cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 317: Conditional Knockout Of Phd2 Ameliorates High-fat Diet-induced Cardiac Dysfunction Via Inhibition Of Tlr4-nfκB Pathway In A Hifa-independent Manner

Oxygen sensors prolyl hydroxylases (PHDs) plays an important role in the regulation of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIFα) as well as nuclear factor-κ B (NF-κB) activity. Our previous study demonstrated that activation of vascular Toll-like receptor TLR-MyD88-IRAK4 signaling pathway contributes to vascular dysfunction in high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced diabetes. The present study investigates whether conditional knockout of prolyl hydroxylase-2 (PHD2) improves cardiac function via suppression of TLR-NF-κb signaling in a HFD-induced diabetic cardiomyopathy mouse model. Wild type (WT-Cre + ), PHD2 conditional knockout (PHD2CKO) and PHD2 +/- mice were fed with either HFD or normal chow diet (NFD) for 18 weeks. The levels of PHD1-3, HIF, angiogenic growth factors, MyD88, IRAK-4, TLR4, NF-κb and Wnt7b gene expression were measured. Cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis and cardiac function were analyzed at 18 weeks after PHD2 deactivation . Feeding of WT-Cre + mice with HFD for 18 weeks resulted in a significant reduction of cardiac functions. The basal expression of PHD2 was significantly increased in the heart of HFD mice. The expression of PHD2 was significantly reduced in the heart of PHD2CKO and PHD2 +/- mice fed with HFD whereas PHD1 and PHD3 expression remains unchanged. Conditional knockout of PHD2 resulted in suppression of MyD88, IRAK-4, TLR4, NF-κb and Wnt7b expression. Deactivation of PHD2 had little effect on the expression of HIF1α, HIF2α and angiogenic growth factor in the hearts of HFD-induced diabetic mice. Conditional knockout of PHD2 further suppressed HFD-induced cardiac hypertrophy and significantly improved HFD-induced cardiac dysfunction. In contrast, conditional knockout of PHD2 resulted in an increase in HIFα expression and cardiac dysfunction in NFD mice. These results suggest that deactivation of PHD2 attenuates HFD-induced diabetic cardiomyopathy via suppression of TLR4-MyD88-IRAK4-NF-κb-Wnt7b signaling pathway in a HIF-independent manner.
Abstract 13: Hippo Signaling Deletion During Heart Failure Reverses Functional Decline

The heart has long been thought of as a static organ incapable of repair. Recent findings have challenged this view of the heart, and have demonstrated that mature cardiomyocytes are capable of re-entering the cell-cycle. However, there is still paucity in understanding endogenous mechanisms preventing cardiomyocyte self-renewal. Our approach is to apply developmental mechanisms of cardiomyocyte cell-cycle control to the damaged heart by altering the Hippo signaling pathway. During development Hippo signaling regulates intrinsic organ size. The core mammalian Hippo pathway includes the Ste20-like serine/threonine kinases Mst1 and Mst2, homologous to the Drosophila Hippo kinase. A subsequent kinase cascade leads to the phosphorylation of the transcription factor Yap. Phosphorylated Yap is sequestered in the cytoplasm, thus preventing transcriptional activity. We previously demonstrated Hippo signaling controls cardiomyocyte proliferation during development to restrain heart size. Additionally, using both the Apex resection (AR) and LAD-ligation (MI) models of cardiac damage, in a Hippo signaling deletion mouse, we demonstrated cardiac regeneration. Indicated by preserved cardiac function and reduced fibrotic scar formation. Additionally, these hearts display cardiomyocyte proliferation as marked by EDU incorporation, pHH3, AurkB, and Ki67 staining. We are taking a new approach to determine the effect of Hippo signaling deletion on the failing heart, by inducing Hippo deletion after fibrotic scar formation has already occurred. To Thus far our results indicate functional recovery of the failing heart only after inducible deletion of Hippo signaling. Consistent with our previous data, preliminary results indicate adult cardiomyocytes after Hippo deletion re-enter the cell cycle. By altering Hippo signaling during heart failure and subsequently inducing cardiomyocyte proliferation we have established recovery of cardiac function. These results will greatly advance strategies to induce cardiac repair.
Bayesian hierarchical joint modeling of repeatedly measured continuous and ordinal markers of disease severity: Application to Ugandan diabetes data

Modeling of correlated biomarkers jointly has been shown to improve the efficiency of parameter estimates, leading to better clinical decisions. In this paper, we employ a joint modeling approach to a unique diabetes dataset, where blood glucose (continuous) and urine glucose (ordinal) measures of disease severity for diabetes are known to be correlated. The postulated joint model assumes that the outcomes are from distributions that are in the exponential family and hence modeled as multivariate generalized linear mixed effects model associated through correlated and/or shared random effects. The Markov chain Monte Carlo Bayesian approach is used to approximate posterior distribution and draw inference on the parameters. This proposed methodology provides a flexible framework to account for the hierarchical structure of the highly unbalanced data as well as the association between the 2 outcomes. The results indicate improved efficiency of parameter estimates when blood glucose and urine glucose are modeled jointly. Moreover, the simulation studies show that estimates obtained from the joint model are consistently less biased and more efficient than those in the separate models.
On the marital status of U. S. slaves: Evidence from Touro Infirmary, New Orleans, Louisiana

Abstract We estimate marriage rates for enslaved African Americans using unique hospital records that report marital status for both free and enslaved patients. We find that marriage rates increased with age, that females had higher marriage rates than males, and that relatively more enslaved African Americans than whites were married, a result we partly attribute to the demographic composition of the hospital population. In addition, the admission records allow us to identify those slaves owned by slave traders. We find relatively high marriage rates among enslaved African Americans but significantly lower marriage rates for those slaves owned by traders, a result we attribute to the demographic composition of traded slaves and marital disruption caused by the slave trade. Comparisons with other postbellum sources provide suggestive support for the antebellum marriage patterns found in these hospital data.
Thomas de Quincey and Roman Ingarden: The Phenomenology of the “Literature of Power”

As commentators on Thomas De Quincey’s literary theories have discovered to their dismay, it is dangerous to assume that De Quincey himself ever intended a systematic categorization and analysis of literary types and effects. He wrote his pieces hastily, under the pressure of deadlines, and seldom with the relevant texts at hand. John Jordan has demonstrated at considerable length that De Quincey’s best criticism was occasional and affective: what first arrested his attention with respect to any literary work was his own emotional response. This did not make his criticism merely impressionistic, however, for De Quincey was as much enamored of philosophical analysis and moral casuistry as of poetical sentiments and moral sublimity, and his finest contributions to literary criticism arose from his careful examination of the specific feature of a work — whether a verse, a passage of prose, or a dramatic speech or scene — once it had excited his emotional response (Jordan, p. 4).
St. Louis’s “Team TIF”: A community–academic partnership for tax incentive reform

Tax increment financing (TIF) and other development incentives have become American cities’ primary means of encouraging local economic development. However, these incentives typically receive less...
Sludge Drying Through Hydrophobic Membranes

One of the major challenges of biowaste management is efficient removal of water from sludges or biosolids, which are generally quite hydrophilic. Also, any water that is removed must be re-treated to remove contaminants that do not partition completely into the solids fraction. To address these issues, a membrane distillation process was adapted for drying and stabilizing sludges. Hydrophobic membranes used in this process are nonwetting, with pore spaces that allow only vapor transport. Water vapor can be expelled because of a moderate temperature gradient. Other constituents, including both particulate and dissolved matter, are retained. The permeate purity, therefore, is expected to be high. This chapter presents data showing usable rates of moisture transfer with modest temperature gradients. In the modeling effort to simulate the moisture transfer from the system, effectiveness and validity of three candidate models were examined: a diffusion equation with flux-type boundary conditions, a two-period model, and a stagnant film model. Among these, the stagnant film model is considered a fundamental modeling framework, because it incorporates all the factors controlling drying intensity and pattern, and it successfully predicts the mass transfer across the membrane. The prediction is used to estimate the waste loading that a membrane-enclosed pit latrine can handle daily.
Evaluation of the Etiology of Erectile Failure

Although patients complaining of erectile problems have pestered, perplexed, and intrigued physicians for centuries, the differentiation of organic from psychological causes of impotence has assumed greater significance in the minds of most physicians within the past 5–10 years. Part of this reawakening of interest on the part of physicians is the development of genuine treatment alternatives. In the recent past, therapeutic alternatives were extremely limited. In the vast majority of cases, specific etiologies could rarely be established, yet the patient still demanded a remedy to his difficulty. Exogeneous testosterone was frequently utilized although the majority of evidence suggests that it was rarely useful in men with normal gonadal function.1 If testosterone supplementation did not have a placebo effect, the physician was left with a choice of psychiatric referral or consideration of a penile prosthetic device. Twelve years ago, neither of these alternatives was completely acceptable. Prosthetic devices consisted mainly of semirigid silicone rods which usually had less than normal length and girth and which left the patient with permanent erectile state, making concealment a problem.2 Similarly, the predominant psychiatric treatment for erectile problems was long-term insight-oriented psychotherapy, a treatment of questionable success.3 In 1970, the medical profession became aware of new brief symptom-oriented counseling methods for the treatment of sexual difficulties.4
Analyzing Rho GTPase-Dependent Processes During Cell Polarization in Brown Algae

Zygotes of the fucoid brown algae are useful models for investigating the molecular and cellular mechanisms of cell polarization. These organisms are abundant in the marine intertidal zone, where they grow firmly anchored to rocks. In response to environmental cues like sunlight, zygotes generate asymmetries within the cell that ultimately establish an axis of growth. The transduction of these cues relies on Rac1-mediated signaling that remodels the actin cytoskeleton, alters patterns of endocytosis and secretion, and ultimately prepares the zygote for localized (tip) growth. This chapter presents protocols for obtaining synchronous populations of zygotes, and for detecting changes in filamentous actin arrays, endomembrane patterns, and secretion patterns that occur during light-induced polarization.
Synthesis and characterization of tetracarbonylmolybdenum(0) and pentacarbonyltungsten(0) complexes of TADDOL-derived, monodentate P-donor ligands

Abstract TADDOL-derived P-donor ligands are of interest as ligands in transition metal catalyzed transformations; however, few studies have been conducted on the steric and electronic properties of P-donor ligands derived from TADDOL. To gain more insight into these properties four tetracarbonylmolybdenum(0) and two pentacarbonyltungsten(0) complexes of monodentate P-donor ligands derived from TADDOL have been studied. These studies show that exchanging the chloro substituent on the phosphorus for OMe increases the donor ability of the ligand and that the cis-tetracarbonylmolybdenum(0) complex of the ligand having the OMe substituent spontaneously isomerizes in solution. X-ray crystallographic analyses indicate that the orientations of the 1,3,2-dioxaphosphepane ring and the aryl substituents are not always conserved, even within the same complex.
CAR T cell therapy: inroads to response and resistance.

Here, we highlight key papers published in 2018 that advance our understanding of resistance to chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell immunotherapy for leukaemia and lymphoma and in so doing reveal barriers that must be addressed to increase efficacy of this novel class of therapeutics for B cell malignancies and expand their reach to solid tumours. Several clinical studies in 2018 documented the potency of therapies based on T cells with chimeric antigen receptors (CAR T cells), but also revealed mechanisms of resistance. These insights may facilitate the design of improved CAR T cell therapies for B cell malignancies and beyond.
Prostatectomy in men with clinically positive lymph nodes.

327Background: A prostate cancer (PCa) patient with non-metastatic but clinical positive lymph nodes (cN+) represents a difficult clinical scenario. We compared OS after RP in cN- (High Risk), cN+/...
A novel and comprehensive design of mock residency interviews for fourth-professional year doctor of pharmacy students.

Abstract Background and purpose To describe a comprehensive design of mock residency interviews intended to closely mimic the environment and variety of interview settings commonly seen in post-graduate year 1 (PGY-1) interviews. Educational activity and setting Mock interviews were held during one evening where a total of 24 fourth-professional year doctor of pharmacy students each experienced seven different interview scenarios over the course of nearly three hours. Twenty-seven faculty members and pharmacists and 11 current pharmacy residents participated as interviewers. Students received individual written feedback after the conclusion of the event. Findings Duquesne University School of Pharmacy has successfully hosted this residency mock interview program for four consecutive years. After establishing a basic template for the interview format, we have been able to include more students, more interviewers, and a greater variety of interview scenarios. Summary This comprehensive approach to mock residency interviews has been successfully implemented to help prepare students at Duquesne University School of Pharmacy for PGY-1 residency interviews.
Does Retrieval Enhance Suggestibility Because It Increases Perceived Credibility of the Postevent Information

Despite the robust memory-enhancing benefits of retrieval practice, an initial test can sometimes exacerbate eyewitness’ susceptibility to subsequent misinformation—a phenomenon known as retrieval-enhanced suggestibility. One explanation for this finding is that after taking a memory test, participant witnesses are more likely to treat the subsequently presented misinformation narrative as being credible (the misinformation acceptance account; e.g., Chan, Manley, & Lang, 2017 ). Another explanation suggests that prior testing enhances participants’ ability to learn the post-event misinformation (the test-potentiated learning account; Chan et al., 2017 ). In two experiments, we provided a direct test of these alternative hypotheses and showed that testing did not make participants believe the content of the narrative to be more accurate, and the perceived accuracy of the narrative was not associated with the likelihood of misinformation recall. These results are inconsistent with the misinformation acceptance account.
Online Target Volume Estimation and Prediction from an Interlaced Slice Acquisition - A Manifold Embedding and Learning Approach

In radiotherapy it is critical to have access to real-time volumetric information to support online dose calculation and motion management. MRI-guidance offers an online imaging platform but is restricted by image acquisition speed. This work alleviates this limitation by integrating processing techniques with an interlaced 2D real-time acquisition protocol. We characterize the volumetric anatomical states as samples on a manifold, and consider the alternating 2D slice acquisition as observation models. We infer sample locations in the manifold from partial observations and extrapolate on the manifold to generate real-time target predictions. A series of 10 adjacent images were repeatedly acquired at three frames per second in an interleaved fashion using a 0.35 T MRI-guided radiotherapy system. Eight volunteer studies were performed during free breathing utilizing normal anatomical features as targets. Locally linear embedding (LLE) was combined with manifold alignment to establish correspondence across slice positions. Multislice target contours were generated using a LLE-based motion model for each real-time image. Motion predictions were performed using a weighted k-nearest neighbor based inference with respect to the underlying volume manifold. In the absence of a 3D ground-truth, we evaluate the part of the volume where the acquisition is available retrospectively. The dice similarity coefficient and centroid distance were on average 0.84 and 1.75 mm respectively. This work reports a novel approach and demonstrates promise to achieve volumetric quantifications from partial image information online.
Crazy Like a Fox? Are Leaders with Reputations for Madness More Successful at International Coercion?

According to the ‘Madman Theory’ promoted by Richard Nixon and early rationalist scholars, being viewed as mentally unstable can help a leader coerce foreign adversaries. This article offers the first large-N test of this theory. The author introduces an original perception-based measure of leaders' reputations for madness, coded based on news reports, and analyzes its effect on both general deterrence and crisis bargaining. The study also tests several hypotheses about the conditions under which perceived madness is expected to be more or less helpful. The author finds that perceived madness is harmful to general deterrence and is sometimes also harmful in crisis bargaining, but may be helpful in crisis bargaining under certain conditions. The analysis suggests that the harmful effect of perceived madness results from a commitment problem.
Electrical status epilepticus in sleep (ESES) — Treatment pattern and EEG outcome in children with very high spike–wave index

Abstract Objective The objective of the study was to determine electrical status epilepticus in sleep (ESES) outcome in children with very high spike–wave index (SWI; ≥ 85%), and assess treatment pattern. Methods Medical records of children 1–17 years old with ESES were reviewed. In this study, ESES is defined as SWI in non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep of ≥ 85%. Electrical status epilepticus in sleep resolution is defined as reduction of SWI to Results Complete data were available in 33 children. Age at ESES diagnosis ranged from 32 to 165 months, median 76 months. The median duration of follow-up was 33 months. Two-thirds of the children were on one or more antiepileptic drugs (AED) at ESES diagnosis. Antiepileptic drugs were used as first treatment for ESES in 24/33 (73%). Electrical status epilepticus in sleep initially resolved in 76%, but 56% had subsequent relapse. The relapse rate was higher for steroids (89%) and benzodiazepines (60%) as compared with nonbenzodiazepine AEDs (29%). At last follow-up, ESES resolved in 21 children (64%). Electrical status epilepticus in sleep resolution was associated with seizure freedom (Fisher's exact, p Significance Using electroencephalogram (EEG) criteria, ESES resolved in 64%. We found high failure rate of first-line AEDs in preventing ESES, and high relapse rate. Standardization of ESES management is urgently needed.
Threatened Masculinities Marginalise Women in Israeli Football

In “Threatened Masculinities Marginalise Women in Israeli Football”, Tamir Sorek’s research deals with the intersection of masculinity (gender), ethnicity (Ashkenazi–Mizrachi), and nationalism (Jews–Arabs) in Israeli football. He argues that the game of football and football fandom are intrinsically a major battlefield among men of three Israeli collectives—Jews of European background (Ashkenazi), Jews who came to Israel from Muslim countries (Mizrachi), and Arab/Palestinians—each having its own history and form of injured masculinity. The central thesis is that the triangular struggle among men’s threatened masculinities is tightly connected to the exclusion of women in Israeli football and other sports. Dwelling on the case of football as a hegemonic sports culture in Israel, the research reveals how members of the three collectives have struggled over their masculine identity and attempted to use football to rehabilitate their threatened masculinity. The chapter gives us a rare glimpse into manhood, masculinity, and football among Arab Israeli men, and exposes the ethnically nationalized and stratified structure of Israeli society and sports while explaining in this context how it impedes the inclusion of women.
Clinical Characteristics and Risk Factors for Adverse Outcomes of Influenza Infections in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients

Background: As one of the most prevalent pathogens in the environment, influenza affects millions of patients annually and contributed to tens of thousands of deaths in the United States during 2018-2019 alone. Immune deficiency is one of the most significant risk factors for adverse outcomes in adults with influenza, and similarly infectious complications are one of the most common causes of death in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients. However, data on outcomes or risk factors for progression in influenza infections specifically in HSCT recipients are limited. Methods: We reviewed patient demographics, oncology and transplant history from HSCT recipients with polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-confirmed influenza over 5 influenza seasons (from 2013-2014 through 2018-2019). Influenza subtype (A H1, H3, and B), laboratory studies at diagnosis, treatments, vaccination status, and outcomes for each influenza infection were recorded and analyzed. Results: A total of 143 infection events were collected and analyzed for symptoms and outcomes. Influenza infections of each subtype occurred in each season, although a different strain predominated each season. The most common symptoms at presentation were cough (65.3%) and fever (55.2%). Symptoms at presentation and outcomes were not significantly different amongst Influenza type A H1, A H3 and type B infections (p>0.05). In total, 22 (15.4%) infections presented as lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) and 7 additional infections progressed to LRTIs (all LRTI: 29; 20.1%). 63 (44.1%) infected patients required hospital admission, 15 (10.5%) required transfer to the intensive care unit (ICU) and 8 (5.6%) were intubated. 6 patients (4.2%) died by 30 days after the initial positive test, and 23 (16.1%) died by 180 days. LRTI was significantly associated with hospital admission (p 0.05) or intubation (p>0.05). No other factors were significantly associated with LRTI, including vaccination status or treatment with antivirals (p>0.05). Logistic regression analysis of selected factors found that patients receiving steroids were significantly associated with LRTI (OR 2.58: 95% CI 1.00-6.63; p=0.047) (Table 1). There was, however, no statistically significant association detected between active graft-versus-host disease and LRTI (OR 1.25: 95% CI 0.35-4.06; p=0.721). We also found that treatment with oseltamivir within 2 days of symptom onset was not significantly associated with LRTI (OR 1.42: 95% CI 0.59-3.49; p=0.431). Persistent shedding (positive tests longer than 21 days from initial positive test) was also not associated with adverse outcomes (p>0.05). Conclusion: This study suggests that the use of chronic steroids in treatment for graft-versus-host disease in HSCT patients may increase the risk for adverse outcomes in influenza infections. Download : Download high-res image (280KB) Download : Download full-size image Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
The Impact of Inadequate Soft-tissue Coverage following Severe Open Tibia Fractures in Tanzania.

Managing lower extremity fractures complicated by large soft-tissue defects is challenging for surgeons in low- and middle-income countries, and long-term quality of life (QOL) for these patients is unclear. Methods We examined QOL, surgical complications, and longitudinal outcomes in 10 patients with Gustilo-Anderson Classification Type IIIB open tibia fractures seen at an orthopedic institute in Tanzania, from December 2015 to March 2017. Patients completed follow-up at 2-, 6-, 12-, 26-, and 52-week time points, and returned for qualitative interviews at 2.5 years. The primary outcome was QOL, as measured using EuroQoL-5D scores and qualitative semi-structured interview responses. The secondary outcome was rate of complication, as defined by reoperation for deep infection or nonunion. Results Ten patients enrolled in the study and 7 completed 1-year follow-up. All fractures were caused by road traffic accidents and treated by external fixation. No patients received initial soft-tissue (flap) coverage of the wound. All patients developed an infected nonunion. No patients returned to work at 6 weeks, 3 months, or 6 months. EQ-5D index scores at 1 year were poor (0.71 ± 0.09). Interview themes included ongoing medical complications, loss of employment, reduced income, and difficulty with activities of daily living. Conclusions Patients in low- and middle-income countries with IIIB open tibia fractures not treated with appropriate soft-tissue coverage experience poor QOL, high complication rates, and severe socioeconomic effects as a result of their injuries. These findings illustrate the need for resources and training to build capacity for extremity soft-tissue reconstruction in LMICs.
Development of a Simian RNA Polymerase I Promoter-Driven Reverse Genetics for the Rescue of Recombinant Rift Valley Fever Virus from Vero Cells.

Rift Valley fever (RVF), which has been designated as a priority disease by the World Health Organization (WHO), is one of the most pathogenic zoonotic diseases endemic to Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Human vaccine preparation requires the use of appropriate cell substrates to support efficient production of seed vaccine with minimum concerns of tumorigenicity, oncogenicity, or adventitious agents. Vero cells, which were derived from the African green monkey kidney, represent one of the few mammalian cell lines that are used for vaccine manufacturing. This study demonstrated the rescue of RVFV MP-12 infectious clones in Vero cells using plasmids encoding the Macaca mulatta RNA polymerase I promoter. Although Vero cells demonstrated an approximately 20% transfection efficiency, only 0.5% of transfected cells showed the replication of viral genomic RNA, supported by the co-expression of RVFV N and L helper proteins. RVFV Infectious clones were detectable in the culture supernatants approximately 4 to 9 days posttransfection reaching maximum titers during the following 5 days. The re-amplification of rescued recombinant MP-12 (rMP-12) in Vero cells led to an increase in the genetic subpopulations, affecting the viral phenotype via amino acid substitutions in the NSs gene, whereas the rMP-12 re-amplified in human diploid MRC-5 cells did not increase viral sub-populations with NSs gene mutations. The strategy in which RVFV infectious clones are rescued in Vero cells and then subsequently amplified in MRC-5 cells will support the vaccine seed lot systems of live-attenuated recombinant RVFV vaccines for human use.IMPORTANCE RVF is a mosquito-transmitted, viral, zoonotic disease endemic to Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and its spread outside of the endemic area will potentially cause devastating economic damages and serious public health problems. Different from classical live-attenuated vaccines, live-attenuated recombinant vaccines allow rational improvement of vaccine production efficiency, protective efficacy, and vaccine safety via the genetic engineering. This study demonstrated the generation of infectious Rift Valley fever (RVF) virus from cloned cDNA using Vero cells, which are one of a few mammalian cell lines used for vaccine manufacturing. Subsequent re-amplification of virus clones in Vero cells unexpectedly increased viral subpopulations encoding unfavorable mutations, whereas viral re-amplification in human diploid MRC-5 cells could minimize the emergence of such mutants. Rescue of recombinant RVFV from Vero cells and re-amplification in MRC-5 cells will support the vaccine seed lot systems of live-attenuated recombinant RVFV vaccines for human use.
Mental Healthcare Provider Perceptions of Race and Racial Disparity in the Care of Black and White Clients

Black-white disparities in mental healthcare persist, despite efforts to eliminate them via culturally competent care. To gain insight into how providers implement culturally competent care practices, interviews were conducted with mental healthcare providers' about their self-reported behaviors with black and white clients and their perceptions of how race affects the treatment they provide. Thematic analysis was used to analyze 12 semi-structured interviews with providers from a Veterans Affairs healthcare system. Three sets of themes emerged: providers' general beliefs and behaviors (discomfort discussing race; belief that socioeconomic differences explained disparities; and use of coded language for race groups), providers' clinical beliefs and behaviors (race-matching enhances care and recognition of intersecting cultural identities), and providers' professional beliefs and behaviors (participation in passive racism facilitated by provider-provider alliance). Mental healthcare providers showed good awareness of intersectionality and subtle racism but held limiting beliefs that led to avoidance of discussions of race.
Spot Asset Carry Cost Rates and Futures Hedge Ratios

The traditional futures hedge ratio (hT) is calculated ex post via economically structureless statistical analysis. Its lack of an economic foundation makes it inefficient and elevates its risk of error due to a regime shift. This paper proposes an ex ante, more efficient, carry cost rate (c) based hedge ratio (hc). While the paper shows that hc is biased, it demonstrates that c underlies both hT and hc, such that hT/hc is stationary. Consequently, a prior period’s hT/hc ratio, even if from the distant past, or a different c regime, works well as an ex ante bias adjustment multiplier for the current hc to mitigate its bias. Finally, it shows that the hedge effectiveness for both hc and the bias-adjusted version of hc exceed that for hT, though the excess hedge effectiveness of hc over hT is not always statistically significant.
Inkjet Printed Textile Force Sensitive Resistors for Wearable and Healthcare Devices.

Pressure sensors for wearable healthcare devices, particularly force sensitive resistors (FSRs) are widely used to monitor physiological signals and human motions. However, current FSRs are not suitable for integration into wearable platforms. This work presents a novel technique for developing textile FSRs (TFSRs) using a combination of inkjet printing of metal-organic decomposition silver inks and heat pressing for facile integration into textiles. The insulating void by a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) membrane between the top and bottom textile electrodes creates an architectured piezoresistive structure. The structure functions as a simple logic switch where under a threshold pressure the electrodes make contact to create conductive paths (on-state) and without pressure return to the prior insulated condition (off-state). The TFSR can be controlled by arranging the number of layers and hole diameters of the TPU spacer to specify a wide range of activation pressures from 4.9 kPa to 7.1 MPa. For a use-case scenario in wearable healthcare technologies, the TFSR connected with a readout circuit and a mobile app shows highly stable signal acquisition from finger movement. According to the on/off state of the TFSR with LED bulbs by different weights, it can be utilized as a textile switch showing tactile feedback.
Lopez, Steven Regesser

Steven Regesser Lopez was born on December 14, 1953 in Tucson, Arizona, a city approximately 90 miles north of the Mexican border. Lopez has noted that ethnicity was not significant to him as he was growing up; however, when he entered Claremont Men's College in 1971 the civil rights movement and ethnic pride were salient themes which provoked him to seriously explore his ethnic background. In his junior year of college he designed an independent studies program, which involved taking courses in Mexican literature, Mexican history, and Anthropology, interviewing family members about his family history, and spending a summer in Mexico. When considering his academic major, Lopez selected psychology because he believed it would allow him to pursue his interests in ethnicity and culture. Later Lopez realized that he was personally “looking to psychology to shed further light on the meaning of culture and ethnicity”. His undergraduate efforts resulted in a senior research thesis that examined clinical stereotypes of Mexican Americans and was published in the first edition of Chicano Psychology. Keywords: cultural psychology; ethnicity; stereotyping
Digital Manipulation of Brightfield and Fluorescence Images: Noise Reduction, Contrast Enhancement, and Feature Extraction

Publisher Summary As image processing allows the investigator to convert the microscope/detector system into a quantitative device, this chapter focuses on three basic problems—reducing noise, enhancing contrast, and quantifying intensity of an image. These techniques can then be applied to a number of different methodologies such as video-enhanced differential interference microscopy, nanovid microscopy, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, fluorescence resonance energy transfer, and fluorescence ratio imaging. In all the cases, knowledge of the basic principles of microscopy, image formation, and image-processing routines is absolutely required to convert the microscope into a device capable of pushing the limits of resolution and contrast. There are different ways to reduce noise, and the methods of noise reduction chosen depend on many different factors, including the source of the noise, the type of camera employed for a particular application, and the contrast of the specimen. The chapter distinguishes between temporal and spatial techniques to increase the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of an image. To optimize contrast enhancement digitally, it is imperative that the microscope optics and the camera are adjusted so that the full dynamic range of the system is utilized. The judicious choice of image-processing routines can greatly enhance an image and can extract features, which are not otherwise possible. When applying digital manipulations to an image, it is imperative to understand the routines that are being employed and make use of well-designed standards when testing them out.
In Silico Modeling-based Identification of Glucose Transporter 4 (GLUT4)-selective Inhibitors for Cancer Therapy

Tumor cells rely on elevated glucose consumption and metabolism for survival and proliferation. Glucose transporters mediating glucose entry are key proximal rate-limiting checkpoints. Unlike GLUT1 that is highly expressed in cancer and more ubiquitously expressed in normal tissues, GLUT4 exhibits more limited normal expression profiles. We have previously determined that insulin-responsive GLUT4 is constitutively localized on the plasma membrane of myeloma cells. Consequently, suppression of GLUT4 or inhibition of glucose transport with the HIV protease inhibitor ritonavir elicited growth arrest and/or apoptosis in multiple myeloma. GLUT4 inhibition also caused sensitization to metformin in multiple myeloma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia and a number of solid tumors suggesting the broader therapeutic utility of targeting GLUT4. This study sought to identify selective inhibitors of GLUT4 to develop a more potent cancer chemotherapeutic with fewer potential off-target effects. Recently, the crystal structure of GLUT1 in an inward open conformation was reported. Although this is an important achievement, a full understanding of the structural biology of facilitative glucose transport remains elusive. To date, there is no three-dimensional structure for GLUT4. We have generated a homology model for GLUT4 that we utilized to screen for drug-like compounds from a library of 18 million compounds. Despite 68% homology between GLUT1 and GLUT4, our virtual screen identified two potent compounds that were shown to target GLUT4 preferentially over GLUT1 and block glucose transport. Our results strongly bolster the utility of developing GLUT4-selective inhibitors as anti-cancer therapeutics.
Nucleoside and Nucleotide Nomenclature

Current nomenclature in the area of nucleosides, nucleotides, and nucleic acids comprises a mixture of (1) common names that have gained official recognition, (2) guidelines that have been derived and officially recommended by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC)/International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB), and (3) evolving usage that is derived by individual scientists and laboratories and subjected to peer review through publication. A working group was commissioned in 1998 by IUBMB to review guidelines for nucleotide (including oligonucleotide) nomenclature. As those guidelines are developed and made available, they will be referenced in future updates of this appendix. The main purpose of this appendix is to provide pertinent references that will direct the reader to the relevant guidelines or evolving nomenclature as described in the literature. When additional suggestions or guidance are appropriate, those comments are included as well.
Kerogen maturation data in the Uinta Basin, Utah, USA, constrain predictions of natural hydrocarbon seepage into the atmosphere

Natural seepage of methane from the lithosphere to the atmosphere occurs in regions with large natural gas deposits. According to some authors, it accounts for roughly 5% of the global methane budget. I explore a new approach to estimate methane fluxes based on the maturation of kerogen, which is the hydrocarbon polymer present in petroleum source rocks and whose decomposition leads to the formation of oil and natural gas. The temporal change in the atomic H/C ratio of kerogen lets us estimate the total carbon mass released by it in the form of oil and natural gas. Then the time interval of active kerogen decomposition lets us estimate the average annual formation rate of oil and natural gas in any given petroleum system, which I demonstrate here using the Uinta Basin of eastern Utah as an example. Obviously, this is an upper bound to the average annual rate at which natural gas seeps into the atmosphere. After adjusting for biooxidation of natural gas, I conclude that the average annual seepage rate in the Uinta Basin is not greater than (3100 ± 900) tonne yr−1. This is (0.5 ± 0.15)% of the total flux of methane into the atmosphere over the Basin, as measured during aircraft flights. I speculate about the difference between the regional 0.5% and the global 5% estimates.
Acute and chronic effects of climbing fiber lesions on cerebellar cyclic guanosine monophosphate.

Abstract The neurotoxin 3-acetylpyridine was administered to 20-day old rats to produce lesions of the inferior olive climbing fiber projection to the cerebellum. Cerebellar cGMP levels were determined 6 h, 24 h, 48 h, 7 days, 14 days and 20 days postlesion. A significant effect on cGMP was found only at 48 h (−28%) and 7 days (−45%) postlesion. The results are discussed with respect to the cellular localization of cGMP and the hypothesized relationship of cGMP to cerebellar Purkinje cell activity.
Tables of nuclear structure amplitudes for two-nucleon transfer involving light projectiles (a ≤ 4)

Abstract Tables are presented of values of the nuclear structure amplitudes required for construction of form factors for the reactions ( α , d ), ( 3 He, p ), ( 3 He, n ), ( t , n ), ( t , p ), and their inverses.
Mixing rates and symmetry breaking in two-dimensional chaotic flow

We experimentally determine the mixing rate for a magnetically forced two-dimensional time-periodic flow exhibiting chaotic mixing. The mixing rate, defined as the rate of decay of the root-mean square concentration inhomogeneity, grows with Reynolds number, but does not increase at the onset of nonperiodic (weakly turbulent) flow. The mixing rate increases linearly with a second non-dimensional parameter, the typical path length of a fluid element in one forcing period. The breaking of time-reversal symmetry and spatial reflection symmetry substantially increases the mixing rates. A theory by Antonsen et al. that predicts mixing rates in terms of the measured Lyapunov exponents of the flow is tested and found to predict mixing rates that are too large by approximately a factor of 10; the discrepancy is traced to the fact that large scale transport rather than stretching of fluid elements is the dominant rate limiting step when the system is sufficiently large compared to the velocity correlation length. An effective diffusion model gives a good account of the measured mixing rates. Finally, the formation of persistent recurrent patterns (also called strange eigenmodes) is shown to arise from a combination of stretching and effective diffusion.
Erythema multiforme: microvascular damage and infiltration of lymphocytes and basophils.

The sequence of alterations occurring in recurrent erythema multiforme was studied with clinical observations, 1-μm tissue sections, and immunofluorescence techniques. Lesions evolved through 3 stages: an initial red papule, a vesicle surmounting a red papule, and a target (iris) lesion. Focal endothelial cell swelling was present in clinically normal skin. In the red papule, endothelial cytoplasmic swelling, vacuolization, and nuclear hypertrophy with luminal obliteration of superficial venules developed. These venular alterations were more marked with endothelial cell necrosis, and involved deeper venules as well in vesicular and target lesions. Lymphocytes surrounded the venules and infiltrated the lower epidermis in the red papule and the vesicular lesions. Venular damage was correlated with the degree of infiltration by lymphocytes, apparently the primary effector cell, suggesting the venule as a primary target of injury. Hypogranulated basophils were noted around venules in vesicular and target lesions. Fibrin deposits were identified within and interstitially beneath the vesicles. The presence of lymphocytes, basophils, and interstitial fibrin deposition is similar to the changes of cutaneous delayed-type hypersensitivity and suggests a role for cell-mediated immunity in the pathogenesis of erythema multiforme.
Black History, Inc! Investigating the Production of Black History Through Walmart's Corporate Web Site

Social and public sites are becoming a popular medium for intellectual consumption of Black history. Given the educational climate in which many students’ exposure to Black history may come from outside of schools, the authors examine how Walmart's Black History Month Web site produced simplistic and safe narratives about African American history.
FoxO3 regulates neural stem cell homeostasis

In the nervous system, neural stem cells (NSCs) are necessary for the generation of new neurons and for cognitive function. Here we show that FoxO3, a member of a transcription factor family known to extend lifespan in invertebrates, regulates the NSC pool. We find that adult FoxO3(-/-) mice have fewer NSCs in vivo than wild-type counterparts. NSCs isolated from adult FoxO3(-/-) mice have decreased self-renewal and an impaired ability to generate different neural lineages. Identification of the FoxO3-dependent gene expression profile in NSCs suggests that FoxO3 regulates the NSC pool by inducing a program of genes that preserves quiescence, prevents premature differentiation, and controls oxygen metabolism. The ability of FoxO3 to prevent the premature depletion of NSCs might have important implications for counteracting brain aging in long-lived species.
The Earthquake, the Missionaries, and the Future of Vodou

Although Duvalier used Vodou to legitimize his brutal dictatorship, the religion has traditionally empowered Haitians, particularly people from the poorest segments of the population. Historically, at Bois Caiman, Vodou inspired Haitians to rebel against the French for their freedom, and more recently Vodou priests and priestesses have served as healers, counselors, and mediators between rival families. In a highly patriarchal society, Vodou empowers women by allowing them to bring female issues into the "public eye." Yet in the past three decades Christian missionaries from various Protestant churches have been swarming to Haiti, and unlike the Haitian Catholic church, which tolerates the presence of Vodou in society, they condemn the Afro-Haitian belief system, labeling it a satanic cult. The tragic earthquake has created new opportunities for the Christian missionaries. Seeking new recruits, the missionaries blame the devastation on Vodou practitioners, who, at times, question the integrity of their belief. Moreover, the Protestants control a substantial portion of foreign aid, schools, orphanages, and medical centers, which lures Haitians away from their indigenous religion. Although the Protestants provide relief, their constant attack on Vodou reconfigures gender relations, disempowers poor women, and generates sentiment of self-hate among Haitians who are misled into believing that their faith is the source of their plight.