cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prostate-Specific Antigen Screening: Time to Change the Dominant Forces on the Pendulum

Whether prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening prevents men from dying of prostate cancer has been the subject of debate for decades. Rather than resolve the controversy, two major randomized trials of PSA screening, with discrepant results, only further polarized the discussion. We recently showed that PSA testing in the control arm of the major US study, the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial, was substantially higher than previously recognized (approximately 90%), making the trial results uninterpretable. Here, we contextualize the debate about PSA screening and highlight the broad implications of our finding for prostate cancer care. Namely, we argue that the remaining singular randomized evidence shows that PSA testing does save lives and that screening should be an evidence-based recommendation. PSA testing was widely adopted in the United States in the early 1990s on the basis of its ability to detect organ-confined prostate cancers. Although population-based screening with PSA clearly resulted in more prostate cancer diagnoses, the morbidity associated with the treatment of indolent disease and the associated costs were major concerns. Randomized controlled trials were therefore initiated in Europe and the United States to address the efficacy of PSA screening. The European study found that PSA screening reduced prostate cancer–specific mortality, whereas the US study, the PLCO Cancer Screening Trial, found no difference in prostate cancer death between the intervention and control arms. 1-3 Based
Novel Non-phosphorylated Serine 9/21 GSK3β/α Antibodies: Expanding the Tools for Studying GSK3 Regulation.

Glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) and are serine/threonine kinases involved in many biological processes. A primary mechanism of GSK3 activity regulation is phosphorylation of N-terminal serine (S) residues (S9 in GSK3b, S21 in GSK3a). Phosphorylation is inhibitory to GSK3 kinase activity because the phosphorylated N-terminus acts as a competitive inhibitor for primed substrates. Despite widespread interest in GSK3 across most fields of biology, the research community does not have reagents that specifically react with nonphosphoS9/21 GSK3a/b (the so-called “active” form). Here, we describe two novel monoclonal antibodies that specifically react with nonphosphoS9/21 GSK3a/b in multiple species (human, mouse and rat). One of the antibodies is specific for nonphospho-S9 GSK3b (clone 12B2) and one for nonphospho-S9/21 GSK3a/b (clone 15C2). These reagents were validated for specificity and reactivity in several biochemical and immunochemical assays, and they show linear detection of nonphosphoS GSK3. Finally, these reagents provide significant advantages in studying GSK3 regulation. We used 12B2 (due to its specificity for GSK3bs) to study the regulation of S9 phosphorylation by Akt and protein phosphatases, and to demonstrate that protein phosphatase inhibition reduces nonphospho-S9 GSK3b levels and lowers kinase activity within cells. The ability to use the same reagent across biochemical, immunohistological and kinase activity assays provides a powerful approach for studying serine-dependent regulation of GSK3a/b.
Melanocytes of the Nail

Melanocytes are present throughout the nail unit, including the matrix, nail bed, and hyponychium. The density of melanocytes is significantly lower in the nail unit than in other anatomical locations. Normal nail matrix melanocytes can be seen dispersed throughout the lower layers of the matrix epithelium. The proximal nail matrix contains a predominantly dormant population of melanocytes, whereas the distal matrix contains both dormant and active melanocyte populations.
Ensemble Learning for Estimating Individualized Treatment Effects in Student Success Studies

Student success efficacy studies are aimed at assessing instructional practices and learning environments by evaluating the success of and characterizing student subgroups that may benefit from such modalities. We propose an ensemble learning approach to perform these analytics tasks with specific focus on estimating individualized treatment effects (ITE). ITE are a measure from the personalized medicine literature that can, for each student, quantify the impact of the intervention strategy on student performance, even though the given student either did or did not experience this intervention (i.e., is either in the treatment group or in the control group). We illustrate our learning analytics methods in the study of a supplemental instruction component for a large enrollment introductory statistics course recognized as a curriculum bottleneck at San Diego State University. As part of this application, we show how the ensemble estimate of the ITE may be used to assess the pedagogical reform (supplemental instruction), advise students into supplemental instruction at the beginning of the course, and quantify the impact of the supplemental instruction component on at-risk subgroups.
Underdiagnosis and Lower Rates of Office Visits for Overweight/Obese Pediatric Patients in Rural Compared with Urban Areas.

OBJECTIVES This study compared the number of children enrolled in Medicaid in rural and urban areas of South Carolina with an overweight/obesity diagnosis and the mean rates of office visits with overweight/obesity diagnosed. METHODS Medicaid claims data from 2012 for children in three South Carolina counties, categorized as urban, rural high resource, and rural low resource, were used to identify those who had been diagnosed as being overweight/obese during any encounter. Logistic and Poisson regressions were performed to predict whether overweight/obese children in each county would receive an overweight/obesity visit diagnosis and to calculate the mean rate of total office visits with an overweight/obesity diagnosis in each county. RESULTS A total of 1233 children enrolled in Medicaid were diagnosed as being overweight/obese at any encounter in the designated counties. Well visits with overweight/obesity diagnosed varied significantly, with 42.6%, 28%, and 11% in urban, rural high-resource counties, and rural low-resource counties, respectively (P < 0.01). In the logistic regression rural high-resource children (adjusted odds ratio 0.58, 95% confidence interval 0.38-0.88) and rural low-resource children (adjusted odds ratio 0.16, 95% confidence interval 0.09-0.28) were less likely than urban children to be diagnosed as being overweight/obese at a well visit. All of the children had a low number of total office visits with overweight/obesity diagnosed. When comparing the counties, urban children (1.22 visits per year) had more visits than rural low-resource children (0.75 visits per year, P < 0.01) and rural high-resource children (0.89 visits per year, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Overweight/obesity is underdiagnosed in rural children enrolled in Medicaid in South Carolina, which affects the number of children who receive help to manage their weight. Interventions to overcome barriers of diagnosis and management are necessary to address childhood obesity properly.
Bison hunters and the Rocky Mountains: An evolving partnership

Abstract Euroamericans who encountered the Blackfoot in the late 19th century believed that these Plains bison hunters held the Rocky Mountains in awe and fear, preferring to remain on the prairie even as bison and elk herds dwindled. This incorrect assumption has hampered our ability to understand deep-time relationships between mountain and Plains cultural expressions. Although the historic Blackfoot did not dwell in high elevations, the character of their relationship with the Rocky Mountain Front began in “time immemorial” with the creation of the world, the establishment of social mores, and the group's ethnogenesis. Historical ethnography and contemporary practices furnish rich detail on the depth and significance of relationships among people, mountains, and other-than-human persons, not the least of which is the Blackfoot's partnership with bison. Archaeology tells of an ancient partnership that the ancestors established with the Rocky Mountain Front, which in turn explains their intimate familiarity with elevated environments; as the glacial ice retreated, the ancestors folded this new landscape into their worldviews and practices. This paper tracks the dynamics of this partnership to provide a cultural context for deriving connections and uncovering contrasts among the people who populated America's backbone.
A Novel Approach for Streamlining Delivery of Brief Motivational Interventions to Mandated College Students: Using Group and Individual Sessions Matched to Level of Risk.

Background: Mandated college students (those in violation of a campus alcohol policy) are heterogenous with respect to alcohol consumption. Thus, when universities consider required treatment for m...
The Bohr Institute: Pauli and Heisenberg

When Bohr returned to Copenhagen in 1916 to accept the first chair in theoretical physics in Denmark, he probably did not realize that he was on the threshold of establishing one of the most outstanding and most unusual institutions in the history of science. It had taken the Danish authorities a good two years to establish a professorship in the first place, and it was not clear that they would be willing to do anything more—this in spite of the meteoric rise of Bohr and the frequent hints that he might be lured away to positions in other countries. By any standards, the conditions in Copenhagen in 1916 were abysmal. Bohr had only one small room which he had to share with his assistant, and there was no laboratory for experimentation at all. Clearly, something had to be done to make scientific activity possible and to keep Bohr in Copenhagen. After considerable thought, Bohr proposed to the faculty that a new “Institute for Theoretical Physics” should be established. Bohr submitted a report to the faculty on April 18, 1917 in which he suggested that the institute would provide teaching and research facilities and, in addition, facilities for numerical computations and experimental investigations. It was further suggested that the residence of the director (the professor of physics) would be right in the institute because “the supervision of research stretches over all hours of the day and night.”37 After the usual ups and downs, strikes, delays, changes, and modifications, a modest three-story building was built. The institute was inaugurated on March 3, 1921.
Prednisolone versus dexamethasone for prevention of pseudophakic cystoid macular edema.

Abstract Objective Prevention of cystoid macular edema (CME) is important to achieve good surgical outcomes after cataract surgery. Although many options for management exist, control of postoperative inflammation with topical steroids is one of the most commonly employed. We evaluated the difference in incidence of pseudophakic CME in patients treated with prednisolone or dexamethasone topical steroids. Methods The study was a retrospective chart review of patients who had undergone phacoemulsification at the Cole Eye Institute of the Cleveland Clinic. Reviewable patient charts had to indicate the topical steroid used and whether or not an additional medication (e.g., nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs]) was used after surgery. Excluded were patients who underwent combination procedures (e.g., trabeculectomy), perioperative anti–vascular endothelial growth factor or intraocular steroid, eyes with epiretinal membrane or prior retinal vein occlusion, those who developed postoperative endophthalmitis, patients with less than 3 months of follow-up, and patients who received topical NSAIDs. Pseudophakic CME was defined as new or worsening macular edema on optical coherence tomography within the first 3 months after cataract extraction. Results In total, 1135 patient charts were included in the analysis; 721 patients were treated with prednisolone acetate, and 414 were treated with dexamethasone. Patient characteristics were similar between the 2 treatment groups. No significant difference was found in the rate of postoperative CME for patients receiving prednisolone or dexamethasone (4.0% vs 4.1%, p = 0.94). Conclusions There was no significant difference in the rate of pseudophakic CME when either prednisolone acetate or dexamethasone sodium phosphate was used after cataract surgery.
Effects of bilateral swing-away grab bars on the biomechanics of stand-to-sit and sit-to-stand toilet transfers.

Purpose: Kinetic characteristics of transfers to and from a toilet performed using bilateral grab bars are not fully quantified to inform grab bar design and configuration. The purpose of this stud...
Stress Gastritis and Stress Ulcers: Prevention and Treatment

Critically ill patients, especially those with multisystem trauma, traumatic brain injury, respiratory failure, and severe burns, are at increased risk for stress gastritis and stress ulcers. Routine pharmacologic prophylaxis against stress-related gastrointestinal mucosal injury has dramatically decreased the incidence of life-threatening hemorrhage due to these diseases. However, prophylactic regimens may increase rates of other complications, including Clostridium difficile colitis, ventilator-associated pneumonia, and complex drug interactions. Therefore, widespread use of stress ulcer prophylaxis in critically ill patients must be balanced with the risks of its administration, and evolving ICU practices like early enteral nutrition that may decrease the rates of mucosal injury must be considered. This chapter reviews the epidemiology and pathophysiology of stress gastropathy in ICU patients, discusses stress ulcer prophylaxis regimens and reviews existing guideline recommendations for their appropriate use, and provides advice for the timely diagnosis and multimodal treatment of clinically significant GI bleeding due to stress gastropathy.
The association of angiogenic factors and chronic kidney disease.

There are limited data on the associations of circulating angiogenic factors with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We investigate the associations of circulating vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A, angiopoietin-1, angiopoietin-1/VEGF-A ratio, VEGF receptor 1 (VEGFR-1), VEGFR-2, and pentraxin-3 with CKD. We recruited 201 patients with CKD and 201 community controls without CKD from the greater New Orleans area. CKD was defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 or presence of albuminuria. Multivariable quantile and logistic regression models were used to examine the relationship between angiogenesis-related factors and CKD adjusting for confounding factors. After adjusting for covariables including traditional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, C-reactive protein, and history of CVD, the medians (interquartile range) were 133.08 (90.39, 204.15) in patients with CKD vs. 114.17 (72.45, 170.32) pg/mL in controls without CKD (p = 0.002 for group difference) for VEGF-A; 3951.2 (2471.9, 6656.6) vs. 4270.5 (2763.7, 6537.2) pg/mL (p = 0.70) for angiopoietin-1; 25.87 (18.09, 47.90) vs. 36.55 (25.71, 61.10) (p = 0.0001) for angiopoietin-1/VEGF-A ratio; 147.81 (122.94, 168.79) vs. 144.16 (123.74, 168.05) ng/mL (p = 0.25) for VEGFR-1; 26.20 (22.67, 29.92) vs. 26.28 (23.10, 29.69) ng/mL (p = 0.31) for VEGFR-2; and 1.01 (0.79, 1.49)vs. 0.89 (0.58, 1.18) ng/mL (p = 0.01) for pentraxin-3, respectively. In addition, an elevated VEGF-A level and decreased angiopoietin-1/VEGF-A ratio were associated with increased odds of CKD. These data indicate that plasma VEGF-A and pentraxin-3 levels were increased and the angiopoietin-1/VEGF-A ratio was decreased in patients with CKD. Future prospective studies are warranted to examine whether angiogenic factors play a role in progression of CKD.
OXIDATIVE PHOSPHORYLATION IN THE OBLIGATE ANAEROBE, DESULFOVIBRIO GIGAS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses oxidative phosphorylation in the obligate anaerobe, desulfovibrio gigas (D. gigas). The sulfate-reducing bacteria are the first non-photosynthetic obligate anaerobes in which phosphorylation coupled to electron transfer is clearly demonstrated. The nature of the oxidative phosphorylation system in D. gigas can have some general implications for the possible occurrence of oxidative phosphorylation in anaerobic and facultatively anaerobic bacteria. As the ability to utilize sulfate as a terminal electron acceptor is the fundamental taxonomic criterion for the sulfate reducing bacteria, fumarate reductase is more intimately associated with the respiratory chain than the enzymes responsible for sulfate respiration. This suggests that the ability to reduce fumarate to succinate with molecular hydrogen may be characteristic of a phosphorylating electron transfer complex in anaerobic and facultatively anaerobic bacteria.
Multigroup Legendre Coefficients for the Diamond Difference Continuous Slowing Down Operator

A set of multigroup Legendre coefficients is derived that can be used to implement the diamond difference scheme for the continuous slowing down operator in standard (unmodified) S /sub n/ codes. Calculations are performed that demonstrate the validity of these coefficients, and the superior accuracy of the diamond difference scheme relative to the standard first-order multigroup method.
Metabolic fates of herbicides in animals.

The rapid increase in the worldwide production and usage of herbicides during the past three decades has been discussed and documented by Ashton and Crafts (1973) and others. The increased agricultural production made possible by these compounds continues to provide the economic stimulus to encourage the development and sale of new herbicides. Ashton and Crafts (1973) indicated that there are now more than 150 compounds that are currently being used as herbicides.
Toward a Speech Communities Approach: A Review Article

The present paper offers a review of Stefano Manfredi’s Arabi Juba: un pidgin-creole du Soudan du Sud (2017), discussing the potential benefits of its methodological approach for the field of Arabic linguistics and dialectology. Manfredi’s volume represents the latest and most comprehensive description of Juba Arabic, a pidgin / creole spoken in South Sudan. It includes a socio-historical introduction describing the conditions from which the speech community that gave rise to Juba Arabic first emerged, followed by nine chapters that provide a detailed description of the language at the phonological, morphological and syntactical levels. The paper also discusses how Manfredi’s approach goes in the direction of a linguistics of speech communities invoked by Magidow (2017) and how it might represent a model for future grammars of dialectal Arabic. Manfredi (2017), in fact, provides a multidimensional description of Juba Arabic, in which the diverse nature of its speakers (monolinguals native speakers vs bilinguals L2 speakers with different L1s) and the prolonged contact with its lexifier language (Sudanese Arabic) give origin to acrolectal and basilectal varieties. Manfredi analyzes internal variation from both a synchronic and diachronic perspective, resorting to the concept of “dynamic synchrony” to describe ongoing processes of language change. The linguistic situation of the Arabic-speaking world after the end of the colonial period, on the other hand, witnesses a more and more intense contact between different Arabic dialects and an increased influence from MSA , through mass media and growing rates of literacy. The situation of language contact that results from these circumstances needs more refined conceptual tools in order to be effectively described. For this reason, and in light of Magidow (2017), this review article argues that the approach adopted by Manfredi might be successfully imported in the field of Arabic dialectology.
Transverse Cervical Artery Flap Repair of Benign Acquired Tracheoesophageal Fistula

Acquired tracheoesophageal fistulas are rare but associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The majority of cases are due to prolonged or complicated endotracheal intubation, tracheostomy, or esophageal malignancy, or subsequent to radiation or chemotherapy for treatment of the latter. Other etiologies include esophageal stenting and complications secondary to endoscopic procedures. The pathophysiology involves chronic inflammation of the esophagus or posterior wall of the trachea, ultimately promoting fistulization between these two structures. Risk factors primarily depend on the etiology; however, excessive balloon pressures and prolonged intubation are among the strongest predictors of acquired tracheoesophageal fistula. In two reported cases, intubation with persistent air leaks resulted in fistulization. Patients present with refractory pneumonia, aspiration, hypoxemia, acute respiratory distress, enteral feed in endotracheal aspirate, or gastric distention following extubation. It can be difficult to distinguish normal functional deterioration from deterioration secondary to intubation. Up to 51% of patients intubated for at least 48 hours may experience dysphagia following extubation. Ultimately, the diagnostic algorithm includes an esophagogram, followed by imaging with computed tomography (CT) scan, and, more recently, CT scan with three-dimensional reconstructions, a bronchoscopy, and an esophagoscopy. Spontaneous closure rarely occurs, and the primary treatment modalities include interventional therapy with stenting via bronchoscopy, esophagoscopy, or surgical correction. Surgical intervention is associated with higher risks due to surrounding vital anatomy and, often, technical challenges requiring multispecialty care. Our case study presents a novel and effective method of repairing a benign acquired tracheoesophageal fistula utilizing the transverse cervical artery flap.
Class I histone deacetylase inhibitor suppresses vasculogenic mimicry by enhancing the expression of tumor suppressor and anti-angiogenesis genes in aggressive human TNBC cells

Triple‑negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells form angiogenesis‑independent vessel‑like structures to survive, known as vasculogenic mimicry (VM), contributing to a poor prognosis for cancer patients. Nuclear localized class I histone deacetylases (HDACs) enzymes, particularly HDACs 1, 2, 3 deacetylate chromatin histones, are overexpressed in cancers and epigenetically regulate the expression of genes involved in cancer initiation and progression. The specific HDAC inhibitor, entinostat, has been shown to attenuate tumor progression and metastasis in TNBC. In this study, we hypothesized that entinostat would enhance the expression of anti‑angiogenic and tumor suppressor genes and would thus suppress VM structures in TNBC cells in a 3D Matrigel cell culture preclinical model. Our data indicated that invasive triple‑negative MDA‑MB‑231, LM2‑4 and BT‑549 breast cancer cells, but not poorly invasive luminal MCF‑7 cells, efficiently underwent matrix‑associated VM formation. Approximately 80% of TNBC cells with the stem cell phenotype potential formed vessel‑like structures when mixed with Matrigel and cultured in the low attachment tissue culture plate. The molecular mechanisms of VM formation are rather complex, while angiogenesis inhibitor genes are downregulated and pro‑angiogenesis genes are upregulated in VM‑forming cells. Our data revealed that treatment of the TNBC VM phenotype cells with entinostat epigenetically led to the re‑expression of the anti‑angiogenic genes, serpin family F member 1 (SERPINF1) and thrombospondin 2 (THBS2), and to that of the tumor suppressor genes, phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and p21, and reduced VM structures. We also found that treatment of the TNBC VM phenotype cells with entinostat downregulated the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF‑A), and that of the epithelial‑mesenchymal transition (EMT)‑related genes, Vimentin and β‑catenin. METABIRC and TCGA breast cancer cohort mRNA expression data analysis revealed that a high expression of the anti‑angiogenesis‑associated genes, THBS2, SERPINF1 and serpin family B member 5 (SERPINB5), and of the tumor suppressor gene, PTEN, was associated with a better overall survival (OS) of breast cancer patients. Taken together, the findings of this study demonstrate that HDACs 1, 2, 3 partly contribute to VM formation in TNBC cells; thus, HDACs may be an important therapeutic target for TNBC.
CloseTalker: Secure, Short-Range Ad Hoc Wireless Communication

Secure communication is difficult to arrange between devices that have not previously shared a secret. Previous solutions to the problem are susceptible to man-in-the-middle attacks, require additional hardware for out-of-band communication, or require an extensive public-key infrastructure. Furthermore, as the number of wireless devices explodes with the advent of the Internet of Things, it will be impractical to manually configure each device to communicate with its neighbors. Our system, CloseTalker, allows simple, secure, ad hoc communication between devices in close physical proximity, while jamming the signal so it is unintelligible to any receivers more than a few centimeters away. CloseTalker does not require any specialized hardware or sensors in the devices, does not require complex algorithms or cryptography libraries, occurs only when intended by the user, and can transmit a short burst of data or an address and key that can be used to establish long-term or long-range communications at full bandwidth. In this paper we present a theoretical and practical evaluation of CloseTalker, which exploits Wi-Fi MIMO antennas and the fundamental physics of radio to establish secure communication between devices that have never previously met. We demonstrate that CloseTalker is able to facilitate secure in-band communication between devices in close physical proximity (about 5~cm), even though they have never met nor shared a key.
On Diffusive and Dispersive Fluxes in Forest Canopies

Diffusion within a forest canopy is generally interpreted within sets of conservation equations which include Reynolds averaging, while a spatial average over horizontal distances that are large compared with canopy inhomogeneities is implicit. Implications of temporal and spatial averaging are reviewed. Whereas few data are available for forests, wind tunnel studies and field crop experiments have shown that the principal mechanism for momentum exchange is the intermittent downward sweep of fast-moving air from above. This asymmetry in the transfer process is only explained within conservation equations that include budget equations for the second moments. Spatial replication of observations is essential but implications of spatial averaging are often overlooked. In particular, Reynolds averaging performed in two steps to include the effects of both temporal fluctuations and departures of the time-mean flow and concentration fields from their spatial averages, results in two covariance terms rather than the usual one. One of these terms represents a diffusive flux, while the other, a dispersive flux, arises if points of time-averaged vertical velocity correlate spatially with departures of concentration from its spatial mean.
The Dynamic Interaction Between Engagement, Friendship, and Collaboration in Robot Children Triads.

Grounded in child/robot interaction and inclusive education, this research has designed a small socio-technical community of a robot and two children where children play and learn equitably together while they help the robot learn. This designed community was implemented in a school media lab twice a week over three weeks, each session taking about 20 min. We ethnographically observed and video recorded children’s participation in the triadic interaction naturally. The phenomena of interest include friendship development, collaborative communication, and engagement with the community. Data collection is still ongoing, and analysis will occur over this summer. This paper presents the theoretical frameworks and data analytic scheme. We expect to report the findings at the ICQE conference in October.
Age-related differences in perceptual effects of formant transitions within syllables and across syllable boundaries

Previous work [S. Nittrouer & M. Studdert-Kennedy, Journal of Speech and Hearing Research 30, 319-329 (1987)] demonstrated that young children based phonetic judgments of syllable-initial fricatives on the formant transitions of the following vowel to a greater extent than did older children or adults. In this study, three sets of stimuli were developed to investigate further the effects of vocalic formant transitions on children’s speech perception. Two sets consisted of monosyllables, and were used to measure the effects of vocalic formant transitions on the perception of a preceding consonantal portion of the acoustic signal. One set consisted of disyllables, and was used to measure these transition effects on the perception of a following consonantal portion of the signal, across syllable boundaries. All three sets were presented to adults and to children between three and seven years of age, who were asked to identify the stimuli. Results for the monosyllables showed that the effects of the vocalic formant transitions on phonetic judgments declined with increasing age, while results for the disyllables showed that the effects generally increased with increasing age. Further, it was found that children’s responses were less influenced by two kinds of consonant production detail: fricative spectra and silent gaps. These findings offer support for two, related hypotheses. First, young children are more sensitive than adults to the dynamic aspects of production, and less sensitive to the static aspects. Second, children at roughly the age of preschool to the early elementary grades are most sensitive to whole-syllable forms, as represented here by within-syllable formant transitions. Gradually, then, as children learn about details of syllabic production and as the segment gains independent status for the child, formant transitions come to be treated similarly within syllables and across syllable boundaries.
Acute Circulatory Support

Abstract Cardiogenic shock (CS) is an urgent state of cardiac insufficiency associated with high morbidity and mortality that can complicate many cardiac conditions. Timely diagnosis and rapid intervention are required to restore cardiac output and end-organ perfusion before irreversible multisystem dysfunction and activation of the systemic inflammatory response ensue. Data suggest that outcomes for patients with CS may be improved with rapid institution of temporary mechanical circulatory support (TCS) compared with isolated chemical support in the form of vasopressors and/or inotropes. TCS can be used in those with refractory shock as a bridge to durable ventricular assist device (VAD) support, providing clinicians with the critical time needed for advanced heart failure evaluation and shared decision-making to avoid futile or unwanted durable VAD interventions. While VAD operative morbidity and mortality are higher in durable VAD patients requiring TCS compared with that of less ill VAD patients, outcomes in carefully selected VAD candidates with CS are superior to medical management alone. In this chapter, the TCS devices presently available for management of CS, the clinical data and complication profiles of TCS, as well as important considerations during the transition from TCS to durable mechanical circulatory support are reviewed.
A Greenhouse Method to Evaluate Sunflower Quantitative Resistance to Basal Stalk Rot Caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

Resistance of sunflower to basal stalk rot (BSR) caused by the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is quantitative, controlled by multiple genes contributing small effects. Consequently, artificial inoculation procedures allowing sufficient throughput and resolution of resistance are needed to identify highly resistant sunflower germplasm resources and to map loci contributing to resistance. The objective of this study was to develop a greenhouse-based method for evaluating sunflower quantitative resistance to BSR that would be simple, space- and time-efficient, high throughput, high resolution, and correlated with field observations. Experiments were conducted with 5-week-old sunflower plants and Sclerotinia-infested millet seed as inoculum to assess the impact of pot size and temperature and to determine the most favorable inoculum rate and placement. Subsequently, an additional experiment was performed to assess the correlation of the greenhouse inoculation procedure with field results by using a panel of 32 sunflower genotypes with known field response to BSR previously determined in multiyear, multilocation artificially inoculated trials. Experimental observations indicated that the newly developed greenhouse inoculation procedure provided improved resolution to identify highly resistant genotypes and was strongly correlated with field observations. This method will be useful for screening of sunflower experimental and breeding materials, disease phenotyping of genetic mapping populations, and evaluation of resistance to different pathogen isolates.
Quantitative Evaluation of Human Umbilical Vein and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Endothelial Cells as an Alternative Cell Source to Skin-Specific Endothelial Cells in Engineered Skin Grafts

Objective: We compared the capability of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived endothelial cells (iECs), and human dermal blood endothelial cells (HDBECs) to effectively vascularize engineered human skin constructs (HSCs) in vitro and on immunodeficient mice. Approach: We quantified the angiogenesis within HSCs both in vitro and in vivo through computational analyses of immunofluorescent (IF) staining. We assayed with real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) the expression of key endothelial, dermal, and epidermal genes in 2D culture and HSCs. Epidermal integrity and proliferation were also evaluated through haematoxylin and eosin staining, and IF staining. Results: IF confirmed iEC commitment to endothelial phenotype. RT-qPCR showed HUVECs and iECs immaturity compared with HDBECs. In vitro, the vascular network extension was comparable for HDBECs and HUVECs despite differences in vascular diameter, whereas iECs formed unorganized rudimentary tubular structures. In vivo, all ECs produced discrete vascular networks of varying dimensions. HUVECs and HDBECs maintained a higher proliferation of basal keratinocytes. HDBECs had the best impact on extracellular matrix expression, and epidermal proliferation and differentiation. Innovation: To our knowledge, this study represents the first direct and quantitative comparison of HDBECs, HUVECs, and iECs angiogenic performance in HSCs. Conclusions: Our data indicate that HUVECs and iECs can be an alternative cell source to HDBEC to promote the short-term viability of prevascularized engineered grafts. Nevertheless, HDBECs maintain their capillary identity and outperform other EC types in promoting the maturation of the dermis and epidermis. These intrinsic characteristics of HDBECs may influence the long-term function of skin grafts.
BALO: a "mini lung" model to study cell-cell interactions.

Stem cell-derived organoid models have emerged as a valuable tool for studying organogenesis, cell-to-cell stromal communication and disease. In this issue, Vazquez-Armendariz et al (2020) report a murine lung stem cell-based bronchioalveolar organoid system and provide insights into the effect of co-culturing with immune and mesenchymal cells.
Simulating Temporal User Activity on Social Networks with Sequence to Sequence Neural Models

The prediction of long-term activities of groups of users and clusters of activities around a subject in social networks is a very challenging task. In this paper, we propose a novel temporal neural network framework that tracks user engagement and activity associated with particular subjects (e.g. CVE IDs) across online platforms. The framework is able to simulate which user will do what activity and at what time. Furthermore, this framework captures groups of users reacting to an event. It also captures responses to an event on a platform and the influence of the event on activity on other platforms over time. The proposed framework aims to predict future user activity related to specific subjects across platforms. The framework also illustrates the importance influence of activities that occur on other platforms when predicting user activity for particular events on a different platform. The learned model can do simulations in a timely manner. We evaluated our user group activity prediction method on the CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) related user groups (software vulnerability) using 3 public online social network datasets: Github, Reddit, and Twitter. Groups of users who work on a particular CVE ID are identified. Each user group has information on all users' activities related to a CVE ID. The 3 datasets from Github, Reddit, and Twitter contain more than 490,000 cross platform activities related to over 20,000 user groups (CVE IDs) from more than 50,000 users. Compared to the proposed baseline, our simulation method is better in both predictions of total activity volume over time and activity associated with an individual CVE ID.
Increasing Identification of Homeless Students: An Experimental Evaluation of Increased Communication Incorporating Behavioral Insights:

Over 1.5 million students in the United States experience homelessness. These students are entitled to educational support through the Education for Homeless Children and Youth program. However, ma...
Directional cues in the tumor microenvironment due to cell contraction against aligned collagen fibers.

Abstract It is well established that collagen alignment in the breast tumor microenvironment provides biophysical cues to drive disease progression. Numerous mechanistic studies have demonstrated that tumor cell behavior is driven by the architecture and stiffness of the collagen matrix. However, the mechanical properties within a 3D collagen microenvironment, particularly at the scale of the cell, remain poorly defined. To investigate cell-scale mechanical cues with respect to local collagen architecture, we employed a combination of intravital imaging of the mammary tumor microenvironment and a 3D collagen gel system with both acellular pNIPAAm microspheres and MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma cells. Within the in vivo tumor microenvironment, the displacement of collagen fiber was identified in response to tumor cells migrating through the stromal matrix. To further investigate cell-scale stiffness in aligned fiber architectures and the propagation of cell-induced fiber deformations, precise control of collagen architecture was coupled with innovative methodology to measure mechanical properties of the collagen fiber network. This method revealed up to a 35-fold difference in directional cell-scale stiffness resulting from contraction against aligned fibers. Furthermore, the local anisotropy of the matrix dramatically altered the rate at which contractility-induced fiber displacements decayed over distance. Together, our results reveal mechanical properties in aligned matrices that provide dramatically different cues to the cell in perpendicular directions. These findings are supported by the mechanosensing behavior of tumor cells and have important implications for cell-cell communication within the tissue microenvironment. Statement of significance It is widely appreciated that the architecture of the extracellular matrix impacts cellular behavior in normal and disease states. Numerous studies have determined the fundamental role of collagen matrix architecture on cellular mechanosensing, but effectively quantifying anisotropic mechanical properties of the collagen matrix at the cell-scale remains challenging. Here, we developed innovative methodology to discover that collagen alignment results in a 35-fold difference in cell-scale stiffness and alters contractile force transmission through the fiber network. Furthermore, we identified bias in cell response along the axis of alignment, where local stiffness is highest. Overall, our results define cell-scale stiffness and fiber deformations due to collagen architecture that may instruct cell communication within a broad range of tissue microenvironments.
Abstract P273: Increased Inhibition of Potassium Channel Currents by Angiotensin II in Sympathetic Neurons may Contribute to a Sustained Blood Pressure Elevation in (mRen2)27 Rats.

It is well established that the increased sympathetic tone may contribute to initiation and progression of various forms of hypertension. Several lines of evidence suggest a link between the renin-...
Analytical and Simulation Study of Multibeam Electron Generation for High Power Microwave Sources

We present a novel concept for generating multibeams (multiple electron beams) with different energies from a single cathode stalk at a single potential using two nested magnetically insulated coaxial diodes (MICDs). Particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations are performed using an actual experimental parameter-based geometry where two thin-walled intense relativistic electron beams immersed in a strong uniform magnetic field propagate through a cylindrical vacuum channel. The analytically derived results are obtained by extending Fedosov’s 1 , 2 solution for generating a hollow electron beam from a single MICD on a cathode stalk to two MICDs on a single cathode stalk at a single potential. Two electron beams are generated and accelerated downstream assuming zero initial kinetic energy of the electrons at the cathodes. Results show both electron beam currents ranging from 66 A – 2 kA with an energy difference ranging from 6 – 27% depending on the applied potentials which range from 100-600 kV and the geometry of the two MICDs. An optimal geometry is a crucial factor in achieving the maximum energy difference between the electron beams for comparable currents. The analytical and numerical simulation results show good agreement. We are currently in the process of planning experiments using the SINUS-6 electron beam accelerator to validate the theoretical and simulation results. These results will be used to design a multibeam TWT based on the theory of Figotin. 3
Cefazolin-induced hemolytic anemia: a case report and systematic review of literature.

BACKGROUND Cefazolin is a first-generation cephalosporin commonly used for skin and soft tissue infections, abdominal and orthopedic surgery prophylaxis, and methicillin-sensitive staph aureus. Cephalosporins as a whole are known potential inducers of hemolytic anemia; however, mechanism of action is primarily autoimmune, and compared to other drugs, cefazolin is the least common. METHODS A rare case report of cefazolin-induced hemolytic anemia "CIHA" and a systematic review of CIHA articles in English literature. Two authors performed review of publications and articles were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. A systematic search of the literature yielded 768 entries with five case reports on cefazolin-induced hemolytic anemia. CASE PRESENTATION/RESULTS An 80-year-old female with methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus "MSSA" endocarditis. The patient was started on intravenous "IV" cefazolin that that resulted in hemolytic anemia and eosinophilia. Switching to vancomycin improved hemoglobin level and resolved eosinophilia. Four cefazolin-induced hemolytic anemia case reports and one population-based article with a case reported were analyzed with respect to direct antiglobulin test "DAT" (also known as the direct Coombs test) results, prior penicillin sensitivity, and acute anemia causes exclusion. CONCLUSIONS CIHA is a rare cause of clinically significant anemia. The diagnosis of drug-induced anemia is one of exclusion. It is important to consider DAT results and prior penicillin sensitivity when evaluating a patient for cefazolin-induced hemolytic anemia. However, the frequency of cefazolin use and resultant anemia necessitates early recognition of hemolytic anemia and prompt discontinuation of cefazolin, especially with long-term use.
The Reaches of Crowdsourcing: A Systematic Literature Review

With the continued increased use of the Internet and mobile devices, the study of how people interact with each other is more relevant than ever. This development in communication has introduced a new question of how this can lead to a collective effort controlled by the masses. This collectivist system has been coined crowdsourcing. This study is a systematic literature review that aims to find emerging trends within the topic of crowdsourcing. This review was done using tools such as Harzing’s Publish or Perish, Scopus, MAXQDA, Vicinitas, and VosViewer, and CiteSpace. Bibliometric analyses were done using these tools to show the emergence of crowdsourcing and in what ways researchers and the public are interested in the topic. These results are visualized using maps and word clouds. The results of the analysis showed an interest in potentially using crowdsourcing in the healthcare and transportation industries. Also, these results showed the emergence of new subtopics such as disaster preparedness and job recruitment techniques. It is imperative to learn how these potential avenues for crowdsourcing can be utilized and how it will uniquely affect each industry and its current job design. These findings are highlighted in the literature review and subsequent discussion.
A Civil Engineer Looks at Surveying Education

Attrition in surveying courses has apparently been going on for many years, but the more recent shift in emphasis from engineering to science has brought about major changes in engineering education, with the result that surveying has been eliminated completely from some college civil engineering curricula. The two types of professional survey operations are discussed, those of the civil engineer and those of the survey specialist, with a view toward the education that can best be contrived to suit each need.
Role of In-Situ Rapid Isothermal Processing in the Advanced Metallizations

Rapid isothermal processing (RIP) is emerging as a reduced thermal budget processing technique. As compared to a stand alone rapid isothermal annealing unit, the integration of deposition system and rapid isothermal processing units is very attractive for the fabrication of next generation of devices and circuits. We have used an in-situ rapid isothermal processor for the in-situ rapid isothermal chemical cleaning of InP, solid phase epitaxial growth of II-A fluorides and in-situ metallization of InP capacitors. Based on high frequency capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurement of Al-SrF2-InP structure and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) study, improved ohmic contacts were observed in the case where InP surface was in-situ rapid isothermally cleaned before metallization.
Disease-Related Stigma: Comparing Predictors of AIDS and Cancer Stigma

Abstract This study explores the prevalence of AIDS and cancer stigma as influenced by attitude toward homosexuality, religiosity, authoritarianism, and androgyny. This study used a quasi-experimental survey design (N = 485) to examine attitude toward people with AIDS and cancer, and interaction with people with AIDS and cancer. Negative attitudes toward homosexuality, high religious intensity and ideology, high authoritarianism, and low expressive emerged as factors related to more negative attitudes toward people with AIDS and unwillingness to interact with people with AIDS. Attitudes toward people with cancer were generally not related to the variables. Findings explore how to campaign efforts to reduce existing negative attitudes toward AIDS and homosexuality, given that gay men with AIDS are especially stigmatized. Implications and directions for future research are discussed, especially for interventions.