cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Left ventricular assist device as 'bridge to weight loss' prior to transplantation in obese patients with advanced heart failure.

BACKGROUND Obesity is a risk factor for heart failure (HF) and associated with poor outcomes after cardiac transplantation. We assessed change in total body weight, morbidity and mortality in obese heart failure patients after implantation of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) compared to medical management. MATERIAL/METHODS Nineteen patients (9 females, age 51.3 ± 10 years) with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30.0 kg/m² and advanced HF (NYHA class III-IV, stage D) were evaluated. Thirteen (group 1) received insertion of a LVAD as bridge to transplantation. The remaining patients (group 2) were medically managed. All were advised on lifestyle modification. RESULTS At baseline, group 1 (49.1 ± 10.7 years) had a total body weight (BW) of 246.6 ± 34.9 pounds (mean ± SD) and a BMI of 36.1 ± 4 kg/m². Group 2 (56 ± 6.7 yrs) had a BW of 238.8 ± 73.6 pounds and a BMI of 39.1 ± 9.3 kg/m2 (n.s. compared to group 1). All patients were alive at 12 months. At 6 months, BW in group 1 was reduced to 216.3 ± 20.8 pounds, and BMI to 31.8 ± 3.3 kg/m² (p < 0.05). At 6 months, BW in group 2 was 238.2 ± 84.6 pounds, and BMI was 39.1 ± 11.6 kg/m² (n.s. vs. baseline, p < 0.05 compared to group 1). The decrease in BW in group 1 was 12.3 ± 12% (30.3 ± 28.5 pounds). There was no change in BW in group 2 (0.3 ± 8.7%, 0.6 ± 21 pounds, p < 0.05 vs. group 1). At 12 months, 7 patients in group 1 (54%) underwent cardiac transplantation. CONCLUSIONS LVAD insertion resulted in weight loss in obese patients not considered for heart transplantation compared to medically managed patients.
Past, Present, and Future of Analyzing Software Data

This chapter introduces the book and offers some context for the rest of the chapters. Specifically, we explore different definitions of ”software analytics” as well the historical evolution of the data science for software engineering.
Self-Selection Bias in Reputation Systems

Reputation systems appear to be inherently biased towards better-than-average ratings. We explain this as a consequence of self-selection, where reviewers are drawn disproportionately from the subset of potential consumers favorably predisposed toward the resource. Inflated ratings tend to attract consumers with lower expected value, who have a greater chance of disappointment. Paradoxically, the more accurate the ratings, the greater the degree of self-selection, and the faster the ratings become biased. We derive sufficient conditions under which biased ratings occur. Finally, we outline a potential solution to this problem that involves stating expectations before interaction with the resource, and expressing subsequent ratings in terms of delight or disappointment.
Neonatal and Infant Microflora

The intestine of the newborn is sterile at birth, but it is rapidly colonized with microorganisms from maternal and environmental sources. Intestinal microbiota has a profound effect on the individual's nutrition and development of the gastrointestinal tract, and in the maintenance of the integrity of the mucosal surface. Establishment of normal microflora is important for physiologic, nutritional, and immune development. Perturbations of the intestinal ecosystem, especially during early development, may have consequences that extend well beyond the neonatal period.
Discrepancy Between Experimental and Theoretical Predictions of the Adiabaticity of Ti + +CH 3 OH

The reaction between Ti+ and methanol (CH3OH) is a model system for competition between activation of C-O, C-H, and O-H bonds and of the role of excited electronic pathways in catalytic processes. Herein, we use experimental kinetics, quantum chemical calculations, and statistical modeling to identify the critical features of the reaction's potential energy surface. Experimental kinetics data between 300 and 600 K shows the reaction largely proceeds through C-O bond activation, yielding TiOH+ and TiO+. Products of the O-H activation pathway, TiOCH2+ and TiOCH3+ are minor, while C-H bond activation is not observed at thermal energies. Statistical modeling well-reproduces the experimental results and offers insight into the reaction mechanism. Notably, efficient spin-crossing along the C-O activation pathway is required to produce the observed product distribution, in contrast to a previous estimate of inefficient crossing based on calculation of a small spin-orbit coupling constant. This discrepancy highlights a potential limitation of simple models within the Landau-Zener framework, which are commonly used to calculate surface-crossing probabilities in reactive systems.
Three Narratives of Civil War: Recurrence, Remembrance and Reform from Sulla to Syria

This chapter traces three historical narratives of civil war progressively across the centuries from republican Rome to the present. The first, “recurrence”, relates the seemingly eternal return of civil war; the second, “remembrance”, describes the place of historical memory–and of historical amnesia–in shaping expectations and experiences of civil war; the third, “reform”, imagines the amelioration, perhaps even the extinction, of civil war through the application of legal norms and constraints. These three narratives, when taken together, continue to inform understandings of civil war; when they are excavated and exposed, they can illuminate patterns in the history of civil war that might otherwise be inscrutable.
Alternative utility functions: review, analysis and comparison

The paper reviews the development of von Neumann and Morgenstern (vNM) utility theory. Kahneman and Tversky’s (KT’s) prospect theory is introduced. The vNM utility function is compared and contrasted with KT’s value function. We prove the uniqueness of two popular utility functions. First, we show that all power utility functions possess constant RRA. And, we show that all exponential utility functions have constant ARA. The paper concludes by discussing applications, strengths and weaknesses of various utility functions.
Mapping of genomic EGFRvIII deletions in glioblastoma: insight into rearrangement mechanisms and biomarker development.

Background Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) variant III (vIII) is the most common oncogenic rearrangement in glioblastoma (GBM), generated by deletion of exons 2 to 7 of EGFR. The proximal breakpoints occur in variable positions within the 123-kb intron 1, presenting significant challenges in terms of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based mapping. Molecular mechanisms underlying these deletions remain unclear. Methods We determined the presence of EGFRvIII and its breakpoints for 29 GBM samples using quantitative PCR, arrayed PCR mapping, Sanger sequencing, and whole genome sequencing (WGS). Patient-specific breakpoint PCR was performed on tumors, plasma, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples. The breakpoint sequences and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were analyzed to elucidate the underlying biogenic mechanism. Results PCR mapping and WGS independently unveiled 8 EGFRvIII breakpoints in 6 tumors. Patient-specific primers yielded EGFRvIII PCR amplicons in matched tumors and in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from a CSF sample, but not in cfDNA or extracellular-vesicle DNA from plasma. The breakpoint analysis revealed nucleotide insertions in 4 samples, an insertion of a region outside of the EGFR locus in 1, microhomologies in 3, as well as a duplication or an inversion accompanied by microhomologies in 2, suggestive of distinct DNA repair mechanisms. In the GBM samples that harbored distinct breakpoints, the SNP compositions of EGFRvIII and amplified non-vIII EGFR were identical, suggesting that these rearrangements arose from amplified non-vIII EGFR. Conclusion Our approach efficiently "fingerprints" each sample's EGFRvIII breakpoints. Breakpoint sequence analyses suggest that independent breakpoints arose from precursor amplified non-vIII EGFR through different DNA repair mechanisms.
"Mister, You're Writing in Spanglish": Fostering Spaces for Meaning Making and Metalinguistic Connections through Teacher Translanguaging Shifts in the Bilingual Classroom.

We examine how a third-grade bilingual teacher engaged in translanguaging shifts—the moment-to-moment changes in language practices—during instruction in response to students’ language performances...
Nuclear Genes Encoding the Small Subunit of Ribulose-1,5-Bisphosphate Carboxylase

Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) carboxylase is the major stromal protein in chloroplasts from C3 plants. It performs the first step in the Calvin cycle and is composed of 8 large subunits and 8 small subunits. The large subunits, of 53,000 daltons, are encoded by chloroplast DNA and the small subunits, of 14,000 daltons, are encoded by nuclear DNA (1,2). The small subunit is synthesized as a 20,000 dalton precursor, on free cytoplasmic ribosomes (3–6). This precursor functions in the post-translational transport of the small subunit from the site of synthesis into chloroplasts (5,6).
Principles of Wound Healing

Wound healing can be divided into immediate (zero to 1 hour), early (1 to 24 hours), intermediate (1 to 7 days), and late (greater than 7 days) stages. Many physical and physiologic events occur simultaneously and sequentially during these stages to produce the final wound scar. The processes of skin retraction, scab formation, would debridement, wound contraction, epithelial migration and proliferation, fibroplasia, and collagen maturation all must occur for healing to be successful. Many factors affect the size and shape of the resulting scar, including anatomic location and skin tension forces, systemic condition of the patient, blood supply to the wound, nutritional factors, environmental temperature, the presence of systemic drugs, wound infection, motion, wound oxygen gradient, wound moisture, and bandaging. Ideally, each of the factors would occur at a level compatible with optimal healing, but, in many clinical cases, one or more factors compromise normal, rapid healing. When we intervene with therapy, we probably adversely affect another factor in healing, while trying to correct the factor that is out of balance. In these decisions, the effects of our treatment on wound healing should be considered. The trade-off should be weighed and the treatment pursued only as long as necessary to allow healing to progress; then it should be discontinued or changed. With these considerations, it is hoped that we can attain healing at the most rapid physiologic rate.
Molecular Pathology of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) are mature B-cell lymphoid neoplasms with an identical immunophenotype that are currently thought to be very closely related if not identical. As a result, the current World Health Organization classification of hematolymphoid diseases has designated this disease as chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma. Patients who present as CLL have lymphocytosis and bone marrow involvement and usually also have tissue sites of disease (lymph nodes, spleen, other organs). In contrast, patients who present as SLL have lymphadenopathy and commonly have involvement of bone marrow and other tissue sites of disease, but lack lymphocytosis. This chapter will discuss the cytogenetic and molecular genetic findings in CLL/SLL, and most of the data are derived from patients with CLL. For simplicity, from this point forward CLL/SLL will be referred to as CLL.
Reoperations for Recurrence of Neurogenic Symptoms

Urschel [1, 2] and collaborators have emphasized the difficulties inherent in treating patients with recurrent symptoms after an initial operation for neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome. Usually, recurrence is the result of incomplete removal of the first rib during the first operation, a common finding seen on plain X-ray studies. Occasionally it is just a short stump; other times it is a longer segment in which the periosteum of the excised rib has regenerated causing the problem. Incomplete removal of the first rib is a common occurrence in cases operated using the transaxillary approach because of the difficulties encountered in exposing the posterior distal end of the rib. This in turn leads the surgeon to divide the rib at some distance from its origin with the transverse process, resulting in recurrent symptoms. Conversely, if the rib is completely excised during the first operation, recurrent symptoms are unlikely. Accordingly, it is very important during the first operation to achieve complete removal of the rib. The two approaches that have shown to be most effective in this regard are the supraclavicular approach [3, 4] and the combined approach as described by us [5] (i.e., using the transaxillary approach for the anterior portion of the rib and then a limited posterior incision along the trapezius ridge to reach the posterior end of the rib). Removal of residual posterior end of the rib has been also approached using what is called the posterior route, as introduced by Clagget [6] and used by others [1]. As previously noted, this is a very formidable operation requiring division of several muscles. It may also still pose difficulties of visualizing the rib for which Ferguson [7] proposed removal also of the second rib in order to reach the first adequately. This is very tedious and difficult because of the fibrosis that invariably encases the nerve trunks and the subclavian artery. For these reasons, my personal recommendation for removal of the posterior residual stump of the first rib is to use a limited incision parallel to the trapezius ridge which allows the surgeon to approach the top of the residual rib and remove it without risk of injuries to either artery or brachial plexus.
THE RELEVANCE OF AGENDA-SETTING THEORY IN TWENTY FIRST CENTURY JOURNALISM PRACTISE

This paper examines the relevance of Agenda Setting theory in twenty first century Journalism practice. Agenda-setting theory describes the capacity of news media to influence and guide public discourse. That is, if a news item is covered frequently and prominently, the audience will regard the issue as more important. Agenda-setting theory was formally developed by Dr. Max McCombs and Dr. Donald Shaw in a study on the 1968 presidential election. In the 1968 ‘Chapel Hill study,’ McCombs and Shaw demonstrated a strong correlation between what 100 residents of Chapel Hill, North Carolina thought was the most important election issue and what the local and national news media reported was the most important issue. By comparing the salience of issues in news content with the public's perceptions of the most important election issue, McCombs and Shaw were able to determine the degree to which the media determines public opinion. Since the 1968 study, published in a 1972 edition of Public Opinion Quarterly, more than 400 studies have been published on the agenda-setting function of the mass media. The argument that the Agenda-Setting Theory is still very relevant in contemporary Journalism practice was advanced in the discourse. Based on the Social Responsibility and Gate- Keeping Theories, the paper focused on the Agenda Setting Theory of Communication, its implications, applications and continued relevance, highlighting the functions of the mass media. It is recommended that media stakeholders do more to ensure that issues that will enhance the socio- politico- economic well-being of the people are hyped regularly, to ensure the achievement of set objectives.
A Single-Stage, Single-Inductor, 6-Input 9-Output Multi-Modal Energy Harvesting Power Management IC for 100µW-120MW Battery-Powered IoT Edge Nodes

A 25MHz switching, event driven, 6-input and 9-output single inductor Energy-Harvesting PMIC (EHPMIC) with multi-modal harvesting capability from DC & AC sources delivers up to 120mW with a peak efficiency of 81.7% and only 120µW control power overhead. The high-frequency, high-bandwidth design optimally trades off EHPMIC conversion efficiency with inductor/capacitor size & transient response speed to enable the fast power state transitions demanded by the SoC in a compact IoT edge node, thus minimizing the overall platform size & energy consumption.
PARTIAL PROTECTION IN BALB/C HOUSE MICE (MUS MUSCULUS) AND ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK (CERVUS CANADENSIS) AFTER VACCINATION WITH A KILLED, MUCOSALLY DELIVERED BRUCELLA ABORTUS VACCINE

Brucellosis, caused by Brucella abortus, has been eliminated from livestock in the US. Remaining wildlife reservoirs are the bison (Bison bison) and elk (Cervus canadensis) populations in Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding area, from which there is periodic exposure and transmission to surrounding livestock herds. Elk account for nearly all of the livestock exposure, and the infection appears to be expanding in the elk population. Currently, there are no known effective vaccines for brucellosis in elk. We conducted three experiments to evaluate the efficacy and practicality of delivering a killed B. abortus vaccine compounded with montmorillonite clay as a carrying agent to oral, nasal, and conjunctival mucosa. The first study, conducted in laboratory mice (Mus musculus), demonstrated protection against infection equal to that produced by the currently approved cattle (Bos taurus) vaccine RB51. The second experiment, conducted as a pilot study in a small sample of elk, demonstrated partial protection against B. abortus infection. Results of the third experiment showed that elk consumed the majority of a surrogate vaccine compounded with montmorillonite mixed in hay with oral, nasal, conjunctival, and gastrointestinal exposure to the vaccine. These results suggest that multiple exposures to a mucosally delivered vaccine may provide an effective method of vaccinating wildlife.
Cost-Effectiveness of a Weight Loss Intervention: An Adaptation of the Look AHEAD Lifestyle Intervention in the US Military.

Objective This study aimed to assess whether a counselor-initiated (CI) adaptation of the Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) intensive lifestyle intervention in a military setting was cost-effective relative to a self-paced (SP) adaptation. Methods A cost-effectiveness analysis from a payer perspective was performed alongside a 2014-2017 randomized behavioral weight loss trial among 248 active-duty military personnel stationed at a US Air Force base in Texas. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were calculated for weight loss, reductions in waist circumference, and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). Results After 12 months, the CI adaptation cost more per participant compared with the SP adaptation ($1,081 vs. $120) but achieved greater weight loss (1.86 kg vs. 0.06 kg), greater reductions in waist circumference (1.85 cm vs. 0.48 cm), and more QALYs (0.871 vs. 0.856). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for the CI adaptation relative to the SP adaptation was $61,268 per additional QALY. At willingness-to-pay thresholds of $50,000 and $100,000 per QALY, the CI adaptation was 45% and 49% likely to be cost-effective, respectively. Conclusions The CI delivery of the Look AHEAD Intensive Lifestyle Intervention may offer a cost-effective approach to tackle excess weight in the US military.
Moments of friction in virtual reality: How feeling histories impact experience:

This article examines embodied interaction in a virtual reality learning environment. Studies of embodied interaction in immersive learning environments, like virtual reality, tend to treat all bod...
Single-leg hop mechanics are correlated with self-reported knee function early after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Abstract Background Biomechanical changes that persist after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury may impact short- and long-term outcomes. Understanding the relationship of biomechanics during a dynamic task and patient reported function can better identify patients who are most vulnerable to sub-optimal long-term outcomes, such as osteoarthritis (OA). The purpose of this study was to determine whether hip and knee biomechanics during single-leg hop landing were significantly correlated with the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), and whether symptomatic knees displayed altered biomechanics relative to asymptomatic knees. Methods Hip and knee biomechanics during the landing phase of a single-leg hop of thirty subjects with ACLR were analyzed. Subjects were also classified as symptomatic or asymptomatic based on their KOOS results. Correlation analyses and group comparisons between symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects were conducted. Findings KOOS Symptoms, Pain, and Sport subscales were significantly correlated with frontal and sagittal plane hip and knee biomechanics. Furthermore, those with symptomatic knees demonstrated greater hip and knee flexion angles, and greater hip flexion moments. Interpretation These results indicate that biomechanics associated with ACLR during a single-leg hop are correlated with worse KOOS outcomes. However, these correlations may be due to symptoms of the recovery from ACLR rather than those of OA. The results of this study may help to identify rehabilitation opportunities for patients at risk for worse long-term outcomes after ACLR.
Search for Massive Supersymmetry at 13 TeV

This chapter presents a search for supersymmetry involving pair-produced gluinos decaying via off-shell top squarks into the lightest neutralino and third-generation SM particles, top quarks. This analysis was performed using 36.1 ifb of data collected by the ATLAS experiment in 2015 and 2016.In the Run-I iteration of this analysis in 2014, no significant excess of events over the expected SM background was observed and a lower limit on the gluino mass was set to be at 1.4 TeV at the 95% confidence level for this signal model. I discuss the work done during the Run-2 iteration of this analysis, also observing no significant excess, and setting a much stronger lower limit on the gluino mass to 2.1 TeV at the 95% confidence level.
Straggler-free Coding for Concurrent Matrix Multiplications

Matrix multiplication is a fundamental building block in various distributed computing algorithms. In order to compute the multiplication of large matrices, it is common practice to distribute the computation into multiple tasks running on different nodes. In order to tolerate potential stragglers among such nodes, various coding schemes have been proposed which add additional coded tasks. However, most existing coding schemes for the matrix multiplication are constructed for only one matrix multiplication, while it is common to compute multiple matrix multiplications concurrently in large-scale distributed computing workloads. In this paper, we propose a novel coding framework where the results of multiple multiplications can be obtained within one job concurrently. Compared with running the multiplications separately with multiple jobs, our work demonstrates that the same number of stragglers can be tolerated with much fewer tasks.A full version of this paper is accessible at: https://users.cs.fiu.edu/~junli/papers/pedro-isit20-full.pdf
Abstract IA21: Translating immunotherapy from melanoma to other skin cancers

The PD-1 pathway, including the immune cell receptor Programmed Cell Death 1 (PD-1) and its ligands, PD-L1 (B7-H1) and PD-L2 (B7-DC), mediates immunosuppression within the tumor microenvironment. Drugs designed to “release the brakes” on antitumor immunity by blocking PD-1 have demonstrated substantial and durable activity in patients with advanced unresectable melanoma, as well as those with resected melanomas having a high risk for postsurgical relapse. These findings supported FDA approvals for anti-PD-1 drugs in the adjuvant and advanced melanoma settings. Research in melanoma subtypes and other kinds of cancers has identified two tumor markers associated with the likelihood of anti-PD-1 response: PD-L1 protein expression and tumor mutational burden (TMB), reflecting neoantigen load. Cutaneous melanomas are often caused by UV irradiation, harbor high TMBs, and frequently express PD-L1. Other types of skin cancers caused by UV irradiation, such as squamous cell and basal cell carcinomas, harbor high TMBs, express PD-L1, and have shown sensitivity to anti-PD-1. Merkel cell carcinoma has a unique biology, since only ~20% of cases are caused by UV light (high TMB), while the remaining 80% are associated with the oncogenic Merkel cell polyomavirus (very low TMB). Interestingly, both varieties are highly responsive to PD-1 pathway blockade, indicating that a limited number of strong tumor antigens (viral antigens) can compensate for low TMB to elicit antitumor immunity and tumor rejection. Anti-PD-1 has shown promising activity in neoadjuvant (presurgical) trials in melanoma and Merkel cell carcinoma. Neoadjuvant trials afford the opportunity for in-depth tissue analysis, and a variety of tumor markers are under investigation for correlation with treatment outcomes. The continued interrogation of tumor markers potentially predictive of clinical outcomes is expected to further refine the risk:benefit profile for PD-1/PD-L1 antagonists in melanoma and other skin cancers. Future clinical investigations will focus on difficult-to-treat populations such as immunosuppressed patients, including solid organ transplant recipients and those with HIV infection, who are at increased risk to develop aggressive skin cancers. Supported by National Institutes of Health R01 CA142779, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Melanoma Research Alliance, Barney Foundation, Laverna Hahn Charitable Trust, and Moving for Melanoma of Delaware. Citation Format: Suzanne L. Topalian. Translating immunotherapy from melanoma to other skin cancers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Melanoma: From Biology to Target; 2019 Jan 15-18; Houston, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(19 Suppl):Abstract nr IA21.
Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy Presenting as Clinical Myocarditis in Women.

Patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) classically initially present with ventricular arrhythmias or, less commonly, heart failure. Myocardial inflammation has been implicated in pathogenesis, but clinical myocarditis in ARVC is less described. We therefore studied clinical myocarditis as an initial ARVC presentation, and hypothesized that these patients have distinct clinical and genetic characteristics. Using the Johns Hopkins ARVC Registry, we identified 12 patients (all female, median age 20) referred between 2014 and 2019 diagnosed with myocarditis at presentation who were subsequently diagnosed with ARVC by Task Force Criteria. Majority presented with chest pain (n = 7, 58%) or ventricular arrhythmia (n = 3, 25%). All patients had troponin elevations and left ventricular (LV) function was reduced in 5 (42%). Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated LV delayed gadolinium enhancement and/or pericardial enhancement in 10 (83%); only 3 (25%) patients had right ventricular abnormalities. Pathogenic genetic variants were identified in 11 (92%) patients: 10 desmoplakin (DSP) and 1 desmoglein-2 (DSG2). Thus, nearly 1/3 (10/32, 31%) of overall DSP ARVC patients were originally diagnosed with myocarditis. Patients were diagnosed with ARVC 1.8 years (IQR 2.7 years) after presentation and 8 (75%) patients did not meet Task Force Criteria without genetic testing. ARVC diagnosis led to an additional 5 (42%) patients referred for implantable cardiac defibrillator and 17 family member diagnoses. In conclusion, ARVC may initially present as myocarditis and these patients have distinct characteristics including female gender, LV involvement and DSP gene variants. Genetic testing is key to ARVC diagnosis and should be considered in select myocarditis patients.
Trumpism and the Continuing Challenges to Three Political-Constitutionalist Orthodoxies

Following Donald Trump’s election, the 2016 British Brexit referendum, and the rise of populist authoritarianism around the globe, a wave of scholarship emerged that focused on democratic breakdown and erosion. Underpinning this literature is a fear that long-standing constitutional and democratic orthodoxies—ideas that are broadly accepted and therefore seldom questioned—are under considerable stress. This paper is a comparative constitutional study of democratic erosion in the United States. Donald Trump’s presidency was a gift to constitutionalists because it enabled them to observe the erosion of a long-standing, wealthy democracy. Prior to Donald Trump’s election, constitutionalists faced a problem. The American constitutional order differs considerably from those of its peer democracies—those democracies continuously in operation since 1950—yet all those democracies appeared to function tolerably well. That claim is no longer sustainable. The United States elected a demagogue to the presidency of the United States. Consequently, it has gone farther down the path of democratic erosion than its peer democracies. Trumpism challenges three political-constitutionalist orthodoxies: (1) that wealthy, long-standing democracies are immune to breakdown and should resist erosion; (2) that presidentialism works well in the United States even though it has largely failed abroad; and (3) that the peculiar form constitutionalism took in the United States is the cure for the excesses of democracy.
The “Burn”: water quality and microbiological impacts related to limited free chlorine disinfection periods in a chloramine system

To control microbial proliferation and nitrification within distribution systems, utilities practicing secondary disinfection chloramination often discontinue their ammonia feed and provide a short, free chlorine disinfection period (FClP), commonly referred to as a "chlorine burn". However, the success and practicality of this approach is often criticized because of the return to nitrification; yet, previous studies conducted in full-scale distribution systems do not contain the sampling frequency to determine how quickly nitrification can return. In this research, a total of 15 hydrants distributed across hydraulically modeled water ages were sampled for 21 sampling events over a period spanning two annual FClPs (2018 and 2019) to investigate the water quality, planktonic community, and, using a new sampling technique, established biofilm community impacts within a single, distribution system pressure zone. Hydrants measured elevated nitrite only 10 weeks after the end of the FClP and live cell counts in the bulk and scour samples statistically significantly increased within two weeks after the FClP ended and chloramine disinfection resumed, indicating limited impacts from a FClP. Furthermore, the FClP significantly increased iron concentrations during the period of free chlorine disinfection creating a consumer water quality concern. Microbial fingerprint analysis using flow cytometry revealed that beta diversity did not significantly change for sampling locations that experienced even periodic low total chlorine concentrations. Only locations that maintained high chlorine residuals throughout both chloramine and free chlorine disinfection periods demonstrated significant changes in bulk water microbial community. Even for these locations, microbial communities of the scoured biofilms remained similar over the course of the study.
Complications of Blood Transfusion

As any procedure in medicine, the transfusion of blood products to the patient involves benefits and risks. The benefits of increased oxygen carrying capacity with the ability to deliver oxygen to the tissue is clear in the setting of severe hemorrhage. The risks are not as clear. While patients are mainly concerned with infectious risks, there are other risks that must be considered by the provider.
The Fueling Learning Through Exercise Study Cluster RCT: Impact on Children's Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity

Introduction Most children do not meet the recommendations for school-time and daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, with significant demographic disparities and declines over the elementary school years. Investigators examined the impact of Fueling Learning through Exercise study school-based physical activity programs on school-time and total daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity among lower-income school children. Design, Participants, and Intervention Urban elementary schools (N=18) were cluster randomized to 100 Mile Club, Just Move, or control. Data collection and analyses occurred from 2015 to 2019 among third- and fourth-grade school children (N=1,008) across 2 academic years. Main outcome measures Student's moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was measured by 7-day accelerometry (Actigraph GT3X+) at baseline (before intervention), midpoint (6 months), and endpoint (18 months). Mixed-effects linear regression models examined program impact on school-time and daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, adjusting for clustering, demographics, weight status, free/reduced-price lunch eligibility, school physical activity environment, wear time, and weather. Program reach by sex, weight status, race/ethnicity, and baseline activity levels was explored. Results Of the 979 participants analyzed (aged 8.7 [SD=0.7] years, 44% male, 60% non-White, 40% overweight/obese, 55% eligible for free/reduced-price lunch), 8.4% (18.2 [SD=7.9] minutes per day) and 19.8% (45.6 [SD=19.4] minutes per day) fulfilled the 30-minute school-time and 60-minute daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity recommendations at baseline, respectively. Overall, daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity decreased from baseline to 18 months (p Conclusions Two different school-based physical activity programs were effective in preventing the decline in school-time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity that is typical across the elementary years, with similar reach by sex and weight status. Multiple opportunities for physical activity during school are needed to promote meeting school-time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity recommendations among diverse children. Trial registration This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT02810834.
Understanding holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) recovery: Assessing patient expectations and understanding.

Introduction: Although holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) is a highly effective surgery, there is a variable recovery period where patients may experience hematuria, dysuria, or urinary incontinence (UI). Despite preoperative consultation, there is a paucity of literature examining the effectiveness of physician-patient communication in preparing the patient for the postoperative recovery period. We sought to examine recovery expectations as a patient-reported outcome (PRO) metric for HoLEP. Methods: With institutional review board approval, we queried our electronic medical record and retrospective clinical registry to identify 50 consecutive patients that underwent HoLEP from November 2019 to March 2020 by two endourologists. Patients were provided questionnaires via Twistle© ≥6 months postoperatively. Patient demographics and perioperative course was examined in the context of responses. Our primary objective was determining whether patients felt they had a reasonable understanding of the recovery process. Results: We observed a 92% (46/50) response rate, with an average patient age of 69.4 years (range 55–88). Overall, 91.3% (42/46) felt they had a reasonable understanding of the recovery. Additionally, 97.8% (45/46) were aware of temporary UI, with 87% having ≥1 episodes of UI after catheter removal. We found 47.8% (22/46) of patients expected UI to resolve within 30 days, while 8.6% expected >90 days of UI. All patients were aware of the risk of hematuria, with 93.5% (43/46) expecting resolution within 30 days (<7 days: 47.8%; 7–14 days: 28.3%; 15–30 days: 17.4%). Conclusions: Although surgical technique continues to improve HoLEP, ensuring adequate physician-patient communication to optimize expectations is crucial. We report patient understanding of HoLEP recovery and areas for future improvement.
Electromagnetic stimulation increases mitochondrial function in osteogenic cells and promotes bone fracture repair

Bone fracture is a growing public health burden and there is a clinical need for non-invasive therapies to aid in the fracture healing process. Previous studies have demonstrated the utility of electromagnetic (EM) fields in promoting bone repair; however, its underlying mechanism of action is unclear. Interestingly, there is a growing body of literature describing positive effects of an EM field on mitochondria. In our own work, we have previously demonstrated that differentiation of osteoprogenitors into osteoblasts involves activation of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos). Therefore, it was reasonable to propose that EM field therapy exerts bone anabolic effects via stimulation of mitochondrial OxPhos. In this study, we show that application of a low intensity constant EM field source on osteogenic cells in vitro resulted in increased mitochondrial membrane potential and respiratory complex I activity and induced osteogenic differentiation. In the presence of mitochondrial inhibitor antimycin A, the osteoinductive effect was reversed, confirming that this effect was mediated via increased OxPhos activity. Using a mouse tibial bone fracture model in vivo, we show that application of a low intensity constant EM field source enhanced fracture repair via improved biomechanical properties and increased callus bone mineralization. Overall, this study provides supporting evidence that EM field therapy promotes bone fracture repair through mitochondrial OxPhos activation.
Predicting Enthalpies of Interfacial Bonding of Polymers to Reinforcing Pigments

The adsorption and adhesion of polymers to inorganic pigments depends very much on the degree of acid-base bonding between these materials. The H of acid-base bonding at the surface of silica particles has been measured calorimetrically during adsorption from neutral solvents, and has been measured by infrared spectral shifts of the carbonyl stretching frequency of esters and ketones resulting from adsorption on silica. The results obtained by these two methods are in excellent agreement, and allow accurate determination of the Drago C and E constants for the acidic silanol groups of silica (C =1.08 0.04 and E =4.36 0.2). With these values, predictions of the energetics of polymer adhesion to silica can be made quite reliably.
Issues in Airport Runway Capacity Charging and Allocation

This paper looks at pricing airport runway capacity in the setting in which there are a limited number of buyers, and queuing abilities are constrained. It seeks to find the most effective way of allocating airport runway capacity, with an eye to seeing whether road pricing strategies are applicable. One challenge is the difficulty in establishing an adequate measure of congestion in air transportation at airports and during flights. The economic costs of these delays are also difficult to estimate because commercial airlines, rather than individual drivers (as is the case for roadways) are the customers. Additionally, airports vary widely in their physical form, ownership and financial motivations. External constraints also often limit their options in terms of expanding infrastructure as needed. The existing mechanisms for allocating runway slots are administrative procedures that are often strongly influenced by incumbent users and have a strong “grandfathering” element. Pricing is generally set by the size of the aircraft, which introduces weighted Ramsey pricing, where fees often fail to reflect congestion impacts. And there are less than optimal incentives for holders of rights to use them more efficiently. The peculiarities of runway slots include the indivisibilities involved, the need to have both landing and takeoff slots, and the inability to queue for any extended time. The examination of all these issues suggests that sale or even random allocation of an externally determined number of slots, allowing for secondary trading, may be more efficient. This also avoids the need to re-calculate congestion costs across networks as new capacity is added.
The Virtual Agora Project: A Research Design for Studying Democratic Deliberation

In 2001, the National Science Foundation provided $2.1 million in funding for the Virtual Agora Project, a three-year exploration of the effects of online and face-to-face democratic deliberation. The project seeks to shed light on deliberation's effects on individuals, the community, and decision quality as well as how best to use technology to achieve positive outcomes. Of special concern to the project is determining whether deliberation builds better citizens. This paper describes the research design of this project to stimulate future research on deliberation.
Genital herpes in two social groups.

Abstract Genital herpes was studied in two social groups. Among Caucasians of the upper socioeconomic class with symptomatic primary genital herpes, 78 per cent lacked antibodies to either herpesvirus type 1 or type 2 in their initial serum samples. Among Negroes of the lower socioeconomic class attending a venereal disease clinic, only 29 per cent of persons with primary genital herpes initially lacked antibodies to either type of herpesvirus, and, among women of this group, asymptomatic infections occurred. The antibody response to herpesvirus type 2 among individuals with genital herpes was similar in both social groups. The occurrence of genital herpes among 14 of 18 (78 per cent) female sex contacts of males with genital herpes indicates that the virus is venereally transmitted.
Structure, position, and biosynthesis of the high mannose and the complex oligosaccharide side chains of the bean storage protein phaseolin

Phaseolin, the major storage protein of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), is a glycoprotein which is synthesized during seed development and accumulates in protein storage vacuoles or protein bodies. The protein has three different N-linked oligosaccharide side chains: Man9(GlcNAc)2, Man7(GlcNAc)2, and Xyl-Man3(GlcNAc)2 (where Xyl represents xylose). The structures of these glycans were determined by 1H NMR spectroscopy. The Man9(GlcNAc)2 glycan has the typical structure found in plant and animal glycoproteins. The structures of the two other glycans are shown below. (Formula; see text) Phaseolin was separated by electrophoresis on denaturing gels into four size classes of polypeptides. The two abundant ones have two oligosaccharides each, whereas the less abundant ones have only one oligosaccharide each. Polypeptides with two glycans have Man7(GlcNAc)2 attached to Asn252 and Man9(GlcNAc)2 attached to Asn341. Polypeptides with only one glycan have Xyl-Man3(GlcNAc)2 attached to Asn252. Both these asparagine residues are in canonical glycosylation sites; the numbering starts with the N-terminal methionine of the signal peptide of phaseolin. The presence of the Man7(GlcNAc)2 and of Xyl-Man3(GlcNAc)2 at the same asparagine residue (position 252) of different polypeptides seems to be controlled by the glycosylation status of Asn341. When Asp341 is unoccupied, the glycan at Asn252 is complex. When Asn341 is occupied, the glycan at Asn252 is only modified to the extent that 2 mannosyl residues are removed. The processing of the glycans, after the removal of the glucose residues, involves enzymes in the Golgi apparatus as well as in the protein bodies. Formation of the Xyl-Man3(GlcNAc)2 glycan is a multistep process that involves the Golgi apparatus-mediated removal of 6 mannose residues and the addition of 2 N-acetylglucosamine residues and 1 xylose. The terminal N-acetylglucosamine residues are later removed in the protein bodies. The conversion of Man9(GlcNAc)2 to Man7(GlcNAc)2 is a late processing event which occurs in the protein bodies. Experiments in which [3H]glucosamine-labeled phaseolin obtained from the endoplasmic reticulum (i.e. precursor phaseolin) is incubated with jack bean alpha-mannosidase show that the high mannose glycan on Asn252, but not the one on Asn341, is susceptible to enzyme degradation. Incubation of [3H] glucosamine-labeled phaseolin obtained from the Golgi apparatus with jack bean beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase results in the removal of the terminal N-acetylglucosamine residues from the complex chain.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Before Roe v. Wade: Voices that Shaped the Abortion Debate Before the Supreme Court's Ruling

We post here a new edition of our book, a documentary history of the debate over abortion that took place during the decade before the Supreme Court rendered its decision in Roe v. Wade. First published in 2010, the book collects a wide range of primary sources, many never before publicly available, that illustrate the dynamic of conflict in the period before Roe. These sources show how growing popular support for decriminalization elicited counter-mobilization; how each side appealed to constitutional arguments in the legislative arena before turning to the courts; and how the Republican Party during the 1972 presidential campaign began to adopt anti-abortion arguments as a way of recruiting traditionally Democratic Catholic voters. In short, much of the conflict typically ascribed to Roe began during the years leading up to the decision. What difference does it make to study the abortion conflict in the decade before the Supreme Court ruled? This 2d edition of our book features, as a new Afterword, the full text of an essay we published in 2011 that explores questions about constitutional law and politics provoked by this “reframing” of Roe. Before (and After) Roe v. Wade: New Questions About Backlash traces the escalation of the abortion conflict at a time when courts played little part, investigating the important role played by movements, religious institutions, and, in particular, the political parties in shaping abortion’s meaning, associations, and increasingly central role in polarization. The conventional assumption is that adjudication shut down politics and that polarization resulted. The history we uncover suggests that many institutions fueled politics around abortion in the years before Roe -- a period in which we can see the seeds of polarization before the Court ever ruled. Our account raises questions about the conventional backlash narrative, with its court-centered emphasis on the supposed perils of adjudication, a narrative that is a virtual commonplace today. When Federal District Judge Vaughn Walker, presiding over the Proposition 8 trial, asked the lawyer for the gay couples challenging California’s ban on same-sex marriage whether the danger was “not that you’re going to lose this case, either here or at the Court of Appeals or at the Supreme Court, but that you might win it,” the judge was making reference to Roe v. Wade and reflecting the belief that the Court’s decision ignited conflict over abortion. It is a view, we argue, that is as incomplete as it is widely held.With the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade and the 10th anniversary of Lawrence v. Texas approaching, we are making this new edition of our book available as a download.
Influence of Soil Conditions on Building Damage Potential during Earthquakes

On the basis of the ground motions recorded in San Francisco during the 1957 earthquake, it is shown that ground motion characteristics varied markedly along a 3-mile section of the city, depending on the variation in soil conditions. It is suggested that building damage potential during earthquakes depends on either the induced/design lateral force ratio or the damage potential index and variations in these quantities are shown, both for the 1957 earthquake and for other earthquakes that may affect the city. Variations in soil conditions are shown to cause the response of structures to vary by factors ranging from 3 to 6, and the types of soil conditions causing maximum response in different types of earthquakes are discussed. It is suggested that building codes should reflect the potential variations in damage potential due to local variations in soil conditions by appropriate variations in design requirements.