cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
E-060 Utilisation of the Navien Distal Intracranial Catheter for Ultra-Distal Large-Bore Intracranial Access in the Treatment of Cerebrovascular Pathologies

Background Successful neuroendovascular treatments rely on microcatheter stability from guide catheter support. We present our experience using a new large-bore, 0.058″ or 0.072″ inner diameter (ID), hyperflexible access catheter placed deep within the intracranial circulation during neurointervention. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all neurointerventions performed by the senior author during an 18-month period to identify patients in whom the Navien intracranial catheter was placed in an ultra-distal position beyond the clinoidal internal carotid artery (ICA) or the V3 segment of the vertebral artery. Procedural data collected include parent artery tortuosity, technique for Navien advancement, final intra-procedural Navien position, and peri-procedural complications. Results The Navien, either 6F 0.072” ID or 5F 0.058” ID, provided ultra-distal large-bore access in the following 11 intracranial interventions: anterior circulation aneurysm treatment with Pipeline embolisation device (PED), n=3; posterior circulation aneurysm single-stage stent-coiling, n=5; liquid embolisation of arteriovenous malformations, n=2; PED-coiling of posterior circulation aneurysm, n=1. Table 1 summarises the procedural data for these cases. The Navien was tracked into position over a Marksman microcatheter in 10/11 cases and a Headway 27 microcatheter in one case. Intra-procedural Navien positions were as follows: supraclinoid ICA, n=2; mid M1, n=1; V3–4 junction, n=2 (both using 6F Navien); distal V4, n=3; proximal basilar, n=1; proximal-mid basilar, n=1; mid basilar, n=1. No significant catheter-related complications occurred. Conclusion The Navien catheter is the newest hyperflexible access catheter that is highly trackable into ultra distal intracranial positions. It manoeuvers atraumatically to provide improved distal intracranial support for a variety of complex cerebrovascular interventions and preserves necessary ID for quality intra-procedural roadmaps/angiography. Disclosures L. Lin: None. G. Colby: None. J. Huang: None. R. Tamargo: None. A. Coon: 1; C; Stryker for SURPASS Trial and MicroVention for FRED Trial. 2; C; Covidien. 6; C; Pipeline Proctor.
An Epistemological Defence of Realism About Necessity

Is there a difference, independent of our patterns of thought, between the case in which As uniformly happen to have feature F, and the case in which As necessarily or essentially have feature F? Realists about modality answer Yes, but have been hard pressed to say what the difference is. Those who have addressed the question have said that the latter case consists in the As uniformly having F together with something extra but the specifications of the something extra have made it seem too independent of our thought, a something to which we have no epistemic access, or with which we have no causal commerce. It has been said, for example, to consist in the fact that As in other possible worlds indeed, all other possible worlds likewise have F.' Such answers call forth the objection that if realists about modality are right, there is not the least reason to suppose we are reliable at detecting the cases in which As have F essentially.2 They may also call forth a more radical objection: given an externalist view of content, one may wonder how, given this version of modal realism, we could even say or think that As have F essentially. Alternatively, realists about modality may reject the question itself, holding that the difference between the two cases is brute and unanalysable.3 But the puzzles about epistemology and reference seem to arise here too. If nothing informative can be said about the difference between what it is for As to have F
The role of physical activity enjoyment in the pathways from the social and physical environments to physical activity of early adolescent girls

Abstract Most girls experience a notable decline in physical activity (PA) in early adolescence, increasing their risk for harmful health outcomes. Enjoyment for PA (i.e., positive feelings toward PA) is a determinant of PA among girls during adolescence and sustained PA throughout adulthood. Previous studies recommended increasing girls' PA enjoyment in order to increase their PA, but did not include environmental-level strategies for how families, schools, or communities do this. To gain insight on such strategies, this study examines the role of PA enjoyment as a mediator of social and physical environments to moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA of early adolescent girls. Cross-sectional, secondary analyses, using structural equation modeling, were conducted on a U.S. national dataset of 1721 sixth grade girls from the Trial of Activity for Adolescent Girls in 2003. Mediation model fit parameters included χ2 (292, N = 1721) = 947.73 p
Configurable architecture for smart pixel research

The microprocessor industry has been striving hard to keep pace with Moore's law. Two of the principal problems have been the interconnect delay and wiring density. This paper presents a new and efficient design, implementation of an array of single bit optical RISC processors, which demonstrates the distribution of data through integrated CMOS photodetector and photoreceiver circuit. The CASPR chip incorporates an Instruction Fetch Unit (IFU) to fetch the instructions from a host computer. The Processing Element uses the stream of instructions to perform the necessary calculations. The IFU determines the branching of the instruction and gives the instructions in the correct sequence to the Processing Element. Each Processing Element (PE) consists of its Control Unit, Data path, ALU and Memory Register Bank. Communication between the PEs is effected by using nearest neighbor communication. The principal advantage of our design is that the user can decide what applications the chip needs to be used for and how. The final chip would comprise of a 4 /spl times/ 4 array of PEs with a single IFU interfacing with the host computer.
‘One Step Broken, The Great Scale’s Destroy’d’

When he has been properly drilled by his Association he both votes and votes with his will. If the party nominees win, he wins with them as spontaneously as if the Association had not dictated his act. He is not aware that he is reduced to a mere cipher. … to appear to themselves to be independent agents, yet exercise their franchise so that the party shall be victorious, electors must educate their volition to dance in their chains.
Third-Party Certifications as an Organizational Performance Liability:

Third-party accreditations and certifications can provide legitimacy or signal trustworthiness about an organization and its products or services, and with very little exception, the vast majority of research on these labels focuses on their benefits. Yet the value of becoming accredited may change dramatically over time. Little research, if any, has examined the processes through which this occurs. Here, I develop theory about three mechanisms that could each tarnish the value of accreditation and reduce its performance impact. First, “quality patching” occurs when organizations are penalized if they seek accreditation shortly after problems occur, as observers believe such pursuits reflect superficial impression-management efforts. Second, “legitimacy dilution” occurs when the value of third-party accreditations becomes diluted as third parties certify more and more businesses. Finally, “stigma transfer” occurs when a newly accredited organization experiences spillover from quality problems at other acc...
Breaking the Circular Flow: A Dynamic Programming Approach to Schumpeter

Starting with a simple Robinson Crusoe economy, then adding in sequence one, then many random variables, we consider the effect of an innovation in the means of production. We then consider a many-agent economy that utilizes money. The success of the innovation for Crusoe depends on the availability of physical goods, his decisions, and chance. The success of innovation in a money-utilizing, many-person economy depends on financing and the locus of financial control, as well as the amount of resources invested and on one or more random events. The coordination and guidance problems posed by the latter are orders of magnitude more difficult than the former. Utilizing a parallel dynamic programming approach, we present models for which the insights of Schumpeter are consistent with the observations of general equilibrium but involve a complex vista of a dynamic economy with finance and incomplete markets and a recognition of the coordination problems irrelevant to general equilibrium theory. Our simple mathematical models illustrate the breaking of the circular flow of income. Here we concentrate on the case where there is only one opportunity for innovation and consider the conditions for the emergence of a new equilibrium. When innovation may take place at any period, the outcome to any individual becomes path dependent. History counts and financial guidance is critical. We limit our modeling of the financial structure to a central bank.
Local Anesthesia in Neonatal Lumbar Puncture

The success rate of lumbar punctures was compared in neonates allocated prospectively to 0.2 to 0.5 mL of 1% lidocaine anesthesia (n=48) or a control group (n=52) in a study at the Albany Medical College of Union University, Albany, New York.
Building Rome in a day

We present a system that can match and reconstruct 3D scenes from extremely large collections of photographs such as those found by searching for a given city (e.g., Rome) on Internet photo sharing sites. Our system uses a collection of novel parallel distributed matching and reconstruction algorithms, designed to maximize parallelism at each stage in the pipeline and minimize serialization bottlenecks. It is designed to scale gracefully with both the size of the problem and the amount of available computation. We have experimented with a variety of alternative algorithms at each stage of the pipeline and report on which ones work best in a parallel computing environment. Our experimental results demonstrate that it is now possible to reconstruct cities consisting of 150K images in less than a day on a cluster with 500 compute cores.
Kinematic Wave Theory of Overland Flow

Kinematic wave (KW) theory is widely applied for modeling overland flow. The theory is comprised of (1) continuous waves, (2) formation of shocks, and (3) propagation of shocks. This paper revisits the KW concept for overland flow from fluid mechanical and mathematical points of view. Then, it develops mathematical formulations of overland flow, based on the classification of overland flow problems and the influence of storm movement and areal coverage. Depending on the class of overland flow problems, the mathematical formulation involves free boundary problems that are not known beforehand and must be solved for along with the solution of the problem. Finally, the validity of the KW concept is revisited and the accuracy of the KW approximation can be expressed by Riccati equation that describes the error for the whole hydrograph.
The Very Early Universe

At the time of nucleosynthesis, the primordial fireball consisted of electrons, protons, neutrons, photons and neutrinos.
Building Bridges: The System Administration Tools and Techniques Used to Deploy Bridges

High Performance Computing is continually growing in scope and areas of research. To cover these new areas of research, HPC has to become more flexible to handle the wide variety of workloads. As the computing becomes more flexible, the infrastructure becomes more complex to accommodate these new varied workloads.At Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, a Level 1 XSEDE Service Provider, we faced this exact problem for Bridges, our new NSF-funded configurable computing resource. This talk will cover the technical decisions that were made for Bridges, why we made them, the tools we chose, and what the users gain. We chose Openstack Ironic for system installation, Openstack for managing virtual machines, Puppet for configuration, Slurm for scheduling, Naemon, Elastic Search / Logstash / Kibana and InfluxDB for monitoring and reporting. This software gives flexibility to give the users a wide range of ways to do computing at PSC. Additionally, it gives the ability to maintain an even higher level of monitoring and reporting that changes automatically as the systems change functionality.
Barriers to implementation of the FUSE program.

The Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) developed The Fundamental Use of Surgical Energy (FUSE) Program to promote safe use of energy devices in the operating room and endoscopy suite. Utilization of the program has been slower than anticipated. This study aims to determine the barriers to implementing FUSE. An anonymous survey was distributed to a surgery department at an academic teaching hospital (n = 256). Participants indicated their level of training. Answers were measured using a 5-point Likert scale. There were 94 (36.7%) respondents to the survey from September 7 to 20, 2016. Fifteen surveys were incomplete, leaving 79 responses for analysis. Most respondents were at the faculty level (45/79, 57.0%). The majority had heard of FUSE (62/79, 78.5%), but only 19 had completed the certification (19/62, 32.3%). There was no difference in the completion rate between faculty and trainees (26.7 vs. 20.6%, OR 1.4, 95% CI 0.49–4.06, p = 0.53). The most common reasons for not taking the exam were lack of time to study (26/43, 60.5%) and lack of time to take the exam (28/43, 62.1%); however, cost was not a barrier (12/43, 27.9%). The majority identified a personal learning gap regarding the safe use of surgical energy (30/43, 69.7%). Of the 19 FUSE-certified respondents, reasons cited for completing the exam included wanting to prevent adverse events to patients and in the operating room (17/19, 89.5% and 17/19, 89.5%), and the belief that the course would make them a safer surgeon (16/19, 84.2%). FUSE teaches the proper use of radiofrequency energy, how to prevent unnecessary injury, and promotes safe practice. Close to three out of every four surgeons self-identified a personal knowledge gap regarding the safe use of surgical energy. Time restraints were cited most commonly as the barrier to starting and completing FUSE. Integrating the FUSE program into resident educational conferences, faculty grand rounds, or national conferences may help improve participation and drive adoption of FUSE certification.
Worlds Collide: Exploring the Use of Social Media Technologies for Online Learning

Models of distance education have evolved over decades, just in time to collide with modern pedagogies in which communication, interaction, student engagement, and active learning are of critical importance. The social media technologies encompass a wide variety of Web-based technologies such as blogs, wikis, online social networking, and virtual worlds. This paper examines the relevant published literature, looking at online learning activities through the prism of the defining characteristics of today’s new communication technologies.
NK Cell and NKT Cell Immunotherapy

NK cells are a vital component of our innate immune system and serve a variety of biologic functions, including the eradication of tumor. Their importance in preventing leukemic relapse after stem cell transplantation is well documented. The cytotoxic activity of NK cells is regulated by activating and inhibitory signals resulting from interactions between their cell surface receptors and ligands expressed on potential targets. NK cells may destroy tumors directly, or may participate in antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). The function of NK cells can be augmented by the use of drugs, cytokines, or through genetic modifications. NK cells may also be expanded, ex vivo, for use in adoptive immunotherapy. NKT cells possess features of both the innate and adaptive immune system, and express an invariant T cell receptor (iNKT cells) that recognizes glycolipid antigens in the context of the MHC class-I-like CD1d molecule. iNKT cells are also being utilized for cancer immunotherapy.
Clinical potential of implantable wireless sensors for orthopedic treatments.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Implantable wireless sensors have been used for real-time monitoring of chemicals and physical conditions of bones, tendons and muscles to diagnose and study orthopedic diseases and injuries. Due to the importance of these sensors in orthopedic care, a critical review, which not only analyzes the underlying technologies but also their clinical implementations and challenges, will provide a landscape view on their current state and their future clinical role.Areas covered: By conducting an extensive literature search and following the leaders of orthopedic implantable wireless sensors, this review covers the battery-powered and battery-free wireless implantable sensor technologies, and describes their implementation for hips, knees, spine, and shoulder stress/strain monitoring. Their advantages, limitations, and clinical challenges are also described.Expert commentary: Currently, implantable wireless sensors are mostly limited for scientific investigations and demonstrative experiment...
CONTROL OF NATURAL CYTOTOXICITY IN THE REGIONAL LYMPH NODE IN BREAST CANCER

Publisher Summary This chapter examines the control of natural cytotoxicity in the regional lymph node in breast cancer. The potential importance of natural cell-mediated cytotoxicity or natural killer (NK) activity in host defense against spontaneous neoplastic growth has been clearly indicated in studies of natural resistance to tumor growth in experimental animals. Regional lymph node cell (RLNC) from patients 1 and 2 had significant endogeneous NK activity following 18 h preculture. Addition of α interferon during preculture had an incremental effect on the anti-K562 activity of RLNC #2 but not RLNC #1. The simultaneous addition of αIFN and OKT-3 during preculture was additionally augmenting. RLNC #3 did not have NK activity but was susceptible to some augmentation by αIFN that was slightly greater when OKT-3 was simultaneously added. OKT-3 alone during 18 h preculture did not augment the cytotoxicity of RLNC #3. The anti-K562 activity of RLNC #4 was significantly increased by OKT-3 and OKT-3 with IFN but not by IFN alone. The augmentation observed is important because an initially NK-negative population of cells was converted to NK positive functional expression.
It’s a Random world

Random semiconductors, alloys, and magnetic materials have recently received considerable attention by solid state physicists, and a variety of theoretical approaches have been developed. However, these developments are only part of an extensive history of randomness in physical situations. This paper is a report on some of the related history in other fields where randomness has been an ingredient; a basic bibliography is provided.
Use of Functional Assessment in Children with Developmental Disabilities

Comprehensive functional assessment of mobility, self-care, and communicative and cognitive skills is essential for health and rehabilitation professionals involved with children with developmental disabilities. Our purpose is to describe the conceptual framework, overall purpose, interdisciplinary effort, and pilot use of the Functional Independence Measure for Children (WeeFIM). In our work to date we have discovered how much we have to learn from children, families, and educators about the complexity and challenges of becoming functionally independent.
Gut Microbes Join the Social Network

The gut microbiome is increasingly implicated in the regulation of social behavior across model organisms. In this issue of Neuron, Sgritta et al. (2018) examine the role of the gut microbiome in social reward circuits and sociability in three mouse models of autism spectrum disorder.
Time Resolved Temperature Measurement of Single Gold Structures via Luminescence Thermometry

Here we report the use of luminescence thermometry to measure the temperature decay from single gold structure into the substrate of AlGaN:Er3+ film. We looked at Er3+ ion photoluminescence upon illumination by modulated 532 nm laser and recorded time-resolved luminescence of 2H11/2 → 4I15/2 and the 4S3/2 → 4I15/2 energy transitions. We calculated the heat generated from gold microdisk and observed the rate of heat dissipation to the environment. We directly calculated the absolute thermal conductivity of 1.7 W/mK for AlGaN: Er3+ film which was in agreement with the literature.
The Tabula Fabulas: Re-Reading Hemingway’s First Narratives

Inquiry in this chapter develops a corrective reading of Hemingway’s first high school narratives, reading against the grain of a critical tradition and the author’s assessment, signifying these stories as “childish stuff” worthy of “the wastebasket.” These Tabula narratives are posited as yet another delayed effect of traumatic wounding rooted in the familiar and the familial. “Manitou” and “Sepi” are read as trauma narratives through the critical lens of trauma theory, with particular emphasis given to the tropes of betrayal, crime, the beast, entrapment, and an animistic world view as a form of narrative repair. These Tabula fabulas are contextualized within a broader “aesthetics of anxiety” that characterizes the literary tradition of the uncanny. Inquiry concludes by elaborating the deep implications of these first narratives for Hemingway’s high modernist art.
Large-Scale Changes in Animal and Plant Terrestrial Communities

The fossil record of terrestrial plants and animals is reviewed and discussed within the context of large-scale patterns in the composition and taxonomic richness of assemblages through time. The evolution of vertebrates is seen to be closely tied to the use of terrestrial plants as food. However, until the Permian it appears that the major herbivores were terrestrial arthropods. From the Middle to Upper Devonian, the tetrapods may have been limited to the primary productivity of seas and lakes, since terrestrial plant communities were limited in biomass and geographic range. Simultaneous with the appearance of arborescent pteridophyte communities and the diversification of insects, tetrapods diversified and radiated into numerous niches. By the Permian, some tetrapods appear to have become specialized as herbivores. The earliest reptiles appear to have been insectivores. Tetrapod herbivory coincides with a decline in the pteridophyte-dominated flora and the Paleoptera-dominated insect fauna. These latter two changes are explicable in terms of a general shift in global climate to mesic and xeric conditions. The radiation of reptiles shows the repeated occurrence of herbivorous lineages. By the Triassic-Jurassic, synapsid amniotes achieved mammal-like dentition and possibly endothermy. By the end of the Mesozoic, tetrapods appear to have diversified into most if not all of the ecologic roles currently occupied by mammals and cursorial birds. The physiologic advantages of endothermy appear not to have become significant until the end of the Mesozoic and the beginning of the Cenozoic. With a global change to cooler conditions, nocturnal activity capable of capitalizing on the protein-rich and diverse insect fauna appears to have become important.
Abstract 478: Identifying Signaling Pathways Regulated by Trophoblasts in Placental Vascular Development Using 3D Tissue Models

The placenta is an essential yet transient organ that supports healthy pregnancy and normal fetal development. Placental vascular dysfunction is associated with preeclampsia, HELLP (hemolysis, elev...
Harnessing wearable device data to improve state-level real-time surveillance of influenza-like illness in the USA: a population-based study.

Summary Background Acute infections can cause an individual to have an elevated resting heart rate (RHR) and change their routine daily activities due to the physiological response to the inflammatory insult. Consequently, we aimed to evaluate if population trends of seasonal respiratory infections, such as influenza, could be identified through wearable sensors that collect RHR and sleep data. Methods We obtained de-identified sensor data from 200 000 individuals who used a Fitbit wearable device from March 1, 2016, to March 1, 2018, in the USA. We included users who wore a Fitbit for at least 60 days and used the same wearable throughout the entire period, and focused on the top five states with the most Fitbit users in the dataset: California, Texas, New York, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. Inclusion criteria included having a self-reported birth year between 1930 and 2004, height greater than 1 m, and weight greater than 20 kg. We excluded daily measurements with missing RHR, missing wear time, and wear time less than 1000 min per day. We compared sensor data with weekly estimates of influenza-like illness (ILI) rates at the state level, as reported by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), by identifying weeks in which Fitbit users displayed elevated RHRs and increased sleep levels. For each state, we modelled ILI case counts with a negative binomial model that included 3-week lagged CDC ILI rate data (null model) and the proportion of weekly Fitbit users with elevated RHR and increased sleep duration above a specified threshold (full model). We also evaluated weekly change in ILI rate by linear regression using change in proportion of elevated Fitbit data. Pearson correlation was used to compare predicted versus CDC reported ILI rates. Findings We identified 47 249 users in the top five states who wore a Fitbit consistently during the study period, including more than 13·3 million total RHR and sleep measures. We found the Fitbit data significantly improved ILI predictions in all five states, with an average increase in Pearson correlation of 0·12 (SD 0·07) over baseline models, corresponding to an improvement of 6·3–32·9%. Correlations of the final models with the CDC ILI rates ranged from 0·84 to 0·97. Week-to-week changes in the proportion of Fitbit users with abnormal data were associated with week-to-week changes in ILI rates in most cases. Interpretation Activity and physiological trackers are increasingly used in the USA and globally to monitor individual health. By accessing these data, it could be possible to improve real-time and geographically refined influenza surveillance. This information could be vital to enact timely outbreak response measures to prevent further transmission of influenza cases during outbreaks. Funding Partly supported by the US National Institutes of Health National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.
Intraperitoneal chemotherapy following neoadjuvant chemotherapy and optimal interval tumor reductive surgery for advanced ovarian cancer.

Abstract Objectives Intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and interval tumor reductive surgery (TRS) for advanced ovarian cancer is feasible, however, the impact on disease outcomes remains unclear. We compare outcomes of patients treated with IP chemotherapy versus intravenous (IV) chemotherapy following NACT and interval TRS. Methods In this retrospective review, patients with advanced ovarian cancer were included if they received NACT followed by optimal interval TRS between 1/2004 and 4/2017. Patients were excluded if they had an ECOG PS >1, received >6 cycles of NACT or postoperative chemotherapy, and/or received bevacizumab during primary therapy. Primary outcomes were progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Results There were 134 patients included in this study, 37 (28%) received IP and 97 (72%) received IV chemotherapy postoperatively. Patients in the IV group were older (median 66.3 vs 59.7 years, p = 0.0039) though there were no differences in BMI, race, BRCA status, stage, or histology. Median PFS was 3 months longer in the IP group (14.5 versus 11.5 months, p = 0.028) however there was no significant difference in OS. On univariate analysis, increasing number of NACT cycles (HR 1.914, 95% CI 1.024–3.497) and residual disease at completion of TRS (HR 1.541, 95% CI 1.042–2.248) were associated with decreased PFS; IP chemotherapy was associated with increased PFS (HR 0.633, 95% CI 0.414–0.944). These associations remained on multivariate analysis. Toxicity was comparable between the groups. Conclusions IP after NACT and optimal interval TRS was associated with in improved PFS compared to IV chemotherapy without significant differences in toxicity.
Deoxyribozyme-based method for absolute quantification of N6-methyladenosine fractions at specific sites of RNA

N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent modified base in eukaryotic mRNA and long noncoding RNA. Although candidate sites for the m6A modification are identified at the transcriptomic level, methods for site-specific quantification of absolute m6A modification levels are still limited. Herein, we present a facile method implementing a deoxyribozyme, VMC10, which preferentially cleaves the unmodified RNA. We leveraged reverse transcription and real-time quantitative PCR along with key control experiments to quantify the methylation fraction of specific m6A sites. We validated the accuracy of this method with synthetic RNA in which methylation fractions ranged from 0 to 100% and applied our method to several endogenous sites that were previously identified in sequencing-based studies. This method provides a time- and cost-effective approach for absolute quantification of the m6A fraction at specific loci, with the potential for multiplexed quantifications, expanding the current toolkit for studying RNA modifications.
Bidirectional interaction between intestinal microbiome and cancer: opportunities for therapeutic interventions

Gut microbiota composition influences the balance between human health and disease. Increasing evidence suggests the involvement of microbial factors in regulating cancer development, progression, and therapeutic response. Distinct microbial species have been implicated in modulating gut environment and architecture that affects cancer therapy outcomes. While some microbial species offer enhanced cancer therapy response, others diminish cancer treatment efficacy. In addition, use of antibiotics, often to minimize infection risks in cancer, causes intestinal dysbiosis and proves detrimental. In this review we discuss the role of gut microbiota in cancer development and therapy. We also provide insights into future strategies to manipulate the microbiome and gut epithelial barrier to augment therapeutic responses while minimizing toxicity or infection risks.
Health, Well-being, and Structural Violence After Sociopolitical Revolution

The skeleton responds to stresses endured by people throughout their lives, including pressures exerted through social or political avenues. This makes bone an important supplement to written records in understanding how large-scale sociopolitical processes affect daily life. This project explores how the transition into Portugal’s procorporate Estado Novo regime affected urban working class health, well-being, and behavior. Demographic information and historical documents were paired with skeletal assessments of health and physical activity for early-to-mid-twentieth-century Lisboans. Results show declines to general population health and life expectancy and evidence of intensified workload, with the greatest effects seen during the 1930s and 1940s (during the Estado Novo). These quality of life declines seem at conflict with historical reports showing strong economic growth during the Estado Novo, trends that largely endured through disruptions associated with World War II. Similar patterns have beendetected in populations with marked stratification where benefits funnel disproportionately to upper classes. These results underscore the importance of supplementing archival data with skeletal assessments to understand the full impact of sociopolitical change and economic policy on the working class.
Allograft Interposition Bone Graft for First Metatarsal Phalangeal Arthrodesis: Salvage After Bone Loss and Shortening of the First Ray.

Background:Previous studies have demonstrated success in using autogenous bone graft for arthrodesis in patients with failed surgeries of the hallux. These patients have several causes for pain and...
Differential Impact of Inhibitory G-Protein Signaling Pathways in Ventral Tegmental Area Dopamine Neurons on Behavioral Sensitivity to Cocaine and Morphine.

Abstract Drugs of abuse engage overlapping but distinct molecular and cellular mechanisms to enhance dopamine (DA) signaling in the mesocorticolimbic circuitry. DA neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are key substrates of drugs of abuse and have been implicated in addiction-related behaviors. Enhanced VTA DA neurotransmission evoked by drugs of abuse can engage inhibitory G-protein-dependent feedback pathways, mediated by GABAB receptors (GABABRs) and D2 DA receptors (D2Rs). Chemogenetic inhibition of VTA DA neurons potently suppressed baseline motor activity, as well as the motor-stimulatory effect of cocaine and morphine, confirming the critical influence of VTA DA neurons and inhibitory G-protein signaling in these neurons on this addiction-related behavior. To resolve the relative influence of GABABR-dependent and D2R-dependent signaling pathways in VTA DA neurons on behavioral sensitivity to drugs of abuse, we developed a neuron-specific viral CRISPR/Cas9 approach to ablate D2R and GABABR in VTA DA neurons. Ablation of GABABR or D2R did not impact baseline physiological properties or excitability of VTA DA neurons, but it did preclude the direct somatodendritic inhibitory influence of GABABR or D2R activation. D2R ablation potentiated the motor-stimulatory effect of cocaine in male and female mice, whereas GABABR ablation selectively potentiated cocaine-induced activity in male subjects only. Neither D2R nor GABABR ablation impacted morphine-induced motor activity. Collectively, our data show that cocaine and morphine differ in the extent to which they engage inhibitory G-protein-dependent feedback pathways in VTA DA neurons and highlight key sex differences that may impact susceptibility to various facets of addiction.
The Dangers of Psychiatry: Subjectivity and the Enforcement of the Norm

As a social science that attempts to classify, treat, and prevent mental, emotional and behavioral disorders as they exhibit themselves in humans, psychiatry not only attempts to formulate a normative conception of what a human is, but also develops a social construct of what a human ought to be. Such a categorization of human beings does not disregard variance and differences between individuals, it does take into account the wildly different personalities, behaviorisms, and thought structures of individuals across historical, cultural, kin, and social lines. Human beings are not a unitary entity operating within the framework of a singularity, rather they are distinct and separated individual agents with their own biological makeup that is ultimately affected by social influences. That is to say, from the extroverted outgoing human to the introverted reclusive human, from the everyday layperson to the dedicated scholar, humans differ. Upon these differences rise clusters of social networks that build upon individuals’ preconceived notions of values, ethics, morals, and beliefs that ultimately form societies with social structures based upon the aggregate sum of these individual notions. Which brings the author to the point of wondering merriment as to how, from these individual islands of division and aggregated masses of differences that an entire field of study has not only developed, but has taken root as an executor of what it perceives to be a standardized set of norms classified within manuals and handbooks. Due to the subjective nature of humans and their unpredictability given their different biological makeup, familial upbringing, genetic predispositions, social frameworks, and social context, the field of psychiatry by basing itself on diagnosing, treating, and preventing mental and emotional and behavioral disorder begs the question of what exactly is a disorder.
Prevention of Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Pregnancy Prevention Among Native American Youths: A Randomized Controlled Trial, 2016-2018.

Objectives. To evaluate the efficacy of the Respecting the Circle of Life program (RCL) among Native American youths 11 to 19 years of age residing in a rural reservation community in the southwest...
Abstract 10: Lipid Biomarkers Predict the Effect of Hormone Therapy on Coronary Heart Disease Risk: A Secondary Analysis of the Heart and Estrogen/Progestin Replacement Study

Introduction: Two large randomized trials (HERS and WHI) showed that among postmenopausal women, combined estrogen and progestin hormone therapy (HT) use does not on average reduce the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD). Previous analyses have suggested baseline Lp(a) and LDL cholesterol modify the effect of HT on CHD risk. Hypothesis: Stratifying women based on a combination of their baseline Lp(a) and LDL levels may identify women whose CHD risk is likely to increase or decrease from the use of HT. Methods: We performed subgroup analyses by baseline LDL and Lp(a) levels of the effect of HT on CHD in HERS. Prior to the development of risk categories, we randomly split the HERS study population (n=2763) into equal-sized derivation and validation cohorts. In the derivation cohort, we assessed how 10-point differences in baseline LDL and Lp(a) concentrations influenced the effect of HT on CHD risk. Based on these observations, we created criteria for categorizing patients into four risk categories then tested the categories in the validation cohort. Results: In the validation cohort, for patients meeting benefit criteria, average risk criteria, and increased risk criteria, the hazard ratios (HR) for HT on CHD events were 0.55, 0.76, and 1.83 respectively. A subset of the increased risk group meeting the contraindication criteria showed a HR for HT on CHD of 5.3 and a number needed to treat to cause one CHD event of four. Conclusions: There appears to be a population with substantially increased risk of CHD from HT. There also appears to be a population who benefits from HT as secondary prevention for CHD. There may be clinical utility in testing lipid levels before initiating HT for symptomatic treatment of menopausal symptoms or testing Lp(a) in women with a previous CHD event and offering HT to those who meet the benefit criteria. Investigating whether the decreased risk seen in women who meet the benefit criteria proves to be similar in women without previous CHD could yield valuable information with important public health impact. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Exterior atmospherics and consumer behavior

Purpose – To fill a gap in external atmospheric literature and provide useful information for small store retailers, this study aims to investigate the influence of external atmospheric variables, specifically window displays and landscaping (i.e., accessory vegetation), on customers’ responses towards an apparel boutique.Design/methodology/approach – The Stimulus‐Organism‐Response (S‐O‐R) model proposed by Mehrabian and Russell provided the theoretical framework. Data were collected from students enrolled at an American university. Univariate analyses and simple regression analyses were used to evaluate the influence of two external variables (window display and landscaping) on consumer responses in terms of liking, mood, and patronage intentions.Findings – Results indicated that window display and landscaping had no main effects on pleasure or arousal. However, the presence of window display and landscaping influenced respondents’ liking of the store exterior and patronage intentions. Additionally, cons...
Regulation of PGE2 and PGI2 release from human umbilical vein endothelial cells by actin cytoskeleton

Disruption of microfilaments in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) with cytochalasin D (cytD) or latrunculin A (latA) resulted in a 3.3- to 5.7-fold increase in total synthesis of prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) and a 3.4- to 6.5-fold increase in prostacyclin (PGI(2)) compared with control cells. Disruption of the microtubule network with nocodazole or colchicine increased synthesis of PGE(2) 1.7- to 1.9-fold and PGI(2) 1.9- to 2.0-fold compared with control cells. Interestingly, however, increased release of PGE(2) and PGI(2) from HUVEC into the media occurred only when microfilaments were disrupted. CytD treatment resulted in 6.7-fold more PGE(2) and 3.8-fold more PGI(2) released from HUVEC compared with control cells; latA treatment resulted in 17.7-fold more PGE(2) and 11.2-fold more PGI(2) released compared with control cells. Both increased synthesis and release of prostaglandins in response to all drug treatments were completely inhibited by NS-398, a specific inhibitor of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Disruption of either microfilaments using cytD or latA or of microtubules using nocodazole or colchicine resulted in a significant increase in COX-2 protein levels, suggesting that the increased synthesis of prostaglandins in response to drug treatments may result from increased activity of COX-2. These results, together with studies demonstrating a vasoprotective role for prostaglandins, suggest that the cytoskeleton plays an important role in maintenance of endothelial barrier function by regulating prostaglandin synthesis and release from HUVEC.
On the ethical use of placebos

Sham drugs, fake therapies and non-effective treatments have long been used to placate patients and are often referred to as ‘placebos’. Placebos are used regularly as controls for clinical drug trials but their use as therapeutic modalities in their own right is controversial. This article combines my experience as a consultant surgeon with the insight of also being a magician, and member of The Magic Circle, UK, in viewing the world of deception and delusion in health care. This perspective endorses the use of placebos within the paradigm of ethical care based on patients giving fully informed consent. This means that unless and until there is generally accepted plausible evidence that a specific complementary or alternative medicine (CAM) or practice produces outcomes better than those produced by therapeutic encounters with attentive empathic practitioners alone, it should be accepted that the CAM therapy works through the mechanism of a placebo response – and that is what patients should be told. That may diminish the beneficial effects of the CAM/placebo therapy, but the placebo response will not be entirely negated – honesty and intellectual integrity should trump the convenience of the practitioner.
Control of yeast gene expression by transposable elements: maximum expression requires a functional Ty activator sequence and a defective Ty promoter.

Abstract Integration of a transposable element adjacent to a gene frequently results in an alteration in expression of the nearby gene. The purpose of our experiments was to identify cis-acting sequences within a yeast transposon (Ty) that are important for expression of the adjacent gene. The role of these sequences in Ty transcription was also analyzed in order to examine the relationship between Ty and adjacent gene expression. Three naturally occurring Ty elements located at the HIS4 locus were examined. These Ty elements differed by multiple sequence changes and had different effects on HIS4 expression. To determine which sequences were important to Ty and HIS4 expression, Ty::lacZ and Ty::HIS4::lacZ fusion genes were constructed and analyzed. Results of these experiments indicated that a sequence element is present in the Ty epsilon region that is necessary for HIS4 expression but which has only a modest effect on Ty transcription. Additionally, a mutation in the Ty promoter region decreased Ty transcription and increased HIS4 expression. The opposite effects of this mutation on Ty and adjacent gene expression were probably caused by promoter competition.
β-Blockade and Operative Mortality in Noncardiac Surgery: Harmful or Helpful?

Importance The use of perioperative pharmacologic β-blockade in patients at low risk of myocardial ischemic events undergoing noncardiac surgery (NCS) is controversial because of the risk of stroke and hypotension. Published studies have not found a consistent benefit in this cohort. Objective To determine the effect of perioperative β-blockade on patients undergoing NCS, particularly those with no risk factors. Design, Setting, and Participants This is a retrospective observational analysis of patients undergoing surgery in Veterans Affairs hospitals from October 1, 2008, through September 31, 2013. Methods β-Blocker use was determined if a dose was ordered at any time between 8 hours before surgery and 24 hours postoperatively. Data from the Veterans Affairs electronic database included demographics, diagnosis and procedural codes, medications, perioperative laboratory values, and date of death. A 4-point cardiac risk score was calculated by assigning 1 point each for renal failure, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, and surgery in a major body cavity. Previously validated linear regression models for all hospitalized acute care medical or surgical patients were used to calculate predicted mortality and then to calculate odds ratios (ORs). Main Outcomes and Measures The end point was 30-day surgical mortality. Results There were 326 489 patients in this cohort: 314 114 underwent NCS and 12 375 underwent cardiac surgery. β-Blockade lowered the OR for mortality significantly in patients with 3 to 4 cardiac risk factors undergoing NCS (OR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.43-0.93). It had no effect on patients with 1 to 2 risk factors. However, β-blockade resulted in a significantly higher chance of death in patients (OR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.06-1.35) with no risk factors undergoing NCS. Conclusions and Relevance In this large series, β-blockade appears to be beneficial perioperatively in patients with high cardiac risk undergoing NCS. However, the use of β-blockers in patients with no cardiac risk factors undergoing NCS increased risk of death in this patient cohort.
Transhydrogenase and anaerobic phosphorylation in Hymenolepis diminuta mitchondria

1. l. It has been confirmed that the malic enzyme of the cestode Hymenolepis diminuta has a specific requirement for NADP. 2. 2. A non-energy linked mitochondrial NADPH-NAD transhydrogenase is present in this tapeworm which should allow for the generation of intramitochondrial NADH. 3. 3. An aerobic, malate dependent, electron transport associated net phosphorylation system which is sensitive to uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation and a number of anticestodal agents has been demonstrated in H. diminuta mitochondria.