cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Developmental plasticity in Painted Turtles, Chrysemys picta

1. The contents of newly constructed nests of Painted Turtles, Chrysemys picta, were manipulated by reciprocal transplant, so that each of several nests received a complement of eggs from each of several females. The eggs were recovered from nests after 8 weeks and allowed to complete incubation under standard conditions in the laboratory. 2. Live mass, dry mass and water content of carcasses, and dry mass of unused yolk, varied significantly among hatchlings from eggs that incubated in different nests. Indeed, hatchlings from different nests sometimes differed as much in size or physiological condition as animals from different clutches. 3. Stepwise linear regression indicated that size of hatchlings and water content of their carcasses were positively correlated with water exchanges by eggs whereas mass of the unused yolk was negatively correlated with water exchanges. Although the statistical procedure is only correlative, the findings accord well with results of laboratory studies documenting a relationship between uptake of water by eggs, metabolism and growth by embryos, and size and condition of hatchlings. 4. Developmental plasticity, coupled with variation in the physical environment within and among nests, probably accounts (minimally) for 19% of the variation in live mass of hatchlings in the field; 24% of the variation in dry mass of carcasses; 11% of the variation in hydration of carcasses; and 26% of the variation in dry mass of unused yolk. Such variation may impact survival by neonatal animals, and needs to be addressed explicitly by models for the evolution of life history in Painted Turtles.
Tansnationals and foreign trade: Evidence from Brazil

A recursive model of exports and imports of manufactures, in which imports depend in part on exports, is estimated using data for a cross‐section of 17,053 industrial firms. In this sample, 652 firms are foreign‐owned. Explanatory variables include firm size, skill intensity, advertising and other variables in addition to foreign ownership. Foreign ownership has a large, independent effect on both export performance and import propensities, but foreign ownership in itself explains little of the relatively low export/import ratios registered by affiliates of transnationals.
Variation in life history characteristics between asexual and sexual populations of marchantia inflexa

Abstract Dioicous bryophytes often exist in isolated populations with low rates of sexual reproduction. While most populations contain individuals of both sexes, some species have single-sex populations that depend solely on asexual reproduction for population expansion and persistence. Life history trade-offs can constrain population divergence and the relative investment in growth, asexual and sexual reproduction may differ in single-sex and both-sex populations. A common garden experiment and field observations were used to assess trait variation and determine genetic differences among single-sex and both-sex populations of Marchantia inflexa, a dioicous liverwort. Populations were significantly genetically differentiated, and plants from single-sex and both-sex populations differed in their life history strategies. Plants from single-sex populations invested more in growth than asexual production, and although they produced as many sexual structures, they produced fewer gametangia per gametophore than...
Effects of emphysema on diaphragm blood flow during exercise

Chronic hyperinflation of the lung in emphysema displaces the diaphragm caudally, thereby placing it in a mechanically disadvantageous position and contributing to the increased work of breathing. ...
Muscle biopsy: technic and interpretation.

A muscle selected for biopsy must be actively, but not terminally, involved by the disease, and the specimen must be obtained atraumatically with the fibers oriented longitudinally in its long axis. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded sections are inadequate for interpretation of muscle diseases. Artifacts are avoided by flash-freezing specimens in isopentane cooled to –170 C. in liquid nitrogen. Minimal lesions, which might otherwise be missed, then become evident. Histochemical typing of muscle fibers using the myosin ATPase reaction is essential for complete histopathologic interpretation of diseases of muscle. Simple methods applicable in any laboratory are described for flash-freezing and for recommended stains. The appearance of normal muscle is described and the variations to be expected in denervation and disuse atrophy, muscular dystrophy, and polymyositis, as well as selected other diseases, are outlined.
SUBSPACE IDENTIFICATION OF PERIODICALLY SWITCHING HAMMERSTEIN-WIENER MODELS FOR MAGNETOSPHERIC DYNAMICS1

Abstract Two existing Hammerstein-Wiener identification algorithms and a third novel Hammerstein-Wiener identification algorithm are considered for application to the magnetospheric system. A modified subspace algorithm that allows missing data points is described and used for identifying periodically switching Hammerstein-Wiener models, to capture the periodically time-varying nature of the system. These models are used to predict ground-based magnetometer response using the ACE satellite measurements.
Determination of melamine in cheese by ion pair reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography

Objective:Reversed-phase ion pair high performance liquid chromatographic method(RP-IP-HPLC) was established to determine melamine in cheese.Methods:Lead acetate and trichloroactic acid were used to extract melamine in cheese.Acetonitrile and citric acid buffer solution were used as mobile phase,10 mmol/L sodium heptanesulphonate as ion-paired reagent and detected at wavelength 240 nm.Results:In the range 0.1～10 μg/ml of melamine,the peak area was linear with its concentration,with correlation coefficient(r) of 0.9998,Recovery of melamine was 96.43%～101.71%,relative standard deviation(RSD%) was less than 2%.The detection limits was 0.1 μg/ml.Conclusion:The proposed method is simple,sensitive and reliable for the determination of melamine in cheese.
DAG-aware logic synthesis of datapaths

Traditional datapath synthesis for standard-cell designs go through extraction of arithmetic operations from the high-level description, high-level synthesis, and netlist generation. In this paper, we take a fresh look at applying high-level synthesis methodologies in logic synthesis. We present a DAG-Aware synthesis technique for datapaths synthesis which is implemented using And-Inv-Graphs. Our approach targets area minimization. The proposed algorithm includes identifying vector multiplexers, searching for common specification logic, and reallocating multiplexers in the Boolean network. We propose an algorithm to identify common specification logic by using subgraph isomorphism. Experimental results show that our technique can provide over 10% area reduction beyond the traditional design flow. The proposed algorithm is tested on industry designs and academic benchmark suits using IBM 14nm technology.
Selective Oxidation for Record CW 640-660nm AlGaInP VCSELs

Visible vertical-cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) diodes are attractive for many emerging applications, such as scanning, display, and data links utilizing inexpensive plastic fiber. For the latter, VCSEL operation at 650 nm is optimal, due to the relative minimum attenuation in plastic fiber at this wavelength. Although pulsed lasing has been achieved at wavelengths less than 640 nm,1 continuous wave operation of visible VCSELs has been restricted to wavelengths greater than 656 nm,2 with the best performance at 670-690 nm.3
Abstract 955: Inhibition of SEC24D decreases exosome release of the tumor suppressor miR-605 in renal cell carcinoma

Background: MicroRNA 605 (miR-605) has been recently reported as a putative tumor suppressor and its overexpression decreases tumor cell proliferation, migration and clonogenicity. To date, the role of miR-605 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has not been investigated. We recently showed the decrease of circulating miR-605 in serum of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) patients who responded to the treatment with the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor vorinostat, and the VEGF blocker bevacizumab. The current study was designed to investigate the expression of miR-605 and understand the mechanism(s) responsible the extracellular release of miR-605 using RCC cells. Methods: 786-0 cells were treated with and without vorinostat for 24h and condition media were collected, briefly centrifuged to settle the cells and debris, and processed to isolate exosomes using the ExoQuick exosome isolation kit (Systems Biology, CA). Purified exosomes and 786-0 cells were used to isolate RNA and further prepared cDNA to utilize for quantitative RT-PCR analysis. Expression of miR-605 in exosomes and cells was determined by Quantitative RT-PCR using TaqMan MicroRNA Assays with miR-605 primers obtained from Applied Biosystems, NY. To determine the role of secretory protein 24 family member D (SEC24D), a catalytic component of coat protein complex (COPII) involved in the secretory pathway, 786-0 cells treated with vorinostat were used to determine SEC24D expression by QRT-PCR and Western blot analysis. TCGA data was used to determine correlation of SEC24D expression clear cell renal cell carcinoma patients’ survival. Results: Vorinostat treatment resulted in a significant decrease of miR-605 expression in exosomes and increase (100 fold) of intracellular expression. Furthermore, the increased intracellular miR-605 was associated with the inhibition of SEC24D mRNA and protein expression in 786-0 cells treated with vorinostat. Cancer Genomic data analysis of c-Bioportal from MSKCC of TCGA revealed the overall poor survival of ccRCC patients with alteration of SEC24D. Conclusion: Taken together, our preliminary data suggest that the HDAC inhibitor vorinostat inhibits SEC24D and exosome mediated extracellular secretion of miR-605 in RCC cells. These results suggest that vorinostat treatment retained intracellular miR-605 that target genes involved in cell survival and proliferation in RCC. Further studies will evaluate circulating miR-605 as a predictive biomarker to determine the efficacy of vorinostat in ongoing trials with RCC patients. Citation Format: Sreenivasulu Chintala, Remi Adelaiye-Ogala, Ashley Orillion, Sreevani Arisa, May Elbanna, Roberto Pili. Inhibition of SEC24D decreases exosome release of the tumor suppressor miR-605 in renal cell carcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 955.
Cooling down the bath salts: Carvedilol attenuation of methylone and mephedrone mediated hyperthermia

The use of the synthetic cathinones ("bath salts"), methylone and mephedrone, has been associated with the development of life-threatening hyperthermia. To date, no direct pharmacological intervention to mitigate the hyperthermia induced by synthetic cathinones has been identified. Here, we investigated the effects of the non-selective α1 and β adrenergic receptor antagonist carvedilol (5mg/kg ip) on established hyperthermia mediated by methylone and mephedrone (30mg/kg sc) in Sprague-Dawley rats. Methylone and mephedrone induced a hyperthermic response that peaked 60min post treatment. The administration of carvedilol 30min after methylone or mephedrone significantly attenuated these hyperthermic responses. Analysis of the Temperature Area Under the Curve (TAUC) demonstrated carvedilol significantly reduced the TAUC associated with methylone or mephedrone alone. The present study provides the first direct pharmacological intervention for the treatment of synthetic cathinone induced hyperthermia.
Demo: MPAP: virtualization architecture for heterogenous wireless APs (Best Demo Award)

This demonstration shows a novel virtualization architecture, called Multi-Purpose Access Point (MPAP), which can virtualize multiple heterogenous wireless standards based on software radio. The basic idea is to deploy a wide-band radio front-end to receive wireless signals from all wireless standards sharing the same spectrum band, and use separate software base-bands to demodulate information stream for each wireless standard. Based on software radio, MPAP consolidates multiple wireless devices into single hardware platform, and allows them to share the same general-purpose computing resource. Different software base-bands can easily communicate and coordinate with one another. Thus, it also provides better coexistence among heterogenous wireless standards. As an example, we demonstrate to use non-contiguous OFDM in 802.11g PHY to avoid the mutual interference with narrow-band ZigBee communication.
From Stigma to Shakti: The Politics of Indo-Guyanese Women’s Trance and the Transformative Potentials of Ecstatic Goddess Worship in New York City

Indo-Caribbean Hindu goddess-centered worship is distinctly known for its ecstatic practices, yet women’s trance has become a major point of contention among temple communities in recent years. Emanating predominantly from within Indo-Guyanese/American ecstatic religious groups in New York City, such ambivalence and anxiety rest upon a paradoxical predicament: women routinely undergo trance despite a dominant discourse that women should not. Through a feminist critique, I suggest gendered anti-trance narratives operate not merely as proscriptions, but they undergird multiple multivalent messages constitutive of emergent Indo-Guyanese diasporic subjectivities within the broader context of a transnational ecstatic religious movement. I argue that the dominant discourse itself, and ambiguity often characterizing women’s trance, are generative spaces—platforms for women’s self-assertions that in turn help to galvanize this religious movement by simultaneously reestablishing and reordering notions of tradition and authenticity.
Listening for Meaning

Chapter 2 develops the listening versus hearing distinction proposed by Jean-Luc Nancy to show how the concept is transferrable from considerations of music to analysis of the Recherche more generally. Listening provides a point of entry into the coming together of music, literature, and lived experience in ways that allow us to move toward assigning meaning to experiences. Music becomes a model of an epistemology that seeks to account for the partiality and revisability of experience, our memory of it, and the meaning we assign it at any given time. Proust’s narrator, and we as readers, “listen” to the world around us with the intention of constructing meaning from it. Thus knowledge of both our internal and external world can be facilitated by listening.
Persistent Pain in Older Adults: an Interdisciplinary Guide for Treatment, edited by Debra K. Weiner, Keela Herr, and Thomas E. Rudy: New York: Springer, 2002, ISBN 0-826138-35-7

This book is a well-written guide for health professionals who work with older adults that are experiencing persistent pain. The editors are a physician, a nurse, and a psychologist. Contributors r...
C-reactive protein and sleep-disordered breathing.

Study Objectives: Over a 2-month period, to evaluate serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in new patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS), and absence of important comorbidity, as well as in normal controls. Design: Cross-sectional analysis. Setting: Sleep disorders clinic. Patients: 239 successively monitored subjects: 156 subjects were diagnosed with OSAS, 39 with UARS, and 54 controls. Interventions: none. Measurements and Results: Clinical information (neurologic, general medical, and otolaryngology examination), body mass index, neck circumference, hip-waist ratio, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, 3 fatigue scales, Sleep Disorders Questionnaire, serum CRP, and polysomnography were collected. Analysis of variance indicated a significant difference between the groups for diastolic blood pressure, respiratory disturbance index, lowest SaO 2 , and body mass index. The mean serum CRP level was normal in all 3 groups. Only 15 (14 OSAS and 1 UARS) out of 239 subjects had high serum CRP values. CRP levels were significantly correlated with body mass index, esophageal pressures, hip-waist ratio, neck circumference, and blood pressure. Only body mass index was significantly associated with high CRP values; multiple regression showed: adjusted R 2 = 0.115, β = 0.345, P <.001. When men and women were considered separately, body mass index was again significantly associated with high CRP levels. Conclusion: Obesity is a risk factor for high serum CRP levels in patients with sleep-disordered breathing, as in the general population.
Natural Frequencies of Stable Griffith Cracks

A quasi-statically growing stable crack, if perturbed from its equilibrium position, will accelerate back towards it. Within quasi-static, ideal, Griffith fracture theory, vibrations of the crack and the structure have characteristic natural frequencies. We explore this feature of Griffith fracture theory in two simple geometries: a crack between a bar and a substrate, and a crack in a double-cantilever beam (DCB) specimen. For small perturbations about the stable quasi-static configuration, the dynamic equations of motion reduce to simple eigenvalue problems, leading to exact expressions for natural frequencies and mode shapes. An interesting feature of the mode shapes is that they correspond to force-free or moment-free conditions at the crack tip. Using an extended form of Hamilton's principle, we have developed a variable-length finite element technique to calculate natural frequencies and mode shapes of deformations perturbed from the stable equilibrium state. Its accuracy is demonstrated by application to the two problems analyzed previously. The possibility of crack tip oscillations in real brittle materials with irreversibility in crack tip decohesion is discussed in light of Rice's generalization of the Griffith theory.
Pituitary Macroadenomas: Intraoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Endonasal Endoscopy

Publisher Summary This chapter describes a method for combining endonasal endoscopy with intraoperative magnetic resonance (IMRI) in the removal of pituitary tumors. Patients are intubated and positioned supine on the operating table, and a Foley catheter is placed. Antibiotics, glucocorticoids, and antihistamines are administered. MRI-compatible EKG leads are placed and attached to an MRI-compatible anesthesia machine. The nasal mucosa is vasoconstricted topically with cottonoids soaked in 4 ml of 4% cocaine. A 0°, 30-cm, rigid 4-mm endoscope is introduced through the left nostril and held in place with a flexible scope holder. The right nostril is used for introduction of surgical instruments. When IMRI is implemented, a radiofrequency-shielded operating room must be used along with dedicated anesthesia equipment, including ventilator, infusion pumps, and monitoring screens. Pressure transducers must be kept outside the scanner to prevent artifacts. Daily quality assurance and shimming are performed on the magnet. All electronic equipment is unplugged during quality assurance and image acquisition. The magnet and patient reference frames must be placed in the line of sight of the infrared camera. Pre-resection images of the sella, parasellar structures, and nasopharynx are obtained before and after administration of intravenous contrast (gadolinium, 0.6 ml/kg) and are subsequently used for stereotactic navigation. During the surgical procedure, the magnet is lowered under the bed. It is raised after the resection is complete, all electronic equipment is unplugged, and images are obtained with and without intravenous contrast. Post-resection images are compared to pre-resection images. If residual tumor is noted on the post-resection scans, reexploration with the endoscope is performed to visualize and resect tumor remnants, using stereotactic navigation for localization.
Effect of Host Resistance to Fusarium virguliforme and Heterodera glycines on Sudden Death Syndrome Disease Severity and Soybean Yield

ABSTRACT Fusarium virguliforme, the soilborne fungus that causes sudden death syndrome (SDS), and Heterodera glycines, the soybean cyst nematode (SCN), are economically important pathogens that oft...
Trump: Reckless Free Trader or Genuine Protectionist?

The question that remains unanswered is whether Trump’s tariff strategy is a tactical one, intended to wring concessions from China, Germany, Mexico and others, or whether it represents a genuine abandonment of the U.S. commitment to free trade that dates back to the mid-1930s. The answer will determine whether the Trump tariffs prove to be a minor skirmish, or trigger a major trade war that will rip apart the fabric of global trading rules.
Optimal Path Planning for SUAS Target Observation through Constrained Urban Environments using Simplex Methods

The work herein determines the optimal flight path for a Small Unmanned Aircraft System through a constrained urban environment while minimizing the flight through keep-out regions and ending on a defined orbit around a target of interest. Direct orthogonal collocation methods are combined with fast geometric path planning techniques where a triangulated mesh is used to produce a hybrid control routine resulting in optimal flight paths through a defined triangulated channel. Physical constraints are eliminated from the non-linear program search space, while keep-out regions are modeled within the objective function of the optimal control problem and avoided according to a weighted distribution of the objective components. A scenario is presented for a SUAS to advance at constant altitude through city building constraints while minimizing time in unavoidable keep-out regions. The path terminates outside the triangulated channel on an orbit, encircling the target location. Results illustrate path constraints designed in the objective functional within the construct of a triangulated mesh and the implications that result.
Doppler Ultrasound-Visible SignalMark Microspheres are Better Identified than HydroMARK® Clips in a Simulated Intraoperative Setting in Breast and Lung Tissue.

Preoperative breast and lung markers have significant drawbacks, including migration, patient discomfort, and scheduling difficulties. SignalMark is a novel localizer device with a unique signal on Doppler ultrasound. We aimed to evaluate intraoperative identification of SignalMark microspheres compared with HydroMARK® clips. We also assessed the safety and efficacy of SignalMark in the lung. Twelve breasts of lactating pigs were injected with SignalMark or HydroMARK® by a breast radiologist, and subsequently identified using a standard ultrasound machine by three surgeons blinded to marker location. Time to identification of each marker was recorded, with a maximum allotted time of 300 s. To further demonstrate efficacy in lung parenchyma, a second cohort of pigs underwent lung injections. A total of eight SignalMark markers and four HydroMARK® clips were placed in pig breasts. Overall, the surgeons correctly identified SignalMark 95.8% of the time (n = 23/24) and HydroMARK® clips 41.7% of the time (n = 5/12) within 300 s (p < 0.001). The mean time to identification was significantly faster for SignalMark, at 80.8 ± 20.1 s, than for HydroMARK®, at 209.4 ± 35.2 s (p < 0.002). For the lung injections, all 10 SignalMark markers were visible on Doppler ultrasound at the time of placement, and at the 7- and 21-day time points. Surgeons identified SignalMark in significantly less time than HydroMARK® clips in a simulated intraoperative setting, and SignalMark was easily viewed in the lung. These results suggest that SignalMark is a feasible option for efficient intraoperative localization of non-palpable breast and lung tumors using ultrasound guidance.
Comparative Study on Heart Rate Variability Analysis for Atrial Fibrillation Detection in Short Single-Lead ECG Recordings

Detection of atrial fibrillation (AFib) using wearable ECG monitors has recently gained popularity. The signal quality of such recordings is often much lower than that of traditional monitoring systems such as Holter monitors. Larger noise contamination can lead to reduced accuracy of the QRS detection which is the basis of the heart rate variability (HRV) analysis. Hence, it is crucial to accurately classify short ECG recording segments for AFib monitoring. A comparative study was conducted to investigate the applicability and performance of a variety of HRV feature extraction methods applied to short single lead ECG recordings to detect AFib. The data employed in this study is the publicly available dataset of the 2017 PhysioNet challenge. In particular, detection of AFib against non-AFib instances, including normal sinus rhythm, other types of arrhythmias and noisy signals, is investigated in this study. The HRV features can be divided into the categories of statistical, geometrical, frequency, entropy, Poincare plotand Lorentz plot-based. For feature selection, stepwise forward selection approach was employed and support vector machines with linear and radial basis function kernels were used for classification. The results indicate that a combination of features from all the categories leads to the highest accuracy levels. The feasibility of using different HRV features for short signals is discussed as well. In conclusion, AFib can be detected with high accuracy using short single-lead ECG signals using HRV features.
Randomized effectiveness trial of a parent and youth combined intervention on the substance use norms of Latino middle school students.

Abstract This article advances knowledge about the effectiveness of applying a community-based efficacious parenting intervention in parallel with an efficacious preadolescent intervention in changing substance abuse norms among preadolescent Latino youth. The study employed a longitudinal, randomized control group design comparing three groups: (1) Parent intervention combined with a Youth intervention: Parent/Youth; (2) Parent intervention without a Youth intervention: Parent Only; and (3) Treatment as usual: Comparison. In the comparison group, parents participated in a standard parenting program delivered by the community partner, and the youth received the usual drug use prevention programming offered in their schools. Data from both parents and youth at the19 participating schools were collected at pre-test, immediate post-test (4 months after pre-test), and two follow-up (8 & 20 months after the pre-test). The total sample includes 532 families (parent-child dyads). The parent-child dyads consisted of one parent and one youth ages 12–14. The retention rates for both parents and preadolescent were high across the different waves of data collection (79%–96%). Regression results of youth substance use norms were calculated based on three permutations of data: (a) original data, with no imputation and no propensity score matching; (b) imputed data but no propensity score matching; and (c) imputed data plus propensity score matching. Compared to the Comparison group, the Parent/Youth condition was the most effective in changing youth's norms, closely followed by the Parent Only condition. These findings make a significant contribution in advancing knowledge on family/youth substance use prevention for Latinos in a community environment. Although the study took place in a specific urban center in the Southwest US, its findings can be generalized to other urban communities of similar characteristics across the country.
Effect of Body Weight on Sexual Function in Men and Women.

Obesity is a growing problem worldwide. This review aims to summarize the literature on the effects of weight on sexual function in both men and women from the past 5 years. In recent population-based studies of men and women, no relationship between weight and sexual function was identified. However, in studies of special populations such as women with gestational diabetes, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), pelvic organ prolapse, or urinary incontinence, weight affected some aspects of sexual function. In women, surgical, but not non-surgical, weight loss was associated with resolution of some aspects of sexual dysfunction. In contrast, in men, both surgical and non-surgical weight loss improved sexual function. Weight plays a role in sexual dysfunction in both men and women. Bariatric surgery is linked to improved sexual function in both genders. However, more work is needed to fully understand the relationship between weight and sexual function.
12.17 – Hematopoietic Neoplasia

Hematopoietic neoplasms are among the most common neoplasms affecting humans. No etiological factors are associated with majority of the hematopoietic neoplasms, although immunodeficiency and Epstein–Barr virus and human T-cell lymphotropic virus infections are implicated with some of the neoplasms. Genetic and epigenetic screening have identified an array of genetic alterations such as chromosomal translocations, gene rearrangements, deletions, point mutations, and DNA methylations associated with myeloid and lymphoid tumors. These unique markers and genetic alterations associated with these neoplasms have helped to understand the underlying pathogenic mechanisms to diagnose and devise treatment plans. The World Health Organization (WHO) classification system of hematopoietic tumors incorporates these unique genetic changes along with clinical, morphologic, genetic, and immunophenotypic features to define these neoplasms. Spontaneous hematopoietic neoplasms have been reported in laboratory animals such as mice, rats, dogs, rabbits, ferrets, and nonhuman primates. Many mouse models and to an extent zebra fish models have been developed to understand the molecular mechanisms associated with hematopoietic neoplasms. According to the publicly available MTB electronic database, approximately 4000 murine lymphoma models with well-characterized histopathological and molecular features are available to study human lymphomas and leukemias. The current review attempts to provide an overview of underlying molecular mechanisms associated with human hematopoietic neoplasms and update available information on animal models currently used to study them.
The Brain of Two Hemispheres

The realm of design, both in terms of appreciating extant artefacts (design-as-a-noun) and the practice of inventing artefacts (design-as-a-verb) is a distinctly human behavior. The physiology of the brain exhibits a clear and definite bifurcation referred to as the left and right hemispheres. After millennia of evolution the two hemispheres have developed distinct, but complementary modes of intellectual behavior. Their distinctness of orientation and conceptualization plays an important role in the processing of our sensory experience (in-the-world) and our conceptualization that impacts recognition, interpretation, and decision making (of-the-world).
Bringing microbiome-drug interaction research into the clinic.

Abstract Our understanding of the scope and clinical relevance of gut microbiota metabolism of drugs is limited to relatively few biotransformations targeting a subset of therapeutics. Translating microbiome research into the clinic requires, in part, a mechanistic and predictive understanding of microbiome-drug interactions. This review provides an overview of microbiota chemistry that shapes drug efficacy and toxicity. We discuss experimental and computational approaches that attempt to bridge the gap between basic and clinical microbiome research. We highlight the current landscape of preclinical research focused on identifying microbiome-based biomarkers of patient drug response and we describe clinical trials investigating approaches to modulate the microbiome with the goal of improving drug efficacy and safety. We discuss approaches to aggregate clinical and experimental microbiome features into predictive models and review open questions and future directions toward utilizing the gut microbiome to improve drug safety and efficacy.
What can we learn about theories of self-governance by studying its most extreme cases?

Public Entrepreneurship, Citizenship, and Self-Governance by Paul Dragos Aligica is an important book that places the study of public entrepreneurship and citizenship as integral to notions of self-governance. This article extends the arguments made by Aligica to more extreme environments where the state is either highly authoritarian or absent. This is important, as increasingly studies of self-governance are shaped by interactions with the state. For example, the entire concept of citizenship in this book, is a product of the state. By studying governance in these most extreme cases we can see that, contrary to accepted wisdom, polycentrism is actually a consequence of self-governance, and not a cause of it.
Boys' and Girls' Interest in Using Computers: Implications for the Classroom.

access to computers from an early age are likely to develop skills and attitudes that will give them a distinct advantage over youngsters who lack this experience. Some authors have suggested that unless questions of equal access are addressed, the development of a technological elite could perpetuate or even exacerbate existing inequities based on socioeconomic status or sex (Johnson 1973). Kiesler, Sproull, and Eccles (1983) have suggested that the computing culture of today has a strong male bias and that females may be seriously handicapped in tomorrow's computer-intensive environment unless steps are taken to remedy the "man's stuff' image that discourages girls' interest. Little empirical evidence is available, however, on the extent to which computers actually are perceived by children as sex-typed or on the developmental course of such sex typing, if it exists. The purpose of our study was to determine how children perceive males' and females' interest in using computers. We asked children, in the first through twelfth grades, to respond to interest inventories that contained items about computers and two video games, one with masculine and the other with feminine appeal. Background
Face Emotion Processing in Pediatric Irritability: Neural Mechanisms in a Sample Enriched for Irritability With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Objective Characterizing the pathophysiology of irritability symptoms from a dimensional perspective above and beyond diagnostic boundaries is key to developing mechanism-based interventions that can be applied broadly. Face emotion processing deficits are present in youths with elevated levels of irritability. The present study aimed to identify the neural mechanisms of face emotion processing in a sample enriched for irritability by including youths with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HF-ASD). Method Youths (N = 120, age = 8.3−19.2 years) completed an implicit face emotion task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. We evaluated how irritability, measured dimensionally, above and beyond diagnostic group, relates to whole-brain neural activation and amygdala connectivity in response to face emotions. Results Both neural activation and amygdala connectivity differed as a function of irritability level and face emotion in the prefrontal cortex. Youths with higher irritability levels had decreased activation in response to both fearful and happy faces in the left middle frontal gyrus and to happy faces in the left inferior frontal gyrus. Furthermore, increased irritability levels were associated with altered right amygdala connectivity to the left superior frontal gyrus when viewing fearful and sad faces. Conclusion The neural mechanisms of face emotion processing differ in youths with higher irritability compared to their less irritable peers. The findings suggest that these irritability mechanisms may be common to both typically developing and HF-ASD youths. Understanding the neural mechanisms of pediatric irritability symptoms that cut across diagnostic boundaries may be leveraged for future intervention development.
Queers and Crips: Parallel Identity Development Processes for Persons with Nonvisible Disabilities and Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Persons

Traditional models of identity development are inadequate when applied to lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) persons and persons with disabilities. The identity development and life experiences of persons with disabilities and LGB persons are similar in many respects including being raised/socialized by persons who are not a part of that group, and being educated to conform to the standards of behavior and appearance of the dominant culture. This article describes and critiques four models of identity development as applied to LGB persons and persons with nonvisible disabilities: stage/linear, issues/milestone experiences, social constructionist, and interactional. The authors propose an interactional identity development model for persons with disabilities and LGB persons that incorporates the significance of bio-psycho-social-cultural contexts, the influence of multiple identities, the fluidity of identity formation, and the importance of language.
Effects of Intraoperative Intrawound Antibiotic Administration on Spinal Fusion: A Comparison of Vancomycin and Tobramycin in a Rat Model.

BACKGROUND Local, intrawound use of antibiotic powder, such as vancomycin and tobramycin, in spinal fusion surgery has become an increasingly common prophylactic measure in an attempt to reduce rates of postsurgical infection. However, the effects of localized antibiotic delivery on fusion remain unclear. The objective of this study was to examine the in vivo effects of intraoperative local delivery of 2 antibiotics commonly used in bone-grafting surgery on spinal fusion outcomes in a rat model. METHODS Single-level (L4-L5), bilateral posterolateral intertransverse process lumbar fusion surgery was performed on 60 female Lewis rats (6 to 8 weeks of age) using syngeneic iliac crest allograft mixed with clinical bone-graft substitute and varying concentrations of antibiotics (n = 12 each): (1) control without any antibiotics, (2) low-dose vancomycin (14.3 mg/kg), (3) high-dose vancomycin (71.5 mg/kg), (4) low-dose tobramycin (28.6 mg/kg), and (5) high-dose tobramycin (143 mg/kg). Eight weeks postoperatively, fusion was evaluated via micro-computed tomography (µCT), manual palpation, and histological analysis, with blinding to treatment group. In the µCT analysis, fusion-mass volumes were measured for each rat. Each spine specimen (L4-L5) was rated (manual palpation score) on a scale of 2 to 0 (2 = fused, 1 = partially fused, and 0 = non-fused). RESULTS The mean fusion-mass volume on µCT (mm) was as follows: control, 29.3 ± 6.2; low-dose vancomycin, 26.3 ± 8.9; high-dose vancomycin, 18.8 ± 7.9; low-dose tobramycin, 32.7 ± 9.0; and high-dose tobramycin, 43.8 ± 11.9 (control versus high-dose vancomycin, p < 0.05; and control versus high-dose tobramycin, p < 0.05). The mean manual palpation score for each group was as follows: control, 1.46 ± 0.58; low-dose vancomycin, 0.86 ± 0.87; high-dose vancomycin, 0.68 ± 0.62; low-dose tobramycin, 1.25 ± 0.71; and high-dose tobramycin, 1.32 ± 0.72 (control versus high-dose vancomycin, p < 0.05). The histological analyses demonstrated a similar trend with regard to spinal fusion volume. CONCLUSIONS Intraoperative local application of vancomycin, particularly at a supraphysiological dosage, may have detrimental effects on fusion-mass formation. No inhibitory effect of tobramycin on fusion-mass formation was observed. CLINICAL RELEVANCE When spine surgeons decide to use intraoperative intrawound antibiotics in spinal fusion surgery, they should weigh the reduction in surgical site infection against a possible inhibitory effect on fusion.
Flux Equations for Osmotically Moderated Sorption–Diffusion Transport in Rigid Microporous Membranes

The development of non-aqueous reverse osmosis separations via the use of rigid microporous membrane materials suggests that the flux equations originally developed for swellable polymeric membrane...
Computation of Zagreb and Randić indices of two biodegradable dendrimers used in cancer therapy

Chemical characteristics of molecules are closely related to their structures. Molecular structures have been studied by the topological indices for the last forty years. The degree-based topological indices are the most studied and commonly used topological indices, which play a significant role in characterizing molecular structures. Dendrimers have been used in cancer therapy for the last few years. This research focused on calculating the different versions of the Zagreb index and the Randic index of two well-known dendrimers which are used in cancer therapy.
Response to: ‘Successful treatment of plasma exchange for refractory systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis complicated with macrophage activation syndrome and severe lung disease’ by Sato et al

We were very interested to read the correspondence from Dr. Sato and colleagues describing a case of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) with associated diffuse lung disease.1 The patient in this new report shares a number of features with cases occurring after exposure to interleukin (IL)-1 or IL-6 inhibitors (n=46) that we recently detailed in an international case series.2 Lung disease complicating sJIA remains a clinical challenge with significant mortality, and we thank the authors for sharing their experience. One of the typical features of this type of lung disease, as illustrated by this case report, is minimal respiratory symptoms despite significant abnormalities on chest CT. The predominant chest CT pattern in our series, as observed in this case, is septal thickening with or without ground-glass opacities, sometimes together with peribronchovascular consolidation. Also like the patient in this report, a majority of cases in our series had refractory sJIA. However, a significant number (~40%) responded to initial treatment, …
An Exploratory Mixed-Method Analysis of Interpersonal Arguments on Twitter

This chapter reflects on a particular kind of social interactivity on Twitter that is directly linked to the public sphere: rational argumentation. Using a mixed methods design, this study analyzed the nature of people’s online disagreements, examining users’ motivations, the degree to which users’ tendency to argue is informed by personality traits, and the stress experienced after such exchanges. Results show that personality traits predict argument goals as well as post-argument experience of stress. Argumentative exchanges on Twitter tend to be brief and remain underdeveloped, mainly because of users’ tendency to withdraw from most online conversations. This ‘switching off’ equally hinders any attempts at persuasion by the other party, while the use of verbal aggressiveness detracts attention from the topic at hand.
Comorbid Health Conditions and Treatment Utilization among Individuals with Opioid Use Disorder Experiencing Homelessness.

People experiencing homelessness have been particularly hard hit by the opioid crisis. This epidemic has also impacted individuals experiencing homelessness in ways that are distinct from how it ha...
Changes in Management Practices and Herd-level Prevalence of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) Infection on US Dairy Operations

A voluntary control program for Johne's disease has been in place in the US since 2002. Although participation in the program by producers has been lower than expected, veterinarians and producers have gained access to information and new testing methods to address the disease. Previous National Animal Health Monitoring System dairy studies were compared to the most recent study conducted in 2007, and results indicate that since 1996, producers are much more familiar with Johne's disease and have implemented control measures to reduce the prevalence of disease. However, the herd-level prevalence on dairy operations in the US is much higher than previously reported.
99mTc-PYP SPECT/CT cardiac transthyretin amyloidosis studies: cardiac-to-blood pool ratios versus visual interpretation

136 Objectives: 99mTc-PYP is both sensitive & specific for cardiac ATTR amyloidosis (AT). Imaging typically consists of planar images &/or SPECT 1 hr after radiopharmaceutical injection, with delayed imaging at 3 hr in equivocal cases, i.e. persistent blood pool activity. SPECT is interpreted by visual comparison of myocardial uptake to rib uptake. Visual analysis is subjective & can vary among readers, & rib uptake depends on both systemic & local osseous metabolism, which also can affect visual analysis. The objective of this investigation was to determine if quantitative analysis could overcome the limitations inherent in visual interpretation of 99mTc-PYP AT SPECT. Methods: Data were reviewed retrospectively for 166 pts (103 male pts, 63 female pts, mean age = 72±12 yrs) who underwent SPECT/CT 1 & 3 hrs after I.V. injection of 555 MBq 99mTc-PYP. Using the axial CT section of the SPECT/CT that best depicted the aorta, one individual manually drew a ROI within the aorta to sample mean blood pool counts. The aortic ROI was copied to the brightest lateral & septal myocardial wall locations to obtain 1hr & 3hr maximum cardiac-to-blood pool count ratios (CBPRs). One experienced physician without knowledge of CBPRs reviewed 1 & 3 hr SPECT/CT’s, & compared myocardial uptake to rib uptake, grading uptake as 0: no uptake (negative), 1: uptake < rib (equivocal), 2: uptake ≥ rib (positive). The 1 hr & 3 hr readings were performed blinded, without reference to one another. Results: There was “very good agreement” (κ= 0.90) between 1 hr & 3 hr visual readings, with the same 43 pts definitively positive on both readings. CBPRs for all 166 pts were the same at 1 & 3 hr (1.34±0.75 versus 1.35±0.77, p = 0.75), & correlated significantly (r = 0.91, p 1.33 corresponded to visually positive cases at 1 hr (ROC AUC = 99±1%, sensitivity = 98%, specificity = 97%), statistically similar (p = 0.46) to 3 hr CBPR > 1.47 corresponding to visually positive cases at 3 hr (ROC AUC = 97±1%, sensitivity = 93%, specificity = 97%). The timing of image acquisition following 99mTc-PYP injection did not affect the results, as visual & quantitative results were essentially the same for 1 hr & 3 hr SPECT/CT studies. Conclusions: Myocardium to blood pool ratios agreed well with visual assessment & have the potential to overcome the limitations associated with visual analysis alone. Since the 1 & 3 hr results were essentially the same, a single imaging session at either time point is sufficient.