cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Utility of Screening for Cerebral Vasospasm Using Digital Subtraction Angiography

Background and Purpose— Cerebral arterial vasospasm (CVS) is a common complication of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage strongly associated with neurological deterioration and delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI). The utility of screening for CVS as a surrogate for early detection of DCI, especially in patients without clinical signs of DCI, remains uncertain. Methods— We performed a retrospective analysis of 116 aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage patients who underwent screening digital subtraction angiography to determine the association of significant CVS and subsequent development of DCI. Patients were stratified into 3 groups: (1) no symptoms of DCI before screening, (2) ≥1 episodes of suspected DCI symptoms before screening, and (3) unable to detect symptoms because of poor examination. Results— Patients asymptomatic before screening had significantly lower rates of CVS (18%) compared with those with transient symptoms of DCI (60%; P <0.0001). None of the 79 asymptomatic patients developed DCI after screening, regardless of digital subtraction angiography findings, compared with 56% of those with symptoms ( P <0.0001). Presence of CVS was significantly associated with DCI in those with transient symptoms and in those whose examinations did not permit clear assessment (odds ratio 16.0, 95% confidence interval 2.2–118.3, P =0.003). Conclusions— Patients asymptomatic before screening have low rates of CVS and seem to be at negligible risk of developing DCI. Routine screening of asymptomatic patients seems to have little utility. Screening may still be considered in patients with possible symptoms of DCI or those with examinations too poor to clinically detect symptoms because finding CVS may be useful for risk stratification and guiding management.
Stuckey, Mary E., SLIPPING THE SURLY BONDS: REAGAN'S CHALLENGER ADDRESS

In Slipping the Surly Bonds, prolific presidential scholar Mary Stuckey provides a richly researched and compelling analysis of one of Ronald Reagan's most significant speeches. On January 28, 1986...
Draft Atmospheric Trust Litigation Amicus Brief

The following is the original draft of an amicus brief submitted to the United States Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit. The brief, submitted by thirty-three professors of environmental and constitutional law, was written in support of the Plaintiffs/Appellants in the case of Alec L., et al. v.Gina McCarthy, et al. (No. 13-5192). The Plaintiff minors, acting through guardians ad litem and in conjunction with environmental non-profits Earth Island Institute and WildEarth Guardians, brought the case as beneficiaries of a constitutionally mandated, federal Public Trust Doctrine. Plaintiffs note the existence of an atmospheric emergency, caused by greenhouse gas emissions, that threatens this nation’s atmospheric resource and other public natural resources. They assert that, because of the urgent need for action, and consistent with its fiduciary obligations under the constitutional Public Trust Doctrine, the federal government must be required to protect the nation’s atmospheric resource by developing and implementing a comprehensive climate recovery plan. This brief explains the theoretical and jurisprudential connections between the Public Trust Doctrine (PTD) and the equally ancient Reserved Powers Doctrine. It explains how both doctrines reflect fundamental constitutional principles, focusing particularly on the doctrines’ foundations in the Preamble, Article I’s vesting clause, the anti-nobility clauses, the Equal Protection clause, and Fifth Amendment substantive due process. It explains, further, why the atmosphere must be treated as a public trust resource and why the Public Trust Doctrine imposes an affirmative preservation duty upon the federal government under present circumstances. Because of the number and complexity of the constitutional issues involved in this case, the original draft of the amicus brief exceeded the word and page limits prescribed by court rules. Accordingly, Amici are submitting a condensed version of this brief to the D.C. Court of Appeals. However, because Amici believe that the relevant theoretical, historical and constitutional arguments cannot be fairly and fully conveyed in that condensed format, and because court personnel, lawyers, legal scholars and other interested individuals might benefit from a more complete exposition of the issues, we have made this complete draft of the original arguments available through the Social Science Research Network.
The Business of Law and Tortious Interference

One frustrating feature of the interference torts is the difficulty in defining precisely when an intentional interference becomes "tortious." While there has been no shortage of proposals to better define the interference torts, there is widespread uncertainty and dissatisfaction concerning the current state of the law. Attorneys have not been spared from the confusion. However, it is on the business side of the practice of the law, rather than the practice side, that attorneys are more likely to actually be held liable for tortious interference. In general, a tortious interference claim is a viable option for an attorney who feels that another attorney has wrongfully "stolen" a client or otherwise interfered with the attorney's "property." However, the risk that courts run in being too quick to classify such action as "improper" interference is that they may undermine two fundamental goals of the law governing lawyers: informed client decision making with respect to the goals of representation and informed client choice with respect to who will conduct the representation. This Article discusses the special problems that interference claims may present when both parties are attorneys and the relationship in question is an attorney-client relationship. The Article explores several reoccurring fact patterns involving attorney liability for tortious interference, including interference in the form of settlement of a client's claims, interference by a rival attorney, interference by an attorney providing advice to a represented client, and interference by an attorney who is, or was, associated with a plaintiff-attorney. This Article argues that the question of whether an attorney's interference is "improper" in these contexts should hinge less on whether a plaintiff's "property" interest in maintaining its relationship with a client has been disrupted and more on whether the defendant's conduct furthers or frustrates the goals of informed client decision making and informed client choice.
Uses and Abuses of Powers: Foucault Contra Spinoza

Michel Foucault’s genealogies of discipline have radically changed the way we conceive of power. Power does not just press down upon us from an external, occasional source, but is reproduced through mundane practices; it is not emitted by subjects, but itself produces political subjects. However, even though disciplinary and bio-powers ‘produce’, i.e., construct and constitute, subjects and subjectivities, it seems a mistake to call these modes of power ‘productive’ power, as Foucault does, since they still involve modes of domination and oppression. I argue that in order to truly understand a ‘productivity’ of power, we need to supplement Foucault’s negative theory with Spinoza’s conception of power as a capacity of bodies for affecting and for being affected by other bodies. Spinoza’s account of power emphasizes a receptivity that all power needs for self-maintenance and reproduction. In my paper, I will show how this Spinozist conception of power provides an affirmative and productive supplement to Foucauldian analyses of disciplinary power.
Exploring gender differences in pre-operative emergency room use in an inpatient pacemaker insertion population

Objective: The study is a prospective analysis of the Florida healthcare utilization project database. Records from the state inpatient database (SID) for the year 2010 and the state emergency department database (SEDD) for the years 2009 and 2010 have been used. Methods: There are 1,796 patients undergoing permanent pacemaker implants in the 2010 Florida inpatient discharge database according to our set inclusion criterion of all discharges with a primary procedure for initial pacemaker implant with diagnosis for bradycardia, heart block or both, in any position, in the SID. Three outcomes (emergency room [ER] history, true emergency and scheduled) were created based on the population’s ER experience within an observation period of 365 days. Descriptive statistics were used to describe patient demographics and clinical characteristics in the outcome groups. Binomial logistic regressions have been used to predict risk for inpatient pacemaker in females and our 3 outcome groups. The models have also been replicated using recursive partitioning methods. Results: Forty six percent of patients receiving a primary pacemaker in our data were women. Three hundred and five patients are scheduled, of which almost 41% are women; 697 patients are true emergencies, of which almost 45.5% are women and 769 patients have ER history, of which almost 48% are women. We found that sex does not affect outcomes. However, patient characteristics other than sex do affect outcomes, e.g., patients with Medicare as their primary payer are almost 65% less likely to have the ER history when compared with those having private insurance (OR: 0.35; 95% CI: 0.16-0.74) and likelihood for women to receive pacemakers increases by 64% in patients having 2 comorbidities on their discharge record when compared with those who have 3 or more comorbidities (OR: 1.64; 95% CI: 1.05-2.58). Conclusions: Consistent with previous literature, we did not find any significant differences among the sexes for primary pacemaker implants as well as ER use previous to implant. However subtle differences were observed in discrete patient characteristics like comorbidities, race and primary expected payer in sex-based and ER-utilization based groups. Cardiac events display high gender disparity and have high association with ER use. We have not found any previous study exploring these interactions. Future investigations in this subject should involve a larger sample size in order to carry out non-linear models of exploration along with stochastic analyses in order to increase validity of findings.
High-frequency oscillations within early and late phases of the phrenic neurogram

Spectral analyses were performed on phrenic neurogram recordings from 18 cats to identify high-frequency oscillations (HFOs) inherent in the signals at different phases of inspiratory activity. Gating the analysis for the entire inspiratory phase resulted in dual spectral HFOs (27 and 83 Hz), both of which persisted when the analysis was repeated on the later phase of phrenic inspiratory activity alone (29 and 82 Hz). A third pass at the same data, gating for just the early phase of phrenic discharge, however, resulted in single spectral HFOs at the higher frequency only (86 Hz). Because both early and late recruited phrenic motoneurons carry both higher and lower spectral frequencies, these results demonstrate that the lower frequency HFO is distinctly delayed in onset compared with the higher frequency HFO, the latter of which is believed to have a brain stem origin. This delayed onset may be important in identifying the source of the lower frequency HFO, which appears to be specific to various respiratory efferent systems.
Barbituarte potentiating action of DDD and perthane.

ConclusionsTech. DDD, recrystalized DDD, supernatant mother liquor of Tech. DDD, and Tech. Perthane cause prolonged sleeping time in dogs given sodium pentobarbital. This increased sleeping time is not seemingly related to atrophy of adrenal cortex, and the very slight amount of fatty change in the liver does not cause prolonged clearance of barbiturates from the blood. This prolonged sleeping time is not obtained with similar doses of Tech. DDD in the rat although a slight lowering of tolerance to anoxia may result.
Analysis on infectious situation of eperythrozoonsis (EPE) in Fuyang City

Objective This analysis was made to understand the infectious situation of eperythro- zoonsis (EPE) in Fuyang City.Methods The smear dyeing and microscopy,etc.were used for investigation of infectious situation of eperythrozoonsis (EPE) among people (including healthy people and patients),and animals (including livestock,poultry and rats) in the scope of Fuyang City.Results Total 1301 people were examined,and there were 442 cases positive,which was 33.97% of the total,and the positive rates for waiters,workers,students,and stockmen of milk cow were 27.55%,19.39%,31.15%,90.91% and 47.63%,respectively.Total 467 animals were tested,and the positive rate was 44.11%,in which the positive rates for pig,milk cow, chicken,and rat were respectively 49.20%,95.55%,26.51% and 5.00%.Twelve cases diagnosed with severe EPE were administered cidomycin,achromycin,and qunolones,two drugs of metron- idazole used by combination or by oral administration combined with iv,and significant curative effect had been achieved.Conclusion There existed broadly infection of EPE among people and animals in Fuyang City.In the future,studies of etiology,epidemiology,diagnosis and therapy should be further carded out.
The Stability of the Purchasing Power of Money

An entrepreneur society is one where managers use forward money contracts to hire inputs for the production process. These contracts provide entrepreneurs with the legal ability to direct the use of labour, materials and other hired inputs in producing output in that manner managers deem to be most cost effective and profitable.
A case study in object-oriented patterns identified during manual refactoring

Software design patterns are often-repeated implementations that have been identified and cataloged. These are commonly seen as useful and good patterns to implement. Occasionally the term “anti-pattern” has been used to identify less-useful patterns that also appear regularly. The exact definition of an anti-pattern is somewhat subjective, and the term has even been applied to some recognized design patterns. This paper discusses four manual refactoring case studies where patterns were discovered and cataloged. Evidence observed in the source code is used to infer how these patterns evolved. Based on these findings, preventive development practices are suggested. Potential improvements to development tools and a new method for pattern classification are suggested as subjects for future work.
The risk of IgA nephropathy and glomerular disease in patients with psoriasis: a population-based cohort study

Psoriasis, particularly when moderate to severe, is associated with an increased risk of incident chronic kidney disease (CKD)1, although specific renal diseases observed in psoriasis patients remain poorly defined. Of special interest is IgA nephropathy (IgAN), which presents with episodic macroscopic hematuria and can lead to CKD and end-stage kidney disease. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Equivalence Sets: How Many Kinds of Nerve Cells Are There?

This chapter attempts to quantify how far specification of neurons goes. It attempts to consider all criteria by which neurons differ significantly from each other and to consider species of molluscs, arthropods, fish and small and large mammals.
A concise review on hypophosphatasia with case report

Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is an inherited dento-osseous metabolic disease characterized by inactivating mutations in the gene encoding the tissue-nonspecific isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase (TNSALP) which lead to a deficiency in TNSALP enzymatic activity. Low TNSALP activity results in increased levels of 3 known phosphocompound substrates: inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi), pyridoxal 5’-phosphate (PLP; the major circulating form of vitamin B6), and phosphoethanolamine (PEA). We discussed a systematic review with novel approach and a case report in which patient had multiple jaw reconstructive surgeries and early tooth loss in his childhood age but remained undiagnosed till his 60s. It should raise awareness among health care providers regarding low TNSALP and performing thorough etiological investigations which can ensure optimal clinical care and decision making for their patients by preventing complications like chondrocalcinosis, arthritis, early tooth loss, pseudo/complete fractures and pseudogout among the patients diagnosed with HPP even later in their life.
The mitochondrial calcium uniporter in the heart: energetics and beyond

Ca2+ and mitochondria are inextricably linked to cardiac function and dysfunction. Ca2+ is central to cardiac excitation-contraction coupling and stimulates mitochondrial energy production to fuel contraction. Under pathological conditions of dysregulated Ca2+ cycling, mitochondrial Ca2+ overload activates cellular death pathways. Thus, in the cardiomyocyte, the mitochondrial Ca2+ microdomain is where contraction, energy and death collide. A key component of mitochondrial Ca2+ signalling is the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter complex (uniplex), an inner membrane Ca2+ transporter and major pathway of mitochondrial Ca2+ entry. Once known only as the unidentified target for ruthenium red and related compounds, in recent years, the uniplex has evolved into a complex multiprotein assembly. The identification of the molecular constituents of the uniplex has made possible the generation of targeted genetic models to interrogate uniplex function in vivo. This review will summarize our current understanding of the molecular structure of the uniplex, its impact on mitochondrial energetics and cardiac physiology, its contribution to cardiomyocyte death, and its expanding roles in cardiac biology.
Link Partitioning in Parallel Simulation of Scale-Free Networks

It has been observed that many networks arising in practice have skewed node degree distributions. Scale-free networks are one well-known class of such networks. Achieving efficient parallel simulation of scale-free networks is challenging because large-degree nodes can create bottlenecks that limit performance. To help address this problem we describe an approach called link partitioning where each network link is mapped to a logical process (LP) in contrast to the conventional approach of mapping each network node to an LP. Link partitioning is discussed in the context of packet-level simulations of telecommunication networks. The parallelism of link partitioning relative to node partitioning is examined in terms of an idealized execution using the well-known YAWNS synchronization algorithm. Further, a critical path analysis suggests that there is much more parallelism available in these simulations than can be exploited using the YAWNS algorithm.
Task-conversions for integrating human and machine perception in a unified task

The different strategies for feature extraction and synthesis employed by humans and computers are often complementary, hence combining the two into an integrated object recognition system may considerably improve performance over either used in isolation. Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) is one well-established technique that has shown promise integrating human perception into a machine perception system. In this paper, we apply computer vision techniques to image data filtered through human RSVP. We introduce “task conversions” to integrate the two modalities, applying the precise localization capabilities of computer vision with the detection capabilities of RSVP. We employ naive Bayesian fusion and a novel method, dynamic belief fusion (DBF), in a joint scheme as fusion approaches. Preliminary experiments demonstrate that DBF extracts complementary information from both human and machine sources to improve performance for both target classification and object detection.
Persons Out of Place: Seclusion and Scandal in the Workhouse Hospital

This chapter sketches a history of workhouse scandals that gave rise to the Metropolitan Asylums Board and that continued to mark tensions between the institutional care of sick persons and the body-disciplining ideology of the Poor Law. It emphasizes pauperism’s place within a system of deterrence, deprivation, and degradation and details how this was dramatically expressed at the Hampstead Smallpox Hospital, where revelations concerning poor conditions captivated the London press in 1871. This episode shows how illness could be strategically employed to destabilize the official meanings and practices of pauperism. In seeking to present themselves as patients not paupers, former inmates demonstrated the sick body’s ability to disrupt the punitive rationality of the workhouse. The scandal conspicuously problematized the relationship between the public infectious disease hospital and the Poor Law.
Increased surface expression of HIV-1 envelope is associated with improved antibody response in vaccinia prime/protein boost immunization

HIV-1 envelope (Env)-based vaccines have so far largely failed to induce antibodies that prevent HIV-1 infection. One factor proposed to limit the immunogenicity of cell-associated Env is its low level of expression on the cell surface, restricting accessibility to antibodies. Using a vaccinia prime/protein boost protocol in mice, we explored the immunologic effects of mutations in the Env cytoplasmic tail (CT) that increased surface expression, including partial truncation and ablation of a tyrosine-dependent endocytosis motif. After vaccinia primes, CT-modified Envs induced up to 7-fold higher gp120-specific IgG, and after gp120 protein boosts, they elicited up to 16-fold greater Tier-1 HIV-1 neutralizing antibody titers, although results were variable between isolates. These data indicate that the immunogenicity of HIV-1 Env in a prime/boost vaccine can be enhanced in a strain-dependent manner by CT mutations that increase Env surface expression, thus highlighting the importance of the prime in this vaccine format.
Problems in Two Dimensions

Transmission of electromagnetic energy may be accomplished by means of hollow metallic cylinders called wave guides. The electromagnetic waves propagate in the nonconducting region enclosed by the metal cylinder. For the fields in this region, Maxwell’s equations reduce to1 $$\nabla \cdot E = 0,$$ (4.1a) $$\nabla \times E + \mu \frac{{\partial H}}{{\partial t}} = 0,$$ (4.1c) $$\nabla \cdot H = 0,$$ (4.1c) $$\nabla \times H - \varepsilon \frac{{\partial E}}{{\partial t}} = 0.$$ (4.1d) .
Top 10 Tips Palliative Care Clinicians Should Know When Caring for Patients with Ovarian Cancer

Abstract The vast majority of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer present with advanced-stage disease with a five-year survival rate less than 50%. Studies have shown that in the past, gynecologic oncologists were not routinely collaborating with palliative care physicians resulting in goals of care planning often not occurring until the last 30 days before death. In recent years, professional societies have been increasingly more vocal about the importance of incorporating palliative care early in a patient's disease course. As these calls increase, palliative care clinicians will be likely to comanage patients with ovarian cancer and may benefit from additional targeted education on this unique population. We brought together a team of gynecologic oncology and palliative care experts to collate practical pearls for the care of women with epithelial ovarian cancer. In this article, we use a “Top 10” format to highlight issues that may help palliative care physicians understand a patient's prognosis, addr...
Specimen preparation methods

Specimen preparation ranges from direct and simple methods to complex, time consuming and even frustrating ones. Fortunately, there are a number of simple methods which are quite adequate for some materials. For example, many particulate materials may be handled by the simple methods. This section covers a wide range of these more simple and generally direct methods which are described in broad subsections: optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) preparations. It must be emphasized that quick observation of most materials by a combination of a simple microscopy technique and direct preparation methods is often helpful in shedding light on the problem. This aids determination of the best approach to a solution. In many cases there is no one correct approach, but there may well be approaches that can save time, if they are conducted early in the study. Tradenames of products used in specimen preparation are mentioned in the text and, unless otherwise stated, these are standard materials available from the EM suppliers (Appendix V). Specific microscopes are not mentioned but microscope vendors are listed in Appendix VI.
The Revolution in Welfare Administration: Rules, Discretion & Entrepreneurial Government

This paper examines the tremendous changes in the administrative structure of the welfare system that have occurred since 1996. The new administrative model emerging from welfare reform eschews reliance on rules and instead invests ground level agency personnel with substantial discretion. This shift redistributes power between welfare recipients and administrators. Central authorities continue to maintain control by channeling the discretion that ground level officials exercise in order to achieve particular outcomes. This channeling takes place through a variety of means, including performance based evaluation systems and efforts to redefine the institutional culture of welfare offices. These techniques are part of a broad trend in public administration that seeks to make government agencies function like entrepreneurial organizations. This new model raises serious questions of public accountability. In the new system of welfare administration, critical policy choices are reflected in incentive and evaluation systems rather than formal rules. As policy decisions are made in ways that are less visible, there are fewer points of public input. Moreover, in the new regime the efficacy of administrative hearings as a means of holding agencies accountable to recipients is diminished. The paper suggests several possible means of facilitating public participation and fair treatment. It concludes by urging that scholars, policy makers and advocates focus their attention on developing new mechanisms to provide effective public participation in administrative policy making and implementation in this area.
Dynamics of a reactive micellar oil-water interface in a flowing liquid column

Abstract We present an experimental investigation of instabilities due to the formation of interfacial micellar material around a flowing liquid column. By injecting an aqueous surfactant solution (cetylpyridinium chloride) into a reservoir of organic oil (oleic acid), we observe a wide variety of morphological states, dependent on the imposed flow rate and surfactant concentration. Interfacial rheology measurements show that this material is viscoelastic. The states observed include connected and disconnected falling droplets, a moving pipelike column with various surface wave instabilities, and a straight cylindrical pipe which undergoes a buckling instability. These states result from the competition between surface tension type effects, the geometry of the flow, and the growth of the micellar material at the interface.
Tuning of the self: In-session somatic support for vicarious trauma-related countertransference.

ABSTRACTTherapist countertransference reactions related to the phenomenon of vicarious trauma (VT) can be examined through polarising physiological responses. Through an integration of counselling ...
Selective Oxidation of Acetaldehyde to Acetic Acid on Pd–Au Bimetallic Model Catalysts

Acetic acid is a widely employed reactant in the chemical industry, and it is also used as a food ingredient. Here, we report a catalytic reaction pathway for the gas-phase selective oxidation of acetaldehyde to acetic acid on a Pd–Au(111) heterogeneous model catalyst. On an oxygen precovered Pd–Au surface, acetaldehyde is selectively oxidized to acetic acid from 250 to 340 K. Using FT-IR, the formation of acetate species is detected from 160 to 260 K on this surface, which is a widely known adsorbate derived from acetic acid on metal surfaces. With higher Pd coverages, the acetaldehyde is less selectively oxidized to acetic acid, and near 375 K, CO2, H2O, CH4, and H2 are evolved, evidence for the decarboxylation of acetate. In our density functional theory calculations, we confirm that the relative energy difference between the acetate state and the decarboxylated state decreases as Pd ensemble size increases.
Social Work: A Profession in Search of Sign Value or Positively Queen Jane

Unpacking social work's low self-image and even lower social prestige reveals multiple layers of assumptions both within and outside the discipline that coalesce to construct a profession at odds with itself. Social work colludes with social forces which devalue its work while it presents a series of signs that reinforce the negative stereo-types associated with its practices. Social work projects little sign value, and what sign value it has tends toward the negative (e.g., weak, easy, common). This essay lays out two texts in parallel columns on the page. The right-hand side column “unpacks” via standard discourse while the left-hand side comments via a combination of real and imagined advertising slogans which both spoof and invite an unbranded profession's search for its aesthetic, market niche. Recommendations include a reconstitution of BSW curricula, clarification of the practice continuum, regendering, relanguaging, and re-marketing.
Publishing Your Research–II

The principal reason to conduct medical research is twofold: 1) to provide an answer to some question that is important to the investigator(s); and 2) to affect the behavior of others involved in the practice of medicine. In order to accomplish the latter of these two objectives, the results of your labors must be published in a reputable medical Journal so that it can impact upon the practice of your peers. To accomplish this, it is necessary to conform to certain rules in the development of the manuscript, and then have the paper evaluated for its relative merits for publication by a panel of your peers. These issues are addressed in this paper. We all tend to be somewhat naive about the need to write in terms that can be understood and appreciated by our peers. Without clarity and understanding, our work has little impact on others. All that will be accomplished is the knowledge that you think you have gained from what you have done. There are several benefits associated with submission of your hard-earned work for review by your peers. Perhaps the most significant is that the process of peer review constitutes a learning process for the reviewers as well as the authors.
Precision medicine: BRAF mutations in thyroid cancer

Mutations in BRAF are commonly seen in thyroid carcinoma and can have therapeutic and prognostic implications. The BRAF V600E mutation is seen in approximately 40% of cases of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), and is associated with aggressive clinicopathological features, higher recurrence rate, and disease related mortality. Significant advances have occurred in the development of new therapeutic targets of the MAP kinase pathway, which is activated in the setting of BRAF mutations, including BRAF and mitogen extracellular kinase (MEK) inhibitors. BRAF alterations other than V600E are less common in PTC, and their clinical significance remains to be established. Here we present a case of a male with poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma, with papillary and follicular features, who was noted to have a BRAF K601E mutation. The patient was subsequently treated with a BRAF inhibitor, dabrafenib, and MEK inhibitor, trametinib.
Asymptomatic Crohn’s disease identified in a patient being treated with secukinumab: A case report:

IL-17 antagonism is among the most potent treatments for psoriasis. Generally safe, new onset and exacerbations of inflammatory bowel disease may occur in association with IL-17 therapy. We describ...
Surface plasmon driven near- and midinfrared photoconductivity in ligand-free ITO nanocrystal films

Semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) offer exciting opportunities to deploy infrared optoelectronic technology in a variety of applications that are off-limits to conventional single-crystalline materials. However, the performance and stability of state-of-the-art NC-based devices strongly depend on the details of the NC surface and its passivating ligands. Here, the authors use indium tin oxide NC films stripped of organic ligands and conformally coated with Al2O3 to show that absorption enabled by infrared localized surface plasmon resonances permit infrared photoconduction. For Au electrodes, these metallic NC films exhibit stable photoconductive performance over months in ambient and under electrical stress.
A fast graph-based data classification method with applications to 3D sensory data in the form of point clouds

Abstract Data classification, where the goal is to divide data into predefined classes, is a fundamental problem in machine learning with many applications, including the classification of 3D sensory data. In this paper, we present a data classification method which can be applied to both semi-supervised and unsupervised learning tasks. The algorithm is derived by unifying complementary region-based and edge-based approaches; a gradient flow of the optimization energy is performed using modified auction dynamics. In addition to being unconditionally stable and efficient, the method is equipped with several properties allowing it to perform accurately even with small labeled training sets, often with considerably fewer labeled training elements compared to competing methods; this is an important advantage due to the scarcity of labeled training data. Some of the properties are: the embedding of data into a weighted similarity graph, the in-depth construction of the weights using, e.g., geometric information, the use of a combination of region-based and edge-based techniques, the incorporation of class size information and integration of random fluctuations. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated by experiments on classification of 3D point clouds; the algorithm classifies a point cloud of more than a million points in 1–2 min.
Two Caenorhabditis elegans calponin-related proteins have overlapping functions that maintain cytoskeletal integrity and are essential for reproduction.

Multicellular organisms have multiple genes encoding calponins and calponin-related proteins, some of which are known to regulate actin cytoskeletal dynamics and contractility. However, the functional similarities and differences among these proteins are largely unknown. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, UNC-87 is a calponin-related protein with seven calponin-like (CLIK) motifs and is required for maintenance of contractile apparatuses in muscle cells. Here, we report that CLIK-1, another calponin-related protein that also contains seven CLIK motifs, functionally overlaps with UNC-87 in maintaining actin cytoskeletal integrity in vivo and has both common and different actin-regulatory activities in vitro. We found that CLIK-1 is predominantly expressed in the body wall muscle and somatic gonad in which UNC-87 is also expressed. unc-87 mutation caused cytoskeletal defects in the body wall muscle and somatic gonad, whereas clik-1 depletion alone caused no detectable phenotypes. However, simultaneous clik-1 and unc-87 depletion caused sterility because of ovulation failure by severely affecting the contractile actin networks in the myoepithelial sheath of the somatic gonad. In vitro, UNC-87 bundled actin filaments, whereas CLIK-1 bound to actin filaments without bundling them and antagonized UNC-87–mediated filament bundling. We noticed that UNC-87 and CLIK-1 share common functions that inhibit cofilin binding and allow tropomyosin binding to actin filaments, suggesting that both proteins stabilize actin filaments. In conclusion, partially redundant functions of UNC-87 and CLIK-1 in ovulation are likely mediated by their common actin-regulatory activities, but their distinct actin-bundling activities suggest that they also have different biological functions.
Isolating structural errors in reaction networks in systems biology

MOTIVATION The growing complexity of reaction-based models necessitates early detection and resolution of model errors. Considerable work has been done on the detection of mass balance errors, especially atomic mass analysis (AMA) (which compares the counts of atoms in the reactants and products) and Linear Programming analysis (which detects stoichiometric inconsistencies). This article extends model error checking to include: (i) certain structural errors in reaction networks and (ii) error isolation. First, we consider the balance of chemical structures (moieties) between reactants and products. This balance is expected in many biochemical reactions, but the imbalance of chemical structures cannot be detected if the analysis is done in units of atomic masses. Second, we improve on error isolation for stoichiometric inconsistencies by identifying a small number of reactions and/or species that cause the error. Doing so simplifies error remediation. RESULTS We propose two algorithms that address isolating structural errors in reaction networks. Moiety analysis finds imbalances of moieties using the same algorithm as AMA, but moiety analysis works in units of moieties instead of atomic masses. We argue for the value of checking moiety balance, and discuss two approaches to decomposing chemical species into moieties. Graphical Analysis of Mass Equivalence Sets (GAMES) provides isolation for stoichiometric inconsistencies by constructing explanations that relate errors in the structure of the reaction network to elements of the reaction network. We study the effectiveness of moiety analysis and GAMES on curated models in the BioModels repository. We have created open source codes for moiety analysis and GAMES. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION Our project is hosted at https://github.com/ModelEngineering/SBMLLint, which contains examples, documentation, source code files and build scripts used to create SBMLLint. Our source code is licensed under the MIT open source license. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Common Scales in Military Maps from the Fortification Projects for Rome

Following the model of work on architectural plans for St. Peter’s church, this article takes Antonio da Sangallo the Younger’s fortification drawings for the Vatican Borgo and applies a scale analysis based both on the inscribed scales and real-world dimensions. The result is the specification of several scales beginning at 1:1000 for a very detailed survey of the medieval fortification to 1:2666 for Leonardo Bufalini’s map, based on Sangallo’s drawings.
Outcomes of Bariatric Surgery in Older Versus Younger Adolescents

OBJECTIVES: In this report, we compare weight loss, comorbidity resolution, nutritional abnormalities, and quality of life between younger and older adolescents after metabolic and bariatric surgery. METHODS: From March 2007 to December 2011, 242 adolescents (≤19 years of age) who underwent bariatric surgery at 5 clinical centers in the United States were enrolled in the prospective, multicenter, long-term outcome study Teen–Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery. Outcome data from younger (13–15 years; n = 66) and older (16–19 years; n = 162) study participants were compared. Outcomes included percent BMI change, comorbidity outcomes (hypertension, dyslipidemia, and type 2 diabetes mellitus), nutritional abnormalities, and quality of life over 5 years post surgery. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics, except for age, between the 2 cohorts were similar. No significant differences in frequency of remission of hypertension (P = .84) or dyslipidemia (P = .74) were observed between age groups. Remission of type 2 diabetes mellitus was high in both groups, although statistically higher in older adolescents (relative risk 0.86; P = .046). Weight loss and quality of life were similar in the 2 age groups. Younger adolescents were less likely to develop elevated transferrin (prevalence ratio 0.52; P = .048) and low vitamin D levels (prevalence ratio 0.8; P = .034). CONCLUSIONS: The differences in outcome of metabolic and bariatric surgery between younger and older adolescents were few. These data suggest that younger adolescents with severe obesity should not be denied consideration for surgical therapy on the basis of age alone and that providers should consider adolescents of all ages for surgical therapy for obesity when clinically indicated.
The ocean and the city: Spatial forgeries of racial capitalism:

This article tries to look beyond what I call the spatial forgeries of racial capitalism in early 20th century Durban, South Africa, a set of renditions of the ocean and the city, to make sense of ...
Knowledge of HIV and HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis among medical and pharmacy students: A national, multi-site, cross-sectional study

Abstract Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a highly effective strategy for preventing HIV. However, prescription of PrEP has not reached the scale that is necessary to meet the public health need of reducing HIV incidence. A factor contributing to this slow scale-up is limited healthcare practitioners’ knowledge of PrEP, making PrEP education a priority. We conducted a national, cross-sectional study of medical (allopathic and osteopathic) and pharmacy students regarding knowledge of PrEP and HIV between October 2020 and February 2021. We included 28 items in our knowledge assessment. Analysis sought to identify gaps in knowledge as well as academic and demographic correlates of knowledge. A total of 2,353 students participated in the study (response rate = 17.0%). The overall mean HIV knowledge score was 79.6% correct. Regarding specific items, 68.7% of participants believed HIV treatment was difficult because it required many pills, and 61.1% incorrectly indicated a person with an undetectable HIV viral load could transmit the virus to their sexual partners. Overall mean PrEP knowledge was 84.1%. Approximately one-third of participants did not identify HIV-negative status as a requirement to be a PrEP candidate. Gay/lesbian participants and those who were in the late-phase of training reported higher knowledge of both HIV and PrEP than did heterosexual participants and those in the early-phase of training. This study identifies specific gaps in training on HIV prevention with PrEP that must be improved in health professions education to ensure PrEP reaches its full potential in ending the HIV epidemic.
Temozolomide-induced guanine mutations create exploitable vulnerabilities of guanine-rich DNA and RNA regions in drug resistant gliomas

Temozolomide (TMZ) is a chemotherapeutic agent that has been the first-line standard of care for the aggressive brain cancer glioblastoma (GBM) since 2005. Though initially beneficial, TMZ resistance is universal and second-line interventions are an unmet clinical need. Here we took advantage the mechanism of action of TMZ to target guanines (G) and investigated G-rich g-quadruplex (G4) and splice site changes that occur upon TMZ-resistance. We report TMZ-resistant GBM has guanine mutations that disrupt the G-rich DNA G4s and splice sites that lead to deregulated alternative splicing. These alterations create vulnerabilities, which are selectively targeted by either the G4 stabilizing drug TMPyP4 or a novel splicing kinase inhibitor of cdc2-like kinase. Finally, we show that the G4 and RNA-binding protein EWSR1 aggregates in the cytoplasm in TMZ-resistant GBM cells and patient samples. Together, our findings provide insight into targetable vulnerabilities of TMZ-resistant GBM and present cytoplasmic EWSR1 as a putative biomarker.
Protein tyrosine kinase 7 promotes PI3K/AKT signaling and survival in primary and neoplastic CD4+ T-lineage cells. (HEM4P.231)

Protein tyrosine kinase 7 (PTK7), a catalytically inactive receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) that is highly expressed in intrathymic development, is a novel marker for human CD4+ recent thymic emigrants (RTEs), and is also highly expressed on some T-lineage thymomas, e.g., Jurkat cells. The function of PTK7 in normal human T-cell development and tumors remains unclear. Here, using RNAi-mediated gene silencing in T-lineage tumor cells, primary human peripheral T-cells and thymocytes, we found that targeting PTK7 consistently decreased cell survival by augmenting caspase-3 activation of apoptosis. The PTK7 knockdown also decreased AKT phosphorylation and PI3 kinase activity, suggesting an essential role for PTK7 in survival of RTEs and developing thymocytes involving the PI3K/AKT pathway. Using mass spectrometry of we identified insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) receptor as an active kinase partner of PTK7. Knockdown of PTK7 reduced IGF-1 receptor function in primary T-lineage cells, confirming the biologic importance of this physical association. This role for PTK7 in promoting cell survival via its effects on cell survival via the PI3K/AKT pathway may not only be relevant to normal T-cell development, including the RTE compartment, but also to the oncogenesis of T-lineage and epithelial cell tumors.
Induction of Glutamine Synthetase in Cultures of Embryonic Neural Retina COMMENTS ON THE USE OF ACTINOMYCIN D

Abstract Selected aspects of the induction of glutamine synthetase by hydrocortisone in cultures of embryonic neural retina were re-examined. The results clarify inconsistencies raised in a recent report (Schwartz, R. J. (1973) J. Biol. Chem. 248, 6426–6435). We show that (a) the extensive histological deterioration of retina cultures attributed to actinomycin D in the above report does not occur under our conditions and was presumably due to some suboptimal culture condition(s); (b) the kinetics of glutamine synthetase induction described in the above report are aberrant and therefore cannot be used as a basis for studies of regulatory processes; (c) contrary to the above report, glutamine synthetase in embryonic retina can be repeatedly induced and "deinduced" by consecutive application and withdrawal of the steroid inducer; (d) inadequate procedure may account for failures to obtain the characteristic effects of high and low concentrations of actinomycin D in this system. It appears that Schwartz's negative results reflected the pathology of deteriorating retina tissue cultures and therefore are not applicable to the analysis of normal regulatory mechanisms in the induction of glutamine synthetase. Our findings invalidate Schwartz's key arguments for criticizing previous studies on the induction of glutamine synthetase in the retina and on control mechanisms in other inducible enzyme systems.
Differential immune activation during simulated cardiopulmonary bypass procedure using freshly drawn and week-old blood—a pilot study.

The goal of this study is to assess whether the use of different aged blood, used during the simulated Penn State Hershey Pediatric cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) model affects immune activation. In order to study and compare the cytokine release involved in the humoral immune response during simulated CPB, both freshly drawn whole blood used less than 1 h after donation (n = 2) and reconstituted whole blood (1 week old) (n = 3) were circulated in a simulated CPB circuit under identical perfusion conditions. Discrete samples were collected in both experiments and analyzed for the proinflammatory cytokines concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-8 using immunofluorocytometry as an indicator of immune activation. The results indicated that the cytokine concentrations of freshly drawn blood increased significantly compared with the reconstituted blood over the CPB circulation time. The fresh blood activation was two to three orders of magnitude larger than the week-old blood for all cytokines analyzed. These results suggest that the use of freshly drawn blood is required to evaluate immune responses to the extracorporeal circulation.