cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Planning for a Career in Hospital Medicine

This chapter provides considerations for those interested in the field of hospital medicine as well as practical guidance on preparing for, and pursuing, a hospitalist position. The various hospitalist career options and pathways are discussed. Methods for building and composing an effective curriculum vitae , including steps to take during residency, are covered. Strategies to find a hospitalist position, manage the interview process, and accept a position are reviewed. Factors to take into consideration while deciding on a position, such as career goals and work–life balance, are discussed. Issues specific to physicians pursuing both academic and community hospitalist careers are taken into account. A suggested timeline for finding a position is included.
Health, Stress, And Workload In An Era Of Workplace Change

Among current changes taking place at the worksite are shifts from goods-producing to service type operations, expanding use of computer technology, more women in the workforce and in jobs traditionally held by men, and persons remaining actively employed beyond usual retirement age. These changes suggest new or broadened definitions of the terms- health, stress, and workload, which will extend the more typical kinds of human factors inquiry. This paper describes the nature of these changes as well as the agenda of human factors efforts which they portend.
Antenna calibration for oceanographic radars using aerial drones

We describe using small drone aircraft for antenna pattern measurements (APMs) of high-frequency (HF) oceanographic radars for observing ocean surface currents. Prior studies show that accurate surface current measurements using HF radar require APMs. Typically APMs are obtained using small research vessels carrying radio signal sources or transponders in circular arcs around individual radar sites. This procedure is expensive because it requires sea-going technicians, a vessel, and other equipment necessary to support small boat operations. Furthermore adverse sea conditions and obstacles in the water can limit the ability of small vessels to conduct APMs. We have found that drone aircraft can conduct APMs at lower cost and in a broader range of sea states with comparable accuracy. This simplified process for obtaining APMs can lead to more frequent calibrations and improved surface current measurements.
Analysis of resistance mechanisms to ALK kinase inhibitors in ALK+ NSCLC patients.

7504 Background: Patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene fusions derive significant clinical benefit from crizotinib, an ALK inhibitor; moreover, next generation ALK kinase inhibitors are in development. Unfortunately, drug resistance develops after initial benefit (acquired) or occurs in patients who never derive a benefit (intrinsic). This study aimed to define molecular mechanisms of resistance to ALK kinase inhibitors in ALK+ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Methods: 30 ALK+ crizotinib-treated NSCLC patients experienced radiologic disease progression, of whom 7 progressed only in the CNS. Of the 23 patients with extra-CNS progression, a biopsy was attempted on 19. One of the patients without tissue post-crizotinib then proceeded to a second generation ALK inhibitor and tissue was obtained post progression on this drug. We performed molecular analysis and initiated cell lines from tumor tissue for these 19 patients. Results: 15 patients had material evaluable for molecular analy...
Digital logic circuits in yeast with CRISPR-dCas9 NOR gates.

Natural genetic circuits enable cells to make sophisticated digital decisions. Building equally complex synthetic circuits in eukaryotes remains difficult, however, because commonly used components leak transcriptionally, do not arbitrarily interconnect or do not have digital responses. Here, we designed dCas9-Mxi1-based NOR gates in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that allow arbitrary connectivity and large genetic circuits. Because we used the chromatin remodeller Mxi1, our gates showed minimal leak and digital responses. We built a combinatorial library of NOR gates that directly convert guide RNA (gRNA) inputs into gRNA outputs, enabling the gates to be ‘wired’ together. We constructed logic circuits with up to seven gRNAs, including repression cascades with up to seven layers. Modelling predicted the NOR gates have effectively zero transcriptional leak explaining the limited signal degradation in the circuits. Our approach enabled the largest, eukaryotic gene circuits to date and will form the basis for large, synthetic, cellular decision-making systems. The leakiness of commonly used genetic components can make the construction of complex synthetic circuits difficult. Here the authors construct NOR gate architecture, using dCas9 fused to the chromatin remodeller Mxi1, that can be wired together into complex circuits.
when do paid employees become hybrid entrepreneurs

Scholars have recently started to distinguish the antecedents and consequences of hybrid and pure entrepreneurship. We consider how social context influences individuals to enter hybrid entrepreneu...
Differential Stability Conditions for Saddle Problems on Products of Convex Polyhedra

In this paper we consider variational inequalities expressing necessary conditions for saddle problems over products of convex polyhedra. We show that a certain algebraic property of bisymmetric matrices leads to a condition that can greatly simplify the verification of stability conditions for such problems. We show how to apply this property in connection with recent advances in stability analysis, and we demonstrate that in a particular case derived from nonlinear programming the condition is satisfied without any additional requirements.
Association Between the Cilioretinal Artery and Choroidal Neovascularization in Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Secondary Analysis From the Age-Related Eye Disease Study.

Importance A hemodynamic role in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has been proposed, but to our knowledge, an association between retinal vasculature and late AMD has not been investigated. Objective To determine whether the presence and location of a cilioretinal artery may be associated with the risk of late AMD in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS). Design, Setting, and Participants Retrospective analysis of prospective, randomized clinical trial data from 3647 AREDS participants. Fundus photographs of AREDS participants were reviewed by 2 masked graders for the presence or absence of a cilioretinal artery and whether any branch extended within 500 μm of the central macula. Multivariate regressions were used to determine the association of the cilioretinal artery and vessel location, adjusted for age, sex, and smoking status, with the prevalence of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) or central geographic atrophy (CGA) and AMD severity score for eyes at randomization and progression at 5 years. Main Outcomes and Measures Association of cilioretinal artery with prevalence and 5-year incidence of CNV or CGA. Results Among AREDS participants analyzed, mean (SD) age was 69.0 (5.0) years, with 56.3% female, 46.6% former smokers, and 6.9% current smokers. A total of 26.9% of patients had a cilioretinal artery in 1 eye, and 8.4% had the vessel bilaterally. At randomization, eyes with a cilioretinal artery had a lower prevalence of CNV (5.0% vs 7.6%; OR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.51-0.85;P = .001) but no difference in CGA (1.1% vs 0.8%; OR, 1.33; 95% CI, 0.76-2.32;P = .31). In eyes without late AMD, those with a cilioretinal artery also had a lower mean (SD) AMD severity score (3.00 [2.35] vs 3.19 [2.40];P = .02). At 5 years, eyes at risk with a cilioretinal artery had lower rates of progression to CNV (4.1% vs 5.5%; OR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.56-1.00;P = .05) but no difference in developing CGA (2.2% vs 2.7%; OR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.56-1.23;P = .35) or change in AMD severity score (0.65 [1.55] vs 0.73 [1.70];P = .11). In patients with a unilateral cilioretinal artery, eyes with the vessel showed a lower prevalence of CNV than fellow eyes (4.7% vs 7.2%;P = .01). Conclusions and Relevance The presence of a cilioretinal artery is associated with a lower risk of developing CNV, but not CGA, suggesting a possible retinal hemodynamic contribution to the pathogenesis of neovascular AMD. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:NCT00000145
Infectious Disease Genomics

Publisher Summary The history and development of infectious disease genomics are discussed in this chapter. HGP must not be restricted to the human genome and should include model organisms including mouse, bacteria, yeast, fruit fly, and worm. The completed or ongoing genome projects will provide enormous opportunities for the discovery of novel vaccines and drug targets against human pathogens as well as the improvement of diagnosis and discovery of infectious agents and the development of new strategies for invertebrate vector control. The polysaccharide capsule is important for meningococci to escape from complement-mediated killing. With the completion of the genome sequence of a virulent MenB strain, a “reverse vaccinology” approach was applied for the development of a universal MenB vaccine by Novartis. The indispensable fatty acid synthase (FAS) pathway in bacteria has been regarded as a promising target for the development of antimicrobial agents. Through a systematic screening of 250,000 natural product extracts, a Merck team identified a potent and broad-spectrum antibiotic, platensimycin, which is derived from Streptomyces platensis. Vector Biology Network was formed to achieve three goals (1) to develop basic tools for the stable transformation of anopheline mosquitoes by the year 2000; (2) to engineer a mosquito incapable of carrying the malaria parasite by 2005; and (3) to run controlled experiments to test how to drive the engineered genotype into wild mosquito populations by 2010. The most immediate impact of a completely sequenced pathogen genome is for infectious disease diagnosis.
Abstract A42: Prenatal role of medical radiation in children diagnosed with a blood cancer: Single-institution study, 2006-2016

Background: Prenatal exposure to medical radiation is an identified risk for childhood cancers, but is difficult to document. The author developed a family questionnaire and interview form to identify possible exposures in children diagnosed from 2006-2016 with a blood cancer at a single institution. The Children9s Hospital of Pittsburgh historically in this ten-year period has seen 180-200 new cases of a pediatric cancer each year with approximately 35-40% of these cancers being a blood cancer, notably an acute leukemia, chronic leukemia, Hodgkins9s lymphoma, or a non-Hodgkin9s lymphoma. Method: Each converted family (approximately 30% of the cohort) has been interviewed at hospital, clinic, or through phone conversation who were diagnosed with a type of acute or chronic leukemia or lymphoma. All children were diagnosed/treated at the Children9s Hospital of Pittsburgh (CHP). CHP is the tristate regional referral center which sees about 180-200 new cases of a pediatric cancer each year. Medical staff and psychosocial staff referred patient families for interview with the author. Results: Among the families interviewed, at least one medical radiation prenatally has been identified in over one-third of families. These exposures prominently included sinus, chest or abdominal x-rays, or CT in either patient. Conclusion: Exposures to medical radiation for a child later diagnosed with cancer may occur pre-conception, in utero, or in early childhood. These exposures may be part of the “perfect storm” which eventually results in a blood or other cancer in children. Documenting these exposures may possibly in future lead to more preventive measures pre-conception similar to the “image gently” initiative to limit the number of diagnostic procedures and radiation doses in CT imaging of children today. Citation Format: Robin L. Rohrer. Prenatal role of medical radiation in children diagnosed with a blood cancer: Single-institution study, 2006-2016 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR International Conference held in cooperation with the Latin American Cooperative Oncology Group (LACOG) on Translational Cancer Medicine; May 4-6, 2017; Sao Paulo, Brazil. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2018;24(1_Suppl):Abstract nr A42.
Phytoplankton Ecology of the Western Arabian Gulf (Persian Gulf)

An ecological study of the phytoplankton of the western Arabian Gulf was conducted between May 1985 and April 1988. Fourteen shallow-water stations were occupied, with depths not exceeding 25 m. Temperature varies between 16.6°C during February and 35.5°C during August. Two salinity regimes were observed in the western Gulf. The northern and middle regions have salinity values around 43°/∞, while the southern region, primarily in the semi-enclosed Bay of Salwah, is characterized by higher salinity (around 55°/∞).
Special Collections Exhibitions: How They Pay Dividends for Your Library

A successful library exhibition is usually seen as one that attracts large numbers of visitors and improves their knowledge of a topic. The ways that exhibitions benefit library staff, library collections, and library operations are much less frequently considered. Though secondary, these internal outcomes are an important part of how libraries profit from exhibitions, in the same way that stock dividends supply a substantial percentage of overall investment returns. This essay views exhibition curatorship as a form of professional and organizational development and calls attention to how it helps librarians develop skills, knowledge, resources, and relationships that enhance library services and staff careers. Librarians at small- and medium-sized institutions without professionally trained exhibitions staff are the target audience, but the perspectives outlined here are broadly relevant.
Safety-oriented design of in-house software for new techniques: A case study using a model-based 4DCT protocol.

Purpose In-house software is commonly employed to implement new imaging and therapy techniques before commercial solutions are available. Risk analysis methods, as detailed in the TG-100 report of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine, provide a framework for quality management of processes but offer little guidance on software design. In this work, we examine a novel model-based four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) protocol using the TG-100 approach and describe two additional methods for promoting safety of the associated in-house software. Methods To implement a previously published model-based 4DCT protocol, in-house software was necessary for tasks such as synchronizing a respiratory signal to computed tomography images, deformable image registration (DIR), model parameter fitting, and interfacing with a treatment planning system. A process map was generated detailing the workflow. Failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) was performed to identify critical steps and guide quality interventions. Software system safety was addressed through writing "use cases," narratives that characterize the behavior of the software, for all major operations to elicit safety requirements. Safety requirements were codified using the easy approach to requirements syntax (EARS) to ensure testability and eliminate ambiguity. Results Sixty-one failure modes were identified and assigned risk priority numbers using FMEA. Resultant quality management interventions include integration of a comprehensive reporting and logging system into the software, mandating daily and monthly equipment quality assurance procedures, and a checklist to be completed at image acquisition. Use cases and resulting safety requirements informed the design of needed in-house software as well as a suite of tests performed during the image generation process. Conclusions TG-100 methods were used to construct a process-level quality management program for a 4DCT imaging protocol. Two supplemental tools from the field of requirements engineering facilitated elicitation and codification of safety requirements that informed the design and testing of in-house software necessary to implement the protocol. These general tools can be applied to promote safety when in-house software is needed to bring new techniques to the clinic.
Abstract 467: Lipoproteins and Cardiovacular Disease Risk

Objectives: Elevated serum levels of low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), small dense LDL-C (sdLDL-C), remnant lipoprotein cholesterol (RLP-C), and lipoprotein (a) or Lp(a) and low high den...
Mixed spatial pyramid pooling for semantic segmentation

Abstract Semantic segmentation is a challenging task as each pixel should be labeled accurately in the image. To improve the performance of semantic segmentation, some Fully Convolutional Network (FCN) based semantic segmentation methods adopt a spatial pyramid pooling structure to enrich contextual information. Others employ an encoder–decoder architecture to recover object details gradually. In this paper, we propose a semantic segmentation framework which combines the benefits of these approaches. Specifically, we propose a Mixed Spatial Pyramid Pooling (MSPP) module based on region-based average pooling and dilated convolution to obtain dense multi-level contextual priors. To further refine the details of objects more effectively, we also propose a Global-Attention Fusion (GAF) module to provide global context as guidance for low-level features. Our proposed method achieves mIoU of 84.1% on PASCAL VOC 2012 dataset and 80.4% on Cityscapes dataset without using any post-processing or additional datasets for pretrained model.
Preservice Literacy Teachers “Bringing Hope Back” Through Practice-Based Research:

This descriptive case study explored literacy preservice teachers’ (PTs) learning for the use of practice-based research and the impact of research experiences on their literacy teaching. This proj...
Prevalence of pulmonary hypertension in adults after atrial switch and role of ventricular filling pressures.

Objective To assess the prevalence of elevated systemic right ventricular (sRV) end-diastolic pressure and pulmonary arterial hypertension in adults with transposition of the great arteries (TGA) who have undergone atrial switch operation. Methods Forty-two adults (aged ≥18 years) with complete TGA and atrial switch palliation undergoing cardiac catheterisation between 2004 and 2018 at Mayo Clinic, MN, were identified. Clinical, echocardiographic and invasive haemodynamic data were abstracted from the medical charts and procedure logs. Results Mean age was 37.6±7.9 years; 28 were male (67%). The Mustard operation was performed in 91% of individuals. Mean estimated sRV ejection fraction by echocardiography was 33.3%±10.9% and ≥moderate tricuspid (systemic atrioventricular valve) regurgitation was present in 15 patients (36%). Mean sRV end-diastolic pressure was 13.2±5.4 mm Hg. An sRV end-diastolic pressure >15 mm Hg was present in 35% of individuals whereas a pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP) >15 mm Hg was seen in 59%. Mean pulmonary artery pressure ≥25 mm Hg was seen in 47.5% of patients with PAWP being >15 mm Hg in all but one patient. Conclusion In adults after atrial switch, elevated sRV end-diastolic pressure was present in only one-third of patients whereas increased PAWP was seen in almost 60%. These findings are most likely related to a combination of decreased pulmonary atrial (functional left atrium) compliance and, in a subset of patients, pulmonary venous baffle obstruction. Elevation in pulmonary pressures was highly prevalent with concomitant elevation in PAWP being present in essentially all patients.
The Effects of Manipulated and Biographical Parent Disengagement on the Sexually Risky Attitudes and Intentions of College Women

The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether manipulated and biographical parent disengagement were associated with sexually risky attitudes and intentions. College women (N = 140) completed an online experiment in which they were asked to recall a time when one of their parents (father or mother) was either engaged or disengaged, write about it, and then complete a series of inventories measuring their sexual attitudes, sexual intentions, and biographical information. Experimental data were analyzed using a 2 (Parent Prime: father or mother) × 2 (Engagement Prime: engaged or disengaged) ANCOVA, with the Mini-K (Figueredo et al., Developmental Review 26:243–275, 2006) as the covariate. Experimental results showed a significant main effect for the engagement prime on sexually risky attitudes and intentions, F(1, 98) = 4.34, p = .04, $${\eta }_{partial}^{2}$$ = .04. Women who recalled a time when a parent was disengaged (M = 24.25, SD = 6.84), endorsed more sexually risky attitudes and intentions than those who recalled a time when a parent was engaged (M = 21.83, SD = 7.31). Consistent with these results, correlational analyses also revealed that childhood and current biographical parent disengagement were significantly associated with sexually risky attitudes and intentions. Results are discussed from an evolutionary perspective using Life History Theory.
Use of #SaludTues Tweetchats for the Dissemination of Culturally Relevant Information on Latino Health Equity: Exploratory Case Study

Background: Latinx people comprise 18% of the US adult population and a large share of youth and continue to experience inequities that perpetuate health disparities. To engage Latinx people in advocacy for health equity based on this population’s heavy share of smartphone, social media, and Twitter users, Salud America! launched the #SaludTues Tweetchat series. In this paper, we explore the use of #SaludTues to promote advocacy for Latinx health equity. Objective: This study aims to understand how #SaludTues Tweetchats are used to promote dissemination of culturally relevant information on social determinants of health, to determine whether tweetchats serve to drive web traffic to the Salud America! website, and to understand who participates in #SaludTues Tweetchats and what we can learn about the participants. We also aim to share our own experiences and present a step-by-step guide of how tweetchats are planned, developed, promoted, and executed. Methods: We explored tweetchat data collected between 2014 and 2018 using Symplur and Google Analytics to identify groups of stakeholders and web traffic. Network analysis and mapping tools were also used to derive insights from this series of chats. Results: We conducted 187 chats with 24,609 reported users, 177,466 tweets, and more than 1.87 billion impressions using the hashtag #SaludTues during this span, demonstrating effective dissemination of and exposure to culturally relevant information. Traffic to the Salud America! website was higher on Tuesdays than any other day of the week, suggesting that #SaludTues Tweetchats acted effectively as a website traffic–driving tool. Most participants came from advocacy organizations (165/1000, 16.5%) and other health care–related organizations (162/1000, 16.2%), whereas others were unknown users (147/1000, 14.7%) and individual users outside of the health care sector (117/1000, 11.7%). The majority of participants were located in Texas, California, New York, and Florida, all states with high Latinx populations. Conclusions: Carefully planned, culturally relevant tweetchats such as #SaludTues can be a powerful tool for public health practitioners and advocates to engage audiences on Twitter around health issues, advocacy, and policy solutions for Latino health equity. Further information is needed to determine the effect that #SaludTues Tweetchats have on self- and collective efficacy for advocacy in the area of Latino health equity. Trial Registration:
Multiple Epithelial Origin Complications Following Subepithelial Connective Tissue Graft for Root Coverage.

Introduction The subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG) and flap combination is a highly predictable root coverage procedure, with low complication rates. This article reports the first case of two late SCTG complications, epithelial cell discharge and subsequent epidermal inclusion cyst (EIC) formation. Case presentation A 35-year-old male presented with a 3 mm deep Miller Class II recession defect on the mandibular right canine and mesial root of mandibular right first molar. A mild discomfort was reported at eight weeks after envelope flap+SCTG in #27. At 4 months after the procedure, the patient presented with persistent discomfort and minimally compressible recipient site diffuse swelling with discharge, which was cytologically diagnosed as normal epithelial cells. One year post-operatively, enlargement of the lesion was seen, and excisional biopsy was performed simultaneously with SCTG in #30. The lesion was diagnosed as EIC. At 8 months follow-up, the site healed uneventfully, the patient remained asymptomatic, and the site exhibited scar formation and no recurrence of the lesion. Conclusion(s) This report highlights epithelial cell discharge and EIC formation as a rare yet possible SCTG complication and emphasizes the importance of an excisional biopsy as the means to obtain a definitive diagnosis and manage this complication. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Prenatal Genetic Screening, Epistemic Justice, and Reproductive Autonomy

Noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) promises to enhance women's reproductive autonomy by providing genetic information about the fetus, especially in the detection of genetic impairments like Down syndrome (DS). In practice, however, NIPT provides opportunities for intensified manipulation and control over women's reproductive decisions. Applying Miranda Fricker's concept of epistemic injustice to prenatal screening, this article analyzes how medical professionals impair reproductive decision-making by perpetuating testimonial injustice. They do so by discrediting positive parental testimony about what it is like to raise a child with DS. We argue that this testimonial injustice constitutes a twofold harm: (1) people with DS and their family members who claim that parenting a child with DS may be a rewarding and joyous experience are harmed when they are systematically silenced, disbelieved, and/or denied epistemic credibility by medical professionals, and (2) pregnant women are harmed since they might make poorly informed choices without access to all relevant information. The broader implication of the analysis is that epistemic justice is a precondition of reproductive autonomy. We conclude by calling for federal oversight of the acquisition and dissemination of information that prospective parents receive following a positive diagnosis of DS to ensure that it is comprehensive and up to date.
A New Algorithm for Land-Cover Classification Using PolSAR and InSAR Data and Its Application to Surface Roughness Mapping Along the Gulf Coast

During a flooding event, the ability of the terrain to dissipate water flow energy depends on its land-cover type and the associated surface roughness. In this study, we developed a new land-cover classification algorithm using repeat-pass polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) and interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data. Through a two-level hierarchical approach, we classified nine land-cover types with distinct surface roughness coefficients (Manning's n). We demonstrated the performance of this algorithm using available L-band ALOS PALSAR scenes acquired between April 2007 and April 2011 over the Houston area. The radar-based surface roughness estimates show a good agreement with those independently derived from NOAA's 22-class Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) 2010 land-cover classification data. Our algorithm is robust, and the randomly selected training sets only account for 0.3% of the total multilooked radar pixels (30-m spacing). Furthermore, we were able to accurately map surface roughness over the New Orleans area using available ALOS PALSAR scenes without selecting any new training sets. We note that NOAA's C-CAP data are currently used for estimating surface roughness in the operational storm-surge models, and a new version is typically released every five to six years. With the launch of the L-band NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission in the near future, our algorithm can be used to fill the temporal gaps of the existing C-CAP-based surface roughness database and improve the accuracy of near real-time hydrodynamic modeling.
SURGICAL TREATMENT OF PATELLAR INSTABILITY IN ADOLESCENT DANCERS

Background:Adolescent dancers may be a high-risk population for patellofemoral instability (PFI), but the condition remains under-investigated, to date, in this sub-group of athletes.Purpose:The pu...
The impact of increasing karyotypic complexity and evolution on survival in CLL patients treated with ibrutinib.

Complex karyotype defined as ≥3 cytogenetic abnormalities is prognostic of survival in patients treated with ibrutinib or venetoclax in relapsed/refractory (RR) chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Recent studies re-evaluating this dichotomous variable have shown that higher numbers of cytogenetic abnormalities (i.e. ≥5) have a worse overall survival in patients treated with chemoimmunotherapy. We sought to determine if increasing karyotypic complexity, treated as a continuous variable, was prognostic of survival for patients treated with ibrutinib for CLL. We conducted a retrospective analysis of all patients with CLL treated with single-agent ibrutinib or in combination with an anti-CD20 antibody at our institution. We included 456 patients with both treatment-naive (TN) and RR disease. Median number of prior therapies was 2 (range 0-13), 30% of patients had del(17p), and 75% were IGHV unmutated. 50% had ≥3 cytogenetic abnormalities including 30% with ≥5. In a multivariable analysis, increasing karyotypic complexity was an independent predictor of shorter progression-free survival (HR 1.07 (95% CI 1.04-1.10), p<0.0001) and overall survival (HR 1.09 (95% CI 1.05-1.12), p<0.0001). Furthermore, we found that presence of clonal evolution determined by cytogenetic analysis at progression was prognostic of subsequent survival (p=0.02). This solidifies karyotypic complexity as an important prognostic factor for CLL patients treated with ibrutinib. Further research should consider sequential karyotypic analysis as a determination of risk of progression and death in patients with CLL.
Advancement of the Infant Air-Jet Dry Powder Inhaler (DPI): Evaluation of Different Positive-Pressure Air Sources and Flow Rates.

In order to improve the delivery of dry powder aerosol formulations to the lungs of infants, this study implemented an infant air-jet platform and explored the effects of different air sources, flow rates, and pulmonary mechanics on aerosolization performance and aerosol delivery through a preterm nose-throat (NT) in vitro model. The infant air-jet platform was actuated with a positive-pressure air source that delivered the aerosol and provided a full inhalation breath. Three different air sources were developed to provide highly controllable positive-pressure air actuations (using actuation volumes of ~10 mL for the preterm model). While providing different flow waveform shapes, the three air sources were calibrated to produce the same flow rate magnitude (Q90: 90th percentile of flow rate). Multiple air-jet DPI designs were coupled with the air sources and evaluated with a model spray-dried excipient enhanced growth formulation. Compared to other designs, the D1-Single air-jet DPI provided improved performance with low variability across all three air sources. With the tested D1-Single air-jet and Timer air source, reducing the flow rate from 4 to 1.7 L/min marginally decreased the aerosol size and significantly increased the lung delivery efficiency above 50% of the loaded dose. These results were not impacted by the presence of downstream pulmonary mechanics (resistance and compliance model). The selected design was capable of providing an estimated >50% lung delivery efficiency of a model spray-dried formulation and was not influenced by the air source, thereby enabling greater flexibility for platform deployment in different environments.
Coming to terms: Teaching systemic racism and (the myth of) white supremacy

Teaching about systemic racism and the myth of white supremacy to the next cadre of public administrators is critical as it supports students’ abilities to challenge dominant paradigms and center c...
Teaching Students about the World of Work: Nancy Hoffman and Michael Lawrence Collins Cambridge, MA, Harvard Education Press, 2020. 264 Pages. Paperback ($33.00). ISBN 9781682534946

Teaching Students about the World of Work is an attempt to consider how jobs, good jobs, can hold a central place in higher education curricula. Faculty members are often tasked with not only recru...
Genetics of Antibacterial Host Defenses

This chapter reviews the well-characterized genetic syndromes of bacterial susceptibility with an eye toward specificity of the susceptibility, applicability of the defect to infections in the general population, and, where applicable, treatment. Defects in barriers involving the skin and lung and defects of leukocyte number, trafficking, and function are also considered in this chapter. The major protection afforded by the skin is due to the stratum corneum, which provides a multifunctional barrier retarding water loss and providing an antimicrobial barrier. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disease caused by mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), the gene that encodes the major epithelial chloride channel. This chapter focuses on examples of innate immune defects, especially those involving phagocytic cells as mutations in the genes regulating the innate immune system have been very informative regarding the specific associations of genes and infections. Inherited neutropenias can occur in both autosomal recessive and dominant forms. Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is caused by defects in the reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase. Chediak-Higashi syndrome (CHS) is characterized by oculocutaneous albinism, frequent pyogenic infections, neurologic abnormalities, and a relatively late-onset lymphoma-like accelerated phase. There are a growing number of genetic syndromes that predispose an individual to bacterial infections. They dissect the biologic pathways that are required, desirable, and dispensible for protection. The complexity of bacterial susceptibility is compounded by the extraordinary variability in bacteria themselves, as well as the ways in they are encountered.
Law and Sex

In Feminism Unmodified, a collection of speeches given between 1981 and 1986, Catharine MacKinnon talks of law from the perspective of feminism. MacKinnon does not approach her topic as a lawyer with a uniquely legal perspective on feminism; she brings, instead, a distinctively feminist approach to law. Nor is the feminism from which she speaks grounded in the standard political theories: MacKinnon disclaims and attacks the Marxist approach to feminism, the socialist approach to feminism, and, most emphatically and repeatedly, the liberal approach to feminism that has been embraced by many lawyers in their effort to use law to eliminate discrimination on the basis of sex. MacKinnon's goal is to define feminism on its own terms. That is what she means by "unmodified." This book both exemplifies and discusses the difficulty, and the considerable success, of her project. It is a rough, powerful, important work. MacKinnon talks about law, and about the effect upon women of trying to talk in legal language. Although she herself is, in at least some of these essays, talking to lawyers, and although lawyers typically adopt a language of neutrality, MacKinnon herself makes no pretense of neutrality or disinterest. These are political speeches. They are concerned with the way law works as a system of power, a system that reinforces the supremacy of men over women. To adopt the language of law as if it represented not politics, but neutrality or a claim to a disinterested justice, would be to give up her claim from the beginning. It would cede to law the very status she contests. Yet the costs of MacKinnon's choice to talk about law from the standpoint of feminist politics the personal and political costs, particularly the loss of credibility are high. That is a chief theme of this book: My work is considered not law by lawyers, not scholarship by academics, too practical by intellectuals, too intellectual by practitioners, and neither politics nor science by political scientists. ... [A]s for me, I notice that law gives me some credibility, but that being woman-identified takes it away. The law gives male credibility; female identification erases it. [pp. 132-33]
Group B beta-hemolytic streptococci and puerperal infections

Group B beta-hemolytic streptococci as a major cause of puerperal infection in 40 patients is described. Unique features of this bacterial infection are the development of an average peak oral temperature within 12 hours of delivery, tachycardia, distended abdomen, and endomyometritis or endomyoparametritis. Bacteremia occurred in 35% of these patients.
Sequence determinants of oligomer selection in coiled coils

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the sequence determinants of oligomer selection in coiled coils. The coiled coil mediates protein–protein interactions within numerous biological contexts. The sequences of coiled coils contain a characteristic seven-residue repeat, abcdefg, where the “a” and “d” positions are occupied by hydrophobic amino acids. This motif codes for amphipatic α-helices that oligomerize through their hydrophobic faces. Despite the presence of a common sequence pattern, coiled coils form helical ropes with different oligomerization states and alternative topologies. The differences in the amino-acid compositions of dimeric and trimeric coiled-coil structures are determined. The method incorporates the ideas that are useful in calculations of profile scores. Rare amino acids were excluded to reduce bias introduced by the limited sequence data bases, and exposed residues were excluded to focus the analysis on key positions. Although the current method is relatively accurate, potential improvements can be anticipated.
6 Assembly of the Intestinal Brush Border Cytoskeleton

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the current understanding of brush border (BB) assembly. Experimental and descriptive studies of BB and microvillus (MV) assembly from a number of laboratories have yielded some insight into the mechanisms of cytoskeletal assembly. A variety of experimental systems are being used and include the developing embryonic epithelium of both intestine and kidney, the proliferative epithelium of the adult intestine, a variety of cell lines derived from neoplastic intestine (HT-29, Caco2, T84) and kidney (LLC-PK,), and, more recently, invertebrate tissues, including the retina (rhabdome) and midgut of Drosophila and other arthropods. In addition, assembly mechanisms are also studied, by means of transfection and microinjection experiments, in which the brush borderless cell types are used as models to explore the potential of BB proteins to organize cytoarchitecture.
Emotional and behavioral disorders in pediatric episodic tension headaches

Episodic tension type headaches are common in the pediatric population. Concurrent behavioral and emotional disorders could significantly impact treatment options and therapeutic response. Children and adolescents from our multi-disciplinary headache clinic with episodic tension type headaches (according to International Classification of Headache Disorders-II) criteria were evaluated prospectively for presence of concurrent psychologic disorders with standardized psychologic batteries and case controls were used for comparison. Parents frequently reported behavioral symptoms, but only oppositional defiant disorder was significantly represented with anxiety disorders also very common. Presence of concurrent psychiatric disorders did not influence headache treatment response.
A stochastic jump diffusion particle-tracking model (SJD-PTM) for sediment transport in open channel flows.

[1] A stochastic jump diffusion (SJD) process is used to describe movement of sediment particles in open channel flows. The stochastic jump diffusion particle-tracking model (SJD-PTM) is governed by the stochastic differential equation (SDE). The SDE consists of three main terms including a mean drift motion term, a Wiener process representing random turbulent motion, and a Poisson process describing the abrupt movement of particles caused by probabilistic occurrences of the extreme flow perturbations. The proposed SJD-PTM can characterize the probabilistic properties of sediment particle movement by simulating the most probable trajectory and ensemble variances of particle movement associated with both flow turbulence and random occurrences of extreme flow perturbations. For the particle movement in response to extreme flow occurrences, we have introduced the particle relaxation time (temporal lag) to quantify the delayed response of sediment particles to large flow perturbations because of the particle inertia effect. The particle relaxation time is derived from a consideration of the forces exerted on particles under the effect of flow accelerations. The particle relaxation time is demonstrated to be dependent on particle size and density as well as the particle Reynolds number. The impact of drag and added mass forces on the ensemble mean and variance of particle trajectory is also evaluated. The particle relaxation time is found to be a factor that diminishes the impact of the extreme flow perturbations. It is shown that heavier and larger particles normally have a larger particle relaxation time, a decreased particle jump magnitude and a smaller ensemble variance of particle trajectories in the occurrences of extreme flow perturbations. It is concluded that the proposed SJD-PTM with the particle relaxation time can better describe the movement of sediment particles of nonnegligible size in response to extreme flow perturbations. The ability to quantify the variances of particle movement more comprehensively is one of the major advantages associated with the SJD-PTM for longer-term sediment transport modeling and predictions. The proposed SJD-PTM is verified against two distinct experimental data.
Hydrolysable core crosslinked particles for receptor-mediated pH-sensitive anticancer drug delivery

Biodegradable micelle systems with both extracellular stabilities and specific targeting properties are highly desirable for anti-cancer drug delivery. Here, we report a biodegradable and crosslinkable poly(propylene fumarate)-co-poly(lactide-co-glycolide)-co-poly(ethylene glycol) (PPF–PLGA–PEG) copolymer conjugated with folate (FA) molecules for receptor-mediated delivery of doxorubicin. Micelles with folate ligands on the surface and fumarate bonds within the core were self-assembled and crosslinked, which exhibited better stability against potential physiological conditions during and after drug administration. A pH sensitive drug release profile was observed showing robust release in an acidic environment due to the ester hydrolysis of PLGA (50:50). Furthermore, micelles with folate ligands on the surface showed strong targeting ability and therapeutic efficacy through receptor-mediated endocytosis, as evidenced by efficacious killing of cancer cells and fatal DNA damage. These results imply the promising potential of ligand-conjugated core crosslinked PPF–PLGA–PEG–FA micelles as carrier systems for targeted anti-cancer drug delivery.
New form discovery for the analgesics flurbiprofen and sulindac facilitated by polymer-induced heteronucleation

The selection and discovery of new crystalline forms is a longstanding issue in solid-state chemistry of critical importance because of the effect molecular packing arrangement exerts on materials properties. Polymer-induced heteronucleation has recently been developed as a powerful approach to discover and control the production of crystal modifications based on the insoluble polymer heteronucleant added to the crystallization solution. The selective nucleation and discovery of new crystal forms of the well-studied pharmaceuticals flurbiprofen (FBP) and sulindac (SUL) has been achieved utilizing this approach. For the first time, FBP form III was produced in bulk quantities and its crystal structure was also determined. Furthermore, a novel 3:2 FBP:H(2)O phase was discovered that nucleates selectively from only a few polymers. Crystallization of SUL in the presence of insoluble polymers facilitated the growth of form I single crystals suitable for structure determination. Additionally, a new SUL polymorph (form IV) was discovered by this method. The crystal forms of FBP and SUL are characterized by Raman and FTIR spectroscopies, X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry.
Missing the obvious: psychosocial obstacles in Veterans with hepatocellular carcinoma

Background Socioeconomic disparities in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) influence medical treatment. In addition to socioeconomic barriers, the Veteran population suffers from significant psychosocial obstacles. This study identifies the social challenges that Veterans face while undergoing treatment for HCC.
Aspidodera kinsellai n. sp. (Nematoda: Heterakoidea) from Nine-Banded Armadillos in Middle America with Notes on Phylogeny and Host–Parasite Biogeography

Abstract: Aspidodera kinsellai n. sp. (Heterakoidea: Aspidoderidae) from the 9-banded armadillo, Dasypus novemcinctus, is herein described. This nematode occurs from Costa Rica north through central Mexico where it can be found causing co-infections with Aspidodera sogandaresi. Aspidodera kinsellai n. sp. can be discriminated from this and all other species in the family based on 3 key features, including (1) conspicuous lateral grooves with no lateral alae starting immediately after the hood and terminating at the cloacal/anal region; (2) long hoods in both male (360 μm) and female (401 μm), and (3) a relatively long (152 μm) terminal spine or terminus that gradually tapers to a point from the last pair of papillae. This is the 18th recognized species of the family and the 3rd in the genus present outside of South America. A phylogenetic analysis of the species in the genus with the use of the mitochondrial partial genes cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 (cox1), the ribosomal large subunit (rrnL), and the ...
Sugar-coated Daphnia: A preservation technique for Cladocera1

Carapace distortion and loss of eggs by preserved Daphnia was prevented by adding 40 g liter−1 sucrose to 4% Formalin.
Acute ethanol exposure affects spermatogonial stem cell homeostasis in pre-pubertal mice

Ethanol is a known modulator of neural stem cell development, but the consequences of ethanol toxicity on the cell fate decisions of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) is poorly understood. Using an in vivo treatment and stem cell transplantation approach, we investigated the effects of acute ethanol exposure on formation of the growing adult SSC population in neonatal and pre-pubertal mice. Treatment with a single dose of ethanol disrupted SSC homeostasis in vivo evidenced by a significant reduction (7-fold) of stem cell colonization efficiency in the testes of recipient mice following transplantation. Ethanol treatment also increased the rate of apoptosis in adult differentiating germ cells in situ. Gene expression analysis indicates that ethanol exposure has transient and long-term effects on the expression of GDNF and VEGF family molecules and supports the hypothesis that the niche microenvironment for SSCs is sensitive to ethanol toxicity during pre-pubertaland adult life.