cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Myocardial Performance in Hemorrhagic Shock in the Dog and Primate

Myocardial performance was investigated in nine dogs and six monkeys during experimental hemorrhagic shock under conditions of constant afterload. Left ventricular function curves were obtained by opening an aorta to left atrial bypass, and simultaneous recordings of stroke volume, peak stroke power, maximal dP/dt, maximal dF/dt, heart rate, atrial pressure and end-diastolic pressure were made. Total plasma catecholamine content was also measured in the monkeys during the control period and at death. The dogs showed a marked increase in performance, in contrast to the control group, 0-2 hours after reinfusion. Performance then deteriorated significantly by 2-4 hours, although it was still comparable to control levels. However, higher atrial and end-diastolic pressures were obtained, and in most cases cardiac failure developed soon thereafter. Two additional dogs were subjected to all stresses except the hypotension for 10 hours without evidence of deterioration. The monkeys did not withstand the surgical procedure as well as the dogs did and survived a maximum of 136 minutes after reinfusion. Catecholamine levels decreased in five of the six monkeys but not below normal levels, which indicates that failure was not due to depletion of myocardial stores. The data are interpreted as direct evidence for a factor(s) seriously depressing myocardial performance during the postinfusion period of experimental hemorrhagic shock in the dog and the monkey despite the high levels of performance in the early postinfusion period and the maintenance of coronary driving pressure and arterial oxygen content.
Detecting action-items in e-mail

E-mail users have a difficult time managing their inboxes in the face of mounting challenges. These include prioritizing e-mails from a variety of senders, filtering junk e-mail, and quickly taking action on items that demand the user’s attention. Automated action-item detection targets the third of these problems by detecting e-mails which require an action or response, and within those e-mails, highlighting the specific text that indicates the request. In contrast to action-item detection which aims at locating exactly where the action item requests are contained within the email body, typical text categorization (TC) merely assigns a topic label to the entire message — whether that label corresponds to an email folder or an indexing vocabulary [8]. In further contrast to TC, action-item detection attempts to recover the sender’s intent, i.e. whether she means to elicit response or action on the part of the receiver. Whereas TC by topic [5, 6, 9], TDT [1], and even genreclassification [7] work well using just individual words as features, we believe that action-item detection is the first TC task where we clearly must move beyond bag-of-words — albeit not too far, as bag-of-n-grams seems to suffice.
γ-Al2O3-Supported PtRu Clusters Prepared from [Pt2Ru4(CO)18]: Characterization by Infrared and Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure Spectroscopies

Highly dispersed γ-Al2O3-supported PtRu clusters were prepared by decarbonylation of molecularly adsorbed [Pt2Ru4(CO)18] in He or H2 at temperatures in the range of 300−400 °C. Infrared (IR) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopies were used to characterize the supported species before and after removal of the CO ligands. The IR and EXAFS spectra show that most of the [Pt2Ru4(CO)18] interacted weakly through its CO ligands with the surface hydroxyl groups of γ-Al2O3 and could be extracted into CH2Cl2, but a small fraction of the [Pt2Ru4(CO)18] interacted strongly with the support and could not be extracted. The strongly bonded species, characterized by a νco band at 2063 cm-1, formed as a result of nucleophilic attack of some support hydroxyl groups on carbonyl ligands, leading to the removal of these ligands as CO2 and formation of covalent bonds between the clusters and the oxygen atoms of the support. The EXAFS data show that after decarbonylation in He or H2 at 300−400 °C, t...
Zr-Modified Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 with a Long-Range Cation Order

The 1:1 structural order and B-site cation order in Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 ceramics was significantly enhanced by Zr4+ substituting Nb5+ according to the chemical formula Pb(Mg1/3Zr2x/3Nb2(1−x)/3)O3−x/3. The enhanced structural and cation order was revealed by both X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The increased charge difference and the introduced oxygen vacancies were suggested to account for the observed long-range cation order. Typical relaxor ferroelectric behavior was retained even in the ceramics with a high degree of cation order.
Decision Strategies in Simulated Environments

Simulated task environments resembling medical decision problems and strategies for their solution are investigated. The tasks, which are represented within a computer, contain hypothetical symptoms, diseases, laboratory tests, and treatments, as well as their probabilistic interrelationships. Our objectives are to develop and test strategies for diagnosis and treatment of the diseases. These strategies are also implemented on a computer, and their performance in the medical decision task is evaluated. Within specific tasks, three strategies are examined: (a) an expected utility maximizer, using Bayes' theorem to combine new data with previous observations; (b) a heuristic strategy that searches for satisfactory solutions using informal rules; and (c) a generate-and-test strategy that attempts solutions by using random, trial-and-error searches. The results illustrate the trade-off between decision quality and rule complexity. Potential advantages of simple decision strategies are discussed in a cost-benefit context. Furthermore, the role of knowledge in decision making is also discussed, and the need for explicit models of inductive learning is emphasized. Finally, general implications and possible extensions are noted.
Response to Letter Regarding Article, “Mortality and Sudden Death in Pediatric Left Ventricular Noncompaction in a Tertiary Referral Center”

We thank Drs Stollberger and Finsterer for their letter. They raise many important questions that warrant further discussion and evaluation. Although many of the specific questions remain beyond the scope of the original article,1 we would like to provide clarification to some of the inquiries solicited. As suggested in the query, it is well documented that left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) can be associated with congenital heart disease (CHD) or neuromuscular disorders.2 We chose to exclude them from our analysis because it has been shown that their prognosis and outcomes are not uniform and indeed worse than those without associated disease. Although the morphology may not be different between isolated and nonisolated LVNC, for the clinician, separation of …
The Flow Set with Partial Order

The flow set with partial order is a mixed-integer set described by a budget on total flow and a partial order on the arcs that may carry positive flow. This set is a common substructure of resource allocation and scheduling problems with precedence constraints and robust network flow problems under demand/capacity uncertainty. We give a polyhedral analysis of the convex hull of the flow set with partial order. Unlike for the flow set without partial order, cover-type inequalities based on partial order structure are a function of a lifting sequence. We study the lifting sequences and describe structural results on the lifting coefficients for general and simpler special cases. We show that all lifting coefficients can be computed in polynomial time by solving maximum weight closure problems in general. For the special case of induced-minimal covers, we give a sequence-dependent characterization of the lifting coefficients. We prove, however, if the partial order is defined by an arborescence, then lifting is sequence-independent and all lifting coefficients can be computed in linear time. Moreover, if the partial order is defined by a path (total order), then the coefficients can be expressed explicitly. We also give a complete polyhedral description of the flow set with partial order for the polynomially-solvable total order case. We show that finding an optimal lifting order for a given induced-minimal cover and a given fractional solution is a submodular optimization problem, which is solved greedily. Finally, we present preliminary computational results with a cutting-plane algorithm based on the lifting and separation results.
Juvenile dermatomyositis: Immunogenetics, pathophysiology, and disease expression

Data are rapidly accumulating documenting disease susceptibility may be linked to genetic markers (DQA1*0501 or related alleles) which are associated with upregulation of IFN-alpha/beta inducible genes elicited in response to an antigen which may be viral. Continued immune-mediated inflammation, resulting in partial lipodystrophy and pathological calcifications, may be fanned by the increased production of TNF alpha usually associated with the TNF alpha-308A allele.
The Resting Brain of Alcoholics

Chronic alcohol consumption affects multiple cognitive processes supported by far-reaching cerebral networks. To identify neurofunctional mechanisms underlying selective deficits, 27 sober alcoholics and 26 age-matched controls underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and neuropsychological testing. Functional connectivity analysis assessed the default mode network (DMN); integrative executive control (EC), salience (SA), and attention (AT) networks; primary somatosensory, auditory, and visual (VI) input networks; and subcortical reward (RW) and emotion (EM) networks. The groups showed an extensive overlap of intrinsic connectivity in all brain networks examined, suggesting overall integrity of large-scale functional networks. Despite these similar patterns, connectivity analyses identified network-specific differences of weaker within-network connectivity and expanded connectivity to regions outside the main networks in alcoholics compared with controls. For AT and VI networks, better task performance was related to expanded connectivity in alcoholism, supporting the concept of network expansion as a neural mechanism for functional compensation. For default mode, SA, RW, and EC networks, both weaker within-network and expanded outside-network connectivity correlated with poorer performance and mood. Current smoking contributed to some of these abnormalities in connectivity. The observed pattern of resting-state connectivity might reflect neural vulnerability of intrinsic networking in alcoholics and suggests a mechanism to explain signature impairments in EM, RW evaluation, and EC ability.
The fragmentation of urban landscapes: global evidence of a key attribute of the spatial structure of cities, 1990–2000

The fragmentation of urban landscapes – or the inter-penetration of the built-up areas of cities and the open spaces in and around them – is a key attribute of their spatial structure. Analyzing satellite images for 1990 and 2000 for a global sample of 120 cities, we find that cities typically contain or disturb vast quantities of open spaces equal in area, on average, to their built-up areas. We also find that fragmentation, defined as the relative share of open space in the urban landscape, is now in decline. Using multiple regression models, we find that larger cities are less fragmented, that higher-income cities are more fragmented, that cities with higher levels of car ownership are less fragmented, and that cities that constrain urban development are less fragmented. We recommend that making room for urban expansion in rapidly growing cities should take into account their expected fragmentation levels.
Application of the multicenter automatic defibrillator implantation trial II risk score in a nontrial setting

A post hoc analysis of the Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial (MADIT) II showed that patients with high mortality risk score did not benefit from implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy. We sought to determine whether MADIT II risk score can identify patients with greater mortality in a nontrial "real-world" setting. We included 382 consecutive patients who received ICD for primary prevention of sudden cardiac death at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center from 2006 to 2010. MADIT II score was calculated by assigning 1 point each for age >70 years, New York Heart Association class >II, atrial fibrillation, QRS >0.12 seconds, and blood urea nitrogen level >26 mg/dl. Scores 0, 1 to 2, and ≥3 were classified as low, intermediate, and high risk, respectively. Of the 382 patients, 14% were low risk, 54% intermediate risk, and 32% high risk. After 3.0 ± 1.6 years of follow-up, incidence of appropriate ICD shocks was similar (p = 0.21) across MADIT II risk score categories. However, mortality rate was 21, 54, and 134 per 1,000 patient-year follow-up in low, intermediate, and high-risk patients, respectively, p <0.0001. Compared with low-risk patients, mortality was 6.4× greater in high-risk patients (hazard ratio 6.36, 95% confidence interval 1.9 to 20.5; p = 0.002). The c-index for the MADIT II score for predicting death was 0.69 (95% confidence interval 0.63 to 0.75). In conclusion, MADIT II risk score successfully identified patients with greater mortality in a nontrial-based, primary-prevention ICD cohort.
Viral Infection of the Lungs through the Eye

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the foremost respiratory pathogen in newborns and claims millions of lives annually. However, there has been no methodical study of the pathway(s) of entry of RSV or its interaction with nonrespiratory tissues. We and others have recently established a significant association between allergic conjunctivitis and the presence of RSV in the eye. Here we adopt a BALB/c mouse model and demonstrate that when instilled in the live murine eye, RSV not only replicated robustly in the eye but also migrated to the lung and produced a respiratory disease that is indistinguishable from the standard, nasally acquired RSV disease. Ocularly applied synthetic anti-RSV small interfering RNA prevented infection of the eye as well as the lung. RSV infection of the eye activated a plethora of ocular cytokines and chemokines with profound relevance to inflammation of the eye. Anticytokine treatments in the eye reduced ocular inflammation but had no effect on viral growth in both eye and lung, demonstrating a role of the cytokine response in ocular pathology. These results establish the eye as a major gateway of respiratory infection and a respiratory virus as a bona fide eye pathogen, thus offering novel intervention and treatment options.
Local Unimodularity in the Matching Polytope

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses local unimodularity in the matching polytope. In the first decade of linear programming, it was observed that various extremal combinatorial theorems (Dilworth, Menger, etc.), could be derived as applications of the duality principle of linear programming. The basic idea was that the combinatorial theorem would follow from linear programming duality if optimal vertices of both primal and dual problems were integral. In all the cases treated, the linear programming matrix A was totally unimodular (i.e., every minor of A had absolute value 0 or I), so application of Cramer's rule yielded the integrality of the vertices. In some cases, the primal polyhedron is locally strongly unimoduiar at every vertex, for the arguments establish that A contains a nonsingular submatrix of order q that is not only unimodular, but totally unimodular. (The same arguments establish that the dual polyhedron has at least one optimal vertex locally strongly unimodular.) The chapter provides proof that the matching polytope is locally unimodular, at every vertex, though not locally unimodular, provided one includes certain natural but possibly superfluous inequalities
Solid state 13C NMR can distinguish between bronsted and Lewis acid adducts of amines

The solid 13C NMR spectra of solid complexes of phenethylamine with SnCl4, Me3SnCl, AlCl3, and HCl are presented and discussed as a means of distinguishing between Bronsted and Lewis acid adducts of alkyl amines. Solution 13C NMR results are discussed in terms of species present in complex equilibria and their detection using the two NMR methods.
Comparative Fate of Amitraz and N'-(2,4-Dimethylphenyl)-N-methylformamidine (BTS-27271) in Bollworm and Tobacco Budworm Larvae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The fate of the radiolabeled formamidine amitraz in bollworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie), and tobacco budworm, H. virescens (F.), was examined after topical application to early instars (average weight 25 mg) and late instars (average weight 250 mg) and injection into late instars. Amitraz was degraded by both insect species after topical and injection treatment. Metabolism was qualitatively similar in both species; amitraz was converted to BTS-27271 [ N '-(2,4-dimethyl phenyl)- N -methyl formamidine], 2,4-dimethyl formanilide, 2,4-dimethyl aniline, and more polar unidentified metabolites. However, quantitative differences were evident. For example, levels of the amitraz metabolite BTS-27271 were higher in internal extracts of bollworms than in tobacco budworms, suggesting that once formed, this metabolite was degraded more slowly in the bollworms. This observation was corroborated in metabolism studies of radioactive BTS-27271. No 2,4-dimethyl aniline was detected in metabolism studies of BTS-27271 in either species, indicating that the small amounts of this metabolite detected with amitraz may have formed directly from amitraz itself and not from BTS-27271 and 2,4-dimethyl formanilide intermediates. There was no evidence for any major differences in the rates of amitraz penetration and excretion between the two species, although penetration and excretion of amitraz equivalents apparently proceeded at a somewhat faster rate in bollworms than in tobacco bud worms. Similarities in the fate of amitraz in these two closely related insect species were more striking than were any of the differences. BTS-27271 was degraded more slowly than amitraz in both insect species.
Economic Threshold Levels of the Mexican Bean Beetle on Pinto Beans in Wyoming

Caged bean plants were infested with 5, 10, 20, and 40 larvae of Epilachna varivestis Mulsant per plant and were compared to uninfested checks to determine the economic threshold level. Class damage and yield data indicated increased damage and loss with increases in population. A yield loss-treatment cost analysis determined the threshold level which ranged from 1 to 1.5 larvae/plant.
Study of the mutagenic action of notoginseng flower extract on mice

OBJECTIVE:To study the mutagenic action of notoginseng flower extract on mice. METHODS:The mice were treated by oral gavages twice 24 hours apart with notoginseng flower extract of different doses (10 000,5 000,2 500 mg/kg). Animals were killed after 6 h of the last treatment,and then the micronucleus frequency (MNF) of polychromatic erythrocytes (PCE) in bone marrow were measured. In addition,at the above doses and groups another group of mice were treated by oral gavages once a day for 5 consecutive days. The mice were killed after 35 days of the initial treatment and the sperm deformity rate was observed. The two experiments also consisted of the negative control group (pure water) and positive control group (cyclophosphamide 40 mg/kg) at the same time. RESULTS:Every dosage group of notoginseng flower extract showed no mouse bone marrow micronucleus nor sperm abnormality effect. CONCLUSION:Under the present experimental conditions,notoginseng flower extract showed no mutagenic effect on mice.
Nerve growth factor promotes neurite outgrowth in guinea pig myenteric plexus ganglia

Nerve growth factor (NGF) has important developmental actions in both central and peripheral nervous systems. Primary cultures of neonatal guinea pig myenteric plexus ganglia were used to examine the ability of NGF to stimulate morphological development in enteric neurons. NGF, in the presence of a serum-free medium, produced dose-dependent increases in neurite density, significant at 1 ng/ml and maximal at 100 ng/ml (4.5-fold increase vs. control). Maximum neurite length was also significantly increased at 1 ng/ml, with maximal effects at 100 ng/ml. Coincubation of NGF (50 ng/ml) with monoclonal NGF antibodies abolished increases in both neurite density (128 +/- 19 processes/mm for control, 369 +/- 19 for NGF, 183 +/- 28 for NGF+monoclonal antibodies) and neurite length. Exposure of enteric neurons to low concentrations of NGF (1 ng/ml) was also associated with increased mRNA levels for cytoskeletal genes. alpha-Tubulin mRNA levels were increased 3.9 +/- 0.7 times basal at 48 h. mRNA levels for microtubule-associated protein 2 were increased threefold at 48 h of NGF incubation. NGF demonstrates activities in cultured enteric ganglia that stimulate morphological development.
Tumor-associated fibroblasts predominantly come from local and not circulating precursors.

Abstract Fibroblasts are common cell types in cancer stroma and lay down collagen required for survival and growth of cancer cells. Although some cancer therapy strategies target tumor fibroblasts, their origin remains controversial. Multiple publications suggest circulating mesenchymal precursors as a source of tumor-associated fibroblasts. However, we show by three independent approaches that tumor fibroblasts derive primarily from local, sessile precursors. First, transplantable tumors developing in a mouse expressing green fluorescent reporter protein (EGFP) under control of the type I collagen (Col-I) promoter (COL-EGFP) had green stroma, whereas we could not find COL-EGFP+ cells in tumors developing in the parabiotic partner lacking the fluorescent reporter. Lack of incorporation of COL-EGFP+ cells from the circulation into tumors was confirmed in parabiotic pairs of COL-EGFP mice and transgenic mice developing autochthonous intestinal adenomas. Second, transplantable tumors developing in chimeric mice reconstituted with bone marrow cells from COL-EGFP mice very rarely showed stromal fibroblasts expressing EGFP. Finally, cancer cells injected under full-thickness COL-EGFP skin grafts transplanted in nonreporter mice developed into tumors containing green stromal cells. Using multicolor in vivo confocal microscopy, we found that Col-I–expressing fibroblasts constituted approximately one-third of the stromal mass and formed a continuous sheet wrapping the tumor vessels. In summary, tumors form their fibroblastic stroma predominantly from precursors present in the local tumor microenvironment, whereas the contribution of bone marrow-derived circulating precursors is rare.
Hearing in Mice by GSR Audiometry: I. Magnitude of Unconditioned GSR as an Index of Frequency Sensitivity

Three experiments show that the magnitude of the unconditioned GSR to tones of equal intensity is largest between 10,000 and 20,000 Hz and is a valid index of the frequency sensitivity of the mouse...
Abstract A90: Changes in lung cancer rate over four years in a tobacco producing state: Examining the effect of race and gender

Objective: According to a recent CDC report, lung cancer rates have declined in several states during 19975-2005. Tennessee, being a tobacco producing State, has received a large settlement from the tobacco industry and engaged in quit smoking program since 2006. Effective October 2007, the state also banned smoking in public places. However, the effect of this ban and smoking cessation program on lung cancer rates remains unknown. This presentation examines whether the lung cancer rates have changed over four years (2005-2008), and whether they vary by race and gender. Methods: We extracted relevant data pertaining to primary diagnosis of lung cancer (adenocarcinoma, ICD-9 codes of 160-165) and demographics from Tennessee Hospital Discharge Data system (HDDS) for 2005-2008. Data for each year pertained to 3,500 patients, mostly white (79%) and males (56.8%) with an average age of 66 years. To examine the effect of race and gender on cancer rate, we computed lung cancer prevalence rates per CDC procedures for age-adjusted rates (per 100,000 hospitalized patient population standardized to 2000 Census). Results: Our analyses show that the overall rates of lung cancer increased during four years by 26.3% (from 61.6/100K in 2005 to 77.8/100K in 2008). The increase was larger for blacks than whites (66.0% vs. 42.2%, p Conclusion: Lung cancer rates have increased for both blacks and males. However, it is too early to tell if smoking cessation programs, banning asbestos use and smoking in public places will produce the desired decline in lung cancer rates. The results at present point to the need for more population-based intensive smoking cessation programs in Tennessee to lower lung cancer rates. Citation Format: Baqar A. Husaini, Van Cain, Mehhan Novotny, Zaheed Samad, Robert Levine. Changes in lung cancer rate over four years in a tobacco producing state: Examining the effect of race and gender. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Sixth AACR Conference: The Science of Cancer Health Disparities; Dec 6–9, 2013; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2014;23(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A90. doi:10.1158/1538-7755.DISP13-A90
Blue Victimology and Femicide: The United Nations’ Response to Victims and Female Victims of Gender Killings

Every day men are killing female children and adults usually because they are females. Gender killings of females or femicide, is an issue of global significance. The equality of rights for women is a fundamental principle of the United Nations reflected in the 1945 Preamble to its Charter. Also in the 1948 UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights’ Preamble equal rights for women are reaffirmed. In 1985 the UN Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power was crafted to address issues of all types of crime victims. Later two other UN instruments were created especially for women victims: the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; and, the 1993 Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women. Further broadening the scope of victimization, the Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Rights to a Remedy and Reparations for Victims of Gross Violations of International Human Rights Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law was adopted in 2005. Recently the UN General Assembly focused specifically on gender killings of females with the adoption on 18 December 2013 of the resolution on Taking action against Gender-Related Killing of Women and Girls. To recognize these key UN victimological instruments and other victim supported activities the term “Blue Victimology” is herein use.
Duration of Migraine Headaches in Children

Children referred to the Headache Center at Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, Sept 1996-June 1997, were evaluated for clinical characteristics of the headaches, using criteria of the International Headache Society (IHS), and older criteria by Vahlquist and Prensky and Sommer for comparison.
Green Engineering Education in Chemical Engineering Curricula: A Quarter Century of Progress and Prospects for Future Transformations

Over the past 25 years, the inclusion of sustainability and green engineering content in chemical engineering curricula has increased significantly. Currently, most chemical engineering students have the opportunity to learn green engineering tools and principles through elective courses; the evolution to this current state of practice is described, along with the challenges associated with fully integrating Green Engineering and sustainability concepts and tools into the courses required of all chemical engineering students.
Point and extended defects in the bulk and at the interface of GaN with metals

GaN devices promise advantages over other compound semiconductors that include higher power amplification, increased linearity, and less temperature dependent degradation. The enhanced concentration of defects in MOCVD (Metal Organic Vapor Deposition) grown GaN is a bottleneck for achieving these superior properties. We present results of calculations of typical point and extended defects in GaN and possible defects at the contacts of GaN with metals. Point defects are separated into intentional Si, Mg, Fe and unintentional O, V N , V Ga impurities. Extended defects are partial dislocations and stacking faults formed during island growth regime (typical for MOCVD) in concentrations of ~ 2–4 orders of magnitude higher than that for MBE (Molecular Beam Epitaxy) or HVPE (Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy) for the same thickness. For modeling we used the density functional method with projector augmented waves and neutral defects were introduced into a 72 atom unit cell of GaN. Si and O we found to be shallow donors and Mg a shallow acceptor, Fe dopants and Ga vacancies are acceptors, N vacancies show donor behavior (Fig.1). The results on Si, Mg impurities and Ga, Ni -vacancies are in general agreement with [1–2]. One can imagine complexes V N -Mg or V Ga -O compensating each other, but the probability of the realization of these complexes is much lower than that of individual defects
The relationship of head morphology and diet among three sympatric watersnake species

Investigating dietary resource utilization and head morphology of gape-limited predators can provide a basis for understanding interspecific competition and species coexistence. For sympatric species, convergence of head morphology can indicate similar prey or foraging strategies while divergence can suggest competition, resource partitioning or expansion into new habitats. Sexual dimorphism can further complicate the head morphology-diet relationship by potentially reducing intraspecific competition. To understand the relationship between head morphology and diet, we studied three sympatric species, the plain-bellied ( Nerodia erythrogaster ), diamondback ( N. rhombifer ), and northern ( N. sipedon ) watersnakes in western Kentucky. All three species inhabit similar wetlands and feed on amphibians and fishes. The anurophagous plain-bellied watersnakes had longer, narrower heads that likely allow snakes to capture anuran metamorphs and froglets while facilitating movement through dense vegetation. The piscivorous diamondback watersnake had a wider head, which would enhance contact with prey in this open-mouth forager, and smaller interocular distance, resulting in dorsally placed eyes that facilitate seeing fish prey from below. The mostly piscivorous northern watersnake had an intermediate, generalized head shape, which may reflect the typically wide diet range of this species. Head shape did not differ between snake sexes but diamondback and northern females had larger heads than males and fed more frequently on fishes. The relationship between head morphology and diet highlights potential interspecific and intersexual competition and aids in the understanding of species coexistence patterns.
Learning Health Systems as Facilitators of Precision Medicine

The concept of the learning health system offers promise to facilitate personalized medicine. In children, serious illness is uncommon so generating and applying new knowledge therefore requires networks of institutions. To illustrate the concept of the Learning Health System, we describe the example of the ImproveCareNow Network. We then use a network case study to illustrate how the concept of precision medicine can be achieved through a Learning Health System in a real-world clinical environment.
Abstract 1466: Patient-derived xenograft models for pancreatic adenocarcinoma demonstrate retention of tumor morphology through the incorporation of murine stromal elements

Proceedings: AACR 106th Annual Meeting 2015; April 18-22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA Direct implantation of viable surgical specimens provides a representative preclinical platform in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PC). Patient-derived xenografts consistently demonstrate retained tumor morphology and genetic stability. However, the evolution of the tumor microenvironment over time remains poorly characterized in these models. This work specifically addresses the recruitment and incorporation of murine stromal elements into expanding patient-derived PC xenografts, establishing the rapidity by which murine cells are integrated into networks of invading cancer cells. In addition, we provide methodology and observations in the establishment and maintenance of a patient-derived PC xenograft model. A total of 25 histologically confirmed pancreatic adenocarcinoma specimens were implanted subcutaneously into NOD-SCID mice. Patient demographics, staging, pathologic analysis and outcomes were analyzed. After successful engraftment of tumors, histologic and immunofluorescent analyses were performed on explanted tumors. PC specimens were successfully engrafted in 15 of 25 (60%) of attempts. Successful engraftment does not appear to correlate with clinicopathologic factors or patient survival. Tumor morphology is conserved through multiple passages and tumors retain metastatic potential. Interestingly, despite morphologic similarity between passages, human stromal elements do not appear to expand with invading cancer cells. Rather, desmoplastic murine stroma dominates the xenograft microenvironment after the initial implantation. Recruitment of stromal elements in this manner to support and maintain tumor growth represents a novel avenue for investigation into tumor-stromal interactions. Citation Format: Daniel Delitto, Kien Pham, Adrian C. Vlada, George A. Sarosi, Ryan M. Thomas, Kevin E. Behrns, Chen Liu, Steven J. Hughes, Shannon M. Wallet, Jose G. Trevino. Patient-derived xenograft models for pancreatic adenocarcinoma demonstrate retention of tumor morphology through the incorporation of murine stromal elements. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 1466. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1466
A Highly Customizable Parent-Child Word-Learning Mobile Game for Chinese Children with Autism

Flexible and individually adaptable learning environments for children with ASD are highly desired. In this paper we discuss the design and implementation of such mobile learning game specifically for learning Chinese vocabulary and item recognition. Instead of using premade ones, most learning contents in our application are made by parents.
A randomized, triple negative breast cancer enrolling trial to confirm molecular profiling improves survival (ARTEMIS).

TPS590Background: Following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT), patients (pts) with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) achieving pathologic complete response/residual cancer burden-0 (pCR/RCB-0) or minimal residual disease (RCB-I) have an improved relapse free survival when compared to pts with more extensive residual disease (RCB-II/III) (Symmans et al, JCO 2017). Pts with chemo-resistant TNBC have a poor prognosis as there are currently no FDA-approved targeted agents available for TNBC. We previously reported the ability of a novel gene expression signature (GES) to predict sensitivity to NACT (Hatzis et al, JAMA 2011). Here we seek to prospectively validate the use of this GES in combination with imaging to predict response to NACT and establish the clinical impact of selecting pts predicted to have non-responsive disease (NRD) for enrollment in clinical trials of targeted therapy. Methods: All pts will undergo a biopsy of the primary tumor for molecular characterization (MC) and will be randomized 2:1...
To Seek the Holy Grail of Cardiac Progenitor Cells: An Opera in Four Acts

Discoveries in cardiovascular stem cell biology, myocyte regeneration, and cell transplantation have enormous clinical potentials, yet the field is embroiled in amusing controversies.1–3 The existence of cardiac myocyte progenitor cells (CPCs) in the adult heart, let alone the identity of the genuine CPCs, has been debated and so has the relevance of the primary candidate, namely the resident cardiac progenitor cells expressing the KIT antigen (KITpos cells), to cardiac myocyte generation.1,2,4 Similarly, the choice of the cells, delivery approach, and efficacy of cell transplantation in improving cardiovascular outcomes have remained unsettled as has been the elusive nature of the paracrine factors that are presumably responsible for the improvement in cardiac function post-cell transplantation. Consequently, given these ambiguities, basic and clinical investigators are in the quest to seek the holy grail of CPCs; cells that possess genuine capacities to survive, thrive, differentiate to working myocytes, properly couple with the neighboring resident myocytes; electrically and mechanically, enhance cardiac function, and improve the clinical outcomes, without causing serious adverse events. Similarly, there is an intense focus on defining the responsible mechanisms and identifying and characterizing the elusive paracrine factors. Article, see p 1224 The Hippo pathway, first discovered in Drosophila and aptly named after hippopotamus because of its key role in determining organ size, is a contact-dependent pathway that regulates cell growth, survival, proliferation, and differentiation.5,6 The pathway comprises a series of upstream molecules that are linked to cell junctions and are sensitive to cell–cell contact. The upstream molecules are also responsive to mechanical properties of cell environment and cell cytoskeleton, particularly actin filament organization. On sensing the stimuli, the upstream Hippo molecules activate a …
Understanding Predictors of Over-Optimism in IS Project Teams

The primary objective of this study is to examine the influence that psychological factors have on project team members’ degree of over-optimism regarding successful project completion. Specificall...
Developing a quality improvement plan for a small engineering firm in the USA with Six Sigma methodologies

This research study analyses business processes utilised by a small engineering firm in the USA that provides vibration analysis services for the automotive, aerospace, agricultural, and manufacturing industries. The study examines procedures, Six Sigma methodologies and quality improvement efforts currently in place and presents a quality improvement plan for enhancing quality of services and increasing customer satisfaction.
Suppression of anisotropic birefringence in a rectangular waveguide

Birefringence is a known property of anisotropic media where incidence on an anisotropic boundary gives rise to two refracted waves. Typically, a 4th order polynomial solution for the propagating wave number arising from anisotropic dispersion relationships is the cause of birefringence in unbounded media. However, a rigorous derivation shows how unique properties of some rectangular waveguides serve to suppress birefringence when partially loaded with an anisotropic medium.
Waveguide effects and implications for cardiac magnetic resonance elastography: A finite element study.

Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is increasingly being applied to thin or small structures in which wave propagation is dominated by waveguide effects, which can substantially bias stiffness results with common processing approaches. The purpose of this work was to investigate the importance of such biases and artifacts on MRE inversion results in: (i) various idealized 2D and 3D geometries with one or more dimensions that are small relative to the shear wavelength; and (ii) a realistic cardiac geometry. Finite element models were created using simple 2D geometries as well as a simplified and a realistic 3D cardiac geometry, and simulated displacements acquired by MRE from harmonic excitations from 60 to 220 Hz across a range of frequencies. The displacement wave fields were inverted with direct inversion of the Helmholtz equation with and without the application of bandpass filtering and/or the curl operator to the displacement field. In all geometries considered, and at all frequencies considered, strong biases and artifacts were present in inversion results when the curl operator was not applied. Bandpass filtering without the curl was not sufficient to yield accurate recovery. In the 3D geometries, strong biases and artifacts were present in 2D inversions even when the curl was applied, while only 3D inversions with application of the curl yielded accurate recovery of the complex shear modulus. These results establish that taking the curl of the wave field and performing a full 3D inversion are both necessary steps for accurate estimation of the shear modulus both in simple thin-walled or small structures and in a realistic cardiac geometry when using simple inversions that neglect the hydrostatic pressure term. In practice, sufficient wave amplitude, signal-to-noise ratio, and resolution will be required to achieve accurate results.
eHealth-Based Behavioral Intervention for Increasing Physical Activity in Persons With Multiple Sclerosis: Fidelity Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

Background The rate of physical activity is substantially lower in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) than in the general population. This problem can be reversed through rigorous and reproducible delivery of behavioral interventions that target lifestyle physical activity in MS. These interventions are, in part, based on a series of phase II randomized controlled trials (RCTs) supporting the efficacy of an internet-delivered behavioral intervention, which is based on social cognitive theory (SCT) for increasing physical activity in MS. Objective This paper outlines the strategies and monitoring plan developed based on the National Institutes of Health Behavior Change Consortium (NIH BCC) treatment fidelity workgroup that will be implemented in a phase III RCT. Methods The Behavioral Intervention for Physical Activity in Multiple Sclerosis (BIPAMS) study is a phase III RCT that examines the effectiveness of an internet-delivered behavioral intervention based on SCT and is supported by video calls with a behavioral coach for increasing physical activity in MS. BIPAMS includes a 6-month treatment condition and 6-month follow-up. The BIPAMS fidelity protocol includes the five areas outlined by the NIH BCC. The study design draws on the SCT behavior-change strategy, ensures a consistent dose within groups, and plans for implementation setbacks. Provider training in theory and content will be consistent between groups with monitoring plans in place such as expert auditing of calls to ensure potential drift is addressed. Delivery of treatment will be monitored through the study website and training will focus on avoiding cross-contamination between conditions. Receipt of treatment will be monitored via coaching call notes and website monitoring. Lastly, enactment of treatment for behavioral and cognitive skills will be monitored through coaching call notes among other strategies. The specific strategies and monitoring plans will be consistent between conditions within the constraints of utilizing existing evidence-based interventions. Results Enrollment began in February 2018 and will end in September 2019. The study results will be reported in late 2020. Conclusions Fidelity-reporting guidelines provided by the NIH BCC were published in 2004, but protocols are scarce. This is the first fidelity-monitoring plan involving an electronic health behavioral intervention for increasing physical activity in MS. This paper provides a model for other researchers utilizing the NIH BCC recommendations to optimize the rigor and reproducibility of behavioral interventions in MS. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03490240; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03490240. International registered report identifier (irrid) DERR1-10.2196/12319.
Abrogation of transforming growth factor-β-induced tissue fibrosis in mice with a global genetic deletion of Nox4

Excessive connective tissue deposition in skin and various internal organs is characteristic of systemic sclerosis (SSc). The profibrotic growth factor TGF-β plays a crucial role in SSc pathogenesis. The expression of NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4), a critical mediator of oxidative stress, is potently stimulated by TGF-β. Here, we evaluated the effect of NOX4 on the development of TGF-β-induced tissue fibrosis. C57BL6/J control mice and Nox4 knockout mice were implanted subcutaneously with osmotic pumps containing either saline or 2.5 µg TGF-β1. After 28 days, skin and lung samples were isolated for histopathologic analysis, measurement of hydroxyproline content and gene expression analysis. Histopathology of skin and lungs from normal C57BL6/J mice treated with TGF-β1 showed profound dermal fibrosis and peribronchial and diffuse interstitial lung fibrosis. In contrast, TGF-β-treated Nox4 knockout mice showed normal skin and lung histology. Hydroxyproline levels in TGF-β-treated C57BL6/J mice skin and lungs demonstrated significant increases, however, hydroxyproline content of TGF-β-treated Nox4 knockout mice tissues was not changed. Expression of various profibrotic and fibrosis-associated genes was upregulated in skin and lungs of TGF-β1-treated C57BL6/J mice but was not significantly changed in TGF-β1-treated Nox4 knockout mice. The induction of skin and lung tissue fibrosis by TGF-β1 parenteral administration in mice was abrogated by the genetic deletion of Nox4 confirming that NOX4 is an essential mediator of the profibrotic effects of TGF-β. These results suggest Nox4 inhibition as a potential therapeutic target for SSc and other fibroproliferative disorders. The authors evaluated the effect of global deletion of NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4) on TGF-β-induced fibrosis in mouse skin and lungs. Analysis of C57BL6/J and Nox4 knockout mice skin and lung sections by histopathology, measurement of hydroxyproline content and profibrotic gene expression levels showed that Nox4 deletion abrogated TGF-β1-induced tissue fibrosis.
Insights from pharmacists and pharmacy technicians about expedited partner therapy.

Background Expedited partner therapy (EPT) is an effective method to treat sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and prevent re-infections. Pharmacy staff play a vital role in the success of EPT. This study aims to assess pharmacy staff knowledge of EPT and identify potential barriers to filling EPT prescriptions. Methods: The study was a cross-sectional, Internet-based survey distributed to members of the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin. Non-retired pharmacists and pharmacy technicians were eligible. EPT knowledge was dichotomised into ‘yes’ versus ‘no/unknown’. Statistical analyses included the χ2 test and Student’s two-sided t-test; using an α of 0.05. Results: Ninety-four questionnaires were analysed: 74 pharmacists, 20 pharmacy technicians. Overall, 73 (78%) knew EPT is legal in Wisconsin, 86% of pharmacists versus 45% of pharmacy technicians, P < 0.01. The mean time from graduation/training was less for participants who knew EPT is legal versus those who did not (12.8 years vs 20.2 years, P < 0.01). Sixty-four (68%) participants worked in an outpatient setting, of which 12 (19%) knew of a formal workplace EPT policy. Thirty-two (40%) of the 81 participants who had heard of EPT thought nameless EPT prescriptions should not be legal, commonly citing patient safety concerns. Conclusions: This study demonstrated inconsistent knowledge of EPT between pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. Knowledge of workplace EPT policies and patient safety concerns were barriers to EPT. Addressing these knowledge and policy barriers will be vital to improve the utilisation of EPT.
110th Anniversary: The Dehydration and Loss of Ionic Conductivity in Anion Exchange Membranes Due to FeCl4– Ion Exchange and the Role of Membrane Microstructure

Anion-exchange membranes (AEMs) often dehydrate and lose ionic conductivity in ferric chloride solutions used in all-iron or iron–chromium redox flow batteries (RFB). In this work, the change in ma...