cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Barrett’s oesophagus: diagnosis and management

#### What you need to know Barrett’s oesophagus is a premalignant condition where the oesophageal squamous epithelium undergoes columnar change with metaplasia which predisposes to the development of oesophageal adenocarcinoma. In order for Barrett’s oesophagus to be diagnosed, a segment of the lower oesophagus has to be replaced by columnar tissue (fig 1⇓). In patients with oesophageal columnar tissue without intestinal metaplasia the cancer risk is thought to be low. Many patients with Barrett’s oesophagus have no symptoms. Development of oesophageal adenocarcinoma is understood to progress in a stepwise manner following the sequence of oesophagitis, metaplasia, dysplasia, and finally adenocarcinoma (fig 2⇓). This review describes how Barrett’s oesophagus is diagnosed and explores questions regarding current and future management strategies for Barrett’s oesophagus. Fig 1 Endoscopic view and diagram of Barrett’s oesophagus Fig 2 Diagram of progression of Barrett’s oesophagus from normal oesophageal epithelium to oesophageal adenocarcinoma #### Methods We searched PubMed, Medline, and the Cochrane database from inception to November 2015 using the primary search terms “Barrett’s oesophagus,” “Barrett’s management,” and “endoscopic therapy for Barrett’s.” Abstracts published in English were included. Priority was given to randomised controlled trials and meta-analyses; citations from case series and retrospective studies were included where appropriate. The prevalence of Barrett’s oesophagus ranges varies widely in the general population depending on the definition of diagnosis and …
How the Bible Became a Book: Scripture in the Shadow of the Temple

The Persian period brings an end to royalist-centered biblical literature. The Davidic kings vanish from the scene, and the leadership of the Jewish community in Jerusalem passes to the priests. The identity of the Jewish people will be centered increasingly in the Jerusalem Temple. The composition and editing of biblical literature will be located in the Jerusalem Temple. The production of written literature will be controlled by the priests. The sons of David are not forgotten, but they are dispossessed. The priests are no longer interested in the sons of David as princes of Israel. Rather, David and his sons become patrons of the temple, its priests, and its services. In David's place, the priest and scribe Ezra arises. With the hand of God upon him, like a second coming of Moses, Ezra leads the post-exilic community. At the center of the priestly leadership will be the Book of Moses. The priests become the guardians of the Mosaic Torah and the sacred writings of ancient Israel. The oral word of God through the prophets comes to an end as the temple priests and scribes will textualize the word of God. This chapter will deal with writing in the fifth through third centuries b.c.e. , that is, from the mid-Persian into the Hellenistic period. Although the Persian period proper begins with the Persian king Cyrus's conquest of Babylon in 539 b.c.e. , the continuing role of the Davidic royal family made for continuity into the first years of Persian rule in Jerusalem in the late sixth century b.c.e. The Davidic royal family disappears by the end of the sixth century b.c.e. , and leadership apparently transfers to the priests.
The value of non-pollen palynomorphs in interpreting paleoecological change in the Great Basin (Nevada, USA)

Non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs) are identifiable microfossils that survive chemical digestion during pollen extraction and appear in pollen slides. They represent important proxies and indicators of environmental change that can be integrated with pollen studies of landscape history. NPPs have been widely studied in Europe since the 1970s and regularly included in paleoecological studies, whereas in the United States only the most common NPPs have been routinely tallied. The aim of this study is to contribute to the validation of the use of NPPs in the reconstruction of landscape history. We analyzed NPPs in modern and fossil sediment samples from Stonehouse Meadow, located in Spring Valley in the eastern part of central Nevada. We present a total of 64 modern and fossil NPPs, with images and morphological descriptions given for all previously unknown NPPs and a selection of the most important known NPPs. The comparison of pollen and NPPs in the fossil sediments improves our interpretation of the ecological changes of the last 8000 yr.
Cultural factors in peace-making: the Israeli-Palestinian context

AbstractThe importance of culture, while recognized, has received proportionately less attention than political and economic issues and objective interests in settling political disputes. Traditional ways of understanding conflict and approaches to reconciliation nevertheless appear to play a major role in the frequent breakdown of peace agreements, as parties’ underlying needs and expectations are not met. A review of data on peace agreements in the Middle East as compared to the rest of the world shows that power imbalance, perceptions of injustice and the authority of potential mediators play especially important roles in success. In cases of inter-Arab and Arab–Israeli conflict, reconciliation requires power rebalance, demonstrated mutual respect and security guarantees.
Quantifying Conservation Biological Control for Management of Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in Cotton.

Conservation biological control can be an effective tactic for minimizing insect-induced damage to agricultural production. In the Arizona cotton system, a suite of generalist arthropod predators provides critical regulation of Bemisia tabaci Gennadius (MEAM1) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) and other pests. Arthropod predator and B. tabaci populations were manipulated with a range of broad-spectrum and selective insecticide exclusions to vary predator to prey interactions in a 2-yr field study. Predator to prey ratios associated with B. tabaci densities near the existing action threshold were estimated for six predator species found to be negatively associated with either adult and/or large nymphs of B. tabaci [Misumenops celer (Hentz) (Araneae: Thomisidae), Drapetis nr divergens (Diptera: Empididae), Geocoris pallens Stal (Hemiptera: Geocoridae), Orius tristicolor (White) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae), Chrysoperla carnea s.l. (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), and Collops spp. (Coleoptera: Melyridae)] with the first three most consistently associated with declining B. tabaci densities. Ratios ranged from 1 M. celer per 100 sweeps to 1 B. tabaci adult per leaf to 44 D. nr. divergens per 100 sweeps to 1 large nymph per leaf disk. These ratios represent biological control informed thresholds that might serve as simple-to-use decision tool for reducing risk in the current B. tabaci integrated pest management strategy. The identification of key predators within the large, flexible food web of the cotton agro-ecosystem and estimation of predator to B. tabaci ratios clarifies the role of key predators in B. tabaci suppression, yielding potential decision-making advantages that could contribute to further improving economic and environmental sustainability of insect management in the cotton system.
Tissue Protozoa: That Cat Will Really Drive Me Crazy One of These Days

In earlier chapters we had shown how parasites have been able to manipulate their hosts to the advantage of the parasite. For example, we have seen how the tapeworm Schistocephalus solidus affects their fish host in such a way that the fish becomes more likely to be caught and eaten by birds, thus favoring the tapeworm to complete its life cycle in the bird. We have also discussed how the liver fluke Dicrocoelium dendriticum manipulated the behavior of the ant in such a way that enables both to be more likely ingested by sheep which happen to be the final host of that parasite. Those examples however only involved animal hosts, and the idea that animal hosts may have been unwittingly manipulated by parasites is relatively easily accepted without creating much of a fuss.
Electrochromic effect in Q-carbon

Here, we report the electrochromic effect in undoped Q-carbon. This unique phase of carbon, Q-carbon, is formed by pulsed laser melting of amorphous carbon and subsequent ultrafast quenching process. The excess amount of unpaired electrons near the Fermi energy level in the Q-carbon causes a 48% increase in the optical absorption at 265 nm with an applied electric field of 10 V. The Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) also indicates that the Fermi level of Q-carbon is situated ∼40 meV higher than that in the neighboring diamond-like carbon region. It is also observed that, with an increase in the tip voltage from 0 to 10 V in KPFM, there occurs an increase in the image phase contrast thereby indicating an increase in the concentration of electrons. This causes an increase in optical absorbance with the application of an electric field in Q-carbon. The direct and indirect optical band gaps in Q-carbon are calculated to be 3.82 and 2.93 eV, respectively, using the Tauc analysis. High-resolution scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and selected area electron diffraction pattern depict the formation and amorphous nature of Q-carbon. Raman and electron energy-loss spectroscopy of Q-carbon reveal over 75% sp3-bonded carbon (rest sp2) and excess electrons near the Fermi level. This discovery of electrochromic effect in Q-carbon shows that highly non-equilibrium synthesis can be elegantly used to fabricate smart windows with immense energy-saving applications.Here, we report the electrochromic effect in undoped Q-carbon. This unique phase of carbon, Q-carbon, is formed by pulsed laser melting of amorphous carbon and subsequent ultrafast quenching process. The excess amount of unpaired electrons near the Fermi energy level in the Q-carbon causes a 48% increase in the optical absorption at 265 nm with an applied electric field of 10 V. The Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) also indicates that the Fermi level of Q-carbon is situated ∼40 meV higher than that in the neighboring diamond-like carbon region. It is also observed that, with an increase in the tip voltage from 0 to 10 V in KPFM, there occurs an increase in the image phase contrast thereby indicating an increase in the concentration of electrons. This causes an increase in optical absorbance with the application of an electric field in Q-carbon. The direct and indirect optical band gaps in Q-carbon are calculated to be 3.82 and 2.93 eV, respectively, using the Tauc analysis. High-resolution scanning el...
ELECTRIC DIPOLE RADIATION IN 4He OBSERVED WITH THE POLARIZED PROTON CAPTURE REACTION

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the electric dipole radiation in 4 He observed with the polarized proton capture reaction. The theoretical and experimental work on the 3 Η (p,γ) 4 He reaction and its inverse have established several interesting features. The experimental El cross section exhibits a broad maximum even after allowance is made for kinematical and penetrability factors. By combining the new measurements with the existing angular distribution data for the unpolarized reaction, solutions for the relative phase of the S = 0 and S = 1 photoproton amplitudes can be obtained. The spin direction for protons can be set either up or down by fixing the direction of the electric current through a spin precession solenoid located between the polarized ion source and the tandem. Reversing the spin does not significantly change the magnitude of the proton polarization. At a given energy and angle, a measurement of the γ-ray yield in the capture reaction is made by alternating runs with proton spin up with runs with proton spin down.
Neuromuscular responses of recreationally active women during a sustained, submaximal isometric leg extension muscle action at a constant perception of effort.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the fatigue-related patterns of responses for electromyography (EMG), mechanomyography (MMG), and force during a sustained, submaximal isometric leg extension muscle action anchored at RPE = 5. Ten women (23.1 ± 2.3 year) performed two, maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC) prior to and following an isometric muscle action that was sustained at RPE = 5 (OMNI-RES) for a maximal time-limit of 5 min or until RPE = 5 could not be maintained (actual time-limit). EMG amplitude (AMP), EMG mean power frequency (MPF), MMG AMP, MMG MPF, and force values were determined every 5% of the actual or maximal time-limit. Regression analyses were used to examine the neuromuscular parameters and force vs. time relationships. The pretest MVIC (46.9 ± 8.9 kg) was significantly (p = 0.003; d = 1.8) greater than posttest (36.4 ± 5.3 kg) MVIC. The actual time-limit was 180 ± 90.9 s (range 84.8–300 s). The percent decline in force production during the sustained isometric muscle action was 34.7 ± 17.1%, and there was a significant negative, quadratic force vs. time relationship (p 0.05) relationships for EMG AMP, EMG MPF, or MMG MPF vs. time. The current findings indicated that it was necessary to reduce force to maintain RPE = 5. The neuromuscular and force responses supported the RPE clamp model and suggested that force was initially regulated by anticipatory feedforward mechanisms and then altered by afferent feedback.
Obesity impairs lymphocyte homeostasis and function in epithelial tissues via inflammatory mechanisms (MUC2P.932)

Barrier tissues such as the skin and intestine provide vital protection to the organism from pathogens and exposure to the environment. Epithelia-resident γδ T lymphocytes maintain this protective barrier via the production of growth factors and cytokines. Obesity and type 2 diabetes disrupt normal homeostasis within the epithelium and result in complications that include delayed tissue repair. We have previously identified a reduction in the number of T cells within the epithelium of the skin and intestine of mice as obesity progresses. Here we find that obesity impairs the ability of lymphocytes to maintain homeostatic proliferation within epithelial tissues. Our studies show that this is particularly devastating in young mice that are still establishing lymphocyte populations in their epithelia. Using blocking studies and gene chip analyses we have identified inflammatory mediators that are involved in the negative impact that obesity has on intraepithelial lymphocytes. The mechanism involved is independent of diet as both mice on a high fat diet and genetically obese mice on a normal chow diet exhibit reduced and dysfunctional epithelial lymphocytes. Reducing chronic inflammation by weight loss or blocking inflammatory mediators begins to reestablish T cell homeostasis and improve tissue repair. This data identifies new therapeutic targets for improving tissue repair during obesity and type 2 diabetes via the restoration of normal cellular homeostasis and gene expression.
Abstract P196: Mississippi Delta Health Collaborative Community and Faith Based Programs to Screen Hypertension

Introduction: The Mississippi Delta Health Collaborative (MDHC) provides leadership in the Delta region to implement heart disease and stroke prevention interventions. Barbers Reaching Out To Educa...
Instruments in the history of the clinical neurosciences.

It is a great pleasure to announce this special issue on “Instruments in the History of the Clinical Neurosciences.” During the 2018 meeting of the International Society for the History of the Neur...
Unruh-DeWitt Detectors Around (2+1)-Dimensional Black Holes

This chapter investigates the behaviour of detectors in two black hole spacetimes: the BTZ black hole and the \(\mathbb {R} {\mathbf {P}}^2\) geon, which are locally indistinguishable from one another but differ in their global topology. As a result of this difference, the \(\mathbb {R} {\mathbf {P}}^2\) geon is shown to be an intermediate between a stationary and dynamical spacetime, and it is shown that this non-stationarity can be observed in the transition rate of a single detector. The entanglement harvesting protocol is then examined for two detectors located in the exterior region of the BTZ black hole. This allows for an operational investigation into the entanglement structure of the Hartle-Hawking vacuum as seen by two detectors, in particular, how this entanglement depends on the detectors proximity to the black hole’s horizon.
Crying as a child resource for renegotiating a ‘done deal’

Research on parent–child interaction has described how parents manage child compliance. Less attention has been paid to the resources leveraged by children in this tug-of-war. On the other hand, without any specific focus on children, scholars with an interest in discourse and emotion have begun systematic investigations of crying. Using the methodology of conversation analysis, we focus on a 5-minute crying episode from a video-recorded dinner event that involves a 3-year-old girl and her parents. In particular, we describe how crying is deftly deployed by the child to successfully renegotiate what has initially been pronounced a done deal.
Probenecid: An Oral Inotrope for End-Stage Heart Failure in a Case With Myotonic Dystrophy.

A 56-year-old man with multiple cardiac manifestations of type 1 myotonic dystrophy, including severe, nonischemic cardiomyopathy…
Proton therapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Radiation therapy is an essential component of treatment for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) but can be technically challenging because of the proximity of lung tumors to nearby critical organs or structures. The most effective strategy for reducing radiation-induced toxicity is to reduce unnecessary exposure of normal tissues by using advanced technology; examples from photon (X-ray) therapy have included three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy versus its predecessor, two-dimensional radiation therapy, and intensity-modulated photon radiation therapy versus its predecessor, three-dimensional conformal therapy. Using particle-beam therapy rather than photons offers the potential for further advantages because of the unique depth-dose characteristics of the particles, which can be exploited to allow still higher dose escalation to tumors with greater sparing of normal tissues, with the ultimate goal of improving local tumor control and survival while preserving quality of life by reducing treatment-related toxicity. However, the costs associated with particle therapy with protons are considerably higher than the current state of the art in photon technology, and evidence of clinical benefit from protons is increasingly being demanded to justify the higher financial burden on the healthcare system. Some such evidence is available from preclinical studies, from retrospective, single-institution clinical series, from analyses of national databases, and from single-arm prospective studies in addition to several ongoing randomized comparative trials. This review summarizes the rationale for and challenges of using proton therapy to treat thoracic cancers, reviews the current clinical experience, and suggests topics for future research.
Kinetics of CXCL12 binding to atypical chemokine receptor 3 reveal a role for the receptor N terminus in chemokine binding

Chemokines bind to membrane-spanning chemokine receptors, which signal through G proteins and promote cell migration. However, atypical chemokine receptor 3 (ACKR3) does not appear to couple to G proteins, and instead of directly promoting cell migration, it regulates the extracellular concentration of chemokines that it shares with the G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs) CXCR3 and CXCR4, thereby influencing the responses of these receptors. Understanding how these receptors bind their ligands is important for understanding these different processes. Here, we applied association and dissociation kinetic measurements coupled to β-arrestin recruitment assays to investigate ACKR3:chemokine interactions. Our results showed that CXCL12 binding is unusually slow and driven by the interplay between multiple binding epitopes. We also found that the amino terminus of the receptor played a key role in chemokine binding and activation by preventing chemokine dissociation. It was thought that chemokines initially bind receptors through interactions between the globular domain of the chemokine and the receptor amino terminus, which then guides the chemokine amino terminus into the transmembrane pocket of the receptor to initiate signaling. On the basis of our kinetic data, we propose an alternative mechanism in which the amino terminus of the chemokine initially forms interactions with the extracellular loops and transmembrane pocket of the receptor, which is followed by the receptor amino terminus wrapping around the core of the chemokine to prolong its residence time. These data provide insight into how ACKR3 competes and cooperates with canonical GPCRs in its function as a scavenger receptor.
Update on the Durability and Performance of Collis Gastroplasty For Chronic GERD and Hiatal Hernia Repair At 4-Year Post-Intervention

Collis gastroplasty (CG) remains an important procedure to lengthen the esophagus when indicated in patients undergoing fundoplication for longstanding refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or large hiatal hernias. Concerns over potential sequelae of CG such as dysphagia and worsening heartburn as well as questions regarding the durability of the procedure remain a subject of debate. In this study, 3 and 4-year postoperative data is presented assessing patient quality of life (QOL) measures for those undergoing laparoscopic antireflux surgery (LARS) with and without CG. Comparative review of a prospectively maintained GERD patient database was conducted between patients undergoing LARS with CG versus non-CG (NC) at two institutions between October 2004 and February 2019. Patient demographic, perioperative, and QOL data was analyzed at 3 and 4 years postoperatively using four validated instruments: the Reflux Symptom Index (RSI), Laryngopharyngeal Reflux QOL (LPR-QOL), Swallowing QOL (SWAL), and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease-Health Related Quality of Life (GERD-HRQOL) surveys. A total of 214 CG and 798 NC patients were included in this study. The CG group was older (66.1 ± 12.9 vs. 59.0 ± 14.1, p < 0.001), had a higher frequency of ASA class 3 patients (39.7% vs. 29.7%), and had greater proportion of comorbid disease compared to NG. The groups were parallel in BMI (Collis 28.4 ± 5.2 kg/m2 vs. non-Collis 28.6 ± 5.3 kg/m2, p = 0.673). Subset analysis revealed persistent benefits through 4 years reflected by survey results in both groups. There were no statistically significant differences in QOL outcomes between CG and NC. A majority of patients in both groups reported discontinuation of antireflux medications and satisfaction with surgical outcomes and symptom control. Long-term QOL outcomes after laparoscopic CG are comparable to patients treated with fundoplication alone in cases of long-standing GERD and hiatal hernias. Furthermore, CG patients enjoyed equivalent durability of the procedure without risk of subsequent dysphagia. Collis gastroplasty remains an important tool in the armamentarium of foregut surgeons.
Draft Genome Sequences of Campylobacter jejuni Strains Isolated from Poultry.

ABSTRACT Four wild-type Campylobacter jejuni strains isolated from the cecal contents of broiler chickens were sequenced. The average genome size was 1,622,170 bp, with 1,667 to 1,761 coding sequences and 47 to 51 RNAs. Multiple genes encoding motility, intestinal colonization, toxin production, stress tolerance, and multidrug resistance were present in all the strains.
Leukocytapheresis for patients with acute myeloid leukemia presenting with hyperleukocytosis and leukostasis: a contemporary appraisal of outcomes and benefits.

Hyperleukocytosis, defined as a total white blood cell count (WBC) >50 or more commonly >100 × 109 cells/L, is a presenting feature of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in about 6–20% of cases and is as...
The WOMAC Pain Scale and Crosstalk From Co-occurring Pain Sites in People With Knee Pain: A Causal Modeling Study.

OBJECTIVE The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) pain scale quantifies knee pain severity with activities of daily living, but the potential impact of pain in other body regions on WOMAC pain scores has not been explored using a causal modeling approach. The purpose of this study was to determine if pain in other areas of the body impact WOMAC pain scores, a phenomenon referred to as "crosstalk." METHODS Cross-sectional datasets were built from public use data available from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) and the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study (MOST). The WOMAC Pain Scale and generic hip, knee, ankle, foot and back pain measures were included. Three nested regression models grounded in causally based classical test theory determined the extent of crosstalk. Improvements in the coefficient of determination across the 3 models were used to determine the presence of crosstalk. RESULTS Causal modeling provided evidence of crosstalk in both OAI and MOST datasets. For example, in OAI, multiple statistical models demonstrated significant increases in coefficient of determination values (P < .0001) as additional pain areas were added to the models. CONCLUSIONS Crosstalk appears to be a clinically important source of error in the WOMAC Pain Scale, particularly for patients with a larger number of painful body regions and when contralateral knee joint pain is more severe. IMPACT STATEMENT This study has important implications for arthritis research. It also should raise clinician awareness of the threat to score interpretation and the need to consider the extent of pain in other body regions when interpreting WOMAC pain scores.
Heritage language learners’ written texts across pair types and interaction mode:

Task-based research has investigated the learning opportunities (e.g. language related episodes) that emerge during heritage and second language learner interactions during writing tasks. However, ...
New-Onset Cervical Lymphadenopathy in a Patient Undergoing Treatment of Pulmonary Mycobacterium avium Complex Infection: Toxoplasmosis Lymphadenitis

Immunocompetent hosts with toxoplasmosis are usually asymptomatic. However, T. gondii can present as an acute systemic infection. Symptomatic patients usually have a benign, self-limited course that typically lasts from a few weeks to months. Herein, we present a 66-year-old immunocompetent female who developed dysphagia and new-onset cervical lymphadenopathy during pulmonary Mycobacterium avium complex treatment.
Disinhibitory circuitry gates associative synaptic plasticity in olfactory cortex

Abstract Inhibitory microcircuits play an essential role in regulating cortical responses to sensory stimuli. Interneurons that inhibit dendritic or somatic integration in pyramidal neurons act as gatekeepers for neural activity, synaptic plasticity and the formation of sensory representations. Conversely, interneurons that specifically inhibit other interneurons can open gates through disinhibition. In the rodent piriform cortex, relief of dendritic inhibition permits long-term potentiation (LTP) of the recurrent synapses between pyramidal neurons (PNs) thought to underlie ensemble odor representations. We used an optogenetic approach to identify the inhibitory interneurons and disinhibitory circuits that regulate LTP. We focused on three prominent inhibitory neuron classes-somatostatin (SST), parvalbumin (PV), and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) interneurons. We find that VIP interneurons inhibit SST interneurons and promote LTP through subthreshold dendritic disinhibition. Alternatively, suppression of PV-interneuron inhibition promotes LTP but requires suprathreshold spike activity. Thus, we have identified two disinhibitory mechanisms to regulate synaptic plasticity during olfactory processing.
Pulse ID: The Case for Robustness of ECG as a Biometric Identifier

Electrocardiogram (ECG) signals are known to encode unique signatures based on the geometrical characteristics of the heart. Due to other advantages - such as continuity and accessibility (now via smartwatch technology) - ECG could make for a robust biometric ID system. We show that single-node ECG measurements through an Apple Watch would suffice to identify an individual. Apart from the Apple Watch ECG data, we have also performed analysis on two other ECG datasets from PhysioNet to test the robustness of our methods in two situations: in particular, we tested how it holds up against high volume (across a large number of individuals) and high variability (across different states of activity). We have also compared multiple classifier models in combination with different feature sets to identify the most superior combination. We observed Equal Error Rate (EER) values that were consistently < 3%. Our results show that ECG proves to be very effective and robust.
HRD Interventions that Offer a Solution to Work-Life Conflict

The ProblemBalancing work and life can be difficult. In a new world of work amidst COVID-19, balancing work and life has become even more challenging. Employees are struggling to adjust their work-...
Abstract 16226: Single-cell RNA Sequencing Coupled With Optical Imaging for Targeted Real-time Visualization of the Cardiac Conduction System

Introduction: Optical imaging has the potential to revolutionize cardiothoracic surgery by allowing for the real-time visualization of structures often inadvertently damaged due to inadequate visib...
After the Rustbelt: Sustainability and Economic Regeneration in Detroit

Rustbelt cities of the United States have a 60-year history of adjusting to economic change, especially the shift from manufacturing to advanced production and services. The transition has not been easy due to heavy population loss, declining tax revenue, and competing locations in the suburbs. These cities are exemplified by Detroit, a major city that lost more than half of its population, that is now slowly rebuilding. Detroit’s government attracts new business and residents through initiatives around science and technology (makerspaces, sustainable development) and commercial real estate (offices, entertainment, sports venues). To understand the contribution of these projects, the chapter provides context for the deindustrialization process and discusses the social and political forces that shape redevelopment.
Uptake and Subcellular Localization of Neurotransmitters in the Brain

Publisher Summary Nerve terminals in the brain possess specialized uptake mechanisms for a variety of putative neurotransmitters, such as dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), serotonin, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and, possibly, for glutamic acid and glycine. This chapter describes the specific uptake mechanisms for several putative neurotransmitters in the brain and their use in labeling and separating synaptosomes storing different putative neurotransmitters. The chapter proposes to use these uptake systems for labeling the endogenous transmitter pools with exogenous, radioactive neurotransmitters, labeling one class of synaptosomes with 3 H-transmitter and another with 14 C-transmitter. Kinetic studies elucidate the optimal conditions for nerve endings in brain slices or in isolated, pinched-off form (synaptosomes) to accumulate selectively their specific transmitter. The synaptosomal populations are separated with density gradient centrifugal procedures in the same brain region storing different transmitters or in different brain region storing the same transmitter. The electron microscopic studies reveal specific morphological features for the varying synaptosomal populations.
Glycosaminoglycan Characterization by Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry Including Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometry

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI MS) is a versatile analytical technique in glycomics of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Combined with enzymology, ESI MS is used for assessing changes in disaccharide composition of GAGs biosynthesized under different environmental or physiological conditions. ESI coupled with high-resolution mass analyzers such as a Fourier transform mass spectrometer (FTMS) permits accurate mass measurement of large oligosaccharides and intact GAGs as well as structural characterization of GAG oligosaccharides using information-rich fragmentation methods such as electron detachment dissociation. The first part of this chapter describes methods for disaccharide compositional profiling using ESI MS and the second part is dedicated to FTMS and tandem MS methods of GAG compositional and structural analysis.
Lightweight service advertisement and discovery in mobile ad hoc networks

Summary form only given. Service advertisement and discovery are important components for collaborative applications in mobile ad hoc networking (MANET) environment since they enable mobile communication and computing entities to provide services and associated data to peers and to be aware of and use the available services and data from peers. In this research, we design and implement a lightweight protocol for service advertisement and discovery based on a MANET multicast protocol ODMRP (on-demand multicast routing protocol). Service advertisement and discovery information is piggybacked in ODMRP routing control packets. NS-2 simulation results show that our protocol achieves the goal of service advertisement and discovery in mobile ad hoc networks with high successful data delivery ratio and low overheads.
The role of EMT and MET in cancer dissemination

Metastatic cancer cells are lethal. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that bolster the conversion from benign to malignant progression is key for treating these heterogeneous and resistant neoplasms. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a conserved cellular program that alters cell shape, adhesion and movement. The shift to a more mesenchymal-like phenotype can promote tumor cell intravasation of surrounding blood vessels and emigration to a new organ, yet may not be necessary for extravasation or colonization into that environment. Lymphatic dissemination, on the other hand, may not require EMT. This review presents emerging data on the modes by which tumor cells promote EMT/MET via microRNA and prepare the pre-metastatic niche via exosomes.
Continual Reintroduction of Human Pandemic H1N1 Influenza A Viruses into Swine in the United States, 2009 to 2014

ABSTRACT The diversity of influenza A viruses in swine (swIAVs) presents an important pandemic threat. Knowledge of the human-swine interface is particularly important for understanding how viruses with pandemic potential evolve in swine hosts. Through phylogenetic analysis of contemporary swIAVs in the United States, we demonstrate that human-to-swine transmission of pandemic H1N1 (pH1N1) viruses has occurred continuously in the years following the 2009 H1N1 pandemic and has been an important contributor to the genetic diversity of U.S. swIAVs. Although pandemic H1 and N1 segments had been largely removed from the U.S. swine population by 2013 via reassortment with other swIAVs, these antigens reemerged following multiple human-to-swine transmission events during the 2013-2014 seasonal epidemic. These findings indicate that the six internal gene segments from pH1N1 viruses are likely to be sustained long term in the U.S. swine population, with periodic reemergence of pandemic hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) segments in association with seasonal pH1N1 epidemics in humans. Vaccinating U.S. swine workers may reduce infection of both humans and swine and in turn limit the role of humans as sources of influenza virus diversity in pigs. IMPORTANCE Swine are important hosts in the evolution of influenza A viruses with pandemic potential. Here, we analyze influenza virus sequence data generated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture9s national surveillance system to identify the central role of humans in the reemergence of pandemic H1N1 (pH1N1) influenza viruses in U.S. swine herds in 2014. These findings emphasize the important role of humans as continuous sources of influenza virus diversity in swine and indicate that influenza viruses with pandemic HA and NA segments are likely to continue to reemerge in U.S. swine in association with seasonal pH1N1 epidemics in humans.
Thoughts on finding and assisting individuals in forced labor in the USA

This article draws from interviews with formerly trafficked persons who have resettled in the USA. It has not been easy finding trafficked persons in the USA. The author contends that this is due, in part, to a focus of most antitrafficking activities on one industry — the sex industry — to the exclusion of investigations into exploitation of migrant workers in other labor sectors. At the same time, undocumented workers stay quiet about workplace abuses because of a fear of deportation. ICE raids on workplaces where undocumented migrants may labor and the passage of local ordinances that empower local police officers to enforce immigration laws (287g agreements), have increased distrust between law enforcement and migrant communities. Forced underground, migrants working in vulnerable situations will be harder to find and to assist. This environment of threat shapes the resettlement of formerly trafficked persons since they typically enter the same low-wage, insecure and possibly exploitative work after being trafficked. More meaningful rights-based alliances with community-based organizations that focus on migrants’ rights is a critical step to preventing forced labor and to assisting formerly trafficked persons. The fight against trafficking is a fight for migrants’ rights. Keywords: Human trafficking
THE INFLUENCE OF LATITUDINAL WIND SHEAR UPON LARGE-SCALE WAVE PROPAGATION INTO THE TROPICS

Abstract The effects of horizontal shear of the mean zonal wind on the lateral propagation of disturbances through the Tropics is studied by the use of a one-layer model. The governing equations are reduced to a second-order differential equation for v, the northward component of velocity. The equation is analyzed as an eigenvalue problem and solved numerically for the free modes of the Tropics for the case with zero mean flow. These solutions are compared with solutions that are forced at a boundary situated in mid-latitudes, for cases with and without a mean zonal flow. At “critical latitudes,” the basic equation has a singularity (where the phase speed of a wave forced at the boundary is equal to the mean flow). The case for forced motions is investigated in more detail by numerically studying the evolution of disturbances as an initial value problem for the case of nondivergent flow. The horizontal shear is shown to significantly alter the types of mid-latitude motions that can affect tropical motions...
MSSF: a multi-document summarization framework based on submodularity

Multi-document summarization aims to distill the most representative information from a set of documents to generate a summary. Given a set of documents as input, most of existing multi-document summarization approaches utilize different sentence selection techniques to extract a set of sentences from the document set as the summary. The submodularity hidden in textual-unit similarity motivates us to incorporate this property into our solution to multi-document summarization tasks. In this poster, we propose a new principled and versatile framework for different multi-document summarization tasks using the submodular function [8].
Steady state and transient QCM solutions at the metal ∣ solution interface

The quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) is seeing a rapid increase in new applications and new instrumentation techniques. It is increasingly evident that this sensor provides not only mass data, but can provide information relative to the mechanical properties of deposited films as well. Determining film properties from the measured electrical properties of the QCM resonator requires a modeling of the effects of the film on the electrical behavior of the resonator. We show that the complete electro-mechanical model can provide descriptions of the effects of film properties on resonator behavior in a number of formats to include not only the standard steady-state behavior, but also the transient responses used in a recent new measurement technique. The use of a single model for all techniques will permit comparisons among the results.
Mean-Variance Tradeoffs in an Undiscounted MDP

A stationary policy and an initial state in an MDP Markov decision process induce a stationary probability distribution of the reward. The problem analyzed here is generating the Pareto optima in the sense of high mean and low variance of the stationary distribution. In the unichain case, Pareto optima can be computed either with policy improvement or with a linear program having the same number of variables and one more constraint than the formulation for gain-rate optimization. The same linear program suffices in the multichain case if the ergodic class is an element of choice.
X-ray scatter background signals in transmission radiography.

With monoenergetic x‐ray beams incident on polystyrene phantoms, the spectra of the transmitted x rays were measured with a scintillation spectrometer. The scattered and unscattered components of the transmitted x‐ray fluence at a point on the beam axis were determined as a function of (i) the incident x‐ray energy (18, 22, 32, 49, 58, 69, and 660 keV), (ii) the phantom thickness (5.3, 10, and 21 cm), (iii) the scatter solid angle determined by the exposed area of the phantom and the separation distance of the image plane (0.090, 0.31, 0.66, 1.8, 3.5, 4.3, 4.8, and 5.1 sr), and (iv) the beam diameter at the image plane (25, 17, and 10 cm). The results indicate that, as the incident x‐ray energy d e c r e a s e s from 660 to 30 keV, the contribution of the scattered component to the transmitted fluence i n c r e a s e s from approximately 50% to 90% for the 21‐cm phantom and from 21% to 50% for the 5.3‐cm phantom. For typical cases, the data show the effect of the scatter component on the ratio of the image to the background signals. In addition, the examples show that optimum conditions for maximizing this signal ratio may be obtained by a careful selection of the incident x‐ray energy for low‐, medium‐, and high‐contrast objects.
Activity of Tyrosine Hydroxylase in the Striatum of Newborn Piglets in Response to Hypocapnic Hypoxia

: The effect of graded hypoxia induced by hyperventilation on the activity of tyrosine hydroxylase was measured in vivo by microdialysis. Microdialysis probes were inserted into the striatum of newborn piglets and perfused with medium containing 3-hydroxybenzylhydrazine, an inhibitor of L-aromatic amino acid decarboxylase. The level of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) measured in the effluent dialysate was then an index of tyrosine hydroxylase activity. The oxygen pressure in the veins and capillaries of the cortex was measured, through a cranial window placed over the parietal cortex, by the phosphorescence lifetime of palladium-meso-tetra(4-carboxyphenyl)porphine added to the blood. After baseline measurements, PaCO2 was decreased from 38 torr (control value) to 19, 13, and 11 torr resulting in decreases in the cortical oxygen pressure from 40 ± 6 torr to 26 ± 3, 23 ± 4, and 20 ± 4 torr, respectively. Decrease in the oxygen pressure to 26 ± 3 torr caused a statistically significant increase of 25–30% in the level of DOPA in the effluent perfusate. During the next step of increase in ventilator rate, when oxygen decreased only slightly, the level of DOPA remained at the higher level. Ventilation rates that lowered the oxygen pressure to below 20 torr, however, caused a progressive decrease in the level of DOPA. During recovery, the level of DOPA steadily increased, attaining 160% of control value after 1.5 h. When the oxygen pressure was decreased to 16 ± 2 torr by a single increase in ventilator rate, the DOPA level decreased in the effluent to 15–20% below control. With return of the ventilator rate to control values, the DOPA levels again increased to well above control and stayed higher even after 1.5 h. The slow return of tyrosine hydroxylase activity to control indicates relatively long-term modification of the enzyme activity. Activation of tyrosine hydroxylase occurs when the oxygen pressure is decreased, but at <16 torr the reaction rate becomes limited by the availability of oxygen and decreases with further decrease in oxygen pressure. Our results showed that even small changes in cortical oxygen pressure modulate the activity of tyrosine hydroxylase. This alteration in the metabolism of catecholamines in newborn brain may have significant impact on later development of the organism.
Pharmacological activities of branched-chain amino acids: specificity of tissue and signal transduction

Branched-chain amino acid (BCAA: Leu, Ile, and Val) mixture has been used for treatment of hypoalbuminemia in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis in Japan. It has been known that BCAA, especially leucine, activates mTOR signals and inhibition of protein degradation results in promoting protein synthesis in vitro. Furthermore, leucine activates glycogen synthase via mTOR signals in L6 cell, but not hepatocyte, and it has been shown that leucine improved glucose metabolism in normal and cirrhosis model rats. In this review, it will be proposed about the pharmacological activity of branched-chain amino acids, mainly leucine, on tissue specificity of cirrhotic disease.
Enhancing the epistemological project in the Rhetoric of Science

Enhancing the Epistemological Project in the Rhetoric of Science: Information Infrastructure as Tool for Identifying Epistemological Commitments in Scientific and Technical Communities. Article discusses how the STS concept of infrastructural provides a mesolayer approach to understand global issues in science with rhetorical methodology.
Correlation of three different knee joint position sense measures

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate correlation during concurrent measurement among three knee joint position sense (JPS) measures in sitting position and between two measures in standing position. Methods Isokinetic dynamometer, electrogoniometer, and two dimensional (2D) video analysis were used for measuring knee JPS. The JPS was measured both in sitting and standing positions. All three measures were employed concurrently to measure knee JPS in sitting position; however, only the electrogoniometer and 2D video analysis were concurrently used in the standing position. The knee JPS was recorded in sitting position at 15°, 30°, and 45° and in standing at high, mid and low knee flexion positions. Results The results of the study suggest excellent correlation (0.94–0.98) between the electrogoniometer and 2D video analysis measures in standing position. In sitting position, good to excellent correlation (0.63–0.92) was found between the isokinetic dynamometer and electrogoniometer; however, fair to good correlation was found between 2D video analysis and either of the two measures (electrogoniometer [0.52–0.57] and isokinetic dynamometer [0.41–0.63]. Conclusion Either 2D video or an electrogoniometer may be used to measure JPS in standing position; however, in sitting position 2D video should not be used if the camera is required to be placed at 10° from the plane of motion.