cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Remote Control of Apical Epithelial Sheet Contraction by Laser Ablation or Nano-Perfusion: Acute Stimulus Triggers Rapid Remodeling of F-Actin Network in Apical Cortex

Apical contraction is the major tissue movement during remodeling of epithelial sheets in development. During apical contraction, groups of cells narrow their apices to form bottle-shaped structures, driving events such as sea-urchin gastrulation [1], Drosophila ventral-furrow formation, vertebrate neurulation and wound healing [2]. Tissue-folding events such as invagination, ingression and involution involve this tissue movement in which cells actively build “rifts” and “tubes”. Epithelial cells integrate genetic information, mechanical signals, and biochemical gradients to build these structures, but how they do so is unknown [3]. Theoretical models [4] provide some mechanical explanation for these events. Here we experimentally induce apical contractions controllably for the first time in amphibian embryos. Two independent methods, namely, laser ablation of cell membranes and nano-perfusion with cell lysate induce cell contraction in tissue isolates and in whole embryos. We demonstrate a biochemical pathway that stimulates rapid actin-reorganization/ polymerization accompanied by increases in α-actinin. The F-actin remodeling correlates with increased levels of Ca++. Cell contraction begins within few seconds of laser ablation or nano-perfusion, peaks within a minute and is followed by a similar relaxation. Acute control of epithelial mechanics will allow us to better understand how molecular genetic processes drive shape change in tissues and will help future bioengineers build complex 3D epithelial organs.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
A New Approach to Isolation

Classic methods of preventing the spread of infectious disease in a hospital are costly, wasteful of staff time and bed space and frequently incompatible with the best interests of patients needing specialized medical and nursing care. In this article Dr. Burke describes a portable, bacteria-free unit that provides isolation without deprivation.
A Phase II Study of 5-AZA-2'Deoxycytidine (Decitabine) in Hormone Independent Metastatic (D2) Prostate Cancer:

Aims and BackgroundDecitabine (5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine) is an S-phase-specific pyrimidine analog with hypomethylation properties. In laboratory models of prostate cancer (PC-3 and DU-145), decitabine induces cellular differentiation and enhanced expression of genes involved in tumor suppression, immunogenicity, and programmed cell death.MethodsWe conducted a phase II study of decitabine in 14 men with progressive, metastatic prostate cancer recurrent after total androgen blockade and flutamide withdrawal. Decitabine was administered at a dose of 75 mg/m2/dose IV as a 1 hour infusion every 8 hours for three doses. Cycles of therapy were repeated every 5 to 8 weeks to allow for resolution of toxicity.ResultsTwo of 12 patients evaluable for response had stable disease with a time to progression of more than 10 weeks. This activity was seen in 2 of 3 African-American patients. Toxicity was similar to previously reported experience. No significant changes in urinary concentrations of the angiogenic factor bFGF,...
Neuroimaging in Newly Diagnosed Epilepsy

The use of neuroimaging and its value in diagnosis were determined in a community based study of 613 children with newly diagnosed epilepsy referred to Yale University, New Haven, CT.
Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 CruA (sll0147) encodes lycopene cyclase and requires bound chlorophyll a for activity

The genome of the model cyanobacterium, Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002, encodes two paralogs of CruA-type lycopene cyclases, SynPCC7002_A2153 and SynPCC7002_A0043, which are denoted cruA and cruP, respectively. Unlike the wild-type strain, a cruA deletion mutant is light-sensitive, grows slowly, and accumulates lycopene, γ-carotene, and 1-OH-lycopene; however, this strain still produces β-carotene and other carotenoids derived from it. Expression of cruA from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 (cruA 6803) in Escherichia coli strains that synthesize either lycopene or γ-carotene did not lead to the synthesis of either γ-carotene or β-carotene, respectively. However, expression of this orthologous cruA 6803 gene (sll0147) in the Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 cruA deletion mutant produced strains with phenotypic properties identical to the wild type. CruA6803 was purified from Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 by affinity chromatography, and the purified protein was pale yellow-green due to the presence of bound chlorophyll (Chl) a and β-carotene. Native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the partly purified protein in the presence of lithium dodecylsulfate at 4 °C confirmed that the protein was yellow-green in color. When purified CruA6803 was assayed in vitro with either lycopene or γ-carotene as substrate, β-carotene was synthesized. These data establish that CruA6803 is a lycopene cyclase and that it requires a bound Chl a molecule for activity. Possible binding sites for Chl a and the potential regulatory role of the Chl a in coordination of Chl and carotenoid biosynthesis are discussed.
National age group trends in Clostridium difficile infection incidence and health outcomes in United States Community Hospitals

Prior studies have demonstrated an increase in Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) incidence in the United States (U.S.) in recent years, but trends among different age groups have not been evaluated. This study describes national CDI incidence by age group over a 10-year period and mortality and hospital length of stay (LOS) among patients with CDI. This was a retrospective analysis of the U.S. National Hospital Discharge Surveys from 2001 to 2010. Eligible patients with an ICD-9-CM discharge diagnosis code for CDI (008.45) were stratified by age: <18 years (pediatrics), 18–64 years (adults), and ≥65 years (elderly adults). Data weights were used to derive national estimates. CDI incidence was calculated as CDI discharges/1000 total discharges. Mortality and LOS were compared between age groups using chi-square or Wilcoxon rank sum tests. These data represent 2.3 million hospital discharges for CDI over the study period. CDI incidence was highest among elderly adults (11.6 CDI discharges/1000 total discharges), followed by adults (3.5 CDI discharges/1000 total discharges) and pediatrics (1.2 CDI discharges/1000 total discharges). The elderly also had higher rates of mortality (8.8%) compared to adults (3.1%) and pediatrics (1.4%) (p < 0.0001). In addition, median hospital LOS was highest in the elderly (8 days) compared to adults (7 days) and pediatrics (6 days) (p < 0.0001). CDI incidence among patients hospitalized in U.S. hospitals differed based on age group between 2001 and 2010. CDI incidence, mortality, and hospital LOS were highest in the elderly adult population.
Wittgenstein and Therapeutic Education

Wittgenstein’s method of doing philosophy with a therapeutic purpose has a direct bearing on current debates about the propriety of therapeutic education. Many detractors of therapeutic education worry that the practice contributes to a secular understanding of the self and of personal responsibility that is morally bankrupt and damaging to both individuals and society. They worry that therapeutic education teaches students to think of themselves as damaged and to think of their actions as rooted in their wounds rather than in autonomous choices. In that spirit, such critics of therapeutic education call for a return to a “traditional” academic curriculum, and to a view of individuals as morally capable and culpable. While such complaints might be valid for some particular therapeutic educational programs, Wittgenstein’s manner of examining and healing himself through the process of philosophical reflection demonstrates the soundness of therapeutic education, at least in principle. Wittgenstein’s example shows that the sort of open-ended examinations of self, morality, and one’s conception of the world associated with therapeutic education is essential to the development of moral depth and spiritual well-being rather than being antithetical to them. Critics of therapeutic education may be hostile to Wittgenstein’s example of moral and spiritual seeking because they are wedded to the ideas of moral and religious truth rooted in what Charles Taylor identifies as having evolved during the Reformation, whereas Wittgenstein’s own method is more in keeping with a progressive religious outlook that emerged in the cultural revolution of the 1960s.
Importance of Computed Tomography in Determining Displacement in Scaphoid Fractures.

Background Displaced scaphoid fractures have a relatively high rate of nonunion. Detection of displacement is vital in limiting the risk of nonunion when treating scaphoid fractures. Questions/Purpose We evaluated the ability to diagnose displacement on radiographs and computed tomography (CT), hypothesizing that displacement is underestimated in assessing scaphoid fracture by radiograph compared with CT. Materials and Methods Thirty-five preoperative radiographs and CT scans of acute scaphoid fractures were evaluated by two blinded observers. Displacement and angular deformity were measured, and the fracture was judged as displaced or nondisplaced. Scapholunate, radiolunate, and intrascaphoid angles were measured. Radiograph and CT measurements between nondisplaced and displaced fractures were compared. Intraobserver reliability was measured. Results Reader 1 identified 12 fractures as nondisplaced on radiograph, but displaced on CT (34%). Reader 2 identified 9 fractures as nondisplaced on radiograph, but displaced on CT (26%). For displaced fractures, the mean intrascaphoid angle was over three times greater when measured on CT than on radiograph (56 vs. 16 degrees). Scapholunate angle >65 degrees and radiolunate angle >16 degrees were significantly associated with displacement on CT. Interobserver reliability for diagnosing displacement was perfect on CT but less reliable on radiograph. Conclusion Scaphoid fracture displacement on CT was identified in 26 to 34% of fractures that were nondisplaced on radiograph, confirming that radiographic evaluation alone underestimates displacement. These results underscore the importance of CT scan in determining displacement and angular deformity when evaluating scaphoid fractures, as it may alter the decision on treatment and surgical approach to the fracture. We recommend considering CT scan to evaluate all scaphoid fractures. Level of Evidence Level III.
Gas Phase Applications of NMR Spectroscopy

This article describes the application of NMR spectroscopy to gaseous samples. The differences between gas gas-phase spectra and those from other phases are highlighted. Details of sample preparation and data acquisition are given. Applications in the areas of heterogeneous catalysis, conformational dynamics and adsorption processes are explained.
Tough decoy targeting of predominant let-7 miRNA species in adult human hematopoietic cells.

In humans, the heterochronic cascade composed of the RNA-binding protein LIN28 and its major target, the let-7 family of microRNAs (miRNAs), is highly regulated during human erythroid ontogeny. Additionally, down-regulation of the let-7 miRNAs in cultured adult CD34(+) cells or the over-expression of LIN28 in cultured erythrocytes from pediatric patients with HbSS genotype causes increased levels of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) in the range of 19–40% of the total. Therefore, we hypothesized that focused targeting of individual let-7 miRNA family members would exhibit regulatory effect on HbF expression in human adult erythroblasts. The expression levels of mature let-7 family members were measured by RT-qPCR in purified cell populations sorted from peripheral blood. To study the effects of let-7 miRNAs upon globin expression, a lentiviral construct that incorporated the tough decoy (TuD) design to target let-7a or let-7b was compared with empty vector controls. Transductions were performed in CD34(+) cells from adult healthy volunteers cultivated ex vivo in erythropoietin-supplemented serum-free media for 21 days. Downstream analyses included RT-qPCR, Western blot and HPLC for the characterization of adult and fetal hemoglobins. The expression of individual let-7 miRNA family members in adult peripheral blood cell populations demonstrated that let-7a and let-7b miRNAs are expressed at much higher levels than the other let-7 family members in purified adult human blood cell subsets with expression being predominantly in reticulocytes. Therefore, we focused this study upon the targeted inhibition of let-7a and let-7b with the TuD design to explore its effects upon developmentally-timed erythroid genes. Let-7a-TuD transductions significantly increased gamma-globin mRNA expression and HbF to an average of 38%. Let-7a-TuD also significantly decreased the mRNA expression of some ontogeny-regulated erythroid genes, namely CA1 and GCNT2. In addition, the erythroid-related transcription factors BCL11A and HMGA2 were down- and up-regulated, respectively, by let-7a-TuD, while ZBTB7A, KLF1 and SOX6 remained unchanged. Overall, our data demonstrate that let-7 miRNAs are differentially expressed in human hematopoietic cells, and that targeted inhibition of the highly-expressed species of this family is sufficient for developmentally-specific changes in gamma-globin expression and HbF levels.
Prenatal maternal serum concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in association with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability

Background: Emerging work has examined neurodevelopmental outcomes following prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), but few studies have assessed associations with autism ...
Grammar in Boys With Idiopathic Autism Spectrum Disorder and Boys With Fragile X Syndrome Plus Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Purpose Some boys with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and boys with fragile X syndrome and a codiagnosis of ASD (FXS+ASD) have impairments in expressive grammatical abilities. The current study com...
Threat Assessment in School Violence

Every time a high profile act of violence occurs at school, attention turns to the prevention of school violence. School violence affected 37 communities across the United States between 1974 and June 2000. The Columbine incident that took place in Littleton, Colorado, on April 20, 1999, imprinted the most violent of school attacks on American minds when 14 students and a teacher lost their lives. According to the U.S. Department of Education & U.S. Department of Justice (1999), over 60 million students attend over 100,000 schools and most will not fall prey to serious violence in schools, but Americans would like to know if they could have known about any attack planning and if they could have done anything to prevent such school violence. Coie and Jacobs (1993) and Elias and Tobias (1996) have documented that prevention and early intervention efforts can reduce violence and other troubling behaviors in schools. Cornell (1998) and Quinn et al. (1998) indicate that researchbased practices can help school communities recognize the warning signs early and that promising prevention and intervention strategies that involve the entire educational community, administrators, teachers, families, students, support staff, and community members can make school safer. However, not all schools provide comprehensive violence prevention plans. Some schools opt for solutions like installing metal detectors or hiring a security guard, while others recognize that violence prevention calls for a comprehensive approach that infuses every aspect of school life. Bus and playground safety, Internet use policies, gang prevention, classroom management, anti-bullying policies, and identification and early intervention with students who are struggling psychologically encompass important areas of school safety. Effective efforts both protect the physical safety of students and staff and promote positive learning and social development. The proven fundamentals of violence prevention include strategies that are child focused and support learning. Schools must balance building security with efforts that foster student resiliency, connectedness, and social competency. Specifically schools should create welcoming, nurturing school climates; enforce positive behavior and discipline for all students; support student mental health and wellness; develop and regularly review crisis and threat assessment plans; train staff in crisis
An Introduction to Binary Response Regression and Associated Trend Analyses

An introduction and tutorial is presented for regression and trend analyses when data are observed in the form of proportions. The basic binomial probability model is assumed. Emphasis is placed on quantal response analyses, useful when a concomitant pr..
An Experimental Evaluation of the Resonant Ultrasonic Spectroscopy Method

For several years we have used Resonant Ultrasonic Spectroscopy (RUS) for routine determination of elastic-stiffness coefficients [1]. RUS has also been used elsewhere as reviewed by Maynard [2] and by Migliori [3]. Therefore, it is important experimentally establish the uncertainty of the RUS method. Previously, we have compared RUS with pulse-echo superposition and with other resonance methods [4,5] In this paper, we describe the process we used to determine that the RUS method has a 0.15% uncertainty, which is comparable with our best short-pulse time-of-flight measurement methods.
Biochemical and Electrophysiological Characteristics of Mammalian Gaba Receptors

Publisher Summary The identification of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the vertebrate central nervous system was made by Roberts and Frankel, Udenfriend, and Awapara. In the succeeding 30 years, data have accumulated to suggest that this amino acid may serve as one of the more important neurotransmitters in mammalian brain and spinal cord. While early work concentrated on characterizing the manner in which this substance is synthesized, catabolized, stored, released, and accumulated in brain tissue, in more recent years there has been a shift in emphasis to identifying and defining the synaptic receptor sites for GABA. There was skepticism about a neurotransmitter role for GABA prior to the discovery of agents capable of antagonizing, relatively specifically, the electrophysiological effects of this substance. During the past decade, the tempo of research on GABA transmission has increased dramatically. Evidence has been found to link alterations in GABA function with the symptoms of a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders. Discoveries have been made implicating GABA and its receptors in the mechanism of action of a variety of clinically effective agents, such as anxiolytics, hypnotics, muscle relaxants, and anticonvulsants. Knowledge in this area has advanced to a stage where it is now possible to design drugs that will rather selectively modify the GABA system. Many of these agents are currently undergoing clinical trials. This chapter discusses the results of recent biochemical and electrophysiological studies directed toward characterizing GABA receptors. Because of the rapid developments in this field, the chapter focuses on highlighting and discussing topics that represent some of the more exciting advances in this area.
Survival impact of prolonged postoperative radiation therapy for patients with glioblastoma treated with combined-modality therapy.

Background Though conventionally fractionated chemoradiation (CRT) is well tolerated by selected patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM), adverse health-related and nonhealth-related factors can lead to unplanned interruptions in treatment. The effects of prolonged time to completion (TTC) of radiation therapy (RT) on overall survival (OS) for these patients are unclear. Methods The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was queried for all adult patients with newly diagnosed GBM undergoing surgical resection followed by adjuvant CRT with conventionally fractionated RT (6000-6600 cGy in 30-33 fractions) from 2005 to 2012. TTC was defined as the interval from first to last fraction of RT. Recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) was used to determine a threshold for TTC of adjuvant RT. Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to identify covariates associated with OS. Results A total of 13489 patients were included in our cohort. Patients who completed adjuvant RT within the RPA-defined threshold of 46 days from initiation of RT (median OS: 14.0 months, 95% confidence interval (CI) 13.7 to 14.3 months) had significantly improved OS compared to patients with TTC of 47 days or greater (median OS: 12.0 months, 95% CI 11.4 to 12.6 months, P < .001). Delays in completing adjuvant RT were relatively common, with 15.0% of patients in our cohort having a TTC of RT of 47 days or greater. Conclusions Delays in completing adjuvant RT were associated with a worse survival outcome. Any unnecessary delays in completing adjuvant RT should be minimized while ensuring the safe delivery of therapy.
BLUE SABINO: Development of a Bilateral Exoskeleton Instrument for Comprehensive Upper-Extremity Neuromuscular Assessment

BLUE SABINO is an NSF-funded collaborative project between researchers at the University of Idaho, UCLA, and St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute. The goal of the project is to develop a BiLateral Upper-extremity Exoskeleton for Simultaneous Assessment of Biomechanical and Neuromuscular Output (BLUE SABINO). The project combines a dual-arm exoskeleton system with off-the-shelf electromyographic (EMG) and electroencephalographic (EEG) measurement equipment. A preliminary CAD model, featuring innovative new designs and components adapted from several previous systems, has been developed to address the needs of therapists and patients in post-stroke neurological assessment.
Validating Models of Bistatic Scattering from Dielectric Surfaces with Small Roughness

Prediction of radar clutter produced by rough ground surfaces is an important part of detection performance analysis for ground penetrating radar (GPR). In this paper., we consider surfaces with small roughness., such as a dirt road., which are suitable for treatment by the small perturbation method (SPM). We compute the bistatic scattering coefficient from such surfaces using first-and-second-order SPM., as well as an FDTD-based approach. The results obtained over the entire range of bistatic scattering angles and different polarizations show a very good agreement between the two techniques. Additionally., the V-V case exhibits some interesting phenomenology which could be exploited in a bistatic radar system for buried target detection.
Study of Sub-interfacial Quasi-static Crack Propagation Using Shearing Interferometry

Cracks on the interface between two materials have been extensively studied in view of their applications to failure processes in composite materials [1–3]. In this work, we look at the case of cracks that are off but close to an interface. Some early studies have indicated that under certain circumstances such sub-interfacial cracks tend to grow along a path that is parallel to the interface at a characteristic distance from the interface depending on the loading and material properties of the two materials. In this study, we optically map crack-tip stress fields for cracks that start off the interface, and track them as they subsequently propagate off the interface. The optical technique that was developed in our laboratory and which is used in this study will be explained. This shearing interferometer is used in conjunction with a 1000 frame/sec video camera. The resulting fringe patterns are evaluated to obtain information about the stress-state during initiation and propagation. The conditions for crack propagation parallel to the interface are explained. The experimental results are compared with crack trajectories predicted by finite element simulations.
Clean Air and Interstate Transport: Seeing the Big Picture

This piece argues that the problem of interstate transport of air pollution in the United States cannot be solved unless new, cleaner, plants are built to replace old coal-fired plants. It also suggests that, rather than focus on transport, stress be placed on the improvements in public health in the upwind states that would result from controls on coal-fired plants.
RecSys Issues Ontology: A Knowledge Classification of Issues for Recommender Systems Researchers

Scholarly research has extensively examined a number of issues and challenges affecting recommender systems (e.g. ‘cold-start’, ‘scrutability’, ‘trust’, ‘context’, etc.). However, a comprehensive knowledge classification of the issues involved with recommender systems research has yet to be developed. A holistic knowledge representation of the issues affecting a domain is critical for research advancement. The aim of this study is to advance scholarly research within the domain of recommender systems through formal knowledge classification of issues and their relationships to one another within recommender systems research literature. In this study, we employ a rigorous ontology engineering process for development of a recommender system issues ontology. This ontology provides a formal specification of the issues affecting recommender systems research and development. The ontology answers such questions as, “What issues are associated with ‘trust’ in recommender systems research?”, “What are issues associated with improving and evaluating the ‘performance’ of a recommender system?” or “What ‘contextual’ factors might a recommender systems developer wish to consider in order to improve the relevancy and usefulness of recommendations?” Additionally, as an intermediate representation step in the ontology acquisition process, a concept map of recommender systems issues has been developed to provide conceptual visualization of the issues so that researchers may discern broad themes as well as relationships between concepts. These knowledge representations may aid future researchers wishing to take an integrated approach to addressing the challenges and limitations associated with current recommender systems research.
Through Fog High-Resolution Imaging Using Millimeter Wave Radar

This paper demonstrates high-resolution imaging using millimeter Wave (mmWave) radars that can function even in dense fog. We leverage the fact that mmWave signals have favorable propagation characteristics in low visibility conditions, unlike optical sensors like cameras and LiDARs which cannot penetrate through dense fog. Millimeter-wave radars, however, suffer from very low resolution, specularity, and noise artifacts. We introduce HawkEye, a system that leverages a cGAN architecture to recover high-frequency shapes from raw low-resolution mmWave heat-maps. We propose a novel design that addresses challenges specific to the structure and nature of the radar signals involved. We also develop a data synthesizer to aid with large-scale dataset generation for training. We implement our system on a custom-built mmWave radar platform and demonstrate performance improvement over both standard mmWave radars and other competitive baselines.
Health benefits of social insurance

This paper studies the potential positive externality of unemployment insurance (UI) on infant birth outcomes. Taking advantage of variations of UI benefits across states and over time, we find that UI improves birth outcomes, including mean birth weight, full-term birth weight, low birth weight, fetal growth, and preterm birth. If all states apply the UI schedule of the most generous state (Massachusetts), the average birth weight increases by roughly 19 g.
The temporal and spatial development of dB/dt for substorms

Ground induced currents (GICs) due to space weather are a threat to high voltage power transmission systems. However, knowledge of ground conductivity is the largest source of errors in the determination of GICs. A good proxy for GICs is dB/dt obtained from the Bx and By components of the magnetic field fluctuations. It is known that dB/dt values associated with magnetic storms can reach dangerous levels for power transmission systems. On the other hand, it is not uncommon for dB/dt values associated with substorms to exceed prior Pulkkinen and Molinski critical thresholds of 1.5 nT/s and 5 nT/s, respectively, and the temporal and spatial changes of the dB/dt associated with substorms, unlike storms, are not well understood. Using two dimensional maps of dB/dt over North America and Greenland derived from the spherical elementary currents, we investigate the temporal and spatial change of dB/dt for both a single substorm event and a two dimensional superposed epoch analysis of many substorms. Both the single event and the statistical analysis shows a sudden increase of dB/dt at substorm onset followed by an expansion poleward, westward, and eastward after the onset during the expansion phase. The area of dB/dt values exceeding the two critical thresholds from the initial onset dB/dt values showed little to no expansion equatorward. The temporal and spatial development of the dB/dt resembles the temporal and spatial change of the auroral emissions. Substorm values of dB/dt peak shortly after the auroral onset time and in at least one event exceeded 35 nT/s for a non-storm time substorm. In many of our 81 cases the area that exceeds the threshold of 1.5 nT/s is over several million square kilometers and after about 30 minutes the dB/dt values fall below the threshold level. These results address one of goals of the Space Weather Action Plan, which are to establish benchmarks for space weather events and improve modeling and prediction of their impacts on infrastructure. Plain language : The change in the ground magnetic field with respect to time (dB/dt) associated with magnetic storms (a large disturbance of the magnetic field of the earth) can reach dangerous levels for power transmission systems. On the other hand, substorms, which are a smaller more localized disturbance of the Earth's magnetic field, are more common. It is not uncommon for substorm dB/dt values to also exceed dangerous levels and the temporal and spatial changes of the dB/dt associated with substorms, unlike storms, are not well understood. Our analysis shows a sudden increase of dB/dt at substorm onset, which peaks shortly after the start of the substorm, followed shortly after by an expansion northward, westward, and eastward after the onset.
Carotid Stenting without Embolic Protection Increases Major Adverse Events: Analysis of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Published data regarding embolic protection device efficacy is mixed, and its use during carotid artery stent placement remains variable. We, therefore, examined the frequency of embolic protection device use and its association with outcomes after carotid artery stent placement using a national quality improvement data base. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients undergoing carotid artery stent placement with or without embolic protection devices were identified in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data base. The primary outcome was the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (defined as death, stroke, or myocardial infarction/arrhythmia) within 30 days. Propensity scoring was used to create 2 matching cohorts of patients using demographic and baseline variables. RESULTS: Between 2011 and 2018, among 1200 adult patients undergoing carotid artery stent placement, 23.8% did not have embolic protection devices. There was no trend toward increased embolic protection device use with time. Patients without embolic protection device use received preoperative antiplatelets less frequently (90.6% versus 94.6%, P = .02), underwent more emergent carotid artery stent placement (7.2% versus 3.6%, P = .01), and had a higher incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (OR = 1.81; 95% CI, 1.11–2.94) and stroke (OR = 3.31; 95% CI, 1.71–6.39). After compensating for baseline imbalances using propensity-matched cohorts (n = 261 for both), carotid artery stent placement without an embolic protection device remained associated with increased major adverse cardiovascular events (9.2% versus 4.2%; OR = 2.30; 95% CI, 1.10–4.80) and stroke (6.5% versus 1.5%; OR = 4.48; 95% CI, 1.49–13.49). CONCLUSIONS: Lack of embolic protection device use during carotid artery stent placement is associated with a 4-fold increase in the likelihood of perioperative stroke. Nevertheless, nearly one-quarter of patients in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program underwent unprotected carotid artery stent placement. Efforts targeting improved embolic protection device use during carotid artery stent placement are warranted.
Contrasting long-term population trends of beach-nesting shorebirds under shared environmental pressures

Abstract Identifying the drivers of long-term population change is a key goal of ecological studies. It is complicated by extrinsic and intrinsic factors that may covary with time and/or operate on a time lag. For migratory shorebirds that breed on the barrier islands of eastern North America, populations may be limited by the anthropogenic, climatic, biological environments they encounter throughout the annual cycle. Using three-decades (1989–2017) of breeding monitoring data collected by the National Park Service at two national seashores in North Carolina (Hatteras and Lookout), we examined the potential drivers of nesting piping plover (Charadrius melodus) and American oystercatcher (Haematopus palliates) populations. Hatteras had five times more annual visitors than Lookout, and our modelling revealed a strong negative relationship between the population size of breeding plovers and human activity and a positive relationship with protection efforts aimed at reducing disturbance. Breeding and wintering climatic conditions, population productivity, and nesting habitat availability showed only weak effects. Thus, a decade-long decline in plover numbers at both seashores starting in the mid-90s reversed as the parks' visitor counts decreased and stricter protections from potential disturbance were implemented. However, the two sympatric populations of oystercatchers showed the opposite population trends from each other at the neighboring seashores, increasing only on Lookout after a hurricane improved habitat and subsequently the reproductive output. Our study suggests a strong relationship between the anthropogenic environment and the population trend of a threatened species and, simultaneously, the important role of stochastic events in shaping populations of long-lived shorebird species.
Disc and Actin-Associated Protein 1 Influence Host Attachment in the Intestinal Parasite Giardia lamblia

Abstract The deep-branching eukaryote Giardia lamblia is an extracellular parasite that attaches to the host intestine via a microtubule-based structure called the ventral disc. Control of attachment is mediated in part by the movement of two regions of the ventral disc that either permit or exclude the passage of fluid under the disc. Several known disc-associated proteins (DAPs) contribute to disc structure and function, but no force-generating protein has been identified among them. We recently identified several Giardia actin (GlActin) interacting proteins at the ventral disc, which could potentially employ actin polymerization for force generation and disc conformational changes. One of these proteins, Disc and Actin Associated Protein 1 (DAAP1), is highly enriched at the two regions of the disc previously shown to be important for fluid flow during attachment. In this study, we investigate the role of both GlActin and DAAP1 in ventral disc morphology and function. We confirmed interaction between GlActin and DAAP1 through coimmunoprecipitation, and used immunofluorescence to localize both proteins throughout the cell cycle and during trophozoite attachment. Similar to other DAPs, the association of DAAP1 with the disc is stable, except during cell division when the disc disassembles. Depletion of GlActin by translation-blocking antisense morpholinos resulted in both impaired attachment and defects in the ventral disc, indicating that GlActin contributes to disc-mediated attachment. Depletion of DAAP1 through CRISPR interference resulted in intact discs but impaired attachment, gating, and flow under the disc. As attachment is essential for infection, elucidation of these and other molecular mediators is a promising area for development of new therapeutics against a ubiquitous parasite. Author Summary Giardia lamblia is a single-celled organism and one of the most common gastrointestinal parasites worldwide. In developing countries, recurrent Giardia infections are common, due to lack of access to clean water. Giardia infections can lead to diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, disruption of the intestinal microbiome, and chronic infections can lead to colitis and irritable bowel syndrome. Because existing drug treatments have side effects and Giardia’s resistance to drugs is increasing, new treatment strategies are needed. The parasite’s attachment to the host’s intestine is mediated by a Giardia-specific structure that resembles a suction cup and is called the ventral adhesive disc. We previously identified DAAP1, a protein which interacts with Giardia actin and localizes to the ventral disc. Here, we explore the relationship between these two proteins and investigate their role in disc-based attachment. Most disc proteins, including DAAP1, are unrelated to any human proteins, making them appealing drug targets to inhibit parasite attachment and infection.
Transforming activity of bovine and human papillomaviruses in cultured cells.

Publisher Summary The papillomaviruses have been studied intensively over the past several years because of their ability to induce tumors in animals and because of the strong association between human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and some human carcinomas. Despite numerous attempts, it has not been possible to propagate the infectious papillomavirus particles in cultured cells. Nonetheless, the papillomaviruses can exert profound effects on cell morphology and growth properties. This is first demonstrated for the fibropapillomaviruses, in particular bovine papillomavirus type I (BPVI), which can efficiently induce morphologic and tumorigenic transformation of cultured fibroblasts. It has proved more difficult to demonstrate similar activity for the papillomaviruses such as the HPV or the cottontail rabbit papillomavirus that cause purely epithelial lesions. Despite the progress made in identifying biological responses to the papillomavirus-transforming genes in cultured cells, a better understanding of papillomavirus-induced tumorigenesis awaits a molecular description of the biochemical events underlying these complex phenotypes. The development of transient expression systems that rapidly generate homogeneous population of cells responding to viral gene products should facilitate this analysis.
Overview of anaerobic infections in children

Anaerobic infections are common in children yet difficult to diagnose. Anaerobes are the most predominant components of the skin and mucous membranes bacterial flora, and are therefore a common cause of endogenous infections. Because of their fastidiousness, they are difficult to isolate and are often overlooked. Anaerobic infections can occur in all body sites, including the central nervous system, head and neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis, skin, and soft tissues. They can occur at any age and have a unique role in newborns. Therapy inadequate against these organisms may lead to clinical failures. Their isolation requires appropriate methods of collection, transportation and cultivation of specimens. Treatment is complicated by the slow growth of anaerobes, by their growing resistance to antimicrobials, and by the polymicrobial nature of the infection. Antimicrobial therapy is often the only form of therapy required, whereas in others it is an adjunct to a surgical approach. Because anaerobic bacteria generally are recovered mixed with aerobic organisms, the choice of appropriate antimicrobial agents should provide for adequate coverage of both types of pathogens.
Collaborative Marketing in a Regional Destination: Evidence from Central Florida

This paper aims to explore a collaborative approach to regional destination marketing. Research questions were constructed for empirical data collection via documentary analysis and semistructured interviews with senior executives of destination marketing organizations (DMOs) in the Central Florida region. The research findings suggest that collaboration among DMOs is beneficial in terms of cost reduction and market penetration. Several issues emerge as inhibiting factors to their collaborative destination marketing efforts. Discussions and implications are provided both from a theoretical and practical perspective on the basis of the findings of the study. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Minimizing testing time in scan-path architecture

In general test pattern generators attempt to generate a minimum number of test vectors to detect all or most detectable faults for a given fault model. It is implicitly assumed that the individual test vectors of the test set are applied in parallel. In the boundary scan technique the test vectors are typically shifted serially to the scan register to stimulate the logic circuit. Therefore, O(nT) clock cycles are needed to apply the test set serially, where n is the number of inputs of the logic circuit and T is the number of test vectors in the test set. The authors present a heuristic algorithm to reduce the length of the bit sequence that is shifted serially to generate a given test set. They show the results obtained for randomly generated test sets. The percentage reduction in testing time is computed. >
Problems of the statistical thermodynamics of dilute polymer solutions

The current status of the statistical thermodynamics of dilute solutions of chain polymers is reviewed, with particular attention to the interactions between single chain molecules and solvents and to the mutul interactions of two chains. With respect to the problems of one and two chains, the following topics are considered: the potential of mean force between chain segments and its dependence on the slevent; relationship between latice and continuum theories; comparison between machine calculations and analytical theories of chain dimensions; exact series and approximate or semi-empirical theories of the osmotic second virial coefficient, and comparison with the experimental data; effects of polydispersity; behavior in mixed solvents. Higher virial coefficients and phase separation are also briefly discussed. Der heutige Stand der statistischen Thermodynamik der verdunnten Hochpolymerlosungen wird betrachtet. Folgende Probleme werden diskutiert: das Potential der Durchschnittskraft zwischen Kettenelementen und seine Abhangigkeit von dem Losungsmittel; die Beziehungen zwischen Gittermodell und Kontinuum-Modell; ein Vergleich zwischen Monte-Carlo-Rechnungen und analytischen Theorien der Dimensionen von Kettenmolekulen; verschieden Theorien des zweiten osmotischen Virialkoeffizienten; der Einflus der Molekulagewichtsverteilung; das Verhalten in Mischungen von Losungsmitteln; der dritte Virialkoeffizient und die Phasentrennung.
Reconstruction and Analysis of the Evolution of Modular Transcriptional Regulatory Programs Using Arboretum

Comparative functional genomics aims to measure and compare genome-wide functional data such as transcriptomes, proteomes, and epigenomes across multiple species to study the conservation and divergence patterns of such quantitative measurements. However, computational methods to systematically compare these quantitative genomic profiles across multiple species are in their infancy. We developed Arboretum, a novel algorithm to identify modules of co-expressed genes and trace their evolutionary history across multiple species from a complex phylogeny. To interpret the results from Arboretum we developed several measures to examine the extent of conservation and divergence in modules and their relationship to species lifestyle, cis-regulatory elements, and gene duplication. We applied Arboretum to study the evolution of modular transcriptional regulatory programs controlling transcriptional response to different environmental stresses in the yeast Ascomycota phylogeny. We found that modules of similar patterns of expression captured the transcriptional responses to different stresses across species; however, the genes exhibiting these patterns were not the same. Divergence in module membership was associated with changes in lifestyle and specific clades and that gene duplication was a major factor contributing to the divergence of module membership.
Dr. Matteson and Ms. Crowson reply

To the Editor: We appreciate the insightful comments of Dr. Muller, et al 1 that highlight the uses and limitations of hospital data and registry resources. We agree wholeheartedly with Dr. Muller, et al regarding the potential for hospital data, specialist … Address correspondence to Dr. E.L. Matteson, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, 200 1st St. SW, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA. E-mail: matteson.eric{at}mayo.edu
Characterization of the corticosteroid-binding globulin response to decidualization in the hamster.

Abstract We sought to characterize the relationship between the decidualized uterus and circulating corticosteroidbinding globulin (CBG) levels during pseudopregnancy in the hamster. Blood CBG levels (as measured by [3H]cortisol binding) averaged 11-fold greater for decidualized hamsters than for sham-operated controls on day 8 of pseudopregnancy (PSP). We used sequential blood sampling from individual hamsters to monitor changes in CBG content after decidualization. The increase in blood CBG after decidualization was rapid, as evidenced by a significant difference in CBG content between sham-operated and decidualized groups within 24 h after surgery. We varied the extent of uterine traumatization to induce differing amounts of decidual tissue. Regardless of the amount of decidual tissue, all decidualized hamsters showed a significant increase in blood CBG; however, there was a dose-dependent relationship between the amount of decidual tissue formed and the magnitude of the CBG response. We used hysterect...
Reversal of an abnormality of polymorphonuclear leukocyte chemotaxis with lithium

Abstract Lithium chloride significantly enhanced directed migration in vitro of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) from a 29-year-old woman with a long history of recurrent staphylococcal and streptococcal skin infections. In the absence of lithium, PMN from this patient failed almost completely to respond to standard chemotactic stimuli. Other PMN functions were intact but the cells were found to contain modestly elevated levels of cyclic adenosine 3′, 5′-monophosphate (cAMP). After treating the patient with lithium carbonate, PMN cAMP levels diminished and the chemotactic responsiveness of her cells was found to be normal. Coincidentally, she became free of infections. Subsequent withdrawal of lithium therapy resulted in a relapse clinically and return of the abnormality of PMN chemotaxis. Addition of lithium to her PMN in vitro again restored their ability to respond to chemoattractants. These findings suggest that lithium may prove to be useful for the treatment of other patients with similar abnormalities.