cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Contribution of age and gender to outcome of blunt splenic injury in adults: multicenter study of the eastern association for the surgery of trauma.

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the contribution of age and gender to outcome after treatment of blunt splenic injury in adults. Methods: Through the Multi-Institutional Trials Committee of the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma (EAST), 1488 adult patients from 27 trauma centers who suffered blunt splenic injury in 1997 were examined retrospectively. Results: Fifteen percent of patients were 55 years of age or older. A similar proportion of patients ≥ 55 went directly to the operating room compared with patients < 55 (41% vs. 38%) but the mortality for patients ≥ 55 was significantly greater than patients < 55 (43% vs. 23%). Patients ≥ 55 failed nonoperative management (NOM) more frequently than patients < 55 (19% vs. 10%) and had increased mortality for both successful NOM (8% vs. 4%, p < 0.05) and failed NOM (29% vs. 12%, p = 0.054). There were no differences in immediate operative treatment, successful NOM, and failed NOM between men and women. However, women ≥ 55 failed NOM more frequently than women < 55 (20% vs. 7%) and this was associated with increased mortality (36% vs. 5%) (both p < 0.05). Conclusion: Patients ≥ 55 had a greater mortality for all forms of treatment of their blunt splenic injury and failed NOM more frequently than patients < 55. Women ≥ 55 had significantly greater mortality and failure of NOM than women < 55.
A phantom road experiment reveals traffic noise is an invisible source of habitat degradation.

Decades of research demonstrate that roads impact wildlife and suggest traffic noise as a primary cause of population declines near roads. We created a “phantom road” using an array of speakers to apply traffic noise to a roadless landscape, directly testing the effect of noise alone on an entire songbird community during autumn migration. Thirty-one percent of the bird community avoided the phantom road. For individuals that stayed despite the noise, overall body condition decreased by a full SD and some species showed a change in ability to gain body condition when exposed to traffic noise during migratory stopover. We conducted complementary laboratory experiments that implicate foraging-vigilance behavior as one mechanism driving this pattern. Our results suggest that noise degrades habitat that is otherwise suitable, and that the presence of a species does not indicate the absence of an impact.
Effects of mitral valve replacement on regional left ventricular systolic strain

Abstract Background . Mitral valve replacement (MVR) with chordal excision impairs left ventricular (LV) systolic function, but the responsible mechanisms remain incompletely characterized. Loss of normal annular-papillary continuity also adversely affects LV torsional deformation, possibly due to changes in myocardial fiber contraction pattern. Methods . Twenty-seven dogs underwent insertion of LV myocardial markers and a sham procedure (cardiopulmonary bypass, no MVR, n=6), conventional MVR with chordae tendineae excision (n = 7), or chordal-sparing MVR with reattachment of the anterior leaflet chordae to the anterior annulus (n = 7) or to the posterior annulus (n = 7). In the anterior, lateral, posterior, and septal LV regions, linear chords were constructed from each region's central marker to its surrounding markers. Percent systolic shortening (regional LV strain) was calculated for each chord, and the chords were assigned to one of four angular groups: I, left-handed oblique (subepicardial fiber direction); II, circumferential (midwall); III, right-handed oblique (subendocardial); or IV, longitudinal. Regional LV strain data were compared before and after MVR. Results . Sham and anterior chordal-sparing MVR had minimal effects on regional LV strain. With posterior chordal-sparing MVR: anteriorly, left-oblique (I) strain fell (31%, p p p p p Conclusions . Sham and anterior chordal-sparing MVR did not substantially alter regional LV strain; however, loss of normal anatomic valvular-ventricular integrity (conventional MVR) or posterior chordal-sparing MVR resulted in pronounced alterations in LV strain, most notably in the longitudinal and oblique fiber directions. These findings demonstrate that the deleterious effects of chordal excision are associated with perturbed internal myocardial systolic deformation, which suggests that chordal disruption distorts myofiber architecture or regional systolic loading.
Engage, Energize and Empower Your Students with Team-Based Learning (Abstract Only)

Even when we believe the research that shows that active learning is particularly helpful to both engage and empower students--they learn better, they learn deeper and it addresses issues of diversity--it's often not clear to us how we can implement it while keeping the quality of our course high. At UAlbany, courses taught using TBL including: computer programming, data structures, databases, web programming, networking and others. TBL is a structured method that can help instructors improve student learning and energize their classrooms. Team Based Learning (TBL) is an approach to course design that takes advantage of research into what helps students learn. Students work in permanent teams and course meetings are organized around application exercises. Courses are divided into units, and students are held responsible for the core reading in a beginning-of-unit test taken both as individuals and as teams. Application exercises conform to core principles ("4S"): Teams all work on the SAME problem, teams make a SPECIFIC choice, the problem must be SIGNIFICANT, and the teams must make a SIMULTANEOUS report of answers. A variant of the "flipped classroom," the TBL course spends far less time "covering the material" in class, allowing course time to be spent on skill development and feedback on student work. In this hands-on workshop, participants will experience a model TBL learning sequence and learn active learning techniques that they can adopt in any classroom while learning the basics of the TBL method.
Effect of Temperature on Growth of Canine Herpesvirus in Canine Kidney Cell and Macrophage Cultures

the anthrax bacillus when their body temperatures were lowered. Effects of environmental temperature on the growth of plant viruses, and on resistance of plants to viral diseases, have been reviewed by Kassanis [2]. The influence of temperature on the growth of several animal viruses also has been studied, including myxoma [3, 4], herpes simplex [4-6], coxsackie B [7], poliomyelitis [8, 9], avian bronchitis [10], influenza [11], vesicular stomatitis [12], and infectious bovine rhinotracheitis [13]. In studies cited above, yields of virus from infected cell cultures or animal tissues were affected profoundly by alterations in environmental temperature above or below the optimal. Recently, Aurelian [14] studied formation and release of canine herpesvirus (CHV) from infected cultures of a continuous line of canine kidney cells and reported optimal yields of virus at 37 C; at 34 C and 39 C growth was greatly reduced. The relatively low body temperatures of nestreared pups during the first 2 weeks of life and the inability of young dogs to regulate their temperature [15] was postulated [16] as an important factor in the pathogenesis of CHV since artificial elevation of body temperature to adult levels allowed infected pups to survive the normally fatal neonatal disease.
The evaluation of mental health screening practices within a population of incarcerated women.

Screening for mental illness within prison populations is vital to the safety and well-being of prisoners and to the operation of an institution. Although prisons are currently mandated to screen f...
Survey on Contamination of Legionella Bacteria in Water of Cooling Towers in Wuxi in 2009

Objective To explore the contamination status and serological typing in water of various cooling towers in Wuxi. Methods Legionella was detected in cooling water from 32 public places and 8 factories in Wuxi in 2009.There were 89 samples total.Legionella was tested according to "Central Air Conditioning Ventilation System Hygiene Norms of Public Health Appendix B". Results The detection rate of legionella in water of cooling towers was 26.97% (24/89).The positive rate was the highest in cooling water of hotels and hospitals,which was 33.33%(8/24) and 33.36(4/11),respectively.The Lp1 and Lp6 were the main serotypes,accounted for 54.2%(13/24)and 29.2%(7/24),respectively.There were statistically significant differences in the positive rate of legionella between disinfected and non-disinfected water of cooling towers and between water with or without colonized algae. Conclusions The water of cooling towers in Wuxi was contaminated severely.The proliferation of legionella is presumed due to unsatisfactory disinfection and colonized algae.The results provide the evidence for control of legionella in water of cooling tower.
Cross-language Text Classification Based on Latent Semantic Dual Space

Nowadays,with the trend of language diversity in the internet,how to organize multi-language resources becomes a hotspot.This paper focuses on cross language text categorization(CLTC) which can organize heterogeneous document collections.Using the semantics pairs extracted from parallel.The latent semantic dual space can be built by using the semantics pairs extracted from parallel corpus.In the experiment,through changing the training size and language composition the performance of CLTC can be verified.Results show that cross-language text classification based on latent semantic dual space makes a good performance in stability and accuracy.
Dynamic ruffling distortion of the heme substrate in non-canonical heme oxygenase enzymes

Recent work by several groups has established that MhuD, IsdG, and IsdI are non-canonical heme oxygenases that induce significant out-of-plane ruffling distortions of their heme substrates enroute to mycobilin or staphylobilin formation. However, clear explanations for the observations of “nested” S = ½ VTVH MCD saturation magnetization curves at cryogenic temperatures, and exchange broadened 1H NMR resonances at physiologically-relevant temperatures have remained elusive. Here, MCD and NMR data have been acquired for F23A and F23W MhuD–heme–CN, in addition to MCD data for IsdI–heme–CN, in order to complete assembly of a library of spectroscopic data for cyanide-inhibited ferric heme with a wide range of ruffling deformations. The spectroscopic data were used to evaluate a number of computational models for cyanide-inhibited ferric heme, which ultimately led to the development of an accurate NEVPT2/CASSCF model. The resulting model has a shallow, double-well potential along the porphyrin ruffling coordinate, which provides clear explanations for the unusual MCD and NMR data. The shallow, double-well potential also implies that MhuD-, IsdG-, and IsdI-bound heme is dynamic, and the functional implications of these dynamics are discussed.
If I don't laugh, I'll cry: Exploring humor coping in breast cancer

This study examined the relationship among humor coping, optimism, neuroticism, and depression in a sample of breast cancer survivors and matched control participants. Breast cancer survivors reported marginally lower levels of depression than the controls. In both groups, humor coping was not related to depression, optimism, or neuroticism, but depression was correlated negatively with optimism and positively with neuroticism. In the breast cancer group, humor coping was correlated with the coping subscales of self-distraction, positive reframing, planning, and active coping. In the control group, humor coping was correlated with the coping sub-scales of self-distraction, positive reframing, planning, venting, and using instrumental support. These results suggest either that humor coping is not a stable variable or that whether humor is a positive or negative coping technique depends partly on the population under study.
Rates of Geologic Processes: Problems for an Introductory Geology Course

Geologic processes occur over a range of time scales. Introductory geology courses should provide students with an understanding of earth processes as well as the rates at which these processes operate. Three quantitative problems involving the rate of radioactive decay, the movement of groundwater pollution, and the rate of erosion in the Himalayas are described. These problems require students to graph data, understand units and orders of magnitude, manipulate equations, and put numerical answers into a broader geologic context.
Tumor Dose-Response Studies with Aflatoxin B1 and the Ambivalent Modulator Indole-3-Carbinol: Inhibitory Versus Promotional Potency

Indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a natural compound from cruciferous vegetables, inhibits aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) carcinogenesis in trout when administered prior to and during carcinogen exposure, but also promotes it in the same species when given after AFB1 initiation. To provide quantitative potency information for these opposing activities, detailed tumor dose-response studies were performed with AFB1 (10–400 ppb) and I3C (0–4,000 ppm). In a plot of (logit) percent tumor response vs log AFB1 exposure, the results generated a series of parallel AFB1 dose-response curves. Increasing 130 doses displaced these curves, respectively, toward higher and lower AFB1 doses in the inhibition and promotion studies. Similar potencies were observed over the dose range 0–1,500 ppm I3C; the 50% promotion and inhibition (P50 and I50) values were 1,000 vs 1,400 ppm I3C, respectively. Differences in the protocols used in the two studies suggest that the inhibitory activity of I3C is more likely to supersede promotion under human exposure conditions.
Deciphering Systolic-Diastolic Coupling in the Intact Heart.

See related article, pp 633–640 Afterload is an important determinant of myocardial contraction and relaxation. Afterload dependency of relaxation has been demonstrated in the intact left ventricle (LV).1–4 Experimental animal2,3 and human4 studies demonstrate that the effects of afterload depend on its timing, with late systolic load inducing more profound impairments in LV relaxation, compared with early systolic load. In this issue of Hypertension , Gu et al5 report on a study that provides novel insights into diastolic–systolic coupling and helps us integrate and reconcile several previous findings. Although the terms myocardial afterload and ventricular afterload are often used interchangeably, it is important to recognize that the relationship between LV and myocardial afterload is markedly influenced by the time-varying LV geometry during systole, which in turn affects the myocardial wall stress (MWS) for any given LV chamber pressure. LV afterload is the hydraulic load imposed by the entire systemic circulation (aortic input impedance), which depends on the pressure required to generate flow (ejection) into the proximal aorta. In contrast, myocardial afterload is determined by the MWS required to generate fiber shortening. In line with Laplace's law of the heart, for any given LV pressure, lower MWS occurs as the ratio of LV chamber volume/LV wall volume decreases. When the MWS and LV geometry are such that LV pressure exceeds diastolic aortic pressure, LV ejection starts. Throughout ejection, the time-varying MWS (and fiber shortening) is determined by complex interactions between myocardial contractile elements, the instantaneous LV geometry and the time-varying hydraulic load imposed by the arterial tree.6 All key correlates of MWS (LV wall thickness, cavity size, and pressure, which for any given flow ejected, depends on the aortic input impedance) exhibit marked variations during ejection. Therefore, time-resolving MWS during ejection (rather …
J - *“Yet Who Would Have Thought the Old Man to have had so Much Blood in Him?”—Reflections on the Multiplicity of Steady States of the Stirred Tank Reactor

– The question of the multiplicity of the steady states of a chemical reactor was one of the concerns in the pioneering work of Bilous and Amundson. Their diagrams showsed quite clearly the geometry of the situation, and this kind of analysis sufficed for many years. It remained for Balakotaiah and Luss, using the methods of singularity theory, to give a comprehensive treatment of the question. After a brief survey, we take up the case of consecutive first-order reactions and show that up to seven steady states are possible.
Organic Chemicals Used in Flavorings and Fragrances

The following data for organic chemicals is presented in tabular alphabetical format (Table 10-1) to provide a ready source of information of direct and immediate concern to the flavorist engaged in compounding imitation flavorings. The list provides information on: a. The usually accepted chemical name or common name, if this is the more familiar usage. b. Principal synonym(s), where these are of value in correctly identifying the chemical. c. The FEMA and/or IOFI classification number, which also aids identification. The following symbols are used in the tables: Art = artificial NI = nature-identical (substances occurring in natural products not normally considered as foods) N = natural d. IOFI classification (Code of practice for the flavor industry, Oct. 20, 1978, as amended July 1990). e. Solubility data, particularly in ethanol, water, propylene glycol and fixed oils. The compounding of flavorings involves the blending together of ingredients of wide physical disparity; this is achieved by the use of permitted solvents of which those quoted are most widely used. The following symbols are used in the tables: In = insoluble VSL = very slightly soluble SL = slightly soluble S = soluble VS = very soluble M = miscible f. Boiling point and flash point, which are of value in determining the relative stability and safety in handling of a flavoring, particularly where the product is intended to be spray dried. g. Legal status in the United States, particularly whether the chemical is found in nature.
A Primer on the Use of Equivalence Testing for Evaluating Measurement Agreement.

Purpose Statistical equivalence testing is more appropriate than conventional tests of difference to assess the validity of physical activity (PA) measures. This article presents the underlying principles of equivalence testing and gives three examples from PA and fitness assessment research. Methods The three examples illustrate different uses of equivalence tests. Example 1 uses PA data to evaluate an activity monitor’s equivalence to a known criterion. Example 2 illustrates the equivalence of two field-based measures of physical fitness with no known reference method. Example 3 uses regression to evaluate an activity monitor’s equivalence across a suite of 23 activities. Results The examples illustrate the appropriate reporting and interpretation of results from equivalence tests. In the first example, the mean criterion measure is significantly within ±15% of the mean PA monitor. The mean difference is 0.18 METs and the 90% confidence interval of −0.15 to 0.52 is inside the equivalence region of −0.65 to 0.65. In the second example, we chose to define equivalence for these two measures as a ratio of mean values between 0.98 and 1.02. The estimated ratio of mean V˙O2 values is 0.99, which is significantly (P = 0.007) inside the equivalence region. In the third example, the PA monitor is not equivalent to the criterion across the suite of activities. The estimated regression intercept and slope are −1.23 and 1.06. Neither confidence interval is within the suggested regression equivalence regions. Conclusions When the study goal is to show similarity between methods, equivalence testing is more appropriate than traditional statistical tests of differences (e.g., ANOVA and t-tests).
Monitoring and comparison of malodor level in henhouses

In this paper, a monitoring method for calculating the malodor level by measuring the concentration of ammonia gas and hydrogen sulfide gas in the barn is established. This method is used to monitoring the level of malodor in the traditional henhouse and that with automatic ventilation and cleaning equipment. The monitoring results showed that in the livestock and poultry production process, timely ventilation and clean up stool can effectively reduce the concentration of malodor inside the barn, and improve the livestock production environment.
Direct-drive force feedback control for the dataglove

Dextrous masters control robots or artificial environments through hand gestures. Commercial products have open-loop control. There is a need for portable systems that have force feedback, and are sufficiently compact to be desk-top. A prototype providing force feedback for the Dataglove is discussed first. Then the master structure and its actuator characteristics are presented. A model for the control loop is discussed last.
From Fire to Fireworks in Baroque Poetry

Baroque poets, inspired by both the Bible and philosophers of classical antiquity, believed not only in an ideal order animating earthly order, but were obsessed by fear of chaos and the fact of mutability and cosmic anarchy. With the rise of royal power and various religious ideals, poets in the service of the King or Church could transfigure and harmonize the elements’ savage confrontations of strength as so often depicted in Greek myth and literature.1 Fire, water, earth, and air were no longer conceived as world-masses in struggle with one another, but became sensible phenomena in artistic rearrangement, redistribution, and transfiguration by perceptible transmutations. Vigarini and Ruggieri, 2 in charge of fireworks at all celebrations and fetes in France and England, could stage magnificent fireworks.3 After the peace treaties ending the Thirty Years War (1648) and the Austrian succession quarrel (1749) fireworks took place internationally. Instead of forming theories of the physical phenomenon of fire, poets and artists, as we hope to illustrate in our investigation, could show that change and metamorphoses can be derived from the nature of fire itself. Baroque poets saw in fire an active, living force into which other things could be converted visibly, involving ceaseless flow, but marked by an inherent stability.
Origins of Infant Intelligence Testing

Infant intelligence tests, like all other psychological tests, have their roots in the intelligence testing movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Infancy was never the focus of the early test developers and was studied only because idiots, the lowest classification of the mentally retarded, were thought to exhibit the mental abilities of a 2-year-old (Binet and Simon, 1905a,b). However, infants were not entirely neglected, since the child study movement led by Darwin and Preyer increased interest in the early development of the species. As the testing movement gained momentum and branched out into more areas in the 1920s, intensive studies of infants and preschoolers were initiated, leading to the development of normative scales and intelligence tests. These tests of the 1920s and 1930s were rapidly accepted and were used to investigate stability, reliability, and predictive validity from infancy to childhood. Two other waves of tests were developed, in the 1960s and in the 1970s, with the focus of the 1970s tests being somewhat different from those preceding them.
Primary Systemic Amyloidosis (AL): A Randomized Trial of Colchicine vs. Melphalan And Prednisone vs. Melphalan, Prednisone, and Colchicine.

Primary amyloidosis is an uncommon disease characterized by deposition of a fibrillar protein often in the heart and kidney resulting in organ dysfunction and death. Treatment for AL is unsatisfactory. The amyloid fibrils consist of the variable portion of monoclonal immunoglobulin light chains and are synthesized by plasma cells. Increased numbers of plasma cells are commonly found in the bone marrow of patients with AL. It is reasonable to attempt treatment with alkylating agents which are known to be effective against plasma cell proliferative processes such as multiple myeloma. We are engaged in a prospective randomized study in which patients have been assigned to melphalan and prednisone or to colchicine or to melphalan, prednisone, and colchicine. This interim analysis suggests the two melphalan-prednisone containing regimens are superior to colchicine.
An Analysis of the Structure of the Replicating Fork During Discontinuous Synthesis of SV40 DNA and the Detection of Gap Circle Intermediates

Polyoma and SV40 are small DNA tumor viruses whose well-defined properties have made them ideal subjects for intensive investigation over the last ten years (Black, 1968; Eckhart, 1968; Crawford, 1969; Green, 1970; Sambrook, 1972; Butel, Tevethia and Melnick, 1972). The DNA of these viruses has been extensively characterized by Vinograd and his collaborators (Vinograd and Lebowitz, 1966; Bauer and Vinograd, 1968; Radloff, Bauer and Vinograd, 1967) and by Crawford (Crawford and Black, 1964; Crawford, 1969). They have shown that the genome of SV40 is a single closed-circular molecule of double-stranded DNA containing about 12–15 negative superhelical turns and has a molecular weight of about 3 x 106 daltons. Over the last four years experiments from a number of laboratories working on the mechanism of SV40 DNA replication have yielded a clear outline of the events of viral DNA replication (for a recent review see Levine, 1973). These events may be conveniently divided into four stages: 1) initiation, 2) polynucleotide chain propagation, 3) segregation of the two newly-made daughter molecules, and 4) maturation of the progeny molecules.
Comparison of chiral NMR solvating agents for the enantiodifferentiation of amines

Abstract Chiral, enantiomerically pure organic-soluble acids are often used as NMR chiral solvating agents (CSAs) for analyzing the enantiopurity of amines. However, the reports that describe CSAs for amines provide limited comparisons to other previously reported reagents. As such, it is difficult to know which among the many CSAs to pick when studying a new amine. We report a comparison of thirteen commercially available CSAs for the analysis of primary, secondary and tertiary amines in chloroform-d. (R)-α-methoxyphenylacetic acid, (R)-(-)-O-acetylmandelic acid, (R)-2-methoxy-2-(1-naphthyl)propionic acid and (R)-(-)-1,1′-binaphthyl-2,2′-diylhydrogenphosphate are identified as the best four to use as a starting point for the analysis of a new amine.
Posttraumatic stress disorder clusters and suicidal ideation.

Abstract Background Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with suicidal ideation and behavior. However, less is known about how the PTSD symptom clusters, namely alterations in arousal and reactivity (AAR), negative alterations in cognitions and mood (NACM), avoidance, and intrusion, uniquely relate to suicidal ideation. This study aimed to characterize the associations among suicidal ideation and these symptom clusters. Methods Study 1 (n = 346) and Study 2 (n = 194) included community members and treatment-seeking adults at an anxiety specialty clinic, respectively. Participants completed measures of trauma exposure, PTSD symptoms, and suicidal ideation. Results In both studies, suicidal ideation significantly and positively correlated with all PTSD factors. In Study 1, Wald tests of parameter constraints indicated that NACM and AAR had the strongest associations with suicidal ideation, followed by intrusion and avoidance. Results were replicated when restricting the sample to individuals with probable PTSD. In Study 2, suicidal ideation significantly and positively correlated with all PTSD factors; there were no differences in the strength of the suicidal ideation-PTSD factors relations. Limitations The studies were cross-sectional and relied on a single-item measure of suicidal ideation. Discussion All PTSD factors significantly and positively correlated with suicidal ideation, and the NACM and AAR PTSD clusters were most strongly associated with suicidal ideation in Study 1. Therefore, clinicians should be cautious to thoroughly screen patients with elevations on these PTSD cluster scores for suicide risk.
Aeration pretreatment of low grade refractory gold ores

Aeration curing, over a long duration in wetted stockpiles, shows promise as an affordable pretreatment method for oxidizing gold encapsulating sulfide minerals, and possibly organic matter, in low grade refractory ores. Following aeration pretreatment, the ore is reclaimed, neutralized, and cyanide leached by conventional practices. Large tonnages of subeconomic material, including mine stripping waste, may be converted into ore by this new technology. The results presented show that a successful application of this technology will likely require crushing to about −2 cm (−3/4 in.), followed by aeration in a wet stockpile for long periods, up to three years. Natural convection may be inadequate, but forced air ventilation, at modest pressures and power consumption, is affordable.
3D printing with silk: considerations and applications.

Silk is a natural polymer sourced mainly from spiders and silkworms. Due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, and mechanical properties, it has been heavily investigated for biomedical applic...
Fexofenadine inhibits TNF signaling through targeting to cytosolic phospholipase A2 and is therapeutic against autoimmune diseases

SUMMARY TNF-α signaling plays a central role in the pathogenesis of various diseases, particularly autoimmune diseases. Screening of a library composed of FDA approved drugs led to the identification of Terfenadine and its active metabolite Fexofenadine as inhibitors of TNF-α signaling. Both Fexofenadine and Terfenadine inhibited TNF/NF-κB signaling in vitro and in vivo, and ameliorated disease symptoms in various autoimmune disease models, including TNF-α transgenic mice, collagen-induced arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease. Subsequent studies identified cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) as a novel target of Fexofenadine. Fexofenadine blocked TNF-stimulated cPLA2 activity and arachidonic acid production through binding to catalytic domain 2 of cPLA2 and inhibition of its phosphorylation on Ser-505. Further, deletion of cPLA2 abolished Fexofenadine’s anti-TNF activity. Collectively, these findings not only provide new insights into the understanding of Fexofenadine action and underlying mechanism, but also provide new therapeutic interventions for various TNF-α and cPLA2-associated pathologies and conditions, particularly autoimmune diseases.
Blunted Reward Sensitivity and Trait Disinhibition Interact to Predict Substance Use Problems.

Reward-deficit models of addiction posit weaknesses in reward sensitivity to be promotive of substance dependence, whereas the externalizing spectrum model views substance problems as arising in la...
A generalization of Gordon's theorem and applications to quasiperiodic Schr\"odinger operators

We prove a criterion for absence of eigenvalues for one-dimensional Schr\"odinger operators. This criterion can be regarded as an $L^1$-version of Gordon's theorem and it has a broader range of application. Absence of eigenvalues is then established for quasiperiodic potentials generated by Liouville frequencies and various types of functions such as step functions, H\"older continuous functions and functions with power-type singularities. The proof is based on Gronwall-type a priori estimates for solutions of Schr\"odinger equations.
Modern nanostructured ferritic alloys: A compelling and viable choice for sodium fast reactor fuel cladding applications

Abstract Sodium fast reactor cores present a truly challenging environment for the fuel cladding and core structural materials that limit achievable fuel burnup in these systems. Modern nanostructured ferritic alloys have the potential to deliver the desired high performance characteristics where historic austenitic and ferritic/martensitic alloys fall short. In this paper, a new nanostructured ferritic alloy, OFRAC ( O ak Ridge F ast R eactor A dvanced Fuel C ladding), is developed and demonstrated in cladding geometry with a length > 1 m. The alloy composition and microstructure are tailored to deliver dramatically improved strength and creep resistance. At 600 °C the ultimate tensile strength is ∼600 MPa and the stress to induce a steady state strain rate of 10−6 s−1 is 500 MPa vs. 200 MPa for traditional ferritic/martensitic alloys. A very high defect sink density was engineered in these alloys that is expected to further enhance the traditional good swelling and irradiation creep resistance of ferritic/martensitic steels. These significant improvements along with the demonstrated viability for seamless cladding production indicate that this alloy is a compelling and viable choice for sodium fast reactor fuel cladding applications.
Designing Artificial Intelligence Review Boards: Creating Risk Metrics for Review of AI

Discussions of the need for a review committee dedicated to ethical oversight of artificial intelligence (AI) research have not yet advanced to organization design discussions. What are the essential components for an AI research review board? Based upon precedent for composition and conduct of high-technology review boards, one essential component is a risk-adjusted review mechanism that assists review boards in the categorization of research needing review. In this paper, risk assessment tools are developed based upon lessons learned from other review boards, such as Institutional Biosafety Committees.
Using haem concentration as a metric of physiological age to infer demographic structure in natural field and forest populations of host-seeking Amblyomma americanum adults

Understanding how patterns of host-seeking behaviour differ across demographic classes in Amblyomma americanum (L.), the lone star tick, is essential in evaluating species potential as a vector of ...
Shoulder arthroplasty in solid organ transplant patients: a retrospective, match paired analysis.

Background Several studies have evaluated total hip and knee arthroplasty in solid organ transplant (SOT) patients; however, there are limited studies evaluating shoulder arthroplasty in SOT patients. This study compares the complications and functional outcomes of SOT patients undergoing shoulder arthroplasty with a matched control group. Methods The institution's database was retrospectively reviewed for patients with a history of SOT undergoing primary shoulder arthroplasty (with minimum 2-year follow-up) and compared with a control group matched for age, sex, preoperative diagnosis, and surgical procedure. Preoperative and postoperative range of motion and outcome scores, perioperative surgical and medical complications, hospital length of stay, and mortality were compared. Results Fifteen patients with previous SOT underwent 19 shoulder arthroplasties. Thirty-four underwent 35 shoulder arthroplasties in the control group. At last follow-up, the SOT group had a significantly worse UCLA score. The SOT group had a significantly worse improvement in UCLA, active elevation, and passive elevation scores in pre- to postoperative scores. There was no difference in length of stay, infection, or surgical complications. Ninety-day readmissions, medically related complications, and required blood transfusion were significantly higher in the SOT group. There was increased mortality in the SOT compared with the control group (death occurred on average 1577 days after arthroplasty). Conclusion Shoulder arthroplasty in patients with previous SOT appears safe and effective for degenerative shoulder disorders. Patients should be counseled preoperatively that their range of motion and function may not improve as much as their nontransplant cohorts. SOT patients may have increased incidence of postoperative blood transfusions and medically related complications.
A Retrospective Study of Corneal Endothelial Dystrophy in Dogs (1991-2014).

Author(s): Leonard, Brian C; Kermanian, Celine S; Michalak, Sarah R; Kass, Philip H; Hollingsworth, Steven R; Good, Kathryn L; Maggs, David J; Thomasy, Sara M | Abstract: PurposeTo retrospectively evaluate the clinical data, diagnostic tests, treatments, and outcomes for dogs with corneal endothelial dystrophy (CED) and determine risk factors for CED when compared with a canine reference population.MethodsMedical records of 99 dogs (1991-2014) diagnosed with CED at the University of California Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital were reviewed and compared with 458,680 dogs comprising the general hospital population during the study period. Retrieved data included signalment, examination findings, diagnoses, treatments, and outcomes associated with CED. The exact Pearson χ2 test or exact Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare parameters between the groups. Progression of corneal edema was assessed using 3 independent Kaplan-Meier curves, identifying clinically significant changes in corneal opacity.ResultsBoston terriers, German wirehaired pointers, and Dachshunds were overrepresented in the CED-affected group, whereas Labradors were underrepresented. Dogs older than 11 years were overrepresented in the CED-affected group, whereas intact dogs were underrepresented. Surgical intervention was performed (n = 11) based on the severity of disease and secondary complications from CED. Median time to progression of corneal edema was 1) 368 days when an at-risk eye initially without edema developed edema at a subsequent visit, 2) 701 days when there was progression from mild to marked corneal edema, and 3) 340 days when there was progression from focal to diffuse corneal edema.ConclusionsMany CED-affected dogs progress over months to years without surgical intervention, making dogs with CED a useful model for studying genetic predispositions and development of novel therapeutics for Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy.
Behaviorally Informed Strategies for a National COVID-19 Vaccine Promotion Program.

The US needs a national strategy for promotion of COVID-19 vaccines that unites the urgency and commitment of Operation Warp Speed with innovative behavioral science and social marketing approaches to increase COVID-19 vaccine confidence and acceptance in diverse populations Core to any successful strategy is to rebuild trust in the rigor of vaccine trials and the integrity of the approval process Make the vaccine free and easily accessible, make access to valued settings conditional on getting vaccinated, use public endorsements from trusted leaders to increase uptake, provide priority access to people who sign up to get vaccinated before vaccines are widely available, and transform individual vaccination decisions into a public act (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)
Factors Considered in Ranking Spine Surgery Fellowship Applicants: A Survey of Program Directors.

Study design Cross-sectional study. Objective To determine which factors spine surgery fellowship program directors (PDs) consider most important when ranking applicants. Summary of background data Spine surgery is a popular orthopedic subspecialty. As such, the spine fellowship match process is highly competitive. Surveys of fellowship PDs in orthopedic sports medicine and hand surgery have demonstrated differing opinions regarding factors considered most important when ranking fellowship applicants. The factors considered important to spine surgery fellowship PDs have not been evaluated. Methods A web-based questionnaire was sent to the PDs of all spine surgery fellowships participating in the San Francisco (SF) Match Program. The questions were designed to identify criteria considered most important in ranking spine surgery fellowship applicants. A list of 12 criteria was presented and PDs were asked to rank these in order of importance. A weighted score for each criterion was calculated using the following scale: 5 points for each criterion ranked 1st, 4 points for 2nd, 3 points for 3rd, 2 points for 4th, and 1 point for 5th. Results Of the 73 PDs queried, 52 responded (71% response rate). The interview was the most important factor when ranking fellowship applicants. The other criteria deemed most important in order of weighted scoring were letters of recommendation and personal connections to the applicant and/or familiarity with the applicant's letter writer(s). Conclusion Spine surgery fellowship PDs consider the interview, letters of recommendation, and personal connections with the applicant/letter writers to be the most important factors when ranking candidates. These results may be valuable to orthopedic residents and mentors of those pursuing fellowship training in spine surgery.Level of Evidence: 4.
Discovery of the Blue Ridge Springsnail, Fontigens orolibas, Hubricht, 1957 (Gastropoda: Emmericiidae) in East Tennessee and Its Conservation Implications

The study of spring- and subterranean-associated microsnail species in the Appalachian karst region has focused disproportionately on the northern Appalachian Valley and Ridge (AVR), leaving many areas in the southern Appalachians unexplored. Consequently, biological inventories of subterranean habitats have been initiated in the southern AVR, particularly in the state of Tennessee. In 2013 and 2018, several previously unknown populations of a microsnail species were discovered from caves in eastern Tennessee. Through both morphological and molecular analysis, we identified these populations as the Blue Ridge Springsnail, Fontigens orolibas. These newly discovered populations represent a significant range extension of F. orolibas. As such, we reassess the conservation status of F. orolibas under NatureServe criteria and emphasize the need for further sampling efforts in the southern AVR for microsnails.
Coordinated regulation of endothelial calcium signaling and shear stress-induced nitric oxide production by PKCβ and PKCη

Abstract Background Protein Kinase C (PKC) is a promiscuous serine/threonine kinase regulating vasodilatory responses in vascular endothelial cells. Calcium-dependent PKCbeta (PKCβ) and calcium-independent PKCeta (PKCη) have both been implicated in the regulation and dysfunction of endothelial responses to shear stress and agonists. Objective We hypothesized that PKCβ and PKCη differentially modulate shear stress-induced nitric oxide (NO) production by regulating the transduced calcium signals and the resultant eNOS activation. As such, this study sought to characterize the contribution of PKCη and PKCβ in regulating calcium signaling and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activation after exposure of endothelial cells to ATP or shear stress. Methods Bovine aortic endothelial cells were stimulated in vitro under pharmacological inhibition of PKCβ with LY333531 or PKCη targeting with a pseudosubstrate inhibitor. The participation of PKC isozymes in calcium flux, eNOS phosphorylation and NO production was assessed following stimulation with ATP or shear stress. Results PKCη proved to be a robust regulator of agonist- and shear stress-induced eNOS activation, modulating calcium fluxes and tuning eNOS activity by multi-site phosphorylation. PKCβ showed modest influence in this pathway, promoting eNOS activation basally and in response to shear stress. Both PKC isozymes contributed to the constitutive and induced phosphorylation of eNOS. The observed PKC signaling architecture is intricate, recruiting Src to mediate a portion of PKCη's control on calcium entry and eNOS phosphorylation. Elucidation of the importance of PKCη in this pathway was tempered by evidence of a single stimulus producing concurrent phosphorylation at ser1179 and thr497 which are antagonistic to eNOS activity. Conclusions We have, for the first time, shown in a single species in vitro that shear stress- and ATP-stimulated NO production are differentially regulated by classical and novel PKCs. This study furthers our understanding of the PKC isozyme interplay that optimizes NO production. These considerations will inform the ongoing design of drugs for the treatment of PKC-sensitive cardiovascular pathologies.
Conferring new cleavage specificities of restriction endonucleases.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the conferring new cleavage specificities of restriction endonucleases. It describes a set of protocols for completely methylating both plasmid and intact chromosomal DNA. Achilles' cleavage (AC) is a simple, general method for combining the cleavage specificities of restriction endonucleases with the binding specificities of other DNA-binding molecules. With this technique, any restriction site that can be protected from methylation by its cognate methyltransferase (MTase) can be made unique. This chapter also discusses general aspects of the AC process and also contains a protocol for RecA-AC, which is at this time the most general and therefore the most useful of the AC reactions. Restriction enzymes that efficiently cleave DNA at short but specific sequences have played a central role in the development of modern molecular genetics. By dramatically increasing the specificity of these enzymes, AC amplifies the power of conventional recombinant DNA technology, particularly, when it is applied to the physical mapping and precise molecular dissection of multi megabase genomes.
Judgment and Decision Making

Judgment and decision-making (JDM) research embraces a broad interdisciplinary array of topics concerned with human choice. It includes both descriptive studies, aimed at understanding what real decision makers actually do and normative (or prescriptive) work, aimed at advising people how they might make better choices. Core processes include making inferences about what is currently happening, making predictions about what might happen next, and developing preferences about these possible future states. A variety of choice processes have been identified by which these elements can be brought together in selection of preferred actions, either at a single point in time or as a series of interventions over time. Though most research attention has considered individual decision makers, there is also important work in two-person (negotiation, bargaining) processes and in multiperson decisions made in groups. Across these many topics there is recurrent disparity between what people are seen to be doing and what some putatively normative model suggests they should be doing, suggesting that either model or behavior is in error. This tension, and the obvious applicability of the resolution to important practical decisions, has kept the field highly energized for several decades. The creative furor continues. Keywords: choice; decision; heuristics; judgment; prediction; preference; risk
English Tasks: All-Words and Verb Lexical Sample

We describe our experience in preparing the lexicon and sense-tagged corpora used in the English all-words and lexical sample tasks of Senseval-2.