cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Smooth muscle contractility after intestinal resection.

Intestinal resection is followed by structural and functional adaptation of the remnant, including motor adaptation. Since changes also occur in intestinal smooth muscle, our aim was to determine whether changes in motor function are related to changes in smooth muscle contractility. Eighteen dogs underwent transection alone (GP I, n = 6), 50% distal resection (GP II, n = 6) and 50% distal resection with jejunocolostomy (GP III, n = 6). Histologic measurements and length-tension studies with response to carbachol were made at 12 weeks. Longitudinal muscle (LM) length tended to increase in the resected animals but not significantly (174 ± 23 and 180 ± 23 vs 156 ± 16 cm, GP II, GP III, and GP I, respectively). Circular muscle (CM) length was similar in all three groups (8.2 ± 0.9 and 7.9 ± 0.6 vs 7.5 ± 0.6 cm). Both CM and LM tended to be thicker in the resected groups (CM : 660 ± 163 and 733 ± 139 vs 569 ± 199 μm ; LM : 213 ± 77 and 246 ± 76 vs 220 ± 104 μm, GP II, GP III, and GP I, respectively, NS). Length-tension relationships for both CM and LM were similar in all three groups. The length (Lo) at which maximal active tension (To) was achieved was 130-140% initially in both LM and CM. Passive tension at Lo and the response to cholinergic stimulation were similar in all three groups. There were no significant differences in absolute active and total tension generated or force/cm 2 . The carbachol dose responses were similar with the maximal active tension occurring at 10 4 M carbachol. The ED 50 was greater in CM than in LM (P < 0.05 for transection animals). The ED 50 was lower after resection and bypass (P < 0.05 GP III vs Gp I). There were no significant differences in in vitro smooth muscle length tension relationships or the response to cholinergic stimuli of jejunum 12 weeks after resection with or without bypass of the ICJ. Thus, any changes in motor adaptation during this period are related to earlier transient effects or other factors.
The Fracture Toughness of a Brittle Nickel Silicide Containing the Ductile Phases Ni(Si) and Ni3Si

The fracture toughness at room temperature of a brittle nickel silicide containing the ductile phases Ni(Si) and Ni3Si has been investigated. The microstructure was comprised of a brittle nickel silicide matrix, ductile Ni(Si) particles distributed within the matrix, and Ni3Si rims around the particles. It was obtained by annealing hot-extruded Ni-23 at.%Si (with and without 0.19 at.% boron) at 1100°C and then air cooling. The fracture toughness values were in the range of 13 MPa m1/2 to 22 MPa m1/2. Systematic effects of annealing time and of boron were not apparent. It would appear that the incorporation of the ductile particles has a beneficial effect on the fracture toughness of an otherwise brittle silicide.
When Writing Cuts Deep: The Rhetoric of Surgical Short Stories

This paper defines a new short story genre under the broad umbrella of medical narratives: the surgical short story. The essay identifies the specific characteristics of surgical short stories as the presence of suture theory, the use of suture theory to contract the narrative gap, the use of precise surgical terms, and the placement of surgery at the center of the narrative. The author deconstructs five short stories in light of these characteristics to identify them as examples of the genre. This genre is significant in that it holds the potential to bridge a two-way gap of misunderstanding between doctors and their patients concerning medicine and its goals
Treatment of Malignant Disease in Closed Spaces

Pleural effusion is a frequent complication in the course of disseminated neoplastic disease, and its development poses a variety of important problems in management. Its occurrence, while a manifestation of systemic disease, does not bear a relationship to prognosis, except perhaps in malignant lymphoma. While removal may be necessary for symptomatic relief, repeated thoracentesis may have significant complications. For this reason, ideal treatment should prevent fluid accumulation.
Anal Douche Practices and Willingness to Use a Rectal Microbicide Enema for HIV Prevention and Associated Factors Among an Internet Sample of HIV-Negative and HIV-Discordant Male Couples in the US

A significant proportion of MSM acquire HIV from their primary relationship partners. Rectal microbicides are currently being studied to determine their efficacy for HIV prevention, yet willingness to use rectal microbicides among male couples is largely unknown. Dyadic data from 333 HIV-negative and HIV-discordant male couples, representing 631 HIV-negative men, were used to assess anal douching practices and willingness to use a rectal microbicide for HIV prevention. 17 % of men douched 100 % of the time before having anal sex within their primary partner. Among those who had sex outside of their relationship, 36 % had douched 100 % of the time before having anal sex with a casual MSM partner. Most men (63 %) indicated a willingness to use a theoretically effective rectal microbicide prior to anal sex for HIV prevention. If found effective, rectal microbicides delivered as an anal douche may be an acceptable format for HIV prevention to some MSM who already engage in anal douching. Understanding current douching practices will be important in successfully promoting the uptake of rectal microbicides.
Initial Experience Using Transoral Robotic Surgery for Advanced-Stage (T3) Tumors of the Head and Neck

Purpose/Objective(s): Currently transoral robotic surgery (TORS) using the DaVinci system is FDA approved for use in benign and malignant early-stage T1 and T2 tumors. At institutions with a robust TORS program, there is an increased comfort level with both the technology and transoral anatomy as such larger tumors are being excised. We sought to identify how many stage T3 oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCC) have been attempted using robotic surgery at a high-volume institution (>50 cases per year). In particular, we evaluated the following outcomes: initial clinical T stage, margin status, hospital stay, tracheostomy, and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube dependence and use of adjuvant therapy. Materials/Methods: We conducted an institutional review boardeapproved retrospective chart review of 280 consecutive cases between 2011 and 2015. All pathology reports were reviewed, and those with final pathology demonstrating stage T3 and T4 (pT3-4) OPSCC were included. One patient with incomplete records was excluded. Results: Fourteen patients were identified as pT3, and 1 patient was excluded for incomplete preoperative staging. Mean age was 65 years (range 50-85 years) and 64% (nZ9 of 14) were human papillomavirus positive. All but 1 of the patients was male, and 57% (nZ8 of 14) had a history of tobacco use. Preoperative clinical staging for the cohort was cT1 (nZ2), cT2 (nZ9), cT3 (nZ2), and cT4 (nZ1). Tumors were pathologically staged as either pT3 (nZ13) or pT4a (nZ1). Overall length of stay was 5 days (range 2-8 days). Negative margins were achieved in 86% of patients (nZ12 of 14). One patient required a tracheostomy, and 1 patient remained PEG tube dependent. All patients had postoperative XRT, and the 2 patients with positive margins had chemotherapy (either docetaxel and cetuximab or cisplatin). Conclusion: TORS may be used to resect advanced T-stage malignancies; however, there are risks of positive margins, tracheostomy, and PEG tube dependence, as well as hospital stays that exceed the typical 1 to 2 days. The potential benefit of avoiding 3-modality treatment (surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy) should only be considered in tumors in which negative margins can be achieved. Author Disclosure: J. Kass: None. C. Pool: None. M. Teng: None. B. Miles: None. E. Genden: None.
Multisensory control of escape in the cockroach Penplaneta americana

1. Interactions of cockroaches with 4 different predator species were recorded by videography. Some predators, especially spiders, struck from relatively short distances and usually contacted a cockroach prior to initiation of escape (Table 1, Fig. 3). This touch frequently occurred on an antenna. Cockroaches turned away from the side on which an antenna was touched. 2. We then measured the success of escape from predators for cockroaches with either cerci or antennae ablated. Only antennal removal caused a significant decrease in the success of escape from spiders (Fig. 5). 3. With controlled stimuli, cockroaches responded reliably to abrupt touch of antennae, legs or body (Fig. 6). Responses resembled wind-elicited escape: they consisted of a short latency turn (away from the stimulus) followed by running (Figs. 7, 8). However, lesions show that touchevoked escape does not depend on the giant interneuron system (Table 2). 4. Following section of one cervical connective, cockroaches continued to respond to touching either antenna, but often turned inappropriately toward, rather than away from, stimuli applied to the antenna contralateral to the severed connective (Table 3, Fig. 10). 5. For certain types of predators touch may be a primary cue by which cockroaches detect predatory attack. Descending somatosensory pathways for escape are distinct from the GI system.
The Changing Role of the Catholic Priest and His Ministry in an Inner City Context: A Study in Role Change

The work of the priest in the inner city is characterized by the mark of controversy. This study is primarily exploratory in design, the purpose of which is to ascertain some crucial factors that influence both the work and the person of the priest. The findings point to considerable role strain on the part of the inner city priest. Based on the findings, the author proposes several hypotheses for directing future research.
Influence of powder surface treatment on the dispersion behavior of silica into polymeric materials

Abstract The effect of surface treatment on silica agglomerate dispersibility was investigated. Precipitated silica powders were treated with a commercially available coupling agent Bis-(triethoxysilylpropyl)-tetrasulphane (TESPT) in a blender. Spherical agglomerates of known density were prepared and dispersed in styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) under controlled flow conditions. The erosion kinetics was monitored by measuring the reduction in size of parent agglomerate with time. Silica dispersibility was greatly enhanced upon surface treatment. The coupling agent used in surface treatment is known to reduce filler—filler interactions and therefore affects the intrinsic cohesivity of the powder. However powder surface treatment can also induce changes in agglomerate morphology and filler-liquid interactions. The work presented in this paper evidences such changes.
Snapshot On-chip HDR ROIC Architectures

We describe novel digital readout integrated circuits (DROICs) that achieve snapshot on-chip high dynamic range imaging where most commercial systems require a multiple exposure acquisition.
Relationship of Infestation by the Sequoia Pitch Moth (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) to Monterey Pine Trunk Injury

The larva of the sequoia pitch moth, Synanthedon sequoiae (Hy. Edwards), causes pitch masses on the trunks of susceptible conifers. Emergence of adult moths occurred over a period of 2 to 4 months in coastal central California. Physical injury to the trunks of Monterey pine incited increased larval infestations, particularly when injury was inflicted in the several months before, and during, the period of moth emergence. A portion of the pitch moth larval population appears to require more than 1 year to complete development to the adult stage.
Leaf Disk Method of Testing Alfalfa Plants for Resistance to Feeding by Adult Alfalfa Weevils

Several methods of testing adult alfalfa weevils, Hypera postica (Gyllenhal), feeding on detached leaves were evaluated under forced conditions. Dry-weight comparisons of damaged and undamaged pairs of lateral leaflets were time consuming and imprecise. Evaluations comparing leaf areas eaten from leaf disks were rapid, but were influenced by leaf thickness. Leaf area, eaten from leaf disks and then adjusted according to dry weight of the sample, was the most critical measurement of feeding. Adult feeding was influenced by light and by moisture levels used during testing of excised leaf disks. Weevils ate more when tested under constant light than under constant darkness. However, feeding was more erratic in light. Test conditions of constant darkness and uniform moisture levels were recommended. Effects of adult size, sex, and age on feeding were studied. Adult feeding was in direct proportion to body size. Differences in feeding rate (mg leaf material eaten per mg body weight) between large and small weevils as well as between male and female weevils were insignificant. However, because differences in body size exist in most weevil populations, the use of sized adults in feeding tests was recommended. Studies on feeding behavior of nondiapausing adults ranging from 1 to 49 days old showed that freshly emerged adults ate 5-6 times more leaf material than did 4- to 5-week-old adults. Information obtained was used to develop a rapid procedure for classifying alfalfa plants for differential feeding by adult weevils. Data obtained from using the leaf disk test on surviving seedlings from adult feeding preference test are presented.
Observation on the efficacy of mixture Propoxur and Permethrin to kill Blattella germanica

Objective To observe the efficacy of mixture Propoxur and Permethrin to kill Blattella germanica in hotel.Methods Field experiment in two hotels including quest-room and restaurant in Liuzhou.Results Before using the pill,the average density of Blattella germanica was 70 pieces for 15 min(quest-room),35 pieces for 15 min(offices),230 pieces for 15min(kitchen),110 pieces for 15 min(baoxiang),95 pieces for 15 min(dating);the 24 h density decreased by 91.5%～94.3%.The killing rate reached 100% after 7 days.Conclusion Propoxur and Permethrin mixture had good efficacy against Blattella germanica in hotel.
Investigation on missing report of notifiable diseases in Jiangmen from 2007 to 2009

Objective To understand the status of the report of notifiable diseases and management,and provide scientific basis for improving the level of reporting and management of infectious diseases.Methods Data on missing report of notifiable diseases from 2007 to 2009 conducted with retrospective review in Jiangmen city were analyzed.Data of missing report in medical departments at different levels were also analyzed based on "National investigation program on missing report of notifiable diseases".Results There were 1 985 infectious cases in medical departments at city,town and village.80 cases were missed to report,accounting for 4.03%.There was a difference of missing report in different years(P0.005) and in different medical departments(P0.005).Conclusion The rate of missing report was the highest in city hospital and then in town hospitals.Management on the report of infectious diseases of city hospitals and town hospitals should be strengthened.
Interpreting Regression Discontinuity Designs with Multiple Cutoffs

We consider a regression discontinuity (RD) design where the treatment is received if a score is above a cutoff, but the cutoff may vary for each unit in the sample instead of being equal for all units. This multi-cutoff regression discontinuity design is very common in empirical work, and researchers often normalize the score variable and use the zero cutoff on the normalized score for all observations to estimate a pooled RD treatment effect. We formally derive the form that this pooled parameter takes and discuss its interpretation under different assumptions. We show that this normalizing-and-pooling strategy so commonly employed in practice may not fully exploit all the information available in a multi-cutoff RD setup. We illustrate our methodological results with three empirical examples based on vote shares, population, and test scores.
Absence Seizures and Variants

Absence seizures include classic absence, impulsive petit mal, juvenile absence seizures with myoclonic phenomena, and atonic-astatic seizures. Proper diagnosis requires careful historical elucidation of the actual seizure events, family history of seizures, and of other neurologic abnormalities. Electroencephalographic studies must include proper activation techniques. Treatment is initiated with antiepileptic drugs likely to be effective against generalized discharges: ethosuximide and valproate.
Aromatase inhibitors in clinical practice : Current status and a look to the future

Aromatase inhibitors are a new class of agents that are of considerable interest for potential use as palliative therapy for hormone-dependent metastatic breast cancer in postmenopausal women. In the postmenopausal or castrate female, the process of aromatization accounts for the majority of circulating, biologically active estrogens. This report presents a clinical perspective on some of the most recent information concerning the biology and pharmacology of the aromatase enzyme and highlights the development of newer aromatase inhibitors with important therapeutic potential. Clinical questions addressed include the selection of aromatase inhibitors, the selection of the most appropriate patients for therapy with these new agents, and the positioning of these new agents with respect to other forms of endocrine therapy for breast cancer. Finally, we shall consider areas for future investigation of possible new indications for these agents in clinical medicine.
Multiscale Modeling of Antibody-Drug Conjugates: Connecting Tissue and Cellular Distribution to Whole Animal Pharmacokinetics and Potential Implications for Efficacy

Antibody-drug conjugates exhibit complex pharmacokinetics due to their combination of macromolecular and small molecule properties. These issues range from systemic concerns, such as deconjugation of the small molecule drug during the long antibody circulation time or rapid clearance from nonspecific interactions, to local tumor tissue heterogeneity, cell bystander effects, and endosomal escape. Mathematical models can be used to study the impact of these processes on overall distribution in an efficient manner, and several types of models have been used to analyze varying aspects of antibody distribution including physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models and tissue-level simulations. However, these processes are quantitative in nature and cannot be handled qualitatively in isolation. For example, free antibody from deconjugation of the small molecule will impact the distribution of conjugated antibodies within the tumor. To incorporate these effects into a unified framework, we have coupled the systemic and organ-level distribution of a PBPK model with the tissue-level detail of a distributed parameter tumor model. We used this mathematical model to analyze new experimental results on the distribution of the clinical antibody-drug conjugate Kadcyla in HER2-positive mouse xenografts. This model is able to capture the impact of the drug-antibody ratio (DAR) on tumor penetration, the net result of drug deconjugation, and the effect of using unconjugated antibody to drive ADC penetration deeper into the tumor tissue. This modeling approach will provide quantitative and mechanistic support to experimental studies trying to parse the impact of multiple mechanisms of action for these complex drugs.
Leveraging molecular metal–support interactions for H2 and N2 activation

Abstract Many challenging chemical reactions require precious metal catalysts to proceed. Bio-inspired catalysts featuring multiple earth-abundant metals are an attractive alternative, as they offer boundless possibilities for facilitating processes that the constituent metals cannot mediate on their own. Our work utilizes a supporting metal as an electronic lever for tuning a base metal (Co, Ni) active site via a metal–metal bond. This approach has allowed for the development of metal–support catalysts for reductive N2 silylation and olefin hydrogenation. The bimetallic catalysts display markedly enhanced activity compared to the analogous single metal centers. In this review, we investigate the role of the supporting metal in substrate binding, activation, and catalysis to inform future efforts in the development and optimization of molecular metal–support catalysts.
Simulation Based Validation Of Authentication Protocols

Authentication protocols help to establish trust about the identities of communicating entities. Along with authorization and data confidentiality, authentication forms a critical component of most non-trivial security frameworks. Over past several years, an alarming number of seemingly secure authentication protocols have been shown to be flawed. By exploiting such flaws, malicious entities can potentially take on identities of trusted entities. Attacks on authentication protocols are often too subtle to uncover by simple means, hence considerable research has gone into techniques for analyzing and verifying them. Though the problem is perhaps best studied using formal methods, techniques in that category are generally rather complex and specialized. This paper proposes a different approach - using simulation as a means of validation. Though unable to conclusively prove security, simulation can be very effective in uncovering hidden flaws. This could be particularly useful for large systems where it may be nearly impractical to apply formal methods. A framework is presented to model authentication protocols with state machines and to validate some of their security properties through simulation.
Optimal covariance control for stochastic linear systems subject to integral quadratic state constraints

This work is concerned with an optimal covariance control problem for stochastic linear systems subject to quadratic state integral constraints. In particular, our objective is to design a feedback control law that will steer the covariance matrix of the (random) terminal state vector of a stochastic linear system to a designated positive semi-definite matrix while minimizing the expected value of the control effort required for this “covariance transition” or “Schrodinger bridge” subject to integral quadratic state inequality constraints. We address this problem by imbedding it into a one-parameter family of unconstrained covariance control problems that are more tractable, both analytically and computationally, than the original, constrained covariance control problem. In this way, the original problem is essentially reduced to a finite-dimensional optimal parameter selection problem, which can be addressed by means of gradient descent-type algorithms.
The Minorities Question in Iran

In the Middle East as in the West, the concept of a “minority”, covering both religious and ethnic minorities within a state, is a modern one. Today, ethnic minorities are important in much of the Middle East. In the pre-twentieth-century Middle East, however, as in the pre-eighteenth-century West, the only minorities generally considered important were religious ones, who might be either unbelievers (in the Muslim world divided into protected “People of the Book” — monotheists with scriptures — and unprotected polytheists) or heretics, whose beliefs related to the dominant religion but were judged to diverge so seriously and dangerously as to merit punishment, sometimes death. The only religious minority sometimes tolerated in the West were the Jews, who were, however, increasingly expelled and forced to move to Eastern Europe or to Morocco and the Ottoman Empire. Peaceful coexistence between Catholics and Protestants as well as tolerance and legal emancipation for Western Jews are eighteenth- and nineteenth-century phenomena. The twentieth-century Holocaust, the continuation of anti-Jewish and anti-Muslims prejudices in the West (where Muslim populations are now significant — for example, about 3 million in the United States), and revived intra-Christian tensions in parts of the West should warn Westerners against thinking that religious prejudices and persecutions happen only elsewhere.
Brief Announcement: HTM-Assisted Combining

We present HCF, an algorithm that uses hardware transactional memory to combine operations that are conflicting with each other, while allowing other operations to run concurrently.
Clinical considerations in selection of dedicated mammography units.

Several aspects of dedicated mammography units are better evaluated by means of patient examinations than by studies on breast phantoms. These include the ability to (1) achieve optimal breast compression and positioning, (2) use short exposure times to minimize the chance of motion unsharpness, (3) obtain proper exposure by means of a phototimer or manual exposure settings, and (4) accommodate different size breasts.
Observations of fcc and hcp tantalum

The metal tantalum has many varied uses including in microelectronics (especially in capacitors) as thin films, in medical applications as an implant material or for surgical instruments, in X-ray lithography for masks, and in high-temperature structural applications. Ta is particularly useful because it is relatively ductile, refractory in nature, and does not readily react with corrosive materials. The body-centered cubic (bcc) crystal structure of pure Ta, also known as the α-phase, is the most commonly observed, but Ta is also known to exist in two other allotropes, one tetragonal and the other (much less-well-known) face-centered cubic (fcc). The tetragonal form (β-Ta) has been produced by various deposition techniques and often occurs mixed with the α-phase; the fcc phase has only previously been reported in thin films deposited by thermal evaporation. There have been other reports of ‘bcc metals’ such as V and Fe existing with an fcc crystal structure when the metal is deposited as a thin film. In the present study, fcc Ta with a = 0.43 nm has been observed using transmission electron microscopy in bulk samples of Ta that have been subjected to quasi-static tensile deformation that was so large as to cause fracture of the material. The fcc phase has a relatively small grain size but appears to be stable at room temperature. It is also shown that relatively large grains (10–20 nm in diameter) of Ta can also exist with an hcp structure with a = 0.304 nm and c = 0.494 nm.
Heat Transfer Enhancements from Elastic Turbulence Using Sucrose-Based Polymer Solutions

The influences of elastic turbulence on convective heat transfer, within a C-shaped passage of a viscous disk pump, are experimentally determined using viscoelastic fluids and Boger fluids, which a...
Human genomics: Cracking the regulatory code.

A collection of papers catalogues the associations between genetic variation and gene expression in healthy tissues – the largest analysis of this kind so far. See Article p.204 & Letters p.239 , p.244 & p.249 The GTEx (Genotype-Tissue Expression) Consortium has established a reference catalogue and associated tissue biobank for gene-expression levels across individuals for diverse tissues of the human body, with a broad sampling of normal, non-diseased human tissues from postmortem donors. The consortium now presents the deepest survey of gene expression across multiple tissues and individuals to date, encompassing 7,051 samples from 449 donors across 44 human tissues. Barbara Engelhardt and colleagues characterize the relationship between genetic variation and gene expression, and find that most genes are regulated by genetic variation near to the affected gene. In accompanying GTEx studies, Alexis Battle, Stephen Montgomery and colleagues examine the effect of rare genetic variation on gene expression across human tissues, Daniel MacArthur and colleagues systematically survey the landscape of X chromosome inactivation in human tissues, and Jin Billy Li and colleagues provide a comprehensive cross-species analysis of adenosine-to-inosine RNA editing in mammals. In an accompanying News & Views, Michelle Ward and Yoav Gilad put the latest results in context and discuss how these findings are helping to crack the regulatory code of the human genome.
Functional interlayer of PVDF-HFP and carbon nanofiber for long-life lithium-sulfur batteries

In the present work, we develop a scalable and inexpensive design for lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries by capping a flexible gel polymer/carbon nanofiber (CNF)composite membrane onto a free-standing and binder-free CNF + Li2S6 cathode, thus achieving a three-dimensional (3D) structural design. The CNF network is used as the current collector and S holder to overcome the insulating nature and volume expansion of S, while the composite membrane comprises a gel polymer poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP), and CNF additive is used as an interlayer to trap polysulfides and recycle the remaining S species, leading to a high specific capacity and long cycle life. This 3D structure enables excellent cyclability for 500 cycles at 0.5 °C with a small capacity decay of 0.092% per cycle. Furthermore, an outstanding cycle stability was also achieved at even higher current densities (1.0 to 2.0 °C), indicating its good potential for practical applications of Li-S batteries.
Functional and association analysis of an Amerindian-derived population-specific p.(Thr280Met) variant in RBPJL, a component of the PTF1 complex.

PTF1 complex is critical for pancreatic development and maintenance of adult exocrine pancreas. As a part of our ongoing studies to identify genetic variation that contributes to type 2 diabetes (T2D) in American Indians, we analyzed variation in genes that form this complex, namely PTF1A, RBPJ, and its paralogue RBPJL. A c.839C>T (p.(Thr280Met)) variant (rs200998587:C>T, risk allele frequency = 0.03) in RBPJL, identified only in Amerindian-derived populations, associated with T2D (OR = 1.60[1.21–2.13] per Met allele, P = 0.001) and age of diabetes onset (HR = 1.40[1.14–1.72], P = 0.001). Knockdown of Rbpjl in mouse pancreatic acinar cells resulted in a significant decrease in the mRNA expression of genes encoding exocrine enzymes including Ctrb. CTRB1/2 is an established T2D locus where the protective allele associates with increased GLP-1-stimulated insulin secretion and higher expression of CTRB1/2. In vitro studies show that cells expressing the Met280 allele had lower RBPJL protein levels than cells expressing the Thr280 allele, despite having comparable levels of RNA, suggesting that the Met280 RBPJL is less stable. Additionally, luciferase assays in HEK293 cells which examined two different RBPJL responsive promoters, including the promoter for CTRB1, also identified reduced transactivation by the Met280 RBPJL. Similarly, overexpression of both Met280 and Thr280 RBPJL in mouse pancreatic acinar cells identified a significant impairment in the expression of Cel when transactivated by the Met280 RBPJL. In summary, we identified a functional, Amerindian-derived population-specific c.839C>T (p.(Thr280Met)) variant in the pancreas specific RBPJL that may modify T2D risk by regulating exocrine enzyme expression.
Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation in Patients With Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators Should No Longer Be a Therapy of Last Resort

Ventricular tachycardia (VT) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with heart disease. Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) have proven efficacy in terminating ventricular arrhythmias either by antitachycardia pacing or a shock, or reducing the risk of sudden cardiac death. Unfortunately, these life-saving therapies do not prevent arrhythmia recurrences, and shocks are painful, leading to diminished quality of life. Posttraumatic stress disorder is common in patients who receive ICD shocks. In addition, arrhythmia episodes are associated with an increased risk of subsequent heart failure and death, which may simply be a marker of deteriorating cardiac status, but there is concern that shocks for arrhythmia episodes may also contribute to cardiac deterioration. There is, as yet, no convincing evidence that preventing VT episodes prolongs survival and, thus, we are not compelled to treat patients who have rare episodes of VT that are asymptomatic and terminated by antitachycardia pacing. When VT causes serious symptoms, however, and particularly when frequent, therapy to prevent episodes is important. Randomized trials have demonstrated the efficacy of both sotalol and amiodarone in reducing VT recurrences. Risks of proarrhythmia from QT prolongation, negative inotropic effects, and a renal route of excretion limit sotalol use. Amiodarone is more effective, but has multiple organ toxicities and has been associated with increased mortality in class III heart failure. In patients with ICDs, there are other important considerations for drug therapy (Figure). Antiarrhythmic medications can slow the sinus node and atrioventricular conduction and increase ventricular pacing, which can have deleterious effects on ventricular function. They can also slow VT …
Geräte für die optische Spektroskopie

Die ersten spektroskopischen Gerate wurden fur den Einsatz im sichtbaren Wellenlangenbereich entwickelt und deshalb auch als optische Gerate bezeichnet. Heute bezieht man in diesen Begriff auch die Gerate mit ein, die fur den ultravioletten und infraroten Wellenlangenbereich bestimmt sind; obwohl diese Terminologie nicht ganz korrekt ist, ist sie dennoch sehr nutzlich, weil sie die vielen Merkmale betont, die den fur diese drei wichtigen Spektralbereiche eingesetzten Geraten gemeinsam sind.
Transfer Functions, Block Diagrams and the s-Plane

Transfer functions are input–output relationships in the Laplace domain. They are multiplicative operators. Multiplying a transfer function by the Laplace transform of an input variable yields the corresponding output variable. A block diagram represents input–output relationships graphically. The operators are contained within rectangular “blocks.” The input and output variables, or “signals,” are the lines which connect blocks. Block diagrams can combine transfer functions representing mathematical operations, such as differentiation, with transfer functions created from system equations, to predict the response of systems created by interconnection. Feedback loops allow calculation of the difference between the commanded value and the response of the system, which is termed the error signal, and is the basis of feedback control. The s-plane is a complex plane, in which the real and imaginary axes are the components of the eigenvalues of a system. The association between regions of the s-plane with the homogeneous response of a system allows the s-plane to be used as a graphical design tool.
Punishment and Democratic Rights: A Case Study in Non-ideal Penal Theory

In the United States, convicted offenders frequently lose the right to vote, at least temporarily. Drawing on the common observation that citizens of color lose democratic rights at disproportionately high rates, this chapter argues that this punishment is problematic in non-ideal societies because of the way in which it diminishes the political power of marginalized groups and threatens to reproduce patterns of domination and subordination, when they occur. This chapter then uses the case of penal disenfranchisement to illustrate how idealized discussions of deterrence, rehabilitation, and retribution often ignore the relationship between punishment and social/political power, and thus systematically obscure morally significant aspects of our broader penal practices.
The Absence of TLR4 Prevents Fetal Brain Injury in the Setting of Intrauterine Inflammation.

Background:Exposure to intrauterine inflammation during pregnancy is linked to brain injury and neurobehavioral disorders in affected children. Innate immunity, specifically Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling pathways are present throughout the reproductive tract as well as in the placenta, fetal membranes, and fetus. The TLR pathways are mechanistically involved in host responses to foreign pathogens and may lead to brain injury associated with prenatal inflammation.Objective:We aimed to determine whether the activation of the TLR4 signaling pathway, in the mother and fetus, is critical to fetal brain injury in the setting of intrauterine inflammation.Methods:A mini-laparotomy was performed on time pregnant C57B6 mice and 2 knockout mouse strains lacking the function of the Tlr4 and Myd88 genes on embryonic day 15. Intrauterine injections of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide or saline were administered as described previously. Dams were killed 6 hours postsurgery, and placental, amniotic fluid, and fet...
Knowledge of suicide risk factors, but not suicide ideation severity, is greater among college students who viewed 13 Reasons Why

Objective: To test associations between viewing 13 Reasons Why, Season 1 and past week suicide ideation severity, behavior risk, stigma, and knowledge in college students. To explore whether person...
Genotypic characterization of centrocytic lymphoma: frequent rearrangement of the chromosome 11 bcl-1 locus

Centrocytic lymphomas are defined in the Kiel classification as B-cell lymphomas composed exclusively of cells resembling cleaved follicular center cells (FCC). These lymphomas have been shown to be histologically, immunophenotypically, and clinically distinct from other cleaved FCC lymphomas. DNA from 18 centrocytic lymphomas (14 patients) was analyzed using Southern blotting and probes for immunoglobulin heavy (JH) and kappa light chain (JK) joining gene, T-cell receptor beta chain constant gene (CB), bcl-1, bcl-2, and c-myc gene rearrangements. All of the lymphomas had JH and JK rearrangements, confirming their B-cell origin. None of the specimens had detectable CB, bcl-2, or c-myc rearrangements. However, 4 of 14 patients (28.6%) had rearrangement of the chromosome 11 bcl-1 locus. Therefore, centrocytic lymphomas are genotypically distinguishable from the majority of other small cleaved FCC lymphomas by their lack of demonstrable bcl-2 rearrangements. This supports the distinct nature of centrocytic lymphomas and suggests the lack of importance for the putative oncogene bcl-2 in these cases. Furthermore, the frequent rearrangement of bcl-1 suggests a possible role for this locus in the pathogenesis of at least some centrocytic lymphomas.
Clonal Selection Drives NF-κB Activation in Recurrent Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Cancer genomic profiling has improved our understanding of the key drivers of tumor development, clonal evolution, and recurrence, and aided precision medicine efforts to eradicate therapy-resistant cancer cell clones. In this issue, You and colleagues report these results for recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma, an aggressive malignancy associated with poor outcomes with recurrent disease. They identify a crucial contributory role of clonal NF-κB activating mutations in pathogenesis of recurrence in this cancer and provide a promising target for combinatorial therapeutic approaches.See related article by You et al., p. 5930.
Principles of Learning and Memory : Classic Edition

In this landmark volume from 1976, Robert Crowder presents an organized review of the concepts that guide the study of learning and memory. The basic organization of the book is theoretical, rather than historical or methodological, and there are four broad sections. The first is on coding in memory, and the relations between memory and vision, audition and speech. The second section focuses on short-term memory. The third is loosely organized around the topic of learning. The final section includes chapters that focus on the process of retrieval, with special attention to recognition and to serial organization. Crowder presumes no prior knowledge of the subject matter on the part of the reader; technical terms are kept to a minimum, and he makes every effort to introduce them carefully when they first occur. It is suitable for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses.
A Time Series Analysis of Trends in Medicare Utilization and Reimbursement for Cancer Immunotherapy Drugs: 2012-2017

Abstract The adoption of immunotherapy has dramatically transformed the landscape of oncology, and improved the prognosis of patients diagnosed with metastatic malignancies. Fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare is the largest payer in the U.S, and pays for physician-administered oncolytics through its medical Part B benefit. However, to the best of our knowledge, trends in Medicare utilization and expenditures for cancer immunotherapy have yet to be described. The aim of this study was to describe trends in Medicare immunotherapy reimbursement. We utilized the public Drugs@FDA database to identify all immunotherapy drugs that were approved by the FDA for solid and hematological cancers in adults as of December 31, 2017. The Medicare Physician Supplier and Other Provider Public Use File (POSPUF) provides reimbursement and utilization data on all services and procedures provided to Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries. Using the Medicare POSPUF, we aggregated the volume of services, average Medicare reimbursement, and the number of distinct patients receiving each immunotherapy drug from January 2012 to December 2017. The number of Medicare reimbursed cancer immunotherapy drugs increased from 3 in 2012 to 12 in 2017. Over this time period, the number of patients receiving immunotherapy administrations increased 88% from 59,506 to 111,577. Similarly, the number of drug administrations increased by 2,412% from 2,338,691 to 58,752,804. From 2012 to 2017, total Medicare expenditure on cancer immunotherapy drugs increased 154% from $771,434,031 to $1,962,279,164. Medicare expenditure on cancer immunotherapy drugs accounted for 26% of the increase in total Medicare Part B drug expenditures over this time period.
REVISITING HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ETHICAL, LEGAL, and SOCIAL ISSUES and EVALUATION: TELEHEALTH/TELEMEDICINE and COVID-19.

Abstract Background Information technologies have been vital during the COVID-19 pandemic. Telehealth and telemedicine services, especially, fulfilled their promise by allowing patients to receive advice and care at a distance, making it safer for all concerned. Over the preceding years, professional societies, governments, and scholars examined ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) related to telemedicine and telehealth. Primary concerns evident from reviewing this literature have been quality of care, access, consent, and privacy. Objectives To identify and summarize ethical, legal, and social issues related to information technology in healthcare, as exemplified by telehealth and telemedicine. To expand on prior analyses and address gaps illuminated by the COVID-19 experience. To propose future research directions. Methods Literature was identified through searches, forward and backward citation chaining, and the author’s knowledge of scholars and works in the area. EU and professional organizations’ guidelines, and nineteen scholarly papers were examined and categories created to identify ethical, legal, and social issues they addressed. A synthesis matrix was developed to categorize issues addressed by each source. Results A synthesis matrix was developed and issues categorized as: quality of care, consent and autonomy, access to care and technology, legal and regulatory, clinician responsibilities, patient responsibilities, changed relationships, commercialization, policy, information needs, and evaluation, with subcategories that fleshed out each category. The literature primarily addressed quality of care, access, consent, and privacy. Other identified considerations were little discussed. These and newer concerns include: usability, tailoring services to each patient, curriculum and training, implementation, commercialization, and licensing and liability. The need for interoperability, data availability, cybersecurity, and informatics infrastructure also is more apparent. These issues are applicable to other information technologies in healthcare. Conclusions Clinicians and organizations need updated guidelines for ethical use of telemedicine and telehealth care, and decision- and policy-makers need evidence to inform decisions. The variety of newly implemented telemedicine services is an on-going natural experiment presenting an unparalleled opportunity to develop an evidence-based way forward. The paper recommends evaluation using an applied ethics, context-sensitive approach that explores interactions among multiple factors and considerations. It suggests evaluation questions to investigate ethical, social, and legal issues through multi-method, sociotechnical, interpretive and ethnographic, and interactionist evaluation approaches. Such evaluation can help telehealth, and other information technologies, be integrated into healthcare ethically and effectively.
Transient Vortex Flow Characteristics in Three-Strand Bloom Tundish at the End of Casting

To increase the yield by decreasing the amount of residual molten steel in tundish, the vortex flow characteristics of the molten steel was investigated in a practical three-strand bloom tundish at the end of casting using physical and numerical simulation. The results showed that the vortex was strongly dependent to the asymmetric distribution of molten steel and the casting speed, so the vortex flow first occurred at strands 1 and 3, and the height of vortex formation was decreased by 25% while the casting speed was decreased from 0.65 to 0.48 m/min for the bloom with section size of 360 mm × 300 mm. Furthermore, the use of a square inhibiting baffle could disturb the upper fluid flow to decrease the height of vortex development by 23% at the casting speed of 0.48 m/min. Therefore, the installation of square inhibiting baffle is recommended, and the casting should be operated at lower casting speed.
Space-time clutter covariance matrix computation and interference subspace tracking

A fast method of computing ideal space-time clutter covariance matrices is described and the method's application to the study of clutter interference subspaces is considered. These areas are of principal importance in the study of space-time adaptive processing (STAP) for airborne pulse Doppler radar arrays. Formulae for clutter covariance matrices assuming various stochastic models are first derived, then a fast algorithm is developed in the case of uncorrelated patch-to-patch clutter with arbitrary illumination and reflectance. Finally, the clutter interference subspace as a function of scan angle for the case of a rotating sensor array is studied.
Consideration, Persuasion, and Power: A Theory of Fair Deliberation and Political Equality

Political scientists and political theorists often take it for granted that democracy requires equality in political power among citizens. Extending this intuition to the question of what makes collective deliberation democratic, some suggest that deliberative fairness requires equality of causal influence. By analyzing what such equality of influence might entail, I argue that this is an inappropriate standard for fair deliberation--one which fails to respond to the variety of citizens' interests in deliberation beyond advancing pre-given judgments. I propose, instead, that deliberative equality requires that each citizen be guaranteed appropriate consideration of her judgments over the course of the deliberative process. I suggest that this approach avoids some common objections to deliberative democracy, for instance the claim that deliberation excludes citizens who do not conform to privileged discursive styles.