cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immunogenomics: using genomics to personalize cancer immunotherapy

While the use of genomic data has the potential to revolutionize patient care, there is still much work to be done with regard to the transformation of host-tumor interactions into favorable clinical outcomes for our patients. High-throughput technologies, such as next-generation sequencing (NGS), have rapidly advanced our understanding of oncology, and we are learning that most tumors do not simply possess consistently mutated genes that are responsible for tumorigenesis, facilitating the need for personalized cancer therapy. A T cell-dependent mechanism of cancer progression was discovered in 2012, providing a potential link to cancer immunotherapy. Since then, an antibody against cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated molecule-4 (CTLA-4), ipilimumab, and three programmed death-1 (PD-1)/programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) inhibitors, pembrolizumab (Keytruda), nivolumab (Opdivo), and atezolizumab (Tecentriq), were approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA. In this review article, based on evidence that has been emerging in the literature over the last decade, we will discuss the basis for including genomic data in immunotherapy regimens, the current progress in identifying biomarkers targetable by immune checkpoint blockade, and the application of these therapies in modern oncology programs. Going forward, the clinical application of NGS in personalized oncology programs could include dose monitoring and adjustment or the development of individualized vaccines or other personalized therapies based on the mutational landscape. The continued identification of new neoantigens and the efficient mobilization of tumor-reactive lymphocytes in patients with cancer will promote the advancement of immunotherapy using personalized NGS-guided technologies.
The Usefulness of Exact Statistical Methods in Equal Employment Litigation

Statisticians giving testimony in the courts face a special problem in presenting their results as courts tend to make intuitive judgements about the adequacy of the sample size without inquiring as to the statistical implications. In the equal employment context, this is compounded by the fact that when it accepted statistical tests, the U.S. Supreme Court adopted the large sample normal approximation to the binomial distribution (Castenada vs. Partida, 1977). Although Baldus and Cole (1987), Gastwirth (1988) have mentioned the arbitrariness of letting each judge accept or reject an analysis on the basis of the sample size, without any analysis of statistical concepts of power (Fienberg and Straf, 1982), courts have only recently begun to consider small samples. With the development of convenient computer packages, not only can issues involving the accuracy of large sample approximations be avoided, the important concept of power (Goldstein, 1985; Gastwirth and Wang, 1987) can be presented to courts. Hopefully, this will enable judges to reflect on the propriety of choosing a non- significant result when a test of power zero is used in preference to a significant result with a powerful test (Gastwirth and Wang, 1987) or of accepting an argument that significance would disappear had one or two more minorities been hired (Kadane, 1990) without considering the consequent reduction in power.
Long-Chain Polyprenols Promote Spore Wall Formation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae .

Dolichols are isoprenoid lipids of varying length that act as sugar carriers in glycosylation reactions in the endoplasmic reticulum. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, there are two cis-prenyltransferases that synthesize polyprenol-an essential precursor to dolichol. These enzymes are heterodimers composed of Nus1 and either Rer2 or Srt1. Rer2-Nus1 and Srt1-Nus1 can both generate dolichol in vegetative cells, but srt1∆ cells grow normally while rer2∆ grows very slowly, indicating that Rer2-Nus1 is the primary enzyme used in mitotically dividing cells. In contrast, SRT1 performs an important function in sporulating cells, where the haploid genomes created by meiosis are packaged into spores. The spore wall is a multilaminar structure and SRT1 is required for the generation of the outer chitosan and dityrosine layers of the spore wall. Srt1 specifically localizes to lipid droplets associated with spore walls, and, during sporulation there is an SRT1-dependent increase in long-chain polyprenols and dolichols in these lipid droplets. Synthesis of chitin by Chs3, the chitin synthase responsible for chitosan layer formation, is dependent on the cis-prenyltransferase activity of Srt1, indicating that polyprenols are necessary to coordinate assembly of the spore wall layers. This work shows that a developmentally regulated cis-prenyltransferase can produce polyprenols that function in cellular processes besides protein glycosylation.
Creencias y práctica del maestro bilingüe: ¿Se alinean?

Este estudio cualitativo utiizo la observacion y recoleccion de informacion para examinar las estrategias pedagogicas de seis profesores; cuatro de ellos ensenan en una escuela de educacion bilingue mientras que los otros dos, son docentes de primer ano en una escuela que cuenta con un gran numero de estudiantes de ingles como segundo idioma. Se realizaron entrevistas informales a lo largo de la investigacion, entrevistas semiestructuradas al final de un semestre de observacion y registro de notas de campo. Algunas entrevistas intentaron identificar las creencias que tenian los docentes sobre el aprendizaje del estudiante y, en particular aquellos que pertenecen a diversos contextos culturales y linguisticos. Igualmente, se les pregunto a los docentes sobre los origenes y factores que influyen en sus creencias. Otras entrevistas exploraron las identidades de los profesores como educadores de estudiantes cultural y linguiticamente diversos y como estas identidades encajan en ambientes escolares en los cuales eran o no bienvenidos estos estudiantes. Las transcripciones de las entrevistas grabadas fueron comparadas con las notas de campo y la informacion recolectada con el fin de determinar el grado en que los docentes utilizaban estrategias relacionadas con lo que ellos creian que era importante para los estudiantes procedentes de diversos contextos culturales y linguisticos. La investigacion revelo que existen numerosos casos donde la practica docente confirma las declaraciones de los docentes en las entrevistas.
A chemiluminescent probe for cellular peroxynitrite using a self-immolative oxidative decarbonylation reaction

Peroxynitrite (ONOO-) is a highly reactive oxygen species which has been recognized as an endogenous mediator of physiological activities like the immune response as well as a damaging agent of oxidative stress under pathological conditions. While its biological importance is becoming clearer, many of the details of its production and mechanism of action remain elusive due to the lack of available selective and sensitive detection methods. Herein, we report the development, characterization, and biological applications of a reaction-based chemiluminescent probe for ONOO- detection, termed as PNCL. PNCL reacts with ONOO-via an isatin moiety through an oxidative decarbonylation reaction to initiate light emission that can be observed instantly with high selectivity against other reactive sulphur, oxygen, and nitrogen species. Detailed studies were performed to study the reaction between isatin and ONOO-, which confirm selectivity for ONOO- over NO2˙. PNCL has been applied for ONOO- detection in aqueous solution and live cells. Moreover, PNCL can be employed to detect cellular ONOO- generated in macrophages stimulated to mount an immune response with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The sensitivity granted by chemiluminescent detection together with the specificity of the oxidative decarbonylation reaction provides a useful tool to explore ONOO- chemistry and biology.
Shifting conceptions of complexity in forest management and silviculture

Abstract In the past several decades, a trend in forestry and silviculture has been toward promoting complexity in forest ecosystems, but how complexity is conceived and described has shifted over time as new ideas and terminology have been introduced. Historically, ecologically-focused silviculture has focused largely on manipulation of structural complexity, but often with the functional role of features in mind. Recently there has been a shift toward viewing complexity in an “adaptive” or “resilience” context, with a focus on understanding forests as complex adaptive systems. As new concepts and terminology are introduced it will be essential that silviculture researchers understand their dissemination into silviculture research, experimental design, and treatment implementation. With this goal in mind we set out to better understand: (1) how complexity terminology and ideas have shifted over time in silviculture, (2) how different conceptions of complexity have been incorporated into silviculture experiments and treatments, and (3) how various complexity concepts are being reconciled with each other in practice. We conducted a multi-stage review of the silvicultural literature for the time period 1992–2017 that included: (1) a broad keyword analysis, (2) a detailed review of a narrower subset of publications, and (3) a thorough review of a set of silvicultural experiments that included a focus on complexity in their design. We also developed a set of case studies that illustrate shifts in complexity conceptions in silvicultural experiment design and analysis. Our analysis indicates considerable lags in incorporation of complexity-focused terminology and ideas into silvicultural research and experimental treatment design. Very few silviculture-focused studies have incorporated adaptive complexity concepts explicitly into design or analysis, even though these concepts were introduced nearly a decade ago and are widely discussed in the literature. However, in our case studies we document how silviculture experiments and research programs that were not designed explicitly around complexity concepts have begun to incorporate these ideas into analysis of treatment outcomes. Silviculture researchers should focus on reconciling conceptions of complexity through analysis of existing experiments and with modeling studies, as well as attempting to better understand mechanistic relationships among structural, functional, and adaptive conceptions of complexity.
Dynamic Modeling and Performance Analysis of a Two-Fluid Molten-Salt Breeder Reactor System

AbstractA nonlinear dynamic model for the two-fluid molten-salt breeder reactor (MSBR) system is presented. This work is partly inspired by a preliminary dynamic model of the concept studied at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The core heat transfer model has been revised to accurately reflect the design exemplified in ORNL-4528—the last report on the two-fluid design. A brief description of the reactor system and the effects of reactor poisons and a discussion of temperature feedback mechanisms are presented. This background information is followed by an overview of the modeling approach and a discussion of the revised lumped parametrization, along with detailed descriptions of the modeling methodology and model limitations. All equations and parameters used in the model are presented to aid in model reproduction and adaptation for other molten-salt reactor designs. Model stability is analyzed by observing the uncontrolled response to reactivity perturbations. Simulations illustrate stable behavior ...
Ground Receiver Architectures Enabled by Digital Coherent Combining

Next-generation optical ground stations will need to have scalable collection areas while simultaneously providing efficient coupling from free space to single-mode fiber. We present a multi-aperture multi-spatial-mode receiver architecture along with experimental results.
Specific Heat of Solid 3 He

The specific heat of bcc 3He has been investigated from 25 m°K to near the melting curve. There are two regions of interest. At the lowest temperatures the major contribution to the specific heat is due to the onset of nuclear-spin ordering and the exchange energy J can be obtained. These are the first specific heat measurements of solid 3He that have gone to low enough temperatures with sufficient resolution to investigate nuclear-spin ordering.
CONFORMATION OF PARDAXIN, THE PURIFIED POLYPEPTIDE FROM THE TOXIC SECRETION OF THE FLATFISH PARDACHIRUS MARMORATUS STUDIED BY LASER RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY AND CIRCULAR DICHROISM

ABSTRACT Pardaxin, the toxic compound from the secretion of the Red Sea flatfish Pardachirus marmoratus has been examined by Raman and circular dichroism techniques. Conformational information regarding the peptide backbone, disulfide bond and tyrosine chromophores was obtained. The Amide I band appeared at 1658 cm −1 as a strong, discrete band and the Amide III appeared at 1280 cm −1 . Analysis of the Raman spectra by the method of Lippert and colleagues (1976) shows that the toxin consists of 39% α-helix, 23% β-structure and 39% random coil. The Lippert equation does not include the β-turn term; therefore, the content of β-reverse turn could not be obtained. The occurrence of a band at 510-512 cm −1 indicates the conformational geometry of the disulfide C-C-S-S-C-C linkages to be gauche-gauche-gauche. The lack of -SH stretching vibration in the region of 2500 ∼ 2700 cm −1 region indicates that all half-cystines are used in disulfide linkages. The far-UV CD spectrum showed the positive 196 and negative 208 and 222 nm bands. Pardaxin possesses quite unusual helical structure which does not fit the models based on the quantitatively estimated secondary structure. The best fit secondary structure based on CD ellipticity by the method of Chen and colleagues (1972) was found to be: 23% α-helix, 21% β-structure and 56% random. At the most acidic and alkaline pH the far-UV Pardaxin spectra showed extensive loss of its helical structure, which was found to be reversible. Examination of the near-UV CD spectrum showed the existence of phenylalanine and tyrosine bands. Since Pardaxin toxicity to fish is enhanced when the toxin is applied in media containing very high NaCl concentrations, the possible influence of salt on Pardaxin's secondary structure was tested. From the examination of the far-UV CD and Raman spectra it appears that salt does not alter the structural conformation. It is believed that the enhanced toxicity to fish in high NaCl medium concentration is due to the effect on the fish transport mechanism rather than a direct effect of the salt media on Pardaxin conformation.
Androgen receptor action in the central nervous system

As the principal male sex steroids, androgens are indispensable for the development of the male phenotype and the achievement of male sexual maturation. In addition to their central roles in these processes, androgens are critical for the acquisition of multiple sexually dimorphic traits that are less visible. As such, androgens are key determinants of the sexual differentiation of the central nervous system (CNS), where they govern the masculinization of neural structures as well as the induction of male-typical behavior and cognitive function. Contrary to the situation in androgen-regulated reproductive tissues, knowledge about the target cells affected by androgen action in the CNS is limited. Similarly, identification of target genes is merely in its infancy. In this chapter, we provide an up-to-date overview of insights into the general mechanism of androgen action derived from well-characterized androgen-responsive model systems such as the prostate and explore the extent to which these insights can be extrapolated to the CNS.
Engaging college students in a substance misuse & sexual health intervention using social marketing principles.

Abstract Background/purpose The successful recruitment and retention of participants is integral to the translation of research findings. Recruitment begins once you have defined your focus population and identified where and how to reach them (i.e., targeting). Formative evaluation can provide valuable information on recruitment, given the dynamics of different communities and the potential for certain strategies to work better than others with high-risk groups. The preliminary work of engaging the population of interest is essential to successfully attracting and retaining the involvement of populations of interest. The purpose of this paper is to present methods used to engage college students in a multi-level intervention aimed at preventing substance abuse, HIV and STIs. Theoretical framework Andreasen's six principles of social marketing were used to develop intervention activities and engage students in these activities. Methods A multi-method approach was employed using both survey and focus groups for preliminary feedback, post-event surveys and annual evaluations. Results Pamphlets are not enough to attract potential participants because advertisements need to be engaging and employ social networking sites. Students also enjoy playing both on-line and in person games and are quite competitive. Testing for HIV tripled in the first year. Conclusions & implications Students became more aware with each subsequent event participation increased over time. Although word of mouth is still very effective in getting students to events, the use of social networking sites greatly improved student participation.
Patterns of Physical Activity Adherence by Adolescents With Diabetes or Obesity Enrolled in a Personalized Community-Based Intervention.

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of a personalized, 16-week community-based physical activity intervention for adolescents with diabetes or obesity and examine the ...
Normalization in paraphrase and recall: Effects of processing, grammatical article type, and retention interval

Investigations of semantic normalization of discourse have not generally controlled for perceived connectiveness of materials, depth of processing, and retention interval. The current experiment investigated semantic normalization in paraphrase and recall as a function of whether sentences were paraphrased or merely copied, of whether sentences were perceived by subjects to be connected or unrelated, and of retention interval. Results indicated that significantly more normalization occurred in paraphrase than in recall, that more normalization and better recall occurred when sentences were perceived as related, and that there was more normalization and better recall when sentences were paraphrased than when they were copied. No significant differences in normalization were found as a function of retention interval. Results are discussed in terms of depth of processing and a need for learners to integrate congruent and discrepant material into cohesive entities by use of grammatical articles, article changes, and intrusions that psychologically connect unrelated sentences.
Outcomes in patients who underwent a concomitant tricuspid valve procedure during left ventricular assist device implantation

BACKGROUND Study findings have been inconsistent regarding whether a concomitant tricuspid valve replacement or repair performed concurrently with continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (CF-LVAD) implantation has additive clinical benefit in patients with severe tricuspid valve regurgitation (TR). AIM OF STUDY To determine the effect of performing a concomitant tricuspid valve procedure (TVP) at the time of CF-LVAD implantation on patient outcomes. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed our single-institution experience in 526 patients who underwent primary implantation of a CF-LVAD between November 2003 and March 2016. We identified 59 (11.2%) patients who had severe TR at the time of implantation and analyzed the effect of performing a concomitant TVP at the time of CF-LVAD implantation on the rate of survival, incidence of postoperative right heart failure (RHF), recurrence of TR, and incidence of 30-day readmission. RESULTS We did not observe a significant difference in the overall survival rate (P = .51), incidence of postoperative RHF (P = .26), or recurrence of TR (P = .73) between patients with severe TR who underwent a TVP and those who did not at the time of CF-LVAD implantation. However, the incidence of 30-day readmission was significantly lower in patients who underwent a TVP than in those who did not (P = .002). CONCLUSIONS Performing a concomitant TVP at the time of CF-LVAD implantation did not improve patient outcomes but reduced the incidence of 30-day readmission.
Enthalpy-based Full-State Feedback Control of the Stefan Problem with Hysteresis*

This paper presents a full–state controller design with respect to a reference solution for the one-phase Stefan problem under input hysteresis. The setting models an industrial casting processes with water cooling hysteresis under Neumann boundary actuation. The control law proposed ensures exponential stability of average enthalpy and is proven to provide asymptotic convergence of temperature error and solidification front error. A simulation supports the result.
Methods for determining equiluminance in terms of L/M cone ratios.

Heterochromatic flicker photometry (HFP), minimum motion (MM), and minimally distinct border (MDB) settings have often been used to determine equiluminance, a relative intensity setting for two chromaticities that, in theory, eliminates the responses of a luminance or achromatic psychophysical mechanism. These settings have been taken to reflect the relative contribution of the long (L) and medium (M) wavelength cones to luminance, which varies widely across individuals. The present study compares HFP, MM, and MDB using stimuli that do not modulate the short (S) wavelength cones, in both practiced and naive observers. MDB was performed with both flashed and steadily viewed stimuli. Results are represented in the (∆L/L, ∆M/M) plane of cone contrast space. Considering both practiced and naive observers, both MM and HFP had excellent within-subject precision and high test-retest reliability, whereas HFP also had low between-subject variability. The MDB tasks were less reliable and less precise. The mean L:M contrast ratios at equiluminance were lower for the two temporal tasks (HFP and MM) compared to the spatial tasks (MDB), perhaps consistent with the existence of multiple luminance mechanisms. Overall, the results suggest that the best method for determining equiluminance is HFP, with MM being a close second.
Chapter 16 – SPECIAL ELEMENTS

Publisher Summary Current applications of the finite element method of analysis show a trend toward the enhancement of solution accuracy through the utilization of elements with special interpolation functions. This chapter presents a survey of these types of special elements developed with the aid of physical insight. This class includes point and line singularity elements, semi-infinite elements, and elements with upwind weighting. The chapter discusses the relative advantages and disadvantages of these special elements. If one wishes to go from one order of interpolation to another, it is necessary to supply transition elements between the two groups of elements or to define generalized constraint equations on the boundaries between the two different groups. The former method is not difficult to implement and is illustrated in the chapter. Special elements can be generated by enhancing low order elements, usually linear, or by degrading high order elements. The chapter also presents a typical enhancement procedure.
Tissue size controls patterns of cell proliferation and migration in freely-expanding epithelia

In the last decade, key advances in our understanding of collective cell migration and tissue growth have been made by studying the expansion of epithelial monolayers in vitro. However, most studies have focused on monolayers of sub-millimetric sizes, and how cell proliferation and migration are coordinated on larger scales remains poorly known. To fill this gap, we measured cell velocity, cell density, and cell-cycle state over 2 days in millimeter-scale freely-expanding monolayers. We find that tissues of different initial sizes exhibit very different spatiotemporal patterns of cell proliferation and collective cell migration in their internal regions. Specifically, within several cell cycles, the core of large tissues becomes very dense, almost quiescent, and ceases cell-cycle progression. In contrast, the core of smaller tissues develops a local minimum of cell density as well as a tissue-spanning vortex. These different dynamics are determined not by the current but by the initial tissue size, indicating that the state of the tissue depends on its history. Despite these marked differences at the internal regions, the edge zone of both large and small tissues displays rapid cell-cycle progression and radially-oriented migration with a steady velocity independent of tissue size. As a result, the overall area expansion rate is dictated by the perimeter-to-area ratio of the tissue. Our findings suggest that cell proliferation and migration are regulated in a collective manner that decouples the internal and edge regions of the tissue, which leads to size- and history-dependent internal patterns in expanding epithelia.
Ethical Labor: The Ground Between Experience Near and Experience Distant: Discussion of Cushman’s Two World’s or One

In this paper, the author problematizes the distinction between experience near and experience distant by suggesting that this bifurcation has everything to do with whether we think in terms of Cus...
Erythropoietin reduces fat mass in female mice lacking estrogen receptor alpha

Abstract Objective Erythropoietin (EPO), the cytokine required for erythropoiesis, contributes to metabolic regulation of fat mass and glycemic control. EPO treatment in mice on high-fat diets (HFD) improved glucose tolerance and decreased body weight gain via reduced fat mass in males and ovariectomized females. The decreased fat accumulation with EPO treatment during HFD in ovariectomized females was abrogated with estradiol supplementation, providing evidence for estrogen-related gender-specific EPO action in metabolic regulation. In this study, we examined the cross-talk between estrogen mediated through estrogen receptor α (ERα) and EPO for the regulation of glucose metabolism and fat mass accumulation. Methods Wild-type (WT) mice and mouse models with ERα knockout (ERα−/−) and targeted deletion of ERα in adipose tissue (ERαadipoKO) were used to examine EPO treatment during high-fat diet feeding and after diet-induced obesity. Results ERα−/− mice on HFD exhibited increased fat mass and glucose intolerance. EPO treatment on HFD reduced fat accumulation in male WT and ERα−/− mice and female ERα−/− mice but not female WT mice. EPO reduced HFD increase in adipocyte size in WT mice but not in mice with deletion of ERα independent of EPO-stimulated reduction in fat mass. EPO treatment also improved glucose and insulin tolerance significantly greater in female ERα−/− mice and female ERαadipoKO compared with WT controls. Increased metabolic activity by EPO was associated with browning of white adipocytes as shown by reductions in white fat-associated genes and induction of brown fat-specific uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1). Conclusions This study clearly identified the role of estrogen signaling in modifying EPO regulation of glucose metabolism and the sex-differential EPO effect on fat mass regulation. Cross-talk between EPO and estrogen was implicated for metabolic homeostasis and regulation of body mass in female mice.
Nourishing Neonates and Improving Outcomes with Human Milk

Background: Growth and nutrition are critical aspects of care for all infants in the neonatal intensive care unit, especially for infants considered very low birth weight (VLBW; birth weight less than 1500 grams). These infants are at increased risk for prematurity-related morbidities, including bronchopulmonary dysplasia, necrotizing enterocolitis, retinopathy of prematurity, and late-onset sepsis. Human milk has been shown to reduce the incidence and severity for some of these morbidities. In 2017, our unit had only 19% of VLBW infants receiving maternal milk at the time of discharge. The …
Maternal body-mass-index and neonatal brachial plexus palsy in a California cohort.

To evaluate risk factors and describe the association between maternal pre-pregnancy body-mass-index (BMI) and neonatal brachial plexus palsy (BPP) in vaginal deliveries with and without shoulder d...
Inhibition of Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycan Interactions With Receptor PTPσ Promotes Neurogenesis and Recovery From Stroke

Current treatment strategies for stroke primarily focus on reducing the size of ischemic damage and on rescuing dying cells. However, regenerative processes might provide a second target. Neuroregeneration after stroke takes two forms, intrinsic stem cell derived neurons to replace the dead cells and axonal sprouting. Unfortunately, these recuperative efforts are quite inefficient in mammals, leading to only modest improvements in function over time. We have discovered that a major impediment to axon sprouting/regeneration and precursor cell migrations after CNS trauma is a family of potently inhibitory extracellular matrix molecules called chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans. Recently, we have used a small TAT-peptide (Intracellular Sigma Peptide or ISP) that can be administered easily via a systemic route but which enters the CNS to potently and specifically block a major proteoglycan receptor on axons and stem cells (PTPσ) that mediates the inhibition. Utilizing cre mediated inducible gene deletion technology, we have established PTPσ KO adult neural stem cell cultures. We also tested the effects of post-stroke ISP treatment on stroke functional recovery and its influence on neurogenesis and axonal sprouting after stroke. Our results demonstrated that conditional knockout of PTPσ in adult SVZ NSCs has similar effects as ISP peptide inhibition in regulation of adult NSCs neuronal differentiation and migration. In addition, we have also investigated the molecular signaling pathway that might mediate the ISP induced NSCs migration enhancement. Moreover, post-stroke ISP peptide treatment resulted in robust behavioral recovery in an MCAo mouse model, accompanied by extensive axonal sprouting and stem cell migrations into and around the lesion. Transcriptome analyses of peri-lesion cortex at 14 days after stroke in vehicle or ISP treated mice revealed a transcriptional signature of negative regulation of apoptotic pathways and upregulation of axonal development genes. Based on our findings, we propose that CSPGs induced by stroke play a predominant role in the inhibition of neural repair and that blocking CSPG signaling pathways will lead to enhanced neurorepair and functional recovery in stroke.
The effect of bariatric surgery on ischemic stroke risk

Abstract Background Metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) has demonstrated improvements in diabetes and cardiovascular health. The effect of MBS on the risk of ischemic stroke remains unclear. Objectives The goal of this study was to determine the risk of stroke following MBS compared with patients with obesity who qualified for but did not undergo MBS. Setting The Mariner Database, a national claims database. Methods We identified patients with body mass index (BMI) ≥40 or those with a BMI and a qualifying co-morbidity, who underwent MBS between 2010 to 2019. Similar patients who did not undergo MBS served as controls. Coarsened exact matching was performed followed by logistic regression analysis to determine the effect of BMS on stroke risk. Results A total of 70 622 BMS patients and 1 320 182 MBS-eligible controls were identified. After matching, the 1-year stroke risk among MBS patients (n = 56 514) versus controls (n = 56 514) was .6% versus 1.2% (OR .54, 95% CI .47–.61). The 5-year stroke risk for MBS (n = 27619) versus control (n = 27619) was 2.8% versus 3.6% (OR .78, 95% CI .65–.90). Conclusion MBS appears to reduce the risk of stroke following surgery. To our knowledge, this is the largest sample size in a study of ischemic cerebrovascular disease in bariatric surgery.
Current practices in e-government-induced business process change (BPC)

E-Gov projects have an increasing influence on how government business processes evolve and change. While early e-Gov projects focused on government-to-public information and interaction, the second and third wave of e-Gov projects also emphasize internal effectiveness and efficiency along with intra- and interdepartmental as well as intra- and inter-branch integration. With these increases in scope and scale of e-Gov projects, existing business processes including core processes become candidates for improvement and change. While the private-sector-oriented literature on business process change abounds with descriptive and prescriptive accounts, no equivalent has been found in the public-sector-related literature. Although many insights drawn from the private sector may apply, the public sector seems to develop distinct practices. This paper contributes to the understanding of current practices in e-Gov-induced business process change comparing those practices to prescriptions derived from private-sector experience. Among other factors, the more inclusive approach observed in e-Gov business process change may explain the higher success rate of public-sector projects compared with those reported from the private sector.
Adaptive local fusion with neural networks

We propose a novel method for fusing different classifiers outputs. Our approach, called Context Extraction for Local Fusion with Neural Networks (CELF-NN), is a local approach that adapts Artificial Neural Network fusion method to different regions of the feature space. It is based on a novel objective function that combines context identification and multi-algorithm fusion criteria into a joint objective function. This objective function is defined and optimized to produce contexts as compact clusters via unsupervised clustering. Optimization of the objective function also provide an optimal local Neural Network for fusion within each context. Our initial experiments on semantic video indexing have indicated that the proposed fusion approach outperforms all individual classifiers and the global Neural Network fusion method.
Reproduction, Law, Is Infertility a Disability?

Introduction The Americans with Disabilities Act Major Statutory Provisions Definition of Who Is Protected Other Applicable Statutes Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 State Laws Judicial Interpretation Probable Future Directions Keywords: reproduction; law
Benign Paroxysmal Peritonitis—Second Series

Summary 1.Six new cases are described which appear to fall within the clinical syndrome of benign paroxysmal peritonitis. 2.This disease begins in early life and continues in attacks for many years. It is characterized by recurrent paroxysms of abdominal pain with signs of peritoneal irritation. Fever is present, ranging from 100° to 105°. Leucocytosis and polymorphonucleosis are frequent in the attack. Chest pain, worse on inspiration, is a common accompaniment. Intervals between episodes, most often one to four weeks, may be as long as months or even years. These patients remain otherwise well. 3.The practical difficulties of diagnosis must be emphasized particularly as to differentiation from an acute surgical abdominal condition such as that due to appendicitis. 4.Three patients have been operated upon during an acute crisis. Hyperemia or edema of the peritoneum, with oar without serous or sero-fibrinous exudate comprise the operative findings. Interval explorations have been negative. 5.The occurence of this disease in five male members of a single family indicates a definite familial tendency and possibly a genetic factor. All published cases which appear to belong to this clinical category have been either Jewish or Armenian. 6.This disorder apparently has a close relation to allergy. Of eleven patients, two were atopic and four more had a definite family history of allergy However, causative food allergens have not been demonstrated in any of five. cases completely studied from this point of view. Neither adrenalin nor the antihistamine drugs control the acute attack.
Maximal left ventricular wall thickness: a comparison between CMR and echocardiography in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Background Echocardiography (ECHO) i su sed for diagnosis and management of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Morphologic diagnosis is based on the presence of myocardial thickness of >15mm in adults or a septum to posterior wall ratio of >1.5. Septal wall thickness (WT) >30 mm is one of several high risk features that are used to guide the decision for prophylactic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) placement. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) offers improved contrast resolution over ECHO and precisely defines myocardial WT in HCM.CMR is used in suspected HCM when ECHO is inconclusive for diagnosis or when additional information is needed. We tested the hypothesis that there are differences in maximal left ventricular myocardial WT as measured by CMR and ECHO in subjects with HCM due to asymmetric septal hypertrophy (ASH). Methods 64 subjects with HCM and ASH pattern (mean age 51 years, range 18-88 years), underwent ECHO and CMR within the same day. Maximal WT by ECHO was measured on parasternal long axis view in the anteroseptal and the basilar posterior wall. WT by CMR was measured on the short axis view manually to obtain maximal dimensions in the same segments as those obtained by ECHO. Results Overall, mean maximal septal WT for all patients was less by CMR compared with ECHO, but not statistically
The intervention composed of aerobic training and non-exercise physical activity (I-CAN) study: Rationale, design and methods

Recent data has suggested that prolonged sedentary behavior is independent risk factor for cardiovascular and all-cause mortality independent of adequate amounts of moderate to vigorous physical activity. However, few studies have prospectively evaluated if exercise training and increasing non-exercise physical activity leads to greater reduction in cardiometabolic risk compared to aerobic training alone. The purpose of the Intervention Composed of Aerobic Training and Non-Exercise Physical Activity (I-CAN) study is to determine whether a physical activity program composed of both aerobic training (consistent with public health recommendations) and increasing non-exercise physical activity (3000 steps above baseline levels) leads to enhanced improvements in waist circumference, oral glucose tolerance, systemic inflammation, body composition, and fitness compared to aerobic training alone in obese adults (N=45). Commercially available accelerometers (Fitbits) will be used to monitor physical activity levels and behavioral coaching will be used to develop strategies of how to increase non-exercise physical activity levels. In this manuscript, we describe the design, rationale, and methodology associated with the I-CAN study.
The Logic of Heuristic Decision Making

The task of a comprehensive theory of action is to describe or prescribe the occasions for action, the alternative courses of action (or the means of discovering them), and the choice among action alternatives. The task of a comprehensive logic of action is to describe or prescribe the rules that govern reasoning about the occasions for action, the discovery of action alternatives, and the choice of action.
The Relationship Between Message Recall and Persuasion: More Complex Than It Seems†

A strong message recall-attitude relationship was predicted when participants were induced to use memory-based processing to form their attitudes but not when induced to use on-line processing after exposure to a persuasive message. The recall-attitude correlation in the memory-based conditions was expected to be positive when the arguments were strong and negative when they were weak; 240 participants participated in a study to test these predictions. An ample and positive recall-attitude relationship was found when participants were exposed to strong arguments in both processing conditions. A small but negative relationship was found in the weak arguments, on-line processing condition but not the memory-based condition. Parallel findings were obtained when need to evaluate was used to measure processing type.
v-Src SH3-enhanced Interaction with Focal Adhesion Kinase at β1 Integrin-containing Invadopodia Promotes Cell Invasion

In viral Src (v-Src)-transformed cells, focal adhesion kinase (FAK) associates with v-Src by combined v-Src SH2 and gain-of-function v-Src SH3 domain binding to FAK. Here we assess the significance of the Arg-95 to Trp gain-of-function mutation in the v-Src SH3 domain through comparisons of Src−/− fibroblasts transformed with either Prague C v-Src or a point mutant (v-Src-RT) containing a normal (Arg-95) SH3 domain. Both v-Src isoforms exhibited equivalent kinase activity, enhanced Src−/− cell motility, and stimulated cell growth in both low serum and soft agar. The stability of a v-Src·FAK signaling complex and FAK phosphorylation at Tyr-861 and Tyr-925 were reduced in v-Src-RT- compared with v-Src-transformed cells. v-Src but not v-Src-RT promoted Src−/− cell invasion through a reconstituted Matrigel basement membrane barrier and v-Src co-localized with FAK and β1 integrin at invadopodia. In contrast, v-Src-RT exhibited a partial perinuclear and focal contact distribution in Src−/− cells. Adenovirus-mediated FAK overexpression promoted v-Src-RT recruitment to invadopodia, the formation of a v-Src-RT·FAK signaling complex, and reversed the v-Src-RT invasion deficit. Adenovirus-mediated inhibition of FAK blocked v-Src-stimulated cell invasion. These studies establish that gain-of-function v-Src SH3 targeting interactions with FAK at β1 integrin-containing invadopodia act to stabilize a v-Src·FAK signaling complex promoting cell invasion.
Daura and gender in the creation of a Hausa national epic

Summary Beginning with the story as it was told in the Sokoto Caliphate in the first half of the nineteenth century we illustrated the narrative's practical political value within the context of the Sokoto's relationships with the newlyconquered Hausa, and also presented it in the form in which it was first transmitted to Europeans. Not until the early decades of the twentieth century would variations of the Daura narrative influenced by the cultural and political relationships between the eastern Hausa kingdom of Kano and the neighbouring Kanuri empire of Bornu come to the attention of Europeans. The texts from eastern Hausa sources also revealed aspects of the Hausa's Islamic cultural literacy. Finally, a unique and highly divergent telling of the narrative, created by a Kano‐educated Islamic scholar in the early years of the twentieth century, shifted the story out of either the equally Islamic Sokoto and Bornu intellectual traditions and reasserted its fundamental relationship to pre‐Islamic Hausa ora...
Inhaled amiloride and tobramycin solutions fail to eradicate Burkholderia dolosa in patients with cystic fibrosis

Abstract Background Burkholderia dolosa can result in chronic airway infection and rapid decline in lung function in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Amiloride has antibacterial properties that may be synergistic with aminoglycosides against other species belonging to the Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc). We attempted to eradicate B. dolosa using a combination of nebulized tobramycin and nebulized amiloride in infected CF patients. Methods A 6-month, open-label trial of continuous inhaled amiloride, delivered via nebulization four times daily, and continuous inhaled tobramycin (TIS or TOBI®) nebulized twice daily, was offered to all CF patients at our institution who are chronically infected with B. dolosa . Results Twenty two of 27 patients with B. dolosa were eligible and twelve elected to participate. Eradication of B. dolosa was not noted in any study subject. While patients tolerated treatment with no adverse effects, there was also no apparent impact on other secondary outcome measures. Conclusions Concurrent, continuous inhalation of amiloride and tobramycin for 6 months was not effective for the eradication of chronic B. dolosa airway infection in CF patients.
Multidrug-resistant Organisms in Military Wounds from Iraq and Afghanistan

Mortality from battlefield wounds has historically declined, thanks to better surgical management, faster transport of casualties, and improved antibiotics. Today, one of the major challenges facing U.S. military caregivers is the presence of multidrug-resistant organisms in orthopaedic extremity wounds. The most frequently identified resistant strains of bacteria are Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-baumannii complex. Overuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics may be an important factor in building resistant strains. Acinetobacter infections appear to hospital-acquired and not from an initial colonization of the injury. More research is required to give military physicians the tools they require to reduce the infection rate and defeat multidrug-resistant organisms.
Temperature Evolution of the Gd Magnetization Profile in Strongly Coupled Gd/Fe Multilayers

Abstract : The temperature evolution of the magnetization depth profile in Gd layers of a strongly coupled fGds50 d/Fes15 dg15 multilayer is studied using x-ray resonant magnetic scattering (XRMS) and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) techniques. XRMS yields a spatially resolved, element-specific, magnetization depth profile, while XMCD spatially averages over this profile. The combined data inequivocally show the presence of an inhomogeneous magnetic profile within the Gd layers at all measured temperatures between 20 and 300 K. These inhomogeneous profiles, which feature enhanced magnetic ordering near the Gd/Fe interface, were refined using both a kinematic Born approximation and a recently developed distorted-wave Born approximation, both of which include the contribution of structural and magnetic interfacial roughness. Calculations of the static magnetic configuration within a mean-field approach that neglects interfacial roughness are in agreement with the measured inhomogeneous profile and its temperature evolution. The results suggest that the enhanced Gd magnetization near the interface arises from its proximity to magnetically ordered Fe.