cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The red and green lines of atomic oxygen in the nightglow of Venus

O(1D) and O(1S), the excited states that give rise to the atomic oxygen red and green lines, are produced in the Venus nightglow in dissociative recombination of O2(+). The emissions should also be excited by precipitation of soft electrons, the suggested source of the 'auroral' emission features of atomic oxygen at 1304 and 1356 A, which have been reported from observations of the Pioneer Venus Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer. No emisison at 6300 or 5577 A was detected, however, by the visible spectrophotometers on the Soviet spacecraft Veneras 9 and 10; upper limits have been placed on the intensities of these features. The constraints placed on models for the auroral production mechanism by the Venera upper limits by modeling the intensities of the red and green lines in the nightglow are evaluated, combining a model for the vibrational distribution of O2(+) on the nightside of Venus with rate coefficients recently computed by Guberman for production of O(1S) and O(1D) in dissociative recombination of O2(+) from different vibrational levels. The integrated overhead intensities are 1 - 2 R for the green line and about 46 R for the red line.
Long form leptin receptor mRNA expression in the brain, pituitary, and other tissues in the pig

Much effort has focused recently on understanding the role of leptin, the obese gene product secreted by adipocytes, in regulating growth and reproduction in rodents, humans and domestic animals. We previously demonstrated that leptin inhibited feed intake and stimulated growth hormone (GH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion in the pig. This study was conducted to determine the location of long form leptin receptor (Ob-Rl) mRNA in various tissues of the pig. The leptin receptor has several splice variants in the human and mouse, but Ob-Rl is the major form capable of signal transduction. The Ob-Rl is expressed primarily in the hypothalamus of the human and rodents, but has been located in other tissues as well. In the present study, a partial porcine Ob-Rl cDNA, cloned in our laboratory and specific to the intracellular domain, was used to evaluate the Ob-Rl mRNA expression by RT-PCR in the brain and other tissues in three 105 d-old prepuberal gilts and in a 50 d-old fetus. In 105 d-old gilts, Ob-Rl mRNA was expressed in the hypothalamus, cerebral cortex, amygdala, thalamus, cerebellum, area postrema and anterior pituitary. In addition, Ob-Rl mRNA was expressed in ovary, uterine body, liver, kidney, pancreas, adrenal gland, heart, spleen, lung, intestine, bone marrow, muscle and adipose tissue. However, expression was absent in the thyroid, thymus, superior vena cava, aorta, spinal cord, uterine horn and oviduct. In the 50 d-old fetus, Ob-Rl mRNA was expressed in brain, intestine, muscle, fat, heart, liver and umbilical cord. These results support the idea that leptin might play a role in regulating numerous physiological functions.
Making the diagnosis of Sjögren’s syndrome in patients with dry eye

Sjogren's syndrome (SS) is a chronic and progressive systemic autoimmune disease that often presents initially with symptoms of dry eye and dry mouth. Symptoms are often nonspecific and develop gradually, making diagnosis difficult. Patients with dry eye complaints warrant a step-wise evaluation for possible SS. Initial evaluation requires establishment of a dry eye diagnosis using a combination of patient questionnaires and objective ocular tests, including inflammatory biomarker testing. Additional work-up using the Schirmer test and tear film break-up time can differentiate between aqueous-deficient dry eye (ADDE) and evaporative dry eye. The presence of ADDE should trigger further work-up to differentiate between SS-ADDE and non-SS-ADDE. There are numerous non-ocular manifestations of SS, and monitoring for SS-related comorbid findings can aid in diagnosis, ideally in collaboration with a rheumatologist. The clinical work-up of SS can involve a variety of tests, including tear function tests, serological tests for autoantibody biomarkers, minor salivary gland and lacrimal gland biopsies. Examination of classic SS biomarkers (SS-A/Ro, SS-B/La, antinuclear antibody, and rheumatoid factor) is a convenient and non-invasive way of evaluating patients for the presence of SS, even years prior to confirmed diagnosis, although not all SS patients will test positive, particularly those with early disease. Recently, newer biomarkers have been identified, including autoantibodies to salivary gland protein-1, parotid secretory protein, and carbonic anhydrase VI, and may allow for earlier diagnosis of SS. A diagnostic test kit is commercially available (Sjo(®)), incorporating these new biomarkers along with the classic autoantibodies. This advanced test has been shown to identify SS patients who previously tested negative against traditional biomarkers only. All patients with clinically significant ADDE should be considered for serological assessment for SS, given the availability of new serological diagnostic tests and the potentially serious consequences of missing the diagnosis.
Encoding lexical tones in jTRACE: a simulation of monosyllabic spoken word recognition in Mandarin Chinese

Despite its prevalence as one of the most highly influential models of spoken word recognition, the TRACE model has yet to be extended to consider tonal languages such as Mandarin Chinese. A key reason for this is that the model in its current state does not encode lexical tone. In this report, we present a modified version of the jTRACE model in which we borrowed on its existing architecture to code for Mandarin phonemes and tones. Units are coded in a way that is meant to capture the similarity in timing of access to vowel and tone information that has been observed in previous studies of Mandarin spoken word recognition. We validated the model by first simulating a recent experiment that had used the visual world paradigm to investigate how native Mandarin speakers process monosyllabic Mandarin words (Malins & Joanisse, 2010). We then subsequently simulated two psycholinguistic phenomena: (1) differences in the timing of resolution of tonal contrast pairs, and (2) the interaction between syllable frequency and tonal probability. In all cases, the model gave rise to results comparable to those of published data with human subjects, suggesting that it is a viable working model of spoken word recognition in Mandarin. It is our hope that this tool will be of use to practitioners studying the psycholinguistics of Mandarin Chinese and will help inspire similar models for other tonal languages, such as Cantonese and Thai.
The in vitro effect of two oral hypoglycemic agents on hepatic protein synthesis.

SummaryLeucine-C14 was utilized to study the affects of 2 oral hypoglycemic agents (tol-butamide and phenethylbiguanide) on protein metabolism. Both compounds were seen to inhibit C14O2 production and incorporation of the amino acid into protein by rat liver ho-mogenate. Differences in the mode of inhibition are noted and discussed. Neither compound appears to be dependent on the presence of glucose for its in vitro affects on protein metabolism.
PROTEIN METABOLISM AND ERYTHROPOIESIS. I. THE ANEMIA OF PROTEIN DEPRIVATION.

(1) Protein deprivation in rats resulted in a rapid depression of iron incorporation. The depression reached its maximum within 6 days. Realimentation with protein was followed within 3 days by a return of iron incorporation to normal values. (2) Red cell mass declined during protein starvation in a linear fashion, indicating a removal of senescent red cells after a life span of 70 days. The increasing severity of the anemia of protein starvation is the cumulative result of this removal in the absence of any significant replacement. (3) Daily injections of 1.3 units of erythropoietin prevented a decrease in red cell mass over an observation period of 28 days of protein starvation. (4) Diminished erythropoietin formation or retardation of protein synthesis in erythroid precursors due to lowered substrate concentration are considered as possible causes of erythropoietic depression.
Time configuration of combined neuromodulation and motor training after stroke: A proof-of-concept study.

Background Intensive motor training is a therapeutic intervention that supports recovery of movement function after stroke by capitalizing on the brain's capacity for neuroplastic change. Peripheral nerve stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation are neuromodulation techniques that can upregulate neuroplasticity and, in turn, enhance outcomes of motor training after stroke. Few studies have investigated possible adjuvant effects between peripheral nerve stimulation, transcranial direct current stimulation, and intensive motor training. Objective This proof-of-concept study investigated whether timing variations in neuromodulation paired with robot-assisted motor training effect differential outcomes for subjects with chronic, moderate-to-severe upper extremity impairment after stroke. Methods Ten subjects in the chronic phase (>12 months after stroke) of recovery completed the study. Subjects received 10 daily sessions of transcranial direct current stimulation either at the start (n = 4) or at the end (n = 6) of peripheral nerve stimulation preceding intensive motor training. Pre-post changes in motor function (Fugl-Meyer Assessment; Stroke Impact Scale) and neuroplasticity (transcranial magnetic stimulation) were assessed by condition. Results Significant improvement in Stroke Impact Scale (p = 0.02) and no change in Fugl-Meyer Assessment were associated with the start condition. No changes in Stroke Impact Scale and Fugl-Meyer Assessment were associated with the end condition. Only 1 subject in the start group had measurable neuroplastic responses and demonstrated an increase in ipsilesional cortical map volume. Only 1 subject in the end group had measurable neuroplastic responses and demonstrated a decrease in ipsilesional cortical map volume. Opposite shifts in ipsilesional cortical centers of gravity occurred relative to condition. Conclusion In cases of moderate-to-severe impairment after stroke, transcranial direct current stimulation at the start, rather than the end, of peripheral nerve stimulation prior to motor training may effect better functional outcomes. Future research with a larger sample size is needed to validate the findings of this proof-of-concept study.
New candidate anthrax pathogenic factors.

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Metabolic Flux Distributions in Hybridoma Cells at Different Metabolic States

The metabolic state, specifically the conversion ofnutrients to lactate and other metabolites, of hybridomacells can be manipulated in afed-batch culture by controlling the level of glucose. When cultivated in continuous cultures, these different metabolic states result in multiple steady states marked by different cell, residual nutrient and metabolite concentrations. Most notably, the ratio of lactate produced to glucose consumed was markedly different. To better understand the underlying mechanisms of these metabolic states, metabolic flux analysis was performed. The intracellular fluxes are greatly different in the glycolytic pathway and amino acid catabolism among these steady states. The fluxes in the high lactate producing state were much greater than in the “efficient” state. The comparative analysis of intracellular fluxes lends credence to the idea of metabolic overflow in the excessive production of the metabolic by products: lactate and ammonia
Hospitalization Rates for Acute Myocardial Infarction Among Asian-American Subgroups: Have We Been Underestimating the Problem?

Concerns about the quality of race/ethnicity data collected by hospitals have limited our understanding of healthcare disparities affecting ethnic minorities in the United States. Using data from the New Jersey State Inpatient Databases and the American Community Survey, we calculated age-adjusted AMI hospitalization rates for Asian-American subgroups before (2005–2006) and after (2008–2009) New Jersey hospitals implemented standardized practices to collect more accurate granular race/ethnicity data from patients. Rates were reported per 100,000 persons for Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese subgroups. AMI hospitalization rates increased for all subgroups except Vietnamese following implementation of the New Jersey program; increases were statistically significant for Asian Indian, Chinese, and Korean subgroups. Rates of hospitalization for AMI increased significantly for multiple Asian-American subgroups following implementation of the New Jersey program. National population health metrics for Asian-American subgroups may be prone to significant underestimation without widespread utilization of similar practices.
A Novel in Vitro Model of Focal Fibrosis in Bone Marrow Stromal Co-Culture of CD34+ Cells From Patients with Idiopathic Myelofibrosis.

Abstract Abstract 2896 Poster Board II-872 Chronic idiopathic myelofibrosis (IMF), essential thrombocythemia, polycythemia vera (PV) and chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) are chronic myeloproliferative disorders (MPDs) characterized by the clonal proliferation of one or more hematopoietic lineage. In this study we investigated the interaction of MPDs stem/progenitor cells with bone marrow stroma. We established serum-free co-cultures of purified CD34+ cells from 59 peripheral blood (PB) samples from 30 MPD patients using the murine bone marrow stromal cell line OP9 transduced with an adenoviral vector expressing the human thrombopoietin gene (Adeno-Tpo). We observed that patients with IMF invariable had elevated numbers of CD34+ cells in PB, comparable to numbers reported in G-CSF mobilized PB (MPB). In co-cultures of CD34+cells from IMF PB or normal MPB there was an increase in total cells (IMF, 639±99 folds, N=31; MPB, 180±30, N=3) by 13-18 days with a high percentage expressing the megakaryocyte-platelet lineage marker CD41a (IMF 24-63%, MPB 18-35%) and 24 % CD14+ cells. CML PB cellular expansion was 147±45 folds (N=4) with 6-32 % CD41a+, 5-22% CD14+ and >60% CD15+ cells. In IMF stromal co-cultures, we observed the development of focal areas of OP9 stromal cell fibrosis (FF) at 12-14 days, associated with clonal proliferation of megakaryocyte progenitors and their differentiation to megakaryocytes and pro-platelets. This was associated with suppression of the spontaneous differentiation of OP9 cells to adipocytes. We obtained similar results in serum-free co-culture using the murine bone marrow stromal line MS-5 transduced with adeno-Tpo. This focal fibrosis phenomenon was not uniquely associated with IMF since we observed FF in normal MBP CD34+ co-culture in association with foci of magakaryocyte/platelet production, however the number of areas of FF was significantly higher when IMF CD34+ were compared to CD34+ cells from normal MPB or other types of MPDs. In IMF there were 84±17 FF/1,000 CD34+ (n=10), in PV 70%) total nucleated cells, CD41a+ cells, and FF-forming progenitor cells compared to control. This serum-free bone marrow stromal co-culture system distinguish different types of MPDs and may be useful in monitoring disease progression and patient response to therapy in IMF. The in vitro system appears to recapitulate the process of marrow fibrosis in the patient and can thus provide a sensitive bioassay to evaluate potential drugs for IMF therapy. Disclosures: Moore: Amgen: Patents & Royalties.
Prevalence of Concomitant Acute Bacterial Meningitis in Neonates with Febrile Urinary Tract Infection: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

Objective To describe the frequency of concomitant acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) in neonates with febrile urinary tract infection (UTI). Study design This was a retrospective cross-sectional study from 2005 to 2013 of infants ≤30 days old evaluated in the emergency department of a quaternary care children's hospital with fever and laboratory-confirmed UTI. Definite ABM was defined as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture with growth of pathogenic bacteria and probable ABM if pleocytosis with ≥ 20 white blood cell was present in an antibiotic-pretreated patient. The timing of lumbar puncture and first antibiotic dose was recorded to assess for antibiotic pretreatment. Results A total of 236 neonates with UTI were included. Mean age was 18.6 days (SD 6.2); 79% were male infants. Twenty-three (9.7%) had bacteremia. Fourteen (6%) were pretreated. No neonate (0%; 95% CI 0%-1.6%) had definite ABM and 2 (0.8%; 95% CI 0.1%-3.0%) neonates with bloody CSF had probable ABM. CSF white blood cell count was 25 and 183 for these 2 infants, and CSF red blood cell count was 3100 and 61 932, respectively. Another neonate had herpes simplex virus meningoencephalitis. Conclusions The frequency of ABM in neonates with febrile UTI is low. Further prospective studies are needed to evaluate the safety of a tiered approach to evaluate for serious bacterial infection, in which lumbar puncture potentially could be avoided in well-appearing febrile neonates with suspected UTI.
Daoist Aesthetics of the Everyday and the Fantastical

This chapter focuses on the classical Daoist text, the Zhuangzi, an extremely important text for sources and influences on Chinese art and aesthetics. It explores several metaphors and images in the text in order to think through Daoist aesthetics in terms of the everyday, the mundane, and the ordinary, and in terms of the fantastical, the bizarre, and the extraordinary. It then discusses these aesthetic ideas in connection with Daoist practices of self-cultivation, including especially a focus on the use of art practices such as calligraphy as forms of cultivation. This theme is developed further by thinking through ways in which Daoist aesthetics evoke the idea of an artful life, rather than art qua art.
Pore-scale simulation of dispersion and reaction along a transverse mixing zone in two-dimensional heterogeneous porous medium composed of randomly- sized, shaped and distributed circular and elliptical cylinders

Several studies have demonstrated the important role played by transverse dispersion along the lateral fringe of chemical plumes in porous media. For example, the success of natural and engineered in-situ remediation relies on the transverse mixing of reactive chemicals or nutrients. Field, laboratory, and theoretical studies have also demonstrated that the length scale of transverse mixing zones can be very small, often on the order of millimeters or centimeters. In order to study dispersion, mixing and reaction at this scale, we have developed a pore-scale modeling approach that consists of the following: (a) geometric construction of a packed bed of randomly sized, shaped and randomly oriented grains; (b) solution for the steady flow field by the lattice-Boltzmann method; (c) solution for the steady- state distribution of reactive chemicals using a finite volume code. Due to the extreme computational burden of pore-scale simulation, we restrict our modeling to two space dimensions. We illustrate our approach through a steady-state system of two reactants injected side-by-side parallel to the mean flow direction; a kinetic dual-Monod reaction rate law is assumed. We first estimate the transverse dispersion coefficient through comparison of a continuum-scale model to the pore- scale simulation of the spread of a nonreactive solute. We then simulate the reactive case for a range of conditions (e.g., flow rate, rate coefficient, pore geometry) and compute the product formed by the reaction. We investigate whether use of the transverse dispersion coefficient gives the proper degree of mixing to accurately simulate the amount of product formed in the system. The results are compared with available experimental evidence and theoretical findings. The numerical simulations reveal new insights into the underlying processes of transport, mixing and reaction at the pore-scale.
Utilization and predictors of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer in the Veterans Health Administration.

4594 Background: The survival benefit with neoadjuvant chemotherapy for bladder cancer was established in 2003. However, adoption of this paradigm in clinical practice has been slow. We explored the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and identified predictors of its use in a contemporary cohort in the Veterans Health Administration (VA). Methods: Using the national VA Clinical Cancer Registry, all patients diagnosed with clinical stage T2-4, N0 or Nx, M0 bladder cancer from 1997 to 2007 were stratified into surgically (radical cystectomy [RC], n=1,211) and nonsurgically managed groups (n=2,125). Receipt of neoadjuvant chemotherapy was defined as chemotherapy treatment up to 6 months before RC as well as initial treatment only with chemotherapy (without subsequent surgery or radiation) in the nonsurgical group. Temporal trends in neoadjuvant chemotherapy use were evaluated with a chi square test. Predictors of neoadjuvant chemotherapy were examined using a multivariable logistic regression model incorporating...
Links between religiously-focused exercise and body shape preoccupation among young adults

ABSTRACTThis quasi-experimental study examined whether engaging in physical exercise integrated with a Christian religious focus would result in decreased body shape preoccupation and improved mental and emotional health. Data were collected at the beginning and end of an eight-week period from female and male college students in three conditions: (1) group exercise sessions integrating an explicit religious focus, (2) standard group exercise, and (3) a control condition without activities. The religious exercise group decreased in body shape preoccupation to a greater extent than the control group, but the groups did not differ in other psychological symptoms or affect. This offers an initial indication that integrating a religious focus with exercise may potentially offer a unique method for addressing body shape preoccupation that is not accounted for by improvements in mental health or affect. If confirmed through additional research, infusing a religious focus into exercise regimens might inspire a p...
Bed failure induced by internal solitary waves

The pressure field inside a porous bed induced by the passage of an Internal Solitary Wave (ISW) of depression is examined using high-accuracy numerical simulations. Assuming a two-layer, continuously stratified water column, the velocity and density fields are obtained by solving the Dubreil-Jacotin-Long Equation. The total wave-induced pressure across the surface of the bed is computed by vertically integrating for the hydrostatic and nonhydrostatic contributions. The bed is assumed to be a continuum composed of either sand or silt, with a small amount of trapped gas. Results show variations in pore-water pressure penetrating deeper into more conductive materials and remaining for a prolonged period after the wave has passed. In order to quantify the potential for failure, the vertical pressure gradient is compared against the buoyant weight of the bed. The pressure gradient exceeds this weight for weakly conductive materials. Failure is further enhanced by a decrease in bed saturation, consistent with studies in surface-wave induced failure. In deeper water, the ISW-induced pressure is stronger, causing failure only for weakly conductive materials. The pressure associated with the free-surface displacement that accompanies ISWs is significant, when the depth of the water column is below 100m, but has little influence when it is above 100m, where the hydrostatic pressure due to the pycnocline displacement is much larger. Since the pore-pressure gradient reduces the specific weight of the bed, results show that particles are easier for the flow to suspend, suggesting that pressure contributes to the powerful resuspension events observed in the field.
Selexipag for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Purpose The pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy, safety and tolerability, dosing and administration, and place in therapy of selexipag, an orally administered selective prostacyclin receptor agonist for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), are reviewed. Summary The first-in-class oral prostacyclin IP receptor agonist selexipag (Uptravi, Actelion Pharmaceuticals) was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in December 2015. Selexipag is rapidly hydrolyzed to a long-acting metabolite that binds with high selectivity to IP receptors, resulting in vasodilation, inhibition of platelet aggregation, and antiinflammatory effects. Results of a long-term, placebo-controlled, clinical outcomes–driven trial showed that selexipag significantly reduced the occurrence of the composite primary outcome (all-cause mortality and development of PAH-related complications). Selexipag is indicated for use in patients with World Health Organization functional class (FC) II or III disease. The recommended initial selexipag dosage is 200 μg twice daily. Like prostanoid analogs, selexipag has a dose-dependent adverse-effect profile that includes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, and musculoskeletal pain. Although selexipag offers distinct pharmacologic advantages over other agents for the treatment of PAH, important issues of cost and access must be considered. Conclusion Selexipag is an oral prostacyclin IP receptor agonist approved for use as monotherapy or in combination with other therapies to slow PAH progression and reduce the risk of hospitalization in patients with FC II or III symptoms. Its stability and relatively long half-life offer conveniences over conventional prostanoid therapies.
Nonpharmacologic Management of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness

Unlike other reviews written on this topic, the focus of this article is primarily on nonpharmacologic treatments for daytime sleepiness that is not secondary to other medical or psychological conditions. To provide an appropriate background on primary excessive daytime sleepiness, what is considered optimal sleep in terms of sleep duration, sleep insufficiency, and sleep need is discussed in detail. This discussion is followed by an examination of the behavioral strategy of banking sleep. After briefly discussing behavioral interventions for sleepiness associated with narcolepsy, a new behavioral method of treating daytime somnolence is proposed and described.
Factors underlying observed injury rate differences between temporary workers and permanent peers.

Background Temporary workers face increased risk of injury as compared to permanent workers in similar occupations. This study explores the role played by several potential risk factors. Methods Injured temporary and permanent workers, matched by industry, tenure and demographic characteristics, were interviewed to isolate the association of temporary employment with several injury risk factors. Results Temporary workers had higher workers’ compensation claims rates than their permanent worker-peers. In interviews temporary workers a reported a lower frequency of exposure to hazards. However, they also reported being less likely to be equipped to cope with hazards by such countermeasures as experience screening, safety training and task control. Conclusion Policies are needed to improve screening and training of temporary workers to assigned tasks, to discourage job-switching, to improve temporary workers’ hazard awareness, to protect their right to report unsafe conditions. The responsibilities of agencies and host employers for ensuring the safety of their temporary workers need clarification in regulatory policy.
The inculcation of adult playfulness: from west to east

ABSTRACTThe marvel of adult playfulness has incited vigorous research efforts to define, demarcate, and explain its essence; however, all have been conducted with Westernized societies whose values...
Do progestins contribute to (anti-)androgenic activities in aquatic environments?

Abstract Unknown compounds with (anti-)androgenic activities enter the aquatic environment via municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Progestins are well-known environmental contaminants capable of interfering with androgen receptor (AR) signaling pathway. The aim of the present study was to determine if 15 selected progestins have potential to contribute to (anti-)androgenic activities in municipal wastewaters and the respective recipient surface waters. AR-specific Chemically Activated LUciferase gene eXpression bioassay in agonistic (AR-CALUX) and antagonistic (anti-AR-CALUX) modes and liquid chromatography tandem atmospheric pressure chemical ionization/atmospheric photoionization with hybrid quadrupole/orbital trap mass spectrometry operated in high resolution product scan mode (LC-APCI/APPI-HRPS) methods were used to assess (anti-)androgenic activity and to detect the target compounds, respectively. The contribution of progestins to (anti-)androgenic activities was evaluated by means of a biologically and chemically derived toxicity equivalent approach. Androgenic (0.08–59 ng/L dihydrotestosterone equivalents – DHT EQs) and anti-androgenic (2.4–26 μg/L flutamide equivalents – FLU EQs) activities and progestins (0.19–75 ng/L) were detected in selected aquatic environments. Progestins displayed androgenic potencies (0.01–0.22 fold of dihydrotestosterone) and strong anti-androgenic potencies (9–62 fold of flutamide). Although they accounted to some extent for androgenic (0.3–29%) and anti-androgenic (4.6–27%) activities in influents, the progestins’ contribution to (anti-)androgenic activities was negligible (≤2.1%) in effluents and surface waters. We also tested joint effect of equimolar mixtures of target compounds and the results indicate that compounds interact in an additive manner. Even if progestins possess relatively strong (anti-)androgenic activities, when considering their low concentrations (sub-ng/L to ng/L) it seems unlikely that they would be the drivers of (anti-)androgenic effects in Czech aquatic environments.
NEUROPHYSIOLOGY | Neurons and Neuromuscular Transmission

Brain neurons that generate and modulate respiratory rhythms are located predominantly in the medulla and pons. They activate motor neurons located in the spinal cord and cranial nerve nuclei, which in turn supply respiratory muscles in the thorax, abdomen, and upper airway. Neuromuscular transmission is the process by which motoneuronal activation results in muscle contraction. An action potential is propagated from the motoneuronal cell body down the axon to the nerve terminal. The depolarization opens voltage-gated calcium channels, elevating intracellular calcium concentrations. Acetylcholine is stored in vesicles at the nerve terminal. Vesicle docking requires the generation of the synaptic fusion complex, in which SNARE proteins play key roles. Exocytosis stimulated by elevated calcium levels releases acetylcholine into the synaptic cleft. When two acetylcholine molecules bind to a postjunctional acetylcholine receptor, the cation channel of the receptor opens, depolarizing the cell. If sufficient transmitter is released, the depolarization will initiate an action potential in the muscle cell, eliciting contraction via a cascade of electrophysiological and biochemical events. Acetylcholinesterase terminates the action of acetylcholine, and transmitter is then recycled by reuptake into the nerve terminal. Impairment of neuromuscular transmission can occur during high-intensity and -duration activation in normal neuromuscular junctions or as a result of specific perturbations caused by diseases such as myasthenia gravis and botulism.
Polyploidy and sexual polyploidization in the genus Vaccinium

Genus Vaccinium,consisting of blueberries, cranberries, lingonberries and many related wild species, includes diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid species. Most evidence indicates that the tetraploid species are autotetraploids, with non-preferential bivalent chromosome pairing. Although homoploid interspecific crosses usually produce numerous fertile hybrids if the parents are from the same section of the genus, inter sectional crosses at the diploid level normally produce no seedlings, weak seedlings, or seedlings that are very low in fertility. There is a strong but not complete triploid block within Vaccinium. Even with insections, tetraploid × diploid (and the reciprocal) crosses normally give only a few tetraploid and a few triploid hybrids. Hexaploid × diploid crosses within sections are very hard to make, and the few hybrids that have been obtained are pentaploid. The frequency of 2n gametes varies,both among genotypes within species and among species. Vaccinium pollen is normally shed in tetrads, and the frequency of large pollen grains shed in dyads can be used to estimate 2n gamete frequency. Cultivated blueberries occur at both the tetraploid and the hexaploid levels, and there are important genetic resources in the diploids. Unreduced gamete production has permitted transfer of genetic material from the diploid to the tetraploid level and from the diploids and tetraploids to the hexaploid level via triploid hybrids. Intersectional crosses can occasionally produce tetraploid Vaccinium hybrids that appear to behave as amphidiploids and have medium to high fertility. CommercialVaccinium cultivars are normally propagated by cuttings. Intersectional hybridization, chromosome doubling, and asexual propagation could permit the production of novel hybrid combinations with value as ornamentals or in fruit production.
Impella Placement Guided by Echocardiography Can Be Used as a Strategy to Unload the Left Ventricle During Peripheral Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation

Objective At the authors’ institution, before 2015, patients cannulated for peripheral venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) did not undergo left ventricular (LV) decompression with the use of an LV vent. After 2015, the authors’ institution began using the Impella device to vent the left ventricle in patients on VA-ECMO. The authors hypothesized that survival outcomes would improve in patients on VA-ECMO with the use of an Impella for LV venting. Design Retrospective, chart based review study. Setting Single center, university-based hospital. Participants All adult patients at the authors’ institution who required VA-ECMO between January 2015 and May 2017. Intervention An Impella (Abiomed, Danvers, MA) device was placed percutaneously in patients cannulated for VA-ECMO as a mechanism to provide LV venting and decompression, therefore unloading the heart. Measurements and Main Results Manual chart review was conducted, and a survival analysis was performed. It was observed that patients on VA-ECMO in whom an Impella was implanted had improved survival and an improvement in LV function as demonstrated by echocardiography compared with patients maintained on VA-ECMO alone. Conclusions Patients on VA-ECMO plus Impella implantation demonstrated improved survival compared with patients treated with VA-ECMO alone. Key echocardiographic characteristics such as improved LV function after Impella placement and LV cavity size reduction during therapy may help predict those patients who may benefit most from this cannulation strategy.
Urgent care peripheral nerve blocks for refractory trigeminal neuralgia.

Abstract Objective After medication failure, patients with refractory trigeminal neuralgia (TGN) often present urgently and seek more potent or invasive therapies such as opioids or surgical options. Peripheral nerve blocks, safe and simple, may offer extended pain relief prior to opioid use or more invasive ganglion level procedures. Methods We report a retrospective case-series (urgent care, at a large urban medical center, over a 2 year period) of nine patients with intractable primary TGN who underwent peripheral trigeminal nerve blocks after failing conservative medical therapy. After antiseptic skin preparation, a 30 g needle was inserted localizing to the supraorbital, infraorbital, and mental foramens. 0.5 mL of 0.25% bupivicaine:1% lidocaine was injected locally at all three foramens. Then, 1 mL of the above was injected in the region of the auriculotemporal nerve (see Video 1). All injections were done on the side with TGN pain. Results All nine patients experienced immediate pain relief of >50% with 7 of 9 being completely pain free or just mild paresthesia. Six of nine patients had lasting pain relief (1–8 months); three patients reporting pain now tolerable with adjunct medication and two patients were completely pain free. Conclusions The treatment paradigm for TGN remains unclear when a patient fails conservative medical therapy. In this case series, many patients achieved rapid and sustained TGN pain relief with peripheral trigeminal nerve blocks. This modality should be considered as a potential therapeutic option in the ED or urgent care setting.
Innovation in Outcomes-Based Water Quality Policy: A Case Study from the Yahara Watershed, Wisconsin, USA

This case examines the risks and opportunities for stakeholders involved in an experimental water quality management program in Wisconsin, USA. This program pays for pounds of pollution reduced through soil conservation practices on farm fields and other high-runoff areas across the landscape—nonpoint sources of pollution—by redirecting funds from the sewerage plant and municipal point sources of pollution. Uncertain monitoring and modeling of pollution sources used for program payments and accountability create perceived and real risks to program participants and the environment, including the threat of regulatory enforcement, lost revenue, and failure to achieve environmental outcomes. On the other hand, in this case study, regulatory flexibility also opened a space for stakeholder dialog and programmatic cooperation that could lead to more adaptive and locally acceptable watershed pollution control in the future.
Update on eighth edition American Joint Committee on Cancer classification for Merkel cell carcinoma and histopathological parameters that determine prognosis

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare primary cutaneous neuroendocrine carcinoma. The annual incidence of MCC is increasing in the USA. Timely diagnosis and proper staging of this tumour are crucial as MCC has high rates of regional recurrence and lymph node and distant metastasis. In this review, we outline the key differences between the tumor node metastasis (TNM) staging criteria for MCC in the seventh and eighth editions of the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual We also discuss histopathological parameters that are not included in the eighth edition of the manual but have been shown in other studies to predict a worse prognosis in patients with MCC. Correct assessment and reporting of these clinically relevant histopathological parameters is of utmost importance for practising pathologists as management differs according to the stage of the tumour. This review aims to increase awareness of all these parameters, and proper recognition would guide the treating clinicians towards the most appropriate treatment options that can be given to patients.
Blood, Blood Products, and Substitutes

Blood and blood products have long been available from blood banks for restoration of oxygen carrying potential and replacement of coagulation factors and platelets. This chapter will review the current use of these products, with specific focus on risk/benefits, and then introduce blood substitutes that may eventually replace or augment the use of the donated products with safer, more efficient uses and improved outcomes. The chapter will be divided into two major sections of blood and blood products, and substitutes, and further divided into subsections that mirror other chapters in this textbook. However, there are differences from pharmaceuticals and biologicals, and as such, exact replication of the format for pharmaceuticals is not possible for a chapter as this.
Quantitative Research Methods and Design for Investigating Inclusive Education in the Caribbean

Education for all (EFA) has been a major goal of nations around the world. For children with disabilities, inclusion in the general education classroom is a priority as expressed in the Salamanca Statement (UNESCO, The Salamanca statement and framework for action on special needs education. World Conference on Special Needs Education, Access and Quality, 1994). Yet implementing inclusive education has been a challenging endeavor for countries in the Caribbean. One limitation in current research is the lack of strong quantitative studies examining the accessibility to general education classrooms for students of varying abilities. In this chapter, we will consider how quantitative research methods are being used to investigate current inclusive educational approaches in the Caribbean. Potential quantitative studies related to inclusive education will also be discussed. A key area of interest is how to measure and assess inclusive education. We argue that more quantitative data and analytical approaches will enable policymakers to develop more informed educational guidelines that encourage and promote inclusive practice.
The Cartesian Diver as an Aid for Teaching Respiratory Physiology.

The mechanism by which air enters the mammalian lung is difficult for many students of physiology. In particular, some students have trouble seeing how pressure can be transmitted through a fluid such as the intrapleural fluid and how the magnitude of that pressure can change. A Cartesian diver, an old-time child's toy, may be used as a visual aid during lecture to illustrate and make more understandable these hard-to-grasp concepts. The Cartesian diver is easy to construct from readily available materials. In addition to helping explain lung mechanics, the performance of the Cartesian diver takes most students completely by surprise and thereby serves to "wake up" the student whose mind may not be completely engaged in the topic.
Solutions to enhance the farmers' participation in Water Users Associations (WUAs) in Lorestan Province, Iran.

Water Users Association (WUAs) is one of the methods of participatory water resource management whose success and efficiency requires the participation of farmers. Purpose of this study was to identify and prioritize the solutions for farmers’ participation enhancing in WUAs. This exploratory article was carried out by the mixed methods design. The qualitative part of the study was conducted by Grounded Theory (GT). The statistical population consisted of 14 key informant experts of water resources management. Data were gathered by semi-structured interview. The triangulation of peers in different position was used to enhance the accuracy of the data. Categories were derived from interviews by MAXQDA12 software. In the quantitative phase, 133 members of WUAs were sampled in Lorestan Province (N=1990) using the Cochran formula. Solutions proposed by experts were provided to the members of WUAs in the form of a questionnaire. Results showed that there were distrust among members, members' distrust to WUAs mangers and tension in management of this organization. The most important solutions for farmer's participation in WUAs were to reduce local tensions, motivating mechanisms for cooperation of farmers in WUAs and helping farmers for a better consensus
Investigating the Role of Class I Adenylate-Forming Enzymes in Natural Product Biosynthesis

Adenylate-forming enzymes represent one of the most important enzyme classes in biology, responsible for the activation of carboxylate substrates for biosynthetic modifications. The byproduct of th...
Inscribing the social and sacred landscape: Jain monuments and their memorial traces in medieval Gwalior

This paper examines the programme of installing icons and inscriptions by members of the Jain religious community in the fifteenth century at the site of Gopālagiri, the prominent mountain occupyin...
The role of immunotherapy on the survival of pancreatic cancer patients.

714Background: Immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment landscape of many malignancies, but its therapeutic role in pancreatic cancer (PC) remains unclear. The objective of this study is to i...
Noteworthy Cardiac Literature 2019: Cerebral Protection, Zone 2 Arch, Intravascular Ultrasonography in Dissection, Heart Allocation, and Mitral Durability.

The year of 2019 continues to have notable literature advancing the practice of cardiac surgery. In this article, topics of discussion will include the evolution of cerebral protection, the advance...
How Much Are Borrowers Willing to Pay to Remove Uncertainty Surrounding Mortgage Defaults

Using a large, non-student sample, we assess and differentiate between borrowers’ Risk Aversion and Ambiguity Aversion levels and their willingness to pay to resolve a mortgage default settlement negotiation. Ambiguity Aversion is found to be negatively associated with willingness to pay for borrowers with high financial literacy in both the gain and loss domains, whereas personality traits matter more for borrowers with low financial literacy. This finding is important to policymakers in that they should adopt differential resolution strategies for defaulting borrowers based on these intervening variables.
Families, Resources, and Community: Illuminating the Structures of Culturally Relevant Education in an Urban Early Childhood Center:

In this paper, we examine the enactment of culturally relevant education in an urban early childhood setting in the US. This descriptive case study used a sociocultural framework that emphasizes th...