cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
246 MODIFICATIONS OF TYROSINE AS BIOMARKERS OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS.

Background Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease. Age, antiphospholipid antibody status, duration of disease, and the SLE damage index associate with atherosclerosis in SLE patients. 3-Chlorotyrosine (3CT) and 3-nitrotyrosine (3NT) are surrogate markers of hypochlorous acid and peroxynitrite production, and their levels correlate with cardiovascular disease in the general population. Orthotyrosine (OTyr) and metatyrosine (MTyr) are surrogate markers of hydroxy radicals that are seen in states of oxidative stress such as diabetic vascular disease. Furthermore, serum 3NT and markers of oxidant stress are elevated in patients who have circulating antiphospholipid antibodies. 3NT levels are also elevated in active SLE and lupus renal disease. We feel that measuring serum protein tyrosine modifications is a rational approach to predict atherosclerotic disease in the setting of SLE because these markers reflect mechanisms of disease in both disorders. Methods 197 SLE patients were recruited as part of a longitudinal study of atherosclerosis in lupus described by Roman et al in 2003. Carotid ultrasound (US) measurements were performed at entry and at 2 years. Common, internal, and external carotid arteries were examined in M mode for plaque, and both common carotid arteries were examined for intima media thickness (L/R IMT). Blood was collected for serum at entry. 183 of these serum samples were precipitated with ethanol, digested with pronase, and filtered. The tyrosine modifications were quantitated using high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ED). The results were reported as ratios of 3CT, 3NT, OTyr, and MTyr to tyrosine (Tyr). Results Linear regression analysis using age, race, 3CT, 3NT, OTyr, and MTyr as input variables and IMT thickness and plaque as output variables demonstrated age was a significant predictor of all surrogate markers of atherosclerosis (p Discussion The correlation of left carotid IMT with OTyr is consistent with the recognized role of oxidative stress in atherosclerosis. Serum 3CT, 3NT, OTyr, and MTyr levels measured at time zero are not predictive of atherosclerosis as measured by plaque on carotid US. This may reflect variability of these measures with lupus disease activity. A sensitive measure of changes in lupus disease activity should be included as a covariable in future studies.
Problems associated with the management of pregnancies in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Abstract Eighty-three percent of 24 pregnancies in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus studied retrospectively terminated in normal children. Fifty-four percent of patients had clinical and serological disease exacerbations during pregnancy or in the post-partum period, as contrasted with 4% in the 6 months prior to pregnancy. The presence of significant renal disease and SLE activity in the 6 months prior to pregnancy correlated with exacerbations. A distinction between pre-eclamptic toxemia and lupus exacerbation had to be made in 25% of our patients. There were 2 maternal deaths associated with uncontrolled lupus activity. No potentially viable infants died for reasons directly related to lupus activity.
Pneumatic Retinopexy for Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment in Pseudophakia

ABSTRACTPurpose: To identify the characteristics predictive of unfavorable outcomes for pneumatic retinopexy (PR) in the repair of pseudophakic rhegmatogenous retinal detachments (RD). Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed at a single institution to identify patients who underwent PR in pseudophakic eyes. Pre- and postoperative data were reviewed and analyzed to evaluate predictive factors of failure. Results: Forty-four patients met the study criteria. PR was successful in 23 (52.3%) patients. The failed cases underwent scleral buckles, vitrectomies, or both. A retinal tear located outside the superior four clock hours was a significant predictor of PR failure. At six months post-intervention, the failure and success groups were statistically similar for vision and rate of reattachment. Conclusions: Modified criteria for PR in pseudophakia may include cases with retinal breaks within the superior four clock hours. If further surgery is required, the final vision and anatomic reattachment ar...
(p)ppGpp-Dependent Persisters Increase the Fitness of Escherichia coli Bacteria Deficient in Isoaspartyl Protein Repair

ABSTRACT The l-isoaspartyl protein carboxyl methyltransferase (PCM) repairs protein damage resulting from spontaneous conversion of aspartyl or asparaginyl residues to isoaspartate and increases long-term stationary-phase survival of Escherichia coli under stress. In the course of studies intended to examine PCM function in metabolically inactive cells, we identified pcm as a gene whose mutation influences the formation of ofloxacin-tolerant persisters. Specifically, a Δpcm mutant produced persisters for an extended period in stationary phase, and a ΔglpD mutation drastically increased persisters in a Δpcm background, reaching 23% of viable cells. The high-persister double mutant showed much higher competitive fitness than the pcm mutant in competition with wild type during long-term stationary phase, suggesting a link between persistence and the mitigation of unrepaired protein damage. We hypothesized that reduced metabolism in the high-persister strain might retard protein damage but observed no gross differences in metabolism relative to wild-type or single-mutant strains. However, methylglyoxal, which accumulates in glpD mutants, also increased fitness, suggesting a possible mechanism. High-level persister formation in the Δpcm ΔglpD mutant was dependent on guanosine pentaphosphate [(p)ppGpp] and polyphosphate. In contrast, persister formation in the Δpcm mutant was (p)ppGpp independent and thus may occur by a distinct pathway. We also observed an increase in conformationally unstable proteins in the high-persister strain and discuss this as a possible trigger for persistence as a response to unrepaired protein damage. IMPORTANCE Protein damage is an important factor in the survival and function of cells and organisms. One specific form of protein damage, the formation of the abnormal amino acid isoaspartate, can be repaired by a nearly universally conserved enzyme, PCM. PCM-directed repair is associated with stress survival and longevity in bacteria, insects, worms, plants, mice, and humans, but much remains to be learned about the specific effects of protein damage and repair. This paper identifies an unexpected connection between isoaspartyl protein damage and persisters, subpopulations in bacterial cultures showing increased tolerance to antibiotics. In the absence of PCM, the persister population in Escherichia coli bacteria increased, especially if the metabolic gene glpD was also mutated. High levels of persisters in pcm glpD double mutants correlated with increased fitness of the bacteria in a competition assay, and the fitness was dependent on the signal molecule (p)ppGpp; this may represent an alternative pathway for responding to protein damage.
Expert System for Material Selection

There are complex demands made upon the practicing design engineer. The advance of technology has compressed product life cycles, and if there are Inefficiencies in the development process, then the product may be obsolete even before production begins. Hence, design decisions must be made promptly and intelligently.
Sleep Duration and Diabetes Risk: Population Trends and Potential Mechanisms

Sleep is important for regulating many physiologic functions that relate to metabolism. Because of this, there is substantial evidence to suggest that sleep habits and sleep disorders are related to diabetes risk. In specific, insufficient sleep duration and/or sleep restriction in the laboratory, poor sleep quality, and sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea have all been associated with diabetes risk. This research spans epidemiologic and laboratory studies. Both physiologic mechanisms such as insulin resistance, decreased leptin, and increased ghrelin and inflammation and behavioral mechanisms such as increased food intake, impaired decision-making, and increased likelihood of other behavioral risk factors such as smoking, sedentary behavior, and alcohol use predispose to both diabetes and obesity, which itself is an important diabetes risk factor. This review describes the evidence linking sleep and diabetes risk at the population and laboratory levels.
The City in the Westward Movement — A Bibliographical Note

istorians have written in great detail about the movement of Americans across the continent. The emphasis has been on the rural scene from colonial times, and the result has been impressive. The importance of rural elements cannot be dismissed, but the neglect of the role of the city in the westward movement can be questioned. Frederick Jackson Turner recognized the oversight when he indicated in his later years that the time had come for historians to pay more attention to the urban dimension. Overall, scholars have failed to follow his advice, but there have been notable exceptions, and selected themes from their work are the subject of this bibliographical essay.l To begin with, Carl Bridenbaugh's two important books, Cities in the Wilderness and Cities in Revolt, clearly demonstrate that the urban dimension dominated life in colonial America and served as the leading force in the quest for independence.2 Following the Revolution, according to Richard C. Wade in The Urban Frontier, cities quickly emerged in the West, serving as "spearheads of the frontier." Urban developers, acting as generative agents in the new region, often preceded rural pioneers, and from the start Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Lexington, Louisville, and Saint Louis represented the paramount influence in the Ohio Valley. Aggressive, creative, and dynamic, these centers of progress, "by spreading their economic power over the entire section, by bringing the fruits of
Abstract LB-137: Tissue-specific conditional PKCε knockout mice: a model to precisely reveal PKCε functional role in initiation, promotion and progression of cancer

Evidence from our laboratory and others indicate that PKCe is a transforming oncogene and a predictive biomarker of various human cancers including prostate, breast, head and neck, lungs, brain, bladder and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). However, a precise in vivo link of PKCe and its downstream signaling components to cancer induction, progression and metastasis remain undefined. To achieve these goals, we generated tissue specific conditional PKCe knockout mice using cre-lox technology. To do so, we generated a targeting vector in which Exon 4 of the PKCe gene was flanked by LoxP sites. This vector was used to generate mice carrying two floxed alleles of PKCe (PKCeLoxP/LoxP mice) by standard gene knockout methodology. Homozygous PKCeLoxP/LoxP mice have normal body weight and phenotype. To determine what effect loss of PKCe would have on the prostrate, the PKCeLoxP/LoxP mice were bred to prostate specific cre (PB-Cre4+). Western blot and immunohistochemical analyses showed inhibition of PKCe protein level in the prostate of PKCe-KO mice. However, no change in the PKCe protein level was observed in the spleen, liver and lungs of PKCe-KO mice. Also, PKCe deletion in prostate did not affect the levels of other PKC isoforms (PKCα, PKCβII, and PKCς). No significant difference was observed in the prostate weight of PKCeLoxP/LoxP and PKCe-KO mice. Histopathological analyses of prostate from both PKCeLoxP/LoxP and prostate PKCe-KO mice showed normal pathology in the PKCe-KO prostate. To determine the functional impact of prostate specific deletion of PKCe on prostate tumor growth, we performed an orthotopic xenograft study. In this experiment, TRAMP mouse tumor cells (TRAMPC1, 2×106) were implanted in the prostate. Mice were sacrificed at 6 weeks post-implantation. Results demonstrated a significant (P Citation Format: Bilal B. Hafeez, Louise Meske, Anupama Singh, Ashok Singh, Weixiong Zhong, Patricia Powers, Manorama John, Anne Griep, Ajit Verma. Tissue-specific conditional PKCe knockout mice: a model to precisely reveal PKCe functional role in initiation, promotion and progression of cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-137. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-LB-137
Does a Good Father Now Have to Be Rich? Intergenerational Income Mobility in Rural India

To date, few income mobility studies for developing counties have utilized panel datasets linking parents with their children. Institutional features and the absence of reliable panel datasets can explain most of this paucity. Using a unique panel dataset this study contributes to the literature in three ways: 1) it presents intergenerational income elasticity (IGE) estimates for rural India, 2) it finds within and between groups mobility for various socio-economic groups, and 3) it develops strategies that can be used for similar research in other developing countries. Depending on the choice of income scaling parameters, the OLS IGE estimate lies between 0.28 and 0.37, which is relatively lower than available evidence from other developing countries. As the OLS estimator is known to suffer from attenuation bias, I also present the 2SLS IGE estimate as an upper bound on each estimate. Group-wise analysis finds that within-group mobility for disadvantaged groups is relatively high and convergence speed between groups is remarkably low. The between-groups finding, which is corroborated by repeated cross-sections from the National Sample Survey, indicates that India's progress towards cross-caste equality is disappointingly low.
Transarterial chemoembolization in hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein tumor thrombosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein thrombosis (PVT) remains controversial. This systematic review sought to examine the role of TACE in the treatment of HCC with PVT in either the main portal vein (MPV) or portal vein branches (PVB). Methods PubMed was searched for “hepatocellular carcinoma” and “transarterial chemoembolization” from January 1, 2006 to August 31, 2016. Cohorts treated with TACE for HCC with PVT were included. Meta-analysis of overall survival (OS), mRECIST response, and complication incidence was performed. MPV and PVB subgroups were compared. Results Of 136 search results, 13 studies with 1933 TACE patients were included. Median OS (95% CI) was eight (5–15) months. Survival rates after one, three, and five years were 29% (20%–40%), 4% (1%–11%), and 1% (0%–5%), respectively. Only 1% experienced liver failure and 18% had post-treatment complications. Patients with MPV thrombosis had worse survival than PVB patients (p Conclusion TACE is a safe treatment for a highly selected population of HCC patients with PVT. Despite worse survival rates compared to PVB thrombosis, PVT in the MPV should not be considered an absolute contraindication to TACE.
Prenatal cytogenetic diagnosis.

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on prenatal cytogenetic diagnosis. The overall problem addressed by prenatal cytogenetic analysis is the ascertainment of a fetal karyotype from information obtained on the cells present in an aspirate of the amniotic cavity. Approximately 10–20 ml of amniotic fluid, typically obtained between the sixteenth and eighteenth week of gestation, is used to carry out prenatal chromosome analysis. Primary cultures, obtained by inoculating cells directly onto a coverslip or a microscope slide inside a petri dish, yield discrete colonies, each presumably originating from a single cell. Chromosome-breakage analysis can employ either nonspecific Giemsa or related staining, in which chromosome integrity can be determined but chromosome identification is unclear. Alternatively, banding stains can reveal aberrations, which might not change morphology. Chromosome-breakage analysis has been employed for the prenatal diagnosis of Fanconi's anemia. Comparison of parental chromosomal polymorphisms with those of the putative fetal cells, including examination of interphase nuclei for quinacrine-bright Y chromatin, should permit identification of any maternal cells.
Replacement of wildfire by whole-tree harvesting increases nitrification and nitrate movement in jack pine forest soils

Abstract Forest types that were once naturally maintained by stand-replacing wildfires are typically managed with clearcut harvesting; however, we know relatively little about how well clearcutting mimics the effects of stand-replacing wildfire on the availability and cycling of nitrogen (N) in forest soils. We compared net N mineralization, nitrification and NO3− movement in soils from young (2–9 y) jack pine (Pinus banksiana) stands that had been regenerated by either stand-replacing wildfire or clearcut harvesting. We located four pairs of burned and harvested stands that were otherwise similar in age, soil type and geographic location. Net N mineralization, measured both in situ and in the laboratory, was nearly 2 times higher in young stands of clearcut origin compared to stands of wildfire origin. Differences between disturbance types were much more pronounced for net nitrification, which was more than 20 times greater, on average, in clearcut-origin sites. Burned sites rarely exhibited any net nitrification in field incubations, and at nearly 2/3 of the sampling times burned sites exhibited net immobilization of NO3−. This lack of nitrification occurred despite the fact that we always observed net N mineralization across all of our in-situ incubations in wildfire-origin stands. Finally, we observed nearly four times greater NO3− movement through the soil profile in clearcut stands, as evidenced by capture on ion-exchange resins at a depth of 25 cm. Together, these results clearly indicate that replacement of wildfire disturbance by clearcut harvesting promotes nitrification and NO3− movement in jack pine ecosystems of northern Lower Michigan. The exact mechanism underlying this response in our sites remains uncertain; however, it appears that some factor that restricts net nitrification in young stands of wildfire origin is not present in clearcut-origin stands. Our finding of increased nitrification and NO3− movement in the years following clearcutting could lead to increased losses of N and base cations, and could also favor plant species with greater preference for NO3− as a N source.
Closed-loop low-frequency DBS restores thalamocortical relay fidelity in a computational model of the motor loop

Closed-loop modulation of deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) in Parkinson's disease (PD) is investigated to automatically adjust the stimulation to the patients' conditions, optimize the clinical outcomes, and reduce the energy requirements. This study proposes a closed-loop control system for real-time adaptation of the STN-DBS amplitude based on the neural activity in the motor thalamus. Population-averaged post-stimulus time histograms are used to measure the average effects of STN-DBS on the thalamocortical neurons and a L 2 -norm minimization problem is solved to design the control algorithm, while the frequency of stimulation is kept constant. Applied on a large-scale, biophysically-based, anatomically-compliant model of the cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical motor loop under PD conditions, our adaptive DBS significantly (P-value P<0.05) improved the relay fidelity of the thalamocortical neurons and restored the average power of the thalamocortical spike trains in the band [3, 100] Hz, two indicators of restored thalamocortical activity. Furthermore, adaptive-DBS significantly decreased the energy requirements when compared with non-adaptive-DBS at the same frequency. Finally, 30- and 60-Hz-adaptive-DBS determined the maximal restoration of thalamocortical activity and outperformed high-frequency, non-adaptive-DBS. Overall, results suggest that a feedback-controlled, low-frequency DBS pattern may result in significant restoration of the thalamocortical encoding while lowering the energy requirements.
Translanguaging and Positioning in Two-Way Dual Language Classrooms: A Case for Criticality.

This article examines the role of translanguaging practices and pedagogies in two-way dual language classrooms. Much of the recent expansion of dual language programs across the US has occurred in ...
Botulinum toxin injections for chronic pain

This chapter discusses the recent developments in using botulinum toxin in treating various chronic pain conditions. As it is a relative newcomer in the array of therapeutics available to clinicians, the chapter briefly reviews its history, pharmacology, and initially the very limited clinical uses for botulinum toxin. It then summarizes some of the new studies and anecdotal evidence toward finding different applications for its use, including migraine, arthritis, and trigeminal neuralgia. Furthermore, the latest studies regarding botulinum toxin are explored and summarized. Because of its potential as a therapeutic agent and because of a lack of data regarding its clinical applications, further evidence will be needed to fully explore botulinum toxin’s role in the treatment of chronic pain.
Diffusion coefficient of alginate microcapsules used in pancreatic islet transplantation, a method to cure type 1 diabetes

Pancreatic islet transplantation is a promising approach of providing insulin in type 1 diabetes. One strategy to protect islets from the host immune system is encapsulation within a porous biocompatible alginate membrane. This encapsulation provides mechanical support to the cells and allows selective diffusion of oxygen, nutrients and insulin while blocking immunoglobulins. These hydrogels form by diffusion of calcium ions into the polymer network and therefore they are highly sensitive to environmental changes and fluctuations in temperature. We investigated the effects of gel concentration, crosslinking time and ambient conditions on material permeability, volume, and rigidity, all of which may change the immunoisolating characteristics of alginate. To measure diffusion coefficient as a method to capture structural changes we studied the diffusion of fluorescently tagged dextrans of different molecular weight into the midplane of alginate microcapsules, the diffusion coefficient is then calculated by fitting observed fluorescence dynamics to the mathematical solution of 1-D diffusion into a sphere. These measurements were performed after incubation in different conditions as well as after an in vivo experiment in six immunocompetent mice for seven days. Additionally, the changes in gel volume after incubation at different temperatures and environmental conditions as well as changes in compression modulus of alginate gels during crosslinking were investigated. Our result show that increase of polymer concentration and crosslinking time leads to a decrease in volume and increase in compression modulus. Furthermore, we found that samples crosslinked and placed in physiological environment, experience an increase in volume. As expected, these volume changes affect diffusion rates of fluorescent dextrans, where volume expansion is correlated with higher calculated diffusion coefficient. This observation is critical to islet protection since higher permeability due to the expansion in vivo may lead to increased permeability to immunoglobulins. Capsules from the in vivo study showed similar volume expansion and increased permeability, indicating our in vitro assay is a good predictor of volume change in vivo.
Margaret and the Ban: Resistances to Sovereign Authority in Henry VI 1, 2, & 3 and Richard III

In 2 Henry VI and the subsequent plays in the first tetralogy, Margaret of Anjou’s condition as a foreign queen is framed by the concepts of exile, outlawry, and banishment. Shakespeare, much more than Hall or Holinshed, is attentive to Margaret’s problematic status as she enters the English court. Not only does he grant her much less explicit political influence, authority, and agency than she holds in the chronicles, but in the three plays that prominently feature her, particularly in 2 Henry VI, Shakespeare creates a sustained and complex representation of Margaret’s changing status and political ambiguity. Initially, her French provenance associates her with an enemy state, while her isolation, ostracism, and poverty limit her capacity to function effectively as queen. In 3 Henry VI she embraces self-banishment as a political tool, and in Richard III, engages in forms of banning—or cursing—that empower and support her resistance to sovereign decisions and authority. Her transformation from hated and politically naive peace pledge in 2 Henry VI, to champion of the Lancastrian cause in 3 Henry VI, to banished enemy and vituperative voice of vengeance in Richard III involves a complicated navigation of the uncertain territory between friend and enemy, epitomizing both the threat and the promise of a foreign queen.
Newer Oral Anticoagulants in the Treatment of Acute Portal Vein Thrombosis in Patients with and without Cirrhosis

Background. Newer oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are being utilized increasingly for the treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE). NOAC use is the standard of care for stroke prophylaxis in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation and treatment of acute VTE involving extremities and pulmonary embolism. In contrast, most guidelines in the literature support the treatment of acute portal vein thrombosis (PVT) with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) and vitamin K antagonists (VKA). Literature evaluating NOAC use in the treatment of acute portal vein thrombosis is sparse. This review focuses on the safety and efficacy of the use of NOACs in the treatment of acute PVT in patients, with or without concomitant cirrhosis, based on the most recent data available in the current literature. Methods. A systematic review was conducted through a series of advanced searches in the following medical databases: PubMed, BioMed Central, Cochrane, and Google Scholar. Keywords utilized were as follows: NOAC, DOAC (direct oral anticoagulants), portal vein thrombosis, rivaroxaban, apixaban, dabigatran, and edoxaban. Articles related to newer anticoagulant use in patients with portal vein thrombosis were included. Results. The adverse events, including bleeding events (major and minor) and the failure of anticoagulation (propagation of thrombus or recurrence of PVT), are similar between the NOACs and traditional anticoagulants for the treatment of acute PVT, irrespective of the presence of cirrhosis. Conclusions. Newer oral anticoagulants are safe and efficacious alternatives to traditional anticoagulation with low molecular weight heparin and vitamin K antagonists in the treatment of acute portal vein thrombosis with or without cirrhosis.
The Decline and Loss of V2 in French

In this chapter I take a broader diachronic perspective in order to consider the replacement of the V2 grammar of OFr by a non-V2 grammar between the 13th and the 16th centuries. Following Roberts (1993), I distinguish between the decline of V2, which we have partially documented in Chapter 6, and the actual loss of the constraint, which Roberts claims is due to parameter resetting. Three factors are seen to contribute to the decline of V2: the preponderance of SVX clauses, the rise of CSV orders, and the existence of two means of licensing case on subjects internal to VP, one dependent on government by C° and the other independent of it. Rhythmic factors, as discussed by Adams (1987b) and Kroch (1989a), may have played a role in the rise of CSV. The loss of V2 sometime in the 16th century is claimed to reflect a parametric change similar to the one proposed by Roberts, in which spec-head agreement replaces government as the mechanism of nominative case licensing in French.
The Background: Nazi Germany vs. Soviet Russia

The struggle between Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia for control of the Danube had been part of the general struggle for domination of Central-Eastern Europe. Among the zones of influence, most important for Soviet Russia, were Central-Eastern Europe and the Near East, the keys to which were to be found at the Lower Danube. In order to penetrate into the Balkans and the Near East, the Dniester had to be crossed, the Danubian space entered and the mouth of the Danube reached. Bessarabia, therefore, as Gafencu rightly pointed out, raised neither a historical problem nor an ethnological problem, and still less a social problem.1 Russia coveted it only for strategic reasons because it commands the wide mouths of the Danube, and hence stands guard over the main international waterway, the great oil route of Central Europe, one of Germany’s principal lifelines.
Introduction: A Good Idea

With this volume, the editors of the Hofstra Law Review introduce a new section: “Ideas.” “Ideas” will serve as the vehicle for short pieces—from three to ten pages in length and having a minimal number of footnotes—on topics of interest to scholars and practitioners. There will be no subject-matter restrictions and no requirement that the pieces relate to one another. “Ideas” will not be a symposium, but a collection of brief observations on important legal questions. The editors hope to attract submissions from the academy and from prominent members of the bench and bar as well. The inauguration of this section responds to a real need in legal scholarship. Law reviews today are dominated by lengthy articles with hundreds of footnotes. It is not all that uncommon for pieces to run a hundred pages or more. These articles are often worthwhile, but their sheer density may put off some authors—and readers—who are genuinely interested in legal ideas. One leading law review recently announced that it would give a preference to articles under fifty pages long, but there is value in even more abbreviated treatments of legal questions. A quick thought after class, an insight on reading a case, can be very helpful in stimulating discussion and debate. To some degree, Internet blogs have begun to fill the need for short legal commentary. Blogs can be valuable additions to scholarly discourse, but they have their own drawbacks. They are ephemeral, they sometimes lack academic rigor, and they are easily lost in the vastness of
The Role of Retortion in the Cognitional Analyses of Lonergan and Polanyi

Nothing is more difficult to argue about than the fundamental presuppositions of thought. The elaboration of the criteria of knowledge necessarily involves reflexive or circular insights which presuppose themselves in their very formation, since the principles of thought must be active in the thoughts by which we grasp the nature of thinking. There is no way to suspend thought in order to investigate thought in the same way that a machine might be halted and dismantled for analysis, or as a living body might be anesthetized for the sake of surgery. Cognitional analysis always exhibits a self-referential character because it uses the very structures which are under investigation.
The Gentleman from Hagerstown: How Maryland Jews Won the Right to Vote

This article discusses the early history of Maryland in the context of religious discrimination, specifically in reference to discrimination against those of the Jewish faith, even though the state "was founded as a haven of religious liberty and beacon of toleration." It also highlights a member of the Maryland House of Delegates, Thomas Kennedy, a Christian, as being the leader of the movement to ultimately correct this injustice. Part of the problem were clauses in the state's constitution requiring officeholders to be Christians. Kennedy lost his seat in the House, but didn't give up the battle. Ha had tried several times to get bills passed to solve this problem, but many of these failed. After six years of effort, and after having been reelected to House of Delegates, his bill on behalf of the Jews passed, in February of 1825.
Recanalization of Acute Common Carotid Artery Occlusion: 2-Dimensional Operative Video

While revascularization of the acutely or chronically occluded internal carotid artery has become commonplace with modern endovascular techniques, revascularization of an acutely occluded common carotid artery (CCA) is a controversial procedure with unique challenges. These challenges can be related to the lack of observable markers for identifying vessels during navigation or for identifying the exact location and extent of occlusion within the CCA, in addition to wide-ranging treatment risks. In this video, we illustrate the controversial revascularization of a 68-yr-old woman with an acute CCA occlusion who presented with fluctuating neurological symptoms. We believed treatment to be indicated by the lack of adequate collaterals on the intracranial CTA, and fluctuating symptoms in the absence of an intracranial major vessel occlusion, suggesting that the CCA occlusion was exerting important hemodynamic effects and at risk of causing a major stroke without revascularization, despite a low initial NIH stroke score. Though acute recanalization of patients with low NIH stroke score with stent-angioplasty is a controversial procedure, we believed it to be necessary in the case of our patient and believe it will likely be the focus of the next wave of large clinical trials dedicated to acute stroke.
Open-Source MATLAB Code for Hotspot Identification and Feeder Generation

An open-source code for identifying metal casting hotspots and generating feeder geometries is outlined. The code takes two inputs and produces feeder information and an interactive visualization. The analysis requires no human interaction. The effects of the code applied to three example geometries are shown. Explanations of code choices, alternatives, assumptions, limitations, and extensions are discussed. A method for using the code to automate casting optimization workflows is also discussed. The code is made available verbatim, both in text and at a publically available repository online.
Cononsolvency of Elastin-like Polypeptides in Water/Alcohol Solutions

Elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) are one of the most widely-studied classes of protein material because of their lower critical solution temperature (LCST)-like thermoresponsive behavior in aqueous solutions. Here, it is shown that ELPs also exhibit cononsolvency effects, similar to many other water-soluble polymers. The effect of solvent composition on the dilute solution phase behavior of an elastin-like polypeptide is studied here in water/alcohol blends that contain 0-40 vol % methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, or 1-propanol. In all systems studied, the ELP exhibits cononsolvency behavior at low alcohol content, as indicated by a decrease in the transition temperature of the ELP. When the alcohol added is ethanol, isopropanol, or 1-propanol, the decrease in transition temperature is followed by a region of complete ELP insolubility, and, finally, the emergence of upper-critical solution transition (UCST)-like behavior. The ELP is completely soluble at all temperatures measured at alcohol contents above 40 vol %. The effect of sodium chloride on this ELP cononsolvency in water/ethanol blends was also studied. Unlike the previously studied polymer poly( N-isoropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM), ELP exhibits nonmonotonic changes in transition temperature with the addition of sodium chloride at ethanol contents that produce UCST-like transitions of the ELP. This discovery of ELP cononsolvency in water/alcohol systems introduces a new handle with which the solubility of ELPs can be tuned.
Racial/Ethnic and Gender Differences in Associations of Medication-Assisted Therapy and Reduced Opioid Use between Outpatient Treatment Admission and Discharge

Medication-assisted therapy (MAT) for opioid use disorders is an effective treatment strategy. Racial/ethnic and gender disparities in MAT utilization have been documented, but less is known about ...
Are changes in positive mental health associated with increased likelihood of depression over a two year period? A test of the mental health promotion and protection hypotheses.

Abstract This paper investigates the mental health promotion and protection (MHPP) model of reducing depression. Data are from the Clergy Health Initiative Longitudinal Survey of United Methodist ministers in North Carolina that included the Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC-SF) for positive mental health and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression in 2014 and 2016 (N = 955). The promotion hypothesis predicts reduced risk of depression in 2016 among clergy whose mental health increased to flourishing and the increased risk of depression in 2016 for clergy who stayed not flourishing. The protection hypothesis predicts increased risk of depression in 2016 for clergy who were flourishing in 2014 but went down to ‘not flourishing’ in 2016. The reference group is clergy who stayed flourishing. We used modified Poisson regression models for binary outcomes to estimate Prevalence Ratios (PR) and to estimate Incidence Rate Ratios (IRR) of depression in 2016 associated with changes in mental health status. Results support both hypotheses. Compared to clergy who stayed flourishing, clergy who improved to flourishing were as likely, while clergy who stayed not flourishing were nearly seven times more likely, to have depression in 2016. Clergy who declined to not flourishing were six times more likely to have depression in 2016 compared to those who stayed flourishing. Similar patterns were observed when the sample was restricted to clergy without depression in 2014. These findings suggest focusing on MHPP as a complementary approach to treatment to reduce the incidence, prevalence and burden of depression.
Formation and frequency response of two-dimensional nanowire lattices in an applied electric field.

Ordered two-dimensional (2D) lattices were formed by assembling silica-coated solid and segmented Au nanowires between coplanar electrodes using alternating current (ac) electric fields. Dielectrophoretic forces from the ac field concentrated wires between the electrodes, with their long axis aligned parallel to the field lines. After reaching a sufficient particle density, field-induced dipolar interactions resulted in the assembly of dense 2D lattices that spanned the electrodes, a distance of at least ten wire lengths. The ends of neighboring Au wires or segments overlapped a fraction of their length to form lattice structures with a “running bond” brickwork-like pattern. The observed lattice structures were tunable in three distinct ways: (1) particle segmentation pattern, which fixed the lattice periodicity for a given field condition; (2) ac frequency, which varied lattice periodicity in real time; and (3) switching the field on/off, which converted between lattice and smectic particle organizations...
Port Site Hernias Following Laparoscopic Ventral Hernia Repair.

Port site hernias (PSH) are underreported following laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LVHR). Most occur at the site of laterally placed 10–12-mm ports used to introduce large pieces of mesh. One alternative is to place the large port through the ventral hernia defect; however, there is potential for increased risk of surgical site infection (SSI). This study evaluates the outcomes when introducing mesh through a 10–12-mm port placed through the hernia defect. This was a retrospective case series of patients who underwent LVHR in three prospective trials from 2014–2017 at one institution. All patients had mesh introduced through a 10–12-mm port placed through the ventral hernia defect. The primary outcome was SSI. Secondary outcomes were hernia occurrences including recurrences and PSH. A total of 315 eligible patients underwent LVHR with a median (range) follow-up of 21 (11–41) months. Many patients were obese (66.9%), recently quit tobacco use (8.8%), or had diabetes (18.9%). Most patients had an incisional hernia (61.2%), and 19.2% were recurrent. Hernias were on average 4.8 ± 3.8 cm in width. Two patients (0.6%) had an SSI. Fourteen patients had a hernia occurrence—13 (4.4%) had a recurrent hernia, and one patient (0.3%) had a PSH. During LVHR, introduction of mesh through a 10–12-mm port placed through the hernia defect is associated with a low risk of SSI and low risk of hernia occurrence. While further studies are needed to confirm these results, mesh can be safely introduced through a port through the defect.
COVID-19 Pandemic Accelerates Need to Improve Online Patient Engagement Practices to Enhance Patient Experience

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to rapid change in health care, accelerating the use of digital health services, including telehealth. Moreover, growth in value-based care has compelled consumers to become more engaged in care processes. It has also provided opportunities to enhance patient experiences by increasing patients' access to online health information and services. This study assessed online patient engagement practices for 6 common patient touchpoints by reviewing the websites of the top 32 hospitals, including the top 10 children's hospitals. The great majority of these hospitals provided some information related to these patient touchpoints. However, the scope and extent of task automation varied significantly and many options were not convenient. Based on this study, it is clear that patient experience can be enhanced by improving online patient engagement, particularly during the current global pandemic.
Abstract PO-123: Distinct subpopulations of osteosarcoma cells cooperate to establish lung metastases

Four decades of intense multinational efforts to improve outcomes for children and teenagers with osteosarcoma have failed. Today, we still treat patients with a regimen first developed in 1982. The same 35-40% of young people diagnosed with osteosarcoma die from their disease, almost always from complications related to lung metastasis. Believing that therapies targeting lung metastasis could dramatically improve outcomes, we have sought to understand the mechanisms that drive lung colonization in this disease. We previously found that interactions with lung epithelium cause osteosarcoma cells to produce IL6 and CXCL8 and that this activity is necessary for metastasis. Inhibiting IL6 and CXCL8 signaling prevents metastasis entirely in 85% of mice with osteosarcoma. While conducting these studies, we learned that individual tumor cells react differently to signals from lung epithelium. Nearly all the IL6 and CXCL8 produced by osteosarcoma cells come from a small subset of cells. Interactions with pulmonary epithelium cause this discrete subset of tumor cells to produce large quantities of inflammatory cytokines, become strongly p21+, and stop proliferating. Early metastatic lesions consist almost entirely of cells with this phenotype, positioning them to orchestrate the development of the metastatic niche. Thus, we call these hypo-proliferative, cytokine-producing cells that survive early attrition "anchor cells." In the initial stages of metastasis, anchor cells alter the surrounding lung tissue in ways that facilitate subsequent colonization by tumor cells with proliferating phenotypes ("growth cells"). Growth cells then divide to create expanding, clinically-relevant metastasis. Importantly, one can leverage the biology of these anchor cells to develop rational targeting strategies. Anchor cells exhibit profound sensitivity to known senolytic agents. Combining these with conventional therapies (which effectively target growth cells) can eradicate established metastatic lesions and prevent new metastases from forming. These novel findings fundamentally alter our understanding of osteosarcoma and metastasis biology and have direct implications for approaches to treatment. Citation Format: James B. Reinecke, John M. Hinckley, Amy C. Gross, Maren Cam, Sanjana Rajan, Ryan D. Roberts. Distinct subpopulations of osteosarcoma cells cooperate to establish lung metastases [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Special Conference on Tumor Heterogeneity: From Single Cells to Clinical Impact; 2020 Sep 17-18. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(21 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-123.
A Comparison of Intracranial Volumes and Metopic Index in Patients With Isolated Metopic Ridge, Metopic Craniosynostosis, and Normal Healthy Children.

Background Previous research has shown that patients with metopic craniosynostosis have significantly reduced intracranial volumes (ICVs) compared to normal healthy children. Furthermore, the metopic index (ratio of midfrontozygomatic diameter to maximal cranial width) has been described as an anthropometric cranial index for patients with metopic craniosynostosis. We aimed to determine whether patients with isolated metopic ridge have significantly different ICVs or metopic indices than normal children and patients with metopic craniosynostosis. Methods A retrospective chart review of all patients with a diagnosis of a metopic ridge or metopic craniosynostosis was performed from 2000 to 2015 at Rady Children's Hospital. Patients were grouped based on computed tomographic scans consistent with metopic craniosynostosis versus metopic ridge. Results Data were available for 15 metopic ridge patients, 74 metopic craniosynostosis patients, and 213 normal patients. Mean metopic ridge ICV was greater than mean metopic craniosynostosis ICV at 4 to 6 months and 7 to 12 months. Controlling for age and sex, the difference in ICV associated with metopic ridging was 197.484 cm3 and 137.770 cm3 at 4 to 6 and 7 to 12 months, respectively. Similarly, mean metopic index was significantly greater in metopic ridge patients compared to mean metopic craniosynostosis at 4 to 6 months and at 7 to 12 months. Conclusions Our study provides volumetric and anthropometric data to support the hypothesis that isolated metopic ridge is an intermediate phenotype between metopic craniosynostosis and normal cranial anatomy. We hope that characterizing the spectrum of disease involving premature closure of the metopic suture with regard to ICV and metopic index will aid physicians in their management of patients with isolated metopic ridge.
Bounds on Sweep-Covers by Functional Compositions of Ordered Integer Partitions and Raney Numbers

A sweep-cover is a vertex separator in trees that covers all the nodes by some ancestor-descendent relationship. This work provides an algorithm for finding all sweep-covers of a given size in any tree. The algorithm's complexity is proven on a class of infinite $\Delta$-ary trees with constant path lengths between the $\Delta$-star internal nodes. I prove the enumeration expression on these infinite trees is a recurrence relation of functional compositions on ordered integer partitions. The upper bound on the enumeration is analyzed with respect to the size of sweep cover $n$, maximum out-degree $\Delta$ of the tree, and path length $\gamma$, $O(n^n)$, $O(\Delta^c c^\Delta)$, and $O(\gamma ^n)$ respectively. I prove that the Raney numbers are a strict lower bound for enumerating sweep-covers on infinite $\Delta$-ary trees, $\Omega(\frac{(\Delta n)^n}{n!})$.
Suppression of thermal conductivity and electronic correlations in Fe1−xRuxSb2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.6)

We present simultaneous suppression of FeSb2 thermal conductivity and electronic correlations in Fe1−xRuxSb2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.6) single crystal alloys. Small energy gap Δ 1 in Kondo-insulator-like semiconductor FeSb2 associated with impurity in-gap state increases whereas the intrinsic bandgap Δ 2 decreases upon Ru substitution on Fe atomic site. Thermopower is suppressed along with the intrinsic bandgap and with the thermal conductivity. The more delocalized 4d character of atomic orbital of Ru brings suppression of electronic correlations, but also an increase in impurity density which reduces phonon mean free path and surface scattering length. Our results indicate a range of Ru doping x where nanostructuring could be used to suppress thermal conductivity further, potentially toward the amorphous limit.