cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Smad-Dependent Recruitment of a Histone Deacetylase/Sin3A Complex Modulates the Bone Morphogenetic Protein-Dependent Transcriptional Repressor Activity of Nkx3.2

We have previously shown that Nkx3.2, a transcriptional repressor that is expressed in the sclerotome and developing cartilage, can activate the chondrocyte differentiation program in somitic mesoderm in a bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-dependent manner. In this work, we elucidate how BMP signaling modulates the transcriptional repressor activity of Nkx3.2. We have found that Nkx3.2 forms a complex, in vivo, with histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) and Smad1 and -4 in a BMP-dependent manner. The homeodomain and NK domain of Nkx3.2 support the interaction of this transcription factor with HDAC1 and Smad1, respectively, and both of these domains are required for the transcriptional repressor activity of Nkx3.2. Furthermore, the recruitment of an HDAC/Sin3A complex to Nkx3.2 requires that Nkx3.2 interact with Smad1 and -4. Indeed, Nkx3.2 both fails to associate with the HDAC/Sin3A complex and represses target gene transcription in a cell line lacking Smad4, but it performs these functions if exogenous Smad4 is added to these cells. While prior work has indicated that BMP-dependent Smads can support transcriptional activation, our findings indicate that BMP-dependent Smads can also potentiate transcriptional repression, depending upon the identity of the Smad-interacting transcription factor.
Executive Coaching: Developing Managerial Wisdom in a World of Chaos

This article presents a review of the book “Executive Coaching: Developing Managerial Wisdom in a World of Chaos,” by Richard Kilburg.
Social environment alters opioid-induced hyperalgesia and antinociceptive tolerance in adolescent mice.

Background Chronic opioid treatment is complicated by the development of tolerance and hyperalgesia. Social environment alters both opioid-induced behaviours and nociceptive mechanisms. Our previous studies demonstrated that, in adolescent rodents, the susceptibility to acquire opioid dependence and reward is dependent on the nature of social housing conditions. Specifically, our previous studies demonstrate that housing morphine-treated mice with drug-naive animals mitigates the abuse liability of opioids. Thus, this study tested the effect of social housing conditions on the development of adaptive processes to morphine antinociception. Method Adolescent males were group-housed in different conditions. In the mixed treatment condition, mice treated with 20 mg/kg morphine (i.e. ‘morphine cage-mates’) and saline (i.e. ‘saline cage-mates’) were housed together. In the separated treatment conditions, all mice in the cage received morphine (i.e. ‘morphine only’) or saline (i.e. ‘saline only’). All animals were tested for baseline pain sensitivity and for the response to morphine in the tail withdrawal, hot plate, acetone and von Frey filament tests, during and after discontinuation of opioid treatment. Results Both morphine cage-mate and morphine only animals developed antinociceptive tolerance. However, this effect was more robust and persistent in the morphine only group. Notably, morphine only animals, but not morphine cage-mates, developed opioid-induced hyperalgesia. Conclusion This study demonstrates that housing morphine-treated mice with drug-naive animals mitigates the development of opioid-induced hyperalgesia and antinociceptive tolerance. Thus, this study indicates that social environment influences the effectiveness of opioid pain management.
Toxic and Nutritional Conditions

Medication and nutritional exposures can cause peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer changes. Cases of linezolid-induced optic neuropathy, toxic optic neuropathy secondary to paclitaxel, neuroferritinopathy, tobacco alcohol amblyopia, and thiamine deficiency are discussed.
Thermochemistry of La1-xSrxfeO3-δ solid solutions (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 1.0, 0.0 < δ ≤ 0.5)

A series of compounds with the general formula La1-xSrxFeO3-δ have been synthesized in the complete solid solution range 0.0 ≤ x ≤ 1.0 and 0.0 ≤ δ ≤ 0.5 with a variety of heat treatments. High-temperature drop solution calorimetry in molten 2PbO·B2O3 at 702 °C was performed to determine their enthalpies of formation from oxides at room temperature. The enthalpy of oxidation involved in the reaction 2F + + 0.5O2(g) = 2F + is independent of oxygen nonstoichiometry in each La1-xSrxFeO3-δ series with a given x, and further is approximately constant at −200 ± 50 kJ/mol O2 for 0 < x ≤ 0.5 and −140 ± 30 kJ/mol O2 for 0.5 < x < 1.0. The enthalpies of formation from oxides in the LaFeO3−SrFeO2.5 solid solution can be fitted either by a quadratic equation or by two straight line segments intersecting at x = 0.5. The quadratic fit gives a positive interaction parameter, 36.1 ± 4.9 kJ/mol, suggesting a tendency toward phase separation. The two linear segment models two regions of oxygen vacancy presence: dilute (ran...
The Geography of Distinction: The Nation and its Regions 1790–1927

and the truly social aspects of community life-presumably studied by use of "ecological indexes"-are only marginal to human ecology and not an essential part of it. These "ecological indexes" may be studied by human ecology as well as by other marginal disciplines, but the essence of human ecology, as of other specialized sciences, depends upon its own distinctive abstractions from reality and not upon these marginal analyses. Human ecology stands or falls upon its ability to simplify and clarify the impersonal, subsocial aspects of communities and regions, and not upon its success in supplying short-cuts to the study of those elusive aspects of social life which depend upon communication of meaning.
Semisynthesis and Biological Evaluation of Ganodermanontriol and Its Stereoisomeric Triols

The first synthesis of ganodermanontriol, a bioactive lanostane triterpene from the medicinal mushroom Ganoderma lucidum, has been achieved in 15.3% yield over nine steps, along with its three stereoisomeric triols and ganoderol A. The key steps leading to this family of isomers involve the reconstruction of the trisubstituted alkene by stereoselective and chemoselective phosphonate reactions and the formation of the unusual Δ7,9(11)-diene core by the mild acidic opening of a lanosterone-derived epoxide. Ganodermanontriol showed promising activity on the inhibition and proliferation of breast cancer cells. The effect of ganodermanontriol and its isomers on cell proliferation was assayed; IC50 values of 5.8 and 9.7 μM on breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, respectively, were found for ganodermanontriol.
How often are diagnostic features missed with less extensive histologic sampling of prostate needle biopsy specimens

The authors determined whether clinically relevant diagnostic information would be lost by examination of <3 levels per tissue core in prostate needle biopsy specimens. They evaluated 439 consecutive sextant biopsy specimens for the following three histopathologic features: presence of adenocarcinom
Prothrombin conversion factor of dicumarol plasma.

SummaryEvidence is presented that suggests the disappearance not only of prothrombin in dogs treated with dicumarol, but also of a factor important in the conversion of prothrombin to thrombin. Like prothrombin, this factor is associated with the plasma pseudoglobulins, but unlike prothrombin it is plentiful in serum. Addition of plasma, serum or serum pseudoglobulin corrects the delayed prothrombin convertibility of early dicu-marolization or of stored plasma. The discrepancy between the one-stage and 2-stage methods of estimating prothrombin seems to reside in this conversion factor.
Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure: Evidence, Indications, and Exclusions

ECMO is increasingly being used to manage severe ARDS with refractory hypoxemia and hypercapnia, and to facilitate lung-protective ventilation and minimize ventilator-associated lung injury. However, there is limited high-level evidence to support its use. Early randomized trials did not show a benefit, though these studies were hampered by high mortality rates, limited experience with ECMO, and antiquated technology. Since the advent of more advanced circuit components and increased experience with the use of this technology, survival rates with ECMO for ARDS have improved. There is only one randomized trial to date which used a more modern ECMO circuit. This trial, which has significant limitations, demonstrated a survival benefit from referral to a specialized center for consideration for ECMO. However, a prospective randomized trial comparing ECMO, using modern equipment, to standard-of-care mechanical ventilation has yet to be performed. There are no universally accepted guidelines for initiation of ECMO for ARDS, however suggested criteria include PaO2 to FIO2 ratio less than 80, uncompensated respiratory acidosis, and excessively high plateau airway pressures despite optimal ventilator management. Relative contraindications include prolonged ventilation at high airway pressures or high FIO2, contraindications to anticoagulation, and concurrent severe, irreversible comorbidities.
Screening extemporaneously compounded intraspinal injections with the bacterial endotoxins test

Development of a validated bacterial endotoxins test (BET) method for screening extemporaneously compounded intraspinal injections was studied. In accordance with compendial requirements, interference studies were conducted in injectable-grade intraspinal medications using reagents licensed by the Food and Drug Administration. Positive controls were inoculated into a series of decreasing concentrations of each drug (range, 0.05-4 mg/mL) and tested by gel-clot and kinetic-turbidimetric BET methods to determine valid non-interfering concentrations. A simplified BET procedure was used for preparing drug samples, inoculating positive controls, conducting the test, and interpreting the results. The most robust test concentrations were < or = 0.5 mg/mL for baclofen, bupivacaine, clonidine, and morphine and < or = 0.1 mg/mL for hydromorphone. BET interference studies were also done for mixtures of morphine and baclofen, bupivacaine or clonidine. The mixtures were compatible when morphine was diluted to a concentration of < or = 0.25 mg/mL. The substantial dilution required to overcome test inhibition did not compromise the tests sensitivity when compared to the endotoxin limit for intraspinal infusions. Validated BET procedures for intraspinal drugs were sufficiently sensitive to assure the absence of endotoxin contamination.
Data-Converter Circuits

Data converters perform two functions: Data acquisition and data distribution. The former is to acquire digital data from analog channels for digital signal processing, and the latter is to distribute the processed digital data back to the analog channels. Two essential elements for these tasks are analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and digital-to-analog converter (DAC). There are various types of converters with a wide range of sampling rates and resolutions. Data converters help to overcome the flaws of switched-capacitor analog sampled-data processing, and make digital signal processing possible. Since it is not affected by analog imperfections, digital signal processing has replaced analog signal processing. Accuracy of the data converter is limited by magnitude and transient errors in the sampling and signal generation. The magnitude error is a static DC error that can be trimmed or calibrated while the transient error is a dynamic error that needs only to be controlled precisely. Basic circuit concepts for ADC and DAC are fully covered with special emphasis on their high-resolution implementations. In particular, the pros and cons of the successive approximation register (SAR) architecture are extensively discussed and compared to the oversampling continuous-time delta-sigma modulator (CT DSM).
Narcissistic personality disorder: effect on relationships.

Background Personality disorders, by definition, affect relationships. Narcissistic Personality Disorder can negatively impact relationships in all areas of life: the workplace, the community, and the family. A clear understanding of the types and extent of interpersonal impairment can assist nurses in establishing therapeutic relationships with those diagnosed with Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Aim The purpose of this activity is to examine the negative impact of Narcissistic Personality Disorder on interpersonal relationships. Method A review of literature connecting Narcissistic Personality Disorder to impairment in relationships. Results Research findings show that Narcissistic Personality Disorder symptoms and behaviors will negatively impact interpersonal relationships across all areas of life. CONCLUSIONS AND COMMENT: Nurses interact with diverse populations in a variety of settings. Establishment of a therapeutic relationship with individuals who have Narcissistic Personality Disorder can be aided by a clear understanding of the associated relationship issues.
Infusing cyber-physical systems concepts into an introductory computer science course

Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) is an emerging field of study that offers a wealth of applications in many domains of life and has the potential to change the way humans interact with and control the surrounding environment and physical processes. There is a need to prepare computer science students to join the innovation and development of CPSs and their applications. We proposed a cross-curricular enhancement framework that infuses CPS concepts into a few computer science courses from the freshman to the senior years, allowing a continuous exposure of CPS concepts with a gradually increased complexity and scale. In this paper, we introduce a sequence of course modules designed for an introductory computer science course that expose students to mathematical modeling, algorithmic thinking, and their interactions. The course modules leverage affordable robotic systems, require no students' preparation in programming, and are rich in mathematical modeling. An initial implementation of the course modules enforces the observation that potential CPS applications trigger excitement among students and increase their appreciation of mathematical modeling and its role in solving computing problems.
Molecular mechanism of heterochromatin formation in the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe

T stable propagation of transcriptional states through numerous cell divisions is central to adaptability of all living organisms. This process, coined epigenetic inheritance, was first understood molecularly in lysogenic E. coli harboring a lambda prophage. Decades of research has revealed that all epigenetic pathways from bacteria to humans exploit the same molecular principles: specific and cooperative molecular interactions target specific regions of the chromosome, and create positive and negative feedback loops, respectively, which ultimately lock transcriptional states into a specific fate. The fission yeast heterochromatin has served as a faithful model for understanding the molecular mechanism of epigenetic inheritance in eukaryotes. Heterochromatin in S. pombe like other higher eukaryotes is demarcated by methylated lysine 9 of histone H3 (H3K9me). Several key silencing proteins, including heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) bind to H3K9me and recruit repressive activities to heterochromatin. These repressive activities operate in cis by limiting RNA Pol II transcription and degradation of heterochromatic transcripts via the exosomeor RNAi-dependent mechanisms. In the fission yeast, a single histone methyltransferase, Clr4 belonging to the highly conserved Suv-39 family of proteins, methylates H3K9. Current models of epigenetic pathways posit that recruitment of Clr4 to heterochromatin is the initiating event for heterochromatin formation, tethering all repressive activities via H3K9me and downstream modifications. Here we show that several silencing proteins ‘prime’ chromatin for Clr4 recruitment, and are required for efficient H3K9 methylation. These data reveal a novel previously underappreciated step in heterochromatin formation, which precedes H3K9 methylation and regulates heterochromatin formation in eukaryotes. Mo Motamedi, J Bacteriol Parasitol 2013, 4:4 http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2155-9597.S1.004
Taxes and Organizational Form: An Activity in Partnership and Corporate Entities

ABSTRACT This instructional resource presents an integrative approach to understanding tax liability and organizational form in the areas of partnership and corporation formation within a dynamic tax environment. The case demonstrates that the type of entity is very influential in the determination of the tax liability at the entity and owner level. Further, this case enhances critical-thinking skills by allowing students to develop and apply their knowledge of: book and tax financial accounting; the tax basis calculations of the ownership interests; and the computation of tax liabilities for each organizational form. The integrative nature of this case is something that is typically not addressed in textbooks or tax courses as it spans both entity and owner levels of analysis. This challenges students to evaluate and compare taxation at the various levels and then synthesize their results for understanding the business relevance. The challenging, integrative nature of the case is representative of the bu...
Sex Crimes: Transnational Problems and Global Perspectives, by Alissa R. Ackerman and Rich Furman

Recognizing that no social problem exists outside of a global context, Sex Crimes: Transnational Problems and Global Perspectives, edited by Alissa R. Ackerman and Rich Furman, seeks to enhance the...
The Multiple Meanings of (In)Equity: Remaking School District Tracking Policy in an Era of Budget Cuts and Accountability:

How do school district administrators make sense of educational equity as they undertake reform? This study examines tracking policymaking in two urban school districts. Using case studies and an i...
Experimental measurement of optimal polarimeter systems

In this paper we present experimental measurements of optimized rotating retarder systems in the presence of noise and in the presence of experimental error in the angular positioning of the rotating elements. Previous studies have analyzed such effects theoretically and through numerical simulation. Our results agree with the theoretical predictions, but point out several practical factors that affect such systems. These factors include intensity fluctuations that cannot be modeled as additive noise, the balance between noise and error, which have always been considered separately, and the effect of input polarization state on the performance of the polarimeter systems. We present results for both passive (Stokes) and active (Mueller) polarimeters.
Surgical Management of Aneurysms in the Pediatric Age Group

This chapter discusses the surgical management of aneurysms in the pediatric age groups. The most common aneurysm site in pediatrics is the internal carotid artery bifurcation. There is a change in the pathology in children under 2 to 5 years old. The most common locations become the middle cerebral artery and the basilar artery bifurcation. Middle cerebral aneurysms are equally distributed between proximal and distal sites, the latter by contrast being very uncommon in adults. Most aneurysms in children are saccular aneurysms. These are likely acquired through hemodynamically induced degeneration of the internal elastic membrane at arterial bifurcations. Defects in the tunica media are much more common than aneurysms and probably do not directly contribute to aneurysm formation. It is likely that factors such as clinical grade, amount of subarachnoid blood on computed tomographic scan, day of admission after hemorrhage, and associated intracerebral and intraventricular hemorrhage that are important in adults are also important in children. Aneurysm site and size, hypertension, and associated medical illnesses were prognostic factors for outcome in multivariate analysis in adults but may be less important in pediatrics.
Evaluating Psoriasis: A Review of the Assessments Most Commonly Used in Clinical Trials

Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory skin disease that affects 1% to 3% of the global population. Because no psoriasis biomarkers are available to assess disease severity, clinical measur...
Ethics and Clinical Aspects of Palliative Sedation in the Terminally Ill Child

More than 50,000 children in the United States die every year. Causes of death in children differ significantly from causes of death in adults—and palliative care guidelines and practices that may be appropriate for adults may not be appropriate in children. For children suffering terminal illness, the end-of-life period—defined as the average period between the realization by parents that their child cannot be cured and the child’s death—lasts an average of 9 weeks. Physician realization that a child cannot be cured precedes the parental realization by an average of 100 days. During the final 63 days, health care decisions evolve from those with goals of treatment and cure to those with goals of comfort and palliation. Grief experienced after the death of a child has been shown to have profound adverse effects on mental and physical health of the parents for more than 9 years after the death of a child, and parental perceptions of child distress at end of life are correlated with longer duration of parental distress. Evidence shows that effective palliative care has an important role to play not only in the relief of distress of the child, but in the future well-being of the parents.
Juggling Rights and Utility: A Legal andPhilosophical Framework for AnalyzingSame-Sex Marriage in the Wake ofUnited States v. Windsor

In June of 2013, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy authored the majority opinion in United States v. Windsor, striking down the Defense of Marriage Act as an unconstitutional “deprivation of the equal liberty of persons.” Instead of applying the Supreme Court’s traditional tiers-of-scrutiny framework, Justice Kennedy’s due process and equal protection analysis weighed multiple factors: the significance of the liberty interest at stake, the extent to which similarly situated individuals were being treated differently under the law, the presence of animus or moral disapproval of a politically unpopular class in the law’s purpose and effect, and the legitimacy
Deep Learning for Compressive Infrared and Hyperspectral Machine Vision

Recently there have been developed a host of approaches for more efficient hyperspectral imaging acquisition through hardware and algorithmic innovations. Unfortunately, these are all requiring the use of large, very-sensitive focal plane array detection and as such become prohibitively expensive. Infrared imaging similarly suffers from costly focal plane arrays to achieve high resolution images and therefore have not been employed for commercial machine vision applications. This proposal is a multifold approach to examine and overcome these obstacles and realize efficient means of both compressive infrared and hyperspectral computer recognition. Specifically, this project will address new compressive optical designs for infrared and spatio-spectral imaging and create the accompanying new deep learning algorithms for high-speed object detection/recognition directly from the compressive measurements. Our approach of a hardware-software hybrid will provide an increasingly detailed and systematic means for visually contextualizing objects and their surrounding environments in previously accessible but very costly portions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Outcomes Research in Vulnerable Pediatric Populations

The Pediatric Anesthesia and Neurodevelopment Assessment (PANDA) study team held its biennial symposium in April 2018 to discuss issues on anesthetic neurotoxicity in the developing brain. One of the sessions invited speakers with different areas of expertise to discuss "Outcomes Research in Vulnerable Pediatric Populations." The vulnerable populations included neonates, children with congenital heart disease, children from low socioeconomic status, and children with incarcerated parents. Each speaker presented some of the ongoing research efforts in these groups as well as the challenges encountered in studying them.
A new approach to estimate ultrafine particle respiratory deposition.

Ultrafine particles (UFPs) in workplaces have been and continue to be an important occupational health concern. The inhalation and the consequent deposition of UFPs in workers’ lower airways can le...
Morality and the Environmental Crisis

The environmental crisis creates an unprecedented moral predicament: how to be a good person when our collective and individual actions contribute to immeasurable devastation and suffering. Drawing on an extraordinary range of sources from philosophy, political theory, global religion, ecology, and contemporary spirituality, Roger S. Gottlieb explores the ethical ambiguities, challenges, and opportunities we face. Engagingly written, intellectually rigorous, and forcefully argued, this volume investigates the moral value of nature; the possibility of an 'ecological' democracy; how we treat animals; the demands and limits of individual responsibility and collective political change; contemporary ambiguities of rationality; and how to face environmental despair. In Morality and the Environmental Crisis, Gottlieb combines compassion for the difficulties of contemporary moral life with an unflinching ethical commitment to awareness and action.
From privatization to health system strengthening: how different International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank policies impact health in developing countries

In the past several decades, the World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have transitioned priorities from rebuilding European and Asian countries to decreasing poverty in developing countries. In addition, they evolved to be the world’s main financial sponsor to healthcare-related projects. Policies of these organizations forced some structural adjustment policies on many developing countries that resulted in negative consequences. This piece examines the impact of the changing policies of WB and IMF on the health of vulnerable populations and suggests potential recommendations for future improvements. Privatization of health services has become common around the world especially in the developing countries. Several reports documented negative effects of privatization on healthcare systems and vulnerable populations. Countries that received loans from the WB to privatize its social security system, for example Mexico, had drastic changes in the conditions of health. Public sector organizations faced budget reductions that led to an erosion of healthcare services, increased rates of unemployment, and lack of insurance of low-income people. The IMF’s monetarist strategies towards prioritizing fiscal restraint (low budget deficits) and price stability (low inflation) negatively impacted low-income people and increased the inequity in access to health care. The present policies of these two organizations that focus on health system strengthening (HSS), and specifically incorporating existing vertical programs into health systems, had some critics. These programs, though many were successful, might result in adverse unintended effects for the health system and non-targeted populations. Some of the developing countries are unable to implement HSS projects properly. Both the past and the present policies of the WB and the IMF had adverse consequences on the health systems in developing countries. These policies should be re-considered. Developing countries should implement strategies to increase quality of care and improve equity in access to healthcare. Time-limited vertical programs should be developed carefully to avoid adverse unintended effects for the health system and non-targeted populations. Strategies at both operational and strategic levels to improve relations between the vertical and horizontal basics of the system should be adopted.
Rickettsioses in the United States

Abstract Rickettsiae are obligate intracellular Gram-negative bacilli with global distribution. In the United States, nine Rickettsia species have been reported to cause disease in humans and are collectively responsible for the thousands of rickettsioses reported each year. Rickettsial infections are transmitted to humans via a variety of arthropod vectors, including ticks, lice, fleas, and mites. The severity of human infection ranges from subclinical and mild to severe and life threatening, dependent upon the infecting Rickettsia species, host factors, and time to appropriate antimicrobial therapy. Clinical presentation is often non-specific, making early recognition a challenge for health care professional. Awareness and appreciation of rickettsial pathogens is key to early diagnosis and prompt treatment.
Implications of Perceived Neighborhood Quality, Daily Discrimination, and Depression for Social Integration Across Mid- and Later Life: A Case of Person-Environment Fit?

Background and objectives Integration in one's social community may depend in part upon feeling safe and secure within one's physical community, or neighborhood. Moreover, high-quality neighborhoods may serve as a supportive resource, potentially "buffering" against the harmful influence of experiences such as discrimination or depression that could otherwise erode adults' sense of belonging. This study examines longitudinal associations of perceived neighborhood quality, daily discrimination, and depression with social integration among midlife and older adults, and tests whether perceived neighborhood quality is of increased importance with age and/or in the contexts of discrimination and depression. Research design and methods Multilevel random intercept models analyzed 6,016 observations of 3,102 individuals drawn from the 3 waves of the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS, 1995-2014). Results Perceived neighborhood quality was associated with greater social integration throughout adulthood, though its impact was slightly attenuated with age. Moreover, depression was harmful for social integration across the age range, yet its influence was significantly buffered by perceived neighborhood quality. Daily discrimination was not associated with social integration, net of covariates. Discussion and implications Findings underscore the importance of physical place and person-environment fit for social well-being throughout adulthood, and confirm the deleterious effects of depression for adults' social integration. Further, results highlight perceived neighborhood quality as a critical component for successful "aging in place," particularly as a social resource adults may call upon in the context of depression.
Individual periodic limb movements with arousal are temporally associated with nonsustained ventricular tachycardia: a case-crossover analysis

STUDY OBJECTIVES Both periodic limb movements during sleep (PLMS) and arousals are associated with sympathetic nervous system activation and may be arrhythmogenic. We hypothesize a temporal relationship exists between individual PLMS, particularly with arousal, and nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) events. METHODS A bidirectional time-stratified case-crossover design was used to assess temporal associations between PLMS and NSVT during sleep in 49 Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Sleep Study participants with NSVT in a community-based cohort (n = 2,911). Sleep time was divided into approximate 30-min segments. For each NSVT (n = 141), we selected a preceding 30-s hazard period and three randomly chosen 30-s control periods from sleep within the same segment and evaluated for PLMS, respiratory events, minimum saturation, and arousals. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals-OR (95% CI)-were determined by conditional logistic regression; covariates included EEG arousals, minimum saturation, and respiratory events in the same hazard/control period. RESULTS Participants with NSVT were 79.5 ± 6.2 years with a PLMS index of 32.1 (IQR: 10.1, 61.4) and apnea-hypopnea index of 17.1 (IQR: 9.4, 26.1). PLMS without arousal were not significantly associated with NSVT (OR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.41-1.59). PLMS with arousal were associated with NSVT in unadjusted analyses (OR = 2.50, 95% CI: 1.11-5.65) and after adjustment (OR = 2.31, 95% CI: 1.02-5.25). Arousals associated with PLMS were associated with NSVT in unadjusted (OR = 2.84, 95% CI: 1.23-6.56) and adjusted analyses (OR = 2.61, 95% CI: 1.13-6.05). CONCLUSIONS PLMS with (but not without) arousals are temporally associated with a greater than twofold higher odds of subsequent NSVT episodes. PLMS-related arousals may be physiologically important ventricular arrhythmia triggers. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00070681.
Understanding the Manipulation on Recommender Systems through Web Injection

Recommender systems have been increasingly used in a variety of web services, providing a list of recommended items in which a user may have an interest. While important, recommender systems are vulnerable to various malicious attacks. In this paper, we study a new security vulnerability in recommender systems caused by web injection , through which malicious actors stealthily tamper any unprotected in-transit HTTP webpage content and force victims to visit specific items in some web services (even running HTTPS), e . g ., YouTube. By doing so, malicious actors can promote their targeted items in those web services. To obtain a deeper understanding on the recommender systems of our interest (including YouTube, Yelp, Taobao, and 360 App market), we first conduct a measurement-based analysis on several real-world recommender systems by leveraging machine learning algorithms. Then, web injection is implemented in three different types of devices ( i . e ., computer, router, and proxy server) to investigate the scenarios where web injection could occur. Based on the implementation of web injection, we demonstrate that it is feasible and sometimes effective to manipulate the real-world recommender systems through web injection. We also present several countermeasures against such manipulations.
Effect of Anthropomorphic Design on the Effectiveness of Motivational Messages

The potential for social robots to provide assistance to those in need continues to increase though optimal design for user acceptance and engagement continues to be elusive. The design of social r...
Don’t know, don’t care?

My thesis is that moral ignorance does not imply a failure to care adequately about what is in fact morally significant. I offer three cases: one in which someone is ignorant of the precise nature of what she cares about; one in which someone does not reflect on the significance of what she cares about in a particular set of circumstances, and one in which someone cares deeply about two morally significant considerations while being mistaken about their relative significance. I argue that these agents all clearly care at least “adequately” about everything morally significant, including the very considerations that in fact make their acts wrong. This creates theoretical room for a way of thinking about culpable moral ignorance that respects the key concerns of those in the voluntarist tradition who have held that moral ignorance is typically blameless, within an approach to thinking about moral responsibility according to which we are blameworthy for that which manifests poor quality of will; caring adequately does not require moral omniscience, but motivated moral ignorance and moral ignorance that reflects indifference to things that matter morally are still blameworthy. My thesis also suggests a fruitful change of direction for quality-of-will theorists: we should articulate the nature and structure of the standards for adequate caring, i.e. those that specify what it is to care “adequately”. I close by offering an initial proposal as to what these standards might look like and identifying four promising avenues for further research on this topic.
Novel PCM Integration with Electrical Heat Pump for Demand Response

In this paper, we examine the potential for using phase change material (PCM) as a thermal storage medium for improving the efficiency as well as enabling grid-responsive control of heat pump (HP) systems. Previous research in PCM integration in buildings has primarily been focused on integration with building envelopes. An objective of our research is to design a novel and practical PCM integration with existing HP systems. High-fidelity models for building, HP and PCM are developed to facilitate the model-based predictive control (MPC) design. To optimize the operation of HP and PCM, we introduce an optimization problem considering various constraints for both comfort and hardware constraints. We include experimental results in which a house fleet are optimized to minimize their power consumption or electricity cost. We numerically demonstrate the designs potential for reducing power consumption or electricity cost by 13% or 19%, respectively.
Toeplitz Operators and Poincaré Duality

The study of matrices constant on all diagonals was introduced by Toeplitz [30]. Such matrices can be finite, semi-finite, or doubly-infinite. Aside from the profundity of results which have been obtained about such matrices the other amazing thing about them is the extent to which they occur in widely varied parts of mathematics, both pure and applied. Although several heuristic or even philosophical reasons could be advanced for this, we offer just one in this note and we concentrate entirely on the infinite cases.
Advance Directives for Dementia Can Survive Altered Preferences.

Emily Walsh argues, correctly, that preference changes in progressive dementia attributable to “transformative experiences” can diminish the moral weight of advance directives (ADs). She also conte...
Treatment effect of aspirin for primary prevention does not differ according to baseline ASCVD risk

SOURCE CITATION Nudy M, Cooper J, Ghahramani M, et al. Aspirin for primary atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease prevention as baseline risk increases: a meta-regression analysis. Am J Med. 2020;133:1056-64. 32445718.
Loss of sarcomeric proteins via upregulation of JAK/STAT signaling underlies interferon-γ-induced contractile deficit in engineered human myocardium.

Abstract The level of circulating interferon-γ (IFNγ) is elevated in various clinical conditions including autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, sepsis, acute coronary syndrome, and viral infections. As these conditions are associated with high risk of myocardial dysfunction, we investigated the effects of IFNγ on 3D fibrin-based engineered human cardiac tissues (“cardiobundles”). Cardiobundles were fabricated from human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes, exposed to 0–20 ng/ml of IFNγ on culture days 7–14, and assessed for changes in tissue structure, viability, contractile force and calcium transient generation, action potential propagation, cytokine secretion, and expression of select genes and proteins. We found that application of IFNγ induced a dose-dependent reduction in contractile force generation, deterioration of sarcomeric organization, and cardiomyocyte disarray, without significantly altering cell viability, action potential propagation, or calcium transient amplitude. At molecular level, the IFNγ-induced structural and functional deficits could be attributed to altered balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, upregulation of JAK/STAT signaling pathway (JAK1, JAK2, and STAT1), and reduced expression of myosin heavy chain, myosin light chain-2v, and sarcomeric α-actinin. Application of clinically used JAK/STAT inhibitors, tofacitinib and baricitinib, fully prevented IFNγ-induced cardiomyopathy, confirming the critical roles of this signaling pathway in inflammatory cardiac disease. Taken together, our in vitro studies in engineered myocardial tissues reveal direct adverse effects of pro-inflammatory cytokine IFNγ on human cardiomyocytes and establish the foundation for a potential use of cardiobundle platform in modeling of inflammatory myocardial disease and therapy. Statement of significance Various inflammatory and autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, sepsis, lupus erythematosus, Chagas disease, and others, as well as viral infections including H1N1 influenza and COVID-19 show increased systemic levels of a pro-inflammatory cytokine interferon-γ (IFNγ) and are associated with high risk of heart disease. Here we explored for the first time if chronically elevated levels of IFNγ can negatively affect structure and function of engineered human heart tissues in vitro. Our studies revealed IFNγ-induced deterioration of myofibrillar organization and contractile force production in human cardiomyocytes, attributed to decreased expression of multiple sarcomeric proteins and upregulation of JAK/STAT signaling pathway. FDA-approved JAK inhibitors fully blocked the adverse effects of IFNγ, suggesting a potentially effective strategy against human inflammatory cardiomyopathy.
Temporary housing operations: A simulation-based inventory management approach using the newsvendor model

Abstract A greater dependence on post-disaster temporary housing has emerged following an increase in the severity and frequency of disasters and their corresponding social and economic impacts on communities. Effective operations management of temporary housing before, during, and after a disaster is critical to the recovery of communities. On one hand, lack of inventory stock increases the cost associated with emergency purchases made during disasters. On the other hand, increasing inventory stock comes at an initial investment cost before a disaster but can potentially avoid large financial losses incurred from emergency purchases, temporary housing demands, and prolonged community recovery. This study addresses the challenge of balancing temporary housing allocation before and during a disaster. The proposed approach adopts a simulation-based demand forecasting method and an inventory optimization model to identify the most cost-effective stocking inventory for temporary housing. An illustrative case study is presented, demonstrating that an optimized inventory can reduce expected losses from post-disaster temporary housing units in comparison to previous United States baseline stocking inventories.
Using examples to increase recall in self-administered questionnaires:

Self-administered questionnaires often use examples or lists of examples to aid respondent recall. We report on the results of a field experiment examining how such examples in survey questions aff...
The Topographical Fate of Ligand-Receptor Complexes as Reflected by the Properties of Ligand Binding to Intact Cells

The preceding chapters have focused on how to identify and characterize a specific cell surface receptor. Up to this point, the interaction between ligand and receptor has been conceptualized in a rather static framework, as if the receptor molecule remains unchanged in isolated membrane preparations or in detergent-solubilized solution, even after receptor occupancy. This may or may not be true, depending on the properties of the ligand. However, when ligand binding to intact cells is measured, a static conceptualization of the receptor population almost certainly is not valid. Not only is the cell surface membrane itself a dynamic medium, but receptors continually are being synthesized, internalized, recycled, or degraded, so that the receptor population accessible for interaction with ligand at the cell surface is continually changing. Figure 6–1 provides a schematic diagram of some of the possible fates of a cell surface receptor following ligand occupancy.
Walking with Death, Walking with Science, Walking with Living: Philosophical Praxis and Happiness

This paper explores the consequences of acknowledging that we are the dead walking with the dead. I argue that if we take the view that life frames death, rather than the view that death frames life, then we must refigure our living as ethical creatures. Using Aristotle's notion that we become virtuous by practising virtue, I argue that happiness, thought of in terms of ethical living, should temper our attitude to death as the inevitable end we must all encounter. Acknowledgement of our dying and our death enhances the ethical imperative to live virtuously and to promote human flourishing. I adopt a Buddhist reading of death and dying to interpret the Aristotelian perspective.
Using Poems for Multiple Voices to Integrate Reading and Writing across the Curriculum

(2004). Using Poems for Multiple Voices to Integrate Reading and Writing across the Curriculum. Middle School Journal: Vol. 36, No. 2, pp. 34-41.
The benefits of correlated observation errors for small scales

In operational data assimilation, observation errors are generally assumed to be uncorrelated, though some observations, such as satellite data, have correlated errors. We show that, if observation-error correlations are correctly accounted for, an observing instrument with spatially correlated errors is better able to resolve small scales than an instrument with the same error variance and uncorrelated errors. We explore the disadvantages of falsely assuming uncorrelated observation errors, investigating two methods of compensating for such mis-specification by either observation-error inflation or data thinning. We identify scenarios in which correctly specifying the covariance reduces small-scale error by over 99%.
Collection Issues Relative to Dance

Dance is an area of the humanities that has not received as much attention as have other areas. There are several reasons for this void, including lack of historical documentation, and a shortage of reference sources and publications. Progress has been made in the past few years and this article will discuss collection development issues related to dance, including: liaison with collection users, evaluation and understanding of the collection, development and upkeep of a collection, collection development policy, knowledge of vendors and publishers, astute use of selection tools and reviews, reading the serial literature, intelligent selections of video formats and equipment, and relationships with professional organizations. The suggested practices will assist the dance bibliographer in building a broadly based and academically responsive collection.
Protein Expression Profile of an Environmentally Important Bacterial Strain: the Chromate Response of Arthrobacter Species Strain FB24

The global proteomic response of Arthrobacter sp. strain FB24 to different levels of chromate stress was evaluated with both two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DGE) and liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC/LC-MS/MS) [Henne et al. 2009b]. Proteome coverage of 22% and 71% was obtained with 2-DGE and LC/LC-MS/MS, respectively. The strong response of strain FB24 to chromate suggests a condition of sulfur limitation, which could be driven by competition for the sulfate transporter by the structurally similar chromate ion. Additionally, the involvement of genes hypothesized to be directly involved in chromate resistance in strain FB24 was supported at the protein level.