cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Open retrofascial incisional hernia repair is a safe and effective operation.

Abstract Background Incisional hernias occur in about ten percent of patient after elective abdominal operations. Although over 100,000 are performed annually in this country, the best method of repair remains controversial. We report the outcomes after a standardized approach by one surgeon. Methods The operation consisted of placement of polypropylene mesh beneath the fascia with fascial closure. A prospective database was maintained for the time period January, 1995, to June, 2014. All patients were followed for a minimum of six months postoperatively. Results There were 538 patients with a mean body mass index of 36.2 kg/m2 and a mean defect size of 134.5 cm2. There were 292 primary hernias with a recurrence rate of 2.7% and 246 recurrent hernias with a recurrence rate of 4.1% (P = .47). There was one death (.2%). Forty-three patients (8.0%) developed a wound complication, of which 17 (3.2%) were infections and the rest seromas. Only two patients required removal of the mesh. There were six patients admitted for postoperative small bowel obstruction, but only one in the immediate postoperative period. There were two enterocutaneous fistulas, both of which resolved nonoperatively. Five patients developed nonfatal pulmonary emboli. Mean length of stay decreased from an average of 4.0 days for the first 100 patients to 2.8 days for the subsequent patients. Conclusions Retrofascial mesh repair for ventral incisional hernias has both low complication and recurrence rate. It should be considered the gold standard for such repairs.
Intradimer/Intermolecular Interactions Suggest Autoinhibition Mechanism in Endophilin A1

Endophilin A1 is a homodimeric membrane-binding endocytic accessory protein with a high dimerization affinity. Its function has been hypothesized to involve autoinhibition. However, the autoinhibition mechanism, as well as the physicochemical basis for the high dimerization affinity of endophilin in solution, have remained unclear. In this contribution, we use a Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) method to investigate the homodimerization mechanism and intradimer molecular interactions in endophilin. For the endophilin N-BAR domain (which lacks the SH3 domain including a linker region of the full length protein), we observe a large temperature dependence of the dimerization affinity and dimer dissociation kinetics, implying large dimerization enthalpy and dissociation activation enthalpy, respectively. Our evaluation of the protein concentration dependence of dimer dissociation kinetics implies that endophilin reversibly forms monomers via a dissociation/reassociation mechanism. Furthermore, we use ...
Paleogene tropical planktonic foraminiferal biostratigraphy and magnetobiochronology

Confusion has arisen over the connotation and correlation of two competing tropical-subtropical Paleogene planktonic foraminiferal zonations (Berggren 1969; Blow 1979). This derives from the fact that the former scheme, when originally published, was viewed as provisional and precise definitions were not given for the zonal system. We review here the development of these two zonal schemes in a historical context, present a definition, in part revised and updated, of the P-zonation system of Berggren (1969), and correlate this and related zonal schemes to a magnetostratigraphic and, ultimately, magnetobiochronologic framework to the extent possible.
Effects of Various Culture Conditions on Developmental Patterns of Tobacco Ovules

We have found three simple ways for changing the developmental patterns of mature ovules of Nicotiana tabacum L. using various types of stimuli. Cytokinin treatment induced the integument cells to differentiate into style-like and stigma-like structures, and the embryo sac to collapse. Sucrose starvation treatment induced callus formation from ovules while it inhibited the differentiation of style-like and stigma-like structures from integuments. Plants were regenerated from the callus. Pollination with X-ray-irradiated pollen grains resulted in asexual embryogenesis from the ovules when they were cultured 3-5 days after the pollination. This pseudofertilization did not cause the integuments to develop into style-like and stigma-like structures but rather into a seed coat.
Therapeutic Benefits of Spleen Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Administration on Binge Drinking-Induced Alcoholic Liver Injury, Steatosis, and Inflammation in Mice.

Background Binge drinking is increasingly recognized as an important cause of liver disease with limited therapeutic options for patients. Binge alcohol use, similar to chronic alcohol consumption, induces numerous deregulated signaling events that drive liver damage, steatosis, and inflammation. In this article, we evaluated the role of spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK), which modulates numerous signaling events previously identified linked in the development alcohol-induced liver pathology. Methods A 3-day alcohol binge was administered to C57BL/6 female mice, and features of alcoholic liver disease were assessed. Some mice were treated daily with intraperitoneal injections of a SYK inhibitor (R406; 5 to 10 mg/kg body weight) or drug vehicle control. Liver and serum samples were collected and were assessed by Western blotting, biochemical, ELISA, electrophoretic mobility shift assays, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and histopathological analysis. Results We found that binge drinking induced significant SYK activation (SYKY525/526) with no change in total SYK expression in the liver. Functional inhibition of SYK activation using a potent SYK inhibitor, R406, was associated with a significant decrease in alcohol-induced hepatic inflammation as demonstrated by decreased phospho-nuclear factor kappa beta (NF-κB) p65, NF-κB nuclear binding, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 mRNA in the liver. Compared to vehicle controls, SYK inhibitor treatment decreased alcohol binge-induced hepatocyte injury indicated by histology and serum alanine aminotransferase. Strikingly, SYK inhibitor treatment also resulted in a significant reduction in alcohol-induced liver steatosis. Conclusions Our novel observations demonstrate the role of SYK, activation in the pathomechanism of binge drinking-induced liver disease highlighting SYK a potential multifaceted therapeutic target.
Measuring Learning Resistance to Workplace Training

Training Transfer has been a topic bearing considerable mention over the past several decades. This article focuses on the connection between training transfer and learning resistance and presents research findings describing the design, creation, and testing of the Learning Efficiency Inventory LEI. The LEI was designed to measure learning resistance and multiple correlates, such as resentment, overconfidence, disinterest, and perceived social norms in mandatory workplace contexts. This study represents early attempts at validation for the inventory itself as well as an explanatory model of learning resistance.
Infektresistenz und vegetatives System

Man kann wohl mit Fug und Recht behaupten, das fur fast alle fundamentalen Lebensvorgange der hoheren Tiere die regulatorische Funktion des vegetativen Nervensystems nachgewiesen ist. Das gilt fur die Anpassung der Herztatigkeit und des Kreislaufes an Sauerstoffbedarf und Leistung, den Warmehaushalt, fur die Verdauungsregulation, den Stoffwechsel, die Generationsvorgange usw. So lag der Gedanke nahe, auch eine weitere fundamentale Funktion fur die Erhaltung des Einzelwesens wie der Art als vom vegetativen Nervensystem reguliert, sich vorzustellen: die der Resistenz bzw. Abwehr von mikrobiellen Infekten. Die Arbeiten, die sich mit der Frage der Infektresistenz bzw. -disposition in bezug auf die vegetativ-nervose Beeinflussung befassen, sind bisher weder sehr zahlreich, noch sind die Resultate einheitlich.
A Mathematical Formulation and Solution of the CoPhMoRe Inverse Problem for Helically Wrapping Polymer Corona Phases on Cylindrical Substrates

Corona phase molecular recognition (CoPhMoRe) is a new technique that generates a nanoparticle-coupled polymer phase, capable of recognizing a specific molecule with high affinity and selectivity. CoPhMoRe has been successfully demonstrated using polymer wrapped single walled carbon nanotubes, resulting in molecular recognition complexes, to date, for dopamine, estradiol, riboflavin, and l-thyroxine, utilizing combinatorial library screening. A rational alternative design to this empirical library screening is to solve the mathematical formulation that we introduce as the CoPhMoRe inverse problem. This inverse problem seeks a linear function representing the position of monomers or functional groups along a polymer backbone that results in a 3-dimensional structure capable of recognizing a specific molecule when mapped to a nanoparticle surface. The potential solution space for such an inverse problem is infinite in general, but for the specific constraint of a helically wrapping polymer, mapped to a cyli...
High-Speed RTL Implementations and FPGA Benchmarking of Three Authenticated Ciphers Competing in CAESAR Round Two

Authenticated ciphers are cryptographic transformations which combine the functionality of confidentiality, integrity, and authentication. This research uses register transfer-level (RTL) design to describe selected authenticated ciphers using a hardware description language (HDL), verifies their proper operation through functional simulation, and implements them on target FPGAs -- the Xilinx Virtex-6 and Virtex-7. The authenticated ciphers chosen for this research are the CAESAR Round Two variants of SCREAM, POET, and Minalpher. To ensure standardization in evaluation, all three candidates are implemented with an identical version of a universal hardware API for authenticated ciphers. Results are compared against each other in terms of performance, area, and throughput-to-area (TP/A) ratio. SCREAM is found to have the highest TP/A ratio of these three ciphers.
Rereading “The Housing Question” in Light of the Foreclosure Crisis

This paper identifies productive and problematic strands in “The Housing Question”. My research in New York and throughout the U.S. during the financial and housing crises of the 1970s and mid 2000s led me to reread “The Housing Question” and see its continuing relevance for understanding these crisis. First, recent Marxist scholarship is reviewed that compliments and extends Engel’s analysis by recognizing the role of housing markets and finance in capital exploitation. These more recent crises also revealed how neoliberal capitalism differs significantly from industrial capitalism in ways that require some rethinking of the housing question. Secondly, this paper critically examines Engels’ underlying masculinist ideal of the “free outlaw” worker as the necessary condition for revolutionary collective action and its overt lack of attention to women’s lives and contributions. The role of housing in social reproduction was especially neglected, as was the whole topic of non-workplace value production. The conclusion explores the implications of these points for understanding the politics and possibilities of struggles around housing.
Tobacco Control and Treatment for the Pediatric Clinician: Practice, Policy, and Research Updates

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, and exposure to tobacco smoke harms children from conception forward. There is no safe level of tobacco exposure. Although overall smoking rates have declined, the advent of new products, such as electronic cigarettes, threatens to perpetuate nicotine addiction without clear health benefits. In addition to reviewing traditional and new tobacco products, we discuss the unique role that pediatricians should play in tobacco treatment and control efforts. New policies and technologies can empower pediatric clinicians and pediatric health care systems to help parent smokers quit, and new policies outside of the health care setting might help prevent smoking initiation as well as improve cessation treatments. Future research is needed to continue to study the consequences of tobacco use exposure as well as the best ways to help patients and parents stop tobacco use.
Exploring the Robustness of a Unidimensional Item Response Theory Model With Empirically Multidimensional Data

ABSTRACTUnidimensionality and local independence are two common assumptions of item response theory. The former implies that all items measure a common latent trait, while the latter implies that responses are independent, conditional on respondents’ location on the latent trait. Yet, few tests are truly unidimensional. Unmodeled dimensions may result in test items displaying dependencies, which can lead to misestimated parameters and inflated reliability estimates. In this article, we investigate the dimensionality of interim mathematics tests and evaluate the extent to which modeling minor dimensions in the data change model parameter estimates. We found evidence of minor dimensions, but parameter estimates across models were similar. Our results indicate that minor dimensions outside the primary trait have negligible consequences on parameter estimates. This finding was observed despite the ratio of multidimensional to unidimensional items being above previously recommended thresholds.
Impact of treatment regimen on acute care use during and after adjuvant chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer

The Oncology Care Model was developed, in part, to reduce acute care use during the 6 months after chemotherapy initiation. However, little is known about the impact of chemotherapy regimen on acute care needs, or about later acute care. We sought to assess acute care use over 2 years in patients receiving four contemporary adjuvant chemotherapy regimens for breast cancer. Administrative claims data from a large U.S. commercial insurance database (OptumLabs Data Warehouse) were used to retrospectively identify women with early-stage breast cancer who received adjuvant doxorubicin-cyclophosphamide (AC), AC followed or preceded by docetaxel or paclitaxel (AC-T), AC concurrent with docetaxel or paclitaxel (TAC), or docetaxel-cyclophosphamide (TC) between 2008 and 2014. Rates of hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits that did not lead to hospitalizations were compared during four sequential 6-month periods among recipients of these four regimens using negative binomial regression (TC = reference). We identified 8621 eligible patients, 87.2% younger than 65. Over 6 months, 11.9% were hospitalized and 17.1% had ED visits. Over 24 months, 17.9% were hospitalized and 28.3% visited the ED. Adjusted rates of hospitalizations/100 patients were significantly higher in AC-T and TAC compared to TC recipients in the first 6 months (14.9, 21.9, and 11.3, respectively, p < 0.001). There were no hospitalization rate differences among regimens later. ED visit rates did not differ significantly by regimen during any 6-month period. Higher rates of hospitalizations in recipients of AC-T and TAC were restricted to the chemotherapy administration period, and did not persist afterwards.
Solar fuels via chemical-looping reforming

Abstract The potential of solar thermal chemical-looping reforming for efficient and sustainable co-production of synthesis gas and hydrogen is discussed. In an endothermic partial oxidation step, methane reacts with oxygen released from a metal oxide to produce hydrogen and carbon monoxide. In an exothermic second step, steam reacts with the reduced metal oxide to produce hydrogen. This review summarizes the process and chemical thermodynamic foundations of solar chemical-looping reforming and provides a synopsis of materials studies that reflect the state of knowledge in 2017. The challenges and opportunities for future research and development are discussed.
Neutropenic enterocolitis (typhlitis) in a pediatric renal transplant patient. A case report and review of the literature.

NE (typhlitis) is a potentially life-threatening disease process characterized by bowel wall edema, ulceration, and hemorrhage in an immunosuppressed patient. We report a 15-year-old boy status post deceased donor renal transplantation who presented with fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Laboratory studies revealed neutropenia 5 days prior to admission, and abdominal computed tomography revealed bowel wall thickening in the cecum consistent with NE. He was treated with piperacillin-tazobactam and gentamicin and recovered. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a case of NE in a pediatric kidney transplant recipient.
Downscaling Precipitation for Local-Scale Hydrologic Modeling Applications: Comparison of Traditional and Combined Change Factor Methodologies

AbstractFuture precipitation projections—and subsequent variation in simulated runoff response—can have a large impact on the planning and design of hydraulic structures and water systems and are, ...
New roles for old actors, ROS and PRMT1.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and enzymes (e.g., arginine methyltransferase 1, PRMT1) involved in the modification of DNA and histones have been the subject of intense research during the last decade. In PNAS, a paper entitled “Reactive oxygen species extend insect life span using components of the insulin-signaling pathway” by Zhang et al. (1) reports on new roles for ROS and PRMT1 in the regulation of pupal diapause in a lepidopteran insect pest, Helicoverpa armigera . Diapause is a developmental arrest displayed by animals, including insects and crustaceans, to overcome unfavorable conditions. In many ways, diapause is similar to the dauer state in Caenorhabditis elegans and hibernation in vertebrates. Insects are known to undergo obligatory or facultative diapause during embryonic, larval, pupal, and adult stages. Endocrine control of diapause by the major insect hormones, juvenile hormones, prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH), ecdysteroids, and diapause hormone has been studied extensively (2). Under short-day conditions, a decline in PTTH secretion from the brain reduces production of ecdysteroids by prothoracic glands to levels below the threshold required for adult development and metamorphosis, resulting in developmental arrest and pupal diapause. The function of forkhead box O (FoxO) transcription factor in diapause has been reported previously (3). However, direct involvement of ROS and PRMT1 (important molecules known to function in aging and epigenetic regulation, respectively) in diapause is reported for the first time in the Zhang et al. paper (1), and raises several interesting questions and opens new lines of investigation in ROS signaling, PRMT1-mediated protein posttranslational modifications, and diapause regulation. ROS have been the subject of intense research during the past half century because of its importance in aging and age-related diseases. Information on the rate of living theory and the role of oxygen-free radicals in hyperbaric oxygen and radiation toxicity contributed to the proposal of the … [↵][1]1Email: rpalli{at}uky.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Increased Total Hip Arthroplasty Utilization, Osteoarthritis Diagnoses, and Comorbidity Burden in Patients Younger Than the Age of 65 Years: National Inpatient Trends 1998 to 2013

Primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) in patients younger than the age of 65 years demands long-term success to minimize lifetime revision surgery risks. Age at implantation, etiology of arthrosis, and comorbidity burden all have associations with revision risk. This study uses Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) data between 1998 and 2013 to (1) report the annual utilization of THA in patients age 18 to 99 years divided into age groups, (2) determine trends in primary diagnoses, and (3) explore Elixhauser comorbidity burden trends. The authors reviewed 5,174,020 THA cases from the NIS. Cases were divided into age groups: 18 to 24, 25 to 34, 35 to 44, 45 to 54, 55 to 64, and 65 to 99 years. The annual utilization rate, primary diagnoses, and average count of Elixhauser comorbidities were plotted. Mann–Kendall's nonparametric tests determined significance with p 5 persons (cpp). The incidence of utilization increased rapidly in patients age 55 to 64 years (123–240 cpp, p p p p p p p = 0.003) in patients age 18 to 24 years. Increases in primary THA utilization are occurring disproportionately among patients age 45 to 64 years. The trends in etiologies and comorbidities show mixed anticipated effects on the risks for revision. Increased osteoarthritis diagnoses may be favorable as the etiology with the longest relative implant survival. However, increasing comorbidities may unfavorably heighten the risks of revision. Primary THA utilization is increasing for patients younger than the age of 65 years with osteoarthritis and rising comorbidity burdens. Current national administrative databases add valuable insights to large THA trends, but lack the granularity to fully characterize the causes behind revisions of primary THA.
A Role for the Frontal Aslant Tract in Speech Planning: A Neurosurgical Case Study

Frontal and temporal white matter pathways play key roles in language processing, but the specific computations supported by different tracts remain a matter of study. A role in speech planning has...
Cerebral Vasculitis in a patient with Crohn’s disease on Adalimumab (P3.280)

Objective: To report a case of biopsy confirmed Cerebral Vasculitis in a patient with Crohn’s Disease on Adalimumab. Background: Crohn’s disease is a form of inflammatory bowel disease primarily affecting the gastrointestinal tract. Cerebral vasculitis is an extremely rare extraintestinal complication of Crohn’s disease with very few case reports showing the association and only one case in literature reporting histologically confirmed cerebral vasculitis in a patient with Crohn’s disease. Adalimumab has not been found to reduce incidence of vasculitis and it remains unclear if it should be continued when the patient develops vasculitis while on Adalimumab. Design/Methods: 72-year-old man with long-standing history of Crohn’s disease continued on Adalimumab since 1 year presented with complaint of right foot numbness and history of 70 pound weight loss in 6 months. His physical examination showed extreme malnutrition but no focal deficits were appreciated on the neurologic exam. Results: Normal Esophagogastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy with no evidence of malignancy in chest, abdomen or pelvis on CT scan with contrast. MRI of the brain showed post-gadolinium enhancement of the right mesial temporal lobe. Biopsy of the brain lesion was histologically characteristic for cerebral vasculitis. He was started on steroids for reducing the inflammation. Follow-up MRI showed no post contrast enhancing lesions. The patient continued to be stable with his neurologic exams showing no deficits. Conclusions: Cerebral vasculitis is a rare complication of Crohn’s disease and while Catheter angiography may show alternating stenosis and ectasia, brain biopsy, despite being invasive, remains the gold standard for diagnosis of cerebral vasculitis. An auto-immune mechanism involving auto-antibodies and circulating immune complexes, has been proposed to be the cause of cerebral vasculitis in patients with Crohn’s disease. It is necessary to consider cerebral vasculitis as a differential diagnosis in patients with Crohn’s disease presenting with focal deficits or with hyperintense lesions in the brain. Disclosure: Dr. Rath has nothing to disclose. Dr. Vaddiparti has nothing to disclose. Dr. Zhang has nothing to disclose.
Komlós Theorem for Unbounded Random Sets

We present the Komlos theorem for multivalued functions whose values are closed (possibly unbounded) convex subsets of a separable Banach space. Komlos theorem can be seen as a generalization of the SLLN for it deals with a sequence of integrable multivalued functions that do not have to be identically distributed nor independent. The Artstein–Hart SLLN for random sets with values in Euclidean spaces is derived from the main result. Finally, since the main theorem concerns multifunctions whose values are allowed to be unbounded, we can restate it in terms of normal integrands (random lower semicontinuous functions).
Clinical relevance of minimal residual cancer in patients with solid malignancies.

With the advent of new therapeutic modalities, the treatment options for oncologists can vary greatly depending upon the aggressiveness of the patient's cancer. Patients may receive no therapy, adjuvant therapy, aggressive adjuvant therapy (taxane based), monoclonal antibody therapy (e.g. Herceptin) or bone marrow transplantation. It is now mandatory to determine accurate prognostic patient profiles at diagnosis and during therapy to determine who would benefit most from a particular therapeutic regimen or to determine who should be shifted into more aggressive therapy. We now have ultra-sensitive methods of tumor cell detection that can determine the presence of minimal residual cancer (MRC) in marrow, stem cell product (SCP) and lymph node to help create these prognostic profiles. The author has conducted a critical review of the literature regarding the type of testing used to detect MRC, the incidence of MRC in marrow, SCP, and lymph node, and the clinical significance of MRC at diagnosis and during therapy. To date it is now clear that immunohistochemistry is a very useful diagnostic tool with adequate sensitivity to detect MRC. The presence of MRC at diagnosis in marrow and/or lymph node is associated with a poor prognosis for a number of disorders including breast cancer, neuroblastoma, gastrointestinal tumors, and lung cancer. In addition, the presence of MRC during therapy in marrow and/or SCP is associated with a very poor prognosis for patients with breast cancer. The use of testing for MRC in the patient provides prognostic information that may be of use to the oncologist.
Clinical Electro-Oculography: Optimum Illumination Levels for the Light-Adaptation Phase

A review of the literature on the clinical applications of the EOG reveals a wide range of illumination levels being utilized for the light adaptation phase in different laboratories. Most, however, approximate the 20,000 trolands reported by Arden et al. (1962); a commonly used light source for EOG seems to be a fluorescent tube X-ray view box.
Agricultural Intensification and the Secondary Products Revolution Along the Jordan Rift

The ecological impacts of early agriculture in the Near East remained localized prior to the intensified production of derivative plant and animal products, beginning in the fourth millennium B.C. One aspect of this “secondary products revolution” (Sherratt, 1980a, 1983) involved the adoption of animal traction and increased production of rendered animal commodities (e.g., wool and dairy). However, most of the pervasive regional effects of this revolution followed from the domestication and increasingly intensive cultivation of orchard crops that generated marketable secondary products (e.g., olive oil, wine, and dried fruits) and encouraged widespread deforestation. In the southern Levant this revolution encouraged, and was encouraged by, the rise and fall of Bronze Age towns and their mercantile influences. Botanical and palynological data from the Jordan Rift reveal a complex discontinuous legacy of changes wrought by the secondary products revolution that have molded the agrarian ecology and anthropogenic landscapes characteristic of the region today.
Progressive Mycobacterium abscessus lung infection in C3HeB/FeJ mice associated with corticosteroid administration

Mycobacterium abscessus (Mab) is a rapidly-growing nontuberculous mycobacterium that is a growing health concern among both immunocompetent and immunocompromised patient populations. It most commonly causes skin and soft tissue or pulmonary infection. As an emerging health issue there is much that still needs to be understood about the infection and its progression to disease. In the context of pulmonary infection, an in vivo system of Mab infection that permits investigation of host-microbe interactions that result in Mab infection and the transition to pathogenesis, and also the evaluation of treatments, is an essential tool that is currently lacking. Here, we describe a system of pulmonary Mab infection in the C3HeB/FeJ mouse strain under corticosteroid immunosuppressive therapy that progresses to pathology.
The Preparation and Solution NMR Spectroscopy of Human Glycoproteins Is Accessible and Rewarding

The majority of proteins excreted by human cells and borne at the cell surface are modified with carbohydrates. Glycoproteins mediate a wide range of processes and adopt fundamental roles in many diseases. The carbohydrates covalently attached to proteins during maturation in the cell directly impact protein structure and function as integral and indispensable components. However, the ability to study the structure of glycoproteins to high resolution was historically limited by technical barriers including a limited availability of appropriate recombinant protein expression platforms, limited methods to generate compositional homogeneity, and difficulties analyzing glycoprotein composition. Furthermore, glycoproteins and in particular the glycan moieties themselves often exhibit a high degree of conformational heterogeneity. Solution NMR spectroscopy is a powerful tool to study biological macromolecules that is capable of characterizing mobile elements of molecules with atomic-level resolution. Methods to express glycoproteins, incorporate stable isotope labels, and analyze glycoproteins have recently opened new avenues to prepare and investigate glycoproteins. These methods are accessible to many laboratories with experience expressing and purifying proteins from prokaryotic expression hosts.
Objective Standard Setting in Educational Assessment and Decision Making

Assessment and evaluation at all levels of educational systems have become policy priorities for many countries. Two common reasons for this are student learning expectations and accountability. Al...
Comparative field performance of oilborne pentachlorophenol versus the substituted isothiazolone DCOI as wood preservatives

ABSTRACTOilborne pentachlorophenol (penta) is one of the three major wood preservatives employed for treating industrial forest products in the United States (U.S.). However, due to toxicity concer...
Usefulness of Postnatal Echocardiography in Patients with Down Syndrome with Normal Fetal Echocardiograms.

The objective of this study is to evaluate if the diagnosis of a complex congenital heart disease (CHD) was missed in a patient with Down syndrome (DS) who had a fetal echocardiogram that was read as normal. Secondary goal of this study was to determine if any CHD was missed postnatally when a fetal echocardiogram was read as normal. A retrospective chart review of children with DS at Nationwide Children’s Hospital whose birthdates were between 1/1/2010 and 12/31/2017 was performed. Patients were included if they had a fetal echocardiogram that was read as normal and also had a postnatal echocardiogram performed. One hundred twenty fetal echocardiograms on patients with DS were performed, of which 45 patients met the inclusion criteria. No patient was diagnosed with a complex CHD postnatally, with a negative predictive value = 100%. Thirteen patients were diagnosed with CHD postnatally, with a negative predictive value of 71.1%. All 13 patients had either a murmur (11) or an abnormal EKG (9). One patient died at 8 days of life due to pulmonary hypertension complications. Five patients had resolution of their CHD, 2 patients have near resolution, 2 patients are being followed for their atrial septal defects and 3 underwent intervention (septum primum surgical repair = 1, PDA catheter occlusion = 2). Complex CHD was not missed on any fetal echocardiograms performed on patients with DS. All the other patients who had CHD diagnosed postnatally had an abnormal finding on evaluation. Further studies evaluating echocardiographic imaging recommendations are needed to maximize care in this patient population.
On Characterizing Nilpotent Lie Algebras by Their Multipliers, III

ABSTRACT Let L be a nilpotent Lie algebra of dimension n and C be a central extension by an ideal M of maximal dimension such that M is contained in the intersection of the center and the derived algebra of C. Then M is called the multiplier of L. We denote by . The classification of L is already known for t(L) ≤ 6. In this article, we classify L for t(L) ≤ 8.
Empathic Humanitarianism: Understanding the Motivations behind Humanitarian Work with Migrants at the US–Mexico Border:

Executive SummaryThe growing numbers of vulnerable migrants seeking shelter and refuge in the United States and Europe are finding increased racism and xenophobia as well as renewed efforts by huma...
2-D moving mesh modeling of lithium dryout in open surface liquid metal flow applications

Abstract Liquid lithium displays increasing promise as a replacement for solid plasma facing components (PFCs) in fusion device applications. The Liquid Metal Infused Trench (LiMIT) system, developed at the University of Illinois (UIUC), has demonstrated how thermoelectric magnetohydrodynamics (TEMHD) can be harnessed to drive liquid lithium flow in an open surface PFC. However, in the highest heat flux applications, large local acceleration is created via TEMHD, and the sudden increase in velocity can cause the liquid level to expose the underlying solid, eliminating the protective benefits of the lithium. In order to study potential mitigation strategies, a 2-D COMSOL Multiphysics model was developed using the moving mesh module to capture free surface flow. The model depicts the development of the dryout phenomenon for 2 test cases – slow (1 cm/s) and medium (10 cm/s) flow in 5 mm deep trenches – including the liquid level reduction under the high heat flux and the pileup of slower flow both upstream and downstream of the heat stripe. The effectiveness of trench shaping dryout mitigation strategies is examined. For the slow flow case, it is shown that a 1.8 mm ledge placed under the heat stripe will stop dryout, and for the medium flow case, a 2.7 mm ledge is required to mitigate the effect. This model can be used to identify strategies for increasing the viable heat load for open surface liquid lithium PFCs.
Performance Evaluation of a Two-Dimensional Flood Model on Heterogeneous High-Performance Computing Architectures

This paper describes the implementation of a two-dimensional hydrodynamic flood model with two different numerical schemes on heterogeneous high-performance computing architectures. Both schemes were able to solve the nonlinear hyperbolic shallow water equations using an explicit upwind first-order approach on finite differences and finite volumes, respectively, and were conducted using MPI and CUDA. Four different test cases were simulated on the Summit supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Both numerical schemes scaled up to 128 nodes (768 GPUs) with a maximum 98.2x speedup of over 1 GPU. The lowest run time for the 10 day Hurricane Harvey event simulation at 5 meter resolution (272 million grid cells) was 50 minutes. GPUDirect communication proved to be more convenient than the standard communication strategy. Both strong and weak scaling are shown.
“They’re Not Monsters!” Changing University Students’ Perceptions of Child Sex Offenders through Education and Contact

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a global public health problem. Assessing public attitudes toward child sex offenders is important since public opinions have affected judicial decision-making regarding...
“The freedom to make mistakes”: youth, nature, and the Anthropocene

Aldo Leopold is widely regarded as one of the founders of the modern field of ecology. He was also a skilled woodsman, hunter, and a proponent of personal development through time in the outdoors. In this essay, we focus on how Leopold viewed certain benefits concomitant with immersive outdoor experiences. Guided by his 1943 essay, The Flambeau, we highlight the importance Leopold placed on opportunities for trial-and-error through primary experience in nature for youth, while asking if these freedoms still exist in the Anthropocene. We then present four broad and interrelated social-ecological dimensions – record visitation, climate impacts across boundaries, last-chance tourism and volatility in governance – facing park and protected area managers, and outdoor and environmental educators who are the caretakers of these freedoms. Despite these challenges, we close by asserting the importance of a youth agenda to maintain access to experiences that provide young adults opportunities for risk and exploration. These experiences are paramount for both their intrinsic value and their potential to inculcate environmental ethics in future generations.
On computing the supremal right-closed control invariant subset of a right-closed set of markings for an arbitrary petri net

A set of non-negative integral vectors is said to be right-closed if the presence of a vector in the set implies all term-wise larger vectors also belong to the set. A set of markings is control invariant with respect to a Petri Net (PN) structure if the firing of any uncontrollable transition at any marking in this set results in a new marking that is also in the set. Every right-closed set of markings has a unique supremal control invariant subset, which is the largest subset that is control invariant with respect to the PN structure. This subset is not necessarily right-closed. In this paper, we present an algorithm that computes the supremal right-closed control invariant subset of a right-closed of markings with respect to an arbitrary PN structure. This set plays a critical role in the synthesis of Liveness Enforcing Supervisory Policies (LESPs) for a class of PN structures, and consequently, the proposed algorithm plays a key role in the synthesis of LESPs for this class of PN structures.
Coarsening of solid β -Sn particles in liquid Pb-Sn alloys: Reinterpretation of experimental data in the framework of trans-interface-diffusion-controlled coarsening

Previously published data, not ours, on the coarsening of solid \ensuremath{\beta}-Sn particles in a liquid Pb-Sn matrix of near-eutectic composition are reanalyzed within the framework of the trans-interface-diffusion-controlled (TIDC) theory of coarsening. The data were obtained under conditions of microgravity from specimens heat-treated at 458 K and containing four equilibrium volume fractions ${f}_{e}$ equaling 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, and 0.30. We show that the rate constants $k({f}_{e})$ in the traditional coarsening equation ${\ensuremath{\langle}r\ensuremath{\rangle}}^{3}\ensuremath{\approx}k({f}_{e})t$ for the kinetics of growth of the average particle radius $\ensuremath{\langle}r\ensuremath{\rangle}$ are nearly independent of ${f}_{e}$, in disagreement with numerous theories wherein coarsening is controlled by diffusion in the host matrix phase. Atom transport in TIDC coarsening is instead controlled by slow diffusion through the diffuse interface, of width \ensuremath{\delta}, separating the dispersed particles from the matrix; the kinetics of this process is independent of ${f}_{e}$. Atomistic simulations were performed to estimate the properties of the solid-liquid (S-L) interface at 458 K, 2 K above the Pb-Sn eutectic temperature. The S-L interfaces normal to (001) and (010) of tetragonal \ensuremath{\beta}-Sn were examined and found to have nearly identical properties, including interface widths of \ensuremath{\sim}1.7 nm. In conjunction with the diffusivities in solid \ensuremath{\beta}-Sn and liquid hypereutectic Pb-Sn at 458 K, we estimate that TIDC coarsening should prevail for solid Sn particles \ensuremath{\sim}1700 \ensuremath{\mu}m in radius, far exceeding the maximum radius of \ensuremath{\sim}100 \ensuremath{\mu}m measured experimentally. The TIDC theory also predicts that the kinetics of growth obeys the equation ${\ensuremath{\langle}r\ensuremath{\rangle}}^{n}\ensuremath{\propto}t$. The temporal exponent $n$ was evaluated to be \ensuremath{\sim}2.5, as ascertained by analyzing data on the particle size distributions (PSDs; histograms) for the alloys with ${f}_{e}=0.15$, 0.20, and 0.30. The histograms were converted to experimental cumulative distribution functions (ECDFs) and analyzed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) test applied to the theoretical CDFs predicted by the TIDC theory. We report the first successful application of the K-S test to experimental PSDs concomitant with particle coarsening. From every aspect of the experimental data amenable to analysis, we conclude that the coarsening behavior of solid Sn particles in liquid hypereutectic Pb-Sn alloys is fully consistent with the predictions of the TIDC theory of coarsening.
Amelioration of diabetes-induced inflammation mediated pyroptosis, sarcopenia, and adverse muscle remodelling by bone morphogenetic protein-7.

BACKGROUND Diabetic myopathy involves hyperglycaemia and inflammation that causes skeletal muscle dysfunction; however, the potential cellular mechanisms that occur between hyperglycaemia and inflammation, which induces sarcopenia, and muscle dysfunction remain unknown. In this study, we investigated hyperglycaemia-induced inflammation mediating high-mobility group box 1 activation, which is involved in a novel form of cell death, pyroptosis, diabetic sarcopenia, atrophy, and adverse muscle remodelling. Furthermore, we investigated the therapeutic potential of bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7), an osteoporosis drug, to treat pyroptosis, and diabetic muscle myopathy. METHODS C57BL6 mice were treated with saline (control), streptozotocin (STZ), or STZ + BMP-7 to generate diabetic muscle myopathy. Diabetes was established by determining the increased levels of glucose. Then, muscle function was examined, and animals were sacrificed. Gastrocnemius muscle or blood samples were analysed for inflammation, pyroptosis, weight loss, muscle atrophy, and adverse structural remodelling of gastrocnemius muscle using histology, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunohistochemistry, western blotting, and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS A significant (P < 0.05) increase in hyperglycaemia leads to an increase in inflammasome (high-mobility group box 1, toll-like receptor-4, and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain, leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain containing protein 3) formation in diabetic muscle cells. Further analysis showed an up-regulation of the downstream pyroptotic pathway with significant (P < 0.05) number of positive muscle cells expressing pyroptosis-specific markers [caspase-1, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-18, and gasdermin-D]. Pyroptotic cell death is involved in further increasing inflammation by releasing pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6. Structural analysis showed the loss of muscle weight, decreased myofibrillar area, and increased fibrosis leading to muscle dysfunction. Consistent with this finding, BMP-7 attenuated hyperglycaemia (~50%), pyroptosis, inflammation, and diabetic adverse structural modifications as well as improved muscle function. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, we report for the first time that increased hyperglycaemia and inflammation involve cellular pyroptosis that induces significant muscle cell loss and adverse remodelling in diabetic myopathy. We also report that targeting pyroptosis with BMP-7 improves diabetic muscle pathophysiology and muscle function. These findings suggest that BMP-7 could be a potential therapeutic option to treat diabetic myopathy.
Labor Markets and Labor Law Compared with Capital Markets and Corporate Law

This essay sketches some differences between labor and capital markets and between labor and corporate law. This is a natural comparison because labor and capital are two different factors of production in all firms. Despite the obvious appeal of this comparison, it has largely been ignored in the existing literature. Two assumptions seem to me-a nonspecialist in the field-to underlie much of contemporary labor law: (1) employers, left to their own devices, will oppress workers; and (2) this problem of worker exploitation is best handled by a federal labor policy administered by an administrative agency. Corporate law, by contrast, makes the opposite assumptions. Firms are for the most part free to adopt whatever institutional arrangement they choose; and state, not federal, law controls. What accounts for these fundamental differences? While some differences between labor and capital markets do exist, I argue that they do not justify the differences between labor and corporate law. In particular, the tendency of firms to reach efficient contractual arrangements, and to economize on transaction costs by choosing to be governed by a particular set of standard-form contractual terms embodied in state law, is relevant to both labor and capital markets. In Part I, I discuss the incentives of firms and workers (or investors) to enter into contracts that work to the mutual benefit of both; Part II touches on the probable superiority of state over federal regulation of labor (or investor) relations. In Part III, I focus on several controversial aspects of labor-management relations-the role of unions, contracts terminable at will, the right to strike, and labor constituent directors-as examples of the principles developed in the first two sections. Finally, Part IV discusses some distributional arguments that might be used to justify differ-
Autoimmunity and Immune Dysregulation in Primary Immune Deficiency Disorders

Primary immune deficiencies are often associated with autoimmune disease due to the dysregulation of the immune system as a whole. In many immune deficiencies, lymphocytes may be present but dysfunctional, allowing for the development of excessive autoreactivity and resultant autoimmune disease. Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy candidiasis and ectodermal dystrophy, autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome, immunodyregulation polyendocrinopathy enteropathy X-linked, IL-10/IL-10 receptor deficiencies, and PLCG2-associated antibody deficiency and immune dysregulation are disorders in which autoimmunity is a hallmark of the clinical disease presentation. In contrast, adaptive and innate immune deficiencies, which are typically defined by their infectious susceptibilities, can be associated with variable rates of autoimmune manifestations, predominantly autoimmune cytopenias. This review describes the immune dysregulation and autoimmune manifestations that may be encountered in various immune deficiencies.
Intensive Transfusion Therapy in Thalassemia Major

A hemoglobin level of over 10 gm per 100 ml has been maintained by transfusion in six children with thalassemia major. Chelating agents have been used to minimize the increase in iron loading. Striking clinical improvement with regression of abnormal cardiac symptoms and signs was seen in all these patients. It is concluded that, in thalassemia major, this therapy provides at least short-term clinical benefits to severely affected children. The rationale for long-term, intensive transfusion therapy is based on the assumption that it is the degree of anemia rather than the degree of iron loading which leads to the eventual cardiac failure and death in these patients. Proof of this hypothesis will depend to some extent on the subsequent clinical course of these children.