cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Novel Functions for Glycosyltransferases Jhp0562 and GalT in Lewis Antigen Synthesis and Variation in Helicobacter pylori

ABSTRACT Lewis (Le) antigens are fucosylated oligosaccharides present in the Helicobacter pylori lipopolysaccharide. Expression of these antigens is believed to be important for H. pylori colonization, since Le antigens also are expressed on the gastric epithelia in humans. A galactosyltransferase encoded by β-(1,3)galT is essential for production of type 1 (Lea and Leb) antigens. The upstream gene jhp0562, which is present in many but not all H. pylori strains, is homologous to β-(1,3)galT but is of unknown function. Because H. pylori demonstrates extensive intragenomic recombination, we hypothesized that these two genes could undergo DNA rearrangement. A PCR screen and subsequent sequence analyses revealed that the two genes can recombine at both the 5′ and 3′ ends. Chimeric β-(1,3)galT-like alleles can restore function in a β-(1,3)galT null mutant, but neither native nor recombinant jhp0562 can. Mutagenesis of jhp0562 revealed that it is essential for synthesis of both type 1 and type 2 Le antigens. Transcriptional analyses of both loci showed β-(1,3)galT expression in all wild-type (WT) and mutant strains tested, whereas jhp0562 was not expressed in jhp0562 null mutants, as expected. Since jhp0562 unexpectedly displayed functions in both type 1 and type 2 Le synthesis, we asked whether galT, part of the type 2 synthesis pathway, had analogous functions in type 1 synthesis. Mutagenesis and complementation analysis confirmed that galT is essential for Leb production. In total, these results demonstrate that galT and jhp0562 have functions that cross the expected Le synthesis pathways and that jhp0562 provides a substrate for intragenomic recombination to generate diverse Le synthesis enzymes.
Differentiation between amber and ochre mutants of yeast by reversion with 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide.

4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (NQO) induces high frequencies of intragenic revertants of amber (UAG) but not ochre (UAA) mutants of yeast. Distinction of the amber and ochre codons was made with well-characterized nonsense mutants of the iso-1-cytochrome c gene (cyc1 mutants) as well as with nonsense mutants having nutritional requirements. Thus the NQO-induced reversion frequencies corroborated the assignments that were based on the pattern of amino acid replacements in intragenic revertants and on the speficity of suppression. It was concluded from these results and from the results of a previous investigation with other cyc1 mutants (Prakash, Stewart and Sherman 1974) that NQO induces transversions of G:C base pairs at many sites and that the specificity is not strongly influenced by neighboring base pairs in at least the strains examined in these studies. NQO was previously shown to induce G:C → A:T transitions at least at one site and this and the previous study established that it does not significantly mutate A:T base pairs at numerous sites. Thus NQO can be used to selectively mutate G:C base pairs and to determine if the pathways of reverse mutations involve G:C base pairs. Suppressors that act on either amber or ochre mutants were induced with NQO, indicating that they can arise by mutations of G:C base pairs.
Revisiting the Isobole and Related Quantitative Methods for Assessing Drug Synergism

The isobole is well established and commonly used in the quantitative study of agonist drug combinations. This article reviews the isobole, its derivation from the concept of dose equivalence, and its usefulness in providing the predicted effect of an agonist drug combination, a topic not discussed in pharmacology textbooks. This review addresses that topic and also shows that an alternate method, called “Bliss independence,” is inconsistent with the isobolar approach and also has a less clear conceptual basis. In its simplest application the isobole is the familiar linear plot in Cartesian coordinates with intercepts representing the individual drug potencies. It is also shown that the isobole can be nonlinear, a fact recognized by its founder (Loewe) but neglected or rejected by virtually all other users. Whether its shape is linear or nonlinear the isobole is equally useful in detecting synergism and antagonism for drug combinations, and its theoretical basis leads to calculations of the expected effect of a drug combination. Numerous applications of isoboles in preclinical testing have shown that synergism or antagonism is not only a property of the two agonist drugs; the dose ratio is also important, a fact of potential importance to the design and testing of drug combinations in clinical trials.
Graft Patency After Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

For the past few decades, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) using cardiopulmonary bypass and cardioplegic arrest (ONCAB) has been considered the standard for surgical coronary revascularization. Since the mid-1990s, there has been increased interest in avoiding the use of extracorporeal circulation and the bypass circuit during construction of the distal anastomoses. This interest in off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) has, in large part, been because of the detrimental effects of cardiopulmonary bypass; specifically the inflammation response, adverse neurological outcomes, and the multi-system organ injury that may occur. Importantly, OPCAB has been associated with reduced myocardial enzyme release, lower transfusion requirement, reduced pulmonary and renal complications, shorter length of stay, and lower cost.1,2 Article see p 2827 Currently, OPCAB accounts for approximately 20% to 25% of coronary artery bypass cases in the United States and has not changed significantly for ≈5 years. It is plausible that the lack of compelling evidence for a mortality benefit of OPCAB in randomized, controlled trials has been an impediment to broader adoption of this strategy in routine practice.3 Furthermore, many surgeons consider OPCAB more technically challenging, especially when grafting the lateral wall. For certain subgroups of patients, such as patients undergoing single- and double-vessel coronary bypass or high-risk candidates, it would appear intuitive that avoiding the systemic effects of cardiopulmonary bypass, as well as aortic manipulation, would reduce the incidence of specific complications.4 However, until definitive studies prove an advantage of one technique over the other, the preferred approach will ultimately be dictated by the surgeon's comfort level and expertise. Patient outcomes with the use of OPCAB techniques have been studied in numerous prospective randomized trials1–2,5–7 and in retrospective reviews of individual institutions and large society- and Veterans Affairs–based databases reporting that …
Ciliary Body Endophotocoagulation during Pars Plana Vitrectomy in Eyes with Vitreoretinal Disorders and Concomitant Uncontrolled Glaucoma

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy of ciliary body endophotocoagulation during pars plana vitrectomy in eyes with medically uncontrolled glaucoma and concomitant vitreoretinal disorders. Methods: The authors compared preoperative and postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) and visual acuity in 21 eyes of 21 patients undergoing ciliary body endophotocoagulation with pars plana vitrectomy. Results: Preoperative IOPs ranged from 22 to 59 mmHg (median, 46 mmHg). Visual acuity ranged from 20/200 to light perception (median, hand motions). Follow-up ranged from 3 to 18 months (median, 10 months). Postoperative IOPs ranged from 11 to 19 mmHg (median, l 6 mmHg) at 6 weeks, 4 to 20 mmHg (median, l 4 mmHg) at 3 months, 1 to 26 mmHg (median, l 2 mmHg) at 6 months, and 0 to 48 mmHg (median, l2 mmHg) at 12 months. Postoperative visual acuity was statistically improved from preoperative visual acuity by 6 weeks. Conclusion: Ciliary body endophotocoagulation combined with pars plana vitrectomy can effectively treat concomitant glaucoma and vitreoretinal disorders.
Digenetic trematodes of marine fishes from Ghana: family Monorchiidae.

This report is the third in a series by the authors on the digenetic trematodes of marine fishes from Ghana, and was supported in part by a State University of New York Faculty Research Fellowship (FRF 68–40–003) awarded to the senior author. Specimens have been deposited in the U.S. National Museum Helminthological Collection as indicated. All measurements are in microns.
Long-Term Consequences of Critical Illness: A New Opportunity For High-Impact Critical Care Nurses

In the past decade, we have learned some disconcerting information about the long-term consequences that patients in intensive care units (ICUs) and their families suffer. Each year in the United States, we discharge millions of critically ill patients back into the community. Although we have always assumed that an ICU stay takes a toll and that recovery may take a while, we now know how common, devastating, and prolonged the potential long-term consequences of critical illness can be. Critical care researchers and practitioners are currently working to identify ways to reduce the incidence of long-term consequences of critical illness. Armed with knowledge of the potential consequences, critical care nurses can play a key role in prevention and in promoting awareness among those involved in outpatient care. Three emerging concepts in health care are driving and supporting quality initiatives to address the long-term consequences of critical illness. The first is the emphasis on familycentered care. The second is the focus on safe transitions and handoffs across the continuum of care. The third is the concept that critical care is defined by the patient and not by the location. Critically ill patients’ episodes of care are now seen as beginning wherever their condition becomes critical and ending when the longterm consequences of critical illness are managed. Addressing the long-term consequences of critical illness in patients and their families involves communication across the continuum of care and understanding the potential problems that our patients and their families may experience long after they are discharged from our units.
Differential Effects of C1qa Ablation on Glaucomatous Damage in Two Sexes in DBA/2NNia Mice

Purpose To determine the sex and age-related effects of C1qa ablation on retinal ganglion cell (RGC) and optic nerve (ON) axonal loss in a mouse model of glaucomatous neurodegeneration. Methods Congenic C1qa mice were generated in the DBA/2NNia background. Female and male knockout (-/-), heterozygous (+/-), and wild type (+/+) mice were aged up to 14 months and IOPs were recorded in a subset of animals. Retinas of mice from all three groups at 5–6, 9–10 and 11–13 months of age were flat-mounted after retrograde labeling with Fluorogold. Imaged retinas were scored (RGC score) semi-quantitatively on a 10 point scale by two independent observers. A subset of retinas and optic nerves were also used for measurement of total number of RGCs. Semi-thin sections of ON were imaged and graded (ON score) for the amount of axonal damage semi-quantitatively, by two masked observers. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used for statistical comparisons. Microglial cells in flat-mounted retinas of 5–6 month old C1qa -/- and C1qa +/+ mice were used for assessment of microglial activation utilizing morphological criteria. Results Female C1qa -/- mice had significantly higher IOP (p<0.000001, ANOVA) between 8 and 13 months of age compared to C1qa +/+ animals. No differences in IOPs between animals of the three genotypes were observed in males. At 5–6 months of age, there was no difference in RGC or ON scores between the three genotypes in animals of either sex. At 9–10 months of age, female mice didn’t show significant differences in RGC or ON scores between the three genotypes. However, male C1qa -/- and C1qa +/- mice of the same age had better RGC and ON scores (p<0.003 and p<0.05, ANCOVA, for RGC and ON scores, respectively) compared with C1qa +/+ mice. At 11–13 months of age, female C1qa -/- mice had better RGC scores (p<0.006, ANCOVA) compared to C1qa +/+ and C1qa +/- animals. Accordingly, C1qa -/- mice had higher RGC counts (p<0.03, t-test) compared to C1qa +/+ animals. In male mice, there was a tendency for 12 month old C1qa -/- animals to have better RGC scores and higher RGC counts, but this didn't reach statistical significance. ON scores in 11–13 month old animals of either sex were not different between all three genotype. Microglial activation in male 5–6 month old C1qa -/- mice was decreased compared to C1qa +/+ animals; no such effect was seen in females. Conclusions Absence of C1qa ameliorates RGC and ON loss in the DBA/2NNia strain, but this effect differs between the two sexes. C1q-mediated RGC damage seems to be more potent than IOP-mediated RGC loss. In contrast, C1qa absence provides axonal protection early on, but this protection cannot overcome the effects of significant IOP elevation.
"Forget Me Not": Free Black Women and Sentimentality

Everything about friendship albums of the early nineteenth century indicates that they were exclusively for white consumers. Unique artifacts, manufacturers produced blank volumes with decorative covers—variously known as scrapbooks, friendship albums, or giftbooks—for inscription and display. Emerging around 1825, these mass-produced items (ranging in price from about two to five dollars) were “placed beside the Bible and the hymnal on the center table in the parlor” (Adelson 646) to represent the gentility of the lady of the house. Album manufacturers created these token gifts of friendship for “socially conscious middle-class women,” white women who placed their albums where they might be appreciated in “places of honor on hundreds of parlor tables” (Wolf 3). Albums represent the commodification of print. Manufacturers produced these items to mimic handcraft, but with technological developments such as the steam-powered printing press, lithography, the availability of paper in rolls, and cloth binding, newer items could imitate the old integrity while appearing on the market faster than ever before. The move from stamped bindings pressed by hand with a woodcut to embossed covers, which used a steel or brass plate to engrave in one maneuver, made most friendship albums very fashionable and too expensive for most folk markets. In its signification of literacy and middle-class appetite, the friendship album as genre excluded antebellum African Americans. Yet black women of the early nineteenth century also owned and maintained friendship albums. Items that belonged to black writers feature ornate Moroccan leather covers with intricate designs of ovals and lyres pressed into the leather. Roughly eleven-by-nine in dimension, some with more than seventy leaves of paper, these items were large, and guest contributors filled them with many mementoes. Black women’s albums bear special inclusions such as gold leaf embossing and quality paper that indicate their excellence among similar items. Free African Americans likely gifted scrapbooks to loved ones during special occasions or holiday seasons. Their friendship albums were for exhibition because owning an album of value represented one’s popular enjoyments and relative wealth among a small cadre of free black people in the early nineteenth century. Fine items such as African American friendship albums portrayed opulence
Emotional Intent Modulates The Neural Substrates Of Creativity: An fMRI Study of Emotionally Targeted Improvisation in Jazz Musicians

Emotion is a primary motivator for creative behaviors, yet the interaction between the neural systems involved in creativity and those involved in emotion has not been studied. In the current study, we addressed this gap by using fMRI to examine piano improvisation in response to emotional cues. We showed twelve professional jazz pianists photographs of an actress representing a positive, negative or ambiguous emotion. Using a non-ferromagnetic thirty-five key keyboard, the pianists improvised music that they felt represented the emotion expressed in the photographs. Here we show that activity in prefrontal and other brain networks involved in creativity is highly modulated by emotional context. Furthermore, emotional intent directly modulated functional connectivity of limbic and paralimbic areas such as the amygdala and insula. These findings suggest that emotion and creativity are tightly linked, and that the neural mechanisms underlying creativity may depend on emotional state.
Somatic copy number abnormalities (SCNAs) and mutations in PI3K/AKT pathway as prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) in platinum-treated locally advanced or metastatic urothelial tumors.

4511 Background: An integrative analysis was conducted to identify genomic alterations and mutational status on the gene pathway level that could predict OS in pts with urothelial cancers (UC) trea...
Determinants of anemia and hemoglobin concentration in haitian school-aged children

Anemia diminishes oxygen transport in the body, resulting in potentially irreversible growth and developmental consequences for children. Limited evidence for determinants of anemia exists for school-aged children. We conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial in Haiti from 2012 to 2013 to test the efficacy of a fortified school snack. Children (N = 1,047) aged 3-13 years were followed longitudinally at three time points for hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations, anthropometry, and bioelectrical impedance measures. Dietary intakes, infectious disease morbidities, and socioeconomic and demographic factors were collected at baseline and endline. Longitudinal regression modeling with generalized least squares and logit models with random effects identified anemia risk factors beyond the intervention effect. At baseline, 70.6% of children were anemic and 2.6% were severely anemic. Stunting increased the odds of developing anemia (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 1.48, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05-2.08) and severe anemia (adjusted OR: 2.47, 95% CI: 1.30-4.71). Parent-reported vitamin A supplementation and deworming were positively associated with Hb concentrations, whereas fever and poultry ownership showed a negative relationship with Hb concentration and increased odds of severe anemia, respectively. Further research should explore the full spectrum of anemia etiologies in school children, including genetic causes.
Swelling of human red blood cells, preserved with progesterone, as determined by spectrophotometric measurements.

SummaryThe swelling rate of human red blood cells has been studied by spectrophotometric measurements of the absorbance of erythrocytes dispersed in water or sucrose solutions buffered with sodium phosphate buffer, pH 7.4. The rate of swelling of red cells, prepared from blood stored at 2° in acid-citrate-dextrose solution, increases with increased time of storage. The addition of physiological amounts of progesterone to red blood cells stored in the cold under sterile conditions greatly depresses the increase of the swelling rate; red blood cells preserved for 40 days with addition of progesterone manifest the same rate of swelling as that of red blood cells stored for 10 days without progesterone.
Withdrawal of treatment and organ donation.

Most potential organ donors are found in the ICU setting. Therefore, much of the responsibility for identifying, maintaining, and obtaining consent for organ donation rests with critical care staff. This article summarizes what is known about how to maximize the potential for donation when asking families of potential donor patients to donate. Spending time with these families, being positive about the donation option, and being available to answer the families’ questions are crucial to the donation request. Important issues to address with a family are clarification about the meaning of brain death, the impact of donation on funeral arrangements, and the costs of donation.
The investment paradox: why attractive new ventures exhibit relatively poor investment potential

AbstractThis paper provides insights into the way in which angel investors evaluate the investment potential of new ventures. Previous research has identified a broad array of different investment criteria that are thought to directly influence whether an investment opportunity is perceived as attractive by angel investors. This study contributes to this stream of research by identifying what is referred to as the investment paradox which occurs when the basic and fundamental investment criteria associated with a new venture are positively evaluated, yet the venture is simultaneously evaluated as exhibiting relatively poor investment potential. A model in which the relationship between fundamental investment criteria and overall investment potential is moderated by fit-based technology development criteria is proposed as an explanation for this apparent paradox. This model is tested with a large sample of investment proposals evaluated by angel investors using multi-level modeling. The results support the...
Behavioral Treatment of Disease: Introduction

This volume is the result of a NATO Symposium on Behavioral Medicine focusing on behavioral treatment of disease. It was part of the NATO Human Factors Conference and Symposia Program of 1981. Eighty-four scientists from ten NATO countries participated. This was the first major international meeting specifically devoted to behavioral treatment of disease. The meeting was intended to summarize the basic scientific and technical knowledge of the area. It more than achieved its goal.
Artist, Oeuvre, Corpus and Archive: Thinking through Zofia Rydet’s Sociological Record

A reading of Zofia Rydet's Sociological Record with the use of such categories as survey, archive, and in the light of the artist's oeuvre seen as heterogenic and hybrid corpus.
Antioxidant activity of Trifolium resupinatum L. exposed to different extracts from leaves, flowers and shoots of Prangos ferulacea

Prangos ferulacea is a member of Apiaceae family, is a popular fodder for livestock production and an important species in rangeland restoration. The objectives of the research are the comparative phytotoxic activity of aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts obtained from different organs (flower, shoot and leaf) of P. ferulacea on antioxidant response of Trifolium resupinatum was investigated in a laboratory bioassay. Antioxidant enzyme activities including catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), ascorbic peroxidase (APX), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), in line with content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide were measured. Results indicated that hydroalcoholic extract of P. ferulaceae flower possess the highest total phenolic content as well as highest phytotoxic effect on T. resupinatum . The highest antioxidant enzyme activity belonged to hydroalcoholic treatment. The treated T. resupinatum seedlings experienced lipid peroxidation at high extract concentrations (12% of hydroalcoholic and 100% of aqueous extract) as evidenced by increased concentration of MDA. In response to this, the activities of SOD, CAT, POD and APX increased at lower extract concentrations but significantly dropped as concentrations increased. According to results of this study, rehabilitation of T. resupinatum sites through the use of P. ferulaceae will probably not be successful.
Why Arrow’s theorem matters for political theory even if preference cycles never occur

Riker (Liberalism against populism, Waveland, New York, 1982) famously argued that Arrow’s impossibility theorem undermined the logical foundations of “populism”, the view that in a democracy, laws and policies ought to express “the will of the people”. In response, his critics have questioned the use of Arrow’s theorem on the grounds that not all configurations of preferences are likely to occur in practice; the critics allege, in particular, that majority preference cycles, whose possibility the theorem exploits, rarely happen. In this essay, I argue that the critics’ rejoinder to Riker misses the mark even if its factual claim about preferences is correct: Arrow’s theorem and related results threaten the populist’s principle of democratic legitimacy even if majority preference cycles never occur. In this particular context, the assumption of an unrestricted domain is justified irrespective of the preferences citizens are likely to have.
Discriminating taste: maintaining gendered social hierarchy in a cross-demographic fandom

To explore the role of hierarchical taste culture discourses in cross-gender media fandoms, this article considers “Bronies,” the adult, largely male fandom of girls’ animated series My Little Pony...
Towards a learning system for pediatric outcomes: Harvesting meaning from evidence

Abstract Quality measurement in pediatrics is challenged by a system that lacks a fundamental data infrastructure for children's healthcare in general and in particular in cardiomyopathy. We suggest that the thoughtful application of mixed health services research methods can serve as powerful tools for applied research that supports a priori thinking, which in turn can drive both prospective studies and the analyses of retrospectively collected data within the schemas of strong quasi-experimental designs. This can provide the means for transforming practice into evidence, and practice within uncertainty into deep knowledge. The process of learning is iterative and typically incremental, constantly being infused by every day work experience and hard-earned lessons by clinicians providing clinical care. Developing sustainable learning towards improved outcomes in pediatric cardiomyopathy can be done using the applied science of health services research to translate clinical practice into research.
All in the family: proneural bHLH genes and neuronal diversity

Proneural basic Helix-Loop-Helix (bHLH) proteins are required for neuronal determination and the differentiation of most neural precursor cells. These transcription factors are expressed in vastly divergent organisms, ranging from sponges to primates. Here, we review proneural bHLH gene evolution and function in the Drosophila and vertebrate nervous systems, arguing that the Drosophila gene atonal provides a useful platform for understanding proneural gene structure and regulation. We also discuss how functional equivalency experiments using distinct proneural genes can reveal how proneural gene duplication and divergence are interwoven with neuronal complexity.
Biofeedback-Assisted Heart Rate Deceleration: Specificity of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Effects in Normal and High Risk Subjects

An important theoretical issue in cardiovascular psychophysiology is whether biofeedback-assisted alterations in heart rate (HR) reflect only changes in cardiac function, are mediated indirectly by changes in somatic or respiratory responses, or reflect a common central nervous system integration of cardiac-somatic activity. In this connection, the first position was advanced by Miller and collaborators (Miller and DiCara, 1967; Miller and Banuazizi, 1968; DiCara and Miller, 1968), who argued that operant control of HR could be obtained in the absence of somatic mediation. This series of studies, employing the curarized preparation, putatively demonstrated that appreciable bidirectional HR changes could be conditioned independent of somatomotor activity. On the other hand, Obrist (1981) and others have been concerned with the common central coupling of cardiac and somatic processes during both classical (Obrist, 1968) and operant HR conditioning procedures. In an early classical aversive conditioning study with humans, a strong relationship between the magnitude and direction of phasic HR and somatomotor activity was noted (Obrist, 1968). Similarly, concomitant changes in HR and somatic activity were found during an operant conditioning paradigm that employed visual binary HR feedback for both HR acceleration and deceleration and a shock avoidance contingency (Obrist, Galosy, Lawler, Gaebelein, Howard and Shanks, 1975).
The new European Space Policy as seen from across the Atlantic

The new European Space Policy is the latest step in a long-running process through which advocates have sought to link the potential contributions of the space sector to the broader political, social, economic, and security objectives of the “European project.” As such, it is at a minimum an important symbolic act. In giving their approval to the policy, the members of the European Space Council asserted in their resolution that “the space sector is a strategic asset contributing to the independence, security and prosperity of Europe and its role in the world”.291 Such a statement lays the foundation for an enlarged and more assertive European presence in space.
A Case Study of Construct State Nominals: Extending the Predication Approach

This paper deals with a class of non-canonical construct state nominals, whose annex is non-nominal. More specifically, it examines the properties these non-canonical constructs share with canonical construct state nominals, including the absence of overt definiteness marking on the head noun. Non-canonical construct state nominals also differ from canonical construct states in imposing a restriction on the categorial nature of the annex. I argue that a predication structure (Den Dikken 2006, Ouhalla 2011) underlies non-canonical constructs, where the annex is the subject of predication and the head, a ‘minimal NP’, is the predicate, which raises over its subject. This analysis, which seems to invert the expected subject-predicate relation within construct states, is shown to account for a number of new observations related to the structural properties of non-canonical constructs. Non-canonical construct states alternate with constructions where the head noun does not appear in construct form and can take the definite marker. I argue that those alternate constructions are in fact derived from a different initial predication structure, where the head noun is in fact the subject of predication. Being a ‘minimal NP’, the head of non-canonical constructs cannot bear definiteness marking, under the assumption that the definite article is the overt expression of D[Def]. Therefore, the account for the distribution of overt definite marking is reduced to whether the outer D dominating the whole construct state is overtly expressed. I argue that a definite outer D is not expressed in non-canonical construct states due to the Doubly-filled Comp Filter (DFCF) generalized to specifier-head configurations, as in Koopman (2000).
Increased infection mortality and decreased neutrophil migration due to a component of an artificial blood substitute

We previously showed that an artificial blood substitute containing perfluorocarbons, Fluosol-DA, inhibited both neutrophil migration and adherence, due to its detergent component, Pluronic F-68. The purpose of the studies we report here was to determine if Fluosol or Pluronic might also reduce in vivo neutrophil migration and impair host resistance to bacterial infection. We studied in vivo PMN migration by injecting mice intraperitoneally (IP) with glycogen, followed by intravenous (IV) infusion of saline, Fluosol, or Pluronic. Peritoneal lavage after eight hours showed a significant decrease in the accumulation of PMN in lavage fluids of animals given either Fluosol or Pluronic (control--.19 +/- .03 X 10(6) PMN/mL, glycogen--1.35 +/- .14; glycogen/Fluosol--0.63 +/- .12; glycogen/Pluronic--0.69 +/- .07). We ascertained the effect of Fluosol and Pluronic on infection mortality by injecting mice IV with saline, Fluosol, or Pluronic, followed by a quantity of E coli (0.6 X 10(7] IP shown in preliminary studies to kill 20% to 50% of the mice in 24 hours. The 24-hour mortality was 14/45-saline, 24/32-Fluosol (chi 2 = 17.1; P less than .001) and 17/23 - Pluronic (chi = 11.2; P less than .001). Neither Fluosol nor Pluronic caused mortality without E coli. The increase in infection mortality occurred when Fluosol was given either two hours before, or simultaneously with E coli, but only with the simultaneous administration of bacteria and Pluronic. Pluronic did not alter reticuloendothelial system (RES) clearance function. These studies indicate that, in an animal model, Fluosol-DA, due to its detergent component Pluronic F-68, impaired neutrophil delivery to an inflammatory locus, and resulted in an increased rate of infection mortality. Since Pluronic did not result in RES blockade, but did impair the delivery of PMN to an inflammatory locus, our results suggest that the latter effect is responsible for the increase in infection mortality.
Sent Home Versus Being Arrested: The Relative Influence of School and Police Intervention on Drug Use

Prior research has demonstrated that school disciplinary practices lead to juvenile justice intervention or the “school-to-prison pipeline” and that juvenile justice intervention leads to adversiti...
Government political structure and gender differences in violent death: A longitudinal analysis of forty-three countries, 1960–2008

Abstract Objectives Little global and longitudinal scholarship exists on the relationship between regime type and mortality on a global level. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of democracy on violent death rates (homicide, suicide, and combined) by gender (men and women). Methods Three measures of democracy were used to quantify regime type. Homicide and suicide rates were obtained from the World Health Organization. Multi-level regression analyses examined associations between regime characteristics and logged rates of homicide, suicide, and violent deaths. Models were adjusted for unemployment and economic inequality. Results Nations that scored higher on democracy indices, especially emerging democracies, experienced increased mortality due to violence. Women possessed higher rates of homicide and suicide in democracies compared to men. Conclusions Violent deaths appear to be more prevalent even in stable democracies, and women are more affected than men. This overturns the common assumption that democracies bring greater equality, and therefore lower death rates over long-term. Future analyses might examine the aspects of democracies that lead to higher rates of violent death so as to help mitigate them.
Analysis of States' Barriers to and Progress Toward Implementation of Health and Safety Policies for Secondary School Athletics.

Context Implementation of health and safety best practices for the leading causes of sudden death and catastrophic injury has been shown to mitigate risk. However, to our knowledge, no authors have...
The Lefschetz Fixed-Point Formula; Smoothness and Stability

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the Lefschetz fixed-point formula. The Lefschetz fixed-point formula is known for quite general spaces. The theory of structural stability for n-dimensional manifolds has made remarkable progress in the last 15 years. According to a claim made by Lefschetz, the coefficients are only known approximately in a system of differential equations arising out of a practical problem: various errors are inevitably involved in their determination. Lefschetz was, of course, talking about the definition of structural stability for differential equations, but the same may be said for diffeomorphisms.
Probable Interaction Between Warfarin and Inhaled and Oral Administration of Cannabis

Objective:To report a probable interaction between warfarin and edible cannabis that resulted in an elevated international normalized ratio (INR) without bleeding complications. Case Summary: A 35-...
Caputo fractional Iyengar type Inequalities

Here we present Caputo fractional Iyengar type inequalities with respect to Lp norms, with 1 ≤ p ≤ ∞. The method is based on the right and left Caputo fractional Taylor’s formulae.
Toward Wayfinding: A Metaphor for Understanding Writing Experiences:

In this essay, we map out four major approaches to the study of writing experiences: (a) worlds apart, (b) literacy in the wild, (c) ecologies and networks, and (d) transfer. We examine how the pri...
Public Opinion About Ramadan and Obesity in Egypt

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of people’s perception of Ramadan eating habits and obesity in Egypt. Data were obtained through a paper and pencil cross-sectional survey that was administered to adults aged 18 and above in the Assiut Governorate in Egypt in 2015. The dependent variable was obesity, measured using the body mass index. Multivariate logistic regression models were fitted to the data. Ramadan eating habits were significantly associated with an opinion about obesity (AOR = 3.82, CI = 2.91, 5.00) and individuals that were low in religious orthodoxy experienced odds of obesity that were higher than persons with moderate orthodoxy (AOR = 1.52, CI = 1.10, 2.09). The present study has made a significant contribution by exploring how the understanding of and interpretations of religious dogma influence views on obesity. It is expected that future studies will adopt such an approach to studying obesity and other health outcomes.
The Role of Social Determinants in Health Care: Student Reflections on Patient Needs, Community Resources, and Interprofessional Development

BACKGROUND Teaching emerging health care professionals the importance of addressing social determinants of health is an important step toward equitable care. To this end, students need both an understanding of the narrative of those living with limited healthcare access and the opportunity to reflect upon how experiential learning impacts their views on health care services and professional development. PURPOSE The purpose of the study was to assess experiential self-reflections among health professions students after participating in an interprofessional, community-based program designed to provide much-needed health care to vulnerable populations. METHODS After participation, students provided reflections regarding their views on 1) individuals receiving care, 2) community needs and resources, and 3) their own interprofessional growth. A qualitative, iterative process was used to identify emergent themes. RESULTS Themes specific to both participants and community resources centered on poor access to care, dental and vision needs, and limited awareness of available resources. Those specific to students’ interprofessional experience and professional growth include patient outcomes, understanding community characteristics, communication skills, and an appreciation of interprofessional, multi-level delivery of services. CONCLUSIONS Consideration of social determinants of care is an important conduit toward clarifying one’s views of vulnerable populations and as a means of enhancing professional growth and development.
The Moderating Role of Psychological Inflexibility in the Relationship Between Minority Stress, Substance Misuse, and Suicidality in LGB+ Adolescents

Abstract Minority stress has been posited as a framework to explain the health disparities seen in sexual minority youth, including lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB+) youth. In the present study, psychological inflexibility was investigated as a moderator in the relationship between minority stress and two harmful youth outcomes: substance misuse and suicidality. Analyses showed significant interactions indicating moderating effects in the substance misuse models but not in the suicidality models. A positive direct effect of global psychological inflexibility on suicidality was also discovered. Analyses exploring the moderating effects of psychological inflexibility's sub-processes found that cognitive fusion and obstruction of valued living had significant, positive interactions with minority stress in relation to substance misuse. No moderating effects were found within models exploring the sub-processes on suicidality; however, positive direct effects were indicated between cognitive fusion and suicidality as well as between obstruction of valued living and suicidality. Overall, results suggest that psychological inflexibility is a promising moderator variable that could potentially be targeted via intervention in LGB + adolescents and therefore warrants further study with this population.
Fully Endoscopic 360° Decompression Surgery for Thoracic Spinal Stenosis: Technical Note and Report of 8 Cases.

Background Surgical options for treating thoracic spinal cord compression that results from circumferential stenosis typically involve instrumented fusion procedures. The authors present here an outpatient, awake, endoscopic surgical option for treating thoracic stenosis that avoids fusion. Objectives To evaluate the outcome and safety of combining fully endoscopic transforaminal and posterior approaches for ventral and dorsal decompression of thoracic spinal stenosis. Study design Retrospective case review. Setting Single-center acute-care hospital. Methods Eight patients with single-level, significant stenosis of the thoracic spinal canal were treated with fully endoscopic transforaminal and posterior approaches to achieve 360° ventral and dorsal decompression. Patients were followed up to 30 months postoperatively. Axial back pain was measured by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score, and paired Student t-test was used for statistical analysis. Results Successful decompression was achieved in all 8 patients. All surgeries were performed as outpatient procedures under local anesthesia with intravenous (IV) sedation. There were no intraoperative dura tears, spinal cord or nerve root injury, postoperative infections, or cases of iatrogenic-induced segmental instability. All patients had significant improvement with VAS scores significantly lower postoperatively. Limitations Small case series evaluated retrospectively with 15-month average follow-up. Conclusions Combining fully endoscopic transforaminal and posterior approaches for both ventral and dorsal decompression under local anesthesia with IV sedation is an effective and safe minimally invasive surgical treatment for thoracic spinal stenosis.
Stating the Sacred: Religion, China, and the Formation of Nation-State: Michael J. Walsh. New York: Columbia University Press, 2020. 272 pp. $30 (paperback). ISBN 978-0231193573

The relation between religion and modern Chinese nation-building has been a familiar theme in the field of China studies. Michael J. Walsh’s Stating the Sacred: Religion, China, and the Formation o...
Reinstating Over-Pouring Behavior: Importance of the Imagined Drinking Context.

College students significantly over-pour more than a standard drink in a free-pour simulated alcohol-pouring task. Due to this effect, it is likely that much of the self-report alcohol consumption ...
Characterization of extracellular vesicle miRNA identified in peripheral blood of chronic pancreatitis patients

Plasma-derived extracellular vesicles (EV) can serve as markers of cell damage/disease but can also have therapeutic utility depending on the nature of their cargo, such as miRNA. Currently, there are challenges and lack of innovations regarding early diagnosis and therapeutic options within different aspects of management of patients suffering from chronic pancreatitis (CP). Use of EV as biomarkers for pancreatic health and/or as adjuvant therapy would make a difference in management of these patients. The aim of this study was to characterize the miRNA cargo of EV purified from the plasma of CP patients and compared to those of healthy participants. EVs were isolated from plasma of 15 CP patients and 10 healthy controls. Nanoparticle tracking analysis was used to determine frequency and size, while NanoString technology was used to characterize the miRNA cargo. Relevant clinical parameters were correlated with EV miRNA cargo. ~ 30 miRNA species were identified to have significantly (p < 0.05) different expression in EV from individuals with CP compared to healthy individuals; ~ 40 miRNA were differentially expressed in EV from pre-diabetic versus non-diabetic CP patients. miR-579-3p, while exhibiting significantly lower (~ 16-fold) expression in CP compared to healthy and lower (~ 24-fold) in CP narcotic users compared to the non-users, is actually enriched (~ 32-fold) within EV in pre-diabetic CP patients compared to non-diabetic CP patients. A unique pattern was identified in female CP patients. These data support the prospect of using a plasma-derived EV cargo to assess pancreatic health and its therapeutic potential in CP patients.
KISS1 metastasis suppression and emergent pathways

Metastatic disease is the most critical impediment to cancer patient survival. However, comparatively little is known concerning the intricate pathways which govern the complex phenotypes associated with metastasis. The KISS1 metastasis suppressor gene inhibits metastasis in both in vivo melanoma and breast carcinoma models. Despite its clear physiological activity, the mechanism of KISS1 remains unclear. Recent identification of a 54 amino acid peptide of KISS1, termed metastin or kisspeptin-54, and its cognate G-protein coupled receptor (hOT7T175, AXOR12, GPR54) have provided additional clues and avenues of research. While studies have attributed KISS1 with modulation of NFκB regulation, experiments with metastin and its receptor implicate MAP kinase pathways and also suggest the potential of autocrine, paracrine and endocrine roles. Impacts on motility, chemotaxis, adhesion and invasion have each been documented in disparate cell lines and conflicting observations require resolution. Nevertheless, mounting clinical evidence, particularly the loss of KISS1 in metastases, correlates KISS1 and metastin receptor expression with human tumor progression. Together, the data substantiate roles for these molecules in metastasis regulation.
Robust fixed interval satellite range scheduling

The Satellite Range Scheduling problem has been solved in previous work by the authors. However, real scenarios may involve contingencies on the satellites, the ground stations or the communication link, which in practice can be translated as communication requests eventually being dropped from the schedule with a certain probability. Compared to existing sub-optimal approaches which add back-up passes to a nominal schedule, robust scheduling finds the schedule with maximal expected performance. Robust schedules are not necessarily free of conflicts, conversely to optimal schedules, and thus finding the robust schedule poses increased complexity. The authors investigate the tractability bounds for the case where these requests have fixed start and end times, different priorities, and different failure probabilities, and provide a linear time algorithm for obtaining the robust schedule in scenarios with a single scheduling entity, laying the foundations for studying more complex cases.