cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of structured professional judgment by probation officers to assess risk for recidivism in adolescent offenders

The current study tested a method of risk assessment for adolescent offenders that relies on structured professional judgment: the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk for Youth (SAVRY; Borum, Bartel, & Forth, 2006). Trained probation officers in 3 jurisdictions administered the SAVRY to 505 adjudicated adolescents (M age = 15.43 years, SD = 1.62). The results supported the validity of the SAVRY administered in this juvenile justice context. Specifically, scores from the SAVRY differentiated violent from nonviolent offenders and predicted both violent and nonviolent recidivism over a 12-month follow-up period. Violent offenders showed more historical and individual risk factors than nonviolent offenders, and violent sex offenders were rated as more deficient in empathy and remorse. The anger control item was a particularly important indicator of risk for reoffending in the violent offender group. The implications of these findings for weighting risk factors in individual cases when using structured professional judgment are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record
Hypoxia Represses ER-α Expression and Inhibits Estrogen-Induced Regulation of Ca2+-Activated K+ Channel Activity and Myogenic Tone in Ovine Uterine Arteries: Causal Role of DNA Methylation

Previous in vivo study demonstrated that chronic hypoxia during gestation was associated with estrogen receptor-α (ER-α) gene repression in ovine uterine arteries. Yet, it remains undetermined whether hypoxia had a direct effect and if DNA methylation played a causal role in hypoxia-mediated ER-α gene repression. Thus, this study tested the hypothesis that prolonged hypoxia has a direct effect and increases promoter methylation resulting in ER-α gene repression and inhibition of estrogen-mediated adaptation of uterine vascular tone. Uterine arteries isolated from nonpregnant and pregnant sheep were treated ex vivo with 21.0% O2 and 10.5% O2 for 48 hours. Hypoxia significantly increased ER-α promoter methylation at both specificity protein-1 and upstream stimulatory factor binding sites, decreased specificity protein-1 and upstream stimulatory factor binding to the promoter, and suppressed ER-α expression in uterine arteries of pregnant animals. Of importance, the effects of hypoxia were blocked by a methylation inhibitor 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine. In addition, hypoxia abrogated steroid hormone-mediated increase in ER-α expression and inhibited the hormone-induced increase in large-conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channel activity and decrease in myogenic tone in uterine arteries of nonpregnant animals, which were reversed by 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine. The results provide novel evidence of a direct effect of hypoxia on heightened promoter methylation that plays a causal role in ER-α gene repression and ablation of steroid hormone-mediated adaptation of uterine arterial large conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channel activity and myogenic tone in pregnancy.
Abstract 4132: Roles of the acetyltransferases CBP/p300 in breast cancer

Intrinsic drug resistance renders certain breast cancer (BC) patients unresponsive to standard-of-care therapies. For example, ~50% of patients with estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) tumors do not respond to endocrine therapies (ETs, e.g., tamoxifen). Acquired drug resistance is another cause for treatment failure and deadly relapse. Therefore, new strategies that tackle both intrinsic and acquired resistance are needed for improving clinical outcome for BC patients. ER-alpha, the defining factor for ER+ tumors, is an estrogen-activated transcription factor (TF) that drives tumor growth and progression. It critically depends on the coactivators CBP/p300 for gene expression underpinning tumor biology of ER+ subtypes that account for ~75% of all BC cases. Recent advances revealed that another hormone receptor, the androgen receptor (AR), is expressed in the majority of ER+ BCs as well as in a subset of ER- BCs. Evidence has shown that AR signaling is implicated in ET resistance. For the HER2-enriched tumors, high levels of AR expression correlate with poor prognosis. Similarly for ER-alpha, CBP/p300 act as key coactivators for AR-mediated gene expression. Additionally, other oncogenic TFs (e.g., beta-catenin/TCF and STAT3) also depend on CBP/p300 for gene activation. Importantly, these pathways are active in all BC subtypes, regardless of the hormone receptor status. CBP/p300 overexpression and heightened acetyltransferase activity are detected in clinical BC samples and correlate with disease progression. Thus, CBP/p300 represent attractive targets for developing novel therapies broadly applicable for treating all major BC subtypes. We have discovered a novel class of highly potent CBP/p300 inhibitors. Our previous studies indicated that this class of compounds is highly effective to suppress tumor growth in vivo using a xenograft mouse model. We will present genomic features of CBP/p300 in different breast cancer subtypes and experimental data underlying potential mechanisms by which CBP/p300 regulate oncogenic phenotypes, as well as effects of pharmacologic inhibition of CBP/p300 on sensitivity of breast cancer cells to standard anticancer therapeutics. Citation Format: Iqbal Muhmud, Guimei Tian, Daiqing Liao. Roles of the acetyltransferases CBP/p300 in breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4132. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-4132
Outcomes After Reirradiation for Recurrent Pediatric Intracranial Ependymoma

Purpose To determine the long-term outcomes and the optimal dose and volume for reirradiation of recurrent pediatric ependymoma. Methods and Materials Patients with recurrent ependymoma treated with a second course of fractionated radiation therapy (RT2) were reviewed retrospectively. Eligible patients had localized, intracranial ependymoma at initial diagnosis that was treated with focal radiation (RT1) without craniospinal irradiation (CSI) and were aged ≤21 years at the time of RT2. The median doses of RT1, focal RT2, and CSI-RT2 were 59.4, 54, and 39.6 Gy, respectively. The primary endpoint, overall survival (OS), was measured from the first day of RT2. Results We included 101 patients in the study. The median interval between RT1 and RT2 was 26.8 months (interquartile range, 18.0-43.1). The median durations of OS and freedom from progression (FFP) were 75.1 and 27.3 months, respectively. Male sex and anaplastic histology at recurrence were associated with decreased OS and FFP on multivariate analysis. Distant-only failure treated with CSI-RT2 was independently associated with improved OS compared with individuals with local failure treated with focal RT2 (hazard ratio 0.37; 95% confidence interval 0.16-0.87). Among individuals experiencing any distant failure after RT1, gain of chromosome 1q was adversely associated with poorer OS (hazard ratio 3.5; 95% confidence interval 1.1-10.6). No distant-only failures were observed in individuals with RT1 local failure who received CSI-RT2 (n=10). The 10-year cumulative incidence of grade ≥3 radiation necrosis after RT2 was 7.9%. Conclusions Reirradiation for relapsed pediatric ependymoma was well tolerated by most patients and resulted in long-term survival in a subset of patients. The best results were observed in patients who experienced distant-only failure after RT1 and were treated with CSI as part of RT2, without anaplasia at recurrence. The option of reirradiation should be discussed with patients who develop recurrent ependymoma.
Haptoglobin 2‐2 Phenotype Is Associated With Increased Acute Kidney Injury After Elective Cardiac Surgery in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus

Background Recent studies reported an association between the 2‐2 phenotype of haptoglobin (Hp 2‐2) and increased cardiorenal morbidity in nonsurgical diabetic patients. Our goal was to determine whether the Hp 2‐2 phenotype was associated with acute kidney injury (AKI) after elective cardiac surgery in patients with diabetes mellitus. Methods and Results We prospectively enrolled 99 diabetic patients requiring elective cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Haptoglobin phenotypes were determined by gel electrophoresis. Cell‐free hemoglobin, haptoglobin, and total serum bilirubin were quantified as hemolysis markers. The primary outcome was postoperative AKI, as defined by the Acute Kidney Injury Network classification. The incidence of AKI was significantly higher in Hp 2‐2 patients compared with patients without this phenotype (non–Hp–2‐2; 55.6% versus 27%, P P =0.02). Thirty‐day mortality (3 versus 0 patients, P =0.04) and 1‐year mortality (5 versus 0 patients, P P =0.01; odds ratio: 4.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.35–12.48). Conclusions Hp 2‐2 phenotype is an independent predictor of postoperative AKI and is associated with decreased short and long‐term survival after cardiac surgery in patients with diabetes mellitus.
Environment-Friendly Post-Treatment of PEDOT-Tos Films by Aqueous Vitamin C Solutions for Tuning of Thermoelectric Properties

Aqueous vitamin C solution has been used as an environment-friendly reducing agent for tuning the thermoelectric properties of p-toluenesulfonate-doped poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT-Tos) films. The de-doping of the PEDOT-Tos films by aqueous vitamin C solutions led to a decrease in the electrical conductivity of the films. The measured ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared and x-ray photoelectron spectra clearly indicated the reduction in the oxidation level from 37 to 23% when the PEDOT-Tos films were treated with 5% (w/v) aqueous vitamin C solutions. An increase in the Seebeck coefficient was measured, resulting in an increase in the figure-of-merit (ZT). A 42% increase in ZT was determined for the 5% aqueous vitamin C solution-treated PEDOT-Tos films with respect to that of the untreated films.
Review of vegetative branching in the palms (Arecaceae).

Vegetative branching is common in the palms (Arecaceae). However, current terms to describe vegetative branching diversity are not consistent and do not cover the full range of branching types. In this study vegetative branching types in the palms were reviewed and defined, and the phylogenetic distribution of palm branching types was described. Branching types were described from a literature review and field observations; 1903 species representing all 181 genera were included. Five branching types were found: lateral axillary branching, shoot apical division, false vivipary, abaxial branching, and leaf-opposed branching. Most species (55%) exhibited no vegetative branching. Lateral axillary was the most common branching type. Lateral axillary branching and shoot apical division were predicted to be the earliest-evolved branching types. The present study suggests that branching types have different evolutionary histories, and it is likely that the solitary habit is more common now than when palms initially diverged from commelinid relatives.
Local L2-Thresholding Based Data Mining in Peer-to-Peer Systems.

In a large network of computers, wireless sensors, or mobile devices, each of the components (hence, peers) has some data about the global status of the system. Many of the functions of the system, such as routing decisions, search strategies, data cleansing, and the assignment of mutual trust, depend on the global status. Therefore, it is essential that the system be able to detect, and react to, changes in its global status. Computing global predicates in such systems is usually very costly. Mainly because of their scale, and in some cases (e.g., sensor networks) also because of the high cost of communication. The cost further increases when the data changes rapidly (due to state changes, node failure, etc.) and computation has to follow these changes. In this paper we describe a two step approach for dealing with these costs. First, we describe a highly efficient local algorithm which detect when the L2 norm of the average data surpasses a threshold. Then, we use this algorithm as a feedback loop for the monitoring of complex predicates on the data – such as the data’s k-means clustering. The efficiency of the L2 algorithm guarantees that so long as the clustering results represent the data (i.e., the data is stationary) few resources are required. When the data undergoes an epoch change – a change in the underlying distribution – and the model no longer represents it, the feedback loop indicates this and the model is rebuilt. Furthermore, the existence of a feedback loop allows using approximate and “best-effort” methods for constructing the model; if an ill-fit model is built the feedback loop would indicate so, and the model would be rebuilt.
Glia and Synapse Formation: An Overview

Glial cells are intimately associated with synapses at all stages of development and in the mature brain, and play an active role in synapse formation and maintenance. Glia are involved in inducing the formation of new synapses, eliminating existing synapses, controlling the location of synaptic inputs, and stabilizing synaptic structure. These observations dispel the myth that glia are passive bystanders whose only function is to nourish and support neurons.
Effects of Leukotriene C4 and Acivicin on the Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability of Ischemic Rat Brains: Proof of Existence of Enzymatic Barrier

We previously demonstrated that leukotriene C4 (LTC4) infused into the carotid artery ipsilateral to an experimental glial tumor increased the unidirectional transfer constant for permeability, Ki, two-fold within the tumor while no effect on permeability was seen in the normal brain [2]. Normal brain capillaries are rich in γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GTP), an enzyme which inactivates LTC4. In contrast, γ-GTP was absent in tumor capillaries. We suggested that normal brain capillaries may resist the vasogenic effects of LTC4, and hypothesized that this could relate to the ability of γ-GTP to act as an “enzymatic barrier” and inactivate leukotrienes in normal brain capillaries. We further speculated that leukotrienes could be important mediators of capillary permeability in pathological conditions where the ability of brain capillaries to inactivate LTC4 is impaired. To support this hypothesis, we already showed the ability of intracarotid infusions of LTC4 to selectively open the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in the ischemic tissue of the middle cerebral artery (MCA)-occluded rats [1]. Here, we further present the effects of leukotrienes on BBB permeability in ischemic tissue with or without acivicin, inhibitor of γ-GTP.
Text and network mining for literature-based scientific discovery in biomedicine

Most of the new and important findings in biomedicine are only available in the text of the published scientific articles. The first goal of this thesis is to design methods based on natural language processing and machine learning to extract information about genes, proteins, and their interactions from text. We introduce a dependency tree kernel based relation extraction method to identify the interacting protein pairs in a sentence. We propose two kernel functions based on cosine similarity and edit distance among the dependency-tree paths connecting the protein names. Using these kernel functions with supervised and semi-supervised machine learning methods, we report significant improvement (59.96% F-Measure performance over the AIMED data set) compared to the previous results in the literature. We also address the problem of distinguishing factual information from speculative information. Unlike previous methods that formulate the problem as a sentence classification task, we propose a two-step method to identify the speculative fragments of sentences. First, we use supervised classification to identify the speculation keywords using a diverse set of linguistic features that represent their contexts. Next, we use the syntactic structures of the sentences to resolve their linguistic scopes. Our results show that the method is effective in identifying speculative portions of sentences. The speculation keyword identification results are close to the upper bound of human inter-annotator agreement. The second goal of this thesis is to generate new scientific hypotheses using the literature mined protein/gene interactions. We propose a literature-based discovery approach, where we start with a set of genes known to be related to a given concept and integrate text mining with network centrality analysis to predict novel concept-related genes. We present the application of the proposed approach to two different problems, namely predicting gene disease associations and predicting genes that are important for vaccine development. Our results provide new insights and hypotheses worth future investigations in these domains and show the effectiveness of the proposed approach for literature-based discovery.
Resonance ionization of titanium: high useful yield and new autoionizing states

The isotopic composition of titanium in meteoritic phases can be used to decipher processes such as stellar nucleosynthesis and galactic chemical evolution. In order to facilitate analyses of trace amounts of titanium in atom-limited samples, we established a new three-step resonance ionization scheme. The scheme was developed using titanium–sapphire lasers and we show that it can be easily saturated and that it yields stable isotope measurements. Using the LION (Laser Ionization Of Neutrals) instrument we demonstrate a useful yield of 10.1% ± 1.6% when ionizing from the ground state. We determined the population of two low-lying electronic states within the ground state multiplet and show that accessing all three levels of the ground state manifold would result in an overall useful yield of ∼18%. The useful yield agrees well with expectations based on prior analyses of uranium using LION. In addition, we report the energy levels of nine new autoionizing states between 56 217 cm−1 and 57 086 cm−1.
Beyond Nutrient Intake: Use of Digital Food Photography Methodology to Examine Family Dinnertime.

ABSTRACT Objective To explore the feasibility of using an image-based food photography methodology (Remote Food Photography Method) in a rural, low-resource audience and use the photos to examine the context of family dinner. Design Parents used the SmartIntake app on study-issued tablets to take before and after photos of their and their child's dinner for about 7 nights and participated in a mini-focus group to discuss their experience with the Remote Food Photography Method. Setting Six Head Start/preschool centers in rural Colorado. Participants Mother–child dyads (n = 31). Variables Measured Number and quality of photos received, participant feedback, meal timing, concordance, location, preparation, and quality. Analysis The researchers assessed feasibility via practicality (percent photos received) and acceptability (general inductive approach used to analyze mini-focus group transcripts for participant feedback); time stamps, meal quality, and food preparation scales were used to analyze dinner photos. Results The majority of photographs (738 of 864) were received. Participants reacted favorably to the methodology; for some, it led to greater self-reflection about mealtime. Mother–child dyads usually ate dinner at the same time and often ate the same food. Children were frequently served protein and refined grains and were rarely served whole grains or fruit. Many families relied on convenience foods. Conclusions and Implications Digital food photography was feasible in this audience. Photos yielded a holistic picture of family dinnertime: meal timing, location, concordance in parent–child meals, level of preparation, and meal quality.
Synthesis and Properties of Fluorescent Analogs of Cytidine Diphosphate-Diacylglycerol and Phosphatidylinositol

To examine the synthesis and intracellular transport of lipids, our laboratory has developed an approach using fluorescent lipid derivatives that appear to behave as analogs of their natural counterparts. With this methodology we can examine the movements of fluorescent lipid molecules in living cells by high-resolution fluorescence microscopy, and correlate these data with the results of classical biochemical investigations (for a review see ref. 1).
The appeal of PISA for Development in Ecuador and Paraguay: theorising and applying the global ritual of belonging

This paper seeks to further conceptualise participation in International Large-Scale Assessment (ILSA) as a global ritual of belonging and apply it to understand the appeal of PISA for Development ...
Planning and Explanations with a Learned Spatial Model

This paper reports on a robot controller that learns and applies a cognitively-based spatial model as it travels in challenging, real-world indoor spaces. The model not only describes indoor space, but also supports robust, model-based planning. Together with the spatial model, the controller's reasoning framework allows it to explain and defend its decisions in accessible natural language. The novel contributions of this paper are an enhanced cognitive spatial model that facilitates successful reasoning and planning, and the ability to explain navigation choices for a complex environment. Empirical evidence is provided by simulation of a commercial robot in a large, complex, realistic world.
Bridging cultural boundaries: the African American and transcultural caring

This article discusses how to bridge cultural boundaries in the African-American culture. It also explains the influences of cultural trends in America and Africa on health care. The importance of cultural assessment in clinical practice is discussed, including the preparation of graduate nurses to acquire cultural assessment skills. A cultural assessment interview, using a modified cultural assessment tool, is provided.