cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Transcription Factor CREB Enhances Interleukin-17A Production and Inflammation in a Mouse Model of Atherosclerosis

The enzyme 15-lipoxygenase (15-LO) plays a role in atherogenesis (also known as atherosclerosis), but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. We found that 15(S)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid [15(S)-HETE], the major 15-LO-dependent metabolite of arachidonic acid, stimulated the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by monocytes through the xanthine oxidase-mediated activation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase. ROS production led to the Syk-, Pyk2-, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-dependent production of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-17A (IL-17A) in a manner that required the transcription factor CREB (cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element-binding protein). In addition, this pathway was required for the 15(S)-HETE-dependent migration and adhesion of monocytes to endothelial cells. Consistent with these observations, we found that peritoneal macrophages from apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE-/-) mice fed a high-fat diet (a mouse model of atherosclerosis) exhibited increased xanthine oxidase and NADPH oxidase activities; ROS production; phosphorylation of Syk, Pyk2, MAPK, and CREB; and IL-17A production compared to those from similarly fed ApoE-/-:12/15-LO-/- mice. These events correlated with increased lipid deposits and numbers of monocytes and macrophages in the aortic arches of ApoE-/- mice, which resulted in atherosclerotic plaque formation. Together, these observations suggest that 15(S)-HETE exacerbates atherogenesis by enhancing CREB-dependent IL-17A production and inflammation.
Sobre el problemático concepto de mención irónica

The mention theory of irony, which argues that the ironist uses his utterance to mention its literal meaning expressing a derogative attitude toward it, is excelled and comprehended by Ducrot's perspective based in his notion of polyphony. The polyphonic account of irony trascends also the pretense theory, according to which the ironist pretends to be an injudicious person, but is actually intending the persons to whom the irony is addressed to discover the pretense and thereby his negative attitude toward the speaker and the utterance.
Ikaros Silences T-bet Expression and Interferon-γ Production during T Helper 2 Differentiation

CD4+ T cells can be instructed by nonantigen-specific signals to differentiate into functionally distinct lineages with mutually exclusive patterns of cytokine production. The molecular events that drive interferon-γ (IFNγ) production during Th1 development are well understood, but mechanisms that silence this cytokine during Th2 polarization are not clear. In this study, we find that the tbx21 gene encoding the Th1 master regulator T-bet is a direct target of the transcriptional repressor Ikaros. In Th2 cells, which do not express T-bet, strong Ikaros binding could be detected at the endogenous tbx21 promoter, whereas this gene was not occupied by Ikaros in T-bet-expressing Th1 cells. Inhibition of Ikaros DNA binding activity during Th2 polarization resulted in loss of Ikaros promoter occupancy, increased T-bet expression, and inappropriate T-bet-dependent production of IFNγ. Ikaros was also required for epigenetic imprinting of the ifnγ locus during Th2 polarization, and loss of Ikaros function in vivo led to an inappropriate Th1 response to the parasite Shistosoma mansoni. These studies demonstrate that Ikaros, a factor with an established role in lymphocyte development, also regulates the development of peripheral T helper responses.
A selective CVD tungsten process for micromotors

A selective chemical deposition (CVD) tungsten process is used to fabricate micromotors on a silicon substrate. The fabrication of the variable capacitance micromotors that have been produced using integrated-circuit processing is described. Both rotors and stators greater than 3 micrometers thick for these motors are formed using a high deposition rate, planar, and selective CVD tungsten process. Tungsten micromotors with rotor diameters of 100 micrometers and 60 micrometers have been fabricated with amorphous silicon rotor bearings. >
Relations among home- and community-based services investment and nursing home rates of use for working-age and older adults: a state-level analysis

Objectives. I examined state-level rates of nursing home use for the period from 2000 to 2007.Methods. I used multivariate fixed-effects models to examine associations between state sociodemographic, economic, supply, and programmatic characteristics and rates of use.Results. Nursing home use declined among older adults (aged ≥65 years) in more than two thirds of states and the District of Columbia but increased among older working-age adults (aged 31–64 years) in all but 2 states. State characteristics associated with these trends differed by age group. Although relatively greater state investment in Medicaid home- and community-based services coupled with reduced nursing home capacity was associated with reduced rates of nursing home care for adults aged 65 years and older, neither characteristic was associated with use among older working-age adults. Their use was associated with state sociodemographic characteristics, as well as chronic disease prevalence.Conclusions. Policy efforts to expand home- an...
From the Environment and Human Security to Sustainable Security and Development

This paper argues for a broader emphasis on sustainable security and sustainable development, and for examining both opportunities as well as threats to security. The authors note that many of the significant risks arising from human and natural interactions do not emerge at global or local levels, but at intermediate scales. They look at what different conceptual frameworks have to contribute to our understanding and review lessons from experience, illustrating where possible with work on water. The authors conclude by offering implications for an agenda of action, including interconnected frameworks, coalitions for change, interlocking institutional arrangements and disaggregated goals and indicators.
Large-scale TCP models using optimistic parallel simulation

Internet data traffic is doubling each year, yet bandwidth does not appear to be growing as fast as expected and thus short falls in available bandwidth, particularly at the "last mile" may result. To address these bandwidth allocation and congestion problems, researchers are proposing new overlay networks that provide a high quality of service and a near lossless guarantee. However, the central question raised by these new services is what impact will they have in the large? To address these and other network engineering research questions, high performance simulation tools are required. However, to date, optimistic techniques have been viewed as operating outside of the performance envelope for Internet protocols, such as TCP, OSPF and BGP. We dispel those views and demonstrate that optimistic protocols are able to efficiently simulate large scale TCP scenarios for realistic, network topologies using a single Hyper-Threaded computing system costing less than $7000 USD. For our real world topology, we use the core AT&T US network. Our optimistic simulator yields extremely high efficiency and many of our performance runs produce zero rollbacks. Our compact modelling framework reduces the amount of memory required per TCP connection and thus our memory overhead per connection for one of our largest experimental network topologies was 2.6 KB. That value was comprised of all events used to model TCP packets, TCP connection state and routing information.
Wireless symbolic positioning using support vector machines

This paper introduces a novel symbolic positioning system based on wireless access points and Support Vector Machines. The system works both indoors and outdoors and is cost-effective since it can even work with widely deployed 802.11 access points as infrastructure. The system requires minimal setup time, which makes it readily available for real-world applications.
A combination solution for routine pupillary dilation.

Abstract Background This study investigated the ability of a combination drop containing reduced concentrations of tropicamide and phenylephrine to produce pupillary dilation adequate for routine fundoscopy. Methods One eye of each subject (N = 28; age range, 21 to 40 years; median, 23 years) was dilated with 1 drop of a solution containing 0.5% tropicamide and 2.5% phenylephrine (0.5T/2.5P). The other eye was dilated with 1 drop of either of 2 mixtures: 0.5% tropicamide and 1.25% phenylephrine (0.5T/1.25P, N = 15; median age, 23 years), or 0.25% tropicamide and 1.25% phenylephrine (0.25T/1.25P, N = 13; median age, 23 years). A topical anesthetic was administered before instilling the mydriatic agents. Pupil diameter was measured from a flash photograph taken every 15 minutes for 3 hours. There was no significant difference in pupil diameter between eyes dilated with the 0.5T/1.25P test solution and the 0.5T/2.5P control solution for the first 75 minutes after instillation (P = 0.41). All pupils reached their maximum diameter 60 minutes after drop instillation; where no significant difference was observed between the 3 mydriatic solutions (P = 0.81). All pupils were at least 7 mm in diameter 30 minutes after drop instillation, and this size was maintained for at least another 75 minutes for all solutions. Conclusions Combination preparations of reduced concentrations of tropicamide and phenylephrine can produce clinically adequate mydriasis.
A 0–1 control mechanism with partial information for periodic tumour motion classification

In this paper, online treatment control mechanism for a stream of image classification is proposed. The developed two-layer mechanism controls the treatment window through a series of images acquisition. The paper contributes two findings for designing tumour treatment processes. Firstly, a theoretical foundation is established with numerical support in selecting an adaptive region for computation (RFC) with updated breathing pattern which is aimed to minimize the classification error. Secondly, the simulated results show that regardless image quality the proposed 0–1 treatment control mechanism could achieve comparable false positive rate ( < 3.0%) and false negative rate ( < 8.0%) to the best literature results which is based on fluoroscopic X-ray technology by classifying the tumour either inside or outside the treatment window.
Ehrlichia chaffeensis and E. sennetsu, but Not the Human Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis Agent, Colocalize with Transferrin Receptor and Up-Regulate Transferrin Receptor mRNA by Activating Iron-Responsive Protein 1

Ehrlichia chaffeensis and E. sennetsu are genetically divergent obligatory intracellular bacteria of human monocytes and macrophages, and the human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) agent is an obligatory intracellular bacterium of granulocytes. Infection with both E. chaffeensis and E. sennetsu, but not HGE agent, in the acute monocytic leukemia cell line THP-1 almost completely inhibited by treatment with deferoxamine, a cell-permeable iron chelator. Transferrin receptors (TfRs) accumulated on both E. chaffeensis and E. sennetsu, but not HGE agent, inclusions in THP-1 cells or the cells of the promyelocytic leukemia cell line HL-60. Reverse transcription-PCR showed an increase in the level of TfR mRNA 6 h postinfection which peaked at 24 h postinfection with both E. chaffeensis and E. sennetsu infection in THP-1 or HL-60 cells. In contrast, HGE agent in THP-1 or HL-60 cells induced no increase in TfR mRNA levels. Heat treatment of E. chaffeensis or the addition of monodansylcadaverine, a transglutaminase inhibitor, 3 h prior to infection inhibited the up-regulation of TfR mRNA. The addition of oxytetracycline 6 h after E. chaffeensis infection caused a decrease in TfR mRNA which returned to the basal level by 24 h postinfection. These results indicate that both internalization and continuous proliferation of ehrlichial organisms or the production of ehrlichial proteins are required for the up-regulation of TfR mRNA. Results of electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that both E. chaffeensis and E. sennetsu infection increased the binding activity of iron-responsive protein 1 (IRP-1) to the iron-responsive element at 6 h postinfection and remained elevated at 24 h postinfection. However, HGE agent infection had no effect on IRP-1 binding activity. This result suggests that activation of IRP-1 and subsequent stabilization of TfR mRNA comprise the mechanism of TfR mRNA up-regulation by E. chaffeensis and E. sennetsu infection.
Obtaining stiffness exponents from bond-diluted lattice spin glasses

Recently, a method has been proposed to obtain accurate predictions for low-temperature properties of lattice spin glasses that is practical even above the upper critical dimension, ${d}_{c}=6$. This method is based on the observation that bond-dilution enables the numerical treatment of larger lattices, and that the subsequent combination of such data at various bond densities into a finite-size scaling ansatz produces more robust scaling behavior. In the present study we test the potential of such a procedure, in particular, to obtain the stiffness exponent for the hierarchical Migdal-Kadanoff lattice. Critical exponents for this model are known with great accuracy and any simulations can be executed to very large lattice sizes at almost any bond density, effecting an insightful comparison that highlights the advantages---as well as the weaknesses---of this method. These insights are applied to the Edwards-Anderson model in $d=3$ with Gaussian bonds.
Prophylaxis for Intraabdominal Surgery

Great progress has been made in the last decade concerning the appropriate use of antibiotic prophylaxis in the patient undergoing abdominal surgery. Well-controlled, prospective, blind studies have outlined many of the areas in which antibiotic prophylaxis is of benefit as well as those clinical settings in which the risks of antibiotic prophylaxis outweigh the expected value. Historically, the most common errors in usage included the widespread use of antibiotic prophylaxis in clean surgical procedures as well as the faulty timing of initial administration. Currently, the most common error is the practice of continuing the administration of the antibiotic agents beyond the time necessary for maximal benefit (greater than 72 hr). In order to administer prophylactic antibiotics appropriately in the various clinical settings on the surgical service in which this practice has been of proven value, one must be aware of the following nuances: (1) the choice of the antibiotic agent should be based on the type of organisms usually causing infection; (2) the route of administration must be appropriate; (3) the dosage necessary to attain efficacious levels of antibiotic in tissue or serum must be appropriate; and (4) the timing of administration should offer the maximal benefits without risk of the adverse effects.
A Case of mild idiopathic adulthood ductopenia and brief review of literature

Mild idiopathic adulthood ductopenia (IAD) is a rare cholestatic disease of unknown cause and characterized by interlobular bile duct loss in less than 50% of the portal tracts. We describe the case of a middLe-aged male who presented with persistent elevation of transaminases and alkaline phosphatase. He had a normal biliary tree on endoscopic retrograde cholangiopathy and negative anti-mitochondrial antibody. His liver biopsy specimen showed chronic biliary disease, duct loss in 4 out of 15 portal tracts and prominent cholestasis. Based on the work-up, he likely had mild IAD. Liver transplantation would be necessary if his disease becomes progressive.
Survival Following Sublobar Resection for Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer With or Without Adjuvant External Beam Radiation Therapy: A Population-Based Study

Background Patients undergoing sublobar resection for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer may receive adjuvant radiation therapy in an effort to improve outcomes despite limited data regarding its efficacy. Methods Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results (SEER) registry we identified patients diagnosed with stage I non-small cell lung cancer between 1988 and 2003 who were definitively treated with sublobar surgical resection with or without adjuvant external beam radiation therapy. Kaplan-Meier, Cox regression, and propensity-score-matched survival analyses were performed to evaluate the effect of adjuvant external beam radiation therapy on survival. Results A total of 5,908 eligible cases were identified: 493 received external beam radiation therapy and 5,415 received no additional local-regional treatment. The use of external beam radiation therapy was associated with significantly worse median overall and disease-specific survival compared with no additional local-regional therapy: 31 and 45 months vs 51 and 98 months, respectively (P Conclusions The use of adjuvant external beam radiation therapy is associated with a significant decrease in overall and disease-specific survival for patients with T1-2N0M0 non-small cell lung cancer treated with sublobar resection. Although this finding may be related to covariables not reported in SEER, such as margin status, chemotherapy use, radiation dose, and portal, alternative radiation treatment strategies should be explored.
Critical path selection for performance optirnization

In this paper we study the problem of selecting a set of paths to optimize the performance of a combinational circuit. We assume that gate resizing and buffer insertion are the two possible optimizing techniques used to reduce the delay of a circuit; that is, during the optimization process the topol- ogy of a circuit remains the same and the lead/gate delays are reduced. The objective of the path selection problem is to select as small as possible a set of paths to ease the optimization pro- cess. However, we also want to guarantee the delay of the cir- cuit is no longer than a given threshold T if the delays of all the selected paths are shortened to no longer than T. In this paper we have shown that the path selection is different from path sensitization. We first proposed an input vector-oriented path selection algorithm. Due to the fact that the input vector-ori- ented algorithm may be infeasible for complex circuits with many primary inputs, we also designed and developed a path- oriented algorithm. We have implemented the path-oriented al- gorithm. The experimental results on ISCASSS benchmark cir- cuits show a potentially big improvement for optimization pro- cess. For some circuits, less than 10% of the long paths need to be shortened.
Politics and Banking. By Susan Hoffman. Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001. Pp. xii, 304. $42.00.

In a very readable and thought-provoking treatise, Susan Hoffman explores the history of U.S. commercial banks, savings and loans associations, and credit unions in the context of the political structure forming and directing the behavior of these institutions. “Banks do, in large measure, what policy makers have designed them to do,” she contends (p. x).
Regression-based monitors of North American border-crossing activity

Official border-crossing data were collected, assumed to represent usual activity and summarised with linear regression models to facilitate residual control charts and detect unusual activity that might be attributed to a security threat or some other external variable. Results are presented for northern highway and loaded rail, containers at North American borders with respect to the sigma limits of statistical quality control. Additionally this article describes the estimation of what may be useful model-based charts for activity across three ports of the State of Michigan: Detroit, Huron and Sault Ste. Marie.
Biodiversity Conservation and the Ever-Expanding Web of Federal Laws Regulating Nonfederal Lands: Time for Something Completely Different

This article offers an early examination of the law and governance of biodiversity (circa 1995) through the lenses of the Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, and Coastal Zone Management. It suggests that true multi-scalar, cooperative federalism will be needed to manage complex ecological resources for biodiversity conservation. A suggested model employing regional biodiversity management approaches is outlined.
An India-Pakistan Defense Pact?

The time has arrived to cut a new path for the subcontinent. India and Pakistan should consider a defence pact, safeguarding each other's territorial integrity and political independence. This historic reversal of past enmity will lead the two nations toward a bold new future, one free of mutual attrition and bullying by foreign powers.
The Communication of Non-Profit Organizations with Their Stakeholders in the Light of the Direct Research

Abstract The paper is devoted to the issue of communication of non-profit organizations with their stakeholders. It presents the addressees of promotional activities, forms of contacting various groups of interest as well as instruments and scope of marketing communication activities undertaken by organizations. The paper is based on the conducted direct research. Proper communication with the environment is vital for non-profit organizations functioning in the market. The surveyed entities used various forms of contacting their stakeholders, both direct and indirect ones. Particular instruments of marketing communication have been used to different extent by the organizations.
Analysis of fluid movement in skeletal muscle using fluorescent microspheres

Introduction Regional variability in interstitial fluid pressure confounds use of intramuscular pressure measurement to assess muscle force. It is hypothesized that interstitial flow is dependent on intramuscular pressure. The goal of this study was to assess the feasibility of using fluorescent microspheres to evaluate movement of interstitial fluid in skeletal muscle. Methods Two diameters of fluorescent microspheres were injected into the rat tibialis anterior during both static (n = 6) and passively lengthened (10% strain) experimental conditions (n = 6). Microsphere dispersion was evaluated using confocal imaging of transverse muscle sections. Results Fluorescent microspheres tracked interstitial fluid while not penetrating the muscle fiber. When compared with the static condition, significantly greater dispersion (P = 0.003) was seen with passively lengthened conditions (17 ± 9% vs. 31 ± 7%, respectively). Dispersion did not differ for the 2 microsphere sizes (P = 0.811). Conclusions Fluorescent microspheres track movement of interstitial fluid, and dispersion is dependent on passive lengthening. Muscle Nerve 54: 444-450, 2016.
Function Extrapolation at One Inaccessible Point Using Converging Lines

Focus of this paper is on the prediction accuracy of multidimensional functions at an inaccessible point. The paper explores the possibility of extrapolating a high-dimensional function using multiple one-dimensional converging lines. The main idea is to select samples along lines towards the inaccessible point. Multi-dimensional extrapolation is thus transformed into a series of one-dimensional extrapolations that provide multiple estimates at the inaccessible point. We demonstrate the performance of converging lines using Kriging to extrapolate a two-dimensional drag coefficient function. Post-processing of extrapolation results from different lines based on Bayesian theory is proposed to combine the multiple predictions. Selection of lines is also discussed. The method of converging lines proves to be more robust and reliable than two-dimensional Kriging surrogate for the example.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Best Dressed Test: A Study of the Covering Behavior of the Collector Urchin Tripneustes gratilla

Many sea urchin genera exhibit cryptic covering behaviors. One such behavior has been documented in the sea urchin Tripneustes gratilla, and previous studies have theorized that this behavior serves as protection from UV radiation. However, other hypotheses have been presented such as protection from predators or added weight to help T. gratilla resist strong currents. A field study was conducted in October-November 2015 in Moorea, French Polynesia to assess urchin covering behavior in natural habitats. The study found that urchins partially underneath rocks covered more, and with more algae, than urchins totally underneath rocks. To test if this behavior was driven by light intensity, a series of 30-minute experimental trials were run on 10 individuals in bright and dim conditions. Individuals were given red and clear plastic, and percent cover of each was recorded. These tests were repeated once fifty percent of spines had been removed from the urchin, in order to determine whether spine loss affects T. gratilla covering behavior. The study found that urchins had a distinct preference for cover that best protects them from UV radiation. Spine loss did not significantly affect urchin ability to cover, and urchins with removed spines still preferred opaque cover. Additionally, covering behavior was mapped onto a phylogeny of echinoderms to determine how it might have evolved. Understanding urchin covering behavior more fully is a step towards an understanding of the evolution of cryptic behavior across species.
Impacts of lead poisoning on the learning ability and memory disorders of whiterRats

Objective To observe impacts on the learning ability and memory of lead poisoned white rats. Methods 18 white rats weighing 200g each were grouped into two at random. IP injections of lead acetate solutions (concentration of lead acetate: 400mg/L) were given to the rats of the experimental group daily. Injection dosages of normal saline and lead acetate were both 0.1ml/10g(according to the weights), poisoning period: 15d; normal saline injections were given to the rats of the control group. Maze method was adopted to observe the impacts on the learning disorder and memory disorder of lead poisoned rats. Results There showed a significantly longer time for the rats with lead poisoning after six days of the experimental group to reach the end point of the maze than those of the control group(P0.05 or 0.01); the injuries caused by lead poisoning increased the blood lead contents in the rats of the experimental group and decreased the ALT activity as well as the contents of total serum protein(P0.05 or 0.01). Conclusion Lead Poisoning could bring harm and damage to the nerves and cause learning and memory disorders in rats.
Improving lifestyle interventions for people with serious mental illnesses: Qualitative results from the STRIDE study.

Objective Individuals with serious mental illnesses are disproportionately affected by overweight and obesity. Understanding the factors that facilitate or hinder lifestyle change in this population could lead to better interventions and improved health outcomes. Methods A subset of intervention and usual-care participants (n = 84) in the STRIDE randomized trial were interviewed at 3, 9, and 18 months, yielding 101 interviews (some were interviewed more than once). Participants had a mean age of 48.1 (SD = 10.1); 64% were female. Participants had diagnoses of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (41%), bipolar disorder (20%), affective psychoses (37%), or PTSD (2%). Interviews were transcribed verbatim, coded using Atlas.ti, and analyzed for common themes. Results Barriers to behavior change were similar to those described for the general population, including lack of support from significant others, the lure of unhealthy foods, and poor weather impeding exercise. Additional challenges included the effects of psychiatric symptoms, or consequences of symptoms (i.e., social isolation), on ability to make and sustain lifestyle changes. We found a strong preference for ongoing, group-based support to foster a sense of accountability which motivated and helped to sustain behavior changes. Conclusions and implications for practice Individuals with serious mental illnesses encounter many of the same barriers to weight loss seen in the general population, but they may be more vulnerable to additional obstacles. Lifestyle change interventions for this population should help participants develop the ability to iteratively cope with fluctuating mood and subsequent changes in motivation to eat healthfully and exercise regularly.
Determination of the intracellular sites and topology of glucosylceramide synthesis in rat liver

We examined the intracellular site(s) and topology of glucosylceramide (GlcCer) synthesis in subcellular fractions from rat liver, using radioactive and fluorescent ceramide analogues as precursors, and compared these results with those obtained in our recent study of sphingomyelin (SM) synthesis in rat liver [Futerman, Stieger, Hubbard & Pagano (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 8650-8657]. In contrast with SM synthesis, which occurs principally at the cis/medial Golgi apparatus, GlcCer synthesis was more widely distributed, with substantial amounts of synthesis detected in a heavy (cis/medial) Golgi-apparatus subfraction, a light smooth-vesicle fraction that is almost devoid of an endoplasmic-reticulum marker enzyme (glucose-6-phosphatase), and a heavy vesicle fraction. Furthermore, no GlcCer synthesis was detected in an enriched plasma-membrane fraction after accounting for contamination by Golgi-apparatus membranes. These results suggest that a significant amount of GlcCer may be synthesized in a pre- or early Golgi-apparatus compartment. Unlike SM synthesis, which occurs at the luminal surface of the Golgi apparatus, GlcCer synthesis appeared to occur at the cytosolic surface of intracellular membranes, since (i) limited proteolytic digestion of intact Golgi-apparatus vesicles almost completely inhibited GlcCer synthesis, and (ii) the extent of UDP-glucose translocation into the Golgi apparatus was insufficient to account for the amount of GlcCer synthesis measured. These findings imply that, after its synthesis, GlcCer must undergo transbilayer movement to the luminal surface to account for the known topology of higher-order glycosphingolipids within the Golgi apparatus and plasma membrane.
Building teams in primary care: A practical guide.

Introduction Primary care is changing to a team-based model. A number of high-performing primary-care practices in the United States have succeeded in making the transition to team-based care. Method Site visits were conducted to 29 high-performing primary-care practices. Observations made in these practices were summarized for common elements exhibited by care teams. A limited literature search was done to review corroborating evidence. Results Teams observed in the 29 practices were found to exhibit 9 elements: a stable team structure, colocation, a culture shift in progress from physician-driven to team-based care, defined roles with training and skill checks to reinforce those roles, standing orders and protocols, defined workflows and workflow mapping, staffing ratios adequate to facilitate new roles, ground rules, and modes of communication, including team meetings, huddles, and minute-to-minute interaction. Discussion These 9 elements may be helpful to practices making the transition to team-based care.
Laser Spectroscopy of Atoms and Molecules Below 100 nm

For most atoms and molecules single photon excitation from the ground state to Rydberg states requires working in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV). In recent years frequency upconversion of high power dye lasers has extended the application of laser spectroscopy into the VUV and even the windowless region below 104 nm, the extreme vacuum ultraviolet (XUV) [1]. In this work we generate XUV radiation by tripling the frequency of a frequency doubled dye laser in a free jet of the rare gases Ar and Xe [2]. In order to avoid unwanted UV multiphoton absorption processes in the sample under investigation we separate the third harmonic XUV beam from the collinearly propagating high power fundamental UV light in a dichroic beam splitter set-up. The XUV is focussed into an atomic or molecular beam for studying the photoexcitation, ionization or fragmentation of the species.
Survival in Individuals with Profound Anemia Treated without the Use of Blood Transfusions.

Abstract Although there is an emerging trend to reduce blood transfusions, there is still very little randomized data outside of the critical care setting that identifies the risks and benefits of transfusion support. Many clinicians base the decision to transfuse primarily on the hemoglobin (Hb) level independent of symptoms. Little is known about the clinical consequences of profound anemia although there is concern that withholding transfusion support will result in adverse outcomes in those with advanced age or underlying cardiovascular conditions. Prior studies have reported a significant mortality rate with Hb levels under 5 g/dL. This in part has led to the use of extreme measures such as hyperbaric chambers, ventilation or paralysis for profound anemia and the establishment of specialized Centers for Bloodless Medicine and Surgery to care for individuals refusing blood products. A retrospective chart review of 128 patients declining blood transfusions with Hb values under 7 g/dL from January 2002 until August 2005 was performed. This population included a broad range of medical, surgical and obstetrical cases with a mean age, Hb and length of stay of 52 years, 5.4 g/dL and 11 days respectively. Table 1 summarizes the survival rates based on the severity of anemia. Our nonblood approach included simultaneous interventions to stimulate erythropoiesis, control bleeding, enhance hemostasis, minimize iatrogenic blood loss and maintain hemodynamic stability. All patients received erythropoietin and iron with antifibrinolytic agents added for any active bleeding. To keep laboratory sampling at a minimum, physicians were required to rely on their basic clinical assessment skills to manage patients. The need for critical care monitoring, volume resuscitation and oxygen support was determined based on changes in blood pressure, heart rate, urine output, and cognitive function. Patients experienced slower recovery times with more frequent cardiac monitoring and increased length of hospital stays. This series demonstrates that the majority of individuals can survive with Hb levels as low as 2.5 g/dL utilizing simple nonblood strategies. The low mortality rate supports the elimination of any predetermined transfusion trigger. Survival Rates in Patients with Profound Anemia Table 1 . Survival Rates in Patients with Profound Anemia Hb Level (g/dL) Proportion Who Survived 2.5–3.0 6/7 (85.7%) 3.1–4.0 9/11 (81.8%) 4.1–5.0 29/32 (90.6%) 5.1–6.0 30/30 (100%) 6.1–7.0 48/48 (100%) Overall 122/128 (95.3%)
FRB as products of accretion disc funnels

The repeating FRB 121102, the only FRB with an accurately determined position, is associated with a variable persistent radio source consistent with a low luminosity active galactic nucleus. I suggest that FRB originate in the accretion disc funnels of intermediate mass black holes. Narrowly collimated radiation is emitted along the wandering instantaneous angular momentum axis of accreted matter. We observe this emission as a fast radio burst when it sweeps across the direction to the observer. This model constrains the mass of the black hole to values below those of galactic nuclei. It predicts, in contrast to neutron star (pulsar or SGR) models, that repeating FRB will not be periodic and will be co-located with persistent but variable radio sources resulting from the off-axis emission. The model is analogous, on smaller spatial, lower mass and accretion rate and shorter temporal scales, to AGN making double radio sources, with FRB corresponding to blazars in which the jets point toward us.
A liana from the lower Miocene of Panama and the fossil record of Connaraceae.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Permineralized wood is common in the Miocene beds exposed during the expansion of the Panama Canal. We describe a stem with the distinctive anatomy of a liana and evaluate the evolutionary, biogeographic, and ecological significance of this discovery. METHODS The object of the study was obtained from a collection of fossil woods and fruits from a locality in the lower Miocene Cucaracha Formation, where the formation is exposed by the Culebra Cut of the Panama Canal. Thin sections were prepared using the cellulose acetate peel technique and examined using transmitted light microscopy. We described the anatomy and compared it with that of extant and fossil species. We also reviewed and evaluated published reports of fossils attributed to Connaraceae. KEY RESULTS The anatomy of this fossil wood matches the genus Rourea (Connaraceae). The stem is only 1 cm in diameter, but vessels >200 μm in diameter also occur, indicating the perennial climbing habit. We evaluated 12 other pre-Quaternary occurrences attributed to Connaraceae. Four are accepted, three are rejected, and we consider five unknown or uncertain. CONCLUSIONS The discovery of this Rourea stem confirms the presence of Connaraceae in the Neotropics by the early Miocene, provides the oldest evidence of the climbing habit in the family, and contributes to our understanding of the flora of Panama 19 mya. Although the fossil record of Connaraceae is sparse, reliable occurrences span three continents and indicate that the family originated as early as the Late Cretaceous-Paleocene and was widespread by the early Miocene.
A Novel Detection Paradigm and Its Comparison to Statistical and Kernel-Based Anomaly Detection Algorithms for Hyperspectral Imagery

Detection of anomalous pixels within hyperspectral imagery is frequently used for purposes ranging from the location of invasive plant species to the detection of military targets. The task is unsupervised because no information about target or background spectra is known or assumed. Some of the most commonly used detection algorithms assume a statistical distribution for the background and rate spectral anomalousness based on measures of deviation from the statistical model; but such assumptions can be problematic because hyperspectral data rarely meet them. More recent algorithms have employed data-driven machine learning techniques in order to improve performance. Here we investigate a novel kernel-based method and show that it achieves top detection performance relative to seven other state-of-the-art methods on a commonly tested data set.
β1-Integrin-Mediated Adhesion Is Lipid-Bilayer Dependent

Integrin-mediated adhesion is a central feature of cellular adhesion, locomotion, and endothelial cell mechanobiology. Although integrins are known to be transmembrane proteins, little is known about the role of membrane biophysics and dynamics in integrin adhesion. We treated human aortic endothelial cells with exogenous amphiphiles, shown previously in model membranes, and computationally, to affect bilayer thickness and lipid phase separation, and subsequently measured single-integrin-molecule adhesion kinetics using an optical trap, and diffusion using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. Benzyl alcohol (BA) partitions to liquid-disordered (Ld) domains, thins them, and causes the greatest increase in hydrophobic mismatch between liquid-ordered (Lo) and Ld domains among the three amphiphiles, leading to domain separation. In human aortic endothelial cells, BA increased β1-integrin-Arg-Gly-Asp-peptide affinity by 18% with a transition from single to double valency, consistent with a doubling of the molecular brightness of mCherry-tagged β1-integrins measured using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. Accordingly, BA caused an increase in the size of focal-adhesion-kinase/paxillin-positive peripheral adhesions and reduced migration speeds as measured using wound-healing assays. Vitamin E, which thickens Lo domains and disperses them by lowering edge energy on domain boundaries, left integrin affinity unchanged but reduced binding probability, leading to smaller focal adhesions and equivalent migration speed relative to untreated cells. Vitamin E reversed the BA-induced decrease in migration speed. Triton X-100 also thickens Lo domains, but partitions to both lipid phases and left unchanged binding kinetics, focal adhesion sizes, and migration speed. These results demonstrate that only the amphiphile that thinned Ld lipid domains increased β1-integrin-Arg-Gly-Asp-peptide affinity and valency, thus implicating Ld domains in modulation of integrin adhesion, nascent adhesion formation, and cell migration.
Longitudinal state-level effects on change in body mass index among middle-aged and older adults in the USA:

Objective:The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine the effects of state-level socioeconomic status (SES), the density of fast food restaurants and walking to work on body mass index (B...
Predicting Body Movement and Recognizing Actions: An Integrated Framework for Mutual Benefits

Human action recognition and body movement prediction are important tasks. They are different and have traditionally been addressed separately. These tasks, however, provide mutual benefits to each other, and existing methods fail to capture these benefits. In this paper, we propose a method for jointly recognizing the action and predicting the movement of a person. Our method is based on two Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM) recurrent neural networks, but extend them to provide and receive benefits of each other. In particular, we design two LSTM architectures. One LSTM can generate a sequence of body movement conditioned on the past movement and the predicted class of the action, and the other LSTM can recognize the human action based on the predicted sequence of body movement. Experiments on Montalbano and MSR Action 3D datasets show that movement prediction provides benefits to early recognition of human action, which in turn improves the quality of the predicted movement.
The New Congressional Attack on Offshore Rabbi Trusts

On July 11, 2002, Chairman Max Baucus (D-Montana) and ranking minority member Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), each of the Senate Finance Committee, marked up the Draft National Employee Savings and Trust Equity Guarantee Act (the “NESTEG” Act). On July 11, 2002, Chairman William M. Thomas4 of the House Ways and Means Committee released the Draft American Competitiveness and Corporate Accountability Act (“H.R. 5095”). Both the NESTEG Act and H.R. 5095 contained significant provisions which would make funds held by the beneficiary in offshore rabbi trusts immediately subject to U.S. income tax. The estimated result to the U.S. Treasury Department would be a significant increase in tax collection. Offshore rabbi trusts have become common vehicles for U.S. persons employed abroad by foreign companies to set aside retirement funds. In addition, many offshore hedge fund managers have used offshore rabbi trusts as a means to defer income from current taxation. This article shall discuss the previously proposed legislation, the likelihood of such legislation’s passage in the next Congress and the legal doctrines involved in making such a change in tax policy.
Gender Differences in Multimodal Contact-Free Deception Detection

In this paper, we explore the hypothesis that multimodal features as well as demographic information can play an important role in increasing the performance of automatic lie detection. We introduce a large, multimodal deception detection dataset balanced across genders, and we analyze the patterns associated with the thermal, linguistic, and visual responses of liars and truth-tellers. We show that our multimodal noncontact deception detection approach can lead to a performance in the range of 60%–80%, with different modalities, different genders, and different domain settings playing a role in the accuracy of the system.
Patient and Provider Perspectives on 30-Day Readmissions, Preventability, and Strategies for Improving Transitions of Care for Patients with HIV at a Safety Net Hospital:

Thirty-day hospital readmissions, a key quality metric, are common among people living with HIV. We assessed perceived causes of 30-day readmissions, factors associated with preventability, and strategies to reduce preventable readmissions and improve continuity of care for HIV-positive individuals. Patient, provider, and staff perspectives toward 30-day readmissions were evaluated in semistructured interviews (n = 86) conducted in triads (HIV-positive patient, medical provider, and case manager) recruited from an inpatient safety net hospital. Iterative analysis included both deductive and inductive themes. Key findings include the following: (1) The 30-day metric should be adjusted for safety net institutions and patients with AIDS; (2) Participants disagreed about preventability, especially regarding patient-level factors; (3) Various stakeholders proposed readmission reduction strategies that spanned the inpatient to outpatient care continuum. Based on these diverse perspectives, we outline multiple interventions, from teach-back patient education to postdischarge home visits, which could substantially decrease hospital readmissions in this underserved population.
Vision-Based Autonomous Path Following Using a Human Driver Control Model With Reliable Input-Feature Value Estimation

Autonomous vehicles differ from many other autonomous systems in the sense that these vehicles have to share the environment with humans (e.g., pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers in traffic). This requirement poses a challenging perception and planning problem. Our research focuses on the problem of a vehicle sharing the environment with a human passenger/driver and, specifically, of designing a controller that captures the natural tendencies of the human driver so as to guarantee that the resulting control action is comparable to that of the human. In this paper, we propose to use a human driver control model into the autonomous vehicle control framework, which has previously been shown to predict short-term driver actions, and we develop an approach that reliably and accurately estimates input-feature values from driver-point-of-view images. After the feature-input values have been estimated, the human driver control model computes the corresponding steering-wheel angle. We, thus, provide more structure to the overall processing pipeline, compared to the recent end-to-end approaches. The proposed approach is validated using numerical simulations with synthetic images. The results validate the importance of combining traditional structured (e.g., transfer function) models with parsimonious neural-network representations.
ELECTROGONIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF NORMAL AND PATHOLOGICAL GAITS.

Abstract Normal people and patients with various impairments of the gait were used as subjects. The following were investigated: angles made in the knee and ankle joints in relation to cadence, step length, swing and support times; swing-to-support phase ratio and the angular velocity in the knee joint. This first electrogoniometric study was made in 1961.
Atlanto-Axial Fixation Techniques

The atlanto-axial region of the spine is a complex area of anatomical structures that consists of the upper two vertebrae of the cervical spine, their articular surfaces, several crucial ligaments, and the vertebral artery that course along and within these bones. This chapter focuses on fixation techniques in the atlanto-axial region of the spine, which is a complex area that entails unique articular surfaces, ligaments that are specific to the region and factor into surgical management, and the vertebral artery that courses intimately within this region. The evolution of the common techniques was described, and examples were presented showing the variations that can exist in practice.
Life challenges and resilience: the role of perceived personality continuity

Self-functioning, one aspect of mental health, is positive in later life. Although experiencing challenges may disrupt mental health, internal resources can foster resilience. This study examines h...
Correction: Weng, J., et al. DNA Methylation Analysis Identifies Patterns in Progressive Glioma Grades to Predict Patient Survival. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22 , 1020.

The authors wish to make the following corrections to paper “DNA Methylation Analysis Identifies Patterns in Progressive Glioma Grades to Predict Patient Survival” [...]