cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How Eastern European Jewish immigrants, modernist Yiddish culture, and anti-fascist politics dragged the Netherlands into the twentieth century

ABSTRACTMy essay examines Yiddish-speaking immigrants in the Netherlands between the two world wars with a focus on Amsterdam, the Jewish center of the country. The Netherlands was never a major recipient of migrants of any kind, let alone Eastern European Jewish immigrants. Despite seeing the Netherlands primarily as a transit site, enough Yiddish-speakers stayed – either due to finding work in the country or because they failed to get entry papers to other countries – that they formed a visible presence in Amsterdam, The Hague, Scheveningen, and other cities across the country. Due to its small size and unstable immigrant population – since most immigrants did not plan on settling in Amsterdam – this community remained on the periphery of the global interwar Yiddish-speaking map. I argue that by being on the margins of the global Yiddish community Amsterdam's left-wing Yiddish-speaking community, organized around the Ansky Society, remained above the sharp politicized polemics that drove a wedge between...
Modulation of Pertussis and Adenylate Cyclase Toxins by Sigma Factor RpoE in Bordetella pertussis

Bordetella pertussis is a human pathogen that can infect the respiratory tract and cause the disease known as whooping cough. B. pertussis uses pertussis toxin (PT) and adenylate cyclase toxin (ACT) to kill and modulate host cells to allow the pathogen to survive and persist. B. pertussis encodes many uncharacterized transcription factors, and very little is known about their functions. RpoE is a sigma factor which, in other bacteria, responds to oxidative, heat, and other environmental stresses. RseA is a negative regulator of RpoE that sequesters the sigma factor to regulate gene expression based on conditions. In B. pertussis, deletion of the rseA gene results in high transcriptional activity of RpoE and large amounts of secretion of ACT. By comparing parental B. pertussis to an rseA gene deletion mutant (PM18), we sought to characterize the roles of RpoE in virulence and determine the regulon of genes controlled by RpoE. Despite high expression of ACT, the rseA mutant strain did not infect the murine airway as efficiently as the parental strain and PM18 was killed more readily when inside phagocytes. RNA sequencing analysis was performed and 263 genes were differentially regulated by RpoE, and surprisingly, the rseA mutant strain where RpoE activity was elevated expressed very little pertussis toxin. Western blots and proteomic analysis corroborated the inverse relationship of PT to ACT expression in the high-RpoE-activity rseA deletion strain. Our data suggest that RpoE can modulate PT and ACT expression indirectly through unidentified mechanisms in response to conditions.
Stability Theory of Stochastic Difference Systems

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the stability theory of stochastic difference systems. A stochastic difference system is one in which one or more variables can change stochastically at discrete instants of time. Stochastic difference systems are the stochastic versions of deterministic discrete time systems. The class of stochastic difference systems includes most modern industrial and military control systems, for they invariably include some elements whose inputs or outputs are discrete in time. Examples of such elements are digital computers, pulsed radar units, and coding units in most communication systems. One of the most important qualitative properties of stochastic difference systems is the stability of such systems. The chapter presents criteria for stability of linear and nonlinear stochastic difference systems. It highlights the relationship between various stability definitions is shown. The chapter also discusses properties peculiar to linear systems are also discussed. Various special methods have been devised for the study of the stability of stochastic differential equations.
Lattice dynamics and elasticity for ε-plutonium

Lattice dynamics and elasticity for the high-temperature e phase (body-centered cubic; bcc) of plutonium is predicted utilizing first-principles electronic structure coupled with a self-consistent phonon method that takes phonon-phonon interaction and strong anharmonicity into account. These predictions establish the first sensible lattice-dynamics and elasticity data on e-Pu. The atomic forces required for the phonon scheme are highly accurate and derived from the total energies obtained from relativistic and parameter-free density-functional theory. The results appear reasonable but no data exist to compare with except those from dynamical mean-field theory that suggest e-plutonium is mechanically unstable. Fundamental knowledge and understanding of the high-temperature bcc phase, that is generally present in all actinide metals before melting, is critically important for a proper interpretation of the phase diagram as well as practical modeling of high-temperature properties.
Utilization pattern and survival outcomes of adjuvant therapies in high-grade nonretroperitoneal abdominal soft tissue sarcoma: A population-based study.

Background Nonretroperitoneal abdominal soft tissue sarcoma (NRA-STS) is a rare disease with limited data supporting its management. Our study aimed to reveal the utilization patterns of adjuvant therapy and its potential survival benefits using the National Cancer Data Base. Materials The analysis included patients with resected high-grade NRA-STS. Chi-square analysis was used to evaluate distribution of patient and tumor-related factors within treatment groups. The Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional hazards model were utilized to evaluate overall survival according to treatment approach. Multivariate analysis was used to determine the impact of these factors on patients’ outcome. Matched propensity score analysis was implemented to control for imbalance of confounding variables. Results At median follow-up of 49 months, 5-year overall survival improved from 46% without adjuvant radiation therapy to 52% (P = 0.009) with radiotherapy delivery with a 30% reduction in hazard of death (95% confidence interval = 0.58–0.84). On multivariate analysis, age <50, tumor <8 cm, negative margins and radiotherapy delivery were significant predictors of improved survival. Chemotherapy was not associated with significant survival improvement (Hazard Ratios [HR]: 0.89, P = 0.28). Conclusion Adjuvant radiotherapy was associated with improved survival in high-grade NRA-STS. Chemotherapy was not associated with a survival improvement; however, further studies are needed to refine treatment strategies.
Marriage and Women's Earnings from Work: Perspectives on TANF

Marital status and earnings from work for women are studied using the National Longitudinal Surveys (NLS), Young Women's Cohort. The study focuses on how being continuously married affects the earnings of women from young adulthood through their pre-retirement years. Earnings from work are measured by average annual wages between 1968 and 1999. Bivariate findings suggest that marriage and family are associated with lessening the wage-earning potential of women over the life course but multivariate analysis shows no effect beyond that of other measures accounted for in the study. Education and number of hours worked are positively related to earnings outcomes and the number of dependents has a negative effect. Policy makers who are calling for an increase in marriage-promoting activities for TANF recipients are using marriage as a primary solution for eliminating poverty and thereby ignoring real ways to help women earn more for themselves and their families. The use of TANF funds for encouraging ...
Differential requirements for myeloid leukemia IFN-γ conditioning determine graft-versus-leukemia resistance and sensitivity

The graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) is potent against chronic phase chronic myelogenous leukemia (CP-CML), but blast crisis CML (BC-CML) and acute myeloid leukemias (AML) are GVL resistant. To understand GVL resistance, we studied GVL against mouse models of CP-CML, BC-CML, and AML generated by the transduction of mouse BM with fusion cDNAs derived from human leukemias. Prior work has shown that CD4+ T cell-mediated GVL against CP-CML and BC-CML required intact leukemia MHCII; however, stem cells from both leukemias were MHCII negative. Here, we show that CP-CML, BC-CML, and AML stem cells upregulate MHCII in alloSCT recipients. Using gene-deficient leukemias, we determined that BC-CML and AML MHC upregulation required IFN-γ stimulation, whereas CP-CML MHC upregulation was independent of both the IFN-γ receptor (IFN-γR) and the IFN-α/β receptor IFNAR1. Importantly, IFN-γR-deficient BC-CML and AML were completely resistant to CD4- and CD8-mediated GVL, whereas IFN-γR/IFNAR1 double-deficient CP-CML was fully GVL sensitive. Mouse AML and BC-CML stem cells were MHCI+ without IFN-γ stimulation, suggesting that IFN-γ sensitizes these leukemias to T cell killing by mechanisms other than MHC upregulation. Our studies identify the requirement of IFN-γ stimulation as a mechanism for BC-CML and AML GVL resistance, whereas independence from IFN-γ renders CP-CML more GVL sensitive, even with a lower-level alloimmune response.
Cardiac Strain Imaging With Coherent Compounding of Diverging Waves

Current methods of cardiac strain imaging at high frame rate suffer from motion matching artifacts or poor lateral resolution. Coherent compounding has been shown to improve echocardiographic image quality while maintaining a high frame rate, but has never been used to image cardiac strain. However, myocardial velocity can have an impact on coherent compounding due to displacements between frames. The objective of this paper was to investigate the feasibility and performance of coherent compounding for cardiac strain imaging at a low and a high myocardial velocity. Left-ventricular contraction in short-axis view was modeled as an annulus with radial thickening and circumferential rotation. Simulated radio-frequency channel data with a cardiac phased array were obtained using three different beamforming methods: single diverging wave, coherent compounding of diverging waves, and conventional focusing. Axial and lateral displacements and strains as well as radial strains were estimated and compared to their true value. In vivo feasibility of cardiac strain imaging with coherent compounding was performed and compared to single diverging wave imaging. At low myocardial velocities, the axial, lateral, and radial strain relative error for nine compounded waves (16.3%, 40.4%, and 18.9%) were significantly lower than those obtained with single diverging wave imaging (19.9%, 80.3%, and 30.6%) and closer to that obtained with conventional focusing (16.7%, 43.7%, and 16%). In vivo left-ventricular radial strains exhibited higher quality with nine compounded waves than with single diverging wave imaging. These results indicate that cardiac strain can be imaged using coherent compounding of diverging waves with a better performance than with single diverging wave imaging while maintaining a high frame rate, and therefore, has the potential to improve diagnosis of myocardial strain-based cardiac diseases.
Characterization of Carbenes via Hydrogenation Energies, Stability, and Reactivity - What's in a Name?

The hydrogenation energies and singlet-triplet (S-T) splittings at the G3MP2 level of theory have been calculated for a wide range of carbenes. The carbene, :CXY with different substituents (X, Y = H, CN, NC, F, Cl, OH, OCH3, CH3, CF3, SiH3, SiMe3, phenyl, CH=O, PH2, and NH2) at the carbenic carbon center, immidazole-based carbenes, Bertrand's carbenes, and Seppelt's CF3CSF3 were studied. The stable carbenes are singlets with large S-T splittings and with the least exothermic hydrogenation energies. The singlet ground state immidazole-based carbenes are calculated to have the least exothermic hydrogenation energies (-15 to -30 kcal/mol) and the largest S-T gaps. The singlet ground states of the Bertrand carbenes have more exothermic hydrogenation (ca. -67 kcal/mol) energies and much smaller S-T gaps. The more exothermic reaction energies arise due to the need to make the phosphorus planar in the carbene so that it can donate into the empty p-orbital at the carbene carbon center. The bending potential at the carbene carbon center in the Bertrand compounds is very flat with a large XC:Y angle. Seppelt's CF3CSF3 appears to be energetically similar to the Bertrand system probably due to the required adjustments for geometric distortions at the sulfur center.
Effects of Cable News Watching on Older Adults’ Physiological and Self-Reported Stress and Cognitive Function:

Older adults are the largest consumer of cable news, which includes negative and politicized content and may constitute a daily stressor. As older adults are also vulnerable to the negative consequences of stress, we hypothesized that cable news watching could induce a stress reaction and impair cognitive function. We tested exposures to cable news (i.e., Fox News and MSNBC) in a within-subject randomized controlled design in 34 healthy older adults. We also included negative (Public Broadcasting Station) and positive (trier social stress test) controls. Cable news watching had no effect on psychological stress, physiological stress, or cognitive function. This remained true even if the news exposures were discordant with participants' political affiliation. We conclude that brief cable news watching does not induce a physiological or subjective stress response or cognitive impairment among healthy older adults.
Abstract Memory Representations in the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex and Hippocampus Support Concept Generalization

Memory function involves both the ability to remember details of individual experiences and the ability to link information across events to create new knowledge. Prior research has identified the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) and the hippocampus as important for integrating across events in the service of generalization in episodic memory. The degree to which these memory integration mechanisms contribute to other forms of generalization, such as concept learning, is unclear. The present study used a concept-learning task in humans (both sexes) coupled with model-based fMRI to test whether VMPFC and hippocampus contribute to concept generalization, and whether they do so by maintaining specific category exemplars or abstract category representations. Two formal categorization models were fit to individual subject data: a prototype model that posits abstract category representations and an exemplar model that posits category representations based on individual category members. Latent variables from each of these models were entered into neuroimaging analyses to determine whether VMPFC and the hippocampus track prototype or exemplar information during concept generalization. Behavioral model fits indicated that almost three-quarters of the subjects relied on prototype information when making judgments about new category members. Paralleling prototype dominance in behavior, correlates of the prototype model were identified in VMPFC and the anterior hippocampus with no significant exemplar correlates. These results indicate that the VMPFC and portions of the hippocampus play a broad role in memory generalization and that they do so by representing abstract information integrated from multiple events.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Whether people represent concepts as a set of individual category members or by deriving generalized concept representations abstracted across exemplars has been debated. In episodic memory, generalized memory representations have been shown to arise through integration across events supported by the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) and hippocampus. The current study combined formal categorization models with fMRI data analysis to show that the VMPFC and anterior hippocampus represent abstract prototype information during concept generalization, contributing novel evidence of generalized concept representations in the brain. Results indicate that VMPFC-hippocampal memory integration mechanisms contribute to knowledge generalization across multiple cognitive domains, with the degree of abstraction of memory representations varying along the long axis of the hippocampus.
Heat Shock Protein 70 (Hsp70) in the Regulation of Platelet Function

Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) and its family of molecular chaperones are critical mediators of protein folding, trafficking, and control. Platelets are known to express several members of the Hsp70 family at high levels, suggesting critical roles for Hsp70 in platelet function. Several studies have described Hsp70-associated activities in intracellular signaling events, including the regulation of the linker for activation of T cells (LAT) signalosome that initiates integrin conformational changes underlying platelet aggregation. Although other chaperones perform established extracellular functions on the platelet surface as well as in the circulation to mediate the activities of platelets and other hematopoietic cells in hemostasis, thrombosis, and inflammation, similar roles for Hsp70 in platelet regulation remain undefined. Given the extensive roles of Hsp70 in many platelet-related human disease states, from protective roles in cardiovascular disease and wound healing to pathological roles in cancer, inflammation, and metabolic diseases, the emerging importance of Hsp70 in platelet function offers numerous ramifications for human health and disease.
Does switching from 2D PET to 3D PET/CT affect radiation doses in patients and technologists?

2111 Objectives : In 18F-FDG PET scanning, both patients (pts) and technologists are exposed to a radiation dose that is typically higher than conventional nuclear medicine procedures. In a dedicated PET scan, the positron causes the predominant radiation dose to pts, while attenuation correction (AC) of PET data using radioactive line sources contributes little to this dose. For technologists, the radiation dose is mostly caused by the high gamma ray energy resulting from the annihilation reaction of the positron-emitting 18F-FDG. PET/CT now accounts for 80% of current PET sales, and its market share is anticipated to grow in the future. However, adding CT for AC and anatomic co-registration conversely adds an additional radiation dose to both pts and technologists. This study compared the changes in radiation doses to pts and technologists as a result of switching from a conventional 2D PET to a 3D PET/CT. Methods : Retrospectively, the records of 442 pts who underwent a whole-body PET scan within a 7 month time period and an additional 543 pts who received a whole-body PET/CT scan within a subsequent 7 month time period were examined. For the 2D conventional PET exam (GE, Advance), pts received a weight-adjusted dose of 0.2 mCi/Kg with a max of 22 mCi of 18F-FDG. For the 3D PET/CT (Philips, Gemini) exam, pts received a 0.14 mCi/Kg with a max of 14 mCi. In PET, the radiation dose was based on a simple conversion of mCi to mSv. In PET/CT, the radiation dose from the low dose non-contrast CT, based on the mAs and KeVs, was added to the radiation dose from the FDG. Monthly radiation dosimetry reports of two technologists who performed PET in the first 442 pts and subsequently PET/CT in the second 543 pts were compared. Results : Patients who underwent 3D PET/CT scans received a statistically significant higher radiation dose than those who underwent a 2D PET study. The mean effective dose in patients was 15.45 mSv in PET vs. 16.26 mSv in PET/CT (p = 0.002). Technologists had a statistically significant lower radiation dose in PET/CT than in PET (143.33 mrem/month for PET vs 58.86 mrem/month for PET/CT). Conclusions : In 3D PET/CT studies, use of CT for AC shortens the time for image acquisition by 30%, but increases the radiation dose to pts by 6% compared to conventional 2D PET studies. The increase in radiation dose could potentially be higher in 2D PET/CT studies. The opposite effect was observed in technologists in whom the radiation dose was lower in PET/CT than in PET (59%). This difference was attributed to the lower FDG dose/ Kg injected in the 3D mode coupled with keeping the technologists’ radiation exposure from the CT to a minimum.
Exploring the Relationships Among Innovation, Collaboration, and School Change in a Mixed Methods

Continuous school improvement efforts require schools to prepare, organize, and lead change. This study examined how a school created a context for change by implementing an innovation to improve teaching practices, school culture, and student learning outcomes. Implementing innovation requires school leaders to understand the process of change to successfully sustain school improvement efforts. The purpose of this research study was to assess the effectiveness that an innovative hybrid schedule had on improving student learning outcomes and school culture. This mixed-method research study used data generated by the AdvancEds Stakeholder Feedback Survey, the ACT Aspire Student Achievement Tests, and teacher interviews. The analysis of this studys data indicated several factors that facilitated change through the implementation of the innovative hybrid schedule. The researcher discovered these overall factors related to the benefits of students changing classes, teachers becoming content specialists, collaboration through PLCs and vertical planning. Additionally, the results revealed that significant change occurred in school culture based on the AdvancEds Stakeholder Feedback Survey. Additionally, student learning outcomes measured by ACT Aspire Reading and Mathematics Student Achievement Tests showed a statistically significant improvement in both reading and math.
INFLUENCE OF ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT RECONSTRUCTION ON DYNAMIC POSTURAL CONTROL.

Background Athletes that have had anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction are at a greater risk for reinjury. The relationship between ACL reconstruction and the dynamic postural sway index (DPSI) has not yet been examined. Hypothesis/Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the DPSI in a surgically reconstructed ACL limb compared to the uninjured leg in athletes that had been cleared for sport. It was hypothesized that in a bilateral limb comparison, the leg that underwent ACL reconstruction would demonstrate poorer postural stability measures (greater DPSI) during a single leg landing activity as compared to the non-surgical limb. Design Case-control study. Methods 14 subjects (7 male, 7 female; age range 16-23 years) with a history of unilateral ACL reconstruction and clearance for return to sport (mean 14 months post-operatively, range 8 to 24 months) performed five single leg hops over a 12 inch hurdle in the anterior direction from a distance corresponding with 40% of their height, onto a force platform. DPSI for the medial-lateral, anterior-posterior, vertical directions and a composite score were calculated for each trial on the surgical and non-surgical legs. A multivariate analysis with repeated measures was used to compare surgical and non-surgical legs for the total DPSI measure as well as for each component. Results Significant differences (p < .05) in dynamic postural stability were observed in the medial-lateral, anterior-posterior, vertical indices and DPSI total between the surgical and non-surgical limb. Conclusion Deficits in dynamic postural control persist in ACL-reconstructed limbs compared to the non-surgical limb after the clearance for full activity. Clinicians should consider assessing single limb dynamic stability prior to releasing the athlete back to full activity. Level of evidence Level 3.
Two Kinds of Hydrogen Monomers Manifested in Plasma-Exposed Silicon

In boron-doped silicon annealed in a plasma ambient (at 150°C), the reported hydrogen concentration profile and the hole profile cannot be simultaneously fitted assuming only one kind of in-diffusing hydrogen ions H+ of a definite parameter D+K (where D+ is the diffusivity of H+ and K is the equilibrium dissociation constant of the HB defect, the passivated boron). A good fit is possible only assuming two independent kinds of H+—one of a larger value of D+K and the other—of a smaller value. A concept of two independent atomic subsystems H(1) and H(2), each involving both positive and neutral charge states, is also useful to account for hydrogen pairing into dimers.
Option-implied filtering: evidence from the GARCH option pricing model

One crucial task of option price modeling is to estimate latent state variables. This paper emphasizes the importance of incorporating option implied information to update latent state variables and sheds light on numerical developments to alleviate the cumbersome estimation process in option valuation. We propose a simple option-implied approximation to obtain the latent state variable and investigate its performance in option pricing. Specifically, we directly filter conditional variance from option implied volatilities (option-implied filtering) and compare its performance to that of a futures-based filtering technique and that of an option-based filtering technique with the Brownian Bridge process. Using a GARCH type discrete-time option pricing model and the crude oil option data, we demonstrate that the option-implied filtering technique significantly improves model fit and estimation efficiency, both in-sample and out-of-sample.
A uniform theory of diffraction formulation for acoustic radiation modes

Acoustic radiation modes have recently regained the attention of the literature, with applications ranging from active structural acoustic control to acoustical holography. Typically the calculation of these modes requires boundary element methods for all but flat plate and full sphere geometries. This paper presents a radiation mode formulation for cylindrically curved structures with small curvature, based on the uniform theory of diffraction. This formulation shows promise, as it produces analytical expressions for the radiation resistance matrix, leading to computationally efficient radiation mode calculation. Radiation modes are shown for cylindrically curved plates, and the calculation of sound power with these modes is compared to that calculated using boundary element methods. The extension of this formulation to other curved structures is discussed.
Peptide receptors as cancer drug targets

Neuropeptides function as neuromodulators in the brain, whereby they are released in a paracrine manner and activate G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in adjacent cells. Because neuropeptides are made in, and secreted from, cancer cells, then bind to cell surface receptors, they function in an autocrine manner. Bombesin (BB)-like peptides synthesized by neuroendocrine tumor small cell lung cancer (SCLC) bind to BB receptors (BBRs), causing phosphatidylinositol turnover and phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). Phosphorylated ERK enters the nucleus and alters gene expression of SCLC cells, stimulating growth. Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) addition to SCLC cells increases their release rate of BB-like peptides via activation of VIP receptors (VIPR), leading to activation of adenylyl cyclase and subsequent elevation of cAMP. Protein kinase A is then stimulated, leading to phosphorylation of cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB), which alters gene expression and stimulates proliferation. The growth of SCLC is inhibited by BBR and VIPR antagonists. This review will focus on how GPCRs for VIP and BB are molecular targets for early detection and treatment of cancer.
CdMgTe as an Electron Reflector for MgZnO/CdSeTe/CdTe Solar Cells

CdMgTe with a 1.8-eV band gap was deposited at the back of MgZnO/CdSeTe/CdTe superstrates to create a conduction band barrier and reduce back surface recombination. To minimize CdCl2 passivation loss, substrate preheat time was varied. Photoluminescence, carrier lifetime, and quantum efficiency showed improvement with shorter preheat and secondary ion mass spectrometry profiles showed retention of CdCl2 passivation for short CdMgTe preheat. An HCl acid etch treatment and CdTe cap layer were incorporated independently after the CdMgTe on additional devices to minimize magnesium oxidation and the CdTe cap device showed initial promise with device efficiency reaching 13.1%.
Paternal factors in neurodevelopmental toxicology: THC exposure of male rats causes long-lasting neurobehavioral effects in their offspring.

Abstract The potential health risks of cannabis are of growing concern, including effects on reproduction and development. Extensive research has investigated risks associated with maternal exposure to THC during gestation and its impacts on the development of offspring, but little research has been done regarding paternal THC exposure effects prior to conception. We have previously found that paternal THC exposure in rats causes changes in sperm methylation. In an initial study we also showed that a 12-day paternal THC exposure prior to conception alters locomotor activity and impairs cognitive function of their offspring. This study investigated the cross-generational effects of chronic paternal THC exposure in rats (0, 2, or 4 mg/kg/day SC for 28 days) prior to mating with drug naive females. The offspring of THC-exposed male rats had significant alterations in locomotor activity and cognitive function. Specifically, during adolescence there was significant locomotor hyperactivity in the offspring of males exposed to 2 mg/kg/day of THC. During the novel object recognition task, the controls maintained their relative preference for the novel object across the duration of the ten-min session while the rats whose fathers received THC (2 mg/kg/day) showed a significantly greater drop-off in interest in the novel object during the second half of the session. Learning in the radial-arm maze was significantly delayed in the offspring of males exposed to 4 mg/kg/day of THC. This study shows that premating chronic paternal THC exposure at multiple dose regimens can cause long-lasting detrimental behavioral effects in their offspring, including abnormal locomotor activity and impaired cognitive function. Future studies should investigate the underlying mechanisms driving these aberrant developmental outcomes and seek to identify possible treatments of alleviation in the presence of paternal THC exposure.
CHRFAM7A: A human specific fusion gene, accounts for the translational gap for cholinergic strategies in Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract Background Cholinergic neuronal loss is one of the hallmarks of AD related neurodegeneration; however, preclinical promise of α7 nAChR drugs failed to translate into humans. CHRFAM7A, a uniquely human fusion gene, is a negative regulator of α7 nAChR and was unaccounted for in preclinical models. Methods Molecular methods: Function of CHRFAM7A alleles was studied in vitro in two disease relevant phenotypic readouts: electrophysiology and Aβ uptake. Genome edited human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) were used as a model system with the human context. Double blind pharmacogenetic study: We performed double-blind pharmacogenetic analysis on the effect of AChEI therapy based on CHRFAM7A carrier status in two paradigms: response to drug initiation and DMT effect. Mini Mental Status Examination (MMSE) was used as outcome measure. Change in MMSE score from baseline was compared by 2-tailed T-test. Longitudinal analysis of clinical outcome (MMSE) was performed using a fitted general linear model, based on an assumed autoregressive covariance structure. Model independent variables included age, sex, and medication regimen at the time of the first utilized outcome measure (AChEI alone or AChEI plus memantine), APOE4 carrier status (0, 1 or 2 alleles as categorical variables) and CHRFAM7A genotype. Findings The direct and inverted alleles have distinct phenotypes. Functional CHRFAM7A allele classifies the population as 25% non-carriers and 75% carriers. Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) models α7 nAChR mediated Aβ neurotoxicity. Pharmacological readout translates into both first exposure (p = 0.037) and disease modifying effect (p = 0.0048) in two double blind pharmacogenetic studies. Interpretation CHRFAM7A accounts for the translational gap in cholinergic strategies in AD. Clinical trials not accounting for this uniquely human genetic factor may have rejected drug candidates that would benefit 25% of AD. Reanalyses of the completed trials using this pharmacogenetic paradigm may identify effective therapy. Funding:
Two-Item Fall Screening Tool Identifies Older Adults at Increased Risk of Falling after Emergency Department Visit.

Author(s): Solie, Christopher J.; Swanson, Morgan B.; Harland, Kari; Blum, Christopher; Kin, Kevin; Mohr, Nicholas | Abstract: Introduction: Few emergency department (ED)-specific fall-risk screening tools exist. The goals of this study were to externally validate Tiedemann et al’s two-item, ED-specific fall screening tool and test handgrip strength to determine their ability to predict future falls. We hypothesized that both the two-item fall screening and handgrip strength would identify older adults at increased risk of falling.Methods: A convenience sample of patients ages 65 and older presenting to a single-center academic ED were enrolled. Patients were asked screening questions and had their handgrip strength measured during their ED visit. Patients were given one point if they answered “yes” to “Are you taking six or more medications?” and two points for answering “yes” to “Have you had two or more falls in the past year?” to give a cumulative score from 0 to 3. Participants had monthly follow- ups, via postcard questionnaires, for six months after their ED visit. We performed sensitivity and specificity analyses, and used likelihood ratios and frequencies to assess the relationship between risk factors and falls, fall-related injury, and death.Results: In this study, 247 participants were enrolled with 143 participants completing follow-up (58%). During the six-month follow-up period, 34% of participants had at least one fall and 30 patients died (12.1%). Fall rates for individual Tiedemann scores were 14.3%, 33.3%, 60.0% and 72.2% for scores of 0,1, 2 and 3, respectively. Low handgrip strength was associated with a higher proportion of falls (46.3%), but had poor sensitivity (52.1%).Conclusion: Handgrip strength was not sensitive in screening older adults for future falls. The Tiedemann rule differentiated older adults who were at high risk for future falls from low risk individuals, and can be considered by EDs wanting to screen older adults for future fall risk.
Exposure to point-of-care ultrasound in PA programs before employment.

OBJECTIVES Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is integral to bedside evaluation of ED patients. This study examines POCUS exposure for physician assistants (PAs) before ED employment. METHODS A retrospective cross-sectional survey was distributed electronically to PAs employed in 13 EDs across a healthcare system. Participants were queried on POCUS education during PA training. Findings were reported as percentages of total respondents, using descriptive statistics. RESULTS The response rate was 70.1%. Only 14.9% of respondents received POCUS exposure in PA school. Of those who received training, most (66.7%) received 5 or fewer hours and 94.1% strongly agree or agree that POCUS education should be integrated into PA education. CONCLUSION In this survey, most PAs practicing in the ED did not receive POCUS education during training. Practice location and year of graduation may contribute to this finding. Healthcare systems should consider additional training for PAs working in EDs to bridge gaps in knowledge.
State Variation in Long-Term Care Availability, Regulation, and Cost and Suicide Mortality Among Older Adults in the United States: 2010-2015.

Abstract Objectives Residential long-term care (LTC) facilities may be key settings for the prevention of suicide among older adults; however, little is known about the relationship between statewide policies determining characteristics of LTC facilities and suicide mortality. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the association between state policies regarding availability, regulation, and cost of LTC and suicide mortality among adults aged 55 and older in the United States over a 5-year period. Design Longitudinal ecological study. Setting and Participants LTC residents from 16 states reporting mortality data to the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) from 2010 to 2015. Methods We linked suicide data from the NVDRS and data sources on LTC services and regulations for 16 states. We applied a natural language-processing algorithm to identify suicide deaths related to LTC. We used fixed effect regression models to assess whether state variation in LTC characteristics is related to variation in the rate of suicide (both overall and related to LTC) among older adults. Results There were 25,040 suicides among those aged 55 and older reported to the NVDRS during the study period; 382 suicides were determined to be associated with LTC in some manner. After adjusting for state-level characteristics, greater average nursing home capacity was significantly associated with increase in the cumulative incidence of suicide related to LTC (β = 0.087, SE = 0.026, P Conclusions and Implications State-level variations in LTC facility capacity are related to variation in LTC-related suicide incidence among older adults. Given the challenges of preventing suicide among older adults through facility- or individual-level interventions, policies governing the features and provision of LTC services may therefore serve as a means for public health suicide prevention.
Discrimination and Internalizing Symptoms in Rural Latinx Adolescents: The Protective Role of Family Resilience.

Objective: There is a well-documented relationship between discrimination and increases in internalizing symptoms among rural Latinx youth. Among numerous assets in these adolescents' lives, family resilience emerges as a culturally relevant and robust protective factor. However, it is still unclear whether family resilience is equally protective across different internalizing symptom clusters and whether this buffering effect is independent of other interconnected resilience sources.Method: Latinx adolescents from an underserved rural community (n = 444; Mage = 15.74, SDage = 1.22; 51% male) reported on their internalizing symptoms, experiences of discrimination, and sources of resilience. We examined whether perceived family resilience moderated the association between perceived discrimination and self-reported depressive, somatic, and anxiety symptoms over and above adolescents' sex, self-reported level of acculturation, as well as perceived individual and contextual resilience.Results: Analyses showed that perceived discrimination experiences were robustly associated with higher levels of self-reported internalizing symptoms, while perceived family resilience was related to lower self-reported symptomatology. Closer examination revealed that perceived family resilience buffered the negative effects of perceived discrimination on self-reported depression and somatic symptoms, but not anxiety symptoms.Conclusions: This study addresses a gap in the literature by identifying differential protective effects of family resilience that might be explained by cultural values and practices in rural Latinx families. Findings suggest that interventions that incorporate family members and promote supportive family environments may benefit rural Latinx youth with a broad range of internalizing symptoms.
Optical switching performance of thermally oxidized vanadium dioxide with an integrated thin film heater

Optical switching performance of vanadium dioxide produced by thermal oxidation of vanadium is presented in this paper. A 100nm thick vanadium was oxidized under controlled conditions in a quartz tube furnace to produce approximately 200nm thick VO2. The substrate was appropriately coated on the front and back side to reduce reflection in the cold state, and an integrated thin film heater was fabricated to allow in-situ thermal cycling. Electrical measurements show a greater than three orders of magnitude change in resistivity during the phase transition. Optical measurements exhibit 70% transparency at 1500nm and about 15dB extinction across a wide spectral band between 1000nm and 3000nm. These results are used to show a huge optical bistability effect in VO2-based devices.
Anterior Tibial Vessels and Dorsalis Pedis

The anterior tibial artery is a useful target for microvascular reconstruction of the lower extremity. It is located deep within the anterior compartment and gives off multiple perforators to anterior compartment muscles. These characteristics can make it more challenging to access than the posterior tibial artery; therefore, detailed knowledge of the anatomy and surgical approach is necessary to maximize its utility in lower extremity salvage.
Assessment of land cover changes in Lampedusa Island (Italy) using Landsat TM and OLI data

Abstract The Lampedusa Island displays important socio-economic criticalities related to an intensive touristic activity, which implies an increase in electricity consumption and waste production. An adequate island conversion to a more environmental, sustainable community needs to be faced by the local Management Plans establishment. For this purpose, several thematic datasets have to be produced and evaluated. Socio-economic and bio-ecological components as well as land cover/use assessment are some of the main topics to be managed within the Decision Support Systems. Considering the lack of Land Cover (LC) and vegetation change detection maps in Lampedusa Island (Italy), this paper focuses on the retrieval of these topics by remote sensing techniques. The analysis was carried out by Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 8 OLI multispectral images from 1984 to 2014 in order to obtain spatial and temporal information of changes occurred in the island. Firstly, imagery was co-registered and atmospherically corrected; secondly, it was then classified for land cover and vegetation distribution analysis with the use of QGIS and Saga GIS open source softwares. The Maximum Likelihood Classifier (MLC) was used for LC maps production, while the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was used for vegetation examination and distribution. Topographic maps, historical aerial photos, ortophotos and field data are merged in the GIS for accuracy assessment. Finally, change detection of MLC and NDVI are provided respectively by Post-Classification Comparison (PCC) and Image Differencing (ID). The provided information, combined with local socio-economic parameters, is essential for the improvement of environmental sustainability of anthropogenic activities in Lampedusa.
Energy and Tissue Fuel in Human Injury and Sepsis

The loss of body weight has been a prominent feature of the response to injury or sepsis since the earliest clinical descriptions of these conditions. It was evident that the extent of weight loss tended to parallel the magnitude of the injury or sepsis. Subsequent observations revealed that the degree of weight loss is largest in males, younger adults, well-muscled individuals, and those with good previous nutrition. The weight loss is less in the female, the elderly, the poorly muscled, the nutritionally depleted. However, the underlying alterations in energy requirements and tissue fuel associated with injury and sepsis remain incompletely understood and are the subject of this discussion.
Sound Advantage: A Pronunciation Book

1 Syllable Recognition and Reduction Part I: Syllables Part II: Stressed Syllables Part III: Recognizing Syllable Stress in English Part IV: Ellipsis Part V: Unstressed Syllables with Non-Reduced Vowels An Overview of English Vowels 2 Lax Vowels Part I: /ae/ Part II: /I/ Part III: /T/ Part IV: /a/ Part V: /u/ 3 The Tense Vowels Part I: Diphthongs /ay/, /aw/, /oy/ Part II: /iy/ Part III: /ey/ Part IV: /uw/ Part V: /ow/ 4 Troublesome Consonants Part I: /s/ and /z/ Part II: th /e/ and /d/ Part III: /r/ and /l/ Part IV: Nonreleased Final Consonants Part V: Consonant Clusters Part VI: Consonant Combinations in Phrases and Sentences 5 Linking Part I: Linking with Vowels Part II: Linking Identical Consonants 6 Consonant Replacements Part I: The Flap Part II: The Glottal Stop Part III: Can/Can't Part IV: Negative Contractions 7 Common Reductions Part I: Reductions with /h/ Part II: going to/want to/have to/has to Part III: of Part IV: and/or/for 8 Sentence Rhythm Part I: Sentence Stress and Unstress Part II: Content and Function Words Part III: Stress Timing 9 Information Focus and Intonation Part I: Information Focus: The Basic Pattern Part II: Common Intonation Patterns Part III: Contrasting New Information Part IV: Intonation Patterns That Change the Meaning Part V: Lists 10 Inflectional Endings Part I: Past Tense (-ed) Part II: Plural/3rd Person s Part III: -teen/-ty 11 Reductions in Consonant Clusters Part I: sts/sks/th Deletion Part II: nt Reduction Part III: Assimilation 12 Contractions Part I: Contractions with "will" Part II: Contractions with the Verb "be" Part III: Contractions with "have," "has," "does," "did" Part IV: Contractions with "would" and "had"
Automatic attendance rating of movie content using bag of audio words representation

The sensory experience of watching a movie, links input from both sight and hearing modalities. Yet traditionally, the motion picture rating system largely relies on the visual content of the film, to make its informed decisions to parents. The current rating process is fairly elaborate. It requires a group of parents to attend a full screening, manually prepare and submit their opinions, and vote out the appropriate audience age for viewing. Rather, our work explores the feasibility of classifying age attendance of a movie automatically, resorting to solely analyzing the movie auditory data. Our high performance software records the audio content of the shorter movie trailer, and builds a labeled training set of original and artificially distorted clips. We use a bag of audio words to effectively represent the film sound track, and demonstrate robust and closely correlated classification accuracy, in exploiting boolean discrimination and ranked retrieval methods.
Missing Mass in the Universe

The total mass content of the universe; this is a thorny and controversial topic. I think Jim Peebles may place it in a cosmological context as we go along here. I recommend to you a recent book by Jim Peebles called Physical Cosmology, of which one chapter is very close to what I will be saying today.
Glucose Availability Regulates IFN-γ Production and p70S6 Kinase Activation in CD8+ Effector T Cells

Differentiation of CD8+ T cells from the naive to the effector state is accompanied by changes in basal gene expression profiles that parallel the acquisition of effector functions. Among these are metabolism genes, and we now show that 2C TCR transgenic effector CD8+ T cells express higher levels of glycolytic enzymes and display greater glucose uptake, a higher glycolytic rate, and increased lactate production compared with naive cells. To determine whether glucose was required for effector T cell functions, we regulated glucose availability in vitro. Glucose deprivation strongly inhibited IFN-gamma gene expression, whereas IL-2 production was little affected. Inhibition correlated with diminished phosphorylation of p70S6 kinase and eIF4E binding protein 1 and a requirement for de novo protein synthesis, whereas other signaling pathways known to regulate IFN-gamma expression were unaffected. Together, our data reveal that optimal induction of IFN-gamma transcription is a glucose-dependent process, indicate that there are undefined factors that influence IFN-gamma expression, and have implications for regulation of the effector phase of CD8+ T cell responses in tissue microenvironments.