cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estimating risk factors and perinatal outcomes for gestational diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance in teen mothers

Background Our objective was to identify potentially modifiable risk factors and outcomes for gestational diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance in a contemporary American teen population. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of all teenage deliveries (≤18 years old) at one institution over a 4-year period with documented oral glucose tolerance testing. All cases of gestational diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance were identified using the Carpenter and Coustan diagnostic criteria and compared with teenage mothers with normal glucose tolerance testing. Results Of the 670 included teen deliveries, 668 were either African American or Hispanic/Latino; 31 (5%) were diagnosed with gestational diabetes (n = 5) or impaired glucose tolerance (n = 26). Higher maternal prepregnancy body mass index (34.3 ± 7.8 vs 30.3 ± 6.4, p = 0.001) and morbid obesity (body mass index ≥ 35 kg/m2, RR 2.0, 95% CI 1.1–3.6) were associated with gestational diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance. There was no association with weight gain above the Institute of Medicine recommended levels (RR 1.6, 95% CI 0.77–3.4). On postpregnancy follow up, three of the five (60%) teens with gestational diabetes and none of the 26 (0%) teens with impaired glucose tolerance were diagnosed with diabetes mellitus. Conclusions Higher prepregnancy body mass index, especially morbid obesity, places the gravid teen at higher risk for development of gestational diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance in pregnancy. The potentially modifiable nature of these risk factors coupled with the emerging teen obesity epidemic underscores the need for increased public health focus on this problem. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The nonspecificity of the thyroid halo sign

In a series of 28 patients with solitary solid thyroid masses, 10 of the patients had a mass surrounded by a rim of decreased echoes or by an echo-free rim, previously termed the halo sign. Eight of these lesions were benign, being either adenomas or benign nodules; however, two halos were also demonstrated surrounding proven carcinomas. The presence of the halo in both benign and malignant disease is illustrated, and the possibility of pericapsular inflammatory infiltrate as its underlying anatomic correlate is suggested.
Modeling and testing the diffusion of expectations: An EITM approach

This paper uses the empirical implications of theoretical models (EITM) framework to examine the consequences of the asymmetric diffusion of expectations. In the spirit of the traditional two-step flow model of communication, less-informed agents learn the expectations of more-informed agents. We find that when there is misinterpretation in the information acquisition process, a boomerang effect exists. In this equilibrium the less-informed agents’ forecasts confound those of more-informed agents. We apply the EITM approach to a key economic variable known to have a relation to economic fluctuations – inflation expectations. Using surveyed inflation expectations data for the period, 1978–2000, we find the boomerang effect exists. One implication of this finding pertains to economic policy and economic volatility: because policymakers have more information than the public, the boomerang effect can lead policymakers to make inaccurate forecasts of economic conditions and conduct erroneous policies which contribute to economic instability.
Clinical Management of Skin and Soft Tissue Infections in the U.S. Emergency Departments

Introduction: Community-associated methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) has emerged as the most common cause of skin and soft-tissue infections (SSTI) in the United States. A nearly three-fold increase in SSTI visit rates had been documented in the nation’s emergency departments (ED). The objective of this study was to determine characteristics associated with ED performance of incision and drainage (I+D) and use of adjuvant antibiotics in the management of skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI). Methods: Cross-sectional study of the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, a nationally representative database of ED visits from 2007-09. Demographics, rates of I+D, and adjuvant antibiotic therapy were described. We used multivariable regression to identify factors independently associated with use of I+D and adjuvant antibiotics.Results: An estimated 6.8 million (95% CI: 5.9-7.8) ED visits for SSTI were derived from 1,806 sampled visits; 17% were for children <18 years of age and most visits were in the South (49%). I+D was performed in 27% (95% CI 24-31) of visits, and was less common in subjects <18 years compared to adults 19-49 years (p<0.001), and more common in the South. Antibiotics were prescribed for 85% of SSTI; there was no relationship to performance of I+D (p=0.72). MRSA-active agents were more frequently prescribed after I+D compared to non-drained lesions (70% versus 56%, p<0.001). After multivariable adjustment, I+D was associated with presentation in the South (OR 2.36; 95% CI 1.52-3.65 compared with Northeast), followed by West (OR 2.13; 1.31-3.45), and Midwest (OR 1.96; 1.96-3.22).Conclusion:Clinical management of most SSTIs in the U.S. involves adjuvant antibiotics, regardless of I+D. Although not necessarily indicated, CA-MRSA effective therapy is being used for drained SSTI. [West J Emerg Med. 2014;15(4):491–498.]
Bayesian Interpretation of Test Reliability

A Bayesian alternative to interpretations based on classical reliability theory is presented. The central issue in reliability is defined as the extent to which a test score can predict itself, rather than a hypothetical true score. Procedures are detailed for calculation of a posterior score and credible interval with joint consideration of item sample and occasion error.
The Teaching of Comparative and World Criminology in Graduate Schools of Sociology and Criminal Justice

The emergence of movements for development of one-world culture and world peace offers a new challenge to criminologists in action and academic settings. This paper reports on a study of the number and types of comparative and world criminology courses currently being offered in graduate schools of Sociology and Criminal Justice in the country. The data are analyzed, in particular, in terms of the comparative vs. world perspective of the approaches used in the courses, indicating the implications of each as related to developments on the present and future world scene.
Nitrogen biogeochemistry of submarine groundwater discharge

To investigate the role of the seepage zone in transport, chemical speciation, and attenuation of nitrogen loads carried by submarine groundwater discharge, we collected nearshore groundwater samples (n 5 328) and examined the distribution and isotopic signature (d15N) of nitrate and ammonium. In addition, we estimated nutrient fluxes from terrestrial and marine groundwater sources. We discuss our results in the context of three aquifer zones: a fresh groundwater zone, a shallow salinity transition zone (STZ), and a deep STZ. Groundwater plumes containing nitrate and ammonium occurred in the freshwater zone, whereas the deep STZ carried almost exclusively ammonium. The distributions of redox-cycled elements were consistent with theoretical thermodynamic stability of chemical species, with sharp interfaces between water masses of distinct oxidation : reduction potential, suggesting that microbial transformations of nitrogen were rapid relative to dispersive mixing. In limited locations in which overlap occurs between distribution of nitrate with that of ammonium and dissolved Fe2+, changes in concentration and in d15N suggest loss of all species. Concurrent removal of NO { and NH z , both in freshwater and the deep STZ, might occur through a range of mechanisms, including heterotrophic or autotrophic denitrification, coupled nitrfication : denitrification, anammox, or Mn oxidation of NH z . Loss of nitrogen was not apparent in the shallow STZ, perhaps because of short water residence time. Despite organic Cpoor conditions, the nearshore aquifer and subterranean estuary are biogeochemically active zones, where attenuation of N loads can occur. Extent of attenuation is controlled by the degree of mixing of biogeochemically dissimilar water masses, highlighting the critical role of hydrogeology in N biogeochemistry. Mixing is related in part to thinning of the freshwater lens before discharge and to dispersion at the fresh : saline groundwater interface, features common to all submarine groundwater discharge zones.
An integration platform for heterogeneous bioinformatics software components

Although computer programs and database resources for bioinformatics applications are becoming more widely available, these resources are unstandardized and frequently incompatible. The problem of integrating heterogeneous software is of immense importance to the field, especially because a rapid pace of change and a general scarcity of development resources discourage re-engineering and compel developers to find ways to use legacy resources. In this paper, we describe an approach to the problem of integration of heterogeneous bioinformatics resources that relies on a generalized software platform, written in the JavaTM language, that we call ISYSTM. The ISYS platform employs techniques for interoperation among loosely coupled components, such as brokered service exchange and mediated event exchange, that are increasingly common in software engineering but still not used widely in bioinformatics. In addition, it further promotes loose coupling of independent components through a flexible, semistructured data model that supports run-time association of attributes with objects, and allows different components to maintain different "views" of the same object. We describe our general approach, the architecture of the system, the mechanics of event and service exchange, and the implementation of the data model. The platform is not restricted in its utility to bioinformatics, and could be useful for any rapidly changing field in which the integration of heterogeneous legacy components is important.
Regulation of the ribonucleotide reductase small subunit (R2) in the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti.

Ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) catalyzes the formation of deoxyribonucleotides, a rate limiting step in DNA synthesis. Class I RNR is a tetramer that consists of two subunits, R1 and R2; enzymatic activity requires association of R1 with R2. The R2 subunit is of special interest because it dictates the interaction with R1 that is required for enzymatic activity expression, and it is expressed only during the S phase of the cell cycle. We previously sequenced an R2 cDNA clone from the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti . We found the message was upregulated by blood feeding. We now report the sequence of an R2 genomic clone. The gene consists of 4 introns and 5 exons. Both major and minor transcriptional start sites have been identified, and their use differs in sugar-fed versus blood-fed females. The gene contains putative cis -regulatory sites for E2F, Caudal (Cdx) and Dearolf (Dfd). The mosquito R2 gene contains iron-specific regulatory elements immediately upstream of the minimal promoter region. Binding of a factor to the distal putative Cdx site in the − 400 region is altered by iron treatment of cells. Further, following blood feeding, R2 message is significantly induced in mosquito ovaries (tissues that are involved in oogenesis—a process requiring DNA synthesis).
Parasomnia overlap disorder: a distinct pathophysiologic entity or a variant of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder? A case series.

Abstract Background Parasomnia overlap disorder (POD) currently is classified by the International Classification of Sleep Disorders, Second Edition (ICSD-2) as a variant of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD), and therefore its diagnosis also implies counseling the patients on the increased risk for developing neurodegenerative disorders. POD pathophysiology is not clear to date. Methods The authors report 5 cases of POD, review the literature, and analyze previously published cases of POD. Results In all 5 reported cases sleep-related activity was clearly demonstrated, though the RBD component was mild or incidentally discovered. None of the patients had Parkinsonian clinical features. Based on ICSD-2 criteria, there are 139 more POD cases reported in the literature and 69. 2% are idiopathic. The POD patients had an earlier age of onset than the patients with RBD. The RBD component was milder than the disorder of arousal (DOA) in most cases. Recently an updated classification was published, which included new categories of POD. The features mentioned above and the revised classification suggests that POD is not just a subtype of RBD. Conclusions We propose that POD is a distinct pathophysiologic parasomnia. Further research to identify the underlying mechanism is needed. Proper counseling is necessary for patients presenting with POD at a young age of onset.
Shadow configuration as a network management primitive

Configurations for today's IP networks are becoming increasingly complex. As a result, configuration management is becoming a major cost factor for network providers and configuration errors are becoming a major cause of network disruptions. In this paper, we present and evaluate the novel idea of shadow configurations. Shadow configurations allow configuration evaluation before deployment and thus can reduce potential network disruptions. We demonstrate using real implementation that shadow configurations can be implemented with low overhead.
New Media in Seoul After Midnight

A dispatch on the arts, technologies and cultures in the metropolitan community served by the Seoul airport.
Impact of Ethnicity, Gender, and Previous Experience on Juror Judgments in Sexual Harassment Cases1

To examine the influence of gender, having been the target of sexual harassment, and ethnicity on jury decisions, 215 respondents reviewed 17 sexual harassment cases ranging on a continuum from relatively innocent to severe. Respondents indicated their perception of the offensiveness of the cases as well as whether they would vote for the plaintiff or for the defendant. Jurors voting for the plaintiff also indicated whether monetary damages should be awarded. Results of the study indicate that gender and prior experience with sexual harassment affect the outcomes in sexual harassment cases when behaviors can be classified as ambiguous. Results were mixed for the influence of gender and having been sexually harassed for relatively innocent and severe cases. No ethnicity effects were found. A discussion of the legal implications of these findings is included.
ArchaeoSTOR: A data curation system for research on the archeological frontier

The broad adoption of diagnostic and analytical techniques in the field of archeology, presents a unique opportunity for e-Science in the form of scientific explanation, drawing from methodologies aimed at recording, archiving, analyzing, and disseminating, rich data collections to create the needed infrastructure for both research and web-based curation and data management system. This paper presents a needed stepping stone towards synergy between information technology and archeology, by introducing a data acquisition, tagging and characterization pipeline along with a novel method for spatially querying archeological data.
Perspective on Application of Amorphous Alloys in Magnetic Devices

The soft magnetic material characteristics of iron-nickel, iron-cobalt, and iron-silicon are compared to a variety of amorphous alloys. The properties of the amorphous alloy toroids, as-wound, improve with decreasing magnetostriction as expected. However, even after annealing to completely stress-relieve the toroid, the properties still depend strongly on magnetostriction. To date, the amorphous alloys have somewhat higher losses and lower permeabilities than the same thickness Fe-Ni alloys have but the amorphous alloys are significantly superior to the Fe-Co and Fe-Si alloys. Applications of the amorphous alloys in small electronic devices appear to be justified where the design optimization can make use of (1) the lower cost expected from the amorphous alloys, (2) the higher induction of some of the amorphous alloys compared to the Fe-Ni alloys, or (3) their lower losses and higher permeabilities compared to the crystalline Fe-Co and Fe-Si alloys. The high saturation amorphous alloys of Fe-B as thin tapes have about one-fourth the losses of the best grain-oriented Fe-3.2% Si sheet steel measured with sine flux, but the saturation magnetization is 20% lower. The design implications of these differences for power devices is not immediately clear.
New Perspectives on DNA and RNA Triplexes As Effectors of Biological Activity.

Since the first description of the canonical B-form DNA double helix, it has been suggested that alternative DNA, DNA–RNA, and RNA structures exist and act as functional genomic elements. Indeed, over the past few years it has become clear that, in addition to serving as a repository for genetic information, genomic DNA elicits biological responses by adopting conformations that differ from the canonical right-handed double helix, and by interacting with RNA molecules to form complex secondary structures. This review focuses on recent advances on three-stranded (triplex) nucleic acids, with an emphasis on DNA–RNA and RNA–RNA interactions. Emerging work reveals that triplex interactions between noncoding RNAs and duplex DNA serve as platforms for delivering site-specific epigenetic marks critical for the regulation of gene expression. Additionally, an increasing body of genetic and structural studies demonstrates that triplex RNA–RNA interactions are essential for performing catalytic and regulatory functions in cellular nucleoprotein complexes, including spliceosomes and telomerases, and for enabling protein recoding during programmed ribosomal frameshifting. Thus, evidence is mounting that DNA and RNA triplex interactions are implemented to perform a range of diverse biological activities in the cell, some of which will be discussed in this review.
Metabolic Engineering of Seed Oil Biosynthetic Pathways for Human Health

Multiple studies have shown that inclusion of omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in the diet can have multiple health benefits including positive effects on cardiovascular and mental health. Although marine oils can be a rich source of omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, processed fish oil is undesirable as a food ingredient because of the associated objectionable flavors and contaminants that are difficult and cost-prohibitive to remove. Oilseed plants engineered to produce omega-3 LC PUFAs offer a safe, sustainable and cost-effective alternative to fish oils as a source of LC PUFA for food ingredients. Given the potential benefit, much recent effort from both academic and industrial research labs has been directed towards producing a land-based, oilseed-derived source of LC-PUFAs and the approaches, recent advances and future prospects will be discussed here
Restrained Shrinkage Cracking and Dry Shrinkage of Rapid-Set Prepackaged Cementitious Materials

AbstractThe dry shrinkage characteristics of 23 rapid-set prepackaged cementitious materials collected from the current market have been investigated in this study. The materials showed various trends and rates of free dry shrinkage strain development. Overall, most materials had the free dry shrinkage of less than 0.05% at 28 days; however, only materials with the 28-day free dry shrinkage of less than 0.025% were observed to exhibit a low risk of restrained shrinkage cracking. The restrained shrinkage cracking typically occurred within a week after casting primarily because of the rapid growth of dry shrinkage during this period. A higher free dry shrinkage strain or a higher rate of free dry shrinkage strain development at the early age normally resulted in an earlier formation of cracking and a larger crack size during the restrained shrinkage test. Coarse aggregate extension reduced the free dry shrinkage and the risk or the size of restrained shrinkage cracking or delayed the time of restrained shri...
Guiding and modelling quality improvement in higher education institutions

The article considers the process of creating quality improvement in higher education institutions from the point of view of current organisational theory and social-science modelling techniques. The author considers the higher education institution as a functioning complex of rules, norms and other organisational features and reviews the social mechanisms and processes through which agencies can stimulate quality improvement. The article provides a few examples of how these social processes might be modelled using social simulation techniques, including agent-based models, discrete event simulation and other modelling techniques developed for representing complex social processes of coordination and cooperation. A better representation of universities as complexes of organisations will support more effective quality improvement by higher education leaders and external agencies.
Iterative Methods in Combinatorial Optimization (Invited Talk).

In these lectures, I will describe a simple iterative method that supplies new proofs of integrality of linear characterizations of various basic problems in combinatorial optimization, and also allows adaptations to design approximation algorithms for NP-hard variants of these problems involving extra "degree-like" budget constraints. It is inspired by Jain's iterative rounding method for designing approximation algorithms for survivable network design problems, and augmented with a relaxation idea in the work of Lau, Naor, Salvatipour and Singh in their work on designing the approximation algorithm for its degree bounded version. Its application was further refined in recent work of Bansal, Khandekar and Nagarajan on degree-bounded directed network design. I will begin by reviewing the background material on LP relaxations and their solvability and properties of extreme point or vertex solutions to such problems. I will then introduce the basic framework of the method using the assignment problem, and show its application by re-deriving the approximation results of Shmoys and Tardos for the generalized assignment problem. I will then discuss linear characterizations for the spanning tree polyhedron in undirected graphs and give a new proof of integrality using an iterative method. I will then illustrate an application to approximating the degree-bounded version of the undirected problem, by proving the results of Goemans and Lau & Singh. I will continue with showing how these methods for spanning trees simplify and generalize to showing linear descriptions of maximum weight matroid bases and also maximum weight sets that are independent in two different matroids. This also leads to good additive approximation algorithms for a bounded degree version of the matroid basis problem. I will close with applications of the iterative method by revisiting Jain's original proof for the SNDP and giving a new proof that unifies its treatment with that for the Symmetric TSP polyhedron (describing joint work with Nagarajan and Singh). I will also outline the versatility of the method by pointing out the other problems for which the method has been applied, summarizing the discussion in a recent monograph I have co-authored on this topic with Lap Chi Lau and Mohit Singh (published by Cambridge University Press, 2011).
Unexpectedly Stable (Chlorocarbonyl)(N-ethoxycarbonylcarbamoyl)disulfane, and Related Compounds That Model the Zumach–Weiss–Kühle (ZWK) Reaction for Synthesis of 1,2,4-Dithiazolidine-3,5-diones

The Zumach-Weiss-Kuhle (ZWK) reaction provides 1,2,4-dithiazolidine-3,5-diones [dithiasuccinoyl (Dts)-amines] by the rapid reaction of O-ethyl thiocarbamates plus (chlorocarbonyl)sulfenyl chloride, with ethyl chloride and hydrogen chloride being formed as coproducts, and carbamoyl chlorides or isocyanates generated as yield-diminishing byproducts. However, when the ZWK reaction is applied with (N-ethoxythiocarbonyl)urethane as the starting material, heterocyclization to the putative "Dts-urethane" does not occur. Instead, the reaction directly provides (chlorocarbonyl)(N-ethoxycarbonylcarbamoyl)disulfane, a reasonably stable crystalline compound; modified conditions stop at the (chlorocarbonyl)[1-ethoxy-(N-ethoxycarbonyl)formimidoyl]disulfane intermediate. The title (chlorocarbonyl)(carbamoyl)disulfane cannot be converted to the elusive Dts derivative, but rather gives (N-ethoxycarbonyl)carbamoyl chloride upon thermolysis, or (N-ethoxycarbonyl)isocyanate upon treatment with tertiary amines. Additional transformations of these compounds have been discovered, providing entries to both known and novel species. X-ray crystallographic structures are reported for the title (chlorocarbonyl)(carbamoyl)disulfane; for (methoxycarbonyl)(N-ethoxycarbonylcarbamoyl)disulfane, which is the corresponding adduct after quenching in methanol; for [1-ethoxy-(N-ethoxycarbonyl)formimidoyl](N'-methyl-N'-phenylcarbamoyl)disulfane, which is obtained by trapping the title intermediate with N-methylaniline; and for (N-ethoxycarbonylcarbamoyl)(N'-methyl-N'-phenylcarbamoyl)disulfane, which is a short-lived intermediate in the reaction of the title (chlorocarbonyl)(carbamoyl)disulfane with excess N-methylaniline. The new chemistry and structural information reported herein is expected to contribute to accurate modeling of the ZWK reaction trajectory.
Sclerotherapy with tetracycline for hydroceles in renal transplant patients.

AbstractA total of 17 patients with hydroceles following renal transplantation underwent sclerotherapy with tetracycline hydrochloride (10 ml. of a 5% solution of tetracycline in 1% lidocaine). A successful outcome was obtained in 15 patients (88%). Post-sclerotherapy hydrocelectomy was necessary in 2 patients (12%). No major complications (testicular loss, scrotal abscess or necrosis) occurred in any patient. Pain at injection was the only adverse effect. Tetracycline sclerotherapy for hydroceles appears to be an effective and safe procedure in the renal transplant population. We recommend this procedure as the initial treatment modality for hydroceles in patients with a renal allograft.
Successful Term Delivery by Cesarean Section in a Patient with a Continent Ileocecal Urinary Reservoir

AbstractChildbirth in a mother with a continent urinary reservoir to our knowledge has not been previously reported. The effects of the gravid uterus on the reservoir are presented, as well as management of the pregnancy and delivery.
Zwitterionic Cyanine–Cyanine Salt: Structure and Optical Properties

Cyanines with long conjugation length such as heptamethines are well known to have strong intramolecular and/or intermolecular interactions (i.e., ion paring and aggregation), which can affect their structures (i.e., symmetry breaking) and optical properties remarkably. In this paper, we report a covalently linked complementary cyanine complex of cationic and anionic heptamethines forming a highly polarizable zwitterionic cyanine–cyanine salt. The effect of the modification was studied in detail on both its electronic structure and its optical properties. This novel zwitterionic salt was found to exhibit a decreased ion-pairing-induced charge localization but with an increased electronic coupling between the excited states of the cyanine cation and the anion, resulting in unusual optical properties compared to closely related noncovalent complementary cyanine salts. The dual-arm Z-scan technique was used to study their third-order NLO properties, suggesting the electronic coupling in such preorganized zwi...
Active Burst-Buffer: In-Transit Processing Integrated into Hierarchical Storage

The data volume of many scientific applications has substantially increased in the past decade and continues to increase due to the rising needs of high-resolution and fine- granularity scientific discovery. The data movement between stor- age and compute nodes has become a critical performance factor and has attracted intense research and development attention in recent years. In this paper, we propose a novel solution, named Active burst-buffer, to reduce the unnecessary data movement and to speed up scientific workflow. Active burst-buffer enhances the existing burst-buffer concept with analysis capabilities by reconstructing the cached data to a logic file and providing a MapReduce-like computing framework for programming and executing the analysis codes. An extensive set of experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of Active burst-buffer by comparing it against existing mainstream schemes, and more than 30% improvements were observed. The evaluations confirm that Active burst-buffer is capable of enabling efficient data analysis in-transit on burst-buffer nodes and is a promising solution to scientific discoveries with large-scale data sets.
Treatment of ADHD in Tourette’s Syndrome

A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of clonidine (.05 mg 4xd) and desipramine (25 mg 4xd) treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) behaviors in 34 children with TS + ADHD is reported from the Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
Two-Dimensional Watershed-Scale Erosion Modeling With CASC2D

Erosion is as ancient as our planet itself (or even older) and its role in shaping the earth’s surface and human history and development cannot be over-emphasized. In most inhabited regions of the world, erosion due to human activities is a significant issue affecting water quality, reservoir capacity, biodiversity, and agricultural sustainability. The scientific knowledge of factors that cause erosion is incomplete. Current models for predicting of the future impact of land surface activities on erosion are inadequate. There is a pressing need to develop erosion models that preserve spatial relations between watershed characteristics, rainfall, and factors that affect erosion.
TRPV1 channels in human skeletal muscle feed arteries: implications for vascular function

To examine the role of transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) ion channel in the vascular function of human skeletal muscle feed arteries (SMFAs) and if activation of this heat-sensitive receptor could be involved in modulating vascular function, SMFAs from 16 humans (63 ± 5, 41–89 yrs) were studied using wire myography with capsaicin (TRPV1 agonist) and without (control). Specifically, phenylephrine (PE, α1-adrenergic receptor agonist), dexemedetomidine (DEX, α2-adrenergic receptor agonist), acetylcholine (ACh), and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) concentration response curves (CRCs) were performed to assess the role of TRPV1 channels in α-receptor-mediated vasocontraction as well as endothelium-dependent and independent vasorelaxation, respectively. Compared to control, capsaicin significantly attenuated maximum vasocontraction in response to PE (control: 52 ± 8; capsaicin: 21 ± 5%length-tensionmax (LTmax)) and DEX (control: 29 ± 12; capsaicin: 2 ± 3%LTmax), while robustly enhancing maximum vasorelaxation with ACh (control: 78 ± 8; capsaicin: 108 ± 13%vasorelaxation), and less clearly enhancing the SNP response. Denudation of the endothelium greatly attenuated the maximum ACh-induced vasorelaxation equally in the control and capsaicin conditions (∼17%vasorelaxation), and abolished the attenuating effect of capsaicin on the maximal PE response (denuded+capsaicin: 61 ± 20%LTmax). Immunohistochemistry identified a relatively high density of TRPV1 channels in the endothelium compared to the smooth muscle of the SMFAs, but, due to the far greater volume of smooth muscle, total TRPV1 protein content was not significantly attenuated by denudation. Thus, SMFAs ubiquitously express functional TRPV1 channels, which alter vascular function, in terms of α1-receptors, in a predominantly endothelium dependent manner, conceivably contributing to the functional sympatholysis and unveiling a therapeutic target. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
Application of Gold Nanorods in Cardiovascular Science

Cardiovascular disease is a significant global Cardiovascular disease is a significant global health problem. Effectively treating it and exercise, but also demands the development of novel tools for rapid diagnosis and new therapeutics for treatment. The field of nanomaterials is making significant contributions to multiple health care problems in the areas of disease detection, imaging and drug delivery. Gold nanoparticles are particularly promising due to their ease of synthesis, biocompatibility and unique optical properties. In particular, gold nanorods having received much attention for their potential in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, are now being examined for other biomedical applications. This chapter highlights efforts using gold nanorods in cardiovascular research in such areas as detection of cardiovascular disease, understanding cardiac cell response to nanomaterials and the ability of gold nanorods to alter the mechanical properties of model tissue constructs and cardiac valves .
Crystal chemistry and the role of ionic radius in rare earth tetrasilicates: Ba2RE2Si4O12F2 (RE = Er3+–Lu3+) and Ba2RE2Si4O13 (RE = La3+–Ho3+)

Structural variations across a series of barium rare earth (RE) tetrasilicates are studied. Two different formulas are observed, namely those of a new cyclo-silicate fluoride, BaRE2Si4O12F2 (RE = Er3+–Lu3+) and new compounds in the Ba2RE2Si4O13 (RE = La3+–Ho3+) family, covering the whole range of ionic radii for the rare earth ions. The Ba2RE2Si4O13 series is further subdivided into two polymorphs, also showing a dependence on rare earth ionic radius (space group P{\overline 1} for La3+–Nd3+, and space group C2/c for Sm3+–Ho3+). Two of the structure types identified are based on dinuclear rare earth units that differ in their crystal chemistries, particularly with respect to the role of fluorine as a structural director. The broad study of rare earth ions provides greater insight into understanding structural variations within silicate frameworks and the nature of f-block incorporation in oxyanion frameworks. The single crystals are grown from high-temperature (ca 953 K) hydro­thermal fluids, demonstrating the versatility of the technique to access new phases containing recalcitrant rare earth oxides, enabling the study of structural trends.
The Microbiome Gut–Brain Axis

Abstract The importance of the human microbiome in health, including the ways that environmental stressors affect the composition and function of the oral, nasal, skin, urogenital, and intestinal microbiota and thus contribute to disease, has recently been recognized as a major topic of research. One emerging area of research that has received considerable attention is the bidirectional signaling pathway between the brain and the intestinal microbiota, termed the gut–brain axis. This interaction influences human physiology, including the functions and behavior of the central nervous system (CNS) and the gastrointestinal tract. This review article will provide an overview of the microbiome gut–brain axis and describe research advances; future research needs; and data gaps in neurobehavioral, neurodegenerative, and neurodevelopmental disorders linked to the microbiome gut–brain axis.
Conformal structure of the heavy particle EFT operator basis

Abstract An operator basis of an effective theory with a heavy particle, subject to external gauge fields, is spanned by a particular kind of neutral scalar primary of the non-relativistic conformal group. We calculate the characters that can be used for generating the operators in a non-relativistic effective field theory, which accounts for redundancies from the equations of motion and integration by parts.
Game Theory and Some Interfaces with Control Theory

The order of topics in these written notes does not follow that of the lectures; in particular, the number of subdivisions is not equal to the number of lectures. Also, the final Section 8 on the “ideal linear weights” is reproduced in the form in which it appeared in the Naval Research Logistics Quarterly (Dec. 1973, Vol. 20, pp. 645–659) rather than just the portion that was covered in the lectures.
PROTEIN-BOUND GLUTATHIONE IN MAMMALIAN LENSES AND IN GALACTOSE CATARACT

Protein-bound glutathione in various mammalian lenses and in galactose cataracts in the rat has been determined using a specific method for the assay of reduced form of glutathione (GSH). In bovine lens the concentration of protein-bound GSH accounts for only 1–2% of total GSH in the lens. In rabbit and rat lenses the concentration of bound GSH is nearly 10% of the total tripeptide while in the human lens it is as high as one third of the total GSH. Bovine lens nucleus was found to contain a slightly higher concentration of protein-bound GSH than the cortex. In contrast to human cataractous lenses, which have been reported to show an increase in the concentration of protein-bound GSH, the concentration of bound tripeptide in galactose cataractous lenses was found to be actually lower than that in normal rat lenses.
Record Values in Markov Sequences

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the upper record values of the sample sequences of a stochastic process. If {Xn, n ≥ 1} is a Markov sequence possessing transition densities, the record sequence obtained from it is also a Markov sequence and has transition densities. The possible defectiveness of the record sequence makes a straightforward analysis of the record process, through the transition densities, very troublesome. The chapter describes two transition-density-like functions, which together can give complete information about the record process.
Evaluation of SWAT Impoundment Modeling Methods in Water and Sediment Simulations

Worldwide studies show that 80-90% of all sediments eroded from watersheds is trapped within river networks such as reservoirs, ponds and wetlands. To represent the impact of impoundments on sediment routing in watershed modeling, Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) developers recommend to model reservoirs, ponds and wetlands using impoundment tools. This study evaluates performance of SWAT impoundment tools in the modeling of a small, agricultural watershed dominated by lakes and wetlands. The study demonstrates how to incorporate impoundments into the SWAT model and discusses and evaluates involved parameters. The study then recommends an appropriate calibration sequence, i.e., landscape parameters calibration, followed by pond/wetlands calibration, then channel parameter calibrations and, lastly, reservoir parameter calibration. Results of this study demonstrate that not following SWAT recommendation regarding modeling water land-use as an impoundment depreciates SWAT performance and may lead to misplaced calibration efforts and model over-calibration. Further, the chosen method to model impoundments' outflow significantly impacts sediment loads in the watershed, while streamflow simulation is not very sensitive. This study also allowed calculation of mass accumulation rates in modeled impoundments where the annual mass accumulation rate in wetlands (2.3 T/ha/yr) was 39% higher than mass accumulation rate in reservoirs (1.4 T/ha/yr).
Temporal Composition of Alfalfa–Grass Pastures and Productivity Response of Holstein Steers

This study compared forage productivity and animal performance in three alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)–grass mixtures: alfalfa–meadow fescue [Schedonorus pratensis (Huds.) P. Beauv] (A–MF), alfalfa–orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) (A–OG), and alfalfa–tall fescue [Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort] (A–TF). Mixtures were rotationally grazed with Holstein (Bos taurus, initial weight 242 kg, annually n = 180) steers from 2014 to 2016. Steer performance data from 2014 were excluded due to several incidences of bloat. Grass proportions increased over the 3-yr study from 23% in 2014 to 40% in 2015 to 71% in 2016 (P < 0.01). Relationships (P < 0.001) between grass proportion and nutritive variables were detected with neutral detergent fiber (NDF) (R² = 0.40) and NDF digestibility (R² = 0.13) increasing with grass proportion, and crude protein (CP) decreasing (R² = 0.29) with grass proportion. No relationship (P = 0.82) existed for in vitro true digestibility (IVTD). Grass proportions were lower, 60% grass, (P < 0.05) in A–MF pastures in 2016, compared to 77% for A–TF and A–OG causing higher average daily gain (ADG) for A–MF (P < 0.01) (0.81, 0.56, and 0.57 kg d–¹ for A–MF, A–OG, and A–TF, respectively) and a tendency (P = 0.10) for greater gain per hectare for A–MF (P = 0.08) (994, 752, and 765 kg ha–¹ for A–MF, A–TF, and A–OG, respectively). Cattle ADG was greatest when alfalfa sward proportions were high. By 2016, A–MF pastures had the highest alfalfa proportion, and therefore, the highest levels of ADG and gain per hectare.
Strategies for Coping with Time-Related and Productivity Challenges of Young People with Learning Disabilities and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Learning disabilities (LD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are characterized by neurological differences that result in difficulties meeting learning and productivity expectations. Young people with LD and ADHD experience difficulties in self-managing academic, social, daily living, and health/wellness demands. Students with LD/ADHD must work longer and harder than peers, which makes managing time and productivity a critical skill for school success. This study examined the strategies that college students with LD/ADHD used to overcome obstacles related to time and productivity within their everyday life contexts. A qualitative phenomenological design was used to examine the phenomenon of coping and productive-task performance through strategy use among 52 college students with LD/ADHD. Strategies classified as habit and routine use, reframing, and symptom-specific strategies were identified. Strategy use for addressing time-related and productivity challenges are multidimensional and entailed a mix of cognitive, behavioral, psychological, and socio-environmental strategies. Effective strategy use across life’s contexts was critical to self-managing as a young person with a chronic developmental condition within a college context. The findings provide a much-needed understanding of the multi-faceted challenges and solutions within young adult contexts that are important for guiding the development of interventions for young people with LD/ADHD.
(137) Addition of Intrathecal Morphine to Manage Postoperative Pain in Pediatric Spine Surgery: A Meta-Analysis of Existing Studies

Whether intrathecal morphine (ITM) can be used as an adjunct to reduce postoperative pain without increasing the rate of complications following pediatric spine surgery remains uncertain. Previous studies have been limited by conflicting results or small sample sizes. Therefore, a meta-analysis of existing clinical trials and chart reviews was performed. The following databases were searched: PubMed, Clarivate Analytics Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Clinicaltrials.gov. Data for time to first analgesic demand, postoperative analgesic consumption, and complications were collected and analyzed. Mean difference (MD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to compare time to first analgesic demand and postoperative analgesic consumption; Odds Ratio (OR) and 95% CI used to compare respiratory depression, nausea, vomiting, and pruritus. After irrelevant articles were discarded, 5 articles (3 randomized controlled trials and 2 retrospective chart reviews) including 636 subjects were analyzed. Patients administered ITM requested postoperative analgesics later compared to control (MD: 8.79, 95% CI: 4.20 to 13.37, p 0.05). These findings suggest that addition of ITM reduces postoperative analgesic requirements in pediatric spine surgery patients without increasing rates of respiratory depression, nausea, vomiting, or pruritus. Future high-quality clinical trials are needed to determine the optimal dose of ITM in pediatric spine surgery.
Improvement in Kidney Function After Ventricular Assist Device Implantation and Its Influence on Thromboembolism, Hemorrhage, and Mortality.

Although heart transplantation remains the gold standard for management of heart failure, ventricular assist devices (VAD) have emerged as viable alternatives. VAD implantation improves kidney function. However, whether the improvement is sustained or associated with improved outcomes is unclear. Herein we assess kidney function improvement, predictors of improvement, and associations with thromboembolism, hemorrhage, and mortality in VAD patients. Kidney function was defined using chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages: stage 1 (glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] ≥ 90 ml/min/1.73 m), stage 2 (eGFR 60-90 ml/min/1.73 m), stage 3a (eGFR 45-59 ml/min/1.73 m), stage 3b (eGFR 30-44 ml/min/1.73 m), stage 4 (eGFR 15-30 ml/min/1.73 m), and stage 5 (eGFR 45 ml/min/1.73 m; patients with eGFR < 45 ml/min/1.73 m had a higher mortality risk (HR 3.32, 95% CI: 1.10-9.98, p = 0.03 for stage 3b; HR 4.07, 95% CI: 1.27-13.1, p = 0.02 for stage 4; and HR 4.01, 95% CI: 1.17-13.7, p = 0.03 for stage 5 CKD). Kidney function was not associated with thromboembolism or hemorrhage, and sustained improvement was not associated with lower risk of death. However, poor kidney function at implantation was associated with an increased risk of mortality.
Reigniting the Transformative Power of Puppets through Narrative Pedagogy, Contemporary Art, and Transdisciplinary Approaches in Art Education.

It is vital for the art education field to continue defining and redefining its multimodal versatility and malleability in the education of children in this ever-changing organic culture. Marshall ...
Assessing Small Bowel Stricturing and Morphology in Crohn's Disease Using Semi-automated Image Analysis.

Background Evaluating structural damage using imaging is essential for the evaluation of small intestinal Crohn's disease (CD), but it is limited by potential interobserver variation. We compared the agreement of enterography-based bowel damage measurements collected by experienced radiologists and a semi-automated image analysis system. Methods Patients with small bowel CD undergoing a CT-enterography (CTE) between 2011 and 2017 in a tertiary care setting were retrospectively reviewed. CT-enterography studies were reviewed by 2 experienced radiologists and separately underwent automated computer image analysis using bowel measurement software. Measurements included maximum bowel wall thickness (BWT-max), maximum bowel dilation (DIL-max), minimum lumen diameter (LUM-min), and the presence of a stricture. Measurement correlation coefficients and paired t tests were used to compare individual operator measurements. Multivariate regression was used to model identification of strictures using semi-automated measures. Results In 138 studies, the correlation between radiologists and semi-automated measures were similar for BWT-max (r = 0.724, 0.702), DIL-max (r = 0.812, 0.748), and LUM-min (r = 0.428, 0.381), respectively. Mean absolute measurement difference between semi-automated and radiologist measures were no different from the mean difference between paired radiologists for BWT-max (1.26 mm vs 1.12 mm, P = 0.857), DIL-max (2.78 mm vs 2.67 mm, P = 0.557), and LUM-min (0.54 mm vs 0.41 mm, P = 0.596). Finally, models of radiologist-defined intestinal strictures using automatically acquired measurements had an accuracy of 87.6%. Conclusion Structural bowel damage measurements collected by semi-automated approaches are comparable to those of experienced radiologists. Radiomic measures of CD will become an important new data source powering clinical decision-making, patient-phenotyping, and assisting radiologists in reporting objective measures of disease status.