cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patent Drafter Estoppel: Why Didn't Sage Products Create a New Foreseeability Limitation on the Application of the Doctrine of Equivalents?

In 1997, the Federal Circuit decided Sage Products v. Devon, [1] in which the court appeared to create a new doctrine limiting the scope of the doctrine of equivalents in patent infringement cases. At the time, commentators dubbed this new doctrine “patent drafter estoppel” [2] and predicted that it would be “a significant development favoring potential infringers.” [3] In reality, however, the Federal Circuit has backed away from creating such a “weapon for alleged infringers,” [4] repeatedly holding that its decision in Sage Products represented nothing more than a straightforward application of the well-known rule against using the doctrine of equivalents to vitiate a claim limitation.
The Core Molecular Machinery of Autophagosome Formation

Autophagy is a conserved cytoplasmic process from yeast to mammals, by which cells degrade and recycle their intracellular components. During macroautophagy, a unique compartment, named the autophagosome, is formed to engulf the cargos and send them to the vacuole or lysosome. Whether the cargos are nonspecifically sequestered, as occurs in most types of macroautophagy, or specifically selected, such as in the cytoplasm-to-vacuole targeting pathway or selective mitochondria degradation, a common set of molecular machinery is required for the formation of the autophagosome. In this chapter, we summarize our knowledge about the roles and regulation of these core machinery components in autophagosome formation, in both yeast and mammalian systems.
Unrecognized Abnormal Osseous Metabolic Activity About the Knee of Patients with Symptomatic Anterior Cruciate Ligament Deficiency

A primary treatment goal of young adults with symptomatic anterior cruciate ligament deficient knees is the prevention or amelioration of early degenerative arthritis. Current methods of documenting the development of degenerative changes about the knee include roentgenographic evaluation and direct intra-articular examination. At our institution over the past 5 years we have gained experience in utilizing technetium 99m bone scans in the evaluation of patients with patellofemoral symptoms and found this technique to indicate often an objective osseous abnormality in the presence of normal roentgenographic and arthroscopic findings. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a group of patients with anterior cruciate ligament deficient knees with technetium 99m bone scans in order to delineate possible sites of abnormal osseous metabolic activity about the knee, as compared with arthroscopic and roentgenographic findings.
Regulatory Role of Cell Adhesion Molecules in Early Heart Development

Pericardial coelom development is a critical step for early heart development in that the cardiac precursor cells are for the first time physically delineated from the somatic mesoderm cells. In the chick embryo this takes place between 20–24 hrs of development, i.e. between stages 5 and 7 (Hamburger and Hamilton, 1951). The pericardial coelom, also known as the amniocardiac vesicle, first appears as foci of smaller cavities that arise by the separation of mesoderm cells in discrete areas to eventually form two layers of mesoderm, the somatic (next to the ectoderm) and the splanchnic mesoderm (next to the endoderm). These cavities become larger and begin to coalesce with each other until two large amniocardiac vesicles are formed on either side of the embryo. These eventually fuse to form a single pericardial coelom. This process was first described in the chick embryo by Sabin (1920). Concomitant with the splitting of the mesoderm, the precursor cardiac cells localize to the splanchnic layer in the lateral regions. These cells also at this point in time undergo a mesenchymal to epithelial change in cell organization. These processes of cell sorting, as well as of cell shape changes, suggest that modulations of cell surface components and of cytoskeletal interactions may be involved.
Structurally Diverse Diazafluorene-Ligated Palladium(II) Complexes and Their Implications for Aerobic Oxidation Reactions

4,5-Diazafluoren-9-one (DAF) has been identified as a highly effective ligand in a number of Pd-catalyzed oxidation reactions, but the mechanistic basis for its utility has not been elucidated. Here, we present the complex coordination chemistry of DAF and palladium(II) carboxylate salts. Multiple complexes among an equilibrating mixture of species have been characterized by 1H and 15N NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. These complexes include monomeric and dimeric PdII species, with monodentate (κ1), bidentate (κ2), and bridging (μ:κ1:κ1) DAF coordination modes. Titration studies of DAF and Pd(OAc)2 reveal the formation of two dimeric DAF/Pd(OAc)2 complexes at low [DAF] and four monomeric species at higher [DAF]. The dimeric complexes feature two bridging acetate ligands together with either a bridging or nonbridging (κ1) DAF ligand coordinated to each PdII center. The monomeric structures consist of three isomeric Pd(κ1-DAF)2(OAc)2 complexes, together with Pd(κ2-DAF)(OAc)2 in which the DAF exhi...
Eutectic solidification in the system Al2O3/Y3Al5O12

The eutectic solidification in the system Al2O3/Y2Al5O12 has been investigated. A Bridgman-type crystal-growing furnace was used in this investigation. A temperature gradient of 190° C/cm and growth rates which were varied between 2 and 12 cm/h were employed in the directional solidification studies. Three types of microstructure were observed depending upon the composition and the growth rate. At a growth rate of 4 cm/h and at compositions removed from the eutectic composition, a mixture of primary phase and fine eutectic dispersion was found. At growth rates between 2 and 12 cm/h at the eutectic composition, a colony type microstructure was most commonly observed. At growth rates above 4 cm/h at the eutectic composition, regions in the solidified ingot were found to have a highly oriented eutectic microstructure consisting of both rods and platelets. These eutectic microstructures indicate that coupled growth can occur in this system. The method of Sunquist and Mondolfo [15] was used to determine whether Y3Al5O12 was the first phase to nucleate at the eutectic.
Nursing Education in Rural Environments

Nursing education in rural areas brings about both challenges and rewards. Immense distances between students, clinical sites, and resources often require faculty to teach over videoconference and ...
Neural measures reveal implicit learning during language processing

Language input is highly variable; phonological, lexical, and syntactic features vary systematically across different speakers, geographic regions, and social contexts. Previous evidence shows that language users are sensitive to these contextual changes and that they can rapidly adapt to local regularities. For example, listeners quickly adjust to accented speech, facilitating comprehension. It has been proposed that this type of adaptation is a form of implicit learning. This study examined a similar type of adaptation, syntactic adaptation, to address two issues: 1 whether language comprehenders are sensitive to a subtle probabilistic contingency between an extraneous feature font color and syntactic structure and 2 whether this sensitivity should be attributed to implicit learning. Participants read a large set of sentences, 40% of which were garden-path sentences containing temporary syntactic ambiguities. Critically, but unbeknownst to participants, font color probabilistically predicted the presence of a garden-path structure, with 75% of garden-path sentences and 25% of normative sentences appearing in a given font color. ERPs were recorded during sentence processing. Almost all participants indicated no conscious awareness of the relationship between font color and sentence structure. Nonetheless, after sufficient time to learn this relationship, ERPs time-locked to the point of syntactic ambiguity resolution in garden-path sentences differed significantly as a function of font color. End-of-sentence grammaticality judgments were also influenced by font color, suggesting that a match between font color and sentence structure increased processing fluency. Overall, these findings indicate that participants can implicitly detect subtle co-occurrences between physical features of sentences and abstract, syntactic properties, supporting the notion that implicit learning mechanisms are generally operative during online language processing.
Hippocampal formation : anatomy and the patterns of pathology in Alzheimer's disease

Anatomical studies of the primate brain have shown that the subicular and CA1 allocortices give rise to hippocampal efferents that course to numerous telencephalic and diencephalic targets including other parts of the cortex. The hippocampal formation is damaged heavily in Alzheimer's disease, and is a focal point for pathology. We examined the anteroposterior extent of the hippocampal formation in 52 cases of Alzheimer's disease, 6 cases of other types of dementia and 10 age-compatible controls, to determine the patterns of pathology. We have observed that only certain subfields of the hippocampal formation are affected by cell loss, neurofibrillary tangles and neuritic plaques, while adjacent, anatomically distinct subfields are relatively spared. The portions of the hippocampal formation most crucial for both cortical and subcortical efferent projections are severely affected by Alzheimer pathological changes. Most notable are neurofibrillary tangles in the subicular and CA1 subfields. Layer IV of entorhinal cortex, specifically affected by neurofibrillary tangles. Hippocampal input is also compromised. For example, layer II of entorhinal cortex, which gives rise to perforant pathway hippocampal afferents, also undergoes severe neurofibrillary changes. Neuritic plaques appear in a distinct layer in the terminal zone of the perforant pathway, which carries the majority of corticohippocampal afferents. Plaques are also common in a zone that receives serotoninergic projections from the raphe complex, thus compromising another hippocampal afferent. In sum, these changes disrupt intrinsic and extrinsic hippocampal circuitry at multiple levels, and the pathological dissection deprives the hippocampal formation of many of its efferent and afferent connections with cortical and subcortical structures important in memory-related neural systems. These changes likely contribute to the memory impairment that characterizes Alzheimer's disease and the devastating intellectual decline that ensues.
Extreme Variability is Typical Not Normal

The theory of medicine is intended to explain the workings of the large number of mutually interdependent complex physiologic networks in the human body and to apply that understanding to maintaining the functions for which nature designed them. However when what had originally been made as a simplifying assumption or a working hypothesis becomes foundational to understanding the operation of physiologic networks it is in the best interests of medicine to replace that assumption with one more compatible with the evidence and determine how the new hypothesis affects understanding of medical science. Normal statistics is such an arcane assumption and we explore some implications of its replacement with fractal statistics and examine the difference between black swans and dragon kings. One implication of the difference is how to relate disease to the loss of complexity rather than to the loss of variability.
Cryoprotectants & cryopreservation of equine semen: a review of industry cryoprotectants and the effects of cryopreservation on equine semen membranes

Equine semen is a one of the most difficult in the industry to cryopreserve efficiently without causing damage to the membrane or apoptosis. This review consists of an in depth analysis of current cryoprotectant classes, membrane damage issues, reactive oxygen species generation, and apoptosis- all of which are exacerbated by cryopreservation.
Development of a novel functional drink from all natural ingredients using nanotechnology

Abstract In this work, nanotechnology was applied to formulate a novel functional drink from all natural food ingredients and a complete formulation of nutrients, including both hydrophilic and hydrophobic vitamins as well as mineral salts, was developed. Peppermint oil dissolved in propylene glycol together with fat-soluble vitamins was first emulsified in aqueous phase with sodium caseinate as natural emulsifier to obtain nanoemulsion. Then sodium caseinate was coated with pectin to form nanocomplex particles, via electro-deposition induced by pH adjustment and heating treatment. The formulations were systematically optimized in terms of various physicochemical properties, including particle size, polydispersity index, and zeta potential. The optimal formulations, which were prepared at pH 4.5, exhibited the particle size around 250 nm with PDI
Dunlap's queer André: versions of revolution and manhood

T he three committee plays suggest how drama captures the ambiguities of the Revolution and the uncertainties of Anglo-American identity in the wake of separation from Britain. All three plays lack a demonstrable on-stage hero, and while Harry Camden presents himself as an admirable patriot, the only personage with sufficient stature to fill the hero's role, Washington, never appears in Traveller Returned except as a spoken object of admiration. Of course, earlier closet plays had attempted to generate American heroes as warriors for liberty: Joseph Warren in Burk's Bunker-Hill , for instance, or Richard Montgomery in Brackenridge's The Death of Montgomery . In Mercy Warren's The Group , Liberty herself seems to stand out from among the ill-intentioned mandamus council members as an emblem of purpose. After the war, however, once the immediate need for patriotic propaganda had been removed, playwrights were faced with difficult choices in terms of how precisely to honor the Revolution without simply betraying political positions on post-war allegiance with France or Britain. Among early republican dramatic attempts to portray American history on stage without reference to the committees, William Dunlap's Andre (1798) displays some of the problems of identification in recalling a war whose stings had not entirely been forgotten. Dunlap's tragedy stands out for its problematic portrayals of Major John Andre, the British spy offered up as the titular hero, and George Washington, the unnamed “General” whose decision to execute Andre nearly remakes the patriotic icon into a vulnerable and fallible cruel father.
Sequencing Approaches to Map Genes Linked to Schizophrenia

Hundreds of loci have been associated with schizophrenia by genome-wide association studies, contributing important biological understanding to this debilitating psychiatric disorder characterized by a heterogeneous clinical presentation of psychiatric symptoms of both positive and negative traits. However, although the variants reported are informative, they are not rooted in the pathogenesis of the schizophrenia; rather, they are rooted in tagging the locus of interest and associating it with the disease. Thus, sequencing studies may be more likely to pinpoint the causative variants involved. Here, we review what is known about the genetic landscape in schizophrenia and examine the next-generation sequencing technologies, including whole-exome sequencing and whole-genome sequencing, regarding the discovery of novel disease-causing genetic variants.
Blissful Agents: Adjuncts to Group Medical Visits for Chronic Pain and Depression

In this paper we describe a conversational virtual agent that is designed to be used in conjunction with group medical visits to help treat individuals with chronic pain and depression using non-medical treatments including yoga, meditation, and self-massage. Results from two rounds of pilot testing indicate that patients like the virtual agent and find that it helps them manage their condition.
Manganese adsorption by sediment in Wadi Tafna, Algeria

The removal of manganese from aqueous solution by sediment in Wadi Tafna, north-western Algeria, was investigated under batch conditions in 2003. Kinetic data equilibrium removal isotherms were measured at 20 °C. The influence of different experimental parameters, such as contact time, manganese concentration and sediment mass on the removal kinetics of manganese was studied. The content of carbonate in sediment increased the adsorption rate, indicating the active phase towards manganese cations. The process followed pseudo-second-order kinetics. Manganese uptake by sediment was quantitatively evaluated using sorption isotherms. In order to describe the adsorption isotherm mathematically, the experimental data of the removal equilibrium were analysed with Langmuir and Freundlich models revealing that the equilibrium data were perfectly represented using both isotherms.
Rates and Predictors of Vaccinations Among Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients Receiving Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor Agents

As an important quality measure, the rates of recommended immunizations among immunocompromised inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients in community practice have not been well studied. This study sought to investigate the rates and predictors of recommended immunizations and screening tests among IBD patients receiving anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy in a large integrated healthcare organization. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 1401 IBD patients on anti-TNF therapy between 2010 and 2013 within the Kaiser Permanente Northern California healthcare system. The rates of vaccinations and screening tests were quantified, and the associated predictors were investigated. Vaccination rates for influenza and pneumococcus were 43.5 and 24.1%, respectively. The majority of patients (73.7%) received hepatitis B screening and/or vaccine. Patients receiving infliximab had higher rates of pneumococcal vaccine (P = 0.002), hepatitis B screening (P < 0.001), and tuberculin skin test (P < 0.001) compared with patients receiving adalimumab. Older patient age (≥50 years) was associated with higher likelihood of having HBsAg test (odds ratio [OR] 1.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2–2.0, P = 0.002), influenza vaccine (OR 2.6 [2.1–3.4], P < 0.001), and pneumococcal vaccine (OR 4.0 [3.0–5.3], P < 0.001). In contrast, older providers (≥50 years) were associated with significantly lower likelihood of their patients’ having hepatitis A and B screening tests, and pneumococcal vaccination. The rates of immunizations for IBD patients receiving anti-TNF treatment were lower than recommended. Structured reminders for vaccinations and education for both patients and providers (older physicians in particular) may prove beneficial in improving immunization rates among immunocompromised IBD patients.
Alzheimer's Disease-Current Status and Future Directions.

Abstract Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder of the brain. The presence of amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques, neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), loss of neurons, synapses, and altered sensory perceptions, including memory loss, delineate AD. However, the cause of AD is not clearly known. Several genetic and nongenetic factors have been implicated in the disease. Of the genes, the ɛ4 allele of apolipoprotein E is the largest known genetic risk factor of AD. This review article focuses on the various genetic and other predisposing factors that account for AD, pathophysiology of the disease, and the mechanisms by which Aβ plaques and NFTs are formed and could affect AD brain. In addition, recent advances and current diagnostics available for AD patients are detailed. As oxidative stress has been implicated in the etiology of the disease, special emphasis is given for nutrition based antioxidant therapies and interventional strategies for reducing/treating AD.
SEDATING THE HEART: USE OF DEXMEDETOMIDINE IN REFRACTORY ATRIAL FIBRILLATION WITH RAPID VENTRICULAR RESPONSE

Atrial fibrillation (AF) occurs frequently in the intensive care unit (ICU) and can be a challenge to manage, especially when complicated by rapid ventricular response (RVR) and hypotension. Dexmedetomidine may reduce the incidence of supraventricular tachyarrhythmias, in particular AF, in the
Radiation Balanced Thin Disk Lasers

We demonstrate the first radiation balanced thin disk lasers. Ytterbium-doped YLF and YAG thin disks are pumped by a fiber laser in multipass geometry and an InGaAs/GaAs VECSEL in intracavity geometry.
Weight loss and bone mineral density in obese adults: a longitudinal analysis of the influence of very low energy diets.

The long-term effect of weight reduction on skeletal health is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of an intensive medical weight loss intervention using very low energy diet (VLED) (~ 800 cal/day) that result in significant changes in body weight, on total body bone mineral density (BMD) over 2 years. We examined the impact of VLED-induced weight loss on BMD and FFM (Fat-free Mass) after 3–6 months and again while in weight maintenance at 2 years in 49 subjects. The effects of absolute and relative rate of weight reduction assessed by change in weight in kilograms were assessed using general linear modeling, with baseline BMD (or FFM) as a covariate, and age, sex and changes in body weight as primary model predictors. At the end of 2 years, the average weight loss was greater for men (weight: 23.51 ± 12.5 kg) than women (weight: 16.8 ± 19.2 kg) and BMD loss was greater among women (0.03 ± 0.04 g/cm2 vs 0.01 ± 0.04 g/cm2) (all p < 0.05). After adjusting for baseline BMD, age, and sex, there was a small but significant association between total weight loss and 2-year BMD (β = − 0.001 g/cm2; p = 0.01). Similarly, there was a significant independent association between total weight loss and 2-year FFM (β = − 116.5 g; p < 0.01). Despite significant weight loss with VLED, there was only a small loss is BMD.
F*-Rings Are O*

O*-rings were introduced by Fuchs and recently characterized by Steinberg. A ring R is called O* if every partial order on R extends to a total order. We weaken the condition on the ordering of the ring by requiring that every partial order on R extends to an f-order. We call those rings F*-rings. We show that the two classes of rings coincide.
Principles of Molecular Biology and Oncogenesis

Nucleic acids are macromolecules comprised of chains of nucleotides. In the double helix formed by deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), purines pair with pyrimidines and are joined together by hydrogen bonds. DNA serves as a template for the transcription of RNA; in a process called translation, RNA provides instructions for the synthesis of proteins. Cancer is a genetic disease. Most cancers are sporadic and result from genetic alterations in somatic cells. Some cancers are inherited, with genetic alterations in germline cells conferring an increased oncogenic risk. Oncogenesis is a complex, dynamic, and often multistep process which is likely dependent on the acquisition of several biological capabilities by somatic cells that result in their independence to external growth signals, insensitivity to external anti-growth signals, indefinite replication, evasion of apoptosis, sustained angiogenesis, activation of tissue invasion and metastasis, reprogramming of energy metabolism, and evasion of host immune response. Knowledge about oncogenic hallmarks has allowed for the establishment and expansion of many areas of personalized cancer care through detection or measurement of molecular biomarkers.
Validating the Satisfaction with Travel Scale as a measure of hedonic subjective well-being for commuting in a U.S. city

Abstract The relationships between transportation and well-being are of increasing interest to researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. Stakeholders seeking to improve quality of life and traffic safety require valid and reliable ways of gauging the emotional states of travelers. Psychological scales exist for measuring subjective well-being (SWB), but these instruments have rarely been applied to the travel domain. The Satisfaction with Travel Scale (STS) is a nine-item measure of travel-related hedonic SWB, capturing core affect (emotions) and cognitive evaluations of overall satisfaction associated with personal transportation. Although the STS has been used in an increasing number of studies, questions remain regarding its structure and validity. This research utilized a survey of 654 commuters in the Portland, Oregon, area to investigate the measurement properties of a slightly modified version of the STS. Confirmatory factor analysis suggested a three-factor structure—composed of positive deactivation, positive activation, and cognitive evaluation—that matches some previous results and SWB theory; a model with a single second-order factor also fit the data. Tests of measurement invariance across three travel modes (automobile, transit, and walk/bicycle) found that the STS exhibited configural and perhaps weak factorial invariance; non-motorized commuters tended to have more positive scores. Future research can continue to refine the STS items and wordings, test the scale in various geographic and travel contexts, and examine relationships between SWB and travel behavior.
Transcending and Subverting Boundaries: Understanding the Dynamics of Street Art Scene in Nepal

Nepali street art is the culmination and transcendence of the gallery-based contemporary art scene in the country. Street art critically engages with a larger audience in a context it was younger artists who gave initial impetus to the formation of street art scene in Nepal. This chapter looks at Nepali street art as a social product that embodies the interplay between the personal, on the one hand, and the political, on the other hand, as well as the interplay between the local and the global. The chapter demonstrates these dynamics of street art by surveying selected street art projects and through interviews with the artists concerned. Meanwhile, the chapter also provides a contextual reading of the emergence and evolution of Nepali street art.
Vitamin D deficiency and its relationship to cancer stage in patients who underwent thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Abstract Purpose As imaging technology improves and more thyroid nodules and malignancies are identified, it is important to recognize factors associated with malignancy and poor prognosis. Vitamin D has proven useful as a prognostic tool for other cancers and may be similarly useful in thyroid cancer. This study explores the relationship of Vitamin D to papillary thyroid carcinoma stage while accounting for socioeconomic covariates. Materials and methods The medical records of all patients who underwent thyroidectomy at one institution between 2000 and 2015 were reviewed. Subjects with non-papillary thyroid cancer pathology, prior malignancy, and without Vitamin D levels were excluded. The remaining 334 patient records were examined for cancer stage, Vitamin D levels, Vitamin D deficiency listed in history, and demographic and comorbid factors. Results Vitamin D laboratory values showed no significant relationship to cancer stage (p = 0.871), but patients with Vitamin D deficiency documented in the medical record were more likely to have advanced disease (28.6% versus 14.7%; p = 0.028). The patients with documented Vitamin D deficiency also had lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D nadirs (21.5 ng/mL versus 26.5 ng/mL, p = 0.008) and were more likely to be on Vitamin D supplementation (92.6% versus 41.8%, p Conclusions The results suggest that Vitamin D deficiency may have value as a negative prognostic indicator in papillary thyroid cancer and that pre-operative laboratory evaluation may be less useful. This is important because Vitamin D deficiency is modifiable. While different racial subgroups had different rates of Vitamin D deficiency, neither race nor socioeconomic status showed correlation with cancer stage.
Conclusion: The Legacies of 1960s and 1970s War Representation, from Thatcher to Brexit

This concluding chapter looks at the legacies of the alternative trends that the rest of the book has mapped, noting how some failed to gain purchase within the genre in the long run, whereas others are now routine in the representation of war. In particular, the chapter looks at war and art cinema, war representation under Thatcher, and recent trends. The chapter contains two case studies. Home Fires (2015–2016) shows how film and television representations of war have expanded to include more peripheral and distanced elements (and have focused more on noncombatant contributions to war). Dunkirk (2017) shows how war representation is still stuck between discourses of realism and modes of spectacularization.
Review Essay: Capitalism, Inequality, and Meritocracy

Trying to judge capitalism and the social forms it has brought into being is a bit like asking adolescents to assess puberty as they are going through it. We instinctively recognize that we are living through a particular phase in our development; we notice an expansion of our powers as well as recurrent problems attending their exercise; we find our concerns, attention, and aspirations reoriented in various ways; and our attitudes to our situation swing wildly between optimism, nostalgia, rebellion, exhilaration, and dejection. Similarly, we are uncertain about which aspects of market-saturated social arrangements will turn out to be temporary aberrations rather than permanent fixtures, and wonder constantly whether we must simply learn to cope with their effects, or should instead actively strive to master them. Above all, like the anxieties of adolescence, our assessments are haunted by vanity: Should we be proud or ashamed of what we are becoming and making of ourselves? Since, in one way or another, they address the adequacy of capitalist social forms, the three books under discussion all give voice, and in some cases respond, to these anxieties. They nonetheless belong to very different genres.
Phenotypic heterogeneity by site of infection in surgical sepsis: a prospective longitudinal study

The role of site of infection in sepsis has been poorly characterized. Additionally, sepsis epidemiology has evolved. Early mortality has decreased, but many survivors now progress into chronic critical illness (CCI). This study sought to determine if there were significant differences in the host response and current epidemiology of surgical sepsis categorized by site of infection. This is a longitudinal study of surgical sepsis patients characterized by baseline predisposition, insult characteristics, serial biomarkers, hospital outcomes, and long-term outcomes. Patients were categorized into five anatomic sites of infection. The 316 study patients were predominantly Caucasian; half were male, with a mean age of 62 years, high comorbidity burden, and low 30-day mortality (10%). The primary sites were abdominal (44%), pulmonary (19%), skin/soft tissue (S/ST, 17%), genitourinary (GU, 12%), and vascular (7%). Most abdominal infections were present on admission and required source control. Comparatively, they had more prolonged proinflammation, immunosuppression, and persistent organ dysfunction. Their long-term outcome was poor with 37% CCI (defined as > 14 in ICU with organ dysfunction), 49% poor discharge dispositions, and 30% 1-year mortality. Most pulmonary infections were hospital-acquired pneumonia. They had similar protracted proinflammation and organ dysfunction, but immunosuppression normalized. Long-term outcomes are similarly poor (54% CCI, 47% poor disposition, 32% 1-year mortality). S/ST and GU infections occurred in younger patients with fewer comorbidities, less perturbed immune responses, and faster resolution of organ dysfunction. Comparatively, S/ST had better long-term outcomes (23% CCI, 39% poor disposition, 13% 1-year mortality) and GU had the best (10% CCI, 20% poor disposition, 10% 1-year mortality). Vascular sepsis patients were older males, with more comorbidities. Proinflammation was blunted with baseline immunosuppression and organ dysfunction that persisted. They had the worst long-term outcomes (38% CCI, 67% poor disposition, 57% 1-year mortality). There are notable differences in baseline predisposition, host responses, and clinical outcomes by site of infection in surgical sepsis. While previous studies have focused on differences in hospital mortality, this study provides unique insights into the host response and long-term outcomes associated with different sites of infection.
Electrospun, synthetic bone void filler promotes human MSC function and BMP-2 mediated spinal fusion.

IntroductionSynthetic bone grafts are often used to achieve a well-consolidated fusion mass in spinal fusion procedures. These bone grafts function as scaffolds, and ideally support cell function a...
Addressing the Opioid Crisis through an Interdisciplinary Task Force in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Opioid use has been a topic of concern in recent years in the United States, causing thousands of deaths each year. Ohio is one of the states hit hardest by the epidemic, and its state and local governments have responded with comprehensive health policies. Cincinnati, located in the southwest region of Ohio, is one of the epicenters of the state’s opioid crisis. Responding to the needs of their community, the University of Cincinnati (UC) and its affiliate health system, UC Health, have brought together leaders in research, clinical practice, and education to form the UC/UC Health Opioid Task Force. By encouraging interdisciplinary partnerships, the Task Force is pioneering new ways to understand, prevent, and treat opioid use disorder, while preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals. Additionally, collaboration across departments in UC Health has improved access to treatment and recovery resources for hundreds of patients. Leading educational events, supporting local agencies, and participating in government initiatives have further solidified UC and UC Health’s role as a stakeholder in this crisis, showcasing how academic health centers are critical to promoting public health.
Learning from Project Implementation: Removing Pinyon and Juniper Trees from Sage-Steppe and Grassland Sites on the Fishlake National Forest in Central Utah, USA

In this paper, we share data collected during implementation of a vegetation management project on the Fishlake National Forest in central Utah. This project—designed to remove encroaching pinyon and juniper trees from sage-steppe and grassland communities—has been ongoing since 2017. While cutting and lopping the targeted woodland species, Fishlake employees counted and measured both cut and leave trees. The resulting data indicate that on sites like this one, the primary postsettlement encroacher is pinyon pine (Pinus edulis), and that due to slow growth rates, trees of just 25 cm in diameter at root collar may have been established prior to Euro-American settlement. For managers, it is important to recognize that some proposed pinyon-juniper removal projects will remove primarily pinyon, not juniper. Whether such pinyon eradication is either necessary or desirable should be carefully considered by land managers.
Isolating Compounds that Inhibit EV 71 Virus

Abstract Enterovirus 71, or EV 71, is responsible for causing Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease in humans. In particular, it is especially deadly when children and small infants are exposed. The objective of this research paper is to address the possibility of a novel antiviral drug that can be used once infection of EV 71 has occurred. The methods for this research include transformation of E. coli with the genetic information from Enterovirus 71, growth of the E. coli colonies in the lab setting, 2C protein purification, and ATPase assays with drug testing. Of the 364 drugs tested in the ATPase assay, a combination of two of them (Mitrofudil and N6-Benzyladenosine) indicated a stoppage in activity of ATPase, signaling no further activity of the enzyme and viral proliferation.
Feeding practices for healthy full-term infants in a community-based hospital

Breastfeeding and human milk are the normative standards for infant feeding and nutrition. The AAP “continues to support the unequivocal evidence that breastfeeding protects against a variety of diseases and conditions in the infants, many health benefits to the mother, as well as benefits to the environment and …
Politics for Everybody: Reading Hannah Arendt in Uncertain Times: by Ned O’Gorman, Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 2020, 192 pp., $67.50 (hardcover); $22.50 (paperback)

Ned O’Gorman’s Politics for Everybody: Reading Hannah Arendt in Uncertain Times is an unusually learned and layered treatise on the current state of U.S. democratic society. It deserves to be engag...
Heparin Induced Thrombocytopenia: A Laboratory Comparison of the IgG Specific EIA Vs Polyspecific EIA

Abstract Introduction:Heparin-induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a potentially life/limb threatening immune mediated pro-thrombotic syndrome triggered by heparin/platelet factor 4 (PF4) complexes. Based on clinical probability, if indicated, initial laboratory testing for HIT is typically based on enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to detect anti-PF4/heparin(H) antibodies with or without supplemental functional assays, the serotonin release assay (SRA) is considered to be the gold standard. EIAs detect either polyspecific (IgG, IgA, IgM) or IgG specific antibodies, the latter are recommended by ISTH/SSC, and should have optimal performance characteristics (sensitivity/specificity/negative and positive predictive values (NPV/PPV)). Each performing laboratory, however, needs to establish in-house performance characteristics of the assay. Objective:To compare laboratory performance characteristics of IgG specific and polyspecific PF4/H EIAs for a positive SRA. Materials and methods: Between 2013 to 2017, 284 serum samples submitted to our laboratory for clinical HIT EIA testing were studied. IgG specific and polyspecific (Immucor GTI Diagnostics, Inc. Waukesha, WI) assays were performed per the manufacturer's instructions with the exception of performance on a liquid handling instrument rather than manually. The manufacturer assigned optical density (OD) cutoff of ≥0.400 was defined as positive. The SRA, ordered separately by clinicians, were sent out to reference laboratories; criteria for a positive result was ≥20% serotonin release with low dose heparin and Results:Of the 284 serum samples, 112 were positive with IgG specific EIA, 68 (60.7%) of those also had a positive SRA. 172 were negative with IgG specific EIA, 2 (1.2%) of those had a positive SRA. Of the 148 were positive with polyspecific EIA, 69 (46.6%) also had a positive SRA. 136 were negative with polyspecific EIA, 1 (0.7%) had a positive SRA. The performance characteristics are shown in table 1. Compared with the polyspecific EIA, the IgG specific EIA had superior specificity, PPV and positive likelihood ratio (LR); the NPVs and negative LR of both assays were similar. The percent of patients having a positive SRA at different OD cutoffs is illustrated in Table 2. Conclusion: In aggregate the data suggest that the IgG specific EIA had superior performance characteristics in detecting HIT antibodies. Given the high likelihood of a positive SRA for OD >2.0, in the appropriate clinical context, supplemental SRA testing may not be essential. Since the data were de-identified, assay performance for the clinical diagnosis of HIT was not possible. Download : Download high-res image (168KB) Download : Download full-size image Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Atomic level fluxional behavior and activity of CeO2-supported Pt catalysts for CO oxidation.

Reducible oxides are widely used catalyst supports that can increase oxidation reaction rates by transferring lattice oxygen at the metal-support interface. There are many outstanding questions regarding the atomic-scale dynamic meta-stability (i.e., fluxional behavior) of the interface during catalysis. Here, we employ aberration-corrected operando electron microscopy to visualize the structural dynamics occurring at and near Pt/CeO2 interfaces during CO oxidation. We show that the catalytic turnover frequency correlates with fluxional behavior that (a) destabilizes the supported Pt particle, (b) marks an enhanced rate of oxygen vacancy creation and annihilation, and (c) leads to increased strain and reduction in the CeO2 support surface. Overall, the results implicate the interfacial Pt-O-Ce bonds anchoring the Pt to the support as being involved also in the catalytically-driven oxygen transfer process, and they suggest that oxygen reduction takes place on the highly reduced CeO2 surface before migrating to the interfacial perimeter for reaction with CO. In heterogeneous catalysts, the nature of the atomic-scale dynamics taking place at nanoparticle surfaces during catalysis is not understood. Here, we employ electron microscopy to show that activity directly correlates with fluxional behavior of the surface and interface atoms.
The rise of SGLT2 inhibitors: the time is now for cardiovascular specialists to lead the charge.

Cardiovascular (CV) disease continues to be the leading cause of death and disability across the globe and is especially burdensome on patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) [1]. Numerous cellular an...
Someone Watching Your Back: Guardian Angels in Michael Patrick MacDonald's All Souls

The 1996 memoir All Souls: A Family Story from Southie by Michael Patrick MacDonald has been highly praised for its portrayal of a white urban underclass in South Boston. Few commentators, however, have observed that the Catholic origins of the author, and the distinctly Catholic milieu of the neighborhood he describes, shape the worldview, vocabulary, and psychological attitudes on display throughout the book. This article considers the Catholic sensibilities that inform MacDonald’s narrative. When examined in light of the traditional understandings of religion as an interplay of creed, code, and cult, the Catholics of All Souls are clearly immersed in the cultic aspects of their religion. In addition, they adapt a particular trope derived from Catholic tradition, that of the Guardian Angel, to cope with the difficulties of their socioeconomic plight. Further, the author indicates that on a personal and emotional level, he conceives of his own life and his role in the family as deriving from the figure of the Guardian Angel.
An imperial enterprise: The making and breaking of the University of East Africa, 1949–1969

This article examines the evolution of the inter-territorial university policy in East Africa that culminated in the establishment of the regional University of East Africa (UEA) serving Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania; it further explores the causes of the collapse of the regional university in the late 1960s. The inauguration of the UEA in June 1963 exemplified the determination by Britain to maintain its influence in East Africa as the region entered the independence era. Britain sought to use the UEA as a centre for intellectual and ideological indoctrination of the regional elites that it had started to forge in 1949 following the establishment of Makerere University College in Uganda as an inter-territorial institution for East Africa. Unlike the Makerere elites who were to serve as agents of the British in the colonial era, the products of UEA would become allies of Britain in the independence era and thus serve as crucial cogs in the emerging neocolonial relations between Britain and the East African n...
Engaging the U.S. Congress in the oral health of special‐needs adults: lessons from pediatric oral health policy

The U.S. Congress has a long history of attending to insurance coverage for children's oral health services while being relatively silent about adult dental care. Yet many adults, made vulnerable by their disabilities and illnesses, are dependent upon governmental programs. This paper contrasts the robust history of federal legislative action in support of children's oral health with the lack of attention to adults' oral health to identify approaches that advocates may consider when engaging Congress in improving oral health for disabled and older adults. It provides a historical context of Congressional action on dental coverage from Medicaid and Medicare in the 1960s through passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 and explicates the misconception that Congress has demonstrated about the importance of oral health for adults' well-being and general health. Drivers and strategies for policy change are described and recommendations are made to expand coverage for vulnerable adults.
Perceived relevance of honesty and agreeableness to situations with non-correspondent and correspondent outcomes: An interdependence perspective

According to interdependence theory, interpersonal situations that vary in their surface characteristics can be united by similarities in their underlying structure. Likewise, factor analytic approaches to personality combine many traits into a small number of factors. In the current research, we use interdependence theory and existing factor analyses of personality traits to measure people's lay theories about the ways traits and situations interact. We predict that traits representative of honesty–humility/virtue will be rated as more relevant to situations with non-correspondent outcomes (a gain in one person's outcomes is associated with a loss in the other person's outcomes) than to situations with correspondent outcomes (a gain in one person's outcomes is associated with a gain in the other person's outcomes). Conversely, we predict that traits representative of agreeableness will be rated as more relevant to situations with correspondent outcomes than to situations with non-correspondent outcomes. An experiment found the expected trait X situation interaction revealing that subjects expect certain types of traits to be most relevant to specific types of situations. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Themes and Variations in Apicomplexan Parasite Biology

Theileria parasites are eukaryotic pathogens that cause diseases in cattle in sub-Saharan Africa, with serious economic consequences. In his Perspective, [Roos][1] discusses how newly reported genome sequences for Theileria ([ Gardner et al. ][2], [ Pain et al. ][3]) give insight into Theileria biology. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/309/5731/72 [2]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/309/5731/134 [3]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/309/5731/131
Breast-feeding and jaundice.

To the Editor.— Recently Maisels and Gifford1 stated that 123 mothers who breast-fed their infants on demand while in the hospital with encouragement from nursing staff nursed on the average only six to eight times in 24 hours. Experience with unmedicated mothers at home revealed that newly born infants will breast-feed on demand ten to 12 times per day. These babies were not jaundiced. Similarly, in an earlier study in 1982, De Carvalho et al2 found significantly lower bilirubin levels in infants nursed more than eight times in 24 hours.