cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamic XML Generation according to a Given Schema

eXtensible Markup Language (XML) is a favorable format for exchanging information in the internet world. Most of the times XML needs to be generated according to a given schema agreed by all business partners so that everybody can correctly consume the information it contains. Thus it becomes critical to create the XML according to the given well defined schema. This paper presents a technique to create the XML according to a given schema dynamically.
Regulation of fibrinolysis in aortic surgery

The existence of inhibitors of plasminogen activator has been shown to play an important role in regulation of fibrinolysis and postoperative thrombosis. Platelets and endothelium are sources of plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI). This study determines the contribution of platelet-released PAI to perioperative fibrinolytic shutdown. PAI levels were measured in 25 patients having aortic surgery. In nine patients the platelet-released PAI contribution was determined by in vitro activation of platelets with phorbol-myristate-acetate (PMA). Mean preoperative PAI levels (3.78 +/- 1.19 U/ml) were similar to controls (3.01 +/- 1.04 U/ml) (p greater than 0.05). Plasma PAI showed an operative increase to a maximum at 8 hours postoperatively and returning to preoperative values by the second postoperative day. In the nine patients who were subjected to studies with in vitro activation, the preoperative PAI level (4.0 +/- 0.9 U/ml) was elevated to 5.1 +/- 0.7 U/ml (p = 0.001) with PMA induction. Maximum stimulated release of platelet granule contents (platelet releasate) could account for an increase of only 1.0 U/ml compared with a postoperative increase of 2.3 U/ml. Postoperative mean peak plasma PAI (6.3 +/- 0.4 U/ml) could not be further elevated by induced release (6.3 +/- 0.4 U/ml) (p = 0.003). A statistically significant increase in PAI occurred in aortic surgery patients postoperatively. The platelet releasable pool of PAI contributed to the increase and was functionally exhausted postoperatively. Postoperative increases of PAI were twice that induced by platelet in vitro stimulation alone. The perioperative increase in PAI was partly due to platelet release.
ENOD40 Gene Expression and Cytokinin Responses in the Nonnodulating, Nonmycorrhizal (Nod - Myc - ) Mutant, Masym3, of Melilotus alba Desr.

Several nonnodulating, nonmycorrhizal (Nod−Myc−) mutants of Melilotus alba Desr. (white sweetclover) have been described. However, the details of their responses to Sinorhizobium meliloti have not been fully elucidated. We investigated rhizobial entry and colonization using Confocal Scanning Laser Microscopy on the Masym1–5 mutants and isolated an early nodulin (ENOD40) gene from wild-type M. alba. We focused on Masym3, the least responsive of the mutants to S. meliloti and VA-fungi, to determine its response to cytokinin. Cytokinin appears to be a downstream signal in the nodule developmental pathway based not only on our previous observations whereby Nod−Myc− alfalfa roots treated with cytokinin accumulated several ENOD gene transcripts, but also on recent reports showing the importance of cytokinin receptors for nodulation. Here we show that applying 10−6 M 6-benzylaminopurine to uninoculated Masym3 roots elicited ENOD40 transcript accumulation. In addition, Masym3 root hairs inoculated with either wil...
Managers' Mobility and Market Interface: The Effect of Managers' Career Mobility on the Dissolution of Market Ties

Using social embeddedness arguments, this study examines how the mobility of managers in professional service and client firms affects dissolution among their firms' market ties for that service. M...
Phase unwrapping algorithms for radar interferometry: residue-cut, least-squares, and synthesis algorithms

The advent of interferometric synthetic aperature radar for geophysical studies has resulted in the need for accurate, efficient methods of two-dimensional phase unwrapping. Inference of the lost integral number of cycles in phase measurements is critical for three-pass surface deformation studies as well as topographic mapping and can result in an order of magnitude increase in sensitivity for two-pass deformation analysis. While phase unwrapping algorithms have proliferated over the past ten years, two main approaches are currently in use. Each is most useful only for certain restricted applications. All these algorithms begin with the measured gradient of the phase field, which is subsequently integrated to recover the unwrapped phases. The earliest approaches in interferometric applications incorporated residue identification and cuts to limit the possible integration paths, while a second class using least-squares techniques was developed in the early 1990’s. We compare the approaches and find that the residue-cut algorithms are quite accurate but do not produce estimates in regions of moderate phase noise. The least-squares methods yield complete coverage but at the cost of distortion in the recovered phase field. A new synthesis approach, combining the cuts from the first class with a least-squares solution, offers greater spatial coverage with less distortion in many instances.
An experimental evaluation of the efficacy of chymotrypsin in the reduction of edema in crushed extremities.

Because of the scarring and limited motion that occur as the final result of edema of the hand, prevention or decrease of the original edema would be desirable. Clinically, in patients with postoperative edema of the hand, we feel that aqueous chymotrypsin aids in the reduction of the edema. In this work, the drug was used under controlled circumstances at various dosage levels in monkeys with traumatically induced edema of the upper extremities. The studies reveal that, when chymotrypsin was given in large doses, the maximum degree of edema reached was less than that in the control animals and that reduction of edema began sooner and was completed more rapidly in the treated animals. These observations suggest that aqueous chymotrypsin can be used effectively in human patients with traumatically induced edema of the extremities.
Proton-hydrogen collisions at low temperatures

We study the proton-hydrogen collision in the energy range from 0 to 5 K where the hyperfine structure of the hydrogen atom becomes important. A proper multichannel treatment of the hyperfine structure is found to be crucial at cold temperatures compared to the elastic approximation traditionally used at higher temperatures. Both elastic and hyperfine-changing inelastic processes are investigated, using both the multichannel quantum-defect theory (MQDT) and the coupled-channel numerical method. Results from the two methods show excellent agreement with MQDT providing an efficient and basically analytic description of the proton-hydrogen interaction throughout this energy range. We also discuss the validity of the elastic approximation and its relation to other methods.
Structural Evolution during Mechanical Deformation in High-Barrier PVDF-TFE/PET Multilayer Films Using in Situ X-ray Techniques

Poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-tetrafluoroethylene) (PVDF-TFE) is confined between alternating layers of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) utilizing a unique multilayer processing technology, in which PVDF-TFE and PET are melt-processed in a continuous fashion. Postprocessing techniques including biaxial orientation and melt recrystallization were used to tune the crystal orientation of the PVDF-TFE layers, as well as achieve crystallinity in the PET layers through strain-induced crystallization and thermal annealing during the melt recrystallization step. A volume additive model was used to extract the effect of crystal orientation within the PVDF-TFE layers and revealed a significant enhancement in the modulus from 730 MPa in the as-extruded state (isotropic) to 840 MPa in the biaxially oriented state (on-edge) to 2230 MPa in the melt-recrystallized state (in-plane). Subsequently, in situ wide-angle X-ray scattering was used to observe the crystal structure evolution during uniaxial deformation in both th...
Experimental transmission of Leishmania mexicana to hamsters by bites of phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) from the United States.

Laboratory-reared Lutzomyia diabolica (Hall) and Lutzomyia shannoni (Dyar), the only known anthropophilic sand flies occurring in the United States, transmitted Leishmania mexicana Biagi by bite to Syrian hamsters. The parasite strain (MHOM/US/80/WR-411) was originally isolated from a human patient living in Uvalde, Tex. Eighty-eight percent of 523 L. diabolica and 95% of 173 L. shannoni became infected after feeding on leishmanial histiocytomas of experimentally infected hamsters. At least 6% of the L. diabolica and 12% of the L. shannoni refed on uninfected hamsters 3–14 d after the infecting blood meal. Five of 21 hamsters fed upon by one or more L. diabolica and five of five hamsters fed upon by L. shannoni developed cutaneous lesions 14–148 d after the transmitting bite(s).
Histological studies of ovaries in rats treated with hydroxyurea, triphenyltin acetate, and triphenyltin chloride.

Three insect chemosterilants, hydroxyurea, triphenyltin acetate, and triphenyltin chloride, were tested to determine their effect on ovarian tissue in the albino rat. The compounds were administered orally at dosage rates of 40 mg per kg per day for hydroxyurea, and 20 mg per kg per day for the 2 organotin compounds for periods of 4, 9, 14, 19, and 24 days. Animals were killed on the day following cessation of treatment and histological preparations of ovaries were made and evaluated. Hydroxyurea had no significant effect on the ovarian tissue and no side effects were detected. However, both triphenyltin compounds produced significant changes in the ovarian tissue. Among these changes were a decreased number of mature follicles, an increased incidence of atresia in early follicle growth, and a pronounced decrease in the number of corpora lutea present. This last effect was regarded as a decrease in ovulation, and thus, a decreased fertility. This effect, as well as the others listed above, was present on or by the 1st 5-day sample period.
A Statewide Analysis of the Incidence and Outcomes of Acute Mesenteric Ischemia in Maryland from 2009 to 2013.

Introduction. Acute mesenteric ischemia is a surgical emergency that entails complex, multi-modal management, but its epidemiology and outcomes remain poorly defined. The aim of this study was to perform a population analysis of the contemporary incidence and outcomes of mesenteric ischemia. Methods. This was a retrospective analysis of acute mesenteric ischemia in the state of Maryland during 2009 – 2013 using a comprehensive statewide hospital admission database. Demographics, illness severity, comorbidities, and outcomes were studied. The primary outcome was inpatient mortality. Survivors and non-survivors were compared using univariate analyses, and multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate risk factors for mortality. Results. During the 5-year study period, there were 3,157,499 adult hospital admissions in Maryland. 2,255 patients (0.07%) had acute mesenteric ischemia, yielding an annual admission rate of 10/100,000. Increasing age, hypercoagulability, cardiac dysrhythmia, renal insufficiency, increasing illness severity, and tertiary hospital admission were associated with development of mesenteric ischemia. Inpatient mortality was high (24%). After multivariate analysis, independent risk factors for death were age > 65 years, critical illness severity, mechanical ventilation, tertiary hospital admission, hypercoagulability, renal insufficiency, and dysrhythmia. Conclusions. Acute mesenteric ischemia occurs in approximately 1/1000 admissions in Maryland. Patients with mesenteric ischemia have significant illness severity, substantial rates of organ dysfunction, and high mortality. Patients with chronic comorbidities and acute organ dysfunction are at increased risk of death, and recognition of these risk factors may enable prevention or earlier control of mesenteric ischemia in high-risk patients.
Capital Flows: Convergence vs. Risk

Standard international macroeconomic models overpredict capital flows into countries with relatively lower capital stocks and faster-growing TFP. Asymmetric invest- ment risk has been shown in similar models to be a significant driver of capital flows between otherwise symmetric countries. But can risk drive capital “uphill?” This paper builds a model with two large open economies to assess the ability of asymmetric aggregate risk to partially counteract the neoclassical convergence forces. The two economies are calibrated to the average 1980 capital stocks, TFP levels, and trend TFP growth rates of a group of 21 developed markets and a group of 21 emerging markets, respectively. In addition, the two economies’ TFP processes are subject to both transitory Gaussian shocks and rare disasters, both calibrated to evidence that emerging markets are not just more volatile, but are addi- tionally subject to rare disasters that are both more common and more severe than those in developed markets. At the baseline calibration, risk is able to prevent 82% of the flows that would have occurred due to the convergence forces, and if the initial gap in capital per worker and TFP in the average emerging market were 61% that which was observed in the data, the risk motive would exactly offset the convergence forces. This paper concludes that the literature’s insights on the first-order importance of risk remain relevant even in a setting where powerful countervailing forces would drive capital “downhill.”
Long-term heart preservation by intermittent perfusion with crystalloid medium.

This study was undertaken to determine whether hearts preserved with intermittent coronary perfusion would recover physiologic function after a prolonged period of hypothermic preservation. Intermittent perfusion is commonly used for cardioplegia, but its efficacy in long-term heart preservation has not yet been demonstrated. Five groups of isolated rat hearts were studied (n = 7 per group): (1) fresh nonpreserved control hearts; (2) hearts preserved with continuous low-pressure perfusion via the aorta; (3) hearts preserved with cycles of 5 minutes of perfusion followed by 25 minutes of nonperfusion; (4) hearts preserved with cycles of 10 minutes of perfusion followed by 25 minutes of nonperfusion; (5) hearts preserved with submersion storage without perfusion. An oxygenated extracellular-type crystalloid medium (oxygen tension = 820 ± 5 mm Hg) was used as a preservation medium; preservation was for 12 hours. During preservation, the coronary resistance of the intermittent perfusion–preserved hearts increased significantly, and these hearts produced significantly more excess lactate than did hearts in the other two preservation groups. The submersion-stored hearts exhibited no postpreservation ventricular function in an isolated perfused working rat heart system. The poststorage function of the other four groups, which was quantified during a 4-hour, 37° C perfusion period at constant heart rate, indicated that there were no significant group differences with respect to output or energetics (coronary flow, aortic output, cardiac output, myocardial oxygen consumption, and external work efficiency). The intermittent perfusion–preserved hearts had significantly lower postpreservation contractile function (left ventricular systolic pressure, peak rates of left ventricular pressure development and relaxation, peak aortic flow rate, stroke work, and peak power) and higher left ventricular end-diastolic pressure compared with the control group. Although hearts preserved with intermittent perfusion had a loss of contractile function and decreased compliance compared with fresh hearts, after preservation they had better function than did hearts preserved with submersion storage and the same function as hearts preserved with continuous perfusion.
Vitamin D Deficiency in Infants

A 6-month-old male Turkish infant presented with fever and three recent episodes of generalized seizures, each episode lasting for approximately 5 min. This patient was reported well until the day of admission when his skin felt warm and developed generalized seizures. He was born full term and was exclusively breastfed since birth, with no vitamin supplementation. Family history was negative for epilepsy. His parents were not cosanguineous. His mother followed the Islamic faith and dressed with most of her skin covered. She did not take vitamin supplements during pregnancy or lactation. On examination, the infant was drowsy after the epileptic spell. The temperature was 38 °C, the blood pressure 90/45 mmHg, the pulse 140 beats per minute, and the respiratory rate 40 breaths per minute. His weight, height, and head circumference were in 97th percentile for age. There was no bulging of the anterior fontanelle. Auscultation of lung sounds revealed coarse crepitation and rhonchi bilaterally. The patient did not have any dysmorphic facial features or skeletal deformities on exam. Neurological examinations were normal.
Effects of prophylactic indomethacin on vasopressor dependent hypotension in extremely preterm infants

Objective To determine whether a moderate-to-large patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is responsible for vasopressor-dependent hypotension, occurring at the end of the first postnatal week. Study design We performed a retrospective, double cohort controlled study of infants delivered at ≤27 +6 weeks' gestation (n = 313). From January 2004 through April 2011, all infants were treated with prophylactic indomethacin ([PINDO] epoch). From May 2011 through December 2015, no infant was treated with indomethacin until at least 8 postnatal days (conservative epoch). Echocardiograms were performed on postnatal days 6 or 7. Hypotension was managed by a predefined protocol. The primary outcome was the incidence of dopamine-dependent hypotension, defined as having received at least 6 µg/kg/min dopamine for at least 24 hours during postnatal days 4-7. Results As expected, the incidence of moderate-to-large PDA at the end of the first week differed significantly between epochs (PINDO = 8%; conservative = 64%). In multivariate analyses, infants in the PINDO epoch had a significantly lower incidence of vasopressor-dependent hypotension (11%) than infants in the conservative epoch (21%; OR = 0.40, 95% CI 0.20-0.82). Infants in the PINDO epoch also required less mean airway pressure, had a lower respiratory severity score, and lower mode of ventilation score than infants in the conservative epoch during postnatal days 4-7. The effects of PINDO on both the incidence of vasopressor-dependent hypotension and the need for respiratory support were no longer significant when analyses were adjusted for "presence or absence of a moderate-to-large PDA." Conclusion PINDO decreases vasopressor-dependent hypotension and the need for respiratory support at the end of the first postnatal week. These effects are mediated by closure of the PDA.
Progress and challenges with CdTe cell efficiency

CdTe solar-cell efficiency at Colorado State has now been independently verified above 18% on commercial glass. The parameters for the highest-efficiency cell are 863 mV for V OC , 26.8 mA/cm2 for J SC , and 79.2% for fill-factor, combining for 18.3% efficiency. The cell features that allowed the increases include higher-temperature pre-heating before CdTe deposition, a Te layer to facilitate the back contact, MgZnO for the buffer layer, and an anti-reflective coating. The current and fill-factor have achieved large fractions of their ideal values for the CdTe band gap, but as is typical for CdTe cells, the voltage has not. Two general strategies to address the voltage deficit are described. One of these, electron reflection with fully-depleted CdTe, has achieved voltage increases of 60 mV with 1-μ m CdTe and higher with sub-micron absorbers.
Future Perspectives for Rheumatoid Arthritis and Other Autoimmune Diseases

Immunologic biomarkers are intrinsic to the field of rheumatology both for making a clinical diagnosis and in potentially detecting early signs of disease in at-risk individuals when symptoms are absent. In this brief chapter, we discuss developing and future directions in the use of biomarkers in rheumatology with an emphasis on rheumatoid arthritis. We discuss the role of the “mechanistic” biomarker, a subtype of the biomarker that measures a process directly linked to disease pathogenesis, thus increasing both diagnostic reliability and potentially identifying phenotype-targeted therapies. As such mechanistic biomarkers have begun a revolution in the approach to cancer, we attempt to provide parallels as to how such markers can be applied to diagnosis and targeted treatment in the rheumatic diseases.
A Dataset and Benchmarks for Segmentation and Recognition of Gestures in Robotic Surgery

Objective : State-of-the-art techniques for surgical data analysis report promising results for automated skill assessment and action recognition. The contributions of many of these techniques, however, are limited to study-specific data and validation metrics, making assessment of progress across the field extremely challenging. Methods : In this paper, we address two major problems for surgical data analysis: First, lack of uniform-shared datasets and benchmarks, and second, lack of consistent validation processes. We address the former by presenting the JHU-ISI Gesture and Skill Assessment Working Set (JIGSAWS), a public dataset that we have created to support comparative research benchmarking. JIGSAWS contains synchronized video and kinematic data from multiple performances of robotic surgical tasks by operators of varying skill. We address the latter by presenting a well-documented evaluation methodology and reporting results for six techniques for automated segmentation and classification of time-series data on JIGSAWS. These techniques comprise four temporal approaches for joint segmentation and classification: hidden Markov model, sparse hidden Markov model (HMM), Markov semi-Markov conditional random field, and skip-chain conditional random field; and two feature-based ones that aim to classify fixed segments: bag of spatiotemporal features and linear dynamical systems. Results : Most methods recognize gesture activities with approximately 80% overall accuracy under both leave-one-super-trial-out and leave-one-user-out cross-validation settings. Conclusion : Current methods show promising results on this shared dataset, but room for significant progress remains, particularly for consistent prediction of gesture activities across different surgeons. Significance : The results reported in this paper provide the first systematic and uniform evaluation of surgical activity recognition techniques on the benchmark database.
Mechanistic Investigations Into the Developmental Toxicity of Nitrated and Heterocyclic PAHs.

Nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs) and heterocyclic PAHs (HPAHs) are recognized environmental pollutants. However, the health risks of NPAHs and HPAHs to humans and environmental systems are not well-studied. The developmental zebrafish (Danio rerio) model was used to evaluate the toxicity of a structurally diverse set of 27 NPAHs and 10 HPAHs. The individual activity of each compound towards the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), including the role of the AHR in observed toxicity, and genetic markers of oxidative stress and cardiac toxicity were evaluated. Zebrafish embryos were exposed from 6 to 120 hours post fertilization (hpf), to a broad concentration range of individual compounds, and evaluated for 22 developmental endpoints. The potential role of AHR was determined using the transgenic Tg(cyp1a:nls-egfp) reporter zebrafish line. All compounds were screened computationally through molecular docking using a previously developed AHR models of zebrafish isoforms 1A, 1B, and 2. Some compounds did not induce observable developmental toxic responses, whereas others produced statistically significant concentration-dependent toxicity. The tested compounds also exhibited a range of predicted AHR binding and cyp1a/GFP induction patterns, including cyp1a expression in the liver, vasculature, skin, and yolk, which we determined to be due to distinct isoforms of the AHR, using morpholino oligonucleotide knockdown. Furthermore, we investigated mRNA expression of oxidative and cardiac stress genes at 48 and 120 hpf, which indicated several potential mechanisms-of-action for NPAHs. Overall, we observed a range of developmental toxicities, cyp1a/GFP expression patterns, and gene expression profiles, suggestive of several potential mechanisms of action.
Electrophysiological Recording from Drosophila Trichoid Sensilla in Response to Odorants of Low Volatility

Insects rely on their sense of smell to guide a wide range of behaviors that are critical for their survival, such as food-seeking, predator avoidance, oviposition, and mating. Myriad chemicals of varying volatilities have been identified as natural odorants that activate insect Olfactory Receptor Neurons (ORNs). However, studying the olfactory responses to low-volatility odorants has been hampered by an inability to effectively present such stimuli using conventional odor-delivery methods. Here, we describe a procedure that permits the effective presentation of low-volatility odorants for in vivo Single-Sensillum Recording (SSR). By minimizing the distance between the odor source and the target tissue, this method allows for the application of biologically salient but hitherto inaccessible odorants, including palmitoleic acid, a stimulatory pheromone with a demonstrated effect on ORNs involved in courtship and mating behavior1. Our procedure thus affords a new avenue to assay a host of low-volatility odorants for the study of insect olfaction and pheromone communication.
History, Morality, and the Politics of Relationality: A Conversation with Philip Cushman

In his interview, Cushman acknowledges that his ideas regarding the cultural and social history of psychotherapy emerged in part from reading Heidegger’s and Gadamer’s analyses of historical embeddedness. He also discusses the importance of Michel Foucault’s (1970, 1973) notions of disciplinary power but is quick to point out that the exercise of power occurs within a tradition and within a network of moral understandings. So, for Cushman, Gadamer is able to rectify some of Foucault’s cynicism. Gadamer’s embrace of dialogue assumes that interpretation does not proceed on the basis of a sovereign attitude, such as the proposed metaphysics of psychic structures that guide some classical models of psychoanalytic interpretation.
Abstract TMP111: Thalidomide and Lenalidomide Treatment Reduces Microhemorrhage in Brain Arteriovenous Malformation in Mice Through Increasing Mural Cell Coverage

Introduction: Brain arteriovenous malformations (bAVMs) have an abnormal vessel wall and are prone to rupture. The mechanism of bAVM rupture is unclear. In Alk1-deficient mice, bAVM vessels have fe...
RNA-Templated Concatenation of Triplet Nucleic-Acid Probe

Template-directed synthesis offers several distinct benefits over conventional laboratory creation, including unsurpassed reaction rate and selectivity. Although it is central to many biological processes, such an approach has rarely been applied to the in situ synthesis and recognition of biomedically relevant target. Towards this goal, we report the development of a three-codon nucleic-acid probe containing a C-terminal thioester group and an N-terminal cysteine that is capable of undergoing template-directed oligomerization in the presence of an RNA target and self-deactivation in its absence. The work has implications for the development of millamolecular nucleic-acid probes for targeting RNA-repeated expansions associated with myotonic dystrophy type 1 and other related neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disorders.
Not so FAST-let's not abandon the pediatric focused assessment with sonography in trauma yet.

The recent article by Holmes et al . (1) represents the largest prospective trial of the focused assessment with sonography in trauma (FAST) in stable pediatric trauma patients. The nal conclusion of the authors is that the “ ndings do not support the routine use of the FAST in this setting.” Based on their data and stated outcomes this is not an untrue statement, but before we put away the ultrasound machine on these patients some additional perspective may be warranted.
A dual-image template based fingerprint matching method

A new fingerprint matching method based on a dual-image template and an improved matching algorithm is presented in this paper. The proposed matching method is tested using images from FVC2002 fingerprint databases and demonstrates a superior performance compared with fingerprint matching algorithm using single-image template. Compared with other dual-image matching algorithms, the proposed algorithm has advantages of easy implementation. By taking advantages of dual-image template and improved matching algorithm, the proposed matching method improves matching accuracy and relaxes requirement on fingerprint image quality.
Operations of a Computer Equipment Resource Recovery Facility

Industrial ecosystems are an integral component of ecocentric and environmentally sustainable management (Shrivastava 1995).1 For industrial ecosystems to exist sustainably, a “green” supply chain is a prerequisite—including both forward and reverse logistics as primary elements. For products and materials to flow through an industrial ecosystem, the purchasing and logistical functions of an organization are critical inter-enterprise linkages. Purchasing green materials is not necessary for a forward logistics chain, but is necessary for reverse logistics operations to exist. Reverse logistics include a number of internal and external elements, including disassembly, de-manufacturing, and re-manufacturing organizations.2 These organizations and their customers have both typical and special operations and purchasing requirements. But within a demanufacturing or disassembly organization, the purchasing, operations, and logistics functions have special requirements and characteristics that make it unique, especially from a natural environment perspective.
CHAPTER 27 – VEGF-Targeted Antiangiogenic Gene Therapy

Antiangiogenic therapy constitutes a new approach for cancer therapeutics that targets the tumor vasculature. The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a polypeptide angiogenic factor whose interaction with high-affinity receptors plays an essential role in both physiologic and pathologic angiogenesis. Gene therapy approaches to inhibit VEGF activity and tumor angiogenesis have assumed diverse forms, from intratumoral administration of retroviruses to the local and systemic administration of adenoviruses. This chapter discusses the advantages and disadvantages of different VEGF-targeted antiangiogenic gene therapy approaches in addition to surrogate biologic endpoints and clinical translation. The use of VEGF-directed antiangiogenic gene therapy derives strong mechanistic rationale from abundant experimentation supporting the physiologic role of VEGF in angiogeneisis and the broad-spectrum antiangiogenic and antitumor activities of VEGF-or KDR/Flk-1-targeting monoclonal antibodies and small molecule kinase inhibitors. In its current state, VEGF-directed antiangiogenic gene therapy represents a powerful experimental tool to affirm the therapeutic potential of VEGF inhibition, in which vectors encoding soluble Flk l or Flt l ectodomains are easily propagated and conveniently administered. These characteristics have allowed to rapidly evaluate local and systemic inhibition of VEGF function, to perform comparative analyses and to begin to assess combinations with conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Network television and American society

Network television, one of the most powerful social forces in America, is assuming increasingly important and complex social functions in contemporary societies. Television networks determine the structure and content of news and information, as well as the dominant forms, values, and ideologies in television entertainment. Network televsion serves as an instrument of social control, promoting capitalist commodities and consumenst values, social conformity, law and order, authority figures, and the family. Its advertising is one of the major managers of consumer demand; its ideas, images, information, entertainment are ubiquitous forces of socialization. Moreover, network television is an extremely profitable business institution, connected with great corporations and banks, and is itself a rapidly growing economic conglomerate which controls many other businesses. Network television is also a political force contributing to the ritualization of politics; reinforcing spectator politics, it is itself an autonomous political power. Not only does the network system constitute the form of American television, but it fashions images and ideas for many other countries in the world. American network television is thus one of the most far-reaching communication apparatuses and information and entertainment transmitters that has ever existed. Despite this, there has been relatively little theoretical analysis of the American broadcasting system, and there exists no adequate critical-institutional theory of television. In view of the heated debates over the effects of American television, it is surprising that television has not received the sort of theoretical scrutiny directed toward other major institutions, such as the state, the educational system, the corporation, or the family. Of all major contemporary institutions, network television is the most neglected and mystified. In the following pages, I shall propose aspects of a critical theory of television while challenging dominant paradigms and conventional wisdom. I begin by situating television within the fundamental socioeconomic processes of advanced capitalism and then analyze
Abstract B26: Novel lncRNA regulates PAX3/FOXO1 expression and is essential for RMS tumorigenesis

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a pediatric cancer of the developing skeletal muscle, and the mechanisms that drive this tumor are not completely understood. Despite the genetic alterations discovered in this disease, therapeutics targeting these mutations have not improved patient survival over the past 25 years. Since more than 60% of patients with metastatic disease do not survive, this creates an urgency to identify new vulnerabilities to exploit for therapeutic development. To do this we performed a comprehensive evaluation of the epigenomic landscape across 16 RMS orthotopic patient-derived xenograft tumors. We identified 41 super enhancers unique to RMS tumors. Within these, we discovered 9 novel lncRNAs of which 3 have potential cis-regulatory activity. We hypothesize that these lncRNAs are required for RMS tumorigenesis. Indeed, from preliminary knockdown analysis of one of these lncRNAs, lnc19_31, we observed rapid cell death in RMS cell lines and concomitant upregulation of apoptotic genes based on RNA-seq, such as TP53. Remarkably, we also observed more than 70 cancer consensus genes that were up- or downregulated, including genes that are frequently mutated in RMS patients such as BCOR and FGFR4. Within these we were excited to discover the loss of PAX3/FOX1 translocation, as this is a major driver of the alveolar subtype and often associated with poor prognosis. Taken together, we hypothesize that lncRNA deregulation is required for expression of key oncogenes and tumor suppressor and essential for RMS cell survival and tumorigenesis. These data will shed insight into a new underlying mechanism that drives this disease. These exciting findings present potential tumor vulnerabilities and, thus, new opportunities for future therapeutic discoveries that would otherwise be beyond our reach. Citation Format: Xiang Chen, Mireya Herrera-Herrera, Justina McEvoy. Novel lncRNA regulates PAX3/FOXO1 expression and is essential for RMS tumorigenesis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Pediatric Cancer Research: From Basic Science to the Clinic; 2017 Dec 3-6; Atlanta, Georgia. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(19 Suppl):Abstract nr B26.
Extremely High-Order Multiphoton Thomson Scattering: Synchrotron Hard X-Rays from Ultra-Intense Laser Light

A multi-terawatt laser system generates two synchronized ultra-intense near-infrared light pulses. One pulse Thomson back-scatters from the relativistic electrons that are laser-wakefield-accelerated by the other pulse. Single x-ray photons are created when greater than 500 laser photons are nonlinearly scattered by individual free electrons.
Intratumoral IL-12 gene electrotransfer-mediated regression of established B16F10 melanoma protects against rechallenge

Melanoma is an aggressive tumor with limited treatment options and poor prognosis. Interleukin-12 (IL-12) is a potent cytokine mediating antitumor activity. However, it has only achieved modest antitumor effects in clinical trials, often accompanied by unacceptable adverse events. We evaluated whether intratumoral delivery of a plasmid encoding IL-12 using gene electrotransfer (GET) to control the dose could induce rejection of an established poorly immunogenic tumor and avoid dose dependent toxicities. We treated B16F10 murine melanoma 3 times in 1 week by intratumoral injection of pUMVC3mIL-12 plasmid (pmIL-12, 50 μg) followed by GET. The GET protocols were; EP1 (six 300 V/cm, 100 μs pulses with an array of 6 penetrating electrodes), EP2 (ten 600 V/cm, 5ms pulses with non-penetrating caliper electrodes). Localized delivery of pmIL-12 with GET in the tumor microenvironment, significantly delayed disease development and prolonged disease free survival and induced long term immune memory protecting against rechallenge. The response was associated with a significant reduction in Treg and MDSC infiltration in B16F10 melanoma and increase of Granzyme B. Mice treated with pmIL-12 EP1 that achieved protection against rechallenge were observed to have CD62L low CD44 high memory T cells. Interestingly, pmIL-12 demonstrated stronger anti-tumor effects than pmIL-12 delivered by EP2. By manipulation of GET parameters the onset, level and duration of IL-12 protein expression can be controlled, resulting in meaningful therapeutic effects without associated IL-12 toxicities. Furthermore, the approach induced systemic antitumor immune activity and memory and therefore might have an impact against other types of metastatic disease.
Nutrition and Swallowing Therapy in Head and Neck Cancer: Utilization of Care and Preventative Efficacy.

AbstractPurpose: To examine the impact of ethnicity, Spanish language preference, socioeconomic status, and treatment setting on utilization of supportive services before radiotherapy (RT) among he...
The logic of the slave patrol: the fantasy of black predatory violence and the use of force by the police

The background context for this study is the relationship between the right to bear arms and the role of policing in the United States. The fact that the second amendment guarantees the right to bear arms and the correlative right to form “a well-regulated militia” have long been central to the scholarly understanding of the role of guns in American society. Yet few social scientific studies have taken the friction between militias and the burgeoning police departments of the 1800s as a point of departure for present-day debates about the police’s use of force. For the early part of US history, many citizens feared that the police would attempt to supplant militias. In some southern cities, like New Orleans, residents argued that if the city government was going to let the police patrol the city, they should do so without guns. It was the threat of slave uprisings that ended the conflict between militias and the police. A major implication of this study is that rooting the contemporary understanding of police violence in early debates about the police’s use of force can help social scientists better understand how policing is understood and experienced today. Indeed, the African Americans interviewed for this study view the gun in the hands of a police officer as a technology that is rooted in the slave patrol. This is because it is the descendants of enslaved people who are disproportionately subject to police shootings. The article demonstrates this point by exploring a 2014 police shooting. The shooting of Laquan McDonald garnered national attention when, on October 20, 2014, Chicago police Officer, Jason Van Dyke, shot the 17-year-old Black teenager 16 times. The methods employed in this study include: archival data on the early use of force debate, discourse analysis of court testimony from Van Dyke’s 2018 first degree murder trial, and semi-structured interviews with Chicago residents who discuss this case. Ultimately, this study finds that in the McDonald shooting, the gun helps to reproduce the fantasy of Black predatory violence that is rooted in slavery.
HIGH RISK PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY REVASCULARIZATION SUPPORTED BY IMPELLA: GOOD OUTCOMES WITH MARKED REDUCTION IN CAD BURDEN DESPITE BEING TURNED DOWN FOR CABG

Revascularization for complex coronary disease has tended to have improved outcomes when achieved by coronary bypass surgery, but there remain a large group of patients who are turned down for this option. The objective of this study was to analyze our single center experience with the Impella™
Hybrid Treatment of an Enlarging Hypogastric Aneurysm Previously Excluded During Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair

Hypogastric aneurysm is rare, often asymptomatic, but associated with high mortality if it ruptures. Given the deep location of the artery and proximity to critical anatomical structures (i.e., ureter, bladder, and rectum), open surgical repair carries high morbidity and mortality compared with an endovascular approach. We report a simple hybrid approach to repair an enlarging isolated hypogastric aneurysm after a previous aortic aneurysm repair during which the origin of the hypogastric artery was ligated.
Identification of Adenosine Deaminase Inhibitors by Metal-binding Pharmacophore Screening.

Adenosine deaminase (ADA) is a human mononuclear Zn2+ metalloenzyme that converts adenosine to inosine. ADA is a validated drug target for cancer, but there has been little recent work on the development of new therapeutics against this enzyme. The lack of new advancements can be partially attributed to an absence of suitable assays for high-throughput screening (HTS) against ADA. To facilitate more rapid drug discovery efforts for this target, an in vitro assay was developed that utilizes the enzymatic conversion of a visibly emitting adenosine analogue to the corresponding fluorescent inosine analogue by ADA, which can be monitored via fluorescence intensity changes. Utilizing this assay, a library of ~350 small molecules containing metal-binding pharmacophores (MBPs) was screened in an HTS format to identify new inhibitor scaffolds against ADA. This approach yielded a new metal-binding scaffold with a Ki value of 26±1 μM.
Assessment of Interobserver Reliability of Nephrologist Examination of Urine Sediment.

Importance Urine sediment microscopy is commonly performed during the evaluation of kidney disease. Interobserver reliability of nephrologists’ urine sediment examination has not been well studied. Objective Assess interobserver reliability of the urine sediment examination. Design, Setting, and Participants In this diagnostic test study, urine samples were prospectively collected from a convenience sample of adult patients from an academic hospital in the United States undergoing kidney biopsy from July 11, 2018, to March 20, 2019. Digital images and videos of urine sediment findings were captured using a bright-field microscope. These images and videos along with urine dipstick results were incorporated in online surveys and sent to expert nephrologists at 15 US teaching hospitals. They were asked to identify individual sediment findings and the most likely underlying disease process. Exposures Urine dipstick results and urine sediment images from patients undergoing native kidney biopsy. Main Outcomes and Measures Interobserver reliability of urine sediment microscopy findings estimated by overall percent agreement and Fleiss κ coefficients. Secondary outcomes included concordance of diagnoses suspected by nephrologists with corresponding kidney biopsy results. Results In total, 10 surveys from 10 patients containing 76 study questions on individual features were sent to 21 nephrologists, 14 (67%) of whom completed them all. Their combined 1064 responses were analyzed. Overall percent agreement for casts was an estimated 59% (95% CI, 50%-69%), κ = 0.52 (95% CI, 0.42-0.62). For other sediment findings, overall percent agreement was an estimated 69% (95% CI, 61%-77%), κ = 0.65 (95% CI, 0.56-0.73). The κ estimates ranged from 0.13 (95% CI, 0.10-0.17) for mixed cellular casts to 0.90 (95% CI, 0.87-0.94) for squamous epithelial cells. Conclusions and Relevance In this study, substantial variability occurred in the interpretation of urine sediment findings, even among expert nephrologists. Educational or technological innovations may help improve the urine sediment as a diagnostic tool.
Invasive versus noninvasive assessment of functional significance of intermediate coronary artery lesions

Background Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) is noninvasive test used for evaluation of functional significance of borderline coronary artery lesions. Moreover, instantaneous wave-free ratio (IFR) is a well-validated invasive method used for the same purpose. Objectives To compare the results of MPI and IFR in detection of ischemia in patients with single intermediate coronary artery lesion. Patients and methods A total of 60 patients with single intermediate coronary artery stenosis, visually judged as angiographic stenosis more than or equal to 50% and less than 70% during coronary angiography, were included. After coronary angiography, all patients were subjected to MPI and IFR at National Heart Institute between February 2018 and February 2020. IFR value less than or equal to 0.89 was considered significant, indicating functionally significant lesion, and IFR value more than or equal to 0.89 was considered insignificant, indicating functionally insignificant lesion. MPI results were considered positive when the defect size more than or equal to 10% in the territory of the affected vessel. Results Among 60 patients, 37 (61.7%) patients showed significant IFR value and 23 (38.3%) patients showed insignificant IFR value. Of 37 patients with significant IFR value, 30 (81.1%) patients showed positive MPI results and seven (18.9%) patients showed negative MPI results. Of 23 patients with insignificant IFR value, 19 (82.6%) patients showed negative MPI results, and four (17.4%) patients showed positive MPI results. So, there was good (kappa = 0.62), significant (P = 0.001) agreement between the MPI and IFR results. The sensitivity was 81.1%, the specificity was 82.6%, positive predictive value was 88.2%, the negative predictive value was 73.1%, and the accuracy was 81.7%. Conclusions MPI may be a valid alternative, noninvasive, less-expensive test than IFR for evaluation of functional significance of intermediate coronary artery lesions.