cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The function of the β3 interactive domain in the small heat shock protein and molecular chaperone, human αB crystallin

Knowledge of the interactive domains on the surface of small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) is necessary for understanding the assembly of complexes and the activity as molecular chaperones. The primary sequences of 26 sHSP molecular chaperones were aligned and compared. In the interactive β3 sequence, 73DRFSVNLDVKHFS85 of human αB crystallin, Ser-76, Asn-78, Lys-82, and His-83 were identified as nonconserved residues on the exposed surface of the α crystallin core domain. Site-directed mutagenesis produced the mutant αB crystallins: S76E, N78G, K82Q, and H83F. Domain swapping with homologous β3 sequences, 32EKFEVGLDVQFFT44 from Caenorhabditis elegans sHSP12.2 or 69DKFVIFLDVKHFS81 from αA crystallin, resulted in the mutant αB crystallins, CE1 and αA1, respectively. Decreased chaperone activity was observed with the point mutants N78G, K82Q, and H83F and with the mutant, CE1, in aggregation assays using βL crystallin, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), or citrate synthase (CS). The S76E mutant had minimal effect on chaperone activity, and domain swapping with αA crystallin had no effect on chaperone activity. The mutations that resulted in altered chaperone activity, produced minimal modification to the secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structure of human αB crystallin as determined by ultraviolet circular dichroism spectroscopy, chymotrypsin proteolysis, and size exclusion chromatography. Chaperone activity was influenced by the amount of unfolding of the target proteins and independent of complex size. The results characterized the importance of the exposed side chains of Glu-78, Lys-82, and His-83 in the interactive β3 sequence of the α crystallin core domain in αB crystallin for chaperone function.
Why our theories of innovation fail us

Until we moderate our fascination with creating ideas, we will not achieve the rate of innovations we seek.
Urban sustainability challenges : Democracy and spatial injustices in Tunisia

In this paper, the author addresses spatial injustices in Tunisia, and seeks to which extent social and territorial inequalities could hamper democracy. Many urban disparities and social anomies such as informal sector, terrorism, unemployment, and usustainable development process threaten the vulnerable democracy transition in Tunisia. The author described and analyzed urban planning process since independency to noawadays. He analyzed the successive economic development policy makings undertook by a mono-party Nation-State. The top down development policies implemented until nowadays entailed a big gap between coastal areas and inland. The former benefitted of its site across the sea shores and proximity to Tunis and former regime. Many factors fostered export industries and tourism activities. The latters were left behind due to their lack of resources and urban planning policy dominated by neo liberal capitalist development in favor of Tunis urban primacy and the littoral where concentrated most foreign and local investments. Urban disparities and inequalities in Tunisia join in a networked society where local and global actors play a key role in economic, social, and urban development process in Tunisia. Tunisian society is a subsystem within a global system (Wallerstein2012), and what is happening is not conjonctural, but it is due to global social movements (Sassen 2007 ; Castells 2012 ; Braudel, 1992 ; Amin, 2003). Terrorism, pollution, inequalities are not per se, but are the negative results of a a myriad of factors: economic, politics, cultural, emotional, aesthetics, social and urban morphologies. Many economic, social, and political actors intervened and interconnected in public and private arenas and triggered those anomies. Fair urban policies are expected to be achieved through a multilevel governance in order to implement the revolution objectives in Tunisia. Otherwise, a representative democracy only, won't fulfil the well-being expected by large Tunisian people. Sustainable urban governance requires a multi-scalar bottom-up and top-down policy-making. In Tunisia, after democratic transition success, the state should be revamped, and compensate its deficit. A sustainable urban planning implies a holistic policy framework involving private and public sectors, and civil society actors locally, regionally, and globally.
Dendritic Crystal Growth: Overview

The phenomenon of dendritic crystal growth is one of the earliest scientific problems, tackled first by Kepler1 in his work on six-sided snowflake crystals. Nowadays, the dendrite system is most often tackled by metallurgists who have learned to relate mechanical properties of a solidified alloy to the microstructure patterns formed via the crystal growth process. Most recently, however, physicists and mathematicians have focused on this system as a good example of pattern selection and stability in non-equilibrium systems — it is this last perspective which we will try to explain in this overview.
Reducing Livability How Sustainability Planning Threatens the American Dream

In response to state laws and federal incentives, cities and metropolitan areas across the country are engaged in "sustainability planning" aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In many if not most cases, this planning seeks to reshape urban areas to reduce the amount of driving people do. In general, this means increasing urban population densities and in particular replacing low-density neighborhoods in transit corridors with dense, mixed-use developments. Such planning tramples on property rights and personal preferences. To increase urban area densities, planners use containment policies such as urban-growth boundaries or greenbelts.To make matters worse, these policies are simply not effective at reducing green house gas emissions. Plan Bay Area, a plan recently approved for the nine-county San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose metropolitan area, proposes to spend $14 billion in subsidies for high density housing and $5 billion in subsidies for rail transit. Yet the combined effect of these subsidies will be to reduce the region’s green house gas emissions by less than 2 percent, at a cost of nearly $1,200 per ton of abated emissions. By contrast, a separate "climate initiative" program for the region includes projects such as car sharing, van pooling, and incentives for people to buy more fuel-efficient cars. It is expected to reduce the region’s emissions by nearly 3 percent, at a cost of just $22 per ton of abated emissions. Planners are undiscouraged by the wastefulness of their density-and-transit programs. Laws passed in California, Florida, Oregon, and Washington require cities to implement such programs no matter how costly, and the Obama administration is offering cities in other states grants to encourage them to write such plans as well. These plans should be abandoned because they intrude on property rights and personal housing preferences and are cost-ineffective at saving energy and reducing emissions.
Using High-Resolution Bus GPS Data to Visualize and Identify Congestion Hot Spots in Urban Arterials

Congestion and travel delay on urban roadways can influence the roadways’ operating costs and service attractiveness. This research used high-resolution bus data to examine sources of delay on urban arterials. A set of tools was created to help visualize trends in bus behavior and movement; these tools allowed larger traffic trends to be visualized along urban corridors and streets. With buses as probes and examining aggregated bus behavior, contoured speed plots were used to understand the behavior of roadways outside the zone of influence of bus stops. Speed plots were used to discover trends and travel patterns with only a few days’ data. Congestion and speed variation were viewed by time of day, and plots helped to indicate delays caused by intersections, crosswalks, or bus stops. This type of information is important to transit authorities looking to improve bus running times and reliability. Congested areas were detected and ranked. Speed plots were used to reevaluate bus stop locations (e.g., near ...
Generating passive NIR images from active LIDAR

Many modern LIDAR platforms contain an integrated RGB camera for capturing contextual imagery. However, these RGB cameras do not collect a near-infrared (NIR) color channel, omitting information useful for many analytical purposes. This raises the question of whether LIDAR data, collected in the NIR, can be used as a substitute for an actual NIR image in this situation. Generating a LIDAR-based NIR image is potentially useful in situations where another source of NIR, such as satellite imagery, is not available. LIDAR is an active sensing system that operates very differently from a passive system, and thus requires additional processing and calibration to approximate the output of a passive instrument. We examine methods of approximating passive NIR images from LIDAR for real-world datasets, and assess differences with true NIR images.
Transcription Factor Runx3 Is Induced by Influenza A Virus and Double-Strand RNA and Mediates Airway Epithelial Cell Apoptosis

Influenza A virus (IAV) targets airway epithelial cells and exploits the host cell machinery to replicate, causing respiratory illness in annual epidemics and pandemics of variable severity. The high rate of antigenic drift (viral mutation) and the putative antigenic shift (reassortant strains) have raised the need to find the host cell inducible factors modulating IAV replication and its pathogenesis to develop more effective antiviral treatment. In this study, we found for the first time that transcription factor Runx3, a developmental regulator and tumor suppressor, was induced by IAV H1N1 and H3N2, viral RNA, a synthetic analog of viral double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid, and type-II interferon-γ (IFNγ) in human airway epithelial cells. Whereas Runx3 was essentially not induced by type-I IFNα and type-III IFNλ, we show that Runx3 induction by IAV infection and viral RNA is mediated through the innate immune receptor MDA5 and the IκB kinase-β-NF-κB pathway. Moreover, we provide substantial evidence indicating that Runx3 plays a crucial role in airway epithelial cell apoptosis induced by IAV infection and dsRNA through the activation of extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis pathways. Thus, we have identified Runx3 as an inducible and important transcription factor modulating IAV-induced host epithelial cell apoptosis.
Lightening the Cognitive Load: Maximizing Learning in the Legal Writing Classroom

In recent decades, educators have been examining the ways in which cognition and instruction are connected, so that teaching, and therefore learning, can be more effective. The findings of cognitive scientists and educational psychologists on how people learn are fascinating and informative for teachers at all levels. The legal academy has been relatively slow to examine these findings, as the goal of a law school education seems attenuated from such matters of basic science, and because there is an assumption that law students should have figured out how to learn by the time they get to law school. Some of the key findings indicate, however, that understanding the principles should inform how law teachers teach, and how students can maximize their learning in the law classroom.
Colonization: ‘Peopling’ the Empire

Early American plans for a ‘western empire’ and Nazi plans for an ‘eastern empire’ were both predicated on ‘peopling’ the empire with settler colonists and ‘removing’ indigenous peoples who stood in the way of their national expansionist projects. In both cases, legacies of prior settlement episodes provided useful legacies and convenient justifications for future ‘settlement’ schemes. In the ‘American West’ and the ‘Nazi East’, political leaders envisaged a ‘people’s empire’ that would benefit ‘ordinary’ citizens — as well as, of course, the political elites — which, in turn, would provide economic security for the nation-state. In both cases, the settlers’ ‘pursuit of happiness’ was to be achieved at the expense of ‘inferior’ peoples who would be required to ‘disappear’ from the new settler ‘living space’. Political leaders, in both Early America and Nazi Germany, developed colonization plans that outlined general settlement goals in ‘the West’ and ‘the East’. And, finally, both nation-states shared a similar settlement model, based on settler self-interest in striving for prosperity and material security for themselves and their children.
Abstract 2221: HHLA2, a novel member of the B7 family of inhibitory ligands, is highly expressed in osteosarcoma

Purpose: Over the past four decades there have been minimal improvements in outcomes for patients with osteosarcoma (OS). New targets and novel therapies are needed to improve outcomes for these patients. In this study, we sought to evaluate the prevalence and prognostic utility of the immune checkpoint inhibitor HHLA2 in OS. Experimental Design: HHLA2 expression was evaluated in two cohorts of OS patients using a tumor microarray (TMA) (n = 62) and whole slides (n = 48). HHLA2 expression was assessed in primary tumor specimens and metastatic disease, and correlated with the presence of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), and event free survival. Results: HHLA2 was expressed in 68% of OS tumors in the TMA and in 54% in the second cohort. HHLA2 was expressed in almost all metastatic disease specimens and was more prevalent than in primary specimens without known metastases (93% vs 53%, p = 0.02). TILs were present in 75% of all osteosarcoma specimens. Patients whose tumors were ≥25% or ≥50% HHLA2 positive had significantly worse five-year event-free-survival (33% vs 64%, p = 0.03 and 14% vs 59%, p = 0.02). Conclusions: HHLA2 is expressed in the majority of OS tumors, is associated with metastatic disease, and is associated with poorer survival. Further studies are needed assessing the effect of HHLA2 expression on the function of the immune microenvironment, as well as assessing the feasibility and utility of targeting HHLA2 in OS. Citation Format: Pratistha Koirala, Michael Roth, Jonathan Gill, Jordan Chinai, Michelle Ewart, Sajida Piperdi, David Geller, Bang Hoang, Yekaterina Fatakhova, Maya Ghorpade, Xingxing Zang, Richard Gorlick. HHLA2, a novel member of the B7 family of inhibitory ligands, is highly expressed in osteosarcoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2221.
Monosodium glutamate inhibits the lymphatic transport of lipids in the rat

It is not well understood how monosodium glutamate (MSG) affects gastrointestinal physiology, especially regarding the absorption and the subsequent transport of dietary lipids into lymph. Thus far, there is little information about how the ingestion of MSG affects the lipid lipolysis, uptake, intracellular esterification, and formation and secretion of chylomicrons. Using lymph fistula rats treated with the infusion of a 2% MSG solution before a continuous infusion of triglyceride, we show that MSG causes a significant decrease in both triglyceride and cholesterol secretion into lymph. Intriguingly, the diminished lymphatic transport of triglyceride and cholesterol was not caused by an accumulation of these labeled lipids in the intestinal lumen or in the intestinal mucosa. Rather, it is a result of increased portal transport in the animals fed acutely the lipid plus 2% MSG in the lipid emulsion. This is a first demonstration of MSG on intestinal lymphatic transport of lipids.
Entropy and State Visualization for Automation Design and Evaluation Prototyping Toolset

Automation Design and Evaluation Prototyping Toolset (ADEPT) is a plugin developed on the Eclipse Rich Client Platform(RCP). ADEPT can be used by domain expert designers to create and modify testable prototypes. The aim of the project is to enhance ADEPT by adding dynamic visualizations to the ADEPT user interface. Three types of visualizations are implemented in this project. Table view is helpful to view the hierarchy and nesting of Logic Tables. The State visualization displays all the states in a selected Logic Table. Entropy visualization is a subset of State visualization and displays limited number of states having lowest Entropy value.
Extracting student models for intelligent tutoring systems

Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs) that adapt to an individual student’s needs have been shown to be extremely effective, showing significant improvement in achievement over non-adaptive instruction (Murray 1999). The most successful of these systems require the construction of complex cognitive models that are applicable only to a specific tutorial in a specific field, requiring the time of experts to create and test these models on students. In order to achieve the benefits that ITSs provide, we must find a way to simplify their creation. Therefore, we are creating a framework to automate the generation of ITS student models. The goal is to provide a simple way to allow developers of computer-based training (CBT) to add adaptive capabilities with minimal work while still maintaining the effectiveness of a true ITS.
Solar Composition of Icy Planetesimals: A New Source For Comet Nuclei?

The enrichment of heavy elements on Jupiter appears to require the existence of a new class of icy planetesimal that exhibits solar relative abundances. Prior to the Galileo probe mission, observations of methane in Jupiter’s atmosphere had revealed that C/H was approximately three times the solar ratio. This enrichment was thought to be the result of the delivery of heavy elements by icy planetesimals, which were assumed to be essentially identical to comets. However, comets are notoriously deficient in nitrogen (e.g., Geiss 1987; Krankowsky 1991) and recent upper limits on argon in three comets (Weaver et al. 2002) indicate that this element is also sub-solar relative to O. Hence it was assumed that Jupiter would exhibit the same deficiency in argon and nitrogen relative to carbon (Pollack and Bodenheimer 1989; Owen & Bar-Nun 1995). Yet the mass spectrometer on the Galileo Probe clearly showed that Ar, Kr, Xe, N, C, and S are all enriched in Jupiter’s atmosphere by the same factor of 3 ± 1 (Niemann et al. 1998; Owen et al. 1999).
Clinically useful screen for borderline personality disorder in psychiatric out-patients

A total of 3674 psychiatric out-patients were evaluated with a semi-structured diagnostic interview for DSM-IV borderline personality disorder (BPD). The affective instability criterion had a sensitivity of 92.8%, higher than the sensitivities of the other eight BPD criteria. The negative predictive value of the affective instability criterion was 99%. We recommend that clinicians screen for BPD in the same way that they screen for other psychiatric disorders: by enquiring about a single feature of the disorder (i.e. affective instability), the presence of which identifies most patients with the disorder and the absence of which rules out the disorder.
The impact of instituting Process-Oriented Guided-Inquiry Learning (POGIL) in a fundamental nursing course

Abstract Background POGIL, using small groups of students, who assume the roles of leader, manager, recorder, and reflector to complete problem based activities in science courses, has demonstrated significant improvement in students' grades and course satisfaction in science courses and a nursing Fundamentals course. Using POGIL with nursing students in fundamentals nursing courses could help to improve final grades and course satisfaction while promoting active learning, critical thinking, and teamwork. Objectives To examine differences in final course grades, Assessment Technologies Institute, LLC (ATi) scores and course satisfaction in 2 groups of fundamentals nursing students where one group experienced Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) as a teaching strategy and one group did not. Satisfaction with performing in the varied roles used during POGIL was also examined. Design/Methods This quantitative descriptive study used a comparative design, with one group of students who experienced POGIL while analyzing case scenarios in class and a control group who did not experience POGIL. A t-test was used to compare final grades, ATi scores, and satisfaction survey results. Setting A mid-size, private university in the northeastern United States was the setting. Participants A convenience sample of pre-licensure baccalaureate nursing students taking Fundamental in Nursing Courses during the junior semester. Results The experimental group (N = 63) had higher final course grades (p = 0.046), better understanding of the course material (p = 0.005), and greater satisfaction with grades (p = 0.008) than the control group (N = 75). Conclusion The results of this study revealed that Fundamental nursing students who experienced POGIL had significantly higher final grades and course satisfaction compared with students who did not experience POGIL. The active learning and teamwork experienced during POGIL, may be beneficial to students as they transition to practicing nurses. Additional research using POGIL with a variety of nursing courses could be beneficial in educating undergraduate nursing students.
Clinical analyses of abnormal cranial magnetic resonance imaging of 24 cases of severe hand-foot-mounth diseases complicated with brainstem encephalitis

Objective To investigate the clinical features,treatment,prognosis,and occurrence of neurogenic pulmonary edema(NPE) in children with severe hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) complicated with brain stem encephalitis and abnormal cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Methods 386 cases of severe HFMD were hospitalized in our Intensive Care Unit (ICU) from May to October 2010,of which 24 cases had abnormal cranial MRI.Their clinical symptoms,MRI features,treatment,and prognosis were analyzed.Results The clinical symptoms of severe HFMD with brainstem encephalitis included fever,startle,lethargy,vomiting,difficulty swallowing,drooling,and so on.The patients with abnormal cranial MRI were prone to have a neurogenic pulmonary edema (NPE) (5％ vs 6.5％,x2 =34.55,P ＜0.01).Conclusions The nervous system-affected parts of severe HFMD is the brain stem,thalamus,and spinal cord.Brain stem inflammation can be found early by the cranial MRI to be highly vigilant of NPE.During course of 1 ～ 5 day,special attention should be paid to the symptoms of the nervous system.The early detection,timely intervention,and prevention from NPE would result in the good prognosis. Key words: Hand,foot and mouth disease/complications; Critical illness; Brain stem; Encephalitis/complications ; Magnetic resonance imaging
Performance Models for Communication in Collective I/O Operations

Many any large scale scientific applications spend a significant amount of time in file I/O operations. Collective I/O APIs provide higher level abstractions of I/O across a group of processes. They often reduce the time spent in file I/O by reorganizing data across processes to match the layout of the data on the file system. In this paper we present performance models for the communication occurring in collective write operations as a first step towards developing a full and accurate mode of collective I/O operations. The models derived in this paper take both the application data decomposition and the file domain partitioning strategies used by the I/O library into account. We discuss properties of our performance models and demonstrate using LogGP parameters derived on multiple platforms their impact on the performance of collective I/O operations. The paper further provides comparison to actual measurements performed on an InfiniBand cluster. Our results indicate a good overall match between predicted and observed behavior.
Assortative mating and the genetic correlation.

The effect of assortative mating on the genetic correlation between traits X and Y is considered. Assortation on trait X changes the magnitude of the genetic correlation but not its sign. There are two situations depending on the signs of the correlation between mates (ρ) and of the random mating genetic correlation (θ): 1) if sign (θ) = sign (ρ), then θ >θ, where θ is the genetic correlation at equilibrium after continued assortation, and 2) if sign (θ) ≠ = sign (ρ), then θ < θ. However, negative assortative mating is virtually powerless to alter the magnitude of the genetic correlation. The consequences of a “mixed” assortation model, e.g., high milk production females mated to fast growing males and lesser productive females mated to slower growing sires, were also studied. “Mixed” positive assortation always increases the genetic correlation, but negative assortation decreases it. The implications of assortative mating on correlated responses to selection and on the equilibrium covariances between relatives for pairs of traits are discussed.
Transposon-Based Functional Characterization of Soybean Genes

Type II transposable elements that use a cut-and-paste mechanism for jumping from one genomic region to another are ideal for use in tagging and cloning genes. Precise excision from an insertion site in a mutant gene leads to regaining the wild-type function. Thus, the function of a gene can be established based on the mutant phenotype and the regaining of the wild-type phenotype following precise excision of the element. Heterologous type II transposable elements including the Ac/Ds system from maize, the miniature inverted repeat system, mPing from rice, and the Tnt1 retrotransposon from tobacco have been successfully applied in functional analyses of soybean genes. Although several endogenous transposable elements have been identified in soybean, evidence of an active type II transposable element in soybean was largely lacking. We have previously reported the isolation of the type II soybean transposon Tgm9 from intron II of the dihyroflavonol-4-reductase 2 (DFR2) gene of the W4 locus. Tgm9 is an active element and produces variegated flowers through somatic excision. Excision of the Tgm9 element from the progenitor cells of flower buds results in genotypes with purple flowers that are known as germinal revertants. The element was discovered from a commercial soybean cultivar, and the line carrying the element was termed T322. The T322 genome contains only one active Tgm9 copy in the W4 locus. In a recent study, the utility of Tgm9 was assessed by studying a set of random germinal revertants. The new mutations created following excision of Tgm9 from DFR2 were evaluated using a transposon display assay. This study revealed that Tgm9 transposes to all 20 soybean chromosomes from its original site in the DFR2 gene. Although Tgm9 exhibited preferential transposition to a few genomic regions, across the entire genome 25.7% of the new Tgm9 mutants were detected in exon or intron sequences. Thus, Tgm9 is a suitable endogenous type II transposon to generate an indexed insertional mutant collection for functional characterization of most of the soybean genes.
Relationship of femoral artery ultrasound measures of atherosclerosis with chronic kidney disease

Abstract Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is strongly associated with peripheral artery disease (PAD). Detection of subclinical PAD may allow early interventions for or prevention of PAD in persons with CKD. Whether the presence of atherosclerotic plaque and femoral intima-media thickness (IMT) are associated with kidney function is unknown. Methods We performed a cross-sectional observational study of 1029 community-living adults. We measured superficial and common femoral artery IMT and atherosclerotic plaque presence by ultrasound. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR; continuous) and eGFR 2 (binary) were evaluated as outcomes. Results Mean age was 70 ± 10 years, mean eGFR was 78 ± 17 mL/min/1.73 m 2 , and 156 (15%) individuals had eGFR 2 ; 260 (25%) had femoral artery plaque. In models adjusted for demographics and cardiovascular risk factors, individuals with femoral artery plaque had mean eGFR approximately 3.0 (95% confidence interval, −5.3 to −0.8) mL/min/1.73 m 2 lower than those without plaque ( P 2 (95% confidence interval, 1.1-2.8; P Conclusions Femoral artery plaque is significantly associated with CKD prevalence in community-living individuals, even among those with normal ankle-brachial index. Femoral artery ultrasound may allow evaluation of relationships and risk factors linking PAD and kidney disease earlier in its course.
Leadership Characteristics: Views of Indian and Non-Indian Students

The findings of a study of the attitudes that American Indian and non-Indian students have about leadership indicate that the Indian students see leadership roles very differently than the non-Indi...
Do You See What I See? Testing for Individual Differences in Impressions of Events:

Affect control theory shows how cultural meanings for identities and behavior are used to form impressions of events and guide social action. In this research, I examine whether members of the same...
Vector magnetic fields in sunspots

Observations of a round, unipolar sunspot in the Zeeman triplet Fe i λ6302.5 with the High Altitude Observatory Stokes Polarimeter are used to derive the vector magnetic field in the spot. The behavior of the magnitude, inclination, and azimuth of the field vector B across the spot is discussed. A linear relation is found between the continuum intensity I c and the field magnitude B. Time series obtained in the umbra show significant power in the magnitude of the field at a period of t ∼ 180 s but the other components of the field vector do not display this behavior.
Abstract P75: Association Between Caregiving, 30-Day Outcomes, and Baseline Risk Status Among Hospitalized Cardiac Patients

BACKGROUND: Caregivers might represent a unique opportunity to improve clinical outcomes among cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients, however prospective data are limited. PURPOSE: To determine if ...
Physician opinions on decision making for percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) feeding tube placement

Percutaneous endoscopically placed gastrostomy (PEG) tubes are useful for long-term enteral nutrition; however, they are associated with lack of benefit for patients with advanced dementia, at end of life, and for some stroke patients with early regain of swallowing function. We surveyed physician opinions on decision making with the aim to identify factors that can lead to inappropriate PEG placement, as a first step of a quality improvement initiative to prevent inappropriate PEG placements at our facility. A survey was distributed to 231 physicians, with questions about discussion topics, contraindications, responsibilities, and practices in decision making for PEG placement. Five-point Likert scales were used for most responses. Of 62 respondents, the majority were general surgeons (51.6%) and neurologists (30.6%). Levels of agreement were very low that PEG placement is contraindicated in advanced dementia (> 56% disagreed) and at end of life (55% disagreed) with scores of 2.4 and 2.5 (out of 5), respectively. Agreement level was low (score of 2.85) for delaying PEG for stroke patients by at least 2 weeks. Agreement was high for the discussion topics, for allowing 1–7 days for processing information, and for consulting the nutrition service. Over 98% of respondents chose primary team and 58% chose both primary and endoscopy teams as being responsible for discussions with patients and care partners in the decision-making process. Greater awareness is needed of the lack of benefit of PEG feeding in advanced dementia, at end of life, and for some stroke patients with early regain of swallow function. Disagreement exists as to whether the primary team and endoscopist share in the responsibility for discussions in decision making for PEG placement.
Growing Down: Theology and Human Nature in the Virtual Age.

“Today, the sum total of who a person is includes a phone, a laptop, a computer, and numerous online and virtual identities” (17). Most readers will readily recognize this statement as true, import...
ORGANIZATION AND STRUCTURE OF GENES IN YEAST MITOCHONDRIAL DNA

ABSTRACT ρ- strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were used to obtain the DNA sequence of regions of the yeast mitochondrial genome defined by various mitochondrial genetic loci. The DNA sequence of the structural genes for subunits 6 and 9 of the oligomycin sensitive ATPase complex, subunits 1, 2 and 3 of cytochrome oxidase, apocytochrome b and 21 tRNA species were determined. The sequencing studies provided information as to the organization of mitochondrial genes and suggests a unique set of coding and decoding properties which are followed by the mitochondrial genetic system. KEYWORDS Yeast; mitochondria; genetics; DNA; sequence
Identification and Analysis of Inhibitors Targeting the Hepatitis C Virus NS3 Helicase

This chapter describes two types of FRET-based fluorescence assays that can be used to identify and analyze compounds that inhibit the helicase encoded by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Both assays use a fluorescently labeled DNA or RNA oligonucleotide to monitor helicase-catalyzed strand separation, and they differ from other real-time helicase assays in that they do not require the presence of other nucleic acids to trap the reaction products. The first assay is a molecular beacon-based helicase assay (MBHA) that monitors helicase-catalyzed displacement of a hairpin-forming oligonucleotide with a fluorescent moiety on one end and a quencher on the other. DNA-based MBHAs have been used extensively for high-throughput screening (HTS), but RNA-based MBHAs are typically less useful because of poor signal to background ratios. In the second assay discussed, the fluorophore and quencher are split between two hairpin-forming oligonucleotides annealed in tandem to a third oligonucleotide. This split beacon helicase assay can be used for HTS with either DNA or RNA oligonucleotides. These assays should be useful to the many labs searching for HCV helicase inhibitors in order to develop new HCV therapies that are still desperately needed.
The PVN enhances cardiorespiratory responses to acute hypoxia via input to the nTS.

Chemoreflex neurocircuitry includes the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), but the role of PVN efferent projections to specific cardiorespiratory nuclei is unclear. We hypothesized that the PVN contrib...
Neurotrophic Signals, Axonal Transport of

The formation and maintenance of the nervous system entail the establishment, modification, and maintenance of robust synaptic connections between neurons within circuits. The postsynaptic partner for an innervating neuron receives signals from its presynaptic partner as well as sends signals to it. The postsynaptic to presynaptic signals must be robust and of high fidelity. Importantly, those that are needed to influence the neuronal soma must be trafficked efficiently through retrograde transport in the axon. Given the architecture of neurons, the mechanism(s) for trafficking these signals must be capable of moving them over very long distances in many neurons. Long-distance transport of the signals of neurotrophic factors, and many other growth factors that employ receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK), routinely features the binding of a factor to its specific RTK followed by endocytosis and retrograde axonal delivery within the endo/lysosomal system to the cell body. Accumulating evidence points to several compartments for signaling, several en route destinations for signaling, and the importance for retrograde signaling in regulating the survival and function of neurons. This article will focus principally on the signaling pathways engaged by the neurotrophin family of neurotrophic factors. Interestingly, recent findings suggest aberrations in axonal structure common in neurodegenerative disorders and a role for failed retrograde axonal transport of neurotrophic signals contributing to pathogenesis.
Preparation, Characterization, and Cellular Associations of Silicon Logic-Embedded Vectors

Logic-embedded vectors (LEVs) have been introduced as a means to overcome sequential, biological barriers that prevent particle-based drug delivery systems from reaching their targets. In this chapter, we address the challenge of fabricating and optimizing LEVs to reach non-endosomal targets. We describe the general preparation, characterization, and cellular association of porous silicon-based LEVs. A specific example of LEV fabrication from start to finish, along with optimization and troubleshooting information, is presented to serve as a template for future designs.
Development of a predictive model for retention in HIV care using natural language processing of clinical notes.

Objective Adherence to a treatment plan from HIV-positive patients is necessary to decrease their mortality and improve their quality of life, however some patients display poor appointment adherence and become lost to follow-up (LTFU). We applied natural language processing (NLP) to analyze indications towards or against LTFU in HIV-positive patients' notes. Materials and methods Unstructured lemmatized notes were labeled with an LTFU or Retained status using a 183-day threshold. An NLP and supervised machine learning system with a linear model and elastic net regularization was trained to predict this status. Prevalence of characteristics domains in the learned model weights were evaluated. Results We analyzed 838 LTFU vs 2964 Retained notes and obtained a weighted F1 mean of 0.912 via nested cross-validation; another experiment with notes from the same patients in both classes showed substantially lower metrics. "Comorbidities" were associated with LTFU through, for instance, "HCV" (hepatitis C virus) and likewise "Good adherence" with Retained, represented with "Well on ART" (antiretroviral therapy). Discussion Mentions of mental health disorders and substance use were associated with disparate retention outcomes, however history vs active use was not investigated. There remains further need to model transitions between LTFU and being retained in care over time. Conclusion We provided an important step for the future development of a model that could eventually help to identify patients who are at risk for falling out of care and to analyze which characteristics could be factors for this. Further research is needed to enhance this method with structured electronic medical record fields.
Reduction of Lead Levels in Patients Following a Long-Term, Intermittent Calcium Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid (EDTA)-Based Intravenous Chelation Infusions: A Prospective Experimental Cohort.

Chronic exposure to and the accumulation of lead has been associated with cardiovascular and all-cause morbidity and mortality. It has also been associated with accelerated declines in cognitive function and has been theorized as a contributor to essential hypertension. This study demonstrates the capacity of intermittent infusions of calcium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) to reduce the amount of lead measured by provocative urinary testing, which is considered a marker for total body lead stores. Since lead is a known toxic substance with no safe levels, reducing the amount of accumulated lead in an individual has the possibility of decreasing the risk of heart disease, dementia, and other chronic illnesses associated with lead exposure. This study population was 15 healthy, asymptomatic patients who were evaluated for accumulated total body lead stores as part of a routine health screening. Total body lead was estimated by measuring urinary output after the patients had received intravenous (IV) calcium EDTA as a chelating agent. After establishing their baseline stored lead levels, patients received a series of intravenous chelation infusions to reduce body lead. The average number of infusions given was 14, over an average period of 24 months. After the series of chelations, there was an average reduction in the lead of 39.16% (range of 16% to 40%). All 15 subjects had a reduction in the amount of excreted lead after the series of chelation infusions.
Computational Data-Driven Materials Discovery

Machine learning (ML) from large materials datasets enables accelerated materials discovery. Currently, the most accessible way to generate uniform, well-curated, voluminous datasets is by the application of high-throughput first principles computations. Here, we present the guiding principles of using computational data and ML to drive new materials discovery.
The use of transbronchial cryobiopsy for diffuse parenchymal lung disease in critically ill patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure-A case series.

Objectives Accurate diagnosis and management of undifferentiated diffuse parenchymal lung disease (DPLD) in critically ill patients is challenging. Transbronchial forceps biopsies have limited utility and surgical lung biopsies can be detrimental for critically ill patients. Transbronchial cryobiopsy (TBC) has shown increased diagnostic yield compared to conventional forceps biopsy in DPLD. However, TBC has not been studied in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. In this case series, we describe our experience with TBC for diagnosis of DPLD in ICU patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. Methods This case series includes critically ill patients who underwent TBC at two different tertiary care hospitals. Procedures were performed by the same interventional pulmonologist using the two therapeutic bronchoscopes with a 2.8-mm working channel, and a 1.9- or 2.4-mm cryoprobe. Results We performed TBC in 17 patients of which 12 (70.1%) were performed at bedside in ICU without fluoroscopic guidance. Pathological diagnosis was made in 15 (88%) patients which resulted in changes in management in most of these patients. Six patients (35.3%) developed pneumothorax post-procedure with 5 (29.4%) requiring a chest tube. Moderate bleeding was noted in one (6%) patient and no severe or fatal bleeding occurred. Our 30-day ICU mortality was 47% (n = 8); however, no deaths were directly attributable to the procedure. Conclusions TBC is a feasible technique with an acceptable complication rate and a fairly high histopathological yield in ICU patients with DPLD and acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. Appropriate diagnosis can be crucial in making management decisions for these patients.
Applying Telemedicine to Multidisciplinary Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease Care

Multidisciplinary care is essential to the delivery of comprehensive, whole-person care for children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Team members may include medical, psychosocial, and ancillary providers as well as patient and family advocates. There is significant variability in how this care is delivered from center to center, though prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, most care occurred during in-person visits. At the onset of the pandemic, medical systems world-wide were challenged to continue delivering high quality, comprehensive care, requiring many centers to turn to telemedicine technology. The aim of this manuscript is to describe the process by which we converted our multidisciplinary pediatric and adolescent IBD visits to a telemedicine model by leveraging technology, a multidisciplinary team, and quality improvement (QI) methods. Finally, we put our experience into context by summarizing the literature on telemedicine in IBD care, with a focus on pediatrics and multidisciplinary care.
Combining Citizen Science with Traditional Biotic Surveys to Enhance Knowledge Regarding the Natural History of Secretive Species: Notes on the Geographic Distribution and Status of the Green Salamander (Aneides aeneus) in the Cumberland Mountains of Virginia, USA

The Green Salamander (Aneides aeneus) is a secretive, arboreal cliff specialist distributed discontinuously across the southern and central Appalachian Mountains, USA. While intensively studied in some parts of its range in the Appalachian Plateau and Blue Ridge Provinces, the distribution of A. aeneus is still poorly understood, particularly in the Cumberland Mountains physiographic province of the Appalachian region. This data deficiency is partly the result of a lack of formal historic surveys across this region, coupled with a high amount of privately owned land that is inaccessible to traditional biotic surveys. We used a combination of citizen science efforts and traditional field surveys to investigate the distribution and status of A. aeneus across the Cumberland Mountains of southwestern Virginia, USA. Local landowners and outdoor recreation enthusiasts reported a relatively high rate of encounters with A. aeneus, verifying the species’ persistence at four historic localities and leading to the discovery of 36 previously unknown populations. Although we are cautious about making inferences about the true conservation status of A. aeneus across this region given the scarcity of current data, these findings suggest that the distribution of A. aeneus in Virginia has been vastly underestimated and that expanded monitoring programs are needed to further ascertain this species’ status. More broadly, our results illustrate the utility of coupling public initiatives with more traditional field surveys to expand the biogeographic knowledge of secretive, difficult-to-study amphibian species.
Suicide justice: Adopting Indigenous feminist methods in settler suicidology.

White settler colonies around the world have long reported disproportionately high rates of Indigenous suicides, a consequence of the continuing violence of imperialism. This article posits a need ...
The Brain and the Unity of Conscious Experience

I believe that this problem that I am talking to you about today would have been one of particular interest to Sir Arthur Eddington. Repeatedly in his books he made reference to the problem of consciousness in relation to the physical world that he spoke about with such imagination and such understanding. I can instance his attitude to conscious experience by two brief quotations from his Swarthmore Lecture (1929), Science and the Unseen World: “In comparing the certainty of things spiritual and things temporal, let us not forget this—Mind is the first and most direct thing in our experience; all else is remote inference. Picture first consciousness as a bundle of sense-impressions and nothing more ... . But picture again consciousness, not this time as a bundle of sense-impressions, but as we intimately know it, responsible, aspiring, yearning, doubting, originating in itself such impulses as those which urge the scientist on his quest for truth.”
Cyber-Physical Systems and Events

This paper discusses event-based semantics in the context of the emerging concept of Cyber Physical Systems and describes two related formal models concerning policy-based coordination and Interactive Agents.
Aspects of mapping tasks onto parallel processing systems

A discussion of how three algorithms can map onto parallel processing systems is presented. Issues addressed are single instruction multiple data (SIMD)/multiple instruction multiple data (MIMD) tradeoffs, mixed-mode parallelism, the impact of partitioning the system for subtask parallelism, the effect on execution time of increasing the number of processors used, and the advantages of a flexible interprocessor communications network. >
Radio Images of Planetary Nebulae

The continuum radio spectra of planetary nebulae are discussed, and the structure of these objects is examined from the observed aperture synthesis brightness distributions determined with the Very Large Array. The use of radio observations in determining distances to planetary nebulae is examined. The detection of atomic neutral hydrogen at λ21 cm associated with planetary nebulae, as well as the associated CO and OH components are discussed. An upper limit, of the nebular magnetic field associated with the neutral material, of 1mG is reported for NGC 6302.