cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Iodine iontophoresis in reducing scar tissue.

A 24-year-old housewife was referred for treatment to improve active and passive extension and flexion of the right great toe. The patient had undergone a bunionectomy that resulted in an 8-cm longitudinal scar over the dorsal surface of her right hallux extending from just proximal to the metatarsophalangeal joint to just distal to the interphalangeal joint. The suture line was dry and well healed. Examination revealed intact sensation and proprioception, with trace active movements of flexion and extension at both the metatarsophalangeal and interphalangeal joints. Passive flexion and extension at the interphalangeal joint was within normal limits. Passive flexion and extension range of motion at the metatarsophalangeal joint was 5 degrees. The limitation was believed to be due to postsurgical scarring over the tendon of the extensor hallucis longus muscle. The patient had pain at the right great toe upon early toe-off of the swing phase.…
BDNF and NT-4/5 exert neurotrophic influences on injured adult spinal motor neurons.

Adult motor neurons, like their immature antecedents, express the mRNA for the signaling receptor for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and for neurotrophin-4/5 (NT-4/5). However, while both BDNF and NT-4/5 support the survival of axotomized developing spinal motor neurons in vitro or in vivo, it is not known whether these factors continue to influence spinal motor neurons in adulthood. The present study tests if BDNF or NT-4/5 modulate the reactive responses of adult spinal motor neurons to nerve injury. We utilize sciatic nerve transection to axotomize the spinal motor neurons that form the retrodorsal lateral nucleus (RDLN) and show that, after axotomy, RDLN motor neurons lose ChAT immunoreactivity and also reexpress p75Ingfr, the low affinity receptor for all neurotrophin family members. Treatment with BDNF or NT- 4/5 alters these effects of sciatic nerve transection. Both BDNF and NT- 4/5 attenuate the loss of ChAT expression in axotomized RDLN motor neurons; thus, as compared to vehicle treatments, BDNF and NT-4/5 produce statistically significant increases in the optical density of ChAT immunostaining. Furthermore, BDNF and NT-4/5 also significantly increase the RDLN reexpression of p75Ingfr after sciatic nerve transection. Interestingly, essentially identical increases in RDLN ChAT and p75Ingfr immunostaining are produced by sciatic nerve crush injuries in the absence of exogenous neurotrophin treatment. These data show that treatment with exogenous BDNF and NT-4/5 changes the response of adult spinal motor neurons to sciatic nerve transection. Furthermore, these neurotrophins elicit reactive responses in axotomized motor neurons that mimic those produced by endogenous agents in regenerating crushed peripheral nerve.
Biarsenical Labeling of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Encoding Tetracysteine-Tagged M Protein Allows Dynamic Imaging of M Protein and Virus Uncoating in Infected Cells

A recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV-PeGFP-M-MmRFP) encoding enhanced green fluorescent protein fused in frame with P (PeGFP) in place of P and a fusion matrix protein (monomeric red fluorescent protein fused in frame at the carboxy terminus of M [MmRFP]) at the G-L gene junction, in addition to wild-type (wt) M protein in its normal location, was recovered, but the MmRFP was not incorporated into the virions. Subsequently, we generated recombinant viruses (VSV-PeGFP-ΔM-Mtc and VSV-ΔM-Mtc) encoding M protein with a carboxy-terminal tetracysteine tag (Mtc) in place of the M protein. These recombinant viruses incorporated Mtc at levels similar to M in wt VSV, demonstrating recovery of infectious rhabdoviruses encoding and incorporating a tagged M protein. Virions released from cells infected with VSV-PeGFP-ΔM-Mtc and labeled with the biarsenical red dye (ReAsH) were dually fluorescent, fluorescing green due to incorporation of PeGFP in the nucleocapsids and red due to incorporation of ReAsH-labeled Mtc in the viral envelope. Transport and subsequent association of M protein with the plasma membrane were shown to be independent of microtubules. Sequential labeling of VSV-ΔM-Mtc-infected cells with the biarsenical dyes ReAsH and FlAsH (green) revealed that newly synthesized M protein reaches the plasma membrane in less than 30 min and continues to accumulate there for up to 2 1/2 hours. Using dually fluorescent VSV, we determined that following adsorption at the plasma membrane, the time taken by one-half of the virus particles to enter cells and to uncoat their nucleocapsids in the cytoplasm is approximately 28 min.
Individual applications of laboratory training.

Laboratory Training has roots in the blending of research and action. Application interest took precedence in its early development, and the present need is to advance scientific knowledge of training processes and outcomes. Recent studies toward an empirical foundation for training theory are reviewed. Data are presented from a study of perceived behavior changes one year after participation in training. Participants are seen by co-workers as increasing significantly more than controls in cognitive openness, behavioral skill, and understanding of social processes. Long-range changes are correlated with learning measures at time of training.The clear evidence for the impact of laboratory methods for some subjects must be followed by further inquiry which will explicate processes and conditions.
The high volume return premium: Cross-country evidence

Abstract We examine the high volume return premium across 41 different countries and find it to be a phenomenon found in both developed and emerging markets. The premium is not caused by systematic differences in risk or liquidity. Using Merton's (1987) investor recognition hypothesis as a guide, we find the magnitude of the premium is generally associated with country and firm characteristics hypothesized to affect returns subsequent to a change in a stock's visibility. We also characterize the time-series properties of the premium and consider economic trading strategies.
New York City Mutual Savings Bank Portfolio Management and Trustee Objectives

This article addresses the issue of what made early mutual savings bank trustees tick. It explores two hypotheses: (1) trustees were trying to maximize their depositors’ “well-being” by maximizing the real rate of return on their banks’ portfolios given legal constraints; (2) trustees were trying to profit from their positions. These two hypotheses are tested using investment data drawn from the archives of several of New York's oldest mutuals. Besides offering insights into the objectives of early trustees, the analysis of mutual portfolios will also shed light on several broader issues dealing with capital market efficiency and the effect of legal constraints on resource allocation.
Maximum Likelihood Estimation of Intrinsic Dimension

We propose a new method for estimating intrinsic dimension of a dataset derived by applying the principle of maximum likelihood to the distances between close neighbors. We derive the estimator by a Poisson process approximation, assess its bias and variance theoretically and by simulations, and apply it to a number of simulated and real datasets. We also show it has the best overall performance compared with two other intrinsic dimension estimators.
EARLY DETECTION OF FATIGUE CRACKS IN TURBINE AERO-ENGINE ROTOR BLADES DURING FLIGHT

The author shows results of research done in the Air Force Institute of Technology concerning design, development and implementation of modern diagnostic systems for aero-engines. The papers gives brief description of a project of a new advanced monitoring system basing on non-contact blade-vibration measurement. Recent monitoring systems for engines offer a great potential to reduce the high maintenance costs of aircraft while increasing reliability and safety. These systems check for abnormal engine responses to detect failures, saving lives and reducing secondary damage to the aircraft. A phenomenon of dynamic change of an aero-engine compressor blades natural frequency in course of fatigue cracks propagation in their roots on the example of a Polish turbojet engine is described. On the ground of this phenomenon main working principles of a device, which measures vibrations of turbine engine rotor blades with application of the noninterfering discrete method (MDPh), used for early detection of first stage compressor blade cracks are discussed. Typical representation of the first stage compressor blades vibration during engine acceleration, representation of the first stage blades vibration during engine acceleration and deceleration with steady-state stator distortions, crack initiation and propagation symptoms in blades, comparison of blade vibration spectra of the same blades for different conditions are presented in the paper.
Application of a PEG precipitation method for solubility screening: a tool for developing high protein concentration formulations.

Previous publications demonstrated that the extrapolated solubility by polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation method (Middaugh et al., J Biol Chem 1979; 254:367–370; Juckes, Biochim Biophys Acta 1971; 229:535–546; Foster et al., Biochim Biophys Acta 1973; 317:505; Mahadevan and Hall, AIChE J 1990; 36:1517–1528; Stevenson and Hageman, Pharm Res 1995; 12:1671–1676) has a strong correlation to experimentally measured solubility of proteins. Here, we explored the utility of extrapolated solubility as a method to compare multiple protein drug candidates when nonideality of a highly soluble protein prohibits accurate quantitative solubility prediction. To achieve high efficiency and reduce the amount of protein required, the method is miniaturized to microwell plate format for high-throughput screening application. In this simplified version of the method, comparative solubility of proteins can be obtained without the need of concentration measurement of the supernatant following the precipitation step in the conventional method. The monoclonal antibodies with the lowest apparent solubilities determined by this method are the most difficult to be concentrated, indicating a good correlation between the prediction and empirical observations. This study also shows that the PEG precipitation method gives results for opalescence prediction that favorably compares to experimentally determined opalescence levels at high concentration. This approach may be useful in detecting proteins with potential solubility and opalescence problems prior to the time-consuming and expensive development process of high concentration formulation.
Violating Prescriptive Stereotypes on Job Resumes: A Self-Presentational Perspective

The authors investigate the earliest stage of the job-screening process—the resume, which represents an applicant’s initial self-presentation efforts, and examine whether women are evaluated more n...
Blood Pressure Control Provides Less Cardiovascular Protection in Adults With Than Without Apparent Treatment-Resistant Hypertension

Hypertension control may offer less protection from incident cardiovascular disease (CVDi ) in adults with than without apparent treatment-resistant hypertension (aTRH), ie, blood pressure uncontrolled while taking three or more antihypertensive medications or controlled to <140/<90 mm Hg while taking four or more antihypertensive medications. Electronic health data were matched to health claims for 2006-2012. Patients with CVDi in 2006-2007 or with untreated hypertension were excluded, leaving 118,356 treated hypertensives, including 40,690 with aTRH, and 460,599 observation years. Blood pressure and medication number were determined by all clinic visit means from 2008 to CVDi or end of study. Primary outcome was first CVDi (stroke, coronary heart disease, heart failure) from hospital and emergency department claims. Controlling for age, race, sex, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and statin use, hypertension control afforded less CVDi protection in patients with aTRH (hazard ratio, 0.87; 95% confidence interval, 0.82-0.93) than without aTRH (hazard ratio, 0.69; 95% confidence interval, 0.65-0.74; P<.001). Strategies beyond hypertension control may prevent more CVDi in patients with aTRH.
Assessment of Environmental Conditions and Preferences for Rearing the Balsam Woolly Adelgid (Hemiptera: Adelgidae) on Host Material

Abstract The optimal environmental conditions for rearing the balsam woolly adelgid, Adelges piceae (Ratzeburg) (Hemiptera: Adelgidae), on its natural host, Fraser fir, Abies fraseri (Pursh) Poir, was determined by varying temperature, photoperiod, and humidity as well as by evaluating texture and geotaxic preferences. Five locations with a set temperature and relative humidity (RH) were chosen to test for optimal environmental conditions: three environmental chambers maintained at 17, 20, and 25°C with 75% RH; an insectary maintained at 21.1°C and 72% RH; and a greenhouse with varying temperature and RH levels. Overall, 20°C appeared to be the optimal temperature for development, and 25°C was the least favorable of the temperatures tested. Comparing Fraser fir cuttings to seedlings, seedlings (15.51/cm) were five times more infested than cuttings (3.02/cm), and the percentage of adult survival was higher on seedlings (67%) than on cuttings (17%). The highest percentage of adelgids reaching full developme...
The radicals’ city: urban environment, polarisation, cohesion

The Radical’s City: Urban Environment, Polarisation, Cohesion presents a series of case studies and policy recommendations that evolved from a project initiated through the ‘new security challenges...
Sense of community: is it a protective factor for military veterans?

ABSTRACTVeteran community reintegration (VCR) difficulties impact personal, interpersonal, educational/occupational, and community aspects of returning military service members. Sense of community (SOC), an individual's feeling of membership, influence, need fulfillment, and emotional connection, is the theoretical underpinnings for community-based practice interventions used with this population. This study investigates the mediating role of SOC on the relationship between mental health risk factors (PTSD, depression, and suicidal ideation), employment status, and VCR difficulties among military veterans. Data used in this study (N = 131) were collected by the authors for an outcome evaluation study in 2013. Results found a statistically significant path from depression to SOC and a significant and direct path from SOC to VCR difficulties, suggesting that veterans who are connected to their local communities may be more at risk for depression and VCR difficulties. Practice implications suggest social wor...
Electron Spectroscopic Determination of the Electronic, Geometric and Chemisorption Properties of Oxide Surfaces

The electronic and geometric properties of both nearly perfect and defect metal oxide surfaces have been studied by using surface sensitive electron spectroscopic techniques such as photoemission, electron energy loss spectroscopy, low energy electron diffraction, etc. and single crystal samples cleaved in ultrahigh vacuum; surface defects are created by ion or electron bombardment or thermal treatment. The use of such well characterized ceramic samples permits a determination of the physical and chemical properties of their surfaces on the atomic scale. The geometric structure of defect free oxide surfaces is nearly a termination of the bulk crystal structure, and their electronic structure is usually similar to that of the bulk. Maximal valence oxides are quite inert with respect to molecular adsorption. The interaction of sub-oxide surfaces with molecules, on the other hand, exhibits a wide range of behavior. Point defects on surfaces are the active sites for chemisorption and exhibit electronic structures very different from those of perfect surfaces.
Mechanical Responses of Rock Joints With Regular Asperities Under Various Shear Rates Investigated by Double Shear Test

To study the mechanical responses of rock joints within a wide range of shear rates, this study develops a horizontal gripping mechanism to improve a double shear test device. Artificial rock joints, including planar and regular asperities with dip angles of 15° and 30°, are produced for conducting double shear tests under constant normal load within the shear rate range of 10−2–101 mm/s. Experimental results demonstrate that, though normalized by applied normal stress, the shear stiffness of the planar joints has a semi-logarithmic linear relationship with normalized shear rates. For rock joints with regular asperities, the shear rate, asperity dip angle, and normal stress influence the failure modes of asperities. When the shear rate is lower than the threshold shear rate, the asperity dip angles after the shear process and the peak dilation angles of the 15° regular joints increase with increasing the shear rate, whereas these two parameters tend to decrease in the cases of the 30° regular joints. The peak friction angles of both planar and regular rock joints have a semi-logarithmic linear relationship with normalized shear rates. The increasing peak friction angles of rock joints at different shear rates after sliding or local cut-off failures are derived mainly from increased basic friction angles. Both the basic friction angles of rock joints and the shear strength of asperities rise as the shear rate increases when asperity cut-off occurs. However, the quantitative effect of these two factors on the increase of peak friction angle requires further study.
Civil Society and Democratization

Among the structural theories of democratization discussed in the previous chapter, there has arisen a model of which holds that democratic transition or consolidation is improbable or even impossible without the development of a vibrant and robust civil society. According to this view, democratization is understood as a “double democratization,” a process of restructuring of state power in parallel with a certain form of restructuring or development of civil society (Held, 1987). Such arguments beg the question as to what civil society is, how it is supposed to achieve or support democratization, and what attributes and qualities civil society ought to have in order to achieve the same. In addition to introducing the discourses on the role of civil society and democracy, this chapter defines the terminologies that are commonly used in civil society literature.
On components of variation of estimated weight velocity of children

The variance of an estimator of weight velocity of a population of children is broken down into two components which depend on four parameters: variance of weight velocity in the population of children, measurement error variance in weight, sample size, and the time interval between two measurements for estimating weight velocity. The parameters are estimated using results from two experiments. An optimal design is identified.
Detection of tundra trail damage near Barrow, Alaska using remote imagery

Abstract In the past several decades, the use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) has proliferated in many Arctic communities in North America. One example is the village of Barrow, Alaska. This coastal community has only local roads, so all access to the interior utilizes off-road machines. These 4-wheel vehicles are the primary means of tundra traverse and transport in summer by hunters and berry-pickers, and by village residents accessing summer camps. Traveling cross-country is difficult due to the large number of thermokarst lakes, wetlands, and streams, and tundra trails tend to follow dryer higher ground while avoiding areas of high microrelief such as high-centered ice-wedge polygons. Thus, modern ATV trails tend to follow the margins of drained or partially drained thermokarst lake basins where it is flat and relatively dry, and these trails are heavily used. The deeply-ribbed tires of the heavy and powerful ATVs cause damage by destroying the vegetation and disturbing the underlying organic soil. Exposure of the dark soil enhances summer thaw and leads to local thermokarst of the ice-rich upper permafrost. The damage increases over time as vehicles continue to follow the same track, and sections eventually become unusable; this is especially true where the trail crosses ice-wedge troughs. Deep subsidence in the ponded troughs results in ATV users veering to avoid the wettest area, which leads to a widening of the damaged area. Helicopter surveys, site visits, and collection of ground penetrating radar data were combined with time series analysis of high-resolution aerial and satellite imagery for the period 1955–2014. The analysis reveals that there are 507 km of off-road trails on the Barrow Peninsula. About 50% of the total trail length was developed before 1955 in association with resource extraction, and an additional 40% were formed between 1979 and 2005 by ATVs. Segments of the more modern trail are up to 100 m wide. Damage to the tundra is especially pronounced in wet areas, such as ice-wedge troughs. Knowledgeable indigenous people are aware of the problem. Some remediation has been attempted by using heavy-duty PVC matting in areas of greatest damage, but this approach is prohibitively expensive on a large scale.
Navigating Misconduct in Research Oversight

Novel research ideas, a dogged work ethic, and clear communication of proposed studies are all essential components of grantsmanship and the successful acquisition of federal or private funding. However, the landscape for grant dollars remains highly competitive. In 2015, across 27 institutes and centers, only 18.3% of submitted grants were successfully awarded to investigators by NIH (1). The pursuit of research funding is only half the battle; postaward, the focus shifts to proposal execution. Notably, this process extends beyond the scientific endeavors described in the grant submission, and includes appropriate training, quality, and regulatory requirements. With the mounting pressure to be productive and innovative, investigators may focus their efforts on the scientific components of a grant, thereby overlooking the compliance-focused components associated with research. Unfortunately, while not intentional, this oversight may have deleterious consequences …
Response of Yield, Growth and Iron Deficiency Chlorosis of 'Santa Maria' Pear Trees on Four Rootstocks

This study was conducted on the 'Santa Maria' pear (Pyrus communis L.) budded on various rootstocks [pear seedling (Pyrus communis L.) and quince (Cydonia oblonga Mill.) (BA 29, QA and QC) rootstocks] under calcareous soil and semi-arid conditions during 2004-2012. The results showed that the highest cumulative yield per ha (53.1 t ha-1), fruit weight (304.1 g), fruit volume (337.2 cm³), fruit flesh firmness (22.3 lb.) and titratable acidity (0.21%) was obtained from trees on BA 29 rootstock. The highest SSC (15.8 %), cumulative yield per tree (78.08 kg tree-1), TCSA (79.03 cm²) and the lowest titratable acidity (0.18 %) were obtained from pear seedling. The most vigorous trees were grown on pear seedling, followed by 'BA 29', 'QA' and 'QC' rootstocks. The 'Santa Maria' pear variety's leaf chlorophyll content on all rootstocks fell during the study period up to 60 DAFB compared with 30 DAFB. It was found that leaf chlorophyll and Fe contents were higher in trees on pear seedling and BA 29 rootstocks and lower in those on 'QA'.
Learning to live with irregular migration: towards a more ambitious debate on the politics of ‘the problem’

AbstractWhat might be gained by learning to live with ‘the problem’ of irregular migration, rather than attempting to solve it? This article engages two senses of ‘the problem’ at stake: first, the ongoing nature of displacement and migration and second, the contested justice claims that sit behind different policy perspectives. The second sense of the problem (its political dimension) is rarely addressed explicitly in public debate. Yet direct engagement with the political dimension offers the potential to unlock debate from a polarised impasse. To make this argument, I first diagnose debate on irregular migration in terms of three archetypal positions and examine their implicit justice claims. I then argue for a more ambitious debate that pushes contending justice claims to their logical extensions. Debate of this kind requires a more coherent defence of justice claims, whether they are based in communitarian, cosmopolitan, anti-capitalist or hybrid values with respect to citizenship and political commu...
Assessing Decision Making Capacity for Do Not Resuscitate Requests in Depressed Patients: How to Apply the "Communication" and "Appreciation" Criteria.

The Patient Self Determination Act (PSDA) of 1991 brought much needed attention to the importance of advance care planning and surrogate decision-making. The purpose of this law is to ensure that a patient’s preferences for medical care are recognized and promoted, even if the patient loses decision-making capacity (DMC). In general, patients are presumed to have DMC. A patient’s DMC may come under question when distortions in thinking and understanding due to illness, delirium, depression or other psychiatric symptoms are identified or suspected. Physicians and other healthcare professionals working in hospital settings where medical illness is frequently comorbid with depression, adjustment disorders, demoralization and suicidal ideation, can expect to encounter ethical tension when medically sick patients who are also depressed or suicidal request do not resuscitate orders.
"On-off" thermocontrol of solute transport. II. Solute release from thermosensitive hydrogels.

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (NIPAAm)/polytetramethylene ether glycol (PTMEG) interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) were synthesized and their feasibility as thermosensitive hydrogels for drug release was investigated. The release of indomethacin incorporated into these matrices showed pulsatile patterns in response to temperature changes and was sensitive to a few degrees of temperature fluctuation. The temperature inducing on–off release deviated from the gel collapse temperature of unloaded gel, possibly because of solute effects on network properties. The lag time and release profile of indomethacin in the low-temperature region (on process) of each temperature cycle were affected by the gel composition and applied temperature. The results of this study demonstrate that solute release can be regulated by rapid deswelling of the surface of the gels in response to temperature.
Reliability of modified adheremeter and digital pressure algometer in measuring normal abdominal tissue and C-section scars

Abstract Objective This study tested inter- and intrarater reliability of the digital pressure algometer and modified adheremeter and concurrent validity in the algometer in both normal abdominal tissue and in chronically painful C-section scars. Study design Correlational Reliability/Validity. Background The algometer is used to measure pressure-pain threshold (PPT). The adheremeter is a tool to measure tissue extensibility. Painful abdominal scars are being treated successfully with soft-tissue techniques yet reliable measurement tools for this tissue have not been reported. Methods and measures 59 subjects with normal abdominal tissue were marked at a point 2 inches inferolateral to the umbilicus. Two separate testers measured PPT twice with an algometer and tissue extensibility in superior/left/inferior/right directions with a modified adheremeter. 29 subjects with painful C-section scars were marked at 2.5 cm intervals along the scar. A total of 115 points were measured in the same manner as above. C-section subjects also were asked to rate their pain using the numeric pain rating scale (NPRS). Each tester was blinded to all other measurements. Results For PPT, intraclass correlations (ICC's) ranged from 0.814 to 0.933 with a standard error of measurement (SEM) ranging from 1.65N to 5.9 N. For tissue mobility, ICC's ranged from 0.430 to 0.914; SEM ranging from 1.67 mm to 3.7 mm. All but 2 measures had ICCs that were good-excellent. Inferior glide in C-section tissues showed the least and multi-directional measurement the strongest reliability. The PPT had a moderate negative correlation (r = −0.551) with the NPRS. Conclusions The algometer showed excellent inter- and intra-rater reliability on normal abdominal tissue and C-section scars. It showed moderate criterion validity when compared against the NPRS. The modified adheremeter showed good-excellent inter- and intra-rater reliability on both normal abdominal tissue and C-section scars. Both measures have clinical and research applications for women's health practitioners.
Indoor black carbon of outdoor origin and oxidative stress biomarkers in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Abstract Objectives We assessed relationships between indoor black carbon (BC) exposure and urinary oxidative stress biomarkers, 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and malondialdehyde (MDA), in participants with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods Eighty-two participants completed in-home air sampling for one week prior to providing urine samples up to four times in a year. Weekly indoor and daily outdoor concentrations were used to estimate indoor daily lags and moving averages. There were no reported in-home BC sources, thus indoor levels closely represented outdoor BC infiltration. Mixed effects regression models with a random intercept for each participant were used to assess relationships between indoor BC and 8-OHdG and MDA, adjusting for age, race, BMI, diabetes, heart disease, season, time of urine collection, urine creatinine, and outdoor humidity and temperature. Results There were positive effects of BC on 8-OHdG and MDA, with the greatest effect the day before urine collection (6.9% increase; 95% CI 0.9–13.3%, per interquartile range: 0.22 μg/m 3 ) for 8-OHdG and 1 to 4 days before collection (8.3% increase; 95% CI 0.03–17.3% per IQR) for MDA. Results were similar in models adjusting for PM 2.5 not associated with BC and NO 2 (10.4% increase, 95% CI: 3.5–17.9 for 8-OHdG; 8.1% increase, 95% CI: −1.1–18.1 for MDA). Effects on 8-OHdG were greater in obese participants. Conclusions We found positive associations between BC exposure and 8-OHdG and MDA, in which associations with 8-OHdG were stronger in obese participants. These results suggest that exposure to low levels of traffic-related pollution results in lipid peroxidation and oxidative DNA damage in individuals with COPD.
Women Microbiologists at Rutgers in the Early Golden Age of Antibiotics

Streptomycin was discovered at Rutgers University by a graduate student named Albert Schatz, working in the laboratory of Selman Waksman. This golden age of antibiotic discovery unfolded against the backdrop of World War II and opened new doors for women in microbiology, who welcomed the opportunity to use their intellects, participate in the war effort, and experience the thrill of scientific discovery. Elizabeth Horning initiated the direct plate screening method used by Schatz, replacing a prior, slow enrichment protocol. Doris Jones provided one of the first streptomycin-producing strains and then performed the first animal trials, illustrating the nontoxic nature of streptomycin in chicks. Elizabeth Bugie (later Gregory) confirmed the antimicrobial activity of streptomycin and was coauthor on the first published paper about it. Her name was left off the patent because Waksman predicted she would “just get married.” Christine Reilly developed quick screening methods for the isolation of antibiotic-producing strains and demonstrated the first case of streptomycin resistance. Dorris Hutchison advanced our understanding of streptomycin’s effect on the tubercle bacillus. Vivian Schatz backed her husband, Albert, in his quixotic battle for appropriate recognition. Overall, women in the Waksman laboratory made substantial intellectual contributions, conducted independent research, provided technical and scholarly input to ongoing projects, and were intimately concerned at every level of the research. These women merit greater recognition for their key contributions in the development of the world’s antibiotics.
The Valuation Impact of Financial Advisors: An Empirical Analysis of Reit Merger and Acquisitions

This paper analyzes the effect of financial advisor-monitors on the valuation of REIT mergers. We analyze advisor choice determinants and the effects of advisors on transaction value using a sample of REIT mergers for the 1981 to 2001 period. We estimate a two stage target firm pricing model: the first stage (logit) estimates the probability of the advisor use and the second stage analyzes the effect of advisors on target firm valuation. The results indicate that financial advisor monitoring, possibly by reducing information asymmetries, has significant positive effects on the value of REIT acquisitions.
Structures of Eukaryotic Cytochrome P450 Enzymes

A three-dimensional structure will facilitate our understanding of the relationship between structure and substrate specificity within and between different eukaryotic members of the cytochrome P450 superfamily. Such information would provide insights into the structural arrangement of these proteins that would assist in the rational design of therapeutic enzyme inhibitors or in the engineering of P450s as biotechnological tools.
The Save America's Pastime Act: Special-Interest Legislation Epitomized

Buried deep within the 2,232-page omnibus federal spending bill passed by Congress in March 2, was an obscure, half-page provision entitled the “Save America’s Pastime Act” (SAPA). The SAPA was inserted into the spending bill at the last minute at the behest of Major League Baseball (MLB), following several years—and several million dollars—worth of lobbying efforts. MLB pursued the legislation to insulate its minor-league pay practices from legal challenge after they had become the subject of a federal class-action lawsuit alleging that the league’s teams failed to pay minor-league players in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) minimum-wage and overtime provisions. The SAPA helps shield MLB from these claims by creating a new statutory exemption largely excluding most professional baseball players from the protections of the FLSA. This article provides the first substantive analysis of the SAPA. Specifically, it asserts that although initial assessments concluded that the provision would shield MLB from any future liability for its minor-league pay practices, a closer reading of the statute reveals that it contains several potential ambiguities that could arguably give rise to unanticipated liability for the league. Nevertheless, the article asserts that the SAPA significantly reduces the odds that MLB will be forced to substantially change its minor-league pay practices in the future. At the same time, the article also evaluates the broader implications of the SAPA for federal minimum-wage and maximum-hour law generally.
Long-term Likelihood of Patch Testing, Academic Practice, and American Contact Dermatitis Society Membership Among North American Alexander Fisher Award Winners From 1989 to 2012.

Background The Alexander Fisher Award (AFA) recognizes excellence in research among dermatology residents or medical students who make formal presentations at the annual American Contact Dermatitis Society (ACDS) meeting. Objective The aim of the study was to investigate long-term likelihood of patch testing, academic practice, and society membership among Alexander Fisher Award winners (AFAWs). Methods The AFAWs from 1989 to 2012 were identified with Internet searches to obtain their current practice location. Each practice was contacted by phone, and staff was asked whether the AFAW performed patch testing. Current ACDS membership was confirmed by ACDS leadership. Academic status was assessed by university association on practice Web sites. Results Sixty-two awards were presented to 60 individuals from 1989 to 2012. Fifty AFAWs are actively practicing dermatology in the United States (n = 43) and Canada (n = 7). Of 50 practicing AFAWs, 18 (36%) are active patch testers, 29 (58%) do not perform patch testing, and 3 (6%) could not be reached or staff declined to answer. Of the 50, 14 (28%) practice in an academic setting, and 10 (20%) are current ACDS members.
Coercive Offers Without Coercion as Subjection

The consensus among philosophers and bioethicists is that coercion essentially involves threats as opposed to offers (Wertheimer 1987, 2010, chap. 4). Nevertheless, many, including many institution...
First report of clinical response to venetoclax combination with pentostatin in T-cell-prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL).

T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia is a postthymic mature lymphoid leukemia known to be associated with poor outcome. The median age at diagnosis is 61 years, and the clinical picture includes high whi...
Soft biohybrid morphing wings with feathers underactuated by wrist and finger motion

Since the Wright Flyer, engineers have strived to develop flying machines with morphing wings that can control flight as deftly as birds. Birds morph their wing planform parameters simultaneously-including sweep, span, and area-in a way that has proven to be particularly challenging to embody robotically. Previous solutions have primarily centered around the classical aerospace paradigm of controlling every degree of freedom to ensure predictable performance, but underperform compared with birds. To understand how birds accomplish wing morphing, we measured the kinematics of wing flexion and extension in common pigeons, Columba livia The skeletal and feather kinematics show that the 20 primary and 20 secondary feathers are coordinated via approximately linear transfer functions controlled by wrist and finger motion. To replicate this control principle in a robot, we developed a biohybrid morphing wing with real feathers to understand the underlying design principles. The outcome, PigeonBot, embodies 42 degrees of freedom that control the position of 40 elastically connected feathers via four servo-actuated wrist and finger joints. Our flight tests demonstrate that the soft feathered wings morph rapidly and robustly under aerodynamic loading. They not only enable wing morphing but also make robot interactions safer, the wing more robust to crashing, and the wing reparable via "preening." In flight tests, we found that both asymmetric wrist and finger motion can initiate turn maneuvers-evidence that birds may use their fingers to steer in flight.
[WC334] Using Interest Approaches in Instructional Design and Delivery

Most educators know that it can be challenging to get students motivated to learn at the start of a lesson. The importance of student motivation, academic desire, and engagement is well noted as these factors have been directly linked to students’ academic achievement. An interest approach uses a brief activity to stimulate students’ situational interest toward a topic. Although situational interest is typically held by the learner for a short duration, establishing situational interest at the start of the lesson maximizes students’ engagement, motivation, and attentiveness toward the lesson’s topic and student learning objectives. This new 4-page publication of the UF/IFAS Department of Agricultural Education and Communication describes components of interest approaches and techniques for integrating them into a lesson, and provides real-world examples. Written by Brianna N. Shanholtzer, Andrew C. Thoron, J. C. Bunch, and Blake C. Colclasure. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc334
Insights on the Pathogenesis of Aneurysm through the Study of Hereditary Aortopathies.

Thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA) are permanent and localized dilations of the aorta that predispose patients to a life-threatening risk of aortic dissection or rupture. The identification of pathogenic variants that cause hereditary forms of TAA has delineated fundamental molecular processes required to maintain aortic homeostasis. Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) elaborate and remodel the extracellular matrix (ECM) in response to mechanical and biochemical cues from their environment. Causal variants for hereditary forms of aneurysm compromise the function of gene products involved in the transmission or interpretation of these signals, initiating processes that eventually lead to degeneration and mechanical failure of the vessel. These include mutations that interfere with transduction of stimuli from the matrix to the actin–myosin cytoskeleton through integrins, and those that impair signaling pathways activated by transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). In this review, we summarize the features of the healthy aortic wall, the major pathways involved in the modulation of VSMC phenotypes, and the basic molecular functions impaired by TAA-associated mutations. We also discuss how the heterogeneity and balance of adaptive and maladaptive responses to the initial genetic insult might contribute to disease.
Building the Clinical and Business Case for Opening Maternity Care Units in Critical Access Hospitals

Amid a trend of closures of rural maternity units across the United States, UNC Health launched an innovative maternity unit in a rural county with a high rate of infant mortality to address a crit...
Dynamic Pore-Scale Modeling of Residual Trapping Following Imbibition in a Rough-walled Fracture

We present a new, fully dynamic pore-network modeling platform that is employed to conduct a systematic pore-scale study of capillary trapping under various two-phase flow conditions in a rough-walled fracture. The model rigorously solves for the fluid pressure fields, incorporates detailed descriptions of pore-scale fluid interface dynamics, and explicitly accounts for flow through wetting layers. This modeling platform further benefits from heavy parallelization and advanced domain decomposition techniques to achieve computational efficiency. We first build an equivalent pore network of a rough-walled Berea sandstone fracture using its high-resolution x-ray images. Next, to validate the dynamic model, primary drainage and imbibition simulations are conducted with fluid properties and boundary conditions matching their experimental counterparts. We show that the predicted two-phase fluid occupancy maps for both displacement processes agree well with those observed experimentally using x-ray computed tomography. Afterward, a comprehensive simulation study of flow patterns and capillary trapping during imbibition is performed under varying flow conditions, fluid properties, and initial saturations. The generated results provide significantly improved insights into the effects of wettability, gravity and viscous forces, and initial non-wetting (NW) phase saturation on the morphology and size distribution of the trapped NW phase clusters and the final residual NW phase saturation. By revealing the interplay among the capillary, buoyancy, and viscous forces, our results create a guideline on how the removal of NW phase from fractured media can be influenced by adjusting the operational settings. These findings have broad implications for predictions of capillary trapping behavior in fractured media.
Abstract 788: Differences in somatic TP53 mutation type in breast tumors by race and receptor status

Somatic driver mutations in TP53 are associated with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and poorer outcomes. African American women with breast cancer are more likely to have TNBC and TP53 driver mutations. Missense driver mutations in TP53 can be loss-of function (LOF) or gain-of-function (GOF). Additionally, some variants show dominant negative (DNE) activity. There are a number of hot-spot TP53 mutations, many occurring at CpG sites. Given the differences in TNBC status and TP53 driver mutation frequency by race, we wanted to determine if there are differences in TP53 mutation type by race. From multiple databases and a literature review, we identified 98 studies with patient race and TP53 mutation details. We compiled TP53 mutations from 2964 breast tumors from these 98 studies. The cohort included 715 (24.1%) Asian, 258 (8.7%) African (AA), and 1931 (65.1%) European (EA) ancestry individuals. Additionally, 60 patients (2%) had Hispanic or Latina ethnicity. Of the somatic TP53 mutations, 939 (31.7%) were GOF, 1739 (58.7%) were LOF, while the remaining 286 (9.6%) were not able to be classified by existing literature. With respect to DNE activity, 1246 (42%) showed DNE, 1190 (40.1%) showed no DNE, and 528 (17.8%) were unknown DNE status. CpG hotspots accounted for 613 (20.6%) mutations. Using Fisher9s Exact test, we did not identify significant associations between any of the functional categories and overall race. However, 35.8% of tumors from EA individuals had GOF mutations compared to 29% in AA individuals (p=0.04). Mutations with DNE activity were positively associated with TNBC (OR=1.37, p=0.03) and negative estrogen receptor (ER) status (OR=1.38; p=0.005). Patients with hotspot mutations were slightly younger (mean age 53.61) compared to those with non-hotspot mutations (mean age 55.04), and this association neared significance (p=0.065). Larger cohorts are needed, in particular the AA cohort, to further elucidate some of these borderline findings. In summary, ER negative and TNBC breast tumors are more likely to have DNE TP53 mutations which could reflect biological processes. Citation Format: Nijole Pollock, Johnny Ramroop, Joseph McElroy, Amanda E. Toland. Differences in somatic TP53 mutation type in breast tumors by race and receptor status [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 788.
Evidence-Based Practice with Spoiled Children and Cyber-Bullies

This chapter discusses spoiled children and cyber-bullies, a new form of bullying that uses the Internet to harass others. The chapter notes that in both cases, parents often do a limited job of preparing their children for life and either opt out of parenting by ignoring their children or give in to every whim without a sense of proper moral behavior. Parents also tend to not encourage their children's ability to exist in a society in which people must earn the right to be thought highly of through hard work and persistence. Many of the children who bully and use the Internet to mask their identities are children who feel detached from the harm cyber-bullying causes, and do not think of it as much more than a social contrivance which most people do. Many have themselves been victims. Both issues need prompt attention from parents, school personnel and therapists because spoiled children and cyber-bullies perform badly as adults without changes in parenting and treatment from knowledgeable professionals.
Dynamic Process Management for Pipelined Applications

Many applications, particularly in the area of Signal and Image Processing (SIP) make use of what is referred to as a pipeline architecture. In these pipelined architectures, data are collected from some source and fed into a system for computation. This system is designed as a pipeline. That is, different processes are responsible for managing the data during different stages of the computation. The data move from one module, or task, to another, as in a pipeline. These types of systems have inherent load balancing problems. During times of low activity the pipeline becomes lightly utilized, wasting many of the resources making up the pipeline. During times of increased activity the pipeline is filled and a backlog develops due to there being insufficient resources to process all the available data. For single pipeline architectures this problem is exacerbated by the fact that data moves through the pipeline at the speed of the slowest process. This paper explores the use of MPI-2's dynamic process management functionality as a method for handling this load imbalance.
Feminist Fumdamentalism as an Individual and Constitutional Commitment

I. Fundamentalism and Perfectionism Defined 550 II. Sex Equality is a Particular as Well as a Universal Value 554 III. What’s Citizenship Got to Do with It? 556 IV. Feminist Fundamentalism in the United States Constitutional Order 560 V. Defending an Integrationist Vision of Sex Equality 565