cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lenalidomide as a novel therapy for gastrointestinal angiodysplasia in von Willebrand disease.

Introduction Lenalidomide is a thalidomide analog with anti-angiogenic properties. Previous case reports suggest its efficacy in preventing gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) secondary to angiodysplasia (AD) in hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia and potentially in reversing AD. We present the first case series to explore lenalidomide as a treatment for AD-related GIB in patients with von Willebrand disease (VWD). Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted to include patients with VWD, who were evaluated from 2010 to 2013 and who had received lenalidomide to treat recurrent GIB secondary to AD. All patients had failed single-agent use of antifibrinolytic agents. Patients were observed for at least 2 years on therapy. Results Five patients (3 males; 68.2 ± 4.9 years) with VWD (3 with type 3 and 1 each with types 1 and 2a) and AD were found. Sites of AD included the stomach, duodenum, jejunum and colon. Lenalidomide was started at 5 mg oral daily. Uptitration to 10 and 15 mg in 1 patient each was necessary due to recurrence of GIB. The mean number of endoscopies performed for control of GIB post lenalidomide was significantly lower compared to pretherapy (0.25 vs 5.50; P = .001). Mean bleed-free duration on lenalidomide was 12.6 ± 4.7 months. Three patients have reported no GIB on lenalidomide. Conclusion This case series demonstrates significantly reduced number of endoscopies and increased bleed-free duration with lenalidomide treatment in selected patients with VWD and recurrent GIB from AD. Prospective multicenter trials are needed to further define the role of lenalidomide in the management of GIB from angiodysplasia and VWD.
Outcomes of a Pharmacist-Managed Heart Failure Medication Titration Assistance Clinic.

Background: National guidelines recommend angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) and β-blockers (BBs) at target doses for morbidity and mortality ben...
Cloud-assisted control of ground vehicles using adaptive computation offloading techniques

The existing approaches to design efficient safety-critical control applications is constrained by limited in-vehicle sensing and computational capabilities. In the context of automated driving, we argue that there is a need to leverage resources “out-of-the-vehicle” to meet the sensing and powerful processing requirements of sophisticated algorithms (e.g., deep neural networks). To realize the need, a suitable computation offloading technique that meets the vehicle safety and stability requirements, even in the presence of unreliable communication network, has to be identified. In this work, we propose an adaptive offloading technique for control computations into the cloud. The proposed approach considers both current network conditions and control application requirements to determine the feasibility of leveraging remote computation and storage resources. As a case study, we describe a cloud-based path following controller application that leverages crowdsensed data for path planning.
The pterygoclival ligament: a novel landmark for localization of the internal carotid artery during the endoscopic endonasal approach.

Objective The transpterygoid extension of the endoscopic endonasal approach provides exposure of the petrous apex, Meckel's cave, paraclival area, and the infratemporal fossa. Safe and efficient localization of the lacerum segment of the internal carotid artery (ICA) is a crucial part of such exposure. The aim of this study is to introduce a novel landmark for localization of the lacerum ICA. Methods Ten cadaveric heads were prepared for transnasal endoscopic dissection. The floor of the sphenoid sinus was drilled to expose an extension of the pharyngobasilar fascia between the sphenoid floor and the pterygoid process (the pterygoclival ligament). Several features of the pterygoclival ligament were assessed. In addition, 31 dry skulls were studied to assess features of the bony groove harboring the pterygoclival ligament. Results The pterygoclival ligament was identified bilaterally during drilling of the sphenoid floor in all specimens. The ligament started a few millimeters posterior to the posterior end of the vomer alae and invariably extended posterolaterally and superiorly to blend into the fibrous tissue around the lacerum ICA. The mean length of the ligament was 10.5 ± 1.7 mm. The mean distance between the anterior end of the ligament and midline was 5.2 ± 1.2 mm. The mean distance between the posterior end of the ligament and midline was 12.3 ± 1.4 mm. The bony pterygoclival groove was identified at the confluence of the vomer, pterygoid process of the sphenoid, and basilar part of the occipital bone, running from posterolateral to anteromedial. The mean length of the groove was 7.7 ± 1.8 mm. Its posterolateral end faced the anteromedial aspect of the foramen lacerum medial to the posterior end of the vidian canal. A clinical case illustration is also provided. Conclusions The pterygoclival ligament is a consistent landmark for localization of the lacerum ICA. It may be used as an adjunct or alternative to the vidian nerve to localize the ICA during endoscopic endonasal surgery.
Southern Gulf of Mexico Wilcox source to sink: Investigating and predicting Paleogene Wilcox reservoirs in eastern Mexico deep-water areas

Source-to-sink analyses show that northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Wilcox Group siliciclastic deep-water systems are linked to transport of sediments from the Laramide tectonic belt into the deep basin. Less is known, however, about southern GOM sedimentation. New drilling and discoveries in the Mexican deep water have generated considerable interest since the opening of Mexico to international exploration. To investigate Paleogene deposition in Mexico’s offshore areas, a three-phased approach was employed: (1) seismic mapping of deep-water depocenters, (2) regional stratigraphic analysis of potential basin entry points, and (3) prediction of submarine-fan dimensions using empirical scaling relationships. Isochore and structural mapping of the Wilcox depocenters used available well and seismic data. Potential basin entry points were identified by evaluation of Wilcox fluvial–deltaic systems and tectonic elements. Empirical scaling relationships previously established between fluvial and deep-water segments provide first-order predictions of submarine-fan dimensions. Paleogene Wilcox source-to-sink systems of the greater GOM basin change north to south as a function of varied tectonics and sedimentary accommodation. The United States sector was a passive margin: continental-scale drainage systems fed a broad, gently dipping shelf. By contrast, the southern GOM basin was a tectonically active margin: smaller-scale fluvial systems sourced from the Hidalgoan uplands flowed directly into foreland basins located on the slope. Results presented here indicate that several systems rimming the southern GOM were able to effectively transfer sediment from the mountain belt into the basin. Regional observations and semiquantitative predictions of fan dimensions provide a context for future detailed work based on new well and seismic information.
A Learning-Enhanced Adaptive Decision Support System Framework

Knowledge plays an important role in knowledge-based decision support systems (DSS). This is especially salient in dynamic environments where knowledge-based adaptive DSS operate. The role played by these DSS necessitates maintaining knowledge current since stale knowledge could lead to poor decision support. We present a generic adaptive DSS framework with learning capabilities that continually monitors itself for possible deficit in the knowledge base, expired or stale knowledge already present in the knowledge base, and availability of new knowledge from the environment. The knowledge base is updated through incremental learning. We illustrate the proposed generic knowledge-based adaptive DSS framework using examples from three different application areas. The framework is flexible by being able to be modified or extended to accommodate the idiosyncrasies of the application of interest. The proposed framework is an example artifact that naturally satisfies the design science guidelines. Moreover, by iteratively improving its performance through interactions and feedback from users, it also serves to bridge behavioral science and design science paradigms.
Report on the SEI Workshop on Ada in Freshman Courses

Abstract : The Undergraduate Software Engineering Education Project of the SEI Education Program sponsored a workshop on 'Ada in Freshman Courses' in June 1987. The workshop brought together several educators to discuss how the software engineering content of beginning programming and data structures might be improved. This report describes the workshop and summarizes the discussions and conclusions, and it also includes the position papers prepared by the participants.
Procapsid Assembly, Maturation, Nuclear Exit: Dynamic Steps in the Production of Infectious Herpesvirions

Herpesviruses, a family of animal viruses with large (125–250 kbp) linear DNA genomes, are highly diversified in terms of host range; nevertheless, their virions conform to a common architecture. The genome is confined at high density within a thick-walled icosahedral capsid with the uncommon (among viruses, generally) but unvarying triangulation number T = 16. The envelope is a membrane in which some 11 different viral glycoproteins are implanted. Between the capsid and the envelope is a capacious compartment called the tegument that accommodates ∼20–40 different viral proteins (depending on which virus) destined for delivery into a host cell. A strong body of evidence supports the hypothesis that herpesvirus capsids and those of tailed bacteriophages stem from a distant common ancestor, whereas their radically different infection apparatuses – envelope on one hand and tail on the other – reflect subsequent coevolution with divergent hosts. Here we review the molecular components of herpesvirus capsids and the mechanisms that regulate their assembly, with particular reference to the archetypal alphaherpesvirus, herpes simplex virus type 1; assess their duality with the capsids of tailed bacteriophages; and discuss the mechanism whereby, once DNA packaging has been completed, herpesvirus nucleocapsids exit from the nucleus to embark on later stages of the replication cycle.
Das Zusammenarbeiten der Erbfaktoren

In unseren bisherigen Erorterungen betrachteten wir das Verhaltnis zwischen den in den Chromosomen gelegenen Erbfaktoren und den von ihnen bedingten erblichen Eigenschaften sozusagen ganz naiv, indem wir einfach einem jeden Erbfaktor eine Eigenschaft zuordneten oder, anders ausgedruckt, indem wir uns den einzelnen Erbfaktor als einen Reprasentanten einer Erbeigenschaft innerhalb der Geschlechtszellen resp. ihren Chromosomen vorstellten. Wurde man eine solche Vorstellung sich nun folgerichtig weiter ausmalen, so kame man zu einem merkwurdigen Bild vom Lebewesen und seinen Erbeigenschaften. Das Lebewesen erschien uns als eine Art von Mosaik aus Erbeigenschaften, die einzeln und selbstandig nebeneinander stehen, so das schlieslich ein Organismus so zusammengesetzt ware, wie ein Mosaikbild aus seinen einzelnen Steinchen. Wenn man nun bedenkt, das ein Organismus doch ein Ganzes ist, das als Ganzes arbeitet und in dem die Teile sich dem Ganzen unterordnen, erscheint eine solche Vorstellung doch recht roh. Tatsachlich ist dies auch nicht die Vorstellung, zu der die Lehre von den mendelnden Erbfaktoren gefuhrt hat, wobei wir ganz von dem mehr philosophischen als naturwissenschaftlichen Problem absehen, welches Verhaltnis das Ganze zu seinen Teilen hat.
Photodynamic therapy of ocular melanoma with bis silicon 2,3-naphthalocyanine in a rabbit model.

Purpose. To investigate bis (tri-n-hexylsiloxy) silicon 2,3-naphthalocyanine (SINc ; 0.5 mg/kg) for photodynamic therapy of an experimental ocular melanoma in pigmented rabbits. Methods. SINc was dissolved in canola oil by heating, emulsified with Tween 80, and administered by ear vein. Pharmacokinetics were studied in frozen tumor sections by fluorescence microscopy using a charge coupled device, camera-based, low-light detection system with digital image processing at 1 and 24 hours. A Ti :sapphire laser and a microlens were used to deliver the light (770 nm ; 40 mW/cm 2 ; 20 J/cm 2 ). A control rabbit received light without SINc. Results. Localization studies of SINc showed intravascular distribution shifting to a tumor stromal and perivascular distribution 24 hours after treatment. Tissue thermal damage after irradiation was minimal in the control. Exudative retinal detachments were not observed. Tumor destruction was observed, with sharp demarcation to a depth of 3.5 mm. Conclusions. Tumor light penetration was good at 770 nm, and thermal effects from the exciting light alone were minimal. Photodynamic therapy with SINc resulted in localized tumor destruction reflecting the light beam path without damage to adjacent tissue or intraocular complications.
Abstract TP338: The Obesity Paradox in Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample

Introduction: Obesity is a well-established risk factor for cardiovascular disease and stroke. While a risk factor for the occurrence of these diseases, obesity has been shown to be unexpectedly pr...
Tesla Motors (B): Merging with SolarCity

In 2016, electric car manufacturer Tesla announced that it was making an offer to acquire solar panel manufacturer SolarCity in an all-stock offer worth $2.6 billion in Tesla stock. Tesla’s co-founder and CEO, Elon Musk, believed that the merger would generate significant cost and revenue synergies, based on his vision of the future of transportation, energy storage, and a “green” economy. However, most Wall Street analysts were highly skeptical of the deal, voicing concerns that the merger would burden Tesla with excessive debt and that Musk was using the deal to advance his personal interests (at the expense of public shareholders) and bail out Tesla. Concerns were raised over possible conflicts of interest, given that Musk owned over 20% of the stock, and sat on the board of directors of both companies. The viability of the merger was also questioned given that neither Tesla nor SolarCity had ever been profitable.
A sequential algorithm for false discovery rate control on directed acyclic graphs

SUMMARY We propose a linear-time, single-pass, top-down algorithm for multiple testing on directed acyclic graphs, where nodes represent hypotheses and edges specify a partial ordering in which the hypotheses must be tested. The procedure is guaranteed to reject a sub-directed acyclic graph with bounded false discovery rate while satisfying the logical constraint that a rejected node’s parents must also be rejected. It is designed for sequential testing settings where the directed acyclic graph structure is known a priori but the $p$-values are obtained selectively, such as in a sequence of experiments; however, the algorithm is also applicable in nonsequential settings where all $p$-values can be calculated in advance, such as in model selection. Our algorithm provably controls the false discovery rate under independence, positive dependence or arbitrary dependence of the $p$-values and specializes to known algorithms in the special cases of trees and line graphs; it simplifies to the classical Benjamini–Hochberg procedure when the directed acyclic graph has no edges. We explore the empirical performance of our algorithm through simulations and analysis of a real dataset corresponding to a gene ontology, and we demonstrate its favourable performance in terms of computational time and power.
Structured Inhibitory Activity Dynamics During Learning

Abstract Hippocampal network activity is tightly regulated by local inhibitory interneurons. Suppression of inhibition has been proposed to accelerate learning by enhancing network activity and plasticity; however, the activity dynamics of hippocampal interneurons during learning remain poorly understood. Furthermore, it is unknown if individual interneurons are stochastically suppressed across different learning episodes, mirroring the random remapping of place cells, or if instead they exhibit consistent patterns of activity suppression. These critical properties define how inhibition shapes and controls learning at a network level. To uncover the functional circuit dynamics of inhibition during novelty-induced learning, we recorded calcium activity from hippocampal CA1 interneurons using two-photon imaging as mice learned a virtual reality (VR) goal-directed spatial navigation task in new visual contexts. Here we focused on dendrite-targeting somatostatin-expressing interneurons (SOM-ints), which powerfully control burst firing and synaptic plasticity in excitatory neurons. We found robust activity suppression in SOM-ints upon exposure to novel virtual environments; activity then recovered over repeated exposures to the novel environment as the animal learned goal locations. At a population level, we found a continuum of activity suppression, from interneurons strongly suppressed to moderately activated during learning. Surprisingly, each interneuron exhibited a stable level of activity modulation: when animals were switched into a second novel environment, the magnitude of activity suppression was strongly correlated across remapping sessions. This work reveals dynamic inhibition suppression triggered by novel environments and the gradual return of inhibition with learning. Furthermore, unlike the stochastic remapping of place cells, inhibitory networks display a stable activity structure across learning episodes. This functional inhibitory circuit architecture suggests that individual interneurons play specialized and stereotyped roles during learning, perhaps by differentially regulating pyramidal subnetworks specialized for plasticity and stability.
Assessing whether cancer stage is needed to evaluate measures of hospital surgical performance.

Rational, aims, and objectives While public reports of hospital-level surgical quality measures are becoming increasingly common in health care, a comprehensive national assessment of surgical quality across multiple cancer sites has yet to be developed. Fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare claims present a potential resource from which to measure outcomes following cancer surgery given the national scope of patients and providers. However, due to the administrative nature of the data, clinical cancer information such as stage is not recorded. Leveraging the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry linked to FFS Medicare claims to analyse outcomes for patients whom we ultimately know stage information, we determined whether Medicare claims are suitable for measuring provider quality following cancer surgery by assessing the extent to which the lack of stage information modifies assessments of provider performance. Methods We identified patients aged 66 and older undergoing cancer surgery between 2011 and 2013 from SEER-Medicare. We compared the changes in the risk-standardized rates (RSRs), decile rankings, and c-statistics with and without risk adjustment for cancer stage for three measures of hospital performance: 30-day mortality, surgical complications, and unplanned readmissions. Results The RSR changed by at most 11.4% for mortality and by less than 4% for complications and readmissions, indicating that measures of hospital performance were stable with and without adjustment for stage. The relative performance of hospitals was also stable, as demonstrated by fewer than 20% of hospitals changing decile rank. The c-statistic declined by less than 2% across all measures, indicating that model fit was not substantially worsened without this information. Conclusion These findings support the use of FFS Medicare claims for hospital-level analyses of short-term outcomes following cancer surgery. Quality reporting based on these analyses can be used to help patients choose among hospitals and for evaluating policies to improve surgical cancer care.
Clinical characteristics of video-EEG patients: Limited utility of prolonging VEEG study duration beyond 5 days for spell classification.

Abstract Objective The objective of the study was to identify the probability of establishing a diagnosis based on the duration of video-electroencephalogram (VEEG) monitoring. Additional aims were to determine whether there is a relationship between clinical characteristics of epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) patients and VEEG results. Methods We studied EMU length of stay and assessed the utility of prolonging studies in patients who had not yet received a diagnosis. Clinical characteristics in 212 consecutive patients admitted for scalp VEEG monitoring were recorded. We collected data including reason for admission, frequency of seizures/spells, gender, age, age at seizure onset, handedness, family history, history of neurologic disease, current and past antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), and prior work-up. Subjects were categorized into five diagnostic groups: epileptic seizures (Epi), nonepileptic events (NEE), mixed epileptic and nonepileptic events (Mixed), nonepileptic events from a physiologic cause (NEEP), and nondiagnostic study without results recorded (ND). Results The most diagnoses were made during the first day of admission (45%), and by day 3, 82 patients remained without a diagnosis. On day 3, 25 of these patients (33%) received a diagnosis, on day 4, seven (22%) additional patients received a diagnosis, on day 5, 5 patients (35%) received a diagnosis, and by day 6, only one additional patient (11%) was given a diagnosis. Significant differences were found between diagnostic groups for admission reason, duration of EMU stay, age at seizure onset, duration of epilepsy, seizure frequency, and number of current and previously tried AEDs. Conclusions Our findings show that the majority of patients are diagnosed in the first 2 days of admission, and we found a limited benefit of prolonging nonsurgical inpatient VEEG studies beyond 5 days for spell/seizure classification. Additionally, patient demographics were significantly different for patients depending on VEEG diagnosis, which can help predict the utility of completing VEEG studies in individual patients.
Generation of bone marrow chimeras using X-ray irradiation: comparison to cesium irradiation and use in immunotherapy

Bone marrow chimeras represent a key tool employed to understand biological contributions stemming from the hematopoietic versus the stromal compartment. In most institutions, cesium irradiators are used to lethally irradiate recipient animals prior to the injection of donor bone marrow. Cesium irradiators, however, have significant liabilities—including concerns around domestic security. Recently, X-ray irradiators have been implemented as a potential alternative to cesium sources. Only a small number of publications in the literature have attempted to compare these two modalities and, in most cases, the emphasis was on irradiation of human blood productions. We were able to find only a single study that directly compared X-ray and cesium technologies in the generation of murine bone marrow chimeras, a standard laboratory practice. This study focused on chimerism in the blood of recipient animals. In the present study, we begin by comparing cesium and X-ray based sources for irradiation, then transition to using X-ray-based systems for immunology models with an emphasis on immunotherapy of cancer in immunocompetent mouse models—specifically evaluating chimerism in the blood, spleen, and tumor microenvironment. While our data demonstrate that the two platforms are functionally comparable and suggest that X-ray based technology is a suitable alternative to cesium sources. We also highlight a difference in chimerism between the peripheral (blood, spleen) and tumor compartments that is observed using both technologies. While the overall degree of chimerism in the peripheral tissues is very high, the degree of chimerism in the tumor is cell type specific with T and NK cells showing lower chimerism than other cell types.
Distance-Dependent Quenching of Anthracene Fluorescence by N,N-Diethylaniline Observed by Frequency-Domain Fluorometry

We measured the time-dependent fluorescence intensity decays of anthracene and 9,10-dimethylanthracene in propylene glycol quenched by N,N-diethylaniline by frequency-domain fluorometry. The frequency-domain data, for a range of temperatures and diffusion coefficients, are consistent with a rate of quenching which depends exponentially on the fluorophore-quencher separation distance. This type of quenching interaction explains upward curvature in the Stern-Volmer plots. In total, the steady-state and time-resolved data are consistent with a mechanism of quenching due to the electron transfer process from DEA to the singlet excited anthracene molecules.
Juvenile Probation Officer Decision-Making in a Reforming State: Assessing the Application of Evidence-Based Principles:

Whereas research has shown improvements in decision-making shortly after the introduction of risk/need assessment (RNA) tools, studies of routine practice nonetheless show shortcomings in RNA utili...
Nonlinear harmonic generation in two-dimensional lattices of repulsive magnets

In this work, we provide experimental evidence of nonlinear wave propagation in a triangular lattice of repulsive magnets supported by an elastic foundation of thin pillars, and we interpret all the individual features of the nonlinear wave field through the lens of a phonon band calculation that precisely accounts for the interparticle repulsive forces. We confirm the coexistence of two spectrally distinct components (homogeneous and forced) in the wave response that is induced via second harmonic generation (SHG) as a result of the quadratic nonlinearity embedded in the magnetic interaction. The detection of the forced component, specifically, allows us to attribute unequivocally the generation of harmonics to the nonlinear mechanisms germane to the lattice. We show that the spatial characteristics of the second harmonic components are markedly different from those exhibited by the fundamental harmonic. This endows the lattice with a functionality enrichment capability, whereby additional modal characteristics and directivity patterns can be triggered and tuned by merely increasing the amplitude of excitation.
Take a deep breath: the effects of television exposure and family communication on family shopping-related stress

Parents of children (age 2–12) participated in this study examining the influence of children’s television exposure on parent-reported child-initiated purchase requests and coercive behaviors and t...
The role of carbon stabilization and minerals on soil aggregation in different ecosystems

Abstract Soil physical structure under different land-uses is influenced by many factors and conditions in and around the soil environment, especially aggregate size distribution, aggregate stability, SOC, and soil particle size distribution. These soil properties, in turn, are also affected by a variety of mechanisms and factors. The present study focuses on increasing our understanding of the coupled interaction between C stabilization, different aggregate sizes, and the role of relative proportion of soil minerals on this interaction in different ecosystems. Five fields on two soil series were identified to study these mechanisms, where each field represented one long-term (>20 years) land-use. The Cf had lower disaggregation reduction (DR) in 1 – 2 mm aggregates, relative mass of aggregates smaller than 0.5 mm, and specific surface area (SSA) in bulk soil (BS) at 0 – 30 cm depth among non-eroded fields. However, Wf had a significantly higher C:N ratio, δ13C, and δ15N. Interestingly, the mass of 1–2 mm aggregates and DR were correlated to silt content across the five land-uses at all depths, but not with clay content. Further, the relative percentage of quartz was positively correlated with the mass of smaller aggregates. In contrast, albite and clay minerals were positively correlated with the mass of 1–2 mm aggregates, DR, and C: N of 1 – 2 mm aggregates. Moreover, SSA in BS was positively correlated with 2–4 mm aggregates but negatively correlated with aggregates smaller than 1 mm. Given the nature of how aggregates of different sizes form, soil aggregate size distribution and SSA would be as likely an important factor when considering the physical stability of SOC. In addition, the physical stabilization of SOC and aggregate size distribution appears to be affected by the dominant soil particle, which was silt with a range of 60–76% in this study.
Carrying Home: Theoretical and Theological Reflections on the Politics of Attachment and Belonging

Each person has a deep, unconscious sense of what feels like home to them. Formed in one’s earliest experiences, the term home is another way to describe what psychoanalyst Christopher Bollas calls the “unthought known.” One’s unthought known creates a longing in one and motivates one to search for home—to recreate the earliest childhood experiences that feel like home. Theologically, we might say that the longing for home is, in part, the longing for God, wholeness, and what is Good. Homing, or the process of recreating home, is not a neutral process, however. Rather, it is one fraught with political, economic, and psychological challenges born of exclusion and injustice. Pastoral practitioners can facilitate processes of mourning, witness, agency, and change.
Cytoreductive Surgery with Hyperthermic Intrathoracic Chemotherapy for Patients with Intrapleural Dissemination of Peritoneal Surface Malignancies.

Peritoneal surface malignancies (PSM) can disseminate into the pleural cavity, increasing morbidity and mortality. While cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemoperfusion (CRS/HIPEC) improves outcomes for PSM with intra-abdominal spread, the optimal approach for patients with pleural dissemination from PSM remains unclear. It seems reasonable to apply peritoneal carcinomatosis management principles to patients with pleural lesions using CRS and hyperthermic intrathoracic chemotherapy (HITHOC). We conducted a descriptive study to evaluate outcomes of PSM patients who underwent CRS/HITHOC for pleural dissemination using a high-volume PSM center’s prospective database from October 1994–June 2020. CRS/HITHOC was performed via either diaphragmatic window during CRS/HIPEC (CRS/HIPEC+HITHOC) or thoracotomy as a separate procedure (CRS/HITHOC). Of 852 completed CRS/HIPECs, 18 HITHOCs in 15 patients were identified: 10 CRS/HIPEC+HITHOCs, and 8 CRS/HITHOCs. CRS/HIPEC+HITHOC primary tumors included: 4 appendix, 4 ovary, 1 colon, and 1 unknown. All (n = 8) CRS/HITHOC patients had recurrent appendiceal neoplasms. Complete cytoreduction was achieved in 90% of CRS/HIPEC+HITHOCs and 75% of CRS/HITHOCs. Major complications occurred in 20% of CRS/HIPEC+HITHOCs and 13% of CRS/HITHOCs with no 30-day mortality in either group. After median follow-up of 22 months, overall survival at 1, 3, and 5 years was 93.3%, 67.9%, and 67.9%, while 1-, 3-, and 5-year progression-free survival was 70.9%, 20.3%, and 20.3%. Intrapleural recurrence occurred in 1 CRS/HIPEC+HITHOC and 2 CRS/HITHOC patients. CRS/HITHOC performed via diaphragm or thoracotomy at high-volume centers is a safe option for PSM with pleural dissemination. Further comparative studies with longer follow-up are needed to evaluate survival by tumor type.
Chemotherapy coupled to macrophage inhibition leads to B cell-mediated T cell memory activation and durable triple negative breast cancer regression

Immunosuppressive elements within the tumor microenvironment such as Tumor Associated Macrophages (TAMs) can present a barrier to successful anti-tumor responses by cytolytic T cells. We employed preclinical syngeneic p53 null mouse models of TNBC to develop a treatment regimen that harnessed the immunostimulatory effects of low-dose chemotherapy coupled with the pharmacologic inhibition of TAMs. Combination therapy was used to successfully treat several highly aggressive, claudin-low murine mammary tumors and lung metastasis. Long-term responders developed tertiary lymphoid structures co-infiltrated by T and B cells at the treatment site. Mechanistically, CD86+ antigen-experienced T cells exhibited polyclonal expansion and resulted in exceptional responses upon tumor rechallenge. Combination treatment also eliminated lung metastases. High dimensional transcriptomic data for CD45+ immune cells lead to the identification of an aberrant developmental trajectory for TAMs that were resistant to treatment. Signatures derived from these TAM populations were predictive of patient response to our therapy. This study illustrates the complexity of tumor infiltrating myeloid cells and highlights the importance of personalized immuno-genomics to inform therapeutic regimens.
Time for Space and the Stability of Prospective Control: Reaching-to-Grasp Gibson:

Gibson formulated an approach to goal-directed behavior using prospective information in the context of visually guided locomotion and manual behavior. The former was Gibson's paradigm case, but it...
Uniting Haptic Exploration and Display

This work develops a methodology for building haptic reality-based modeling systems by exploiting the complementary goals of haptic exploration and display. While the generally unstructured nature of haptic exploration makes it difficult to develop and control autonomous robotic fingers, simultaneous consideration of exploration and display provides a way to characterize the required sensing, control, finger geometry, and haptic modeling components. Both the exploring robot and haptic display must complement an appropriate virtual model, which can accurately recreate remote or hazardous environments. We present an example of haptic exploration, modeling and display for surface features explored using a three-degree-of-freedom spherical robotic fingertip with a tactile sensor.
The Nature of Nasal Fricatives: Articulatory-Perceptual Characteristics and Etiologic Considerations

Nasal fricatives (NFs) are unusual, maladaptive articulations used by children both with and without palatal anomalies to replace oral fricatives. Nasal fricatives vary in articulatory, aerodynamic, and acoustic-perceptual characteristics with two generally distinct types recognized. One type is produced with velopharyngeal (VP) constriction that results in turbulent nasal airflow and, frequently, tissue vibration (flutter) at the VP port. Trost (1981) described these as posterior NFs that have a distinctive snorting quality. A second type of NF is produced without significant VP constriction resulting in turbulent airflow generated at the anterior liminal valve of the nose. Of importance, both types are "active" alternative articulations in that the speaker occludes the oral cavity to direct all airflow through the nose (Harding & Grunwell, 1998). It is this oral gesture that differentiates NFs from obligatory (or passive) nasal air escape that may sound similar due to incomplete VP closure. The purpose of this article is to (1) describe the articulatory, aerodynamic, and acoustic-perceptual nature of NFs, and (2) propose a theoretical framework for the acquisition of NFs by children both with and without cleft palate.
Mechanisms by which atrial fibrillation-associated mutations in the S1 domain of KCNQ1 slow deactivation of IKs channels.

The slow delayed rectifier K+ current (IKs) is a major determinant of action potential repolarization in the heart. IKs channels are formed by coassembly of pore-forming KCNQ1 α-subunits and ancillary KCNE1 β-subunits. Two gain of function mutations in KCNQ1 subunits (S140G and V141M) have been associated with atrial fibrillation (AF). Previous heterologous expression studies found that both mutations caused IKs to be instantaneously activated, presumably by preventing channel closure. The purpose of this study was to refine our understanding of the channel gating defects caused by these two mutations located in the S1 domain of KCNQ1. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to replace S140 or V141 with several other natural amino acids. Wild-type and mutant channels were heterologously expressed in Xenopus oocytes and channel function was assessed with the two-microelectrode voltage clamp technique. Long intervals between voltage clamp pulses revealed that S140G and V141M KCNQ1-KCNE1 channels are not constitutively active as previously reported, but instead exhibit extremely slow deactivation. The slow component of IKs deactivation was decreased 62-fold by S140G and 140-fold by the V141M mutation. In addition, the half-point for activation of these mutant IKs channels was ∼50 mV more negative than wild-type channels. Other substitutions of S140 or V141 in KCNQ1 caused variable shifts in the voltage dependence of activation, but slowed IKs deactivation to a much lesser extent than the AF-associated mutations. Based on a published structural model of KCNQ1, S140 and V141 are located near E160 in S2 and R237 in S4, two charged residues that could form a salt bridge when the channel is in the open state. In support of this model, mutational exchange of E160 and R237 residues produced a constitutively open channel. Together our findings suggest that altered charge-pair interactions within the voltage sensor module of KCNQ1 subunits may account for slowed IKs deactivation induced by S140 or V141.
High Hydrostatic Pressure for Development of Vaccines

Disease management in the food industry is complex and includes use of good hygienic practices, antimicrobials, and immunization. Vaccines are available against many, but not all, disease agents affecting animals reared for human food. Fewer vaccines are currently licensed and widely available for human foodborne pathogens. Increased resistance to antimicrobials provides additional impetus to develop new vaccines. In addition to the need for new vaccines, new methods of vaccine production are desired. Some current methods of vaccine production can involve use of hazardous chemicals, provide inconsistent results, or present risk to vaccine recipients with certain allergies. The efficacy of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) for inactivation of a variety of foodborne pathogenic microorganisms has been well established, and some of these microorganisms have been demonstrated to retain immunogenic properties, suggesting HHP may have application for the development of vaccines. Studies on the effect of HHP on infectivity and immunogenicity of various viruses, a protozoan parasite, and one bacterial species are presented. Control of several of these pathogens is important for animal health and economic stability in several sectors of the food industry. The research to date on the potential for vaccine development by HHP is presented.
MedCalc Software for Statistics in Medicine. MedCalc Software, Broekstraat 52, 9030 Mariakerke, Belgium, $399.00.

MedCalc for Windows is a computer program for statistical applications in laboratory medicine. The package consists of a 161-page Program Manual and Software for Windows 3.1 or Windows 95. The Manual consists of a Table of Contents followed by a section on each of the windows in the main menu: File, Edit, Data, Statistics, Graphs, Tests, Sampling, Window, and Help windows. This is followed by sections on MedCalc Spreadsheet operations and functions, samples cases and four Appendices on the definition of control keys, functions, notations and symbols, and a brief set of statistical tables. The Manual concludes with literature references and a subject index. Overall, the manual read very well. It shows samples of the dialog panels that guide the user in the operation of this software package. The manual also includes definitions and basic discussion on the meaning and purpose of a given calculation or …
Quantitative studies on motoneurons. II. Spatial and dimensional organization of hypoglossal motoneurons in the boa constrictor, Constrictor constrictor.

The spatial distribution and sizes of degenerating hypoglossal neurons were studied following the removal of the genioglossus or hyoglossus muscles or of unilateral glossectomy in common boas with survival times of 7, 14, 21 or 40 days. The spatial organization of this nucleus differs from that of most cranial nerve nuclei in lacking a subnuclear organization: genioglossus and hyoglossus motoneurons are spread evenly throughout the nucleus and intrinsic tongue neurons show only a slight tendency to accumulate in the caudal half of the nucleus. The genioglossus and tongue neurons probably serve both ipsilateral and contralateral muscles with the ipsilateral innervation being largest; the hyoglossus motoneurons probably innervate only ipsilateral muscles. Complementary analyses of the transverse sectional areas of both degenerating and non-degenerating neurons indicates that, although their size ranges overlap, genioglossus motoneurons are small and tongue and hyoglossus motoneurons are progressively larger.
Does fall prescribed burning Artemisia tridentata steppe promote invasion or resistance to invasion after a recovery period

Abstract Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis (Beetle & A. Young) S.L. Welsh-bunchgrass communities were used to analyze the influence of disturbances on invasibility after a recovery period. These communities evolved with periodic fires shifting dominance from shrubs to herbaceous species. However, fire can facilitate Bromus tectorum L. invasion of these plant communities. We evaluated the invasibility of A. tridentata ssp. wyomingensis -bunchgrass communities 4 years after prescribed fall burning at six sites by comparing burned to unburned (control) communities. These communities did not have B. tectorum present prior to introduction. B. tectorum was introduced at 1, 10, 100, 1000, and 10,000 seeds m −2 in burned and unburned communities. B. tectorum individuals established only when introduced at 10,000 seeds m −2 . In the areas seeded at 10,000 seeds m −2 , B. tectorum density and cover were more than three-fold higher in the control than burned treatments ( P =0.04 and 0.08, respectively). Total herbaceous vegetation cover, density, and production increased with burning ( P P =0.02 and A. tridentata ssp. wyomingensis -bunchgrass communities stimulated the herbaceous component and increased the resistance of the communities to B. tectorum invasion 4 years post-burn. However, we do not suggest the use of prescribed burning in communities where invasive annual grasses are present or in close proximity. We acknowledge that our results would probably have been drastically different if B. tectorum or other invasive annual grasses had been a component of the plant communities prior to prescribed burning or became a component immediately after burning.
Infrared matrix isolation studies of the reactions of F2 with sulfur and phosphorus bases

Abstract The matrix isolation technique has been used to study the initial intermediate products of the reaction of molecular fluorine, F 2 , with several alkyl sulfides, as well as with trimethylphosphine. While previous studies of the reaction of these bases with ClF and Cl 2 demonstrated that charge transfer complexes are formed no evidence has been here for complex formation. Rather direct reaction occurs for each system studied, leading in several cases to hydrogen displacement products, while in other systems the spectral evidence supports a direct addition reaction. For example, in the F 2 /H 2 S system, initial formation of H 2 SF 2 is postulated, followed by HF elimination to form HSF upon Hg arc irradiation.
Opportunistic media access control and routing for delay-tolerant mobile ad hoc networks

In delay-tolerant mobile ad hoc networks, motion of network nodes, network sparsity and sporadic density can cause a lack of guaranteed connectivity. These networks experience significant link delay and their routing protocols must take a store-and-forward approach. In this paper, an opportunistic routing protocol is proposed, along with its compatible media access control, for non-real-time services in delay-tolerant networks. The scheme is mobility-aware such that each network node needs to know its own position and velocity. The media access control employs a four-fold handshake procedure to probe the wireless channel and cooperatively prioritize candidate nodes for packet replication. It exploits the broadcast characteristic of the wireless medium to utilize long-range but unreliable links. The routing process seizes opportunities of node contacts for data delivery. It takes a multiple-copy approach that is adaptive with node movements. Numerical results in mobile ad hoc networks and vehicular ad hoc networks show superior performance of the proposed protocol compared with other routing protocols. The mobility-aware media access control and routing scheme exhibits relatively small packet delivery delay and requires a modest amount of total packet replications/transmissions.
Plants Compared to Animals: The Broadest Comparative Study of Development

If the last common ancestor of plants and animals was unicellular, comparison of the developmental mechanisms of plants and animals would show that development was independently invented in each lineage. And if this is the case, comparison of plant and animal developmental processes would give us a truly comparative study of development, which comparisons merely among animals, or merely among plants, do not—because in each of these lineages, the fundamental mechanisms are similar by descent. Evidence from studies of developmental mechanisms in both kingdoms, and data from genome-sequencing projects, indicate that development evolved independently in the lineages leading to plants and to animals.
Clinical acute renal failure: diagnosis and management.

Acute renal failure (ARF)_is frequently encountered in the hospitalized setting. In this article, we discuss the etiology, pathogenesis, preventative therapies, and renal replacement strategies in patients with acute tubular necrosis, the most common form of hospitalized ARF.
How Good Are Our Conceptual Models of Orographic Cloud Seeding

Some of the complexities of clouds and precipitation that have been encountered in field projects are reviewed. These complexities highlight areas of cloud microstructure and precipitation development that need to be better understood before adequate conceptual or numerical models of orographic cloud seeding can be developed. Some concerns about cloud sampling with regard to the evolutionary behavior of supercooled clouds from water to ice are also discussed.
Trends in Ambulatory Health Care Usage for Adult Acne

Background:The prevalence of acne is increasing among young children but not well characterized in older patients.Objective:To determine whether ambulatory health care for adult acne is increasing and whether the average age of adult acne patients seeking care has been increasing over time.Methods:We performed a retrospective analysis of data from the 1993-2010 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey for acne visits in ages 25 and older.Results:Average age of adult acne patients increased by 0.13 years per year over the study period. Visits per 100 000 population declined in the 25 to 34 age group (P = .05) and did not change significantly in the 35 to 44 and 45 and older age groups.Conclusions:The hypothesis that adult acne visits are increasing was not supported, but the average age of adult acne patients seeking care has been rising.