cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Letter Regarding Article, "Biventricular Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy Associated with Epilepsy".

I read the report by Koo et al.1) published in the December 2015 issue of the Journal, about the 83-year-old woman with history of post-hemorrhagic stroke epilepsy, and status epilepticus-triggered Takotsubo syndrome (TTS), involving both the right and left ventricles. I have some comments and questions for the kind consideration of the authors: 1) The electrocardiogram (ECG) of their patient showed ST-segment elevations, Qwaves in leads V1–3, and low amplitude QRS complexes (LAQRS) in the limb leads, in accordance with a new insight recently published.2) Since such LAQRS are transient, I wonder whether prior or subsequent ECGs showed larger QRS complexes in the limb leads. Also, were the Q-waves transient? And, did the patient develop T-wave inversions and QTc prolongation during her 10 days of hospitalization? 2) I fully concur with the authors' views about the link between epilepsy and TTS, and its connotations about possible mechanistic association with the syndrome of the sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.1) 3) One wonders how we should act to protect our patients with recurrent seizures from TTS. Do such patients suffer atypical episodes of TTS,3) which do not reach a severity level requiring hospitalization? Do ECGs in patients with T-wave inversions, in the aftermath of such recurrent seizures, signify that such patients after all suffer mild forms of TTS? Indeed this author has proposed use by the patients or care-givers of "smart phone technology"-based frequent transmission of their ECGs4) to their physicians for evaluation? Such a strategy may be feasible for evaluation of patients following seizures, in their ambulatory environment, since serial echocardiograms cannot be realistically be recorded.
A Simple Derivation of the Layer-Kkr Theory of Leed

The equations of the layer-KKR method for finding the intensities of electrons diffracted by a semi-infinite layered structure are derived in a simple way by use of three identities relating spherical and plane waves and by use of a compact notation. The third identity, which transforms a sum of outgoing spherical waves on a twodimensional array intoa sum of plane waves or beams, is a very useful simplification of the derivation, which does not appear in texts on LEED. Explicit linear equations are derived for amplitudes of outgoing spherical waves produced by diffraction of an incident beam first by a singleBravais net and then generalized to a composite layer made up of several Bravais nets; matrix elements of the beam reflection and transmission matrices for a single Bravais netand for a composite layer are given, and also the exact interlayer matrix equation for the reflection matrix of the semi-infinite structure.
The role of the expert witness.

Scientists have become increasingly involved in the litigative process. Their role is to assist attorneys, judges, and jurors in understanding the complex scientific and technical issues with which they are confronted. This role, simply stated, is to inform and educate. To accomplish this mission, the scientist must be a genuine expert in his/her area of testimony and must also be expert in communicating clearly to persons who must be assumed to have no knowledge of the technical material and, in the case ofjuries, who have only grammar school education. There are two groups of people to whom the scientist addresses the information and education efforts. The first of these is the attorneys who have asked for assistance. It is not unusual for the scientist to spend more time educating them than studying the particular case and making calculations. This is critical because if the lawyers do not understand the scientific issues they cannot cross-examine properly; similarly, they cannot ask the correct questions of their own witnesses or argue the case to the judge or jury. The second group to whom correct information and education is critical is the judge and jury. An avoidance of technical terminology wherever possible and a bountiful use of simplified and concise charts, diagrams, and demonstrations are both essential. The adage that to teach requires detailed knowledge still holds, and teaching the truths of the science in junior high school terminology requires in-depth knowledge of the fundamentals. To be effective, the scientist witness must understand the issues of the case; otherwise it is not possible to be sharply focused in presenting the information needed in the trial. Certainly, the scientist witness has to have the credentials to be qualified as an expert, but once qualified, the emphasis is on accuracy, credibility, and clarity. Most scientists, engineers, and highly technical persons are generally unaware of the extent of the use of jargon in their usual conversations and of the lack of familiarity of the public with the most basic premises of radiation science. To be useful, discussions in the courtroom should be free of technical terms not previously defined and
Innovations in Low- and Middle-Income Countries for Newborn and Child Health

A leading health priority worldwide is the improvement of newborn and child health. Children represent a particularly vulnerable group and carry a disproportionate share of the global burden of disease. Currently, approximately 6.6 million children under the age of five die each year worldwide. The vast majority of these deaths occur in resource-limited countries. Furthermore, recent evidence suggests that the growing subset of children in these countries who live in the urban setting are becoming increasingly at risk relative to those in the rural setting. The historical “urban advantage” of children living in urban environments is rapidly diminishing in the face of rapid urban growth, overcrowding, poor sanitation, environmental pollution, and limited access to affordable healthcare in urban settings. Although there is still much to accomplish in improving newborn and child health worldwide and increasingly in urban environments, notable progress has been made over the last several decades. Innovations and technologies have played a significant role in those improvements. Cost-effective interventions have been developed that can save many newborn and child lives, and additional innovations are being developed each year. The aim of this chapter is to introduce the reader to leading innovations that are saving thousands and even millions of lives annually.
Clone,Sequence Analysis and Plant Expression Vector Construction of Ovule Phospholipase C Gene TfPLC1 Promoter from Torenia fournieri

Torenia fournieri genomic DNA was digested by DraⅠ, EcoRⅤ, PvuⅡ and SmaⅠrespectively. A special adaptor was ligated to the ends of the digested DNA fragments as a template for adaptor PCR. With the adaptor and TfPLC1 gene-specific primers, bands of 798 and 813 bp upstream of TfPLC1 were obtained successively. After sequenced, blast and combined, a TfPLC1 promoter of 1432 bp was gained. TATA box and CAAT box-like elements were found in the sequence, and AT domains were rich in the far upstream of the promoter. And also some endosperm-specific elements were found in the sequence. PBI121 and the promoter were double digested to construct plant expression vectors PPP1326 and PPP700 by 5'deletion. Then the vectors were transformed to Torenia fournieri to validate the function of the promoter.
Is Bondage and Discipline, Dominance and Submission, and Sadomasochism Recreational Leisure? A Descriptive Exploratory Investigation.

Introduction Recent studies have suggested that, in contrast to traditional psychopathologic explanations, bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, and sadomasochism (BDSM) could be understood as recreational leisure. However, the theoretical framing of BDSM as potential leisure has not been empirically explored. Aim To conduct an initial empirical exploration to determine whether BDSM experience fits established characteristics of recreational leisure. Methods A convenience sample of BDSM participants (N = 935) completed an online survey (9 demographic questions and 17 leisure questions) that assessed BDSM experience according to important attributes of leisure. Responses also were assessed and statistically compared as being primarily casual or serious leisure according to general BDSM identities (ie, dominants vs submissives vs switches). Main outcome measures BDSM experiences were assessed as a form of potential leisure. Results Most BDSM experiences met leisure criteria. Participants reported that "most of the time or nearly always" BDSM was associated with a sense of personal freedom (89.7% of participants), pleasure or enjoyment (98.5%), sense of adventure (90.7%), use of personal skills (90.8%), relaxation or decreased stress (91.4%), self-expression or exploration (90.6%), and positive emotions (96.6%). BDSM seemed to function as primarily serious, rather than casual, leisure, but important statistical differences were observed based on specific BDSM identities. Conclusion A leisure science perspective could be valuable to researchers and clinicians in reinterpreting the wide range of diverse BDSM motivations and practices.
Neonatal cardiac arrhythmias and their potential role in sudden infant death syndrome.

A broad spectrum of dysrhythmias effects neonates. With modem monitoring techniques, we are detecting more of them. Modern treatment techniques should allow virtually all infants to be treated successfully and to lead normal lives, as this article describes.
Pathologic Complete Response Is an Independent Predictor of Improved Survival Following Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation for Esophageal Adenocarcinoma

Reports of improved survival in patients with pathologic complete response (pCR) to neoadjuvant therapy for esophageal and gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma is extrapolated from heterogeneous studies that include squamous cell histology. We sought to determine if pCR is associated with a survival advantage in a homogenous group of patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma. This is a single institution analysis of all patients with T2–T4 or node positive esophageal adenocarcinoma treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and esophagectomy between 2004 and 2014. Patients were divided into two groups based on pathological response, pCR vs. incomplete pathological response (iPR). Survival outcomes were evaluated using standard Kaplan-Meier methods and multivariable Cox regression models. A total of 205 patients were included in the study: 38 (19 %) patients with pCR and 167 patients (81 %) with iPR. The two groups were similar with respect to clinical stage, age, gender, comorbid conditions, ECOG status, smoking, and alcohol use. Patients in the pCR group had a higher percentage of tumors located in middle third of esophagus (11 vs. 2 %, p = 0.04) while tumor grade was similar in both groups. Median follow-up was 50 months, range 2–109 months. The 3-year overall (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) for iPR was 48 and 39 %, respectively, vs. 86 and 80 % for pCR group, respectively. This analysis of a cohort of homogeneous patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma undergoing multimodality therapy showed that pCR is an independent predictor of improved RFS and OS. This data contributes to a growing body of evidence highlighting the benefits of neoadjuvant therapy specific to esophageal adenocarcinoma particularly when pCR is achieved.
Pleiotropic Meta-Analyses of Longitudinal Studies Discover Novel Genetic Variants Associated with Age-Related Diseases

Age-related diseases may result from shared biological mechanisms in intrinsic processes of aging. Genetic effects on age-related diseases are often modulated by environmental factors due to their little contribution to fitness or are mediated through certain endophenotypes. Identification of genetic variants with pleiotropic effects on both common complex diseases and endophenotypes may reveal potential conflicting evolutionary pressures and deliver new insights into shared genetic contribution to healthspan and lifespan. Here, we performed pleiotropic meta-analyses of genetic variants using five NIH-funded datasets by integrating univariate summary statistics for age-related diseases and endophenotypes. We investigated three groups of traits: (1) endophenotypes such as blood glucose, blood pressure, lipids, hematocrit, and body mass index, (2) time-to-event outcomes such as the age-at-onset of diabetes mellitus (DM), cancer, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and neurodegenerative diseases (NDs), and (3) both combined. In addition to replicating previous findings, we identify seven novel genome-wide significant loci (<5e-08), out of which five are low-frequency variants. Specifically, from Group 2, we find rs7632505 on 3q21.1 in SEMA5B, rs460976 on 21q22.3 (1kb from TMPRSS2) and rs12420422 on 11q24.1 predominantly associated with a variety of CVDs, rs4905014 in ITPK1 associated with stroke and heart failure, rs7081476 on 10p12.1 in ANKRD26 associated with multiple diseases including DM, CVDs and NDs. From Group 3, we find rs8082812 on 18p11.22 and rs1869717 on 4q31.3 associated with both endophenotypes and CVDs. Our follow-up analyses show that rs7632505, rs4905014 and rs8082812 have age-dependent effects on coronary heart disease or stroke. Functional annotation suggests that most of these SNPs are within regulatory regions or DNase clusters and in linkage disequilibrium with expression quantitative trait loci, implying their potential regulatory influence on the expression of nearby genes. Our mediation analyses suggest that the effects of some SNPs are mediated by specific endophenotypes. In conclusion, these findings indicate that loci with pleiotropic effects on age-related disorders tend to be enriched in genes involved in underlying mechanisms potentially related to nervous, cardiovascular and immune system functions, stress resistance, inflammation, ion channels and hematopoiesis, supporting the hypothesis of shared pathological role of infection and inflammation in chronic age-related diseases.
THE EFFECTS OF STORAGE TEMPERATURES ON THE KEEPING QUALITY OF HALF AND HALF1

Half and half containing 10% butterfat was pasteurized at 90.6 C for 25 sec and bottled on a Regent filler in 0.5-oz aluminum foil topped plastic containers. Samples were analyzed after storage at 1.7, 4.4, and 7.2 C for 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 weeks. Product quality decreased with an increase in the storage temperature and the half and half was judged acceptable for coffee after 4, 3, and 2 weeks of storage at 1.7, 3.3, and 7.2 C, respectively.
An Intestine-Derived Neuropeptide Controls Avoidance Behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans

Summary Adjusting to a continuously changing environment is a key feature of life. For metazoans, environmental changes include alterations in the gut microbiota, which can affect both memory and behavior. The bacteriovorous nematode Caenorhabditis elegans discriminates between pathogenic and non-pathogenic food sources, avoiding the consumption of pathogens. Here, we demonstrate the role of the intestine in regulating C. elegans avoidance to Pseudomonas aeruginosa by an insulin-like neuropeptide encoded by ins-11 . The transcriptional expression of ins-11 is controlled through transcription factor hlh-30 and the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. ins-11 negatively controls signal pathways in neurons that regulate aversive learning behavior. Attenuation of ins-11 increased avoidance behavior and survival on pathogenic bacteria but decreased opportunities to find a food source as well as lowered energy storage and the number of viable progeny. Our findings support a role for the intestine in avoidance and identify an advantageous role for negative feedback that allows C. elegans to actively balance noxious and favorable environments.
Chapter 4: Creating Accessible, Pedagogical Storytelling Performances as Research—Take 1

This critical autoethnography follows the creation of a performance ethnographic film as applied learning pedagogy in an undergraduate communication studies department. During their collaboration, a video production and a performance studies professor grapple with the competing expectations of film critics, performance studies scholars, and undergraduate student performers in an effort to create peer-reviewed artistic research that is accessible to nonacademic audiences. The film (which features narrative excerpts from a project focused on disability, identity, and US culture) highlights the complications of insider versus outsider research, the pervasiveness of disability stigma, and the ethics of embodying others’ stories in critical storytelling performance. The chapter concludes with evidence of the power of personal narrative performance to pursue hyper-embodiment, empathetic connection, and social justice.
Superconducting Properties of Mixtures of Y 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 9-x and Y 1.8 Ba 0.2 Cu 1 O 5-y

The superconducting properties of heat-treated mixtures of Y 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 9− x (A) and Y 1.8 Ba 0.2 Cu 1 O 5− y (B) have been studied. As the concentration of B increases, the Meissner effect decreases, while the resistance jump near the superconducting transition increases. When the fraction of B approaches about 0.5, the superconducting transition disappears. Four different phases are identified in the mixture from the x-ray spectra, i.e., Y 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 9− x , Y 2 Ba 1 Cu 1 O 5– z , Y 2 Cu 2 O 5 , and Y 2 O 3 . The results agree well with the published phase diagram of this system.
Cooptimization of emerging devices and architectures for energy-efficient computing

As CMOS scaling approaches the fundamental limits, the search for beyond-CMOS switches has intensified. After more than a decade of research on the “next switches” to replace CMOS, it is generally recognized that CMOS will continue to be the platform technology while beyond-CMOS devices may augment CMOS by improving performance, efficiency, or functionality via their unique characteristics. Cooptimization of these devices with novel architecture designs will be essential for achieving optimal system performance and efficiency. This learning has guided beyond-CMOS research toward system-oriented directions built upon device-architecture cooptimization.
The Landscape of Special Education Licensure, 2016:

With vetted data from state department of education websites, the authors undertook to update previous studies of special education licensure. They organized state licensure structures by the presence or absence of (a) grade bands and (b) differentiations (by category or severity). They assessed the impact of structure on student outcomes and special education teacher (SET) shortage, and sought commonalities in structures of effective states. They found that almost all states differentiate licensure for preschool teachers and teachers of students with visual or hearing impairments. Most states also offer a generic license. Currently, fewer states use other disability categories than was true in the past, and more states now use grade and severity distinctions. Structure was unrelated to student outcomes and SET shortage, and the authors found only two commonalities among effective states. As a unit of analysis, state may be too coarse, and the authors argue for within-state time series analysis as an alte...
Current and Future Challenges for Academic Radiology

During the past 10–15 years, clinical medicine and medical research have experienced an unprecedented technological growth. Of all the medical disciplines, diagnostic radiology has likely experienced the greatest impact of this growth. The introduction of computerized axial tomography, for example, demonstrated to the Radiology community the practical application and utility of computer-assisted image acquisition, processing, presentation, and analysis. This major advance, along with the introduction of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in vivo nuclear magnetic spectroscopy (NMR), positron emission tomography (PET), digital radiography, and interventional radiology, has dramatically altered the manner in which the radiologist in particular and radiology departments in general function in patient care, teaching, and research. These advances provide diagnostic radiology with unique academic growth and development opportunities that are more available now than ever before.
The Presence of a Psychiatric Condition is Associated With Undergoing Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement: A Matched Case-Controlled Study.

Abstract Background We sought to examine the association between having a psychiatric condition and undergoing hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). Methods A matched case-control study was performed to control for age and gender. All patients over 16 years of age with FAI treated with hip arthroscopy by a single surgeon were randomly matched to a patient of the same age and gender undergoing knee arthroscopy for any diagnosis other than infection by the same surgeon during the same period. Conditional logistic regression was used to compare the odds of having a psychiatric condition between groups. Results Fifty-one matched pairs of patients undergoing hip and knee arthroscopy were identified. Each group contained 35 females (69%) and had a mean age of 33.6 years. Of the 51 hip arthroscopy cases, 23 (45.1%) had a psychiatric condition. Of the 51 knee arthroscopy controls, 11 (21.6%) had a psychiatric condition. Patients undergoing hip arthroscopy were statistically significantly more likely to have a psychiatric condition compared to patients undergoing knee arthroscopy with an odds ratio of 3.4 (95% confidence interval 1.3-9.2, P Conclusion There was a strong association between having a psychiatric condition and undergoing hip arthroscopy for FAI. More research should be done investigating psychiatric conditions among patients with FAI and whether this association can identify strategies to optimize patient outcomes.
Straight from the Underground: When Do Hackers Become Entrepreneurs?

Innovation is increasingly occurring outside of the boundaries of firm in innovation communities. One common form of innovation community are the underground groups of "hackers" who create quasi-le...
Aspirin's Benefits and Harms Are Less Clear for Primary Prevention in Moderate-Risk Patients.

The goal of screening is to identify a disorder before it becomes symptomatic if early treatment has the potential for greater benefit than waiting until symptoms are reported. Despite the failure to meet this definition, this guideline suggests annual screening of women for urinary incontinence and the effect, if any, on their lives.
Native and non-native plants attract diverse bees to urban gardens in California

Bees visit native and non-native plant species for pollen and nectar resources in urban, agricultural, and wildland environments. Results of an extensive survey of bee-flower collection records from 10 California cities from 2005-2011 were used to examine host-plant records of native and non-native ornamental plants to diverse native and non-native bee species; five cities were from northern California and five were from southern California. A total of 7,659 bees and their floral host plants were examined. Of these, 179 were Apis mellifera and 7,390 were non- Apis . Only four other non- native species (all in Megachilidae) were recorded in the survey, and together they accounted for 402 individuals. These bees have been databased in preparation for deposition in the University of California-Berkeley Essig Museum of Entomology. We identified 229 bee species and 42 genera visiting native and non-native plant types in urban areas. Of the 229 species, 71 bee species were collected from only native plants; 52 were collected from only non-native host plants; and 106 were collected from both types of plants. Native bee species were common on native plants and non-native plants, but there were substantially more non-native bee species visiting non-native plants compared to native plants. Flowering periods in months were similar for both types of plants, but non-natives tended to flower later in the year. We propose that using native and non-native plants improves habitat gardening by increasing opportunities for attracting a richer diversity of bee species and for longer periods. Knowing basic bee-flower relationships in an area is key to planning a bee habitat garden with a variety of plant types, regardless of their geographic origin. !!NOTE! Supplementary files can be found in the left menu (article tools)!!
The American Cultural War and the Restructuring of Kentucky Politics

The study is an integration of the last six decades’ local, state, and national history concerning the correlation of border state Kentucky’s partisan politics with the events and themes of the cou...
Interaction between hydraulic fractures and natural fractures: current status and prospective directions

Hydraulic fracturing treatment is one of the most efficient conventional matrix stimulation techniques currently utilized in the petroleum industry. However, due to the spatiotemporal complex nature of fracture propagation in a naturally- and often times systematically fractured media, the influence of natural fractures (NF) and in situ stresses on hydraulic fracture (HF) initiation and propagation within a reservoir during the hydrofracturing process remains an important issue. Over the past 50 years of advances in the understanding of HF–NF interactions, no comprehensive revision of the state of the knowledge exists. Here, we reviewed over 140 scientific articles on investigations of HF–NF interactions, published over the past 50 years. We highlight the most commonly observed HF–NF interactions and their implications for unconventional oil and gas production. Using observational and quantitative analyses, we find that numerical modeling and simulation is the most prominent method of approach, whereas there are less publications on the experimental approach, and analytical method is the least utilized approach. Further, we suggest how HF–NF interactions can be monitored in real time on the field during a pre-frac test. Lastly, based on the results of our literature review, we recommend promising areas of investigation that may provide more profound insights into HF–NF interactions in such a way that can be directly applied to the optimization of fracture-stimulation field operations.
Effect of Cognitive Engagement on the Development of Brand Love in a Hotel Context

With growing number of hotel brands in the market, the lodging industry is facing intense competition more than ever, and managers are realizing the importance of developing strong customer–brand r...
The use of olanzapine versus metoclopramide for the treatment of breakthrough chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy.

9064 Background: Olanzapine (OLN) has been shown to be a safe and effective agent for the prevention of CINV. OLN may also be an effective rescue medication for patients who develop breakthrough CI...
Optimizing anti-viral vaccine responses: Input from a non-specialist

Recently, the research community has had a real-world look at reasons for improving vaccine responses to emerging RNA viruses. Here, a vaccine non-specialist suggests how this might be done. I propose two alternative options and compare the primary alternative option with current practice. The basis of comparison is feasibility in achieving what we need: a safe, mass-produced, emerging virus-targeted vaccine on 2–4 week notice. The primary option is the following. (1) Start with a platform based on live viruses that infect bacteria, but not humans (bacteriophages, or phages). (2) Isolate phages (to be called pathogen homologs) that resemble and provide antigenic context for membrane-covered, pathogenic RNA viruses; coronavirus-phage homologs will probably be found if the search is correctly done. (3) Upon isolating a viral pathogen, evolve its phage homolog to bind antibodies neutralizing for the viral pathogen. Vaccinate with the evolved phage homolog by generating a local, non-hazardous infection with the phage host and then curing the infection by propagating the phage in the artificially infecting bacterial host. I discuss how this alternative option has the potential to provide what is needed after appropriate platforms are built.
Systemic Amyloidosis Recognition, Prognosis, and Therapy: A Systematic Review.

Importance Many patients with systemic amyloidosis are underdiagnosed. Overall, 25% of patients with immunoglobulin light chain (AL) amyloidosis die within 6 months of diagnosis and 25% of patients with amyloid transthyretin (ATTR) amyloidosis die within 24 months of diagnosis. Effective therapy exists but is ineffective if end-organ damage is severe. Objective To provide evidence-based recommendations that could allow clinicians to diagnose this rare set of diseases earlier and enable accurate staging and counseling about prognosis. Evidence Review A comprehensive literature search was conducted by a reference librarian with publication dates from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2019. Key search terms includedamyloid,amyloidosis,nephrotic syndrome,heart failure preserved ejection fraction, andperipheral neuropathy. Exclusion criteria included case reports, non–English-language text, and case series of fewer than 10 patients. The authors independently selected and appraised relevant literature. Findings There was a total of 1769 studies in the final data set. Eighty-one articles were included in this review, of which 12 were randomized clinical trials of therapy that included 3074 patients, 9 were case series, and 3 were cohort studies. The incidence of AL amyloidosis is approximately 12 cases per million persons per year and there is an estimated prevalence of 30 000 to 45 000 cases in the US and European Union. The incidence of variant ATTR amyloidosis is estimated to be 0.3 cases per year per million persons with a prevalence estimate of 5.2 cases per million persons. Wild-type ATTR is estimated to have a prevalence of 155 to 191 cases per million persons. Amyloidosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of adult nondiabetic nephrotic syndrome; heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, particularly if restrictive features are present; unexplained hepatomegaly without imaging abnormalities; peripheral neuropathy with distal sensory symptoms, such as numbness, paresthesia, and dysesthesias (although the autonomic manifestations occasionally may be the presenting feature); and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance with atypical clinical features. Staging can be performed using blood testing only. Therapeutic decision-making for AL amyloidosis involves choosing between high-dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplant or bortezomib-based chemotherapy. There are 3 therapies approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for managing ATTR amyloidosis, depending on clinical phenotype. Conclusions and Relevance All forms of amyloidosis are underdiagnosed. All forms now have approved therapies that have been demonstrated to improve either survival or disability and quality of life. The diagnosis should be considered in patients that have a multisystem disorder involving the heart, kidney, liver, or nervous system.
Posh Pipeline: Gaining College Admission at Any Cost:

The President of prestigious Beacon University is dealing with a nationwide scandal involving its admissions and athletics operations. For years, a network of corrupt admissions consultants, standa...
Adjuvant-free nanofiber vaccine induces in situ lung dendritic cell activation and TH17 responses

The current paradigm that subunit vaccines require adjuvants to optimally activate innate immunity implies that increased vaccine reactogenicity will invariably be linked to improved immunogenicity. Countering this paradigm, nanoparticulate vaccines have been reported to act as delivery systems for vaccine antigens and induce immunity without the need for exogenous adjuvants or local inflammation; however, the mechanisms underlying the immunogenicity of nanoparticle vaccines are incompletely identified. Here, we show that antigens displayed on self-assembling nanofiber scaffolds and delivered intranasally are presented by CD103+ and CD11b+ lung dendritic cells that up-regulate CD80 and migrate into the draining lymph node (LN). This was accompanied by a nearly exclusive priming and accumulation of antigen-specific TH17 cells occurring independently in both LN and lung. Thus, self-assembling peptide nanofiber vaccines may represent a novel, needle- and adjuvant-free means of eliciting protective immunity against fungal and bacterial infections at skin and mucosal barrier surfaces.
Venovenous Versus Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membranous Oxygenation in Inotrope Dependent Pediatric Patients With Respiratory Failure.

Patients with respiratory failure requiring inotropes or vasopressors are often placed on venoarterial (VA) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), as venovenous (VV) ECMO does not provide direct circulatory support. This retrospective multicenter study compared outcomes for 103 pediatric patients, with hemodynamic compromise, placed on VV ECMO for respiratory failure to those placed on VA ECMO. The primary outcome was survival to hospital discharge. Fifty-seven (55%) study participants were supported on VV ECMO. The two groups had similar PRISM III scores at pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission, and vasoactive-inotropic scores at ECMO cannulation. More VV ECMO patients received inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) (54.4 vs. 34.8%; p = 0.04) and had a higher oxygenation index (median 41.5 vs. 19.5; p = 0.04) pre-ECMO. More VA ECMO patients had cardiac dysfunction and cardiac arrest pre-ECMO (50 vs. 14%; p < 0.0001). In univariable analysis, survival to hospital discharge was higher in the VV vs. VA ECMO group (72 vs. 44%; p = 0.005), however, in multivariable models, cannulation type was confounded by cardiopulmonary resuscitation and was not independently associated with survival. VV survivors had longer ECMO duration compared with VA survivors (median, 7 vs. 4.5 days; p = 0.036) but similar PICU and hospital days. No significant difference was noted in functional outcomes or comorbidities at discharge. Cannulation type is not independently associated with survival to hospital discharge in pediatric patients on vasoactive infusions at the time of ECMO cannulation for respiratory indications.
A Study of the Afterglows of Four Gamma-Ray Bursts: Constraining the Explosion and Fireball Model

We employ a fireball model of the gamma-ray burst (GRB) explosion to constrain intrinsic and environmental parameters of four events with good broadband afterglow data: GRB 970508, GRB 980329, GRB 980703, and GRB 000926. Using the standard assumptions of constant circumburst density and no evolution of the fraction of the explosion energy in the postshock magnetic field, we investigate the uniformity of the derived explosion and shock physics parameters among these events. We find a variety of parameters: densities that range from those of the interstellar mediumto diffuse clouds, energies comparable to the total GRB gamma-ray energy, collimations from near-isotropy to 0.04 radians, substantial electron energy fractions of 10%-30% with energy distribution indices of 2.1-2.9, and magnetic energy fractions from 0.2% to 25%. We also investigate the level to which the data constrain the standard model assumptions, such as the magnetic field evolution, and the allowed density profiles of the medium. Fits generally improve slightly with an increasing magnetic energy fraction B. Good fits can be produced with magnetic energy accumulating or decaying with the shock strength over the afterglow as B γx (-2 ≤ x ≤ +1). The data are not very sensitive to increasing density profiles, allowing good fits even with density r10. Some parameter values change by up to an order of magnitude under such altered assumptions; the parameters of even good fits cannot be taken at face value. The data are sensitive to decreasing densities: r-2 profiles may produce reasonable fits, but steeper profiles, even r-2.5, will not fit the data.
Fundamental limitations on communication channels with noisy feedback: information flow, capacity and bounds

Since the success of obtaining the capacity (i.e. the maximal achievable transmission rate under which the message can be recovered with arbitrarily small probability of error) for nonfeedback point-to-point communication channels by C. Shannon (in 1948), Information Theory has been proved to be a powerful tool to derive fundamental limitations in communication systems. During the last decade, motivated by the emerging of networked systems, information theorists have turned lots of their attention to communication channels with feedback (through another channel from receiver to transmitter). Under the assumption that the feedback channel is noiseless, a large body of notable results have been derived, although much work still needs to be done. However, when this ideal assumption is removed, i.e., the feedback channel is noisy, only few valuable results can be found in the literature and many challenging problems are still open. This thesis aims to address some of these long-standing noisy feedback problems, with concentration on the channel capacity. First of all, we analyze the fundamental information flow in noisy feedback channels. We introduce a new notion, the residual directed information, in order to characterize the noisy feedback channel capacity for which the standard directed information can not be used. As an illustration, finite-alphabet noisy feedback channels have been studied in details. Next, we provide an information flow decomposition equality which serves as a foundation of other novel results in this thesis. With the result of information flow decomposition in hand, we next investigate time-varying Gaussian channels with additive Gaussian noise feedback. Following the notable Cover-Pombra results in 1989, we define the n-block noisy feedback capacity and derive a pair of n-block upper and lower bounds on the n-block noisy feedback capacity. These bounds can be obtained by efficiently solving convex optimization problems. Under the assumption of stationarity on the additive Gaussian noises, we show that the limits of these n-block bounds can be characterized
Evaluating the outcomes associated with an innovative change in a state-level transportation project prioritization process: A case study of Vermont

Abstract In this paper we examine the outcomes associated with an innovative change in a state-level transportation project prioritization process within the United States (U.S.). A foundational component of the innovation is the development and implementation of a novel multi-criteria analysis (MCA) tool to aid decision-makers. The pre and post-MCA project prioritization processes are described in detail for the state of Vermont, and we use a mixed methodological approach to empirically evaluate the outcomes associated with the innovative change with respect to three objectives: (1) to make the project prioritization process more transparent, (2) to improve the project prioritization process by incorporating well-defined, objective evaluation criteria into the decision-making process, and (3) to reduce inequality in the allocation of transportation project funds between the local jurisdictions. We demonstrate that the innovative change in the project prioritization process was clearly successful in accomplishing objectives 1 and 2, but does not appear to be successful with respect to accomplishing objective 3. The findings are discussed in the context of the state of Vermont, and we offer suggestions for how funding inequality might be addressed in the future.
Trigonometrische Gleichungen lösen

Manchmal sollen wir Gleichungen losen, bei denen Variable als Argumente von trigonometrischen Funktionen auftreten. DERIVE kann viele solcher Gleichungen auf unterschiedliche Art und Weise losen. Nehmen wir an, unsere Gleichung lautet sin(x) = 1/2 und wir sollen einen numerischen Wert fur x finden, der diese offene Aussage wahr macht (oder, wie viele Leute sagen wurden, wir sollen einen Wert fur x finden, der „der Gleichung genugt“).
Kinetic Theory of Traffic Flows

We describe traffic flows in one lane roadways using a kinetic theory, with special emphasis on the role of quenched randomness in the velocity distributions. When passing is forbidden, growing clusters are formed behind slow cars and the cluster velocity distribution is governed by an exact Boltzmann equation which is linear and has an infinite memory. The distributions of the cluster size and the cluster velocity exhibit scaling behaviors, with exponents dominated solely by extremal characteristics of the intrinsic velocity distribution. When passing is allowed, the system approaches a steady state, whose nature is determined by a single dimensionless number, the ratio of the passing time to the collision time, the two time scales in the problem. The flow exhibits two regimes, a laminar flow regime, and a congested regime where large slow clusters dominate the flow. A phase transition separates these two regimes when only the next-to-leading car can pass.
Design space exploration for configurable architectures and the role of modeling, high-level program analysis and learning techniques

Reconfigurable computing architectures promise to substantially increase the performance of computations through the customization of data-path and storage structures best suited to the specific needs of each computation. The need to synthesize, either fully or partially, the structure of the target architecture while simultaneously attempting to optimize the mapping of the computation to that architecture creates a vast design space exploration (DSE) challenge. In this paper we describe current approaches to this DSE problem using program analysis, estimation, modeling and empirical optimization techniques. We also describe a unified approach for this DSE challenge in which these techniques can be complemented with history- and learning-based approaches.
TRAC analysis of the Crystal River Unit-3 Plant transient of February 26, 1980

This paper describes the application of the TRAC-PD2 and TRAC-PF1 codes to analyze the Crystal River transient. The PD2 and PF1 analyses used the three-dimensional and one-dimensional vessel models, respectively. Both calculations predicted the plant depressurization caused by the open PORV and the subsequent repressurization caused by closing the PORV and continuing high-pressure injection flow. Also, natural circulation was calculated in loop B following reestablishment of feedwater to the loop-B steam generator. After system repressurization, the codes calculated that pressure was relieved through the safety valves, and an intermittent flow occurred in loop A because of high-pressure-injection-driven density variations.
Expressing Freudian Influences

Sigmund Freud: Conflict and Culture . Michael S. Roth, curator. At the Library of Congress, Washington, DC, until 16 January 1999; future venues include New York; Vienna; Los Angeles; Sao Paulo and Porto Alegre, Brazil; and Chicago (). Freud: Conflict and Culture Essays on His Life, Work, and Legacy. Michael S. Roth, Ed. Knopf, New York, 1998. 288 pp. $26, $C36. ISBN 0-679-45116-1. The controversial exhibition presents artifacts from collections including the U.S. Library of Congress, the Sigmund Freud Museum in Vienna, and the Freud Museum in London to explore the influences of Freud and his theories on 20th-century culture.
Classivalent and difunctional relations in the interval calculus of fuzzy BK-products

The paper presents theorems characterizing classivalent relations based on t-norm residuated fuzzy logics. The classivalency conditions are characterised by various relational inequalities containing the BK-products of relations. This generalizes to the realm of t-norm resuduated fuzzy logics the characterization of classivalency by means of square products of relations previously given by Bandler and Kohout (1977). The proofs of the most important theorems are conducted rigorously in the first order predicate fuzzy logic BL that was developed by P. Hajek (1998). The paper concludes with the extensions of characterisation of classivalency to the relations based on the checklist paradigm based fuzzy interval logics of Bandler and Kohout. There are five families of such logics, but the paper restricts the discussion to the systems generated by measure m/sub 1/. It should be noted that difunctional relations are a special case of the classivalent relation, namely total classivalent relations. Thus classivalency could also be called partial difunctionality.
Transfer of radioactive iodopyracet (131I-Diodrast) from the fetus into amniotic fluid after tracheal ligation

Abstract In the pregnant rhesus monkey, approximately 20 per cent of the total amount of radioactive iodopyracet ∗ ∗ 131 I-Diodrast, Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, Illinois. injected into the fetal circulation moves into the amniotic fluid within 3 hours. To test the hypothesis that the fetal pulmonary tract might be a means of access to amniotic fluid from the fetal circulation, radioactive iodopyracet was administered to the fetus after ligation or catheterization of the fetal trachea in utero. The rate and extent of accumulation of radioactivity in amniotic fluid remained essentially unaltered by the surgical procedure. Tracheal fluid levels of radioactivity failed even to equal those of fetal blood. Tracheal fluid release by the macaque fetus in utero was slight, and the maximum rate of 3.87 μl per minute was observed only during the first 1¼ hours after catheterization. Thus, the pulmonary tract does not appear to provide appreciable egress for radioactive iodopyracet into amniotic fluid.
IL-12Rβ2 Promotes the Development of CD4+CD25+ Regulatory T Cells

We have previously shown that mice lacking the IL-12-specific receptor subunit β2 (IL-12Rβ2) develop more severe experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis than wild-type (WT) mice. The mechanism underlying this phenomenon is not known; nor is it known whether deficiency of IL-12Rβ2 impacts other autoimmune disorders similarly. In the present study we demonstrate that IL-12Rβ2−/− mice develop earlier onset and more severe disease in the streptozotocin-induced model of diabetes, indicating predisposition of IL-12Rβ2-deficient mice to autoimmune diseases. T cells from IL-12Rβ2−/− mice exhibited significantly higher proliferative responses upon TCR stimulation. The numbers of naturally occurring CD25+CD4+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the thymus and spleen of IL-12Rβ2−/− mice were comparable to those of WT mice. However, IL-12Rβ2−/− mice exhibited a significantly reduced capacity to develop Tregs upon stimulation with TGF-β, as shown by significantly lower numbers of CD25+CD4+ T cells that expressed Foxp3. Functionally, CD25+CD4+ Tregs derived from IL-12Rβ2−/− mice were less efficient than those from WT mice in suppressing effector T cells. The role of IL-12Rβ2 in the induction of Tregs was confirmed using small interfering RNA. These findings suggest that signaling via IL-12Rβ2 regulates both the number and functional maturity of Treg cells, which indicates a novel mechanism underlying the regulation of autoimmune diseases by the IL-12 pathway.
W/INDEX: A Predictive Model of Operator Workload

One of the major developments in weapon system design over the past decade is the emergence of technologies that enable single crewmembers to operate very complex systems in highly dynamic environments. However, the growing complexity of the tactical environment is keeping pace with the ability of new automation technologies to deal with it, producing a constant tension between the economic and practical forces that drive crew size reduction and the mission performance requirements that favor larger crew sizes.