cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Risk factors for venous thromboembolism after acute trauma: A population-based case-cohort study

Abstract Background Predictors of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after trauma are uncertain. Objective To identify independent predictors of VTE after acute trauma. Methods Using Rochester Epidemiology Project (REP) resources, we identified all Olmsted County, MN residents with objectively-diagnosed incident VTE within 92 days after hospitalization for acute trauma over the 18-year period, 1988–2005. We also identified all Olmsted County residents hospitalized for acute trauma over this time period and chose one to two residents frequency-matched to VTE cases on sex, event year group and ICD-9-CM trauma code predictive of surgery. In a case-cohort study, demographic, baseline and time-dependent characteristics were tested as predictors of VTE after trauma using Cox proportional hazards modeling. Results Among 200 incident VTE cases, the median (interquartile range) time from trauma to VTE was 18 (6, 41) days. Of these, 62% cases developed VTE after hospital discharge. In a multiple variable model including 370 cohort members, patient age at injury, male sex, increasing injury severity as reflected by the Trauma Mortality Prediction Model (TMPM) Mortality Score, immobility prior to trauma, soft tissue leg injury, and prior superficial vein thrombosis were independent predictors of VTE (C-statistic = 0.78). Conclusions We have identified clinical characteristics which can identify patients at increased risk for VTE after acute trauma, independent of surgery. Almost two thirds of all incident VTE events occurred after initial hospital discharge (18 day median time from trauma to VTE) which questions current practice of not extending VTE prophylaxis beyond hospital discharge.
Prediction of Progressive Damage at the Fiber/Matrix Scale Using Cohesive Zone Elements

Microscale failure analyses can predict failure properties to be used at larger scales and provide insight into the effect of microstructural variation. This is especially important in material design, since experimental measurement of failure properties for a wide variety composite materials can be expensive. This paper discusses the challenges of applying a cohesive zone model at the microscale and uses interfacial elements governed by a cohesive zone formulation in microscale analyses to predict cohesive zone properties for a graphite fiber-epoxy composite laminate under transverse tension. Current properties used in the literature lead to an oddity that the predicted strain at final failure can be more than 100%, which is not realistic. A discussion on material properties used at the microscale and this issue was given. Simple 1D cohesive zone models were used to provide insight into the causes of numerical instabilities in cohesive zone models, and some improved methods were proposed and tested. The convergence behavior for random fiber/matrix analyses was studied, exploring the performance of standard nonlinear methods, the effect of mesh refinement, and the effect of using a random distribution of properties. Multiple RVE sizes were used to predict cohesive zone properties for an IM7/5250-4 ply. The predicted transverse tensile strength of the composite was not very sensitive to the RVE size but was higher than an experimentally measured value. The predicted strain energy release rate was shown to strongly depend on the RVE size.
A re-examination of the upstream influence scaling and similarity laws for 3-D shock wave/turbulent boundary layer interactions

The present paper considers the proposed concept of conical and cylindrical flows and the sharply defined boundaiy between them which has been proposed by previous authors. The present analysis shows that the conical/cylindrical designations and boundaries are only approximations, and the conical proposal is only locally applicable. The present authors propose a "near" and "far" flowfield model, but limitation of the present experimental work makes a final resolution of the problem uncertain.
Proliferating cell nuclear antigen immunoreactivity in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and benign cervical epithelium

In the normal ectocervix, mitoses are rare and are usually confined to the basal layers. In contrast, they occur more frequently in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and are seen at higher levels, suggesting that CIN may be associated with a progressive dysfunction in proliferative activity of cervical cells. The objective of this study was to use proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) immunohistochemistry to examine the proliferative activity of cervical epithelial cells in CIN lesions. Sixty-eight cervical biopsies were examined; 20 were totally benign, 14 had CIN I, 21 CIN II, and 13 CIN III. In benign epithelia, PCNA staining was usually confined to the basal layers, whereas in CIN the staining was seen at progressively higher levels of the epithelium. There was a statistically significant correlation between the CIN grade and the highest level of PCNA staining (PCNA grade, r = 0.746, P < 0.001). In addition, the PCNA grade showed significant correlation with the highest level at which mitoses were seen (mitosis grade, r = 0.706, P < 0.001), and a strong direct correlation between the mitosis and CIN grades was also observed ( r = 0.955, P < 0.001). These data demonstrate that (1) PCNA immunoreactivity in neoplastic cervical epithelium is different from that seen in the normal cervix, suggesting that CIN is associated with a dysfunctional proliferation of cervical epithelium, (2) that there is a significant correlation between the PCNA grade and CIN grades, and (3) the “mitosis grades” have a strong correlation with the CIN grades.
Cyclosporin A promotes tumor angiogenesis in a calcineurin-independent manner by increasing mitochondrial reactive oxygen species.

The widely used immunosuppressant cyclosporin A, a potent calcineurin inhibitor, significantly increases the incidence of cancer in organ transplant patients. Calcineurin signaling is an important mediator of VEGF signaling in endothelial cells. Negative regulation of calcineurin by its endogenous inhibitor, Down Syndrome Candidate Region-1 (DSCR1), suppresses tumor growth and angiogenesis, in contrast to the effect observed after long-term cyclosporin A treatment. Despite the significance of calcineurin signaling in endothelial cells, the consequences of cyclosporin A on tumor angiogenesis have not been investigated. Using an in vivo model of skin carcinogenesis, prolonged treatment with cyclosporin A promoted tumor growth and angiogenesis. The addition of cyclosporin A to endothelial cells in vitro increased proliferation and migration in a calcineurin-independent manner and is associated with increased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS). Co-treatment with antioxidants significantly abrogated cyclosporin A–induced endothelial cell activation. Furthermore, mice treated with antioxidants were protected against cyclosporin A–mediated tumor progression. Taken together, these findings suggest that cyclosporin A affects endothelial cells in a calcineurin-independent manner to potentiate tumor growth by promoting tumor angiogenesis through increasing mitochondrial ROS production. This work identifies a previously undescribed mechanism underlying a significantly adverse off-target effect of cyclosporin A and suggests that co-treatment with antioxidants would inhibit the tumor-promoting effects of cyclosporin A. Implications: Targeting the proangiogenic effects of cyclosporin A may be useful in the management of transplant-associated cancers. Mol Cancer Res; 12(11); 1663–76. ©2014 AACR.
LEFT ATRIAL APPENDAGE CLOSURE DURING ROUTINE CARDIAC SURGERY INCREASES THE RISK OF POSTOPERATIVE ATRIAL FIBRILLATION AND DOES NOT REDUCE THE RISK OF STROKE: A PROPENSITY SCORE MATCHED ANALYSIS OF 9,833 PATIENTS

Prophylactic exclusion of the LAA is often performed during cardiac surgery to reduce the risk of stroke in patients with AF. However, the clinical impact and efficacy of LAA closure for stroke protection in humans remains inconclusive. We conducted a retrospective study of 9,833 adults, mean age
Writing as Social Disclosure: A Hundred Years Ago and Now

In this chapter, MacIntyre examines whether writing still functions as a form of social disclosure. His thesis is that academic philosophers now, in the main, give us little reason to make thought about poverty central to our lives, let alone to be affronted or disquieted by it. We no longer see the gross inequalities of our economic system as a practical denial of our common humanity. MacIntyre contrasts our current situation with the debate about poverty at the start of the twentieth century, a debate in which the writings of George Bernard Shaw and G.K. Chesterton were central. MacIntyre argues that this public debate was philosophical, but not academic, and one in which poverty was recognised as a great evil.
Resistance management of Musca domestica to deltamethrin

Objective To determine the susceptibility to several common used insecticide mixture of deltamethrin-resistant Culex pipiens pallens,to delay and overcome the occurrence and development of resistance,utilize the insecticides used on public health selectively and control insects.Methods Topical application method was used and finncy probability analyses software was used for LD50 calculation.Results The resistance of Musca domestica to deltamethrin+phoixm,deltamethrin+DDT,deltamethrin+PB+dioxacarb,permethrin+ malathion,permethrin+BMPC+tetramethrin,permethrin+PB+DDT,cypermethrin+BHC,cypermethrin+propoxur,cypermethrin+PB+trichlorphon,resmethrin+phoxim+DDVP,resmethrin+propoxur and resmethrin+PB+BHC were respectively 4.167 9,6.813 7,3.276 8,11.217 0,9.375 0,16.143 0,9.788 8,7.847 6,4.100 2,3.180 0,4.001 0,6.964 9.Conclusion If Musca domestica had resistance to deltamethrin,mixture use of synthetical pyrethroids with organophosphate or carbamate insecticides may provide better control efficacy.
Depth Psychology, Transference and Spirituality

(1991). Depth Psychology, Transference and Spirituality. The Linacre Quarterly: Vol. 58, No. 4, pp. 78-86.
Comparison of Nickel and Cobalt Mixed‐Metal Ferrites for Hydrogen Production using Chemical Looping

A simple model of the chemical-looping hydrogen-production system was developed to investigate the syngas reduction of and H2O/O2 oxidation of Fe2O3, CoFe2O4, and NiFe2O4. The model was used to calculate the metal oxide reduction conversion in a packed-bed reactor (PBR) before breakthrough of CO/H2, the reduction product gas composition, the steam necessary to fully oxidize the reduced material, and the steam-associated energy requirements and to analyze the possibility of hybrid H2O/O2 oxidation for H2 and electricity generation. Model results were compared to laboratory PBR experimental results with additional analysis by thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and temperature-programmed reduction for each material. Use of NiFe2O4 and CoFe2O4 was found to increase the flexibility of the chemical-looping hydrogen process, which allowed more H2 production than is currently possible with Fe-based materials while maintaining the ability for electricity generation from supplemental O2 oxidation. The mixed-metal spinel materials were ideally suited for converting lower quality syngas into H2 by lower temperature reactions.
"It was five years of hell": Parental experiences of navigating and processing the slow and arduous time to pediatric resective epilepsy surgery.

Abstract Objective Children with medically refractory epilepsy stand to benefit from surgery and live a life free of seizures. However, a large proportion of potentially eligible children do not receive a timely referral for a surgical evaluation. We aimed to describe experiences during the arduous time before the referral and the parent-reported facilitators that helped them move forward through this slow time. Methods Individual semi-structured interviews with 37 parents of children who had previously undergone epilepsy surgery at UCLA (2006–2011) were recorded, transcribed, and systematically analyzed by two independent coders using thematic analysis. Clinical data were extracted from medical records. Results Parents, 41.3 years of age on average, were mostly Caucasian, English-speaking, mothers, married, and employed. The mean age at surgery for children was 8.2 years with a mean time from epilepsy onset to surgery of 5.4 years. Parental decision-making was facilitated when parents eventually received a presurgical referral and navigated to a multidisciplinary team that they trusted to care for their child with medically refractory epilepsy. Four themes described the experiences that parents used to feel a sense of moving forward. The first theme, processing, involved working through feelings and was mostly done alone. The second theme, navigating the complex unknowns of the health-care system, was more active and purposeful. Processing co-occurred with navigating in a fluid intersection, the third theme, which was evidenced by deliberate actions. The fourth theme, facilitators, explained helpful ways of processing and navigating; parents utilized these mechanisms to turn vulnerable times following the distress of their child's diagnosis into an experience of productivity. Significance To limit parental distress and remediate the slow and arduous journey to multidisciplinary care at a comprehensive epilepsy center for a surgical evaluation, we suggest multi-pronged interventions to modify barriers associated with parents, providers, and health-care systems. Based on the facilitators that moved parents of our sample forward, we provide practical suggestions such as increased peer support, developing the role of patient navigators and communication strategies with parents before, during, and after referral to a comprehensive epilepsy center and presurgical evaluation.
Tomberlin, Frege, and Guise theory: A note on the methodology of dia-philosophical comparisons

Tomberlin's comparative claims about the superiority of the De Dicto-De Re Account over Guise Theory concerning referential opacity are abortively premature. Nevertheless, he may be right. Yet the order of the day is to develop the De Re-De Dicto Account to the hilt. Not until this is done can any useful dia-philosophical comparison of the two theories yield any fruit. My deep desire is, of course, for the sheer enjoyment of experiencing the world from the perspective of each of the two views, indeed, from the perspective of other views — e.g., Frege's Sense/Referent Theory — that can be developed to the same data-encompassing stage as Guise Theory.
Complications during pregnancy and fetal development: implications for the occurrence of chronic kidney disease

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Numerous epidemiological studies indicate an inverse association between birth weight and the risk for chronic kidney disease.Areas covered: Historically, the first studies to address the developmental origins of chronic disease focused on the inverse relationship between birth weight and blood pressure. A reduction in nephron number was a consistent finding in low birth weight individuals and experimental models of developmental insult. Recent studies indicate that a congenital reduction in renal reserve in conjunction with an increase in blood pressure that has its origins in fetal life increases vulnerability to renal injury and disease.Expert commentary: Limited experimental studies have investigated the mechanisms that contribute to the developmental origins of kidney disease. Several studies suggest that enhanced susceptibility to renal injury following a developmental insult is altered by sex and age. More in-depth studies are needed to clarify how low birth weight contributes...
Functional variomics and network perturbation: connecting genotype to phenotype in cancer

Proteins interact with other macromolecules in complex cellular networks for signal transduction and biological function. In cancer, genetic aberrations have been traditionally thought to disrupt the entire gene function. It has been increasingly appreciated that each mutation of a gene could have a subtle but unique effect on protein function or network rewiring, contributing to diverse phenotypic consequences across cancer patient populations. In this Review, we discuss the current understanding of cancer genetic variants, including the broad spectrum of mutation classes and the wide range of mechanistic effects on gene function in the context of signalling networks. We highlight recent advances in computational and experimental strategies to study the diverse functional and phenotypic consequences of mutations at the base-pair resolution. Such information is crucial to understanding the complex pleiotropic effect of cancer genes and provides a possible link between genotype and phenotype in cancer.
Welcome to the Neoliberal University

As university administrators increasingly promote policies supportive of neoliberalism, an implicit shift in educational mission is insinuating its way into academic life. In this parody of a university recruitment letter, I hope to bring the subtext of that shift into comic and tragic relief.
Singular Perturbation Time-Optimal Controller for Disk Drives

One of the most important performance goals of a disk file actuator is rapid access time. The disk file actuator as incorporated within its magnetic head/disk assembly is a high-order, flexible dynamic system with unpredictable behavior due to manufacturing tolerances and temperature variations. The controller must operate within demanding limits of response time, power consumption, and storage capacity. Although the goal of rapid access time argues for a time optimal control law, the high system order necessitates approximation techniques. Further, the desire to maintain near time-optimality in the presence of temperature fluctuations and time-varying unmodeled dynamic effects motivates the need for an adaptive approach. The disk drive control problem is summarized in Reference 1.
Contributions to arachidonic acid release in mouse cerebrum by the phosphoinositide-phospholipase C and phospholipase A2 pathways.

Recent studies have indicated two major mechanisms for the release of arachidonic acid (20:4) from membrane phospholipids: 1) activation of phospholipase A2 and 2) stimulated hydrolysis of poly-phosphoinositides (PI) and diacylglycerols (DG) through phospholipase C and diacylglycerol lipase, respectively. In mammalian brain both mechanisms seem to be operable, although the relative contributions by these two pathways have not been carefully assessed. In this study three experimental protocols were used to examine 20:4 release in brain due to ischemia and agonist stimulation, as well as the metabolic relationship between this release and the increase in diacylglycerols, lysophospholipids, and inositol phosphates. The preferential release of arachidonic acid during the initial phase after decapitation was attributed mainly to the sequential hydrolysis of poly-PI to DG. During the second phase, the release of 20:4 along with other free fatty acids (FFA) correlated well with the increase in labeled lysophospholipids, suggesting the involvement of phospholipase A2. Diacylglycerols in brain are enriched in 18:0 and 20:4. Decapitation induced a rapid increase in the level of DG, which remained elevated during the 30 min period under study. Between 5 sec and 5 min, the increase in FFA lagged behind that of DG. The parallel increases in 18:0 and 20:4 in the FFA pool further support the notion that, during the early phase, 20:4 could be derived from the sequential hydrolysis of poly-PI and DG. Decapitation also induced a sequential appearance of Ins(l,4,5)P3, Ins(l,4)P2, and Ins(4)P, which peaked at 30 sec, 1 min, and 2 min, respectively. The level of 20:4 in brain was also examined with respect to poly-PI turnover due to stimulation by cholinergic agonists. Administration of pilocarpine to lithium-treated mice resulted in increased accumulation of labeled inositol monophosphate (IP1) compared to the amount in controls receiving lithium alone, as well as a less obvious increase in 20:4. Both pilocarpine-mediated increases (IP1 and 20:4) could be blocked by atropine. These results point to the presence of an active mechanism for poly-PI turnover and for the recycling of 20:4 in brain.
Diversity of Oral Biofilms in Periodontal Health and Disease

Our knowledge of the human microbiome is changing on an almost daily basis. Although the number of bacteria that colonize the human biome is still being debated [1], we now have evidence that areas in the human body that were normally considered sterile under conditions of health, for example, the placenta, joint cavities, and brain, do in fact contain bacteria [2, 3].
Mouse-tracking evidence for parallel anticipatory option evaluation

In fast-paced, dynamic tasks, the ability to anticipate the future outcome of a sequence of events is crucial to quickly selecting an appropriate course of action among multiple alternative options. There are two classes of theories that describe how anticipation occurs. Serial theories assume options are generated and evaluated one at a time, in order of quality, whereas parallel theories assume simultaneous generation and evaluation. The present research examined the option evaluation process during a task designed to be analogous to prior anticipation tasks, but within the domain of narrative text comprehension. Prior research has relied on indirect, off-line measurement of the option evaluation process during anticipation tasks. Because the movement of the hand can provide a window into underlying cognitive processes, online metrics such as continuous mouse tracking provide more fine-grained measurements of cognitive processing as it occurs in real time. In this study, participants listened to three-sentence stories and predicted the protagonists' final action by moving a mouse toward one of three possible options. Each story was presented with either one (control condition) or two (distractor condition) plausible ending options. Results seem most consistent with a parallel option evaluation process because initial mouse trajectories deviated further from the best option in the distractor condition compared to the control condition. It is difficult to completely rule out all possible serial processing accounts, although the results do place constraints on the time frame in which a serial processing explanation must operate.
Advocating for Life Support Training of Children, Parents, Caregivers, School Personnel, and the Public

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest occurs frequently among people of all ages, including more than 6000 children annually. Pediatric cardiac arrest in the out-of-hospital setting is a stressful event for family, friends, caregivers, classmates, school personnel, and witnesses. Immediate bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of automated external defibrillators are associated with improved survival in adults. There is some evidence in which improved survival in children who receive immediate bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation is shown. Pediatricians, in their role as advocates to improve the health of all children, are uniquely positioned to strongly encourage the training of children, parents, caregivers, school personnel, and the lay public in the provision of basic life support, including pediatric basic life support, as well as the appropriate use of automated external defibrillators.
Private returns to investment in higher levels of education in Kenya

Excerpt] A widespread phenomenon in less-developed countries-has been the rapid growth of schools and institutions of higher learning resulting in a so-called “education explosion." One possible explanation for the education explosion is that education is a profitable personal investment, as evidenced by high private rates of return. The high private returns are translated into demands on politicians for additional schooling spaces. To gain or maintain public favor, each politician uses his influence to try to increase the number of schools in his constituency. By this chain of events, growth of educational systems might be anticipated as long as private rates of return remain high. This would add to the already high fiscal burden of providing education and might prove to be a drain on the resources of the governments of many less developed countries. We have selected Kenya as a case study for analyzing this phenomenon. This paper has two purposes: to consider the effect of some recent developments on the private rates of return to higher levels of schooling, and to determine what would happen to the private rates of return under a number of alternative loan programs. The higher levels of education we consider in this paper are university education, secondary teacher training, primary, teacher training, and higher secondary education.
Scalable Lifelong Learning with Active Task Selection

The recently developed Efficient Lifelong Learning Algorithm (ELLA) acquires knowledge incrementally over a sequence of tasks, learning a repository of latent model components that are sparsely shared between models. ELLA shows strong performance in comparison to other multi-task learning algorithms, achieving nearly identical performance to batch multi-task learning methods while learning tasks sequentially in three orders of magnitude (over 1,000x) less time. In this paper, we evaluate several curriculum selection methods that allow ELLA to actively select the next task for learning in order to maximize performance on future learning tasks. Through experiments with three real and one synthetic data set, we demonstrate that active curriculum selection allows an agent to learn up to 50% more efficiently than when the agent has no control over the task order.
Feline Perineal Urethrostomy: A Review of Past and Present Literature

Urethral obstruction is a potentially fatal condition and in cases of recurrent obstruction or an identified cause that is refractory to medical management, a urethrostomy may be performed for definitive treatment. Perineal urethrostomy is the surgical creation of a permanent stoma in the wider pelvic urethra via anastomosis to the perineal skin. Diagnosis of the underlying cause of obstruction, proper perioperative treatment, and an understanding of the anatomy and surgical technique, are imperative to the success of this procedure. This review intends to highlight these aspects, as well as the common complications and expected prognosis to aid decision making in the management of these cases.
P134 Antibodies to inter-locus shared DR11 and DP epitope: Characterization and analysis consideration

Aim Antibodies (AB) to shared HLA epitopes can result in a single sensitizing event conferring incompatibility with a large percentage of donors. In addition, apparent AB strength on Luminex single antigen bead (SAB) assays can be artificially lowered, impacting virtual crossmatch (XM) assessment. ”DEE” and ”DED” epitopes at position 55–57 on DPB1 are known to be immunogenic. Our goal was to further characterize these AB in our patient population, with an interest in the ”DEE” epitope present at position 57–59 on DRB1. Methods Patients with DP AB to either DPB1∗04:02 (DEE) or DP14 (DED) were queried, and SAB results reviewed for reactivity to known immunogenic DP epitopes (DED - DP3, 6, 9, 14, 17, 20; DEE - DP2, 04:02, 10, 18, 28). AB to DR antigens were also noted, as well as patient HLA typing. To confirm AB cross-reactivity to shared sequence, a serum with AB to multiple DP epitopes (DPA1∗02/04, DED/DEE, and DEAV) was adsorbed using lymphocytes containing just the DEE epitope. Results Patients who lacked DED and DEE on their cells formed an AB of combined specificity: 35 to DED/DEE, and another 25 to DED/DEE plus other DP antigens. Of 8 patients with isolated DEE DP AB, typing identified DED epitope in 5 (no typing available for 2); of 7 patients with isolated DED DP AB, typing identified DEE epitope in 3 (no typing available for remaining 4). DR11 AB were co-present in 60 of 68 patients containing DEE DP AB (with or without other specificities); of the patients without DR11 AB for whom typing was available, all 6 typed as DR11. None of the 7 patients with isolated DED AB had DR11 AB, only 2 of whom typed as DR11. Eluate from the adsorption study reacted exclusively with DED and DEE DP antigens as well as DR11. Conclusions DED and DEE are immunogenic epitopes on HLA-DP, although specificity can be to either or both depending on self-antigens. DEE and combined DED/DEE antibodies (but not DED) cross-react with DR11 due to a shared epitope. However, if DR11 is a self-antigen it’s possible to form DP-exclusive DEE AB, confirming that DR-specific sequences outside the ”DEE” epitope are important. AB to shared epitopes are important to recognize because they can cause positive flow XM despite low MFI on SAB.
Age-dependent effects of thoracic and capillary blood volume distribution on pulmonary artery pressure and lung diffusing capacity.

Aging is associated with pulmonary vascular remodeling and reduced distensibility. We investigated the influence of aging on changes in cardiac output (Q), mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP), and lung diffusing capacity in response to alterations in thoracic blood volume. The role of pulmonary smooth muscle tone was also interrogated via pulmonary vasodilation. Nine younger (27 ± 4 years) and nine older (71 ± 4 years) healthy adults reached steady-state in a Supine (0°), Upright (+20°), or Head-down (-20°) position in order to alter thoracic blood volume. In each position, echocardiography was performed to calculate mPAP and Q, and lung diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) and nitric oxide (DLNO) was assessed. Next, 100 mg sildenafil was administered to reduce pulmonary smooth muscle tone, after which the protocol was repeated. mPAP (P ≤ 0.029) and Q (P ≤ 0.032) were lower in the Upright versus Supine and Head-down positions, and mPAP was reduced following sildenafil administration (P = 0.019), in older adults only. SV was lower in the Upright versus Supine and Head-down positions in both younger (P ≤ 0.008) and older (P ≤ 0.003) adults. DLCO and DLNO were not greatly altered by position changes or sildenafil administration. However, the DLNO/DLCO ratio was lower in the Supine and/or Head-down positions (P ≤ 0.05), but higher following sildenafil administration (P ≤ 0.007), in both younger and older adults. In conclusion, older adults experience greater cardiopulmonary alterations following thoracic blood volume changes, and pulmonary smooth muscle tone plays a role in resting mPAP in older adults only. Furthermore, mPAP is an important determinant of pulmonary capillary blood volume distribution (DLNO/DLCO), regardless of age.
On the Need to Automate Support for Quality Assessment Studies of Space Weather Models.

Model quality assessment (QA) and, where possible, model validation are critical steps in the life cycle of models destined to play a role in space weather research and forecasting. A major goal of QA is to characterize the state of the art of models of a given class, for example, models of the global corona and solar wind. This requires consistent assessment of all major models in the class. Commonly, QA has been done in what amounts to campaign mode, generating reports that capture the quality of a particular model or a limited set of models for specific events or time intervals. Inconsistencies between study designs, the limited scope of each study, and the intermittency with which the study reports appear in the literature mean that we never achieve a complete assessment of the state of the art. In addition, the time frame in which new models appear or existing models are upgraded is comparable to the publication time of peer reviewed validation reports, which means that these reports are often out of date soon after they are published. The community's current QA strategy is inadequate and unsustainable. In this paper we show why it is unsustainable and advocate for the development of automated protocols which can, with minimal ongoing labor cost, support the community's efforts to maintain uptodate results. We illustrate the concept with results from a pilot scheme developed in conjunction with the Solar Heliospheric and Interplanetary Environment community.
The Spider and the Fly

The Spider and the Fly puzzle, originally attributed to the great puzzler Henry Ernest Dudeney, and now over 100 years old, asks for the shortest path between two points on a particular square pris...
Skewed Lymphocyte Subpopulations and Associated Phenotypes in Patients with Mastocytosis

Background Mastocytosis is a clonal mast cell disorder associated with elevated mast cell mediators, which themselves have been reported to affect lymphocyte function. However, the impact of an expanded mast cell compartment on lymphocyte subpopulations, and their correlation with clinical phenotypes in patients with indolent systemic mastocytosis (ISM), has not been explored. Objective To examine the immunophenotype of circulating lymphocytes in patients with ISM compared with healthy adult controls and examine relationships with aspects of clinical disease. Methods We examined lymphocyte subsets in 20 adult patients with ISM and 40 healthy adult volunteers by multiparameter flow cytometry. Results were correlated with clinical characteristics. Results Patients with ISM exhibited a significantly lower median frequency and absolute cell count of both circulating CD8+ T cells and natural killer cells accompanying a significantly increased ratio of CD4+/CD8+ T cells when compared with healthy volunteers. Stratification of our ISM patient cohort according to clinical manifestations revealed that CD19+CD21lowCD38low B cells were significantly higher in patients with a history of autoimmune disease and counts of terminally differentiated CD4+ T cells were significantly higher in patients with osteoporosis or osteopenia. Conclusions Several circulating lymphocyte subpopulations in patients with ISM were significantly different when compared with healthy controls; in specific lymphocyte subsets, this lymphocyte skewing correlated with clinical observations including osteoporosis and autoimmune disease. These data suggest the need for further studies on abnormalities in lymphocyte subsets and the attendant clinical consequences in both mast cell proliferative and activation disorders.
On Frailties, Archimedean Copulas and Semi-Invariance Under Truncation

Definitions and basic properties of bivariate Archimedean copula models for survival data are reviewed with an emphasis on their motivation via frailties. I present some new characterization results for Archimedean copula models based on a notion I call semi-invariance under truncation.
Stable Angina Pectoris Treated with Integrated Therapy of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of combined therapy of Xuesaitong and routine Western Medicine in treating stable angina pectoris. Methods 120 cases of stable angina pectoris were randomly divided into treatment group and control group, with 60 cases in each group. Intravenous Nitrates, cardiac muscle nutrieeufical and antihypertensive medicine were administrated to the both groups. Xuesaitong injection was intravenous dripped to patients in the treatment group with 200 mg/d for 10 days. Results The total effective rate was 97.7% in the treatment group and 80.3%in the control group. There was significant difference between the two groups (P＜0.05). Conclusion Integrated therapy of xuesaitong injection and ratine Western Medicine has a great efficacy in treating patients with stable angina pectoris. Key words: Angina pectoris; Integrated therapy of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine
Blockade of p38 kinase impedes the mobilization of protumorigenic myeloid populations to impact breast cancer metastasis

Patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) have limited therapeutic options and novel treatments are critically needed. Prior research implicates tumor-induced mobilization of myeloid cell populations in metastatic progression, as well as being an unfavorable outcome in MBC; however, the underlying mechanisms for these relationships remain unknown. Here, we provide evidence for a novel mechanism by which p38 promotes metastasis. Using triple-negative breast cancer models, we showed that a selective inhibitor of p38 (p38i) significantly reduced tumor growth, angiogenesis, and lung metastasis. Importantly, p38i decreased the accumulation of myeloid populations, namely, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and CD163+ tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). p38 controlled the expression of tumor-derived chemokines/cytokines that facilitated the recruitment of protumor myeloid populations. Depletion of MDSCs was accompanied by reduced TAM infiltration and phenocopied the antimetastatic effects of p38i. Reciprocally, p38i increased tumor infiltration by cytotoxic CD8+ T cells. Furthermore, the CD163+ /CD8+ expression ratio inversely correlated with metastasis-free survival in breast cancer, suggesting that targeting p38 may improve clinical outcomes. Overall, our study highlights a previously unknown p38-driven pathway as a therapeutic target in MBC.
An Exploratory Comparison of Three Treatment Fidelity Assessment Methods: Time Sampling, Event Recording, and Post-observation Checklist

When assessed, treatment fidelity is most often evaluated by checklists of intervention steps after an observation session, though estimates can vary depending on how intervention steps are operati...
Unpacking the Non-Hispanic Other Category: Differences in Patterns of Tobacco Product Use Among Youth and Adults in the United States, 2009-2018.

Studies investigating patterns of tobacco use by race often aggregate non-Black and non-Hispanic racial minorities into the “Other” category, masking important differences. Pooling 10 years (2009–2018) of National Survey on Drug Use and Health data (n = 52,424), we estimated the prevalence and proportion of individual tobacco product use and patterns of single, dual, and polytobacco use overall and by sex for youth (12–17) and adult (18 +) non-Hispanic Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN), Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander (NH/PI), and multiracial respondents. Cigarette prevalence was highest among AI/AN youth (8.6%) and adults (37.3%). For youth and adults, the AI/AN subgroup had the highest prevalence of single (9.2% youth, 35.8% adults) and dual (2.8% youth, 6.6% adults) use, followed by multiracial respondents. Furthermore, among tobacco users, AI/AN and multiracial youth and adults had the highest proportions of dual and poly use compared to other races. Appropriate tobacco prevention and cessation interventions should consider variation in tobacco use among non-Hispanic “Other” subgroups.
Managing COVID-19 from the epicenter: adaptations and suggestions based on experience

In March 2020, the New York City metropolitan area became the epicenter of the United States' SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the surge of new cases threatened to overwhelm the area's hospital systems. This article describes how an anesthesiology department at a large urban academic hospital rapidly adapted and deployed to meet the threat head-on. Topics included are preparatory efforts, development of a team-based staffing model, and a new strategy for resource management. While still maintaining a fully functioning operating theater, discrete teams were deployed to both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 intensive care units, rapid response/airway management team, the difficult airway response team, and labor and delivery. Additional topics include the creation of a temporary 'pop-up' anesthesiology-run COVID-19 intensive care unit utilizing anesthesia machines for monitoring and ventilatory support as well as the development of a simulation and innovation team that was instrumental in the rapid prototyping of a controlled split-ventilation system and conversion of readily available BIPAP units into emergency ventilators. As the course of the disease is uncertain, the goal of this article is to assist others in preparation for what may come next with COVID-19 as well as potential future pandemics.
A Coupling Factor Independent Wireless Power Transfer System Employing Two Nonlinear Circuits

Conventional linear resonant wireless power transfer (WPT) systems suffer from a significant performance degradation as the coupling factor between the transmit and receive coils varies. In this paper, the performance of a new WPT circuit that takes the advantage of nonlinear resonant circuit is investigated. It employs passive nonlinear resonators in both the transmitter and receiver sides to regulate the output power without using any active or control circuitry, frequency tuning or complicated coil configurations. A 60 W nonlinear WPT prototype circuit working at 1.5 MHz is designed, fabricated and compared with a similarly designed linear WPT circuit. The nonlinear WPT circuit is capable of maintaining almost a constant output power while the distance between the coils changes from 6 cm to 15 cm, a significant performance improvement as compared to the linear WPT circuit tested under the same conditions.
Hybrid and Non-Hybrid Block-Based Programming Languages in an Introductory College Computer-Science Course:

Block-based programming languages (BBLs) have been proposed as a way to prepare students for learning to program in more sophisticated, text-based languages, such as Java. Hybrid BBLs add the abili...
State Confirmation Method of Circuit Breaker

The reliability of circuit breaker state identification greatly affects the application range of sequence control and remote control. And safety regulations require at least two criteria based on different identical principles and signals to determine the state of the equipment after operation. In this paper, based on the intelligent comparison of current and impedance, comprehensive criterion and warning technology of circuit breaker state is proposed. Based on the injection circuit, the current and voltage of the injected signal are detected and the characteristic change of zero sequence resistance is calculated to realize the on-Line loop impedance monitoring. And the loosing or aging problem of circuit breaker can be found out. While the state monitoring criterion of circuit breaker is proposed, which uses the existing measurement data to constitute the state confirmation criterion.
Lipid Tails Modulate Antimicrobial Peptide Membrane Incorporation and Activity

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are cationic, amphipathic peptides that interact directly with lipid bilayers. AMPs generally interact with anionic lipid head groups, but it is less clear how the lipid tail length and saturation modulates interactions with membranes. Here we used native mass spectrometry to measure the stoichiometry of three different AMPs--LL-37, indolicidin, and magainin-2--in lipid nanodiscs. We also measured the activity of these AMPs in large unilamellar vesicle leakage assays. We found that LL-37 formed specific hexamer complexes but with different assembly pathways and affinities that depended on the bilayer thickness. LL-37 was also most active in lipid bilayers containing longer, unsaturated lipids. In contrast, indolicidin incorporated to a higher degree into more fluid lipid bilayers but was more active with thinner, less fluid bilayers. Finally, magainin-2 incorporated to a higher degree into longer, unsaturated bilayers and showed more activity in these same conditions. Together, these data show that higher amounts of peptide incorporation generally led to higher activity and that AMPs tend to incorporate more into longer unsaturated lipid bilayers. However, the activity of AMPs was not always directly related to amount of peptide incorporated. Graphical Abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=72 SRC="FIGDIR/small/456135v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (17K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1d0e0a3org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@4c2ac9org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@8d0beborg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@98512_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG
Project New Chance

America is a country where opportunities are limitless. However, lawlessness, politics, and injustice seem to be growing into the norm. Lawlessness is chaos and some ways that we treat the poor is somewhat unjust. National Security and the welfare of Americans should be first, then the Congress can give a considerable amount of attention to illegal immigration. My proposal is Project New Chance a program to delay deportation and prevent amnesty. This will support both positions on the table and get Americans back to work.
Involvement of ROS and Caspase-like Proteases During Cell Death Induction by Plant Pathogens

Programmed cell death (PCD) is now recognized widely as an important process conserved among multicellular eukaryotes. In contrast to abioticallyinduced cell deaths resulting from physical injuries, PCD is a highly organized event that requires the active participation of critical components from the dying cells. Together with cell proliferation by mitosis, the rate of PCD determines the number of cells at a given time as well as the sculpting of the size and shape of complex organs. In the past 10 years, work in animal systems has identified one conserved switch through which the most well-studied form of PCD called apoptosis is regulated. The central component of this death switch is a specialized family of cysteine proteases called caspases (Cryns and Yuan 1998). These proteases share similar structural features around their active sites and they cleave after an aspartate residue in their target sequence (i.e. the P1 position). Two classes of caspases are distinguished by their position in a protease cascade that leads to PCD activation. The “initiator” caspases are controlled by interaction with a number of signal sensors/pathways through protein/protein interaction. These interactions catalyze the necessary cleavage of the initiator procaspases resulting in activation of their latent protease activities, which in turn leads to the cleavage and activation of the downstream “effector” or “executioner” caspases.
Chapter 31. Strategies for Delivery of Drugs Through the Blood-Brain Barrier

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses some of the recent approaches that have been used to circumvent the blood-brain barrier (BBB). There are two barrier systems in brain, the BBB and the blood-CSF barrier. Because of the presence of the BBB, that acts as a system-wide cellular membrane separating blood and brain interstitial space, hydrophilic drugs that readily gain access to other tissues are barred from entry into the brain. The most common invasive procedure for drug delivery to the central nervous system (CNS) is the implantation of a catheter into the ventricular system for the delivery of drugs directly to brain, bypassing the BBB. A powerful pharmacologic-based approach for drug delivery to brain is drug latentiation or the conversion of hydrophilic drugs into lipid-soluble drugs. One of the most novel recent approaches to the delivery of drugs across the BBB is the work of Bodor and colleagues. Their concept, called “chemical delivery systems,” is based on a dihydropyridinepyridinium salt redox system. Additional strategies for the delivery of drugs to the brain arise from an understanding of the basic physiology of transport processes at the BBB for nutrients and peptides. The presence of specific peptide receptor transport systems in the BBB suggests a new strategy for peptide delivery to the brain. Moreover, a convenient in vitro model system for BBB peptide transport is now available, using isolated human brain capillaries, and this approach allows for rapid screening of the novel chimeric peptides for transport through the BBB in vivo in man. Although much work needs to be done in this field, it becomes clear that an understanding of the basic physiology of BBB transport processes may lead to new strategies for the delivery of pharmaceuticals to the brain.