cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of Divalent Metal Ions in Atypical Nonlinear Plasma Protein Binding Behavior of Tigecycline

In typical nonlinear plasma protein binding (PPB) behavior, the free fraction increases with increasing total concentrations. In contrast, when a drug exhibits atypical nonlinear PPB behavior, the free fraction decreases with increasing total concentrations. Tigecycline, a novel glycylcycline, exhibits atypical nonlinear PPB behavior, but the mechanism of such behavior is currently unknown. Because tigecycline can form complexes with metal ions, an interaction between metal ion, tigecycline, and plasma proteins was hypothesized but not further investigated. The current work explores the role of metal ions in the atypical nonlinear PPB behavior of tigecycline and proposes a plausible mechanism of atypical nonlinear PPB behavior. The addition of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid resulted in 10- to 30-fold higher unbound fractions, and the atypical behavior was nullified. The saturation of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid chelation, by addition of excessive divalent metal ions, such as calcium and magnesium, led to the return of the atypical nonlinear PPB behavior. Different possible mechanisms were evaluated by simulation, and a plausible mechanism was proposed.
Significance of Abuse Chemical Contamination of Returnable Dairy Containers: Sensory and Extraction Studies

LEXAN® resin, polyethylene plastic, and glass returnable dairy containers were exposed to 85 dissimilar pesticides. Following exposure, all containers found compatible with stored pesticides were conventionally washed. Sensory testing of washed containers was more effective in detection of off-odors than was the contaminant detection device. All three types of containers exhibited off-odors when they contained pesticide and then were washed. Milk stored in washed containers, previously exposed to pesticides for 10 days, extracted the pesticide ingredient in 6 out of 85 instances for LEXAN resin and 22 out of 85 instances for polyethylene plastic. This investigation examined additional relationships between pesticide storage, specific contaminant detector responses, sensitivity of organoleptic evaluation and chemical extraction studies of milk.
Elementary Non-Archimedean Representations of Probability for Decision Theory and Games

In an extensive form game, whether a player has a better strategy than in a presumed equilibrium depends on the other players’ equilibrium reactions to a counterfactual deviation. To allow conditioning on counterfactual events with prior probability zero, extended probabilities are proposed and given the four equivalent characterizations: (i) complete conditional probability systems; (ii) lexicographic hierarchies of probabilities; (iii) extended logarithmic likelihood ratios; and (iv) certain ‘canonical rational probability functions’ representing ‘trembles’ directly as infinitesimal probabilities. However, having joint probability distributions be uniquely determined by independent marginal probability distributions requires general probabilities taking values in a space no smaller than the non-Archimedean ordered field whose members are rational functions of a particular infinitesimal.
Imaging of Abdominal Infections in the Immunosuppressed Pediatric Patient

Immunodeficiency syndromes can either be congenital due to a variety of inherited defects or secondary due to an underlying illness or iatrogenic immunosuppression related to chemotherapy, solid organ, or bone marrow transplantation. Irrespective of the cause, immunosuppressed patients have an increased susceptibility to developing infections, which are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. In this article, we focus on abdominal infections in children who have iatrogenic immunosuppression related to chemotherapy, bone marrow, or solid organ transplant. The development of infection in this population of patients can be related to compromised mechanical barriers, neutrophil dysfunction, impaired cell-mediated as well as humoral immunities, and splenic dysfunction. The absolute granulocyte count is the most important determinant of susceptibility to bacterial and fungal pathogens in these children, whose risk of infection increases as a function of both degree and duration of neutropenia. Infections in the pediatric cancer patient, hematopoietic stem cell, or solid organ transplant recipient can be classified by classic time increments. Bacteria are isolated in the majority of cases of early neutropenia, whereas fungal pathogens typically cause infection in those with severe or prolonged neutropenic states. This dedicated article not only depicts the imaging findings of entities such as neutropenic colitis, infectious enterocolitis, and fungal infections that occur in children with iatrogenic immunosuppression from antineoplastic therapy as well as bone marrow and solid organ transplantation but discusses the pathophysiology leading to their development. Physician awareness of the types of infectious complications in this population, the time frame in which they classically occur, and the use of appropriate criteria to direct imaging can lead to earlier detection thereby affording patients the opportunity for prompt intervention and subsequently improved quality of life.
Making Sense of Methods and Measurements: Linking Simulation to Patient Outcomes

• This study reflects on the importance of research that links simulation with patient outcomes and a challenge to think more broadly about research that does not directly examine patient outcomes.
In Situ Operating Room-Based Simulation: A Review.

Objective To systematically review the literature surrounding operating room–based in situ training in surgery. Methods A systematic review was conducted of MEDLINE. The review was conducted based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology, and employed the Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome (PICO) structure to define inclusion/exclusion criteria. The Kirkpatrick model was used to further classify the outcome of in situ training when possible. Results The search returned 308 database hits, and ultimately 19 articles were identified that met the stated PICO inclusion criteria. Operating room–based in situ simulation is used for a variety of purposes and in a variety of settings, and it has the potential to offer unique advantages over other types of simulation. Only one randomized controlled trial was conducted comparing in situ simulation to off-site simulation, which found few significant differences. One large-scale outcome study showed improved perinatal outcomes in obstetrics. Conclusions Although in situ simulation theoretically offers certain advantages over other types of simulation, especially in addressing system-wide or environmental threats, its efficacy has yet to be clearly demonstrated.
Technetium-99m sulfur colloid (TSC) as a phenotypic probe for predicting pharmacokinetics (PK) and palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia (PPE) toxicity of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) in patients (pts) with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).

5050 Background: There is significant variability in the PK and PD (efficacy and toxicity) of PLD. Clearance (CL) of PLD has been proposed to occur primarily via uptake by cells of the mononuclear ...
Probing carbon impurities in hexagonal boron nitride epilayers

Carbon doped hexagonal boron nitride epilayers have been grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. Photocurrent excitation spectroscopy has been utilized to probe the energy levels associated with carbon impurities in hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN). The observed transition peaks in photocurrent excitation spectra correspond well to the energy positions of the bandgap, substitutional donors (CB, carbon impurities occupying boron sites), and substitutional acceptors (CN, carbon impurities occupying nitrogen sites). From the observed transition peak positions, the derived energy level of CB donors in h-BN is ED ∼ 0.45 eV, which agrees well with the value deduced from the temperature dependent electrical resistivity. The present study further confirms that the room temperature bandgap of h-BN is about 6.42–6.45 eV, and the CN deep acceptors have an energy level of about 2.2–2.3 eV. The results also infer that carbon doping introduces both shallow donors (CB) and deep acceptors (CN) via self-compensati...
The draft and the Vietnam generation

Beth Sanders’s The Draft and the Vietnam Generation captures just how central the draft was to the lives of young men in the 1960s. “I’d wake up every morning thinking about the war and the draft,”...
Abstract 3653: Akt3 Offers Stronger Protection than Akt1 Against Brain Injury by Differentially Promoting Mtor Protein Levels In Both In Vitro and In Vivo Stroke Models

Background and Objective: Akt is a serine-threonine kinase that plays critical role in promoting cell survival. Akt consists of three isoforms (Akt1, 2, 3), with Akt3 predominantly expressed in the brain. Although Akt pathway has been shown to mediate neuronal survival in cerebral ischemic injury, it is unclear how these Akt isoforms contribute to neuronal protection, and whether exogenous Akt can protect the brain against ischemic injury or not. In this study, we over-expressed Akt isoforms and its downstream signaling proteins such as FKHR and PRAS40 to investigate the role of the Akt pathway along with its potential relationship with the mTOR pathway in stroke. Methods: Sprauge Dawley rats (250∼280g) were used for all studies. A lentiviral vector consists of a CMV promoter driving IRES-eGFP was used to clone an active Akt 1 and 3 (cAKt 1 and 3), dominant-negative Akt (AktDN), active FKHR (AAA FKHR), and PRAS40. Lentivirus expressing these genes were added to primary mixed cortical cultures for two days prior to oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) (MOI=1:5). Neuronal survival was measured by LDH release. Lentivirus were stereotaxically injected into the cortex, and rats were subjected to focal ischemia induced by distal MCA occlusion combined with bilateral CCA occlusion. Western blotting and immunofluorescent confocal microscopy were used to detect the expression of Akt isoforms and other proteins in both the Akt and mTOR pathways. Results: Western blotting analysis showed that both endogenous Akt1 and 3 proteins degraded as early as 1 h after stroke, while Akt2 protein remained unchanged until 24 h after stroke. In vitro studies showed that over-expression of both constitutively active cAkt1 and cAkt3 decreased LDH release after OGD, while AktDN worsened neuronal death ( P <0.05). In vivo over-expression of cAkt1, cAkt3 and PRAS40 reduced infarct size after stroke ( P <0.01). Gene transfer of cAkt1 and 3 also promoted protein levels of pAkt (phosphorylated Akt), pPRAS40, pFKHR, pPTEN, pmTOR, but not pGSK3β. Both in vitro and in vivo studies showed that over-expression of cAkt3 resulted in a stronger protection than cAkt1 ( P <0.05). Interestingly, cAkt3 gene transfer preserved both endogenous protein levels of Akt1 and 3, whereas cAkt1 gene transfer only preserved endogenous Akt1. Furthermore, cAkt3 promoted higher pmTOR levels than cAkt1. Treatment of rapamycin, an mTOR inhibitor, blocked the protective effects of both cAkt1 and cAkt3 both in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion: Lentiviral-mediated overexpression of cAkt3 confers stronger protection than that of cAkt1, by maintaining both endogenous Akt1 and Akt3, as well as promoting higher mTOR activities after stroke.
Abstract P340: The Role of Osteoclast-like Cells in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Increasing evidence suggests that arterial calcification is the result of highly organized processes resembling those seen in bone which relies upon a delicate balance between mineral deposition and resorption by osteoblasts and osteoclasts, respectively. Osteoclast-like cells (OLCs) are derived from the monocyte/macrophage lineage and share osteoclast features such as the ability to dissolve extracellular matrix. Although osteoclastogenesis, the development of OLCs, has been reported to occur in calcified arteries, its potential role in the development of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) has yet to be explored. Firstly, we obtained aortic tissues from patients undergoing surgical repair for AAA (N = 5) and aortic occlusive disease (N = 5). Alizarin-Red staining showed calcification in both aneurysmal and occlusive aorta. In contrast, OLCs, recognized as multi-nucleated cells positive for enzymatic TRAP staining, were identified only in aneurysmal aorta (100%, 5 of 5). A time course experiment in mouse calcium chloride-induced AAA (CaCl 2 AAA) showed similarities in both spatial and temporal patterns of calcium deposition and monocyte/macrophage accumulation starting 48 hours followed by OLCs formation peaked at 7 days after CaCl 2 injury. Secondly, we administered bisphosphonate (pamidronate disodium, 1.25 mg/kg, weekly), an inhibitor of osteoclasts, or normal saline as a control, intravenously to mice after CaCl 2 injury (N = 5). Bisphosphonate-treated mice showed a significant reduction in aortic dilation compared to control mice after 7 and 42 days with mean fold change of 1.16 ± 0.04 (vs. 1.65 ± 0.05, P
Orienting to Medicine: Scripting Professionalism, Hierarchy, and Social Difference at the Start of Medical School.

Nascent medical students’ first view into medical school orients them toward what is considered important in medicine. Based on ethnography conducted over 18 months at a New England medical school, this article explores themes which emerged during a first-year student orientation and examines how these scripts resurface across a four-year curriculum, revealing dynamics of enculturation into an institution and the broader profession. We analyze orientation activities as discursive and embodied fields which serve “practical” purposes of making new social geographies familiar, but which also frame institutional values surrounding “soft” aspects of medicine: professionalism; dynamics of hierarchy and vulnerability; and social difference. By examining orientation and connecting these insights to later, discerning educational moments, we argue that orientation reveals tensions between the overt and hidden curricula within medical education, including what being a good doctor means. Our findings are based on data from semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and participant-observation in didactic and clinical settings. This article answers calls within medical anthropology and medical education literature to recognize implicit values at play in producing physicians, unearthing ethnographically how these values are learned longitudinally via persisting gaps between formal and hidden curricula. Assumptions hidden in plain sight call for ongoing medical education reform.
A convergence approach to the analysis of political corruption: A cross-national study

A convergence approach to the analysis of country-level political corruptionis proposed based on Cohen and Felson's routine activities theory of crimeand Ades and Di Tells's tripartite analysis of corruption. It argues thatalthough structural incentives, risky policies, and the lack of effectiveinstitutional guardians independently contribute to the causation ofcorruption, their convergence in time and space creates opportunities forwidespread and systematic corruption. Structural incentives are stableeconomic and cultural conditions and include economic hardships,particularism, and history of political unaccountability. Risky policiesencompass monopolistic and interventionist practices by the government inthe production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.Institutional guardians refer to the judiciary, the press, opposition partiesand the civil society that monitor officials' behavior. Data from 99countries and territories are used to evaluate hypotheses derived from thetheory. Findings lend strong support to the proposed formal propositions.It is also suggested that useful schemes for corruption diagnosis and reformcan be developed from the theory.
$J/\psi$ Longitudinal Polarization From $\pi N$ Interactions

The spin alignment of 2.2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{6}$ J/\ensuremath{\psi} particles produced in 252-GeV \ensuremath{\pi}N interactions has been measured via their decay to ${\ensuremath{\mu}}^{+}$${\ensuremath{\mu}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ in an experiment at Fermilab. Whereas J/\ensuremath{\psi}'s are produced unpolarized over most of the kinematic range, they are found to become longitudinally polarized as ${x}_{F}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}1.
Role of the Toxicology Laboratory in the Treatment of Acute Poisoning

The modern toxicology laboratory can play an important role in the evaluation of poisoning. In order to appreciate the nature and extent of this role, several essential elements necessary to an acute care toxicology service should be considered. When an ongoing and effective dialogue between clinicians and the toxicology laboratory staff is established, and a broadly based analytical approach is applied to the analysis of the appropriate biological fluids, a dynamic and viable toxicology service will result. How these elements work together to facilitate this service will be discussed, based primarily on experience in a large teaching hospital. This experience indicates that if the elements necessary to provide laboratory support in the investigation of an alleged poisoning are in place, the toxicology laboratory plays an important role in ensuring optimum and effective patient care.
Carbachol-induced rhythms in the hippocampal slice: slow (.5-2HZ), theta (4-10HZ) and gama (80-100HZ) oscillations

The hippocampus is the locus of various in vivo brain rhythms. Early work in the freely moving rat showed that three types of hippocampal oscillatory activity could be detected, depending on the behavior of the animal1. Low frequency (.5–2 Hz) irregular oscillations predominate during slow wave sleep, and are completely absent during walking. A medium frequency (5–10 Hz) rhythmical component predominates during walking behavior or REM sleep, and is absent during slow wave sleep. Finally, a fast oscillatory component (40–100 Hz) can be observed during REM sleep or walking. The neuronal circuits involved in each of these oscillations are still largely unknown, and are likely to involve the complex interplay between intrinsic cellular and synaptic hippocampal properties, and external rhythmic inputs from subcortical areas. In particular, the septal cholinergic projection to the hippocampus has been shown to significantly contribute to some of these rhythms. Here we focus on the effects of carbachol (CCH, a cholinergic agonist) on the intrinsic hippocampal circuitry. Using field recordings, we show that rhythms in these three frequency ranges may be observed in vitro, and are therefore likely to be the result of synchronized population activity. Further work in this system will allow for a detailed exploration of the neural circuitry involved and its computational role in learning and memory.
Obtaining Optimal Long-Term Outcomes from Liver Transplantation for Hepatocellular Cancer

Liver transplantation is the definitive treatment for patients with end-stage liver disease. Liver transplantation is also the optimal treatment for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), especially in the setting of chronic liver disease. Unfortunately, due to the worldwide shortage of organs, this treatment is not available for all patients with HCC. Strict selection criteria have been developed in order to obtain optimal results. A surgical perspective of the preoperative selection, perioperative management, and postoperative care of patients is reviewed in depth and provides an overview for obtaining optimal long-term results from liver transplantation for HCC. With rigorous selection and patient management, excellent long-term outcomes can be obtained with liver transplantation for patients with HCC.
Causal Modeling with Feedback Fuzzy Cognitive Maps

Fuzzy cognitive maps model feedback causal relations. We describe FCMs, combined FCMs from multiple experts, and relationships to other dynamic methods. We illustrate the for two social-scientific problems.
Disparities in Quality of Healthcare of Children from Immigrant Families in the US.

The objective of this study was to examine disparities in quality of pediatric primary care among children from immigrant families in the US. Drawing from a nationally representative sample of 83,528 children ages 0–17 years from the 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health, weighted logistic regression was used to assess the effect of immigrant family type on five indicators of quality of healthcare across children’s racial/ethnic groups. Analyses controlled for indicators of child’s access to care, family socio-economic characteristics, and primary language spoken in the household. Unadjusted estimates revealed a pattern of decreasing disparities from immigrant children to second-generation children, native-born children of immigrant parents, and to third-generation children, native-born children of native-born parents. Controlling for confounders showed that the positive effect of generational status on the quality of healthcare of children from immigrant families varied across indicators and among racial/ethnic groups. Not even third-generation Hispanic and Black children reached parity with third-generation White children on reported amount of time that providers devoted to their care and on providers’ sensitivity to their family’s values and customs. In contrast, disparities in reports of providers listening carefully to caregivers disappeared after adjusting for confounders, and only families headed by immigrant parents reported receiving less specific health-related information than the families of native-born White children. Our study suggests that it is important to develop interventions that help healthcare professionals to learn how different types of immigrant families perceive the interactions with the healthcare system and how to deliver care that increases the satisfaction of children from different racial/ethnic groups.
Complications and Quality of Life following Reduction Mammaplasty in Adolescents and Young Women.

Background:Adolescent reduction mammaplasty remains controversial because of concerns of postoperative breast growth, complications, and the effect on well-being. The authors sought to prospectively quantify early and late complications following reduction mammaplasty in adolescents and young women,
Reoperation after isolated subaortic membrane resection

Background The resection of a subaortic membrane remains far from a curative operation. We sought to examine factors associated with reoperation and the degree of aortic valve regurgitation as a potential long-term source for reoperation. Methods All patients who underwent resection of an isolated subaortic membrane between 1995 and 2018 were included. Patients who underwent other procedures were excluded. Paired categorical data were compared using McNemar's test. Univariate time-to-event analyses were performed using Kaplan-Meier methods with log-rank tests for categorical variables and univariate Cox models for continuous variables. Results A total of 84 patients (median age 6.6, 31% females) underwent resection of isolated subaortic membrane. At a median follow-up of 9.3 years (interquartile range 0.6-22.5), 12 (14%) patients required one reoperation and 1 patient required two reoperations. Median time to first reoperation was 4.6 years. The degree of aortic valve regurgitation improved post-operatively from pre-operatively (p = 0.0007); however, the degree of aortic valve regurgitation worsened over the course of follow-up (p = 0.010) to equivalence with pre-operative aortic valve regurgitation (p = 0.18). Performance of a septal myectomy was associated with longer freedom from reoperation (p = 0.004). Conclusions In patients with isolated subaortic membranes, performance of a septal myectomy can minimise risk for reoperation. Patients should be serially monitored for degradation of the aortic valve, even if aortic regurgitation is not present post-operatively.
Deep Learning in Computer Vision: Methods, Interpretation, Causation and Fairness

Deep learning models have succeeded at a variety of human intelligence tasks and are already being used at commercial scale. These models largely rely on the standard gradient descent optimization of parameters W, which maps an input X to an output y =f(X;W). The optimization procedure minimizes the loss (difference) between the model output y and actual output y. As an example, in the cancer detection setting, X is an MRI image, while y is the presence or absence of cancer. Three key ingredients hint at the reason behind deep learning’s power. (1) Deep architectures better adapt to breaking down complex functions into a composition of simpler abstract parts. (2) Standard gradient descent methods that attain local minima on a nonconvex Loss(y,y ) function that are close enough to the global minima. (3) Architectures suited for execution on parallel computing hardware (e.g., GPUs), thus making the optimization viable over hundreds of millions of observations (X,y). Computer vision tasks, where input X is a high-dimensional image or video, are particularly suited to deep learning application. Recent advances in deep architectures, i.e., inception modules, attention networks, adversarial networks and DeepRL, have opened up completely new applications that were previously unexplored. However, the breakneck progress to replace human tasks with deep learning comes with caveats. These deep models tend to evade interpretation, lack causal relationships between input X and output y and may inadvertently mimic not just human actions but human biases and stereotypes. In this tutorial, we provide an intuitive explanation of deep learning methods in computer vision as well as limitations in practice.
Density-based Separation of Microbial Functional Groups in Activated Sludge

Mechanistic understanding of how activated sludge (AS) solids density influences wastewater treatment processing is limited. Because microbial groups often generate and store intracellular inclusions during certain metabolic processes, it is hypothesized that some microorganisms, like polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs), would have higher biomass densities. The present study developed a density-based separation approach and applied it to suspended growth AS in two full-scale domestic water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs). Incorporating quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analyses, the research demonstrated the effectiveness of density-based separation in enriching key microbial functional groups, including ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) and PAOs, by up to 90-fold in target biomass fractions. It was observed that WRRF process functionalities have significant influence on density-based enrichment, such that maximum enrichments were achieved in the sludge fraction denser than 1.036 g/cm3 for the enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) facility and in the sludge fraction lighter than 1.030 g/cm3 for the non-EBPR facility. Our results provide important information on the relationship between biomass density and enrichment of microbial functional groups in AS, contributing to future designs of enhanced biological treatment processes for improved AS settleability and performance.
Modeling disease spreading with adaptive behavior considering local and global information dissemination

The study proposes a modeling framework for investigating the disease dynamics with adaptive human behavior during a disease outbreak, considering the impacts of both local observations and global information. One important application scenario is that commuters may adjust their behavior upon observing the symptoms and countermeasures from their physical contacts during travel, thus altering the trajectories of a disease outbreak. We introduce the heterogeneous mean-field (HMF) approach in a multiplex network setting to jointly model the spreading dynamics of the infectious disease in the contact network and the dissemination dynamics of information in the observation network. The disease spreading is captured using the classic susceptible-infectious-susceptible (SIS) process, while an SIS-alike process models the spread of awareness termed as unaware-aware-unaware (UAU). And the use of multiplex network helps capture the interplay between disease spreading and information dissemination, and how the dynamics of one may affect the other. Theoretical analyses suggest that there are three potential equilibrium states, depending on the percolation strength of diseases and information. The dissemination of information may help shape herd immunity among the population, thus suppressing and eradicating the disease outbreak. Finally, numerical experiments using the contact networks among metro travelers are provided to shed light on the disease and information dynamics in the real-world scenarios and gain insights on the resilience of transportation system against the risk of infectious diseases.
Protesting During a Pandemic: Narratives on Risk Taking and Motivation to Participating in the 2020 March on Washington

The study elucidates the interplay of COVID-19 and the wave of Black Lives Matter protests to assess motivation and risk taking for protest participation. We draw on protesters’ accounts to examine...
Provider Experience with Teleneurology in an Academic Neurology Department.

Background: Teleneurology has become widely adopted during severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic. However, provider impressions about the teleneurology experience are not well described. Methods: A novel questionnaire was developed to collect provider impressions about video teleneurology encounters. All providers in the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) Neurology Department (N = 162) were asked to complete a questionnaire after each video teleneurology patient encounter between April and August 2020. Individual patient and encounter-level data were extracted from the electronic medical record. Results: One thousand six hundred three surveys were completed by 55 providers (response rate of 10.12%). The history obtained and the ability to connect with the patient were considered the same or better than an in-person visit in almost all encounters. The quality of the physician-patient relationship was good or excellent in 93%, while the overall experience was the same as an in-person visit in 73% of visits and better in 12%. Sixty-eight percent of respondents reported that none of the elements of the neurological examination if performed in person would have changed the assessment and plan. Assessment of the visit as the same or better increased from 83% in April to 89% in July and 95% in August. Headache (91%), multiple sclerosis and neuroimmunology (96%), and movement disorder (89%) providers had the highest proportion of ratings of same or better overall experience and neuromuscular providers the lowest (60%). Conclusions: Provider impressions about the teleneurology history, examination, and provider-patient relationship are favorable in the majority of responses. Important differences emerge between provider specialty and visit characteristics groups.
Performance Analysis of a Dual Terahertz/Ka Band Communication System for Satellite Mega-Constellations

With the rise of satellite mega-constellations, high-data-rate and low-latency space-based internet is set to transform the lives of users in remote locations with no access to the fiber-optic infrastructure. While current commercial constellations are relying on microwaves, they are legally and technologically limited to only a few gigahertz of bandwidth, paralyzing the potential for ultra high data rate performance. In this paper, a dual terahertz/Ka-band communication system is proposed and studied as a solution. A space-Earth propagation model based on the International Telecommunication Union most recent recommendations is presented, and a mega-constellation of 8,320 small satellites in low Earth orbit is designed to test the dual-band performance for the uplink, downlink, and crosslink. Extensive simulations are performed using an in-house-developed orbital simulation tool to calculate data rates for each terahertz and Ka band links based on signal-to-noise ratio estimates with dynamic decision making to constantly provide the highest data rate possible. For links between Earth and space, the results show similar performance for terahertz and Ka-band communications, while terahertz significantly outperforms in inter-satellite links. Simulation results show that terahertz communication can be a good candidate for space-Earth and inter-satellite links as both an enhancement to existing microwave technology and as a stand-alone technology with the identified challenges addressed.
#ImmigrantRights #SWTwitterAdvocacy: Using Twitter as an advocacy platform in social work education

The Trump administration’s immigration policies, over the course of four years, repeatedly conflicted with social work ethical principles, resulting in family separation and pervasive fear in immig...
Calcium and vitamin D intake in allergic versus non-allergic children and corresponding parental attitudes towards dairy products.

Background It is hypothesized that parents of children with allergic conditions believe dairy products are potentially harmful to their child. Objectives This study compares the calcium and vitamin D intake of allergic versus non-allergic children and parental beliefs about milk and dairy products. Methods A survey and food-frequency-questionnaire were administered to parents of children between 3 and 13 years, 110 with allergic disease (allergic rhinitis, asthma, food allergy, and/or atopic dermatitis) versus 110 without allergic disease. Calcium and vitamin D intake was calculated from the food-frequency-questionnaire and compared to National Institutes of Health recommendations. Associations between atopy, calcium and vitamin D intake, and beliefs were investigated using Chi-square test (α = 0.05). Distribution across subjects was investigated using Mann-Whitney-U test (α = 0.05). Results Fewer allergic (51.8%) versus non-allergic children (77.3%) met the recommended calcium intake (p < 0.001). Both had similar rates of insufficient vitamin D intake: 12.7% allergic and 17.3% non-allergic (p = 0.345). 81.7% of parents of allergic versus 94.0% of non-allergic children believe intake of dairy is important (p = 0.009). 23.7% of parents of allergic versus 8.0% of non-allergic children believe dairy negatively impacts their child (p = 0.003). 19.1% of parents of allergic children (excluding 3 with documented milk allergy) versus 2.0% of non-allergic believe their child is allergic or intolerant to dairy (p < 0.001). Conclusions Children are at risk of insufficient calcium and vitamin D intake. Atopic children may be at increased risk for insufficient intake, due in part to parent's negative beliefs regarding dairy products. Physicians should counsel on the importance of micronutrient intake and how allergic conditions do or do not entail dietary restrictions.
Comparative Isolation of Cilia and Flagella from the Lamellibranch Mollusc, Aequipecten irradians

Gill cilia and sperm flagella from the lamellibranch mollusc Aequipecten irradians were compared with respect to their ultrastructures and adenosinetriphosphatase activities. Cilia were isolated from excised gills using 3 different solutions: twice-concentrated seawater, 10 % ethanol-10 mM CaCl 2 and 60% glycerol. In each case deciliation occurs by the severance of the cilium at the junction of the transition zone and the basal body, and in each case the ciliary ultrastructure is maintained. Sperm flagella were purified by mechanical decapitation. Cilia and sperm flagella have similar fine structures, except that the matrix of the cilia contains substantially more electron-dense material than that of flagella. The ATPase activity of purified cilia is approximately 0.09,µmol P 1 /min/mg protein; that of flagella is 0.13. Ciliary and flagellar axonemes were prepared by repeated extraction of the membranes with 1% Triton X-100. Ciliary axonemes maintain their 9 + 2 cylindrical orientation, whereas flagellar axonemes often appear as opened or fragmented arrays of the 9 + 2 structure, due to the partial breakdown of the flagellar nexin fibres. A-subfibre arms which were obvious in whole organelles are rarely seen in axoneme preparations. Again the ciliary matrix is considerably more amorphous than in flagellar axonemes. The ATPase activities of ciliary and flagellar axonemes are 0.13 and 0.12 µmol P 1 /min/mg protein respectively; however, activities of ciliary axonemes may vary by a factor of 2, depending on the method of isolation. The difficulty in observing A-subfibre arms in cross-sections of ciliary and flagellar axonemes is discussed in terms of random, non-reinforcing arrangements of the dynein arms.
Linkage analysis of 56 multiplex families excludes the Cowden disease gene PTEN as a major contributor to familial breast cancer.

Editor—A number of genes are now known to be involved in inherited susceptibility to breast cancer. In the context of multiple case families, the most well identified and characterised genes are BRCA1 on 17q1 2 and BRCA2 on 13q.3 4 Both linkage and mutation studies indicate that these genes account for the large majority of families segregating both early age of onset breast cancer and ovarian cancer, and those with both male and female breast cancer cases. However, other studies5-8 indicate that BRCA1 and BRCA2 account for less than half of site specific breast cancer families, suggesting that other major susceptibility genes may be important in this group. We therefore initiated a collaborative genomic search, using a large panel of female breast cancer only families in which germline mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 coding sequence were not detected and in which there was no strong evidence of linkage to BRCA1 and BRCA2 . In this letter, we will report the results of linkage analysis in the Cowden region previously implicated in susceptibility to breast cancer. Cowden disease (CD) is a rare, autosomal dominant syndrome characterised by multiple hamartomatous lesions of the skin, mucous membranes, intestinal polyps, and an increased risk of breast …
Trypanosoma musculi Infections in Normocomplementemic, C5-Deficient, and C3-Depleted Mice

The role of complement in host resistance to infection with Trypanosoma musculi was studied in normal, C5-deficient, and C3-depleted mice. Infections in normocomplementemic strains (CBA and B10.D2/n) were generally similar to those in strains genetically deficient in C5 (A and B10.D2/o). There were no differences in inhibition of reproduction, duration of infection, persistence of parasites in the kidneys, or resistance to reinfection. However, peak parasitemias in B10.D2/o mice were slightly greater than in B10.D2/n mice. In addition, B10.D2/o mice had slightly decreased serum levels of C1 early in the course of infection and of C3 early during the elimination of adult forms. These components were unchanged or increased in infections of B10.D2/n. Depletion of C3 and late-acting components in B10.D2/n mice by treatment with cobra venom factor during the reproductive stage of infection resulted in an increase of reproductive forms before the apparent development of ablastic immunity as well as slightly greater peak parasitemias when compared with those of untreated controls. Cobra venom factor treatment of B10.D2/o mice during the reproductive stage did not alter the course of infection. Cobra venom factor treatment of C3H mice during the adult stage prolonged infections by interfering with parasite elimination. It is concluded that complement-mediated lysis is not involved in control of T. musculi. It is not clear whether a C3-dependent function such as phagocytosis may facilitate elimination of the parasites. The major difference in degree of parasitemias among the various strains of mice studied is due to genetic factors rather than the levels of C3, C5, or late-acting complement components.
A Cooperative Framework for Load Balancing in the IP Multimedia Subsystem Signaling Plane

The IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) is the voice core platform for the All-IP 4G broadband wireless networks. The platform is used to support voice calls in 4G wireless networks such as Voice over LTE (VoLTE). IMS provides a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) based signaling framework to establish voice calls and media sessions over IP networks. The two main entities in the IMS signaling plane are the Proxy Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF) and Serving Call Session Control Function (S-CSCF). Both entities are assigned to end users at registration for the duration of their connection to the IMS network. The two entities maintain information about end user’s session. The number of sessions served by a node depends on the node capacity. The assignment of end users to the two nodes does not take the nodes current load into consideration as a selection criterion. This can lead to driving some of the nodes into overload while other similar nodes are still under-utilized. In this paper we present a cooperative framework for load balancing in the IMS network signaling plane. We present an assignment scheme that takes into consideration the target node current load. The framework is shown to evenly distribute the end users between available nodes in the network using simulation.
Natural convection smolder of polyurethane foam, upward propagation

An experimental study is conducted of upward smolder of polyurethane foam in natural convection. The objective of the study is to provide further understanding of the mechanisms controlling upward smolder, and verification of theoretical models of the problem. Measurements of the temperature histories at several locations through the foam sample are used to infer the characteristics of the smolder process, and to calculate the smolder propagation velocity as a function of the location along the sample length and the sample size. Particularly interesting is the observation that in upward smolder there is a transition from an initial smolder process that is characterized by the propagation of a single oxidation reaction (smolder) to one that consists of an endothermic pyrolysis reaction that precedes the smolder reaction. Also interesting is the observation that this change in smolder pattern appears to be generated by the onset of oxidation reactions in the char left behind by the smolder reaction, which deplete the oxygen from the oxidizer gas flow. Since in upward smolder the oxidizer is induced upward in the same direction of smolder propagation, the experimental data are compared with the predictions of previously developed models of forward smolder. The good agreement between theory and experiments verifies that the smolder controlling mechanisms and simplifying assumptions implicit in the models are appropriate at least for the present experimental conditions. This type of smolder is only characteristic of forward smolder, since for the above mechanisms to happen the fresh oxidizer must flow through the char prior to reaching the smolder reaction. Also particular to this type of smolder is the transition to flaming since it appears to be generated through the onset of strong oxidation reactions in the char.
Diets of Emerald and Spottail Shiners and Potential Interactions with other Western Lake Erie Planktivorous Fishes

Emerald shiner (Notropis atherinoides) and spottail shiner (N. hudsonius) were abundant historically in western Lake Erie. Recent changes in the fish community suggest that shiners may not compete favorably with the invading white perch (Morone americana) or the gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum). We examined the diets of emerald and spottail shiner and compared them to other planktivores in western Lake Erie. Emerald and spottail shiner ate cladocerans such as Daphnia spp., Leptodora, and Bythotrephes. Biologically significant overlaps (Schoener 1970 index ≥ 0.6) among zooplanktivores occurred from July through September, but most occurred during July. The frequency of significant diet overlaps among planktivores declined since an earlier study in the mid-1970s (Muth and Busch 1989) possibly indicating that competitive interactions have eased since 1975. In addition to competitive interactions, other factors such as increased eutrophication and predator mediated mortality likely played a role in planktivore community changes since the early 1970s.
Multi-level influences on the practice of inter-agency collaboration in child welfare and substance abuse treatment

Abstract Inter-agency collaboration in child welfare and substance abuse treatment is encouraged and sometimes required, but rarely adequately achieved. This study addresses inter-agency collaboration as a practice of frontline staff and seeks to illuminate organizational conditions and staff characteristics that can promote or hinder collaborative practice in everyday settings. Frontline staff ( n = 216) and administrators ( n = 20) in child welfare and substance abuse treatment agencies were surveyed about specific collaborative practices and potential individual and organization-level influences on practice, including beliefs, perceptions, knowledge and organizational policy. Multi-level models suggest that most variation in collaboration is within rather than between organizations, that staff member beliefs, knowledge, and perceptions of policy are associated with collaboration, and that collective perceptions develop within organizations. The findings have implications for efforts to promote inter-agency collaboration and other innovative practices.
Convergence of the adhesive and fibrinolytic systems: recognition of urokinase by integrin αMβ2 as well as by the urokinase receptor regulates cell adhesion and migration

Previous studies demonstrated that integrin αMβ2 (CD11b/18, Mac-1) forms a physical complex with the urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR/CD87) on leukocytes. In this study, we used human peripheral blood neutrophils and transfected cells expressing αMβ2, uPAR, or both receptors to show that the integrin can directly interact with urokinase (uPA). We demonstrate that αMβ2 supported adhesion and migration of these cells to uPA, and, in each case, blockade of αMβ2 suppressed the response. Within uPA, both the kringle and proteolytic domains are recognized by αMβ2, which are distinct from the growth factor domain that binds to uPAR. Within the αM subunit of the integrin, the I domain interacts with uPA, which is distinct from the region that interacts with uPAR. On cells expressing uPAR and αMβ2, both receptors mediated adhesion and migration. This cooperation was particularly apparent in the responses of neutrophils to uPA, where blockade of αMβ2 reduced uPAR-mediated responses and engagement of uPAR enhanced recognition of uPA by αMβ2. Thus, recognition of uPA by αMβ2 allows for formation of a multicontact trimolecular complex, in which a single uPA ligand may bind simultaneously to both uPAR and αMβ2. This complex may play an important role in the control of inflammatory cell migration and vascular homeostasis.
Enhancing organizational effectiveness: The importance of culture type and mission agreement

The purpose of this study is to examine the independent and conditional effects of organizational culture type and level of mission agreement on the organizational effectiveness of four-year colleges and universities. While significant differences are found for both culture type and mission agreement, there are important conditional effects on two of the effectiveness measures. The implications of these findings for efforts to enhance the effectiveness of colleges and universities are discussed.