cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Behavior in Mice with Targeted Disruption of Single Genes

The use of mice with targeted deletion, or knockout, of specific genes provides a relatively new approach to establish the molecular bases of behavior. As with all ablation studies, the interpretation of behavioral data may be limited by the technique. For example, indirect effects of the missing gene may affect behavior, rather than the missing gene per se. Also, because the missing gene might affect many developmental processes throughout ontogeny and because up-regulation or compensatory mechanisms may be activated in knockouts, behavioral data from mice with targeted gene deletions should be interpreted with caution. The development of conditional knockouts, in which a specific gene can be inactivated any time during ontogeny, should allow investigators to avoid these conceptual shortcomings associated with behavioral data from knockouts in the near future. The behavioral alterations reported in knockout mice are reviewed here. Many dramatic changes in complex motivated behaviors including aggression, sexual, ingestive, and parental behaviors, have been reported for knockouts. There have also been many reports of alterations in sensorimotor abilities and spontaneous activity, as well as impairments in balance, coordination, and gait. Impaired learning and memory have also been reported for mice with targeted disruption of specific genes. Taken together, the use of knockouts will provide an important new tool to understand the mechanisms underlying behavior.
Urban containment policies and housing prices: an international comparison with implications for future research

Abstract Policies of urban containment are widely used in land-use planning and as a means of reducing urban sprawl and of preserving farmland. This paper reviews the current state of knowledge about the effects of urban-containment boundaries on house prices. It is concluded that urban containment programs do affect land prices, and that housing producers do not always respond to higher land prices by increasing the density of development. In relation to aggregate housing prices, the effects of urban containment policy depend on factors such as style of policy implementation, local housing markets, and pattern of land ownership. The demand side of the housing market may be a stronger determinant of prices than local urban containment policies. Nevertheless, it is concluded that local planners can play a significant role in relation to the severity of housing price inflation attributable to urban containment policies.
A sociable robot to encourage social interaction among the elderly

In this paper, we present evidence that although current models for introduction of robotic companions stress individual encounters, a social community alternative is promising. This argument emerges from an experiment we conducted with a small interactive robot at two local nursing homes. Here we give a brief introduction to the robot and our experience at the homes. We compare the robot used to a semi-robotic toy whose use initially suggested to us the benefits of social community models in the presentation of robotics to the elderly. We find that even where individual encounters are significant, sensitivity to social dimensions improve the benefits of these encounters
Impacts of Riverboat Gaming On Community Quality

This study, examining two southeastern Iowa riverboat communities, identified the impact of the riverboat casino on 25 community quality attributes, as perceived by community residents. Tax revenue generation was the only attribute improved as a result of the river boat casino. All other attributes were not changed. The community quality attributes were a categorized into six factors: Free of Crime, Attractiveness, Economy, Community Activi , ties, Public Services, and Hospitality. Those whose highest education level attained was a high school diploma, who had visited the casino, who visited the casino more often, and who supported the legalization of gaming in the state perceived the impact of the riverboat casino more positively.
Ultracentrifugal Analysis of Factor VIII and von Willebrand Factor in Therapeutic Preparations

Plasma and therapeutic preparations of factor VIII (1 recombinant factor VIII and two monoclonally purified plasma-derived factor VIII preparations, Kogenate, and AHF-M and Monoclate, respectively) were centrifuged in a sucrose density gradient, and the fractions were analyzed for factor VIII and von Willebrand factor (vWF). The residual vWF in the monoclonally purified factor VIII preparations sediments more slowly than the vWF of plasma. In the absence of added vWF, the factor VIII in all preparations sediments more slowly than plasma factor VIII. These same preparations of factor VIII added to hemophilic plasma as a source of vWF sediment differently. The addition of either recombinant factor VIII or AHF-M results in sedimentation of the factor VIII with the plasma vFW and in a position indistinguishable from factor VIII in plasma. In contrast, when Monoclate is added to hemophilic plasma in vitro, the factor VIII sediments more slowly than the vWF of the hemophilic plasma. However, 5 min after the infusion of Monoclate into a patient with hemophilia A, the factor VIII sediments with the plasma vWF. These results indicate that the addition of recombinant factor VIII and AHF-M results in random binding to all vWF multimers of plasma, while there is little exchange between the added factor VIII in Monoclate and the plasma vWF in vitro. In contrast, when the Monoclate is infused, there is rapid binding of factor VIII to the plasma vWF.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Use of Digital Terrain Data for Project Estimating

A new method of preparing cost estimates for transmission lines has been developed. Elevation data extracted from magnetic tapes compiled by the Defence Mapping Agency (DMA) is used as input to a computer program that estimates the quantity of tower steel required. Variations in the quantity of tower steel generally accounts for the largest proportion of the per mile cost differences between transmission lines of the same design. Provided a digital terrain data base of sufficient accuracy is available, this form of data may be utilized to estimate the cost of any topographically dependent construction project. Digital terrain data have also been used for a number of other interesting applications, one of these being the visual analysis of a facility’s impact. These various applications of digitized elevation data along with a general description of the procedures used in generating a digital terrain model are considered.
Low Cost Nutrients for Algae Cultivation

Microalgae are aquatic microorganisms growing phototrophically using sunlight and inorganic nutrients viz. carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and other micronutrients. Sustainable production of microalgae biomass as feedstock for renewable biofuels is facing important bottlenecks in nutrient and water requirements that may hinder commercial scale development of algal systems. Fertilizer nutrients and fresh water contribute up to 50 % of the total biomass production cost that eventually impact the economical feasibility of algal fuels. In the algae-biofuels industry, nutrients must be found in lower-value sources like wastewaters and other waste streams and for sustainable production, those nutrients be recycled within the system. Integration of algal wastewater treatment with biofuel production has been strongly promoted recently. Utilizing nutrient rich wastewaters and animal wastes like poultry litter can greatly reduce the water and fertilizer demands for alga culture. Additionally, producing algal feedstock from low-cost waste based nutrient media has multiple benefits including improved water quality, N and P recycling from animal waste, reduced environmental footprints, and economic efficiency. This approach appears very attractive, since the impacts of releasing N and P and greenhouse gases into the environment could be mitigated, while conserving nutrients and simultaneously producing a material that can replace crude oil as a fuel feedstock.
Elder Abuse and the Community Health Nurse

Community health nurses by virtue of their functions and responsibilities can be critical participants in the identification, prevention, and treatment of elder abuse. This article discusses the role of the community nurse in primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention of elder-mistreatment. The need for empirically-based data about elder abuse and family caregiving is crucial. Collaboration between community health nurses in practice and academia can help to fill this gap.
Abuse Tolerance Improvements

As lithium-ion battery technologies mature, the size and energy of these systems continues to increase (> 50 kWh for EVs); making safety and reliability of these high energy systems increasingly important. While most material advances for lithium-ion chemistries are directed toward improving cell performance (capacity, energy, cycle life, etc.), there are a variety of materials advancements that can be made to improve lithium-ion battery safety. Issues including energetic thermal runaway, electrolyte decomposition and flammability, anode SEI stability, and cell-level abuse tolerance continue to be critical safety concerns. This report highlights work with our collaborators to develop advanced materials to improve lithium-ion battery safety and abuse tolerance and to perform cell-level characterization of new materials.
Mitochondrial Iron and Sphingosine Synergize Initiation of Hepatocyte Death by Augmenting Oxidative Stress

Hepatocytes exposed to ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) succumb to cell death after reperfusion. Sphingosine and ceramide profiles revealed substantial accumulation of sphingosine after 4h of ischemia to rat hepatocytes, whereas other sphingoid bases did not change. A lysosomotropic inhibitor of acid ceramidase suppressed I/R-induced death, indicating a lysosomal origin of sphingosine. Addition of exogenous sphingosine to hepatocytes increased cell death, which was insensitive to the ceramide synthase inhibitor, fumonisin B1. This finding indicates that accumulation of sphingosine, not ceramide formed from sphingosine, promoted cell death. Exogenous sphingosine also inhibited complex IV (cytochrome oxidase), the terminal component of the respiratory chain, in isolated mitochondria. Accordingly, we hypothesized that downstream respiratory inhibition by sphingosine leads to increased formation of O2•- radicals after reperfusion, which by themselves have only a moderately harmful effect. However when Fe2+redistributes from lysosomes into mitochondria during ischemia, Fenton chemistry occurs after reperfusion, leading to formation of highly reactive OH• radicals, potent inducers of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore and cell death. This hypothesis was directly tested using bafilomycin, which induces the release of Fe2+ from lysosomes with subsequent uptake into mitochondria. Indeed, bafilomycin potentiated sphingosine-induced cell death. The data highlight a novel mechanism mediating I/R injury, which involves sphingosine accumulation and uptake of lysosomal iron into mitochondria during ischemia, leading to respiratory chain inhibition, iron-dependent oxidative stress, mitochondrial permeability transition and cell death after reperfusion. DK073336, DK037034 and 14.Z50.31.0028 (JJL) and NS083544 (TIG).
Evolving concepts on benefits and risks associated with therapeutic strategies to raise HDL

Purpose of review To provide an update on high-density lipoprotein (HDL) biology and emerging new HDL-based therapies for athero-thrombosis. Recent findings Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease remains a major public health threat despite a significant decline over the past three decades. Although current medical therapies, specifically low-density lipoprotein lowering with statins, reduce cardiovascular events by about 25-35%, a substantial residual risk remains, leading to a search for additional therapeutic interventions. In this regard, HDL has emerged as one important target because of epidemiologic evidence linking HDL levels inversely to cardiovascular events, known vascular protective actions of HDL and experimental and clinical research supporting athero-protective actions of HDL. However, complexities of HDL composition, particle size, and metabolism have suggested that HDL functionality, and how HDL is increased, may be important determinants of its protective effects. Summary Thus the possibility that HDL modification could address the residual risk has brought renewed focus on an old HDL-raising drug, niacin, and a number of newer strategies to exploit the vascular benefits of HDL.
From User-Centered Design to Senior-Centered Design: Designing Internet Health Information Portals:

Seniors are increasingly using websites to access health-related information. We developed a portal website that provides health information for seniors based on a user-centered, participatory design approach to ensure that the resulting website meets the special needs and requirements of senior users, a group traditionally neglected in the development process. Our approach included five major steps in the development process: needs analysis, requirements specification, content design, iterative prototype design, and usability evaluation. Seniors were actively involved as part of the design team by participating in a variety of focus groups and online surveys throughout this development process. They were particularly helpful in providing design requirements and in identifying usability problems related to both web page content, web design features, and website navigation. This paper is a case study that explains our development process and summarizes lessons learned from our efforts to extend user-center...
Optimal use of imaging to guide treatment decisions for kidney cancer.

Overview:Treatment monitoring for solid tumors in general and for metastatic renal cancer in particular has been dominated by assessment of tumor burden via cross-sectional imaging. This poses a sp...
Narcolepsy and Other Neurological Sleep Disorders

Sleep disorders are among the most common clinical ailments, and molecular research is beginning to shed light on the neurobio-logy of sleep and the mechanisms underlying specific disorders of sleep. This chapter focuses on sleep disorders with a neurological basis, particularly those in which recent discoveries have realed the underlying molecular biology.
Na+/H+ and Na+/Ca2+ exchange: Their role in the rise in cytosolic free [Ca2+] during ischaemia and reperfusion

A rise in Ca i occurs during ischaemia. During the first 30 min of ischaemia, this rise does not appear to be due to Ca 2+ entry via Ca 2+ channels or Ca 2+ release from the SR. The increase in Ca i appears to be due to Ca 2+ entry via Na + /Ca 2+ exchange, secondary to a rise in Na i during ischaemia. The mechanism responsible for the rise in Na i is controversial. There appears to be some entry via non-inactivating voltage-gated Na + channels and some entry via NHE, although the exact relative percentage may depend on the metabolic activity of the cell and the magnitude of the fall in pH i . Inhibition of the rise in Na i during ischaemia (whether by inhibition of Na + channels, inhibition of NHE, or a combination of both) reduces the subsequent rise in Ca i and is cardioprotective. There is also convincing data suggesting that NHE is stimulated at the start of reflow. Inhibition of NHE at the start of reflow slows the rate of recovery of intracellular pH, but there is no measurable change in Na i at the start of reflow, unless the Na + /K + ATPase is inhibited. However, although the increased Na + entry on reflow does not measurably alter bulk Na i , it appears to enhance Na + /Ca 2+ exchange and this can cause a transient increase in Ca i on reflow. Inhibitors of NHE are cardioprotective if administered before or during ischaemia. Addition of NHE inhibitors only at the start of reflow is less protective; this is attributed to either slow delivery of the inhibitor to the myocyte or to the need for combined inhibition of NHE during ischaemia as well as for reflow for optimal protection.
Itô’s formula for the Lp-norm of stochastic $${W^{1}_{p}}$$ -valued processes

We prove Ito’s formula for the Lp-norm of a stochastic \({W^{1}_{p}}\) -valued processes appearing in the theory of SPDEs in divergence form.
Modeling of guided circumferential SH and Lamb-type waves in open waveguides with semi-analytical finite element and Perfectly Matched Layer method

Abstract The circumferential guided waves (CGW) are of increasing interest for non-destructive inspecting pipes or other cylindrical structures. If such structures are buried underground, these modes can also deliver some valuable information about the surrounding medium or the quality of the contact between the pipe and the embedding medium. Toward this goal, the detailed knowledge of the dispersive characteristics of CGW is required; henceforth, the robust numerical method has to be established, which allows for the extensive study of the propagation of these modes under different loading conditions. Mathematically, this is the problem of the propagation of guided waves in an open waveguide. This problem differs significantly from the corresponding problem of a closed waveguide both in physical and numerical aspect. The paper presents a combination of semi-analytical finite element method with Perfectly Matched Layer technique for a class of coupled acoustics/elasticity problems with application to modeling of CGW. We discuss different aspects of our algorithm and validate the proposed approach against other established methods available in the literature. The presented numerical examples positively verify the robustness of the proposed method.
Spotting craziness in cloud-cuskoo-land

Few things in life are utterly black or white. Even scientific ideas come in shades of "truth", which is arrived at differently in different kinds of science. There are other gradations too, starting with theories that we are pretty damn sure are right and that we accept without question, such as Newton's three laws of motion. Our attitude to these differs subtly from those that we also think are correct but might wish were not, if only to make a richer universe, such as the relativistic limitation on faster-than-light travel. At the opposite extreme are ideas that seem wrong to most scientists but are espoused by a minority (sometimes a minority of one) and may be accepted by non-scientists too, like the belief that AIDS is not caused by the HIV virus.
User Preferences for Hybrid Explanations

Hybrid recommender systems combine several different sources of information to generate recommendations. These systems demonstrate improved accuracy compared to single-source recommendation strategies. However, hybrid recommendation strategies are inherently more complex than those that use a single source of information, and thus the process of explaining recommendations to users becomes more challenging. In this paper we describe a hybrid recommender system built on a probabilistic programming language, and discuss the benefits and challenges of explaining its recommendations to users. We perform a mixed model statistical analysis of user preferences for explanations in this system. Through an online user survey, we evaluate explanations for hybrid algorithms in a variety of text and visual, graph-based formats, that are either novel designs or derived from existing hybrid recommender systems.
The Mammary Gland

Abstract The development of breast cancer, the most common malignancy of women, is clearly influenced by environmental factors particularly during key developing periods or “windows of susceptibility.” With a better understanding of this important interplay, there is heightened awareness and increased implementation of more rigorous methods for hazard identification using in vitro and in vivo models. This chapter provides background for mammary gland evaluations including details of biology and development, species and sex comparisons, hazard identification and study design approaches, morphologic evaluation and diagnosis, and mechanisms of mammary toxicity and carcinogenicity.
Role of TLR4 signaling in the nephrotoxicity of heme and heme proteins

Destabilized heme proteins release heme, and free heme is toxic. Heme is now recognized as an agonist for the Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) receptor. This study examined whether the TLR4 receptor mediates the nephrotoxicity of heme, specifically, the effects of heme on renal blood flow and inflammatory responses. We blocked TLR4 signaling by the specific antagonist TAK-242. Intravenous administration of heme to mice promptly reduced renal blood flow, an effect attenuated by TAK-242. In vitro, TAK-242 reduced heme-elicited activation of NF-κB and its downstream gene monocyte chemoattractant protein-1(MCP-1); in contrast, TAK-242 failed to reduce heme-induced activation of the anti-inflammatory transcription factor Nrf2 and its downstream gene heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). TAK-242 did not reduce heme-induced renal MCP-1 upregulation in vivo. TAK-242 did not reduce dysfunction and histological injury in the glycerol model of heme protein-induced acute kidney injury (AKI), findings corroborated by studies in TLR4+/+ and TLR4-/- mice. We conclude that 1) acute heme-mediated renal vasoconstriction occurs through TLR4 signaling; 2) proinflammatory effects of heme in renal epithelial cells involve TLR4 signaling, whereas the anti-inflammatory effects of heme do not; 3) TLR4 signaling does not mediate the proinflammatory effects of heme in the kidney; and 4) major mechanisms underlying glycerol-induced, heme protein-mediated AKI do not involve TLR4 signaling. These findings in the glycerol model are in stark contrast with findings in virtually all other AKI models studied to date and emphasize the importance of TLR4-independent pathways of heme protein-mediated injury in this model. Finally, these studies urge caution when using observations derived in vitro to predict what occurs in vivo.
Onset of T2DM after gestational diabetes: What the prevention paradox tells us about risk.

Abstract This study investigates the effect of severity of gestational diabetes (GDM) on likelihood of post-delivery glucose testing and early onset Type 2 diabetes (T2DM). We asked if clinical focus on relative risk (RR), i.e. greater probability of T2DM onset in a higher-severity group, contributes to missed opportunities for prevention among women with lower-severity GDM. A sample of 12,622 continuously-insured women with GDM (2006–2015) was drawn from a large national dataset (OptumLabs® Data Warehouse) and followed for 3-years post-delivery. Higher-severity GDM was defined as addition of hypoglycemic therapy to standard of care for GDM. We found that women with higher-severity (n = 2627) were twice as likely as lower-severity women (n = 9995) to obtain glucose testing post-delivery. Moreover, 357 (13.6%) of the higher-severity women developed T2DM by year-3 vs. 600 (6.0%) lower-severity women. In an analysis of the population attributable fraction (PAF), defined as the contribution of excess risk to population prevalence, lower-severity women contributed more cases to diabetes rates than higher-risk women (PAF 79% vs. 21%), despite an increased RR in the higher-severity group (13.6% vs. 6.0%, RR 2.26, 95%CI 2.00, 2.56). Projecting out to the 327,950 U.S. deliveries in 2014, we estimate that 9277 higher-severity women (13.6%) and 15,584 lower-severity women (6.0%), will have developed T2DM by 2018. These data demonstrate that lower-severity GDM contributes substantially to the diabetes epidemic. Greater awareness of clinical and cost implications of gaps in follow-up for lower-severity GDM may strengthen the likelihood of post-delivery testing and primary care referral, and thus reinforce the path to prevention.
Regulation of Skeletal Muscle Phosphatases by Mn 2 + and Sulfhydryl-Disulfide Interchange

In 1945 Cori and Cori described the first interconversion of an enzyme, namely that of active phosphorylase a from rabbit skeletal muscle into phosphorylase b, inactive in the absence of AMP. At that time it was thought that phosphorylase a contained AMP bound as a prosthetic group and, therefore, the enzyme catalyzing the a to b conversion was named “prosthetic group removing” (or PR) enzyme. The enzyme was partially purified by the procedures available at that time; these relied mainly on precipitation with ammonium sulfate or solvents such as alcohol or acetone. Ten years later, when it was found that phosphorylase was activated by the introduction of covalently bound phosphate derived from the γ position of ATP, it was recognized that PR enzyme was in fact a phosphorylase a phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.17) (Fischer and Krebs 1955; Wosilait and Sutherland 1956). In the next 25 years, protein kinases and phosphatases were extensively investigated. In fact, as of today, ca. 30 enzymes have been shown to undergo reversible phosphorylation (Krebs and Beavo 1979) and this process is now known to play a fundamental role in the regulation of various metabolic pathways.
Ovarian Serous Carcinogenesis—A Proposed Model

Ovarian cancer is one of the most fatal malignant diseases in women. In 2004, it accounted for approx 16,090 deaths (1). About 25,000 new cases are diagnosed annually, of which approx 75% are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Ovarian cancer is a heterogenous group of tumors, but the most common type is surface epithelial tumors, which are classified into serous, mucinous, endometrioid, clear cell, and Brenner (transitional) tumors corresponding to different types of epithelia in the organs of the female reproductive tract (2—4). The tumors in each of the categories are further subclassified into three groups, benign, intermediate (borderline tumor), and malignant to reflect their clinical behavior.
Predictions for p+Pb collisions at sNN=5TeV: Expectations vs. data

Abstract Recently a compilation of predictions for charged hadron, identified light hadron, quarkonium, photon, jet and gauge boson production in p + Pb collisions at s NN = 5 TeV was made available [1] . Here the predictions are compared to the data so far available.
Computational modeling of polyethylene wear in total hip arthroplasty using patient-specific kinematics-coupled finite element analysis

Abstract Computational modeling of polyethylene wear based on patient-specific gait kinematics and component orientation remains lacking. This study aimed to quantify the polyethylene wear among 48 total hip arthroplasty (THA) using patient-specific data through a computational model incorporating the cross-shear effect. Strong patient variations were observed in volumetric wear rate (54.1 ± 13.9 mm3/year) and linear wear rate (0.20 ± 0.08 mm/year). Regression analysis demonstrated that axial plane rotation, in light of its influence on cross-shear effect, plays an important role in polyethylene wear. The computational model based on patient-specific gait kinematics and component orientation provides a useful tool to investigate the in-vivo polyethylene wear.
Abstract TMP29: Microglia Are Essential for Neuronal Replacement and Improved Functional Recovery Following Cerebral Ischemia

Introduction: Microglia are the first responders after stroke, mounting the immune response to CNS injury. While this response has been shown to be both neuroprotective and neurodegenerative follow...
The Drivers of Corporate Climate Mitigation

The private sector can generate a billion tons per year in greenhouse gas emissions reductions over the next decade, with corporations contributing half. This is not overly optimistic. If we start with the assumption that firms seek to maximize profit, then motivations to reduce carbon emissions arise from at least seven sources, supplemented by the moral norms of corporate managers.
Balancing analytical goals and anthropological stewardship in the midst of the paleogenomics revolution

ABSTRACTAncient DNA research is on a trajectory of rapid growth and is becoming an increasingly important part of the archaeologist’s toolkit. In this paper, we situate the current relationship bet...
Race, Gender, Class and Achievement: A Culturally Responsive Approach to Urban School Counseling:

Ladson-Billings called upon educators to practice culturally responsive teaching. This pedagogy is grounded in the principle that students’ cultural references ought to be infused in all areas of t...
Selecting a SARS-CoV-2/COVID Molecular Testing Method for Your Laboratory.

In early March 2020 it became apparent that clinical laboratories would need to quickly develop strategies for SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 testing. For most, the initial approach was to send out testing to a reference laboratory. As the pandemic has progressed, the food and drug administration (FDA) has allowed for several manufacturers to make testing reagents commercially available. Concurrently, the demand for rapid accessibility of results persists, leading many laboratories to evaluate options for “in house” testing. This reflection highlights some of the considerations when selecting the best method for your laboratory, with specific examples highlighted from a medium volume laboratory’s experience.
Chiropractic Care of a Patient With Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type 1 (CRPS-1): A Case Report.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this case report is to describe the evaluation and treatment of a patient presenting with left upper extremity pain and neck pain after a slip and fall. Clinical Features A 56-year-old woman sustained a left distal radius fracture secondary to a slip-and-fall accident. She was placed in a cast for 6 weeks, and after the removal of her cast she developed excruciating left forearm, wrist, hand, and finger pain. The patient was diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome type 1 utilizing the modified (Budapest) International Association for the Study of Pain criteria. Intervention and Outcome The patient did not respond positively to initial management, which included the application of a cast after closed reduction of the distal radius fracture, 8 weeks of physical/occupational therapy, and the use of a brace which kept her left wrist, hand, and fingers in a flexed position. Subsequently, the patient presented to the University of Bridgeport College of Chiropractic outpatient clinic, where she was evaluated and treated. She received a total of 36 chiropractic treatments between her initial office visit in January 2018 and the follow-up in June 2018. The patient reported and demonstrated amelioration of her presenting complaints, decreased pain, increased ranges of motion, and increased function. Conclusion This case report underscores the importance of a rapid, accurate, initial diagnosis of complex regional pain syndrome type 1, during the acute (warm) stage.
Draft Genome Sequence of Lactobacillus rhamnosus OSU-PECh-69, a Cheese Isolate with Antibacterial Activity.

ABSTRACT The novel strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus OSU-PECh-69 was isolated from provolone cheese. It produces antimicrobial agents having a molecular mass of 5 to 10 kDa that are active against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The strain has a genome sequence of 3,057,669 bp, a GC content of 46.6%, and up to two gene clusters encoding bacteriocins.
Susceptibility curves for humans: Empirical survival models for determining household-level disturbances from hazards-induced infrastructure service disruptions

Abstract In natural hazard engineering, fragility curves are used to determine the likelihood of damage to an engineered system under different magnitudes of hazard intensity. Analogous to fragility curves for engineered systems, survival models developed in the present study determine the extent of disturbances for shelter-in-place households caused by infrastructure service disruptions during disasters. This study used empirical data from household surveys collected in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Florence, and Hurricane Michael to create empirical survival models for determining household-level disturbances related to eight infrastructure services: power, water, communication, sewer systems, transportation, solid waste collection, grocery stores, and healthcare facilities. The survival models considered various influencing factors, such as sociodemographic factors, previous experience, risk perception, and access to resources to determine what percentage of households in a community would experience considerable hardship under varying durations of service disruptions. The developed curves suggested that although the susceptibility patterns are similar for short durations of infrastructure service disruptions, prolonged service disruptions pose varying levels of disturbance in different communities based on the household characteristics and contextual factors. Susceptibility curves could be implemented with current tools for assessing the reliability and resilience of infrastructure systems to promote understanding of the societal impacts that disruptions in these services pose to the affected communities. The resulting empirical survival models provide necessary tools and insights for determining the susceptibility of communities to disruptions of various infrastructure services during disasters. Hence, the outcomes of this study provide new empirical insights and models enabling decision-makers to integrate human-centric dimensions into infrastructure retrofit and restoration processes to more equitably reduce societal impacts of service disruptions. Such human-centric approaches enable designing socially resilient cities and contribute to designing sustainable infrastructure systems.
Convergent Access Control to Enable Secure Smart Communities

With current technological advancements in IoT, Artificial Intelligence, and networking (e.g., 5G/6G) technologies, we are swiftly moving towards enabling future connected smart communities. We envision a smart community (SC) as an inter-connected ecosystem ranging from a small region to a global scale enabled by IoT devices and key technologies for the betterment of its citizens, businesses, and organizations. A critical aspect for enabling such future smart communities is developing a secure and privacy-preserving access control (AC) framework to defend against malicious actors in the system. Traditionally, access control principles have been formulated based on the access control requirements of an enterprise, an application or a system. Smart communities are an evolving and dynamic concept that includes a range of interdisciplinary components. Thus it is appropriate to reevaluate current access control principles for such a diverse and dynamic ecosystem. In this paper, we first discuss access control requirements and then present access control principles for future smart communities. We envision a convergent access control approach towards enabling future smart communities where different access control models synergistically converge at both policy and enforcement layers. Therefore, we propose a Convergent Access Control (CAC) framework that can address the access control requirements of dynamic application domains such as in future smart communities. The main goal of this paper is to present the vision and need for the CAC framework and initiate discussion on the future research agenda.
The Relationship between Internal Audit Assurance Frequency and Earnings Manipulation Intent and Behavior: A Theory of Planned Behavior Approach

This study uses Ajzen’s (1991) theory of planned behavior (TPB) to examine whether the internal audit function’s use of continuous auditing affects managers intent and actual behavior related to earnings manipulation. I conduct an experiment where 265 corporate managers assume the role of a divisional vice president incentivized by an annual bonus based on divisional performance. At midyear, participants signal their intent and actual earnings manipulation behavior in a setting where the division is on target to miss the annualized earnings target if the manager does nothing. Consistent with theory, univariate analyses suggest that managers who indicate higher perceptions on each of the three TPB elements were more likely to manipulate earnings. Multivariate analyses support a positive relationship between each measure and earnings manipulation intent, however, the attitudes measure is statistically insignificant. Related to actual behavior, I predict and find that managers who intend to manipulate earnings actually do so. Further, I find that participants who intend to manipulate earnings prefer to use accounting estimates relative to accounting expenditures as their earnings manipulation mechanism in this setting. In additional analyses, I find managers with current or prior audit committee experience were less likely to manipulate earnings. Lastly, I find that managers are indeed less likely to manipulate earnings when the internal audit function uses continuous auditing. This study contributes to knowledge by disentangling earnings manipulation intent from actual behavior. Results of the study should be of interest to auditors, academics, and financial statement preparers.
Variation in scion water relations mediated by two newly released Geneva series rootstocks

ABSTRACT Dwarfing rootstocks are used to control tree vigor allowing for increased densities that increase apple production. Although there is considerable variation among rootstocks in dwarfing capacity, the mechanisms by which rootstocks affect vigor in apple scions remains unclear. Here, ‘Honeycrisp’ apple growth and water relations were compared among three rootstocks; M-9 as the industry standard and two less studied Geneva series rootstocks; G.87 and G. 814 in Washington, USA. Trees were acquired from a commercial nursery and planted in 2017. In 2018 and 2019, scion physiological, isotopic and morphological traits were measured to better understand the link between rootstock-driven vigor and physiological traits. Rootstock affected scion shoot growth (P
Ligament Augmentation With Mersilene Tape Reduces the Rates of Proximal Junctional Kyphosis and Failure in Adult Spinal Deformity.

Author(s): Rodnoi, Pope; Le, Hai; Hiatt, Luke; Wick, Joseph; Barber, Joshua; Javidan, Yashar; Roberto, Rolando; Klineberg, Eric O | Abstract: ObjectiveTo investigate prevention of proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) and failure (PJF) following adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery utilizing a novel technique of posterior ligament augmentation with polyester fiber tether.MethodsThis study evaluated ASD adult patients who underwent posterior decompression and instrumented fusion from the thoracolumbar junction (T9-L1) to the pelvis from 2011-2017. Basic demographic data were obtained. Radiographic outcomes included proximal junctional angle (PJA), sagittal vertical axis, PJK, and PJF. The study population was divided into patients who had ASD surgery with and without ligamentous augmentation.ResultsA total of 43 subjects were evaluated, including 20 without and 23 with ligamentous augmentation. PJA increased over time for both groups. PJA was smaller for the augmented group, and rate of increase in PJA was slower in the augmented group (p l 0.0001). The rate of PJK was significantly higher in the nonaugmented group (p = 0.01). PJF was significantly less common in the augmented group (p = 0.003). Time to revision surgery was lower in the nonaugmented group (p = 0.003).ConclusionOur novel ligament augmentation technique utilizing polyethylene tape is an effective technique to slow progression of the PJA and lower the risk for proximal junctional disease in ASD surgery.
Thermodynamics of near BPS black holes in AdS4 and AdS7

We develop the thermodynamics of black holes in AdS4 and AdS7 near their BPS limit. In each setting we study the two distinct deformations orthogonal to the BPS surface as well as their nontrivial interplay with each other and with BPS properties. Our results illuminate recent microscopic calculations of the BPS entropy. We show that these microscopic computations can be leveraged to also describe the near BPS regime, by generalizing the boundary conditions imposed on states.
Variation in Surgeon Proficiency Scores and Association With Digit Replantation Outcomes.

Importance Risk-adjusted variation in surgeon outcomes has been traditionally explained by surgeon volume and hospital infrastructure, yet it is unclear how a surgeon’s operative proficiency directly contributes to their patients’ outcomes. Objective To assess the variation of surgeons’ operative proficiency and investigate its association with surgical outcomes. Design, Setting, and Participants This case series was a retrospective analysis of all digit replantations and revascularizations at a single US university medical center between January 2000 and August 2020. Surgeons were assigned a proficiency score based on the expected procedure difficulty and outcomes from a sample of their cases. Surgeon proficiency scores were then used to determine associations with outcomes from subsequent cases. The expected difficulty of each case was calculated using a novel scoring system that applied pooled relative risks from a meta-analysis of risk factors for replantation and revascularization failure. Exposures Digit replantation and revascularization. Main Outcomes and Measures Digit survival at 1-month follow up (case success) and number of complications. Results A total of 145 patients and 226 digits were treated by 11 surgeons with training in hand or microsurgery (mean [SD] age, 41.9 [15.2] years; 204 [90%] men); there were 116 replantations and 110 revascularizations. Surgeon proficiency scores ranged from 1.3 to 5.7, with a mean (SD) of 3.4 (1.4). Case success rates among surgeons varied from 20.0% to 90.5%, with a mean (SD) of 64.9%. Higher proficiency scores were associated with fewer case failures: each point increase was associated with 40% decreased odds of failure (odds ratio, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.38-0.94). Every 3-point increase in proficiency score was associated with 1 less complication (effect estimate, −0.29; 95% CI, −0.56 to 0.02). Surgeon proficiency score had a greater association with case failure than surgeon volume (16.7% vs 12.0%). The final model’s association with case failure had an area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of 0.93. Conclusions and Relevance Operative proficiency varied widely among practicing surgeons and accounted for 17% of estimative ability for success of digit replantation and revascularization. Greater surgeon proficiency was associated with better outcomes, indicating that the value of surgical care may be optimized by improving surgeon proficiency.
Small bowel obstruction managed without hospital admission: A safe way to reduce both cost and time in the hospital?

BACKGROUND Small bowel obstruction management has evolved to incorporate the Gastrografin challenge. We expanded its use to the emergency department observation unit, potentially avoiding hospital admission for highly select small bowel obstruction patients. We hypothesized that the emergency department observation unit small bowel obstruction protocol would reduce admissions, costs, and the total time spent in the hospital without compromising outcomes. METHODS We reviewed patients who presented with small bowel obstruction from January 2015 to December 2018. Patients deemed to require urgent surgical intervention were admitted directly and excluded. The emergency department observation unit small bowel obstruction guidelines were introduced in November 2016. Patients were divided into pre and postintervention groups based on this date. The postintervention group was further subclassified to examine the emergency department observation unit patients. Cost analysis for each patient was performed looking at number of charges, direct costs, indirect cost, and total costs during their admission. RESULTS In total, 125 patients were included (mean age 69 ± 14.3 years). The preintervention group (n = 62) and postintervention group (n = 63) had no significant difference in demographics. The postintervention group had a 51% (36.7 hours, P < .001) reduction in median duration of stay and a total cost reduction of 49% (P < .001). The emergency department observation unit subgroup (n = 46) median length of stay was 23.6 hours. The readmission rate was 16% preintervention compared to 8% in the postintervention group (P = .18). CONCLUSION Management of highly selected small bowel obstruction patients with the emergency department observation unit small bowel obstruction protocol was associated with decreased length of stay and total cost, without an increase in complications, surgical intervention, or readmissions.
Relationship of bone mineral density to progression of knee osteoarthritis.

Objective To evaluate the longitudinal relationship between bone mineral density (BMD) and BMD changes and the progression of knee osteoarthritis (OA), as measured by cartilage outcomes. Methods We used observational cohort data from the Vitamin D for Knee Osteoarthritis trial. Bilateral femoral neck BMD values as well as knee magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in each subject were obtained at baseline and subsequently at 12 months and 24 months. The change in total cartilage volume and tibial and femoral cartilage thickness was measured by manual cartilage segmentation of 2 sequential knee MRI scans in each subject. Multivariable linear regression models were used to examine the associations of baseline BMD and BMD change with the cartilage outcomes, adjusting for baseline age, sex, body mass index, malalignment, and vitamin D treatment. Model fit and assumptions were validated. Results A total of 127 subjects were eligible for analysis. Longitudinal BMD loss was associated with loss of cartilage volume (β = 1.25 per 0.1 gm/cm2, P = 0.02) and loss of tibial cartilage thickness (β = 0.028, P = 0.03). BMD loss of a magnitude greater than the least significant change (<−4.7%) was associated with 1.02% cartilage volume loss per year (P = 0.005), 0.014 mm femoral cartilage thickness loss (P = 0.04), and 0.021 mm tibial cartilage thickness loss per year (P = 0.009). There were no significant associations between baseline BMD and any of the cartilage outcomes. Conclusion Longitudinal BMD loss is associated with progressive cartilage loss in knees with OA. Further work to clarify the basis of this relationship could reveal novel therapeutic targets for knee OA.