cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tumor immunologic heterogeneity influences response to radiation and combination immunotherapy

Clinical trials of CTLA-4 and PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies (Ab) have shown responses limited to 10-30% of patients. Increasing evidence suggests radiation (RT) can enhance responses to checkpoint therapies. However, understanding of tumor-derived factors that influence response is limited, and many preclinical models are designed to be immunogenic. We sought to develop a model of immunologic heterogeneity to study factors that influence responses to RT and immunotherapy. Two tumor clones Py117 and Py8119 derived from the PyMT mammary carcinoma in C57Bl/6 mice engraft efficiently and upon RT the Py117 but not Py8119 tumors regressed. There was no significant difference detected in radiosenstivity by clonogenic survival, hypoxia by pimonidazole staining, or angiogenesis through Meca32 staining. Tumor dissociation 10 days after 12 Gy treatment revealed a significant increase in CD45+ leukocytes, CD8+ T cells and decreased CD4+ T cells, myeloid derived suppressor cells, and macrophages in Py117 tumors but minimal changes in Py8119 tumors. Secondly, there was elevated MHCI and induced PD-L1 expression in Py117 compared to Py8119 tumors suggesting a greater response may be obtained with immunotherapy. Mice treated with 12 Gy, 12Gy + PD-1 Ab, and a single dose of CTLA-4 Ab 3 days prior to RT and PD-1 therapy revealed prolonged response with RT + PD-1 and RT + PD-1 + CTLA-4 groups, significant by repeated measures analysis. Notably 2/8 tumors treated with RT + PD-1 and 6/8 mice treated with RT + PD-1 +CTLA-4 were undetectable at day 81. Implantation of tumors with different ratios of Py117 and Py8119 cells revealed that 50% inoculation of Py117 cells leads to an immune response against both tumor clones characterized by greater tumor MHCI expression, CD8+ T cell infiltration and decreased macrophage infiltration. We hypothesized that treating the unresponsive Py8119 tumors with CD40 agonist would replicate the findings of the mixing experiment. CD40 Ab in combination with 20 Gy RT resulted in a greater antitumor response with significant decrease in tumor size not seen in either treatment alone. Evaluation of the tumor microenvironment revealed MHCI expression was enhanced, macrophage infiltration was decreased and CD8+ T cells were increased. These results support that tumor immunologic heterogeneity can influence immune responses after radiation and targeting suppressive factors in the tumor microenvironment can enhance responses. This model of heterogeneity without genetic manipulation is ideal to study tumor-derived factors that enhance or suppress the immune response after RT and could inform clinical approaches to radiation and immunotherapy combinations.
Heat-up of diesel particulate filters: 2D continuum modeling and experimental results

In this paper we discuss a continuum modeling approach to obtain a 2-dimensional description of the behavior of a wall flow diesel particulate filter (DPF) during heat-up. The model is used to solve for the spatial and temporal gradients of temperature observed in a DPF during the heat-up process. Laboratory scale experiments were conducted with filters of nominal length 6" and diameters 2" and 5.66" to study the effect of operating conditions such as filter inlet temperatures and flow rate on different DPF materials. The validation studies show that the simulation results agree well with the experimental data. The validated model is used to make predictions of heat-up behavior and relate material properties and filter geometry to observed trends. The results of the model as applied to various DPF geometries and operating conditions are presented and the behavior of filters of varying thermal conductivity is also elucidated. Thus, modeling and experiments can be used in conjunction to provide a reliable and powerful tool to predict the performance of a diesel particulate filter.
Defense inflation: what has happened, why has it happened, and what can be done about it?

US Department of Defense (DoD) procurement and maintenance costs have risen considerably faster than economy-wide inflation over the last several decades. This outcome has occurred in large part because DoD decision-makers have demanded more complex, better maintained systems over time. Defense inflation is likely to abate when resourcing levels no longer accommodate these demands. Defense inflation should be viewed partially as a symptom, not just as a cause, of increased defense spending.
Binding of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to neutral glycosphingolipids of rabbit corneal epithelium

35S-labeled Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were shown to bind to neutral glycosphingolipids (NGSLs) of rabbit corneal epithelia in culture by a thin-layer chromatogram overlay procedure. The lipids of the corneal epithelial cells grown in culture were extracted and partitioned into a chloroform-rich lower phase containing NGSLs and an aqueous upper phase containing gangliosides. By using a dot-blot assay, at least six times more radiolabeled P. aeruginosa isolates were shown to bind to the lipids in the lower phase compared with those in the upper phase. Thin-layer chromatography of the lower-phase lipids followed by staining with an orcinol spray revealed at least 10 NGSL components and several fast-migrating, nonglycosylated neutral lipid components (including cholesterol). 35S-labeled P. aeruginosa was shown to bind to NGSL components 1, 2, 5, 6, and 9. P. aeruginosa-reactive NGSL components 6 and 9 migrated with chromatographic mobilities similar to those of the standards ceramide trihexoside (CT) and ceramide monohexoside, respectively. Components 1 and 2 migrated slightly ahead of asialo GM1, and component 5 migrated faster than globoside but slower than CT. Among the various standards tested, P. aeruginosa bound to asialo GM1 and, to a lesser extent, to ceramide dihexoside and CT but not to GM1, GD1A, GM3, or ceramide monohexoside. It remains to be determined whether any of the five P. aeruginosa-reactive NGSL components of corneal epithelium identified in this study plays a role in the development of corneal infection. However, we have previously shown that component 9, one of the five P. aeruginosa-reactive NGSL components identified in this study, is present in significantly greater amounts in migrating epithelia than it is in nonmigrating epithelia (N. Panjwani, G. Michalopoulos, J. Song, G. Yogeeswaran, and J. Baum, Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., in press). This may prove to be of biological significance because it is generally believed that traumatized (migrating) epithelia are more susceptible to infection than normal (nonmigrating) epithelia are.
CONTEXTUAL INCONGRUITIES, STATISTICAL OUTLIERS, AND ANOMALIES: TARGETING INCONSPICUOUS OCCUPATIONAL EVENTS

New methodologies are needed to address multiple componentcy and short reuse episodes that are characteristic of mobile group residential and logistical strategies. Chronometric results are often misinterpreted when evaluated within a framework suited to long-term sedentary occupations. The standard practices of age-averaging, eliminating apparent "anomalous" results, and relying on high profile diagnostic tools and vessels and the most visible features—along with the expectation for "contextual congruence "—mask multi-componentcy and episodic reuse. High incidences of site reuse have been detected by considering alternate site development models and looking specifically for evidence of distinct shorter term occupations.
Environmental temperature and composition of body fat.

SummarySamples of subcutaneous body fat were analyzed for fatty acids and iodine values in hens maintained at 3 environmental temperatures. It was found that fat from hens maintained at 0°C was significantly more unsaturated and contained more di- and hexa-enoic acid than fat from birds kept at either 21° or 32°C. There were no changes in deep body temperature or temperature of the tissue at site of fat biopsy which correlated with the changes in fat composition. It is suggested that metabolic adjustments associated with cold adaptation are responsible for the changes in body fat composition.
Why Any Seatbelt Mandate is an Infinitely Iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma: A Health Economics Perspective

AbstractAmong the most controversial of public health measures are those that restrict people’s freedom of choice presumably for the purpose of protecting their own health and safety. Mandatory use of automobile seatbelts can inspire allusions to the “tyranny of health” and the ‘health police.” This study revisits state seatbelt legislation, which is in force in all but one state of the USA. In modeling seatbelt mandates as indefinitely repeated Prisoner’s Dilemma (PD) games, the study qualifies and overcomes the limitations of conventional interest group and expressive voting theories. It indicates why and how utility-maximizing players, particularly carmakers, insurance companies, consumer advocates and regulators, may choose to cooperate, even in instances where mutual defection would bring each of them higher payoffs. The study suggests why state seatbelt mandates endure, despite ongoing concerns that they undermine individual autonomy or that their social costs outweigh the benefits of law-enforcemen...
A SIMPLE FLUORESCENT STAINING METHOD FOR MEIOTIC CHROMOSOMES OF NEUROSPORA

The DNA-specific fluorochrome acriflavin has been used to stain meiotic chromosomes in Neurospora. The acriflavin method is simple and highly reliable. Acriflavin-stained nuclei show good contrast and excellent resolution for detailed chromosome analysis. The nucleolus organizer region can be seen as an attenuated strand embedded within the unstained nucleolus ghost. Since spindles and spindle pole bodies do not fluoresce at all, the method is useful for determining chromosome numbers during condensed division stages in the ascus.
Reduced-order numerical model for transient reacting diesel sprays with detailed kinetics

A reduced-order model of transient diesel spray combustion is presented that utilizes simplified fluid mechanics and detailed chemical kinetics, premised on the similarity between dense turbulent g...
Libby amphibole-induced mesothelial cell autoantibodies promote collagen deposition in mice.

Libby amphibole (LA) causes a unique progressive lamellar pleural fibrosis (LPF) that is associated with pulmonary function decline. Pleural fibrosis among the LA-exposed population of Libby, MT, has been associated with the production of anti-mesothelial cell autoantibodies (MCAA), which induce collagen production from cultured human mesothelial cells. We hypothesized that the progressive nature of LPF could be at least partially attributed to an autoimmune process and sought to demonstrate that LA-induced MCAA trigger collagen deposition in vivo. C57BL/6 mice were exposed to LA for 7 mo, and serum was tested for MCAA by cell-based ELISA on primary mouse mesothelial cells. When treated in vitro with serum from mice exposed to LA, mesothelial cells upregulated collagen matrix production. This effect was lost when the serum was cleared of IgG using protein G beads, implicating IgG autoantibodies. Using the peritoneal cavity as a surrogate for the pleural cavity, groups of naive (non-asbestos-exposed) mice were injected intraperitoneally with 1) control serum, 2) one dose of serum from LA-exposed mice (LA serum), 3) two doses of LA serum, or 4) two doses of LA serum cleared of IgG. After 1 mo, analysis of collagen in peritoneal walls using two-photon confocal microscopy (SHG analysis) and a hydroxyproline assay demonstrated significant increases in collagen by LA serum but not control or cleared serum. These data support the hypothesis that MCAA in LA-exposed mice induce fibrotic responses in vivo, demonstrating that an autoimmune component may be contributing to the progressive pleural fibrosis seen in LA-exposed patients.
Kallikrein excretion in Dahl salt-sensitive and salt-resistant rats with native and transplanted kidneys

Urinary kallikrein excretion is decreased in Dahl salt-sensitive (S) vs. salt-resistant (R) rats, and several lines of reasoning suggest not only that decreased kallikrein excretion is a marker for...
Nutrition management and dietary treatment of bulimia

Bulimia is a complex disorder that requires a multifaceted treatment approach. Treatment for bulimia, as for anorexia nervosa, is often difficult and challenging. Treatment approaches have been limited, and no single approach has emerged as a treatment of choice. This article presents one method for treating bulimic patients, emphasizing a multidisciplinary treatment team and an individualized treatment plan.
Alteplase Treatment in Acute Stroke: Incorporating Food and Drug Administration Prescribing Information into Existing Acute Stroke Management Guide

Despite strong evidence that intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) improves outcomes in acute ischemic stroke patients, its use in clinical practice remains modest. Complex eligibility criteria have been postulated as barriers to greater utilization. Further complicating this has been multiple guidelines and prescribing labels that have been published since first being approved for use in 1996. In this review, several warning and exclusion criteria for tPA in acute ischemic stroke are reviewed with the goal of providing readers a nuanced understanding of historical context and available evidence to make informed decision.
Reproductive anatomy, precopulatory mate guarding, and paternity in the socorro isopod, thermosphaeroma thermophilum

We examine the reproductive anatomy of both sexes of the isopod Thermosphaeroma thermo‐philum using SEM and light microscopy, and study the occurrence of multiple paternity using allozyme electrophoresis. Female reproductive openings are found ventrally, under the cuticular plate covering the body between the fifth and seventh pereonites. Receptivity for copulation is short during the sexual moult. Sperm from copulation are stored within the oviducts, close to the ovary, for up to two weeks before fertilisation and oviposition into ventral brood pouches. Sperm are not stored between broods. Male genitalia consist of penes with erectile extensions, and curved, channelled appendices masculinae. We suggest that appendices masculinae either channel sperm from the penes to oviduct openings located beneath the cuticular plate, or are used to push aside the cuticular plate for penile intromission. Paternity analyses suggest that multiple paternity is uncommon and that precopulatory guarding is an effective mate ...
Remarriage: Starting Over

The process of becoming happily remarried requires navigating a series of relationships, transitions, and difficulties that differ from the challenges confronted in first-marriage couple formation. Though there is limited research on repartnering dynamics, researchers and clinicians have uncovered some clues about adaptive strategies for remarried couples. Negotiating the identity shifts from married to divorced to eligible dating partner, managing and balancing relationships between new partners and parental responsibilities if there are children from prior marriages, and forming a new household that meshes two previously independent systems are all processes in which adults must engage when entering a second or higher order marriage. Keywords: divorce; remarriage; stepfamilies
Recognizing children’s graves in nineteenth-century cemeteries: Excavations in St. Thomas Anglican Churchyard, Belleville, Ontario, Canada

Graves from personally identified individuals from St. Thomas Anglican Churchyard, dated 1821–1874, were examined for features that differentiate children’s graves from those of adults. The study was facilitated by the presence of identifiable skeletal remains, abundant coffin artifacts including coffin plates that identified those interred, and associated historical records. The purpose was to evaluate whether or not there was a distinctive pattern in the archaeological record that could be used as a model for recognizing children’s graves in the absence of historical records or skeletal remains. Coffin length, number of coffin handles, coffin handle motif, and coffin handle size were found to distinguish children’s and adults’ graves. The presence of plain or decorated coffin handles, coffin plates, or glass viewing plates was not associated with age at death. Comparisons with other cemeteries and hardware catalogs indicate that the pattern is widespread geographically. Mortuary symbols of purity, innocence, and nature identify children with the home and heaven, in contrast to the workplace of men, spheres that were increasingly separated with industrialization, urbanization, and material progress in the 19th century.
Reproductive and developmental environmental health

Abstract In 2015, the international community of obstetricians and gynecologists formally recognized the importance of environmental exposures on reproductive health and took critical steps to improve awareness and develop a long term strategy for leaders. First, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics' (FIGO) Executive Board adopted an opinion, Reproductive Health Impacts of Exposure to Toxic Environmental Chemicals , and published a special communication to health care providers. FIGO then hosted an international workshop on environmental health and designated a workgroup on Reproductive and Developmental Environmental Health (RDEH). The aim of RDEH is to capture the momentum of the FIGO Opinion and align international leaders around three major objectives: advocacy, education and research with environmental health.
To Karbala: Surveying Religious Shi'a from Iran and Iraq

This paper exploits the opportunity afforded by Shiite religious pilgrimage sites in southern Iraq (in Karbala and Najaf) to survey over 3000 observant Shiites both from Iran and from Iraq, and to inquire about their attitudes towards their respective governments, the West and the US, as well as their opinions on sectarian conflicts raging across the Middle East in Syria and Iraq, including the rise of ISIS and Iran’s nuclear program. The pilgrimage, which attracts several million people every year, is a unique opportunity to survey a very influential and largely understudied subsample of the Middle East at a time of intense conflict in the region, that being the religious Shiite Iranians and Iraqis that arguably form the backbone of support for their respective governments. Despite its undoubtedly massive and public nature, this religious event is largely unknown to the western world, as are the views of the observant Shiite Muslims who attend it. On a substantive level, this project aims to fill the existing gap by accessing the opinions of Iranian and Iraqi Shiites on a range of salient political issues at a pivotal time, when the US is fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria; has negotiated an agreement with Iran on its nuclear program; and is confronted with intense and violent intra-sectarian conflict in places like Syria, Yemen and Bahrain. On a methodological level, it allows for innovative survey sampling techniques, as well as for survey experiments, (including endorsement and conjoint experiments among others) intended to elicit truthful responses to highly sensitive political questions.
I Need Your Encouragement!: Requesting Supportive Comments on Social Media Reduces Test Anxiety

Many students underperform on exams due to experiencing high test anxiety. We report on a study comparing a novel intervention of seeking support from one's social network to the more common approaches of expressive writing and studying task-relevant materials for simulated open-ended test questions. We measured in-the-moment (state) anxiety before and after each intervention, and correctness of the solutions. We also surveyed students to learn about their perceptions of the interventions. Our results showed that social support decreased the anxiety of high test-anxious students by 21% with the reduction in anxiety correlating with the number of messages received. Social support also allowed high test-anxious students to score at the level of low test-anxious students. Expressive writing showed a similar effect, but increased the anxiety of low test-anxious students by 61%. Studying task materials had no effect on anxiety and high test-anxious students performed worse than low test-anxious students. Despite benefiting from social support, we found that students were uncomfortable soliciting support from their online social network. Realizing the benefits of this approach may therefore require different formulations of social support in practice.
Contemplative Cognition: A More Integrative Framework for Advancing Mindfulness and Meditation Research

Mindfulness, whether distinguished as a state, trait, or training, is central to a growing wave of interest in meditation. Theoretical development has been called for in order to clarify confusion about mindfulness from a scientific perspective. Ideally, such development will allow ingress for more traditional perspectives and guide inclusive research on the wider range of meditation practices. To address this call, we outline a new approach for understanding mindfulness and related meditative experience that accommodates diverse perspectives. In accord with other integrative approaches, we employ foundational psychological constructs (namely, attention, intention, and awareness) to understand mindfulness. In contrast to other theoretical perspectives, however, we utilize this foundation to derive novel psychological constructs needed to better explain mindfulness and important features of meditative experience more widely. The contemplative cognition framework integrates three attention-related processes entailed by a variety of contemplative practices: intended attention, attention to intention, and awareness of transient information. After delineating this set of three processes, we explain how they can cooperate to promote a contemplative range of metacognition about attention, intention, and awareness, as well as enhanced regulation of cognition, emotion, and behavior. The contemplative cognition framework (a) overcomes discrepancies in mindfulness research; (b) accounts for contextual and motivational aspects of training; (c) supports investigation from phenomenological, information processing, neurophysiological, and clinical perspectives; and (d) enables investigations on various contemplative states, traits, and practices to inform one another. This new approach has potential for advancing a more inclusive, productive, and theory-driven science of mindfulness and meditation.
Task Allocation Using Parallelized Clustering and Auctioning Algorithms for Heterogeneous Robotic Swarms Operating on a Cloud Network

In this paper, a novel centralized robotic swarm of heterogeneous unmanned vehicles consisting of autonomous surface vehicles and micro-aerial vehicles is presented. The swarm robots operate in an outdoor environment and are equipped with cameras and Global Positioning Systems (GPS). Manipulations of the swarm demonstrate how aspects of individual robotic platforms can be controlled cooperatively to accomplish a group task in an efficient manner. We demonstrate the use of air-based robots to build a map of important features of the local environment, such as the locations of targets. The map is then sent to a cloud-based cluster on a remote network. The cloud performs clustering algorithms using the map to calculate optimal clusters of the targets. The cloud then performs an auctioning algorithm to assign the clusters to the surface-based robots based on several factors such as relative position and capacities. The surface-robots then travel to their assigned clusters to complete the allocated tasks. Lastly, we present the results of simulating our cooperative swarm in both software and hardware, demonstrating the effectiveness of our proposed algorithm.
Modeling Task Deviations as Eccentricity Distribution Peaks

Detailed usage data is becoming available through different devices (e.g., personal computer, cell phones, tablets, watches, glasses, wrist bands), in huge volumes, and in a speed that requires new models and visualizations to support the understanding of detailed user actions at scale. Without appropriate methods that summarize or provide means of analyzing large usage data sets, a semantic gap between the event-by-event data and the tasks profile remains. In this context, this work proposes a technique to support the analysis of task deviation from the examination of detailed user interface events streams. From the analysis of 427 event-by-event logged sessions (captured under user consent) of a technical reference website, this work presents how to identify task deviations by using eccentricity distribution. The proposed technique is a promising way of identifying task deviations in large log data sets containing information about how users performed real tasks.
Growing Reinsurance Payments Weaken Competitive Bidding in Medicare Part D.

OBJECTIVES To examine variation in risk-adjusted reinsurance payments across Part D plans, analyze its implications for the program, and explore options to reduce reinsurance payments. DATA/STUDY DESIGN 2007-2015 Part D Plan Payment and Premium data; 2010-2013 Part D Prescription Drug Event data; and 2013 Part D Plan Formulary Files. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Risk-adjusted reinsurance payments varied widely across plans at a given out-of-pocket (OOP) premium. The variance in risk-adjusted reinsurance in common OOP premium ranges increased between 2010 and 2015. High risk-adjusted reinsurance payments were negatively correlated with use of utilization management tools for high-cost drugs. CONCLUSIONS Growing reinsurance payments shrink plans' liability for managing drug spending for high-cost enrollees, creating plan moral hazard, and making OOP premiums a noisy signal of plans' total costs.
Determination of the work function distribution of a LaB_6 hollow cathode based on plasma potential measurement and 2D plasma numerical simulation

Self-heating hollow cathodes are central components in modern electric thrusters. The plasma discharge inside these devices heats the internal components, thus maintaining the temperatures required for electron emission. Precise knowledge of the physical phenomena governing hollow cathode operation is key to predict their lifetime, specifically, their thermionic emission characteristics. A simulation platform has been built to couple plasma and thermal models of the self-heating hollow cathode to produce a self-consistent solution. A self-consistent solution has been found for a LaB_6 hollow cathode operating at 25A and 13 sccm where the work function is assumed to be spatially uniform along the emitter with a value which is allowed to vary as the coupled model iterates to a self-consistent solution. The emitter temperature from the converged solution does not agree with experimental temperature measurements, however. The results of a sensitivity analysis suggest that none of the tolerances in the measurement are responsible for the discrepancy. We hypothesize that either the work function needs to be a function of position along the emitting surfaces or the heat fluxes have been overestimated in the plasma solver.
Flow Over a Dentated Sill in an Open Channel

An investigation of a flow transition in an open channel consisting of a forced hydraulic jump which is controlled by a dentated sill and of a nonuniform flow reach downstream of the sill, is reported. The flow and its boundaries are described by six dimensionless variables. The relationships among the variables are given by graphs based on experimental data. The boundary values for the flow are defined. The investigated flow is compared to a flow transition controlled by a continuous sill. The results are applicable to the design of hydraulic jump stilling basins.
Partial and full synchrony of thalamic spindle oscillations

We have investigated the rhythmogenesis of spindle sleep oscillations in large neural network models. Each network consists of inhibitory thalamic reticular nucleus (RE) neurons and excitatory thalamocortical (TC) neurons. The RE alone can oscillate. However, even in a model of identical neurons with all-to-all coupling, it is in general not fully synchronized, but is segregated spontaneously into several clusters bursting alternately. In the fully connected RE+TC network, the RE cells burst in full synchrony while the TC cells segregate into clusters. Noise, heterogeneity or sparseness reduce the synchrony and cause neurons to skip bursts.
Formal Catalytic Mechanism of Ascorbate Oxidase

Ascorbate oxidase (EC 1.10.3.3), a copper enzyme widely distributed in the plant kingdom, catalyzes the oxidation of ascorbate by oxygen to the final products dehydroascorbate and water [1]. Yama-zaki and Piette [2,3] showed that the catalyzed reaction proceeds first to an ascorbyl radical, which dismutes spontaneously to ascorbate and dehydroascorbate. They also found that the enzyme has the same maximal velocity with reductate or ascorbate as donor substrate [2]. Nakamura et al. [4] have shown that double reciprocal plots for ascorbate oxidase with ascorbate as the varied substrate at different oxygen concentrations are a family of parallel straight lines. This pattern implies that the points of entry of the reduc-tant and oxidant substrates into the catalytic cycle are separated by a reaction that is irreversible under initial velocity conditions. The results of stopped flow experiments by Nakamura and Ogura [5,6] have been cited as evidence that oxidation of the reduced enzyme by molecular oxygen is intrinsically a faster process than reduction of the oxidized enzyme by donor substrates [7]. Gerwin et al. [8] showed that the active form of the reductant substrate is the monoanion.
Coaching Teachers in Bullying Detection and Intervention

The classroom is a particularly important context for bullying prevention, as the vast majority of bullying occurs in this setting. Although nearly all states now require some type of mandated professional development for educators to address concerns related to bullying, research shows that teachers still struggle to detect bullying and rarely implement effective strategies to respond to bullying when it is detected. This chapter focuses on the importance of the classroom context in bullying prevention. We describe a novel approach to addressing bullying in the classroom through an adapted version of the Classroom Check-Up coaching model (Reinke et al. Motivational interviewing for effective classroom management: The classroom check-up. The Guilford Press, New York, 2011), which is combined with a mixed-reality simulator called TeachLivE© (Dieker et al. Focus on Exceptional Children 40(6), 1–20, 2008) to build teacher skills in preventing, detecting, and responding to bullying. Referred to as the Bullying Classroom Check-Up, the program aims to help teachers prevent bullying in the classroom and intervene effectively when it does occur. The current chapter summarizes qualitative data collected that informed the development of the model as well as preliminary quantitative data regarding feasibility and acceptability of the intervention.
μ‐Hydro­xo‐bis[(4,4′‐di­methyl‐2,2′‐bi­pyridine)tri­carbonylrhenium(I)] perrhenate acetone hemisolvate

The title compound, [Re2(OH)(C12H12N2)2(CO)6][ReO4]·0.5C3H6O, is the first crystal structure reported for a hydro­xo-bridged binuclear rhenium complex containing bi­pyridine or substituted bi­pyridine ligands. The cation has distorted octahedral coord­ination about both rhenium centers, resulting from geometric constraints imposed by the chelating 4,4′-di­methyl-2,2′-bi­pyridine ligands, which are involved in an intermolecular π–π stacking interaction. The distance between the rhenium atoms is 4.0185 (3) A, with no metal–metal bond. The H atom of the bridging hydro­xo ligand was directly located in the crystallographic analysis, and is hydrogen-bonded to the perrhenate. The acetone solvent molecule is disordered.
Accelerating coordinate descent in iterative reconstruction

Iterative coordinate descent (ICD) is an optimization strategy for iterative reconstruction that is sometimes considered incompatible with parallel compute architectures such as graphics processing units (GPUs). We present a series of modifications that render ICD compatible with GPUs and demonstrate the code on a diagnostic, helical CT dataset. Our reference code is an open-source package, FreeCT ICD, which requires several hours for convergence. Three modifications are used. First, as with our reference code FreeCT ICD, the reconstruction is performed on a rotating coordinate grid, enabling the use of a stored system matrix. Second, every other voxel in the z-is updated direction simultaneously, and the sinogram data is shuffled to coalesce memory access. This increases the parallelism available to the GPU. Third, NS voxels in the xy-plane are updated simultaneously. This introduces possible crosstalk between updated voxels, but because the interaction between non-adjacent voxels is small, small values of NS still converge effectively. We find NS = 16 enables faster reconstruction via greater parallelism, and NS = 256 remains stable but has no additional computational benefit. When tested on a pediatric dataset of size 736x16x14000 reconstructed to a matrix size of 512x512x128 on a single GPU, our implementation of ICD can converge within 10 HU RMS in less than 5 minutes. This suggests that ICD could be competitive with simultaneous update algorithms on modern, parallel compute architectures.
Dietary Whole Egg Reduces Body Weight Gain in a Dose-Dependent Manner in Zucker Diabetic Fatty Rats

Background: We previously reported that a whole-egg-based diet attenuated weight gain in rats with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and more effectively maintained vitamin D status than an equivalent amount of supplemental cholecalciferol. Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the lowest dose of whole egg effective at maintaining vitamin D homeostasis and attenuating the obese phenotype in T2D rats. Methods: Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats (n = 40; age 6 wk; prediabetic) and their lean controls (n = 40; age 6 wk) were randomly assigned to a diet containing 20% casein (CAS) or 20%, 10%, 5%, or 2.5% protein from whole egg (20% EGG, 10% EGG, 5% EGG, and 2.5% EGG, respectively). All diets contained 20% total protein (wt:wt). All rats received their respective diets for 8 wk, at a stage of growth and development that translates to adolescence in humans, until 14 wk of age, a point at which ZDF rats exhibit overt T2D. Weight gain was measured 5 d/wk, and circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] was measured by ELISA. Mean values were compared by 2-factor ANOVA. Results: The 20% EGG diet maintained serum 25(OH)D at 30 nmol/L in ZDF rats, whereas the 10%, 5%, and 2.5% EGG diets did not prevent insufficiency, resulting in mean serum 25(OH)D concentrations of 24 nmol/L in ZDF rats. Body weight gain was reduced by 29% (P < 0.001) and 31% (P < 0.001) in ZDF rats consuming 20% and 10% EGG diets, respectively, and by 16% (P = 0.004) and 12% (P = 0.030) in ZDF rats consuming 5% and 2.5% EGG diets, respectively, compared with CAS. Conclusions: Whole-egg-based diets exerted a dose-dependent response with respect to attenuating weight gain. These data could support dietary recommendations aimed at body weight management in individuals predisposed to obesity and T2D.
Multivisceral and Modified Multivisceral Intestinal Transplantation

More than half a century ago, multivisceral intestinal transplantation (MVT) was undertaken experimentally on canines by Starzl et al. [1, 2] despite concerns over predicting immunologic outcomes and uncertain lymphatic drainage. The graft was designed as a grape cluster with a double central stem consisting of celiac axis and superior mesenteric artery (SMA), which would allow future modifications. The venous outflow of this grape cluster was hepatopedal; it was kept intact up to or beyond the liver [1, 2]. The first human MVT was also performed by Starzl et al. in 1983 and 1989 in two pediatric cases, but clinically reproducible results awaited the introduction of tacrolimus in 1989 [3]. The reasons for early failure were allograft rejection and infection [4].
Randomized Controlled Pilot Study of Video Self-assessment for Resident Mastoidectomy Training:

A prospective randomized controlled pilot study was performed to determine if video self-assessment improves competency in mastoidectomy and to assess interrater agreement between expert and resident evaluations of recorded mastoidectomy. Sixteen otolaryngology residents were recorded while performing cadaveric mastoidectomy and randomized into video self-assessment and control groups. All residents performed a second recorded mastoidectomy. Performance was evaluated by blinded experts with a validated assessment scale. Video self-assessment did not lead to greater skill improvement between the first and second mastoidectomy. Interrater agreement was fair to substantial between the expert evaluators and between resident self-evaluations by recall and video review. Agreement between experts and residents was only slight to fair; residents consistently rated their performance higher than experts (P < .05). In conclusion, 1 session of video self-review did not lead to improved competence in mastoidectomy over standard practice. While experts agree on assessments, residents may overestimate their competency in performing cadaveric mastoidectomy.
TEM characterization of high burnup fast-reactor MOX fuel

Abstract This work examines the radial evolution of a high burnup fast reactor mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel pellet irradiated at the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) using scanning (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). At 21.3% fissions per initial metal atoms (FIMA), the sample analyzed in this work is likely among the highest burnup oxide fuel samples ever evaluated using TEM. Initial SEM examination focused on the characterization of the fuel microstructure and solid fission product behavior as a function of radial position. The fuel pellet underwent extensive restructuring as demonstrated by columnar grain formation near the central void. Oxide fission product phases were confined to near the fuel centerline and decomposed from perovskite BaZrO3 to the fluorite ZrO2 type crystal structure. Metallic five metal precipitates (FMPs) were observed at all radial positions and the Pd-rich metallic phase increased in area fraction moving toward the pellet surface. TEM examination focused on the determination of dislocation density ranging from the fuel pellet center to the pellet surface. Dislocation density was highest in the cooler regions of the fuel pellet, with the outer edge experiencing grain refinement and high defect concentrations consistent with the rim structure. The results of the paper highlight the variable dislocation behavior as a function of radial position in high burnup MOX fuels, as well as describe the largely unexplored change in crystal structure of the oxide solid fission product phase.
The effects of natural substrate discontinuities on the quadrupedal gait kinematics of free-ranging Saimiri sciureus

Wild primates encounter complex matrices of substrates that differ in size, orientation, height, and compliance, and often move on multiple, discontinuous substrates within a single bout of locomotion. Our current understanding of primate gait is limited by artificial laboratory settings in which primate quadrupedal gait has primarily been studied. This study analyzes wild Saimiri sciureus (common squirrel monkey) gait on discontinuous substrates to capture the realistic effects of the complex arboreal habitat on walking kinematics. We collected high-speed video footage at Tiputini Biodiversity Station, Ecuador between August and October 2017. Overall, the squirrel monkeys used more asymmetrical walking gaits than symmetrical gaits, and specifically asymmetrical lateral sequence walking gaits when moving across discontinuous substrates. When individuals used symmetrical gaits, they used diagonal sequence gaits more than lateral sequence gaits. In addition, individuals were more likely to change their footfall sequence during strides on discontinuous substrates. Squirrel monkeys increased the time lag between touchdowns both of ipsilaterally paired limbs (pair lag) and of the paired forelimbs (forelimb lag) when walking across discontinuous substrates compared to continuous substrates. Results indicate that gait flexibility and the ability to alter footfall patterns during quadrupedal walking may be critical for primates to safely move in their complex arboreal habitats. Notably, wild squirrel monkey quadrupedalism is diverse and flexible with high proportions of asymmetrical walking. Studying kinematics in the wild is critical for understanding the complexity of primate quadrupedalism.
Pickering emulsions stabilized by nanoparticles

Abstract Pickering emulsion garnered immense importance recently because of the high potential of this formulation in the pharmaceutical industry. This surfactant free and simple formulation can deliver solid particles efficiently in the oil and water interface. Simple fundamental physiology has been discussed in the first part of this chapter. Stabilizing parameters has been discussed for an in-depth understanding of successful formulation to deliver insoluble or solid organic and inorganic compounds of interest in various application fields. Selection of suitable nanoparticle, stabilizing materials, properties of surface physiology, stimuli responsiveness, particle size, etc. has been discussed in the later part of the chapter in terms of applicability.
Regenerative Potential of Mesenchymal Stem Cells for the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis and Chondral Defects: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Purpose To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the effects of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on cartilage regeneration and patient-reported pain and function. Methods A systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines using a PRISMA checklist. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed (2008-2019), EMBASE (2008-2019), and MEDLINE (2008-2019) were queried in July 2019 for literature reporting use of stem cells to treat knee osteoarthritis or chondral defects. Data describing administered treatment, subject population, injection type, duration of follow-up, pain and functional outcomes, and radiographic and magnetic resonance imaging findings were extracted. Risk of bias was assessed using the Downs and Black scale. Meta-analyses adjusted for random effects were performed, calculating pooled effect sizes in terms of patient-reported pain and function, cartilage quality, and cartilage volume. Results Twenty-five studies with 439 subjects were identified. There was no significant difference in pain improvement between MSC treatment and controls (pooled standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.23, P = .30). However, MSC treatment was significantly favored for functional improvement (SMD = 0.66, P Conclusions The pooled SMD from meta-analyses showed statistically significant effects of MSC on self-reported physical function but not self-reported pain. MSCs provided functional benefit only in patients who underwent concomitant surgery. However, this must be interpreted with caution, as there was substantial variability in MSC composition and mode of delivery. MSC treatment provided significant improvement in cartilage volume but not cartilage quality. Preliminary data regarding therapeutic properties of MSC treatment suggest significant heterogeneity in the current literature, and risk of bias is not negligible. Level of Evidence II, Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
M2 segment thrombectomy is not associated with increased complication risk compared to M1 segment: A meta-analysis of recent literature

Abstract Introduction Recent clinical comparisons of M1 and M2 segment endovascular thrombectomy have reached incongruous results in rates of complication and functional outcomes. This study aims to clarify the controversy surrounding this rapidly advancing technique through literature review and meta-analysis. Methods A Pubmed search was performed (January 2015-September 2019) using the following keywords: “M2 AND (“stroke” OR “occlusion”) AND (“thrombectomy” OR “endovascular”)”. Safety and clinical outcomes were compared between segments via weighted Student's t-test, Chi-square and odds ratio while study heterogeneity was analyzed using Cochran Q and I2 tests. Results Pubmed identified 208 articles and eleven studies were included after full-text analysis, comprising 2,548 M1 and 758 M2 mechanical thrombectomy segment cases. Baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores were comparatively lower in patients experiencing an M2 occlusion (16 ± 1.25 vs 13.6 ± 0.96, p Conclusions Patients who underwent M2 mechanical thrombectomy had a higher prevalence of good and excellent clinical outcomes compared to the M1 mechanical thrombectomy cohorts. Additionally, our data suggest lower mortality rates in the M2 cohort and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage rates that are similar to the M1 cohort. Therefore, M2 segment thrombectomy likely does not pose a significantly elevated operative risk and may have a positive impact on patient outcomes.
More human than human: The consequences of positive dehumanization

While dehumanizing language, or comparison of humans to animals or machines, is commonplace in administrative rhetoric, there is little evidence of its consequences, particularly when used in its p...
Craniectomy with microvascular flap reconstruction in a patient taking infliximab for vasculitis.

For patients whose vasculitis is managed with biologic medications, no reports or evidence-based guidance exists regarding the perioperative management of microvascular flaps. We present a case of a 78-year-old patient with Takayasu’s arteritis (TA) and diabetes mellitus who was taking infliximab and underwent wide local excision of squamous cell carcinoma, craniectomy and reconstruction with a latissimus dorsi flap. TA, an immune-mediated large cell vasculitis characterised by granuloma formation, tends to affect larger vessels and aortic branches. The typical localisation of this condition raises concerns about potentially compromised pedicle and recipient vessels (ie, superficial temporal arteries), which could hinder postoperative flap success. Discontinuation of infliximab 4 weeks before surgery and resumption 6 weeks after led to favourable results. This case addresses the gap in the literature concerning stopping and restarting biologic drugs in the perioperative setting and documents a successful course of a microvascular procedure in a patient with vasculitis.
Are PCSK9 Inhibitors the Next Breakthrough in the Cardiovascular Field

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) binds to the low-density lipoprotein receptor, escorting it to its destruction in the lysosome and thereby preventing the recirculation of the low-density lipoprotein receptor to the hepatocyte cell surface. Both gain-of-function mutations in PCSK9 (causing marked increases in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C] concentration and premature atherosclerosis) and loss-of-function mutations (causing modest LDL-C reduction with low rates of coronary heart disease) have been described. Several monoclonal antibodies to PCSK9 have achieved LDL-C reductions of 50% to 70% across various patient populations and background lipid therapies. Phase 2/3 trials have demonstrated good tolerability without clear drug-related toxicity, although the number and duration of patients treated to date is modest. Currently, 4 phase 3 trials involving >70,000 patients are testing whether these drugs reduce cardiovascular events. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently reviewing the existing data to determine whether these agents could be made available prior to the completion of these cardiovascular endpoint trials expected in 2018.