cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Presidential Primary Turnout 1972–2016

We explore the implications of sequential presidential primary elections for turnout in selecting the presidential party nominees. Drawing from a micro-level theory of participation in sequential elections, we develop a set of aggregate-level hypotheses that tease out different ways that candidate mobilization efforts as well as the legal and institutional structures within a sequential contest influence turnout in presidential nomination contests. Using data from all state primary elections from 1972–2016, we find that electorates facing winnowed candidate pools, and those with contests after the effective endings to presidential contests have substantially reduced turnout that effectively disenfranchises voters in many states. Sequenced primary elections lead to lower overall turnout and less meaningful participation for many voters during presidential nominations contests.
Lipopolysaccharide administration induces sex-dependent behavioural and serotonergic neurochemical signatures in mice

Challenging the innate immune machinery with the pro-inflammatory agent lipopolysaccharide (LPS) results in the development of a sickness syndrome characterized by numerous depressive-like behavioural and physiological manifestations, most of which overlap with the clinical symptoms of major depression. Although women are known to mount stronger pro-inflammatory responses during infections and being at higher risk to develop depressive disorders compared to men, the vast majority of experimental studies investigating the neurobiological effects of LPS administration have been conducted in males. Herein, we investigated the behavioural effects of LPS administration (0.83mg/kg) in male and female C57BL/6J mice subjected to tests screening for alterations in locomotor activity (open field test), anorexia (food consumption), anhedonia (sucrose preference test), behavioural despair (forced swim test) and grooming behaviour (splash-test). We further mapped the brain's serotonergic and dopaminergic activity in five limbic brain regions implicated in the pathophysiology of major depression (i.e., prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, striatum, amygdala, and hypothalamus) at two critical time-points post-LPS treatment; at 6h when depression of behavioural activity is maximal, and at 24h when depressive-like symptoms develop independently of obvious locomotor performance impairments associated with acute LPS administration. Our findings indicate that the two sexes present with differential behavioural sensitivity to this immune stressor, as impairment of grooming behaviour in the splash test was more persistent in female mice, and anorexia lasted longer in their male counterparts. Notably, LPS affects the brain's serotonergic neurochemistry in a sex-specific manner, as it induced sustained serotonergic hyperactivity in females at 24h post-LPS administration in all the brain regions examined. Moreover, the kinetics of dopaminergic activation appeared to be sex-differentiated upon LPS challenge. Given the higher prevalence of affective disorders in women, a focus of basic science on sex differences that underlie neuroinflammatory processes is imperative in order to elucidate the neuroimmunological substrate of major depression.
Priming Cross-Protective Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus-Specific Immunity Using Live-Vectored Mosaic Antigens.

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) plays a key role in bovine respiratory disease complex, which can lead to pneumonia, diarrhea and death of calves. Current vaccines are not very effective due, in part, to immunosuppressive traits and failure to induce broad protection. There are diverse BVDV strains and thus, current vaccines contain representative genotype 1 and 2 viruses (BVDV-1 & 2) to broaden coverage. BVDV modified live virus (MLV) vaccines are superior to killed virus vaccines, but they are susceptible to neutralization and complement-mediated destruction triggered by passively acquired antibodies, thus limiting their efficacy. We generated three novel mosaic polypeptide chimeras, designated NproE2123; NS231; and NS232, which incorporate protective determinants that are highly conserved among BVDV-1a, 1b, and BVDV-2 genotypes. In addition, strain-specific protective antigens from disparate BVDV strains were included to broaden coverage. We confirmed that adenovirus constructs expressing these antigens were strongly recognized by monoclonal antibodies, polyclonal sera, and IFN-γ-secreting T cells generated against diverse BVDV strains. In a proof-of-concept efficacy study, the multi-antigen proto-type vaccine induced higher, but not significantly different, IFN-γ spot forming cells and T-cell proliferation compared to a commercial MLV vaccine. In regards to the humoral response, the prototype vaccine induced higher BVDV-1 specific neutralizing antibody titers, whereas the MLV vaccine induced higher BVDV-2 specific neutralizing antibody titers. Following BVDV type 2a (1373) challenge, calves immunized with the proto-type or the MLV vaccine had lower clinical scores compared to naive controls. These results support the hypothesis that a broadly protective subunit vaccine can be generated using mosaic polypeptides that incorporate rationally selected and validated protective determinants from diverse BVDV strains. Furthermore, regarding biosafety of using a live vector in cattle, we showed that recombinant human adenovirus-5 was cleared within one week following intradermal inoculation.
Defining “Human Dignity” in the Debate Over the (Im)Morality of Physician-Assisted Suicide

Leon Kass's often-cited essay, “Death with Dignity and the Sanctity of Life,” provides the basis for a case study in the rhetorical function of definition in debates concerning bioethics. The study examines the way a particular definition of “human dignity” is used to maintain an advantage of power in the debate over the morality of physician-assisted suicide. It also considers sources of human dignity that are deflected from attention by the rhetoric of Kass's formulation.
Parameters of Deposit Contracts in the Modification of Smoking

Contingency contracting wherein the reinforcer was the return of some of S’s money deposit effectively eliminated smoking in 2 groups of smokers for the duration of the contract, compared to 2 groups of Ss on a noncontingent money deposit contract. A 2-week maintenance period, part of the contract for 1 of each pair of groups, failed to have any effect. While 3- and 6-month follow-ups indicated substantial relapses in all groups, it was found that low frequency smokers, particularly those in the contingent groups, showed a significant tendency to remain abstinent. Results of the study were discussed in relation to the contracting technique and the general area of behavior modification.
Alterations in Cerebral Blood Flow after Resuscitation from Cardiac Arrest.

Greater than 50% of patients successfully resuscitated from cardiac arrest have evidence of neurological disability. Numerous studies in children and adults, as well as in animal models have demonstrated that cerebral blood flow is impaired after cardiac arrest. Stages of cerebral perfusion post-resuscitation include early hyperemia, followed by hypoperfusion, and finally either resolution of normal blood flow or protracted hyperemia. At the level of the microcirculation the blood flow is heterogeneous, with areas of no flow, low flow, and increased flow. Cerebral blood flow directed therapies in animal models of cardiac arrest improved neurological outcome, and therefore the alterations in cerebral blood flow after cardiac arrest likely contribute to the development of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. Current intensive care after cardiac arrest is centered upon maintaining systemic oxygenation, normal blood pressure values for age, maintaining general homeostasis, and avoiding hyperthermia, Assessment of cerebral blood flow and oxygenation is not routinely performed after cardiac arrest. Currently available and underutilized techniques to assess cerebral perfusion include transcranial doppler, near infrared spectroscopy, and arterial spin label magnetic resonance imaging. Limited clinical studies established the role of cerebral blood flow and oxygenation monitoring in prognostication after cardiac arrest and few studies suggest that guiding critical care post-resuscitation to mean arterial pressures above the minimal autoregulatory range might improve outcome. Important knowledge gaps thus remain in cerebral monitoring and cerebral blood flow and oxygen goal-directed therapies post-resuscitation from cardiac arrest.
Embodying Ecopoetry: Victor Hugo, Love, and Landscape

Natura in sylvis jungebat corpora amantum. - Lucretius, De rerum natura (V, 960); as transcribed by Hugo1In striking contrast to other romantic poets of his age, the young Victor Hugo (1802–1885) h...
Cyber-Physical Resilience: Definition and Assessment Metric

Resilient operation of cyber-physical infrastructures in adversarial environments requires: 1) toughness: maintenance of core crucial sub-functionalities despite ongoing intrusions and 2) elasticity: recovery of the normal system operation in a timely manner. Put in other words, it does not require unrealistic assumptions about absolute preventative protection of complex cyber-physical platforms that would disable any type of malicious penetration and damage against the physical plant at the first place. Instead, resilience is based on the assumption that a sophisticated intrusion may succeed to evade the deployed protection and runtime detection mechanisms and impact the underlying system services and assets partially (except the core sub-functionalities). The resilient system fights back through reactive and proactive intrusion tolerance mechanisms to respond to ongoing misbehaviors and recover the affected system services and components within a reasonable time interval. In this paper, we present a formal definition of resilience and assessment metric for resilience. Our resilience metric quantifies the ability of the system to recover from an attack provided the attack is discovered within a fixed time interval, as well as the cost of recovery. We analyze the metric properties for linear systems and linear systems with actuator saturation. We then formulate cyber defense policies that ensure the resilience conditions are satisfied and validate our approach using a power system case study.
Smart autonomous grain carts for harvesting-on-demand

In this work, we address the problem of centralized scheduling and motion planning for multiple grain carts with finite capacity that serve a group of combine harvesters engaged in a harvesting operation. First, we solve a facility location problem of finding the optimal depot position to minimize the distance traveled by the grain carts. Next, we formulate the scheduling problem as a constraint satisfaction problem. For a rectangular field, we present two schemes which allow the grain carts to unload all the combine harvesters without interrupting the harvesting activity. Finally, for both schemes, we present a relation between the physical parameters of the vehicles that need to be satisfied in order to meet the scheduling constraints.
Application of Natural Language Processing algorithm for Predetermine Asthma Criteria to ascertainment of adult-onset asthma

Background: Natural Language Processing (NLP) for ascertainment of childhood asthma based on Predetermined Asthma Criteria (PAC) using free text in the EMR was successfully developed and validated. However, the approach has not been applied to adult-onset asthma. Objective: To assess whether PAC-based NLP algorithm (NLP-PAC) identifies adult-onset asthma as effective as childhood asthma. Methods: We applied NLP-PAC to EMR of adult cohorts (Olmsted County, Minnesota, residents) who participated in multiple population-based studies. We excluded asthma that occurred before 2000 when EMR was first implemented at our study setting. The study subjects’ asthma status was ascertained by applying PAC through manual chart review by abstractors. The performance of NLP-PAC was assessed by determining concordance of asthma status between NLP-PAC and manual chart review as gold standard. Results: The cohort consists of 1,898 subjects, 56% were female, and the median age at the last follow-up date was 65 years (IQR: 55-76). Manual chart review identified 97 subjects (5.1%) with adult-onset asthma. NLP-PAC ascertained 98 subjects (5.1%) as asthma with 89 of them overlapped with manual chart review. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of NLP-PAC were 91%, 99%, 90%, and 99%, respectively. Conclusion: Leveraging NLP to automated chart review for asthma ascertainment in adults is as effective as that implemented in children. Our NLP-PAC will be a useful tool enabling large-scale clinical studies for research and population management for asthma care.
The hierarchy of Poisson brackets for the open Toda lattice and its spectral curves

Abstract We establish a new representation of the infinite hierarchy of Poisson brackets for the open Toda lattice in terms of its spectral curve. For the Poisson brackets we give a representation in the form of a contour integral of some special Abelian differential (meromorphic one-form) on the spectral curve. All higher brackets of the infinite hierarchy are obtained by multiplication of the one-form by a power of the spectral parameter. A universal algebraic–geometrical formula of the infinite hierarchy of Poisson bracket for a classical integrable system was conjectured by the author in Vaninsky (2017). This paper is a confirmation of this conjecture for the finite open Toda lattice.
Prospective Tractography-Based Targeting for Improved Safety of Focused Ultrasound Thalamotomy.

Background Focused ultrasound thalamotomy (FUS-T) was recently approved for the treatment of refractory essential tremor (ET). Despite its noninvasive approach, FUS-T reinitiated concerns about the adverse effects and long-term efficacy after lesioning. Objective To prospectively assess the outcomes of FUS-T in 10 ET patients using tractography-based targeting of the ventral intermediate nucleus (VIM). Methods VIM was identified at the intercommissural plane based on its neighboring tracts: the pyramidal tract and medial lemniscus. FUS-T was performed at the center of tractography-defined VIM. Tremor outcomes, at baseline and 3 mo, were assessed independently by the Tremor Research Group. We analyzed targeting coordinates, clinical outcomes, and adverse events. The FUS-T lesion location was analyzed in relation to unbiased thalamic parcellation using probabilisitic tractography. Quantitative diffusion-weighted imaging changes were also studied in fiber tracts of interest. Results The tractography coordinates were more anterior than the standard. Intraoperatively, therapeutic sonications at the tractography target improved tremor (>50% improvement) without motor or sensory side effects. Sustained improvement in tremor was observed at 3 mo (tremor score: 18.3 ± 6.9 vs 8.1 ± 4.4, P = .001). No motor weakness and sensory deficits after FUS-T were observed during 6-mo follow-up. Ataxia was observed in 3 patients. FUS-T lesions overlapped with the VIM parcellated with probablisitic tractography. Significant microstructural changes were observed in the white matter connecting VIM with cerebellum and motor cortex. Conclusion This is the first report of prospective VIM targeting with tractography for FUS-T. These results suggest that tractography-guided targeting is safe and has satisfactory short-term clinical outcomes.
An efficient pose recovery algorithm for vision based trajectory tracking applications

An accurate vision based trajectory tracking application requires accurate pose estimation of the camera (or the carrier vehicle) during the motion. Aside from the algorithmic and computational difficulties of pose estimation, challenges arise from the environmental changes or instantaneous imaging errors. Usually, in such cases, the true pose cannot be estimated. This causes the determination of incorrect motion directives to the robotic vehicle. To compensate this miscalculation a Pose Recovery algorithm is necessary to lead mobile vehicle to desired trajectory. This paper presents a new pose recovery algorithm that employs previously generated virtual poses of a reference object to correct miscalculated pose. In our experiments, we use the Mirage pose estimation to demonstrate the performance of the proposed recovery algorithm. We evaluated our algorithm on 3 different experiments using one reference object. According to the results, our pose recovery algorithm can be effective for majority of pose failure cases with very low positional errors.
Concept formation by incremental conceptual clustering

Incremental conceptual clustering is an important area of machine learning. It is concerned with summarizing data in a form of concept hierarchies, which will eventually ease the problem of knowledge acquisition for knowledge-based systems. In this paper we have described INC, a program that generates a hierarchy of concept descriptions incrementally. INC searches a space of classification hierarchies in both top-down and bottom-up fashion. The system was evaluated along four dimensions and tested in two domains: universities and countries.
Empirical justification and defeasibility

Two truisms about empirical justification are that experience plays a crucial role in it (hence the name) and that it is defeasible. There are, of course, different ways of developing these truisms into philosophical theories. I favor one particular view about the role of experience in empirical justification which may be thought to lead to problems in accommodating its defeasibility. My aim in this paper is to argue that the problems are illusory, based on an entrenched misconception how defeaters work.
American Indian college students' counseling attitudes: College adjustment and counselor influences

The counseling attitudes of 305 entering freshmen, representing 122 tribes at an American Indian college, were surveyed both at the beginning of the fall semester and at the end of the semester following contact with American Indian counselors through campus activities and in a freshman orientation course. Counseling attitudes included the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help (ATSPPH) scale and items pertaining to willingness to use the counseling center. Sociocultural, campus adjustment, and counseling center-specific variables were analyzed to determine whether they influenced or predicted either general or specific counseling attitudes. Sociocultural variables included the students' cultural commitment, gender, and residential setting. Campus adjustment variables encompassed the students' degree of campus integration, involvement in campus activities, and campus cultural integration while counseling center-specific variables were reflected by students' knowledge of available counseling services, number of counselors known, degree of counselor contact, and both perceived and observed counselor cultural sensitivity. Analyses of covariance and correlations conducted at the beginning of the semester found gender to significantly influence both general and specific counseling attitudes, while perceived counselor cultural sensitivity and knowledge of available counseling services correlated positively with willingness to see a staff member at the counseling center. Analyses of data collected following completion of the orientation course indicated that both the degree of campus cultural integration and while perceived counselor cultural sensitivity were positively correlated with general and specific counseling attitudes, while knowledge of
TakeToons: Script-driven Performance Animation

Performance animation is an expressive method for animating characters through human performance. However, character motion is only one part of creating animated stories. The typical workflow also involves writing a script, coordinating actors, and editing recorded performances. In most cases, these steps are done in isolation with separate tools, which introduces friction and hinders iteration. We propose TakeToons, a script-driven approach that allows authors to annotate standard scripts with relevant animation events like character actions, camera positions, and scene backgrounds. We compile this script into a story model that persists throughout the production process and provides a consistent structure for organizing and assembling recorded performances and propagating script or timing edits to existing recordings. TakeToons enables writing, performing and editing to happen in an integrated and interleaved manner that streamlines production and facilitates iteration. Informal feedback from professional animators suggests that our approach can benefit many existing workflows supporting individual authors and production teams with many different contributors.
Assessment of Programmed Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1) Immunohistochemical Expression on Cytology Specimens in Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate whether non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cytology specimens are reliable for programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) immunohistochemical (IHC) testing. METHODS Fifty-two cell blocks (CBs) with corresponding surgical pathology PD-L1 IHC testing were stained with a Dako PD-L1 pharmDX antibody (clone-22C3). Tumor cellularity was recorded as <100 or ≥100 cells. PD-L1 IHC was scored by percentage of tumor cells staining (<1%, ≥1%-49%, ≥50%) and compared between matched cases. RESULTS Substantial agreement (κ = 0.63; 95% CI, 0.53-0.73) was reached between matched CB and surgical cases in CBs with ≥100 tumor cells compared to CBs with <100 tumor cells (slight agreement, κ = 0.19; 95% CI, 0.04-0.35). Overall, there was 67% agreement among paired cases (35/52 cases, κ = 0.51; 95% CI, 0.42-0.60). CONCLUSIONS CBs can be utilized for PD-L1 IHC testing, as illustrated by the 67% agreement between CB and surgical cases in our study. Disagreement is attributable to intratumoral heterogeneity and CB cellularity.
Impact of redo sternotomy on proximal aortic repair: Does previous aortic repair affect outcomes?

Abstract Purpose Proximal aortic repair (AoR) in the setting of previous sternotomy may be associated with greater risk than primary repair. Our objective was to determine whether redo sternotomy increases the risk of adverse outcomes following proximal aortic surgery. Methods We reviewed all proximal AoRs from 1991 to 2014. Outcomes were compared between first-time AoR (non-redo = 1305) and redo AoRs, which were further classified into 3 categories: (1) previous acute type A aortic dissection (AAD) repair (redo-AAD = 146, 8.3%); (2) previous proximal aneurysm repair (redo-aneurysm = 165, 9.4%); and (3) previous cardiac (non-aortic) sternotomy (redo-cardiac = 145, 8.2%). Data were analyzed by contingency tables and multiple regression. Results In total, 456 of 1761 (25.9%) proximal AoRs had redo sternotomy. Aortic redos (redo-AAD and redo-cardiac) had significantly more connective tissue disorders (P Conclusions Redo sternotomy is associated with increased risk for short- and long-term mortality after proximal aortic repair. Despite need for extensive repair, previous proximal aortic (for aneurysm or AAD) repair did not add further risk above that attributable to redo sternotomy.
Upregulating Nrf2 in the RVLM ameliorates sympatho-excitation in mice with chronic heart failure.

Abstract Nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a key transcription factor that maintains redox homeostasis by governing a broad array of antioxidant genes in response to oxidant stress. We hypothesized that overexpression of Nrf2 in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) ameliorates sympatho-excitation in mice with coronary artery ligation-induced chronic heart failure (CHF). To address this, we overexpressed Nrf2 in the RVLM using an HIV-CamKIIa-Nrf2 lenti virus in C57BL/6 mice. In addition, we used a Lenti-Cre virus in Keap1flox/flox mice to upregulate Nrf2 non-selectively in the RVLM. Arterial blood pressure (AP), heart rate (HR), and renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) were recorded under conscious and anesthetized conditions, respectively. Protein expression was assayed using western blotting and immunofluorescence staining. We found that (1) Nrf2 and two target proteins, NQO1 and HO-1 in the RVLM were significantly lower in CHF compared to Sham mice. Nrf2 viral transfection of the RVLM upregulated Nrf2 protein. (2) Urinary NE excretion in CHF mice was markedly attenuated following Nrf2 upregulation (812 ± 133 vs 1120 ± 271 ng/24hr mean. ±SE, *p
Technology as a Lever for Adolescent Writing

Despite needing this critical skill for college and career readiness, American adolescents are struggling to develop effective writing. In today’s schools and workplaces, much of that writing uses ...
Characterization of coal particles in the soil of a former rail yard and urban brownfield: Liberty State Park, Jersey City (NJ), USA

Abstract From the 1850's until the 1960's, the Central Railroad of New Jersey was among several major railways shipping anthracite and bituminous coal to the New York City area, transferring coal from railcar to barge at its extensive rail yard and port facility in Jersey City. The 490 ha Liberty State Park was developed on the site after the rail yard closed, but a ca. 100 ha brownfield zone within the park remains off limits to visitors pending future remediation. As part of an environmental forensic and industrial archeological investigation of this zone, the present study characterizes anthracite and bituminous coal particles present in abundance in the soil by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and pyrolysis-gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py-GC–MS). A simple pretreatment procedure employing density separation improved the analytical results. This detailed information about the nature of contaminants at the site will help to inform the remediation effort in the public interest.
Prevalence of Psychosocial Stress and Its Risk Factors among Health-care Workers in Nigeria: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Context: Health-care workers experience psychosocial stress in their workplace. Available statistics are at variance, and hence, the need to know the overall prevalence of psychosocial stress among Nigerian health-care workers and associated risk factors. Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of psychosocial stress and its risk factors among health-care workers in Nigeria through meta-analysis. Materials and Methods: PubMed, CINAHL, and Google Scholar databases were searched for articles. Search terms include “psychosocial stress,” “occupational health,” and “Nigerian health-care worker.” Articles were included if they used validated psychosocial stress assessment instruments. Of the 17 articles with data on psychosocial stress prevalence, eight met all inclusion criteria. Each article independently reviewed by the authors and relevant data abstracted. Statistical analysis was done using MedCalc version 18.10. Results: Overall, the prevalence of psychosocial stress was 61.97% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 41.013–80.823) based on analyzed eight articles with the sample size of 1763. Work overload rate at 67.72% (95% CI: 33.24–93.76) was the most prevalent psychosocial stress risk factor. Other risk factors were poor communication and staff attitude and lack of resources and equipment at 50.37% (95% CI: 13.35–87.16) and 62.4% (95% CI: 7.70–99.9), respectively. Headache, with neck and back pain, was the most prevalent psychosocial stress-related health outcome at 73.26% (95% CI: 66.14–79.82). Conclusion: Prevalence of psychosocial stress is high among health-care workers in Nigeria, necessitating preventive measures
Identifying De Facto Prescription Norms from Clinical Data

The need to study and analyze prescriptions is becoming increasingly important with the growing world population and expansions in medical intervention. The goal of my research is to study/analyze patient prescription data along with clinical notes and propose the notion of a data-driven community “norm” that can assist clinical decision makers. A norm represents the collective prescription patterns of a hospital community with regards to a class of drugs.
Early life microbiome perturbation alters pulmonary responses to ozone in male mice.

Early life changes in the microbiome contribute to the development of allergic asthma, but little is known about the importance of the microbiome for other forms of asthma. Ozone is a nonatopic asthma trigger that causes airway hyperresponsiveness and neutrophil recruitment to the lungs. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that early life perturbations in the gut microbiome influence subsequent responses to ozone. To that end, we placed weanling mouse pups from The Jackson Laboratories or from Taconic Farms in sex-specific cages either with other mice from the same vendor (same-housed) or with mice from the opposite vendor (cohoused). Mice were maintained with these cagemates until use. The gut microbial community differs in mice from Jackson Labs and Taconic Farms, and cohousing mice transfers fecal microbiota from one mouse to another. Indeed, 16S rRNA sequencing of fecal DNA indicated that differences in the gut microbiomes of Jackson and Taconic same-housed mice were largely abolished when the mice were cohoused. At 10-12 weeks of age, mice were exposed to room air or ozone (2 ppm for 3 hr). Compared to same-housed mice, cohoused male but not female mice had reduced ozone-induced airway hyperresponsiveness and reduced ozone-induced increases in bronchoalveolar lavage neutrophils. Ozone-induced airway hyperresponsiveness was greater in male than in female mice and the sex difference was largely abolished in cohoused mice. The data indicate a role for early life microbial perturbations in pulmonary responses to a nonallergic asthma trigger.
6.16 Biomaterials for Cardiac Cell Transplantation

Regenerative therapy for heart failure remains a significant unmet need sin the global medical community. One of the leading causes of heart failure is myocardial infarction (MI), which occurs following blockage of the coronary arteries, causing a loss of cardiac muscle and replacement with non-contractile scar. Overtime, this results in a process of remodeling which leads to left ventricular (LV) dilation and dysfunction. Novel approaches for treatment of this condition are needed to improve the quality of life and the survival of patients who suffer from post-MI LV dysfunction and congestive heart failure (CHF). The transplantation of stem cells has been proposed as a therapeutic option to improve clinical outcome and may significantly improve regional contractile and left ventricular function. However, most stem cell transplantation studies have yielded modest results, with cell death or displacement by the heart’s contractions a significant impediment to cell engraftment and improved therapeutic outcome. Collectively, these observations suggest the success of cell transplantation for cardiac tissue regeneration will hinge upon the development of matrices to promote their functional integration into existing tissue, and the subsequent expansion of transplant size. Accordingly biomaterials are now being explored to address these issues, creating pro-survival systems for stem cell transplantation comprised of natural, synthetic, and advanced biosynthetic hybrid materials.
האם הדחה שיפוטית של ראש ממשלה בישראל היא חוקתית Is Judicial Impeachment of the Israeli Prime Minister Constitutional

תקציר בעברית: ברבות מהדמוקרטיות בעולם אישי ציבור מתפטרים מיוזמתם כאשר עולה חשד שהם עברו עברה פלילית. מדינות אלה נשענות על מוסכמה חוקתית שלפיה יש לנהוג בדרך מסוימת גם אם בית-משפט לא יאכוף חובה ציבורית זו. אך בישראל, זה שנים רבות, אישי ציבור אינם מתפטרים מרצונם גם משהוגש נגדם כתב אישום בבית-משפט. בשנות התשעים בחר בית-המשפט העליון להתערב ולכפות על גופים ציבוריים לפטר אישי ציבור שחשודים בעברות חמורות, לרבות החלת חובה על ראש ממשלה לפטר שרים וסגני שרים בנסיבות אלה. האם יש להחיל דין דומה על ראש ממשלה שחשוד בעברה חמורה? טענת מאמר זה היא כי לשון החוקה, ההיסטוריה החוקתית ומבחני איזון האינטרסים מחייבים שבית-המשפט יימנע מלתרום במישרין או בעקיפין לחילופי שלטון בישראל באמצעות הדחה שיפוטית של ראש ממשלה. גם בשיטתנו החוקתית, שבה כל נושא הינו שפיט, ראוי שהדחת ראש ממשלה תיוותר בידי ההליכים הפוליטיים לפני הרשעה סופית של ראש ממשלה בעברה שיש עימה קלון.
Ligand-Dependent Tuning of Interband and Intersubband Transitions of Colloidal CdSe Nanoplatelets

Although surface ligands of colloidal nanocrystals are known to adjust the absolute energy levels of valence and conduction bands of semiconductor nanocrystals, they typically have only minor influ...
Complications and functional outcomes after transolecranon distal humerus fracture

Background Transolecranon distal humerus fractures are uncommon injuries. This is the first multipatient case series to describe outcomes and complications following transolecranon distal humerus fractures in the adult population. Method Design: retrospective; setting: single level 1 trauma center; patients/participants: 16 patients; intervention: surgical management of transolecranon distal humerus fracture; main outcome measurement: Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire after a minimum of 12 months. Results A total of 16 patients with open (n = 12) or closed (n = 4) transolecranon distal humerus fractures were identified. Nine female and 7 male patients with a mean age of 47 years were included. Mechanisms of injury included motor vehicle collisions (n = 3), motorcycle crashes (n = 4), ground-level falls (n = 3), falls from height (n = 4), train collision (n = 1), and an industrial accident (n = 1). Seven patients (44%) presented with nerve injury. Patients underwent open reduction with internal fixation (n = 15), external fixation (n = 6), or both (n = 5). Additional surgeries were ultimately required in 11 patients (69%), with a mean of 3 surgeries to manage each patient's elbow injuries. All patients returned for at least 3 clinical follow-up visits; mean clinical follow-up was 15.8 months and mean radiographic follow-up was 12.3 months. Complications were observed in 15 patients (94%). Eleven patients (69%) had limited range of motion with a flexion arc of less than 100° at their last clinic visit. Seven patients (44%) developed deep wound infections requiring repeat debridement and intravenous antibiotics. Implant removal was performed in 10 patients (62.5%) because of infection (n = 5), symptomatic hardware (n = 4), or device failure (n = 1). Heterotopic ossification was seen in 8 patients (50%) and post-traumatic arthrosis in 4 (25%). Two patients (12.5%) required flap reconstruction for soft tissue defects. Nonunion occurred in 7 patients (44%). DASH scores were obtained for 10 patients (62.5%) at a mean of 3.8 years after injury. The mean DASH score was 40.2, ranging from 4.2 to 76.5. Among respondents, 7 (70%) were able to resume working, with an average DASH work module score of 25. Conclusion Management of transolecranon distal humerus fractures remain a challenge for orthopedic surgeons. Complication rates, including deep infection and nonunion, are high, with frequent long-term functional limitations posed to the patient, as evidenced by DASH scores.
Hydroxychloroquine-Induced Toxic Myopathy Causing Diaphragmatic Weakness and Lung Collapse Requiring Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation:

A 42-year-old woman with juvenile idiopathic arthritis was treated with anakinra, corticosteroids, and hydroxychloroquine when she developed chronic hypoxic respiratory myopathy. She was admitted to the intensive care unit for acute hypercapnic respiratory failure and required prolonged intubation, subsequent tracheostomy, and long-term ventilatory support due to multiple failed spontaneous breathing trials after discontinuation of anakinra and steroids. Muscle biopsy revealed type II fiber atrophy with the accumulation of autophagosomes and vacuoles presenting as curvilinear bodies, elevated MHC class I antigen expression, and infiltration by CD68+ macrophages and CD8+ T cells. Type II fiber atrophy was attributed to corticosteroid use and curvilinear bodies due to blockade of autophagy by hydroxychloroquine. After hydroxychloroquine was discontinued, the patient recovered to her prehospitalization baseline.
Fetal Non-Ovarian Abdominopelvic Cystic Lesions: A Single-Center Report.

Introduction There is a paucity of reports describing the clinical course and likely postnatal outcomes of prenatally identified simple cystic abdominopelvic lesions which are not associated with the ovary. Objective The aim of this study was to describe the natural history and postnatal outcomes of prenatally discovered abdominopelvic cystic lesions seen at our center. Methods This study is a retrospective review of all newborns with prenatally discovered non-ovarian simple cystic abdominal or pelvic lesions (September 2012-December 2018). Prenatal solid organ involvement, lesion size, and postnatal clinical outcomes are described. Results Sixty-six patients with 68 cystic lesions were identified; 22 patients with 24 lesions met the defined study criteria and were included. Eleven (46%) resolved prenatally, while 5 (21%) resolved by 18 months of age. Of the 10 lesions associated with an organ, 4 (40%) resolved prenatally. Of the remaining 14 lesions not associated with a solid organ, 7 (50%) resolved prenatally. Seven lesions (29%) required postnatal surgical intervention. Larger maximum prenatal lesions tended toward postnatal surgical intervention (one-way ANOVA: p = 0.072). Conclusions The majority of simple non-ovarian cystic abdominopelvic lesions at our center resolved in the perinatal period. Due to the low frequency of these lesions at fetal centers, a larger multicenter study based on a consistent monitoring protocol should be undertaken to better describe the resolution patterns of simple non-ovarian cystic lesions for improved prenatal counseling.
Comparison of interval breast cancers with 2D digital mammography versus 3D digital breast tomosynthesis in a large community-based practice.

Incidence of interval cancers is an important outcome in assessing efficacy of screening. Our primary objective was to compare the incidence of interval cancers detected with two-dimensional digital mammography (DM) versus digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) in a large community health system. Our secondary objectives were to compare the patient and tumor characteristics of interval cancers, cancer detection rate, and recall rate. Interval cancers before and after implementation of DBT (2012-2014 DM group; 2016-2018 DBT group) were reviewed. Patient factors (age, race, breast density, personal history of breast cancer, family history of breast cancer, known BRCA-1 or BRCA-2 genetic mutation, baseline mammogram, and presentation) and tumor characteristics (in situ versus invasive, grade, size, hormone receptor status, and nodal status) were compared with the chi-squared test or the MidP exact test. Rates (detection and recall) were compared using a z-score. The rates of interval cancers with DM (0.30 per 1000 [35/117 099]) and DBT (0.33 per 1000 [40/119 746]) were similar (P = .3). Proportion of node-positive interval cancers was lower in the DBT group (22.9% [8/35] vs 48% [15/31], p.01). Otherwise, the patient and tumor characteristics were similar. The cancer detection rate increased (5.9 per 1000 [709/119 746] vs 3.5 per 1000 [411/117 099], P = .0001), and the recall rate decreased with DBT (8.6% [10 347/119 746] versus 10.7% [12 508/117 099], (P < .0001). Although the cancer detection rate was higher with DBT, the rate of interval breast cancers was similar in both groups. Node-positive invasive interval cancers were decreased with DBT.
“‘There’s No Harm in Talking’…True…But It Depends on How We Talk and What We Then Do”

McCarthy, Homan, and Rozier’s article seeks to bridge a gap between theological and secular bioethics (McCarthy, Homan, and Rozier 2020). It should be noted that the “theological” emphasis in the a...
Side-Channel Propagation Measurements and Modeling for Hardware Security in IoT Devices

The ubiquitous interconnectivity of electronic devices offered by Internet-of-Things (IoT) networks has been increasingly embraced in a wide range of applications. In IoT networks, threats to hardware security are often not perceived as serious, with the assumption that an attack could only be carried out at close proximity. However, in this article, we show that through electromagnetic (EM) side-channel signal leakage, operational information and program activities of IoT devices and field-programmable gate array (FPGA) modules can be garnered from approximately 200 m away in an outdoor line-of-sight (LOS) environment. We describe an extensive measurement campaign conducted to investigate the aforementioned leakage and provide propagation models that can be used to predict the power (and corresponding variation i.e., shadowing gain) of the EM side-channel signal emanation at various distances, scenarios, and environments. With a circularly polarized receiver antenna, our results show that the received power of the emanated EM side-channel (carrier) signal varies from about −61 dBm at 1 m to about −112 dBm at 200 m in the outdoor LOS environment. Furthermore, a received signal power of about −73 dBm was observed at 1 m and −88 dBm was recorded at 10 m in an indoor LOS environment. Power variation (shadowing gain) of about 3.6 and 2.0 dB was observed in the outdoor and indoor environments, respectively. This work is relevant for EM side-channel leakage countermeasure development and provides pertinent information to embedded systems and wireless network security engineers.
Equitable Mindfulness: A Framework for Transformative Conversations in Higher Education

Background: Mindfulness, the practice of present moment experience, can be employed as a tool for grounding in difficult conversations and creating pathways for transformative change in communities. Aim: As educators continue to teach the practices of mindfulness in primary, secondary, and post-secondary institutions to promote personal and academic wellbeing, it is important to recognize the inherent power of mindfulness practice to stimulate actions against oppressive systems, instead of continuing to support them by using curriculum focused on desensitizing individuals to that system. The outlined framework aims to create a platform for the promotion of sustained action. Methods: This article will outline the framework and model of Equitable Mindfulness used within curricula to create containers, hold space, and begin difficult conversations about creating and sustaining diverse and inclusive spaces and strategies. Results: Rooted in the foundations of mindfulness, the Equitable Mindfulness framework was created to promote personal and societal introspection while bridging gaps between communities and breaking down barriers against inclusive practices. Conclusions: Researchers are continuing to collect mixed-methods data on how Equitable Mindfulness is perceived, it’s validity in the field, and its relationship to mediating difficult topics.
A latent class analysis of modifiable risk factors associated with child maltreatment re-reporting and recurrence.

Abstract Background Maltreatment re-reporting and recurrence represent missed opportunities for prevention and early intervention in child welfare settings. Objectives This study identified latent classes of risk among families who experienced a child maltreatment re-report or maltreatment recurrence within 12-months of initial case closure. Participants and setting Administrative child welfare data from a large urban county were subject to secondary analysis. Samples included children who experienced a maltreatment re-report (n = 4390), and children who experienced a second maltreatment substantiation (n = 694). Methods Five modifiable risk factors (i.e., mental health, substance abuse, domestic violence, disability, parenting challenges) were extracted from the initial investigation and subject to latent class analysis. Case characteristics (i.e., age, gender, race, ethnicity, maltreatment type) were then compared across the latent classes in a post-hoc analysis. Results Re-report classes were characterized by (1) “Few Identified Challenges” (56%, n = 2458), (2) “Mental Health and Domestic Violence Challenges” (26%, n = 1133), and (3) “Substance Abuse, Domestic Violence, Mental Health, and Parenting Challenges” (18%, n = 790). Re-report classes differed according to child age, race, ethnicity, neglect and physical abuse allegations. Recurrence classes were characterized by (1) “Domestic Violence Challenges” (48%, n = 333), (2) “Mental Health Challenges” (15%, n = 104), and (3) “Domestic Violence, Mental Health, and Parenting Challenges” (37%, n = 257). Recurrence classes differed according to child race and age. Conclusions Findings underscore the complex and co-occurring nature of maltreatment risk, and provide insights to strengthen assessment and intervention practices to reduce repeated contacts with child welfare systems.
Cholangiocarcinoma: Correlation between Molecular Profiling and Imaging Phenotypes

Purpose To investigate associations between imaging features of cholangiocarcinoma by visual assessment and texture analysis, which quantifies heterogeneity in tumor enhancement patterns, with molecular profiles based on hypoxia markers. Methods The institutional review board approved this HIPAA-compliant retrospective study of CT images of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, obtained before surgery. Immunostaining for hypoxia markers (EGFR, VEGF, CD24, P53, MDM2, MRP-1, HIF-1α, CA-IX, and GLUT1) was performed on pre-treatment liver biopsies. Quantitative imaging phenotypes were determined by texture analysis with gray level co-occurrence matrixes. The correlations between quantitative imaging phenotypes, qualitative imaging features (measured by radiographic inspection alone), and expression levels of the hypoxia markers from the 25 tumors were assessed. Results Twenty-five patients were included with a median age of 62 years (range: 54–84). The median tumor size was 10.2 cm (range: 4–14), 10 (40%) were single tumors, and 90% were moderately differentiated. Positive immunostaining was recorded for VEGF in 67% of the cases, EGFR in 75%, and CD24 in 55%. On multiple linear regression analysis, quantitative imaging phenotypes correlated significantly with EGFR and VEGF expression levels (R2 = 0.4, p<0.05 and R2 = 0.2, p<0.05, respectively), while a trend was demonstrated with CD24 expression (R2 = 0.33, p = 0.1). Three qualitative imaging features correlated with VEGF and CD24 expression (P<0.05), however, none of the qualitative features correlated with the quantitative imaging phenotypes. Conclusion Quantitative imaging phenotypes, as defined by texture analysis, correlated with expression of specific markers of hypoxia, regardless of conventional imaging features.