cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Case Study: Strident Property Services

Alex Jacobs has taken over the family business from his father. The company had grown in size and faced challenges that Alex must overcome for the company to remain a leader in the region. Challenges included working with a management team that was there prior to Alex’s arrival, poor customer service, low professionalism, and a divided employee base. His attempts (i.e., identifying problems and informing staff; threats to demote or fire staff) to correct the problems were mostly unsuccessful. The only bright spot was exhibited by Joe Flack, the director of IT, who was able to make successful business decisions with the contacts provided by Alex. Alex needed to act quickly because more and more clients were not resigning contracts with Strident. In fact, the company’s portfolio has decreased from over 200 properties to less than 100. Students are challenged to develop workable strategies to overcome some of the problems mentioned in the case, including a strategy for turning the situation around, if possible.
Comparison of type 2 and type 6 fimbriae of Bordetella pertussis by using agglutinating monoclonal antibodies.

Two types of fimbriae have been identified on the pathogenic gram-negative organism Bordetella pertussis. Monoclonal antibodies to these fimbriae were produced to better understand the role of fimbriae as serotype-specific agglutinogens and to investigate the antigenic relationship between these fimbriae. Three monoclonal antibodies were identified that specifically agglutinated B. pertussis cells containing the U.S. Reference Factor 2 agglutinogen, and six monoclonal antibodies were produced that agglutinated only those strains containing the U.S. Reference Factor 6 agglutinogen. Indirect immunofluorescence studies and immunogold electron microscopy demonstrated that these monoclonal antibodies bind to an outer membrane component on serotype-specific strains of B. pertussis. All of the monoclonal antibodies reacted with native or partially assembled type-specific fimbriae but not with monomeric fimbrial subunits as indicated by Western blot (immunoblot) analysis. The fimbrial agglutinogens recognized by the monoclonal antibodies were also uniquely reactive with either U.S. Reference Factor 2 or 6 antiserum (Eldering agglutinogen 2 or 6 polyclonal antiserum) in an indirect ELISA. No cross-reactivity of the monoclonal antibodies with the unrelated fimbriae was observed in any of the comparative immunological studies. Some of the monoclonal antibodies agglutinated certain strains of B. bronchiseptica, suggesting that this closely related species can contain antigenically similar fimbriae. These monoclonal antibodies should prove useful for further structural and functional analysis of Bordetella fimbriae and for studies on the role that these antigens play in prevention of infection and disease.
Modeling and Parameter Estimation of Split-Phase Induction Motors

A steady-state model of a split-phase induction motor is investigated. Equivalent circuit parameters are estimated via a least-squares fit to experimental data and have been obtained through dc, locked rotor, and unloaded motor tests. Parameters were further refined using experimental data at rated load. In this test, instead of a permanent capacitor on the auxiliary winding, 90° phase shifted voltages were applied to the main and auxiliary windings. This setup produced a circular magnetic field instead of an elliptical one, thereby eliminating the effect of high-order spatial harmonics.
Messtechnik für Motorenzylinder

Die Entwicklung von tribologischen Bauteilen und Schmierolen sowie die Uberprufung der geforderten Bauteillebensdauer lassen sich letztendlich erst mit einem erfolgreichen Motorversuchsprogramm abschliesen. Im Kolbenring- und Zylinderlaufbuchsen-Entwicklungszentrum der Federal-Mogul Burscheid GmbH sind fur die Losung dieser Aufgaben besondere Verfahren und Losungsansatze verwirklicht worden.
Dosage Levels and Seasonal Behavior of Insecticides Used in Control of European Pine Shoot Moth

In spring and summer hydraulic spray treatments appreciable differences in European pine shoot moth (Rhyacionia buoliana (Schiffermuller)) mortality were noted when 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 pound (per 100 gallon) dosages of DDT, methoxychlor, Sevin® (1-naphthyl- N -methylcarbamate) and American Cyanamid SF60 (malathion plus sticker) were used. Excellent control was obtained with 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 pounds of dimethoate in both spring and summer treatments. Both DDT and methoxychlor proved noticeably less effective in summer than in spring applications, while the opposite was true for Sevin.
Bringing space back into urban social science: The work of David Harvey

some of the scholarship expended in its behalf, but voices deep skepticism about the theories of individual and social change the authors invoke. The new discipline of "emotionology" called for by Stearns, he concludes, will not survive, but the problems it addresses will continue to challenge us. In history and in contemporary social analysis, the relationships among observable events, human experiences, and theories of social processes remain debatable, and eminently worthy of attention.
Penetration of Gardona and DDT in Gypsy Moth Larvae and House Flies

The penetration rates of 14C-labeled p,p’ -DDT and Gardona® (2-chloro-1-(2,4,5-trichlorophenyl) vinyl dimethyl phosphate), were determined by external rinsing and radioassay at 6 times after exposure between 0 and 160 minutes for 3rd-stage gypsy moth, Porthetria dispar (L.), larvae and two strains of the house fly, Musca domestica L. The Zamak strain resistant to DDT and slightly tolerant to Gardona, and the WHO/IN strain susceptible to both DDT and Gardona were used. The penetration rates were determined at both the LD20 and LD30 levels for each insecticide; the house flies as a group exhibited similar penetration rates for DDT at both treatment levels which were different from the gypsy moth penetration rates. Gardona penetration rates were more variable than DDT rates for all insects tested.
Low BUN: A Negative Prognostic Indicator Early in CAPD

A low mean value for predialysis BUN has been associated with decreased survival and decreased parameters of well-being in hemodialysis patients. We sought to extend our investigations into our CAPD population. Early in CAPD a population exists with a low mean BUN who will fail to thrive. Postulates as to mechanisms of disease are discussed.
Establishment of Performance Evaluation Model Based on Multi-factor

According to fuzzy math theory,this paper establishes fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model on performance evaluation.We use this model to solve performance evaluation problem,strive to make performance evaluation more scientifical through using this model.
Nutritional therapy in acute myocardial infarction.

Diet therapy for the coronary victim must be designed according to individual variation in metabolic response. As the patient’s clinical status allows, progress can be permitted from a liquid to a general diet, which seeks to reduce the risk of a subsequent infarction.
Mental Health and Women's Multiple Roles:

The author reviews the empirical literature concerning the relationship of women's multiple roles to mental health. A conceptual framework is proposed postulating that negative mental health outcom...
Studying and teaching the history of medicine in Greece: the National University of Athens experience (1837-1997).

In medieval education, little interst is shown in medical history. However, the history of medicine is one vital pathway to the proper study of the evolution of medicine, from ancient to modern times, and it should be a requisite of the medical curriculum. The value of medical history in the understanding of the present in creating the medicine of the future is enormous. Our expereience has indicated that medical students and younger physician who ignore the mistakes of their forefathers are destined to repeat them. Furthemore, the history of medicine is needed not only to broaden the students' horizon, it's also necessary in order to prevent the physicians of the 21st century from becoming dehumanized by their bio-technological training. The history of medicine, therefore, is the best antidote to overconcentration on, and overspecification in medical technology and it is the most useful stimulus to more humane professional behaviour and optimal medical education. The new history of medicine does not consist only of the accumulation of dates, events and names; it is a discipline needed for life and action. Tomorrow's historians will view the last years of the second millennium as an eventful and critical period for the medical education of the future. Key words: History of Medicine - Medical education - Medical culture - Bio-medical Ethics
Einführung: Bürgerliches Trauerspiel — eine literarische Gattung?

Das bgl. Tr. ist heute eine tote Gattung; schon um die Mitte des vorigen Jahrhunderts ist es ausgestorben. Seit etwa zwanzig Jahren steht es im Brennpunkt des literaturwissenschaftlichen Interesses. Damit ist es jedoch zugleich in die Kampflinie des soziologisch orientierten Dichtungsverstandnisses und seines Gegenspiels geraten, wodurch bisher eher die antithetischen doktrinaren Positionen geklart wurden als die Sache selbst. So erweckt der Terminus »bgl. Tr.« heute mehr als je zuvor unklare und gegensatzliche Vorstellungen.
Artificial Intelligence in Data Science

Data Science programs are emerging in many areas and are related to many disciplines. This includes sciences, social sciences, business, journalism, history, and any other area dealing with massive amounts of data. People may understand that the quantity of data now available has changed the nature of research and has begun to impact the way students must prepare to be part of their discipline. However, they may not understand that artificial intelligence is a key component of the new reality. Massive amounts of data require more than computational power from computers. The size of the data collections also requires machine intelligence to organize and cluster data.
Effects of Anesthesia and Muscle Paralysis on the Mechanics of the Respiratory System

Ventilation of the lungs depends on the duration and strength of efferent neural stimuli from the respiratory center, the contracting force of the respiratory muscles resulting from these stimuli, and the mechanical characteristics of the respiratory system. In studying the control of respiration during general anesthesia, changes in the force of contraction of the respiratory muscles and in the impedance of the respiratory system must be considered. For example, the performance of the diaphragm depends on lung volume. Hence, a reduction in functional residual capacity (FRC) , as occurs during general anesthesia, if accompanied by a change in the configuration of the diaphragm, may increase the efficiency of the diaphragm as a pressure generator, and the ventilatory response to a given neural stimulus may be increased. If the impedance of the respiratory system increases during general anesthesia, a decrease of ventilation for a given pressure change may be expected. Recently, it was suggested that much of the decrease in ventilation during general anesthesia with methoxyflurane is caused by the increased impedance of the respiratory system1.
Function of Play in Low Vision Children (Part 2): Emerging Patterns of Behavior.

Patterns of play behavior in young low vision children in a structured free-play situation with toys were analyzed. The study included 18 children with low vision (20/200-20/800) ranging in age fro...
Testing and evaluation of wind power plant protection system

This paper discusses test set up and methodology which may be used for wind power plant (WPP) protection system evaluation. The test set up cosists of a digital simulator, a number of physical relays and recorders, as well as software for modeling, simulation, signal editing, etc. Correct operation of the WPP protection system is crucial during grid disturbances to prevent unwanted power source disconnection. Since there are no standardized requirements or methodology for testing WPP protection system, evaluation of WPP condition impacts on protective relay operation is challenging. This paper discusses test requirements and test methodology to perform the evaluation in a standardized and comprehensive manner.
Chapter 113 - Neurotraumatology

Neurotraumatology has its roots in ancient history, but its modern foundations are the physical examination, imaging to localize the pathology, and thoughtful medical and surgical decision making. The neurobiology of cranial and spinal injury is similar, with the main goal of therapies being to limit secondary injury. Brain injury treatment focuses on minimizing parenchymal swelling within the confined cranial vault. Spine injury treatment has the additional consideration of spinal coumn stability. Current guidelines for non-operative and operative management are reviewed in this chapter.
Effect of academic status on outcomes of surgery for rectal cancer.

The purpose of our study was to investigate surgical outcomes following advanced colorectal procedures at academic versus community institutions. The SPARCS database was used to identify patients undergoing Abdominoperineal resection (APR) and Low Anterior Resection between 2009 and 2014. Linear mixed models and generalized linear mixed models were used to compare outcomes. Laparoscopic versus open procedures, surgery type, volume status, and stoma formation between academic and community facilities were compared. Higher percentages of laparoscopic surgeries (58.68 vs. 41.32%, p value < 0.0001), more APR surgeries (64.60 vs. 35.40%, p value < 0.0001), more high volume hospitals (69.46 vs. 30.54%, p value < 0.0001), and less stoma formation (48.00 vs. 52.00%, p value < 0.0001) were associated with academic centers. After adjusting for confounding factors, academic facilities were more likely to perform APR surgeries (OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.04–1.74, p value = 0.0235). Minorities and Medicaid patients were more likely to receive care at an academic facility. Stoma formation, open surgery, and APR were associated with longer LOS and higher rate of ED visit and 30-day readmission. Laparoscopy and APR are more commonly performed at academic than community facilities. Age, sex, race, and socioeconomic status affect the facility at which and the type of surgery patients receive, thereby influencing surgical outcomes.
From head shops to Whole Foods: the rise and fall of activist entrepreneurs

Historians have long documented how critiques of corporate capitalism by luminaries like C. Wright Mills, Herburt Marcuse, and E. Franklin Frazier influenced the anti-capitalist Left of the Sixties...
Pulmonary Effective Arterial Elastance as a Measure of Right Ventricular Afterload and Its Prognostic Value in Pulmonary Hypertension Due to Left Heart Disease

Background: Patients with combined post- and precapillary pulmonary hypertension due to left heart disease have a worse prognosis compared with isolated postcapillary. However, it remains unclear whether increased mortality in combined post- and precapillary pulmonary hypertension is simply a result of higher total right ventricular load. Pulmonary effective arterial elastance (Ea) is a measure of total right ventricular afterload, reflecting both resistive and pulsatile components. We aimed to test whether pulmonary Ea discriminates survivors from nonsurvivors in patients with pulmonary hypertension due to left heart disease and if it does so better than other hemodynamic parameters associated with combined post- and precapillary pulmonary hypertension. Methods and Results: We combined 3 large heart failure patient cohorts (n=1036) from academic hospitals, including patients with pulmonary hypertension due to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (n=232), reduced ejection fraction (n=335), and a mixed population (n=469). In unadjusted and 2 adjusted models, pulmonary Ea more robustly predicted mortality than pulmonary vascular resistance and the transpulmonary gradient. Along with pulmonary arterial compliance, pulmonary Ea remained predictive of survival in patients with normal pulmonary vascular resistance. The diastolic pulmonary gradient did not predict mortality. In addition, in a subset of patients with echocardiographic data, Ea and pulmonary arterial compliance were better discriminators of right ventricular dysfunction than the other parameters. Conclusions: Pulmonary Ea and pulmonary arterial compliance more consistently predicted mortality than pulmonary vascular resistance or transpulmonary gradient across a spectrum of left heart disease with pulmonary hypertension, including patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, and pulmonary hypertension with a normal pulmonary vascular resistance.
Integrative Approaches in Pediatric Palliative Care

Pediatric palliative care is a field which focuses on caring for and treating the symptoms and distress typically associated with life-limiting illness. Integrative medicine is supported by evidence and aims to heal the whole person, including all aspects of one’s lifestyle. Therapies offered by integrative medicine often empower patients and families, allowing for a sense of control. This review addresses the merging of integrative medicine philosophy and modalities with the care given to children with life-limiting illness. We review an introduction to integrative medicine, trends in its incorporation in the healthcare setting, application to patients receiving palliative care and the management of specific symptoms. A case study is offered to illustrate these principles.
Targeted Gene Delivery And Expression

A unique characteristic of parenchymal liver cells is the presence of large numbers of high affinity cell-surface receptors that can recognize galactose- terminal (asialo-)glycoproteins. The physical characteristics and properties of the asialoglycoprotein receptor have recently been reviewed (Ashwell et al., 1974, Wall et al., 1980, and Stockert et al., 1991). Binding of an asialoglycoprotein by the receptor leads to invagination of the plasma membrane and internalization of the ligand-receptor complex in membrane-bound vesicles, endosomes. Subsequently, acidification of the endosomes results in segregation of the ligand from the receptor. The receptor is cycled back to the plasma membrane, while the glycoprotein is usually transported to lysosomes where degradation occurs (Schwartz, 1991).
A Geometric Approach to Fair Division

We wish to divide a cake among some collection of people (who may have very different notions of the comparative value of pieces of cake) in a way that is both “fair” and “efficient.” We explore th...
Spared bottom-up but impaired top-down interactive effects during naturalistic language processing in schizophrenia: evidence from the visual-world paradigm.

Background People with schizophrenia process language in unusual ways, but the causes of these abnormalities are unclear. In particular, it has proven difficult to empirically disentangle explanations based on impairments in the top-down processing of higher level information from those based on the bottom-up processing of lower level information. Methods To distinguish these accounts, we used visual-world eye tracking, a paradigm that measures spoken language processing during real-world interactions. Participants listened to and then acted out syntactically ambiguous spoken instructions (e.g. 'tickle the frog with the feather', which could either specify how to tickle a frog, or which frog to tickle). We contrasted how 24 people with schizophrenia and 24 demographically matched controls used two types of lower level information (prosody and lexical representations) and two types of higher level information (pragmatic and discourse-level representations) to resolve the ambiguous meanings of these instructions. Eye tracking allowed us to assess how participants arrived at their interpretation in real time, while recordings of participants' actions measured how they ultimately interpreted the instructions. Results We found a striking dissociation in participants' eye movements: the two groups were similarly adept at using lower level information to immediately constrain their interpretations of the instructions, but only controls showed evidence of fast top-down use of higher level information. People with schizophrenia, nonetheless, did eventually reach the same interpretations as controls. Conclusions These data suggest that language abnormalities in schizophrenia partially result from a failure to use higher level information in a top-down fashion, to constrain the interpretation of language as it unfolds in real time.
Nonintuitive Optima for Dynamic Locomotion: The Acrollbot

This paper explores locally-optimal, efficient locomotion of a two-link planar robot balancing on a single, unactuated wheel. Because this model is essentially an acrobot mounted on a passive wheel, we name this model the acrollbot. By actuating an internal degree of freedom, the model can indirectly produce ground reaction forces yielding net accelerations and decelerations, to achieve locomotion. As with bipedal robot locomotion, this toy system is particularly challenging to control due to the need to balance continuously while controlling forward locomotion speed. However, unlike typical legged or rolling locomotion solutions, it is not immediately obvious how best to exploit actuation, internal reconfigurations, and motions to produce and control forward velocity along the ground, providing a useful benchmarking system for exploring optimization techniques. We use a direct collocation optimization framework to study this toy system, both to achieve a range of feasible locomotion solutions for nonintuitive dynamic robot models, and to investigate optimization of physical robot parameterizations, in the sense of improving locomotion efficiency. The framework and example presented throughout are designed with an aim toward bridging the gap between non-intuitive, data-driven optimization and model-based methods for design and control of underactuated and dynamically-stable locomotion.
Developing Support Vector Machine Prediction Capabilities of Uranium Enrichment Based on Gamma-Gamma Coincidence Signatures

The primary difficulty of obtaining useful information from gamma-gamma coincidence spectra is the process of determining which spectral features are useful for drawing a conclusion. This is especially true for dense and complicated coincidence spectra, such as those of fission products from irradiated uranium samples. A set of binary classification support vector machine algorithms was trained with supervised learning on gamma-gamma coincidence data from irradiated uranium samples of natural, low, and high-enriched uranium. The resulting model will be capable of classifying uranium samples into the correct enrichment regime (natural, low, or high) based on their gamma-gamma coincidence spectra. Current results with the binary classification support vector machines indicate a 92% classification accuracy. This eliminates the need for a spectral analyst to parse through the data and manually determine which spectral features are indicative of enrichment. The basis functions used by the model to make classification decisions can also inform the analyst of less obvious spectral features that are indicative of enrichment. Ongoing work to improve classification accuracy is discussed.
Calorimetric study of the influence of aluminum substitution in ferrihydrite on sulfate adsorption and reversibility

Abstract Ferrihydrite (Fh) is a nanocrystalline iron (hydr)oxide pervasive in various surface environments. It has high specific surface areas and high density of reactive surface-sites, both of which properties impart a consequential role in determining the fate and transport of environmental nutrients and contaminants. In natural environments, Fh readily reacts with impurities, such as aluminum (Al) and has variable substituted chemical compositions and surface properties. This work examines the effect of aluminum (Al) incorporation (0%, 12% and 24 mol% Al) on the interaction energy of chloride (Cl−) and nitrate (NO3−), and adsorption/desorption of sulfate (SO42−) onto Fh. Microcalorimetry experiments were conducted at pHs 3.0 and 5.6, along with a detailed characterization of all samples. Results showed a significant increase in the energetics of the exothermic peak of NO3− and the endothermic peak of Cl− with increasing Al concentration and decreasing pH values. Furthermore, the exothermic heat of exchange, adsorption, irreversibility and fraction of inner-sphere complexes for sulfate interaction with Fh increased with more Al concentration and acidic pH.
Detection, Analysis and Mitigation of Sea Clutter in Polarimetric Weather Radar

The presence of sea clutter introduces error in weather radar observations over sea. Since the characteristics of sea clutter are different from stationary ground clutter, conventional clutter mitigation techniques produce unsatisfactory results. Hence, study of sea clutter properties and its mitigation is important. Over the last few decades, various research communities have studied and modelled sea clutter using different statistical distributions. This paper discusses identification of sea clutter in a weather radar using fuzzy logic technique. Time series data from an C-band dual-pol weather radar has been used to identify sea clutter in presence of precipitation. Spectral properties and distributions of sea clutter are also studied and a modified GMAP technique has been implemented for the sea clutter suppression.
Incidence and characteristics of emergency department presentations during immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.

e14164Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have emerged as a novel class of anticancer agents with unique response and toxicity profiles. Oncology patients undergoing ICI therapy can pre...
Investigation of Feature Inputs for Binary Classification of Ultrasonic NDT Signals using SVM and Neural Networks

Classification of Ultrasonic Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) signals can be done by Machine Learning models including Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Neural Networks (NN). The main objective of this study is to classify the ultrasonic A-scan data either as flaw echoes or clutter echoes (no flaw). The signal pre-processing has been done using Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT). The refined low pass output has been used as feature input to the machine learning algorithms either directly or as a power signal. In case of SVM, direct low pass output in windowed format was tested with linear kernel and Radial Basis Function (RBF) kernel and the power signal of the low pass DWT in the windowed format was also tested with linear kernel and RBF kernel. SVM simulation results show that the direct low pass signal with linear kernel fails to converge while power of the low pass DWT achieves an accuracy of around 95%. RBF kernel accuracy was around 98% irrespective of the format of the signal. In case of Neural Network, both the direct low pass output and the power of the low pass output were tested and it was found that the direct low pass output with NN yielded 94% accuracy while the power of the low pass output with NN yielded an accuracy of 98%.
Computer- and Web-Based Simulators and Virtual Environments

Anesthesiology education is still primarily an apprenticeship; trainees practice in the real world on patients, under the supervision of a senior anesthesiologist. With the invention of the computer and cost-effective creation of computer-based simulations, primary education of the anesthesiology student now involves digital lectures, online lecture materials, videos, and realistic simulation. The pioneers of medical simulation arose from the field of anesthesiology, and from the beginning, patient safety has been the primary driver of simulation (Cooper and Taqueti Postgrad Med J 84:563–570, 2008; Lampotang J Crit Care 23:173–178, 2008; Ventre and Schwid Anonymous the comprehensive textbook of healthcare simulation, Springer Verlag, DE 2013). A particular challenge of anesthesiology computer-based simulation is not only to impart knowledge to the learner but to be able to measure this impact by improving the learner’s performance, ultimately resulting in improved patient outcomes.
Comparing classical and geometric morphometric methods to discriminate between the South African honey bee subspecies Apis mellifera scutellata and Apis mellifera capensis (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

There are two endemic subspecies of western honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) in the Republic of South Africa (RSA), A.m. capensis and A.m. scutellata. They have traditionally been identified using morphometric characteristics, but geometric morphometric data from honey bee wings are easier to collect, possibly making them a useful alternative for identifying these subspecies. We compared the accuracy of both morphometric and geometric morphometric methods using linear discriminant and classification and regression tree analyses. We found that using geometric wing shape data from both forewings and hindwings resulted in a lower classification accuracy (73.7%) than did using models derived from the full set of standard morphometric data (97% accurate) in cross-validation. Tergite color and average ovariole number were the most important features for discriminating between the two subspecies. Finally, we used Kreiger interpolation to construct maps illustrating probable distributions of A.m. capensis and A.m. scutellata in the RSA.
Predictors of Rooftop Solar Adoption in Rural Virginia

This paper considers a variety of social, demographic, spatial, and structural features of the households to determine factors that are influential in predicting the adoption of rooftop solar panels in rural regions of Virginia. A novel feature of this work is that it synthesizes anonymized data from different sources to make it usable under one common architecture and to provide a geospatial context. Three different sets of models are used which add features in a modular manner. Results show that the demographics and neighborhood level features influence the likelihood of adoption but the social network based features do not.
Predictive Factors of College Student Willingness to Alter Substance Use Behavior: An Investigation of the Role of Parental Relationships

Substance use, specifically, alcohol use, among college students is concerning. Despite the pervasive influence of a peer culture that promotes and supports drinking, young adults are also connecte...
Targeting Tumor-Associated Macrophages by MMP2-Sensitive Apoptotic Body-Mimicking Nanoparticles

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), a major player in the tumor microenvironment, were recently recognized as a potential therapeutic target. To date, very few anticancer drugs or drug-delivery systems were designed to target the TAMs. Inspired by the "eat me" signal, phosphatidylserine (PS), mediated phagocytic clearance of apoptotic bodies, in this study, the matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2)-sensitive PS-modified nanoparticles were developed. In the design, the PS is externalized to the nanoparticles' surface only when the nanoparticles reach the MMP2-overexpressing tumor site, allowing for the TAM-specific phagocytosis. The nanoparticles' excellent macrophage/TAM selectivity was observed in various biological models, including various cell lines, coculture cells, coculture cell spheroids, zebrafish, and tumor-bearing mice. The nanoparticles' TAM specificity remarkably enhanced the TAM depletion capability of the loaded model drug, dasatinib, resulting in the improved anticancer activity. The MMP2-sensitive apoptotic body-mimicking nanoparticles might be a promising delivery tool for TAM-centered cancer diagnoses and treatments.
Acute Retinal Pigment Epitheliitis

Acute retinal pigment epitheliitis is a rare, idiopathic, self-limited inflammatory condition of the outer retina and retinal pigment epithelium of unknown etiology. It is also known as Krill’s disease.
Cell-intrinsic effects of TorsinA(ΔE) disrupt dopamine release in a mouse model of DYT1-TOR1A dystonia

DYT1-TOR1A dystonia is an inherited dystonia caused by a three base-pair deletion in the TOR1A gene (TOR1A{Delta}E). Although the mechanisms underlying the dystonic movements are largely unknown, abnormalities in striatal dopamine and acetylcholine neurotransmission are consistently implicated whereby dopamine release is reduced while cholinergic tone is increased. Because striatal cholinergic neurotransmission mediates dopamine release, it is not known if the dopamine release deficit is mediated indirectly by abnormal acetylcholine neurotransmission or if Tor1a({Delta}E) acts directly within dopaminergic neurons to attenuate release. To dissect the microcircuit that governs the deficit in dopamine release, we conditionally expressed Tor1a({Delta}E) in either dopamine neurons or cholinergic interneurons in mice and assessed striatal dopamine release using ex vivo fast scan cyclic voltammetry or dopamine efflux using in vivo microdialysis. Conditional expression of Tor1a({Delta}E) in cholinergic neurons did not affect striatal dopamine release. In contrast, conditional expression of Tor1a({Delta}E) in dopamine neurons reduced dopamine release to 50% of normal, which is comparable to the deficit in Tor1a+/{Delta}E knockin mice that express the mutation ubiquitously. Despite the deficit in dopamine release, we found that the Tor1a({Delta}E) mutation does not cause obvious nerve terminal dysfunction as other presynaptic mechanisms, including electrical excitability, vesicle recycling/refilling, Ca2+ signaling, D2 dopamine autoreceptor function and GABAB receptor function, are intact. Although the mechanistic link between Tor1a({Delta}E) and dopamine release is unclear, these results clearly demonstrate that the defect in dopamine release is caused by the action of the Tor1a({Delta}E) mutation within dopamine neurons.
Striatal Dopamine Induced ERK Phosphorylation Is Altered in Mouse Models of Monogenic Dystonia

Background Similar to some monogenic forms of dystonia, levodopa-induced dyskinesia is a hyperkinetic movement disorder with abnormal nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurotransmission. Molecularly, it is characterized by hyper-induction of phosphorylation of extracellular signal-related kinase in response to dopamine in medium spiny neurons of the direct pathway. Objectives The objective of this study was to determine if mouse models of monogenic dystonia exhibit molecular features of levodopa-induced dyskinesia. Methods Western blotting and quantitative immunofluorescence was used to assay baseline and/or dopamine-induced levels of the phosphorylated kinase in the striatum in mouse models of DYT1, DYT6, and DYT25 expressing a reporter in dopamine D1 receptor-expressing projection neurons. Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) immunoassay and adenylyl cyclase activity assays were also performed. Results In DYT1 and DYT6 models, blocking dopamine reuptake with cocaine leads to enhanced extracellular signal-related kinase phosphorylation in dorsomedial striatal medium spiny neurons in the direct pathway, which is abolished by pretreatment with the N-methyl-d-aspartate antagonist MK-801. Phosphorylation is decreased in a model of DYT25. Levels of basal and stimulated cAMP and adenylyl cyclase activity were normal in the DYT1 and DYT6 mice and decreased in the DYT25 mice. Oxotremorine induced increased abnormal movements in the DYT1 knock-in mice. Conclusions The increased dopamine induction of extracellular signal-related kinase phosphorylation in 2 genetic types of dystonia, similar to what occurs in levodopa-induced dyskinesia, and its decrease in a third, suggests that abnormal signal transduction in response to dopamine in the postsynaptic nigrostriatal pathway might be a point of convergence for dystonia and other hyperkinetic movement disorders, potentially offering common therapeutic targets. © 2021 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Virtual Respiratory Urgent Clinics for COVID-19 Symptoms.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced a shift from in-person to virtual care to reduce exposure risks to patients and health care workers. This report aims to describe a large primary care system's implementation of virtual respiratory urgent care clinics (VRUCs). Methods: The VA Connecticut Healthcare System (VACHS) delivers care to more than 58,000 veterans in at 8 primary care sites. VRUCs were established as part of the VACHS primary care rapid transition to virtual care model. Retrospective analysis and qualitative chart reviews were performed from February 2020 through May 2020 to describe characteristics of patients who received care through the VRUCs. Results: VRUCs were used by > 445 patients, 51% received COVID-19 testing, 10% tested positive, 5% were admitted to the hospital, and 18% had ≥ 1 subsequent emergency department visits. Chart documentation rates of discussion of isolation precautions, high occupational risk, and goals of care were 71%, 25%, and 14%, respectively. Conclusions: Average wait time for health care provider evaluation was 104 minutes, suggesting VRUCs are an expedient means to provide assessment of COVID-19 symptoms. Use of templated notes may ensure routine counseling about isolation, occupation, and goals of care.
Benign Hysterectomy Operative Times and 30-day Complications: A Cohort Study.

Abstract Study Objective To evaluate the 30-day complication rate among different hysterectomy routes and operative times. Design A retrospective cohort study. Setting American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database from 2011-2019. Patients 216,621 total cases including total abdominal hysterectomies (TAH), total vaginal hysterectomies (TVH), total laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomies (LAVH), and total laparoscopic hysterectomies (TLH). Interventions Eligible cases included benign hysterectomies with operative times between 20 minutes and 500 minutes. We excluded cases involving disseminated cancer, emergency surgery, supracervical approaches, or concomitant procedures. Measurements Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the relationship between postoperative complications and operative time for each operative route. Multivariable logistic regression with a linear spline term was used to analyze differences in the association between postoperative complications and operative time below and above threshold operative times. Main Results Multivariable logistic regression demonstrated a significant association between operative time and overall complication rates for all hysterectomy routes. Spline logistic regression demonstrated a significant increase in adjusted odds of a complication occurring at or above the thresholds of 100 minutes for TAH. Conclusion Patients undergoing a TAH for benign indications had a significantly increased odds of developing a complication within 30 days when operative time exceeded 100 minutes. Operative time may play a larger role in preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative management than previously recognized for TAH in contrast to other hysterectomy routes.
Structural Basis for Mutagenic Activity of N-Nitrosamines in the Salmonella Histidine Reversion Assay

N-nitrosamines comprise a very important group of chemicals to which human beings are constantly exposed through beverages, food, medicines, cosmetics, tobacco products, and also at the work place in industry. The first report by Magee and Barnes(1) nearly 25 years ago that nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) caused tumors in experimental animals initiated an unbounded interest among researchers throughout the world to assess the biological hazard caused by these compounds.
From Preservice to Practice

AbstractOne-hundred and sixty-seven preservice undergraduate elementary school teachers were surveyed concerning their expectations for computer use in round 1 of this study. In addition, selected personal internal variables were measured to determine if they would predict later computer use. The personal variables were innovativeness, self-competence, perceived relevance, and teacher locus of control. In round 2, the sample was surveyed three years later after they had been teaching professionally for one year (n = 100). Computer use was categorized using the Levels of Computer Use scale. Round 1 data analysis revealed 97% expecting to use computers in teaching and only 2.7% not expecing to use computers at all. Round 2 revealed 61% actually using computers and 39% not. Self-competence and perceived relevance predicted computer use in the first round but not the second.
Brushwood: distributed trees in peer-to-peer systems

There is an increasing demand for locality-preserving distribution of complex data structures in peer-to-peer systems. Current systems either do not preserve object locality or suffer from imbalances in data distribution, routing state, and/or query processing costs. In this position paper, we take a systematic approach that enables the deployment of searchable tree structures in p2p environments. We achieve distributed tree traversal with efficient routing distance and routing state. We show how to implement several p2p applications using distributed tree structures.
Reply to Ciccolini et al.: Using mathematical modeling to predict response to antiangiogenic therapy in cancer patients.

We thank Ciccolini et al. (1) for their interest in our report (2) on a clinical study, published recently in PNAS. In that paper, we report that improved tumor vascular function after anti-VEGF therapy with carboplatin and nab-paclitaxel associates with survival in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. We also suggest that imaging and circulating markers of vascular normalization could be useful biomarkers of response to bevacizumab-based therapies in … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: jain{at}steele.mgh.harvard.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Engineering a More Efficient Zirconium Grain Refiner For Magnesium

Zirconium is currently used as a grain refiner for high temperature magnesium alloys. However, currently around 1 wt% is used for grain refinement, and much of this is wasted as sludge due to settling, as zirconium has a density almost four times that of magnesium. Since a recent study suggested that only faceted particles were activated as nucleation sites during casting solidification, ECAE processing of a magnesium-15wt% zirconium grain refiner master alloy was attempted to try to increase the number of faceted particles. ECAE processing of the master alloy only resulted in a modest decrease in grain size, even though the percentage of faceted particles doubled as a result of ECAE processing, since only 1.6% of zirconium particles in the as-received master alloy were faceted and deemed to be likely nucleation sites. The results from this work provide insights for the future development of more efficient grain refiners.
On the Stability and Estimation of Ultimate Boundedness of Nonlinear/Uncertain Dynamic Systems with Bounded Controllers

This paper addresses the problem of stabilization of a class of uncertain and/or nonlinear dynamic systems for which matching conditions are not satisfied. No statistical description of uncertain elements is assumed. The uncertain and/or nonlinear quantities are described only in terms of bounds and their possible sizes. A stabilizing bounded controller is proposed whose design utilizes elements of the variable structure control theory. Regions of uniform ultimate boundedness (practical stability) for systems driven by this bounded controller are estimated. A special coordinate transformation is utilized during the analysis. Sliding domains and estimates of the domain of attraction are obtained with the aid of the Lyapunov method.
Effects of alendronate on bone healing after tooth extraction in rats

Oral Diseases (2010) 16, 674–685 Objectives: Tooth extraction has been identified as an important risk factor for bisphosphonate-induced osteonecrosis of the jaw. Therefore, the main goal of this study was to determine the effects of alendronate on healing of the extraction socket and on interdental alveolar bone after tooth extraction in rats. Materials and methods: Animals were injected subcutaneously with vehicle or alendronate for 3–4 weeks before the first mandibular molar was extracted and these treatments were continued during post-extraction periods of 10, 21, 35 and 70 days. Mandibles were processed to evaluate healing of the extraction socket and adjacent alveolar bone by assessing bone formation, bone resorption and vascularity by histomorphometric techniques. Results: Alendronate decreased new woven bone formation, blood vessel area, perimeter and number in the extraction socket at 10 days postextraction, but not at later time points. Furthermore, alendronate-treated rats had increased interdental alveolar bone volume and height only at 10 days postextraction. In addition, a 2.5-fold increase in the percentage of empty osteocyte lacunae was found in alveolar bone of alendronate-treated rats only at 10 days postextraction. Conclusions: Alendronate transiently decreases bone formation and vascularity in the extraction socket and delays the removal of interdental alveolar bone after tooth extraction in rats.
Conformational changes induced by the addition of carbamyl phosphate to sickle cell hemoglobin.

Abstract The conformational changes upon anaerobic carbamyl phosphate addition to dilute hemoglobin solutions have been studied by means of circular dichroism. Freshly prepared carbamyl phosphate stabilizes the conformation of pure deoxyhemoglobin without detectable NH2-terminal carbamylation. Addition of preincubated (i.e. partially converted to cyanate) carbamyl phosphate, however, results in such carbamylation and in the formation of the conformationally different carbamyl-deoxyhemoglobin which exhibits enhanced oxygen affinity. Fresh carbamyl phosphate carbamylates hemoglobin in deoxygenated hemolysates containing erythrocyte phosphatases. Therefore the reversal of SS erythrocyte sickling by carbamyl phosphate is attributable to carbamylation by the carbamyl phosphate hydrolysis product, cyanate.
Amplitude variations on a MEMS-based extreme adaptive optics coronagraph testbed

High-contrast imaging techniques such as coronagraphy are expected to play an important role in the imaging of extrasolar planets. Instruments like the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) or the Spectro-Polar-Imetric High-Contrast Exoplanet Research (SPHERE) require high-dynamic range, achieved using coronagraphs to block light coming from the parent star. An extremely good adaptive optics (AO) system is required to reduce dynamic atmospheric wavefront errors to 50-100 nm rms. Systematic wavefront errors must also be controlled at the nanometer-equivalent level to remove persistent speckle artifacts. While precision AO systems can control wavefront phase errors at this level, systematic amplitude or intensity errors can also produce speckle artifacts and are uncontrolled by traditional AO phase conjugation. On the Laboratory for Adaptive Optics (LAO) extreme AO testbed, we observed a discrepancy between the coronagraphic image profile and the profile predicted by simple simulations using the measured optical phase, which could potentially be explained by amplitude variations. Measurements showed up to 7% rms intensity changes across the microelectrical mechanical (MEM) plane of the system. We identified potential sources of amplitude variation and compared them to a Fresnel model of the system. One potential concern was the surface structure of the MEM system's (MEMS) deformable mirror, but analysis shows that it induces at most 2% rms variation. The bulk of the observed intensity variation is due to nonuniform illumination of the system by the input single-mode fiber and phase errors mixing into amplitude at the nonpupil-plane due to the Talbot effect, coupled with residual astigmatism in the pupil imager.