cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using geographic information systems to identify prospective marketing areas for a special library

The Center for Disability Resources (CDR) Library is the largest collection of its kind in the Southeastern United States, consisting of over 5,200 books, videos/DVDs, brochures, and audiotapes covering a variety of disability-related topics, from autism to transition resources. The purpose of the library is to support the information needs of families, faculty, students, staff, and other professionals in South Carolina working with individuals with disabilities. The CDR Library is funded on a yearly basis; therefore, maintaining high usage is crucial. A variety of promotional efforts have been used to attract new patrons to the library. Anyone in South Carolina can check out materials from the library, and most of the patrons use the library remotely by requesting materials, which are then mailed to them. The goal of this project was to identify areas of low geographic usage as a means of identifying locations for future library marketing efforts. Nearly four years worth of library statistics were compiled in a spreadsheet that provided information per county on the number of checkouts, the number of renewals, and the population. Five maps were created using ArcView GIS software to create visual representations of patron checkout and renewal behavior per county. Out of the 46 counties in South Carolina, eight counties never checked out materials from the library. As expected urban areas and counties near the library's physical location have high usage totals. The visual representation of the data made identification of low usage regions easier than using a standalone database with no visual-spatial component. The low usage counties will be the focus of future Center for Disability Resources Library marketing efforts. Due to the impressive visual-spatial representations created with Geographic Information Systems, which more efficiently communicate information than stand-alone database information can, librarians may benefit from the software's use as a supplemental tool for tracking library usage and planning promotional efforts.
The mystery of clustering in macromolecular media

Clustering occurs in most polar media such as water-soluble macromolecules. The true origin of clustering has been elusive despite a great deal of research effort. This paper uses the simplest water-soluble polymer, poly(ethylene oxide), dissolved in deuterated water to investigate the cause of clustering. The small-angle neutron scattering technique is used to separate out solvation effects from clustering effects and back out the various interaction parameters. It is found that clustering is related to attractive inter-chain interactions between hydrophobic groups which create physical crosslinks thereby causing clustering.
Incorporating Evidence-Based Practices into Faith-Based Organization Service Programs:

Faith-based organizations (FBOs) are increasingly involved in providing a range of services in communities and research indicates that such involvement will increase in the future. However, like ot...
Conrad Specialty Roofing

“That’s good,” replied Bill, “because it looks like you are going to be the owner. When I saw Max yesterday, he told me how proud he was of the way you took up the slack and kept the business going smoothly over the past six months. He told me that he wanted you to own CSR and was going to see his lawyer to put something about it in his will. I agreed with him, possibly for the first time since we split up our partnership five years ago; you have really been a lifesaver for this business – without you, it would have been doomed, just like Max... You are CSR, you know.”
Dissociation of cells from solid tumors.

Publisher Summary The inability to easily dissociate solid tumors into single-cell or nuclear suspensions has remained one of the major obstacles for analysis by flow cytometry (FCM). Lymphomas, which lack intercellular attachments, were easily adapted to FCM analysis as a result of the ease with which hematological neoplasms can be dissociated into single-cell suspensions. The ability to identify phenotypically diverse subsets of lymphocyte populations was the second and equally important stimulus for application of FCM technology to lymphomas. In contrast, solid tumors have varying numbers of intercellular desmosome attachments and adhesive contacts with the basal lamina and host stromal components. The ability to dissociate solid tumors into single-cell suspensions is dependent on the type of neoplasm and the degree of differentiation. Well-differentiated squamous carcinomas have numerous well-developed desmosomes and are extremely difficult to dissociate. The major application of FCM technology in solid tumors is the quantitation of cellular DNA content. Nuclear suspensions for DNA measurements are reported to be easier to prepare than intact cell suspensions. The application of nuclear extraction protocols is relatively straightforward and requires cytoplasmic disruption and stripping, leaving a suspension of bare nuclei.
Rated Progress: Robert F. Kennedy and the Desegregation of the 1951 Ralph J. Bunche Lecture

This paper, grounded in original archival research, portrays a revealing episode about Robert F. Kennedy during his tenure as a student at the University of Virginia School of Law in racially segregated Charlottesville, Virginia. During the 1950-51 academic year, as President of the Student Legal Forum — a student organization devoted to bringing distinguished speakers to the Law School — Kennedy caused a firestorm by inviting noted diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Dr. Ralph J. Bunche, an African American, to speak at the University of Virginia. In light of Dr. Bunche's policy to refuse to speak to segregated audiences, Kennedy fought hard with University administrators and others to desegregate the lecture. In these events, one can see seeds of Kennedy's trajectory long before he launched his public career. This paper is being published in connection with Savannah Law Review's 2014 colloquium entitled [Re]Integrating Spaces. The colloquium celebrated the repurposing of the historic Candler Hospital into the new Savannah Law School through discussion of the parallel themes of historic preservation and transformation, as well as societal sense of place, space, and meaning within the law.
Discriminating power of microsatellites in cranberry organelles for taxonomic studies in Vaccinium and Ericaceae

Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) in chloroplast and mitochondrial DNA, which have not been previously developed in the Ericaceae or, more specifically, in the genus Vaccinium, can be powerful tools for determining evolutionary relationships among taxa. In this study, 30 chloroplast, 23 mitochondrial, and 1 mitochondrion-like SSRs were identified in cranberry (V. macrocarpon), and primer-pairs were developed and tested for each locus. Although no polymorphisms were detected for any of the 54 SSR loci in nine diverse cranberry genotypes, all primers were cross-transferable to some extent to a panel of 12 additional Vaccinium taxa and four non-Vaccinium Ericaceae species. A Neighbor-Joining tree of the estimated average squared distances resolved the species by genus and by section within Vaccinium. Similar topologies with increased branch support were observed in Bayesian inference trees constructed from the DNA sequences of six plastid and two mitochondrial SSR loci. Two multiplexing/poolplexing panels of M13 fluorescently labeled primers, which amplify 24 of the 54 markers, were developed and can serve as an efficient, cost-effective means for characterizing the basic molecular phylogeny of Vaccinium. Increased understanding of evolutionary relationships among Vaccinium species should facilitate interspecific hybridization and introgression efforts to improve economically important traits of commercial berry crops.
Survey on foaming deep-pit swine manure

Abstract. Foaming on manure surfaces in deep-pit barns is not a completely new challenge, but starting in 2009 foaming incidents significantly increased. In the past five years, 30 to 40 flash fires and/or explosions, believed to be related to the presence of foaming in deep-pits, have been reported in the Midwest U.S. and Canada. In this study, a survey (electronic and hard copy) was developed and distributed to swine producers throughout the Midwest to document the prevalence of foaming on swine farms with deep-pits and determine if any correlations exist between foam formation and facilities and management practices. The survey results were collected from September 2012 to May 2013. Total of 225 producers (80.0% IA, 8.9% IL, 4.9% MO, 3.1% MN, 2.2% MI, 0.9% IN) responded to the survey. There were 1388 rooms (65.5% grow-finish and 34.5% wean-to-finish) and 1334 deep-pits. Foam was present in 322 pits out of 1,334 pits (24.1%). Out of 225 producers, 132 producers (58.7%) had at least one foaming pit. Total of 13 producers, 9.8% of the producers who had at least one foaming pit, had an explosion or a flash fire. Foam was a concern mainly in summer and fall. Only 37% of the producers checked their pits frequently (once a week). Solids content of the manure and unpleasant smell in drinking water were found to be significantly correlated with the presence of foam.
STOCHASTICITY IN GEOPHYSICAL AND HYDROLOGICAL TIME SERIES

Most time processes within the atmosphere and oceans, and along the water cycle are periodic-stochastic processes, with the physical basis of the periodicity derived from astronomic cycles and the stochasticity produced by various sources of randomness within the environments of the earth. The atmosphere is the major source of stochasticity in all those geophysical time processes which are connected to the incoming solar radiation, though the oceans, the earth's surface, and the earth's crust also produce the stochasticity. The main influence of the oceans and the continental surfaces as well as the underground water is, however, to attenuate the high stochasticity produced by the atmosphere. It is concluded that without stochastic meteorology a good understanding of many geophysical stochastic processes will be difficult.
Feasibility of a procedure does not always translate to what is most efficacious.

From the Division of Thoracic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass. Disclosures: Author has nothing to disclose with regard to commercial support. Received for publication Feb 29, 2016; accepted for publicationMarch 1, 2016; available ahead of print March 23, 2016. Address for reprints: Michael Lanuti, MD, 55 Fruit St, Blake 1570, Boston, MA 02114 (E-mail: mlanuti@ partners.org). J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2016;151:e109 0022-5223/$36.00 Copyright 2016 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcvs.2016.03.004
Tip-Enhanced Raman Imaging: An Emergent Tool for Probing Biology at the Nanoscale

Typically limited by the diffraction of light, most optical spectroscopy methods cannot provide the spatial resolution necessary to characterize specimens at the nanoscale. An emerging exception to this rule is tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS), which overcomes the diffraction limit through electromagnetic field localization at the end of a sharp metallic tip. As demonstrated by the Zenobi group in this issue of ACS Nano, TER imaging is an analytical technique capable of providing high-resolution chemical maps of biological samples. In this Perspective, we highlight recent advances and future applications of TER imaging as a technique for interrogating biology at the nanoscale.
Reversed-Phase Ion Pair HPLC Analysis of Sugar Phosphates

Separation des isomeres: glucose-6 phosphate et fructose-6 phosphate. Utilisation d'un complexe d'europium «III» dans la phase mobile
Controllable Synthesis of Bismuth Chalcogenide Core–shell Nanorods

Bi2S3/Bi and Bi2Te3/Bi core–shell nanorods were successfully synthesized by a hydrothermal method using Bi2S3 nanorods as the template. The thickness of the Bi shell was controlled by varying the reaction time or the Bi2S3-to-Te ratio. Phase-pure Bi and Bi2Te3 nanorods were also obtained by this synthetic approach. The formation of Bi2S3/Bi and Bi2Te3/Bi core–shell nanorods can be separated into two different processes. One is the reduction of Bi2S3 nanorods by hydrazine. The other is the formation of Bi2Te3 through the exchange of Te2– and S2– and the subsequent reaction of Bi with Te. The formation mechanisms for the core–shell nanorods are discussed in detail.
Clinical analyses of intracranial tumor in children:report of 28 pediatric cases

To investigate the clinical features in diagnosis and therapy of childhood intracranial tumors;Comprehensive analysis of the clinical data and laboratory examination,cerebral CT and MRI images of 28 pediatric patients with intracranial tumors were performed.Of the 28 cases,5 were 1-3 years old,12 were 3-7 years old and 11 were 7-14 years old.The lesions included medulloblastoma in vermis cerebellum(n =4),astrocytoma in vermis cerebellum(n =5),ependymoma(n =4),craniopharyngioma(n =3),brain stem tumor(n =2),teratoma(n =2),neurogliocytoma in cerebral hemisphere(n =2),tumors in pineal body(n =2),and tumors with uncertain nature(n =4).16 cases were misdiagnosed at the first visit.Intracranial tumors in children are easily misdiagnosed.It should be taken careful physical and imaging examination to the children who appears intractable vomiting,headache,encephalitis,meningitis,intracranial hypertension or hydrocephalus,especially accompany mental retardation,to reach a final diagnosis and then select appropriate treatment.
Rethinking Theories of Democratization in Latin America and Beyond

We began this book because we wanted to understand regime survival and fall in twentieth-century Latin America. As we studied these issues, we developed doubts about many theoretical approaches to understanding political regimes. It became essential to engage in a broader effort to theorize about the rise and fall of democracies and dictatorships. Therefore, we developed a theory to explain the survival or fall of democracies and dictatorships. Starting from assumptions about how actors are constituted and what motivates them to join regime coalitions, we deductively derived five hypotheses about regime survival or fall. We particularly drew on three literatures: (1) transitions, breakdowns, and the survival of political regimes; (2) international factors in regime change and survival; and (3) the impact of ideas and beliefs on political outcomes. But we go beyond most of the existing work in these literatures by articulating an integrated theory and testing it in new ways. We believe that this theory is more realistic than competing theories; that there are benefits to systematizing it as a theory; and that it explains regime change and survival in twentieth-century Latin America better than alternative theoretical explanations. This chapter undertakes three main tasks. First, we summarize our theoretical arguments and contributions. Our theory is based on more realistic microfoundations than most alternatives, and it has stronger empirical support. In addition, we devised an original research strategy to test hypotheses about actors across a much broader range of countries and time than previous actor-based theories. We also articulate our contributions to the literatures on actors’ normative regime preferences, their policy radicalism or moderation, and international influences on regime outcomes.
Stimulation of Anti-Tumor Immunity Using Dendritic Cells Transduced with Fowl Pox Vector Expressing MUC-1 and Costimulatory Molecules (PANVAC-F).

Abstract In pre-clinical models, vaccination with attenuated vaccinia and fowl pox virus expressing tumor antigens and costimulatory molecules (CD54/ICAM-1; CD58/LFA-1 and CD80/B7.1-TRICOM) potently stimulates anti-tumor immune responses. However, vaccine efficacy may be limited by intrinsic deficiencies of native dendritic cells (DC) populations in patients with malignancy that are required to process and present the virally introduced antigens. An alternative strategy involves the transduction of ex vivo generated activated DCs. We have examined the capacity of DCs transduced with a fowl pox vector expressing MUC-1, CEA, and TriCOM (PANVAC-F) to elicit antigen specific responses and expand activated as compared to regulatory T cell populations. Partially mature DCs were generated from leukopak preparations obtained from normal volunteers by culturing adherent peripheral blood mononuclear cells for 5 days with GM-CSF and IL-4. DCs were transduced with PANVAC-F vector and matured with either TNFa or the combination of PG-E2, TNFa, IL-6 and IL-1b. In 5 serial studies, transduction with PANVAC-F resulted in mean MUC1 expression in 64.6% (SEM: ±1.6) of cells with a mean fluorescent intensity (MFI) of 249.8 (SEM: ±45.7). In addition, transduced DCs also demonstrated high levels of expression of class II (99%; MFI:250), CD54 (98.4%;MFI:516), CD58 (98.8%;MFI:155) and CD80 (78.2%; MFI:115). Of note, transduced DCs demonstrated higher levels of the maturation marker CD83 (40.3%; SEM: ±1.6, n=3) as compared to untransduced DCs 19.7% (SEM: ±2.9) (p=0.02) suggesting that transduction enhanced DC maturation and activation. Transduced DCs matured with PGE2, TNFa, IL-6 and IL-1b as compared to TNFa alone demonstrated higher levels of CD83 and CCR7 and a more stable phenotype following withdrawal of cytokine support. To assess the ability of PANVAC-F to stimulate tumor antigen specific responses, the presence of T cells binding the MUC-1 specific tetramer was quantified following stimulation of autologous T cells derived from HLA*0201 healthy donors. An increase in CD8+ and MUC1+ cells were observed (8.3%) with stimulation with PANVAC-F transduced DCs as compared to untransduced DCs (2.5%). The capacity of DCs transduced with PANVAC-F to stimulate interferon gamma producing activated T cells, as compared to CD4+/CD25+/Foxp3+ regulatory T cell populations is being assessed. In summary, PANVAC-F transduced DCs stimulate expansion of antigen specific T cell populations suggesting their potential role as tumor vaccines for MUC-1/CEA expressing tumors. We are initiating a trial for patients with ovarian carcinoma in early (marker only) relapse in which patients will be randomized to undergo serial vaccination with PANVAC-V/PANVAC-F or DCs transduced with PANVAC-F. The capacity to generate anti-tumor immunity in vivo will be assessed as a primary endpoint.
Identification of Seedling Vigor-Associated Quantitative Trait Loci in Temperate Japonica Rice

A quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis of seedling vigor traits was conducted under dry-seeded conditions using 176 recombinant inbred lines developed from a cross of two California temperate japonica rice varieties M-203 and M-206. Height at early seedling (HES) and height at late seedling (HLS) stage, growth rate (GR), and fresh weight were evaluated in a growth chamber. Assessment of HES, HLS, and GR was also performed in outdoor basins in 2015 and 2016. M-203 was significantly better for all traits in the growth chamber, however, no significant differences were observed between the parents in the outdoor basins with the exception of HES in 2015. Genotyping by sequencing was used to construct a map of ＞6,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms. Six QTL were detected in the growth chamber, one each on chromosomes 2, 9, 10, and 12 and two at the same position on 1. qFW1 and qHES1 explain 34.6% and 8.7% of the phenotypic variation observed for their respective traits and correspond to previously reported QTL for shoot length. All positive effects were contributed by the M-203 allele except for the qHLS12. Two QTL, qHES8 (12.3%; M-206 allele) and qHES9 (9.4%; M-203 allele), were detected in the outdoor basin 2016, but none in 2015. RIL-187 was consistently among the highest vigor lines in all environments and additional evaluations confirmed this finding. The molecular and genetic resources developed here will facilitate further investigation of seedling vigor and breeding of enhanced temperate japonica rice varieties.
Authorship categorization of public domain literature

We defined a set of quantifiable features for authorship categorization. We performed our experiments on public domain literature — all books analyzed were obtained in plain text format through Project Gutenberg's online repository of classic books. We tested three machine learning algorithms: Artificial Neural Network, Naive Bayes Classifier, and Support Vector Machine with our features. We found that certain features, such as punctuation and various suffixes result in a higher accuracy. In addition, the Support Vector Machine classifier produces repeatedly higher accuracies than other classifiers and seems to be a far superior method of classification in terms of authorship categorization.
Model Study of Contaminant Flow in the Vicinity of Semiconductor Processing Equipment

A continuous particle monitoring system was set up to. identify short-term particle bursts that reflect equipment operation and personnel activity within the photolithography bay of a cleanroom. The frequency and magnitude of the bursts vary with location and strongly depend on airflow, especially departures from vertical laminar flow introduced by equipment placement and/or human traffic. For example, the particle concentration above a stepper electronics cabinet was significantly reduced by moving the cabinet away from the cleanroom wall. Also, the particle concentration above the photoresist coater is very high during the operation of the wafer spinner; therefore, particles generated should be swept away by the airflows in order to minimize the particle transport to the wafer processing area.Numerical simulation of the airflow around two selected pieces of processing equipment was performed to better explain particle transport from these sources. Zones of recirculation and particle trapping, as predict...
Green Fluorescent Protein as a Biosensor for Toxic Compounds

In this brief review, we present recent results in the development of fluorescence-based assays for the detection of compounds with cytotoxic, anticancer and anti-microbial properties. As other reviews have explored various aspects related to these topics, this review will focus on the use of the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) for the detection of potentially toxic and/or therapeutic compounds. Since high-throughput screening of chemical compounds can be both expensive and laborious, development of low cost and efficient cell-based assays to determine biological activity should greatly enhance the early screening process. In our recent studies, we have developed a couple of GFP-based assays for the rapid screening of compounds with cytotoxic and bacteriocidal properties. As will be described in more detail in subsequent sections, a new 96-well assay has recently been developed that allows for the simultaneous screening of test compounds on gram positive and negative bacteria as well as mammalian (human cancer) cells. Our results demonstrate that both mammalian cells and bacteria can be analyzed in tandem to rapidly determine which compounds are specifically toxic to one of these cell types. The parallel screening of both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells was found to be feasible, reproducible, and cost effective.
The Authentic Appeal of the Lying Demagogue: Proclaiming the Deeper Truth about Political Illegitimacy:

We develop and test a theory to address a puzzling pattern that has been discussed widely since the 2016 U.S. presidential election and reproduced here in a post-election survey: how can a constitu...
Missing Data Theory

In this first chapter, I accomplish several goals. First, building on my 20+ years of work on missing data analysis, I outline a nomenclature or system for talking about the theory underlying the modern analysis of missing data. I intend for this nomenclature to be in plain English, but nevertheless to be an accurate representation of statistical theory relating to missing data analysis. Second, I describe many of the main components of missing data theory, including the causes or mechanisms of missingness. Two general methods for handling missing data, in particular multiple imputation (MI) and maximum-likelihood (ML) methods, have developed out of the missing data theory I describe here. And as will be clear from reading this book, I fully endorse these methods. For the remainder of this chapter, I challenge some of the commonly held beliefs relating to missing data theory and missing data analysis, and make a case that the MI and ML procedures, which have started to become mainstream in statistical analysis with missing data, are applicable in a much larger range of contexts that typically believed.
Electrostatic Analysis of the Midpoints of the Cofactors in the Reaction Center Protein of Rp.viridis

The relative midpoints of the cofactors in the reaction center protein (RC) from Rp. viridis were calculated by solving the Poisson-Boltzmann equation with a finite difference algorithm. This yields the electrostatic potential throughout the RC which can provide the energetic cost of oxidizing or reducing each site. For the 4 hemes of the bound cytochrome subunit the calculations are in quite good agreement with the experimentally determined relative heme midpoints. The success of the method allows the factors that generate the differences in their in situ electrochemistry to be identified. In order of importance these appear to be: (1) the distribution of charged residues throughout the protein; (2) the perturbation of the midpoint of the high potential hemes by the oxidized lower potential sites; (3) the nature of the axial ligands; (4) differences in the stabilization of the charged heme by solvent. Preliminary calculations were also carried out on the cofactors within the RC.
THE DISTRIBUTION OF THERMAL NEUTRONS IN SPACE AND ENERGY IN REACTOR LATTICES. PART I. THEORY

A method is developed for computing thermal neutron distributions in reactor lattices as functions of energy and a single spatial coordinate. The integral form of the transport equation is used and...
Structure, Processing, and Polymerization of Rainbow Trout Egg Vitelline Envelope Proteins

Mammalian and non-mammalian eggs are surrounded by a zona pellucida (ZP) and vitelline envelope (VE), respectively. The rainbow trout egg VE consists of three proteins, VEα, VEβ, and VEγ, which are related to mouse egg ZP proteins ZP1, ZP2, and ZP3. Mass spectrometry (MS) has been used extensively to identify the intramolecular disulfide linkages and the cellular site of proteolytic processing of trout VE proteins. Additionally, Blue Native-PAGE (BN-PAGE) has been used to investigate polymerization of purified trout VE proteins under non-denaturing conditions. Results of these experiments reveal that, despite ~400 million years separating the appearance of trout and mice, and the change from external to internal fertilization and development, VE and ZP proteins have a great deal in common.
The Beliefs About Medication Scale: Development, Reliability, and Validity

The purpose of the study was to develop and evaluate a psychometrically sound health belief measure, the Beliefs About Medication Scale (BAMS) that can be used with adolescent chronic illness populations whose prescribed treatment includes oral medication. One hundred and thirty-three adolescents (age 11–18 years) with asthma (n = 60), HIV (n = 31), or inflammatory bowel disease (n = 42) completed the BAMS and, along with their parent, a self-report medication interview. A confirmatory factor analysis supported the hypothesized subscales of Perceived Threat, Positive Outcome Expectancy, Negative Outcome Expectancy, and Intent to Adhere to treatment. The subscales evidenced good internal consistency and 3-week test-retest reliability. Univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated that the health belief constructs accounted for 22% of the variance in medication adherence beyond demographic and illness characteristics. The study provides preliminary evidence of the reliability and validity of a theoretically based measure of health beliefs for adolescents. The BAMS may be a useful tool to evaluate the psychological barriers to adherence that place teenagers at risk for nonadherence.
A Synopsis of the Genus Hoffmannseggia (Leguminosae)

The genus Hoffmannseggia Cav., now recognized as a monophyletic group distinct from Caesalpinia and Pomaria, consists of 22 species and is amphitropically distributed between North and South America, with 11 species in arid and semi-arid areas of the southwestern USA and adjacent Mexico, and 12 species in southern South America. Recent publications have provided a revision of Hoffmannseggia for North America, a resolved phylogeny, and an analysis of the biogeography of the genus, but there is to date no treatment of all of the taxa. Here we present a key to the genus and its closest relatives, a key to all of the recognized taxa, typification, distributional data for each species, selected specimens examined for the South American taxa, and notes where appropriate.
c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1 defective CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ cells prolong pancreatic allograft survival in type 1 diabetic mice

CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ cells (Tregs) inhibit inflammatory immune responses to allografts. Here we found that co-transplantation of allogeneic pancreatic islets with Tregs that are defective in JNK1 signaling prolong the islet allograft survival in the liver parenchyma of the T1D mice. Deletion of the JNK1 in Tregs increased the expression of anti-apoptotic molecules Mcl-1, Bcl-Xl and anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 production. JNK1 −/− Tregs persist for long period in the transplanted liver and prolong the islet allograft survival compared to WT Tregs. JNK1 −/− Tregs demonstrated improved control of allo-inflammation compared to WT Tregs in the T1D liver upon co-transplantation. JNK1 −/− Tregs specifically inhibit IL-17 and IL-21 medited alloimmune response. Inhibition of alloimmune response by JNK1 −/− Tregs independently mediated through the LAG3 on its cell surface and the increased production of IL-10. Our study identifies a novel role of JNK1 signaling in the Tregs function and co-transplantation of JNK1 deficient Tregs enhances the islet allograft survival in the liver parenchyma of T1D mice.
The role of BRCA1‐associated protein 1 in the diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma in effusion and fine‐needle aspiration cytology

BACKGROUND Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a diagnostically challenging entity in cytology specimens due to the lack of architectural context and a cytomorphologic overlap between malignant and reactive mesothelial cells (RMCs). A diagnostic marker with excellent specificity is not currently available in clinical practice. The newly appreciated BRCA1-associated protein 1 (BAP1) antibody may help distinguish MM from RMC based on its immunohistochemical (IHC) staining pattern but its role in cytopathology is controversial. METHODS Immunohistochemistry with BAP1 antibody was performed on cell blocks from 39 cytology specimens including 13 cases of RMC and 26 cases of effusion and fine-needle aspiration specimens (FNAC) with tissue-specimen-proven MM. Cases were dichotomised into positive and negative cohorts. Positivity was defined as >50% loss of nuclear BAP1 IHC staining. RESULTS Of the 26 MM cases, a slight majority (14/26, 54%) showed loss of BAP1 nuclear IHC staining, while all 13 RMC controls showed strong nuclear BAP1 IHC staining. MM was more likely to show loss of BAP1 than RMC (P < .001); and peritoneal MM was more likely to demonstrate loss of BAP1 than pleural MM (P = .04). There was perfect specificity at 1.0 and positive predictive value of 1.0 for loss of nuclear BAP1 IHC staining. However, only modest sensitivity at 0.52 and negative predictive value of 0.50 was seen. CONCLUSION These data confirm that absence of BAP1 nuclear staining identifies malignant mesothelial cells. On the other hand, positive BAP1 nuclear staining can occur in both benign and malignant pleural effusions.
Vibrio variations on a type three theme

Mounting evidence suggests that Type 3 Secretion Systems (T3SS) are widespread among Vibrio species, and are present in strains isolated from diverse sources such as human clinical infections, environmental reservoirs, and diseased marine life. Experiments evaluating Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio cholerae T3SS mediated virulence suggest that Vibrio T3SS pathogenicity islands have a tripartite composition. A conserved 'core' region encodes functions essential for colonization and disease in vivo, including modulation of innate immune signaling pathways and actin dynamics, whereas regions flanking core sequences are variable among strains and encode effector proteins performing a diverse array of activities. Characterizing novel functions associated with Vibrio-specific effectors is, therefore, essential for understanding how vibrios employ T3SS mechanisms to cause disease in a broad range of hosts and how T3SS island composition potentially defines species-specific disease.
Scope and nature of financial conflicts of interest between neurologists and industry: 2013-2016.

Objective To detail the scope and nature of financial conflicts of interest (COIs) between neurologists and the pharmaceutical and medical device industries (Industry) using the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payments (OP) database, with a focus on trends from 2013 to 2016. Methods Payments from Industry to US neurologists were categorized into research payments, general (nonresearch) payments, and value of ownership in Industry. We performed descriptive analyses to detail the scope and nature of these relationships and trends over time. Results At least 9,505 neurologists received at least one payment from Industry each year. From 2013 to 2016, 1.6 million payments totaled $354 million, of which 99.5% of payments and 85.6% of payment value were for general/nonresearch-related payments. Most neurologists (between 65% and 80%) received less than $1,000 per year, but over 200 neurologists each received more than $100,000 during some years. Several received over $1 million. General payments are increasing, research payments are steady, and neurologists9 ownership and investments are decreasing. Conclusions Neurologists have extensive financial relationships with Industry, though this is driven by a well-paid minority. As a profession, we must work to establish firm rules to manage these potential COIs, ensuring that relationships with Industry yield synergistic advances while minimizing bias and maintaining public trust.
The Function of the Short Lateral Collateral Ligaments of the Canine Tarsus: A Cadaveric Study

Information on the clinical behavior and treatment of cases with an isolated rupture of the short collateral ligaments of the canine tarsus is sparse and contradictory in the veterinary literature. Our objective was to evaluate the function of the short lateral collateral ligaments (SLCLs) of the tarsocrural joint in 90° flexion. Eight canine cadaveric limbs were tested for internal/external rotation and valgus/varus before and after transection of one or both SLCLs. In one group, the fibulocalcaneal ligament was transected first, followed by the fibulotalar. In the second group, the order of ligament transection was reversed. Angular changes between two k-wires were measured and compared. External rotation increased significantly after transection of one or both SLCLs (P = .009 and P < .0005), as did varus (P = .021 and P = .001). Lateral subluxation was only possible when both SLCLs were cut. Unlike the long lateral collateral ligament, which stabilizes against deviation toward medial, both SLCLs are major stabilizers against subluxation toward lateral. This important difference must be considered in clinical patients with isolated rupture of the SLCLs.
Freestanding Emergency Department Entry and Market-level Spending on Emergency Care

BACKGROUND Freestanding emergency departments (FrEDs) could reduce wait times in overcrowded emergency departments (EDs), but they might also increase usage and overall spending for emergency care. We investigate the relationship between the number of FrEDs entering a local market and overall spending on emergency care. METHODS We accessed data from Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, and Texas in Blue Cross Blue Shield Axis; a limited data set of deidentified insurance data claims that we linked to Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA) data from the American Community Survey; and lists of licensed FrEDs from state agencies. Regression analysis was used to estimate the association between changes in the number of FrEDs in 495 PUMAs and total spending on emergency care, out-of-pocket spending, utilization, and price per visit from January 2013 to December 2017. Final estimates came from a PUMA-level fixed-effects model, with controls for state, quarter, and PUMA-level demographics. RESULTS Entry of an additional FrED in a PUMA was associated with a 3.6 percentage point (pp; CI = 2.4 to 4.9) increase in emergency provider reimbursement per insured beneficiary in Texas, Florida, and North Carolina. There was no change in spending (2.5 pp; CI = -8.2 to 3.1) associated with a FrED's entry in Arizona. Entry of an additional FrED was associated with a 0.18 (CI = 0.12 to 0.23) increase in the number of emergency care visits per 100 enrollees in Texas, Florida, and Arizona. In contrast, entry of another FrED was not associated with a change in utilization (-0.03; CI = -0.09 to 0.02) in North Carolina. Estimated out-of-pocket payments for emergency care increased 3.6 pp (CI = 2.5 to 4.8) with the entry of a FrED in Texas, Florida, and Arizona, but declined by 15.3 pp (CI = -26.8 to -3.7) in North Carolina. CONCLUSIONS Rather than functioning as substitutes for hospital-based EDs, FrEDs have increased local market spending on emergency care in three of four states' markets where they have entered. State policy makers and researchers should carefully track spending and utilization of emergency care as FrEDs disseminate to better understand their potential health benefits and cost implications for patients.
Evaluation of Clinical Practices Related to Variants of Uncertain Significance Results in Inherited Cardiac Arrhythmia and Inherited Cardiomyopathy Genes.

BACKGROUND Increasing use of genetic tests have identified many variants of uncertain significance (VUS) in genes associated with inherited arrhythmias and cardiomyopathies. Evaluation of clinical practices, including medical management recommendations for VUS patients and their families, is important to prevent over- or under-treatment that may result in morbidity or mortality. The purpose of this study is to describe practices related to VUS results including information and medical management recommendations providers give patients and their families. METHODS An anonymous online survey was distributed to genetic counselors (GCs) and cardiologists who have seen at least one patient for inherited arrhythmias or cardiomyopathies. The survey explored providers' confidence in counseling, explanation of VUSs, topics covered before and after genetic testing, and clinical recommendations using a hypothetical scenario maximizing uncertainty with an unclear clinical and molecular diagnosis. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and median confidence and likelihood of making various medical recommendations were compared across provider type. RESULTS Providers (N=102) who completed the survey included 29 cardiovascular GCs, 50 GCs from other specialties, and 23 cardiologists. GCs feel more confident than cardiologists counseling about VUS results (P<0.001); while both cardiovascular GCs and cardiologists feel more confident than other GCs in providing input regarding medical management recommendations (P=0.001 and P=0.01, respectively). Cardiologists were more likely than cardiac GCs to recommend clinical testing for family members even though testing in the scenario is expected to be uninformative. CONCLUSIONS These findings illustrate how the expertise of different providers may impact decision processes, suggesting the need for interdisciplinary clinics to optimize care for challenging cases.
Effect of Therapeutic Hypothermia on Outcomes After Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Nationwide Inpatient Sample analysis (2889)

Objective: To study the effect of therapeutic hypothermia (TH) on outcomes after severe traumatic brain Injury (TBI) in real practice using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database in United States. Background: Therapeutic hypothermia has been reported beneficial in traumatic brain injuries. But it is poorly understood especially in the real practice. Design/Methods: The NIS database was used to obtain data on all adults who had been discharged from 2012 to 2014 with a diagnosis of TBI who required mechanical ventilation, intracranial pressure monitoring or craniotomy/craniectomy using the ICD diagnosis and procedure codes. The patients with TH were assigned to the TH group and the rest were assigned to the control group. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality and the secondary outcomes included mean length of stay, non-routine hospital discharge and mean hospital charges. The outcomes “in-hospital mortality” and “non-routine discharge” were adjusted in multi-variable analysis using logistic regression. Results: A total of 7,79,735 with severe TBI patients did not undergo TH (control group) and 500 (0.06%) patients underwent TH. TH group was younger (49.2 versus 59.4 years, p Conclusions: Therapeutic hypothermia was associated with poorer outcomes in patients with severe TBI. This finding warrants further investigation through a prospective, randomized controlled study. Disclosure: Dr. Bandaru has nothing to disclose. Dr. Nguyen has nothing to disclose. Dr. Qureshi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Qureshi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Chaudhry has nothing to disclose. Dr. Piriyawat has nothing to disclose. Dr. Maud has nothing to disclose. Dr. Rodriquez has nothing to disclose. Dr. Cruz-Flores has nothing to disclose. Dr. Khatri has nothing to disclose. Dr. Vellipuram has nothing to disclose.
Supporting vegans through pregnancy and lactation

This article gathers the current knowledge base around veganism and plant-based diets in pregnancy and infant feeding, to explore how midwives can better support the increasing numbers of women and...
On bifurcations and local stability in 1-D nonlinear discrete dynamical systems

In this paper, a theory of bifurcations and local stability of fixed-points (or period-1 solutions) in one-dimensional nonlinear discrete dynamical systems is presented. The linearized discrete dynamical systems are discussed first, and the higher-order singularity and monotonic and oscillatory stability of fixed-points for one-dimensional nonlinear discrete dynamical systems are presented. The monotonic and oscillatory bifurcations of fixed-points (period-1 solutions) are presented. A few special examples in 1-dimensional maps are presented for a better understanding of the general theory for the stability and bifurcation of nonlinear discrete dynamical systems. Global analysis of period-2 motions for the sampled nonlinear discrete dynamical systems are carried out, and global illustrations of period-1 to period-2 solutions in the sampled nonlinear discrete dynamical systems are given.
Complicated acute frontal sinusitis in a child presenting with acute ischemic stroke.

Abstract Acute stroke as a complication of sinusitis is exceedingly rare, and even more so in children. Here we present the case of a healthy 9-year-old male who had an acute stroke in the setting of severe acute pansinusitis. The patient was started on parenteral antibiotics and underwent urgent endoscopic sinus surgery and adenoidectomy, ultimately making a full neurologic recovery. Of the previously reported cases of stroke as a complication of sinusitis, all showed evidence of carotid artery pathology. This is the first report to our knowledge of acute sinusitis presenting as stroke with normal arterial anatomy and function.
Trauma injury, severity, and outcomes among pediatric American Indian/Alaska Natives in the North Central United States

Abstract Background There is a disproportionately higher trauma morbidity between American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) and non-AI/AN children. Objective To characterize and compare trauma in AI/AN and non-AI/AN children presenting to a Regional Pediatric Level II Trauma Center (Adult Level I Trauma Center). Method A retrospective observational study of all children Results AI/AN children are more likely to be referred from outside hospitals [OR 5.61, 95% CI 3.79, 8.29], to have penetrating injuries [OR 3.87, 95% CI 1.88, 7.99] and have higher likelihood of both minor [OR 1.48, 95% Cl 1.06, 2.07] and major [OR 1.99, 95% Cl 1.37, 2.87] trauma activation on arrival. More AI/AN children suffer violent injuries [OR 3.12, 95% CI 1.90, 5.01], utilized Intensive Care Unit (ICU) [OR 1.54 95% CI 1.10, 2.14], had prolonged length of stay (LOS) [OR 1.52, 95% Cl 1.28, 1.80], and were less likely discharged home [OR 0.65, 95% Cl 0.44, 0.96]. Conclusions AI/AN pediatric trauma patients suffer higher morbidity compared to non-AI/AN pediatric trauma patients. This study provides data which supports the need for future interventions to decrease the burden of injury noted among AI/AN children. Study Type Treatment Study Type and Level of Evidence Retrospective comparative study; Level III
Use of Wearable Sensors and Machine Learning Methods in Promoting Total Joint Replacement Treatment Outcomes: A Survey:

Total Joint Replacement (TJR) surgeries are one of the most prevalent operations that are undergone by the elderly population. With the world population aging, the number of surgeries will continue...
High-speed visible supercontinuum laser absorption spectroscopy of metal oxides

Supercontinuum laser absorption spectroscopy is applied to energetic material combustion fireball environments using the visible spectrum for temperature and column density measurements of key metal combustion intermediates TiO and AlO. Fireballs are produced by igniting metal/ammonium perchlorate powder beds on a thermal-jump apparatus. This work marks, to our knowledge, the first quantitative absorption measurement of TiO (B2Πr−X2Δr, Δv=0) and demonstrates the feasibility of broadband visible metal-oxide absorption thermometry at rates up to 100 kHz. We also demonstrate the capability for single laser-shot absorption measurements. The mean AlO (B2Σ+−X2Σ+, Δv=0) temperature is 3010 K, whereas TiO has a mean temperature of 2095 K; both agree well with previous literature. Typical signal-to-noise ratios for the TiO and AlO absorption spectra are 22. The 100 kHz measurement rate reveals the time dynamics of titanium combustion—illustrating the potential for broadband multispecies monitoring in dynamic fireball environments.
Pediatric and adult dilated cardiomyopathy are distinguished by distinct biomarker profiles

Emerging evidence suggests that pediatric and adult dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) represent distinct diseases. Few diagnostic tools exist for pediatric cardiologists to assess clinical status and prognosis. We hypothesized that pediatric DCM would have a unique biomarker profile compared to adult DCM and controls. We utilized a DNA aptamer array (SOMAScan) to compare biomarker profiles between pediatric and adult DCM. We simultaneously measured 1310 plasma proteins and peptides from 39 healthy children (mean age 3 years, interquartile range (IQR) 1–14), 39 ambulatory subjects with pediatric DCM (mean age 2.7 years, IQR 1–13), and 40 ambulatory adults with DCM (mean age 53 years, IQR 46–63). Pediatric and adult DCM patients displayed distinct biomarker profiles, despite similar clinical characteristics. We identified 20 plasma peptides and proteins that were increased in pediatric DCM compared to age- and sex-matched controls. Unbiased multidimensionality reduction analysis suggested previously unrecognized heterogeneity among pediatric DCM subjects. Biomarker profile analysis identified four subgroups of pediatric DCM with distinguishing clinical characteristics. These findings support the emerging concept that pediatric and adult DCM are distinct disease entities, signify the need to develop pediatric-specific biomarkers for disease prognostication, and challenge the paradigm that pediatric DCM should be viewed as a single disease.