in high risk athletics is increasingly recognized as appropriate by professional organizations such as the American Heart Association and American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, though neither recommends ECG for generalized screening in large, low-risk populations. Materials and methods The appropriate DoD instructions were reviewed in the context of recent literature regarding the sensitivity and specificity of ECG screening for prevention of sudden cardiac arrest or debilitating arrhythmias. Results Challenges to implementation of ECG as a screening modality in U.S. military accessions include clinician interpretation validity and reliability. Modern interpretation criteria and new interpretation technology each serve to mitigate these recognized limitations. Outside experience with implementation of modern ECG suggest potential benefits are significant in the highest risk military groups. Conclusion Prospective study of ECG screening is needed to determine the impact on cardiovascular outcomes in U.S. military populations.
Alternative diastolic function models of ventricular longitudinal filling velocity are mathematically identical

We show that two separate, independently derived physiological (kinematic) models predict mathematically identical expressions for LV-lengthening velocity (Doppler e′-wave), indicating that damped ...
Introspect: Be Emotional

In the spring of 2018, Emma Gonzalez emerged as one of the most compelling leaders among the group of students from Parkland, Florida, who survived the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. She and her schoolmates sparked a national movement focused on stopping the wave of gun violence in the United States. Gonzalez was 18 years old, Cuban-American, and out about her bisexuality—and she was well-known for her shaved head [1]. While not necessarily fitting the traditional image of a leader, she demonstrated a powerful capacity to access and communicate her emotions as she influenced literally millions of people.
Multiplicity Distributions in $b\rightarrow s\ gluon$ Decays

The final states for the process $b \rightarrow s\ \gamma$ have been extensively discussed in the literature. Similarly-detailed analyses for the case $b \rightarrow s\ gluon$ have not been performed. Generally this process is searched for in 2-body decays such as ${\rm B}^0 \rightarrow {\rm K}^+ \pi^-$. We present simple arguments to suggest that most of the time the quark-level process will give rise to final states with rather high multiplicities. Comments are made about the applicability of these results to $b \rightarrow d\ gluon$ and hadronic $b\rightarrow u$ decays.
Assessing Interocular Symmetry of the Foveal Cone Mosaic.

Purpose To test the hypothesis that foveal cone topography is symmetrical between contralateral eyes. Methods We used adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy to acquire images of the foveal cone mosaic in each eye of 58 subjects with normal vision (35 female, 23 male). Cones were semiautomatically identified over a 300 × 300-µm foveal area. From these cone coordinates, maps of cone density were derived, and we extracted estimates of peak cone density from each map. Mosaic regularity was assessed using Voronoi cell area regularity (VCAR). Average roundness and average area of the 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, and 90% of peak density isodensity contours were evaluated. Results The average peak cone density for right eyes was 180,286 cones/mm2 (n = 49) and for left eyes was 182,397 cones/mm2 (n = 45), with a mean absolute difference of 6363 cones/mm2 (n = 43). Peak density, cone spacing, VCAR, and average area within the isodensity contours of fellow eyes were not significantly different (P = 0.60, P = 0.83, P = 0.30, and P = 0.39, respectively). However, the average roundness of the isodensity contours was 2% more circular in the right eyes than in the left eyes (P = 0.02). Conclusions There is interocular symmetry of peak foveal cone density, mosaic regularity, and area encompassing the most densely packed cells in subjects with normal vision. The origin and significance of the observed interocular difference in average roundness of the isodensity contours are unclear.
Recent Progresses on the Volume Conjectures for Reshetikhin-Turaev and Turaev-Viro Invariants

In this survey, we give a review of the recent progresses on the Volume Conjectures for the Reshetikhin-Turaev and the Turaev-Viro Invariants, and on the related AMU Conjecture.
Nihon No Shōnen No Seigi: A Comparative Analysis of Juvenile Pre-disposition in Japan and the United States

With the close of World War II came a new chapter in the saga of American and Japanese juvenile justice. America’s post-war occupation of Japan had a lasting impact on Japan’s juvenile justice system (“system”), but it is now time for America to look to Japan for lessons on responding to youthful offenders. As Japan’s system and law have diverged in spirit and letter, Japan has seen a sharp decrease in juvenile crime peaking at 12.6% per 1,000 juveniles in 2003 and dropping to 6.2% in 2012. Japan’s juvenile crime rate in 2012 was the lowest the country had experienced since 1966. Scholars such as Kunzo Hiroyuki, and the National Police Academy of Japan credit the system’s focus on “the Juveniles’ sound development,” with attendant “protective measure[s] for the delinquent minor for the purpose of correcting his/her deficient character and improving his/her environment.” As criminologists Tom Ellis and Akira Kyo stated, “Japan, unlike the United States, has not moved away from the parens patriae idea,” which is reflected in Japan’s focus on protective, rehabilitative dispositions. Part II of this paper will layout the structure of Japanese and American juvenile justice to contextualize the discussion of the pre-disposition phase of these two similar, yet unique systems. Part III will examine the possible dispositions of juveniles in both countries and examine their relative effectiveness at rehabilitating youth. Part III briefly touches on recommendations for improving the juvenile justice pre-dispositions of both countries based on best practices. Part IV concludes that America and Japan both have a common well to draw from and that a return to the source would prove fruitful for both countries.
The immunomodulatory mechanism of dexmedetomidine

Dexmedetomidine has been increasingly introduced into the perioperative care of surgical patients. Because a subset of anesthetics/sedatives are immunomodulatory, it is critical to understand the role of dexmedetomidine in our host immune functions. Here we reviewed the role of dexmedetomidine in different immune cells. We also reviewed published clinical articles that described the role of dexmedetomidine in organ injury, cancer surgery, and infection. In animal studies, dexmedetomidine attenuated organ injury. In clinical studies, dexmedetomidine was associated with an improvement in outcomes in cardiac surgery and transplant surgery. However, there is a paucity in research examining how dexmedetomidine is associated with these outcomes. Further studies are needed to understand its clinical application from immunological standpoints.
Mechanically Aided Liquid Extraction

Publisher Summary Liquid extraction is a means of separating the components of a solution and it is accomplished by bringing the solution into contact with another insoluble phase. In the case of liquid extraction, the two phases in question are both liquids, but, just as in the other mass transfer operations, intimacy of contact and large interfacial area between the phases are required for rapid diffusional transfer of substance from one phase to the other. Skillful, dynamic, and multistage equipment is required as the potentialities of liquid extraction are developing continuously. Therefore, devices such as the bubble-tray tower and the packed tower of distillation are used. This chapter describes some of the devices in use, focusing on those types that have been found to be of industrial importance. Among the devices, the ratio of throughput to volume of a theoretical stage is a characterizing device, which is also the reason for the disparity in performance of the devices.
Markov random field estimation of lost DCT coefficients in JPEG due to packet errors

Interleaving is used before the encoding of source symbols in JPEG to reduce visual artifacts due to lost packets because interleaving distributes the locations of errors. The recovery of lost DCT coefficients in interleaved image compression is investigated in this paper. To restore the lost coefficients, an Maximum a Posteriori (MAP) estimate for the DCT coefficients is proposed. Under the assumption of a Gauss-Markov Random Field (GMRF) model in the pixel domain, the MAP estimate for the lost DCT coefficients is derived.
Identification of Fatty Acids and Aliphatic Hydrocarbons in Sarcina lutea by Gas Chromatography and Combined Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

The composition and nature of the fatty acids and hydrocarbons of Sarcina lutea were elucidated by gas chromatography and by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The distribution of fatty acids found in S. lutea showed two families of pairs, or dyads, of saturated monocarboxylic acids (C12–C18) with and without methyl branching. These pairs of fatty acids showed a pattern of iso and anteiso structures for C13, C15, and C17, and iso and normal structures for C12, C14, and C16. Only the C18 showed unsaturation. The distribution of hydrocarbons in the range C22–C29 showed two families of tetrads of unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons all showing methyl branching. Each tetrad was composed of four isomers identified as two iso olefins and two anteiso olefins. The only difference between the tetrads pertaining to different families was found in the relative gas chromatographic retention times of the last two components of each group.
Uncertain Knowledge Representation and Communicative Behavior in Coordinated Defense

This paper reports on results we obtained on communication among artificial and human agents interacting in a simulated air defense domain. In our research, we postulate that the artificial agents use a decision-theoretic method to select optimal communicative acts, given the characteristics of the particular situation. Thus, the agents we implemented compute the expected utilities of various alternative communicative acts, and execute the best one. The agents use a probabilistic frame-based knowledge formalism to represent the uncertain information they have about the domain and about the other agents present. We build on our earlier work that uses the Recursive Modeling Method (RMM) for coordination, and apply RMM to rational communication in an anti-air defense domain. In this domain, distributed units coordinate and communicate to defend a specified territory from a number of attacking missiles. We measure the benefits of rational communication by showing the improvement in the quality of interactions the communication results in. We show how the benefit of rational communication measured after the interactions is related to the expected utilities of best messages computed before the interaction takes place. Further, we compare our results to improvement due to communication achieved by human subjects under the same circumstances.
Efficient Evaluation of Sparse Data Cubes

Computing data cubes requires the aggregation of measures over arbitrary combinations of dimensions in a data set. Efficient data cube evaluation remains challenging because of the potentially very large sizes of input datasets (e.g., in the data warehousing context), the well-known curse of dimensionality, and the complexity of queries that need to be supported. This paper proposes a new dynamic data structure called SST (Sparse Statistics Trees) and a novel, interactive, and fast cube evaluation algorithm called CUPS (Cubing by Pruning SST), which is especially well suitable for computing aggregates in cubes whose data sets are sparse. SST only stores the aggregations of non-empty cube cells instead of the detailed records. Furthermore, it retains in memory the dense cubes (a.k.a. iceberg cubes) whose aggregate values are above a threshold. Sparse cubes are stored on disks. This allows a fast, accurate approximation for queries. If users desire more refined answers, related sparse cubes are aggregated. SST is incrementally maintainable, which makes CUPS suitable for data warehousing and analysis of streaming data. Experiment results demonstrate the excellent performance and good scalability of our approach.