cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction on Nitric Oxide Metabolites

Endothelial function may be deranged in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Serum NO-derived metabolites (NO m ) might provide a biochemical surrogate of endothelial function in patients with heart failure (HF). We measured serum NO m in 415 participants in the Penn HF Study. Participants with HFpEF (n = 82) and those whose EF had recovered (Recovered-HF, n = 125) were matched 1:1 to heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) participants based on age, gender, race, tobacco use, and eGFR. Serum NO m levels were quantified after chemical reduction coupled with gas-phase chemiluminescence detection. After adjustment for matching covariates and BMI, HFpEF (34.5 μM; interquartile range [IQR] 25.0, 51.5) participants had lower NO m levels than HFrEF (41.0 μM; IQR 28.3, 58.0; ratio of HFpEF:HFrEF 0.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.67 to 0.99; p = 0.04), which further decreased when adjusted for covariates that affect endothelial function (ratio 0.79, 95% CI 0.65 to 0.98; p = 0.03). There were no differences between HFrEF (34.0; IQR 25.3, 49.0) and matched Recovered-HF (36.0 μM; IQR 25.0, 55.0) or HFpEF and Recovered-HF. Age (+21%/10-year increase, p m in HFpEF, whereas age (+11%/10-year increase, p = 0.03), current tobacco use (+67%, p = 0.01), and eGFR (p = 0.01) associated with NO m in Recovered-HF. In conclusion, HFpEF participants have reduced NO m compared with HFrEF in this matched cohort. This might suggest either compromised endothelial function or poor dietary intake. Black race was associated with lower NO m in HFpEF.
Adding (Thermo)dynamic Aspects to Definitions of Life

Jagers op Akkerhuis suggests two complementary definitions of life: O-life and S-life. O-life represents the organismic view of life, focusing on a general property of organisms. S-life refers to the systemic view of life, and is represented by a system of interacting organisms. As a contribution to defining life by means of organisms and interacting organisms, it is relevant to focus on the fundamental chemical processes that allow for the existence of organisms. From this point of view, this contribution will focus on the chemistry of chemo-autotrophic cells, and the thermodynamic disequilibrium that cells need for their functioning.
V-band fully-integrated TX/RX single-chip 3-D MMICs using commercial GaAs pHEMT technology for high-speed wireless applications

This paper demonstrates fully-integrated V-band single-chip transmitter and receiver 3D MMICs for high-speed wireless applications. These 3D MMICs provide full RF functions, including an oscillator, even though they are very compact. The transmitter MMIC realizes more than 10 dBm output power at 57-60 GHz, while the receiver MMIC achieves 33 dB conversion gain and less than 6 dB noise figure at the same frequency range. The chip sizes of the transmitter and the receiver are 2.89 mm/sup 2/ and 5.04 mm/sup 2/, respectively. The V-band fully-integrated MMICs promise much cheaper millimeter-wave RF equipment due to their high-integration level, compactness, and few interconnections for other components.
The influence of Weaver and Dale’s (1978) paper, “Trampling effects of hikers, motorcycles and horses in meadows and forests”:

Trampling of vegetation and soils by recreational activities is a recurrent concern in many lands where trail use is common. The degree of impact can vary with the myriad types of trail users. The ...
Abstract 432: Post-translational Regulation of Group X Secretory Phospholipase A2

Group X secretory phospholipase A2 (GX sPLA2) hydrolyzes phospholipids within membrane bilayers, liberating free fatty acids and lysophospholipids. We reported previously that C57BL/6 mice deficient in GX sPLA2 (GX KO) have increased plasma corticosterone levels under both basal and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulated conditions (Shridas et al. 2010, J. Biol. Chem. 285:20031-9). Conversely, overexpression of GX sPLA2 but not a catalytically inactive mutant, suppresses steroid production in mouse Y1 adrenal cells. GX sPLA2 is produced as a proenzyme that contains an N-terminal 11 amino acid propeptide ending in a dibasic motif, suggesting cleavage by a furin-like proprotein convertase. While propeptide cleavage is clearly required for enzymatic activity, the protease(s) responsible for GX sPLA2 activation have not been identified. In this study we report that ACTH treatment increases the phospholipase activity secreted by Y1 adrenal cells stably expressing GX sPLA2 (Y1-GX cells). Western blot analysis showed an increase in the ratio of mature/total GX sPLA2 in the media of ACTH-treated Y1-GX cells. Use of broad specificity proprotein convertase inhibitors confirmed the involvement of furin-like proteases in the processing and subsequent activation of GX sPLA2. Results from qRT-PCR analysis indicated that furin and PACE4, but not other members of the convertase family, are upregulated by ACTH in Y1 cells. siRNA-mediated gene targeting indicated that both furin and PACE4 mediate GX sPLA2 activation under both basal and ACTH-induced conditions. These results clearly demonstrate a role for furin and PACE4 in the proteolytic activation of GX sPLA2 in Y1 adrenal cells.
Nonlinear vibration analysis of the resonant column test of granular materials

Abstract This paper theoretically analyzes the nonlinear torsional vibration of a granular material specimen in the resonant column test (RCT). The RCT is a material testing method that has been well established in geotechnical engineering. The test provides some important dynamic properties of granular materials including the shear wave speed, effective dynamic shear modulus and damping capacity. Both the elastic modulus and damping capacity show a strong dependence on the amplitude of excitation, which is the essential behavior of materials with hysteretic nonlinearity. The analysis, starting with a constitutive relationship that describes the hysteretic nonlinear behavior of granular materials, is performed specifically on the forced torsional vibration of a circular bar with a fixed and inertia-loaded boundary condition as a model for the specimen in the RCT. Self-interaction of a single resonance mode is assumed in the perturbation analysis to obtain an approximate solution for near-resonance response. The theoretical results predict linear dependences of the resonance frequency and damping ratio on the shear strain; these are in agreement with the existing experimental observations. Notable is that the present model describes the hysteretic nonlinear behaviors with a single parameter, i.e., the hysteresis nonlinearity parameter in the constitutive relationship. The derived equations are applied to a jointed gneiss specimen where how the hysteresis nonlinearity parameter is determined from RCT data is demonstrated.
Reactivity of 4Fe+(CO)n=0-2 + O2: oxidation of CO by O2 at an isolated metal atom.

The kinetics of 4Fe+(CO)n=0–2 + O2 are measured under thermal conditions from 300–600 K using a selected-ion flow tube apparatus. Both the bare metal and n = 2 cations are inert to reaction over this temperature range, but 4Fe+(CO) reacts rapidly (k = 3.2 ± 0.8 × 10−10 cm3 s−1 at 300 K, 52% of the collisional rate coefficient) to form FeO+ + CO2. This is an example of the oxidation of CO by O2 occurring entirely on a single non-noble metal atom. The reaction of the bare metal reaction is known to be endothermic, such that this result is expected; however, the n = 2 reaction has highly exothermic product channels available, such that the lack of reaction is surprising in light of the n = 1 reactivity. Stationary points along all three reaction coordinates are calculated using the TPSSh hybrid functional. These surfaces show that the n = 1 reaction is an example of two-state reactivity; the reaction proceeds initially on the sextet surface over a submerged barrier to a structure with an O–O bond distance longer than that in O2, but must cross to the quartet surface in order to proceed over a second submerged barrier to rearrange to form CO2. The n = 2 reaction does not proceed because, on all spin surfaces, the transition state corresponding to O–O separation is at higher energy than the separated reactants. The difference between the n = 1 and n = 2 reactions is not a result of steric effects, but rather because the O2 is more strongly bound to Fe in the entrance well of the n = 1 case, and that energy is available to overcome the rate-limiting barrier to O–O cleavage. Experimental verification of some of these details are provided by guided ion beam tandem mass spectrometry results. The kinetic energy dependence of the n = 1 reaction shows evidence for a curve crossing and yields relevant thermochemistry for competing reaction channels.
Treating Depression during Pregnancy: Are We Asking the Right Questions?

Background Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common complication of pregnancy. Once the diagnosis of MDD is made, the physician must assist the pregnant woman in developing a treatment plan. Methods In considering antidepressants, the benefit of medication treatment for maternal disease control must be balanced against the risk of the drug to the developing embryo-fetus. This is an individualized decision depending on the disease characteristics, likelihood of maternal depression response, probability of adverse fetal effects, and patient characteristics and values. Results There is no “zero risk” solution in caring for the pregnant woman with MDD; both the disorder and the medication present risks to the mother and the embryo-fetus. If the decision to use antidepressant medication during pregnancy is made, the justification is that the disease is associated with greater risk than the treatment. The goal should be remission of symptoms to maximally reduce disease risk to the mother and developing fetus. Conclusion Optimization of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor dosing during pregnancy dictates several treatment goals: (1) the drug must be at the optimal dose for the woman; that is, the dose that produces the best response with tolerable side effects; (2) a continuous measure of symptoms must be repeated and adjustments to maintain optimal antidepressant efficacy may be required, due to pharmacokinetic changes during pregnancy; and (3) the resolution of pregnancy at birth also requires dose adjustment in accord with the woman's transition to the nonpregnant, breastfeeding state. Birth Defects Research 109:879–887, 2017.© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Mindfulness Training in High Stress Professions: Strengthening Attention and Resilience

Abstract A key feature of psychological health is resilience, or the ability to overcome stress and maintain an effective level of appropriate behavior when facing challenges. Many professionals in business, law, and medicine encounter stressful situations that trigger the same physiological pathways activated by life-threatening dangers. Yet most educational settings and professional training programs do not offer structured guidance on how to cultivate resilience to stress. This chapter explores the construct of resilience from a cognitive neuroscience and cognitive training perspective and reviews evidence for the salutary effects of mindfulness training (MT) in cultivating resilience. Applications of MT within the legal profession and the law school environment are described. Empirical evidence is reviewed suggesting that MT promotes resilience in high stress professional environments by bolstering working memory and selective attention.
Enhancing block-based programming pedagogy to promote the culture of quality from the ground up a position paper

Block-based programming has proven extraordinarily successful as a pedagogical tool for learning the fundamentals of computing via an exploratory, unconstrained, and hands-on approach. One would think that the issue of software quality is inapplicable in this programming domain. Nevertheless, as recent research shows, block-based programs, written by novice programmers, exhibit recurring quality problems. Although block-based software is not intended for production environments, poor quality can be detrimental to achieving the educational objectives the very use of blocks aims for. Specifically, as we and other researchers have been discovering, introductory programmers, as they gain proficiency, tend to retain poor programming habits, thus continuing to introduce recurring quality problems into their programs. Evidence also indicates that poorly written code is less likely to be reused, thus hindering the potential benefits of this peer-learning mechanism. These findings call for a synergistic effort from educators and tool developers to address the issue of software quality in the context of block-based programming. This effort will require innovating both in the realm of introductory computing curricula and software infrastructure to improve software quality.
An estimation method of main-circuit insulation test for UHV GIS equipment

This paper presents an electrical parameter estimation method of the main-circuit insulation test for 1100kV gas insulated switchgear (GIS) equipment in order to realize the rationality of the test segmentation, equipment selection and parameter matching. First, the test method of main-circuit insulation is given. Then, the methods of estimating test capability of the variable-frequency series-resonant (VFSR) device with or without parallel compensation are presented considering the limitation of electrical frequency and equipment capacity. Next, a method how to estimate electrical parameters of the main-circuit insulation test of the ultra-high voltage (UHV) GIS when specifying test range is proposed. Finally, an example of UHV GIS main-circuit insulation test is given, to estimate the test capability of VFSR device and to verify the accuracy of the electrical variables estimation method. The estimation method can accurately evaluate the test capability of VFSR device and realize the accurate estimation of the electrical parameters when specifying test range, which provides a reliable reference for the test segmentation and equipment selection of the UHV GIS main-circuit insulation test.
An Orlicz-Pettis theorem for conditionally convergent series

in this note we define the idea of signed subseries convergent series in a normed linear space, and establish a result analogous to the Orlicz-Pettis theorem; namely, that weakly siqned subseries convergent series are norm signed subseries convergent.
Sensalert: A Real-time Group and Individual Health Tracking Application

Sensalert is a wearable health tracking application that enables monitoring of a target population's health status in real-time. The application integrates health monitoring parameters from wearable sensors, e.g., temperature and heart rate, with relevant environmental parameters, e.g., weather and topography, and calculates the corresponding physiological strain index for each point in time. The objective of this application is to provide early warning, support decision making, and increase situational awareness by displaying comprehensive information and providing alerts at the right time and place. This application is the first of its kind being developed for integration into the Defense Threat Reduction Agencies Bio Surveillance Ecosystem (BSVE). We present the user requirements and design principles for developing this type of application. We hope this work helps and inspires future research in the area of wearable technologies for surveillance.
Updates and Controversies in the Management of Acute Optic Neuritis

Optic neuritis remains a common diagnosis with controversial management. Although typical optic neuritis is often associated with "good" recovery of visual acuity, patients are often left with persistent impairments of contrast sensitivity, color vision, and visual field. These permanent visual deficits correlate with structural injury to the anterior visual pathway and are closely linked to visual quality of life. High dose corticosteroids are commonly used for patients with acute optic neuritis. However, even several decades after the initial clinical trials, there remains significant controversy regarding the efficacy and utility of this treatment. There is a need for more effective treatments, and many new immunomodulatory and neuroprotective agents have been investigated recently. Atypical optic neuritis, such as that seen with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, often requires more aggressive initial treatment. Thus, it is important for clinicians to have a framework for rapid diagnosis and triage of patients who present with typical or atypical optic neuritis. Lastly, optic neuritis is associated with an elevated long-term risk of developing multiple sclerosis. Some patients may benefit from initiation of medications targeting multiple sclerosis at the time of initial presentation of optic neuritis. Appropriate identification and treatment of patients at highest risk of developing multiple sclerosis may help impact their disease course, while limiting exposure to potential adverse effects in patients who are at lower risk and do not require disease-modifying treatment.
Computer Graphics for Integrated Circuit Design

State-of-the-art integrated circuits (ICs) are becoming extremely complex. Because of this complexity, each new design will not see the widespread use characteristic of simpler ICs. Thus, it is required that a great deal of custom IC design be done quickly and at low cost. This is the role of Computer Graphics in IC design.
The Role of Peace Communication in Conflict Resolution in Africa

Peace is not news. In fact, the systems that provide news do not seem to recognize peace as newsworthy. It becomes news against the background of war. So unnewsworthy is peace that to have worth, wars have to be waged nowadays by third parties (variously called international peace-keeping forces) to bring warring partners to the peace table. Somalia is a clear example of how a peacekeeping mission became a peace enforcement mission that resulted in the deaths of thousands of Somalis. Paradoxically, people had to be killed in great numbers to enforce peace. The Somalis that lost their lives by the deadly weapons of an intervening international force died brutally. The purpose of this article is to examine the role of peace communication in conflict resolution processes in Africa. The article will focus on a position grounded in some of the basic communication assumptions and principles that are supposed to guide human behavior. The basic position referred to above is that the context within which peace communication could be effective in Africa is marred by extraneous factors that are compounded by the absence of a concerted effort at creating the cadre of peace communication experts required to work in unison with colleagues in the political and social spheres. Peace communication is defined as a communication process aimed at achieving peace with a distinct suasory characteristic feature, operating within a context composed of cultural warrants that form the bases for justification of actions.
Moral Disagreements in Catholicism: A Commentary on Wallace, Schüller, and Thomasma

Catholic approaches to ethical issues in general and to the problems of medical issues in particular have been both admired and criticized for their extensive use of philosophical categories and methods. The reasons for the Catholic reliance on philosophy in articulating ethical theory and in resolving ethical disputes come from different sources. First, from the long history of Catholic theologians from Augustine and Aquinas to Karl Rahner and Bernard Lonergan in our own time, who have been deeply engaged with philosophy. Second, from Catholicism’s sense of itself as a universal church, as the carrier of a religious message that speaks to the hearts and the needs of all persons; this is a sense that was powerfully renewed at the Second Vatican Council and that underlies the recent pastoral letters of the U.S. Catholic Bishops. Third, from the Catholic understanding of the human person created as a free and rational being in the image of God, an image that is obscured, but not obliterated, by human sinfulness.
Oral and periodontal status in Sjögren's syndrome.

Sjogren's syndrome is a multi-system chronic inflammatory disease of the exocrine glands. Inflammation of the salivary glands leads to reduction in salivary output, which imposes a significant impact on oral health. Dentists and dental hygienists are the primary healthcare providers to identify early signs and symptoms of Sjogren's syndrome. Early diagnosis of Sjogren's syndrome is fundamental for effective management of the disease.
Differences in protective factors among U.S. Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder, alcohol use disorder, and their comorbidity: Results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study.

Abstract Background Comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are associated with greater clinical and functional impairments than either disorder alone, including higher rates of suicidality and reduced functioning and quality of life. Although PTSD/AUD is associated with more severe risk factors relative to either disorder alone, it is unclear whether PTSD/AUD and its related impairments are also associated with lower levels of protective factors. Methods We examined two composite factors of protective qualities derived from exploratory factor analyses—social connectedness (i.e., structural social support, perceived social support, secure attachment style) and protective psychosocial characteristics (i.e., resilience, purpose in life, dispositional optimism and gratitude, and community integration), in a nationally representative sample of U.S. Veterans (using data from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study) with PTSD alone, AUD alone, and comorbid PTSD/AUD. Results Veterans with PTSD and PTSD/AUD scored significantly lower than those with AUD alone but did not differ from each other on measures of social connectedness and protective psychosocial characteristics (ps Conclusions U.S. Veterans with PTSD and PTSD/AUD score lower on measures of protective factors than Veterans with AUD. These factors may be important targets for prevention and treatment efforts.
Deforming generalized cylinders without self-intersection by means of a parametric center curve

Large-scale deformations of a tubular object, or generalized cylinder, are often defined by a target shape for its center curve, typically using a parametric target curve. This task is non-trivial for free-form deformations or direct manipulation methods because it is hard to manually control the centerline by adjusting control points. Most skeleton-based methods are no better, again due to the small number of manually adjusted control points. In this paper, we propose a method to deform a generalized cylinder based on its skeleton composed of a centerline and orthogonal cross sections. Although we are not the first to use such a skeleton, we propose a novel skeletonization method that tries to minimize the number of intersections between neighboring cross sections by means of a relative curvature condition to detect intersections. The mesh deformation is first defined geometrically by deforming the centerline and mapping the cross sections. Rotation minimizing frames are used during mapping to control twisting. Secondly, given displacements on the cross sections, the deformation is decomposed into finely subdivided regions. We limit distortion at these vertices by minimizing an elastic thin shell bending energy, in linear time. Our method can handle complicated generalized cylinders such as the human colon.
Etymologische Ansätze zur Erfassung des Kitschbegriffs

Die Forschung ist sich hinsichtlich des fruhesten historischen Belegs fur das Wort Kitsch im asthetisch-pejorativen Sinne weitestgehend einig. Bereits Jacob Reisner verweist in seiner 1955 veroffentlichten Monographie Zum Begriff Kitsch auf den Eintrag zum Kitsch in Trubners Deutsches Worterbuch, in dem das Zitat „den nichtsnutzigen Kitsch“, das auf das Jahr 1881 datiert, als fruhester Beleg fur die Substantivform genannt wird. Diese Datierung wird in der folgenden KitschForschung vielfach ubernommen, hat auch in neuesten Arbeiten noch keine Revidierung oder Aktualisierung erfahren und konnte dementsprechend bis jetzt Gultigkeit fur sich beanspruchen.
Hurricane stalling along the North American coast and implications for rainfall

The average speed of tropical cyclone (TC) translation has slowed since the mid 20th century. Here we report that North Atlantic (NA) TCs have become increasingly likely to “stall” near the coast, spending many hours in confined regions. The stalling is driven not only by slower translation, but also by an increase in abrupt changes of direction. We compute residence-time distributions for TCs in confined coastal regions, and find that the tails of these distributions have increased significantly. We also show that TCs stalling over a region result in more rain on the region. Together, increased stalling and increased rain during stalls imply increased coastal rainfall from TCs, other factors equal. Although the data are sparse, we do in fact find a significant positive trend in coastal annual-mean rainfall 1948–2017 from TCs that stall, and we verify that this is due to increased stalling frequency. We make no attribution to anthropogenic climate forcing for the stalling or rainfall; the trends could be due to low frequency natural variability. Regardless of the cause, the significant increases in TC stalling frequency and high potential for associated increases in rainfall have very likely exacerbated TC hazards for coastal populations. Tropical cyclone (TC) translation speeds are slowing, increasing the potential for the storms to stall and drop heavy rains on coastal regions. Timothy Hall of NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and James Kossin of NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information develop a stall metric and apply it to North Atlantic TCs. They confirm that translation speed is trending downward and show an increasing tendency for North Atlantic TCs to abruptly change direction. Due to this behavior, the fraction of TCs spending more than 48 h over North American coastal regions has increased since the mid-20th Century. Annual-mean rainfall from stalling TCs is more variable than those that do not stall, but has also significantly increased. The combined increase in stall frequency and accumulated rains represents a growing hazard for coastal populations.
Thin-Threads: An Approach for History-Based Monte Carlo on GPUs

A graphics processing unit (GPU) has become a core technology for modern supercomputers. Applications that once ran on supercomputers are being forced to make significant changes to their designs to utilize these new machines. This paper introduces the concept of Thin-Threads as a method for history-based Monte Carlo transport applications on GPUs. The key principles behind Thin-Threads are light memory usage and communication and managing data race issues via atomics. We show that we can achieve a 10x speedup when moving from the traditional method to Thin-Threads on GPUs. Additionally, we demonstrate the viability of the Thin-Threads model at scale for GPU and CPU platforms.
Insights from Multi-Wavelength Observations During High and Low States of Non-Magnetic CVs

Abstract Close binaries containing a white dwarf accreting from a disk that receives material from a late stellar companion show an interesting variety of behaviors that depend on their accretion rates and the changes in this rate. The highest accretion rates are evident during the bright states of novalikes, as well as the superoutbursts of the shortest period dwarf novae followed by normal outbursts and the Z Cam systems. While the normal outbursts and superoutbursts of dwarf novae can be understood from the standpoint of disk and tidal instabilities, the changes in rates in novalikes when they enter low brightness states and the cause of extremely high rates for the systems with orbital periods between 3-4 hrs remain elusive. This paper highlights some recent insights and continuing problems found from X-ray, UV and optical observations of these high and low states, as well as the prospects for increased understanding from the anticipated future ground and space missions.
Enhancing the selectivity of polar hydrophilic analytes with a low concentration of barium ions in the mobile phase using geopolymers and silica supports.

Abstract Charged analytes such as organic sulfonic acids, sulfates, carboxylates, and phosphates are often analyzed by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC). In many cases, these analytes do not show any selectivity and elute near the dead time using the conventional acetonitrile-ammonium acetate buffers. In this work, we introduce a powerful selectivity enhancing technique by using a trace amount of Ba2+ ion in the mobile phase as a general approach for HILIC with UV–Vis detection. Silica and a newly developed material called geopolymers are used as stationary phases. Geopolymers are X-ray amorphous aluminosilicate inorganic polymers with cation exchange properties. Barium exchanged geopolymers (Ba-NM-GP) are synthesized from metakaolin based geopolymer. Thorough characterization of Ba-NM-GP is reported using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analyzer and laser diffraction particle size distribution analyzer for the determination of their shape, size, porosity, surface area and particle size distribution respectively. It is demonstrated that in the absence of Ba2+, baseline separations of sulfonates, carboxylates, and phosphates is not possible, whereas, in the presence of Ba2+ in the mobile phase, these analytes are easily separated. Barium perchlorate is suggested as an additive for it is UV transparent, and it has practically an unlimited solubility in acetonitrile.
Connecting Extreme Heat Events to Climate Change: Media Coverage of Heat Waves and Wildfires

ABSTRACTThis research tests the popular press assumption that media are not discussing climate change in coverage of heat waves and wildfires. Change over time in English-language media coverage is...
Role of the intracellular distribution of hepatic catalase in the peroxidative oxidation of methanol.

The peroxidative system involving catalase plays an important role in the oxidation of methanol in the rat, but is of little importance for this purpose in the monkey. Since there is abundant hepatic catalase in the monkey, the question arose why it does not function measurably in the peroxidative oxidation of methanol in this species. Two possibilities were investigated: (a) catalase may be distributed in the hepatic cell in such a way that it is not as accessible to peroxide-generating systems as it is in the rat, and (b) hepatic catalase from the monkey may be less active peroxidatively than that found in the rat. Evidence was presented to show that both these factors combine to explain, at least in part, the failure of the peroxidative system to function appreciably in the oxidation of methanol in the monkey. The mouse and the guinea pig resemble the rat in that they also utilize the peroxidative system for the oxidation of methanol. The rate of methanol oxidation in vivo was found to bear a direct relationship to the amount of particulate catalase in the livers of the rat, mouse, and guinea pig.
DeepH&M: Estimating single-CpG hydroxymethylation and methylation levels from enrichment and restriction enzyme sequencing methods

Increased appreciation of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) as a stable epigenetic mark, which defines cell identity and disease progress, has engendered a need for cost-effective, but high-resolution, 5hmC mapping technology. Current enrichment-based technologies provide cheap but low-resolution and relative enrichment of 5hmC levels, while single-base resolution methods can be prohibitively expensive to scale up to large experiments. To address this problem, we developed a deep learning-based method, "DeepH&M," which integrates enrichment and restriction enzyme sequencing methods to simultaneously estimate absolute hydroxymethylation and methylation levels at single-CpG resolution. Using 7-week-old mouse cerebellum data for training the DeepH&M model, we demonstrated that the 5hmC and 5mC levels predicted by DeepH&M were in high concordance with whole-genome bisulfite-based approaches. The DeepH&M model can be applied to 7-week-old frontal cortex and 79-week-old cerebellum, revealing the robust generalizability of this method to other tissues from various biological time points.
GraphQL Live Querying with DynamoDB

We present a method of implementing GraphQL live queries at the database level. Our DynamoDB simulation in Go mimics a distributed key-value store and implements live queries to expose possible pitfalls. Two key components for implementing live queries are storing fields selected in a live query and determining which object fields have been updated in each database write. A stream(key, fields) request to the system contains fields to include in the live query stream and on subsequent put(key, object) operations, the database asynchronously determines which fields were updated and pushes a new query view to the stream if those fields overlap with the stream() request. Following a discussion of our implementation, we explore motivations for using live queries such as simplifying software communication, minimizing data transfer, and enabling real-time data and describe an architecture for building software with GraphQL and live queries.
A novel compound that disrupts mitotic spindle poles in human cells

We characterize the mechanism of action of a new microtubule-targeting compound in cells. Microtubule-targeting drugs are used as successful anti-cancer therapies. We synthesized a family of compounds that share a common scaffold and have several functional groups amenable to modifications. We found that one of the active derivatives, C75, reduces cell viability and prevents microtubule polymerization in vitro. In this study, we explore the phenotypes caused by C75 in cells. It causes mitotic arrest and spindle phenotypes in several cancer cell lines in the nanomolar range. C75 can bind to the Colchicine-pocket on tubulin in vitro, but causes different effects on microtubules in cells. While Colchicine causes a decrease in microtubules and spindle pole collapse without re-growth, similar concentrations of C75 cause a rapid loss of microtubules and spindle pole fragmentation followed by microtubule re-growth to form multipolar spindles. In addition, C75 and Colchicine synergize for reduced viability and spindle phenotypes. Importantly, the phenotypes caused by C75 are similar to those caused by the depletion of ch-TOG, a microtubule polymerase, and tubulin and ch-TOG are displaced and oscillate in C75-treated cells. This suggests that C75 causes microtubule depolymerization in cells either directly or indirectly via inhibiting ch-TOG. This unique effect of C75 on microtubules warrants further exploration of its anti-cancer potential.
Structural basis for substrate recognition and chemical inhibition of oncogenic MAGE ubiquitin ligases

Testis-restricted melanoma antigen (MAGE) proteins are frequently hijacked in cancer and play a critical role in tumorigenesis. MAGEs assemble with E3 ubiquitin ligases and function as substrate adaptors that direct the ubiquitination of novel targets, including key tumor suppressors. However, how MAGEs recognize their targets is unknown and has impeded the development of MAGE-directed therapeutics. Here, we report the structural basis for substrate recognition by MAGE ubiquitin ligases. Biochemical analysis of the degron motif recognized by MAGE-A11 and the crystal structure of MAGE-A11 bound to the PCF11 substrate uncovered a conserved substrate binding cleft (SBC) in MAGEs. Mutation of the SBC disrupted substrate recognition by MAGEs and blocked MAGE-A11 oncogenic activity. A chemical screen for inhibitors of MAGE-A11:substrate interaction identified 4-Aminoquinolines as potent inhibitors of MAGE-A11 that show selective cytotoxicity. These findings provide important insights into the large family of MAGE ubiquitin ligases and identify approaches for developing cancer-specific therapeutics.
Nurse Coordinator Roles and Responsibilities for Bronchoscopic Lung Volume Reduction With Endobronchial Valves

COPD may cause profound dyspnea, functional impairment, and reduced quality of life. Available pharmacologic therapy provides suboptimal symptom improvement in many patients. Bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR), achieved with endobronchial valve placement, can effectively improve dyspnea and functional status in appropriately selected patients. Operationalizing a safe and effective BLVR program requires appropriate oversight, which can be achieved by a BLVR nurse coordinator (NC). By identifying and developing screening practices, coordinating multidisciplinary diagnostic evaluation, and establishing safe efficient patient flow throughout the entire care process, a BLVR NC can optimize patient care, safety, experience, efficiency, and overall outcomes. This article details the role of our NC to facilitate extrapolation to other institutions.
Dispute Resolution Under a Free Trade Area of the Americas: The Shape of Things to Come

This article examines the general topic of dispute resolution in a future FTAA, focusing on issues such as "Are the FTAA negotiators ultimately more likely to adopt a legalistic or pragmatic approach to disputer resolution?" and "What institutions will they create, if any, to administer FTAA dispute settlement? After describing the work undertaken by the Organization of American States and other international organizations in the field of dispute resolution since the 1994 Summit of the Americas, Professor Lopez argues that the FTAA's dispute resolutions mechanisms are most likely to be drawn from only three existing models, the WTO, NAFTA, and MERCOSUR, but will not entirely duplicate any of these models. Rather, at the outset of the FTAA, the American democracies are likely to utilize flexible, informal dispute settlement mechanisms, somewhat akin to the mechanisms now in place in MERCOSUR. He predicts that, only after a period of years, after the FTAA matures, will reliance substantially increase on more formal, rule-driven devices such as those present in NAFTA and the WTO.
Exchange Forces in Particle Physics

The operation of fundamental forces in quantum field theory is explicated here as the exchange of particles, consistently with the standard methodology of particle physics. The particles involved are seen to bear little relation to any classical particle but, rather, comprise unified collections of compresent, conserved quantities indicated by propagators. The exchange particles, which supervene upon quantum fields, are neither more fundamental than fields nor replace them as has often previously been assumed in models of exchange forces. It is argued that this explication of quantum field-theoretic exchange forces definitively improves upon its predecessors.
Henrietta Yurchenco, música indígena e indigenismo interamericano en la década de 1940

From the time of the founding of the Inter-American Indian Institute, its directors used music and media as tools for the documentation and preservation of indigenous cultures, in addition to the p...
Acceptability of a multicomponent, community-based, HPV self-test intervention among Jamaican women

Jamaican women do not participate in routine Pap test screening as recommended, despite the availability of free Pap test services at community clinics. This low uptake has been associated with cultural and structural barriers such as limited knowledge and awareness, fear of pain associated with Pap tests, fear of diagnosis, modesty or self-consciousness, medical mistrust, and discontent with healthcare services. This study suggests that a multicomponent, community-based intervention that includes education and self-testing for the virus that causes cervical cancer (i.e., Human Papillomavirus, HPV) might increase screening rates. Community outreach workers were hired and recruited 163 women from two low socioeconomic status communities in Kingston, aged 30 to 65 years, and who had not had a Pap test in at least 3 years, to use an HPV self-test kit. Almost all the women (95.6%) used and returned the kit and reported in structured interviews that it was easy to use and preferable to visiting a doctor. Paired samples t-tests revealed that participants perceived higher threat of cervical cancer, greater susceptibility to cancer, greater sense of self-efficacy, and more positive screening social norms at post-test than at pretest. Among returners, 22% had an oncogenic HPV type detected in their sample. Findings demonstrate high acceptability of the HPV self-test among Jamaican women and, therefore, the potential of HPV self-test tools to increase screening uptake. Community-based approaches to disseminate this tool, such as outreach workers and educational small group sessions, appear to be culturally appropriate and effective in this context.
Impact of COVID-19 on Clinical Research Units (CRUs)

Few studies have explored the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has presented for Clinical Research Units (CRUs), the solutions that have been implemented, and the changes that have been made in the operational guidelines for these entities. This study sought to identify and document common practices implemented by CRUs around the United States of America (USA) when addressing the unique challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This descriptive study utilized a non-experimental mixed-methods approach and gathered data from representatives of 43 CRUs across the USA. An online survey was followed by in-depth interviews. The findings show that challenges faced from the COVID-19 pandemic, changes made to daily operations, and lessons learned are very similar across CRUs. Although most CRUs never stopped performing essential clinical research, many adapted to the pandemic by engaging in virtual visits, and many played key roles in administering and supporting both COVID-19 therapeutic and vaccine trials. Follow-up interviews showed that processes for formal approval and reopening were similar across CRUs. In addition to highlighting the significance of the role played by CRUs during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study addresses the relevance of CRUs and lays the groundwork for future conversations on the importance of these units.
Miracles and Care at the End of Life

The case of Margie1, a believer in miraculous healing who died of breast cancer, illustrates the meaning of miracles among many African-American Christians, the importance of “seeing” such patients as they come to terms with their dying, and a way of praying with them through the process. Psychiatrists are often positioned to help the medical team recognize and address the spiritual needs of believing patients facing death.
Commentary on long-term outcomes of congenital diaphragmatic hernia: A single institution experience.

Abstract This is a commentary on the manuscript titled “Long-Term Outcomes of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia: A Single Institution Experience” by Gerall C, Stewart L, Price J, et al.
CORE VALUE OF DEVELOPMENT IN A MULTIPURPOSE GENERAL WELLBEING ASSOCIATION

The essential situating of multipurpose general wellbeing associations requires cost adequacy and creative dynamism. It inspects three essential issues: cost decrease in medical care techniques; cost viability in asset appropriation among medical services, instructing, and research exercises; and development in relative specialized effectiveness inside the association. For the examination of expenses and costs the Action Based Costing approach is taken on, while research dispersion is dissected utilizing the Spearman Test. Further, in general proficiency is contemplated through Information Envelopment Investigation. The principle discoveries affirm that hierarchical development is driven by relative development in specialized proficiency. Such noticed judiciousness in dynamic could be seen as an option in contrast to the neoclassical theory of short-run firm conduct. Accordingly, the article exactly adds to existing writing with respect to core value of development in wellbeing associations.
Lossless Image Compression

Publisher Summary This chapter introduces the basics of lossless compression. Lossless compression is possible because, in general, there is significant redundancy present in image signals. This redundancy is proportional to the amount of correlation among the image data samples. In lossless coding, the decoded image data should be identical both quantitatively (numerically) and qualitatively (visually) to the original encoded image. Although this requirement preserves exactly the accuracy of representation, it often severely limits the amount of compression that can be achieved to a compression factor of two or three. In order to achieve higher compression factors, perceptually lossless coding methods attempt to remove redundant as well as perceptually irrelevant information. These methods require that the encoded and decoded images be only visually, and not necessarily numerically, identical. In this case, some loss of information is allowed as long as the recovered image is perceived to be identical to the original one. Although a higher reduction in bit rate can be achieved with lossy compression, there exist several applications that require lossless coding, such as the compression of digital medical imagery and facsimile transmissions of bitonal images.