cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Treatment of experimental bladder cancer with hyperthermia and phase transition liposomes containing methotrexate

Serially transplanted murine bladder cancer was treated with localized capacitive radiofrequency hyperthermia and liposome-delivered methotrexate (MTX). Liposomes were manufactured to retain MTX at 37C but specifically release encapsulated MTX as they passed through preheated tumors. When compared to controls, neither free MTX nor liposome-delivered MTX caused significant tumoricidal activity. Heat alone did cause a slowing of tumor growth and an increase in animal survival. Because large unilamellar liposomes are known to be cleared by the liver, sixteen animals were autopsied to determine the extent of liver toxicity which may have been a result of the various treatments. No hepatotoxic effects were observed after injection of liposomes containing MTX or other experimental combinations of drug and/or liposomes.
Effects of Cadmium on Microsomal Hemoproteins and Heme Oxygenase in Rat Liver

Various parameters of drug metabolism were measured in rats following a single intraperitoneal injection of cadmium acetate dihydrate (2.0 mg/kg; 7.5 µmoles/kg). Three days after treatment with Cd2+, the hexobarbital-induced sleeping time was increased to 240% of control; the microsomal contents of cytochromes P-450 and b5 were decreased by 44% and 27%, respectively. Seven days after treatment, the contents of cytochromes P-450 and b5 had partially returned to normal but each was 15-20% below control levels. Aminopyrine demethylase activity in hepatic microsomes was decreased by 47% and 37% at 3 and 7 days, respectively, after treatment with Cd2+; aniline hydroxylase was decreased by 32% and 23% at 3 and 7 days, respectively. Cadmium, given 3 days prior to injection of [3H]δ-aminolevulinic acid, decreased the half-life of the heme in CO-binding particles (microsomes devoid of cytochrome b5) from 8 hr to less than 2.5 hr in the fast-phase component, and from 60 hr to 32 hr in the slow-phase component. The greatest increase in microsomal heme oxygenase (to 350% of control) occurred 36-48 hr after treatment with Cd2+, and the enzymatic activity returned essentially to normal at 7 days. The activity of biliverdin reductase of the cytosol was not altered 3 or 7 days after treatment with Cd2+.
The conceptualization and measurement of cognitive reserve using common proxy indicators: Testing some tenable reflective and formative models.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: The examination of cognitive reserve (CR) literature reveals a lack of consensus regarding conceptualization and pervasive problems with its measurement. This study aimed at examining the conceptual nature of CR through the analysis of reflective and formative models using eight proxies commonly employed in the CR literature. We hypothesized that all CR proxies would significantly contribute to a one-factor reflective model and that educational and occupational attainment would produce the strongest loadings on a single CR factor. Method: The sample consisted of 149 participants (82 male/67 female), with 18.1 average years of education and ages of 45–99 years. Participants were assessed for eight proxies of CR (parent socioeconomic status, intellectual functioning, level of education, health literacy, occupational prestige, life leisure activities, physical activities, and spiritual and religious activities). Primary statistical analyses consisted of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA...
A Partial Ordering Mereology for Non-traditional Three-Dimensional Art

In this section of the research, I use POSA to facilitate more thorough comments upon how we perceive and understand three-dimensional abstract art. In my exposition of POSA, I take some time to delve into previous uses of the approach to reveal partial ordering of variables. I present examples of POSA’s previous theoretical deployment and I demonstrate its application using applied art-related examples. Specifically, in the chapter, I consider a partially ordered model of the eight characteristics from Crowther’s ontology. I assert the usefulness of POSA by referencing how I have used this approach in earlier research that incorporated Crowther’s characteristics within a mapping sentence which I analysed using POSA to facilitate greater understanding of two-dimensional abstract art. I conclude the chapter by considering how the mapping sentence models I have developed for two and three-dimensional art, and partial order analysis of facets from the mapping sentences for two and three-dimensional art, relate to each other.
Screening of female family members of von Willebrand disease patients: utility of a modified screening tool in a high-risk population.

INTRODUCTION Family members of Von Willebrand disease (VWD) patients may have low levels of VWF without major bleeding episodes and often remain undiagnosed. AIM The purpose of this study was to assess the utility of a modified Screening Tool in identifying previously untested reproductive age female family members of VWD patients for haemostatic evaluation. METHODS Ninety-four reproductive age women including 41 previously untested family members of VWD patients, 26 previously diagnosed VWD patients and 27 healthy controls were administered a modified Screening Tool and had blood drawn for CBC, ferritin, and VWF testing. Participants completed a pictorial blood assessment chart (PBAC) with menses. RESULTS The modified Screening Tool was positive in 32% family members, 77% VWD patients, and 19% controls (P < 0.001). Combined with low ferritin, the modified Screening Tool was positive in 66% family members, 92% VWD patients, and 44% controls (P = 0.001). In family members, incorporating low ferritin with the modified Screening Tool resulted in a sensitivity of 86% (95% CI, 42-100) and negative predictive value of 93% (95% CI, 66-100). In the control group, NPV was between 92% and 95% for the modified Screening Tool and also for the modified Screening Tool combined with low ferritin or a positive PBAC. CONCLUSION These data in a racially diverse population suggest the usefulness of a simple, easy to administer modified Screening Tool. In conjunction with ferritin it could be used in a primary care setting to stratify reproductive age women with a family history of VWD for haemostatic evaluation.
Children use non-verbal cues to learn new words from robots as well as people

Abstract Social robots are innovative new technologies that have considerable potential to support children’s education as tutors and learning companions. Given this potential, it behooves us to study the mechanisms by which children learn from social robots, as well as the similarities and differences between children’s learning from robots as compared to human partners. In the present study, we examined whether young children will attend to the same nonverbal social cues from a robot as from a human partner during a word learning task, specifically gaze and bodily orientation to an unfamiliar referent. Thirty-six children viewed images of unfamiliar animals with a human and with a robot. The interlocutor (human or robot) oriented toward, and provided names for, some of the animals, and children were given a posttest to assess their recall of the names. We found that children performed equally well on the recall test whether they had been provided with names by the robot or by the human. Moreover, in each case, their performance was constrained by the spatial distinctiveness of nonverbal orientation cues available to determine which animal was being referred to during naming.
Premature Ventricular Contraction Coupling Interval Variability Destabilizes Cardiac Neuronal and Electrophysiological Control: Insights From Simultaneous Cardioneural Mapping.

Background— Variability in premature ventricular contraction (PVC) coupling interval (CI) increases the risk of cardiomyopathy and sudden death. The autonomic nervous system regulates cardiac electrical and mechanical indices, and its dysregulation plays an important role in cardiac disease pathogenesis. The impact of PVCs on the intrinsic cardiac nervous system, a neural network on the heart, remains unknown. The objective was to determine the effect of PVCs and CI on intrinsic cardiac nervous system function in generating cardiac neuronal and electric instability using a novel cardioneural mapping approach. Methods and Results— In a porcine model (n=8), neuronal activity was recorded from a ventricular ganglion using a microelectrode array, and cardiac electrophysiological mapping was performed. Neurons were functionally classified based on their response to afferent and efferent cardiovascular stimuli, with neurons that responded to both defined as convergent (local reflex processors). Dynamic changes in neuronal activity were then evaluated in response to right ventricular outflow tract PVCs with fixed short, fixed long, and variable CI. PVC delivery elicited a greater neuronal response than all other stimuli ( P <0.001). Compared with fixed short and long CI, PVCs with variable CI had a greater impact on neuronal response ( P <0.05 versus short CI), particularly on convergent neurons ( P <0.05), as well as neurons receiving sympathetic ( P <0.05) and parasympathetic input ( P <0.05). The greatest cardiac electric instability was also observed after variable (short) CI PVCs. Conclusions— Variable CI PVCs affect critical populations of intrinsic cardiac nervous system neurons and alter cardiac repolarization. These changes may be critical for arrhythmogenesis and remodeling, leading to cardiomyopathy.
Alienated Digital Identities

Digital identities allow friends to like us, governments to analyze us and media platforms to monetize us. As the internet has evolved, so has the creation, storage and access to digital identities. This paper presents the notion that modern digital identities are no longer natural extensions of the user, but alienated entities that exist outside of their control. To justify this claim, this research analyses the externalized storage of digital identities and how this lessens the user's inherent rights and access to them. It introduces concepts such as 'derivative' digital identities and how the over-valuation of company stocks contributes to this alienation. The goal of the research is to justify the need for users to reclaim the ownership, storage, and access to their digital identities. This paper proposes a technical guideline and discusses the benefits and challenges of developing such a system.
The escape of the operation of commodities as strategy

The research demonstrates the feasibility of strategy for survival and increase the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises of forward meatpacking district of meat to the current reality of the beef market in Brazil, increasingly dominated by large transnational conglomerates meatpacking district, formed the light of exports whose operations are defined in the commodities. For this, it is delineated the current panorama of productive chain of beef in Brazil, recognised as non-integrated and absent coordination, unable in its current structure of being used as instrument for the potential of the productive and increase of profit of these enterprises. For this, it is delineated the current panorama of productive chain of beef in Brazil, recognised as non-integrated and absent coordination, unable in its current structure of being used as instrument for the potential of the productive and increase of profit of these enterprises. It is presented, therefore, the marketing alliance between the production chain as a strategic measure for the placement of meatpacking district of medium and small-sized conglomerates in the meat market, particularly in the domestic market, increased its production target. Through the study of these alliances, a case study, the emergence of alternative supply to the internal market, increasingly demand differentiated products and quality, adding value to these, somehow escaping the operations in commodities of these companies.
Activation of AMPK by metformin improves withdrawal signs precipitated by nicotine withdrawal

Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, with more persons dying from nicotine addiction than any other preventable cause of death. Even though smoking cessation incurs multiple health benefits, the abstinence rate remains low with current medications. Here we show that the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway in the hippocampus is activated following chronic nicotine use, an effect that is rapidly reversed by nicotine withdrawal. Increasing pAMPK levels and, consequently, downstream AMPK signaling pharmacologically attenuate anxiety-like behavior following nicotine withdrawal. We show that metformin, a known AMPK activator in the periphery, reduces withdrawal symptoms through a mechanism dependent on the presence of the AMPKα subunits within the hippocampus. This study provides evidence of a direct effect of AMPK modulation on nicotine withdrawal symptoms and suggests central AMPK activation as a therapeutic target for smoking cessation.
Making a master filterer: Ontogeny of specialized filtering plates in silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix)

Filter feeding fishes possess several morphological adaptations necessary to capture and concentrate small particulate matter from the water column. Filter feeding teleosts typically employ elongated and tightly packed gill rakers with secondary bony or epithelial modifications that increase filtering efficiency. The gill rakers of Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, silver carp, are anatomically distinct from and more complex than the filtering apparatus of other teleostean fishes. The silver carp filtering apparatus is composed of biserial, fused filtering plates used to capture particles ranging in size from 4 to 80 μm. Early in ontogeny, at 15-25 mm standard length (SL), silver carp gill rakers are reminiscent of other more stereotypical teleostean rakers, characterized by individual lanceolate rakers that are tightly packed along the entirety of the branchial arches. At 30 mm SL, secondary epithelial projections and concomitant dermal ossification begin to stitch together individual gill rakers. During later juvenile stages, dermal bone further modifies the individual gill rakers and creates a bony scaffold that supports the now fully fused and porous epithelium. By adulthood, the stitching of bone and complete fusion of the overlying epithelium creates rigid filtering plates with morphologically distinct faces. The inner face of the plates is organized into a net-like matrix while the outer face has a sponge-like appearance comprised of differently sized pores. Here, we present morphological data from an ontogenetic series of the filtering apparatus within silver carp. These data inform hypotheses regarding both how these gill raker plates may have evolved from a more basal condition, as well as how this novel architecture allows this species to feed on exceedingly small phytoplankton, particles that represent a greater filtering challenge to the typical anatomy of the gill rakers of fishes.
Intergenerational Effects of the Japanese American Internment

February 19 is called the Day of Remembrance for Japanese Americans throughout the United States. On that date in 1942, just 10 weeks after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 authorizing the exclusion of all persons of Japanese ancestry from “prescribed military areas.” The order led to the removal and incarceration of more than 110,000 individuals, over 90% of the Japanese American mainland population. The military considered the action necessary. Internment was presumably a precaution against the actions of any potentially disloyal Japanese near the Pacific. As a result, Japanese Americans living along the West Coast and portions of Arizona were ordered to leave their homes and move to concentration camps in desolate areas of the interior. Neither citizenship nor demonstrated loyalty mattered. Two-thirds of the interned were U.S. citizens. Surrounded by barbed wire and armed guards, the Japanese Americans were held in camps for an average of 2–3 years. The intergenerational effects of their ordeal are the focus of this chapter.
ENERGY CONSERVATION AND MODELING OF INDOOR POLLUTION

Abstract Reduced indoor ventilation rates give rise to buildup of gaseous and particulate pollutants in a building. Use of modeling techniques provides a convenient and useful tool for assessing impacts, potential exposures and effectiveness of proposed control strategies. Models for various indoor pollutants have been addressed and their shortcomings are pointed out. Further refinements are in order to render the models simple, objective and sensitive.
Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Skull Base Meningiomas

Complete resection of meningiomas occurring at the skull base may be difficult, due to the proximity of critical neurovascular structures. Due to the benign nature of these lesions, most patients with skull base meningiomas have an extended life expectancy. The goal of treatment for these lesions, therefore, revolves around long-term tumor control without worsening neurological function. Stereotactic radiosurgery is one of three main treatment options for the treatment of cranial base meningiomas, and has been shown to have similar rates of tumor control with safe administration within 3–5 mm of cranial nerves and brainstem. In this chapter, we review the literature reporting outcomes following use of stereotactic radiosurgery for these lesions, and the rationale for decision-making about treatment for these lesions.
'Cure or Poison?' Identity Verification and the Spread of Fake News on Social Media

Fake news is increasingly prevalent on social media, and the anonymity of the Internet is a major enabler. Social media platforms seek to reduce online anonymity with identity verification by verifying user identities with email addresses, phone numbers, or government-issued photo identification. However, we ask: Is identity verification effective in deterring fake news? Using a unique dataset (spanning from 2009 to 2016) from a large-scale social media platform, we empirically investigate the impact of identity verification on the creation and sharing of fake news. In doing so, we exploit an exogenous policy change in identity verification on the social media platform as a natural experiment. Notably, our results show that identity verification may actually not deter fake news. We find that in contrast to verification with a regular badge (a badge that is designed to signal a verified status), verification with an enhanced badge (a badge that is designed to signal a superior verified status and allegedly endow higher credibility) may even fuel the proliferation of fake news. An enhanced badge for verification proliferates fake news, not only by encouraging verified users to create more fake news, but also by misleading other users into sharing fake news created by verified users. This study contributes to the literature on online anonymity and work on information diffusion on social media, while it informs leaders in social media that a costless-to-cheat identity verification system can have unintended negative effects, and that a misleading design of verification badges may amplify the influence of fake news created by verified users and incentivize more effort elicited from the strategic fake-news creators.
Institutional Legacies, Decision Frames and Political Violence in Rwanda and Burundi

Rwanda and Burundi are strikingly similar countries that underwent democratization in the early 1990s. In both, resistance to democratic reforms led to coups d’etat and presidential assassinations. A conundrum arises in terms of what transpires next. In Rwanda, total genocide was perpetrated by extremist Hutu actors, including government officials, upon the country’s Tutsi and politically moderate Hutu populations. In Burundi the coup d’etat failed and instead ushered in a lengthy period of civil war. This divergence in outcome is puzzling given the similarity of these two countries, and it is not adequately explained by studies that address collective violence in each. This book utilizes an integrative approach that facilitates the formation of an explanation that more fully accounts for variation in the type of collective violence that occurred in Rwanda and Burundi. Showing that political actors – during periods of major institutional change – do not all respond to or perceive reform in the exact same manner or in a necessarily rational manner, this book makes an important contribution to the literature on ethnic conflict, collective violence and democratization in Africa.
An integrated dominance analysis and dynamic programing approach for measuring predictor importance for customer satisfaction

Dominance analysis is a procedure for measuring the importance of predictors in multiple regression analysis. We show that dominance analysis can be enhanced using a dynamic programing approach for...
Evaluation of Causes of Protected Health Information Breaches.

This study evaluates the internal and external sources of and preventive steps for data breaches in health care organizations from 2009 to 2017.
Examination of focused ion beam-induced damage during platinum deposition in the near-surface region of an aerospace aluminum alloy

It is well known that damage induced by impinging Ga+ ions during focused ion beam (FIB) milling of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) specimens can obfuscate subsequent TEM characterization, especially in the near-surface region of the TEM foil. Numerous strategies for minimizing this damage have been invoked, with the most common being the deposition of a Pt 'strap' at the area of interest. However, damage can still occur in the near-surface region during this Pt deposition step and the variation in the character and extent of this damage with applied Pt deposition parameter, especially in complex structural alloys, is not well characterized. In this study, the damage induced in an aerospace Al alloy (AA7075-T651) during five different Pt deposition protocols is examined using TEM. Results indicate significant variations in damage character and depth amongst the applied Pt deposition protocols, with damage being effectively eliminated using a combined electron-beam/ion-beam Pt deposition strategy. These experimental results are found to be in good agreement with Monte Carlo-based simulations of ion implantation and the implications of these findings on recent experiments in the fracture mechanics community are explored.
Abortion Underreporting in Add Health: Findings and Implications

Well-documented, large-scale abortion underreporting on U.S. surveys raises questions about the use of abortion self-reports for statistical inference. This paper is the first to evaluate the completeness of the abortion data in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). Comparisons of Add Health’s estimated abortion rates to external sources show that the Add Health data capture 35% of expected abortions. Thus, Add Health performed no better than other surveys in collecting abortion data. Further, no differences in underreporting by race/ethnicity or age at abortion were found. We suggest that the current U.S. social environment generates high levels of abortion stigma, which yields abortion underreporting. We conclude that due to underreporting, survey self-reports of abortion need to be evaluated, contextualized, and used with caution.
Sensitivity Analysis of Input Impedance of a Large Loop Antenna in a Waveguide to Tilt Angle

A large circular loop antenna is used to excite the TE 41 mode at operation frequency of 9 GHz inside a circular waveguide section to launch a vortex beam. The antenna is located inside the waveguide such that the real part of its input impedance is equal to $50\ \Omega$ . A reactive element is used to match the antenna to a $50\ \Omega$ voltage source. We perform a parametric study on the effect of small tilts of the antenna on the input impedance. The study is performed using multi-level fast multipole method (MLFMM) full-wave simulations. Results show that for this design, a tilt in the range $\pm 2^{\circ}$ along the antenna axis with a tilt of up to $+3^{\circ}$ perpendicular to the antenna axis is tolerable without noticeable degradation in the launcher performance.
The effect of bone vibrator coupling method on the neonate auditory brainstem response.

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of three bone vibrator coupling methods on the neonate auditory brainstem response (ABR). Design A repeated measures design was employed. Three coupling techniques were utilised (i.e. hand-held, hand-held applied force gauge and elastic band). ABRs were evoked with a bone-conducted 30 dB nHL 4000 Hz CE-Chirp octave band stimulus. A temporal bone area supero-posterior auricular position for bone vibrator placement was utilised. Study sample Twenty-six healthy full-term neonates participated. Results Replicated ABRs were recorded from all neonates for each coupling method. There was a statistically significant effect of coupling on wave V latency (p 0.05). However, the hand-held coupling method produced significantly longer wave V latency and smaller amplitude versus the elastic band and hand-held force gauge (p Conclusions Bone vibrator coupling method affects the neonate ABR. Clinicians should be consistent with the choice of coupling while delivering controlled bone-conducted stimuli in ABR assessments in neonates and infants.
High spin structure of Ar 39 and the FSU cross-shell interaction

High-spin states in $^{39}\mathrm{Ar}$ were populated using the $^{27}\mathrm{Al}(^{14}\mathrm{C},\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}pn)$ reaction at 25.6 MeV. The de-exciting $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays were measured with the FSU $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ detector array along with evaporation protons in a Si $E\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}E$ telescope. The known high-spin level scheme was extended up to over 11 MeV with a dozen new levels above the neutron decay threshold. The decay pattern appears somewhat atypical for heavy-ion fusion-evaporation reactions. The structure of $^{39}\mathrm{Ar}$ is discussed in terms of the new FSU cross-shell $spsdpf$ interaction fitted to a wide range of nuclei. This interaction has proved quite successful in accounting for the level scheme of $^{39}\mathrm{Ar}$, including the previously suggested fully aligned $\ensuremath{\pi}{f}_{7/2}\ensuremath{\bigotimes}\ensuremath{\nu}{f}_{7/2}17/{2}^{+}$ state and previously discovered analogs of the lowest states in $^{39}\mathrm{Cl}$.
Within-mill variation in the means and variances of MOE and mor of mill-run lumber over time

The literature related to the phenomenon of pseudo-truncation has emphasized that the mechanical property distributions of graded lumber subpopulations are determined by the mechanical property distributions of the mill-run (or full) lumber populations from which the subpopulations are formed. Whereas previous studies have shown that the means and variances of mechanical properties in the same visual grade of lumber can vary from mill to mill, there have been no studies on the stability of the means and variances of MOE and modulus of rupture (MOR) in mill-run lumber populations at the same mill over time. The objective of this study was to investigate if statistically significant differences between the means and variances of MOE and MOR in mill-run lumber populations at the same mill could be observed across samples taken several months apart. Two mill-run samples of 200 pieces of rough, dry 2x4 southern pine lumber were taken from each of four Mississippi sawmills: one in the summer and one in the winter. For each mill, the summer and winter means and variances of flexural MOR and MOE were compared. Whereas no significant differences were found between the mean MOE and/or mean MOR of the summer and winter samples from Mills 2 and 4, significant differences in mean MOE and/or MOR were found between the summer and winter samples from Mills 1 and 3. In addition, a Levene’s test on the MOR of Mill 1 showed significant differences in the variance between the summer and winter samples. Further analysis revealed that in addition to the fact that the winter mill-run sample from Mill 3 was made up of a larger percentage of lower grade material than the summer sample, there were pronounced strength differences between the summer and winter samples both around the median and at the lowest (near-minimum) percentiles within each grade. This reinforces the notion that changes in mill-run MOR distributions over time can have an important effect on the overall strength of a given mill’s visual grades over time. A theory of mixed distributions could account for these differences.
EP1086 Diagnostic accuracy of conventional cervical cytology (Papanicolau smear), liquid based cytology and visual inspection with acetic acid in detecting premalignant and malignant cervical lesions among Filipino women in a tertiary hospital

Introduction/Background Carcinoma of the cervix remains to be the second most common malignancy and is the most common cause of cancer-related mortality among Filipino women despite being a preventable disease. Screening can reduce both the incidence and the mortality rate. However, after more than a decade of strong efforts from the national government and different medical organizations in promoting cervical cancer awareness, prevention and screening, we still see a steady rise in the number of newly diagnosed cases every year. Most of these newly diagnosed cases are in advanced stage. This study compared the diagnostic accuracy of the screening methods used in the country. Methodology This was a prospective cross-sectional study done in a tertiary hospital. 249 patients were included in this study. Diagnostic accuracy of Papanicolau smear (Papsmear), liquid based cytology (LBC) and visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) was compared, and results were confirmed by biopsy. Results Among the three screening methods, LBC (65%) had the highest probability to detect a premalignant or malignant cervical lesion, followed by VIA (60.5%). Papsmear (10%) which is commonly used by majority had the lowest probability in detecting premalignant or malignant lesions. Conclusion This study has shown that LBC is the best screening method for cervical cancer compared to VIA and papsmear. VIA is an adequate and acceptable screening method for cervical cancer. Furthermore, in low-resource areas, VIA is a better screening method than papsmear for its ease of use and lower cost. In areas where LBC is not available, it is highly recommended to do papsmear in conjunction with VIA. Disclosure Nothing to disclose
Inhibition of Drug-Resistant Candida glabrata by Killer Toxins Produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Combatting the spread of drug-resistant microbes requires new antifungal compounds with novel mechanisms of inhibition. Our lab investigates natural, proteinaceous toxins that are coded by double stranded RNA satellites found within Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Commonly known as “killer yeasts”, toxin-producing strains of S. cerevisiae have been found to inhibit the growth of many important fungal pathogens. To assess the value of killer yeasts for medical application we tested over 6,000 interactions between killer yeasts and various important fungal pathogens. To determine the susceptibility of fungi to killer toxins, we competed killer yeasts against a dilute lawn of a fungal pathogen; an active toxin produces a zone of growth inhibition in the lawn around the killer yeast. We determined that Candida glabratais broadly susceptible to killer toxins, while other Candida species showed little or no susceptibility. Of the 90 strains of S. cerevisiae tested against C. glabrata seven were capable of inhibiting all clinical strains of drug-resistant C. glabrata available from the Center for Disease Control and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In our evaluation of these toxins as potential antifungal therapeutics we confirmed their inhibitory capability against C. glabrata under physiological conditions. Based on the results of these tests and prior knowledge about killer yeasts, we believe that these toxins show a potential as antifungal therapeutic precursors to treat recalcitrant infections caused by C. glabrata.
Multigrid Preconditioning for a Space-Time Spectral-Element Discontinuous-Galerkin Solver

In this work we examine a multigrid preconditioning approach in the context of a high- order tensor-product discontinuous-Galerkin spectral-element solver. We couple multigrid ideas together with memory lean and efficient tensor-product preconditioned matrix-free smoothers. Block ILU(0)-preconditioned GMRES smoothers are employed on the coarsest spaces. The performance is evaluated on nonlinear problems arising from unsteady scale- resolving solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations: separated low-Mach unsteady ow over an airfoil from laminar to turbulent ow. A reduction in the number of ne space iterations is observed, which proves the efficiency of the approach in terms of preconditioning the linear systems, however this gain was not reflected in the CPU time. Finally, the preconditioner is successfully applied to problems characterized by stiff source terms such as the set of RANS equations, where the simple tensor product preconditioner fails. Theoretical justification about the findings is reported and future work is outlined.
Exploring relatives’ perceptions of participation, ethics, and communication in a patient‐driven study for hereditary cancer variant reclassification

Effective communication of genetic information within families depends on several factors. Few studies explore intra-familial communication of variant of uncertain significance (VUS) results or active collaboration between family members to classify VUS. Our qualitative study aimed to describe the experiences of individuals asked by family members to participate in the FindMyVariant study, a patient-driven family study which aimed to reclassify a clinically identified familial VUS in a hereditary cancer gene. We collected feedback from 56 individuals from 21 different families through phone interviews and written correspondence, transcribed the interviews, and performed thematic analysis on all text. We describe themes from three main topics: participation, ethical considerations, and study impacts. Participation in the FindMyVariant study, defined as returning a sample for targeted genotyping, was motivated by convenience and a desire to help the family, oneself, and science. Relatives were generally responsive to invitations to participate in FindMyVariant from another family member. Those who declined to participate did so due to concerns about research program confidentiality rather than family dynamics. No major ethical issues arose in response to the patient-driven study structure, and no major changes in stress and anxiety, medical care, or behavior occurred. Participation in patient-driven familial VUS classification studies has a neutral or positive impact on family health communication. While it is important to design studies to minimize familial coercion, intra-familial confidentiality breaches, and misinterpretation of genetic results, these were not major concerns among relatives in this study. Clinicians and laboratories may consider encouraging familial communication about genetic variants using family members as liaisons.
Pesticide Options for Insect, Mite, and Mollusk Management in Commercial Strawberry Production in Florida

Effective management of arthropod and gastropod pests of strawberry is critical to the profitability of the industry and requires that pests be detected in a timely manner through systematic scouting. Appropriate control measures should be applied as conditions warrant. The tables in this 22-page fact sheet list pesticides that are presently available to commercial strawberry producers in Florida and are organized alphabetically by major pest groups. Written by James F. Price, Curtis Nagle, and Susan E. Webb, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, April 2013. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in486
Felt but not seen: Observed restricted repetitive behaviors are associated with self-report—but not parent-report—obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms in youth with autism spectrum disorder:

Repetitive behaviors are observed in autism spectrum disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Clinically, obsessive-compulsive disorder obsessions are thought to drive repetitive or ritualistic ...
Staplers, Cartridges, and Energy Devices

The perfect sleeve gastrectomy in its current iteration would not be possible without the use of minimally invasive electrosurgical and stapling devices. Electrosurgical devices allow the surgeon to ligate vessels, maintain hemostasis, and dissect tissue planes with relative ease. Stapling devices allow for the tight seal and division of tissues that is critical in the formation of the gastric sleeve. Although most experienced surgeons are familiar with the use of these instruments, their complexity and nuances are numerous, and their inappropriate use can have catastrophic results. This chapter will focus on the questions and controversies that typically surround the use of these devices in performing a safe and successful sleeve gastrectomy.
Parental incarceration and the mental health of youth in the justice system: The moderating role of neighborhood disorder.

Neighborhood-level characteristics may inform youths’ experience of parental incarceration; however, their precise role has not yet been established. Some empirical evidence indicates that neighborhood disorder compounds the psychological distress of parental incarceration because youth living in disorderly neighborhoods are more likely to be affected by other related stressors. Other theorists suggest that neighborhood disorder mitigates the psychological distress of parental incarceration because the residents of disordered neighborhoods may be more equipped to address the collateral challenges associated with incarceration. Drawing upon secondary data from 1,186 male youth who had been arrested for the first time, the present study empirically tested these competing hypotheses by examining the moderating role of neighborhood disorder in the predictive relationship between parental incarceration and symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depressive disorder (MDD). The results indicate that both youth of color and youth living in high levels of neighborhood disorder experience no incremental change in GAD and MDD scores when a parent is incarcerated. However, parental incarceration is associated with significantly higher GAD and MDD scores among White youth in nondisordered neighborhoods. The results speak to the contextual mechanisms that inform youths’ experience of parental incarceration. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)
Courthouse Facility Dogs: An Intervention for Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

Survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) often experience crises as a result of their victimization and pursuit through the criminal justice system (CJS). Adverse mental health effects can incl...
Methotrexate, vinblastine, adriamycin, and cisplatin (MVAC) versus gemcitabine, and cisplatin (GC) as neoadjuvant chemotherapy in muscle-invasive bladder cancer, a systematic review and meta-analysis.

e16522Background: Cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy is the standard of care for muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) in cisplatin-eligible patients. This systematic review and meta-analysis...
Chapter 2 Crash Analysis

Fundamentals of Crash Sensing in Automotive Air Bag Systems provides a sound introduction for engineers designing air bag systems, accident reconstructionists, litigation professionals, managers, government employees, and anyone involved with automotive safety. Drawing upon the wisdom of many pioneers in the field, Chan presents a clear explanation of automotive air bag sensors using easy-to-read charts, tables, and figures. The book also includes a glossary of terms, and exercises for further study.
Ubiquity of cubanes in bioinorganic relevant compounds

Abstract The heterocubane (commonly referred to as the cubane cluster, a molecular species comprising a cube-shaped core with different atom types at opposite corners) is a conserved general structure found in some of nature’s most crucial enzymes. Nature owes some of its most important reactions—like catalytic water splitting, nitrogen fixation, and the citric acid cycle—to the reactive versatility of the cubane structure. Few reviews have comprehensively highlighted the importance of this naturally occurring structure outside of (and prior to) the biological context, or have explicitly focused on the role of the cluster’s global coordination environment on reactivity and electronic structure across multiple core metal and core ligand identities. In this review we summarize the scope of existing synthetic chemistry in context of coordination environment and geometry. Connections are drawn between these systems and the natural systems to offer insights into the properties of heterocubane clusters and their relation to biology. With biological uses ranging from simple one-electron transfer to some of the most challenging chemistries such as water oxidation and nitrogen fixation, the cubane cluster is ubiquitous and requires a more general elaboration than has been previously provided; thus, we aim to provide a summary of the history and the current research climate regarding heterocubanes, hoping that it will inspire future endeavors and discoveries.
Patient induced pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatostellate organoids establish a basis for liver pathologies in telomeropathies

Patients with dyskeratosis congenita (DC) and related telomeropathies resulting from premature telomere dysfunction suffer from multi-organ failure. In the liver, DC patients present with nodular hyperplasia, steatosis, inflammation, and cirrhosis. We model DC liver pathologies using isogenic human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells harboring a causal DC mutation in DKC1, or a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9-corrected control allele. Differentiation of these iPS cells into hepatocytes or hepatic stellate cells followed by generation of genotype-admixed hepatostellate organoids revealed a dominant phenotype in the parenchyma, with DC hepatocytes eliciting a pathogenic hyperplastic response in stellate cells independent of stellate cell genotype. Pathogenic phenotypes could be rescued via suppression of AKT activity, a central regulator of MYC-driven hyperplasia downstream of DKC1 mutation. Thus, isogenic iPS-derived admixed hepatostellate organoids offer insight into the liver pathologies in telomeropathies and provide a framework for evaluating emerging therapies.
A Survey of the Status of Supply Substitutability in U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal Cases

An ongoing problem in the application of U.S. antitrust law is the delineation of the appropriate product market. Demand and supply substitutability, as measured by the coefficients of cross elasticity of demand and the coefficient of elasticity of supply, respectively, were introduced in the early 1950s as two possible criteria to define product markets. Although the implementation and calculation of both concepts involve similar problems, the courts have been more readily receptive of cross elasticity of demand as a criterion on which to define product markets. Since the author has addressed this issue in a recent work, he confines his attention in the present paper to reviewing and updating the use of the supply substitutability concept as a criterion for product market delineation in U.S. Supreme Court and in the Federal Appeals Courts.
A Literature Review of the Use of Sodium Bicarbonate for the Treatment of QRS Widening

Sodium bicarbonate is a well-known antidote for tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) poisoning. It has been used for over half a century to treat toxin-induced sodium channel blockade as evidenced by QRS widening on the electrocardiogram (ECG). The purpose of this review is to describe the literature regarding electrophysiological mechanisms and clinical use of this antidote after poisoning by tricyclic antidepressants and other agents. This article will also address the literature supporting an increased serum sodium concentration, alkalemia, or the combination of both as the responsible mechanism(s) for sodium bicarbonate’s antidotal properties. While sodium bicarbonate has been used as a treatment for cardiac sodium channel blockade for multiple other agents including citalopram, cocaine, flecainide, diphenhydramine, propoxyphene, and lamotrigine, it has uncertain efficacy with bupropion, propranolol, and taxine-containing plants.
Log-structured file systems

A discussion is presented of several techniques for improving I/O performance, including caches, battery-backed-up caches, and cache logging. The authors then examine in particular detail an approach called log-structured file systems, where the file system's only representation on disk is in the form of an append-only log. Log-structured file systems potentially provide order-of-magnitude improvements in write performance. When log-structured file systems are combined with arrays of small disks (which provide high bandwidth) and large main-memory file caches (which satisfy most read accesses), the authors believe it will be possible to achieve 1000-fold improvements in I/O performance over current systems. >
Fc receptors on the surface of Toxoplasma gondii trophozoites: a confounding factor in testing for anti-Toxoplasma antibodies by indirect immunofluorescence.

Negative sera often produce false-positive polar patterns of fluorescence in indirect immunofluorescence tests for serum anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies, representing a confounding factor in the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis. In this work, we studied whether T. gondii trophozoites, the antigenic material used in the immunofluorescence tests, expressed surface Fc receptors that could cause the binding of normal immunoglobulins, thus producing false-positive results. We report here that T. gondii trophozoites indeed have Fc receptors on their surface. This was shown by the direct binding of purified human Fc to the parasite, evidenced by the subsequent binding of fluorescein-labeled Fab specific for human Fc. In addition, pretreatment of the parasite with excess purified Fc to saturate the surface Fc-binding sites abrogated the formation of polar fluorescence. The trophozoites appeared to express Fc receptors with different degrees of affinity for the specific ligand, since a diffuse fluorescence pattern was observed following incubation with 1 mg of Fc per ml (10 micrograms per well), whereas with 0.2 mg (0.2 micrograms per well), a majority of parasites showed polar fluorescence. This observation suggests that the Fc receptors accumulated at the polar cap are those with higher affinity. The present findings raise intriguing questions regarding the possible biological role(s) of the Fc receptors on T. gondii but, more immediately, indicated that pretreatment of the antigenic material with Fc, a commercially available reagent, constitutes a practical, simple way to avoid false-positive immunofluorescence test results due to the binding of nonspecific immunoglobulin to the parasite. Images