cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of human antibody responses to keyhole limpet hemocyanin on a carbohydrate microarray.

Purpose: Keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) is used as a vaccine adjuvant, as a carrier protein for small haptens, and as a treatment for bladder cancer. Immunization with KLH produces antibodies to tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens (TACAs) in animals, and these antibodies have been postulated as the basis of efficacy for bladder cancer treatment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate antibody responses to KLH in humans. Experimental design: A carbohydrate microarray was used to profile antibody responses in 14 individuals immunized with KLH plus alum adjuvant. Results: Eight out of fourteen individuals produced antibodies to at least one TACA. Increases to Lewis X, Lewis Y, GA1di, GM3, and sialyl Lewis A were observed in certain individuals, but, in general, antibody profiles were highly variable. Pre-immunization antibody levels to a subset of array antigens had a statistically significant correlation with the magnitude of the antibody response to KLH. Conclusions and clinical relevance: Antibodies to TACAs can be produced in humans, but antibody profiles differ considerably from person to person, which may contribute to variable clinical responses with KLH. Pre-treatment antibody levels to certain antigens may be useful for predicting which patients will respond favorably to KLH.
Prospective Assessment of Deep Inspiration Breath Hold Using 3-Dimensional Surface Tracking for Irradiation of Left-Sided Breast Cancer

Abstract Purpose Deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH) is used to decrease cardiac irradiation during radiation therapy (RT) for breast cancer. The patients most likely to benefit and the impact on treatment time remain largely unknown. We sought to identify predictors for the use of DIBH and to quantify differences in dosimetry and treatment time using a prospective registry. Methods and materials A total of 150 patients with left breast cancer were enrolled. All patients were simulated with both free breathing (FB) and DIBH. RT was delivered by either modality. Alternate scans were planned with use of deformable registration to include identical RT volumes. DIBH patients were monitored by a real-time surface tracking system, AlignRT (Vision RT, Ltd, London, United Kingdom). Baseline characteristics and treatment times were compared by Fisher exact test and Wilcoxon rank sum test. Dosimetric endpoints were analyzed by Wilcoxon signed rank test, and linear regression identified predictors for change in mean heart dose (∆MHD). Results We treated 38 patients with FB and 110 with DIBH. FB patients were older, more likely to have heart and lung disease, and less likely to receive chemotherapy or immediate reconstruction (all P P = .0002). Of 146 evaluable patients, DIBH resulted in >20 cGy improvement in MHD in 107 patients but a >20 cGy increase in MHD in 14. Both MHD and lung V20 were significantly lower in DIBH than in paired FB plans. On multivariate analysis, younger age (4.18 cGy per year; P 2 ; P = .0018), and greater change in lung volumes (130 cGy/L; P = .003) were associated with greater ∆MHD. Conclusions DIBH improves cardiac dosimetry without significantly impacting treatment time in most patients. Greater inspiratory lung volumes augment this benefit. Because the improvement with DIBH was not uniform, patients should be scanned with both FB and DIBH.
Essential Role of Junctional Adhesion Molecule-1 in Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor–Induced Endothelial Cell Migration

Objective— Recently, we have shown that blocking of junctional adhesion molecule-1/A (JAM-1/A) inhibits basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-induced angiogenesis. Because the process of endothelial cell proliferation is a key initial step of neovascularization, we studied the effect of functional knockdown of JAM-1 on human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) adhesion and migration induced by bFGF. Methods and Results— We introduced small interfering RNAs specific to JAM-1 in HUVECs, stimulated them with bFGF, and studied the resultant adhesion and migration of these cells on vitronectin and fibronectin. We show that depletion of JAM-1 inhibits bFGF-induced HUVEC migration specifically on vitronectin. This inhibition is not attributable to the failure of junctional organization, because expression and distribution of other junctional proteins remained unaffected. This inhibition was in fact attributed to an inability of JAM-1–depleted HUVECs to adhere and spread on vitronectin. Furthermore, we find t...
Video-Scale: A Novel Device to Measure Supplemental Feed Consumption by Wildlife

We present a novel technique using a video serial interface to link a motion-activated, infrared video camera and a weigh-scale to measure supplemental feed consumption by wildlife. This “video-scale” allows us to quantify consumption of various feeds by individual animals to an accuracy of 5 g and to record feeding duration to the second. Using intake rate and total time spent feeding, we calculated comparative use of supplemental feed by animals categorized by species, age, and sex. We present preliminary data on feed consumption and intake rates of wild and tame white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and raccoons (Procyon lotor) eating shelled corn, pelleted supplement, and whole cottonseed. Other uses and limitations of the video-scale are discussed.
Our favorite materials: Silica hydride stationary phases

"Chance favors the prepared mind." Louis Pasteur. "Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one". Albert Einstein. As so succinctly stated by these two famous scientists, it is sometimes necessary to step outside the bounds of traditional thinking and look at ideas that many claim to be impossible based on preconceived notions rather than experimental data. This review is dedicated to those open-minded scientists who are willing to evaluate new concepts objectively rather than dismiss new approaches with outdated theories.
Adherence to the Mediterranean diet and body fat distribution in reproductive aged women.

Adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD), high in fruits, vegetables and monounsaturated fats, has been associated with lower body mass index. Associations with measured body fat, including regional adiposity, have not been previously investigated. We examined the associations between the alternate Mediterranean diet score (aMED), anthropometry and measured adiposity by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). This study included 248 healthy females, aged 18–44 years from the BioCycle Study. Each woman’s aMED (range 0–9) was calculated from up to eight 24-h dietary recalls over 1–2 menstrual cycles (>97% had ⩾7 recalls). Multiple linear regression was used to determine whether aMED and its specific components were associated with total and regional adiposity after adjusting for age, race, education, physical activity and energy intake. Participants had an average (s.d.) aMED of 4.2 (1.7) and percent body fat of 29.5 (6.0)%. Significant inverse associations were found between aMED and all the examined adiposity measures except waist-to-hip ratio. Among the DXA measures, a 1-unit increment in aMED was associated with a 0.06 (95% confidence interval (CI): −0.09, −0.02) lower trunk-to-leg fat ratio (T/L), a measure of upper to lower body fat. In an analysis examining T/L as an outcome with the separate components of the aMED, T/L was lower with increased legume consumption (β=−0.280, 95% CI: −0.550, −0.010) but was higher with increased consumption of red and processed meat (β=0.060, 95% CI: 0.002, 0.117). Adherence to the aMED was associated with lower total and regional adiposity, adding to the mounting evidence of the health benefits of the MD.
Involvement of Linear Plasmids in Aerobic Biodegradation of Vinyl Chloride

Pseudomonas putida strain AJ and Ochrobactrum strain TD were isolated from hazardous waste sites based on their ability to use vinyl chloride (VC) as the sole source of carbon and energy under aerobic conditions. Strains AJ and TD also use ethene and ethylene oxide as growth substrates. Strain AJ contained a linear megaplasmid (approximately 260 kb) when grown on VC or ethene, but it contained no circular plasmids. While strain AJ was growing on ethylene oxide, it was observed to contain a 100-kb linear plasmid, and its ability to use VC as a substrate was retained. The linear plasmids in strain AJ were cured, and the ability of strain AJ to consume VC, ethene, and ethylene oxide was lost following growth on a rich substrate (Luria-Bertani broth) through at least three transfers. Strain TD contained three linear plasmids, ranging in size from approximately 90 kb to 320 kb, when growing on VC or ethene. As with strain AJ, the linear plasmids in strain TD were cured following growth on Luria-Bertani broth and its ability to consume VC and ethene was lost. Further analysis of these linear plasmids may help reveal the pathway for VC biodegradation in strains AJ and TD and explain why this process occurs at many but not all sites where groundwater is contaminated with chloroethenes. Metabolism of VC and ethene by strains AJ and TD is initiated by an alkene monooxygenase. Their yields during growth on VC (0.15 to 0.20 mg of total suspended solids per mg of VC) are similar to the yields reported for other isolates (i.e., Mycobacterium sp., Nocardioides sp., and Pseudomonas sp.).
Plasmacytoid variant urothelial bladder cancer: Is it time to update the treatment paradigm?

Abstract Objectives Plasmacytoid variant (PCV) urothelial cancer (UC) of the bladder is rare, with poor clinical outcomes. We sought to identify factors that may better inform expectations of tumor behavior and improve management options in patients with PCV UC. Materials and methods A retrospective analysis of the Indiana University Bladder Cancer Database between January 2008 and June 2013 was performed comparing 30 patients with PCV UC at cystectomy to 278 patients with nonvariant (NV) UC at cystectomy who underwent surgery for muscle-invasive disease. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess precystectomy variables associated with non–organ-confined disease at cystectomy and Cox regression analysis to assess variables associated with mortality. Results Patients with PCV UC who were diagnosed with a higher stage at cystectomy (73% pT3-4 vs. 40%, P = 0.001) were more likely to have lymph node involvement (70% vs. 25%, P Conclusions PCV is an aggressive UC variant, predicting non–organ-confined disease and poor survival. Differentiating between non–muscle- and muscle-invasive disease in patients with PCV UC seems less important than the aggressive nature of this disease. Instead, any evidence of PCV on transurethral resection of bladder tumor may warrant aggressive therapy.
Transcription of the Herpes Simplex Virus Latency-Associated Transcript Promotes the Formation of Facultative Heterochromatin on Lytic Promoters

An important question in virology is the mechanism(s) by which persistent viruses such as the herpesviruses and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) establish a latent infection in specific types of cells. In the case of herpesviruses, herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection of epithelial cells results in a lytic infection, whereas latent infection is established in sensory neurons. Recent studies have shown the importance of chromatin structure in the regulation of latent infection for both HSV and HIV. For HSV, we have shown previously that the viral latency-associated transcript (LAT) promotes lytic gene silencing and the association of one heterochromatin marker, dimethylation of lysine 9 on histone H3 (H3K9me2), with viral lytic genes. In this study, we further defined the structure of latent viral chromatin by examining the heterochromatin markers on histones associated with the HSV latent genome. We detected the H3K9me2, H3K9me3, and H3K27me3 modifications, with H3K27me3, which is indicative of facultative heterochromatin, exhibiting the highest enrichment on all viral promoters tested. A modification associated with cellular centromeric heterochromatin, H4K20me3, was not detected. A mutant virus containing a 1.8-kbp deletion within the LAT region showed reduced levels of the facultative heterochromatin marker (H3K27me3) along with H3K9me3 during latency, whereas a viral mutant defective for the LAT promoter showed a specific reduction in H3K27me3. Cellular long, noncoding RNAs induce facultative heterochromatin, and this study shows that transcription of a viral noncoding RNA can also induce facultative heterochromatin to promote lytic gene silencing during latency.
Determinants and modeling of specific dynamic action for the Common Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis)

Specific dynamic action (SDA), the cumulative energy expended on digestion and assimilation, can contribute significantly to individual daily energy expenditure (DEE). The Common Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis (L., 1758)) is a widely distributed generalist predator that could experience considerable variation in SDA and hence the contribution of SDA to DEE. We examined the effects of meal size, meal type, and body temperature on the postprandial metabolic re- sponse and SDA of the Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis (L., 1758)) and generated predictive models of SDA based on meal size, body mass, and body temperature, and separately based on meal energy. Postprandial peak in oxygen consumption, duration of significantly elevated oxygen consumption, and SDA increased with increasing meal size (5%-45% of body mass). Postprandial metabolic response digesting six different equal-size prey items varied significantly; vertebrate prey generated larger SDA responses than soft-bodied invertebrates. Increases in experimental temperature (15- 35 8C) yielded a matched increase in postprandial peak in oxygen consumption and decrease in digestive duration. For a 1-month hypothetical feeding history for an adult T. sirtalis, the cumulative predicted SDA varied by 4.5% among the three models (minimal, intermediate, and maximal intake of prey) and averaged 8%, 22%, and 38% of DEE, respectively. Resume´ : L'action dynamique specifique (SDA), soit l'energie cumulative depensee pour la digestion et l'assimilation, peut contribuer significativement ala depense journaliere d'energie (DEE) individuelle. La couleuvre rayee commune (Thamnophis sirtalis (L., 1758)) est un predateur generaliste avaste repartition qui pourrait connaoˆtre une importante varia-
Assuring software safety

The authors describe several system and design techniques to better assure the development of safe systems. Software safety, which constitutes the 'brains' of systems, is the primary focus. Software determines the system reaction to errant input conditions; when the software is not functioning correctly, it can cause the hardware to create a safety mishap. A professional and comprehensive technique for documenting and disclosing safety hazards to the system user is suggested. In the Department of Defense (DoD), this takes the form of an accident risk assessment, which is used to disclose customer risk and mitigate the contractor liability exposure. >
Generalization during speech sound discrimination training.

An experiment was conducted to determine whether training discrimination of a phoneme in one position in a context results in children responding to the phoneme when it is presented in other positi...
Antiarrhythmic Drugs and Management of Ventricular Arrhythmias

While many advances have occurred in the nonpharmacologic treatment of ventricular arrhythmias, antiarrhythmic medications remain indispensable in the acute treatment and prevention of recurrent ventricular arrhythmias. Additionally, it is important to understand the effects of medications on neurohormonal modulation and defibrillation thresholds. Some antiarrhythmics have specialized uses for specific arrhythmias, and some can be used in the electrophysiology lab for diagnostic testing and aid during ablations. In contrast, amiodarone is effective for various arrhythmias, but it has many extracardiac toxicities. This chapter discusses the pharmacology and clinical use of antiarrhythmics for diagnostic and therapeutic management of ventricular arrhythmias.
Protecting service members in war--non-battle morbidity and command responsibility.

Although traumatic brain injury and traumatic amputations may be signature wounds of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, the toll on military personnel from diseases and nonbattle injuries is substantial — and largely preventable. The critical element is command support.
Intussusception in Children

In 50 cases of intussusception in children, treatment was by barium enema reduction in 10 and operation in 40. There was one death in each group. Intestinal resection was required in 17 patients treated by operation.Causes of gastrointestinal bleeding in children are briefly reviewed.
Mapping non-functional requirements to cloud applications.

Cloud computing represents a solution for applications with high scalability needs where usage patterns, and therefore resource requirements, may fluctuate based on external circumstances such as exposure or trending. However, in order to take advantage of the cloud’s benefits, software engineers need to be able to express the application’s needs in quantifiable terms. Additionally, cloud providers have to understand such requirements and offer methods to acquire the necessary infrastructure to fulfill the users’ expectations. In this paper, we discuss the design and implementation of an Infrastructure as a Service cloud manager such that non-functional requirements determined during the requirements analysis phase can be mapped to properties for a group of Virtual Appliances running the application. The discussed management system ensures that expected Quality of Service is maintained during execution and can be considered during different development phases.
Sex Differences in Defensive Behavior and Venom of The Striped Bark Scorpion Centruroides vittatus (Scorpiones: Buthidae)

Studies of venom variability have advanced from describing the mechanisms of action and relative potency of medically important toxins to understanding the ecological and evolutionary causes of the variability itself. While most studies have focused on differences in venoms among taxa, populations, or age-classes, there may be intersexual effects as well. Striped bark scorpions (Centruroides vittatus) provide a good model for examining sex differences in venom composition and efficacy, as this species exhibits dramatic sexual dimorphism in both size and defensive behavior; when threatened by an enemy, larger, slower females stand and fight while smaller, fleeter males prefer to run. We here add evidence suggesting that male and female C. vittatus indeed have different defensive propensities; when threatened via an electrical stimulus, females were more likely to sting than were males. We reasoned that intersexual differences in defensive phenotypes would select for venoms with different functions in the two sexes; female venoms should be effective at predator deterrence, whereas male venoms, less utilized defensively, might be better suited to capturing prey or courting females. This rationale led to our predictions that females would inject more venom and/or possess more painful venom than males. We were wrong. While females do inject more venom than males in a defensive sting, females are also larger; when adjusted for body size, male and female C. vittatus commit equal masses of venom in a sting to a potential enemy. Additionally, house mice (Mus musculus) find an injection of male venom more irritating than an equal amount of female venom, likely because male venom contains more of the toxins that induce pain. Taken together, our results suggest that identifying the ultimate causes of venom variability will, as we move beyond adaptive storytelling, be hard-won.
Comparative Kinetic Analysis of Closed-Ended and Open-Ended Porous Sensors

Efficient mass transport through porous networks is essential for achieving rapid response times in sensing applications utilizing porous materials. In this work, we show that open-ended porous membranes can overcome diffusion challenges experienced by closed-ended porous materials in a microfluidic environment. A theoretical model including both transport and reaction kinetics is employed to study the influence of flow velocity, bulk analyte concentration, analyte diffusivity, and adsorption rate on the performance of open-ended and closed-ended porous sensors integrated with flow cells. The analysis shows that open-ended pores enable analyte flow through the pores and greatly reduce the response time and analyte consumption for detecting large molecules with slow diffusivities compared with closed-ended pores for which analytes largely flow over the pores. Experimental confirmation of the results was carried out with open- and closed-ended porous silicon (PSi) microcavities fabricated in flow-through and flow-over sensor configurations, respectively. The adsorption behavior of small analytes onto the inner surfaces of closed-ended and open-ended PSi membrane microcavities was similar. However, for large analytes, PSi membranes in a flow-through scheme showed significant improvement in response times due to more efficient convective transport of analytes. The experimental results and theoretical analysis provide quantitative estimates of the benefits offered by open-ended porous membranes for different analyte systems.
Data Collection When Working with English Learners

In this chapter, we clarify best practices that generally apply in psychoeducational evaluations of English learners. When a school psychologist evaluates a child, he or she must collect data by means of record reviews, observations, interviews, and tests. The data must encompass the learner, curriculum, instruction, and the learner’s environment. For English learners, the data may be more complex, extensive, and difficult to unearth. The student’s English as a second language (ESL) teachers must be consulted in addition to regular classroom teachers. Interpreters and/or translators may need to become involved. The psychologist must investigate the expectations typically held in the child’s culture and how behaviors that are considered abnormal in the educator’s culture might be considered normal in the child’s culture. It is necessary to determine proficiency in the child’s first and subsequent languages in addition to the child’s other academic skills. Examiners must determine when it is appropriate to assess in the first language as well as in English. Assessments with reduced language demands should be chosen if the child has limited English proficiency and there may need to be more of a reliance on detailed observations, interviews, and rating scales than on standardized tests. We specify the guidelines to use in selecting tests to use with English learners. We explore interventions and instructional practices that are appropriate for students with limited English proficiency.
“This Group Is Vital”: Adult Peers in Community for Support and Learning:

Adult learners often experience uncertainty, isolation, and, in graduate school, angst about meeting program requirements. Therefore, graduate students created and facilitated a seminar series and ...
Nation, ethnicity, and race on Russian television: mediating post-Soviet difference

The delicate position of Vladimir Putin’s presidential administration in relation to Russian ethnic and confessional diversity is well known: in his public statements, Putin has long navigated care...
Mechanisms of unresponsiveness: T- and B-cell mediated mechanisms of anergy.

In this chapter we will attempt to briefly review the relevant immunological concepts concerning both T and B cell unresponsiveness. We will focus on the broad concepts, and use them to frame the problems of gene therapy related to hemophilia.
Journey Across State Lines: Transition to a Regional Campus

The University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine’s SELECT program was developed to equip medical students with healthcare leadership skills as they progress through the medical curriculum by providing them with leadership and management training, as well as a curriculum based on emotional intelligence. Medical students spend their pre-clerkship years in Tampa, Florida and then spend their clinical years at the Lehigh Valley Health Network regional campus in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The authors describe how faculty at the regional campus are involved with student and academic affairs on the main campus and the process of helping students transition not only from the pre-clinical to clinical years but also transition from Florida to Pennsylvania.
Vascular endothelial growth factor accelerates compensatory lung growth by increasing the alveolar units.

BackgroundDeficiency of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is associated with hypoplastic lung diseases, such as congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Provision of VEGF has been demonstrated to be beneficial in hyperoxia-induced bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and hence could induce lung growth and improve the outcome in hypoplastic lung diseases. We aimed to determine the effects of exogenous VEGF in a rodent model of compensatory lung growth after left pneumonectomy.MethodsEight-to-ten-week-old C57Bl6 male mice underwent left pneumonectomy, followed by daily intra-peritoneal injections of saline or VEGF (0.5 mg/kg). Lung volume measurement, pulmonary function tests, and morphometric analyses were performed on post-operative day (POD) 4 and 10. The pulmonary expression of angiogenic factors was analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot.ResultsLung volume on POD 4 was higher in the VEGF-treated mice (P=0.03). On morphometric analyses, VEGF increased the parenchymal volume (P=0.001), alveolar volume (P=0.0003), and alveolar number (P<0.0001) on POD 4. The VEGF group displayed higher levels of phosphorylated-VEGFR2/VEGFR2 (P=0.03) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) messenger RNA (P=0.01).ConclusionVEGF accelerated the compensatory lung growth in mice, by increasing the alveolar units. These changes may be mediated by VEGFR2 and EGF-dependent mechanisms.
Relationship of the three dimensional structure of carboxypeptidase A to catalysis

Abstract A brief discussion is presented of activity, conformational changes, possible mechanisms, intermediates, and pH effects in the peptidase activity of the hydrolytic enzyme, carboxypeptidase A.
Forecastability as a Design Criterion in Wind Resource Assessment

Abstract This paper proposes a methodology to include the wind power forecasting ability, or “forecastability,” of a site as a design criterion in wind resource assessment and wind power plant design stages. The Unrestricted Wind Farm Layout Optimization (UWFLO) methodology is adopted to maximize the capacity factor of a wind power plant. The 1-hour-ahead persistence wind power forecasting method is used to characterize the forecastability of a potential wind power plant, thereby partially quantifying the integration cost. A trade-off between the maximum capacity factor and the forecastability is investigated.
Wavelet Transform to Improve Accuracy of a Prediction Model for Overall Survival Time of Brain Tumor Patients Based On MRI Images

In this poster, denoising wavelet transform (DWT) method is proposed to improve the accuracy of a prediction model for overall survival time of brain tumor patients using Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images based on classification approach. The BraTS dataset is used in this work. The histogram features are extracted from MRI images to train a prediction model using machine learning methods. As the dataset consists of only 163 samples, various machine learning methods have been used to develop an accurate prediction model. In general the MRI imaging system corrupted the MRI information with noise. The results show that the two-dimension denoising wavelet transform method slightly improved the accuracy of a prediction model based on histogram features. The best accuracy is achieved by daubechies 4 level 4 (db4-L4) with a 10 folds cross validation linear support vector Machine (SVM) when including patients' age information. However, daubechies 2 level 1 and 3 (db2-L1, db2-L3) with a 10 folds cross validation simple tree produce an improved accuracy when the patients' age does not combined with histogram features vector. When a 10% hold out validation method is used, the daubechies 2 level 3 (db2-L3) with simple tree achieves 66.7% accuracy.
Repeated Chlamydia trachomatis infections are associated with lower bacterial loads

Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infections remain highly prevalent. CT reinfection occurs frequently within months after treatment, likely contributing to sustaining the high CT infection prevalence. Sparse studies have suggested CT reinfection is associated with a lower organism load, but it is unclear whether CT load at the time of treatment influences CT reinfection risk. In this study, women presenting for treatment of a positive CT screening test were enrolled, treated and returned for 3- and 6-month follow-up visits. CT organism loads were quantified at each visit. We evaluated for an association of CT bacterial load at initial infection with reinfection risk and investigated factors influencing the CT load at baseline and follow-up in those with CT reinfection. We found no association of initial CT load with reinfection risk. We found a significant decrease in the median log10 CT load from baseline to follow-up in those with reinfection (5.6 CT/ml vs. 4.5 CT/ml; P = 0.015). Upon stratification of reinfected subjects based upon presence or absence of a history of CT infections prior to their infection at the baseline visit, we found a significant decline in the CT load from baseline to follow-up (5.7 CT/ml vs. 4.3 CT/ml; P = 0.021) exclusively in patients with a history of CT infections prior to our study. Our findings suggest repeated CT infections may lead to possible development of partial immunity against CT.
Cells to Surgery Quiz: June 2015

1 Journal of Investigative Dermatology (2015), Volume 135 © 2015 The Society for Investigative Dermatology QUESTIONS 1. A 37-year-old man with history of diabetes mellitus type 1 presented for evaluation of the lesions pictured above. They are asymptomatic and have been slowly increasing in size and number over the past few years. What is your diagnosis? a. Tinea versicolor. b. Vitiligo. c. Nevus depigmentosus. d. Postinflammatory hypopigmentation. Cells to Surgery Quiz: June 2015 Leyre Falto-Aizpurua1, Mohammad-Ali Yazdani Abyaneh1, Brian J. Simmons1, Fleta N. Bray1, Mohammed Alsaidan1 and Keyvan Nouri1 Journal of Investigative Dermatology (2015) 135, e14. doi:10.1038/jid.2015.136
High Thymic Output of Effector CD4+ Cells May Lead to a Treg : T Effector Imbalance in the Periphery in NOD Mice

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a critical role in controlling autoreactive T cells, and quantitative and/or qualitative deficiencies in Tregs are associated with autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes (T1D), in both humans and mice. Both the incidence of T1D and percentages of peripheral Tregs in NOD mice vary considerably between animal facilities. In our animal facility, the incidence of T1D in NOD mice is high at 90-100% and the percentages of peripheral CD4+Foxp3+ cells in ~9-10-week-old female NOD mice are decreased compared to control (B6) mice shortly before high glucose is first detected (~12 weeks). These data suggest that there is an imbalance between Tregs and potentially pathogenic effector T cells at this age that could have significant impact on disease progression to overt diabetes. The goal of the current study was to investigate mechanisms that play a role in peripheral Treg : T effector cell balance in NOD mice, including differences in persistence/survival, peripheral homeostatic proliferation, and thymic production and output of CD4+ T cells. We found no differences in persistence/survival or homeostatic proliferation of either Tregs or effector T cells between NOD and B6 mice. Furthermore, although the percentages and absolute numbers of CD4+Foxp3+ cells in thymus were not decreased in NOD compared to B6 mice, the percentage of CD4+ recent thymic emigrants (RTE) that were Foxp3+ was significantly lower in 9-week-old NOD mice. Interestingly, the thymic output of CD4+Foxp3+ cells was not lower in NOD mice, whereas the thymic output of CD4+Foxp3- cells was significantly higher in NOD mice at that age compared to B6 mice. These data suggest that the higher thymic output of CD4+Foxp3- T cells contributes, at least in part, to the lower percentages of peripheral CD4+Foxp3+ Tregs in NOD mice and an imbalance between Tregs and T effector cells that may contribute to the development of full-blown diabetes.
Sex-related differences in homebound advanced Parkinson's disease patients.

Background Women with Parkinson's disease (PD) are more likely to be older, have greater disease severity and comorbidities, and yet are less likely to receive care from a neurologist, as compared with men with PD. Within the PD population, homebound individuals are a particularly vulnerable group facing significant barriers to care, yet within this understudied population, sex-related differences have not been reported. Purpose To identify and describe differences in homebound men and women with advanced PD and related disorders, participating in an interdisciplinary home visit program. Patients and methods This was an exploratory analysis of homebound patients seen between February 2014 and July 2016 using data collected via in-person interviews and chart review. Results We enrolled 85 patients, of whom 52% were women. PD was the most common diagnosis (79%), followed by dementia with Lewy bodies (5%), and other atypical parkinsonism (16%). Men were more likely to have a PD dementia diagnosis than women (17.1% vs 2.3%, p=0.03). Women were more likely to live alone (18.1% of women had no caregiver vs 2.4% of men, p=0.05). Conclusion The role of the caregiver in facilitating safe aging-in-place is crucial. Among homebound individuals with advanced PD, women were far more likely to live alone. The absence of a spouse or care partner may be due in part to variable sex-based life expectancies. Our findings suggest that homebound women with advanced PD may face greater barriers to accessing support.
Cardiovascular Complications Associated with COVID-19 Infection

COVID-19 has spread worldwide and caused pneumonia-like illness similar to that caused by SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. Apart from lung injury, coronaviruses cause severe cardiovascular disorders. Studies have confirmed that COVID-19 uses angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor to enter the host cell similar to SARS-CoV. ACE2 receptors are found in various body organs including lungs, heart in kidneys. The most common complication observed are acute respiratory distress syndrome, acute cardiac injury and cardiovascular disorders including myocarditis, cardiac arrythmias and myocardial infarction. It can also cause acute and chronic cardiovascular diseases. Almost 20% of patients progress to severe condition. Patients with underlying cardiovascular disorders have poor prognosis. It is believed that ACEI/ARBS can alleviate the cardiovascular problems in COVID-19 patients. Hence, the risk factors for cardiovascular disease and complications should be carefully considered.
Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder in the Elderly

With the increasing age of those born between 1946 and 1965, issues relating to the “baby boomer” generation are more relevant than ever. This review aims to both highlight the importance of screening for substance use disorders in the elderly (specifically in this case, opioid use disorder) and then summarize the available treatment options for this vulnerable population. A narrative review of the literature showed surprisingly little research on the treatment of substance use disorders, especially opioid use disorder, in the elderly. None of the three medications that are FDA approved for opioid use disorder in adults (methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone) is contraindicated in the elderly. All medications should be used cautiously, keeping in mind that the elderly often have more medical issues (which can include chronic pain) as well as are on multiple medications that can lead to medication interactions. Because there is very limited data on treatment of opioid use disorder in later life, current treatment generally follows recommendations for the general/mixed age population. More research into the topic is needed, especially with a larger percentage of the “baby boomer” generation entering the 65+ age range.
Optimal Insurance Coverage With Default Risk

This articles re-examines a standard result on the demand for insurance ("full coverage with a fair premium and partial coverage with a loaded premium"') in the presence of a default risk. It is established that the optimal insurance coverage is always partial coverage if the default is total, irrespective of whether the premium is fair or loaded. For partial default, it is demonstrated in both the fair premium case and the loaded premium case that the optimal insurance coverage might be either full coverage or partial coverage for coinsurance, deductible insurance and upper-limit insurance.
Magnetism in graphene flakes with edge disorder

The magnetization of graphene flakes as a function of size, shape, boundary type, and edge defects is computed in a tight-binding model. Flakes with Klein boundaries exhibit a smaller orbital magnetization than flakes with other boundaries. The difference in magnitude is significant for flakes with a few hundred to a few thousand atoms. One can tune the magnetization of a zigzag or Klein flake quasicontinuously by adding atoms, one by one, to the edges of the zigzag flake, or removing atoms from a Klein flake. Flakes with an odd number of atoms show a paramagnetic spin response due to particle-hole symmetry. The addition of a next-nearest neighbor term to the Hamiltonian, which breaks particle-hole symmetry, does not destroy this effect as long as there is approximate particle-hole symmetry. Other defects that affect the chemical potential, such as edge atoms with an onsite potential, or doping, can affect the paramagnetism but preserve the difference in magnetization between Klein and non-Klein flakes. These results are consistent with experiments which see paramagnetic response at low magnetic fields crossing over to diamagnetic response at higher fields.
Predication : new and old

Englebretsen says 1 that my "account of the traditional theory does it little justice", and on three occasions he claims that I have "distorted" the traditional theory of predication. In this note I will claim, but only once, that Englebretsen has distorted three things: (I) my paper, (II) traditional predication theory and (III) Frege. Next (IV) I will comment on a new possibility of really bridging the gap between the old and the new theories, in a way that, prima facie at least, seems to vindicate the old theory.
Description and outcomes of the DoctorQuality incident reporting system used at Baylor Medical Center at Grapevine.

Despite the focus on patient safety resulting from the Institute of Medicine's 1999 report, To Err is Human, the actual reporting of adverse errors or near misses is often overlooked in health care institutions. Few institutions have a systematic program that records, tracks, and monitors adverse events efficiently and effectively and thus measures the safety environment. In an October 2000 survey that asked 644 health care professionals why they didn't report errors, >90% cited loss of reputation, 90% cited the fear of losing their jobs, and >80% cited loss of market share, loss of accreditation, fear of punishment, and liability concerns (1). Another reason is lack of leadership. Many leaders think it is enough to tell managers to be safe. Unfortunately, many institutions wait until tragedy strikes before they tackle issues of patient safety. Lack of a common understanding about errors among health care professionals is another barrier to adequate reporting. As indicated by the survey responses mentioned above, most professionals still think of errors as individual. In reality, errors are a systems issue and not solely a human issue (2). Further, previous theories led many to believe that an error was something that resulted in patient morbidity or mortality and was committed by one of the few health care professionals involved in the care of the patient. Today, we embrace a broader definition of error, one that includes mistakes that do not cause patient morbidity and that involve all employees in the health care system, even those who never see the patient. The manual systems for error reporting currently used in some hospitals are often ineffective. Staff are confused about which of many forms to use, where to send forms, and who is responsible for follow-up. In addition, paper seems to flow slowly from desk to desk, with multiple opportunities to be misplaced. This article reviews the efforts of Baylor Medical Center at Grapevine, which has 962 employees and 104 beds, to address the problem of underreporting of errors. The institution partnered with DoctorQuality to create a Web-based form for efficiency and ease of access and supported this effort with the necessary communication to create a new organizational culture around errors (3).
Interactions between stressors on coral reefs: analytical approaches, re-analysis of old data, and different conclusions . Comment on Dunne (2010)

Recently, some of the older literature purported to demonstrate a positive interaction between solar radiation and thermal stress on the phenomenon of coral bleaching have been called into question (Dunne 2010). Dunne (2010) correctly points out important experimental design and analysis issues related to the interpretation of multi-factorial designs, and both positive and negative interactive effects, with emphasis on the point that once interactive effects are detected no interpretation of the main effects of a multi-factorial design is appropriate. Dunne (2010) presents a number of statistical analyses to address this issue that are valuable and deserve significant discussion. While Dunne (2010) was specifically addressing the issue of the misuse of the term “synergy” some of the analyses presented may have understated the presence of such interactions. Here, I conduct a re-analysis of specific datasets using another potentially useful approach that shows both positive and negative interactions during experiments on bleaching.
The diagnostic accuracy of the rectal biopsy in acute graft-versus-host disease: A prospective study of thirteen patients

Abstract We carried out a coded, prospective analysis of sequential rectal biopsies from 13 patients undergoing allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in order to study the accuracy of these biopsies in the diagnosis of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). We also tested the hypothesis that individual crypt cell degeneration is the initial lesion of intestinal GVHD. Pretransplant biopsies were normal. All biopsies taken 7–10 days after transplantation were diffusely abnormal with nuclear atypia and crypt cell degeneration. These changes were due to the conditioning regimen of total body irradiation and chemotherapy and had resolved by day 20 after transplantation. When acute GVHD was present, rectal biopsies were focally abnormal with crypt cell degeneration, crypt dilation, and crypt abscess. Rectal biopsies were normal after day 20 in those patients who did not have clinical evidence of GVHD. The location of cell degeneration at the base of crypts suggests that an immunologic mechanism is responsible for damage to rectal mucosa in GVHD. The rectal biopsy is an accurate way of detecting intestinal involvement with acute GVHD if done after resolution of radiation/chemotherapy effects.
Possible role of tetracyclines on decreasing the accelerated aging process of well-controlled HIV patients on antiretroviral therapy

Abstract The aim of this study is to show the potential contribution of tetracyclines on decreasing the aging process of well-controlled HIV patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Chronic inflammation and immune activation play a significant role in the increase prevalence of non-AIDS defining illnesses, including cardiovascular, respiratory, neurologic, metabolic, renal and liver disease, along with different types of solid and hematologic cancers (aging). Low-level HIV replication, microbial translocation in mucosal surfaces, chronic co-infections, deposition of collagen in lymphoid tissue, increased oxidative stress, and immune senescence, are some of the features found on these patients. We reviewed some of the inflammatory pathways that these molecules might interrupt in order to decrease the aging process of well-controlled HIV patients on ART, which was already proven in animal models. Randomized clinical trials of tetracycline therapy in HIV infection are warranted in order to test this hypothesis.
An innovative Fiber Bragg Grating sensor capable of fault detection in radial power systems

In this paper, a fiber optic based sensor capable of fault detection in power systems is presented. This sensor uses Bragg wavelength shift to measure current in power systems. Magnetic fields generated by currents in power transmission lines cause a strain in magnetostrictive material which is then detected by Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG). Interrogators sense the reflected FBG signals, and the Bragg wavelength shift is calculated. It is shown that the faults in the systems cause a detectable wavelength shift on the Fiber Bragg Grating.
Instability patterns of the wrist

Summary Carpal instabilities are generally the result of a hyperextension injury. The deformities are mediated through the internal compressive force supplied by the musculotendinous units and are dependent on the extent of injury as well as the precise structures that are disrupted. The scaphoid inherently tends to palmar flex. It will pull the lunate with it if the lunotriquetral integrity has been interrupted, and conversely the lunate and triquetrum will dorsiflex if the scapholunate integrity is disrupted. If the integrity of the oblique external ligaments, particularly the volar (palmar) radiolunate, is disrupted, the entire carpus has a tendency to translate ulnarly. Carpal instabilities are invariably associated with weakness, limitation of motion, and pain.
THE NEWBORN EXSTROPHY BLADDER INADEQUATE FOR PRIMARY CLOSURE: EVALUATION, MANAGEMENT AND OUTCOME

Purpose: The surgical approach to the small newborn exstrophy bladder inadequate for primary closure remains undetermined. Various methods for long-term management have been implemented. We evaluated our experience with late primary closure of the small exstrophied bladder template.Materials and Methods: Our institutional database of patients treated and followed for the exstrophy-epispadias complex was reviewed. Of these patients 19 had a bladder template that was too small to close in the newborn period. The treatment and outcome of these 19 patients were reviewed.Results: Of the 19 children who had delayed closure due to a small bladder template 14 were males and 5 were females. Followup from birth ranged from 2 to 36 years (mean 18 years). Primary closure was performed at a mean patient age of 13 months (range 6 months to 2 years). Pelvic osteotomy was performed in 16 patients. Of the 19 patients 9 achieved continence after gaining a bladder capacity sufficient for bladder neck reconstruction, 4 requi...