cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Tumor Microenvironment in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

The tumor microenvironment (TME) of NSCLC is heterogeneous with variable blood flow through leaky immature vessels resulting in regions of acidosis and hypoxia. Hypoxia has been documented in NSCLC directly by polarographic needle electrodes and indirectly by assessing tissue and plasma hypoxia markers. In general, elevated expression of these markers portends poorer outcomes in NSCLC. Impaired vascularity and hypoxia can lead to increased metastasis and treatment resistance. Compounds that directly target hypoxic cells such as tirapazamine have been tested in clinical trials for NSCLC with mixed results. Preclinical data, however, suggest other ways of exploiting the abnormal TME in NSCLC for therapeutic gain. The inhibition of hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha or vascular endothelial growth factor may increase local control after radiation. Inhibitors of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway, such as erlotinib or PI-103, may "normalize" tumor vessels, allowing for increased chemotherapy delivery or improved oxygenation and radiation response. To select patients who may respond to these therapies and to evaluate the effects of these agents, a noninvasive means of imaging the TME is critical. Presently, there are several promising modalities to image hypoxia and the tumor vasculature; these include dynamic perfusion imaging and positron emission tomography scanning with radiolabled nitroimidazoles.
The multi-tanh principle: a tutorial overview

This paper reviews a class of linear transconductance cells, having proven value in a variety of communications applications, characterized by the use of parallel- or series-connected sets of differential pairs of bipolar transistors whose inputs and outputs are connected in parallel. These cells invoke a well-developed concept, known as the "multi-tanh principle". The key idea is that the individually nonlinear (hyperbolic tangent, or tanh) transconductance functions may be separated along the input-voltage axis to achieve a much more linear overall function. The simplest of these is the so-called the "doublet"; the linearity criterion and noise behavior are discussed in detail. Some novel forms are presented. Higher order cells, including the "triplet", are then discussed, together with a novel method for achieving linear-in-dB gain control with an important modification for extending the dynamic range.
Cellular and Viral Requirements for Rapid Endocytic Entry of Herpes Simplex Virus

It was recently demonstrated that herpes simplex virus (HSV) successfully infects Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells expressing glycoprotein D (gD) receptors and HeLa cells by an endocytic mechanism (A. V. Nicola, A. M. McEvoy, and S. E. Straus, J. Virol. 77:5324-5332, 2003). Here we define cellular and viral requirements of this pathway. Uptake of intact, enveloped HSV from the cell surface into endocytic vesicles was rapid (t(1/2) of 8 to 9 min) and independent of the known cell surface gD receptors. Following uptake from the surface, recovery of intracellular, infectious virions increased steadily up to 20 min postinfection (p.i.), which corresponds to accumulation of enveloped virus in intracellular compartments. There was a sharp decline in recovery by 30 min p.i., suggesting loss of the virus envelope as a result of capsid penetration from endocytic organelles into the cytosol. In the absence of gD receptors, endocytosed virions did not successfully penetrate into the cytosol but were instead transported to lysosomes for degradation. Inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase, such as wortmannin, blocked transport of incoming HSV to the nuclear periphery and virus-induced gene expression but had no effect on virus binding or uptake. This suggests a role for PI 3-kinase activity in trafficking of HSV through the cytosol. Viruses that lack viral glycoproteins gB, gD, or gH-gL were defective in transport to the nucleus and had reduced infectivity. Thus, similar to entry via direct penetration at the cell surface, HSV entry into cells by wortmannin-sensitive endocytosis is efficient, involves rapid cellular uptake of viral particles, and requires gB, gD, and gH-gL.
The Race for Class: Reflections on a Critical Raceclass Theory of Education.

This article is intended to appraise the insights gained from Critical Race Theory (CRT) in Education. It is particularly interested in CRT's relationship with Marxist discourse, which falls under two questions. One, how does CRT understand Marxist concepts, such as capital, which show up in the way CRT appropriates them? The article argues that Marxist concepts, such as historical classes, class-for-itself, are useful for race analysis as it sets parameters around the conceptual use of historical races and a race-for-itself. Two, how does CRT understand the role of capitalism, therefore shedding light on its position regarding the class problem? It is no doubt attentive to class power, but this is not the same as performing an immanent critique of capitalism. As a result, within CRT class achieves a color whereby class becomes a variant of race, better known as classism. Race becomes the theory with class vocabulary superimposed on it. Last, I suggest areas where CRT could combine with Marxism in order t...
Stereotactic radiosurgery as therapy for melanoma, renal carcinoma, and sarcoma brain metastases: Impact of added surgical resection and whole-brain radiotherapy

Purpose: Brain metastases of melanoma, renal carcinoma, and sarcoma have traditionally responded poorly to conventional treatments, including surgery and whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT). Several studies have suggested a beneficial effect of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). We evaluated our institutional experience with systematic SRS in patients harboring these “radioresistant” metastases. Methods and Materials: A total of 68 patients with brain metastases from melanoma, renal carcinoma, and sarcoma underwent SRS with or without WBRT or surgical resection. All patients had Karnofsky performance scores >70, and SRS was performed before the initiation of systemic therapy. The survival time was calculated from the diagnosis of brain metastases using the Kaplan-Meier product-limit method. Statistical significance was calculated using the log–rank test. Factors influencing survival, including surgical resection, WBRT, gender, number of SRS sessions, and histologic type, were evaluated retrospectively using Cox univariate models. Results: The overall median survival was 427 days (14.2 months), which appears superior to the results obtained with conventional WBRT. The addition of neither surgery nor WBRT to SRS provided a statistically significant increase in survival. Conclusion: Our results suggest that patients undergoing SRS for up to five cerebral metastases from “radioresistant” tumors (melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, and sarcoma) have survival rates comparable to those in other series of more selected patients. The addition of surgical resection or WBRT did not result in improved survival in our series.
Limitations of diagnostic reference level (DRL) and introduction of acceptable quality dose (AQD).

It is normal for a patient undergoing a radiological examination to expect that the radiation dose he/she will receive will be within a reasonable range of standard. Do we have that “standard” dose? The precise answer is actually no. The most common approach has been to use diagnostic reference level (DRL), which is a 75th percentile of the mean doses for a sample of patients close to the standard size, typically 70 kg or, in some countries, 60–70 kg. The purpose in cases of DRL is to detect outliers (higher 25th percentile cases) from a sample. In the absence of a standard dose, there has been an erroneous tendency to assume that being below DRL means adequate optimization.1 Removing rotten pieces of fruit is different from picking good pieces of fruit. DRLs do not provide guidance on what is achievable with optimum performance. DRLs were not developed as a tool for optimization within 75th percentile. DRLs provided good tools in previous years when the spread of doses were by a large order of magnitude and the shape of dose distribution curve was right-skewed asymmetric. There is no problem with DRL but stopping at DRL and using DRL in ways it was not supposed to be used creates problems.
Data Mining of Text Documents

This chapter investigates the problem of classifying text documents into two disjoint classes. It does so by employing a data mining approach based on the OCAT algorithm. This chapter is based on the work discussed in [ Nieto Sanchez, Triantaphyllou, and Kraft, 2002]. In the present setting two sample sets of training examples (text documents) are assumed to be available. An approach is developed that uses indexing terms to form patterns of logical expressions (Boolean functions) that next are used to classify new text documents (which are of unknown class). This is a typical case of supervised “crisp” classification.
A crosstalk between TGF-β/Smad3 and Wnt/β-catenin pathways promotes vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation

Abstract Rationale Endovascular interventions performed for atherosclerotic lesions trigger excessive vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation leading to intimal hyperplasia. Our previous studies show that following endovascular injury, elevated TGF-β/Smad3 promotes SMC proliferation and intimal hyperplasia. Furthermore in cultured SMCs, elevated TGF-β/Smad3 increases the expression of several Wnt genes. Here we investigate a crosstalk between TGF-β/Smad3 and Wnt/β-catenin signaling and its role in SMC proliferation. Methods and results To mimic TGF-β/Smad3 up-regulation in vivo, rat aortic SMCs were treated with Smad3-expressing adenovirus (AdSmad3) or AdGFP control followed by stimulation with TGF-β1 (or solvent). AdSmad3/TGF-β treatment up-regulated Wnt2b, Wnt4, Wnt5a, Wnt9a, and Wnt11 (confirmed by qRT-PCR and ELISA), and also increased β-catenin protein as detected by Western blotting. Blocking Wnt signaling using a Frizzled receptor inhibitor (Niclosamide) abolished TGF-β/Smad3-induced β-catenin stabilization. Increasing β-catenin through degradation inhibition (using SKL2001) or by adenoviral expression enhanced SMC proliferation. Furthermore, application of recombinant Wnt2b, Wnt4, Wnt5a, or Wnt9a, but not Wnt11, stabilized β-catenin and stimulated SMC proliferation as well. In addition, increased β-catenin was found in the neointima of injured rat carotid artery where TGF-β and Smad3 are known to be up-regulated. Conclusions These results suggest a novel mechanism whereby elevated TGF-β/Smad3 stimulates the secretion of canonical Wnts which in turn enhances SMC proliferation through β-catenin stabilization. This crosstalk between TGF-β/Smad3 and Wnt/β-catenin canonical pathways provides new insights into the pathophysiology of vascular SMCs linked to intimal hyperplasia.
Effect of CO2 enrichment and nitrogen availability on resource acquisition and resource allocation in a grass, Bromus mollis.

The effects of CO2 enrichment on the growth, biomass partitioning, photosynthetic rates, and leaf nitrogen concentration of a grass, Bromus mollis (C3), were investigated at a favorable and a low level of nitrogen availability. Despite increases in root: shoot ratios, leaf nitrogen concentrations were decreased under CO2 enrichment at both nitrogen levels. For the low-nitrogen treatment, this resulted in lower photosynthetic rates measured at 650 μl/l for the CO2-enriched plants, compared to photosynthetic rates measured at 350 μl/l for the non-enriched plants. At higher nitrogen availability, photosynthetic rates of plants grown and measured at 650 μl/l were greater than photosynthetic rates of the non-enriched plants measured at 350 μl/l. Water use efficiency, however, was increased in enriched plants at both nitrogen levels. CO2 enrichment stimulated vegetative growth at both high and low nitrogen during most of the vegetative growth phase but, at the end of the experiment, total biomass of the high and low CO2 treatments did not differ for plants grown at low nitrogen availability. While not statistically significant, CO2 tended to stimulate seed production at high nitrogen and to decrease it at low nitrogen.
Gearbox fault diagnosis based on time-frequency domain synchronous averaging and feature extraction technique

Gearbox is one of the most vulnerable subsystems in wind turbines. Its healthy status significantly affects the efficiency and function of the entire system. Vibration based fault diagnosis methods are prevalently applied nowadays. However, vibration signals are always contaminated by noise that comes from data acquisition errors, structure geometric errors, operation errors, etc. As a result, it is difficult to identify potential gear failures directly from vibration signals, especially for the early stage faults. This paper utilizes synchronous averaging technique in time-frequency domain to remove the non-synchronous noise and enhance the fault related time-frequency features. The enhanced time-frequency information is further employed in gear fault classification and identification through feature extraction algorithms including Kernel Principal Component Analysis (KPCA), Multilinear Principal Component Analysis (MPCA), and Locally Linear Embedding (LLE). Results show that the LLE approach is the most effective to classify and identify different gear faults.
Cardiac implantable electronic device lead-based masses and atrial fibrillation ablation: a case-based illustration of periprocedural anticoagulation management strategies.

Cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) leads frequently develop echogenic masses. However, the nature of these masses is not well understood. In patients in whom atrial fibrillation (AF) catheter ablation is planned, there is concern that transseptal puncture may result in cerebrovascular embolism of these masses. The optimal therapeutic strategy in this setting remains undefined. We describe six patients identified over a 6-year period (2008–2014) with device lead-based masses prior to or at the time of AF ablation. We examined the anticoagulation strategy and periprocedural management based on mass identification. In all six patients (age 39–73; four males), the device lead mass was found in the right atrium. The average mass size was 11 ± 1.3 mm. The majority of patients were already on anticoagulation (5/6; 83 %), and an intensified anticoagulation regimen was initiated (INR goal 3.0). In all six patients, the size of the device lead mass decreased on repeat imaging. In two sixths (33 %) patients, the lead-based mass completely resolved within 2 months. The remaining four patients had persistent lead-based masses (average follow-up of 10.9 ± 9.6 months). We describe a series of patients with CIED lead-based masses found at the time of ablation. These cases illustrate that lead-based masses can disappear while patients are on high-intensity anticoagulation, most compatible with a thrombotic origin. These early data will need to be assessed in larger cohorts for further validation and evaluation of safety.
Abstract 400: A Nonpeptide Angiotensin (Ang) II Type 2 Receptor (AT2R) Agonist Improves Diabetic Nephropathy via Inhibition of Renal Inflammation

We explored the hypothesis that direct AT2R stimulation improves albuminuria in diabetes by reducing renal inflammation and improving oxidative stress. Sham and DM Sprague-Dawley rats were treated for 4 weeks with vehicle (V) or AT2R agonist Compound 21 (C21; 0.3 mg/kg/d). C21 was infused systemically by osmotic minipump. Diabetes was induced by streptozotocin (65 mg/kg IP). At the end of study, we monitored BP, 24h urine collection for measurements of urinary albumin to creatinine ratio (UACR), and renal interstitial fluid (RIF) levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), nitric oxide (NO), cGMP, and 8-isoprostane (ISO). Data are shown as mean±SE. There were no significant differences in BP between different treatments. UACR (μg/mg), compared to Control+V (14±2), increased significantly in DM+V (60±3, p
Oral Status in Eating Disorders

Both anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are responsible for lesions that affect the dentition, oral mucosa, and salivary glands. Tooth surface loss is a result of acidic erosion of enamel and dentin as well as increased caries activity. Dry mouth can also increase caries activity. Mucosal lesions include traumatically induced ulcerations and subepithelial hemorrhage. In some cases, there can also be enlargement of the salivary glands. While a conclusive diagnosis of bulimia nervosa may be difficult to establish, due to a noncooperative patient, the dentist is in an advantageous, and perhaps singular, position to confirm the presence of this disease because of the distinctive pattern of tooth erosion.
The perils of pre-election polling: Election cycles and the exacerbation of measurement error in illiberal regimes:

Pre-election polls are increasingly being used to forecast and study elections in new and weak democracies yet the tension that surrounds elections in less liberal regimes may make data from such s...
Capsules and closures: a small-step approach

We present a side by side comparison of Capsules and Closures , including a proof of bisimilarity, using small-step semantics. A similar proof was presented in [8], using big-step semantics. However, while big-step semantics only allow to talk about final results of terminating computations, the use of small-step semantics allows to prove a stronger bisimilarity involving every step of the computation and thus also applicable to infinite computations.
The First SASTRA Ramanujan Prizes

The SASTRA Ramanujan Prize, launched in 2005, is an annual prize of US $10,000 given to a mathematician not exceeding the age of 32 for outstanding contributions in areas influenced by Ramanujan. The prize is now one of the most prestigious and coveted international awards. This is the speech given by author in 2005 as Chair of the Prize Committee, when the First SASTRA Ramanujan Prizes were awarded, describing why such a prize was conceived and how it will play a major role in the encouragement of young mathematicians. The work and accomplishments of the winners are also described.
Cell Cultures from Human Fetal Brain Provide a Model for HIV-1 Persistence and Reactivation in the Central Nervous System

Cell cultures derived from human fetal tissues have been used for many years for the laboratory diagnosis of viral infections. In 1971, cultures prepared from human fetal brain were used in the isolation of a human polyomavirus, JCV, which was identified as the etiologic agent for the demyelinating disease, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy.1,2 Since JCV infected the oligodendrocyte in the brain, it was thought that JCV also infected the oligodendrocyte or its precursor cell in cultures from fetal brain.3,4 Laboratory investigations of the lineage of fetal brain-derived cells revealed that these precursor cells were difficult to identify and were in small numbers compared with other neural-derived cells, such as astrocytes and neurons.4–6 Since JCV does not infect neurons in the brain or in cultures, astrocytes were implicated as the predominant cell type in these cultures in which JCV multiplied.7 This observation was later confirmed both in situ in histopathological samples and in cell cultures with the establishment of astrocyte cell lines susceptible to JCV infection.8,9 Although cultures from fetal brain tissue demonstrate a diverse population of cell types, it has been possible to prepare cultures highly enriched for astrocytes. It has been these astrocyte-pure cultures from human fetal brain that have served as cell substrates for studies of neurotropism of viral pathogens. With the observation that HIV-1 was neuroinvasive (a characteristic of the lentivirus family), and was demonstrated in patients with dementia, laboratory and clinical investigations began to determine whether HIV-1 was also neurotropic, i.e., able to infect neural-derived cells. Astrocyte cell cultures from human fetal brain were used to initiate these studies.
Illicit Nuclear & Missile Procurement Activities

This essay provides an overview and analysis of Iran’s nuclear and missile procurement activities and the efforts of the United States and its allies to detect, deter, and disrupt those activities. It also derives lessons learned and makes recommendations for how the U.S. and its allies can more effectively counter those Iranian activities. Iran’s nuclear and missile programs remain heavily dependent on foreign suppliers. Since Iranian procurement of key nuclear and missile technology is prohibited by legally binding resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, Iran must procure this material illicitly. Over the past three decades, Iran has acquired more and more experience bypassing export regulations, hiding end users, and otherwise evading detection of its illicit trafficking activities. Iran’s nuclear program is rapidly approaching a point of “critical capability” at which Iran could dash for a bomb before the IAEA or Western intelligence could detect such a step. To disrupt Iran’s illicit networks, the U.S. and its allies have worked together with increasing frequency to share intelligence, extradite and prosecute complicit individuals, and ultimately shut down Iranian trafficking rings. Although such collaborations have resulted in a number of successful prosecutions, efforts to combat Iran’s procurement network are too often slow and ineffective. The weak strategic trade controls of several key countries continue to be a particularly significant obstacle. With governments and firms worldwide on the lookout for illicit Iranian government procurement efforts, Iran has increasingly turned to middlemen to serve as key links in its nuclear and missile procurement networks. These middlemen smuggle dual-use materials via front companies located in countries including China, Turkey, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore. Although many schemes involving middlemen have been very complex, comprising multilayered networks of individuals and trading companies, several other successful procurements have been remarkably simple. Through a variety of tactics, these middlemen have filled a critical void in Iran’s nuclear procurement activities, for which traditional methods such as direct state purchase and indigenous production are no longer possible or efficient. This report’s Section Two details and analyzes Iran’s procurement activities. It includes a discussion of Iran’s nuclear and missile program (focusing on items that the regime seeks to procure), the middlemen involved in the schemes, the key countries through which transshipment occurs, and the tactics utilized. Section Three discusses the response to Iran’s nuclear program by the United States, the European Union, and several key countries of diversion concern, with a particular focus on responses to Iran’s use of middlemen. Section Four provides both lessons learned and several recommendations for more effectively combating Iran’s procurement networks.
Mine ventilation networks optimized for safety and productivity

Abstract This chapter outlines the fundamentals of mine ventilation, dust control, and fire and explosion prevention. Mine ventilation networks must be designed in close coordination with mine planning so that all mine workings can be supplied with adequate ventilation to dilute and render harmless any toxic or explosive gases or dusts. In underground coal mines, special attention must be paid to diluting methane as it is flammable and explosive under certain conditions. In all mines, formation of dust must be controlled through water spray or scrubber arrangements to prevent respiratory diseases. Recommended best practices include continuous monitoring for mine air quality and quantity to ensure that inadequate ventilation conditions are detected early and can be mitigated accordingly. As mining progresses, ventilation needs change continuously and ventilation planning must take into account these needs. Main and auxiliary fans must be selected with the maximum required duty in mind. Ventilation-on-demand (VOD) systems are designed to automatically control fans and regulators to make the air quantity and quality available where needed.
Using Social Network Analysis to Identify Successful Relationship Patterns Within Sexual Assault Response Teams (SARTs)

The current study used social network analysis (SNA) to examine relationships within three effective Sexual Assault Response Teams (SARTs) that coordinate the response of legal, medical, and advocacy organizations to sexual assault. Within each SART, organizations reported on each other member organization valuing their role, serving as a resource to their work, and communication outside of official meetings. Across the SARTs, there was high connectedness and reciprocity and low to moderate dependence on one organization to drive relationships. However, there was dependence on a subgroup of organizations to drive additional communication relationships. Implications for managing relationships in SARTs are discussed.
Unusually Slow Internal Conversion in N-Heterocyclic Carbene/Carbanion Cyclometallated Ru(II) Complexes: A Hammett Relationship

A series of six [Ru(bpy)2(NHC-R)]+ complexes were synthesized and characterized, where bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine and NHC-R is an N-heterocyclic carbene covalently linked to a carbanion with a number of substituents, R = −OMe (1), −Me (2), −H (3), −Cl (4), −CO2Et (5), and −NO2 (6). The effects of these strongly σ-donating NHC-R ligands on the ground-state electronic structure and on the excited-state character and dynamics were probed using electrochemistry, TD-DFT calculations, and steady-state absorption and emission spectroscopies, along with ultrafast transient absorption and time-resolved IR measurements. The excitation of 1–5 with a 400 nm pulse (irf = 85 fs) results in the population of a high energy singlet state, Sn, that rapidly intersystem crosses into a high-lying triplet state, Tn. Over the course of 7–22 ps, Tn relaxes to the lowest lying triplet state, T1, which is metal/ligand-to-ligand charge transfer, 3Ru(d)/NHC(π) → bpy(π*) in character. These 3ML-LCT states decay to regenerate the ground st...
Steric and electronic control of an ultrafast isomerization

Synthetic control of the influence of steric and electronic factors on the ultrafast (picosecond) isomerization of penta-coordinate ruthenium dithietene complexes (Ru((CF3)2C2S2)(CO)(L)2, where L = a monodentate phosphine ligand) is reported. Seven new ruthenium dithietene complexes were prepared and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The complexes are all square pyramidal and differ only in the axial vs. equatorial coordination of the carbonyl ligand. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to study the ν(CO) bandshapes of the complexes in solution, and these reveal rapid exchange between two or three isomers of each complex. Isomerization is proposed to follow a Berry psuedorotation-like mechanism where a metastable, trigonal bipyramidal (TBP) intermediate is observed spectroscopically. Electronic tuning of the phosphine ligands L = PPh3, P((p-Me)Ph)3, ((p-Cl)Ph)3, at constant cone angle is found to have little effect on the kinetics or thermodynamic stabilities of the axial, equatorial and TBP isomers of the differently substituted complexes. Steric tuning of the phosphine ligands over a range of phosphine cone angles (135 < θ < 165°) has a profound impact on the isomerization process, and in the limit of greatest steric bulk, the axial isomer is not observable. Temperature dependence of the FTIR spectra was used to obtain the relative thermodynamic stabilities of the different isomers of each of the seven ruthenium dithietene complexes. This study details how ligand steric effects can be used to direct the solution state dynamics on the picosecond time scale of discrete isomers energetically separated by <2.2 kcal mol-1. This work provides the most detailed description to date of ultrafast isomerization in the ground states of transition metal complexes.
Educational Attainment and Subjective Health and Well-Being; Diminished Returns of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Individuals.

Background: Educational attainment is one of the strongest determinants of subjective health and well-being. Minorities’ Diminished Returns, however, suggests that such an effect may be smaller for the members of racial/ethnic minorities such as Blacks and Hispanics relative to non-Hispanic Whites. Only one study has previously shown that minorities’ diminished returns may also apply to lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals; however, that study has focused on other outcomes (i.e., obesity). Aims: To compare LGB and non-LGB American adults for the effects of educational attainment on subjective health and well-being. Methods: This cross-sectional study used baseline data of 31,480 adults in the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH, 2013), a nationally representative study in the United States. The independent variable was educational attainment. The dependent variable was subjective health and well-being, measured using four items. Race, ethnicity, age, gender, poverty status, and employment were the covariates. LGB status was the moderator. Results: Overall, individuals with higher educational attainment had better subjective health and well-being. We found a significant interaction between LGB status and educational attainment which was suggestive of that the boosting effect of high educational attainment on better subjective health and well-being was systemically smaller for LGB than non-LGB individuals. Conclusions: In the United States, highly educated LGB adults experience poor subjective health and well-being, a status that is disproportionate to their educational attainment.
MR Safety Essentials for Nurses

This chapter will focus on describing the main safety issues of MRI, including pertinent background physics related to safety. This chapter will cover practical tips for keeping patients and staff safe in the MR environment. An overview of implanted medical devices including MR Conditional active devices, off-label (MR unsafe) active devices, and passive implanted devices will be presented. The unique challenges of monitoring patients in MRI as well as contrast agent used for MR will be presented.
At the edge of the nation: the Southern Kurils and the search for Russia’s national identity: by Paul B. Richardson, Honolulu, University of Hawai’i Press, 2018, pp. xvi, 169 pp. + notes, index, $68.00, ISBN 978-0-8248-7262-5

The sparsely inhabited Southern Kuril Islands located at the remote (and, as Richardson demonstrates, deficiently accessible) “edge” of Russia seem like an unlikely source to inspire debate on Russ...
Qualitative Assessment of Service Learning in a General Chemistry II Course

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of service learning in a general chemistry course. Service learning is an educational approach that connects community service with academic course content and objectives. Service learning approaches have been carried out in chemistry at the college level. This study combined qualitative methods (data from interviews and student artifacts) with a control design. The control group consisted of students enrolled in the General Chemistry II lecture, and the experimental group consisted of students additionally enrolled in the 1-hour Honors General Chemistry II Seminar. In the seminar, students discussed, designed and carried out service-learning research projects that were not part of the regular General Chemistry II coursework. Qualitative data was collected from both groups and compared. Findings indicate that the students in the Honors Seminar developed more specific knowledge and appreciation of the community, a fluid concept of leadership, and greater awareness of self and others.
The Longitudinal Efficiency of Robotic Surgery: an MBSAQIP Propensity Matched 4-Year Comparison of Robotic and Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery.

The objective of this study was to examine the MBSAQIP database to assess efficiency trends and perioperative outcomes in robotic bariatric surgery. Robotic (RA) and laparoscopic (L) sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and gastric bypass (RYGB) were compared using the 2015–2018 MBSAQIP Participant Use Data Files. Patients were propensity matched 1:1 based on sex, body mass index, assistant, and previous obesity or foregut surgery. A total of 93,802 patients were included. Median operative times were significantly longer for both RA-SG (89 vs. 62 min; p 4 days) compared with laparoscopic (p = < 0.0002). No significant differences were noted in morbidity and mortality by approach. Operative times were 30% longer for RA-SG and 25% longer for RA-RYGB when compared with laparoscopic. There was no significant improvement in OR delta for either RA-SG or RA-RYGB over the four years. Readmission rates were higher for both RA-SG and RA-RYGB. Robotic SG had a greater percentage of patients with extended LOS compared with laparoscopic. No evidence of improved efficiency for robotic bariatric surgery as defined by operative time or clinical outcomes was identified.
Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense Lour.) alters the timing of litterfall and nutrient quality of leaf litter inputs in invaded riparian forests

The invasive non-native shrub Chinese privet occupies riparian forests throughout the southeastern US however little is known regarding its ability to impact ecosystem processes. This study aimed to characterize phenological patterns of privet litterfall, litter chemistry, and changes in availability of mobile soil nutrients within riparian zones invaded by privet. Comparisons of native and invaded sites showed that privet invasion alters the timing but not quantity of litter deposition. In contrast to native species, total privet litterfall displayed little seasonal variation however invaded sites had similar total litter mass compared to native sites. Within invaded sites privet litter was 26% of total litterfall in spring. Privet leaf litter was seasonally enriched in nitrogen during winter as compared to fall and spring. Compared to native sites, invaded sites had significantly increased soil nitrate availability and decreased soil carbon:nitrogen ratios. In contrast, dissolved organic matter and dissolved nitrogen in soil solution was lower in invaded compared to native sites. Results suggest that privet enhances litter and inorganic nitrogen availability in ways that have potential to impact decomposer and detritovore communities in the riparian zone and adjacent aquatic systems.
Demographic inference provides insights into the extirpation and ecological dominance of eusocial snapping shrimps

Abstract Eusocial animals often achieve ecological dominance in the ecosystems where they occur, a process that may be linked to their demography. That is, reproductive division of labor and high reproductive skew in eusocial species is predicted to result in more stable effective population sizes that may make groups more competitive, but also lower effective population sizes that may make groups more susceptible to inbreeding and extinction. We examined the relationship between demography and social organization in one of the few animal lineages where eusociality has evolved recently and repeatedly among close relatives, the Synalpheus snapping shrimps. Although eusocial species often dominate the reefs where they occur by outcompeting their non-eusocial relatives for access to sponge hosts, many eusocial species have recently become extirpated across the Caribbean. Coalescent-based historical demographic inference in 12 species found that across nearly 100,000 generations, eusocial species tended to have lower but more stable effective population sizes through time. Our results are consistent with the idea that stable population sizes may enable eusocial shrimps to be more competitively dominant, but they also suggest that recent population declines are likely caused by eusocial shrimps’ heightened sensitivity to anthropogenically-driven environmental changes as a result of their low effective population sizes and localized dispersal, rather than to natural cycles of inbreeding and extinction. Thus, although the unique life histories and demography of eusocial shrimps has likely contributed to their persistence and ecological dominance over evolutionary timescales, these social traits may also make them vulnerable to contemporary environmental change.
Building and Cultivating the Entire Field of Business and Economic Ethics

Since the launching of the Journal of Business, Economics and Ethics (or zfwu) in 2000, the young publication has emerged into a reputable voice in the relatively established, yet still evolving field of business and economic ethics, and is appreciated mostly by German speaking scholars. Looking back is therefore an interesting endeavor to document this development and to try to draw valuable lessons for business and economic ethics in the years to come. For sure, the contributions to this volume present an impressive, rich and multifaceted picture, which I cannot portray in a few pages.
Competing Substrates for the Bifunctional Diaminopimelic Acid Epimerase/Glutamate Racemase Modulate Peptidoglycan Synthesis in Chlamydia trachomatis.

The Chlamydia trachomatis genome encodes multiple bifunctional enzymes, such as DapF, which is capable of both diaminopimelic acid (DAP) epimerase and glutamate racemase activity. Our previous work demonstrated the bifunctional activity of chlamydial DapF in vitro and in a heterologous system (Escherichia coli). In the present study, we employed a substrate competition strategy to demonstrate DapF Ct function in vivo in C. trachomatis We reasoned that, because DapF Ct utilizes a shared substrate-binding site for both racemase and epimerase activities, only one activity can occur at a time. Therefore, an excess of one substrate relative to another must determine which activity is favored. We show that the addition of excess l-glutamate or meso-DAP (mDAP) to C. trachomatis resulted in 90% reduction in bacterial titers, compared to untreated controls. Excess l-glutamate reduced in vivo synthesis of mDAP by C. trachomatis to undetectable levels, thus confirming that excess racemase substrate led to inhibition of DapF Ct DAP epimerase activity. We previously showed that expression of dapFCt in a murI (racemase) ΔdapF (epimerase) double mutant of E. coli rescues the d-glutamate auxotrophic defect. Addition of excess mDAP inhibited growth of this strain, but overexpression of dapFCt allowed the mutant to overcome growth inhibition. These results confirm that DapF Ct is the primary target of these mDAP and l-glutamate treatments. Our findings demonstrate that suppression of either the glutamate racemase or epimerase activity of DapF compromises the growth of C. trachomatis Thus, a substrate competition strategy can be a useful tool for in vivo validation of an essential bifunctional enzyme.
A Comparison of Clinical Outcomes After XEN Gel Stent and EX-PRESS Glaucoma Drainage Device Implantation.

PRECIS Although the XEN stent offers a lower risk of hypotony and choroidal effusions with fewer clinic visits postoperatively, its surgical success rate was inferior to the EX-PRESS shunt. PURPOSE To compare the clinical efficacy and safety outcomes of the XEN stent and EX-PRESS glaucoma drainage device in glaucomatous eyes. MATERIALS AND METHODS One hundred eyes from 88 patients underwent ab interno XEN stent or EX-PRESS shunt implantation (52 XEN and 48 EX-PRESS) for uncontrolled glaucoma at the University of Colorado Eye Center. The primary outcome was surgical success defined as intraocular pressure (IOP) ≥6 and ≤18 mm Hg, without reoperation for uncontrolled glaucoma, loss of light perception, or use of glaucoma medications (complete success). Secondary outcomes were the same requirements allowing for medications (qualified success), mean IOP, medication use, adverse events, and number of postoperative clinic visits in the first 3 months. RESULTS Baseline characteristics including glaucoma type and severity were similar between groups, with the exception of XEN patients having fewer men (17% vs. 46%), older patients (median age, 78 vs. 68), and a higher percentage of white patients (89% vs. 69%). Adjusted hazard ratio of failure of XEN relative to EX-PRESS was 3.94 (95% confidence interval, 1.73-9.00, P=0.001) for complete success and 1.61 (95% confidence interval, 0.40-6.38, P=0.501) for qualified success. There were significantly fewer postoperative clinic visits during the first 3 months in the XEN group (5.3 vs. 9.1 visits, P<0.001). The incidence of serous choroidal effusions and hypotony was significantly less after XEN compared with EX-PRESS (1 vs. 9, P=0.02 and 15 vs. 25, P=0.023, respectively). Three XEN stents (5.8%) required removal. CONCLUSIONS In this population, although the XEN stent offers a better safety profile and fewer postoperative clinic visits, complete surgical success was inferior to the EX-PRESS shunt.
[Burden of nutritional deficiencies of children under 5 years old in China, 1990-2015].

OBJECTIVE To quantify and describe the distribution and trends of burden of nutritional deficiencies among children under 5 years old in China from 1990 to 2015. METHODS Subnational data of China on children under 5 years old in 33 provinces and autonomous regions, which including 31 mainland regions, Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions, were extracted from the result of Global Burden of Disease Study 2015(GBD 2015). Based on the method of descriptive epidemiology, we analyzed the prevalence, mortality as well as disability adjusted life year(DALY) rate of nutritional deficiencies among children under 5 years old by sex, time and locations in China, as well as its temporal trend since 1990. RESULTS In 2015, the prevalence of nutritional deficiencies among children under 5 years old was 17. 26%, and the DALY rate was 776. 26 person-years per 100000. Compared to 1990, the DALY rate of nutritional deficiencies declined by 71. 42%. The DALY rate of nutritional deficiencies decreased in the past 25 years in Eastern, Central and Western China. Meanwhile, the gap in disease burden between boys and girls declined. Among diseases caused by nutritional deficiencies, burden of protein-energy malnutrition and iron deficiency anemia among children under 5 years old were relatively higher. Compared to 1990, the DALY rate of iron deficiency anemia among children under 5 years old declined by 15. 68%, which was lower than other nutritional deficiencies among children in 2015. CONCLUSION From 1990 to 2015, the disease burden caused by nutritional deficiencies among Chinese children under 5 years old showed downtrend. There were still differences of disease burden distributions between regions and common nutritional deficiencies.
Ten Years After: From the UN Guiding Principles to Multi-Fiduciary Obligations

Our discussion is divided into five parts. The first recaps the current debate regarding the purpose of the corporation, which centers on whether and how stakeholder governance should and could supersede shareholder primacy. The second provides a brief backstory on shareholder primacy vs. stakeholder governance. The third introduces the elements of HRDD and demonstrates that even in its soft law form it is bringing stakeholder concerns and corporate practice into closer alignment. Section four describes how this experience with soft law is informing national and supranational legal requirements in a growing number of jurisdictions, with knock-on effects for corporate governance. The conclusion endeavors to draw some lessons from how, a mere decade after UN endorsement of the Guiding Principles, they have turned the idea that companies are responsible for preventing and addressing adverse impacts of their business on people’s basic dignity and equality into a mainstream proposition with significant implications for corporate governance, while acknowledging that large gaps remain in the business and human rights space.
Sars-cov-2-induced gut microbiome dysbiosis: Implications for colorectal cancer

The emergence of a novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), in December 2019 led to a worldwide pandemic with over 170 million confirmed infections and over 3.5 million deaths (as of May 2021). Early studies have shown higher mortality rates from SARS-CoV-2 infection in cancer patients than individuals without cancer. Herein, we review the evidence that the gut microbiota plays a crucial role in health and has been linked to the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). Investigations have shown that SARS-CoV-2 infection causes changes to the gut microbiota, including an overall decline in microbial diversity, enrichment of opportunistic pathogens such as Fusobacterium nucleatum bacteremia, and depletion of beneficial commensals, such as the butyrate-producing bacteria. Further, these changes lead to increased colonic inflammation, which leads to gut barrier disruption, expression of genes governing CRC tumorigenesis, and tumor immunosuppression, thus further exacerbating CRC progression. Additionally, a long-lasting impact of SARS-CoV-2 on gut dysbiosis might result in a greater possibility of new CRC diagnosis or aggravating the condition in those already afflicted. Herein, we review the evidence relating to the current understanding of how infection with SARS-CoV-2 impacts the gut microbiota and the effects this will have on CRC carcinogenesis and progression.
Factors Associated with Access to Palliative Care in a Large Urban Public Teaching Hospital with a Formal Hospital-Based Palliative Care Program

FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH ACCESS TO PALLIATIVE CARE IN A LARGE URBAN PUBLIC TEACHING HOSPITAL WITH A FORMAL HOSPITAL-BASED PALLIATIVE CARE PROGRAM By Leland Hubert Waters III, Ph.D. M.S. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Health Related Sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2012 Major Director: J. James Cotter, Ph.D. Hospital-based specialist palliative care services are designed to address the needs of critically ill patients by psychosocial and spiritual support, improving symptoms management, and offering discussions on goals of care. Integrating palliative care upstream in the care continuum for patients who eventually die in the hospital will help to address the many individualistic needs of the critically ill patient. The diffusion of specialist hospital-based palliative care services requires an understanding of patterns of utilization by patients. The purpose of this study was to examine the population characteristics of decedents who may or may not have utilized specialist palliative care services in a hospital setting in order to develop a model of predictors of access to specialist palliative care services. The basic constructs of this study are grounded in the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use. Potential access is measured in terms of population characteristics, which include predisposing characteristics, enabling resources, and evaluated need. Building on this theoretical model, the study sought to better understand equitable and inequitable access to specialized palliative care services and to define which predictors of realized access were dominant. The research question asked was: What are predictors of access to specialized palliative care within a large urban public teaching hospital? A model of access to a palliative consult and a predictor of access to a palliative care unit were explored. Findings from this study revealed that factors encouraging access to a palliative care consult include older age, White non-Hispanic ethnic membership, a diagnosis with solid cancer and insurance. Factors encouraging access to a palliative care unit include older age, gender (female), insurance, and either a solid cancer or hematologic malignancy diagnosis.