cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An answer in the palm of your hand: microfluidics for analytical applications

We have applied CZE and CEC in microfluidic devices to a number of analytical problems including the analysis of chemical warfare agents, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and proteins. In addition to developments in the areas of separations, we are also heavily involved in the "front-end" of analytical systems particularly in the area of sample preconcentration. We have a particular interest in the concentration of a wide range of molecules including small molecules, biopolymers, and cells. Our current toolbox includes a microfluidic platform known as Liquid Phase μChemLab developed by a team at Sandia for protein analysis. This platform has been demonstrated with protein biotoxins, CW agent degradation products, protein preconcentration, and is suitable for other targets. Additionally, electrodeless dielectrophoresis technology developed at Sandia is an attractive alternative to filters for cell concentration.
Host Immune Evasion by Lyme and Relapsing Fever Borreliae: Findings to Lead Future Studies for Borrelia miyamotoi.

The emerging pathogen, Borrelia miyamotoi, is a relapsing fever spirochete vectored by the same species of Ixodes ticks that carry the causative agents of Lyme disease in the US, Europe, and Asia. Symptoms caused by infection with B. miyamotoi are similar to a relapsing fever infection. However, B. miyamotoi has adapted to different vectors and reservoirs, which could result in unique physiology, including immune evasion mechanisms. Lyme Borrelia utilize a combination of Ixodes-produced inhibitors and native proteins (i.e. factor H-binding proteins/CRASPs, p43, BBK32, BGA66, BGA71, CD59-like protein) to inhibit complement, while some relapsing fever spirochetes use C4b-binding protein and likely Ornithodoros-produced inhibitors. To evade the humoral response, Borrelia utilize antigenic variation of either outer surface proteins (Osps) and the Vmp-like sequences (Vls) system (Lyme borreliae) or variable membrane proteins (Vmps, relapsing fever borreliae). B. miyamotoi possesses putative factor H-binding proteins and antigenic variation of Vmps has been demonstrated. This review summarizes and compares the common mechanisms utilized by Lyme and relapsing fever spirochetes, as well as the current state of understanding immune evasion by B. miyamotoi.
DDiT4L promotes autophagy and inhibits pathological cardiac hypertrophy in response to stress

Physiological cardiac hypertrophy, in response to stimuli such as exercise, is considered adaptive and beneficial. In contrast, pathological cardiac hypertrophy that arises in response to pathological stimuli such as unrestrained high blood pressure and oxidative or metabolic stress is maladaptive and may precede heart failure. We found that the transcript encoding DNA damage-inducible transcript 4-like (DDiT4L) was expressed in murine models of pathological cardiac hypertrophy but not in those of physiological cardiac hypertrophy. In cardiomyocytes, DDiT4L localized to early endosomes and promoted stress-induced autophagy through a process involving mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). Exposing cardiomyocytes to various types of pathological stress increased the abundance of DDiT4L, which inhibited mTORC1 but activated mTORC2 signaling. Mice with conditional cardiac-specific overexpression of DDiT4L had mild systolic dysfunction, increased baseline autophagy, reduced mTORC1 activity, and increased mTORC2 activity, all of which were reversed by suppression of transgene expression. Genetic suppression of autophagy also reversed cardiac dysfunction in these mice. Our data showed that DDiT4L may be an important transducer of pathological stress to autophagy through mTOR signaling in the heart and that DDiT4L could be therapeutically targeted in cardiovascular diseases in which autophagy and mTOR signaling play a major role.
Resurrecting the CDC 6500 Supercomputer

Engineers at Living Computers: Museum + Labs have salvaged one of the world's first supercomputers. In the Web extra at https://youtu.be/wDc1630krls, Charles Severance goes behind the scenes at the Living Computers: Museum + Lab to discover how its engineers salvaged one of the world's first supercomputers. In the second Web extra at https://youtu.be/8jysBmy5Bec, author Charles Severance provides an audio recording of this Computing Conversations column.
Review: Essays in Early American Architectural History: A View from the Chesapeake , by Carl R. Lounsbury

Carl R. Lounsbury. Essays in Early American Architectural History: A View from the Chesapeake Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2011, 268 pp., 136 b/w illus. $38.50 (paper), ISBN 9780813932293 This collection of essays is an excellent example of the “new architectural history” that has been practiced during the past forty years by most scholars of American architecture, especially those focusing on the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries. This new architectural history was at first associated solely with scholars who studied vernacular architecture, but with the succeeding years, vernacular has become a broader term that also describes an approach to the study of architecture, regardless of a building's design origins or place in time. Although this approach to architectural history is no longer new, historians have yet to find a satisfactory term that describes the sea change that took place in the discipline during the last quarter of the twentieth century. In any case, the field of architectural history turned a corner and became the richer for it. This approach can be traced to two seminal works of the 1970s—Henry Glassie's Folk Housing in Middle Virginia (1975) and Abbott Lowell Cummings's The Framed Houses of Massachusetts Bay, 1625–1725 (1979).1 Glassie, a folklorist, employed the theories of semiology to investigate the idea that buildings are the results of complex, culturally embedded signs and symbols. Like …
Inaccurate diagnosis of Brugada syndrome in a healthy woman based on SCN5A mutation classification.

Brugada syndrome (BrS) is an arrhythmogenic disorder often inherited in an autosomal-dominant fashion that is suspected when an electrocardiogram (ECG) shows characteristic ST-segment elevation in the right and anterior precordial leads (type 1 Brugada ECG pattern). Patients with BrS have an increased risk of sudden cardiac death owing to episodic polymorphic ventricular tachyarrhythmias.1 The diagnosis of BrS is based on the presence of the type 1 Brugada ECG pattern, which may occur either spontaneously or after provocation tests with sodium channel blockers.2 SCN5A-mediated BrS (BrS1) represents the most common genetic subtype and loss-of-function mutations in the SCN5A-encoded NaV1.5 sodium channel, accounting for approximately 20% of BrS.3 Guidelines recommend BrS genetic testing when there is a sufficient clinical index of suspicion for the disease.4, 5 However, genetic test results must be scrutinized carefully to make sure there is appropriate concordance.6 Herein, we illustrate the potential consequences of premature and inappropriate use of BrS genetic testing and the potential danger of relying on a genetic test company’s annotation and interpretation of the identified variant.
Butein: A Plant Derived Small Molecule Activates Autophagy and Suppresses IL-1β Induced Oxidative Stress, Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Inflammatory Response in Human Chondrocytes

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease worldwide and is characterized by pain and stiffness due to the progressive loss of articular cartilage. There is increasing evidence that support a role of high levels of oxidative stress, increased mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation and decline in autophagy in the pathogenesis of OA. Currently there is no disease modifying drug available for the treatment of OA. Autophagy is a cellular defense mechanism against stress-induced accumulation of protein aggregates and dysfunctional subcellular organelles. Here, we studied the effect of a plant derived small molecule, Butein, on human chondrocytes and cartilage explants (isolated from donors with and without known history of OA) against IL-1β induced oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and expression of inflammatory mediators (Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase (iNOS) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in vitro . Butein blocked the IL-1β induced disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential and mitochondrial dysfunction and suppressed the generation of total and mitochondrial ROS and RNS levels in normal and OA chondrocytes. Additionally, IL-1β induced expression of iNOS, COX-2 and IL-6 was also inhibited by Butein in both normal and OA chondrocytes and cartilage explants. Butein activated AMPKα and inhibited mTOR activity to activate autophagy in human chondrocytes as evidenced by the increased levels of LC3-II, decreased levels of p62/SQSTM1 and increased numbers of autophagosomes. Activation of autophagy was critical to the observed chondroprotective effects as inhibition of autophagy abrogated the protective effects of Butein. These results suggest that Butein may be developed as a therapeutic agent for the prevention and or treatment of OA.
Rarely reported, widely distributed, and unexpectedly diverse: molecular characterization of mermithid nematodes (Nematoda: Mermithidae) infecting bumble bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Bombus) in the USA

Mermithid nematodes (Nematoda: Mermithida: Mermithidae) parasitize a wide range of both terrestrial and aquatic invertebrate hosts, yet are recorded in bumble bees (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Apidae: Bombus) only six times historically. Little is known about the specific identity of these parasites. In a single-season nationwide survey of internal parasites of 3646 bumble bees, we encountered six additional instances of mermithid parasitism in four bumble bee species and genetically characterized them using two regions of 18S to identify the specific host-parasite relationships. Three samples from the northeastern USA are morphologically and genetically identified as Mermis nigrescens, whereas three specimens collected from a single agricultural locality in the southeast USA fell into a clade with currently undescribed species. Nucleotide sequences of the V2-V6 region of 18S from the southeastern specimens were 2.6-3.0% divergent from one another, and 2.2-4.0% dissimilar to the nearest matches to available data. The dearth of available data prohibits positive identification of this parasite and its affinity for specific bumble bee hosts. By doubling the records of mermithid parasitism of bumble bee hosts and providing genetic data, this work will inform future investigations of this rare phenomenon.
Site-Specific Glycosylation Of Recombinant Stem Cell Factor

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the site-specific glycosylation of recombinant stem-cell factor. Peptides containing N-sites 65 and 120 were treated with N -glycanase to remove the oligosaccharides. N-site 65 had four main groups of peaks that correspond to oligosaccharides with one, two, three, and four charges. N-site 120 also has four groups of peaks, but the group with four charges is much reduced. The two N-sites were treated with sialidase to remove sialic acid and subjected to high pH anion exchange chromatography. The peak at 22 min was sialic acid. N-site 65 appears to have four asialo structures. N-site 120 appears to have three main asialo structures and perhaps two smaller ones. Two of the asialo peaks on each site were identified as biantennary and triantennary structures, respectively, by comparison to Dionex standards.
Correction of Inborn Errors of Metabolism by Bone Marrow Transplant

A new development in medicine is the utilization of bone marrow transplantation for correction of inborn errors of metabolism. In the past, bone marrow transplantation had been utilized for the curative treatment of aplastic anemia, leukemia, neuroblastoma, and congenital immune and hematologic deficiencies. The fullest explanation of the potential for bone marrow transplant in the correction of inborn errors of metabolism has been outlined by Hobbs [8]. The final indication of the usefulness of this new development awaits case by case analysis. This review will illustrate the biological basis for the use of bone marrow transplant for correction of inborn errors of metabolism.
Degradation Studies on Plasma Prealbumin

The variant molecular forms of prealbumin (transthyretin, TTR) protein are necessary for the formation of amyloid fibrils in individuals with the hereditary (AF) type of amyloid disease. It is also possible that a proteolytic change in the prealbumin occurs before fibril deposition. This is suggested by the finding of multiple prealbumin fragments of various sizes in two reports and the N-terminal deletions of one, two or three amino acids in others.
The Politics of Sexual Stereotypes

(1973). The Politics of Sexual Stereotypes. The Black Scholar: Vol. 4, Black Women's Liberation, pp. 12-23.
The ROS duality in castration-resistant prostate cancer emergence and progression

Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) arises from a failure of standard-of-care androgen deprivation (AD) therapy to suppress emergence of castration-resistant variants from the original AD-responsive prostate cancer (ADPC). Identification of molecular drivers of AD-resistance and CRPC emergence is critical for developing curative therapies. Comparative transcriptomic analysis of parental ADPC cells and their acutely-emergent CRPC counterparts, developed in our laboratory, identified two distinct and novel redox-regulated pathways in mediating castration resistance. The redox-protective protein thioredoxin-1 (TRX1) was elevated under AD in CRPC cells, but not ADPC cells. TRX1 inhibition, via shRNA or the Phase-I approved TRX1 inhibitor PX-12 (not tested in prostate cancer), elevated ROS levels and induced cell death in androgen-deprived CRPC cells and reduced xenograft tumor formation in castrate in vivo models. Unexpectedly, TRX1 inhibition also elevated androgen receptor (AR) levels under AD, and AR depletion mitigated both TRX1 inhibition-mediated ROS production and loss of viability. Our results suggest maintaining AR expression in CRPC induces oxidative stress that requires redox-protective adaptations (such as elevated TRX1) to avoid AD-induced cell death. In contrast to TRX1, we found GC1a, the main subunit of the nitric oxide receptor, soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), was decreased in CRPC relative to ADPC. Treatment with sGC agonists, including an FDA-approved anti-hypertensive agent, led to reduction in castrate-resistant tumor burden in xenograft models. Tumor suppression was significantly correlated to the extent by which sGC signaling was stimulated in the treated animals. Our preliminary findings indicate sGC signaling is inhibitory to CRPC and that oxidation of the sGC complex is likely to be an important mechanism of signal dampening in CRPC. Our research points to a ROS duality in CRPC, comprising oxidation-mediated inhibition of anti-tumor signaling alongside a concomitant vulnerability to oxidative stress, requiring enhanced redox-protective mechanisms that could serve as novel avenues for therapeutic intervention in CRPC.
Current Ripple Analysis and Prediction for Three-Level T-Type Converters

Various current ripple analysis methods have been proposed to evaluate the quality of output power of the power electronic converters. If performed in real-time, the current ripple analysis can lead to novel variable frequency pulse-width modulation methods. In this work, novel current ripple analysis and prediction approach for a three-phase 3-L T-type converter using space vector PWM (SVPWM) are proposed, including a comprehensive theoretical analysis for the relationship of the 3-L SVPWM and ripple generation. The proposed generalized current ripple prediction approach is accurate, easy to implement and feasible for practical applications. Then, the dead-time effect on the current ripple prediction is presented. Both simulation and experimental studies are performed to validate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Localization Sensor Error Measures and Analysis

Localization has diverse applications in navigation and robotics. This chapter investigates error in the state‐of‐art localization devices and methods. Examples of localization devices include global positioning systems (GPS), inertial navigation systems (INS), radar and light detection and ranging (LiDAR). Examples of localization methods include time of arrival (TOA) and direction of arrival (DOA). The chapter presents two key localization error measures of probability of error and Cramer‐Rao lower bound (CRLB). It uses extensive tables to assess the error (and sources of error) in localization devices and methods. The chapter evaluates and compares different localization fusion methods in terms of complexity, convergence rate, and accuracy. It chapter offers practical methods for error evaluation and correction that include calibration, data validation, and partial error correction procedures. The chapter investigates a variety of fusion methods, such as Kalman filter, particle filter, Bayesian filter, and deep fusion.
Corrosion of Post-Tensioned Tendons with Deficient Grout.Part 3: Segregated Grout with Elevated Sulfate and Vestigial Chloride Content

Severe corrosion of post-tensioned (PT) tendons with pre-packaged thixotropic grout was documented in Florida bridges after less than 8 years of service. In those bridges, corrosion of steel tendon...
Neural Underpinnings of Phonotactic Rule Learning

This study used behavioral measures and ERP difference waves to measure the underlying brain processes during the categorization of grammatical vs ungrammatical stimuli according to a lab learned phonotactic rule. The results show that participants learned the simple rule at the behavioral level (as measured with d-prime, a sensitivity measure to rule violations). This rule learning is also reflected in the brain response to violations of the rule, which is indexed by the P3 rare-minus-frequent difference waveform. The neural results indicate that this learning took the form of a neural commitment. Participants learned the rule and used it to make active predictions, categorizing words as ungrammatical at the exact point of violation. This ability must be instantiated at the neural level, meaning rapid neural tuning has occurred in this lab setting.
Synthesis of oligonucleotides containing 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2'-deoxyuridine at defined sites

A method is described for the solid-phase synthesis of oligonucleotides containing the DNA oxidation damage product, 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2'-deoxyuridine (HMdU) at selected sites using a phosphoramidite synthon regiospecifically protected on the 5-(hydroxymethyl) group
Transfusion Timing and Postoperative Myocardial Infarction and Death in Patients Undergoing Common Vascular Procedures.

Abstract ObjectivesPerioperative allogenic blood transfusions, specifically packed red bloods cells (pRBC), after vascular surgery procedures is one modifiable risk factor that is associated with increased cardiovascular events and 30-day mortality. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of transfusion timing (intraoperative vs. postoperative) on the rate of postoperative myocardial infarction (POMI) and death. Methods Six surgical and endovascular modules within the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) from 2013 to 2017 were reviewed at a single institution. Transfusion data on elective and urgent cases were abstracted and all patients who underwent inpatient procedures had routine postoperative troponin/ECG testing. The primary endpoint was POMI utilizing the American Heart Association third universal definition for myocardial infarction. These criteria include the detection of a rise/and or fall of cTnT with at least one value above the 99th percentile and with at least one of the following 1) symptoms of acute myocardial ischemia 2) new ischemic ECG changes 3) development of pathological Q waves 4) imaging evidence of new loss of viable myocardium or new regional wall motion abnormality in a pattern consistent with an ischemic etiology. The secondary endpoint was 30-day all-cause mortality. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was utilized to evaluate the risk of transfusions on POMI and death. Results We identified 1,154 cases for analysis (299 EVAR, 117 infra-inguinal bypasses, 127 open AAA, 41 supra-inguinal bypasses, 168 TEVAR, and 402 peripheral vascular interventions). Overall, the POMI rate was 2% and mortality 1%. Rates of POMI differed by procedure type (p = 0.04), where infra-inguinal bypass had the highest rate of POMI at 4%. Death rates did not vary by type of procedure (p=0.89). Mean number of intraoperative pRBC and postoperative pRBC transfusion was higher for patients with POMI (intra-op: 1.3 vs. 0.3, post-op: 1.8 vs 0.4, both p Conclusions In our series with routine postoperative troponin screening in the inpatient setting, the use of an isolated postoperative transfusion as well as cases requiring both an intraoperative and postoperative transfusion was associated with POMI. However, isolated intraoperative transfusion was not associated with POMI, and we did not identify an association of transfusion with 30-day mortality. These data suggest that the perioperative setting of transfusions is important in its impact on postoperative outcomes and needs to be accounted for when evaluating transfusion outcomes and indications.
Does this apply here?: Ethical considerations in transnational supervision settings

Most of the ethical decision making literature that guides mental health practice comes from the Western hemisphere. The well-meaning application of Western values in supervision can result in the ...
Coordinated river infrastructure decisions improve net social-ecological benefits

We explore the social, ecological, economic, and technical dimensions of sustainable river infrastructure development and the potential benefits of coordinating decisions such as dam removal and stream crossing improvement. Dam removal is common practice for restoring river habitat connectivity and ecosystem health. However, stream crossings such as culverts are often 15 times more abundant than dams and may pose similar ecological impacts. Using multi-objective optimization for a model system of 6100 dams and culverts in Maine, USA, we demonstrate substantial benefit-cost improvements provided by coordinating habitat connectivity decisions. Benefit-cost efficiency improves by two orders of magnitude when coordinating more decisions across wider areas, but this approach may cause inequitable resource distribution. Culvert upgrades improve roadway safety and habitat connectivity, creating cost-effective opportunities for coordinating and cost-sharing projects between conservationists and safety managers. Benefit-cost trends indicate significant overlaps in habitat and safety goals, encouraging flexible stakeholder collaborations and cost-sharing strategies.
Abstract B012: An investigation of travel distances for breast cancer treatment among a racially and socioeconomically diverse cohort

Background: In South Carolina, black women are less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer, but yet are more likely to die with their disease. The disparity is estimated to be as great as 60% higher for black women compared to white women after accounting for the lower incidence. Distances that cancer patients travel to receive treatments are likely to influence treatment decisions and ultimately survival; however, this relationship is not well described. Purpose: The purpose of this investigation was to compare average travel distances for each modality of breast cancer treatment including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and hormonal therapy. We furthermore examined the impact of these distances on disease-free survival. Methods: SC Central Cancer Registry data (2002-2010) were linked to administrative data from Medicaid or another private payor insurance plan. Eligibility criteria included white or black race and continuous enrollment in their respective insurance plan for 3 years post diagnosis. Network distances from the patient residence to the provider were calculated by Arc GIS. T-tests and chi-square tests were used to compare descriptive statistics as appropriate. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the relationship between treatment travel distances and survival. Results: Patients in the cohort traveled an average distance of 20, 21, 19, and 7 miles for surgical, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and hormone therapy (pharmacy). Travel distances were significantly higher for blacks for chemotherapy (23 vs 20 miles, p=0.03), but not for any other therapy modalities. As might be expected, patients residing in rural areas had significantly higher travel distances for all treatment modalities, including hormonal therapies. In comparison to urban-dwelling patients, rural residents traveled an average of 36 vs 17 miles for surgery (p Conclusion: Rural residents traveled significantly longer distances to receive their cancer care compared to urban-dwelling residents; however, this did not appear to impact survival in this cohort. Additional work is needed to fully understand the influence of travel distances on treatment decisions that may ultimately impact survival. These findings highlight the need for innovative solutions to improve access to care for rural residents. Citation Format: Sue P. Heiney, Samantha C. Truman, Oluwole Babatunde, Christian R. Alvarado, Swann Arp Adams. An investigation of travel distances for breast cancer treatment among a racially and socioeconomically diverse cohort [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2018 Nov 2-5; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl):Abstract nr B012.
A 2-A 6-MHz Hysteretic Buck Converter with an 8-Bit Digital Jitter-Insensitive Frequency Correction Loop using Dual-Sided Hysteretic Band Modulation

A 2-A current-mode hysteretic buck converter with constant switching frequency is proposed. The converter employs a high-resolution digital frequency correction loop and dual-sided hysteretic band modulation to tune and lock the steady-state switching frequency to a 6-MHz reference clock. As such, the superior dynamic performance of hysteretic control can be leveraged while also maintaining the predictable performance and simplified EMI filter design that result from a constant switching frequency. The dual-sided hysteretic band modulation eliminates any inductor current imbalance due to the continuous tuning of the switching frequency, and thus ensures smooth, transient-free frequency locking. Moreover, a hysteretic loop-suspension filter is proposed to desensitize the steady-state switching frequency of the converter to the 6-MHz reference clock jitter, which relaxes the specifications of the clock generator. Furthermore, due to its digital realization, the proposed frequency correction loop requires no passives to ensure stability. The converter is designed and simulated in a 0.13-µm CMOS technology. It operates from 2.7–5 V input and produces a 0.8–1.2 V output with a maximum load of 2 A. The converter achieves 90.5% peak efficiency and over 84% efficiency at 1-mA load. The output voltage ripple is less than 8 mV with a 220-nH inductor and a 6-µF output capacitor.
What Makes Politicians’ Instagram Posts Popular? Analyzing Social Media Strategies of Candidates and Office Holders with Computer Vision:

Previous research on the success of politicians’ messages on social media has so far focused on a limited number of platforms, especially Facebook and Twitter, and predominately studied the effects...
Systematic review and meta-analysis: risks of postoperative complications with preoperative use of anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha biologics in inflammatory bowel disease patients.

Objective The preoperative use of anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (anti-TNF) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients undergoing surgery has been controversial due to concern for increased risks of postoperative complications. We aimed to determine the effect of preoperative anti-TNF therapy on postoperative complications in IBD patients undergoing abdominal surgery. Methods A literature search of Google Scholar, PubMed, The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and CINAHL was performed through October 2019. Studies reporting postoperative complication rates of Crohn's disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC), and IBD-unspecified patients with preoperative anti-TNF treatment undergoing abdominal surgery compared to controls without preoperative anti-TNF treatment were included. The main outcomes measured were overall, infectious, and noninfectious postoperative complications. Results Forty-one studies totaling 20 274 patients were included. There was a significant increase in overall complications in all patients treated with anti-TNF vs. controls [odds ratio (OR) = 1.13, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.01-1.25, P = 0.03, I = 6%] with an absolute risk increase (ARI) of 5.5% and a number needed to harm (NNH) of 18. There was also a significant increase in infectious complications in CD patients (OR = 1.44; 95% CI 1.02-2.03, P = 0.04, I = 49%, ARI = 5.5%, NNH = 20) only. Contrastingly, there was a significant increase in noninfectious complications in all patients (OR = 1.44, 95% CI 1.13-1.85, P = 0.003, I = 8%, ARI = 6.4%, NNH = 16) and UC patients (OR = 1.57, 95% CI 1.15-2.14, P = 0.005, I = 25%, ARI = 8.5%, NNH = 12) only. Conclusion Preoperative use of anti-TNF agents in IBD patients undergoing abdominal surgery is associated with increases in overall postoperative complications in all patients, infectious postoperative complications in CD patients, and noninfectious postoperative complications in UC patients.
Tissue engineered platforms for studying primary and metastatic neoplasm behavior in bone

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, claiming more than 560,000 lives each year. Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary malignant tumor of bone in children and young adults, while bone is a common site of metastasis for tumors initiating from other tissues. The heterogeneity, continual evolution, and complexity of this disease at different stages of tumor progression drives a critical need for physiologically relevant models that capture the dynamic cancer microenvironment and advance chemotherapy techniques. Monolayer cultures have been favored for cell-based research for decades due to their simplicity and scalability. However, the nature of these models makes it impossible to fully describe the biomechanical and biochemical cues present in 3-dimensional (3D) microenvironments, such as ECM stiffness, degradability, surface topography, and adhesivity. Biomaterials have emerged as valuable tools to model the behavior of various cancers by creating highly tunable 3D systems for studying neoplasm behavior, screening chemotherapeutic drugs, and developing novel treatment delivery techniques. This review highlights the recent application of biomaterials toward the development of tumor models, details methods for their tunability, and discusses the clinical and therapeutic applications of these systems.
Oscillation Mechanism and Setting Guideline for Inverter Volt-Var Control

While volt-var function of PV inverters can help to mitigate voltage violations caused by PV integration, it has been shown that improper volt-var settings can lead to voltage and power oscillations. Different types of models have been utilized in the literature to analyze the inverter volt-var induced oscillations but very few are validated through lab testing of commercial inverters. This paper extends the previous research in this area by developing simulation models that match closely with the lab testing results of commercial inverters. Based on the validated models, it further investigates the mechanism of volt-var control induced oscillations and illustrate the root cause in a graphical way. Moreover, stability criteria and guidelines for proper inverter control settings to avoid the instability are developed, considering volt-var curve slope, inverter response time, plant location and inverter operating condition. The developed stability criteria are verified via time domain simulations and the setting guidelines are demonstrated on a realistic feeder.
Motivating Compliance: Firm Response to Mandatory Existence Disclosure Policies

Mandatory existence disclosure rules require an organization to disclose a policy’s existence, but not its content. We examine policy adoption frequencies in the year immediately after the IRS required mandatory existence disclosure by nonprofits of various governance policies. We also examine adoption frequencies in the year of the subsequent change from mandatory existence disclosure to a disclose-and-explain regime that required supplemental disclosures about the content and implementation of conflict of interest policies. Our results suggest that in areas where there is unclear regulatory authority, mandatory existence disclosure is an effective and low cost regulatory device for encouraging the adoption of policies desired by regulators, provided those policies are cost-effective for regulated firms to implement. In addition, we find that disclose-and-explain regulatory regimes provide stronger incentives for policy adoption than do mandatory existence disclosure regimes and also discourage “check the box” behavior. Future research should examine the impact of mandatory existence disclosure rules in the year that the regulation is implemented.
Petrov–Galerkin methods for the construction of non-Markovian dynamics preserving nonlocal statistics

A common observation in coarse-graining a molecular system is the non-Markovian behavior, primarily due to the lack of scale separations. This is reflected in the strong memory effect and the non-white noise spectrum, which must be incorporated into a coarse-grained description to correctly predict dynamic properties. To construct a stochastic model that gives rise to the correct non-Markovian dynamics, we propose a Galerkin projection approach, which transforms the exhausting effort of finding an appropriate model to choosing appropriate subspaces in terms of the derivatives of the coarse-grained variables and, at the same time, provides an accurate approximation to the generalized Langevin equation. We introduce the notion of fractional statistics that embodies nonlocal properties. More importantly, we show how to pick subspaces in the Galerkin projection so that those statistics are automatically matched.
Building Resilience in Law Enforcement Through a Mental Wellness Program

Historically, few resources exist for law enforcement that promote mental wellness in officers, leaving departments deficient in how to promote such an important aspect of wellness. Failure to promote and engage in mental health programs for law enforcement can result in mentally unwell officers. An unhealthy officer potentially poses a risk not only to himself but also to his fellow officers and the community as a whole. Furthermore, officers who are impaired open themselves to the possibility of making rash and impulsive decisions, thus jeopardizing the safety of others. The following article will discuss the importance of a mental wellness program for law enforcement and how to implement a program into departments. This process involves a formal departmental policy, leadership from within the department, a culturally sensitive and trained mental health professional, and a structured mental wellness plan.
Multiscale diffusion of a molecular probe in a crowded environment: a concept

Living cells are crowded with macromolecules and organelles. Yet, it is not fully understood how macromolecular crowding affects the myriad of biochemical reactions, transport and the structural stability of biomolecules that are essential to cellular function and survival. These molecular processes, with or without electrostatic interactions, in living cells are therefore expected to be distinct from those carried out in test tube in dilute solutions where excluded volumes are absent. Thus there is an urgent need to understand the macromolecular crowding effects on cellular and molecular biophysics towards quantitative cell biology. In this report, we investigated how biomimetic crowding affects both the rotational and translation diffusion of a small probe (rhodamine green, RhG). For biomimetic crowding agents, we used Ficoll-70 (synthetic polymer), bovine serum albumin and ovalbumin (proteins) at various concentrations in a buffer at room temperature. As a control, we carried out similar measurements on glycerolenriched buffer as an environment with homogeneous viscosity as a function of glycerol concentration. The corresponding bulk viscosity was measured independently to test the validity of the Stokes-Einstein model of a diffusing species undergoing a random walk. For rotational diffusion (ps–ns time scale), we used time-resolved anisotropy measurements to examine potential binding of RhG as a function of the crowding agents (surface structure and size). For translational diffusion (μs–s time scale), we used fluorescence correlation spectroscopy for single-molecule fluctuation analysis. Our results allow us to examine the diffusion model of a molecular probe in crowded environments as a function of concentration, length scale, homogeneous versus heterogeneous viscosity, size and surface structures. These biomimetic crowding studies, using non-invasive fluorescence spectroscopy methods, represent an important step towards understanding cellular biophysics and quantitative cell biology.
The Importance of Critical Thinking in Evidenced-Based Practice

This chapter presents several different ways of knowing that will help the reader understand critical arguments concerning clinical research which will hopefully help in distinguishing how much we can rely on the findings of a given research study. The consumer of research should know the researcher's philosophy of science as part of the evaluation of any study. Throughout this chapter, the opposing points of view of a number of authors are provided as they discuss the limitations and counter-limitations of the various ways of gathering and viewing knowledge. A discussion of several well-accepted beliefs in the helping professions are challenged so that the use of critical thinking might be better understood. A progression of logical questions about a research article is also be offered to show the practical use of critical thinking in evaluating best evidence.
The main types of electron energy distribution determined by model fitting to optical emissions during HF wave ionospheric modification experiments

[1] Enhanced optical emissions observed during HF pumping are induced by electrons accelerated by high-power electromagnetic waves. Using measured emission intensities, the energy distribution of accelerated electrons can be inferred. Energy loss from the excitation of molecular nitrogen vibrational levels (the vibrational barrier) strongly influences the electron energy distribution (EED). In airglow calculations, compensation for electron depletion within the 2–3 eV energy range, induced by the vibrational barrier, can be achieved via electrons with an EED similar to a Gaussian distribution and energies higher than 3 eV. This EED has a peak within the 5–10 eV energy range. We show that the main EED features depend strongly on altitude and solar activity. An EED similar to a power law distribution can occur above 270–300 km altitude. Below 270 km altitude, a Gaussian distribution for energies between 3 eV and 10 eV, together with a power law distribution for energies higher than 10 eV, is indicated. A Gaussian distribution combined with an exponential function is needed below 230 km altitude. The transition altitude from Gaussian to power law distribution depends strongly on solar activity, increasing for high solar activity. Electrons accelerated during the initial collisionless stage can inhibit the depletion of fast electrons within the vibrational barrier range, an effect that strongly depends on altitude and solar activity. The approach, based on the effective root square electric field, enables EED calculation, providing the observed red-line intensities for low and high solar activities.
Regulation of gastric acid secretion by gastrin in duodenal ulcer patients and healthy subjects

Abstract To examine the role of gastrin as a major mediator of meal-stimulated acid secretion at low and high intragastric pH, gastric acid secretory responses after exogenous and endogenous stimulation were studied in relation to circulating plasma gastrin levels in 19 healthy control subjects and in 18 patients with inactive duodenal ulcer disease. Gastrin was given intravenously in stepwise fourfold-increasing doses from 3.1 to 800 pmol.kg-1.h-1 over consecutive 30-minute periods. Circulating plasma gastrin and acid secretion rates, measured by intragastric titration, were compared with the values obtained during endogenous stimulation by intragastric meals of 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 8 g% peptone at either pH 5.5 or pH 2.5. The studies showed that circulating gastrin is a major regulator of acid secretion in the presence of peptone in both healthy controls and subjects with duodenal ulcers. Patients with duodenal ulcers had higher acid secretion rates in response to endogenous and exogenous stimulation. In duodenal ulcer subjects and healthy controls, acid secretion in response to higher doses (2-8 g%) of peptone was inhibited at low intragastric pH. This pH inhibition could be fully explained by diminished gastrin release. Patients in the DU group differed from the controls by diminished inhibition of acid secretion at intragastric pH 2.5 when low doses (1 g%) of peptone meals were used. In summary, gastrin is a major regulator of endogenously stimulated acid secretion at high and low intragastric pH in healthy subjects. DU patients differ from healthy controls by higher total acid secretion rates and diminished inhibition of acid secretion when low concentrations of peptone are present in the stomach. (Gastroenterology 1992 Apr;102(4 Pt 1):1142-8)
The Use of Radioactive Phosphorus P32 and a Miniature Geiger Tube to Detect Malignant Neoplasia of the Gastrointestinal Tract

Summary Miniature Geiger counter tubes were passed into the esophagus, stomach, and rectum of patients previously given 500 μc. of radioactive phosphorus intravenously to evaluate this method in the detection of gastrointestinal malignant neoplasia. To test the esophagus and rectum, the counter was placed at the tip of a plastic probe and passed through the esophagoscope and sigmoidoscope. The gastric counter was inserted in the distal end of a controllable tip gastroscope for scanning under direct vision. Of 62 esophageal tests, 25 of the patients had cancer, 5 benign lesions, and 32 were normal control subjects. There was an accuracy of 92 per cent in cancer, and an over-all accuracy of 95 per cent. In 46 gastric tests, 22 patients had cancer, 11 had benign ulcer, 2 had benign tumor, and 11 were normal control subjects. The accuracy in gastric cancer was only 73 per cent, largely due to technical difficulties. Over-all accuracy was 83 per cent. Rectal testing was carried out only in 5 patients, 4 of whom were correctly evaluated. Although the Geiger counter probe technique cannot be used as a survey method in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal cancer, it is highly accurate in detecting cancer of the esophagus and rectum, and seems quite valuable in differentiating obscure and equivocal findings. The method is technically difficult in the stomach, but seems to be useful in the differentiation of small cancerous and precancerous lesions.
Effects of Anterior-Posterior Constraint on Injury Patterns in the Human Knee During Tibial-Femoral Joint Loading from Axial Forces through the Tibia.

According to the National Accident Sampling System (NASS), 10% of all automobile accident injuries involve the knee. These injuries involve bone fracture and/or "soft tissue" injury. Previous investigators have determined the tibial-femoral (TF) joint failure load for an experimentally constrained human knee at 90 degrees flexion. In these experiments bone fractures have been documented. During TF joint compression, however, anterior motion of the tibia has been noted by others. It was therefore the objectives of this study to document effects of flexion angle and anterior-posterior joint constraint on the nature and severity of knee injury during TF compression loading via axial loads in the tibia. The effect of flexion angle was examined using 10 unconstrained human knees from 5 cadavers aged 73.2+/-9.4 years. The tibial-femoral joint was loaded in compression as a result of axial loading along the tibia using a servo-hydraulic testing machine until gross failure with the knee flexed 60 degrees or 120 degrees . Pressure sensitive film measured the distribution of internal TF joint loads. Both 60 degrees and 120 degrees flexed preparations failed by rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) at 4.6+/-1.2 kN, and the internal joint loads were significantly higher (2.6+/-1.5 kN) on the medial versus the lateral (0.4+/-0.5 kN) aspect of the tibial plateau. The effect of anterior-posterior (AP) constraint of the femur along the longitudinal axis of the femur was investigated in a second series of tests using the same TF joint loading protocol on 6 pairs of human joints (74.3+/-10.5 years) flexed at 90 degrees . The primary mode of failure for the AP constrained joints was fracture of bone via the femoral condyle at a maximum load of 9.2+/-2.6 kN. The mode of failure for unconstrained joints was primarily due to rupture of the ACL at a maximum load of 5.8+/-2.9 kN. Again, the pressure film indicated an unequal internal TF load distribution for the unconstrained knee (medial plateau 4.1+/-1.9 kN versus lateral plateau 0.8+/-0.8 kN). However, there was a more equal distribution of internal loads between the medial (4.4+/-1.8 kN) and lateral (2.8+/-1.9 kN) aspects of the tibial plateau in the constrained joints. This study showed that the mechanism of tibial-femoral knee joint injury and internal TF joint load distribution depends on the degree of AP constraint offered by the test apparatus. Flexion angle did not significantly affect failure load or the mechanism of failure for the unconstrained knee. The findings from this study may be useful in understanding the complex failure mechanisms for an unconstrained knee under axial compression loads in the tibia during automobile crashes.
Alternatively Spliced Isoforms of TFII-I COMPLEX FORMATION, NUCLEAR TRANSLOCATION, AND DIFFERENTIAL GENE REGULATION

TFII-I is a multifunctional phosphoprotein with roles in transcription and signal transduction. Here we report characterization of three additional alternatively spliced isoforms of TFII-I. Employing isoform-specific antibodies, we show that the isoforms form a stable complex in vivo preferentially in the nucleus compared with the cytoplasm. We further show that both homomeric and heteromeric interactions are possible and that the heteromeric interactions between a wild type and a nuclear localization-deficient mutant result in nuclear translocation of the complex, leading us to postulate that complex formation might aid in nuclear translocation. In functional assays all four isoforms individually bind to DNA and transactivate reporter genes to a similar extent. However, although co-expression of different TFII-I isoforms leads to enhanced basal activity, it results in attenuated signal responsive activity. Thus, TFII-I might differentially regulate its target genes via complex or subcomplex formation.