cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The National Recovery Administration and the Rubber Tire Industry, 1933–1935

In the 1920s and 1930s, the rubber tire industry faced debilitating challenges, mostly brought about by changes in the industry's retail structure and exacerbated by the Great Depression. Segments of the industry attempted to use the New Deal's NRA codes to solve these new problems and stabilize the tire market, but the tire manufacturing and tire retailing codes were patent failures. Instead of leading to cartelization and higher prices, which is what most scholars assume the NRA codes did, the tire industry codes actually led to even more fragmentation and price-cutting.
Damage modeling and statistical analysis of optics damage performance in MJ-class laser systems

Modeling the lifetime of a fused silica optic is described for a multiple beam, MJ-class laser system. This entails combining optic processing data along with laser shot data to account for complete history of optic processing and shot exposure. Integrating with online inspection data allows for the construction of a performance metric to describe how an optic performs with respect to the model. This methodology helps to validate the damage model as well as allows strategic planning and identifying potential hidden parameters that are affecting the optic's performance.
Stearoyl Co-A Desaturase 1 as a ccRCC Therapeutic Target: Death by Stress

There is a need for the discovery of novel therapeutic strategies to effectively treat advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Inhibition of stearoyl-coA desaturase 1 (SCD1) in ccRCC reveals antitumor activity, independently and in synergy with mTOR inhibition. SCD1 may be a potential novel therapeutic target in treating ccRCC. Clin Cancer Res; 19(12); 3111–3. ©2013 AACR .
Normal pressure hydrocephalus: new complications and concepts

I am a complete fraud; an imposter. I am not a neurosurgeon. I am not even a neurologist! I am a retired hepatologist who has spent more than 50 years on the faculty at Yale University. The only truly noteworthy entry in my curriculum vitae is that I am both a Professor of Medicine at Yale and Professor of Surgery (clinical) at the University of Miami. Until four years ago I had never even heard of normal pressure hydrocephalus, which I shall refer to as NPH. I learned about NPH the hard way—I contracted it. In 1993 at age 67 I had retired. Early in my retirement I began to have trouble walking. My gait was slow and awkward, and gradually over 10 years it worsened until I was unable to walk at all. I lurched from place to place. The Yale neurologist that I selected to care for me thought I had a Parkinson’s disease-like syndrome caused by cerebral atrophy. My brain MR scan showed both dilated ventricles and sulci (fig 1). Even after I had developed urinary incontinence, the neurologist still failed to recognise the diagnosis of NPH. Three other senior neurologists diagnosed a variant of Parkinson’s disease. I was unaware of any dementia. I thought that my loss of short-term memory was due to “old age”. My wife noted in her diary that I was not as sharp, as quick or as funny as I had been. The Yale neurologist persevered in his diagnosis of cerebral atrophy. After five years he called my wife and me into his office and told us that the cerebral atrophy had worsened and would probably continue to do so. He predicted that I would lose intellectual function. He told us that there was no effective therapy, nor would there be. We …
A language of patterns for subterm selection

This paper describes the language of patterns that equips the SSReflect proof shell extension for the Coq system. Patterns are used to focus proof commands on subexpressions of the conjecture under analysis in a declarative manner. They are designed to ease the writing of proof scripts and to increase their readability and maintainability.
Spectroscopy and Asphaltene Structure

The spectroscopic (and chemical) methods used to determine the “structure” of petroleum asphaltenes, coal and coal asphaltenes have added valuable information about the character of these materials. Nevertheless, attempts to be too literal in the interpretation of the data and the continued insistence that these complex materials have a well-defined molecular structure is of questionable value to fossil fuel technology and is certainly beyond the scope of the available methods to derive such a formula. In fact, petroleum, coal and coal asphaltenes would best be described in terms of several structural types rather than definite molecular structures.
Multiple Chronic Conditions and Psychosocial Limitations in Patients Hospitalized with an Acute Coronary Syndrome

Abstract Background As adults live longer, multiple chronic conditions have become more prevalent over the past several decades. We describe the prevalence of, and patient characteristics associated with, cardiac- and non-cardiac-related multimorbidities in patients discharged from the hospital after an acute coronary syndrome. Methods We studied 2174 patients discharged from the hospital after an acute coronary syndrome at 6 medical centers in Massachusetts and Georgia between April 2011 and May 2013. Hospital medical records yielded clinical information including presence of eight cardiac-related and eight non-cardiac-related morbidities on admission. We assessed multiple psychosocial characteristics during the index hospitalization using standardized in-person instruments. Results The mean age of the study sample was 61 years, 67% were men, and 81% were non-Hispanic whites. The most common cardiac-related morbidities were hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes (76%, 69%, and 31%, respectively). Arthritis, chronic pulmonary disease, and depression (20%, 18%, and 13%, respectively) were the most common noncardiac morbidities. Patients with ≥4 morbidities (37% of the population) were slightly older and more frequently female than those with 0-1 morbidity; they were also heavier and more likely to be cognitively impaired (26% vs 12%), have symptoms of moderate/severe depression (31% vs 15%), high perceived stress (48% vs 32%), a limited social network (22% vs 15%), low health literacy (42% vs 31%), and low health numeracy (54% vs 42%). Conclusion Multimorbidity, highly prevalent in patients hospitalized with an acute coronary syndrome, is strongly associated with indices of psychosocial deprivation. This emphasizes the challenge of caring for these patients, which extends well beyond acute coronary syndrome management.
Diabetes mellitus does not unsweeten left main intervention.

Andreas Gruentzig frowned on balloon angioplasty for unprotected left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease. One of his earliest cases was such a patient. And why not? During the early years, the paramount challenge for balloon angioplasty was achieving acute success—namely, dilating the lesion.
LFRD Calibration of Pullout Resistance Factors Using Survival Analysis for Soil Nails in North Texas

AbstractReliability-based analysis of the calibration of pullout resistance factors (φPO) for soil nails are presented in this paper. To conduct the calibration, a total of 47 verification tests conducted in cohesive soil within the Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) Express construction project in North Dallas Texas were collected. Three failure criteria, i.e., creep test data, test curve evaluation, and load-elongation curve were selected to estimate the nominal bond resistance between soil and grout. As a result, 25 tests met at least one of the failure criteria. In addition, 45 existing test results from the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 701 in cohesive soil were incorporated to the test database and resulted in a total of 92 soil nail tests including 22 nonfailed tests. These 92 tests were separated into three databases for analysis and calibration purposes. Statistical analysis was conducted on these databases to evaluate the predicted (Rp) to measured (Rm) nominal bond resistanc...
Defending against pathogens - immunological priming and its molecular basis in a sea anemone, cnidarian.

Cnidarians, in general, are long-lived organisms and hence may repeatedly encounter common pathogens during their lifespans. It remains unknown whether these early diverging animals possess some type of immunological reaction that strengthens the defense response upon repeated infections, such as that described in more evolutionary derived organisms. Here we show results that sea anemones that had previously encountered a pathogen under sub-lethal conditions had a higher survivorship during a subsequently lethal challenge than naive anemones that encountered the pathogen for the first time. Anemones subjected to the lethal challenge two and four weeks after the sub-lethal exposure presented seven- and five-fold increases in survival, respectively, compared to the naive anemones. However, anemones challenged six weeks after the sub-lethal exposure showed no increase in survivorship. We argue that this short-lasting priming of the defense response could be ecologically relevant if pathogen encounters are restricted to short seasons characterized by high stress. Furthermore, we discovered significant changes in proteomic profiles between naive sea anemones and those primed after pathogen exposure suggesting a clear molecular signature associated with immunological priming in cnidarians. Our findings reveal that immunological priming may have evolved much earlier in the tree of life than previously thought.
The Inflatable Penile Prosthesis: Failure of the Rear Tip Extender in Reducing the Incidence of Cylinder Leakage

AbstractOf 184 patients who have received an inflatable penile prosthesis at our institution since 1974, 43 per cent have undergone reoperation, the majority of which were owing to cylinder leakage. Comparison by life-table analysis of cylinders placed before and after introduction of the rear tip extender does not show an improvement in cylinder survival to date.
Using Computational Modeling To Optimize the Design of Antibodies That Trap Viruses in Mucus.

Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies that trap viruses in cervicovaginal mucus (CVM) via adhesive interactions between IgG-Fc and mucins have recently emerged as a promising strategy to block vaginally transmitted infections. The array of IgG bound to a virus particle appears to trap the virus by making multiple weak affinity bonds to the fibrous mucins that form the mucus gel. However, the antibody characteristics that maximize virus trapping and minimize viral infectivity remain poorly understood. Toward this goal, we developed a mathematical model that takes into account physiologically relevant spatial dimensions and time scales, binding, and unbinding rates between IgG and virions and between IgG and mucins, as well as the respective diffusivities of virions and IgG in semen and CVM. We then systematically explored the IgG–antigen and IgG–mucin binding and unbinding rates that minimize the flux of infectious HIV arriving at the vaginal epithelium. Surprisingly, contrary to common intuition that infectiv...
Microwave synthesis of La1−xSrxCo1−yFeyO3 cathode materials for solid oxide fuel cells

La1−xSrxCo1−yFeyO3 cathode materials for solid oxide fuel cells were prepared by the microwave synthesis method. The reaction mechanism was studied using a thermal analysis method. The influences of microwave synthesis conditions were examined and the characteristics of the samples were determined by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the optimum conditions were the microwave power of 800 W and the reaction time of 40 min. Samples with perosvkite-type crystal structure were obtained. The samples consist of uniformly distributed internal particles and the particle size is less than 1 μm.
Entrepreneurship in Argentina

The objective of this chapter is to present an overview of the entrepreneurial environment in Argentina. First, this chapter examines the overall macroeconomic and entrepreneurial environment in Argentina and analyzes how changing conditions have affected entrepreneurial activity. Then, the chapter focuses on the challenges and opportunities that entrepreneurs face in Argentina and evaluates how a successful entrepreneurial company overcame these challenges and took advantage of the opportunities. Finally, the chapter presents the outlook for entrepreneurship in Argentina and posits a series of recommendations for improving the entrepreneurial environment.
Spectra and structure of small ring compounds: Part XXXV. Vibrational spectra and ring-puckering and torsional potential functions of cyclobutylamine

Abstract The IR spectra (50–4000 cm −1 ) of gaseous and solid cyclobutylamine and cyclobutylamine-N- d 2 and the Raman spectra (25–4000 cm −1 ) of gaseous, liquid and solid cyclobutylamine and cyclobutylamine-N- d 2 have been recorded. Depolarization values were measured for both the gaseous and liquid states. Most of the thirty-six fundamental vibrations have been assigned and support for more than one molecular configuration is presented. In the low frequency region for the “light” compound, a series of four Q -branches have been assigned to transitions between energy levels of the ring-puckering vibration for the equatorial isomer. The transitional frequencies were fitted to an asymmetric single-minimum potential function of the form: V(X) = 0.474 × 10 6 X 4 - 0.204 × 10 5 X 2 + 0.993 × 10 5 X 3 with a reduced mass of 160 amu. The following torsional potential constants were determined for the “light” molecule- V 1 = 77.8 ± 17.0 cm −1 , V 3 = 784.0 ± 3.3 cm −1 . The trans conformation was found to be more stable than the gauche form by approximately 58 cm −1 (0.17 kcal mol −1 ). The barriers to trans-gauche , gauche-trans , and gauche-gauche interconversion are 803, 745 and 803 cm −1 , respectively.
BRAF-Mutated Pleomorphic Xanthoastrocytoma of the Spinal Cord with Eventual Anaplastic Transformation.

Background Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) is an uncommon, primary neoplasm of the central nervous system with a relatively favorable prognosis. Most patients are managed with surgery alone and experience significant long-term survival. PXAs occur most commonly along the superficial surfaces of the temporal lobes. Although these tumors may occur in other regions of the brain, their origin within the spinal cord is rare, and it is unclear whether spinal cord PXAs should be managed differently from their intracranial counterparts. Case Description We describe a 31-year-old patient with a PXA of spinal cord origin who despite surgery, radiation, and multiple chemotherapy regimens experienced anaplastic transformation of his tumor and died of extensive leptomeningeal progression. Conclusions To our knowledge, our patient represents the seventh reported case of PXA of the spinal cord but is the first described to have a BRAF mutation. Specifically, both the initial and recurrent tumors of the patient showed the same BRAF V600E mutation, which refutes previous suggestions that BRAF mutations may be limited to intracranial PXAs and also shows that BRAF mutations may occur earlier in PXA tumorigenesis.
Review of fundamental studies on lost circulation and wellbore strengthening

Abstract Lost circulation is one of the most common and costly problems in drilling operations, but in many operational situations, wellbore strengthening is an effective and economic technique to prevent or mitigate lost circulation. While numerous experimental and modeling studies have been carried out in the last three decades, there remain differing views regarding fundamental mechanisms of lost circulation and wellbore strengthening. An extensive and critical review of achievements and limitations on these fundamental studies is needed to aid engineers and researchers in future developments in this area. This paper provides a state-of-the-art review of fundamental studies on lost circulation and wellbore strengthening. This review focuses mainly on experimental and theoretical studies, rather than field experiences, intended to illustrate limitations of current knowledge in this area and lead to new research endeavors.
Craft Cider Tourism: Getting to the Core of the Matter

Cider production and consumption is growing rapidly within the USA; however, only estimates exist regarding the output from craft cider operations. Alongside the growth of the craft, beer market in the USA has been a resurgence of interest in craft cideries; according to the United States Association of Cider Makers, cider has become the fastest growing segment of the craft alcohol industry evidenced by its fivefold increase in market share since 2012. This growth has created a nebulous landscape of craft cider tourism activity in terms of both scope and scale. This chapter summarizes the current state of knowledge on craft cider tourism: defining craft cider, identifying the relevant literature, outlining the proliferation of craft cideries in the USA given historical context, denoting the relevant organizations working to grow craft cider in the USA, making connections between craft cider and tourism, and highlighting the states, regions, and events deliberately marketing to cider tourists.
Renin Angiotensin system-modifying therapies are associated with improved pulmonary health

Pulmonary diseases are often complicated and have diverse etiologies. One common factor is the lack of therapeutics available for these diseases. The goal of this study was to investigate the impact of Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS)-modifying medications on incidence and time to pulmonary complications. A retrospective analysis was conducted using claims data from a US commercial insurance company (2007–2013). The study consisted of patients with an emerging hypertension (HTN) diagnosis. Cox analysis was used to look at the effect of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-Is) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) in this population. The events included pneumonia and influenza (infectious), Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and allied conditions (inflammatory), and other diseases (structural). A total of 215,225 patients were followed in the study. These fell into three groups depending on the first prescribed anti-hypertension medication; ACE-Is (47.21%), ARBs (11.40%) and calcium channel blockers (CCBs)/Diuretics-Control (41.39%). The use of ACE-I as first treatment significantly reduced the incidence of infectious (Hazard Ratio (HR) 0.886, 95% Confidence Interval (95% CI) 0.859–0.886), inflammatory (HR 0.924, 95% CI 0.906–0.942) and structural outcomes (HR 0.865, 95% CI 0.847–0.885); it also increased the time (delayed) to diagnosis with prolonged treatment. Primary ARB use only significantly lowered the incidence of structural outcomes (HR 0.900, 95% CI 0.868–0.933); prolonged treatment did reduce incidence of all three diagnosis groups and significantly delayed disease onset. There is an association between the use of ACE-Is and ARBs and a delay in the progression of pulmonary complications in vulnerable populations. Research into the RAS may identify future therapies for patients with potential chronic pulmonary conditions.
Implications of immunomodulant therapy in Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system (CNS), generally characterized by the impairment of memory (especially, the memory of recent events), intellect and cognitive functions in elderly individuals. The deterioration of these mental activities is attributed to the degeneration of nerve cells specifically localized in certain brain regions, e.g. basal forebrain, neocortex, hippocampus and amygdala [1–3]. About 6 to 8 % of individuals past the age of 60 years suffer from senile dementia and approximately 56 % of them are known to be afflicted with AD.
Hematopoietic Progenitor Cell Transplantation for Treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a lymphoproliferative disorder characterized by a highly variable clinical course. It is the most common adult leukemia in Western countries, and although according to the SEER database the median age of diagnosis is 72, approximately 30% of newly diagnosed patients will be younger than age 65 [1]. Like other chronic lymphoproliferative disorders, CLL is not curable with chemotherapy alone. While standard chemo-immunotherapy with purine nucleoside analog-based therapies may result in excellent overall responses and complete remissions in a majority of patients [2-4], for patients with poor responses to initial therapy or those who exhibit early relapses (i.e., within 6-12 months of completing therapy), there are diminishing FDA-approved treatment options available for salvage therapy. Recent studies have suggested that the response rates of standard chemotherapies in patients who relapse following fludarabine-based regimens are on the order of 20% [5, 6]. The average survival for this group of patients is measured in months. Thus, despite encouraging advances in initial therapy for CLL, outcomes are frequently disappointing once this therapeutic option has failed.
Adjustment in Childhood Cancer Survivors, Healthy Peers, and Their Parents: The Mediating Role of the Parent-Child Relationship.

Objectives Aims were to (1) determine whether the associations between parent psychological functioning and adjustment outcomes of childhood cancer survivors (CCS) were mediated by the parent-child relationship and (2) examine possible differences in pathways for CCS and healthy peers. Method The study included CCS (n = 206), healthy peers (n = 132), and their primary caregivers. Youth (8-21 years) reported on the quality of the parent-child relationship and on their positive and negative adjustment outcomes. Parents reported on their own distress, posttraumatic growth, quality of the parent-child relationship, and their child's positive and negative adjustment outcomes. Two mediation models were tested, first examining youth-reported adjustment as the outcome and second examining parent-reported youth adjustment. Differences between model path coefficients of CCS and healthy peers were assessed by multigroup analyses. Results In the youth-reported model, the parent-child relationship mediated the relation between parental distress and adjustment, with more care leading to better youth-reported adjustment outcomes and more overprotection leading to poorer adjustment outcomes. In the parent-reported model, relational frustration and attachment mediated the link between parental distress/growth and parent-reported youth adjustment, with more relational frustration and less attachment relating to poorer youth adjustment outcomes. Multigroup analyses revealed no differences in model path coefficients between CCS and healthy peers. Conclusions Parental distress and the parent-child relationship likely play an important role in both youth- and parent-reported adjustment, and associations among these constructs do not differ between CCS and healthy peers. Families with less optimal parental functioning may benefit from interventions improving the quality of parent-child interactions.
Interdisciplinary Care Model: Chronic Kidney Disease and Oral Health

Global prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) has increased significantly, along with the annual death rate due to CKD and the associated high cost of treatment. Oral and maxillofacial impact is noted in the context of CKD. This chapter provides an overview of the oral and renal association and mechanisms through which oral disease contributes to CKD risk. Authors also present technological implications and various risk assessment tools that can be used in clinical practice. Further, the chapter highlights the advancing potential for translation of precision medicine approaches to the clinical arena to optimize CKD management across the disease spectrum to improve CKD detection and outcomes. Finally, the chapter identifies important gaps in clinical practice guidelines with respect to advancing integrated dental-medical care delivery due to absence of emphasis on potential oral-renal interactions which have been demonstrated and validated in the evidence base by systematic review.
The surprisingly large neutron capture cross-section of 88 Zr

The probability that a nucleus will absorb a neutron—the neutron capture cross-section—is important to many areas of nuclear science, including stellar nucleosynthesis, reactor performance, nuclear medicine and defence applications. Although neutron capture cross-sections have been measured for most stable nuclei, fewer results exist for radioactive isotopes, and statistical-model predictions typically have large uncertainties1. There are almost no nuclear data for neutron-induced reactions of the radioactive nucleus 88Zr, despite its importance as a diagnostic for nuclear security. Here, by exposing 88Zr to the intense neutron flux of a nuclear reactor, we determine that 88Zr has a thermal neutron capture cross-section of 861,000 ± 69,000 barns (1σ uncertainty), which is five orders of magnitude larger than the theoretically predicted value of 10 barns2. This is the second-largest thermal neutron capture cross-section ever measured and no other cross-section of comparable size has been discovered in the past 70 years. The only other nuclei known to have values greater than 105 barns3–6 are 135Xe (2.6 × 106 barns), a fission product that was first discovered as a poison in early reactors7,8, and 157Gd (2.5 × 105 barns), which is used as a detector material9,10, a burnable reactor poison11 and a potential medical neutron capture therapy agent12. In the case of 88Zr neutron capture, both the target and the product (89Zr) nuclei are radioactive and emit intense γ-rays upon decay, allowing sensitive detection of miniscule quantities of these radionuclides. This result suggests that as additional measurements with radioactive isotopes become feasible with the operation of new nuclear-science facilities, further surprises may be uncovered, with far-reaching implications for our understanding of neutron capture reactions. The thermal neutron capture cross-section of 88Zr is measured to be 861,000 ± 69,000 barns, the second-largest neutron capture cross-section ever measured.
2010 Electronic Resources & Libraries Conference

The 2010 Electronic Resources & Libraries (ER&L) Conference, held in Austin, TX, in early February could easily have adopted the tagline “It's Magic! The e-resource librarian as the wizard behind t...
Death in Botswana: Life Among the Ashes

In Botswana, funerals are a primary forum in which people enact core values of caring and love for each other and build mutual connections. These values are significant where people’s identities and selfhood are shared across bodies and selves through sentiments and material acts. Love and care are asserted in funerals against suspicions of jealousy and resentment, and increasingly against ideas that modernity has brought new forms of death, alienation from core values, and new forms of self-development that focus on the self and direct offspring. In this context, funerals reassert an idea that has gained strength as a national value since the 1990s: botho, a recognition that personhood is recognized in and through others. In the ashes of the firepit left unswept in the space of death and mourning, social life is rebuilt.
Screening for thyroid dysfunction: prevention of overdiagnosis and overtreatment

[See related article at [www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.190395][2]][2] KEY POINTS Patient-centred care requires clinicians and patients to co-create a care plan that responds to the situation of each patient in a manner consistent with the patient’s values, preferences and priorities, based
Intermediate and long-term outcomes of a bowel management program for children with severe constipation or fecal incontinence.

Abstract Purpose We sought to examine the long-term clinical success rates of a bowel management program (BMP) for children with severe constipation or fecal incontinence. Methods A single center review was conducted of children (≤ 18 years) enrolled in a BMP and followed in a colorectal specialty clinic (2011–2017). All patients who completed an initial week of the BMP were included. Patients enrolled in a BMP after 2018 were excluded. Success was defined as no accidents and Results A total of 285 patients were reviewed. BMP was initiated at a median age of 7 years (9 months-17 years). Primary diagnoses included functional constipation (112), anorectal malformation (ARM) (104), Hirschsprung Disease (HD) (41), rectal prolapse (14), spina bifida (6), fecal incontinence (3) and other (5; 4 sacral coccygeal teratomas and a GSW to the buttocks). Initial bowel regimen included large volume enema in 54% and high dose stimulant laxative in 46%. The initial Bowel Management Week (BMW) was successful in 233 (87% of adherent patients) patients with 17 (6%) non-adherent. One hundred twenty-two patients had follow-up at 12 months (72% success amongst adherent patients, 7% of patient non-adherent) and 98 patients had follow-up at 24 months (78% success amongst adherent patients, 10% of patients non-adherent). 21/154 (14%) patients started on enemas were later successfully transitioned to laxatives and 13/132 (10%) patients started on laxatives subsequently required enemas in order to stay clean. Clinic phone contact occurred outside of scheduled visits for adjustment to the BMP in 44% of patients. 33% of patients had surgery to aid bowel management (antegrade colonic enema (ACE) = 81, resection + ACE = 13, diverting stoma = 4). Median follow up was 2.5 years (5 weeks–7 years). Conclusion Children who follow a structured BMP with readily available personnel to provide outpatient assistance can experience successful treatment of severe constipation or fecal incontinence long-term. A multi-institutional collaboration is necessary to identify factors which predict failure of a BMP and non-adherence. Type of Study Single-center retrospective chart review. Level of Evidence 3
Neuroinflammation as a Factor of Neurodegenerative Disease: Thalidomide Analogs as Treatments

Neuroinflammation is initiated when glial cells, mainly microglia, are activated by threats to the neural environment, such as pathogen infiltration or neuronal injury. Although neuroinflammation serves to combat these threats and reinstate brain homeostasis, chronic inflammation can result in excessive cytokine production and cell death if the cause of inflammation remains. Overexpression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), a proinflammatory cytokine with a central role in microglial activation, has been associated with neuronal excitotoxicity, synapse loss, and propagation of the inflammatory state. Thalidomide and its derivatives, termed immunomodulatory imide drugs (IMiDs), are a class of drugs that target the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of TNF-α mRNA, inhibiting TNF-α production. Due to their multi-potent effects, several IMiDs, including thalidomide, lenalidomide, and pomalidomide, have been repurposed as drug treatments for diseases such as multiple myeloma and psoriatic arthritis. Preclinical studies of currently marketed IMiDs, as well as novel IMiDs such as 3,6'-dithiothalidomide and adamantyl thalidomide derivatives, support the development of IMiDs as therapeutics for neurological disease. IMiDs have a competitive edge compared to similar anti-inflammatory drugs due to their blood-brain barrier permeability and high bioavailability, with the potential to alleviate symptoms of neurodegenerative disease and slow disease progression. In this review, we evaluate the role of neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases, focusing specifically on the role of TNF-α in neuroinflammation, as well as appraise current research on the potential of IMiDs as treatments for neurological disorders.
Anxiety, distress, and pain in pediatric urodynamics

AIMS No one has assessed urodynamic studies (UDS) to determine those steps that elicit the greatest anxiety, distress, and pain in children. We sought to systematically evaluate a child's UDS experience to mollify these reactions. METHODS Prospective study involving children aged ≥5 undergoing UDS over a 6-month period (from 10 December 2018 to 22 May 2019). Upon arrival, patients completed a visual analog scale for anxiety (VAS-A, 0-10) about the upcoming procedure. A research assistant assessed the patient's behavior during each major step of UDS using a validated brief behavioral distress scale. Nursing staff also obtained patients' pain ratings (0-10) for these key elements. Immediately after UDS, each child completed a posttest VAS-A along with a survey about the UDS experience. RESULTS A total of 76 UDS were observed; almost half included sphincter needle electromyography (EMG). Mean patient VAS-A scores were 2.3 before UDS, compared to 0.8 afterward (P < .001). The highest proportion of distressful behaviors were observed during EMG needle (31%) and urethral catheter (29%) insertion, in agreement with the highest mean pain scores of 3.2 and 2.7, respectively. Fifty-four percent of children reported not being completely aware of what was going to happen before the procedure and 50% of those patients exhibited at least one interfering or potentially interfering behavior. Similarly, 60% of children with no prior history of UDS exhibited at least one interfering or potentially interfering behavior. CONCLUSIONS EMG needle and urethral catheter placement, initial urodynamic testing and not knowing what to expect were associated with greater pain and distress during pediatric UDS.
36 Age differences in firearm injuries treated in the emergency departments and related costs in the US, 2006 to 2016

Statement of Purpose There is a lack of consensus regarding age- and intent-related differences in the burden of non-fatal firearm injuries. We determined the time trends in burden and costs of age- and intent-specific non-fatal firearm injuries presenting to US emergency departments (EDs) differentiated by survival after treatment to correctly estimate non-fatal injuries. Methods We performed a retrospective study of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Program Nationwide Emergency Department Survey (NEDS) from 2006 to 2016. We present survey-weighted counts, proportions, means, and rates, and confidence intervals of national and age groups (0–4, 5–9, 10–14, 15–17, 18–44, 45–64, 65–84, >84 years) specific ED discharges for firearm injuries. Inflation-adjusted charges were applied to costs. Results There were a total of 1,033,771 ED visits for firearm injuries from 2006 to 2016 and 6.8% died in the ED. The firearm injury ED rates remained steady, while ED death rates declined slightly during 11-years. There was also a slight decline in firearm ED visits in children (0–17), but the largest burden was between 18–44 years (20.8 per 100,000) with stable rates. Assault injuries declined from 39.7% to 36.4% overall with a significant drop in all age groups, while unintentional injuries increased from 46.4% to 54.7% overall and in all age groups. There were significant declines in legal intervention injuries. The total charges were $3,777,264,968 ($369,006,396/year) and increased across time in all subgroups. The mean predicted charges increased from $2,386 to $3,975 among those discharged alive versus $1,322 to $2,203 among those who died in ED. Conclusions The burden of firearm injury treated in ED is among young adults. Interventions and programs to reduce firearm violence should include non-fatal injuries as they live with ongoing morbidity and economic burden. Significance There is a need for an accurate and standardized data collection of firearm injuries.
80 – RETINAL AUTOANTIBODIES

Retinal autoantibodies, commonly referred to as antiretinal antibodies (ARA), have been implicated in the pathogenicity of a variety of immune-mediated visual disorders. In the paraneoplastic syndrome, cancer-associated retinopathy (CAR), ARA with their targeted retinal antigens have been identified. There are many other infectious, inflammatory as well as degenerative retinopathies associated with the presence of ARA. More than 15 ARA have been identified in CAR. For these autoantibodies, the autoantigens still remain unknown. Recoverin, a calcium-binding retinal protein involved in the reversal of the phototransduction cascade, is well established as the most common CAR autoantigen. The proposed mechanism of antibody-mediated degeneration involves molecular mimicry and loss of peripheral tolerance to residing retinal antigens. In vitro, ARA have been shown to cause apoptotic death of photoreceptors. Questions remain though, regarding the access and penetration of these antibodies into the retina. Furthermore, the titer of ARA does not always correlate with clinical disease status. There exists lack of standardization of antibody and antigen detection. Thus, results from different laboratories cannot exactly be compared. Sensitivity and specificity for the detection of pathogenic ARA is also lacking. Though there are many caveats, presence of ARA still serves as an adjunctive study for the clinician to confirm a diagnosis, which often is difficult to make. The study of ARA serves as an excellent model for the elucidation of pathological mechanisms underlying autoimmune retinopathy and its allied disorders.
Multifaceted Adolescent Reproductive Health Education Strategies in Panama

Advances in adolescent healthcare have the potential to greatly impact worldwide public health and well-being. Reproductive health education relates directly to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (UN MDGs) 1, 3, 5, 6 and 8, which concern poverty, gender equality, maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS and global partnership, respectively. However, current research comparing education strategies is limited. Research in the area of reproductive health education must take into account cultural factors and societal norms in addition to political pressures and infrastructural constraints. In this paper, three methods of adolescent reproductive education in Panama are compared through the lens of the UN MDGs. This analysis reveals that formal education sector initiatives in public schools, non-governmental organizations’ participation in schools and grassroots advocacy all have distinct strengths and uniquely address various MDGs. These methods, when used in conjunction, can provide a starting point from which to guide the development of an adolescent reproductive health education program in Panama.
Fostering Employee Trust via Effective Supervisory Communication during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Through the Lens of Motivating Language Theory

This study examines how supervisory leadership communication during the COVID-19 pandemic fostered employee trust through the lens of motivating language theory. Drawing insight from self-determina...
Asystole in 2 Pediatric Patients During Dexmedetomidine Infusion.

Introduction:Bradycardia is a known side effect of dexmedetomidine. Reports of sinus pauses or asystole, however, are rare. We present 2 cases of pediatric patients who developed asystole on a dexm...
Real-World Compliance with Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation Maintenance Therapy in an American Population.

ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) maintenance therapy dropout rates and identify factors associated with compliance in an American population. Methods We retrospectively queried our PTNS database for patients from 2014-2019. Demographic, relevant clinical, and visit data were collected. Maintenance therapy was patient-driven and frequency of sessions was tapered based on symptomology. Upon completion of 12 initial sessions, we assessed dropout from maintenance at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Multiple variables were tested for correlation with dropout in patients continuing maintenance therapy for 1 year vs those who dropped out. Results One hundred and sixty-three PTNS patients were identified, of which 104 completed initial therapy and 81 proceeded with maintenance therapy. At 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, maintenance continuation rates were 77.8% (63/81), 58.0% (47/81), 45.6% (37/81), and 39.5% (32/41), respectively. Primary reasons for dropout were worsening of urinary symptoms/lack of efficacy (n = 21), time commitment (n = 9), loss of insurance (n = 5), medical comorbidities (n = 4), request for alternative OAB treatment (n = 2), and unknown (n = 8). On both univariate and multivariate analysis, perceived symptom improvement (P Conclusion Only 39.5% of patients continue to undergo maintenance PTNS therapy after 1 year. Future studies are required to understand and ameliorate factors for low compliance in PTNS maintenance therapy.
Gaining traction: Foothold concepts and exemplars in conceptual change.

Abstract This paper investigates the emergence of conformational analysis in organic chemistry as a case of conceptual change in science. In this case, the mechanism of conceptual change is identified as the emergence of a new exemplar. This new exemplar was made possible because of the identification of a distinctive chemical structure to which ‘foothold’ concepts were applicable. These concepts facilitated both clear explanation in the particular case, and the analogical extension of the conceptual innovation throughout the discipline. The case suggests a cognitive explanation for the importance of exemplars to scientific content.
Climate Change and Health in New England: A Review of Training and Policy Initiatives at Health Education Institutions and Professional Societies.

BACKGROUND There has been increasing interest in climate change among healthcare professionals, but it is unclear to what extent resources on this topic are available to students and clinicians in New England. METHODS Structured review of publicly available information regarding climate change and health activity at schools of medicine, public health, and physician assistant studies and in state medical and physician assistant societies in New England. RESULTS Of 39 programs reviewed, 18 (46%) had at least one climate-related initiative. Six universities accounted for 87% of climate change and health initiatives in the region. Three out of 12 state professional associations had committees or position statements addressing climate change. CONCLUSION There is substantial activity related to climate change and health in New England, but it is concentrated in a small number of locations. Opportunities exist to improve access to education on this topic and increase involvement of health professional associations.
Lateral hypothalamus, nucleus accumbens, and ventral pallidum roles in eating and hunger: interactions between homeostatic and reward circuitry

The study of the neural bases of eating behavior, hunger, and reward has consistently implicated the lateral hypothalamus (LH) and its interactions with mesocorticolimbic circuitry, such as mesolimbic dopamine projections to nucleus accumbens (NAc) and ventral pallidum (VP), in controlling motivation to eat. The NAc and VP play special roles in mediating the hedonic impact (‘liking’) and motivational incentive salience (‘wanting’) of food rewards, and their interactions with LH help permit regulatory hunger/satiety modulation of food motivation and reward. Here, we review some progress that has been made regarding this circuitry and its functions: the identification of localized anatomical hedonic hotspots within NAc and VP for enhancing hedonic impact; interactions of NAc/VP hedonic hotspots with specific LH signals such as orexin; an anterior-posterior gradient of sites in NAc shell for producing intense appetitive eating versus intense fearful reactions; and anatomically distributed appetitive functions of dopamine and mu opioid signals in NAc shell and related structures. Such findings help improve our understanding of NAc, VP, and LH interactions in mediating affective and motivation functions, including ‘liking’ and ‘wanting’ for food rewards.
Analysis and comparison of various image downsampling and upsampling methods

Summary form only given. The goal is to gain a better understanding of the behavior of the image down/upsampling combinations, and find better down/upsampling methods. We examined existing down/upsampling methods and proposed new ones. We formulated a frequency response approach for understanding and evaluating down/upsampling combinations. The approach was validated experimentally by running the methods on various images and computing the signal to noise ratio (SNR) between the original and the down-then-upsampled images. The frequency response based evaluation correlates well with the experimental evaluation. Down/upsampling combinations were studied in a unified framework. Signals are pre-filtered then decimated by two, resulting in downsampling by two. Afterwards, signals are zero-upsampled by 2, i.e., inserting 0s between successive samples, and then post-filtering. Our analysis showed that for optimal performance, the pre-filter and the post-filter should both be low-pass filters with cutoff at /spl pi//2. We considered five classes of filters. The first corresponds to the simplest down/upsampling combination, decimation/duplication, where decimation is simply the skipping of every other row and every other column, and duplication (for upsampling) involves duplicating every row and every column. The second class corresponds to bilinear interpolation, for both upsampling and downsampling. The third class comprises the biorthogonal and orthogonal wavelets. The fourth class we termed binomial filters. The fifth class consists of least-square FIR filters.
The Mod-2 cohomology of the Bianchi groups

The Bianchi groups are a family of discrete subgroups of PSL2 (C) which have group theoretic descriptions as amalgamated products and HNN extensions. Using Bass-Serre theory, we show how the cohomology of these two constructions relates to the cohomology of their pieces. We then apply these results to calculate the mod-2 cohomology ring for various Bianchi groups.
Chapter 11 Duration, Preplanned Cases, and Refiling Rates: An Empirical Analysis in the Post-BAPCPA Era

This article empirically examines and quantifies the effect of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (“BAPCPA”) on three distinct aspects of the Chapter 11 process: a) the duration of traditional Chapter 11 cases; b) the use of prepackaged and prenegotiated bankruptcies; and c) debtor refiling rates. The sample studied consists of companies with more than $100 million in assets that both filed for and exited Chapter 11 between 1997 and 2014. BAPCPA is found to be associated with shorter Chapter 11 case duration, and an increased use of prepackaged and prenegotiated bankruptcies. Additionally, BAPCPA is found to be associated with an increase in the proportion of firms that soon refile for bankruptcy. It seems that the 2005 amendments force the debtor to emerge hastily from its Chapter 11 proceedings, ignoring operational and structural problems and, therefore, not achieving true rehabilitation.
Structure of Sickle Cell Hemoglobin and Molecular Mechanism of the Sickling Phenomenon

Precision scale models of sickle cell hemoglobin molecules indicate that the genetic substitution of valine for glutamic acid at the sixth position in the two beta chains allows an intramolecular hydrophobic bond to form. This changes the conformation in such a way as to allow molecular stacking. Results of subjection of Hb S solution to temperature change, to high hydrostatic pressure, and to propane are consistent with the presence of such a bond. Examination of sickled erythrocytes in a magnetic field and in polarized light indicates that the Hb S molecules are aligned in situ. Filaments interpreted as hollow cables of six Hb S monofilaments have been demonstrated by electron microscopy.
The Use of a Compound Unconditioned Stimulus in Electrodermal Audiometry

The EDR to a 1,000 Hz tone was conditioned in four groups of 10 normal adult subjects each. A different type of unconditioned stimulus was used in the conditioning of each group: (a) a vibratory st...