cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Land use patterns skew sex ratios, decrease genetic diversity and trump the effects of recent climate change in an endangered turtle

Aim Changes in both land use and climate can cause population declines and species extinctions, but the relative effects of these two stressors are often dependent on species-specific life histories. Turtles are highly threatened as a taxonomic group and are particularly sensitive to environmental change due to their life history, habitat preferences and physiology. We used both sex data and genetic diversity across a landscape-scale gradient in land use intensity and recent climate change to characterize the relative effects of these factors on three turtle species (including the endangered Blanding's turtle, Emydoidea blandingii) with different life histories and thus different vulnerabilities to environmental change. Location Wisconsin, USA. Methods Turtles were captured and sampled for genetic analyses at 18 sites. Sampled individuals were genotyped for species-specific sets of microsatellite markers, and population-level genetic diversity was assessed using rarefied allelic richness and heterozygosity. The relative effects of road density, public land area and recent climate change on genetic diversity and sex ratio were evaluated using regression methods and model-selection criteria. Results Increased land use intensity was associated with male-skewed sex ratios and decreased genetic diversity in E. blandingii but not co-occurring species. Recent climate change did not explain variability in either sex ratio or genetic diversity for any of the three species examined. Main conclusions Changing land use has multiple impacts on turtle populations that are modulated by species-specific life history traits. Extensive terrestrial movements associated with nesting in E. blandingii increase female vulnerability to road mortality, which in turn has led to declines in genetic diversity. The predicted effects of recent climate change may have been dampened by behavioural plasticity. We suggest that the disproportionate effect of land use on E. blandingii warrants greater legal protection for this species.
Asparaginases: Biochemical Pharmacology and Modes of Drug Resistance

This is an ambitious effort attempting to present as many aspects as possible in a review article on asparaginases (ASNase), and their use against acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and T-cell lymphomas. In the process, the modes of drug resistance are described both of the host and in the leukemia cells themselves. These modes of drug resistance, developed by the ALL cells, are an attempt to overcome the toxic insult this class of anti-leukemic drugs causes to them. It is expected that by reading this article one would obtain a better understanding of the initial events in the leukemia development, its microenvironment, and the many issues that a leukemia specialist has to deal with, especially in the treatment of refractory and relapsed patient populations. The specific issues addressed in this review deal with the importance of nutrients in tumor growth and progression of malignancies; the cytogenetics of ALL, as well as its chemotherapy, are also briefly presented. The emphasis will turn to ASNase, their mechanisms of action, the immune responses they cause in a significant percentage of the ALL patients, the significance of the up-regulation of glutamine synthetase and asparagine synthetase and the complexity of the elucidation of the mechanisms of action of ASNase. Additional details on the ASNase epitope mapping of anti-ASNase antibodies, the degradation of the protein, and the unmet needs in producing an optimal ASNase protein, will be also presented. Finally, a brief description of the toxicity, as well as the correlative factor of ALL treatment with ASNase is given.
Recounting the Nation: The General Register Office and Victorian Bureaucracies

On 17 August 1836, a new office was formed by Parliamentary Act: The General Register Office (GRO). Though statistics were not born with its creation, the GRO quickly became one of the central points for generating and disseminating of official numbers in England and Britain, and as such it occupies a central point in the statistical scenery. But if its role in the history of statistics is widely known, less understood is its importance in the history of modem bureaucracies. In what follows, 1 argue that the history of the GRO, especially in its early years, illuminates the manner in which modern state institutions became unquestioned parts of the social and political landscape and I also show the importance of bodies like the GRO in the emergence of the modem state.
Hormone therapy and radiotherapy for early prostate cancer: a utility-adjusted number needed to treat (NNT) analysis.

Purpose To quantify, using the number needed to treat (NNT) methodology, the benefit of short-term (≤6 months) hormone therapy adjuvant to radiotherapy in the group of patients with early (clinical stage T1–T2c) prostate cancer. Methods and materials The absolute biochemical control benefit for the use of hormones adjuvant to radiotherapy in early-stage disease was determined by literature review. A model was developed to estimate the utility-adjusted survival detriment due to the side effects of hormone therapy. The NNTs before and after the incorporation of hormone sequelae were computed; the sign and magnitude of the NNTs were used to gauge the effect of the hormones. Results The absolute NNT analysis, based on summarizing the results of 8 reports including a total of 3652 patients, demonstrated an advantage to the addition of hormones for the general early-stage prostate cancer population as well as for all prognostic groups. After adjustment for hormone-induced functional loss, the advantage of hormones remained considerable in the high- and intermediate-risk groups, with the utility-adjusted NNT becoming weakened in the low-risk group when the utility compromise from complications of hormones was assumed to be considerable. Conclusions Short-term hormone therapy seems to be beneficial for selected early-stage prostate cancer patients. The advantage seems to be greatest in the intermediate- and high-risk groups; with current follow-up, the side effects of hormones may outweigh their benefit in certain clinical situations in the favorable group. The present investigation demonstrates the significant role of the NNT technique for oncologic and radiotherapeutic management decisions when treatment complications need to be considered and balanced with the beneficial effects of the treatment.
Supporting Inquiry Learning by Promoting Normative Understanding of Multivariable Causality.

Early adolescents may lack the cognitive and metacognitive skills necessary for effective inquiry learning. In particular, they are likely to have a nonnormative mental model of multivariable causality in which effects of individual variables are neither additive nor consistent. Described here is a software-based intervention designed to facilitate students' metalevel and performance-level inquiry skills by enhancing their understanding of multivariable causality. Relative to an exploration-only group, sixth graders who practiced predicting an outcome (earthquake risk) based on multiple factors demonstrated increased attention to evidence, improved metalevel appreciation of effective strategies, and a trend toward consistent use of a controlled comparison strategy. Sixth graders who also received explicit instruction in making predictions based on multiple factors showed additional improvement in their ability to compare multiple instances as a basis for inferences and constructed the most accurate knowledge of the system. Gains were maintained in transfer tasks. The cognitive skills and metalevel understanding examined here are essential to inquiry learning. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 40: 898–921, 2003
Near-Field Amplitudes of Tsunami from Submarine Slumps and Slides

Tsunami generated by submarine slumps, and slides are investigated in the near-field, using simple source models that consider the effects of source finiteness, and directivity. Five simple two-dimensional kinematic models of submarine slumps, and slides are described mathematically as combinations of spreading constant or sloping uplift functions. Tsunami waveforms for these models are computed using linearized shallow-water theory for constant water depth, and transform method of solution (Lapace in time, and Fourier in space). Results for tsunami waveforms, and tsunami peak amplitudes are illustrated for selected model parameters, in the near-field, for a time window of the order of the source duration.
The NF-κB p50 Subunit Is Protective during Intestinal Entamoeba histolytica Infection of 129 and C57BL/6 Mice

Entamoeba histolytica is the agent of amebic colitis. In this work we examined the intestinal NF-κB response to this parasite. Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and an electrophoretic mobility shift assay, we found that the NF-κB subunit p50 predominated in nuclear extracts of whole cecal tissue and of isolated crypts from mice inoculated with E. histolytica. p50 was protective, since C57BL/6 and 129 mice in which there was targeted deletion of this subunit were more susceptible to E. histolytica infection as measured by culture results, cecal parasite ELISA results, and/or histologic scores. The transepithelial electrical resistance of cecal explants from C57BL/6 and 129 p50 knockout mice decreased markedly in response to the parasite compared with the transepithelial electrical resistance of their wild-type counterparts, suggesting that a protective function of p50 was present in the epithelium itself. This work shows that NF-κB activity, particularly activity of the p50 subunit, is one factor that contributes to resistance of the gut to E. histolytica infection.
Localized Charge Storage in CeO2/Si(111) By Electrostatic Force Microscopy

In this report, the local patterning of charge into CeO2/Si structures by scanning probe microscopy is examined. An electrostatic force microscope (EFM) has been used to write and image localized dots of charge on to double barrier CeO2/Si/CeO2/Si(lll) structures. By applying a large tip bias Vtip=6—10 V and reducing the tip to sample separation to z= 3—5 nm for write times of t= 30—60 s, arrays of charge dots 60–250 nm FWHM have been written. The dependence of dot size and total stored charge on various writing parameters such as tip writing bias, tip to sample separation, and write time is examined. The total stored charge is found to be Q= 5–200 e per charge dot. These dots of charge are shown to be stable over periods of time greater than 24 hrs, with an initial charge decay time constant of r ~ 9.5 hrs followed by a period of much slower decay with r > 24 hrs. Charge decay time constants are found to be dependent on the thickness of the lower CeO2 tunneling barrier.
PION - NUCLEON PARTIAL WAVE ANALYSIS

We have carried out a partial-wave analysis of amalgamated pion-nucleon scattering data at 35 momenta in the range 0.429-1.995 GeV/c. At each momentum, a large set of fits was obtained, with the amplitude represented as the sum of a fixed background and the fitted terms of an accelerated convergence expansion. The effects of discrete and continuum ambiguities were separated by special statistical and numerical techniques which sort the fits into clusters. Dispersion relations on selected curves within the kinematical region for physical scattering were used to resolve the ambiguities and to derive constraints. These constraints, which ensure that the fitted amplitudes have a relatively smooth energy dependence consistent with analyticity, were used iteratively to arrive at a unique set of amplitudes which fit the scattering data throughout the energy region studied.
MR microscopy of cobalt-labeled nerve cells and pathways in an invertebrate brain (Sepia officinalis, Cephalopoda).

This article describes a novel application of contrast-enhanced MR microscopy to trace nerve cells and pathways through small invertebrate brains. Using the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis (Cephalopoda) as a model, the cells and pathways of one of the brain nerves were labeled with paramagnetic cobalt(II) ions by conventional centripetal cobalt iontophoresis. In MR microscopy, the cobalt-labeled cell bodies and pathways became hypointense in 9.4 T spin echo images. Their course and distribution were identical with those seen with conventional histological techniques after cobalt sulphide precipitation (with or without subsequent silver intensification). Magn Reson Med 45:575–579, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Map processing methods: an automated alternative

The authors present an automated method for the digitization, vectorization and storage of land record maps. Map data is input into a vision system as raw data using a solid-state camera. After noise removal, the processed data is converted to vector data by an efficient algorithm. This point data that presents the key points can be stored on peripheral storage devices for future reconstruction and modification of the map. >
Perspectives of Business and Industry on Cooperative Programming With Educational Institutions

As the role of business and industry in the continuing education of the workforce has grown, so too have opportunities for cooperation between employers and educational institutions. However, research has been lacking to sensitize educators to the education- related needs and perspectives of business and industry. Using factor analysis, this study explored the attitudes and perceptions of 85 training managers concerning their educational priorities, the costs and benefits actually experienced in cooperative programming, high priority areas for education-industry collaboration, and barriers to effective cooperation. For most of these analyses, the resulting factor structures were clear and revealing. For example, benefits of collaboration were found to comprise two factors: resource acquisition and outcome benefits. Benefits to business and industry were perceived as far greater than costs. A "three-track curriculum" exists in business and industry, with prospects for cooperative programming apparently gre...
MRI Sensing Based on the Displacement of Paramagnetic Ions from Chelated Complexes

We introduce a mechanism for ion sensing by MRI in which analytes compete with paramagnetic ions for binding to polydentate chelating agents. Displacement of the paramagnetic ions results in alteration of solvent interaction parameters and consequent changes in relaxivity and MRI contrast. The MRI changes can be tuned by the choice of chelator. As an example, we show that calcium-dependent displacement of Mn2+ ions bound to EGTA and BAPTA results in a T1-weighted MRI signal increase, whereas displacement from calmodulin results in a signal decrease. The changes are ion selective and can be explained using relaxivity theory. The ratio of T2 to T1 relaxivity is also calcium-dependent, indicating the feasibility of “ratiometric” analyte detection, independent of the probe concentration. Measurement of paramagnetic ion displacement effects could be used to determine analyte ion concentrations with spatial resolution in opaque specimens.
Relationship of Perceived Economic Fluctuations to Consumer Adaptive Shopping Behavior: An Exploratory Study

In the past few years the changes in the economic environment have had a drastic impact on consumers’ shopping behavior. Shopping consumers have developed various adaptive behavior mechanisms that allow them to cope with the influence of changes in economic conditions on their shopping behavior. In order to understand consumers’ shopping activities in a changing economic environment, this study focuses on consumers’ perceptions (subjective measurements) of that environment and how those perceptions influence their outlook and determine their shopping activities. Research findings demonstrated that changes in the economic environment have had an impact on consumers’ shopping behavior. Furthermore, consumers’ perceptions and expectations can be used to explain the relationship between those economic changes and consumers’ adaptive shopping behavior.
2,5-anhydro-D-mannitol acts in liver to initiate feeding

We determined the site at which the fructose analogue 2,5-anhydro-D-mannitol (2,5-AM) acts to increase food intake in rats. Rats began eating sooner and ate more food during hepatic portal than during jugular infusions of 2,5-AM (50, 100, or 150 mg/h). After rats were intubated with 2,5-[14C]AM (1.15 microCi in 200 mg/kg), significant quantities of radioactivity were found in liver but not in brain. Hepatic vagotomy prevented the eating response to 200 mg/kg 2,5-AM without altering the effect of the analogue on plasma fuels. These results indicate that low doses of 2,5-AM act in the liver to increase food intake and suggest that the signal for feeding generated in the liver is transmitted to the brain through the hepatic vagus nerve. Taken together, this work provides the strongest evidence to date that a signal initiating feeding behavior originates in the liver.
The Impact of Interfacial Layers on the Thermal Boundary Resistance and Residual Stress in GaN on Si Epitaxial Layers

The development of gallium nitride (GaN) on silicon (Si) substrates is a critical technology for potential low cost power electronics. These devices can accommodate faster switching speeds, hotter temperatures, and high voltages needed for power electronics applications. However, the lattice mismatch and difference in crystal structure between 111 Si and c-axis hexagonal GaN requires the use of buffer layers in order to grow device quality epitaxial layers. For lateral high electron mobility transistors, these interfacial layers act as a potential source of increased thermal boundary resistance (TBR) which impedes heat flow out of the GaN on Si devices. In addition, these interfacial layers impact the growth and residual stress in the GaN epitaxial layer which can play a role in device reliability. In this work we use optical methods to experimentally measure a relatively low TBR for GaN on Si with an intermediate buffer layer to be 3.8 ± 0.4 m2K/GW. The effective TBR of a material stack that encompasses GaN on Si with a superlattice (SL) buffer is also measured, and is found to be 107 ± 1 m2K/GW. In addition the residual state of strain in the GaN layer is measured for both samples, and is found to vary significantly between them. Thermal conductivity of a 0.8μm GaN layer on AlN buffer is determined to be 126 ± 25 W/m-K, while a 0.84 μm GaN layer with C-doping on a SL structure is determined to be 112 ± 29 W/m-K.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Tannin inhibits the cAMP-β-adrenergic receptor pathway in bovine tracheal epithelium

Tannin, isolated from cotton bracts, inhibits chloride secretion in airway epithelium. In bovine tracheal epithelial cells, tannin (25 μg/ml) blunted isoproterenol (Iso)-stimulated adenosine 3′,5′-...
Traditional and non-traditional risk factors for incident peripheral arterial disease among patients with chronic kidney disease

BACKGROUND The risk of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is higher in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) compared with those without. However, reasons for this increased risk are not fully understood. METHODS We studied risk factors for incident PAD among 3169 participants in the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) Study. Patients with CKD aged 21-74 years were recruited between 2003 and 2008 and followed for a median of 6.3 years. Incident PAD was defined as a new onset ankle-brachial index (ABI) of <0.9 or confirmed clinical PAD. RESULTS In a multivariate-adjusted model, older age, female sex, non-Hispanic Black, current smoking, diabetes, higher pulse pressure, lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate were significantly associated with the increased risk of incident PAD. After adjustment for these traditional risk factors as well as use of medications and CRIC Study clinic sites, the following baseline novel risk factors were significantly associated with risk of incident PAD [hazard ratio and 95% confidence interval (CI) for a one standard deviation (SD) higher level]: log[C-reactive protein (CRP)] (1.16, 1.06-1.25, P < 0.001), white blood cell count (1.09, 1.01-1.18, P = 0.03), fibrinogen (1.15, 1.06-1.26, P = 0.002), log(myeloperoxidase) (1.12, 1.03-1.23, P = 0.01), uric acid (0.88, 0.80-0.97, P = 0.01), glycated hemoglobin (1.16, 1.05-1.27, P = 0.003), log(homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance) (1.21, 1.10-1.32, P < 0.001) and alkaline phosphatase (1.15, 1.07-1.24, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Among patients with CKD, inflammation, prothrombotic state, oxidative stress, glycated hemoglobin, insulin resistance and alkaline phosphatase are associated with an increased risk of PAD, independent of traditional risk factors.
Uninformed Response Error in Survey Research

Using a survey of 500 members of the general public and 500 lawyers from four cities, the authors examine uninformed response error in survey research. By asking respondents to evaluate the past pe...
Comparative study of high risk injecting behaviors of injecting drug users in Chinese and Burmese border communities

Objective To analyze high risk injecting behaviors of injecting drug users(IDUs) in Chinese and Burmese border communities,and provide valuable references for further strengthening comprehensive intervention on cross-border IDUs.Methods Snowball method was adopted to select Chinese and Burmese IDUs in communities in 2 counties of Yunnan.In obtaining informed consent,self-designed and tested bilingual questionnaires were used for the interview,followed by serological test.The research collected related high risk behaviors including general information,HIV/AIDS knowledge,human im-munodeficiency virus(HIV) and so no.The questionnaires were inputted into Excel 2003 and analyzed statistically by SPSS16.0 software.Results A total of 249 IDU were involved in the research,including 100 Chinese IDUs and 149 Burmese IDUs.20.0% of Chinese IDUs and 10.1% of Burmese IDUs shared syringe last month.HIV infection rate of Chinese IDUs and Burmese IDUs was 32.0% and 19.5% respectively.There were statistical differences in whether or not to share syringe for injection last month,whether or not to share drug dilute solution or container and whether or not to use new syringe in last injection(P0.05).Conclusion In order to control HIV transmission among IDUs at border areas,it′s important to strengthen comprehensive interventions for cross-border IDUs,especially the intervention on Chinese IDUs.
Intrusion Detection Method Based on Multi-class Support Vector Machines

Network intrusion detection data are made up of multi-class attacks data and normal data.The application of multi-class support vector machine(SVM) for network intrusion detection is researched.The multi-class support vector machine is designed to detect network intrusion by using one-against-one method.The designed SVM classifier is evaluated with KDD99 intrusion detection dataset,the results obtained are compared with BP neural networks.Experimental results show that classifier based on multi-class SVM is effective and efficient.
Development of efficient vertical axis wind turbine clustered farms

Abstract An efficient triangular shaped three co-rotating Savonius turbine cluster arranged in close proximity shown in Ref. [1] enhances the average output power of its three turbines up to 34% compared to their isolated counterpart. In this study, patterned Savonius vertical axis wind turbine farms are developed for renewable energy generation. The farms consists of multiples of triangular efficient three turbine clusters. The three turbine cluster has a triangular shape and the turbines inside the cluster are arranged in a close proximity to enhance their average output power. The efficient Savonius wind turbine farms are developed using the enhanced three co-rotating triangular turbine cluster of Ref. [1] as the building unit. The developed farms consist of multiple clusters with scaled geometrical ratios of the three turbine cluster keeping the same topology of the cluster. This resulted in patterned farms that have the same power enhancement ratio of the three turbine cluster. Numerical simulations of farms that consist of nine and twenty-seven turbines confirm the enhancement and the pattern progression for larger farms. Numerical results are obtained using Fluent code.
Border stories: using critical race and Latino critical theories to understand the experiences of Latino/a children

AbstractThe number of school-age children of color in US schools is increasing, while the teaching force continues to be dominated by white teachers. According to the 2013 Digest of Education Statistics in the 2011–2012 school year, 81.9% of public school teachers were white, while the projected number of Hispanic students enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools is expected to increase 33% between 2011 and 2022. In my experience, the issue of immigration is often ignored by the majority white teacher population, but, as I will share in this article, it is part of the lived experience of Latino children. I present my students’ border stories as discussed in relation to Latino children’s literature. I am using the words ‘border stories’ to represent the narratives my students shared about their families’ experiences crossing the US–Mexico border as well as what they felt about the societal discourse around ‘illegal immigrants.’ Critical race theory (CRT) and Latino critical theory (LatCrit) are ...
Reading Between the Lines: Using Plot Graphs to Draw Inferences from Stories

Intelligent agents designed to interact with humans need to be able to understand human narratives. Past attempts at creating story understanding systems are either computationally expensive or require a vast amount of hand-authored information to function. To combat these difficulties, we propose and evaluate a new story understanding system using plot graphs, which can be learned from crowdsourced data. Our system is able to generate story inferences much quicker than the baseline alternative without significant loss of accuracy.
THU0122 Etanercept Treatment Does Not Adversely Affect Traditional Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Background Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease. Objectives To evaluate changes in metabolic and lipid CV risk factors in patients with RA treated with etanercept (ETN) Methods This was an exploratory analysis in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ETN in patients with moderate RA despite disease-modifying antirheumatic drug therapy. Adults with active, moderate RA (3.2 Results In total, 210 patients enrolled: 104 PBO and 106 ETN; 77% female, 86% white, and mean (SD) age 56 (12) years. There were 14% with a medical history of type 2 diabetes and 30% a medical history of hyperlipidemia or hypercholesterolemia; 22% were receiving statins, 10% oral antidiabetic medications, 3% insulin, and 52% prednisone. Baseline, week-12, and week-24 values for each analyte are listed below. Over 24 weeks, there were no significant changes in metabolic or lipid analytes. Patients with diabetes and hyperlipidemia resembled the overall study population, except for decreases in fasting glucose and insulin through week 12 and slight decreases in hemoglobin A1C through week 24 in diabetics receiving ETN (n=17). For the majority of patients, all analytes were in the normal range at baseline and remained normal at week 24.There were no gross abnormalities in liver function tests. Safety results are consistent with the current safety profile. Conclusions Treatment with ETN did not adversely affect the levels of traditional metabolic and lipid CV risk factors in patients with RA. Results in patients with diabetes are hypothesis generating and might be clinically relevant if demonstrated in a larger study. Disclosure of Interest A. Deodhar Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen Inc., Boehringer Ingelheim, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, Consultant for: AbbVie, Amgen Inc., Boehringer Ingelheim, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, B. Bitman Shareholder of: Amgen Inc., Employee of: Amgen Inc., Y. Yang Shareholder of: Amgen Inc., Employee of: Amgen Inc., D. Collier Shareholder of: Amgen Inc., Employee of: Amgen Inc.
'Hey everybody, don't get pregnant': Zika, WHO and an ethical framework for advising.

WHO recently issued new guidance on the prevention of sexual transmission of Zika virus. The updated guidance states that ‘[c]ountry health programmes should ensure that… [i]n order to prevent adverse pregnancy and fetal outcomes, men and women of reproductive age, living in areas where local transmission of Zika virus is known to occur, be correctly informed and oriented to consider delaying pregnancy’. While the media has reported this advice as WHO telling couples in Zika-affected regions to avoid pregnancy, WHO states that they are not doing that. In an interview with the New York Times, a spokesperson from WHO stated, ‘it9s important to understand that this is not WHO saying, “Hey everybody, don9t get pregnant.” It9s that they should be advised about this, so they themselves can make the final decision’. In this statement, the WHO9s spokesperson distinguishes between actively directing individuals to delay pregnancy and advising them, which is portrayed as a merely informative act that facilitates but does not direct an individual9s final decision. This paper proposes that advising should not be understood as a purely informational and non-directive act. The choices that agencies make in what advice to offer and to whom to offer the advice are ethical choices with practical implications. We will thus lay out a framework for considering the ethical issues that arise in the context of advising and demonstrate how it can be used to evaluate the WHO guidance.
Pattern of Platelet Recovery in Predicting Outcome in Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia and Thrombosis.

Abstract Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (HITT), a severe immune-mediated drug reaction, is often underdiagnosed. Early management of HITT with alternative anticoagulants can result in a favorable outcome. However, the morbidity and mortality associated with HITT remain high, posing challenges for patient management. We describe the clinical profile and pattern of platelet count recovery in a cohort of 34 patients diagnosed with HITT. This retrospective study consists of 164 patients screened for HITT over 18 months at our institution based on positive platelet factor 4 (PF4) IgG antibodies in the proper clinical setting. Patients who tested positive were divided on the basis of recovery of platelet count (increase to >100 × 109/L or by 1.5-fold by day 5 of diagnosis) into two groups: delayed and normal recovery. Of the 164 patients screened, 107 were admitted with cardiac diseases while 57 non-cardiac conditions. A total of 34 patients (21%) were tested positive for PF4 antibodies. Patients with underlying cardiac conditions were more likely to be diagnosed with HITT than non-cardiac patients (28% versus 7%, p=0.0012). The male to female ratio was 1:1.1, and the median age was 65 years. Nineteen of 34 patients (56%) had delayed platelet recovery, while the remaining 15 patients (44%) had normal platelet recovery by day 5. The mortality rate was 68% (13 of 19) in the delayed recovery group, compared to only 7% (1 of 15) in the normal recovery group (p=0.0004). Twelve of the 34 patients with liver dysfunction had delayed platelet recovery and died (figure 1). There were 6 venous and 5 arterial thrombotic episodes. A total of 13 patients (38%) were treated with Argatroban, a direct thrombin inhibitor (DTI) indicated for the treatment of HITT, but it did not seem to improve platelet recovery (Table 1). Eight of the 13 treated patients (62%) and 11 of the 21 untreated patients (52%) showed no platelet recovery by day 5. In conclusion, early diagnosis of HITT is critically important for patient management, and yet, diagnosis is often elusive due to a general lack of awareness of this condition. Underlying cardiac diseases appear to predispose patients to HITT, probably due to previous exposure and sensitization to heparin. Despite the availability of new anticoagulants, HITT remains an undertreated and highly fatal condition with overall mortality of 38% in our series. Underlying liver dysfunction appears to be associated with delayed platelet recovery and poor survival. Affect of DTI on platelet recovery needs to be further investigated. Optimal response to therapy requires early diagnosis and intervention. Further studies are necessary to enhance our understanding of this devastating condition to facilitate early diagnosis and proper treatment. Treatment and Survival of HITT Patients Outcome Treated with DTI Not treated Total Dead 6 7 13 Alive 7 14 21 Total 13 21 34 Download : Download high-res image (85KB) Download : Download full-size image Download : Download high-res image (86KB) Download : Download full-size image
Intelligent Math Tutor: Problem-Based Approach to Create Cognizance

Mathematical word problems (or story problems) allow students to apply their mathematical problem solving ability to other subjects and real-world situations. Word problems build higher-order thinking, critical problem-solving, and reasoning skills. Generally solving a word problem is associated with mathematical modeling of a real word situation or a concept of another subject which is embedded in the problem. Manually creating word problems require knowledge of other topics a student is learning in parallel. Besides this, modeling mathematics with some other dissociated concept is a time-consuming and labor-intensive task. Due to lack of this integrated knowledge of other topics being taught, the substantive breadth of word problems is often very narrow and is limited to very few concepts. To address this limitation, we built a tool called Intelligent Math Tutor (IMT), which automatically generates mathematical word problems such that teachings from other subjects from a given curriculum can also be incorporated. Our tool thus widens the scope of word problems and uses this problem-solving based approach to indirectly create cognizance in its students. To the best of our knowledge, our tool is the first of its kind tool which explicitly blends knowledge from multiple dissociated subjects and uses it to enhance the cognizance of its learners.
Spinal Transection Alters External Urethral Sphincter Activity during Spontaneous Voiding in Freely Moving Rats.

Abstract The rat is a commonly used model for the study of lower urinary tract function before and after spinal cord injury. We have previously reported that in unanesthetized freely moving rats, although phasic external urethral sphincter (EUS) activity (bursting) is most common during micturition, productive voiding can occur in the absence of bursting, which differs from results seen in anesthetized or unanesthetized restrained animals. The purpose of the present study was to characterize EUS behavior in unanesthetized, freely moving rats before and after mid-thoracic (T8) or thoraco-lumbar (T13-L1) spinal transection to determine how EUS behavior after spinal cord injury differs from that seen in anesthetized or unanesthetized restrained rats. Several abnormalities became evident that were comparable after transection at either level, including the following: repetitive non-voiding EUS contractions; increased prevalence, intensity, and duration of EUS bursting; decreased rate of urine evacuation durin...
Physical and Organizational Job Stressors in Pregnancy and Associations With Primary Cesarean Deliveries.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between exposure to physical and organizational job stressors during pregnancy and cesarean delivery. METHODS We sampled 580 employed women in California who participated in a nested population-based case-control study of birth outcomes. Adjusted multivariate regression analyses estimated associations between heavy lifting, frequent bending, high noise, extreme temperature, prolonged standing and organizational stressors (shift work, inflexible schedules, effort-reward ratio), and primary cesarean (vs vaginal) delivery, controlling for covariates. RESULTS Women occupationally exposed had higher odds of cesarean. Those exposed to daily manual lifting more than 15 pounds [adjusted odds ratio = 2.54; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.21 to 5.32] and at least four physical job stressors (adjusted odds ratio = 3.49; 95% CI 1.21 to 10.09) had significantly elevated odds of cesarean delivery. Exposed morbid women experienced greater risk; risk was lower among those with schedule flexibility. CONCLUSION Associations were found between modifiable exposure to physical job stressors during pregnancy and cesarean delivery.
Fish assemblage production estimates in Appalachian streams across a latitudinal and temperature gradient

Production of biomass is central to the ecology and sustainability of fish assemblages. The goal of this study was to empirically estimate and compare fish assemblage production, production-to-biomass (P/B) ratios and species composition for 25 second- to third-order streams spanning the Appalachian Mountains (from Vermont to North Carolina) that vary in their temperature regimes. Fish assemblage production estimates ranged from 0.15 to 6.79 g m−2 year−1, and P/B ratios ranged from 0.20 to 1.07. There were no significant differences in mean assemblage production across northern cold-water, southern cold-water and southern cool-water streams (p = .35). Two warm-water streams, not included in these comparisons, had the highest mean production and biomass values. Mean assemblage P/B was significantly higher in northern cold-water streams relative to southern cold-water and cool-water streams (p = .01). Species evenness in production declined with stream temperature and differed significantly across the lower latitude cold-water, cool-water and warm-water streams and the higher latitude (i.e. more northern) cold-water streams. Our fish assemblage production estimates and P/B ratios were both lower and higher compared to previously published estimates for similar stream habitats. This study provides empirical fish assemblage production estimates to inform future research on southern Appalachian streams and on the potential impacts of varying temperature regimes on cold-water, cool-water and warm-water fish production in the coming decades as climate change continues to threaten fish assemblages.
H+/E- Ratios for Photosynthetic Electron Transfer in Intact Leaves in the Steady State.

The energy budget of a plant depends upon the ratio of protons pumped across the thylakoid membrane to electrons passed through photosynthetic electron transfer complexes (the H+/e- ratio) which determines the ratio of NADPH reduced to ATP phosphorylated. Thus it is the H+/e- that ultimately sets the stoichiometries for ATP and NADPH utilization in the Calvin cycle and other biochemical pathways. There has been a long-standing debate about the magnitude of H+/e- for green plant photosynthesis. In the generally accepted scheme, for each electron transferred through the linear pathway, one proton is released into the lumen at the level of water splitting, another is transported across the thylakoid membrane by the reduction and reoxidation of plastoquinone at the photosystem II (PSII) QB site and the cytochrome (cyt) b6f complex Qo sites, respectively. A third proton is pumped, at least under some conditions, by the turnover of a Q-cycle associated with the oxidation of plastoquinol at the b6f complex [1,2]. However, several groups have provided evidence that the H+/e- ratio for linear electron transport in isolated thylakoids changes from 3 to 2 with increasing light intensity [3-5] thus suggesting that the Q-cycle can be bypassed under some conditions. On the other hand, several authors have suggested that H+/e- ratio remains constant [6–8]. Much of this controversy may be due to the fact that past estimates of H+/e- have been measured in isolated thylakoids where light-induced acidification of the lumen can severely retard photosynthetic rates. In this work, we demonstrate non-invasive techniques for the measurement of H+/e- in intact plants and show that this ratio remains fixed during normal photosynthesis under non-stressed conditions.
Detection of Nanophyetus salmincola in Water, Snails, and Fish Tissues by Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction.

AbstractWe report the development and validation of two quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays to detect Nanophyetus salmincola DNA in water samples and in fish and snail tissues. Analytical and diagnostic validation demonstrated good sensitivity, specificity, and repeatability of both qPCR assays. The N. salmincola DNA copy number in kidney tissue was significantly correlated with metacercaria counts based on microscopy. Extraction methods were optimized for the sensitive qPCR detection of N. salmincola DNA in settled water samples. Artificially spiked samples suggested that the 1-cercaria/L threshold corresponded to an estimated log10 copies per liter ≥ 6.0. Significant correlation of DNA copy number per liter and microscopic counts indicated that the estimated qPCR copy number was a good predictor of the number of waterborne cercariae. However, the detection of real-world samples below the estimated 1-cercaria/L threshold suggests that the assays may also detect other N. salmincola life stages, nonintact cerca...
Comparison of fault current limitation with saturable reactor and dynamic voltage restorer

Increased penetration of the distributed energy sources in the grid and the growth of complex electrical power networks can increase the short-circuit current level of the power system. This increased current level requires upgrading circuit breakers, switches, and other equipment, which can be expensive and cause high copper and switching losses. Fault current limiters are designed to address the impacts of high fault currents. This paper investigates a strategy to limit the fault current using a saturable reactor and dynamic voltage restorer. By employing the magnetic saturation of the core with DC bias control, the reactance inserted into the system is varied based on the fault. Fault current limitation through a saturable reactor is implemented and compared with a dynamic voltage restorer. The case studies are performed on 1) a radial system and 2) CIGRE-IEEE low-voltage system for both balanced and unbalanced fault conditions. For the radial system, fault current limited by saturable reactor has significantly less magnitude than the DVR, but for a complex system, there is only a small difference in line current magnitude. The simulation studies performed in the PSCAD/EMTDC simulation environment show that as a fault current limiter, the saturable reactor limits the fault current in less time than the DVR.
Storage trade-offs and optimal load scheduling for cooperative consumers in a microgrid with different load types

ABSTRACTGrowing demand and aging infrastructure has put the current electricity grid under increased pressure. Microgrids (μGs) equipped with storage are believed to be the future of electricity gr...
Characterizing isolated attosecond pulses with angular streaking

We present a robust reconstruction algorithm for isolated attosecond pulses, which exploits the phase-dependent energy modulation of a photoelectron ionized in the presence of a circularly polarized laser field.
Assessment of rehabilitation potential

Physicians often have a powerful influence on patients and their families. If we enthusiastically recommend a realistic rehabilitation program, it will help our patients face the arduous process of functional recovery. Rehabilitation potential depends on many factors. Although there are scales that predict outcome following illnesses such as stroke or hip fracture, these outcomes are based on physical function. Until scales are developed that also look at psychologic and social and economic circumstance, the clinician's judgment is the only available method for determining rehabilitation potential. A screening tool that has been useful in assessing patients for admission to an acute rehabilitation inpatient unit is included in the Appendix. More research is needed to define which parameters in the physical, psychologic, and socioeconomic realms are useful in predicting rehabilitation potential. Funding for a prospective, long-term study is needed. Meanwhile, we must be vigilant in looking for the potential in all of our patients.
Generation and Propagation of Anti-Plane Surface Waves on a Body with Depth-Dependent Properties

The generation and propagation of anti-plane surface waves on an inhomogeneous half-space of depth dependent shear modulus and mass density, is discussed in this paper. The radiation of surface waves an anti-plane line load is analyzed by an application of the reciprocity theorem. Next the governing equation for free surface waves is reformulated in a form that is amenable to a surface wave solution in the high frequency range. The boundary condition on the free surface yields an equation for the velocity of surface waves, in terms of the wave number and derivatives of the functions defining the depth dependence of the shear modules and the mass density. This equation does not always have a realvalued solution, and when it does the amplitude of the corresponding wave motion does not always display the decrease with depth that would define a surface wave.Numerical examples are presented to illustrate these observations.
Riboregulated toehold-gated gRNA for programmable CRISPR–Cas9 function

Predictable control over gene expression is essential to elicit desired synthetic cellular phenotypes. Although CRISPR–Cas9 offers a simple RNA-guided method for targeted transcriptional control, it lacks the ability to integrate endogenous cellular information for efficient signal processing. Here, we present a new class of riboregulators termed toehold-gated gRNA (thgRNA) by integrating toehold riboswitches into sgRNA scaffolds, and demonstrate their programmability for multiplexed regulation in Escherichia coli with minimal cross-talks. Engineering of toehold-gated guide RNA (thgRNA) by tethering toehold riboswitches to sgRNAs enables the activation of CRISPR–Cas9 genome editing or transcriptional regulation in response to complementary synthetic or endogenous cellular RNAs.
Should signet-ring cell histology alter the treatment approach for clinical stage I gastric cancer?

321Background: Upfront surgery is standard of care for stage I gastric cancer. Despite this, many clinicians administer preoperative therapy for clinical stage I disease with signet ring cell histo...