cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ORAL CONTRACEPTIVES AND VASCULAR DISEASE

Focus in this review of oral contraceptives (OCs) and vascular complications is on the following: venous thromboembolism; stroke; myocardial infarction; trends in vital statistics; other evidence; risk-benefit evaluation of OC use; and bias and confounding. In general the prospective studies tend to confirm the findings of the case-control studies regarding the elevated risk of venous thrombosis in OC users. It needs to be noted that these findings from the recent studies are in disagreement with an earlier work by Drill (1972) who assembled data from a variety of poorly controlled prospective studies in an effort to dispute the increasing evidence that OC use increases the risk of venous thromboembolic disease. In some populations there is a correlation between cigarette smoking and OC use smoking does not appear to add to the risk of OC related venous thrombosis. The studies on the association between stroke and OCs appear to indicate a high risk of thrombotic stroke in OC users but low or no risk for hemorrhagic stroke and subarachnoid hemorrhage. In the most recent report from the Royal College of General Practitioners a relative risk of 4 was calculated for ischemic heart disease in ever users of OCs. The findings from the majority of studies investigating the association between myocardial infarction and OC use are consistent; the risk ratios range mostly from 3-5. Several investigators in the UK Sweden Canada and the US have examined their countrys vital statistics for evidence of whether the introduction of OCs adversely affected the mortality rates for cardiovascular and circulatory disease in women with reproductive age. Most of these studies have concluded that there were changes of small magnitude among women of reproductive age compatible with an effect due to the introduction of OCs as measured by comparison with the mortality of males and older females. If the vascular effects of OCs are largely due to the estrogen component it is reasonable to expect that noncontraceptive estrogens would have similar effects. The evidence concerning this is mixed. There continue to be gaps in the knowledge of the cardiovascular effects of OCs. The precise causes of these effects remains unknown. Changes in clotting factors lipid metabolism and blood pressure are clues but more specific indicators would be helpful. Related to this question is the need to identify susceptible persons in order to make the prescribing of OCs more selective.
Toward an Intergenerational Model for Tobacco-Focused CBPR: Integrating Youth Perspectives via Photovoice:

The growing prominence of community-based participatory research (CBPR) presents as an opportunity to improve tobacco-related intervention efforts. CBPR collaborations for tobacco/health, however, typically engage only adults, thus affording only a partial understanding of community context as related to tobacco. This is problematic given evidence around age of tobacco use initiation and the influence of local tobacco environments on youth. The CEASE and Resist youth photovoice project was developed as part of the Communities Engaged and Advocating for a Smoke-free Environment (CEASE) CBPR collaboration in Southwest Baltimore. With the broader CEASE initiative focused on adult smoking cessation, CEASE and Resist had three aims: (1) elucidate how youth from a high-tobacco-burden community perceive/interact with their local tobacco environment, (2) train youth as active change agents for tobacco-related community health, and (3) improve intergenerational understandings of tobacco use/impacts within the community. Fourteen youth were recruited from three schools and trained in participatory research and photography ethics/guiding principles. Youth met at regular intervals to discuss and narrate their photos. This article provides an overview of what their work revealed/achieved and discusses how including participatory youth research within traditionally adult-focused work can facilitate intergenerational CBPR for sustainable local action on tobacco and community health.
A Novel Method of Identifying Phosphorylation Sites Using a Thiophosphorylated Peptide and ESI-MS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the identification of phosphorylation sites using a thiophosphorylated peptide and ESI-MS. Many sites of phosphorylation can be predicted by consensus motifs or homology to other phosphorylated proteins. By thiophosphorylating a synthetic peptide that corresponds to the predicted site, a carrier peptide is produced that protects the putative native phosphopeptide from nonspecific adsorption during isolation and that can replace 32 P as a marker. This carrier thiophosphopeptide can be distinguished from the native phosphopeptide by its additional 16 mass units per attached (thio)phosphate. In a study described in the chapter, a thiophosphorylated, synthetic peptide coeluted with, and served as a carrier of, the corresponding endogenously phosphorylated peptide from a C-18 reverse-phase HPLC column. Mass spectrometry distinguished the endogenously phosphorylated peptides from the thiophosphorylated carrier, allowing determination of stoichiometry and identification of sites of phosphorylation on the native peptide. The isolation and analyses involving MS, MS/MS, and subdigestion used only 250 pmoles of the Mr 200,000 protein, CD45. Using this technique, four sites of in vivo phosphorylation were identified in this protein. The corresponding four serines were phosphorylated in vitro by casein kinase II (CKII).
Choroid Plexus Volume Is Associated with CSF Protein Levels in Healthy and Diseased Individuals (P4.173)

Objective: Studying the association between choroid plexus (CP) volume and CSF protein levels in both healthy controls and subjects with neurological disorders. Background: Measuring CSF protein levels have recently become an essential part of clinical trials in many neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, the significant overlap between CSF protein levels in patients and healthy controls decreases their diagnostic and prognostic power. Identifying sources that contribute to variability in CSF proteins levels could increase their potential value as biomarkers. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that CP size, as the major site for CSF production and filtration, is associated with CSF protein levels in both healthy and diseased subjects. Design/Methods: We studied structural T1-MRIs data and CSF proteins levels (total-tau, p-tau, Abeta42, alpha-synuclein) in two independent datasets, including (a) controls(n=94) and PD patients(n=208) from the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) database, and (b) controls(n=115), significant memory concern(n=60), early(n=127)/late(n=119)-mild cognitive impairment and AD(n=88) patients from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database. CP was segmented and its volume was measured using Freesurfer. CSF protein levels were correlated with CP volume while controlling for the effect of age, gender, total grey matter volume and APOE4. Results: CP volume was negatively associated with CSF proteins levels in both ADNI (p-values: total-tau = 1.7 × 10−11; p-tau = 1.6 × 10−10; Abeta42 = 7.1 × 10−6) and PPMI (p-values: alpha-synuclein = 8.5 × 10−11; total-tau = 9.7 × 10−12; p-tau = 2.5 × 10−4; Abeta42 = 1.5 × 10−6). Conclusions: In line with CP’s function, CP volume showed a strong negative association with CSF proteins levels both in healthy controls and neurological disorders. Accounting for CP volume as a significant contributor to CSF proteins levels variance can potentially increase their diagnostic and prognostic values. Disclosure: Dr. Tadayon has nothing to disclose. Dr. Pascual-Leone has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with ; Member of Scientific Advisory Boards for Magstim, Nexstim, Neuronix, Neuroelectrics, Axilum Robotics, Starlab Neuroscience, Constant Therapy, Neosync. Dr. Pascual-Leone has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for Annals of Neurology, Associate Editor. Dr. Santarnecchi has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with EBneuro.
Influence of Juvenile Hormone III on the Development and Plasticity of the Responsiveness of Female Crickets to Calling Males through Control of the Response Properties of Identified Auditory Neurons

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the hormonal influences on sexual behavior through genetic regulation of neuronal response properties in many organisms, especially birds and mammals. However, relatively large numbers of neurons are typically targeted, whose individual responses and behavioral roles may be more or less redundant. The cricket model offered here profits from involving a few paired, prothoracic interneurons whose roles in controlling phonotactic behavior are not redundant and are well understood. Female crickets recognize and respond phonotactically to the calling song (CS) of a conspecific male. This behavior involves choosing an auditory stimulus that has the temporal structure and carrier frequencies characteristic of the conspecific male's call, locating and walking to the source of the call. The postimaginal developmental changes in phonotactic responsiveness and the SP-selective behavior of female Acheta domesticus are both influenced by the levels of juvenile hormone III (JHIII) production by the female. The purpose of this chapter is to illustrate the roles of JHIII in the development, regulation, and plasticity of the female's phonotactic behavior through the hormone's influence on the processing properties of identified, prothoracic auditory intemeurons.
Groups and Elliptic Curves

Something has been going on in the past few chapters that we should get such very similar factorization techniques and primality tests from constructions as distinct as exponentiation and Lucas sequences. If we can understand the general framework of what works, it may help us find more specific examples in which the tests are faster and more efficient. With that hope in mind, we introduce some notation.
A fast and accurate method of ultrasound probe calibration for image-guided surgery

In 3D ultrasound systems that form a 3D image by tracking the ultrasound probe, calibration is the process of computing the transformation between the coordinate system of the 2D image and the tracking device attached to the probe. Several different approaches to calibration have been used successfully for 3D systems. The cross-wire phantom method produces accurate calibrations but is extremely time intensive. We present a new calibration method that produces calibrations that are as accurate as those produced by the cross-wire phantom method and are much faster and easier to perform.
Hypertension Caused by other Renal Insults

Various renal injuries have been screened to see if hypertension would result. Two of the most successful: The Page procedure in which the renal capsule is surrounded with an irritating material such as cellophane, and the Grollman procedure in which the renal capsule is compressed by a figure-of-eight ligature. The cause of hypertension and vasoconstriction in these two models remains unclear. Plasma renin activity is not elevated. There is little evidence supporting autoregulatory vasoconstriction. One peculiarity is that unilateral insult must almost always be combined with contralateral nephrectomy before blood pressure will increase. By analogy, the mechanisms involved in the pressure increase may be similar to those that are active in one-kidney Goldblatt hypertension.
Mobile Robotic Platforms to Support Smart Farming Efforts at UMES

Experiential learning and research effort titled AIRSPACES: Autonomous Instrumented Robotic Sensory Platforms to Advance Creativity and Engage Students has been ongoing at University Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) campus for the past several years with support from Maryland Space Grant Consortium (MDSGC). The project has provided a multidisciplinary platform for a team of faculty, students and staff from across the Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, and Mathematics (STEAM) disciplines to explore exciting and innovative ideas that promote the core values of the land grant mission of UMES and engage students. Synergy with United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) supported project(s) provided additional impetus and breadth to these endeavors. While the field based efforts pertaining to environmental robotics and agricultural automation have been the dominant focus, in the past year the project investigators have also initiated laboratory based education, experiential learning, and research activities involving manufacturing automation and mobile robotics. These efforts have been integrated with ongoing activities involving remote sensing using small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) and development of aquatic robot and ground robot platforms for water quality monitoring and field data collection largely related to environmentally friendly smart farming endeavors. This paper will provide an overview of the past efforts and future plans for smart farming efforts at UMES with particular emphases on mechatronics and embedded systems.
Low-field and high-field transport in β-Ga2O3

Abstract This chapter focuses on providing some essential concepts and insights on the theoretical understanding of low-field and high-field electron transport properties in β-Ga2O3. The computational framework used for this is a combination of density functional theory-based electronic structure, lattice dynamics, and electron-phonon interactions with Boltzmann theory-based transport calculations incorporating the microscopic details of the interactions. Temperature and carrier concentration dependence of electron mobility are predicted taking into account essential features such as plasmon-phonon coupling and dynamic screening. Anisotropy of the electron transport is traced from the microscopic details of electron-phonon interaction. High-field transport is studied using Monte Carlo simulation and velocity-field curves are provided along different directions.
Congenital Myasthenic Syndromes in 2018

Summarize features of the currently recognized congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS) with emphasis on novel findings identified in the past 6 years. Since the last review of the CMS in this journal in 2012, several novel CMS were identified. The identified disease proteins are SNAP25B, synaptotagmin 2, Munc13-1, synaptobrevin-1, GFPT1, DPAGT1, ALG2, ALG14, Agrin, GMPPB, LRP4, myosin 9A, collagen 13A1, the mitochondrial citrate carrier, PREPL, LAMA5, the vesicular ACh transporter, and the high-affinity presynaptic choline transporter. Exome sequencing has provided a powerful tool for identifying novel CMS. Identifying the disease genes is essential for determining optimal therapy. The landscape of the CMS is still unfolding.
Y-Shaped Cutting for the Systematic Characterization of Cutting and Tearing

Though they share the similarity of inducing material failure at a crack tip, the cutting and tearing energies of soft materials cannot be quantitatively related to one another. One of the reasons for this lack of understanding comes from additional complications that arise during standard cutting techniques. Decades ago, Lake and Yeoh (Int J Fract 14(5):509–526 1978) described a natural rubber cutting method that uses a ‘Y-shaped’ sample geometry to mitigate several of these challenges, including minimizing friction and controlling the strain energy available to drive fracture. The latter, understood via a fracture mechanics framework, enables relative tuning between a tearing contribution to the cutting energy and a cutting contribution. In this manuscript, we extend Lake and Yeoh’s largely unreplicated results to softer, more highly deformable polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) materials. The range of applicability of this technique to variations in material response, sample geometry, boundary conditions, and cutting rate is large. We utilize this flexibility to describe factors leading to the onset of a material-dependent, stick-slip cutting response, which occurs at low cutting rates and high tearing contributions. Furthermore, variation in cutting blade radius reveals a minimum cutting energy threshold even for blades with radii on the order of a few tens of nanometers. For blunter blades, cutting energy reflects the effects of material strain-stiffening. These results establish the Y-shaped cutting geometry as a useful tool in the study of soft fracture.
Synthesis of 1α-Pyrophosphoryl-2α,3α-dihydroxy-4β-cyclopentanemethanol-5-phosphate, a Carbocyclic Analog of 5-Phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate (PRPP)

Abstract 5-Phosphoribosyl-1- (PRPP) is a key intermediate in a variety of important metabolic pathways. A total synthesis of the cyclopentyl analog of PRPP has been accomplished. A formal total synthesis of the enantiomer of this analog whose absolute configuration corresponds to that of PRPP is also reported.
Are we Overtreating Hormone Receptor Positive Breast Cancer with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy? Role of OncotypeDx® for Hormone Receptor Positive Patients Undergoing Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

The utilization of OncotypeDx in the setting of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) is not well defined. The objective of this study was to determine what proportion of hormone receptor (HR)-positive patients undergoing NCT would not benefit from chemotherapy based on OncotypeDx recurrence scores (RS) and predictors of a high RS as defined by the TAILORx trial. The National Cancer Data Base was used to identify patients with unilateral clinical stage I–III HR+/Her2− breast cancer who had an OncotypeDx score and who had undergone NCT. Patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy were used as a comparison group. Of 307,666 patients, 41.8% had testing with OncotypeDx. Of these, 76.6% had no chemotherapy, 22.3% adjuvant chemotherapy, and 1.1% NCT. OncotypeDx testing in NCT patients increased from 4.9% in 2010 to 8.2% in 2015. Of NCT patients with OncotypeDx testing, 11.6% had RS 25. In patients age ≤ 50 years, 14.5% had RS 25. Predictors of RS > 25 on multivariable analysis included grade 3 tumors (odds ratio [OR] 3.83) and PR-negative tumors (OR 5.26) but not clinical T or N stage (p > 0.05). More than half of patients with OncotypeDx testing are being overtreated with NCT, and a third of younger patients are being overtreated. Predictors of a high RS are reliably available at core biopsy, suggesting an application of OncotypeDx in determining the need for NCT for some HR-positive breast cancers.
Molecular dynamics of nanodroplet impact: The effect of particle resolution in the projectile model

The energetic impact of projectiles with diameters between a few nanometers and microns can now be investigated with electrospays operating in the cone-jet mode, a particle source that produces beams of highly charged and monodisperse droplets with average diameters down to a few nanometers. The hypervelocity impact of these nanodroplets on ceramic targets cause sputtering, amorphization and cratering. This experimental phenomenology has been reproduced with molecular dynamics modeling the molecules of the projectile as large pseudo atoms. This model can be over simplistic, especially for liquids made of large molecules, and the goal of this article is to evaluate this uncertainty by comparing the impacts resulting from this coarse model with those of a full atomic model of the molecules. Impact simulations for projectiles of two liquids with dissimilar molecular complexity, formamide and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis (trifluoro-methylsulfonyl) imide, show that sufficient resolution of the projectile is needed to reproduce the impact zone, which has a depth of the order of the diameter of the projectile.
Fluorescence lifetime-based intrinsic metabolic signatures of microglia cell (Conference Presentation)

Microglia are central nervous system (CNS) resident macrophages. They play a prominent role in virtually all neurodegenerative and traumatic brain injuries. Visualizing microglia using label-free methodologies will allow a better understanding of how microglia participate in CNS disorders in the absence of perturbations from external fluorescent dyes. Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (FLIM) of NADH is an effective tool for monitoring cell intrinsic metabolic changes, and can imply metabolic state based on free/bound NADH lifetime quantification. Recently, FLIM based NADH lifetime quantification was used to characterize macrophages and other immune cell types. Here, we use a lifetime-based, label-free method to characterize microglia in vitro. We have found that there is a unique and statistically significant difference (p<0.05, n=5) in the NADH lifetime and free/bound NADH levels in microglia compared to other CNS cell types. Activated (i.e. inflammatory) microglia play a particularly important role in CNS diseases compared to quiescent microglia, and to our knowledge, there are no markers that can uniquely identify activated microglia, and distinguish them from related immune cell types. Thus, we have extended our NADH FLIM-based approach to differentiate quiescent microglia from activated microglia and found that there is a statistically significant difference (p<0.05,n=5) in NADH mean lifetime in the activated cells. Identifying microglia in a mixed population of CNS cells, and distinguishing activated from quiescent microglia will pave the way to better understanding their roles in the healthy and diseased brain.
Behavioural anxiety predisposes rabbits to intra-operative apnoea and cardiorespiratory instability

Abstract Rabbits are prone to complications from both anaesthesia and anxiety. Given that anxiety can often impact quality of anaesthesia, we developed a novel cage-side anxiety assessment, and sought to determine whether it correlated to pre- and intra-operative cardiorespiratory changes. We examined 31 singly-housed, female New Zealand white rabbits scheduled for a brief experimental ophthalmic surgery using the anxiety assessment, which consisted of behavioural observations, a modified human intruder test, and a novel object test, all performed in the home cage; however, the novel object test was dismissed mid-study when the first group of rabbits tested (n = 14) approached the object in almost equal time. On the day of surgery, in addition to monitoring standard cardiorespiratory parameters, we ranked the ease of intubation, and recorded the frequency of pre- and intra-operative apnoea. Our anxiety assessment produced almost perfect inter-observer agreement (κ = 1.00) and acceptable internal consistency of its tests (α = 0.75). We found that 9 rabbits were behaviourally anxious, and 22 were non-anxious. Anxious rabbits exhibited an increased frequency of intra-operative apnoea (F = 7.03, p = 0.01), and trended towards showing a wider maximum (F = 4.05, p = 0.06) and range of heart rate (F = 3.74, p = 0.07) as compared with the non-anxious group. Additionally, irrespective of anxiety, rabbits that experienced pre-operative apnoea were more difficult to intubate (U = 7.50, p = 0.001). Based upon these results, our anxiety assessment successfully differentiated a sub-population of rabbits that were behaviourally anxious and exhibited cardiorespiratory instability during surgery. This practical cage-side tool can be used as a pre-anaesthetic screen to identify rabbits that may be prone to complications and enable pre-operative intervention. Given that cages are comparatively barren to the natural environment, home-cage novel object tests may be less useful in laboratory species, as the excitement of a new enrichment overcomes potential neophobia. In summary, employing the anxiety assessment as an adjunct to individually planned anaesthesia regimens serves as a refinement to the welfare of rabbits.
Human ROR1 Activates AKT and Accelerates Leukemia Cell Proliferation

Abstract Abstract 3872 ROR1 is an orphan-receptor-tyrosine-kinase-like developmental surface-antigen that is expressed by embryonic cells, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells, and neoplastic cells of many other types of cancer, but not by virtually all normal adult tissues. ROR1 can serve as a receptor for Wnt5a and potentially complex with other surface receptors for growth/survival factors elaborated by the tumor microenvironment or expressed by the tumor itself. In prior studies, we and others found that silencing ROR1 could impair tumor-cell growth and/or survival in vitro and in vivo. Although the CLL cells of ≥96% of all examined patients (N= 800) expressed ROR1, we found that a B-cell line derived from CLL cells, namely MEC1 (Leuk Res 23:127, 1999), lacked expression of this protein. This provided us with an opportunity to assess how introduction of ROR1 could affect the biology of this CLL-cell line, which has relatively slow doubling-time of ≈40 hours. We transfected MEC1 cells with either an expression vector encoding human ROR1 or a control vector, and then selected for stable transfectants in selection medium. MEC1 cells transfected with the ROR1 vector expressed high-levels of ROR1, but not MEC1 cells transfected with the control vector. MEC1 cells made to express ROR1 had higher levels of phosphorylated and activated-AKT and activated cAMP response-element-binding (CREB) protein than non-transfected MEC1 cells or cells transfected with the control vector. Furthermore, MEC1 made to express ROR1 had significantly greater proportions of cells in S/G2/M phase than did control-transfected cells 16 hours after transfer from serum-free medium to complete growth medium, indicating that MEC1 cells made to express ROR1 had increased relative proportions of cells undergoing cell division. Consistent with this, we found that ROR1+ MEC1 cells had significantly shorter doubling times in culture than did comparably cultured parental MEC1 cells or MEC1 cells transfected with the control vector. This study indicates that expression of ROR1 in the MEC1 CLL cell line can activate AKT/CREB and accelerate leukemia cell growth, providing us with a model system with which to interrogate the function of ROR1 in vitro. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Interruptions and Task Transitions: Understanding Their Characteristics, Processes, and Consequences

Frequent interruptions and task transitions are an inescapable reality of modern organizational life, yet the relevant research spans across numerous seemingly disconnected domains that paint an in...
Chapter 4 – Sampling and Estimation

Publisher Summary There is no general method for representing arbitrary functions of one, two, or three real variables in a computer. That would require an infinite amount of information even in some simple cases. However, the functions produced or consumed as sounds, pictures, or videos by humans are not arbitrary. They are very smooth functions because humans can neither move too fast nor absorb very quickly changing signals. Hence sampling the functions often enough or at enough places will give a reliable approximation. The smoothness or slow-change assumption implies that no large fluctuations occur between sample points. The chapter discusses methods for recovering a function from its samples, given this assumption. The physical measurement of a sample contains numerous uncertainties. Estimates of errors caused by fundamental ignorance by modeling measurements as random variables and using tools from probability theory are obtained in the chapter. The uncertainty and error in the physical measurement is very helpful. On one hand, the data in a computer can never be a perfect representation of reality and will always be corrupted with noise, while on the other hand, processing algorithms are freed from the tyranny of exactness. One can use fast approximate computation methods in many cases if the calculation errors are kept small compared to the original measurement errors.
Poking fun at heroes: American war and the death of the military comedy:

Since the attacks of September 11 2001, there has been a marked decline in the number of military comedy films in American cinema. Films like Buffalo Soldiers, a film made prior to September 11 but...
Separation Surgery for Spinal Metastases

NOMS framework consists of four considerations (neurologic, oncologic, mechanical, and systemic) and facilitates decision-making in patients with metastatic spine tumors. Patients with symptomatic high-grade spinal cord compression require surgical decompression prior to stereotactic body radiosurgery (SBRT). SBRT provides durable local control irrespective of tumor histology. Separation surgery provides circumferential decompression of the spinal cord and posterior instrumented stabilization without extensive vertebral body resection. Hybrid therapy describes separation surgery in tandem with early radiation therapy (usually within 2 weeks) in order to provide durable local tumor control.
Seasonal variations in export of antibiotic resistance genes and bacteria in runoff from an agricultural watershed in Iowa.

Abstract Seasonal variations of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) indicators in runoff water can help improve our understanding of AMR sources and transport within an agricultural watershed. This study aimed to monitor multiple areas throughout the Black Hawk Lake (BHL) watershed (5324 ha) in central Iowa during 2017 and 2018 that consists of both swine and cattle feeding operations as well as known areas with manure application. The measured indicators included plate counts for fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) E. coli, Enterococcus, antibiotic resistant fecal indicator bacteria (ARBs) tylosin resistant Enterococcus, tetracycline resistant Enterococcus, and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs): ermB, ermF (macrolide), tetA, tetM, tetO, tetW (tetracycline), sul1, sul2 (sulfonamide), aadA2 (aminoglycoside), vgaA, and vgaB (pleuromutilin). Both the plate count and the ARG analyses showed seasonal trends. Plate counts were significantly greater during the growing season, while the ARGs were greater in the pre-planting and post-harvest seasons (Wilcoxon Rank-Sum Test p
Cooling Capacity of Transpulmonary Cooling and Cold-Water Immersion After Exercise-Induced Hyperthermia.

CONTEXT Cold-water immersion (CWI) may not be feasible in some remote settings, prompting the identification of alternative cooling methods as adjunct treatment modalities for exertional heat stroke (EHS). OBJECTIVE To determine the differences in cooling capacities between CWI and the inspiration of cooled air. DESIGN Randomized controlled clinical trial. SETTING Laboratory. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS A total of 12 recreationally active participants (7 men, 5 women; age = 26 ± 4 years, height = 170.6 ± 10.1 cm, mass = 76.0 ± 18.0 kg, body fat = 18.5% ± 9.7%, peak oxygen uptake = 42.7 ± 8.9 mL·kg-1·min-1). INTERVENTION(S) After exercise in a hot environment (40°C and 40% relative humidity), participants were randomized to 3 cooling conditions: cooling during passive rest (PASS; control), CWI, and the Polar Breeze thermal rehabilitation machine (PB) with which participants inspired cooled air (22.2°C ± 1.0°C). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Rectal temperature (TREC) and heart rate were continuously measured throughout cooling until TREC reached 38.25°C. RESULTS Cooling rates during CWI (0.18°C·min-1 ± 0.06°C·min-1) were greater than those during PASS (mean difference [95% confidence interval] of 0.16°C·min-1 [0.13°C·min-1, 0.19°C·min-1]; P .05). CONCLUSIONS Transpulmonary cooling via cooled-air inhalation did not promote an optimal cooling rate (>0.15°C·min-1) for the successful treatment of EHS. In remote settings where EHS is a risk, access and use of treatment methods via CWI or cold-water dousing are imperative to ensuring survival. TRIAL REGISTRY ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT0419026).
Maximizing an urban secondary and post-secondary partnership to align educational expectations and student success.

Abstract Students from public urban secondary schools in the United States are often academically underprepared for post-secondary education. There are multiple social and structural factors contributing to this including living in communities where there are high rates of poverty, insufficient funding for public urban schools, and lack of rigor in their curriculum. Urban public post-secondary institutions struggle to bridge the gap to support students who are underprepared and in need of educational, financial, and social assistance. The purpose of this paper is to describe a partnership that was created between a public urban high school and a neighboring public urban university to address the issues underrepresented racially and ethnically (URE) diverse students encounter in order to not only better prepare them for the transition to post-secondary education, but to help them succeed once they arrive on campus. This partnership demonstrates that community cooperation to bridge the gap to support students who are underprepared is possible and benefits everyone involved. Preparing urban students for the successful transition to post-secondary education, particularly in the area of health professions can have a long-term impact on reducing racial inequities in health care.
(Mis)perception of bias in print media: How depth of content evaluation affects the perception of hostile bias in an objective news report

The hostile media effect describes the tendency for partisans to evaluate media content as relatively biased against their positions. The present study investigates what specific contextual elements of a news report contribute to this effect and how it may be mitigated by the depth of content evaluation. A online study of 102 participants revealed that less bias is perceived in a newspaper article when evaluating specific aspects of the article with the text available for reference than when evaluating the overall bias without referring to the text. Moreover, being asked to consider overall article bias increased subsequent ratings of bias in the discrete elements of the text. These results suggest that the perception of media bias may be counteracted by encouraging deep, evidence-based considerations of where the alleged bias might lie, but only if this happens before the reader has the chance to form an opinion based on a cursory assessment.
Infection after the use of INFIX in Pelvic Ring Injuries.

Introduction : The purpose of this study is to report on infection with anterior subcutaneous internal pelvic fixation (INFIX) for pelvic ring injuries and the outcomes of treatment. Methods : An IRB-approved retrospective study was performed using trauma databases of a level one and level two trauma center from 2012–2018. Infection after the INFIX procedure was diagnosed in 10 of 179 cases. Treatment included formal irrigation and debridement, removal of the hardware, and culture-specific antibiotics. Patients were followed for a minimum of 12 months. Recorded outcomes include X-rays, Majeed scores, and the presence of any loss of reduction using reduction parameters. Results : Time to detect the infection was 54.2 ± 24.3 days (range 24–90, median 56 days). Staphylococcus aureus was the most common bacteria isolated. The average follow-up was 830 ± 170 days (range 575–1088 days). All patients went on to the radiographic union. There were no recurrent infections or osteomyelitis at the latest follow-up. Patients maintained their reduction after INFIX removal (KI), and Majeed scores ranged from 72 to 96 (seven good, three excellent). Discussion : Infections after using the INFIX procedure were dealt with by irrigating and debriding the wounds, removing the INFIX with culture-specific antibiotics for 2–6 weeks. Implants were maintained for at least 25 days, and there was no loss of reduction. There were no long-term sequelae noted in this small series or the literature review included in this paper.
On the Hologram of International Education

We are delighted to present a conversation with Dr. Josef A. Mestenhauser, Distinguished International Emeritus Professor in the Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy and Development at the University of Minnesota. The chapter resulted from a series of in person and written conversations that we were privileged to have with Dr. Mestenhauser. Dr. Mestenhauser was an early advocate of international education and has contributed six decades of pioneering research and practice, helping to define and legitimize this work as a field of expertise.
Removing Small Features with Real CAD Operations

Preparing Computer Aided Design models for successful mesh generation continues to be a crucial part of the design to analysis process. A common problem in CAD models is features that are very small compared to the desired mesh size. Small features exist for a variety of reasons and can require an excessive amount of elements or inhibit mesh generation all together. Many of the tools for removing small features modify only the topology of the model (often in a secondary topological representation of the model) leaving the underlying geometry as is. The availability of tools that actually modify the topology and underlying geometry in the boundary representation (B-rep) model is much more limited regardless of the inherent advantages of this approach. This paper presents a process for removing small featrues from a B-rep model using almost solely functionality provided by the underlying solid modeling kernel. The process cuts out the old topology and reconstructs new topology and geometry to close the volume. The process is quite general and can be applied to complex configurations of unwanted topology.
Continuous Dependent Variables and Organizational Ecology: Toward a more Perfect Union

In this paper, I review all previously published organizational ecology research which utilizes continuous dependent variables. I unearth twenty-one such studies, half of which were published within the past four years. The broadening array of dependent variables in this field is a most welcome development. However, each of these papers has at least one methodological limitation, in specification of cross-unit effects and/or controls for autocorrelation. Perhaps the most serious problem is the assertion that the fixed effects research design solves the problem of autocorrelation. I demonstrate that this assertion is untrue. I conclude with advice on the proper way to model continuous dependent variables in organizational ecology research, as follows: (1) Consider omitting all organizations which do not exist for more time periods than the number of independent variables. (2) Test for autocorrelation, report the results, and correct for autocorrelation if the test indicates that it is a problem. (3) Use a fixed effects model, and justify it based on the nonrandomness of the data.
Mercury Removal from Flue Gas by Aqueous Precipitation

Mercury has drawn the public’s concern due to its bio-accumulative nature and its adverse impact on human health. At the same time, concern for greenhouse gas release has also grown, leading to a range of carbon capture strategies. Previous mercury removal studies, however, focused on either dry techniques or acidic solution conditions, and a major uncertainty is how high alkalinity (which is used in carbon mineralization capture methods) may result in a different mercury removal mechanism. To examine this question in detail, in this study, a lab-scale liquid-gas scrubbing system is manufactured and installed, based on the carbon mineralization by aqueous precipitation (CMAP) process for CO 2 sequestration. Sodium hydroxide solution is selected as a typical candidate to remove mercury. Based on the test results, the CMAP process, like most other capture methods, has relatively low elemental mercury removal efficiency, i.e. less than 20%, but it can remove oxidized mercury with more than 90% efficiency. This performance is very similar to that of the traditional flue gas desulfurization processes which are operated under acidic conditions, at pH from 4 to 6. Equilibrium calculations by Visual MINTEQ predict the speciation of mercury equilibrium in the liquid phase, and the result is in agreement with the experimental findings.
Genetics of Cancer

Over the past several years, numerous discoveries of genetic abnormalities in cancer cells have pointed to the paramount importance of genetic, or ultimately, chromosomal defects in the origin and development of cancer cells. Although other factors certainly play a role in the growth and maintenance of the cancerous state (such as hormones and the growth factor and cytokine milieu of a tumor cell), defects in critical genes in cancer cells are undoubtedly at the heart of most malignant states.
Dual targeting of acute myeloid leukemia progenitors by catalytic mTOR inhibition and blockade of the p110α subunit of PI3 kinase

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) pathways are often aberrantly activated in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and play critical roles in proliferation and survival of leukemia cells. We provide evidence that simultaneous targeting of mTOR complexes with the catalytic mTOR inhibitor OSI-027 and of the p110α subunit of PI3K with the specific inhibitor BYL-719 results in efficient suppression of effector pathways and enhanced induction of apoptosis of leukemia cells. Importantly, such a combined targeting approach results in enhanced suppression of primitive leukemic progenitors from patients with AML. Taken together, these findings raise the possibility of combination treatments of mTOR and p110α inhibitors as a unique approach to enhance responses in refractory AML.
Availability evaluation of MIN-connected multiprocessors using decomposition technique

An analytical technique for the availability evaluation of multiprocessors using a multistage interconnection network (MIN) is presented. The MIN represents a Butterfly-type connection with a 4*4-switching element (SE). The novelty of this approach is that the complexity of constructing a single-level exact Markov chain (MC) is not required. By use of structural decomposition, the system is divided into three subsystems-processors, memories, and MIN. Two simple MCs are solved by using a software package, called HARP, to find the probability of i working processing elements (PEs) and j working memory modules (MMs) at time t. A second level of decomposition is then used to find the approximate number of SEs (x) required for connecting the i PEs and j MMs. A third MC is then solved to find the probability that the MIN will provide the necessary communication. The model has been validated through simulation for up to a 256-node configuration, the maximum size available for a commercial MIN-connected multiprocessor. >
Comparison of erythropoietin preparations yielding different dose-response slopes in the exhypoxic polycythemic mouse assay.

Abstract Log dose-response slopes of several erythropoietin preparations including the International Reference Preparation (Standard B) were compared in the exhypoxic polycythemic mouse assay and found to differ. The use of several standards to cover different ranges of response slopes is recommended. The existence of inhibitors or of several kinds of erythropoietin molecules are considered as possible explanations for the observed slope differences.
Vertical product differentiation and credence goods: Mandatory labeling and gains from international integration

A traves de un modelo vertical de diferenciacion de productos se muestra el marco institucional que maximiza el bienestar cuando dos economias se integran comercialmente y coordinan sus politicas de etiquetado y certificacion. En particular, se muestra que el etiquetado discreto, armonizado y obligatorio no maximiza ganancias. Por ejemplo, la eleccion del tipo de etiquetado puede tener un efecto negativo sobre la estructura de mercado si las empresas deciden salirse, reduciendo asi el rango y la calidad de los bienes. Pero con reconocimiento mutuo de estandares de etiquetado existe una probabilidad mas alta de ganancia.
THREE PRACTICAL ISSUES FOR MODERN ADAPTIVE TESTING ITEM POOLS1

As adaptive testing moves towards operational implementation in large scale testing programs, where it is important that adaptive tests be as parallel as possible to existing linear tests, a number of practical issues arise. This paper concerns three such issues. First, optimum item pool size is difficult to determine in advance of pool construction. Retrospective results are analyzed for five operational pools; these analyses indicate that item pools of the size and quality of six to eight linear tests are adequate to support adaptive tests of roughly half the length of a parallel linear test. Second, item pools may not support sufficiently low exposure rates for items or a sufficiently small amount of test overlap to maintain test security when testing is conducted on a continuous basis. Various simulations suggest that multiple pools which can be chosen randomly before adaptive testing begins provide a satisfactory solution. Finally, over time it will be necessary to refresh or replace operational item pools. Issues that must be considered in refreshing or replacing item pools are discussed, and guidance is given for establishing benchmark values from initial pools as standards that must be met for adaptive tests from new pools to be considered parallel to adaptive tests from existing pools.
The Stress of Sadness: The Most Stressful Symptoms for Hospice Family Caregivers

A family member or friend is often a hospice patient's primary caregiver and, as such, may face a significant number of stressors, including challenges related to managing patient symptoms. This study investigated the most stressful patient symptoms as reported by 111 hospice family caregivers of cancer (n=66) and cardiopulmonary (n=45) patients. Researchers calculated the mean level of stress caregivers attributed to 32 different patient symptoms commonly encountered at end of life. They found the symptoms perceived as most stressful for caregivers were psychological in nature. Study findings suggest that members of the hospice interdisciplinary team should connect patients and their caregivers to various types of support to address psychological symptoms, benefitting patients and caregivers alike.
Sex dimorphism and inflammatory regulation of T-kininogen and T-kininogenase.

Abstract Studies were carried out in order to better understand hormonal and inflammatory regulation of the T-kininogen and T-kininogenase system. T-kininogen from rate serum and T-kininogenase from rat submandibular gland were purified to homogeneity, and specific antisera to the purified proteins were generated. Simple, sensitive and specific radioimmunoassays were developed for measuring both T-kininogen and T-kininogenase. The assays incorporated a modified poly(ethylene glycol) technique for separating free from antibody-bound forms. Optimal combinations of poly(ethylene glycol) and γ-globulin were found, yielding low background and high specific binding. The assays can detect a minimum of 160 pg of T-kininogen and 80 pg of T-kininogenase per tube, Serial dilutions of sera from normal and turpenting-treated rats showed complete parallelism with the T-kininogen standard curve. T-kininogen levels in rat serum and rat tissues increased more than 10-fold following turpentive treatment, while T-kininogenase levels in the submandibular gland and other tissues remained unchanged Through used of a kinin-directed kininogen monoclonal antibody. Western blots of two-dimensional gels of serum following acute inflammation showed increased levels of several kininogens which vary in both molecular weight and isoelectric point. Analysis of serum kininogen levels shows sexual dimorphism, with female rats having 3.9-fold higher levels than males. Contrarily, T-kininogenase levels in the submandibular gland of male rats are 2.4-fold higher than those in females. The studies also showed that the T-kininogen and T-kininogenase system is regulated by sex hormones. T-kininogenais an acute-phase protein whose rapid increase and mobilization following inflammation may provide a primary defense against proteolytic damage during trauma.